Bishop Felipe Estévez tells Florida’s Catholics to vote pro-life, pro-family in November

Excellent...This is the 3rd Bishop in a week who has spoken out to support Catholic teachings. I hope we see a lot more of them doing so, especially before the election in November.

Although Catholic voters have received mixed signals this election year from some prelates, Bishop Felipe Estévez has sent a clear message to the faithful of his diocese: human life and family issues have top priority when deciding for whom to vote.

In a letter to the Catholics of the diocese of St. Augustine, Florida, where Estévez presides, the newly-appointed bishop urges the faithful to “take your Catholic beliefs, values, and consciences into the voting booth with you.”

While refraining from specific political endorsements, Estévez notes that it is “my responsibility to remind you that, for us Catholics, some issues are simply never morally acceptable,” beginning with those that violate the right to life.

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Feast of the Archangels

The liturgy celebrates the feast of these three archangels who are venerated in the tradition of the Church. Michael (Who is like God?) was the archangel who fought against Satan and all his evil angels, defending all the friends of God. He is the protector of all humanity from the snares of the devil. Gabriel (Strength of God) announced to Zachariah the forthcoming birth of John the Baptist, and to Mary, the birth of Jesus. His greeting to the Virgin, "Hail, full of grace," is one of the most familiar and frequent prayers of the Christian people. Raphael (Medicine of God) is the archangel who took care of Tobias on his journey.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that, "[T]he existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls "angels" is a truth of faith. The witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition." 

Angels are pure, created spirits. The name angel means servant or messenger of God. Angels are celestial or heavenly beings, on a higher order than human beings. Angels have no bodies and do not depend on matter for their existence or activity. They are distinct from saints, which men can become. Angels have intellect and will, and are immortal. They are a vast multitude, but each is an individual person. Archangels are one of the nine choirs of angels listed in the Bible. In ascending order, the choirs or classes are 1) Angels, 2) Archangels, 3) Principalities, 4) Powers, 5) Virtues, 6) Dominations, 7) Thrones, 8) Cherubim, and 9) Seraphim.

Catholic Culture

Catholic News Roundup 09-28

Bill Donohue Barred from 'Piss Christ' Exhibit

An offensive video caused Muslims to  attack our embassy and kill 4 people?  Try putting Muhammed in a jar of urine like Serrano is doing with a crucifix and see what happens.  The difference is, we're not killing anyone.  Here's what happened when Donohue tried to see this exhibit.

Bill Donohue comments as follows:

Last evening, I held a press conference outside the Edward Tyler Nahem gallery in New York City protesting the Andres Serrano exhibit featuring “Piss Christ.” After talking to the media, I attempted to enter the gallery; it is on the second floor of a building at 37 W. 57th Street.

When I entered the lobby, I was stopped by a man who works for the building. He asked for ID and requested that I sign in. I said okay, and then asked if I could go to the gallery. He said the gallery and the building are two different entities, and that I had to ask the men from the gallery; they were right in front of me in the lobby. I then asked them if I could enter, and they said no, without explanation. At that point I turned to the crowd behind me explaining that my First Amendment rights were being censored by the same people who were proudly displaying Serrano’s crucifix in a jar of urine.

No one else was barred from entering the gallery. Just me. We have all of this on tape, and the quality of both the audio and the video are excellent.  (and I'll definitely post it here :)  Stay tuned.

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New Jersey Archbishop Myers: Catholics who back gay ‘marriage’ should not receive Holy Communion

I love the way our Bishops are starting to speak out...KUDO's to Bishop Myers.

On Tuesday Newark Archbishop John J. Myers released a pastoral letter calling on Catholics, especially Catholic politicians, who do not accept the teaching of the Church on marriage, to “in all honesty and humility refrain from receiving Holy Communion.” The Archbishop said that “to continue to receive Holy Communion while so dissenting would be objectively dishonest.”

The New Jersey prelate made a distinction between those struggling at times unsuccessfully against sin, and those who would willingly oppose Church teaching.

He said: “there is a difference between trying to live the whole Gospel while repenting of failures along the way, and not even trying. Worse still is the attempt by some to alter or pervert the authentic teaching of the Church, which is the true teaching of Christ.”

Archbishop Myers warned, “Jesus had very harsh things to say to those whose false teachings led others, especially the young, astray.”

The 16-page letter is a robust teaching on marriage and family which notes that divorce and contraception have paved the way for confusion in the Church and the world around homosexual ‘marriage’.

“The widespread use of contraception in sexual relations makes it difficult for young people today to grasp the intrinsic meaning and relation between sexual activity and procreation that has always been one of the fundamental meanings of marriage,” says the Archbishop.

Archbishop Myers explains that he is Biblically bound to preach the truth ‘in season and out of season’ and advises all the faithful to do likewise. “Woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel,” he cited.

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St. Wenceslaus

The Saint of the Day for September 28 is St. Wenceslaus.

