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Banging a Drum in LA
[VOTF secretary Gaile Pohlhaus provided this journal entry from one of her
days in Los Angeles during the USCCB meeting. Gaile was with VOTF president
Mary Pat Fox and VOTF media manager John Moynihan.]
The bishops were scheduled for a 5 p.m. Mass at the Cathedral later in
the day. Feeling the need for solitude (and thinking an early arrival might
be
good), I took myself down to the Cathedral a little after 3 p.m. What a surprise
met me. All the entrances to the cathedral were covered by solid wooden partitions.
I went to the adjacent parking garage where I saw others going in and asked
for admittance. "The Cathedral is closed today ma'am." "But
there is to be a Mass at 5 o'clock," I said. "There's no Mass scheduled," came
the reply. I persisted, "I know the bishops have a five o'clock Mass and
I would like to go." He said, "It's private, ma'am." At this
point I’d had it. "Canon law says there can be no such thing as
a private Mass!" (The proscription is there by implication in Canons 906
and 912 on Eucharistic celebrations.) "We're just here for security, ma’am." I
opened my bag: no guns, a book about the Church, cell phone, wallet and rosary
beads. "Sorry ma'am, you need ID." I showed my Villanova ID. "A
ticket, ma’am." Reluctantly I turned away. I knew I could not jump
over the fence on the far side because I would drop right onto the freeway.
Across the street from the Cathedral are the county offices for Los Angeles
(public property). After awhile members from the memorial tent came by with
the quilts they had made*, each depicting the faces of survivors. At one point
there were ten police vehicles but we couldn't be removed from a public building
so we stood (I sat on the wall) and held the quilts, and banged a bass drum
rhythmically for about
two hours.”
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