Over 1,000,000 CD's distributed in 21 months through the 1000+ parishes who have partnered with Lighthouse! We only have 100,000,000 more CD's and 16,000 parishes to go!
Feedback from listeners and the affect on their lives:
"It jolted me out of stagnation! It has renewed my love for the Mass and for Jesus." Nancy - Plattsburgh, NY
"It opened my eyes and blew me away! I want everyone to hear this CD. I listen to mine over and over. It is such a great message!" Victoria - Tiverton, RI
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Looking for paid full and part-time helpers faithful to the New EvangelizationPlease e-mail us at mailto:juli@lighthousecatholicmedia.com
We know how hard it is when a loved one leaves the Church. We know how much joy there is when a dear friend or loved one returns to the Faith.
That is our mission at Lighthouse Catholic Media. Will you join us in helping to spread the authentic gospel of Jesus Christ that is safeguarded in the Catholic Church? Saint James teaches us much about evangelization at the very end of his letter. Image the great gift of grace that our Father gives us when we join an apostolate?!
"My brethren, if any one among you wanders from the truth and some one brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins."
Jam 5:19-20
If you are searching for ways to help spread the truth, give us an email. We have already distributed over 1 million CDs all across North America. We can do even more with your help.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Friday, September 28, 2007
William Tell Overture for Moms
If you're a homeschooling mom, you have to add 5,000 more words. Could I just play this every morning and save myself a lot of verbiage?
Massachusetts Abortion Victim's Mom Comes Forward
Operation Rescue calls on District Attorney to InvestigateHyannis, MA - September 28, 2007 - Eileen Smith has come forward in order to keep her daughter's abortion death from being "swept under the rug." Her 22-year old daughter, Laura Hope Smith, died on September 13, 2007, during an abortion done by Rapin Osathanondh at Women Health Clinic in Hyannis, Massachusetts.
Smith told Operation Rescue that she had no idea that her daughter was 13 weeks pregnant and considering an abortion. A friend accompanied Laura to the clinic. Early reports indicated that Laura died of hemorrhage, but Smith says that her daughter died on the abortion table. "There was no bleeding. She stopped breathing and went into cardiac arrest," said Smith.
Ten days after Laura's death, Smith met privately for one hour at a public place with Osathanondh. He would only meet with Smith alone and refused to allow even allow her husband to accompany her. Osathanondh admitted that Laura died during the abortion but refused to admit he did anything wrong.
Smith told Operation Rescue that the details of her daughter's death appalled and sickened her, but she could not discuss those details because she is seeking legal action against Osathanondh for killing her daughter.
"My daughter was 22, healthy, and alive when she walked into that clinic," Smith said. "She didn't even have a cold. There is no reason for her to be dead."
Laura was born into abject poverty in Hondurus on May 25, 1985, and was abandoned at an orphanage. An American couple that adopted Laura abused her terribly and gave her up. Laura was then adopted by Tom and Eileen Smith, a Christian family that lovingly raised Laura in the Cape Cod community of Sandwich.
Laura was a 2004 graduate of Upper Cape Tech, majoring in cosmetology, but later realized that profession did not suit her. At the time of her death she was working in retail management. Laura was a born again Christian who was an active member of Calvary Chapel of Sandwich.
Over 600 people attended Laura's funeral. Since then, at least one young woman has changed her mind about abortion since hearing about what happened to Laura.
Smith told Operation Rescue that two days after Laura's death, she gave a full interview to the local newspaper, which was scheduled to be published on the day of Laura's funeral. The article has yet to appear, leading Smith to believe that there are attempts underway to cover up her daughter's death.
Operation Rescue is urging calls to the local district attorney asking for a formal investigation of Rabin Osathanondh in the abortion death of Laura Hope Smith.
District Attorney Michael D. O'KeefePhone: 508-362-8113
E-Mail: CapeDA@Massmail.state.ma.us
I just called the office of Michael O'Keeffe to let them know that Iam blogging about this and asked if the office had a statement about their action on this case. They have none at this time, and they will be getting a link to this post. Please call in and ask if DA O'Keefe pursuing justice for Laura Hope, may God rest her troubled soul.
________________________________
About Operation Rescue
Operation Rescue is one of the leading pro-life Christian activist organizations in the nation. Operation Rescue recently made headlines when it bought and closed an abortion clinic in Wichita, Kansas and has become the voice of the pro-life activist movement in America. Its activities are on the cutting edge of the abortion issue, taking direct action to restore legal personhood to the pre-born and stop abortion in obedience to biblical mandates.
________________________________
About Operation Rescue
Operation Rescue is one of the leading pro-life Christian activist organizations in the nation. Operation Rescue recently made headlines when it bought and closed an abortion clinic in Wichita, Kansas and has become the voice of the pro-life activist movement in America. Its activities are on the cutting edge of the abortion issue, taking direct action to restore legal personhood to the pre-born and stop abortion in obedience to biblical mandates.
Click here to support Operation Rescue
________________________________
E-mail: info@operationrescue.org
Operation Rescue
Troy Newman President
316-841-1700
________________________________
E-mail: info@operationrescue.org
Operation Rescue
Troy Newman President
316-841-1700
Emergency Contraception to be administered in Catholic hospitals in Connecticut
This story about Connecticut bishops allowing an abortifacient in Catholic hospitals is tragic. Let's pray for a change of heart during our 40 Days for Life prayer campaign.
HT New Oxford Review
HT New Oxford Review
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Gay Conference at De Paul University
DePaul University is planning a pro-homosexual conference called “Out There: The Second National Conference of Scholars and Student Affairs Personnel Involved in LGBTQ Issues on Catholic Campuses.”
It’s a broadside against Catholic education. An attack against 2,000 years of Catholic moral teaching and natural law.
Won’t you help students defend the truth?
Register your e-protest now!
For your information, some of the lecture titles are shocking:
“The Ins and Outs of Teaching LGBTQ” (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Queer)
“Queer Teens Between the Sheets”
“Queering Theology: Contradictions and Accommodations”
“Queering Services and Benefits at Catholic Institutions”
To read more, click here.
After you sign your protest, make sure you call the office of the president. Respectfully urge him to cancel the pro-homosexual “Out There” conference on Oct. 19-20.
Call: Fr. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M.Phone: 312-362-8890 -- DePaul University
You might be wondering if these protests are ever successful.
Yes! They are. In fact, after TFP Student Action protested the showing of Brokeback Mountain at Seton Hall University, the president of this Catholic university called to say that he canceled it.
So please spread the word. There is strength in numbers. And Catholic education is a cause much too noble for us to remain silent or indifferent.
Thank you very, very much and may God bless you!
It’s a broadside against Catholic education. An attack against 2,000 years of Catholic moral teaching and natural law.
Won’t you help students defend the truth?
Register your e-protest now!
For your information, some of the lecture titles are shocking:
“The Ins and Outs of Teaching LGBTQ” (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Queer)
“Queer Teens Between the Sheets”
“Queering Theology: Contradictions and Accommodations”
“Queering Services and Benefits at Catholic Institutions”
To read more, click here.
After you sign your protest, make sure you call the office of the president. Respectfully urge him to cancel the pro-homosexual “Out There” conference on Oct. 19-20.
Call: Fr. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M.Phone: 312-362-8890 -- DePaul University
You might be wondering if these protests are ever successful.
Yes! They are. In fact, after TFP Student Action protested the showing of Brokeback Mountain at Seton Hall University, the president of this Catholic university called to say that he canceled it.
So please spread the word. There is strength in numbers. And Catholic education is a cause much too noble for us to remain silent or indifferent.
Thank you very, very much and may God bless you!
Dr Alveta King rejected in Iowa School as "too moral"
Last fall, I blogged about the unforgettable speech of Dr. Alveta King at Nassau Community College. Not only did she discuss the hurt abortion had caused in her personal life, but we discussed how the black community has the highest abortion rate in the nation. Nearly 80% of abortion mills are located in minority communities. When a young black man objected to this being termed genocide, he was referred to the website blackgenocide.org, which explains the racist agenda behind Planned Parenthood.That's where the Planned Parenthood is located which will be the focus of 40 Days for Life on Long Island.
Speaking this kind of truth doesn't sit well with Principal Kathie Danielson in Roosevelt High School in Des Moines, Iowa; she cancelled Dr. King's speech, because a couple of pro-abortion parents objected to morality being discussed in school.She told the Des Moines Register newspaper that she examined King's presentation beforehand and "quite a bit of it does talk about civil rights, but there is a connection to morals."
Presidential Candidate Sam Brownback came to Dr King's defense."Defending the life of innocents is the most basic civil right, and I am proud to support Dr. Alveda King and her efforts on the pro-life issue, civil rights and helping people in need," Brownback said. This is not surprising, he's an ardent champion of the rights of the unborn.
What is shocking, however, the ACLU objected to the cancelled speech as well.
ACLU representative Ben Stone told the Register that Danielson is doing a "disservice" because it makes the school appear to be shielding its students from various viewpoints on abortion.
Danielson "does the students of Roosevelt High School a disservice when she decides she must protect them from viewpoints that are controversial," Stone said.
"Alveda King was invited to speak, and telling her to stay away now is wrong, for it implies that the school is taking sides on the abortion issue, while at the same time depriving students of an opportunity to engage in this important moral topic," Stone said.
The ACLU came down on the side of free speech for pro-lifers, incredible!
This is why her talks for "Silent No More" are so important, most blacks, though pro-life, vote for pro-abortion candidates according to this poll. They vote over 90% Democrat, which is nearly always pro-abortion.
