I am sorry that I missed this: Dominican carolers bring joy of Christmas to downtown DC

Passers-by stopped for a moment to pause and listen in the busy streets of Washington, D.C., as Dominican brothers, sisters and friars gathered in joyful song to wish people a Merry Christmas.

One observer, John Cherry of Washington, D.C., described the scene as “very soothing to my spirit.”

He told CNA that religious brothers and sisters represent the “call of the future” of the Christian Church.

“The purpose of Jesus is to come and let the light shine in the darkness,” he continued, saying that the Dominicans’ singing offered a reminder of this in an often busy and sometimes difficult city.

Student brothers and friars from the Dominican House of Studies, along with Dominican sisters from the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecelia and the Dominican Sisters of Mary, took a short ride from their Washington, D.C. priory and convent to sing Advent and Christmas carols to people walking the downtown streets on Dec. 16.
For the complete story, click here: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/dominican-carolers-bring-joy-of-christmas-to-downtown-dc/

Merry Christmas

The entire staff (me, myself and I) at AWASHINGTONDCCATHOLIC, wish you and your family all of the joy of the birth of the Christ child.

Merry Christmas!

I SUPPORT PHIL (and You Should Too)!!

If you are a blogger, post an I SUPPORT PHIL story.   

Let's get it out there!

A New Appointment for Cardinal Wuerl...

It seems tha Cardinal Wuerl has been appointed by the Pope to be a member of the 

all-powerful "Thursday table" that recommends nominees for episcopal appointments in the developed world.

Read more here:  http://whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com/2013/12/for-bishops-francis-runs-wuerlpool.html
Heaven Help Us!

Cent'anni Holy Rosary!

“For 100 years this has been the national church of the Italian American people,” Pastor Ezio Marchetto said in his heavy Italian accent. “We have people who were baptized here, received their sacraments here, were married here and got their children baptized here. There is a connection that goes back generations.”

To read more, about the 100th Anniversary of Holy Rosary Parish, go here:   http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/holy-rosary-church-a-hub-for-italian-families-turns-100/2013/12/13/267209ae-5def-11e3-be07-006c776266ed_story.html

Update on St. John the Evangelist Teacher's Aide for Dec. 12th

All updates are made to the original posting.  

Click here:  http://www.awashingtondccatholic.blogspot.com/2013/06/teacher-arrested-from-st-john.html

The USCCB shares the blame for ObamaCare...

Here is an interesting article.  And yes, I agree with it.

Currently, 4.8M+ Americans have lost or will lose their health insurance (with perhaps 100M+ more to come, if competent economists are to be believed). Thousands of doctors have been dropped by health insurance carriers, are leaving (or likely to leave) the practice of medicine, or forming concierge practices. The doctor shortage is expected to grow, perhaps creating long waiting lines for people who need immediate medical care. Untold numbers of Americans cannot keep their doctors or medical treatments, as the President himself promised on many occasions. There’s certainly a lot of blame to pass around on this one. And the USCCB certainly deserves its share of the blame. Why?

They didn’t heed the warnings of those economists who were predicting these deleterious consequences long before Obamacare was enacted. Worse yet, the bishops may end up having compromised their teaching authority in the process.

See more at: http://the-american-catholic.com/2013/12/08/obamacare-and-the-bishops-sharing-the-blame/#sthash.pGIwpx3S.dpuf

Have you noticed...

how quiet the Catholyc supporters of Obamacare are these days?  Do you think that they are starting to realize what a disaster this is, and I don't just mean the website?  

Does Obama have a problem using the word "GOD"

It seems that we are facing the fact that the Most Merciful, All Knowing, President Barack Obama has left out the phrase "under God" from his reading of the Gettysburg Address on this the 150th Anniversary.

You will notice, that he pauses, which leads me to believe that it is there (and he knows it is there) but deliberately leaves it out.

Why? 

I believe that by removing GOD, and doing it on a regular basis, you get people into the habit of thinking that GOD is not the most important person in our lives -- the STATE is. 

And that is where he wants to take us -- that the STATE is the arbiter of all things, not GOD.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nm-vfxZyJwo

 

What You Can do to Help the Philippines...

Our colleague over at Restore DC Catholicism has some good recommendations if you plan to donate.  Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is not one of them.

Go here for more information.

UPDATE: Teacher's Aide from St. John the Evangelist Elementary School

Please note that I will be placing all future updates on the original blog posting, to provide you with a complete history of this case.  Thank you.

Click here to view the Nov. 16th update.

CUA cuts ties with NASW (UPDATE)

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 11, 2013 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The new dean of Catholic University’s School of Social Service (NCSSS) is under fire from abortion supporters after announcing the school would no longer partner with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) because of the group’s strong policy stance in favor of legalized abortion.

Will Rainford, who has served as dean of the National Catholic School of Social Service since June, told students in an email that he would “no longer allow NCSSS to officially partner or collaborate with NASW … based solely on NASW’s overt public position that social workers should advocate for access to abortions.”

You can read the rest here.

Way to go CUA!!!!!

