XXI Jubilee

May 14th was my 21st anniversary of ordination to the priesthood. May 28th is the same anniversary for my colleague, co-author and classmate, Fr. Ken Brighenti.

As I mentioned in my homily on EWTN last week (Friday, May 15th) priests NEED post-ordination ongoing formation. Daily prayer, regular confession and annual retreat are but the very minimum required by canon law. But why be content with being on life-support when you could be fully alive? Priests need IN ADDITION TO daily prayer, regular confession and annual retreat:

1. regular SPIRITUAL DIRECTION (monthly if possible; every three months at least)

2. annual workshops, conferences, seminars

3. good FRIENDSHIPS (clergy & laity)

4. healthy recreation, i.e., DAYS OFF and VACATION

Priesthood is about DOING priestly things (teaching doctrine; celebrating sacraments; shepherding a community) and about BEING a priest.

Elderly & retired and physically disabled priests are still ontologically priests AND they still exercise their priesthood by OFFERING SACRIFICE. Even when a priest is too old, too sick and/or too feeble to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, he can and must offer his internal suffering as a sacrificial oblation to save souls. Too many priests have fallen into the secular humanist trap of only seeing priestly ACTIVITY as important.

Ontologically, tu es sacerdos in aeternam

This means that priests can still offer sacrifice even when the world considers them redundant or obsolete.

Many GOOD and doctrinally orthodox priests ignore their right and need for a day off and/or for vacation. "I'm too busy doing my priestly work," they say. Even Our Divine Lord, Jesus Christ, had down time. He took time to take nap. He went to the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus to unwind and relax. He went to the home of Zaccheus for a good meal. He worked, He prayed, He sacrificed and He suffered. But He also took time to be by Himself and time to be with His friends. HE WAS NOT A WORKAHOLIC.

I see many good priests start out zealous and full of vim and vigor. Then if they fall into the trap of not making and taking time for their ONGOING SPIRITUAL, THEOLOGICAL and PASTORAL FORMATION, they are 99.9% likely to become angry, bitter, cantankerous and impossible to live with. No parochial vicar wants to live with them and no parishioner wants to talk to them. They become angry men because they resent the time they could have had with their family while still alive. Now that their parents and siblings are dead, they are bitter that their 'duties' kept them away.

I found in 21 years of priesthood, that people WANT their priests to spend some quality time with their family and friends because it makes us BETTER PRIESTS in the long run. Sure, every diocese and parish has had its share of goldbrickers, i.e., the occasional priest who does as little work as possible. He is never in the rectory, he never visits the sick, he can never be reached, he is rarely in his clerical garb since he is spending most of his time doing secular things. These FEW miscreants tempt some of us to overcompensate and become obsessed with spending ALL our time in the parish. The pastor's sanity requires him to get away now and then. His getting away will also bring some peace to his curate and staff and even his parishioners need a break from the same style of sermons day after day and week after week.

Priesthood is not a job or a career, but a vocation, hence, one never takes a day off from BEING a priest. But a pastor, parochial vicar, bishop, deacon, etc., can and must take a regular day off and some regular vacation time from the PLACE where they live and work. When on my day off or on vacation, I still pray and offer Mass and still wear my collar but since I am away from the parish, OTHER people may ask me for a blessing, for confession, for advice, etc. One time, while on my day off and doing some Christmas shopping, a police officer riding a horse stopped me and asked to go to confession. While on the subway in Washington, DC, I have been asked to bless a rosary or medal. While having a meal in a restaurant, a waiter, waitress or patron have asked for some catechetical or spiritual advice. That was being a priest in my estimation. Having people see that we priests are NORMAL, that we are not all pedophiles, that we are human like them and must be on our best behavior 24/7 because it is the right thing to do, is helpful.

Priests who leave the active ministry do so mostly because they have stopped praying, stopped going on annual retreat, have not gone to spiritual direction since seminary and many have not gone to confession regularly either. Many of them do not have any good priest friends. Jesus picked three of the twelve to be His CLOSE friends. Peter, James and John were often alone with Christ as well as being with Jesus when the other nine were around. John was His best friend, His beloved, and every priest needs a good, best friend to stand by him through thick and thin. Father Ken Brighenti is like St. John to me. We have been best friends since 1983 and we went to seminary together and were ordained the same year (but for different dioceses). He is like a brother to me. We vacation together and help each other and we don't take each other too seriously, either, which is good for our egos and our humility. Just as Jesus had James as well as his brother John, I got Father Dennis Dalessandro to complement Father Ken Brighenti. Fr. Dennis has been ordained five more years than I have but we have been in the same, similar and subsequent parishes for the past two decades (and we have been very good friends since 1989). Every priest should have a friend (classmate) from his seminary days, from his ordination and from the diocese where he can hang out and give/get fraternal support. Having someone in the same diocese is critical because of distance and the sharing of similar concerns. Having a seminary/ordination friend is important because of longevity and history. Then, as Jesus also had St. Peter, I have Father Bob Levis, my mentor and hero. I still call him "Father" since he knew me when I was 14 years old in high school seminary. He was one of three who supported me even when the rest abandoned me and I almost did not get ordained. He stood by me when two dioceses rejected me and he was the one who got me into the third diocese which I have never left since. He vested me at ordination and he asked me to preach his Golden Jubilee and last year his 60th, too.

I think every priest needs to maintain friendships with at least one classmate from the seminary, one diocesan brother and one older, more mature and wise mentor to guide him. These along with daily prayer, regular confession AND SPIRITUAL DIRECTION and annual retreat, seminar and workshop, are invaluable.

Having some good, morally sound lay friends is also indispensible. I have some very dear friends like Tom McKenna, Michael Drake, Tom Lang and a whole family (Christina & Keith Burkhart along with their adult children Kyle, Karly, and Chris) which have become a second family to me. With these wonderful lay friends and my wonderful clergy friends, I feel abundantly blessed by God and with my spiritual and theological ongoing formation (thanks to the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy) these friends are just as important to my being and becoming a better priest (Deo volente). When I hear of priests who have no clergy friends and who either never take time off or if when they do, they 'escape' by impersonating a layperson in every way possible, then I fear that they are headed toward a meltdown. PRAYER and FRATERNAL SUPPORT go hand in hand. We need both and both help one another. I recently made a new friend thanks to the internet: Andrew Rabel from Australia. While we all have 'associates' and 'colleagues', just like Our Lord, it is important to have real FRIENDS and for priests and deacons, we NEED clergy friends and we NEED lay friends. We need to aggressively pursue ongoing formation and we need to support one another.

As I have done every year for the past 21 years, I reconsecrated my priesthood to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of the Clergy and Mother of Priests:

O Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, Mother of the Church, a priestly people, Mother of priests, ministers of your Son: accept the humble offering of myself, so that in my pastoral mission the infinite mercy of Eternal High Priest may be proclaimed: O "Mother of Mercy".

You who shared the "priestly obedience" of your Son, and who prepared for him a worthy receptacle by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, keep my priestly life in the ineffable mystery of your divine maternity, "Holy Mother of God".

