In a follow up to a story to the one I put on here yesterday, seems like Bishop Thomas Tobin in under attack for his letter to Congressman Patrick Kennedy. He went on MSNBC Hardball yesterday and was rebuked and lectured in an insulting interview by Chris Matthews, also a Catholic. See the Interview and story here.
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=17820
Also Judie Brown of the American Life League made some comments about the letter. She also gave some ideas about how we can show our support for Bishop Tobin.
http://www.all.org/newsroom_judieblog_response.php?id=2851
Take action:
1. Thank Bishop Tobin for his courage in standing up for the truth and for his concern for Congressman Kennedy’s soul. Contact the bishop’s public affairs manager, Karen Davis (call 401-278-4600, fax 401-278-4659 or e-mail kdavis@dioceseofprovidence.org), or write to this address:
Most Rev. Thomas J. Tobin, D.D.
Diocese of Providence
One Cathedral Square
Providence, RI 02903
2. Contact Congressman Patrick Kennedy to let him know that you are praying for his conversion to truth. E-mail him through his congressional web site, call 202-225-4911, fax 202-225-3290 or write to this address:
Representative Patrick Kennedy
407 Cannon House Office Building
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Another Catholic Politician Defies the Church and The Response by His Bishop.

Another Catholic politician has gone rogue. No it’s not Sarah Palin. This time it’s the son of the late Edward Kennedy, Congressman Patrick Kennedy. Kennedy represents Rhode Island’s First Congressional District in the U S House of Representatives.
It seems that Kennedy has a history of going against the Catholic Church on the abortion. In February 2007, Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence asked Kennedy not to receive Communion because of his voting record supporting abortion rights. Recently, Kennedy criticized the nation’s Catholic bishops for their opposition to the health care reform unless the Congress restricts federal funding for abortions. Since then, the two have had a harsh war of words. The feud went public when on November 10th Kennedy told reporters that he had canceled a meeting with Tobin. In response, Bishop Tobin published a letter to the Congressman in his regular column in the “Rhode Island Catholic” entitled “Without a Doubt”.
The Church has a history of Catholic politicians defying the Church’s teaching on abortion. Kennedy is one of many, including his late father. Others include Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi; former Kansas Governor and now secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius; Vice President, Joe Biden; former New York Governor, Mario Cuomo; and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
The letter is one of the best that I’ve seen by a Catholic Bishop in response to the anti-abortion stance of a Catholic politician because it defines what it means to be Catholic. It not only explains to Kennedy what his obligation as a Catholic, but is a great teaching moment because in the Bishop’s words, “…might be instructive to other Catholics, including those in prominent positions of leadership.”
Bishop Tobin refers to the “Code of Cannon Law” saying, “Lay persons are bound by an obligation and possess the right to acquire a knowledge of Christian doctrine adapted to their capacity and condition so that they can live in accord with that doctrine.” (Canon 229, #1)
He goes on to say, “…being a Catholic means that you’re part of a faith community that possesses a clearly defined authority and doctrine, obligations and expectations. It means that you believe and accept the teachings of the Church, especially on essential matters of faith and morals…”
It seems that Kennedy has a history of going against the Catholic Church on the abortion. In February 2007, Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence asked Kennedy not to receive Communion because of his voting record supporting abortion rights. Recently, Kennedy criticized the nation’s Catholic bishops for their opposition to the health care reform unless the Congress restricts federal funding for abortions. Since then, the two have had a harsh war of words. The feud went public when on November 10th Kennedy told reporters that he had canceled a meeting with Tobin. In response, Bishop Tobin published a letter to the Congressman in his regular column in the “Rhode Island Catholic” entitled “Without a Doubt”.
