Priest distributes communion to same-sex advocates in defiance of Nienstedt

Michael Hemmesch, spokesman for St. John's, said school officials had no comment. He said Nienstedt was invited by school officials to lead a regular Sunday night Mass and that it was the first time he did so on the rural campus about 75 miles northwest of Minneapolis.

The Rev. Rene McGraw, a professor of philosophy at St. John's, said he held a short Mass for the small group later the same night in which he served all of them Communion. He took issue with the archdiocese's interpretation of canon law when it comes to who can receive Communion.

"My understanding of church law is that one is not to deny communion to anyone unless he or she is a public sinner, and that has traditionally been interpreted very narrowly," McGraw said. "My instinct was these are people who were in need, I'm supportive of them, therefore I'm happy to say Mass for them."

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I don't believe that Archbishop has any authority at all over priests outside of his own archdiocese. His role as "provincial" for the ten dioceses of the Province (Minnesota and the Dakotas) is purely administrative and symbolic as when he lead the delegation when it is called to meet the Pope for their ad limina reports.


Neither does he have authority over religious order priests working within the archdiocese, except for those perhaps serving as parish priests.


Fr. McGraw is responsible only to his own abbot.

StellaBorealis