Shame on me!
I have had the pleasure of attending several events run by Dr. Joseph Varacalli and his Center for Catholic Studies at Nassau Community College. He does an excellent job running a Catholic studies program at a secular college. I have failed to mention two published articles of his-
The Pertinacious Papist summarizes his article "Policy Suggestions for the Church" taken from the June 2004 Homeletic and Pastoral Review which is not online.
The talk he gave at the local Faith on Tap group is available online at the top notch website Catholic Educator's Resource Center - "The Cultural and Political Impotence of Catholics in Contemporary American Life"
Friday, August 06, 2004
Thursday, August 05, 2004
I was glad to read El Camino Real and see that I am not alone in finding it hard to get upset over illegal immigration. I find most immigrants from Latin America and the Caribbean are good people (and very Catholic) and just looking for work. If we are going to push to deport people, lets try to make it these types of people. Meanwhile some sort of legalization, such as a worker program is needed. Reading this article was great:
"When about 60 Peruvian immigrant victims of human trafficking were discovered in three Suffolk County houses earlier this summer, the Church on Long Island responded.
"Catholic Charities arranged for them to have medical examinations, mental health counseling, and provided items like clothing. While federal officials were doing background checks, we needed to find temporary housing for them,” Mrs. Maquilon said. She found great openness among families and institutions, including the seminary."
“In June, I received a call from Catholic Charities to ask if we would take some of the refugees,” said Msgr. Francis Schneider, rector of Immaculate Conception Seminary. “I replied that we would do the best we could to help as many as we could.” They took in 23 men for three weeks.“Each one had a private room and we had a lounge area set up for them where they could watch TV and talk,” Msgr. Schneider said. “They joined us in the dining hall for meals, eating with the seminarians, students in the master’s degree program, and the seminary faculty and staff.
“Many of them also joined us for daily Mass,” Msgr. Schneider said."
"When about 60 Peruvian immigrant victims of human trafficking were discovered in three Suffolk County houses earlier this summer, the Church on Long Island responded.
"Catholic Charities arranged for them to have medical examinations, mental health counseling, and provided items like clothing. While federal officials were doing background checks, we needed to find temporary housing for them,” Mrs. Maquilon said. She found great openness among families and institutions, including the seminary."
“In June, I received a call from Catholic Charities to ask if we would take some of the refugees,” said Msgr. Francis Schneider, rector of Immaculate Conception Seminary. “I replied that we would do the best we could to help as many as we could.” They took in 23 men for three weeks.“Each one had a private room and we had a lounge area set up for them where they could watch TV and talk,” Msgr. Schneider said. “They joined us in the dining hall for meals, eating with the seminarians, students in the master’s degree program, and the seminary faculty and staff.
“Many of them also joined us for daily Mass,” Msgr. Schneider said."
From the Long Island Press:
Newsday Writes Tribute On Judge Who Will Hear Its Case
Newsday wrote a real nice piece on Leonard Wexler who got a purple heart 60 years after he was wounded. This is all good, however:
"What Newsday's story failed to mention, however, is that Wexler is the judge set to preside over the $600 million lawsuit filed against the paper on behalf of advertisers claiming circulation fraud. Wexler's name is clearly stated on the first page of the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court. The document is available to the public. Newsday's editorial staff, which is conducting its own investigation into the paper's circulation misdeeds, almost certainly has a copy. "
This is why Long Island needs another daily newspaper - Newsday is anti-Catholic, biased in its reporting, and can't be trusted. But if you want to know what is going on here, you have no choice, and when Newsday is good, it is real good. I am a reader, and the other NY papers just don't cut it. They have more pictures of Britney Spears than informative articles. The Long Island Press is a free Village Voice wannabe that occasionally has some great stories, but is generally a paper for finding out what local band is playing in what local watering hole. Hopefully it will grow to become real competition for Newsday. Bill Donohue lays the smackdown on the paper in a recent press release: NEWSDAY SCANDAL REVEALS HYPOCRISY . Awesome thing is that much of it sounds like it could have been written by the bigot Jimmy Breslin (although unlike his writing this stuff is true):
"Here’s the way they do business at Newsday: they count dead people as subscribers; they deliver papers to burned down houses; they drop off bulk copies to dealers who have said they don’t want them; they cook their internal corporate reports; and they even alter affidavits by distributors to pump circulation figures. The extent of corruption is so common that they have even developed their own jargon: ‘Code 51’ means to continue delivering newspapers to customers who have cancelled their subscriptions or have stopped paying.
