Bishop D'Arcy promulgates norms for Tabernacle placement

Ever enter a sanctuary and find yourself searching for where to genuflect? I remember asking a parishoner of a neighboring parish back on Long Island, where Jesus was, only to be pointed to a plaster statue in a manger. "No, I mean the REAL PRESENCE OF JESUS" I repeated. Why should this be a subject of confusion or controversy?
I am tempted to invent a device akin to the stud finder which carpenters use, callling it the Tabernacle finder. You enter a church push the button and scan round the church till it beeps telling you where they have hidden the Body and Blood Soul and Divinity of Our Lord.
I had this problem in my old parish, until Bishop Murphy set the Tabernacle back in the center of our church. I posted on it here. It was such big news, it was posted on Spirit Daily. Now Bishop D'Arcy has written this wonderful directive for his entire diocese.
Bravo, faithful shepherd of souls!
from the website of the Diocese of Fort Wayne, IN
To Priests, Deacons, Religious,
and to All the Faithful,
The presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament is at the center of our faith and of the devotional life of our Catholic people. In recent years, the place of the tabernacle in our churches has become a source of controversy. This should not be. The Eucharist, whether we are referring to its celebration or to the place of reservation, should always be a means of unity and communion, and never of division.The place of the tabernacle in our church should reflect our faith in the real presence of Christ, and should always be guided by church documents. My experience is that our people, with their instinct of faith, have always desired that the tabernacle be central and visible. They find it confusing when the tabernacle in their churches is not visible, and if possible, central.
Because of my responsibility to foster the devotional life of our people, and to keep it sound, I have asked our Office of Worship to prepare norms for the placement and design of the tabernacle in this diocese. These norms were brought before the Presbyteral Council, the Liturgical Commission and the Environment and Arts Committee. Suitable refinements and improvements were prepared.
These norms are promulgated to the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend on June 14, 2009, the feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of the Lord. They will be effective on Aug. 4, 2009, the feast of St. John Mary Vianney, the patron saint of priests, in whose honor the present Year for Priests has been dedicated by the Holy Father Benedict XVI.
I urge all priests to follow these norms carefully and completely, and most importantly — to foster devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. Sincerely yours in our Lord,
Most Reverend John M. D’Arcy
For more information visit: http://www.diocesefwsb.org/WORSHIP/tabernacles.htm

Learn Mozart's "Ave Verum" with the Vienna Boys Choir

Corpus Christi Procession

from a family at the Maria Friary of Our Lady of Guadalupe

This Sunday (6/14) the Friars in New Bedford will hold their annual Corpus Christi procession.

Our family was blessed with the opportunity to participate in this event 2 years ago and it was an incredible experience. Here's a link to watch the procession of 2007.
Typically the procession begins at 2:00 p.m. and there's a potluck in the basement of Our Lady's Chapel at around 5:00 p.m.
There are 3 stops along the way at the most gorgeous churches.
What better way to spend a Sunday then by accompanying Our Lord out into the community?

Progress on You Tube Host Desecration Videos

from the Catholic League

YouTube AGE-GATES OFFENSIVE VIDEOS;
MORE STEPS MAY BE TAKEN

On October 15, Catholic League president Bill Donohue spoke with an official from YouTube"s headquarters about his news release of October 7 objecting to 40-plus videos depicting the desecration of the Eucharist. He explains what happened today:

"The conversation I had was productive, and the official with whom I spoke was reasonable and professional. She fully understood the gravity of our concerns and admitted that many Catholics have contacted YouTube registering their outrage. Here is where we're at.

"The videos, posted by a young man, Dominique (he goes by 'fsmdude'), have been "age-gated."What this means is that the videos are not available to the general public"age confirmation is required. Moreover, the viewer is informed that the material may not be appropriate. The YouTube official stressed that this was a 'preliminary step,' part of an ongoing review process. In other words, they are taking the complaints made by the Catholic League seriously, and may yet decide to implement stronger strictures.

