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 of 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 name 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.

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!

The Ultrasound Informed Consent Act

From Family Research Council
A 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 the 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!

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 Black 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.

The Fourth Down Syndrome Carnival is up

Go on over to Team Hsu to enjoy posts centering on our children and church.

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

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.

Carpe Canem: EWTN Solemn High Mass

Carpe Canem: EWTN Solemn High Mass

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.

Our Lady of America visits Manhattan on 9/11

Here is a pictorial essay with descriptions of Our Lady of America's 9/11 tour of Manhattan. Here are some highlights. What a vision of beauty she is on the fire truck, a true emissary of God's mercy in Manhattan. For details about the statue's tour of local churches, click 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

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!

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

The Catholic Carnival is Up

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

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!

Catholic Fire: Baby Killing in Kansas: What can you do to help stop it?

Catholic Fire: Baby Killing in Kansas: What can you do to help stop it?

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.

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 Lourdes 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."

Hannity Exposes Planned Parenthood Fraud in Aurora, IL

Here's the show I just mentioned in my last post.

Planned Parenthood Exposed on Hannity's America

Did I just mention that Sean Hannity needs to become more Catholic than Republican?

Once, I met him in his hometown of Huntington, at a book signing. I waited in line for over an hour with Christina, and, as he signed my book, I introduced him to Christina and said, "remember Sean, that you are the only voice of these children in the secular media, they are counting on you to speak up for their right to life". Thanks, Sean!

FOX News Program ExposesPlanned Parenthood Deception
CHICAGO – Less than 50 miles from Fidelis’ national headquarters in downtown Chicago is ground zero in the latest fight over abortion in America. In the small town of Aurora, IL, Planned Parenthood has deceptively completed construction on a massive 22,000 square foot abortion facility. The waiting room alone is reportedly large enough to hold 65 patients, and the facility is expected to open as early as next week.
Dedicated pro-life groups began protesting the clinic over a month ago when it was revealed that the clinic was deceptively built as a “health center” under the title Gemini. City records show that Planned Parenthood purposely misled officials, filing paperwork with the town under fictitious names in order to conceal Planned Parenthood’s identity.
Last night, the FOX News Channel’s Hannity’s America program featured an expose on the Aurora clinic, including mention of the fact that Planned Parenthood last year received over $300 million in taxpayer funds. These government funds are being used to promote abortion related services at Planned Parenthood facilities across the country, including the new super-abortion center about to open in Aurora, IL.
ACT NOW!Stop the funding of Planned Parenthood!
With your help, Fidelis continues to publicize this incredible fact. Every American deserves to know that their taxpayer funds are being used to fund the largest abortion provider in the world.
Legislation introduced in the United States Senate would help stop this outrage by preventing taxpayer funds from going to any health organization that performs abortions. As the Fox News video points out, Planned Parenthood is making millions of dollars in profit every year. Why do they need our money?
Over the past year, Fidelis has mailed over 500,000 letters informing Americans of this abuse of their hard earned dollars. Our government is wasting enough money. Funding for Planned Parenthood should be stopped today!
View the FOX News video here.
Help support Fidelis’ efforts to end the taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood.
© Fidelis · (312)201-6559 · 65 E. Wacker Place, Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60601

Scott Hahn coming to Long Island

Dr. Scott Hahn will be lecturing at St. Anthony of Padua Saturday, Sept. 22 from 10 AM to 4:30 PM.

Tickets are $10.

Send with SASE to

St. Anthony of Padua

20 Cheshire Pl,

E. Npt 11731

Last time he spoke on LI it was a sell-out over 300! He's a great Bible scholar; He'll talk on The Lamb's Supper (Revelaton and the Mass); the relationship between Bible & liturgy; why Scripture matters. He'll sign books during the day.

Mario Lanza - Ave Maria

Happy Birthday, Blessed Mother. Please bring Luciano and Mario through Purgatory so we can hear their voices in Heaven.

