Lindsay Clancy Holdout Juror Finally Speaks Out

The attack on the holdout juror has been going on for over a week since the hung jury in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy. The angry women jurors have been attacking him relentlessly and presenting a picture of an unstable, brooding man who couldn't defend his refusal to go along with the majority group and "inappropriately" demonstrated the murder of the children with a band fastened around a water bottle. [How is that inappropriate? Or were they just uncomfortable and angry because someone defended the children?]

The Song that Calls for the Destruction of Love

 

There's a song that presents the world's views these days in spades. It heralds the destruction of love. Listen to the lyrics and see how much it accords with today's woke views:

Where is Your Line in the Sand? Do You Believe in Catholic Doctrine?

Yesterday I posted on the insane asylum that Rome has become. The video above by Michael Matt is absolutely on target and illustrates exactly what I described. I haven't always agreed with Matt, but I applaud his message here and add some other points he brings up to my evidence for the insanity at the Vatican.

The Church As Asylum...Insane Asylum?

As I wrote the title of this post I wished I were talking about the Church being an asylum in a world gone mad: a haven of peace in the storm, an oasis of truth in a world of lies. Sad to say, while the Church continues to be those things for those who embrace Sacred Tradition and keep the faith of the apostles, Holy Mother Church is looking more and more like an insane asylum under recent popes. Of course, the Church is indefectible but that doesn't mean she can't be in the grips of hirelings and false shepherds.

To keep your balance these days, you need to rewind past the lunacy and read the encyclicals and listen to the saintly popes of the past who taught unchanging doctrinal truth. The Judases treat the Church like a wild roller coaster ride and make everyone so dizzy they can't tell up from down, but no one is forced to get on board. "By their fruits [and nuts] you shall know them." And once you know them, their errors are easier to avoid.

Sunday Meditation: "Evil Sucks Out Life and Color."

I read an article by Gavin Ashenden this morning on Substack about the Clancy trial titled Lindsey Clancy and the Return of Witchcraft. One sentence made me stop and think. "Evil sucks out life and color." There is something so profoundly true about that statement. The quote made me think of the filthy book (which I haven't and never would read) Fifty Shades of Grey. Goodreads puts it in the category of "Smutbooks." Pornography is a more apt adjective. 

Reclaim Halloween as All Hallow's Eve!

Two of my grandsons were visiting on Wednesday. They like to go to the chess club at the library and I love to take them so off we went. During their visit they mentioned that they were putting up the Halloween village that night. Decorating for the ghosts and ghouls rivals even Christmas these days. It's not a trend I like. On the other hand, if you're going to do it, christianize it. Make at least some of those decorations reflect the faith. How about putting a few monuments in the cemetery: a crucifix, a monument to our lady, the staue of a saint, etc. I have a little collection of miniatures some of which could easily be used in an All Hallow's Eve village.

Traditionally All Hollow's Eve was a Christian feast preceding All Saints Day. Here's a bit about its origin:

All Hallow’s Eve origin 

Bonnie Pierce vs. Lindsay Clancy: The Solomon Story in Real Time

Will the real mother please stand up. Neither can, Bonnie Pierce because she died saving her toddler from a devastating fire, Lindsay Clancy because of a self inflicted injury dropping from a second story window leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. 

Will the prosecutors go for a new trial for Lindsay Clancy or will she receive a get-out-of-jail free card, spend a few years (if that) in a mental facility, and then be declared "cured" and released. Would you trust her to babysit for your kids?

The discrepancy between the two Go-Fund-Me pages for Pierce vs. Clancy is shocking. Clancy's is over a million. The fund for the Pierce family just over $219,000. 

Anonymous Juror Defends Holdout! Sounds like lots of intimidation in that jury room.

An anonymous juror has come out in defense of the holdout who refused to find Lindsay Clancy not guilty. This article is worth reading. The murdered little ones deserve justice, not excuses for their killing.

Anonymous Lindsay Clancy Juror Defends Holdout, He Stood on “Convictions”

Become Like Little Children: Read Children's Books

I just finished the most charming little children's book, A Mouse Called Wolf, written by Dick King-Smith who also wrote Babe, The Gallant Pig. One of my favorite movies is Babe and it's based on the book. I searched but couldn't find that A Mouse Called Wolf also inspired a movie. Too bad. I can imagine the birth of the little runty mouse, the teasing of his brothers and sisters, the adventure with the cat, and especially the blossoming friendship with the elderly woman, a retired concert pianist.

The black and white illustrations by. Jon Goodell are so sweet I almost hate to give the book away, but it definitely belongs in the hands of children.

It arrived with lots of other books at our little independent library. They were all paperbacks which we don't keep, so all of them were placed in a basket in the children's section or outside on our giveaway rack. I took about a dozen to share with my grandkids, but wanted to read them first to make sure everything is acceptable. In today's world where the "diversity bookbag" for children includes sewage, I always want to check first. I'm glad I did because it's given me some happy hours.

