THE next time you are in Minneapolis, you may like to visit St Joan of Arc church. Its weekend masses are packed; the congregation has doubled to 4,000 households in the past 12 years; the median age of its members is much lower than that of most other churches. It sends do-gooders to a sister parish in Guatemala, and professional musicians often stop by to jam at mass. This liberal Roman Catholic church hit a bump recently when conservative critics complained to Rome about some of its practices, including an open door for homosexuals. The bishop tried to intervene, but met a wall of protest from parishioners. St Joan's pastor, Father George Wertin, says that he is mindful of the church's teaching, but remains committed to inclusiveness and social justice.
Wow, Minneapolis makes the international news -- thanks to Joan of Arc church. We've been going primarily for the children's mass; the only place we've been that works for our family. At JofA no-one gives us a second look -- we're quite prosaic there. Now if we can just keep the bishop at bay. I doubt this bit of fame will help ...
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