Jun 2009
From the Pastor
June/25/2009
In place of my usual weekly article, while I’m away in Poland, is this one by pro-Life activist, Deirdre A. McQuade. Her timely article came out when a lot of comments were being tossed around concerning President Obama’s reception of an award and graduation speech at Notre Dame. Several years ago, the abortion advocacy organization NARAL decided to drop the word “abortion” from its name. Originally founded in 1969, as the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws, NARAL changed its name in 1973, to the National Abortion Rights Action League when Roe v. Wade legalized abortion nationwide.
In 2003, the “A-word” must have become too distasteful or ineffective in promoting “reproductive rights.” NARAL dropped mention of abortion altogether but kept its acronym, calling itself “NARAL Pro-Choice America.” Now “NARAL” presumably doesn’t stand for anything. It seems increasingly clear that “Pro-Choice America” doesn’t stand for anything either. According to recent nationwide opinion polls, support for abortion is waning, and America is trending decidedly pro-life. The trend started in the early '90s during the public debate on partial-birth abortion – in which the Catholic community
was highly visible. Support for Roe peaked in 1991 and has been falling ever since.
The Gallup Poll’s Values and Beliefs survey released May 15 shows that Americans are taking a dramatic turn toward greater opposition to abortion. For the first time, a 51% majority of adults identified themselves as pro-life – an 8-point increase over the previous year. Only 42% called themselves pro-choice. Women have embraced the pro-life position more, and this is the first time in nine years that significantly more men and women are pro-life than pro-choice. A total of 75% think that abortion should be either illegal under all circumstances
(22%) or legal only under certain circumstances (53%). Only 23% think abortion should be legal under any circumstance. Thus fewer than one in four agrees with the current status of abortion law under Roe v. Wade, which allows “abortion on demand” throughout the nine months of pregnancy. Other polls conducted by Gallup, the Pew Research Center, and Quinnipiac University have similar findings. It’s encouraging that we live in “Pro-Life America.” This is a real sign of hope for women and their children. But the polls are not surprising because we’re seeing these results confirmed by an upsurge in grassroots pro-life activism. Pro-Life America has mobilized in three recent major campaigns thanks to the hard work of
a small crew at the bishops’ partner organization, National Committee for a Human Life Amendment (NCHLA).
Over 34 million postcards to Congress were distributed during the campaign against the introduction of the so-called “Freedom of Choice Act” (FOCA) or similar legislation. Millions spoke up to defend the hard-won pro-life laws that have saved countless lives since Roe – laws like public funding bans and parental involvement requirements. Then Pro-Life America got to work again, sending over 340,000 messages to the Department of Health and Human Services urging continued protection for the conscience rights of health care workers. Over 73,000 of these were sent through NCHLA’s online Grassroots Action Center. In May, that same action center facilitated tens of thousands of comments to Congress and NIH opposing destructive embryonic stem cell research and calling for ethical alternatives.
As we raise our voices to our policymakers, we must also pray that they will make wise decisions for the common good. It’s time to be boldly and lovingly pro-life – not just because we’re in the majority, but because families are literally dying to hear the hope we have to share.
Very Rev. Canon Tom
In 2003, the “A-word” must have become too distasteful or ineffective in promoting “reproductive rights.” NARAL dropped mention of abortion altogether but kept its acronym, calling itself “NARAL Pro-Choice America.” Now “NARAL” presumably doesn’t stand for anything. It seems increasingly clear that “Pro-Choice America” doesn’t stand for anything either. According to recent nationwide opinion polls, support for abortion is waning, and America is trending decidedly pro-life. The trend started in the early '90s during the public debate on partial-birth abortion – in which the Catholic community
was highly visible. Support for Roe peaked in 1991 and has been falling ever since.
