BISHOP MURPHY'S HOMILY FROM THE MASS FOR VICTIMS OF SEPTEMBER 11th
September 10, 2003


"In the Torah, Moses enjoins on the followers of the Law this solemn injunction: “Today I offer you the choice of life and good, or death and evil…Choose life and then you and your descendants will live…”
(Dt 30: 11,20) Two years ago a small group of evil minded men chose death and chose to inflict death and evil on the innocent, young and old from every strata of our society here in New York and Washington as they hijacked four planes to wreak their havoc and destruction. Each of us here tonight, across this island and country, indeed around the world, has been affected by this brutal act of terrorism. Neither tonight nor in the years to come will we ever be able adequately to plumb the depths of the suffering or give speech to the feelings that dwell in broken hearts too well acquainted with the pain of loss.. But gathering as we do tonight, our being together is a true and meaningful counteract to terrorism and to evil. For what we say tonight and everyday of our lives is that we reject death and evil. We choose life and good. And while we carry this sorrow in our hearts, this pain deep into the very bowels of our being, we will never follow the men of evil. We will always choose life. We will always seek what is good."

Police investigate allegations of sex abuse in team hazing

Once again, Long Islanders show the nation just how classy we are.

Ailing Pope John Paul II Struggles Again in Slovakia

Wouldn't it be great if the Pope announced he could no longer travel but invited people to visit him in Rome. And after so many years of giving so much to people, we could then visit the Pope by the millions. Imagine millions of people streaming into Vatican City, setting all kinds of records, to pay tribute to John Paul the Great.

The Gen-X Church
What can you expect from a bunch of slackers? A lot.

"Gen X never experienced major economic turmoil or the fear of global uncertainty— but on Sept. 11, 2001, they grew up."

Pretty true, although global uncertainty could describe the period before communism was assigned to the ash-heap of history.

"Gen X has shown a strong interest in connecting with the history of the Church. For instance, there is a renewed interest in many of the worship traditions of the Catholic Church but practiced with intense meaning and focus rather than rote memory."

True 'nuff.

"By contrast, Gen X—always having lived in the shadows of the most famous generation—will have more thoroughly reflected the true light of Jesus Christ through their authenticity, perseverance and conviction than any generation before them."

Well, one could hope.

Abortion clinics fear fallout after Paul Hill's execution


Remember the press reporting fears of violence against abortion clinics after the execution of Paul Hill? I didn't think there would be any and found these fears rather bigoted. Now think of all those claiming that Mel Gibson's Passion movie will inspire violence. I suspect the same motivation of anti-Christian prejudice, and predict the same results: no violence.

Someone also searched for Dolores Fanelli who was a Marsh & McLennon employee who died at the World Trade Center. Also Maxima Jean-Pierre, a worker in the kitchen at Cantor Fitzgerald. I will pray for these victims and their families as well.

Someone ended up on this blog after searching for “don robson manhasset long island”. Mr. Robson was a Cantor Fitzgerald employee who perished in the World Trade Center according to this profile. He was one of many victims of 9/11 from St. Mary’s in Manhasset. On EWTN tonight, The World Over Live rebroadcast some of the September 11th special from last year in which Raymond Arroyo interviewed some people from St. Mary’s. Whoever searched for don robson, I am sorry for your loss and will pray for him and his family tonight. God Bless.

Some bloggers are talking about the whining and complaining going around St. Blog’s. Gerard at Catholic Blog for Lovers is particularly affected by this stuff. I don’t really have a problem with bloggers speaking bluntly, with anger, especially when discussing the corruption in the Church. I have learned the most about the so called scandals in the Church from The Diocese Report and Roman Catholic Faithful, two websites that have been criticized for too much negativity and harshness. I think these websites are extremely valuable and the truth, while harsh, must be stated loudly. The thing to keep in mind is how long people have gotten away with corruption and how long many good people have been ignored. The RCF site, for example, exposed the infamous St. Sebastian’s website years ago, even sending information on Archbishop Cawcutt to the Vatican. Cawcutt simply received a slap on the hand until recently when he was forced to resign. Why did it take 3 years for this man to be forced out?? Only within the past few weeks have two priests associated with this site been forced out or exposed. The corruption in the Church is severe and the Bishops have done next to nothing about it, so yelling is really the only way to wake them up.

The other point is that blogging by its nature is really conducive to whining. I mean it is very tempting to complain and vent. When I started this blog, I really intended it to be a positive place where my wonderful experiences in Catholic school and coming back to the Church would hopefully entertain and enlighten others. I fell into complaining and excoriating the dopes in the Church right away however. St. Blog’s is a wonderful place for varied opinions with each unique blog contributing in its own way. While I appreciate the positive nature of blogs such as Catholic Blog for Lovers, From the Anchor Hold, and Flos Cameli, I also appreciate equally the sometimes harsh and blunt posts on blogs such as Extreme Catholic, Catholic and Enjoying It, and Bettnet. After all, according to a couple of articles written about St. Blogs, wasn’t it the “Situation” that caused so many Catholics to start blogging in the first place. So you have to expect some spleen venting. If the fighting and harshness and concentration on negative things gets too much for you, simply avoid those blogs that are the hardest to take, or avoid the comment boxes when necessary.

Every September 11th should be a national day of remembrance. One aspect of this day would be for the President to hand out special Sept. 11th pardons, as an act of mercy. Murderers, child molesters, non-citizens and repeat offenders would not be eligible and all pardons should be screened by the Department of Justice, in order to avoid Clinton-like corruption of the process. There are plenty of non-violent drug offenders that could be released. For the 5th anniversary of the massacre, the number of pardons should equal the number of Americans murdered on 9/11. This extraordinary act would speak volumes to people around the world as well as free up space in the jails for violent criminals.

