Cablevision Adds Full Time EWTN Channel

This is great news - anyone who has IO Cablevision can now get EWTN full time on channel 135. It will be a pleasure to once again see Bookmark, The World Over, The Journey Home, EWTN Live, etc.. Although Telecare occasionally showed EWTN, mostly at night, it will be great to have this Catholic programming in prime time.

Speaking of EWTN, the blog at on the EWTN site: Joan's Rome, has an interesting post about the cleaning of St. Peter's Square. Check out the before and after pictures of the columns and statues.

Four men eager to serve as priests of Rockville Centre Diocese

Today Bishop Murphy will ordain 3 men to the priesthood for the DRVC (another will be ordained later this month). The Long Island Catholic has profiles of each on their website:

Deacon Michael Bartholomew

Deacon Janusz Mocarski

Deacon Harold Noviello

Deacon Gregory Rannazzisi


Also another Long Islander, Brian Dunkle, will be ordained today for the Jesuits.

God Bless!

Christa House in West Babylon is closing

From Newsday:

"Christa House, the West Babylon hospice founded to give poor AIDS patients shelter and companionship in their final days, is closing down after more than a decade of ministering to the dying and indigent."

Housed on the grounds of Our Lady of Grace Parish, Christa House opened in 1998 and was the first AIDS facility on Catholic Church property on Long Island. Its founders - a small group of nuns and laywomen headed by Sister Patricia Ryan and Long Beach nurse Jean Prochilo - wanted to provide poor AIDS patients with a family environment where they would not die alone or in pain.

The home's mission broadened later to include other terminally ill people, including some with health insurance.

"I can't give you any of the details," Prochilo said of the shutdown. "But 569 people, before they died, they knew they were loved, cherished, that their lives had meaning and [they] were able to die in peace, safety and dignity."

Sean Dolan, a spokesman for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, said he did not know when or why the nonprofit home would close. Christa House is not directly affiliated with the diocese, he said."We're sorry that it's closing its doors, because it has been a very vital ministry," Dolan said. "We are looking to see what can be done to continue the mission of Christa House through some arrangement with Catholic Health Services."


Although the original intent was to provide a hospice for people with AIDS, they began taking in anyone needing hospice service soon after opening. I know there is a real need for hospice around here so people do not have to travel far to visit loved ones so hopefully something can be worked out with Catholic Health Services.

Msgr. DeGrocco and Msgr. McNamara do a tag team on Reverence at Mass in The Long Island Catholic. My comments are in red and emphasis in bold, following the Fr. Z. protocol.



DeGrocco: Coffee cups, water bottles,bathrooms and ritual behavior

"If it seems our liturgical celebrations are lacking a sense of the holy and transcendent, the problem is not with the rite itself; it is with the way we are enacting the rite. [I agree but some traditionalist Catholics disagree - they say some of the changes in the Rite itself are the problem] Of course, there is no excuse for a poorly enacted ritual on the part of the liturgical ministers [seen it], and any one or a combination of a careless presider [seen it], a poor leader of song [heard it] banal or unsingable music [is there any other type of Church music?], ill-trained altar servers [seen it], or a reader’s incomprehensible proclamation of the Word of God [heard it, including mistakes that changed the entire meaning of a sentence which is why I always read the missalette] will have deleterious effects on the sense of reverence and transcendence that should be part of liturgical celebrations. But even when all those aspects of the ritual are done well [generally the case at the parish I now attend], there is still something more required, and that is the proper ritual behavior of the assembly, of each and every person present who makes up the Body of Christ gathered together to enter into mystery."

"Perhaps an inability to “get something out of Mass” results from a lack of proper behavior that would allow us to fully enter into it in the first place. When we bring Starbucks coffee cups and vitamin water bottles into church we make going into Mass the same as going anywhere else. By behaving the same way in church as we do elsewhere in terms of our bodily posture, our conversational volume, and even in the way we dress, are we expressing a subtle message about our fear of letting that time and that space truly be something different where we will encounter the holy? Do we deliberately try to tone down or tame the transcendent because we are afraid of it: because we are afraid we might really be transformed, afraid that a real demand might be made on us in terms of changing our life to live in greater conformity with Christ?" [YES! oh wait, those were rhetorical questions]

Ding, McNamara enters the ring: The proper focus of worship is Jesus Christ

"In a recent article in Time magazine on using Twitter at Sunday worship, the writer said, “If worship is about creating community, Twitter is an undeniably useful tool.”Twitter may be a useful tool, but worship is not about creating community." [This should be stamped on Catholic foreheads, perhaps on Ash Wed.] The creation of community is the result of our worship of God. We have become so preoccupied with ourselves in our culture that we are turned inward in a blinding prison. If we cannot see beyond ourselves, we cannot worship God. If we do not appreciate that our true home is in heaven, we will expect this life to be all there is, and we will be disappointed. One of the most critical obstacles to faith today is our preoccupation with ourselves and our lack of appreciation and anticipation of life with God forever.The irreverent and all too prevalent talking in Church is a further symptom of this, as is the complaint that I don’t get anything out of going to Church.

Here are other snips from this article which is really good so it should be read entirely:

"The proper focus of worship is not community or feeling good. Worship is not entertainment."

"The proper focus of worship for us as Christians is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the center of our community, and Jesus is the center of our worship."

"The centrality of Christ also has implications for the priest at Mass. ..... If he inserts his personality too much into the Mass, he becomes a distraction. This is also true when telling jokes and bantering about baseball scores is a regular shtick. "

Solemn High Mass at St. Matthew's in Dix Hills

Fr. Brian Austin, FSSP, recently ordained, came to Dix Hills to offer a Solemn High Mass yesterdcay. The deacon and sub-deacon were from the FSSP and the pastor of St. Matthews Fr. John McCartney preached the homily. The blog DRVC Catholic has some pictures and video clips are at the blog DRVC Catholic.

Charges: West Babylon woman had sex with student, 14

The headline in Newsday neglects to include the word "teacher". This is the latest of many stories of teachers being caught abusing children. Since 2002, all Catholics should be hyper-sensitive to anyone abusing teens and put as much focus on the schools as was put on the Church.

Jon & Kate Plus 8

My wife and I watched the season premiere of Jon & Kate Plus 8 and it was just painful to watch. The first couple of seasons of the show were really funny, interesting and kind of inspiring and now, it just should end. They need to have a normal life and get on with their parenting and forget the show, the fame and the money. Just end it.

Youth and the Future of the Pro-Life Movement

I completely forgot to blog about the Pro-Life Youth Conference held at Nassau Community College yesterday. Leticia posted the panel topics and speakers at Causa Nostrae Laetitia.

Four arrested in plot to bomb NYC targets

From MSNBC:

"NEW YORK - The FBI arrested four men Wednesday in what authorities called a plot to detonate a bomb outside a Jewish temple and to shoot military planes with guided missiles."

"The men, described as Black Muslims, had planned to detonate a car with plastic explosives outside a temple in the Bronx neighborhood of Riverdale and to shoot military planes at the New York Air National Guard base at Stewart Airport in Newburgh with Stinger surface-to-air guided missiles, authorities said.
The defendants planned to "destroy a synagogue and a Jewish community center with C-4 plastic explosives," Acting U.S. Attorney Lev L. Dassin said. "

"Two years ago, two Muslims pleaded guilty to plotting to attack synagogues in Los Angeles. But officials said that they knew of no connection between those arrests and this latest plot in New York. "

Bishop Murphy ordained 9 men as deacons (permanent) this past weekend.

I sent June Cleaver After a Six-Pack to Andrea to add to the Catholic Blog Directory.

Men's conference draws over eight hundred

"By Pete Sheehan

HICKSVILLE — Bishop William Murphy looked out at several hundred men filling the auditorium for the diocesan Catholic Men’s Conference last Saturday and exclaimed: “If you could only see what I see.

“There are men from all parishes of the diocese and all different backgrounds,” Bishop Murphy said. At the sight of so many men so serious about their faith, the bishop noted, “I get pumped.”

The congregation at the closing Mass in the auditorium of Holy Trinity Diocesan High School here roared in response with their own enthusiasm for the daylong conference. More than 800 men attended the conference, which had the theme “You Have What It Takes.”