++++++++++

Update:

Someone I have known for apx. 15 years, and who has been in the field of social work even longer, wrote the following to me: 

wow...good for CUA! NASW is a militant advocator for pro-choice; gay and lesbian issues; yet they are silent and ineffective on advocating for social workers in this country (i.e. economic compensation for what social workers do; demanding respect for what social workers do -- fyi -- social workers provide over 50% of all mental health in this country--which excludes child & adult protection; psychiatrists provide about 10% yet the American Psychiatric Association is an extremely powerful and wealthy organization--they are the ones that just re-did the psych diagnosing (DSM 5)etc....). It was not NASW that stood up to the Psychiatric Association -- it was NIH who said....nope, we don't agree with your diagnosing so we're going to come up with our own! It'll be interesting what NASW does from this CUA event....CUA school of social work is one of the top ones in the country so it holds a lot of weight....we'll see......

 

Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) on Medjugorje presentations in the US

According to a letter from the Apostolic Nuncio to the USCCB, it seems that one of the visionaries of Medjugorje will be giving presentations in a number of parishes in the US.  According to the letter:

"clerics and the faithful are not permitted to participate in meetings, conferences or public celebrations during which the credibility of such ‘apparitions’ would be taken for granted.”

For the complete letter, go here:
http://wdtprs.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/13_11_06_Vigano_Medjogurje.jpg

Hat Tip to Fr. Z's Blog.

It is All Saint's Day

Get yourself to Mass!

Pope Francis Meets with The World Bank President

From a reader, who works at The World Bank in Washington, DC:


ROME, October 28, 2013 - World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim and His Holiness Pope Francis met today at the Vatican to discuss their mutual efforts to end extreme poverty and provide greater opportunities for the poor and vulnerable.

“I was so grateful to meet with the Holy Father and was inspired by his passion and commitment to help the poor, the sick, and the hungry,” Kim said. “We talked about ways we could work together with faith leaders to make a preferential option for the poor, so they can have greater opportunity and justice in their lives.”

To read more, go here.

Update on the John Paul II Center.

Over two years ago, I wrote about the John Paul Center.  To be honest, I was highly critical of this purchase and still am.

Here is an update from Catholic News Service.

To be honest, I am not certain how much different this is, than the original intent. 

Learning about Spreading the Good Word, in the shadows of the White House

Washington D.C., Oct 25, 2013 / 05:08 pm (CNA/EWTN News).-The lay evangelization training program Catholic Voices will bring its next group training to within blocks of the White House, as it teaches Catholics how to share the message of the Catholic faith.

The next training session will take place at the Catholic Information Center in Washington, D.C., which “hosts the closest tabernacle to the White House,” Kathryn Lopez, director of Catholic Voices USA, told CNA Oct. 23.

“Where better to gather to work to better communicate the light of faith? Heaven knows politics could use a dose of illumination, liberated from ideology and other idols, as Pope Francis might put it!”
For more information, go here. 

Redefining ‘pedophilia’ as a ‘sexual orientation’

People can classify themselves as heterosexual, homosexual, asexual, metrosexual. There are endless sexual orientations under the sun, and now, pedophilia can be added to the list.

In the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM V), the American Psychological Association (APA) drew a very distinct line between pedophilia and pedophilic disorder. Pedophilia refers to a sexual orientation or profession of sexual preference devoid of consummation, whereas pedophilic disorder is defined as a compulsion and is used in reference to individuals who act on their sexuality. 

To read the complete sad story, go here:  http://www.neontommy.com/news/2013/10/pedophilia-sexual-orientation

Hat tip to Fr. Z.

St. Bartholomew Church in Bethesday on CNS

Catholic New Service did a short video on Fr. Mark Knestout and St. Bartholomew parish in Bethesda, MD.  This is part of the Archdiocese of Washington.

http://youtu.be/vV1GyYmCm6o

H/T to Deacon Greg Kandra.

Georgetown Law class required to work for pro-abortion lobby

A class at Georgetown University’s law school scheduled for next semester will have students working with a pro-abortion rights advocacy organization, taught by that organization’s senior counsel, Kelli Garcia. Garcia, a radical pro-abortion rights lawyer, wrote the poem titled, “Planned Parenthood, Why Do I Love Thee?” in 2011. The poem was part of a larger effort by Garcia and her group to halt the potential defunding of Planned Parenthood, which is the nation’s largest abortion provider.

For more information, go here:  http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/georgetown-law-class-required-to-work-for-pro-abortion-lobby

++++++++++++++

There are at least two priests on the Board of Governors:  Fr. Steck, SJ, and Fr. Walsh, SJ.   Will they take a stand on this?

There are five priests on the Board of Directors?  Will they take a stand on this?

Altough Cardinal Wuerl has taken a hands off approach (as far as we can tell) with Georgetown University.  Will this continue?

Legal name changes and baptism certificates

Changed your legal name?  What to do about it in relation to your baptism certficicate?

Here is some great advice from Fr. Z.

Immaculata High School is No More.

In 1986, Immaculata High School, established by the Sisters of Providence, was closed.  

It has been torn down to make way for the American University - Washington College of Law.  

To read more, go here.

