Catholic/Protestant Post - San Antonio Cathedral Hosts Neo-Pagan Lay Liturgy

The Wanderer | May 20, 2003

[NYer]

A parody of the Mass was held in the newly renovated San Fernando Cathedral - the oldest cathedral in the US - on April 29, 2003 when a ceremony honoring the pagan goddess Sophia was celebrated as part of an ecumenical event for Catholics and representatives of varius Protestant groups sponsored by the Pastoral Summit.

Though the chief “celebrant” of this pagan liturgy was a nun, Sr. Martha Ann Kirk, the liturgy was “created” by Fr. Jake Emperereur, S.J., vicar and liturgist at the cathedral.

The pagan liturgy, officially called a “community worship service,” opened with the congregation turning to the baptismal font at the entrance to the cathedral.

After the water in the baptismal font was “sanctified” in the name of Sophia and Wisdom, participants in the entrance procession danced toward and into the sanctuary, sprinkling the audience with this water.

Next an offertory meal of bread and wine and fruits was brought in, and a select group of three women ritualistically set the meal on the altar. Sr. Kirk then appeared to “consecrate” the bread, fruit and wine, and a communion-like sharing was held in which the overwhelming majority of the audience participatd by breaking a piece of bread from the large loaves and consuming it.

After a short skit about Kind David and Sophia, the troupe held an exit procession.

The Pastoral Summit, led by noted Catholic author Paul Wilkes, a leader in the movement to establish a lay-run church, will hold similar three-day events in Indianapolis, and Boston in coming months.

The featured speakers at the San Antonio event, held April 28, 29 and 30, were Notre Dame professor Scott Appleby and Ruby Bridges, who, as a little girl, symbolized the integration of New Orleans public schools.

In Indianapolis, June 17-19, featured speakers will be Ken Fong and Fr. David Cozzens, while in Boston, October 6-8, the featured speakers will be Alice McDermott and Huston Smith.

The sponsor of the Pastoral Summit was the Lilly Endowment, and attendees for the summit came from across the US to learn and share information on what makes successful worship and parishes.

[drstevej]

***By 1991, St. Anthony's had one 5:00 PM Mass on Sunday afternoon (I had arrived at Logan at noontime) said by a fellow who seemed to look more like a lumberjack (and to dress like one) than a priest. Hi, I'm Father Bob and I will be your presider today! Environmentalist hymns whose lyrics rolled on a screen next to the new hot dog stand in the round. "Communion" in the form of consecrated loaves of French bread, handed out by counterculture ministrettes who looked like aging refugees from the Woodstock weekend in 1968, to be broken into pieces by the parishioners in the pews with the crumbs falling everywhere. The good news from Father Bob that there was a Chistmas Bazaar downstairs which we should all take advantage of since all goods were hand-made by actual Nicaraguan Sandanista Communists and that all proceeds would go to them as well. The book shop was filled with an infinite variety of heresies.***

You should have protested! Or would that make you a protestant? (shutters at the prospect)

Alternatively you could have listed these abuses (in Latin not to offend the regular parishioners) and taped them to the church door suggesting a debate. Oops, once again too Lutheran!

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Phase One - Cost $5,700,000 Phase One involves the restoration, extensive repairs to the church and enhancements for making the liturgy more in line with the vision of the Second Vatican Council.

That means they're gutting it. Judging from the outside, it once was probably a very beautiful Catholic Church.

[victim soul]

Thanks, NYer, for taking the time and effort to transcribe this distressing article.

[drstevej]

Yep, the total cost is $15,000,000. San Antonio already has a great Zoo, they don't need to build another one.

[drstevej]

***Amchurch religious educator Deborah Hanus***

Silent "H" ??? (In Deborah, I mean!)

[TradicalRC]

Flores para los muertos?

[Flying Circus]

May God have mercy on these people, bless them and help them, and repeatedly smack them upside their heads until repent of what they are doing in these ceremonies!

