Extreme Communion

By now we've all heard how no one, including Pope Benedict himself, can touch a blade of grass at Yankee Stadium because, after all, they're hosting the All-Star Game there this year. But here's some Yankee Stadium news, via the Archdiocese of New York, that is more than just a little surreal. It is the "Safety First Training Video - Holy Communion." I'm not making this up. You don't need to watch the entire three minutes of grainy video to appreciate this. A minute or two will suffice. I realize this training is a necessary exercise since, as the video points out, the extreme ends of the upper deck are going to present challenges not only to the extraordinary ministers but to those in line to receive. Still, the video is a strange mix of reverence, baseball, safety tips, and Gregorian chant. I found it downright funny at times, but that's probably just my warped sense of humor.

-- Mary DeTurris Poust