Friday, November 25, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Wisconsin Personhood Amendment: Front page news, along with Ryan Braun
Need I say more about the watershed moments of both Braun's achievement and the introduction of personhood legislation...
Today's Wisconsin State Journal:
Many Wisconsin abortion foes are cheering the introduction of legislation that would amend the state constitution to extend personhood to the moment an egg is fertilized, although the state's two largest anti-abortion groups are at odds over the approach.The legislation is patterned after a similar measure that Mississippi voters rejected earlier this month.Critics say such measures would outlaw all abortions, including in cases of rape and incest, and ban all forms of hormonal contraception, including birth control pills and intrauterine devices (IUDs).Wisconsin's "personhood" amendment, introduced last week by Rep. Andre Jacque, R-Bellevue, would define the terms "people" and "person" in the constitution to include "every human being at any stage of development."Matt Sande, lobbyist for Pro-Life Wisconsin, which backs the legislation and is working closely with Jacque, said the amendment "undoubtedly" would outlaw all forms of surgical and chemical abortion. On other issues, "we don't know exactly what it would mean, but our intent is to protect the preborn child at any stage of development from any violent attack, whether chemical, surgical or experimental," he said.Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin has concluded the proposed language would ban hormonal contraception, said Nicole Safar, public policy director. "This is way out of touch with Wisconsin values," she said.In a twist, Wisconsin Right to Life, the largest anti-abortion group in the state, has come out forcefully against the personhood amendment strategy, calling it "just plain wrong for Wisconsin."
Read the rest here.
Telling how PPWI acknowledges the abortion-causing effect of hormonal contraceptives, no? And yet certain pro-lifers refuse to address the issue. Cardinal Burke has something to say about that.
Telling how PPWI acknowledges the abortion-causing effect of hormonal contraceptives, no? And yet certain pro-lifers refuse to address the issue. Cardinal Burke has something to say about that.
Geron bails on embryonic stem cell research
Reposting this from Jill Stanek's blog because of the implications and ties to UW-Madison, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, etc.
Out of nowhere Geron Corporation announced last week it was not only halting the first clinical trial of embryonic stem cell treatment on humans but getting out of the embryonic stem cell business altogether.To understand how big a blow to the embryonic stem cell industry this was, you first must know it was Geron that funded the University of Wisconsin Madison’s original research back in 1995, which resulted in the first cultures of embryonic stem cells. It was Geron that started this whole mess.Geron went on to comprise one-third of the triune that controlled which company or university got access to embryonic stem cell lines, along with the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.
Read the rest here.
STL Catholic: This Year, Why Not Celebrate Tradsgiving?
It's that time of year again, as we approach that unique mix of secular and religious occasions that are amorphously called the Holiday Season. First we have Thanksgiving, the closest that a secular holiday gets to decent religion. We are informed that this holiday was first celebrated by the pilgrims (though the Spanish claim it was celebrated earlier in St. Augustine, FL; trot out this little gem at Thanksgiving and you will deservedly be ridiculed for the Cliff Clavin that you are), but it was officially installed as a national holiday on a set date by Abraham Lincoln in 1863, who saw fit to mandate thankfulness for the Northern victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg. FDR, another wallflower reluctant to impose national solutions, later changed the date to the fourth Thursday in November.continue at Saint Louis Catholic
Next, we have the annual mass-worship of the god Retail, known by its remarkably descriptive name of Black Friday. The portents of this holy day are scanned, analyzed and reverently feared, as the blessings or curses of Retail are made known. It is a most amusing mix of Baal worship, Aztec heart surgery, and Groundhog Day-- only six more shopping weeks untilChristmasHanukkah, Kwanzaa or some other nondescript Winter celebratory event!
A must read.
Photo: Canterbury Tales
PLW: School children surprise Bp. Hying with collection for pregnancy centers
About two months ago, we received a phone call from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Hales Corners. Bishop Hying was going to be saying Mass for the school at the parish, and the school children wanted to surprise Bishop Hying with a gift to thank him.continue at Pro-Life Wisconsin
Bishop Hying’s pro-life convictions are well-known in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. When he was still rector of the St. Francis de Sales Seminary, Bishop Hying and several seminarians could often be found praying at Affiliated Medical Services on Saturdays. One Saturday at AMS inspired Bishop Hying to write this.
Arch. Milwaukee to begin $300k victim therapy fund if judge approves
As part of the Plan of Reorganization, we will ask the bankruptcy judge to allow us to establish a fund dedicated to providing therapy and counseling to abuse victims of diocesan clergy. Currently, the archdiocese spends approximately $70,000 each year for therapy and counseling for abuse survivors who come forward for this assistance. This fund will be launched with an initial contribution of $300,000. The therapy fund will be “evergreen,” meaning that it will be established in a way that allows it to be replenished, so that payments for therapy will continue for as long as abuse victims come forward for such assistance. We are establishing it, not because we are required to, but because our commitment in faith calls us to do so. Let me explain.-Abp. Listecki
As you know, the bankruptcy process is a financial proceeding designed to compensate those making claims. I have stated previously, and want to emphasize again, that beyond financial settlements, outreach and assistance to abuse survivors is an ongoing and permanent ministry of the Church. The most important thing we as a Church can and must do, is to continue to provide therapy assistance to those who have been harmed, even if their claims are not recognized under civil law, which may be the case for certain of the claims filed against the archdiocese in the Chapter 11 proceeding.