The Church has a history of Catholic politicians defying the Church’s teaching on abortion. Kennedy is one of many, including his late father. Others include Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi; former Kansas Governor and now secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius; Vice President, Joe Biden; former New York Governor, Mario Cuomo; and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
The letter is one of the best that I’ve seen by a Catholic Bishop in response to the anti-abortion stance of a Catholic politician because it defines what it means to be Catholic. It not only explains to Kennedy what his obligation as a Catholic, but is a great teaching moment because in the Bishop’s words, “…might be instructive to other Catholics, including those in prominent positions of leadership.”
Bishop Tobin refers to the “Code of Cannon Law” saying, “Lay persons are bound by an obligation and possess the right to acquire a knowledge of Christian doctrine adapted to their capacity and condition so that they can live in accord with that doctrine.” (Canon 229, #1)
He goes on to say, “…being a Catholic means that you’re part of a faith community that possesses a clearly defined authority and doctrine, obligations and expectations. It means that you believe and accept the teachings of the Church, especially on essential matters of faith and morals…”
Finally, because Kennedy is in a state of sin and and as the Church teaches, " Anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to communion.", Bishop Tobin offers Kennedy the opportunity "...to enter into a sincere process of discernment, conversion, and repentance."
You can read the whole letter here.
http://www.thericatholic.com/opinion/detail.html?sub_id=2632
You can read the whole letter here.
http://www.thericatholic.com/opinion/detail.html?sub_id=2632
Other Sources...
Labels:
My Catholic Faith,
Politics,
Pro-Life,
Religion
The Christmas Novena

Beginning on November 30th, St Andrew the Apostle's feast day, it is tradition to pray the following beautiful prayer 15 times a day. Normally a novena is a nine day prayer, however sometimes the term is used for any prayer that is repeated over a series of days. This prayer is often called the "Christmas Novena" or the "Christmas Anticipation Prayer" because it is prayed 15 times every day from the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle (November 30) until Christmas.
The Novena is not actually addressed to St. Andrew but to God Himself asking Him to grant our request in the honor of the birth of His Son at Christmas. You can pray the prayer 15 times, all at once; or divide up the recitation as necessary, (perhaps five times at each meal). Prayed as a family, this novena is a great way to help focus the attention of your children on the Advent Season.
Hail and blessed be the hour and the moment
in which the Son of God was born
of the most pure Virgin Mary,
at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold.
In that hour vouchsafe,
I beseech Thee, O My God,
to hear my prayers and grant my desires
(here mention your request)
through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ
and of His blessed Mother.
Amen.
(It is piously believed that whoever recites the above prayer fifteen times a day, from the feast of St. Andrew (30th of November) until Christmas will obtain what is asked.)
Imprimatur
MICHAEL AUGUSTINE, Archbishop of New York
New York, February 6, 1897
Labels:
My Catholic Faith,
Prayers and Novenas,
Religion
Friday, September 11, 2009
For America
On September 17, 2001, the late, great Jack Buck made one of his final apperarances at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. Showing the signs of Parkinson's disease that he was fighting, that would take his life 9 months later, he fired up the crowd by reading the following poem. He concluded by silencing those who thought baseball was coming back too soon, saying: "I don't know about you, but as for me, the question has already been answered: Should we be here? Yes!"
For America
by Jack Buck
Since this nation was founded under
God, more than 200 years ago,
We've been the bastion of
Freedom...
The light which keeps the free world
Aglow.
We do not covet the possessions of
Others, we are blessed with the
Bounty we share.
We have rushed to help other
Nations...anything...anytime...
Anywhere.
War is just not our nature...we
Won't start, but we will end the fight.
If we are involved we shall be
Resolved to protect what we know is
Right.
We've been challenged by a
Cowardly foe, who strikes and then
Hides from our view.
With one voice we say there's no
Choice today, there is only one
Thing to do.
Everyone is saying the same thing
And praying that we end these
Senseless moments we are living.
As our fathers did before, we shall
Win this unwanted war.
And our children will enjoy the
Future, we'll be giving.
God, more than 200 years ago,
We've been the bastion of
Freedom...
