I (Sal) grew-up to loving Catholic-devoted parents in St. Paul. They took me to church every Sunday mornings, and got me interested in God through their parent-child loving relationship. I remember my interest in watching "Ten Commandments" the movie every year during Easter time. Then in college, I discovered a personal relationship with Jesus, which I now attend a Catholic mass whenever I can with my parents in respect of them.
Still Catholic and Evangelical?
I didn't get out of the Catholic church because I was never part of it as I wasn't "confirmed". I'm neither a Catholic or Evangelical, but a child of God-a Christian! I dropped out of confirmation class because I couldn't afford the one I attended in St. Paul when I was a senior in high school. I don't have any resentment or was offended by the Catholic church overall. Living in Morris and the rural predominate Lutheran rural west central area Minnesota community, I've notice the division between the two. I don't like "division" because of my racial division experience.
My Catholic Experience
I grew-up going to our neighborhood Catholic church in the East Side of St. Paul. It was called... St. Pascals Baylon/School
Above is a picture of their new sanctuary, which was actually my first time on Sunday, January 29th of 2007. I was here with my sister and mom after attending Woodland Hills Church earlier (8:45a-10:15a) in the morning.
I actually look forward going to church on Sunday because it was a time that my family would get together from our busy schedules as we got older. After going to UMM and discovering other church denominations besides Catholic, I started to appreciate more going to Catholic mass. I still attend whenever I can-especially when I'm visiting my family to spend time together as we are older now. As I write this, I attended mass/church service 2x this past weekend (April 2nd-3rd of 2005). This was the most in two days for a long time. In fact the book reading were the same Saturday (in Espanol at Morris, MN) and Sunday (Benson, MN). This past weekend, Pope John Paul II past away, which Roman Catholicism has been on the t.v. a lot-more than usual! He was a very "good person", which he was very respected from all over the world. However, he is like any other "man" created by God and doesn't need to be put in a higher pedestal than any other human being. I'm not trying to "put him down", but trying to show that he was a humbled man that probably would agree too. Jesus should be the one that gets the attention through the works the Pope did for Him! Anways, I decided to write this section of this website to share my reflections of my Catholic experience that will go on till I die. We are all one in Christ-nor Protestant or Catholic! Let's love one another as Jesus loves his whole church family!
As I look at the list of other parishes in St. Paul (The Archidiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis), here is my list of where I've been to so far... St. Matthews on the West Side for my former college roommate's baby baptism sometime around 2001 or so.. Church of St. Vincente de Paul, a Hmong church by the state capitol. I went here with a friend of mine that went to UMM Cathedral of St. Paul in downtown St. Paul, which my parents started first going when they immigrated here in the U.S. They lived only a couple blocks down. I've been here numerous times for special occassions (e.g. my niece's baptims, taking visitors from other countries-see pictures, etc...)
Filipino Catholic Heritage
Here is my story growing up as a Filipino Catholic=> (click). Philippines is the only "Christian" nation in Asia, which is due to our Spanish colonial background...
Putting down "Catholics" creates division, and we need to love them as anybody-that's "2nd greatest commandment" (Matthew 22:37-39) instead of judging them. We are all sinners and believe in Jesus, right?
When I talk with "Evangelicals" about their resentment with "Catholics", I tell them that we should not look down at others below us or less....
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."-Philippians 2:3
We are all sinners (e.g. Catholics-abuse-Priests allegations and Evangelicals -racists-KKK were Protestants)!
This humility will show Christ's love through us that Catholics or anyone else will see that will be a better witness.
Catholic Testimony
I have to give thanks to the Catholic "church" as a whole for playing a part in the "Big Team" (Christians, Protestants, Lutherans, etc..) of "reaching the nations"-in particular of the Philippines.
Yes, they may of not be "doctrinely" (no "church" is, except the first Christians in the Book of Acts) right with their teachings, but the commonality that the "Big Team" shares is the love of Jesus!
Priest Making a Difference
Here is a true story by Paul Harvey. Pass it to anyone who you think would find it interesting and inspiring. You will be surprised who this young man turned out to be. (Do not look at the bottom of this letter until you have read it fully.)
Years ago a hardworking man took his family from New York State to Australia to take advantage of a work opportunity there. Part of this man's family was a handsome young son who had aspirations of joining the circus as a trapeze artist or an actor. This young fellow, biding his time until a circus job or even one as a stagehand came along, worked at the local shipyards which bordered on the worst section of town. Walking home from work one evening this young man was attacked by five thugs who wanted to rob him. Instead of just giving up his money the young fellow resisted. However they bested him easily and proceeded to beat him to a pulp. They mashed his face with their boots, and kicked and beat his body brutally with clubs, leaving him for dead. When the police happened to find him lying in the road they assumed he was dead and called for the Morgue Wagon. On the way to the morgue a policeman heard him gasp for air, and they immediately took him to the emergency unit at the hospital. When he was placed on a gurney a nurse remarked to her horror, that this young man no longer had a face. Each eye socket was smashed, his skull, legs, and arms fractured, his nose literally hanging from his face, all is teeth were gone, and his jaw was almost completely torn from his skull. although his life was spared he spent over a year in the hospital. When he finally left, his body may have healed but his face was disgusting to look at. He was no longer the handsome youth that everyone admired. When the young man started to look for work again he was turned down by everyone just on account of the way he looked. One potential employer suggested to him that he join the freak show at the circus as The Man Who Had No Face. And he did this for a while. He was still rejected by everyone and no one wanted to be seen in his company. He had thoughts of suicide. This went on for five years. One day he passed a church and sought some solace there. Entering the church he encountered a priest who had seen him sobbing while kneeling in a pew. The priest took pity on him and took him to the rectory where they talked at length. The priest was impressed with him to such a degree that he said that he would do everything possible for him that could be done to restore his dignity and life, if the young man would promise to be the best Catholic he could be, and trust in God's mercy to free him from his torturous life. The young man went to mass and communion every day, and after thanking God for saving his life, asked God to only give him peace of mind and the grace to be the best man he could ever be in His eyes. The priest, through his personal contacts was able to secure the services of the best plastic surgeon in Australia. There would be no cost to the young man, as the doctor was the priest's best friend. The doctor too was so impressed by the young man, whose outlook now on life, even though he had experienced the worst, was filled with good humor and love. The surgery was a miraculous success. All the best dental work was also done for him. The young man became everything he promised God he would be. He was also blessed with a wonderful, beautiful wife, and many children, and success in an industry which would have been the furthest thing from his mind as a career if not for the goodness of God and the love of the people who cared for him. This he acknowledges publicly.
His life was the inspiration for his production of the movie "The Man Without A Face." He is to be admired by all of us as a God fearing man, a political conservative, and an example to all as a true man of courage. And to think I admired him before I knew any of this! He is quite a man!
Paul Harvey
"Shall Not Worship Any Idols"
After growing in my found personal relationship with Jesus during college, I began to discover slowly the tradtions and practice of my Catholic faith that didn't seem fit with the Bible. Yes, I've been labeled different things: taking the Bible too literally, etc...However, as you look into history of colonialism, many of the past dominant colonizer nations would keep some of their oppressors' religous cultural practices or traditions. For example, I went to this Nicaraguan share-event of a local UMM college student's social church humanitarian trip experience. She shared about how it was cool to see some former practices of the natives shown in the Catholic church building through their art. There was a picture of their "sun god" painted in the ceiling, which....
"Do not worship the Lord your God in the way these pagan peoples worship their gods. 5 Rather, you must seek the Lord your God at the place he himself will choose from among all the tribes for his name to be honored."-Deuteronomy 12
I don't mean to point some "wrongs", which we can all do with every type of local church, congregation, denomination, religion, etc... God will deal with each "church" individually, as Revelations 2-What it boils down to is that we each individually need discernment on our personal walk with Christ that we don't get distracted or lose focus on our eyes on Him!
