Baby Joseph Does At Home In Peace With His Family

You may remember that last Spring I shared the story of Baby Joseph & the battle by his family to allow him to receive a simple tracheostomy. That surgery which would enable him to breathe on his own. Then he could be sent home where he could die surrounded by his family. At the time the Ontario Superior Court ruled against the family & in favor of the hospital that wanted to simply take him off of life support. Eventually, with the help of Priests for Life, Fr. Pavone, Bobby Schindler the co-director of the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network & the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, Baby Joseph was finally allowed to be taken to Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center in St. Louis where he received the proceedure. That surgery allowed him to live an additional 6 months surrounded by his family. He passed away at 4:40 pm on Tuesday, 27 September 2011. He died surrounded by his family. Baby Joseph’s father, Moe Maraachli, wrote the following on the official family Facebook page: “Joseph pass away very comfortable and peace fully like what i ask for him.” He added “I would like to thank all who contributed to the support of Joseph. I thank you very much.”
While allowing him to be treated with the dignity & worth due any human being was the main concern, Baby Joseph also served as a sign of what could happen in the USA under ObamaCare. While he may have lived less than 2 years, he has left behind an importance legacy, the lesson that every life is of value & no one is diposable just because of the health problems (terminal or not) they may be suffering from.
For more: Baby Joseph Maraachli Passes Away, Parents Fought for Life
Baby Joseph dies at home, surrounded by family
Fr. Pavone: Baby Joseph - a life worth living

Something Tells Me This Isn't What Planned Parenthood Paid for When They Bought Obama

or Pelosi or Sebelius for that matter.
A letter by Rep. Cliff Stearns, a Florida Republican who is the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight & Investigations, that had been sent to Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards was leaked by the Washington Post today.
In the letter Stearns said: “Pursuant to Rules X and XI of the United States House of Representatives, the Committee on Energy and Commerce is examining the institutional practices and policies of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) and its affiliates, and its handing of federal funding.
That Committee has questions about the politics in place and actions undertaken by PPFA and its affiliates relating to its use of federal funding and its compliance with federal restrictions on the funding of abortion.”
The letter also requested any information related to improper billing related to federally-funded programs, proof that federal funds are not being improperly used to pay for abortions by PPFA or its affiliates, audits by state agencies of any Planned Parenthood affiliate, & documentation of how many affiliates currently receive Title X family planning funding.
Thanks to investigations done by Live Action, Planned Parenthood has come under heavy criticism for covering up cases of statutory rape by failing to report abortions on done unborn children of teen girls who have been victimized to authorities and by aiding & assisting alleged sex traffickers in obtaining abortions & other “services” for the women & girls they victimize.
In a statement released by Planned Parenthood, they answered with their boilerplate standard claim: “Planned Parenthood is a trusted nonprofit health care provider that provides professional, reliable and quality health care, including birth control, lifesaving cancer screenings, annual exams, and STD testing and treatment to three million women and men across the country.” Cecile Richards went on to say “This politically motivated investigation is a continuation of the efforts of earlier this year to undermine Planned Parenthood, and more disturbingly, women’s access to the primary and preventive care they need.”
Never mind that Planned Parenthood has been caught overbilling more than once. Never mind that it has faced charges for covering up criminal activities. PP is trying to paint themselves as the victim rather than the villian they have been documented to be. & doing under the guise of their being a "primary health care provider" for the poor & needy. They even found a PP supporter in Stearns district to speak out for them. Lorraine McGill of Gainsville said “Planned Parenthood has been my primary provider of women’s health care for nearly 20 years. I go there for my Pap tests, cancer screenings, and birth control. The doctors, nurses, and all other employees at Planned Parenthood have always been caring and compassionate.”
They may be compassionate, byt primary health care is a lot more than birth control, Pap tests & cancer screenings. & most of it isn't done at Planned Parenthood clinics.
Also long time PP cheerleader Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA), the ranking member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, along with Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations sent a letter to Congressman Stearns complaining about the investigation. In it they claim the investigation is purely political & ideological. They went on to say that this is in a similar vein as the earlier attempts to defund Planned Parenthood & that “It would be an abuse of the oversight process if you are now using the Committee’s investigative powers to harass Planned Parenthood again." Again, they clearly know the real reasons behind the earlier attempts to defund PP & this investigation are based in facts, not ideology. But they are willing to put their ideology that abortion in sancrosanct above the safety of those teens who have been sexually abused or raped etc.
Many Pro-life groups have applauded to move by Stearns to get the truth out there.
Americans United for Life President & CEO Dr. Charmaine Yoest called the investigation “a historic first step in getting the American taxpayer out of the business of subsidizing abortion.”
She went on to add "We also want to congratulate Rep. Cliff Stearns, chairman of the House Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, for his leadership on this issue and for his willingness to look more closely at Planned Parenthood and its affiliates for their fraudulent use of taxpayer dollars, as outlined in AUL’s report.”
Live Action's Lila Rose said "We applaud Congress’s first concrete steps to investigate Planned Parenthood, the biggest abortion business in the nation. Last February, the Live Action team released undercover videos showing seven Planned Parenthood clinics aiding and abetting the sex trafficking of children. In the wake of the videos, the House of Representatives voted to defund the abortion giant of the over $360 million they receive in federal funds. This step by Rep. Stearns to further investigate Planned Parenthood’s abusive and lawless activities is essential to protecting victims of abuse, our young girls, and our unborn brothers and sisters."
Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of the Susan B. Anthony List, also released a statement. In it she said “This is a critical step in holding accountable an organization that has been exposed as a billion dollar business centered on abortion and an unapologetic partner of those who wish to exploit young girls. We strongly believe that as Congress and the American people learn more about Planned Parenthood, they will see the urgency in defunding them immediately of the hundreds of millions of tax dollars they receive every year.”
Concerned Women for America president Penny Nance also issued a statement. She said “It’s about time Congress initiates an investigation into Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion chain. The abortion giant gets $350 million a year from taxpayers and should be subject to the same rules and regulations as any other government contractor. Concerned Women for America finds it hard to believe that the American people want to subsidize an organization that has been caught on tape aiding and abetting sex traffickers, covering up child rape and abuse, and even happily accepting donations to abort black babies.
During Congress’ investigation, all taxpayer funds should be withheld from Planned Parenthood until Congress issues its findings on the organization.”
In the days ahead, you can be sure that the main stream media will play along with PP's spin & paint this the way PP wants them to. & while that will provide cover for some of PP's supporters, the truth is bound to get out. & when it does, Obama, Sibelius, & PP's Richards will have a lot of explaining to do. & they will do their best to avoid doing so.
Meanwhile, I wish to add my kudos to what Cong. Stearns is doing to finally shed some light on the actions of Planned Parenthood that they would much prefer remain in the dark.


Sources: BREAKING: Congress investigating Planned Parenthood over sex abuse cover-up allegations
Congress to Investigate Planned Parenthood Abortion Business
Democrats Object to Probe of Planned Parenthood Abortion Biz
Pro-Life Groups Cheer Upcoming Probe of Planned Parenthood

LCTV Coverage of Planned parenthood Expansion

LCTV is the Loras College student run TV cable news that runs once a week. The story on Planned Parenthood begins @ 1;15 into the newscast.




I put the following comments up for the video:

1: Jill June's claims that the staff & patients are being bullied is an out & out lie. Unless you consider people standing outside peacefully protesting by carrying signs & praying the Rosary bullying. They see our presence as a threat simply because we are there telling the truth about Planned Parenthood.
2. As for the claim they didn't do anything different from any other business in DBQ, another lie. Very few businesses create a "straw" company to buy property. For PP this is standard operation proceedure. They knew Dutrac wouldn't have sold them the property because they aren't as welcome as they claim.
3: As for offering abortion. They will. They claimed there was a demand for PP's services when they openned 3 years ago. The 1st year they had a little over 700 people. The last year they only had 1000 people. (Note the real numbers may be less as PP is known for counting the same person multiple times if they get more that 1 service. The lack of demand caused them to cut their hours to 17 from 40. But that won't stop them from claiming there is a demand for abortion.

