A survey of priests in the Los...

A survey of priests in the Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese shows that more than two-thirds of them approve of holding the archdiocese’s first-ever Assembly of Priests, planned for November, in Palm Springs.

Because of Palm Springs’ image as the “playground of the rich and famous,” as one cleric put it, many priests in the archdiocese (whose boundaries do not include the desert resort) had objected to the proposed choice, prompting the mailed questionnaire. Responses by 447 priests on the question showed that 69% supported the decision to meet in Palm Springs, 19% supported the decision but “with serious reservations” and 12% opposed it and said they would not attend.

Father Bill Kerze, who tabulated the results, said in a letter accompanying the questionnaire that rates and accommodations offered by a Palm Springs hotel were the best available among meeting sites explored from San Diego to San Luis Obispo.

“Many of those who could accommodate us were clearly out of our price range,” wrote Kerze, who chairs the Assembly of Priests Steering Committee.

The main objections to Palm Springs expressed in the survey, Kerze said, were that the Palm Springs site “would be offensive to some parishioners” and would not be in accord with the church’s preferential mission to the poor. Others objected to the relatively open-ended agenda for the assembly or to the idea of having such a large meeting--as many as 700 priests.

“The principal objective of the assembly is to bring priests together to discuss our objectives for the 1990s and how we can support each other,” Kerze said. A final decision on the meeting will be made Feb. 13 by the archdiocese’s Council of Priests.

PEOPLE

Nicholas Royce of North Hollywood was elected the West Coast representative of a new national body, Orthodox Christian Laity, which held its first annual meeting this month in Chicago. Royce, 63, was also elected to the 21-member board made up predominantly of Greek Orthodox parishioners. Royce has conducted frequent letter-writing campaigns over the years seeking greater recognition in the United States for the Eastern Orthodox wing of Christianity.

DATES

Redeemer United Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles, 900 E. Rosecrans Ave., is the site for weekend performances next month of “The Untold Story of Gospel Music,” a musical based on the life of gospel composer Thomas A. Dorsey. Credited by some with developing the modern form of gospel music through hundreds of songs, including “Precious Lord,” Dorsey will be played by actor Rod Perry. The eight performances, starting next Saturday, were timed by Professional Performance Productions to coincide with Black History Month.