Beautiful ...
This past weekend I was reminded how blessed I am to have St. Pat's.
Before ending the Mass, the priest left all the altar girls and deacon sitting behind him as he came down to have everyone sing Happy Birthday to the choir director (applause! applause!). That wasn't so bad. I know how this parish likes to cocktail it out of Mass. But then he asked if anyone else was celebrating a birthday.
"How about any anniversaries?"
And then the killer:
"Anyone celebrating a divorce?"
I nearly walked out but settled instead for asking for an explanation, telling him I thought it was scandalous to equate birthdays, anniversaries and divorce in a church full of youngsters.
"That's YOUR opinion, I have mine. If you don't like, you don't have to come to MY MASS."
Sad old man.
Am I correct to conclude that this anecdote took place at a church other than St. Pat's?
Sad indeed. If a priest had told me that if I didn't like it that I didn't have to come to "his mass", I would probably have been unfaithful to the virtues of charity and patience and said that it would be cold day in hell before I'd ever go to such a travesty.
Things like that push people more and more away from the N.O.
I'm more than happy to Freep him from afar. Send info. Have telephone, fax, can call, can call chanceries too! I have some recent practice and expertise in this field. :-(