Wishing Each a Happy and Blessed Easter!

BREAKING NEWS: St. Catherine Laboure Elementary School to Close

As you recall, this was one of the schools slated for closing a couple of years ago. 

It seems the Archdiocese is doing a good job of keeping this very quiet until the last minute.

The Maryland Catholic Conference - FAIL

I just received an alert from the Maryland Catholic Conference (MCC) that once again pushes to provide illegal aliens with a driver's license.

A driver's license is the pathway to all sorts of other legal documents.  A driver's license does not guarantee that the person will be a safe driver.  A driver's license rewards those who have broken the law.

Yet, when the MCC hears word that we should ask people for valid ID when it comes time to vote, we are told that we are RACISTS and we don't care about poor people.

The MCC has failed us time and time again.  They can't get vouchers, can't prevent same-sex marriage, but they are more than willing to restrict the 2nd Amendment for law abiding citizens, and provide cheap tuition for illegal aliens.

FIRE THEM ALL!

What is the real deal on the Lavender Mafia Dossier?

What is the real deal on the Lavender Mafia Dossier?  Let Fr. Marcel Guarnizo tell you the read deal and you may be surprised.

http://vimeo.com/61886628

MCC in bed with those who seek to undermine the Catholic Church

Once again, the Maryland Catholic Conference (MCC) is willing to "hop into bed" in a manner of speaking with anyone who will support the end of the death penalty in Maryland, including those who do not support Church teachings.

The MCC has this LONG tradition of doing this.  From the days of Dick Dowling, now to Mary Ellen Russell, they seem to be willing to latch on to anyone, on any issue that they support.

As I pointed out to you a while back, the MCC is in bed with the NAACP (and had their interns proudly take photos with them) -- they are pro-abortion and pro-gay -- and now the Quixote Center, which supports women's ordination, etc.  

In fact, a reader pointed out to me that the MCC is a member of CASE of MD, which works to abolish the death penalty.  They are an umbrella group of organizations -- including pro-gay and pro-abortion.

I don't know why the MCC trusts the State of Maryland to keep criminals locked up.  Look what Homeland Security has done to illegal aliens, who have committed crimes.  They have released hundreds of them.

Maybe it is time we end the Maryland Catholic Conference. 

 

Watch THE AMERICAN BIBLE CHALLENGE Tonight

Tune in to watch our own Dominican Sisters of Mary compete on Season Two of the Game Show Network’s (GSN) THE AMERICAN BIBLE CHALLENGE hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy on Thursday, March 21 at 9:00 pm ET/PT. The Sisters of Mary will be competing for a total purse of $140,000 and are playing to benefit the Community!


 

Don't Cry for Me MCC (Maryland Catholic Conference)

You know, I really hate to say this, but when you lie in bed with dogs, you get fleas.

The Maryland Catholic Conference (MCC) and many in the Catholic Church have been supporting a large number of positions of the Democratic left in the Maryland legislature.  With each victory, such as with in-state tuition for illegal aliens, everyone "paying their fair share", gun control, the death penalty, radical environmentalism, the left becomes more and more emboldened.  

It seems that there is a new "fee" about the hit us and the MCC let us know:

The State of Maryland has mandated that ten local jurisdictions, including Montgomery County, impose new local fees, or taxes, on all property owners for "stormwater management." The State law exempts property owned by state and local governments, but applies to all other property owners, including nonprofits, churches, schools, and individuals. This new Rain Tax will be based upon the amount of "impervious surface area" on the property – building structures, driveways, sidewalks, pools, parking lots. Our schools and parishes will be severely impacted.

And since this Rain Tax is written as a fee, churches and nonprofits were not exempted. Read a commentary on the issue here.

At present, there are no exemptions for nonprofit, religious or charitable organizations, and the financial impact could be significant, particularly for those parish campuses that include large volumes of impervious surface area. In addition to the substantial financial impact on our schools, churches, and charitable organizations that rely largely on donations and provide badly needed services to our communities, we are gravely concerned that this tax represents an erosion of the tax exemption that churches rightly expect because of our charitable nature. We fear that the needs of government may lead them to levy more of our assets in the future, and we want to register our concerns now to stop any such diversion of our resources.