"In the course of the conversation, I made it clear that we do not object to making fun of Catholics, or for that matter Catholic beliefs and practices, just so long as they are made in good taste. Nor do we object to those who might vigorously reject the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation. What we object to are situations where it is obvious that the whole purpose of the communication is to deliberately insult Catholics. It is one thing for an avowed atheist to lecture Catholics about their beliefs, quite another for someone to throw the Eucharist down the toilet, put it in a blender, etc. The latter represents malice, having nothing to do with discourse.

"As part of the Catholic League response to this issue, we are posting a video on YouTube that further explains our position. We appreciate the seriousness that YouTube has shown to our concerns and hope they conclude that these videos violate their guidelines."

Eucharist desecration back on YouTube

Time to voice your protest of YouTube's violation of it's own rules. Click on the petition form at America Needs Fatima. Robert Ritchie, director of America Needs Fatima, explained: "As Catholics, we believe the Host is the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ. Witnessing the desecration of the Host causes anguish to Catholics all over the world."
Ritchie added: "In the past, YouTube has removed videos offensive to Jews and members of other religions, including one showing a teenager urinating on a Holocaust memorial. Why can't Catholics be afforded the same respect for our deeply held beliefs? "
"The desecration of the Host is not an acceptable form of free speech. The only message it conveys is one of unremitting hatred," Ritchie said.
Read the entire article at LifeSiteNews.com

Petition to You Tube to pull host desecration videos

from America Needs Fatima
So far, over 5,000 people have sent a petition to YouTube asking them to pull 40 Host Desecration videos from their site.If you've already sent yours -- THANK YOU!
May God reward you.
If not, there still time to do it.GO HERE to send stop Host Desecration e-petition to YouTube.And please pass on this important petition to your fiends and family.
In case you got an error message after clicking the send button, don't worry. It was sent for you. We logged the errors and individually resent those messages to YouTube.

To make this petition effective, I need to mobilize more Catholics. So please send your best gift to help me spread this petition over the Internet today. If thousands more Catholics speak up, I think YouTube will pull the 40 Host desecration videos.
GO HERE to send stop Host Desecration e-petition to YouTube.
God bless you!
Robert E. RitchieExecutive Director
P.S. – Please go here to send your petition to YouTube. Thank you!

No justice at Univ of Minnesota for Eucharist Outrage

from the Catholic League
UNIV. OF MINN. CHANCELLOR ON MYERS:
HE'S IN THE CLEAR

On July 25, the University of Minnesota (UMN) at Morris issued a statement by its chancellor, Jacqueline Johnson, which began with the following paragraph: "I believe that behaviors that discriminate against or harass individuals or groups on the basis of their religious beliefs are reprehensible. The University of Minnesota Board of Regents Policy: [sic] Code of Conduct prohibits such behavior in the workplace"of course this includes the classroom"and I expect those who work and study here to comply with that policy." She then proceeded to say that Professor Paul Z. Myers, who intentionally (and with malice) desecrated the Eucharist, was expressing his own views and not those of UMN.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue issued a news release the same day, saying, "This is classic: Johnson admits Myers has violated the UMN's Code of Conduct and then proceeds to tell us why he is being allowed to do so with impunity"it's a matter of academic freedom."

Johnson faxed a letter to Donohue today saying she needed to address his 'misunderstanding' of her statement. She makes it plain that because Myers posted his comments on his personal blog, he did not violate UMN's Code of Conduct.

