WOC ISSUES AN “ACTION ALERT” – COPYCAT WDTPRS ISSUES AN “ACTION ALERT” TOO!

After reading this howler from the Conference for Women’s Ordination or COW … no… that’s not it… the Women’s Ordination Conference or WOC…. whatever… take note (below) of our WDTPRS ACTION ALERT!

I’ll bet this comes from WOC’s Ministry of Irritation.  I am not making that up.  Really.  Ministry of Irritation.

Women’s Ordination Conference [WOC!] Decries Ban on Altar Girls in Phoenix Diocese

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 22, 2011

Contact: Erin Saiz Hanna, 202 675-1006, woc@womensordination.org

Women’s Ordination Conference Decries [A high dudgeon word if ever there was one.] Ban on Altar Girls in Pheonix Diocese [No… really.  Pheonix, who was, I believe both one of their large puppets as well as a character with mottled skin in a Star Trek series.]

WASHINGTON, DC – August 22, 2011 – Girls will no longer be allowed to serve as altar servers during Mass at the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix, SS. Simon and Jude. In response, Women’s Ordination Conference has issued an action alert [aaahWOOOOgah!] calling on the Diocese to immediately reinstate female altar servers in that parish.  [More on this, below.]

“If young women in the Phoenix diocese want to grow up to work for the Church – or even aspire to the priesthood [not gonna happen] – I, and the vast majority of U.S. Catholics, don’t see the harm in that, said Erin Saiz Hanna, executive director of the Women’s Ordination Conference. [Because in the Catholic Church doctrine is determined by the number of people who believe something.] “Around the country, young women have been lawfully serving at the altar for well over a decade.” [More on this below.]

Reportedly, Rev. Lankeit banned girls from the altar because he wants only boys to prepare for priesthood in this way. [Hold on there.  That is an assumption.  Are they working from the newspaper article or did anyone from COW call the rector of the cathedral and ask him?  It could be that he is also trying to follow what the Holy See said was the “preferable” practice.  It is still permitted to obey Rome, no?] Since 1994, the Vatican and the U.S. Bishops have allowed female altar servers. There is no restriction in Canon Law for women to help at the altar during the liturgy.  [And there is no right, either.  There is, however, a tradition and clearly expressed preference in the Holy See’s documents on the matter.]

“This is not only disgraceful, it is impractical. Women comprise at least 80 per cent of church lay ministers, and they are backbone of most parishes around the world,” continued Hanna. [Oh my!  What is WOC going to do about the manifest discrimination against men filling these roles?  JUSTICE! we must cry, JUSTICE!]

“The Vatican’s stance on the ordination of women is based on arguments that have been refuted time and again. [Refuted?  Because WOC says so?  Pfffft.] In 1976, the Vatican’s own Pontifical Biblical Commission determined that there is no scriptural reason to prohibit women’s ordination.  [And there is no scriptural prohibition against slavery either.  We can, in WOC-logic both ordain women and also enslave them.] Jesus included women as full and equal partners in his ministry, [ROLF! One of the dumbest things I have read in a looooong time.  Hanna, read this carefully.  NOBODY was Jesus “full and equal partner in His ministry”.  Jesus was Master and Lord.  The greatest man born of women, John the Baptist, said he wasn’t worthy to untie the Lord’s sandal.  The Mother of God said to listen to and obey her Son.  The Apostles themselves had a hierarchy within their ranks and they only did what they did in Jesus’ Name.  Priests today are partners and collaborators with the bishops, but they are not exactly “full and equal” partners of the bishops.  They have different roles.] and the hierarchy would do well to follow suit,” Hanna concluded.

First she mentioned that girls had served lawfully.  The law makes a big difference to WOC?  They who are involved in fake ordinations which are clearly against the Church’s law?  They call on law when it serves their ideology.

Then the writer calls on the male bishop of the diocese to impose something on the pastor/rector of the Cathedral, who is acting lawfully in opting for service at the altar by males only.

It is lawful to have only male servers.  Why doesn’t WOC praise the rector for his lawful decision?

It is even preferable, according to Congregation for Divine Worship, to have male service.  WOC should applaud the rector for this.  WOC doesn’t understand, apparently, that pastors/bishops may permit females to serve at the altar, but it is better to have boys serve, to wit, “it will always be very appropriate to follow the noble tradition of having boys serve at the altar” (Circular Letter to the Presidents of Episcopal Conference, March 15, 1994, no. 2).  May… not must.

