Rodney Croome . gay advocate

"Nun, Catholic Parents Defy Chicago's Roman Catholic Archbishop"

This media release was issued by the US Rainbow Sash movement on Sunday May 15th 2005.

CHICAGO -- On Pentecost Sunday, a Roman Catholic nun, a Catholic couple married 44 years, and a long time gay civil rights activist defied the Archbishop of Chicago's ban on giving Communion to members of the Catholic gay group the Rainbow Sash Movement.

Members of the Rainbow Sash Movement wear a rainbow sash during Mass signifying support for equal treatment of gay and lesbian people in Church and society. Some American Catholic bishops, including Chicago's Francis Cardinal George, have ordered that those who wear the sash be denied Communion. Other bishops, including Los Angeles' Cardinal Roger Mahoney, have not forbidden Communion to the sash wearers.

On Sunday, at Chicago's Holy Name Cathedral, the sash wearers approached the altar for Communion and were denied by associate pastor Rev. Ron Kunkel. The sash wearers then returned to their pew.

Dominican Sister Donna Quinn, director of the National Coalition of American Nuns, Joseph and Barbara Parot of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) and long time Catholic gay rights activist Rick Garcia, also attended the Mass. After the sash wearers were denied, Sister Donna, the Parots and Garcia approached the altar and received Communion. To the surprise of some, including the sash wearers, the four then approached the sash-wearers and gave them a portion of their consecrated hosts.

"It is a scandal that the Body of Christ would be denied to a baptized Catholic who approached the altar simply because of what he or she was wearing. I am still shocked and in disbelief that the priest would deny these people," said Sister Donna Quinn. "The Eucharist should not be used as a political tool and that is exactly what Cardinal George has made it."

Sister Quinn and the Parots approached the priest after Mass and expressed their displeasure and sadness at his action.

"Some priests and bishops throughout the country have denied communion to sash wearers today. How many of these same priests have ever denied anyone else communion?" Garcia asked. "This has nothing to do with upholding Church teaching and it has everything to do with rank anti-gay sentiment."

"There is something seriously wrong when people wearing a sash signifying fairness and equality are denied communion while pedophile protecting prelates are given honors and basilicas in Rome," Garcia noted referring to the honors bestowed on Cardinal Bernard Law who protected pedophile priests in the Boston diocese. "The bishops who have ordered this should be ashamed, but unfortunately, experience has shown most of them are shameless."

For Immediate Release
May 15, 2005

Contact: Sister Donna Quinn
708-974-4220

Rick Garcia
312-560-0405