St. Wenceslaus, duke of Bohemia, was born about the year 907 at Prague, Bohemia (now the Czech Republic). His father was killed in battle when he was young, leaving the kingdom to be ruled by his pagan mother. Wenceslaus was educated by his grandmother, Ludmilla, also a saint. She taught him to be a Christian and to be a good king. She was killed by pagan nobles before she saw him king, but she left him with a deep committment to the Christian faith.

Throughout his life he preserved his virginity unblemished. As duke he was a father to his subjects, generous toward orphans, widows, and the poor. On his own shoulders he frequently carried wood to the houses of the needy. He often attended the funerals of the poor, ransomed captives, and visited those suffering in prison. He was filled with a deep reverence toward the clergy; with his own hands he sowed the wheat for making altar breads and pressed the grapes for the wine used in the Mass. During winter he would visit the churches barefoot through snow and ice, frequently leaving behind bloody footprints.

Wenceslaus was eighteen years old when he succeeded his father to the throne. Without regard for the opposition, he worked in close cooperation with the Church to convert his pagan country. He ended the persecution of Christians, built churches and brought back exiled priests. As king he gave an example of a devout life and of great Christian charity, with his people calling him "Good King" of Bohemia.

His brother Boleslaus, however, turned to paganism. One day he invited Wenceslaus to his house for a banquet. The next morning, on September 28, 929, as Wenceslaus was on the way to Mass, Boleslaus struck him down at the door of the church. Before he died, Wenceslaus forgave his brother and asked God's mercy for his soul. Although he was killed for political reasons, he is listed as a martyr since the dispute arose over his faith. This king, martyred at the age of twenty-two, is the national hero and patron of the Czech Republic. He is the first Slav to be canonized.

Catholic News Roundup 09-27

Rick Santorum: ‘Freedom-loving Americans’ should support Todd Akin

FINALLY!  Someone with the strength to back Akin.  I do realize he made a stupid statement;  he chose his words poorly, but he was trying to defend babies conceived in rape from being killed by abortion.

It’s a long way from the approval of his own party, but Republican U.S. Senate candidate Todd Akin found himself less isolated as two major national figures offered their endorsement today.

Former presidential candidate Rick Santorum, who won Missouri’s primary this year, and South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint issued a joint statement encouraging Republicans in Missouri – and nationwide – to support Akin’s candidacy.

“We support Todd Akin and hope freedom-loving Americans in Missouri and around the country will join us so we can save our country from fiscal collapse,” they wrote.“Todd Akin is a principled conservative who is committed to winning and fighting for freedom in the U.S. Senate. Todd will work to stop reckless spending, stop the out of control debt, repeal the government takeover of healthcare, support our military and defend life at every stage.”

Their support followed on the heels of Santorum’s former rival Newt Gingrich, who held a $500 a plate fundraiser for Akin in St. Louis on Monday.


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More Republican leaders get behind Akin in Missouri Senate race    

Warning: Prepare for Catholics for Obama Phone Calls

he head of a pro-life committee at a parish I know just received a call from the Obama campaign. The caller asked for her daughter by name, and when she was not there then asked where she could be contacted. Her mother responded by telling the Obama supporter, “not to waste her time as my daughter is supporting the pro-life candidates Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan.”

When the caller hesitated and acted surprised, the mother, a staunch pro-life Catholic, said:

“My daughter is a practicing Catholic and would never cast a vote for a pro-abortion, pro-same sex marriage, pro-embryonic stem cell research, pro-euthanasia candidate who supported the HHS mandate that will take away religious freedoms from Catholic hospitals, Catholic charities, and Catholic institutions.”

The Obama supporter then launched into her “canned response” and started reading from her call script: “Well, I am a practicing Catholic, and I strongly support President Obama.” The mother then asked her if she was “familiar with the Pope’s five “non-negotiable’s.”‘ The Obama supporter had no idea what she was talking about and explained that it was only the Pope’s “opinion” to ban the use of contraception.

The Obama caller then went back to her script, asking these clever questions:

1. How can you support a “Mormon” who does not believe in Jesus Christ?
2. What to you think about the “Nuns on the Bus” who support Obama?

The mother replied, “How can you support a man who supports the killing of innocent pre-born children for all nine months?”

Then, she added, “How can you support a president who denigrates the Sacrament of Marriage by supporting same sex marriage which is against the teaching of the Church?”

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St. Vincent de Paul

The Saint of the Day for September 27 is St. Vincent de Paul.

St. Vincent de Paul was a great apostle of charity, and brought a great revival of the priesthood in the 17th century. He was born near Dax in the Landes (France) in 1581. As a young priest he was captured by Moorish pirates who carried him to Africa. He was sold into slavery, but freed in 1607 when he converted his owner.

Having returned to France, he became successively a parish priest and chaplain to the galley-slaves. He founded a religious Congregation under the title of Priests of the Mission or Lazarists (now known as Vincentians), and he bound them by a special way to undertake the apostolic work of charity; he sent them to preach missions, especially to the ignorant peasants of that time, and to establish seminaries.

