Reaching out to African church

"Archbishop Michael Courtney was driving down a road in Burundi in a four-wheel-drive jeep in December 2003 when guerrillas ambushed him and shot him to death.

The next day, on Long Island, Bishop William Murphy received a Christmas card mailed earlier by Courtney, a native of Ireland who enjoyed a long friendship with the leader of the Diocese of Rockville Centre.

The death of the papal envoy to Burundi was devastating to Murphy, but also underscored his ties to the region, he said. Today, Murphy is leaving on a 12-day mission to Africa during which he will visit three nations marred by mass violence and civil war the past 15 years and ride down the same road where his friend was killed."


Bishop Murphy continues to impress me. He is truly a warm and friendly person, intelligent, and the most orthodox bishop we have had here. Long Island is lucky to have him - his critics look more small minded every day.

New blog called Seize the Dei, discovered via Some Have Hats. Check out my Catholic Blog Directory for a good list of up to date Catholic blogs. Please email me with any corrections or updates.

Gen X Revert Sells Out, Starts Referring to Self in Third Person (developing)

You may notice the new ad to the right for CatholicMatch.com. I received an email inviting me to become an affiliate and did not delete this one as I normally do all emails offers. This is because I joined CatholicMatch when it was St. Raphael's and found it to be a good service. In fact, I found my girlfriend on this site. I figure I could stick a link on my site, and if anyone joins and I make some dough, that is all well and good. So, keep in mind CatholicMatch for all your courtin' needs. That name again, CatholicMatch.

Former Newsday publisher Robert Johnson charged with possessing child porn

I watched most of the Mass in Phoenix today to welcome the Poor Clares from Mother Angelica's community. It was not the type of Mass you normally see on EWTN, and in fact was produced by the Diocese of Phoenix. There was no latin in the Mass, and altar girls were used, which was not exactly "pastoral" considering Mother A's strong feelings against altar girls. The homily by Bishop Olmstead was uninspiring, and the music, which included plenty of string instruments and good voices, was typical of today's dreck. You can tell the Diocese tried to do their best, but it was jarring to see the Mass on EWTN. The Church it was held in did not seem to have a tabernacle, a crucifix, or much artwork in the sanctuary. During communion, some men, I think some of the brothers, chanted the Salve Regina, which made an interesting contrast. I felt uneasy watching the sisters, who for years have experienced the beauty of the monastery in Alabama, praying at this Mass. I felt for them, as if they were pioneers in unchartered territory. This is a Diocese after all, where the former Bishop is in jail for killing a man, and later lying about his actions. With the return of the traditional Latin mass, and the welcoming of the Poor Clares, this Diocese is hopefully on its way to a revival. Hopefully, the Mass celebrating the Desert Nuns' 10th anniversary in Arizona will be truly inspirational.