St. William Church Makes Archdiocese of Louisville a Laughingstock

Catholic Media Coalition
1216 Mill Rd.
Woodstock, VA 22664

Ms. Sharan Benton
Pastoral Administrator
St. William Church
1226 West Oak St.
Louisville, KY 40210

Dear Ms. Benton,

I happened to visit your website and really enjoyed reading all the interesting items. I am, however, still trying to figure out exactly what denomination you are. I thought St. William was a Catholic Church, but I must have been mistaken.

The first clue was your statement on inclusive language. Catholics do not bless themselves in the name of the "Creator, Redeemer, and Holy Sanctifier." Do you use that same formula for baptisms? I know the Methodists do some very creative things. I remember hearing of baptising with rose petals - so aromatic. Do you do that?

Second clue: I see that you change the Eucharistic prayer to address God as "Gentle Father and Loving Mother" and that you use an inclusive language lectionary "approved by the Pastoral Council" that eliminates male pronouns among other things. Since Catholics use a common lectionary approved by the Church and, since according to Catholic doctrine, no one, not even a priest, has the authority to change the words of the Mass, you obviously aren't Catholic. Are you perhaps Episcopalians?

I wish there was a picture of the "prayer bowl" you use to call people to prayer and "to balance, to harmony of life and space." Wow, that's deep. Maybe you're Zen. I could almost here the ooom when I read that "energy and vibration cannot be confined" and that you use the bowl's resonance to "send out prayer and love beyond St. William to all parts of our planet." Gosh that bowl must be really big and loud. What do you hit it with? I'll bet my five year old grandson could get it to resonate all the way to China.

Third clue: I read your "Parish Assembly" page which described how the "parish gathers as the Parish Assembly in order to offer input, discuss vital issues and share collective wisdom. The insights and will of the Parish Assembly is that which guides the action of all of St. William's Leadership." No mention of doctrine... operating by the collective will of the group - sounds protestant all right.

Nothing on the website about the sacrament of Confession. Yes indeed, you are definitely Protestant - Lutheran maybe?

Then again - I notice that you celebrated the feast of Christ the King and the Assumption. That sounds very Catholic. But, no, since Anne Walter and Jeanne Tessier Barone gave the respective homilies on those feast days, you can't be. Only clergy may give the homilies at Mass. So you surely must be Episcopalian. I did note however Jeanne Barone's snide comment about Cardinal Ratzinger so perhaps you are anti-Catholic Episcopalians.

I'm only curious now why you bother to have Call to Action and Voice of the Faithful meetings in your parish. You've already achieved most of their dissenting goals.

Sincerely,

Mary Ann Kreitzer
President, Catholic Media Coalition
www.catholicmediacoalition.org

copy to:
Most Rev. Thomas Kelly

His Emminence Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

His Emminence Francis Cardinal Arinze
Congregation for Divine Worship

"The first law of history is not to dare to utter falsehood; the second, not to fear to speak the truth.
Pope Leo XIII