Do You Know What An Apologist Does?

An Apologist Doesn't Apologize for the Church's Actions.

An Apologist Defends the Faith of the Catholic Church and its Interpretation of Holy Scripture!

Would You Like to Become a Good Apologist?

John Martignoni at the Bible Christian Society is an apologist and has a free newsletter that gives instructions on how to be a better apologist when you feel called upon to defend the Church when you hear someone say or write something that is incorrect.

John's instruction system makes a lot of sense. He prints a question that he has received; then he explains how a question like that should be handled; and then then he gives his answer. If you would like to be better able to speak confidently about your Catholic faith, why not visit John's web site and subscribe to his newsletter. He also has audio tapes that he will send you for free (he will accept a free will offering, though).

Here is an example of the information he sent in today's newsletter:

Introduction

This email came to me from the folks at EWTN. I am the "official" apologist for Life on the Rock and every so often they send me some of the questions they get in from viewers. The email below is one of those questions. I replied, obviously, but have not yet received a return reply to my email. If I get one in the next few days, that will be Issue #10. If I don't hear from her, I'll run with something else.

Her email is short, so I'm putting it in its entirety at the outset, and then I'll divide it up and put my responses in the gaps.

Challenge/Response/Strategy

Hello,

Thank you for reading my question.

Why doesn't the Catholic Church do the alter call to have people accept the Lord Jesus as their Lord and Savior since it says that you must make this declaration to be Born Again?

I see my sister Ellen and her husband going to church Sunday after Sunday with no clue to this...and know that they will not go to Heaven unless they receive the Lord with the prayer and that they must repent from their sin. I have had my sister become saved but haven't been able to approach my brother in law as of yet.

Isn't this absence doing a dis-service to the people?

Thank you...

Karen

Hello Karen!

My name is John Martignoni. I'm the "official apologist" for the Life on the Rock program...which is just a fancy title that means I'm the guy that answers a lot of the questions that come in.

There are a lot of misperceptions and misunderstandings out there about the Catholic Church and Catholic teaching, and I thank you for giving me the opportunity to clear up some of them. I'll take your questions one at a time, and I also have a few questions for you that I hope you can answer for me. Your questions will be in typewriter style font:

Strategy: Letting her know up front that there are a lot of misunderstandings and misperceptions about Catholic teaching...and the clear implication being that she's bought into some of them, and that there isn't really a problem with Catholic teaching, when properly understood and practiced.

Also, letting her know that I'm more than happy to answer her questions, but that I've got a few of my own for her. Practicing the "Being (Aw)fensive Without Being (Uh)fensive" strategy...asking questions of the person you're dealing with and getting them to defend their position.

Why doesn't the Catholic Church do the alter call to have people accept the Lord Jesus as their Lord and Savior since it says that you must make this declaration to be Born Again?

The Catholic Church does indeed, in a sense, make an altar call at every Mass. When people approach the altar to receive Communion, they are indeed accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, as they accept His body and blood into their bodies. Jesus says in John 6, verses 51 and following, that unless you eat His flesh and drink His blood, you have no life in you. If you eat His flesh and drink His blood, you will have eternal life He says, and He will raise you up at the last day.

He repeats Himself on this matter like He does nowhere else in Scripture. Catholics take Jesus' words literally...we believe what He says. That is why we believe we receive His actual body and blood during Communion (or the Lord's Supper as you might call it). I won't go into this any further here, but if you have questions on this, please do not hesitate to ask.

My question to you, however, is where does it say that someone must make a declaration in which they "accept the Lord Jesus as their Lord and Savior" in order to be Born Again? Nowhere does the Bible say that. In fact, the Bible says that one is born again by being baptized. John 3:3-5 says that unless one is born of water and the Spirit (baptism) one cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. And it is through water and the Spirit that one is born again. All Catholics, by virtue of their baptism, are Born Again Christians. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that one shouldn't make a declaration of Jesus being their Lord and Savior, but the Bible does not say that one is "born again" by making a verbal declaration of acceptance of Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. And, I assume you want to go by what the Bible says don't you?

Strategy: Explaining Catholic teaching using some of her own terminology..."altar call." Whenever you can use the other guy's terminology to explain something about the Catholic Faith, have at it. And, whenever you can, throw in a Scripture verse or two to back up what the Church teaches. And, I usually try to present the verse in a way that I'm assuming it should be obvious to anyone who reads it that it presents exactly what the Catholic Church teaches. For example, John 6...eat my flesh and drink my blood. "Mr. or Ms. Protestant, it's pretty straightforward and obvious that verse teaches exactly what the Catholic Church teaches."

I don't go into John 6 more deeply at this point, because I don't want to overload her. I'm hoping she'll respond and then I can draw this out a little bit, or a lot, more.

So, I answer her question, using her terminology and Scripture, and then I ask her a question based on what she had said. The question basically is, "Where is that in the Bible?" Which is the #1 question Catholics get. We need to ask that question even more often than we hear it. She won't be able to give me an answer, because it's not in the Bible.

I see my sister and her husband going to church Sunday after Sunday with no clue to this...and know that they will not go to Heaven unless they recieve the Lord with the prayer and that they must repent from their sin. I have had my sister become saved but haven't been able to approach my brother in law as of yet.

Where in the Bible does it say that someone will not go to Heaven unless they pray a certain prayer? You cannot give me a single verse of the Bible that says that.

Yes, people must repent of their sin to go to Heaven. Does your sister or her husband ever go to Confession? Have you asked them? Confession, or Reconciliation (being reconciled to God), is one of the 7 Sacraments of the Catholic Church. So, yes, it is necessary for your sister and her husband to repent of and confess their sins. But, it is also necessary for them to forgive others (Matthew 6); to do the Father's will (Matthew 7); to keep the Commandments (Matthew 19); to feed the hungry and clothe the naked (Matthew 25); to love others (1 John); to care for their family (1 Tim 5); to strive for holiness (Hebrews 12:14); to do good works (Romans 2); to eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man (John 6); to be baptized (John 3 and 1 Peter 1:20-21), and so on.

It is vitally important to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ for us as Catholics, but saying one little prayer does not necessarily establish a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That's why we have the Sacraments, and all the other things that we have in the Catholic Faith...it's all about bringing us closer to Christ. It's all about preparing our bodies and souls so that Jesus can be formed within us. And, there is no more personal relationship that one can have with Christ than to receive Him in the Eucharist (Communion). It is even more intimate and more personal than anything that occurs between husband and wife in a marriage.


Strategy: One's first response might be, "Who are you to judge your sister and her husband as ready for Hell?" But, resist the urge to chastise and simply do your best to explain and engage.

Again I ask, "Where is that in the Bible?" Don't let folks present things as biblical "facts" without asking them exactly where that is in the Bible. And, when they answer, make sure to read the verse or verses they give you and match it to what they are saying...usually the two don't match up. Make sure to point that out. For example, someone might say that Romans 3:28 teaches salvation by faith alone. Well, it says we are saved by faith, but that word "alone" isn't to be found anywhere in that passage. Big difference between being saved by faith and being saved by faith alone.

I agree with her about confession of sin, but then take her even further into Catholic teaching about faith and works both playing a role in one's salvation, although I don't directly say that, but I simply give her Scripture passages which back up what the Church teaches on that.

Finally, don't be afraid of embracing the phrase, "personal relationship with Jesus." But, make it mean something much deeper than what most Protestants think it means by bringing in the Eucharist.

Isn't this absence doing a dis-service to the people?

Again, there is no absence in the Catholic Church in regards to bringing people to Christ. Everything in the Church is about bringing people to Christ. When your sister and brother-in-law receive Communion, they are accepting Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, even if they have never said some sort of sinner's prayer.

Now, it is entirely possible that they are going to church every Sunday and not living lives that are pleasing to Christ...in other words, they could be on the path to Hell, but that is not the Church's fault. Again, everything in the Church is designed to foster one's relationship with Christ and His Body, the Church. If one ignores what the Catholic Faith offers, it is their fault, not the Church's.