The Gallup Poll’s Values and Beliefs survey released May 15 shows that Americans are taking a dramatic turn toward greater opposition to abortion. For the first time, a 51% majority of adults identified themselves as pro-life – an 8-point increase over the previous year. Only 42% called themselves pro-choice. Women have embraced the pro-life position more, and this is the first time in nine years that significantly more men and women are pro-life than pro-choice. A total of 75% think that abortion should be either illegal under all circumstances
(22%) or legal only under certain circumstances (53%). Only 23% think abortion should be legal under any circumstance. Thus fewer than one in four agrees with the current status of abortion law under Roe v. Wade, which allows “abortion on demand” throughout the nine months of pregnancy. Other polls conducted by Gallup, the Pew Research Center, and Quinnipiac University have similar findings. It’s encouraging that we live in “Pro-Life America.” This is a real sign of hope for women and their children. But the polls are not surprising because we’re seeing these results confirmed by an upsurge in grassroots pro-life activism. Pro-Life America has mobilized in three recent major campaigns thanks to the hard work of
a small crew at the bishops’ partner organization, National Committee for a Human Life Amendment (NCHLA).
Over 34 million postcards to Congress were distributed during the campaign against the introduction of the so-called “Freedom of Choice Act” (FOCA) or similar legislation. Millions spoke up to defend the hard-won pro-life laws that have saved countless lives since Roe – laws like public funding bans and parental involvement requirements. Then Pro-Life America got to work again, sending over 340,000 messages to the Department of Health and Human Services urging continued protection for the conscience rights of health care workers. Over 73,000 of these were sent through NCHLA’s online Grassroots Action Center. In May, that same action center facilitated tens of thousands of comments to Congress and NIH opposing destructive embryonic stem cell research and calling for ethical alternatives.
As we raise our voices to our policymakers, we must also pray that they will make wise decisions for the common good. It’s time to be boldly and lovingly pro-life – not just because we’re in the majority, but because families are literally dying to hear the hope we have to share.
Very Rev. Canon Tom
From the Pastor
June/21/2009
In place of my usual weekly article, while I’m away in Rome and Poland, I would like to present this article
for your consideration.
“The Little People on Death Row”
by Tom Grenchik, Executive Director of the Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Americans had until May 26, to intervene in the death sentences of countless members of our human family. Unless we spoke up, some of our youngest sisters and brothers may now be destroyed because their parts are valued more than their very lives. It’s all about stem cells. Stem cells are biological building blocks that can be manipulated to replace many other types of cells, in the hope of repairing the human body and curing disease. Stem cells can be taken from adult tissues and from newborn babies’ umbilical cord blood without any harm to the donor, and without any moral dilemma. These are loosely called “adult stem cells.” But stem cells can also be immorally harvested from a human embryo, destroying the un-consenting “donor.” These are called “embryonic stem cells.” Adult stem cells have been used to regenerate areas of damaged organs, restore eyesight, repair heart damage and treat rare blood disorders. Embryonic stem cell treatments, on the other
hand, have chiefly resulted in growing tumors and killing laboratory rats.
Following President Obama’s March 9 executive order, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) proposed new guidelines for federally funded embryonic stem cell research. The guidelines would – for the first time – use taxpayer funds to encourage the killing of embryonic human beings for their stem cells. This is morally wrong! Even if an embryo may be at risk of being abandoned by his or her parents in a fertility clinic, that
does not give researchers or the government a right to kill that human being – much less a right to make the rest of us subsidize that destructive agenda! These guidelines mark a new chapter in divorcing biomedical research from its necessary ethical foundation, respect for human life at all stages.
Some in Congress and the Administration want an even broader policy. They want to obtain stem cells by destroying human embryos specially generated for research through in vitro fertilization (IVF) or cloning procedures, a “create to kill” policy. While the president’s executive order gave the NIH the leeway to push to that extreme, so far these initial guidelines have not done so. Patients suffering from devastating illnesses deserve
our compassion and our committed response, but not at the cost of innocent life. The Church supports ethical stem cell research and treatments that do no harm and respect the inherent dignity of persons, such as the morally acceptable medical advances that are already benefiting patients with dozens of conditions in clinical trials.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has launched a new “Oppose Destructive Stem Cell Research” campaign, equipping citizens to contact Congress and the National Institutes of Health to oppose embryonic stem cell research and support ethical and effective cures and treatments. The campaign homepage, www.usccb.org/stemcellcampaign, explains why the proposed NIH guidelines are unacceptable,
provides links to USCCB resources, and helps web users to contact Congress & NIH by e-mail. Go to www.usccb.org/prolife to learn more about the Bishops’ pro-life activities.
