The local VOTF had their meeting today with main speaker Richard McBrien. One of the leaders of this group was interviewed and said peoples' anger was more with the bishops than the priests who actually abused children. She said the priests could be "seen as sick individuals whose needs were not met, they needed psychological help and did not receive it". This is garbage. Their needs (sexual relations with young boys) were met, that was the whole problem. They did not need counseling, (which they did get), they needed to be arrested and stopped from leading homosexual, predatory lives. This same VOTF leader, and her deacon husband, do not want people to know that they were big supporters of Bishop McGann who led the coverup and supported predatory priests for over 20 years. The 600 mostly elderly people who attended this meeting are being mislead by the same silly people who ran this diocese for 20 years. It is time for orthodoxy to return to Long Island and the VOTF is not part of this.

I added a different commenting system since Haloscan kept going down. Also added a couple of blogs to the blogroll at the right.

Did anyone watch the Joan of Arcadia premiere last night? I read a couple of reviews in the papers that were very positive. This is the series by Barbara Hall, sister of Karen Hall, of the defunct but great blog Disordered Affections.

Any local Long Island Catholics in their 20's and 30's out there? Check out Faith on Tap - this group meets monthly at the Wantagh Inn. I created a weblog for the group that will be used until we get a regular website. The first speakers this season are Steven and Patty McDonald who will be talking on Forgiving & Being Forgiven: Possible or Not? Steven McDonald is a NYC policeman who was shot and paralyzed. He has spent his life exploring his Catholic faith and preaching about forgiveness.

Wantagh Inn (across from the Wantagh LIRR station)
Monday, September 29th 7-9 pm

The New York Mets' broadcaster Bob Murphy retired. Murphy was excellent on radio, one of the guys who "painted a picture". He was with the Mets since the beginning, and it is too bad he ended his career at the end of one of their worst years. Although, since he started in 1962, I guess they ended just the way they began.

Mark Shea and Domenico Bettinelli have linked to this article about Bishop Murphy asking a priest not to publish an article in Newsday calling for bishops "tainted by scandals" to resign. I like Bishop Murphy and think that this priest is probably one of the Bishop McGann supporters. McGann was the previous Bishop who was very supportive of dissenters and did not do anything to remove child molesting priests. Murphy is a useful scapegoat and it is ironic that he is accused of being autocratic. It was McGann who tried to force 4 "conservative" pastors to resign (1 refused). It was McGann who never allowed a few traditional-minded priests to become pastors. There are a couple of priests in this diocese who are dissenters and they will gladly write for the very anti-Catholic Newsday to bash Murphy. These same priests were silent during McGann's time. Since Murphy has been installed, (a few days before Sept. 11th, 2001), he has done some great things that have given hope to orthodox Catholics here. The seminary has done some house cleaning, although much more needs to be done. The traditional latin mass has become weekly, something McGann refused to do even after years of requests. VOTF has been banned from meeting on Church property. At least one very orthodox priest was named pastor of a parish, something refused him for many years under McGann. I think the resistance to Murphy, from the beginning, has had more to do with his orthodoxy than with his time in Boston.

This is going to be great--

Upcoming lecture/panel discussion with audience participation to be held, free of any charge, at Nassau Community College, Tuesday evening, October 7th from 7 to about 9 P.M. in the College Center Building Rooms 252-3 which is sponsored by the Center for Catholic Studies. Paul Elie will speak on his bestselling book The Life You Save May Be Your Own: An American Pilgrimage, which discusses the apostolates of Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, Walker Percy, and Flannery O'Connor. After the presentation, there will be a panel discussion. Barnes and Noble will sell copies of the book for interested parties and Mr. Elie will sign copies if requested. Coffee and cookies at 6:30 P.M.

MISS AMERICA 2003 VISITS CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOLS ON LONG ISLAND


I am not one to exaggerate, but this is the biggest mistake in the history of the universe. My alma mater is no place for a Miss America. 1600 teenage boys in an all male school, filled with angst over trying to survive a "rigorous" curriculum, cannot be put on the same island, much less the same building, as a Miss America. As Bill Murray said in Ghostbusters: "This city is about to face a disaster of biblical proportions. Riots in the streets, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria! "

I’M RICH I’M RICH!!!

