A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Blessed Sacrament Cathedral

Well no, not really, but plenty of funny things happened WHILE we were
protesting OUTSIDE the Cathedral on Ordination Saturday. People;
priests, lay and otherwise walked past us winking, nodding, whispering-
thank you for doing this, or good for you! - People passing by not
familiar with the Catholic religion would ask the dozen of us present,
"what do your signs about faith and inclusion mean?" I explained that
the church continues with its discriminatory practice of not giving
women an equal place at the table. Their response to our action was
encouraging; "Good, I am glad you are speaking out!" they'd say.

Not all comments were positive. Like the man who told us that any
opposition to the Church was a sin. Any opposition? I wanted to ask;
because we oppose the way the Church has handled the child molestation
crisis that too is a sin? Talk about falling into the rabbit hole!
Then there was the man who told us to take our "shit" and go
somewhere else. He quickly turned around and scurried into the
church. A man and woman looking like they were going to a high end
fashion show told us to join the Episcopalians. So much for inclusion,
the message was clear; YOU are not welcomed HERE. This is supposed to
be a silent vigil, in others words I have to keep my big mouth shut.
It's hard, especially when I wanted to yell back----

"Why should I leave? it is MY church too ya know?" But I did not yell,
not that time.

I did, however, fail to keep quiet when a woman drove by with a sign
written on the flap of an old cardboard box in what looked like
eyeliner stating; "we love our priests." She hung out the car window
while holding the sign screaming at the top of her lungs:

"WEEEE LOOOOVE OUR PRIIIIIIESTS!"

Sorry, it was automatic, the words just tumbled out my mouth…..oh if
"Sr. Eileen" had been there she would have looked at me with that Irish
twinkle in her eyes and pursed lips sweetly saying "now Lourdes,
silence please." So, so sorry…..but I yelled back, yes I did yell
back, not in an angry tone, but I do sheepishly admit to yelling, I did
want to be heard after all…..

"SO DO WEEEEEE!"

What makes her think we don't love our priests? Well, maybe not the
lily-livered priests, I don't particularly care much for them. I
don't much care for the ones who showed up in the nice new, luxury
vehicles either. There was one priest being taxied in a Hummer. Can
you imagine Jesus showing up in a Hummer? Or a Cadillac? Or a Lincoln?
Or a Lexus? Or a BMW? No, He probably would have gotten off the city bus, picked up a sign and walked with the twelve of us.