St. Mary's Protest - First Amendment Under Assault

St. Mary's College in Moraga, California shuts off debate to protect "reputation" of domestic terrorist Bill Ayers.

Catholic School Teacher "Channels" Padre Pio

Is someone asleep at the wheel?

Dottie Zimmerman is a 63-year-old mother of three, an award-winning religion teacher at a Toledo Catholic school, a former Ursuline nun, and a director of the Children's Theatre Workshop.

For the last five years, Mrs. Zimmerman also says she has been "channeling" Padre Pio, letting the dead Italian Catholic saint mystically speak through her.

It is a "gift," she said, and although she never asked for it she believes she must use it to help others, especially children....

It's for the children...hmmm, where have we heard that before?

Mrs. Zimmerman said in a recent interview that although she doesn't channel Padre Pio publicly very often, she hears from him almost daily.

I'm certain. Does the Diocese of Toledo have any exorcists?

An eighth-grade religion teacher at St. Patrick of Heatherdowns School for nearly 30 years, Mrs. Zimmerman said she felt as though spiritual conversations had been percolating within her for years before she began to explore her gift.

She had dismissed the voices as figments of her overactive imagination.

Figments of an overactive imagination? Color me skeptical...

A Note of Thanks from Fr. Corapi

A Note of Thanks

I want to take a moment to thank all of our friends and supporters for over 3,000 get well cards, birthday cards, and ordination anniversary cards that I received in the past few weeks. I do not take this for granted. I am very grateful to each of you for your prayers and for your kindness.

I am not sure if you know how valuable your little acts of kindness, generosity, and support mean to your priests. For me, they are a reminder that I was ordained for you. My day to day ministry does not involve contact with the People of God personally, but as many of you have told me, “I feel like I know you. You have been in my home so many times through television, radio, the internet, or CDs and DVDs, etc.” Indeed, technology is a gift from God, and it helps us to be united in so many ways. One day I was marveling at the great charisms God had given to some of His saints. St. Pio was able to bilocate, being in two places at once. I asked the Holy Spirit if it would be good for someone a lot less than a saint, like me, to have such a gift. The answer was immediate and hit me like a lightning bolt, “You are speaking to large numbers of people every minute of every hour of every day in so many diverse parts of the world through all of the means of social communication.” It’s not a miracle above nature, but it is a miracle when you think about it. Our Father takes care of us in so many ways.

This weekend we celebrate Fathers’ Day. First of all let’s be thankful to our heavenly Father for all He does for us. Let’s thank our priests, who are spiritual fathers too. “No priests, no Eucharist.” I’m so thankful for priests. Then, let’s make sure we commend our natural fathers, living or deceased, to our heavenly Father.

I’ll pray for each of you on this Fathers’ Day, for in some mysterious way God our Father has related us spiritually. A father transmits life to his children. I’ll try to be faithful to that mission of the transmission of spiritual life. Pray for me, please, that I might always do this.

God bless you,

Fr. John Corapi

Click here for the online version of this email.

Barat Academy Teacher Charged in Topless Phote Email Case

Of local interest, I suppose:

ST. CHARLES COUNTY — A teacher at Barat Academy in Dardenne Prairie e-mailed two topless photos of herself to one of her students, prosecutors said.

Melissa R. Moss, 27, of Chesterfield, was charged Tuesday in St. Charles County Circuit Court with furnishing pornographic material to a minor, a misdemeanor. Authorities say Moss e-mailed the topless photos in November. She no longer works at the school.

She declined to comment, her husband, Kevin Moss, said Wednesday. Police did not identify the 15-year-old student.

Debby Watson, president of the independent Catholic high school, could not be reached for comment Wednesday night, though another school administrator said Moss has not worked at the school for months.

A Facebook.com profile called "School Isn't the Same Without Melissa Moss" features comments from some of Moss' supporters protesting the teacher's departure from the school.

"We want her back at Barat Academy," the profile says. "Nothing's the same without her. … Our administration turned into meanies."

"We want her back." Of course, you do...Sad that this young woman has probably jeopardized her entire career and may never teach again - what a stupid stunt!

I often wonder how Barat's religion curriculum is going these days?

Source, Post Dispatch

Please Help These Catholic Theology Students!

Our dear friend, Fr. Phillip Powell, O.P., writes:

My senior/grad theology seminar here at the Univ of Dallas is alled "Postmetaphysical
theologies." The class has a blogsite called "suppl(e)mental."

A major part of the students' grades hangs on "doing theology" in public. My goal here is to acquaint these budding Catholic theologians with the weirdnesses of reading, writing, and writing about Christian theology for an audience outside the academy.

The theologies we will be covering in the seminar are decidedly non-Catholic, sometimes downright (though never explicitly) anti-Catholic, and represent some of the best contemporary theology out there. My goal here is to introduce my very, very orthodox theologians-to-be to the veritable circus of theological methods, vocabularies, personalities, and schools that push and pull the faith of the Church in both creative and destructive directions.

Fr Powell will be assuming an additional role as something like "Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts."

These budding theologians will start posting on the 29th of January and do so regularly until May according to Fr Powell.

