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I'll be keeping you up to date on the book publication date, the book tour, speaking engagements, media appearances, and conferences.
We are about three weeks to month from publication date and lining up speaking engagements for the book tour.

Victory over vice at JC Penney's!

Yesterday, I called JC Penney Customer Service and blasted them for the sexually saturated commercial they were airing asking them if they wanted to be on par with Victoria's Secret (funny aside, my girls say, "that Victoria, she has NO secrets!")

We were heard! 

From One Million Moms who spearheaded the effort to ban the commercial:

Yesterday, OneMillionMoms alerted you to an extremely offensive commercial being aired by the JC Penney retailer and asked you to call their corporate office.

I'm glad to report that JC Penney has heard from thousands of women all across the country! As a result of your taking action, JC Penny has responded!

We received this response late last night:

"Thank you for taking the time to contact us with your comments about jcPenney's recent advertising. Very specifically, we attempt to avoid themes that would be considered offensive to jcpenney customers. We sincerely regret that our ad has offended you. It was not our intent.

"The jcpenney Company has a record of high standards in our approach to advertising and does its best to present our merchandise in a tasteful and appropriate manner.

"Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback and we want to let you know that we will no longer be airing this commercial."

Fr Donat Gionet removed for anti-gay, anti-abortion sermons - Canada - CBC News

Report from the Canadian press about Fr Gionet including quotes from his now infamous homily which was given in several locations around his parish coinciding with the local gay parade. The major of the town, who also sits on the parish council is gay.

"After 51 years as a priest, Gionet has been barred from saying mass and administering the sacraments in the Bathurst diocese.
Gionet said Wednesday that people who are gay are a threat to the Catholic Church.
"We have to try to fight [homosexuality], destroy it, or do our best to invite people to change their life," Gionet told CBC.
"And that's something which is from my duty as a priest. I have to teach the truth to the people. I have to tell them how they should live to be with the church because if you're gay you're not with the church."
Representatives from Gionet's diocese said they have heard mixed reactions from the priest's congregation, with some supporting his message but others uncomfortable with his sermons."

Of course there are mixed reactions, no one wants to hear their activities are sinful, but that is the duty of the priest! To call the sinners home to repentance and to preach the truth in season and out of season. God has blessed his faithfulness with a larger audience than he ever hoped to reach in his quiet parish. Stories about the priest, who is a modern day St Jean Marie VIanney, continue to multiply.

I was interviewed by Rene Landry of Radio Canada about Fr Gionet and will post a link to the broadcast here.





Courageous Priest weighs in on the issue here quoting a letter written by Fr Gionet to the press explaining his homily but not backing down one iota.

“I said:‘Today,it is we Catholics who are destroying our Catholic Church. We need only look at the number of abortions among Catholics,look at the homosexuals,and ourselves.’ (That’s when I pointed at my chest –through that action I wanted to say,we the priests) and I continued saying:We are destroying our Church ourselves. And that’s when I said that those were the words expressed by Pope John Paul II. At that point,in the St-Léolin church only,I added: ‘We can add to that the practice of watching gay parades,we are encouraging this evil’ …What would you think of someone who seeing what was happening on (Sept.) 11,2001,the crumbling of the towers,had begun clapping? We must not encourage evil,whatever form it takes.”

Fr Gionet sees homosexuals with the compassionate eyes of Christ, he sees their grave sins, and invites them home to confess and live a life in the grace of God. We tend to forget that after Christ saved the woman caught in adultery from judgement and stoning, He told her "go and sin no more". Fr Gionet is like Christ, not wishing violence against gays but warning them that if they persist in mortal sin, they are condemning themselves to hell.
Such pure love is seldom understood by the world, but one would expect his bishop to understand.

BOATLIFT, An Untold Tale of 9/11 Resilience

Fr Donat Gionet suspended over homily against sin

BATHURST, New Brunswick, September 22, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) –
 The Catholic Diocese of Bathurst, New Brunswick has removed an elderly priest from active ministry after he caused a storm of controversy by denouncing homosexuality, cohabitation, and abortion in an August homily.
85-year-old Fr. Donat Gionet had retired to his home town of Caraquet in June to serve palliative care patients, and now laments that in his declining years he is being forced to celebrate Mass “in secret.”
Fr. Wesley Wade, the diocese’s vicar general, told Radio-Canada that Fr. Gionet’s comments were consistent with Church teaching, but lacked the proper “pastoral” sensitivity.

You see, the gay mayor of the town the parish is in is on the parish council. He was offended.This is an outrage, and shows what the gay agenda is after; silencing good holy priests.Canada is not alone, the same thing has happened to a bold priest in Texas who dared to speak the truth about homosexual sin,  Fr Michael Rodriguez. God forgive us for hiding the truth from sinners in desperate need of it! We are endangering souls for the approval of Ceasar.

Here's my email to Fr Donat Gionet's bishop.

Most Rev. Valery Vienneau, Bishop of Bathurst,
I am writing in support of Fr. Donat Gionet, C.J.M. We need more priests like him, with the courage to tell sinners that they are walking over hell on a tightrope, not petting their egos by putting them on the parish council while they are living in sin.