African Americans need to know the facts about Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood's racist agenda to rid society of undesirable, including blacks, Jews, Hispanics, and other poor immigrants in New
York City ghettos. She was one of the most prominent members of the 1930's eugenics movement, which included the Ku Klux Klan and the Nazis. She associated with both. Here she, in her own words, betrays her sinister agenda."We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population." - Margaret Sanger
HT LifeNews
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Hate Crimes Bill/Employment Non-Discrimination Act
Senate Set to Vote on Hate-Crimes Amendment
by Jennifer Mesko, associate editor
Kennedy bashes military, says crimes against homosexuals are tantamount to terrorism.
The U.S. Senate is set to vote on two key amendments to a Defense spending bill Thursday, including one that would enshrine homosexuality in federal law.
The hate-crimes amendment would create a new federal class of crime based on "actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity," but the underlying goal is to grant federal civil-rights status to homosexuality.
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, has introduced an alternative amendment that would simply require a study of hate crimes.
Gay-activist organizations sounded the alert today, and it's vital that the Senate hear from family advocates.
Why is the amendment attached to a military spending bill? Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., has tried many explanations.
"The Defense Authorization Bill is dealing with the challenges of terrorism," he said last week. "And the hate crimes issue … we're talking about domestic terrorism."
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, called that argument outrageous.
"Again, we see this effort to try and link those who defend traditional morality with those in the Middle East who are blowing people up," he said on his weekly radio program. "This is outrageous. This legislation will eventually lead to Christians, and the speech that would counter homosexuality, being criminalized."
Today, Kennedy tried a new angle on the Senate floor.
"This amendment will strengthen the Defense Authorization Act by protecting those who volunteer to serve in the military," Kennedy said. "The vast majority of our soldiers serve with honor and distinction … but sadly, our military bases are not immune from the violence that comes with hatred."
Ashley Horne, federal policy analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said: "Senator Kennedy’s hate-crimes amendment doesn’t belong in the Defense spending bill, and it doesn’t belong in law, period."
TAKE ACTION
Please call your senators today and urge them to oppose the hate-crimes amendment. Visit the Action Center, then enter your ZIP code to find your senators' phone numbers. To learn more about the legislation, read the Focus Action fact sheet. Also, take a moment to sign the Focus on the Family Action petition.
by Jennifer Mesko, associate editor
Kennedy bashes military, says crimes against homosexuals are tantamount to terrorism.
The U.S. Senate is set to vote on two key amendments to a Defense spending bill Thursday, including one that would enshrine homosexuality in federal law.
The hate-crimes amendment would create a new federal class of crime based on "actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity," but the underlying goal is to grant federal civil-rights status to homosexuality.
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, has introduced an alternative amendment that would simply require a study of hate crimes.
Gay-activist organizations sounded the alert today, and it's vital that the Senate hear from family advocates.
Why is the amendment attached to a military spending bill? Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., has tried many explanations.
"The Defense Authorization Bill is dealing with the challenges of terrorism," he said last week. "And the hate crimes issue … we're talking about domestic terrorism."
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, called that argument outrageous.
"Again, we see this effort to try and link those who defend traditional morality with those in the Middle East who are blowing people up," he said on his weekly radio program. "This is outrageous. This legislation will eventually lead to Christians, and the speech that would counter homosexuality, being criminalized."
Today, Kennedy tried a new angle on the Senate floor.
"This amendment will strengthen the Defense Authorization Act by protecting those who volunteer to serve in the military," Kennedy said. "The vast majority of our soldiers serve with honor and distinction … but sadly, our military bases are not immune from the violence that comes with hatred."
Ashley Horne, federal policy analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said: "Senator Kennedy’s hate-crimes amendment doesn’t belong in the Defense spending bill, and it doesn’t belong in law, period."
TAKE ACTION
Please call your senators today and urge them to oppose the hate-crimes amendment. Visit the Action Center, then enter your ZIP code to find your senators' phone numbers. To learn more about the legislation, read the Focus Action fact sheet. Also, take a moment to sign the Focus on the Family Action petition.
Catholic Tube
A great idea; our own 'channel' on the internet. Catholic Tube. And they'll be running daily updates and meditations on 40 Days for Life. The video titles are rotating on the widget on the sidebar to your left. This way, you can always get to Catholic Tube via Causa Nostrae Laetitiae.
Thanks for the link, Travis!
Thanks for the link, Travis!
"Run to the Battle" by Steve Camp
The Unofficial Theme Song for 40 Days for Life is Steve Camp's "Run to the Battle". Play it here.It's the theme song for the modern day Church Militant!
We have Christ with us, so what are we waiting for?
Run To The Battle
Some people want to live
Within the sound of chapel bells
But I want to run a mission
A yard from the gates of Hell.
And with everyone you meet
I'll take them the gospel and share it well
And look around you as you hesitate
For another soul just fell
Let's run to the battle
Run to the battle.
Do you have your armor on?
We're in the middle of a raging war
We've been training for so long
Have we learned to use His sword?
We may not be ready
But we serve a mighty Lord
And He's made us more than conquerors
So what are you waiting for?
Let's run to the battle
We got to run, run to the battle
He has trampled down the enemy
And has given us the victory
When we pray we learn to see
That His army
We are marching on our knees
There'll be times when we grow weak
Let's keep our faith alive
Let your faces shine with glory
For He's helped us to survive
And in that final hour
When you feel like you're ready to die
Will you hear the trumpet sound?
Will you hear the warrior cry?
Run to the battle
We got to run, run to the battle
Steve Camp
© 1981 Word Music (a div. of Word, Inc.)(ASCAP)
Witchita is starting 40 Days for Life Today
Wichita, KS - Beginning tomorrow, Operation Rescue and the Kansas Coalition For Life will begin participation in a nationwide pro-life prayer campaign called 40 Days For Life outside the nation's largest late term abortion clinic.For the next 40 days, from September 26 through November 4, pro-life supporters will be urged to maintain a constant prayer presence during every business hour at Women's Health Care Services, the late-term abortion mill owned and operated by George R. Tiller, who is currently facing 19 criminal counts of illegal abortions, a county grand jury investigation that could net additional charges, and a disciplinary review by the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts.
"We believe strongly in the power of prayer," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "In Aurora, Illinois, on the last day of their 40 Days For Life Vigil, a judge ruled that the Planned Parenthood office in that community must remain closed. It was an amazing answer to prayer."
"We will pray for the next 40 days that Tiller's clinic will also close and that he will be brought to justice on the crimes of which he has been charged. We look forward to seeing what God will do in Wichita in response to our continued prayers," said Newman.
The Wichita 40 Days For Life vigil is part of a national campaign that is being conducted simultaneously in over 90 cities across the country
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
40 Days for Life begins tomorrow
This is an email I just received from David Bereit director of 40 Days for Life Dear Leticia,
I'm sending you this message from Wisconsin, where Iwill be participating in the Milwaukee 40 Days for Life kickoff rally tonight.(You can see the video of the talk I gave at the kickoff event in Chicago )
Tomorrow, September 26, marks the beginning of thelargest and longest simultaneous pro-life mobilizationin American history: 40 Days for Life.
With God's help -- and YOURS! -- this huge nationwide endeavor could mark the beginning of the end of abortion in our land. Here are three simple steps you can take to make aworld-changing impact:
1. Commit to pray and fast for an end to abortion during these 40 days.
2. Try to participate in the 40 Days for Life kickoff event nearest to you. To find a location, click here.
3. Join the peaceful vigil in a participating city on the first day (Wednesday 9/26) if at all possible.
Let's show the whole country that the Body of Christ is standing together for life!
Each day of 40 Days for Life, you will also be sent ashort devotional with a scripture, a brief reflection,and a prayer.
Please take a minute to read this message daily, prayover the specific request, and share it with others.Your prayers will be united with those of believers all across America.
In preparation for what is about to begin, here is ashort devotional for today...
*******************************************************
Daily Devotional for September 25
By: Carmen Pate*******************************************************
SCRIPTURE:"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." -- 1 Corinthians 15:57-58
REFLECTION:You are about to embark on an amazing 40 day adventure with God that could indeed have life long implications. Accessing God's power through prayer, fasting, and peaceful vigil to end abortion in America is the vision. Revival across America and many saved lives may well be the result! We are engaged in a spiritual battle and the plans have been laid. Our mission is to bring together the body of Christ in a spirit of unity during a focused 40 day campaign of prayer, fasting, and peaceful activism, with the purpose of repentance, to seek God's favor to turn hearts and minds from a culture of death to a culture of life, thus bringing an end to abortion in America.
Do you think the enemy will be silent? No way. The enemy -- Satan, the world system he rules, and our flesh -- will be battling tirelessly against us. You see, he won't accept the fact that the victory is already ours because of Christ's death and resurrection. It is a complete and total victory over sin, Satan, evil in all its forms, and death. On the cross Jesus cried, "It is finished!" and this secured an eternal victory for all who place their faith in Him.
Through the power of His Holy Spirit in us, we are enabled to tap into vast resources of spiritual power to fight the principalities and powers of darkness that have already been disarmed by the blood of Christ. (Colossians 2:15)
Though they won't give up, neither will we. After all, we are the victors!
PRAYER:Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place (2 Corinthians 2:14) Heavenly Father, as we appropriate your supernatural victory by faith, empower and enable us to besteadfast, unmovable, always abounding in Your work. May our testimony reflect Christ and honor You in all we say and do. The glory goes to You, for You alone areworthy of our praise!
In Jesus name we pray,
AMEN.*******************************************************
Anticipating Great Miracles,
David Bereit
National Campaign Director
40 Days for Life
3515-B Longmire #316
College Station, TX
77845US
Forty Days for Life begins this Wednesday, September 26th
Are you ready to begin serious prayer, fasting, and pro-life witness? Are you read to see miracles happen like the Planned Parenthood abortion mill in Aurora, Ill. which is still not able to open, thanks to thousands of prayerful protesters participating in 40 days for Life?David Bereit, director of 40 Days for Life is counting you! The unborn babies are counting on you! Our children are counting on us to leave them a world where babies are safe in the wombs of their mothers.This is the beginning of the end of abortion in America!