The above link is to the Long Island Catholic article on the Catholic Men's Conference I attended. The huge turnout is an indication that just this sort of thing was needed in this Diocese. I look forward to next year's event and hope they can line up some good speakers again.

Catholic Men's Conference

The Catholic Men's Conference was very good. It was very well organized and very well attended. There must have beeen 700 men there or more. The speakers were all good, Msgr. Lisante was probably the standout. Fr. Joseph Fitzgerald was the emcee and Bishop Libasci welcomed us men. Brother Louis Leonelli, CFR led off speaking of his conversion experience from pagan to Catholic. He will be ordained in two weeks for the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. There was a short video from Coach Mike Krzyzewski, the basketball coach at Duke. This video was made possible thanks to Fr. Fitzgerald meeting Coach K at the Olympics - Fr. Fitzgerald was on the USA Olympic European Handball team. Then it was time for another basketball coach, Lou Carnesecca, the legendary coach from St. John's to give a short talk that was well received. Msgr. Lisante gave the best talk, although I had a bit of it before at Faith on Tap. He spoke on the beauty of sex and how men needed to eliminate porn and extra-marital affairs from their lives. Mark Bavaro, former NY Giant, was surprisingly good and very honest in describing his faith as not quite as on fire as it was in his earlier years. He was there to promote his new book, Rough and Tumble which is a novel. The Detective Stephen McDonald gave a moving talk on forgiveness and led us all in a decade of the Rosary. Throughout the day there was Eucharistic Adoration, Confessions, and vendors at various tables selling some good stuff. I bought The Virtue Driven Life by Fr. Benedict Groeschel from a table run by the excellent Daughters of St. Paul. I did not stay for the Mass offered by Bishop Murphy but overall it was a great day. I am glad to see it was a successful event as this is something that is obviously needed in the Church. Unfortunately I brought a camera with almost dead batteries so any pictures I took of the speakers came out too dark. If anyone who attended has any pictures I could post please send them. At least I can post these pictures of the Orange County Choppers Custom Pope John Paul II Tribute Motorcycle -

I will be at the Catholic Men's Ministry Conference on Saturday. It is going to be a beautiful day, around 82 degrees so hopefully the conference will be good so I don't feel like I wasted a great day indoors. When I first checked out their website there were over 700 tickets available and now there are 100 so it seems like it will be well attended.

Website: Catholic Men's Ministry

CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS TRULY RISEN!

HAPPY EASTER!

I went to Confession yesterday - there was a traffic jam in the parking lot! I had to wait on 1 of the two lines for a little while, and while there each of the two priests were relieved by another priest. This Diocesan wide day of Confession is a great idea and is quite popular. You can hardly spit without hitting a Catholic Church here on Long Island so it is very convenient. It also helps knowing you can walk into any parish anywhere and go anonymously. I am glad to see the Diocese of Brooklyn is on board also.

I wish everyone a prayerful and peaceful Holy Week.

Diocesan Wide Day of Reconciliation

All parishes in the Diocese of Rockville Centre will have confessions heard from 3 - 9 PM tomorrow. This tradition has been going on here for several years and is a good idea. Apparently the Diocese of Brooklyn will also be taking part, as I discovered via The Deacon's Bench who links to this website - SoulWow!

Catholicism and Economics:
Democratic Socialism, Democratic Capitalist, and Distributist Options With a Peschian Response.

I attended the first part of this great conference at the Nassau Community College Center for Catholic Studies today. As the picture below attests, it was a good turnout for which I am happy. Professor Varacalli always does an excellent job with these events and they are well worth the time and all Catholics in the area should try to attend.

I had to leave early and took this picture on my way out the door. It shows Michael Novak at the podium during the discussion period.

The conference started out with the traditional huge feast featuring various heroes, salads, several trays of baked ziti and cake. The Center for Catholic Studies always feeds the mind and body! I purchased 3 books after stuffing my face: Business As A Calling by Michael Novak, Economics for Helen by Hilaire Belloc, and The Catholic Milieu by Thomas Storck. I was able to get two of these books signed by the authors. (Mr. Belloc was unable to attend, although he was definitely there in spirit.) After the lunch we all headed downstairs and heard brief tributes to 3 Catholic scholars who have recently passed away:

Cardinal Avery Dulles (tribute by Msgr. Robert Batule)
Msgr. Michael Wrenn (tribute by Msgr. George P. Graham)
Fr. Richard John Neuhuas (tribute by Michael Novak)

Then the 3 speakers gave their presentations on the 3 economic options based on Catholic Social Thought -

Dr. Charles M.A. Clark began by noting the irony that he taught at the nation's largest Catholic University and yet it was a secular community college that had a great Center for Catholic Studies. Dr. Clark pointed out how Catholic Social Thought is not economic theory but moral theology. He contrasted Catholic Social Thought (necessarily social) with neoclassical economics (individualistic) and cautioned that self-interest (greed) as the ultimate value eats away at public virtue. A great point he made in my opinion, is that capitalism works in Europe and America because it is able to take advantage of the self-control and value systems which come from the Christian culture that nurtured these areas for centuries. Once that Christian culture is gone, and it is going, watch out....

Next up was Michael Novak who spoke of wealth being created by the minds of people. It was the ideas and the American value of invention and entrepreneurship that grows wealth. He pointed out the positive value of capitalism as lifting so many people up from poverty in just a couple hundred years.

Last to speak was Thomas Storck who gave a very interesting presentation on Distributism. This system was the creation of Hilaire Belloc and G. K. Chesterton who based their ideas on Rerum Novarum. In a nutshell, distributism means property is distributed to as many people as possible. It focuses on small businesses and advocates large entities being employee owned. Belloc pointed out the danger of making money from things other than actually producing or working. This increases interest in the wealth itself and decreases interest in the product or work itself.

All of the presentations had some interesting points. I was unable to stay for the discussion period and the final statements as well as the response of Dr. Stephen Krason on solidarism. Even though I only witnessed the first part of the program, it gave me plenty to think about. After I got home, I noticed on The ChesterBelloc Mandate blog that several people from The Society for Distributism were attending so I missed the opportunity to meet them. Well, hopefully I will have the chance at another event. The Society may post the video of the talks on their website which would be awesome. It would be great to have a transcript of the talks and debates. Even though I only heard the opening parts, it was a lot to digest.

I hope nobody minds if I post these pictures I took:

Michael Novak speaking with a retired economics professor I met - George Frost, Dr. Clark is on the left

Thomas Storck speaking with conference attendees during the coffee break

REMINDER -

Catholicism and Economics:
Democratic Socialist, Democratic Capitalist, and Distributist Options

When: Saturday, April 4th, 2009.

Where: College Center Building of Nassau Community College, Garden City, N.Y.

Who: All are invited, free of any charge, but registration is required.

What: A conference on the topic of the compatibility of the Catholic vision with three economic systems: "democratic socialism," "democratic capitalism," and "distributism." The conference features scholarly presentations, intellectual exchanges, and summary statements on the three systems and a final reflection on the conference from the perspective of Heinrich Pesch and Solidarism.

All attendees must register with Nassau Community College, Office of Lifelong Learning, One Education Drive, Garden City, New York, 11530 (phone 1-516-572-7472). A parking permit will be mailed to you. Attendees should be aware that failure to display a permit on the inside window ledge of your vehicle or otherwise parking illegally could result in a parking ticket being issued to you.

Program

11:30 A.M. Luncheon

12:30 P.M. Tributes to the Catholic scholarship of the late Cardinal Avery Dulles, S.J., of Fordham University by Monsignor Robert Batule of Immaculate Conception Seminary and of the late Monsignor Michael Wrenn of Dunwoodie Seminary by Monsignor George P. Graham, President, NY Metropolitan Chapter of the Society of Catholic Social Scientists.

1 P.M. Presentations. Exchanges, and Summary Statements-

Democratic Socialism - Charles M.A. Clark of St. John's University
Democratic Capitalism - Michael Novak of the American Enterprise Institute
Distributism - Thomas Storck of the Society for Distributism
Final Reflection - Stephen Krason of Franciscan University from the perspective of Heinrich Pesch ("Solidarism").

Conference concludes by 4:30 P.M.

I plan to attend and to see if the 'Democratic Capitalism' option includes much discussion of Libertarianism.

From the Long Island Catholic:

Watch your language

"My advice to my pro-life friends is the same advice my mother offered to me as a child: Watch your language. Calling people “baby killers” or the “anti-Christ” probably isn’t going to persuade them of the rightness of our position. Instead, it makes them less likely to listen and weakens our credibility as pro-life ambassadors. Be conscious of your words. Are they angry, vindictive, mean-spirited? Remember that if you send them out in an e-mail they will travel quickly all over the globe and reach people you don’t even know. Is this the face you want others to see? "



This column by Kathleen Gallagher points out some of the weird and discouraging things I have read within the Catholic blogosphere over the past year. I have enjoyed reading and commenting and blogging for over 6 years now but temporarily lost almost all interest due to the incessant political commentary that made me wonder about St. Blog's. I have read on Catholic blogs that Barack Obama is a "terrorist", a "baby killer", and a "communist". I have seen him imagined as another Hitler and another Castro and even the Anti-Christ. I think this Column hits the nail on the head. If I, a pro-life, orthodox Catholic who is very much a Catholic blogosphere 'fan' am weirded out by the shrill tone of the writing, how do you think others with different outlooks perceive the writing?

Diocese Announces First Catholic Men’s Conference


"ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. 19 March 19, 2009 (Solemnity of St. Joseph) – The Diocese of Rockville Centre announced today an exciting new initiative in its 51-year history, a day-long prayerful gathering of men: The Catholic Men’s Conference. The purpose of the Men’s Conference is to gather Catholic men together for an opportunity to reinforce to them, that the Lord recognizes each of these men, his good and faithful servants in whom he is well pleased.

Held on Saturday, April 25th, 2009, men from across Long Island are invited to Holy Trinity Diocesan High School, Hicksville, NY for a day of prayer, motivational speakers, fellowship and receipt of the Sacraments"

"Guest speakers featured include Brother Louis Leonelli, CFR, Franciscan Friar of the Renewal, with his inspiring story of conversion; former St. John’s University Basketball Coach, Lou Carnesecca; New York Police Department Detective Steven McDonald, with his experience of forgiveness; retired New York Giants’ All-Star tight end, Mark Bavaro and Msgr. Jim Lisante, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes parish, Massapequa Park. The Most Reverend William Murphy, Bishop, Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre will celebrate Mass at 4:30 p.m."

This sounds like a good thing, the conference has a website here.

Bishop Guglielmone

I got home from the gym and caught just the end of the Mass on Telecare at which Msgr. Guglielmone was ordained and installed as Bishop of Charleston, SC. The Mass was live streamed over the internet on the Diocese of Charleston's website. There was a 'Benedictine' arrangement on the Altar (6 candles and a crucifix in the middle), so called because Pope Benedict started this recently as a way to bring about 'interior ad orientem'. There was some beautiful sounding chants while the new Bishop walked around and blessed those within the Cathedral. Too bad I did not see the ordination.

Archbishop Timothy Dolan to NY?

The rumor is once again being spread that Archbishop Timothy Dolan of Milwaukee, who had to clean up the mess left behind by disgraced Archbishop Rembert Weakland, will be the next Archbishop of NY. He was long considered a candidate for NY and he may need to clean up a bit of a mess in NY also, although nothing to do with payoffs to gay loves as in Weakland's case. Cardinal Egan was never popular with his priests or his employees who saw him as a 'Dr. House' type, with little social skills. He was sent to NY because his administrative skills, something the great Cardinal O'Connor did not possess, were sorely needed. So now it appears the time is right for Dolan, who is a very warm and caring guy and would probably help the morale of priests in NY.

2/23/09 UPDATE: it is official now

Beautiful Churches on Long Island (2/21/09 update - scroll down)

I have mentioned before that the Church I was married in - St. Martin of Tours in Amityville - is one of the most beautiful Churches in the DRVC. I keep meaning to take some pictures of the Church and post them to show why I believe this.
I would like to know if anyone else knows of beautiful parish Churches on Long Island. Please let me know!

12/14 UPDATE - moved to top, From the comments we have:

St. Kilian's, Farmingdale (yes!)
St. Patrick's Bay Shore
St. Aloysius, Great Neck
St. Agnes, Rockville Centre


I have not been to St. Patrick's or St. Aloysius so I will have to check them out. St. Agnes, I am not sure of, the outside is beautiful, but the inside is kinda plain?

12/21 UPDATE from the comments -

Infant Jesus, Port Jefferson
St. Patrick's, Glen Cove (the oldest parish in the DRVC)
St. Ignatius, Hicksville
Cure of Ars, Merrick
St. Isidore, Riverhead
St. Joseph's, Garden City
Sacred Hearts Jesus and Mary, Southampton

I would also add St. Therese of Liseux in Montauk and St. Raphael's in East Meadow, which are both newer Churches.

2/21/09 Update -

I have been to Mass at St. Patrick's in Bay Shore, and it does have a very nice sanctuary. Unfortunately, the sanctuary is not used as they have moved the altar to almost the middle of the Church, I suppose in an effort to allow more people to see the priest. (This actually doesn't work at least from I sat, it was hard to see the priest and the lector). I went to an evening Mass so it was dark and I would have liked to see the Church with sunlight streaming through the stained glass windows in the high dome in the center of the Church. The Church is similiar to St. Joseph's in Babylon and has a very old feel to it.

I also attended a lecture at St. Joseph's in Garden City and peeked into the Church before the lecture started. It was very beautiful with a big baldachino (?) over the altar. I will have to get there for Mass some day.

Michael Dubriel, RIP

I recently starting using Facebook and have many Catholic bloggers as friends there. I logged on last night and immediately saw notice of Michael's death. He was Amy Welborn's husband and collapsed at the gym. This is a big tragedy for Amy and her children. She has asked for people to buy his books, particularly The How-To Book of The Mass.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,and let perpetual light shine upon him. May the souls of the faithful departed,through the mercy of God,rest in peace. Amen.

The Episcopal Church

2008 was the year that the situation in the Episcopal church finally reached a boiling point. Episcopalians have been in decline for decades especially starting in the 1970’s when they began to ordain women as priests. With the creation Gene Robinson, a man who left his wife for another man, as bishop of New Hampshire, the church really began to unravel. For some years now, groups of Anglo-Episcopalians have been separating from the official Episcopal organization in the US, but now entire dioceses have officially announced their separation: Forth Worth, Pittsburgh and Quincy.

Perhaps the most severe break was in Pittsburgh: “Approximately 27 congregations, or about 40% of the Pittsburgh Diocese prior to the October separation, remain active in the life of the Episcopal Church.”

It is important for Catholics to keep an eye on this since many Episcopalians, including some clergy have come into the Catholic Church where they should be welcomed home. Also, the movement within the Episcopal church can provide a glimpse of what will happen, and has happened within the Catholic Church if certain ideas take hold. The ordination of women is sometimes seen as inevitable and somehow ‘liberating’ to women. Forgetting the faulty theology for a minute, the ordination of women is also seen as the solution to the vocations crisis. Here is where the situation of the Episcopalians is instructive. The ordination of women in the Episcopal Church has not increased the membership in the church nor has it meant an overflow of clergy. The ordination of actively gay men has not helped either. In fact, Episcopalians are hemorrhaging members as the number of defections within the US grows.

For examples close to home, the Episcopal church in Levittown closed down some years ago and one congregation in Queens completely left the Diocese. The two churches around my childhood hometown of Massapequa do not have resident priests.

The reactions of Episcopalians to the situation (denial) is also instructive and I believe mirrors the reactions of many Catholics, particularly religious, to the loss of active Mass going members in the Catholic Church. One thing many Catholics and Episcopalians share is absolute denial of the negative effects of straying from the path of orthodoxy. As the number of both Church going Catholics and the number of religious declined incredibly from 1960-1980, there were and are many Catholics who say anything but the truth: orthodox theology, teaching, and living attracts people, heterodoxy and giving in to whatever is popular at the time does not attract worshipping,

My wife and I went to see Gran Torino yesterday and we both loved it. It was funny, heartbreaking, exciting, interesting and uplifting. I was expecting a more dramatic scene between the priest and the Clint Eastwood character but it went in a different direction from what I was expecting. The contrast between the immigrant family and Eastwood's family was portrayed nicely. This was an excellent film that was worth seeing in the theatre instead of waiting to Netflix.

