Christmas war erupts in unlikely place

Christmas war erupts in unlikely place
By SHERRI DAY

TAMPA - They wanted to make Christmas bright for patients at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital.

But, quite by accident, a group of parents, teachers and sisters from the Villa Madonna Catholic School stepped into the Christmas wars. Improbably, their opponent was St. Joseph's Children's Hospital, which has its roots in the Catholic Church.

At issue: whether the group could distribute religious-themed gifts to patients. During a Dec. 11 visit, the hospital staff assessed the group's offerings and quickly made a decision. Ornaments that read "Joy to the World" and "Peace on Earth" were in. Nativity lapel pins, ornaments bearing a "Merry Christmas" message and Jesus-themed T-shirts were out. They could only be given to patients with parental consent.

"Yes, we were founded by Catholic sisters, but we serve everybody in our community," said Sister Pat Shirley, a Franciscan sister and the hospital's vice president of missions. "We have to create an environment in which all feel comfortable whether it be Christmas or Hanukkah or Gasparilla or any circumstance."

The hospital, Sister Shirley said, has patients from varied religious backgrounds and carefully scrutinizes gifts, particularly those of a religious nature. Other bay area hospitals forbid donating religious items.

Sister Kim Keraitis, the school's principal and a member of the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco, found the hospital's political correctness appalling.

"It's not Tampa General," Sister Keraitis said. "It's not Wal-Mart. It's a Catholic hospital, so if you want to distribute items that say 'Merry Christmas' even if there are people there that are of other faiths, it's kind of understood that it's a Catholic hospital."

The group's visit was the second year they went to cheer patients at Christmas. This year, 18 supporters planned to sing songs about jingling bells and red-nosed reindeers. One couple would dress up as Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus and distribute glow-in-the-dark necklaces and bracelets to brighten children's nights.

But the glow jewelry, apparently, was held up at the North Pole.

So Sister Keraitis proffered ornaments, nativity pins and red T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan "Jesus is the heart of Christmas ... Villa Madonna wishes you a Merry Christmas."

"What is Santa Claus with an empty sack when you go into a Children's Hospital?" said Kimmie Martinez, a Villa Madonna teacher and parent who dressed up as Mrs. Claus. "The sister saved us."

Thus began the group's unexpected entry into a culture war. Last year, Christian advocacy groups around the nation waged a campaign against retailers who jettisoned "Merry Christmas" for the more secular "Happy Holidays." Bowing to pressure, some businesses, including Wal-Mart, again embraced Christmas this year, muting controversy.

As the group made its way through the hospital last week singing Jingle Bells and We Wish You a Merry Christmas, parents eagerly allowed their children to accept the gifts, Martinez said.

When parents were not present, the volunteers asked patients if they said 'Merry Christmas' or believed in Jesus. If they answered yes to either one, they got the gifts, Sister Keraitis said.

"I don't want to cause a big stir, but my concern was the fact that it's a Catholic institution," Sister Keraitis said. "Within the Catholic institution, we shouldn't have to apologize for saying 'Merry Christmas' to people."

The hospital is part of the St. Joseph's-Baptist Health Care System, and part of a collection of 10 private nonprofit hospitals in Pinellas and Hillsborough.

Martinez was not put off. It pales compared to bringing joy to children in distress, and if the hospital allows her, she hopes to return. Next year, however, she'll make sure she has her glow-in-the-dark necklaces.

"I just want to be welcomed back because we all enjoy it," she said.

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