According to a recent story from KPIX, parishioners at Star of the Sea Church are upset over a new policy banning girls from being altar servers.
It’s been a long standing tradition in the Catholic Church to have boys act as altar servers, but since the 1970s, Star of the Sea Church at Geary and 8th Avenue has been allowing both boys AND girls to serve.
But that decades old policy was reversed when Father Joseph Illo took over as head priest five months ago and decided to train only boys to be altar servers.
Some Star of the Sea parishioners are not happy with the change, and some have even left the church. But Father Illo remains undeterred, telling KPIX he “has no choice but to exclude girls because the future of the Catholic Church is at stake.”
“The specifics of serving at the altar is a priestly function,” Illo said. “And the Catholic church does not ordain women.”
Some parishioners feel the new policy is discriminatory by excluding girls from participating in church activities.
“It just kind of makes me feel that I’m not good enough because I’m a girl,” said a 7th grader at the school.
Father Illo seems to be standing by his unpopular policy, which is controversial given that Star of Sea also runs a co-ed school on the premises that boasts 230 students.
Illo believes the new policy will bring in more parishioners because it helps promote the priesthood, even if some parishioners decided to leave.
“We have seen an overall increase in numbers and the income is up,” Illo told KPIX news.
Illo says he did get permission from the San Francisco Archbishop to make this change to only allow boys to be altar servers. So far, Star of the Sea is the only Catholic church in San Francisco to make this change to their altar server policy.
Father Illo’s decision is designed to boost attendance at Star of the Sea Church, but its negative backlash may have the opposite effect.
You can read Father Illo’s official statement on the policy change here.
What do you think of this change at Star of the Sea Church? Leave a comment to let us know.
Sarah B.
Oh, THIS is going to go over well. *facepalm*
It’s 2015, sir. Not 1502.
This is EXACTLY why my family pulled out of Star of The Sea. The Arch-idiocese continues it’s tradition of out-of-touch, backwards thinking. All we need to do is wait to find out of this altar-boy traditionalist is as creepy as pictured in this article.
Another step backward for the Church. In this era where we are so concerned with fighting Muslim fundamentalism, we ignore Catholic fundamentalism and its desire to keep women down. Not allowing women to participate fully in the Church will only further cripple Catholicism. I was raised in Star of the Sea parish and when to grammar school and high school there. I find this outrageous. The Archdiocese should be ashamed for condoning this misogyny.
“Illo believes the new policy will bring in more parishioners because it helps promote the priesthood, even if some parishioners decided to leave.”
Yeah, because centuries of male-only alter boys and priests have worked out so well for the church to date! (And to be clear, I’m not just referring to the abuse cases – I mean that so few people want to become priests to begin with, generally; how is making the altar aides male-only going to make the priesthood so much more appealing that it’s worth offending a substantial percent of the congregation?)
Gee Sarah what’s the big deal; it’s only half of the population he’s choosing to ignore…
It’s almost enough to turn one into an atheist (but then you’d probably have to read canonical texts by Richard Dawkins). Not to get too holier than thou though, as a flaky, part time Buddhist, among other problems I noticed that a priest in Australia was recently booted for ordaining a woman. What’s a lost soul to do ?
Check out Sophia in Trinity – that’s what?! It’s led by female Catholic priests (for real). They might be excommunicated, but their community stands by inclusion! http://www.sophiaintrinity.org/ Not sure I can get my head around Catholicism entirely but it seems promising (at least for me).
Pope Francis has rejuvenated the church community by focusing on the qualities of our church that truly represent our faith, such as social justice. Yet since Archbishop Salvatore has arrived, we seem to be moving backwards from the Vatican with a bigoted agenda–from leading Prop 8 to now condoning a prohibition on female altar servers. If the intent is truly to promote religious vocation, isn’t this policy excluding future nuns and sisters who could be discovering their love of serving their church? Instead of using his new placement to rejuvenate an aging church at Star of the Sea (where I used to be a parishioner), this new priest is further alienating the church from multiple generations, old and young alike.
Thanks for the fascinating link Mary. Though it looks like the main reason to become a member of that community would be if one had a lot invested in the Catholic liturgy but wanted a more inclusive experience, they do seem pretty inspiring re. what a 21st century being might expect from their spiritual tradition. And I noticed that they’re located at St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church which itself appears to support a pretty inspiring array of spiritually inclusive events.