And I would ask you to look into the Catholic Faith a little more deeply than you have. You are making assumptions about the Catholic Church that are based on a lack of knowledge about the Church. I'm not asking you to convert tomorrow, but I am asking you, out of a sense of fairness, that before you speak about the Church, you know something about the Church. Again, there are a lot of misperceptions and misunderstandings out there about the Catholic Faith. I always tell people that if you want to disagree with what I believe...fine. But, please disagree with what I really believe, and not with what someone has told you I believe. I think all of us, as Christians, have a duty and responsibility to treat differing faith traditions with honesty and respect.

Again, if you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Strategy: Explain and challenge.

God bless!

John Martignoni

Born Again Christian

Strategy: Never let someone claim for themselves a title that can be properly claimed by Catholics. Born Again Christian. Bible Christian. Member of the Church of Christ. Etc.

In Conclusion

Please share this newsletter with your friends, fellow parishioners, co-workers, etc. And please let them know that they can sign up for the newsletter by going to our website: www.biblechristiansociety.com and clicking on the "Newsletter" page.

One more thing, in addition to all of the free apologetics tapes and CD's that are available at the website, we now have free downloads of all of our talks available. Onward and upward!

And, as always, we appreciate any and all feedback regarding this newsletter. I may not have the time to answer your email, but it will be read and taken into consideration.

"rome-ing catholics" -- another Minnesota Blogger who has been busy recently

Terry at rome-ing catholics has posted a lot in the past few days. Check out his items on: a Father Welzbacher "Pastor's Notes" in the St Agnes bulletin on Islamic-Christian history; West St Paul's Net Ministries, a youth apostolate that evangelizes all over the country; "Romanian orphans, where are they today"'; and a number of items on some Twentieth Century martyrs. Put the coffee pot on before you sit down.

"The Church and Bus Wrecks"

AbecedariusRex at the Primary Educators League discusses the TAT program and various complications:

Lately there have been many comparisons drawn between the Talking About Touching program's abuse prevention section and the other safety sections in the same program. Indeed, why isn't sex-abuse prevention exactly like teaching street crossing safety or bus safety or open safety blade safety? The answer to such scintillating questions lies beyond my power as a miserable teacher of philosophy. However, I would pose a counter question.

The nature of Catholic education has always purported to be the leading of souls to comprehend the reality of the Divine world such that they might have the tools to respond to that world's reality in their lives. In essence, Catholic education is distinct from every other educational system in that it seeks to make people holy, not just well trained widget turners. Consequently, one might wonder whether training in bathroom safety or fire escape safety is essential to a Catholic education. Such training might not be very Catholic at all, but it might be real, or so some have said. Nevertheless, such courses seem extraneous to the nature of Catholic education. [snip]
Read More

Are Mormons Christians?

Thomas at the Epiphany blog discusses Mormon baptisms and whether or not they are considered to be valid by Rome. It's more complicated than you might think.

"bearing blog" Where There's Always Something Interesting to Learn

Erin at bearing blog seems to log a lot of profitable surfing time each day and she shares it with her visitors.

Right now she's got three quite interesting items up there:
1. A piece on what does "laiciczation" mean with respect to the priests in the Catholic Church
2. An item on "Islamophobia", something quite relevant these days
3. I betcha ya never heard of "The Texan War Cry!" Well, this and some other trivia about the Star Spangled Banner (our national anthem only since 1931).

Minnesota Senate to Debate Abortion as End of Session Nears

Without much public discussion, the abortion debate has crept into this year's end-of-session legislative drama, a battle that Minnesota lawmakers on both sides of the issue have been preparing for for weeks.

In its budget bill, the House approved two powerful anti-abortion measures. One of them challenges a 1995 Minnesota Supreme Court ruling mandating the state to pay for low-income women's abortions.

The two anti-abortion measures were expected to appear on the Senate floor Monday and again Wednesday, but at the last moment Senate leaders pulled human services legislation from the agendaand avoided the debate. [Snip] St Paul Pioneer Press

St Thomas Policy Not Biased

The Catholic Church is not a democratic institution. Absolute moral definition is part of its appeal. For the University of St. Thomas to be a faithful Catholic institution, adherence to the teaching of the church is a moral requirement. One writer claims: "Who's to say what's moral and what's not?" The short answer is "The church." One need not accept that, but to be a faithful Catholic one must.

A second writer claims, "The university must change its discriminatory policies." There is no discrimination in St. Thomas' policy. All people are treated the same. If you want to travel on the university's nickel, abide by the teaching of the church.

Lastly, there is no conflict between accepting the authority of the church and, as a third writer put it, "to learn about the gifts of individuality, intellect, reason, diversity and compassion."

Unless the exploration of "these gifts" is done with the discipline of adherence to God's teaching, it is, in the words of Robert Frost, "like playing tennis without a net."

PAT PHILLIPS
Letter from the Catholic Defense League published in the St Paul Pioneer Press

MCCL is the Most Powerful Interest Group at the Minnesota State Legislature

Don?t tell the Taxpayers League of Minnesota, but the most powerful interest group in Minnesota politics is Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL). For decades, the group has successfully determined who will be candidates, and rewarded its friends and punished its enemies. At the Legislature, for better or for worse, when the MCCL decides it wants something, pro life legislators almost always comply.

The MCCL has now decided it really wants its "Abortion Regulation Act," which would require more data on judicial rulings relating to minors sidestepping the parental notification law and require doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. Most controversial of all, the proposed act would reverse Doe v. Gomez, the 1995 Minnesota Supreme Court case which requires that state health programs for the poor must pay for abortions like other medical procedures. [Snip]
Politics in Minnesota -- The Minnesota Public Affairs News Service -- has a Weekly Report newsletter that is normally available by subscription only. They now let people view past issues certainly in the hopes that they might subscribe. It is a very good newsletter.

Racial Diversity is Difficult to Come by at St John's -- St Ben's in Collegeville

Almost 50 percent of the students enrolled in fall 2005 at the College of Saint Benedict (CSB) and Saint John’s University (SJU), two single-sex schools located six miles apart in Collegeville, Minnesota, near St. Cloud, were new or first-generation students. Most of them, however, were also White.

The number of Black undergraduate students at both CSB and SJU over a 10-year period from 1995-2005 barely totaled in the teens. Of the 2,045 women enrolled in CSB last fall, 17 are Black; 13 of 1,875 males enrolled at SJU are Black. The total minority undergraduate student population (Black, Asian, Hispanic and Native American) is currently 4.7 percent at CSB and 4.1 percent at SJU.

“We’ve always been committed to being a welcoming community and a diverse community,” asserts CSB President Mary Ann Baenninger. “In the past, our efforts have been more directed at issues of numbers. But we’ve found that that is not enough.”
[snip]
Although pleased with how the student population slowly is becoming more diverse, Baenninger, the two-year CSB president, admits, “Having diversity on our staff is more of a struggle. From the day I arrived, this has been a driving goal of mine. Our faculty is fairly diverse for where we are in central Minnesota, but in terms of our support staff and other professional staff, it’s more difficult to attract a diverse group of staff.”
[snip] Read More in the Minneapolis Spokesman-Recorder

Dedicated Teacher Has Taught 2,500+ First Communicants -- And Isn't Stopping Yet!

The next time you’re at Mass when children are making their first Communion, you might want to say a little prayer of thanks for the dedicated teachers and volunteers who make the moment possible.

Janel Boegeman of St. Michael in Prior Lake is one of those dedicated teachers. Over the course of more than 20 years, Boegeman estimates she’s worked with some 2,500 children, including children of children she first instructed in her early years as a teacher. This year, she helped prepare about 180 students, mostly second-graders, for the sacrament. [snip] The Catholic Spirit

St Paul Science Museum Exhibit Showing Real Human Bodies, Turned To Plastic

University of St. Thomas biochemistry student Christina Bye did not expect to walk into a display of plastinated humans and be greeted by the Psalms.
[snip]
For starters, there is the general discomfort with publicly displaying human remains. Many have questioned whether this kind of exhibit is sensational or keeping with the dignity of the human person. Others are concerned about whether those who donated their bodies gave proper consent.
[snip] - Read More in The Catholic Spirit

Just What is a Jesuit High School Like Anyway?

