Every Knee Shall Bow - English "Flash Mob"

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So, technically, this doesn’t quite qualify as a flash mob, but I love it nonetheless. The video features two Capuchin Franciscan friars (I’m guessing that they could be from this friary) who bring the body of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist right into the center of Preston, England’s marketplace. While one friar recites a litany of Christ’s titles, the other friar holds up Christ in the monstrance. The monk who is speaking into the amplifier repeatedly says, “Come and kneel before Him now,” and it’s truly beautiful to see people in the midst of their shopping, stopping to kneel before the Lord. Others laugh, while still others stand with puzzled looks on their faces.

It’s an appropriate video before the Feast of Corpus Christi, a feast upon which many parish priests still lead public Eucharistic processions. We desperately need to bring Christ back out into the streets and the marketplaces and the public square.

Here’s what the friar recites before the crowd. I did my best to transcribe it, but missed a few words at the end.

“Jesus Christ is in every book of the Bible.

In Genesis, Jesus is the Seed of the Woman.
In Exodus, He is the Passover Lamb.
In Leviticus, He is the Priest, the Altar, and the Lamb of Sacrifice.
In Numbers, He is a Pillar of Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by Night.
In Deuteronomy, Jesus is the Prophet, like Moses.
Come and kneel before Him now.

In Joshua, Jesus is the Captain of Our Salvation.
In Judges, He is our Judge and Lawgiver.
In Ruth, He is our Kinsman and Redeemer.
In 1 and 2 Samuel, He is our Trusted Prophet.
In Kings and Chronicles, He is our Reigning King.
In Ezra, He is the rebuilder of the broken down walls of human life.
Come and kneel before Him now.
In Nehemiah, Jesus is our Restorer.
In Tobit, He is the Messenger of New Life.
In Judith, He is Weakness Turned into Victory.
In Esther, He is our Advocate.
In 1 and 2 Maccabees, He is the Leader who dies for God’s law.
Come and kneel before Him now.

In Job, Jesus is our Everliving Redeemer.
In Psalms, He is our Shepherd.
In Proverbs, He is our Wisdom.
In Ecclesiastes, He is our Hope of Resurrection.
In the Song of Songs, He is our Loving Bridegroom.
In Wisdom, He is the emanation of God’s thought.
In Ecclesiasticus (Sirach), Jesus is our security.
Come and kneel before Him now.

In Isaiah, Jesus is the Suffering Servant.
In Jeremiah, He is the Righteous Branch.
In Lamentations, He is our Weeping Prophet.
In Baruch, He is the Mercy from the Eternal One.
In Ezekiel, He is the One with the Right to Rule.
In Daniel, Jesus is the Fourth Man in the fiery furnace.
Come and kneel before Him now.

In Hosea, Jesus is the Faithful Husband forever married to the sinner.
In Joel, He is the One who Baptizes with the Holy Spirit of Fire.
In Amos, He is the Restorer of Justice.
In Obadiah, He is Mighty to Save.
In Jonah, He is our great foreign missionary.
In Micah, He is the feet of one who brings Good News.
Come and kneel before Him now.

In Nahum, Jesus is our stronghold in the day of trouble.
In Habakkuk, He is God my Savior.
In Zephaniah, He is the King of Israel.
In Haggai, He is the signet ring.
In Zechariah, He is our Humble King riding on a colt.
In Malachi, Jesus is the Son of Righteousness.
Come and kneel before Him now.

In Matthew, Jesus is God with us.
In Mark, He is the Son of God.
In Luke, He is the Son of Mary, feeling what you feel.
In John, He is the Bread of Life.
In Acts, Jesus is the Savior of the World.
Come and kneel before Him now.

In Romans, Jesus is the Righteousness of God.
In 1 Corinthians, He is the Resurrection.
In 2 Corinthians, He is the God of all comfort.
In Galatians, He is your liberty. He sets you free.
In Ephesians, Jesus is the Head of the Church.
Come and kneel before Him now.

In Philippians, Jesus is your Joy.
In Colossians, He is your Completeness.
In 1 and 2 Thessalonians, He is your Hope.
In 1 Timothy, He is your Faith.
In 2 Timothy, Jesus is your Stability.
Come and kneel before Him now.

In Titus, Jesus is Truth.
In Philemon, He is your Benefactor.
In Hebrews, He is your Perfection.
In James, He is the Power behind your Faith.
In 1 Peter, He is your Example.
In 2 Peter, Jesus is your Purity.
Come and kneel before Him now.

In 1 John, Jesus is your Life.
In 2 John, He is your Pattern.
In 3 John, He is your Motivation.
In Jude, He is the Foundation of your Faith.

In Revelation, Jesus is your Coming King.

He is:
The First and the Last.
The Beginning and the End.
He is the Keeper of Creation and the Creator of All.
He is the Architect of the Universe and the Manager of All Time.
He Always Was, He Always Is, and He Always Will Be Unmoved, Unchanged, Undefeated, and Never Undone.

He was bruised and brought healing.
He was pierced and eased pain.
He was persecuted and brought freedom.
He was dead and brought life.
He is risen and brings power.
He reigns and brings peace.

The world can’t understand Him.
The armys can’t defeat Him.
Schools can’t explain Him and the leaders can’t ignore Him.
Herod couldn’t kill Him.
The Pharisees couldn’t confuse Him.
The people couldn’t hold him. [This is where the clapping begins]
Nero couldn’t crush Him.
Hitler couldn’t silence Him.
The New Age can’t replace Him.
And Oprah can’t explain Him away.

He is Life, Love, Longevity, and Lord.
He is Goodness, Kindness, Gentleness and God.
He is Holy, Righteous, Mighty, Powerful, [missing word]
His Ways our Right, His Words Eternal, His Rules Unchanging, and His
Might [missing phrase]
He is My Redeemer, He is My Savior, He is My God, He is My Priest, He is My Joy, He is My Comfort, He is My Lord, and He rules my life.”

Tim Drake, National Catholic Register (and CDL Board Member)

The astute reader will quickly realize that the phrases relate to the Books of the Holy Bible

Pope's Brother Challenges Old Liberals on Priestly Marriage and Women's Ordination

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Papstbruder zu Frauenordination und Priesterehe

Germany. The Old Liberals are demanding "always holding to the same subjects, that have been long decided: the celibacy of priests, women's ordination". Msgr Georg Ratzinger, the brother of the Pope, criticized this in an interview with the news daily 'Neue Passauer Presse'. The Pope doesn't have the power to ordain women -- explained Prelate Ratzinger: "Why talk about it then? They always have to start with arguments that have been known for a long time, which many simply don't want to accept." On celibacy the Prelate said, that it "really has it's theological meaning." There are generally increasingly fewer marriages anyway, and then the priests should "all of a sudden marry". Prelate Ratzinger finds that "a bit curious". Priestly marriage would be violently opposed by faithful people: "That would be more destructive than constructive."

H/T Translation from Tancred at Eponymous Flower

Bishop Alexander Sample of Marquette, MI: Pastoral Letter on the Diaconate

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A pastoral letter, “The Deacon: Icon of Jesus Christ the Servant,” has been issued by Bishop Alexander K. Sample for the Diocese of Marquette. In the letter, Bishop Sample not only provides a look to the future of the diaconate in the diocese, but also explains the ministry of deacons in Church history and reflects on theology concerning these members of the clergy.

Calling the restoration of the diaconate as a permanent ministry a “source of tremendous grace and blessings for the Church,” Bishop Sample said there have been, nonetheless, some “misunderstandings and misinterpretations of the essential identity of the permanent deacon.” To address these issues, a study committee was formed in 2009. The findings of that study informed the bishop’s pastoral letter, which was issued June 9, 2011.

► Read Bishop Sample's column that ran in the June 17, 2011 issue of the diocesan newspaper, The U.P. Catholic, on the pastoral letter.

► Read a story from The U.P. Catholic summarizing the pastoral letter, including reactions from deacons.

► Download a PDF of a tri-fold brochure on the pastoral letter that was distributed through parishes and missions across the diocese.

► Hear Bishop Sample's audio message on the letter. (To download the MP3 file to your computer, "right click" and select "Save Target As" or "Save File As")

► Read the full text of Bishop Sample's pastoral letter in a downloadable PDF.

Father Z: About Father John Corapi With Observations About Our Times

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By Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I haven’t written much about Fr. John Corapi, because I honestly don’t know much about what is going on. I don’t know the details. But I am sad to read that he is leaving active ministry. I am profoundly sad.

Fr. Corapi and I were ordained together, by John Paul II, in 1991. I didn’t know him at that time. After ordination I think I only ran into him twice, at conferences were we were both speakers. So, I don’t know him. I don’t know what is up with his life or situation and I won’t speculate. Nevertheless, by that tendril connection of our ordination, I have imagined a kind of bond with him and all the other men scattered across the world, even though I didn’t know most of them personally.

So, I don’t have much to say about Fr. Corapi. I do have a few things to say about the circumstances surrounding this sad announcement.

From the email I am receiving and a few blogs I have read reacting to Fr. Corapi’s video message, it strikes me that a lot of people are doing neither themselves nor Fr. Corapi any good. Charity requires us to consider the good of others. I can’t see how the way some people are talking about Fr. Corapi does anyone any good.

We are in difficult times right now concerning ecclesiastical relationships. The Church has sustained horrible wounds because of her own churchmen and, during this time of healing, there are bound to be painful moments. When you receive a blow upon a bruise, the pain can be great. I suggest that we avoid poking the bruises are much as we can.

Given what I have been seeing and experiencing, I believe the verse many priests pray every night during Compline in the older form of the Office (Tuesday in the Liturgy of the Hours) is being realized in a particularly intense way right now:

“Be sober and vigilant: because your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is roaming around seeking whom he might devour. Strong in faith, resist him knowing that the same affliction befalls your brethren who are in the world. ” 1 Peter 5:8-9.

This is certainly the case in my life right now and I think it is also going on in the life of many priests and bishops who are on the more conservative side of things. The attack is on.

This is one reason why I have been earnestly asking the support of your prayers.

The enemy hates priests and bishops. Let me say that again. The enemy hates priests and bishops. When priests and bishops start making inroads, they will be attacked with intensity.

But priests and bishops remain men and remain sinners. We need the support of prayers especially regarding the primary goal of saving our souls. We must, for the love of God, help each other.

I will keep Fr. Corapi on my prayer list, and will remember him in a special way, hoping that through the help of the Holy Spirit, who bends the rigid and heals the broken and consoles those who are in pain, he will have some peace whether he is able to return to active ministry or not, whether he wants to or not. He is a priest forever and he is my brother in that indelible mark received from Christ the High priest. And because he is a priest forever, the devil will not relent in attacking him until he dies. Nor will the devil relent in attacking anyone who has authority over him.

It is what we signed up for, but sometimes it can be very hard.

Please remember, please, that all priests are human beings and subject to the afflictions of the world the flesh and the devil. If you look at them in some other way, you do them and yourselves a disservice.

In these difficult times, when we are seeing the and hearing the lion roaring around even more, I ask for your prayers for myself and for all the priests you know, whether they are in active ministry or they are for whatever reason not active, whether they have been exemplary according to how you think they ought to be, or whether they have made mistakes and are suffering the consequences.

They have immortal souls and they, like you dear lay people, are working out their eternal salvation with fear and trembling with the additional burden of knowing that they will be priests forever, in heaven or in hell. Ask St. john Vianney for help. And, since St. “Padre” Pio has been on my mind with increasing frequency lately, perhaps ask him as well.

Please don’t write to me anymore about Fr. Corapi. Please. Even though I didn’t know him, right now for me this is like a blow upon a bruise.

Please find it in your hearts to pray, daily and often, for priests.

Former La Crosse bishop holds high position in Catholic church in Rome

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Cardinal Raymond Burke said he thinks often about his humble upbringing in rural Wisconsin and where his Catholic faith has taken him during his lifetime.

"You just keep doing what you believe the Lord wants you to do, and who knows where it leads you eventually," Burke said during a recent interview in his Rome residence. "That's the only way I can describe it."

Burke, the former bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse, was elevated to the position of Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura in June 2008 - equivalent to chief justice of the Supreme Court of the Catholic church - and was named a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in November 2010. Burke is one of nine active U.S. cardinals and one of 179 cardinals in the world.

Burke, 62, was born in Richland Center and later moved with his family to Stratford. He was ordained a priest in 1975, was bishop of the La Crosse Diocese from 1994 to 2003 and later was archbishop of St. Louis from 2003 to 2008. Burke was active in rural life issues during his time in Wisconsin and often became embroiled in controversy because of his conservative positions. But he stood firmly by his stances and said he was simply sticking up for the values of the Catholic church.

In his new role as head of the Catholic church's highest tribunal, Burke makes decisions on specific cases and issues related to the laws of the church. He said it's not a glamorous job, but it's an important one. "It happens to be an aspect of the church that is not very pleasant, but it's an aspect of the church that someone has to deal with," Burke said. "I always say no one comes to our office who is happy, but when they leave, even if they don't get the decision they want, they leave with the knowledge that the highest authority in the church has examined their case and given them a decision. Even if they don't like it, at least they know they've done every-thing they could and they have a decision from the pope's highest tribunal."

Burke and a college of judges hear cases on Catholic church issues from throughout the world. The judges are all cardinals or ex-bishops. Burke is the only full-time judge in the tribunal. He sits in on every case unless he is personally involved with one of the parties. That hasn't happened in the three years he's held the position, Burke said. "The Mass and daily prayers have to be the center of your life, otherwise you would be crushed (by all of the issues)," Burke said. "You have to see it as a service of our Lord and his church.

"I always say it's a very humble service in the sense that it has none of the beauty of the sacred liturgy or the teaching of the faith, but yet it's essential because if the church doesn't respond to people with a just decision, how can you she talk about charity?"

Burke is no longer involved in rural life issues, although he continues to read and be concerned about issues such as large animal confinement, the health of food and the plight of small farmers. "All that is still very much in my heart, but I don't have the occasion to do anything directly," Burke said.

He begins an average day by saying Mass in his private chapel with the religious sisters who work for him. He has breakfast about 7 a.m. and walks about 40 minutes to work. The tribunal office is in the same place in Rome that it has been since the 1300s, Burke said. His job consists of a lot of reading, studying reports and writing, Burke said. He anticipates living and working in Italy for the rest of his life.

Burke said he returns to Wisconsin twice a year, once in the summer and a second time in early December. He said he tries to visit around the time of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12 and celebrate Mass at the shrine he helped create just outside La Crosse. "The shrine is one of the best things that God did while I was bishop of La Crosse," Burke said.

Burke said he doesn't have much occasion to work directly with Pope Benedict, although he and the other tribunal judges had a meeting with the pontiff in early February. As a cardinal under the age of 80, Burke would be eligible to vote the next time there is an election for a pope. Only the cardinals vote and only a cardinal can be elected pope.

He said he doesn't know if there will ever be a U.S.-born pope, but he believes it is possible. "I wouldn't anticipate it any time soon, but I think it could happen," he said. "We've had a Pole and a German. For 450 years it was always an Italian, and we presumed it would always be an Italian. But now that pattern is broken, and good cardinals readily think of a pope being from other parts of the world."

Burke said he can remember "as clearly as if it was yesterday" being a parishioner at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Richland Center and later attending Holy Cross Seminary in La Crosse. "It just all happened very quickly," Burke said.

He said his life in Rome is "quite different" than it was when he was a bishop, but yet he's just doing God's work in a unique way. "Here I try to serve the universal church, but I don't have a flock that's entrusted to my care as I did in La Crosse and St. Louis," he said. "I'm helping other bishops and dioceses, but I don't have my own diocese. It's quite a different life." Eau Claire Leader Telegram

Visitation and Funeral for Father Richard Hogan

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Visitation is scheduled from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday, June 19, at St. Raphael, 7301 Bass Lake Road, Crystal, and for one hour prior to the funeral Mass at 9:30 a.m. Monday, June 20.

Father Richard Hogan has died

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Eternal Rest Grant Unto Him, O Lord,
and Let Perpetual Light Shine Upon Him;
May His Soul, and All the Souls of the Faithful Departed,
Through the Mercy of God, Rest in Peace.
Amen.

Father Hogan died of complications relating to diabetes and a congenital liver problem.
In addition tot he information ini this obituary from the NFP Outreach page, Father Hogan was the nephew of Monsignor Richard Schuler, former pastor of St. Agnes in St. Paul, the man most responsible for preserving sacred church music after Vatican II, who died four years ago.

Rev. Richard M. Hogan was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on July 31, 1951, the oldest of six children. He attended Catholic grade school and high school, graduating summa cum laude from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul in 1973 with a B.A. in history. The next year was spent studying history at the University of Munich in Germany on a Fulbright grant. Returning to the Twin Cities, Fr. Hogan attended graduate school at the University of Minnesota earning a M.A. and Ph.D. in medieval history in 1975 and 1978 respectively. He was ordained a Roman Catholic priest for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 1981.

Since his ordination, he has authored three books on the theology of Pope John Paul II. The first two of these books were co-authored with his classmate, the Most Rev. John M. LeVoir, Bishop of New Ulm, MN. Fr. Hogan was one of the authors and editors of the Image of God series, a textbook program for use in Catholic religion programs for grade-school age children. In addition to this work, Fr. Hogan has been a pastor and served several parishes in the Twin Cities. He has been seen as a regular guest on EWTN and has a TV series called Theology of the Body.

EWTN's Q&A NFP Forum- Read NFP questions to Fr. Hogan & Fr. Habiger

Resources of Fr. Hogan (pdf)

NFP Resources from Fr. Hogan:

Father's new book: Theology of the Body: What It Means, Why It Matters

Grand Forks businessman gives up wealth to join religious order in North Dakota

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Dennis Narlock has cooked for Hollywood stars and built a well-known local catering business throughout the past three decades. But Narlock plans to walk away from his business and his cooking career at the end of the year. He says he will also give up his personal wealth and all his worldly possessions after joining a recently-established Catholic religious order in the Diocese of Fargo.

Dennis Narlock, owner of “A Taste of Magic,” in his lavishly furnished home that he is selling as part of his transition of moving into a Franciscan monastery.

Dennis Narlock has cooked for Hollywood stars and built a well-known local catering business throughout the past three decades.

But Narlock plans to walk away from his business and his cooking career at the end of the year. He says he will also give up his personal wealth and all his worldly possessions after joining a recently-established Catholic religious order in the Diocese of Fargo.

“We all have a calling in life to do something,” he said. “Sometimes, the call changes. You may be called to this at this point in your life, then things change in your life where you’re called to do something else.”

Narlock, who has also gone by the moniker Chef NarDane, will close his business, A Touch of Magic, once his lease in the Boardwalk building in downtown East Grand Forks expires at the end of the year.

A Touch of Magic will stay open for the rest of the year honoring all its booked events, but will not book any new events for next year.

Dan Stauss, who co-owns the building, said the space will continue to be used for banquets. Stauss said he has a new tenant lined up and improvements planned for the space. The downstairs Boardwalk Bar & Grill has opened a bar on the patio that it is operating Sundays through Thursdays and other times the catering business is not using the space.

Narlock, 46, is known in the community for his colorful personality and his expensive tastes in addition to his cooking prowess and successful catering business. He says members of the local business community and even some members of his own family have been surprised by his choice to give up everything he owns and the business he built in favor of a more simple life filled with prayer and religious service.

Narlock has moved into the former rectory at the St. Stanislaus Church near Warsaw, N.D., with two other candidates of the Third Order Franciscans of Mary Immaculate religious community and Father Joseph Christensen, who will lead the new order.

It is a bit more cramped than his former residence — a posh 2,432-square-foot, three-bedroom, four-bathroom townhome in south Grand Forks complete with an outdoor spa, waterfall and an outdoor kitchen that he has put on the market for $499,900, including expensive furnishings.

“I used to just love (my home and personal possessions),” he said as he stood in his gourmet kitchen overlooking a sunken living room featuring an ornate fireplace and dueling 300-gallon aquariums. “I still like nice things, but it’s different. This is all I used to think about, but when I experienced the joy of Christ and a deepening of my faith into religious life, everything else just falls aside and I don’t think of it in the same way. I’ve done the money and the fame and it doesn’t make me any happier.”

A year ago Narlock sold his boat and burgundy Hummer. He is beginning the process of giving up all his assets and possessions. Narlock will eventually take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

He said he doesn’t expect to have second thoughts about his drastic lifestyle change.

“When you become a friar, these are things you don’t get back,” Narlock said. “You go on faith. You don’t get a business back. You don’t wake up two years from now and decide, ‘Maybe this isn’t my calling.’”

Father Christensen, who has known Narlock for years, says he doesn’t doubt Narlock’s sincerity and believes he has the right attributes to help him get through the approximately five-year process to be fully accepted into the order and take his perpetual vows.

“Dennis is very spiritual, prayerful and talented,” Father Christensen said. “He is energetic, cooperative and has been very helpful in setting up the friary. I’m glad he’s with us. He is not a brother yet, but he has a fraternal spirit. He is very giving and I believe he will touch many hearts through his prayer and apostolic works.”

Narlock has moved into the new friary in the former rectory at St. Stanislaus, the church he attended while growing up on a farm near Oslo, Minn. He attends daily mass and prays together with the other members of the order. Until the end of the year he will continue working when necessary during the day, stopping a number of times throughout the day to pray before returning to the friary later in the day.

He says he is looking forward to next year when he will be able to be part of the order full time. The candidates and eventual brothers will spend four or more hours a day together praying and will become more familiar with the Catholic faith. While they will live together in the friary, they will also be active in the community, hosting a summer camp and teaching religious education at the parish.

Narlock, who started Denny’s Catering when he was 17, grew up helping his mother decorate and deliver cakes. He built a successful local catering business before branching out and cooking for Hollywood celebrities while running his local business.

Narlock’s office at A Touch of Magic and his home office are covered with framed photos featuring autographed messages to him from Hollywood stars he has cooked for like Elizabeth Taylor, Henry Winkler and Debbie Reynolds.

He says he wasn’t prepared for how to handle all the attention and notoriety he was receiving back home.

“I got a big head and became probably very arrogant at the time, not being used to the success,” Narlock said. “Being in the public eye it kind of got the best of me and I developed this attitude or arrogance.”

Narlock says he changed his professional name to Chef NarDane —a combination of the first three letters of his last name and his middle name Duane — to help shield himself from his public persona.

“I never got the sense that I was liked for me or my talents, I was liked for who I was cooking for,” he said. “That never sat well with me because that’s not the way I am.”

Although Narlock was living a glamorous life, rubbing elbows with famous people and accumulating personal wealth, he says something was missing.

A 2000 trip to Rome to present a designer cheesecake to Pope John Paul II caused Narlock to reflect more deeply upon his own faith. He says his mother’s death in 2006 also had a profound impact on his life.

“Him and mom were very close,” said Narlock’s sister, Janine Trowbridge. “They were like best friends. We all wanted to continue that connection. We all spent more time on our faith. We do believe that we will meet her again.”

Narlock began traveling internationally, visiting Catholic shrines and witnessing missionary work. He stopped working in Los Angeles and began teaching Sunday school.

Narlock says he also sought out Father Christensen and Father Gerard Braun of St. Michael’s Catholic Church, where he has been a parishioner, for advice.

He said he has been thinking of joining a religious order for some time. Narlock said the timing is right now with his lease expiring at the end of the year and hip problems that have played a smaller role in his decision to leave the rigors of his daily life.

By returning to St. Stanislaus, his childhood church, Narlock will also be surrounded with reminders of his mother, who developed a religious education program and restored statues and nativity scenes at the church.

After making the decision, Narlock says he has experienced “a deep inner peace.”

“I’ve noticed a change in Dennis,” Trowbridge said of her brother. “He doesn’t need the things he needed before. He doesn’t need the approval of others. He is confident in himself and he is happy.” Grand Forks Herald

Cristo Rey High School Changing Lives in Minneapolis

Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Minneapolis serves only low-income students with help from local businesses.

As the first graduates of Minneapolis' Cristo Rey Jesuit High School stood and prepared to turn their tassels, an unexpected guest joined them.

Ignoring calls for her to move or sit down, 62-year-old Maryan Abdi rose from her seat in the students-only section, pumping her fist in celebration.

"I was very happy and lost track of who they were asking about," Abdi said later through a Somali interpreter.

Minneapolis' Phillips neighborhood has long been a gateway for immigrant families, a place for them to call home in a foreign land.

Now, Cristo Rey, a private school tucked away two blocks off Lake Street, has provided an opportunity for many of their children and grandchildren: an affordable private school education.

Cristo Rey celebrated its first graduating class this weekend, sending off all 60 graduates to college or the military. More than half of the class members are the first members of their families to graduate from high school.

Abdi sneaked a seat behind the students to be near her granddaughter, Nasteho Ahmed, who will enroll at Augsburg College in the fall.

Whether the families hailed originally from Africa, Latin American, Asia or the United States, the cheers and tears of joy were universally understood.

"There was nothing but excitement, not just for my grandchild, but for all the children," Abdi said. "I saw that throughout the room."

Cristo Rey's goal of serving only low-income families is strictly enforced. For the initial class, 50 students didn't make it through the application process because their families earned too much money.

In Minneapolis, families pay $240 a month for 10 months to cover their part of the tuition bill.

Their children cover the remaining roughly 70 percent through Hire4Ed, a work-study program that allows them to work one day per week in school-sponsored jobs. The money they earn is paid directly to Cristo Rey from one of 75 participating businesses across the Twin Cities.

"This school is here because somebody loved, because somebody cared," said keynote speaker Immaculée Ilibagiza, a Tutsi Rwandan refugee and author who writes of her harrowing escape from genocide. "There will always be someone who's kind who will open the door for you."

Of the 60 Cristo Rey graduates, 56 will attend college, some as far away as California's Bay Area and Washington, D.C. The remaining four graduates plan to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps.

In fall 2007, the freshman class for the Twin Cities campus was more than 100 students strong. Many left on their own or couldn't manage the demands of one full day of work and four nine-hour school days.

Those who stuck with it clutched their coveted diploma covers Saturday, many of them walking away with higher aspirations than they had as freshmen.

"It won't stop here," advised student speaker Mariah Mendoza, who will attend Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. "We're going to continue to grow and show the world just how amazing we are."

The 268-student school has staff members and 60 juniors already looking forward to next June and the promise it holds for them and their families.

"The bar needs to be even higher," Cristo Rey Principal Jeb Myers said. "We've done a lot of good, but by no means are we resting." Star Tribune

"Colder by the Lake" - Duluth's National Anthem

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Knights of Columbus donate and volunteer in record numbers in 2010

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The Knights of Columbus has announced that charitable donations and volunteer service hours by its members set new all-time records in 2010, with over $154.6 million and 70 million volunteer hours dedicated to serving the Church and communities in need

“The Knights of Columbus significantly expanded its outreach to those in need last year, and will continue to do because of the economic problems facing so many people in our communities,” Supreme Knight Carl Anderson said. “Despite the fact that the economy has also created hardship for many of our own members, Knights have stepped up as never before to meet the needs of their neighbors. We have taken very seriously the fact that we are our brother’s keeper.”

Anderson announced the results of the Knights’ Annual Survey of Fraternal Activity for 2010. The $154.6 million given exceeds the previous year’s total by more than $3 million. It includes over $29 million donated by the Supreme Council and $125.5 million in contributions from the organization’s state and local affiliates.

Sixty percent of the contributions went to community-level projects, including youth activities. Large donations included a $1 million distribution to Food for Families program and $1 million for a relief effort in cooperation with Project Medishare to give prosthetics to Haitian children who lost limbs in the devastating January 2010 earthquake.

Volunteer hours increased by almost 800,000 over the 2009 total. Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics, and the Global Wheelchair mission particularly benefited from Knights of Columbus volunteers.

Members of the fraternal order also made 428,000 blood donations during 2010.

Over the past decade, the Knights of Columbus has donated $1.406 billion to charity and has provided more than 653 million hours of volunteer service.

The organization was founded by Fr. Michael J. McGivney in New Haven, Conn. in 1882. It is now the world’s largest lay Catholic organization, with 1.8 million members throughout North and Central America, the Philippines, the Caribbean and Poland. Catholic News Agency

You can read about the progress of the cause for the canonization of the Venerable Fr. McGivney, Here.

No real identity crisis in time of parish transition

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Father Paul Jarvis poses with parishioners following his installation Mass at Guardian Angels in Chaska in January 2008.

The French must have an expression for the awkward feeling of being known primarily by some association. Not by name or accomplishment, but through some relative: “Hey, you’re so-and-so’s brother, aren’t you?” Or known simply through some institution.

Believe me, I know the humbling feeling of being known largely by the parish I am assigned to. Just to make things easier for folks, I should refer to myself as “Guardian Angels’ pastor.”

Wherever I go around Carver County or the archdiocese, I know that following my introduction I’ll hear something like, “Oh, you’re from Guardian Angels Church. I’ve heard about that church. Lots of exciting things happening there! Doubled in size, I hear. You must feel privileged being assigned there, Father Pat.”

(My name’s Father Paul.) “Yes, I do.”

They typically smile. And then mention the annual basketball tournament at GA, or the AngelFest block party they danced at, or the beef and sausage dinner they came from miles away for, or the SayHey5K race they’re running in around Mayberry-like downtown Chaska on June 25 (register at http://www.GAchaska.org).

Those familiar with parochial schools will remember Guardian Angels School having two educators nationally recognized in the past seven years. And if they don’t know about them, they certainly know about GA School’s groundbreaking intercultural class linked with a school in Chile, thanks to Skype.

Nearly all mention the incredibly beautiful interior of the 1885 church — once referred to as the “Cathedral of the Valley” by German settlers. Southwest metro residents usually enthuse over a tour they went on in the Old Friary, one of the state’s oldest landmarks and a vestige of the century-plus Franciscan ministry in the Minnesota River Valley.

As they reveal what they know, I nod my head. And smile. It’s a well-practiced habit.

Valuable lesson

I’ll be frank. This being known by association reminds me of how I went through high school as “Mark’s younger brother” or “Anne’s older brother.”

To be honest, it’s been good for me as a continuing lesson in humility — a lesson started several years back with my mentor, friend and former rectorymate, Father Bob Cassidy, former pastor of Our Lady of Grace in Edina, and now of happy memory.

In my first year of priesthood, during a time when I think I was particularly full of myself for some minor parish project I’d overseen, Father Cassidy sat me down and set me straight.

“Let me give you some advice that’ll keep you sane, Paul,” he matter-of-factly intoned. “No matter where you’re assigned, or how well regarded you might become someday, you will be largely forgotten by parishioners within five years of reassignment or retirement. No doubt about it.”

I countered that he was still very much well-known and respected from his last assignment, to which he deadpanned: “It hasn’t been five years yet.”

Keeping focus

Being assigned to a super-engaged parish like Guardian Angels in Chaska is especially humbling as I ponder my re-assignment on July 1 to St. Joseph in Rosemount. Over the next few weeks, Guardian Angels parishioners are no doubt going to say pleasant and polite things about my pastoral experience at GA. There will be very nice cards given to me and a tribute or two.

But, truth be told, each and every one of them will know, not so deep down, that their parish’s incredible growth, welcoming hospitality, ministry success and collaborative spirit are really parishioners’ accomplishments, not any pastor’s.

As the years go by, and the parish grows from 1,000 to 1,500 households, veteran GA parishioners will remember me as: “You know, that guy who came before Father Doug Ebert. That bald guy — um, Father Bill.”

And in archdiocesan gatherings, I’ll hear: “You’re that priest who used to be at Guardian Angels. What are they up to now?”

Which is the way it really should be. Not just because it is true. Not just because it keeps a priest humble (someone who doesn’t have a wife or kids to straighten him out). Not just because it prevents the blurring of the line between a pastor’s and a parish’s identity (a surefire recipe for emotional confusion).

As Father Cassidy understood, it simply keeps the focus on who a parish is, and always has been, about: God. And parishioners.

There’s no telling how far God and parishioners will go when there’s no parish or pastor identity crisis.

Father Paul Jarvis is the soon-to-be former pastor of Guardian Angels in Chaska. Catholic Spirit

Ascension welcomes merging St. Philip parishioners

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St. Philip parishioners walk toward the Church of Ascension in Minneapolis following the last Mass at St. Philip June 5.

Parish sign on June 5: Church of St. Philip 1906-2011 105 years of blessings

It was fitting that Father Dale Korogi presided at the last Mass to be celebrated in St. Philip Church in Minneapolis on June 5, after the parish officially merged June 1 with Ascen­sion Church, just eight blocks away.

The merger of the 250-household parish with Ascension’s 650 households was first announced by the archdiocese April 30.

“These people helped raise me,” said Father Korogi, pastor of Christ the King in Min­nea­polis. “My mother grew up in this parish and I grew up in this parish.”

In recent years, many members of the once tight-knit Polish community, however, have dispersed to other parishes, cities and states.

“I’ve learned in my 50-some years that every death has a new life,” Father Korogi said. Although the closing of the church ends an era of Catholic life on that corner, he added, “What was built there won’t go away.”

Since his arrival at St. Philip several years ago, Father Jules Omba Omalanga has ministered to a growing community of fellow immigrants from French-speaking African countries who traveled to St. Philip from across the Twin Cities.

Dick Picquet has attended Mass at St. Philip for about three years. In addition to serving on the parish’s financial committee and parish council, he also has been the custodian for the church building, he said.

“It’s a neat church with a neat background,” Picquet said. “But the financial sustainability wasn’t there . . . for about 10 years.”

A parishioner from Ascension welcomes the St. Philip community June 5 as they arrive for a reception.

When the parish had a number of financial challenges earlier this year, parish leaders went to talk with the archdiocese, he said.

New plan for St. Philip

Father Peter Laird, archdiocesan vicar general, said St. Philip was not designated for structural change as part of the archdiocesan Strategic Plan announced last October, but soon after it came “on our radar screen as a parish that might also need to be merged.”

The strategic plan accounted for many needs and transitions taking place in the local church, “but we couldn’t see every eventuality,” he said. “It’s important to note that just a little more than a half-mile away is Ascension and a little more than one and one-half miles away is St. Bridget.”

The Catholic Church has always tried to respond to the distinctiveness of various communities of faith in ways that can be sustainable, Father Laird said. The Parish Services Team is currently working with the French-speaking African community, who gathered around Father Omba Omalan­ga at St. Leonard of Port Maurice and then at St. Philip, to set up a chaplaincy to serve them at St. William in Fridley.

If St. William becomes their worship site, the “Franco­phone” community would gather there for Sunday liturgies, much like the Filipino community that meets at Guardian Angels in Oakdale for a Mass in Tagalog.

“Father Jules will be half-time chaplain at North Memorial and half-time chaplain for this new chaplaincy for the French-speaking African community,” Father Laird said.

Father Michael O’Connell, Ascension pastor, blesses sacred items from St. Philip Church that were carried by parishioners during the procession to Ascension.

“But it will take some time for this to materialize.”

Committed to inner cities

The Catholic Church has always made a strong commitment to the inner cities of St. Paul and Min­nea­polis. In fact, there remain five Catholic parishes in north Minneapolis alone. However, in some areas, the “number and concentration of church buildings were really designed for another era and careful evaluation indicates in some cases the number of buildings may not be optimal for ministry today,” Father Laird said.

“Rather than duplicating weaknesses, we want to build on strengths,” Father Laird said. “The excellent work that Ascension is doing in that community is now enhanced by the gift of the St. Philip’s community who will choose to come and worship at Ascension.”

Patty Stromen, parish administrator at Ascension, said Father Michael O’Connell, pastor, wrote in a Sunday bulletin: “If we have one overarching message, it is welcome, welcome, welcome.”

Besides the reception Ascension hosted after the final St. Philip Mass, the parish will incorporate several of its neighbor’s ministries, such as the Kids Club summer program and the parish’s food shelf. Parishioners also are invited to take part in Ascen­sion’s liturgical ministry, garden ministry and tutoring at the school, Stromen said.

Space is also being sought at Ascension for St. Philip parishioners to reverence the large icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa that will be moved from the church.

“We are honoring the grief and loss of the parishioners of St. Philip, while welcoming them into the life of Church of the Ascension and the shared commitment to the neighborhood in which both churches exist,” Stromen said. Catholic Spirit

Diocese of Winona welcomes Raymond de Souza as Director of Evangelization and Catechesis

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Bishop John Quinn of Winona announced that Mr. Raymond de Souza will join the diocesan staff as Director of the Office of the New Evangelization and Apologetics. Last December, de Souza spoke at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Winona. He and the bishop began to talk about the new evangelization and about the growing need to prepare Catholics to explain and defend their faith. The conversations led to an invitation to join the staff and de Souza accepted. Because he has so many speaking engagements already planned in Africa, Europe and Australia over the next few months, de Souza will be a consultant. At some point in the future, he will become a full time member of the diocesan staff.

De Souza describes himself as "Brazilian by birth, Catholic by grace, Australian by choice." As an internationally renowned speaker, he has given over 3,000 talks on issues of apologetics and Catholic social teaching in countries on five continents. More information about his activities and ministry can be found at http://saintgabrielinternational.com. His programs on EWTN air on Mondays at 5 PM and Fridays at 9:30 AM. He is very active in the Knights of Columbus and welcomes the Knights’ support of the New Evangelization. He sees the Knights as potential leaders in the continuing struggle against de- Christianization. Raymond is married to Theresa, a Californian born on the fourth of July. Their marriage has been blessed with eight children. They moved from Australia back to the United States, and settled in Sugarloaf, Pa., five years ago.

Apologetics is a long respected ministry that presents a well-reasoned defense of the hope that is in us, of the faith we proclaim, of the charity we live. It has nothing to do with ‘apologizing’ for something we have done…! The tradition goes back to St. Justin Martyr in the second century. Catholic apologists focus on the importance of logic, consistency, kindness and courage in the affirmation of the faith. In this way, they show that the faith has real-life applications to modern day and temporal society.

To make his mission and ministry known in the diocese, de Souza has begun to meet with priests in their deanery meetings. Within a short time, he plans to bring his ministry to every parish in the diocese. de Souza does not stop with making presentations. He intends to form apologetic teams in every parish to energize and prepare Catholics to defend the truth as revealed to us by Jesus and found in the teachings of the Church. That is a challenge at a time when the world prefers to see everything in relative terms and to ignore the presence of evil. Pope Benedict XVI has identified relativism as a major challenge to the Gospel in today’s world, and de Souza intends to form an army to fight for truth. As he says, the goal is to put Logic at the service of the Faith throughout the diocese, and beyond!

Parishes, schools or youth groups interested in arranging for a visit by Raymond de Souza may contact his office at the Winona Pastoral Center (507) 858-1265, or at rdesouza@dow.org. Winona Courier

Raymond de Souza is a world class speaker and a world class Catholic. And Winona has him. More information about him may be found at some of his websites.

http://www.raymonddesouza.com/lifelines.htm

http://www.raymonddesouza.com/blog/

http://www.hli.org/index.php/about/hli-experts/885-hli-expert-raymond-de-souza

http://saintgabriel-international.com/list%20of%20seminars.htm

Join Raymond de Souza in this dynamic 45 minute presentation on "De-Christianization and the Catholic Counter-Revolution". The Popes are his starting point. History is his whiteboard. Catholic social teaching his guidelines.

This is one of Raymond's best talks.

