OK, pastors, it's time for a Homeland Security alert. Make a note of the story Kelly cites: thieves broke into a parish in Lynn, MA, skipped the sacred vessels, located the tabernacle key, and took the Holy Eucharist. Since Lynn is next door to Salem, Mass., a magnet for neo-pagan kooks, one has to wonder if there's some connection to any of the occultists.
But back to the security point: a lot of priests are pretty lax about storing the key, leaving it unsecured in a sacristy, and that's just not going to cut it anymore.
Kelly and Dom are wondering why the theft isn't being treated as a "hate crime", though it sure fits the definition. One reason is that we Catholics don't protest vigorously about bias crimes as smaller religious bodies often do. Perhaps the clergy are trained too well to avoid attracting public attention; this is a mistake. Protesting against theft and violation is an act of courage. I'd like to see our Abp. Sean speak publicly about this.
(I'll include the story here in case it should expire off the newspaper's site:)