Steve Brody of DBQ Co Right to Life made a good point in the difference between how PP & DCRTL deal with the media. In an e-mail telling supporters about the LCTV coverage he said: "In typical fashion, DCRTL is interviewed in person, and Planned Parenthood is interviewed over the phone to control content."
By sending out an e-mail PP avoids any follow up questions about what they say, like the claims they make about the protestors etc.

Autumn Leaves

If You Must - How to Watch Reality TV

Better yet, don't turn on the show, just listen to the music!
Source: How To Watch Reality TV
H/T: Fr. Z (Reality TV)

Something Tells Me They Would Have Criticized Jesus & John the Baptist's Lack of "Pastoral Sensititvity" As Well

Based on what I read in an article in the Telegraph-Journal, it looks like the only lack of sensitivity on Fr. Donat Gionet's part was towards those in the chancery who don't want to rock the boat. It strikes me that they are more concerned with keeping the mayor of Saint-Leolin, Joseph Lanteigne, an open homosexual & member of the parish council, who demanded the priest’s suspension, happy rather than having the truth preached. In fact, I suspect that as far as Lanteigne goes, there would have been no "pastorally sensative" way to put it. I am willing to bet that he doesn't want the Church's teaching mentioned at all. For that matter, I suspect the powers that be in the parish are more concerned with keeping those in power happy than having what the Catholic Church actually teaches proclaimed as well.
This same bunch won't admit it, but they would probably have applauded Herod Antipas for locking up John the Baptist after he condemned Herod's divorce of his wife Phasaelis & his subsequent marriage to Herodias, who was divorced from his brother Herod Philip I.
Or how about the criticism Jesus leveled towards Chorazin, Bethsaida & Capernaum found in Matthew 11? That wouldn't have passed their criteria for being "pastorially sensative." I am sure they wouldn't have approved of Jesus calling the Synagogue leaders a brood of vipers. (Matthew 12) Ditto what Jesus said to the lawyers & Pharasees in Luke 11.
So what did Fr. Gionet say that they found so bad? In a letter written in French to the paper, Fr. Gionet stated the sermon in question was about the destruction of the Church & the need to seek forgiveness for past sins:
"I said: 'Today, it is we Catholics who are destroying our Catholic Church. We need only look at the number of abortions among Catholics, look at the homosexuals, and ourselves.' (That's when I pointed at my chest - through that action I wanted to say, we the priests) and I continued saying: We are destroying our Church ourselves. And that's when I said that those were the words expressed by Pope John Paul II. At that point, in the St-Léolin church only, I added: 'We can add to that the practice of watching gay parades, we are encouraging this evil' ... What would you think of someone who seeing what was happening on (Sept.) 11, 2001, the crumbling of the towers, had begun clapping? We must not encourage evil, whatever form it takes."
IMHO opinion, Fr. Gionet wasn't saying anything that Jesus wouldn't have said in similar circumstances. & the actions taken by the diocese to silence him simply proves that he was right & they didn't like what they were (or should say weren't doing?) pointed out.

Elderly priest suspended for denouncing abortion, homosexual behavior

BATHURST, New Brunswick, September 22, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Catholic Diocese of Bathurst, New Brunswick has removed an elderly priest from active ministry after he caused a storm of controversy by denouncing homosexuality, cohabitation, and abortion in an August homily.

85-year-old Fr. Donat Gionet had retired to his home town of Caraquet in June to serve palliative care patients, and now laments that in his declining years he is being forced to celebrate Mass “in secret.”

Fr. Wesley Wade, the diocese’s vicar general, told Radio-Canada that Fr. Gionet’s comments were consistent with Church teaching, but lacked the proper “pastoral” sensitivity.

“It was mainly the pastoral approach that was lacking,” Fr. Wade said. “A lack of respect, perhaps, for the people identified, for the groups of people as well, which caused a division in the community. It was a difficult decision.”

Fr. Wade did not return numerous calls from LifeSiteNews over two days.

A member of the Eudist Fathers, Fr. Gionet had been accused by parishioners of “homophobia” in media reports last week after he criticized a homosexual parade in Moncton in an August 20-21 homily. His loudest critic was the mayor of Saint-Leolin, Joseph Lanteigne, an open homosexual and member of the parish council, who demanded the priest’s suspension.

In an open letter Thursday, Fr. Gionet laments that the diocese did not give him an opportunity to explain himself before suspending him.

“To you, the diocesan authorities: did you ask me what I said exactly during the homily in question?” the priest asks. “They did not, but only listened to people who are frustrated.”

When asked if he would continue making similar comments, he says he can only respond “yes.” “And if they asked me about the homily, in its entirety, I could not say ‘no’ because for me it is important to speak the truth,” he insists.

He explained that in the August homily he noted that while “the gates of hell” seek to destroy the Church, it is, in fact, Catholics who “destroy our Church” today. He pointed to the high number of abortions among Catholics and the presence of homosexuality in the Church. He emphasized that cohabitating couples and homosexuals ought not to receive the Eucharist, but are still welcome to join the Church at Mass.

“After these reflections, there were no other allusions whatsoever,” he says, adding that in the homily he went on to speak of the power of forgiveness offered through the Church.

The priest said that he is now living “like the first Christians did at the beginning of the Church: they had to hide in the catacombs to pray or celebrate the Eucharist.”

The Diocese has released a letter to the faithful explaining the suspension, according to French-language media reports. Bishop Valery Vienneau explains that the priest had refused to alter his statements, and the bishop expressed regret that the comments had upset the faithful.


Contact Information:

Most Rev. Valéry Vienneau, Bishop of Bathurst
645, avenue Murray
C.P. 460
Bathurst, NB E2A 3Z4
Tel: (506) 546-1420
Fax: (506) 548-5565
E-mail: valeryv@nb.aibn.com

Obama - Doing the Dance of Death With the Abortion Industry

Susan B Anthony List - Turn Off the Music
For more on this video see: New Video Highlights Obama-Planned Parenthood Relationship

I have said this many times, the Obama administration is in bed with the abortion industry. We say that with the recent ruling on requiring all insurance plans to cover birth control, with no deductable, that the industry was pushing for. . Earlier this week, the chief of staff to First Lady Michelle Obama was the keynote speaker at a NARAL event. It should be no surprize to anyone that HHS Secretary Sibelius is continuing her cozy & corrupt relationship with the abortion industry that she began while governor of Kansas as well. On the 5th of October she will be the featured speaker at the 17th annual “Power of Choice” luncheon NARAL is throwing in Chicago at The Standard Club in Chicago, Obama’s stomping grounds. Except for college students & young professionals, tickets start at $200. The top sponsorship levels range anywhere from $2,500 to $25,000. & this is only the beginning. You can be sure that there will be much more reaching out by the Obama administration in the months ahead as they know the abortion industry is the 1 sure group they can depend on.

See also: Obama Repeatedly Chooses Planned Parenthood Over People

Linda Gibbons Continuing to Fight the Good Fight for the Unborn

As I have said many a time before, Linda Gibbons is truly 1 of the great heroes of the Pro-life movement. She is a living martyr who has been willing to pay the price in speaking out for the unborn.

