Hurricane Isaias & the Prophet Isaiah

On 30 July 2020 the 9th named tropical storm for the years was designated with the name Isaias. A lot of English speaking people may not realize it, but Isaias is a form of Isaiah, the name of the Old Testament prophet. That is the spelling used by the Douay-Rheims Bible that all English speaking Catholics were encouraged to read before the newer translations came out.

That same day that it was named Isaias I had my weekly Holy Hour at the St. Joseph Guardian of the Redeemer Adoration Chapel in East Dubuque. As a part of my time there I decided to read a little of Isaiah.  As I read Chapter 1 some of the versions sounded like Isaiah was describing the situation in the USA in the year 2020 AD.

"Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth, for the LORD speaks: Sons have I raised and reared, but they have disowned me!

An ox knows its owner, and an ass, its master's manger; But Israel does not know, my people has not understood.

Ah! sinful nation, people laden with wickedness, evil race, corrupt children! They have forsaken the LORD, spurned the Holy One of Israel, apostatized.

Where would you yet be struck, you that rebel again and again? The whole head is sick, the whole heart faint." Isaiah 1:2-5 (NAB unless stated otherwise)

Doesn't that describe the condition of the United States. Since the 60s, as a nation we have driven God out of the public square. We have used the false idea of separation of Church & State to justify it. That is something that is nowhere in the Constitution. The 1st Amendment makes it clear that people of faith are allowed to freely express their faith. That includes the public arena under the freedom of speech part of the Amendment as well as the free expression part of the 1st Amendment. 

And before anyone says that Christians can't impose their morality, may I remind him or her that every law is an imposition of morality. Is it wrong then to have laws against murder because Christians & Jews have as a ?part of their faith the 10 Commandments that include "Thou shalt not kill" (Ex 20:13)?

Our Founding Fathers felt that morality & religion were a needed part of our nation suceeding.

George Washington said "It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible."

He also said "Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle. " 

And in the 1st proclamation of  a national day of Thanksgiving he said "Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."

People like to point out that John Adams denied that the USA was a Christian nation. But they ignore the following statement: "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. "

In verse 7 Isaiah goes on to describe as part of the fruit from turning away from God. "Your country is waste, your cities burnt with fire; Your land before your eyes strangers devour (a waste, like Sodom overthrown)"

 Doesn't that part about the country being laid to waste & cities burning with fire sound like what has been going on with the riots lead by the Marxist BLM as well as Antifa?

Then there is this from verse 21: "How has she turned adulteress, the faithful city, so upright! Justice used to lodge within her, but now, murderers."

& from verse 23: "Your princes are rebels and comrades of thieves; Each one of them loves a bribe and looks for gifts. The fatherless they defend not, and the widow's plea does not reach them."

We have become a nation where the murder of the unborn by abortion is acceptable. We promote assisted suicide,  rejected God's definition of marriage as being between a man & a woman only & that sexual relations are limited to marriage. How many of our politicians are corrupt. The Democratic party has sold out to Planned Parenthood & the abortion industry for political donations. 

I could go on & on.

But God also offers out a bit of hope.

There is now, like then, a faithful remnant. "Unless the LORD of hosts had left us a scanty remnant, We had become as Sodom, we should be like Gomorrah."

But God also holds out hope to all, if they repent. 

"Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil;

learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan's plea, defend the widow.

Come now, let us set things right, says the LORD: Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; Though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool.

If you are willing, and obey, you shall eat the good things of the land." (Isaiah 1:16-19)

God also warns us what will happen if we don't.

"But if you refuse and resist, the sword shall consume you: for the mouth of the LORD has spoken!" (Isaiah 1:20)

"Rebels and sinners alike shall be crushed, those who desert the LORD shall be consumed. . . .

You shall become like a tree with falling leaves, like a garden that has no water.

The strong man shall turn to tow, and his work shall become a spark; Both shall burn together, and there shall be none to quench the flames." (Isaiah 1: 28, 30-31)

God's purpose is not to destroy, but to purify.