The Prophet Isaiah said, Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Isaiah 5:20.

If I love my children, and they are in sin, I will. as a mother, correct them with love. Of course, they might argue that my tone is harsh, not because it is, but because they are offended. "The sting in any rebuke is the truth." said Ben Franklin. Father Gionet was admonishing the sinner, a spiritual act of mercy. Please restore him to his parish, or you will be giving scandal to the entire diocese!


The openly homosexual mayor needs confession, not retribution against an elderly priest who is concerned for his immortal soul.


Your diocese needs more priests like this modern day St Jean Vianney! Satan said of him "with three more like him, I could lose the world!"

The cover to "A Special Mother is Born" is in!

For ordering information or reviews, go to my book blog A Special Mother is Born. 

The Difference Hope Makes

A Palm Beach jury just awarded a couple $4.5 million in damaged in a wrongful birth suit.
Their son Bryan was born in October 2008 without arms and with only one leg.
Their suit was against the mother, Ana Mejia's obstetrician and sonographer, saying if they had done their jobs detecting the anomaly before birth, that the couple would have had time to abort him.

Mejia and Santana claimed they would have never have brought Bryan into the world had they known about his horrific disabilities. Had Morel and technicians at OB/GYN Specialists of the Palm Beaches and Perinatal Specialists of the Palm Beaches properly administered two ultrasounds and seen he was missing three limbs, the West Palm Beach couple said they would have terminated the pregnancy.

According to the outcome of this trial, its the duty of the obstetrician to detect any abnormality in time for the mother to abort him. Admittedly it does seem a gross oversight to miss such an obvious abnormality, but I am glad the doctor did miss it, for now little Bryan, who never chose his disability, will have a chance to sing his song in the world.   I am sure Bryan would rather be alive as he approaches his third birthday. He doesn't need $4.5 million, just parents who have the attitude that life is what you make of it with what you have, not parents who bemoan what they don't have and seek someone on whom to lay the blame. We have become an entitlement society, where if my life isn't all I wanted it to be, someone other than me is at fault. Then I sue them and live off the damages. No wonder no one wants to be an obstetrician anymore, the malpractice insurance is astronomical, and those who remain in the field often pressure women into prenatal testing and abortion in case they regret their decision to give life to their child and turn on their doctor.
That attitude won't make Bryan succeed. He needs parents who accept him for who he is, not what he isn't, and who challenge him to achieve what he can despite his disabilities. Like Tony Melendez.

Tony Melendez at the Memorial for the Preborn in Washington. 

'Tony Melendez was born in Nicaragua in the days when Thalidomide was no longer given to American and European mothers, but was still prescribed to Latin American mothers to curb morning sickness. He was born without arms. Rather than complain about the unfairness of his condition, which was preventable, his father sought to help his son. Tony's father brought the family to California to fit him with artificial arms, which he later discarded because he was so much better at using his feet. In high school, Tony learned how to use those feet to play guitar.Soon, he returned to the Church of his childhood, and began to play at as many as five Sunday Masses. He was selected to play the guitar for the visit of Pope John Paul II to LA on September 15, 1987.
It was as today, the Feast of the Sorrowful Mother.

Tony Melendez and my daughter Gabbi 

Tony was nervous when he performed his song "Never Be the Same" about his reversion to Catholicism, but no one was prepared for the Holy Father's reaction. He rose, jumped off the platform where he was sitting, walked over to the platform where Tony was, and reached up to embrace him. The audience roared its approval. Since then Tony has crossed the world with his singing apostolate, married and adopted several children. It was my honor to meet and embrace him twice, his joy is contagious, he made me feel like his sister. I just emailed him with a link to this story to ask him to contact Ana Mejia and Rudolfo Santana to give them hope that little Bryan can have a happy, fulfilling life. Tony radiates the peace of Christ, and if anyone can illustrate how to turn one's life around from self-pity and blame to self-help and service, he can.

From my experience raising my nine year old Christina,  a child with serious cognitive delays  and physical disability, yet who greets every day with a smile, I can confirm hat $4.5 million dollars can buy many things to make life with a handicap easier, but a hopeful attitude, can't be bought, it must be caught. Caught from a living example of a deep personal relationship with Jesus and mentors who don't take 'no' for an answer.I hope Tony Melendez contacts Bryan's family and becomes that mentor.

 I hope that this couple makes a commitment to each other in Holy Matrimony, returns to the Church and brings their son in to be Baptized. With the grace of the sacraments, they can find the peace they were seeking with the lawsuit, and give their son the hope he will need to sing his own song of praise for Our Lord in his daily life.

Read the entire article here. 

A devotion which could save this nation; Our Lady of America

If you haven't heard about Our Lady of America, here is the entire story. It is an approved apparition and could change the course of history. If we believe. And obey.