Linda Gibbons to stand trial on Nov. 4

TORONTO, Ontario, September 20, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Linda Gibbons will stand trial on Nov. 4 on a charge of disobeying a court order in connection with her latest demonstration outside a Toronto abortion site this past August 4.
According to Gibbons’s lawyer, she will be pleading not guilty. The date was set during a recent appearance before a justice of the peace.

Linda Gibbons during one of her many arrests for praying and counseling outside abortion facilities.

Although Gibbons has been conducting such peaceful demonstrations since 1994, this is the first time she has been arrested at the Morgentaler facility site. The location is protected by a 150-metre, court-imposed “bubble zone” that prohibits pro-life activity within its boundaries. For the past number of years, it has been her practice to demonstrate at the Scott facility site downtown.
The Nov. 4 hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. in Room 504 of the Ontario Court of Justice at Yonge and College Streets in downtown Toronto.
Meanwhile, Dec. 14 has been confirmed as the date of a crucial Supreme Court of Canada hearing into Gibbons’s appeal of an earlier conviction of disobeying a court order. Her lawyers are arguing that a criminal charge was improperly laid against her because the matter concerned an injunction that was laid down in a civil court.
Should her appeal be successful, charges she is currently facing will be nullified and prosecutors will no longer be able to charge her, or anyone else, criminally for violations of civil court orders.

It's a Miracle, Maybe!

While the official decision is still out, this could possibly be the miracle needed to have Archbishop beatified. But that is still a ways off as the Congregation for the Causes of Saints is still looking at the records sent to it at the end of the diocesan phase of the investigation in 2009. If they determine Archbishop Sheen has heroicly lived the theological & ecclesiastical virtues then it will be recommended to the Pope that he be declared venerable. At that point, an approved miracle will be needed for the Congregation to recommend to the Pope that he be declared blessed. At that point it will be up to the Pope to approve the recomendation & set the date for the official declaration to happen. After that another miracle will be needed for him to be declared a saint.

Tribunal studies healing attributed to intercession of Archbishop Sheen

James Fulton Engstrom with his parents, Travis and Bonnie Engstrom of Goodfield, Ill. (CNS/Jennifer Willems, The Catholic Post)

By Jennifer Willems
Catholic News Service

PEORIA, Ill. (CNS) -- That James Fulton Engstrom celebrated his first birthday Sept. 16 is amazing. In fact, some would call his life a miracle.

Considered stillborn one year ago after his mother's healthy pregnancy and "a beautiful, short labor," James was without a pulse for the first 61 minutes of his life. It was only when doctors at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria were ready to call the time of death that his little heart started beating.

His parents, Travis and Bonnie Engstrom, believe James is alive because of the intercession of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, a candidate for sainthood.

On Sept. 7, a tribunal of inquiry was sworn in to investigate the tot's alleged miraculous healing. Joining James and his family at the ceremony in Peoria were Bishop Daniel R. Jenky; Andrea Ambrosi, postulator for the cause; and members of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation board, some of whom are relatives of the late archbishop.

Peoria is the late archbishop's home diocese. His cause was officially opened in 2002. The Sheen Foundation centralized its operations in the diocese in 2007.

In addition to Bishop Jenky and Ambrosi, others sworn in included Msgr. Jason Gray, a pastor and judicial vicar of the diocesan marriage tribunal, who as episcopal delegate to the Sheen tribunal is responsible for guiding the process; and Dr. Louis Varela, a Houston family physician, who chairs the Sheen Foundation board and is the Sheen tribunal's medical expert.

The tribunal's work takes place in secret, so there is much that Msgr. Gray cannot say. But since the Engstroms have shared their story widely, he said the general details could be made public.

Msgr. Gray noted that the tribunal's task is to investigate the alleged miraculous healing and determine whether it can be proved through medical documents and the testimony of witnesses.

"We call them to testify to different things," he said, including the seriousness of the medical condition. "We call them to testify about the fact that prayers were addressed to Fulton Sheen asking for his intercession. And then we need witnesses to testify to the end result, meaning that the crisis situation was cured, that health was restored."

Not only will the tribunal confer with the doctors and nurses involved in the case, but also with two outside doctors who can report on the child's current state of health.

"That way we can see that this isn't something that has resurfaced," Msgr. Gray told The Catholic Post, Peoria's diocesan newspaper. "In other words, it's a lasting healing."

He said the number of witnesses is small, so testimony should be collected relatively quickly.

Some time will be needed, however, for the two outside doctors to make their examinations, write reports and then explain the contents to the tribunal.

"My guess, though, is we're talking about months, not years," Msgr. Gray said. However, the results gathered by the Peoria investigation will go to the Vatican Congregation for Saint's Causes, he explained, and "then they open another phase of this tribunal."

Only after that investigation is done will recommendations be sent to the pope, who will decide the matter, Msgr. Gray said.

Archbishop Sheen is a native of El Paso, "down the road" from Germantown Hills where Bonnie Engstrom grew up. "I always heard people say he was going to be a saint," she told The Catholic Post.

She learned more about the media evangelist as a student at the Salve Regina Newman Center at Eureka College, where Msgr. Stanley Deptula was chaplain. He is now executive director of the Sheen Foundation.

She learned even more last year in writing the proposal for a grant from a diocesan Fulton Sheen endowment for an annual women's conference.

Six or seven months pregnant at the time, Bonnie said she started to pray that this "hometown hero" would pull some strings for the conference and also watch over her pregnancy. The Engstroms decided Fulton would be a good middle name if their baby was a boy.

When their son was born in crisis at home a year ago, because it was an emergency situation, Travis baptized him James Fulton before the ambulance came.

"I have a memory of watching the midwife perform CPR and praying to Sheen," Bonnie said.

Later in the day she asked people through her blog, learningtobeanewlywed.blogspot.com, to pray for Sheen's intercession.

While doctors had warned that he might be blind and unable to function normally, James is medication free and almost walking. "He laughs and plays with his toys and does things just like he should be doing and has for awhile," Bonnie said.

"I believe it was Sheen's intercession that played a key role in it, but it was Jesus who healed my son," she said. "It was for his greater honor and glory."

Whatever Happenned to Constitution Week?