@ Catholic Mom – *excellent* point, convents are suffering from a loss in numbers even greater than that striking the priesthood – surely engaging girls and young women in the church and sacraments would make them more likely to express interest in becoming a nun in the future.
Going beyond the egregious and ignorant gender discrimination, it’s downright creepy. I would love to know why he was transferred in the first place…
I graduated from Star of the Sea High School and am a member of a Facebook group of alumni. This decision has been much discussed on Facebook and I don’t think one positive comment has been made about it. Although “the door is shut” on the ordination of women, Pope Francis believes in more roles for women in the church (including that of altar girls). Google this priest. Perhaps he was moved from his permanent diocese because he sent out 15,000 letters suggesting that those who voted for a certain presidential candidate needed to go to confession…… I don’t think this priest or the archbishop are in line with Papa Francsco’s philosophy of inclusion.
I was a server from the late 80’s into the mid 90’s and there were no girls until Msgr. Durkin took over, likely late 90’s, early 2000’s. I liked him, but Msgr. Burns was WAY too conservative to ever allow girls to be servers, and he was the pastor since the 70’s. I think they finally added female Eucharistic ministers under Msgr. Burns’ watch.
While I think this issue deserves attention, I hope we see more articles on faith on a spectrum of matters and not just one that casts an attention-grabbing headline.
I can’t recall seeing ANY mention of charities, community work, or anything else that Star of The Sea is known to participate in (or even a call for assistance therein), although we regularly see such things regarding volunteers and community work otherwise (which is also good).
I do support that the church wants to have a 24 hour place where people can come in solitude and quiet, although I understand the sad challenges in a modern city and why other churches (even post offices used to let you buy stamps all night) have been forced to close at night.
Father Illo was pastor of an ultra conservative Catholic parish in Modesto. He served a large Parrish of like-minded people but lost tons of moderate and liberal parishioners. I can’t believe that he was assigned to Star of The Sea!
Good.
Especially in San Francisco, what are you doing Fr Illo. With our great Pope Francis trying to bring the church, Fr Illo respectfully you must be the clergy in which Pope Francis spoke about suffering from “spiritual Alzheimer’s”
Wow; just checked the trollery on the same topic article at SFGate and even there the comments were unanimously negative; sounds like Father Illo might be heading for a world record.
I ask Fr. Illo to recall the life of Mary Magdalene, who served Jesus Christ; and the life of Our Blessed Mother Mary; two women who served Jesus Christ during his life. And Fr. Illo wants to ban girls from altar serving? From serving Christ at the Altar during celebration of the sacrament Holy Eucharist at Mass??
How can Fr. Illo, recite the Hail Mary, with all sincerity and understanding of this prayer; then say… Girls (women) cannot serve on the Altar of our Lord??
What can you say, Father Illo only likes boys!
This decision is disgraceful, but not surprising. @buddy, you may think the pope has a different, more inclusive attitude about gender roles within the church, but there is no way this priest would have been able to make this decision without the church hierarchy giving it a thumbs up.
It’s always shocking to me how intolerant our San Francisco liberals can be. Other religions have similar- or different- seemingly discriminative restrictions on roles that women or other members of the society can play in their religion. However, it seems that they hardly ever get exposed to the same anger and ridicule as the catholic church. Let them have their restrictions. Those are based on a deeply founded interpretation of their religion. Each of you can simply choose not to practice catholicism, find another religion that suits you, or be an atheist altogether. Ridiculing some catholics because their interpretation of their faith does not suit you does nothing but show your own ignorance and, frankly, stupidity.
Father Illo is 100% absolutely correct in doing this! He will be supported, much to the chagrin of the press and Catholics (who don’t understand their faith). I would recommend, for those who don’t see the wisdom of Father Illo (even though it flies in the face of our contemporary, worldly wisdom) to check out what the Vatican has said on this issue, and to check out JPII’s “Theology of the Body”
Parents of the altar boys, watch out!
lauren, I respect your faith in the integrity of tradition but, while not all change is always for the better, it seems to me that there are certain developments in human understanding that should be cause for re-examination of doctrine. This has certainly been the case in the Catholic Church previously, e.g. the development of the Nicene Creed. Similar to the now widely accepted view that human slavery is something that should not be accepted, I think the view that one half of the population should have less input into decisions that govern their lives is something that should occasion such a re-eximination. Just my opinion…
Jimbo, the reason other religions don’t get criticized as much here is because they they don’t have as prominent a presence in the Richmond. As an atheist I have serious problems with Islam and Scientology (for vastly different reasons) and would be happy to openly criticize their social practices and restrictions if they had an open active presence in the Richmond, but they don’t.
