News

Rising oil prices have hit home in Susquehanna County. Two Roman Catholic churches in Forest City will close for the winter months because officials fear it will cost too much to heat them.

The three churches sit literally within a block of one another, Sacred Heart, St. Agnes. and St. Joseph’s. Soon Sacred Heart and St. Agnes will close for the winter. For a few months at least, all the parishioners in Forest City will have to make their way to St. Joseph’s.

"It’s sad. It doesn’t matter whose church is closing, even if it’s temporarily for the winter. You feel bad," said Marge Spyhalski of Forest City.

Closing the two parishes for the winter will save roughly $20,000.

The closures for the winter are just the latest in a streamlining of parishes in Forest City, which has been going on for about a year. Already the three churches share pastors, and split the weekly Mass schedule.

"There were, at one time, seven Catholic churches in Forest City," said Teresa Miller. Now there are just three.

St. Joseph’s was chosen to remain open for the winter because it can use either gas or oil heat. Both St. Agnes and Sacred Heart run solely on oil.

Many parishioners have gone to one church or the other for their entire lives but they understand the need to save.

"Now with the heating problems, the oil. I know at my own home how much more it’s going to be," added Spyhalski.

"It doesn’t matter to me. I go to any church I want to go. Church is church," added Miller. [Source]

With all of the contentious church closing stories it’s nice to read one with a positive quote at the end. Though there is something really sad about the necessity of closing churches during Advent and Christmas.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — While it may be a best-seller, the Bible still is not regularly read, nor has it become an integral part of many Catholics’ lives, said a panel of biblical experts.

"Unfortunately, it must be said, there is still little Bible in the lives of the faithful," said Italian Bishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Catholic Bible Federation.

Recent research conducted in Italy, Spain and France found that many Catholics consider the sacred Scriptures as something "reserved for the clergy" rather than as an accessible resource for them to draw upon for truth and inspiration in their own lives, he said.

Bishop Paglia, together with a number of biblical experts, spoke at a Vatican press conference Sept. 8 to present an upcoming international congress commemorating the 40th anniversary of "Dei Verbum," the Second Vatican Council document on Scripture and divine revelation. [Source]

Well the Archdiocese of Denver seems to be doing to right.

To outside Catholic educators, the Denver Biblical School is somewhat of an enigma.

They are surprised that it charges money for the courses. In fact, first-year tuition went from $300 last year to $500, excluding the cost of textbooks.

Yet the school is so successful in attracting students that it is straining to meet demand.

“The Biblical School is completely self-funded,” said school director Tim Gray, explaining that the Archdiocese of Denver does not subsidize its operations. Student donations and tuition fund the school, which has four full-time instructors.

Now in its 24th year of existence, the Biblical School is considered one of the most successful of its kind in the country. It offers a four-year Scripture program and even attracts students who are not Catholics.

Demand for the school’s instruction is so strong that enrollment for first-year students was closed earlier than usual.
In the current school year, the first-year class is a record 311students and total enrollment stands at an all-time high of 638.
“
We have a high-quality program,” Gray said in explaining the school’s success. “The teachers are dynamic and unique.
“
The program not only makes the Bible come alive, but makes it relevant to the lives of people,” he continued.

In contrast to some Bible study classes that take a piecemeal approach to the Bible, the Denver Catholic Biblical School undertakes comprehensive study of all books of the Bible. Homework is also assigned each week.

The school’s curriculum has been revamped to get away from an approach in which books of the Bible are grouped in terms of themes or literary narratives.

“We’ve emphasized the overarching narrative of the whole Bible,” said school instructor Wei-Hsien Wan.
Students meet once a week for two hours, with the first hour devoted to lecture and the second hour to small group discussion. Gray describes the instruction as “meaty, deep and serious.” [Source]

Judith Stegman wants to reclaim the word "virgin" from jokes, satire and stigma.

When people ask whether she’s married, the 49-year-old Haslett, Mich., resident replies, "Yes, and no."

"I’m not married to a man, but I’m far from being single," Stegman tells people. "I’m a consecrated virgin in the Catholic Church."

At a time when virginity is getting the Hollywood laugh-track treatment — the movie "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" — Stegman wants to celebrate the V-word for its beauty and integrity.

"An important part of being this," she says, "is not to be afraid to say it," but it took even Stegman a while to do so with a serene smile.

"I’m not remaining a virgin because I’m repressing some part of sexuality, or giving everything to my work, or refraining from loving relationships," says Stegman. "I’m invited to a loving relationship with Christ."