Creative Minority Report is being linked to all over the Catholic blogosphere due to this notice:

"It is being reported in an Australian Catholic weekly that the CDF is prepared to recommend that the Traditional Anglican Communion, a group of continuing Anglicans seeking unity with Rome, be granted the status of a Personal Prelature."

This hopeful news follows the lifting of the excommunication of the 4 SSPX bishops which is a major step to dialogue that may regularize their status. This is quite a good way to followup on the week of Christian Unity and the Year of St. Paul.

From Whispers in the Loggia comes this news:

"This morning, Benedict XVI appointed Msgr Robert Guglielmone, rector of St Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre, as the 13th bishop of Charleston, one of the nation's eight oldest dioceses. In the post shepherding the Palmetto State's 185,000 Catholics, the 63 year-old pick succeeds Bishop Robert Baker, who was transferred to the diocese of Birmingham in August 2007."

It is nice to see the Diocese of Rockville Centre exporting a priest to become a Bishop, something I do recall seeing before. I know Bishop Cardone of the Solomon Islands (brother of Fr. Thomas Cardone of Kellenberg) is a native Long Islander but don't know of any other LI bishops serving elsewhere. Telecare will broadcast Bishop Murphy introducing Msgr. Guglielmone at 11 AM tomorrow. Best of luck to Msgr. Guglielmone!

Excommunications of the SSPX Bishops Lifted

This is great news. The Church is taking good steps toward getting the SSPX into full reconciliation. We all owe a debt of gratitude to the SSPX for keeping tradition alive over the past 35 years. Let's hope the SSPX will take some action against Richard Williamson to help smooth the process.

I have already seen some bloggers mention this conference on Catholicism and Economics at the Nassau Community College Center for Catholic Studies, so I wanted to post it also:

Catholicism and Economics:
Democratic Socialist, Democratic Capitalist, and Distributist Options

What: A conference on the topic of the compatibility of the Catholic vision with three economic systems: "democratic socialism," "democratic capitalism," and "distributism." The conference features scholarly presentations, intellectual exchanges, and summary statements on the three systems and a final reflection on the conference from the perspective of Heinrich Pesch and Solidarism.

When: Saturday, April 4th, 2009.
Where: College Center Building of Nassau Community College, Garden City, N.Y.

Who: All are invited, free of any charge, but registration is required.

All attendees must register with Nassau Community College, Office of Lifelong Learning, One Education Drive, Garden City, New York, 11530 (phone 1-516-572-7472). A parking permit will be mailed to you. Attendees should be aware that failure to display a permit on the inside window ledge of your vehicle or otherwise parking illegally could result in a parking ticket being issued to you.

Program

11:30 A.M. Luncheon

12:30 P.M. Tributes to the Catholic scholarship of the late Cardinal Avery Dulles, S.J., of Fordham University by Monsignor Robert Batule of Immaculate Conception Seminary and of the late Monsignor Michael Wrenn of Dunwoodie Seminary by Monsignor George P. Graham, President, NY Metropolitan Chapter of the Society of Catholic Social Scientists.

1 P.M. Presentations. Exchanges, and Summary Statements-

Democratic Socialism - Charles M.A. Clark of St. John's University
Democratic Capitalism - Michael Novak of the American Enterprise Institute
Distributism - Thomas Storck of the Society for Distributism
Final Reflection - Stephen Krason of Franciscan University from the perspective of Heinrich Pesch ("Solidarism").

Conference concludes by 4:30 P.M.

If you would like to financially support the programs of the N.C.C. Center for Catholic Studies, please write out a tax-deductible check made out to the "Center for Catholic Studies-Nassau Foundation" and send it to Vice-President Joseph Buckheit, Nassau Foundation, One Education Drive, Garden City, N.Y. 11530. The Nassau Foundation will send you a letter acknowledging your financial contribution for your tax records.

Gen X Revert

6 year Blogiversary

1/18/03 - 1/18/09

My thoughts on turning 6


This blog is now six years old, which in blog years is really 97. Times sure have changed. When I started this blog Long Island was just a collection of strip malls, traffic jams, and fast food joints - now it is soooo much more! There were only 7,254 Starbucks on the Island then but now the chain is finally taking off. In 2003 Newsday was relentlessly publishing anti-Catholic content and today it hardly publishes any content at all. People never dreamed back then we would put a man on the moon, or find piles of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. And gas back then was only $.20 per gallon and milk was free!

I started out blogging as a fresh faced idealistic kid who never dreamed someday I would own a wife and marry a cat. Back then I would spend countless minutes crafting posts that delved into the very core of issues affecting our Church, our Long Island, and our souls. Today, I simply link to The Deacons Bench and Wikipedia. Over the course of the past 6 years I have grown to have 3 readers and quite frankly, that is too much pressure. But today is a day for celebrating - 6 years of blogging. Now some would say it is time to move on and pass the torch to a new generation, but those people are not me.

So, may this blog live long and prosper, or at least not be the subject of a lawsuit.

Ben at this is an adventure posts a nice account of Father Richard Neuhaus' wake and funeral, complete with a great picture of him enjoying his brandy and cigar. My favorite part was this:

"The church was packed to the brim and every New York Catholic of note was there, it seemed like, interspersed with people who just knew him as “Father Richard, who baptized my son or my daughter,” and had no knowledge of his other work. They seemed amazed to learn what he had achieved."

Another police department has learned from the Marty Tankleff case:

Nassau to videotape interrogations in some cases

Anniversary is coming:

January 18th in history:

336 - Saint Mark elected Catholic Pope

474 - Leo II briefly becomes Byzantine emperor.

1562 - Pope Pius IV reopens the Council of Trent for its third and final session.

1896 - The X-ray machine is exhibited for the first time.

1996 Lisa Marie Presley filed for divorce from Michael Jackson in NY

2003 - Gen X Revert blog is started

From Fr. Z comes word that the long awaited report is out on the 2005-2006 visitation of all US seminaries. The visitation was one result of the public outrage over priestly molestation of young people (85% were boys). The word is that the situation in the seminaries has improved, something all of us know, but that there are still problems such as:

"an atmosphere that discourages traditional acts of Catholic piety – which begs the question as to whether the faculty’s ideas of spirituality are consonant with Church teaching and tradition.”

And:

"Other points of Church teaching, such as ordination being restricted to men alone, are also questioned. Such a lack of sentire cum Ecclesia is often not overt, but the students receive the message clearly nevertheless. In a few seminaries, and particularly in some some schools of theology run by religious, dissent is widespread.”

Both of these statements should not surprise Catholics who have followed Church stuff over the past couple of decades. The good thing is that as the situation improves, the increase in vocations can be seen, which then has the effect of encouraging more vocations. Fidelity to Church teachings means growth and success, heterodoxy means decline and death. This simple lesson was lost on many over the past 25 years, and even today there are those who dispute it.

George Weigel remembers Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, whose funeral was today, in Newsweek.

Bernard Madoff still free, outraging alleged victims

"A federal judge is refusing to revoke Bernard Madoff’s bail and send the accused Wall Street swindler to jail - angering many of the man’s alleged victims.

“People are outraged because they see Bernie Madoff as the economic equivalent of Adolf Hitler,” said Boston lawyer David Apfel, who represents some of those who lost money in Madoff’s alleged $50 billion Ponzi scheme.

New York attorney Stephen Weiss, who also represents Madoff investors, said he sees “a thirst for blood. . . . There is a feeling (that) folks like Bernard Madoff get a different brand of justice than the guy in the street.”

Feds probe Suffolk hate crimes

"The U.S. Department of Justice said Monday that three federal agencies have formally opened a joint investigation into what critics contend were hate crimes against Suffolk County Latinos that never were investigated or were mishandled by police.

