Meeting Hate with Christ

A MIT Student’s Eyewitness  Account

by Tamara Isabell
Khristian Erich Bauer-Roweis is a senior at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a member of Juventutem Boston (see here). He was one of the altar servers  in an historic Eucharistic Procession from MIT to Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts last week in reparation for* and response to the black mass ‘re-enactment’ which Harvard University Extension had scheduled to take place on university property. 
Khristian carried a large altar candle in the front of the procession of thousands who marched peacefully behind the Eucharist to St Paul’s Church. There, an overflow crowd including Harvard President Drew Faust**  attended the Eucharistic Adoration. In a last-minute decision, President Faust had withdrawn Harvard’s permission hours before it was scheduled to commence.
That Harvard would have been chosen as the locale for a Satanic Mass last week resonated powerfully with local Catholics, as well as with students at elite universities. Boston is famously Irish Catholic, as many trace their ancestry back to Ireland and quite a few Bostonians retain ties there. For more about this, click the image below for Regina Magazine’s new˜Secret Catholic Insider’s Guide to Ireland.˜
Boston3

Q. Khristian, how did you feel personally as a Catholic, to learn of a Black Mass to be conducted on Harvard’s campus?
A. My immediate feelings were of anger and disbelief. I could not believe that Harvard publicly offered a platform for individuals to mock and ridicule that which we as Catholics hold most dear: the Eucharist in the Mass.
Q. How did you find out about the Eucharistic Procession? Was there a lot of buzz about it?
A. The seeds for the Eucharistic procession were sown (rather appropriately) after adoration at MIT the Wednesday before the Satanic mass was to take place. My friend and I discussed (the Satanic Mass) with Father Clancy and his response was to ‘meet hate with Christ.’ Literally. I found out the next day by email that he had organized a Eucharistic Procession.
We were all incredibly excited. No one had ever thought to do a Eucharistic Procession in Cambridge, MA, a place not exactly known for its religious piety. Immediately, we publicized the event by email and the internet, hoping to gather a sizable group. We had no idea just how big that group would become.
Q. What was the reaction from bystanders in the streets?
A. It was quite amazing to see many people kneeling, crossing themselves, or just simply acknowledging the presence of our Lord. Some just simply stopped what they were doing and stared curiously; I think they had a sense that there was something special.
Q. Could you describe the mood and conduct of the participants during the Procession?
A. We were all very prayerful and mindful of the presence of our Lord. As we walked, we sang songs of adoration and praise. We kept in mind those who would be performing the Satanic ceremony, praying for their conversion.
Boston6KhristianBoston7
Q. What was the Adoration at St Paul’s Church like?
There was also a feeling that we were confronting evil together, united with Christ. The feeling of unity I think was especially apparent when every voice in St. Paul’s Church rose during the hymn “Holy God We Praise Thy Name.” Finally, we all felt a tremendous sense of pride in our Church.
Q. Were attendees generally aware Harvard president Drew Faust was among their numbers?
President Faust had released a statement before the Procession that she would attend Adoration, so many of us were aware that she was present. No doubt, this gesture was motivating because it represented a visible condemnation from a very public figure. However, even if she had not attended, we all felt that we had made a strong statement to Harvard that we will defend our faith.
Q. Were you surprised by Harvard’s decision to disallow the Black Mass on university property?
A. I was honestly not surprised by this decision. We had mobilized such a large group and received such an outpouring of support that it would have been hard for Harvard to justify its continuing support. And of course, the power of prayer is beyond comprehension.
Q. What was the reaction from local Catholics?
A. We were all jubilant when told of the decision. There was a feeling that we had conquered evil through love and unity. It was a great victory for us, but most importantly, a reminder of the power of the Eucharist, and the promise that evil will never overcome the Church.
Q. Reports have emerged that the ‘Black Mass re-enactment’ was not cancelled altogether, but actually took place off campus. Does this diminish the victory somewhat?
A. These reports do not in any way diminish what we accomplished that day. While it is sad that this ceremony might still have taken place, it does not diminish the countless acts of love and the unity expressed by everyone that day.
Q. What do you think you accomplished on that day?
A. According to the Archdiocese of Boston, over two thousand Catholics, many from out of state, converged on Cambridge to show Harvard and the world who we are and what we hold dear. We proudly walked with our Lord in visible defiance of an evil act. And we showered Him with praise and affection as we adored Him in the Eucharist. 
Q. What effect do you think this Procession has had?
A. I think the individuals planning the Satanic mass could not have envisioned the sleeping giant that they awoke. My hope is that this episode is a spark for all of us to grow closer to Christ and deepen our relation with Him.
PHOTO CREDITS: JUSTIN BELL
______________________________________________________________________________________
Editor’s Notes
* For centuries, it has been a Catholic practice to pray and make personal sacrifices ‘in reparation for’ evils that are promulgated by others.
** Drew Faust is a descendant of the famous American Puritan Rev. Jonathan Edwards, third president of Princeton University.