Wishing Everyone a Happy New Year...

I wish everyone a Happy New Year.

I would also like to thank one and all for reading and even commenting on the blog. I it will be a very busy year for me -- work and.

Now, it would really be a good way to start the new year if President Obama would resign.

Liberations Theology - A Fading Movement?

When you hear the words and writings of some priests but especially among female religious, who are in their late 50's through 70's, you hear the words of "liberation theology." This is especially true of those orders that are slowly dying, at least in my humble opinion.

The Catholic Exchange has an interesting article on this entitled: Not So Liberating: The Twilight of Liberation Theology.

Merry Christmas to One and All!

Luke 2:1-4

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

St. Bernadette's in the News for Christmas!

From the Gazette:

Although he has never been on an airplane, Tommy Harrison, 7, of Silver Spring has a passport stamped from visits to France, England, Germany and Sweden. By the end of last week, he expected to add Italy and Mexico.

Tommy and his first-grade classmates at St. Bernadette School in Silver Spring were studying Christmas customs around the world. Along the way, the students got lessons in history, geography and language arts.

This is what makes a Catholic education so special and important to preserve. Read all about it here.

Follow-up on St. Catherine's

Well, I was able to get a hold my normal source and confirm that St. Catherine Laboure will be open for another year. Congratulations!

It seems that there have been a number of donors, combined with the effort by the Archdiocese to keep this school open for the large number of Hispanic children who attend.

Is this what the USCCB and the MCC want?

We continue to see the USCCB and Maryland Catholic Conference (MCC) push for this monster of a health care bill going through the Congress.

Let's say that abortion funding was not in the bill, there are 16 new taxes, $100 million for a hospital somewhere (no one knows exactly for certain) and if you don't get health care insurance, you will go to jail.

Is this what they mean that health care is a right? Don't get it and go to jail.

The USCCB and MCC should be ashamed of themselves.

Got to love it...

Bill Donohue of the Catholic League tells it like it is in their Dec. 15, 2009 press release:

The Congress is now officially on record approving a bill that tells mothers in Washington, D.C. that if they decide to take their baby to term, and elect to send their child to a private school—just like the one that President Obama and his wife have chosen for their own children—they can do it on their own dime: the successful voucher scholarship program that 1,700 poor kids were enrolled in is now dead. But if these same mothers decide to abort their babies, the same government will rush to pay their bills.

Most of those affected are black. The bill will soon be signed into law by America’s first black president. Is there anyone so stupid not to understand what is going on?

You got to love it.

St. Catherine Laboure to Stay Open?

I received word that St. Catherine's would remain open for another year. This was announced at the Christmas performance at the school late last week.

Have others heard this?

Catholic Education Fundraising Ball instead of Catholic Charities?

Someone commented that we should change the Catholic Charities Annual Fundraising Ball to a Catholic Education Annual Fundraising Ball.

It is an interesting idea, since Catholic education is a social justice issue. Catholic education helps to bring people out of poverty. (Gee, sounds like we could use CCHD money for this too!)

The DC Opportunity Scholarships are pretty much dead. Other than those who are in the program, there will be no new ones. Catholic schools will eventually close. This will, in the long term, hurt our parishes, for schools bring a vibrancy and an increased participation.

Personally, with the DC Government support of gay marriage, I think that the Archdiocese should let all of the current Catholic Charities' contracts end and let the city take them over.

It is a contractual issue -- they want to change the terms, we do not. Why fight it and them. Don't waste the time and money. When the contract ends and then everyone goes their own way.

We are not abandoning the City, it is a simple contractual disagreement. (But many of us have warned the Church about going down this road.)

The Archdiocese should do what it can with the money it has and then focus on education. You have total control of the funds and how to use it.

Parents will know that their children are safe, learning and have a good foundation for the future. Teachers and staff will have good paying jobs with benefits. Parishes will see their parishes come alive again.

Considering the fact that David Catania feels that it will be a breeze to get other vendors to take over, then let them do it. Considering DC's track record on services to the poor and those with AIDS (see Washington Post Dec. 12, 2009), they will once again show their incompetence.

What do you think?

Change the Catholic Charities Ball to support education?

Let the contracts expire and do what you can with the money you have for education.

Take the unscientific poll to the right. Love to hear what you think.

St. Jude's to remain open; St. Hugh's to closed and merged

The Catholic Standard reported on their website that St. Jude's would continue to remain open (that's nothing new).

St. Hugh's would be closed and merged with St. Joseph's in Beltsville. The story about St. Hugh's was posted by Anonymous (thank you for the scoop on that one) on Nov. 18th.

VOTF: Honoring the Excommunicated

Over the last few years, I have written about Voice of the Faithful (VOTF). It is a an organization that is looking to tear down the Catholic Church. They are a dissenting organization and many of us have pointed this out.

Well it seems that they have nominated Fr. Roy Bourgeois (Maryknoll) as a "Priest of Integrity" Award. Many Maryknolls have been killed for upholding the faith. Fr. Bourgeois thinks he is a martyr for supporting women priests.

