I had previously covered this story last week, but pulled it down when Matt. C. Abbot pulled his to do further investigation.
St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary recently sent out two vocation-recruiting catalogs to prospective seminarians. One version � which contained only articles and no advertisements � targeted straight men. The other version � which did contain advertisements, including the one pictured below, with two bare-chested men standing next to each other in a hot tub � targeted homosexual men.
I have, in my possession, a copy of the latter. (This is addressed to those who might cast doubt on the authenticity of the “gay-friendly” version, as certain individuals did with regard to the photos in my June 19, 2007 column.)
The catalogs were also sent to Miami pastors, at least one of whom was infuriated by the advertisements included in the “gay-friendly” version. Incidentally, said version has reportedly been “recalled” � whatever that may mean.
In addition to the hot tub ad, you’ll notice the first paragraph of an ad for a South Florida restaurant, where “you’re given the ultimate excuse to party,” and where there are “lovers bathed in a captivating sanctuary of controlled unrestraint.”
Pictures from the catalogs are here.
8 comments
I just don’t get why they are doing this. And why there is no response. You can’t recall a magazine. It is done. What is the explanation for this? Who will lose their job for it? Or was this just an accident, wink wink?
Thanks for the follow-up. It is clearer that the advertisement shown is for a magazine sponsor, not for the seminary!
Ever miss the Inquisition?
I mean the real one, not the trumped up protestant version.
I’m curious as to how they knew whom to send each different catalog.
Yikes. How pitiful.
-J.
Daniel, the magazine is not just any old magazine, but the seminary’s catalog. Regardless of the “orientation” of the people in the ads, the ads are wholly inappropriate for a seminary publication, IMHO…the fact that the pictures for the apartment/condo complex show two men is rather unusual in mainstream ads and to me indicates the ad was placed intentionally, and the wording of the restaurant ad is just ridiculous for a religious magazine.
Better check Abbot’s update.
Seems the printer screwed up, and collated part of a gay magazine with some copies of “Dialog”.
WAC
If that is the case, I wonder if they’ll use that printer again.
Yes, there is much about this story as Abbott reported it that is wrong, wrong, wrong.
He should have, like a real journalist, called the seminary itself. But he evidently didn’t.
“Dialogue” is not a seminary “catalog”. Nor is it any kind of recruitment publication. Seminaries don’t recruit seminarians because seminarians don’t choose which seminary to attend. They’re sent to a particular seminary by a bishop.
It is a publication for donors and alumni, sent out quarterly, I think.
It is clear this was a publishing mix-up, even though Abbott is loathe to admit it, even in his “correction.”