In order to help poor girls, invalids, and the insane, sick and unemployed, he and St. Louise de Marillac founded the Congregation of the Daughters of Charity, now better known as the Sisters of St. Vincent.

St. Vincent worked tirelessly to help those in need: the impoverished, the sick, the enslaved, the abandoned, the ignored. He died in 1660 at St. Lazarus's house, Paris. His motto: "God sees you."

"Let us love God; but at the price of our hands and sweat of our face."

Catholic News Roundup 09-26

Judie Brown discusses Catholics' support for President Obama

U.S. bishop slams Dem platform for endorsing ‘intrinsic evils’

 KUDO's to Bishop Poprocki for being a good Shepherd... I hope many more Bishops will speak up like this between now and the election.  He is also 100% correct...the DNC was a disgrace.

The bishop of Springfield, Illinois has issued a hard-hitting letter in his diocesan paper, slamming the Democratic Party platform’s support for abortion and gay ‘marriage’ and urging Catholics to bring their consciences to the ballot box.

Citing the events that transpired at the Democratic National Convention when the last remaining reference to God was removed, and then reintroduced into the party platform, Bishop John Paprocki insisted that this debacle was not the worst of the DNC platform problems, and that the platform’s pro-homosexual agenda and pro-abortion planks “explicitly endorse intrinsic evils.”
Bishop John Paprocki

This year the Democratic party platform took the most extreme position on abortion of any of the party’s platforms, expressing support for abortion on demand with taxpayer funding. Bishop Paprocki also noted that while previous platforms had said that abortion should be “safe, legal, and rare,” the new platform removed “rare,” leaving only “safe and legal.”

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Obama Hits Human Trafficking, But Canceled Bishops’ Grant Over Abortion

Have you noticed how Barry's zeal for abortion seems to impact so many of his decisions?

In a speech today Tuesday), President Barack Obama went after human trafficking, saying it is a priority issue of his administration.

Yet, the Obama Administration put abortion ahead of human trafficking twice — by denying a grant to the Catholic bishops to help victims because they wouldn’t promote abortion and by refusing to investigate how the Planned Parenthood abortion business covered up potential cases of sex trafficking.

“It ought to concern every person, because it’s a debasement of our common humanity,” Obama said in his comments today. “It ought to concern every community, because it tears at the social fabric. It ought to concern every business, because it distorts markets. It ought to concern every nation, because it endangers public health and fuels violence and organized crime. I’m talking about the injustice, the outrage, of human trafficking, which must be called by its true name—modern slavery.”

“Our fight against human trafficking is one of the great human rights causes of our time, and the United States will continue to lead it,” Obama added.

Obama considers human trafficking such a great human rights cause that his administration denied the nation’s Catholic bishops a grant for a program helping sex trafficking victims because it would not refer for abortions.

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Video game teaches Spanish and takes players down the famous Camino de Santiago

An exhibit on the life and inner flame of St. Therese of Lisieux

Sts. Cosmas and Damian

The Saints of the Day for September 26 are Sts. Cosmas and Damian.

This is one of the most ancient feasts of the Church, and these two martyrs have been honored in the East and West in many ways, including the building of churches in their honor in Rome and Constantinople. Along with St. Luke, they are the patron saints of doctors. Little is known of their true history, but the legend that has come down to us is of very early origin.

Sts. Cosmas and Damian were venerated in the East as the "moneyless ones" because they practiced medicine gratis. According to the legend, they were twin brothers, born in Arabia, who studied in Syria and became skilled physicians. They were supposed to have lived on the Bay of Alexandretta in Cilicia, in what is now Turkey.

Since they were prominent Christians, they were among the first arrested when the great persecution under Diocletian began. Lysias, the governor of Cilicia, ordered their arrest, and they were beheaded. Their bodies, it was said, were carried to Syria and buried at Cyrrhus.

What is certain is that they were venerated very early and became patrons of medicine, known for their miracles of healing. The Emperor Justinian was cured by their intercession and paid special honor to the city of Cyrrhus where their relics were enshrined. Their basilica in Rome, adorned with lovely mosaics, was dedicated in the year 530. They are named in the Roman Martyrology and in the Canon of the Mass, testifying to the antiquity of their feast day.

The great honor in which they are held and the antiquity of their veneration indicate some historical memory among the early Christians who came out of the great persecutions with a new cult of Christian heroes. Cosmas and Damian were not only ideal Christians by their practice of medicine without fee, they also symbolized God's blessing upon the art of healing and that respect for every form of science, which is an important part of Christian tradition.

Excerpted from The One Year Book of Saints by Rev. Clifford Stevens

Catholic News Roundup 09-25

Notre Dame invites President Obama to speak again

The University of Notre Dame is in the awkward position of having invited to campus the target of the University’s pending lawsuit over the HHS contraceptive mandate.

Some people never learn....   Fr. Jenkins has to go.  Inviting the most pro-abort president in history to speak at a "supposed to be" Catholic University is going to mislead many Catholics into thinking it is morally acceptable to support Barry and his radical abortion agenda.