I also take this time to wish all of our fathers and soon-to-be dads a very Happy Father’s Day! Dads are often the silent, unsung heroes of our families and our society. May God bless and keep and watch over and protect each of them each day of their lives. My He keep them faithful to their spouses and families, and help them to be living examples of His love!
Very Rev. Canon Tom
for your consideration.
“The Little People on Death Row”
by Tom Grenchik, Executive Director of the Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Americans had until May 26, to intervene in the death sentences of countless members of our human family. Unless we spoke up, some of our youngest sisters and brothers may now be destroyed because their parts are valued more than their very lives. It’s all about stem cells. Stem cells are biological building blocks that can be manipulated to replace many other types of cells, in the hope of repairing the human body and curing disease. Stem cells can be taken from adult tissues and from newborn babies’ umbilical cord blood without any harm to the donor, and without any moral dilemma. These are loosely called “adult stem cells.” But stem cells can also be immorally harvested from a human embryo, destroying the un-consenting “donor.” These are called “embryonic stem cells.” Adult stem cells have been used to regenerate areas of damaged organs, restore eyesight, repair heart damage and treat rare blood disorders. Embryonic stem cell treatments, on the other
hand, have chiefly resulted in growing tumors and killing laboratory rats.
Following President Obama’s March 9 executive order, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) proposed new guidelines for federally funded embryonic stem cell research. The guidelines would – for the first time – use taxpayer funds to encourage the killing of embryonic human beings for their stem cells. This is morally wrong! Even if an embryo may be at risk of being abandoned by his or her parents in a fertility clinic, that
does not give researchers or the government a right to kill that human being – much less a right to make the rest of us subsidize that destructive agenda! These guidelines mark a new chapter in divorcing biomedical research from its necessary ethical foundation, respect for human life at all stages.
Some in Congress and the Administration want an even broader policy. They want to obtain stem cells by destroying human embryos specially generated for research through in vitro fertilization (IVF) or cloning procedures, a “create to kill” policy. While the president’s executive order gave the NIH the leeway to push to that extreme, so far these initial guidelines have not done so. Patients suffering from devastating illnesses deserve
our compassion and our committed response, but not at the cost of innocent life. The Church supports ethical stem cell research and treatments that do no harm and respect the inherent dignity of persons, such as the morally acceptable medical advances that are already benefiting patients with dozens of conditions in clinical trials.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has launched a new “Oppose Destructive Stem Cell Research” campaign, equipping citizens to contact Congress and the National Institutes of Health to oppose embryonic stem cell research and support ethical and effective cures and treatments. The campaign homepage, www.usccb.org/stemcellcampaign, explains why the proposed NIH guidelines are unacceptable,
provides links to USCCB resources, and helps web users to contact Congress & NIH by e-mail. Go to www.usccb.org/prolife to learn more about the Bishops’ pro-life activities.
I also take this time to wish all of our fathers and soon-to-be dads a very Happy Father’s Day! Dads are often the silent, unsung heroes of our families and our society. May God bless and keep and watch over and protect each of them each day of their lives. My He keep them faithful to their spouses and families, and help them to be living examples of His love!
Very Rev. Canon Tom
From the Pastor
June/14/2009
What a great evening we had at the 1st Annual “Crawfish Boil,” put on by the Committee for the Underwriters for the next Parish School Auction. The rain and thunder didn’t scare away the good number of people who came out to help support our kids and their parish school. There was plenty of shrimp and crawfish and corn, and the beverages and pure
Cajun music made it a great evening! Our usual good cooks always know how to have fun behind the scenes and create quite a sensational feast. Our wonderful women really outdid themselves in planning and executing this bash. May God bless the hard-working Moms and Dads and those members of our Home and School Association who came to support us as well as our maintenance crew and all others who helped to make this new event a success!
