Friday, July 31, 2009

Pro-Life Not Pro-Population Control

DeLauro-Ryan bill wants to adjust pro-life to pro-contraceptive.
Democrat Tim Ryan, who is sponsoring this bill said: "The new fault line is not between pro-life and pro-choice people. It's within the pro-life community. The question now is: 'are you pro-life and pro-contraception, therefore trying to reduce the need for abortions, or are you pro-life and against contraception and you hope that people's lives improve just by hoping it, wishing it so.”



Catholic Femina Speaks: The goal is to take the Christians who believe in contraceptives and split them against those who are totally pro-life. The government wants to deny funding to any institution that will not distribute artificial contraceptives. The US Government wants population control. The Obama suggestion of lower abortions did not have more babies in mind. The president is hoping that all women will be using government issued population control and abortions will not be needed. The culture of death is never going to promote the spread of life; the heart of the plan is decreasing births. This over-population crisis is taking hold on America, two children is a big family in need of a large mini-van and you are crazy to have three kids. I have been seeing this first hand with my own children. As I cart my two bundles of joy around I receive increasingly more and more attention. I can never go into public without someone coming up to see the babies. I took some time to analyze the situation and noticed there are fewer and fewer babies around. Those people who do have children do not take them out in public and frequently complain about the perils of parenting. I have increasingly felt that babies are endangered species, millions are being murdered and the ones who are born are viewed as burdensome. The culture of life needs to bring family back into the public eye. Large families in particular get censured for bringing their children in public, to spread a culture open to life we need to live life with our children. Not hide our babies at home, let people witness the truth. The population explosion has not happened yet and the propaganda driving the culture of death is erroneous.
Babies are blessings and pregnancy is not a disease to be medicated against.

The Next Vatican Idol?

"Pope Benedict Modeling For Album Cover"

For those who do their Christmas shopping early... the American Idols are not the only ones to be singing the summer away! Pope Benedict XVI is releasing the first ever music album by a pope. The Christmas Album will be available just in time for the Holidays and is expected to go
platinum.
Coming from Abbey Road studios this may be a first: it features the pope praying as well as singing. Geffen/Universal says Pope Benedict's album will include eight original pieces of contemporary classical music. The pontiff will sing and recite prayers to the Virgin Mary.
Benedict will be accompanied by the Choir of the Philharmonic Academy of Rome, as recorded in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. The original compositions are performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, recorded at London's Abbey Road.
Proceeds from the as-yet-untitled album will help fund music education for underprivileged children around the world. CBS News & A.P.
Album Available November 30th

CALLING ALL PRIESTS

"Priest In Training Program"

Pope Benedict XVI is Calling All Priests home to Rome for the close of the year dedicated to Priests. June 9-11, 2010 will be the international conference of priests and it will culminate with a mass by the Pope.

Tim Tebow Promotes And Practises Chastity!




American Papist has this video and I thought it was worth spreading... Living in Florida I hear a lot about Tim Tebow's work and example of christian life. I am a fan. I hope that his example will be an inspiration to youth in our country.

President Honors Abortion Advocates

President Barack Obama named the 2009 recipients of the coveted Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor a civilian can bestow on citizens, and he is giving it to abortion advocates. 16 medals were given, according to the president, based on their contributions to “world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors" and "were chosen for their work as agents of change" and because they "have changed the world for the better."
Some of the recipients include:
Sen. Ted Kennedy, who has led the cause for abortion and has voted for the culture of death for decades

Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who wanted unlimited abortions and authored the bill to undo the state’s right to ban partial-birth abortion

Nancy Goodman Brinker, the founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, this group is known for supporting breast cancer research, but gives thousands of dollars to Planned Parenthood and Komen defies research that reveals abortion leads to breast cancer.

Billie Jean King, tennis player in the 1960s and 1970s; King joined Emily's List in March of 2007 a pro-abortion group and then worked under the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton.

Reverend Joseph Loery, who joined other African-American minister to inform the world that " abortion is irrelevant to the Afro-American community" ignoring the fact that the African-American group are targeted more than any other ethnic group in the country.
See Documentary Maafa 21

Mary Robinson, the first female President of Ireland and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; Ireland has bans on abortion, but Robinson supports abortion as a human right.

Only one pro-life advocate made the list of medal winners; former congressman and NFL football player Jack Kemp who has been leader for the pro-life cause.
Read more: Lifenews

Catholic Femina Speaks: The President is reserved the right to honor the citizens of America, and Obama has sucessfully taken the honor out of the Medal of Freedom.

Catholic Femina has moved to


Welcome to the new site!

