Mummers Parade Spares Church

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Jan. 4—Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua averted an ugly incident in Philadelphia as a comic parade troupe decided not to skewer the Catholic Church for the mishandling of child-abuse allegations in other dioceses.

The Slick Ducks Comic Brigade, a popular participant in Philadelphia's annual Mummers Parade, had planned to dress up as priests, nuns, cardinals and altar boys to lampoon the recent clerical-abuse scandal.

The group had previously dressed up as participants in the O.J. Simpson murder trial and in President Bill Clinton's sex scandal and had announced that priestly abuse would be its 2003 theme.

But protests from Mayor John Street, and Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua helped change their minds. The cardinal had called their planned march an “attack on the Catholic faith.”

One Slick Duck, John Brown, who calls himself a “very conservative Catholic,” explained: “If we were in Boston, we might have done it. There was no priest scandal in Philadelphia.”

Artist to Sculpt Monument at Ground Zero Chapel

THE PLANO STAR COURIER Jan. 8—Texas artist John Collier has been chosen to sculpt the first memorial monument to those who died at the World Trade Center in September 2001 at a Catholic parish near Ground Zero.

St. Peter's Church, a venerable Wall Street-area parish, will house the sculpture.

That church was used as a makeshift hospital for firefighters, police and other victims of the terrorist attacks. It was the place where fire-fighters carried Fire Department Chaplain Father Mychal Judge, who was killed by debris after giving last rites in one of the towers.

Collier's theme is “resurrection.” He said he intends to depict four patron saints in the monument: St. Michael the Archangel, patron of police officers; St. Florian, the patron saint of firefighters; St. Joseph, patron saint of workers and of the universal Church; and one more saint whom he has not yet chosen. It will be female, he predicted—either St. Teresa of Avila, patroness of aviators, or St. Mary Magdalene, first witness of the Resurrection.

“As grand as any secular memorial might be, it can only say, ‘Remember,’” Collier told the paper. “But our Lord offers more. He offers resurrection, which is the hope of the dead.”

Church Might Put Two Priests on Trial

DAILY HERALD (Illinois), Jan. 6—One of the tribunals set up to deal with clerical-abuse allegations might hold its first trials soon, according to the Chicago suburban daily.

Two priests from the Chicago suburbs are likely to face a hearing before the canonical tribunal for allegations that may result in their permanent removal from the priesthood.

If it receives Vatican permission, the Archdiocese of Chicago is likely to try Father John Robinson, 57, and Father Raymond Skriba, 70, each of whom has already been removed from service.

Some 20 Chicago priests have been similarly taken out of parishes and may await Church trials, according to the paper.