"I will turn my hand against you, and refine your dross in the furnace, removing all your alloy.

I will restore your judges as at first, and your counselors as in the beginning; After that you shall be called city of justice, faithful city.

Zion shall be redeemed by judgment, and her repentant ones by justice." (Isaiah 1:25-27)

Or as the Douay-Rheims puts verse 25: "smelting thee till thou art free from dross, purging away all that base alloy. "

God had his way with Israel. They didn't repent, except for the remnant and they ended up in exile. God is warning us as well. He doesn't desire our destruction, He desires our salvation.  Those of us who are faithful have a duty, like Isaiah, to proclaim the truth, even if it is rejected, like most of the Israelites rejected Isaiah's message. 

There is more in Isaiah 1 that speaks to us today. Some to us as a whole, or individually, & some especially for our leadership. But I feel this is enough to think about for now. But more than think, please pray to hear what God wants you to do in response to His call to us as individuals & as a nation. None of us can do it all. Each of us can do our part though.

Our Lady of Mary's Inn

Yes, the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary shown above is that of a 8-1/2 to 9 month pregnant Mary. I admit that is an image of Mary we rarely see. In fact for most people the only image of Mary pregnant is that of Our Lady of Guadelupe. & many people don't even realize she is depicted as pregnant.

When doing some research I saw the statue referred to by those selling it as Our Lady of Hope. While the places that sell it refer to it as that, I prefer to refer to her as Our Lady of Mary's Inn. A major reason I have for justifying it is that Our Lady of Hope is the name given to the Virgin Mary after her appearance at Pontmain, France on 17 January 1871.

Now why, you ask, do I prefer to call her Our Lady of Mary's Inn. Simple, Mary's Inn Maternity Home here in Dubuque is where it will end up at. Mary's Inn is a maternity home for women in crisis pregnancies that is scheduled to open in June of 2015.

The story of Mary's Inn goes back to November of 2012 when Marian Bourek, executive director of Dubuque County Right to Life, Sue Lansing who is involved in the Dubuque Archdiocesan Gabriel Project & Colleen Pasnik heard the call from God that there was a need for a maternity home for single mothers in crisis pregnancies in this area. 

In 2014 a Board of Directors as well as an advisory Board was formed. They applied for & received 501(c)3 Non-Profit Status. Hanna House Maternity Home in Mishawaka, Indiana agreed to mentor them for 3 years. They applied for & received 2 grants to help pay for furniture for the home. Of course, speakers gave presentations at Churches & elsewhere to make people aware of their existence. Fundraising began. Representatives met with local agencies to make them aware of the services Mary's Inn would provide.

In February of 2015 Colleen Pasnik was hired as director of Mary's Inn. After much searching a house was found that was ideal for a maternity home. The owner agreed to sell contingent on Mary's Inn getting the needed rezoning for the home.

While prayer has obviously been a part of the entire process, it was at this point that people began special prayers for the rezoning to pass. Those prayers included visits to the 2 Eucharistic Adoration chapels in the Dubuque area.

The lot was zoned as single family residence & had to be rezoned to be multiple family. The process required 3 separate things to occur in order for the rezoning to go through as needed.

The 1st was on 4 March with a hearing by the Zoning Advisory Board. I wish I could say that the neighbors were welcoming & supported the rezoning, they didn't. They showed up at the meeting to express their opposition. The 2 main objections they had were that it would lower property values & that it would create parking & other problems that would disrupt the peacefulness of the neighborhood. 

The Board voted for the rezoning with a recommendation of 1 condition to be imposed. The condition was that the current building could only be replaced by another single family home, no apartment buildings instead.

