The Cardiff pub which initially turned away a group of seven seminarians because they were mistaken for a stag party in fancy dress has renamed one of its beers, calling it 'Thirsty Priests'.
Brains, the company which owns the City Arms Pub in Cardiff, Wales, said that re-naming one of the seminarian's favourite beers was a small thank you for the group's good humour at being turned away by a member of the bar staff before being ushered back to the bar by a manager.
'We wanted to do something as a "thank you" to the priests for taking the misunderstanding in such good spirits,' said Lewis, according to Wales Online.
The 'Rev James' beer was renamed the 'Thirsty Priests,' with the slogan 'saving souls and satisfying thirsts' and added to the pub's taps over the weekend. It is described as a 'rich, warming ale with a clean, rewarding finish'.
The mix-up, reported last week by Christian Today, occurred when, while celebrating the July 29 ordination of Father Peter McClaren, the group of seminarians dressed in their dog collars and cassocks entered the City Arms pub.
'The staff thought they were a stag. We do have quite a few issues on the weekends with parties wearing fancy dress so it is our policy to turn them away,' said assistant manager Matt Morgan.
But as the seminarians were about to leave the bar, the manager reportedly overheard them praying, and, apologising, invited the men back in for a round of drinks on the house.
Archbishop George Stack of Cardiff, who is said occasionally to frequent the City Arms himself, said he was happy to hear about the seminarians' interaction with the community, noting that 'Priests are of the community and for the community they serve'.
One member of the group, Reverend Robert James – who was ordained a deacon last June – was revealed to be a fan of a beer resembling his own name. 'The Rev James' is the ale that has now been renamed as the 'Thirsty Priests'.
A spokesman for the Archdiocese of Cardiff said last week: 'We'd like to thank the City Arms for being good sports through all of this and their kind gesture to our seminarians – and please note a number of our clergy, including the Archbishop of Cardiff, frequent your bar so don't turf any more out please!'