Archdiocese: Gov’t Engaged in ‘Conscious Political Strategy to Marginalize and Delegitimize’ Catholic ‘Religious Views

The Archdiocese of Washington (HOORAY!) is suing the US Government on the basis that the:  Obama administration is engaged in a “conscious political strategy to marginalize and delegitimize” Catholic “religious views on contraception by holding them up for ridicule on the national stage.”

According to the lawsuit:

The record, moreover, establishes that the mandate was part of a conscious political strategy to marginalize and delegitimize plaintiffs’ religious views on contraception by holding them up for ridicule on the national stage,” says the archdiocese’s memorandum.

“Likewise,” the memorandum continues, “the original definition of ‘preventive service’ was promulgated by an Institute of Medicine Committee that was stacked with individuals who, like Defendant Sebelius, strongly disagreed with many Catholic teachings, causing the committee’s lone dissenter to lament that the committee’s recommendation reflected the other members’ ‘subjective determinations filtered through a lens of advocacy.’”

 “This anti-religious bias,” says the memorandum, “is further confirmed by the fact that it was directly modeled on a California statute, see 77 Fed. Reg. at 8726 (explaining that the federal Mandate was modeled on state law); … whose chief legislative sponsor made clear that its purpose was to strike a blow against Catholic religious authorities: ‘59 percent of all Catholic women of childbearing age practice contraception.’ ‘[88] percent of Catholics believe . . . that someone who practices artificial birth control can still be a good Catholic. I agree with that. I think it’s time to do the right thing.’” -

- See more at: http://cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/lawsuit-gov-t-engaged-conscious-political-strategy-marginalize-and#sthash.9bfbUioR.dpuf

 

Clericalism...

Fr. John Trigilio, a familiar face to regular EWTN viewers, but also the president of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy.  


Father Horan, OFM, is correct that clericalism is a vice, which ought to be repudiated by every pope, bishop, priest, deacon and consecrated religious. Problem is that it is unfair, unjust and inaccurate to portray clericalism as merely an indulgence of conservatives or traditionalists. I have been ordained twenty-five years and spent twelve years in seminary beforehand. Even went to high school seminary (hence, I am called a ‘lifer’). As a pastor of two parishes for more than eleven years and a parochial vicar for fourteen years in several assignments as a diocesan priest (secular clergy) and as president of a national association of 500+ priests and deacons (Confraternity of Catholic Clergy), my experience has been that all too often it is the so-called liberal and progressive priests who behave and act in such a way as to personify clericalism.

To read more of this, go to Deacon Greg's blog.  It is powerful stuff.

Teacher Aide from St. John the Evangelist (Oct. 14th Update)

For those of you who are interested, here is the most recent development according to the Maryland Judiciary Case System:

On Friday, Oct. 11th, Discovery was completed.  The next step in this process is the Pretrial Hearing set for Nov. 15th at 9:30am in Courtroom 6.

Catholics Denied Mass...Why Is Cardinal Wuerl Silent?

Father Ray Leonard serves at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in Georgia but because of the government shutdown, he wasn’t allowed to go to celebrate Mass this past weekend.

He is contracted by the Defense Department to meet the spiritual needs of Catholics, but not now. The chapel doors were locked and the sign said, “Shutdown: No Catholic service till further notice.”

Father Leonard said the following:

“This is our church, Catholics have an expectation and obligation to attend Mass and we were told, ‘No you can’t go to church this week…“ My parishioners were upset. They were angry and dismayed. They couldn’t believe that in America they’d be denied access to Mass by the government.”

Read about it here

And here

Why are out Bishops not speaking out?  A Catholic denied his First Amendment rights and we remain silent.

Cardinal Wuerl has let us down again...

According to the National Catholic Reporter (that bastion of orthodoxy -- snark, snark), Michael Winters wrote:

Perhaps the most interesting thing about yesterday’s Red Mass and brunch was the thing that was not said. Two words went unmentioned: religious liberty. There was not a whiff of culture warrior talk in the day’s proceedings, no condemnation of the Supreme Court’s decisions in the same sex marriage cases, no please for the HHS mandate to be ruled unconstitutional. Instead, modeling Pope Francis, both +Farrell and +Wuerl spoke about the Gospel and left the politics outside. It was so refreshing.


So, here was another opportunity for the Cardinal to make the point about the HHS mandate, how it is important to remember religious freedom, and he once again did nothing.  

Once again, he has let us down.

H/T to Ff. Z's Blog.

Blessed Karl of Austria Events

Monday, 21 October, 7:30 PM (Feast Day of Blessed Karl of Austria)

Pontifical Mass & Reception, St. Mary Mother of God Church,

Washington, DC

Tuesday, 22 October, 6:00 PM

Mass, Reception & Conference, John Paul II Shrine,

Washington, DC

Celebrant of Pontifical Masses:

His Excellency, Don Teodoro de Faria
Bishop Emeritus of Funchal, Madeira Islands, Portugal

Conference Speaker:

Ricardo Dumont dos Santos

Portugal Delegate of the Emperor Karl League of Prayers

His Excellency, Don Teodoro de Faria

Bishop Emeritus of Funchal, Madeira Island, Portugal, author of a new book about Blessed Karl. As Bishop of the diocese in which Blessed Karl died in 1922, Bishop de Faria has long been active in his cause for sainthood, and it was he who formally presented to the Holy Father the petition to beatify Emperor Karl at the beatification ceremony in Saint Peter’s Square on 3 October 2004. A native of Madeira, Bishop de Faria was ordained in 1956 at the age of 26, consecrated bishop of Funchal in 1982, and since his retirement in 2007, has been working on his book about Blessed Karl, which he will discuss during his remarks.