The next step was to get the approval of the Dubuque City Council. That meeting occurred on 16 March. Naturally the neighbors were there to repeat their objections. John Freund, esq. was the main spokesperson for Mary's Inn. The home's then owner also got up & spoke in favor of the sale. I also got up & gave what I can only describe as a Holy Spirit inspired speech in support of Mary's Inn. (I spent some time in prayer at 1 of the adoration chapels to prepare my notes.) While I made mention of how the claim it would adversely affect property values had no basis in similar situations in the past, my main focus was to build on the emphasis for an inclusive Dubuque that was (& still is) being promoted. I pointed out how making women in crisis pregnancy situations feel welcome fit in with the goal of making Dubuque a welcoming place for all. I also reminded them of how the lower property value argument was a not in my back yard argument as well as how it has been used in the past to not make certain minority groups welcome.

Harry Blewett, the realtor involved in finding the house made a presentation to answer the property value objection.

From the comments & questions it was very clear the City Council members were not buying the arguments by the neighbors.  They voted to approve the rezoning as recommended by the Zoning Board.  I talked to 4 Council members after the meeting & got a lot of positive feedback supporting the home. 1 member shared the experience of her parents being unwelcome when they moved to Dubuque in 1959. They were 1 of 5 African-American families at that time. The lower property value argument was 1 of those used to justify their not being welcome. Clearly the neighbors had shot themselves in the foot by using that argument.

But there was still 1 more hoop to go through. The final stop was the Zoning Board of Adjustment on 26 March. They had to issue a conditional use permit for it to be used as a maternity home. They granted the permit with a limit of 4 women & their children as residents at any time. Mary's Inn had a plan for eventually serving 7 women at a time. Down the road they will be able to go back & ask for the number to be increased if needed.

So Mary's Inn has taken possession of the home & has begun the remodelling & repairs needed. Staff is being hired. There will be a housemother on duty 24/7. Each housemother will work an 8 hour shift, some full, some part time.

As I said earlier, the goal is to open in mid June. They have 3 women waiting to take up residence. These women have had to apply & meet certain criteria in order to be accepted.

The home has 3 bedrooms, 2 will have 1 woman each, the other will hold 2 women. In addition there will be a kitchen for the women to prepare meals. There will also be a chapel.

The website says that Mary's Inn

• Offers a stable home environment
• Offers physical, emotional and spiritual support for pregnant women of any age and of any (or no) faith
• Operates according to Catholic Church teachings
• Encourages women to choose life for their unborn babies through support, education, and resources
• Offers adoption options to every mom
• Teaches life skills, including decision- making and personal responsibility
• Supports women in completion of high school education and in developing continuing education plans based upon their personal goals
• Offers help in finding appropriate employment
• Provides counseling and connects women to prenatal care and community services
• Empowers young women to set realistic goals
• Hosts ongoing monthly support groups for former residents

By now I hope that you will want to do what you can to support Mary's Inn. Pray is very important, but financial support is also needed. You can contact them @ (563)552-6288, 

Email

 Director@marysinnmaternityhome.org

or write them:

Mary's Inn 

PO BOX 3338

Dubuque IA 52004-3338

More than ever places like Mary's Inn are needed to provide women in crisis pregnancies with an alternative to abortion. Along with Dubuque County Right to Life, Clarity Clinic, Birthright of Dubuque & the Gabriel Project , Mary's Inn will provide another way to fight the demonic "culture of death" & truly build a Culture of Life in the Tri-state area.

Some Campaign Advice for Hillary Clinton

For some reason I was recently thinking about what was the difference between Bill Clinton's successful campaign in 1992 & Hillary's in 2008. Then it dawned on me, Willy boy had a rock & roll theme song, Don't Stop (Thinking About Tomorrow). Hillary had nothing.

So, being the kind & charitable person that I am, I said to myself "Self, what would be the perfect song for Hillary to use?" It hit me like a bolt of lighning, Sir Elton John's classic The Bitch is Back. It completely captures her personality.

I went on to think she has 2 hit versions to chose from, Sir Elton's, or Tina Turner's cover version. Then I thought "Perche no both?" (Why not both?)

Hillary could use Sir Elton's to reach out to the gay vote, especially the gay marriage gang she is courting.

Tina Turner's could be used to reach out to the feminists since Tina is a symbol of overcoming adversity & abuse. She could also use Tina to appeal to the men.

Also, the 2 of them have done it as a duet, so she could reach everyone with one version.

Or even better, maybe you can get Sir Elton to write you some new lyrics for the verses, keeping the refrain.

But that is not all, I have come up with a way for her to deal with all the scandals that are out there. The inspiration came from her line during her testimony about Benghazi where she said the following:

But rather than using that, I thought "Why not use a bit of the scene from 'Meatballs' where Bill Murray is getting the campers psyched up for the 2nd day of the camp olympics?"

She could show someone asking a question about the Clinton Foundation scandal followed by this:

The same with a question about Benghazi. or the private e-mail server, or the many others floating around out there.

So Hillary, I am sure you will not only see the wisdom in my suggestions but will gladly use them. I will be awaiting the payment of my $1 Million consultant's fee, in cash. 

Hillary, you better also hope someone doesn't come up with some new lyrics to this classic 3 Dog Night song, no matter how true they would be:

A Reminder to Me of Why Ultrasounds are a Powerful Pro-Life Tool

This afternoon I was out at Wal-Mart shopping. I got into a checkout line. The woman who was cashiering started talking about how she was about to become a great-grandmother. I thought "How nice. But why is she telling me?"

She then began talking about the ultrasound the mother of her great-grandchild had recently had. Then it clicked. I was wearing a Pro-life button with an ultrasound picture. 

She went out to talk about the details of the 4D ultrasound. She talked about how she saw the hands & other parts of the body fully developed.with me about  She even modeled some of the poses her great-grandchild had been caught in. She was very excited & very proud.

She also talked about how much they had improved from the grey blobs that the pictures were many years ago when her grandchildren were born.

I made a comment about the importance of ultrasounds to prove they are not just a blob of tissue before birth. She agreed & told me she has always been Pro-life as well. For her, the ultrasound pictures were clearly a confirmation that she was on the right side of the issue.

As I finished paying & was leaving I congratulated her on her 1st great-grandchild. But I also began reflecting on what had just happened & why.

As I was driving home I saw it as a reminder of why I was right to support the use of ultrasounds at crisis pregnancy centers as well as requiring abortion clinics to perform them & show the mother the results. When women considering an abortion see the pictures, about 80% or more of the women reject abortion as an option & allow the child to live.

This is also why abortion providers are so opposed to the law requiring them to peform ultrasounds. They know the results take away a huge portion of their murderous business.

After I got home, another thought crossed my mind. This was a good reminder of the importance of wearing things like Pro-life pins as a silent witness. I am not sure what the people behind me thought because I didn't look that way. But I know they heard all that was said. If they were Pro-life, hopefully this would encourage them to be bolder in their efforts, or even make their 1st efforts. If they were pro-abortion, then some seeds were planted that God can use to touch their hearts. Who knows?, maybe down the road God will use what was said to prevent an abortion because of those seeds He used us to plant.

I don't know for sure the full fruit of what occured today. What I do know is that this is a powerful reminder of why even the smallest Pro-life things we do, like wearing a Pro-life pin can bear fruit far beyond what we can know or imagine. 

PS Her great-grandchild is due in July. Please pray for a safe & healthy birth.

World Down Syndrome Day 2015

Today is World Down syndrome Day. Its purpose is to "raise awareness of what Down syndrome is, what it means to have Down syndrome, and how people with Down syndrome play a vital role in our lives and communities."
Down syndrome is also known as trisomy 21. It is called that because a person with the syndrome has 3 pairs of chromosome 21.
Sadly, for too many, Down syndrome is seen as a curse & something to be eliminated via abortion. Over 90% of those children diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted. The reasons include the false claim that these children will not have an acceptable quality of life & parents who do not want to be "saddled" with a child who is disabled. Some people, like Richard Dawkins, say that 100% of all those diagnosed with Down syndrome should be aborted.