NYS Health Commissioner Richard Daines Refuses to Accept Abstinence Funding from Feds
Have you ever heard of a public official refusing money? Just how much of an ideaologue does one have to be to refuse money for a program with a proven track record of saving lives, both physically and spiritually?
Health Department spokeswoman Claudia Hutton says the state has received about $3.7 million in abstinence funding since 1998 and the state has allocated $2.6 million annual to go along with the federal dollars.
But Health Department Commissioner Richard Daines says that will no longer be the case starting on October 1. In a statement he posted on the agency's web site on Thursday, he said, "The Bush administration's Abstinence-Only program is an example of a failed national health care policy directive."
He claims it is "based on ideology rather than on sound scientific-based evidence that must be the cornerstone of good public health care policy."
HT Life News
In keeping with the Governor Spitzer's progressive health-care agenda for New York, (advance the cause of abortions for everyone)on July 2nd the department cancelled all existing abstinence only contracts under the federal Title V program that began under the previous administration. Earlier this year, the department made a conscious decision
not to reapply for funds under this program due to the increasingly rigid federal standards imposed on New York and other states that were contrary to our commitment to fully educate adolescents about the risks associated with sexual behavior. NYS Dept Health Website
What were the people of New York thinking when they elected the pro-abortion Spitzer who went after the good people running Crisis Pregnancy Centers as Attorney General, accusing them of deceiving women? Where is our Catholic leadership in this crisis?
Take action and email Governor Spitzer about this mistake made by Health Commissioner Dr. Richard Daines here, telling him to restore Federal funds for abstinence programs. We can and must demand better behavior from the children of New York State, and from our elected officials. Learn the truth about the effectiveness of abstinence education.
Health Department spokeswoman Claudia Hutton says the state has received about $3.7 million in abstinence funding since 1998 and the state has allocated $2.6 million annual to go along with the federal dollars.
But Health Department Commissioner Richard Daines says that will no longer be the case starting on October 1. In a statement he posted on the agency's web site on Thursday, he said, "The Bush administration's Abstinence-Only program is an example of a failed national health care policy directive."
He claims it is "based on ideology rather than on sound scientific-based evidence that must be the cornerstone of good public health care policy."
HT Life News
In keeping with the Governor Spitzer's progressive health-care agenda for New York, (advance the cause of abortions for everyone)on July 2nd the department cancelled all existing abstinence only contracts under the federal Title V program that began under the previous administration. Earlier this year, the department made a conscious decision
not to reapply for funds under this program due to the increasingly rigid federal standards imposed on New York and other states that were contrary to our commitment to fully educate adolescents about the risks associated with sexual behavior. NYS Dept Health WebsiteWhat were the people of New York thinking when they elected the pro-abortion Spitzer who went after the good people running Crisis Pregnancy Centers as Attorney General, accusing them of deceiving women? Where is our Catholic leadership in this crisis?
Take action and email Governor Spitzer about this mistake made by Health Commissioner Dr. Richard Daines here, telling him to restore Federal funds for abstinence programs. We can and must demand better behavior from the children of New York State, and from our elected officials. Learn the truth about the effectiveness of abstinence education.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
An Amazing Weekend in Washington, DC
I spent Friday and Saturday in Washington, DC meeting people I have watched on television, and read about in the papers, while admiring their contribution to society. And I thought that nothing could top my first live radio program!On Friday morning, I drove down to interview former Senator Rick Santorum for an article. I read his important book, It Takes a Family in preparation for the interview on his pro-life views, and will be reviewing it on this blog. I can't discuss the content of this interview, but I would like to say that Rick Santorum is an honorable Catholic man who has served his country, his family, and his Church with his heart, mind, and his soul. What more can we demand of our public servants? I appreciated a chance to tell him how much his wife Karen's book. Letters to Gabriel has meant to me and many of my friends, and wish him well in his work at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. It was a pleasure getting to know him, and hope that we will meet again as we both work to bring about a Culture of Life in America.
I spent the afternoon on the campus of Catholic University of America, touring the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, one of the largest churches in the world. I toured the intricately decorated shrines devoted to Our Lady under her various titles, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Vietnam, Our Lady of Ireland, Our Lady of Lithuania, and was deeply touched by the tiny shrine o
f Our Lady of Africa, whose ceiling was reminiscent of the interior of a slave ship. Many prominent religious orders were represented by their outstanding saints, and outstanding bas-relief pieces and Venetian glass mosaics. Anyone despondent about church architecture would do themselves much good by spending a day within these solid Romanesque walls, shaking with the rumble of the enormous pipe organ. Great Catholic art is alive and well. My knowledgeable and fast-talking tour guide, David explained all the artistic and religious facts beautifully. I left a note for the Shrine's spiritual director, Fr. Raymond with the request which Fr. Andrew Apostoli, CFR, that the statue of Our Lady of America be permanently enshrined there in the Basilica. Our Lady, in this approved apparition, made this request on the anniversary of Fatima October 13, 1956, and over fifty years later, it still has not been fulfilled. How much human suffering could have been averted if this simple act had been completed?Bolstered by a rosary said in the presence of Our Lord, I then paid a visit to Catholic University's Public Affairs and Student Activities Office to get to the origin of the John Kerry controversy. Although late in the afternoon (no true big shot in a university can be found after 3PM on Friday) I did manage to track down one administrator who, tried deflect the blame on the CU College Democrats. I didn't let him away with that, all campus speakers must be approved, so when I insisted on knowing the nam
e of the official who had authorized the controversial speech, he started backing away, saying"no comment". The next day the campus newspaper, "The Tower" announced that, due to scheduling difficulties, John Kerry, the most pro-abortion member of the Senate would not be speaking at the University we all fund with our church collections. It did my heart good to be part of the pressure which caused the University to back down from hosting Senator Kerry's speech. Let's hope that there was a lesson learned here.I had the privilege of meeting Anita Crane, the editor of Celebrate Life magazine where my most recent article is published. She has had an amazing career in media, and interacts with the movers and shakers in the Catholic world, yet still retains her humility and deep faith in Our Lord and the cause of the Culture of Life.
I attended Act One Screenwriting Weekend's Hollywood Insider Event, where Dean Batali, who is the Executive Co-Producer of That 70's Show and who wrote episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer shared just
how much of a challenge it is to be among those lost souls in Hollywood to whom absolutely nothing is sacred in order to be 'salt and light'. He admitted that he learned that "salt doesn't bring something back to life, it only acts as a preservative to prevent further decay" meaning that the shows he worked on were saved from worse degradation by his efforts in the writing room. He tried to replace mean jokes with silly ones, and keep the tone positive in a place where cruelty reigns. Christians, he said, have to be better writers in order to convince Hollywood to give us a chance. We have to be passionate about sharing our story (really it's Christ's story, though not always outwardly so) and realize that our battle isn't with flesh and blood, it's with the Prince of Darkness.The point was made, in a panel discussion, that Christian films once had a place at the table, and may yet regain that place, but we must vote with our movie tickets, and in the first weekend of a film's release, when Hollywood is watching. Why did so few people of faith go to see a good film like, "Amazing Grace", for example? I would suggest the overwhelming distrust of Hollywood by Christians, which is well earned, but must be overcome, if our films are to reach the screen. That is why I review films, to give Catholics a place to go when deciding whether to take a chance and buy a ticket. We have to vote with our feet, to prevent tragedies like this; The Da Vinci Code outsold The Passion of the Christ worldwide.
I brought up the film Bella, and the panel was largely enthusiastic, citing it's warm approval from secular critics, and Toronto Film Festival People's Choice Award, and encouraged the audience to go and see it on Oct 26th. The special contribution of Catholics was cited again and again, despite the largely Evangelical audience, because of our understanding of suffering as part of the mystery of the Christian life. As I noted in my review of "Facing the Giants" prayers are not always answered by Our Lord in ways we can understand, yet we maintain our hope of Heaven despite the Cross. That is the Severe Mercy of God, to help us grow in the painful circumstances of our lives.
Speaking of A Severe Mercy, one of my favorite books, and one which a very wise priest once said is a must-read for Catholics, Barbara Nicolosi, the Catholic woman who founded Act One, is involved in an upcoming film version of A Severe Mercy a love story about Sheldon Vanauken and his wife Davy, close friends of CS Lewis, and the lessons they learned through suffering.
Didn't I have the most amazing weekend?
This blog is coming up to it's first anniversary, next week, and when I reflect on how far my career has come, in one short year, my heart overflows with gratitude to God, as only He could have opened the doors which have been opening for me lately. Pray for me, that I always remember whom I serve.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Senator Bob Casey not pro-life as he promised
Fr. Tom Eutneuer of Human Life International blasts the 16 so-called Catholic Senators who voted against extending the Mexico City Policy.
FRONT ROYAL, VA — The Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer, STL, president of Human Life International, (HLI) today blasted a gang of 16 Catholic senators for their votes on an amendment to HR 2764 to overturn the Mexico City Policy instituted by President Reagan to prevent U.S. taxpayer dollars from funding overseas abortions.
“For the most part it’s the usual suspects who claim to be Catholic while their consistent pro-abortion votes amount to a betrayal of the Catholic faith. We expect treachery from them,” Fr. Euteneuer said. “But the great disappointment here is Robert Casey, Jr., whose late father courageously stood against the tide for life in his political party. It is disgusting to think that Casey Junior ran as a ‘pro-life’ candidate. He has betrayed those who voted for him on those grounds.”
“At a time when these same politicians bewail America’s standing in the world they vote to export death to nations that don’t want it, in violation of those nations’ religious traditions. They are the new ‘ugly Americans’ practicing imperialism at its worst,” Father Euteneuer said.
