Ousted after demanding wine for Mass, jail chaplain claims rights were violated
For a quarter century, Monsignor Ed Lofton has served as one of 86 volunteer chaplains at the Charleston County jail. … That endeavor includes Communion, and for Catholics, wine is a necessary component. For 15 years, he has consumed 1 ounce of sacramental wine during Mass without incident. Inmates partake only in the bread. But this week he lost a fight. Chief Deputy Mitch Lucas, the jail’s administrator, has told Lofton to replace the wine — brought to the jail in a TSA-approved container designed for holy water — with grape juice…