Pro-Homosexual Keillor to Speak at Catholic Education Conference in St. Paul Archdiocese

What's really a reminder about the depressing state of Catholic Education in the United States, and the failure of lay-leadership in general, a suitably inter-faith-like event is about to take place in April, and pro-abortion/pro-homosexual Garrison Keillor is its Keynote Speaker.

Garrison Keillor is the man in Minnesota, and he's the goto guy if you want to host something that demeans Catholicsm and promote smug scandanavian liberal values. The Modernist Benedictine Monastery in Collegeville loves him and trots him out to assuage the anger of the local populace whenever they have PR troubles.

Well, NCEA, an organization founded, suspiciously, around the same time the forerunner of the USCCB was founded, is hosting a convention dealing with "education" this April. There will be talks by David Haas and some heretical Taize music.

"9 am to 1015 am – Keynote address – Garrison Keillor – Convention Center
1015 am to 1045 am – Meet & Greet/Photo Op with Garrison Keillor – Invitation Only"

The real question is whether or not Garrison Keillor will be permitted to speak at a Diocesan event featuring the Catholic Church in Archbishop Nienstedt's Archdiocese, given the speaker policy in place which is selectively enforced, if it is enforced at all, and you'd hope that it would prevent a pro-homosexuality, pro-abortion Garrison Keillor, at least from speaking. After all, other Bishops disinvited pro-homosexual +Gumbleton, why not condemn the NCEA?

In any event, Colleen Perfect has already contacted Archbishop Nienstedt and he has responded with his complaint:

It is scandalous that Garrison Keillor has been invited to be a keynote speaker for the National Catholic Education Convention. It is only right that Mr. Keillor's invitation be rescinded and that he be removed as a speaker from the Convention this April.

We have already contacted Archbishop John Nienstedt. He was very gracious and responded immediately to our concern. He reported that the decision was made at the national level of the NCEA and he was only informed of it afterwards. The Archbishop told us he has contacted the NCEA with his own criticism of their decision to select Garrison Keillor as keynote speaker.

The Archbishop also encouraged us to contact the NCEA and express our opinion. He included the following address:

Dr. Karen M. Ristau, Ed.D.
President, National Catholic Educational Association
1005 North Glebe Road
Arlington, VA 22201

Interestingly, teachers can use title-II funds associated with "No Child Left Behind" to attend the parts of this conference which are secular. It all looks secular, so perhaps it can all be written off?