Despite Catholic outrage over the University of Notre Dame’s 2009 invitation to President Barack Obama to address its graduates, the University has again invited the President to speak on campus as a candidate for reelection.

From the Notre Dame news release:

The University of Notre Dame’s president, Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., and student body president Brett Rocheleau have joined in inviting both President Barack Obama and Republican presidential nominee Gov. Mitt Romney to speak at the University during the fall election campaign.

Continuing a long-standing tradition, Father Jenkins and Rocheleau addressed letters to each of the presidential aspirants, offering Notre Dame as a “forum for serious political discussion” on important issues facing the nation. The intent of the invitations, which include the candidates’ running mates, is to provide the campus community a firsthand impression of the contenders and their messages.

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Music Review: Divine Comedy" by Jackie Francois

Jackie is a Catholic full-time speaker, singer/songwriter, and worship leader.

In "Divine Comedy" she laments not finding love, but then acknowledges that God's love is all she needs.

In "Your Love is Better" we learn that  God's love is better than this life.

"Everything I Need" reminds us not only that the Lord is all we need, but that He suffered to heal us.

My favorite song is "Everything You", acknowledging not only that God is our Savior, but  the beauty of all He created.

This album was a pleasure to review not only because it is so worship-centered, but because it is very uplifting, and very enjoyable to listen to.

A very good album.

http://www.jackiefrancois.com/

France set to ban the words 'mother' and 'father' from official documents

THIS is one reason why it is so important to maintain the definition of marriage.  It is a matter of defending the family itself.

France is set to ban the words "mother" and "father" from all official documents under controversial plans to legalise gay marriage.

The move, which has outraged Catholics, means only the word "parents" would be used in identical marriage ceremonies for all heterosexual and same-sex couples.

The draft law states that "marriage is a union of two people, of different or the same gender".

It says all references to "mothers and fathers" in the civil code – which enshrines French law – will be swapped for simply "parents".

The law would also give equal adoption rights to homosexual and heterosexual couples.

Justice Minister Christiane Taubira told France's Catholic newspaper La Croix: "Who is to say that a heterosexual couple will bring a child up better than a homosexual couple, that they will guarantee the best conditions for the child's development?"  As a matter of fact, yes!  Here's one perspective from a gay man: Rupert Everett: 'There's nothing worse than gay parents')

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St. Hermann Contractus

The Saint of the Day for September 25 is St. Hermann Contractus.

Born February 18, 1013, at Altshausen (Swabia), St. Hermann Contractus was born crippled and unable to move without assistance. It was an immense difficulty for him to learn to read and write, however he persisted and his iron will and remarkable intelligence were soon manifested.

Upon discovering the brilliance of his son’s mind, his father, Count Wolverad II, sent him at the age of seven to live with the Benedictine monks on the island of Reichenau in Southern Germany.

He lived his entire life on the island, taking his monastic vows in 1043.

Students from all over Europe flocked to the monastery on the island to learn from him, yet he was equally as famous for his monastic virtues and sanctity.

Hermann chronicled the first thousand years of Christianity, was a mathematician, an astronomer, and a poet and was also the composer of the Salve Regina and Alma Redemptoris Mater – both hymns to the Virgin Mary.

He died on the island on September 21, 1054.

Catholic News Roundup 09-24

Book Review: "Embracing Obscurity" by Anonymous

To be honest, when I opened this book to review it, I wasn't sure if it would be able to keep me engaged and hold my attention.  Was I ever wrong  :)  This book hit so many points...pride, humility, pride, jealousy, greed... 

The author is truly living the values espoused here by remaining Anonymous.  I believe the purpose of this book is best summed up in this quote from  the introduction:

"We're drunk all right.  We're intoxicated with a desire to be known, recognized, appreciated and respected.  We crave to be a "somebody" and do notable things, to achieve our dreams and gain the admiration of others.  To be something - anything - other than nothing."

I doubt the author is Catholic, but he/she did discuss many things taught by the Catholic Church.   The author goes through almost all of the seven deadly sins.  In fact, each chapter has some discussion questions at the end to inspire more thought, reflection and discussion of the virtues discussed.


One of my favorite chapters is 'Embracing Suffering'...it is important to embrace whatever crosses we are handed in life and follow Christ.  It is also important  to recognize our own self-worth.


"Embracing Obscurity" is an easy read that helps the reader recognize and appreciate their own self-worth, and face some of life's daily challenges with a more positive outlook.

A good  book that will benefit whoever reads it.

http://www.embracingobscurity.com/

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog.

Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal

Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Girls at 13 NYC Schools Get Morning After Pills, No Parental Permission

Amazing...Bloomberg won't let anyone buy a super-size soda, but he'll give teens free birth control without their parents' consent.

he New York City Department of Education is furnishing morning-after pills and other birth control drugs to students at 13 city high schools and without parental permission.

