Bishop Loverde's Pattern of Persecuting Priests

This story is the lead article in the Winter issue of the Les Femmes newsletter. It won't go on-line at the website for several weeks, but I decided to post it now. Pray for the bishop and for all the priests in the Diocese of Arlington. They are all vulnerable, especially the orthodox, to be punished for anything or nothing.

Bishop Loverde's Pattern of Persecuting Priests

     Bishop Paul S. Loverde recently made his ad limina visit to Rome to meet with Pope Benedict XVI, the first since 2004 when he met with the seriously ill Pope John Paul II. The bishop presented Pope Benedict a 300 page state-of-the-diocese summary prepared by Mark Herrmann, the diocesan lawyer-chancellor. It included, according to the Arlington Herald, "everything from population statistics and evangelization efforts to child protection programs and the status of diocesan vocations." One of the things definitely excluded was a description of the pattern of persecution in this diocese against faithful priests and laity. Since Bishop Loverde's installation in Arlington in 1999, at least a dozen priests that I know of have experienced persecution in one form or another, often for minor infractions of diocesan rules or deviating from the bishop’s preferences. I have written about some of these cases previously. Read more here....

Too True and Too Funny!

Although this could have shown a laywoman in a veil for Mass or, let's face it, a man in a suit. The only thing missing on these two are the tattoos. Check out the Sword of Peter website.

Messianic Rabbi Warns of Coming Judgment on America

These videos carry a prophetic warning. Are all these events coincidences? It hardly seems likely. The question is, will America listen like the people of Nineveh responding to Jonah's warning or will we continue to shake our fists at God? Rabbi Cahn reminds me of John the Baptist exhorting with a message of repentance. "Reform your lives." Turn back to God.

Will we listen?

Read Isaiah 9:9, the prophecy that shows the obstinacy of heart of the Israelites. You will hear these same words in the video from John Edwards as a presidential candidate and Tom Daschle as Speaker of the House. Even Obama will echo the message of rebuilding what has been torn down in judgment.

And all the people of Ephraim shall know, and the inhabitants of Samaria that say in the pride and haughtiness of their heart:
"The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with square stones: they have cut down the sycamores, but we will change them for cedars."

What was left after the 9-11 attack? The little chapel of St. Paul's at the edge of Ground Zero where George Washington and the first government of the U.S. consecrated the country to God. Its survival was called a "miracle." But is it really a warning?

Nothing is hopeless. God Himself gave Solomon the message of hope to the Israelites' infidelity. In 2 Chronicles chapter 7 God tells him:

"If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their evil ways, then will I hear from heaven, I will forgive their sins, and I will heal their land."

Pat Buchanan, Ron Paul, and Mary's Peace Plan

Read Pat Buchanan's article here.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that we can't afford to continue being the world's policeman. Besides, we're not doing a very good job. As a matter of fact, we have a record of taking a bad situation and making it worse, often much worse. What happened in Iraq after we pitched out Hussein? The Christians have almost disappeared. The neo-cons said we were bringing western democracy to Iraq, but where is the evidence they want democracy? The country continues to be rocked by violence and chances are we have left them to duke it out in a civil war.

So what did we get for our billions? A more stable Middle East? Hardly. A more democratic Iraq? Not likely. But there are some results. Civilians killed: over 100,000; Military deaths: several thousand; Wounded and disabled vets? Several hundred thousand; Cost of the war? Over $800 billion and that's only a fraction of the true costs when you consider medical and disability expenses that will be ongoing for years.

So let me ask again -- how did the Iraq war benefit the taxpayers of the U.S.? Does anyone actually believe that Iraq represented a threat to the U.S.?................. Anyone?.............Anyone?............I'm waiting...........(sigh).

But have we learned anything? Watch for the big push to go after Iran next. The Neo-Cons never rest in their imperialistic goal to create a secular World Democracy. They're delusional!

Pray the rosary for peace as the Blessed Virgin asked at Fatima.  And consecrate yourself and your family to her Immaculate Heart. That is our only hope for a real and lasting peace.

So...You Think We Can Trust Romney?

Romney Told Catholic Hospitals to Administer Abortion Pills

Occupy Wall Street Unmasked

You think this group cares about the economy and fairness and all that jazz, especially the rights of the poor? Nope, they are funded by leftists and one of their objectives is abortion and all the immoral positions that go with it. That's why they attend pro-life events to shout down anyone who disagrees with their Soros-funded, radical agenda. Isn't it interesting that a group that demands its right to gather, protest, defecate in the street, etc. has no problem violating the rights of others? Do you think they can spell H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-T-E-S? Here are some quotes from the article at LifeSiteNews: 

Demonstrators from the Occupy Wall Street movement threw condoms on Catholic schoolgirls, refused to allow a Catholic priest to give a closing prayer, and shouted down a pro-life speaker at a Rhode Island right to life rally on Thursday, according to its organizer. The event marked the third time protesters associated with the movement have disrupted a pro-life meeting in a week....
They gathered around speakers at the podium, shouting them down or otherwise jostling them and members of the audience....
Members of the Occupy movement, which putatively focuses on economic and financial issues, have begun aggressively demonstrating against those who advocate for the rights of the unborn.
Approximately 15 protesters from Occupy D.C. disrupted the March for Life Youth Rally in the nation’s capital last Saturday evening.

