From my alma mater diocese. It has been said he did clown masses. However, some of the things mentioned here I consider worse. It took a long time and a new bishop for this guy to be forcefully retired.
Courtesy of Wikipedia Fr. T.Q.:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_J._Quinlan
Controversy
The Bishop of Richmond, Francis X. DiLorenzo retired Father Quinlan in June, 2005 from service at Holy Family in Virginia Beach.[2] A Christmas Eve homily,
which made references to Mary's birth canal, offended some members of the parish and was reported to Bishop DiLorenzo.
While Father Quinlan's homiletic language can be described as "salty" or "earthy," there were some instances of avant garde liturgical celebrations. According to local newspapers,[3] Father Quinlan drove a Volkswagen down the aisle during a Palm Sunday procession at Good Shepherd Catholic Church. At another Palm Sunday Mass, "T.Q"
drove a three-ton forklift down the center aisle at The Basilica of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Norfolk VA. Jet Magazine, August 18, 1977 The "yellow brick road" imagery was a metaphor for Jesus' pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Father Quinlan occasionally
costumed himself as The Grinch or as Superman at the beginning of a Mass. Another endeavor included a
psychedelic Mass with lighting effects. While some parishioners and visitors had difficulty relating to the style and messages delivered by T.Q, over time, Father Quinlan developed a strong and loyal following.
Some of TQ's issues were not related to his colorful character, but to the fact he was an alcoholic who occasionally fell off the wagon.
While some of his style could be offensive to some overly sensitive parishioners it was hard to tolerate him strolling into mass naked, drunk and chain smoking. He is a brilliant mind and there are few scholars of the Catholic Church who could match his knowledge of Church history. However, he could also be an over-bearing and condescending individual.
On 30 January 2006, The Catholic Virginian (the official newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond), printed the following regarding Fr. Quinlan:
"The Rev. Thomas Quinlan, a retired priest of the Diocese of Richmond, can no longer celebrate the sacraments publicly. He can celebrate Mass privately. Bishop DiLorenzo said he took this action as a response to Father Quinlan's behavior that has 'engendered anxiety and emotional upset which interferes with an individual's religious experience.'"
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