“The lay Christian faithful called to give assistance at liturgical celebrations should be well instructed and must be those whose Christian life, morals and fidelity to the Church’s Magisterium recommend them.”

When I read this statement from  Redemptionis Sacramentum I think of people like Alex Baldwin. Well maybe not, but this one parish seems to think that this active abortion and same-sex marriage proponent who constantly proclaims vitriolic hate towards conservatives is fitting as a Lector.

For most, a Sunday church service is a moment for peace, worship and reflection — unless Alec Baldwin is in your congregation.

Sources tell us that some of the parishioners at Most Holy Trinity Parish in East Hampton are so sick of Baldwin’s blustering that a group stood up and turned their backs on the hot-tempered star as he gave a reading from the pulpit.

A source told us of the protesting parishioners on July 29: “Alec loves to be the center of attention and often reads from the pulpit, which really annoys some in the congregation. It is so bad that, one recent Sunday, he went up to read, and part of the congregation stood and rudely turned their backs on him.”

The source said, “Even though he has generously given a lot of money to the town, there are people who just don’t like him. He has a need for attention and shows up at every event. When people go to the church, they don’t want to see the movie star up there.”

Another source suggested that those who turned their backs were staunch Republicans who disagreed with outspoken Baldwin’s liberal views.

Baldwin, who has an eight-acre spread in East Hampton, and new wife, Hilaria Thomas, are regular parishioners at the church, of which he’s a generous benefactor. Last year, he donated a set tour of “30 Rock” to a church fund-raising auction.

Rev. Donald Hanson, the pastor, told Page Six, “Alec Baldwin reads from time to time at the church, and read again on Sunday two weeks ago.” Asked about parishioners who turned their backs, Hanson said, “I was told that happened, but I did not personally witness it, as another priest was saying the Mass.”

And about the reason for the public protest, he added, “I am not going to comment, as I wasn’t there.”

A representative for Baldwin said, “Alec was focused on the prayers, so he has no way of knowing if this happened. But does someone violating the sanctity of a church even deserve a response?”

Glad he is going to Mass, but his Twitter stream is not fitting for a Lector.

[Source]

I am the new pastor,’ Costello added. ‘There is a new archbishop. The archdiocese told me straight out, ‘No drag queens.'”

There’s a new Sheriff in town.

You would think this might be one item of something you didn’t have to be told. Oh by the way No drag queens.’ – who knew?

This of course is in reference to the infamous Most Holy Redeemer Parish in San Francisco where Castro Country Club has had drag queen events and drag queens dressed up as Nuns come up for Communion.

I would hope the new policy also means “No Sex Toy Bingo” something that has also been held in the parish. Though since “No Drag Queens” had to be spelled out maybe they will have to create a long list of things not to be done since common sense has not prevailed in the past.

Costello said that during a telephone conversation with a Castro Country Club representative, when the topic of drag queens came up, he told the person, ‘That is not going to work under the present circumstances.’

I hope that wasn’t an actual quote.  Regardless this is not an easy situation for Father Costello (who missed his calling as an Abbot) and he certainly needs prayer support.

Via Father Malloy, SDB  who has more details.

Two groups supporting a more active role for women in the Catholic Church are sponsoring a prayer vigil at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 8, in support of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. The 45-minute vigil will be held at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 330 S.E. 11th Ave., in Portland.

One Spirit ~ One Call, a Portland area group that has held public prayer events in support of the gifts and talents of women that they say are untapped in the Catholic Church, and Call to Action Northwest Oregon, the regional chapter of a national group seeking reforms in the church, are sponsoring the prayer vigil.

They of course will be praying for the leadership of the LCWR to return to obedience. Well not really, but it’s a nice dream. No they are actually praying for the LCWR to stop inviting new-age non-Christian keynote speakers to their conferences like the one going on now.. Well not really. Maybe it is for the LCWR to help stop child sexual abuse under their aspices. Oh well three not really’s and I’m out.

“People assume that we are about the ordination of women,” says Marie Langenes, an organizer of “One Spirit — One Call” and a member of St. Andrew’s Parish in Northeast Portland. “We are about a broader range of issues.

People assume that they are only about one heterodox opinion, when really they have a broader range of heterodox opinions.

St. Francis of Assisi Portland, Ore

One thing that caught my eyes in this story and brought back a flood of memories is that this parish is the one I sang in for about a year. After my mother’s conversion to Catholicism she brought me to this parish and I endured it as a young atheist out of love for my mother and my love of singing. The pop/rock hymns were not objectionable to me since they had such a low theological content – if any. Plus when I joined the church’s small ensemble choir I loved the irony of being an atheist in the sanctuary. This was rather a hippy parish back then and it looks like things have not changed much.

I do remember the first time I heard the word “Catholicism.” I went to one class on the Catholic faith and this is where I first heard the word. It sounded very ominous to me which is why I still remember it, that and the fact that the priest pretty much explained away the miraculous to me. As an atheist I didn’t believe in miracles and yet it didn’t quite sit right with me that the priest didn’t either. I was not surprised to find out later that both of the parish priests had left the Church to get married.

Looking back it annoys me that my first contact with the Church had the catechetical content of a felt banner, though I probably wasn’t very open to the truth at that point. It just would have been nice to actually hear the truth.

The University of Notre Dame invited President Barack Obama and Catholics were stunned. Georgetown honored HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Catholics everywhere were horrified.

Meghan Myers, the Executive Director of the annual fundraiser for Catholic Charities, told LifeSiteNews that U.S. President Barack Obama was invited to keynote the Al Smith dinner by New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

And for the life of me I can’t see why Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s invitation to President Obama to the Al Smith dinner is any different. I know the Church isn’t honoring Obama but come on. [Creative Minority Report]

There is one difference in that Notre Dame officially honored President Obama with an honorary law degree. Other than that I am also scratching my head rather roughly in discerning why Cardinal Dolan thought this was a good idea. I am a fan of the Cardinal in many ways, but this decision I am certainly not a fan of.

We will of course hear “Jesus ate with sinners”, yes but he did not invite Pontius Pilate for a fundraising event. If this was some public event with both the President and the Cardinal attending this would not be a problem.

The ironies of this invite are rather extreme. According to the Obama Administration Catholic Charities is not a Catholic institution as defined by the mandate. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a Catholic institution to be exempted from the mandate. That a man who voted for infanticide and has been a consistent anti-Catholic bigot is invited to a fundraising event for an institution he would tax/fine out of existence is hard to fathom.

I can understand efforts in the past to make this event a non-partisan affair and to reach out to both aisles as a worthy intention. Considering that Al Smith was a Democratic presidential nominee it is quite understandable that these fund raising dinners have invited Presidents and nominees. But the history of this event does not trump scandal and the non-invite of President Clinton certainly set a precedent. The militantly pro-abortion Obama recently promised not to “give any ground” on the mandate.

Now I am all for praying for our enemies and heaping coals of fire on their head.

Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

Inviting them as a prominent guest at a fundraising event – not so much. Though I pretty much would like to see Catholic institutions stop inviting politicians of any party. Surely we can do better in regards to inviting people actually living their faith. Heck I am not that happy with Gov. Romney’s invite, a man who thinks an attack on religious freedom “are not things that are part of my campaign.”

Al Smith’s presidential bid failed largely to anti-Catholic bigotry and this fact is only highlighted with the invite of an anti-Catholic bigot who is directly attacking the 1st Amendment.

Please you eminence make this problem go away like the shower scene in Dallas.