OUR LADY OF AMERICA, THE IMMACULATE VIRGIN

 

On May 31, 2007, Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis Missouri, after a comprehensive review of all aspects of these extraordinary apparitions and messages to Sister Mary Ephrem, beginning in the 1950's, confirmed in a three page letter to all his Brother Bishops of “The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops”, that Archbishop Paul Leibold of Cincinnati Ohio had already conferred Canonical Approval on these heavenly interventions prior to his unexpected death at age 58 in 1972.   These messages of Our Lady given to Sister Mary Ephrem and the Devotion are the first ever approved in the United States.  The visionary, Sister Mary Ephrem (born Mildred Mary Neuzil 1916 died - 2000), was originally professed in the congregation of the “Sisters of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus” in 1933, and later, became a member of the “Contemplative Sisters of the Indwelling Trinity”.  The original revelations took place at the convent “Chapel of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Sisters” near Rome City Indiana, and later continued at their contemplative branch convent’s “Our Lady of the Nativity Chapel” in New Riegel, Ohio.   Providentially, Archbishop Leibold was also Sr. Mary Ephrem's Spiritual Director from the 1950’s until 1972. 

It is significant that Jesus, St. Michael the Archangel and Our Lady first spoke to Sr. M.E. in 1954, which was the 100th anniversary of the proclamation of the Blessed Virgin Mary's Immaculate Conception by Pope Pius IX.  Just as significant, was the formal consecration of America to Our Lady under the title of Her “Immaculate Conception” by all of our bishops in 1846, 8 years before the dogma.

     Our Lady appeared to Sr. M.E. in September of 1956, as “Our Lady of Lourdes”, promising many miracles if America complies with her requests.  Again significantly, Our Lady appeared to St. Bernadette at Lourdes in 1858 and said, "I am the Immaculate Conception”.  Also in 1958, Our Lady came to Sr. M.E. “standing on the world” like she did in the Miraculous Medal revelations to St. Catherine Labouré.  "O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us to have recourse to thee" and with a crescent moon under Her feet, with Her heel crushing the dragon similar to Our Lady of Guadalupe (Emporess of the Americas).   All of these images reinforce our Blessed Mother's role in salvation history and Her love for America because of our great and long devotion to Her as The Immaculate Virgin.

      On September 26^th, 1956, the feast of the North American Martyrs, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Sr. M.E.for the first time as “Our Lady of America, the Immaculate Virgin”, and began giving sister the body of Her messages specifically for the United States of America.

     Our loving Mother told Sr. M.E. that She has chosen America to focus on purity of heart, and chastity,  and holy families, in which the Holy Trinity will then dwell, thus providing them with protection and abundant blessings.   By this privilege and mandate with which She has favored America, She will shower us with an abundance of graces so America can achieve the holiness necessary to lead the world by our example to live in accordance with God's Divine Will regarding purity and holy families.  Our Lady stressed that this is the only way to achieve peace in our country, and peace in the world.

    In 1956, while the “Basilica of The Immaculate Conception” was under construction in Washington D.C, Our Lady appeared to Sr, M.E. holding a model of the Basilica, and requested that a large statue of Her as Our Lady of America, sculpted under her direction, be solemnly processed and permanently installed and venerated at the Basilica honoring Her Immaculate Conception.  Once this occurs, the

Basilica will be blessed with  more miracles than Lourdes and our country will receive a tremendous flow of graces through Our Lady, the Mediatrix of Graces, and the Divine Mercy of spiritual enlightenment from Her Spouse the Holy Spirit.         

     Our Lady emphasized her role as “Mother of Sacred Humanity”, and as “Co-Redemptrix” of the human race, She helps souls achieve holiness as members of Her son Jesus' mystical body.  She implored Her beloved Bishops and Priests to promote Her messages and mission as Our Lady of America, and inspire the faithful by their personal holiness in their imitation of Her son Jesus, especially by their penance, mortification, reparation and evangelization.

      Our Lady begged us to pray devoutly the Holy Rosary, especially the Family Rosary.  She said the praying of the rosary binds us to Her forever, and when Here rosarians leave this world, She will personally lead them to heaven.

      Our Lady asks everyone, especially the youth, to be chaste soldiers in Her army of “Torch Bearers of the Queen”, bringing the light of Christ to our spiritually blind country and world.  On October 5^th, 1956, the eventual feast day of St. Faustina, the secretary of Jesus' Divine Mercy, Our Lady inspired Sr. M.E. to write the powerful prayer of consecration and supplication to "Our Lady of America, Patroness of Our Land".  This important prayer received the Imprimatur of Mons. Paul F. Leibold, Auxiliary Bishop of Cincinnati, and the Nihil Obstat from Father Daniel Pilarcyzk [later a Bishop] on January 25^th, 1963.

      Since Archbishop Burke’s formal  approval announcement on May 31, 2007, this prayer, with a picture of Our Lady of America is flooding our country in unimaginable numbers.

      In 1958, the 100^th anniversary of Our Lady proclaiming at Lourdes “I am the Immaculate Conception” Our Lady requested that a medal be struck showing Her as She first appeared to Sr. M.E. on September 26, 1956 with the following words around the perimeter: “By Your Holy and Immaculate Conception O Mary, deliver us from evil“.  On the reverse side were to be the Coat of Arms of the Christian Family, the symbol of the indwelling Holy Trinity (an eye in the center of the triangle, on the red shield of the Precious Blood of Jesus), with the Holy Rosary draped over both symbols.  Around the perimeter were the words: “Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritu Sancto“, and “Jesu, Maria, Joseph“.  Just as She told St. Catherine in Paris in 1830 regarding the Miraculous Medal, Our Lady of America promised extraordinary graces and protection, and now additionally, purity of heart, for those who wear it with great faith.

