Thanks for a Wonderful, Average Day!

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Tack För En Underbar, Vanlig Dag

Inspired by an Agnetha Fältskog song.

The Vatican Secret Archive Has Opened a New Mine for Historians

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Sandro Magister, Italian professor and columnist for the magazine "L'Espresso" in his regular posting for "Chiesa" (Church), his regular weekly internet column features an interview with the head of the infamous Vatican Secret Archives:

[....snip] It must be remembered that the first world war, the dissolution of the three great empires (Austro-Hungarian, Russian, and Ottoman), [and the recreation of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia after 150 years of occupation] the resurgence of nationalism, and the Holy See’s new politics of international relations, which began after 1870 and was developed by Benedict XV and Pius XI, led to the appointment of many pontifical representatives, with twenty-seven archives that have now been made available to researchers for the first time.

[....snip] The research can investigate many topics: Achille Ratti as a diplomat of the Holy See, and then a promoter of diplomatic initiatives; the 1922 conclave; mission work (the encyclical “Rerum Ecclesiae” is from 1926); relations with the East (“Rerum Orientalium” from 1928, and much more); the topic of the sciences (with the refounding, in 1936, of the pontifical academy of sciences); theological and biblical culture; the social question; Catholic Action; Pius XI and the Popular Party in Italy; the “Roman Question” and the Lateran Pacts between the Holy See and Italy; the international politics of the Holy See, beginning with the famous report on the various states presented to the new pope in 1922, taken up again recently by historians; Pius XI and fascism, especially after the Lateran Pacts; the racial question; Pius XI and the Jews (in this regard the unjust judgments expressed recently may be overturned); national socialism; communism; the war in Spain and the pope’s attitude toward Francoism; diplomatic relations with France; the situation of the Church in Mexico; pope Achille Ratti and democracy; religious life; the jubilees of 1925 and 1933-1934.

Against the background of such wide-ranging and profound pastoral and political activity there moves the great figure of cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, a most faithful interpreter and executor of the wishes of Pius XI and then his successor, perhaps secretly indicated as such by the sacred college to the pope when, in 1936, he exhorted him to undertake a journey to the United States on the “world stage,” a trip about which there is documentation. And the historians interested in the figure of Pius XII will be able to study the personality and work of the then-secretary of state.

Obviously, historians will compare and integrate the Vatican documentation with other sources, whether already known or yet to be explored. How not to think, for example, in the case of Germany, of the publications of the Kommission für Zeitgeschichte, almost forty volumes of correspondence, private notes, police reports and other material; but also of the Akten Deutscher Bischöfe über die Lage der Kirche, the documentation of which clarifies well the decisions of the Holy See and of the German bishops in the face of Nazism?

As for fascism in Italy, to the Vatican sources (which are themselves relevant) must be added the no less interesting sources of the private archives of the fascist leaders – the Bottai papers, for example, have already produced results – and of the inventories of the Italian ministers (in the central state archive) and of the state archives. I also would not exclude the diocesan archives, because among other things there is yet to be an investigation of the relationship between Pius XI and the bishops inclined toward fascism or against it. But before reaching well-founded evaluations of Pius XI’s pontificate, such a vast investigation will require years, if not decades. [....snip] Chiesa

Fake Catholic Voter Guide Put Out by "Catholics in alliance for the Common Good"

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An attempt to recapture the Catholic vote has been launched by Democratic supporters. A new 2006 Voter Guide has been put out by "Catholic in Alliance for the Common Good" (CACG) a group headed up by Alexia Kelley who in 2004 worked as a religion advisor to John Kerry in the closing weeks of his campaign.

An initial printing of one million copies of "Voting for the Common Good: A Practical Guide for Conscientious Catholics" will be distributed nationwide through on-the-ground organizers and partner networks in all 50 states, says CACG. The groups admits in a press release that the new voter guide is a response to the original "Catholic Voters Guide" issued by Catholic Answers last year.

The new voter guide has been described as "slick" by the Catholic League for its deceptive wording which falsely leads Catholics to consider abortion as just one of many important social justice issues to be taken into account when electing politicians.

Commenting on the new 12-page booklet, Catholic League president Bill Donohue said "The voter guide is a slick attempt to get the abortion albatross off the necks of Catholic Democrats, but it's a failed effort-the noose is still there. Instead of listening to James Carville and Paul Begala, who have counseled Democrats to drop their opposition to parental notification laws and their support for keeping partial-birth abortion legal, the best Catholics in Alliance can do is say it is opposed to abortion. But it makes it painfully clear that it will never join any effort to ban any abortions, including partial-birth." [....snip] LifeSiteNews

St John's U gives Winona's Steve Slaggie its highest honor!

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Steve Slaggie will be called on stage tonight and bestowed the highest honor given by the Saint John’s University Alumni Association. For the 37th year, at the homecoming banquet, the Collegeville, Minn., school will grant the Fr. Walter Reger Distinguished Alumnus Award, and Slaggie has been chosen.

Slaggie, one of the five founders of the Fastenal Company of Winona, graduated from Saint John’s in 1961. He has maintained his connection to the university through participation in events, volunteering and financial support, and has served for the past eight years on its board of regents.

When told of the award, Slaggie was overwhelmed. “I’m active, but I’ve seen the list of past alums honored. It’s a blue-chip list. To be placed in that category, I’m deeply honored,” he said.

He feels a debt of gratitude to the school for admitting “a very average student with no academic ability.” The school instilled in him study habits and reinforced his Catholic faith, he said.

Among the many projects Slaggie has supported, a few stand out for him. He was a lead donor and involved in the planning of the Saint John’s Abbey Guesthouse and has supported the Saint John’s Bible, nearing completion as the first handwritten bible in 500 years.

Slaggie and his wife, Barbara, have also been active philanthropists in Winona and at other colleges in the region. They also have supported the meditation room at the Winona Health Center and band, science and athletic programs at Cotter High School. Winona Daily News

Six Place Geography Meme

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Cathy_of_Alex tagged me with this Geography Meme.

1. A Place You've Visited and Your Favorite Thing there.
Zell am See, Austria, where I skied once on a glacier on the Fourth of July.

2. A Country You'd Like to Visit and Why
Egypt, because it is the location of the Great Pyramid, something I have been fascinated with for a long time. My theory, and I’ve mentioned before that I have lots of them, is that the Great Pyramid might really have been what the Bible calls “The Tower of Babel.”

3. A Place From History You'd Like to Visit and Why
Ancient Egypt when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt to the Promised Land. Just how could it have taken such a large number of people 40 years to go such a short distance?.

4. A Place/Subject You Know a Lot About
Polish Immigration to Duluth and Northern Minnesota. I just gave an hour long talk about it a few weeks ago. And there was lots more that could be said, even before I got to my relatives.

5. A Place You'd Like to Learn More About
Alexander the Great’s Headquarters (or, if I can’t learn ancient Greek in time, U.S. Grant’s). I’ve always been fascinated by the movement of huge armies in the times before electronic communications. I do have one story about that, but you’ll have to ask me some time when we meet. It’s too long to print here.

6. A Fictional Place You'd Like to Visit

Arthur C. Clarke’s “Diaspar” in his early science fiction novel, “The City and the Stars.” As long as I get to leave and explore the universe in that neat space ship that is discovered.

Let's see, who can I tag who will play: Erin from bearing blog; Judith from Our Word; DIH from DIH; and I.C. from I.C.

St Paul's Dorothy Day Center Celebrates 25 Years

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A prayer service and community dinner Friday will mark the 25th anniversary of Dorothy Day Center, a downtown shelter operated by Catholic Charities that provides meals, food and medical care to the homeless. Archbishop Harry J. Flynn of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis will lead interfaith prayer services at 4 p.m. at Assumption Catholic Church, 51 W. Seventh St. Dinner is set for 5 p.m. at the center,183 Old Sixth St. To register, call 612-664-8523 or e-mail mdecock@ccspm.org.

Catholic High School Honor Roll: Top 50 Schools

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2004

MN: Providence Academy Honor Roll; Academics

SD: O'Gorman High School Honor Roll; Catholic Identity

2005

MN: Providence Academy Honor Roll

MN: St John's Prep Academics

MN: Cretin-Derham Hall Civic Education

SD: O'Gorman High School Honor Roll; Civic Education

2006

IA: Wahlert H.S.: Catholic Identity

MN: Providence Academy Honor Roll;

MN: New Ulm Cathedral Acadmics

MN: St John's Prep Academics

SD: O'Gorman High School Honor Roll; Civic Education


The primary goal of the Catholic High School Honor Roll is to acknowledge those schools that maintain high academic standards, uphold their Catholic identities, and prepare their students to actively engage the world. A “constructive competition” of sorts, the Honor Roll encourages schools to improve the academic and spiritual formation of America’s youth. After analyzing and highlighting the particular strengths of Catholic secondary schools, the Honor Roll publishes a list of America’s Top 50 Catholic Schools as measured in the areas of academic excellence, Catholic identity, and civic education.

The List Was Compiled By Both Somewhat Liberal College Representatives But Also Orthodox Colleges Like Franciscan University. Religious Orders Such As The Dominicans, Norbertines & Legionaries For Christ Participated
Tip O' The Hat to Catholic Report

SJV Seminary Stats for Statistical Savants (with Sockfulls of Simoleons)

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St John Vianney College Seminary, University of St Thomas, St Paul, Minnesota

The Largest College Seminary in the United States!

Seminary Enrollments

2001-02	02-03	03-04	04-05	05-06	06-07
16	16	22	27	32	34	StP-Mpls
54	56	58	57	74	108	Other
70	72	80	84	106	142	Total
21	22	21	20	27	31	# Dioceses
2006-07 Seminarians
Archdiocese of St Paul- Minneapolis				34
Diocese of Duluth				16
Diocese of Lansing				16
Diocese of Sioux Falls				12

(Contribute some money and they will put you on their
newsletter mailing list and you can see who are the
other diocese and great photos of these handsome
new Priests of the Third Millenium!)

How can YOU make a difference?

1. Pray for Vocations!

2. Sponsor a Seminarian. Tuition, room and board costs exceed $38,000 a year. The seminarian is responsible for paying for this. And they are restricted from having jobs while in the seminary. Most face staggering long-term debt which continues years into their future ministry. (I’d bet you didn’t know that!)

If you would like to consider sponsoring a seminarian, please contact Deacon Bill Heiman at SJV. sjv@stthomas.edu

Faith Fired by Literature: Flannery O'Connor - Walker Percy - Thomas Merton - Dorothy Day

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A conversation with Paul Elie, author of The Life You Save May Be Your Own: An American Pilgrimage. Elie has traced the intersecting religious stories and ideas of four extraoardinarily engaged and literate Americans of the mid-20th century: Trappist monk and author Thomas Merton, southern writer Flannery O'Connor, philosophical novelist Walker Percy, and journalist and social activist Dorothy Day.

Faith Fired By Literature

{This is an encore presentation of a program originally broadcast on Minnesota Public Radio's "Speaking of Faith" in June 2005.}

A Journey in the Light of a Story [Krista Tippet, SoF Host]
Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, Flannery O'Connor, and Walker Percy are "saints" after my own heart — consciously walking the line, as Paul Elie eloquently puts it, "between revelation and projection, between holiness and human frailty." Alone among them, O'Connor was a lifelong Christian, a cradle Catholic. The other three converted to Catholicism as adults, after previous lives of "unbelief." Merton began as a pleasure-seeking sophisticate, Percy as a physician prone to despair, and Day as a Bohemian journalist. The power of their faith was rooted in the fierceness with which they first rejected it, then wrestled with and claimed it. The power of their writing is rooted in the fearlessness with which they pursued meaning and purpose in life. Both their faith and their writings are instructive in the extent to which they grapple frankly with human reality, including mistakes, questions, catastrophes, and changes of heart and mind.

I love learning more about Thomas Merton, whose writings have influenced me deeply, in a larger context. I love hearing about how Walker Percy saw the relationship between his previous life as a physician and coroner, his religious faith, and the writing of novels. He moved, as Elie tells it, from diagnosing the ill and the dead to diagnosing the living: "Judeo-Christianity," Percy once wrote, "is about pilgrims who have something wrong with them and are embarked on a search to find a way out. This is also what novels are about." I love the description Paul Elie offers of Flannery O'Connor's vigorous reflection on disbelief as an enlivening fact of human experience — disbelief, that is, in tension with "an attraction to the Holy."

And I am fascinated to hear Paul Elie tell about the catalyzing experience of Dorothy Day's childhood: her experience of the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Seeing the way people formed intense and sudden bonds of community, rallying to care for strangers in crisis, she asked, why can't people be this way all the time? Rather than outgrowing that question, she pursued it the rest of her life, eventually creating places where strangers could come for solace and care. To her childhood epiphany she added and addressed the adult observation that in many lives, crisis is ordinary and everyday.

This is a very full and enriching hour of conversation, story, and idea. It opens up a slice of American religious history that still forms us today — and that might provoke us to think, believe, act, read, and write more boldly. Like Merton, Day, O'Connor and Percy, many in our time are probing large ideas and longed-for belief by way of reading and writing. In that act, we naturally rediscover the necessary, animating convergence of faith and narrative, religion and real life.

I'll let Paul Elie have the last word, from his book's summary, with which we also close the program this week:

"We are all skeptics now … Believer and unbeliever are in the same predicament, thrown back onto themselves in complex circumstances, looking for a sign. As ever, religious belief makes its claim somewhere between revelation and projection, between holiness and human frailty; but the burden of proof, indeed the business of belief, for so long upheld by society, is back on the believer where it belongs … There is no way to seek truth except personally. Every story worth knowing is a life story.

In their different ways, the four writers this book is about sought the truth personally—in charity, in prayer, in art, in philosophy. Their writing was the most personal way of all, for in the act of reading and writing one stranger and another go forth to meet in an encounter of the profoundest sort. In this encounter, there are no self-evident truths. Nothing can be taken for granted or asserted outright. The case must be made to each of us individually, with fierce attention on both sides; we must be persuaded one at a time." Faith Fired By Literature

‘Family-diversity model’ failure, say academic and legal experts

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More than 100 North American academic and legal experts say the “family diversity model” has failed and are calling on all of civil society to shore up traditional heterosexual marriage as a social institution.

In a report, “Marriage and the Law: a Statement of Principles,” released in September by the Institute for American Values and the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, the experts say the diversity model reduces marriage to a “set of benefits created by law” and imagines traditional marriage as “just one of many equally valid lifestyles.”

The diversity model is a “normative commitment to the idea that no family form is superior to any other family form,” and “transforms family fragmentations from a social problem into a sign of progress,” the report says, arguing that 40 years of “social experimentation” have proven the family diversity model has failed.

“When marriages fail, or fail to take place, children, women, men and society suffer,” the report says.

“Marriage is a key social institution, with profound material, emotional, and social consequences for children, adults, and society,” it says. “As marriage weakens, fewer men are committed to family life, more women are saddled with the unfair burdens of parenting alone, and children’s ties to both their parents (especially fathers) are weakened. Communities face increasing social and economic problems.”

“Children raised outside of intact marriages have higher rates of poverty, mental illness, teen suicide, conduct disorders, infant mortality, physical illness, juvenile delinquency and adult criminality,” the report says. “They are more likely to drop out of school, be held back a grade, and launch into early and promiscuous sexual activity, leading to higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases and early, unwed parenthood.”

Not only do children and mothers suffer disproportionately, so do poor children and members of ethnic and racial minorities because marriage is a “wealth-building institution” and “source of social and human capital,” the report says.

The family-diversity model has led to a growing acceptance of fatherlessness as “normal,” promoting a “dehumanized vision of men and masculinity.”

“A culture that no longer expects most men to become reliable fathers and husbands promotes a degraded vision of masculinity to men and about men, one deeply at odds with the human dignity of men and women and with the needs of children,” they say.

The report recognizes that marriage breakdowns occur and that children are already living in a variety of family forms, and that single parents need support. It rejects, however, that society must “equally affirm all the choices adults make about family forms, regardless of how they affect children.” [....snip] Catholic OnLine

Finally an End to Massive Genocide Caused by Environmental Extremists’ DDT Ban

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Eugenics, population control likely cause of ignoring of millions of malaria deaths

In his August 16, 2006 LifeSiteNews.com Special Report, Green Hands Dipped In Blood: The DDT Genocide, John Jalsevac exposed what may have been the worst crime of the 20th century, exceeding perhaps even the many millions of deaths caused by the Nazi’s or the horrific mass killings of Stalin or Mao Tse Tung.

The current cause celebre of AIDS has caused nowhere near the perhaps 80 million deaths that have resulted so far in large part from the 30 year ban on the use of DDT to prevent malaria.

Finally, recent news is that, despite still intense objections by environmental extremists, controlled indoor spraying of DDT is finally again being incorporated into the malaria control programs of such agencies as USAID and the World Health Organization (WHO).

In her article, Winning the War on Malaria, Ugandan Fiona Kobusingyer-Boynesin relates that “Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Greenpeace co-founder Patrick Moore, and hundreds of doctors, disease experts, religious leaders and human rights advocates signed a declaration, demanding that substantial money be spent on Artemisinin (ACT) drugs, insecticide-treated bednets and indoor spraying with DDT.” Their pleas, and those of others, have finally produced results.

Kobusingyer-Boynesin states that DDT has proven to be by far the best weapon against malaria. She reports it can reduce malaria by 75% in some areas and together with the use of new ACT drugs, South Africa, following a spraying and ACT drug program, has reduced its malaria rates by 95% in the past three years.

So, the huge questions is why was DDT banned for the past 30 years when the ban so obviously led to many millions of deaths and horrible suffering for up to a billion other mostly poor, third-world citizens? How can environmentalists, being aware of the overwhelming evidence that DDT spraying could have prevented most of that suffering still so cruelly oppose rescinding the genocidal ban of the past 30 years?

In his article, Call for DDT Opponents to be Held Accountable for Millions of Preventable Malaria Deaths, Steven Milloy reveals that the ban was based on what he calls junk science, or in other words, scientific argument with little or no validity.

He begins by stating that “Rachel Carson kicked-off DDT hysteria with her pseudo-scientific 1962 book Silent Spring. Carson materially misrepresented DDT science in order to advance her anti-pesticide agenda.” Milloy then takes to task the Audubon Society, the Sierra Club, Environmental Defense, WHO and especially “then-Environmental Protection Agency administrator William Ruckelshaus who actually banned DDT after ignoring an EPA administrative law judge's ruling that there was no evidence indicating that DDT posed any sort of threat to human health or the environment.”

Milloy calls for accountability for the massive death and suffering. He states, “Much of this human catastrophe was preventable, so why did it happen? Who is responsible? Should the individuals and activist groups who caused the DDT ban be held accountable in some way?”

What Milloy does not answer in his current essay, however, deliberate junk science aside, is why have the environments have been so extremely insistent that DDT be banned regardless of the resulting catastrophic suffering and loss of life? That answer, carefully researched, is explained in John Jalsevac's 2005 Special Report.

The Report notes “one of the most revealing quotations related to the issue at hand is another by Charles Wurster, who was reported to have said in 1971, after it was pointed out to him by a reporter that the widespread usage of the pesticide DDT saved lives: “So what? People are the main cause of our problems. We have too many of them. We need to get rid of some of them…”’

And that brings us to the likely real reason for the devastation – an ingrained, obstinate and deadly eugenics and population control mentality among many of the leading environmentalists and world elites. A mentality that considers preserving a rain forest or a group of gorillas or a species of insect above protecting the lives of poor, third world humans. Nothing else seems to explain the cold-hearted opposition to DDT and there is plenty of evidence to support such a conclusion as junkscience.com has also related in previous articles. LifeSiteNews.com

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A group of Latin Americans from six different countries chat after Mass at St. Odilia Catholic Church to talk about each country's Spanish dialects. (MPR Photo/Ambar Espinoza)

View full slideshow (4 total images)

The challenge of speaking Spanish in America

by Ambar Espinoza, Minnesota Public Radio

September 26, 2006

Listen to feature audio

If you listen to a group of native Spanish-speakers, you might think their fast-paced conversation means easy communication with one another. But within the Spanish-speaking population, there's a very clear divide -- a linguistic "us" and "them."

St. Paul, Minn. — On a Sunday afternoon at St. Odilia Catholic Church in Shoreview, a group of Latin Americans chat with me after Mass. They've come to the United States from six different countries.

Each person here speaks Spanish. but immediately the differences are evident. Jorge Rodriguez from Mexico says those differences are actually quite comical.

Jorge Rodriguez

"It's really entertaining," says Rodriguez. "It's unbelievable that even among ourselves, we need translators!"

They need translators because Spanish isn't just Spanish. It's different from one country to another. Words have different meanings. Accents and variations in grammar make Spanish speakers listen carefully to each other.

Sometimes people will even give each other disclaimers, "Hey, I'm from Puerto Rico," just to give other Latinos a heads up.

Diego Reyes, who's from Colombia, studied in Mexico for a few years. He was his wife's translator any time she would visit him.

"The phrase, 'en bola' in Mexico means, 'As a group.' But in Colombia, the phrase 'en bola' means to be naked," says Reyes. "So people would say, 'Let's go to the stadium EN BOLA.' I'd have to tell her, 'No, that means we're going to the stadium as a group, not naked.' It's small things like that that change the context of the conversation."

Natives of Colombia

There are differences in pronunciation, too, that can immediately give away where a Latino is from. For example, sometimes Puerto Ricans struggle to pronounce the letter R. Instead of rolling the R, it comes out as an L.

People from Caribbean nations and Central America often don't enunciate the "S" when it comes at the end of a word or syllable. It's what Francine Acosta learned in her native country Puerto Rico. She aspirates her "S" when she says Spanish words, like "esto."

Spanish can even be different within a single country. In Peru, indigenous people, who speak their native language Quechua, have a different accent when they speak Spanish. Their Spanish dialect is seen as less prestigious.

Carol Klee, a sociolinguist and professor at the University of Minnesota, says Spanish from the Colombian capital of Bogota is often seen as the most prestigious Spanish because it's traditional. Unlike other Spanish dialects, it's gone through the least amount of changes in terms of pronunciation and grammar. But Klee says it's all relative.

It's unbelievable that even among ourselves, we need translators!

- Jorge Rodriguez

"The way dialects are viewed, and the prestige of different dialects, depends on the prestige of the speakers of those dialects," says Klee. "It's very closely related to educational level, it's related to economic development and social class, it's often times related to race and ethnicity."

Does that mean one country's Spanish is better than another? Diego Reyes says between friends, it doesn't matter what kind of Spanish you speak. Outside of that, it's a different story. He recalls speaking his Colombian Spanish while studying in Mexico.

"When you're in an academic or competitive environment, then you'll find that attitude," says Reyes. "So in Mexico, I spoke differently and people would say, 'Well, it's because you speak Spanish poorly.'"

As Reyes talks, his wife Alexandra Ramirez jumps in. She says comparing the quality of language dialects is universal.

"It's the same idea that British English is the real English," says Ramirez. "I studied British English and I found that attitude, too. American English is not English. It's poorly pronounced, poorly spoken. It's the same thing."

Latin Americans not only have to work around differences in pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary, they also have to deal with Spanglish. This Spanish-English blend is a phenomenon that often occurs in U.S. border states and large bilingual communities.

Carol Klee

Spanglish, much like Spanish itself, is different from location to location. The Spanglish spoken in the San Antonio differs from the way it's spoken in Miami or New York City.

The hybrid language is a new challenge for native Spanish speakers like Carlos Duque from Colombia. He says he finds it difficult to communicate with Latinos in the U.S.

"The majority of Spanish-speakers in the U.S. speak Spanish with a blend of English words," says Duque. "It's difficult to understand depending on the level of their education, or whether or not they are also blending in regional jargon from their countries. So I end up asking, 'Could you repeat yourself please?' or 'Excuse me, I speak Spanish, but I don't understand you.'"

Duque says he recognizes how much schooling a person's had as soon as they open their mouth. Within minutes, he can tell the quality of their Spanish skills.

Speakers of Spanglish, or Spanish with an American accent, often feel stigmatized by those who speak a more traditional Spanish dialect.

Speaking Spanish well is important to many Latinos because it's a big source of their identity. But Klee says although language can be closely tied to identity, it doesn't always have to be.

"Speakers of more stigmatized dialects within the Latino community will shift more rapidly to English, rather than speaking a dialect others look down on," says Klee.

Klee says Puerto Ricans in New York have a strong Latino identity, even though some of them may not necessarily be fluent in Spanish.

Every language has its dialects. But new Spanish-speaking immigrants face the challenge of learning both English and Spanglish to connect with one another. It's a never-ending linguistic challenge for new immigrants.

Although many feel like this hybrid dilutes Spanish, more Latinos are starting to accept Spanglish as a new form of communication and a new way to define themselves in the U.S. The Spanglish influence is so strong, it's even trickling into Latin America. [....snip] Minnesota Public Radio

Father William Graham to Speak at St John's/St Ben's: What Makes a College Catholic?

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Millions of Catholic parents would love to listen to this presentation and find out the answer!

Father William Graham presents a speech titled “Why Spend $30,000? Seven Attitudes and Approaches That Make a College Catholic,” at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8, in the Alumni Lounge on the Saint John’s University campus, Collegeville. The evening, sponsored by SJU Campus Ministry, will conclude with Eucharist at 9 p.m. in the Abbey Church at SJU.

Father Graham’s speech will focus on what elements allow colleges to identify themselves as Catholic. He hopes that through his seven steps that the “identity of the Catholic institutions will be recognized and celebrated as we work with our students on their journey to growth in wisdom and grace.”

Graham has served for over 10 years as pastor in the Diocese of Duluth in northern Minnesota. He now works as a professor in the theology department and is the director of the Catholic Studies department of the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth. [...snip] CSB/SJU News

Last October, Father Graham wrote an article published in the National Catholic Reporter that dealt with this very question. Last year's presentation seems to have only four attributes that characterize a Catholic College. The SJU/CSB presentation calls for seven this year:

"The Second Vatican Council seemed clear in the Declaration on Christian education, Gravissimum Educationis: "The hoped-for result is that the Christian mind may achieve, as it were, a public, persistent and universal presence in the whole enterprise of advancing higher culture, and that the students of these institutions may become truly outstanding in learning, ready to shoulder society's heavier burdens, and to witness the faith to the world."
[....snip]
I suggested to a religious studies colleague that if one hires a nurse or a biology graduate from a Catholic university, it would seem that she or he might bring something to the workplace that another with a secular education would not. . . . Why would one disagree? Is the teaching of the church so very dangerously flawed that we have to shield our students from it? If we cannot ask such a question of the graduate of a Catholic institution, how is her or his degree different from that granted by a public institution? If there is no difference, why should Catholic institutions continue to grant degrees?
[....snip]
A colleague is reported to claim that she is distressed coming to work day by day to a place where there are images of first-century capital punishment on the walls of many classrooms and public spaces. The clear implication is that these crucifixes are objectionable as well as politically incorrect and should be removed so as not to offend finely tuned sensitivities.
[....snip]
Another colleague quizzed me, in the last months of John Paul II's papacy, as to whether or not I thought the pontiff should retire. Before I could comment, he offered his angry opinion that the pope should step down immediately. . . . But how, I asked as demurely as possible, would it affect my questioner who is, I think, a non-practicing Protestant? He made no answer. . . .
[....snip]
We are being assassinated from within. How did it happen that assassins were enfolded in institutions they find so objectionable? Is that what diversity requires? And why would one want to cash a check week by week from an institution of which one disapproves or even loathes? Would it not be better, more honest, or more ethical to work at a place whose sponsoring body one does not find so horribly offensive?
[....snip]
Perhaps Catholic institutions have been slower than some others in adopting the language of mission. This is not because they previously did not know mission, but when institutions of higher learning were staffed principally by members of the sponsoring religious communities, there was no need for talk of mission in hiring. But when the numbers of religious on staff dwindled and lay professors were hired, too often not enough attention was paid to the distinctive Catholic character of the institution.
[....snip]

Since the objective of a Catholic university is to assure in
 an institutional manner a Christian presence in the university
 world confronting the great problems of society and culture,
 every Catholic university, as Catholic, must have the following
 essential characteristics:

    1) a Christian inspiration not only of individuals but of the
        university community as such;

    2) a continuing reflection in the light of the Catholic faith
        upon the growing treasury of human knowledge, to which
        it seeks to contribute by its own research;

    3) fidelity to the Christian message as it comes to us through
        the church;

    4) an institutional commitment to the service of the people of
        God and of the human family in their pilgrimage to the
        transcendent goal, which gives meaning to life.

