St. James’ Building Campaign has big surge because of Giovanni Dinner, but is it enough?

 

Here are the numbers from the August 4, 2012 bulletin.

Total Pledges increased $241,375 to $2,578,414 but are still $421,586 from the $3,000,000 requirement.  No additional parishioners pledging.(still 725).  In addition, should these new pledges really be part of the second pledge drive for debt reduction in as much as the pledges need not be paid until after 2014?

Read more about the big Giovanni dinner and that special pledge effort—See posting which followings or click on:  http://www.boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/2012/07/were-you-invited.html

Were you invited?

 

Apparently many of the larger contributors to the St. James Capital Campaign were invited to a dinner on Wednesday , July 18 at Giovanni’s in Rockford.  Guests had  a free chicken or fish dinner.

During dessert Father Geary explained that if all 88 of the guests pledged an additional one half of their previous pledge the campaign would meet the $3,000,000 pledge goal.  Their new pledges would not have to paid until 2014, that is after their current pledges are paid off.

The dining room was set for 88 guests (11tables; eight at a table).  There were a number of empty places.

Click on the photocopy to enlarge:

After the presentation Father Geary stated he was open to questions.

The following questions and answers were paraphrased by a few guests that talk to us.

• A statement was made by one guest that he thought they were asked to the dinner to “brainstorm” new ideas for the campaign rather than to be asked to give more.
• One guest spoke of how an interest rate well below 6.5% should be available. Father indicated that the borrowing must be through the diocese at 6.5%.
• St. Peter’s South Beloit’s failed campaign was brought up.  Father indicated that was a very different situation.  The pastor/parish were campaigning for a new school and the diocese wanted a new church and thus the campaign was terminated.
• Father indicated that part of the reason for the rush is the city refused the time extension request.  He also spoke of the council being “anti-Catholic”
• There was a question regarding Hispanic participation.  Father stated that “some Hispanic parishioners were invited to the dinner” but apparently few if any were in attendance.  He went on to speak how many Hispanic families of meager means were regularly contributing.
• Father spoke of general participation in the campaign.  Some 800 families actively support St. James in the regular Sunday collections and more than 700 families made a pledge.
• There was a question regarding additional pledges by other members of the parish.  Efforts will be made to “personally contact “ the rest of the active members of the parish.
• Someone asked if we don't meet the pledge goal, can we get our money back? Father stated that you could, but it would be a nightmare with the IRS because you'd have to send in an amended tax return unless you gave it toward another need of the church
• Father stated that razing the house across from the school started the process which will work in the parish’s favor.
• One man said he'd be the first to sign up for the new pledge and everyone clapped.

SEE THE RESULTS:  See posting immediately above or click on the following:  http://boonecountycatholics.blogspot.com/2012/07/st-james-building-campaign-has-big.html

How far has the St. James Campaign come in the last year?

 

Here are the most recent posted results:

Here are the numbers from 2011

Total Pledges have increased $115,697 in one year’s time. ($2,337,039 – $2,221,342)

Former Upper Merion priest arrested - King Of Prussia Courier - Main Line Media News

 

McCormick is charged with indecent sexual assault, statutory sexual assault, sexual assault, indecent assault, indecent exposure, endangering the welfare of a child and corruption of a minor.

Former Upper Merion priest arrested - King Of Prussia Courier - Main Line Media News

Many Irish priests now using iPads at the altar and at mass | Irish News and Politics spanning the US, Ireland and the World | IrishCentral

 

A growing number of priests are taking their iPads to the altar. According to TheJournal.ie, priests are using the devices to do everything from reading the gospels to downloading blessing and even updating their Twitter accounts.

While there are no official figures on how many priests are using iPads in church, Fr Sean McDonagh, a spokesperson for the Association of Catholic Priests, told TheJournal.ie that a large number of younger ones are using it.

“There’s a growing number who would be more clued in than old fogies like me. But why wouldn’t they when they can get the prayers, canon all there in front of them.”

However, opposition to iPad use in church is also growing in some quarters. Bishops in New Zealand have declared that only the official printed copy of the Roman Missal may be used at Mass and at the Church’s other liturgies.

Read more: http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Many-Irish-priests-now-using-iPads-at-the-altar-and-at-mass-164177476.html#ixzz223vmRP6X

Sheboygan priest honored by sex abuse survivors - JSOnline

 

Father James Connell who has criticized bishops and the church at large for their handling of the sex abuse crisis, will receive the Millstone Award for his courage in speaking on behalf of survivors.

Over the last two years, Connell has worked with fellow priests in what is believed to be a first-of-its-kind effort to pastor victims and help parishes heal the wounds and divisions caused by the abuse scandal. He began speaking out on behalf of survivors in 2010 after an epiphany prompted, he sayas, by SNAP’s criticism of his handling of an abuse case while serving as vice chancellor.

Click on the following for more details:  Sheboygan priest honored by sex abuse survivors - JSOnline

US bishops' point man on same-sex marriage named new Archbishop of San Francisco : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

 

Pope Benedict XVI has named Bishop Salvatore Cordileone the new Archbishop of San Francisco.

The appointment is certain to create shockwaves in a city known for homosexual activism. Recognized as a leading force behind the 2008 passage of Proposition 8, the ballot initiative that defined marriage as the union of a man and a woman, Archbishop-elect Cordileone was named chairman of the US bishops' Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage in 2011 by Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

Click on the following for more details:: US bishops' point man on same-sex marriage named new Archbishop of San Francisco : News Headlines - Catholic Culture

Priest charged after accuser, prompted by Penn State case, emerges - chicagotribune.com

 

Roman Catholic priest has been charged with the 1997 sexual assault of an altar boy,

McCormick's accuser, now a 25-year-old man, told police in December he had been abused in the church rectory as a 10-year-old boy.

Priest charged after accuser, prompted by Penn State case, emerges - chicagotribune.com

Bill’s July 9, 2012 address to Belvidere City Council regarding St. James time extension

 

Those who have COMCAST may have seen the rebroadcast of my statement.  For the rest of you here is the speech.

Click on the photocopy to enlarge: 

Evidence submitted to Belvidere City Council:

April 1, 2012---“To date, the final drawings for the new church are being finalized and will be available for viewing in the near future.”

 

When will the forthcoming “new architect’s plans” come?

Initial statement was October 5. 2011. No new plans were presented to the parish only the late August 2011 plans that were submitted to the Belvidere Planning Department.