    St. Joseph has a major role to play in Our Lady of America’s desire to lead America to purity in love.  He is the model for fathers and protector of the family.  He also said he is the protector of all Popes, who are the Vicars of Jesus Christ, and he participates as a cooperator with His spouse, Mary the Co-Redemptrix.  St. Joseph desires that a special feast day honor his unique fatherhood, his purity, and perfect obedience to Divine Will.   Jesus and Mary told Sr. M.E. that they desire that St. Joseph be honored on the first Wednesday of every month, by the faithful going to Holy Mass and praying the joyful mysteries of the rosary (similar to the “Nine First Fridays” devotion honoring Jesus’ Sacred Heart, and the “Five First Saturdays” devotion honoring the immaculate heart of Mary).

   The Archangel Gabriel told Sr. M.E. that Jesus was pleased with her efforts on behalf of His Mother, and He wanted sister to learn great purity of heart from His Mother.

     St. Michael the Archangel appeared several times to Sr. M.E. as the “Angel of Peace”.  He said he comes to those whose hearts are attuned to the voice of God.  Jesus sends him to these holy souls as a supernatural light to guide them through the spiritual darkness of this evil and dangerous world.

     Jesus had many encounters with Sr. M.E. and called her “His little white dove“, and again, “little secretary of My Heart “.  Jesus told her that the voice of His heart was the voice of mercy, and if mankind continues to reject Him, who is the light of the world, and His constant pleas for repentance and conversion, then we will experience a terrible purification.  Jesus said: “Choose My love or My Father’s anger“; “every home and every soul is My Father’s house, but many of them are no longer sanctified by His presence“.  Jesus said His heart hungers and thirsts for our love.  It saddens Him that most children are not taught to know Him and love Him.  Jesus said that parents have a great responsibility to educate their children.  He implores them to teach their children to know and love Him, and that they will be judged severely regarding this grave duty, and woe to children who disobey and show disrespect for their parents.

     In conclusion of this brief and selective summary of these urgent interventions of Divine Mercy, it is important to stress that time is of the essence.  A general analysis of the state of our nation’s morals, purity in love, holiness in families, and the importance of religion in our culture, during the period in the 1950’s when these apparitions began, when compared to where we are today, speaks volumes. Our Blessed Mother as “Coredemptrix, Mediatrix and Advocate”, has been appearing and speaking all over the world during these same years about the urgency of living and evangelizing Her peace plan from heaven.....or else!!!

     Our Lady told Sr. M.E. that the peace She promised at Fatima has been delayed because of the ever increasing sinfulness of the world, and that She has repeatedly interceded to hold back severe chastisements and purifications.  Therefore, it is now essential that we respond quickly and intensely to Her pleas to lead our country, and by our example, every nation to live purity in love and holiness in families.  Our Lady of America’s messages are extremely encouraging for Her many armies who are battling to cure the satanic sexual insanity and spiritual blindness that now dominates the whole world, and trying to avert the Divine justice and punishments awaiting us if we continue to ignore Her pleas, and  be indifferent to, and/or reject the teachings of Her Son Jesus through his One True Catholic Church.

      The messages and mission of Our Lady of America are complementary, and to a certain degree interconnected, to the many other already approved apparitions at Fatima, Divine Mercy, Akita Japan, and Amsterdam.  We thank Almighty God for Our Lady of America, The Immaculate Virgin, and for choosing America to capitalize on it’s reputation as a world leader, to help our seven billion brothers and sisters throughout the world to experience purity and peace, and the joy of happy holy families.   Amen.           

(This summary was written by Bud Macfarlane, M.I. and it has been reviewed and approved by the Apostolate.)       

FOR MORE  INFORMATION VISIT   HTPP://WWW.OURLADYOFAMERICA.ORG

Friends of late term abortionist LeRoy Carhart

I emailed the landlord of Dr Carhart to ask him to terminate the lease for his later term abortion business. and two women were asked to write me emails and question my objections. He moved from Nebraska to Germantown, Maryland when late term abortion holocaust came to an end in that state.He is currently under investigation by the Board of Health in the state of Maryland.

Now pro-life people are protesting Dr Carhart's killing field by peacefully holding prayer vigils and contacting his landlord, entreperneuer Todd Stave .The group "Kick Carhart out of Maryland" has pertinent information about his evil practice on their website.


Todd Stave
11403 Spice Oak Terrace
Rockville, MD 20850
toddstave@gmail.com
(301) 217-0830

Here are the notes and my replies It is interesting to note that my first correspondent, who calls herself "Charlotte Taft": lives in New Mexico. All emphases are mine. My comments are in red.