Donohue sent Johnson the following letter today:

"I am sorry for my generosity: I took it that the reason you began your statement of July 25 with a citation of UMN's Code of Conduct as it applies to religious intolerance was your way of acknowledging Myers' delinquency. I now stand corrected: Your comment was simply a ploy, a cute way of acknowledging that something was wrong, but certainly not anything that would demand your attention. And just so you don't misunderstand me: You could have issued a statement saying that while UMN has no authority over what Myers says in his blog, it is morally indefensible for anyone to intentionally desecrate the Eucharist. But, no, you couldn't even say that. Instead, you hide behind legalisms. We will let the Catholic community know of your decision."
Bill Donohue will be appearing Friday August 1st at 8 PM on the EWTN news program"The World Over" with Raymond Arroyo to discuss the ongoing controversy.

Christian anti-Defamation Coalition stands with Catholics on Desecration of Eucharist

From Dr. Gary Cass of the Christian Anti-Defamation Coalition
A Biology Professor from the University of Minnesota, Paul Zachary Myers, has taken his radical enthusiasm for atheism to a disgraceful new low. Myers recently desecrated a consecrated communion wafer from a Catholic Mass. Meyers did this after a University of Florida student made headlines by stealing the Eucharist from a communion service and holding it hostage for days.
According to Catholic theology, the communion wafer, once duly consecrated, becomes the actual body of Christ. Professor Myers has written on his blog in defense of the University of Florida student. Meyer's has also asked people to steal the Eucharist for him in order that he might desecrate it and display it on his blog.
On his blog Meyers writes: "Can anyone out there score me some consecrated communion wafers? . if any of you would be willing to do what it takes to get me some, or even one, and mail it to me, I'll show you sacrilege, gladly, and with much fanfare. I won't be tempted to hold it hostage. but will instead treat it with profound disrespect and heinous cracker abuse, all photographed and presented here on the web."
Many have responded to this outrage and asked Professor Meyers to stop his blasphemous behavior and have even contacted the University, but nothing has been done so far. "Professor Meyers needs to be disciplined if not fired by the University Board of Regents for his unnecessary, provocative and inflammatory actions directed against Christians," said Dr. Gary Cass, Chairman and CEO of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission. "Had Professor Myers engaged in similar such egregious acts, like burning a homosexual flag or painting swastikas on a synagogue, or burning books in front of the library, he would have been terminated on the spot. Because Meyers merely offended Christians, he goes unpunished. This reinforces the perception of hostility towards Christians on secular university campuses and brings disgrace on the University itself for condoning this provocation by their silence."
Bias against Christians within secular Universities is not new. Last year Gary Tobin, President of the Institute for Jewish and Community Research, published a survey of 1,262 faculty members from 712 public colleges and universities. The survey revealed that Christian students were perceived to be the most unfavorable group of students by university and college professors.

TAKE ACTION: Contact the Board of Regents and ask for them to discipline Professor Myers for his unnecessary and vicious attack against one of Christianities most revered sacraments. Call: 612-625-6300
Thank you for this show of solidarity, Dr. Cass

Mark Shea on PZ Meyers' desecration of the Eucharist

In this article, Mark Shea puts PZ Meyers in his true place, and reveals why he is desecrating the Eucharist; "I won't mince words: Myers is an evil man. And as evil men -- particularly evil intellectuals -- tend to be, he is also a madman, as are most of his acolytes and followers. One need only read Pharyngula to know this. Not all atheists are driven mad by their atheism. Many are quite respectable human beings. But those who make it their raison d'être tend to be made crazy by it. That's the tragedy of sins of the intellect. They don't just make you stupid; if you persist in them, and particularly if you persist in them to this degree, they make you crazy. "
Prof. Meyers, I am deeply saddened by your abyssmally bad choice to pierce the Holy Eucharist with a rusty nail. But I must tell you, you are not original. Our Lord's Holy Hands were pierced by nails before this at the hands of Roman soldiers, and He did it for you. So I fasted yesterday and offered reparation in front of the Blessed Sacrament for your eternal soul.
May Our Blessed Lord Jesus, truly present Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Blessed Sacrament, forgive you for your blasphemy.
Read Mark Shea's entire article here.
HT Catholic Online

