Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Ottawa basilica cancels Masses due to Freedom Convoy protest
The Catholic Register ^ | February 9, 2022 | Quinton Amundson,

Posted on 02/09/2022 4:53:50 PM PST by ebb tide

Ottawa basilica cancels Masses due to Freedom Convoy protest

The Freedom Convoy ensnarling the nations’s capital has led to the cancellation of Masses in churches near downtown Ottawa.

But despite St. Patrick Basilica Parish cancelling all five Sunday Masses and closing church doors on the second weekend of demonstrations, Msgr. Kevin Beach praised the majority of those in the truckers’ convoy that descended on Ottawa protesting vaccine mandates for their civility.

“The truckers are amazingly well-behaved, well-organized, and it looks like well-financed,” said Beach. “It’s all these other folks who are joining in to vent their own disagreement with the government.”

St. Patrick’s, located just a five-minute walk from Parliament Hill, did host the Saturday vigil Mass via live-stream. 

While the intensity of the protest activities waned throughout the week, the parish was not taking any chances.

“There is a greater risk of violence and civil unrest, so we decided to cancel the Sunday Mass and close the church,” said Beach. 

The basilica was open on Saturday and part of Sunday during the first protest weekend. However, Beach said some “ugly incidents” occurred. 

“We had a security guard and only one (entry) so it was fairly controlled access,” said Beach. “Our security guard — I was on the front line for some incidents — dealt with some people not wanting to wear masks, but nobody barged in. We did have one event on Saturday where the police became involved, but the matter was resolved pretty quickly once they saw the police come on site.”

Parking problems and some horn-honking persisted throughout the work week, but the protest waned enough that all weekday liturgical activities went ahead with minimal disruption. 

Fr. Geoffrey Kerslake was the only other Catholic priest in Ottawa who spoke with The Catholic Register. He stated via email he was unsure if “priests will want to respond or not” to the protests because of the “stressful past few days.” Kerslake later shared on the phone that the priests “are wondering how long the protest is going to last.”

While he heard some horn-honking from his residence at Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica, Kerslake was peripheral to the protest during the first weekend, celebrating Mass at St. Anthony Padua about a 20-minute walk from the “hot zone.” 

Shepherds of Good Hope’s (SGH) experience with the protesters on the initial weekend drew widespread mainstream media attention. Caroline Cox, senior manager of communications for the shelter, said the trouble elevated at dinnertime on that first Saturday when “people who identified themselves as part of the protest” came to request a meal. Kitchen staff explained SGH’s mandate is supporting the homeless and at-risk populations.

“It felt like the people were kind of looking for a fight,” said Cox. “They were disputing, saying ‘are we not community,’ just trying to cause an argument.”

SGH also revealed “one member of the community was assaulted” and the security guard who intervened “was threatened and called racial slurs.”

The public has since rallied around the shelter with more than 12,000 donations flooding into SGH within days of the incident. 

The news was not all bad for the shelter, however. Cox said some protesters have engaged in positive interactions with SGH 

“We’ve had people coming from the protest, saying ‘we support the homeless. This does not represent all of us.’ They have given us meals and have had positive interactions,” she said.

Meanwhile, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson declared a “state of emergency” Feb. 6, day nine of the protest. And residents in the area have taken to counter-protests as they seek to get their neighbourhood back to normal and local businesses reopened.

As for the future at St. Patrick’s, Beach said that just like the “last two years under COVID-19, we’re rolling with the punches.”



TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; Religion & Culture; Worship
KEYWORDS: canada; church; frankenbishops; frankenchurch; freedomconvoy; protest

1 posted on 02/09/2022 4:53:50 PM PST by ebb tide
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: ebb tide

Like the lying communists were even open for mass anyways.


2 posted on 02/09/2022 4:57:22 PM PST by WMarshal ("No war for communism"I doubt they're smart enough to make the connection)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Al Hitan; Fedora; irishjuggler; Jaded; JoeFromSidney; kalee; markomalley; miele man; Mrs. Don-o; ...

Ping


3 posted on 02/09/2022 5:00:27 PM PST by ebb tide (Where are the good fruits of the Second Vatican Council? Anyone?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ebb tide

Shouldn’t they open their doors?


4 posted on 02/09/2022 5:06:43 PM PST by DesertRhino (Dogs are called man's best friend. Moslems hate dogs. Add it up....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ebb tide

Maybe some truckers want to go to a Mass or pray. God’s house should never close.


