Female Pastoral Ministers Replace Catholic Priests

Rochester Democrat & Chronicle ^ | October 22, 2002 | Doug Mandelaro

[Maximilian]

While it's too early to know precise details, the reordering of resources ordered by Bishop Matthew Clark likely will lead to hard decisions on a wider scale than Catholics have known. The planning comes as the diocese struggles to deal with shifting demographics and a steadily falling number of priests.

[ELS]

Years ago when Catholic families were larger, there was great pride if at least one of the kids would become a priest, religious brother or sister. With one or two-kid families, it seems parents do not nurture any vocation that may be there.

I also have a good deal of hope for the fruits of Catholic homeschooling. We will see in an increase in vocations as Catholic homeschooling matures.

As I said in another reply, orthodoxy begets vocations. I know three traditional Catholic families each having four children (and they aren't done having kids, yet). One of the mothers homeschools and the other two send their kids to a school run by the FSSP. One of the daughters already has expressed an interest in becoming a nun.

I regularly attend the Tridentine Mass at two parishes and occasionally at a third parish all within a 25-mile radius. At all three parishes there are many young families with handfuls of children. The multiplying of orthodox Catholics with the simultaneous dimunition of heterodox "Catholics" will solve the (contrived) priest shortage.

[Desdemona]

My mother's name is Barbara! And her hair is BEAUTIFUL!

Yes, but does she have that cut? I can name a number of Barbaras with that cut.

For the record, these women are ruining life for the rest of us. I knoiw a lot of women who would really like to be priests and, frankly, I wouldn't want any of them as a priest.

[VermiciousKnid]

I've been trying to contact the FSSP, hoping they would consider starting a ministry here on Long Island, but have been unable to get them to answer my e-mails. Do you know a better way for me to contact them?

Regards,

[drstevej]

*** also have a good deal of hope for the fruits of Catholic homeschooling. We will see in an increase in vocations as Catholic homeschooling matures.***

Might need to home-seminary them too!

[Maximilian]

I took one look at that photo of "pastoral associate" Barbara, and I thought, "If she's a lady, then I'm a vermicious knid."

[VermiciousKnid]

My mother's hair is shoulder-length, ridiculously thick, and a stunning shade of silver.

Seriously, though, I hear you about the women -- even girls; there are MANY more altar girls than boys. (I've always maintained that the boys stopped doing it partially because they now have to share what was once an exclusive honor.) When I was a child, we girls had the Sodality and the boys had Altar Boys. Now there is no more Sodality, and there are almost no boys who are willing to serve Mass. Too bad, because back in the old days, it worked out just fine. I guess they just couldn't let sleeping dogs lie.

Meanwhile, I do my part in the Rosary Altar Society as the resident embroiderer. I use this opportunity to try to make our Brady Bunch-paneled-TV room church (YICK!) a little more palatable. FWIW, I get great responses for my VERY traditional designs.

Regards,

[ejo]

'There is a vacuum and the feminist are moving in

And moving in they are, with a militant vengeance. Truly, have you seen the arrogance some display as if they are the answer to all our problems. Methinks not, in fact, we are destined for more problems if they are allowed to succeed. Would that these women, perhaps they are mothers, would they instead concentrate their zeal in fostering the religious life within their families. Encourage their sons to enter the priesthood. Point out to them that this life is greatly rewarding, God does have special blessings on those who truly become one of His own. This time the feminists allowed our men to once again become MEN. In all professions, now also the religious, I would pray the women once again become the nurturers of souls instead of the almighty dollar. Peace

[VermiciousKnid]

I took one look at that photo of "pastoral associate" Barbara, and I thought, "If she's a lady, then I'm a vermicious knid."

Oh, you did NOT! LOL (Did you?)

Regards,

[Desdemona]

No more Sodality? You've got to be kidding. EVERY parish here has a healthy Sodality. Woman give up an evening to chat without their husbands around? Yeah, right. (that's why I never joined. No single guys)

I've always wondered how many altar girls serve because THEY want to rather than their mothers wanting them to. In my old parish, the boys rarely showed up when it was an exclusive honor. Many a Mass Father would walk down the isle with only a lector. By the gospel, there was usually a full compliment as parents would send their boys up.

Now those amorphous, icky albs...they're just not classy.

[Maximilian]

I took one look at that photo of "pastoral associate" Barbara, and I thought, "If she's a lady, then I'm a vermicious knid."

Well, I do think that pretty frequently, like when seeing a picture of Hillary or Janet Reno. One of the best lines from one of my all-time favorite movies. I was always a Gene Wilder fan, and he was at his best. My kids can repeat virtually every line from the movie. (Doesn't say much for how much time they waste watching videos since we don't have broadcast TV.) Even my 9-year old came out with that "vermicious knid" line the other day when we were discussing some unsavory female (I forget which one).