Note the October 5, 2011 statement from Father Geary:  “Our architect is currently making some design revisions that will comply with the City’s requirements.  New design drawings will be forthcoming so that all of you can see the beautiful new renderings of the interior of the church.  They are even more beautiful than the first renderings.”

 

Weekly Collection for weekend of July 22, 2012

 

7/3/2011 $14,605 7/1/2012 $15,592

7/10/2011 $12,914 7/8/2012 $14306

7/17/2011 $11,891 7/15/2012 $12,730

 

Philadelphia archdiocese promises vigilance as priest is sentenced :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

 

From the challenges the Church has faced both nationally and locally over the past decade, we understand the full gravity of sexual abuse,” the archdiocese said in its response to the sentence handed down by Common Pleas Court Judge M. Teresa Sarmina on Tuesday.

In a statement released after the sentencing, the archdiocese reaffirmed its commitment “to protecting children and caring for victims,” while also offering its prayers “for Msgr. Lynn and his family at this difficult time.”

While accepting the former official's conviction, the Philadelphia archdiocese said that “fair-minded people will question the severity” of the near-maximum sentence. The archdiocese hopes that the punishment will be “objectively reviewed” and “adjusted.”

Click on the following for all of this CNA story:  Philadelphia archdiocese promises vigilance as priest is sentenced :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Below is the official statement/press release from the Archdiocese available at:  http://archphila.org/press%20releases/pr002013.php

July 24, 2012

STATEMENT FROM THE ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA
AFTER SENTENCING OF MONSIGNOR WILLIAM LYNN

From the challenges the Church has faced both nationally and locally over the past decade, we understand the full gravity of sexual abuse. This year and even this week, Pennsylvania has been the epicenter of this issue, and we know there is legitimate anger in the broad community toward any incident or enabling of sexual abuse. The trial of the past several months has been especially difficult for victims, and we profoundly regret their pain.
The public humiliation of the Church has emphasized the vital lesson that we must be constantly vigilant in our charge to protect the children in our parishes and schools. Since the events some ten years ago that were at the center of this trial, the Archdiocese has changed. We have taken dramatic steps to ensure that all young people in our care are safe, and these efforts will continue even more forcefully now and in the years ahead.
We remain committed to protecting children and caring for victims. Fair-minded people will question the severity of the heavy, three to six year sentence imposed on Msgr. Lynn today. We hope that when this punishment is objectively reviewed, it will be adjusted.
We pray for Msgr. Lynn and his family at this difficult time.

###

Contact
Donna Farrell
Director of Communications
215-587-3747

The Leadership Conference of Women Religious Responds to Vatican Critique : NPR

Interview Highlights with Sister Pat Farrell

On questioning doctrine within the Catholic Church

"The question is, 'Can you be Catholic and have a questioning mind?' That's what we're asking. ... I think one of our deepest hopes is that in the way we manage the balancing beam in the position we're in, if we can make any headways in helping to create a safe and respectful environment where church leaders along with rank-and-file members can raise questions openly and search for truth freely, with very complex and swiftly changing issues in our day, that would be our hope. But the climate is not there. And this mandate coming from the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith putting us in a position of being under the control of certain bishops, that is not a dialogue. If anything, it appears to be shutting down dialogue."

On their options

"We're not talking about the risk of excommunication or leaving the church. That's not our intent. We're talking about the Vatican's dealing with a national organization, not with specific religious congregations or individual religious. The one and only underlying option for us is to respond with integrity with however we proceed. That is our absolute bottom line in this. Some of the options would be to just comply with the mandate that's been given to us. Or to say we can't comply with this and see what the Vatican does with that. Or to remove ourselves and form a separate organization."

And this mandate coming from the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith putting us in a position of being under the control of certain bishops, that is not a dialogue. If anything, it appears to be shutting down dialogue.

- Sister Pat Farrell

On the criticism from the Vatican regarding human sexuality

"We have been, in good faith, raising concerns about some of the church's teachings on sexuality. The problem being that the teaching and interpretation of the faith can't remain static and really needs to be reformulated, rethought in light of the world we live in. And new questions and new realities [need to be addressed] as they arise. And if those issues become points of conflict, it's because Women Religious stand in very close proximity to people at the margins, to people with very painful, difficult situations in their lives. That is our gift to the church. Our gift to the church is to be with those who have been made poorer, with those on the margins. Questions there are much less black and white because human realities are much less black and white. That's where we spend our days."

On roles within the church

"A bishop, for instance, can't be on the street working with the homeless. He has other tasks. But we can be. So if there is a climate of open and trusting and adequate dialogue among us, we can bring together some of those conversations, and that's what I hope we can help develop in a deeper way."

On women's ordination

"The position we took in favor of women's ordination in 1977 was before there was a Vatican letter saying that there is a definitive church position against the ordination of women. So it's interesting to me that the document [just released by the church] goes back 30 years to talk about our position on the ordination of women. There has, in fact, been an official opinion from the church that that topic should not be discussed. When that declaration came out, the response of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious was to call for a nationwide time of prayer and fasting for all Women Religious in response to that. Because our deep desire for places of leadership of women in the church be open. It remains a desire. Since then, the Leadership Conference has not spoken publicly about the ordination of women. Imposing a silence doesn't necessarily change people's thinking, but we are in a position to continue to be very concerned that the position of women in the church be recognized."

On the phrase "radical feminist themes"

"Sincerely, what I hear in the phrasing ... is fear — a fear of women's positions in the church. Now, that's just my interpretation. I have no idea what was in the mind of the congregation, of the doctrine of the faith, when they wrote that. But women theologians around the world have been seriously looking at the question of: How have the church's interpretations of how we talk about God, interpret Scripture, organize life in the church — how have they been tainted by a culture that minimizes the value and the place of women?"

On abortion

Our gift to the church is to be with those who have been made poorer, with those on the margins. Questions there are much less black and white because human realities are much less black and white. That's where we spend our days.

