23 Ways To Identify a Faithful Parish

CRISIS Magazine - Special e-Report
January 14, 2005

In my last email, you'll remember that I asked for your advice on a letter I received from one of our readers. She's a non-Catholic who's interested in entering the Church, but wants to make sure she gets involved with a solid parish -- one that follows and promotes authentic Catholicism.

So, she asked, what kinds of things should she look for when she walks into a parish church for the first time? Are there any easy, tell-tale ways to gauge the health and fidelity of that particular parish?
...
In going through the 23 points, it's important to take them as a whole, rather than focus on this or that specific item. For example, it is certainly true that it's difficult to worship reverently in an ugly, pray-barn type church. (You know the kind I mean.) But this itself doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad parish. It may well be the case that the current pastor arrived long after the church was built
and is simply stuck with a less-than-glorious structure.

And the list:

1. There is at least one daily Mass. Obviously, if a parish shares a
pastor with other parishes, this may not always be possible. But barring that, a parish needs to offer daily Mass.

2. Confession is offered for a set time... not just "by appointment only." The absolute importance of that sacrament must not be diminished.

3. The tabernacle is inside the main church in a prominent place. It's always frustrating to have to play "Where's Jesus?" when you walk into a parish for the first time. I recall once when visiting a church I'd never been in before, I confusedly genuflected to everything from the cantor to a statue of St. Therese before I figured out where the tabernacle was.

4. The church has kneelers. Period.

5. The church doesn't have a sign in the front that describes itself as a "Catholic Community." I know, this one seems petty at first, but it tends to be true. If a parish has an objection to the word "church," that's a good indication that a larger problem exists. And if that parish magnifies the nonsense with a sign that says something like, "An Open, Inclusive Community of Catholic Christians Who Care
and Share," stop, turn around, run.

6. As you enter the church, you see people in the pews in prayer or, at least, reverent silence. If, on the other hand, it looks like social time down at the bingo parlor, that's a bad sign.

7. The Mass is not intentionally altered through the use of inclusive language.

8. The Mass is said according to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal and the instructions of the local bishop. Improvisation is great in jazz. Mass isn't jazz.

9. The gospel is not being read, nor the homily given, by someone other than a priest or deacon.

10. Latin has pride of place in the Mass. It's right there in the documents of the Second Vatican Council. That should be reflected in the liturgy itself.

11. The bread for the Eucharist isn't made with added ingredients not allowed by the Church. Honey, for example.

12. The liturgical music focuses on God, not the community. We are there, after all, to worship Him, not ourselves. And there's never a good reason to sing songs about bridges over troubled waters. You can do that at home, Mr. Garfunkel.

13. Extraordinary ministers do not outnumber the parishioners. There's a reason, after all, that we refer to them as EXTRAORDINARY ministers. We only use them when there are too many people for the priest and deacon to handle.

14. If you're able to find the mission statement of the parish (it's often carried in the bulletin), make sure it says something about fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church.

15. And while you're thumbing through the bulletin, see if there are other good groups there, like the Knights of Columbus, Legion of Mary, St. Vincent de Paul, and Holy Name Society. A faithful Bible study group is also a great sign.

16. The parish offers some form of Eucharistic adoration.

17. The parish has an active Pro-Life ministry, as well as a ministry that cares for the poor.

18. The priest wears his collar. Now, obviously, if you see your local pastor jogging one morning, he's not going to be wearing his clericals. But a priest should generally look the part. It's an important witness to the secular world and a sign that he recognizes the great value of his own vocation.

19. The pastor isn't afraid to preach on the tough issues: abortion, divorce, contraception, cloning, etc. That's not to say that every homily should cover those topics. But a priest should truly believe the Church's teaching and defend them without pause.

20. The parish's marriage preparation program includes instruction in Natural Family Planning (NFP). And if someone involved in the program describes NFP as "the rhythm method," go immediately limp and drop to the ground. With luck, he'll think you passed out and will take you to the emergency room, far, far away from that parish.

21. The church has a vibrant religious education program for both children and adults based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church. You might also try to find out who's involved in the program and where they received their own formation.

22. The church's Website doesn't link to dissident groups like Call to Action, Voice of the Faithful, or Catholics for a Free Choice.

And finally...

23. If there's a literature rack in the church, look at the publications the parish is carrying. Dissident magazines or newspapers tend to go hand in hand with a dissident parish. On the other hand, should you see a copy of Crisis in the rack, join that parish. The pastor is clearly a man of great taste and refinement.