Congress, by joint resolution of 29 February 1952 (36 U.S.C. 106, as amended), designated 17 September as "Constitution Day" as well as "Citizenship Day." & by joint resolution of 2 August 1956 (36 U.S.C. 108, as amended), requested that the President proclaim the week beginning September 17 & ending September 23 of each year as "Constitution Week."
Growing up I never heard a thing about either the day or the week. It wasn't until recently that it even got a little attention. & even now hardly anwhere near as much as it should. Yes, President Obama did issue a proclamation on 16 September. But with a few exceptions,(for example: The Establishment Clause Should Be Less Established, Constitution Week at the United States Capitol) the day, let alone the week has been mostly ignored.
I am 1 of those rare people who does regularly reread the Constitution as well as the Declaration of Independence. Sometimes for a specific purpose, but I often read it just for the sake of keeping it fresh in my mind. (I also have a copy of the Federalist Papers as well as The Anti-Federalist Papers and the Constitutional Convention Debates.)
1 of the things the Constitution was intended to do was to delineate the areas where the Federal Government had exclusive rule, where the states had exclusive rule & where powers were shared.
The Constitution (Article 1, section 8, clause 17) made it the responsibility of the US Congress to "raise & support Armies" as well as to "provide and maintain a Navy." Part of the responsibility includes the "Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings." But there is 1 interesting limit on where they can put up the needful buildings. The sites they buy can only be "purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be." Yup, the State legislature has the final say as to whether those buildings are needful in their state. On the other hand clause 7 allows Congress "To establish Post Offices and post Roads" without getting the permission of the State legislatures in which they are built.
Another fact that is glossed over is why the Senate & House memeberships were originally elected by different constituencies. A fact, that if it was taught as it should in the early part of the 20th Century, would have kept the "progressives" from pushing through the 17th Amendment taking the power to elect senators away from the State legislatures. The Senate was intended to represent the States' interests, not the people as a whole. So each sovereign state was given 2 Senators to represent them. The Constitution took away the power of the individual states to enter into treaties, but to ensure their soveriegnty was protected, that branch of the Congress that represented them, the Senate, was given sole authority, by a super majority, to ratify aall treaties before they could be enforced. The same was true for the other sole power they have, to approve ambassadors, Supreme Court judges & other executive appointments.
On the other hand, the House was intended to represent the people & protect their rights. That is why any Revenue bill must originate in the House. Remember that the War for Indepepndence came about in huge part because the American people were being taxed by Parliament without anyone in it to represent them.
In this day & age there is no excuse for anyone to be ignorant of what the Constitution actually says. It is readily available to read on the internet. Inexpensive copies can be bought & many groups give away free copies. Preferably, the booklet should include the Declaration as well as that is our seminal document that the Constitution is built on. More attention should be paid to the Articles of Confederation as well so people can understand what its weaknesses are. A familiarity with the pro & anti constitution positions found in the Federalist & Anti-Federalist Papers as well as what went on in the debates is important as well. While a day or week is nice, much more should be done to educate the people on the real story of the Constitution, especially that it was meant to limit the powers of the government. It was never intended to be a "living document" whose meaning is changed at the whim of current opinion.
John Adams, who wrote the pamphlet, Thoughts on Government, that laid the groundwork for the Federal Constitution as well made 1 other thing clear as well. He once said: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” A similar sentiment was stated by George Washington & many other of our Founding Fathers as well. Our Founding Fathers never wanted a "state religion" like the Anglican Church in England. But they never wanted to cut out religion & morality from playing a role in the public debate as well.
Our Founding fathers didn't create a perfect document in the Constitution. Thus the need for an Amendment process that could correct the flaws. Ben Franklin put it best in his speech on the final day of the Constitutional Convention. It it talked about his concerns about the flaws he saw in it. But he also admitted that it was probably the best any group could do. "It therefore astonishes me, sir, to find this system approaching so near to perfection as it does; and I think it will astonish our enemies, who are waiting with confidence to hear that our counsels are confounded like those of the builders of Babel, and that our States are on the point of separation, only to meet hereafter for the purpose of cutting one another's throats. Thus I consent, sir, to this Constitution, because I expect no better, and because I am not sure that it is not the best." Over 220 years later we have seen many other countries write constitutions. IMHO, The US Constitution still remains THE BEST!!!!!

Archbishop Sheen Warned Us

The other day I was reading a short reflection taken from a talk Archbishop Sheen gave. I am not sure of the date, but it was probably from the 70s. What struck me is how the Holy Spirit was working through him to show us the way the world was heading in order to prepare us for the times we are in.
"Besides apapthy and antipathy, there was empathy, the few chosen souls at the foot of the cross. You see, the cross unites not only the friends of our Lord, the cross unites enemies. We will begin to see as the world goes on a new kind of bigotry. We will be opposed not only because we believe, for example, in the supremacy of the Holy Father, but because we are standing in the way of the demoralization of the world. We stand for life against death. We stand for the family against divorce. We stand for purity against fornication. We stand for goodness instead of vice. We are the great obstacle to the world. The new bigotry will see that cross and will hate us. So we have to be prepared for it, and we will have to take our stand underneath it."
Like I said, the Holy Spirit gave Archbishop Sheen a prophetic insight into where the world was heading. What he said sure describes how the world is treating those of us who stand up for the authentic teaching of the Church on subjects like abortion, sex outside of marriage, etc.
We face that persecution when we stand up & proclaim the message of the cross. The world doesn't want us to speak up about sin & the need for repentance. It wants us to shut up & let it continue on its way. If we do, then we are attacked, condemned, called intolerant, etc.
In the context of this quote, it is clear that Archbishop Sheen was using the term "demoralization" in the sense of "corrupting the morals of" rather than the more common usage of that term these days. & isn't exactly what has happenned, an almost corruption of the morals of our society, our culture?
Archbishop Sheen's words reflect what Jesus said when He told us that that we should expect the world to hate us because it 1st hated Him. (John 15:18-19, John 17:14 & echoed by St. John in 1 John 3:13) It is clear that those who take a stand under the cross of Jesus will face persecution. The question each of us has to answer is, am I willing to take that stand & pay the price?

Behind the Scenes With Obama's Reelection Campaign

St. Januarius of Naples

Bambi v Godzilla

Pro-Aborts: "Don't Stop, Otherwise You Might Hear the Truth About Abortion

Remember that bunch from GSU that I showed you a video about yesterday? They didn't want any facts to get out. Well meet their Rockford equivalents. These people order women to go into the Rockford Abortion Mill without stopping to talk to the Pro-lifers. Like the group I showed you yesterday, this group knows that the truth will probably result in the woman chosing life, not abortion. They also know that the truth about the unsanitary conditions of the mill will get out as well. More proof that the pro-aborts don't really care about abortions being "safe" let alone rare.

The Tree of Life

O how did we not remember the types of this Tree!
For of old they were shown forth in many and varied ways
in the saved and in the lost.
By a tree Noah was saved,
but the whole world, unbelieving, was destroyed.
Moses was glorified through one when he took a staff as a scepter,
but Egypt, with the plagues that came from it,
was drowned as though fallen into deep wells.
What it has now done, the Cross showed forth
of old in image. Why then are we weeping?
For Adam is going
again to Paradise.

Saint Romanos the Melodist, On the Life of Christ: Kontakia,
“On the Victory of the Cross: Stanza 13, Archimandrite Ephrem Lash (tr)

Trust Black Women, But Only If They Are Pro-Abort

This is a perfect example of how the pro-aborts attempt to bully the Pro-life side into silence. & when you try to engage them in an honest debate, how they refuse to show the respect that they alledge the Pro-lifers aren't showing to black women. & then when a black woman actually stands up to call them on it (2:45 in) we see how much they really respect black women as well.
But this isn't about respecting black women, it is about keeping the truth about abortion & the harm it does to the black community from getting out. The pro-aborts know that if the truth does get out it will not only show they don't trust black women, they don't respect them either.

It isn't surprizing that they don't like her calling them to task. She has shown exactly how rude they are. So they next time you hear someone claim that it is the Pro-life crowd who is rude or bullies, show them this video.

(Note: This is mild compared to way the pro-aborts often treat Pro-lifers. I have been treated much worse myself.)

TooManyAborted.com

For more see: Video: Pro-aborts shout down pro-life event in ‘bizarre’ protest

VIDEO: Pro-Abortion Students at GSU Interrupt Pro-Life Forum

GSU Students Trust SOME Black Women!!

College Campus Censorship: Abortion Activists Don’t Trust Women

Is Social Security a Ponzi Scheme?

Sure sounds like it*:



*Note: I have been saying that it is a Ponzi Scheme for years.

DCRTL: Calling the Church Leaders to Speak Up for the Unborn

This was printed as an op-ed piece in the TH Thursday. It was written by Steve Brody the executive director of DBQ Co. Right to Life.

