To the editor:
On May 3, unknown to the parishioners receiving the Eucharist at St. Patrick Church, Madison, protesters quietly gathered to surprise them when the doors opened after the 11 a.m. Sunday Mass. Inside, parishioners celebrated their unity in the Eucharist, in the Mystical Body of Christ, and in their Catholic belief.
Outside, the protesters prepared to shout chants defying the local authority of the Church. With anger and confused loyalties, they disregarded obedience and truth. Inside, you found unity in the Mass; outside, disunity.
Protesters’ cameras waited to record the event for their media. When the doors opened, pamphleteers moved into the middle of the steps and aggressively approached individual parishioners; the chants erupted and the placards waved, both on cue.
Inside, you found a docility to the Holy Spirit and a renewed cooperation with grace; outside, a hardening of hearts. This scene put what it means to be a Catholic into bold relief.
Trusting in Christ and His Church,
Todd Burud, Verona