Thursday, July 30, 2009

New Arrival For Salesian Order!

Congratulations to the Salesian Family! They have officially accepted their 27th new congregation. This new women’s congregation; their motto is "to look after the poor and the abandoned young girls." The "Sisters of Maria Auxiliatrix" give aid to poor Indian girls; their ministry focuses on education for poor girls, evangelization, and running orphanages and day centers. There are roughly 110 sisters in this congregation throughout India. Zenit

QALY In Health Care: An Equation For Death

The proposed Obama Health care plan is integrating the QALY system of, harbinger of the Culture of Death, activist Peter Singer. QALY or Quality of Life Years is an equation used to equate the value of each human life to the government. The plan is to use QALY to ration health care, and give "end of life counceling" to elderly every five years regardless of their health status. To not loose any of the moraless ideas of Singer, the following is how he explained the QALY equation in the New York Times

As a first take, we might say that the good achieved by health care is the number of lives saved. But that is too crude. The death of a teenager is a greater tragedy than the death of an 85-year-old, and this should be reflected in our priorities. We can accommodate that difference by calculating the number of life-years saved, rather than simply the number of lives saved. If a teenager can be expected to live another 70 years, saving her life counts as a gain of 70 life-years, whereas if a person of 85 can be expected to live another 5 years, then saving the 85-year-old will count as a gain of only 5 life-years. That suggests that saving one teenager is equivalent to saving 14 85-year-olds.

Singer makes exceptions to his own principles for people of disabilities….

One common method is to describe medical conditions to people — let’s say being
a quadriplegic — and tells them that they can choose between 10 years in that
condition or some smaller number of years without it. If most would prefer, say,
10 years as a quadriplegic to 4 years of nondisabled life, but would choose 6
years of nondisabled life over 10 with quadriplegia, but have difficulty
deciding between 5 years of nondisabled life or 10 years with quadriplegia, then
they are, in effect, assessing life with quadriplegia as half as good as
nondisabled life. (These are hypothetical figures, chosen to keep the math
simple, and not based on any actual surveys.) If that judgment represents a
rough average across the population, we might conclude that restoring to
nondisabled life two people who would otherwise be quadriplegics is equivalent
in value to saving the life of one person, provided the life expectancies of all
involved are similar. . .. . .Some will object that this discriminates against
people with disabilities. If we return to the hypothetical assumption that a
year with quadriplegia is valued at only half as much as a year without it, then
a treatment that extends the lives of people without disabilities will be seen
as providing twice the value of one that extends, for a similar period, the
lives of quadriplegics.

Singer makes a lot of inclusions for his extermination policies. The error of these policies are clearer when you hear the truth; Dr. Ray Dennehy of the University of San Francisco.

The kind of contrast that Singer draws between lives with disabilities and lives
without them collides with the doctrine of natural rights that forms the bedrock
of our democracy. The basis of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is
human nature, and a disabled person has not lost that nature. To borrow from the
philosopher, Yves R. Simon, it is just as much an act of murder to kill a sickly
man as a healthy one; it is just as much an act of murder to kill a colored man
as a white man; it is just as much an act of murder to kill a poor man as a rich
man; it is just as much an act of murder to kill a child in its mother's womb as
a human adult.



Catholic Femina Speaks: The American people have so much information available to them, that no one can claim ignorance. The truth of the Obama health care has been printed and debated. It is hard to believe our government would desire such atrocities to life, but the truth of the matter is this life needs to be valued. We teach our children that life has intrinsic worth, now we must show this to our government. Call and peacefully protest this outrage to life.

“A persons a person no matter how small.”- Dr. Suess


Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Data On Volunteering Reveals The Truth

In the United States 61.8 million Americans or 26.4 percent of the adult population contributed 8 billion hours of volunteer service worth $162 billion. 39.5% of the total volunteers are from faith-based organizations. The faithful community of America is fueling the care of poverty level citizens. 83% of people who attend church volunteer in a community service, and 91% help in some way or another. People of faith are the driving force that provides for the needy. I hope that these statistics will be considered as government contemplates socialized medicine.

