And standing for Vestry means...what?

Help us non-heretics out here, Robbo.

Episcopal Church Parishes are governed by a Board of Vestrymen, which sees to things like hiring of clergy, upkeep, the local budget and so on. It's a throwback to our roots in the semi-democracy of Colonial Virginia.

I thought you were Catholic?

Wait for it.....

Ok. It's like our parish councils.

Only we don't get to pick the priests. The archdiocese does that and it's highly annoying when you get a priest you like. When you get one you don't, well, then it's a good thing.

If you do go for it, try not to go power mad, eh? You'll only find yourself even more frustrated when you do come over to Rome.

The RCC is always taking applications and you have the added bonus of living in the Diocese of Arlington where the attitude is "we don't water it down and you don't like it, hit the road." This is marked contrast to where the LMC entourage resides, the Diocese of Richmond, where under the recently concluded the Reign of Terror of the Most Rev. Walter F. Sullivan, anything went if it could be packaged as "social justice" or anti-nuclear weapons.

Ah, but the Diocese of Richmond also includes the (my) estimable St. Joseph's parish, where the Tridentine Rite is still followed. I never found out how this conservative congregation got Sullivan to give his permission, but I like to think they had something on him and used it to maximum advantage. If you want to hear the old mass in Latin, drop by sometime.

I may just do that.