The light which keeps the free world
Aglow.
We do not covet the possessions of
Others, we are blessed with the
Bounty we share.
We have rushed to help other
Nations...anything...anytime...
Anywhere.
War is just not our nature...we
Won't start, but we will end the fight.
If we are involved we shall be
Resolved to protect what we know is
Right.
We've been challenged by a
Cowardly foe, who strikes and then
Hides from our view.
With one voice we say there's no
Choice today, there is only one
Thing to do.
Everyone is saying the same thing
And praying that we end these
Senseless moments we are living.
As our fathers did before, we shall
Win this unwanted war.
And our children will enjoy the
Future, we'll be giving.
Labels:
Baseball,
Patriotism,
Politics,
St. Louis Cardinals
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Following in His Footsteps
Up until about two years ago, we had a Catholic singles group here in Wichita. I was pretty active with the group. I served as the president, treasurer, and newsletter editor. We did some community service, a few religious, but mostly social activities. It was a way great for single Catholic adults to meet each other. It was part of my stewardship to the church. I was willing and able to donate the gift of my talent and time. Our only problem is that we had a difficult time getting new single adults to join, and become active. At the end of December 2007 we decided to call it quits. That was the end of our group.
At first I didn’t know what to do with my time. Then in the October of 2008, our parish had a stewardship fair after all the Masses one Sunday. I went in and looked around. There were a number of ways that I could get involved and donate my gift of time and talent. I thought about a few of them. Greeter, Usher, Social Committee, Welcoming Committee, Compassion Ministry, Respect Life Committee, Youth Ministry, Youth or Adult Education, RCIA, Parish Newsletter, Knights of Columbus, and SEAS Navy. The possibilities were endless and I had so much time and talent to give that I could fit into any one of these.
I put off making a decision, maybe hoping the singles group might get back together. Then when I went home to visit my family for Christmas, my parents had gotten from one of our r
elatives, a cd with lots of old family photos. Someone had taken the time to scan all of them and put them on a disc. One of the photos was from a newspaper clipping from August 4, 1965. It was of my grandfather accepting the gavel as the Grand Knight of the Martins Ferry, Ohio Knights of Columbus. He ended up passing away from colon cancer in December of that year.
My dad had never been a Knight, but he has gotten involved in the community and the church in other ways. He was and continues to be a Lector. He has served on parish committees, and he is very active with the local Kiwanis Club, and volunteers at the local senior center delivering meals on wheels.
I didn’t know much about the Knights other than what I had seen at church. Those were the guys who handed out tootsie rolls and had pancake breakfasts after Mass. Those were the guys who wore those funny looking hats (chapeau) and capes for special processions.
When I got back to Wichita, I did some research. I found out that the Knights were more than tootsie rolls and pancake breakfasts. I have a friend (Tom) who has been in the Knights for years and had invited me on many occasions to join. I called my friend Tom and followed in my grandpa’s footsteps. I joined the Knights of Columbus. Here’s why!
The Knights were founded by a Catholic priest, Fr Michael J. McGivney. Many Catholics who came to the United State
s in the 1800’s were Irish immigrants. His parents were among them. Michael was one of 13 children, 6 of whom died as infants or in childhood. He learned early about sorrow and the harsh grips of poverty. He also learned about powers of love and faith, and family fortitude. As he grew up and became a priest, he saw how the Irish immigrants were discriminated against and looked down upon as a lower social class. Many lived in unsanitary conditions and performed hazardous jobs for poor pay. As a result, many Catholic husbands and fathers lived short lives. He saw what could happen to a family when the breadwinner died. He also saw a need for a fraternal organization for Catholic men similar to the Freemasons. Freemasonry was condemned by the Catholic Church and Catholic men were prohibited from joining the organization because of their anti-Catholic and Christian beliefs.
On February 2, 1882, at St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Connecticut, Fr McGivney gathered 24 men from his parish to address these needs. That was the beginning of the Knights of Columbus.