- Sister Pat Farrell

"I think the criticism of what we're not talking about seems to me to be unfair. Because [Women] Religious have clearly given our lives to supporting life, to supporting the dignity of human persons. Our works are very much pro-life. We would question, however, any policy that is more pro-fetus than actually pro-life. If the rights of the unborn trump all of the rights of all of those who are already born, that is a distortion, too — if there's such an emphasis on that. However, we have sisters who work in right-to-life issues. We also have many, many ministries that support life. We dedicate to our lives to those on the margins of society, many of whom are considered throwaway people: the impaired, the chronically mentally ill, the elderly, the incarcerated, to the people on death row. We have strongly spoken out against the death penalty, against war, hunger. All of those are right-to-life issues. There's so much being said about abortion that is often phrased in such extreme and such polarizing terms that to choose not to enter into a debate that is so widely covered by other sectors of the Catholic Church — and we have been giving voice to other issues that are less covered but are equally as important.

"Our concern is that right-to-life issues be seen across a whole spectrum and are not narrowly defined. ... To single out one right-to-life issue and to say that that's the only issue that defines Catholic identity, I think, is really a distortion."

Click on the following to read the entire article:  The Leadership Conference of Women Religious Responds to Vatican Critique : NPR

Listen to the 39 minute tape by click on the tape symbol in above mention internet site or go directly to tape by clicking on the following:  http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=156858223&m=156858294

Bishop Blair’s interview and Response to LCWR’s interview:

In the assessment, the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said the leadership conference is undermining Roman Catholic teachings on homosexuality and birth control and promoting "radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith." It also reprimanded the nuns for hosting speakers who "often contradict or ignore" church teachings and for making public statements that "disagree with or challenge the bishops, who are the church's authentic teachers of faith and morals."

Read the rest of the story by clicking on the following:  http://www.npr.org/2012/07/25/157356092/bishop-explains-vaticans-criticism-of-u-s-nuns

Hear Bishop Blair’s entire inerview by clicking on he following:  http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=157356092&m=157362743

Register Star reprints its July 14 story on the St. James extension request

Featured as the top story, the Rockford Register Star’s Boone County Weekly went out today to residents through out the county.  The story was originally printed in the parent newspaper on Saturday, July 14, 2012 and is available on-line at: 

http://www.rrstar.com/news/x736421870/St-James-Catholic-Churchs-construction-project-in-question

Breaking: Philadelphia monsignor sentenced in child sex-abuse case

 

Monsignor William Lynn of Philadelphia, the first U.S. church official convicted as a felon for covering up sex-abuse claims against priests, was sentenced today to three to six years in prison.

More soon at: www.latimes.com.

Abuse probe dogs bishop, despite Rigali's unorthodox role - Philly.com

In March 2008, Cardinal Justin F. Rigali handed Bishop Michael J. Bransfield welcome news.

a break from practice, the accusation against Bransfield bypassed the archdiocese's civilian review board, according to a source briefed on the case but not authorized to publicly discuss it. The board was formed to conduct independent examinations of abuse claims and assesses priests' suitablility for ministry.

Instead, Rigali acted after reviewing the reports of an investigator who interviewed Bransfield, his accuser and others.

And though the archdiocese routinely publicly identifies and suspends priests as it reviews allegations against them, four years passed before the complaint against Bransfield came to light, and then only in passing at the landmark clergy-sex abuse trial. Still, it proved enough to rekindle a long-dormant criminal inquiry and spark new questions about Bransfield, a Philadelphia native who spent his early years as a priest here and who now serves as West Virginia's top prelate….

.In interviews last week, the two Gana accusers whose trial testimony unleashed the scrutiny on the bishop described for the first time their contact with Bransfield in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Both men said they had no proof or knowledge that Bransfield abused anyone. Instead, they said they were disturbed by his association with Gana and presumed he knew Gana was assaulting them.

Click on the following to read all of the story:  Abuse probe dogs bishop, despite Rigali's unorthodox role - Philly.com

Former Philadelphia pastor found unsuitable for ministry - Catholic Philly

It appears that Father Pinero was involved in more than a pyramid scheme.

He also served at St. Joseph Parish, Aston (2000-2003) and Incarnation of Our Lord (2003-2011).
A statement released by the Archdiocese July 16 announcing Father Pinero’s status directed people who wished to report a violation of the Standards to the archdiocesan Office for Investigations at 1-800-932-0313.

That office was founded in 2011 to investigate allegations of sexual abuse or violations of the Standards in the church in 2011, in the wake of the second Philadelphia grand jury report on clergy sexual abuse.

Read the entire story by clicking on the following:Former Philadelphia pastor found unsuitable for ministry - Catholic Philly

The conduct standards are available at:  http://archphila.org/delegate/documents/AOPVA%20Standards%20of%20Minst%20Behvrl%200511.pdf

Prosecutors: Msgr. Lynn deserves maximum prison sentence

July 20, 2012|By John P. Martin, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

• Msgr. William J. Lynn is evil, conniving and remorseless and deserves nothing but the maximum term in state prison for allowing Archdiocese of Philadelphia priests to sexually abuse children, prosecutors argued Friday.

"Every workday he woke up, went to his office and there pursued a deliberate, orchestrated plan that shielded and enabled child rapists," Assistant District Attorneys Mariana Sorensen and Patrick Blessington wrote in a sentencing memo.

Lynn, 61, faces up to seven years in prison when he is sentenced Tuesday by Common Pleas Court Judge M. Teresa Sarmina.

 

A former top aide to Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua, Lynn last month became the first Catholic church official convicted for enabling clergy sex abuse.

In their 29-page brief, the prosecutors told the judge that only the stiffest term would send a message to Lynn and other culpable church leaders.

"A maximum sentence," they wrote, "may be the only way to impress upon the defendant that he committed a serious crime, that there are more important rules to follow than instructions from corrupt or misguided bishops and that the protection of children trumps the reputation of abusers and the institution that harbors them."

Lynn's lawyers say such a harsh term would be unfair and legally flawed.

In their own filing to the judge, they noted that the jury convicted Lynn of a single count, child endangerment, for not removing a former parish priest, Edward Avery, from active ministry after learning Avery had previously molested a teen.

In 1999, Avery sexually assaulted a 10-year-old altar boy at a Northeast Philadelphia church. That victim was one of nearly 20 to testify at Lynn's three-month landmark trial.

Lynn's lawyers say he had no reason to suspect Avery would abuse the boy and was following the recommendations of the hospital psychologists who evaluated him.

They also noted that two-thirds of the defendants convicted of a third-degree endangerment felony in Pennsylvania since 1996 have been spared state prison terms.

Under their calculations of state guidelines, Lynn, a priest for 36 years who has spent a decade under the spotlight, deserves probation or a county jail term of a year or less.