Margaret Sanger in Her Own Words

Margaret Sanger is often portrayed as a secular saint. The reality is that she considered many people "degenerates," particularly among the poor. I'm going to start a page on Margaret Sanger and include quotes from her own writing as well as materials she edited which obviously had her approbation. This particular article was written by Sanger herself and titled Birth Control and Woman's Health. The quote below follows a number of excerpts, ostensibly from desperate women writing to her. What I find ironic (and somewhat suspicious) is that all the letters are highly articulate and, of course, heartbreaking and yet, these are the people she labels "degenerate" in the paragraph below because it's their children she believes should never have been born.

"We  are  dealing with  peculiar facts today,  so far as the health of  the race is concerned  In the early history of  the race, so-called 'natural  law'  reigned undisturbed Under its pitiless and unsympathetic  iron rule, only the strongest, most  courageous could live  and  become  progenitors  of  the race  The  weak  died   early,  or  were  killed.   Today,  however, civilization   has brought sympathy, pity, tenderness and other lofty and worthy sentiments, which   interfere with  the law of  natural selection  We  are now m a state where our charities, our compensation acts, our pensions, hospitals and even  our drainage and sanitary equipment  all tend to keep alive the sickly and weak, who are allowed to propagate and in turn produce a race of  degenerates." (American Birth Control Review, December 1917.)

This is not an unusual theme for Sanger, that philanthropy has caused too many unfit individuals to survive, although her statement about the "history of the race" and natural selection isn't backed up with any facts.  Sanger's elitist philosophy hides under a veneer of compassion for poor women forced to be "breeders" by the lack of birth control information. This fits in later with her belief that certain people, the feeble-minded (whoever they are in her judgment), should be kept in camps and not allowed to reproduce. More on that later.

The Video that Exposes Planned Parenthood

The video below reveals Planned Parenthood in ways they sure didn't intend. First, note that the "superhero" is black. Why? Because PP has always targeted minorities and they want to appeal to them first of all. Margaret Sanger was hot to eliminate as many "human weeds" as possible and she considered poor minorities, Catholic immigrants, and other "undesirables" as fodder for her birth control machine. "More from the fit; less from the unfit," was her eugenic motto. She even wanted to enlist black pastors to sell abortion to the population she most wanted to reduce. PP targets minority neighborhoods. Hello! This organization was founded by a WASP elitist.

Note also in the video that the "superhero" aims a gun, shoots at and kills the sidewalk counselors (portrayed as zombies) outside the abortuary. Fact is, PP folks are the violent ones, not pro-lifers. They are the ones ripping babies limb from limb and demanding the right to stab near-term babies in the head and suck out their brains. The pro-life movement is the most peaceful civil rights group in history.

Next, see how the abstinence speaker is portrayed and don't miss the misinformation about STDs. Chlamydia, the most common STD, is transmitted by skin contact, and condoms don't protect against it. Many young women who believe the PP mantra of "safe is sexy" are likely to end up sterile as a result of chlamydia infection. It causes pelvic inflammatory disease, damage to the cervix, increased likelihood of life-threatening ectopic pregnancies, etc. Here's what Berkeley Wellness says about it and Berkeley is hardly a bastion of pro-life conservatism. There are 3 million new cases of chlamydia every year. That's a lot of damage to a lot of women! And what does this "superhero" tell the kids to call her? Dionysus, the name of the God of drunkenness and revelry.


The scene with the Senator is particularly interesting. It's PP who hate freedom of speech and the rule of law. The only way they could get abortion on demand was through activist judges ignoring the law and making it up. Note how the senator is dipped in the cauldron by the superhero/witch and comes out presumably as a pig with an apple in his mouth, but he sure resembles a baby. PP are the real life enemies of the poor depicted in Jonathan Swift's satire about eating Irish babies and that scene illustrates it.  


Note the Starbucks ad. The rainbow is there for good reason. They are big advocates of buggery as well as PP abortion supporters.

Last of all. Take a look at the demon horns that appear every time the "super-hero" Dionysus is seen from the back. Was that an accident or is Satan so bold he wants to take credit for his diabolic activity?