Ricardo Dumont dos Santos

Portugal Delegate of the Emperor Karl League of Prayers. Mr. Dumont dos Santos is the honorary consul of the Federal Republic of Germany on the Portuguese island of Madeira. His family's connection to Blessed Karl encompasses three generations. His father, Dr. Alfredo Dumont Machado dos Santos, was leader of the Emperor Karl Prayer League in Portugal until his death in 1989. His paternal grandfather was one of the doctors called for consultation during the final illness of Emperor Karl, and it was he who signed his death certificate.

These Masses and conferences were arranged and coordinated by the following Traditional Knights of Columbus councils:

Regina Coeli Council 423, Manhattan, NY

Potomac Council 433, Washington, DC

Woodlawn Council 2161, Aliquippa, PA

Agnus Dei Council 12361, Manhattan, NY

Mater Ecclesiae Council 12833, Berlin, NJ

Additional support provided by:

The Paulus Institute for the Propagation of Sacred Liturgy

The Pittsburgh Latin Mass Community, Inc. (PLMC)

For additional information on Bl. Karl, please visit the Emperor Karl League of Prayers website.

Three Local Catholic Schools Named Blue Ribbon Schools!

Congratulations to St. John the Evangelist School (Silver Spring, MD), Holy Cross School (Garrett Park, MD) and St. Peter School (Washington DC).

Congratulations to the Principals, the Teachers, Support Staff, Parents and all those who support Catholic Education.
 

No Catholic School Activities on Sunday. Should this take place here?

After months of nudging Catholics to reclaim Sunday as a day to attend Mass and spend time with family, New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond is mandating that Catholic schools clear their calendars that day each week.

Aymond began asking schools last year to tweak practice schedules and reschedule social events so harried families could dedicate their Sundays to worshipping and staying close to home. This year, the request took on new urgency, and by the 2014-15 school year, it will be an official policy of the archdiocese.

“It’s rooted in the fact that people have a number of obligations and commitments. Our society is fast-paced,” Aymond said. “In living such a hectic life, people neglect sometimes, not purposefully, the very basics of faith and family.”

Read more, go here: http://theadvocate.com/news/7112298-123/archbishop-requiring-catholic-schools-to


Do you think that this would be a good idea in the Archdiocese of Washington?

Holy Rosary Church & Rectory - Big Changes

Holy Rosary Church, located in downtown DC, is celebrating their 100th anniversary.  As important as that is, there is an even bigger change happening with the rectory.

It was reported in the Washington comPost on Saturday, Sept. 21st, that Property Group Partners (PGP) is going to transform the area around the church with the new Capital Crossing project.  When I-395 was built, it cut through a number on neighborhoods, including that of Holy Rosary Church.  In fact, the Church almost was demolished but for the efforts of a handful of parishioners, who lobbied hard, and had the exit onto 4th St., NE changed.

Capital Crossing is a 2.2 million sq. ft., multiuse development and will be built above the recessed freeway between 2nd and 3rd Sts, and E St. and Mass. Ave.

What is most interesting is that PGP will move the Holy Rosary rectory onto the property.

Pope Francis Said What?????

For those who haven’t yet heard, America Magazine (and several other Jesuit publications worldwide) has just published a lengthy interview of Pope Francis in which the Holy Father says some things that are making lots of faithful Catholics deeply uneasy.

They shouldn’t be.

For the complete story, go here:  http://www.catholicvote.org/old-good-news/

A Catholic Football Player who is a Role Model...

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Giant's cornerback Prince Amukamara is being compared to Tim Tebow as more people take notice of his religious convictions.

Amukamara has been seen praying on the field, but it's his off-the-field that also has people talking. For example, the 24-year-old footballer is a virgin and is not ashamed of the fact. "Yeah, some people call me the black Tim Tebow," he told Muscle and Fitness magazine in 2011. "I am a virgin," he continued. "I'm not ashamed to say that."

For more:  http://www.catholic.org/sports/story.php?id=52444

God Spoke to Tom Perez, Labor Secretary

In addition to calling for an immigration overhaul, announcing his intention to use his post to favor union organizing, and declaring that God told him that “the labor movement is our brothers’ keeper,” Perez relied on a series of hollow talking points to repeat his call for a higher minimum wage.

To support his position, Perez reached deep into his theological acumen to proclaim “it’s not possibly God’s will that people working a 40 hour week should live in poverty.” Unfortunately, while reducing poverty is a worthy goal, even supporters admit that higher minimum wages do nothing to alleviate poverty.

For more, go to:  http://spectator.org/archives/2013/09/16/god-and-the-minimum-wage

If I were the Devil...

 

 

He laid it out in 1965, almost 50 years ago.

