Wrong Lessons Being Taught...

...By “The Fighting Irish,” And Other “Cafeteria Catholics” In Wayward Catholic Academia

Contributor Doug writes: “What’s going on at Notre Dame?” is my first reaction, but perhaps the bigger questions are “What is going on with the Congregation of Holy Cross?” and “What is going on with our Church?”

I won’t mince words here, Father John J. Jenkins, C.S.C, is an utter disgrace to his vocation and Holy Mother Church. He should be removed from his post as President of Notre Dame University, and his duties and privileges as a functioning priest should be suspended at the very least.

Father Jenkins has tolerated and even justified a “Queer Film Festival” at Notre Dame University, and only restricted the continued showing of the play, “The Vagina Monologues” on campus. Now he has pushed the envelope even farther, not just by inviting radically anti-life President, Barack Obama to speak at the university’s upcoming commencement ceremonies, but also for considering conferring an honorary degree on Obama. Kudos to South Bend, Indiana Diocese Bishop John D’Arcy for refusing to attend the event, but that still isn’t enough. Jenkins needs to go, and his rebuking should be as public as the scandals he has created and allowed. (See # 1868 of the Catholic Catechism regarding the various ways, both passive as well as intentional, that evil and sin are committed.) It is incidents such as this that give me serious pause and cause to reflect upon our Lady’s words to the children of Garabandal, Spain on June 18, 1965, when she appeared to them and warned that many priests and bishops in the coming days would go to perdition and take many souls with them. (Note the date’s proximity to Vatican II!)

Furthermore, the Congregation of Holy Cross needs to clean up its act in general. While I believe that within its ranks are many priests and brothers who are devout and faithful, the garden is still full of many weeds as demonstrated by the deplorable actions of Father Jenkins, and my own observations from attending a Catholic high school of the Holy Cross order in the 1970’s.

I recall apathetic, inept, and even volatile teachers, both lay and religious, and one English teacher in particular who sounded grammatically inarticulate, if not illiterate. I recall one lay religious teacher who was consistently filthy, unkempt, and was an unabashed and avowed atheist, and who often drifted from the subject matter or somehow often managed to incorporate it into his seemingly two favorite topics: sex and devil worship. Several of the male teachers seemed overtly effeminate. Two male lay teachers, one of whom supposedly left the order, cohabitated off campus. One very devout lay teacher whom I greatly respected and admired once commented to me in confidence that he and his wife stopped attending parties with his fellow teachers, ambiguously decrying the lewd and unchecked behavior that he struggled not to specify, other than to comment that when those parties go on, those wooden crosses the brothers wear around their necks soon disappear under their shirts. I would be remiss to not mention that I also had many fine teachers, both lay and religious at this high school as well, but after four years of observations, I would never send my child to any school associated with the Holy Cross order.

The Jesuits are not without their flaws, either. It was the late Jesuit Father and former Congressman Robert Drinan who not only radically championed abortion rights and later defied Pope John Paul II, but along with several other Jesuit priests first met with the Kennedy’s in their Hyannisport, MA compound on Cape Cod in July of 1964 to help ease legalized, less restrictive abortion into our culture. At Boston College, the Jesuits have again recently caused controversy, as some teachers have expressed umbrage that crucifixes and other articles of Catholic religious art are now appearing in the apparently otherwise previously secularized classrooms. The articles are being brought in by students, not by the faculty. Before cheering for the Jesuits for allowing these religious artifacts into the classrooms, one should first ask ranking members of the order why these objects were banned, or at least not present from this Catholic institution in the first place. It is of little wonder, and not without chagrin, that we now need the Cardinal Newman Society, formed in 1993 as an educational guide to prospective students and their parents, and as a means of reform to our nation’s 224 Catholic colleges and universities, a great many of which simply don’t make the grade, religiously speaking.

While I cite the orders of the Holy Cross and the Jesuits specifically, the problem is widespread in our Church, but the tide is now slowly beginning to turn toward notable reform. The damage was entrenched long before, beginning in our liberalized seminaries back in the 60’s and 70’s, overrun by radical dissenters and homosexuals, many of these seminaries have been dubbed “pink palaces” by some. Michael S. Rose wrote of the sex scandals in “Goodbye, Good Men” just shortly before they became widely known. He also penned another book called, “Ugly As Sin,” which exposed how radicals and dissenters adversarial to Holy Mother Church used outlandish architecture in the same period to subtly desecrate our churches, further alienate the congregations and remove much of the spirituality and symbolism. That is why many of our churches of today, built in the 60’s and 70’s more resemble barns, space ships and gigantic hockey pucks, and all other secular objects conceivable but churches.