Brody: Religious institutions need to take a stand
Posted: Thursday, September 15, 2011 12:00 am
BY STEVEN N. BRODY DUBUQUE COUNTY RIGHT TO LIFE 6 comments
As a growing number of abortion facilities close across the country, and the abortion rate drops in countless numbers of states, we give thanks and appreciation to everyone responsible for making life possible for so many boys and girls.
The abortion industry is reeling from a number of states defunding this form of murder, and for the plethora of legislation enacted to protect the lives of the unborn.
But don't think that the abortion industry is going away quietly.
Planned Parenthood's legal department is working overtime as it files lawsuits challenging the legality and constitutionality of so many pro-life bills signed into law. Bills such as parental consent, viewing of an ultrasound, and regulating abortion facilities as any other medical facility, are seen as extreme and intimidation to the pro-abortion community.
Don't forget about the brave new world of webcam abortions pioneered in Iowa and coming soon to your local Planned Parenthood as a means of dealing with a nurse and doctor shortage willing to work in such facilities.
Here in Dubuque, Planned Parenthood conducted a blatant act of deception in purchasing a building from DuTrac Community Credit Union using the unassuming name of Hillcrest Development LLC. The true identity of the buyer was not revealed until the deal was done.
Planned Parenthood's Marketing Director Marsha Dorhout referred to Hillcrest Development LLC as a "straw or front company," and Planned Parenthood's CEO Jill June referred to this deception as a "standard business transaction" ("Clinic sale a quandary for DuTrac," TH, Aug. 31). This comes courtesy of the same organization that promotes itself as factual, accurate, open and honest.
Now more than ever, the pro-life momentum must continue, and it is incumbent upon the faith community to step up as a united front to promote not only the sanctity of life, but basic tenets of truth and honesty.
If a church leader who claims to be the moral authority refuses to speak up for the rights of the unborn, then his or her congregation will not care either.
To the number of Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Baptist, Evangelical and non-denominational churches that support the unborn, our thanks and gratitude go out to you. To the number of churches in Dubuque that remain silent, or worse, support the killing of the unborn, shame on you.
For example, the denomination of clergy that signed onto a letter endorsing abortion funding in Obamacare included the American Baptist Churches, Church of the Brethren, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian Church (USA), United Church of Christ, United Methodist Church, Jewish Reconstructionist Federation, Unitarian Universalist Association, United Synagogue for Conservative Judaism, and others. The letter actually stated that additional restrictions on abortion funding constituted a "serious moral injustice."
If you attend church that is connected with these denominations, ask your pastor why they do not support the sanctity of life, and how the killing of the unborn does not conflict with Biblical teachings and truths.
We need to be in prayer for the conversion of these church leaders to the pro-life cause. If they will preach the importance of respecting unborn life to their congregations, we will continue to bring the darkness into the light, and be one step closer to ending abortion.
Brody has been executive director of Dubuque County Right to Life, whose offices are at 2205 Carter Road, since 2008. His email address isdcrtl@dcrtl.org.

New Pro-Life Campaign Aboout Fatherhood Launched

‘Fatherhood begins in the womb’: new pro-life ad campaign launched

September 14, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The creators of several pro-life billboard campaigns exposing the racist roots of abortion in America have launched a new salvo with a campaign celebrating the fact that fatherhood begins before the child is born.
“Fatherhood Begins in the Womb,” is a new billboard/website campaign that focuses on “the most missing component of the national abortion debate: fathers!”
A collaborative effort between the Issues4Life Foundation and The Radiance Foundation, the campaign is aimed at exposing the “culture of abandonment that abortion has created” by revealing the statistics of fatherlessness, single-parent poverty, and the deterioration of two-parent married households.
“When a man has sex with a woman he is consenting to being a father,” said black pastor Walter Hoye, President of the Issues4Life Foundation, in a press release Wednesday. “We want to emphasize the biblical requirement and vital need for men to be involved as providers and protectors when life happens.”
In the mid 60s, report the groups, 25 percent of black children were born to single mothers. Today, 72.3 percent are born into unmarried households.
“Men have been empowered by Roe v. Wade to have sex and run,” said Ryan Bomberger, Chief Creative Officer of The Radiance Foundation and creator of the TooManyAborted.com campaigns. “They’ve been forced out of their crucial role by perpetual welfare and today’s brand of liberal feminism.”

Read more about the campaign here.

Lift High The Cross Of Christ

The cross is Christ's glory and triumph
A discourse of St Andrew of Crete
We are celebrating the feast of the cross which drove away darkness and brought in the light. As we keep this feast, we are lifted up with the crucified Christ, leaving behind us earth and sin so that we may gain the things above. So great and outstanding a possession is the cross that he who wins it has won a treasure. Rightly could I call this treasure the fairest of all fair things and the costliest, in fact as well as in name, for on it and through it and for its sake the riches of salvation that had been lost were restored to us.
Had there been no cross, Christ could not have been crucified. Had there been no cross, life itself could not have been nailed to the tree. And if life had not been nailed to it, there would be no streams of immortality pouring from Christ’s side, blood and water for the world’s cleansing. The legal bond of our sin would not be cancelled, we should not have attained our freedom, we should not have enjoyed the fruit of the tree of life and the gates of paradise would not stand open. Had there been no cross, death would not have been trodden underfoot, nor hell despoiled.
Therefore, the cross is something wonderfully great and honourable. It is great because through the cross the many noble acts of Christ found their consummation – very many indeed, for both his miracles and his sufferings were fully rewarded with victory. The cross is honourable because it is both the sign of God’s suffering and the trophy of his victory. It stands for his suffering because on it he freely suffered unto death. But it is also his trophy because it was the means by which the devil was wounded and death conquered; the barred gates of hell were smashed, and the cross became the one common salvation of the whole world.
The cross is called Christ’s glory; it is saluted as his triumph. We recognise it as the cup he longed to drink and the climax of the sufferings he endured for our sake. As to the cross being Christ’s glory, listen to his words: Now is the Son of Man glorified, and in him God is glorified, and God will glorify him at once. And again: Father, glorify me with the glory I had with you before the world came to be. And once more: “Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it and will glorify it again.” Here he speaks of the glory that would accrue to him through the cross. And if you would understand that the cross is Christ’s triumph, hear what he himself also said: When I am lifted up, then I will draw all men to myself. Now you can see that the cross is Christ’s glory and triumph.

__________
Note: At Mass this afternoon we had a special blessing as Father had with him a relic of the True Cross. At the end of Mass he blessed us using the relic. Afterwords we were provided with an opportunity to venerate the relic. It was just a tiny piece of the Cross' wood in a cross shaped reliquary. Still it was awesome & humbling to be holding even that tiny bit of the instrument that God used to bring about our salvation.

A Little Prayer

(this was sent to me in an e-mail by a friend)
Every single evening
As I lie here in my bed,
This tiny little Prayer
Keeps running through my head:

God bless all my family
Wherever they may be,
Keep them warm and safe from harm
For they're so close to me.

And God, there is one more thing
I wish that you could do;
Hope you don't mind me asking,
Please bless my computer too.

Now I know that it's unusual
To Bless a motherboard,
But listen just a second
While I explain it to you, dear Lord.

You see, that little metal box
Holds more than odds and ends;
Inside those small compartments
Rest so many of my friends.

I know so much about them
By the kindness that they give,
And this little scrap of metal
Takes me in to where they live.

By faith is how I know them
Much the same as you.
We share in what life brings us
And from that our friendships grew.

Please take an extra moment
From your duties up above,
To bless those in my address book
That's filled with so much love.

Wherever else this prayer may reach
To each and every friend,
Bless each e-mail inbox
And each person who hits 'send'.

When you update your Heavenly list
On your own Great CD-ROM,
Bless everyone who says this prayer
Sent up to GOD.Com

Adult Stem Cells - Good Blood, Embryonic Stem Cells - Bad Blood

Once again we have an adult stem cell treatment that offers definite hope now, not another pie in the sky possible hope that embryonic stem cell (ESC) promoters claim. So once again I have to ask, why waste money of ESCs when there is no need to? Esp given the moral concerns about using ESCs as well as the fact that there are also the other dangers like tumors that don't exist with adult stem cells.

