The Progressive Catholic Voice
An independent and grassroots forum for reflection, dialogue, and the exchange of ideas within the Catholic community of Minnesota and beyond May 2008 |
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 Dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, who heard and responded to God’s call to “repair my Church,” and, in so doing, emulated the justice-making and compassion of our brother Jesus.
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By the Editorial Team Archbishop John C. Nienstedt writes a column in The Catholic Spirit entitled “In God’s Good Time.” We take his public statements as an opportunity to discuss his views with him. Dear Archbishop Nienstedt: Progressive Catholics have a dream and we see that you do too. It’s a dream of solidarity, mutual respect, reciprocal care, and shared mission among all Catholics in this archdiocese. This would be a sign of it: a huge gathering of people brought together for renewal, worshipping together, talking, singing, eating together, and becoming one family in the Holy Spirit. To our surprise we see on the Archdiocesan website the announcement of a gathering, promising 5,000 people, at the River Centre in St Paul on November 8, 2008. The announcement promises music and food, worship and conversation. Could this be the unifying event we dream of? Who is invited? Who will do the planning? Have the purpose and the agenda already been determined? Will we be sweeping the painful differences under the rug to pretend to have a party? We don’t want to be spoil sports, but we know that we can’t go forward without the healing of reconciliation. Perhaps there were never any conflicts in your family, but most of us have had the torturous experience of pretending unity at a family gathering when people are hurt and angry. The only thing accomplished is reinforcement of mom or dad’s denial. In our dream, the people especially invited to the big Catholic gathering are those betrayed by the Church’s not practicing what it preaches. Not only they are hurt, but the rest of us too, are hurt with them.
We dream of reunion with all these people. We dream that you would act as the Good Shepard in calling all the grieving Catholics home and asking their forgiveness for the Roman Catholic institution’s sins. They may forgive, but why should they return to the same abusive home? You have called your 5,000 strong meeting an Evangelization Gathering. Could we start by bringing the good news of God’s love to each other in our own institutional home? With careful planning by the laity, particularly the professionals who know group systems and dynamics, we could begin the long process of talking together with facilitators to give everyone a chance to be heard. Respect for leadership would have to be earned, assumptions would be questioned, people could take ownership of their Church. We could establish channels from the laity to the hierarchy for continuing dialogue. We could begin the discussion of what we believe about God, about Jesus and the Holy Spirit, about the Christian church and the Roman Catholic branch of it so we could find out what we actually believe as opposed to what we have always been told to believe. We could allow for diversity of perspective within the forms of worship and prayer. We could develop strategies to fulfill the church’s mission to the world. Those who need a sense of security in strong leadership and those who need flexibility and autonomy could all go home filled with joy in the beginnings of a new trust between laity and hierarchy and between liberal and conservative. We believe this to be the work of the Holy Spirit, and without this basic work, the Roman Catholic institution in this Archdiocese has nothing at all to say to other Christians, other religions, or to the world at large. We will promote the event with all our hearts if you will consider embodying our dream too. We await your response. Sincerely, The Editorial Team of The Progressive Catholic Voice: Michael Bayly _______________________________________________
By Paula Ruddy Vatican II. The Council’s name has become a code word for division. Whose church is it? Lay people who have gone about making it their own find themselves in a tug of war with clergy and hierarchy. They feel angry, fearful, and sad when power descends arbitrarily. What can be done about it? Ecclesiologist Richard Gaillardetz, speaking at the Call To Action-Minnesota meeting on April 19, cautioned us against “demonizing” people who do not agree with us. He tries first to look at the commonalities with people who disagree with him and to see the good that they do before bringing on the criticism. It’s a respectful and balanced attitude toward people. Good advice, in general. But a power clamp-down on people’s autonomy is not just garden variety disagreement. It’s oppression. The problem is that oppressed people cannot take a balanced attitude toward their oppressor. A battered wife, for example, can’t take a dispassionate view about how wonderfully her husband treats his colleagues at work. Those of us who feel oppressed could not hear a good word Pope Benedict XVI said on his visit to the US. Praise for him leaves us cold. Why is that? Are we “demonizing” him? We are fully aware that he is a human being, fallible and limited like the rest of us. He can have some good ideas and do some good things. But we wouldn’t go to see him and we do not want to listen to him. As theologian Anne E. Patrick puts it in the introduction to her Liberating Conscience:
The oppressive sour note is about authority and control and is, therefore, primarily about sexuality. The oppressed are women, suffering from unequal status and the moral teachings around reproduction and marriage; they are gays and lesbians excluded from communion; they are victims of sexual abuse by predator priests and nuns and the bishops that protect them. Anyone who dissents in a Roman Catholic parish or educational institution on the moral teachings around sexuality feels the oppression. For example, no Catholic parish or organization in Minneapolis or St. Paul can let the Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities, Dignity, or Call To Action meet on church property for fear of the descent of power to punish them. The more absolute the power, the more profound is the disrespect for the man who wields it abusively. It is said of the pope, “He could solve these injustices with the stroke of a pen.” He could remove bishops who connived to protect sexual predatory priests. He could use current science to update the moral teaching condemning homosexual partnering. He could move to ordain women and make celibacy in the priesthood optional. He could set the bishops of the US free and instruct them to listen to their people. Rage boils up when he visits the US in his red shoes, oblivious of the suffering he is responsible for. Are we demonizing the pope? No. We are saying “we cannot hear you until you recognize us as equals in baptism.” And we have no expectation that this pope, any more than the last one or his appointee bishops, will be able to recognize us as equals. They are not demons; they live in a different universe. They act out of a patriarchal construction of church – Gaillardetz’s pyramid with the power at the top – and we see church as existing fully in each community – Gaillardetz’s interrelated circles. With regard to moral theology, they define “good Catholic” from the point of view of patriarchs, and we define it from the point of view of our egalitarian culture and its interpretation of Vatican II. Anne Patrick characterizes the two very different paradigms of virtue in the current conflict:
In this model, she says, “chastity becomes the pinnacle of perfection.” All “matter” is grave where sexual sin is concerned, but violations of charity and justice are more or less grave. Along with physical chastity, obedience to authority makes one a good Catholic. Since Patrick wrote her book, some social “sins” have now been added to the list, but the patriarchal model remains intact. Both men and women have been formed in this model, and it feels normal to perhaps a majority of Catholics. In what Patrick calls the egalitarian/feminist model (to distinguish her model from other conceptions of feminism) a “good Catholic” acts entirely differently. Both women and men are increasingly being enculturated in this model.
People who are comfortable in the patriarchal/pyramidal model will not understand how oppressive the Roman Catholic Church is for a person formed in the egalitarian/feminist culture. The thousands of people who cheered the pope, rather than feeling oppressed, probably appreciate the stability of the age-old model. It takes some compassion to put oneself in the shoes of sexual abuse victims, discounted women, gays and lesbians, divorced and remarried Catholics, silenced scholars, and all the persons whose lives have been restricted by hierarchical power. Until the people conscious of oppression outnumber the comfortable ones, the paradigm will probably not shift. One option for those feeling oppressed is to seek a less patriarchal church community. Many Catholics are doing that. Another option is to put the egalitarian/feminist model to work in our own parishes in whatever way we can. Read our local author Charles Pilon’s new novel Waiting for Mozart for a dramatic rendering of how that can be done. You will find Bill Hunt’s review of Waiting for Mozart also in this issue. Anne E. Patrick, Liberalizing Conscience: Feminist Explorations in Catholic Moral Theology, Continuum Publishing Co., 1996. Paula Ruddy is a co-founder of The Progressive Catholic Voice. _______________________________________________
Waiting for Mozart Explores Current Conflicts Within the Church (Reprinted with permission from the April 2008 issue of CORPUS Report) Charles Pilon’s debut novel Waiting for Mozart is about music. Not Mozart’s music, but the sometimes lovely, often discordant strains resonating throughout the Catholic Church in the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). The lofty image of the Church as the People of God stands like a Mozart masterpiece in contrast to the halting melodies played out in a local congregation trying to embody the Council’s ideals in flesh and blood. The author is particularly well suited for his task. After serving as an ordained priest for nearly a decade, he worked as an administrator of both urban and suburban parishes. He understands the dynamism of parish life, and still has a passion for implementing the reforms of the Council. The novel is set in a suburban Twin Cities parish twenty-five years after the close of the Council. By this time many of the changes stemming from the Council have taken hold. The Mass is now in English; action for justice is considered an essential part of the gospel message; the Bible has resumed a central role in liturgy and life; once antagonistic relations with Protestants and Jews have become increasingly friendly and collaborative; and lay people are encouraged to take an active part in the liturgy and in all aspects of parish life, especially through committees (liturgy, education, social justice, finance, etc.) and parish councils. Surprisingly, the dramatic resolution of the novel’s central tension occurs in the first chapter. The rest of the book (other than the epilogue) literally chronicles the events leading up to it, notably the escalating conflict between Joe Burns, long-time pastor of St. Mary’s Parish in Mapleton, and members of his parish council headed by Jim Jensen, himself once active as an ordained priest but still a dedicated Catholic. Although Burns claims to be an enthusiastic supporter of the council reforms, his authoritative tendencies and autocratic behavior have alarmed many of his parishioners. Smoldering antagonisms surface when Burns refuses to consider a report that he himself had commissioned some months earlier. He had asked a parish council committee to assess the personnel needs and salary requirements of the parish staff. However, when the report is ready, the pastor won’t let it be put on the agenda. He says there is no money to implement what he thinks the recommendations will be, so there is no point in even discussing it. When parish council members raise objections, he overrides the chair, abruptly closes the meeting, and walks out. This is the last straw for the stunned parish council members, especially those who had put months of careful work into the report. Rather than resign en bloc some of them decide to stand and fight. The outraged chair of the council and the intransigent pastor proceed to lock horns in a pitched battle. They lobby council members and other parishioners, each appealing to the ideals of the Second Vatican Council and to his understanding of church authority. Some of Pilon’s best writing is found in these encounters, notably a scene where Burns deliberately fixes and eats a ham sandwich during a phone call from Megan Roberts, incensed by Burns’ latest sermon. Saner heads, especially Jim’s wife Peggy and Joe Burns’ friend and neighboring pastor Ken Halpin, attempt to reconcile the feuding parties, but to no avail. Eventually, the whole parish is in turmoil, and the palpable tension between these men builds to an almost unbearable level. Fortunately for the reader, the tension is interrupted with vignettes that illustrate Joe Burns’ softer side: his friendship with an elderly Native American parishioner whose spirituality links tribal wisdom with the Psalms, his care for a bereaved widow, his ice fishing outings with Ken Halpin, and especially his deepening friendship with Audrey Welch, the superintendent of schools in nearby Hudson, Wisconsin. The author’s sensitive portrayal will resonate positively with many priests whose lives have been enhanced by such varied relationships. Nevertheless, Joe Burns with all his paranoid tendencies, manipulative behavior, and demeaning language remains the pastor you love to hate. Where does Mozart fit into all of this? In spite of Ken Halpin’s explanations, the metaphor remains elusive. Suffice it to say that waiting for Mozart speaks to current conflicts in the Church. It is also the key to understanding the author’s message and his current commitment to fostering civility in religious debates. This novel is particularly relevant today as rival church factions lay claim to the Council’s legacy. It will ring true to those who lived through the exciting but troubled period a generation after the Council, even if some of the memories are painful. Also, those who enjoy crisp dialog, well-sketched settings, and an engaging plot featuring a seemingly no-win struggle between dedicated but driven human beings will enjoy this book. William Coughlin Hunt, a peritus of the Second Vatican Council with a doctorate in theology from the Catholic University of America, writes from his home in rural Somerset, Wisconsin. By way of disclosure, it should be noted that the author and reviewer are personal friends. Waiting for Mozart by Charles Pilon (Thiensville [WI]: Caritas Communications, 2008, xi+251 pages, $15.95 plus $4.00 shipping and tax) is available from PO Box 13611, Roseville, MN 55113. Note: Copies of Waiting for Mozart will be available for purchase at the May 3 Prayer Breakfast for Hope and Justice. _______________________________________________
Over the past year or so, I have noticed an increasing climate of fear among liberal Catholics in our local archdiocese. Perhaps it is a trickle down effect from Pope Benedict’s tenure, or more likely, a reaction to the arrival of the new archbishop, John Nienstedt. In addition to Nienstedt’s very conservative record, his opening salvos and recent initiatives have been undeniably aggressive for a new guy in town. Add to that Archbishop Flynn’s termination of the 9:00 a.m. Sunday liturgy at St. Stephen’s parish, and both of the bishops’ sudden support for the Tridentine Mass (i.e., the return to the Latin Mass) and the so-called “new evangelization,” and you get a pretty grim picture from the liberal point of view. Liberal employees of Catholic institutions are feeling especially vulnerable. The whole scenario seems slightly reminiscent of the McCarthy era of American history. People have become more cautious and self-censoring. They worry not just about job loss, but about the loss of established liturgies and their communities of worship. They whisper among themselves and look over their shoulders. I have posed to them the straight forward question: “What specifically are you afraid of?” Their answers have startled me: “If we are perceived to be questioning Catholics by admission counselors, we fear our children will not be accepted into Catholic high schools.” “Conservative parents of my high school students closely monitor my assignments. In fact, I have eliminated several books from my reading list. I fear if I appear too liberal, my principal might be pressured by parents or higher-ups to fire me.” “As an aging priest, I fear I could lose my parish or my pension if I appear to be too supportive of GLBT persons.” “I am old. I have no money. If I were expelled from my religious order for opposing the archbishop, I would have nowhere to go.” “For speaking my conscience, I fear I could be excommunicated, with no Catholic burial when I die.” “I work in food services at a Catholic university. I was shocked to see that Catholic LGBT support groups are not allowed on campus. But I would never mention it because I need my job.” “At Catholic universities, free speech and students always suffer when professors routinely self-censor. But self-censor I do because in this job market I have no options.” “Even respectful, thoughtful discussion of certain topics is off the table at Catholic high schools, which is so frustrating to most of us students. We really need to talk freely about issues we face – like reproductive freedom or homosexuality.” As appalled as I am at such heartbreaking responses, I had immediate questions of my own: Are Catholics in the pew aware of the fear factor? If they are aware of it, does it worry them? What is the fundamental nature of a Catholic hierarchy that would intimidate its own people, or a church system that would tolerate intimidation? What is the intended purpose of intimidation in any faith community? Do individual Catholics or entire faith communities believe they have the human right to resist intimidation? If faith communities resisted intimidation, what might be the outcome? What would it take to make a faith community finally resist intimidation? Is it worth imagining or designing an intimidation-free faith community that is all inclusive? I have some answers of my own, but perhaps you, our readers, would like to respond to these questions, or share reflections of your own about the fear factor. We welcome your comments – anonymous or otherwise, just let us know. Comments can be e-mailed to progressivecatholicvoice@gmail.com or mailed to The Progressive Catholic Voice, c/o The House of the Beloved Disciple, 2913 13th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55407. Mary Lynn Murphy is the president of the Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities (CPCSM), the coordinator of Catholic Rainbow Parents, and a co-founder of The Progressive Catholic Voice. _______________________________________________
A Lost Opportunity and Much Work Still to Be DoneBy Michael J. Bayly Despite the pope’s apology for the “pain” caused by the sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy, the complicity of the Roman hierarchy in the sex abuse crime/scandal has largely gone unacknowledged, and the church’s “pedophilic theology” remains unchallenged. Some have been rhapsodizing about Pope Benedict’s public apology for the decades-long Roman Catholic clergy sex abuse scandal, and his private meeting with six people who, as children, were victims of clergy sexual abuse. I’m not so impressed, however, as I’ve yet to hear from the pope an apology for his own and other members of the Roman Catholic hierarchy’s complicity in the sex abuse scandal. In October 2006 I had a commentary published in the Minneapolis Star Tribune in which I discussed who was to blame for the church’s sex abuse crimes, and who should be held accountable. Part of my commentary reads as follows: Pedophile priests must be brought to justice, that’s a given, as must members of the church hierarchy who knowingly ignore such priests’ criminal activity and simply transfer them to other parishes or dioceses. Yet what of the structures and attitudes that surround, enable, and even encourage and reward such deplorable actions? Could it be that the scandal is so overwhelming because of the church’s dysfunctional hierarchical culture – one more reflective of imperial hubris than of the egalitarian model of community offered by Jesus? It is a culture clearly prone to face-saving silence and conspiratorial efforts at covering up and scapegoating rather than acknowledging and reporting long-term abuse of children and youth. It is clear that the Vatican has failed in many ways. It has failed in promoting a teaching that reflects the diverse reality of human sexuality. It has failed in encouraging GLBT people, in particular, to celebrate and integrate their God-given gift of sexuality -- preferring instead to promote, through groups such as Courage, a shame-based preoccupation with sexual repression. Most egregious has been the Vatican's failure to protect children [and vulnerable adults] from sexual abuse by priests and religious and its failure to hold itself fully accountable for its own complicity in this abuse. In terms of this last point, it’s still true: members of the hierarchy have yet to hold themselves fully accountable and thus apologize for their role in various aspects of the sexual abuse scandal -- a scandal that saw not only minors and vulnerable adults abused by members of the Roman Catholic clergy, but also known offending clergy shuffled around from parish to parish. Survivors of the abuse, when they courageously step forth and seek justice, are still often treated more like criminals than the abusing priests. As far as I can gather, the only thing the pope has said about the hierarchy’s complicity in the sexual abuse crime/scandal during his visit to the U.S. is that this scandal was “very badly handled.” I’m sorry, but that’s not good enough. LaLonne Murphy, who was one of a number of Catholics featured in a recent Minnesota Monthly story about the “Fate of the Faithful,” had a powerful letter in the April 18 issue of the Star Tribune in which she offered a much more just and healing way by which the pope could acknowledge and apologize for the hierarchy’s role in the sex abuse crime/scandal. Murphy’s letter reads as follows:
And then there’s the perspective of Barbara Blaine, a survivor of clergy sexual abuse and the president of the Survivor’s Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP). During the pope’s U.S. visit, she told Newsweek that “the enablers – the church leaders who engage in the cover up and enabling of perpetrators – should be punished.” “Bishops or church leaders who are found to knowingly lead a cover-up should be fired,” she said. “They shouldn’t be allowed to remain as bishops. The religious superiors around the world who are harboring fugitive priests and giving them sanctuary should be forced to resign, as well.” Of course, there are some within the church who refute the idea that members of the hierarchy “aided and abetted” priest-abusers by not acting to remove them. At an April 18 news conference, Cardinal William Levada, the former San Francisco archbishop whom Joseph Ratzinger named to replace himself at the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) when Ratzinger was elected pope, responded to such a suggestion by declaring: “I don’t believe that [was the case].” He added, “I know bishops who have said to me, if I had known then what I know now, I would have acted differently.” He insisted that bishops who moved abusers around to other parishes or did not remove them from ministry were acting on bad advice from experts and psychiatrists. “[This scandal] has been a learning experience for bishops,” he said. “I personally do not accept that there has been a broad base of bishops guilty of aiding and abetting pedophiles . . . . If I thought there were, I would certainly want to talk to them about that.” The cardinal’s words don’t convince everyone. Thomas Doyle, for instance, posted the following on a BeliefNet.com message board:
On the same message board, Augusta Wynn writes:
Meanwhile, Catholic theologian Rosemary Radford Ruether notes the following in a current blog discussion hosted by the New York Times:
Ruether’s remarks remind me of the observations and comments made by Simon Rosser, PhD, renowned researcher on sexuality and sexual health, during an interview I conducted with him in 2004 for CPCSM’s Rainbow Spirit journal. As you’ll see from the following excerpts, Rosser has some interesting things to say about, among other things, the “pedophilic theology” of the Roman Catholic Church.
Rosser sees hope in the fact that the situation is so bad that American Catholics “will be forced to think for themselves.” And that’s a good thing, he insists. “Whether it’s homosexuality, contraception, premarital sex, divorce, masturbation, or HIV prevention,” says Rosser, “the official church position is now so extreme, so negative, so ultra-conservative, and so ill-informed that I’m confident that less than five percent of Catholics actually believe or follow Catholic sexual teaching.” In terms of remedying the sex abuse crisis and the overall impoverishment of Roman Catholicism’s sexual theology, Rosser suggests that “the first step is for the scientists and the bishops to sit down at the same table and talk. I spent over ten years treating pedophiles and incest families. Watching the church is like watching a giant incest family play out its dynamics. It’s deeply dysfunctional, it’s really sad, but it’s also fascinating. And it probably has to fall apart some more before real reform can be initiated.” And what will “real reform” look like? According to Rosser, “signs of real reform, as opposed to cosmetic cover-up, include reform of the Vatican level – holding the Congregation of [the Doctrine of] the Faith responsible for overseeing both the sexual abuse by clergy and the promotion of pedophilic theology, “mainstreaming” of Catholicism from ultra-conservative positions to more moderate ones, and the establishment of genuine dialog between scientists and bishops on this issue.” Either the church will reform or it will die, says Rosser. Yet, “given the ability of the Catholic Church to survive, I’m confident it will reform,” he declares. “But,” he adds, “we have to do our part. American Catholics need to think for ourselves, to distinguish pedophilic propaganda from Catholic teaching, to support bishops and specifically to demand they reform or close down the Congregation of [the Doctrine of] the Faith, and to commit to prioritizing a healthy adult-focused sexual theology. It has to happen. So, it’s a great time to be Catholic and, hopefully, to be part of the change that must come.” Michael Bayly is the executive coordinator of the Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities (CPCSM) and the coordinating editor of The Progressive Catholic Voice. This commentary was first published in April on his blogsite, The Wild Reed. _______________________________________________
A recent media release from Call to Action-Minnesota highlights an international campaign for the Vatican to restore women leaders to the history of the Church, and to invite female scholars to next October’s International Synod on the Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church. Saint Paul, Minnesota: Even as Pope Benedict tours the eastern United States, thousands of Catholics are petitioning the Vatican and US Bishops to restore deleted women leaders to the Catholic lectionary and invite female biblical scholars to next October’s special International Synod on the Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church. Spearheaded by the Cleveland-based Future Church, the Women and the Word campaign also asks the Synod to devote more pastoral attention to Jesus and St. Paul’s inclusive practice and expand preaching opportunities for qualified women. “Too often, women leaders, biblical and otherwise, are invisible in Church preaching and proclamation,” said Sr. Christine Schenk, Future Church Executive Director. “For example, even though all four gospels name Mary of Magdala as leading the women who first witnessed the Resurrection, Jesus’ commission asking her to tell the male disciples is never read on Sunday.” A fascinating 1996 analysis by Sr. Ruth Fox, OSB found a disproportionate number of passages about women had been deleted from the lectionary, a book of biblical passages carefully chosen for church proclamation. “The Church has gotten very restrictive about allowing lay people to preach, even those with degrees in scripture and homiletics, said Connie Aligada, Vice Chair of Call to Action–Minnesota. “This is a great loss to the believing community which, of course, is composed of both women and men.” “Presently there are more women ministers in the US Church than diocesan priests. We only have 18,000 active diocesan parish priests, but 30,000 lay ministers of whom 80% are women. Yet none can preach or proclaim the Gospel at Mass even though they have the academic and ministerial qualifications. This is a great loss to our Church and certainly not consistent with the practice or Jesus, “ said Ms. Aligada. Pope Benedict has three times addressed the need to expand women’s roles. In February 2007 Benedict praised early women leaders: “The story of Christianity would have had a very different trajectory were it not for the generosity brought to it by many women,” he said, describing their work as “anything other than secondary.” No women theologians were invited to the 2005 Synod on the Eucharist. Fourteen women were invited but they had no vote. By contrast, 242 bishops attended who had full voting privileges. Recently the Vatican promised to expand roles for women in the offices of the Curia, though the jobs have yet to materialize. For information about Future Church’s “Put Women Back in the Biblical Picture” postcard campaign to the Vatican, click here. _______________________________________________
