Keene Equinox

Issue date: 12/13/07 Section: News

Media Credit: JJ Prior, Executive Editor Brother Andre Marie speaks to Equinox reporters at the Saint Benedict Center Nov. 30.

This Q&A is to provide a response from the Saint Benedict Center after controversy over a benefit concert held on campus Dec. 8. The Equinox is committed to presenting a balanced representation from both sides of this issue. In an e-mail interview, Brother Andre Marie of the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary answered a few questions the Equinox had.



The Equinox: What are the three greatest misconceptions people have about the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary? Why is the Benedict Center perceived as so controversial?



Brother Andre Marie: This is a hard one to answer because of the veritable avalanche of misinformation. I would guess that the top three misconceptions are (1) that we are a "hate" group because of our belief that outside the Church there is no salvation and what this means for certain groups of people, (2) that we want to go against the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law because we have been told by legal counsel that our new church building cannot be treated under town ordinances differently than a non-religious public assembly, and (3) that we wish to force people to convert to Catholicism. In actuality, we wish to exercise our first freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution and in accordance with federal, state and local law, to demonstrate to our fellow citizens the necessity of conversion to the one True Faith in order for them to be saved. We do not do this out of hate, but love and concern for their immortal souls.



TE: How has being labeled part of the Southern Poverty Law Center's "Dirty Dozen" affected the Slaves? How would you define a "hate group"?



BAM: It has complicated many aspects of our life. Like other groups that have been smeared by SPLC, we deal with it as best we can. I recommend that KSC students Google up an article by Don Feder called "Clumsy Smear Masters." Mr. Feder is a Jewish writer who was attacked by the SPLC. Although many of the groups profiled by SPLC may be very scary hate groups, there are also groups like ourselves that have been falsely portrayed.

I would define a hate group as any institution which instills in its members extreme hostility toward a particular category of people. We do not instill that kind of thinking or behavior. For us, all non-Catholics are potential converts. We want to show them kindness and charity so as to help win them over to our faith. This has worked.

We have several converts here, and some friends who are considering our faith. A Jewish friend of ours, for one, has told me, "I never felt anything but love and kindness from you people." He has been studying the faith for a while and is likely to be baptized one day. Out of love, we welcome all people, whether fallen-away Catholics, or people of Protestant, Muslim, Jewish or any other background to come and adore the Blessed Trinity with us in the Catholic Church.

TE: Do you believe it was appropriate for those who opposed the group's presence on campus to discourage people from attending the fiddle event? Do you believe it affected the turnout?



BAM: They are free to discourage things just as we are. After all, we protested "The Da Vinci Code" and many of us pray outside abortion clinics. We hope free speech is still alive and well in our country.

We are saddened that the group of protesters chose to protest the children's musical event, especially since the protesters' objections seem to have nothing to do with the fiddle playing but rather with the misconceptions of our religious and moral beliefs. Nevertheless, I am encouraged by the small number of protesters and believe they were not indicative of the whole of the student body, the college or the college community of Keene State.



TE: Some of the literature passed out to potential concertgoers claims you support the aggressive and violent rejection of homosexuality. Do you hate homosexuals? What would happen if a member of the Slaves revealed himself or herself as a homosexual?



BAM: It's preposterous to say that we countenance violence against homosexuals or any other group of people. We hold, with the Catholic Church, that homosexual acts are gravely disordered and are sinful. They are contrary to the nature of the human person created by God as man and woman.

These acts do not lead to human fulfillment, not in this life, and not in the next. We do not hate homosexuals. We pray for them to live chaste lives, frequent the sacraments, and seek counseling. The Catholic Church does not allow seminaries and religious Orders to admit homosexuals to the priesthood or religious life.



TE: Is it possible to understand The Slaves of the Immaculate Heart without understanding Catholicism?



BAM: It is possible, but only to have a very superficial understanding. Someone with no idea of Church doctrine, history, or morals - especially if he has been indoctrinated into the secular religion of political correctness - could easily isolate certain beliefs from their larger context and jump to illogical conclusions. That seems to be what some of our Saturday-night protesters did.



TE: Some have accused the Slaves of strategically working to de-fund the Monadnock School District in hopes to recruit students to the Center. Is there any validity to this concern?



BAM: The claim is ludicrous and has no validity. We seek to provide our students with an excellent academic education in a structured environment and rooted in the teachings of the Catholic Church.

To the extent we recruit, we recruit by advertising the high quality of Immaculate Heart of Mary School and generally recruit students to our school from our local church-goers.



TE: What type of relationship would you ideally like to have with Keene State College? Would you like to create a dialogue?



BAM: Welcoming KSC students for visits here would be one way to foster a dialogue. Hospitality is a hallmark of what we do here. Come and get to know us. As some KSC students recently learned, we are not the dark specters we have been made out to be.

I wouldn't want to take an artificial approach to dialogue as is often the case in politics and diplomatic-type religious exchanges. A couple of alternatives strike me: When I was an undergrad at Louisiana State University, I was a member and then president of a Catholic activist group on campus. We would bring in guest lecturers from time to time to speak on Catholic topics.

I wouldn't mind giving a talk on, say, why we like the current Pope's return to tradition, or even certain basics of Catholic doctrine, or traditional Catholic symbolism in the fiction of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Alternatively, some people host "theology on tap" sessions whereby students imbibe some good brew while in a relaxed sort of lecture / Q&A session.

I don't drink, but I'm not against others doing so in my presence, assuming they are of legal age, of course!



TE: How can the college and the Saint Benedict Center work to understand one another's point of view, with respect to different lifestyles and beliefs, and work to create a more peaceful community?



BAM: I am surprised that the College has a "point of view." I would think that the student body includes a diversity of opinions, beliefs, and world views, even on very fundamental issues. In fact, I have a friend who is a KSC student and whose religious beliefs are the same as my own. That said, a peaceful community can be fostered by practicing neighborliness and friendship.

Having friendly conversation can help us to understand each other better.

Come to our events: our concerts, our summer conference (free to college students), our Fiddle Festival in Swanzey, and other such things. Meet the Brothers and Sisters. If you don't want to come all the way out to Richmond, go to the monthly Latin Mass in Keene and get some idea of our religious ambit.

For our part, maybe we'll go to more events at KSC, especially musical or theater events. (I once saw my brother perform there with his brass quintet.)

Maybe the brothers will show up at a chamber music recital, or a Jazz band concert or two. Most of us are music buffs.

The same goes for the layfolk who come to Mass here. If we enjoy good cultural events together, we can become more friendly to each other. That fits in with the Gospel message.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools