Alexandra and Bryan are doing missionary work this month…

…in the Diocese of Richmond.

When will we hear from them about their progress? We’d like to know if they can see any changes since the Bishop DiLorenzo arrived on the scene.

I can’t mention Richmond without mentioning “TQ” – Pastor of Church of the Holy Family in Virginia Beach. Former Pastor of Good Shepherd Catholic Church in the Mount Vernon area, he is known far and wide for driving a VW Bug up the aisle while wearing an Easter Bunny suit some decades ago. He didn’t like Bishop DiLorenzo’s installation. No, not one bit!

For the first time in memory there were no LAY extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist distributing the Body and Blood of Christ. The sea of white vested clerics (deacons and priests) “grabbed “ everything with a sort of “it’s our Church” possessiveness. A GIRMness pervaded all.

Why use EME’s if there are so many ordinary ministers of the Eucharist on hand?

11 comments

  1. Why use EME’s if there are so many ordinary ministers of the Eucharist on hand?
    I assume that’s a rhetorical question. But if it isn’t, the answer you would get is something like this: Because using ordained ministers is reactionary, probably Republican, and sooooooooooooo pre-Vatican II.

  2. Wow. TQ is a negative nelly. He sounds like the kind of guy that would follow Jesus around putting the money-changer’s tables back in place and apologizing for the inconvenience.

  3. Also – what’s wrong with GIRMness???? It’s much better than non-GIRMness!!!!

  4. JS,
    To liberal-types, GIRMness is a sign of patriarchal, clericalists, retrograde oppression. A diocese doesn’t go for nearly thirty years with a bishop like Sullivan without amassing quite a few lefty priests!

  5. Well sure – I’ve been to Richmond and attended Masses led by Fr. Snugglepuss, Fr. Multiculturalism and Fr. Let’sOrdainFemalesToday.
    The mindset still amazes me – that generation thinks nothing good came before them and nothing good will come after them. If they could turn back the clock to 1975 and live there forever, they’d be delighted.
    They married that age, and are now unhappy widowers.

  6. While they’re in the neighborhood, Alexandra and Bryan should stop by St. Benedict in Richmond. We can show them the answer to TQ’s question, “Who speaks Latin in Richmond?”
    Speaking of which, I was also at Bp. DiLorenzo’s installation. Like TQ (but for different reasons), I wasn’t a huge fan of the musical selections, but otherwise I thought it was quite nice.
    He does have a point re: the location. Having the ceremony at the Cathedral was wonderful, but having to beg far and wide to locate a (very scarce) ticket was not. Maybe they could have combined a formal installation at the Cathedral with a larger “Diocesan welcome for the new Bish” event elsewhere. (Not the Coliseum; maybe the convention center).
    Oh well. Hindsight 20-20, and all that.

  7. Incidentally, that horrible feeling of “GIRMness” did not extend to kneeling during the Eucharistic Prayer. (My other, more major disappointment with the festivities).

  8. Fr. TQ’s column is so over-the-top that it’s hard to believe it’s not parody. How embarassing to think that an adult not only wrote that adolescent tantrum, but apparently didn’t realize what a fool he makes of himself by putting it on the web.

  9. If this is the same Father “TQ” (Tom Quinlan?) who used to be the pastor at St. Katerina Tekawitha and lived in Poquoson, Va, then it’s about par for the course for him. Sadly.

  10. TQ probably realizes his days are numbered and wants to go out in a blaze of glory, and he doesn’t really care who he insults (read his other columns) on the way out. I also understand that at the installation the usual bevy of women who used to dress the altar at the offeratory for Bp Sullivan were no where to be seen (is setting the table for a man politcally correct?). He immediately replaced the lay woman chancellor with a priest, and appointed Fr. Russell Smith as diocesan theologian (we didn’t have one), and parishes must get his approval before inviting speakers. He used to be my associate pastor years ago and can be trusted for his orthodoxy. I honestly thought DiLorenzo would leave things as is for a while before making changes. I was wrong. The upcoming year will probably be a roller coater ride that for one am looking forward to.

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