It's been reported here and elsewhere in the past couple of weeks that there are plan to construct a Jesuit High School in South Minneapolis in the next couple of years. It's probably been over 100 years since the Jesuits have taught school in Minnesota. Welcome Back.

But is a Jesuit High School any different from any Catholic or Private High School that we have been accustomed to here?

Amy Welborn, in her always interesting blog, Open Book, always on top of the situation, links to an article in the Jesuit magazine, America, today that discusses this question.

Refuting The Da Vinci Code: The Official Unexpurgated Opus Dei Catechism

The Da Vinci Code is only a novel. It is not a source of serious information, but it does raise some serious questions.

1. Was Jesus Christ really married?
2. Did the Church really create the New Testament?
3. Is sex really meant to be holy?
4. Did Jesus Christ really leave descendents?
5. Is our culture really missing a figure of female sanctity?
6. Should we really pray over the bones of Mary Magdalen?
7. Does a Holy Grail really exist?
8. Did a woman’s womb really carry the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

See the Answers to these Official Opus Dei Catechism Questions, by Father John Wauck, Here

St Albert the Great Rummage Sale; S. Minneapolis

2836 33rd Ave S, Minneapolis

With Geography, Visitation Students Get Way to Map the World

[snip] For the sixth-graders at Visitation School, a Catholic K-8 school in south Minneapolis, however, the National Geographic survey would have been a piece of cake. These 11- and 12-year-olds know the world -- from Andorra to Zaire -- like the back of their hand. I know: Five years ago, my daughter was one of them.

Visitation's secret is a geography curriculum called Mapping the World by Heart. The kids study the world, continent by continent, all year. By May, they know how the nations fit together -- their relative sizes and locations, which countries share borders, which are land-locked, which have seaports. As a grand finale, they each draw a world map freehand on a large, blank sheet of paper. They label 180 nations and islands, and add correct latitude and longitude lines from memory. [snip] StarTribune

Refuting The Da Vinci Code: Workshops

"The Da Vinci Deception" presented at St Pius X: Wednesday, May 10, 7 to 9 p.m. at 3878 Highland Ave., White Bear Lake. Presentation is titled "The Da Vinci Code and the Bible." Discussion follows.

"The Da Vinci Code: Fact or Fiction?" at Nativity: Monday May 15, 7 to 9 p.m. at 324 Prior Ave. S., St Paul. A panel will help to answer questions about the book. A $5 donation is requested. (651) 696-5401

The St. Anthony Retreat Center in Marathon, Wis., is inviting any interested persons to attend a discussion of the book "The Da Vinci Code," as preparation for viewing the movie that is being released May 19. This discussion, led by Fr. Marty Pable, will be Thursday, May 11, 7-9 p.m. People of all faiths welcomed. There is no cost but a freewill offering will be taken.

St Olaf Holy Name Society Meets This Saturday May 13

Holy Family Adoption Agency Holding a Garage Sale May 24-25

Spring Garage Sale at the Anoka County Fairgrounds (Ferry Street) on Wednesday, Mary 24^th from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm and Thursday, May 25^th from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Items to be donated can be dropped off on Monday, May 22^nd from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm. Furniture only with prior approval. Volunteers are needed. For additional information, call Gerrie Soine at 763-421-8917 or 651-298-0133. Catholic NewsNet

Refuting The DVC Claims: How Many Witches Were Killed?

Amy Welborn at Open Book has a nice link to an article from the Atlantic magazine that clears up the preposterous claims of the number of witches killed by the Church in history:

[snip] Most scholars today believe that the actual number of executions is in the neighborhood of 40,000. The most thorough recent study of historical witchcraft is Witches and Neighbors (1996), by Robin Briggs, a historian at Oxford University. Briggs pored over the documents of European witch trials and concluded that most of them took place during a relatively short period, 1550 to 1630, and were largely confined to parts of present-day France, Switzerland, and Germany that were already racked by the religious and political turmoil of the Reformation. [snip]

Pilgrimage Site O' the Day: McCabe Renewal Center, Duluth

McCabe Renewal Center
Duluth

Traditional Latin Mass At St Michael's in St Michael

Saturday, May 13, 4:30 p.m. in the Historic Church
Father Francis Pouliot will be the celebrant.
Sponsored by the Historic Church of St. Michael Preservation Committee

Here's a link to the Historic Church:

Vatican Cardinal Amato Suggests Boycotting The Da Vinci Code

Catholics should consider boycotting the film “The Da Vinci Code” as one way to let the world know the story offends and defames the church, said Archbishop Angelo Amato, secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

If the kind of “slander, offenses and errors” contained in Dan Brown’s best-selling book and the film based on it had been written about “the Quran or the Shoah (the Holocaust), they rightly would have provoked a worldwide uprising,” the archbishop told Catholic communications directors. Read More in The Catholic Spirit

Anti-poverty panel gives the poor a voice

As the usual government agencies, nonprofits, schools and faith-based groups put their heads together Wednesday at an all-day workshop addressing ways to help the poor, they got company from [Don] Oden and about a dozen other "low-income fellows" who spoke with authority.

Oden's table included people like Earl Schwartz, a Hamline University religion professor, and Gerald McLemore, an ex-felon and member of the X Committee, a St. Paul coalition for the homeless.

Community Action Partnership of Ramsey and Washington Counties convened the event, which drew about 100 participants to St. Pascal's Catholic Church on St. Paul's East Side. A similar workshop was held in January.[snip] Read More in the Pioneer Press

Church Takes Aim at Abuse Victims' Lawyers

As the cost of clergy sex abuse surpasses $1.5 billion, some U.S. Roman Catholic leaders are taking an aggressive, public stand against attorneys who represent victims.

The new development in the long-running clergy abuse crisis was partly triggered by proposals in several statehouses this year that would create a brief period when molestation claims could be filed _ even if the time limits for lawsuits had passed.

Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput portrayed the legislation introduced in Colorado as part of a conspiracy between advocacy groups and attorneys to enrich lawyers at the church's expense.
[snip]
Mark Chopko, general counsel to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, has outraged plaintiffs' lawyers and advocates by encouraging victims to seek settlements without an attorney. Victims would then avoid paying attorney fees, which generally run between 25 percent and 40 percent of each payout. [snip]
Washington Post

PROLIFE ACROSS AMERICA Annual Banquet -- May 10

Theme: "Lets Hear it From the Young"
Guest speaker- Sarah Vyvlecka
Radisson Hotel in Roseville, MN
Contact info@prolifeacrossamerica.org for more information

St Olaf Recital in the City -- Premiere Organ CD

Archdiocesan Choral Concert; Friday May 12

Time: 8:00pm
Location: Cathedral of Saint Paul
For more information: Contact Worship Center at 651.290.1625
Free will offering

A new festival for parish choirs debuts this May. Five select choirs from throughout the Archdiocese will present some of their favorite anthems fo the year. Choirs will also combine for a festive finale. New choirs will be invited each year to participate.

Music by:
Faure, Vierne, Gorecki, Britten, Tavener, Biery and others

Choirs from:
The Cathedral of Saint Paul
Maternity of Mary, St. Paul
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Bloomington
Saint Patrick, Edina
The Diocesan Choir

Do Children in Home Schools Have Homework?

Erin at Bearing Blog's son wondered about that:

Oscar has a class later today at the local nature center, organized by the parish homeschooling co-op. At the end of last month's class about trees and leaves, the naturalist assigned some options for "homework," one of which was to draw an accurate picture of a leaf. (I forgot about it; Oscar remembered, and produced his drawing yesterday.)

As we were driving in the car today, Oscar asked me: "What's 'homework?'"

