Advent program moved outside

ST. LOUIS -- For the past several years, St. Cronan Catholic Church has invited Rabbi Susan Talve to teach about Isaiah during the parish's Advent program. This year, however, church leaders said they received a call from Archbishop Raymond Burke requesting that Talve's invitation be withdrawn, according to a report in the St. Louis Jewish Light.

Talve allowed the Roman Catholic Womenpriests movement to use her synagogue, the Central Reform Congregation, to ordain two women Nov. 11 in defiance of church directives.

Because they couldn't have Talve in church, about 100 parishioners met her Dec. 12 outside, across the street and off church property under a large tarp to protect them from frigid wind and rain.

Parishioner Joe Connolly told the St. Louis Jewish Light that the Dec. 12 event wasn't a protest. "It was a spiritual experience," he said. "It wasn't a political experience. It was a human experience of people of two faiths meeting under a tent and worshiping God."

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