"Auguuustuuus, you're going to be made into marshmallows."
"Ridiculous, madame, preposterous, that's impossible."
"Why?"
"Because that pipe goes to the fudge room."

"What do you get when your kid is a brat? Spoiled and selfish like a siamese cat? To blame the child is a crime and a shame -- you know exactly who's to blame -- the mother and the father."

[VermiciousKnid]

Wow, you and I have had very different experiences.

When I was a girl, the Sodality was HUGE -- there were a hundred girls in it, at least -- and we girls were very active indeed. Of course, we helped the adult members with decorating the church for holidays, we performed the 40 Hours during Passion Week, held the May Coronation (Last year, this lovely tradition was brought back to our parish), and on Easter Sunday...well...on Easter Sunday we pulled out all the stops: A procession which included ALL the altar boys (dressed appropriately, BTW), ALL the adult members of the Sodality, the Knights of Columbus, the Rosary Altar Society, and we girls...resplendent in white dresses (in our Communion dresses if we still fit into them), carrying lilies and wearing either blue chapel caps (for those too young to have received First Communion), white chapel caps (for those of us between First Communion and Confirmation), or white chapel veils for the older girls. They broke out the monstrance and the incense & a grand old time was had by all. It was great (but BOY is it cold at 6:00am when you're wearing white knee socks!)

Now? Now there's NONE of that. I think it's a crying shame.

Regards,

[Desdemona]

Been drinking fizzy lifting drinks? Do you add shoes to your food to give it a kick? Ever-lasting gobstoppers are my favorite.

Ummmm...give me a second....

You can even eat the dishes...

Oompa-loompa
Doopity Doo!

[VermiciousKnid]

Isn't that funny? I took the name VermiciousKnid because that is what I call my kids when THEY get a little rambunctious. Great minds think alike, it seems.

Regards,

[ELS]

Well, their Web site says:

How To Contact Us
The Priestly Fraternity of St Peter
P.O. Box 196, Elmhurst, PA 18416
phone: (570) 842-4000
fax: (570) 842-4001

Perhaps calling them would be more productive than e-mail communications? I'm not sure, but doesn't a bishop have to invite them into his diocese? Is your bishop open to that or is he more of a heterodox bishop?

[VermiciousKnid]

ELS,

Thank you very much for the information. I was going to write to them via snail mail, but thought (since you mentioned them) you might know someone personally.

As for my bishop...he's pretty new, and I do have a letter in to his office requestion a wider availability of the Indult (there are only 2 parishes in all of Long Island that offer it), but he hasn't answered yet. I only sent the letter last week, so I have to give him a chance to answer.

Thanks again,
Regards,

[BlackElk]

I'll be hearing: "I'm Barbara and I will be your pastoral associate this morning" when the genuinely Traditionalist Institute of Christ the King starts designating women "pastoral associates" which will happen no sooner than five millenia after hell freezes over and probably not even then. If it were to happen then, I feel sure I will have to witness it from the vantage point which God has assigned me after my death.

[NYer]

Is this your diocese? Hubbard, right?

No, this is Rochester, NY. However, Clark and Hubbard are long time friends. We've had a similar message delivered to us by Hubbard, here in Albany. The usual liberal garbage.

[Irisshlass]

I believe that when the Church gets back to having Seminaries in which young men have no fear of being molested, physically or psychologically, and in which they are taught to be GODLY priests, there will be such an outpouring of vocations as we haven't seen in many a year!

I think that is what has led to the problem..

[Tantumergo]

"...could we at least have deacons responsible for the parish, and not these termite women?"

A number of diocese's are not promoting, or are considering dropping, the Permanent Diaconate, because they have found that too many orthodox men have got through.

Over 50% of PD's are adult converts and so tend to be men who are Catholic for a reason. They are therefore seen as obstacles to the feminist and lay takeover of NewChurch parishes.

This despite Canon Law clearly stating that a deacon should take administrative charge of a priestless parish before consideration be given to lay pastoral administrators.

It would be interesting to know what proportion of these "Pastoral Assistants" are men - do any of you have any ideas on this?

[Desdemona]

A number of diocese's are not promoting, or are considering dropping, the Permanent Diaconate, because they have found that too many orthodox men have got through.

Where is it you people live? The descriptions here bear no resemblance to the church I know. Eliminate the Diaconate? The Mississippi will go dry first. Around here the Deacons are used a lot. Since they can do everything but Confirm, Consecrate and hear Confessions, they do a lot. In my old parish, Baptisms were always done by the deacons. Unless Mass was said, so were marriages.

The pastoral assistant is also unknown here. I had never heard of this until probably a year ago. The women liturgy "experts" are bad enough.

Anybody who has to put up with this crap has my prayers. Really.