Boxer fights Brownback for oversees abortions

As expected, yesterday's Senate votes over the 2008 Foreign Operations spending bill turned into an abortion showdown over the inclusion of the Mexico City policy. Although the policy--which bars the U.S. from funding any organization that performs or promotes overseas abortion--dates back to the Reagan years, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) led the charge to abolish it. In the end, her efforts to strip the Mexico City policy from the bill prevailed by a 53-41 vote. Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kans.) responded quickly with an amendment of his own to strike the language, but it failed by the same 12-vote margin. Unfortunately, Boxer's amendment is considered even more extreme than the House version. In keeping with his promise, President Bush yesterday reminded Senate liberals that theirs is not the final word on the Mexico City policy. The White House issued a statement renewing the President's vow to veto any bill that weakens America's laws on abortion. We applaud President Bush for consistently putting innocent human life first--even when it means postponing legislation that his administration wants passed.
If Democrats carry off the Presidency, millions of babies worldwide will die. If Rudy Guiliani wins, the exact same thing will happen. Why is he still leading in the polls? Because Catholics and pro-lifers are asleep!! Here's proof:

Although the media seem intent on downplaying the influence of social conservatives in the upcoming election, a recent poll by Fabrizio McLaughlin Associates points to just how misled those assumptions are. The study, "An Elephant Looks in the Mirror 10 Years Later," discussions the transformation of the Republican Party in the last 10 years and makes the statistical case that not only do values issues play a key role in the GOP platform, but values voters make up 51% of the party. Twenty-seven percent, by their classification, are "focused" on moral issues--and another 24%, the "Moralists," have a "laser-like focus" on moral issues. The reality is, a majority of the GOP are values voters. For candidates to ignore these social issues is for them to ignore the single-largest group in the Republican Party. They do so at their own risk. The reason Rudy Giuliani (R) continues to do well in polling data is that most Americans don't know where he stands on these issues. However, where voters perceive him to stand in his faith is another survey altogether. The Pew Forum's latest poll found that the statistical front-runners in both parties, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Rudy Giuliani (R), are both considered the "least religious" by those surveyed. On the other hand, Gov. Mitt Romney (R) is considered "very religious" by 46%, followed by Sen. John McCain (R) at 18%.
Interestingly, the poll didn't account for all candidates, which excludes those whom many would view as the most religious, including Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kans.) and Gov. Mike Huckabee (R). In the end, though, most voters would agree that how important the candidates' faith seems to be isn't half as important as how closely they live by it
Let's hope that Sam Brownback's participation in the Values Voter's Summit with Mitt Romney provides some eye-opening contrast on who truly lives their faith. Let's hope that Sean Hannity is able to re-discover his Catholicism there, and stop supporting Guiliani.
HT Family Research Council

Unam Sanctam: At the Death of John Paul II

Unam Sanctam: At the Death of John Paul II

My Guest Post is up at the Dawn Patrol

Dawn Eden has graciously offered me a guest post on her popular blog, The Dawn Patrol to introduce the Dr. Jerome Lejeune Society.

The Bella movie promotion on Long Island

In New York City, they have asked heads of schools, parishes, and youth ministry to mobilize their groups to see the film on Thurs. - Sat. Oct. 25-27. They are also locating donors who will sponsor these showings.
In Long Island, we plan to have a contest among the Catholic high schools to see which student body can mobilize the greatest number of people to see Bella during opening weekend. (If you can help us to contact an administrator or faculty member at any of the Catholic high schools on Long Island, this would be a great help to us.) Fr. Roderick will also address youth ministers and teens about Bella and Eduardo's conversion story at the diocesan youth festival on Sept. 15 at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Island in Eastport, NY.

There is still time to help, but we ask that you do it within the next two weeks, as Metanoia films would like to finalize plans for the Bella promotion in Long Island.
Please spread the word about Bella to everyone you can! Some suggestions for specific ways that people can help out are:
(1) Pray.
(2) Go and see Bella during opening weekend and bring 10+ people.
(3) Call local theaters and ask them to show Bella.
(4) Tell others we want to meet pastors and heads of Catholic high schools in order to mobilize large numbers of youth and parishioners to see Bella.
(5) Tell others we need people who can help with funds for Bella movie events.

