Christmas Eve at St. Stanislaus

It was a Holy Night, but definitely not a silent one. Two fire department pumpers with their ladders reaching toward the heavens, held a giant American flag between them brilliantly illuminated by spotlights. Luxury cars, soccer moms' minivans and other less than reliable modes of transportation dotted the city streets for blocks around the tiny parish church. People of all walks of life streamed into the church causing concern that the occupancy level might be exceeded. With the church proper bursting at the seams, people were ushered into the parish hall to view the celebration via closed circuit TV.

The census of the tiny parish peaks at approximately 450, but the night brought out 2,000 give or take a few. Attendees from various zip codes across the country and diverse socioeconomic strata mingled with one another. Some came as curious onlookers; some in a display of solidarity with their fellows of heritage; some in a gesture of open defiance toward the leader of the Catholic church in St. Louis and some to celebrate the birth of Jesus in the church that they have called theirs all of their life.

As the excommunicated priest, Fr. Marek Bozek, proceeded down the aisle, he was met with a thunderous round of applause and a standing ovation probably only second in the history of St. Louis Catholicism to that which the late Pope John Paul received during his visit to the Gateway City. Not merely one exhibition of respect and admiration for the renegade priest, but one of many displayed throughout the mass. The resounding applause reverberated throughout the city night and rattled the stained glass windows of the impressive cathedral miles away.

From the very beginning, the preacher proved that he could preach. He told the congregation to put aside all the tensions and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. His homily pertained to a story his grandfather once told about love, acceptance and humility and seamlessly moved from English to the Polish translation and back again to English. He prayed for his Archbishop and the Archdiocese. He reminded the people that they indeed were the Church and not just a body of people within a hierarchy. He asked for prayer that the shepherds of the church would once again return to their true ecclesiastical mission : lead the flock. Marek joked; he put the people at ease. He offered the little church as a place of worship to all, no matter their lifestyle, their religious affiliation or their demographics.

News reports have surfaced that the Archbishop and Marek's former bishop made a last ditch effort on Saturday to change his mind and bring him back into conformance with Church law. Coincidentally, Marek made public a telephone call he received threatening to expose allegations of homosexuality when Marek was studying for the priesthood in Poland. Marek addressed the allegations at the Sunday mass before it could go public, assuring the congregation that the allegations were unsubstantiated. Not a very Christian attribute to threaten someone with that and why were the allegations hidden until this time if they were in fact credible? The very idea smacks of the secular political mudslinging leaks which we have all come to abhor. The attempt to smear the good Father's name may persuade some to turn away, but I think the greater majority of St. Louis and the outside world have found a true hero and will stick by him.

The rallying cry has changed. The original red campaign button has changed. "Save St. Stanislaus" is no longer necessary. THE TRUTH IS.....now "St. Stanislaus Lives".