“The person in charge of the business side of Newsday, Ray Jansen, has been forced to retire early. James Klurfeld, editor of the editorial page, said today of Jansen that ‘nothing missed his gaze.’ Nothing? It gets better. Klurfeld then says of Jansen that ‘His power of observation was almost uncanny, as if he had X-ray vision.’ To make matters worse, Klurfeld tells us that Jansen ‘rose through the ranks of the advertising department’ and that his ‘talent was on the business side.’ He obviously doesn’t connect the dots—he has just indicted Jansen. "
**I dropped my subscription to Newsday months ago, but continued to receive the paper every Friday free of charge for a time.
Update: I just saw on Drudge that the Dallas Morning News also inflated their circulation and an executive there has resigned.
Newsday Writes Tribute On Judge Who Will Hear Its Case
Newsday wrote a real nice piece on Leonard Wexler who got a purple heart 60 years after he was wounded. This is all good, however:
"What Newsday's story failed to mention, however, is that Wexler is the judge set to preside over the $600 million lawsuit filed against the paper on behalf of advertisers claiming circulation fraud. Wexler's name is clearly stated on the first page of the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court. The document is available to the public. Newsday's editorial staff, which is conducting its own investigation into the paper's circulation misdeeds, almost certainly has a copy. "
This is why Long Island needs another daily newspaper - Newsday is anti-Catholic, biased in its reporting, and can't be trusted. But if you want to know what is going on here, you have no choice, and when Newsday is good, it is real good. I am a reader, and the other NY papers just don't cut it. They have more pictures of Britney Spears than informative articles. The Long Island Press is a free Village Voice wannabe that occasionally has some great stories, but is generally a paper for finding out what local band is playing in what local watering hole. Hopefully it will grow to become real competition for Newsday. Bill Donohue lays the smackdown on the paper in a recent press release: NEWSDAY SCANDAL REVEALS HYPOCRISY . Awesome thing is that much of it sounds like it could have been written by the bigot Jimmy Breslin (although unlike his writing this stuff is true):
"Here’s the way they do business at Newsday: they count dead people as subscribers; they deliver papers to burned down houses; they drop off bulk copies to dealers who have said they don’t want them; they cook their internal corporate reports; and they even alter affidavits by distributors to pump circulation figures. The extent of corruption is so common that they have even developed their own jargon: ‘Code 51’ means to continue delivering newspapers to customers who have cancelled their subscriptions or have stopped paying.
“The person in charge of the business side of Newsday, Ray Jansen, has been forced to retire early. James Klurfeld, editor of the editorial page, said today of Jansen that ‘nothing missed his gaze.’ Nothing? It gets better. Klurfeld then says of Jansen that ‘His power of observation was almost uncanny, as if he had X-ray vision.’ To make matters worse, Klurfeld tells us that Jansen ‘rose through the ranks of the advertising department’ and that his ‘talent was on the business side.’ He obviously doesn’t connect the dots—he has just indicted Jansen. "
**I dropped my subscription to Newsday months ago, but continued to receive the paper every Friday free of charge for a time.
Update: I just saw on Drudge that the Dallas Morning News also inflated their circulation and an executive there has resigned.
Wednesday, August 04, 2004
JIMMY BRESLIN'S DAUGHTER IS DEAD AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT
Jimmy Breslin: Caught in a lie again
Muchas gracias to commenter AZ, who gave me the above link about the anti-Catholic, bigoted, angry, foul-mouthed, drunk, childish Breslin and his horrible writing. I recently posted about Breslin's lies when he was caught printing something about what a minister said, only to have it publicly admitted by Newsday that the minister had not said such a thing. I first posted about Breslin the first week of blogging when I stumbled upon an old story about him calling an Asian woman a "yellow, slant-eyed c---". Nice guy huh? The interesting thing in the current article is that Breslin brings up the recent death of his daughter. I posted about the death of his daughter recently also because I found it ironic that the man who called an Asian "yellow slant-eyed c---" would have a daughter who received a degree in Asian studies. I heard a priest say (and this is true, not made up) that Breslin was upset with the Church back when his first wife died, and the priest prayed the prayer at the funeral, "forgive her her sins". Obviously, he can't deal with death, first his wife, now his daughter. How exactly the Catholic Church is to blame for these deaths, I don't know. But no Jimmy, people will not leave you the "----" alone as you ask, because you are a bigot and just because you aren't mature enough to handle the fact that people die, does not mean you can lie. Deal with it. In the meantime, perhaps your current wife (the one you use to drive you around since you can't drive) would also help you write since you can't seem to get things straight.