In order to prepare the Plan of Reorganization, it is important to know how many claims will qualify for compensation and which claims cannot be honored. Soon, attorneys for the archdiocese will be filing motions to ask the judge to decide which claims against the archdiocese will be allowed under bankruptcy law. If the court is not going to allow a particular type of claim (for example, a claim that is past the statute of limitations; a claim brought by an individual who previously reached a legal settlement with the archdiocese; or a claim against a person who was never an employee of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee), then people need to know this so they have a realistic expectation as they proceed with the claims
Sorry, couldn't find the online version of the newsletter online.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
St. Peter's Church, Ashton, WI - celebrates 150th anniversary
continue at MadCatHeraldSt. Peter Parish is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year and held a Mass and dinner November 5 to mark the occasion.
Bishop Robert C. Morlino came to the parish, located in rural Dane County about 10 miles outside Madison, to celebrate Mass. Concelebrants included Fr. Brian Dulli, pastor of the parish, Fr. Laverne Meier, Fr. John Meinholz, and Fr. Henry Kalscheuer.
The parish has grown considerably since it was founded by 20 families as a mission church of Cross Plains and Martinsville. It currently has over 300 registered families.
“Many other people have been positively impacted by the Holy Spirit’s generous outpouring in Ashton,” said Father Dulli in his homily during the Saturday evening Mass which packed the church’s pews.
more photos at madisoncatholicherald.smugmug.com
St. Cecilia, ora pro nobis!
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| Stefano Moderno, "Saint Cecilia," 1599, church of St. Cecilia, Trastevere, Rome |
Cecilia, in the meantime, continued to make many conversions, and prepared to have her home preserved as a church at her death.more at saintcecilia.us
Finally, she too was arrested and brought before the prefect. He ruled that she should die by suffocation in the baths. Saint Cecilia was locked into the bathhouse and the fires vigorously stoked. She remained there for a day and a night but was still alive when the soldiers opened the doors. She was then ordered beheaded, but the executioner, after striking three times without severing St Cecilia's head, ran away, leaving her badly wounded.
St. Cecilia hung onto life for three days after the mortal blows, preaching all the while. She made many more conversions and people came to soak up her flowing blood with sponges and cloths. There exists in Rome a church in St. Cecilia's honor that dates from about the fifth century. Her relics were believed to have been found by Pope Paschal I in 821 A.D., in the cemetery of St. Celestas. These remains were exhumed in 1599, when Cardinal Paul Emilius Sfondrati rebuilt the church of St. Cecilia, and said to be incorrupt.
I believe she was the first recorded case of the phenomenon of incorruptibility. The above statue is said to be what she looked like when the grave was exhumed some 1,200 years after her death. I couldn't find the quote, but I read somewhere those exhuming the body said she looked alive like a young girl sleeping.
Avett Brothers: Where did all the hairy men go
This past Friday, I went to my very first-ever Avett Brothers concert, at the Pabst Riverside Theatre in Milwaukee. The Riverside is an amazing place for a concert; it is definitely not a generic sports auditorium, and the atmosphere really adds to the experience.
The Avett Brothers played a show on Friday night and Saturday night; both shows sold out. The Avett Brothers describe themselves as a "folk rock band." I heard the Avett Brothers were one of the best live bands around, and I wasn't disappointed! I highly recommend seeing them live if you have the opportunity.
But I have to say... what is it with hairy men at indie concerts like this? It was like every single guy took "No Shave November" to an extreme.
Considering Matt's post last week on charismatics and how our sins affect more than just our relationship with God, I found this reflection from the Avett Brothers to be particularly insightful, as we are all searching for purpose:
The Avett Brothers played a show on Friday night and Saturday night; both shows sold out. The Avett Brothers describe themselves as a "folk rock band." I heard the Avett Brothers were one of the best live bands around, and I wasn't disappointed! I highly recommend seeing them live if you have the opportunity.
But I have to say... what is it with hairy men at indie concerts like this? It was like every single guy took "No Shave November" to an extreme.
Considering Matt's post last week on charismatics and how our sins affect more than just our relationship with God, I found this reflection from the Avett Brothers to be particularly insightful, as we are all searching for purpose:
The Avett brothers' grandfather, Clegg Avett (1917–1976), was a Methodist minister. After reading his grandfather's sermons, Scott Avett says that he began to think seriously about matters of faith and spirituality. “Our hands and minds, legs and mouths, eyes and ears, arms and feet were all made with purpose, and though you may never find that exact purpose, it is your obligation to yourself and God to search for it ...”
Monday, November 21, 2011
Upcoming events at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Please join Fr. Peter Damian Fehlner of the Franciscans of the Immaculate and Rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin, in a virtual Novena in honor of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary at www.airmaria.com . Each day, from the 29th of November up to the 7th of December, Fr. Peter gives a short meditation on the Immaculate Conception followed by a prayer. Perhaps you can suggest some intentions (for family, for loved ones, for end to abortion, contraception, etc.).The Cardinal will be comin' town. .... great now I have Christmas carols stuck in my head. No! Waaaait for it....
December 3 - Saint Nicholas of Myra: A Celebration for Children – starting at 1:30 p.m.
Meet and take pictures with St. Nicholas and hear the story of Christmas and the life of this beloved saint and wonderworker. Afterwards enjoy hot cocoa and cookies, coloring and a movie about his life. Children of all ages are welcome.December 9 - Feast of St. Juan Diego – Celebrate with His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke
The Feast of Saint Juan Diego begins will Holy Mass at 12:15 p.m. celebrated by His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke. After Mass there will be an induction ceremony for the Saint Juan Diego Guild for Children followed by a reception with refreshments and dessert in the crypt.
December 12 – Patronal Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe – Celebrate with the Founder of the Shrine, His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke
Celebrate the patronal feast of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe with His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke. The Shrine opens at 8:00 a.m. Mañanitas, or traditional Mexican songs sung in the morning on special days, begin at 8:45 a.m. Sweet breads and refreshments will follow in the crypt. Cardinal Burke will be the main celebrant at Holy Mass at 11:00 a.m.