Please feel free to e-mail me http://www.blogger.com/ I will be praying for all of you and our progress with this important and historical project. I truly believe that this film has the power to transform the Culture in our society by moving hearts.
Luciana (Long Island Coordinator of Bella publicity)

Luciano Pavarotti - Ave Maria - Schubert

Eternal rest grant onto him O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him. May His soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, rest in peace. Amen

Fr Greeley is starting to make sense to me!

This is going to shock some of my friends, but Fr. Andrew Greeley has had some insightful and Catholic things to say in the Mother Teresa 'scandal' created by the media.
Was there no one in the deep sub-basements of ABC who knew about the Dark Night of the Soul -- an experience in which someone on the road to sanctity feels abandoned by God and has to cling to faith and vocation by sheer stubborn faith? Could not someone at a local chancery call ABC and say, hey, you idiots, that feeling of abandonment is one more proof that she was a saint?
Catholics know that doubt and fear are part of the human condition, and absolute certainty is rarely if ever granted, and merits skepticism if it's offered. St. Teresa of Avila experienced the Dark Night; Juan de la Cruz did, too, and wrote one of the greatest of poems in human literature about it ("Once in the Dark of Night"). St. Therese of Lisieux lived through it in the last years of her brief life. Jesus' Agony in the Garden was quite literally a Dark Night. So was his cry, ''Why have you forsaken me?''
When I'm asked if I experience doubts, I usually answer, ''No more than 20, but that's before breakfast.''
I suspect that some Catholic source tried to explain these matters to the ABC reporter, but the reporter's paradigm for all things Catholic is scandal and had been given that paradigm by his news editor, who already had the lead for the story in mind. How could the clip have begun with ''Catholic experts on sanctity said today that the revelation of the secret letters of Mother Teresa of Calcutta were simply one more proof that she indeed was a saint and a very great saint at that.''
Well said, Fr. Greeley.
HTChicago Sun-Times

Senator Brownback talking about my daughter Christina

In this video taken at the Blogs for Life Conference on January 22, 2007, Senator Brownback is defending the right to life of the disabled child, and mentions meeting Christina earlier at the Conference.
He backed up his position recently by re-introducing the Prenatally and Post-natally Diagnosed Conditions Act with Senator Kennedy. This bill requires that mothers who are expecting a child with an anomaly be given up-to-date information on the prognosis and lifestyle of these children, as well as contact information for support groups.

Since I found it hard to hold a video camera and keep track of the whereabouts of my daughter, I am grateful to whomever submitted this video to Prolife Blogs.

Psychiatrists and Religion

Psychiatrists are less likely to be Protestant or Roman Catholic and more likely to be Jewish or have no religious affiliation compared to other types of doctors, according to the study released on Monday in the journal Psychiatric Services.
The study found that 39 percent of all the doctors surveyed were Protestants, 22 percent were Catholics, and 13 percent were Jewish. Among psychiatrists, 27 percent were Protestants 10 percent were Catholics, and 29 percent, Jewish.
Moreover, while 10 percent of all doctors reported having no religious affiliation, 17 percent of psychiatrists listed their religion as "none." Psychiatrists were more likely to consider themselves spiritual but not religious (33 percent) compared to other doctors (19 percent).
"Religious patients who prefer to see like-minded psychiatrists may have difficulty finding a match because their religious group is under-represented among psychiatrists," stated the researchers in the study.