September 11th

Teacher's Aide from St. John the Evangelist - Update

Since some of you have asked, here is the latest update in the Maryland Court System on the case of GULLEY, ALLYSON ROSE, the teacher's aide at St. John the Evangelist Elementary School (Silver Spring).

She is currently out on $75,000 bail (personal).  A jury trial is scheduled for January 2014.

For the complete information, please go here. *

Again, as I have asked in late June, let us keep the child, the child's family and the St. John's Community in our daily prayers and Mass intentions.

*Please note that this information is available to the general public and is not considered confidential.

 

A Non-Political Event my...

Well, it has been a while since the Catholic Standard wrote something that I really must wonder "What were they thinking?"

In the August 29th edition, Mark Zimmerman wrote a piece entitled:  Catholics need to help make 'the dream' a reality, panelists say.

What bothers me about the article is that Mr. Zimmerman sees this is a non-partisan event. 

So, who "sponsored" this non-partisan event: Catholic Democrats, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and Pax Christi, USA.   

As you can see, all of these organizations are non-partisan in nature and the event was non-partisan, as it included a number of conservative Catholic groups.   The conservative Catholic groups were....  Oh, yes, there were no conservative Catholic groups.

And, who was one of the main panelists?  Tom Perez, pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage Secretary of Labor AND a member of Holy Redeemer parish.  Supporter of Obamacare.

And who else spoke, well there was Ralph McCloud, the director of the USCCB Catholic Campaign for Human Development.  You remember Mr. McCloud, the treasurer for a pro-abortion Democrat in Texas.  You remember Mr. McCloud, the person who supposedly has verified that all those receiving money from CCHD are not in violation of Catholic teaching.  Yeah, right.

So, Mr. Zimmerman and the good folks over in Hyattsville...this event was just as bad as the actual anniversary of the March on Washington, in which it became a love fest for the Democrat Party.

How did a pro-abortionist/pro-homosexual marriage member of this administration get to speak at a Catholic venue?  Who approved of it?  Did anyone in Hyattsville know about this?

Is this what we support with our weekly donations?  No wonder why Obama and the Democrat Party are not scared of us, they know that we will invite them to our institutions, hire them to work for us and in general, allow ourselves to have our own Fifth Column.


 
 

Update on Teacher's Aide from St. John the Evangelist School

Over the last few weeks, I have searched the Washington Post and the Montgomery County Gazette for any reference to the arrest of Allyson Gulley, the teacher's aide at St. John the Evangelist School (Silver Spring, MD).

Now, I do not expect to see it in the Catholic Standard but not one word in either one of the other papers.  The family and/or the Archdiocese must have some pretty strong pull with the Fourth Estate to keep this out of the papers.

In addition, one of my contacts was at the meeting held by the pastor and the "team" handling this matter at the school.  He reports that it was a total waste of time.  They had no answers (think the Sgt Schultz line -- "I know nothing!") and simply went over the Child Protection program. 


+++++++++++++++++++++

Case #:123340C
Sub Type: Indictment
Scheduling Hearing: Sept. 6th at 8:30am in Courtroom #1  
Location: 50 Maryland Ave.  3rd Fl.

Count #1:  SEX ABUSE MINOR 
Count #2:  SEX OFFENSE THIRD DEGREE
Count #3: SEX OFF 4TH- PERS POS AUTH

The third count is as follows:

did as a person in a position of authority, engage in [a sexual act /sexual contact] with ____(name), a minor, who at the time of the [sexual act/sexual contact], was a student enrolled at the school where said person of authority was employed.

Note: See CR 3-308(a) for definition of "Person in a position of authority".
Note: See CR 3-307(a)(4) and CR 3-308(b)(2) for exceptions

Eight Outrageous Things Planned Parenthood Was Caught Doing

Read it.


http://www.buzzfeed.com/personhoodusa/8-outrageous-things-planned-parenthood-was-caught-drqv


8.  Taking Money To Abort African-American Babies
7.  Offering Sex-Selective Abortion
6.  Misinforming Women About Scientific Facts of Pregnancy
5. Lying About Abortion-Related Deaths
4.  Lying About Offering Mammograms
3.  Covering Up Child Sex Trafficking
2. Illegally Not Reporting Child Rape
1.  Lobbying Against Protections For Babies Born Alive After Failed Abortions

Another Reason why CCHD should not be funded this Sunday!

In March of 2013, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) announced that the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), which is the domestic anti-poverty agency of the U.S. bishops, approved special grants totaling nearly $1 million “to mobilize Catholics on behalf of comprehensive immigration reform and to prepare Catholic institutions for the prospects of reform legislation.”

According to the USCCB website, Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento, the chairman of the CCHD subcommittee, announced the grants after the bishops determined that “swift action by the Catholic community was essential in advancing the recently emerging prospects for immigration reform. CCHD has taken significant steps to contribute in a swift and meaningful way to this most important national conversation.”

Read more:  http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/08/07/Why-Are-Catholic-Bishops-Funding-Advocacy-For-Comprehensive-Immigration-Reform

REMEMBER:  When the ushers come around on Sunday, GIVE NOTHING! 

What will the pro-abortion Catholycs and simply pro-abortioinists say...