Jimmy Breslin: Caught in a lie again
Muchas gracias to commenter AZ, who gave me the above link about the anti-Catholic, bigoted, angry, foul-mouthed, drunk, childish Breslin and his horrible writing. I recently posted about Breslin's lies when he was caught printing something about what a minister said, only to have it publicly admitted by Newsday that the minister had not said such a thing. I first posted about Breslin the first week of blogging when I stumbled upon an old story about him calling an Asian woman a "yellow, slant-eyed c---". Nice guy huh? The interesting thing in the current article is that Breslin brings up the recent death of his daughter. I posted about the death of his daughter recently also because I found it ironic that the man who called an Asian "yellow slant-eyed c---" would have a daughter who received a degree in Asian studies. I heard a priest say (and this is true, not made up) that Breslin was upset with the Church back when his first wife died, and the priest prayed the prayer at the funeral, "forgive her her sins". Obviously, he can't deal with death, first his wife, now his daughter. How exactly the Catholic Church is to blame for these deaths, I don't know. But no Jimmy, people will not leave you the "----" alone as you ask, because you are a bigot and just because you aren't mature enough to handle the fact that people die, does not mean you can lie. Deal with it. In the meantime, perhaps your current wife (the one you use to drive you around since you can't drive) would also help you write since you can't seem to get things straight.
Tuesday, August 03, 2004
Vatican Sets Up Sports Department
If their baseball team were made up of all Cardinals over 80, they could still beat the Mets.
If their baseball team were made up of all Cardinals over 80, they could still beat the Mets.
Scandal, what scandal?
"Investigators - using cell-phone records and stakeouts - also uncovered 17 inappropriate relationships between students and school staffers, up from 13 the year before."
"Investigators - using cell-phone records and stakeouts - also uncovered 17 inappropriate relationships between students and school staffers, up from 13 the year before."
RIP
Mets announcer Bob Murphy died - I have great childhood memories of summer ball games on the radio with Murphy's "It's a beautiful day for baseball!". He was a great radio announcer who actually described the game rather than spout out opinions like many of the announcers do today.
Mets announcer Bob Murphy died - I have great childhood memories of summer ball games on the radio with Murphy's "It's a beautiful day for baseball!". He was a great radio announcer who actually described the game rather than spout out opinions like many of the announcers do today.
The Statue of Liberty opened for the first time since the September 11th attacks, but you can only go as high as her feet.
Monday, August 02, 2004
Diogenes at Off the Record has been posting an interesting series regarding Catholics and their charitable giving. This time, he/she posts about the head of a Marianist University and what she did with $1,500. I think it is a good time to remind readers that the Marianist community that operates Chaminade High School and Kellenberg High School here on Long Island, broke away from the New York province in 1976 and formed their own province. I believe they did this to remain focused on operating schools locally. I don't know all the details but I do know that their community has flourished since then. Vocations have been steady and they remain a young, vibrant community. They still focus on operating schools and they do this well. The schools are solidly Catholic, although the most hard core traditionalists might not appreciate them entirely. Their ability to break away from the Marianist structure and still remain Marianists helped to inspire the founders of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, who attempted to do the same type of thing without luck. The Friars ended up having to form a completely separate community and today they have a good relationship with the Long Island Marianists.
Sunday, August 01, 2004
German leader acknowledges Polish suffering
"Schroeder became the first German chancellor to attend an anniversary of the two-month uprising, which ended with 200,000 Warsaw residents dead and most of the city systematically destroyed by the Nazis.
He bowed on the steps of the Warsaw Uprising Memorial as a lone trumpeter played taps. Just before, sirens sounded across Warsaw at 5 p.m., the hour the uprising began on Aug. 1, 1944. "
Muslim fundamentalists take note - what you do today, such as attacking Churches, will haunt your granchildren 60 years from now.
"Schroeder became the first German chancellor to attend an anniversary of the two-month uprising, which ended with 200,000 Warsaw residents dead and most of the city systematically destroyed by the Nazis.
