More Midtown Info - NOTE: Needs Verification
From: St. Patrick's
Sent: Wed May 09 2007
Subject: An Important Message From St. Patrick's
May 9, 2007
Dear Members of the St. Patrick's Church and Day School Community:
Last night, Channels 5 and 7 reported on a story involving a group that rents
space in St. Patrick's Church on Sunday nights. The report follows an article
last week in Newsweek about the same group, Midtown AA. The reports have
focused on allegations that Midtown, a group associated with Alcoholics Anonymous, is
what former members have told Newsweek is a "coercive, cultlike group."
The Newsweek article did not identify St. Patrick's Church by name, but an
accompanying photograph showed an exterior shot of the church. The Channel 7
report - which included interviews and film footage shot across the street on
the property of George Washington University's Mount Vernon Campus -
mentioned St. Patrick's Church by name and showed exterior footage of the church.
The church leadership - including the xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, the Junior and
Senior Wardens, and other church officers - has led St. Patrick's
consideration of the issues presented by these allegations against Midtown AA.
Representatives of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington have participated in
these conversations, as well. The church leadership has also kept Day School
Board Chair xxxxxxxx and Head of School xxxxxxxxxx apprised of the
investigation they have launched of Midtown's activities and welcomed their
participation in the ongoing conversation. St. Patrick's Church has
historically made its facilities available in the evenings to groups associated
with Alcoholics Anonymous, believing that AA's valuable work is consistent
with the church's mission.
In writing to you today, we want to assure you that there is a considerable
distance between Midtown AA's use of St. Patrick's facilities - and there
appears to be no suggestion that any of the alleged activities have occurred
on St. Patrick's property - and the presence of your children and you at St.
Patrick's School and/or in regular activities at the Church.
That said, we also want to inform you that St. Patrick's Church and Midtown
AA have agreed that Midtown AA will not meet at St. Patrick's until we complete
the appropriate investigation. We will keep you informed of future
developments in this matter. Please do not hesitate to contact either one of us with your
questions, comments, or concerns.
Our best to you,
xxxxxxxxxxx, Rector
xxxxxxxxx, Head of School
Now, I don't know how valid this letter is (I will edit this post once I confirm it to be valid, delete if found not be valid). What I do know is that, if valid, I am not surprised. It seems like a logical step on the churches part in order to keep themselves in the clear, legal wise. Should Midtown be cleared of the alegations before them, it will be a shame that it came to this. However, I (personaly, not as a member of AA) do feel that a "better safe than sorry" stratagy is prudent at this time.