BALTIMORE—A Catholic symposium dealing with gay and lesbian relationships in the Church concluded on an affective note here when the woman who was denied communion at her mother's funeral spoke poignantly about the experience.
"It's my mother's love and compassion, and willingness to stand up for what is right that you see standing before you today," Barbara Johnson told conference attendees.
"And not 'Barbara Johnson, lesbian denied communion' or 'Barbara Johnson, Buddhist Catholic,'" she added.
During the funeral Mass Feb. 25, in Gaithersburg, Md., Rev. Marcel Guarnizo refused the Eucharist to Johnson, telling her, "I cannot give you communion because you live with a woman, and in the eyes of the church that is a sin."
The incident caused a media stir and dismayed Catholics nationwide and around the world.
In the several weeks time since, detractors have attempted to discredit Johnson, a 51-year-old artist, labeling her an activist, Buddhist, communist and even atheist.
However, Johnson, who has local ties, having lived in Chicago for some time, would have none of it on St. Patrick's Day.
A lifelong Catholic and former Catholic schoolteacher, Johnson lives in Washington, D.C., with her partner of many years.
"What I want to share with you today is the story of a daughter, a lesbian daughter, who felt her mother's love and acceptance deeply," Johnson told several hundred people during the closing session of New Ways Ministry's Seventh National Symposium on Catholicism and Homosexuality ( March 15-17 ) .
"I remember when I first came out, and my mom was not happy," said Johnson. "Each year at the Gay Pride parade, I would stand and applaud those P-FLAG moms and dads for their courage and their compassion. And I would pray that one day mom and dad would walk beside me in that contingent."
"As I got older, I stopped needing parades," Johnson continued. "And what I got was even better. I got a life where my mother and father adored my life partner. I got a life where my parents walked me down the aisle at our ( not so legal ) wedding. I got a life where, on our last happy time together, I thanked my mom for accepting and embracing me and for loving my partner so much. Her response was to pat Ruth on the leg as she looked her in the eye with the most beautiful smile and said, 'I wouldn't have it any other way—right?'"
As Johnson spoke, a number of symposium attendees fought back tears.
"You see Midge and Dick Johnson's youngest daughter, who is deeply heartbroken her parents are no longer her on this earth with her and her family," said Johnson.
"You see this daughter who wound up in a whirlwind of media spectacle," she continued. "You see this daughter who was placed in a state of grace by none other than her beloved mother."
"For there is no more amazing state of grace than the one I was honored to receive as my mother allowed me to witness her passing from this life and into the dancing arms of my dad."
Johnson's remarks struck a chord.
Chicagoan Kevin Mannara said he came to Baltimore for the symposium to serve God. "And service to God means many things," he said, referring to "the needed ministry with gay and lesbian Catholics" in the Church.
As Mannara, a doctoral student at the Catholic Theological Union in Hyde Park, explained, "What happened to Barbara Johnson should never happened again."
People like her get hurt and then walk away, Mannara said, "and because of their walking away, Barbara got hurt."
"If you are not part of the solution, then you become part of the problem," he added.
Johnson said several priests approached her afterwards and apologized on behalf of the church for the painful incident. .
For his part, Guarnizo has insisted, "I did the only thing a faithful Catholic priest could do," in refusing communion to Johnson. This was according to a written statement he issued March 14 that was first published by Catholic News Service.
�Copyright. Chuck Colbert. All rights reserved.