US Bishops Change Health Care Demands

The July 17th, letter to Congress on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is demanding that proposed Obama Healthcare plan be “universal.” They have said that all people need health care and it will not be fair to allow people to fall between the cracks. This movement was a change from their last motion of support, where they proposed that a plan with conscience was acceptable. The bishops have asked for pro-life health care, but “have claimed that abortion neutral health care is essential.” Bishop William F. Murphy of Rockville Centre, N.Y., chairman of the bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, he has asked legislature to remember the right of conscience for physicians, patients, and health care providers. Congress should limit premiums and co-payments and increase eligibility levels, Bishop Murphy wrote. Families earning less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level should be exempt from monthly premiums all together. Then the bishops have requested that if these terms are not met and people still fall between the cracks then they would like funding to provide healthcare. The US Bishops are making demands because according to Bishop Murphy the Catholic Church "provides health care, purchases health care and picks up the pieces of a failing health care system; the Catholic community encounters and serves the sick and uninsured in our emergency rooms, shelters and on the doorsteps of our parishes," U.S. Catholic

Catholic Femina Speaks: The U.S. Bishops are asking for socialized medicine in America as a solution for poverty level patients. What Bishop Murphy’s letter lead people to believe is that poverty level people do not receive health care now, the Catholic Church is providing assistance to thousands of people who are receiving health care through the generosity of the Catholics. As a faith community we are called to give, and we have answered generously as we have some of the best not-for-profit health programs in the world: St. Jude’s Children Hospital, Shriner’s Hospital, Children’s Miracle Network, just to name a few. I understand that the concept of “free healthcare” is enticing, but one must think about the repercussions of a large socialized health care system. First higher taxes, especially on the wealthiest people as Obama and the US Bishops are calling for. In principle it sounds good, but if we rob from the rich to help the poor, the poor loose. The wealthiest people are the most generous and support the poor now. Secondly, the tax burden will make the poor poorer and the wealthy less willing to help them because they have free healthcare. Thirdly the bishops are moving away from the Gospel message; Christ said “take nothing for the journey.” (Luke 9:3) Have faith God will provide through the acceptance of the message of the Gospel in the hearts of the faithful. The end of private health care will not help the poor, it will victimize them. They will be at the bottom of the food chain, feeding of the wealthiest giving the government more force to euthanize and abort them. The over all good of the poverty stricken Americans are much better served outside of government by God-fearing people who view each person as an image of Christ.

Ave Maria University Student President Conveys Student Message




The Students at Ave Maria University have expressed concerns over the future of the school and sadness over the dismissal of Fr. Joseph Fessio.

Remembering the Love of JPII

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Vietnam Persecutes Catholics: Is America Much Better?

Over half a million Catholics have filled the streets of Vietnam in response to the police attack on hundreds of peaceful worshipers on July 20th in the Tam Toa Church. The dioceses have organized 19 parades demanding the release of beaten and arrested faithful. The bishop of Vinh where the attack took place is promoting peace. In Contrast, the Communist Party launched a slander campaign against Christians. The erection of a cross has been at the heart of the Communist’s claims. Catholic.Org

Catholic Femina Speaks: The world watches and waits as half a million people gather in the streets of Communist Vietnam in defense of their faith. In America we are having our freedoms stripped one at a time. The Pope spoke out against the desecration of Bibles in America. People are publicly mocking the word of God, and it is considered just retribution for anti-homosexual material. The senate has passed a Hate-Crimes amendment that would stop freedom of speech and religion, all in defense of “Gay Rights.” We are watching as our president is trying to pass a ‘Death Care’ plan that would use government funds to provide abortions and euthanize the elderly. We live in a country where our Vice President can use the name of God as a swear word; while the Koran is protected. Our nation founded by God and indivisible with Liberty and Justice for all is dying before our eyes. Godly men and women are trying to stop these motions and need to be supported before the horrors of religious persecution are in our own backyard. Pray for legislators who are promoting the culture of Life and write to the ones who are not. Barack Obama ran his campaign on the slogan “Change.” His idea of change is giving the evils that existed prior the power to grow. The Vietnamese Catholics should be commended for banning together peacefully, following Christ’s message. American Christians need to take note and support those defending our freedoms.

Perpetual Adoration In Boston!

After 40 Years perpetual adoration of the Eucharist will return to Boston! Two billboards will be seen one on Brighton and the other on East Boston each displaying the Eucharist in a monstrance with the words: “The Son’s rays for your soul.” St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine on Boylston Street currently has six hours of adoration a day and on August 15th Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley will offer Mass on the feast of the Assumption, at the shrine and this mark the beginning of perpetual adoration, and the Eucharist will be in the monstrance for veneration anytime apart from during scheduled masses. The effort to return perpetual adoration to Boston is in response to the Pope’s year of priests. The idea is to create a place of prayer for vocations and the sanctity of priests. Tim Van Damm coordinator of the effort to return perpetual adoration has called it “a leap of faith” on the part of St. Clement Shrine. Van Damm has been on two radio shows and is going to be on “Catholic TV” August 4th, at 10:30a.m. Van Damm is asking the people of Boston to spread the word and is hoping to get enough support to purchases advertising space on the MTBA. Catholic News Agency

