.
Thomas, free lance writer who covers world Catholic events from a MN town of 269 people and finds time to blog at Epiphany, who seems to be on chatting terms with Archbishop Raymond Burke of St Louis, formerly Bishop of La Crosse, reports on the Archbishops moonlighting job for the Vatican:
As if Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis didn't have enough to do already, the Holy Father has laid on him another task. It was announced today from the Holy See that he has been appointed to be a member of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.
[snip]
This is high recognition of Archbishop Burke's canonical skills. His resume includes working for five years as Defender of the Bond at the Signatura, which is really the Church's highest court (outside the person of the Holy Father himself, of course). He was appointed to be the Bishop of La Crosse by Pope John Paul II when he was working in that office, and then ordained a bishop by the Pope himself on January 6, 1995.
Archbishop Burke told me when I first met and interviewed him for Inside the Vatican back in the Fall of 1998, that while he was Defender of the Bond, he only had about a handful of cases where he actually defended the bond. The Signatura oversees the world's canonical courts and when marriage cases reach there, rather than the Roman Rota, that means the cases are being appealed on technical or procedural grounds, and not on the contents of the case. Those kind of marriage cases are few and far between. So he primarily worked on really difficult non-marital canonical cases, cases that had been in the making for a long time and where the parties were deeply entrenched in their mutually hostile positions. He is still well-regarded in the Vatican and has many, many friends there.
I think it's striking that after 11 years of not being at the Signatura, the Holy Father still recognizes Archbishop Burke's abilities and thinks so highly of them that he would appoint him to that post. There are some who think that what he said about John Kerry and the ensuing flap during the 2004 elections caused him to become out of favor with Rome, but that is obviously not the case. [snip] Read More
Monday, July 10, 2006
Sunday, July 9, 2006
Its all coming together!.. BUT WE NEED A NAME!
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Basil who blogs at A Country Boy Writes. . . . in Aberdeen, SD, apparently has found funding and other support for his internet radio station (which does not need a government license, I believe).
The internet radio is happening. I still don't have a Bishop, and therefore no permission to do a Catholic Radio show, but its coming soon! I'm hoping to have everything in place and together so when the time and such comes to do the show, I have it ready to roll in a matter of MINUTES from the 'ok' from the Lady J, the wonderful lady who is helping me with this venture is more anxious than me to start it!
We were thinking about "Saints alive!" as a name, but I found an Evangelical Protestant website with that name, so I would hate to have confusion. [snip] Read More
Basil who blogs at A Country Boy Writes. . . . in Aberdeen, SD, apparently has found funding and other support for his internet radio station (which does not need a government license, I believe).
The internet radio is happening. I still don't have a Bishop, and therefore no permission to do a Catholic Radio show, but its coming soon! I'm hoping to have everything in place and together so when the time and such comes to do the show, I have it ready to roll in a matter of MINUTES from the 'ok' from the Lady J, the wonderful lady who is helping me with this venture is more anxious than me to start it!
We were thinking about "Saints alive!" as a name, but I found an Evangelical Protestant website with that name, so I would hate to have confusion. [snip] Read More
Baptism and New Life
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Adoro of the Adoro Te Devote blog has lifted my spirits with this report from Mass this morning:
Today at Mass we were privileged to witness the baptism of a new member of the Mystical Body, and when that happened, I was overwhelmed with such a sense of God's love for all of us!
I considered this perfect little human being; this flawless little life being offered by her parents to the Lord and the indelible mark placed upon her soul today. She belongs to God. She was given by the Lord to her parents and in turn, they have offered her back to Him.
Is this not beautiful? [snip] Read More
Adoro of the Adoro Te Devote blog has lifted my spirits with this report from Mass this morning:
Today at Mass we were privileged to witness the baptism of a new member of the Mystical Body, and when that happened, I was overwhelmed with such a sense of God's love for all of us!
I considered this perfect little human being; this flawless little life being offered by her parents to the Lord and the indelible mark placed upon her soul today. She belongs to God. She was given by the Lord to her parents and in turn, they have offered her back to Him.
Is this not beautiful? [snip] Read More
The Scandal Of Men's Weakness
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Terry, a doppel-blogger, who posted earlier today on his Abbey-Roads blog about Compunction, has continued his thoughts on his Rome-ing Catholics blog with The Scandal of Men's Weakness
"My power is made manifest in weakness."
Prophets are often held in contempt and rejected by those towhom they are sent. The choice of God rarely, if ever, meets the narrow andshortsighted criteria set up by men. God chooses the broken man andpromises to repair him. He chooses the fallen man and promises to raise himup. He chooses the man deformed by sin and promises to reform him by grace.Even more surprising is that God does not wait until the broken arecompletely repaired, the fallen steady on their feet, and the deformedtotally reformed, before using them. He chooses his prophets, entrusts themwith a mission, and sends them out while they are still imperfect. [snip] Read More
Terry, a doppel-blogger, who posted earlier today on his Abbey-Roads blog about Compunction, has continued his thoughts on his Rome-ing Catholics blog with The Scandal of Men's Weakness
"My power is made manifest in weakness."
Prophets are often held in contempt and rejected by those towhom they are sent. The choice of God rarely, if ever, meets the narrow andshortsighted criteria set up by men. God chooses the broken man andpromises to repair him. He chooses the fallen man and promises to raise himup. He chooses the man deformed by sin and promises to reform him by grace.Even more surprising is that God does not wait until the broken arecompletely repaired, the fallen steady on their feet, and the deformedtotally reformed, before using them. He chooses his prophets, entrusts themwith a mission, and sends them out while they are still imperfect. [snip] Read More
Compunction
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Terry who blogs at Abbey-Roads has a friend who may have commited a terrible deed. Terry's has been looking at the deeds of his own past life and is feeling "compunction", the sting of guilt.
Yesterday's post brought me a great grace, it is called compunction. Compunction is not a word used very much anymore these days. My understanding of it is that it is like contrition, but it remains after the confession of one's sins. It's not depression nor is it "the sadness that leads to death" as St. Paul writes. It's a spiritually healthy condition, so desirable and consoling I wish I could be steeped in it every waking hour. It's very much linked to humility. One may imagine a saint, such as Bernard, pictured here, overtaken with compunction - "stung to his heart" by the sight of Jesus crucified and what Love has suffered in atonement for men's sins, and Bernard takes up Christ's cross and follows him. Still, feeling the sting in his heart, he understands his own sins have been the cause of so much grief, of so many wounds inflicted upon the sacred Heart of Jesus. "Deep calls to deep."
I have searched my office at home, my art cabinets, and every book, as well as my office at work, for a marvelous quote I had from John Paul I - not JPII - but his predecessor. The Holy Father was speaking at the Wednesday audience, I have no documentation on hand, but it is authentic. The Holy Father said something to this effect, "Excuse me for saying this, others may fault me, but I think the Lord loves humility so much that He sometimes allows very good souls to fall into sin, even mortal sin. In fact He may permit them to fall repeatedly into a very grave sin, in order that the soul may become humble. Yes God so loves humility that He will allow Himself to be offended so that the sinner may come to repentance and become humble." I know I didn't do his statement justice but it is very close to what the Holy Father said. [snip] Read More
Terry continued his thoughts on his Rome-ing Catholics blog with the subject of "The Scandal of Men's Weakness."
Terry who blogs at Abbey-Roads has a friend who may have commited a terrible deed. Terry's has been looking at the deeds of his own past life and is feeling "compunction", the sting of guilt.
Yesterday's post brought me a great grace, it is called compunction. Compunction is not a word used very much anymore these days. My understanding of it is that it is like contrition, but it remains after the confession of one's sins. It's not depression nor is it "the sadness that leads to death" as St. Paul writes. It's a spiritually healthy condition, so desirable and consoling I wish I could be steeped in it every waking hour. It's very much linked to humility. One may imagine a saint, such as Bernard, pictured here, overtaken with compunction - "stung to his heart" by the sight of Jesus crucified and what Love has suffered in atonement for men's sins, and Bernard takes up Christ's cross and follows him. Still, feeling the sting in his heart, he understands his own sins have been the cause of so much grief, of so many wounds inflicted upon the sacred Heart of Jesus. "Deep calls to deep."
I have searched my office at home, my art cabinets, and every book, as well as my office at work, for a marvelous quote I had from John Paul I - not JPII - but his predecessor. The Holy Father was speaking at the Wednesday audience, I have no documentation on hand, but it is authentic. The Holy Father said something to this effect, "Excuse me for saying this, others may fault me, but I think the Lord loves humility so much that He sometimes allows very good souls to fall into sin, even mortal sin. In fact He may permit them to fall repeatedly into a very grave sin, in order that the soul may become humble. Yes God so loves humility that He will allow Himself to be offended so that the sinner may come to repentance and become humble." I know I didn't do his statement justice but it is very close to what the Holy Father said. [snip] Read More
Terry continued his thoughts on his Rome-ing Catholics blog with the subject of "The Scandal of Men's Weakness."
The Culture of Perpetual Adoration, in Duluth
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Sharon, photographer, poet, professor, mother, grandmother and blogger from California who now blogs in Duluth at Clairity's Journal, recently signed up for some time at a Perpetual Adoration Chapel:
I recently got involved with the Perpetual Adoration chapel here in Duluth when a friend asked if she could put me on the substitute list. After a while, it's easier to keep track of a regular hour, and I was enjoying it so much, I got my own hour and still pick up some "shifts" for adorers who are sick or on vacation.
Our chapel is located right downtown, conveniently across from the Emergency Room at St. Mary's Hospital and in the St. Mary Star of the Sea Church. During the day, I'm seldom alone for long. There are those who just crave a quiet visit or who take advantage to stop in before or after Mass. Then there are the street people who stop by to surreptitiously give a nod and use the facilities. Many can't help recognizing Who is there, waiting as silently as the child in the crib in Bethlehem. A disheveled older woman rushes up and kneels and crosses herself several times confusedly and kisses her fingers and moves on. Outside she continues her loud argument with a man and is asked by another adorer to take it elsewhere. Most us who are on duty spend our hour sitting at the back right at the entrance of the chapel where we can watch who comes in and out. I'm from the metropolises of California, so I can't help but smile about Duluth's rough edges, but be glad for Christ's presence there.
In a certain small town in Minnesota, which shall remain unnamed, I'm told that they are very possessive of their adoration hours. It's something that with a population of 2,000, every hour around the clock is filled. These seem to be more personal hours, spent for some even by prostrating in front of the Lord.
Whatever the local culture, the adoration hour is something that grows on you, like any invitation by the Church to help us. A friend of mine once advised a confused young woman to say an Angelus every single day and that she would change. Such a simple but concrete action. So many forms of invitations and there is always one that just fits to size, just waiting for a yes. Clairity's Journal
Perpetual Adoration Chapels in the Archdiocese of St Paul-Minneapolis
Sharon, photographer, poet, professor, mother, grandmother and blogger from California who now blogs in Duluth at Clairity's Journal, recently signed up for some time at a Perpetual Adoration Chapel:
I recently got involved with the Perpetual Adoration chapel here in Duluth when a friend asked if she could put me on the substitute list. After a while, it's easier to keep track of a regular hour, and I was enjoying it so much, I got my own hour and still pick up some "shifts" for adorers who are sick or on vacation.
Our chapel is located right downtown, conveniently across from the Emergency Room at St. Mary's Hospital and in the St. Mary Star of the Sea Church. During the day, I'm seldom alone for long. There are those who just crave a quiet visit or who take advantage to stop in before or after Mass. Then there are the street people who stop by to surreptitiously give a nod and use the facilities. Many can't help recognizing Who is there, waiting as silently as the child in the crib in Bethlehem. A disheveled older woman rushes up and kneels and crosses herself several times confusedly and kisses her fingers and moves on. Outside she continues her loud argument with a man and is asked by another adorer to take it elsewhere. Most us who are on duty spend our hour sitting at the back right at the entrance of the chapel where we can watch who comes in and out. I'm from the metropolises of California, so I can't help but smile about Duluth's rough edges, but be glad for Christ's presence there.
In a certain small town in Minnesota, which shall remain unnamed, I'm told that they are very possessive of their adoration hours. It's something that with a population of 2,000, every hour around the clock is filled. These seem to be more personal hours, spent for some even by prostrating in front of the Lord.
Whatever the local culture, the adoration hour is something that grows on you, like any invitation by the Church to help us. A friend of mine once advised a confused young woman to say an Angelus every single day and that she would change. Such a simple but concrete action. So many forms of invitations and there is always one that just fits to size, just waiting for a yes. Clairity's Journal
Perpetual Adoration Chapels in the Archdiocese of St Paul-Minneapolis
A "Risk of Education Luncheon in Crosby, MN
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Sharon, photographer, poet, professor, mother, grandmother and blogger from California who now blogs in Duluth at Clairity's Journal, has posted a very reflective and interesting account of a recent meeting in Crosby,near Brainerd, to discuss the role of women in educating children.
There are women who love ladies night out, sororities and mothers groups. Then there are the other women like me who normally feel stifled by such. On one day last month a group of about 25 women, including college students, mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers, gathered for a luncheon in Crosby, Minnesota to hear a talk on Fr. Giussani's book The Risk of Education. We had dozens of children under our care and guidance (though thankfully someone else took care of them during our luncheon!). When Marcie Stokman introduced the group, she said that when some men had asked to come she had to say no and that there was something special about women getting together to talk about their life.
I had to agree with her, because this gathering would be and was different. Women tend to get caught up in the details, and well they should because that's what keeps the domestic life moving along. It's our life to sweat the small stuff. This is the way kids get raised and families cohere in practical and emotional matters. What's so annoying is when it stays on that level, as an overwhelming avalanche of tiny disconnected matters. It's when the details become the end that it is so suffocating: obsessing on the price of hamburger, the problem with the kids' teacher, the nasty breakup of so-and-so.
This gathering was refreshingly different. At this luncheon, Bunny Vouk spoke of her experience of studying The Risk of Education over a three year period weekly with a group of mothers. They studied the text and then verified it in their lives, as seemingly mundane and trying as it is for all of us. She showed us the method learned by Fr. Giussani for embracing the daily and finding in it a deeply satisfying meaning that could then be communicated to our children.
Bunny is not an educator or a homeschooling mom, as she was quick to point out. She works part time in the insurance industry and has practiced this method at home in her life as a mother. From hilarioius anecdotes of aspects of life from mowing the lawn to pondering the mystery of the Eucharist, Bunny opened up her own life and shared her verification of the great proposal of Christ as the meaning of everything.
She covered the points of the method of education, of the verification that adolescents must learn to undertake for themselves, and about offering a unified proposal which is rooted in tradition.
There was a superabundant impact from this gathering which was clear to all. At the luncheon--a superb outdoor meal hosted by the Caupona Maria Retreat Center, a mother of three who had never encountered the movement before, asked very insightful questions about verification and wanted to know how she could learn this method more. Such an interesting luncheon discussion demonstrated the need for this method of Fr. Giussani's to be offered as an education to educators. The proposal was clear enough to offer a positive provocation for those who attended. [snip] Read More, Please
Sharon, photographer, poet, professor, mother, grandmother and blogger from California who now blogs in Duluth at Clairity's Journal, has posted a very reflective and interesting account of a recent meeting in Crosby,near Brainerd, to discuss the role of women in educating children.
There are women who love ladies night out, sororities and mothers groups. Then there are the other women like me who normally feel stifled by such. On one day last month a group of about 25 women, including college students, mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers, gathered for a luncheon in Crosby, Minnesota to hear a talk on Fr. Giussani's book The Risk of Education. We had dozens of children under our care and guidance (though thankfully someone else took care of them during our luncheon!). When Marcie Stokman introduced the group, she said that when some men had asked to come she had to say no and that there was something special about women getting together to talk about their life.
I had to agree with her, because this gathering would be and was different. Women tend to get caught up in the details, and well they should because that's what keeps the domestic life moving along. It's our life to sweat the small stuff. This is the way kids get raised and families cohere in practical and emotional matters. What's so annoying is when it stays on that level, as an overwhelming avalanche of tiny disconnected matters. It's when the details become the end that it is so suffocating: obsessing on the price of hamburger, the problem with the kids' teacher, the nasty breakup of so-and-so.
This gathering was refreshingly different. At this luncheon, Bunny Vouk spoke of her experience of studying The Risk of Education over a three year period weekly with a group of mothers. They studied the text and then verified it in their lives, as seemingly mundane and trying as it is for all of us. She showed us the method learned by Fr. Giussani for embracing the daily and finding in it a deeply satisfying meaning that could then be communicated to our children.
Bunny is not an educator or a homeschooling mom, as she was quick to point out. She works part time in the insurance industry and has practiced this method at home in her life as a mother. From hilarioius anecdotes of aspects of life from mowing the lawn to pondering the mystery of the Eucharist, Bunny opened up her own life and shared her verification of the great proposal of Christ as the meaning of everything.
She covered the points of the method of education, of the verification that adolescents must learn to undertake for themselves, and about offering a unified proposal which is rooted in tradition.
There was a superabundant impact from this gathering which was clear to all. At the luncheon--a superb outdoor meal hosted by the Caupona Maria Retreat Center, a mother of three who had never encountered the movement before, asked very insightful questions about verification and wanted to know how she could learn this method more. Such an interesting luncheon discussion demonstrated the need for this method of Fr. Giussani's to be offered as an education to educators. The proposal was clear enough to offer a positive provocation for those who attended. [snip] Read More, Please
"Grotto of the Redemption" in West Bend, IA, Facing Challenging Times
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Challenging financial times is forcing the Diocese of Sioux City to take a hard look at their options and ask tough questions concerning The Grotto of the Redemption. Royce Ranniger, director of operations for the diocese, stressed the fact that no final
decisions have been made regarding the Grotto. Right now the diocese wants to get the word out to the people so that input from a variety of sources and individuals can be gathered.
Challenging financial times is forcing the Diocese of Sioux City to take a hard look at their options and ask tough questions concerning The Grotto of the Redemption. Royce Ranniger, director of operations for the diocese, stressed the fact that no final
decisions have been made regarding the Grotto. Right now the diocese wants to get the word out to the people so that input from a variety of sources and individuals can be gathered. According to Ranniger the grotto has been running at a deficit budget for the last four years. There have also been several other years in past with a deficit budget, but there was enough money in savings that allowed it to operate.
"In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2005, we lost $45,000," he noted. "This year we were at a shortfall of $28,700 through May 31- so with June revenues we may end the year with not a big loss. We anticipate losing $15,000 to $20,000 this year. Our estimated budget for next year has a deficit of about $30,000 so it is time to call the question: Can we continue to keep operating at a deficit and if so, who will make up that deficit?"
[snip]
He mentioned that one of the Grotto's biggest struggles has been with the attendance. In the 1950s and 60s, the Grotto had about 100,000 visitors a year. In recent years, attendance is at about 40,000 to 45,000. Since most of the revenue comes from free-will donations, the decline in visitors has hit hard.
"It used to be families came here several times a year. Now, we're lucky if people come once every 10 years," said Rhonda Miller, director. "People have always been busy, however, there are so many more things for people to do, see and be involved in today." She mentioned that many times people think that taking a pilgrimage has to be to far away places such as Rome or Lourdes and they don't consider things close to home. [snip] Catholic Globe Tip O' The Hat to the Vatican Watcher
Saturday, July 8, 2006
A Good Shepherd --- Bishop Thomas Olmsted -- Preaching and Teaching in the Desert
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National Catholic Register
March 5-11, 2006
Todays Bishops
Preaching and Teaching in the Desert.
By Tim Drake
Register Staff Writer
PHOENIX - Bishop Thomas Olmsted recently became one of only three U.S. bishops to require couples seeking a Church wedding to take a course in natural family planning. Those who work with the Phoenix bishop say it demonstrates his commitment to taking his role as a teacher seriously, especially with regard to the Church's teachings on the life issues.
When Pope Benedict XVI met with new bishops last September, he stressed the bishop's role as teacher.
"Among your duties, I would like to underline that of being teachers of the faith," said Pope Benedict.
"As successors of the apostles you are 'doctors of the faith,' authentic doctors who, with the same authority of Christ, above all proclaim to the people the faith we must live and believe," the Pope said.
This article is the second in the Register's series exploring how bishops are finding the voice to address the issues that most clergy have tended to avoid.
Among others it will feature Archbishop John Myers of Newark, N.J. and Bishops Samuel Aquila of Fargo, N.D.; Robert Finn of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Mo.; Michael Sheridan of Colorado Springs, Colo. and Robert Vasa of Baker, Ore.
Bishop Olmsted's commitment is one that was evident during his former post in the Diocese of Wichita, Kan. Those in Phoenix say it's been clear since his first days as bishop in Phoenix as well.
Just days after his 2004 installation, in his first non-liturgical act as bishop, Bishop Olmsted led some 200 pro-life activists in praying the Rosary outside a Phoenix-area Planned Parenthood abortion business. "This is Calvary, an innocent victim is dying here," Bishop Olmsted said in a statement to those gathered. "I have a special
obligation, especially to Catholics in whatever position they occupy in society, to explain the Church teachings and to share the good news about life."
"Bishop Olmsted immediately established himself, even on the first day he addressed us as priests," said Father Charles Goraieb, pastor of St. Henry's Catholic Church in Buckeye, Ariz. Father Goraieb has worked with Bishop Olmsted on the presbyteral council and served as chairman of the Natural Family Planning Board for the diocese. "Here was a man who was filled with the Holy Spirit."
Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry Bill Marcotte said that he sees the bishop fulfilling his role as a teacher in three distinct ways. "The bishop teaches through his speaking engagements, his column in the diocesan newspaper, and his homilies," said Marcotte.
Facing Challenges
Bishop Olmsted admitted that the challenges he faces in Phoenix are no different than those he faced in Wichita.
"The challenge is that our culture is becoming less and less rooted in the Judeo- Christian tradition," he said in an interview. "Our people are being less likely to be helped by the culture to understand their faith or the appropriate
virtues to live their faith well."
That's why he uses his speaking engagements and homilies as an opportunity to remind the faithful. "His homilies are full of catechesis," said Marcotte. "He connects everything that he does with a particular saint and frequently
teaches doctrine and quotes popes or encyclicals. His teaching style is very catechetical."