According to Diogenes of Catholic Culture:

Father Bourgeois incurred latae sententiae excommunication for participating in the attempted ordination of a woman. Undaunted by the threat of canonical penalty, he says that the Church’s failure to ordain women as priests amounts to spiritual assassination.

VOTF continues to meet at Holy Trinity in Washington DC. I have not followed up to see if they still meet at St. Rose of Lima (Clopper Road).

When will the Archbishop put an end to these dissenting organiations?

Did you pick up your copy of the Parish Times?

The Parish Times is a newspaper given away free to parishes. Stories are written by local parishes and focus on the regular events in the life of a parish. The December 2009 issue covers such stories as:

• The Holy Redeemer Angel Fund which supplements Catholic school tuition costs for families with financial hardship and needs.
• Pack 440, sponsored by St. Bernadette, which collected apx. 450 bags of food, as part of the Scouting for Food Program.
• Our Lady of Lourdes students who pray daily for our Active Duty Members.
• St. Martin parishioners who conducted their first Life Walk Prayer Procession.
• Our Lady of Mercy remembering Ken Augerger, a long time usher and greeter.
• St. Peter's students making sandwiches for Shepherd's Table.

These are only a small sampling of the stories about our parishes in Montgomery County. They are great stories about our faith in action -- in large and small ways.

If you haven't picked up a copy, please do so.

From Today's Washington comPost...

The Washington Post has two articles about gay student groups. One is at Catholic University of America and the other at Georgetown University.

I applaud CUA for trying to hold firm. Georgetown, in my humble opinion, is a lost cause and our Archbishop only seems to enable this.

Thanks to The Deacon's Bench for pointing this out.

Knights of Columbus in Action

I wanted to end the week on a positive note.

My good friend Melvin, passed along his copy of Columbia, the monthly magazine of the Knights of Columbus and asked me to highlight two items.

First, the Maryland and DC State Councils and the American Wheelchair Mission (a division of Global Wheelchair Mission) celebrated Veteran's Day by distributing 110 wheelchairs to verterals at the Washington DC VA Medical Center. For more information, go to: www.kofc.org/wheelchair.

The Knighs of Fr. Andrew White Assembly in Ridge, MD adopted a one-mile stretch of Route 5 (Maryland) and were shown picking up litter.

Finally, a reader sent me a note about a fundraiser sponsored by the Fr. Rosensteel Assembly (Silver Spring, MD) entitled: A Celtic Christmas Concert.

The Bog Band will be performing a Celtic Christmas Concert on Sunday, Dec. 20th, 4 p.m. at Knights of Columbus Hall in Silver Spring, MD.

The concert will feature Bog Band arrangements of traditional Celtic Christmas tunes, songs, and dance, and will be great way for the whole family to celebrate the season.

Proceeds from the concert will be split evenly between the Bog Band and the Knights of Columbus charities. The Bog Band will be traveling to County Kerry in July as part of an exchange program organized by our local branch of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann. Knights of Columbus charities include: St. Joseph House, Special Olympics, Diocesan Seminarians, Sherpherds Table, S.O.M.E., and Catholic Charities among others.

The Bog Band, which has appeared in numerous prestigious local venues over the years, continues to provide a great entertainment value to audiences who appreciate traditional Irish music, while also helping to raisefunds for charities deserving of our financial assistance. To date, the Bog Band has helped raise more than $10,000 for numerous charities, including The Alanna Lake Memorial Endowment Seed Fund at Washington Waldorf School, The McKenna Center, and Justice for Children.

Advance Tickets: $10 adult; $5 child; or $30 per family
Tickets at the Door: $15 adult; $10 child; $50 per family

Send check payable to "Knights of Columbus" with note "Bog Band Celtic Christmas" to attention of:
George Carter
Knights of Columbus Hall
9707 Rosensteel Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910

email: ggc35@comcast. netphone: 301-412-1809

Please consider coming to event as part of your celebration of the year-end holiday. Thanks much foryour consideration and your support. We wish you happy holidays and continued health,wealth and success in the coming new year! If you want to read more about the bog band go to www.bogband.com

Abortion is Preventative Care

Yep, so says Sen. Mikulski, who tells everyone she was raised a Catholic. Read more about it from LifeNews.

Once again, I am calling on all faithful Catholics to vote against her when her term is up.

The USCCB is getting hoodwinked here by supporting "universal health care." They have no idea what they are up against.

Catholics, Global Warming and the New Devotion

I have been pretty busy the last couple of days, but a couple of thoughts have been running though my mind the last couple of months...

Global Warming, I mean, Climate Change (we have to get out Orwellian phrases correct, you understand) has become the new devotion or cause of the social justice crowd. We see some religious orders making that a part of their regular ministry. We see parishes have whole committees on it with regular meetings on the issues. (Although I see them really more as cost savings committees - changing light bulbs and such.) Even this Archdiocese has had a day at the McCarrick Center on the Church and the Environment.

