Monday, April 29, 2013

Assumption Grotto's website is [edit]... back up




Assumption Grotto's website is back up!

Yeah. I know.  So does the webmaster, and Fr. Perrone.  Our webmaster is in the process of moving it to a new server, so your patience is appreciated.

For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Pope Francis: Difficulties and trials are part of the path that leads to God's glory.



Pope Francis continues to be very quote-worthy.  World Youth Day should be interesting.  Here he is addressing Confirmands in Rome.  

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Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Dear Confirmands,
I would like to offer three short and simple thoughts for your reflection.

1. In the second reading, we listened to the beautiful vision of Saint John: new heavens and a new earth, and then the Holy City coming down from God. All is new, changed into good, beauty and truth; there are no more tears or mourning… This is the work of the Holy Spirit: he brings us the new things of God. He comes to us and makes all things new; he changes us. The Spirit changes us! And Saint John’s vision reminds us that all of us are journeying towards the heavenly Jerusalem, the ultimate newness which awaits us and all reality, the happy day when we will see the Lord’s face – that marvelous face, the most beautiful face of the Lord Jesus - and be with him for ever, in his love.

You see, the new things of God are not like the novelties of this world, all of which are temporary; they come and go, and we keep looking for more. The new things which God gives to our lives are lasting, not only in the future, when we will be with him, but today as well. God is even now making all things new; the Holy Spirit is truly transforming us, and through us he also wants to transform the world in which we live. Let us open the doors to the Spirit, let ourselves be guided by him, and allow God’s constant help to make us new men and women, inspired by the love of God which the Holy Spirit bestows on us! How beautiful it would be if each of you, every evening, could say: Today at school, at home, at work, guided by God, I showed a sign of love towards one of my friends, my parents, an older person! How beautiful!

2. A second thought. In the first reading Paul and Barnabas say that “we must undergo many trials if we are to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). The journey of the Church, and our own personal journeys as Christians, are not always easy; they meet with difficulties and trials. To follow the Lord, to let his Spirit transform the shadowy parts of our lives, our ungodly ways of acting, and cleanse us of our sins, is to set out on a path with many obstacles, both in the world around us but also within us, in the heart. But difficulties and trials are part of the path that leads to God’s glory, just as they were for Jesus, who was glorified on the cross; we will always encounter them in life! Do not be discouraged! We have the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome these trials!



3. And here I come to my last point. It is an invitation which I make to you, young confirmandi, and to all present. Remain steadfast in the journey of faith, with firm hope in the Lord. This is the secret of our journey! He gives us the courage to swim against the tide. Pay attention, my young friends: to go against the current; this is good for the heart, but we need courage to swim against the tide. Jesus gives us this courage! There are no difficulties, trials or misunderstandings to fear, provided we remain united to God as branches to the vine, provided we do not lose our friendship with him, provided we make ever more room for him in our lives. This is especially so whenever we feel poor, weak and sinful, because God grants strength to our weakness, riches to our poverty, conversion and forgiveness to our sinfulness. The Lord is so rich in mercy: every time, if we go to him, he forgives us. Let us trust in God’s work! With him we can do great things; he will give us the joy of being his disciples, his witnesses. Commit yourselves to great ideals, to the most important things. We Christians were not chosen by the Lord for little things; push onwards toward the highest principles. Stake your lives on noble ideals, my dear young people!


Text from page http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/04/28/homily_of_pope_francis_celebrating_confirmation_mass/en1-687144
of the Vatican Radio website 





For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Saturday, April 27, 2013

The Holy Spirit is coming to rest on some bishops, and others...






If you are reproached for the name of Christ, you are blessed, 
because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you (1 Peter 4:14)

Some bishops are under attack, even physically.  From Catholic News Agency:
.- Four semi-nude feminist protestors attacked Archbishop Andre-Joseph Leonard of Malinas-Brussels during a recent conference on freedom of expression. 
The April 18 conference took place at the Free University of Brussels and was entitled, “Blasphemy – crime or freedom of expression.” 
The four women, who belong to the radical group Femen, removed their shirts and used plastic bottles similar those used by pilgrims at Lourdes to throw water at the archbishop while shouting insults and making violent gestures. 
The women painted their bodies with the phrases, “My body, my rules” and “God loves lesbians.” They also carried a sign which read, “Stop homophobia.”

