the gourmet diocese

By Diogenes ( articles ) | Sep 02, 2006

It took a private investigator to uncover the $200,000 apparently skimmed from parish funds, but the latest topic of discussion in Darien, Connecticut is whether or not ordinary people-- and the chancery-- should have known that Father Michael Fay was partying hard with his boyfriend.

Those who say Yes can cite the January-February issue of Philadelphia Style magazine-- dubbed the "sexiest issue ever"-- in which the pastor and his pal are pictured together, and answer the question: "Where was your most romantic Philadelphia dining experience?" Might be a tipoff there.

Those who say No point out that parish officials never blew the whistle about the parties in the rectory. ("He probably would have gotten rid of anybody who tried to make waves.") And the caterer who provided all the gourmet spreads never saw anything amiss:

Moscato said he never thought anything of Fay's tastes, saying he has cooked for several priests in the Bridgeport Diocese and they all want nothing but the best.

"Go audit every priest in the diocese," Moscato said. "You'd be shocked where they eat."

Remember this is a caterer speaking: an expert on culinary tastes. When he says that we'd be shocked, that's an expert opinion.

Maybe he's exaggerating. But if there really is a diocese whose clerics are given over to the pleasures of the table, what can you say about the level of ascetical practice there? And if they've given up the battle on temperance in food, how do you suppose they're doing on chastity?

Y'know what? I say go ahead with that audit.