Barb Nicolosi Comes Out With All Guns A-Blazing on the Da Vinci Code

Barb, founder of Act One, a Hollywood nonprofit organization that trains people of faith for careers in mainstream film & TV, really lays it on the line here. She is one of the very few that has actually read the script of the Da Vinci Code movie:

It has been suggested to me many times in the last year, that the reason some non-Catholic Christians have been so willing to sell DVC for Sony Pictures, and why some pastor types have been cheerily encouraging Christians to see the film with tolerance and a good sense of humor, and why the few angry-dissident Catholics who are shrugging at the film are so pleased to do so, comes down to inner, unrepentant anti-Catholic bigotry. This latent anger against the Catholic Church also explains the weird kind of glee in some non-Catholic Christians who have been "looking forward to the opportunity" that this clearly blasphemous movie represents.
[snip]
We need to be very clear here: The Da Vinci Code is much, much worse than The Last Temptation of Christ in the errors that it contains. Last Temptation was wrangling with what being a God-Man really looked like. Da Vinci Code asserts that there was no God in Christianity's God-Man.
[snip] Read it All!

There are more than Shiites and Sunnis in Iraq

Sharon at Clairity's Place has posted on the condition of the often forgotten 800,000 Christians in Iraq. Countless numbers have died many have lost their homes and businesses and 40,000 have left the country.

An Approved Consecration in China

Father Zuhlsdorf, our spy in Rome: Sources say that Bp. Jin Peixian was one of those who had been pressured and threatened regarding participation in the illicit consecrations last week. However, Jin refused to participate in anything not approved by the Holy See.

ASIA NEWS says that they have "been receiving continuous messages from Chinese priests and bishops, stating their approval for the Vatican stand." Thanks to Amy at Open Book

Pilgrimage Site O' the Day

Mount St Benedict Monastery
Crookston

Site O' the Day: Net Ministries, Twin Cities

Net Ministries

Challenging Young Catholics to Love Christ
and
Embrace the Life of the Church

Digital-age technology helps bring handwritten St John's Bible to life

With the aid of computers, calf skins and turkey feathers, Don ald Jackson is reviving a lost art by creating a Bible by hand at a cost of about $4 million.

The Saint John's Bible, a seven-volume illustrated endeavor slated for completion in 2007, is the first handwritten Bible to be commissioned by a major religious institution in 500 years. Cleveland Plain Dealer

Just What is Going On in China?

Report: Pope OKs China Bishop Ordination

VATICAN CITY -- A Chinese bishop will be ordained Sunday with the approval of the Pope after two were consecrated this week without the pontiff's consent, a Vatican-affiliated news agency reported Saturday.

The Rev. Paolo Pei Junmin will be made coadjutor bishop of the Shenyang diocese in northeast China at a ceremony Sunday morning in the city's cathedral, the Rome-based AsiaNews agency reported. Read More

Catholic Lay Leaders Support Father Altier

Leaders and members of several Roman Catholic lay organizations are circulating a petition addressed to the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Minneapolis-St. Paul (MN) Harry J. Flynn to rescind an order silencing the popular priest, Rev. Robert Altier.

Kenneth M. Fisher of California, founder of Concerned Roman Catholics of America, authored the petition, which calls for the archbishop to “reconsider his unjust silencing of this good priest.”

Among the signatories currently are Mary Ann Kreitzer of Les Femmes, Georgene M. Sorenson of Romans in the Desert, Katherine Garrigan of Fidelity, and Valerie Lubitz, Michael A. Curtis, Carol Suhr – all of Los Pequeños de Cristo. Fisher vows to forward the petition and resolution to Archbishop Flynn, as well as the Apostolic Delegate in Washington DC and members of various dicasteries at the Vatican once a sufficient number of signatures are appended. [Read More]

St Agnes Has Two (More) Ordinations

Third Sunday of Easter ·April 30, 2006 3
The Pastor's Page [Father George Welzbacher]

Of the five young men who, God willing, are to be ordained to the priesthood this May 27th for service in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis two have very close ties with St. Agnes Parish: Deacon John Paul Erickson, a member of St. Mark's Parish in St. Paul and a graduate of St. Agnes High School (Class of 1998), and Deacon Sean Magnuson, who joined our parish as a young adult after a tour of duty in the U. S. Army during Operation Desert Storm. St. Agnes Parish's reverent liturgy and its straight-out presentation of the doctrines of our faith played a major role in Sean's feeling drawn to a life of service in the priesthood. After completing a second hitch of military duty in Germany, Albania and Macedonia, Sean applied for and was granted admission to the St. Paul Seminary, while retaining the rank of captain in the Army Reserve. Once ordained a priest Sean hopes eventually, after the required three years of priestly service within the archdiocese, to become an army chaplain, subject to the Archbishop's permission.

Our archdiocese, it should be noted, has a glorious tradition of providing Catholic chaplains to our nation's armed forces, going all the way back to Father John Ireland's service in the Civil War--yes, THAT John Ireland! -- and reaching its height during World War II. Two of our archdiocesan priests ended long years of distinguished military service with the rank of general, successively holding office as chiefs of all the chaplains in the U. S. Army: Monsignor Patrick Ryan, now deceased, and my very good friend Father Pat Hessian, whose life was providentially spared during the Vietnamese War thanks to a bullet's deviation by something like a millimeter.

Less fortunate was our archdiocese's Father Tim Vacoc [pronounced Vah-kuch], justly awarded a Presidential citation for extraordinary bravery, who was grievously wounded in a roadside bomb attack in Iraq as he was riding in a Humvee after having offered Mass in a zone of maximum danger. The day on which he was nearly killed was the anniversary of his ordination. His mangled body, assimilated now to Christ crucified , is being cared for at the Veterans' Hospital here in Minneapolis, with progress measured, when at all, only in painful inches. Please keep him in your daily prayers.

As a priest chaplain, should such be God's will, Father Magnuson will be making an important contribution to Christ's Church, ministering to the spiritual needs of the multitudes of Catholics, and of young Catholics in particular, who serve in our nation's armed forces both on distant wars' front lines and in times of peace. God speed you on your mission, Sean!

Deacons Sean and John Paul will be among my guests next Saturday evening, May the sixth, at the dinner theater presentation of our schools' production of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Deacon John Paul, I am sure, will feel very much at home. When he was a senior at St. Agnes High School back in 1998 he had the leading role in our schools' production of Forty-Second Street.

Our prayers go with Sean and John Paul and with the rest of their classmates as they prepare for life-long service to Christ in the priesthood.

* * * * *

The Winter-Spring edition of our alumni newsletter, The Aggie Archives, gave prominent coverage to Sean and John Paul. Let me share with you the Archives' featured story, slightly abridged.

Two St. Agnes Men to be Ordained

Vocations continue at Saint Agnes as John Paul Erickson, an Aggie from the class of 1998, and Sean Magnuson, of Saint Agnes Parish, are ordained priests of the St. Paul and Minneapolis Archdiocese on Saturday, May 27th, 2006.

Deacon John Paul Erickson will celebrate his Mass of Thanksgiving at his home parish of St. Mark's in St. Paul on Sunday, May 28, the Feast of the Ascension. A reception in his honor will follow. During his diaconate year, John Paul has been assigned to St. Joseph's Parish in West St. Paul for his internship and last summer he had the opportunity to spend time at Presentation Parish in Maplewood, preaching and assisting the parish.

In reflecting on the past years, John Paul acknowledges being very grateful for .... a St. Agnes education, which helped him to recognize the possibility of a vocation and eventually a calling to the priesthood. He also loved being in Chorus and taking part in the musicals while a student. He played the lead in Forty Second Street and was president of the Music Department Club. Preparation for the priesthood has given him the opportunity to grow as a Christian and a man, spiritually and pastorally.

Deacon John Paul's ordination will allow his two sisters, Sister Mary Maximiliana (Kirsten `86) and Sister Maria Grace (Molly `91) to come home for the occasion and the Richard and Patricia Erickson family are overjoyed to be able to have a "first- time" complete family reunion. Sister Maria Grace is with the Little Sisters of the Poor in Queens, New York and is the assistant to the Mother Mistress in training novices. Sister Mary Maximiliana is a Sister of the Missionaries of Charity, works at St. Rita's parish in the Bronx and is in charge of their CCD program. This may be their only opportunity to come home and unite with all of their siblings and other relatives.

Deacon Sean Magnuson will celebrate his Mass of Thanksgiving at St. Agnes Church at the 10 am High Mass on May 28th. A reception in his honor will be held in the church hall following the Mass.

