(2005-03-22)

BOSTON CHURCH GROUPS SUMMON MARRIED PRIESTS FOR EASTER MASS

Framingham, MA, March 21, 2005--Two Metro Boston Catholic Church congregations locked out of their church buildings by the Archdiocese of Boston have invited married Roman Catholic priests to preside over their Easter Sunday Liturgy. Friends of Star of the Sea Church of Quincy that closed in October, 2004 will have an Easter Mass Sunday, March 27, 11:30 am at the First Church of Squantum, 164 Bellevue Road in Squantum. The Sacred Heart Church congregation in Natick, a Church that had been in existence 114 years, will have an outdoor Easter Sunday Mass, March 27, at 10:30 A.M. in a tent at Shaw Park on Route 16 in South Natick.

Canon Law basis was used in securing Fr. Terence McDonough of Duxbury for the Mass in Squantum, and Fr. Ron Ingalls of Ashland for the outdoor celebration in Natick. A letter requesting their services under Canon Law 843 was sent from each congregation. Canon 843 stipulates that Sacred ministers may not deny the Sacraments to those who opportunely ask for them. Canon 290 reads, After it has been validly received, sacred ordination never becomes invalid. A priest is always a priest, a sacred minister. Canon Lawyers Fr. Delmar S. Smolinski and Jennifer Haselberger have indicated that in view of a shortage and unavailibity of celibate clergy, married priests are acting in a canonically valid way in providing this ministry.

Both priests are certified members of CITI Ministries, Inc. (Celibacy Is the Issue), a 501.c3 nonprofit lay-based ministry that locates and recruits priests who married, to provide sacramental and pastoral assistance to those with spiritual needs. Over 30,000 priests have married in the United States alone and many make themselves available through the CITI website with a catchy title, rentapriest.com for baptisms, marriages, funerals, anointing of the sick and other pastoral needs including the celebration of Mass.
According to CITI’s President Louise Haggett of Framingham, Massachusetts, we anticipate that other parishioners will request the services of married priests for Sunday Mass. A Communion service is not a valid Mass and people are recognizing that fact. This is the Declaration of Independence for Boston Catholics or The Boston Church (Tea) Party.

CONTACTS:
Star of the Sea/Quincy-Squantum: Sean Glennon, 617-909-6426, sean@marystarofthesea.org
Maureen Mazrimas, 617-257-8295, maureen@marystarofthesea.org
Sacred Heart Church/Natick: Ann Green, 508-429-8230, Anne.green@mathworks.com
Mary Hall, 508-655-8680,
CITI/Rentapriest: Louise Haggett, 508-872-4644, 508-740-3366 (cell) rentapriest@aol.com