WOC thinks about priesthood in terms of power and of rights they wish to vindicate for themselves.  No one has a right to be a priest and no one has the right to serve at the altar.   While it is possible under the current interpretation of the current Code of Canon Law for the Latin Church for females to substitute for duly installed male acolytes, they have not right to substitute.  And it will never be possible to ordain females of any age to any order of Holy Orders.

I think WDTPRSers should have our own

ACTION ALERT!

I have already sent a nice “Save The Liturgy Save The World” coffee mug to Fr. Lankeit, the Very Reverend Rector of the Cathedral in Phoenix.  In fact, I think Bp. Olmsted (may his years be long and full of health and joy), should make Fr. Lankeit a Monsignor right away!

I also think everyone should drop him a nice note of thanks and support for promoting Communion on the tongue and male service at the altar.

Here is the general email address of the Cathedral in Phoenix.   contactus@simonjude.org

Sample note:

Dear Fr. Lankeit,

Thank you for standing up for worthy liturgical worship in continuity with our Catholic tradition and in keeping with Holy Church’s laws and rites.  Thank you for affirming male service at the altar as well as priestly vocations.  Thank you for promoting Holy Communion on the tongue in your 30 January 2011 bulletin.

Please know that I have said a prayer for you and for an increase in vocations to the priesthood from among the boys and young men who will be serving at the altar of the Cathedral which Bishop Olmsted has entrusted to your pastoral care.

Blessings in Christ the High Priest,

…..

UPDATE:

Based on a comment, below, I had to add this.

[wp_youtube]-tWvYaiOmRs[/wp_youtube]

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
This entry was posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Just Too Cool, Our Catholic Identity, The Drill, The future and our choices and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

65 Comments

  1. Frank H says:

    Note sent!

  2. tealady24 says:

    All done.

  3. Cephas218 says:

    Dear Fr. Lankeit,

    Thank you for being Catholic! and for your decision to restrict altar servers to males, as Christ did his Apostles. In a world where his choices were not well understood, and women ministers were not infrequently normal, his followers embraced his decisions as the revelation of God that he is. Our Church needs more holy witnesses to revelation of Christ who stand faithful to his holy Church. Thank you also for promoting the reception of Holy Communion on the tongue in your bulletin of last January 30.

    Please know that I have said a prayer for the continued growth of your Parish is the vibrancy of the True Gospel and for the increase of vocations to the Priesthood from among those boys and young men who will have the privilege of serving at the Altar of the Cathedral entrusted to you. As a former altar server, I salute you.

    Pax Christi,
    Peter

  4. disco says:

    Damn the torpedoes, Fr Z! Full speed ahead.

  5. jbosco88 says:

    Sent!

    I hope they are able to resist the wymymymymymyn and Witch lot.

  6. goodsaints says:

    Love this Father Z! Thanks!

  7. flyfree432 says:

    Sent!

  8. cblanch says:

    Sent!

  9. mwk3 says:

    AaahWOOOOgah!

    Hilarious, though the subject is not a laughing matter. Note sent, prayers said.

  10. Supertradmum says:

    I am still trying to get over the photograph with the puppets. I can hardly understand the attraction for these grotesque figures from these ladies. Prayers said.

  11. mjsanta83 says:

    I have a daughter and would like for her to be an altar server as I was. But I also follow what the church teaches and if I’m told “no” then I accept that. As Fr Z said, it’s allowed for girls to serve, but that doesn’t mean they have a right to serve. And note sent to the good Fr.

  12. Catherine says:

    Signed, sealed, delivered…..amen, alleluia!

  13. Man, ooops I mean person, the puppets!

  14. Dr. K says:

    We don’t tell Protestants (the WOC included) how to celebrate their liturgies, so they have no business telling us how to celebrate ours.

  15. UncleBlobb says:

    That felt very good.

  16. debval says:

    Fr. Z,
    When will you be writing for equality for men in service to the church. You should not tolerate such discrimination! LOL.

    I firmly believe that alterserving leads to the priesthood and we should have as many boys participating as possible. We just got home from Catholic Familyland where 20 – 30 boys served at the Mass (including my 3). It’s beautiful to see them.

