Eucharist Is Stolen

[kujo]

[quote]ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- A University of Central Florida student, upset religious groups hold church services on public campuses, is holding hostage the Eucharist, an object so sacred to Catholics they call it the Body of Christ.

Church officials say UCF Student Senator Webster Cook was disruptive and disrespectful when he attended Mass held on campus Sunday June 29. It was during that Mass where Cook admits he obtained the Eucharist.

The Eucharist is a small bread wafer blessed by a priest. According to Catholics, the wafer becomes the Body of Christ once blessed and is to be consumed immediately after a minister passes it out to churchgoers.

Cook claims he planned to consume it, but first wanted to show it to a fellow student senator he brought to Mass who was curious about the Catholic faith.

"When I received the Eucharist, my intention was to bring it back to my seat to show him," Cook said. "I took about three steps from the woman distributing the Eucharist and someone grabbed the inside of my elbow and blocked the path in front of me. At that point I put it in my mouth so they'd leave me alone and I went back to my seat and I removed it from my mouth."

A church leader was watching, confronted Cook and tried to recover the sacred bread. Cook said she crossed the line and that's why he brought it home with him.

"She came up behind me, grabbed my wrist with her right hand, with her left hand grabbed my fingers and was trying to pry them open to get the Eucharist out of my hand," Cook said, adding she wouldn't immediately take her hands off him despite several requests.

Diocese of Orlando spokeswoman Carol Brinati said she was not aware of anyone touching Cook. She released a statement Thursday: "... a Catholic Campus Ministry student representative filed a complaint with the Student Union regarding the behavior of the two young men. A Student Government Representative called Catholic Campus Ministry to apologize for this disruption."

Cook filed an official abuse complaint with UCF's student conduct court regarding the alleged physical force. Following that complaint, Brinati said church members filed their own official complaints of disruptive conduct. Punishment for either offense could result in suspension or expulsion.

"The church feels that I'm the problem here," Cook said. "The problem is actually that this is a publicly-funded religious institution. Through student government here, we fund them through an activity and service, so they're receiving student money."

Cook is upset more than $40,000 in student fees have been allocated to support religious organizations on campus for the 2008-2009 school year, according to student government records. He denied he is holding the Eucharist hostage to protest that support.

Regardless of the reason, the Diocese says its main concern is to get the Eucharist back so it can be taken care of properly and with respect. Cook has been keeping the Eucharist stored in a plastic bag since last Sunday.

"It is hurtful," said Father Migeul Gonzalez with the Diocese. "Imagine if they kidnapped somebody and you make a plea for that individual to please return that loved one to the family."

Gonzalez said the Diocese is willing to meet with Cook and help him understand the importance of the Eucharist in hopes of him returning it. The Diocese is dispatching a nun to UCF's campus to oversee the next mass, protect the Eucharist and in hopes Cook will return it.

Cook said he'd consider returning the Eucharist if he gets an apology and a meeting with the Bishop's office to discuss the Diocese's policy on physical force.

Gonzalez said intentionally abusing the Eucharist is classified as a mortal sin in the Catholic church, the most severe possible. If it's not returned, the community of faith will have to ask for forgiveness.

"We have to make acts of reparation," Gonzalez said. "The whole community is going to turn to prayer. We'll ask the Lord for pardon, forgiveness, peace, not only for the whole community affected by it, but also for [Cook], we offer prayers for him as well."[/quote]

Source: [url="http://www.wftv.com/news/16798008/detail.html?taf=orlc"]WFTV.com[/url]

This happened at my school. I was at mass when the incident occured but I didn't see it. Please pray for Jesus' return.

[missionseeker]

prayers!!!

[Alycin]

I wrote him an e-mail on facebook and anyone with facebook can do the same.

Here is what I said:

Mr. Cook,

I don't expect a response and I hope that you don't think that I am being rude, disrespectful, or hostile in this e-mail to you.

I would ask that you consider returning the Eucharist that you took. I am giving you a huge benefit of the doubt and assuming that your allegations of physical force used against you are true, and also that you were truly only trying to use this as an opportunity to teach.

My question to you is, if you don't know the sacredness of something so central to the Catholic faith as the Eucharist, what made you think that you were the right person to be "teaching" someone else?