However, over the last few weeks, we have seen that the "climate change" experts have been "fixing" the numbers. Kinda like a mobster who "fixes" a boxing match. Now, many of us believed that ALGORE was full of hot air from the start but with the release of emails on this, everyone can see that this has been "rigged."

Considering that the meeting in Copenhagen this week will feature 1200 Limos, 140 private jets and spew more than 40,000 tons of carbon just there alone, should make people really wonder about those who claim to be interested in saving the planet.

Now, as one who likes to go into the great outdoors, I believe that it is important to conserve when appropriate, and to make certain not to destroy but this is really out of hand.

Sheryl Crowe talks about using on piece of toilet paper. I wonder how many she uses and how often she travels in a private limo or SUV?

Does Leonardo Dicaprio have to jet around the world for appearances at his latest movie? Why can't he just video conference in?

So, I wonder what should happen to these Church Committees? Will the various religious groups begin to see the light that they have been hoodwinked? Or will they stick to their beliefs, similar to those that believe that the moon landing was a hoax and that the Holocaust never existed.

Just some random thoughts. What do you think?

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

Now, do whatever you can to make Mass today!

Did Archbishop Wuerl honor Pro-Abortionists & Pro-Gay Media Members?

According to this week's Catholic Standard, Archbishop Wuerl presented a check to the a group of religious before the annual SOAR (Support our Aging Religious) Dinner.

Note that the Catholic Standard was very careful NOT to say (1) who the honorees were and (2) did not come out and say if he actually attended the dinner. (Wonder if the caption for the photo on page 12 was written by the Standard or the Office of Communications?)

As you may be aware of, I pointed out the fact in August that SOAR would honor Cokie and Stephen Roberts - both whom support abortion, homosexual marriage and have publicly criticised the Pope.

Personally, I believe that he did attend the dinner, which is really terrible. What type of message does it send to the faithful? That is it okay to honor those who support these terrible things because they donate money to us? It is just like the way the Archbishop honored John Sweeney.

Now, if he did not attend the dinner, I would love to receive some communication from the Archdiocese but I doubt that they will.

Buy Religous Christmas Stamps!

Each year, I head over to the Post Office and purchase Christmas stamps. Now, I don't purchase two or three booklets, just for the Christmas cards. I purchase 20 or 30 booklets and I only purchase the religous ones - Madonna and Child.

I do so for three reasons. First, the Post Office is a business and the more you purchase of a particular product, it will more than likely continue to carry that product and stock more of it. Second, it sends a message that Christ is the reason for this time of year. Firally, I use them on all generic mailings after Christmas to again remind everyone that Christ is the key to eternal life.

So, go out and purchase your stamps today!

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UPDATE: Our colleagues at Restore DC Catholicism have posted videos on the Montgomery County Council hearings on the attempt to stifle the Pregnancy Centers. Take a look and see the lies told by Planned Parenthood and some of our representatives.

Expansion of the Extraordinary form of the Mass within Washington, D.

I received this from a reader:

A low Mass will be offered every Friday at 8am starting this Friday, December 4th at St. Mary's Church in downtown DC. It is one block east of the Chinatown Metro Station and just a few blocks from Holy Rosary Church.

After a number of requests, Archbishop Wuerl has agreed to it on a trial basis but, if there is not enough support, it may be discontinued. Various priests will rotate to say the Mass.

Some upcoming Fridays over the next couple of months (Holy days omitted):

December 4: St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop, Confessor, Doctor / First Friday
December 11: St. Damasus, Pope and Confessor
December 18: Friday in Ember Week of Advent
January 8: Friday after Epiphany
January 15: St. Paul Hermit, Confessor/ Commemoration of St. Maurus, Abbott
January 22: St. Vincent and Anastasius, Martyrs
January 29: St. Francis de Sales

Thank You!

Over two years ago, I started this blog. Some of the postings (almost 500) have been funny, some very sharp, some have been news breaking, some have been mundane.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for reading this blog, esp. those who come here on a regular basis and those who have contributed to the postings.

I would especially like to thank everyone (esp. Melvin) over the last 12 months or so, who assisted with the information on (1) Charter Schools (2) the Archdiocese School Policy and (3) the merger/closing of the schools in Maryland.

Once again, THANK YOU.

Today's Washington Post

Some of you probably have read the Metro section of today's Washington comPost and the story entitled: Archbishop takes a reluctant turn in the spotlight - Tactics in same-sex marriage controversy concern D.C. Catholics.

In looking at the story, there are two things that I noticed. First, that the writer did not say that the Archdiocese will continue to serve the poor with the available resources. They will do without the contracts and the money from those contracts. Second, that they only interviewed one "Catholic": Ron Castaldi of the "left-leaning Holy Trinity parish" (the author hit that nail on the head!). Don't know if Kevin Chavous is Catholic or not (the main websites do not indicate any religous affiliation).

Although I have not agreed with much of what the Archbishop has done, I do hope that he holds firm on this one.