Grant me strength in the dark hours of this life, support me in the exertions of my ministry, entrust me to Jesus, so that, in communion with you, I may fulfill the ministry with fidelity and love, O Mother of the Eternal Priest "Queen of Apostles and Help of Priests".

Make me faithful to the flock entrusted to me by the Good Shepherd, You silently accompanied Jesus on his mission to proclaim the Gospel to the poor.

May I always guide it with patience, sweetness firmness and love, caring for the sick, the weak, the poor and sinners, O "Mother, Help of the Christian People".

I consecrate and entrust myself to you, Mary, who shared in the work of redemption at the Cross of your Son, you who "are inseparably linked to the work of salvation".

Grant that in the exercise of my ministry I may always be aware of the "stupendous and penetrating dimension of your maternal presence" in every moment of my life, in prayer, and action, in joy and sorrow, in weariness and in rest, O "Mother of Trust".

Grant, Holy Mother, than in the celebration of the Mass, source and center of the priestly ministry, that I may live my closeness to Jesus in your maternal closeness to Him, so that as "we celebrate the Holy Mass you will be present with us" and introduce us to the redemptive mystery of your divine Son's offering "O Mediatrix of all grace flowing from this sacrifice to the Church and to all the faithful" O "Mother of Our Savior".

O Mary: I earnestly desire to place my person and my desire for holiness under your maternal protection and inspiration so that you may bring me to that "conformation with Christ, Head and Shepherd" which is necessary for the ministry of every parish priest.

Make me aware that "you are always close to priests" in your mission of servant of the One Mediator, Jesus Christ: O "Mother of Priests" Queen of the Clergy"Advocate, Co-Redemptorix and Mediatrix" of all graces.

Amen.

Pro-Abortion President at Allegedly Pro-Life Catholic College (what's wrong with this picture?)

OBAMA-ISM:     

the logical fallacy of isolating and overemphasizing questionable issues while ignoring or distorting the fundamental and absolutely essential ones


President Barak Obama's recent address to the graduating class of 2009 at Notre Dame University demonstrated precisely WHY he should not have been invited to be the Commencement Speaker in the first place. Yes, as President of the United States of America he deserves every honor and respect due his office. When he walks into a room, American citizens should stand as a sign of respect for our Commander in Chief. As a pro-abortion politician, however, he should NEVER be invited to any Catholic college or university campus as the Commencement Speaker. PERIOD. He can visit any campus as President of the USA but the unique and distinct honor and privilege of speaking to graduating seniors is something reserved to those whose values reflect the moral teachings supposedly upheld by all Catholic educational institutions.

It is wonderful that the first African-American has been elected to the highest office in our nation. Someday, we'll also have the first woman, the first Hispanic, the first Jew, and even the first Italo-American. In all these cases, however, it is not the race, gender or ethnic background which matters, rather, it is their qualifications for the job. Competency is colorless, genderless and transcends all cultures and backgrounds. Speaking to graduating college seniors at Commencement is an HONOR not a right.  It is something bestowed to someone whose VALUES and MORAL PRINCIPLES coincide and support the very institution extending the invitation to speak. While is a lot of agreement and compatibility with President Obama's position on a variety of issues, there is one serious point of departure. More than a mere discrepancy, his vigorous pro-abortion rights stand and decisions totally invalidate his appropriateness to be Commencement Speaker.

While he waxed and waned the graduates, the faculty and the parents in South Bend, President Obama also demonstrated the oxymoron of his very presence on a Catholic campus. The right to LIFE is a fundamental natural and inalienable right. It comes from human nature and is rooted in the Natural Law. It is not a creation or effect of civil law. The Constitution does not give us our human rights, rather, it PROTECTS what we possess by virtue of being a human person.

He told the graduates that the economy and the environment are important issues for all Americans. What about the right to life? What good is a sound economy and a safe environment if an unborn baby cannot be guaranteed his or her right to live and grow up in that same world?

Here are the crucial parts of his speech:

Those who speak out against stem cell research may be rooted in admirable conviction about the sacredness of life, but so are the parents of a child with juvenile diabetes who are convinced that their son’s or daughter’s hardships can be relieved. The question, then, is how do we work through these conflicts?

Is it possible for us to join hands in common effort? As citizens of a vibrant and varied democracy, how do we engage in vigorous debate? How does each of us remain firm in our principles, and fight for what we consider right, without demonizing those with just as strongly held convictions on the other side?Nowhere do these questions come up more powerfully than on the issue of abortion.

As I considered the controversy surrounding my visit here, I was reminded of an encounter I had during my Senate campaign, one that I describe in a book I wrote called The Audacity of Hope.

A few days after I won the Democratic nomination, I received an email from a doctor who told me that while he voted for me in the primary, he had a serious concern that might prevent him from voting for me in the general election. He described himself as a Christian who was strongly pro-life, but that’s not what was preventing him from voting for me.What bothered the doctor was an entry that my campaign staff had posted on my Web site — an entry that said I would fight “right-wing ideologues who want to take away a woman’s right to choose.” The doctor said that he had assumed I was a reasonable person, but that if I truly believed that every pro-life individual was simply an ideologue who wanted to inflict suffering on women, then I was not very reasonable. He wrote, “I do not ask at this point that you oppose abortion, only that you speak about this issue in fair-minded words.”

Fair-minded words. After I read the doctor’s letter, I wrote back to him and thanked him. I didn’t change my position, but I did tell my staff to change the words on my Web site.

And I said a prayer that night that I might extend the same presumption of good faith to others that the doctor had extended to me. Because when we do that — when we open our hearts and our minds to those who may not think like we do or believe what we do — that’s when we discover at least the possibility of common ground. That’s when we begin to say, “Maybe we won’t agree on abortion, but we can still agree that this is a heart-wrenching decision for any woman to make, with both moral and spiritual dimensions. So let’s work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions by reducing unintended pregnancies, and making adoption more available, and providing care and support for women who do carry their child to term. Let’s honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion, and draft a sensible conscience clause, and make sure that all of our health care policies are grounded in clear ethics and sound science, as well as respect for the equality of women.”

Understand — I do not suggest that the debate surrounding abortion can or should go away. No matter how much we may want to fudge it — indeed, while we know that the views of most Americans on the subject are complex and even contradictory — the fact is that at some level, the views of the two camps are irreconcilable. Each side will continue to make its case to the public with passion and conviction. But surely we can do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature.

Open hearts. Open minds. Fair-minded words.

. . .

In this world of competing claims about what is right and what is true, have confidence in the values with which you’ve been raised and educated. Be unafraid to speak your mind when those values are at stake.

Hold firm to your faith and allow it to guide you on your journey. Stand as a lighthouse. But remember too, that the ultimate irony of faith is that it necessarily admits doubt.

It is the belief in things not seen. It is beyond our capacity as human beings to know with certainty what God has planned for us or what He asks of us, and those of us who believe must trust that His wisdom is greater than our own.

I could not help rhetorically ask myself, how can one 'be unafraid to speak your mind when [your] values are at stake" while at the same time find common ground with those who claim the unborn have no right to life?  Either abortion is evil or it is not.  If evil, it must be opposed. The unjust killing of innocent human life is never justified. The ends never justifies the means. Was this not the rationale for the Nuremburg Trials after WWII? 

