Protestants Beginning to Hail Mary

TIME MAGAZINE, March 21 — In most Protestant churches, Mary, the mother of Jesus, is usually discussed at Christmas time only. But, as Time reported, things may be changing.

The Rev. Brian Maguire, pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Xenia, Ohio, said rather than preach on Jesus alone on Good Friday, he will include Mary “because she was the first and last disciple to reach out during his life.” This year, Good Friday falls on March 25, normally the Feast of the Annunciation.

Lutheran Robert Johnson, author of Systematic Theology, said Protestants, like Catholics, should pray for Mary’s intercession. And senior pastor John Buchanan of Chicago’s Fourth Presbyterian Church delivered a message on the Blessed Mother with the words, “Hail Mary … Blessed are you among us all.”

The magazine noted that the influx of Hispanics immigrants may account for the renewed Marianism. There are 8 million Protestant Hispanics in the United States, and the number is climbing.

Students Walk Out at Catholic School

NBC10.COM, March 16 — Students at Paul VI High School in Haddon Township, N.J., walked out of classes March 15 in protest over a speech on racial justice by the New Jersey Secretary of State Regina Thomas, NBC News reported

Many of the white students and faculty members were offended by what they called an overly confrontational and unprofessional speech by the secretary. Some felt Thomas was calling them racist.

“It’s, like, really crazy right now,” one student said. “Teachers are just standing by the doors. Kids are trying to get out. Kids are in the hallway, they won’t go to class.”

Many students said the racial problems began only after the secretary’s speech.

“I think she just started up a bunch of stuff and basically tried to start something,” another student said.

The report said Thomas issued a statement March 15 in which she said that she is passionate about the topic of diversity and wanted to raise the level of awareness. She said that she never meant to be personal or critical of the students or the school.

The school’s principal offered a prayer for healing the rift.

New Group Seeks to Overhaul Church Management 

USA TODAY, March 14 — A contingent of Catholic bishops and financially savvy lay leaders announced an initiative to put the struggling U.S. Church on sound business footing from the parish level up, a USA Today report said.

The newly created National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management will offer advice, support and research to help establish systems to streamline, upgrade and economize on operations, said Geoffrey Boisi, a vice chairman of J.P. Morgan Chase and one of the organization’s founders.

Boisi and others involved in the new organization made headlines in July 2003, when their meeting in Washington was characterized as a “secret” meeting between dissenters and leading bishops.

To help quell the scandal, the bishops scheduled a second meeting with lay leaders who are faithful to the magisterium.

Among other things, Boisi’s group wants to change the way bishops are nominated.