Those who cannot in good conscience share or enthusiastically
support such a mission, tenured or not, should seek employment
elsewhere. Such a thrust would not violate but rather promote
diversity. [....snip] National Catholic Reporter

Father John Corapi to Preach in Appleton, WI, Feb 9-10, 2007

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The last year of Father Corapi's scheduled ministry as a preacher.

Join Father in his last year of traveled scheduled events.
(Nothing scheduled for Minnesota, Iowa or the Dakotas)
Father will now spend his days writing his books.

St. Pius Parish (Details to be announced)
Appleton, WI 54911

For more information, please contact:
Laureen & Dennis Davey
Phone: 920-730-8007

St Olaf Evangelization Initiative Small Group Sessions

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“Come Follow Me,” Jesus said...
What better way than to listen to His Words in the Gospels?

Join other St. Olaf parishioners as we LISTEN to Jesus during these weekly,
hour-long small group sessions.

The themes for this fall’s Evangelization Initiative
are based on the Archdiocesan Series “Follow Me.”

The St. Olaf sessions begin mid-October and continue for five weeks.
Choose between two different schedules to fit your needs:

Sundays at 11:15 am, October 15 - November 12
OR
Wednesdays at 12:45 pm, October 18- November 15

Materials will be provided. You will be contacted a week
before your first meeting with details.

For additional information or questions, stop at the table outside
the Gathering Room after all weekend Masses on September 30
and October 1. Or call Janet Spokes, 612-321-0596 or
Laura Rothman, 952-933-1058.

To register, please fill out the form below and drop it in the
collection basket, or mail it to the parish office:
St. Olaf Catholic Church, attn: Annette
215 South 8th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55402

Evangelization Initiative Registration

Name _____________________________________________
Address ___________________________________________
City/Zip____________________________________________
Email ______________________________________________
Phone (_________) __________________________________

Which group would
you like to join?
Sundays at 11:15 am
Wednesdays 12:45 pm

Theology on Tap! Coon Rapids Area; Tuesdays, Sep 19 - Oct 24

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THEOLOGY ON TAP NORTH
Tuesday nights from Sept. 19-Oct. 24
7-8:30 p.m.
Canyon Grille, Coon Rapids
(3490 Coon Rapids Blvd., 763.323.9100)

Topic for Sept. 26:
How do Catholics Interpret Scripture?, Heide Busse

Tonight Fr. Wehman will be there too!

call 763.755.1020 for more information
You don't have to attend all of them.

"Our 'Desperate'" Hits the Big Time in NRO: "Cybergate Minnesota"

Our very own "Desperate" who has entertained us with her humor at Desperate Irish Housewife, shows another side of herself this week when an article by her is found on the National Review Online's website. It worthy to note that "Ms. Desperate's" (I think she might deserve more respect now) article is featured immediately after that of William F. Buckley, founder of the National Review and much that is conservative in this country.

Her article deals with a person who snooped and cracked the password system at an ad agency and passed on a TV ad that had not been shown puublicly to the campaign of Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar who is running for Minnesota's U.S. Senate seat against Sixth District Congressman Mark Kennedy.

D'ya suppose we might lose Ms. Desperate? She has appeared in NRO Online in the past, I believe

[....snip....] On Wednesday, Pat Shortridge, Kennedy’s campaign manager, got a phone call from Ben Goldfarb, who is managing the campaign for Amy Klobuchar. Goldfarb asked Shortridge for his e-mail address and told Shortridge to keep a close watch on his inbox. A special announcement was coming from Klobuchar headquarters.

The “special announcement” arrived later that day: On Saturday, September 16, an unnamed blogger had sent the Klobuchar campaign’s communications director, Tara McGuinness, a link to an as yet unreleased television ad from Kennedy’s campaign. The link was lifted from the website of the firm that made the ad, Scott Howell and Associates TK of Dallas, Texas. McGuinness had watched the ad and had ordered her staff to watch it too.

“When we learned of this occurrence,” Goldfarb went on, “Ms. Klobuchar directed that I take immediate action. I instructed the blogger that sending information like this to the campaign was wrong and not to send us any further advertisements. I then asked for and received Ms. McGuinness’ resignation. Ms. Klobuchar also directed that the incident be reported to federal law enforcement for their review. That report has been made and the Klobuchar campaign will cooperate fully with law enforcement.”

The next day the unnamed “local blogger” called a press conference, or rather his lawyer’s PR firm did. He turned out to be something more than just your average blogger. [....snip] National Review Online

Canadian Same-Sex 'Marriage's Real Goal is to Abolish All Marriage Says Author

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In a National Review Online article this past February, U.S. author/researcher Stanley Kurtz charged that Canadians still don't get it that the legal change to the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples is part of an overall strategy to completely abolish marriage in Canada.