For if there is one law that we can be most certain of, it is the law that binds people of all faiths and no faith together. It is no coincidence that it exists in Christianity and Judaism; in Islam and Hinduism; in Buddhism and humanism. 

That ONE LAW is the Natural Moral Law which the Gentile knows by reason and which the believer knows by faith, according to Saint Paul. Neither Caesar nor the Senate can abrogate any citizen from it, according to Cicero. No President, no Congress and no Supreme Court can dissolve or distort, remove or alter the ethical principles governing every human being on earth from the beginning of time to the end of the world.  Abortion was, is and always will be a grave moral evil. Original Sin and its after-effect of concupiscence have darkenend the human intellect, weakened the human will and disordered the human passions so that it sadly and regretfully took time for society to see the intrinsic evil of racism, slavery, apartheid and segregation. Now that their sinfulness have been recognized, they can never be reincorporated into civil society. Abortion and euthanasia are grave immoral evils since they target innocent human life with the ultimate natural threat, i.e., death itself. When death is intentionally imposed unjustly on innocent human life, it is MURDER plain and simple.  How can there be common ground?  Should Rosa Parks have given up her seat on the bus in the name of COMMON GROUND?  Should Dr Martin Luther King, Jr not marched from Selma to Montgomery in order to gain common ground with those who espoused the legitimacy of racial segregation? Racism and segregation are moral evils which cannot be tolerated just to prevent discord.  PEACEFUL CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE is what the heroes of the Civil Rights Movement embraced.  They did not dilute their moral outrage nor did they restrain their legal opposition in order to foster 'common ground' with those who took the opposite position. Certainly, we can and must employ non-violent, peaceful and legal means of public discourse to express our disagreements.  Civility and politeness need not be alien to our cause.

Nevertheless, President Obama tells graduates at a Catholic college that the abortion debate is simply IRRECONCILABLE. Would women be able to vote today had the Suffrage Movement just said that they had irreconcilable differences and we need common ground? The Pro-Life movement is no different from the Civil Rights Movement or the SUffrage Movement. Denying human beings their inalienable right to life can never be condoned or 'legalized'.  Nazi Germany and Apartheid South Africa tried enacting immoral laws which denied human rights to human beings and yet they were as immoral as ever.  Whether Congress, the Supreme Court, the President or any State Governor or Legislature enacts any so-called laws to contrary, human beings have intrinsic rights, like the RIGHT TO LIFE. Otherwise, if this is not the case, then we had no business condemning war crimes after WWII or any conflict. 

Would a Jewish college have invited an Arab politician to speak at Commencement if he or she publicly espoused their belief that the State of Israel should not exist?  Of course not.  Why then, did an allegedly Catholic college like Notre Dame invite a pronounced PRO-ABORTION politican to speak at graduation ceremonies? This President has unraveled all the prolife progress done in a quarter century since Roe v. Wade by his signature and policies to make abortion available across the nation.  SHAME ON YOU NOTRE DAME. 

INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE

PRESS RELEASE:

8 May 2009 (Harrisburg, PA) – On this 223rd birthday of St. John Baptiste-Marie Vianney, patron of parish priests, the Australian Confraternity of Catholic Clergy and the (American) Confraternity of Catholic Clergy announce a joint conference of their two associations for a special seminar in Rome, January 4 – 8, 2010. This historic combined meeting of priests and deacons is in response to the Holy Father’s designation of 2010 as the Year for Priests and invoking the patronage of the Curé of Ars, Saint John Vianney. Both groups were established to foster and promote ongoing formation (spiritual, theological, pastoral and human) of the clergy in a fraternal setting, which was called for by the Second Vatican Council and highly encouraged in Canon Law. One facet is an annual national gathering whereby lectures and conference talks are given by reputable speakers known for their orthodoxy and loyalty to the Magisterium. The 2010 meeting in the Eternal City is the first joint assembly for both confraternities and will be conveniently located near the Vatican at the Casa Pastor Bonus. Any and all Catholic priests and deacons from any English speaking country of the world are cordially invited even if not a member of either the A.C.C.C. or C.C.C. National Chairman, Rev. Michael Kennedy, PP, (Australia) and President, Rev. John Trigilio, Jr, PhD, (U.S.A.) enthusiastically urge their members to honor Pope Benedict’s Year for Priests by coming to Rome in January 2010 to spend time in prayer, study, and sacerdotal fraternity. More information will be made available at www.yearforpriests-clergyconferencerome2010.org and at the respective websites: www.australianccc.org and at www.catholic-clergy.org or by contacting the media spokesman in Australia, Reverend Father Nicholas Dillon on (03) 97924422 or enquiries@yearforpriests-clergyconferencerome2010.org

ALL PRIESTS, DEACONS & SEMINARIANS INVITED

IS YOUR PASTOR OR PAROCHIAL VICAR CELEBRATING HIS ANNIVERSARY OF ORDINATION? YOUR PERMANENT DEACON? A NEW ORDINATION OF A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER? HOW ABOUT GIVING THEM A GIFT THAT REALLY MATTERS?

Consider the gift of a Confraternity of Catholic Clergy annual convocation ($150) or provide him with transportation to the event. We can also use donations for scholarships to help those clergy (priests, deacons and seminarians) who cannot afford to come due to financial difficulties.

ONGOING spiritual, theological and pastoral formation of the clergy is not an option nor luxury; it is a NECESSITY. The CCC provides this ongoing formation in a fraternal setting with our ordained brethren who unequivocally proclaim loyalty and obedience to the Magisterium and the Roman Pontiff. URGE your clergy to 'come and see' (membership not a requirement to attend convocation)

CCC ANNUAL CONVOCATION

JULY 13-16, 2009

SAN ANTONIO, TX


Archbishop Jose Horacio Gomez, STD

Archbishop of San Antonio


Msgr. Stuart Swetland, STD

Professor of Theology, Mt. St. Mary Seminary, Emmitsburg, MD


Fr. Brian Harrison, OS, STD

Professor Emeritus of the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico


conference fee = $150

payable to

Confraternity of Catholic Clergy

121 William St

Marysville, PA  17053


DRURY PLAZA HOTEL SAN ANTONIO RIVERWALK


105 South St. Mary's Street

San Antonio, TX

210 - 270 - 7799

800 - 325 - 0720


special CCC hotel convention rate = $119 / night

 You MUST mention group code # 2061734

www.catholic-clergy.org

Right Size, Wrong Design

  courtesy American Papist

[source: REUTERS/Vigili del Fuoco/Handout]


Researchers discovered a modern plastic papal 'tiara' left by Archbishop Piero Marini in his closet.
Fortunately, his successor, Msgr. Guido Marini, current Papal Master of Ceremonies, found these oldies but goodies in the Vatican attic


     

Someone Papa Benedetto Would Like

 


Tiberius (Gaius Claudius Nero Caesar) on his imperial throne looking at Fr. Z's scrumptious aviary friends

First Holy Communion

 

Fortunately, the Easter flowers lasted until this weekend when we had First Holy Communion in Duncannon

Happy Feast Day to Our British Brethren Across the Atlantic

     


Today is the Feast of Saint George, the Dragon-Slayer and Patron Saint of England.  A very happy salutations to our Catholic friends in the U.K. especially to Father Nicholas Schofield (Roman Miscellany) and Father Tim Finigan (Hermeneutic of Continuity). In honor of this auspicious occasion, I am going to have some fish & chips for lunch and a nice glass of Pimm's & Lemonade along with a good scone at tea-time.  Cheers! 

