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Mar 12, 2012

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thumbnail Priest who denied communion to lesbian suspended
Mar 12th 2012, 14:11

By msnbc.com

A priest who denied communion to a lesbian at her mother's funeral has been placed on leave, according to the Roman Catholic archdiocese.

A letter from an archdiocese official said that the Rev. Marcel Guarnizo was placed on leave for engaging in intimidating behavior, according to NBCWashington.com. The archdiocese had previously apologized for Guarnizo’s behavior.

The letter was read at all Masses this weekend at St. John Neumann, according to The Washington Post. The pastor there, the Rev. Thomas LaHood, said the removal was not related to the communion standoff, but "pertains to actions over the past week or two."  He did not elaborate.

Barbara Johnson, the woman who was denied the communion, had asked the archdiocese to remove the priest.  Johnson’s family says they hope that action will ensure that others will not suffer the same treatment.

Read full report from NBCWashington.com

On Feb. 25, Johnson attended her mom's funeral at the St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Gaithersburg, Md., with her partner.

When it came time to hand out bread and wine, Guarnizo “issued a strong admonition that only Catholics in a state of grace can receive communion,” Johnson told msnbc.com.

“I went up. I was standing next to my mother’s casket and he covered the bowl, and said, ‘I cannot give you communion because you are with a woman, and in the eyes of the church, that is a sin.’ I stood there with my mouth open in a state of shock for – I don’t know how long,” she said.

As the final insult, Guarnizo failed to attend her mother’s burial, Guarnizo said. “When the funeral home director appears, he says, ‘Father Marcel has taken ill. He says he has a migraine and is unable to accompany your mother’s remains to the cemetery.’ This was, for me and my family, his most egregious act.”

The Diocese of Washington sent a letter of apology within days, saying the priest's behavior wasn't correct.

“When questions arise about whether or not an individual should present themselves for communion, it is not the policy of the Archdiocese of Washington to publicly reprimand the person,” the statement said. “Any issues regarding the suitability of an individual to receive communion should be addressed by the priest with that person in a private, pastoral setting.”

A woman is calling for a Catholic priest's removal from the ministry after he denied her communion at her mother's funeral and then left before finishing the service. The woman, Barbara Johnson, tells her story to msnbc's Tamron Hall.

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thumbnail Temps in 60s-70s likely across Northeast, Midwest
Mar 12th 2012, 13:43

By Chris Dolce, weather.com

Widespread warmth will be the talk of cities from the East Coast to the Heartland this week.

When temperatures rise 20 to 35 degrees above mid-March averages in the Northeast and Midwest, we vault into record territory! That's just what we are going to see this week.

Sunday, we saw several record highs in the Midwest. Minneapolis, Minn., and International Falls, Minn., reached record levels for the second day in a row. Record highs were also set in Milwaukee, Wis., Green Bay, Wis., and Fargo, N.D.

The graphic below shows some of the potential record highs in the Northeast Monday. As you can see, New York (LaGuardia), Hartford and Boston will all be within striking distance.

For perspective, highs in the upper 60s like we will see in Boston on Monday are more typical of late May!

Tuesday, the potential for record highs will be squarely focused on the Midwest.

You can see a full look at Tuesday's temperatures by clicking on the forecast map here.

Read complete weather.com forecast with videos, interactive maps
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The high temperature we are forecasting for Kansas City (upper 70s) on Tuesday is near the average high in late May.

Temperatures will push into the 70s in portions of the Northeast and Northern Plains!

Wednesday, another round of near-record high temperatures is expected. 

A full look at Wednesday's highs is depicted on the forecast map here.

Highs in the 70s are possible well to the north in the Upper Midwest!

If Chicago hits the middle to upper 70s like we are forecasting, it would be like the average high in late May or early June!

5-day forecasts:Atlanta | Boston | Chicago | Detroit | Kansas City | New York | Minneapolis | Your Location

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