The archbishop did what any good cleric should do, closed his eyes and prayed silently.  After they were done and gone, the archbishop kissed one of the bottles which bore the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Catholic Vote has a petition to sign that is not really a petition, but a show of support.  This is all well and good, but don't forget to pray for Archbishop Leonard and all of the bishops.  May God grant them spiritual, emotional, and physical courage to continue proclaiming the truth, in season, and out of season.

*******
The other day I mentioned that Episcopal, Bishop Gene Robinson attacked Archbishop Vigneron for teaching Catholics, Catholic teaching.

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Over at Catholic Vote, we read about a case in Columbus, Ohio

The Columbus Dispatch reports that a Catholic High School fired a physical education teacher last month after it became public knowledge that she is a lesbian who lives with her partner, in direct violation of Church teachings. Sadly, the teacher, Carla Hale, reacted by suing the Diocese of Columbus under the city’s anti-discrimination law, which does not provide an exemption for religious organizations and carries a penalty of up to 180 days in jail. 
There is a very real possibility then that Bishop Campbell could be sent to jail for upholding the Catholic faith. There is also the possibility that this case could end up in the Supreme Court, as the unanimous decision in the Hosanna-Tabor v. EEOC case specifically leaves open the possibility of subsequent litigation for breach of contract. However, one has to wonder whether a contract based on a 19-year lie could still be valid. The Dispatch article does not state whether the school knew Hale was a lesbian and perhaps had some informal agreement with her provided she kept it quiet, but if so, the concealment on Hale’s part would only be more damning. Neither the school nor the diocese should be punished for trying to right the situation.

Before you know it, it is going to be illegal to be Catholic.  History repeats itself.

*******

Here we have a story of "tolerance" for home-schooling in the United States.  A German family was granted asylum here in 2010.  They left Germany because they could not home school their children there.  The parents did not approve of the anti-Christian values being forced on them in the public system .  Apparently, the Obama Administration feels these kids must be in a public school and since they refuse, they want them deported.   Their case is before a U.S. Court of Appeals.   You can read more here, as well.

I think it's a matter of time before there is a major, broad assault on home-schooling.  You can teach your kids Christian and Catholic values all day long, but someone else who has them for much of the day is un-teaching those values.  That is why more and more people are going to home-schooling.  And, the "tolerant" leftists don't like the fact that they cannot indoctrinate your kids into values incompatible with Scripture, especially from a Catholic point of view.

We shouldn't be surprised.  Jesus told us it would be like this.




******* 
Pope Francis spoke about the two Syrian Orthodox bishops who are still missing after being kidnapped. Please pray for them.







For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Friday, April 26, 2013

More reasons to read New Advent daily...

I've scanned and read  headlines at New Advent for many years now.  New Advent has featured some of my posts. The side-bar was recently updated to include some other items, such as these.  It gets updated daily, and sometimes more. Visit the site daily for the next few days and I think you will see why it is a Catholic's site of choice.


Speaking of Gosnell, Fox News will have a one hour special on May 5th.  The defense decided to rest without calling a single witness, and without Gosnell taking the stand in his defense.  Sadly, some of the babies were dropped from the case.

I hope the jurors are asking themselves a basic question: If the babies had died in the process of the abortion (these were full term), why did Gosnell feel the need to snip the spinal cord in their necks after they were out?  It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure out what was going on. It's called infanticide.

Oddly, the legal difference between the "abortion" and "infanticide" is mere seconds apart.  The full term babies who died in the womb at the hands of Gosnell were aborted. Those who survived the ghastly procedure were victims of infanticide.  If you ask me, it's all the same.