School nurses supplied with the drugs, which can cause a very early abortion, are dispensing “Plan B” and other oral or injectable birth control to girls as young as 14 without telling their parents — unless the parents opt out of the program after receiving a school letter informing them of the new policy.

According to a Fox News report, New York City high schools have supplied free condoms to teens in the past, but this is the first time city schools have given the birth control drugs that come under Connecting Adolescents to Comprehensive Health, known as CATCH, which is part of a city-wide pregnancy prevention program.

The New York Post has more on the situation:

It might be a nationwide first as well. The National Association of School Nurses could cite no other school district supplying Plan B.

So far, during an unpublicized pilot program in five city schools last year, 567 students received Plan B tablets and 580 students received Reclipsen birth-control pills, the city Department of Health told The Post.

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Church authorities silent in face of ‘Catholic’ Melinda Gates’ global contraceptive campaign

It's pretty sad that CINO Melinda Gates thinks that contraception is the answer to global poverty.  Why not send  food Melinda?  How about providing real medical care (the kind that doesn't kill babies)?

It's even sadder that the U.S. Bishops are silent about Ms. Gates' misguided understanding of what it means to be Catholic.

Since the launch of self-professed “practicing Catholic” Melinda Gates’ $4 billion global campaign to deliver abortion-inducing contraceptives to up to 120 million women worldwide, major media outlets have noted her open defiance of Catholic teaching on sexual morality.

“Melinda Gates Takes on the Vatican,” blared one British newspaper in July. “Melinda Gates challenges Vatican,” said another. LifeSiteNews’ own characterization of the campaign, a “blatant attack on Catholic sexual morality,” was quoted by CNN, Time, and other major periodicals both in the United States and abroad.

However, despite Gates’ very public and aggressive international effort to distribute unhealthy drugs that violate Catholic sexual morality and even kill the unborn, Catholic Church officials have been virtually silent on the matter with not a public word coming from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) or even Gates’ own bishop.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales were also mute in the face of Gates’ “Family Planning Summit,” held in their country, which generated over four billion dollars for her campaign.

Although the USCCB has shown great signs of improvement of late on matters related to human life and family, it may have reasons for staying silent about Melinda Gates’ contraceptive campaign.

The USCCB’s international aid agency, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), receives tens of millions of dollars from the Gates Foundation itself, and repeats the organization’s claim that it is “guided by the belief that every life has equal value,” adding that “the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people (but not unborn people?) lead healthy, productive lives.”

CRS’ relationship with the Gates Foundation creates an obvious conflict of interest. Moreover, as LifeSiteNews.com has reported recently, CRS itself has been involved in the promotion of birth control, and has donated millions of dollars to a contraceptive-distributing organization known as CARE.

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Blessed Anton Martin Slomshek

The Saint of the Day for September 24 is Blessed Anton Martin Slomshek.

Anton Martin Slomshek who was born November 26, 1800 at Ponikva, Slovenia is the first Slovenian to be beatified.



Slomshek is known as a great educator, largely responsible for the nearly 100% literacy rate among Slovenians, a remarkable turn around from the very poor state of the nation's educational levels at the beginning of the nineteenth century.



In the late 18th and early 19th century, the Slovenian education system had been crippled by the Austrian empire's suppression of their native language and culture. This left them without their own schools, texts and magazines and newspapers.



As bishop, Anton Martin Slomshek reformed the schools in Slovenia, and rebuilt the education system, giving it Catholicism and Slovene history as a foundation. He wrote many textbooks, began a weekly review, and wrote many books and essays concerning whatever questions he considered relevant to the intellectual needs of his people.


He founded a society for the spread of Catholic literature, an organization responsible in large part for making possible the rejuvenation of the Catholic cultural base of the Slovenian nation.



He was known as a simple and humble man, possessed with a childlike purity, and was loved by his priests and his flock.



Blessed Anton once remarked, "When I was born, my mother laid me on a bed of straw, and I desire no better pallet when I die, asking only to be in the state of grace and worthy of salvation."


Blessed Anton died September 24, 1862 in Maribor, Slovenia and was beatified September 19, 1999 by Pope John Paul II.

St. Thomas of Villanova

The Saint of the Day for September 22 is St. Thomas of Villanova.

St. Thomas was born in Spain in 1488, and inherited a special love toward the poor from his parents; he often gave away his very clothes. After the death of his father and mother, he used his inheritance to sustain poor virgins. He became a lecturer in the higher schools at Alcala, entered the order of the Hermits of St. Augustine in 1516 at Villanova, and acted as court preacher to Charles V. Against his will he was made archbishop of Valencia (1544), then exercised the office as a zealous shepherd of souls and a great friend of the poor. The bed in which he died was borrowed back from the one to whom he had given it as alms shortly before. During the sixteenth century he was called the "apostle of the Spaniards."

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius

Catholic News Roundup 09-21

Did Chick-fil-A "Chicken Out"?

