tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812537359559231042024-03-05T06:03:23.133-05:00Stopping 2 Ask 4 DirectionsThese are snippets found along the way during this journey called life. The things that I post are items that have caused me to pause and, by extension, may give me direction. There is Catholic Christian slant here. I lean that way, so why should I deny my blog the same good fortune?!?
Thanks for visiting. Peace.~~~maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858329731144264188noreply@blogger.comBlogger342125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681253735955923104.post-33883505622272136312009-11-23T23:47:00.001-05:002009-11-23T23:47:17.583-05:00Mr. Bluelight's Christmas Countdown<script type="text/javascript" src="http://widgets.clearspring.com/o/4ab673ea92239c17/4b0b6554f56dcb54/4ab675a74be0888d/1aa76cae/widget.js"></script>~~~maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858329731144264188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681253735955923104.post-47347448012585686382009-05-31T14:27:00.003-04:002009-05-31T14:43:22.237-04:00For the Sake of Christ's Sorrowful Passion....For the sake of Christ's most sorrowful passion, may God have mercy on the soul of abortionist George Tiller.<br /><br />It wouldn't hurt to offer up a few prayers for him either.<br /><br />The bane of pro-life advocates, Dr. Tiller performed abortions at his Kansas clinic, essentially, up until birth. The 67 year old was murdered this morning in the lobby of Reformation Lutheran Church in Wichita. He was a member of the church. May God have Mercy on his soul.~~~maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858329731144264188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681253735955923104.post-58186633239806160712009-03-31T11:33:00.002-04:002009-03-31T11:40:04.550-04:00Bishop Rhoades and Notre Dame's Defiance<span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;">The letter below was forwarded to me yesterday. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;">I have since been assured by Jean Scicchitano of the Harrisburg Diocese's Pro-Life Office that it is legitimate and that permission has been given for it to be distributed beyond the original recipient.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"></span><br />Subject: FW: Bishops statement re Notre Dame<br /><br /><a name="">Dear</a> Christina,<br /><br />Thank you for your note of concern which you recently sent to the Bishop’s office regarding the University of Notre Dame.<br /><br />Maria Wood, secretary to Bishop Rhoades, referred your email to me. Bishop Rhoades has discussed this issue with me, as it pertains specifically to my office.<br /><br />As is clear from Bishop Rhoades’ most recent commentary entitled <a title="http://wwwhbgdiocese.org/Admin/Uploads/Homepage/Docs/Confronting the Culture of Death - 2009.pdf" href="http://wwwhbgdiocese.org/Admin/Uploads/Homepage/Docs/Confronting%20the%20Culture%20of%20Death%20-%202009.pdf">"Disturbing advances for the culture of death"</a>, President Obama’s policies, and those of his administration, on abortion and embryonic stem cell research violate the moral law and Church teachings on the sanctity of human life and dignity of the person. Bishop Rhoades concurs with <a title="http://www.diocesefwsb.org/COMMUNICATIONS/statements.htm" href="http://www.diocesefwsb.org/COMMUNICATIONS/statements.htm">Bishop D'Arcy's statement and position on the matter</a>. (Bishop D’Arcy is the bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend, the diocese in which Notre Dame is located). Bishop Rhoades stands firmly with the US Catholic Bishops’ statement called “<a title="http://www.usccb.org/bishops/catholicsinpoliticallife.shtml" href="http://www.usccb.org/bishops/catholicsinpoliticallife.shtml">Catholics in Political Life</a>” which unambiguously says –<br /><br />The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.<br /><br />Bishop Rhoades also supports those who exercise their freedom of conscience and speech to express their opposition to the university’s decision to have President Obama as commencement speaker and honoree. In fact, Bishop Rhoades has written to the president of the university to express his disagreement with the university’s action.<br /><br />It is disheartening and distressing when an institution that is regarded as Catholic, such as Notre Dame, fails to follow the guidelines set forth by the Bishops of the Catholic Church, especially in these vital moral matters. It is not political nor partisan to stand for the sanctity of human life and the dignity of the human person. President Obama clearly does not stand for or advance the cause of the defenseless unborn and their mothers and families. This is the tragic reality we must come to terms with as Catholics living in an increasingly secular environment. It is heartening on the other hand, to see how many Notre Dame students, faculty and alumni have made their commitment to human life known and how many Catholics and others of good will have done the same.<br /><br />It is Bishop Rhoades’ hope and prayer that all the institutions that bear the name “Catholic” will affirm the Church’s teachings, expose the culture of death and build up the Culture of Life. Thank you for your selfless commitment to the defense of innocent human life. Please be assured of our prayers.<br /><br />On behalf of Bishop Rhoades and myself, I am<br /><br />Sincerely,<br /><br />Paul CB Schenck, MA (Theol.), LHD<br /><br />Director Office of Respect Life Activities<br />Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg~~~maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858329731144264188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681253735955923104.post-29741615318737186562009-01-19T15:27:00.003-05:002009-01-19T15:44:21.057-05:00I've got to share this...But first let me say that I will get back to blogging and that I apologize for this extended absence. Health issues are the reason and I'm hoping to be back to things within a week, or so.<br /><br />Anyway, I just have to share this<br /><br /><a href="http://www.americanpapist.com/2009/01/krispy-kreme-and-all-spark-online-donut.html">Piece by Thomas over at the American Papist.</a><br /><br />It is a response to a response sort of thing --- usually not that interesting to read but it is this time. It definitely offers a view of the crassness of the morally relative self-righteous responding to what they view to be self-righteousness.<br /><br />Did I just hear you say, somewhat loudly, "Huh?"<br /><br />Just ignore what I wrote and checkout the above link. Hopefully, I'll be more coherent the next time we meet. Peace.~~~maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858329731144264188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681253735955923104.post-16164000460708586612008-12-08T23:32:00.005-05:002008-12-08T23:39:29.286-05:00First Catholic University in India Opens<span style="color:#000066;">Although this piece is from the same portion of the world as the last post, it is about a vastly different subject and source.</span><br /><span style="color:#000066;">From the Indian Catholic Newspaper:</span><br /><br />The Don Bosco University, India’s first Catholic university, was opened by Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Saturday at a prayerful function in Guwahati. "Let all involved in the project be filled with the spirit of Don Bosco and the mission of empowering youth with necessary skills and knowledge," wished Gogoi while opening the university.