It's Saturday, December 16th of 2006-I decided to write more on this topic after writing on deliverance from idloatry. I decided to re"search" specifically on Catholic idolatry... Catholic Spirits, prayer tools from demonbuster.com Deliverance from the Darkness of Catholicism, from pro-gospel "had been married for five years in 1973 and was stationed at Tucson, Arizona in the Air Force. My wife and I were active in the Catholic Church. But the sin of sexual lust was starting to gain a stronghold in my life. I became enamored with pornography. It felt like being divided into two different people. One was devoted to his Catholic religion and all its disciplined rigors but the other was obsessed with the sensual pleasure of forbidden sex..."
It's Thursday, June 7th of 2007-I've been re-reading this book "Like A Mighty Wind" (revival in Timor-Indonesia)
. I found this on the internet....
"The priest was upset. "Those are not idols," he said indignantly. "Those are just Paul and Mary and Jesus and John and other saints."
"But the Lord told us that they are idols."
When the team saw that arguing wasn't going to accomplish anything, one of the team members said, "Since none of us knows if these are idols or not, let us ask God to show us. Do you remember the story in the Bible about Elijah and the Baal priest? (ref ` Kings 18) Well, let us pray, and gather these images and ask the Lord to burn them with fire from heaven if He is displeased with them."
So they gathered all the idols into the middle of the room. They were made of brass, wood and plaster. The people stood back away from the pile of images, and one of the team prayed that the Lord Himself would give the final decision or proof by burning the pile if He wished. After the closing amens, there was a short silence, then a sharp crashing bolt of fire - like lightning - which hit only the pile of images and burned them to ashes.
The priest was so excited, he rubbed his hands together and kept repeating, "We must get the rest of them to burn. They are in the back. We must get them and burn them, too." So they went into the back of the church and dragged out the other images and they were all burned even those of metal. And nothing else in the church was harmed.
Many repented and turned to Christ that day. And when the team left, the priest said, "If the Lord tells you to come again, you'd better come."-Mel Tari: God Burns Idols-from Univ of Penn
"Don't Call Anyone Father"
"And call no [man] your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven."-Matthew 23
FAQ about Catholic Symbols
Cross
Was the cross actually "t" shaped? I just had an interesting discussion (April 22nd-23rd 2005) about where the "cross" came about, so I did some re"search"...
"The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree"-Acts 5:30
How Did Jesus Christ Die? "The usual crucifixion began with the victim being flogged and severely beaten. He was then forced to carry or drag the crossbeam of the cross to the place of execution, where the upright post was already firmly fixed in the ground (see Cross Or Stake?). He was then bound or nailed to the crossbeam which was then raised up and attached to the post about 10 to 12 feet (3 or 4 meters) off the ground. The feet were then nailed to the post. The legs were then often broken with an iron bar"
"...The Origins, Development, and Purpose of This Doctrine
The idea of purgatory, a fictitious place of final purgation, was invented by Pope Gregory the Great in 593. There was such reluctance to accept the idea (since it went contrary to Scripture) that purgatory did not become an official Catholic dogma for nearly 850 years - at the Council of Florence in 1439. No doctrine has so increased the Church's power over its members of added so much to its income. To this day the threat of purgatory hangs over Catholics, who therefore give repeated offerings to the Church for its help in getting them out of that place of torment.
Rome promises that if its decrees are followed one will eventually be released from purgatory and enter heaven. Yet the Church has never been able to define how long any person must spend in purgatory nor how much that time is shortened by any means it offers. It is utter folly to trust one's release from purgatory to a Church which cannot even define how long one must spend there for each sin or how much each ritual or act of penance reduces purgatorial suffering. Nevertheless, offerings are given by Catholics to the Church and large sums left in wills (remember Henry VIII) to have multiple Masses said on one's behalf. That process never stops, 'just in case' more Masses are needed..."
..Neither the word 'purgatory' itself nor the idea of purgatory is to be found even once in the entire Bible. Nor is it so much as hinted at by Jesus or the apostles. Apologist Karl Keating admits that the doctrine 'is not explicitly set out in the Bible.'
[Karl Keating, Catholicisim and Fundamentalism: The Attack on 'Romanism' by 'Bible Christians' (Ignatius Press, 1988), p. 190]
The one verse always cited in support of purgatory comes from the Apocrypha: 'It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they might be loosed from their sins' (2 Maccabees 12:46).
There are three obvious problems with this verse. First of all, there is not one example in the entire Bible of anyone praying for the dead. The Bible clearly states that 'it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment' (Hebrews 9:27). It is too late for prayer after death; all that follows is judgment. Therefore this verse [in the apocrypha] contradicts the Bible...
"8 So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. "Consult a spirit for me," he said, "and bring up for me the one I name."....
"-1 Samuel 28
"The first hand-written English language Bible manuscripts were produced in the 1380's AD by John Wycliffe, an Oxford professor, scholar, and theologian. Wycliffe, (also spelled “Wycliff” & “Wyclif”), was well-known throughout Europe for his opposition to the teaching of the organized Church, which he believed to be contrary to the Bible. With the help of his followers, called the Lollards, and his assistant Purvey, and many other faithful scribes, Wycliffe produced dozens of English language manuscript copies of the scriptures. They were translated out of the Latin Vulgate, which was the only source text available to Wycliffe. The Pope was so infuriated by his teachings and his translation of the Bible into English, that 44 years after Wycliffe had died, he ordered the bones to be dug-up, crushed, and scattered in the river!.." The Pre-Reformation History of the Bible
From 1,400 BC to 1,400 AD "...Pope Leo the Tenth established a practice called the “selling of indulgences” as a way to extort money from the people. He offered forgiveness of sins for a fairly small amount of money. For a little bit more money, you would be allowed to indulge in a continuous lifestyle of sin, such as keeping a mistress. Also, through the invention of “Purgatory”, you could purchase the salvation of your loved-one’s souls. The church taught the ignorant masses, “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the troubled soul from Purgatory springs!” Pope Leo the Tenth showed his true feelings when he said, “The fable of Christ has been quite profitable to us!”..."
*see GoodnewsEverybody.com Bible, Bread of Life, Manna, New-Old Testament, Torah, Word, etc...
Angels
BC37 What Are Angels
"18Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions."-
Colossians 2:18
-Music
newsboys - entertaining angels (music video)
"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it."-Hebrews 13:2
Who was Mary?
-Music
Mary, Did you know w/lyrics
"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee;
blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of our death.
Amen."-The Hail Mary Prayer from carols.org.uk
"By Tom Larson
A former Morris man has been charged with 20 counts of possessing pornographic images of children on computers.
John Lloyd Caskey, 53, was charged in Stevens County District Court on Wednesday.
The court issued an order of detention for Caskey. He faces five years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine for each count.
Caskey was priest at Assumption Church in Morris. He was officially installed Sept. 16, 2007. He left Assumption late last year.
Caskey served three years as Associate Priest at Assumption in the early 1980s before moving on to several other assignments. Over 25 years, Caskey has served as a military chaplain and as a pastor in numerous communities, including Browns Valley, Browerville and Clarissa.
The complaint against Caskey stated that in September 2007, the Stevens County Sheriff�s Office received a complaint that an 18-year-old male had received an anonymous, obscene and suggestive letter.
The investigation led Sheriff Randy Willis to interview Caskey on Nov. 30, 2007. Caskey admitted sending the letter, but �He denied that he�d done anything like this for many years,� the complaint stated.
Caskey also signed a consent allowing law enforcement to search his home and work computers. Capt. David Wyffels, of the Willmar Police Department conducted a forensic examination of the hard drives from the computers.
Wyffels� investigation revealed a �large number� of pornographic images on his home computer, and it was concluded that the images were entered into the computer while it was under his control. The images were almost exclusively of males, many depicting persons �obviously� under age 18, according to the complaint.
Wyffel�s investigation showed that some files had been deleted, leaving only partial images on the hard drive. In all, 8,671 �suspect� images were given to the Stevens County Sheriff�s Office for review, the complaint states.
Descriptions of the images in the complaint indicate that the images depict minors engaged in explicit sexual acts or poses, according to the complaint.
�The possession of this volume of such material, and the manner of its storage demonstrates knowledge by Defendant of the material�s contents,� the complaint states." Priest Removed From Duty Over Child Porn Charges, # Jan 31, 2008 5:07 pm US/Central WCCO.com
ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) ― "
The Catholic bishop of St. Cloud has removed a priest from duty after he was charged with possessing child pornography.