  17. DisturbedMary says:

    Just sent my email along with this reminder that in April, EWTN News reported that 71% of the 480 in the US ordination class of 2011 said they were altar boys! [A link to that would be helpful.]

  18. Liz says:

    Note sent. Still giggling about COW. (Conference of Ordination for Women?) I love it. It reminds me of Rush Limbaugh’s NAGs (National Association of Gals instead of NOW.)

  19. Sandy says:

    Sent it!
    It’s hard not to get nauseated when I see that picture!

  20. Theodore says:

    Note sent, and prayers lifted up for this good priest.

    COW’s position on a number of issues is analogous to the same mind set that guides those who want to be doctors without going to medical school.

  21. Maltese says:

    Last Sunday, a large (well, by that I mean mostly tall: she was a good two-feet taller than the priest) middle-aged female altar-server was front-and-center at our NO mass. Kid you not, my son joked, “hey dad, if she can be an altar server, can a fat, middled-aged man be a boy scout?”

    Of course, one of the central purposes of being an altar boy is to flesh-out whether the boy is called to become a priest. Why the heck did JPII allow altar girls?

  22. torch621 says:

    Note sent, and prayers will be offered for this good and holy priest.

  23. Kevin Egger says:

    Signed, sealed and delivered,

    Praise God always and forever!

  24. DcnDoug says:

    Please, please, please pay attention to the spelling of my good Bishop’s name. It’s Olmsted, not Olmstead. Thanks

  25. Madrigal says:

    Done!

    Praise be Jesus Christ!

  26. ghp95134 says:

    Father Z, responding to DisturbedMary, states [A link to that would be helpful.]

    Here ya go!
    http://www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/US.php?id=3062
    “The 480 men in the U.S. ordination class of 2011 tend to be younger and come from a variety of backgrounds. Their numbers include a deaf man, refugees from Vietnam, grandfathers and ministers who converted from other Christian churches.

    Those to be ordained this year range in age from 25 to 63, with an average age of 34. More than half are between 25 and 34 and 80 percent are under age 40, the U.S. bishops’ conference reports.

    A study of the seminarians’ origins shows “the importance of lifelong formation and engagement in the Catholic faith,” said Archbishop Robert J. Carlson of St. Louis, who chairs the U.S. bishops’ committee on clergy and vocations.

    He noted that 71 percent of the ordination class said they served as altar boys.

    “This seems to indicate that the involvement of youth in the Church’s activities, especially the liturgy, has a positive impact for their choice of a vocation,” the archbishop said….”

  27. i must say that even saints have made mistakes. I believe that Blessed JPII was talked into this altar girlr bit without realizing the can of worms hew was opening.

  28. ipadre says:

    Once I saw the CDW document giving pastors and just celebrants to have only male servers, we returned to the venerable tradition. I allowed those girls currently serving to stay on until they retire. Only two girls remain. There are at least three boys showing signs of a future vocation. [It ain’t rocket science, is it Padre!]

    CDW letter on Altar Servers: http://www.adoremus.org/CDW-AltarServers.html

  29. Gail F says:

    Not that I am a member, but WOC is the one that does NOT engage in unlawful “ordinations,” but is much more scholarly and reasonable in their communications and publications, and wants to change things from within. You can read about its international parent group, Womens Ordination Worldwide (WOW), here. http://www.womenpriests.org/care/academic.asp (I found this out when doing an article on RCWP and Fr. Roy Bourgeois)

    RCWP (Roman Catholic Womanpriests) is the one that holds the wacko “ordinations” and simultaneously claims to be the authentic church while attempting to change it beyond all recognition in every conceivable way.

    Just thought you should all know they are not the same people.

    [I’m shocked! You mean to tell me that they are divided? There are different groups? They aren’t all on the same page? Oh dear! o{]:¬) ]

  30. Glen M says:

    Hang on…they are upset a twenty year old ‘tradition’ has been ended in one parish of a two thousand year old Church? This is a good example of how short sighted modernists are by definition – they seem to think the Church began in 1962. [As Card. George once about defense of the lame-duck ICEL version, sort of a “Lefevbrism of the Left”, no?] In reality, they have de facto created their own church and if they had the courage of their convictions would admit it just like past heretics such as Luther did. [Hmmm… not quite sure about that.]