<br /><br />Archbishop Thomas Menamparmbil of Guwahati released the DBU Brochure and presented it to the Chief Minister. Salesians are known for their schools and colleges in north east India and have set up the region’s first college, St. Antony’s college, in Shillong in 1934.<br /><br />The college is also the world’s first university college Salesians have opened. The Salesians now have 27 colleges and over one hundred Technical Schools.<br /><br />Hundreds of Salesian centers serve people across the country [of India] helping people for non formal courses, agricultural development, literacy and to shelter for street children. The newly opened university plans to link and upgrade Salesian educational facilities with its government approved and nationally recognized system.<br /><br />“This is the first catholic university in India. The project has been sanctioned by the Rector Major and his Council. The Government of India has welcomed the move to set up a Catholic University in India. The Ecclesiastical authorities in India have been very positive in their attitude to the setting up of a Catholic University in India,” said a Salesian web site.<br /><br />While the Chancellor-designate of the new University, Fr. Joe Almeida welcomed the guests, Fr. Stephen Mavely, the Vice Chancellor, gave a short account of the evolution of the dream of a University. K. Sudha Rao, former vice chancellor of Karnataka State Open University, in the key note address stressed the need of a University in the cultural context of the North East.~~~maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858329731144264188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681253735955923104.post-38293157828609369082008-12-08T21:50:00.003-05:002008-12-08T22:28:48.758-05:00Twilight YearsWhen one imagines their twilight year in a realistic fashion, the possibility of having to use diapers might come to mind. Improper muscle function can be a problem. An inability to self-feed might also be an issue with which the household might have to deal.<br /><br />That's why it is so nice to have someone with whom to share those difficulties.<br /><br />I just have to question if it is a good idea to share your second childhood with your <em>newborn first</em> child.<br /><br />That is what a 70 year old Rajo Devi and her husband Bala Ram, 72, have decided to do.<br /><br />On November 28th Rajo Devi, post-menopausal for roughly 20 years, delivered a girl who had been conceived by in vitro fertilization treatment at Hisar Fertility Center in Haryana, India. The baby girl weighed in at slightly more than 3 pounds at birth. Both mother and child are said to be doing well. Click <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/3684395/Indian-woman-has-first-child-at-age-of-70.html">HERE</a> for more on this.<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">May God bless them while the angels watch over them.</span></em>~~~maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858329731144264188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681253735955923104.post-58881802185945575722008-12-03T20:49:00.004-05:002008-12-03T21:28:50.759-05:00A Babe in a Manger - A Priest at His PrayersA baby merely hours old was found lying in a church's creche in southern Germany<br /><br />"I was in the church shortly after midday to pray and I heard the baby crying," said Father Thomas Rein, parish priest at St. Peter and St. Paul Catholic Church in Poettmes.<br /><br />"We prepared the crib in the pre-Christmas period so children could lay fresh straw in it and ponder on the meaning of Jesus and Lo! There really was a Jesus-child in it!" Fr. Rein said excitedly.<br /><br />"His cries saved his little life; I would not have noticed him otherwise."<br /><br />The priest noted a serious concern for the babe's welfare because the church's temperature was below 55 degrees F, "It was only 12 degrees C in the church. There were fears that he could have hypothermia."<br /><br />Neuburger Pediatric Clinic nurses and emergency staff have named the little one Peter. He is said to be doing well.<br /><br />Police are only saying that they believe the mother is 38-year-old Romanian woman. The woman is thought to have lived in the Poettmes.~~~maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858329731144264188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681253735955923104.post-90672102954939989302008-12-02T22:08:00.003-05:002008-12-02T22:15:01.508-05:0050,000,000 Pennies Mark 50,000,000 Abortion Deaths<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_A-T2I97xnL0DJypj1Brdwfl2x9NiqtxVT17z6HvJ-TPYMlSRgyN-T-5S8dtB0cbEuFc8nGWn0n4wLuqY2qXOjIzXxZlM_26C8e2b7Bcm9lkUy5-P_zI7E0lPrUqXRRyIy_kOqncwx0/s1600-h/pennies.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275396695464971922" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 187px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_A-T2I97xnL0DJypj1Brdwfl2x9NiqtxVT17z6HvJ-TPYMlSRgyN-T-5S8dtB0cbEuFc8nGWn0n4wLuqY2qXOjIzXxZlM_26C8e2b7Bcm9lkUy5-P_zI7E0lPrUqXRRyIy_kOqncwx0/s200/pennies.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><span style="font-size:130%;">Mississippi Memorial Uses 50 Million Pennies to Mark 50 Million Abortion Deaths</span></div><br /><div></div><div>Jackson, MS (LifeNews.com) -- A group of pro-life advocates in Mississippi found out as they collected 50 million of the coins for a unique memorial to mark the deaths of unborn children since Roe v. Wade allowed unlimited abortions in 1973.</div><br /><div></div><div>The Mississippi Baptist Convention put together this one-of-a-kind visual reminder of the number of babies who have died from abortions. The group collected pennies from church congregations across the state and erected a large glass house to store all the pennies the size of a backyard storage shed. </div><br /><div></div><div>Called the Memorial to the Missing, the penny-filled structure contains a plaque that encourages visitors to the Baptist convention's headquarters -- and the legislature across the street -- to respect life. <a title="http://www.lifenews.com/state3676.html" href="http://www.lifenews.com/state3676.html">Full story at LifeNews.com</a></div>~~~maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858329731144264188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681253735955923104.post-21235201340035525422008-12-02T21:15:00.004-05:002008-12-02T21:28:26.459-05:00So All May Eat - Pay as You are Able - Cafe<span style="color:#000066;">The Washington Times' Chris Gergen and Gregg Vanourek shown a spotlight on a wonderful nonprofit restaurant located in Denver, Colorado called "SAME Cafe." It is well worth a read. Here is a snippet of Gergen and Vanourek's article:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">The 'pay as you can' cafe</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br />This holiday season, many are thinking of those who are less fortunate. Taking that sentiment several steps further, Brad and Libby Birky of Denver have created a nonprofit restaurant called SAME (So All May Eat) Cafe with a "pay as you can" pricing model.