He bowed on the steps of the Warsaw Uprising Memorial as a lone trumpeter played taps. Just before, sirens sounded across Warsaw at 5 p.m., the hour the uprising began on Aug. 1, 1944. "
Muslim fundamentalists take note - what you do today, such as attacking Churches, will haunt your granchildren 60 years from now.
Clerical Family Ties
One of the great shows of the 80's was Family Ties. The original concept was brilliant: married hippies end up with a son who is supremely conservative. The parents and son, Alex P. Keaton, have a love for each other that transcends their ideology. Their different outlook on life lent itself to comedy -(when the show got serious it bombed - remember Alex's torment over the death of a friend that had never been mentioned before?) Well, perhaps the time has come for a similiar show based on the situation in rectories today. (See the article A New Breed of Priest (via ut unum sint), or the classic Young Fogies by old priest Fr. Greeley)
The show would take place at a suburban rectory and show what happens when a recently ordained 20-something is assigned to a parish with an aging ex-hippie type priest. Look at how each deal with engaged couples, Liturgy, busybody parishioners, finances, politics, etc.. This show could have potential if it were done correctly - both priests would have to be stereotypes but still be good guys. They couldn't hate each other but simply see things differently, and each would learn a bit from each other.
One of the great shows of the 80's was Family Ties. The original concept was brilliant: married hippies end up with a son who is supremely conservative. The parents and son, Alex P. Keaton, have a love for each other that transcends their ideology. Their different outlook on life lent itself to comedy -(when the show got serious it bombed - remember Alex's torment over the death of a friend that had never been mentioned before?) Well, perhaps the time has come for a similiar show based on the situation in rectories today. (See the article A New Breed of Priest (via ut unum sint), or the classic Young Fogies by old priest Fr. Greeley)
The show would take place at a suburban rectory and show what happens when a recently ordained 20-something is assigned to a parish with an aging ex-hippie type priest. Look at how each deal with engaged couples, Liturgy, busybody parishioners, finances, politics, etc.. This show could have potential if it were done correctly - both priests would have to be stereotypes but still be good guys. They couldn't hate each other but simply see things differently, and each would learn a bit from each other.
Saturday, July 31, 2004
Jones Beach is 75 Years Old
Newsday, the anti-Catholic rag, is at its best when it covers local stuff like this. I live just a 15 minute drive away from this great treasure. I am not much of a beach person, but I can remember going to Jones Beach at night as a child, walking with my family along the boardwalk. The hot summer nights were bearable thanks to the cool ocean breeze. There was live music, dancing, ice cream, and miniature golf. There was one summer when I would have weekdays off and I spent some time at the beach walking a mile or two on the sand, and then laying out in the sun. It is quite nice there during the week, the weekend can be a bit too crowded. I still will ride my bike or rollar blade on the bike path that terminates at the beach. The beach also provided employment for my grandfathers on both sides - one worked there on the maintainence crew and one worked building the beautiful water tower, a works progress gem. I hate to sound too cynical, but with the traffic, high cost of living, and endless series of strip malls, Long Island is losing some of what makes it special. At least we still have Jones Beach, a world class beach that has maintained it's beauty.
Newsday, the anti-Catholic rag, is at its best when it covers local stuff like this. I live just a 15 minute drive away from this great treasure. I am not much of a beach person, but I can remember going to Jones Beach at night as a child, walking with my family along the boardwalk. The hot summer nights were bearable thanks to the cool ocean breeze. There was live music, dancing, ice cream, and miniature golf. There was one summer when I would have weekdays off and I spent some time at the beach walking a mile or two on the sand, and then laying out in the sun. It is quite nice there during the week, the weekend can be a bit too crowded. I still will ride my bike or rollar blade on the bike path that terminates at the beach. The beach also provided employment for my grandfathers on both sides - one worked there on the maintainence crew and one worked building the beautiful water tower, a works progress gem. I hate to sound too cynical, but with the traffic, high cost of living, and endless series of strip malls, Long Island is losing some of what makes it special. At least we still have Jones Beach, a world class beach that has maintained it's beauty.