“From:Mr Norman Williams Dear Sir, I am an accountant and a member of the Contract Tender Board (CTB) of the Petroleum, Oil & Gas Corporation of South Africa (PTY) Ltd also known as PetroSA. I am presently on a special diplomatic duty in the South Africa foreign office in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. I got your contact through discreet inquiries in my search for a reliable individual or company who can handle a strictly confidential transaction that involves the transfer of a reasonable sum of money to a foreign account. I have no doubt in your ability to handle a financial business of considerable amount, which will form the bedrock of an extensive business partnership in due course. In unfolding this proposal, I want to count on your status that you will handle this transaction with all maturity and confidentiality it deserves. The money we want to transfer to you amount to a total of US$15.500,000.00 (Fifteen Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) only. It was extracted from various over-invoiced contracts, masterminded by myself and some of my colleagues for our mutual benefit when the contracts was awarded by the Contracts Tender Board (CTB) of the Petroleum, Oil & Gas Corporation of South Africa (PTY) Ltd. The above over-invoiced sum has been drafted and short-listed for final payment to a foreign bank account and it has been reflected as an amount to be paid to a foreign contractor for contract that has been executed for the Petroleum, Oil & Gas Corporation of South Africa (PTY) Ltd. The money is currently floating in the suspense account of the South Africa Reserve Bank (SARB) awaiting claim by a foreign partner, which status we absolutely want you to assume. The code of conduct bureau in South Africa has made it an offence for civil servants like us to(A) operate a foreign account (B) own a foreign company and (C) take up contract while still in active service. This is why we need your assistance. Now is the optimum period to realize this fund following the recent directive given to all-federal parastatals and corporations to pay off all foreign debts. I therefore seek your assistance to allow the remittance of this fund to be made to your personal or company’s bank account. We have agreed that 30% of the total sum will be given to you and 70% will be for me and my colleagues after the successful transference of the fund to your bank account. I want to assure you that all modalities for the successful transfer of this money to your account has been perfectly worked out and as such, there is no fear of failure. However, I would want to believe that you are honest enough and will not raise any misgiving attitude In any aspect of the transaction. Most importantly, you will keep this transaction very confidential so as not to tarnish the confidence reposed on these officials by the nation's financial house. If this proposal interest you, kindly indicate your willingness to me through email Address: (williamsnorman_n@lycos.com). To enable this fund to be successfully transferred to your account, you will also have to provide the following information: 1.Your company name and address that you wish to use as the beneficiary to claim the fund. 2.Your private telephone,fax Numbers. 3.Your Bank name, address and account number where you would want the money remitted. More information about the remittance of the fund to your account will be sent to you when I receive your response. Meanwhile, your swift response will help us to meet the ultimatum given to all foreign contractors in this payment quarter to ensure that funds are claimed. We also wish to discuss investment strategy with you. We have the plan of investing part of our fund in real estate with your assistance in your country. Please, treat this information as confidential. Yours faithfully, Mr.Norman Williams”

You hear that? I get 15% of 15.5 million and all I have to do is give a complete stranger my name and address, phone and fax number, and bank account info. I’m in the money..I’m in the money…

Highly recommended by Gen X Revert’s mother:

A Miracle for St. Cecilia’s by Katherine Valentine

I read the reviews at Amazon and the book does sound good. The author is a folk artist who had a near death experience that influenced her writing.

Last night there was a talk on the Shroud of Turin at my parish. It was very interesting and there is a Holy Face of Jesus prayer group forming at my parish. I learned alot about the physical nature of the Crucifixation, for instance, the crossbeam would have been tied to Jesus' arms, across his back, with one loop of rope tied to his ankle, and one to the people in front of him. More info at Holy Face of Jesus.

There is a great sounding lecture series at St. Patrick Cathedral entitled:

THE POPES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
6:30 pm

Oct 6th Pius X
Rev. Marvin O'Connell, University of Notre Dame
Nov 10th Benedict XV and Pius XI
Professor Frank J. Coppa, St. John's University
Dec 1st Pius XII
Professor Peter Kent, University of New Brunswick
Feb 2nd John XXIII and Paul VI
Dr. Richard Wolff, CEO of Global Crossing
March 1st John Paul II
George Weigel, Senior Fellow Ethics and Public Policy Center

I had Professor Coppa for a few classes at St. John's and would like to catch his lecture. He was a great teacher and very prolific writer. Of course, I will try to get to George Weigel's talk at all costs. The ad for this series was in National Review but I could not find any info on the net as far as who is sponsoring it.

DA Seeks Mepham Witnesses
Issues subpoenas, urges cooperation in Mepham case

Hiding From Awful Truths


We have a major case of sexual abuse of young teenage boys here on Long Island, with coverups, failure to call police, non-cooperation with authorities, and plenty of witnesses who are not talking. Haven't these people learned anything from the Church's mess?

Woohoo! Barbara Nicolosi from Church of the Masses has quit her job at Liguorian magazine because they would not publish her positive review of Mel Gibson's Passion movie. I don't subscribe to this magazine and have only seen a couple of issues, but I am glad Ms. Nicolosi stuck to her principles. I am extremely pleased that she will be writing for the National Catholic Register, a paper I subscribe to and cannot praise enough.

This reminds me, I saw a blurb somewhere that Mel would have to change the name of his movie because there was already a movie coming out named The Passion. Anyone hear this?