It’s OK to criticize religions. Religions have been responsible for a lot of advancement of human thought, but have also held a lot of it back. Saying that a woman can’t do a man’s duty in the church because of a literal command from God (or a belief in that command) goes against a lot of tenets of modern thought about the equality of genders. The idea that a God would say “Men can do this, but women? no, your place is elsewhere in the church” is frankly offensive, and should be roundly criticized. I don’t respect that aspect of the Catholic faith, nor would I shirk from roundly condemning it.
Jimbo, speaking of intolerance, you seem to be saying criticism is a form of stupidity. I agree that all traditions (spiritual or atheist) have blind spots and that’s why it seems to me that it’s important to support the capacity of people to question them (even mockingly which I don’t personally advocate). When you see those traditions actually affecting the lives of the people you know, the ability to question them becomes important. Though I would agree that balancing that with having respect for people’s traditions is important (but difficult to find the right balance). Re. singling out the Catholics that’s what this piece was about and as J says, it’s currently a neighborhood issue.
Check out this response to the decision by the Vatican to allow parishes the right to use altar girls as servers:
https://www.ewtn.com/library/LITURGY/ALTBYHOM.TXT
Like this priest said, allowing girls to serve is at the discretionary view of the parish, not the necessity of following any command from a Pope. We talk about how many women and girls will be “hurt” psychologically, but why is it that for about 2,000 yrs. the Catholic Church has grown and expanded without the use of girls as servers? and there was a comment above that the girls’ vocations to the religious life as sisters and nuns will now decrease in this parish, yet I have seen in the parishes around me that have re-adopted the Latin Mass with only boys serving the happiness of the young girls and in them a desire for a religious life. This also brings up another point, does participation of a girl/woman in the life of the Church always have to consist physically in serving in the liturgy or can it be in the more deeper participation spiritually as a contemplative life of a sister?
And to add, there have been a great support in the past before the modern times which have given women high places and honor in traditions, especially the Virgin Mary. Also, don’t forget such great saints like St. Theresa of Avila who reformed her whole order of nuns without having to be an altar girl. She brought change in the Church that was necessary because she was a women, and she is honored by many men of the Church and was supported and helped immensely by a Priest. And how about St. Catherine of Sienna who played one of the key roles in changing the mind of the Pope to leave Avignon and go back to Rome? Yet it seems that such women are not talked about at all in any modern history texts because those were the times when women were disregarded and put down by men….
The biggest issue here is that girls were allowed to be alter servers. Now, they are going to be phased out. I think the issue would be different if girls had never been allowed to be servers at this parish. Father Illo’s stance feels more like a promotion of himself within the media than making a stance that will better his parish. Yes, priests do this.
Acceptance and interpretation of faith does evolve as our societies have. It is intolerance that causes many Catholics to become agnostic. I was raised Catholic, but I am now agnostic. My boyfriend is from Central America and he even considered becoming a priest. However, he too decided that being agnostic was better than blindly accepting intolerant dogma.
In the grander scheme of thing, this isn’t about religion at all. Anytime ANYONE (religious or non-religious) purposefully goes out of their way to exclude any one group, it’s discrimination, pure and simple. Doesn’t matter whose name it is being done in, a deity or a mortal.
End of story.
Could you explain intolerant dogma? I don’t know what to think of your comment because somehow there is the mixed message presented to me by the world that we should all be our own person, and that we should be allowed to think what we want to think. Yet, when one has finally shaken off all their ties to something that “intolerates them” they in turn become intolerant of that which they claim was intolerant.
