European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 10, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes tuesday september 10, 1991offshoot Church ordains female priest by the new York times Washington a first came the Rush of african Drums rattles and Bells introducing a procession of brightly garbed dancers and a pulsating chant. Then came a solemn Catholic ordination rite with a difference swaying clapping shouting gospel singing interludes that would have been familiar in a Black Baptist Church. Blending traditions of worship and proclaiming that his movement had a shaken Rome a Bishop George a. Stallings or. Ordained a woman sunday to serve As a priest in the african american Catholic congregation the breakaway Church he founded two years ago. A a there a nobody and nothing can Stop this movement a the former roman Catholic priest declared in a fiery Sermon. Whether the Church can Prosper As an alternative to roman catholicism is unclear. Roman Catholic officials said last week that there were no signs the new Church had caused any major shift of allegiance among Black catholics a possibility widely discussed two years ago. The new female priest is the Rev. Rose Vermell a 50-year-old former roman Catholic nun schoolteacher and social services administrator. A widow with two children Vermell grew up in new Jersey. For 10 years after High school she belonged to an order of Black Catholic nuns the oblate Sisters of Providence and taught in inner City parochial schools. After leaving the order and marrying she served As a principal of a parochial school in St. Paul and then ran a food Bank in Minneapolis. Stallings said his churches ordination of a woman foreshadows the Day that the roman Catholic Church would do so. In a statement issued Friday the women a ordination conference a Catholic group demanding that the Priesthood be opened to women called the ordination a a prophetic act and a reminder to women who have left the Catholic Church to exercise a the Call of god to leadership elsewhere. Monsignor William e. Lori Secretary to Cardinal James Hickey the roman Catholic archbishop of Washington said a the Validity of Bishop Stallings ordination As a Bishop is extremely doubtful and the invalidity of today a ordination of a woman is  the Rev. Rose Vernyll is ordained As the first female priest in the african american Catholic congregation. The roman Catholic Church holds that the Powers of a Bishop Are possessed Only by individuals consecrated by other Bishops whose own ordinations can be traced in an unbroken line to the Church and ultimately to Jesus apostles. Stallings was consecrated in May 1990 by archbishop Richard Bridges of the Independent old Catholic Church a California group claiming a link to the old Catholic churches in the Netherlands Poland and elsewhere. Those were founded by Catholic Bishops who rejected papal authority in the 19th Century. Bridges and another old Catholic prelate participated in sundays ceremony and also conferred on Stallings the rank of archbishop in his own Church. Neither is affiliated with the Union of utrecht the association of old Catholic churches. In his Sermon sunday Stallings accused the roman Catholic Church of disparaging Black culture and stifling Black leadership. The african american Catholic congregation has established a Zimani temples a the word Means a a Faith in swahili a in Baltimore Philadelphia new Orleans and Richmond As Well As  makes half dome climbers lose ground Yosemite National Park Calif. Up a the Able bodied Man aiding the climb of a paraplegic Park Ranger up half dome fell about 20 feet when one of his anchors failed leaving him dangling 1,100 feet above the treks base. The mishap sunday caused paraplegic Mark Wellman 31, and his partner expert climber Mike Corbett 37, to lose some ground in their 2,200-vertical-foot ascent of the towering landmark said ground support spokeswoman Ellyn Windsor. A Corbett was attempting a difficult move when one of the mechanical camping devices that he had anchored into the Rock popped free sending him for one heart stopping moment into the air 1,100 feet above the base of the climb a Windsor said. Wellman acted quickly using their ropes to halt corbetts fall from an overhanging portion of the Rock. Corbett did not hit the Rock face and was not Hurt Windsor said. A a that a the first time in be seen him take a fall while climbing with me a Wellman told Windsor. The pair has endured Rainy weather since they set out on the climb wednesday and isolated thundershowers were expected to continue for the next few Days. Concern that the radio batteries would run out limited the two climbers conversations with their ground Crew to three minutes. They also cancelled their regular 7 . Conference with the ground Crew Windsor said. Even Costner enjoys dancing with clams a seafood res ignoring Legal Seattle a Tau rant Chain is threats and has once More started showing dances with clams a commercial spoof on Kevin Costner a Academy award winning movie dances with wolves. The Ivars inc. Television commercial features norwegians on horseback watching a Costner look alike dancing with giant clams. The late Ivar hag Lund part of Seattle a Large norwegian Community built his chains reputation on its own a acres of clams Clam Beds. The company pulled the and off the air in april after dances with wolves producer Orion threatened Legal action. The threat Hasni to disappeared a we just got More nerve a Ivars president Scott Kingdon said wednesday. Fans of the commercial have flooded Ivars with letters and phone Calls asking that it be returned to the air Kingdon said. Even Costner liked it asking for copies of the and after news accounts appeared about the threatened lawsuit. He told a King to interviewer that he enjoyed it and wondered Why it had been pulled off the air. A Telephone Call to Orion Public relations offices in los Angeles was referred to Orion a publicity office in new York. A woman at that office referred a Call seeking comment to another number which did not respond. Claudette veers away from Bermuda . Miami apr Hurricane Claudette having skirted Bermuda turned away from the Continental United states and ventured farther out into the Atlantic Ocean on monday. Meanwhile the Atlantic seasons fourth tropical storm Danny was forming near Africa. A Bermuda is off the Hook a said Miles Lawrence a meteorologist with the National Hurricane Center in Coral Gables. A the Hurricane has already had its Point of closest approach to Bermuda and is moving away  at 6 . Edt the Hurricane was about 230 Miles Northeast of Bermuda moving Northeast at about 13 Mph near 33.5 North latitude 61.0 West Longitude. A Hurricane warning in Bermuda was called off sunday evening after a Day in which the islands 65,000 residents prepared for the worst. A . Navy air show and festival were cancelled after All military aircraft brought in for the show were flown off the Island. Tourists had been warned away from beaches and boat owners were advised to secure their vessels. But the Island got Only squalls gusts and seas up to 8 feet. Claudette the third Hurricane of the Atlantic season had maximum sustained winds of 100 Mph and was relatively compact with Hurri Cane Force winds of at least 74 Mph extending Only As far As 35 Miles from its Center. With Claudette heading into cooler Waters the Hurricane was expected to weaken slowly and turn eastward. Tropical storm Danny was entered near 11.7 North latitude 39.6 West Longitude or about 1,000 Miles Southwest of the Cape verde islands near Africa. It headed West at nearly 16 Mph with maximum winds or 50 Mph