Fulton Sheen Center -- a "New Off Broadway Arts Complex"

First Things blog has an interesting article on the new Sheen Center in New York City, named after the Venerable Fulton Sheen. The last sentence in the article should perhaps be the first:

[The] Sheen Center is the archdiocese’s monument to post-Catholicism.

As a Catholic, I am scratching my head over the Sheen Center and plans for its use. First Things' Maureen Mullarkey writes in Sheen Center Pre Partum Blues,:

Described by its own in-house consultant Nick Leavens  as simply a "new off-Broadway arts complex." it will "function as a hub for the circulation of tax exempt monies." 

How exactly is running an off-Broadway theater a function of the Catholic Archdiocese of New York? Perhaps the answer is simply what Leavens said above, essentially follow the money, one more way for the Archdiocese of New York can get its hands in the taxpayers' pockets -- through government grants to the arts.

According to the center's press release:

Companies who have already signed on to use The Sheen Center include The New York International Fringe Festival, Strange Sun Theater, /the claque/, Terranova, Wingspan Arts, MorDance and Voyager Theater Company.

Let's take a look at a few of these theater companies.

Will Archbishop Dolan Feature Brokeback Mountain at the Fulton Sheen Center?

What kind of elite glitteratti will Cardinal Dolan entertain at the new center? Maybe Michelle and Barack will fly up to the Big Apple in Air Force 1 to attend. What a photo op: a big poster of Fulton Sheen on one side and a laughing Cardinal Dolan on the other. Gives me goosebumps.

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Center for Art and Culture

Here's what the diocese says about the center and events to be held:

the center includes an exhibition area; several conference rooms that are able to be opened into one large conference room; a “black box” theatre, which holds 93 people and can be configured to suit the particular needs of any event; a theatre that holds 250 people; and—of course—a chapel for those who visit the center and want to sit, converse, and pray with the Lord....

Additionally, the center will rent space to outside organizations for events. Some of these will likely have religious overtones and others will not. But, there are bills to be paid, and we don’t want the center to be a financial drain on the archdiocese. However, no event will present a message unacceptable to the Church, and all programs will have the purpose of bringing the true, the good, and the beautiful to our community.

Well, we all know that letting gay activists march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade fits Cardinal Dolan's idea of what is acceptable to the Church. And I expect gay activists will be asking to present The Laramie Project, the gay propaganda play that promotes the lie that Matthew Shepherd was killed because he was gay. It's been a great propaganda tool to advance the gay agenda. And who cares if it's a myth? To read the real story go here. It's a tragedy that Matthew Shepherd or anyone else is murdered, but the fact is when you lead a dangerous lifestyle you increase your risk of a violent death, a wasted one at that. Be willing to die for something, but let it be something worth dying for -- like the martyrs of the Church.

As for events at the Fulton Sheen Center, does anyone trust Cardinal "Bravo's" interpretation of what is "unacceptable to the Church?"