Bishop objects to group in parade (St. Patricks's Day),Serratelli rallies priests against NOW

Star-Ledger ^ | 2/23/06 | MAURA McDERMOTT

[Coleus]

The bishop of the Paterson Diocese has asked priests in Morris County to contact organizers of the Saint Patrick's Day parade in Morristown and express their concerns that a group that supports abortion rights plans to participate.

In a letter dated Feb. 13, Bishop Arthur Serratelli wrote that the National Organization for Women's support for "abortion, birth control and reproductive rights for all women ... stands against the teachings of the Church and the Catholic values that St. Patrick in his life as a missionary and bishop worked tirelessly to promote."

The county chapter of NOW has marched in the Morristown parade since 1993, and it does not advocate for reproductive rights or any other policy at the festivities, according to the group and local officials.

The group typically decorates a vehicle in shamrocks and green balloons, and some 15 to 20 members participate, with some of them holding signs bearing the NOW logo, according to Mavra Stark of Montville, president of the Morris County chapter of NOW.

The Morris County chapter is still welcome at the parade as long as it continues to abide by rules banning political advocacy, said Robert Nace, vice president of the parade's board of trustees and mayor of Morris Township.

A Morris County group that opposes abortion rights once tried to hand out literature and balloons, but parade organizers did not allow them to do so, Nace said.

The NOW chapter has never strayed from the rules banning politics, Nace said.

Parade organizers received e-mails from 12 priests, including some from Paterson, objecting to NOW's participation, Nace said. The trustees have discussed the issue and will respond to the e-mails by explaining that the parade is a nonsectarian, nonpolitical event, he added.

[Coleus]

Laci's unborn baby in abortion debate

Candor in the abortion debate: Tom Jipping observes NOW rep's comments mutating into confusion

Morris County NOW
PO Box 394
Morristown, NJ 07960
Chapter Phone: 973-285-1200
MorrisCountyNOW@hotmail.com, Mavra@Optonline.net ,RNace@MorrisTwp.com 

Mavra Stark

NORTHERN NEW JERSEY AREA
E-mail: Mavra@Optonline.net
Topics

National Healthcare as a Feminist Issue. The Myth of America:

• We may have problems, but we still have the finest healthcare in the world. We have the highest standard of living in the world. American women are the most liberated in the world. All these myths are explored in depth with an emphasis on National Healthcare as the first step in bringing American women the sorts of programs and services that European women have had for many years.

Feminism and Witchcraft:

• The major religions, all patriarchal, as the basis for all oppression of women. Why women still accept these religions. What exactly is Witchcraft? Disney and the Inquisition vs. natural Mother religion. What is white magic, black magic and gray magic? Taking power and using it in positive ways. Simple spells. Is there room for men in Women's Spirtuality?

The Equal Rights Amendment:

• Do we really still need it? What is its current status, if any? What is the "Start Over" ERA? What is the "Three State" ERA? What is the Constitutinal EqualityAmendment?
• The Insurance Lobby and the ERA. Shaking up old bones. What we can do.

Little Insults to Smacks in the Face:

• Small, seemingly insignificant assaults on women. Subtle putdowns in television commercials, Men Working signs. The English language and sexism. Ridicule as atom bomb.

Contact Mavra Stark
NORTHERN NEW JERSEY
E-mail: Mavra@Optonline.net

E-Mail Mayor Nace

[bonfire]

Somebody tell me why we celebrate St. Patrick's day anyway??

[NYer]

Catholic Ping - Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

[Coleus]

Somebody tell me why we celebrate St. Patrick's day anyway??
>>

It probably goes back to the days when the "Catholics Need not Apply" signs went in the windows.

[Tzimisce]

"...reproductive rights FOR ALL WOMEN."

I don't think this is a direct quote or he would have stopped at "reproductive rights".

[Clemenza]

Although I support the right of the gays to march in the parade, a pro-infanticide organization like NOW should not be allowed to march in a Halloween parade, much less a St. Pat's parade.

[muglywump]

To promote beer sales

[Coleus]

Yea, they forget about the rights of the father. And the right for him to have his baby be born alive instead of being mutilated and aspirated.

[BW2221]

I take it, you don't enjoy liquor.

From a Mick (me): Remember why God created liquor. To keep the Irish from ruling the world.

[Cagey]

Although I support the right of the gays to march in the parade,

The issue in the New York St. Patrick's parade is that gays want to march as a unit (No pun intended) of gays.

None of the organizers ban gays from marching with any of the recognized organizations but are opposed to the gays having their own contingencies. I agree with the organizers.

[BureaucratusMaximus]

Somebody tell me why we celebrate St. Patrick's day anyway??

Because its an excuse to drink and act stupid...like the Irish need an excuse.

[Clemenza]

I'm not Irish, but admit that one of the more colorful aspects of the Dublin parade are the drag queens. Find it interesting that Irish Americans are more uptight about this than the Irish themselves.

If the gays want to march together without doing anything too pornographic, I have no problem. Then again, the Hibernians set the rules, so they call the tune.

I have more of a problem with the Teamsters (who march in the parade) than the gays, but that's just me.

That being said, NOW is just plain evil and no parade should be associated with an organzation that promotes infanticide.

[steve8714]

It's like a family Mardi Gras without the crapping on the sidewalk or exposed middle age breasts.
We may go to Mass in the morning.

[Cagey]

but admit that one of the more colorful aspects of the Dublin parade are the drag queens.

Well, the New York City St. Patrick's Parade is not like a New Orleans Mardi Gras and marching Drag Queens just won't cut it.

This year's parade is dedicated to the fighting 69th- Taskforce Wolfhound who served in Iraq and the 19 who were killed in action.

But the Halloween parade in the village has all the drag queens you'll ever want to see. As you know Clemenza, New York has something for everyone.

[farmer18th]

If the gays want to march together without doing anything too pornographic, I have no problem.

To the extent that St. Patrick was a great Christian saint, the parade should embody Christian values. Gays and Abortionists should do their only little Molech parade or something like that, but they don't belong near decent families and their children.

[Alberta's Child]

Ping.

[Coleus]

click: e-mail john Bradley, parade organizer, with any questions

from the article:

...but Monsignor Kenneth Lasch, a retired priest who lives in Morristown, said he often attends the festivities and has no problem with NOW's participation....

"It's an open society and people have the right to express themselves, and the parade organizers have the right to make the decision," Lasch said. "That's the way life is in America."

in this article on The Passion movie, Lasch said this.

click: The Rev. Kenneth Lasch, a veteran Catholic priest, said he was repelled.

"I saw it as religious barbarism ... in my opinion, God did not send his son to die,'' said Lasch, of St. Joseph's Church of Mendham. "God sent his son to live, to be faithful. And in being faithful, it cost him his life.''

[marshmallow]

Somebody tell me why we celebrate St. Patrick's day anyway??

That depends on what you mean by "celebrate". St. Patrick's Day suffers from the same disease as Christmas. A religious feast diverted and perverted from its original intent into a secular excuse for self-indulgence and making whoopee.

St.Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland which in turn has sent missionaries to all corners of the earth. He was truly a great saint so the religious aspect of this day is definitely a cause for rejoicing

However, many of those currently involved with St. Patrick's Day celebrations seem to be cultural Catholics. IOW, baptized but seldom attend Church and probably diagree with what the Church teaches about a whole host of moral issues.