Teachers Vs. Priests; Unequal Treatment In the Media?

NEW YORK — When the Associated Press set out to investigate an apparent problem with sexual assault of children in public schools, the organization spared no expense.

A congressionally mandated study by Hofstra University had already found school-based sexual abuse to be a big problem.

“It was one of our priorities for the year,” said John Affleck, editor of the AP’s national reporting team.

The result was a three-part series, available to editors throughout the country beginning Oct. 20, that revealed widespread and routine sexual assault of public school students throughout the country....

So why apparently have only a handful of newspapers nationwide run the series — in stark contrast to the avalanche of press received by the Catholic Church since 2002?

I suppose it would be that it doesn't server the agenda of an anti-Catholic/anti-Christian press...but, I could be wrong.

The Way, the Truth, the Life?

Back in the 70's, while searching for the "Path," I became aquainted with a book by Carlos Castaneda called The Teachings of don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge.

So that one might understand where I am headed, here are brief excerpts from Wikipedia:

[Castaneda] wrote a series of books that describe his training in traditional Mesoamerican shamanism, which he referred to as "sorcery" while admitting that this term does not appropriately describe the experience...

He was identified by don Juan Matus to have the energetic configuration of a "nagual", who, if the spirit chose may become a leader of a party of seers. He also used the term "nagual" to signify that part of perception which is in the realm of the unknown yet still reachable by man, implying that, for his party of seers, don Juan was a connection in some way to that unknown...

Castaneda wrote twelve books and several academic articles detailing his experiences with a Yaqui Indian from Central Mexico. His first three books, The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge, A Separate Reality and Journey to Ixtlan were written while Castaneda was an anthropology student at UCLA. Castaneda wrote these books as if they were his research log describing his apprenticeship with a traditional "Man of Knowledge" identified as don Juan Matus...

In Castaneda's first two books, he describes the Yaqui way of knowledge using for asistance the use of powerful indigenous plants, such as peyote and datura. In his third book, Journey to Ixtlan, he makes clear that the use of psychotropic plants 'power plants' or substances was not necessary to achieve heightened awareness although his teacher advised its use was beneficial in helping to free the stubborn mind of some persons. He states that Don Juan used them on Castaneda to demonstrate that experiences outside those known in day-to-day life are real and tangible...

His fourth book, Tales of Power, ended with Castaneda leaping from a cliff into an abyss, marking his graduation from disciple to man of knowledge.

Mesmerized by the first book, I went on to read others in the series. I suppose I quit because I was unable to achieve the results that Castaneda had aquired. But then, I did not have a nagual to teach and guide me in the Toltec path.

Even chewing peyote 'buttons' and washing the putrid, pasty substance down with swigs of tequila did not allow me to reach the pinnacle of knowledge and understanding I was seeking, although I felt that I was getting closer. At one point, in an apparent period of 'confusion', I even considered trekking to the Sonoran desert to seek out this nagual...Sad, but true.

So where is this leading, one might ask. I was, because of my early 'background' and limited understanding of naguals and the Toltec path, recently surprised to see that a Catholic school would be using a book by one of these "teachers" in a Religion class.

From "The Toltec Nagual," we read about "The Path":

The intent of this website is to offer guidance on the Toltec Path of Direct Knowledge. Carlos Castaneda first brought the Toltec knowledge of nagualism out of secrecy in the late 1960s and '70s. In the past few years, guides such as the nagual don Miguel Ruiz (author of The Four Agreements) and the nagual Theun Mares have brought it further into accessibility.

So accessible as to be a primary "resource" for Catholic freshman?

...as with any spiritual endeavor the only way to make movement on the path is through consistent application of the tools. Because of the prevalence of book learning verses application, there are considerable misperceptions as to what the path is.

I'll say there are! Perhaps students will become intrigued with this "spiritual endeavor"? If so, there are many more resources to point them on a path away from the Church. Let's have a look, shall we?

The website Spirit Dimension offers students and others the following "Directory of Spiritual Development and Art Resources":

Toltec Teachings. Warrior. Carlos Castaneda. Magical Passes. Theun Mares. Karlos Kastaneda. Nagual. Don Juan Matus. Magic. don Miguel Ruiz. Personal growth, consciousness, awareness, awakening, spiritual teachings, book store, music, dvd video store, spiritual gift shop

Apparently, Catholic freshmen must be bereft of truly Catholic materials on spirituality and therefore, must rely on pagan/gnostic spirituality resources. Perhaps we should be thankful that Catholic religion teachers are on top of these problems!

Some, however, will continue to emphasize Christ as our sole mediator between God and man, and expound on the Church's unique role as the Body of Christ.

Lest we forget, All catechesis should be Christocentric:

"At the heart of catechesis we find, in essence, a Person, the Person of Jesus of Nazareth, the only Son from the Father. . .who suffered and died for us and who now, after rising, is living with us forever." To catechize is "to reveal in the Person of Christ the whole of God's eternal design reaching fulfillment in that Person. It is to seek to understand the meaning of Christ's actions and words and of the signs worked by him."' Catechesis aims at putting "people . . . in communion . . . with Jesus Christ: only he can lead us to the love of the Father in the Spirit and make us share in the life of the Holy Trinity."