Within the order, there are four “Degrees” of Knighthood, each one meant to exemplify one of the four principles. “Charity” and Unity were the first two in 1882. “Fraternity” and “Patriotism” would be added later.
Today the Knights have grown to more that 13,000 councils and 1.7 million members in the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, Poland, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Panama, the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, Cuba, Guatemala, Guam, and Saipan.
To this day the Knights of Columbus are still true to its founding principles of charity, unity, and fraternity. Charity is the foremost principle of the order. The order has been called “the strong right arm of the Church” for support of the Church programs of evangelization and Catholic education, civic involvement, and aid to the needy. During the year ending December 31, 2008, total charitable contributions reached $150,036,865 ---exceeding the previous year’s total by more than $5.1 million. The figure includes $32,295,376 donated by the Supreme Council and $117,741,489 in contribution from state and local councils, assemblies, and Squires circles.
The quantity of volunteer service hours to charitable causes grew to 68,783,653 in 2008. That’s 87,885 hours more than the year before.
Cumulative figures show that during the past decade the Knights of Columbus has donated more that $1.325 billion to charity and provided nearly 626 million hours of volunteer service in support of charitable initiatives.
Fr McGivney’s founding vision also includes a life insurance program that offers member, spouse, and children the opportunity to provide for their security and well-being. Rated AAA (Superior) by Standard & Poor’s and A++ (Superior) by A. M. Best.
If a Catholic man would like to get involved or learn more about the Knights of Columbus he should contact his local council or check out their web site at http://kofc.org/eb/en/index.html.
At first I didn’t know what to do with my time. Then in the October of 2008, our parish had a stewardship fair after all the Masses one Sunday. I went in and looked around. There were a number of ways that I could get involved and donate my gift of time and talent. I thought about a few of them. Greeter, Usher, Social Committee, Welcoming Committee, Compassion Ministry, Respect Life Committee, Youth Ministry, Youth or Adult Education, RCIA, Parish Newsletter, Knights of Columbus, and SEAS Navy. The possibilities were endless and I had so much time and talent to give that I could fit into any one of these.
I put off making a decision, maybe hoping the singles group might get back together. Then when I went home to visit my family for Christmas, my parents had gotten from one of our r

My dad had never been a Knight, but he has gotten involved in the community and the church in other ways. He was and continues to be a Lector. He has served on parish committees, and he is very active with the local Kiwanis Club, and volunteers at the local senior center delivering meals on wheels.
I didn’t know much about the Knights other than what I had seen at church. Those were the guys who handed out tootsie rolls and had pancake breakfasts after Mass. Those were the guys who wore those funny looking hats (chapeau) and capes for special processions.
When I got back to Wichita, I did some research. I found out that the Knights were more than tootsie rolls and pancake breakfasts. I have a friend (Tom) who has been in the Knights for years and had invited me on many occasions to join. I called my friend Tom and followed in my grandpa’s footsteps. I joined the Knights of Columbus. Here’s why!
The Knights were founded by a Catholic priest, Fr Michael J. McGivney. Many Catholics who came to the United State

On February 2, 1882, at St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Connecticut, Fr McGivney gathered 24 men from his parish to address these needs. That was the beginning of the Knights of Columbus.
Within the order, there are four “Degrees” of Knighthood, each one meant to exemplify one of the four principles. “Charity” and Unity were the first two in 1882. “Fraternity” and “Patriotism” would be added later.
Today the Knights have grown to more that 13,000 councils and 1.7 million members in the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, Poland, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Panama, the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, Cuba, Guatemala, Guam, and Saipan.
To this day the Knights of Columbus are still true to its founding principles of charity, unity, and fraternity. Charity is the foremost principle of the order. The order has been called “the strong right arm of the Church” for support of the Church programs of evangelization and Catholic education, civic involvement, and aid to the needy. During the year ending December 31, 2008, total charitable contributions reached $150,036,865 ---exceeding the previous year’s total by more than $5.1 million. The figure includes $32,295,376 donated by the Supreme Council and $117,741,489 in contribution from state and local councils, assemblies, and Squires circles.