My fellow Long Islanders killed on 9/11

Abad, Maria Rose 49 Syosset, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Abate, Andrew Anthony 37 Melville, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Aceto, Richard Anthony 42 Wantagh , NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Addamo, Christy A. 28 New Hyde Park, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Ahearn, Brian G. 43 Huntington, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Amato, James M. 43 Ronkonkoma, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Angelini Jr., Joseph 38 Lindenhurst, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Angelini Sr., Joseph 63 Lindenhurst, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Ashley, Janice Marie 25 Rockville Centre, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Aviles, Ezra 41 Commack, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Baierwalter, Robert John 44 Albertson, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Barbella, James William 53 Oceanside, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Barnes, Sheila Patricia 55 Bay Shore, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Bart, Scott D. 28 Malverne, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Beck, Lawrence Ira 38 Baldwin, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Bergsohn, Alvin 48 Baldwin Harbor, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Blaney, Janice Lee 55 Williston Park, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Blass, Craig Michael 27 Greenlawn, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Boehm, Bruce Douglas 49 West Hempstead, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Bonomo, Frank 42 Port Jefferson, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Bowers, Kimberly S. 31 Islip, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Box, Gary R. 37 North Bellmore, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Boyle, Michael 37 Westbury, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Brennan, Francis Henry 50 Oak Beach, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Brennan, Peter 30 Ronkonkoma, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Brethel, Daniel J. 43 Farmingville, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Broghammer, Herman Charles 58 North Merrick, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Browne-Radburn, Bettina 49 Atlantic Beach, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Bruehert, Richard George 38 Westbury, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Bueche, Nancy Clare 43 Hicksville, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Burns, Donald James 61 Nissequogue, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Butler, Thomas M. 37 Kings Park, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Cahill, Michael John 37 East Williston, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Camaj, Roko 60 Manhasset, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Cappello, Jonathan Neff 23 Garden City, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Cappers, James Christopher 33 Wading River, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Caproni, Richard Michael 34 Lynbrook, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Carey, Dennis M. 51 Wantagh, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Carson Jr., James Joseph 32 Massapequa Park, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Cascio, Paul Reegan 23 Manhasset, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Caufield, Robert John 49 Valley Stream, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Cavalier, Judson 26 Huntington, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Cawley, Michael Joseph 32 Bellmore, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Cefalu, Jason Michael 30 West Hempstead, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Cesta, Joni 37 Bellmore, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Chalcoff, William 41 Roslyn, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Chiarchiaro, Dorothy J. 61 Glenwood, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Chiofalo Jr., Nicholas Paul 39 Selden, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Clyne, Susan Marie 42 Lindenhurst, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Coakley, Steven 36 Deer Park, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Colaio, Stephen J. 32 Montauk, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Colbert, Kevin Nathaniel 25 West Hempstead, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Colin, Robert Dana 49 West Babylon, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Comer, Ronald Edward 56 Huntington, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Connors, Jonathan McManus "J.C." 55 Old Brookville, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Corbett, Joseph Albert 28 Islip, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Cosgrove, Kevin M. 46 West Islip, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Cove, James E. 48 Rockville Centre, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Coyle-Eulau, Michele 38 Garden City, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Crisci, John A. 48 Holbrook, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Cross, Dennis A. 60 Islip Terrace, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Crotty, Thomas G. 42 Rockville Centre, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Cudmore, Neil James 38 Port Washington, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Curia, Laurence Damian 41 Garden City, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Curtin, Michael Sean 45 Medford, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
D'Amadeo, Vincent Gerard 36 East Patchouge, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Da Mota, Manuel John 44 Valley Stream, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Danz, Vincent G. 38 Farmingdale, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Dean, William Thomas 35 Floral Park, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
DeAngelis, Thomas Patrick 51 Westbury, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
DeAngelis Jr., Robert J. 47 West Hempstead, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Debek, Tara E. 35 Babylon, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
DeBin, Anna Marjia 30 East Farmingdale, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
DeMeo, Martin N. 47 Farmingville, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Desperito, Andrew J. 44 East Patchogue, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Diagostino, Michael Louis 41 Garden City, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Diaz-Sierra, Judith Berquis 32 Bay Shore, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Dickey Jr., Joseph Dermott 50 Manhasset, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Dimmling, William John 47 Garden City, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Dominguez, Charles "Carlos" 34 East Meadow, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Dominguez, Jerome Mark Patrick 37 Holtsville, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Donnelly, Kevin W. 43 Seaford, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Donovan, Jacqueline 34 Lynbrook, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Downey, Raymond Matthew 63 Deer Park, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Duffy, Gerard 53 Manorville, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Duffy, Michael Joseph 29 Northport, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Dunne, Christopher Joseph 28 Mineola, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Dwyer, Patrick Thomas 37 Nissequogue, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Eaton, Robert Douglas 37 Manhasset, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Edwards, Dennis Michael 35 Huntington, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Eisenberg, Eric Adam 32 Commack, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Ellis, Mark Joseph 26 Huntington, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Erker, Erwin L. 41 Farmingdale, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Esposito, William 52 Bellmore, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Evans, Robert Edward "Bobby" 36 Franklin Square, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Fairben, Keith George 24 Floral Park, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Fallon Jr., William L. 38 Coram, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Fanelli, Dolores Brigitte 38 Farmingville, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Fanning, John Joseph "Jack" 54 West Hempstead, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Farrell, Terrence Patrick 45 Huntington, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Farrelly, Thomas Patrick 54 East Northport, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Fazio Jr., Robert 41 Freeport, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Fehling, Lee S. 28 Wantagh, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Ferris, Robert John 63 Garden City, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Fitzgerald, Ryan Daniel 26 Floral Park, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Fitzsimons, Richard P. 57 Lynbrook, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Fletcher, Andre G. 37 North Babylon, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Florio, John Joseph 33 Oceanside, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Fosteris, Ana 58 Coram, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Foti, Robert Joseph 42 Albertson, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Freiman, Brett Owen 29 Roslyn, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Fried, Arlene Eva 49 Roslyn Heights, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Friedman, Andrew Keith 44 Woodbury, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Gambino Jr., Thomas 48 Babylon, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Ganci, Peter 54 North Massapequa, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Garcia, David 40 Freeport, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Gardner, William Arthur "Bill" 45 Lynbrook, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Gardner, Thomas A. 39 Oceanside, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Gary, Bruce H. 51 Bellmore, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Geier, Paul Hamilton 36 Farmingdale, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Genco Jr., Peter Victor 36 Rockville Centre, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Geraghty, Edward F. 45 Rockville Centre, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Geyer, James "Jimmy" Gerald 41 Rockville Centre, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Giammona, Vincent Francis 40 Valley Stream, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Gies, Ronnie E. 43 Merrick, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Giorgetti, Steven A. 43 Manhasset, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Giugliano, Cynthia 46 Nesconset, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Goldflam, Jeffrey Grant 48 Melville, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Granados, Gilbert Franco 51 Hicksville, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Grant, Winston Arthur 59 West Hempstead, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Green, Wade Brian 42 Westbury, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Grimner, David Joseph 51 Merrick, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Grzymalski, Matthew James 34 New Hyde Park, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Guja, Geoffrey E. 47 Lindenhurst, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Hannan, Michael Lawrence 34 Lynbrook, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Haran, James A. 41 Malverne, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Haskell, Timothy 34 Seaford, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Haskell Jr., Thomas Theodore 37 Massapequa, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Haub, Michael Helmut 34 Roslyn Heights, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Haviland, Timothy Aaron 41 Oceanside, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Hayes, Philip Thomas 67 East Northport , NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Healey, Michael K. 42 East Patchogue, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Herold, Gary 44 Farmingdale, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Hetzel, Thomas 33 Elmont, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Hickey, Brian Christopher 47 Bethpage, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Higgins, Timothy B. 43 Farmingville, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Hobbs, Thomas Anderson 41 Baldwin, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Hoerner, Ronald George 58 Massapequa Park, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Hoffman, Stephen G. 36 Long Beach, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Hopper, James Patrick 52 Farmingdale, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Horn, Michael 27 Lynbrook, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Howard, George Gerald 45 Hicksville, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Howley-Dorsey, Jennifer L. 34 New Hyde Park, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Hughes, Kris Robert 30 Nesconset, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Hunter, Joseph G. 32 South Hempstead, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Hussa, Robert R. 51 Roslyn, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Ielpi, Jonathan Lee 29 Great Neck, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Inghilterra Jr., Louis Steven 45 New Castle, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Iskenderian Jr., Aram 41 Merrick, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Jagoda, Jake Denis 24 Huntington, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Jean-Pierre, Maxima 40 Bellport, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Johnston, William R. 31 North Babylon, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Jones, Christopher D. 53 Huntington , NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Jordan, Andrew 36 Remsenburg, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Jordan, Robert Thomas 34 East Williston, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Josiah, Jane Eileen 47 Bellmore, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Jovic, Anthony 39 Massapequa Park, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Jurgens, Thomas Edward 26 Lawrence , NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Jurgens, Paul William 47 Levittown, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Katsimatides, John 31 East Marion, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Kelley Jr., Frederick H. 57 Huntington, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Kelly, Joseph Anthony 40 Oyster Bay, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Kelly, Thomas Richard 38 Riverhead, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Kelly, James Joseph "Kells" 39 Oceanside, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Kelly, Timothy Colin 37 Port Washington, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Kennedy, Thomas J. 36 Islip Terrace, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Kerwin, Ronald T. 42 Levittown, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Kiefer, Michael 26 Hempstead, NY Missing (Emergency/Rescue)
Kloepfer, Ronald Phillip 39 Franklin Square, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Kuo Jr., Frederick 53 Great Neck, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Lachhman, Amarnauth 42 Valley Stream, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Langone, Thomas Michael 39 Williston Park, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Langone, Peter J. 41 Roslyn Heights, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Lee, Gary H. 62 Lindenhurst, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Lee, Richard Yun Choon 34 Great Neck, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Lehman, Edward Joseph 41 Glen Cove, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Leistman, David Ralph 43 Garden City, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Lenoir, John Robinson 38 Locust Valley, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