<br /><br />Yes, you read that correctly. Instead of standard menu-based pricing, a donation box is set in the corner, and people are expected to pay what they can. Those who can't afford to pay are asked to help with manual labor: washing dishes, mopping the floor and the like. Those who can afford it often pay a bit more to contribute to the social mission.<br /><br />The Birky family wanted to do something dramatically different after putting in years of volunteering at various food banks and shelters, where canned food is the standard fare and handouts sometimes are dispensed with cold detachment. At SAME, their philosophy is that everyone - regardless of economic status or station in life - deserves the chance to eat healthy food while being treated with dignity and respect.<br /><br />SAME is not a soup kitchen. The volunteers are vigilant about asking customers to contribute something, whether money or labor. There also is a spirit of the place, a welcoming family atmosphere. <br /><br /><span style="color:#000066;"><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="color:#000066;">Isn't that something?</span> </span>If you'd like to read the complete article please click</span> <a href="http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/dec/03/the-pay-as-you-can-cafe/">HERE</a>.~~~maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858329731144264188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681253735955923104.post-8335209277101003342008-12-02T09:26:00.000-05:002008-12-02T09:28:09.708-05:00THe Holy Father's December Intentions<span style="font-size:130%;">Papal Intention for Culture of Life<br /></span><br />VATICAN CITY, DEC. 1, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI is praying this month for the expansion of the culture of life.<br /><br />The Apostleship of Prayer announced the general intention chosen by the Pope: "That, faced by the growing expansion of the culture of violence and death, the Church may courageously promote the culture of life through all her apostolic and missionary activities."<br /><br />The Holy Father also chooses an apostolic intention for each month. In December, he will pray that especially in mission countries, Christians may show through gestures of brotherliness that the Child born in the grotto in Bethlehem is the luminous Hope of the world."~~~maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858329731144264188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681253735955923104.post-10265423399001356182008-12-02T08:28:00.003-05:002008-12-02T08:55:06.480-05:00Pastoral CareRev. Joseph Illo of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Modesto, CA recently sent his parishioners a <a href="http://www.stjmod.com/abortionletter.pdf">letter</a> which discussed the potential need for the Sacrament of Reconciliation for individuals who voted for Barack Obama in the recent presidential election.<br /><br />In part, Fr. Illo said:<br /><blockquote><p align="justify">If you voted for a pro-abortion candidate, I cannot say for certain is you should refrain from Holy Communion. <em>I don't know what you were thinking</em>. But voting for a candidate who promises "abortion rights," even is he promises every other good thing, is <em>voting for abortion</em>. It is a grave mistake, and probably a grave sin. No issue can compare withe the legalized destruction of a mother's child. I am writing because I love you and I care about your relationship with God. I am also writing because God requires this of me as a Catholic priest...</p></blockquote>You've gotta love a pastor who for the salvation of his parishioners knowingly set himself up for the furor of our moral relativistic society. Kudos and thanks to Fr. Illo!!!!!<br /><br />By the way, the emphasis in the above paragraph is in the original text. To read the whole letter, click <a href="http://www.stjmod.com/abortionletter.pdf">HERE</a>.~~~maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858329731144264188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681253735955923104.post-64914409135887007442008-12-01T23:00:00.004-05:002008-12-02T00:15:24.535-05:00Special Holiday Postmarks<div><a href="http://www.seraphicmass.org/"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 127px" alt="" src="http://www.blacksantamagicletters.com/north-pole-postmark.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://www.seraphicmass.org/"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 385px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 142px" alt="" src="http://northpolar.com/postmark.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Would you like your little ones to receive a letter from Santa with an actual "North Pole" postmark?</div><br /><div></div><div>If so, place the sealed, stamped and addressed letter inside a larger envelope that is addressed to:</div><br /><div>North Pole Christmas Cancellation Postmaster </div><div>5400 Mail Trail </div><div>Fairbanks, AK 99709</div><br /><div>Be sure that both envelopes bear the appropriate postage so the addressee of the inner envelope receives the Santa mail with the "North Pole, Alaska" cancellation. </div><br /><div>Special holiday postmark designs may also be had by routing your Christmas cards through these post offices:</div><br /><div>Bethlehem, PA 18016</div><div>Carrollton, MO 64633</div><div>Christmas Valley, OR 97641</div><div>Holly, CO 81047 </div><div>Holly, MI 48442 </div><div>Hope, ID 83836</div><div>Hope, KS 67451</div><div>Hope, MN 56046</div><div>Nazareth, PA 18064 </div><div>Noel, MO 64854 </div><div>Saint Joseph, MI 49085</div><div>Saint Marys, WV 26170</div><div>Santa, Claus, IN 47579 </div><div>Santa, ID 83866</div><div>Star, ID 83669</div><div>Star, MS 39167</div><div>Star, TX 76880</div><div>Starlight, PA 18461</div><br /><div></div><div>Place your addressed cards in a larger envelope that has been addressed to the Postmaster of the office you wish to cancel your cards. At the bottom left corner mark it "Attention: Christmas Re-Mailing."</div><br /><div></div><div>To have the your mail reaches the ultimate destinations before December 25th, plan so that the package/envelope reaches the cancelling post office by the 15th <em>and</em> be sure to use the proper postage - inside and out.</div><br /><div></div><div>For a full list of U.S. Post Offices with holiday-based names, please click <a href="http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2008/holiday/08holiday_postoffices.htm?from=2008holidaypressroom_rightnav&page=holidaysoundingpostmarks">HERE</a>. Not all on this list will have holiday design cancellations. However, the Post Offices actually listed above are to have a special design.<a href="http://www.stoppingtoaskfordirections.blogspot.com/"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 128px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 88px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://static.squidoo.com/resize/squidoo_images/-1/draft_lens1485814module10587178photo_1216766417santa-idaho-christmas-postmark.jpg" border="0" /></a></div></div></div>~~~maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858329731144264188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681253735955923104.post-43699358959252713482008-11-27T09:30:00.002-05:002008-11-27T09:38:09.929-05:00Bushmen Appeal to PopeSurvival International had the following article on their web <a href="http://www.survival-international.org/">site</a>:<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.survival-international.org/tribes/bushmen">Kalahari Bushmen</a> have appealed to the Pope to support them in their struggle to return to their land, as the Vatican established diplomatic relations with Botswana earlier this month.