Is it any wonder why some networks refuse to cover this unprecedented trial? Why let a little objectivity get in the way of a left-wing political ideology to protect abortion at all costs.  Of course, they are already born, and have not suffered the pain these babies have. If they don't cover it, they don't have to think about it. Among the few liberals out there talking about it, is Kirsten Powers, who is a leftist on Fox News. She decried the lack of coverage recently in a blogpost at USA Today.

I hope the rest of America is asking itself, if it is murder to kill babies born alive amidst abortion, how is it not murder to kill them while still in the womb?

By the way, Life News has had outstanding coverage of this whole issue.  Peek in on what Steven Ertelt is writing daily, as well.


For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Episcopal Bishop "rebukes" Catholic Archbishop for teaching Catholics, Catholic teachings



Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. 
Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 
Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teaching. (Hebrews 13:8, 9)


I just spotted a headline in the Detroit Free Press that made me do a double-take: Gay Episcopal bishop rebukes Detroit Catholic archbishop for anti-gay marriage remarks. Upon clicking it, I learned  it was a report on a blog-post made by Gene Robinson at the Washington Post's, "On Faith" blog, entitled: Catholic leaders using Communion as a weapon in the culture wars.


If you are unfamiliar with what Archbishop Vigneron said that sparked this, see my last post on the subject.

First of all, I want to say something about the title of Robinson's post: "Catholic leaders using Communion as a weapon in the culture wars." That is a complete perversion of what is going on between Archbishop Vigneron and Detroit Catholics, about whom he is speaking.  What we believe as Catholics is based on sacred Scripture, sacred Tradition, and the teaching Magisterium (CCC 74-95). When Catholics knowingly espouse and promote beliefs that are contrary to these things, they lead themselves and others down paths that could be spiritually perilous (1 Cor 11:2-29).  It would be a form of malpractice for a priest or bishop to remain silent if they are aware that souls are putting themselves in danger and do nothing.



Going to his blog-post, here is one excerpt:
I believe that using Communion as such a manipulative tool surely profanes the sacrament. Perhaps these Catholic leaders should revisit their church’s theology of the Eucharist. Reception of the body and blood of Christ at Communion is God’s gift to God’s people, not a reward for right behavior. We receive Communion not because we are worthy of it, but because God’s offers us the body and blood of Christ despite our unworthiness.
Note that he starts out with what he believes, personally.  His frame of reference is not Catholic teaching, but what he personally believes.  That's why the rest of his argument is so messed up.  When he begins to talk about "worthiness" I'm wanting to know where in the Bible he gets that?  What does Scripture say?
Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord.  Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.  For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. (1 Cor 11:2-29)
The Sacrament is profaned by those who receive it unworthily, not by those who try to discourage others from eating and drinking unworthily.

Unbelievable.

Robinson continues:

While some are seeking to withhold Communion from pro-choice and pro-marriage-equality Catholics, I have heard no call to withhold Communion from priests and bishops who have engaged in horrific sexual abuse against vulnerable children, nor their enablers. Bernard Cardinal Law, whose administration actively facilitated the moving around of known pedophile priests to other unsuspecting parishes, has not been denied Communion, but instead been rewarded with a prestigious church in Rome.

Non sequitur? Apples and oranges?  A little bait-and-switch?

There are many flaws in this argument and I will probably only pull a couple.  For example, pro-choice means pro-abortion; and, abortion is murder.  So, if one wants to thumb their nose at the 5th Commandment and work at Planned Parenthood as an escort they are free to do so, but they would compound their problem by receiving holy Communion with this kind of conflict.  One should abstain from Communion until they have reconciled through Sacramental Confession.

With regards to predator clerics who are guilty of sins that cry out to heaven in the form of sex abuse against children, this is indeed grave matter that, if one is guilty, they should abstain from holy Communion until they have reconciled through Sacramental Confession.  This doesn't mean one can slide from justice here on earth. A debt to the victims and society should be expected.