She is one of about 160 women in the United States who are consecrated virgins. They are members of a little-known ministry that dates to Christianity’s earliest days.

These women pursue a spiritual vocation, but not as members of a convent or religious order. They work as teachers, nurses, lawyers, or, like Stegman, certified public accountants. They support themselves, follow a life of prayer and, in the words of Catholic canon law, are "mystically betrothed to Christ."

On her left ring finger, Steg-man, of Haslett, Mich., wears a silver band fashioned to resemble an ancient oil lamp. It symbolizes her betrothal to Jesus Christ and evokes the imagery of the Gospel parable about 10 virgins, five of whom had lanterns lacking oil. Without it, they were unready for the return of the bridegroom, a symbol for Christ. [Source]

Last week, Raymond Arroyo’s daughter was born.

This week, Arroyo’s New Orleans home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

Next week, Arroyo’s biography of Mother Angelica, the cloistered nun who founded a media empire with cable television network EWTN, will be published.

"The past few weeks have been crazy, happy and sad, but that’s the way life is," said Arroyo, news director and lead anchor for EWTN news. "My house is a goner, my daughter (Mariella) is wonderful, and it took me five years to finish this book, but now it’s coming out. For me, this is time of beginnings and endings."

Arroyo will speak at 11 a.m. next Saturday in the International Agri-Center on the Erie County Fairgrounds in Hamburg as part of WLOF-FM 101.7’s two-day Catholic conference which starts on Friday. The other featured speaker is the Rev. John Corapi, a former drug addict who became a priest. About 2,000 people are expected to attend, and Arroyo will do a book-signing after his speech.

One of the lessons Arroyo learned from Mother Angelica, 82, is that suffering is part of the human experience and can build spiritual strength.

"We all endure seemingly inexplicable suffering and pain at one time or another," Arroyo said. "The heart of Mother Angelica’s story is that she accepted that suffering and pain, and it led to her success."

Arroyo began interviewing Mother Angelica for the book in 1999.

About three years later, she suffered a massive stroke and can now barely speak. "Without knowing it, I captured the final testament of Mother Angelica," Arroyo said. "But I didn’t want it to be a cold history. I wanted to put the reader in the middle of her life."

He has done just that in a book that Lee Iacocca has called, "inspired" and "one of the great untold business stories of our time. Raymond Arroyo has captured the life and lessons of Mother Angelica, a woman who may well be the patron saint of CEOs." Time magazine called Mother Angelica "the most influential Catholic woman in America."

Today, EWTN reaches more than 110 million households worldwide. It all began 25 years ago when when Mother Angelica started broadcasting out of a garage near her Birmingham, Ala., monastery.

Somehow, an ethnic, earthy and elderly nun in a habit became a television star. She also weathered health and financial battles in addition to very public spats with Catholic bishops. Arroyo details those differences in "Mother Angelica" (Doubleday, 400 pages, $23.95).

One reason for tension, Arroyo said, was that she was the first to sign on with a Catholic network, one year ahead of the church hierarchy, which signed on with their own in 1982.

That network had "no personality and lousy programming," Arroyo added. Also, some bishops gave Mother Angelica, "the back of their hands" and made her life "miserable."

The biggest surprise Arroyo found out about Mother Angelica was her own crisis of faith, a profound and long-lasting "dark night" when she felt abandoned and had doubts about serving God.

Another emotional chapter comes near the end of the book. Two years ago, after her stroke, Mother Angelica went to Lourdes in search of a healing. Arroyo made that journey with her.

"At that point I considered myself a journalist, but we do have a close relationship," Arroyo said. "This book is an unauthorized biography. Mother told me, "Don’t sugarcoat my life, or you’ll spend 40 years in purgatory.’" [Source]

I was going to buy this book yesterday when I was at a Catholic book store, but the book was still under embargo till the 6th and they couldn’t sell it to me yet.

Houston, Texas – In just a few days, the population of Da Minh Convent in Houston, Texas, has increased more than 3 folds. The convent which housed 50 nuns received more than 100 refugees, victims of Katrina Hurricane. More are still coming.

Sister Hang Pham said: “Since Monday, while the news of Katrina came to us, Da Minh Convent still didn’t know how we could help. But then, from Saigon Houston Radio, we heard that Hong Kong 4 shopping mall is the place where refugees are coming looking to for help.”

“The first few days, Vietnamese arrived to Houston not knowing where to stay. Some were sleeping in their cars and others sleeping on the sidewalks. So we, along with other organizations, offered some to come to our convent.” Sister Pham laughed: “But don’t worry, we are not asking them to convert!”