Webster Cook Impeached for stealing Eucharist

Sometimes, justice does prevail, and from college students!
"Let me begin by addressing an issue that's recently received a great deal of attention and cast a negative light on our efforts within the Student Government," Peterson said. "The situation involving Senator Cook and the Catholic Campus Ministry is an isolated event and one that has interfered with our true purpose."
Webster Cook, along with a friend, went to a Catholic Campus Ministry Mass on June 29. During the Mass, Cook had an altercation with various members of the organization after he pocketed a Eucharist, which is against Catholic tradition."
Good job, speaker Peterson! University of Minnesota, watch and learn how justice is done.
Read the entire story here.
HT CBS NEWS

PZ Meyers digs himself a deeper hole

MYERS TO DESECRATE EUCHARIST AND KORAN

On July 15, Catholic League president Bill Donohue called attention to the way Professor Paul Z. Myers of the University of Minnesota treats Catholicism and Islam: the biologist's pledge to desecrate the Eucharist contrasts starkly with the deference he has shown to Islam.
Now Myers says that "Thanks to all those who have demanded that I treat that silly book [the Koran] with disrespect, I'll have to treat both equally."
Just see who reacts with violence and who reacts with mercy praying and fasting. There may be a teachable moment in all this nonsense!

Donohue responded today:

"The latest threat by Myers only makes matters worse. Instead of treating Catholicism with the respect he has previously shown for Islam, he now pledges to disrespect Islam the way he pledges to disrespect Catholicism (once again!). This is his idea of equal treatment.

"Much has been written about the moral vacuity that marks the Darwinian vision of society that Myers embraces. He now has a grand opportunity to rebut those critics. Or sustain the perception. So which will it be, Professor Myers? I will let Ibrahim Hooper at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) know of your latest bluster. And I sincerely implore you to drop both threats now."

Contact Myers at myersp@morris.umn.edu

Contact CAIR’s communications director at ihooper@cair.com

A Merciful Response to PZ Meyers' threats

From a newly ordained Dominican.
"In this short space of days I have seen hate and witness regarding the Eucharist; hate disseminated in the media and witness through the liturgical memory of the Church. The opportunity now is to witness to our own belief in the Eucharistic Lord. Several years ago I was teaching Church History at a Catholic high school. I gave a lecture on the martyrs to six classes of students. The vast majority of these students said they would deny Christ with fingers crossed. Most of them had no regard for the value of public witness and probably didn’t even know about the Love Christ has for them. "
HT Godspy

Fr Loya interviews blasphemous Professor Meyers

Click here and scroll down to listen to Fr. Loya's interview with University of Minnesota Professor Paul Zachary Meyers who has obtained several consecrated hosts with the intention of desecrating them in public on his blog.
HT Catholic Radio International.

Is Pope Benedict fulfilling the famous dream of Don Bosco?

"Breaking through all resistance, the new Pope steers his ship safely between the two columns; first, to the one surmounted by the Host, and then the other, topped by the statue of the Virgin. At this point, something unexpected happens. The enemy ships panic and disperse, colliding with and scuttling each other."Some auxiliary ships, which had gallantly fought alongside their flagship, are the first to tie up at the two columns. Many others, which had fearfully kept far away from the fight, stand still, cautiously waiting until the wrecked enemy ships vanish under the waves. Then they too head for the two columns, tie up at the swinging hooks and ride safe and tranquil beside their flagship. A great calm now covers the sea."
Read the entire post here.
HT Spirit Daily

Student steals Body of Christ from UCF Mass

from the Catholic League

To protest student fees for religious services at the University of Central Florida (UCF), a student walked out of a campus Mass on June 29 with the Eucharist. Webster Cook, a student senator, finally returned the Host this past weekend.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue offered the following remarks today:

"For a student to disrupt Mass by taking the Body of Christ hostage'regardless of the alleged nature of his grievance'is beyond hate speech. That is why the UCF administration needs to act swiftly and decisively in seeing that justice is done. All options should be on the table, including expulsion."
It's time for Catholics to stand up for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament!