Read the LifesiteNews.com cover article on this Talk.

Raymond analyzes the de-Christianizing process within the current economic, political and legislative crisis. From the genocidal failure of Communism to the abuses of liberal capitalism and the cultural anarchy of modern day, Raymond provides the feasible solutions of Catholic Action. Prayer, Study and Action. But which prayers? What to study? What to do? Raymond has answers. Don’t miss them.

WATCH THE FULL DVD ONLINE

Closing time for St. Philip's in North Minneapolis; and St. Andrew's in St. Paul

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St. Philip in north Minneapolis is among the congregations forced by demographics and finances to close down and merge.

After the Rev. Dale Korogi, left, declared St. Philip closed, members Cece Ryan, with the crucifix, and others marched to Ascension Church.

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Comforting each other with hugs as they wiped away tears, parishioners at north Minneapolis' Church of St. Philip, founded 100 years ago for Polish immigrants, celebrated their final mass Sunday "I just can't stop crying. It hurts so much," said Sharon Glover, who was among the 250 parishioners who stood outside the Roman Catholic church and watched its doors shuttered for good, their moods standing in sharp contrast to the bright, sunny day.

"I declare the church of St. Philip closed," the Rev. Dale Korogi said as congregants wept. The priest then led the group six blocks along Bryant Avenue N. to Church of the Ascension, with which St. Philip is merging because its congregation has shrunk so much that church leaders can't afford to keep it open. The solemn march was a foretaste of more goodbyes to come as the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis reorganizes amid tight budgets, shifting demographics and a projected shortage of priests.

Next to close will be St. Andrew in St. Paul, which will celebrate its final mass June 12 and merge with nearby Maternity of Mary. In all, 21 parishes are slated to fold into 14 "receiving" parishes as part of the reorganization plan. Of the 21, four parishes have appealed to the Vatican and await word on their fates.

Even for those not fighting mergers, they are painful. People become attached to their priest's preaching style, to the hymns they sing, to celebrating church feast days a certain way, even to their favorite pews. Dinners and other social events have been held to acclimate St. Andrew's parishioners to their new reality, said the Rev. Peter Williams, pastor for the merged parishes.

"There was a lot of raw emotion, a lot of grieving," he said. "There can be an awkward human quality to it because, remember ... the way this works in the Catholic Church is, they didn't, like, submit it to a vote -- 'do you want your church to close?'

"We're not necessarily happy about this. And that's OK. I've tried to respect that. People grieve in different ways and on different timetables."

The Rev. George Welzbacher is priest at the Church of St. John of St. Paul, where some congregants are appealing their merger with St. Pascal Baylon. "We do have a beautiful church, and in the merger, there would be very little if any use of our church building," he said. "I think people just feel sad. This beautiful building has many memories clinging to every part of it. They just felt, if there's anything we can do to delay it, let's do it."

Archdiocese pleased so far

Despite these challenges, archdiocese officials say they've been pleased with the reorganization. So far, at least one church, St. Benedict in New Prague, has closed. Four parish mergers were officially sanctioned by the archdiocese Jan. 1, with more expected in July. Barring successful appeals to the Vatican, all the mergers are projected to be complete by 2013, said Andrew Eisenzimmer, legal counsel for the archdiocese. Across the country, many dioceses are going through similar reorganizations, in some cases pushing parishioners to take drastic steps to keep their churches from closing. When the Boston archdiocese reorganized several years ago, some parishioners held 24-hour sit-ins in churches.

"From our standpoint, it's been a far smoother process than we anticipated," Eisenzimmer said. "When you saw what happened in other dioceses ... we certainly haven't seen that kind of action."

The next steps for St. Philip and St. Andrew involve working with real estate company Northmarq. Although neither church is on the market, Williams said there has been interest in St. Andrew's building from groups who want to use it for worship services. The archdiocese would have to approve any sale or lease and won't allow deals that would have churches end up as bars or the like.

Of the 21 churches slated to merge, six are in St. Paul and five in Minneapolis. The rest are in suburbs, exurbs or small towns. While the archdiocese has grown to nearly 800,000 members in the past decade, officials say a number of parishes and school buildings are grouped in areas where the population can no longer sustain more than one parish or school. The archdiocese also expects to have fewer priests eligible to serve by 2020.

The reorganization plan also looked at the viability of the archdiocese's schools; four are scheduled to close at the end of this school year. Beginning next fall, there will be 94 Catholic schools within the archdiocese with close to 30,000 students.

A decade of financial struggle

St. Philip's parish was not among the 21 parishes on the merger list, but the church told archdiocese officials last year that it couldn't financially sustain itself. Its congregation has dwindled to about 250 registered households. Because the church offered community outreach programs -- such as an after-school program and a monthly food shelf initiative -- the archdiocese wanted St. Philip to hang on as long as it could, said Nancy Meyer, the parish's finance committee chairwoman.

"It's been a decade of financial duress this community has struggled with," she said. "It's in a really impoverished neighborhood. There's a small group of people who attend church who live in the area. But most people are commuting from suburbs to attend the church."

Established in 1906, the church served Polish immigrants until the 1950s and now is home to mostly French-speaking immigrants from the Congo, Cameroon and Nigeria. That diversity is what kept Meyer, her husband and her daughter, 9, attending the past three years. For her, losing that is the hardest part.

"It's tragic, really tragic, because out of all the communities, this was the one that's really important to our future, embracing all people for who they are," Meyer said, breaking down in tears. "We're just a real eclectic group, and that's hard to find in Minnesota."

After St. Philip's procession, parishioners were welcomed by Ascension church leaders and congregants, who hosted an outdoor reception for them.

"The process of leave-taking is a difficult one, filled with grief," said Patty Stromen, parish administrator at Ascension. "It is so important that we honor and draw a fitting close to the rich legacy of St. Philip parish while at the same time looking forward to a future full of hope."

StarTribune

Prayers requested for Fr Richard Hogan who has been hospitalized for diabetes and liver problems!

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Fr. Richard Hogan, pastor of St. Raphael's in Crystal, has been hospitalized in the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis for complications relating to diabetes and subsequent liver problems.

Your prayers are urgently requested!

Fr. Hogan has been seen frequently on EWTN and has been active in Theology of the Body promotion and is the author of several books.

The New Roman Missal: Challenge & Opportunity (Commentary)

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A couple of days ago I posted here links to five short videos by Jesuit Father John Baldovin, entitled The New Roman Missal: Challenge & Opportunity. They are a presentation explaining the historical background of the Roman Missal we will be using in Advent, with a brief overview of the changes in this translation along with some ideas for faithful ministers of the church to engage this new translation responsibly and use it as well as possible.