December 8 – Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception – feast day gourmet dinner at the Culina Mariana!
Please join Shrine’s own Executive Chef Douglas and his staff for the first feast day celebration at the Culina Mariana! A three-course gourmet dinner is served on December 8th from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. in honor or Our Lady’s feast. Reservations Only. Call 788-8400 to make your reservations now. $35 for dinner + $12 for wine flight. This is a feast you will not want to miss.
FSSP Superior General to offer Mass at St. Augustine Church in St. Paul
Father John Echert, Pastor of Holy Trinity and St. Augustine churches in So. St. Paul, has invited The Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), the Very Rev. John Berg to offer the 11:30 Traditional Latin Mass at the Church of St. Augustine (408 3rd St. N. in So. St. Paul) on the 27th of November. The Fraternity of St. Peter is an international priestly fraternity established by Pope John Paul II to provide the traditional Mass and Sacraments to Catholics around the world under the provisions established by the motu proprio Ecclesia Dei.St Augustine also is the place where that potential Eucharistic miracle occurred a while back.
There will be a reception for Father Berg in the church hall immediately after Mass, at which time he will also offer a brief presentation on the general mission of the Fraternity of St. Peter. So please--tell your friends and family members, forward this email to your Catholic contacts, pray for the success of this event, and mark your calendars for the 27th of November.
HT Verso
Wisconsin Personhood Amendment introduced
Legislation that would amend the Wisconsin Constitution to apply personhood rights to preborn children at all stages of development was introduced on Thursday. Assembly Joint Resolution (AJR) 77, authored by Representative Andre Jacque (R-Green Bay), extends the inalienable right to life found in the Wisconsin Constitution to all preborn children from the beginning of their lives. Senator Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) is the lead author in the State Senate. An amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution requires passage in two successive legislatures followed by a simple majority vote of the people. Click here to read the amendment language, and click here to view PLW's legislative memo. Click here for a national story on the opposition’s reaction.Pro-Life Wisconsin
From a pro-life perspective, the Wisconsin Constitution contains a glaring error at its outset. In specifying the beneficiaries of its human rights, our state constitution leaves out the preborn. It applies rights to only those people who are "born." Representative Jacque is proposing a minimal but absolutely essential correction, a personhood amendment, to make the Wisconsin Constitution cover all people, every person, at any stage of development.
Assembly Joint Resolution 77 tracks the original constitutional language as closely as grammatically possible, only substituting the inclusive personhood definition for the word "born." That definition is as follows: As applied to the right to life, the terms "people" and "person” shall apply to every human being at any stage of development. Such a definition is indispensable to spreading the protective cover of Wisconsin’s constitution over all its citizens.
The amendment language reads as follows:
Article 1. Declaration of Rights. Equality; inherent rights. SECTION 1. All people are equally free and independet, and have certain inherent rights; among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; to secure these rights, governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. As applied to the right to life, the terms "people" and "person" shall apply to every human being at any stage of development.
Should Roe v. Wade be overturned someday and the abortion issue remanded to the states, an activist Wisconsin Supreme Court could (and very likely would) use the word “born” in our current state constitution to deny the right to life of the preborn by interpreting an independent right to abortion in that document. In so doing, the court could nullify any present or future pro-life laws in our state. The changing makeup of the Wisconsin Legislature could also jeopardize any pro-life laws in our state. Every two years our state election process determines the majority party in Madison. Legal protection of the preborn should not (and must not) be contingent upon which party controls the state legislature. The right to life should not be subject to the whims of a politicized supreme court or an ever-changing legislature. Only by enshrining the right to life in our state constitution will preborn children be afforded full and lasting legal protection.
The introduction of the Wisconsin Personhood Amendment is a watershed moment in the history of the pro-life movement in our state. It seeks to end abortion in Wisconsin, not to regulate or restrict it. It seeks to end all violence toward preborn children in Wisconsin – surgical, chemical, experimental, etc. – at all stages of development. We have been working toward the introduction of such an amendment for the last five years, and we thank Representative Jacque for demonstrating the courage of his convictions in finally making it a reality.
We also thank the co-sponsors of the bill for their principled stand in supporting the amendment: Senator Grothman and Representatives Dan LeMahieu, Don Pridemore, David Craig, Jeremy Thiesfeldt, Evan Wynn, and Tom Larson.
The Wisconsin Personhood Amendment is not intended, or worded, as a challenge to Roe, or as an attempt to define personhood under the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution. It seeks only to bring into the Wisconsin Constitution a true definition of human life as endorsed by Wisconsin citizens speaking through the amendment process, thus making the highest law in our state cover all people, every person, at any stage of development. We recognize that its protections cannot be fully effective as long as Roe remains law, but we believe a proper definition of personhood should be in place should Wisconsin be freed from the effects of that noxious decision.
The Wisconsin Personhood Amendment has been endorsed by Wisconsin Family Action, Personhood USA, Pastor Walter Hoye of the Issues4Life Foundation, American Life League, and Charles E. Rice, Professor Emeritus of Law, University of Notre Dame. For more information on the Wisconsin Personhood Amendment, check out www.personhoodwisconsin.com.
Take Action!
Please CALL or EMAIL your state representative and state senator now and urge him or her to support AJR 77, the “Wisconsin Personhood Amendment.”
Tell your legislators to extend the inalienable right to life found in the Wisconsin Constitution to all preborn children at all stages of development.
If your legislator is a co-sponsor of AJR 77, please thank him!
