Memories...Like the Corners of My Mind

Misty watercolor Memories...

...of some ladies dressing up in tablecloths pretending to be priests.

Yes, dear readers, how can we let this day go by without recalling the cometragedical circus of the sorta-nations that (didn't) occur exactly one year ago today.  The beginning of Elsie and Rose's Excellent Adventure.  

The alignment of stars, and local media cameras, that led to a woman Rabbi "hosting" the profanation of a holy Catholic sacrament, promoting and encouraging sacrilege and excommunication for two "womenpriest" wannabes.  The sad day that yet brought some grim comedy and began a much needed clarification and explanation of unchangeable, infallible Catholic teaching.

The event evidenced the triumph of alternative media, as well, for the chagrined Marek Bozek was caught on a cell phone camera laying hands on these ladies to encourage their sacrilege.

And, all of a sudden, the St. Stan's fight wasn't about money anymore!  It was about MarekBozek'snewandinclusivevisionoftheChurch (tm).

Despite the pastoral care of Archbishop Burke, who affirmed the truth of Catholic teaching on ordination to the priesthood, and who warned these duplicitous and/or deluded ladies. Despite the wonderfulness of ecumenism and inter-religious "dialogue" for four decades, the good Rabbi decided that dialogue is a one-way street.

And so it happened.  Hee hee!, said the dissenters.  "We'll show Burke!"  

Fifteen minutes of fame ensued.

Then, to his everlasting credit, His Grace began the long work of cleaning out the Church's Augean Stables:

• Fake Bishop-ette Friesen-- excommunicated
• Fake Priestess McGrath-- excommunicated
• Fake Priestess Hudson-- excommunicated
• Bachelor Pad owner Marek Bozek-- excommunicated
• "Co-pastor" and counselor Sister Louise Lears-- placed under interdict and moved from the Archdiocese

The result:  not one the galpriests would cheer, I think.  

• Rose and Elsie lead (astray) about 8 poor souls a week at some sect's building, occasionally taking some road trips to whine about the Church's unfairness.
  
• "Pastor" Marek Bozek was excommunicated and looks to be degraded from the clerical state very soon.  He flirted with joining the Moonies' best formerly-Catholic Bishop, Emmuanuel Milingo, which FINALLY caused many at St. Stan's to rethink his kind of leadership.  Coming within a hair's breadth of being ousted, he did what any good Stalinist thug would do:  he dissolved the Board.  Now it is currently stacked with (all excommunicated) patsies who still, for the next five minutes anyway, support him.  All he has to manage now is a lawsuit by former Board members, a federal investigation into the head of the Board, complete disgrace and lack of credibility, his laicization, and trying to keep his job, his bachelor pad, and nifty car.  
• Sr. Lears lost her job and now lives in Baltimore.  St. Cronan's is left with only one pastor on the pastoral team-- a Catholic priest, at that.
• And what about Archbishop Burke?  He got a promotion and is now the Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, and is one of the most powerful prelates in the Church.  As friend Bozek said, "Rejoice, St. Louis, beware, rest of world."  And he will have a big say in who will succeed him here.

Yep, what an anniversary.  The Church in St. Louis should be glad-- even though the excommunication of any person is a tragedy-- because St. Louis took the tough step to stand with Christ at the foot of His Cross.  Archbishop Burke, and through him our Archdiocese, became a rallying point and example for faithful everywhere.  As we have seen, the actions of the Archbishop have borne spiritual fruit, and the dissenters have marginalized themselves while placing their own souls in peril.

Rose and Elsie, wherever you are, I pray that you will repent and be converted to Christ.  

And thanks for the memories.

(thanks to peklet mom's children's dad for the reminder!)