The Reverend John Caskey was charged Wednesday in Stevens County District Court. Authorities say numerous images of child pornography were found on his home computer.
Bishop John Kinney says he immediately removed Caskey from all priestly duties after he learned of the charges.
Caskey had not worked in active ministry since December. He resigned his posts at churches in Morris, Chokio and Herman when Kinney learned Caskey had sent an inappropriate letter to someone.
Kinney says he has not received any complaints from any of the parishes where Caskey served. St. Cloud priest faces 20 counts of child porn
By COURTNEY BLANCHARD, Star Tribune
Last update: January 31, 2008 - 11:18 PM "..In a news release Thursday, Kinney said he learned of the charges after reading about them in the Morris Sun Tribune's online newspaper.
"I was taken by surprise by these allegations," Kinney said in the release. "I have not received any complaints in the past about Fr. Caskey from any of the parishes he has served, nor have I had any information that would cause me to be concerned."
However, Kinney also said he had learned in December that police were looking into a report that Caskey had sent someone an "inappropriate letter." According to court documents, multiple "obscene and suggestive" letters were sent anonymously to an 18-year-old male.
Kinney said that after he learned of that investigation, Caskey immediately resigned as pastor at Assumption Parish in Morris and as administrator at St. Mary's in Chokio and St. Charles in Herman, Kinney said..."
UPDATE: Update: Priest charged in porn case released, faces evaluation
Morris Sun Tribune
Published Thursday, January 31, 2008
By Sue Dieter
and Tom Larson "...A former Morris priest charged with 20 counts of possessing pornographic images of children on computers has been released on his own recognizance and will be evaluated at a Maryland institute.
John Lloyd Caskey, 53, was charged in Stevens County District Court on Wednesday. After a hearing Thursday, District Court Judge Gerald Seibel ordered Caskey released on conditions.
Stevens County Attorney Charles Glasrud had been seeking bail set at $20,000, arguing that Caskey’s release could put vulnerable members of the community at risk. Glasrud also expressed concern for Caskey’s personal safety..."
At his hearing Thursday, Caskey's attorney, Daniel Eller of Waite Park, reported that Caskey has no history of trouble and has been in regular contact with him since the investigation began.
Eller also reported that the St. Cloud Diocese has arranged for Caskey to be evaluated at Saint Luke Institute, a part of the Maryknoll Center in Silver Springs, Maryland.
The center will complete a four-day evaluation of Caskey. Eller indicated that the evaulation was scheduled to begin on Feb. 4. As such, Eller requested that Caskey be released on his own recognizance.
Seibel ruled that Caskey could be released on conditions, which included that he may not possess pornography, he is to have no contact, supervised or unsupervised with anyone under the age of 18 and no access to computers or the Internet."
"NEW YORK, NY (ANS) -- The American Bible Society announced today (Wednesday, May 7, 2008), that television and radio personality Padre Alberto Cuti� and singer/songwriter Hermana Glenda Aguayo have joined the La Biblia Es Mi Gu�a (The Bible Is My Guide) advocacy campaign. La Biblia Es Mi Gu�a reaches Hispanics in the U.S. and Latin America to encourage Bible reading.
�Our mission is to make the Bible�s message accessible to everyone, and Padre Alberto�s and Hermana Glenda�s influence in the Catholic community will make a significant impact in achieving this goal,� said Rev. Emilio A. Reyes, Vice President, Hispanic/Latino Ministries of the American Bible Society.
Padre Alberto has been seen and heard by millions throughout the world. In 1999, he became the first Catholic priest to host a talk show on secular television: Padre Alberto and Cambia Tu Vida con el Padre Alberto (Change Your Life with Padre Alberto). Since then, Newsweek has often referred to him as �Father Oprah.� Currently, he is a priest in the Archdiocese of Miami, and a member of the American Bible Society�s Board of Trustees. Padre Alberto will participate in a series of national radio and online advertisements promoting La Biblia Es Mi Gu�a.
According to a news release from the American Bible Society, Hermana Glenda is the campaign�s first female spokesperson, and she will promote Bible reading during her spiritual retreats and concerts in the United States, Latin America and Spain. Hermana Glenda�s Scripture reflections, set to music, inspire and motivate audiences. In 2002, she performed Nada Es Imposible para Ti (Nothing is Impossible for You) for Pope John Paul II at World Youth Day in Toronto.
The American Bible Society also sponsors Encounter with the Bible: Lectio Divina seminars in order to facilitate use of this dynamic centuries-old Bible reading and reflection method that is an integral part of the devotional life of the Catholic Church. Furthermore, the Bible Society honored His Eminence Jaime Cardinal Ortega Alamino, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Havana, and Father Joseph P. Parkes, President of Cristo Rey New York High School in East Harlem, among other prominent Hispanic Catholics during its Bible in Hispanic America Gala last year.
La Biblia Es Mi Guia�s 30-second radio commercials, which air in both English and Spanish, have featured New York Yankee Mariano Rivera and Christian rock band Salvador. The campaign also maintains an active MySpace page and disseminates relevant Bible-based videos through YouTube.
About The American Bible Society
Founded in 1816 and headquartered in New York City, the mission of the American Bible Society is to make the Bible available to every person in a language and format each can understand and afford, so that all people may experience its life-changing message. The American Bible Society Web site is www.bibles.com. "
*see GoodnewsEverybody.com Challenges-Physically, Mentally, Handicapped, Vulnerable, etc... Bankrupt church wants donations for pastor’s sick wife ferried in limo, By Zachary Roth | The Lookout – 18 hrs ago (Saturday, November 5th 2011) "Some members of a bankrupt Orange County, Calif. megachurch are expressing outrage after fielding an email request for congregants to deliver food to waiting limos so that it can ferried to the founder's sick wife. The appeal comes weeks after a lawsuit charged that the founder of the Crystal Cathedral house of worship, Rev. Robert Schuller, and his family had been paying themselves lavish salaries and other benefits while the church was in financial straits.
"They've completely depleted the church's funds," one member, Bob Canfield, told the Orange County Register. "But they have shown that they have absolutely no remorse for what they've done. They're still being chauffeured around in limos. We, the congregants, have nothing."
An email sent recently by Crystal Cathedral administrators said that Schuller and his wife, Arvella, "would appreciate meals over the next three to four weeks." It added: "They are to be sent to the church in order to be transported to Arvella. The limo drivers could pick up the dinners or meet in the Tower Lobby around 4:30 p.m."
Arvella Schuller has been suffering from pneumonia, and the email asked that the food be low in sodium and include items such as fruit, meat, soup and eggs.
Crystal Cathedral Ministries filed for bankruptcy last month. A lawsuit filed by creditors alleges that the Schullers borrowed more than $10 million from the church's endowment fund, and used it for salaries and regular church expenses.
"R.H. Schuller used his control and influence to cause the [cathedral] to enter into the agreements that benefitted himself and his family, to the detriment of the creditors and in breach of his fiduciary duties" to the church, the suit charges.
A spokesman for the church, John Charles, said the food request was in keeping with the church's commitment to Christian charity. "As Dr. Schuller always says, 'Find a need and fill it,'" he said. "I think that's what we were trying to do here."
But Canfield sees things differently. "These are millionaires who have limos and chauffeurs," he said. "Why in God's name would they want the congregants to deliver meals? It's ludicrous."
Want more of our best national affairs stories? Visit The Lookout or connect with us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Comedy
The Fighting Nun
"Nuns are not confined to using just nunchaks." Performed & edited by Beau Chev!#&#xus;. Shortly after this footage was filmed, three squad cars showed up, cops jumped out and--pointing guns at me--they screamed for me to get on my knees with my hands where they could see them. Apparently someone called 911, complaining about a person jumping and dancing about in a nun's outfit out in a field, twirling weapons around. Spokane always has these problems."
".. I love praising Jesus with all Christians. Jesus said "wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them." (Mat 18:20). An Evangelical lady approached me saying "I love your music and your heart for the Lord. What church do you attend?" I said "I'm Catholic." There was a long pause and her face fell. Then the questions started Are Catholics Christian? ... Is the Catholic Church Bible based? ...Why are you guys so into Mary?... Isn't Jesus about relationship and not religion? ... Don't you guys think you can work your way into heaven? ... and so on.