If a priest or bishop was involved in some kind of cover up of sexual abuse, an examination of conscience needs to search for the true cause of the cover up.  Nothing can be hidden from God - not the guilt of wanting to hide the shame involved or any malfeasance.  Here too, Sacramental Confession would free someone to receive holy Communion.

There is no teaching that says someone is permanently banned from ever receiving Communion again, no matter what they have done.  If one seeks forgiveness, repents, and has a firm purpose of amendment and receives absolution through Sacramental Confession, they are free to present themselves for Communion.  This does not mean they cannot be held accountable in a court of law for their deeds.

Here is the next paragraph:

It seems that the church hierarchy is sending the following message: two gay men or lesbians (not to mention their supporters) who want to vow a lifetime of commitment, monogamy and love should be denied Communion, but those who exploit vulnerable children (and those who facilitate their abuse) for their own sexual gratification are still welcome. Those who make the excruciating and gut-wrenching decision to have an abortion (not to mention those who understand why this might be a moral choice) are barred from receiving Communion, but those prelates who live a lavish lifestyle far from the real-life, harsh circumstances some women face that might make such an abortion morally permissible are accepted at the Communion rail.

I find it amazing that he doesn't really mentioned Sacred Scripture.  Everything he says is based on feelings and emotion and these are very subjective. He doesn't mention pleasing God; he only mentions pleasing people. It's all kind of horizontal thing he has going on without much of anything vertical.  He continues to compare apples to oranges rather than comparing the apples and oranges to Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium.

Robinson is also revealing his relativistic mind-set.  Those unfamiliar with Catholic teaching on things like relativism, consequentialism, proportionalism, subjectivism, and a few other "isms" should read Pope John Paul II's Encyclical, Veritatis Splendor.  Perhaps before giving the Catholic Church advice on what she should teach the faithful, Gene Robinson would do well to consult this Magisterial teaching of the Church on these things.  He basically wants to change something that he does  not understand, and if he did understand it, he would know the Church does not have the authority to change these things.

In the next two paragraphs we get Robinson's ad populum potpourri:

American Catholics have a long and honorable history of discerning their own consciences in matters of human life and dignity. For instance, 98 percent of Catholic women have gone against church law and used birth control. Indeed, individual conscience is a core value in Catholic teaching. It seems that Catholic laity are refusing to be treated like morally ignorant children who cannot think for themselves. At a very minimum, Catholic laity (and many of their local clergy) know that these issues should be discussed in an open and faithful way. They also know that people of faith will disagree on some of the ramifications of trying to live out the Gospel. 
But increasingly, it appears that the hierarchy wants to shut down open discussion by punishing those who would raise any questions about the church’s stance on these issues. Fewer and fewer Catholics are willing to be threatened by such tactics, and many are looking elsewhere for spiritual nourishment, or simply becoming disillusioned with a church that has lost its way.

That false and misleading 98% figure was dealt with here. But for talking purposes, the only number that matters is the number of married women of child-bearing age using contraceptives to avoid pregnancy.  Any other Catholic women using contraceptives to prevent pregnancy are already involved in other sinful activities (pre-marital/extra-marital sex).  Aside from that, while numbers mean everything to liberals who try to force an issue through ad populum arguments, would do well to remember Our Lord was crucified via poll.  Polls are subjective opinions in motion - one day it reads this way, in 6 weeks, 6 months, or 6 years, it could read differently.  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

As far as the "fewer and fewer Catholics are willing to be threatened by such tactics, and many are looking elsewhere for spiritual nourishment..." I have two words: Anglicanorum Coetibus.  So many Anglicans and Episcopalians were looking to find their way into the Catholic Church because of her clear and constant teaching, Pope Benedict XVI had to create a provision that would allow large groups to come in all at once.  And, they are taking advantage of it (see here, here and here for some examples).  I don't have time at the moment to grab statistics, but I don't think the numbers will be favorable to Robinson's claim.  The Catholic Church is growing and I believe the Anglican/Episcopalian Church is shrinking.  But I will find the data, unless one of my readers can find recent statistics versus say 5-10 years ago.