Adult Stem Cells Could Help You Grow Your Own Transfusion

Scientists have shown for the first time that cultured red blood cells can be grown in the lab from adult stem cells and injected successfully into a human. While embryonic stem cells produce only unsuitable, immature cells, with rejection and uncontrolled tumor growth remaining a concern as well, by contrast adult stem cells can efficiently produce healthy, safe cells for transfusion.

French scientists took hematopoietic stem cells (HSC’s; the adult stem cells that form all blood cells) from a human donor and from those cells, generated billions of “cultured red blood cells” (cRBC’s) in the laboratory. They first tested the function of the cells by injection into mice, showing that the lab-generated cells were able to mature fully.

Then they took adult stem cells from a human volunteer donor, made more cells in the lab, and injected ten billion cells back into the human donor. The cells survived and functioned comparable to normal red blood cells.

Dr. Luc Douay, senior study author, noted:

“Although previous research has shown that HSCs can be developed into fully matured red blood cells, this is the first study that has proven that they are capable of survival in the human body, a major breakthrough for the transplant community. The results from our study establish the feasibility of the concept of transfusing cRBCs and show promise that an unlimited blood reserve is within reach. Although the full-scale production of these cells will require additional technological advances in cell engineering, we believe cRBCs could prove to be a valid alternative to classic transfusion products that will not only provide an adequate supply of blood, but reduce the risk of life-threatening complications and infections that can accompany traditional transfusion.”

The study was published online in the journal Blood.

This Makes Absolutely NO Sense At All To Me

This afternoon I heard the news that the Bishop of Amarillo TX, Patrick J. Zurek, has decided to recall Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life back to the diocese. In his statement the Bishop said: "My decision is the result of deep concerns regarding his stewardship of the finances of the Priest For Life (PFL) organization. The PFL has become a business that is quite lucrative which provides Father Pavone with financial independence from all legitimate ecclesiastical oversight. There have been persistent question and concerns by clergy and laity regarding the transactions of millions of dollars of donations to the PFL from whom the donors have a rightful expectation that the monies are being used prudently. These financial questions and concerns have persisted with no clear and adequate answers since the time when Father Pavone was under two previous bishop ordinaries. Since he has consistently refused to subject the PFL to a transparent and complete auditing of all expenditures, I have reasons to be alarmed at the potential financial scandal that might arise if it were the result of my failure to correct Father Pavone’s incorrigible defiance to my legitimate authority as his Bishop."

My 1st question, is where did all this come from? Especially the bit about the audit. PFL has an annual audit. The 2010 Audit was released on 20 June 2011. That audit was sent to Bishp Zurek as well as the Bishops of the other priests who work full time for PFL. All 21 Bishops & Cardinals on the Advisory Boards also received a copy of the audit.

Fr. Pavone in his statement claims "Priests for Life has consistently provided every financial document requested by Bishop Zurek, including annual financial audits, quarterly reports, management documents—even entire check registers!" He goes on to talk about the audit that I already mentioned. As he points out "The organization's auditors issued an unqualified audit opinion indicating that the financial statements "present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Priests for Life, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America"."

Like I said, where did this come from? It strikes me that PFL has done all that it should do to ensure that they were being transparent, open, over & above board.

Fr. Pavone was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New York by Cardinal O'Conner in 1988.   In 1993 he became National Director of Priests for Life. In 2005 he became incardinated in the Diocese of Amarillo. To do so he had to have the permission of teh then Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Egan. At that time he took a vow before a Vatican Cardinal with the permission of then Bishop Yalta, to do full time Pro-Life work. At the time I got the impression this was with the aim of starting a full time religious order for priests similar to Sisters of Life. (Apparently that has since fell through.)So when Bishop Zurek took over it was with those conditions in place. That is why this line in the Bishop's statement is puzzling as well: "I would venture to say that the supreme importance that he has attributed to his PFL ministry and the reductionist attitude toward the diocesan priesthood has inflated his ego with a sense of self-importance and self-determination." Add to that 1 of PLFs main thrusts is helping diocesan priests to better get out the Pro-life message & his claim is all the more puzzling.

Another line in Bishop Zurek's statement also doesn't add up with the facts is the 1 just before the previous 1 I mentioned. There he says: "It seems that his fame has caused him to see priestly obedience as an inconvenience to his unique status and an obstacle to the possible international scope of his ministry." What does Bishop Zurek mean by possible? 1st of all, Fr. Pavone serves on the Pontifical Council for the Family, which coordinates the pro-life activities of the Catholic Church. He also serves as a member of the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy for Life. Sounds to me that Fr. Pavone's ministry is already international. & so is PFL's. That is why PFL went from being a Private Association of the Faithful in the United States to an International Association of the Faithful.

Fr. Pavone has agreed to go back to the Diocese of Amarillo for now. But he has begun a process of appealing to the Vatican under Canon law. As Fr. Pavone notes, he has not been suspended from exercising his priestly duties by Bishop Zurek, just from doing so outside of the Amarillo Diocese.

I really don't want to speculate on Bishop Zurek's motives. I hope & pray that they are sincere & above board. But as I pointed out, his claims just don't make sense. Something about what is going on between the Bishop & PFL just doesn't sit right with me. & something just doesn't sit right with me about the timing either. Given how PFL has been doing so much to ensure diocesan priests know exactly what they can & can't say from the pulpit & the very important 2012 elections, these actions could do much to undermine the efforts to get Pro-life candidates elected. Especially if things aren't quickly resolved.

This last paragraph is as close as I will get to even implying what some of my thoughts on Bishop Zurek's motives are. I know that you will be able to pick up the threads throughut the post. But please, remember that these are soly based on what I know now & subject to change if more information either way comes out. I have seen too many scandals lately to firmly decide one way or the other based on what is currently out there.

Please keep everyone involved in your prayers that the whole truth will soon come out.

See also: Interview: Priests for Life President Fr. Pavone reacts to bishop’s recall to diocese

Father Frank Pavone Prevented From Running Priests for Life
Father Pavone suspended from ministry outside Amarillo Diocese
Fr. Pavone appeals suspension by his bishop to Rome

The Man With the Golden Mouth

"When you are before the altar where Christ reposes, you ought no longer to think that you are amongst men; but believe that there are troops of angels and archangels standing by you, and trembling with respect before the sovereign Master of Heaven and earth. Therefore, when you are in church, be there in silence, fear, and veneration." - St. John Chrysostom

Humane Humanity

It Isn't About Choice, It IS About Murdering Unborn Babies

Expose Planned Parenthood

I have to comment about a couple of the comments made by the young men towards the end of the video.
The 1st is at 1:59 in where they guy says he wants Planned parenthood's to be like Starbucks, on every corner. As I heard that my thought was "Why, so you can have as much sex as you want & not worry about getting the girl pregnant?" It struck me that all he gave a damn about was not having to take responsibility for his actions.
Then there is the guy at 2:03 that makes the false claim that all we care about is saving the foetus. I found this very arrogant as well as ignorant. I suspect he buys the lies that PP say about crisis pregnancy centers as well as Pro-lifers in general. Maybe he better check them out since they are not mmerely about preventing abortion, but about helping the woman throughout the pregnancy as well as after birth, whether she keeps the baby or gives it up for adoption. We do care about the child.
Overall you see that it is the Pro-aborts who are angry, who are disrespectful, blasphemous & hateful. This is the real face of Planned Parenthood & their supporters, not the one they try to put forward.

Those Dissenters Who Fail to Learn From History Are Doomed to Throwing Hissie Fits

I would like to award Robert McClory's piece for the Non-Catholic Fishwrap (NonCR) last Friday (Dissent? Don’t You Dare!) as winner of the "Hissie Fit of the Week" award. The article is a prime example of a dissenter who sees the writing on the wall & refuses to accept the fact that God is cleaning up His Church & he is on the wrong side of the wash cloth.