  31. Anna VanSant says:

    Sorry, but you lost me at COW. I don’t think it’s funny, and it lacks integrity and honor on your part. This posting tells me very little about the women of WOC, but you did reveal a lot about yourself, and I’m not impressed[I shall endeavor to bear this.]
    While I know that the good Father was within the law in banning girls to serve at the altar, I disagree with his decision. [Imagine my surprise! o{];¬) ] When I wrote him, I told him this. But I didn’t engage in namecalling, thinking myself clever. As a priest in my Church, I expect better from you.

  32. John654 says:

    My dad was an alter Boy with the good Bishop Olmsted in little Barnstown, NE. Both are very good men. May God bless Fr. Lankeit and those alter boys.

  33. mrose says:

    Written and sent. We ought to continue to pray for the good Rector – I surmise that if he has promoted Communion on the Tongue, and now Male-only service at the altar, that he has more in mind. Satan and his minions will not appreciate such things, so we must pray.

  34. FloridaJoan says:

    Note to Fr. Lankeit sent and prayers offered.

    pax et bonum

  35. Elizabeth D says:

    I wrote thanking this Cathedral rector and saying that as a Catholic I don’t believe there is any such thing as women’s ordination, and WOC’s “stated concept that being an altar server is “preparation for the priesthood” even for females, provides a strong reason for not using female altar servers, lest it become a near occasion of sin for any woman server as confused as they.”

  36. AnAmericanMother says:

    I was not an altar server, because in those antediluvian days even the Episcopalians confined service on the altar to males. I sang in the choir, had a great time, and learned a lot.
    My daughter was an altar server in both our former ECUSA parish and our current Catholic parish before she headed off to college. She is not happy with the change, it’s too close to her and she feels as if something was given and then taken back, but I think in time she will understand.
    But what I don’t understand is this thin-skinned sensitivity to any humor.
    Good grief, ladies, if you really want to function in a “man’s world” you’re going to have to quit taking offense at every little comment. I was a trial lawyer for many years, and if I had gotten all wound up every time some good ol’ boy lawyer or judge in rural Georgia made a joke about women lawyers I would have died of a stroke by now. With a very few exceptions, these were good judges and lawyers who meant no harm, so I took no offense. I just smiled, gave as good as I got, and won my cases (mostly – if you win ’em all you’re settling too many.)
    And if you’re going to run working retrievers (another “man’s world”), I can tell you the peanut gallery is brutal, especially to women. Smile, run your dog, and be gracious when you come off the line with a pass (or not – I have a lot of “nots”, amateur trainers usually do.)
    And you have more chance of making the trial lawyer’s Top 500 or getting a Grand Pass with your dog than you do becoming a priest.

  37. RichR says:

    Maybe “COW” was a little harsh, but it is hard to take these women’s ideas seriously. Women can never become priests. Altar girls came about because of financial pressure put on the Holy See, not because of some prayerful delving into theological truths. It’s a concession that has confused many people (and, I might add, this was the point, to confuse people about who should and who should not be in proximity to the altar of sacrifice).

    So when the WOC’s start fussing about a lone priest who exercised his right to stop altar girls, what it REALLY SHOWS is that this group sees this as a threat to all the political victories they have had towards “women’s ordination”, an outcome that is impossible.

    If it is impossible to ordain women, why even go there?

    For a GREAT talk that rattled a LOT of cages in Rome after altar girls were allowed, see this:

    The New Feminist Face of The Roman Liturgy (Fr. Brian Harrison)
    http://www.keepthefaith.org/detail.aspx?ID=926

    It’s very scholarly, and it is based on a paper written by the speaker. He is well-known and respected in Rome.

  38. Jackie L says:

    This is why it is important to teach why serving the altar should be reserved to boys, if we don’t explain it WOC, NCR, etc will…it will be twisted and wrong, but they will LOUDLY offer some explanation.

  39. RichR says:

    It is not okay to call them cows because it is harsh. They are children of God, but the ideas that they, as an organization, identify themselves with are hard to take seriously when the Pope himself has defined that women’s ordination is outside the competency of the Church. She can’t ordain women. So to engage these ideas in debate is hard to do with a serious intent when any faithful Catholic knows the conclusion already.

