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A picture of the beautiful altar in honor of St. Joseph in this church where “Pimp My Church” is being held. (I’m not quite sure what verb to use there: held? is happening? takes places? desecrates? can “to descrate” be used absolutely?) Are you unfamiliar with the youth program in Germany, “Pimp My Church”? Well, where have you been? It’s all the rage! Go here and here.
Now look at that figure on the Gospel side of the altar: he has a book and a sword, so it’s almost certainly St. Paul, Gentium Doctor. But when I saw the beard, the bald head, the sword and the robes, I couldn’t help but think of this great votive candle from Wegman’s:
Thinking of Joe Six Pack’s comments here about the sword waving Levites, we shouldn’t forget that St. Elijah did a number on phoney priests and other posers dancing around the altar. Though the picture I took was bad (I didn’t have a camera, but only an iSight) you may still be able to see the worshippers of false gods burning in the flames in the background as in the foreground Elijah helps another unfortunate towards his eternal punishment.
St. Joseph and St. Elijah, orate pro nobis
You know, one thought that strikes me when I see tragic things like this is that a lot of the impulses behind it are actually good — just horribly misdirected. The image of a Party Mass is ghastly, but, as we of the Cornell Society for a Good Time should know, there’s nothing wrong with having some fun in life, and young people will insist on having a fair amount of it under any circumstances. Many of these activities would be perfectly appropriate for a youth group, though quite obviously not for a Mass.
Could not those people who express such interest in organizing youth be put to work arranging Catholic youth groups? There don’t seem to be many of these, and I think it’s unfortunate. My church growing up had a plethora of youth activities, including something fun every Tuesday night. It was a very important tool for social formation. Church youth groups are an excellent way of allowing young people to have fun in wholesome ways, and also allow for many positive lessons. We, for example, did a lot of community service projects; a Catholic group could also integrate elements of catechesis, and liturgically appropriate activities such as rosary prayers and praying for the dead in the cemetery on the Feast of All Souls. Also, getting Catholic youth together will encourage the flowering of romances between young Catholics, which in turn will reduce the number of marriages outside the faith.
I guess Catholic high schools were supposed to fill all these functions, but they don’t seem to be stepping up the plate these days.
Clara, I think you’re right on target in terms of the need for youth formation as well as clean fun within the Church. In fact, it’s a shame that Protestants are known for doing a better job with this, in the present age of the Church.
But it is abominable that, as in the photos posted, beautiful houses of God are being used in such a profane, irreverent and dishonorable manner. But when people have lost their faith in the True Presence of Our Lord in the Tabernacle, it’s easy to understand how they can treat the Church as any Protestant meeting hall or any old building whatsoever.
Rereading my post, I’m afraid I may be misunderstood. I did not mean to suggest that any youth activities should be conducted in the church, proper.
Oh, of course, I think we are all in agreement. Obviously break dancing or roller skating inside the sanctuary is an appalling sacrilege. But if those who have zeal for reaching out to youth would like to arrange such activities in some other location, on a day other than Sunday, I think that would be most welcome. Young people need to learn that there are times and places for things, but the more their lives revolve around the Church and parish life, the better.
I know that Clara is in complete agreement with me on this point, but I would also say that while these activities of leisure within the parish family are commendable, the mixing of the sexes, while clothed immodestly, as many of the pictures indicated, such as, for example, women dressed in pants and tight fitting tops - I say, activities which would require or encourage such dress ought be avoided at all costs. : )
Mmm, ask the Mormons about that. At our church dances, girls were not permitted to wear skirts above the knees, and questionable cases were made to kneel on the ground to see whether the skirt touched the floor.
I’m not actually sure whether pant-wearing would have been forbidden for girls… but nobody did it. Not for a formal dance, that is. Mormons have a very clear sense that dressing up means skirts and dresses for women.
At a Russian Orthodox church in DC this past weekend, Clara and I were pleased to discover that pants of any sort on women are forbidden as “immoderate.” Oh wait, perhaps it was only I that was pleased in this discovery. Clara obstinately refuses to repent of her immodest ways.
That was just a poor translation. My brother clearly told us that in the Russian, the prohibition was against women wearing pants OR immodest clothes inside the church. Besides which, I see no reason why I should be bound by schismatic dress codes.
Clara, have you ever read Dressing With Dignity, by Colleen Hammond? It is very motivating. I have just in the past 6 months completely stopped wearing pants of any kind. It was hard. They are so comfy and warm. But I feel more womanly than ever. I am embarrassed to admit my age, but just to give you an idea how long it has taken me to “come to,” I will tell you that I am 54. Interestingly enough, it was my daughters (two of whom are graduates of Christendom College) who set the example and convinced me.