The head Catholic priest for the Greater Waco, Texas, area, Monsignor Isidore Rozycki, plans to bless a new Hooters restaurant in a private opening ceremony, according to The Waco Tribune-Herald. "Blessings are part of the Catholic tradition," Rozycki, the pastor of St. Martin's Church in Tours, told the paper. "You bless the building so it will be a safe haven, so that the families that enter will be blessed, so the employees will be blessed as they support their families."
The public can bask in the Hooters' divinity beginning Tuesday, as the chain's newest location officially opens — since they won't be able to attend the actual blessing.
A man of the cloth blessing an establishment best known for waitresses in short shorts may draw the ire of many local religious leaders, Rozycki admitted, adding that he knows many other residents will find the move bizarre as well. This fall, some 60 ministers signed a letter expressing disapproval of the restaurant — saying they oppose Hooters because of the sexual innuendo used in ads and the exploitation of female employees. "I respect [the ministers'] opinion, but I think it's the way and the attitude with which you approach it," Rozycki told The Tribune-Herald. "I look it as a very fun place. It was a place of laughter. You forget about the tensions and stress of daily life and get an opportunity to laugh with friends. And it's great food."
Rozycki, 63, emphasized that giving his blessing is a good way to reach out to his community — pointing to the story of Jesus eating with a tax collector, even though at the time they were thought of as the some of the worst sinners. And some of us still think so. Blessing Hooters isn't any different, Rozycki said. "God's image is in all of these folks," Rozycki told The Tribune-Herald.
Rozycki also said Hooters doesn't deserve its bad rap: Recounting two enjoyable dining experiences at a Dallas-area Hooters. Without doubt, lustful sinners who head to Hooters will find what they're looking for, Rozycki said, adding that that's true no matter where they go — especially at the local beach or public swimming pool.