Posted on 03/26/2015 5:21:59 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — Angry parents at one San Francisco catholic school say they’ve had enough and two controversial leaders of their school’s church must go.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports over 100 parents from the Star of the Sea School in the city’s Richmond District crowded into a meeting with representatives from the Archdiocese of San Francisco Wednesday. Their message was clear, Rev. Joseph Illo, pastor at the school’s church since August and Father Patrick Driscoll, the parish’s parochial vicar, should be removed from their posts.
Illo and Driscoll gained attention earlier this year when they initiated new policies at the school that instantly upset parents and attracted the media. In January, Illo decided girls would no longer be allowed to act as altar servers during Mass. He also excluded non-Catholic children from receiving blessings while their classmates took Communion. He later reversed the second decision.
Driscoll was criticized for handing out pamphlets about confession that made reference to sodomy, masturbation and abortion. Some of the kids who pocketed the hand-out were as young as 7 years-old.
Parents from the Star of the Sea were emotional as they addressed the two men last night. Most focused on the same idea, that the school’s new message was one of “intolerance” and “hate”… a direction they wanted reversed as soon as possible.
One parent was more diplomatic. “They are just not a good fit,” said Brenda Kittredge.
This controversy erupted at the same time the Archdiocese of San Francisco was already under fire for introducing morality clauses in teacher’s contracts at four Catholic high schools. That idea was criticized by many, including the teacher’s union and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
Neither Illo or Driscoll spoke during the public forum but afterwards Illo told the Chronicle, “it’s important to hear their perspective.” He says there have been misunderstandings but now he’ll leave it to the archbishop to decide what happens next.
It’s kind of messed up that the Catholic school wants to act all Catholic and stuff. Just plain outrageous.
Perhaps it’s the parents who aren’t a good fit. I suggest they take their children elsewhere.
Apparently the parents who are sending their kids to Catholic school, while living in the SF bay area must be...”special” and don’t have to abide by the rules.
In San Francisco, each of those is considered a Holy Sacrament. If the kids had seen any of them referenced on a billboard, as surely they would in SFO, the parents would not have batted an eye.
Or maybe not. As a Catholic parent, just as with any parent, I agree with age-inappropriate content being given to kids. Stupid. Let the kids be kids. Now, maybe they should warn all of them to never be left alone with a priest, but that warning should already be instructions from each parent. Definitely one I covered with my boys.
Now, girls as alter servers and all, that is an interesting question since the church will not let them have real roles, such as the priesthood, and nuns are pretty much a thing of the past. The church has a real problem and challenge with its patriarchal nature. Does it evolve or continue to be increasingly out-of-step with society? Can it survive without change? Can society be one thing in church and another everywhere else?
A hearty protestant attitude calls for these 100 parents to either, get over it, or go be Protestant somewhere else.
We have play acting going on among grown adults. If they can’t get the really simple stuff, what else are they up to inside the Church. They want the honor of the name, but desecrate the meaning.
I am so very sorry for their misguided children. Lord, have mercy.
They send their kids there to keep them out of public school, then they want to turn it into public school.
If the Church changes doctrines to conform to the spirit of the age, she will not survive.
San Francisco has more Nazis per square inch than fascist Berlin, ca, 1938.
I pray to God it returns to being counter cultural to the core.
That “patriarchal nature” business you would have to take that up with the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is quite awkward to get the picture of God creating Man first, and secondarily the Woman simply as his helpmate, from our perch in a now feminized culture with women running the churches and their husbands, and their careers, but who can not park their butt at home anymore to raise decent children with faith, do their own housekeeping and feed the damn dog. It simply isn’t done.
Look around at the wreckage, much of it caused by loss of motherhood, replaced with too much cleavage and short hem lines.
Culture does not trump God, his Church or the Commandments unless we are on the road, willingly, to Hell. And, we are.
Boy, you said a mouthful! I hadn’t thought about it in those clear terms. That is exactly what is happening.
To be fair, Star of the Sea is out in the Avenues, it is highly residential and not a homosexual neighborhood generally speaking. I have not seen the type of billboard you are referring to there. Though liberal, at least 90% of SFers are straight according to a recent study.
Here is an answer for the parents, pooblac skewl.
Clericalism on stilts.
Just because they’re straight doesn’t mean they don’t commit sodomy. I’ve seen that defended right here at FR.
Nuns may or may not be a thing of the past. There are orders that are growing really fast— young ladies wearing habits and teaching school with a sweet smile on their faces. I don’t think the old hippy sisters like this that much, but it’s a trend.
Priesthood is a service vocation. If women aren’t called to it, maybe it’s because we don’t need the same kind of lesson in humility and self-sacrifice that men need. Perhaps Jesus thought that men need to do their own dishes on the altar, in front of God and everybody.
Agree with you.
**Illo decided girls would no longer be allowed to act as altar servers during Mass.**
Completely in line with the GIRM — General Instruction (for the) Roman Missal that only speaks of acolytes. Girls can’t be acolytes.
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