Check out PP's hate-filled video. Are these the kinds of people any parent should want teaching their children about the meaning of human sexuality?  I blogged earlier today about what makes the happiest wives. PP's strategy is sure to frustrate happiness for both women and men.  In their philosophy women are nothing but recyclable sex objects and babies are trash for the landfill. As for "men" -  they are enabled as sexual predators who use women for pleasure and cast them off. PP's cultural message is misogyny. They hate women and their fertility. We need to expose them for what they are.

More on Komen: Let's use this to go after Planned Parenthood!

Tom Peters has an interesting blog post at Catholic Vote pointing out that Komen may not be "caving" just protecting the organization by trying to depoliticize the debate. Hmmm....I'm thinking about that.

Planned Parenthood, like the mafia thugs they are, threatened to destroy Komen. The question will become more clear in the future when we see whether Komen gives new grants to PP. What IS clear, however, is that PP cares nothing for women's health only for their own continued mission of destroying unborn babies. They would happily destroy Komen for their own selfish ends.

Peters presents an interesting point of view which is debated int he comments section. I'm not sure I agree, but it's worth considering. In the meantime, a message to Komen that you are disappointed with their action, but especially shocked at PP's vicious attack on women suffering from breast cancer, would be worthwhile.

Komen Wimps Out: Says they will Change Regs to Allow PP Grants

Well it didn't take long for Komen to bend to the agents of the evil one. They have rescinded their decision to drop Planned Parenthood. How pathetic! They couldn't even stand firm for a week. Well...back to the boycott, folks. Here's the news from AP.

Komen drops plan to cut Planned Parenthood grants

Candidate Comparison Based on Candidates Stated Positions

If your interested in a side-by-side comparison of the four Republicans still standing go here.

Want to be Happy in Your Marriage?

Have children and go to Church together.

The happiest wives in America

Gosh did I need a study from UVA to tell me that? Larry and I enjoy each other's company and our cross-country trip last fall illustrated that we could be together constantly 24/7 and still enjoy each other's company after seven solid weeks. I think after 42 years our relationship has stood the test of time and we would fit solidly in the ranks of this study that showed that families who had four or more children and went to Church together weekly were among the happiest.

Fr. Patrick Peyton, the rosary priest, who is up for canonization could have explained it without a study. "The family that prays together, stays together."

Let's Hear More From Allen West!

Former Army Lieutenant Colonel Allen West stands for conservative values. We need to hear more from him. Check out his brief message at the March for Life last month and view his voting record on abortion here. If you like what you see, why not send him a contribution.

Fr. Tom Pegs It Again! Challenging the HHS Mandate

It isn't enough to exempt the Church from HHS Mandates. As Fr. Tom writes below, that concedes government's "right" to force institutions and individuals to participate in the butchery. Is protecting human life really only a "Catholic" or "religious" question? Was slavery only an issue for people of faith? It's time to defend the civil rights of unborn babies. Stop the genocide of pre-born humans!

From Fr. Tom Collins:

   It will be interesting to see whether the USCCB will be content with an HHS exemption for Catholic institutions from the requirement to provide contraception, abortion and sterilization "services", thus conceding that the HHS has a legitimate "right" to mandate such butchery, just so long as we Catholics do not have to soil our hands by directly participating in it.

In view of the fact that HHS has sought to "rub our noses" in the bloody remains of mutilated babies, the USCCB should demand a full apology for its attempt to violate our basic rights, which are guaranteed by the First Amendment. Likewise, our own bishops in Virginia should demand an apology from both Sen. Warner and Sen. Webb, since they participated in violating our Constitutionally guaranteed rights by giving HHS unbridled legal "power" to redefine the nature of conscience, so as to be permitted to force
us to violate our consciences in direct violation of the First Amendment. Without such clear apologies, the USCCB will be de facto agreeing with the fundamental provisions of Obamacare. This, combined with the ongoing de facto degradation of so much of our catechesis and Church discipline, will perpetuate
the gradual "evolution" of thought among Catholics, to the point where many will also embrace the "compassionate solution" of euthanasia for our infirm and elderly.

Satan's one "virtue" is patience. And so, with the passing of time and with the continuing portrayal of perversion as "sex education" to our youth, Catholics will gradually be "enlightened" (Lucifer means the "bearer of light") to accept the "wisdom" of our government. And, as we live by that "wisdom", we will see it "confirmed" by the unchallenged sacrilegious abuse of the the Eucharistic Christ - in a way that is perceived by most Catholics as a ratification of the "utopian agenda" of the Culture of Death and its unholy trinity of contraception, abortion and euthanasia.

Ironically, while such attacks on innocent human life are increased, the Culture of Death will be increasingly scrupulous about protecting the lives of the guilty from the death penalty.

May God enlighten and strengthen us by the true Light of the World, Jeus Christ, so that we may decisively proclaim the whole truth of His saving Word.

