Waco Tribune-Herald: As part of a private opening party for a new Hooters, Monsignor Isidore Rozycki, the head Catholic priest for the Greater Waco area, plans to bless the chain’s newest location at New Road and Interstate 35.
“Blessings are part of the Catholic tradition,” said Rozycki, who is pastor of St. Martin’s Church in Tours. “You bless the building so it will be a safe haven, so that the families that enter will be blessed, so the employees will be blessed—as they support their families.”
About 60 local ministers signed a letter this fall in which they expressed their disapproval of the restaurant. They said they oppose Hooters because it exploits women and bases its marketing campaign on sexual innuendo.
But to Rozycki, offering the blessing is just another way he can reach out and serve the community. He pointed to the biblical story of Jesus eating with a tax collector, even though men in that profession were considered among the worst of sinners. He says he doesn’t see how attending the Hooters event is any different.
“God’s image is in all of these folks,” Rozycki said.
[via Adfreak]