LeVeen, Jeffrey Earle 55 Manhasset, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Levine, Robert "Bobby" West Babylon, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Licciardi, Ralph M. 30 West Hempstead, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Lillo, Carlos R. 37 Babylon, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Linnane, Robert Thomas 33 West Hempstead, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Logler, Elizabeth Claire "Beth" 31 Rockville Centre, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Lopes, Salvatore 40 Franklin Square, NY Missing (WTC Occupant)
Lucania, Charles Peter 34 East Atlantic Beach, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Lynch, Michael Francis 33 New Hyde Park, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Lynch, Farrell Peter 39 Centerport, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Lynch, Louise A. 58 Amityville, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Lyons, Patrick 34 South Setauket, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Maerz, Noell C. 29 Long Beach, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Magee, Charles Wilson 51 Wantagh , NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Magee, Brian 52 Floral Park, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Mahon, Thomas Anthony 37 East Norwich, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Mahoney, William J. 38 Bohemia, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Maio, Joseph Daniel 32 Roslyn Harbor, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Maloney, Joseph E. 46 Farmingville, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Mannetta, Debra M. 31 Islip, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Manning, Terence John 36 Point Lookout, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Marchese, Laura A. Giglio 35 Oceanside, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Mardovich, Edward Joseph 42 Lloyd Harbor, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Marino, Lester Vincent 57 Massapequa, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Martin, Peter C. 43 Miller Place, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Martinez Jr., Jose Angel 49 Hauppauge, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Masi, Stephen Frank 55 Selden, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Mastrocinque, Rudolph 43 Kings Park, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Mazza-Delosh, Kathy Nancy 46 Farmingdale, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
McAleese, Brian G. 36 Baldwin, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
McCabe, Brendan F. 40 Sayville, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
McCarthy, Justin 30 Port Washington , NY Deceased WTC Occupant
McCarthy, Michael Desmond 33 Huntington, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
McDonnell, Brian Grady 38 Wantagh, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
McGovern, William J. 49 Smithtown, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
McGovern, Ann 68 East Meadow, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
McHale, Thomas Michael 33 Huntington, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
McShane, Terence A. 37 West Islip, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
McWilliams, Martin Edward 35 Kings Park, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Medaglia, Rocco A. 49 Melville, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Mehta, Alok 23 Hempstead, NY Missing (WTC Occupant)
Meisenheimer, Raymond 46 West Babylon, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Meltzer, Stuart Todd 32 Syosset, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Mendez, Charles 38 Floral Park, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Mercurio, Ralph Joseph 47 Rockville Centre, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Merkouris, George 35 Levittown, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Metzler, Jill Ann 32 Franklin Square, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Miller, Joel 55 Baldwin, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Miller Jr., Henry Alfred 52 Massapequa, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Mills, Charles Morris 61 Brentwood, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Mingione, Thomas 34 West Islip, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Mistrulli, Joseph 47 Wantagh, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Moccia Sr., Frank V. 57 Hauppauge, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Mojica, Manuel 37 Bellmore, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Moody, Thomas 45 Stony Brook, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Morgan, Dorothy 47 Hempstead, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Muldowney Jr., Richard 40 Babylon, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Murphy, Kevin James 40 Northport, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Murphy IV, James Francis 30 Garden City, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Napolitano, John 33 Ronkonkoma, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Narula, Manika K. 22 Kings Park, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Neblett, Rayman Marcus 31 Roslyn Heights, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Nedell, Laurence 52 Lindenhurst, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Nelson, Michele Ann 27 Valley Stream, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Nelson, Peter Allen 42 Huntington Station, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Niestadt Jr., Frank John 55 Ronkonkoma, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Niven, John Ballantine 44 Oyster Bay, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Nussbaum, Jeffrey Roger 37 Oceanside, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
O'Berg, Dennis Patrick Babylon, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
O'Brien, Timothy Michael 40 Brookville, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
O'Callaghan, Daniel 42 Smithtown, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
O'Keefe, Patrick J. 44 Oakdale, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
O'Neill Jr., Peter J. 21 Amityville, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
O'Rourke, Kevin M. 44 Hewlett, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
O'Shea, Patrick J. 45 Farmingdale, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Oelschlager, Douglas E. 36 St. James, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Olcott, Gerald Michael 55 New Hyde Park, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Olson, Maureen Lyons "Rene" 50 Rockville Centre, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Opperman, Michael C. 45 Selden, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Ortale, Peter K. 37 Sag Harbor, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Ostrowski, James Robert 37 Garden City, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Otten, Michael 42 East Islip, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Owens, Jr., Peter J. 42 Williston Park, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Palmer, Orio Joseph 45 Valley Stream, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Panatier, Christopher Matthew 36 Rockville Centre, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Paolillo, John M. 51 Glen Head, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Papa, Edward Joseph 47 Oyster Bay, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Parro, Robert 35 Levittown, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Pascuma, Michael J. 50 Massapequa Park, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Patel, Dipti 38 New Hyde Park, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Patterson, Bernard E. "Bernie" 46 Upper Brookville, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Pearsall, Durrell V. 38 Hempstead, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Pedicini, Thomas E. 30 Hicksville, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Perez, Anthony 33 Locust Valley, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Perroncino, Joseph John 33 Smithtown, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Perrotta, Edward Joseph 43 Mount Sinai, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Pettit, Glen Kerrin 30 Oakdale, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Pollicino, Steve 48 Plainview, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Poulos, Richard N. 55 Levittown, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Prior, Kevin M. 28 Bellmore, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Prunty, Richard 57 Sayville, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Puckett, John Foster 47 Glen Cove, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Quackenbush, Christopher 44 Manhasset, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Quappe, Lincoln 38 Sayville, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Raines, Harry A. 37 Bethpage, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Ramzey, Lorenzo E. 48 East Northport, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Rand, Adam David 30 Bellmore, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Reda, Gregory 33 New Hyde Park, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Regan, Robert M. 48 Floral Park, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Rice III, Kenneth Frederick 34 Hicksville, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Robson, Donald Arthur 52 Manhasset, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Rodrigues, Antonio Jose Carrusca 35 Port Washington, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Rogan, Matthew 37 West Islip, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Romagnolo, Joseph M. 37 Coram, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Rosen, Mark Harlan 45 West Islip, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Rosenbaum, Brooke David 31 Franklin Square, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Rosenblum, Andrew Ira 45 Rockville Centre, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Roy Sr., Timothy Alan 36 Massapequa Park, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Ruggiero, Susan Ann 30 Plainview, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Ruhalter, Adam Keith 41 Plainview, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Ruiz-Diaz, Obdulio 44 Valley Stream, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Russo Sr., Michael Thomas 44 Nesconset, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Ryan, Jonathan Stephan 32 Bayville, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Ryan, Matthew Lancelot 54 Seaford, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Sadocha, Francis John 41 Huntington Station, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Saloman, Wayne John 43 Seaford, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Salvaterra, Frank G. 41 Manhasset, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Sanchez, Alva Cynthia Jeffries 41 Hempstead, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Sarle, Paul F. 38 Babylon, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Scauso, Dennis 46 Dix Hills, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Scharf, John G. 29 Manorville, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Schmidt, Karen Helene 42 Bellmore, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Schott Jr., Frank G. 39 Massapequa Park, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Schrang, Gerard Patrick 45 Holbrook, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Schunk, Edward William 54 Baldwin, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Schwartz, Mark 50 West Hempstead, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Seaman, Michael Herman 41 Manhasset, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Selwyn, Howard 47 Hewlett, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Shaw, Jeffery James 42 Levittown, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Sherry, John Anthony 34 Rockville Centre, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Sliwak, Robert F. 42 Wantagh, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Smagala Jr., Stanley S. 36 Holbrook, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Smith, James Gregory 43 Garden City, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Smith, Daniel Laurence 47 Northport, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Smith, Kevin Joseph 47 Mastic, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Smithwick, Bonnie Jeanne 54 Quogue, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Spampinato Jr., Donald F. 39 Manhasset, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Spataro, John Anthony 32 Mineola, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Spitz, William E. 49 Oceanside, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Stack, Lawrence T. 58 Lake Ronkonkoma, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Stajk, Gregory 46 Long Beach, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Steckman, William V. 56 West Hempstead, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Stern, Andrew 45 Bellmore, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Stone, Lonny Jay 43 Bellmore, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Stuart, Walwyn W. 28 Valley Stream, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Sullivan, Christopher P. 38 Massapequa, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Suozzo, James Joseph 47 Hauppauge, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Sutcliffe Jr., Robert 39 Huntington, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Sweeney, Brian Edward 29 Merrick , NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Szocik, Kevin Thomas 27 Garden City, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Taddonio, Michael 39 Huntington, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Takahashi, Keiichiro 53 Port Washington, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Talty, Paul 40 Wantagh, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Terrenzi, Brian John 29 Hicksville, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Thompson, Brian Thomas 42 Dix Hills, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Tighe, Stephen Edward 41 Rockville Centre, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Tipping II, John James 33 Port Jefferson, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Titolo, Michelle Lee 34 Copiague, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Tompsett, Stephen Kevin 39 Garden City, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Trant, Daniel Patrick 40 Northport, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Urban, Diane Maria 50 Malverne, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Vianna, Matthew Gilbert 23 Manhasset, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Vigiano, Joseph Vincent 34 Medford, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Vigiano II, John T. 36 West Islip, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Vignola Jr., Frank J. 44 Merrick, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Vitale, Joshua S. 28 Great Neck, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Voskerijian, Garo H. 43 Valley Stream, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Wallace, Mitchel Scott 34 Mineola, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Wallice Jr., John 43 Huntington , NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Washington, Derrick Christopher 33 Calverton, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Waters, Charles 44 Bethpage, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Watson, Kenneth Thomas 39 Smithtown, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Weaver, Walter Edward 30 Centereach, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Webster, Dinah 50 Port Washington, NY Missing (WTC Occupant)
Wengerchuk, Oleh D. 56 Centerport, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Wieman, Mary Catherine Lenz 43 Rockville Centre, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Wilkinson, Glenn E. 46 Bayport, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Williams Jr., Crossley Richard 28 Uniondale , NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Wilson, Donna Ann 48 Williston Park, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Wiswall, David 54 North Massapequa, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Wright, John Wayne 33 Rockville Centre, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
York, Raymond R. 45 Valley Stream, NY Deceased Emergency / Rescue Personnel
Zaccoli, Joseph C. 39 Valley Stream, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Zaslow, Ira 55 North Woodmere, NY Deceased WTC Occupant
Zois, Prokopios "Paul" 46 Lynbrook, NY Deceased WTC Occupant

