Hangin with Catholic hommies...

[Gob]

LOVELAND, Colo. — A student is questioning whether his faith or his fashion is under fire at his high school in Loveland.



Thompson Valley High School officials have confiscated his rosary beads twice since school started three weeks ago.

And he says they never told him, or his family, why.

“They tell me I can’t wear them,” says Manuel Vigil, showing us an identical rosary to the one seized by his school.

The junior says he wears rosary beads to protect himself from harm.

But his school district thinks the religious necklace will harm students.

“That’s typically not what we want for a safe environment for school,” says Thompson Valley School District spokesperson Margaret Crespo.

The district says they can be affiliated with gangs, and disrupt learning.

“Are you in a gang? I ask Vigil. ‘No. I’m not in a gang,’ he says. You’re a good student? ‘I’m a good student,’” he says.

The 16-year-old says he and his family are strong Catholics.

“I use them for prayer. I feel safe when I have them on.”

The district says it gave Vigil options before seizing the beads.

“We’ve given you two opportunities to take it off or to put it inside your shirt. That’s not something you’re interested in doing. You’re not giving us an alternative than to remove it,” Crespo says Vigil was told.

But Vigil says he only got a demand.

“If he would have given me that option, I would have put it in my shirt,” he says.

Vigil’s classmates agree putting a bad label on a good symbol is wrong.

“If it’s for religious reasons he should be allowed to wear it. We have religious tolerance in this country,” says a freshman student Jack.

“It’s a necklace. Girls wear necklaces all the time and they never get them taken away,” says junior Rachel.

“They can say anything they want is disruptive. Just ‘cause they say it, doesn’t mean it’s true,” says freshman Adam. None of the students wanted to give their last names.

Vigil says how ironic he’s getting in trouble for being a good and faithful person.

“I could see if I was out doing gang activity, but I’ve never been in trouble with the law, never been in trouble at school,” says Vigil.

The bigger problem the district says is Vigil’s rosary had 13 beads per section, instead of the traditional 10.

That 13, they say, can be associated with the Sureno’s gang.

But Vigil didn’t know that.

Plus, on some religious websites we also found several rosaries featuring 13 beads.

His other confiscated rosary, by the way, has 10 beads.

He’s tried to pick them up from the office. But the school says they’ll only give them to a parent and his mom can’t make it during school hours because of work.

[Joe Guy]

What are "hommies"?...

[The Hen]

Homosexual homies.

[loCAtek]

Um, if that student were a true Catholic, he'd know that the Rosary is not to be 'worn' as a necklace; they are not jewelry.

I know Madonna started that, but that doesn't make it proper.


Maybe the kid should check his beliefs/arguments in catechism?

[Sean]

Um, the rosary beads are often worn by Catholics as protection from Satan. They were doing it way before Madonna was around...

Check out some nuns. They often wear their beads like a necklace.

[loCAtek]

Nuns and priests wear them reverently, usualy at the belt; not flagrantly around the neck and over the clothes.

It's more of a symbol of gang affiliation to wear it on top of your shirt.

[PMS Princess]

It could be in this case he's a better representative for Catholicism. He has more faith and personal relationship with God than some 'true Catholics' I've met who just go through the motions and think that makes them a true Catholic. I went to catechism for years, I have an uncle who is a priest and an aunt that is a nun and they never mentioned anything about going to hell for wearing a Rosary. Then again, it might have been mentioned that it was a no-no to wear it with a bikini and hit the beach. The boy isn't disrespecting it, it gives him comfort.

[PMS Princess]

As far as gang related...Anything now days can be affiliated with gangs. Colors, crosses, numbers, what side your hair is parted on, etc.

[loCAtek]

Who said anything about going to Hell?


The school just doesn't want him to be mistaken for a gang member.



Reminds me of an episode at my fosterson's High School;

His best friend came to class wearing a red shirt (representative of the Norteños) and the Admin told him to have his mother bring him one of another color for his own safety, or go home. FWIW I still see the gang sign X4 'round the park here...

She threw a hissy-fit, but brought him his alternative shirt, while she wore a red shirt, red pants, red shoes and a red hat ...

Nice way to miss the point

[Sean]

Nuns and priests wear them reverently, usualy at the belt; not flagrantly around the neck and over the clothes.

I dont know where you're getting your info from lo but trust me when I tell you that it is completely wrong. Christian Brothers generally wear them on their belts, nuns are more likely to wear them around their necks and in full view as symbols of their 'Brides of Christ' status.

[oldr_n_wsr]

From what I remember, the nuns had their rosaries as a bracelet.

Either way, let the kid wear the rosary.

PC correctness and zero tolerance means never having to use your brain, so I guess that is the easier option for the school. Kinda telling.

[Big RR]

I wonder if the school would also prohibit the wearing of yarmulkes (sp?) by jewish students? Or less obvious necklaces bearing a crucifix or an empty cross like many christians wear?

[dales]

Sikhs here in CALIFORNIA may carry a ceremonial dagger to school.

Go figure.

[Jarlaxle]

While I have no idea of whether it is or is not appropriate, I have seen rosaries worn on belts, as bracelets, and as necklaces...using them as a gang symbol is a new on on me.

[oldr_n_wsr]

Sikhs here in CALIFORNIA may carry a ceremonial dagger to school.

Go figure.

I used to work with a Sikh. Nice guy and he carried his dagger. I asked to see it (from what I could see it was a very nicely adorned knife) but he said if he took it out, it could not go back in "thirsty" meaning it had to have blood before going back.

[Guinevere]

I am not Catholic, but I always understood it was wrong/improper to wear a rosary as a necklace.

[Big RR]

Guin--I'm not catholic either, but a quick look on the net says certain religious orders wear the rosary as a necklace, others as belts. My two daughters went to a preschool run by a convent of Franciscan nuns (who always wore habits), and they always wore their rosaries as belts. My take from this is that rosaries could rpobably be worn as religious symbols, but not as jewelry.

[Guinevere]

Right BigRR, by "necklace" I meant not as a devotional item, but as jewelry (a la Madge).

[oldr_n_wsr]

Who's "Madge"?

[Scooter]

Madonna