There's no way of knowing how many of the 29,000 people who had watched a YouTube video of Father Bob Pierson's speech were locals, but one thing's for sure: his denunciation of the marriage amendment has struck a chord beyond the Catholics from Southwest Minneapolis who were there to listen.

Pierson was speaking to a crowd of area Catholics last month at a church in Edina as part of a gathering opposed to an amendment that would ban same-sex marriage. The state already has a law on the books banning civil recognition of same-sex marriages. The amendment is backed by Minnesota's Catholic bishops, led by Archbishop John Nienstedt of St. Paul.

The video was originaly posted by Minnesotans United for All Families, a group fighting to defeat the amendment.