You can read the rest of his blog post at the link at top.  I'm done quoting.

Gene Robinson has an awful lot of gumption to look over from his side of the Tiber and point fingers at a Catholic archbishop interpreting Catholic teaching for his flock.

The bottom line is that Gene Robinson can't accept a Catholic archbishop teaching Catholics, Catholic teachings. He doesn't understand that Catholicism is not like Protestantism whereby you make faith your own thing. While he is busy re-inventing faith to make it relevant to himself and to the people of today, Archbishop Vigneron is simply passing down the faith Catholics have held for some 2000 years, which is his job.

Truth is timeless and unchanging.  Five plus two will always equal seven. And, Our Lord told us the road is narrow and difficult, not wide and easy (Mt 7:13,14).  Just think of the many who died getting us to where we are today. While some died horrific red martyrdoms, many more have died to themselves in white martyrdom by saying "no" to their own will and "yes" to God's will.  Love for God doesn't demand that he accept our ways; rather, love for God demands that we seek to understand of what is pleasing and displeasing to him and act accordingly.  No amount of rationalization about the forbidden fruit could make Adam and Eve eating it pleasing to God.  It doesn't matter if it was nutritious, pleasant tasting, and made them feel good. The greatest appetite Adam and Eve satisfied by eating the forbidden fruit was the appetite to do their own thing without regard for what God wanted.

I want to add some links at the bottom here for related posts written by others on this continuing saga, and I'm sure there will be some new posts out in response to what Gene Robinson had to say.  Check back tomorrow night for more.






For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Pope Francis to young people: Ask Jesus what he wants from you and be brave!




In the Regina Caeli message for today, Pope Francis spoke about vocations. Today, in the new calendar, is "Good Shepherd Sunday." He talks about that, and he talks about vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life since this is the World Day of Prayer for Vocations.

Last week we saw seven men ordained to the transitional diaconate here in Detroit and I was very grateful to be there to witness and photograph one of Grotto's own being ordained.  One of my seminary elves tells me we will see priestly ordinations on May 18th at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral.  How many? I do not yet now.  Perhaps another elf can tell me in the combox. It is good to see so many faithful men entering the priesthood in Detroit.  We need more good men in our parishes.  http://detroitpriest.com


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(Vatican Radio) Below a Vatican Radio transcript and translation of Pope Francis’ Regina Caeli address this Fourth Sunday of Easter, World Day of Prayer for Vocations:
Dear brothers and sisters,

Fourth Sunday of Easter is characterized by the Gospel of the Good Shepherd - in the tenth chapter of St. John – which we read every year. Today’s passage contains these words of Jesus: " My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one"(10.27 to 30).These four verses contain Jesus’ entire message, the core of His Gospel: He calls us to participate in His relationship with the Father, and this is eternal life.

Jesus wants to establish a relationship with his friends that is a reflection of His relationship with the Father, a relationship of mutual belonging in full trust, in intimate communion. To express this deep understanding, this relationship of friendship Jesus uses the image of the shepherd with his sheep: he calls them, and they know his voice, they respond to his call and follow him. How beautiful this parable is! The mystery of the voice is suggestive: from our mother's womb we learn to recognize her voice and that of our father, from the tone of a voice we perceive love or disdain, affection or coldness. The voice of Jesus is unique! If we learn to distinguish it, He guides us on the path of life, a path that goes beyond the abyss of death.

But at a certain point Jesus, referring to his sheep, says: "My Father, who has given them to me..." (Jn 10,29). This is very important, it is a profound mystery, that is not easy to understand: if I feel attracted to Jesus, if his voice warms my heart, it is thanks to God the Father, who has put in me the desire of love, of truth, life, beauty ... and Jesus is all this to the full! This helps us to understand the mystery of vocation, particularly the call to a special consecration. Sometimes Jesus calls us, invites us to follow him, but maybe we don’t realize that it is Him, just like young Samuel. There are many young people today, here in the square. There are many of you! So many of you young people present today in the square!