One of the things the pro-abortionist like to say is that Catholics do not care about the person after they are born.  There are hundreds of actions such as this, although not as large, in which the Church provides for those who cannot help themselves, with no questions asked.

+++++++++++++++++++++


About 300 other adults were turned away over two days because of the overwhelming demand for dental care at the Mid-Maryland Mission of Mercy clinic. The clinic, at St. Vincent Pallotti High School, was sponsored by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington and the Maryland Office of Oral Health.

Many of those who waited in long lines at the clinic said they couldn’t afford the high price of dental care. Even those who had insurance said rising out-of-pocket costs made it unaffordable for them to have their teeth cleaned, cavities filled or root canals performed.

More than 400 volunteers — about half of them dentists, hygienists, oral surgeons and others in the field — provided more than $750,000 worth of care over the two days, according to Deacon Jim Nalls of Catholic Charities. The work ranged from basic cleanings to root canals and wisdom teeth extractions, Nalls said.

For the entire story, go here:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/two-day-free-dental-clinic-in-laurel-treats-700-but-turns-300-away/2013/08/03/b97d0332-fc58-11e2-9bde-7ddaa186b751_story.html

++++++++++++++++++


For me, there are questions that I don't have an answer for:

1.  Will any of those who received treatment, donate anything for future clinics.  I am not saying that they need to pay $2500 for the $2500 worth of treatment they received but can they afford to kick-in $200 or $300 to help defray the costs?

2.  How many of these people will attack the church over homosexuality, abortion, etc.

3.  If they are anti-Catholic, will this change their minds about the Church.  (Yes, I know we do this not because we are out to change hearts and minds, but simply because it is the right thing to do.)

4.  This story should be used as a reminder of how the Church is pro-life over and over again.

NO to CCHD on Aug. 10 and 11

Kudos to our colleague over at Restore DC Catholicism.  I have "copied" this from her website and I encourage all of you NOT to donate. 

Discussing the key points problems does not seem to work.  Shame does not work.  Therefore, withholding money is the last resort.

++++++++++++++++++

In the Archdiocese of Washington, the second collection for the Masses of Aug 10-11 will be for something called "Communications and Human Development". It's really for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. In recent years, the CCHD has garnered some very bad publicity - and yes, the CCHD has earned its terrible reputation in spades. I suppose the collectors think that by obfuscating the name of the collection that they can somehow bypass the bad press and fool Catholics into donating.

We are in the process of spreading the word.  Please visit the sites of www.reformCCHDnow.com and www.CatholicMediaCoalition.org.

Now it's time to take action! What to do?

1. Spread word of the existence of ReformCCHDNow.com, CatholicMediaCoalition.org and this blog so that others can avail themselves of the research contanined therein.
2. Use social media to spread word of the boycott. It would be helpful to use the hashtag #no2cchd in your Facebook and/or Twitter messages.
3. Questions/comments/suggestions? Please post via the comments.
4. Above all, pray that the Lord have mercy upon those who exploit His Church for anti-God causes and that evil be expunged from this Bride of Christ.

Update on Teacher Aide from St. John the Evangelist School

According to the Maryland Court System:

Trial Date:  August 23, 2013
Trial Type: Felony Dismissal Date
Trial Time:10:00 AM
Room: 513
Trial Location:191 EAST JEFFERSON ST ROCKVILLE 20850-2325

If I understand it correctly, a  Felony Dismissal Date is a hearing where the defendant is informed of the accusations against them and the penalties that the court could impose on them if they are proved guilty of the charges that have been filed against them.  The defense attorney will do what he can to dismiss the charges but the county, if it feels it has enough of a case, can ask the judge to set a court date.

Also, some of the information regarding Mr. Delpino has been changed/updated from the original posting on the Court website.  He is now listed as follows:

Name:DELPINO, VICTOR M ESQ

Connection:PRIVATE ATTORNEY FOR DEFENSE

Address:	51 MONROE STREET #600

City:

ROCKVILLEState:MDZip Code:20850 - 0000

Fr. Marcel on Radio Maria This Sunday...

Forwarded to me by a regular reader...thank you!
 

This Sunday, July 14 from 5 to 6pm, Fr. Marcel will be a guest on Janis Clarke's LIVE Radio Maria program, Give God Permission. Click on the link below to listen live.  

The website will also have a podcast available some time after the live program.

http://radiomaria.us/givegodpermision/
 

Who is Bob McCarty, why should we be concerned and the connection with Washington?

There’s a guy you’ve never heard of who runs an organization you’ve never heard of but it is likely because of him that the Catholic Church has not taken a stand against the radicalization of the Girl Scouts and now the Boy Scouts.

Robert McCarty is the Executive Director of the National Federation of Catholic Youth Ministry. It should be understood that McCarty’s group is closely connected to, if not officially part of, the Catholic Church. It is an independent, non-profit corporation whose board of directors, nonetheless, is controlled by representatives from 16 diocese of the Catholic Church. It’s episcopal liaison is Bishop Martin Holley of the Archdiocese of Washington DC.