5 posted on 02/09/2022 5:11:22 PM PST by George from New England
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ebb tide
“There is a greater risk of violence and civil unrest, so we decided to cancel the Sunday Mass and close the church,” said Beach.

Bullfauci.

6 posted on 02/09/2022 5:14:09 PM PST by Allegra
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ebb tide
With all the Nazi indicators on site, you can understand their fear...


7 posted on 02/09/2022 5:15:32 PM PST by dead (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_vFiUUcBkc)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ebb tide

Those truckers who want to attend religious services should organize outdoor church, temple, etc. I’m sure there are clergy and laymen who would be happy to conduct services for different denominations.


8 posted on 02/09/2022 5:16:35 PM PST by MayflowerMadam (When government fears the people, there is liberty.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ebb tide

So is a priest going to hold mass at the convoy for the catholic truckers who want to go?


9 posted on 02/09/2022 5:17:24 PM PST by McGavin999 (To shut down the border tell the administration the cartel is smuggling Ivermectin )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: McGavin999

I’m sure a traditional priest will.


10 posted on 02/09/2022 5:19:22 PM PST by ebb tide (Where are the good fruits of the Second Vatican Council? Anyone?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: DesertRhino

I think some of the churches were opening their door so people could use their bathrooms, and maybe even shower.

I don’t think this was good.


11 posted on 02/09/2022 5:20:54 PM PST by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: ebb tide

And, of course, d’Ottawa Mare (as in East end of horse travelling West) Jim TWatson and Prime Mistake True-dolt will SUDDENLY ‘get religion’ and recognize how IMPORTANT it is ALL people, and how the truckers MUST BE SHUT DOWN, so people can attend mass.

Hopefully, as warmer weather is now arriving in d’Ottawa, when these two anti-Christians protest loudly about the Basilica being closed, God will send Heavenly Fire onto them. Kinda like unfunny comedienne Heather Ann McDonald cracking smart about God and the cracking her thixk skull!


12 posted on 02/09/2022 5:35:32 PM PST by A Formerly Proud Canadian ( Ceterum autem censeo Justinius True-dope-us esse delendam)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: George from New England

Yeah, exactly.


13 posted on 02/09/2022 5:52:07 PM PST by No name given (Anonymous is who you’ll know me as. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: ebb tide

Church is wokey political. God is not their top priority now.


14 posted on 02/09/2022 5:57:28 PM PST by dforest (Freaking insane world. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ebb tide

Grandstanding.

Putting politics before God.

The Mass has always gone on everywhere I’ve ever seen, as scheduled, even if just one person is sitting in attendance.


15 posted on 02/09/2022 6:23:17 PM PST by simpson96
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ebb tide

Lying priests. Awesome(/s). 🙄


16 posted on 02/09/2022 6:26:01 PM PST by Pajamajan ( PRAY FOR OUR NATION. Never be a peaceful slave in a new socialist America.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ebb tide

Truckers have improved Ottawa:

No murders since they arrived
Homeless are fed and cared for
Sidewalks are shoveled
Trash is picked up.

More than JustRun Brandeau ever accomplished.


17 posted on 02/09/2022 6:26:03 PM PST by aMorePerfectUnion (Fraud vitiates everything.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ebb tide

Sounds like this SGH, is a communist front group. A pox be upon them.


18 posted on 02/09/2022 10:07:11 PM PST by vpintheak (Live free, or die!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: McGavin999

“So is a priest going to hold mass at the convoy for the Catholic truckers who want to go?”

Should. Shame the authoritarians. Powerful images would probably have them losing their marbles.


19 posted on 02/10/2022 2:48:28 AM PST by MDLION (J"Trust in the Lord with all your heart" -Proverbs 3:)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: aMorePerfectUnion

“Truckers have improved Ottawa”

Don’t litter like the godless liberals, even the environmental liberals, because of love of neighbor, concern for their brethren who would have to clean it up.

Only arrests of conservatives are phony or principled arrests. Liberals are arrested for their crimes and emotionally out of control behavior, Mommy and Daddy issues untreated, arrested development, the triumph of emotion over reason.


20 posted on 02/10/2022 2:54:29 AM PST by MDLION (J"Trust in the Lord with all your heart" -Proverbs 3:)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson