B
bones_IV
Guest
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
About 150 people from St. Cronan’s Catholic Church huddled together for warmth under a huge tarp on the street next to their church Tuesday night. They prayed as the rain and wind whipped through their makeshift sanctuary.
Their church building — big, warm and dry — stood just yards away, but the St. Cronan parishioners had decided that they’d rather be cold and wet than without a woman they called their “friend and sister,” Rabbi Susan Talve of Central Reform Congregation.
Talve has spoken at St. Cronan’s, a parish known for its progressive social activism, during many previous prayer services during the Advent season. But this year, the pastoral leadership received a phone call from St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke, asking them to revoke Talve’s invitation.
Talve infuriated Burke last month when she and her board hosted a ceremony for two Catholic women, Rose Marie Hudson and Elsie Hainz McGrath, who were being ordained into a group called Roman Catholic Womenpriests.
The archdiocese has since said it will not participate in interfaith events where Central Reform Congregation is “a leading player.”
On Tuesday night, St. Cronan’s parishioners, and their guests — including Hudson and McGrath — gathered on Swan Avenue in coats, hats and scarves to sing songs, hear readings from the prophet Isaiah and writer Annie Dillard, and listen to a sermon from Talve.
“What a holy place,” said Talve, who joined the Catholic service on the last day of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. “I’ve come to love Advent at St. Cronan’s. What many didn’t understand is that this isn’t out of the ordinary. You’ve invited me before. We’re just going on with tradition and custom.”
Afterward, Talve said the event was “something I’ve been invited to do for many years, and I was happy to do it again.” She continued, “I just pray it doesn’t make any difficulty for our friends.”
St. Cronan’s pastor, the Rev. Gerald Kleba, did not attend the service. But Sister Louise Lears, a member of the church’s pastoral team, said afterward that the event “was not a protest. It was not a demonstration. It was a prayer service.”
Parishioner Kathleen Johnson, 56, of Des Peres, said the congregation had simply wanted Talve to take part in an Advent prayer service as has become the church’s custom.
“We wanted Rabbi Susan to be here to show how important it is that we all learn to pray together and accept one another,” she said. “And tonight we did that, despite some misguided advice.”
Ugghh! Social political activism at it’s worst.
The pagan god Allah winked again.
About 150 people from St. Cronan’s Catholic Church huddled together for warmth under a huge tarp on the street next to their church Tuesday night. They prayed as the rain and wind whipped through their makeshift sanctuary.
Their church building — big, warm and dry — stood just yards away, but the St. Cronan parishioners had decided that they’d rather be cold and wet than without a woman they called their “friend and sister,” Rabbi Susan Talve of Central Reform Congregation.
Talve has spoken at St. Cronan’s, a parish known for its progressive social activism, during many previous prayer services during the Advent season. But this year, the pastoral leadership received a phone call from St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke, asking them to revoke Talve’s invitation.
Talve infuriated Burke last month when she and her board hosted a ceremony for two Catholic women, Rose Marie Hudson and Elsie Hainz McGrath, who were being ordained into a group called Roman Catholic Womenpriests.
The archdiocese has since said it will not participate in interfaith events where Central Reform Congregation is “a leading player.”
On Tuesday night, St. Cronan’s parishioners, and their guests — including Hudson and McGrath — gathered on Swan Avenue in coats, hats and scarves to sing songs, hear readings from the prophet Isaiah and writer Annie Dillard, and listen to a sermon from Talve.
“What a holy place,” said Talve, who joined the Catholic service on the last day of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. “I’ve come to love Advent at St. Cronan’s. What many didn’t understand is that this isn’t out of the ordinary. You’ve invited me before. We’re just going on with tradition and custom.”
Afterward, Talve said the event was “something I’ve been invited to do for many years, and I was happy to do it again.” She continued, “I just pray it doesn’t make any difficulty for our friends.”
St. Cronan’s pastor, the Rev. Gerald Kleba, did not attend the service. But Sister Louise Lears, a member of the church’s pastoral team, said afterward that the event “was not a protest. It was not a demonstration. It was a prayer service.”
Parishioner Kathleen Johnson, 56, of Des Peres, said the congregation had simply wanted Talve to take part in an Advent prayer service as has become the church’s custom.
“We wanted Rabbi Susan to be here to show how important it is that we all learn to pray together and accept one another,” she said. “And tonight we did that, despite some misguided advice.”
Ugghh! Social political activism at it’s worst.
The pagan god Allah winked again.
).
The church was hospitable, but sounds like she wore out her welcome. 