Forget about asking whether the chicken or the egg came first. It doesn’t matter. The fuse of this crisis is lit from both ends and rapidly burning toward the middle. We, the laity are equally to blame. Much of the 25% of Catholics who regularly attend mass every Sunday shouldn’t pat themselves on the back any time soon. Many do nothing beyond that. Those who do attend are in many cases, inattentive, if not irreverent while there, in many cases, through sheer ignorance of their own faith. The slobs who dress like they just left a company softball game (or worse yet, the beach), and who approach and accept the Eucharist like it’s just a morsel at a station in a buffet line, and who arrive late, leave early, and don’t shut up for most of the mass in between are hardly yet ready for sainthood, either. Given the ignorant, if not apathetic, or even rebellious attitude of many so-called practicing Catholics on such moral and core traditional tenets regarding abortion, contraception, divorce, cohabitation, pre-marital sex, the presence of our Lord in the Eucharist, the virginity of Mary, the forgiveness of sins and by and the crucial necessity of the Sacrament of Confession, etc, it isn’t hard to fathom how our nation’s most radical proponent of abortion was elected President by more than 50% of so-called “Catholics” alone. If American Catholics obsessed even 10% as much on our faith, our government, and current events as we do with sports, we would be far better off.

When I see the uproar recently displayed by outraged Catholics at the thankfully now defunct state bill, S.B. 1098, which would have insidiously denied control of pastoral councils to pastors and given more intrusive power to over-reaching government, I am elated, but we need to be as diligent in the small skirmishes much earlier on to curtail them from becoming larger battles in the future that we might lose, and with them, possibly our salvation as well. Edmund Burke profoundly warned that all that is necessary for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing. We are all in this together, clergy and laity, both. This is our Church, and her future isn’t rocket science; we can either keep her or lose her. Nobody can ever take our Church and our traditions from us without our consent. The problem is, however, we are gradually losing our Church, our traditions and our very souls by our consent, in other words, by our gradually increasing inaction. In the Gospels, Jesus gave us our marching orders to be the salt and the light of this world while not being of this world. We are currently disobeying those orders and marching straight into Hell. Lest we not heed our Lord, we should at least embrace the repeatedly expressed bold and sage attitude of His faithful servant, EWTN’s Father John Corapi when he proclaims, “I’m not going to Hell for anybody!”

(To leave a message for Father Jenkins at Notre Dame University: email: President@nd.edu, or call: (574) 631-5000, or (574) 631-3903.)

~Doug~

What's Happening in Connecticut

Crism Mass Saint Patrick's Cathedral

On Tuesday, April 7th at 10:30 AM the Crism Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Cote at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Norwich, CT.

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Genesis Bible Study Class

Notre Dame Parish in Durham, CT will begin a bible study class on the book of Genesis. The class with be led by Father Lipton and consist of 6 classes in total covering the book of Genesis, an introduction to the bible, the text, explanation of the stories, and theology behind the stories. Classes begin Monday, April 20th at 7 PM in Notre Dame Parish church hall.

All are invited to attend.

For more information contact Notre Dame Parish at 860-349-3058.

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Pro-life Event...

On April 30, 2009 Gianna Jessen will be the featured guest speaker for A Better Choice Women's Center. The event will take place at the Crowne Plaza Grand Ballroom in Cromwell, CT.

Gianna is an abortion survivor. When her mother was in her third trimester of pregnancy she had a saline abortion. For 18 hours Gianna was burned alive in her mother's womb by the saline solution. She was born pre-mature and survived.

For more on her story and pro-life work, click on her name above.

To attend the ABC's major fundraising event, you need to RSVP before April 12th. For more, call 860-704-0078.

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Pilgrimage to the National Shrine of Divine Mercy

Father Gerard Mulvey, Pastor of St. Pius X is coordinating a pilgrimage to Stockbridge, MA to the National Shrine of Divine Mercy on Saturday June 13, 2009.

