According to Barbara this is what happened:
"I approached Father Marcel to receive communion and at that moment he placed his hand over the bowl that contained the Eucharist and looked into my eyes and said "I cannot give you communion because you live with a woman and in the eyes of the church that is a sin."
At that moment I was stunned and I think I must have stood there for what seems like forever. I think I was expecting him to change his mind, it just felt unreal. And then I walked away and was met by my partner and brother and they tried to console me at that point."
The Archdioceses of Washington told CNN:
In matters of faith and morals, the Church has the responsibility of teaching and of bringing the light of the Gospel message to the circumstances of our day. When questions arise about whether or not an individual should present themselves for communion, it is not the policy of the Archdiocese of Washington to publicly reprimand the person. Any issues regarding the suitability of an individual to receive communion should be addressed by the priest with that person in a private, pastoral setting.
The archdiocese is looking into the incident at a funeral Mass that was celebrated by Fr. Marcel Guarnizo and will handle this as a personnel issue.