"My homilies are based on the Scriptural text and meet the pastoral and catechetical needs of our people," Bishop Olmsted said. Father Goraieb agreed with Marcotte's observation. "He teaches at almost every event," said the priest. "He is Scriptural and doesn't waste those opportunities. He wants to bring people to this broader, larger view."
Bishop Olmsted also uses the power of the pen.
Over the course of the past year, he has utilized his column in the diocesan newspaper, The Catholic Sun, to reflect on the encyclical Humanae Vitae, as well as many other important issues that face the Church. "I studied the pastoral letters written by Archbishop [Charles] Chaput [of Denver] and Bishop [Victor] Galeone [of St. Augustine, Fla.], as well as [Scranton, Pa.] Bishop [Joseph] Martino's pastoral on chastity, in preparing my texts," said Bishop Olmsted.
His First Pastoral
Bishop Olmsted also wrote to explain a dramatic change in how his diocese conveys the sacrament of confirmation. His first pastoral letter as bishop, "Gift From on High," coincided with the diocese's implementation of changing the age at which young people receive the sacrament.
"'Gift From on High' was the result of a consultation that I did with the presbyteral council," said Bishop Olmsted. "We put together a task force of priests, religious educators and members of the council to study the best age at
which to confer the sacrament of confirmation. They suggested that we return to the original order."
The Diocese of Phoenix became one among several that have made such a change. Historically, the sacrament of
confirmation was received after baptism and before first Communion. According to canon law, confirmation may be received at the age of discretion. An increasing number of dioceses are returning to the original order of the
sacraments of initiation.
"This is a great teaching for us," said Marcotte. "He is trying to teach us that the sacrament isn't a sacrament to be earned, but to be freely received as a gift." Among the reasons for the change, Bishop Olmsted explained that the diocese discovered that fewer than 40% of teenagers were being confirmed.
"Adults and young people are facing very serious challenges and decisions regarding faith," said Bishop Olmsted. "Those in sixth through eighth grade face challenges regarding the use of alcohol, drugs and sexual activity - challenges to their faith in which they need the influence of the Catholic faith." "We wanted to return to the natural sequence of the rite of the sacraments of initiation," said Marcotte.
In addition to the pastoral letter, Bishop Olmsted also produced a video explaining the historical teaching regarding confirmation which was sent to every parish in the diocese. "Bishop Olmsted speaks of mystagogy," said Marcotte. "We don't understand our baptism when we are baptized. Over time, as we grow, at age-appropriate stages, our Church is mandated to effectively teach what these sacraments are and what they mean. We learn as we grow what we are receiving."
Following the Leader
"Bishop Olmsted was one of the translators of Pope John Paul II's "Theology of the Body" from Italian into English," said Father Goraieb. "We are thrilled to have a bishop who supports the work and understands Humanae Vitae and the 'Theology of the Body.' How many bishops do you know would teach this so clearly and take the action of requiring that this is what couples must at least hear and try to understand if they are seeking
a sacramental marriage in the Church?" asked Father Goraieb.
Along these lines, Bishop Olmsted is in the process of establishing a John Paul II Resource Center for the Theology of the Body and Culture - a resource to infuse the HolyFather's teachings into all marriage enrichment
programs in the diocese.
Papal biographer George Weigel said that John Paul taught bishops how to be bishops. "The bishops appointed in the past 10 or 15 years had the opportunity to watch a great teaching pontificate at work, so they've taken on the model of the bishop as evangelist and witness - as teacher of the enduring truths of Catholic faith," he said.
Bishop Olmsted agreed in pointing to Pope John Paul and Pope Benedict as models. "I am influenced by the example and exhortation of John Paul II," he said. "We saw in him someone who was very committed to evangelization. He had a real passion for catechesis and teaching. Those of us who have been bishops have
been very influenced by him."
Bishop Olmsted also stressed that he draws strength from the teachings of the Church herself. "The Catechism of the Catholic Church, and documents like Fides et Ratio, Evangelium Vitae and Veritatis Splendor have greatly helped us to have confidence and are good tools at hand for proclaiming the Gospel and teaching the faith," said Bishop Olmsted. "Pope Benedict is carrying that forward in is own teaching." National Catholic Register
Tim Drake is based in St. Joseph, Minnesota
National Catholic Register
March 5-11, 2006
Todays Bishops
Preaching and Teaching in the Desert.
By Tim Drake
Register Staff Writer
PHOENIX - Bishop Thomas Olmsted recently became one of only three U.S. bishops to require couples seeking a Church wedding to take a course in natural family planning. Those who work with the Phoenix bishop say it demonstrates his commitment to taking his role as a teacher seriously, especially with regard to the Church's teachings on the life issues.
When Pope Benedict XVI met with new bishops last September, he stressed the bishop's role as teacher.
"Among your duties, I would like to underline that of being teachers of the faith," said Pope Benedict.
"As successors of the apostles you are 'doctors of the faith,' authentic doctors who, with the same authority of Christ, above all proclaim to the people the faith we must live and believe," the Pope said.
This article is the second in the Register's series exploring how bishops are finding the voice to address the issues that most clergy have tended to avoid.
Among others it will feature Archbishop John Myers of Newark, N.J. and Bishops Samuel Aquila of Fargo, N.D.; Robert Finn of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Mo.; Michael Sheridan of Colorado Springs, Colo. and Robert Vasa of Baker, Ore.
Bishop Olmsted's commitment is one that was evident during his former post in the Diocese of Wichita, Kan. Those in Phoenix say it's been clear since his first days as bishop in Phoenix as well.
Just days after his 2004 installation, in his first non-liturgical act as bishop, Bishop Olmsted led some 200 pro-life activists in praying the Rosary outside a Phoenix-area Planned Parenthood abortion business. "This is Calvary, an innocent victim is dying here," Bishop Olmsted said in a statement to those gathered. "I have a special
obligation, especially to Catholics in whatever position they occupy in society, to explain the Church teachings and to share the good news about life."
"Bishop Olmsted immediately established himself, even on the first day he addressed us as priests," said Father Charles Goraieb, pastor of St. Henry's Catholic Church in Buckeye, Ariz. Father Goraieb has worked with Bishop Olmsted on the presbyteral council and served as chairman of the Natural Family Planning Board for the diocese. "Here was a man who was filled with the Holy Spirit."
Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry Bill Marcotte said that he sees the bishop fulfilling his role as a teacher in three distinct ways. "The bishop teaches through his speaking engagements, his column in the diocesan newspaper, and his homilies," said Marcotte.
Facing Challenges
Bishop Olmsted admitted that the challenges he faces in Phoenix are no different than those he faced in Wichita.
"The challenge is that our culture is becoming less and less rooted in the Judeo- Christian tradition," he said in an interview. "Our people are being less likely to be helped by the culture to understand their faith or the appropriate
virtues to live their faith well."
That's why he uses his speaking engagements and homilies as an opportunity to remind the faithful. "His homilies are full of catechesis," said Marcotte. "He connects everything that he does with a particular saint and frequently
teaches doctrine and quotes popes or encyclicals. His teaching style is very catechetical."
"My homilies are based on the Scriptural text and meet the pastoral and catechetical needs of our people," Bishop Olmsted said. Father Goraieb agreed with Marcotte's observation. "He teaches at almost every event," said the priest. "He is Scriptural and doesn't waste those opportunities. He wants to bring people to this broader, larger view."
Bishop Olmsted also uses the power of the pen.
Over the course of the past year, he has utilized his column in the diocesan newspaper, The Catholic Sun, to reflect on the encyclical Humanae Vitae, as well as many other important issues that face the Church. "I studied the pastoral letters written by Archbishop [Charles] Chaput [of Denver] and Bishop [Victor] Galeone [of St. Augustine, Fla.], as well as [Scranton, Pa.] Bishop [Joseph] Martino's pastoral on chastity, in preparing my texts," said Bishop Olmsted.
His First Pastoral
Bishop Olmsted also wrote to explain a dramatic change in how his diocese conveys the sacrament of confirmation. His first pastoral letter as bishop, "Gift From on High," coincided with the diocese's implementation of changing the age at which young people receive the sacrament.
"'Gift From on High' was the result of a consultation that I did with the presbyteral council," said Bishop Olmsted. "We put together a task force of priests, religious educators and members of the council to study the best age at
which to confer the sacrament of confirmation. They suggested that we return to the original order."
The Diocese of Phoenix became one among several that have made such a change. Historically, the sacrament of
confirmation was received after baptism and before first Communion. According to canon law, confirmation may be received at the age of discretion. An increasing number of dioceses are returning to the original order of the
sacraments of initiation.
"This is a great teaching for us," said Marcotte. "He is trying to teach us that the sacrament isn't a sacrament to be earned, but to be freely received as a gift." Among the reasons for the change, Bishop Olmsted explained that the diocese discovered that fewer than 40% of teenagers were being confirmed.
"Adults and young people are facing very serious challenges and decisions regarding faith," said Bishop Olmsted. "Those in sixth through eighth grade face challenges regarding the use of alcohol, drugs and sexual activity - challenges to their faith in which they need the influence of the Catholic faith." "We wanted to return to the natural sequence of the rite of the sacraments of initiation," said Marcotte.
In addition to the pastoral letter, Bishop Olmsted also produced a video explaining the historical teaching regarding confirmation which was sent to every parish in the diocese. "Bishop Olmsted speaks of mystagogy," said Marcotte. "We don't understand our baptism when we are baptized. Over time, as we grow, at age-appropriate stages, our Church is mandated to effectively teach what these sacraments are and what they mean. We learn as we grow what we are receiving."
Following the Leader
"Bishop Olmsted was one of the translators of Pope John Paul II's "Theology of the Body" from Italian into English," said Father Goraieb. "We are thrilled to have a bishop who supports the work and understands Humanae Vitae and the 'Theology of the Body.' How many bishops do you know would teach this so clearly and take the action of requiring that this is what couples must at least hear and try to understand if they are seeking
a sacramental marriage in the Church?" asked Father Goraieb.
Along these lines, Bishop Olmsted is in the process of establishing a John Paul II Resource Center for the Theology of the Body and Culture - a resource to infuse the HolyFather's teachings into all marriage enrichment
programs in the diocese.
Papal biographer George Weigel said that John Paul taught bishops how to be bishops. "The bishops appointed in the past 10 or 15 years had the opportunity to watch a great teaching pontificate at work, so they've taken on the model of the bishop as evangelist and witness - as teacher of the enduring truths of Catholic faith," he said.
Bishop Olmsted agreed in pointing to Pope John Paul and Pope Benedict as models. "I am influenced by the example and exhortation of John Paul II," he said. "We saw in him someone who was very committed to evangelization. He had a real passion for catechesis and teaching. Those of us who have been bishops have
been very influenced by him."
Bishop Olmsted also stressed that he draws strength from the teachings of the Church herself. "The Catechism of the Catholic Church, and documents like Fides et Ratio, Evangelium Vitae and Veritatis Splendor have greatly helped us to have confidence and are good tools at hand for proclaiming the Gospel and teaching the faith," said Bishop Olmsted. "Pope Benedict is carrying that forward in is own teaching." National Catholic Register
Tim Drake is based in St. Joseph, Minnesota
It's "Sister Rosalind Day At Midway Stadium! Come On Out And Get A Sr. Rosalind Bobblehead!
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It was never Sister Rosalind Gefre's dream to have her likeness immortalized as a bobblehead. But once the St. Paul Saints got the idea of honoring their back-rubbing nun with a Sister Gefre figurine, the massage therapist learned to accept it.
"I pray a lot. I just said, 'Jesus, it's your business,' " she said. " 'Whatever happens, it's in your hands.' "
But on Saturday, it'll be all about her hands. The first 1,500 Saints fans who arrive at Midway Stadium will receive their own Sister Gefre bobblehands — a miniature statue of the attention-spurning sister herself. The figure stands with outstretched spring-loaded wrists, as if ready to work out those troublesome kinks. [snip] PioneerPress
The games starts at 7:05 at Midway Stadium so you'd better get out there now if you want to be one of those first 1,500 to get a Sister Rosalind Bobblehead doll! (I inquired of the reporter as to why she is referred to as "Sister Gefre." No reply yet. Style manuals must supercede real life usage).
Lino Is Indeed At Large, Scoping Out The Big Time in L.A.
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Clayton, former Twin Cities resident now in L.A. blogging at The Weight of Glory, has interviewed Lino Rulli, formerly a major star on Minneapolis' St Olaf's Church hit cable access TV program that earned him a Regional Emmy award (Really!) a few years back.
Lino Rulli, who produces a weekly radio program for the USCCB called Lino at Large, heard on Relevant Radio in the Twin Cities at 8:30 p.m. on Saturdays and 12:30 p.m. on Sundays, recently visited Los Angeles to do a series of shows about the mission fields of California, old and new.
As part of his coverage of the new "mission fields" of California, he recently interviewed friend and fellow Steubenville alumnus Alana Antolak (listen to the June 24-25 show in Windows Media or Real Player format). Alana is out here in Los Angeles pursuing an acting career. The interview with Lino was recorded in my apartment, because we couldn't find another quiet place to record the audio on that Sunday afternoon! [snip] The Weight of Glory
Clayton, former Twin Cities resident now in L.A. blogging at The Weight of Glory, has interviewed Lino Rulli, formerly a major star on Minneapolis' St Olaf's Church hit cable access TV program that earned him a Regional Emmy award (Really!) a few years back.
Lino Rulli, who produces a weekly radio program for the USCCB called Lino at Large, heard on Relevant Radio in the Twin Cities at 8:30 p.m. on Saturdays and 12:30 p.m. on Sundays, recently visited Los Angeles to do a series of shows about the mission fields of California, old and new.
As part of his coverage of the new "mission fields" of California, he recently interviewed friend and fellow Steubenville alumnus Alana Antolak (listen to the June 24-25 show in Windows Media or Real Player format). Alana is out here in Los Angeles pursuing an acting career. The interview with Lino was recorded in my apartment, because we couldn't find another quiet place to record the audio on that Sunday afternoon! [snip] The Weight of Glory
The Hawthorne Dominicans reunite Nathaniel Hawthorne with his wife & daughter
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Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of "The Scarlet Letter" and other classics of American letters, left more than a literary legacy. His daughter Rose, a convert to Catholicism, founded the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, who have provided free care to poor cancer patients for more than 100 years.
Hawthorne and his wife, Sophia, had a deeply happy and loving marriage but were separated in death. Nathaniel Hawthorne was buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, Mass., the town where the Hawthorne family had lived for some years. The widowed Sophia Hawthorne and the couple's three children moved to England; Sophia and her daughter Una died there and were buried in London.
Now the remains of Sophia and Una Hawthorne are being brought home for burial beside Nathaniel Hawthorne, thanks to the Hawthorne Dominicans and some of their friends on both sides of the Atlantic. [snip] Catholic News Service
Tip O/ The Hat to American Papist
The Hawthorne Dominicans operate the Our Lady of Good Council Free Cancer Home in St Paul two of whose nuns were blogged about in May
Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of "The Scarlet Letter" and other classics of American letters, left more than a literary legacy. His daughter Rose, a convert to Catholicism, founded the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, who have provided free care to poor cancer patients for more than 100 years.
Hawthorne and his wife, Sophia, had a deeply happy and loving marriage but were separated in death. Nathaniel Hawthorne was buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, Mass., the town where the Hawthorne family had lived for some years. The widowed Sophia Hawthorne and the couple's three children moved to England; Sophia and her daughter Una died there and were buried in London.
Now the remains of Sophia and Una Hawthorne are being brought home for burial beside Nathaniel Hawthorne, thanks to the Hawthorne Dominicans and some of their friends on both sides of the Atlantic. [snip] Catholic News Service
Tip O/ The Hat to American Papist
The Hawthorne Dominicans operate the Our Lady of Good Council Free Cancer Home in St Paul two of whose nuns were blogged about in May
Friday, July 7, 2006
Do You Know What An Apologist Does? - no. 11
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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:
General Comments
Introduction Issue No. 11
In Issue #9, I responded to an email that had come to me through EWTN from a young lady who was not Catholic, but was worried about the souls of her Catholic sister and brother-in-law. In my answer, I asked her to give me a verse showing where the Bible teaches that we are "born again" by confessing Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior.
In Conclusion
Didn't try to do too much here. Don't think you have to get into every single area of Catholic theology in one email. Just responded to his email and asked a question or two and used a few scripture verses to hopefully provoke a response.
If this newsletter was forwarded to you by a friend, and you would like to be added to our distribution list, all you have to do is go to www.biblechristiansociety.com and click on the "Newsletter" page to sign up. It will take you about 10 seconds.
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:
General Comments
Introduction Issue No. 11
In Issue #9, I responded to an email that had come to me through EWTN from a young lady who was not Catholic, but was worried about the souls of her Catholic sister and brother-in-law. In my answer, I asked her to give me a verse showing where the Bible teaches that we are "born again" by confessing Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior.
Several of you wrote to me to say, "John, Protestants will counter with Romans 10:8-10 to say that you must confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord." Well, you guys were right. I received an email from a Protestant who did just that.
His email is below (in italics), followed by my response and strategies. Instead of breaking up his relatively short email, I just put the strategies after each of my paragraphs. The strategies will be underlined.
As always, I welcome any and all feedback, even if I am unable to respond to all of it.
Challenge/Response/Strategy
Romans 10 vs. 8-10
Dear Sirs,
I just read one of your newsletters about salvation, and you said that it doesn't say in the Bible that public confession has to be made to be saved. That we are saved by baptism. That is not the truth. It is belief in Christ, and confessing him before others that we are saved by. The Holy Spirit will only come to those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Romans 10 vs. 8-10 "But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart; that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Jon
Dear Jon,
In response to your email, I didn't quite say what you say I said. You stated, "...you said that it doesn't say in the Bible that public confession has to be made to be saved." Actually, what I did was ask the young lady (Karen) I was writing to the following question, "Where does it say that someone must make a declaration in which they 'accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior' in order to be Born Again?" And then I stated that the Bible nowhere says such a thing. Big difference between that and saying that one doesn't need to publicly confess Jesus.
Strategy: Make sure they don't distort what you are saying. Quite often Catholics get "told" what they believe and what they "mean" when they say something, by folks who don't understand Catholic theology or terminology. For example, I don't know how many times I've been told I worship Mary. When I respond that I don't, I have only once had someone say, "Oh, I was misinformed." Every other time the response is, "Yes you do." So, make it very clear what you are saying and what you are not saying, to try and avoid confusion. [Back to response.]
As a Catholic, I believe we must make a public confession of Christ. After all, Jesus said that whoever acknowledges Him, will, in turn, be acknowledged by Him before the Father. In fact, as Catholics, we make a public confession of Christ every Sunday during our worship service...the Mass. One cannot deny Christ and still be saved.
Strategy: Simply making sure he understands that Catholics do indeed believe in publicly confessing Christ. [Back to response.]
However, my point to Karen was that the Bible nowhere states that one is "born again" by accepting Jesus Christ into their hearts as their personal Lord and Savior. Nowhere does the Bible say that. If you know of such a passage, please let me know about it. You quote Romans 10:8-10, "The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you wll be saved. For man believes with his heart and so is justified and he confesses with his lips and so is saved."
Amen! As a Catholic, I believe that 100%. As a Catholic, I believe every passage of the Bible 100%. The problem for you, though, is it doesn't say anything about being born again by accepting Jesus Christ into your heart as your personal Lord and Savior. Again, I'm not saying one doesn't need to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, I'm just saying that's not what the Bible says makes you "born again."
Strategy: Any time anyone puts a Bible verse in front of you, respond with, "Amen! I believe that 100%!" But, you don't necessarily agree with their infallible [correction: the word should be "fallible" here.] interpretation of that verse. Also, clarifying and repeating the question. Keep repeating your questions until you get answers to them. And don't accept any verse that doesn't clearly and expressly say what they are saying. [Back to response.]
The Bible states, very clearly and unequivocally, that one must be born of "water and the Spirit" in order to be "born again" (John 3:3-8). Furthermore, the fact that Jesus is talking about baptism in this verse is shown by the fact that in all 4 Gospel accounts of Jesus' baptism, we see what? Water and the Spirit. And, in John 3, right after His discussion with Nicodemus, what does the Bible say Jesus did? He and His disciples went into the land and...baptized. So, it is through Baptism that one is born again, not by accepting Jesus Christ into your heart as your personal Lord and Savior, at least, according to the Bible.
Furthermore, you state that it is "not the truth" that we are saved by baptism. May I direct your attention to 1 Peter 3:20-21, "...who formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, NOW SAVES YOU." Baptism "now saves you" according to the Bible. The words are very clear and very unambiguous.
Strategy: Showing that the Bible is indeed the Catholic's best friend when talking to non-Catholic Christians. Engage folks by asking questions, even if you then provide the answers...keep asking questions. [Back to response.]
However, since as Catholics we know that you cannot simply take a verse out here and there and make it trump the rest of the Bible, we realize that Baptism is not the be all and end all in regards to salvation, but rather it is the beginning of salvation. One must be baptized in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven as it says in John 3, but one must have faith (Rom 3:28), and one must do the will of the Father (Matt 7:21), and one must forgive others in order to be forgiven (Matt 6:14-15), and one must keep the Commandments (Matt 19:16-17), and one must labor for the food which endures to eternal life (John 6:27), and one must eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man (John 6:51-58), and one must seek for glory and for honor and for immortality (Rom 2:6-8), and do good works (James 2:14-26 and Matt 25:31-46), and so on. In other words, salvation is a process that begins with Baptism.
Strategy: Showing again that the Bible supports the Catholic position on salvation...as it does on every other aspect of Catholic teaching...and hopefully getting Jon to go and read these verses and maybe really pay attention to what they say...giving him some food for thought and maybe planting some seeds [Back to response.]
Again, though, if you know of a verse that says a person is "born again" by accepting Jesus Christ into their hearts as their personal Lord and Savior, I'm open to hearing about it. Also, if you can find a verse that states we are "not saved" by Baptism, I would be very interested in that one as well.
God bless!
John Martignoni
In Conclusion
Didn't try to do too much here. Don't think you have to get into every single area of Catholic theology in one email. Just responded to his email and asked a question or two and used a few scripture verses to hopefully provoke a response.
Just keep asking those questions until you get a response. And make sure the person you are talking to does not define what you as a Catholic believe, you do that for yourself. If they don't accept it, well, that's their problem, not yours.