At the same time I agree with you, Mel, when you said that “The biggest issue here is that girls were allowed to be altar servers.” The parishioners themselves claim that this was unacceptable, but do they not know that the Vatican merely gave permission for those who thought it would be beneficial to their parish? It was not a requirement that girls HAVE to serve, and it never was. For the parishioners to become “offended” by this reversion back to the long-standing tradition of the Church that they profess to be a part of is almost as if they are saying that they are offended not by the reversion, but by the Church itself. Why are they a part of the Church if this offense was traditional teaching from the Church’s past? (please explain)
And now back to intolerant dogma… I somehow live in an atheistic society that will not allow me to wish a “Merry Christmas” to any of my customers at work merely because it offends people that I wish them one day out of 365 to be full of merriment. What I am left to conclude is that if the world we live in has claimed that religion has got a wrong world-view and is intolerant, yet the world is intolerant to anything pertaining to religion, then the world has not gone any further in removing “intolerance” from the scene. I am taught by non-religionists that everyone should be accepting and tolerant of everyone and their personal beliefs, yet I am slapped in the face because they cannot tolerate or accept my personal belief in the Catholic Faith. What I am trying to figure out (and this is more of my musings than anything else) is how can this be.
anonymous you seem to be making an awful lot of generalizations. You may have a legitimate gripe about your situation but the main issue being discussed here is what to make of the treatment of one half of the Catholic congregation by the Catholic hierarchy. You argue that “the parishioners themselves claim that girls being allowed to be altar servers was unacceptable” but that certainly wasn’t unanimous given the publicly aired interviews. Should the people that disagreed with the decision not be allowed to express that disagreement ? Should Vatican Councils be discontinued because interpretation of doctrine is so straightforward that there should be no further need to discuss it ?
You claim that an “atheistic society” is intolerant and has passed judgement on religion but isn’t that like claiming that religion is intolerant ? Both of those assertions are huge generalizations that don’t seem terribly well justified to me. I know tolerant and intolerant Catholics, atheists, Buddhists, Jews, Muslimns, Hindus,… Who is it exactly that “will not allow me to wish a “Merry Christmas” to any of my customers” ? You seem to be arguing that that’s just a simple question of some thought police unthinkingly shutting you down. But what if “Merry Christmas” really offends some other religious observers like orthodox jews; should that just completely be ignored ? Personally, I would err on the side of letting you say anything you want: “Merry Christmas”, “As-salamu alaykum”, “Happy Hanukkah”, “Happy All Hallows Eve”,… and take no offense at any of those but considering who has been silenced by dominant religions and how it makes them feel isn’t a completely trivial issue.
Trying to live in a pluralistic society is difficult and for me, demonizing and making straw men of various groups makes it even more difficult.
A line from an article in the Chron about this same story sums it up for me:
“A lot of the people who are upset are not parishioners.”
So talk to your pastor.
Or go to a new parish.
Or quit complaining about what isn’t yours to gripe about in the first place.
Sorry Karl Young, I messed up grammatically in my comment. What I meant to say was that “The parishioners themselves claim that this situation of the altar girls not being allowed to serve is unacceptable.” Please accept my apologies for that because when I read your comment, I realized that you were responding to what sounded as if the parishioners were complaining about the institution of girls as altar servers when it was first put in place. I meant to say that these parishioners were complaining about only boys being allowed to serve.
These people who were interviewed are not very supportive of their pastor in any way, nor of the Church they profess belief in. The women, and there are only women, claim that this is discriminatory. But is the priest intolerant of this idea that girls should serve in his parish? Well, we did not get his full interview, but I would like to see it.
As for who can serve, it was only until the later 1900s that this idea that girls should be allowed to serve first surfaced. The Church before that time had boys only serving, and this boys-only led to many vocations to the priesthood. It was very beneficial, and for this priest to hope to obtain more vocations by going back to this longer-standing tradition in the Church, the parishioners (or at least those who were interviewed) should think twice before they complain about it. They complain about their own discrimination and intolerance of women, yet there cannot be any altar servers in the first place unless there is a priest to say the Mass. With the priest trying to create an atmosphere in which the priestly vocations in boys can be fostered, the people in the parish should consider the greater potential of having priests for future generations. With the greater number of priests, the greater the Masses there will be. That the Mass would be more available should be more concerning to the parishioners, and they should stand with their priest who is concerned that a very small number of vocations to the priesthood are actually being followed. By implementing that which has proven successful for an increase in vocations, the priest is actually benefiting his parish.
Did you read Fr. Illo’s official statement on this? There is a link above. He actually states that, “First, in a mixed altar-server program, boys usually end up losing interest, because girls generally do a better job.” God forbid that a female do something better than a male!!! The girls do it better, so let’s take the privilege away from them, and leave to the boys. He says he wants to give the boys “the space to develop their own leadership potential.” Who cares about the girls leadership potential? After all, they are only girls, second class citizens anyway. Who cares if they aren’t given the chance to fulfill their potential. Maybe Fr. Illo should start a new club for the girls where they can be taught to be barefoot and pregnant all their lives. Shameful!