Sean Magnuson comes from a family of six sisters and two brothers. He graduated from Roseville High School in the late 80's and attended Lakewood Community College. In 1990 he joined the Army and served in Desert Storm. In 1993 he enrolled at St. John's University [where he] received his BS degree. Sean returned to military life in 1996 and served until 2000.

It was in April of 2000 that Sean felt he was being called to the priesthood, and the day he e-mailed his dad, Steve Magnuson, a former member of St. Agnes parish, to tell him of his decision to enter the Seminary, he received the call that Steve had suffered a heart attack and had died. Sean did enroll in the Seminary, studying philosophy and pastoral work. For the past four years he has been interning at St. Charles Borromeo Church, preaching and helping serve the parish needs. Last summer was spent at Divine Mercy Parish in Faribault where he was able to visit the sick, preach and do parish work....

What is Sean's desire for his future years? With the Archbishop's permission, he wishes to serve God as an Army Chaplain.

[I extracted this item from the St. Agnes Bulletin which is published as a pdf file which some people cannot read.]

Crawling through the darkness

AdoroTeDevote: Crawling through the darkness
Adoro has a moving post today on calling on the Spirit when we face obstacles in the task in front of us:

World Day of Prayer for Vocations: St Scholastica Monastery, Sunday, May 7

Duluth
• 2:30 p.m. Midday prayer with the religious community.

• 3 p.m. Prayer service.

• 3:30 p.m. Ice cream social.

• 4 p.m. Screening of monastery film, "Sing a New Song."

• 4:45 p.m. Private prayer.

• 5 p.m. Evening praise with the Benedictine Community.

Check a religous order near you to find out what time to visit them!

Some Days Life is Pretty Darn Good!

Jenny from Thoughts of a Midget is kinda skipping through the clouds. She just got confirmed! And her group's project for National History Day at the Minnesota Historical Society came in third out of 48! Congratulations and God Bless on both accounts, Jenny! Read More

Patrick Kennedy's Coming to Mayo

WICatholic has a couple of posts, one dealing with addiction and "enabling" and another one wondering if he wouldn't be better off going someplace closer to his home:

A drug is a drug is a drug.

Repeat that:

A DRUG IS A DRUG IS A DRUG.

Got that yet?

Anyone addicted to ONE drug, will have problems with ANY drug that has the potential to addict. Hence, one addicted to Vicodin (Lortab, hydrocodone, etc) needs to stay away from any ALCOHOL, PERCOCET, Valium, etc... A DRUG IS A DRUG IS A DRUG. Read More

Desperate at DIH has thoughts also on the situation. Here, Here, and Here! An Easterner by birth, I don't think she's fond of the Kennedys. What do you think?

Rome in Milwaukee? Yes!

Tom at tMichaelB reports on his recent visit to the Vatican's current exhibit through the end of May at the Milwaukee Museum:

Rome is a great destination, but if you can’t get there any time soon, you might consider Milwaukee, at least between now and the end of the month. The Milwaukee Public Museum is hosting a fantastic exhibit called “Saint Peter and the Vatican: Legacy of the Popes.” I had a chance to tour the exhibit on a recent Saturday and found it to be well worth the six-hour drive from Minneapolis. Read More

Excerpts from Deus Caritas Est - "God is Love"

If you haven't yet had time to read Pope Benedict's first Encyclical, "Deus Caritas Est (God is Love)", Love2LearnMom from the Studeo blog has excerpted quite a few thoughts that you might want to meditate upon.

Then, if you want the real deal, go here!

Previews of Coming Attractions

Why is Mother Mary Such a Stumbling Block?

Sharon at Clairity's Place continues her thoughts on the Virgin Mary's place in the beliefs of some:

It surprises me that Mary is such a stumbling block for many Christians, mostly non-Catholics, but not only. For the greater part of the history of the Church, except for a few cranks, her role was assumed. From the time Christ handed his mother over to John, and John to her, the Christian community took her as their own. All the poetry, hymns, icons, statues celebrating her over the centuries. Even the Reformers, Luther himself, sang her praises. It is a fairly recent contention, at least in its scope, that she was not ever-Virgin, and a particularly nasty libel given the historical circumstances. Read More

Beware of Polls and Surveys

Many Minnesotans, generally pretty smug about the general quality of education provided to its children, woke up this morning to the news that we ranked 50 out of the 51 states (and DC) in "educational technology" according to the first ever grading by Education Week as reported in the local media.

Erin of Bearing Blog an advanced degreed engineer herself has some thoughts on the situtation that might settle the blood pressures of a few folks: I am extremely suspicious of proposals, like one mentioned in the article, to "better prepare students for jobs in engineering and other technology-aided careers" by spending more money and getting students to sit for more hours in front of computer screens. Read More (and keep reading; she hums, a bit!

Site O' the Day: St. Paul's Outreach, Twin Cities

St Paul's Outreach
Engaging Young Adults in the Life of Christian Discipleship

Young woman symbolizes new concept of nun

Kelly Whittier has the makings of a successful career woman. She's got degrees from two prestigious institutions, the College of William and Mary in Virginia and Emory University in Georgia. She's poised, articulate and well-traveled, and radiates the "sky-is-the-limit" look of a young woman with big plans.

When I met Whittier this week in St. Paul, she was dressed in the full habit of a Roman Catholic nun.

For many Minnesotans, the word "nun" conjures up a character in a farcical dinner theater production or, at best, an elderly relic of decades past. But Whittier, 29, represents a rising generation of young Catholic women who are picking up the centuries-old tradition, often in new ways.

A native of Virginia, she first considered joining a religious sisterhood in college. She cites a range of influences -- a strong Catholic student group, a choir that introduced her to the riches of sacred music. Last year, after several years of indecision, she moved to St. Paul to join Sisters in Jesus the Lord, a new order of nuns in the early stages of formation. StarTribune

Thanks to Adoro Te Devote

Cross Purposes (Policy Changes at St Thomas U)

City Pages, the Twin Cities' free, weekly entertainment oriented tabloid that generally manages to put out a few good news or analysis articles in each issue, has just published a 5,600 word article on the recent policy changes at the University of St Thomas.

Last month, policies were revised to make it clear that the university would not allow unmarried heterosexual couples to room together when travelling with students. Policies regarding the rooming of homosexual couples were also revised to make it clear that the university would not pay for those arrangements. According to the author, Beth Hawkins, who interviewed many from both sides of the issues, the employment contract of a temporary teacher was not renewed because of her work with Planned Parenthood and other gay students felt that the school was discriminating against them.

Looking from outside the university it appears that an attempt was made to cover both sides of the issues. Hawkins makes it very clear that St Thomas is a Catholic school and points out that Archbishop Harry Flynn of the Archdiocese is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees. While policies may have been unclear in the past, it is apparent that the sexual scandals in the Church and the Vatican's recent survey tour of the Major and Minor Seminaries at St Thomas has given impetus to a more rigorous enforcement of some policies under President, Father Dennis Dease

She also mentions the role of some of the school's wealthy Catholic benefactors, reporters from Relevant Radio, Catholic bloggers and writers of anonymous letters as being factors in the modification of some policies.


The Catholic Church's right turn touches off battles over dogma and diversity at the University of St. Thomas
by Beth Hawkins

Suing the Church

Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver has written an important article in the current issue of Father Richard John Neuhaus's First Things magazine relating to sexual abuse lawsuits against the Church and retroactive changes in the statutes of limitations. It will happen here as current cases run out and the lawyers look for more work.