The gang of 16 includes:
Robert Casey, Jr. (D-PA),
Patrick Leahy (D-VT),
Ted Kennedy (D-MA),
John Kerry (D-MA), who will NOT be speaking at Catholic University!
Barbara Mikulski (D-MD),
Susan Collins (R-ME),
Robert Menendez (D-NJ),
Mary Landrieu (D-LA),
Ken Salazar (D-CO),
Tom Harkin (D-IA),
Richard Durbin (D-IL),
Maria Cantwell (D-WA),
Patty Murray (D-WA),
Jack Reed (D-RI),
Christopher Dodd (CT-D),
Claire McCaskill (D-MO).
HT Human Life International
The Democrat Party ran Bob Casey Jr. to victory against stalwart pro-life veteran Rick Santorum, using his father's sterling pro-life reputation as a smokescreen for their true agenda; to defeat one of the unborn child's greatest champions in the Senate. Bob Casey Jr., what must your father be thinking as you used his good name to cover your duplicity?
Those pro-lifers in Pennysylvania who were duped, remember this!
FRONT ROYAL, VA — The Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer, STL, president of Human Life International, (HLI) today blasted a gang of 16 Catholic senators for their votes on an amendment to HR 2764 to overturn the Mexico City Policy instituted by President Reagan to prevent U.S. taxpayer dollars from funding overseas abortions.
“For the most part it’s the usual suspects who claim to be Catholic while their consistent pro-abortion votes amount to a betrayal of the Catholic faith. We expect treachery from them,” Fr. Euteneuer said. “But the great disappointment here is Robert Casey, Jr., whose late father courageously stood against the tide for life in his political party. It is disgusting to think that Casey Junior ran as a ‘pro-life’ candidate. He has betrayed those who voted for him on those grounds.”
“At a time when these same politicians bewail America’s standing in the world they vote to export death to nations that don’t want it, in violation of those nations’ religious traditions. They are the new ‘ugly Americans’ practicing imperialism at its worst,” Father Euteneuer said.
The gang of 16 includes:
Robert Casey, Jr. (D-PA),
Patrick Leahy (D-VT),
Ted Kennedy (D-MA),
John Kerry (D-MA), who will NOT be speaking at Catholic University!
Barbara Mikulski (D-MD),
Susan Collins (R-ME),
Robert Menendez (D-NJ),
Mary Landrieu (D-LA),
Ken Salazar (D-CO),
Tom Harkin (D-IA),
Richard Durbin (D-IL),
Maria Cantwell (D-WA),
Patty Murray (D-WA),
Jack Reed (D-RI),
Christopher Dodd (CT-D),
Claire McCaskill (D-MO).
HT Human Life International
The Democrat Party ran Bob Casey Jr. to victory against stalwart pro-life veteran Rick Santorum, using his father's sterling pro-life reputation as a smokescreen for their true agenda; to defeat one of the unborn child's greatest champions in the Senate. Bob Casey Jr., what must your father be thinking as you used his good name to cover your duplicity?
Those pro-lifers in Pennysylvania who were duped, remember this!
The Ultrasound Informed Consent Act
From Family Research CouncilA picture may be worth a thousand words, but Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kans.) believes that it could also be worth thousands of lives. Yesterday, Brownback, one of the Senate's biggest pro-life champions, introduced a bill called the Ultrasound Informed Consent Act with co-sponsors Sens. Norm Coleman (Minn.), Jim Inhofe (Okla.), Mel Martinez (Fla.), John Thune (S.D.) and David Vitter (La.). Similar to what several states are debating, this bill would require doctors to perform ultrasounds and share those images with any women considering an abortion. Although no woman would be forced to view the ultrasound, she would have the opportunity to make the most informed decision possible. For that reason, even the most militant pro-abortion senators should lend their support to Brownback's bill. It's not just pro-life, it's pro-woman. The legislation would use cutting-edge technology to give moms-to-be a window into the humanity of their unborn children. When confronted with the palpable personhood of their babies, research shows that many women reconsider their "choice" to abort. Others are inspired to cease risky behaviors related to alcohol, smoking, and bad diet. While the legislation doesn't address abortion directly, it's certainly an effective way to reduce the number of them--a goal every American can support.
But don't be shocked when the pro-aborts start talking about the unfairness of women being coerced into viewing, gasp, their own children! Who said they were interested in women's health, and freedom of choice? Those are simply the buzz words they use to cover the pro-death agenda. Why else would the "Pre-natally and Post-natally Diagnosed Conditions Act" be stuck somewhere in committee? What on earth could be wrong with letting women know the whole truth about the diagnosis of their unborn child?
Abortion, is first and foremost, a business. Today the Gospel reminded us, "you cannot serve God and Mammon (money), you will love one and hate the other". Those who serve the abortion industry have given over their souls to the love of money, which leads to death. Pray for them.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
I'll be on Relevant Radio Tomorrow
I'll be interviewed at 4:30 EST on the Drew Mariani Show by Fr. James Kubicki of The Apostleship of Prayer. Click here to listen online.
Please say a prayer that I am calm and can communicate a clearly to parents of children with Down syndrome about The Dr. Jerome Lejeune Society.
Please say a prayer that I am calm and can communicate a clearly to parents of children with Down syndrome about The Dr. Jerome Lejeune Society.
GOP Presidential Race described as "wide-open"
If Rasmussen says there is 'no clear frontrunner' then conservative bloggers should take heart. Over 60% of the Republican Party is conservative, and pundit Dick Morris says that the bloggers will have a say in who their party choses for the nomination. That gives the pro-lifers one last shot to unseat Guiliani from the top tier of candidates, and replace him and Romney with a true pro-lifer like Brownback, or Huckabee.
If you don't act now, you will not be permitted to whine in November of 2008. Get the candidates' opinions on abortion published on your blog! Polls show that most Catholics don't realize just how pro-abortion Rudy Guiliani is. Those of us who are Catholics against Rudy know there is no demonstrable difference between candidate Guiliani and Clinton on abortion or so-called "gay rights".
The Value Voters Summit debate had candidates agreeing on abortion. At least those who attended. Notably absent were: Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, John McCain and Fred Thompson, the frontrunners who didn't want their compromised stands on abortion made public.
If you don't act now, you will not be permitted to whine in November of 2008. Get the candidates' opinions on abortion published on your blog! Polls show that most Catholics don't realize just how pro-abortion Rudy Guiliani is. Those of us who are Catholics against Rudy know there is no demonstrable difference between candidate Guiliani and Clinton on abortion or so-called "gay rights".
The Value Voters Summit debate had candidates agreeing on abortion. At least those who attended. Notably absent were: Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, John McCain and Fred Thompson, the frontrunners who didn't want their compromised stands on abortion made public.
A 40 Days for Life Success Story in Aurora, Il.
Today is day 40 of the Aurora, IL, 40 Days for Life effort, and media outlets are buzzing with the news summed up by this quote from EricScheidler featured in one area newspaper last night: "PlannedParenthood will not be opening tomorrow. For me and the citizens ofAurora and the Fox Valley Families Against Planned Parenthood, that's a great victory. We've been praying for 40 days that this would not open, and our prayers have been answered."Even with Planned Parenthood's millions of dollars, political clout,legal strong-arm tactics, and media influence, the abortion chain STILL couldn't open its new 22,000 square foot abortion mega-center as originally scheduled for today. God is good!(www.familiesagainstplannedparenthood.org.)The battle in Aurora is far from over,... but this is a clear victory demonstrating the power of 40 days of prayer, fasting, and peacefulaction. Will 40 Days for Life really mark the beginning of the end of abortionin America?
It could -- if you take the first step to get involved today.
Tales from the The Pro-life Table at the Fair
If you ever want some time to 
yourself, volunteer to man the pro-life table at your local street fair. You'll get lots of time alone, as most fairgoers give you a wide berth. This has happened to me many times before. But not this time.
yourself, volunteer to man the pro-life table at your local street fair. You'll get lots of time alone, as most fairgoers give you a wide berth. This has happened to me many times before. But not this time. I was late in registering the table for the 40 days for life in Northport's Cow Harbor Day Fair, so I was fortunate to score a table in the most crowded section of my hometown's lovely waterfront park. I set up the table between a science geek with a fascinating show of bubbles, and a shy lady selling jewelry. I had experience, however, that told me to use the secret weapon.
The secret weapon is a series of fetal models, in the womb, that are so lifelike that Christina kept taking the babies out to cuddle them. She's not the only one who wanted to cuddle them. Dozens of little children, pulled their often reluctant parents over to the display, to, "see the babies". This I had seen before. Many of the mothers used the teachable moment to tell the children, "that's how you looked in Mommy's tummy". What's the value in that? Someday, these innocent children will be in a health class where the teacher will lie and say that these are just "blobs of tissue". These youngsters will know better. They've seen the truth.
What did surprise me were the teenagers, who were just as attracted to the babies. Some were there to tell me what they learned in health class, like t
he boy who said, "this is what happens when you don't need protection". I reminded him that married couples see children as a great blessing, as his parents likely saw him. He seemed pleased that there was a more positive way of looking at babies, than something to be avoided at all costs.
he boy who said, "this is what happens when you don't need protection". I reminded him that married couples see children as a great blessing, as his parents likely saw him. He seemed pleased that there was a more positive way of looking at babies, than something to be avoided at all costs. Most touching was the petite young lady, with the beautiful hairstyle, and unusual tiny earring in her upper lip who quietly told her friends, "this won't be happening to me, because I'm abstinent".