There are several venues for learning about the Catholic faith and I don't think you needed to take it where you did, which makes me question your motives in the first place.

I don't know if you believe in God at all, so this may be a pointless e-mail, but I am asking you to look to your heart, and to God, if you believe in Him, and really decide from there what the best thing to do in this situation is.

Respect for others' faith is a very important thing. I, as a Catholic, would never go into someone of a different faith's service and do something which would be considered extremely offensive to them. That isn't about agreeing with their faith, it is about having a level of respect and decency within you to be able to distinguish between right and wrong in matters such as these.

Again, I ask, please consider returning the Eucharist to the place from which you stole it.

Best wishes and prayers for you,

Alycin

[Fr. Antony Maria OSB]

That is really terrible! Definately prayers.

[mommas_boy]

I woulda tackled him ...

Seriously, if he had only known what he was handling ...

I had that happen to me, once, when I was serving Mass at the Newman Center. Our priest had briefed the altar servers that we were "Jesus' Bodyguards" and that we were to stop anyone who tried to steal the Eucharist (huh ... my spell check recognizes "Eucharist" as a proper noun, and makes you capitalize it ... that's pretty cool). We would watch like hawks at communion time. When one kid ran off with Jesus, I stopped him, asked him if he was Catholic, and then made him give it back.

I've also heard about Knights of Columbus in full regalia garb literally crossing their swords over the Church doors to bar exit when someone tried to run off with the Eucharist ...

[kujo]

[quote name='mommas_boy' post='1592592' date='Jul 6 2008, 02:56 AM']I've also heard about Knights of Columbus in full regalia garb literally crossing their swords over the Church doors to bar exit when someone tried to run off with the Eucharist ...[/quote]

That is [b][u]AWESOME[/b][/u]!!!!!!!

[Archaeology cat]

Oh my goodness!!!! Why would someone do that? I mean, you don't go into a synagogue & steal the Torah from their tabernacle, or desecrate the Quran at a mosque.

[quote name='mommas_boy' post='1592592' date='Jul 6 2008, 06:56 AM']I've also heard about Knights of Columbus in full regalia garb literally crossing their swords over the Church doors to bar exit when someone tried to run off with the Eucharist ...[/quote]
Awesome.

Edited July 6, 2008 by Archaeology cat

[mommas_boy]

[quote name='mommas_boy' post='1592592' date='Jul 6 2008, 01:56 AM']I've also heard about Knights of Columbus in full regalia garb literally crossing their swords over the Church doors to bar exit when someone tried to run off with the Eucharist ...[/quote]


[quote name='kujo' post='1592600' date='Jul 6 2008, 02:24 AM']That is [b][u]AWESOME[/b][/u]!!!!!!![/quote]

I know, right!

Though, I should probably clarify ... I only [b]*heard*[/b] about the story from some people at Newman. I don't know if its true. In fact, I highly doubt that it is, because it would have created a public relations nightmare, and I can't find any outrageous news stories to back it up.

Still, it makes for one heck of a mental image!

[Proud2BCatholic139]

Oh no!!!

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have Mercy On Us!

[kujo]

I sent him a message as well...haven't gotten a response. But his response to Aly's original message was charitable and understanding. Hopefully he'll do the same for me.

[Deb]

What a sad, sad person he is. I sent him a message on facebook also. I told him I was praying for him. I also stated that it was obvious by his actions he was not Catholic nor even a believer in God or Jesus Christ.
I told him I hoped the little material gain or fifteen minutes of fame he gets from this enough of a gain for the loss of his soul.

I have to say that I would have tackled him too and kicked him in the groin. I would have had to go to confession later but, I would have done it.

[CatherineM]

I just the publicity surrounding this doesn't give other protester types new ideas.

[IrishSalesian]

[quote name='mommas_boy' post='1592592' date='Jul 6 2008, 02:56 AM']I woulda tackled him ...

Seriously, if he had only known what he was handling ...[/quote]

I would have done the same, and more had he not released the Eucharist.

[Alycin]

I don't know.. I think he would have liked more of a rumble because it appears his motive is to get some attention... and that would have been more attention and more negative press for the Church.

[MissyP89]

Oh, great...

Prayers that our Lord is returned, and quickly.