September 11th, 2001


I was in a sexual harassment seminar at work that day, and the lawyer running it had a sister who worked in the WTC. An executive interrupted the seminar to tell her that her sister had called, she was okay. After the Pentagon was attacked the meeting was broken up prematurely and we went back to our desks numb. A co-worker said a plane had been hijacked and crashed in Pittsburgh (where my brother lives). I called my mother and left a message on her machine to turn on the news. I used the internet on my work pc to check out the news sites. The whole company closed down early, at 2 p.m. and I drove home using a “backway” through local roads since we had heard the parkways were closed or clogged. The Long Island Expressway was closed on the westbound side all the way to Suffolk County (60 miles or more). This was to allow emergency vehicles to get to the city. While going home the local route, which I often took, I turned onto Oak Street which runs by Hofstra University. I remember being shocked to see dozens of cars parked on the concrete island right in between the two sides of the street. They were all parked haphazardly and there were 2 people, in full military dress, running across the street towards the ROTC/Reserves center. That is when it hit me - we are under attack. When I got home, all the channels were out, since the antennas were on the WTC. I had just bought a satellite dish a couple of weeks before so I was able to watch Foxnews. I remember Bill O’Reilly broadcasting his show from the Channel 12 studios on Long Island because he could not get into the city. I remember Rudy Guiliani, (who had recently become such a jerk most of us were glad he was leaving office), walking down the street saying “Put your mask on, put your mask on”. His press conferences showed him to rise to his better nature, calm, determined, reassuring, compassionate. I remember MSNBC showing the attacks and the collapse and the people running and screaming over and over again. To this day I hate MSNBC for that, they showed it constantly, relentlessly. I remember hearing that there may have been hundreds of firefighters in the collapsed buildings. I also remember the press announcing that 5000 people may have been killed. The funerals were everywhere, the first one I saw was at the local place where we had had my father’s wake just 10 months before. I remember seeing people lining up for a block to get in to pay their respects. For months, everyday, there were obituaries and for months there were funerals everywhere. I went food shopping one Saturday and had to turn back because the whole street was blocked off for a firefighter’s funeral. One day while going to the bookstore for a relaxing time, I had to wait behind a motorcycle cop, at the entrance to the Southern State Parkway for a funeral procession to pass. I remember seeing an article in the local paper about my high school, and learning for the first time the name of a classmate who was killed. All over the island, there were flags, and banners hung. Sheets with messages “ God Bless the NYFD and NYPD” and “We will never forget 9-11” and “God Bless America” hung on every overpass on every parkway. This is more amazing when you realize NY is the cynicism capital of the world. Every car around had a message or flag on it, something I have never seen before, even during the Gulf War. That week, I had a ticket to fly to my niece’s second birthday party, which could not be used. Instead, I drove with my mother across Staten Island, American flag taped to the side window, pass the recently closed Fresh Kills Landfill, where the sight of crushed firetrucks on top of the hills was just surreal. I watched the O’Reilly Factor in Pittsburgh and heard the guest William Bennett mention Chaminade High and all the people connected to the school that were lost. (O’Reilly is a graduate). I will never forget the feeling in New York after the attack. I wish America had capitalized on the incredible unity of the time. Two years has not been enough time to forget, to forgive or to calm down.

Hunt for Osama bin Laden Narrowed to Hostile, Rugged Region of Pakistan

Last 9/11 Firefighter Buried

Welcome back Jeanetta from De Fidei Oboedientia!! This is a great blog and it looks great in blue.

If I can take time out from my September 11th posts--has anyone noticed all the violence against abortion clinics after that nut in Florida was executed?? Yeah me neither.

37 Port Authority police officers were murdered on September 11th

I don't understand why this is happening: Many September 11th victims' families have not signed up for the compensation fund.

Fire Families Carrying On, Alone

NEVER FORGET

"there are about 3,051 children who lost a parent, according to a Newsday analysis last year, 2,172 of whom were 17 or younger that day."

I flew to Pittsburgh for the weekend for my niece's birthday. Security at the airport was terrible, this is the first time since September 11th that I was not "wanded" at either airport, and this time my id was not even checked at Laguardia, which is very surprising. How soon people forget!! I can understand that some of this security stuff is somewhat useless anyway but what else is being overlooked at the airport? The national borders? The Immigration Department?? At least some areas have been improved though:

Two Years After 9/11, Security Still Has a Long Way To Go

A Reminder:

The World Over Live will present the first English interview with Cardinal Ratzinger tommorrow night on EWTN. I will get out my Cardinal Ratzinger Fan Club mug (Putting the Smackdown on Heresy since 1981!) and enjoy a drink while watching--I should have bought the stein!. Mugs available at The Cardinal Ratzinger Fan Club, a truly great website.

For a complete list of all people murdered on September 11th go here.

Fear of New Attacks Eases, But WTC Terror Scars Remain

"For most Long Island residents, the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks remain a personal tragedy that is unlikely to disappear even as the fear of another act of terror recedes, according to a poll for Newsday and NY1 News.

More than three out of every five Long Islanders knew someone who was killed – or knew their family, the survey found."

MASS OF REMEMBRANCE PLANNED FOR SEPTEMBER 10
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 22, 2003


On Wednesday, September 10, 2003, Bishop Murphy will celebrate a Mass at 7:30pm in St. Agnes Cathedral in remembrance of all those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and for their families and friends, also remembering the heroic efforts of countless police officers, fire fighters, and emergency personnel.



I went to the Mass the Bishop celebrated last year on September 11th-my parish and several others held ecumenical services which I had no interest in attending. I will probably go to the Cathedral again this year.

An essay from a writer who informs his readers that he has decided to leave the Anglican Church and become Catholic.


I found the essay at Traditional Catholic Reflections and Reports

Another reason I love my satellite dish-Think Tank with Ben Wattenberg. Last night and tonight was a repeat of a two part show on Irving Berlin.

Jesus Christ Beyond Thunderdome

Pretty standard article from Reason magazine on that Gibson guy who actually thinks he has a right to be a film producer and a devout Catholic. There is only 1 thing that disturbs me about this article and it is this paragraph:

"Few people worry about an outburst of violent anti-Semitism in the United States. But in its own way, the attitude of some champions of "The Passion" is troubling. A few seem positively gleeful about the distress caused by the movie -- and quite in-your-face about it. 'I want to see any movie that drives the anti-Christian entertainment elite crazy,' conservative commentator Laura Ingraham has been quoted as saying."

Just what about this is troubling??????? The fact that people who have been very aware of anti-Christian bias are gleeful about seeing some of it exposed?? The fact that some people adopt an in-your-face attitude much the same way that supporters of anti-Catholic films and art do?? Perhaps this really explains the trouble with Mel Gibson, who by most accounts was not always the devout Catholic guy he has become. He is now taking his politically incorrect and unapproved faith (traditional Catholicism) and using it to make a film about Jesus, without the express written consent of the elite. I have adopted such an in-your-face attitude with this film that I intend to see it more than once, even though I will be looking down into the popcorn bucket during most of the violent scenes. The Faith on Tap group I belong to will probably get together and see it as a group, and I will be sure we adopt an in-your-face attitude. And yes, this makes me positively gleeful!

Yet another funeral for a victim of the World Trade Center attack


"A funeral for Brooklyn Firefighter Michael Ragusa will be held Sept. 8 — making him the last of the 343 firefighters killed in the World Trade Center attack to have a service in his memory."

As the anniversary of the Muslims' attack on September 11th is coming up, I would encourage everyone to go to Daniel Pipes' website. I read Mr. Pipes' column in the NY Post and he is very factual and relentless in pointing out the evil, vile, racist, and violent behavior of radical Islamists.

From the people who brought you September 11th:

Sirens Over Africa
Where there are stonings, there is jihad.