Extraordinary Form in Commonwealth Capital City

We Will Be Keeping An Eye On You

Secretary for Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, considers ANTI-ABORTION (alias, PRO-LIFE) supporters to be part of a nefarious RIGHT-WING EXTREMISM that often promotes and proliferates acts of violence and terrorism. The recent report does not single out isolated cases of an independent fringe element, rather, it paints with a large brush any and all who defend the lives of the unborn as possible terrorists. Since the Catholic Church officially and openly opposes abortion, it must mean that all one billion global members and 67 million local (of the 300 million people that live in the USA) Catholics need constant surveilance lest one of us commits treason.

How sad that 23% of the nation is treated with such disrespect and disdain. We pay our taxes, we vote, we run for office, we serve in the military (and BTW, she also identified VETERANS as another possible source of militant violence and mayhem). Catholic Americans are as patriotic as Protestant Americans, Eastern Orthodox Americans, Jewish Americans, et al. Our adherence to the Natural Moral Law does not make us right-wing terrorists. Defending the unborn is as American as the abolitionist who defended the rights of slaves to be freed and be treated as equal human beings. Violence is not part of the pro-life modus operandi. Is it not ironic that NO MENTION is made of radical Islamo-fascists? While most Muslims are law-abiding patriotic citizens, there is a vocal minority of radicals who distort the Koran and use it to promote violence. The same happened in Northern Ireland, in Palestine and all over the world. A few extremists do not discredit the overwhelming majority of good people who repudiate such terrorism. Why the conspicuous absence of listing LEFT-WING terrorists? Remember the infamous RED BRIGADE in Italy or GRAPO in Spain? Both were Communist terrorist organizations.

Secretary Napolitano owes Pro-Life, Catholic and Veterans' groups an apology for throwing suspicion on the majority just because of a very few isolated cases of even then borderline associations with certain violent individuals. Sounds like some in the current administration want to imitate the tactics of the old former Soviet Union in which the KGB kept files and tabs on 'right-wing' groups (basically anyone supporting a democratic-republic, human rights, free elections, free market, religious freedom, etc.) Cardinals, bishops, priests, deacons, seminarians, and nuns were watched and followed. Time and money were spent SPYING on citizens whose only crime was the public espousal of LIBERTY. Communists on mainland China routinely spy and often incarcerate Catholic clergy who are loyal to the Roman Pontiff while the schismatic Chinese Patriotic Catholic Church is infiltrated with secret agents. Peking uses their MSS (Ministry of State Security) to spy on the Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhist monks. Our FBI and CIA would not cooperate in such a miscarriage and travesty of justice, however, a newly created intelligence agency specifically created to monitor 'right-wing', 'pro-life and anti-abortion' organizations might be just around the corner if free citizens do not remain vigilant.

Pro-Lifers want to defend the innocent lives of the unborn and the terminally ill by eliminating the INJUSTICE of abortion and euthanasia. They seek this through PEACEFUL, NON-VIOLENT means.

Frohliche Geburtstag

HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOUR HOLINESS

ad multos annos

from Father John Trigilio

and Confraternity of Catholic Clergy

Father Ken Brighenti and I spent the past week in Pembroke, Massachusetts, attending the fifth annual Seminar for Priests sponsored by the Personal Prelature of Opus Dei and coordinated and directed by Father Roger Landry (diocesan priest from Fall River). Over 25 priests from across the northeast gathered for three days of talks and discussions on the Cure of Ars, St. John Vianney, in preparation for the Year of the Priest declareed by Pope Benedict XVI. Father George Rutler was one of the speakers (just in time before the installation of his new local Ordinary, the Most Rev. Timothy Michael Dolan, as Archbishop of New York). These annual seminars are based on the ones previously held for seminarians for more than a dozen years while many of us were still studying for the priesthood. Back then, most seminaries had Easter week off as vacation and thus more than 100 seminarians from across the nation could attend. Sadly, vacation schedules changed and the seminars had to be canceled. Father Landry resurrected the concept but adapted it for priests and it has been a totall SUCCESS. Ongoing formation of clergy is ESSENTIAL and INDISPENSABLE. The annual seminar as well as the annual convocation of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy (July 13-16, 2009 in San Antonio, TX) are a response to the call of Vatican II for all priests and deacons to foster (post-ordination) ONGOING SPIRITUAL, THEOLOGICAL, PASTORAL and HUMAN FORMATION within a FRATERNAL setting. Physicians, scientists, acamedicians, business people, et al. attend seminars and workshops (and not just the mandatory ones from their employers, either). So, too, with Catholic Clergy. One or two weeks per year and one day a month (day of recollection, e.g.) is not only possible, it is NECESSARY for priests and deacons to give fraternal support and improve themselves to better serve Holy Mother Church and the People of God. A no-brainer, you would think until you hear priests complaining "I don't have enough time to attend." 99% of dioceses and parishes BUDGET money for such ongoing formation. Yet, too many priests and deacons get over-extended and fall into the trap of becoming ACTIVITY oriented and neglect their ongoing formation needs. Retreats, seminars, workshops and days of recollection in addition to SPIRITUAL DIRECTION are vital to the spiritual health of clergy as much as is daily prayer.

Sometimes, good priests, deacons and seminarians need a little encouragement and assistance. Here is where the devout faithful can help. SUGGEST to your parish clergy that they attend an annual gathering like the CCC this July. OFFER to pay their conference fee OR airfare as an ordination or anniversary gift or perhaps drive them yourself. Too many good clergy who are theologically solid and liturgically correct, get trapped in the treadmill of constant ACTIVITY. Everyone knows how dangerous it is to deny yourself enough sleep. It is no virtue to be so busy even doing sacramental/spiritual work that one does not get sufficient rest or nourishment. The result would be a WEAKENED if not SICK cleric at best. Even Our Divine Lord took time to PRAY and to spend quality time with His family and friends. Yet, often today, especially in the USA the Protestant Work Ethic has infiltrated Catholic spirituality. A priest or deacon feels GUILTY if he takes an afternoon to attend a day of recollection or if he goes out of town for a seminar or workshop. Even though canon law MANDATES an annual retreat of at least 5 days, I know many clergy who 'justify' their absence at these by saying "I am needed in my parish."

YES, needed but in good physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Sloth and Workaholism are opposite extremes to be avoided. It is NOT laziness, however, to spend quality time in prayer, study, necessary relaxation and even in fraternal support. Spending TIME with other priests and deacons may prevent some who become lonely and eventually find solace in booze, gambling or worse. Being there for brothers in ordination is a work of mercy and not a luxury. I find when I take care of my ongoing formation, I am a BETTER priest in the long run and that helps me better serve my parishioners, my bishop and my brother clergymen.

