THANKS BE TO BARNEY?

Here is yet another video of the infamous Halloween Mass at Corpus Christi Church in some town in Orange County, California. I had watched it the other day when the Catholic Caveman had posted it. Just before the Dismissal Rite, Fr. Fred Bailey had gone and changed out of his vestments and into a BARNEY costume (while that poor excuse for a music ministry led the singing of the "I Love You" song). Now I had seen and heard everything, or at least I thought I did!

Barney loves yoooooooooooooooou!
Please stand and get a BARNEY BLESSING! (Oh cripe!)
The Lord is with yooooooooooooooooou! (And also with you)
And may God HUG you and bless you, in the name of Father, Son, Holy Spirit! (Amen)
The Mass is ended, go and give LOVE and HUGS to everybody! (Thanks be to God!)

I had to play it again. Fr. Gonzales, via comment on the Caveman's post, pointed out that a parishioner replied "Thanks be to Barney!" After a replay, I heard it myself. I also, in the midst of the cheering going in, heard a couple of boos amongst the congregation as Barney came waltzing down the aisle. Also anyone notice the Asian guy taking pictures of the goings on with the camera on his cell phone?

When my kids were really small, I would compare a sense of reality among the times between two popular children's public TV shows - Barney, and the Teletubbies. Now, I know - a number of people got their feathers ruffled over Tinky Winky being a male, and purple, and sometimes prancing around in a ballet skirt, but consider this:

Scenario: a young girl discovers she is pregnant, and doesn't know who the father is (yes, a very sad scenario that is very common in these times - our local public high school is living proof)
Barney: oh, that's okayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! (NO IT ISN'T!!!!)
Teletubbies: UH-OHHHHHHH!

I tend to lean more towards the "UH-OHHHHHHH!"

Peace,
BMP