Ministry: April 2007 Archives

It must be tough to survive in the religious marketplace out there, competing with other progressive chapels for the gay Catholic demographic; and especially so when you don't have any other clientele. The Jesuits in Boston have announced the planned closure of their city church in the South End neighborhood, the Jesuit Urban Center.

Besides a general decline in the gay-Catholic market segment, credit for the Jesuits' downtown defeat probably has to go to the Franciscans of Holy Name Province. St. Anthony Shrine moved into the gay-friendly market a few years ago, making for a three-way competition against the Jesuits and the Paulists who have catered to dissenting Catholics downtown for over 30 years. The Shrine's broad-based weekday Mass attendance, heavily trafficked location, and extensive service hours probably give it a stronger position than either of its two competitors, so St. Anthony's is probably best situated to endure for years to come. In contrast, the JUC had only one Mass per week, with a congregation of 150-200 confused souls.

From the Pope's homily at the Chrism Mass:

Dear brothers and sisters,

the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy tells in a little story about a severe ruler who asked his priests and wise men to show God to him, so that he could see him. The wise men could not satisfy this desire at all. Then a shepherd, who had just come from the fields, offered to take on the task of the priests and sages. He told the king that his eyes were unable to see God. But then, the king wanted to know at least what things God does. "In order to answer your question," said the shepherd to the sovereign, "we will have to exchange clothes." With hesitation, but intrigued with curiosity, the sovereign agreed; he turned over his regal vestments to the shepherd and dressed himself in the simple clothing of a poor man. And then came the answer: "This is what God does." In fact, the Son of God - very God of very God - left behind his divine splendor: "...he emptied himself, taking on the condition of a slave; being born in the likeness of man, he humbled himself... even to death on a cross." (cf. Phil 2:6ff). God has -- as the Fathers say -- completed the sacrum commercium, the holy exchange: he has taken on that which was ours, in order that we may receive what was his, to become similar to God.