The quantity of volunteer service hours to charitable causes grew to 68,783,653 in 2008. That’s 87,885 hours more than the year before.
Cumulative figures show that during the past decade the Knights of Columbus has donated more that $1.325 billion to charity and provided nearly 626 million hours of volunteer service in support of charitable initiatives.
Fr McGivney’s founding vision also includes a life insurance program that offers member, spouse, and children the opportunity to provide for their security and well-being. Rated AAA (Superior) by Standard & Poor’s and A++ (Superior) by A. M. Best.
If a Catholic man would like to get involved or learn more about the Knights of Columbus he should contact his local council or check out their web site at http://kofc.org/eb/en/index.html.
Labels:
Family,
Knights of Columbus,
My Catholic Faith,
Stewardship
Sunday, August 30, 2009
What Happens in Heaven
I have talked about this with a friend of mine. While we pray for need, how often do we actually pray in thanksgiving for the gifts that we receive?
I Love this...WHAT HAPPENS IN HEAVEN This is one of the nicest e-mails I have seen, and it really puts things into perspective..
I dreamt that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me around. We walked side-by-side inside a large workroom filled with angels. My angel guide stopped in front of the first section and said, 'This is the Receiving Section. Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are received.'
I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from people all over the world.
Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second section..
The angel then said to me, 'This is the Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are processed and delivered to the living persons who asked for them.. 'I noticed again how busy it was there. There were many angels working hard at that station, since so many blessings had been requested and were being packaged for delivery to Earth.
Finally at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the door of avery small station. To my great surprise, only one angel was seated there, idly doing nothing. 'This is the Acknowledgment Section,' my angel friend quietly admitted to me. He seemed embarrassed 'How is it that there is no work going on here?' I asked.
'So sad,' the angel sighed. 'After people receive the blessings that they asked for, very few send back acknowledgments .
''How does one acknowledge God's blessings?' I asked.
'Simple,' the angel answered. Just say, 'Thank you, Lord.
''What blessings should they acknowledge?' I asked..
'If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overheadand a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy .
''And if you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity..
''If you woke up this morning with more health than illness ... you are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day ..
''If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ... you are ahead of 700 million people in the world.
''If you can attend a church without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in the world.
''If your parents are still alive and still married ...you are very rare .
''If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm, you're unique to all those in doubt and despair.
'Ok, what now? How can I start? If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you as very special and you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.
Have a good day, count your blessings, and if you want, pass this along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are.
ATTN: Acknowledge Dept.: 'Thank you Lord, for giving me the ability to share this message and forgiving me so many wonderful people to share it with.
If you have read this far, and are thankful for all that you have been blessed with, how can you not send it on????
I thank God especially for all my family and friends!!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Urgent: Pro-Life Action Needed!
It is getting serious. I have been receiving emails from sources that I trust (Knights of Columbus and Priests for Life) stressing the seriousness of the health care legislation that is currently before Congress. It seems that the health care reform bills now being finalized in Congress will result in federally mandated abortion coverage by nearly all health plans, recruitment of abortion doctors into local health networks, and the nullification of many state laws that place reasonable limits on abortion, unless Congress explicitly excludes abortion.
Just last week, a Senate panel voted to include abortion coverage. Check out the story here…
Senate Panel OKs Abortion Coverage in Health Care Bill, Senator Forced to Admit
And congress is trying to rush this through. Only we can stop them. They need to hear from each and every one of you! That’s why I am urging a grass roots effort to stop this. Please follow the link below and call or write your Senators and Congressmen, even if they are pro-life. Tell them that you want abortion to be explicitly excluded in any health care reform bill. It is important to let them know how you feel. Please do this today or it may be too late.
