Chapter 6   The Stripper for God meets the Dancing Priest – & other thoughts on the priesthood

written 7-21-22

Father Thomas Smith Ordained: 1951   Died: 2015 age 90

 

From the internet:   Father Thomas Smith, known as the “singing and dancing priest” was ordained in 1951, and served in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. He started out in a career on stage, performing at clubs in New York City before entering the seminary. He continued to perform while based at a McKeesport parish, in local nightclubs, at church dinners and church fundraisers into the 1990s. {Rasa says: he did more than ‘local’ clubs, he appeared at some hot spots. See his David Letterman Show on You tube.}

My Account: On March 19, 1979, I was booked into the Sheraton Hotel, Pittsburgh, PA. I heard about ‘the Dancing Priest’ from a tabloid, was excited about him, & determined to meet him as he was in that area. His church was fairly close to the Hotel & I took a cab daily to go there – I went to Mass most every day anyway, on the road or at home.

So I find his Church & go. There were so few daily attendants that he held the Mass in the rectory – about 5 people showed up, all women.

 

 

He asked each of us what we were dedicating our Holy Communion for & I said, ‘Souls in Purgatory.’ I recall how this older lady glanced at me, startled. I was young so she probably figured how unusual for a young person to care about them.

When Mass was over I told him I had heard about him & that surprised him a lot. He seemed slightly uncomfortable, as apparently few people there knew he was ‘the Dancing Priest.’

He was gracious & invited me to his residence right next to the church – can’t recall if it was just coffee or if we ate breakfast.

When I had to go to the rest room I was directed by one of his servants upstairs, she stood at the foot of the stairs to make sure I went the right way. I went the wrong way & passed a bedroom that was decorated in all red – his room? Like a bordello, I thought.

We chatted a few minutes & he had to rush off somewhere, giving instructions to two lady servants what work to do.

I was impressed & on Real People it shows he’d recruited 2 other priests to take part in an act sometimes. One funny line was,

A guy says 34-24-36 & Fr. cries, ‘Bingo!’

The priests, one of whom was chubby, seemed to be having fun & I was happy for them.

One lady servant lingered for a minute talking to me & I asked her about plans, & she looked into the sky sort of wistfully, & said

“Something big is coming up”

but wouldn’t tell me what. It could have been ‘Real People’ as I saw him there subsequently, or maybe David Letterman.

I recently saw the Letterman show & he conducted an intelligent & informative interview. Letterman was nervous. Then he sang with his band – he was good, & he moved well & dressed nicely. I liked the line where he said something like,

“Billy Sunday, Billy Graham & Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, step aside!”

I know it took nerve to say the Bishop’s name, as the CC might get mad. {Bishop Sheen was without fault, being canonized now – he helped me with my Mom through her last 3 weeks in Purgatory – probably because she made us watch his show. He was angelic.}

Fr. Tom admitted his act was a way to get people’s attention toward the Church. All his lyrics were special – designed that way – He didn’t do standards. He was one of a kind, & a good egg. I’m glad I took the effort to meet him, R.I.P. Fr. Tom.

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William Bond & I Discuss the Priesthood

From William Bond:In your latest writings Rasa, it seems you were acting like a priest with the people you worked with in the stripper places. It reminds me of what Pamela told me. 

 

She is Church of England and goes to Church every Sunday and she tells me she far prefers female vicars to male vicar, (there are some notable exceptions to this). And this doesn’t only apply to her but also seems to be the opinion of other people she meets at Church. She said that in the city where she lives people will travel across the city to go to Churches where there is female vicar and avoid most male vicars. 

 

She claims with that, with a few exceptions, male vicars haven’t a clue how to talk to people and she predicts that if this trend continues, women will be taking over the Church completely. Which makes me wonder why women were banned as priests. Apparently before Christianity was taken over by the state they did have female priests and it suggests that the only way male priests could compete against women priests, was to ban them completely. 

 

The Christian Church is in decline but perhaps women priests could reverse this. Pamela also reports the Church of England is now being politically correct and talking about a male and female God. So perhaps we could end up with Churches worshiping a female Mother God with a female priesthood.

 

An effective priest has to believe in God and prayer, to be a good communicator and listener and care about other people. Women are far more likely to be like this than men. I have read stories of career priests who have admitted they don’t men and care more for others. This is why I think once women are let into the priesthood of various religions they will end up taking over. This is why patriarchal religions had to ban female priests or priestesses. Pamela says this is happening in the Church of England over-here, but says there is resistance about women becoming bishops. 

 

I don’t know if there is any chance of there being Roman Catholic female priests but as more Christian sects agree to this I’m sure they will be under pressure to do the same.

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From Rasa:   OK I get what you mean then William.  Then I’m a Priest or Priestess, like a Pastor, who tends his or her sheep, feeds them, protects them.  This is what Jesus asked Peter to be, & I guess all his apostles or disciples.  ‘His’ sheep means those of God.

 

Yes, I do see people as God’s sheep.  And yes, we of God who are chosen have a duty to feed the sheep with n

nourishing thoughts & words – which is Truth.  We must protect the sheep from predators – the lions, wolves & bears represent negativity, bad thoughts & feelings, & the demonic.  We must take our sheep to green pastures where they will find life & water.

 

I see the Catholic Church diminishing greatly & I don’t think they will ever ordain women, that’s why they’ll shrink. If you can’t change or adjust to the ‘market’ you go ‘bankrupt.’ Once Kodak was the #1 photo institution, they even invented digital photography. But they failed to move ahead with the market, they slid back & eventually went bankrupt. The Catholic Church will fare the same. They will not ordain women because that would be a different Church entirely than what they are. They would rather shrink than fit, lol. So let them shrink, we don’t need them. The good within the Church will appear in other avenues, like my own religion. We will include all that is good in the Catholic, the Christian, The Yogic or Buddhist sects, the Wiccan / Pagan beliefs, into our religion. Something new will form, the good will not be lost. {End Chapter 6}