Welcome to St. Joan of Arc’s in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the quintessential “AmChurch” parish.
Mark Shea is Senior Content Editor for Catholic Exchange. You may visit his website at www.mark-shea.com check out his blog, Catholic and Enjoying It!, or purchase his books and tapes here.
Aren't We Enlightened?
See Happy Pastor Rev. George Wertin profiled by an adoring parishioner on their Web site. He's a courageous rebel who “loves the cutting edge.” Quotable quote: “He talked about loving Rome and his repeated visits to Italy — I asked him, 'Could you say, all roads lead to Rome?' He said, 'Yes, but not necessarily to the Vatican.'” Har har. The Old Guy in Rome is a joke, of course. He's not In Touch and Aware like Padre is.
Hear the Baby Boomer “History Begins and Ends with Us” story of Vatican II (“The excitement was tangible in those days and he says he knew he 'was witnessing history being made' during the years of John Kennedy and Pope John the twenty-third.”)
See the self-congratulation: “We are 'not a parish just trying to protect ourselves and taking care of our own souls and being a holy and pious people — but a people involved and caring.'” (Being involved and caring, you see, is the opposite of holiness and piety.)
See the Enlightened Reading Selections full of Deep Insight for Thoughtful People:
• John Dominic Crossan, who informs us the body of Jesus was eaten by wild dogs.
• “The ministry of Jesus was first and only a social ministry.”
• “Eisler takes us way back to the time of Goddess worship.”
• “With the advent of a male god and the creation of the world's major religions we moved into a time, and continue to be in that time, of domination.”
Aren't We Fabulous?
It's a beehive of activity at St. Joan's. No pro-life work, adoration, or ordinary Christian prayer, of course. But there is the neo-pagan eco-spirituality task force, the ingenious readings from Anne Morrow Lindbergh or somebody named Megan McKenna substituted for Scripture during Mass, the weekly guest homilist, the Hatha Yoga in the sanctuary, the staff bursting with gay pride, the mission statement indistinguishable from a Unitarian committee on Spelling Reform for Guatemala, the lectures asking “Is Jesus God?” with the refreshingly straightforward condescension of the apostate:
Our tradition teaches that Jesus was God come down to make up for and overcome this inaccessibility. Jesus “won back” for us that which was lost due to Original Sin. Jesus, therefore, has to be more than human…for if He is not actually God, then we are not really saved.
But the images of our childhood can no longer always work within our faith. The Roman Catholic “institutional leadership,” however, continues to uphold these images.
And let's not forget the Confirmation graduates who boast that their faith is “a mix of Eastern Religion and Christianity. My beliefs and I have found a home. I am so proud that I was confirmed at SJA!'”
“So proud.” Indeed, what comes through loud and clear is the clubby, suburban, back-slapping, “aren't we fabulous?” pride of the enterprise. It hits precisely the same notes as the gushy, lionizing, “Behold the Future of the Church!” puff pieces that were done on child molester Paul Shanley by his NewChurch adorers in the 1980s.
Stockholm Syndrome
But when the day comes when the parishioners are betrayed by somebody like Shanley who holds the Tradition in as much contempt as they do, they have nothing to fall back on but the clubby, suburban, back-slapping twaddle that passes for Catholic Faith in parishes like St. Joan's. And so, in a weird manifestation of Stockholm Syndrome, the victims go on parroting what they were taught by their betrayers (“Celebrate homosexuality! The Da Vinci Code is Scripture! Welcome the Goddess!”) and never even know that the people who betrayed them also robbed them and sold their Catholic birthright for a pot of message. Indeed, any suggestion that the Tradition might in fact liberate the Church from the lies of those, like Shanley, who despise the Tradition is greeted with hoots by the betrayed. After all, they have Outgrown All That. Thus do the hostages make war on Jesus, their rescuer.