From: Charlotte Taft
Dear Leticia,
 In a world where there is so much anger and bitterness it is always wonderful when people who see things so differently can still recognize that they are all part of the same human family. Thank you so much for your prayers for the Staves. I will continue my prayers until they see the light.

I understand that you don't agree,
but I believe with all my heart that Dr. Carhart is doing good compassionate work that saves women's lives.



It appears that DL has given you some incorrect information with regard to their legal rights. Do you support the protests they have been organizing with graphic signs in front of middle schools? Does that represent the kind of love you want to be expressing? Telling the truth in love is rarely popular, but it must be done.

To paraphrase a wonderful quote about fear tactics, "Just because you have frightened a woman into silence doesn't mean you have converted her."
I hope you might come to respect a woman whose conscience is just as strong and precious as yours, but tells her a different story about the most responsible way to live her life.

I'll send prayers to you that your heart may be touched and your eyes may be opened.
Sincerely,Charlotte Taft

Dear Charlotte,

Tearing a child limb from limb is legal but it is no way moral.

So many couples are waiting to adopt a child, and yet selfish women would rather rip a viable child's arms and legs off their body than give that child a couple more months of shelter, give birth, and give them up.
I will never understand this.
I don't care if women are frightened out of doing this, if they don't have respect for the lives of others, they may need to be frightened out of something evil like abortion. We frighten men out of homicide by jail time and the death penalty. How is murdering an innocent baby any different?
I am a teacher of adolescents.
Middle school children today watch horror films with graphic dismemberings, see Holocaust films in school with bulldozers pushing emaciated corpses in the death camps, so they need to see what Dr Carhart is doing for money in their neighborhood. They need to be educated on the modern day atrocities LeRoy Carhart is committing in their own neighborhood.

"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."Edmund Burke
I would not have been quiet during the Holocaust, or during slavery, so how can I refrain from telling you the truth now?


Its an act of mercy in my Church to admonish the sinner, we are hoping you will abandon your sin, repent and accept the mercy which Christ extends to you.

I am still praying for your conversion and that of the abortionist. Dr Bernard Nathanson presided over the deaths of 60,000 infants, saw what he was doing on a sonogram, repented, converted to Catholicism and died in the peace of Christ.
I wish the same for Dr Carhart and you, Charlotte. Give it up, before you face our Savior with this abomination staining your immortal soul.

Ad Jesum per Mariam,

Leticia Velasquez


The second email is from Kathryn Ranieri.

From: Kathryn ranieri

Good morning,
I'm writing you, Leticia, to ask you to think about what you are doing.

Our Creator has given us inalienable rights to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. We are given the gift of life, you and me, and the free will to chose. Yet, you and your prolife cohorts want to deny Todd Stave's right to choose how he lives his life.As long as he doesn't aid and abet murder, we won't get involved in his morality.
You want to deny his children and their school mates the right to choose how they live. No we want to educate them about the atrocities committed in Todd Stave's building, by LeRoy Carhart.
You want to deny Todd Stave’s right as an American citizen to legal business transactions. Yet, your campaign against Todd Stave hurts your cause.

You offer prayers of concern for Todd and his family and for Dr. Leroy Carhart and I thank you for those prayers. But, as a Christian, I'm asking you to show compassion for children in Stave’s middle school, respect for the humanity of Stave and Carhart, and trust in the wisdom of those with whom you don’t fully know. I'm asking for you to think about what Jesus would do. I faithfully believe he would not engage in a vengeful stalking campaign against God's children.

For your consideration,
Kate Ranieri
--
The truth is rarely pure and never simple.
Oscar Wilde

Oh, yes it is, Jesus is" the Way the Truth and the Life"

Dear Kathryn,
Jesus would warn you that your immortal soul is in danger of hell fire. He would tell you of his mercy, and that if you continue to support evil, you will shut yourself off from Him.
Jesus would remind you that tearing a child limb from limb is legal but it is no way moral.
So many couples are waiting to adopt a child, and yet selfish women would rather rip a viable child's arms and legs off their body than give that child a couple more months of shelter, give birth, and give them up.
I will never understand this.
I am a teacher of adolescents.


Middle school children today watch horror films with graphic dismemberings, see Holocaust films in school with bulldozers pushing emaciated corpses in the death camps, so they need to see what Dr Carhart is doing for money in their neighborhood. They need to be educated on the modern day atrocities LeRoy Carhart is committing in their own neighborhood.

I would not have been quiet during the Holocaust, or during slavery, so how can I refrain from telling you the truth now? Its an act of mercy in my Church to admonish the sinner, we are hoping you will abandon your sin, repent and accept the mercy which Christ extends to you.
I am still praying for your conversion and that of the abortionist. Dr Bernard Nathanson presided over the deaths of 60,000 infants, saw what he was doing on a sonogram, repented, converted to Catholicism and died in the peace of Christ.
I wish the same for Dr Carhart and you, Kathryn. Give it up, before you face our Savior with this abomination staining your immortal soul.

Ad Jesum per Mariam,
Leticia Velasquez

Note the misuse of the terms compassion, rights and intimidation to demonized peaceful protesters who are within their First Amendment rights. The prevailing error in these women's writing is their moral confusion, and their relativism. If all truths are equal, ladies, why should I believe your truth? Isn't mine just as valid?