The Justice Department's civil rights division, the FBI and the U.S. attorney's office for the Eastern District have started the inquiry, said Scot Montrey, a spokesman for the Justice Department's civil rights division."

Better late than never I guess. Now if the feds would get involved with the Marty Tankleff case, maybe Suffolk County would start to become something more than a joke.

Fr. Z asks: How Large is the 'fallen away Catholic' denomination?

The comments section has some interesting thoughts on why people fall away from the Catholic Church, an area of interest of mine. I will list some of the things mentioned there:

the Church's 'rules' on divorce and re-marriage

Touchy-feely watered down liturgy, with touchy-feely false teaching got us into this mess

Poor liturgy, apathetic laity, priests that don’t understand their own ordained powers, poor formation, the constant battering of the liberal media, political correctness, even fear of being open about our beloved Faith

sense of sin has evaporated, nothing matters, ‘everybody is right, you are a good person, I’m a good person’

It wasn’t apathy or the lure of the outside world that drove us away from the Church, it was the behavior and the attitude of the clergy and the religious themselves.

The #1 reason may be the overwhelming sense that God is missing in the life of most parishes/Catholic schools.

Lack of attention to transcendence

The comments section has some good thoughts on how to get people to return, some of which may be right or wrong, but the important thing is that Catholics (especially priests) make the attempt. I think the cleansing of the priesthood that really began in 2002 and hopefully is continuing, will help, as well as the reforming of seminaries. The religious communities that are faithful also can inspire Catholics to deepen their faith and practice. Although many people still try to deny it, orthodox thinking, preaching and living is what attracts people and there is plenty of proof of this for those who have ears and eyes.

And to answer the original post's question, inactive or 'former' Catholics make up the second largest 'denomination' in the USA, right behind Catholics.

5 Somali pirates drown with ransom money

"MOGADISHU, Somalia - Five of the Somali pirates who released a hijacked oil-laden Saudi supertanker drowned with their share of a reported $3 million ransom after their small boat capsized, a pirate and port town resident said Saturday."



There has to be a lesson in there somewhere......

Cops: Waiter fired for playing Arabic tape at Jewish wedding

"A waiter at a Jewish wedding who is considering converting to Islam interrupted the celebration's final prayers with recorded Arabic chants of "God is great," sparking fear among the 700 guests of a terrorist attack, Nassau County police said Friday.

Stephen Buttafuoco, who police say was fired "on the spot" from the catering service at the Woodbury Jewish Center, had attended a pro-Palestinian rally in Manhattan opposing the Israeli campaign last weekend, where he made the recording on his cell phone."

The wedding guests early Jan. 4 couldn't at first decipher the angry-sounding chants blaring over the public address system shortly after 1 a.m. But when they heard "Allahu akbar" -- Arabic for "God is great" -- the guests became worried.


Of course, after doing something stupid like this, the man had to set the record straight:

"Police said Buttafuoco told detectives that he is not related to Joey Buttafuoco, the man involved in a notorious love triangle in the 1990s with Amy Fisher."

Fr. Richard Neuhaus, R. I. P

Prayers go out for the former Lutheran pastor, Catholic convert, founder of First Things and the Institute On Religion And Public Life, conservative intellectual, author and Catholic priest who essentially was considered by many to be the godfather of Catholic blogging via his column "The Public Square".

Drunk Driving

Tonight 60 Minutes ran their story on Nassau D.A. Kathleen Rice's campaign for harsher sentences for drunk drivers who kill people. The story revolved around the horrible wedding day crash that killed a limo driver (Stanley Rabinowitz) and an 7 year old flower girl (Katie Flynn). The drunk driver, Martin Heidgen received 18 years to life. During the broadcast, a detail was mentioned by Katie Flynn's father that I forgot about: Flynn's father, who was also severly injured in the accident, received last rites by Msgr. Costello, a priest who later would be killed by a drunk driver.

Another Revert speaks:

"But my story, because it is a return, requires a departure. And that departure, to be candid, does not speak well of the early post-Vatican II American Church. That Church was littered with dioceses, parishes, and schools that did not adequately catechize their young people with a clear and defensible presentation of the Catholic faith. Things, of course, have changed, and swaths of the American Church seem to be ridding themselves of the vestiges of that unfortunate era. The inspiring pontificates of John Paul II (1978–2005) and Benedict XVI (2005– ) have resulted in a new evangelism within the Catholic Church, especially in the United States. Those entering the priesthood seem more serious and theologically orthodox than the priests I remember from the late 1960s and 1970s."

This is an excerpt from the introduction to Return to Rome Confessions of An Evangelical Catholic by Francis Beckworth. Beckworth was the President of the Evangelical Theological Society and his reversion made some news.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

May God bless all the readers of my blog in 2009!

A Criminal Injustice

This new book is about the fight to free Marty Tankleff from jail over 17 years and the attempt to bring to justice the people who murdered his parents. For the interesting and infuriating details of the Tankleff case, see Marty Tankleff's website.

Presidential Pardons

President Bush pardoned and then revoked the pardon of con man Isaac Toussie. Whether Toussie's father's sudden donations to the Republican party sealed the deal, or the president did not really know the extent of his crimes involving poor people, it was obvious that the pardon was a major goof. Some have been reminded of President Clinton's pardon of Marc Rich which outraged even Clinton supporters. It would be good for more discussions on the need for pardons to be given out as acts of mercy for those who could use some mercy. This would be a much better use of this power than giving last minute, lame duck pardons of those who have strong lobbies pushing for them, or those who are wealthy or politically connected. Pardons, if used correctly, could assist justice, not work against it.

Donald DeMarco on the Relationship Between Mercy and Justice

"King Frederick William I (1688–1740). This German king once visited a prison where he listened intently to a number of pleas for pardon from prisoners who claimed to be victims of injustice. All swore they had suffered imprisonment on account of prejudiced judges, perjured witnesses, and unscrupulous lawyers. From cell to cell, allegations of wronged innocence and false imprisonment continued until the king came to the door of a cell occupied by a surly inmate who said nothing.
Surprised at his silence, Frederick remarked, somewhat sarcastically, “Well I suppose you are innocent too.” “No, your Majesty,” came the startling response. “I am guilty and richly deserve all that I get.” “Here, turnkey,” thundered Frederick, “come and get rid of this rascal quick, before he corrupts this fine lot of innocent people that you are responsible for.”

"Mercy must honor justice. It can be dispensed rightly only when the validity of justice is acknowledged. Similarly, forgiveness can be granted only when a transgression is acknowledged.
Mercy “does not destroy justice,” as Aquinas noted, “but is a certain kind of fulfillment of justice.” “Mercy without justice, he added, “is the mother of dissolution.”

I just got home from dinner where we had heard a thud and felt a vibration, followed by many fire trucks speeding down a street. Apparently this is what happened -

Officials: Gas explosion levels Amityville house

Prayers go out in case anyone was home.....

UPDATE: I just saw on the 10 PM news that the family smelled gas and got out of the home before it blew up!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

My present to readers is this link to The Deacon Bench's Homily for Midnight Mass.

Gregory Shemitz, whose photos often appear in the Long Island Catholic, notified me that his website has just been redesigned. The site looks very sharp and contains slideshows including the Funeral Mass for Cardinal Dulles and the recent ordination of transitional deacons. Check it out!

2008

Although we are in the Season of Advent and the Christmas Season is approaching, the end of the calendar year is coming up so it is time to look back at 2008 in the Diocese of Rockville Centre:


Ordinations


There were 26 men ordained in the Diocese of Rockville Centre in 2008 as follows:


Nine men ordained to diocesan priesthood June 14


13 men ordained to permanent diaconate


4 men ordained transitional deacons




Catholic schools


St. Joseph's in Brentwood - it was announced this school is closing due to low enrollment



St. Anthony's in Huntington - the school opened its new chapel featuring a traditional style



St. Pius X in Uniondale - The Diocese seems to be getting ready to sell off this property although there has not been an official announcement. This school closed in 1983 but the building was being used to house retired priests, a health care clinic and was the site of the weekly traditional latin Mass.

Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington - Archbishop Demetrios, patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church in the U.S. spoke on St. Paul for the Pauline Year at the sixth annual Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua Lecture on Pastoral Theology

Voice of the Faithful


A Long Islander became the national head of the organization, which makes less and less news as it focuses even more on the same tired old ideas already done to death by Future Church and Call To Action. VOTF Long Island held their annual convention and it did not even register a blip on anyone's radar.

Diocese HQ

The Diocese created a Pastoral Council

Bishop Murphy issued a pastoral letter 'Do This In Memory Of Me' in which he called for an end to weekday communion services held in place of Mass.

Of interest to Catholics on Long Island:

Catholics in New York 1808 - 1946 Exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York ran from May to December

The murder of Marcello Lucero made international news and put the spotlight once again on Long Island's treatment of the (mostly Catholic) Latino immigrant community.

From the New York Times:

Cardinal Avery Dulles, Theologian, Is Dead at 90

"Cardinal Avery Dulles, a scion of diplomats and Presbyterians who converted to Roman Catholicism, rose to pre-eminence in Catholic theology and became the only American theologian ever appointed to the College of Cardinals, died today died Friday morning at Fordham University in the Bronx. He was 90. His death, at the Jesuit infirmary at the university, was confirmed by the New York Province of the Society of Jesus in Manhattan."

Cardinal Dulles, a professor of religion at Fordham University for the last 20 years, was a prolific author and lecturer and an elder statesman of Catholic theology in America. He was also the son of John Foster Dulles, the secretary of state under President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and the nephew of Allen Dulles, who guided European espionage during World War II and later directed the Central Intelligence Agency.



For more about Cardinal Dulles, see the Ratzinger Fan Club's Dulles page.

Transitional deacons ordained at seminary

"Taking a major step in their journey toward the priesthood, seminarians Michael Bartholomew, Janusz Mocarski and Harold Noviello were ordained transitional deacons by Bishop William Murphy during a special Mass Dec. 8 at Immaculate Conception Seminary, Huntington. Auxiliary Bishop Peter Libasci of Rockville Centre and Auxiliary Bishop Octavio Cisneros of Brooklyn were among the concelebrants at the liturgy. The ordination of transitional deacons is traditionally held at the seminary on the Marian feast of the Immaculate Conception. "

A fourth seminarian, Gregory Rannazzisi, was ordained in St. Peter's Basilica, so God willing there will be 4 men ordained priests in June for the DRVC.

Former Episcopal priest (now Catholic priest) Fr. Dwight Longenecker writes on his blog of his parish school reviving the medieval custom of boy Bishop for the Feast of St. Nicholas.

Mastic man gets 19 years in deadly home invasion


"A Mastic man sentenced to 19 years to life in prison Friday for a deadly home invasion asked a judge why he was charged with murder when his fellow burglars had actually done the shooting.

"How come I have to take their fall?" Edwin Frazier, 20, asked Suffolk County Court Judge James Hudson in Riverhead. "I know I'm guilty of entering a home without permission, I know I'm guilty of holding a gun. I'm not guilty of killing anybody. Why couldn't I plead to a burglary charge?"

Frazier pleaded guilty Oct. 23 to second-degree murder in connection with a botched burglary that left three people dead in a Medford home last year. When certain kinds of felonies result in death, New York State law holds all who took part in the crime equally responsible." [emphasis mine]

It is good he will go to jail but sad that his sentence is a little longer than Eric Calace's sentence when Calace is the one who set the entire robbery up in the first place. Calace should have to serve more time, he will be out while still in his 30's and able to do more harm to society. What I find very interesting is that this NYS law is not being applied in the case of the murder of Marcello Lucero. Not all 7 are being charged with his murder. Anybody want to explain why?

Rerum Novarum excerpt IX -


22. Therefore, those whom fortune favors are warned that riches do not bring freedom from sorrow and are of no avail for eternal happiness, but rather are obstacles;(9) that the rich should tremble at the threatenings of Jesus Christ - threatenings so unwonted in the mouth of our Lord(10) - and that a most strict account must be given to the Supreme Judge for all we possess. The chief and most excellent rule for the right use of money is one the heathen philosophers hinted at, but which the Church has traced out clearly, and has not only made known to men's minds, but has impressed upon their lives. It rests on the principle that it is one thing to have a right to the possession of money and another to have a right to use money as one wills. Private ownership, as we have seen, is the natural right of man, and to exercise that right, especially as members of society, is not only lawful, but absolutely necessary. "It is lawful," says St. Thomas Aquinas, "for a man to hold private property; and it is also necessary for the carrying on of human existence."" But if the question be asked: How must one's possessions be used? - the Church replies without hesitation in the words of the same holy Doctor: "Man should not consider his material possessions as his own, but as common to all, so as to share them without hesitation when others are in need. Whence the Apostle with, ‘Command the rich of this world... to offer with no stint, to apportion largely.’"(12) True, no one is commanded to distribute to others that which is required for his own needs and those of his household; nor even to give away what is reasonably required to keep up becomingly his condition in life, "for no one ought to live other than becomingly."(13) But, when what necessity demands has been supplied, and one's standing fairly taken thought for, it becomes a duty to give to the indigent out of what remains over. "Of that which remaineth, give alms."(14) It is a duty, not of justice (save in extreme cases), but of Christian charity - a duty not enforced by human law. But the laws and judgments of men must yield place to the laws and judgments of Christ the true God, who in many ways urges on His followers the practice of almsgiving - ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive";(15) and who will count a kindness done or refused to the poor as done or refused to Himself - "As long as you did it to one of My least brethren you did it to Me."(16) To sum up, then, what has been said: Whoever has received from the divine bounty a large share of temporal blessings, whether they be external and material, or gifts of the mind, has received them for the purpose of using them for the perfecting of his own nature, and, at the same time, that he may employ them, as the steward of God's providence, for the benefit of others. "He that hath a talent," said St. Gregory the Great, "let him see that he hide it not; he that hath abundance, let him quicken himself to mercy and generosity; he that hath art and skill, let him do his best to share the use and the utility hereof with his neighbor."(17)

9). Matt. 19:23-24.
10). Luke 6:24-Z5.
11). Summa theologiae, IIa-IIae, q. lxvi, art. 2, Answer.
12). Ibid.
13). Ibid., q. xxxii, a. 6, Answer.
14). Luke 11:41.
15). Acts 20:35.
16). Matt.25:40.
17). Hom. in Evang., 9, n. 7 (PL 76, 1109B).

The Nun Vs. The Priest
In 'Doubt,' faith is put to a wrenching test of wills.

From Newsweek, a short interview with some people involved in the movie version of the play Doubt, including Meryl Streep. This sounded like a great play which I missed when it was showing in NY. Some snips:

"STREEP: You're a part of that team—the uniform of a nun is like a team jersey—and we all like that. I also found it interesting because it's sort of the second female boss I've played in a short time. People talk to me about "The Devil Wears Prada" and about the stern editor, and now I'm the stern headmaster. We have a very, I think, ambivalent attitude about women in power."

DAVIS: For me, Catholicism was such a sense of community and belonging and identity. I had nothing growing up. We were the first black family in our Rhode Island town. We were on the periphery. And to see all my friends in their white little first communion dresses, looking so cute and going to catechism—it was fabulous to me.

SHANLEY: Now the Catholic Church has its faults, but these dioceses, these church schools, these centers, provided a gravity which kept people from flying off into outer space. And we haven't really yet come up with a great substitute. The best we have is the Internet, that's the new community.

New Grand Rapids wireless cafe, the Catholic Information Center, seeks faithful customers

"GRAND RAPIDS --The coffee bar gleams and offers a variety of goodies. The chairs are inviting, and floor-to-ceiling windows allow plenty of natural light for reading.

Everyone is welcome to this latest entry into the wireless cafe world which offers what commercial places don't -- things that are free and low-key faith information.