I resisted the urge to hug her and embarrass her in front of her stunned companions. I merely asked, "why are you abstinent?", to which she replied proudly, "because it's the right thing to do". Her friends' mouths were still slack with amazement, so I jumped in, adding, "you're just like American Idol Jordin Sparks, who showed off her purity ring on 'Fox and Friends'". Her male friend had recovered enough to attempt a crude comment on chastity belts, and I cut in with, "did you ever hear the story about the young woman who wrote a letter to her future husband when she was 14? On her wedding night, ten years later, she gave it as a gift to her husband". That did it, my eyes filled with tears, as I added, "can you guys think of a better wedding gift to give your future spouse?" No more smart comments, just a new found respect for their attractive, chaste friend. She held her head a little higher, leaving the table, and I was so proud of her!
Of all the people who approached the table that afternoon, only three were negative. One woman in her fifties, holding her husband's hand, intoned the mantra, "if you take choice away from one woman, you take it away from all women". I tried to engage her in a discussion, but the mantra was repeated again and again, almost as a protection from being affected by the truth. Two unseen women hissed, "pro-choisssssssse" as they quickly passed the table, while I was engaged in conversation with someone else. I always assume that these women are post-abortive and this brings up their suffering, so I pray silently for them.
Pro-lifers came up to greet me and exchange stories. I have prayed in front of abortion mills, but I missed the rescue movement, so my hat is off to those pro-life veterans. It was great to know they are out there, but unfortunately, they are a graying bunch. New leaders must come forward to take leadership positions in parish Respect Life Programs.
If you have ever considered leadership in the pro-life movement, there is most certainly a place for you. Participate in 20 days for life, and get in touch with your local Crisis Pregnancy Center. From folding baby clothes to manning pro-life tables, there is job for you. The babies are counting on you!
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
What makes a film Catholic?
Here is an intelligent article from Michael Foley via Spirit Interactive discussing the nature of a Catholic film. It mentions many of my favorite films: The Mission, Lilies of the Field, The Passion of the Christ, The Sound of Music, and The Exorcism of Emily Rose. In his discussion of the implicit Catholicism of Alfred Hitchcock, he forgot to mention one of my favorites, I Confess. It's drama is caused by the priest's refusal to break the seal of the confessional, though it may cost him his freedom. Another one of my favorite Catholic films is The Scarlet and the Blac
k about the true story of Msgr. O'Flaherty(Gregory Peck), "The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican", who defied the Nazis (played by dashing Christopher Plummer) and rescued downed American pilots and Jewish refugees, hiding them in the Vatican till they could be sent to safety.
This weekend I hope to attend all or part of Act One's Screenwriting Weekend in suburban Washington DC. I want to learn more about the craft of filmaking to improve my movie reviews, and my screenplay. I will be blogging about the weekend when I get home.
k about the true story of Msgr. O'Flaherty(Gregory Peck), "The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican", who defied the Nazis (played by dashing Christopher Plummer) and rescued downed American pilots and Jewish refugees, hiding them in the Vatican till they could be sent to safety.This weekend I hope to attend all or part of Act One's Screenwriting Weekend in suburban Washington DC. I want to learn more about the craft of filmaking to improve my movie reviews, and my screenplay. I will be blogging about the weekend when I get home.
Uganda's successful Abstinence Campaign
by Colin Mason of the Population Research Institute
That Sub-Saharan Africa lies in the grip of a vast AIDS epidemic is no secret to anyone. According to statistics published in 2006 by UNAIDS (the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS), an estimated 24.5 million people in the region were HIV-positive by the end of 2005, with 2.7 million contracting the virus in that year alone.
Desperate to stop the spread of this disease, which is well on its way to becoming the most destructive plague of all time, AIDS-stricken countries in Africa have turned to the West. The assistance they have received may have done more harm than good, however.
Secular-minded Western aid agencies have bombarded the continent with graphic sex-education programs and condoms. Yet, according to numbers published by UNAIDS itself (available here), HIV infection rates in Africa continue to climb, suggesting that such programs, instead of curbing the disease, are actually contributing to its spread by encouraging risky behavior.
Only one African country, Uganda, has successfully combated AIDS. No other country has experienced a comparable decline.
Over 18% of the adult population tested positive for the AIDS virus in 1992. By the end of 2005, only 6.7% did.
No other country has experienced a comparable decline.
How was this remarkable turnaround achieved? Western aid organizations, eager to justify their programs (and their funding), falsely attribute the decline to sex education and condoms. The Ugandans themselves tell a much simpler story. It can be summed up in one word: abstinence.
The unsung hero of Uganda's victory over AIDS is a Catholic nun by the name of Sister Miriam Duggan, M.D. Early on in the fight against this deadly disease Sister Miriam developed a program called "Education for Life," a program which encourages people to be abstinent before marriage and faithful within it. By educating people about the dangers of promiscuous sex and its deadly consequences, "Education for Life" has helped to change the mindset of the Ugandan people. Sister Miriam Duggan and her collaborators insist that it is this program, backed up by the willingness of the government to accept abstinence education, that has helped reduce the AIDS epidemic in Uganda.
"I think it can be very confusing for young people deciding now 'which way do I go?'" says Thandi Hadebe, an abstinence educator for Education for Life. "And that is where I think we fail our young people; because we give them too much conflicting information." He blames the AIDS epidemic on indiscriminate condom promotion and mixed messages sent by "comprehensive sex" educators.
Uganda's startling success in combatting the spread AIDS can be attributed to it's revolutionary approach to the problem -- through the promotion of abstinence before marriage and fidelity within marriages.
Education for Life takes a very different approach. "We emphasize the aspect of freedom," says Fr. Andrew Shingange, another educator with the program, "that it is within themselves that they can protect themselves."
A brilliant new documentary film called The Change is On celebrates this victory for life and common sense. Commissioned by Bishop Hugh Slattery of the South African Diocese of Tzaneen, it tells Sister Miriam's story, and explains how "Education for Life" works in practice.
In Sowing in Tears, the sister documentary to The Change is On, Bishop Slattery describes the work of faith-based organizations in dealing with the social consequences of HIV/AIDS. Nor surprisingly, it is people of faith who are heroically caring for the infected in their homes, and staffing the orphanages full of orphaned and grieving children. (These excellent documentaries were produced by Metanoia Media, and may be ordered by going to CatholicStudio.com. )
Few know the problems of the HIV/AIDS epidemic better than Bishop Slattery. The adult HIV rate in South Africa was 18.8% at the end of 2005, or about what it was in Uganda 15 years ago. The "Education for Life" program has now been introduced in his diocese, and is spreading throughout South Africa.
"[AIDS] is a threat to a whole civilization, it is a threat to our future, it is a question of 'will there be generations around here in the future?'" says Bishop Slattery. "It sounds pessimistic put that way, but really, it is massive if you look at the numbers."
"It is becoming more and more evident day by day that the Western world's obsession with condom promotion is severely hampering the efforts of African countries to deal effectively with HIV/AIDS," says Bishop Slattery. "The only country to show real progress in combating the disease is Uganda … through the promotion of abstinence before marriage and fidelity in marriages. The Western world refuses to accept and laud this tremendous achievement. On the contrary it is doing its utmost to undermine it by using every possible means of promoting condoms there, against the wishes of the government leadership."
Is anyone at USAID listening?
A video may be ordered here
That Sub-Saharan Africa lies in the grip of a vast AIDS epidemic is no secret to anyone. According to statistics published in 2006 by UNAIDS (the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS), an estimated 24.5 million people in the region were HIV-positive by the end of 2005, with 2.7 million contracting the virus in that year alone.
Desperate to stop the spread of this disease, which is well on its way to becoming the most destructive plague of all time, AIDS-stricken countries in Africa have turned to the West. The assistance they have received may have done more harm than good, however.
Secular-minded Western aid agencies have bombarded the continent with graphic sex-education programs and condoms. Yet, according to numbers published by UNAIDS itself (available here), HIV infection rates in Africa continue to climb, suggesting that such programs, instead of curbing the disease, are actually contributing to its spread by encouraging risky behavior.
Only one African country, Uganda, has successfully combated AIDS. No other country has experienced a comparable decline.
Over 18% of the adult population tested positive for the AIDS virus in 1992. By the end of 2005, only 6.7% did.
No other country has experienced a comparable decline.
How was this remarkable turnaround achieved? Western aid organizations, eager to justify their programs (and their funding), falsely attribute the decline to sex education and condoms. The Ugandans themselves tell a much simpler story. It can be summed up in one word: abstinence.
The unsung hero of Uganda's victory over AIDS is a Catholic nun by the name of Sister Miriam Duggan, M.D. Early on in the fight against this deadly disease Sister Miriam developed a program called "Education for Life," a program which encourages people to be abstinent before marriage and faithful within it. By educating people about the dangers of promiscuous sex and its deadly consequences, "Education for Life" has helped to change the mindset of the Ugandan people. Sister Miriam Duggan and her collaborators insist that it is this program, backed up by the willingness of the government to accept abstinence education, that has helped reduce the AIDS epidemic in Uganda.
"I think it can be very confusing for young people deciding now 'which way do I go?'" says Thandi Hadebe, an abstinence educator for Education for Life. "And that is where I think we fail our young people; because we give them too much conflicting information." He blames the AIDS epidemic on indiscriminate condom promotion and mixed messages sent by "comprehensive sex" educators.
Uganda's startling success in combatting the spread AIDS can be attributed to it's revolutionary approach to the problem -- through the promotion of abstinence before marriage and fidelity within marriages.
Education for Life takes a very different approach. "We emphasize the aspect of freedom," says Fr. Andrew Shingange, another educator with the program, "that it is within themselves that they can protect themselves."
A brilliant new documentary film called The Change is On celebrates this victory for life and common sense. Commissioned by Bishop Hugh Slattery of the South African Diocese of Tzaneen, it tells Sister Miriam's story, and explains how "Education for Life" works in practice.