As I read the article, I couldn't help but wonder if the NonCR had been arround at the time orthodoxy won out over Pelagianism, Arianism etc if an ancestor of his in the undermining of the faith would have written a similar column.

What set the whole thing off was a comment Archbishop Chaput made a few days ago. The Archbishop said  that the church is “no place for cafeteria Catholics. If they don’t believe what the church teaches, they aren’t really Catholics.” Of course the Archbishop was right, as history has shown time after time whenever heresy & dissent has reared its ugly head.

I won't go through his entire list of dissenters over the last 40 years that he applauds. But it is clear he is suffering from a clear case of nostalgia for those post Vatican II days when dissent from such things as Humanae Vitae was welcome even by Bishops Conferences. (Yes he does applaud the Canadian Bishops.) & THAT NOSTALGIA IS CLOUDING HIS VIEW OF HISTORY!

He writes: "Church history reveals countless other periods when thoughtful and earnest dissent served to steer the church through crisis and into the light. There were times when theologians with their interesting and innovative ideas were invited to spar with other theologians and bishops in open sessions." Let's see, like at the Council of Nicea. & who ended up on the winning side? Not those theologians promoting their "thoughtful & earnest dissent." Not those promoting their "interesting and innovative ideas." What ended up happenning is that the Bishops, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit discerned that these ideas, even when they seemed to be a majority view, were not teh authentic teaching of the catholic Church & they rejected it.

Which brings me to a myth he is repeating & promulgating. He wrote in the next paragraph "Accepted and honored was the magisterium of the theologians alongside the magisterium of the bishops and pope." 1st of all, there never was a "magisterium of the theologians" except as a recent creation by certain dissenting theologians to justify what they were doing. Whenever debates arose about the teachings of the Church they were settled by a synod, or an Ecumenical Council.  Each & every Council's decisions were decided by the Bishops & ratified by the Pope or his representatives. Otherwise the official teachings of the Church arose out of the Bishops & Pope exercising their teaching charism. In otherwords the "magisterium of the Bishops in union with the Pope."  Not 1 teaching was ever promulgated by any so-called "magisterium of the theologians." (As an aside notice how he doesn't even get it right when he talks about the real magisterium. He leaves out 1 key factor, that the Bishops are in union with the Pope.)

But what I really have to laugh at is  this comment he makes near the end of the article: "The curtailing of all dissent in this era does not serve the good of the church. Rather it leads to disruption, disintegration and disaster."  Is he serious???? (OK rhetorical question.) It is the dissent over the last 40 years that has led to the "disruption. disintegration and disaster" in the Church, not the battling of it. It is that dissent that has led to "The massive defections of Catholics from the church in Europe and America," "the diminished respect and reverence those who stay are willing to bestow on their church leaders, (Actually only those dissenters who stay have this attitude towards orthodox Bishops & the Pope. Granted, thopse of us who want the Bishops to uphold orthodoxy have a diminshed respect towards those dissenting Bishops he extols.) & "the desperate steps some, like the 300 Austrian priests, are willing to take in order to preserve their integrity as representatives of the faith."

Of course he won't admit the truth, that it was dissent that caused the damage, or that they are on the losing side of history. But I suspect he knows the truth & that is why this bit of journalistic hand wringing was produced.
1 finally note, no those of us who uphold the authentic teaching of the only magisterium do not believe, as he claims that "salvation depends solely on obedience." Faith is the key. But obedience is a part of living out the faith. & disobedience results in sin. Great disobedience results in mortal sin. & if that sin is not repented of, then yes, you will end up in Hell. So "turning away from any official teaching is sinful, even heretical" not something to be proud of doing.

Our Tax Dollars At Work, Promoting the "Culture of Death"

The Most Holy Name of Mary

in the Face of Tragedy

9/11 - 10 Years Later

Over the last few days there have been plenty of programs about what happenned 10 years ago today. Some looked at the attacks themselves, others looked at what happenned since, including the rebuilding at Ground Zero in New York. There have been plenty of blog posts & there will be plenty more as this day goes on.

I had just gotten off work & got home in time to watch the events unfold on TV. Watching the plane crash into the South Tower was probably 1 of the most surreal things I will ever see. Watching the South Tower collapse followed by the North Tower seemed like something more out of a disaster movie than reality Even now, watching the stories & seeing the buildings being hit etc still seems a bit unreal to me. The end result was over 3000 lives lost, as well as a loss of some of our freedom. & as long as that freedom isn't restored, the damage will continue.*

Fr. Brian Jordan stands in front of the World Trade Center cross. Credit: Mario Tama. Getty Images/Getty Images News

10 years later & we are seeing a permanant memorial as well as a musem errected at the site of the World Trade Center. Thus we come to what I think is absolutely the most hatefilled part of the story since teh attack itself, the attempt by a group of atheists to get rid of the World Trade Center Cross claiming it violates the so called absolute seperation of church & state found in the 1st amendment. The reality is, & they know it, their claim is an absolute lie that cannot be held up by historical facts or taking a few select quotes from some of the Founding Fathers out of the context of what actually was going on at the time.

As I was reading the quote from American Atheists president,  Dave Silverman, I couldn't help but think that what he was saying was a prime example of real intolerance. & if what was said was aimed against Muslims the tolerance gang would be screaming their heads of. but they aren't because they are just as intolerant toward Christians as this atheist group is.

His statement goes on to show a complete lack of understanding of the teachings of Christianity when it comes to the mysteries of suffering & free will among others. The real "ridiculous assertion" is his claim that God "couldn't be bothered to stop the Muslim terrorists or prevent 3,000 people from being killed in his name," & instead "cared only enough to bestow upon us some rubble that resembles a cross."

No, what the World Trade Center Cross says is something completely different. It is a reminder that no matter how much evil seems to triumph, in the end God will triumph over evil. That triumph began with Jesus' death & resurrection & will see its fullfillment at the 2nd Coming. As Fr. Brian Jordan told the Catholic News Agency: “It’s a sign of consolation and comfort for those who lost loved ones. For the dead, the cross signifies the death of Jesus Christ. It also gave hope and support to the living, especially the rescue and recovery workers, the firefighters, polices officers, construction workers and many others.”
He went on to add that Jesus is “both the victim and the victor of the cross.” Despite the cruelty of his death, Jesus is also the victor of Resurrection, of life over death.

“The cross, (is) for us, we were all victims on 9/11. We’ll be victorious,” he added. “America and the rest of the free world will roll over terrorism and show the poignance of God’s overwhelming love for all people."
10 years ago the attacks on the World Trade Center & the Pentagon as well the failed attempt, apparently on the United States Capitol, using United Airlines Flight 93, were acts of pure evil. We are still seeing evil & hate rear its ugly head. Everything from the attacks on Christians in an attempt to silence them to the evils of abortion show that evil & Satan, who is behind it, haven't given up. But neither should we. In the end, God will triumph. In the meantime, we need to continue speaking up with the message of the Gospel. That message is a message of hope & comfort. It is also a message that calls us to repentance & changing our lives to turn away from sin.  & on this day, as we remember those victims of the 9/11 attacks it is a message that evil will not have the final say.

_________________
* This post is not the place to go into all the details. All I will say is that much of what is being done in the name of security isn't guarenteeing us any true security. It is just taking away essential liberty & undermining the Constitution. As Ben Franklin said: "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
If we don't find a better way to fight terrorism then we have surrendered to evil, not beaten it. What the full answer is, I don't claim to have. But taking away our freedom isn't it.