Contact UCF president John C. Hitt at jhitt@mail.ucf.edu
I did, and here is his less than satisfactory response.
Ms. Velasquez:

The Eucharist has been returned, and the matter is in the hands of the student judicial system.

John C. Hitt
President, UCF

UPDATE:
Webster apparently went crying to daddy, who is now prowling the blogs and attacking those of us who post on this outrage. Go over and read his comment on Vive Christus Rex. Dr Webster is an educated man, he should teach his son respect for the religious practices of 0thers instead of trying to bully those who call his son on the carpet for his outrageous actions.
If he had done this as a child, none of this would have happened. Psychologist Dr. Ray Guardendi says, "if you don't' teach your child discipline, somebody will. It may be a teacher, an employer or a judge, but someday, somebody will".
In this case, we are all helping to parent Dr. Webster's son, teaching him to respect others'religious practices, and, hopefully, Almighty God.
UPDATE #2
Surprised he was raised a Catholic? Unfortunately, given the sad state of catechesis, I am not.
Cook wants a meeting with his bishop to discuss using force to pry the Holy Eucharist from his hands! And an apology! Dr. Webster did a worse job raising him than I originally thought!

Univ Minnesota Prof Myers promises to desecrate the Eucharist

from the Catholic League
Paul Zachary Myers, a professor at the University of Minnesota Morris, has pledged to desecrate the Eucharist. He is responding to what happened recently at the University of Central Florida when a student walked out of Mass with the Host, holding it hostage for several days. Myers was angry at the Catholic League for criticizing the student. His post can be accessed from his faculty page on the university's website.

Here is an excerpt of his July 8 post, "It's a Frackin' Cracker!":
"Can anyone out there score me some consecrated communion wafers?" Myers continued by saying, "if any of you would be willing to do what it takes to get me some, or even one, and mail it to me, I'll show you sacrilege, gladly, and with much fanfare. I won't be tempted to hold it hostage (no, not even if I have a choice between returning the Eucharist and watching Bill Donohue kick the pope in the balls, which would apparently be a more humane act than desecrating a goddamned cracker), but will instead treat it with profound disrespect and heinous cracker abuse, all photographed and presented here on the web."

Catholic League president Bill Donohue responded as follows:

"The Myers blog can be accessed from the university's website. The university has a policy statement on this issue which says that the "Contents of all electronic pages must be consistent with University of Minnesota policies, local, state and federal laws." One of the school's policies, "Code of Conduct," says that "When dealing with others," faculty et al. must be "respectful, fair and civil." Accordingly, we are contacting the President and the Board of Regents to see what they are going to do about this matter. Because the university is a state institution, we are also contacting the Minnesota legislature.

"It is hard to think of anything more vile than to intentionally desecrate the Body of Christ. We look to those who have oversight responsibility to act quickly and decisively."

Here is the Professor's offensive blog post and photo, with a thousand equally offensive comments following it. He had so many atheists who wanted to mock the Church, he had to open a new thread here.
If you can't handle heart-stopping blasphemy, don't read this, I feel sick with disgust and worry for the eternal destiny of those who commented and for Professor Meyer.
Acts of reparation and much prayer are sorely needed, Catholics to overcome the depths of evil in that post.
If you want to protest this outrage, you may contact
Professor Meyer at his email address meye0974@umn.edu
Protest this bigotry which besmirches the reputation of the University of Minnesota.
Contact President Robert Bruininks at bruin001@umn.edu

Pope to return to more pious reception of Holy Communion

"Benedict's master of liturgical ceremonies said in an interview Wednesday in the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano that the pontiff will place the Communion host in the mouths of the faithful who kneel before him." Will we all be able to receive Holy Communion while kneeling ? How wonderful that would be!Read the entire story here.
Its no surprise then, that the Pope prefers communion on the tongue. So do I.
Read the entire story here.
Read more at The New Liturgical Movement
HT CNS

Speak the truth to power

Despite pleading, Italian Premier Silvio Berluscone is still barred from the sacrament since his remarriage was outside the Church. The Holy Father said, "I want to invite shepherds and the faithful to renew their attention on how they prepare to receive the Eucharist," the pope said by videolink to an audience in Montreal.

