Principal deems Jesus chant offensive

[Thekla]

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - A Catholic school principal has organized sensitivity training for students who shouted “We love Jesus” during a basketball game against a school with Jewish students.

The word “Jew” also was painted on a gym wall behind the seats of Bishop Sullivan Catholic High School students attending the Feb. 2 game at Norfolk Academy, said Dennis W. Price, principal of the Virginia Beach school. Price who also watched the game, said the rivals exchanged chants, “Then, at some point, our students were chanting, ‘We love Jesus.’”

“It was obviously in reference to the Jewish population of Norfolk Academy; that’s the only way you can take that,” he added.

Price said he sent a letter of apology to Norfolk. Dennis G. Manning, the academy’s headmaster, declined to comment.

contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/167766…

I am a Catholic and I went to Catholic school. This is just obnoxious and the parents ought to be attending sensitivity training with their kids.

 

[sdkevins]

Yeah, that’s weak. I converted to Catholicism from Judaism and stories like this get me worked up.

 

[Rand_Al_Thor]

Pax vobiscum!

They didn’t say “We love Jesus” to show that they actually love Jesus, they did it to ridicule the Jewish students. Entirely inappropriate.

In Christ,
Rand

 

[Dandelion_Wine]

A coach, the refs, some parents should have stopped that right away. They should’ve stopped the game right then and there and let them know that wasn’t acceptable.

 

[Pugs216]

Believe it or not, I actually go to the school in question.

I’ve been told that its has found its way onto national papers, as well as a few foreign papers. This is horrible press, and it has been blown entirely out of proportion, considering it was two or three students who were ultimately responsible for the majority of the damage, and maybe 20 or 30 that were involved in chanting

As horrible as this whole incident is (we’ve talked about it in at least 3 classes on average once a week since its happened 3 and a half weeks ago), I would humbly ask that 1) you rrealize that this is a fairly isolated incident: not all the students at the game were involved, and certainly efforts were made to stop it (high school stuents are remarkably hard to contro). All the students who heard about the graffitti and vandalism are utterly ashamed that it has happened; and 2) that you pray for this school, and other Catholic schools around the nation. The press that we have received will undoubtedly turn off thousands tot he Catholic Curch, possibly even forever. Our principal, who made some amazing changes to re-Catholicize us in the last two years that he began being our principal, is going through huge amounts of stress trying to apologize to the Jewish community in general for these offensive remarks

 

[stbruno]

Yes it did make national news and the front page of our South side of Chicago daily newspaper. Now you have a great task ahead of you. You seem like a very reasonable student who has realized the enormity of this action. What’s more you understand clearly the reaction.

You can make the difference in your school by becoming a leader to make a change. If you school does not already have a organization to fight bigotry, including religious bigotry, why not consider starting one. And if it does, join it. Encourage your friends to join it.

And then publicize your actions every where so that the national news will recognize that your school is bigger than a few loud mouths. You will be in my prayers. I feel in my heart that you are certainly up to the task and probably already want to do something, you just don’t know where to start.

 

[Deacon2006]

If this would have happened at my Jesuit High School the offenders would have been expelled and the game forfeited at the first sign of this conduct.

God Bless

 

[didymus]

Pax vobiscum!

They didn’t say “We love Jesus” to show that they actually love Jesus, they did it to ridicule the Jewish students. Entirely inappropriate.

In Christ,
Rand

More than anything else, isn’t this taking the Lord’s name in vain? Why didn’t the school authorities stop it for that reason, if no other?