A Minnesota woman appeared in court yesterday, charged with violating a restraining order preventing her and her autistic son from attending their local catholic church.
The Church of St Joseph in Bertha, Minnesota took out the restraining order after 13 year old Adam Race, who suffers from autism, assaulted another child, spat at worshipers and urinated in the church font. Daniel Walz, the church pastor says he was forced to take action to protect the congregation from the six foot, sixteen stone teenager.
Adam’s mother Carol Race is defying the court order, saying that mass is very important to her son and no one has the right to refuse him access to church.
The Races have been offered a closed circuit television link-up so they can watch the mass live from the church basement, but they have declined the offer saying it has no spiritual value.
Mrs Race has admitted that Adam is sometimes difficult to control in church. On previous occasions she and her husband, Mr Race, have had to kneel or sit on the boy as he lies on the church floor flailing his arms and legs around. Sometimes it is necessary to tie his arms and legs together with a strip of fleece until he calms down, Mrs Race confesses.
During one church ceremony Adam ran from the church into the car park, leapt into a car, started it up and sat revving the engine.
“Adam’s continued presence on parish grounds not only endangers the parishioners, it is disruptive to the devout celebration of the Eucharist,” said Mr Walz. “I have repeatedly asked John and Carol to keep Adam from church; they have refused to do so.”