In Christ,
Fr. Tom  

Family Funerals

Larry and I just returned from a funeral for the father of nine of our nieces and nephews. The wake and funeral Mass were testaments to the love and respect these young adults had for their dad. And, as is so sadly true, it provided the infrequent opportunity to connect with extended family. Some of the grand nieces and nephews we had never met (the tiny ones) and most of the others we don't know very well. With our own immediate family numbering ten adults (not counting us) and twenty children, we are doing well to keep up with them. Since we both come from large families, the extended family (just counting our siblings, their children, and grandchildren) is in the hundreds. Whew! I wish I had the time, proximity, and energy to know them all better. But it was a delight to see them, even briefly, and touch each others' lives for that brief time.

Funerals have a way of focusing the mind on what is really important -- dying in God's grace so we can be happy with him in heaven. I was grateful the priest did not canonize the deceased but talked about how we all seek happiness, often in the wrong places, and need God's mercy. Only Mary, and perhaps a few saints who died young (Maria Goretti, St. Therese of Liseux, St. Dominic Savio, and Blessed Francisco and Jacinta come to mind) did not deserve the fires of hell. And we are all subject to original sin, except the Blessed Mother. Thank God for the grace of Baptism that reconciled us to God.

If I were not so aware of the mercy of God, I would spend my days trembling in fear and hiding under the bed. But God is good and he is there when the priest anoints the dying with the oil of salvation, hears his confession, and gives him Viaticum. I pray for that provided death and trust, through the intercession of the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph, I will not go without the sacraments.

It's good to reflect on death regularly because it is one of the few absolute certainties in this life. Every  year when I go on retreat the priest reminds us of a gravestone he once saw that read: "As you are, I once was. As I am you will surely be." Apparently, this was once a common quote on tombstones used by the Puritans. We would all do well to remember it and think of the only thing that matters -- where we will spend eternity. 

Please pray for Larry Schadegg. His body lies now where we all are headed. But his soul... ah...that is another story. My nieces and nephews can be at peace knowing their dad died in the hope of Christ surrounded by Christ's Church and having received the sacraments that offer the best hope of eternal salvation. Requiescat in pace, Larry. "May the divine assistance remain always with us, and may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen."

Susan G. Komen Nixes Planned Parenthood

Komen To Stop Funding Abortion Giant Planned Parenthood

Didn't last long; they folded to pressure on 2/3. See AP article.

Faithful Catholic Subculture Needs to Evangelize

Russell Shaw is warning faithful Catholics not to withdraw from the culture but to participate in the "new evangelization." He sees signs of the orthodox pulling out with a "ghetto" mentality. Don't do it, Catholics, he warns. And I shout a loud AMEN! We need to engage the culture. The pro-life movement shows how. Take the battle to the market place even if we're ultimately driven to the catacombs. But the ghetto? Never! Here's a selection from Shaw's piece:

In recent years, however, a reaction has set in. Disgusted with the secular culture, growing numbers of individuals and families, both Catholic and non-Catholic, have begun taking steps to withdraw from what they judge to be a morally destructive environment.   

Some home-school their children to avoid the sex education imposed in schools. Some have given up on television and take great pains to police internet use. Still others have made the radical move of quitting big cities and their suburbs in favor of smaller,  more tradition-minded and culturally homogeneous communities making fewer assaults on their eyes, ears, and morals. (Thomas Monaghan’s Ave Maria, Florida is a high-profile prototype of this.)   Meanwhile, the infrastructure of a new Catholic subculture has begun to emerge. It can be seen in a handful of proudly orthodox Catholic colleges and universities, media ventures like the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) and rapidly expanding Catholic radio stations, a growing number of websites and periodicals and a few publishing houses, and organizations and movements dedicated to promoting Catholic spirituality—especially, a spirituality of the laity. In other cases, older Catholic institutions and programs have begun taking steps to reaffirm their Catholic idenity. Often, these things happen with encouragement from a new generation of bishops and priests who have gotten the message and taken it to heart.   This is all to the good—up to a point. But note that when I speak of the desirability of a new Catholic subculture, I do not mean a self-regarding, inward-looking ghetto. Unfortunately, signs of such a thing already can be glimpsed here and there. They seem likely to spread if steps are not taken to discourage that from happening.   Here is where the new evangelization comes in. It provides rationale and  motivation for Catholics to set their sights on something far better than a Catholic ghetto—the creation of a new, dynamic American Catholic subculture specifically designed to be a source of creative energy for preaching the gospel far and wide, with particular attention to former Catholics and nominal Catholics who are teetering on the brink.   This is asking a great deal—a subculture able to nurture and sustain a strong sense of Catholic identity without turning in on itself. Can it be done? No one really knows because up to now it hasn’t been attempted. Evangelization is the key. Meanwhile, one thing does seem certain: If it cannot be done, or if no attempt is made to do it, the situation of the Catholic Church in the United States is likely to become increasingly troubled in the years ahead.