Reported by Kim Harris Stowell, Boston Spirit contributing writer
(Editor’s note: This article appears in the November/December 2016 print edition of Boston Spirit magazine. Subscribe for free today.)
Openly Gay W. Warwick Pastor Ordained Bishop by Independent Catholic Church of the Americas
Father David Martins, an openly gay Rhode Island pastor in the tradition of the Independent Catholic Church of the Americas, was ordained Bishop David on October 1. This coincides with the Feast of Saint Therese, who is Patroness of the Parish where he serves as Pastor.
The Independent Catholic Church of the Americas celebrates outside of the permission of Rome. While the Vatican has recognized a shared Eucharist, there are differences that call the two expressions of faith in different directions.
Bishop David attended Our Lady of Providence College Seminary and Providence College, and went on to study at Mount Saint Mary Seminary, the Institute of Priestly Formation at Creighton University, and Saint Joseph College in Maine.
Currently, Bishop David pastors his Parish, Saint Therese, in West Warwick, RI. He is also very involved in the Recovery Community, with at risk youth and their families, in the LGBT Community, and with other marginalized populations.
Providence’s Church of St. Mary Fires Gay Employee
A music director at a Catholic church in Rhode Island was fired in September because he married a man.
On September 20, Michael Templeton posted this update to a social media page:
Earlier this afternoon, after twenty-four years in music ministry, I was summoned to St. Mary’s to be fired from the position of Director of Music Ministries by the pastor and a diocesan HR staff member because of the person I love…. We have always said that St. Mary’s Church is an intentional parish. Folks come from all over RI to participate in the unique type of community St. Mary’s has been since the days of the Holy Name friars. At this time, I ask for your prayers for all those involved– for the pastor, for the bishop, and for the good people of St. Mary’s who are actively involved in parish ministry…. God is good. I feel grateful to my friends and family for their love and support.
For his part, Rhode Island Bishop Thomas Tobin had this to say to RI NBC affiliate WJAR: “If an individual deliberately and knowingly enters into a relationship or engages in activity that contradicts the core teachings of the church,” Tobin said, “that individual leaves the church no choice but to respond.”
“My heart breaks because this brings to light what ‘safe’ means to people,” Templeton told GoLocalProv.com, “I feel this action represented more than me in my role. It represents people who have been marginalized and thought of as ‘less than’ for a whole host of reasons.”
Law & Order Party
In 1842, the Law and Order Party of Rhode Island was brought into existence by Thomas Wilson Dorr, who wanted to extend voting rights. Along with the Cool Moose Party, it is among several political parties that have existed only in Rhode Island over the years.
Today, Law and Order Party is a curated events list sent via email each Sunday, the brainchild of Headmaster publisher Matthew Lawrence. Created after the closure of the Providence Phoenix, it provides reviews and previews of local art, music, theatre, and cultural events in and around Providence.
On September 27, Lawrence’s group hosted the First Annual Law And Order Party Awards—the Dorrys—to honor the region’s best and most interesting art and culture. Awards were presented in the areas of art, books, drama, film, music and performance.
State defunds RI’s Only Syringe Exchange Program
In July, AIDS Care Ocean State’s (ACOS) funding was not renewed by Rhode Island’s Legislative grants, a loss of of $65,000 in HIV prevention funding to its ENCORE (Education, Needle-exchange, Counseling, Outreach, and Referrals) program. ENCORE guarantees access to front line intervention, mental health and addiction counseling, free HIV and Hep C testing, and more. ENCORE’s outreach workers distribute and train individuals on how to administer NARCAN, the lifesaving drug used in an opioid overdose.
ACOS has reached out to elected officials with letters of support from healthcare providers, community advocates, local authorities, and the community at large.
Efforts put forth by The RI Medicaid Office, The Executive Office of Health and Human Services and the RI Department of Health to research alternative sources of funding have not yet been successful.
Rhode Island’s Bid to NCAA
Rhode Island is making a bid to replace North Carolina as a host of college basketball tournaments next year, as it has a history of inclusivity.
Gov. Gina Raimondo and Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza have sent letters to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), promoting Providence as a viable venue for the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Championship, emphasizing its tradition of acceptance and personal and religious freedom.
Due to anti-gay legislation passed in N. Carolina, the NCAA has announced plans to pull its championship events from that state.
