Catholicism take to the beach with a bit of wind

[Wulfsunus]

How cool is this, feeling a touch of the sun and the hand of God on your bum, this is now the in thing for the progressive Roman Catholics. Now let's get naked with the good Lord, put on some sunscreen, and confess our 21st century ingenuity right up there . . . along with the blow-up doll!
Too cool if you ask me.



Wed Aug 6, 12:07 PM ET

ROME (Reuters) - Catholic nuns and priests in Italy are following their flocks to the beach this summer, establishing an inflatable church and a beach-convent in the sands to lure sunbathers.


The 30-metre (98 ft) long blow-up church -- staffed by priests ready to take confession -- will debut on Saturday on the Adriatic coast in the Molise region, an organizer said.

"There will be four or five people singing, with music about God," said Chiara Facci with Catholic group Sentinelli del Mattino. Night time activities, which will not include Mass, will run from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.

The first attempt to inaugurate the inflatable church last month on the holiday island of Sardinia failed after strong winds forced organizers to relocate, she said.

Big cities like Rome and Milan empty in August, when Italians head to the beach for summer holidays, leaving streets empty and many businesses closed. Churches are hardly immune, and also see their congregations thin.

On the Mediterranean coast, nuns from a convent near the southern Italian city of Naples have relocated to beach cabins to join holidaymakers saying the rosary. An adjoining altar was set up under two tents.

"The concept of a beach-convent is something that is appreciated by vacationers and the nuns themselves," priest Antonio Rungi, who helped spearheaded the initiative, told Italian news agency ANSA.

(Reporting by Olivia Scarlett and Phil Stewart, editing by Mary Gabriel)

[The Madame X]

mmmm... so do the nuns wear black bikinis trimmed in white with those fashionable head-dresses...and the good priests wear black speedos (we are talking Italy folks) and those cool priestly collars?
Oh yeah and the rosary beads and bibles too.

OK so who is throwing the theme party here folks?
First 50 people dressed in Roman Catholic Southern Italy Beach Attire get a free glass of sacramental wine...lol

[EzikielTempted]

I woudl be afraid- the last thing I want when I'm comuning with the sea is someone smacking me in the back of the head with their book.

Then again, I've made some pretty interesting aquaintences while strolling along the California coasts...

[Wulfsunus]

People singing . . . night activities, and the nuns . . . don't forget about the NUNS now, strutting their piously sexy stuff, and rosaries to boot, count me in!

Ever dated a nun, huh?

Hell I want a ticket to Italy now!

Just makes me want to be a Roman Catholic again.


"There will be four or five people singing, with music about God," said Chiara Facci with Catholic group Sentinelli del Mattino. Night time activities, which will not include Mass, will run from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.


On the Mediterranean coast, nuns from a convent near the southern Italian city of Naples have relocated to beach cabins to join holidaymakers saying the rosary. An adjoining altar was set up under two tents.