According to Sister Theresa, there are now more than 200 people signing up to stay at the convent. More than 100 are now living in the convent’s recreation room. A few more, “are coming once their motel stays run out.”

Nguoi Viet reporter s arrived to Da Minh at noon and found that Sister Lucie Luong was taking care 36 children, “from New Orleans,” taking them to school. According to Sister Theresa, these children are ranging from 2nd to 9th grade.

Bishop Joseph A. Fiorenza of Houston has ordered that all Catholic schools in Houston must open their doors to students fleeing from Mississippi and Louisiana. Sister Theresa said: “you see, it’s very peaceful here. Since the kids are sent to school.” Then she laughed: If they weren’t, it would have been a wild place here.”

Lunch at the Da Minh Convent was very good, with the nuns taking turns cooking and serving, and the refugees doing some barbequing. Vietnamese refugees form New Orleans also made some Vietnamese food, like pickled eggplants and caramel catfish.

Talking with Sang Nguyen who is taking refuge here, he said: “My home is in Buras, [Louisiana,] where the storm really hit hard.” Sang, 31, is here with his family of 8 people and arrived here since Wednesday.

“It’s all gone,” he sighed. In Louisiana, Sang was a fisherman and caught shrimps for a living. He had his own boat, but he didn’t have any insurance. His trailer didn’t have insurance either. “I have no idea what the future would bring, but I’ll have to return to New Orleans to see what’s left before deciding.” [Source]

An editorial from Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted [Via Pro Ecclesia * Pro Familia * Pro Civitate]

I am grateful for the invitation to respond to some articles and letters to the editor that have appeared recently in The Arizona Republic. I welcome the opportunity to explain why I feel called by God to teach and to defend the Catholic faith.

In June 2004, the American Catholic bishops said, "The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions."

We bishops issued this statement in fidelity to our responsibility to hand on the gospel of Jesus Christ and to defend the dignity and the right to life of every human person.

The right to life, however, is not an issue of interest only to Catholics. It is of primary concern for all. The founders of our country recognized this when they stated, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

The right to life is indeed an inalienable one. To stand up for the dignity of every person, then, and to speak out against intrinsic evils such as abortion, euthanasia, racism and sexual acts outside of marriage is a service that God requires of us on behalf of all persons, not only members of our own faith.

To do this by actions as well as by words underlines the seriousness of these teachings and the depths of our convictions. One such action is to prohibit the giving of honors or the provision of a platform in Catholic institutions for those who support actions contrary to these core moral principles.

I trust that this position is not that difficult to understand. Why would we honor or give a platform to someone who radically disagrees with our fundamental teachings? We should instead be criticized if we allowed such things to happen.

This does not mean that we will cease praying for public officials or end our efforts to be in conversation with them and others about these and similar matters.

In fact, the continuity of such conversations is vitally important, precisely because of the serious ramifications of them. There are a variety of appropriate forums for this dialogue to occur, beyond public events at church facilities.

For the Catholic Church to back up its teaching through actions directed at public officials is not something new.

I think for example of the time in 1962 in New Orleans, when Archbishop Joseph Rummel excommunicated Judge Leander Perez when the judge tried to block the desegregation of the Catholic school system.

Was this bishop imposing his sectarian views on a public official? Was he meddling in politics or impeding freedom? Or was he defending the human dignity of all children, no matter the color of their skin?

The statement of the American bishops in June 2004 arose out of a concern for the rights of the most vulnerable members of our society, persons who have no way to raise their own voices because of their age or physical condition.

It also arose out of a conviction about the destructive nature of intrinsic evils, for individuals, for the family, and for the whole of society.

As Pope John Paul II said, "Above all, the common outcry, which is justly made on behalf of human rights – for example, the right to health, to home, to work, to family, to culture – is false and illusory if the right to life, the most basic and fundamental right and the condition for all other personal rights, is not defended with maximum determination."

Castel Gandolfo, Aug. 29 (CWNews.com) – Pope Benedict XVI (bio – news) met on Monday with Bishop Bernard Fellay, the head of the Society of St. Pius X, for talks aimed toward reconciliation between the Holy See and the traditionalist group.

Joaquin Navarro-Valls, the director of the Vatican press office, reported that the meeting had been held "in a climate of love for the Church and a desire to arrive at perfect communion." He said that the Pope and Bishop Fellay were hoping to make gradual progress in overcoming differences, so that a full agreement could be reached "in a reasonable time."