Gospel for Saturday, 1st Week in Ordinary Time

From: Mark 2:13-17

The Calling of Matthew

[13] He (Jesus) went out again beside the sea; and all the crowd gathered about Him, and He taught them. [14] And as He passed on, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and He said to him, "Follow Me." And he rose and followed Him.

[15] And as he sat at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were sitting with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many who followed Him. [16] And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that He was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to His disciples, "Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?" [17] And when Jesus heard it, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."
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Commentary:

14. St. Mark and St. Luke (5:27-32) both call him "Levi"; the First Gospel, on the other hand, calls him "Matthew" (Matthew 9:9-13); but they are all referring to the same person. All three accounts describe the same event. Later on, St. Mark and St. Luke, when giving the list of Apostles (Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16), include Matthew, not Levi. The Fathers identify Matthew with Levi. Besides it was quite common for Jews to have two names: Jacob-Israel, Simon-Peter, Saul-Paul, Joseph-Caiaphas, John-Mark... Frequently, the name and surname were connected with some significant change in the life and mission of the person concerned. Did Jesus' saving intervention in this Apostle's life lead to a change of name? The Gospel does not tell us.

Levi-Matthew, as a publican or tax collector (Matthew 9:9-13), was sitting at the `tax office', a special place where one went to pay tribute. Publicans were tax-collectors appointed by the Romans. It was, therefore, an occupation hated and despised by the people; but it was also a much-coveted position because it was an easy way to become prosperous. Matthew leaves everything behind when Jesus calls him. He immediately responds to his vocation, because Jesus gives him the grace to accept his calling.

Jesus is the basis of our confidence in being able to change, provided we cooperate with His grace, no matter how unworthy our previous conduct may have been. And He is also the source of the confidence we need in order to be apostolic--helping others to be converted and seek holiness of life. Because He is the Son of God He is able to raise up children of God even from stones (cf. Matthew 3:9). Cf. note on Matthew 9:9.

17. The scribes and Pharisees reproach the disciples, and Jesus replies with a popular proverb: `Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.' He is the doctor of souls, come to cure sinners of their spiritual ailments.

Our Lord calls everyone, His redemptive mission extends to everyone; He affirms this on other occasions, using parables such as that of the marriage feast (Matthew 22:1-14; Luke 14:16-24). How, then, can we explain the restriction He seems to place here by saying that He has not come to call the righteous? It is not really a restriction. Jesus uses the opportunity to reproach the scribes and Pharisees for their pride: they consider themselves just, and their reliance on their apparent virtue prevents them from hearing the call to conversion; they think they can be saved by their own efforts (cf. John 9:41). This explains the proverb Jesus quotes; certainly His preaching makes it quite clear that `no one is good but God alone' (Mark 10:18) and that everyone must have recourse to the mercy and forgiveness of God in order to be saved. In other words, mankind is not divided into two--the just and the unjust. We are all sinners, as St. Paul confirms: `all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God' (Romans 3:23). Precisely because of this, Christ came to call all of us; He justifies those who respond to His call.

Our Lord's words should also move us to pray humbly and confidently for people who seem to want to continue living in sin. As St. Teresa beseeched God: "Ah, how hard a thing am I asking of Thee, my true God! I ask Thee to love one who loves Thee not, to open to one who has not called upon Thee, to give health to one who prefers to be sick and who even goes about in search of sickness. Thou sayest, my Lord, that Thou comest to seek sinners; these, Lord, are the true sinners. Look not upon our blindness, my God, but upon all the blood that was shed for us by Thy Son. Let Thy mercy shine out amid such tremendous wickedness. Behold, Lord, we are the works of Thy hands" ("Exclamations of the Soul to God", n. 8).

The Fathers of the Church see this calling by Jesus as an invitation to repentance and penance. St. John Chrysostom ("Hom. on St. Matthew", 30:3), for example, explains the phrase by putting these words in Jesus' mouth: "I am not come that they should continue sinners but that they should change and become better."
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland.

Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

Some Letters to the Review re: St. Stanislaus

Critics need to listen

Editor:

Surely like many others, including our archbishop, I am sorry about what has happened and is occurring at St. Stanislaus Parish. However, I am truly angered by unjust and uninformed public comments seeking to vilify Archbishop Raymond Burke.