<br /><br />A Bushman spokesman said today, ‘We beg the Pope to help, to pray for us so that the government changes its attitude towards us and respects our rights as indigenous peoples of this land.’<br /><br />The establishment of diplomatic relations was initiated by Botswana’s former president Festus Mogae. He was the architect of the government’s controversial policy to forcibly evict the Bushmen from their ancestral lands in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.<br /><br />Despite Botswana’s High Court having affirmed the Bushmen’s rights to live in the reserve in 2006, the government of the new president General Ian Khama continues to violate their rights. It has also given the company Gem Diamonds permission to mine diamonds on their land.<br /><br />Not one Bushman has received a hunting permit, despite the High Court ruling that it was unlawful for the government to withhold permits. Nor are the Bushmen allowed to access the water borehole on their land. The lack of hunting and water has made life extremely difficult for the Bushmen. <br /><br />Dom Erwin Kräutler, Bishop of Xingu, Brazil, said today, ‘In the 21st century it is more vital than ever that the Catholic Church support indigenous peoples throughout the world in the struggle for their rights.’<br /><br />On 1 July, the Pope Benedict XVI expressed his solidarity and support for the indigenous peoples of <a href="http://www.survival-international.org/tribes/raposa">Raposa-Serra do Sol</a> in Brazil when he met them in the Vatican and declared ‘We will do everything possible to help protect your land.’~~~maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858329731144264188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681253735955923104.post-2653440504392603042008-11-25T18:29:00.007-05:002008-11-25T19:50:00.661-05:00One Day Advent Retreat<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272747405947998258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 97px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAM8R7dgda7R49Z22k8PPS2miq8kBcNbFkUT_eYz1CkuRBhEun6tjBiTSg04IYUA1Yg2Dck1PXKNnTl1PWCdV_XYyRB0ZTVJdvr_CJIwJiqvV4yGTDZUrwB4waobnDRmzPCoFAPCp2cno/s400/dscf4850.jpg" border="0" /> <div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Holiness or Hecticness? Praying in Advent.</strong></span></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">One Day Retreat<br /></span></strong><br /></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">U.S. National Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Emmitsburg, Maryland</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">December 13, 2008</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">10 - 3</span></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="left">Fr. Jack Lombardi, Grotto Chaplain, will be conducting a day retreat entitled “Holiness or Hecticness? Praying in Advent.” on Saturday, December 13th from 10 am to 3 pm. The day will include Confessions, Spiritual Conferences, Mass and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. </div><div align="left"><br />Fr. Jack, a kind and thoughtful priest, is an experienced retreat master committed to sharing the way of Our Lord with His people. You won't want to miss this opportunity to relax, reflect and refocus as we prepare for the celebration of our Savior's birth. </div><div align="left">All are welcome!</div><div align="left"> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272752502244299010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 198px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh21InlbXQkRXiXpfAGMdbiTbyb-CV0lT7KM3oVKy3kpE3nSiq4cmhonNKzeF_lgsHF_wKsF9mB1FrZ_PKpJAI5apBbdCYUlyCRHqsPZNbqazq9J7mC614KG3FgqbdLqRh74fiWV4Mozr4/s200/dscf3019.jpg" border="0" />~~~maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858329731144264188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681253735955923104.post-27887375676137858982008-11-23T00:01:00.003-05:002008-11-23T00:01:01.239-05:00Feast of Christ the King<div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#000099;"><em>Jesus answered, "You say I am a king."</em></span> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(John 18:37)</span></div><div align="center"> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271672309641595138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 297px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvHPQLgdXAxHSZBmXGWT5w1htc7Xtp6cCyPR4sWVd-5NgGDHfIh3TnIUbWglLv5GpH9MZjc1vF9Lw6ANlMwTELdxV0gyoeI_GAKSS-dVHiplFyV3W2bq9VxAfv6hbkQY9TzWMw3f0Dkc/s320/dscf5342.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;">Window - St. Joan of Arc Roman Catholic Church, Hershey, PA</span><br /></p><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#000099;"><em>When the Son of Man comes in his glory,and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him.</em></span> </div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:85%;">(Matthew 25:31-32)</span></div>~~~maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858329731144264188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681253735955923104.post-56286411903637056792008-11-22T19:03:00.004-05:002008-11-22T19:29:56.884-05:00Powerful Essay by the Mother of a Trisomy 13 Child<span style="color:#000066;">Below is a piece from UK's Times Online. Unfortunately, there was no byline. Written in first person, one is left to assume it was written by the mother of the child who had Patau's Syndrome.</span> <br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>It was all too easy to lose my son<br /></strong></span><span style="font-size:85%;">Victoria Lambert terminated her pregnancy because the baby was disabled, but is now troubled by how readily society accepts such action</span><br /><br />When I see boys at my daughter’s school, all gangly limbs and scruffy hair, I wonder what my own son would have looked like. He would be nine now. He would have blond hair and blue eyes – his father and I share that colouring. He might have my prominent chin; definitely a grin all his own.<br /><br />My son would also be unable to speak, walk or possibly even think for himself. He would have extra digits and a heart defect. The first child I conceived had Patau’s syndrome – also known as trisomy 13 – which affects 1 in 10,000 children. The condition typically results in death before birth, at birth or in the following few days.<br /><br />Those with the syndrome can survive, though rarely do, into young adulthood, and that possibility has been enough to fuel my dreams. Over the years, I’ve allowed my imagination to run unchecked: I’ve seen him playing conkers, glued to a PlayStation, eating pizza.<br /><br />Yet all this can only ever be conjecture, for I had a termination in my 13th week of pregnancy, two weeks before the turn of the millennium. It was an experience that has scarred me in ways I could never have foreseen. Put simply: my decision and its consequences have tortured me for the past nine years.