Some good Christians are surprised to learn that the Catholic Mass is all Bible, that the Rosary is a meditation on the life of Jesus, and that we have an Altar Call at every Mass (Communion). My Evangelical friends see that I've surrendered all that I am to Jesus and say I am "born again." Some have trouble reconciling the life they see in me with what they've been told about the Catholic Church. .."
*referred by Matt (met on AOL chat on Friday, January 8th of 2010)
"
There are religious people out there who will criticize this film as being anti religion, anti Catholicism, when it is anything but (well, a little anti Cathlic maybe). The central theme to the film is that there is a God, but not the God that most people know (or think they know) or believe in. The characters in the film are trying to get the message across that people have changed the original God, man has made God into the image they want him/her to be, made their own religious rules, rules that God never intended. From a strictly biblical standpoint, Smith is right on, which is not something that can be said about many films dealing with religion. And isn't that the entire point to Christianity, that it's based on the bible. .."
The Exorcist - Trailer
"A priest from the Vatican is sent in to investigate claims that a small town in Brazil has a church where statues bleed from the eyes..."
STiGMATA (1999)
"Patricia Arquette Grabriel BYRNE Jonathan Pryce
STIGMATA TRAILER
Stigmata is a controversial film directed by Rupert Wainwright that premiered on September 10, 1999. It follows the conflict between Frankie, an atheist Pittsburgh hairdresser played by Patricia Arquette who exhibits true stigmata and Father Andrew Kiernan (played by Gabriel Byrne), a former scientist and ordained Jesuit priest who, as part of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, investigates miracles for the Vatican. Kiernan soon discovers that the stigmata stems from the spirit of Father Paul Alemieda; a deeply religious priest who was ex-communicated from the Catholic Church for his discovery of a lost Gospel undermining the very foundations of Catholicism. The movie is loosely based on the discovery of the Gospel of Thomas; a document which the Vatican and most other Christians have declared as being the product of a heretical Gnostic group."
*introduced to me by Joey P. and Shannon F. during their KUMM Radio Show this afternoon for UMM'S Homecoming
-see Persecution
People
St Francis of Assisi
"A film about the life of the 12th Century Saint who challenged his culture, helped rebuild a corrupt and crumbling church, cared for creation and built bridges with militant Islam.
This is PHOS Film #9 from http://underthestairsproductions.com"
"Giovanni Francesco Bernardone; born 1181/1182 – October 3, 1226)[2] was a friar and the founder of the Order of Friars Minor, more commonly known as the Franciscans...
Childhood and early adulthood
...As a youth, Francesco—or Francis in English—became a troubador and yearned to become a writer of French poetry.[2][5] And although many biographers remark about his bright clothing, rich friends, street brawls, and love of pleasure,[4] his displays of disillusionment toward the world that surrounded him came fairly early in his life, as is shown in the "story of the beggar." In this account, he was selling cloth and velvet in the marketplace on behalf of his father when a beggar came to him and asked for alms. At the conclusion of his business deal, Francis abandoned his wares and ran after the beggar. When he found him, Francis gave the man everything he had in his pockets. His friends quickly chided and mocked him for his act of charity. When he got home, his father scolded him in rage.[6]...
After a pilgrimage to Rome, where he begged at the church doors for the poor, he said he had had a mystical vision of Jesus Christ in the Church of San Damiano just outside of Assisi, in which the Icon of Christ Crucified came alive and said to him three times, "Francis, Francis, go and repair My house which, as you can see, is falling into ruins". He thought this to mean the ruined church in which he was presently praying, and so sold his horse and some cloth from his father's store, to assist the priest there for this purpose...
Founding of the Order of Friars Minor
...At the end of this period (according to Jordanus, on 24 February 1209), Francis heard a sermon that changed his life. The sermon was about Matthew 10:9, in which Christ tells his followers that they should go forth and proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven was upon them, that they should take no money with them, nor even a walking stick or shoes for the road.[2] Francis was inspired to devote himself to a life of poverty.
*see GoodnewsEverybody: Ministry-Poverry
Clad in a rough garment, barefoot, and, after the Evangelical precept, without staff or scrip, he began to preach repentance.[2] ...
*see GoodnewsEverybody: Life-Forgiveness, Repentance,etc...
Later life
...On 8 May 1213 he received the mountain of La Verna (Alverna) as a gift from the count Orlando di Chiusi who described it as “eminently suitable for whoever wishes to do penance in a place remote from mankind.”[12][13] The mountain would become one of his favorite retreats for prayer.[...
n 1219 Francis left, together with a few companions, on a pilgrimage of non-violence to Egypt. Crossing the lines between the sultan and the Crusaders in Damietta, he was received by the sultan Melek-el-Kamel.[14][1] Francis challenged the Muslim scholars to a test of true religion by fire; but they retreated.[1] When Francis proposed to enter the fire first, under the condition that if he left the fire unharmed, the sultan would have to recognize Christ as the true God, the sultan was so impressed that he allowed Francis to preach to his subjects.[1][15] Though Francis did not succeed in converting the sultan, the last words of the sultan to Francis of Assisi were, according to Jacques de Vitry, bishop of Acre, in his book "Historia occidentalis, De Ordine et praedicatione Fratrum Minorum (1221)" : “Pray for me that God may deign to reveal to me that law and faith which is most pleasing to him.”...
Saint Francis, nature, and the environment
...Francis's attitude towards the natural world, while poetically expressed, was conventionally Christian.[4] He believed that the world was created good and beautiful by God but suffers a need for redemption because of the primordial sin of man. He preached to man and beast the universal ability and duty of all creatures to praise God (a common theme in the Psalms) and the duty of men to protect and enjoy nature as both the stewards of God's creation and as creatures ourselves.[21]...
*see GoodnewsEverybody: Science-Environmental & Animals-Creatures
"Faith and Deeds
14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[d]? 21Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,"[e] and he was called God's friend. 24You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
25In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."-James 2
"
ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO (ANS) -- I love trains. They are historical, powerful, and dlots of fun to ride. I try to travel on them every chance I get. So when a train rode through town by the name of the “2010 New Mexico Biblical Worldview Summit,” I was ready to board with 2,000 plus other people.
Of course, the train I am referring to is figurative. There really isn’t a train by that name. But let me say, the conference -- traveling by the above-mentioned name -- was analogous to a train: it was historical, powerful, and provided a fun and challenging ride.
How this historical conference garnered steam is interesting in and of itself. It began with an article that Dr. Joseph Bottum wrote entitled “21st Century—Catholics and Evangelicals Together.” Former Congressman Bill Redmond read the article. In turn, Redmond showed the article to Archbishop Michael Sheehan. Sheehan called Charles Colson, Colson called his folks, and his people called other people. The end result was a conference of unique proportions stationed in New Mexico.
The summit revolved around a manuscript promoted by Charles Colson called the “Manhattan Declaration.” The foundation of the Manhattan document is the support of life, marriage, and religious liberty. Also, as expected from Colson, the declaration is heavy on developing a distinctly historic Christian worldview.
To be honest, I didn’t quite know what to expect. So I met five of my friends, co-passengers if you will, and boarded the train with an open mind and expectant heart. The end result was, well, worth the journey.
The summit began with worship by Dove award-winning singer, Fernando Ortega. Ortega, a New Mexico native, led the 2,000 plus congregation in five songs, all with the sole purpose of glorifying Christ and developing unity among the wide assortment of people gathered.
As I looked around, I saw collared clergy, suit-wearing Protestants, and casual evangelicals, all worshiping the same Lord. When Ortega sang the two final songs, “In Christ Alone” and “Be Thou My Vision,” I sensed God’s presence as hands were raised and eyes fixed upward.
Three local clergymen, Pastor Steve Smothermon, Pastor Wayne Barber, and Monsignor Richard Olona read from John 17: 1-26, giving clear Scriptural direction of our unity in Christ.
Former Congressman Bill Redmond gave an introduction to the summit, proclaiming that "Jesus is Lord of all." Then he introduced Charles Colson.