In his own statement after the meeting, Bishop Fellay said that his visit to the Pope showed that the SSPX "has always been, and will always be, attached to the Holy See." Echoing the Vatican’s official statement, Bishop Fellay said that the 35-minute conversation had produced an agreement to work gradually toward a resolution of the differences between the traditionalist group and the Vatican, "in a spirit of great love for the Church."

…After the meeting Bishop Fellay said that members of the SSPX would pray "that the Holy Father will find the strength to bring an end to the crisis in the Church and ‘restore all things in Christ.’"

In a July interview, Bishop Fellay said that he wanted to meet with Pope Benedict, and ask him to give permission for all Catholic priests throughout the world to use the Tridentine rite in celebrating Mass. He said that he would also ask the Pontiff to rescind the decrees of excommunication for himself and the other bishops consecrated by Archbishop Lefebvre in 1988.

Informed Vatican officials speculate that Pope Benedict may be prepared to grant the traditionalist request for a "universal indult" allowing the use of the Tridentine rite. [Source]

If with a universal indult I am sure the SSPX will still be around. Some of it’s members including some bishops might get regularized (or whatever the correct term is), but as Papabile points out some such as SSPX Bishop Williamson are off their rocker. The SSPX will just have more and more break off from them just as what happens to all schismatic groups. Some will find there way back into the Church and others will start their own schismatic branches from the SSPX as has already happened. Hopefully though most members will find there way home.

From an article about Tom Monaghan and the building of Ave Maria University and the town around it:

"’We’ve already had about 3500 people inquire on our Web site about buying a home there — you know, they’re all Catholic,’ Monaghan says excitedly. ‘We’re going to control all the commercial real estate, so there’s not going to be any pornography sold in this town. We’re controlling the cable system. The pharmacies are not going to be able to sell condoms or dispense contraceptives.’ A private chapel will be located within walking distance of each home. At the stunning church in the center of town, Mass will be said hourly, seven days a week, from 6 a.m. on. ‘So,’ Monaghan concludes, with just a hint of understatement, ‘it’ll be a unique town.’"

The article later goes on to talk about his provost Fr. Fessio (as many articles invariably do) and how he supposedly has a direct pipeline to Pope Benedict XVI and this is the reason he was chosen. And since this article appears in a very progressive news site you invariably get the Frances Kissling about how disturbing this new city will be.

"If you are a conservative Catholic, aren’t your values strong enough to live in a pluralistic society without fear? Interacting with children of other faiths and no faiths can only enrich their Catholicism."

Of course she doesn’t like it when a pluralistic society writes legislation in regards to abortion. When the partial birth abortion ban was enacted by society I don’t remember her speaking about how in a pluralistic society the majority will of the people be considered.

Kathy Shaidle posts on the story of the nun protesting the filming of the DaVinci Code with the laugh-out-loud post title None dare call it "simony"

"And despite the dean of Lincoln Cathedral branding the book ‘a load of old tosh’ he has agreed to let the movie be filmed there. He and the church authorities said yes after the producers donated £100,000 to the coffers."

Sounds about right. Adjusting for inflation 30 pieces of silver could be in the neighborhood of £100,000.

ZAGREB (Reuters) – Religious groups in Croatia are up in arms over the imminent arrival of shock-rocker Marilyn Manson for a concert.

But rallying to the banner of free speech and perhaps a little shock-value of his own, Manson has found one unlikely defender — a Catholic priest.

"How could Manson turn young people into satanists and drug-addicts in the two hours of his act," daily newspaper Vjesnik quoted priest Anton Bobas as saying.

Bobas, who leads a heavy-metal band of his own called Glasnici Nade (Messengers of Hope), says most of Manson’s critics have never heard his songs or seen him perform.

The lone priest finds himself fighting a rearguard action against Christian groups from the Istrian peninsula ahead of the concert on August 22 in the northern Adriatic town of Pula.

Protestant organisation Oaza wants the concert banned, while seven Catholic priests offered to pay damages to the organisers if the concert was cancelled, arguing the band’s lyrics and image promote satanism, drug-use and violence.

Bobas said the best concert he ever attended was seeing Manson live in Hamburg, Germany, three years ago.

But even Bobas tempers his support.

Despite the music, Manson was a rather dark persona and he would not recommend anyone — especially young people — to attend the concert, he said. [Source]

Well I use to listen to Marilyn Manson and I wouldn’t recommend him for adults either. The lyrics are not just dark but perverse as is his stage show.