Last summer, attorneys in Colorado filed the first sex-abuse lawsuits against the archdiocese of Denver since the national clergy abuse scandal began four years ago. All of the suits involved two men: one, a laicized former priest who left active ministry more than a decade ago, and the other, a priest dead for more than a decade. Several of the suits have since named individual parishes as targets along with the diocese. Every claimed incident of abuse occurred more than twenty-five years ago. Nearly all occurred in the 1960s and 1970s.
[snip]
Plaintiffs’ attorneys and victims’ groups often work together in this new strategy of amending the statutes of limitations. Victims’ groups may act as stimulants to sympathetic news media and state lawmakers. Plaintiffs’ attorneys may then offer help in drafting new legislation from which they themselves hope to benefit. This happened in California with Senate Bill 1779, which became catastrophic state law. The bill opened a one-year window to revive expired California sex-abuse claims, some from seventy years ago, and more than a thousand plaintiffs then filed previously expired claims. The California bill was developed with the direct assistance of [Minnesota] attorney Jeffrey Anderson, who has very profitably sued Catholic dioceses and institutions across the country for years. A proposed Colorado version of the legislation is modeled directly on California’s.
[snip]
In judging it, however, we need to consider the bill’s basic fairness. Any revision to civil statutes of limitations must be comprehensive, fair, and equally applied. This almost never happens. The data clearly show that the sexual abuse of minors is not a disproportionately Catholic problem. In fact, some of the worst adult sexual misconduct with minors occurs in public institutions, particularly public schools. But in most states, those schools enjoy some form of governmental immunity. In other words, it’s far easier to sue a private institution, such as a Catholic diocese, than it is to sue a public-school district. It’s also a lot more lucrative since, even if governmental immunity were waived, public schools and institutions usually enjoy the added protection of low caps on damages (in Colorado, $150,000). For exactly the same sexual abuse in a public school and a Catholic parish, the difference in financial exposure is millions of dollars.[snip][snip]

All-Night Vigil at St Elizabeth Ann Seton, Hastings

Friday-Saturday, May 5-6: The World Apostolate of Fatima of the Archdiocese of St Paul and Minneapolis is sponsoring an All-Night Vigil of Reparation and Prayer at St Elizabeth Ann Seaton Church, Hastings. The vigil will begin on Friday at 8:00 p.m. and close on Saturday with Mass at 4:00 a.m. Everyone is invited to attend any or all of this devotioin. For more information, pleasse contact Mary Bloomstrand at 651-437-3591.

Pope Excommunicates Four Chinese Bishops

The Vatican on Thursday excommunicated two bishops ordained by China’s state-controlled church without the pope’s consent, escalating tensions as the two sides explore preliminary moves toward improving ties.

The Vatican also excommunicated the two bishops who ordained them, saying church law mandates excommunication for bishops involved in ordinations without Vatican approval. MSNBC

Pray that this situation be resolved. There are as many as fourteen million Catholics in the Chinese Underground Church that may become subject to even more persecution than they have been for the last 57 years or so.

Second Thoughts on Communist Episcopal Ordinations

Dr. Ed Peters of In the Light of the Law questions the validity of the recent ordinations of Bishops in the Chinese "Patriotic Catholic Association."

The excommunications consequent to the illicit episcopal ordinations (1983 CIC 1382) staged by Chinese Communists are so obvious that few commentators have mentioned them. Here I raise a different question: In the face of some sacraments being so obviously celebrated with no discernible pastoral sense and, in fact, driven by little besides a "let's stick it to the Catholic Church" animus, has the time come to step back and ask some hard questions about the canonical validity of such sacraments?

The "Othercotting" of The Da Vinci Code

Barb Nicolosi has a great plan on how to spend your May 19-21 weekend.

I've read and heard a lot lately from Christians who suggest that we should be willing to "engage" The Da Vinci Code, so that we can be a part of the "cultural conversation." Believers are touting the upcoming movie as an "opportunity for evangelism" and even an incentive to bolster our own faith.

Baloney.

This film is based on a book that wears its heresy and blasphemy as a badge of honor, and I intend to stay far away from it.

Yesterday, Barb in her blog came up with an addition to her "Othercotting" plan:

"I'm thinking we have to add to our Othercott plans for the weekend of May 19th. Yes, we all go to another movie that weekend - Over the Hedge. But then, I think we all spend the remaining thirty-six hours of DVC's opening weekend in prayer . How cool would it be if parishes resurrected the Forty Hour devotion to counter the evil effects that the blasphemy in DVC will do in so many souls.

What do you think? Over the Hedge and then adoration. Ha!"

What Would the Church do Without its Volunteers and Educators?

The Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women is honoring eight lay women for their volunteer work with the organization, their parishes and their communities. The women represent hundreds of years of combined service in ministries that range from assisting at fundraisers, food shelves and fish fries, to volunteering at schools, parish festivals and prayer gatherings.

Two men at Risen Christ School in Minneapolis were honored recently for their service to the school. Dick McGuire and John Friel were among 18 “extraordinary school volunteers” in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa honored by Minnesota dairy company Kemps. The honor included a $500 donation to the school.

Louie Mitteco of Totino-Grace High School was honored with the Outstanding Educator Award for his decades-long commitment to academics and extracurricular activities. Mitteco has 49 years of experience in Catholic education — 10 at St. Charles Borromeo in St. Anthony in addition to his 39 at Totino-Grace, where he has taught physical education, coached various sports teams and currently serves as director of athletics and transportation.

Margaret Hankes of St. John the Baptist School in New Brighton was honored with the Distinguished Teacher Award. The English teacher, profiled in the Jan. 26 edition of The Catholic Spirit, credits her 36 years of success to a love of grammar and literature as well as her sense of humor. Catholic Spirit

Archdiocese Seeking to Develop Community Groups for Young Adults

Issues about marriage, abortion, living a Christ-centered life and dealing with doubts about faith were some of the topics briefly discussed by Bishop Richard Pates during a question-and-answer session with 165 young adults April 28 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul.

But the focus of the event didn’t revolve around particular social justice issues or questions relating to doctrine. Instead, the bulk of Bishop Pates’ discussion centered on a new initiative for young adults in the archdiocese that is intended to create a “radical Christianity,” which the bishop described as faith “rooted deeply in God’s goodness and love.”

The idea behind the initiative is to capture the spiritual fervor and passion that young adults encounter during community events such as World Youth Day, and integrate those spiritually awakening experiences into their everyday lives. Catholic Spirit

World Apostolate of Fatima Given Elevated Status By Rome

A Marian lay association with a local division has become the newest group to be elevated to the status of a “public association of the faithful” by the Pontifical Council for the Laity.

Harry Marthaler, president of the World Apostolate of Fatima USA division for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, presented the Vatican decree to Archbishop Harry Flynn May 1 at the chancery. Marthaler was flanked by his nine-member board and associate members.

The apostolate’s mission is to pray the rosary daily to help bring unity to the Catholic Church and find solutions to abortion, war, famine, terrorism, genocide, assisted suicide and other world problems. Catholic Spirit

Indians For Life and SD Atty. Gen. Fight Pine Ridge Abortion Plans

South Dakota, Pierre: For those not familiar with the Indian Reservation System, it is an independent nation of its own and is not subject to the laws of the State surrounding its lands. It is free to pass its own laws. In view of the recent Pro-Life law passed in South Dakota which permits abortions only in the case of a threat to the mother’s life, the Oglala Sioux Tribal President, Cecilia Fire Thunder, has vowed to open a Planned Parenthood abortion business on the Pine Ridge Reservation in western South Dakota. She is being fought by Clementine Little Hawk Hernandez, the founder of Indians For Life, who states that her people have traditionally favored pro-life values. Additionally, the State Attorney General states that, it would be illegal for the tribe to perform abortions on any non-tribal member, since the separate territory of a Reservation has no jurisdiction over non-tribal members. This is a Take Action, Voice Your Opinion to: Oglala Sioux Tribe, Attn: President Fire Thunder, P.O. Box 2070, Pine Ridge, South Dakota 57770. Thanks to Catholic Newsnet

If you're go to Milwaukee to see the Vatican Exhibit

Why not go with the Twin Cities Catholic Chorale?

May 26-27, 2006: The Twin Cities Catholic Chorale is sponsoring a tour going to the Milwaukee Public Museum to see the Vatican exhibit, “St. Peter And The Vatican; The Legacy Of The Popes,” which includes displays of rare Vatican documents, art treasure, liturgical objects and papal vestments, recreations of St. peter’s tomb and the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica. Registration is due by May 12^th. For details, call Peg Myzska at 651-699-0571 or e-mail margo@usfamily.net

Site O' the Day

Be Not Afraid Tee's, Inc

"Evangelization Through Tee-Shirts

Father Zuhlsdorf, has two items on the illicit consecration of a Bishop or two in China

Father John Zuhlsdorf, formerly of St Agnes in St Paul, now in Rome, has two items on the illicit but probably valid consecrations of Bishops in the "Patriotic Catholic Association" in China. Here on May 2 and here on May 3.