Couldn't resist the pun :)

Seriously, there has been much in the news lately with Chicago Alderman Joe Moreno claiming that Chick-fil-A will no longer give to "anti-gay" (i.e. "pro-family") groups.  Now they set the record straight:

In response to media reports that Chick-fil-A has agreed to stop making charitable donations to groups like Focus on the Family, the company today released a statement to set the record straight.

Contrary to reports first made by the gay-activist group The Civil Rights Agenda (TCRA) on Tuesday and later picked up by mainstream media outlets, Chick-fil-A and its charitable-giving arm, the WinShape Foundation, did not agree to stop making donations to groups that support the biblical definition of marriage in exchange for being allowed to open a franchise in Chicago.

“For many months now, Chick-fil-A’s corporate giving has been mischaracterized,” executives said in today’s statement. “And while our sincere intent has been to remain out of this political and social debate, events from Chicago this week have once again resulted in questions around our giving. For that reason, we want to provide some context and clarity around who we are, what we believe and our priorities in relation to corporate giving.

“A part of our corporate commitment is to be responsible stewards of all that God has entrusted to us. Because of this commitment, Chick-fil-A’s giving heritage is focused on programs that educate youth, strengthen families and enrich marriages, and support communities. We will continue to focus our giving in those areas. Our intent is not to support political or social agendas.

“As we have stated, the Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect — regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender. We will continue this tradition in the over 1,600 restaurants run by independent Owner/Operators.”

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St. Matthew

The Saint of the Day for September 21 is St. Matthew.

No one was more shunned by the Jews than a publican, who was a Jew working for the Roman enemy by robbing his own people and making a large personal profit. Publicans were not allowed to trade, eat, or even pray with others Jews.

One day, while seated at his table of books and money, Jesus looked at Matthew and said two words: "Follow me." This was all that was needed to make Matthew rise, leaving his pieces of silver to follow Christ. His original name, "Levi," in Hebrew signifies "Adhesion" while his new name in Christ, Matthew, means "Gift of God." The only other outstanding mention of Matthew in the Gospels is the dinner party for Christ and His companions to which he invited his fellow tax-collectors. The Jews were surprised to see Jesus with a publican, but Jesus explained that he had come "not to call the just, but sinners."

St. Matthew is known to us principally as an Evangelist, with his Gospel being the first in the New Testament. His Gospel was written in Aramaic, the language that our Lord Himself spoke and was written to convince the Jews that their anticipated Messiah had come in the person of Jesus.

Not much else is known about Matthew. According to tradition, he preached in Egypt and Ethiopia and further places East. Some legends say he lived until his nineties, dying a peaceful death, others say he died a martyr's death.

In the traditional symbolization of the evangelists, based on Ezech. 1:5-10 and Rev. 4:6-7, the image of the winged man is accorded to Matthew because his Gospel begins with the human genealogy of Christ.

Catholic News Roundup 09-20

Book Review: "After the Cross" by Brandon Barr and Mike Lynch

At an archeological site in Istanbul, an 800 year-old  letter is found that indicates that the cross of Christ still exists, though hidden. Colton Foster and Mallory Windom are the two archeologists who embark on the search for the cross.  But... they're not the only ones...some unsavory (Zarco was an effective "bad guy") people are also looking for the cross.  But who will find it first?

This book has so much.  I enjoy stories about faith, and it is a good mystery.  I especially liked how the suspense was built. Throw in a love story, and you've got an excellent, well-told story that anyone will enjoy.

I especially liked the way the story was told from both biblical times and current day to relate the story of the cross.

An excellent book.

Mike, you've got a new fan!

http://www.mikelynchbooks.com/

Harvard Professor: Coptic Papyrus does not prove that Jesus was married

this small papyrus give insight into whether Jesus was married? Experts agree, it does read in part "Jesus, said to them...my wife." But despite these words, the professor who publicly presented the fragment to the world says it does not prove that Jesus was married.

Music Review: This Is Your Kingdom Come Now

The 3 primary artists on this album are Casey Corum, Torri Baker and Crispin Schroeder.

As I've mentioned before on this blog, the main thing I look for when reviewing worship music is that it maintains its worship quality.   I've found that some Christian music artists, while trying to make Christian music more popular, become too focused on making it sound like secular music and in the process, it's easy to forget that it is supposed to be aiding in worship and that purpose is then lost.

With that in mind, Mr. Corum has done an excellent job of maintaining that worship quality.  And Ms. Baker has a beautiful, crystal-like voice.  They team up on the very stirring "Love has Rescued Me" to remind us that Jesus died for us.

"How I Love Your Ways" is my favorite song on the album; a song of redemption and salvation in the Lord.
"Who is Like Our God" was my  least favorite (too much secular, not enough worship). 
"Peace Mix3" was especially enjoyable and relaxing,  reflecting the peace we find in the Lord.

One thing that bothered me  is that most of the songs began with the same  clicking of drumsticks, and that got very tiresome.