Prosecutors scoffed at the argument. They maintained Lynn has a well-documented criminal history - one that unfolded during weeks of often gut-wrenching trial testimony from witnesses who described being fondled, molested or raped by their parish priests.

As the archdiocesan secretary for clergy responsible for investigating the claims, Lynn saw the impact but did nothing, Blessington and Sorensen wrote.

"He observed first-hand, on a regular basis the destruction of lives as victims of priests whom he supervised poured out their stories of abuse, shame, despair, isolation, anger, loss of faith, addictions, failed marriage and lost lives," their motion states.

Lynn's actions, they said, also had a devastating affect on area Catholics, causing many to question their faith and leaders, and costing the church millions at a time when financial woes are forcing it to close parishes and schools.

"Given all that, the prosecutors argued, "his offense could not be graver. It easily merits the maximum sentence."

THe above article can be found on the internet at: http://articles.philly.com/2012-07-20/news/32765101_1_william-j-lynn-archdiocese-of-philadelphia-priests-edward-avery

Pa. monsignor seeks probation in landmark abuse case; 1st US cleric convicted of endangerment - The Washington Post

 

He (Monsignor Lynn) faces up to seven years in prison after a jury convicted him last month of felony child endangerment for his oversight of now-defrocked priest Edward Avery. Avery is serving a 2 1/2 to five-year term after pleading guilty before trial to sexually assaulting an altar boy in church.

Lynn’s lawyers argue that few Pennsylvanians serve long prison terms for child endangerment and say he should not serve more time than abuser

Prosecutors are expected to seek the maximum sentence.

“That Lynn failed to report known child rapists to law enforcement and continued to support and enable the ministry of predator priests, in the face of constant reminders that hundreds of lives had been ruined by these men, is a clear measure of his character (and) his lack of remorse,” Assistant District Attorney Mariana Sorensen wrote in a post-trial memo.

 

 

Click on the following for all of the story:  Pa. monsignor seeks probation in landmark abuse case; 1st US cleric convicted of endangerment - The Washington Post

Letter: Bishops seek to limit rights of women | Wausau Daily Herald | wausaudailyherald.com

 

EDITOR: This letter is in response to Bishop William Callahan's recent column, "Fortnight for Freedom protects liberty."

The bishop stated that Roman Catholic doctrine about "artificial birth control, abortion, moral teaching concerning marriage or any other specific Catholic positions on morality" are not meant to be "forced down the throats" of anyone. However, it seems that the church is trying to force women who work for non-taxpaying Roman Catholic institutions to give up the options for national health care that all other American workers have.

The bishop is speaking for a religious group of men to "protect the liberty" of reproductive health care for whom? The group of Roman Catholic bishops is trying to prevent legal reception of reproductive healthcare for workers in their institutions claiming "freedom of religion" for whom?

I understand that it is the practice of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to employ lobbyists who write bills related to issues of concern to them. They present these to the president and members of Congress for their follow-through with national legislation, and many bills have been enacted. The bishops are trying to limit the rights of women related to sexuality, whether the women are Roman Catholic or not.

Fortunately there is an organization called Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. It keeps very busy responding to complaints about actions of the religious communities violating the Constitution. Maybe the bishops would like to take their grievance to them.

Marian Seagren Hall,

Wausau

Letter: Bishops seek to limit rights of women | Wausau Daily Herald | wausaudailyherald.com

Denver's Archdiocese Gets New Leader | 5280

 

Aquila is considered ideologically on par with his outspoken predecessor, Archbishop Charles Chaput, who left the Denver Archdiocese last year to lead the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Before Chaput was installed in Pennsylvania, the New York Times called him "one of the nation's most prominent advocates of a politically engaged and conservative Catholicism." Similarly, the conservative Colorado Catholic Conference has called Aquila an "advocate for the unborn and [for] religious liberty."

Politically, the new archbishop is perhaps best known for speaking against the University of Notre Dame's decision in 2009 to invite President Barack Obama to give the school's commencement addres

Click on the following for more details:  Denver's Archdiocese Gets New Leader | 5280

Letter: Health care homilies upset devoted churchgoers | FLORIDA TODAY | floridatoday.com

 

Letter to Editor

Written by

Jim and Mary Ann Loafman

Indialantic

We feel very uncomfortable attending Mass at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in Indialantic since the start this summer of the Fortnight of Freedom, which is a response by the U.S. Catholic Bishops to recent actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The Fortnight of Freedom presentations and resulting homilies at church have made us very distressed. It is causing a division among people we know at church and in the community. Our joy of attending Mass has become unpleasant.

Our experience over the years, in many ministries, is that both Democrats and Republicans are good people and good Catholics. We pray for respectful open dialogue at church and in the news media.

Mary Ann and I support universal health care and pray it will someday be a reality in the USA and around the world.

We would like to hear a homily related to Matthew 25:31-46, rather than another homily related to Fortnight of Freedom politics.

Letter: Health care homilies upset devoted churchgoers | FLORIDA TODAY | floridatoday.com

Matthew 25:31-46

³¹ And when the Son of man shall come in his majesty, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit upon the seat of his majesty.

³² And all nations shall be gathered together before him, and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats:

³³ And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left.

³³ And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left.

³⁴ Then shall the king say to them that shall be on his right hand: Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

³⁵ For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in:

³⁶ Naked, and you covered me: sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came to me.

³⁷ Then shall the just answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry, and fed thee; thirsty, and gave thee drink?

³⁸ And when did we see thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and covered thee?

³⁹ Or when did we see thee sick or in prison, and came to thee?

⁴⁰ And the king answering, shall say to them: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me.

⁴¹ Then he shall say to them also that shall be on his left hand: Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels.

⁴² For I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat: I was thirsty, and you gave me not to drink.

⁴³ I was a stranger, and you took me not in: naked, and you covered me not: sick and in prison, and you did not visit me.

⁴⁴ Then they also shall answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to thee?

⁴⁵ Then he shall answer them, saying: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it not to one of these least, neither did you do it to me.

⁴⁶ And these shall go into everlasting punishment: but the just, into life everlasting.

US priest who improvised liturgy is removed by bishop. Association of Catholic Priests

 

US priest who improvised liturgy is removed by bishop

Parishioners at St Mary’s parish in Mount Carmel, Illinois, were officially informed that the local diocese is removing their parish priest of 18 years, because he improvised some prayers at Mass.