Pope Benedict has declared next year to be the YEAR OF THE PRIEST after St. John Vianney, the Cure of Ars. Help your parish priests, deacons and seminarians by URGING them to attend to their ongoing spiritual, theological, pastoral and human formation. REMIND them of the invaluable worth of genuine Christian fraternity among the clergy. The vocation you save may one day save you.

Fighting Irish bookstore advertisement

new this summer !!!

Jane Wyman; 3rd Order Dominican

I saw this on the AD ALTARE DEI blogspot and could not resist sharing it here on Maundy Thursday evening:

Jane Wyman: Lay Dominican

When my pastor told me this morning that he had read that Jane Wyman (ex-wife of President Ronald Reagan) was a Third Order Dominican, I had to look it up myself. She was a convert to the Catholic Church and never remarried after the break-up of her last marriage. Sure enough, she made her profession as a Lay Dominican later in her life and was involved in several charitable causes related to the Church and to the Order. She was buried in the habit of the Order after she died in her sleep in 2007.

Chrism Mass

          

Father Guy Selvester (Shouts in the Piazza) has an excellent explanation of the Mass of the Oils (a.k.a. the Chrism Mass) every diocese has during Holy Week where the Bishop blesses the olive oil for the sacraments. While originally on Maundy (Holy) Thursday, due to the distance some pastors have to drive to the See city (like my own in Harrisburg or my native diocese, Erie, where some parishes are located 2 to 4 hours from the Cathedral), church law allows for the transfer of the Mass to another day so the the priests can be available for Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday in their own respective parishes. Hence, my diocese (and many others) had the Chrism Mass on Monday of Holy Week.

We began with an afternoon of recollection and an opportunity for the priests to go to confession (and not just hear confessions as we do all during Lent). Then we go to the Cathedral for the Mass and the priests and deacons of the diocese show our solidarity with the local diocesan bishop.

Every parish MUST destroy the old oils from last year and get new oils from the Chrism Mass. The connection between the Bishop and his priests, especially his pastors, is obvious in that each parish priest gets his own oils from the common vat blessed by the bishop for the entire diocese. We priests also RENEW our commitment to the Bishop and Diocese at this Mass.

Bishop: Are you ready to renew your own dedication to Christ as priests of the new covenant?

Priests: I am 

Are you resolved to unite yourselves more closely to Christ and try to become more like him?

I am

Are you resolved to be faithful ministers of the mysteries of God?

I am

Are you resolved to imitate Jesus Christ, the head and shepherd of the Church?

I am

On the evening of Maundy Thursday, the new oils are ceremoniously brought into the parish church at the Offertory (Preparation of the Gifts):

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

Reception of the Oils

The celebrant, facing the people, gives an instruction concerning the blessing and use of holy oils in these, or similar, words.

Priest:

On Tuesday, united with the priests and faithful of the Diocese, the Bishop consecrated the Holy Chrism and blessed the oils for use in the Anointing of the Sick and in preparation of catechumens for Baptism. Tonight we receive these holy oils for use in the celebration of the Church’s sacraments during the coming year.

Deacon:

Behold the Oil of the Sick, blessed by our Bishop, and sent to us for the anointing of all who suffer illness.

People:

Blessed be God forever! 

Deacon:

Behold the Oil of Catechumens, blessed by our Bishop, and sent to us for the anointing of our catechumens in preparation for their baptism at the Easter Vigil and throughout the coming year.

People:

Blessed be God forever! 

Deacon:

Behold the Sacred Chrism, oil mixed with sweet perfume and consecrated by our Bishop, and sent to us for the anointing of the baptized who are to be sealed with the Holy Spirit.

People:

Blessed be God forever!

The oils are then placed into the ambry or on a table. The Mass continues with the preparation of the gifts at the altar.

Santo Subito

John Paul II, We Love You

Guilt by INVITATION not just association

Imagine the furor and outrage if a Catholic college such as Ave Maria University, Christendom College, Thomas Aquinas College or Franciscan University of Steubenville invited Bishop Richard Williamson to be Commencement Speaker at Graduation. Could not the chancellor of the college claim that the mere invitation should not be construed as any endorsement or even toleration of the anti-Semitic remarks previously made by the speaker in question? And who would believe it? It would never happen, of course. None of these Catholic colleges would dream of extending the HONOR and PRIVILEGE of being Commencement Speaker to someone who publicly espoused ideas contrary to church teachings on faith and morals. The same press and media and liberal intellgensia who would repudiate any Catholic college for inviting Bishop Williamson, ironically see no problem with the University of Notre Dame inviting U.S. President Barak Obama to be Commencement Speaker. While not espousing any anti-Semitic theories, President Obama has consistently denied the right of the unborn to be defended from unjust death via abortion. His support for Roe v. Wade alone makes him ineligible as an appropriate Commencement Speaker for any Catholic college, but his recent Presidential decisions and appointments compound the problem and make the moral matter even more grave. All the pro-life legislation enacted since Roe is being undone bit by bit thanks to the Obama administration. The President seeks to deny doctors and nurses their constititional and moral right to refuse to participate in any unethical procedure, be it sterilization, euthanasia or abortion.

Yes, the President of the United States deserves respect for his office. Hence, were the President to visit any Catholic College, he should be welcomed with the same respect and dignity of any head of state or any civil leader (governor, senator, congressman, etc.).  Showing HOSPITALITY is not the same however as INVITING someone to speak and the distinct HONOR of being Commencement Speaker de facto confers an implicit approval of the speaker's position on any and all issues. Being courteous and hospitable to a visiting government official is merely showing honor to the office. Inviting the person to SPEAK cloaks them with a form of endorsement. While not an imprimatur, nevertheless, giving the podium to someone and giving them the privilege of addressing graduates and their families is more than just good manners. It is a PUBLIC SIGN of CREDIBILITY for the speaker.

President Obama did not HAVE to be invited to be Commencement Speaker. He SHOULD NOT have been invited at all because of his overt pro-abortion position and his recent policies and appointments which further jeapordize the lives of all the unborn. He is the legitimate head of state for the USA and were he to visit anyone, anywhere in this country, he should be given all the honor and respect due his office. His pro-abortion policies however make him ineligible to be the invited speaker for graduation at any Catholic school, college or university. No honorary degrees or awards should be extended. Yet, every courtesy, respect and honor for the Commander in Chief and Head of State is owed to him in justice, as was to each and every one of his predecessors.

Since Notre Dame would never invite Bishop Williamson as Commencement speaker because of his anti-Semitic remarks, then neither should President Obama be invited to the same venue because of his pro-abortion position, policies and appointments. Yes, there can and should be civil discourse that allows debate and discussion among those who disagree but it should be in the proper CONTEXT at all times. When the Angelic Doctor and his contemporaries held the great disputations, they were never afraid or hesitant to engage in a full, healthy, vigorous and intelligent debate. Heretical ideas need to be exposed for their irrationality so the wisdom of the Magisterium can be seen and appreciated. A graduation commencement, however, is not the time nor the place for such 'discussions.' Being asked to be Commencement Speaker is more than an honor, it is an awesome RESPONSIBILITY. The audience is more than the graduates but they are a significant factor.

