Well, here’s the latest from the Our Lady of Lourdes+St. Anne cluster. A friend of mine and one-time parishioner relates the following incident:
In past years, J___ L_____ would dress up as St. Nicholas and have the kids come in some weekend and tell them the real story of St. Nicholas. He’d always have on the miter, and he’d hold the crozier, and he makes a really great St. Nicholas. However, now that Sr. Joan’s in charge, that’s not enough. Instead of just having a “Breakfast with St. Nick” at St. Anne’s, they decided to have a special cluster Mass in which St. Nicholas would preach the homily. So in they all processed, the altar servers, the lector, the good sister, St. Nicholas, complete with miter and crozier, and then the priest. Well, once they got up into the sanctuary, they all took seats. Right there in the sanctuary. So then the Mass goes on with the usual “fluff n’ stuff” from Sr. Joan at every possible (and every impossible) point.
But then comes the homily. Fr. ______ got up and introduced it. Quickly. Then Sr. Joan got up and started her little whatever-you-call-it. Followed by St. Nicholas (aka random lay-person who’s playing dress-up at Mass). That’s just insane. When I talked to a priest, a solid priest, about it, he remarked, “monkeys aren’t part of the Tradition.”
Below two actual pictures of the perpetrator. I’d put him under Cleansing Fire interdict, but since he’s a gen-u-whine bishop, I fear he’d try to do the same to us. Now don’t get me wrong – I think that the whole notion of telling the true story is great. However, the line is crossed when someone goes from hosting a kid’s breakfast to being a lay-preacher at the Holy Mass. That’s completely out of line.
Tags: Bishop Clark, Joan, Progressive Drivel
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Hey. The parisioners who didn't flee St. Ann's like good and wise Catholics should have now lend to the scandals. Frankly, they deserve what they are getting.
Definitely. Well said, Sonja.
Look at the yellow t-shirt (standard Mass dress code for young UN-Catholics). "Catholic Community". ROFL I shouldn't laugh though. That really is a true message. They are a nothing but community. WE are a Church.
When we moved to Frederick, MD we arrived on a Holy Day of Obligation. All Saints Day actually. We looked for a nearby Catholic (albiet novus ordo) church and ended up in some enormous new building in the middle of some VERY expensive acreage, with a huge sign across the front that said Holy Family Community. We figured it was the parish recreation center. Ohhhhh no. lol Anyway after checking it out, finding it to be highly unfit for Catholic consumption we went elsewhere. "Fled" would more describe it as we told each other "Don't make eye contact with anybody. Run!" Apparently, about 450 other Catholic families had fled this portal to Hell earlier and, much like what happened to OLV, two beautiful Civil War era churches in Brunswick and Petersville (built by slaves) flourished. Those families remained Catholic. Those that stayed in the rec center morphed into something unholy. I have no doubt that will happen to the foolish families who expose their children and themselves to the preist there who encourages Joanie's "fluff and stuff".
My personal view is that we will keep seeing this kind of junk for the next several decades. In this time, the "liberal generation" will die off and the small groups of young and vibrant families will expand and grow.
There is a strong hope for us. If we're seeing solid young men coming now, imagine what it will be like once all the hurtles are removed!
Besides the obvious problem of having two lay preachers usurp the role of priest, it seems to me that there is a serious issue with a person dressing up to play bishop during Mass. Didn't Mary Ramerman get in trouble for playing priest?
~Dr. K
Love the St. Nick get-up, but of course it should be outside of the Mass (breakfast with St. Nick is a great idea).
As for Sonja's remark, I can't be that hard on the remaining parishioners. Jesus Christ is still present in their tabernacle (unless something really bad is going on) and he deserves the witness of good and holy people. It's not so easy for people to leave a parish with which they have emotional attachments.
I've spoken with many one-time parishioners of the parish, and they all point out the duplicity of **some** of the remaining parishioners. Many people opposed the abuses at the beginning, but when some of these people were made to feel important by Sr. Sobala they suddenly changed their sentiments. The way I took Sonja's remark (and I think the way she meant it) is that those who chose to stay in the face of such heinous abuses have no right to play the "poor me" card.
In some parishes, like yours, Nerina, I think it does good to stay and be a thorn of Truth. But sometimes a parish is just beyond hope. I think that Good Shepherd, St. Mary's downtown, St. Anne and Our Lady of Lourdes all fit in this category.
I went back to St. Anne a while back just to see what was going on. The ones who were contributing parishioners and left have been replaced by apathetic college kids who contribute nothing (financially) and members of the liberal crowd. The parishioners who have stayed are the ones who seem to be too attached to the music and the building to realize the profundity of the abuse. It's so sad that one person can cause so much destruction.
St. Anne, St. Joachim, and Mary ever-virgin, pray for us and for them.
Points taken, Gen.
I like being a "thorn of truth," and honestly, I do see changes (albeit, small ones).
Beautiful flowers from thorny bushes, roses. And emblematic of the Blessed Virgin. I think being a rose is a prefect metaphor for Orthodox Catholics. Beautiful flower = our spirituality, thorns = our pointed resolve. Let's hope to prick a few fingers, shall we? lol