<br /><br />I’ve been unable to talk about it easily, unless with drink in hand, let alone write about the experience. I have felt out of step with the rest of the world, where the validity of abortion is a given and to admit to being uneasy about it seems to make you a traitor to any notion of “sisterhood”. But what has isolated me most, and this is the crucial point, is an overwhelming sense of shame.<br /><br />Almost from the moment I awoke from the anaesthetic, I have deeply regretted my decision. Whichever way I looked at it, it felt then and it feels now like murder. When I signed the consent form that permitted staff to perform a termination, I killed my first child. Why? Because he would have been born disabled.<br /><br />What a terrible admission that is. Although I suspect a few other women may be quietly nodding their heads in recognition, I’m not sure the majority of people will understand or sympathise with me. Some will find my action abhorrent; some do not approve of anyone criticising abortions.<br /><br />The underlying issue is that society has changed in its attitude towards disability. After all, antenatal testing (and its consequences) is now so commonplace that when it was revealed last month that a new blood test had been developed that could detect Down’s syndrome, the news was greeted with what seemed to be universal delight.<br /><br />“Science takes some stress off would-be parents,” was the New Scientist magazine’s take. And it’s true that significantly fewer women will endure invasive procedures – amniocente-sis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS) – that carry a distinct risk of miscarriage. In fact, recent research suggests that in the course of detecting and preventing the birth of 660 Down’s babies, 400 healthy foetuses are lost each year.<br /><br />What no one seems to address is why this test – and the others – exists. The orthodoxy may be that it helps to prepare a couple for the possibility that their baby’s future will not be as they envisaged. But anyone who has been given a result that differs from the norm knows the expectation is that the pregnancy will be ended. Why give birth to a baby who is not “perfect” this time, when you might be “lucky” next time? The latest estimates are that more than 90% of Down’s syndrome pregnancies are terminated.<br /><br />“There is an implicit message within the goals of prenatal testing”, says the disability ethicist Lisa Bridle, “that society believes that raising a child with disability is such a grave burden that it is both morally correct and medically appropriate to take expensive measures to ensure such children are not born.”<br /><br />The popularity of antenatal testing is undoubtedly due as much to fear as to a sense of social responsibility. Few of us would undergo nerve-racking tests were we not frightened of the unknown. And as disabilities become less common – because of increased numbers of terminations – that fear increases.<br /><br />My own situation came about almost by accident. A friend suggested that when I reached the 12th week of my pregnancy I should take myself off for a nuchal fold scan at a private clinic in central London. The idea didn’t seem to require much thought.<br /><br />I was 34 and healthy; the pregnancy had so far been easy and exciting. I’d always been desperate to have a large family – and here we were, on the way. Yippee. “You get to see the baby much sooner than in an NHS clinic,” my friend told me, “and for £95, it’s a really lovely experience, very posh – worth it as a treat!” To me, in my gleeful hormonal state, it seemed a no-brainer.<br /><br />My husband, as he then was, and I would head up to Harley Street that Thursday, see our cute little baby squirming on screen, get a picture and then head off for some Christmas shopping. Almost as soon as we arrived at the clinic, that cosy, festive mood passed.<br /><br />After a blood test, we were ushered into the consulting room, where a charming doctor covered my tummy in gel to ease the passage of her scanner, and pictures appeared on the small black-and-white screen at the side of the bed. My husband and I may have been making the standard jokes to each other about whom the foetus resembled, but we quickly noticed that our doctor was not joining in.<br /><br />She was quiet and focused, taking down numbers. A few minutes later she had the test results. At that point she told us: “Statistically, you’ve a one in four chance of serious, life-threatening abnormality. I’m certain you are that one.” Nine years on, I can still hear the scream I let out. I can also remember biting my hand: I didn’t want the other mothers waiting outside to hear me and feel a jolt of fear.<br /><br />We were advised to return the following day, when a professor would offer a second opinion. Twenty-four hours later, the scan played out the same way. Now I could hear the professor saying he could see on screen that my child had extra digits on his hands and feet, and that his forebrain had not divided in two. All I could see was my dearly wanted baby, kicking and wiggling just like any other foetus.<br /><br />I was torn between staring at him and not looking at all, imprinting him on my brain and wanting to forget. The doctor performed a CVS on me – the test for Down’s and other abnormalities.<br /><br />Tears were rolling down my face. He then told me that although he was in no doubt my baby had either Patau or Edwards syndrome (the effects are similar), he would send off the placenta sample for examination, and the results would be back early the next week.<br /><br />And he gently suggested that I book an immediate termination – before the results were even due – as Christmas was just over a week away and it would be my last chance to have an abortion before the new year. As I was already 12 weeks pregnant, waiting any longer would mean having to endure labour, rather than a “neat” termination under general anaesthetic. I felt confident that he was right; that misdiagnosis was impossible. What nobody told me, then or later, was that not everybody terminates such a pregnancy.<br /><br />That I could have carried the baby to full term. The baby might even have survived for years – albeit with a serious and life-limiting set of disabilities. I numbly watched the clinic’s secretary arrange, through my GP’s practice, for a termination three days later at our local maternity hospital.<br /><br />When I tried to speak to my GP – whom I had known for more than five years – she made it plain she had no time to discuss my situation. Was it because I had gone to a private clinic, or because she disapproved of terminations, or just because it was a Saturday morning and she couldn’t be bothered? I never knew. But she left me feeling worse – alone, scared, unimportant and filled with guilt.<br /><br />My husband, family and friends were as kind as possible – and as shocked. None doubted that the termination was for the best. “Put it behind you,” were the four words I became accustomed to hearing. And in many ways they were right and fair. The decision was not mine alone, anyway: my husband was convinced of the correctness of this course of action, and his point of view was as valid as mine.