In Sowing in Tears, the sister documentary to The Change is On, Bishop Slattery describes the work of faith-based organizations in dealing with the social consequences of HIV/AIDS. Nor surprisingly, it is people of faith who are heroically caring for the infected in their homes, and staffing the orphanages full of orphaned and grieving children. (These excellent documentaries were produced by Metanoia Media, and may be ordered by going to CatholicStudio.com. )
Few know the problems of the HIV/AIDS epidemic better than Bishop Slattery. The adult HIV rate in South Africa was 18.8% at the end of 2005, or about what it was in Uganda 15 years ago. The "Education for Life" program has now been introduced in his diocese, and is spreading throughout South Africa.
"[AIDS] is a threat to a whole civilization, it is a threat to our future, it is a question of 'will there be generations around here in the future?'" says Bishop Slattery. "It sounds pessimistic put that way, but really, it is massive if you look at the numbers."
"It is becoming more and more evident day by day that the Western world's obsession with condom promotion is severely hampering the efforts of African countries to deal effectively with HIV/AIDS," says Bishop Slattery. "The only country to show real progress in combating the disease is Uganda … through the promotion of abstinence before marriage and fidelity in marriages. The Western world refuses to accept and laud this tremendous achievement. On the contrary it is doing its utmost to undermine it by using every possible means of promoting condoms there, against the wishes of the government leadership."
Is anyone at USAID listening?
A video may be ordered here
Mother Angelica's Latin Mass on September 14, 2007
My girls and I watched it for nearly the entire time, while I told them that they were witnessing history in the making. We were so pleased to note that Mother Angelica was in attendance, since Fr. Pacwa said she has been quite ill. Of course, I thought, just before an extra-ordinary grace such as the first Latin Mass of Summorum Pontificum, Mother would have to offer up a sacrifice in her suffering. The DVD can be ordered here.
Ken at HallowedGround has a post on the beauty of the 2 hour high mass celebrated by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter in the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, AL.
Friday, September 14, 2007
John Kerry to speak at Catholic University
Notorious pro-abortion Senator John Kerry is scheduled to speak at Catholic University of American in Washington, DC. You can call the University Office of Public Affairs at (202)319-5600 to protest this outrage.Call (301)853-4500 to protest this scandal, or email Archbishop Donal Wuerl at chancery@adw.org to implore him to refuse to tolerate this man, who has sold his soul to the Culture of Death!
Catholic Culture has a summary of Catholic universities' honoring pro-abortion politicians. Here is a quote, The bishops writein their document:Catholics in Political Life, "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."
HT LifeNews
My Article, "True Love is Pro-life" is in "Celebrate Life"
The story of my conversion from the contraceptive mentality is in October's issue of "Celebrate Life", the magazine of American Life League. Look for it in the mail, or read it online here.
Implementation of Summorum Pontificum
Our dear Holy Father is such a wonderful shepherd, and learned man, he knew that the implementation of his document Summorum Pontificum on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross would serve to remind us that the Holy Mass is a re-presentation of Calvary, and that our primary focus in the Tridentine Mass is that of adoration of the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Here is the Schedule of the Masses offered in the Extraordinary Form for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, Long Island, New York:
The Traditonal Latin Mass will be celebrated every week at
1. 9:00 AM in the chapel of St. Matthew’s Church, Dix Hills, NY
beginning this Sunday, September 16, 2007
2. The Traditonal Mass has been offered at 11:00 AM weekly at the Chapel of St. Pius X, Front Street, Uniondale, NY
3. The Traditional Mass is currently offered at 11:00 Am on first Sundays at Sacred Heart Parish, Main Road, Cutchogue, NY ( a weekly mass is coming as soon as it can be arranged)
Here is the statement from Bishop William Murphy regarding our diocesan compliance with Summorum Ponitificum.
The Mass of Blessed John XXIII
This Friday, September 14, the motu proprio of Pope Benedict, “Summorum Pontificum,” goes into effect. Just this past July the Holy Father made public his letter in which he established the Mass in Latin of Blessed John XXIII, the 1962 Missal, as an extraordinary rite for the whole Latin Church. This means that, while the Mass as we know it in our parishes remains the ordinary rite, the priest has the option to celebrate the “old Mass” if he so wishes and has the ability to understand and pray the Latin. More importantly for the lay faithful, the motu proprio makes this Mass more readily available for those who wish to participate in the Mass as it had been established after the Council of Trent and been celebrated until the revision of the Mass ordered by the Second Vatican Council. It is important to note that there is only one eucharistic liturgy of the Catholic Church of the Latin Rite. Now, however, we have been blessed by Pope Benedict with two ways of celebrating the liturgy.Here in our diocese, thanks to Bishop McGann, we had the Mass of Blessed John XXIII being celebrated monthly at the former St. Pius X Prep Seminary in Uniondale as well as at Sacred Heart in Cutchogue.
Over the past years I have been pleased to have the Mass at Pius X in Uniondale celebrated weekly. In addition, last year we renewed a monthly celebration of the extraordinary rite at Sacred Heart in Cutchogue. At the next celebration in Cutchogue, Father James Pereda, who has been handling these Masses for me, will examine the ways we can make that Mass at Sacred Heart in Cutchogue a weekly event, every Sunday. In addition, the pastor of St. Matthew Parish in Dix Hills has indicated his willingness to provide the Mass weekly in his parish. In this way we will be able to offer in all three vicariates the Latin Mass of Blessed John XXIII to those who wish to worship in that rite.
The motu proprio of the Holy Father has set forth the Holy Father’s desire for this use of the Mass of 1962. He hopes that its greater use will bring back some Catholics who have disassociated themselves from the Church after the Council. He wants it to be available for priests and for those lay people who will derive spiritual benefit from it. He is convinced, and I am of one mind with him, that having the richness of both Masses will be a benefit to the whole Church. Thus we will continue to have the ordinary form of Pope Paul VI every Sunday in our parishes and the extraordinary form that can be celebrated on Sundays where there is a stable community of faithful who wish it and where the parish has the priests and the resources to provide it.
The motu proprio itself explains that not all the questions that may arise during its implementation are answered by the Holy Father’s letter. This will be a “work in progress” as we see here in our diocese what are the desires of the faithful, how well these can or cannot be handled by the pastors, what options should be used to implement the letter in the most helpful way possible. Our diocesan Office for Worship is working with pastors as questions are raised, enquiries made and the proper response to the pastoral needs of the people are answered according to the norms the Holy Father has decreed. For example, the pastors have been sent a document from the U.S. bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy. This contains 40 questions and answers to various elements that need clarification in order to determine how best to implement the pope’s letter. In addition, the U.S. bishops have sent five other questions to the Holy See for clarification and the motu proprio itself indicates that the Holy See is working to provide further helps regarding readings and the like that were not available in the Missal of Blessed John XXIII. Whenever pastors are faced with the possibility of the Mass on Sunday in their own parish, they need to abide by the norms of the pope’s motu proprio and they are urged to check with our Office for Worship which will help them in determining whether or not this Mass actually can take place in their parish.In the meantime, the diocese is moving forward to work out the various issues that this new initiative has given to us. Let me give you two examples of the kinds of challenges we are seeking to meet. Father Pereda has been able with the help of a few priests to provide celebrants for the Mass at Uniondale and now at Cutchogue. Most priests today have never celebrated the Mass in Latin. Over the summer, the Office for Worship had to find out how many priests of our diocese could celebrate and were available to celebrate the Mass. Another issue was to find out where we could get the proper books, the Missale Romanum of Blessed John XXIII. The bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy provided that information with the 40 questions and answers that we received at the end of August.
Anyone my age remembers the Mass that nourished our spiritual life until the post-conciliar changes. All of us know how much the Mass of Paul VI has become the source and summit of our lives in the Church for almost 40 years now. As an altar boy I loved the Mass that was the center of our life as a parish in my boyhood home. I love it still. As a priest, I was joyous in having been ordained and, shortly thereafter, been in that first group of priests to make the transition to the Mass that nourishes us today in every parish in our diocese and around the world. It is the one same eucharistic sacrifice that has been the heart of the Church which received it from the Lord at the Last Supper when he told his first apostles, “Do this in memory of me.” The Church has been ever faithful in doing just that so that the Mass in Latin or Greek, in English or any other “mother tongue” is always the Mass of Jesus Christ, the one true source of life; for here we hear God’s Word proclaimed to raise and transform the hearts and minds of the people, here the priest proclaims the eucharistic prayer that brings the Kingdom of God once again into our world, here we are nourished by the Body and Blood of the Lord who has redeemed us and gives us His Spirit.
May we be ever grateful to God and to the leadership of our beloved popes who have faithfully overseen our celebration of the One True Sacrifice of the Mass today in both the forms we now enjoy.
Source; The Long Island Catholic
Here is the Schedule of the Masses offered in the Extraordinary Form for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, Long Island, New York:
The Traditonal Latin Mass will be celebrated every week at
1. 9:00 AM in the chapel of St. Matthew’s Church, Dix Hills, NY
beginning this Sunday, September 16, 2007
2. The Traditonal Mass has been offered at 11:00 AM weekly at the Chapel of St. Pius X, Front Street, Uniondale, NY
3. The Traditional Mass is currently offered at 11:00 Am on first Sundays at Sacred Heart Parish, Main Road, Cutchogue, NY ( a weekly mass is coming as soon as it can be arranged)
Here is the statement from Bishop William Murphy regarding our diocesan compliance with Summorum Ponitificum.