He says organizations that do not admit open and avowed homosexuals are in violation of the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Read more here:  http://www.crisismagazine.com/2013/who-is-bob-mccarty-and-why-should-he-be-fired

BREAKING NEWS: John XXIII and John Paul II to be canonized.

It was announced that John XXIII and John Paul II will be canonized before the end of the year.  More later.

Supporter of ObamaCare on Archdiocese of Washington Financial Council - Shame on Cardinal Wuerl!

Well, our colleague over at Restore DC Catholicism has done some great work once again.

She has pointed out that Sr. Carol Keehan is on the Finance Council of the Archdiocese of Washington.   Really, the person who was singled out as the largest Catholic supporter of ObamaCare, which the Archdiocese is attempting to fight, is on our Finance Board.

Read the whole thing right here:  http://restore-dc-catholicism.blogspot.com/2013/07/sr-carol-keehan-on-adw-finance-council.html

UPDATE: Teacher Aide Arrested from St. John the Evangelist School (Silver Spring, MD)

February 29, 2014 Update

This information was updated on the Maryland Court records database, sometime yesterday afternoon/this morning.  The case is now considered closed.

On Feb. 10, 2014

COURT SENTENCES THE DEFENDANT TO COUNT #2, (ASSAULT-SECOND DEGREE ) A GENERALLY SUSPENDED SENTENCE;

AS TO COUNT #3 (SEX OFF 4TH- PERS POS AUTH), A GENERALLY SUSPENDED SENTENCE;

5 YEARS SUPERVISED PROBATION, WITH CONDITIONS. COURT COSTS ASSESSED. STATE ENTERS NOLLE PROS AS TO REMAINING COUNTS.

COURT ORDERS THE DEFENDANT TO REGISTER WITH THE SEX OFFENDERS REGISTRY.

*Please note that the defendant pleaded not guilty to Sex Abuse of a Minor.

+++++++++++++++

January 23, 2014 Update:

There have been a number of updates to the Maryland Court Records in relation to this case.  Please note the following regarding the January 6, 2014 Plea Hearing:

·         A Plea Hearing was held in front of Judge Boynton.  The State’s Attorney was Ms. Bridgford.

·         The Defendant (Ms. Gulley) appeared with her counsel, Mr. Delpino

·         The State’s motion to amend Count #2 and the body of Count #3 of the indictment were granted and amended.

·         The Defendant enters am oral plea of GUILTY to Count #2 and 3 (Second Degree Assault) and Count #3 (Sex Offense Fourth Degree – Person in Position of Authority).   My note:  It seems, but I can be incorrect as there are sometimes entry errors, that Count #1 (Sex Abuse of a Minor) was dropped.  However, I will check back at a later date to see if the record will be updated.

·         The Defendant continues to be out on Bond.

·         Sentencing will be set on Feb. 10, 2014 at 1:30pm by Judge Boynton.

(As before, please keep the child and his/her family in your prayers.)



++++++++++++++++++

January 8, 2014 Update

On Feb. 20, 2014, at 1:30pm, sentencing will take place in Courtroom 8 by Hon. David Boynton.

(As before, please keep the child and his/her family in your prayers.)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++


January 1, 2014 Update

On Dec. 20th it was decided that the plea hearing would be postponed from Thursday, January 2, 2014 to Monday, January 6, 2014.

A Plea has been submitted.

On January 6, 2014, it is expected that a jury trial (four days) will begin but it should be noted that a plea has been submitted.  IMHO, no trial will take place if the Montgomery Attorney's Office accepts the plea, which it probably will.

(As before, please keep the child and his/her family in your prayers.)



+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

December 12th Update

If I have read the court records correct, a plea agreement has been filed with the court.

On December 10, 2013, a plea agreement was filed with the court before Judge Boynton.  

CONSENT ORDER OF COURT (DEBELIUS, J.) TO SCHEDULE A PLEA HEARING ON JANUARY 2, 2014 AT 10:00 A.M., A DATE CLEARED WITH CHAMBERS, FOR THE PURPOSE OF TENDERING TO THE COURT A DISPOSITION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PLEA AGREEMENT, ENTERED. 




+++++++++++++++++++

Nov. 16th Update

On Nov. 13th, there was an agreement between the defendant and the county to postpone the pre-trial hearing until Dec. 6th.  This will be held in Court Room #15 at 9:30am with Judge Cheryl Mccally.

The trial is scheduled for January 6th.



+++++++++++++++++

Updated Tuesday Evening....

A meeting was held on Monday night (July 1st) at St. John the Evangelist School regarding the arrest and charging of a Teacher's Aide with sexual abuse.

According to my sources, the following were in attendance: the Pastor (Msgr. Pennington), the principal (Sr. Lanark), Thomas W. Burnford (Sec. of Education), Ken Gaughan (head of School Counseling Services), and Deacon Matthew Houle? (Youth Protection). Also, sitting joining but not saying anyting until the end was someone from the Communication Office. (Probably watching what they were or were not saying.)

No one from the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) was invited to this meeting. And my source tells me that this was a bit of a sore point with some of those in attendance, as they wanted to know exactly what were the charges and the next steps.