One last thing, please remember to let folks know about us and about our free tapes and CDs at www.biblechristiansociety.com. By the way, we have 3 new talks at the website: 1) Which Came First, the Church or the Bible? 2) Debate: Sola Fide (Are we saved by Faith Alone? 3) Two-Minute Apologetics. Check them out if you haven't already!
If this newsletter was forwarded to you by a friend, and you would like to be added to our distribution list, all you have to do is go to www.biblechristiansociety.com and click on the "Newsletter" page to sign up. It will take you about 10 seconds.
St Joan's Weekly Bible Study Group is Debating the Truth of the Bible
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In Minneapolis, the St Joan of Arc parish's weekly Bible study group held a discussion on a book titled Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why, by Bart D. Ehrman.
One of the group's facilitators wrote: ...Since God did not see fit to preserve the original manuscripts, as an all-powerful God presumably can do, that is a pretty good sign that the Bible is not inerrant, much less a foolproof guide to the questions of the present age, such as abortion, women's rights, gay rights, religious supremacy, Western-style democracy, etc. We can't set up the Bible as a false idol....
And the "Discussion questions" for this topic?
--Why, if our beliefs are more profound and more rational, do we need to denigrate the gullibility and obstinacy of Bible literalists? Why does their faith appear to be more intense than ours (or does it)?
--If the Bible is not the inerrant word of God, what value does it have?
--Has our experience with the Bible led to any faith journey changes of course among us, as happened to the author? [snip] Spero News
In Minneapolis, the St Joan of Arc parish's weekly Bible study group held a discussion on a book titled Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why, by Bart D. Ehrman.
One of the group's facilitators wrote: ...Since God did not see fit to preserve the original manuscripts, as an all-powerful God presumably can do, that is a pretty good sign that the Bible is not inerrant, much less a foolproof guide to the questions of the present age, such as abortion, women's rights, gay rights, religious supremacy, Western-style democracy, etc. We can't set up the Bible as a false idol....
And the "Discussion questions" for this topic?
--Why, if our beliefs are more profound and more rational, do we need to denigrate the gullibility and obstinacy of Bible literalists? Why does their faith appear to be more intense than ours (or does it)?
--If the Bible is not the inerrant word of God, what value does it have?
--Has our experience with the Bible led to any faith journey changes of course among us, as happened to the author? [snip] Spero News
More on Those Excommunications in St Louis by Archbishop Burke Last Winter
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Archbishop Raymond Burke ran into a buzz saw of controversey soon after he left the Diocese of La Crosse for St Louis a couple of years ago. The fight was between the Archbishop and a Polish congregation that did not want to surrender control of their parish to the Archdiocese as is the case with other parishes. After the meetings, came the Interdict and then the Excommunications. Minneapolis and Duluth had Polish congregations that fought with their bishop and those conflicts resulted in a large number of people leaving to start new Polish National Catholic Church parishes about 100 years ago.
This article by local blogger Thomas Szyszkiewicz (I can spell that without having to look it up because my last name was originally spelled "Marszalkiewicz") who is a free lance writer and had this article publsihed in Catholic World Report last February, recently posted it on his blog, Epiphany. It takes a very confusing situation in St Louis and does an excellent job of laying out the positions of the two sides. It may shed some light on what happened in Duluth and Minneapolis, 100 years earlier.
It’s not often that seven Catholics are publicly excommunicated from the Church on a single day. So when Archbishop Raymond L. Burke of St. Louis proclaimed “with heavy heart” in December that the six members of the board of the civil corporation of St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish in St. Louis and the priest they hired to be pastor were excommunicated for an act of schism, it made national news.
Father Marek Bozek, a priest of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau and a native of Poland, left his post as associate pastor of St. Agnes Cathedral in his diocese against the express wishes of Bishop Joseph Leibrecht, and took up an offer from the board of directors of St. Stan’s Parish to become their pastor. By this act, both the board and the priest committed an act of schism and ruptured their communion with the Roman Catholic Church. [snip] Epiphany blog
Archbishop Raymond Burke ran into a buzz saw of controversey soon after he left the Diocese of La Crosse for St Louis a couple of years ago. The fight was between the Archbishop and a Polish congregation that did not want to surrender control of their parish to the Archdiocese as is the case with other parishes. After the meetings, came the Interdict and then the Excommunications. Minneapolis and Duluth had Polish congregations that fought with their bishop and those conflicts resulted in a large number of people leaving to start new Polish National Catholic Church parishes about 100 years ago.
This article by local blogger Thomas Szyszkiewicz (I can spell that without having to look it up because my last name was originally spelled "Marszalkiewicz") who is a free lance writer and had this article publsihed in Catholic World Report last February, recently posted it on his blog, Epiphany. It takes a very confusing situation in St Louis and does an excellent job of laying out the positions of the two sides. It may shed some light on what happened in Duluth and Minneapolis, 100 years earlier.
It’s not often that seven Catholics are publicly excommunicated from the Church on a single day. So when Archbishop Raymond L. Burke of St. Louis proclaimed “with heavy heart” in December that the six members of the board of the civil corporation of St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish in St. Louis and the priest they hired to be pastor were excommunicated for an act of schism, it made national news.
Father Marek Bozek, a priest of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau and a native of Poland, left his post as associate pastor of St. Agnes Cathedral in his diocese against the express wishes of Bishop Joseph Leibrecht, and took up an offer from the board of directors of St. Stan’s Parish to become their pastor. By this act, both the board and the priest committed an act of schism and ruptured their communion with the Roman Catholic Church. [snip] Epiphany blog
Controversial human body exhibit at St Paul Science Museum raises ethical questions
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Visitors to an exhibit at a St. Paul museum displaying plastinated human bodies are immediately greeted with words from the Psalms.
"What is man that thou shouldst remember him, mortal man that thou shouldst care for him? Yet thou has made him little less than God, him with glory and honor," proclaims one of the hanging banners at the display. The banner is one of many quoting philosophers, scientists and theologians and serve as a backdrop to the preserved and posed bodies in the Science Museum of Minnesota's exhibit "Body Worlds."
Visitors to an exhibit at a St. Paul museum displaying plastinated human bodies are immediately greeted with words from the Psalms.
"What is man that thou shouldst remember him, mortal man that thou shouldst care for him? Yet thou has made him little less than God, him with glory and honor," proclaims one of the hanging banners at the display. The banner is one of many quoting philosophers, scientists and theologians and serve as a backdrop to the preserved and posed bodies in the Science Museum of Minnesota's exhibit "Body Worlds."
The exhibit, which opened May 5 and runs until Sept. 4, features anatomical displays of human bodies preserved through a process called plastination.
[snip]
One of my fears coming into this is, 'What is the purpose of a display like this?'" said Christina Bye, who recently graduated with a degree in biochemistry from the University of St. Thomas and plans to attend the University of Minnesota Medical School this fall. "If it's to increase wonder and awe of the human body, then I think it's OK," she told The Catholic Spirit, newspaper of the St. Paul-Minneapolis Archdiocese.
Bye has not been the only one to question the exhibit's intent. "Body Worlds" has generated controversy for a variety of reasons since its 1996 opening in Tokyo.
For starters, there is the general discomfort with human remains being displayed publicly. Many have questioned whether this kind of exhibit is sensational or in keeping with the dignity of the human person. Others are concerned about whether those who donated their bodies gave proper consent. [snip] Catholic Online
A Great Parish --- St Anthony of Padua, Minneapolis
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In one of my infrequent attempts to organize the piles surrounding my computer terminal, I discovered a copy of “The Northeast Beacon, A Light to the Church and the City,” with Mass and services information for the parishes for Northeast Minneapolis, all ten of them! I have no idea where it came from. Get a load of the agenda for one parish, especially the Saturday morning Mass:
In one of my infrequent attempts to organize the piles surrounding my computer terminal, I discovered a copy of “The Northeast Beacon, A Light to the Church and the City,” with Mass and services information for the parishes for Northeast Minneapolis, all ten of them! I have no idea where it came from. Get a load of the agenda for one parish, especially the Saturday morning Mass:
The Rosary is recited before all Masses.
The Divine Mercy Chaplet is prayed every Sunday following the 9:00 a.m. Mass.
Fatima Prayers and Rosary are recited Thursday following the 11:30 a.m. Mass.
A Holy Hour with the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the Rosary, Benediction, Reconciliation & Marian Mass with Gregorian Chant every Saturday morning beginning at 7:30 a.m. [The Marian Mass at 8:30 adds a Hail Mary to the Prayers of the Faithful, a Marian Preface right before the Sanctus and two fine old Marian hymns; Father wears a beautiful Marian chasuble. All Father's chasubles are beautiful! He's a very good homilist, also].
Where is that, you ask? Why St Anthony of Padua, 804 Second St. NE, Minneapolis, the oldest parish, originally Irish as can be surmised from the names of those who contributed for the gorgeous stained glass windows, in the city. I thought that honor would have gone to the Our Lady of Lourdes parish, nearer to the Mississippi. But they must be right. St Anthony Falls was probably the first place named in Minnesota by the French voyageurs. The Lourdes apparitions didn’t take place til 1858. They’ll be having a sesquicentennial in less than two years.
“Wowzer,” thought I! I knew where I was going to be on last Saturday morning. This had to be checked out.
It was a glorious Saturday morning as I wended my way downtown and parked almost at the front door, wondering why the crowd wasn’t bigger for such a wonderful event.
Well, the church is attached to a large Eldercare facility and most of the 25 or 30 attendees, predominantly women, probably took pains just to walk from their units to the parish. Only two or three were under 60. One of my intents and prayers is that more and more people discover St Anthony’s and save their trips to the east to St Agnes in St Paul or to the west to Holy Family in St Louis Park by attending Mass much nearer to home. And that Saturday Mass and Holy Hour is as good as promised.
The Servers (“Altar Men”) in cassock and surplice prepared the altar for Adoration. Father Glen Jenson, I assume it was him, came out and placed the host in the monstrance, followed by ten minutes of quiet adoration. Then one of the parishioners led us in the Divine Mercy chaplet, followed by another who led us in the Rosary. This was followed by a Prayer of Support for Archbishop Harry Flynn.
Then Father, who had been available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation at the rear of the church, vested and held Benediction for us. We sang the de rigueur “O Salutaris Hostia”, “Tantum Ergo”, and “Holy God We Praise Thy Name.”
Then there was a substitution and a different “Altar Man” came on board for the Mass. After the opening “Dominus vobiscum” to which we replied “Et cum spiritu tuo”, two years ahead of schedule, Mass was in English but we used traditional Latin chant words and melodies for the Kyrie Eleison, the Alleluia, for the three responses at the Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayers [No. 1, the long one], the Sanctus, the Mysterium Fidei Memorial Acclamation after the Consecration, the Great Amen, the Agnus Dei and the Domine Non Sum Dignus, which was not sung. Being that it was not a Sunday, no Gloria or Credo were said.
Father’s Homily was particularly topical because he reported on the liturgical changes that the U.S. Bishops had just approved in Los Angeles that will change the phrase "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed" to a more accurate “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof. . . .” After the Communion, he did remind those in attendance that there was a Mass schedule at the rear that they should give to friends to attract more to the Saturday Mass. I smiled to self and thought about this post soon to go out to a potential audience of billions.
