A demand to remove the St. Junípero Serra statue at Mission Santa Inés saw opposing groups shouting at each other in sweltering heat while members of a third group steadily recited the rosary Saturday afternoon in Solvang.
A group of 20 protesters gathered at Solvang Park to walk to the historic mission at 1760 Mission Drive, seeking removal of the statue.
On Saturday, with the temperature topping 90 degrees, protesters called upon church officials to remove the statue from the mission’s property, shouting “Take it down!”
As protesters aired their allegations, members of the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic fraternal service order, prayed the rosary while church-hired photographers recorded the activity on both sides of the barrier blocking the mission’s driveway.
“We will have a group of us praying at the statue,” the Rev. Robert “Bobby” Barbato, a Capuchin friar and pastor of Mission Santa Inés, said in a video posted to social media. “Don’t worry, we will be protecting it.”
On Saturday afternoon, a number of brothers from San Lorenzo Seminary in Santa Ynez stood praying and singing as shouts of protesters could be heard in the distance.
Earlier Saturday afternoon, Bishop Robert Barron, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, was joined by several priests as he said a socially distanced Mass near the statue.
On Sunday morning, Barbato said everything went very well Saturday, and he renewed his offer for a discussion with protesters about the issue.
“I respect very much their right to express their opinion and protest,” he said. “I also respect our right to be able to have the freedom of our faith.”
Full story at Noozhawk.
See previous CalCatholic story about the statue of Junipero Serra on the Old Mission Santa Inés grounds: Solvang’s Old Mission Santa Ines keeps Serra
Teachers have failed to educate the young. It’s more downhill from here. Prepare yourselves.
May God bless, guide and strengthen these Knights of Columbus, the Franciscan friars and Bishop Barron.
I really wonder how many of these “Chumash” women want to go back to polygamy, which was practiced in most tribes at that time. I suppose some of them would as they think it just fine to stab the first wife in the back to get more of the “goodies” (material mostly) that the polygamist was handing out. That might sound harsh, but the truth always hurts.
God bless Fr. Junipero Serra for bringing monogamy to this land, and God bless these men for defending it.
Um, monogamy is out already. Just a matter of time before civil laws limiting marriage to two people are struck down in the name of advancing marriage equality, and soon enough marriage won’t even be bothered with by many people. Part of the downhill I spoke of earlier that you should be prepared for. Look at how Jerry Falwell, Jr. and his wife lived. If a professional Christian of that stature can live as a swinger, the Christian culture and respect for marriage is gone in America. It’s thoroughly post-Christian.
+Sigh+
Kevin you just make this too easy.
Monogomy out already? Don’t tell my wife of 30 years. Sacramentally wed. Only marriage for either of us.
Is there a point to remind you that this is a Catholic site?
A Faithful Catholic WILL live monogamously with the assistance of the Holy Spirit, frequent confession and reception of the eucharist.
What was the saying? The Faithful life has been left untried.
Finally, consider removing comments on Jerry Falwell and maybe look to the saints in your own life. For myself, married parents 50+ years, sister married 30+ years too. All Catholic and All raised their children accordingly.
You’re from a different generation. Those under 30 have been raised in a society that is unmoored from the Christian and Jewish faith that used to undergird all laws and social expectations. Monogamy is out as a social standard and expectation. That’s a fact. The Church has lost the young for the most part, yet the Church is acting like things will correct on their own. They won’t.
It was bad in our generation, too. Both my husband and I came from broken homes. Perhaps that is why we have fought to stay together, and it has not been easy. All the forces of hell have attacked us at times. It seems when we are getting along just fine, someone or something throws a wrench into it all and gets us fighting. Probably because they are so many divorces and re marriages or just live togethers in his and my families. No such thing as victimless crime. Everything we do affects someone else, for good or evil.
Proof that what I said was true: today Catholic World Report published this article about the collapse of marriage and the rise of polyamory.
https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2020/08/27/as-marriage-rates-plummet-polyamory-rises/
Monogamy is out, Keith.
Kev, recognize polyamory for the sin that it is. Never will it be moral, even if popular by people too stubborn and stupid to admit it.
You are kidding right? I was 10 YO in 1970. We got the full brunt of the “sexual revolution” + Vatican2.
Monogamy, like chastity in and out of marriage is a choice. I don’t care what every one else is doing. Why do you care?
As I said, last post, your just some sort of troll. Last time I will respond to you as you seen to be unmoved by anything said here. Nor, do you respond in any positive story.
