When All Are Welcome

In an effort to raise awareness of its mission "to bring the gifts, the witness and the challenge of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people into the heart of the church", the Rainbow Sash Movement made its annual Pentecost Sunday showing across the nation, which reportedly met with mixed results. According to Catholic World News, in St. Paul and Chicago, members of the movement attending mass were denied Communion. In Southern California, however, the Church's reaction was quite different:

A spokesman for Cardinal Roger Mahony issued a statement saying that members of the Rainbow Sash group would be welcomed into the cathedral. The archdiocesan statement did not directly address the question of whether protestors were welcome to receive Communion while wearing their sashes. The Rainbow Sash movement announced because of the "warm welcome" they had received from Cardinal Mahony, members chose not to wear their sashes during Mass at the cathedral there.

Perusing the blogosphere, it seems that this event has some people fired up...and quite judgemental. Me? I'm reminded once again of the power of a heartfelt welcome.

Three cheers for Cardinal Mahony.