This includes a 10:30 AM Mass, bus ride, a luncheon and time at the Shrine to explore, mediate and pray. At 3 PM the Chaplet and Novena of the Divine Mercy are prayed and then all will depart for home.

The cost of the trip is $71. For more information call 860-347-2406.

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New Easter Season Video

Connecticut Catholic Corner has a new video on Youtube for this Easter season.
The scenes were taken from the movie "The Passion of the Christ" and some may find them disturbing as they depict a graphic death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.






Scripture used in the movie is from John chapters 18 and 19 and Luke chapter 2.

Connecticut Catholic Conference Alert

ACTION ALERT

Urge the Public Health Committee to Support Health Care Reform

Vote "yes" on H. B. 6600
"An Act Concerning the Establishment of the Sustinet Plan"

Tomorrow, March 26th, the Public Health Committee will be voting on H.B. 6600. The Connecticut Catholic Conference urges the Committee members to vote "Yes" on this legislation so that comprehensive health care reform can continue to move ahead in Connecticut.Your State Senator or Representative are a member of the Public Health Committee. Click on the link at the end of this email and urge them to vote "Yes" on H.B. 6600.

Excerpt of March 2, 2009 Testimony by the Connecticut Catholic Conference:
The Connecticut Catholic Conference, the public policy office of Connecticut’s Catholic Bishops, and a member of the Interfaith Fellowship fro Universal Health Care, would like to urge the members of the committees represented here today to support H.B. 6600 “An Act Concerning the Establishment of the Sustinet Plan” and the concepts for health care reform it incorporates. The Conference recognizes that there are many other efforts underway within the legislature and the executive branch to improve our health care system, but feels that H.B. 6600 is the most comprehensive proposal currently before this legislature. We realize that many deliberations and compromises will occur before a final solution to the health care crisis is developed. H.B. 6600 should be used as the centerpiece for any future health care discussions because of its comprehensive nature.

Catholic social teaching holds health care to be a basic human right. This is reflected in the long history of the Catholic Church’s involvement in providing health care services within our own state and throughout the world. The Catholic Church has long been an active participant in the call for health care reform in our state and nationally.

The continuing increase in medical costs and its financial burden on business and family budgets, and the large number of uninsured persons, are the two primary factors pushing the calls for reform. The need for health care reform is clear as thousands of people within our state lack employer sponsored insurance or can not afford to purchase their own health care coverage. The uninsured also cause a continuing strain on our health care system as doctors and hospitals continue to provide care, but with little or no compensation for their services. These providers are dependent on the state and its taxpayers to help cover these uncompensated expenses.

The design of the Sustinet Plan contained in H.B. 6600 addresses the key factors that some other plans presented to this legislature lack. H.B. 6600 makes coverage available for all Connecticut residents despite their employment status, has affordable copays and premiums, provides quality levels of coverage, including dental, and supports preventive medicine. It also has several medical management provisions aimed at reducing costs through better and more comprehensive patient management.

Our state and nation, along with many families, are currently facing very difficult economic times. However, this should not deter this legislature from undertaking much needed health care reform. In the long run a quality universal health care system may end up saving the state money and making life more manageable for Connecticut families. Health care expenses are an ever increasing burden on many of our state’s families. Especially, as the number of unemployed continue to increase.

**This message comes from the Connecticut Catholic Conference***

Saint Patrick's Breastplate

Sung by Angelina

EWTN Press Release

EWTN To Provide Live Coverage of
Pope’s Historic Visit to Africa March 17 to March 23

Irondale, AL (EWTN) – EWTN Global Catholic Network will provide live coverage of the Pope’s visit to Cameroon and Angola March 17 to March 23.
“Catholicism in Africa remains strong, as evidenced by the many vocations from that continent,” said EWTN President and CEO Michael P. Warsaw. “However, a visit by the Holy Father can be expected to strengthen an already strong local Church, and to result in an increase in Catholic laity as well as in religious vocations.”
In addition to Masses and Vespers, the Pope’s schedule includes meetings with the bishops and the President of each country; a meeting with Cameroon’s large Muslim Community at the Apostolic Nunciature, a meeting with the sick at a local hospital, a meeting with Africa’s young people, a meeting with those who represent various ecclesial movements, and more.
What follows is a schedule of the live events: (For the complete schedule, including encore times, please go to www.ewtn.com/papalAfrica09..)
Papal Visit to Cameroon: Arrival (60 min.)
The Holy Father will arrive in Yaounde, Cameroon, where he will be greeted by the authorities. (11 a.m. ET, Tues., March 17)