Our annual Vacation Bible Camp concluded this past Friday. Once again, our little children thoroughly enjoyed themselves while learning how they too can become an apostle by following the example of St. Paul. I offer a heartfelt “Thank You”, to the core team of Julie D’Addio, Cathy Fradkin, Jennifer Levenson, Marjorie Robinson, Kim Weber, and to the may volunteers, adults, teens and youngsters, who assisted them in making this a memorable experience
(their names mentioned elsewhere in the bulletin).
This Sunday marks the Solemn Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. Though we have the Most Blessed Sacrament exposed all year long in our beautiful Perpetual Adoration Chapel, we have a chance as a parish family to celebrate this feast in a special way. There will be a special Eucharistic Procession following this Sunday’s 11:00 Mass. Come join us in this celebration.
The Vatican has announced that during the “Year for Priests,” which will run June 19, 2009 – June 19, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI will grant plenary indulgences to priests and the faithful. The year begins with the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (June 19th), “a day of priestly sanctification,” according to a press release from the Vatican. On that day, the Holy Father “will celebrate Vespers before relics” of St. Jean Marie Vianney, patron saint of priests. The Year will end in St. Peter's Square, in the presence of priests from all over the world "who will renew their faithfulness to Christ and their bonds of fraternity." The means to obtain the plenary indulgence are:
(A) All truly penitent priests who, on any day, devotedly pray the official Morning or Evening Prayer of the Church before the Blessed Sacrament exposed to public adoration, or in the tabernacle, and offer themselves with a ready and generous heart for the celebration of the Sacraments, especially the Sacrament of Penance, will be granted a Plenary Indulgence (a full remission of the temporary punishment due to sin), which they can also apply to their deceased confreres, if in accordance with current norms they take Sacramental Confession and the Eucharist and pray in accordance with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. Priests are furthermore granted a Partial Indulgence, also applicable to deceased confreres, every time they devotedly recite the prayers duly approved to lead a saintly life and to carry out the duties entrusted to them.
(B) All truly penitent Christian faithful who, in church or oratory, devotedly attend Holy Mass and offer prayers to Jesus Christ, Supreme and Eternal Priest, for the priests of the Church, or perform any good work to sanctify and mold them to His Heart, are granted a Plenary Indulgence (a full remission of the temporary punishment due to sin), on the condition that they have expiated their sins through Sacramental Confession and prayed in accordance with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. This may be done on the opening and closing days of the Year of Priests, on the 150th anniversary of the death of St. Jean Marie Vianney, on the first Thursday of the month, or on any other day established by
the bishop of the diocese for the good of the faithful.
(C) The elderly, the sick and all those who for any legitimate reason are unable to leave their homes, may still obtain a Plenary Indulgence ( a full remission of the temporary punishment due to sin) if, with the soul completely removed from attachment to any form of sin and with the intention of observing, as soon as they can, the usual three conditions,* "on
the days concerned, they pray for the sanctification of priests and offer their sickness and suffering to God through Mary, Queen of the Apostles."
(D) Additionally, a partial indulgence will be offered to the faithful each time they pray five “Our Father,” “Hail Mary” and “Glory Be,” prayers or any other duly approved prayer "in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to ask that priests maintain purity and sanctity of life." I will be celebrating these feasts in Rome and Poland, and certainly will include your intentions as I offer Mass in those special shrines: St. Peter’s in Rome, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Padre Pio, and at St. Faustina’s tomb and at the Shrine of the Black Madonna in Czestochowa. * = Sacramental reception of Penance, the worthy reception of the Holy Eucharist, and the three prayers for the Holy Father’s intentions: Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be.
Very Rev. Canon Tom