If the President wanted to debate with Professor Ralph McInerny of the Philosophy Department, I myself would go and listen (even though I would be cheering and rooting for our nation's premier expert on Saint Thomas Aquinas). I would boycott, however, the graduation ceremonies since a pro-abortion politician, even though President of the United States, has been invited to be Commencement Speaker. The right to address the graduation class of 2009 is not a political right, it is moral obligation for those who adhere to the Natural Moral Law. Abortion violates the NML as egregiously as did slavery, segregation, apartheid and anti-Semitism. Supporting legalized abortion is as immoral as supporting legalized racism. Both are morally and ethically WRONG. Both have been civilly legal and illegal at different times in different places.

When Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi met with Pope Benedict, he granted her an audience because of her political office as ranking member of the House of Representatives. She did not, however, get any medal, award or even photo-op due to her open and consistent support for abortion. She was not allowed to make any speeches on Vatican property but she was allowed to visit as is the entire public on the planet.

The University of Notre Dame is violating ex corde ecclesiae by inviting President Obama to be Commencement Speaker insofar as it gives respectability to his pro-abortion ideas and policies by giving him a public platform on school property. The person who addresses the graduating class should be someone whose ideology coincides with the mission of the university. IF Notre Dame wants to be CATHOLIC then it must teach and defend Catholic doctrines and morals to her students. It was not the President who asked if he could speak, rather, it was the university who sought the President, knowing his positions and policies which conflict and contradict church teaching on many life issues.

Catholic laity and clergy alike can and must always be well-mannered, respectful and courteous even with our most intense opponents and enemies. That does not mean we give them access on our property to indoctrinate our youth with their propoganda. We can and must refute the illogical and irrational arguments that underpin the immoral and unethical policies, doctrines and ideologies which threaten innocent human life, marriage and the family. Notre Dame and other colleges and universities which claim to be "Catholic" must be so in FACT and not just in their foundation, history or heritage. Imagine if John Hopkins University invited as Commencement Speaker a proponent of good old fashioned 'blood-letting' just because he or she was also a visiting head of state. Or if Harvard Law School invited someone who promoted "trial by ordeal" for the same reason, PUBLICITY. It would not happen.

Alumni of Notre Dame should not donate one cent or dollar until this matter is resolved by "un-inviting" President Obama as Commencement Speaker for the Graduating Class of 2009.

Just as it is wrong and dangerous to take a Scripture quote out of CONTEXT, so, too, it is wrong to take the symbolic value of Commencement Speaker out of context. It is not a venue for dialogue or discussion. It is a gesture of respect but also one of ENDORSEMENT since the speaker is speaking on school property, on school time, and to school students. It has the umbrella of tacit approval at least and official endorsement at worst. This is why celebrities per se should not be invited merely because of their popularity. Comics, actors, politicians, et al. may bring publicity but the crux of the issue is WHAT they are saying rather than WHO is saying it. When I graduated from Gannon University in 1983, we had John Cardinal Krol as Commencement Speaker. Some of my classmates complained since they wanted someone like Bruce Springstein or Barbara Walters due to their fame. Well, had we been a school of music or journalism, then you could possibly make a case for each one respectively. Yet, my alma mater was a CATHOLIC college which sought to teach a real and classical liberal arts education as envisioned by the masters of yester-year.

On another note, not related to this whatsoever, PLEASE in the charity of your prayers, remember the departed soul of my paternal Uncle Frank Trigilio, who died today in Erie after a lengthy illness. 

Buona Festa di San Giuseppe

          

Saint Joseph's Altar in a Sicilian Home


 

Litany of St. Joseph

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy. Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.

God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary,

pray for us.

St. Joseph,

pray for us.

Renowned offspring of David,

pray for us.

Light of Patriarchs,

pray for us.

Spouse of the Mother of God,

pray for us.

Chaste guardian of the Virgin,

pray for us.

Foster father of the Son of God,

pray for us.

Diligent protector of Christ,

pray for us.

Head of the Holy Family,

pray for us.

Joseph most just,

pray for us.

Joseph most chaste,

pray for us.

Joseph most prudent,

pray for us.

Joseph most strong,

pray for us.

Joseph most obedient,

pray for us.

Joseph most faithful,

pray for us.

Mirror of patience,

pray for us.

Lover of poverty,

pray for us.

Model of artisans,

pray for us.

Glory of home life,

pray for us.

Guardian of virgins,

pray for us.

Pillar of families,

pray for us.

Solace of the wretched,

pray for us.

Hope of the sick,

pray for us.

Patron of the dying,

pray for us.

Terror of demons,

pray for us.

Protector of Holy Church,

pray for us.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord!.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord!.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. .

V. He made him the lord of his household.

R. And prince over all his possessions.

Let us pray. O God, in your ineffable providence you were pleased to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of your most holy Mother; grant, we beg you, that we may be worthy to have him for our intercessor in heaven whom on earth we venerate as our Protector: You who live and reign forever and ever. R. Amen.

                   

zeppole                                                                                 

What the Pope really said about AIDS and condoms

Aboard the papal plane, Mar 18, 2009 / 11:35 am (CNA).- Yesterday the international media played host to a raft of experts railing against Pope Benedict’s brief words on the use of condoms in the fight against AIDS. However, the incident was the result of the Pope’s words being pulled from his defense of the Church’s personalistic approach to the AIDS crisis.

The vast majority of the Pope’s words were dedicated to explaining how the best response to AIDS is to promote a spiritual and human renewal of people’s understanding of sexuality and to be willing to live true sacrificial friendships with those who suffer from AIDS.

A full transcript of the exchange follows.

A journalist from French state TV asked Pope Benedict:

“Holy Father among the many evils that affect Africa there is also the particular problem of the the spread of AIDS. The position of the Catholic Church for fighting this evil is frequently considered unrealistic and ineffective.

“Will you address this issue during your trip? Holy Father, could you please respond in French to this question?” he asked.

Although the Pope responded to a previous question from the French newspaper La Croix in French, he gave this in-depth answer in Italian.  

“I would say the opposite.”

"It is my belief that the most effective presence on the front in the battle against HIV/AIDS is precisely the Catholic Church and her institutions. I think of the Community of Sant’ Egidio, which does so much, visibly and invisibly to fight AIDS, of the Camillians, of all the nuns that are at the service of the sick.

“I would say that this problem of AIDS cannot be overcome with advertising slogans. If the soul is lacking, if Africans do not help one another, the scourge cannot be resolved by distributing condoms; quite the contrary, we risk worsening the problem. The solution can only come through a twofold commitment: firstly, the humanization of sexuality, in other words a spiritual and human renewal bringing a new way of behaving towards one another; and secondly, true friendship, above all with those who are suffering, a readiness - even through personal sacrifice - to be present with those who suffer. And these are the factors that help and bring visible progress.