"If her appeal of this conviction is denied, she will be buried up to her chest, and the surrounding throng will throw stones at her until she is dead. The stones used must not be so small that they will inflict no damage, nor so large that they will kill her too quickly. She must die slowly and painfully in front of the crowd. "

I never saw this before but I came across it on a Marianist website

The Bible in 50 Words


God made
Adam bit
Noah arked
Abraham split
Jacob fooled
Joseph ruled
Bush talked
Moses balked
Pharaoh plagued
People walked
Sea divided
Tablets guided
Promises landed
Saul freaked
David peeked
Prophets warned
Jesus born
God walked
Love talked
Anger crucified
Hope died
Love rose
Spirit flamed
Word spread
God remained!
Amen.

A new feature of this blog will be the answer column. I have seen the question and answer format at many a website so I figured it might work here.

Who is Hans Kung?

I don’t know, but he has 2 funny dots in his last name that I don’t know how to post. Perhaps he is a Swedish artist or something.

May a Catholic refer to Ignatius Press as “Iggie Press”?

No they may not.

Why do so many Catholics teach dissent?

Because they are stupid.


If a Catholic school and a Lutheran school play each other in football, whose side is God on?

Whoever wins the game is obviously God’s favorite.

How many people have been declared saints by the Church?

A whole lot.

Are the Jesuits evil?

Yes, yes they are.


If I married a non-Catholic in a secular chapel, divorced and then remarried in a protestant church, and am now seeking to convert, do I have to get married again in the Catholic Church? Or can I get my marriage blessed and do I have to do this before I am received into the Church or after?

My head hurts.

Fact, Fiction And Opus Dei

"The bestselling novel ‘The Da Vinci Code’ puts the Catholic sect in the spotlight’s harsh glare. Some who have left call the group manipulative and cult-like, but adherents cast it in a soft light."

This newspaper is so bigoted you can't expect a decent article on the Catholic Church ever, for any reason. This article is not the worst I have seen however.

The sad case of Terri Schiavo brings to mind the difficult and complex area of end of life decisions. Catholic theology comes into play in many of these cases and is mentioned in one of the most famous cases –that of Karen Ann Quinlan. This is a quote from an amicus curiae filed by bioethicists (who unfortunately support abortion):

“The parties in the right to refuse treatment cases also understood the difference between refusing treatment and suicide. For example, Karen Ann Quinlan was a young woman in a persistent vegetative state, but not terminally ill. Her parents demanded that their daughter's ventilator be discontinued because they believed that is what she would have wanted. The doctors refused. The New Jersey Supreme Court, the country's first to decide a case involving withdrawal of life-sustaining medical technology (sometimes mistakenly called a "right to die" case) agreed that her wishes should be respected, and the ventilator was removed. Neither Ms. Quinlan nor her parents on her behalf, all devout Catholics, ever thought they were involved in suicide. The New Jersey Supreme Court carefully reviewed Catholic doctrine, which adamantly opposes suicide, assisted suicide, and euthanasia, but supports the right to refuse treatment. Pope Pius XII, in his Nov. 24, 1957 allocution, said that withdrawal or nonuse of mechanical ventilation . . . is not to be considered euthanasia in any way; that would never be licit. The interruption of attempts at resuscitation, even when it causes the arrest of circulation, is not more than an indirect cause of the cessation of life; and we must apply in this case the principle of double effect." 70 N.J. at 31, 355 A.2d at 658. See also Amicus Curiae brief of the Medical Society of New Jersey.”

“Similarly, in a New York case, Brother Joseph Fox, an elderly Catholic brother of the Society of Mary, said to his friend and confessor Father Philip Eichner, before surgery, words to the effect, "If I wind up like Karen Quinlan, pull the plug." In re Storar, 52 N.Y.2d 363, 420 N.E.2d 64, 438 N.Y.S. 2d 266 (1981). Since suicide is a mortal sin in the Catholic Church, it is likely that Brother Fox would have been horrified at the notion that his refusal of a ventilator when in a persistent vegetative state (the condition he actually was in after unsuccessful surgery) constituted suicide. Ethics and theology, like the law, recognize the difference between refusing treatment and suicide. “


Brother Fox and Fr. Eichner were both at Chaminade High School which I am always blabbing about. More info can be found from the NYS appeals case:

“For over 66 years Brother Joseph Fox was a member of the Society of Mary, a Catholic religious order which, among other things, operates Chaminade High School in [*371] Mineola. In 1970 Brother Fox retired to Chaminade where he resided with the religious members of the school's staff and continued to perform limited duties. In late summer of 1979 he sustained a hernia while moving some flower tubs on a roof garden at the school. He was then 83 years old and, except for the hernia, was found to be in excellent health. His doctor recommended an operation to correct the condition and Brother Fox agreed.

While the operation was being performed on October 1, 1979 he suffered cardiac arrest, with resulting loss of oxygen to the brain and substantial brain damage. He lost the ability to breathe spontaneously and was placed on a respirator which maintained him in a vegetative state. The attending physicians informed Father Philip Eichner, who was [***18] the president of Chaminade and the director of the society at the school, that there was no reasonable chance of recovery and that Brother Fox would die in that state.

After retaining two neurosurgeons who confirmed the diagnosis, Father Eichner requested the hospital to remove the respirator. The hospital, however, refused to do so without court authorization. Father Eichner then applied, pursuant to article 78 of the Mental Hygiene Law, to be appointed committee of the person and property of Brother Fox, with authority to direct removal of the respirator. The application was supported by the patient's 10 nieces and nephews, his only surviving relatives. The court appointed a guardian ad litem and directed that notice be served on various parties, including the District Attorney.

At the hearing the District Attorney opposed the application and called medical experts to show that there might be some improvement in the patient's condition. All [**68] the experts agreed, however, that there was no reasonable likelihood that Brother Fox would ever emerge from the vegetative coma or recover his cognitive powers.

There was also evidence, submitted by the petitioner, [***19] that before the operation rendered him incompetent the patient had made it known that under these circumstances he would want a respirator removed. Brother Fox had first expressed this view in 1976 when the Chaminade community discussed the moral implications of the celebrated Karen Ann Quinlan [*372] case, in which the parents of a 19-year-old New Jersey girl who was in a vegetative coma requested the hospital to remove the respirator (see Matter of Quinlan, 137 NJ Super 227, revd 70 NJ 10, cert den sub nom. Garger v New Jersey, 429 U.S. 922). These were formal discussions prompted by Chaminade's mission to teach and promulgate Catholic moral principles. At that time it was noted that the Pope had stated that Catholic principles permitted the termination of extraordinary life support systems when there is no reasonable hope for the patient's recovery and that church officials in New Jersey had concluded that use of the respirator in the Quinlan case constituted an extraordinary measure under the circumstances. Brother Fox expressed agreement with those views and stated that he would not want any of this "extraordinary business" done for him under those circumstances. [***20] Several years later, and only a couple of months before his final hospitalization, Brother Fox again stated that he would not want his life prolonged by such measures if his condition were hopeless.

In a thoughtful and comprehensive opinion, Mr. Justice Robert C. Meade at the Supreme Court held that under the circumstances Brother Fox would have a common-law right to decline treatment and that his wishes, expressed prior to becoming incompetent, should be honored. The court noted that the evidence of his stated opposition to use of a respirator to maintain him in a vegetative state was "unchallenged at every turn and unimpeachable in its sincerity."


Some notes: The District Attorney in this case is Dennis Dillon, a very publicly pro-life and devout Catholic.

The brothers and priests named their 6th-8th grade middle school at Kellenberg High School after Brother Fox.

The Brother Fox case involved a mechanical ventilator which may make it different from other cases (especially the Schiavo case).

End of Life situations are complex and I am glad that the Catholic theology involved is as well. This is one of those times when I hate to see Catholics pontificate about a situation in stark, black and white terms. As a Catholic I have no patience at all for dissent, but in these medical cases I have nothing but patience for those who must deal with the details.


More on Terri Schiavo can be found here at the Terri Schindler-Schiavo Foundation site. The more I read on this case, the more black and white this particular case seems to be!

Around St. Blog's

There is a discussion about Catholic bookstores at Open Book. (I don't know how to link to individual posts-scroll down). In the past I have posted my idea of starting a parish library or opening a Catholic bookstore. We have many bookstores here on Long Island and they are generally orthodox-I have only seen 1 or 2 books that I did not feel should be carried. I think the discussion at Amy Welborn's blog brings up an interesting point: how to run a business as a ministry or a ministry as a business. Ono, whose blog I enjoy, owns a Catholic bookstore and opines it must be run as a business. I agree, if I were to leave my good job I would need to be able to support myself. This does not mean I would carry books that encourage dissent but I might carry a book by Andrew Greeley if people wanted it. The idea that only books by Tan or Ignatius Press will be carried is a nice one but may not be enough to pay the rent. I have seen books by large publishers that did not contain anything harmful such as Brother Astronomer: Adventures of a Vatican Scientist. I don't see anything wrong with selling books that are of general interest. A seminarian recommended a bookstore in Huntington, Mariamonte to me. This store sells beautiful artwork as well as some books-almost all by Ignatius Press and Tan books. The store works! It is in a great village and fits in nicely-the art and books and design of the store are all first class. Most of the other bookstores carry much wider selections of books and make most of their money by selling Communion gifts, statues, etc... These stores can often be the contact places for many cultural Catholics who only go to Church for relatives' Communions, funerals, weddings, etc.. The store owners and workers should be evangelizers as well as salespeople. I would hope that there can be Catholic bookstores that are good businesses as well as excellent ministries.