If critics, whether of the bleeding-heart or vitriolic variety, would follow the maxim "engage brain before pulling mouth in gear," an astonishing amount of truth might be discovered. Words have meanings so I would ask three questions of those critics: First, what was the agreement between Archbishop Peter Kenrick and the founders of St. Stanislaus Parish? Secondly, who violated the agreement? Thirdly, what do they mean when they stand at the beginning of Holy Mass and say: "... I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church ...?"

With those facts in hand they just might discover that Archbishop Burke is, indeed, a shepherd tending his flock; that he is neither a mitered Machiavelli nor a mounted and armed, medieval bishop trampling opponents beneath his horse’s hooves and bashing the heads of any within reach of his mace.

The St. Louis area in which I was born and have always lived was filled with tolerant, decent, level-headed mid-Americans. Where have they gone? When were they replaced by howling wolves intent only on rending and tearing capriciously chosen victims; even decent leaders entitled to respect? Shame on those who have replaced decency and decorum with demagoguery! Let us pray that light will illumine the darkness of their minds and hearts.

Edward A. Rohde
St. Louis

A good and reasoned letter. Many of us have asked many of the same questions and had the same thoughts....(BTW...all emphasis above is mine).

Then we have another letter - Maybe it's the Review's attempt at "balance"?

Spin not needed

Editor:

I am extremely insulted that the archdiocese has chosen to spend our money to hire a spokesperson to spin the St. Stanislaus issue.

We always have heard directly from a member of the staff of the archdiocese. Now, however, when the heat is turned up because of tactics that might be characterized as a departure from Christian values it appears that no one wants to face the members of the archdiocese.

Norm Clark
Chesterfield

Are we to understand that the hiring of a new spokesman (I despise inclusive languange!) was done to "spin" the St. Stanislaus issue...It appears from all of the known facts of the case, that the board of St. Stanislaus is using the Post-Dispatch as a willing accomplice to "spin" its version of the 'truth' in what would seem to be an historical revisionist's delight.

I agree with Mr. Rohde that we should "pray that light will illumine the darkness of their minds and hearts."

Source.

Abp. Burke still desires reconciliation with St. Stan's

Archbishop Raymond Burke continues to offer reconciliation to the lay board of the civil corporation at St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish, with the hope and prayer that the parish will be a part of the archdiocesan family, said Msgr. Vernon Gardin Jan. 11.

Msgr. Gardin, vicar general of the archdiocese, previously met with the board in an effort to gain their support for a restructuring of the historic Polish parish.

The board of the parish in North St. Louis has opposed Archbishop Burke’s request to bring the corporate structure of the parish into compliance with Church law. Under the current structure, the parish pastor is subject to the authority of the board.

Complete Article here.

A Recent Letter I Sent...

January 14, 2005

Dear Fr. xxxxxxxxxx:

May God’s blessings be upon you and all of your family and friends!

I am writing you this letter to address an issue which could be a source of confusion for most Catholics who receive their knowledge of Church teaching primarily from the homily, and who rely on priests to faithfully hand on the teaching of the Church. The issue to which I refer is that concerning Jesus’ human knowledge – a subject which you discussed in your homily at the 4:00p.m. Christmas Vigil Mass in the Chapel on Dec. 24, 2004.

With respect to your homily, I would be remiss in my obligation as a confirmed Catholic to defend the faith if I did not address what you said about Christ and His knowledge of His Divinity. This letter is not meant as a criticism but more as an effort to help you pass on a proper understanding of Christ’s knowledge to the faithful in the future, lest they become even more confused and bewildered than they are now in these times of rampant and widespread confusion. Because of the complexity of the subject and the theological pitfalls into which one can easily fall, it would seem that the discussion of this subject during a short homily should be limited in scope and at the very least, be in conformity with the Catechism and the teachings of the Church.

You indicated, or at least suggested, that Jesus only gradually became aware that He was God. Your discussion with the children (and the rest of the faithful) that Jesus learned different things just as they learn different things while growing up, was, at best, ambiguous and confusing, and bordered on the precipice of previously condemned propositions. Catholics have a fundamental right to the truth as revealed by God and defined by the Church. This subject matter touches on an aspect of Catholic theology that MUST be approached with due care and deliberation lest one inadvertently lead the faithful into an area of neo-Nestorianism or some other confusing beliefs incompatible with the faith.

I hope that you would reacquaint yourself with faithful, orthodox explanations on this subject so as to avoid leading Catholics into error or the proximity to error in the future when discussing this subject. To assist you in this matter, I have attached an easy-to-read article concerning Christ and His knowledge. The article is “The Human Knowledge of Christ” from the magazine, “The Catholic Faith”, a venture started by the eminent Jesuit catechist and theologian, Fr. John Hardon.