Sign Up Or Donate at Adoration Boston

Monday, July 27, 2009

Correction: Medjugorie Validity Does Not Affect God's Grace

Fr. Vladic has been laicized, or he is no longer a priest in the church. First reports had indicated that he was defrocked, but these have been shown to be untrue. The Holy Father has paid close attention to the claimed 40,000 visions of our Lady to the six children in the Bosnian town of Medjugorje. Father Tomislav Vladic has been under investigation since 1981 when the apparitions began. Fr. Vladic prophesied to the Vatican that Mary would appear in Bosnia, and six months latter the alleged apparitions in Medjugorje began. Nearly 30 million people have visited the site since 1981, and continue to journey there. f Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI banned official pilgrimages to Medjugorje after his visits, but permitts individuals to visit based on their own conscience. Fr. Vladic was put on probation this past year by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith after three separate commissions found no viable evidence that visions of spiritual nature have taken place. Daily Mail UK

Now the next important issue, to be addressed is the millions of people who have found the grace of God in Medjugorje. Did the visitors who made pilgrimages in good faith experience God? The answer is yes! Whatever the intentions of the children, Fr. Vladic, or anyone else; if a person made a pilgrimage any where and opened their heart to God they can have a conversion. In scriptures it says “faith can move mountains” so the thousands of healings are from God. He bestowed grace on the people who visited, and helped them to see their life in a new light. This grace or experience is not lessened by the validity of the visionaries; in fact it has nothing to do with it. If God touched a person’s heart in Medjugorje it was not because they stood where Mary was seen, or prayed where the children sat. Clearly, God came into them, sometimes when you leave your bubble it is easier to find God’s grace and embrace his love. So real or fake, proven or not the grace that pilgrims received in Medjugorje is real. God’s love is so powerful and He uses every opportunity to touch the hearts of men. Whether the visions are real or not has no bearing on the souls that have been saved. Pray for Fr. Vladic that he might return to the church.

Does This Inicident Have Bearing on Medjugorje Apparitions? Click Here to see more...

Sunday, July 26, 2009

The Future of Health Care With Obama?


This Past year I had a frightening experience with medicaid/hmo insurance. I have excellent private health insurance and a dedicated physician at a private practice, and I am accustomed to receiving good health care. In December of this past year I was ill, it was a Friday afternoon and my regular physician was unavailable. I had plans to go out of town and did not want to be sick over the weekend. So I decided to walk-in at the local public health clinic…this is an HMO/ Medicaid center. The clinic was filthy, the metal chairs had patent leather covers full of cracks that allowed the inner foam to peek out. The waiting room was paneled in a dark wood color, and the bottom of the paneling was white colored from years of mold. Over taken by the poorly kept waiting room I sat down with a pen to fill out a massive health history. The nurses had indicated to me on arrival that the wait would be short, and that my name was fourth on the list. I waited three hours from that point. Once they called my name I walked by countless signs for Planned Parenthood, Birth Controls, Elderly and Child Abuse as well as the general “How to tell if you have been Raped” posters. The office was dirtier than the waiting room and seemed to be fashioned after a horror movie. The doctor was courteous and spent less than five minutes examining me, and the rest of the visit filling out paperwork and made the occasional input about the benefits of “the Pill.” I took my precious prescription and left the office, at the pharmacy I discovered that I had been prescribed the wrong drugs. The whole experience was surreal, and it made me truly appreciate my wonderful health care; where my doctor cares for me. The doctor was more concerned about promoting a government anti-life agenda and getting her paperwork done rather than looking after me. The Obama plan will put everyone in the poorly tended, paperwork clinic, where abortion, contraceptives, and euthanasia are promoted. Doctors make huge sacrifices in order to care for patients; they miss out on time with their family. If health care is socialized, doctors pay will decrease, a anti-life agenda will be enacted, and we are going to suffer the consequences. Our health care is valuable and we need to help preserve that value.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Obama's Progressive Healthcare Plan Hurts Elderly


The new healthcare plan that Obama is promoting will put elderly in a position to end their life rather than take measure to save it. Fred Thompson is calling Americans to “think of their parents.” This healthcare proposal has a frightening resemblance to the T-4 plan of Adolf Hitler. Hitler’s plan put pressure to end the lives of less desirable. After the Nazi regime fell and the participants were tried for their crimes. “Then the Nazi doctors, and others, were tried for crimes against humanity and genocide at the Nuremberg Tribunal after World War II, many claimed that they only had the noblest intentions, others that they were only following orders.” We now have a similar plan that is being debated in the white house, and we need to make our voices heard. As Catholics we do not want to participate in the taking of countless lives. We cannot sit by aimlessly and watch it happen and when the practice is initiated claim we are only “following orders” as the Nazis. We are culpable for the genocide this health plan will create. Pray for our country, that we can prevent this planning from going into effect.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Embryonic Stem-Cell Research a Thing of the Past