Overall, a very good album.  I especially enjoyed Mr. Corum's songs.  I've included below  a preview of "Love Has Rescued Me"

http://www.vineyardworship.com/

http://caseycorum.net/

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

St. Andrew Kim and St. Paul Chong and Companions

The Saints of the Day for September 20 are St. Andrew Kim and  St. Paul Chong  and Companions.

This first native Korean priest was the son of Korean converts. His father, Ignatius Kim, was martyred during the persecution of 1839 and was beatified in 1925. After baptism at the age of fifteen, Andrew traveled thirteen hundred miles to the seminary in Macao, China. After six years he managed to return to his country through Manchuria. That same year he crossed the Yellow Sea to Shanghai and was ordained a priest. Back home again, he was assigned to arrange for more missionaries to enter by a water route that would elude the border patrol. He was arrested, tortured and finally beheaded at the Han River near Seoul, the capital. Paul Chong Hasang was a lay apostle and a married man, aged forty-five. Christianity came to Korea during the Japanese invasion in 1592 when some Koreans were baptized, probably by Christian Japanese soldiers. Evangelization was difficult because Korea refused all contact with the outside world except for an annual journey to Beijing to pay taxes. On one of these occasions, around 1777, Christian literature obtained from Jesuits in China led educated Korean Christians to study. A home church began. When a Chinese priest managed to enter secretly a dozen years later, he found four thousand Catholics, none of whom had ever seen a priest. Seven years later there were ten thousand Catholics. Religious freedom came in 1883.

When Pope John Paul II visited Korea in 1984, he canonized Andrew, Paul, ninety-eight Koreans and three French missionaries who had been martyred between 1839 and 1867. Among them were bishops and priests, but for the most part they were laypersons: forty-seven women, forty-five men.

Among the martyrs in 1839 was Columba Kim, an unmarried woman of twenty-six. She was put in prison, pierced with hot awls and seared with burning coals. She and her sister Agnes were disrobed and kept for two days in a cell with condemned criminals, but were not molested. After Columba complained about the indignity, no more women were subjected to it. The two were beheaded. A boy of thirteen, Peter Ryou, had his flesh so badly torn that he could pull off pieces and throw them at the judges. He was killed by strangulation. Protase Chong, a forty-one-year-old noble, apostatized under torture and was freed. Later he came back, confessed his faith and was tortured to death.

Today there are approximately four million Catholics in Korea.

Excerpted from the Saint of the Day, Leonard Foley, O.F.M.

Catholic News Roundup 09-19

Scholars Scrutinize Harvard's "Jesus' Wife"

This has been in the news today.

Of course Jesus did NOT have a wife.

Scholars are questioning the authenticity of a much-publicized discovery by a Harvard scholar who reported that a 4th Century fragment of papyrus has provided the first evidence that some early Christians believed Jesus was married. 

Obama Camp Launches Desperate Ad as Catholic Vote Crumbles

 1. NO Catholic should vote for the most pro-abort president in history.

2.  Despite what he says in this video, Obama will continue to erode our religious freedom.

The Obama campaign has launched a desperate new ad that it hopes will somehow turn around its poor standing with Catholic voters across the country who are turned off by the Obama administration’s pro-abortion attack on religious liberty.

The video is meant to get Catholics and other faith-based voters to sign up to support Obama’s re-election campaign.

In 2008 Barack Obama carried 54% of the Catholic vote. Today only 27% of Catholics support Obama, according to figures from the pro-life group American Life League.

“Between August 15-19 of this year, American Life League commissioned a nationwide telephone survey of 900 self-identified Catholic registered voters. The focus of the survey was Catholic perspectives on the Church and nation. Below are some of the results of the survey,” the group said about a poll it conducted last month. “Only 27 percent of the Catholics surveyed support President Obama. Of those surveyed, 74 percent of Catholic men over the age of 50 do not support Obama, while Obama support among Catholic men under 50 years is only 25 percent. With Catholic women over the age of 50, the president’s support is only 23 percent, with just 31 percent among Catholic women under 50 years.”

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Gay actor: ‘I can’t think of anything worse than being brought up by two gay dads’

 While I disagree with Mr. Everett's lifestyle, I applaud his honesty on this issue.

British actor Rupert Everett says he “can’t think of anything worse” than two gay men bringing up a child together—an opinion that is probably held by vast numbers of people who would not dare to say so in public. But, thanks to the magic shield of celebrity, actors can get away with speech “crimes” that the rest of us would (metaphorically) hang for.

Being gay himself also deflects criticism—Everett came out as a homosexual 20 years ago and has said that this damaged his acting career. His comments on gay parenting were made in an interview with the Sunday Times Magazine last weekend (alas, The Times is only accessible to paid subscribers so we rely on The Telegraph here).

Everett, probably best know for his role as a gay man in the 1997 film My Best Friend’s Wedding, says his mother, Sara, who was also interviewed for the article, “still wishes I had a wife and kids. She thinks children need a father and a mother, and I agree with her. I can’t think of anything worse than being brought up by two gay dads.”

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St. Januarius

The Saint of the Day for September 19 is St. Januarius.