To find out who your state legislators are, click here for PLW's website and scroll over the Legislative Affairs menu item at the top of the page. A drop down menu will appear. Click on the Speak Up icon and then scroll down the page and click on Who Are My Wisconsin Lawmakers? Type in your street address, city and zip code. The names and contact information of your state senator and state representative will appear.
Once you know who your state legislators are, go back to the Speak Up page and use the links listed under Email Your Government Officials to send your email to your state senator and state representative. That way PLW will receive a copy of your email which will enable us to monitor the activity of our grassroots advocacy campaigns.
If you prefer to leave a telephone message with your state legislator, call the toll-free State Legislative Hotline at (800) 362-9472. Or call the legislator’s office directly. Thank you!
Texting God
The Ironic Catholic"The only text sent in this class would be to God, alerting him you'll be meeting him soon."
--Br. Stephen at my little Catholic university
Check out Abbey Roads to see the old fashioned way to text God.
MJS: How are Wisconsin faith communities confronting the issue of pornography?
I am writing a story on how Wisconsin faith communities are confronting the issue of pornography. If you wish to contribute, please contact me at anjohnson@jrn.com. Please leave a daytime telephone number.MJS Faith Watch
Remember, you can follow the Journal Sentinel's FaithWatch feature at:
www.twitter.com/jsfaithwatch
www.facebook.com/jsfaithwatch
Great question! I don't know of any effort of Catholics in Wisconsin. Anyone know of one?
You might remember Green Bay Packer defensive end Ryan Pickett supported the cause leading up to last year's Super Bowl victory.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Fanatic Fridays
I decree that Polka Fridays will hitherto be known as Fanatic Fridays, so let it be written.
I ran out of polka music... Don't fret, I'll still bring you the best that the internet has to offer.
I ran out of polka music... Don't fret, I'll still bring you the best that the internet has to offer.
Old School Bucky
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| Bill Sagal '51 tries on his mascot head with designer Connie Conrad and Homecoming chair Bill Sachse '50. Photo Courtesy UW-Madison Archives |
Reminder, it's not too late to sponsor “Mary’s Ultrasound” billboards
Kissling even referred to Pro-Life Wisconsin as the “grinches that stole Christmas!”
But in order to touch hearts across Wisconsin – and the United States, even! – we need your help.
True to Life funds are dangerously low, and without your help, we won’t be able to undertake the “Mary’s Ultrasound” billboard effort this year.
A $500 donation will pay for a billboard in La Crosse. A $500 donation will pay for a billboard in Milwaukee.
Please help us today! Click here to donate online, or call our office at (262) 796-1111 ext. 10.
Healing of the family tree
continue at Spirit DailyEvery family and ancestry – save for Jesus, Mary, and Joseph -- has tendencies that were or are negative and need to be purged. It could be a family inclination to selfishness, division, pride, or argumentation. It could be occultism. It could be a preoccupation with materialism. It could be lying. These characteristics need to be cast out as “spirits” – blotches of darkness -- or they will repeat themselves like a broken record in our lives and then in the lives of those who come after us. “Loving families lay the foundation for our eternal progress,” writes another who had a near-death episode.
“They help us build strengths, identify and overcome weaknesses, and bring challenges of their own for us to overcome. They significantly influence us in our earthly missions and affect how we influence others in their missions. Every family bond – with spouse, children, parents, grandparents, grandchildren, in-laws, uncles, cousins, etcetera – can play a crucial role in teaching us how to love and be loved.”
When the sin is intense, claims Father John Hampsch, who wrote a seminal book called Healing the Family Tree, the effects may go beyond the three or four generations so commonly mentioned. The greater the sin, the more darkness we attract. We also may draw demonic spirits of a higher level. As the Bible tells us, there are powers and principalities. They mimic the hierarchy of angels (seraphim, cherubim, thrones, dominions, virtues, powers, principalities, archangels, and angels).
There are also earthbound or departed “familial” spirits – those who have not “gone on.” These are spirits that have attached themselves to a person, family, things, or locations. If someone commits a murder, this is a strong force that attracts the demonic. If there is a spirit that was addicted to sex, drugs, or alcohol, it may seek to draw from or enter a living person who is indulging in excessive alcohol or illicit sex (in order to re-experience it). An involvement in the occult is a transgression known to greatly enhance spiritual infestation.
I've read other articles on this topic and have found it to be very insightful. I think it comes from a the charismatic movement, but I know I have a prayer to Divine Mercy for healing of a family tree. I can't find anything on it now, maybe some of you have also prayed this prayer? If so, please share where we can find it. For some time I was very interested in the charismatic movement, as I had never heard a priest talk about evil spirits or any spiritual realities of this world. I do not think it is a fascination; in fact, knowing we can help bring my family to faith is something that continues to motivate me to keep fighting; and particularly that my personal sin affects more than just my relationship with God.
From Orthodoxy - GK Chesterton
PhotoCertain new theologians dispute original sin which is the only part of Christian theology which can really be proved.
Some followers of the Reverend R. J. Campbell, in their almost too fastidious spirituality, admit divine sinlessness, which they cannot see even in their dreams. But they essentially deny human sin, which they can see in the street. The strongest saints and the strongest skeptics alike took positive evil as the starting-point of their argument. If it be true (as it certainly is) that a man can feel exquisite happiness in skinning a cat then the religious philosopher can only draw one of two deductions.
He must either deny the existence of God, as all atheists do; or he must deny the present union between God and man as all Christians do. The new theologians seem to think it a highly rationalistic solution to deny the cat.