<br /><br />He was worried for my health, too – would carrying such a sickly child put me at risk? We knew so little. We struggled on till Monday and drove to the hospital for the operation. Here, I met the one person who allowed me to question what was happening – an anaesthetist who threw everyone out of the room and sat down on the bed to ask whether this was what I really wanted.<br />I wish she had been there 24 hours earlier – by this time it was too late. I’d lost all willpower, all ability to do anything but cry. I said: “Yes, I’ll do this.” And with that I gave permission – and I cannot put this any other way, try as I may – to murder my unborn baby. Premeds were given, and I was placed on a trolley and wheeled down to theatre. I didn’t stop crying once. I dimly remember repeating, “No, no, no.”<br /><br />And then I remember waking up crying, and it was over. A few days later, the CVS result came back in the post. My baby had been trisomy 13 – and a little boy. I then learnt of a tiny, impartial charity called ARC – Antenatal Results and Choices – which had been set up to provide information to parents who discover that their child may have a disability or disease. I steeled myself to call one of its helpers one night.<br /><br />I don’t think I told her my story; I think I just sobbed down the phone and she listened. I should have thanked her, but I wasn’t capable of seeing or saying anything outside my bubble of pain. Had I been offered professional counselling at any stage in this chain of events, I’ve no doubt that my experience would have been different. I didn’t know I could ask for it, and I certainly wasn’t recommended any.<br /><br />Christmas came and went, and I forced myself back into work on Boxing Day to try to preserve a little sanity. My colleagues were wonderful, but I was so ashamed of having had a termination that I said I’d miscarried. I couldn’t face what I felt would be inevitable disapproval of my decision to have an abortion. The weeks went by, and friends and family stopped asking how I was.<br /><br />I found myself pregnant again a few months later, but that pregnancy ended in miscarriage on the exact weekend my son should have been born. I suppose it was inevitable I would think it was some sort of natural justice or punishment. The trail of misery went on.<br /><br />My marriage ended six months later. I went on to have two more miscarriages in another relationship. I felt cursed. Finally, tests revealed that there was a reason for at least the miscarriages: I had antiphospholipid syndrome, which means my blood clots too easily, usually preventing pregnancies from taking hold. Why this did not stop the first one, no one has been able to tell me. Diagnosis did mean, however, that when I became pregnant in 2005 I could receive treatment to stop me miscarrying: daily injections of heparin to thin the blood.<br /><br />Then came the day when I had to decide about antenatal testing. I was nearly 40 by this time, and my risk of having a baby with another chromosomal abnormality was much higher. At 20, you have a one in 1,529 risk of having a Down’s syndrome child; at 40, the risk is one in 112.<br />I was offered – and accepted – a scan at the hospital where I was being monitored. In fact, I’d also given blood for testing, when suddenly the realisation of what I was doing hit me.<br /><br />I sat in my consultant’s office with my new husband, and started to cry (yes, again). “I don’t want to do this,” I said. “I’m not going through that again – whatever the consequences.”<br /><br />The consultant sent us away to have a coffee and talk the decision through, but my husband was already in agreement. There would be no termination. And therefore no need for testing. Simple. My blood samples were thrown away, and an entry confirming our decision was made on my case notes. I made my peace with my unborn baby: I would take what I was given.<br /><br />About five months later, my daughter was born. She had no sign of chromosomal abnormalities. It dawned on me that once we had decided not to go ahead with tests for Down’s or anything else, I had stopped worrying about how our child would turn out. She was going to be our baby, and as long as she was born alive, everything else could be dealt with.<br /><br />I’m not trying to underplay the enormous work and sacrifices that many families must undergo when they have a disabled child. And I’m certainly not sitting in judgment of families who do choose to terminate such a pregnancy and are at peace with their decision. I’m not against abortion per se, and never have been.<br /><br />I worry nonetheless that there is a growing consensus that abortion should be the automatic choice when any foetus is diagnosed as less than “perfect”. It is an issue in desperate need of open debate. As for me, when the fear of losing another baby was weighed against the risk of disability, I knew where I stood.<br /><br />Now aged 43, still desperate for that large family and still suffering miscarriages, I have to accept that I may never have another child. It’s very hard.<br /><br />The ghost of my son lingers painfully, haunting my thoughts. In the past nine years, not a week has gone by when I haven’t thought of him. Despite the support that others – including those closest to me – expressed for my decision at the time, I don’t think I can ever truly forgive myself for what I did.<br /><br />What I do know, and often think, is that if my son had been born alive and perhaps with two years to live, were those not two years of my life that I could have spared to nurse him? Would it really have been such a big deal? With hindsight, I think I could have offered that at the very least to a child I had wanted so much.<br /><br />Bigger and better antenatal testing may thrill research scientists and be of enormous importance to those parents who are clear in their minds about the kinds of baby they want to bring into the world. For some of us, though, there is a grave danger that the very ease and simplicity of the tests make life-and- death decisions too easy to take – and to regret.<br /><br />More information about the charity Antenatal Results and Choices can be found at <a href="http://www.arc-uk.org/">www.arc-uk.org</a>~~~maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858329731144264188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681253735955923104.post-72459079240592526612008-11-22T18:39:00.003-05:002008-11-22T18:48:18.838-05:00Another Rapidly Pro-Abort for ObamaEllen Moran, executive director of the Washington group of the radically pro-abortion group EMILY's List, will be director of communications at the White House.<br /><br />The stench of the Obama White House is enough to choke a person.<br /><br />Well, not everybody.<br /><br />If you don't mind the smell of the rotting choice carcasses which resemble babies, it's not so bad.~~~maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858329731144264188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681253735955923104.post-17940910126954421322008-11-22T14:06:00.004-05:002008-11-22T14:22:03.883-05:00Tell Your Story. Speak of Change.Want to tell the president-elect what is on your mind, share your personal story or your vision of change? <br /><br />Well the Barack Obama's transition team's say on their newsroom <a href="http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/an_american_moment/">blog</a>,<br />"We created <a href="http://change.gov/page/s/yourstory">An American Moment</a> on our website because you deserve a government that respects your involvement in the process by being open, transparent and bipartisan. We want to continue to hear about your hopes and dreams, answer your questions, and get your advice about what should come next."