Virginia Buckingham is rooting for Voice of the Faithful because of what she perceives as the Archdiocese of Boston’s heavyhandedness with a group she tried to start. Buckingham, former executive director of Massport, the Massachusetts state agency that runs the airport and seaport in Boston, is in her early to mid 40s I think.
When she was in her 20s, she and some friends tried to start a young adult group called “Connecting.” Her description all sounds innocuous, until you start to see the warning signs: the impetus was a desire for Masses “at 10 pm, in a church basement, complete with folksy music, hip priest, and homily aimed at my demographic angst.” What she wanted was a young adult ghetto. This is the problem with a lot of niche-market Masses that try to cater to specific age- or ethnic-groups (like youth Masses and the like). They tend to cause segregation as people seek out the “product” they prefer and what should be a community parish representing everybody within it becomes a fractured mess without any union except geographical location.
Another warning sign is where the group met: The Jesuit Urban Center in Boston’s South End. Whenever you hear of some odd theology or bizarre practice or outright dissent and heresy in Boston, chances are it will be center on the JUC. If Virginia’s group was based out of the JUC, I can understand why the archdiocese would look upon it with suspicion. “Our political leanings and personal views on church doctrine probably spanned the spectrum. But I don’t remember ever talking about abortion or priestly celibacy when we met.” That’s probably part of the problem: A Catholic group should promote orthodoxy, belief in the truth of reality that is the Church’s teachings, not says “I’m ok, you’re ok” to people who are dissenting from the truth.