As a transition, Chinese Christians Chung Gao and Kevin Shi performed a riveting version of “Amazing Grace” on violin and piano.
Before Colson began his message, he recognized the historic nature of this summit, calling attention to all the speakers and musicians participating in the days event. Then he asked for forgiveness for standing during “Amazing Grace,” stating, “In prison, this is our motto.” The congregation erupted in applause!
Colson, the former Richard Nixon aide, author, and founder of Prison Fellowship, gave a stirring message entitled, “The Manhattan Declaration: A Biblical Worldview Document.” In his presentation he covered a wide range of topics: from relativism, moral collapse, and the changing nature of America’s political landscape. It was a challenging and stirring message, causing one to think and imparting a yearning to act.
The next speaker was Michael Novak. Novak is an American philosopher, writer, and diplomat, penning many books on capitalism, religion, and democracy. In addition, he is a Catholic scholar and former Ambassador to the United Nations on Human Rights.
Novak’s message was entitled “America upon Two Wings.”
Using the image on the back of the dollar bill as a guide, Novak conducted the passengers on our "train" through economic, political, and moral truth, with the underlining idea that America was built on a humble faith and common sense—the two wings of his message.
The next speaker was Os Guinness, an England-born evangelical Christian author and social critic. As the great, great, great, grandson of Arthur Guinness (founder of Guinness beer), Os was the only non-American born passenger on board the summit.
Guinness spoke on the topic of “impossible people.” Like Colson, Guinness’ message was stirring and even somewhat controversial. Whereas the other speakers discussed what was occurring outside of the church, Guinness spoke on what was occurring within the church.
As an example of what was occurring within the church, Guinness discussed the lax attitude many within the church have against biblical, orthodox belief. Here, Guinness pointed out that some denominations -- such as the Episcopal Church USA -- are leaving their orthodox roots, heading toward, as Guinness stated, “heresy.” Guinness gave five challenges for the church as his conclusion, all penetrating and right on target.
The final main session speaker, Joseph Bottum, who is a Catholic writer, essayist, and editor of First Things magazine. His message was entitled “21st Century: Catholics and Evangelicals Together.” As mentioned above, it was Bottum’s article that sparked and fueled the train of this summit. Like Novak, Bottum discussed the common moral and social alliance held between evangelical Christians and Roman Catholic Christians, calling for further dialogue and shared goals.
The lunch sessions included Pastor Boli Zhang and Pastor Jian Zhu, both leaders of the Tiananmen Square uprising. Afterwards, Michael Novak gave a short message asking “Where Do We Go from Here?” The conference concluded with a panel discussion and closing remarks by Archbishop Michael Sheehan on “New Mexico Evangelicals and Catholics Together”.
As one can sense from this overview, the ride on this figurative train was all that I expected: historic, powerful, fun, and challenging. I was both blessed and motivated.
I was also thankful for all the sponsors: The Archdiocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico Assemblies of God, The Baptist Convention, Calvary Chapel Rio Rancho, the North American Mainline Chinese Mission, New Mexico Christian Churches, the Traditional Values Action Committee, and various other individual churches.
Together, we were on the same train -- at least for a day—discussing our common heritage, our common concerns, and our common hope. We were proclaiming the message sang by Fernando Ortega in the hymn, “Be Thou My Vision”.
"Be Thou my vision, O, Lord, of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art. Thou my best thought, by day or by night, waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.”
As we gathered in the Kiva Auditorium at the Albuquerque Convention Center, our message was clear: life, marriage, and religious freedom are essential to our country and our faith. It was a call for unity among all Christians.
In other words, in train-speak, we loudly proclaimed, "All aboard fellow Christians, all aboard!"
To learn more about the Manhattan Declaration, visit www.manhattandeclaration.org or the Traditional Values Coalition at http://tvacnm.com.
Brian Nixon is a writer, musician, minister, and family man. You may contact him at www.briannixon.com
** You may republish this story with proper attribution.
Send this story to a friend. Share This story is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of the ASSIST News Service or ASSIST Ministries. Web-Stat hit counters
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In the year of 1916, the three children Lucia dos Santos and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto,who later witnessed the vision of The Blessed Virgin Mary, were visited by an Angel three times whilst out tending their sheep.
The first time the Angel appeared they where sheltering from the rain on a hillside called the Cabeço.When the rain had passed and the sun had returned, the little shepherds spent the day at this spot, eating lunch, saying the Rosary and playing games. Lucia was then only nine years old, Francisco was eight, and Jacinta was six....
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Call it Conspiracy City. Call it Scandal City. Call it Leak City. These days the holy city has been in the news for anything but holy reasons.
"It is a total mess," said one high-ranking Vatican official who spoke, like all others, on the condition of anonymity.
The Machiavellian maneuvering and machinations that have come to light in the Vatican recently are worthy of a novel about a sinister power struggle at a medieval court.
Senior church officials interviewed this month said almost daily embarrassments that have put the Vatican on the defensive could force Pope Benedict to act to clean up the image of its administration - at a time when the church faces a deeper crisis of authority and relevance in the wider world.
Some of those sources said the outcome of a power struggle inside the Holy See may even have a longer-term effect, on the choice of the man to succeed Benedict when he dies.
From leaked letters by an archbishop who was transferred after he blew the whistle on what he saw as a web of corruption and cronyism, to a leaked poison pen memo which puts a number of cardinals in a bad light, to new suspicions about its bank, Vatican spokesmen have had their work cut out responding.
The flurry of leaks has come at an embarrassing time - just before a usually joyful ceremony this week known as a consistory, when Benedict will admit more prelates into the College of Cardinals, the exclusive men's club that will one day pick the next Roman Catholic leader from among their own ranks.
"This consistory will be taking place in an atmosphere that is certainly not very glorious or exalting," said one bishop with direct knowledge of Vatican affairs.
The sources agreed that the leaks were part of an internal campaign - a sort of "mutiny of the monsignors" - against the pope's right-hand man, Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone.
Bertone, 77, has a reputation as a heavy-handed administrator and power-broker whose style has alienated many in the Curia, the bureaucracy that runs the central administration of the 1.3 billion-strong Roman Catholic Church.
He came to the job, traditionally occupied by a career diplomat, in 2006 with no experience of working in the church's diplomatic corps, which manages its international relations. Benedict chose him, rather, because he had worked under the future pontiff, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, in the Vatican's powerful doctrinal office.
"It's all aimed at Bertone," said a monsignor in a key Vatican department who sympathizes with the secretary of state and who sees the leakers as determined to oust him. "It's very clear that they want to get rid of Bertone."
Vatican sources say the rebels have the tacit backing of a former secretary of state, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, an influential power-broker in his own right and a veteran diplomat who served under the late Pope John Paul II for 15 years.
"The diplomatic wing feels that they are the rightful owners of the Vatican," the monsignor who favors Bertone said.
Sodano and Bertone are not mutual admirers, to put it mildly. Neither has commented publicly on the reports.
WHISTLE-BLOWING ARCHBISHOP
The Vatican has been no stranger to controversy in recent years, when uproar over its handling of child sex abuse charges has hampered the church's efforts to stem the erosion of congregations and priestly recruitment in the developed world.
But the latest image crisis could not be closer to home.
It began last month when an Italian television investigative show broadcast private letters to Bertone and the pope from Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the former deputy governor of the Vatican City and currently the Vatican ambassador in Washington.
The letters, which the Vatican has confirmed are authentic, showed that Vigano was transferred after he exposed what he argued was a web of corruption, nepotism and cronyism linked to the awarding of contracts to contractors at inflated prices.
As deputy governor of the Vatican City for two years from 2009 to 2011, Vigano was the number two official in a department responsible for maintaining the tiny city-state's gardens, buildings, streets, museums and other infrastructure, which are managed separately from the Italian capital which surrounds it.
In one letter, Vigano writes of a smear campaign against him by other Vatican officials who were upset that he had taken drastic steps to clean up the purchasing procedures and begged to stay in the job to finish what he had started.
Bertone responded by removing Vigano from his position three years before the end of his tenure and sending him to the United States, despite his strong resistance.