There is a great post at Against the Grain that touches on Catholicism and capitalism, another area of interest to me. I have come to appreciate the benefits and morality of capitalism while still being very aware of problems in capitalist societies, and in the world economy. I have always found that some Catholics have an unhealthy negative view of making money and creating jobs through business. To be able to sit back and criticize while others create jobs and build businesses is a luxury. Then again, Catholics should not be cheerleaders for a system that has so many unhealthy aspects. I just don’t think that blaming businesses and capitalism for the plight of the developing world is helpful or totally accurate. This is where the Catholic influence should be strong as it was in the years when unions were becoming stronger in this country.

Traditional Catholic Reflections & Reports is back!!!


This is a great site that was not regularly updated for awhile but is now back to keeping Catholics informed. I should have posted this earlier since this was one of the great websites I found when I needed to learn about Catholicism.

I can't believe I am doing this....I, a Mets fan, will be going to that awful Yankee Stadium to watch a game. I was given tickets and figure I can always enjoy the food and read a paper. Go Baltimore!!

BLOGS OF THE DAY

22) Not for Sheep – Katherine

Self-Description: "The Lost Soul's Gas Station and Other Stories"

Features: Personal stories, musings

Quick Summary: Journal of a convert, law school student, and philosophy major, thoughtful posts

23) Blog: Between Heaven and Hell - Kevin Ho, Esq.

Self-Description: “Reports and observations from a Catholic attorney's perspective. Note: The opinions and truths expressed here are entirely mine and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.”

Features: posts from a lawyer concentrating on legal matters

Quick Summary: Another unique perspective for St. Blog’s, good posts

24) Blog: Dappled Things - Father Jim Tucker

Self-Description: “all things counter, original, spare, strange.”

Features: good sermons, interesting explanations of things Catholic

Quick Summary: Nice site where I have learned much of my culture and tradition

“ There you go again! ”

-Ronald Reagan

Oh those Voice of the Faithful members, they try so hard to sound “middle of the road”. Check out this quote from a speaker (Dr. Paul Lakeland) at a VOTF meeting on Long Island:

“Finally, there are three practical steps we need to work for. The first is for a free and responsible Catholic press. Of course there are the independent national Catholic journals like the National Catholic Reporter, Commonweal and America. And there are a few small journals on the right, like Crisis and The National Catholic Register.”

Got that? National Catholic Reporter, Commonweal and America are “national” and “independent” (not liberal) but Crisis and National Catholic Register are “a few small journals on the right”. It might interest this person to know that Crisis now has a greater circulation than America or Commonweal. The Register is growing quickly and will surpass the Reporter some day. Of course, the speaker ignores Catholic World Report, First Things, Envoy, but those are just small journals on the right.

“We need to work for a wider availability of publications like Commonweal and the NCR and America and, yes, like Crisis and The National Catholic Register, at the parish level, where they can stimulate lay thought about important issues in the church.”

Notice this, we need to push dissident rags but also, yes, those pesky right wing journals as an afterthought-just so people don’t think we are a bunch of dissidents.

This same speaker then goes on to talk about how he would abolish the College of Cardinals! According to the VOTF-LI website, an open mike then followed and many of the comments seem to question Dr. Lakeland’s beliefs and VOTF’s agenda. There are two separate references to “Katherine of Sienna”. One person questioned the groups’ choice of Richard McBrien as a speaker since he is a dissenter. I would have loved to have attended and questioned the choice of McBrien on the grounds that he was also chosen to speak by Bishop McGann years ago. McGann was the Bishop for over 20 years during which he personally transferred pedophile priests while forcing “conservative” pastors to resign. Why follow McGann’s example when you claim to be a group that is against his type of leadership? I asked this very question in an email to the co-leaders of VOTF-LI but they never answered. So much for “dialogue”.

The Best of Enemies
Foes Find Common Ground in Abortion Debate

This article from a local free newspaper describes Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life and Bill Baird, an abortion supporter and their "friendship". Fr. Pavone is impressive. The newspaper, New Island Ear, is at least more balanced when it comes to the Catholic Church than the anti-Catholic Newsday.

BLOGS OF THE DAY

19) Blog: Catholic Surfer - Betty G.

Self-Description: “I want to help you surf to the end of the Internet and beyond! Especially to Catholic apologetics sites.”

Features: Quotes from various Christian forums, apologetics

Quick Summary: Excellent site, great idea-posting excerpts from forums, good place to go for apologetics


20) Blog: Pro Deo et Patria - Bill Cork

Self-Description: “A Catholic’s Blog”

Features: links to articles, evenhanded assessments

Quick Summary: commentary on heterodoxy in the Church and the goings on in some other denominations, lately many Mel Gibson posts

21) Blog: Pilgrimage - peggy rettle

Self-Description: “This blog has to do with Catholic culture and some politics and economics.”

Features: current events

Quick Summary: Forthright, blunt posts with lots of politics

Many St. Blog parishioners are leaving Blogger for other types of hosts. They say they have had all sorts of trouble with Blogger but I have never found much trouble posting. Of course I stuck with basic blogger and never post pics or do anything fancy. I am afraid I have become an Underwood Guy. Those are people who insist on using the old Underwood typewriter they have had for years. I always used to think “get with it, those things are old, outdated, computer are so much easier”, but now I kind of understand. There is something to sticking with what you know and a kind of joy in keeping things simple. I also don’t like the way that many newer blogs look. On my internet explorer many of these blog templates appear to have large writing which makes me have to scroll to read every post. I like the comments box to pop up also-I don’t like the comments that appear under the posts. I guess I’ll stick to my regular old blog and template and post away until I am known as the only weirdo that still uses blogger.

I saw Mars!! Right now Mars and Earth are the closest they have been in 60,000 years and on the night of the GREAT POWER OUTAGE 2003 I stepped outside where it was cooler and saw an orange dot to the right of the moon. It looked like a star but with orange color instead of white. Take a gander now because it will be many years before Mars is this close. It is not much to look at with the naked eye but with a telescope it must be pretty cool. Read more about this here.

Anyone wish to speculate just when The Osbournes Jumped The Shark?? I say it was right after the brilliant first season. They were wacky, interesting, loving in a psycho kind of way at first but quickly became annoying as their fame grew.

BLOGS OF THE DAY

16) Blog:Eve Tushnet- Eve Tushnet

Self-Description: “Conservatism reborn in twisted sisterhood”

Features: politics, poetry, round ups of good posts from other blogs, intellectual posts, comics reviews

Quick Summary: A must read, hip, fun and intelligent


17) Blog: Annunciations -- Michael Dubruiel

Self-Description: "And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at the proper time, (Luke 1:20)."

Features: Some interesting news stories

Quick Summary: Nice place to get a collection of news stories and interesting info on saints.

18) Blog: A Saintly Salmagundi - Father Bryce Sibley

Self-Description: “Various Ruminations on Catholicism, Satire, Esoterica, Hagiography, Nuttiness, Culture, Etc.”

Features: Crazy stuff from the web, stories of butt-kicking saints, humor

Quick Summary: this priest has an awesome sense of the nuttiness of life (which is a requirement for Catholics), fun site

Gen X Revert will return tommorrow with Blogs of the Day

Blogging will return when it is not 1000 degrees and I can turn the air conditioning on without fear of blowing out the Northeast Corridor.

Update: Now that I said that I just found this article about people in other countries laughing at us. Seems that in Liberia the power has been out since 1992!

Relapsed Catholic linked to the article by Maggie Gallagher I wanted to post as soon as it was available. It was entitled Snubbing the Africans when it was in the NY Post.

"What really happened last week among Anglicans in Minneapolis? When push came to shove, the remnants of the old WASP elites decided to snub the black folks in the Anglican communion in favor of the voices of people who are white, affluent, with post-graduate educations, just like themselves. Is anybody really surprised? "

I just got power back! Must turn off computer to conserve-what a pain this outage was.

