Bishop Clark walks a different path

Next Friday at 9 a.m. we will hold our annual Good Friday Stations of the Cross in Reparation for Abortion. We start with prayer service and then march to an abortion facility while praying the Stations of the Cross. The service is at McQuaid Jesuit High School, where there is an active pro-life group.

Each year we get between 100 and 200 participants, including a number of priests and deacons. It's good to see them out there walking for life.

But in all the years I have gone, I don't recall Bishop Clark ever participating.

In this morning's bulletin, I learned that he will be taking part in a 2-mile "Ecumenical Walk of the Cross" from the Episcopal Church of the Ascension to Sacred Heart Cathedral that begins 9:15 a.m. on Good Friday.

I have nothing against ecumenical efforts, and I am glad to see the bishop has recovered enough from his surgery to walk that far.

But it disappoints me. I would love to see him take part in the pro-life Stations on Good Friday, even just once. He has been involved in a number of ecumenical efforts, but few related to abortion. He has three more Good Friday opportunities after this year - if his retirement takes place on schedule - so I hope he will join us.

This year would have been good time to do it, though, given the policies of the Obama administration. A lost opportunity for Bishop Clark to make a statement.