Other leaks center on the Vatican bank, just as it is trying to put behind it past scandals - including the collapse 30 years ago of Banco Ambrosiano, which entangled it in lurid allegations about money-laundering, freemasons, mafiosi and the mysterious death of Ambrosiano chairman Roberto Calvi - "God's banker."
Today, the Vatican bank, formally known at the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR), is aiming to comply fully with international norms and has applied for the Vatican's inclusion on the European Commission's approved "white list" of states that meet EU standards for total financial transparency.
Bertone was instrumental in putting the bank's current executives in place and any lingering suspicion about it reflects badly on him. The Commission will decide in June and failure to make the list would be an embarrassment for Bertone.
ITALIAN POPE?
Last week, an Italian newspaper that has published some of the leaks ran a bizarre internal Vatican memo that involved one cardinal complaining about another cardinal who spoke about a possible assassination attempt against the pope within 12 months and openly speculated on who the next pope should be.
Bertone's detractors say he has packed the Curia with Italian friends. Some see an attempt to influence the election of the next pope and increase the chances that the papacy returns to Italy after two successive non-Italian popes who have broken what had been an Italian monopoly for over 450 years.
Seven of the 18 new "cardinal electors" -- those aged under 80 eligible to elect a pope -- at this Saturday's consistory are Italian. Six of those work for Bertone in the Curia.
Bertone, as chief administrator, had a key role in advising the pope on the appointments, which raised eyebrows because of the high number of Italian bureaucrats among them.
"There is widespread malaise and delusion about Bertone inside the Curia. It is full of complaints," said the bishop who has close knowledge of Vatican affairs.
"Bertone has had a very brash method of running the Vatican and putting his friends in high places. People could not take it any more and said 'enough' and that is why I think these leaks are coming out now to make him look bad," he said.
POPE "ISOLATED"
Leaked confidential cables sent to the State Department by the U.S. embassy to the Vatican depicted him as a "yes man" with no diplomatic experience or linguistic skills and the 2009 cable suggests that the pope is protected from bad news.
"There is also the question of who, if anyone, brings dissenting views to the pope's attention," read the cable, published by WikiLeaks.
The Vatican sources said some cardinals asked the pope to replace Bertone because of administrative lapses, including the failure to warn the pope that a renegade bishop re-admitted to the Church in 2009 was a well-known Holocaust denier.
But they said the pope, at 84 and increasingly showing the signs of his age, is not eager to break in a new right-hand man.
"It's so complicated and the pope is so helpless," said the monsignor.
The bishop said: "The pope is very isolated. He lives in his own world and some say the information he receives is filtered. He is interested in his books and his sermons but he is not very interested in government."
(Editing by Jon Boyle and Alastair Macdonald)
"
"This is Fr. Rea from New Zealand sharing some testimony about a violin prodigy's hand, a baby with down's syndrome, a young man's tumor, and a Samoan with lukemia being healed through prayer.
-Posted by UCO Lansing http://lansing.ucoweb.org/healing on occasion of hosting Fr. Rea for a healing meeting March 28, 2007."
U.S. and Canadian authorities took Native children from their homes and tried to school, and sometimes beat, the Indian out them. Now Native Americans are fighting the theft of language, of culture, and of childhood itself.
BY ANDREA SMITH
Andrea Smith (Cherokee) is interim coordinator for the Boarding School Healing Project and a Bunche Fellow coordinating AIUSA's research project on Sexual Violence and American Indian women. "
A little while ago, I was supposed to attend a Halloween party. I decided to dress as a nun because nuns were the scariest things I ever saw,” says Willetta Dolphus, 54, a Cheyenne River Lakota. The source of her fear, still vivid decades later, was her childhood experience at American Indian boarding schools in South Dakota.
Dolphus is one of more than 100,000 Native Americans forced by the U.S. government to attend Christian schools. The system, which began with President Ulysses Grant's 1869 "Peace Policy," continued well into the 20th century. Church officials, missionaries, and local authorities took children as young as five from their parents and shipped them off to Christian boarding schools; they forced others to enroll in Christian day schools on reservations. Those sent to boarding school were separated from their families for most of the year, sometimes without a single family visit. Parents caught trying to hide their children lost food rations. ...
Physical hardship, however, was merely the backdrop to a systematic assault on Native culture. School staff sheared children's hair, banned traditional clothing and customs, and forced children to worship as Christians. Eliminating Native languages—considered an obstacle to the “acculturation” process—was a top priority, and teachers devised an extensive repertoire of punishments for uncooperative children. “I was forced to eat an entire bar of soap for speaking my language,” says AIUSA activist Byron Wesley (Navajo)...
Native scholars describe the destruction of their culture as a “soul wound,” from which Native Americans have not healed. Embedded deep within that wound is a pattern of sexual and physical abuse that began in the early years of the boarding school system. Joseph Gone describes a history of “unmonitored and unchecked physical and sexual aggression perpetrated by school officials against a vulnerable and institutionalized population.” Gone is one of many scholars contributing research to the Boarding School Healing Project. ...
A more complete history of the abuses endured by Native American children exists in the accounts of survivors of Canadian “residential schools.” Canada imported the U.S. boarding school model in the 1880s and maintained it well into the 1970s—four decades after the United States ended its stated policy of forced enrollment. Abuses in Canadian schools are much better documented because survivors of Canadian schools are more numerous, younger, and generally more willing to talk about their experiences.
A 2001 report by the Truth Commission into Genocide in Canada documents the responsibility of the Roman Catholic Church, the United Church of Canada, the Anglican Church of Canada, and the federal government in the deaths of more than 50,000 Native children in the Canadian residential school system.
The report says church officials killed children by beating, poisoning, electric shock, starvation, prolonged exposure to sub-zero cold while naked, and medical experimentation, including the removal of organs and radiation exposure. In 1928 Alberta passed legislation allowing school officials to forcibly sterilize Native girls; British Columbia followed suit in 1933. There is no accurate toll of forced sterilizations because hospital staff destroyed records in 1995 after police launched an investigation. But according to the testimony of a nurse in Alberta, doctors sterilized entire groups of Native children when they reached puberty. The report also says that Canadian clergy, police, and business and government officials “rented out” children from residential schools to pedophile rings.
The consequences of sexual abuse can be devastating. “Of the first 29 men who publicly disclosed sexual abuse in Canadian residential schools, 22 committed suicide," says Gerry Oleman, a counselor to residential school survivors in British Columbia.
Randy Fred (Tsehaht First Nation), a 47-year-old survivor, told the British Columbia Aboriginal Network on Disability Society, “We were kids when we were raped and victimized. All the plaintiffs I've talked with have attempted suicide. I attempted suicide twice, when I was 19 and again when I was 20. We all suffered from alcohol abuse, drug abuse. Looking at the lists of students [abused in the school], at least half the guys are dead.”
The Truth Commission report says that the grounds of several schools contain unmarked graveyards of murdered school children, including babies born to Native girls raped by priests and other church officials in the school. Thousands of survivors and relatives have filed lawsuits against Canadian churches and governments since the 1990s, with the costs of settlements estimated at more than $1 billion. Many cases are still working their way through the court system.
While some Canadian churches have launched reconciliation programs, U.S. churches have been largely silent. Natives of this country have also been less aggressive in pursuing lawsuits. Attorney Tonya Gonnella-Frichner (Onondaga) says that the combination of statutes of limitations, lack of documentation, and the conservative makeup of the current U.S. Supreme Court make lawsuits a difficult and risky strategy.
Nonetheless, six members of the Sioux Nation who say they were physically and sexually abused in government-run boarding schools filed a class-action lawsuit this April against the United States for $25 billion on behalf of hundreds of thousands of mistreated Native Americans. Sherwyn Zephier was a student at a school run from 1948 to 1975 by St. Paul's Catholic Church in Marty, S.D.: "I was tortured in the middle of the night. They would whip us with boards and sometimes with straps,” he recalled in Los Angeles at an April press conference to launch the suit.
Adele Zephier, Sherwyn's sister, said, "I was molested there by a priest and watched other girls" and then broke down crying. Lawyers have interviewed nearly 1,000 alleged victims in South Dakota alone.