This is where Kevin T. shows he needs continuing education into the Christian-Catholic understanding of anthropology. You see folks, what the Church teaches as true and good (such as monogamy in marriage) is NOT alien to the human soul. For instance, Christian/Catholic anthropology believes that people (of whatever background) were made, designed, to seek a faithful, fruitful, monogamous, exclusive love in marriage, regardless if the person is Catholic, Jewish, atheist, agnostic. Various people may articulate this good in various terms, but God designed humans to recognize monogamy in marriage as the good to be pursued. A Catholic/Christian education will articulate it exactly in those terms, but just because generations of young people, as Kevin T. proposes, have not been taught it, doesn’t necessarily mean monogamy in marriage, or marriage itself, is “out.” How ludicrous. There may indeed be many people who will pursue multiple relationships outside of marriage, but because of the way God made human beings, such a lifestyle will only lead to misery, loneliness, heartbreak, sadness, depression, and a whole host of other emotional and psychological traumas. Then, what Kevin T., trumpets as “out” may very well find its way back again, just because it is naturally human to seek and recognize the good in monogamy in marriage.
Romans 12:2
Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.
Saint Junipero, pray for us!
The peaceful beauty of this area is an abomination to those who would seek to destroy all that is beautiful. They burn, loot and destroy with glee, quite hellish of them really.
Both the Nazis and Communists did the same things in Europe, Asia, South America, Central America, India, Africa, and Mexico. There’s a good reason why Mexican Catholics say “Viva Cristo Rey!” Bishop Barron is coming out strong against this brutal form of evil. While hate and destruction control the lives of a lot of folks we cannot fall into the same trap and plan evil and destruction ourselves. Although a peaceful protest at the Chumash Casino might be in order.
Let’s not mention that the statue was on Church property. Those who destroy it, tear it down, had no right to even be there. Kudos to those who stood up for the Church…..
May my wife join the Knights as a full member? The answer is no. Some consider the Knights misogonistic for this policy.
Get over it. Nothing wrong with fraternal organizations, just as there’s nothing wrong with sororal organizations.
What the Knights need to be worried about is that almost nobody under the age of 60 is or wants to be a member. It’s more geriatric than fraternal now.
So Kev, get some young friends and join, be part of the resurrection of the Knights instead of a whiner.
Mike, are you and your wife interested in joining? She would most certainly be welcomed by the Columbiettes, the women’s group affiliated with the Knights of Columbus.
The Knights of Columbus is not misogynistic. May your wife go into a men’s locker room? May you conceive a child in your womb? There are places for men to gather with men and women with women and all together.
And, Kevin, our Council is getting men in their 20’s and 30’s to join us. That said, your observation is somewhat accurate. Especially if you’re under 60 (or 40), come join us!
Mike M. It is equal but different. There are some things women just cannot do, and some things men cannot do.
I laughed at a post I saw on another website where a man commented that when his wife got angry with him, he tighten all the jars in the house, so she would have to talk to him. I can relate. Most of the time I can get the jars opened with hot water and a paper towel or a bottle opener, but sometimes I just have to “eat crow” and ask “someone else’ to open them. Hope I have not given any of you guys any “bad ideas”. (Laughter.)
Saint Agnes, pray for us. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. St. Junipero Serra, pray for us. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on us sinners.
I myself have always loved our Native Americans or American Indians which ever they prefer to be called it’s their choice; having said that if you think American Indians were peaceful you don’t know our history, on the Great Plains it was Pawnee against Lakota, Crow against Cheyenne and Lakota, the Southwest Apache against Navajo, and South of the Border the Mayans and Aztecs practiced “human” sacrifice of tribes they had conquered in Mexico and the Yucatan.
Dear Deacon, with all respect, my wife is not interested in the Columbiettes. What is this, the Church version of ‘separate but equal’?
Maybe that’s part of why most active Church members will never see fifty again or why the reported third largest religion in the US is ‘former Catholics’
Be honest. Do you support the ordination of women to the priesthood?
So, then, do you reject the teaching of the Church that the priesthood is reserved to men?
Men and women are equal. See Genesis 1:27. Yet, really, men and women are different.
In Christian churches, it was a break from ancient custom to have men and women be equally close to the altar. (Orthodox Jews and Muslims still have men sit in the front and women in the back or outside. Yet, in the early Church, men sat on the right side and women on the left side; icon of Christ or Sacred Heart usually on the right or groom’s side and icon of the Theotokos or statue of the Blessed Mother on the left or bride’s side.)
Mike, if you’re in northern California and would like to get together, let me know. I’ll drive to where you are, wear a mask, sit six feet from you and buy you coffee or lunch. (dcnanderson@ephx.org)
Kudos, Deacon Craig. That’s just the answer I would expect from a sincere Catholic minister. I am a Third Degree Knight, myself. I hope that Mike M is sincere and open minded and takes you up on your offer to meet him, anywhere.
I recently met a new co-worker via Zoom and she told me about her life long membership in the Knights of Peter Claver. This fraternal Order has divisions for men, women, boys and girls starting at age 7 and all are considered equal (the Ladies have the largest membership.) I think it is great that this Order is geared toward family activities and unity within the Church.