It’s up to you reading this to let your Twin Cities friends and relatives know that St Anthony’s exists, there are no parking problems, and what awaits them is a profound spiritual experience. There is only one Sunday Mass at 9:00 a.m. and an Anticipation Mass on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
Father Jenson did a fine job celebrating the Mass, to this well practiced, but still untrained eye. I would put him in competition any day with another priest, only a couple of years out of the seminary, who has by my way of thinking, the “finest posture” in the Archdiocese.
Well, I’m not sure if the liturgy was completely orthodox. I have to contact canon lawyer Ed Peters to see if it is a liturgical violation for the parish secretary to come barging into the sanctuary after the Communion when Father was getting ready to clean the sacred vessels, yelling, “Father, the incense from the thurible caused the smoke alarm to go off and the Fire Department is on the way!” Father Jenson got a bit discombobulated at that, but recovered nicely and Mass ended about 9:15 with a perfect “Ite Missa est”, responded to with a loud “Deo Gratias” by the small congregation as the sound of sirens grew louder through the open doors of the church. It was a gorgeous morning.
St Anthony of Padua in Minneapolis is the first nominee for Stella Borealis’ “Great Parishes” list!
Now it’s YOUR turn to submit your favorite parish!
40 Archdiocesan workers get offer of early retirement; Cuts to avoid future budget shortfall
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Forty employees of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis have been offered early-separation packages to help forestall an anticipated budget crunch. Depending on how many employees of the Roman Catholic archdiocese accept the plan, other job cuts may follow, officials said.
Forty employees of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis have been offered early-separation packages to help forestall an anticipated budget crunch. Depending on how many employees of the Roman Catholic archdiocese accept the plan, other job cuts may follow, officials said.
Although the archdiocese is currently said to be in solid financial shape, it is seeking to reduce expenses by $4 million a year because of projected shortfalls in future years, officials told the Catholic Spirit, the official archdiocesan newspaper.
"One of the major causes of the situation we see ourselves in down the road is personnel costs, particularly escalating health-care costs,'' archdiocese spokesman Dennis McGrath said Thursday. "That's no different than General Motors or anybody. But the archbishop is insistent that we are as humane and Christian as we can possibly be in taking care of our people.''
The 40 employees eligible for the early-separation plan, as the archdiocese calls it, are those whose age and years of service add up to at least 75. The archdiocese has 159 full- and part-time employees, not including clergy. [snip] Pioneer Press
Thursday, July 6, 2006
Florida teen will begin a nine-month mission trip with WSP's Net Ministries "to see where I am with God."
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Andrew Johnson is like most teenagers. He likes to hang out with friends and have a good time. In coming months, though, he'll take a path less traveled.
Andrew Johnson is like most teenagers. He likes to hang out with friends and have a good time. In coming months, though, he'll take a path less traveled.
In August, the 19-year-old Snell Isle resident will leave St. Petersburg for a nine-month evangelization mission to Catholic youth around the United States. He'll also use the time to think and pray about becoming a Franciscan brother, a life-changing decision that would require giving up marriage, career and material possessions.
"It's definitely a time for discernment and to see where I am with God," he said.
[snip]
"I have always thought that Andrew would end up finding someone he loved very much and fathering a family," Caryle Johnson said. "He loves children. He's playful. He's got a great sense of humor. It never occurred to me that he would forgo the pleasure of a family."
Her son, who will take a year off from St. Petersburg College, will be one of 90 young people - ages 18 to 30 - participating in the West St Paul, Minnesota-based National Evangelization Teams or NET Ministries program.
His life for the next few months will be relatively Spartan. He will be allowed one backpack, a suitcase, a sleeping bag and a pillow and will travel in a 14-passenger van. He will get a stipend of $100 a month and must raise $3,400 to help pay for expenses such as health insurance and gas. With several weeks to go, the YMCA lifeguard and security guard is still short $500.
Angela Pasyk, a spokeswoman for Net Ministries, described the application for the program as "fairly intimidating." "The main thing is that you look for someone who is mature enough, who has a strong faith and someone who is good with people. Those are the three main characteristics," she said. [snip] St Petersburg Times
The World’s Story vs. A Fable for Our Age
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The Da Vinci Code movie is off the front pages now, but it is still showing in 1,384 theaters in this country and grossed almost $750,000 on Monday. Thousands continue to be bamboozled by its story. Tim Drake, Senior Writer for the National Catholic Register, who lives in St Joseph, MN, and who blogs now and then when he isn't writing for money, on Young and Catholic, had an analysis of the DVC story line as compared to the Catholic Church's story line well worth reading that we missed a few weeks ago:
National Catholic Register, June 11-17, 2006
by Tim Drake
Every age has its story — a story that gets read and reread, told and retold; a story that helps to define the age.
For 2,000 years, the Christian story has been the world’s story — the Greatest Story Ever Told. For the past couple of years, a new fable — The Da Vinci Code — has made an attempt to corrupt and upstage the greatest story.
The great British author and storyteller G.K. Chesterton wrote that every story must contain three basic elements: a thing to be loved, a thing to be fought, and a thing that both loves and fights. In a classic children’s story, those three elements would be represented by a princess, a dragon and a prince.
Let’s compare the story of the world to the Da Vinci Code fable.
The Christian story uses all three elements vividly.
The thing to be loved is the soul, Mary and the spotless bride of the Church. Not only is Mary a person to be loved, but she herself loves so perfectly that she is chosen by God to carry his Son in her womb. That action brings about not only the redemption of mankind, but the salvation of the world.
The thing that must be fought is the devil, depicted in both Genesis and Revelation as a serpent. The Evil One seeks to devour the child, but Mary and her son crush the head of the serpent.
In the Christian story, it is the Church — founded by Christ and his apostles, and handed down to priests in union with their bishops and bishops in union with the pope — that both fights and loves. The Church fights doctrinal error and heresy, and by so doing protects Christ and his Mother.
“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him,” wrote Chesterton.
And so it is with the Church.
It fights not because it hates, but because it loves Mary and the child whom she bore.
It’s fascinating to note that the only two times in history when papal infallibility has been invoked have been the two dogmas that protect the person of Mary — her Immaculate Conception in 1854, and her Assumption into Heaven in 1950.
According to Church doctrine, Mary is protected not only from the devastation of original sin, but also from the sting of death itself.
Catholic dogma is typically proclaimed when it is under attack. In the dogmas of the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption, the Church predicts the impending modern attacks on the Blessed Virgin Mary and comes to her defense.
The Da Vinci Code, by comparison, isn’t a timeless, eternal story. Instead, it’s a throwaway beach-novel, a weak fable for our age.
Author Dan Brown turns the world’s story on its head.
That which must be loved, in the Code, is the “sacred feminine” — the erroneous idea that Christ wanted us not to worship him, but the feminine as exemplified by Mary Magadalene. The fable says that Christ was married to Mary Magdalene.
In the novel, the dragon that must be fought is the Roman Catholic Church, the misguided clergy and a murderous monk.
And that which both loves and fights is the enlightened scholar, professor Robert Langdon, who heroically “saves” the female, Sophie Neveu, from the clutches of the patriarchal Church and an all-male priesthood.
Brown’s argument is summed up quite well in the character of Leigh Teabing’s claim that, “Almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false.”
Among the book’s supposed revelations are that Christ wasn’t who he said he was, that he wasn’t divine, that he didn’t intend to create a Church founded upon Peter and the apostles, that he married and had children and that the Catholic Church has lied and murdered people to protect this “secret.”
The Code rearranges the characters of the Christian story and twists their relationships. His fable attempts to remake Christ in our own image, and by so doing proves to be an attack not only upon Christ and his Church, but also on Mary his mother.
As interesting as the characters that Brown includes in his fable, there is one central character — given Chesterton’s trinity of characters — that is missing.
By the Code’s substitution of the Church as the dragon, Brown has created a fable that lacks a true dragon.
Is it merely an oversight to create a story in which the Church is the “enemy,” but the real enemy is nowhere to be found?
It sounds like the mantra of our age: “The devil doesn’t exist. There is no such thing as sin. There is no hell.”
The setup is the French poet Charles Baudelaire’s observation — that “the devil’s first wile is to convince us that he does not exist” — encased in a novel.
Who would create and advance such a twisted story? One could rightly argue that the Evil One — the missing dragon — is actually behind any story that attempts to hijack the Christian narrative.
That which attacks the Church comes from the Evil One. He, ultimately, is the one behind the story. Hence, he has conveniently created a story in which he, himself, is absent.
Contrast the Code’s approach with that of two successful motion pictures of the past few years — The Exorcism of Emily Rose and The Passion of the Christ.
Both films chose to personify evil. In fact, Mel Gibson purposefully inserted Satan as a character to remind us that he does exist — portraying him as an androgynous, ambiguous, slightly attractive yet repulsive figure that provokes the Roman guards. The devil also mocks the mother of Christ, the only other character in the film who seems to be able to see him.
The Code, too, mocks the mother of Christ. It is a fundamental attack on Mary. For, it is the Blessed Virgin Mary, not Mary Magdalene, who is the true feminine icon for the Church. Christ protects the spotless bride — the Church. To degrade the Church is to desecrate Mary — the authentic “sacred feminine.”
If we accept the premise of the novel, that Christ wasn’t divine, it makes a mockery of the Immaculate Conception, Mary’s perpetual virginity, Mary’s fiat, and the Assumption.
Her Yes to God and her role in salvation history become utterly meaningless. Why would God need to preserve Mary from the stain of original sin or save her from death itself if she were not mother of the divine?
Whereas Christ takes our sins upon himself, suffers and dies upon the Cross, his mother is never injured physically.
At the cross, Christ gives his mother to John for safe-keeping. He bequeaths to the apostles, in the same way, the Church for their safeguarding through history.
The Church — Chesterton’s prince — exemplified by the fraternity of Christ and the priesthood, protects Mary from attacks, both physical and doctrinal. In the divine plan, the feminine is protected by the Father and the all-male clergy. This patriarchal and fraternal order is, of course, a structure of oppression to be despised and rejected by modern feminists.
The great mystery and paradox of the Church is that it is both the feminine — the spotless bride — and the masculine — the apostolic Church. It is both that which is loved and that which fights. That’s why the Christian story is so great. That’s why it is the story of every age. It’s a complete story, not a neutered one.
Claims such as The Da Vinci Code’s are nothing new. Every new claim to redefine Christ is nothing more than an old heresy that’s been recycled and given new clothes. Arianism sought to deny Christ’s divinity. Nestorianism sought to deny Mary as the Mother of God.
In the end, Brown’s claims, too, shall pass into history an unremembered fable.
Drawing from Chesterton, we might say that The Da Vinci Code is “ridiculous and deserves to be ridiculed.”
Meanwhile, the everlasting story — the Christian narrative — will continue on.
It is the ultimate romance. The hero sacrificially lays down his life out of love, and then returns victorious even over death, death on a cross. As the early apostles and martyrs of our own era have shown us, it’s a story worth dying for.
For that reason, it will endure.
