Smoky Mountains Sunrise

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Virginia Parish Severs Ties with Knights of Columbus over Plans to Honor Gov. Terry McAuliffe

Father Dan Beeman
Kudos to Father Dan Beeman, Pastor of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Norfolk, Virginia, for his courageous and principled stand against a local Knights of Columbus Council that has obviously lost its way and purpose.

From Lifesite News
A Virginia Knights of Columbus council is pressing forward with plans to honor pro-abortion, pro-homosexual “marriage” Gov. Terry McAuliffe by having him as grand marshal of its St. Patrick’s Day Parade. In response, the parish priest has strongly reproached the council and cut ties.
Norfolk Knights of Columbus Council 3548, which has organized the Norfolk Saint Patrick’s Day Parade since 1967, had secured McAuliffe as grand marshal, apparently keeping the choice from the pastor of Holy Trinity Parish, where the council is based. When Father Dan Beeman took it up with the state council on the advice of his bishop, he was told by the state council that another grand marshal would be chosen, a decision that was reversed ten days later.
“Governor McAuliffe stands contrary to the Catholic Church in not one but many of the most essential teachings of the Church in the political arena,” the Norfolk pastor wrote in a March 5 letter to parishioners, distributed at Sunday Mass on March 8. “He himself promised to be a ‘brick wall’ against restrictions on abortion, has taken away commonsense protections for women in abortion facilities and lowered safety standards, and consistently takes money from pro-abortion lobbying groups.”
Read more. 

The full text of Father Beeman's letter

Update:   Since this post was published, we have been pleased to learn that the Virginia bishops' conference have fully backed Father Beeman in dissociating his parish with Knights of Columbus Council 3548.  In addition, the State K of C Council has responded to the controversy as follows:

Knights of Columbus respond to Norfolk controversy



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