This is so horribly wrong. & why a day like this is sorely needed. 
Studies, like those reported by an article by Live Action News show just the opposite to the claims made to justify it. In 1 study "out of 2,044 parents or guardians surveyed, 79% reported their outlook on life was “more positive” because of their child with Down syndrome."
Another study "found that among siblings of children with Down syndrome, 97% expressed feelings of pride for their brother or sister and 88% were convinced that they were better people because of their sibling. This study polled siblings over the age of 12."
& in yet another study that focused on the feelings & attitudes of those people with Down syndrome. "Among adults with Down, 99% said they were happy with their lives and 97% said they liked who they were. 96% said they liked the way they looked. You would probably not find such high numbers among the general public. According to the study, Down syndrome children grow up to be happy adults."
In high school & college I worked with children & adults who had Down syndrome. My life has been greatly enriched because of what they gave to me for the little I gave to them.
A huge reason why we see the high rate of abortion for those with Down syndrome has to do with our "culture of death" so prevalent in the world today. This attitude towards them reminds me of the attitude seen in Nazi Germany before & during World War II. I can best bring that home by sharing a story that Corrie ten Boom told in her book "The Hiding Place" that was later repeated in the movie version.
In the book she tells of an interrogation by a Nazi lieutenant after her arrest for helping to hide Jews from being arrested & sent to death camps. When asked about her work she began talking about her efforts to bring the Gospel to those who were then called "retarded" or "feeble minded." The officer finally exploded & said "What a waste of time and energy! If you want converts, surely one normal person is worth all the half-wits in the world!"
Corrie ten Boom responded to what she calls an example of "true National-Socialist philosophy" by saying "The truth, Sir, is that God's viewpoint is sometimes different from ours." She went on to add "In the Bible I learned that God values us not for our strength or our brains but simply because He has made us. Who knows, in His eyes a half-wit may be worth more than a watchmaker. Or---a lieutenant."  The interview quickly ended after that. But she had made her point that God's values were those of what we now call the Culture of Life, not the Nazi version of the "culture of death." 
Today is the 10th anniversary of World Sown syndrome Day. It has been official celebrated by the UN since 2012. This is the same UN that pushed abortion as a right. Their hypocrisy, in this case, knows no bounds. They are giving a death sentence to the very people they claim they are celebrating.
Today is a day to celebrate the gifts God has given us in those with Down syndrome. It is a day to honor them. But we cannot let today go by & forget them the other 364 days of a year. We must continue to fight for their right to life from the moment of conception on. Their role as a vital part of our lifes & communities must be honored & welcomed.  In our doing so, we will be truly be building that Culture of Life that values every human being the way God values them.

Is Planned Parenthood Worse than ISIS?

South Dakota State Representative Isaac Laterell (R-Sioux Falls) recently created a firestorm when he said that Planned Parenthood was worse than ISIS because it Planned Parenthood beheads more Americans in a month than ISIS has during its entire existence. He was referring to a D&E (dilation & evacuation or extraction) abortion. Naturally Planned Parenthood has denied they do any of this type of abortion that dismember the unborn child. However South Dakota Department of Health records show something entirely different. Their website shows that a handful of D&E abortions have been performed in the state since at least 2008. Add to that that the only abortion clinic in SD is the Planned Parenthood clinic & it is clear that, as usual, Planned Parenthood is lying.

But that hasn't stopped the Pro-abortion reporters & bloggers from jumping on the PP support bandwagon & attacking Representative Laterell as a liar. (For example: here, here & here) They not only repeat the PP lie, they deny that abortion is murder in the 1st place, despite all the scientific evidence to the contrary. Don't forget, these are the same people who support Obama when he denies that ISIS is a terrorist group as well.