The Catholic Information Center, on the second floor of Cathedral Square, doesn't charge anything for the coffee, the goodies, or the Internet service. It also offers -- but doesn't force on people -- reading materials on the Catholic faith. "

I found this story on Whispers in the Loggia. The Info Center looks very nice, just what is needed here on Long Island. I hope someone will run with this here. I know the idea was floated around the DRVC with the intention of locating it in a mall. I have hundreds of good quality books that would be great for a center. The Catholic Information Center in Washington D.C. would be a good model to follow. A place for orthodox faith, for apologetics, socialization, discussion, coffee, music, etc.. is just what we need here. I do not think the coffee and food would have to be free however - as the mobster Barzini said in the Godfather: "After all, we are not communists".

Be on the Watch: Advent and the Coming(s) of the Lord

For the first Sunday of Advent I went to Mass at a local parish. There was no procession at the start of Mass, the priest and deacon just took their seats in the sanctuary before Mass, joking and talking to each other, and then the Opening Hymn started. What possible reason could a priest have for skipping an opening procession?

Global AIDS crisis overblown? Some dare to say so

I am glad to see this article in Newsweek as I have thought this for some years now. The political correct police have insisted for years that AIDS was a disease that affected everyone and everyone was at risk to get it, yet many more people are affected by cancer. Although the situation in Africa is still bad, the truth is other problems are worse than AIDS, and the excessive funding of AIDS means money is not going to other real problems. Some snips from the article:

"(LONDON) As World AIDS Day is marked on Monday, some experts are growing more outspoken in complaining that AIDS is eating up funding at the expense of more pressing health needs.

They argue that the world has entered a post-AIDS era in which the disease's spread has largely been curbed in much of the world, Africa excepted.

Roger England of Health Systems Workshop, a think tank based in the Caribbean island of Grenada, goes further. He argues that UNAIDS, the U.N. agency leading the fight against the disease, has outlived its purpose and should be disbanded.

By 2006, AIDS funding accounted for 80 percent of all American aid for health and population issues, according to the Global Health Council.

In a 2006 report, Rwandan officials noted a "gross misallocation of resources" in health: $47 million went to HIV, $18 million went to malaria, the country's biggest killer, and $1 million went to childhood illnesses.

AIDS advocates say their projects do more than curb the virus; their efforts strengthen other health programs by providing basic health services.
But across Africa, about 1.5 million doctors and nurses are still needed, and hospitals regularly run out of basic medicines"

I recently read "The Wisdom of Whores: Bureaucrats, Brothels, and the Business of AIDS" and probably came to the exact opposite opinion than what the author had hoped for: AIDS funding is not as needed as much as funding for other diseases, and it does not affect as wide a range of people as the p.c. crowd would have us believe.

Culture of Death on Long Island

Worker dies in crush of shoppers at Green Acres Mall

"According to detectives, Queens resident Jdimytai Damour suffered an undetermined death when shoppers knocked him to the ground of the Wal-Mart. The man was transported to the hospital where he died around 6 a.m. His exact cause of death will be determined by a medical examiner."

"Police describe the scene as "utter chaos." When fellow Wal-Mart workers tried to help Damour, they were shoved and pushed by customers, as were police when they arrived. "

"Police say a 28-year-old pregnant woman, as well as three other shoppers, were injured at the mall and taken to hospitals."


I pray for the day when Long Island will make national news for something good but I will not hold my breath. I would never go anywhere near this Mall, which was the site of a Christmas Eve shooting in a movie in which one person was killed, to list just one of many crimes that have occured there. Imagine the kind of life these people must live to line up at 4 AM to charge into a Wal-Mart for so called bargains.

The muslims continue to be violent, as they have since the days of their perverted founder:

Cardinal of Mumbai: 'Criminal Acts Against a Courageous City'

"Sorrow for the terrible attack which has devastated the city and the nation, and condemnation of the folly of this “senseless logic of violence”, fed by “brainwashing” that is provoked by ideologies: this is how Card. Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Mumbai reacts to the terrorist attack in an interview with AsiaNews. "


Actually Cardinal, these people are evil and follow a false religion.


Thousands of Muslims Attack Coptic Church in Cairo

"Several thousand Muslims have attacked the Coptic church of the Virgin Mary in West Ain Shams, in the suburbs of Cairo. 800 faithful attending the first liturgy remained barricaded inside the church. "

Rerum Novarum excerpt VIII -

After discussing the duties that both working class and the rich have towards each other:

"21. But the Church, with Jesus Christ as her Master and Guide, aims higher still. She lays down precepts yet more perfect, and tries to bind class to class in friendliness and good feeling. The things of earth cannot be understood or valued aright without taking into consideration the life to come, the life that will know no death. Exclude the idea of futurity, and forthwith the very notion of what is good and right would perish; nay, the whole scheme of the universe would become a dark and unfathomable mystery. The great truth which we learn from nature herself is also the grand Christian dogma on which religion rests as on its foundation - that, when we have given up this present life, then shall we really begin to live. God has not created us for the perishable and transitory things of earth, but for things heavenly and everlasting; He has given us this world as a place of exile, and not as our abiding place. As for riches and the other things which men call good and desirable, whether we have them in abundance, or are lacking in them-so far as eternal happiness is concerned - it makes no difference; the only important thing is to use them aright. Jesus Christ, when He redeemed us with plentiful redemption, took not away the pains and sorrows which in such large proportion are woven together in the web of our mortal life. He transformed them into motives of virtue and occasions of merit; and no man can hope for eternal reward unless he follow in the blood-stained footprints of his Saviour. "If we suffer with Him, we shall also reign with Him."(7) Christ's labors and sufferings, accepted of His own free will, have marvellously sweetened all suffering and all labor. And not only by His example, but by His grace and by the hope held forth of everlasting recompense, has He made pain and grief more easy to endure; "for that which is at present momentary and light of our tribulation, worketh for us above measure exceedingly an eternal weight of glory."(8)

7). 2 Tim. 2:12.
8). 2 Cor. 4:17.

Proof that white trash are too stupid to learn:

Police: Youths harass Hispanic men in Patchogue

The amazing thing about the Marcello Lucero murder case is how many of the Patchogue and Medford teens seem annoyed at the idea that their friends are racists. They all seem to be saying: Hey they like to mug people, violently attack them for fun, and beat people that are weak in society, but they are not racist God forbid! This NY Times article quotes some of them and also adds this:

"Mr. Conroy was the best known of the defendants and, according to prosecutors, the leader of the group. He was on the school’s lacrosse and wrestling teams, according to his friends, and his lawyer, William J. Keahon, said he had received “a number” of offers of college athletic scholarships."

I would like to know what colleges offered this punk scholarships? Have these offers now been rescinded? I think that if colleges offer scholarships to jocks, at the expense of scholars, then they should have to explain themselves.

Former Southold charity director gets prison for thefts

In the above article from Newsday this criminal's lawyer claims it is the Catholic Church's fault that his client stole money:

"Winterbottom's attorney, William Goggins of Mattituck, blamed the diocese for his client's legal problems. He said Winterbottom was hired to run the center though she had no experience running a business, "lacks a formal education and had a gambling addiction."

"The problem with this case is that the Catholic Church has failed to take responsibility for its malfeasance," he said in a statement to Newsday. " . . . [The church] waited five years before performing an audit."

Rerum Novarum excerpt VII -
On the duties the rich and working class have towards each other:

"20. Of these duties, the following bind the proletarian and the worker: fully and faithfully to perform the work which has been freely and equitably agreed upon; never to injure the property, nor to outrage the person, of an employer; never to resort to violence in defending their own cause, nor to engage in riot or disorder; and to have nothing to do with men of evil principles, who work upon the people with artful promises of great results, and excite foolish hopes which usually end in useless regrets and grievous loss. The following duties bind the wealthy owner and the employer: not to look upon their work people as their bondsmen, but to respect in every man his dignity as a person ennobled by Christian character. They are reminded that, according to natural reason and Christian philosophy, working for gain is creditable, not shameful, to a man, since it enables him to earn an honorable livelihood; but to misuse men as though they were things in the pursuit of gain, or to value them solely for their physical powers - that is truly shameful and inhuman. Again justice demands that, in dealing with the working man, religion and the good of his soul must be kept in mind. Hence, the employer is bound to see that the worker has time for his religious duties; that he be not exposed to corrupting influences and dangerous occasions; and that he be not led away to neglect his home and family, or to squander his earnings. Furthermore, the employer must never tax his work people beyond their strength, or employ them in work unsuited to their sex and age. His great and principal duty is to give every one what is just. Doubtless, before deciding whether wages axe fair, many things have to be considered; but wealthy owners and all masters of labor should be mindful of this - that to exercise pressure upon the indigent and the destitute for the sake of gain, and to gather one's profit out of the need of another, is condemned by all laws, human and divine. To defraud any one of wages that are his due is a great crime which cries to the avenging anger of Heaven. "Behold, the hire of the laborers... which by fraud has been kept back by you, crieth; and the cry of them hath entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth."(6) Lastly, the rich must religiously refrain from cutting down the workmen's earnings, whether by force, by fraud, or by usurious dealing; and with all the greater reason because the laboring man is, as a rule, weak and unprotected, and because his slender means should in proportion to their scantiness be accounted sacred. Were these precepts carefully obeyed and followed out, would they not be sufficient of themselves to keep under all strife and all its causes?"