I genuinely request that you prayerfully consider the above. I am certain that you, being the kind and generous priest that you are, a priest who is devoted to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, will want to do all you can to faithfully pass on the fullness of truth as taught by the Church.

Sincerely in Christ,
Yours truly.......

I hope this letter is not offensive but may be a charitable means to correct some serious catechetical problems in some homilies. I sat on it for 3 weeks, trying to get it right.

Any criticism is welcomed.

Pope Grants Plenary Indulgence for Year of the Eucharist

VATICAN CITY, JAN 14, 2005 (VIS) - A Decree from the Apostolic Penitentiary, dated December 25, 2004 and published today, states that during an audience granted on December 17, 2004 to Cardinal James Francis Stafford and Fr. John Francis Girotti, OFM.Conv., respectively penitentiary major and regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary, "the Holy Father wished to enrich with indulgences several determined acts of worship and devotion to the Most Holy Sacrament, which are indicated below. ... The Decree will be in force during the Eucharistic Year, starting with the day of its publication in the L'Osservatore Romano. Notwithstanding any disposition to the contrary."

The Decree asks that priests, especially pastors, inform the faithful "in the most convenient manner" of these dispositions, prepare, "with generous and ready spirit," to hear confessions and to lead the faithful "in solemn public recitation of prayers to Jesus in the Sacrament."

The faithful are likewise exhorted "to give open witness of faith and veneration for the Blessed Sacrament" as proposed in such acts as Eucharistic procession and adoration, and Eucharistic and spiritual communion."

Following are excerpts:

"A Plenary Indulgence is granted to all faithful and to each individual faithful under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer in keeping with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff, with the soul completely removed from attachment to any form of sin), each and every time they participate attentively and piously in a sacred function or a devotional exercise undertaken in honor of the Blessed Sacrament, solemnly exposed and conserved in the tabernacle.

"A Plenary Indulgence is also granted, under the aforesaid conditions, to the clergy, to members of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, and to other faithful who are by law obliged to recite the Liturgy of the Hours, as well as to those who customarily recite the Divine Office out of pure devotion, each and every time they recite - at the end of the day, in company or in private - Vespers and Night Prayers before the Lord present in the tabernacle.

"The faithful who, through illness or other just cause, are unable to visit the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist in a church or oratory, may obtain a Plenary Indulgence in their own homes, or wherever they may be because of their ailment, if, ... with the intention of observing the three usual conditions as soon as possible, they make the visit spiritually and with the heart's desire, ... and recite the Our Father and the Creed, adding a pious invocation to Jesus in the Sacrament.

"If they are unable to do even this, they will receive a Plenary Indulgence if they unite themselves with interior desire to those who practice the normal conditions laid down for Indulgences, and offer the merciful God the illnesses and discomforts of their lives."

(All emphasis mine)

Belleville Diocese Reveal $144,000 Theft

BELLEVILLE - A part-time bookkeeper with a gambling problem, who embezzled $144,000 from St. Patrick Catholic Church in East St. Louis, will be allowed to repay the money instead of being prosecuted, a Belleville Diocese official said Thursday.

And the parish priest, the Rev. Clyde Grogan, is under investigation by the diocese after a financial review over the last two weeks found that an additional $75,000 of $85,000 that was spent over several years cannot be accounted for from a charity fund that he alone controlled.

UN to Draft Sweeping Convention on Disabilities

From the E-Mail Folder...

UN to Draft Sweeping Convention on All "Disabilities"

Next week the United Nation convenes a working group to continue drafting an international convention on people with disabilities. The eventual treaty will set domestic legislation on disabilities as treaties are legal documents binding states that ratify them. There is a strong push to finish the Convention this year, and currently the draft contains several terms of concern to pro-life and pro-family advocates involved with the process.

The draft Convention contains provisions that some view as granting the disabled the "right to die." One portion of the draft language stipulates that states will "Prevent unwanted medical and related interventions and corrective surgeries from being imposed on persons with disabilities," while another calls for "...individual autonomy, including the freedom to make one's own choices, and independence of persons." On the face of it, these may seem like reasonable aspirations, but seen the light of the euthanasia movement, they could become ominous.

Other parts of the treat ensure that the disabled have access to "reproductive and family planning education, and the means necessary to enable them to exercise these rights," while another requires the disabled to have the "same range and standard" of "sexual and reproductive health services" as "other citizens." In UN parlance, "sexual and reproductive health services" have long meant access to abortion and contraception.