I remember clearly the nuns at Star of the Sea saying, “The Church is not a democracy.” Boy, is that the truth. It’s time for this Patriarchy to change.
“Patriarchy is a social system in which: males hold primary power; males predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege and control of property; and, in the domain of the family, fathers or father-figures hold authority over women and children.”
The controversy has made the “Huffington Post.” Be sure to read the comments.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/27/joseph-illo-altar-girls_n_6556872.html
I left a long time ago, to my parents’ dismay. There was nothing for me then, or now. Maybe when they drive enough women away, who raise the future Catholics, will they begin to see how important girls/women are. But I wouldn’t hold my breath, it’s always been a men’s club.
Nice how there was no concern for the girls before, but now that they girls are being removed everyone is making gross insinuations about the boys being abused.
I agree with Tin Pigeon
Thanks for the clarification anonymous, and sorry for the misunderstanding. I take your point re. providing training for future priests though I’d bet that there’s a lot more than girls serving at the altar that drives many boys away from wanting to become priests. Re. parishioners respecting their tradition, that’s no doubt true, though I still maintain that all institutions, including previous versions of the Catholic Church, have to make some adjustments for society as it evolves, lest their chance of survival decrease.
I am in support of Father Illo, and going back to the traditional boy only standard for altar servers that seemed to work so beautifully in the old days when the Church was thriving. And I really am a Catholic who attends Mass at least weekly and belongs to Star of the Sea Parish. Within a faith that offers women so much as this Catholic one (the women Saints and martyrs as role models, the Blessed Virgin Mary who is destined to crush the head of Satan – Satan who is at the helm of every attrocity and evil perpetuated on this planet!), why does this issue loom so heavy in the minds of people who, if I might suggest, know and care so little about the Catholic Church to begin with?
Sorry to be hogging so much space in this discussion; I guess it hit a nerve; I’ll try to desist after this comment. Chris, to answer your question, this issue looms heavy in my mind because it influences so many friends and neighbors. I grew up in SF with a large number of Catholic friends and I recall rather vigorous debates about church matters, including Vatican II, with Catholics having quite a spectrum of views. Are non Catholics in those situations expected to refrain from expressing their views in public forums ? Because a small group of Muslims feels that the only way to salvation is to rid the world of infidels, are non Muslims expected to refrain from discussing that because that’s an internal debate among Muslims ?
I agree with Karl Young completely. I am a Catholic and was raised in Star of the Sea — went to grammar school and high school there. I have no problem with non-Catholics discussing this situation.
To my fellow Catholics on this site who say this is only an issue with outsiders, I call bullshit. And, yes, that doesn’t sound like something a Catholic mother of a (male) altar server who attends Mass with her family every weekend and serves on parish and school boards should say. But let’s stop ignoring the reality of the situation–real, every day Catholic families throughout the Archdiocese are heartbroken that our boys and girls have been so grossly patronized and insulted, and it’s being condoned by our Archbishop. We used to attend Star of the Sea; we switched to another parish when our son became school-aged because, quite honestly, teacher-friends shared rumors that Star’s school wouldn’t last another couple years. And, at the Catholic school and parish we now attend, parents are pissed. They have friends at Star of the Sea, who are also pissed.
There is no validation of any of Father Illo’s arguments. The factors behind the decline of the priesthood have been studied and documented at length–the presence of female altar servers, whether or not they “generally do a better job,” is irrelevant. Maybe Father Illo wants to make a name for himself (which he’s done before). Maybe he thinks tapping into some ultra-conservative vein will boost parishioners & income (which he’s claimed has already happened but I’m skeptical unless it’s one cuckoo conservative donation). Or maybe he’s just a chauvinist in priest’s clothing who, like centuries of men before him, chooses women (or really, really intimidating 10-year-old Catholic girls) as a get-out-of-jail-free scapegoat for complex problems the Church currently faces.
The only truth here is that Vatican policy does allow parishes to select altar servers at their own discretion. But history has no basis here–there are a lot of things the Church did 1,000 years ago that they don’t anymore and I’m sure you all don’t want to go there. And this ridiculous argument about girls distracting boys on the altar from a possible vocation…. COME ON. These are 10 year old children. I’d be more worried about what a young man is finding on YouTube than the girl (covered neck to ankle) he sits/stands silently next to for an hour in one of the most wholesome environments possible. My son can’t stand the girls he serves with, because he sees them every day in school and they’re like really annoying sisters to him. None of the sixth-grade boys want anything to do with their girl classmates. I’d wager the priesthood probably seems more attractive to him right now than the girls he serves with.
