O.K., I did not see this story coming. It seems that in a desperate attempt to capture the Italian beach going public in August, nuns and priests are now transporting an inflatable ‘convent’, which blows up to 98 feet in length (now that’s a lot of hot holy air) to the beach where persons can come and make confession whilst Christian musicians are luring them in with Christian tunes (I’m thinking they are singing in Italiano “I was sinking deep in sin, far from peaceful shore….”).

The link is http:www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26057763/?GT1=43001

I’m trying to imagine the confessions– “Forgive me Father for I have sinned, I just looked at a nearly naked woman on the beach, oops, I just looked at another nearly naked woman on the beach right next to the door of the inflatable church… oops……”

Accordingly to the article there will be ‘night time activities in the inflatable convent from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. NOT INCLUDING MASS’. O.K….. besides singing and confessions what might be going on in the blown up church? Inquiring minds want to know. Well it seems they will be saying the rosary (see below).

It seems that people were blown away by the first attempt at this on Sardinia a couple of weeks back— well actually the church had to abort itself as strong winds blew away the blow up church! Back to the drawing board.

Undaunted various nuns are excited about their new beach ministry. Here is a small quote from the Reuters article:

“On the Mediterranean coast, nuns from a convent near the southern Italian city of Naples have relocated to beach cabins to join holidaymakers saying the rosary. An adjoining altar was set up under two tents. [sounds like an in-tents ministry effort to me]

“The concept of a beach-convent is something that is appreciated by vacationers and the nuns themselves,” priest Antonio Rungi, who helped spearheaded the initiative, told Italian news agency ANSA.”

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O.K. so now I am thinking what about an inflatable seminary at Myrtle Beach. We could do classes in recreational theology, beach ministry, practice being angels by para-sailing and could sing multiple choruses of “Michael row the boat ashore…” Anyone ready to enroll?