Sunday, September 04, 2011
Turned away at ND church door
At the conclusion of a reunion of paternal cousins in Indiana this weekend, a group wanted to go to the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Notre Dame for Sunday Mass at 10:00am, and I agreed to go (partly out of curiosity). Located at the heart of the Notre Dame football theme park, which doubles as a university, I was turned away by a verger at the door, perhaps because the Mass had already started. I was astounded. No permission was granted even for standing room in the back, though I could see there was ample room. No, it wasn't because I'm "Pertinacious Papist." Nobody recognized me. While I'm sure the administration, if asked, could furnish some plausible-sounding explanation for the incident, it just seemed a trifle emblematic of the way things have been going at that one-time bastion of Catholicism founded by Fr. Edward Sorin in 1842.
Located at the heart of the Notre Dame football theme park, which doubles as a university
ReplyDeleteOuch!
Anyway, a curious incident that as far as I can tell shouldn't have happened. A power-tripping usher perhaps? I'd write a note to the powers that be and ask what's going on.
I thought ND was a dry campus...did they start making wine out of sour grapes?
ReplyDeleteIt was a NO mass, right? This probably was a message from on high!
ReplyDeletevery strange. I've lived in SB for seven years and gone to the basilica many times and have never heard anything like this.
ReplyDeletePerhaps they were afraid that you might collide with one of the liturgical cheer leaders.
ReplyDeleteRalph,
ReplyDeleteThose are liturgical dancers, and you might want to keep a safe distance from the males that are nancing around, lol.
No dancers at Notre Dame, thank you, only cheerleaders. And if PP happened to collide with them while they were building, say, an offertory pyramid, the results could have been tragic.
ReplyDeleteHa. You ND haters are funny. The 10am Mass on Sundays is assisted by a (phenomenal) Traditional Liturgical Choir and is barely visible because of all the incense. Did you ever think the Mass was just full because it was a football weekend? Go Irish!
ReplyDelete