Additionally, in what some view as a potential back door for homosexual unions, treaty language calls for the disabled to have "equal opportunity to experience their sexuality, have sexual and other intimate relationships, and experience parenthood," as well as the right "to marry...and to found a family."

Pro-family advocates say the treaty could be used to promote homosexual rights because the draft Convention does not define "disability." The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) specifically excludes "transvestism, transsexualism, pedophilia, exhibitionism, voyeurism, gender identity disorders not resulting from physical impairments, or other sexual behavior disorders." Homosexuality and bisexuality are also excluded, as are age and economic status.

Experts worry that signing the Convention would be signing a blank check because the Convention could later be applied to unintended situations. The results will be far-reaching, especially in light of the fact that the UN will create a compliance committee that would scrutinize compliance of the Convention by signatory states. A similar monitoring body, the UN Human Rights Committee which reviews implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, recently directed Poland to liberalize its national laws on abortion, even though that treaty is silent on abortion.

Copyright 2004 - C-FAM (Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute).
Permission granted for unlimited use. Credit required.

Catholic Family & Human Rights Institute
866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 427
New York, New York 10017
Phone: (212) 754-5948 Fax: (212) 754-9291
E-mail: c-fam@c-fam.org Website: www.c-fam.org

The Tsunami: Before and After Pictures

These pictures are unbelievable...

Here is the link.

Niece of MLK, Jr. to Speak Out Against Abortion at Supreme Court

WASHINGTON, January 13, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Immediately following the January 24 US National March for Life in Washington, women who regret their abortions will speak at the Supreme Court. Guests include the national spokesperson for the Silent No More Awareness Campaign, actress, model, author, Jennifer O'Neill and the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Dr. Alveda King.

The women will stand in front of the Supreme Court holding signs that say "I Regret My Abortion" and will be speaking about their abortion experience.

Gospel for Friday, 1st Week of Ordinary Time

From: Mark 2:1-12

The Curing of a Paralytic

[1] And when He (Jesus) returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that He was at home. [2] And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room for them, not even about the door; and He was preaching the word to them. [3] And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic carried by four men. [4] And when they could not get near Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had made an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic lay. [5] And when Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "My son, your sins are forgiven." [6] Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, [7] "Why does this man speak thus? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" [8] And immediately Jesus, perceiving in His spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, "Why do you question thus in your hearts? [9] Which is easier to say to the paralytic, `Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, `Rise, take up your pallet and walk?' [10] But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"-- He said to the paralytic-- [11] "I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home." [12] And he rose, and immediately took up the pallet and went out before them all; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"
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Commentary:

4. Many Jewish houses had a terraced roof accessible by steps at the back. The same structure can be found even today.

5. Here Jesus emphasizes the connection between faith and the forgiveness of sins. The boldness of the people who brought in the paralytic shows their faith in Christ, and this faith moves Jesus to forgive the man's sins. We should question how God views our faith:the faith of these people leads to the instantaneous physical and spiritual curing of this man. We should notice also that one person's need can be helped by the merits of another.

In this man's physical paralysis, St. Jerome sees a type or figure of spiritual paralysis: the cripple was unable to return to God by his own efforts. Jesus, God and man, cured him of both kinds of paralysis (cf. "Comm. in Marcum, in loc."). Cf. notes on Matthew 9:2-7.

Jesus' words to the paralytic--"Your sins are forgiven"--reflect the fact that his pardon involves a personal encounter with Christ; the same happens in the Sacrament of Penance: "In faithfully observing the centuries-old practice of the Sacrament of Penance--the practice of individual confession with a personal act of sorrow and an intention to amend and make satisfaction--the Church is defending the human soul's individual right, man's right to a more personal encounter with the crucified forgiving Christ, with Christ saying, through the minister of the Sacrament of Reconciliation: `Your sins are forgiven'; `Go, and do not sin again' (John 8:11). As is evident, this is also a right on Christ's part with regard to every human being in the soul's life constituted by the moment of conversion and forgiveness" (John Paul II, "Redemptor Hominis", 20).

7-12. Here we find a number of indicators of Jesus' divinity: He forgives sins, He can read the human heart and has the power to instantly cure physical illnesses. The scribes know that only God can forgive sins. This is why they take issue with Our Lord's statement and call it blasphemous. They require a sign to prove the truth of what He says. And Jesus offers them a sign. Thus just as no one can deny that the paralytic has been cured, so no one can reasonably deny that he has been forgiven his sins. Christ, God and man, exercised power to forgive sins and, in His infinite mercy, He chose to extend this power to His Church. Cf. note on Matthew 9:3-7.
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland.

Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

Bishop Lucas Speaks to Msgr Costa's Parishioners

SHERMAN - It is unlikely that Monsignor Eugene Costa will ever return to his ministry at St. John Vianney Church in Sherman and Holy Family Church in Athens, Bishop George Lucas told parishioners Wednesday night.

Costa, whom the diocese says was engaged in inappropriate and immoral behavior, resigned last week after being attacked Dec. 21 and found critically injured near the band shell in Douglas Park, 400 N. MacArthur Blvd., which has a longstanding reputation as a meeting spot for gay men.

Nevertheless, church members expressed support and sympathy for the priest as they questioned Lucas after the regularly scheduled 5:30 p.m. Mass. One man stood up and told Lucas that parishioners had known about Costa's behavior for years but still supported him.

Evidently, they did not love him enough to assist him in seeking help for his problems of "immoral behavior". One does not stand idlely by while someone near and dear to him commits spiritual suicide. One does all that one can do to ensure that the loved one abandons grave sin, embraces and commits to virtue, and, with God's grace, makes it to heaven.

The bishop declined to specify Costa's inappropriate behavior but said he had no knowledge that it involved minors. Costa remains a priest.

I thought the teenage boys arrested were 15 & 17...???

Dec. 21 was not the first time Costa had been in unusual places late in the evening, Lucas said.

"Police uncovered a pattern of behavior inappropriate for a priest," he said. "They wanted to see if there was a reasonable explanation for him being at these places at these times."

When grave sin becomes a habitual,usually harsh remedies are needed to rid the sinner of the sin and one's propensity to continue in that sin...

This priest, and no doubt several others, are in grave need of spiritual help and rebirth...Certainly, far too many of us have that same need - to be purged of the bad sinful habits we have developed over time, some of which are grave matters needing immediate attention and others, while not mortal, also must be addressed at the earliest possible moment to avoid the tendency for them to develop into habits of vice.

We must keep this priest in our prayers as well as others who may have embraced the deadly sin of hmosexuality.

Two Minneapolis priests resign from parishes

Two Minneapolis priests who have led parishes sympathetic to gay and lesbian rights have announced their resignations.

The Rev. George Wertin of St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, which has clashed with its archdiocese and some orthodox Catholics in the Twin Cities, announced his retirement Sunday effective July 1. And the Rev. Stephen O'Gara of the Church of St. Thomas the Apostle said last week he's leaving March 1.

St. Joan's has been discussed arounf the 'net' for quite some time...

While St. Joan's has doubled its parishioners and increased its social awareness during Wertin's tenure, the church has tangled with the archdiocese for years over its sympathetic views and actions on behalf of gay and lesbian Catholics.

In October, Wertin was ordered by the archdiocese to remove Gay Pride material from his parish's Web site after a complaint to church authorities.

The archdiocese also told St. Joan's to stop allowing the unordained to speak at mass. Topics have ranged from scripture to missionary work to homosexuality.

The 'Church authority", I believe was the Holy See...

A Catholic church in Minneapolis known for its progressive stands on social issues has been ordered by the Vatican and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis to remove Gay Pride material from its Web site and stop allowing unordained guests to speak during mass.

The order was delivered by two bishops in person two weeks ago to the pastor of St. Joan of Arc and again in a statement issued Wednesday.

The Rev. George Wertin of St. Joan's said he intends to comply with the order.

But in keeping with his church's long-standing practice of community decisionmaking, he said several parish committees are considering precisely how to respond.

"It takes awhile to turn a ship around," he said. (Source)

Of course it does!

Just so you don't feel left out....

We greet you Spirit of the North.
Teach us to plant our feet securely on the earth and to see things as they really are, that the coming of your Spirit may find us standing firm in integrity. Teach us, Spirit of the North, in the solitude of winter, to wait in darkness with the sleeping earth, believing that we, like the earth, already hold within ourselves the seeds of new life.

We greet you, O Spirit of the East.

Awaken in us with each day, new hopes, new dreams of colors, loves and joys never before imagined. Fill our bodies with your breath, invigorate us. Carry us to the farthest mountains and beyond. In-spirit us that we might reach out to you boldly to grasp the miracles that are given birth with each new dawn.

And on and on....Brought to by the Archdiocese of ..... San Francisco....

Ahhh, I feel so much more in tune with everything now...