A Homily for the Third Sunday of Easter that You Must Read

There is a story of an elementary school teacher. Her name was Mrs. Thompson, and as she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. But that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he didn't play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. And Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually enjoy marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers. From the Meandering Mind of a Prairie Priest in Sioux Falls in White Around the Collar.

Vatican Art Exhibit Still Showing in Milwaukee

Scott from Viam Pacis has posted a nice report on his visit to the Vatican Art Exhibit currently in Milwaukee and it will be there for a while yet. It sounds like we all should make the trip.

Yesterday afternoon, we toured St. Peter and the Vatican: Legacy of the Popes, the exhibit at the Milwaukee Public Museum. Neither one of us were feeling particularly well, so our brains weren't completely functioning. I think it's important to remember that this is being presented as a historical museum exhibit and that your expectations need to be set appropriately. It was quite respectful of the Church and the papacy and, overall, fairly well done. We're both extremely glad we made the trip. It was worth it even if we had been hoping for a bit more explanation of some of the symbology.

Fans of architectural drawing and engravings will find a lot to enjoy. Especially neat were the drawings of the winches, layout, man- and horse-power used to first lower the Obelisk from its position in Nero's Circus, and then raise it to its present position in the center of St. Peter's Square. A number of plans and elevations by Carlo Fontana in the 17th and early 18th century displayed the Old Basilica. [Read More]

Michael Medved's "Right Turns"

Tom at tMichaelB has a nice review of Michael Medved's autobiographical journey back to his Jewish roots.

have long been interested in people who find ways to integrate their faith into their work and I was pleasantly surprised when I read Michael Medved’s “Right Turns” that such integration is the theme of his autobiographical book. The only thing I knew about Medved before I picked the book up was that he hosted a movie review program on PBS called "Sneak Previews" for a dozen years. Given that I don’t think much of most of the movies that come out of Hollywood, I wasn’t expecting much from the book.

But I was pleasantly surprised. Medved hooked me early and his robust writing style kept me all the way through the 400-plus pages. Published in 2004, I understand the book is just coming out in paperback. Of course it was interesting to read about his association with a number of famous people –- political people such as John Kerry, Hillary Rodham, Bill Clinton, and movie stars such as Barbara Streisand and Mel Gibson. But much more interesting to me was the transformation that took place within his life.
[snip]
Medved’s story impacted me because I know how powerful a father’s reaction can be to a young man’s dreams about marriage. . . . [More]

A Feminist's Journey, or: Can We Call Off the War Now?

Sharon of Clairity's Place has some thoughts on the state of feminism today:

Naomi Wolf became a famous feminist of the Third Wave with the publication of her 1991 international bestseller The Beauty Myth. There she observed the insecurities of women about their bodies in comparison with media portrayals and took on the cosmetics industry. In her book, she attributed this assault on self-image to society's backlash against women's progress.
[snip]
Whether or not the victims of the advertising industry are principally women and specifically designed to keep them at home, the observations were alarming and have not gone unnoticed by the general public.

In 1995, Wolf took on the pro-choice stalemate in a thoughtful piece in The New Republic. She defined the problem with the feminist position as sidestepping the ethical position.[snip]

Rand Gettler Appointed CEO of St Anne of Winona

Benedictine Health Systems announced Tuesday that Winona native Rand Gettler will become the chief executive officer for St. Anne of Winona on June 26.
[snip]
St. Anne of Winona is a non-profit corporation that includes St. Anne Extended Healthcare with 109 beds; Callista Court, a 75-unit independent and assisted living facility; the Benedictine Adult Day Center; and the Saint Anne Training Center for nursing assistants.
[snip]
The Benedictine Health System is a Catholic, non-profit health system based in Duluth, Minn. Sponsored by the Benedictine Sisters of St. Scholastica Monastery, Duluth, BHS owns or operates hospitals, nursing homes, assisted and independent housing in Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Winona Daily News

Bloomington Passenger on United Flight 93 Had Premonitions

One of the heroes of Flight 93, now immortalized in "United 93," the stunning new film about the tragedy, long believed he would die young and had told his wife that his death would be in some way connected to the White House.

Some analysts believe the terrorists had hijacked United 93 to strike the White House. In a startling interview with Michael H. Brown, publisher of Spirit Daily, Deena Burnett, widow of the Flight 93 passenger Thomas Burnett, recalled that both she and her husband had premonitions about Tom's early death. NewsMax.com

A Good Shepherd --- An Interview with Bishop Samuel Aquila of Fargo

Clayton of The Weight of Glory republishes an interview he wrote some time ago with Bishop Aquila:

A few years ago, I wrote a series of articles for a newspaper called The Catholic Servant. Based in Minneapolis, this publication is printed monthly and focuses on topics related to catechesis and evangelization. The publisher, John Sondag, was kind enough to give me permission to reprint one of these articles on my blog. It's about Bishop Aquila, a native of California who is now serving in the prairies of Fargo, North Dakota.

I was especially interested in his involvement in establishing the new seminary in Denver. It sounds like a great program of priestly formation. Maybe one day Pope Benedict XVI will ask him to return to his native land to serve as a bishop in the Los Angeles area. The harvest is ready, but the laborers are few. More

A Good Shepherd --- Bishop Carlson of Saginaw Reports on His Chat With the Pope

Bishop Robert Carlson of Saginaw, formerly from StP-M and Sioux Falls, reports in the Catholic Report on last weeks visit to Rome whice included an unplanned visit with Pope Benedict. The Bishop has appointed himself as Saginaw's Vocations Director and reports that since his arrival the dioceses's seminarians have increased from zero to probably 20 by this Fall. The Pope wanted to know his secret method.

In his interview with Catholic Report's David Hartline, the Bishop added: "We live in a society that is focused on rugged individualism and relativism. As an immigrant church we learned to become like everyone else. Well, now its time to become counter cultural. I started an Apologetics course for seniors at all of our Catholic high schools this year. Young people are going to have to know the truth when they get to college. They are going to have to answer the questions posed to them from the Campus Crusade for Christ. Also they are going to have to be able to defend their faith from pop culture junk like the DaVinci Code and the Gospel of Judas. We are also helping the adults to understand their faith as well. In our diocese, we have over 60% who are unchurched. We can’t evangelize until we know our own faith."

Isn't it wonderful that we have a Pope who is so in tune to what is going on that when a Bishop from a minor diocese comes to town, he is aware of it and calls him in to hear of his successes (and no doubt problems were discussed also)! Read More

Site O' the Day: Wisconsin Catholic Conference

The "Virtus" Sex Education Program and "Teaching About Touching"

Georgette at the Chronicle of a Meandering Traveller has some links to three articles by Thomas Augustine in MichNews.com entitled "Abusing God's Children."

These and other articles are highly recommended by parents of children in Catholic schools so that an informated decision can be made. See Catholic Parents OnLine today for their views on the subject.

More thoughts on "Virtus" from Georgette.

More on "Virtus" and the U.S. Bishops from Georgette.

"Virtus" and the controversial group "The Voice of the Faithful" from Georgette.

Have Some Extra Time? Help a Friend!

Senior friend: Give an isolated senior in your neighborhood a few hours of care and companionship through Catholic Charities. Contact Heather Cox at 651-215-2237; hcox@ccspm.org; or go to www.ccspm.org.
StarTribune

Teachers at St Joseph's Children's Home Reap Rewards for Helping Children

Not all teachers are employed by traditional learning institutions. There is a demand for licensed teachers working school-age children who do not attend standard schools. The classrooms inside St. Joseph's Home for Children in Minneapolis is one such setting. St. Joe's partners with the Minneapolis Public School district to teach kindergarten though 12th-grade lessons to about 25 to 30 students each day.