“Therefore, I would say that our double effort is to renew the human person internally, to give spiritual and human strength to a way of behaving that is just towards our own body and the other person’s body; and this capacity of suffering with those who suffer, to remain present in trying situations.

“I believe that this is the first response [to AIDS] and that this is what the Church does, and thus, she offers a great and important contribution. And we are grateful to those that do this.”

Copyright @ CNA
(www.catholicnewsagency.com)

The secular press and modern media don't get it.  They promote and proliferate the SOUND-BYTE where everything can be reduced to a slogan. I call it Salada Tea Bag morality as it is based on pedestrian wisdom and popular sayings. There is no grounding in the Natural Moral Law, however. Reason is avoided like the plague so sentimentality and emotionalism can prevail, no matter how devastating and pronounced the bitter consequences.  Condoms are not the panacea as erroneously proposed by the secular humanists of today. Pope Benedict XVI aptly points out that slogans will not cure or prevent AIDS. Re-humanizing sexuality AND human solidarity are the means by which this horrible ailment will be overcome. Sex has become another commodity and perceived as an innate and absolute right. It is not. It is a divine gift by which human beings differentiate themselves from the animal kingdom. Sex is a holy and sacred act when done by the right persons for the right reason. It is the sign and sealing of the covenant between a MAN and WOMAN who have become HUSBAND and WIFE. That faithful, permanenent and God-willing fruitful union is a sign of the covenant between Christ and His Church.

When the Hebrews were unfaithful to God by engaging in idolatry, especially Baal worship, it was tantamount to a spouse cheating on her husband. When married couples commit adultery or when single people commit fornication, it is a type of blasphemy for it shows contempt and disdain for the unique and special relationship God had forged through Abraham and ultimately through Our Lord Jesus Christ. Sexual infidelity is rooted in a selfish drive to appease the personal wants while ignoring the essential needs of holy matrimony.

Is it love to hand out condoms so that promiscuity continues? Is it not better to re-educate and re-catechize the faithful about the holiness of human sexuality, a GIFT and not a right, which needs to be cherished, protected and esteemed? Those who do contract horrible diseases, either by accident or their own fault deserve compassion and respect at all levels of their illness. Mercy is not pity. Mercy is Christian compassion whereby the Mystical Body of Christ affirms that we are one in Christ.

Imagine a school in the innner city issuing Kevlar bullet proof vests to students just in case one of them brings an automatic weapon to school and starts shooting innocent victims. While security measures are prudent and necessary, sometimes the prevention can lure some into a false sense of security. If the odds of becoming pregnant or contracting an STD are remote, can they also tempt someone to flirt with death and see how far the line can be pushed? Abstinence IS difficult but it is also SAFE and FOOLPROOF. Virtue before and during marriage involves sexuality and mutual respect. The birth control pill gave many married persons the ILLUSION that only getting caught was the worse case scenario.  How many divorced and remarried can single out infidelity as the major catalyst in the break-up of their marriage? Treating your own spouse as a sex OBJECT and source of personal pleasure is pure hedonism, plain and simple. Real covenanted marriage is about SACRIFICE and RESEPCT. Contraceptive sex makes the holy act between husband and wife a merely biological act but it is intrinsically disordered as it frustrates the Will of God for husbands and wives.

Mother Theresa of Calcutta ministered to those with AIDS and HIV+ but she did so with REVERENCE for life and for human sexuality. She did not dilute nor distort the moral teachings of the Church merely to get 'quick-fix' solutions. She showed LOVE to those suffering from AIDS no matter how they contracted the disease. At the same time, she worked arduously to encourage married couples to RESEPECT and REVERENCE each other at all times.  

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

PRAYER OF SAINT PATRICK

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity:
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism,
The virtue of His crucifixion with His burial,
The virtue of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
The virtue of His coming on the Judgement Day.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the love of seraphim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the hope of resurrection unto reward,
In prayers of Patriarchs,
In predictions of Prophets,
In preaching of Apostles,
In faith of Confessors,
In purity of holy Virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I bind to myself today
The power of Heaven,
The light of the sun,
The brightness of the moon,
The splendour of fire,
The flashing of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of sea,
The stability of earth,
The compactness of rocks.

I bind to myself today
God's Power to guide me,
God's Might to uphold me,
God's Wisdom to teach me,
God's Eye to watch over me,
God's Ear to hear me,
God's Word to give me speech,
God's Hand to guide me,
God's Way to lie before me,
God's Shield to shelter me,
God's Host to secure me,
Against the snares of demons,
Against the seductions of vices,
Against the lusts of nature,
Against everyone who meditates injury to me,
Whether far or near,
Whether few or with many.

I invoke today all these virtues
Against every hostile merciless power
Which may assail my body and my soul,
Against the incantations of false prophets,
Against the black laws of heathenism,
Against the false laws of heresy,
Against the deceits of idolatry,
Against the spells of women, and smiths, and druids,
Against every knowledge that binds the soul of man.

Christ, protect me today
Against every poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against death-wound,
That I may receive abundant reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ in the fort,
Christ in the chariot seat,
Christ in the poop [deck],
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of an invocation of the Trinity,
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

President Gives Doctor Frankenstein Green Light

     

Dr. Victor von Frankenstein had no comment yesterday after President Obama signed an executive order reversing the ban on federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research. Professor Abraham van Helsing, however, a vocal opponent to Frankenstein's previous experiments, warned reporters yesterday that the green light has now been given to immoral medical research. "Is it not pure evil to create human life in embryonic form merely to harvest physiological research material?  If society would not tolerate the digging up of corpses to harvest body parts to be spliced together in attempts to resuscitate dead people, why would they allow scientists to experiment on human embryos?"  Van Helsing pointed out that it is a more grave evil to intentionally fertilize human eggs with sperm just to produce human embryos as research 'material.'  Dr. Josef Mengele, notorious Nazi and concentration camp physician during WWII, performed numberless experiments on living men, women and children seeking to find a process to turn Jews and Eastern Europeans into becoming members of the perfect Aryan race. Ironically, more data has been established to demonstrate that adult stem cells have more potential for long term, sustained and diversified treatment and cure of many devastating diseases. Embryonic stem cells, which must be taken from living human beings at the embryonic stage, have shown to be unstable and not as promising as previously predicted.  Adult stem cells do not require the death, torture or mutilation of human life as in the case of embryonic stem cell harvesting. Science is not the motivating denominator, rather, politics, since it is the common misconception that embryonic stem cells will easily produce cures for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, as well as many others. Real medical science, however, has shown that adult stem cell research, which is morally permissible, is better science and better medicine since it has a better chance of sustained and diverse success.

Overturning the ban President Bush had imposed has symbolic value of further repudiation of his previous administration but it is not something medical science has deemed as necessary for human survival.  Media coverage, on the other hand, makes it sound as if human beings are doomed unless we experiment on human embryos.  What if science concluded that it would be more advantageous to experiment on older fetuses, say six to nine months in the womb, and not just embryos from the first several weeks of conceived human life?  What if infants and toddlers had the raw material needed?  What happens if the food supply runs short and someone finds a way to commercially produce nutritious substitutes based on synthesizing human cadavers?  Would there not be some in Washington attempting to promote a version of cannibalism if it became politically correct to do so?