Bishop Edward Braxton of Belleville Diocese sent a letter on Friday to Fr William Rowe informing him of the decision.  Fr Trevor Murray, 36, has been asked leave his parishes in West Frankfort and Royalton, Illinois, and take over as parish priest of St Mary’s on July 10.

The letter from Bishop Braxton was read at Sunday Masses.  The Bishop wrote, “I am deeply aware that you, your parishioners and your friends are saddened by this change in your assignment.  I am saddened as well.  In your years at St Mary Parish, you have (surely) touched many hearts.”

Bishop Braxton went on: “Throughout our many conversations, it has been my hope that this action would not be necessary.  However, the long, winding road down which we travelled never led to the open door of complete acceptance and obedience to the disciplines and doctrines of the Catholic Church.” Fr Rowe, who is 72, was to make another appeal to the Bishop on Monday and if this is rejected he will take his appeal to Rome.

Fr Rowe says he got into the habit of adding a few words to prayers in the Mass and other services over the years, in order to make the liturgy more meaningful.

The introduction of the new translation of the Missal, he said, made it even more difficult to stick to every word proscribed by the Vatican.  Fr Rowe said, “I just found, especially with the new translation, that it doesn’t match what I’m talking about.  The new wording is so awkward, and people don’t understand it.”

“I have heard that there have been a few priests that do what I do … but I haven’t heard of anyone being removed,” he said.  “This is new ground I guess.”

Earlier this year, parishioners protested outside of St Peter’s Roman Catholic Cathedral in Belleville against plans to remove Rowe.

The above is taken from: the Association of Irish Priest in Ireland, click on the following for the article;  US priest who improvised liturgy is removed by bishop. Association of Catholic Priests

Waterford Today - Reasons for Hope

Reasons for Hope

by I. Kennedy

Garret Fitzgerald attributed the erosion of church influence to "its overuse of authority rather than reason in promulgating its views on social morality." He suggested that after Humanae Vitae "many Irish Catholics began to do their own theology, so to speak, testing the Catholic Church's teaching against their own rational morality."

This issue raises important questions about the nature of authentic Christian teaching. Is a person obligated to obey the teachings of a papal encyclical? What is the place of individual conscience in such matters? Why pronounce on this when the bible does not directly address the issue?

The matter has led to silent revolution among many rank and file Catholics and many clergy have also expressed disquiet. Among the objectives of the Association of Catholic Priests is the recognition of the "primacy of conscience" and a "re-evaluation of Catholic sexual teaching and practice."

Click on the following for the entire story:  Waterford Today - Reasons for Hope

Cardinal Dolan sees US as 'mission territory' :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

 

But Catholics should not be “depressed” by Western countries' shift away from religious belief and practice. Instead, they should be “awakened and challenged,” Cardinal Dolan said.

Today, he said, the Church is “with the apostles on Pentecost Sunday as we embrace the New Evangelization.” The campaign to re-evangelize historically Christian societies is the topic of an October 2012 synod in Rome, which will begin the Year of Faith called by Pope Benedict XVI.

Click on the following for more details:  Cardinal Dolan sees US as 'mission territory' :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Orthodox Church in America exec fired for not removing rapist priest - Philly.com

 

Citing the sex-abuse scandals in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia and at Pennsylvania State University, the Orthodox Church in America has dismissed its presiding archbishop for failing to remove a priest who had raped a woman and been jailed for other violent acts

.Born James Paffhausen in Chicago, Jonah converted to Orthodoxy from Episcopalianism at 18 and was ordained a priest in 1994. He was made a bishop in early 2008, when he took the name Jonah, and was elected primate, or presiding archbishop, later that year. He was the first convert to head the OCA, which is based on Long Island.

At some time after his enthronement as our primate, Metropolitan Jonah unilaterally accepted into the OCA a priest known to him and others to be . . . severely abusing alcohol, which more than once was coupled with episodes of violence and threats toward women," the synod said.

These episodes included the "discharge of a firearm" and the "brandishing of a knife," which led to the man's arrest. In 2010, he was alleged "to have committed a rape against a woman."

Although informed of the rape allegation in February, Jonah "neither investigated, nor told his brother bishops," and did not report the incident to police or church lawyers, according to the synod.

Click on the following to read all of the story:  Orthodox Church in America exec fired for not removing rapist priest - Philly.com

This is basically the Russian Orthodox Church in America.  This is only the latest scandal to shock this church.  Read more at:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthodox_Church_in_America#cite_note-29

Weekly Collection for weekend of July 15, 2012

 

7/3/2011 $14,605     7/1/2012 $15,592

7/10/2011 $12,914   7/8/2012  $14306

7/17/2011 $11,891   7/15/2012 $12,730

 

No change in DSP Pledged.

One additional building pledge, $2,500 additional pledged.

Association of US Catholic Priests calls for reexamination of liturgical translation

 

The resolution on the new missal is carefully worded to justify, based on canon law, the right and duty of the new organization to express its opionions for the good of the church. In a sign of the desire of the AUSCP to work respectfully and constructively with bishops, the resolution on the missal was sent first to Cardinal Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, before being issued publicly. The full text of the missal resolution is below.

*         *         *         *         *

The New Roman Missal

• Whereas Canon 278§1 asserts: “Secular clerics have the right to associate with others to pursue purposes in keeping with the clerical state”; and
• Whereas Canon 298§1 includes clerics among the Christian faithful; and
• Whereas Canon 212§3 states: “According to the knowledge, competence and prestige which they possess, they [the Christian faithful] have the right and even at times the duty to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church and to make their opinion known to the rest of the Christian faithful, without prejudice to the integrity of faith and morals, with reverence toward their pastors, and attentive to common advantage and the dignity of persons”; and
• Whereas Canon 215 declares: “The Christian faithful are at liberty freely to found and direct associations for purposes of charity or piety or for the promotion of the Christian vocation in the world and to hold meetings for the common pursuit of these purposes”; and
• Whereas Canon 218 affirms: “Those engaged in the sacred disciplines have a just freedom of inquiry and of expressing their opinion prudently on those matters in which they possess expertise, while observing the submission due to the magisterium of the Church”; and
• Whereas Bishops are guaranteed collegial powers and responsibilities documented  in the Vatican II Decree, Christus Dominus, [especially in ¶s 2 through 6], thereby preserving the integrity of their Apostolic Office.  A reference from ¶2 points out: “Bishops, therefore, have been made true and authentic teachers of the faith, pontiffs, and pastors through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to them”; and
• Whereas the Missale Romanum, Editio Typica Tertia [herein, New Roman Missal] has caused disharmony, disruption and discord among many, for both laity [including religious non-clerical men and women], and for clerics, in our Church, frustrating rather than inspiring the Eucharistic prayer experience of the Christian faithful, thus leading to less piety and to less “full, active and conscious participation” in the Mass, [cf. Canons 898 and 899 §s 2 and 3 and Vatican II Constitution, Sacrosanctum Concilium, ¶11 and 14]; and
• Whereas the New Roman Missal, as we have experienced it in our day to day celebrations of the Eucharist with the faithful, has created pastoral problems, in particular because of its cumbersome style, arcane vocabulary, grammatical anomalies, and confusing syntax;

