Be Afraid. Very Afraid.

Although he is not Catholic and not connected to Opus Dei, and although he has no direct experience of the organization, Mr Tkach had plenty of complaints about it. "They're elitist. If you want to be a member you'd better have a master's degree and a couple hundred thousand in the bank. They own a 47-story in midtown Manhattan, you know."

"What's wrong with that?" I asked.

[Full disclosure: Boy, do I wish I owned a 47-story building in midtown Manhattan! I bet Dan Brown does, too!]

Mr Tkach didn't have an answer to that. Maybe he was having real-estate dreams, too.

I told him that for me the really interesting point was the description. In particular, the line "Opus Dei frightfully exists right here in the USA, today!" (The description was written by Mr Tkach.)

I asked George Tkach what he found frightening about Opus Dei.

He told me he wished he hadn't put the word in, and if he had it to do again he would have left it out. In fact, he'd had concerns about the word at the time, and discussed it with Ann Coates, the Program Coordinator of the Adult Program at Eden Prairie. Mr Tkach was afraid the word might be too controversial. But Ms. Coates, he says, told him to leave it in.

He expects controversy. He even thinks protestors might turn up at the seminar. "But I know how to handle them," he said.

I've called Ms. Coates four times now. Last time, I was told she was out of the office; then in a meeting; then out of the office again. "But she got the message," the lady assured me. "We emailed it to her, and I've left a note on her chair as well. She'll call you back, I just dont' know when."

So, I'm waiting.