While we all share a desire for a clean and healthy Chesapeake Bay, the toll that this tax might exact on parish finances, is dramatic.

Montgomery County Council is considering how to implement the Rain Tax.







The Maryland Catholic Conference and those who voted for the radical left, have no one to blame but themselves.  And we all pay for it.  

Thank you MCC, you have increased our taxes once again.

Wishing Each of You a Blessed St. Joseph's Day

May the Patron of the Universal Church watch over the Church, families and especially fathers.

 

The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople will be attending the Pope's installation

One of things we need to thank Pope Emeritus Benedict for is his restarting the dialog between the Ortohodox Church and us. 

One of the manifestations of this work, is that the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, will attend Pope Francis’installation Mass in Rome March 19th.  In addition, Ioannis Zizioulas, metropolitan of Pergamon and co-president of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic and the Orthodox Church, as well as Tarassios, Orthodox Metropolitan of Argentina, and Gennadios, Orthodox Metropolitan of Italy.



Thanks to EB for her heads up.

Some thoughts on the Conclave

Over the last few weeks, I keep hearing from many "progressive" or "liberal" Catholics that we must have a pope which moves the Church forward.  That we must change as to be a reflection of the time.  Whether that be married clergy, women priests, accepting of gay marriages, etc., we must change.  That we need a pope like that of John XXIII. 

A friend of mine recently pointed me to the blog of Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the head of the Catholic Church in NYC.  He wrote: "Billy Graham use to say, the aim of life is to change our lives to conform to God's will, not to change God's will to match ours.  We let God re-create us in His image; we do not attempt to create God in our image. "

As the conclave has now officially begun, it is important for Catholics (and those in Communion with Rome) to pray for our Cardinals, that the Holy Spirit guides them to choose the person who is best for the Church at this time.

Let us keep in mind the following prayer, which has been promoted by the Knights of Columbus:

Lord Jesus Christ , Supreme Pastor of Your Church,
we thank you for the ministry of Pope Benedict XVI
and the selfless care with which he has led us
as Successor of Peter, and Your Vicar on earth.

Good Shepherd, who founded Your Church
on the rock of Peter's faith
and have never left Your flock untended,
look with love upon us now,
and sustain Your Church in faith, hope, and charity.

Grant, Lord Jesus, in Your boundless love for us,
a new Pope for Your Church
who will please You by his holiness
and lead us faithfully to You,
who are the same yesterday, today, and forever."

Support Tax Credits/Vouchers for Catholic Schools. It is less taxing!

One of the things that has really bugged me over the years, is the lack of gratitude by public officials (and even many everyday citizens) to those who send their children to Catholic Schools. (This, of course, also applies to those who send their children to schools of other faiths, as well as, secular schools.) We are ignored and at times even derided by public officials and some citizens, who view us and our children, as second class students.

According to the State of Maryland, it costs apx. $13,453 to educated a student in FY2011.* This will of course, be slightly higher in some localities, while lower in others but as a baseline, we will round it up to $13,500 per student.

There are apx. 11,000 students in Catholic elementary and high schools in Montgomery County.** This number may be a bit higher or lower but we will use this as the baseline. (Note that there is always one segment which is always ignored and that is the apx. 38,000 home schoolers in the State of Maryland.)

Because of this, Catholic schools (located in MoCo) in the Archdiocese of Washington save the State of Maryland and MoCo over $148 million each year. That is not pocket change. This is a staggering amount.

Now, why do I say this?

For many years, the Archdiocese of Washington and many private schools have lobbied hard for not only for textbook funding but also for a tuition tax credit. Constantly, Catholic and private school parents have been rebuffed. The usual arguments are: (1) It is your choice to do so, so don't blame me; and/or (2) we don't want to subsidize someone's faith.