<br /><br />Here are some phone numbers where you may share those things:<br /><br />Senator Barack Obama's offices -<br />D.C.: (202)224-2854<br />CHICAGO, IL: (312)886-3506<br />SPRINGFIELD, IL: (217)492-5089<br />MARION, IL.: (618)997-2402<br />MOLINE, IL.: (309)736-1217<br /><br />The form to e-mail your story may be found <a href="http://change.gov/page/s/yourstory">HERE</a>.~~~maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858329731144264188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681253735955923104.post-25246521477074679102008-11-22T13:17:00.003-05:002008-11-22T13:31:22.272-05:00Carmelite Focus for World Human Rights Day<span style="color:#000066;">A press release for Catholic Online:</span><br /><br />TUCSON, AZ (NOVEMBER 22, 2008) - The Carmelite NGO, a non-governmental organization working with the United Nations, announced A Day of Prayer in observance of World Human Rights Day, December 10, 2008. The focus of the Day of Prayer is to call attention to the violence that is robbing people of their human rights.<br /><br />United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said, “It is our duty to ensure that these rights are a living reality – that they are known, understood and enjoyed by everyone everywhere.”<br /><br />The Carmelite NGO is inviting people to join in solidarity with the peoples of the world that are suffering violence in any form - be it from war, hunger, lack of education, lack of medical care or lack of a healthy environment.<br /><br />A booklet entitled “A Day of Prayer” designed specifically for use on December 10th is being made available at no charge for anyone interested. The booklet is an instrument of calling upon all to join in solidarity against violence in all it forms. This year Carmelites are especially asked to pray for victims of violence in Zimbabwe.<br /><br />To obtain a copy of the “A Day of Prayer” booklet, email jremson@carmelitengo.org with your name and mailing address. Copies can also be downloaded from the website of the Carmelite NGO by clicking <a href="http://www.carmelitengo.org/">HERE</a>.<br /><br />The Carmelite NGO was affiliated to the Department of Public Information of the United Nations in December 2001. It is a representative body to the United Nations for the men and women around the world who are members of the Carmelite Order of the Catholic Church or its ministries.~~~maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858329731144264188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681253735955923104.post-73899717039609534262008-11-21T23:09:00.005-05:002008-11-21T23:28:02.206-05:00A Group Permitting the Lord to Lead<span style="color:#000066;">The following piece is a very nice article highlighting a group which is really making a difference in their community:</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">More than a place to pray: </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Charismatic Catholics serve community, too</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br />María Cortés González/El Paso Times<br /><br />EL PASO -- Open Arms Community is not a church.<br /><br />But the common mistake people make is not surprising considering all the activity taking place inside its facility, Centro Santa Fe, once a popular ranchera music dance place, off North Loop.<br />A Charismatic Catholic organization, Open Arms began as a small group meeting for prayer in people's homes. In its 35 years, the organization has gone from meeting in homes and churches to its own permanent home, where it still meets for prayer but also stores a food bank that gives supplemental groceries to about 500 families a month. It also runs a thrift store and a bookstore that support the food bank.<br /><br />This holiday season, they plan to serve from 500 to 600 people a holiday meal at Mount Carmel Church. The organization also sponsors two conferences a year, one of which will take place this weekend at Las Alas Center, 501 E. Paisano.<br /><br />Leaders have even bigger plans for the organization. Having taken on a mortgage on 15 acres of adjacent property that used to house a drive-in theater, the organization plans to build a retreat house and renewal center as well as a Catholic adult day care in a few years.<br /><br />Joanne Ivey, executive director of the organization, was part of the original group that brought Catholics from various churches for small prayer meetings.<br /><br />"It was in the early '70s and part of the pentecostal movement ... that felt a need to gather to pray in a more informal setting than what you would see in church on Sunday," she said.<br />The organization, which has the blessing of the El Paso Catholic Diocese, which is only a few yards away, emphasizes the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit, through which believers may prophesy, heal or speak in tongues. Charismatic comes from "charisma," a Greek word for gift.<br />It is believed that worldwide there are more than a 100 million Charismatic Catholics -- roughly 10 percent of Catholics. Several popes including Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II have acknowledged and supported the movement as a way of helping to renew the church.<br /><br />"The pentecostal experience to me enhances everything we already believe and do as Catholics," Ivey said. " ... We believe that any baptized person has the Holy Spirit within them and can receive those special charisms if they do desire, not for their own upbuilding, but for the church."<br />Ivey stresses that while members of the organization meet for the small prayer groups on Mondays and Tuesdays, they also belong to various Catholic churches around the city.<br />She is excited about the enthusiasm that members have not only to enrich their relationships with God but also to reach out to the community with their food pantry and retreats.<br />Sara Barraza, who is raising three children by herself since her husband left, appreciates the supply of food she receives monthly from the organization.<br /><br />"It's been difficult for me to support my three children, so I appreciate that they give me rice, beans and pastas -- staples that we eat every day," saidBarraza, who supports her family by taking care of friends' children.<br /><br />"They give me a big help and it lightens my load," she said<br />.<br />Julia Martinez is another El Pasoan who not only has received food staples monthly but also has volunteered when she can, preparing grocery bags or doing mailings. Martinez said she has not been able to go since her husband became terminally ill in October.<br /><br />"But I appreciate that they still call me to see how I'm doing and that they pray for me," she said. "It makes me feel better to have their support and prayers."<br /><br />Jerry Blaine, who attends Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Horizon City, has also been involved in Open Arms for many years. He appreciates the intimacy of the small group.