In catechesis "Christ, the Incarnate Word and Son of God,. . . is taught - everything else is taught with reference to him - and it is Christ alone who teaches - anyone else teaches to the extent that he is Christ's spokesman, enabling Christ to teach with his lips. . . Every catechist should be able to apply to himself the mysterious words of Jesus: 'My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.'" [CCC 426-427]

After all, He is "the Way, the Truth and the Life."

And I'm so thankful that during my period of being lost in the darkness, Mary, Most Holy, our Blessed Mother, protected me with her mantle of protection! To this day, I still have a holy card of Our Mother of Perpetual Help which was given to me by a good, holy Catholic woman and mother who saw that I was so lost!

May Mary, our Mother, protect those children who will be subjected to strange teachings

...for the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own liking, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths. [2 Timothy 4:3,4]

and may our Lord give grace and light to all so that His will may be done!

Omaha Archdiocese Cuts Ties with Creighton University's Family Center

A Jesuit institution wallows in and spreads its poison...

OMAHA, Neb. -- The Omaha Archdiocese has severed ties with a Jesuit university's family center after two researchers urged the church to allow unmarried couples to live together and have sex and children as long as they are engaged.

The Creighton University researchers' essay, published in the June issue of U.S. Catholic magazine, said that more unmarried Catholic couples are living together today, and that they doubt the claim that the couples are living in sin.

"It would appear closer to the truth that they are growing, perhaps slowly but nonetheless surely, into grace," Michael Lawler and Gail Risch wrote.

The essay prompted a letter to the editor from Omaha Archbishop Elden Curtiss. The June 5 letter, a copy of which was provided to The Associated Press by the archdiocese, aimed to discredit the researchers as Catholic theologians and dissociated the university's Center for Marriage and Family from the archdiocese.

"The teaching of the Catholic Church about fornication is clear and unambiguous; it is always objectively a serious sin," Curtiss wrote.

Vatican: No unions in schools

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The highest court in the Roman Catholic church has ruled against St. Louis Catholic elementary school teachers in their quest to unionize and bargain with the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

Church judges in Rome upheld Archbishop Raymond Burke's decision in 2004 to deny elementary school teachers the right to unionize and negotiate with the archdiocese, the teachers' group said Tuesday.

In a letter to teachers, Burke had said the archdiocese and individual parishes will not recognize or bargain collectively with any teachers organization.

The Association of Catholic Elementary Educators Local 1312 said it was the third and final appeal. It said the court gave no reasons for the ruling.

Another reason for Archbishop Burke being in Rome in addition to the briefing on the Motu Proprio...

It seems that ACEE is now history...at least as far as the Church is concerned.

Shouldn't This Be the Norm in All Dioceses?

[Cardinal] Pell plans fidelity oath for principals

The Catholic archdiocese of Sydney wants its 167 school principals, its deputy principals and religious education co-ordinators to publicly commit to a "vow of fidelity" by adhering to church teaching on homosexuality, birth control and women's ordination.

In a first for the Australian church, the Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell, is set to extend the oath of fidelity and profession of faith, a requirement of church law for bishops, priests and heads of seminaries, to all senior educational leaders.

The oath demands "religious submission of intellect and will" on questions of faith and morals - even if these are inferred but not defined by the pope and his bishops - and an acceptance that everything solemnly taught by church tradition is divinely inspired.

Some, of course, using specious arguments of "academic freedom" or other nonsense, will be critical of such plans. But it would seem that nearly all parents who sacrifice to send their children to Catholic schools would welcome such a policy - especially in light of the dissent which has occurred, and been taught over the past few decades.

Cardinal Pell has taken a wonderful first step to protect the faith of the children entrusted to the care of educators who must never lose sight of the fact that they have a direct impact, not only with a child's education and preparation for this world, but also with a child's eternal soul which is created for eternal happiness in heaven - and in this regard, it seems that such a responsibility demands that such fidelity to Christ and the teachings of His Church, be manifested by those in positions of education and leadership.

Kudos to Cardinal Pell for a such a faithful and bold move!

Catholic High School Teachers To Receive Pay Increase

by Barbara Watkins, Review Staff Writer

Teachers in six archdiocesan high schools will receive a 3 percent salary increase in a contract agreed upon by the Archdiocese of St. Louis and the St. Louis Archdiocesan Teachers Association.

According to the three-year contract, secondary teachers will receive a 3 percent raise for the 2007-2008 school year. For the subsequent two school years they will receive a minimum 3 percent raise each year, said Father Mitchell Doyen, archdiocesan associate superintendent of secondary education. Raises are tied to the Midwest Consumer Price Index.

The salary and benefits agreement, which was signed in March, was approved by Archbishop Raymond L. Burke upon recommendation of the Board of Catholic Education.

The St. Louis Archdiocesan Teachers Association (SLATA) includes approximately 200 teachers in six archdiocesan secondary schools — Bishop DuBourg, John F. Kennedy, Rosati-Kain, St. Pius X, St. Mary’s and Trinity.

Source: St Louis Review