    Let’s get this very straight. Calling people names is wrong. But let’s not confuse the issues by turning this into an ad hominem attack. It’s about ideas, and these ideas, which WOC has chosen to thrust into the forefront even though they already know what Christ’s church has infallibly stated is to show that they only want to draw attention to themselves and their abberant ideas. That being the case, it is hard to take them seriously precisely because there is nothing to discuss.

    This does not give license to call them names, and I think that a small apology is indicated. However, if that is the case, then an even bigger apology is due from the WOCs to the Church for calling her doctrines contrary to Christ, it’s founder. I would focus more on their response as a test of their loyalty to the Faith.

  40. Bryan Boyle says:

    Done. In writing, on paper, with my signature at the bottom, and in the US Snail box. We need more like the good Father.

    That the opposition is screeching like they are (no surprise there…) regarding this I view as nothing more than the author of all lies working verbally through his useful idiots in the professionally dissident and victimized wing and lamestream media.

    May God grant many more years to this good priest, who must be facing the hinges of hades in vituperation and lickspittle abuse.

  41. RichR says:

    P.S. I think it’s a little over the top to take the off-the-cuff remarks of a priest on his personal blog as “what you’re supposed to accept from your Church.”

  42. amenamen says:

    Having boys serve at the altar with faithful priests tends to foster …
    (vocations to the priesthood)

    Having girls work with faithful nuns tends to foster …
    (vocations to the religious life)

    Having grown women dress up as puppets bigger than Macy’s parade balloons tends to foster … ?

  43. The Women’s Ordination Committee could have chosen any name in the world, with any combination of initials. Of their own free will, they chose a name with the initials WOC, despite the fact that a mirror would have instantly revealed how poorly they had chosen. I will note further that there is another women’s ordination group out there which has gone to great lengths to avoid funny initials, so it’s not as if there is any secret about this. Yet WOC has not changed its name, even though that’s not unusual among activist groups.

    And that, my dear ma’am, is comedy gold. Or rather, as I would put it in my simple womanly way, COWmedy.

    It is true, however, that in the non-American English-speaking world, there is some sort of extra insult connotation to the word cow, which seems to be associated more with “silly women” than “silly people of both sexes”, whereas in America “cows” and “sheep” are nearly equivalent in meaning and are usually unisex in application. Occasionally American men use “cow” to mean “an ugly woman”, but I believe this meaning has fallen out of vogue, due to the many worse insults which are possible in today’s society. The most common connotation is that of “having a cow”, ie, pitching an angry temper tantrum, or making a mountain out of a molehill. This is also unisex, as young Master Bart Simpson would be the first to tell you.

    So… I think what’s happening here is that some readers are taking Fr. Z as being sexist, whereas readers in Fr. Z’s dialectal area take him as just making a funny joke about men and women who are always having a cow about the priesthood, and their unfortunate club title.

  44. Thomas S says:

    These women are udderly ridiculous.

  45. Maria says:

    Still haven’t worked out which are the puppets and which are the women.
    In seriousness though Father, your posts are not only witty, they are informative and educational and again I find myself thanking you.
    There are many of us out here in the world still learning all about The Church, and I for one in the UK have not yet met any Catholic who will make such a bold statement about errors as I have found you do Father.
    I will pray as you requested, not only for those serving The Church in The States, but for all worldwide who uphold The Church Teaching.
    God Bless.

  46. ocds says:

    “It is still permitted to obey Rome, no?”
    In some circles, apparently not. How sad.

  47. amenamen says:

    Perhaps the prophet Amos was too harsh when he upbraided the self-indulgent women of Samaria as “you cows of Bashan” (Amos 4:1).
    The psalmist was not very nice either, when he called his persecutors “bulls of Bashan” (Psalm 22:12). But at least the bovine analogy can apply to both men and women.
    Maybe we should stick with “brood of vipers.”

  48. Michael in NoVA says:

    Gail F,
    Your note on the divisions within the women’s ordination sects reminds me of a Monty Python skit in Life of Brian (sanitized).