Papal Visit to Cameroon: Visit to the President of Cameroon (60 min)
Courtesy visit to the president of Cameroon at the Palais de l'Unite in Yaounde.
(5 a.m. ET, Wed., March 18)

Papal Visit to Cameroon: Meeting with the Bishops of Cameroon (90 min.)
Meeting with the Bishops of Cameroon in the church of Christ-Roi in Tsinga.
(6:15 a.m. ET, Wed., March 18)

Papal Visit to Cameroon: Celebration of Vespers (90 min.)
Celebration of Vespers with local clergy and representatives of ecclesial movements and of other Christian confessions in the basilica of Marie Reine des Apotres.
(11:45 a.m. ET, Wed., March 18)

Papal Visit to Cameroon: Meeting with the Muslim Community (90 min.)
In the apostolic nunciature in Yaounde, the Holy Father will meet with representatives of the Muslim community of Cameroon.
(3:45 ET, Thurs., March 19)

Papal Visit to Cameroon: Holy Mass (2 hours)
Celebration of Mass at Yaounde's Amadou Ahidjo stadium, to mark the publication of the "Instrumentum Laboris" of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops. (5 a.m. ET, Thurs., March 19)

Papal Visit to Cameroon: Meeting with the Sick (2 hours)
The Holy Father will meet with sick people in the Cardinal Paul Emile Leger Centre. (11:30 a.m ET., Thurs., March 19)

Papal Visit to Cameroon: Meeting with the Synod of Bishops (60 min.)
Address before members of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops. (1:30 p.m. ET, Thurs., March 19)

Papal Visit to Cameroon: Farewell Ceremony (30 min.)
Farewell ceremony at Nsimalen International Airport of Yaoundé. (5 a.m. ET, Fri., March 20)

Papal Visit to Angola: Arrival (60 min.) (Tape delay)
The Pope will travel from Yaounde to the Angolan capital Luanda where there will be a welcoming ceremony at the airport. (10 a.m. ET, Fri., March 20)

Papal Visit to Angola: Meeting with the President of Angola and members of the Diplomatic Corps (90 min.)
Visit to the president of the Republic of Angola in the presidential palace in Luanda where he will also deliver an address to political leaders and the diplomatic corps.
(12 p.m., Fri., March 20)

Papal Visit to Angola: Meeting with the Bishops of Angola (60 min.)
Meeting with Bishops of Angola and Santo Tome in the chapel of the apostolic nunciature in Luanda. (2 p.m. ET, Fri., March 20)

Papal Visit to Angola: Holy Mass (2 hours)
Pope Benedict XVI will celebrate Mass in Luanda's church of Sao Paulo.
(5 a.m., ET, Sat., March 21)

Papal Visit to Angola: Meeting with young people (90 min.)
Meeting with young people in the stadium of Coquieros. (11:30 a.m. ET, Sat., March 21)

Papal Visit to Angola: Holy Mass with the Bishops of IMBISA (2½ hours)
Celebration of Mass with bishops of IMBISA (Inter-Regional Meeting of the Bishops of Southern Africa) at Cimangola Square, followed by the Angelus.
(5 a.m. ET, Sun., March 22)

Papal Visit to Angola: Meeting with Catholic movements (60 min.)
From the parish of Santo Antonio in Luanda the Holy Father will meet with Catholic movements for the promotion of women. (11:45 a.m. ET, Sun., March 22)

Papal Visit to Angola: Farewell Ceremony (30 min.)
Farewell ceremony at 4 de Fevereiro International Airport of Luanda. (5 a.m. ET, Mon., March 23)

EWTN Global Catholic Network, in its 28th year, is available in over 148 million television households in more than 140 countries and territories. With its direct broadcast satellite television and radio services, AM & FM radio networks, worldwide short-wave radio station, Internet website http://www.ewtn.com/ and publishing arm, EWTN, is the largest religious media network in the world.

Michelle Johnson
Director of Communications
EWTN Global Catholic Network
5817 Old Leeds Road
Irondale, Alabama 35210-2198 USA
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Same Sex Marriage Bill Lacks Religious Protection

ACTION ALERT!!
Same-sex marriage bill (S.B. 899) Fails to Protect Religious Freedom The Judiciary Committee will soon be voting on Senate Bill 899 concerning same-sex marriage. This legislation places into state statutes the State Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage in our state.