Embryonic stem cells are definitely not necessary! The controversy over the need for the unethical practice of harvesting stem cells from Embryos was rendered unnecessary today when Chinese researchers unveiled their recent discovery. These scientists worked to:

Induce cells from connective tissue in mice to revert back to their embryonic state and producing living mice from them. Thus demonstrating that cells from adults can be converted into cells that, like embryonic stem cells from fetuses, have the ability to produce any type of tissue, the researchers have made a major advance toward eliminating the need for fetal cells in research and clinical applications.LA Times

The research has given the pro-life movement more momentum to push the embryonic stem cell research out. The unethical practice of harvesting embryos was claimed to be necessary for the promotion of adult-cell research and this has been disproven. Hopefully the U.S. researchers will curb their course of study and integrate this new form of stem-cell research which preserves rather than takes life.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Catholic Style Hitting the Fashion World

The newest craze in the fashion world is clothes designed by a priest called Goods of Conscience. Rev. Andrew O’Connor is being called “a man of the cloth for two reasons.” He received this nickname for his religion and his conscience for fashion. The small clothing company in New York only sells ethically obtained and manufactured products. “The church demands that you don’t just involve yourself in your own personal salvation, but we are really here to work for the salvation of the world,” O’Connor said by way of explaining GOC. The motto of the company is to produce clothing that “look good and do good.” The clothes have been getting immense attention since celeberty Cameron Diaz modeled a pair of shorts designed by O’Connor in the June edition of Vogue. Rev. O’Connor is one of nine Children and is a self-taught designer, created his first pattern when he was 16, sewing a pair of pants from a piece of linen-cotton drapery. He is quoted saying “humble than, humble now.” The idea for the company came to O’Connor while on a retreat in a small town in Guatemala where cloth was made, but the increasing use of cheap Chinese workers made the town’s work obsolete. The items at GOC are expensive with jackets costing $800, but GOC pays all employees a just wage, but it takes fifteen days to weave enough cloth for one shirt. The profits are used in Guatemala to provide children books for school, build churches, and more. At home in the US women in the Bronx are benefitting by learning a new trade, sewing and being paid a fair wage. Look for the styles by Fr. O’Connor in upcoming films and adorned by stars such as Julia Roberts.

For More See New Haven Register

Pence To Stop Planned Parenthood


U.S. House Representative Mike Pence, proposed and submitted a amendment that would stop Planned Parenthood from receiving federal funds. Planned Parenthood has been under investigation since they were caught on camera failing to report child victims of sexual abuse. “Legally a non-profit organization, Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) depends upon $349.6 million in US tax dollars to free up other resources that sustain the financial operation of its abortion facilities. According to PPFA's financial report for 2007-2008, the abortion provider brought in total revenue of $1.038 billion and posted an $85 million profit. They performed 305,000 abortions just this past year.” Life Sites Title X funds from the Public Health Services Act has been used to organize and operate an abortion facility, but not provide abortions; according to the regulations. The Pence Amendment seeks to remove Planned Parenthood from the charities benefitting from this program and reveal the truth about the organization. PPFA is a highly lucrative company using government money to pressure poverty level and minority women into having abortions, while harboring child sex offenders. Pence has ask the house to stop providing “bloody money.”

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Bishops' Socialism to Hurt Illegal Aliens

Catholic Culture Calls it" backtracking on Illegal Aliens." The majority of Catholic Charity resources is used to help people who "slip between the cracks." These people are in large illegal aliens who are not eligible for American health care. The plan that the bishops are supporting for a socialized health care plan will not help these people. In fact this plan will in fact cause more people to loose health care because of the impact it will have on charities. Furthermore the Obama plan will not be totally pro-life and the meeting in the middle plans that we have seen in the past have only been an excuse to use tax-payer money to fund abortions and euthanasia. Universal Health care is not the answer, a missionaries heart is the call of Christians. We are obliged to help the needy, and this population is going to expand greatly if this Health care plan comes about. The US bishops are supporting the spread of socialism not Christianity.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Pro-Life Universal Healthcare: Not the Answer


The US Bishops are promoting the Obama plan for a universal healthcare plan, but they want to stop it from including abortions. The US bishops say that the healthcare plan needs to have a conscience, and formed some guidelines:

On behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), I write to outline our policy priorities and to express hope that the serious efforts of the Congressional committees will bring genuine life-affirming reform to the nation’s health care system. The USCCB looks forward to working with you to reform health care successfully in a manner that offers accessible, affordable and quality health care that protects and respects the life and dignity of all people from conception until natural death. For decades, the Catholic bishops of the United States have been and continue to be consistent advocates for comprehensive health care reform that leads to health care for all, including the weakest and most vulnerable. The bishops want to support health care reform. We have in the past and we always must insist that health care reform excludes abortion coverage or any other provisions that threaten the sanctity of life. As Congress begins debate on health care reform the Catholic bishops of the United States offer the following criteria for fair and just health care reform. Health care reform needs to reflect basic ethical principles. We offer these as a guide: • a truly universal health policy with respect for human life and dignity; • access for all with a special concern for the poor and inclusion of legal immigrants; • pursuing the common good and preserving pluralism including freedom of conscience and variety of options; and • restraining costs and applying them equitably across the spectrum of payers. Catholic Key Blog

The socialist agenda is being pushed by the misinterpretation of the recent encyclical “Caritas in Veritate.” Pope Benedict urges people to take action, and the creation of a huge bureaucracy is hardly the answer. Tithing to provide for the poor and personally giving of one’s talents for the service of others are at the heart of the pope’s writings. While Obama’s plan is claiming to be a “universal” many people will be left behind, and those people who are currently generously giving to provide for the needs of others will be taxed so rigorously making it almost impossible to continue their generosity. At the heart of giving is the spirit of the giver, and by forming a large plan run by the over taxing of the American people kills this. Furthermore the government employees work their jobs in this mass bureaucracy. The life’s bloods of the Christian charity programs are volunteers, and these individuals truly exemplify Christ. Obama wants to kill this ideal and replace it with a plan to provide abortion and euthanasia to the less desirable. Hopefully the US bishops will recognize this move by Obama cannot be pro-life and curtail their support to protect the most vulnerable.

For More on Urgent Obama Healthcare

Fessio Dismissed


Fr. Joseph Fessio was dismissed from Ave Maria University. Read the letter Fr. Fessio put out.
This morning, (Monday, July 20th) Dr. Jack Sites, Academic Vice President of Ave Maria University, flew from Houston, where he was attending a meeting of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, to San Francisco, to inform me personally that I was being dismissed from Ave Maria University. Our meeting was amicable and Dr. Sites, as always, acted as a Christian gentleman. He said that the reason for my dismissal stemmed from a conversation I had in November of 2008 with Jack Donahue, then chairman of the board of AMU. At that time I felt it an obligation to speak to the board chairman before the upcoming board meeting, to make sure he was aware of the urgency of the university’s financial situation. After I had informed him, using projections based on publicly available documents and statements, he asked me what I thought was the solution. I told him that there were policies being followed that were at the root of the problem, that the present administration was irrevocably wedded to those policies, and that without a change of administration the university was at great risk. Dr. Sites said that Jack Donahue related this conversation to Tom Monaghan, and it was decided (I don’t know specifically by whom) that the university could not have a faculty member making these criticisms of the administration and thus undermining the university. Dr. Sites told me that there were unspecified others who had similar substantive concerns that I was undermining the university. I continue to support the university. I pray for its success. I have great admiration for the faculty, students, and many of the staff. I do disagree with some of the policies of the administration. This seems to be the reason I was fired the first time, in March 2007, since the official explanation was “irreconcilable administrative differences”. Nevertheless, I think it is an accurate summary to say that I am being dismissed as a faculty member because of a private conversation with the chairman of the board in which I made known my criticisms of the university administration; and because of allegations which have not been made known to me and to which I have not been given an opportunity to respond. I will continue to recommend AMU to students and parents. And I will continue to think my dismissal is another mistake in a long series of unwise decisions.
Read more on Naples News