The Mass of Blessed John XXIII
This Friday, September 14, the motu proprio of Pope Benedict, “Summorum Pontificum,” goes into effect. Just this past July the Holy Father made public his letter in which he established the Mass in Latin of Blessed John XXIII, the 1962 Missal, as an extraordinary rite for the whole Latin Church. This means that, while the Mass as we know it in our parishes remains the ordinary rite, the priest has the option to celebrate the “old Mass” if he so wishes and has the ability to understand and pray the Latin. More importantly for the lay faithful, the motu proprio makes this Mass more readily available for those who wish to participate in the Mass as it had been established after the Council of Trent and been celebrated until the revision of the Mass ordered by the Second Vatican Council. It is important to note that there is only one eucharistic liturgy of the Catholic Church of the Latin Rite. Now, however, we have been blessed by Pope Benedict with two ways of celebrating the liturgy.Here in our diocese, thanks to Bishop McGann, we had the Mass of Blessed John XXIII being celebrated monthly at the former St. Pius X Prep Seminary in Uniondale as well as at Sacred Heart in Cutchogue.
Over the past years I have been pleased to have the Mass at Pius X in Uniondale celebrated weekly. In addition, last year we renewed a monthly celebration of the extraordinary rite at Sacred Heart in Cutchogue. At the next celebration in Cutchogue, Father James Pereda, who has been handling these Masses for me, will examine the ways we can make that Mass at Sacred Heart in Cutchogue a weekly event, every Sunday. In addition, the pastor of St. Matthew Parish in Dix Hills has indicated his willingness to provide the Mass weekly in his parish. In this way we will be able to offer in all three vicariates the Latin Mass of Blessed John XXIII to those who wish to worship in that rite.
The motu proprio of the Holy Father has set forth the Holy Father’s desire for this use of the Mass of 1962. He hopes that its greater use will bring back some Catholics who have disassociated themselves from the Church after the Council. He wants it to be available for priests and for those lay people who will derive spiritual benefit from it. He is convinced, and I am of one mind with him, that having the richness of both Masses will be a benefit to the whole Church. Thus we will continue to have the ordinary form of Pope Paul VI every Sunday in our parishes and the extraordinary form that can be celebrated on Sundays where there is a stable community of faithful who wish it and where the parish has the priests and the resources to provide it.
The motu proprio itself explains that not all the questions that may arise during its implementation are answered by the Holy Father’s letter. This will be a “work in progress” as we see here in our diocese what are the desires of the faithful, how well these can or cannot be handled by the pastors, what options should be used to implement the letter in the most helpful way possible. Our diocesan Office for Worship is working with pastors as questions are raised, enquiries made and the proper response to the pastoral needs of the people are answered according to the norms the Holy Father has decreed. For example, the pastors have been sent a document from the U.S. bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy. This contains 40 questions and answers to various elements that need clarification in order to determine how best to implement the pope’s letter. In addition, the U.S. bishops have sent five other questions to the Holy See for clarification and the motu proprio itself indicates that the Holy See is working to provide further helps regarding readings and the like that were not available in the Missal of Blessed John XXIII. Whenever pastors are faced with the possibility of the Mass on Sunday in their own parish, they need to abide by the norms of the pope’s motu proprio and they are urged to check with our Office for Worship which will help them in determining whether or not this Mass actually can take place in their parish.In the meantime, the diocese is moving forward to work out the various issues that this new initiative has given to us. Let me give you two examples of the kinds of challenges we are seeking to meet. Father Pereda has been able with the help of a few priests to provide celebrants for the Mass at Uniondale and now at Cutchogue. Most priests today have never celebrated the Mass in Latin. Over the summer, the Office for Worship had to find out how many priests of our diocese could celebrate and were available to celebrate the Mass. Another issue was to find out where we could get the proper books, the Missale Romanum of Blessed John XXIII. The bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy provided that information with the 40 questions and answers that we received at the end of August.
Anyone my age remembers the Mass that nourished our spiritual life until the post-conciliar changes. All of us know how much the Mass of Paul VI has become the source and summit of our lives in the Church for almost 40 years now. As an altar boy I loved the Mass that was the center of our life as a parish in my boyhood home. I love it still. As a priest, I was joyous in having been ordained and, shortly thereafter, been in that first group of priests to make the transition to the Mass that nourishes us today in every parish in our diocese and around the world. It is the one same eucharistic sacrifice that has been the heart of the Church which received it from the Lord at the Last Supper when he told his first apostles, “Do this in memory of me.” The Church has been ever faithful in doing just that so that the Mass in Latin or Greek, in English or any other “mother tongue” is always the Mass of Jesus Christ, the one true source of life; for here we hear God’s Word proclaimed to raise and transform the hearts and minds of the people, here the priest proclaims the eucharistic prayer that brings the Kingdom of God once again into our world, here we are nourished by the Body and Blood of the Lord who has redeemed us and gives us His Spirit.
May we be ever grateful to God and to the leadership of our beloved popes who have faithfully overseen our celebration of the One True Sacrifice of the Mass today in both the forms we now enjoy.
Source; The Long Island Catholic
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Mass Sung in Vienna was a Foretaste of Things to Come
I couldn't sleep earlier this week, so, as I normally do, I turned to EWTN. There I was thrilled to hear the most beautiful mass of the Holy Father in Stefanskirche, the gorgeous Gothic Cathedral in Vienna, Austria. There was a full orchestra and chorus singing Haydn's Mariazeller Messe of 1782 . It was worth staying up in the middle of the night. This Mass was a foretaste of Heaven!
This is what we have to look forward to, starting tomorrow, when Summorum Pontificam releases the Extraordinary Rite. Deo Gratias!
This is what we have to look forward to, starting tomorrow, when Summorum Pontificam releases the Extraordinary Rite. Deo Gratias!
UNFPA Funding Cut for 6th Year, Bush witholds $34 million
This is more evidence of the pro-life actions of President Bush, and emphasizes our need to organize behind a truly pro-life presidential candidate now.
by Colin Mason
The population controllers at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will have to pinch pennies for another year. This week, for the sixth year in a row, President Bush has invoked the Kemp-Kasten Amendment and withheld $34 million in U.S. funding from the group. We at PRI applaud this decision.
The groundwork for this decision was laid by PRI, which sent teams of investigators to China, Peru, Vietnam, and Pakistan between 1998 and 2002 to look into U.N. Population Fund activities there. What they found was that the UNFPA was deeply involved in programs of forced abortion and coercive sterilization (read about what they found here). We presented our evidence both to the U.S. Congress and to two presidential administrations. The evidence, which included video and audio testimony from victims of these abuses, left no doubt that the UNFPA was violating the rights of women, not to mention the Kemp-Kasten Amendment itself.
Here are some of the things our investigators found:
Chinese family planning officials told our investigators that there was "no distinction" between the work that they were doing in a given area of China and the UNFPA's work there.
The UNFPA itself speaks of coercive sterilizations in Peru in an internal report published in 2000, calling them "family planning decisions made external to the person." (The UNFPA later denied that this report existed.)
In 2000, the UNFPA smuggled abortion devices into Pakistan under the guise of reproductive health kits labeled "for safe delivery." Refugee women were pressured into accepting abortions.
Reacting to our findings, President Bush in 2001 decided to slash $34 million from the UNFPA budget, money that would have contributed directly to their forced family-planning accounts.
Over the years, the UNFPA has attempted over the years to cover-up these abuses, even going so far as to issue dummy reports full of misleading statements, but to no avail. Bush has been steadfast in enforcing the Kemp-Kasten Amendment, and no U.S. population funds have gone to the UNFPA since 2001. To date, the organization has lost a total of $200 million in funding.
We at PRI would like to publicly thank President Bush for his decision, which has subjected him to heavy criticism from the media and from family-planning groups. We are proud that our work here at PRI has helped to protect women around the world from anti-life bullying by the UN population controllers.
HT Population Research Institute
by Colin Mason
The population controllers at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) will have to pinch pennies for another year. This week, for the sixth year in a row, President Bush has invoked the Kemp-Kasten Amendment and withheld $34 million in U.S. funding from the group. We at PRI applaud this decision.
The groundwork for this decision was laid by PRI, which sent teams of investigators to China, Peru, Vietnam, and Pakistan between 1998 and 2002 to look into U.N. Population Fund activities there. What they found was that the UNFPA was deeply involved in programs of forced abortion and coercive sterilization (read about what they found here). We presented our evidence both to the U.S. Congress and to two presidential administrations. The evidence, which included video and audio testimony from victims of these abuses, left no doubt that the UNFPA was violating the rights of women, not to mention the Kemp-Kasten Amendment itself.
Here are some of the things our investigators found:
Chinese family planning officials told our investigators that there was "no distinction" between the work that they were doing in a given area of China and the UNFPA's work there.
The UNFPA itself speaks of coercive sterilizations in Peru in an internal report published in 2000, calling them "family planning decisions made external to the person." (The UNFPA later denied that this report existed.)
In 2000, the UNFPA smuggled abortion devices into Pakistan under the guise of reproductive health kits labeled "for safe delivery." Refugee women were pressured into accepting abortions.
Reacting to our findings, President Bush in 2001 decided to slash $34 million from the UNFPA budget, money that would have contributed directly to their forced family-planning accounts.
Over the years, the UNFPA has attempted over the years to cover-up these abuses, even going so far as to issue dummy reports full of misleading statements, but to no avail. Bush has been steadfast in enforcing the Kemp-Kasten Amendment, and no U.S. population funds have gone to the UNFPA since 2001. To date, the organization has lost a total of $200 million in funding.
We at PRI would like to publicly thank President Bush for his decision, which has subjected him to heavy criticism from the media and from family-planning groups. We are proud that our work here at PRI has helped to protect women around the world from anti-life bullying by the UN population controllers.
HT Population Research Institute
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
We have successfully protected the Holy Name of Jesus!
On the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary, we have protected the Holy Name of Jesus from the blasmphemy of Kathy Griffin.
Kathy Griffin's offensive remarks will not be part of the E! telecast," an academy spokeswoman said on Tuesday. An "abbreviated version" of her acceptance speech will air, instead, she said.
The pre-recorded Emmy Awards is editing her blasphemous remark, thanks to those of us who contacted, and the intrepid Bill Donohue of the Catholic League.