The meeting started off with Msgr. Pennington speaking about the matter, as much as he could but that was really not much. He indicated that this inappropriate behavior was done outside of school hours, therefore, out of his bounds to comment on. He also stated that this was a closed meeting and not open to the press.

The Principal got up to speak and she was at times in tears over this matter.

Ken Gaughan spoke about how to approach the issue with your child and the resources available from the Archdiocese. Deacon Houle reiterated the point about the training received and the background check.

Questions were taken but had to be written on index cards. The most common questions asked were:

• How old was the child and what grade?
• Did it take place on school property?
• Why weren't they notified as soon as the police were contacted?
• Why was the entire parish notified about this?
• What are you going to do to ensure that it does not happen again?
• What type of communication will we receive in the future?

A couple of parents were upset that a letter was annouced from the pulpit regarding the abuse. Many had confused children and wanted to be forwarned.



+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Allyson R. Gulley (Kensington, MD) was arrested and charged with the following:


Charge 1:
Sex Abuse of a Minor -Statute: CR.3.602.(B)
The incident took place between April 1 and May 21, 2013
Complaint made by Police Officer K. Carvajal

Charge 2:
Sex Offense in the Third Degree - Statue CR.3.307
The incident took place between April 1 and May 21, 2013
Complaint mae by Victor Delpino Esq.  (Private Attorney)

Ms. Gulley is currently out on bail.   The hearing will take place on July 26, 2013 at 10am.

***Please note that this information is available to the public from the Maryland Court system and does not violate any privacy laws. 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sunday, June 30th
According to my sources, a female teacher aide* from St. John the Evangelist School (Georgia Ave. Silver Spring), was arrested by Montgomery County Police for inappropriate contact with a student.

This sad news was announced by the pastor, who read a letter, at all Masses today.  In it, I was told, the Archdiocese had done all due diligence in background checks and reported it to Montgomery County Police, as soon as the allegation was made.

Please keep the student, the student's family and the larger St. John's Community in your prayers.

*This was a teacher's aide, not a teacher.  Correction from earlier posting. 

What should a Catholic Scout Leader Do? (From my friend Melvin, the Scout)

To paraphrase another....


With the May 2013 policy basically in force (allowing gay scouts), the Catholic Scout Leader must oppose it in the ways that are possible and make our opposition known; it is our duty to witness to the truth.

If it is not possible to repeal such a policy completely, the Catholic Scout leader, recalling the indications contained in the Encyclical Letter Evangelium vitae, “could licitly support proposals aimed at limiting the harm done by such policy and at lessening its negative consequences at the level of general opinion and public morality”, on condition that his “absolute personal opposition” to such policy was clear and well known and that the danger of scandal was avoided [Evangelium Vitae 73].

Twenty-Five New Deacons for the Archdiocese of Washington

Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, ordained twenty-five men as permanent deacons for the Archdiocese of Washington at a Mass of Ordination on Saturday, June 22 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Maybe you know one of them?

You can read all about them here:  http://www.adw.org/query2011/newsite_news.asp?ID=1100&Year=2013

The World According to Obama: Catholic Schools Divide

The Catholic media is up in arms over comments President Obama made during a speech while in Northern Ireland for the G8 summit. Obama made what is described as “an alarming call for an end to Catholic education,” in spite of the fact that it is considered “a critical component of the Church

For more, go to: http://www.bizpacreview.com/2013/06/19/obama-offends-catholics-in-the-uk-says-religious-schools-are-divisive-78053

Catholic Charities USA invites pro-gay ‘marriage’ priest to keynote annual gathering

Where do they get these people?  And don't they do even a small amount of research on them?  Now you know why I don't give.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/catholic-charities-usa-invites-pro-gay-marriage-priest-to-keynote-annual-ga

What will the Synod bring to us...

Recently, Cardinal Wuerl announced the First Synod of the Archdiocese of Washington.  Most people in the Archdiocese probably said: "Oh, that is nice." and went back to drinking their coffee, etc. 

I can understand that. For most Catholics, it is something that will immediately impact only a small number of Catholics in the Archdiocese, provided they understood what it is.

What they did not notice, was that this is a plan for the FUTURE. Not one or two years down the road, but the plan which will guide the Archdiocese of many years.

To that end, as you may have read or maybe even participated in, "listening sessions" (oh, how I hate that phrase), in your local parish. These sessions, are to take a "pulse" of parish life and then report them to the Archdiocese. (I participated in my parish event, but more on that at another time).

However, what one of my regular readers pointed out to me, and I am sad to say that I did not think of this, was that this may be setting the stage for the closing of parishes.

Think about it.

You take the "temperature" of the various parishes to see how things are going. Combine it with the closing of Catholic schools over the last few years and a smaller number of priests for the next few years. Then add to that the financial picture of the Archdiocese and parishes (a number of which are not in good shape) and you have a ready made opportunity to consolidate.

Remember, Cardinal Wuerl did close a number of parishes in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Before he retires in a few years, it would be good to get the Archdiocese house in order, before the new guy comes along. Save him a lot of grief.

Now, we will not know this for at least another one to two years, but it is something to look out for in the future. 

What do you think?


http://site.adw.org/pdfs/ADW-Synod-Letter-and-Decree.pdf