<br /><br />"There's a close bonding with others," he said, "and I think almost everybody who is involved has had that common experience" of the Holy Spirit.<br /><br />Blaine said the support of the church's hierarchy is also important to him.<br /><br />"Before I became involved, I was conservative religiously," he said. "But I read a lot about the renewal and the statement that it was well within the church."<br /><br />Ivey said the retreat center will have about 80 rooms, with classrooms, a chapel and two spacious places to conduct retreats. Besides receiving private donations, the organization has fundraisers for its retreat center, such as the annual Fiesta of the Nations.<br /><br />Blaine is confident the organization will be able to build a great retreat center.<br /><br />"A small group was able to buy and pay for this property and we're steadily paying off the drive-in property," he said. "And this is what we think the Lord is leading us to do and he will supply the means."<br /><br />Article author María Cortés González may be reached at mcortes@elpasotimes.com; 546-6150.~~~maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858329731144264188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681253735955923104.post-5361930952666540012008-11-20T11:31:00.003-05:002008-11-20T11:41:36.038-05:00Auschwitz, Buchenwald, Dachau... ObamaThe latest news regarding the Obama administration is that Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano is to be Homeland Security director for the Obama Administration. <br /><br />She is decidedly pro-abortion. Earlier this year Napolitano vetoed a partial birth ban. In fact, in one month she vetoed four anti-abortion bills. <br /><br />Now, really, I don't think that will directly impact the office of Homeland Security, but the smell of death that is coming from the president-elect's cabinet is becoming increasingly nauseating. Instead of the fresh aroma of change, I'm smelling something akin to what I imagine the death camps to have smelled like.~~~maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858329731144264188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681253735955923104.post-63130715164366079882008-11-19T22:56:00.002-05:002008-11-19T22:59:06.022-05:00This Should be SeenFr. Dwight Longenecker has a photo posted on his blog that gorgeous. Check it out by clicking <a href="http://gkupsidedown.blogspot.com/2008/11/requiem-at-oxford.html">HERE</a>.~~~maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858329731144264188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681253735955923104.post-82436856871798756552008-11-19T22:38:00.007-05:002008-11-19T22:47:18.600-05:00To Quote Ronald Reagan:<strong><span style="font-size:180%;color:#000000;"><br />"Abortion is advocated only by persons who have themselves been born."</span></strong><br /><br /><p><strong><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></strong></p><p></p><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></strong><br />Can't beat that logic.~~~maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858329731144264188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681253735955923104.post-19225080267118586572008-11-19T22:20:00.003-05:002008-11-19T22:24:39.383-05:00Fr. Peyton Canonization Cause to Open Thursday<span style="color:#000066;">From the Baltimore Archdiocese site:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Opening Session in Cause for Sainthood of Father Patrick Peyton to Take Place in Baltimore<br /></span>Fr. Peyton coined the phrase, “The family that prays together stays together.”<br /><br />Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien, Archbishop of Baltimore, will preside over the opening session of the Cause for Sainthood of Father Patrick Peyton, CSC during the 12:10 Mass at the Baltimore Basilica on Thursday, November 20. Father Peyton is best known as the “Rosary Priest,” who encouraged families through his radio and television programs in the 1940s and 50s to pray together daily, especially the rosary.<br /><br />The investigation into the Cause for Sainthood of Father Peyton, which opened in June of 2001, was moved from the Diocese of Fall River, MA to Baltimore by the Holy See. Members of the ecclesiastical tribunal, which will investigate the life and ministry of Father Peyton, will be sworn-in during the Mass on Thursday and will receive instruction from the Archbishop as to how the inquiry is to take place.<br /><br />The Catholic Church’s process leading to canonization involves three major steps. First is the declaration of a person’s heroic virtues, after which the church gives him or her the title Venerable. Second is beatification, after which he or she is called Blessed. The third step is canonization, or declaration of sainthood.<br /><br />At various steps in the canonization process, evidence of alleged miracles is presented to Church authorities. In general, two miracles need to be accepted by the church as having occurred through the intercession of the prospective saint.<br /><br />The Archdiocese of Baltimore has previously been involved in the Causes of Canonization of the Servants of God, Sr. Faustina Kowalska, Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange, and Father Francis Xavier Selos.<br /><br />Father Patrick Peyton emigrated from Ireland to the United States in 1928 when he was 19. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1941 and founded Family Rosary in Albany, New York the following year. He conducted rosary crusades in 40 countries, drawing 28 million people. In 1947, he created Family Theater Productions, producing some 600 radio and television programs featuring hundreds of actors and celebrities, and more than 10,000 broadcasts.<br /><br />Family Theater Productions is now part of Holy Cross Family Ministries, which carries on the work of Father Petyon and is headquartered in North Easton, MA. For more information about the life and work of Father Peyton, visit <a href="http://www.hcfm.org/">www.hcfm.org</a>.~~~maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858329731144264188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-681253735955923104.post-70907702455296732962008-11-19T21:09:00.005-05:002008-11-19T21:33:01.270-05:00California Court to Hear Prop 9 CaseReuters is <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE4AI8EG20081120">reporting</a> that the California Supreme Court is going to hear a case disputing the validity of the same sex marriage ban that was approved in the recent election.<br /><br />In the article, the legal director of a group which advocates gay marriage stated that the election's Proposition 8 mandates discrimination.<br /><br />I don't see it that way. And that isn't religious right thinking. <br /><br />Simple logic says that it isn't a discrimination to define marriage as being between a man and a woman. It is just codifies that which social convention has held for years.<br /><br />I don't see why advocates for homosexual unions don't go at this from a different angle. <br /><br />It seems the smartest approach would be to get civil unions recognized with the same rights afforded legally to married couples. Isn't that what this is about? <br /><br />Or is there something more? A different agenda than what is being put forth, perhaps?~~~maryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858329731144264188noreply@blogger.com0