The last part, Part III, entitled Examination of Conscience, 12 minutes long, is a direct challenge to every bishop, priest and seminarian, all of whom should be required to watch it every time they go to Confession and to confess those sins discussed by Father Baldovin:

1. Have I prepared liturgically?
2. Have I prepared spiritually? Prayers before celebrating the Mass.
3. Have I considered the necessity of balancing the horizontal and the vertical elements of the liturgy?
4. In what ways do I make myself the center of the liturgy?
5. How well do I know the Roman Missal? When was the last time that I looked at the General Instruction on the Roman Missal?

In my opinion, these five points cover every liturgical abuse ever committed (except those committed by the laity who don’t go to Communion in the state of grace).

From Sacramentary to Roman Missal; a Presentation by Bishop Blase Cupich to the Priests of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, FL

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Last October, Bishop Blase Cupich, then of Rapid City, now of Spokane, gave a presentation to the priests of the Diocese of St. Petersburg on the new Roman Missal that will be used by the Church beginning with the First Sunday of Advent this Fall. Bishop Cupich is an old friend of St. Peterburg's Bishop Robert Lynch. The presentation was recorded as three videos.

From Sacramentary to Roman Missal

Part 1 - 57' 21" -- Introduction. History of the use of language of the Roman Missal and the timeline between 1965 and 2011. And the reasons for the need for the changes in this third Roman Missal since Vatican II. Some talk about the difficulties of gaining agreement among all the countries of the English speaking countries.

Part 2 - 46' 45" -- The parts of the people and illustrates the differences and rationale in the new translation of the Roman Missal Lots of questions on why certain words and phrases were or weren't used.

Some talk at about the 35' mark on the proper use of deviations from the Roman Missal text. Most significantly, not all prayers of the Mass will appear in the Roman Missal. For example, there are approved prayers for children's liturgies not in the missal. Specific parts of the Mass there were mentioned as being appropriate for "deviation" would be at the beginning, and at the introduction to the Our Father.

At the very end, the subject of rubrics, the priest's movements, were brought up. Should the priest, after the Consecration "elevate" high the Host and the Chalice, offering it to God?" No, the Latin words is "ostende", for "showing" it to the people; so they need not be raised high if the priest is facing the people.

Many Catholic take great offense when they hear the celebrant of the Mass deviating from what we are reading in our missalette. So it seems that some deviations are permitted. This looks to be a good research project for somebody.

Part 3 - 45' 59" -- Looking specifically at the orations and prayers of the priest in the new translation of the Roman Missal. Lots of questions on why certain words and phrases were or weren't used. Mostly translation and grammar issues. This part is probably the least interesting for a layperson.

Here's a blog comment by Bishop Lynch on the reaction of his priests, 247 of whom, out of 261, were in attendance.

Physician sees profit motive behind Planned Parenthood's S. Dakota lawsuit

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Planned Parenthood is suing the state of South Dakota, saying its new abortion law threatens women's privacy and free speech. The co-founder of a South Dakota crisis pregnancy center says the real threat is to abortion provider's business model, which relies on women being coerced into abortion.

“A woman who's being asked to destroy her unborn child with a 72-hour waiting period – a time to learn all about what this procedure is, to think about it, and to get as much information as possible – is a major threat to Planned Parenthood, because it's going to affect their bottom line,” said Dr. Allen Unruh, a physician who founded the Alpha Center with his wife Leslee in 1984.

Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit on May 27 with the U.S. District Court in Sioux Falls, seeking to block the July 1 implementation of the abortion bill that was signed into law on March 22.

The statute requires women to wait three days before having an abortion, and to receive medical information about the procedure along with information about alternatives.

A doctor must also certify that the woman is seeking an abortion voluntarily, rather than being coerced by someone else.

Dr. Unruh, who studied abortion for a state task force in 2005, said that Planned Parenthood maintains willful ignorance about the majority of women who have abortions against their will.

The threats often come from a boyfriend, husband, parent, or other party.

“The task force revealed it was 65 percent,” Dr. Unruh told CNA in a May 31 interview. “Planned Parenthood admitted under oath that they don't have anybody who has any training, of any kind, in counseling to determine when a woman's being coerced.”

Sarah Stoesz, president and CEO for Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota said that South Dakota's new law “goes farther than any other in the country in intruding on the doctor-patient relationship and putting women and families at risk.” [See More]
Catholic News Agency

Video Series Offers Historical Insights and Changes in the New Translation of the Roman Missal

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Video Series Offers Historical Insights and Changes in the New Translation of the Roman Missal

To help Jesuits throughout the U.S. to prepare for the new translation of the Roman Missal, Jesuit Father John Baldovin, Professor of Historical & Liturgical Theology at Boston College’s School of Theology and Ministry, was asked to give a presentation explaining the historical background of the Roman Missal, with a brief overview of the changes in this translation along with some ideas for faithful ministers of the church to engage this new translation responsibly and use it as well as possible. His video presentation, The New Roman Missal: Challenge & Opportunity, appears in five parts below.

Part Ia: History of a Translation 14' 37"
The Roman Missal is the book containing the prescribed prayers, chants and instructions for the celebration of Mass in the Roman Catholic Church. Published first in Latin under the title Missale Romanum, the text is then translated and is published in modern languages for use in local churches throughout the world. In this video, Fr. John Baldovin, SJ, gives a background on the history of the translations, their implications and how we got to the latest translation of the Missale Romanum soon to be implemented in United States parishes in November 2011.

Part Ib: History of a Translation (Cont.) 7' 24"
Part Ia continues in this video piece.

Part IIa: Exploring the New Translation 11' 57"
In this video, Fr. John Baldovin, SJ, explains some of the most important changes occurring in this new translation of the Roman Missal including some of the well-known responses and acclamations of the people and updated translations of existing prayers.

Part IIb: Exploring the New Translation (Cont.) 12' 00"
Part IIa continues in this video piece.

Part III: Examination of Conscience 11' 45"
In this video, Fr. John Baldovin, SJ, encourages Jesuits to consider their own habits as they preside and celebrate the Sacred Liturgy with this new translation and to consider an examination of conscience as they prepare to use and engage with this new text.

This last part is a direct challenge to every bishop, priest and seminarian, all of whom should be required to watch it every time they go to Confession and to confess those sins discussed by Father Baldovin:

1. Have I prepared liturgically?
2. Have I prepared spiritually? Prayers before celebrating the Mass.
3. Have I considered the necessity of balancing the horizontal and the vertical elements of the liturgy?
4. In what ways do I make myself the center of the liturgy?
5. How well do I know the Roman Missal? When was the last time that I looked at the General Instruction on the Roman Missal?

In my opinion, these five points cover every liturgical abuse ever committed (except those committed by the laity who don’t go to Communion in the state of grace).

National Jesuit News.org H/T to the PrayTell blog