A Missouri church has apologized after an alarming announcement was published in its bulletin.
Ascension Catholic Church in Chesterfield, about two hours from Jefferson City, placed an announcement in its June 16 bulletin calling on young people to join a militia.
‘JOIN NOW’ was written in large, bold letters on the advertisement calling for men aged between 18 and 29 to form the group ‘La Legión de la Sancta Lana’.
Alongside a large QR code directing people to an app, the announcement explained that members would “protect the holy eucharist, the congregation, the clergy and the church grounds from violent and non-violent attacks.”
The Catholic Church quickly retracted the announcement, with the Rev. Eugene Schaeffer, associate pastor of the parish, calling it a “mistake.”
Ascension Catholic Church in Chesterfield, Missouri, originally had an advertisement published in its June 16 newsletter calling for young people to join a militia.
The advertisement (pictured) called on men aged between 18 and 29 to form the group ‘The Legion of Sancta Lana’ to ‘protect the Holy Eucharist, the congregation, the clergy and the church grounds from violent attacks and non-violent’.
“The advertisement, which included a QR code with a membership application, suggests that a militia would be formed and that this group would be affiliated with Ascension Parish. This, of course, is not true,” the church said in a statement on your website. website.
‘To be perfectly clear, no militia is being formed and we regret that this issue has been included in the bulletin.
‘Furthermore, the suggestion that our community might need a militia in order to celebrate the Eucharist is inappropriate and unhelpful.
“We sincerely apologize for this error and the distress it has caused, and we believe it is in the best interest of our parish and our community that we clarify that we do not support this activity,” the statement added.
The announcement explained that interested members would have to undergo training involving “strict standards of physical fitness, classroom study and instruction in military operations.”
The announcement explained that interested members would have to undergo training involving “strict standards of physical fitness, classroom study and instruction in military operations.”
A militia is commonly known as an organized army of non-professional, part-time soldiers who join together for emergency situations.
The church assured parishioners and the public that “there have been no threats” that would require a group of youth to protect the religious community.
One parishioner, who preferred to remain anonymous, said: fox 2 echoed the reverend’s acknowledgment of error.
“It was an announcement that was printed without any review by the parish and I think it went unnoticed during the review process,” he said.
The Catholic Church quickly retracted the announcement and posted a statement of apology (pictured) on its website.
The Catholic Church quickly retracted the announcement, while the Rev. Eugene Schaeffer (pictured), associate pastor of the parish, called it a “mistake.”
Although church bulletins are published by an outside agency, long-time members of the parish were surprised to see the peculiar advertisement inside.
“It was kind of a surprise, because it’s contradictory to everything the school and the church preach in the parish,” said one parishioner.
The church operates two Catholic schools: The Little School for children ages two to five and Ascension Catholic School for students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
The parish has not identified the person who paid for the ad, but the QR code link says the request form is “no longer accepting responses.”
DailyMail.com has contacted Ascension Catholic Church for comment.
Another church recently gained national attention when its leaders prohibited the parish from using its amphitheater for Sunday prayers.
Dillon city officials prevented all non-city-sponsored groups from using its amphitheater, including the Dillon Community Church, which had held events there for 42 years.
City officials in Dillon, Colorado, blocked all non-city-sponsored groups from using the space, including the Dillon Community Church, which had held events there for 42 years, after being inundated with rental applications.
The decision has catapulted the town of 1,000 people into the centre of a debate over worship in public facilities.
Lobbyists on both sides threatened lawsuits, with some demanding the church be given special dispensation to meet, while others criticized preferential access as a “Christian privilege.”
City Manager Nathan Johnson told the Denver Post: “There needs to be a separation between church and state. We can’t favor one denomination over another.”