The Christian story, about a princess, a dragon and a prince, will be told by our children and their children’s children until the ultimate hero and dragon slayer — Jesus Christ — returns in glory. National Catholic Register
The Da Vinci Code movie is off the front pages now, but it is still showing in 1,384 theaters in this country and grossed almost $750,000 on Monday. Thousands continue to be bamboozled by its story. Tim Drake, Senior Writer for the National Catholic Register, who lives in St Joseph, MN, and who blogs now and then when he isn't writing for money, on Young and Catholic, had an analysis of the DVC story line as compared to the Catholic Church's story line well worth reading that we missed a few weeks ago:
The World’s Story vs. A Fable for Our Age
National Catholic Register, June 11-17, 2006
by Tim Drake
Every age has its story — a story that gets read and reread, told and retold; a story that helps to define the age.
For 2,000 years, the Christian story has been the world’s story — the Greatest Story Ever Told. For the past couple of years, a new fable — The Da Vinci Code — has made an attempt to corrupt and upstage the greatest story.
The great British author and storyteller G.K. Chesterton wrote that every story must contain three basic elements: a thing to be loved, a thing to be fought, and a thing that both loves and fights. In a classic children’s story, those three elements would be represented by a princess, a dragon and a prince.
Let’s compare the story of the world to the Da Vinci Code fable.
The Christian story uses all three elements vividly.
The thing to be loved is the soul, Mary and the spotless bride of the Church. Not only is Mary a person to be loved, but she herself loves so perfectly that she is chosen by God to carry his Son in her womb. That action brings about not only the redemption of mankind, but the salvation of the world.
The thing that must be fought is the devil, depicted in both Genesis and Revelation as a serpent. The Evil One seeks to devour the child, but Mary and her son crush the head of the serpent.
In the Christian story, it is the Church — founded by Christ and his apostles, and handed down to priests in union with their bishops and bishops in union with the pope — that both fights and loves. The Church fights doctrinal error and heresy, and by so doing protects Christ and his Mother.
“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him,” wrote Chesterton.
And so it is with the Church.
It fights not because it hates, but because it loves Mary and the child whom she bore.
It’s fascinating to note that the only two times in history when papal infallibility has been invoked have been the two dogmas that protect the person of Mary — her Immaculate Conception in 1854, and her Assumption into Heaven in 1950.
According to Church doctrine, Mary is protected not only from the devastation of original sin, but also from the sting of death itself.
Catholic dogma is typically proclaimed when it is under attack. In the dogmas of the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption, the Church predicts the impending modern attacks on the Blessed Virgin Mary and comes to her defense.
The Da Vinci Code, by comparison, isn’t a timeless, eternal story. Instead, it’s a throwaway beach-novel, a weak fable for our age.
Author Dan Brown turns the world’s story on its head.
That which must be loved, in the Code, is the “sacred feminine” — the erroneous idea that Christ wanted us not to worship him, but the feminine as exemplified by Mary Magadalene. The fable says that Christ was married to Mary Magdalene.
In the novel, the dragon that must be fought is the Roman Catholic Church, the misguided clergy and a murderous monk.
And that which both loves and fights is the enlightened scholar, professor Robert Langdon, who heroically “saves” the female, Sophie Neveu, from the clutches of the patriarchal Church and an all-male priesthood.
Brown’s argument is summed up quite well in the character of Leigh Teabing’s claim that, “Almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false.”
Among the book’s supposed revelations are that Christ wasn’t who he said he was, that he wasn’t divine, that he didn’t intend to create a Church founded upon Peter and the apostles, that he married and had children and that the Catholic Church has lied and murdered people to protect this “secret.”
The Code rearranges the characters of the Christian story and twists their relationships. His fable attempts to remake Christ in our own image, and by so doing proves to be an attack not only upon Christ and his Church, but also on Mary his mother.
As interesting as the characters that Brown includes in his fable, there is one central character — given Chesterton’s trinity of characters — that is missing.
By the Code’s substitution of the Church as the dragon, Brown has created a fable that lacks a true dragon.
Is it merely an oversight to create a story in which the Church is the “enemy,” but the real enemy is nowhere to be found?
It sounds like the mantra of our age: “The devil doesn’t exist. There is no such thing as sin. There is no hell.”
The setup is the French poet Charles Baudelaire’s observation — that “the devil’s first wile is to convince us that he does not exist” — encased in a novel.
Who would create and advance such a twisted story? One could rightly argue that the Evil One — the missing dragon — is actually behind any story that attempts to hijack the Christian narrative.
That which attacks the Church comes from the Evil One. He, ultimately, is the one behind the story. Hence, he has conveniently created a story in which he, himself, is absent.
Contrast the Code’s approach with that of two successful motion pictures of the past few years — The Exorcism of Emily Rose and The Passion of the Christ.
Both films chose to personify evil. In fact, Mel Gibson purposefully inserted Satan as a character to remind us that he does exist — portraying him as an androgynous, ambiguous, slightly attractive yet repulsive figure that provokes the Roman guards. The devil also mocks the mother of Christ, the only other character in the film who seems to be able to see him.
The Code, too, mocks the mother of Christ. It is a fundamental attack on Mary. For, it is the Blessed Virgin Mary, not Mary Magdalene, who is the true feminine icon for the Church. Christ protects the spotless bride — the Church. To degrade the Church is to desecrate Mary — the authentic “sacred feminine.”
If we accept the premise of the novel, that Christ wasn’t divine, it makes a mockery of the Immaculate Conception, Mary’s perpetual virginity, Mary’s fiat, and the Assumption.
Her Yes to God and her role in salvation history become utterly meaningless. Why would God need to preserve Mary from the stain of original sin or save her from death itself if she were not mother of the divine?
Whereas Christ takes our sins upon himself, suffers and dies upon the Cross, his mother is never injured physically.
At the cross, Christ gives his mother to John for safe-keeping. He bequeaths to the apostles, in the same way, the Church for their safeguarding through history.
The Church — Chesterton’s prince — exemplified by the fraternity of Christ and the priesthood, protects Mary from attacks, both physical and doctrinal. In the divine plan, the feminine is protected by the Father and the all-male clergy. This patriarchal and fraternal order is, of course, a structure of oppression to be despised and rejected by modern feminists.
The great mystery and paradox of the Church is that it is both the feminine — the spotless bride — and the masculine — the apostolic Church. It is both that which is loved and that which fights. That’s why the Christian story is so great. That’s why it is the story of every age. It’s a complete story, not a neutered one.
Claims such as The Da Vinci Code’s are nothing new. Every new claim to redefine Christ is nothing more than an old heresy that’s been recycled and given new clothes. Arianism sought to deny Christ’s divinity. Nestorianism sought to deny Mary as the Mother of God.
In the end, Brown’s claims, too, shall pass into history an unremembered fable.
Drawing from Chesterton, we might say that The Da Vinci Code is “ridiculous and deserves to be ridiculed.”
Meanwhile, the everlasting story — the Christian narrative — will continue on.
It is the ultimate romance. The hero sacrificially lays down his life out of love, and then returns victorious even over death, death on a cross. As the early apostles and martyrs of our own era have shown us, it’s a story worth dying for.
For that reason, it will endure.
The Christian story, about a princess, a dragon and a prince, will be told by our children and their children’s children until the ultimate hero and dragon slayer — Jesus Christ — returns in glory. National Catholic Register
Tim Drake serves as the Register’s senior writer.
Railroad chapel car part of a rich history
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Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad’s (WGNR) Chapel Car Everlasting is the only active chapel in the United States. However, for a brief period of time beginning in the 1890s and ending in the late 1930s, 13 chapel cars roamed the newly laid rails of the western United States from Chicago to the West Coast. The purpose of those “churches on wheels” was to bring the word of God to the frontier towns along the new railroads. The primary mission was to unite settlers and put together new congregations in those developing towns.
Many town sites during that period of time came and went as quickly as the railroads could lay track on their advance westward. The churches of the time did not want to waste valuable resources by constructing buildings in locations that would not develop into permanent communities. Thus the chapel car could be parked next to the station and serve the community and allow residents to worship together and unite for the purpose of building a lasting community and parish.
Those cars were built by the most famous car builders for three separate denominations. There were three Episcopal cars: The Cathedral Car of North Dakota, and the two cars of Upper Michigan; three Catholic Extension Society cars: St. Anthony, St. Peter, and St. Paul; and seven American Baptist Publication Society cars: Evangel, Emmanuel, Glad Tidings, Good Will, Messenger of Peace, Herald of Hope, and Grace. Of those cars, only three remain: Emmanuel is being restored at Prairie Village in South Dakota, St. Paul is owned by a private collector in Michigan, and Grace is at American Baptist Assembly in Green Lake. [snip] Spooner Advocate
Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad’s (WGNR) Chapel Car Everlasting is the only active chapel in the United States. However, for a brief period of time beginning in the 1890s and ending in the late 1930s, 13 chapel cars roamed the newly laid rails of the western United States from Chicago to the West Coast. The purpose of those “churches on wheels” was to bring the word of God to the frontier towns along the new railroads. The primary mission was to unite settlers and put together new congregations in those developing towns.
Many town sites during that period of time came and went as quickly as the railroads could lay track on their advance westward. The churches of the time did not want to waste valuable resources by constructing buildings in locations that would not develop into permanent communities. Thus the chapel car could be parked next to the station and serve the community and allow residents to worship together and unite for the purpose of building a lasting community and parish.
Those cars were built by the most famous car builders for three separate denominations. There were three Episcopal cars: The Cathedral Car of North Dakota, and the two cars of Upper Michigan; three Catholic Extension Society cars: St. Anthony, St. Peter, and St. Paul; and seven American Baptist Publication Society cars: Evangel, Emmanuel, Glad Tidings, Good Will, Messenger of Peace, Herald of Hope, and Grace. Of those cars, only three remain: Emmanuel is being restored at Prairie Village in South Dakota, St. Paul is owned by a private collector in Michigan, and Grace is at American Baptist Assembly in Green Lake. [snip] Spooner Advocate
Maclean's Poll 2006: Praise the Lord and call the psychic
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It turns out God is alive and well in Canada. So are angels, heaven, and ESP
Lake Wobegon, the American humourist Garrison Keillor once said of his fictional Minnesota town, was so Lutheran that "even the Catholics were Lutheran." There's a lot of universal truth in that remark: religious faiths do shape the cultures in which they flourish, but the influence flows both ways. In Canada, since religious and linguistic tensions were inseparable for much of our past, Christian churches, according to University of Lethbridge sociologist Reginald Bibby, have always been cautious, and careful to "play by the rules of diversity." That means "not making excessive claims of uniqueness and not being overly aggressive in raiding each other's ranks. This is not a country where Christians call other people 'heathen,' but they also cannot be ridiculed as 'bigoted Bible-thumpers.' " Canada, it seems, is so pluralistic that even the Christians are pluralists.
That religious civility, and the decline in church attendance that began in all developed nations during the 1960s, has led the chattering classes -- surely among the least devout of Canadians -- to conclude that religion is inexorably fading out of national life. The sale, often for condominium projects, of numerous empty church buildings across the country, has only solidified that assumption. But as Bibby's series of public opinion surveys shows, a funny thing happened on the way to an atheist Canada: rumours of Christianity's demise have been greatly exaggerated. Eighty-one per cent of Canadians believe in God, and two-thirds of us that Jesus Christ is His divine son. Belief in angels, heaven and (to a lesser extent) hell, is almost as prevalent. Crunch Bibby's 2005 numbers how you will -- based on age, on weekly or monthly visits, on denomination -- and the attendance decline not only levels off but shows a turn toward growth since 2000.