New-York-based St. Michael’s Institute of the Psychological Sciences run by Dr. Philip Mango is trying to counter the effects of a profession dominated by unbelievers. He describes the birth of the center here:
The inspiration for St. Michael’s Institute came in 1985. At the time I was working in a bureaucratic, government-sponsored mental health center, and I had become thoroughly disillusioned with the way the patients were treated there. The spiritual dimension of their lives was completely neglected by the staff. That was because they lacked any belief in God, objective truth, or morality. They encouraged divorce and sexual promiscuity, and ignored the powerfully negative effects that some patients’ occult practices were having on themselves and the entire center.
Frustrated, I contacted my friend Dr. Paul Vitz, professor of Psychology at New York University, former atheist, and fervent Catholic convert. When I told him of my dissatisfaction, Paul startled me by saying: “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could develop a center in New York City dedicated to integrating psychiatry, psychology and Catholicism? Where we would be free of all bureaucratic interference? Free like the Apostles to go around, maybe two by two, to bring healing and the message of Christ?
I earned a BA in Psychology with the intent to be a therapist, continued into a graduate program of Social Work at Fordham, while I worked in a mental health clinic run by Catholic Charities which did not represent the teachings of the Church. No post-abortion counseling was done, contraception and divorce were encouraged by social workers who themselves practiced it, and it bothered me that Catholic priests were referring parishioners there for what they thought was Catholic counseling. Few therapists were practicing Catholics, many were non-Catholic, so I felt that the entire clinic was a sham, and after two years, suffered from burn out. I had joined a group called, ACTS, Association of Christian Therapists, which met to encourage the integration of Christian faith into Psychology, but my workplace was still a spiritual desert. This was 1986, when Dr. Mango was starting the St. Michael Institute 60 miles from me in New York City. I wish I had known about him then.
After a lot of soul searching during a year I spent in Europe, I withdrew from the Fordham Graduate School of Social Services, where I had 15 credits toward my Master's in Social Work. I decided to get a Masters in Education to teach English as a Second Language instead. It seemed like a more productive way to help the poor, than the failed therapies from spiritually impoverished therapists.
I was fortunate to have a Catholic therapist in my twenties, while I was in this career crisis. Hew would identify my spiritual problems, and deal with them as a Catholic.He knew when he was out of his league, however, and sent me to confession when needed. THAT is what Catholics need. Fr. Benedict Groeschel, himself a Psychologist has said that people go to therapy, and usually they find out why they are miserable. But they are still miserable. Modern psychiatry encourages people to scapegoat others for their problems, but not examine their consciences and forgive those who hurt them. So instead of keeping their hurt and anger inside, they are aggressive, and lonely. Some people I know personally have completely rejected innocent family members based on a non-religious therapist's determination that they have been damaged by that person. More is lost than gained here, as bitterness is fostered and families shattered.

Thank God for men like Dr Paul Vitz, Dr. Philip Mango, with the St. Michael's Institute. Dr. Richard Fitzgibbons, director of the Institute for Marital Healing outside Philadelphia, and Gregory Popcak director of the Pastoral Solutions Institute, will be presenting at the Conference of the Society of Catholic Social Scientists this October on the integration of Catholicism into their respective fields.


HT The Christian Post

Announcing the Catholic Down Syndrome Society

I have begun a society for Catholic parents of children of Down syndrome, and those who love them, under the patronage of Servant of God Dr. Jerome Lejeune.If you would like to learn why he was chosen as our patron, here is an excellent article on Mercatorntet. Here is the official blog, and if you would like to join the Catholic Down Syndrome Society, please email me at leticia77@optonline.net

The Time I saw Blessed Mother Teresa

Today is the tenth anniversary of Blessed Mother Teresa's hearing these words, from Jesus,
" Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."Matt. 25:33-40

Her portrait adorns our living room, and I think I have read every book, and seen every video out there about her. Last night, I saw the second Petrie sisters video about her, including clips from her funeral. Why am I so devoted to Mother Teresa? Because she is the clearest feminine example of the Gospel in the past 100 years. As a mother, I can more easily follow Mother Teresa's example when she cleans a dirty baby, feeds a sick person, or cuddles a disabled child. When she cleans a filthy bed with infinite patience, knowing that she is serving Our Lord as clearly as when she prays in front of the Blessed Sacrament or addresses the Harvard graduation, I can relate to her, and imitate her. She reminds me that my difficult family members are 'Jesus in the distressing disguise of the poor', and that the purpose of my life is to be, ' a pencil in the hands of God', letting Him use me to bring about the Kingdom of God. I admire her moral courage, standing a few feet away from the Clintons and Gores at the National Prayer Breakfast, and telling them, "the greatest destroyer of peace is abortion. If a child in his mother's womb is not safe, then no one is safe anywhere".