Finding teaching positions in these unusual settings might require extra effort on the part of a candidate, but the rewards are great.

St. Joe's Home, a division of Catholic Charities, cares for children in crisis by providing short- and long-term shelter, and emotional and behavioral counseling. Claire Bergstrom is the education administrator for the Minneapolis Public Schools at St. Joseph's Home for Children. She says that many St. Joe's children attend regular public schools throughout the city, but some of the students are better served by staying at St. Joe's. Most of the students have special needs, and the teachers at St. Joe's have advanced degrees and educational training to meet those needs. StarTribune

So. Minneapolis to Get Business Supported Jesuit High School

The near South Side of Minneapolis will get a business-supported Catholic high school as part of a long-planned youth-development center project that recently gained a crucial partner and financial traction.

Ryan Companies, developer of the renovated Sears Roebuck complex, expects to break ground in late May on the $27.8 million Colin Powell Leadership Center on vacant land north of 4th Avenue S. and E. Lake Street. It will include a small, Jesuit-run high school that eventually will serve up to 500 low-income neighborhood kids whose tuition will be paid partly by sponsoring businesses through internship programs. Star Tribune

Catholic Parents OnLine

Your Child’s Innocence May Be In Danger!

THE ARCHDIOCESE OF ST. PAUL AND MINNEAPOLIS ADOPTS THE TALKING ABOUT TOUCHING PROGRAM
The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has officially endorsed one of the most controversial “safe-environment training” programs for children in existence. This sexually explicit program is entitled Talking about Touching. In the fall of 2006 - 2007, over 90% of children in Catholic schools and religious education programs (grades pre-K through 4) will be subjected to this content, according to current plan. Read More

When Baby Boomers Sit on Parish Councils. . . .

Clayton at The Weight of Glory analyzes some recent minutes taken at the St Joan of Arc Parish Council meetings in Minneapolis:

you get all sorts of ranting about who is in power, the creation of new documents in the service of parallel magisteriums, etc. A sense of ecclesial communion that runs no deeper than a stance of "non-violence" toward the bishop. A disregard for the authority of the universal Church, the local bishop, and the pastor. Not a word about trying to understand Church teaching, but rather an attempt to redefine it. Healthy doses of self-congratulation. Can you say ecclesial nightmare?

New modesty – Catholic program fights back against fashion industry

These days Emily Morrow-Fick keeps busy organizing runway lessons, wardrobe fittings and easing last-minute stage fright as she prepares 55 young girls to take center stage at a Pure Fashion show here.

"It's not just about fashion, a lot of it is teaching girls how to present themselves without feeling like they have to act like Britney Spears or Paris Hilton," said Morrow-Fick, 18, a student at St. Mary's College and the co-chair for Pure Fashion in Calgary.

Pure Fashion is a Catholic program that promotes modest dress for girls in grades 8 through 12.

Young women attend training sessions to learn about the virtues of modesty, purity and chastity, as well as the ins and outs of hair, make-up and posture. This all leads up to a fashion show where the girls model all that they've learned on the catwalk. Catholic On-Line

Beatification for Piux XII? Now!

Gerald at the Cafeteria is Closed has a nice post on the need for the Beatification of Pope Pius XII.

My comment to his post:

Rome under Pius XII was occupied by Italian Fascist troops and after their surrender, by elite Nazi units until 1944.

The Pope had his Swiss Guards.

France and England and the United States with all their vast resources did nothing but negotiate with fascism until they were attacked. France folded in six weeks.

Why is it expected that the Pope with no army was to take on Hitler and Mussolini and leave millions of Catholics at risk.

Twentieth century history had already shown that thousands Catholics in Mexico and in Spain and Portugal had become victims of militant anti-Catholic governments. Hundreds of thousands of Armenian Christians had died at the hands of Islamic Turks.

One hundred or so Swiss Guards were to defend Catholicism? The Vatican could have been destroyed in an afternoon by a couple of artillery batallions.

The evidence is pretty clear that world-wide Pius XII and the Catholic Church quietly saved hundreds of thousands of Jews and other victims of Nazi hate and repression. To have openly encouraged resistance by German and Italian Catholics would have only generated more hate, repression, torture and deaths.

Shortage of Male Altar Servers? Give Them Something to Do!

The shortage of boys willing to be altar servers is not something unique to this country.

Today’s Telegraph notes that “There is an alarming number of empty seats in the choir stalls of Britain's cathedrals because, for the first time for centuries, too few boys want to become choristers.

Choir schools are finding it increasingly difficult to fill their places despite generous help with fees, partly because boys prefer football and computer games to the commitment of daily evensong and Sunday services.”

Thus it was a pleasure attending Mass at the Nativity of Our Lord parish in St Paul yesterday, providentially running into the Our Word two-some, Judith and Mitchell, and also afterwards, Dan from Lumen Fidei. (The Catholic blogs must be taking over the Church. Who should have been there also was Adoro Te Devote for if she would have looked to the ceiling of Nativity’s beautiful church, there above the altar would have been her name!).

The pleasure wasn’t only in chatting with them, but also in seeing that Nativity was that day honoring 36 of its high school graduates who had served the church since the seventh grade as altar servers, lectors, greeters, sacristans and even Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion. The graduates were given premier seating up front and five male servers were on duty assisting Father Liekhus (finishing up his first year after ordination and still my nominee for the “Priest with the Most Perfect Posture” award). What a testimony to a great parish! Not just Father, but the servers!

The demographics of the servers slightly favored the girls, 20 to 16, but compared with most parishes, the boys were very well represented. Even more impressive in the statistics is that Nativity’s school only goes to the 9^th grade, so most of these 36 stalwarts were no doubt attending Cretin, St Thomas, St Agnes or St Bernard’s in St Paul. Retaining loyalty enough to contribute voluntarily to their parish at such a young age is a great tribute to them, their parents, the parishioners of Nativity and Father Christensen, the pastor.

Coming off the Triduum marathon, I was exposed to servers in several other parishes that weekend: Basilica, Cathedral, and St Augustine’s (Tridentine) in South St Paul. You can guess what the demographics of St Augustine’s looked like. And actually, there weren’t any youth serving at the two premier parishes of the Archdiocese. There didn’t appear to be any priest shortage on those altars that day (lots of seminarians at the Cathedral, though).

And this brings me to my theory [it is mine] as to why more boys aren’t found as altar servers these days. The predominant theory is that they don’t like working with girls. In the United States in the year 2006? I find that really hard to believe. The “English chorister” theory, above, seems to be that football (soccer, here) and computer games rival altar serving for popularity. I think that to be less likely.

Granted that when one attends Mass, one is supposed to be praying and participating in the recreation of the Last Supper and the Holy Sacrifice on Calvary. But sometimes, when one has had three years of “altar boy” experience under one’s belt, even if it was 50 years ago, one tends to critique the behavior of the servers on duty and determine if they are “up to standard.” And generally, other than for the propensity for wearing “clown shoes” under the alb or whatever they call it these days, they do well.

The real problem is that in most parishes where I attend Mass (and I do tend to be a “church shopper”), there really isn’t that much for the servers to do. And as is evidenced by my experience at the Basilica and the Cathedral, when the really great opportunities come up when you get to really practice your thurible swinging or lead a procession of dozens with a heavy cross or ring the bell for five minutes straight on Holy Saturday to signify that the time of mourning is over and that Jesus Christ has risen, nobody wants you there.

And even on regular Sundays, let alone weekdays where it used to happen that you might even get to serve by yourself (these days the priest offers daily Mass without servers in many parishes), there isn’t a lot to do. They mostly seem to sit in a lot of parishes. No bells. No shifting the missal from the Epistle side to the Gospel side, and then back, no holding back Father’s chasuble at the Consecration so he has his arms free, and maybe most importantly, not being the sole representatives of the congregation by being the only one to make the responses (in Latin yet) to the Priest’s prayers. Compared to that, what the Church is asking of servers today is pretty boring stuff if you ask me.

Boys don’t like being ornaments. They want to do interesting and important stuff. You want more boys to be altar servers? Give them some of that to do. That’s what I say!