Mazomanie drama

With a name like Mazomanie, there's bound to be some controversy at some time.

Members of St. Barnabas Parish in Mazomanie say they are stunned to learn that the priests leading their Catholic community will no longer allow their daughters to be servers at Mass. From now on, only boys will be able to assist priests in the ancient religious rite.

The new policy was announced at a meeting with parents Tuesday by Rev. John Del Priore, who was assigned to the parish on June 1.

"It's an outrage," said Tammy Parks. "They said it was a good way for boys to be indoctrinated into being a priest."

Parents at St. Barnabas are so distressed that there is talk of having the boys boycott altar duty.

So the Priests are saying no to little girls now, and going back on the rule they already broke. But priests and little boys have already been in the news in a negative way on more than one sad occasion, and I think it speaks for itself. Perhaps a different tactic would work better to encourage young boys to enter the priesthood.

That's been the case at St. Aloysius for more than a year, and the furor that met the change in policy has evaporated, said Ann Cicero, a secretary for the parish whose sons serve as altar boys.

The commitment by parish boys to altar service is proof that it's right to reserve it for boys, she said. When girls were allowed to be servers, it became less popular among boys. Now that it's a thing for boys only, they revel in it.

Besides, having girls on the altar is misleading about what the church is about, she said.

"Women are not ordained," Cicero said.

The boys meet weekly with priests for training, spiritual growth and outings as the group, St. Michael Altar Guild, a practice that strengthens their ties to the church and parish community, she said. Girls, too, meet regularly and do things "more appropriate for girls."

Cicero said several young boys have begun to talk about vocations to the priesthood.

I'm sure it was because girls were serving at the altar that boys becamse less interested. They were probably relieved to have a Sunday off!

But in all seriousness, in an age where boys are beginning to fall second to girls in school academics and such, and more and more celebrities and officials are speaking out asking men to take a more active in the upbringing of their boys, I understand the need to draw boys into areas designated particularly for them. But what lesson does it teach to do so in a discriminatory way?

What exactly are we showing our young women about service? Or about committing to something- and then taking it back on a whim. If they convert away from Catholocism, but attend Seminary and dedicate their lives to the Lord, what difference does it make? Aren't priests to love them equally?

Sure, that's what she said.