"Despite our weakness and our sins, Christ wants to invite us into his home and asks us to start our healing. We must do everything in our power to receive him into a pure heart, and to re-find in the sacrament of pardon a pureness that sin has stained."

However, the pope did say that even people who are ineligible to receive communion can find healing by attending the church service.

There are no shorcuts for those in power, Senators Pelosi, Dodd, and Kennedy.
Read entire story here.
HT NOR

Disabled teach us about the Eucharist

Jean Vanier, founder of L'Arche communities addressed the 49th Eucharistic Congress in Quebec Sunday and " told the story of a mentally handicapped boy from Paris on the day he received his First Communion: "After Mass, which was a family celebration, the boy's uncle, who was his godfather, said to the child's mother: 'What a beautiful liturgy! How sad it is that he didn't understand anything.'
"The child heard these words and, with tears in his eyes, said to his mother: 'Don't worry, Mommy, Jesus loves me just as I am.'"
Vanier affirmed: "This child had a wisdom that his uncle was yet to attain: the Eucharist is God's gift par excellence. "This child gives witness that a disabled person -- sometimes deeply disabled -- finds life, strength and consolation in and through Eucharistic communion. Is not this a call that the whole Church should hear?"
In L'Arche, the founder continued, "we have seen that if we pay attention to the deepest needs of disabled people, we can see their desire for Communion at the moment of the Eucharist."
I wrote about Christina's early relationship with Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist at an early age here and later here.
It was Mary, a young lady with Trisomy 21, who prepared me for having Christina, by the way she adored Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Many years ago, when our parish had it's only time of adoration, a Forty Hours Exposition for the Feast of Corpus Christi, I came to adoration to see Mary prostrate on the floor in front of the Monstrance for nearly an hour. As far as I knew, she had never seen anyone do that before, she was merely responding to the Lord's presence with a completely open heart, free of the fear of what others would say.
I was so moved, I said to myself, "What mother wouldn't giver her left arm for this daughter?" Little did I know that her mother was so bitter about her disability that she refused to have another child, and stopped going to church. Her husband, unwilling to disobey Church teaching on artificial contraception, never approached the marital bed for the rest of his life. I suspect he must have offered his suffering for his wife and daughter, for Mary was truly an extraordinary young lady, full of love and joy.Now that her father is gone, her mother takes her to Mass but won't stay with her.
Please pray that her mother's eyes are opened to the blessing that her daughter is and that she repents of rejecting Our Lord's friendship. Mary and her father are praying for her.
Read the entire story here.
HT Catholic Online
UPDATE: Here and here are two posts on children with Trisomy 21 receiving their First Holy Communions. I think they confirm Jean Vanier's message!

"The New Manna" by Fr. John McCartney

On the East End of Long Island in the years 2000-2004, I had the privilege of attending a special First Friday Mass and Benediction for homeschoolers said by Fr. McCartney.
His homilies were always memorable; Fr. McCartney, though fresh from his ordination in 1999 had a knowledge of Catholic history, ardent love for Christ and the Church, and a gift for storytelling that made his homilies mesmerizing for adults and children alike.
I told him he should have his own show on EWTN, and I hope he does; read this for an example of his gift of making the most eternal of truths understandable, without diminishing their glory.
This is his first column in The Long Island Catholic, on the origins of the Feast of Corpus Christi which we celebrate this Sunday, and I hope it will be only one of many.
HT The Long Island Catholic
Here is my other post about Fr. McCartney, a Catholic hero.