Be it resolved that the Association of United States Catholic Priests urge our Bishops, who are also our Pastors, to exercise their collegial powers and responsibilities by addressing in a collegial way, with the appropriate Vatican authorities, the problematic prescriptions of Liturgiam authenticam which brought about the New Roman Missal.

Click on the following to read the entire article:  PrayTell - Worship, Wit & Wisdom

Hudsonhubtimes.com - Letter: Says bishops pushing to impose religion onto secular laws

 

July 15, 2012

For months now, I believe, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has been pushing a false definition of "religious freedom" in an attempt to expand and strengthen government privileging of religion and impose religion onto our secular laws. The worst part is that they are doing it all under a smoke screen of religious persecution.

The so-called "Fortnight for Freedom" (organized in our general area by the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland for July 4) was simply another political campaign designed to chip away at the separation of religion and government, in my opinion. True religious freedom is the ability to practice your religion and hold your beliefs, as long as those beliefs do not infringe upon the rights of another to do the same. What I believe the Bishops are asking for is the ability to impose their religious beliefs on others and discriminate based on their religion -- often while accepting taxpayer funding.

The concept of the separation of religion and government was deemed so important and essential to our identity as a nation that it is included in our Constitution. That is because the separation of religion and government is the best guarantee of freedom for all Americans -- both the religious as well as the 40 million Americans who do not identify with any religion. Those who truly advocate for religious freedom should speak out and stand up in the fight to keep our government and laws secular -- and encourage others to do the same.

Mo Mora, Hudson

Cllick on the following for more details:  Hudsonhubtimes.com - Letter: Says bishops pushing to impose religion onto secular laws

Archbishop Chaput removes Olney priest involved in side business - Philly.com

 

The Rev. Geraldo Pinero, former pastor of Incarnation of Our Lord Church, 5105 N. Fifth St. in the Olney neighborhood, had committed "a substantiated violation of The Standards of Ministerial Behavior and Boundaries," the announcement stated.

The announcement did not define his violation.

But the priest was "a local face of a pyramid-like Illinois-based enterprise calling itself Teamwork Revolution Power Systems

Click on the following for more information:  http://articles.philly.com/2012-07-15/news/32685592_1_ministerial-behavior-olney-priest-teamwork-revolution-power-systems

Following is from:http://www.imreportcard.com/biz-opps/teamwork-revolution/

TeamWork Revolution Description

Teamwork Revolution is a network marketing matrix program run by online entrepreneurs James Al-Oboudi, Kathy Brotherton and Cheryl-Ann Porter. This program revolves around a monthly subscription that allows access to internet marketing information products and services. Members make money by referring other people to the program and earning commissions from these referrals, up to 6 levels deep.

TeamWork Revolution Detailed Overview

Teamwork Revolution works with a 5x6 forced matrix system. This means that when you join at the subscription fee of $10 per month and start recruiting referrals, you can have 5 people directly under you, and then referrals spill over to those people, and so on. This can go 6 levels deep.

From your direct Teamwork Revolution referrals, you earn $2 per person per month as long as they are members. 2^nd level referrals earn you $1 per person per month, and it’s the same for all other levels except for the 4^th level, which is $2 per person per month. Though these seem like small figures at first, when you realize how many people you can have in each successive level, you see that the figures multiply quite nicely. A completely full matrix will earn you $20,160 per month.

What products and services do you get access to as a member of Teamwork Revolution? One of the most significant services that you get through membership with the program is web hosting. The hosting includes a decent amount of space and bandwidth, along with the popular CPanel interface and a website builder. Members also get live internet marketing and network marketing training sessions given by marketing experts. There is also a library of e-books and software programs, some of which come with resale rights.

You can have as many accounts at Teamwork Revolution as you want. You’ll always be able to contact the person who sponsored you into the program, which is great for training.

Note: If you're on IM Report Card because you're looking for a way to make money online, then you should check out our top recommendation. It's the best method we've found that anyone can use to earn income online. Click here to learn more!

TeamWork Revolution Reputation

Teamwork Revolution seems to have a decent reputation so far. Though most of the positive feedback that you’ll find on this program is from people trying to recruit, the fact that there is a lack of negative feedback is encouraging. Though it is a forced matrix, meaning that you can get spillover referrals from the people above you, it still takes dedication and effort to make the program profitable for you. All indications are that you get the support within this program to do so.

St. James Catholic Church's construction project in question - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

By Jennifer Wheeler

RRSTAR.COM

Posted Jul 13, 2012 @ 10:28 PM

— It remains unclear how, even whether, St. James Catholic Church will be able to complete its renovations to add seating, restrooms and parking.

Belvidere City Council voted 6-3 Monday to reject a request to extend the church’s special-use permit one year. This will force architects to stay on schedule and complete the 15-month project by September 2013.

St. James Catholic Church's construction project in question - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

St. James Church Asks for Zoning Extension

 

Click on the photocopy to enlarge:

Note Mr. Middleton’s warning of possible further action on this item.

The Journal also had an editorial.

The above items are taken from the July 13, 2012 Boone County Journal which is available free of cost at merchants across Boone County and on the web at:    http://www.boonecountyjournal.com/news/2012/Boone-County-News-07-13-12.pdf#page=1

It's official: No more Simbang Gabi Masses at the PHL Center in New York |

 

In a meeting last month at the archdiocese office on First Avenue, Bishop Dennis Sullivan, who is the right hand man of New York Archbishop Timothy Cardinal Dolan, personally told Filipino diplomatic and community leaders that the archdiocese is firm in its previous decision to ban the holding of masses outside a sacred place of worship.

