What with heresy trials and excommunications, Catholic life in these Unites States is taking on a decidedly retro tone:

Archbishop Burke excommunicates board of St. Stan’s:

St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke has notified the six lay members of the
board of directors of St. Stanislaus Kostka parish and a priest from the
diocese of Springfield Cape-Girardeau who they had hired to be their pastor
that they have been excommunicated.

Excommunication is considered a serious penalty under church law, and is
intended to distance a Catholic from the Christian community.

“This is just last of the shameful actions done to us last couple years,” said
board member Bob Zabielski. “He wants the property and that’s it and he’s
using every weapon in his arsenal. This is nothing more than a peeice of paper
written by a man trying to get our property.”

Two weeks ago the board hired the Rev. Marek Bozek, a priest from Springfield,
Mo., to be their pastor. Bozek was suspended by Bishop John J. Leibrecht, the
leader of the Springfield Cape-Girardeau diocese.

In February, Burke placed the board under the canonical penalty of interdict, a
lesser form of excommunication. In a statement Friday, Burke invited the board
and Bozek “to be reconciled with the Church.”

In an archdiocesan newspaper published today, Burke wrote about the
excommunication.

Here’s the text

As I wrote at the beginning, my heart is heavy in writing to you about the break of communion with the Church by our brothers and sisters at St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish, most especially at the Holy Seasons of Advent and Christmas.  We must not, however, permit Satan to steal our joy at the preparation for Christmas and the celebration of the Birth of Our Lord Jesus. Let, rather, the mystery of the Incarnation, which we will celebrate with deepest joy on Christmas Day and throughout the Christmas Season be the source of our renewed prayers for the reconciliation of the members of the board of directors, of those who support them, and of Father Marek Bozek. 

On Dec. 17, we will begin the final days of our preparation for the Solemnity of the Birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ. On each day, from Dec. 17 to Dec. 24, we will salute Christ our Savior by one of the ancient and beautiful titles given to the long-awaited Messiah. The last of the titles is Emmanuel. It contains all the other titles, for it means: God with us. Let us, through the intercession of Our Lady of Czestochowa, implore our Lord Jesus Christ, the Divine Mercy, on behalf of the reconciliation of those who have gone into schism. Christ, Divine Mercy Incarnate, accomplishes all things. Let us place the dolorous situation of St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish into all-merciful and loving heart.