True holiness is simple, and easy to follow. No advanced degrees are necessary.

In June of 1986, I was fresh out of college with my Bachelor's degree in Psychology, working as a social worker for Catholic Charities. During a morning cup of coffee, the Indian Psychiatrist, Dr. Saba, casually mentioned that Mother Teresa would be addressing the seminarians of our diocese in St. Agnes Cathedral that day. I sprang into action, begging my boss for the day off to see Mother. Permission granted, I drove the hour to Rockville Centre, three hours before she was to appear, to get a seat up front. The cathedral was already beginning to fill up, buzzing with anticipation.

When she entered, the first thing that struck me was her diminutive size. Her face could just barely be seen over the top of the ambo, yet she commanded the rapt attention of her large audience for nearly an hour. Here is some of what she said, "I got very nervous when your Bishop invited me to lunch". Imagine the Nobel Laureate, international celebrity, being humbled by a bishop, that shows her respect for the Church. Mother told one of her stories, about the blind man living in darkness, who never lit his lamp, "because nobody ever comes to visit me". Mother visited him, lit his lamp, and told him that her sisters would be coming to visit him, so he must keep his lamp lit. He later sent word to her, "tell Mother the lamp she lit in my life is still burning". She reminded us to see Jesus in the poorest of the poor, who are sometimes the members of your own family. She received a standing ovation. Read more about her visit to St. Agnes Cathedral here.

There was to be a reception for Mother, but she declined, perhaps because the poor aren't invited to receptions, so the last I saw of her was her hand pressed against the window of the car, as if to say she was sorry she couldn't be with us.

My second encounter with Mother Teresa was in 1990, when I was learning Spanish to be a better English as a Second Language teacher. I was considering a Spanish immersion course in Antigua Guatemala, and thought of spending some time as a volunteer in the Missionaries of Charity home in Guatemala City. I had seen the original Petrie sister documentary, Mother Teresa, which featured Mother's struggle with Guatemalan bureaucrats to obtain the building. So I wrote Mother, explaining my desire to volunteer there.

Her response, typewritten on an old manual typewriter, with her signature and a holy card, was surprising. She sent me to serve the poor in her home in the Bronx, and gave me the contact information for her convent there. She also said that she would look for me when she came to visit. The letter ended with "put your hand in Mary's hand, and she will lead you to Jesus".

Her signature yellow card read,

"The fruit of silence is prayer,

the fruit of prayer is service,

the fruit of service is love,

the fruit of love is peace. "

I did visit her convent in the Bronx, (who says 'no' to Mother Teresa'?) and though I didn't discover a religious vocation, I was forever touched by that experience. I posted on it here.

Mother Teresa was mother to the entire world, and will always be my spiritual mother.

Tenth anniversary of Blessed Mother Teresa's Entrance into Glory

Happy Catholic has a good post on why the world will never understand why Mother Teresa persevered in the face of the darkness. Read more about her spiritual struggle here.
If faith were meant to be lived only in times of peace and joy, what good would it do us in this fallen world? That ability to smile in the darkness no doubt assisted her in greeting such people as Hillary Clinton (below) who later tried to use this photo on a campaign video.

Catholic Fire: Movie Review: The Ultimate Gift

Catholic Fire: Movie Review: The Ultimate Gift

Missed the Show "Being Human" on EWTN today?

See it here anytime. It is amazing, and will certainly get you on board with 40 days for life.

Being Human to air today on EWTN

The Show "Being Human" will be shown on EWTN today.
This inspiring show was filmed by an Emmy-award winning producer and was aired once before in June by EWTN.
After receiving overwhelming positive viewer response to the show, they are airing it again on a day when many people can see it --Labor Day!
Here are the details...
WHAT: "Being Human: 40 Days for Life" TV special
WHERE: EWTN global television network (check your local cable listings)
DAY: Monday, September 3 (Labor Day)
TIME: 6:30 PM Eastern

Spread the word to friends, family members,co-workers, and fellow believers