Denying girls a privilege they’ve held–and have been encouraged to hold–for several decades and taking it away for no other justification than they’re intimidating boys has nothing to do with our faith or doctrine, but one man’s ambition. Our children are not pawns. Our church is not hateful. Archbishop Cordileone, we call on you to speak out against this.
Why a girl wants to be an altar boy is beyond me. With all due respect, the role of a woman is to cook and bear children. The sooner they get used to that the better it is.
Re post from Bam — IGNORANT!
Ouch- you hurt my feelings! Need to call my therapist now to cry with him.
I wouldn’t mind a little more focus on Nuns, who also contribute a great deal to the church and play important roles.
In reply to a comment by Chirs on 1/28/15: “why does this issue loom so heavy …”
Perhaps because of the very things you mentioned about our Blessed Virgin Mary. Here you have a woman, who has been bestowed one of the greatest titles, and highest honor in our Catholic faith, but because she is a women… She would not be able to altar serve today? Here’s an extreme question: If the Blessed Virgin Mary would appear( as She has in past Church history) to Fr. Illo and ask him to altar serve … Would he refuse???
And Fr. Illo’s logic of banning girls from altar serving because it’s a “priestly function… preparing boys for the priesthood…” just doesn’t sound right. I hope that’s NOT the main reason boys want to become priest.. to say the Mass! I could think of other reasons why a boy would want to become a priest …how about , to love and serve his parishioners; to serve the poor and those in need… I guess, if I follow Fr. Illo’s logic.., then girls should be ban from this too… Because these are “priestly functions” ??
I’m afraid the next step.. Would be women Eucharistic ministers. Surely, this use to be a “priestly function”… And now we have laymen and laywomen giving the Eucharist (both the bread and wine … The body and blood of Christ). Will this be next??
I am extremely disappointed by these actions from the pastor of Star of Sea Church. By personal advice to those who disagree … Sign a petition expressing your disagreement and join another parish and or another Catholic school. Some of my friends are already attending St. Ignatius Church close by, and for others… There’s Catholic schools over in the Sunset district …. St. Anne’s, St. Cecelia’s, St. Gabriel’s, Holy Name…
All the best to the parishioners of Star of Sea!!
Raised Catholic including schools through HS, former alterboy and current acolyte/lector/usher this makes me sad. Just when it seems the Church is headed in a direction more in tune with the teachings of Jesus, priest like this (and our archbishop) come along Where they not paying attention? Are they not listening to their leader, Pope Francis? They appear to be too caught up in the “Church” and it’s rules and power to notice what’s really important. If this is how God is calling them, who is this priest to say “no”?
Just like people, there are Catholic Churches out there that cover the whole spectrum (liberal to ultra conservative). There are some wonderfully open and welcoming ones in SF. We’ve been going to Old St. Marys for 20+ years and all are welcome; no judgement and no restrictions on which Catholics can participate. And the Paulists that run OSM, give the best sermons! http://www.oldsaintmarys.org/
Thank you for understanding, Karl Young, and there is no need to apologize for the misunderstanding seeing that it is my fault my message was not conveyed correctly. Definitely there has to be some change in the Church, and boys-only serving is not a matter of dogma that must remain etched in stone. I do not deny that there is some benefit in girls serving at the altar, but I will remain of the opinion that a greater benefit is derived when boys are serving.
re-post Jonathan Ow,
I may be wrong, but it seems to me that you forget that the priest’s main function is to say the Mass. All else becomes secondary because Our Lord, whom we should love above all things, becomes present at the altar. It is the Priest’s main function to celebrate Mass and through the ministry of the priest saying the Mass, Christ whom we love above all things is made present amongst us men in the Eucharist. Knowing what happens when a priest says a Mass should be the main motivation for a priestly vocation. Loving and serving his parishioners and serving and helping the poor follows from the great love the priest has for Our Lord present on the altar through his ministry in saying the Mass.
This is why it helps a priestly vocation when there are boys serving on the altar. When the young boys are actively serving in the sacrifice of the Mass, they can come to a better understanding of the purpose of the Mass. Through this better understanding they can come to love what happens on the altar and this love can foster a vocation.