Did you see Fox News Sunday this past weekend? White House Budget Director Peter Orszag was a guest on the show. He said that he could not rule it out that no taxpayer money will go to pay for abortions.
WALLACE: Are you prepared to say that in a government public-funded, taxpayer-funded public health insurance plan that no taxpayer money will go to pay for abortions?
ORSZAG: I think that that will wind up being part of the debate. I am not prepared to say explicitly that right now. It's obviously a controversial issue, and it's one of the questions that is playing out in this debate.
WALLACE: So you're not prepared to rule out...
ORSZAG: I'm not prepared to rule it out.
Here’s what the Knights of Columbus said in an email that I received today.
Urgent Pro-Life Alert
July 22, 2009
Abortion mandate in health bill
The healthcare reform legislation currently before Congress contains an abortion mandate that is a grave threat to human life. The bill's language will result in federally mandated abortion coverage by nearly all health plans, recruitment of abortion doctors into local health networks, and the nullification of many state laws that place reasonable limits on abortion.
The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) has called this legislation the "largest expansion of abortion since Roe v. Wade."
We urge you to write to your senators and congressman today. Click here where you can learn more about the health legislation and send a message to your two senators and congressman.
To read a letter from 19 House Democrats who insist they will not support a health bill unless it explicitly excludes abortion, click here.
Time is of the essence as congressional leaders want to pass the bill in the Senate and House by the end of July.
A coalition of prominent pro-life leaders have arranged a Stop The Abortion Mandate live webcast for the public this Thursday, July 23rd, 2009, at 9 PM Eastern (8PM Central, 7 PM Mountain, 6 PM Pacific).
Please go to www.stoptheabortionmandate.com to register.
Just last week, a Senate panel voted to include abortion coverage. Check out the story here…
Senate Panel OKs Abortion Coverage in Health Care Bill, Senator Forced to Admit
And congress is trying to rush this through. Only we can stop them. They need to hear from each and every one of you! That’s why I am urging a grass roots effort to stop this. Please follow the link below and call or write your Senators and Congressmen, even if they are pro-life. Tell them that you want abortion to be explicitly excluded in any health care reform bill. It is important to let them know how you feel. Please do this today or it may be too late.
Did you see Fox News Sunday this past weekend? White House Budget Director Peter Orszag was a guest on the show. He said that he could not rule it out that no taxpayer money will go to pay for abortions.
WALLACE: Are you prepared to say that in a government public-funded, taxpayer-funded public health insurance plan that no taxpayer money will go to pay for abortions?
ORSZAG: I think that that will wind up being part of the debate. I am not prepared to say explicitly that right now. It's obviously a controversial issue, and it's one of the questions that is playing out in this debate.
WALLACE: So you're not prepared to rule out...
ORSZAG: I'm not prepared to rule it out.
Here’s what the Knights of Columbus said in an email that I received today.
Urgent Pro-Life Alert
July 22, 2009
Abortion mandate in health bill
The healthcare reform legislation currently before Congress contains an abortion mandate that is a grave threat to human life. The bill's language will result in federally mandated abortion coverage by nearly all health plans, recruitment of abortion doctors into local health networks, and the nullification of many state laws that place reasonable limits on abortion.
The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) has called this legislation the "largest expansion of abortion since Roe v. Wade."
We urge you to write to your senators and congressman today. Click here where you can learn more about the health legislation and send a message to your two senators and congressman.
To read a letter from 19 House Democrats who insist they will not support a health bill unless it explicitly excludes abortion, click here.
Time is of the essence as congressional leaders want to pass the bill in the Senate and House by the end of July.
A coalition of prominent pro-life leaders have arranged a Stop The Abortion Mandate live webcast for the public this Thursday, July 23rd, 2009, at 9 PM Eastern (8PM Central, 7 PM Mountain, 6 PM Pacific).
Please go to www.stoptheabortionmandate.com to register.
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