[NYer]

Make a contribution to their renovation

I checked out the architect responsible for the renovation. He is right near me ... in fact, he is a parishioner at my parish! And, he's working with our pastor to do some recko ... er I mean renovation in our church. If they install an enneagram, I am out of there!

[NYer]

Colleen .... this is the web site you need to bookmark!

PASTORAL SUMMIT - BOSTON

Paul Wilkesbr Project Director,p The Pastoral Summit is a nation-wide effort to make our local churches the best they possibly can be. In 2003, we will host three Pastoral Summit gatherings that will feature fresh ideas and new approaches from some of America's most effective Protestant and Catholic churches. At each Pastoral Summit, you will be in the company of people who see the local church as the dynamic force it can be -- in individual lives, in the life of our communities and nation.

[BlackElk]

Bishop Donald Wuerl was apointed years ago to be coadjutor bishop of Seattle and to handle all matters having to do with gays and sexual matters generally as to which then then Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen was specifically ordered to have no part. Hunthausen was well-known back then for referencing a US nuclear submarine base in Puget Sound as "the Auschwitz of Puget Sound", for saying Masses for organized homosexual pressure groups to show his support for their causes and other AmChurch leftist behavior. Hunthausen had also been (I swear) witnessed chasing butterflies around the interior of the Seattle Cathedral with an actual butterfly net. IMHO, the butterflies should have been chasing him, but never mind.

Soon enough AmChurch (Bernardin was still among us) got its collective back up over the treatment of one of their own in Hunthausen and successfully pressured the Vatican to remove Wuerl, who soon got Pittsburgh as a consolation prize. He writes for Columbia Magazine (Knights of Columbus) monthly and tends to be somnewhat Marian in his public rhetoric.

It may be unfair but I distrust him. I hope you get a more solid and reliable archbishop. You need one after Law. If I am ever again in Boston I will check out St. Francis.

God bless you and yours.

[BlackElk]

If I tattled to Russell Means the pro-life former head of the American Indian Movement, there might be the easternmost attack by Sioux Indians and there might not be a St. Anthony's since Russell was verrry resentful of Sandanista treatment of the Misquito Indians of Nicaragua. Protest would be the least of their worries and the Elk could remain anonymous for a while longher.

You are probably assuming wrongfully that Archbishop Flores knows something more of Latin than he does of Catholicism. Both of those tanks are empty. See Soothing Dave's accurate recollection hereon.

[BlackElk]

Very nice!

[NYer]

Thanks, NYer, for taking the time and effort to transcribe this distressing article.

The story leapt off the front page!! I searched their web site but their front page stories are in pdf format and this issue was not yet listed.

The story continues on page 10 and I am just looking it over, trying to decide whether or not to type that part up as well. For the most part, it talks about the guest speakers, their background, etc. There is nothing to match that first part.

I just felt that everyone needed to know what went on down there and give a "heads up" to anyone living in Indianapolis or Boston. I am still shocked by that "liturgy". Whoever said the cathedral probably needed to be reconsecrated, is right. God bless you all.

[Codie]

Hey doc,are Catholics saved?

[drstevej]

***Hey doc,are Catholics saved?***

Like Protestants, some are some aren't.

[Codie]

Are Catholics faithful to Rome saved?

[drstevej]

I'm not sure what "faithful to Rome" entails. The issue is Christ, not Rome.

[Codie]

No,the issue is what the Catholic teaches.Are you for or agaisnt her?

[drstevej]

***No,the issue is what the Catholic teaches***

I'm becoming less hopeful for you Codie. The gospel is about Christ not Rome.

***Are you for or agaisnt her?***

There are some points where I agree with RCC doctrine and a great many areas I do not (including the Real Presence and the Immaculate Conception of Mary). I don't think I have hidden my views on these topics.

So what's you point. You seem preturbed...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/905615/posts?page=23#23

[Codie]

Do you always keep files on people?