What I do when I'm not blogging! Steubenville Atlanta


July 17th the Epiphany Youth Group from Lake City, Florida joined a group from the Diocese of St. Augustine to attend to the annual Steubenville Atlanta Conference hosted by Life Teen. I am one of the youth ministers at Epiphany, this was my first youth conference and I had some reservations. Upon arriving I wondered what had I gotten myself into? Over 2,000 teenagers bustled around in anticipation of the events to come. Each attendee received a color coded wrist band to identify their location in the conference and a lanyard to serve as a ticket. I felt that the system of identification was very complex and I wondered if the 2,000 teens would comply. Hoping to avoid mass hysteria, I studied the agenda. Our pastor Fr. Mike, my husband Jim, and I gathered our group together in our “green” section to wait. The doors of the Gwinnett Conference Center opened and the youth entered in an orderly fashion. The teens that surrounded me were very enthusiastic, and the energy in the building was on fire. The host introduced the first musician, Matt Maher and the throngs of teens cheered. The electricity grew when Catholic rapper Righteous B took the stage. The first night concluded with benediction and the opportunity for confession. The next morning our group woke early to attend sessions on chastity for men and women. The youth had several options of talks to attend and choose the topics that interested them. More music, confession, mass, and talks filled the second day. Each session brought the teens closer to the climax of the weekend, a Eucharistic procession on the second night. The second night was an evening of change. As the Eucharist passed by I watched many teens experience God in their lives for the first time. Some cried, other laughed; but all were moved by the Holy Spirit. I was inspired by the faith of these youth. The final day of the conference was Sunday and the day began with more music. The Host entertained while the teens prepared themselves for the mass. The faces of the youth would cause an on looker to believe that they were attending their first mass. The teens were attentive and in tune with God. They exemplified what it means to be Catholic today. Life Teen and Steubenville had successfully introduced the beauty of the Catholic faith to a new generation. The conference had not changed the Catholic faith. Rather they gave the faith a modern flare like a classic book with a new cover to entice a different audience. At the end of the conference all my reservations about method were gone. The fruits of the conference were evident in the youth. The works of Steubenville Atlanta and Life Teen have brought abundant grace to me and the Epiphany Youth Group. I can’t wait until next years’ conference!

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Unborn Babies Can Remember


A new study has been done which suggests that unborn babies have a short term memory. Maastricht University Medical Center and the University Medical Center St. Radboud published their finding in the July/August issue of the journal Child Development. The study was conducted in the Netherlands. The researchers observed 100 pregnant Dutch women, over the term of their pregnancy. The scientists watched the reaction of the unborn babies to stimulus on an ultrasound, repeating the same stimulus and charting the reactions. At 30 weeks old, researchers noticed after a few moments of stimulation the baby stopped reacting and considered the stimuli and considered it “safe.” Then in a second session the unborn baby remembered the experience and made no response to the stimuli. At 30 weeks the unborn babies had a short term memory of ten minutes, and by 34 weeks the babies memory was so developed that it was able to recall the incident four weeks prior. The researchers have suggested that the purpose of their study is early prevention… they want to prevent abnormalities (abort babies who do not react normally) or provide extra care to those able to help. This amazing study needs to be used by the pro-life movement to demonstrate that unborn babies are able to process information and think rationally. They can think like a person and are fully human. e Science

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

First Ammendment in Danger!


On Thursday the Senate is going to vote on a bill that is believed to lay the ground work for religious persecution. Ashley Horn the federal issues analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said

"Gay activists have and will continue to use these kinds of laws to silence Christians who speak publicly about God's design for human sexuality – and make them pay if they stand up for their beliefs." CitizenLink

The legislation is being called a Hate-Crimes Amendment . The goal is to prosecute any person who speaks publicly against the gay rights movement. Government interference of this kind goes against the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution; it is denying freedom of press and freedom of religion. This legislation is being hidden in the Defense Authorization Bill, so call your Senators and ask them to vote no on the Hate-Crimes Amendment.

Al Kresta On: Michael Jackson Sells Himself!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Abortion Causes Breast Cancer

The abortion myth has been used to confuse many women into believing that abortion does not help women. Abortion kills babies and it hurts women.

Recently, “Angela Lanfranchi, M.D., a New Jersey breast surgeon, came across the abortion/breast-cancer link she is a surgeon. In the early 1990s, Lanfranchi began to notice that young women were coming into her office with breast cancer and that they all had a history of abortions, often in their teens. In the 1970s and 1980s, evidence began to mount that abortion was putting women at risk. By 2002, there were 37 studies on the abortion/breast-cancer link. More than 75 percent of them -- 28 -- show that abortion is a risk factor for breast cancer.”

Inside Catholic

The knowledge that having an abortion causes a woman’s risk of breast cancer rising to 75% cause women think twice about having an abortion. As a lover of life and a supporter of family I want to encourage everyone to end the lie, abortion hurts women and children! Help stop abortions by spreading the truth!

G.K. Chesterton Moves On!