But what would happen if every Catholic school in MoCo closed because parents could not afford the tuition and fees? How about all private schools?
Do you think that the State of MD and/or MoCo could handle the influx of these students? Do you think that they could come up with the funds to cover the added cost without taking it out of your wallet? If they are "crying" now about the fact that they do not have enough funds, what would happen in this scenario?

So, the next time you meet a parent who sends their children to a Catholic or private school, don't simply say thank you. Support their efforts for textbook funding and a tuition tax credit. It will save you money in the long run.

*Maryland At A Glance Website. Site updated on Feb. 20, 2013.
** Private School Guide website

USCCB: Throwing Money at Those Who Oppose Us

Our colleague over at Restore DC Catholicism has reported that the USCCB is throwing another $800K towards illegal aliens.  Some will be going to their front group, but other funds will be going to an organization which opposes the Catholic Church on a number of issues.  

Why are we doing this?  Why don't we just throw the money donated by the faithful out the window.  At least it may go to someone who can use it.
 

MCC: Off-Target

The Maryland Catholic Conference (MCC) is the lobbying arm of the Archdiocese of Washington, Archdiocese of Baltimore and the Diocese of Wilmington (DE).  It represents the Roman Catholic Church in the Maryland Legislature. 

 

There is nothing wrong with having a office dedicated to pushing issues that are important to you.  There are many groups out there who have such a lobbying effort.

What really bothers me is when the MCC gets involved in an issue for which they show their ignorance.  The recent example is their support of gun control in the State of Maryland.

So, let's take a very brief look at their press release/talking points.

First, let's ask the question:  Which is an "assault weapon?"  

 A.  a knife   

 B. a baseball bat   

C.  a Colt® AR-15 Tactical Carbine    

D. All of the Above.   

 Answer:  D.  All of the above.

You see, you can use any of the above items to "assault" someone.   The term "assault weapon" is a made up phrase from the 1994 piece of legislation which outlawed certain semi-automatic rifles because of their cosmetic appearance.  That is right, the MCC is more worried about what a rifle looks like, than what it can do. 

Second, they claim that reducing magazine size will reduce killings. The 1994 legislation which banned magazines holding more than 10 rounds, it had NO EFFECT on the crime rate.  Don't trust me, look at the statistics.

Third, their support of licensing, database, etc. does absolutely nothing to deter criminals and puts an undue burden on law abiding citizens.  Criminals do not go into gun shops and purchase a gun (with all of the paperwork that goes along with it), so that they can go out and commit a crime.  Criminals do not leave their guns at crime scenes.  If they do, it is a gun which has been stolen or unregistered.  The only people that this really puts a burden on are law abiding citizens, who look to protect themselves and their communities.

Finally, the MCC takes a statement by the US Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) and "sells-it" as official Church teaching, which it is not.  It is simply a statement which has no official bearing.

What we have there is the MCC using the talking points of the radical left and making it their own.  They are wasting their time and limited resources on measures, which do nothing to help end violence and promote a culture of life.  All this is, is a "feel good" attempt  to allow them to say that they did something, even if it does absolutely nothing to change the hearts and minds of those for whom life is cheap.   

Maybe it is time to ban the Maryland Catholic Conference instead of "assault weapons." 

Something New...

Greetings Everyone:

I apologize to all for not posting as I should. 

The last few months (more like a year or so) have been quite busy.  Hopefully, by summer, I will have some more direction on some aspects of my life.   

I have been asked to periodically post on the (People's Republic of) Takoma Park Patch on religious topics. 

After some thought, I have accepted and will once a week attempt to publish an article.  Whenever, possible, I will post both here and over there.

Why did I accept?  It will give me a chance to get the word out to a slightly different and possibly larger audience.  If it does not work out, so be it and I will be back here only.

If you are interested in viewing my first posting, you may click here:
http://takomapark.patch.com/blog_posts/gratia-benedictus-xvi

Let's take a few moments to pray for Pope Emeritus Benedict.   Let us also pray for those who will elect a new pope that the Holy Spirit guides and that they are not led astray by the evil one.