However, it is allowable for girls to serve, but it is not a requirement for a parish to have girls serving. It never has been. The Vatican statements allow the parish priest to do so, but it never gave the requirement that girls must serve. We must not forget this distinction when we argue about this case and maintain that Fr. Illo is doing something wrong. By all means he has gone with the spirit of the Vatican in giving discretion to choices that he finds beneficial for his particular parish.
Dear anonymous and ALL OTHERS on this blog;
In response to anonymous’ reply that the “main function (of a priest) is to say the Mass …all else becomes secondary” … I urge ALL to go to this website at “the catholic telegraph.com”: http:www.thecatholictelegraph.com/pope-francis-priests-should-be-shepherds-living-the-smell-of-the-sheep/13439
I do somewhat agree ONE (but NOT THE ONLY) main function of a priest is to say the Mass… But I disagree that “all else becomes seconday ” as anonymous’ replied to me. Yes, the saying of the Mass is a priestly function … So much so, our Catholic faith has a special sacrament called Holy Orders, which is reserved for only those who are become ordained into the priesthood. I understand and accept that only an ordained Catholic priest can perform the Mass and change the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of our Jesus Christ. BUT to say “all else becomes secondary”, I question that!
Pope Francis , in this website has a GREAT explanation of the MAIN functions of a priest! It’s filled with some great words of wisdom… Too long for me to mention here … So I urge ALL to go this website and read Our Holy Father’s words.
When I ask some of my friends who are priests… What called them to the priesthood… I hear answers like.. Serving people, helping people, bringing the word of GOD to people. Why do I bring this up? Well, if I were a young boy 10-13 years old (which I once was many years ago), these are some of things which would attract me to the priesthood… unfortunately not ONLY the privilege and honor of saying Mass. So, this idea from the Fr. Illo of banning girls from altar serving, to give boys a greater opportunity to hear the calling to become priests… I don’t think will work! On the contrary.. It could even “back fire.” Ultimately… TIME WILL TELL! Hopefully sooner and without damage to the spirit of the parishioners of Star of Sea.
Let me end this… with a few quotes from Pope Francis ( from this website mentioned above) TO ALL in this blog
“…priests should be SHEPHERDS living with the smell of the sheep….
Those priests who do not go out of themselves by being mediators between God and men can gradually become intermediaries managers…”
WE have the makings of a GREAT POPE!! KEEP THE FAITH!!
This is horrible. I went to grade school and high school there and so did my sisters. I left the catholic church for reasons just like this. It’s a man’s organization and always has been.
I urge those parishioners and girl altar servers in support of KEEPING girls to altar serve at Star of the Sea parish to contact His Holiness, Pope Francis directly to express their concerns.
Pope Francis does not have an email address; so you will need to write to him directly (the old fashion way), (maybe even a signed petition?). The address is:
His Holiness, Pope Francis
Apostolic Palace 00120
Vatican City
VATICAN
I also understand Pope Francis has a FaceBook page and Twitter page, where you can post comments. But the “old fashion ” written letter may be best.
I am very saddened by the division that has occurred at the Star of the Sea parish in San Francisco. I disagree with this Ban of girl altar servers and disagree with Fr. Illo’s reasonings as I have previously posted. The pastor, and the Archbishop to paraphrase Pope Francis needs to be a “shepherd” to his flock and not cause division in his flock; but rather bring all of them together and in this case… men, women, boys and GIRLS!
I read with interest the article posted by “anonymous” from ewtn. Obedience was the concluding theme. Mary was obedient to God when she said to the angel “be it done unto me according to your word.” Joseph was obedient to God when he accepted Mary as his wife, and Jesus as his son. Jesus was obedient to Mary when he performed his first miracle by turning water into wine. John the Baptist was obedient to God when he baptized our Lord, and proclaimed Him to the world with the words “Behold, the Lamb of God”. The apostles have been obedient to Jesus by passing down through the centuries the Holy Eucharist and all of the Sacraments. Jesus was obedient to the Father even unto death. “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
We are a stiff-necked people, greedy, selfish, liberated, and so “tolerant” as to be tyrannically intolerant. So many hang-ups. Oh, how we scourge Our Lord even now. Star of the Sea (a most beautiful name for Our Holy Mother Mary) should be a light to the world. Fr. Illo is there to help you make it so. It’s okay, you don’t yet fully realize what good there is to be done. Just a little obedience is asked of you.