I would like to ask you: have you sometimes heard the voice of the Lord which through a desire, a certain restlessness, invites you to follow Him more closely? Have you heard it? I can’t hear you…there you are! Have you had any desire to be apostles of Jesus? Youth must spend itself for high ideals. Do you think so? Do you agree? Ask Jesus what he wants from you and be brave! Be brave, ask Him!!! Behind and before every vocation to the priesthood or consecrated life, is always the strong and intense prayer of someone: a grandmother, a grandfather, a mother, a father, a community ... That's why Jesus said, "Pray the Lord of the harvest - that is, God the Father - to send out laborers into his harvest" (Mt 9:38). The vocations are born in prayer and from prayer, and only in prayer can they persevere and bear fruit. I like to underline this today, the "World Day of Prayer for Vocations." We pray especially for the new priests of the Diocese of Rome, whom I had the joy of ordaining this morning. And we invoke the intercession of Mary. Today there were 10 young men who have said "yes" to Jesus and were ordained priests this morning ... This is beautiful! Let us invoke the intercession of Mary who is the woman who said "yes." Mary said "yes," all her life! She has learned to recognize the voice of Jesus since she bore him in her womb. Mary, Our Mother, help us to know better the voice of Jesus and follow it, to walk the path of life!


Thank you so much for your greeting, but let us also proclaim Jesus loudly... Let us all pray together to the Virgin Mary.



Text from page http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/04/21/regina_caeli:_ask_jesus_what_he_wants_from_you/en1-685094
of the Vatican Radio website 



For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Prayers for Boston and West, Texas



There is no shortage of news out there on Boston and West, Texas.  With little available time today, I just want to offer my sincere prayers for healing for victims and families in both towns.  I also pray for the repose of the souls of those who have died, and for conversion of heart for the remaining Boston bombing suspect, who is said to be clinging to life.  From a Christian perspective, we can desire justice for victims while asking God to convert the hearts of perpetrators.  It's easy to pray for conversion of those you love; it takes strong love in Christ to pray for the conversion of those who commit heinous acts.  Just remember, when Jesus said, "I thirst" from the Cross, he was thirsting for every soul, especially sinners.

Side note: I have photos from my recent trip to to Sacred Heart Major Seminary and plan to do a stock photo post.   I will try to get that up in the coming days.


For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Today is a #Gosnell TweetFest and Facebook Share day



Michael Vick was involved in dog-fighting and dogs died.  He made headline news day after day.  Kermit Gosnell killed babies.  Have you seen coverage of his trial in your news sources?  He may get the death penalty and if that happens, you might hear about it.

Gosnell committed infanticide, delivering full term babies and killing them in the most gruesome, painful fashion.  The sanitized version of this is "live birth abortions."  That's an oxymoron because once the baby is born and breathing it is no longer an abortion, but a delivery - induced or otherwise. That they cried as they were killed is evidence that they were murdered in cold blood.  Perhaps the reason the media is largely ignoring it is because it tugs at the conscience: If it is murder to deliver a baby then kill her, how is it not murder to do the same thing inside the womb?

Much of the media has chosen to be silent, with a few exceptions, on the ongoing trial of Kermit Gosnell.  This is a man who made a living giving birth to late term babies (through the 8th month), then  committing a clear act of infanticide.  His attorney says a Grand Jury report is false, that his client did not murder viable babies born alive during abortions.  Right. Then I suppose the babies, some of them crying and showing other obvious signs of pain, forced their necks into the scissors held by Gosnell's hand which "snipped" their spines.  Not even the beef on your plate died that way. Read the Grand Jury Report for yourself. There is no comparison to Auschwitz, yet the attitude of those "in-the-know" and turning a blind eye to what went on in the "house of horrors" over 13 years of complaints to the state, has the same ugly roots of denial.

After a woman died and feds raided one of his abortion mills, they were sickened at what they found there.