1 other thing, I have noticed that some people are saying they won't forgive, no matter what. Congratulations, those of you who won't forgive are letting evil win as well. Unless we forgive those who have sinned against us, & that includes all our enemies, ALL, then we are telling God we don't want to be forgiven of our sins. Jesus made it clear we are to love our enemies. That doesn't mean we don't defend our families. But if we hold hatred & unforgiveness in our hearts then we will ensure that God will have no other choice than to not forgive us & condemn us to Hell. (Added @ 5:21 am) The Archdiocese of Washington has an excellent post about Forgiveness and 9/11.

Hiding the Truth to Push Abortion

Obama & Planned Parenthood's Political Machine

Saturn As You Have Never Seen It

(Click on picture for larger view)

This picture of Saturn was taken by NASA's Cassini robotic orbiter.  The shot was captured from the dark side of Saturn as the Sun's bright rays illuminated every piece of dust & debris circling the planet.

Once again we see a prime example of the truth that is proclaimed  in Psalm 19:1 "The heavens shew forth the glory of God, and the firmament declareth the work of his hands."

I Thought legalized Abortion Was Supposed to Put an End to Back Alley Abortions

I guess not, especially when Planned Parenthood is involved.

Planned Parenthood of Watsonville, California recently moved to a new location. They celebrated the move with an open house. One of the features of the new site should be raising alarms, esp with the parents of the community.

The new location has a special area just for teens. Jessica Dieseldorff, a nurse practitioner at the center, described PP’s motive for its teen-exclusive room as wanting to be “sensitive” to its teen patients’ desire for “confidentiality.” Wait until you hear the rest of the story. According to an article in the Wastonsville Patch, “Dieseldorff said teenagers are welcome to knock on the backdoor of the clinic and be ushered into the private youth space, which includes a comfy couch, teen-friendly literature and an educational video playing on a loop.”

While PP is trying to paint that as a positive, their track record of covering up sexual abuse of minors, as well as repeated evasion of parental involvement, sheds a different light on what they are doing.
It is clear that they hope to make it easier for teenage girls to have abortions without their parents finding out. Yes, California currently doesn't require parental notification. But that could change after the 2012 election if a constitutional amendment passes.
That aside, what PP may not admit, but what it is doing, is showing us the truth about back alley abortions. They weren't done in dirty dingy places, but in doctors offices for the most part. The women came in through the back door to keep other people from knowing they were going there. Just like PP is making it easier to keep it a secret that teens are going there.
This is just another way for PP to forward its agenda to undermine parental authority as well as the morality of America's children.

Source: New Planned Parenthood Abortion Center Preys on Teenagers

You've Been Guttmacher'd!

The End of an Era. . . .

But the beginning of another.

Back in 1978, an Perpetual Adoration Chapel was opened in DBQ by the Power of Prayer, Inc. The chapel was located in then residence of the Archbishop of DBQ @ W 11th & Bluff. After Archbishop Byrne retired in 1984, his successor decided to sell the building & move elsewhere. At that time the chapel was moved into a building on w 17th & Heeb St. that had had a variety of uses over the years. In addition to the chapel where the Blessed Eucharist was exposed for adoration there was a 2nd chapel that was used every Wednesday afternoon for a weekly Mass to pray for the end of abortion.

While that site served its purpose, there were a lot of problems. The building was in poor repair, the road used for access was extremely narrow & steep so getting to the parking lot was difficult. Also the building wasn't the most accesseble for elderly & handicapped. A new site was definitely needed. Recently the old convent @ St. Anthony's Catholic Church was made available. Over the Summer the building was remodeled. Like the current site, it will have 2 chapels, 1 for adoration & another for Mass.

Which brings me to the title of this post. Today saw the beginning of the end of the chapel on W. 17th. This afternoon the final Mass was said followed by the final time for the Divine Mercy Devotions. Tommorrow a Mass will be said in the afternoon at the new site & Eucharistic Adoration will begin @ 2 pm. At that time Eucharistic Adoration while end at the old site. The building has been sold & will more than likely be remodeled.

Meanwhile, 32 years of Perpetual Adoration in DBQ will continue for many more in a new location more centrally located. Additionally, the last few years have seen regular Eucharistic Adoration daily in St. Joseph's Chapel at Loras College during the school year. & as I reported many months ago, next March, the St. Joseph Chapel in E DBQ will open & there will be 2 sites for Perpetual Adoration in the DBQ area.

Post Abortion Maternity Leave - Coming Soon to the USA???

When I saw the headline for this article @ LifeSiteNews yesterday, I said to myself you have got to be kidding. Then as starting reading I began to wonder how long it would be before this would happen in the USA. Then I got to the point where Georges Buscemi, CQV’s president, warned that under a 2nd Obama administration it probably would come about.
 I have to agree, given how much Obama is in the back pocket of the abortion industry, this would be the next logical step. In fact, I wouldn't be surprized if there isn't something in ObamaCare that would allow him to do this like he is forcing Catholic institutions to cover birth control in their insurance plans. I suspect that the only reason he hasn't pushed it through yet is that he knows it would create to much of a backlash with the voters.  & given his poor numbers these days, he knows he can't risk it, for now. If he loses, I suspect he still might try & pushing it through before he leaves office. All the more reason we have to get a solid Pro-life majority in both branches of Congress as well as a Pro-life President.

Canada’s feds paying full maternity benefits after abortion

OTTAWA, Ontario, September 2, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Pro-life Canadians have complained for years that they are forced to pay for the direct killing of unborn children through the country’s health system. It turns out they are also paying for abortive mothers to get full maternity benefits.

Canada’s employment insurance guidelines reveal that a woman who aborts her child after 19 weeks gestation is eligible to receive 17 weeks of maternity leave, the same as a mother who gives birth. For an abortion occurring before 19 weeks gestation, the woman can collect sick leave for the same length of time.

“The whole situation is pretty ludicrous,” said Mary Ellen Douglas, national organizer for Campaign Life Coalition. “Why should you pay for somebody killing their child, and then expect to pay for benefits if the child is no longer there?”

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation first highlighted this federal policy in 2008. John Williamson, CTF’s executive director, told The Interim that maternity benefits were established by an Act of Parliament with the intention of allowing parents bonding time with their newborn child.

He said extending these benefits to a woman who aborted her child is “obscene” and a “perversion of the EI system.”

Campagne Quebec-Vie, the Quebec division of Campaign Life Coalition, has recently highlighted that women are also given maternity benefits under the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan.

“How is it fair that I am being asked, along with other taxpayers of good will, to not only pay for the assassination of a ‘less than perfect’ child, but that I am also paying for several months’ ‘maternity leave’?” asked Georges Buscemi, CQV’s president.

Buscemi warned Americans that they could be facing similar policies if President Barack Obama, the country’s most pro-abortion head-of-state in history, is elected a second time. “Not only is this the kind of nonsense that greatly in-debts states, these socialist policies are nothing but a kind of barbarism hidden under a cloak of charity and compassion. These kinds of policies are both expensive and evil,” said Buscemi.

Federal government regulations note that a woman who obtained an abortion would not be eligible for parental leave, which is above and beyond maternity leave, “since the employee must have actual care and custody of a newborn child.”

Douglas said abortion is not a “maternal” act and so should not warrant any maternity benefits. “Families are not taking care of their children if they’re eliminating them,” she said. “That’s not caring for children, that’s eliminating children. So it’s not worthy of benefits for sure.”

LifeSiteNews.com did not hear back from the office of Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Diane Finley by press time.

Contact Information:

Hon. Diane Finley

Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development

House of Commons

Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6

Phone: (613) 996-4974

Fax: (613) 996-9749

E-mail: diane.finley@parl.gc.ca

Find contact information for Members of Parliament here.