Priest may be in hot water after allowing Protestant minister to concelebrate Mass, receive Communion at Orange County parish

Some parishioners at St. Norbert’s Church in Orange describe themselves as “shocked and appalled” after a priest there allowed a Presbyterian minister to concelebrate a Mass and receive Holy Communion on Sunday, Feb. 13…….

Read the whole article here.

This reminds me of a couple of similar situations that I witnessed here in our own diocese.

Many years ago, in Henrietta (guess the parish!), the priest processed in with a Protestant minister. It was ‘pulpit exchange’ weekend.  The priest was wearing a Buffalo Bills cap. The minister accompanied him down the aisle to the altar. After kissing the altar, the priest took off the cap and placed it on the altar to his left, went to the chair and made some introductory comment about the Bill’s hopeful performance in the big game that day. The minister was offered a seat immediately next to the priest, which he took. The minister gave the homily which was why he was there. After the Sanctus, the priest invited the minister -cleary uncomfortable at this point- to stand at the altar during the Eucharistic Prayer. I think the minister received communion at the altar after the priest communicated. I don’t recall if he distributed communion..

The other occassion was more recent. At a funeral at St. Anne’s Church a couple of priests who knew the deceased concelebrated. Also attending was a protestant minister who had become a good friend to the deceased and who was asked by the family to say a few words during the funeral. He wore his stole and sat, appropriately, off to the side of the sanctuary. In other words, he was accorded the appropriate respect offered to visiting clergy. One or two priests preached homilies and then the minister offered a few brief remarks. So far so good. At communion time, however, after all had received, and noticing that the minister had not communicated (as he should not), one of the visiting priests walked over to him and offered him the Body of the Lord which he took. It was not the pastor who did this but a visiting priest! The nerve.

Tags: Liturgy, Progressive Drivel

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