Thursday, July 29, 2004
The Buttafuocos, Amy Fisher, and Forgiveness
Remember Amy Fisher, the Long Island teenager who shot Mary Jo Buttafuoco (wife of her lover Joey) in my hometown of Massapequa years ago? Well, she has written an autobiography. I will wait for the snickering of my few readers to quiet down. Most people have thankfully forgotten the sordid details, but once in awhile Joey Buttafuoco makes the news, usually by being arrested. I grew up in Massapequa and while Joey is not typical of the guys in this town, his type is not too difficult to find. (I don't mean Italians mind you, I mean stupid, obnoxious, uneducated morons.) Anyway, Amy Fisher has actually been writing a column for the Long Island Press for awhile now. I have read it occasionally and it does not impress me but a couple of times it has given me more of a positive impression of Mrs. Fisher. She once wrote an article that was so good I tried to find it in the online archives of the newspaper. The article came out a little after Joey was once again arrested for something or other. Amy Fisher wrote about how stupid she was as a teenager to be doing anything with this jerk. She mentioned, without sounding self-centered or arrogant, that since the shooting and her time in jail, she has turned her life around. She is married, with children, and working steadily. She has never been in any trouble and has apologized to Mary Jo. She has worked to try to steer young girls away from the path that she went down. She mentioned, without sounding smug, that Joey has done nothing good since his time in the sun. He was arrested for insurance fraud, arrested for soliciting prostitutes, been divorced, “acted” in cheap films, and tried to take part in a celebrity fight against a woman. The article was so good, it actually made me feel a bit for Amy Fisher, not sorry for her, but feel that she was a good person who made some awful and stupid decisions. I am not one to “forgive” easily. I don’t have a particularly rosy outlook on people and their “mistakes”. But I agree with Mark Shea who has stated on his blog that the most scandalous dogma of the Church is never mentioned in the press: FORGIVENESS. I know it is up to Mary Jo to forgive the woman who shot her, but I believe she already has. Usually when you hear Amy Fisher's name, there are usually some nasty adjectives and rolls of the eyes. I have heard people say they won’t buy or read The Long Island Press because Amy Fisher writes for it, and I don’t claim she is a model person for Catholics, or anyone else. But if we really believe in redemption and penance, then Amy Fisher (not a Catholic) would serve as a pretty good example. Believe it or not.
Remember Amy Fisher, the Long Island teenager who shot Mary Jo Buttafuoco (wife of her lover Joey) in my hometown of Massapequa years ago? Well, she has written an autobiography. I will wait for the snickering of my few readers to quiet down. Most people have thankfully forgotten the sordid details, but once in awhile Joey Buttafuoco makes the news, usually by being arrested. I grew up in Massapequa and while Joey is not typical of the guys in this town, his type is not too difficult to find. (I don't mean Italians mind you, I mean stupid, obnoxious, uneducated morons.) Anyway, Amy Fisher has actually been writing a column for the Long Island Press for awhile now. I have read it occasionally and it does not impress me but a couple of times it has given me more of a positive impression of Mrs. Fisher. She once wrote an article that was so good I tried to find it in the online archives of the newspaper. The article came out a little after Joey was once again arrested for something or other. Amy Fisher wrote about how stupid she was as a teenager to be doing anything with this jerk. She mentioned, without sounding self-centered or arrogant, that since the shooting and her time in jail, she has turned her life around. She is married, with children, and working steadily. She has never been in any trouble and has apologized to Mary Jo. She has worked to try to steer young girls away from the path that she went down. She mentioned, without sounding smug, that Joey has done nothing good since his time in the sun. He was arrested for insurance fraud, arrested for soliciting prostitutes, been divorced, “acted” in cheap films, and tried to take part in a celebrity fight against a woman. The article was so good, it actually made me feel a bit for Amy Fisher, not sorry for her, but feel that she was a good person who made some awful and stupid decisions. I am not one to “forgive” easily. I don’t have a particularly rosy outlook on people and their “mistakes”. But I agree with Mark Shea who has stated on his blog that the most scandalous dogma of the Church is never mentioned in the press: FORGIVENESS. I know it is up to Mary Jo to forgive the woman who shot her, but I believe she already has. Usually when you hear Amy Fisher's name, there are usually some nasty adjectives and rolls of the eyes. I have heard people say they won’t buy or read The Long Island Press because Amy Fisher writes for it, and I don’t claim she is a model person for Catholics, or anyone else. But if we really believe in redemption and penance, then Amy Fisher (not a Catholic) would serve as a pretty good example. Believe it or not.
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
Amish in the City
"That, of course, sets up the premise of "Amish in the City," which is to see what happens when a bunch of narrow-minded, shiftless, materialistic ignoramuses are brought together under one roof with people who live a life characterized by deep faith and strong tradition.
Good review, I may watch this show after all.