    BRIANA: Are you the Women’s Ordination Conference?
    REGINA: Back off!
    BRIANA: What?
    REGINA: Women’s Ordination Conference, bah. We’re the Conference for the Ordination of Women! Pffw, Women’s Ordination Conference.
    BRIANA: Can I… join your group?
    REGINA: No. Go away.
    BRIANA: But I hate Rome as much as anybody.
    Conference for the Ordination of Women: Shhhh. Shhhh. Shhh. Shh. Shhhh.
    JUDITH: Are you sure?
    BRIANA: Oh, dead sure. I hate the Roman Church already.
    REGINA: Listen. If you wanted to join the C.O.W., you’d have to really hate the Roman Church.
    BRIANA: I do!
    REGINA: Oh, yeah? How much?
    BRIANA: A lot!
    REGINA: Right. You’re in. Listen. The only group we hate more than Rome are the Women’s Ordination Conference.
    C.O.W.: Yeah…
    JUDITH: Splitters.
    C.O.W.: Splitters…
    FRANCES: And the Roman Catholic Womenpriests.
    C.O.W.: Yeah. Oh, yeah. Splitters. Splitters…
    LORETTA: And the Conference for the Ordination of Women.
    C.O.W.: Yeah. Splitters. Splitters…
    REGINA: Wait, What?
    LORETTA: The Conference for the Ordination of Women. Splitters.
    REGINA: We’re the Conference for the Ordination of Women!
    LORETTA: Oh. I thought we were Catholics for the Ordination of Women.
    REGINA: Conference, not Catholics!
    FRANCIS: Whatever happened to the Catholics for the Ordination of Women, Regina?
    REGINA: She’s over there.
    C.O.W.: Splitter!

  49. FYI: When people hijack threads, I delete their comments and sometimes lock them out. That is why a bunch of comments and responses to the hijacking have disappeared.

  50. DisturbedMary says:

    This is the EWTN news story about the Class of 2011 ordinations: http://www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/US.php?id=3062

  51. DisturbedMary says:

    Ooops. No need for the EWTN link. Many thanks to Theodore.

  52. JoAnna says:

    I sent a note to Fr. Lankeit yesterday!

  53. nanetteclaret says:

    What these women are overlooking is that the girls are being offered the job of Sacrastan, so it’s not like they are prevented from serving. If the job is anything like what the Altar Guild in the Episcopal church does, it is very important. In my experience, it means making sure all the necessary parts are in place and ready to go: fair linen on the altar, clean and pressed; the candles lit and followers polished; the corporal spread; the paten with priest’s host, chalice with purificator, pall, veil, burse filled with extra purificators on the altar or credence table; ciborium filled with extra hosts; cruets with water and wine along with the lavabo bowl and towel; credence cloth clean, pressed, and on the credence table; missal stand polished with missal on it; the Gospel book in the proper place; the torches and crucifix polished and ready to go; Sanctus bell in place; the priest’s vestments laid out in the sacristy and ready to put on; Sancuary Lamp lit; etc. There is a lot to do and it is all important.

    If a young lady really wants to serve, as opposed to “starring,” she can volunteer to be a Sacrastan and serve on the Altar and Rosary Society. (Even better would be if the job of Sacrastan and membership in the Altar and Rosary Society were available only at the invitation of the pastor. That way, 1) the pastor would be assured that the ladies are striving for holiness and are faithful to their obligations and 2) they would realize it is a privilege and not a right.) Washing and ironing linens and polishing silver and brass may seem tedious, but as St. Benedict said, “Prayer is Work and Work is Prayer.” And after all, Mass cannot happen without all of the parts, so the role of Sacrastan is very important and not to be taken lightly.

    According to this link:
    http://www.ewtn.com/library/liturgy/zlitur184.htm
    there is even more which can be entrusted to the Sacrastan, such as dealing with florists, funeral directors, wedding photographers, etc.

    It’s really too bad that these women want to do the things which they are not permitted to do, but refuse to do the things which they are permitted to do. These women are saying, “I will star, I will not serve.” “I will not serve” is what the enemy says.

  54. ghp95134 says:

    Nanetteclaret says, “…If the job is anything like what the Altar Guild in the Episcopal church does, it is very important. In my experience, it means making sure all the necessary parts are in place and ready to go: fair linen on the altar, clean and pressed; …; etc. There is a lot to do and it is all important.

    But … but …. but ….. Thems traditional GIRLS jobs!