HT JB
A few Cistercian items stay in the state
I was glad to hear that some private donors stepped forward to purchase some of the Cisterican vestments during the auction and keep them in the area.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Madison Diocese offer Youth 2000 retreat for young Catholics
The Youth 2000 retreat, held for the third time in the Diocese of Madison, drew a smaller group of youth and young adults than previous years, but the reaction to the weekend of Eucharistic Adoration, Mass, Reconciliation, and talks on the faith remained high.continue at MadCatHerald
Previous retreats had brought in several hundred youth, and the numbers this time only hit 75 youth and about 50 adults, but Lindsay Becher, coordinator of youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese of Madison Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, said that it didn’t seem to affect the personal experience of the youth.
“I heard from some of the kids that the smaller numbers made the experience different,” she acknowledged. But overall, she said, the reactions were positive and on Sunday during the closing of the retreat many of the youth stood up to share the fact that they had been to a retreat before and still had a deepening of their faith during this retreat.
photos courtesy of Kat Wagner at Smugmug
Infamous John Feeney released from prison
continue at Appleton Post CrescentA former Roman Catholic priest convicted of four counts of sexually assaulting children has been released from prison after serving fewer than eight years of a 15-year sentence.
John Patrick Feeney
John Patrick Feeney's legal issues, however, will continue to surface in Outagamie County court well into 2012.
Feeney, 84, reached his mandatory prison release date on Nov. 1 and is living in an Appleton halfway house, according to the state Department of Corrections. He was sentenced on April 30, 2004.
Peter Isely, Midwest director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said Feeney won't be able to again harm children because he's so well-known to the public and will be under Department of Corrections supervision.
Feeney's widely publicized 2004 convictions in Outagamie County stemmed from the assaults of brothers Troy and Todd Merryfield when Feeney was parish priest at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Freedom in 1978.
A civil lawsuit filed in 2008 by the brothers against the Diocese of Green Bay following Feeney's convictions remains unresolved. John Peterson, an attorney for the Merryfields, said the lawsuit has been difficult for the men.
"They think it's necessary and the right thing for them to do, but it is a burden on their recovery from this," he said.
The Merryfields were 12 and 14 at the time of the assaults.
Isely said the Merryfields represent just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the lives damaged by Feeney. The damage extends to many communities and likely to many people who've remained silent about what happened to them.
"That impact is going to last forever," Isely said.
Project Rachel praised at USCCB conference
continue at CNACardinal Daniel N. DiNardo emphasized Nov. 15 how important the Church’s post-abortion counseling ministry Project Rachel is and said that it must play a role in the New Evangelization.
“Project Rachel Ministry is at the heart of the Church’s mission at this time in her history,” Cardinal DiNardo said at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ fall general assembly, which is being held in Baltimore Nov. 14-16.
Cardinal DiNardo, who is chairman of the bishops' pro-life committee, told the gathering that he believes Project Rachel must play a central role in the New Evangelization.
He explained that many women who have had abortions despair of ever being forgiven by God, and consider abortion an unforgiveable sin.
The Church must reach out to these discouraged women and encourage them to seek forgiveness, he said.
Vicki Thorn, founder of Project Rachel, said that the report shows the bishops’ commitment to working towards healing for those who are suffering from a past abortion.
She told CNA that the U.S. bishops worked closely with her from the time that she initially began Project Rachel in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in 1984.
The involvement of the bishops grew as the ministry rapidly expanded, she said.
Several years ago, Thorn turned over Project Rachel’s service mark—a trademark used for services—to the bishops, who had greater resources to continue its work. The ministry is now available in more than 110 dioceses across the country.
MJS reporting Laser Monks fold printer supply business, abbey, Terry Nelson quoted
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| The abbey, now all but empty, is listed for sale at $2.6 million. |
They were dubbed the Millionaire Monks, a small monastic community in rural Wisconsin feted around the world for its wildly successful Internet business selling laser printer inks and toners.continue at Milwaukee Journal Sentinal
As recently as 2009, the Cistercian Abbey of Our Lady of Spring Bank was projecting annual sales of $3.5 million for its for-profit business, LaserMonks Inc. And their prior and chief executive officer, Father Bernard McCoy, was talking expansion - of both the company and the abbey. [oops]
Today, the monks' 15,000-square-foot home on 500 acres in Sparta is all but empty. They sold off their belongings - everything from furniture and farm equipment to religious artifacts - at an auction last month. And they have put much of their land and buildings up for sale.
LaserMonks ceased operating in the spring, though the abbey has since sold its name and customer list to a California firm.[check it out; lasermonks.com] And the monks have gone their separate ways. McCoy, who was touted as the LaserMonks' marketing genius, is now in Ireland, overseeing a community of nuns, according to a family member. Both she and the monks' lawyer said they did not know how to reach him. [.... I don't like to be the rumor monger but I understand him to be on a non-voluntary sabbatical at their mother house... I thought that was in Switzerland.]
Attorney Kevin Roop of La Crosse, who represents the abbey, blames increased competition and the downturn in the economy for the liquidation of LaserMonks; and the dissolution of the abbey on the business failure and a dwindling interest in monastic life.
But the monks have a history of failed or attempted business ventures. And now their seemingly sudden change of fortune has raised questions about their business acumen and some say less-than-Spartan lifestyle.
"It's very troubling," said Terry Nelson of Minneapolis, a former Trappist novice who writes about monastic communities on a blog he calls Abbey Roads. "A year ago he (McCoy) was talking about growing vocations, building a new church. . . . And then it's just gone? How can a monastery just disappear?"
The details are not entirely clear, but one significant factor appears to be the abbey's debt. Since 2006, the monks have used their property as collateral to secure $3.1 million in mortgages, including a $1.4 million loan from the Valley of Our Lady Inc., a nearby community of Cistercian nuns, according to records on file with the Monroe County Register of Deeds.