Griffin's reaction to the imbroglio, according to a statement issued by her publicist: "Am I the only Catholic left with a sense of humor?"
Blasphemy is against the Second Commandment, Kathy, this is NOT humor. By the way, didn't you describe yourself to Houston's Gay magazine as a "militant aetheist?"
Congratulations to all you out there who emailed Dick Askin.
Time to send your thanks. dick.askin@emmyleader.org
HT Reuters
Kathy Griffin's offensive remarks will not be part of the E! telecast," an academy spokeswoman said on Tuesday. An "abbreviated version" of her acceptance speech will air, instead, she said.
The pre-recorded Emmy Awards is editing her blasphemous remark, thanks to those of us who contacted, and the intrepid Bill Donohue of the Catholic League.
Griffin's reaction to the imbroglio, according to a statement issued by her publicist: "Am I the only Catholic left with a sense of humor?"
Blasphemy is against the Second Commandment, Kathy, this is NOT humor. By the way, didn't you describe yourself to Houston's Gay magazine as a "militant aetheist?"
Congratulations to all you out there who emailed Dick Askin.
Time to send your thanks. dick.askin@emmyleader.org
HT Reuters
Air Maria Broadcast of Our Lady of America at Ground Zero
Click here to watch the video of the story of how one woman's determination got the statue of Our Lady of America to St. Peter's in Manhattan yesterday. If she could do this, just imagine if we all united to encourage Bishop Wuerl to install her statue in the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. We could fulfill Mary's request, avoid traedy, and bring about great graces for this nation, and peace for the world.
Watching some of the coverage of the commemoration of the lost of 9/11, it struck me how many of the fallen police and firefighters were Catholics. Their surviving brothers owe it to them to bring about the conversion needed in this nation to avoid similar tragedies in the future.
A large part of the NYPD and Fire Department are already shifting their attention to the devotions we are holding to Our Lady of America. This is understandable because Our Lady of America made dire predictions of what would happen if America did not cease to be purveyors of pornography and instead start to be promoters of purity. With the failure of raw military power to quell terrorism in Iraq and the spectre of a nuclear Iran, those who have suffered most from the last terrorist attack are seeing the need to take the apparitions of Our Lady seriously, to get back to God and purity, in order to fend off something worse.
Let's pray for Our Lady's statue to be installed in the Basilica before it's too late!
Let's pray for Our Lady's statue to be installed in the Basilica before it's too late!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Emmy Award Winner Kathy Griffin Blasphemes Jesus
Here is the latest example of the debasing of our culture. Aetheists, emboldened by the likes of Christopher Hitchens, are now the latest group to 'come out', as if they were a persectuted minority, puuuleeeze! Let's see if this latest offense to Our Lord creates more than a blip of publicity. There's an email address at the bottom of this piece from the Catholic League. Make the effort to tell Dick Askin that you are offended by the following statement.
EMMY WINNER KATHY GRIFFIN:
"SUCK IT, JESUS, THIS AWARD IS MY GOD NOW"
On September 8, at the 59th Annual Creative Arts Emmy Awards, comedian Kathy Griffin won Outstanding Reality Program for her Bravo show, "My Life on the D-List." In her acceptance speech, Griffin said, "Suck it, Jesus, this award is my God now." Fox will televise the Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, September 16 from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
Catholic League president Bill Donohue responded as follows:
"Mel Gibson. Michael Richards. Isaiah Washington. Imus. Jerry Lewis. Every time a celebrity offends a segment of the population, he pays a price, in one way or another. The question now is whether Kathy Griffin will pay a similar price for her outburst. And as we have learned, her verbal assault was calculated."
In an interview with Houston's gay magazine, OutSmart, Griffin described herself as a "complete militant atheist." Unfortunately, her kind of vulgar in-your-face brand of hate speech found a receptive audience on Saturday: The Hollywood Reporter says her foul remark 'drew laughs.'
It is incumbent upon Dick Askin, chairman and chief executive officer of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, to denounce Griffin's obscene and blasphemous comment; a statement should also be read on Sunday. After all, it is his organization that is responsible for the Creative Arts Emmy event. Moreover, given the way the Hollywood crowd received Griffin's remark, it falls to Askin to distance the Academy from this outrageous incident. We are contacting Griffin's agent as well."
It is sure bet that if Griffin had said, "Suck it, Muhammad," there would have been a very different reaction from the crowd and from the media who covered this event. To say nothing of the Muslim reaction.
Contact Askin at dick.askin@emmyleader.org
Here is a copy of my email, you can cut and paste it like a form letter.
Dear Mr. Askin,
In her acceptance speech, Griffin said, "Suck it, Jesus, this award is my God now"
As a Catholic, I consider this hate speech, and ask you, Mr. Askin to make a disclaimer on the Emmy's about this statement. If she were Imus, there would be action taken. Christians deserve at least as much respect as the African-American.
EMMY WINNER KATHY GRIFFIN:
"SUCK IT, JESUS, THIS AWARD IS MY GOD NOW"
On September 8, at the 59th Annual Creative Arts Emmy Awards, comedian Kathy Griffin won Outstanding Reality Program for her Bravo show, "My Life on the D-List." In her acceptance speech, Griffin said, "Suck it, Jesus, this award is my God now." Fox will televise the Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, September 16 from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
Catholic League president Bill Donohue responded as follows:
"Mel Gibson. Michael Richards. Isaiah Washington. Imus. Jerry Lewis. Every time a celebrity offends a segment of the population, he pays a price, in one way or another. The question now is whether Kathy Griffin will pay a similar price for her outburst. And as we have learned, her verbal assault was calculated."
In an interview with Houston's gay magazine, OutSmart, Griffin described herself as a "complete militant atheist." Unfortunately, her kind of vulgar in-your-face brand of hate speech found a receptive audience on Saturday: The Hollywood Reporter says her foul remark 'drew laughs.'
It is incumbent upon Dick Askin, chairman and chief executive officer of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, to denounce Griffin's obscene and blasphemous comment; a statement should also be read on Sunday. After all, it is his organization that is responsible for the Creative Arts Emmy event. Moreover, given the way the Hollywood crowd received Griffin's remark, it falls to Askin to distance the Academy from this outrageous incident. We are contacting Griffin's agent as well."
It is sure bet that if Griffin had said, "Suck it, Muhammad," there would have been a very different reaction from the crowd and from the media who covered this event. To say nothing of the Muslim reaction.
Contact Askin at dick.askin@emmyleader.org
Here is a copy of my email, you can cut and paste it like a form letter.
Dear Mr. Askin,
In her acceptance speech, Griffin said, "Suck it, Jesus, this award is my God now"
As a Catholic, I consider this hate speech, and ask you, Mr. Askin to make a disclaimer on the Emmy's about this statement. If she were Imus, there would be action taken. Christians deserve at least as much respect as the African-American.
Monday, September 10, 2007
The Passion of Christopher Hitchens
Jean at Catholic Fire has a post from fellow Long Island home-schooling mother, Lisa Mladinoviwh which was her reaction to seeing Christopher Hitchens excoriating Mother Teresa on TV. I couldn't have said it better myself, Lisa.
Our Lady of America
Yesterday, I had the rare privelege of speaking with Fr. Andrew Apostoli, CFR at the Friar Suppliers Picnic. I told him of Esther's posting his story on Archbishop Fulton Sheen and he was pleased, he told me an amazing story of a little baby in the womb who was seen on a sonogram without arms or legs. The parents prayed to Servant of God Fulton Sheen, and the baby was born perfect. The documentation on this miracle will be sent to the postulator of his cause in Rome.Fr Apostoli he told me what was most on his mind, the apparitions of Our Lady of America, which were approved by several American bishops. In a recent apparition, Our Lady asked that her statue, pictured here, be installed in the National Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. She said that the graces which she would disperse from this action would "surpass those of Lourd
es and Fatima".Her statue will make the rounds tomorrow on 9/11 from Ground Zero to the Old St. Peter's Church in lower Manhattan.
Our Lady of America will visit the sanctuary where Fr. Mychal Judge's body was brought after his death while ministering to the victims of 9-11.It is hoped that Our Lady of America will grant consolation for devout and patriotic people who will be present at New York in the World Trade Center neighborhood this coming September 11th. Click here for background on Church of St Peter's involvement during 9-11.
The statue will be on display later that day at St. Patrick's Cathedral.
The best way to remember 9/11 is to fast and pray for Our Lady's intercession for the conversion of souls and the protection of our nation.
I mentioned in this post how our failure to live our Catholic faith in this nation may be partially responsible for the chastisement of 9/11. Let's pray that we hear Our Lady's warning before more innocent people suffer.The message is so urgent and many, many people don't know about her. I've asked many priests about her and they have never heard about Our Lady of America. Here is just a short message...Thursday, September 27Our Lady of America appears again. Chapel open from 9am-9pm"Our Lady again appeared to me while I was at prayer. She held the world in her hands. From her eyes tears were flowing upon it, as though she longed to cleanse it from its guilt.It was then that I heard these words filled with sorrow and longing:"Behold, O my children, the tears of your Mother! Shall I weep in vain? Assuage the sorrow of my Heart over the ingratitude of sinful men by the love and chasteness of your lives. Will you do this for me, beloved children, or will you allow your Mother to weep in vain? I come to you, O children of America, as a last resort. I plead with you to listen to my voice. Cleanse your souls in the Precious Blood of My Son. Live in His Heart, and take me in that I may teach you to live in great purity of heart which is so pleasing to God. Be my army of chaste soldiers, ready to fight to the death to preserve the purity of your souls. I am the Immaculate One, Patroness of your land. Be my faithful children as I have been your faithful Mother."These are my words, O my daughter. Make them known to my children."I desire to make the whole of America my shrine by making every heart accessible to the love of my Son."
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