Girls State Director Says Teen Must 'sacrifice' Mass Attendanc

[Lisa]

[url="http://the-american-catholic.com/2012/05/23/margeauxs-stand-catholic-teen-defends-her-right-to-attend-mass/"]http://the-american-...to-attend-mass/[/url]

After being told the American Legion Auxiliary's Girls State program would be unable to accommodate her by allowing attendance of Sunday Mass or having a priest come on campus to say Mass (which a national member of the American Legion had worked out for her), she wrote this letter to the program director:

[quote]

TO: American Legion Auxiliary Unit #21
FROM: Margeaux Graham
RE: Girls State 2012
DATE: May 7, 2012
I am regretfully writing this letter to formally inform you that I will be unable to attend Florida Girls State in June. I am extremely honored that you found me worthy to represent American Legion Auxiliary unit #21 and am devastated that I cannot participate. I attended orientation on May 6, 2012 and was informed by [name private] that I would not be allowed to attend Mass on Sunday.

My faith is very important to me, as it has been to countless Americans. This country was founded on the principles of religious and personal freedom, the fundamental rights that either you or your loved ones fought to protect. It is disheartening that the Florida Girls State program is structured in such a way that it prohibits participation of young women who have a strong conviction for their religious practices.

The only opportunity to participate in a Sunday service is presented in a “non-offensive”, non-denominational service. As a Catholic Christian I find it offensive that I am not allowed to attend Mass and am perplexed as to how this service could accommodate the beliefs of other religious groups, such as Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and all Christian religions. I am disappointed to see the lack of respect for religious creed from the Florida Girls State program by limiting participants to only one religious paradigm.

Miss [name private] made it quite clear that I had to choose between my faith and Florida Girls State. I was looking forward to attending with great zeal, the knowledge, experience, and friends gained would have been invaluable. My faith has made me who I am, it has shaped me into the young woman that you chose as your delegate, for me to deny my faith would be hypocritical. Words cannot express my disappointment that the Florida Girls State program is designed to only accommodate delegates who fit into a pre-determined religious belief system or none at all.
Margeaux Graham
[/quote]



She received this response:
[quote] “Only an elite group of young women are given the privilege of attending each year and it is a once in a life-time opportunity to do so. Along with that privilege comes some sacrifice. They must attend an orientation and for some that means missing a track meet or dance competition and they must remain with the program from beginning till end and sometimes that means missing other important programs throughout the summer and other camps whose dates over-lap ours. And yes, it means girls are unable to go to the church of their choice on Sunday or what ever their day of worship is.” -ALA Florida Officer (Catholic) [/quote]

Edited May 24, 2012 by Lisa

[cmotherofpirl]

That is discrimination.

[Basilisa Marie]

It completely is discrimination. Religion observance isn't like some sporting event. AND it's insulting to assume that all religions are essentially the same.

[Adrestia]

This attitude has become common. I had students in my Religious Ed course (kids in public middle school) skip class for sporting events with their parents' blessings.

[Groo the Wanderer]

let the letter bombing commence

[Lisa]

[quote name='Adrestia' timestamp='1337869999' post='2434385']
This attitude has become common. I had students in my Religious Ed course (kids in public middle school) skip class for sporting events with their parents' blessings.
[/quote]

It's definitely true. But at least that's just religious ed class- event though it's obviously an important part of formation in the faith . You actually could legitimately skip that if something comes up without falling into sin. But Sunday Mass is an obligation that can't be skipped for something 'more important.'

I understand that it can be logistically difficult to allow teens off-site during a program like this. I think what bothered me the most is that a priest was willing to come say Mass, but they wouldn't allow this because it would be an exception from their one-size-fits-all religious service.

Edited May 24, 2012 by Lisa

[havok579257]

further shows how society continues the downward spiral. if you don't don't do what they say for faith then your excluded. cause this event is so special and so important that something as trivial as mass should not get in the way. what an absolute joke

[Basilisa Marie]

But on a more positive note, Margeaux's letter was FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC. It was professional, respectful, and eloquently-written. She constructively criticized them while showing how much she values the program. I'm shocked that she received such a poor response. Even if they decided not to accommodate her, they could have at least shown as much respect for her as she did for them.

[Innocent]

Reminds me of [i]Chariots of Fire.[/i]



[quote name='Basilisa Marie' timestamp='1337874559' post='2434408']
But on a more positive note, Margeaux's letter was FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC. It was professional, respectful, and eloquently-written. She constructively criticized them while showing how much she values the program. I'm shocked that she received such a poor response. Even if they decided not to accommodate her, they could have at least shown as much respect for her as she did for them.
[/quote]

I agree with this post.

Edited May 24, 2012 by Innocent

[Ice_nine]

Yeah Mass is totally equatable to a track meet.


Real religion isn't popular anymore.

[Annie12]

Ugh!!!!

[princessgianna]

Go sister!!! What a charming graceful letter!

[quote name='havok579257' timestamp='1337874241' post='2434406']
further shows how society continues the downward spiral. if you don't don't do what they say for faith then your excluded. cause this event is so special and so important that something as trivial as mass should not get in the way. what an absolute joke
[/quote]
I agree that the response is discouraging. However I am not discouraged due to the strong conviction that the young lady held.
Believing in Christ will bring us death. That death is not always physical, however as we see today, a social death. Being outcasted from social events because of our love dedication to Christ and His Church.
This has been rather evident in not only public revelation (Sacred Scripture and Tradition) but is echoed in private revelation. At times like these I like to remember what Our Lady of Lourdes promised St. Bernadette: "I cannot promise to make you happy in this world but I can promise happiness in the next".

The battlefield does not always include horses and swords, but a battlefield this remains nevertheless; we are at war, and so we must expect causilities and wounds,even if it not be physical.

~Pg

[4588686]

nvm

Edited May 24, 2012 by Hasan

[4588686]

[quote name='Ice_nine' timestamp='1337874998' post='2434411']
Yeah Mass is totally equatable to a track meet.


Real religion isn't popular anymore.
[/quote]

Yeah, it is. Just because you claim that bread and wine magically transforms into the body and bloody of Christ doesn't mean that everyone has to wax poetic about what a glorious belief that is and how much more worth that activity is than all others.

[4588686]

nvm

Edited May 24, 2012 by Hasan