The Tories promised motion to re-visit the same-sex marriage issue in Parliament is about to be introduced this October or November and yet many religious and other groups and pro-marriage Canadians are perceived by pro-family leaders as again making only weak, half-hearted efforts to support the motion. The Stanley Kurtz article may help Canadians become more aware about the severe consequences of losing the vote on that motion and the vote on any following bill to re-instate the traditional definition of marriage.

Kurtz starts his article by noting the mid-January 2006 Justice Department study that called for the decriminalization and regulation of polygamy.

With that in mind he follows: "And even that is only part of the story. Canadians, let me be brutally frank. You are being played for a bunch of fools by your legal-political elite. Your elites mumble a confusing jargon to your face to keep you from understanding what they really have in mind." [....snip] [LifeSiteNews.com]

Did your candidate lose in the Minnesota Primary Election?

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Did you figure that your vote wouldn't have mattered, anyway?

Well, take a gander at what the 16% statewide voter turnout looked like. It just might have been that if you had shown up to vote, that your candidate would have won. Remember that in November.

County		Total Number Registered Voters	Number Voter Turnout	Percent Voter Turnout
AITKIN		10299	3331	32.34
ANOKA		182117	22587	12.4
BECKER		18648	2068	11.09
BELTRAMI		23038	6137	26.64
BENTON		20564	4389	21.34
BIG STONE		3292	1598	48.54
BLUE EARTH		36101	3643	10.09
BROWN		14998	1979	13.2
CARLTON		19502	4302	22.06
CARVER		49926	4530	9.07
CASS		18000	3061	17.01
CHIPPEWA		7284	904	12.41
CHISAGO		30991	3667	11.83
CLAY		30772	1530	4.97
CLEARWATER		4903	2106	42.95
COOK		3542	1345	37.97
COTTONWOOD		6835	1417	20.73
CROW WING		36089	8961	24.83
DAKOTA		232128	23977	10.33
DODGE		11116	950	8.55
DOUGLAS		22695	6816	30.03
FARIBAULT		9668	3588	37.11
FILLMORE		13266	4348	32.78
FREEBORN		19264	3737	19.4
GOODHUE		28274	6443	22.79
GRANT		4287	682	15.91
HENNEPIN		699378	118069	16.88
HOUSTON		12133	3531	29.1
HUBBARD		12539	3181	25.37
ISANTI		20726	2542	12.26
ITASCA		26724	8537	31.95
JACKSON		6407	562	8.77
KANABEC		9976	1391	13.94
KANDIYOHI		23574	7543	32
KITTSON		2942	782	26.58
KOOCHICHING		7839	3259	41.57
LAC QUI PARLE		4804	1061	22.09
LAKE		7640	3494	45.73
LAKE OF THE WOODS		2696	836	31.01
LE SUEUR		15769	1444	9.16
LINCOLN		3805	358	9.41
LYON		14243	1227	8.61
MCLEOD		20993	3665	17.46
MAHNOMEN		2921	627	21.47
MARSHALL		5928	1593	26.87
MARTIN		12353	1405	11.37
MEEKER		13875	1982	14.28
MILLE LACS		14226	1746	12.27
MORRISON		18903	4504	23.83
MOWER		21505	4032	18.75
MURRAY		5482	1648	30.06
NICOLLET		19283	2213	11.48
NOBLES		10509	877	8.35
NORMAN		4138	652	15.76
OLMSTED		80231	10696	13.33
OTTER TAIL		35477	3626	10.22
PENNINGTON		7513	692	9.21
PINE		16268	3298	20.27
PIPESTONE		5526	590	10.68
POLK		17091	2318	13.56
POPE		7194	1817	25.26
RAMSEY		305911	48519	15.86
RED LAKE		2475	587	23.72
REDWOOD		8926	1431	16.03
RENVILLE		9206	1137	12.35
RICE		34655	3890	11.22
ROCK		5729	506	8.83
ROSEAU		8612	2566	29.8
SAINT LOUIS		130379	22745	17.45
SCOTT		66090	6773	10.25
SHERBURNE		44778	6127	13.68
SIBLEY		8805	1165	13.23
STEARNS		84537	11918	14.1
STEELE		20344	1365	6.71
STEVENS		6600	1154	17.48
SWIFT		5966	1043	17.48
TODD		13715	3783	27.58
TRAVERSE		2373	1093	46.06
WABASHA		13149	2506	19.06
WADENA		7934	1278	16.11
WASECA		10834	1429	13.19
WASHINGTON		140023	23689	16.92
WATONWAN		6135	1678	27.35
WILKIN		3822	326	8.53
WINONA		30731	6222	20.25
WRIGHT		64748	4626	7.14
YELLOW MEDICINE		6234	845	13.55
State Totals		3090921	492295	15.93%