Since there’s no news to report about the suppressed St. Albert’s parish in Weymouth, Mass., and the near-schismatic Catholics there, yet they need to keep it in the forefront of the news, the Boston Globe‘s Bella English continues her one-woman slant on the news by writing this puff piece in the Living/Arts section.
There’s all kinds of happy talk about coffee and donuts and glad-handing and well-wishing, all kinds of busywork like changing lightbulbs and holding hospitality hours, but one thing is missing: the Eucharist. There’s not a single mention of what these people do on Sunday. Do they go to Mass? Do they hold their own “prayer service” (which consists of God knows what)? You get a hint here: “Still, there are issues: People miss Father Coyne, they miss the consecration—and a few of the prayer books have disappeared. The pastoral council worries about volunteer burnout.” If you blinked you might have missed it between missing Fr. Coyne and the missing prayer books: “Oh yeah, and we miss Jesus, too.”
There’s lots of talk about St. Albert’s having been a “vibrant” parish, but apparently only in the Sixties and Seventies “spirit of Vatican II” way. There’s lots going on there, but the only thing missing is what makes it an actual Catholic parish: the Eucharist as the center, source, and summit of the faith and of parish life.
An Globe article on 9/25 said that “lay Eucharistic ministers” have been distributing Communion hosts on Sundays, which they keep hidden in the church.
Just count the abuses: (1) did they steal the Most Holy Sacrament and appropriate it for themselves—a most grave abuse—or is some dissident priest or deacon supplying It to them?
(2) “Lay eucharistic ministers” are in most parishes laymen appointed on a one-time basis to serve in place of (installed) Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, so they have no right to conduct any service without a pastor’s permission. So Dom’s right: they are near schism.
(3) There is no objective need for the communion services, since the town has four other parishes with Sunday Masses. Thus the services are illicit.
(4) Sunday Mass fulfills the Sunday obligation, and these illicit communion services don’t.
Where were these people before their parish was chosen to be closed? I know Father Coyne brought many people back, but, how often did they have pot-luck suppers for parish families or provide food for the hungry or to a grieving family suffering the lost of a loved one or to help an unwed mother?
True, they seem to care more about food than the Eucharist. If I were Archbishop O’Malley, I would call the police and have the people removed immediately. Hiding the Eucharist? The laity are not primary custodians of the Eucharist. Father Ron Coyne should have known better and any other priests who may be giving them the Eucharist, I would think, is participating in an act of schism.
I’m sick of this non-sense. I know that I should be pastoral and patient but St. Anthanasius was not known for his sensitivity and patience.
Father Ron Coyne should have known better and any other priests who may be giving them the Eucharist, I would think, is participating in an act of schism.
Ditto for the vicars entrusted to picking up the keys of the former parish building.
I am in complete agreement with Father Ethan and RC.
There must be no compromise when it comes to the Eucharist. Period.
Retrieve the Sacred Species from the hands of these people. NOW.
I don’t see how you can remove the Eucharist from them by force. In fact, that’s part of the beauty of His design. (Something, perhaps, to meditate upon during the 5th Mystery tomorrow.)
I don’t particularly relish the idea of an atheist police officer frisking them for stolen Eucharist, taking the Sacred Host into his or her own hands, rudely dropping our Lord (though perhaps not every piece, each of which contains the Whole Christ) into a clear plastic evidence bag, sealing the bag, and placing Him on some shelf under fluorescent lights in an evidence closet Downtown, to be ignored and misplaced for Heaven knows how long.
Send spies to determine if any priests are replenishing the supply. Other than that, pray that our Lord will give the ministers wisdom, courage and conversion of heart and mind.
(Something, perhaps, to meditate upon during the 5th Mystery tomorrow.)
“Seamole” is referring, of course, to the Institution of the Eucharist”—the 5th Luminous Mystery. I hope that “seamole” will meditate on this Mystery—or at least pray it—on Thursday.
You know, I don’t much appreciate words being put in my mouth. The idea of an “atheist police officer frisking them” did not come from me. It is a lunatic idea, and, again, did not come from me.
Also, by the way, is:
Send spies to determine if any priests are replenishing the supply.
No. “Spies” is dumb.
Let the Archbishop enter the former church building, retrieve the Blessed Sacrament, and then desanctify the building.
It’s not rocket science.
Other than that, pray that our Lord will give the ministers wisdom, courage and conversion of heart and mind.
Right—I’d assumed, perhaps incorrectly, that this would’ve been a given.
If Archbishop O’Malley enters the building, the newspapers will go wild. This will be seen nationwide as the “monarchial Church” attempting to quash the “common man”. Something needs to be done, but I think that a more low-key approach is needed.
I weep for all these closings. In Stow, the church I grew up in is being “reconfigured”, and they are the ONLY Catholic church in that town. They are moving through this difficult period with grace and dignity. Shame on those people in E. Weymouth, Sudbury, & W. Newton!
BTW – not to be a pest – but here is an example of a parish that is not simply handling this difficult time well, but imho, full of grace:
http://www.stmichael-hudson.com/EnglishBulletin Inside.pdf