Native activists within church denominations are also pushing for resolutions that address boarding school abuses. This July the first such resolution will go before the United Church of Christ, demanding that the church begin a process of reconciliation with Native communities. Activists also point out that while the mass abductions ended with the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act (IRA), doctors, lawyers, and social workers were still removing thousands of children from their families well into the 1970s. Even today, "Indian parents continue to consent to adoptions after being persuaded by 'professionals' who promise that their child will fare better in a white, middle-class family," according to a report by Lisa Poupart for the Crime and Social Justice Associates.
Although there is disagreement in Native communities about how to approach the past, most agree that the first step is documentation. It is crucial that this history be exposed, says Dolphus. "When the elders who were abused in these schools have the chance to heal, then the younger generation will begin to heal too." ...
"The persecution of Protestants earned Mary the appellation "Bloody Mary" although many historians believe Mary does not deserve all the blame that has been cast upon her. During Mary's five-year reign, 283 individuals were burnt at the stake, twice as many as had suffered the same fate during the previous century-and-a-half of English history, and at a greater rate than under the contemporary Spanish Inquisition. Several notable clerics were executed; among them were the former Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer, the former Bishop of London Nicholas Ridley and the reformist Hugh Latimer. John Foxe vilified her in his Book of Martyrs. Spanish ambassadors were apparently aghast at how the English reviled her and at the jubilation and celebration of the people upon her death."
Quote from successor..."When Elizabeth became Queen in the November of 1558, it was widely believed that she would restore the Protestant faith in England. Mary's persecution of Protestants had done much damage to the standing of Catholicism in England, and the number of Protestants in the country was steadily increasing. Although Elizabeth had adhered to the Catholic faith during her sister's reign, she had been raised a Protestant, and was committed to that faith. Elizabeth's religious views were remarkably tolerant for the age in which she lived. She believed sincerely in her own faith, but she also believed in religious toleration, and that Catholics and Protestants were both part of the same faith. "There is only one Christ, Jesus, one faith" she exclaimed later in her reign, "all else is a dispute over trifles." She also declared that she had "no desire to make windows into men's souls".-Queen Elizabeth I and the Church GERMANY
Adolf Hitler
"Hitler�s anti-Semitism grew out of his Christian education. Austria and Germany were majorly Christian during his time and they held the belief that Jews were an inferior status to Aryan Christians. The Christians blamed the Jews for the killing of Jesus. Jewish hatred did not actually spring from Hitler, it came from the preaching of Catholic priests and Protestant ministers throughout Germany for hundreds of years." UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
"But because I am a Catholic, and no Catholic has ever been elected President, the real issues in this campaign have been obscured--perhaps deliberately, in some quarters less responsible than this. So it is apparently necessary for me to state once again--not what kind of church I believe in, for that should be important only to me--but what kind of America I believe in."
"..So, you want a simple answer. Well, the simplest answer I can give you is the one that is already in our article about Lent (see: Lent) in the subheading "Lenten Regulations". In there it states that we Catholics are asked to abstain from eating meat on Fridays as a way of doing a minimum of self sacrifice during this season of "giving up" and repentance. Lent is all about improving our spiritual life and by giving up meat on Fridays it is a way of showing that we have discipline over some aspect of our life. If it is possible that we have discipline and control over one part of our lives it is possible then to extend that same manner of discipline to other areas such as regular prayer and reverence for the Lord.
We all know that most people give up something for Lent and this is the Church's way of asking us to do a minimum of that giving up of something in case we aren't giving up anything else. Not only do people give things up for Lent, but also they often add things to do like pray more often or do more outreach to those people in need. Lent is a time of spiritual purification and by doing these small things it may bring us closer to God.
So that is your "short" answer. If you have any more questions about anything please feel free to send us an e-mail! I hope that you and your friends have a wonderful Lenten experience and you are now in my prayers.
-Jon Jakoblich...
"...Here's what my preist told me when I was Catholic:
The tradition of eating fish on Fridays and not other meat was, strangely enough, for ecomomical purposes.Back when the religion was smaller, most of it's members where poor fishermen.So in order to help their trade,the church decreed that all catholics should eat fish on every Friday.Eventually this was changed to be done only during Lent but it was originally done to help the fishermen's trade..
..
"
In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?"-Luke 24
" 30"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. 31And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. -Matthew 12
"
November 1 majority of the Filipino population observe All Saint's Day (Araw ng mga Patay). During the Araw ng mga Patay Filipinos remember their dead, clean the graves, and decorate them with flowers. While the purpose is somber, the effect is a picnic, full of merrymaking and laughter. Everyone goes to the cemetery, and some even stay overnight. ..
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Araw ng mga Patay, the day to commemorate the souls of departed friends and family is one of the few times of the year that transforms the streets of the Araw Ng Mga Patay the public market. For despite the morbid literal meaning of the occasion (Day of the Dead), it is in fact a vibrant two-day affair that turns gloomy cemeteries into a carnival-like setting... The Philippines and Oceania, wikipedia.org
Flowers, including Mexican marigolds, used in the celebration of the Day of the Dead
In the Philippines, the holiday is Araw ng mga Patay ("Day of the Dead"), Todos Los Santos (the latter two due to the fact that this holiday is celebrated on November 1, All Saints Day) and has more of a "family reunion" atmosphere.[26] Tombs are cleaned or repainted, candles are lit, and flowers are offered. Entire families camp in cemeteries and sometimes spend a night or two near their relatives' tombs. Card games, eating, drinking, singing and dancing are common activities in the cemetery. It is considered a very important holiday by many Filipinos (after Christmas and Holy Week), and additional days are normally given as special non-working holidays (but only November 1 is a regular holiday). The Philippines was colonized by Spain for almost 4 centuries and during this time there was a Galleon trade between Mexico and The Philippines...
"When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?-Isaiah 8:9
" strives to help Church people and other agents of development in less-industrialized countries obtain assistance from international agencies for their religious and socio-economic projects."
"... was performing across the U.S. with the rock group Mason Proffit. His group was one of the forerunners of country rock and had shared the stage with some of the biggest acts of the day, including The Byrds, Poco, Pink Floyd and The Grateful Dead.
On one particular evening they were opening for the queen of rock herself, Janis Joplin. Talbot watched her backstage as she downed bottles of Southern Comfort like it was soda pop.The sight seized him deeply, and when the concert was over he walked back onto the empty stage. Looking out over the arena floor, he was shocked to see, lying before him a sea of bottles, beer cans and drug paraphernalia littered as far as he could see.
"Suddenly," he recalls, "the rock star life seemed empty and sad. It wasn't at all what I wanted my life to stand for." It was a prophetic experience for the youngster that caused him to question his whole lifestyle as he began to ask, "Isn't there something more?"...
He spent almost four years praying and searching for answers. He read sacred and philosophical texts, exploring everything from Native American religions to Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism and Christianity. He worked on a farm in Indiana selling vegetables during the day and studying the world's religions at night, until finally, in a singular moment, it all became clear to him.
"I won't call it a visionary experience," Talbot maintains, "but I saw a Christ figure. I knew it was Jesus, and He made everything personalized for me."....
His conversion initially led him into Fundamentalism and eventually to the Jesus Movement. He studied all Christian denominations and found that Catholicism spoke to his heart. "It wasn't just some vague yearning," he recalls. "I saw a life in Christ in harmony and in peace."
"I asked God what I was supposed to do," he explains, "and God said, 'Play your music and I will open and shut the doors'." Staying true to that calling, Talbot started to use his musical talents to express his faith by joining the newly emerging Christian music scene. He recorded for Warner Brothers Records, delivering an album entitled "Reborn", and later recorded two additional albums for Sparrow Records, "John Michael Talbot" and "The New Earth"....
So, how does John Michael Talbot manage to keep it all together? He smiles and credits the Lord for his success. "Jesus said, 'I have come that you might have life and have it to the full.' He doesn't waste anything. He'll redeem us all if we let Him."
Indeed, as he reflects on his life and all that has been accomplished, Talbot sighs, "Jesus has been good to me. He's offered me salvation and a way to help others. In fact, the more I live this life, the more I see our job as a community is to simply be faithful to what God has given us. In that way," he concludes, "We will be living, nothing more or less, than the gospel of Jesus Christ."