"The May Procession" By Mary Lynn Murphy The smell of lilacs in spring takes me back fifty years – to Catholic grade school in South Minneapolis, and the most highly anticipated event of the year . . . the May procession and crowning the statue of Mary, beloved mother of Jesus. Crowning was traditionally performed by a female student, one preferably named Mary, which qualified all of us! Only the most virtuous and flawless was selected, however. And though each of us craved the unquestionable honor, we sensed that we hoped against hope. We held our breath as the sisters, observant and murmuring, surveyed the lot of our sorry selves. What unrealized but ruinous flaws might seal our doom and dash our dreams? For sure, the selection process was unfathomable, but it usually felt fair when Mary Carol O’Connor was yet again chosen. Mary Carol was perfect. Kind, brilliant, friendly and, unlike some of us, consistently clean. She sparkled in knee length white taffeta, daises woven into auburn curls set off by apple red cheeks. Even her slightly bucked teeth seemed just right. Like clockwork, the procession occurred the first Friday in May, at 12:45 p.m. sharp, with EARLY DISMISSAL JUST ONE HOUR LATER! The day would be unfailingly brilliant, clearly the Lord’s work on behalf of His mother. Flowers proliferated! Wrapped in dampened wax paper, there were armfuls of half opened tulips, happy faced daises and intoxicating lilacs (sometimes procured from neighbors’ back yards after lunch break at home). “Children, I don’t want one more call about missing flowers from neighborhood gardens!!” But pilfered or not, they were carried with pride. Practice made perfect our march from the gym, as we descended the walk way to our spanking new church. Inside, blue and white streamers waved from the rafters, backlit by sun spears from kaleidoscope windows. Through the darkened, echoing vestibule to the very FRONT PEWS, we filed in silently, youngest to oldest . . . prim little penitents, hands folded, heads bowed in prayer. The sisters seemed nervous, arms folded, brows furrowed, 500 children to control at all costs, with Monsignor Driscoll staring down from the altar. He always unsettled us. Such an unpredictable man. He could project boredom or pleasure or inexplicable anger at the drop of a hat, or at the same time! But mercifully, right on cue, we deflected his temper, perfecting our much practiced drill. . . . “Row one proceed left, row two shift right, round the corner, proceed left” . . . We nailed it! We were so proud, decked out in white, spit shined and power buffed by vigilant mothers. Nearly overcome by the incense, overjoyed by the bell chimes, and pouring our hearts out, we sang with abandon . . . “Immaculate Mary, our hearts are on fire, that title so wondrous fills all our desire . . .” Next – the “Memorare,” the centerpiece prayer, the tender supplication of our childhood yearning. Tearful moms, having coached us at home, moved their lips in unison with our heartfelt whispers: Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, One half hour later, the finale approaching “Hail Virgin Dearest Mary” rose up in heart sweetened vocals, gathering energy for the last blissful chorus . . . “We’ll gather fresh bright flowers to bind our fair Queen’s brow; from pure and verdant bowers, we hasten to crown thee now.” Trembling but confident, Mary Carol stepped forward, cupping fresh roses in a miniature crown . . . lifting gently, dipping gracefully, then squarely placing the delicate flowers on the uplifted porcelain head. Amid audible sighs and jubilant smiles, we relished a moment embossed on our hearts. And now the recessional. . . the groan of the church door, ornate and massive, our clackety footsteps and full throttle voices raised up in the last joyous chorus . . . “Hail Holy Queen, enthroned above, O Maria. Hail Mother of Mercy and of Love, O Maria.” Every word perfect. Mothers applauded. Sisters exhaled. Father nodded. All was right with the world. Then out we surged, through the doors to the light – happy clams – breaking ranks. With whoops and hollers and flying flowers, we headed for home in the sweet springtime sunshine of South Minneapolis. Mary Lynn Murphy is the president of the Catholic Pastoral Committee on Sexual Minorities (CPCSM), the coordinator of Catholic Rainbow Parents, and a co-founder of The Progressive Catholic Voice.