But is Planned Parenthood worse than ISIS? Or merely just as evil? The short answer is, Planned Parenthood is worse. Here is why I say that.

To start with I want to share a Scripture reason that is the basis for what I am about to say to prove my point. Jesus said: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell." (Matthew 10:28 The Jerusalem Bible) This quote is taking from a section of the Gospel where Jesus is talking about the persecution & possible martyrdom His followers will face.

It is obvious that ISIS is merely destroying the body. Pope Tawadros II head of the Coptic Church recently declared that the 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians killed by ISIS in Libya were martyrs & will now be recognised as saints in the Coptic Church. Pope Francis also said they were martyrs because they had their "throats slit for the sole reason of  being Christians." (Note: this does not mean that they are officially recognized as saints by the Catholic Church.)

If all Planned Parenthood did was kill unborn babies then they would be equal, not worse, than ISIS. But what Planned Parenthood does goes far beyond what ISIS does.

Planned Parenthood openly advocates premarital sex. It encourages young people to use condoms & other forms of birth control to have "safe sex". It also supports & promotes homosexual marriage & sex acts.

Unfortunately that goes contrary to the purpose for which God intended sex. He intended it to be between a man & a woman, & only after they were married. Any other form of sex, including masturbation (something else Planned Parenthood promotes), runs contrary to God's plan. Those acts are also mortal sins. That means that if a person dies unrepentant of those sins, he or she will spend eternity in Hell. In short the end result is the destruction of both body & soul in Hell.

Additionally abortion is murder & also a mortal sin. While not every woman willingly has an abortion, many are pressured into it by a parent, the father or others & thus not fully culpable. But even so abortion does emotional & spiritual damage to those involved, & not only the woman involved. Fathers & other family members are affected as well. That is why groups like Rachel's Vineyard, Project Rachel, Fatherhood Forever & Silent No More Awareness exist. They were founded to bring God's forgiveness & healing to those harmed by abortion.

ISIS can merely harm the body. Planned Parenthood can harm both the body & soul, not only here on Earth, but ensuring eternity in hell for those who buy what they sell & die unrepentant.

Planned Parenthood is a part of the demonic "culture of death." As I pointed out, much of what they claim are lies. They serve the "father of lies," Satan. Satan's goal, as well as that of Planned Parenthood & the rest of the abortion industry who serve him, is to destroy as many souls as possible. 

Representative Latterell was right in calling Planned Parenthood worse than ISIS. He spoke the truth. But what he may not have realized is how much more there was to that truth beyond what he intended to say.

