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
So much for safe...
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The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOH) announced on Friday that of 16 abortion clinics inspected in the state, 12 of them have failed to meet the state’s safety regulations. The state's new regulations for abortion facilities went into effect in July of last year.
In a letter dated May 24, Joshua Sharfstein, the secretary of the Maryland DOH, said that among the three most common violations discovered was the “failure to maintain a sanitary environment at all times and to consistently use chemical indicator strips in sterilized equipment packing."
Other common violations included the “failure to obtain information about the professional credentials of physicians on staff from the National Practitioner Data Bank,” and “failure to include a discharge diagnosis in the medical record."
Read more: http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/12-of-16-maryland-abortion-clinics-found-violating-safety-regulations
As there are a number of Cub Scout Packs and Boy Scout Troops sponsored by Catholic parishes, I thought that I would share this with you. I will wait to hear more from Melvin on this matter.
However, the Archdiocese of Washington has sided with the proponents of gay Scouts and has blown it big time again:
Rev. William Byrne, secretary for pastoral ministry of the Archdiocese
of Washington, said the new policy is not in conflict with Catholic
teaching.
(WashingtonPost May 24th)
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The National Catholic Committee on Scouting has issued the following statement:
REACTION TO POLICY CHANGE IN
MEMBERSHIP STANDARDS FOR THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
National Catholic Committee on Scouting
Thursday, May 23, 2014@ 5:48 PM
For over 100 years, thousands of children in Catholic
parishes, schools and fraternal organizations have benefited from
chartering Scouting units. The Catholic Church has maintained a strong
relationship with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) through the National
Catholic Committee on Scouting (NCCS) for many years and we hope to
maintain that relationship.
Today, the voting members of the BSA voted to change the membership
standards for its youth members. The BSA proposed in its resolution
that "no youth may be denied membership in the Boy Scouts of America on
the basis of sexual orientation or preference alone." Its membership
standards for adult leaders remain unchanged.
The Catholic Church teaches that people who experience a
homosexual inclination or a same sex attraction are to be treated with
respect recognizing the dignity of all persons. The Church's teaching is
clear that engaging in sexual activity outside of marriage is immoral.
Individuals who are open and avowed homosexuals promoting and engaging
in homosexual conduct are not living lives consistent with Catholic
teaching.
Since the change in policy will not take effect until January 1,
2014, the National Catholic Committee on Scouting has adequate time to
study its effects. The NCCS will determine how it may impact Catholic
chartered Scout units and activities. In doing so, we will work within
the teachings of our Catholic Faith and with the various local bishops
and their diocesan scouting committees.
Ed Martin- National Chair
Father Michael Hanifin-National Chaplain
http://nccs-bsa.org/comment/NCCSComment52313.php
Hey folks, the Maryland Catholic Conference is offering free beer and pizza at locations around the Archdiocese. That's right but as they say, there is no free lunch.
You see, what the MCC is trying to do is gather a group of folks, turn them into bloggers, and use them to support their views.
Now, wouldn't it be great, if hundreds signed up and no one showed? Or, hundreds signed up and used what they learned to oppose them on gun control, illegal aliens, etc. Or maybe showed up, ate the pizza, drank the beer and walked out.
Wouldn't that be wonderful?
Eat the pizza. Drink the beer. Turn against them. Spread the word.
Sign up here: http://www.mdcathcon.org/
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Do
you believe that the Death Penalty should be an option in the State of
Maryland for cop killers, mass murderers, and terrorists?
Do
you believe that the voters, and not the radical lefist legislature
and their out of touch supporters, should decide about the Death
Penalty in MD?
Then sign the petition to put it on the ballot in 2014!
http://mdpetitions.com/
In October of 2009, the Mayor of Kensington MD, banned Brookwood School (an independent Catholic girls school) from a small park. He said that they were trashing/destroying the park. Even after various offers of money and other options to help pay for park maintainance, he had the town council pass a resolution banning them.
Now, I knew that something was not right with this but I really did not focus too much on it. Until this weekend, when a little bird told me the real reason: The Mayor is gay and both him and his partner hate the Catholic Church. This is their way of getting back in their own small minded way.
BINGO!
What we have is a BIGOT running around, banning an independent Catholic School from using a public park.
If no one has called you on it, then let me be the first:
MAYOR TOM FOSSELMAN
is an
ANTI-CATHOLIC BIGOT.
Oh, BTW, no one from Brookwood was involved in passing this information on to me.
+++++++++++++++
Do you believe that the Death Penalty should be an option in the State of Maryland for cop killers, mass murderers, and terrorists?
Do you believe that the voters, and not the radical lefist legislature and their out of touch supporters, should decide about the Death Penalty in MD?
Then sign the petition to put it on the ballot in 2014!
http://mdpetitions.com/
Wishing all mother's a Happy Mother's Day.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Do you believe that the
Death Penalty should be an option in the State of Maryland for cop
killers, mass murderers, and terrorists?
Do you believe that the
voters, and not the radical lefist legislature and their out of touch
supporters, should decide about the Death Penalty in MD?
Then sign the petition to put it on the ballot in 2014!
http://mdpetitions.com/
Do you believe that the Death Penalty should be an option in the State of Maryland for cop killers, mass murderers, and terrorists?
Do you believe that the voters, and not the radical lefist legislature and their out of touch supporters, should decide about the Death Penalty in MD?
Then sign the petition to put it on the ballot in 2014!
http://mdpetitions.com/
Pro-life activists protested outside the clinic of a Washington, D.C., abortionist who admitted during an undercover interview that he “would not help” any infant that survives an attempted abortion procedure.
Melissa Ohden, a survivor of an attempted abortion, spoke at the May 1 protest, saying she was thankful that the doctors at the abortion facility where she was born “didn’t subscribe to Dr. (Cesare) Santangelo’s credo that children like me should be left to die.”
“They didn’t see me as a liability, they didn’t hate me for surviving, they saw my humanity,” Ohden said.
Lila Rose, president of the undercover reporting organization Live Action, called Santangelo’s comments “a great injustice.”
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/abortionist-willing-to-abandon-baby-from-failed-abortion-sparks-protest/
