New York’s iconic St Patrick’s Cathedral has claimed it was duped into holding a ‘scandalous’ funeral service for a transgender activist celebrated in the mass as ‘the great whore.’
The Catholic cathedral, which bills itself as ‘America’s parish church,’ has been ordered to hold a ‘mass of reparation’ after hundreds of scantily-clad admirers danced in the aisles for former sex worker Cecilia Gentili.
The self-proclaimed atheist died at 52 on February 6, and organizers have admitted they kept her identity ‘kind of under wraps’ when booking the mass with cathedral authorities.
Now the cathedral’s pastor has issued a groveling apology to his parishioners, thanking the ‘many who have let us know they share our outrage.’
‘The Cathedral only knew that family and friends were requesting a funeral Mass for a Catholic, and had no idea our welcome and prayer would be degraded in such a sacrilegious and deceptive way,’ Father Enrique Salvo said in a statement.
Cecilia Gentili was a former sex worker and self-declared atheist who spent years as an undocumented migrant before becoming a prominent campaigner for LGBT rights
Around 1,000 friends and admirers packed St Patrick’s Cathedral for the raucous funeral service on February 15
Father Edward Dougherty who delivered the service, declared that ‘Cecilia died with Christ’
‘That such a scandal occurred at ‘America’s Parish Church’ makes it worse.
‘That it took place as Lent was beginning, the annual forty–day struggle with the forces of sin and darkness, is a potent reminder of how much we need the prayer, reparation, repentance, grace, and mercy to which this holy season invites us.’
Gentili, who was born in Argentina, took up sex work in New York City after moving illegally to the US and struggling to find a job in Miami.
In 2009 she was arrested on drug possession charges and imprisoned at Rikers Island, but freed with an ankle bracelet after a judge determined she could not be imprisoned safely with either men or women without risk of attack.
But she was granted asylum in 2012 and became a prominent campaigner for LGBT rights and HIV prevention.
Just days before her death Gentili was successful in winning a $540,000 grant from the CDC for her a trans outreach program aimed at combating HIV transmission within the community.
Funeral organizer Ceyenne Doroshow said she chose St Patrick’s for the funeral on February 15 because ‘it is an icon, just like her.’
The Catholic cathedral in Manhattan dubs itself ‘America’s parish church’ and has hosted funeral masses for figures including Jacqueline Onassis and Babe Ruth
Gentili, who was born in Argentina, took up sex work in New York City after moving illegally to the US and struggling to find a job in Miami
Fishnets, mini skirts and even a boa made of $100 bills adorned mourners at the service
Organizers believe hers may have been the first ever funeral service for a trans person at the 19th century cathedral
Funeral organizers said they chose St Patrick’s for the funeral on February 15 because ‘it is an icon, just like her
A picture near the altar showed a haloed Gentili surrounded by the Spanish words for ‘transvestite,’ ‘whore,’ ‘blessed’ and ‘mother’ above the text of Psalm 25
Cathedral pastor Father Enrique Salvo said the church ‘had no idea our welcome and prayer would be degraded in such a sacrilegious and deceptive way’
The pews were packed with around 1,000 mourners, many dressed in revealing outfits including one with a feather boa made of $100 bills.
A picture near the altar showed a haloed Gentili surrounded by the Spanish words for ‘transvestite,’ ‘whore,’ ‘blessed’ and ‘mother’ above the text of Psalm 25.
Actor Billy Porter began the ‘political theatre’ with a performance of ‘This Day’, before Father Edward Dougherty delivered the service, declaring that ‘Cecilia died with Christ’.
‘This great whore, St Cecelia, mother of all whores,’ announced one mourner from the pulpit.
‘Today we say we see you soon and that you will give us the strength, the courage to continue your legacy, to continue the challenges ahead.’
A priest singing ‘Ave Maria’ found himself unexpectedly accompanied by another mourner singing ‘Ave Cecilia’ as they danced down aisles, twirling a red scarf.
New York City hosts at least ten gay-friendly Catholic parishes – but St Patrick’s Cathedral isn’t one of them.
Father Dougherty has previously written fondly of his first ministry in Tanzania where gay people face life imprisonment and legislators have pushed to make a gay sex a capital offense.
Gentili who faced abuse from her family and neighbors after coming out as gay at 12 became a US citizen in September 2022 and released a book called Faltas: Letters to Everyone in My Hometown Who Isn’t My Rapist, that year.
She also worked as a stand-up comedian and appeared in the critically acclaimed FX series ‘Pose’, in which she played Miss Orlando, a New York City woman who provided discounted plastic surgery.
New York progressive Democrat Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was among those who paid tribute to Gentili after hear death on February 6
In 2019, she founded Trans Equity Consulting, a development consulting firm that sought to center trans women of color, immigrants, sex workers, and incarcerated people
Just days before her death Gentili was successful in winning a $540,000 grant from the CDC for her a trans outreach program aimed at combating HIV transmission within the community
Organizers believe hers may have been the first ever funeral service for a trans person at the 19th-century cathedral.
Gentili died at home in Brooklyn, not far from the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church where priest Jamie J Gigantiello issued a groveling apology and was sacked as church administrator in November after allowing singer Sabrina Carpenter to film a ‘sacrilegious’ pop video on the altar.
The video showed Carpenter, 24, arrive provocatively dressed at the church in a pink hearse for the ‘funeral’ of former boyfriends in front of an altar decorated with their pastel coffins, one of which included the inscription ‘RIP B****’.
‘I agreed to the filming after a general search of the artists involved did not reveal anything questionable,’ Gigantiello wrote in an letter to parishioners.