Posted on 06/15/2009 1:37:19 PM PDT by markomalley
That unique VA statute goes back to the Civil War and obvious splits that arose among the parishes ... it has served Truro, Falls Church and the others quite well under more recent circumstances.
Without getting into the historical religious differences between VA and MD that still resonate in some quarters today, I have to believe this convent in MD is not part or property of the ECUSA diocese. How else could Archbishop O’Brien and other Catholic priests be celebrating a RC Mass in its chapel ? Catholic priests just don’t celebrate Mass in chapels belonging to other faiths, especially if the other faith’s diocese could step in and claim it as their own property.
If the ECUSA or its Baltimore diocese owned the property and the sisters chose to become RC, they would likely transfer to a RC convent. But it sure looks like they’re staying right where they are.
I’m pretty sure the Baltimore RC diocese’s lawyers checked it all out very carefully.
But I doubt that the Presiding Bishopess and her attack dog Beers are willing to take on the Catholic Church. Picking on small parishes and threatening individual bishops is more their style.
As you wrote in a later post, the VA decisions were based solely on a civil war Virginia state statute, unfortunately. I believe that everywhere else in the nation the rulings have gone against the local parishes. I wish for the sake of this convent that it was located in VA.
“Chancellor” Beers is so big and brave, he took on my husband, an individual Vestry member (back in the day). Hahahahha, we won !!!! Then ‘kicked the sand from our shoes.’
By the time we shook the dust from our sandals, we weren't doing anything in the parish but singing in the choir, we had gotten progressively more disgusted with the whole show and eventually couldn't stand it even just going to choir practice and singing while trying not to pay attention to what was going on down front.
But God & St. Cecilia were merciful, and our new Catholic parish has wonderful music, and I don't even need to add the snarky qualifier "for a Catholic parish". So now we have great music and sound theology too . . . < whew! >
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