Sullivan, as in the past, cited the Canon Law which states that the eucharistic celebration is to be carried out in a sacred place which is the church, unless a particular necessity requires otherwise.

Click on the following for more details: It's official: No more Simbang Gabi Masses at the PHL Center in New York | GMA News Online | The Go-To Site for Filipinos Everywhere

Letter to Editor: : Catholic claims undermine freedom

Letter: Catholic claims undermine freedom

 

EDITOR: The call for a "Fortnight for Freedom" by Cardinal Timothy Dolan in reaction to the supposed "unprecedented incursion into freedom of conscience" of the Affordable Care Act seems a classic Orwellian reversal of reality. The assertion by Cardinal Dolan that the Affordable Care Act imposes restrictions on religious freedom by requiring insurance companies to provide contraceptives as preventive care with no deductible or copay is just the opposite of the truth.

No one is asking Catholics (the majority of whom now use contraceptives) to violate their conscience. The use of contraceptives is a free choice. The actions of Cardinal Dolan seek to deny this choice to anyone who does not agree with the Cardinal's beliefs or the doctrines of the Catholic Church.

In this context, it is the Cardinal who is the actual threat to the freedom of religion -- it is the Cardinal who seeks to impose an "unprecedented incursion into the freedom of conscience" on all those who do not agree with him.

We are witnessing the rebirth of Christian religious fundamentalism in America, and the "Fortnight for Freedom" is a manifestation of the intolerance and repressiveness that grow out of such extremist movements. It is this fundamentalism that is the real threat to freedom -- religious or otherwise.

Interpreting the need for sensible healthcare for Americans as an attack on religion or conscience is about as far from upholding true Christian values as one could possibly imagine.

Dave Svetlik,

Kronenwetter

Above is taken from:  Letter: Catholic claims undermine freedom | Wausau Daily Herald | wausaudailyherald.com

Lay Catholic group takes on reform - The Irish Times - Tue, Jul 10, 2012

 

Among the decisions approved by the vast majority of the world’s bishops and now, according to the Pope, part of the church’s magisterium, or ultimate teaching authority, is that in the council’s decree on the apostolate of the laity. In chapter 1.2, is a sentence stating that “the laity share in the priestly, prophetic, and royal office of Christ and therefore have their own share in the mission of the whole people of God in the church and in the world”.

The Vatican has shown no great urgency in recognising the significance of this and many other council pronouncements. Instead post-council popes and curia cardinals have adopted a policy of ignoring, obstructing or misinterpreting them

Click on the following for more details:  Lay Catholic group takes on reform - The Irish Times - Tue, Jul 10, 2012

Supporters say 'partisan' charge misses point of bishops' efforts :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

 

It's only when the bishops decide to exercise their authority in areas the media disagrees with” – such as marriage, sexuality, or theological orthodoxy – “that the bishops are suddenly 'reactionary.'”

The charge of partisanship has surfaced during 2012 in the fight over the federal “preventive services” mandate. Created under the federal health care reform law, it is opposed by the bishops for requiring religious employers to provide contraception, sterilization and abortion-causing drugs.

Click on the following for more details: Supporters say 'partisan' charge misses point of bishops' efforts :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Weekly Collection for weekend of July 8, 2012

 

7/3/2011    $14,605        7/1/2012    $15,592

7/10/2011  $12,914        7/8/2012     $14306

 

One additional building pledge, $20 additional pledged.

St. James states it is a “poor parish”

 

 

St. James states it is a “poor parish”

The following advertisement is taken from page B2, National Catholic Register, May 20, 2012

Rich Wentzel: Bishops are wrong on ‘Obamacare’

 

 

Rich Wentzel: Bishops are wrong on ‘Obamacare’

 

July 09, 2012 4:30 am  •  Rich Wentzel

Dear Editor: A few years back, Pope Benedict XVI and other church leaders said it was “the moral responsibility of nations to guarantee access to health care for all of their citizens, regardless of social and economic status or their ability to pay.” Now, however, Cardinal Timothy Dolan through the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is promoting a campaign to curb the implementation of an aspect of the Affordable Care Act, specifically that aspect requiring insurance companies to provide contraceptives as preventive care. The claim is that somehow this violates religious freedom even though no Catholic would be asked to use contraceptives.

Jesus did not bow to the authoritarian hierarchy of the ruling religion and saw his own way to the truth, much as the majority of Catholics have done on the contraception issue. In their obsession with blocking women’s access to birth control, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops seems intent on thwarting the work being done to provide access to a more coherent, affordable plan for health care in our nation.

The Affordable Care Act offers greater care to more people at lower cost as a nation. Dolan’s plan would thwart that goal by keeping the overall pool of participants smaller and continuing to drive health care costs up. In the end, he is asking Catholics and non-Catholics alike to pay more while trying to block a worthy moral and economic goal.

Rich Wentzel

Taken from the following:  Rich Wentzel: Bishops are wrong on ‘Obamacare’

Montgomery County PA reviewing case against cleric first reported in 2007 - Philly.com

 

that the Prosecutors are reviewing a claim that Bishop Michael J. Bransfield, a Philadelphia native serving as the top Catholic official in West Virginia, fondled a Lansdale Catholic High School student in the 1970s, according to interviews and court records….. bishop could still face charges because the statute of limitations on the crime froze when Bransfield moved from the Commonwealth in 1980.

"It was a fondling/groping incident, at a high school, Lansdale Catholic . . . ," Blessington said, according to the transcript of their April 19 sidebar conference outside the courtroom. "Not long after that, he leaves the jurisdiction, so we may be within the statute."

Click on the following for more details:  Montco reviewing case against cleric first reported in 2007 - Philly.com

When will the forthcoming “new architect’s plans” come?

 

Initial statement was October 5. 2011.  No new plans were presented to the parish only the late August 2011 plans that were submitted to the Belvidere Planning Department.

Click on the photocopy to enlarge:

In the Palm Sunday, April 1, 2011, parish bulletin the following statement regarding the architect’s plans was given. “..To date, the final drawings for the new church are being finalized and will be available for viewing in the near future.”

Here is the enlargement from the upper left hand of page 4.

June 29, 2012 letter to Belvidere CIty Council –.”…the architect has been put the completion of the drawings on temporary hold.  ….An extension to the special use permit construction start date will allow for adequate time for the architect to finish the drawings and for City to properly review and approve the same.”