I saw the best writing on the Episcopal Church's situation in today's NY Post. It was by the great Maggie Gallagher but I don't see it online yet. As soon as it becomes available I will post it-it is a must read. Basically the column points out how orthodox Episcopalians are willing to put themselves under the authority of the Africans while the elite in the Anglican communion would rather stay with their fellow "WASPs with graduate degrees". There is an undercurrent of racism that says the "underdeveloped" world (read non-white) will someday become as advanced as us.

People will talk about the Crusades, Galileo, Inquisition, etc.. to portray us as dangerous religious fanatics but when was the last time you heard of “radical atheist fanatics”. Yet, I don’t have to go back centuries to find examples of bloody, repressive atheism. From the French Revolution to Nazism, to Communism, to Timothy McVeigh, to the Columbine shooters, the godless are the real dangers.

BLOGS OF THE DAY

13) Blog: Flos Carmeli - Steven Riddle

Self Description: “Reflections on Carmelite traditions and saints, contemplation, and the arts. . . among other things.”

Features: Poetry, Carmelite spirituality, commentary on music, arts, and literature

Quick Summary: beautiful blog, artistic, poetic, reminds us of how deep and wide Catholicism is


14) Blog: Rerum Novarum - Shawn McElhinney

Self-Description: “My musings on ...well...basically whatever I want to muse on...”

Features: extensive commentary, refutations of traditionalists

Quick Summary: Blogger obviously knows an incredible amount of stuff on Catholicism, this blog is very valuable for info. Concentrates on traditionalists, long posts with much info

15) Destination: Order – TheresaMF

Self-Description: The Pilgrimage of your typical post-homeschooling Catholic College student

Features: Stories of schooling at Christendom

Quick Summary: delightful journal-makes me wish I was in college again, and could choose an actual Catholic school this time

The Elizabeth Seton Childbearing Center is Closing

Seems the center where midwives delivered babies could not get good or affordable insurance.

THE TERRORIST NEXT DOOR

Ever since Sept. 11th the NY Post is the paper I read while getting breakfast. Daniel Pipes is one of the many reasons for this. Rod Dreher, Maggie Gallagher, Pat Buchanan, and Michelle Malkin were others but some of these people have moved on from the Post.

BLOGS OF THE DAY

10) Blog: From the Anchor Hold - Karen Marie Knapp

Self-Description: “at Fr. Groppi's Bridge, Milwaukee. Living simple, single, and submitted, in a real city, in a real world”

Features: selections of spiritual readings, prayers

Quick Summary: very spiritual and positive blog, good counter-balance to the more political blogs

11) Blog: man with black hat - David Alexander

Self-Description: none

Features: Zydeco, dancing, personal stories

Quick Summary: fun personal anecdotes, good commentary, lots of song and dance


12) Blog: Nihil Obstat - ?

Self-Description: “Don't ask for the facts unless you want the truth.”

Features: all the errors of St. Blogs

Quick Summary: hilarieus and brilient corections, I go here for laughs, the writer writes good and makes me lgh.

'Tribute in Light' To Mark 9/11 Anniversary

BLOGS OF THE DAY

7) Blog: The Blog from the Core - Lane Core

Self-Description: “Needless Commentary from Small-Town America”

Features: politics, both ecclesial and secular

Quick Summary: nice blog, especially interesting in pointing out hypocrisy on the left



8) Blog: Heart, Mind, and Strength - Gregory Popcak,Zoe Romanowsky, Kevin Miller & others

Self-Description: “Faith-filled Answers for Life's Toughtest Questions. An Internet ministry of the Pastoral Solutions Institute”

Features: Group blog, family issues, contemporary issues

Quick Summary: Fun and serious, lots of posts by many people


9) Blog: The Mighty Barrister

Self-Description: “Daily Catholic Commentary Online - Shaken, Not Stirred”

Features: Common sense, logic

Quick Summary: commentary on current stuff, quality posts

I went to St. Christopher’s parish today just for a change. The Church is beautiful and traditional- a crucifix is at the center above the tabernacle, there are altar rails (with padding!), and artwork is in the sanctuary. Statues of Mary and Joseph are on either side of the sanctuary, and the high altar is covered by a baldacchino! The Mass itself was pretty good, there were only a couple of annoying things: the Psalm was changed to take out “Him” in reference to God which just sounded silly, before Mass a woman asked everyone to introduce themselves to someone around them, and the priest began Mass by saying “Good morning, thank you for the air conditioning”. Other than that it was fine. I was struck by how the traditional architecture and the size of the Church made the priest and deacon seem to be only a part of the picture rather than the center of everything. In my Church and many others the priest is at the center and there is no artwork or anything to focus on during the Mass so your attention is drawn to the priest. I don’t understand how priests today feel they can start the Mass by making small comments about the weather, etc.. This really takes away from the ritual. It was brought home tonight when I watched Inside the Actor’s Studio with guest Martin Sheen. The whole hour was interesting and filled with references to Catholicism. I know, I know some readers are thinking ‘commie, pinko, liberal wacko Sheen, but he came across as intelligent, serious and proudly Catholic, and not flaky as I thought he might. The show started right off with reference to Sheen’s Spanish and Irish heritage and Catholicism. He talked about serving Mass and his favorite prayer at the beginning of Mass: “Introibo ad altare Dei. Ad deum qui laetificat juventutem meam.” James Lipton continued with “Judica me Deus, et discerne causam meam de gente non sancta..”, --two old altar boys spitting out the latin with smiles on their faces and a reverent tone. I have always loved that prayer at the beginning of the traditional Latin Mass! Now that is the way to start a Mass! Sheen was a graduate of Chaminade High School, the one in Dayton, Ohio not the one I attended. He spoke of taking the name Sheen from Fulton Sheen and later returning to the faith. Influenced by Day, Berrigan, and “liberation theology”, Sheen is definitely a liberal Catholic but a serious and devout one. The audience at least got to hear a positive and intelligent reference to Catholicism throughout the show. I also learned that Sheen played a Catholic soldier in The Execution of Private Slovik , the first one shot for desertion since the Civil War.

I grew to like James Lipton over many months of watching this show. He is a good interviewer and even his silly questions (what sound do you like? what is your favorite curse word?) make for some interesting responses. At first he can seem a bit over the top egotistical or whatever but he really seems to be passionate about the "craft" of acting and it makes the show and its guests more interesting.

BLOGS OF THE DAY

4) Blog: Gospel Minefield - Kathy the Carmelite

Self-Description: “Apologetics, Catechesis, and Triage”

Features: Observations by a happy Carmelite, lots of those quiz things

Quick Summary: Nice site of personal observations, balanced and humorous




5) Blog: Quenta Nârwenion – Donna Marie Lewis

Self-Description: “From the life of Nârwen. Catholic. Secular Oratorian. Rat Fan. And oh, yes, Tolkien Nut.”

Features: Info on saints, Newman, Tolkien

Quick Summary: Good stuff on Newman and oratory


6) Blog: The New Gasparian - Jeffrey Keyes C.PP.S.

Self-description: “This is dedicated to the Life and mission of St. Gaspar del Bufalo, and the Spirituality of the Precious Blood. Our on-going mission is to share the good news of a spirituality of hope and communion.”

Features: Thoughts of a priest, readings of St. Gaspar

Quick Summary: nice collections of readings and reflections, thoughtful commentary

BLOGS OF THE DAY

I use the Giant list o’ blogs to check out the Catholic blogs and don’t think I have seen them all. I try to limit the blogs I read on a frequent basis since there are so many, each different, and all good. Since I am afraid I am missing some good stuff I thought I would check out all the Catholic blogs around and then give quick summaries. I only checked out blogs that were recently updated, some blogs I am more familiar with and some I visited for the first time. I will start with the trinity of popular Catholic blogs:


1) Blog: A Catholic Blog for Lovers -- Gerard Serafin

Self –Description: “A celebration of beauty, truth, and goodness, and, of course, love...and perhaps a little nastiness”

Features: Lovely pictures, beautiful prayers, Today in Church history, major list of Catholic blogs used for these reviews

Quick Summary: One of the major Catholic blogs, always positive, uplifting, the kinder-gentler blog




2) Blog: Catholic and Enjoying It - Mark Shea

Self-Description: “So That No Thought of Mine, No Matter How Stupid, Should Ever Go Unpublished Again!

