New York’s iconic St Patrick’s Cathedral has claimed it was tricked into holding a “scandalous” funeral for a transgender activist celebrated at mass as “the big whore”.
The Catholic cathedral, which bills itself as “America’s parish church,” was ordered to hold a “mass of reparation” after hundreds of scantily clad admirers danced in the aisles of former sex worker Cecilia Gentili.
The self-proclaimed atheist died at age 52 on Feb. 6, and organizers admitted they kept her identity “a secret” when scheduling the mass with cathedral authorities.
Now the cathedral’s priest has issued a humiliating apology to his parishioners, thanking “the many who have let us know that they share our indignation.”
“The Cathedral only knew that family and friends were requesting a funeral mass for a Catholic, and had no idea that our welcome and prayer would be degraded in such a sacrilegious and deceptive manner,” Father Enrique Salvo said in a statement.
Cecilia Gentili was a former sex worker and self-proclaimed atheist who spent years as an undocumented migrant before becoming a prominent advocate for LGBT rights.
About 1,000 friends and admirers packed St. Patrick’s Cathedral for the raucous funeral on February 15.
Father Edward Dougherty, who preached the service, declared that ‘Cecilia died with Christ’
‘That such a scandal has occurred in the ‘America Parish Church’ makes it worse.
‘That it took place as Lent began, the annual forty-day struggle against the forces of sin and darkness, is a powerful reminder of how much we need the prayer, reparation, repentance, grace and mercy it invites. this holy time. us.’
Gentili, who was born in Argentina, turned to sex work in New York City after moving to the United States illegally and struggling to find work in Miami.
In 2009 she was arrested on drug possession charges and imprisoned at Rikers Island, but was released with an ankle bracelet after a judge determined that she could not be safely imprisoned with either men or women without risk of attack.
But she was granted asylum in 2012 and became a prominent advocate for LGBT rights and HIV prevention.
Just days before her death, Gentili managed to win a $540,000 grant from the CDC for her trans outreach program aimed at combating HIV transmission within the community.
Funeral organizer Ceyenne Doroshow said she chose St. Patrick for the Feb. 15 funeral because “he’s an icon, just like her.”
Manhattan’s Catholic cathedral calls itself “America’s parish church” and has hosted funeral masses for figures such as Jacqueline Onassis and Babe Ruth.
Gentili, who was born in Argentina, turned to sex work in New York City after moving to the United States illegally and struggling to find work in Miami.
Fishnet stockings, miniskirts and even a boa made from $100 bills adorned mourners at the service.
Organizers believe theirs may have been the first funeral for a trans person at the 19th-century cathedral.
Funeral organizers said they chose St. Patrick for the Feb. 15 funeral because “he is an icon, just like her.”
An image near the altar showed Gentili with a halo surrounded by the Spanish words for ‘transvestite’, ‘whore’, ‘blessed’ and ‘mother’ over the text of Psalm 25.
The cathedral’s parish priest, Father Enrique Salvo, said the church “had no idea that our welcome and prayer would be degraded in such a sacrilegious and deceptive manner.”
The pews were packed with about 1,000 mourners, many dressed in revealing outfits, including one with a feather boa made from $100 bills.
An image near the altar showed Gentili with a halo surrounded by the Spanish words for “transvestite,” “whore,” “blessed” and “mother” over the text of Psalm 25.
Actor Billy Porter began the “political theater” with a performance of “This Day,” before Father Edward Dougherty delivered the service declaring that “Cecilia died with Christ.”
“This great whore, Saint Cecilia, mother of all whores,” declared one mourner from the pulpit.
“Today we say that we will see you soon and that you will give us the strength and courage to carry on your legacy and the challenges that lie ahead.”
A priest singing ‘Ave Maria’ found himself unexpectedly accompanied by a mourner singing ‘Ave Cecilia’ as they danced through the aisles, twirling a red handkerchief.
New York City is home to at least 10 gay-friendly Catholic parishes, but St. Patrick’s Cathedral is not one of them.
Father Dougherty has previously written fondly about his first ministry in Tanzania, where homosexuals face life in prison and lawmakers have pushed to make gay sex a capital crime.
Gentili, who faced abuse from her family and neighbors after coming out as gay at age 12, became a U.S. citizen in September 2022 and published a book called Misdemeanors: Letters to Everyone in My Hometown Who Isn’t My Rapist , this year.
She also worked as a comedian and appeared on the acclaimed FX series ‘Pose,’ in which she played Miss Orlando, a New York City woman who offers discount plastic surgery.
Progressive Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was among those who paid tribute to Gentili after hearing of his death on February 6.
In 2019, she founded Trans Equity Consulting, a development consulting firm that sought to focus on trans women of color, immigrants, sex workers, and incarcerated people.
Just days before her death, Gentili managed to win a $540,000 grant from the CDC for her trans outreach program aimed at combating HIV transmission within the community.
Organizers believe theirs may have been the first funeral for a trans person at the 19th-century cathedral.
Gentili died at his home in Brooklyn, not far from the Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, where priest Jamie J. Gigantiello humiliatedly apologized and was fired as church administrator in November after allowing singer Sabrina Carpenter will film a “sacrilegious” pop video at the altar.
The video showed Carpenter, 24, arriving provocatively dressed at church in a pink hearse for her ex-boyfriends’ ‘funeral’ in front of an altar decorated with their pastel-coloured coffins, one of which included the inscription ‘ RIP B****’. .
“I agreed to the shoot after a general search of the artists involved revealed nothing questionable,” Gigantiello wrote in a letter to parishioners.