Thanks to Dom for the link...

"Creative Aging" in Ofallon, IL

"Creative aging" program is set

The Adult Faith Formation Committee at St. Clare Catholic Church in O'Fallon is sponsoring a series on "creative aging" for the recently retired and the soon-to-be retired.

Kathleen Tehan, a recent retiree who is working towards a certificate in pastoral care at Aquinas Institute in St. Louis, will lead the sessions. The 90-minute sessions will be held Tuesdays at 1 p.m. beginning Jan. 18 at the Community Financial Center, at 800 South Lincoln Avenue.

The sessions are free, but there is a suggested fee of $5 for materials. To register, call the church office at 632- 4281.

A certificate from Aquinas Institute in pastoral care?

SNAP Protests Phoenix Diocese Dismissal

National advocates for those who have been abused by priests criticized the removal of the Phoenix Diocese's youth protection advocate.

If the marriage is the reason for the firing, "It is hard to imagine that a church leader could be so cold," said David Clohessy, national executive director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

He said the firing fits a pattern of backpedaling on the part of bishops regarding protection of children.

"It's hard not to be skeptical about this. The firing makes us even more committed to urging caution in dealing with church officials."

Personally, I'd be more concerned and skeptical about Clohessy and others instead of Bishop Olmsted.

Northeast County Deanery Decision Gets Nearer

St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke is expected to make a decision on the Northeast County Deanery's "best set of recommendations" sometime in late January. However, a few people would like to catch his ear before then.

Florissant Mayor Robert Lowery Sr. noted the plan still calls for closing or merging 15 Catholic parishes and eight schools.

Lowery said he, Hazelwood Mayor T.R. Carr and other North County mayors met with Burke and the deanery's task force.

"Obviously, we had no impact on their final recommendations," Lowery said. "We worked long and hard to show them the renaissance that's taking place throughout North County — the new businesses, the tremendous number of new homes being built."

This week in Post Dispatch Town Talk

It's a shame that there are no names associated with the comments left there. But then again, it might be a source of embarrassment if one had to actually reveal one's identity when making such asinie or hateful comments.

Burke vs. St. Stanislaus

ARCHBISHOP RAYMOND BURKE should be ashamed of himself. He reminds me of a tyrant and a bully. What father would deny their child food, disown them or condemn their soul over a disagreement? Cannon law is made by man. God's law is about love. A parent does not turn their back on their children nor deny them good to get their way. Burke needs to back off and follow the saying "What Would Jesus Do." I don't think Jesus would act like an extortionist and use any means to get what he wants. Burke wants the money. Would he act like this if the church did not have $9 million in assets? Leave St. Stanislaus alone.

Another clueless individual...

And then there's this one. The individual has concluded that proceeds from the upcoming church closings are to pay for victims of sexual predators.

It's all about the settlements

LAST YEAR, THE archdiocese announced that the money paid for settlements for the priest scandal did not come from donations, but would come from the sale of real estate. They archdiocese is closing churches in South County, North County, and now they are closing the churches in South City. They are closing and selling our churches to pay for the their scandals. Catholics have to wake up all that will be left is the Catholic church of West County or the St. Louis archdiocese of West County.

Again, another clueless person who doesn't see or understand the issues involved in the archdiocese.

Lastly, we have a person revealing something about which I didn't know and that, perhaps, many others were unaware. Did some teachers in the archdiocese actually send the Archbishop a "lump of coal"...And this person, who engages in calumny against the Archbishop, professes to be "Catholic"...

Return to sender

I'M CALLING IN regards to the teachers that hand-delivered a Christmas present to Archbishop Burke. It was a lump of coal. He doesn't even deserve that. Send him back to where he came from. He's nothing but a troublemaker, a greedy, greedy person. I'm Catholic and I have absolutely no use for that man.

Sad...this person engages in the unjust damaging of the good name of Archbishop Burke by imputing to him a faults of which he is not guilty.

Gospel for Thursday, 1st Week in Ordinary Time

From: Mark 1:40-45

The Curing of a Leper

[40] And a leper came to Him (Jesus), beseeching Him, and kneeling said to Him, "If You will, You can make me clean." [41] Moved with pity, He stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I will; be clean." [42] And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. [43] And He sternly charged him, and sent him away at once, [44] and said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to the people." [45] But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in the country; and people came to Him from every quarter.
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Commentary:

40-44. Leprosy was seen as a punishment from God (cf. Numbers 12:10-15). The disappearance of the disease was regarded as one of the blessings of the messianic times (Isaiah 35:8; cf. Matthew 11:5; Luke 7:22). Because leprosy was contagious, the Law declared that lepers were impure and that they transmitted impurity to those who touched them and to places they entered. Therefore, they had to live apart (Numbers 5:2; 12:14ff) and to show that they were lepers by certain external signs. On the rite of purification, see the note on Matthew 8:4.

