Meatless Fridays Promoted at Purcellville Parish

By Patricia Spencer
^{HERALD Staff Writer}

As a means of promoting pro-life solidarity, the priests at St. Francis de Sales Parish in Purcellville are asking parishioners to pray and consider not eating meat on Fridays throughout the year. Pastor Msgr. Tom Cassidy, along with Associate Pastor Father Steve Roszel, have undertaken the program to counteract the "culture of death" in our society.

"It is a way that we as a Catholic community can give witness for life," said Msgr. Cassidy, on March 1, the first Sunday of Lent. The proposal was presented at all the weekend Masses. Parishioners were invited, after conferring with their families. to sign a pledge card on this commitment.

Church teaching is that Catholics are to abstain from eating flesh meat on all Fridays during the liturgical season of Lent. Mandatory yearlong meatless Fridays have not been in effect since Vatican II. The Purcellville parish campaign is not meant to be the reinstatement of a rule, but rather a voluntary, positive offering, said Msgr. Cassidy.

The concept of continual meatless Fridays came from the Catholic bishop’s meeting last fall in Washington, during which a committee posed it as a form of pro-life prayer. In his letter to the editor (ACH 1/8/98), Msgr. Cassidy lauded it as a meritorious idea, and said he planned to pursue it.

The "culture of death" is "a demon beyond our control," he said in describing the assaults on human life. They include abortion, infanticide, euthanasia and violence. It has become particularly prevalent in the last 25 years, since Roe vs. Wade and Doe vs. Bolton, he said.

The American Life League (ALL) in Stafford began a national campaign to promote meatless Fridays. "It is our fervent prayer that through this mandatory fast, the bishops will lead us back to the foot of the cross that we might, with Christ, through our prayers and sacrifices, see an end to the most vicious hate crimes this world has ever seen," said Judie Brown, ALL president.

In a recent homily, Msgr. Cassidy referred to Mark’s Gospel, 9:29, in which Jesus’ disciples asked Him the reason that they were unable to drive out evil spirits. The Lord replied that some things are only able to be accomplished by prayer.

"That’s the focus of prayer and the return to this practice," said Msgr. Cassidy. "It is the spiritual dimension of our observance of Lent," along with contribution to Operation Rice Bowl and attending stations of the cross, he said.

The St. Francis de Sales community is a rapidly growing parish of 911 families in western Loudoun County. Responses have been received from 163 people, and have been broken down by age range. The youngest are two seven-year-olds, and the oldest are 81 and 82. An eight, nine and eleven-year old, and four 12 year-olds are participating. Sixteen people between the ages of 14 and 20 have pledged, as well as 66 people in the 21-50 age range, 32 people in the 51-60 range and 40 who are 60 years of age or older.

Although begun in Purcellville, Msgr. Cassidy welcomes any participants and hopes to see the campaign extend throughout the diocese and beyond.

For information contact St. Francis de Sales Church, 37730 St. Francis Ct., Purcellville, Va. 20132-9600, phone 540/338-6399.

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