Free Republic

Current Issue: Interview Interview 8 Fr. Joseph Illo Explains Altar Boys-Only Policy at San Francisco Parish January 29, 2015 The pastor of Star of the Sea Church notes that “altar service is intrinsically tied to the priesthood"; says media furor over decision is "biased" Jim Graves Fr. Joseph Illo, pictured celebrating Mass in an undated photo, has been pastor of Star of the Sea Church in San Francisco since last year. (Photo courtesy of Fr. Illo) Star of the Sea Church in San Francisco made national news recently when its priests announced that female altar servers were being phased out...

Girls at the altar By MARK NIESSE Associated Press In some Catholic parishes the majority of 'altar boys' are girls ATLANTA - As soon as she was old enough, third-grader Ellen Clarke joined the first wave of girl altar servers, helping break up a club reserved for Roman Catholic boys for centuries. Seven years later, the 15-year-old is still serving, but now she's surrounded by other girls helping out priests and deacons on Sundays at Atlanta's Our Lady of the Assumption church. Altar serving has become so popular with girls that they outnumber the boys in many parishes. That's exactly...

The archdiocese of New York has just announced that Msgr. Clark's resignation from the Rectorate of St. Patrick's Cathedral has been accepted.