The nuns' superior did not return a telephone call seeking comment. But Bryan Simonson, vice president of Stoddard-based River Bank, which loaned the abbey nearly $1.8 million over that time, said the notes were new loans and refinancings of existing mortgages and lines of credit opened for the monks' business and living expenses over the years, and that a portion of the debt has been paid.
Simonson and Roop declined to say how much the abbey still owes. But the banker said the monks have never defaulted on a loan and that he doesn't expect them to do so now.
"I hold the abbey in the highest regard," Simonson said. "They have a very viable exit strategy, and we do not expect to incur any losses." [... sooooo they did declare bankruptcy though... I assume they are talking about the Cistercian nuns then...]
National papers are now picking up this story. Very well done investigation Annysa! I'll maybe give some more commentary in a few days. Click the labels below if you are interested in the background. I bet you will see the NYTes out there pick it up this weekend.
TPE: A patter of Bourgeois
The Provincial EmailsFather Roy Bourgeois was in Milwaukee to speak at this year's Call to Action conference, Annysa Johnson reported in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
"This year, he received a second 'canonical warning' from the Maryknolls, saying he would be expelled from the order if he did not publicly recant. The move prompted more than 200 priests, including some in Wisconsin, to sign an open letter supporting Bourgeois' right to speak his conscience.
"Catholic teaching holds that only men are called to the priesthood. Pope John Paul II reinforced that position in a 1994 apostolic letter, saying the church has no authority to ordain women."
Which leaves the potential for parishioners to be asked to donate time and money for programs to spread and reinforce Catholic teaching, while a priest in the same parish says his conscience demands he publicly contradict Catholic teaching. And continue on the payroll.
P.S. Here's the conference schedule.
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Wednesday, November 16, 2011
UW Badger Catholics to pray rosary outside "Gentleman's" Club in Madison
We are going to Silk Exotic to pray a rosary outside the doors for the intentions of those struggling with sexual immorality so they can find the love they are looking for. We will meet at St. Paul's and drive from there. It's about a 15 minute drive. It would be great to have as many people as possible so we can have the biggest possible impact in the battle against satan. Please RSVP so we can arrange rides. If you want to drive that would also be great.That's what I'm talkin bout!
HT Maggie
BTW, they are on Facebook. I'm grateful not to be the object of a copyright lawsuit - but honestly, I googled the name and searched and found nothing when I named this blog. I'm thinking I need to get me one of the shirts...
St Gertrude the Great, ora pro nobis!
Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great
Hail, White Lily, of the ever-peaceful and glorious Trinity!
Hail, Vermilion Rose, the delight of Heaven, of whom the King of Heaven was born and by whose milk He was nourished! Do thou feed our souls with the effusions of thy Divine influences.
PLW: Milwaukee Police Department dispatcher berates pro-lifer for asking for assistance at Affiliated Medical Services
This evening, Milwaukee radio talk show host Mark Belling discussed the situation of the young girl held at Affiliated Medical Services last week against her will [Part 1 here and Part 2 here].Pro-Life Wisconsin
Belling obtained the audio of the phone call that Dan Miller (head of 40 Days for Life of Milwaukee and a witness) made to the Milwaukee Police Department, asking for police to investigate.
Listen to the audio of the MPD call here. You can hear the dispatcher berating Miller, supporting a mother’s “right” to force her daughter into the abortion facility, and completely ignoring the sexual abuse that occurred, resulting in the alleged pregnancy.
As Belling pointed out on his show, dispatchers are not supposed to judge the right or wrong of a situation; that’s what police officers are for.
Anne Schwartz, public relations manager for the Milwaukee Police Department, told Belling the MPD supported the decision the dispatcher made to ignore the volatile situation and not send out an officer.
Pro-lifers’ relationship with the MPD is somewhat precarious, given the arrest of James Marcou earlier this year and the ongoing federal lawsuit against the MPD
Bp. Morlino to lead pilgrimage to Rome, Fr. Z may be joining
FatherZI was alerted about pilgrimage being arranged by Bishop Morlino of Madison.
12-23 February. Ash Wednesday is 22 February, this year. A chance to be in Rome and maybe even catch part of the Holy Father’s walk (or glide?) from Sant’Anselmo to Santa Sabina? 22 February is also the Feast of the Chair of Peter, when the Vatican Basilica is all jazzed up. I don’t know about how that will work with Ash Wednesday. I am digging.
Trips like these are sometimes planned by dioceses to coincide with a bishop’s ad limina visit to Rome. The late scheduling of the spring ad limina visits for US dioceses resulted in a tight turnaround.
I’ve heard that the Diocese of Madison and organizers extended the sign-up period for a few days beyond their original deadline. Essentially, I think they need more people to sign up.
It seems to be a pretty good trip. They did not bite off too much to chew. They also included Orievto, which is always a treat.
You would meet the great Bp. Morlino, about whom I have written many times. Of course it is also a working trip for him, but there will certainly be occasions.
Short notice, but if enough of WDTPRS readers sign-up, I will probably go too.
Call Toll Free: 1-800 515-2632
New Marquette Prez stresses homosexual inclusion
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| Marquette President Fr. Scott Pilarz at former U of Scranton office |
Marquette’s decision last year to rescind the position of dean of the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences to a lesbian scholar, Jodi O’Brien, also came up for discussion.Milwaukee Catholic Herald
The former president of the University of Scranton, a Jesuit University in Pennsylvania, said he was key to the development of the Scranton Inclusion Initiative which responded to the pastoral needs of gay and lesbian students – with opposition from the conservative community.