John Michael Talbot Event, sacredheartglenwood.com "Mark your calendars for Thursday, May 19th – Saturday May 21st, 2011. Each night’s ministry will take place at Sacred Heart and will run from 7 PM until 8:30 PM.
Internationally renowned Catholic musician John Michael Talbot will offer a three-evening series : three different and special evenings of inspirational music, motivational speaking and teachings on deep meditation. John Michael’s ministry has blessed millions over the past 35 years and thousand of lives have been transformed in a deeper personal relationship with Jesus. " ▼ Sacred Heart Catholic Church
122 1st Street Northwest
Glenwood, MN 56334-1145
Get Directions
(320) 634-3813
sacredheartglenwood.com
"...VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI promised his "unconditional reverence and obedience" to his successor in his final words to cardinals Thursday, a poignant and powerful farewell delivered hours before he becomes the first pope in 600 years to resign.
In an unexpected speech inside the Vatican's frescoed Clementine Hall, the pontiff appeared to be trying to defuse concerns about possible conflicts arising from the peculiar situation of having both a reigning pope and a retired one.
He also gave a final set of instructions to the "princes" of the church who will elect his successor, urging them to be united as they huddle to choose the 266th leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics....
"60 minute video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwg5qeI2Duw . Matthew 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 5-3-07 Nearly 150 Roman Catholic clergymen in Ireland's biggest archdiocese have been linked to child sex abuse allegations over the past 67 years. The statistics for Dublin archdiocese were released days before the opening of hearings into how the Church handled abuse claims. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/03/nabuse103.xml ... .Questions for Catholics are: What was the first message preached by Peter that resulted in the conversion of 3000 orthodox Jews in Acts 2 and another 5000 in Acts 4? If the Eucharest teaching was introduced in Acts why weren't the Apostles charged by the rulers for breaking an OT law and what were they charged with? (Leviticus 7:27 Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people. Leviticus 17:10,11 And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. Leviticus 17:14 For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.) What were the apostles arrested for? Since many left Jesus in John 6:66 because of John 6:54, why wasn't there a similar occurrance in Acts 2, Acts 4 and the rest of the book of Acts? These were instructions given to the converted Gentiles. Why wasn't the Euchariest doctrine included in them? Acts 15:20,29 But that we write unto them [converted Gentiles], that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well. Contact info@bereanbeacon.org www.bereanbeacon.org Live broadcasting - www.warneveryone.com" Roman Catholic sex abuse cases, from Wikipedia "Clerical sexual deviancy allegations have been made against a variety of religious groups including but not exclusively Roman Catholic priests monks and nuns. Some of these allegations have been proven; others have not. An estimated 0.2% of Roman Catholic priests have been proven to be abuser.[1]
Some incidents involved diocesan priests and members of the various Roman Catholic religious orders, with reports coming from the United States and Ireland. Cases involved seminaries, schools, orphanages and other institutions (such as the Irish industrial schools) where children were in the care of clergy. Criticism of the Church and its leadership focused on the failure to act upon information, and often to move priests who had received complaints from church to church in order to protect them. Some allegations have led to successful prosecutions of the accused, as well as civil cases settling for millions of dollars.
The John Jay Report,[2] commissioned by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, found accusations against 300 priests in the USA, equalling about .006% of all U.S. priests. Figures supplied by the Catholic League, and the U. S. Department of Education theorize that the abuse figures in the Catholic Church are similar to abuse in other institutions such as education.[3][4][5]"
"Alleged victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy held a candlelight vigil of solidary at the Vatican on Sunday but were not allowed to deliver letters to a bronze door outside the pope's residence.
Several dozen marchers from the United States, Asia and Europe gathered to share their stories and say more needs to be done about the long-standing problem. The Vatican said it routinely disallows such protests in the square but did allow the group to congregate on a portion of the grounds.
Organizer Gary Bergeron of Boston, Massachusetts, called Sunday "Reformation Day" and launched a petition calling on the United Nations to include sexual abuse of children as a crime against humanity. He said he was abused by a priest while he served as an altar boy.
The Italian contingent was primarily deaf and mute victims of sexual abuse at a Verona institute during the 1960s and 1970s. They wore T-shirts with the writing 'ENOUGH', and its Italian equivalent "Basta."
Another Bostonian at the protest, Bernie McDaid, met with Pope Benedict XVI in 2008. At the time, McDaid said he had turned to drugs and alcohol in his teen years, struggling to cope with what "Father B" had done to him while he was an altar boy.
Bergeron and McDaid met Sunday evening with with Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi. The abuse survivors said they gave suggestions as to what actions the Catholic Church should take in tackling the problem.
Lombardi issued a statement calling sexual abuse a worldwide "scourge" that needs to be eliminated.
"I know you think that the Church should do more," Lombardi wrote. "I am convinced that the Church has done, and is doing a lot. Not only the Pope, with his words and examples, but many Church communities in various parts of the world."
Bergeron, who hoped to deliver letters to the pope to the door outside his residence, left them instead to the pope on the edge of St. Peter's Square, and spoke briefly to reporters Sunday night.
"The journey of the survivor is one step at a time... Today was very powerful for many survivors," he said. "This is the first time, the first time that a group of survivors this large has come together and spoken out and people have listened in Italy."
The Vatican does not allow visitors to approach the door to the pope's residence.
Catholic priests who sexually abused children "disfigured their ministry" and caused the Catholic Church "profound shame and regret," Pope Benedict XVI wrote in September, in one of his strongest statements to date on the scandal facing the Vatican.
"What has happened should make us all the more watchful and attentive," the pope wrote in an open letter to men studying to be priests.
But he said that people should still be encouraged to become priests and that celibacy still "makes sense."
Campaigners for victims of abuse by priests immediately rejected the statement as "minimizing" and "mischaracterizing" the crisis, which has seen thousands of victims come forward from across western Europe and the United States.
Three independent investigations have been launched into the abuse of children by priests in Ireland, while police raided the headquarters of the Catholic Church in Belgium and a church-government working group has been set up to tackle the problem in the pope's native Germany.
There have also been accusations of abuse in the United States, Italy, the Netherlands, and other countries.
Critics say the problem is not only the abuse itself, but the cover-up of the problem by bishops. "
"Finally the church is admitting some culpability for the generations of abuse, and doing something about it. Good on them.
But what about the actual application of this pledge? How exactly will this €10 million be spent? Counselling? Some shelters for abused children? A warm bed and a comforting hand on their shoulder, snaking inside their shirt, tugging at their waistband, hoarse smelly breath panting in their ear.
Thank you very much, but I think the world has had enough of your help. We know you’ve been sexually retarded as a result of suffering abuse yourselves, but please fellas: Hands off....
'Celebrities in Hell - Michael Jackson, Pope John Paul, Selina in Hell - Angelica Zambranos Testimony about Hell - English Translation
Download audio, copy to CD, share: http://www.swordofprophecy.org"
"
Pope Benedict XVI apologised on Wednesday to native Canadians who were physically and sexually abused at church-run boarding schools they were forced to attend.
The Pontiff told a group of former students and victims of his "personal anguish" over their suffering, and said he was praying that they would heal.
From the 19th century until the 1970s, more than 150,000 Indian children in Canada were forced to attend state-funded Christian boarding schools as part of an effort to assimilate them into white Canadian society.
The Canadian government has admitted that physical and sexual abuse was rampant in the schools, with students beaten for speaking their native languages.
That legacy of abuse and isolation has been cited by Indian leaders as the root cause of epidemic rates of alcoholism and drug addiction on reservations.
The Canadian government has formally apologised and offered billions of dollars in compensation. The Catholic Church itself has paid some $79 million in compensation - but it hadn't issued any type of institutional regret until Wednesday.
"What we wanted the Pope to say to us was that he was sorry and ... that he deeply felt for us," said Phil Fontaine, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, and himself a victim of abuse at one of the schools. "We heard that very clearly today."
"
Sports
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Skateboarding Down Under to Schubert's Ave Maria!
"Fra Gabriel Mary, FI does all things for the Immaculate near our Friary in Perth, Australia. He inspires the youth to aim for higher things as he skateboards to the tune of Schubert.s "Ave Maria".
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