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Wednesday 5 March 2014

Catholic school pulls band from South Boston St. Patrick Day Parade out of fear of condoning

A girl holds an Irish flag while in costume on a St. Patrick's Day float in the St. Patrick's Day Parade, in Boston's South Boston neighborhood, Sunday, March 17, 2013. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
BOSTON — The Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Harvard has participated in the South Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade for decades. The school enters both its marching band and a float, but this year the school decided to stay home because of the possible inclusion of gays and lesbians.

The school said in a statement that its float featuring St. Patrick and a Celtic cross will not appear because they do not want to appear to be condoning the "homosexual lifestyle."

"This float has become the Icon of the St. Patrick's Day Parade in South Boston appearing in all types of media whenever the parade is mentioned. The familiar scene of St. Patrick joyfully giving his blessing to the crowds has, sad to say, come to an end. In the footsteps of Saint Patrick, IHM does not condone and will not appear to condone the homosexual lifestyle," said Principal Brother Thomas Dalton.

Dalton referenced the teachings of Pope John Paul II and Nos. 2357 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church as reasons for staying out of the parade this year.
The float and band have appeared for nearly 25 years in the parade and are often featured as one of the more prominent participating groups.

"This would have been the band'Â?s 25th time in the parade; you can imagine the disappointment of the students on not going, and yet they are happy to stand up for their faith," said band director Brother Peter Brackett.

Pope Francis recently called for a more measured tone when it comes to the Church's relationship with gay and lesbians, particularly gay and lesbian Catholics. In 2013, he responded to a reporter's question about gay men in the priesthood by saying, "Who am I to judge if they're seeking the Lord in good faith?"
The school's announcement not to participate comes as Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Congressman Stephen Lynch, both Boston Irishmen, have worked to win the inclusion of gay and lesbian groups in the parade for the first time.

The organizers of the parade, the Allied War Veterans Council, have excluded gays and lesbians since the 1995 landmark Supreme Court ruling Hurley v. Irish-American Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Group of Boston
upheld the group's efforts to keep gays and lesbians from marching.

The organizers said they are open to allowing Mass Equality, a gay rights group, to march in the parade as long as they do not march with signs or shirts featuring the word "gay" or mention sexual orientation. Mass Equality has not accepted the offer and will only march under the condition that they are allowed to march openly.

"We made it clear to the Parade organizers that we would only march if LGBT people are able to march openly and honestly," said Kara Coredini, Executive Director of MassEquality in a statement.

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