Fr. Pilarz said he doesn’t know all of the details about what happened at Marquette last year, and wouldn’t second-guess what happened because he wasn’t a part of the process, but he stressed there is no room in the Catechism of the Catholic Church for discrimination or exclusion on the basis of sexual orientation.
“I can assure you, going forward, Marquette will not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sexual orientation,” he said.
Some of this is left ambiguous; "pastoral needs" "discrimination" etc. What does he really mean by these things? I assume it means the world has it right on homosexual acts and that old outdated Church needs to get with the times.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
WFA: Time to send a pro-family thank you to Governor Walker
Wisconsin Family ActionThe Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the questionably named "United Wisconsin" filed their recall petition just after midnight today and will begin attempting to collect 540,000 signatures to recall Governor Walker. Newspapers, TV stations and more will be covering this effort, and the liberals will claim that all of Wisconsin is opposed to the Governor.
Wisconsin Family Action thinks It's time to send a THANK YOU to Governor Walker for his pro-family stances:We can let people know that tens of thousands of Wisconsin families want to thank Governor Walker through an inexpensive but effective tool: a GIANT THANK YOU card!
- Thank you for proclaiming February 7th - 14th National Marriage Week!
- Thank you for defunding Planned Parenthood!
- Thank you for supporting abstinence education!
- Thank you for giving families more educational options!
Well we didn't "defund" Planned Parenthood but definitely took a step in the right direction.
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Homosexual lobby successfully closes down century old Illinois Catholic Charities
Chicago TribPutting an end to legal efforts to keep Catholic Charities in the foster care business, the Roman Catholic dioceses of Joliet, Springfield and Belleville have dropped a lawsuit against the state of Illinois, agreeing to transfer thousands of foster care children and staff to other agencies.
The purpose of Gay Marriage
The end of the lawsuit brings to a close nearly a century of foster care services provided by Catholic Charities in Illinois.
Since March, state officials have been investigating whether religious agencies that receive public funds to license foster care parents are breaking anti-discrimination laws if they turn away openly gay parents.
After the civil union bill went into effect in June, Catholic Charities told the state that accommodating prospective foster parents in civil unions would violate Catholic Church teaching that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.
Catholic Charities said it would instead refer gay couples elsewhere and only license married couples and single parents living alone.
The agency has pointed to a clause in the Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Unions Act that they believe protects religious institutions that don't recognize civil unions.
But lawyers for the Illinois attorney general said that exemption only shields religious clergy who don't want to officiate at civil unions. The policy of Catholic Charities violates state anti-discrimination laws that demand couples in civil unions be treated the same as married couples, they said.
A transition plan for cases had already begun with a deadline of Nov. 30. But Peter Breen, an attorney for Catholic Charities, said the state had delayed payments for foster care services, which delayed payments to foster care parents working for the social service agency.
“The action of the state forced the end of this case,” Breen said. “Time was our enemy in this unfortunately.”
And we are the bigots for proposing marriage amendments. This is precisely why marriage amendments are necessary. A private matter between two people... ha, indeed. Coming to you soon New York.
Marquette admin on Bill Ayers: “I see him as an educational professor dealing with reform.”
The real story here is a bit more complicated, but equally appalling.continue at Marquette Warrior
The Marquette Education College as a whole did not support the event, but rather only the Educational Policy and Leadership program. Education College Dean William Henk disclaimed any knowledge of the sponsorship, but noted that a particular department or program might have sponsored the event.
Ellen Eckman, Chair of Educational Policy and Leadership, confirmed that her department had ponied up the $250 for the sponsorship.
Eckman, asked whether she was put off by the fact that Ayers is an unrepentant former terrorist, replied that “I see him as an educational professor dealing with reform.” She added “We use a tremendous amount of Rethinking Schools materials. . . .”
Ex-monk admits sexual misconduct while under Abp. Hamus at Conception Abbey
Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/11/08/3255149/ex-monk-admits-sexual-misconduct.html#ixzz1dmsmE4ExA former Benedictine monk who directed a boys choir at a northwest Missouri abbey in the 1980s admitted on Thursday that he had inappropriate sexual relations with several members of the group.
Bede Parry, who led the Abbey Boy Choir of Conception Abbey from 1982 to 1987, told The Kansas City Star that he had sexual contact with five or six of the choir members as well as a student at a Minnesota university.
One of the former choir members filed a lawsuit on Thursday, contending that Parry molested him in 1987 during a summer camp at the abbey.
The lawsuit, filed against Conception Abbey by a Missouri man under the name John Doe 181, alleges that the abbey knew that Parry had sexually abused other students prior to abusing him but covered it up.
"Frankly, those allegations, most of them are true," Parry said in a phone interview with The Star from Las Vegas. "As far as I’m concerned, great harm was done to those people. To lie and not recognize that would be a gross injustice to those folks.
"The whole thing is terrible. I feel so terrible. I’m just praying for everybody, and I ask for prayers."
Most of the inappropriate sexual contact was with males over 18, Parry said. Two of the encounters, he said, involved males ages 16 to 18. He said he has not had inappropriate sexual relations since the 1987 incident.
Jeff Anderson, a Minnesota lawyer who represents the plaintiff, called the situation "a grave institutional failure."
"Bede Parry wasn’t able to control himself, but it was the (Conception Abbey) abbot and the top officials who knew that and made the choice to protect themselves at the peril of many kids and young adults," he said.
Conception Abbey is a Benedictine monastery with a 30-acre campus. It is home to one of the largest Roman Catholic college seminaries in the nation and the largest priest-training center in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. The seminary, which the monks run, draws students from about two dozen dioceses in the United States.