The murder of Marcello Lucero continues to shake things up here in Suffolk County:

"Suffolk Police Commissioner Richard Dormer said yesterday that he wasn't getting the information he needed from former Fifth Precinct Commander Salvatore Manno so he stripped him of his command."

It had to do with the whole issue of getting the information, the proper information that I needed in a timely manner," said Dormer, who on Monday replaced Manno with Insp. Aristides Mojica. "I was getting different stories at different times. I wanted to get a handle on this stuff.

"Dormer said he selected Mojica because he is Hispanic, adding that the appointment "clearly sends a strong [message] to the community that I have taken the incidents that occurred in Patchogue very seriously."

Hopefully, this will be just the first step to improving the Suffolk County Police Department's record on violence against latinos. Violence in this county is out of control as it is and the police need to get to work.

Scores killed in Mumbai rampage

It looks like Westerners were targeted meaning it is most likely the work of muslims. However, India is the site of the worst anti-Christian violence around the globe right now. Hopefully, this latest violence will force India to take action against both muslims and hindus until the violence stops. Meanwhile, I hope no westerners go to India for a few years and I hope that any US businesses who use call centers in India will immediately stop using them. Think about it, some of the people who answer the phone when you dial a 1-800 number may be behind the anti-Christian violence.

India church: 50,000 flee anti-Christian clashes

100 die in anti-Christian attacks in India

From Newsday:

Judge: Thefts by ex-leader of charity 'an abomination'

"It was a losing bet.

And the final payout came down Wednesday for Pauline Winterbottom in a Riverhead courtroom."

"The former director of a Catholic charity was sentenced to 3-to-9 years in state prison and ordered to pay restitution of more than $700,000 for stealing money from the church-administered program to buy lottery tickets.

"This case is an abomination," Suffolk County Court Judge Ralph Gazzillo said in handing out the sentence in his Riverhead courtroom. "You stole from a charity."

I am glad to see she will serve prison time. Now I would love to see a full investigation into how someone could take $700,000 from this organization. The least this organization could do is write up a full investigation into how this happened and what measures they will take to make sure it never happens again. This full report should be printed up in The Long Island. I also hope this woman has some assets that could be seized so the $700,000 could be paid back.

I was reading The Long Island Press this morning at the bagel shop and appreciated their guide to local businesses -KIOLA (Keep It On Long Island). I was surprised to see a full page ad by Tony Alamo blaming the One World Government and the Catholic Church (which I believe he sees as the same thing) for his recent arrest on child rape charges. Anyone who has ever heard of this anti-Catholic bigot should be glad he is finally under serious charges that may land him in jail for the rest of his life. For more info on this whacko, please see here.

I have not posted about Faith on Tap lately, here is Monday's session:

Monday, November 24, 2008

Conscience: Form it and Follow it

Speaker: Fr. Joseph Koterski, S.J., Fordham U. Professor , Department of Philosophy

Wantagh Inn - across from the Wantagh RR Station.
7 to 9 pm

Free Admission!

Deacon Anthony Giambalvo RIP

"Anthony Giambalvo, a dentist who helped found a dental clinic treating AIDS/HIV patients at the height of the AIDS epidemic, died Tuesday of cancer at Christa House, a hospice in West Babylon. He was 75 and had lived in Commack.

A Roman Catholic deacon since 1979, he was asked by Catholic Charities to start the AIDS clinic in their Freeport offices in 1986. When he left seven years later, the clinic, now in a newly constructed wing, was named after him.

Laura A. Cassell, chief executive of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Rockville Centre, said, "Tony had the genuine compassion to see the need in the HIV population and the rare courage to respond when no one else would."

Denise Giambalvo, 42, of Portland, Ore., one of his six children, said that some in her father's profession actually shunned him for his work.
"At that time, people thought you could get AIDS by touching someone, and dentists didn't want to treat AIDS patients," she said, even as others "respected him a great deal and learned from him."

Rerum Novarum excerpt VI -

on class conflict

19. The great mistake made in regard to the matter now under consideration is to take up with the notion that class is naturally hostile to class, and that the wealthy and the working men are intended by nature to live in mutual conflict. So irrational and so false is this view that the direct contrary is the truth. Just as the symmetry of the human frame is the result of the suitable arrangement of the different parts of the body, so in a State is it ordained by nature that these two classes should dwell in harmony and agreement, so as to maintain the balance of the body politic. Each needs the other: capital cannot do without labor, nor labor without capital. Mutual agreement results in the beauty of good order, while perpetual conflict necessarily produces confusion and savage barbarity. Now, in preventing such strife as this, and in uprooting it, the efficacy of Christian institutions is marvellous and manifold. First of all, there is no intermediary more powerful than religion (whereof the Church is the interpreter and guardian) in drawing the rich and the working class together, by reminding each of its duties to the other, and especially of the obligations of justice.

Rerum Novarum excerpt V:

"17. It must be first of all recognized that the condition of things inherent in human affairs must be borne with, for it is impossible to reduce civil society to one dead level. Socialists may in that intent do their utmost, but all striving against nature is in vain. There naturally exist among mankind manifold differences of the most important kind; people differ in capacity, skill, health, strength; and unequal fortune is a necessary result of unequal condition. Such unequality is far from being disadvantageous either to individuals or to the community. Social and public life can only be maintained by means of various kinds of capacity for business and the playing of many parts; and each man, as a rule, chooses the part which suits his own peculiar domestic condition. As regards bodily labor, even had man never fallen from the state of innocence, he would not have remained wholly idle; but that which would then have been his free choice and his delight became afterwards compulsory, and the painful expiation for his disobedience. "Cursed be the earth in thy work; in thy labor thou shalt eat of it all the days of thy life."(5)

18. In like manner, the other pains and hardships of life will have no end or cessation on earth; for the consequences of sin are bitter and hard to bear, and they must accompany man so long as life lasts. To suffer and to endure, therefore, is the lot of humanity; let them strive as they may, no strength and no artifice will ever succeed in banishing from human life the ills and troubles which beset it. If any there are who pretend differently - who hold out to a hard-pressed people the boon of freedom from pain and trouble, an undisturbed repose, and constant enjoyment - they delude the people and impose upon them, and their lying promises will only one day bring forth evils worse than the present. Nothing is more useful than to look upon the world as it really is, and at the same time to seek elsewhere, as We have said, for the solace to its troubles.

5). Gen. 3:17.

Charge in hate-slay upgraded to murder
Teens attacked another Hispanic man before Marcelo Lucero was stabbed to death, according to indictment

This is a positive development in this awful, violent hate crime. However, the reaction of some of the community of Patchogue-Medford has been the typical 'blame the media' that was seen when the Mempham High football players were exposed for raping younger players.

State: Patchogue-Medford wrong to force reporter out

Often, people (particularly uneducated ones) react to the media spotlight negatively with little to no regard for the importance of educating the wider public about serious matters. This situation should be a wake-up call for people who may not realize what their young people are doing with their time. Parents, educators and community leaders should insist that this incident will be a major focus of attention for years so that something like this (or the Mepham rapes) will never occur again. Instead of having a Newsday reporter removed from a meeting, the community should invite anyone to ask questions and seek the truth.