Unbelievable and unplanned though it was, when the Buddhists lined up in the sanctuary to begin, the event coordinator, mistaking Fr. McMahon for the pastor, requested him to say a few words, to which Father graciously complied!
“I’d like to welcome you all to the basilica this evening ... I have a pamphlet that I found in the pews –I guess the basilica is undergoing some restoration project–and it says, ‘Restore the glory of the basilica.’ That is what we are here to do tonight... shame on the Catholic men who have allowed this thing to happen here. I apologize if this not what you came to hear tonight, but we are going to do here what the basilica was made for, and that is to pray Catholic prayers...”
Much to the bewilderment of the Buddhists and their assistants, Father then proceeded to kneel down and intone in Gregorian chant, Credo III, which was followed by all 15 Mysteries of the Rosary, ...
The police arrived, but were confused as to why a Catholic priest was calling them to remove another Catholic priest praying the Rosary in a Catholic church! Meanwhile, the Buddhists had left the sanctuary, and the concert was postponed (it was eventually held in the church’s basement).