Between 1973 and 1979, the lawsuit says, Parry told the Conception Abbey abbot that he had inappropriate sexual contact with three people at the abbey. And in 1981, the lawsuit says, Parry had sexual contact with a student at St. John’s in Minnesota. Parry admitted that misconduct to several people, including abbots at Conception and St. John’s, according to the lawsuit.
Parry confirmed to The Star his three relationships between 1973 and 1979 at Conception Abbey and one in 1981 in Minnesota. He said he reported those incidents to then-abbot Jerome Hanus at Conception Abbey and to the abbot at St. John’s Abbey in Minnesota.
Hanus is now head of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa. His office did not return phone calls for comment on Thursday.
Parry said he first opened up about his sexual misconduct last fall, when a Seattle area man named Pat Marker showed up at his doorstep. Marker, a sex abuse victim who had attended St. John’s Preparatory School in Minnesota, had learned about Parry while researching other cases from St. John’s.
"I confronted Bede with the allegations ... that took place at St. John’s, and he admitted to the misconduct and expressed remorse but did not disclose any information about the (Conception Abbey) boys choir at that time," Marker said. "After learning he directed the choir, I confronted him again. At first he denied anything but later admitted to misconduct."
Monday, November 14, 2011
NCReg: Cold fusion?? The machine that changes everything
One day, somebody, somewhere will invent the machine that changes everything.
What if one day, somebody, somewhere was last month, in Italy and the guy is named Rossi?
If you haven’t heard of Andrea Rossi, you will be forgiven. He hasn’t received much press and the press he has received has been largely unflattering. Most scientists think that he is a quack at best, a fraud at worst. But what if, just what if, he is something else entirely? Right.
The story goes back over twenty years ago (longer actually) when two scientists named Fleischmann and Pons wowed the world and the press with their experimental findings of cold fusion. Cold fusion is the holy grail of energy production, a clean, easy, and almost limitless supply of cheap energy. As it turned out, Fleischmann and Pons’ experiment was flawed and could not be re-produced. Their careers and their names were destroyed along with Cold Fusion (or LENR—Low Energy Nuclear Reaction) research. Which was all well and good as most scientists think it is impossible. Of course, in my mind, that is one of the leading arguments in its favor. More on that later.
So for the last 25 years, very few scientists even looked at the possibility of LENR (aka Cold Fusion), but a handful did. And something strange happened. Some of them reported that using nickel and hydrogen at room temperatures, they could produce more energy than they put into the system. Lots more. Too much to be explained by a chemical reaction. But none of them could or can explain why. So many other scientists, being of open mind but closed ears, respond “If you can’t explain it, it isn’t happening.”
WI Assembly Education Committee to hold public hearing on contraception madate of 2009
PLWThe Assembly Committee on Education has scheduled a public hearing for Assembly Bill (AB) 337, the "Strong Communities…Healthy Kids Act," on Wednesday, November 16, at 10:00 a.m. in Room 417 North (GAR Hall) of the State Capitol building in Madison.
Please consider attending the hearing and registering for or testifying in favor of this critically important legislation.
Assembly Bill 337 is legislation authored by State Representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt (R-Fond du Lac) that reverses the contraception education/instruction mandate of 2009, giving public school districts the freedom to adopt abstinence-only human growth and development curricula. Chastity/abstinence is the only message that will protect our children's bodies and preserve their innocence, and local school districts should be given this option. The bill also prohibits school-based volunteer health providers from providing instruction in human growth and development. Sexual development is not properly under the purview of a school health room physician or nurse, especially one from Planned Parenthood. The bill prevents Planned Parenthood nurses and physicians from teaching about abortion and contraception in our public schools. The Senate companion bill to AB 337, Senate Bill 237, passed the Senate on November 2.
Thank you for speaking up for our children!
Two more Conventual Franciscan priest join new Viterbo(La Crosse) chaplain
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| Fr. Conrad Targonski, OFM, blessing two of the many animals present at the pet blessing on St. Francis Day. |
Though retired from the Navy after 22 years as a chaplain, this motorcycle-riding Franciscan friar who had been involved in the Fallujah offensive in Iraq, is far from done serving.
Targonski arrived at Viterbo University in March 2011 to fill the very large void left when Viterbo's previous priest, the Rev. Tom O'Neill, a former Jesuit, died in 2009. He had served at Viterbo since 1994.
Targonski is the first Franciscan friar to serve at Viterbo as its chaplain and has been joined by two other friars who minister to St. Rose Convent and the Mayo Health Center.
"Father Conrad is a real gift to Viterbo and our community," said Rick Artman, university president.
"His life experiences help him relate extremely well with students. He also is very well versed in the scriptures, very knowledgeable about other religions, and he is an excellent homilist. He is a perfect fit for Viterbo."
TeDeum: USCCB Fall General Assembly is underway
details at Te Deum laudamusIt's been a favorite past-time of many Catholic bloggers: The USCCB Fall General Assembly.
The bishops of the US are meeting in Baltimore right now. Many are watching with interest.
I'm stuck on a netbook while my main computer is in for repair and I can't deal with how slow the clicks are taking online. Therefore, while i have a day off, I will not be tweeting and taking notes throughout.
If you are interested, I would encourage you to turn on EWTN right now if you have it. It is also being streamed online, and the USCCB is live-tweeting and on Facebook. Go here to see the many ways you can follow what the bishops are discussing. You can also see what is being voted on and how those turn out.
You might have also heard that the infamous Nat Cat'terd has been campaigning against Abp. Nienstedt appointment to anything at the USCCB. I guess being Pro-liturgy, Pro-life and Pro-marriage makes you an enemy to some members of the Body of Christ. That's like the left arm punching the head, heart, and the .... well, a lower extremity of Christ's Mystical Body.
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