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The 2nd Annual Prayer Breakfast for Hope and Justice Democratizing Catholicism in Challenging Times with Robert McClory 9:00 a.m – 12:00 noon Registration
________________________________________________________ Robert McClory
The keynote speaker at this year’s Prayer Breakfast for Hope and Justice is National Catholic Reporter award-winning journalist and author Robert McClory. Join with us as we explore and articulate our vision of the Catholic Church as a communion of all people, everywhere, in whom the Spirit of love is moving. McClory’s life in the church has equipped him with great knowledge and insight on how it works, while his love of justice leads him to critique many of its inner workings. He is known and respected for his writings on church history – especially as it relates to the role of the laity. Many assume that the Catholic Church has always functioned with a top-down leadership model. Yet as McClory McClory’s life in the church has equipped him with great knowledge and insight on how it works, while his love of justice leads him to critique many of its inner workings. He is well-known and respected for his writings on church history – especially as it relates to the role of the laity. Many assume that the Catholic Church has always functioned with a top-down leadership model. Yet, as McClory will explain on May 3, there have been long periods where lay people were consulted and had strong, leading voices. He will also explain why a decentralized and democratized church is just around the corner; is, in fact, inevitable. On May 3, McClory will join with attendees at the 2nd Annual Prayer Breakfast for Hope and Justice in discussing how we can best embody, individually and communally, this democratization of our church. The Prayer Breakfast for Hope and Justice
To download brochure (.pdf) To download 8.5 x 11 poster (.pdf)
Can the Roman Catholic Institution Be Rejuvenated? The Kingdom of God is like a tree in which all the birds of the air find a home. The 21st century Roman Catholic institution is one branch on this tree of universal welcome into the life of God. Many of us in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis are asking ourselves this question: Is our local church a life-supporting part of the tree? If we say that the institution no longer manifests God’s love for humanity, what are we called to do? If we are called to rejuvenate our branch of the tree, how shall we do it? Shall we reform by beginning new shoots off the same branch? Some people are making alternative communities within the Catholic tradition, but not within Roman jurisdiction. Shall we reform by pruning and grafting to see the old branch reflower? Some people want to communicate with members of the hierarchy to reform the existing institution. Shall we reject the dysfunction of the Roman institution by going to a different branch, allowing the institution, as we know it, to die? Some people are joining other denominations and religions to find spiritual support and to live the church’s mission in the world. We want to engage in thoughtful dialogue to help us inform our consciences as we decide what direction we as individuals should take. We also want to give people an opportunity to connect and plan follow-up strategizing meetings about reform from within the institution or reform from without the institution but within the Catholic tradition. ______________________________________________________________________
Dignity Twin Cities Liturgy When: 7:30 p.m., Friday, May 9 and Friday, May 23, 2008. Where: Prospect Park United Methodist Church (22 Orlin Ave. SE, Minneapolis). Dignity Twin Cities meets every second and fourth Friday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at United Methodist Church. Celebrating its 33rd anniversary this year, Dignity Twin Cities is one of 70+ Dignity chapters across the nation. Dignity encourages and helps LGBT people experience dignity through the integration of their spirituality and their sexuality. The organization envisions and works for a time when LGBT Catholics are affirmed as beloved persons of God and, as such, can participate fully in all aspects of life within both the church and society. For directions, click here.
WAMM’s Walk Against Weapons When: 10:30 a.m – 2:00 p.m., Saturday, May 24, 2008.You are invited to participate in the Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) Walk Against Weapons, replacing the discontinued Headwaters Walk for Justice. Sign up as many sponsors as you can — ask family, friends and co-workers to sponsor your walk for peace and justice. There are some matching grants available to walkers. Ask sponsors to PAY WHEN THEY COMMIT. This will save you from having to collect after the event. Request tax deductable* payment by check payable to Women Against Military Madness (WAMM). For further information about this event, including location of starting and finishing points, visit here.
May Meeting for the Network of Spiritual Progressives - Minnesota When: Monday, May 12th at 7:00pm Where: Plymouth Congregational Church For the May meeting of the Network of Spiritual Progressives - Minnesota, we will be welcoming back Kip Sullivan, who gave an informational presentation on single-payer health care last fall. This time he will be joining us to create strategy around implementing a single-payer health care system in Minnesota. Kip has been working with a number of organizations around the state on this issue, and has approached us to help him continue the work. Through this program we will have an opportunity to add our voices, ideas, and energy to this developing movement, and we will be directly working on one the platform items of the Spiritual Covenant for America, the foundation of NSP. Please join us prior to the meeting at 6:30pm for refreshments and fellowship. If you have not been here the past couple of months we will have another opportunity for you to sign up as a member of NSP-MN at the meeting. Its a $20 basic fee (exceptions for those who can't afford it), with higher levels for those who can contribute more. We are still only able to accept cash and checks at this time. _______________________________________________
"Fate of the Faithful," by Tim Gihring, Minnesota Monthly, May 2008. "¡Abre la Puerta! Open the Door!" by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés, El Rio Debajo El Rio: The river beneath the river (Weekly Column at NCRcafe.org), Vol. 1, No. 8; April 28, 2008. _______________________________________________
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