The most shameless tactic is the misuse of Our Lord's will when Kate asks me, what would Jesus do? Christian churches are in a sad state when members can believe that Jesus would favor the brutal killing of an innocent in the womb.May God have mercy on them, these women, Todd Stave, and Dr Carhart.
We continue to lift them up in prayer.
Tuesday Sept 13 UPDATE: 
The fan mail continues, this one from Ohio. I think Feministing or NARAL has asked for volunteers to respond to me.
From: lt lt


Dear Leticia,

I'm writing to thank you for your recent email concerning the location
of Dr. Carhart's practice. There are a few misunderstandings that
clearly need to be addressed.

The group Defend Life seems to be under the impression that if enough
people call/write, the owner of this building can remove Dr. Carhart
from the premises. That is not accurate, and not going to happen. Dr.
Carhart performs life saving abortions at a later gestation in
extenuating circumstances such as fetal anomaly or a threat to the
life of the mother, under the guidelines of Maryland law, and as such
is legally protected. The owner of the building would be breaking the
law were he to follow Defend Life's request and try to evict Dr.
Carhart without cause.

Defend Life seems to be at the very least misguided in it's protests
at a local middle school, with large signs that are not only graphic
and inappropriate, but that contain the personal information of a
child's father, putting the well-being of the child at great risk by
anyone wishing to cause harm, and also at risk from peers wishing to
bully. Is this in accordance with a Pro-Life stance that purports to
care for children?

I ask that you please also keep Defend Life in your prayers, as they
must be lost to carry out such actions.

-Leah

Ten years later, World Trade Center cross still consoles :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Ten years later, World Trade Center cross still consoles :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Fr George Rutler has some reflections for 9/11

If you don't know his EWTN show, "Christ in the City" you missed Fr Rutler saying he gave all the victims of the Twin Towers a wartime general absolution, so they all made it to Purgatory. What a consolation that is! Here is his letter to his parish in NYC for today. FROM THE PASTOR September 11, 2011 by Fr. George W. Rutler Providential symmetry sets the plaintive anniversary of September 11, 2001, on a Sunday, which is always a celebration of the Resurrection. By rare indult, Holy Mass on this day replaces the ordinary liturgical Propers with suffrages for the dead. We live as mourners, never forgetting the wanton rampage of evil on that Tuesday whose late summer brilliance was so affronted by the moral darkness of those who blackened the bluest sky. These days pick up the pace from the pleasant torpor of summer, and on this particular day ten years later, we also move on into a new decade to engage a cultural war against the moral offences which have afflicted our time. The Second World War was won by people who knew the difference between good and evil. Things have changed, and there is a lot of ambiguity now about what constitutes integrity and truth itself. Many take the shortcut of denying that we are in a war at all. It was the mistake made by decadents in the 1930’s, like the “Cliveden Set,” who underestimated the pulsating hatred on the pages of “Mein Kampf.” Christian civilization is again under attack, and little resistance is shown by a society of indolence, promiscuity, infanticide, eugenics, extravagant debt, crime, collapsed family life, and marriage so surrealistically redefined by Gnostics that 44% of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 think that matrimony is becoming obsolete. The battle of good against evil will not be won by a culture of narcissists led by leaders chosen because they make people feel good instead of being good. Christians do not confuse optimism and hope. They do not optimistically think that “wishing will make it so.” They hopefully trust in God, who “made us to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in heaven.” So today we sing a grand hymn by Cecil Spring-Rice, “I Vow to Thee, My Country.” He wrote the first version as a diplomat in Stockholm in 1908. At the end of his career as British ambassador to Washington in 1918, Spring-Rice altered its bluster after the traumatic carnage of the First World War. It is set to the magnificent melody of Gustav Holst from the “Jupiter” section of The Planets, which sustains even the lame poesie of more recent alternative lyrics preferred by insensitive taste. Spring-Rice gave the strong chords for the moment, paraphrasing in cadence Proverbs 3:17: And there’s another country, I’ve heard of long ago, Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know; We may not count her armies, we may not see her King; Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering; And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase, And her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace.

Kate Smith introduces God Bless America

Left wing clergy cover for Mayor Bloomberg's 9/11 clergy ban

 

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments as follows:

 

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is receiving oblique cover from left-wing Protestant leaders for his 9/11 clergy gag rule. While the leaders nominally disagree with the mayor, they save their real salvos for those who have been critical of Bloomberg's censorial act. 

 

Tim King, the communications director for the left-wing group, Sojourners, characterizes Bloomberg's decision as "understandable but regrettable." His choice of words reflects his real interest in pinning the blame for the controversy not on Bloomberg, but on his critics. "And to those religious leaders who are stirring up a media controversy about this decision…you are showing exactly why Mayor Bloomberg didn't want you there in the first place."