The cigar smoking, wine drinking, and life loving man... G.K. Chesterton, is moving closer to sainthood as the Chesterton Society is going to further his cause for sainthood. The world will be watching closely as the writings of Chesterton are scrutinized. New Liturgical Movement

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Pope Warns of Technology Overshadowing Humanity


In the wake of G8 Pope Benedict came out to warn about the dangers of the present. The Pope began by saying:"
"The absolutism of technology, which finds its clearest expression in certain
practices contrary to life”, could "draw dark scenarios for the future of
humanity" ANI
He wanted to warn the world against interfering with the place of God, the manipulation of embryos, abortion, euthanasia, sterilization, birth control. The Pope marveled that all these things are done in the supposed interest of humanity.
“These acts that do not respect the true dignity of the person - said the pope -
even when they seem motivated by a 'choice of love', in reality are the result
of a 'material and mechanistic conception of human life', which reduces ' love
without truth to ‘an empty shell to fill arbitrarily' (cf. No. 6 of the
encyclical) and can thus result in adverse effects in integral human
development." Citing other issues in the encyclical, he reiterated that life
“has become a radically anthropological question' in the sense that it involves
the very way we conceive the human being who is increasingly placed in the hands
of man himself through modern biotechnology Solutions to current problems of
humanity can not only be technical, but must take into account all the needs of
the person who has a soul and
body." ANI
The Pope is calling the world to take a holistic look at the people. Then to change, and make a new economic system reflecting the needs of people and not use technology in place of the role of God. Furthermore the Holy Father wants us to look at countries that are in need in light of the economic situation. He wants people to not think of the socialistic view of government responsibility, rather to take it upon them to make the world better. The Pope is calling on everyone:
“ to accompany me with prayer. Prayer knows no distance and separation: wherever we are, it makes us one heart and one mind. " ANI
The Holy Father is heading for his much needed vacation in Les Combes.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Obama Promises the Pope Less Abortions


During his meeting with the Holy Father President Barack Obama committed to lower the number of abortions in the US. Pope Benedict gave Obama a Bioethics Textbook, and his new encyclical. The president gave a personal letter from Ted Kennedy, no word of the letters content; but I can only image the shippping charge. Hopefully Obama will hold to his committment to the Holy father. Pray for our president

Friday, July 10, 2009

Obama Meets the Pope!

Today, President Barack Obama visited the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI for the first time. The world has been waiting for this meeting; the most liberal president in American history to meet the leader of the Roman Catholic Church. Obama greeted the Pope with “It’s a great honor.” The photographers and reporters were made to leave when the two leaders sat down at the Pontiff’s desk. No doubt giving the opportunity for confession, but Obama only called the meeting “productive” rather than life changing… so I doubt he received any sacraments. Toward the end of the meeting Michelle Obama and her two daughters joined the president. Michelle was wearing all black, with an elaborate black veil, the classic garb of Iraqi women. Perhaps she packed the souvenir outfit from Biden’s meeting with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki July 2nd. The Obama administration has been trying to make budget cuts. One more budget was the gift that the President gave to the Pope. In ordinary circumstances the president would have brought a whole set of vestments for the Pontiff, but to save fabric and tax payer money he only gave a stole. No statement yet from the Vatican about the outcome of the meeting.
For More on the Pope Meeting See AmP

Thursday, July 9, 2009

IRS To Help Planned Parenthood

Just in case you did not already dislike the IRS they are making some abominable threats on a peaceful non-profit organization. The Thomas More Society a Chicago based non-profit law center the IRS has threatened to deny their tax exception unless the Iowa pro-life organization promises to limit its “picketing” and “protesting” of Planned Parenthood.

In response the attorneys of the Thomas More Society defending the coalition, argued that the IRS is in danger of violating the First Amendment and that the request for tax exemption should be promptly granted. The repeated questioning of the coalition suggests that the IRS may be denying or delaying tax-exempt status to an eligible organization based solely upon its religious affiliation and speech. Many other organizations regularly advocate on both sides of these issues, and they have not been hindered in obtaining or maintaining tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3).“The IRS not only erroneously forbade the Coalition for Life of Iowa from engaging in ‘advocacy’ as a section 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization; they also never gave any explanation as to why their request was relevant,” said Thomas Brejcha, president and chief counsel for the Thomas More Society. “The coalition has clearly and truthfully stated that all its activities fall in line with IRS guidelines. The IRS is protecting Planned Parenthood and harassing the Coalition for Life of Iowa.” National Catholic Register

The Thomas More Society has never been disruptive in their displays or caused any problems with their peaceful protests. This is a frightening reality that the IRS is trying to regulate a Christian non-profit organization. Pray for Thomas More Society that their cause will not be hurt by the Anti-American people of the IRS, in violation of the first amendment, bullying their organization because of their beliefs.