While there is no Dr. Frankenstein or Professor van Helsing, there is President Obama who did reverse the federal ban on public funding of embryonic stem cell research.  While the intentions are good (discovery of treatment and cures for horrible diseases), as Saint Paul says in Romans 3:8 and as known by the Natural Moral Law, THE ENDS NEVER JUSTIFIES THE MEANS.   Niccolo Machiavelli and Nazis like Mengele believed the opposite.  Killing innocent human beings in their embryonic stage is nothing less than murder no matter what medical benefits can be obtained from their unjust deaths.  The fact that more medical knowledge and better results can be achieved morally through adult stem cell research has been eclipsed by the radicals who want to keep abortion legal no matter what.

Embryonic stem cell research based on the harvesting and destruction of human embryos is intrinsically evil and immoral and has less scientific promise than the morally preferred method of adult stem cell research.  Yet, if there is any possibility of a profit margin for embryonic production at a commercial level, guess what happens to ethics and morality?  Will not modern scientists and doctors more resemble Victor von Frankenstein whose monster eventually destroyed even his creator?

Blistering Cold Weather But Warm and Friendly Bishop

BISHOP EDWARD BURNS
Diocese of Juneau, Alaska

Although the temperature will often be frigid and bone-chilling, the zeal and enthusiasm of the faith will perennially be as hot as sun with the recent (March 4th) ordination & consecration of Msgr. Edward Burns as the Bishop of Juneau, Alaska. His disarming smile is only matched by his sense of humor and his genuine commitment to complete and unabashed hospitality. "Pittsburgh's loss is Juneau's gain" said Bishop Zubik of Pittsburgh (one of the co-consecrators).

I met His Excellency several years ago at the Fall meeting of the USCCB when he was executive director of the Secretariat for Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations. Accompanied by our mutual friend and his seminary classmate (and roomate) from Mount Saint Mary's, Emmitsburg, MD, Father Dennis Dalessandro, I attended the Mass at Saint Paul Cathedral, Pittsburgh. Several of Bishop Burn's classmates from the Dioceses of Harrisburg, Allentown, Arlington and Altoona-Johnstown were guests of honor and had an enormously fun time going down memory lane. Even the Apostolic Nuncio could not resist the temptation and kidded with the Bishop-Elect at the luncheon just hours before the ordination when he remarked that Pittsburgh was ten degrees COLDER than Juneau that very same day. And brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrh, was he right. Despite the bone-chilling cold wind, 300 priests concelebrated the Mass along with a couple dozen bishops and at least a thousand or more laity and religious. Father Dalessandro and I could not help but notice the overt friendliness we encountered throughout the Pittsburgh area, from Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Everyone went out of their way to be polite, courteous and friendly, just like Bishop Burns (who is the plethora of niceness). I thought I was back in Alabama visiting EWTN, also known for his hospitality. Usually in the northeast, you get a much COLDER response from the locals when you visit a place. Yet, in Steeler-Pirate-Penguin country (a.k.a. Pittsburgh), visitors are treated as royalty.

Mount Saint Mary Seminary can be proud that a multitude of alumni have become successors of the Apostles. My own bishop, Most Rev. Kevin Rhoades, was former rector. Bishop Burns is the most recent. Likely, more will come due to the orthodoxy and piety of this excellent place of priestly formation.

Requiescat in pace, Mother Eliane, OCD

Sister Eliane Cooper, OCD

Here is the obituary for a dear friend and a very holy nun, Mother Eliane, a discalced Carmelite in Erie, PA.

Sister Eliane of the Mother of God, OCD, (Margaret Cooper), age 96, of the Carmelite Monastery of Erie, passed away Thursday, February 26, 2009. She was born in Phoenix, Arizona, to Carl and Harriet May (nee McKay) Cooper on November 27, 1912. Her family relocated to southern California where Sister Eliane converted to the Catholic faith while studying at Ramona Convent Secondary School. She attended Mills College. Sister’s family lived close to the Carmelite Nuns and Friars in Alhambra, Calif., and their friendship strongly influenced her desire to enter the Carmelite Order. Sister Eliane was directed to the Carmel in Wheeling, W.Va. At age 21, she took leave of her family and friends, boarded a bus by herself, and traveled cross-country to enter the Carmelite Monastery in Wheeling on December 7, 1933. She was clothed with the Holy Habit of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on October 3, 1934, and made her Profession of Solemn Vows on December 14, 1938. Sister was given the name ‘Eliane’, after the 9th-century BC, Hebrew prophet Saint Elijah (also called ‘Elias’), “Leader and Father’ of the Carmelites. Holy Scripture describes Saint Elijah’s encounter with the living God on Mount Carmel, in present-day northwestern Israel. His words are the Carmelite motto: “With zeal I have been zealous for the Lord God of Hosts.” Sister Eliane was insurmountable in zeal, holding many responsible positions in Wheeling, including the Office of Sub-prioress. In 1957, after 24 years in Wheeling, Sister Eliane was chosen as one of the original foundresses of the Carmel of Holy Family in Erie, Pa. Sister helped design and maintain the Monastery and held various positions throughout her 52 years in Erie, including the Office of Prioress. At the time of her death, Sister Eliane held the following offices: Subprioress, First Council Sister, Novice Mistress, Turn Sister or Portress (greeting through the covered gate all who visited the Monastery), Infirmarian, Provisor, Bookkeeper. Sister also enjoyed gardening and reading. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brothers, James Cooper and his son Max, and Donald Cooper, including his wife Bea, and their son David. Survivors include one brother Robert Neal Cooper and his wife Gei of Honolulu, Hawaii, sister-in-law- Susan Cooper of Calimesa, Calif., two nieces, devoted Janet (Jackie) Cooper of Concord, Calif., and Leslie Cooper of Millbrae, Calif., two nephews Robert Vei Cooper of Honolulu, Hawaii, and Todd Cooper, grandniece Carrie Cooper Loibl, and her husband David of Marietta, Ga. Sister Eliane was a true Carmelite and an example of unbounded generosity for more than 75 years. She is already greatly missed by her Community, family, and innumerable friends who she so faithfully greeted, comforted and counseled for many years at the turn by the Monastery entrance. Special thanks to the Staff at St. Vincent Hospital and the Sisters of Mercy Infirmary for their tender loving care and support. All are welcome to the viewing in the Chapel at the Carmelite Monastery, 510 E. Gore Road, on Tuesday, March 3, from 7:30 a.m. through 7:30 p.m. and Wednesday, March 4, from 7:30 a.m. through 2:30 p.m. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in the Monastery Chapel by the Most Reverend Donald Trautman, STD, SSL, Bishop of Erie on Wednesday, March 4, at 3:30 p.m. May our beloved Sister rest in the Eternal Peace of Christ. Arrangements are under the direction of A. Brugger & Sons F.H., LLP, 845 E. 38th St. Condolences at www.bruggerfuneralhomes.com.