"That, of course, sets up the premise of "Amish in the City," which is to see what happens when a bunch of narrow-minded, shiftless, materialistic ignoramuses are brought together under one roof with people who live a life characterized by deep faith and strong tradition.
Good review, I may watch this show after all.
Tragic!
Edwin Hernandez, a Suffolk County police officer died in a car crash while driving home from work. He was the cousin of WKTU DJ "Vic Latino", and he had two children and two grandchildren. Please pray for him and his family.
Edwin Hernandez, a Suffolk County police officer died in a car crash while driving home from work. He was the cousin of WKTU DJ "Vic Latino", and he had two children and two grandchildren. Please pray for him and his family.
Good job!
I just happened to pass St. Raphael's parish on the way home from work tonight and decided to stop to see their new Church. I was impressed as I pulled into the parking lot, it looked like a Church from the outside! When I walked in, the first thing I noticed was the large crucifix right behind the altar. There were a few people inside and I spotted the tabernacle to the right, in a small chapel with clear windows all around it. The tabernacle is visible from all around the Church which is good, and it wasn't until I sat in a pew and looked at the sanctuary for a minute that I noticed the monstrance on the altar with the Blessed Sacrament exposed. I just noticed on the parish website they have Adoration from 1-7 pm on Tuesday. The back wall of the sanctuary looks like some kind of stone. There is a statue of Mary off to the left side, with nice blue stained glass behind her. The stained glass windows are nice too. Overall, not a bad job at all! I wish their website had some more pictures of the Church, especially inside photos, but I will post the link once I see them.
I just happened to pass St. Raphael's parish on the way home from work tonight and decided to stop to see their new Church. I was impressed as I pulled into the parking lot, it looked like a Church from the outside! When I walked in, the first thing I noticed was the large crucifix right behind the altar. There were a few people inside and I spotted the tabernacle to the right, in a small chapel with clear windows all around it. The tabernacle is visible from all around the Church which is good, and it wasn't until I sat in a pew and looked at the sanctuary for a minute that I noticed the monstrance on the altar with the Blessed Sacrament exposed. I just noticed on the parish website they have Adoration from 1-7 pm on Tuesday. The back wall of the sanctuary looks like some kind of stone. There is a statue of Mary off to the left side, with nice blue stained glass behind her. The stained glass windows are nice too. Overall, not a bad job at all! I wish their website had some more pictures of the Church, especially inside photos, but I will post the link once I see them.
Sunday, July 25, 2004
Move to make 9/11 day of service
"One Day's Pay, a nationwide non-profit organization that facilitates volunteering in memory of the Sept. 11 victims, has launched a campaign to recruit 2 million volunteers to go out on the next anniversary of the attacks to read to the blind, cook for the homeless or tutor children."
"To support the program, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) introduced resolutions in Congress last week to ask President George W. Bush to declare Sept. 11 a day of national service."
I would like to see this happen - it is the best way to remember this vicious attack and respond. I would like to add that the President should start a trend of pardoning criminals on this day (after the Justice Department investigates each case and recommends the pardons). Let us remember this day by showing mercy to our own people and give them an opportunity to rejoin society and help make America stronger. This day should also be a day of cleaning up parks, planting trees, restoring monuments, etc.. It goes without saying it should also be a day of prayer.
"One Day's Pay, a nationwide non-profit organization that facilitates volunteering in memory of the Sept. 11 victims, has launched a campaign to recruit 2 million volunteers to go out on the next anniversary of the attacks to read to the blind, cook for the homeless or tutor children."
"To support the program, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) introduced resolutions in Congress last week to ask President George W. Bush to declare Sept. 11 a day of national service."
I would like to see this happen - it is the best way to remember this vicious attack and respond. I would like to add that the President should start a trend of pardoning criminals on this day (after the Justice Department investigates each case and recommends the pardons). Let us remember this day by showing mercy to our own people and give them an opportunity to rejoin society and help make America stronger. This day should also be a day of cleaning up parks, planting trees, restoring monuments, etc.. It goes without saying it should also be a day of prayer.