Last week, after a twitter campaign to raise awareness about the case using the hashtag, #Gosnell, at least one celebrity picked it up, tweeted on it and got it trending which caused more tweets and re-tweets.  Apparently, Anderson Cooper of AC360 on CNN picked it up on Twitter and when he understood the case, didn't waste any time putting together a show that very night.  Here is a brief video segment from the show which will bring you up to speed if you had not heard of Kermit Gosnell due to a deliberate media blackout.





At the blog of Anderson Cooper for AC360 was this discussion with several experts.  Watch the whole thing - about 8 minutes.






They want to raise awareness again today, so blog it, tweet it, and share the information on Facebook and other social media.

The website, "Who is Gosnell?" has a page dedicated to helping you spread the word in social media.

Here is the twitter stream for #Gosnell


Why a TweetFest? From the site:
The mainstream media has all but ignored this case. Can you imagine the media reaction if the case were reversed and it was a pro-lifer on trial for 7 counts of 1st degree murder? 
Exactly. 
We are going to make “new media” work on behalf of Kermit Gosnell’s innocent, helpless victims. The mainstream media is acting like nothing is happening, however – if we unite & spread the word far enough, we can FORCE the media to cover this horrific story. 
Why do we need the media to cover this story? The Gosnell case is the face of the abortion industry. Abortion brutally kills preborn children and exploits women. The Gosnell case busts open the lie of “safe legal & rare” abortion.



One last thing.  Love in Christ demands that we pray for sinners, even those who commit sins that cry out to heaven.  May God bring Kermit Gosnell to his knees in remorse and repentance.

More:


  • Al Kresta had a discussion on yesterday concerning the Gosnell case and the TwitterFest.  Listen to it in the audio archive about 40 minutes into the one hour show. 
  • Phil Lawler at Catholic Culture has a good op-ed piece up: The Key Lesson of the Gosnell Trial
  • Steven Ertelt of LifeNews.com has had some excellent coverage at his site, and he has been very active on Twitter and Facebook.  Visit his site and follow him in social media. 






For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Photos: Seven Men Ordained Transitional Deacons in Detroit




Yesterday, seven men were ordained transitional deacons by the Most Reverend Michael J. Byrnes, Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit, at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. This is the last stop before priestly ordination.  One of the men ordained yesterday, is a fellow parishioner at Assumption Grotto, Rev. Mr. Louis Lapeyre.

I took many stock photos at the chapel of Sacred Heart Major Seminary (SHMS) yesterday, but I will save those for another post some time within the next week.  As you will see in these photos, there was some real craftsmanship that went into this old building.

What follows are just a sampling of the many photos taken.  At the bottom you will find a link that will take you to the full gallery.

The environment was much darker than that to which I am accustomed.  No flash is used during liturgical events, so natural lighting is all there is to work with.  Regrettably, I did not use a white card to set white balance before-hand, so they may be "warmer" in appearance.  I use Adobe Lightroom and can still tinker with quality, but two computers show me two different hues and exposures.  It's hard to tell which one is right.









There were many religious orders represented among those watching, including some of the S.O.L.T. brothers who are studying at SHMS.


The Mass got underway. Roughly 50 priests were there for the ordinations.  I've been told that the window seen in the Sanctuary was made by the same man who crafted the stained-glass windows at Assumption Grotto.










Bishop Byrnes delivers his homily


From left to right: Rev. Mr. Joseph Kirkconnell (St. Ignatius, Cayman Islands), Rev. Mr. Jeffery Allan (St. Colette, Livonia), and Rev. Mr. Ryan Adams (Holy Redeemer, Detroit)

Rev. Mr. John Kopson (St. Mary Queen of Creation, New Baltimore) , Rev. Mr. Louis Lapeyre (Assumption Grotto, Detroit), Rev. Mr. Gregory Piatt (St. Sylvesters, Warren), Rev. Mr. Joseph Tuskiewicz (St. Josaphat, Detroit)