St. James seeks a time extension on its special use

 

UPDATE:    8:00 PM, Monday, July 9—The Committee of the Whole voted not to send the extension on to City Council—barring any change in the “no” votes it appears the extension request is denied.

Well how many parishioners were told about this?

Please come to the City of Belvidere’s Committee of the Whole meeting at 6:00 PM this Monday, July 9, 2012.  Witness the proceedings or provide testimony regarding the requested extension.

Ex-Catholic comments on Fortnight for Freedom - baltimoresun.com

I want to thank Archbishop William E. Lori for reminding me once again why I'm an ex-Catholic ("Fight for freedom," June 27). With the so-called "Fortnight for Freedom," the church leadership is deliberately and cynically using a mixture of patriotism and religion in a blatant and manipulative attempt to influence the outcome of the upcoming elections.

I can't seem to recall any recent news about Catholic churches being bombed in the United States or attempts to bar American Catholics from attending mass. I do know that the Catholic Church has been using its "religious freedom" for decades to aid and abet child abusers, to recently attack nuns in the United States who are at the forefront of what used to be one of the church's primary missions to aid and comfort the poor and needy, and that the American church has over the past few decades formed an alliance with some of the most strident and politically active right-wing religious groups in the U.S. Archbishop Lori even received an award in May from a coalition of some of those groups.

I am proud to be an American, and I am a strong supporter of the Bill of Rights. I support freedom of religion, and I support freedom from religion. And, at this moment in time, I am also very proud and happy to be an ex-Catholic.

Sandy Covahey, Baltimore

Click on the following to find this Letter to the Editor:  Ex-Catholic comments on Fortnight for Freedom - baltimoresun.com

Two former New Yorkers on path to sainthood | SILive.com

 

Pope Benedict XVI declared as “Venerable” Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, who is buried below the altar at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan, and Sister Mary Angeline Teresa, who founded the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirmed, Cardinal Dolan wrote in his blog on the Archdiocese of New York web site, Archny.org.

“Venerable” is the second step along the way to beatification and, ultimately, canonization.

While Archbishop Sheen is best known for his work in the Archdiocese of New York, the Diocese of Peoria, Ill., headed by Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, is pushing for sainthood since he grew up, was ordained and served as a priest in that Midwestern community.

Joseph Delaney of Pleasant Plains serves on the national board for the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation, which is the primary organization promoting the cause of his sainthood. Delaney said he was “ecstatic” when he received an e-mail from Monsignor Stanley Deptula of Peoria, executive director of the foundation, spreading the good news about Pope Benedict’s decree affirming the heroic virtues of Archbishop Sheen. 

</sub>PROUD SUPPORTERS<RR>“New Yorkers like myself are proud to be part of the cause,” said Delaney, who in April was selected as the first-ever recipient of the University of Notre Dame Alumni Association’s Volunteer of the Year award.

Delaney was a boy growing up in West Orange, N.J., attending St. John’s Grammar School, when he first saw and heard then-Bishop Sheen speak on the Dumont TV Network, locally broadcast on Channel 5. He remembers sitting down with his family after dinner to watch Archbishop Sheen’s TV show, “Life is Worth Living.”

The clergyman’s messages were aimed mainly at adults and, Delaney believes, had meaning for all Christians, not only Roman Catholics.

“I’ve always had a love and veneration for Archbishop Sheen,” Delaney said. “I consider him a hero of mine.” 

</sub>CONTINUING THE MISSION<rR>As coordinator of Adult Religious Education at St. Joseph-St. Thomas Parish, Delaney continues the mission of Archbishop Sheen.

“One of the reasons why I got myself involved in Adult Religious Education at St. Joseph-St. Thomas was I was inspired by the example of Archbishop Sheen,” Delaney said.

Pope John Paul II gave Archbishop Sheen the nickname “Preacher to the World,” referring to the many years that the preacher spent working in radio, television, and for the missions, Cardinal Dolan said.

“As head of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith from 1950 to 1966, the Venerable Fulton Sheen was heroic in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ far and wide — from Peoria to Pretoria; New York to New Delhi,” proclaimed Father Andrew Small, current president of the society.

“He teaches us still that the Church is missionary by Her very nature,” Father Small said.

In his visits to Staten Island, Cardinal Dolan has described Archbishop Sheen as a hero and a 20th-century pioneer in TV and radio evangelism.

Sheen was born in 1895 in El Paso, Ill, in the Diocese of Peoria, and ordained a priest there in 1919. He began a radio ministry in New York City in 1926, and became the first regular speaker on the NBC network radio program “The Catholic Hour” in 1930, according to his foundation. 

</sub>WINS AN EMMY<RR>His “Life is Worth Living” national television program aired from 1952 through 1957, drawing millions of viewers weekly. He won the 1952 Emmy for Most Outstanding Personality and, during his acceptance speech, thanked his “four writers — Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,” saintly writers of the Bible.

He also hosted the TV series “Pro Vadis, America?” from 1964 to 1966, and “The Bishop Sheen Program,” which bowed in 1966.

In 1955, Archbishop Sheen became the first Latin Rite bishop ever to offer a Solemn Byzantine Rite Mass in English. It was attended by more than 150,000 faithful in Uniontown, Pa.

In 1966, he was elected chairman of the Committee for the Propagation of the Faith. Pope Paul VI appointed him Bishop of Rochester (N.Y.) in Oct. 1966, and Archbishop of the Titular See of Newport, Wales, in Oct. 1969.

Archbishop Sheen died in 1979 at his home in New York City, according to his foundation. 

</sub>VENERABLE MARY 

ANGELINE TERESA<RR>Venerable Mary Angeline Teresa was born in Ireland in 1893. She joined the Little Sisters of the Poor at the age of 19, made her novitiate in France and ultimately was sent to the United States, where she was appointed Superior of a Home of the Little Sisters in the Bronx.

The then-Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Patrick Hayes, encouraged her to expand care for the elderly throughout all of New York City and the United States. With his approval, she and six other Sisters withdrew from the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Poor and founded the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirmed.

Sister died on Jan. 21 1984, and is buried at St. Theresa’s Motherhouse in Germantown, N.Y. She is remembered by the Sisters of her order by her words: “If you have to fail, let it be on the side of kindness. Be kinder than kindness itself to the old people.”

The original story in its entirety is available by clicking on the following:  Two former New Yorkers on path to sainthood | SILive.com