    (^__^)
    –Guy

  55. AnAmericanMother says:

    nanetteclaret,
    So true about the Altar Guild/Lucy Guild/Sacristan.
    My daughter absolutely loved helping the Altar Guild as a young girl of around 9 or 10, cleaning and polishing, laying out the linen and vestments, etc.
    Unfortunately a couple of cranky old ladies told her to get lost.
    So she wound up being an altar server.
    It would have been better if the old ladies had held their peace and let her grow up in the Altar Guild. She’s always been tidy, steady and reliable, helping me in the kitchen and in the sewing room almost as soon as she could walk.
    Now she’s in Charlotte NC working in field biology/animal husbandry – and I miss my right hand gal!

  56. schmenz says:

    I will be sending my congratulatory letter to this good priest today, and I thank you for the post. It is vitally important that we stand by these people, because they are certainly going to be subjected to the usual media lynching.

    The blame for this entire unholy mess, however, must be laid straight at the door of the Vatican, and especially Pope John Paul II. He was an intelligent man and could not possibly have failed to see the disaster of his decision. Some say he caved in to pressure which is most likely true; he was not, after all, a Pope noted for governing. But be that as it may this decision of his opened the door to this chaos; it also without question gave encouragement to the woman-priest movement. I’m afraid it is going to take decisive Papal action to undo John Paul II’s catastrophically wrong decision. I suspect that will be difficult since so many in Rome are falling over themselves trying to ramrod his canonization through and will not brook any dissent. But perhaps God will be merciful and send us a strong Pope who will begin the restoration seriously. This is not said to minimize the number of good things Benedict has done but is merely a hope that the next man to occupy Peter’s chair will have an extremely strong backbone.

    We must all pray for that.

  57. Lynn Diane says:

    The Vatican may have approved altar girls in 1994 but individual bishops approved them decades before that. Many American dioceses, probably the majority, had altar girls in the 1980’s in defiance of the Vatican. Here is Servant of God, Fr. John Hardon, about 1993 on the subject: “And the question then remains what will, say, the Council of Bishops in the United States do, having been, according to this information, been behind, pressuring, urging that women altar servers be approved by Rome? What then will the Conference of American Bishops vote on and will they vote on collectively the approval of altar servers as girls, whether each individual bishop, apparently not, would not be bound by the decision of the Conference of Bishops. We may say, therefore, that this only the beginning of what I firmly believe will be a highly controversial issue for months, maybe even years to come. No question that bishops have tremendous power, and as we know, and this is a pattern for over thirty years, in one country after another, the bishops take it upon themselves to jump the gun, to approve what is not approved by general law for the Church, and then, post factum, after a practice has become widespread, then they appeal to the Holy See to approve what they had been doing without even consulting the Holy See, as, for example, Communion in the hand. “

  58. Matariel says:

    Anna VanSant,

    No doubt you would say Christ violated Christian charity by calling the Pharisees “a brood of vipers” (much harsher than Fr. Z’s “cow” comment). You shouldn’t be defending a heretical group like COW anyway. Truthfully, calling them “cows” is rather light, considering they are a group which actively promotes sacrilege ( simulated ordination of women is a grave delict, you know)— I can think of much harsher, but appropriate, terms.

  59. One of those TNCs says:

    @ Tony Layne:

    “WOC like a man?”

    I actually DID laugh out loud! That was great.

    Fr. Lankeit has also encouraged the students of Sts. Simon & Jude Catholic School to say the “Prayer to Know My Vocation” and reported that many students have even memorized it.

  60. After that “WOC like a man” comment, I added a video to the top entry.

  61. benedetta says:

    Having come to a place where I have seen, and experienced, my sense is actually that the puppets, the official representatives of dissenting Catholics, Catholics in name only, Alinksy-ite Catholics, agitating, irritant and militant with just a hint of Catholicism Catholics, are really quite apt and fitting. Because by permitting themselves to be utilized by destructive forces that hate the Church and its adherents of any identification, left, right, center, center left, liberal, right, authentic, inauthentic, seeking, revert, convert, charismatic, traditional, orthodox, whatever it might be, women, men, children, these folks have essentially unwittingly allowed themselves to become puppets and instrumentality that cares not about agendas or about beliefs, cares not about doctrine or liturgy, couldn’t care less for women or our needs just so long as it divides believer against believer and works acts of hatred in the very midst of our Church.

  62. Gotta love what the NO bishop in Phoenix is doing, formerly the rector of the Josephinum in Columbus, OH. Yeah and love that acronym COW, kind of like the spoof on NOW that one radio personality uses, calling them the gals from NAG.

    Note sent, rosary intentions offered.

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