Helping to hide the evidence of decline before -- and resurrection now -- is the fact that our forms of devotion have held remarkably steady since Confederation. Between Canada's first census of 1871 and the 1951 count, the nation's overall religious allegiance hardly budged; from there until the census of 2001, Roman Catholicism held fast, "other world faiths" unsurprisingly grew from two to six per cent, and mainline Protestantism cratered -- falling from 44 per cent of the population to 20 per cent. But those lost sheep did not, as conventional wisdom expected, move even in part into conservative Protestantism, which has stayed at eight per cent since 1871. Instead, they swelled the ranks of the No Religion group, from less than one per cent in both 1871 and 1951, to 16 per cent. In truth that number should be higher, given the collapse of church-going among Roman Catholics, especially in Quebec. But immigration from Catholic southern Europe and, more significantly, the tendency of lapsed Catholics -- even those who have not darkened a church door in decades -- to still describe themselves as Catholic, has kept the Church's affiliation percentage stable.
Just as it was the decline in attendance among Catholics that drove down the national attendance rate, it is the recent 10 per cent increase in Catholic church-going outside Quebec that has seen those numbers turn around. The uptick makes Bibby think Canada could be in for a "significant revitalization of organized religion." Especially since research indicates that perhaps two-thirds of the 16 per cent-strong No Religion group will "re-identify" with their birth faiths as they seek rites of passage relating to marriage, children, and death.[snip] Macleans
It turns out God is alive and well in Canada. So are angels, heaven, and ESP
Lake Wobegon, the American humourist Garrison Keillor once said of his fictional Minnesota town, was so Lutheran that "even the Catholics were Lutheran." There's a lot of universal truth in that remark: religious faiths do shape the cultures in which they flourish, but the influence flows both ways. In Canada, since religious and linguistic tensions were inseparable for much of our past, Christian churches, according to University of Lethbridge sociologist Reginald Bibby, have always been cautious, and careful to "play by the rules of diversity." That means "not making excessive claims of uniqueness and not being overly aggressive in raiding each other's ranks. This is not a country where Christians call other people 'heathen,' but they also cannot be ridiculed as 'bigoted Bible-thumpers.' " Canada, it seems, is so pluralistic that even the Christians are pluralists.
That religious civility, and the decline in church attendance that began in all developed nations during the 1960s, has led the chattering classes -- surely among the least devout of Canadians -- to conclude that religion is inexorably fading out of national life. The sale, often for condominium projects, of numerous empty church buildings across the country, has only solidified that assumption. But as Bibby's series of public opinion surveys shows, a funny thing happened on the way to an atheist Canada: rumours of Christianity's demise have been greatly exaggerated. Eighty-one per cent of Canadians believe in God, and two-thirds of us that Jesus Christ is His divine son. Belief in angels, heaven and (to a lesser extent) hell, is almost as prevalent. Crunch Bibby's 2005 numbers how you will -- based on age, on weekly or monthly visits, on denomination -- and the attendance decline not only levels off but shows a turn toward growth since 2000.
Helping to hide the evidence of decline before -- and resurrection now -- is the fact that our forms of devotion have held remarkably steady since Confederation. Between Canada's first census of 1871 and the 1951 count, the nation's overall religious allegiance hardly budged; from there until the census of 2001, Roman Catholicism held fast, "other world faiths" unsurprisingly grew from two to six per cent, and mainline Protestantism cratered -- falling from 44 per cent of the population to 20 per cent. But those lost sheep did not, as conventional wisdom expected, move even in part into conservative Protestantism, which has stayed at eight per cent since 1871. Instead, they swelled the ranks of the No Religion group, from less than one per cent in both 1871 and 1951, to 16 per cent. In truth that number should be higher, given the collapse of church-going among Roman Catholics, especially in Quebec. But immigration from Catholic southern Europe and, more significantly, the tendency of lapsed Catholics -- even those who have not darkened a church door in decades -- to still describe themselves as Catholic, has kept the Church's affiliation percentage stable.
Just as it was the decline in attendance among Catholics that drove down the national attendance rate, it is the recent 10 per cent increase in Catholic church-going outside Quebec that has seen those numbers turn around. The uptick makes Bibby think Canada could be in for a "significant revitalization of organized religion." Especially since research indicates that perhaps two-thirds of the 16 per cent-strong No Religion group will "re-identify" with their birth faiths as they seek rites of passage relating to marriage, children, and death.[snip] Macleans
"Great Parishes Project" --- Call for Submissions
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P.S. I'm going to make the first nomination later on this evening. You'll be surprised at where it is but I was there last Saturday.
The Archdiocese of St Paul and Minneapolis is often in the news, and it’s not always good news. Most of us are sad about that and pray that wayward parishes soon return to the fold and begin catechizing their parishioners properly, for the good of their eternal souls.
Some also stand up on the internet now and then point out the very many good things that have been happening in our Archdiocese under Archbishop Harry Flynn to let critics from afar know that the situation here is not what they think it to be. They point out how the St Paul Seminary and the St John Vianney Seminary have been turned around and are full of students intending to become priests or to otherwise serve the Church, here or in another diocese.
There probably is no diocese in the country that has had such a success in fostering Eucharistic Adoration in its parishes. Thirty of them have it 24 hours a day, seven days a week. At least 12 more, generally much smaller parishes, offer it at least one day a week on a regular basis. Two large downtown parishes, the Cathedral, the Basilica, constrained by logistical access problems do also offer Adoration on an occasional basis.
Two of our parishes are renowned and mentioned always for their orthodoxy and their ministries, particularly, St Agnes in St Paul and St Augustine in South St Paul. Others such as Nativity of Our Lord and Holy Childhood in St Paul, Holy Family in St Louis Park and St Michael’s in Stillwater are known to be following right behind those leaders.
Now right now I can hear many of you from all over our region wondering why your parish has not been mentioned. The answer is that we don’t know about it, especially if it is not in the Archdiocese. If you feel your parish deserves to be on this list, please contact us and we will check it out and place it there.
Most, if not all of the adoration parishes should be on the list.
What we would like to do is start making a list of the Great Parishes and the reasons why they are Great. Parishes are not Great because of Architecture or Finances; they are Great because of People and Programs. Send us an email with your nominations of parishes and the reason why you think that they should be included. Those of you outside the Archdiocese, please nominate too.
Please enclose their web page URL if they have one. And if you have a pictures of exterior, interior, windows, shrines, etc, you can send with the email, please attach a URL or copy the photo to your message. I do not open files received from people that I do not know. I got burned once
Ray Marshall
Stella Borealis
Minneapolis
P.S. I'm going to make the first nomination later on this evening. You'll be surprised at where it is but I was there last Saturday.
St Olaf's Celebrating Their 65th Anniversary and Father Mark Pavlik's Installation
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St. Olaf in downtown Minneapolis, is hosting a reception for Fr. Mark Pavlik in celebration of his installation as the seventh pastor of the parish on Saturday, July 29 after the 4:00 pm Mass. This celebration will feature Fr. Mark at his celebratory best, great food, fine wine and door prizes. The cost of $30 per person hardly seems like enough to charge for all of this mirthmaking, so hurry and get your reservation in. Come and join Fr. Mark in celebrating his installation on the weekend when we will also observe the 65th anniversary of our parish! For more information, contact Gene Smith at 612-332-7471 ext. 227.
St. Olaf in downtown Minneapolis, is hosting a reception for Fr. Mark Pavlik in celebration of his installation as the seventh pastor of the parish on Saturday, July 29 after the 4:00 pm Mass. This celebration will feature Fr. Mark at his celebratory best, great food, fine wine and door prizes. The cost of $30 per person hardly seems like enough to charge for all of this mirthmaking, so hurry and get your reservation in. Come and join Fr. Mark in celebrating his installation on the weekend when we will also observe the 65th anniversary of our parish! For more information, contact Gene Smith at 612-332-7471 ext. 227.
(make checks payable to St. Olaf Catholic Church)
Mail payment and reservation form to:
St. Olaf Catholic Church
215 South Eighth Street
Minneapolis, MN 55402-2803
Mail payment and reservation form to:
St. Olaf Catholic Church
215 South Eighth Street
Minneapolis, MN 55402-2803
Bird flu plans may force churches to axe communion
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Communion wafers, drinking wine from the chalice, and even public services in the Catholic Church could face the chop in the latest response to the threat of a flu pandemic.
I don't want to die and when I do I hope to be prepared. I say the Chaplet of Divine Mercy daily as one of my "insurance policies." I have some others, too.
Communion wafers, drinking wine from the chalice, and even public services in the Catholic Church could face the chop in the latest response to the threat of a flu pandemic.
The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference has written to parishes this week outlining both immediate changes to holy communion and wider plans if a pandemic hits.
Practices effective immediately include priests using only chalices and bowls made of precious metals for the distribution of holy communion. "Research has shown that metal chalices are less likely to contribute to the spread of diseases," church bird flu epidemic protocols state.
Communion from the chalice and on the tongue would cease if the Health Ministry upgrades New Zealand's pandemic status from a code white (existing planning state) to code yellow (standby state). Catholics would be issued guidelines for worshipping in private.
Should New Zealand reach a code red status, or epidemic, then all public worship, including funerals, will cease.
"Of course we all pray that such an epidemic will not come about in New Zealand, but it is important for us to be prepared in the eventuality of such a happening," President Bishop Denis Browne said in his letter.
Signs are being sent to parishes demonstrating good hand-washing practices along with cleaning instructions, which include washing chalice cloth in hot soapy water and drying it in the sun, reportedly a more hygienic method. stuff.co.nz
Editor's Note: I have been reading panic messages predicting universal impending doom caused by the inevitable "bird flu" for about three years now. In that time a couple of hundred people have died, world-wide.
I don't want to die and when I do I hope to be prepared. I say the Chaplet of Divine Mercy daily as one of my "insurance policies." I have some others, too.
Pending translation changes may call for new Mass music
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Holy, holy, holy Lord
Holy, holy, holy Lord
God of power, God of might . . .
The words to composer Marty Haugen’s “Mass of Creation” are so familiar that nearly all Catholics can sing along to them.
But within a few years, those lyrics likely will be obsolete, and so may the popular Mass setting.
The new translation of the Mass text approved by the U.S. bishops in June will change the words of that eucharistic acclamation from “Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might” to “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts.”
Even more dramatic is the change to the Gloria, which is often sung, rather than recited, in parishes. The new version begins: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to people of good will.” The existing version starts: “Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth.”
“It’s a whole different number of syllables,” said Bob Batastini, a longtime senior editor at GIA publications, a leading composer of liturgical music in Chicago. “If you add a note or two to adapt it, the folks in the pews will be totally confused.” [snip] The Catholic Spirit
Editor's Note: I don't know where Batastini goes to Mass, but if he accompanied me, he'd find that the folks in my pew generally miss three or four notes per line of music, anyway. I probably miss twice that many. Methinks "GIA publications" is lobbying for parishes to purchase another 500 hymnals. And I'll be discrete and not mention the "Society for a Moratorium on the Music of Haugen and Haas." Oooops!
And if a certain Pope has his way, I do believe we're all gonna be singing Gregorian Chant, anyway. No royalties on those!
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