The promise of respect and obedience to the Ordinary of the diocese and successors



The Litany of the Saints



Laying on of Hands and Prayer of Ordination




Investiture with Stole and Dalmatic




Handing on of the Book of the Gospels


Kiss of peace



Incensing the Altar as we entered Offertory



The Sacred Heart Seminary Choir after singing a beautiful "O Cor Jesu" by Rossini





Rev. Mr. Greg Piatt is seen kneeling here




Rev. Mr. John Kopson holds the Sacred Chalice




Rev. Mr. Louis Lapeyre

Rev. Mr. Jeffery Allan spoke on behalf of the newly ordained

Pure cuteness got in the way of my camera lens



I had never been in the gym at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, but even that shows the craftsmanship of a previous era.  The reception was held here. This doesn't do it justice, but gives you a glimpse. 





Please pray for these new transitional deacons for Detroit, and all of the seminarians in the Archdiocese of Detroit working towards the priesthood. (see more at DetroitPriest.com including social media options)

There are many more photos from this event in my Smugmug account.  
  • Gallery (several pages of thumbnails you can go through)
  • Slideshow (this is a good way to view them, but I recommend setting it to "fast" in the upper left corner)

Want Prints?

Newly ordained deacons should see Rev. Mr. Louis Lapeyre who will have a disk for you and your families, with my compliments. Perhaps you could include me in your prayers.

All others are welcome to purchase photos through the Smugmug site.  Purchases help mitigate the cost of uploading high resolution photos to a quality site that offers a quality service.  If you have problems, please let me know.




For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Caption Call: Pope's Flying Zucchetto




This photo was posted on the Facebook page of the Swiss Guard


For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Coming up: Transitional Diaconate Ordinations; Restless Heart Movie; Maximillian Kolbe Stage Production




In the Archdiocese of Detroit, this weekend, we will have 7 men ordained to the transitional diaconate - the last stage before priestly ordinations.  They must be in the transitional diaconate for at least 6 months before they can be ordained priests.

There is no public announcement that I can find on the website for the Archdiocese of Detroit, the Michigan Catholic, or Sacred Heart Major Seminary.  But, I believe this is invitation only due to space. There should be a report with details on the men after.

It is happening at Sacred Heart Major Seminary on Saturday.  Please pray for all of these men, and watch for a follow up post.

I have not yet heard about any priestly ordinations this year.  I hope we will see an announcement soon. In recent years, this happens the Saturday before Pentecost and their First Masses begin on Pentecost Sunday.  Archbishop Vigneron has sometimes broken with this, opening up the possibility for some men to be ordained after just 6 months. So, we will periodically see an individual ordination in the fall.  My Sacred Heart Major Seminary "elves" can keep me updated via combox or email TeDeumBlog (at) gmail (dot) com.







There is a movie, Restless Heart, out on the life of St. Augustine and it will be showing one time only, locally in Clinton Township this Sunday at 4:00 PM.  Tickets can only be purchased at the theater, the Star on Gratiot.

My understanding is that this will not be available on DVD for individual sales for about a year.  They do, however, have packages for large groupings. Click around the site or inquire there.

Here is a trailer:




April 14th - Michigan

Clinton Township, MI - Due to popular demand, The iC Organization will present another showing of the film RESTLESS HEART at the AMC Star Gratiot, 35705 Gratiot Avenue in Clinton Township. There will be one performance on Sunday, April 14th at 4 p.m. Tickets are $10 and must be purchased at the theater on the day of the show – NO credit or debit cards. For more information:iCtheLight@mail.com, 313-407-2284. Proceeds will benefit the New Evangelization for the Catholic Church.







Leonardo Defilippis is back in town to perform his great, one-man show on Maximillian Kolbe.  Leonardo is a very talented actor who has played in several Catholic films, including St. John of the Cross.  See the schedule here for the next week and visit his site to see other times and places for this performance, and others by St. Luke Productions, in your area.   This is filtered for the next week or so.



For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.