Together with his deacons Socius and Festus, and his lector Desiderius, Januarius, bishop of Beneventum, was subjected to most atrocious torturing during the Diocletian persecution (about 304). Nevertheless, with God's aid they were preserved unmaimed. The wild animals let loose upon them would not attack. Beheaded at Puteoli, their bodies were reverently interred in the neighboring cities. Eventually the remains of St. Januarius became the prized possession of the city of Naples.

"Even to the present time the blood of the saint that is preserved in a glass vial will become fluid shortly after it is brought close to the head of the saint; then it bubbles up in a remarkable manner, as if it had just been shed" (Breviary). Cardinal Schuster makes this statement in his Liber Sacramentorum (vol. 8, p. 233): "The author has seen the marvel of the blood liquefaction at closest range and can give witness to the fact. Taking into consideration all the scientific investigations that have been made, he would say that a natural explanation of the phenomena does not seem possible."

Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

Catholic News Roundup 09-18

Savoring Our Faith - Father Leo Patalinghug - Bread Pudding

Vatican to release documentary with previously unseen footage from Vatican II

This October marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of Vatican II. But few people truly understand the impact this council had on the Catholic Church. So to get the message out, the Pontifical Council for Social Communications will launch an HD documentary on October 11th.

When he's not behind home plate, umpire makes serving others a priority

When Major League Baseball umpire Mark Wegner, a Catholic, is in Baltimore to work at an Orioles game, one way he likes to spend his spare time is by helping people in need.

"I have free time, and I try to use it productively, but nothing is more productive than, going to Mass, No. 1, but No. 2, coming to do some things like this," said Wegner.

Dressed in an Under Armour T-shirt, baseball cap and a green apron, the umpire was working with other volunteers on a recent Friday at Our Daily Bread, a Catholic Charities of Baltimore program that serves meals to the city's homeless. He and the others were preparing tables, mixing salads and filling plates for the lunch crowd.

Wegner, who wears uniform No. 47, got off the field at Camden Yards at 10:30 p.m. Sept. 6, after the Orioles beat the New York Yankees 10-6, temporarily tying for first place in the race for the American League East crown.

At 9 the next morning, he was part of Our Daily Bread's 11,422nd day of uninterrupted food service.

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Justin Bieber’s Mom Explains Why She Rejected an Abortion

A incredible story...

Last year, Justin Bieber made waves around the world for proclaiming himself pro-life. But a new interview his mom gave to the Today show’s Kathie Lee Gifford provides an extraordinarily background as to why Bieber may oppose abortion — his mom chose life.

Justin Bieber’s mother, Pattie Mallette, explained to “Today,” in an interview that will air this week, about the sexual abuse she suffered before becoming pregnant and how she was determined to make it through a difficult pregnancy situation and give birth to Bieber.

Prior to becoming pregnant, Mallette suffered sexual abuse, a subject she discusses in her new book, “Nowhere But Up: The Story of Justin Bieber’s Mom.” Of that abuse, Mallette told Gifford, “I’ve learned it’s normal and natural for anybody who’s been through sexual abuse to carry that shame and that blame and feel like there’s something wrong with you. So I definitely carried that.”

The shame was so much Mallette attempted to kill herself. She told Gifford that the suicide attempt was “a culmination of, you know, built up over the years with the abuse and the pain and at the time I was messed up with all the drugs and alcohol. I was in a depression and the drugs and alcohol kind of spurred that on some more.”

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St. Joseph of Cupertino

The Saint of the Day for July 18 is St. Joseph of Cupertino.

Joseph of Cupertino was such an extraordinary saint that his fellow-Christians could scarcely cope with him. First of all he was forgetful, even as a child, often not turning up for the scanty meals his impoverished widowed mother prepared. He would wander about the village of Cupertino, Italy, where he was born, gazing open-mouthed at everything. He found it hard to learn. And he was clumsy.

When he was seventeen he decided he wanted to become a monk or friar. The Franciscans would not take him because, they said, he was too stupid. The Capuchins threw him out after eight months because he broke everything. Eventually a Franciscan house at La Grotella accepted him as a stableboy.

He prayed and fasted and did his best to perform every task to perfection. Eventually the delighted brothers decided to accept him as one of their equals, and in 1628 he was ordained priest. From that time onwards Joseph of Cupertino was continually passing into ecstatic trances, sometimes even appearing to float above the ground. No meals could be taken in the monastery without some extraordinary interruption because of Joseph's miraculous behaviour. For thirty-five years the community decided that he should be kept out of the choir and refectory.

Naturally enough his miracles and above all the reports of his supernatural levitations attracted countless curious visitors. In 1653 the church authorities transferred him to a Capuchin friary in the hills of Pietarossa and kept him completely out of sight. Finally Saint Joseph was allowed to join his own order at a place called Osima, but he was still kept out of sight until his death in 1663. All this he bore without the remotest complaint. Fittingly the twentieth century has made the saint patron of pilots and airline passengers.

Excerpted from A Calendar of Saints by James Bentley