 

In other words, the Mayor of the City of New York insults hundreds of millions of Americans of all faiths by banning the clergy and First Responders from the 9/11 memorial ceremonies, and those who object are responsible for "stirring up a media controversy." But when Sojourners holds their press conference tomorrow on this issue, somehow we are to believe that they will not be adding to the controversy. Guess the peace-makers are traveling to New York with their healing kit.

 

It's time to stop the lying. Those who blame the critics of religious intolerance for "stirring up a media controversy" have taken the side of those who promote it. Sojourners has laid anchor with Bloomberg.

 

Contact Tim King: media@sojo.net

 

Here is a copy of the email I sent to Mr King;

Dear Mr King, 

It is regrettable that Sojourners has taken Mayor Bloomberg's side in his controversial decision to exclude clergy from the 9/11 Anniversary Ceremony. It shows how out of touch your leadership is with the faithful you claim to represent; you place political correctness and politics above tending to the spiritual needs of your flock. 

As a Roman Catholic, like the vast majority of the first responders and victims, I find it unacceptable that my representative, Archbishop Timothy Dolan will not be present to offer comfort to the millions of Roman Catholics who lost loved ones in the tragedy. This is a deliberate insult to the memory of the fallen and the needs of the survivors who still mourn their loss. 

For the Blessed Mother's Birthday today

Today is the birthday of the Blessed Mother. I am going to ask you to make a small sacrifice to honor her Holy Name. 

Babies are being slaughtered every day in this nation, even on her feast day. We know this causes her great anguish. 

It seems that we cannot stop this slaughter of the innocents. 

But there is something you can do. 

Today. 

Take five minutes and contact the Todd Staves, the building owner where late term abortions are done by abortionist Dr LeRoy Carhart in Maryland. 

  Please do the following things TODAY:

Make one phone call.  (301) 217-0830
Send one email.  toddstave@gmal.com
Send one letter.  ADDRESS BELOW

  Todd Stave is the building owner and landlord for Germantown Reproductive Health Services.  This is where Abortionist LeRoy Carhart conducts his reign of terror killing fully viable 25 - 35 week old preborn babies.

   Can you imagine that some of these babies may be killed the day before they are born?

  Todd Stave and LeRoy Carhart have turned Maryland into the late term child killing capital of the world, and you can help bring an end to the needless slaughter of these innocent babies.

  You need to know something about Mr. Stave before you CALL, WRITE, AND EMAIL.

  Todd's late father, Carl Stave, was an abortionist and operated abortion mills in Maryland.  Carl and his wife Norma Stave were posthumously recognized in a tribute article for “abortion veterans” written by a former staff person for the National Coalition of Abortion Providers.

  Although Todd and his wife Randi have been blessed with two incredible children, Andie and Brandon, he was not raised in an environment that taught him about the sanctity of human life.  His heart was surely hardened as his father killed innocent babies day after day.

  It seems Carl did teach his son one thing, he can make a lot of money in child killing.

  Make sure when you reach out to Todd Stave you do so in a Christian manner.  Make sure your conversations and correspondence should reflect the love and forgiveness of Christ.  Remember, you can be firm and loving at the same time.

   We need everyone to call 301-217-0830, write (ADDRESS BELOW), and email (toddstave@gmail.com) Todd Stave to ask him to please stop the child killing. 

  Ask Mr. Stave to do the following 3 things:

1. Cancel the lease for Germantown Health and Reproductive Services (where Abortionist LeRoy Carhart does late-term abortions, up the day of birth).
    
2. Close down Germantown Reproductive Health Services permanently (do not just move it to another location).
    
3. Do not open another abortion facility to replace Germantown Reproductive Health Services, or in any way support any other abortion facilities.

  Please also remind Todd that many people are praying for him and his family. We want him to make the right decision and show his wife and 2 children that he can act to stop the senseless killing of fully viable, preborn babies.

Todd Stave
11403 Spice Oak Terrace
Rockville, MD  20850 
toddstave@gmail.com
(301) 217-0830

  This is something that each of you can do that just may save the lives of countless children.

  Please remember what Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Thank you for all you do for life!

Long Live Christ Our King,

Jack Ames
Director
Defend Lifewww.defendlife.org

Ps – If you want to let Todd see just what a late term abortion is….  send him to this link:

http://abortioninstruments.com/

Jon Voight weighs in on 9/11 clergy ban

Dear fellow Americans,

There is a great injustice that is about to be taking place in New York City on September 11th of this year that must be brought to everyone’s mind and heart.

The good citizens of New York City elected Mayor Bloomberg into office believing his oath to be responsible for truth, fairness and love of freedom and patriotism.

What has Mayor Bloomberg done? He has decided to make a pretty picture of whomever he thinks is worthy in his opinion to be honored on this sacred day.

During this horrific attack, when the Twin Towers were burning and crumbling, and people were jumping out of windows, it was the most unthinkable sight that we would witness in our lifetime on American soil. Every American will never forget it.

The firemen and police of New York City became a force -- an energy of God’s love and power -- making a decision to give up their own lives to go into these smoke-filled, burning, falling buildings to rescue these unfortunate victims. Many lost their lives trying this unbelievable rescue.

The ones who survived became our martyrs and heroes. They’d be left with many scars and memories of that horrible day.