Fr. Groeschel
The retreat this weekend was good. I will blog later about it. One of the highlights had to be this morning when we were just about to start eating breakfast, Fr. Groeschel comes walking down the hallway towards the dining room. He was walking with a cane and had a bump on his head and a glove on one hand. Other than that he looked pretty good. Everyone got up and went to the door and started clapping. This was the first teaching retreat weekend without him giving the opening talk. After the clapping died down, he said, in a hoarse voice but with perfect timing: "Living proof that only the good die young!!!!". He then told us how one of the Friars was told in the hospital to make the funeral arrangements because they did not expect him to make it. Someone said yesterday was Fr. Groeschel's birthday so we all sang happy birthday to him. He said he came to Kellenberg for the Youth 2000 Mass (he was supposed to give the homily) and he just wanted to stop in and say hello to us. He then did something I never saw him do before, he got a little choked up.
Update: The amazing thing about this weekend was that you had two totally different retreats going on at the same time and on the same high school grounds and everything seemed to go smoothly. We had a lovely teaching retreat, with about 25 people, which is about half the normal size, perhaps due to Fr. Groeschel's absence this year. The Youth 2000 New York had 600 young people and there was a giant tent set up on a field with the Blessed Sacrament exposed for adoration. This Diocese is slowly on the way to repairing the damage of the past by hosting events such as these. (See "McGann's Mess" by Dr. Thomas Droleskey for a very pessimistic view of things, I see things improving steadily). As one priest said, who would have thought 20 years ago, that a traditional Latin Mass would be offered in the school's chapel, while outside hundreds of young people were adoring the Blessed Sacrament? I got to eat at a dinner table with Msgr. William Smith and hear a bit of his wonderful humor. Fr. Pereda, who celebrates the traditional Mass I sometimes attend, gave an interesting and inspiring talk on the Latin Mass. I wasn't sure how he would come across and I think he was very impressive to the group. He was intelligent, interesting, and very funny. I had no idea he had such a great sense of humor since his personality is thankfully not on display while celebrating Mass. He celebrated the traditional Mass in the school's very modern chapel, meaning that perhaps for the first time in years (?) there were two approved traditional Masses offered in this diocese on the same day. I did not stick around long enough to hear the responses of the people to this Mass. These are good faithful Catholics that attend these retreats but not necessarily traditionalists. I would have liked to have heard some of the reactions, but I stupidly left right after the Mass.
The retreat this weekend was good. I will blog later about it. One of the highlights had to be this morning when we were just about to start eating breakfast, Fr. Groeschel comes walking down the hallway towards the dining room. He was walking with a cane and had a bump on his head and a glove on one hand. Other than that he looked pretty good. Everyone got up and went to the door and started clapping. This was the first teaching retreat weekend without him giving the opening talk. After the clapping died down, he said, in a hoarse voice but with perfect timing: "Living proof that only the good die young!!!!". He then told us how one of the Friars was told in the hospital to make the funeral arrangements because they did not expect him to make it. Someone said yesterday was Fr. Groeschel's birthday so we all sang happy birthday to him. He said he came to Kellenberg for the Youth 2000 Mass (he was supposed to give the homily) and he just wanted to stop in and say hello to us. He then did something I never saw him do before, he got a little choked up.
Update: The amazing thing about this weekend was that you had two totally different retreats going on at the same time and on the same high school grounds and everything seemed to go smoothly. We had a lovely teaching retreat, with about 25 people, which is about half the normal size, perhaps due to Fr. Groeschel's absence this year. The Youth 2000 New York had 600 young people and there was a giant tent set up on a field with the Blessed Sacrament exposed for adoration. This Diocese is slowly on the way to repairing the damage of the past by hosting events such as these. (See "McGann's Mess" by Dr. Thomas Droleskey for a very pessimistic view of things, I see things improving steadily). As one priest said, who would have thought 20 years ago, that a traditional Latin Mass would be offered in the school's chapel, while outside hundreds of young people were adoring the Blessed Sacrament? I got to eat at a dinner table with Msgr. William Smith and hear a bit of his wonderful humor. Fr. Pereda, who celebrates the traditional Mass I sometimes attend, gave an interesting and inspiring talk on the Latin Mass. I wasn't sure how he would come across and I think he was very impressive to the group. He was intelligent, interesting, and very funny. I had no idea he had such a great sense of humor since his personality is thankfully not on display while celebrating Mass. He celebrated the traditional Mass in the school's very modern chapel, meaning that perhaps for the first time in years (?) there were two approved traditional Masses offered in this diocese on the same day. I did not stick around long enough to hear the responses of the people to this Mass. These are good faithful Catholics that attend these retreats but not necessarily traditionalists. I would have liked to have heard some of the reactions, but I stupidly left right after the Mass.
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