You are receiving this alert because a member of the Judiciary Committee is your elected State Senator or Representative. Please contact them and urge them to support amending the bill to protect religious organizations and individuals whose religious beliefs do not support same-sex marriage. Click on the link below to send them an email.

At a public hearing on March 6th, the Connecticut Catholic Conference testified that the bill must be amended to protect those who object to participating, in any manner, with a same-sex marriage ceremony, such as Justices of the Peace or vendors. (Read the testimony)

Across the country people have been charged with discrimination for refusing to participate in civil unions or commitment ceremonies. Religiously affiliated organizations, such as Catholic Charities in Boston, have also suffered the consequences of not recognizing same-sex marriage. Seante Bill 899 currently only states that clergy cannot be forced to perform same-sex marriages. There are no protections for any other people of faith or faith based organizations. Please read the testimony mentioned above and notify your State Senator or Representative to amend S.B. 899 so it respects the concept of religious freedom long held as an essential liberty in our society. Same-sex marriage may now be a civil right in our state. Religious freedom is an even older and a more basic civil right.

Click on the link below to send them an email.

Click the link below to log in and send your message:

http://www.votervoice.net/link/target/ctcc30117715.aspx

***This message comes from: the Connecticut Catholic Conference***

Link: http://www.ctcatholic.org/

March 2 Public Hearings

PUBLIC HEARINGS ON

UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE AND ABOLITION

OF THE DEATH PENALTY

On Monday, March 2, 2009

Public Hearing on Health Care Bills
A public hearing on health care bills is scheduled for this Monday, March 2, starting at 11 a.m. in Room 2C at the Legilative Office Building in Hartford (next to the Capitol). It is a joint public hearing hosted by three legislative committees: Insurance & Real Estate, Human Services, and Public Health.

If you would like to address our elected representatives about the need for better health care coverage now is the time. If you, a member of your family, or a friend suffers from lack of quality affordable health care now is the time to tell that story. Several bills are being heard that day. The Catholic Conference will be testifying in support of better health care coverage during its testimony on bill HB 6600 "An Act Concerning The Establishment of the Sustinet Plan"

There are 15 bills on the agenda, which will be heard in the order they appear in the Legislative Bulletin: Public Hearing - List of 15 Health Care Bills.

The SustiNet bill, HB 6600, will be heard last. The expectation is that the SustiNet bill will not be heard until mid- to late-afternoon, or even early evening.

Sign-up for the hearing starts at 8:30 a.m. in the first floor atrium at the LOB. If you would like to speak but cannot arrive until the afternoon please let the Catholic Confence (860-524-7882) know and we will sign you up and contact you with an estimated time of when you may be called to speak. We will need a contact number. You have three minutes to speak and may submit 85 copies of your testimony if you desire. If you do not wish to speak, but want to show your support for health acre reform please attend the hearing. Buttons showing support for health care reform will be available.

Public Hearing on Abolition of the Death Penalty

A public hearing on the abolition of the death penalty is also scheduled for this Monday, March 2, starting at 10 a.m. in Room 1D at the Legilative Office Building in Hartford (next to the Capitol). If you would like to address our elected representatives about the need to abolish the death penalty in Connecticut now is the time. The Catholic Conference will be testifying in support of HB 6578 "An Act Concerning The Penalty for a Capital Felony". This bill will remove the death penalty as punishment for a capital felony murder committed after the effective date of the bill and replace it with a life sentence with no chance of parol. The Connecticut Catholic Conference does have a reservation about the bill, since it does not impact those currently on death row or already charged with murder. The bill is not retroactive.

Sign-up for the hearing starts at 8:00 a.m. in room 2500 at the LOB. Speaker order is done by selection of a number. If you would like to speak, but cannot arrive early enough to get a number for speak, please let the Catholic Confence (860-524-7882) know and we will sign you up and contact you with an estimated time of when you may be called to speak. We will need a contact number. You have three minutes to speak and may submit 40 copies of your testimony if you desire. If you do not wish to speak, but want to show your support for abolition of the penalty please attend the hearing. Buttons showing support for abolition may be available.

***this message is from Connecticut Catholic Conference***