[Magdalen] Life's blessings

[Cantor03 at aol.com]

In a message dated 10/22/2016 7:19:28 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
michaudme at gmail.com writes:

And  don't discount the influence of psychiatrists.

Yes, I've known bishops  to override psychiatrists' recommendations, but I
do remember one here who  spent an incredible amount of time & energy
searching for "homosexual  tendencies" (remember "homosexual tendencies?"
you probably don't if you're  under fifty.) He was also unalterably opposed
to women's ordination.  Imagine his long-term influence on the  
diocese.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 
 
The first class of deacons began training for the local Scranton, PA  
Diocese
in the late 1980's.  There was a lot of testing and evaluating and  this 
included
a panel of standard psychiatric tests.
 
There were nine candidates from the RC parish where I was cantoring  at
the time, and "at the end of the day" when all this rather exhaustive 
process was complete, all nine candidates received polite refusal  letters.
 
The monsignor pastor of this big parish (4,000 families) was  positively
flabbergasted.  No further word on the reasons for this mass  turndown
were given or available.
 
Perhaps 5 years after this event, I had a patient who was an active  RC
deacon in the Scranton Diocese, but who had been trained elsewhere, 
and was involved in the sifting and winnowing of the deacon  candidates.
 
It turns out it was the brain-storm of a psychologist from the  University
of Scranton (a Jesuit school) that anyone with a "terminal" degree  should
be disqualified, apparently because she thought such candidates  couldn't
accept the servant ministry of deacons.
 
All 9 candidates from the parish mentioned had terminal degrees:   PhD,
MD, DDS, DM, etc.
 
What nonsense, and waste of talent and service.
 
 
 
David S.