Dr. Jack Wilke 5 April 1925-20 February 2015

The Pro-life movement lost a truly great man last Friday, Dr. Jack Wilke. Originally an obstetrician, he became the father of the Pro-life movement. He began travelling across country with his wife Barbara in the 60s. In 1988 he retired from his practice to devote himself full time to pro-life work.
In 1971 he published his 1st book, Handbook on Abortion, co-written with his wife Barbara. Over the years the book was revised & expanded in 1975 & 1979. It went through 24 printings. It was also translated into 10 languages. It was the handbook, or bible for the Pro-life movement
In 1985 it was replaced with Abortion: Question & Answers. It used the most up to date information & soon achieved the same status of its predecessor. It was revised in 1985, 1989 & 1991. It was translated into 20 languages.
In 1997 they came out with a new book that retained part of its predecessor's name but also added new emphasis. It was called Abortion Questions & Answers: Why Not Love Them Both. That book has also been revised over the years & was again translated into many other languages. It proved a worthy successor to the earlier books.
From 1984 to 1991 he was the president of the National Right to Life Committee. He was also a founding member & president emeritus of the International Right to Life. In 1991 he co-founded Life Issues Institute with Bradley Mattes. It was started to provide updated information as  well as the latest & best ways to provide people with the information & the Pro-life message as a whole. Dr. Wilke continued working, speaking & appearing on radio & TV to spread the Pro-life message. His wife passed away in April 203.
Lest this sound just like an impersonal obituary, I have to add something about the effect his work has had on me.
I 1st read his book Handbook on Abortion in the 80s. At the time I wasn't that familiar with Planned Parenthood & how they operated, let alone its founder Margaret Sanger. What I read was a real eye opener. What I read made me all the more determined to fight for life & to get out the truth about Sanger & her organization.
The book talked about Sanger's eugenics views & her work to eliminate those whom she saw as unfit mainly through eugenic sterilization. Who did she consider unfit? "Black people, Jews, Southern European immigrants (especially Italians*), but also others of 'low I.Q.' These 'feebleminded' people where a menace to the race.'"
What stopped me in my tracks was what she said about Southern European immigrants & those from Italia in particular. My maternal grandparents & one pair of my maternal great-grandparents were from Southern Italy. I realized that if Sanger had gotten her way, I would never have been born. At that point the battle became very personal. Over the years, especially through this blog & more recently via Facebook & Twitter, I have done my best to get the information about the real, racist goals of the abortion industry out.
Over the years, his writings & work through the Life Issues Institute have provided me with many tools to use in my Pro-life work.
Dr. Wilke has done much to save the lifes of the unborn & spread the entire Pro-life message. But now his work is done & he has entered into his rest.
Thank Dr. Wilke for a job well done.


*Emphasis mine

Sources:  Father of the pro-life movement Dr. Jack Willke passed away Friday

Dr. Jack Willke, Father of the Modern Pro-Life Movement, Passes Away

2015 Virtual St. Joseph Altar

It is my happy privilege to announce that the 2015 Virtual St. Joseph Altar is now open. It is an online version of the many St. Joseph Altars that are erected by Italians both in Italia as well as the USA & elsewhere.

The tradition of the altars goes back to the Middle Ages. At the time, Sicilia was experiencing a very severe drought & thus in the midst of a severe famine. So the people of Sicilia prayed to their padrone, San Giuseppe for help. The rains came, putting an end to the famine.

The thank San Giuseppe, they built an altar & the people brought food from the harvest. This food was distributed to the poor. As time went on the devotion spread. The altars grew in size & certain traditions  about the shape & way it was built arose. Also certain foods became a part of the tradition as well.

The altar has 3 tiers, in honor of the Trinity. A statue or image of San Giuseppe is placed on the top tier. The various foods brought as an offering are placed on the other two. Bread crumbs are sprinkled on the altar as a symbol of the sawdust in San Giuseppe's workshop. The fava bean is also present. Usually grown as fodder for the cattle, during the famine it was the only food available, so it serves as a reminder of the suffering San Giuseppe relieved them off.

Breads & pastries are baked into special shapes. These include that of a monstrance to honor the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Other shapes include a dove to symbolize the Holy Spirit, chalice, wreath (crown of thorns) & palms. Others are shaped like a ladder, nails, a hammer, a saw, staff & lilies. These are traditional symbols of San Giuseppe.

A huge variety of dishes, meatless of course since it is Lent, are also placed on the altar. There is usually a bottle or 2 of wine to symbolize the miracle at Cana. There are also flowers, candles & some citrus fruit.

Visitors to the altar are given a goody bag. The bag includes a San Giuseppe holy card & medal as well as a fava bean & a few of the cookies or pastries on the altar. 

San Giuseppe is the Patron of the Universal Church. He is also known as the Guardian of the Redeemer & terror of demons. In this day & age when human life, especially that of the unborn is under attack, enemies are trying to destroy the Catholic Church from within as well as without & purity seems to be a thing of the past, San Giuseppe's aid & protection is needed more than ever.

So please visit the altar, make a virtual offering, leave your prayer requests & ask San Giuseppe's intercession for your beloved departed. & don't forget to pick up your virtual goody bag.

VIVA SAN GIUSEPPE!