[The note on Matthew 8:4 states:
4. According to the Law of Moses (Leviticus 14), if a leper is cured of his disease, he should present himself to a priest, who will register the cure and give him a certificate which he needs to be reintegrated into the civil and religious life of Israel. Leviticus also prescribes the purifications and sacrifice he should offer. Jesus' instruction to the leper is, then, in keeping with the normal way of fulfilling what the laws laid down.]

The passage shows us the faithful and confident prayer of a man needing Jesus' help and begging Him for it, confident that, if Our Lord wishes, He can free him from the disease (cf. Matthew 8:2). "This man prostrated himself on the ground, as a sign of humility and shame, to teach each of us to be ashamed of the stains of his life. But shame should not prevent us from confessing: the leper showed his wound and begged for healing. If You will, he says, You can make me clean; that is, he recognized that the Lord had the power to cure him" (St. Bede, "In Marci Evangelium Expositio, in loc.").

On the discretion and prudence Jesus required regarding His person, see the note on Mark 1:34 and Matthew 9:30.

[The note on Mark 1:34 states:
34. Demons possess a supernatural type of knowledge and therefore they recognize Jesus as the Messiah (Mark 1:24). Through the people they possess they are able to publish this fact. But Our Lord, using His divine powers, orders them to be silent. On other occasions He also silences His disciples (Mark 8:30; 9:9), and He instructs people whom He has cured not to talk about their cure (Mark 1:4; 5:43; 7:36; 8:26). He may have acted in this way to educate the people away from a too human and political idea of the Messiah (Matthew 9:30). Therefore, He first awakens their interest by performing miracles and gradually, through His preaching, gives them a clearer understanding of the kind of Messiah He is.

Some Fathers of the Church point out that Jesus does not want to accept, in support of the truth, the testimony of him who is the father of lies.]

[The note on Matthew 9:30 states:
30. Why did our Lord not want them to publicize the miracle? Because His plan was to gradually manifest Himself as the Messiah, the Son of God. He did not want to anticipate events which would occur in their own good time; nor did He want the crowd to start hailing Him as Messiah King, because their notion of messiah was nationalistic, not a spiritual one. However, the crowd did in fact proclaim Him when he worked the miracles of the loaves and the fish (John 6:14-15): "When the people saw the sign which He had done, they said, `This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!' Perceiving then that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, Jesus withdrew again to the hills by Himself."]
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland.

Reprinted with permission from Four Courts Press and Scepter Publishers, the U.S. publisher.

Obedience to Church Authority...

A Brief Primer for the Board Members of St. Stanislaus,
for all who have questions regarding Obedience,
and for those who are confused about Obedience to Church Authority.

Christ repeatedly stressed the duty of obedience to the authority of the Church He was establishing. In His closing discourse to the disciples, He told them to teach all nations to observe all that He had commanded. This commission summarized the whole of the Savior’s public ministry. He determined as certain that, when He left the earth in visible form, He would leave the apostles and their successors with the right to command others in His name.

Everything that we associate with the Fourth Commandment about children honoring and obeying their parents, can be applied, in principle, to the honor and obedience that the faithful owe to those who hold legitimate authority in the Catholic Church. Yet, as in the case of parents and children, this is a mutual responsibility of the faithful toward those in ecclesiastical authority and of those in authority toward the faithful.

The Church’s law is unqualified about the duty of the faithful.

Christ’s faithful, conscious of their own responsibility, are bound to show Christian obedience to what the sacred pastors, who represent Christ, declare as teachers of the faith and prescribe as rulers of the Church (Canon 212).

At the same time, those holding authority to teach and govern the faithful also have their duties. There are at least a dozen provisions in Canon Law for bishops alone, legislating how they are to provide for the doctrinal, moral, and liturgical needs of the people under their care. This means that, “Christ’s faithful have the right to be assisted by their pastors from the spiritual riches of the Church, especially by the word of God and the sacraments” (Canon 213).

Archbishop Burke is the legitimate authority in the Archdiocese in all matters requiring his governance. The duty of all of the faithful is clear when it comes to the lawful commands of the Church.

Source.