Now what does Mayor Bloomberg do? He decides there is no room for these heroes or any time to hear spiritual words from our clergymen.

What would be greater to heal the scars and memories of these families and heroic men -- the political rhetoric and talk or to hear the spiritual words and wisdom of our clergymen who understand how to heal hearts of pain?

I say make room, no matter how it’s done. Make room for them to be part of a spiritual event, not a political event.

Every American should voice their outrage.

May God have mercy on all our lost souls, and may God give us all the strength to look truth in the eye. Let us not be bullied by elected officials whose pockets become heavier with greed and their own egos.

Love to you all,

Jon Voight

from the New York Post

Is is ethical to seek treatments for Down syndrome?

I write in response to this piece in Life News. by Effie Calderola.

As the mother of a nine year old girl with Down syndrome, and an advocate for the right to life of these lovely people, I would like to address Mrs Calderola's point; is it ethical to develop drugs to improve the intelligence of those with Down syndrome?

As Dr Gerard Nadal points out in his response to your post on Life News, it is the job of parents to improve their children's minds. From birth, we are our children's first teachers, first teaching language, social and self help skills like toileting and dressing. Hopefully, we teach them about the love of God for each of us regardless of our IQ or physical disabilities.  Then, we entrust our precious children to teachers, therapists and physicians who continue to help them prepare to participate in society. If we do our job well, our children will grow into responsible and productive members of society, fulfilling the particular vocation God has in mind for them. 

I am the first to assert that even a disabled person who is so helpless that she cannot even speak, but allows others to discover their own compassion through caring for her, is fulfilling a vital God-given mission in our world. This is a point of view often misunderstood by society but aptly illustrated in the life of saints like Blessed Mother Teresa. Tragically, because society misunderstands God's plan for the least able among us, they are marginalized, abused, neglected, and if the disability is discovered before they are born, aborted at a shocking rate of 92%. We as Catholics are duty bound to protect them, and that's where Dr Costa's research comes in. 

In 1958, Dr Jerome Lejeune, a French geneticist, discovered that Down syndrome is not caused by the mother's case of syphilis, as once commonly believed, but by a randomly assigned extra copy of the 21st chromosome. He hoped that this would improve their lives, because, until that time they were abandoned to waste away in institutions apart from the love of their families. Soon, people with Down syndrome were mainstreamed into society, and rights to their education were inscribed into law, however they were never truly accepted. Instead DrLejeune's discovery was used by the March of Dimes to develop pre-natal diagnoses using amniocentesis in the early 1960's. Today, when a pre-natal diagnosis of trisomy 21 or Down syndrome is given, there is a 92% abortion rate. Our laws of inclusion ring hollow in the face of this new eugenics, a voluntary purifying of the race from so called 'inferior' humans. I discuss this in this piece. 

In order to counteract this horrifying trend of rejecting these wonderful gifts of God, increasing numbers of advocates of people with trisomy 21 write,  as Mrs Calderola has so eloquently done, about the joys which individuals with Down syndrome have brought to them. I do this on my blog Cause of Our Joy. We emphasize the intrinsic gifts of love, joy and humor so often found in this unique population. We hope to encourage mothers to carry their children with trisomy 21 to term. 

But we must be honest, there has only been a slight dip in the number of abortions due to this outreach which intensified in 2007 when the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommended that all pregnant women, even those under 35,  be tested for Down syndrome. Soon a new blood test called Materni21 will be available, making this diagnosis possible as early as 8 weeks in pregnancy, without any risk of miscarriage. We in the Down syndrome community expect that a devastating increase in the number of abortions of babies with trisomy 21 will follow, causing such lovely faces to disappear forever from our world. It is a little known fact that although the percentage of pregnant women who bear children with Down syndrome increases with maternal age, most babies with trisomy 21 are born to younger women, due to the fact that young women have more children. There are nations like Denmark,  and New Zealand which are already recommending universal pre-natal testing be offered with the intention of saving their overburdened national health care systems the higher cost of caring for such infants. Countless women have testified that their doctors assumed that they would choose abortion when their child was diagnosed with trisomy 21 and often responded negatively when the mothers chose life for their child instead. They were left without support to carry their child to term, because of society's negative image of life with Down syndrome. 

Dr Lejeune, a close personal friend of Blessed Pope John Paul II, and a candidate for canonization himself, for his courageous defense of human life, knew this. He dedicated his entire life to finding a cure for trisomy 21, out of pure love for those he affectionately called his "little ones" who loved him and were heartbroken when cancer took him in 1994. He regretted not finding a cure before his death, for he knew the forces which were conspiring to eliminate them from this earth. He said, "I see only one way left to save them--and that is to cure them. The task is immense, but so is hope."

Dr Alberto Costa is one of 94 scientists in the USA who receive grants from the Jerome Lejeune Foundation, which continues the work of Dr Lejeune by funding research to cure Down syndrome around the world. I write about such research here. His concern for his daughter is to increase her intelligence, but also, like Dr Lejeune, to make sure that she sees other faces like hers in society. We would all be poorer if we no longer had people like Ethan.