Features: News, rants, humor, lots of commenting

Quick Summary: One of the major Catholic blogs, a must see for Catholics, blunt, honest, direct, funny


3) Blog: Open Book- Amy Welborn

Self-Description: None

Features: News, lots of commenting, common sense, wisdom,

Quick Summary: One of the major Catholic blogs, good source for Catholic news delivered with humor and insight, balanced and thoughtful posts and comment discussions

And speaking of bigots-Christopher Hitchens was mentioned at Et Cetera today:

Victor Lams figures there must be a reason why Hitchens is so bitter about Bob Hope being beloved. I found this biographical article that gives a few reasons for Hitchen's bitterness. I knew Hitchen's mother committed suicide but I did not know she left his father for a defrocked priest. Interesting. With his writing skill and intelligence I hope he becomes yet another amazing conversion story.

Mel must act to stem rise of anti-Semitism

Yes that is the headline of an editorial in today's Daily News! Apparently Mel Gibson is the one responsible for the rise of anti-semitism which I stupidly had thought was occurring in areas with rising numbers of Muslims. If this movie is released, this writer believes it will cause beatings, riots, etc... Mr. Mad Max/Lethal Weapon/Braveheart is going to set Christian-Jewish relations back 2000 years don't you know.

"Trouble is, Gibson belongs to and finances a splinter group of revisionist Catholics who reject Vatican II and still insist those wicked Jews were behind Christ's passion."

This is slander of a group of traditionalists who to my knowledge have NEVER said any such thing. This writer is blind to the fact that it is not Christians that are targeting Jews today-it is Muslims. This writer seems typical of the type that are bashing Mel's film, vitriolic, out of touch, and slanderous. I have been alive for 33 years and have never once seen any evidence of massive, violent activity of Christians against Jews. I doubt that a movie will cause this to suddenly appear. (I have seen many examples of violence of Muslims against Christians, Hindus and Jews.) This article is a perfect example of the Anti-Christian garbage that I have seen in many newspapers and magazines. The more I read about this movie-the more I want to buy 100 tickets just to piss off the bigots.

Split Widens Over Gay Priest's Confirmation as Bishop

What I can't figure out about Gene Robinson and his supporters is how they can say that ordaining an openly gay bishop will help the Episcopal Church grow:

"Robinson said he values diversity within Anglicanism and hopes his critics will, too. He and other liberals contend that the church will grow by becoming more inclusive."

Has anyone been paying attention to the facts of the past 40 years in the Episcopal Church???? Something like a drop in membership from 3.5 million to 2.3 million since 1970?? The growth of any Christian group is with the real, the orthodox, the evangelical, the "old fashioned".


Of course, no article in this anti-Catholic rag would be complete without either outright bigotry or anti-Catholic nonsense:

"Unlike the Roman Catholic Church, where authority flows down from the Vatican, Anglicanism is a loose association of 38 national provinces that are largely autonomous."

This statement is nothing compared to the usual bigotry from this writer, just a generalized statement of a more complex thing-but most of the time the bigotry is blatant.

Long Island woman claims she was fired for having a baby

"But if her mother's ex-boss had his way, the playful toddler might never have been born, according to a federal lawsuit that alleges Jennifer James, 24, was fired from a Long Island brewery because she refused to have an abortion."

Bill O'Reilly had more on Mel Gibson's Passion tonight-it was the subject of the "Talking Points" memo that opened the show. Michael Medved and Cal Thomas were on but I was not able to see the whole segment since I was going to the gym. I rejoined the gym recently and hope to be in some decent shape when I go on my cruise. The ship is Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas and it is huge. It features a rock climbing wall, ice skating rink and mini golf course, so there will be plenty to do on or off the ship.

Layers of Hell Dante never saw:

Layer for those who introduced Kumbaya into Masses
Layer for those who produced the Anna Nicole Show
Layer for those who use the words “proactive” and “concretize”
Layer for those who insist on using drums at Mass
Layer for those who say “I love the snow” when its coming down hard
Layer for those who use their cell phone while driving

I finally had a cable modem hooked up and it is working well. I can surf the internet with ease and don't miss aol at all. I downloaded a firewall and a pop-up blocker which are both handy. The pop-up blocker is particularly helpful. It works so well that I have to disable it everytime I want to bring up comments on a blog. So now the only time I ever get those annoying pop-up ads is when I am reading blogs. And for the record, no I don't want my penis enlarged nor do I care to speak to Sexy Suzie.

Here is another press release from the Catholic League regarding my Bishop

Another one that corrects some things

A Third!!

And Here is Bishop Murphy explaining his time in Boston

This is how a real Catholic lay organization does things:

"Voice of the Faithful wants Bishop Murphy to resign. In response, the Catholic League has begun a petition drive in support of him. On July 29, Donohue sent a letter to all the pastors in the Diocese of Rockville Centre requesting that they ask parishioners to sign the petition. But today Bishop Murphy sent a letter asking the pastors to stay out of it. "

“The Catholic League is deeply appreciative of the kind words that Bishop Murphy has written about our support for him. Regarding our petition drive involving the parishes, his instincts are right on target: this is a dispute between lay Catholics that should not involve the parishes. Indeed, to do so would unnecessarily politicize matters. That is why we are now faxing and mailing a letter to every pastor requesting he accede to Bishop Murphy’s request. ‘I fully understand his reservations,’ I said, ‘and respectfully second his call to keep the parishes out of this conflict.’ "

Bishop Murphy continues to impress me. The Catholic League is awesome and is alive today mostly thanks to the Long Island Chapter. This local chapter kept the League afloat when the group almost disbanded due to lack of members, money and influence. They ended up finding Bill Donohue and the rest is ......you know. Go HERE to get a printable petition.

Speaking of # 92 above:

Our diocese has a television network, called Telecare, which I have never seen. They broadcast EWTN on it overnight but have cut back the time EWTN is on, in favor of shows such as a health show by local weatherman Frank Field. Really. I read on the internet that their antenna, located on the grounds of Kellenberg High School can be seen in The Godfather, parts of which were filmed here on Long Island. The famous machine gunning death scene of Sonny Corleone was filmed at the former Mitchel Field, an old airport. I watched the scene making sure to look for it, and sure enough, there is Telecare’s antenna in the background just as Sonny is driving around toward the toll booth and his bloody death.

For the Locals:

98 Signs that You Are a Long Islander


1.) You know someone who went to Chaminade.
48.) You live in the shadow of the greatest city in the world, but you never go there.
60.) You've never been to Times Square on New Year's Eve.
76.) You went to an elementary school that promoted dodge ball as the number 1 game among children 7-13.
91.) When you hear Billy Joel's "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" you try to figure out what places on Long Island he's talking about.
92.) You know that parts of the Godfather were filmed on LI.

I had my first experience with a "current theology" homily this past Sunday! I went to another parish to meet several people from a group to help plan the next season of meetings. The Church was big and beautiful in a 100 year old parish. The priest spoke of the miracle of the loaves and fishes and started by saying how some people "today" would say that Jesus did not actually multiply the loaves and fishes, he simply had a young boy come forward and convinced him to give him some fish and bread. This example caused people to whip out their bread and fish and start sharing. I was expecting the priest to get to the part where he debunks this but he never did. He went on to explain the miracle was one of "breaking the hard hearts of people" by sharing. He then said the miracle of the Eucharist is one of sharing also. This lead me to think he was dismissing the Real Presence but maybe I was reading too much into it. I was boiling at this point realizing this priest was preaching this garbage and wondered what the other people from the Faith on Tap group were thinking. After the Mass I kept quiet about it and we all went to a local diner for brunch. The wife of the group leader said, before we begin can I ask what you all thought of the homily? I blurted out “It was blasphemy, absolute garbage”. She was thankful because that was her reaction. (I don’t know if this qualifies as blasphemy but I was hungry and angry). We agreed that, at least for those who listened to the homily, people could conclude that if Jesus did not perform this miracle, then maybe he did not perform others as well. One person jokingly suggested maybe Lazarus was just a heavy sleeper after all. I argued that the homily said to me:
---Jesus did not really perform this miracle, it is all about sharing. The Eucharist is not really a miracle, it too is about sharing. Therefore, I don’t need to go to a Catholic Church next Sunday because I could just go to any protestant church since most of them share better.

Modern theories like this start with people trying to debunk things in the Bible that conflict with a rational, materialistic viewpoint. Most people learned about sharing in the first grade or earlier, I don’t think homilies like this will inspire anyone above first grade. Why can’t a priest make good points about sharing and breaking cold hearts without trying to deny Jesus’ miracles?

"Here we are in Bahrain, the real land of brotherly love....Everyone here looks like Danny Thomas. And that's just the women....No show of public affection is allowed. In Bahrain, that's called the law. Back home it's called marriage...Women here can't show any skin. I ordered a chicken breast and it was wearing a bra.....This is the kind of country where they cut off your hand for stealing. I don't even want to think about what they cut off if you steal someone's wife."

Bob Hope Don't Shoot, It's Only Me