A Post for Bookworms -- Can You Share a Favorite Title?

I love to read and am always looking for the next good book to pick up. This morning I read a substack post by George Grant that gave me a host of authors to inspect. Some I'm familiar with (Ellis Peters, Mary Renault, Bernard Corwall), but a few are new to me. I've never read anything by G.A. Henty a Victorian novelist and war correspondent, who began his career telling stories to his children around the dinner table. In fact I've never heard of him before. Perhaps it's because he wrote adventure stories "for boys."

Look to Mary Who Will Give You a "Deeper Understanding" of Jesus and the Holy Trinity

We celebrate the Blessed Mother's birthday today, nine months after the feast of her Immaculate Conception on December 8th. Let us all give her a gift today by praying the joyful mysteries of the rosary. 

Mary's great desire was to give Jesus to the world, the Word made flesh. What a great day to take a rosary walk with her entrusting your prayers into her hands with all the graces to be dispensed as she wishes. You can be sure that they will be used in a way most beneficial to you and your family.

When I was praying this morning a line of music kept running through my mind: "Queen of the angels, queen of the saints." It reminded me of all the Marian processions of my childhood, dressed in Sunday best, often wearing a crown of flowers. I once made crowns for all my sisters from dogwood blossoms. 

Deliver Us From Evil: The Lindsay Clancy Trial

I haven't said anything about Lindsay Clancy up to now because the entire situation is like a horror story and I hate horror stories, especially when it involves harming children. It's hard to wrap your mind around such an evil deed as a mother strangling her three little ones.

Sunday Meditation: A few words of wisdom from Blessed Pope Pius IX

But first a fake meme. Pope Blessed Pius IX never warned about a future pope. The quote above is all over the internet, but there's no evidence that the pope ever said it. And in view of his statements on papal infallibility, it immediately raised question marks when I saw it. Serious Catholics need to check, check, check! Don't pass along incorrect information. Whoever's doing it are the Joseph Goebbels of the Church.When you see things on the internet, it's wise to check them, especially if a quote has no attribution. We don't need fake quotes. Pope Blessed Pius IX was a zealous shepherd totally committed to defending the faith and how he suffered for it!

To Restore All Things in Christ

I finished reading Pope Pius X's first encyclical, E Supremi Apostolatus, this morning. What a wonderful pope! The document could have been written yesterday and what a clarion call for today's Catholics. Please read it. I'll give you just a few bits of its brilliance:

• Who can fail to see that at the present time society is suffering more than in any past age from a terrible and radical malady which, while developing every day and gnawing into its very being, is dragging it to destruction? You understand, Venerable Brethren, this disease is apostasy from God.

Think about it. That statement was made in 1903. What would the saint say about the situation today when the attack on reason has led to people justifying the insane proposition that man can choose his own sex, mothers can kill and be celebrated for murdering not only their unborn babies in the womb but their born children. How would that saintly pope respond in order "to restore all things in Christ." Do you think he would be telling the world that all religions (including paganism) are pathways to God? Would Pachamama be celebrated in the Vatican garden? Would he invite representatives of other Christian denominations, Buddhists, Muslims, etc. to come to Assisi and worship together? Read his words and answer for yourself:

St. Pius X, Pray for us!

Yesterday was the feast of St. Pope Pius X, so today is good day to read about his life and examine some of his writings. Here's a list of his encyclicals, 17 in all. His motto was "To restore all things in Christ" which was the subject of his first encylical published on October 4, 1903. 

A Week of Good-Byes: Death Comes to Us All!

It's been a time of good-byes for celebrities this past week or so. Dolly Parton, Tim Curry, and yesterday Gloria Steinem. Many will relate immediately to country music icon Dolly and actor Tim Curry, but I wonder how many even remember who Gloria Steinem was. Do you?

If I went out to do a man-in-the-street interview (using "man" in the generic sense), and asked, "How do you feel about the death of Gloria Steinem?" I would expect a puzzled look and a "Who's Gloria Steinem?" from most people. She got her fifteen minutes of fame during the era of feminism, but that era is fading. Feminism has been in its death throes for a long time. Babies and stay-at-home moms are making a comeback as the White House Baby Boom illustrates.

"If the Shoe Fits, Wear It!"

My mom used to have a full stock of sayings appropriate to various occasions. "If the shoe fits, wear it!" was one that seems especially relevant to modern culture with a shift in meaning. Lots of folks today stick their feet into other people's shoes presuming to know everything about them. They judge people they only know as "friends" on Facebook. They jump to conclusions about things and make rash judgments about others in the comment section of every website. After all, they know everything about them because they slip on their shoes just long enough to tell the world all about them: their beliefs, their opinions, the state of their souls. Their knowledge about others (Trump supporters especially) would fill a multi-volume encyclopedia.

Of Silly Comments, Name-Calling, and the USCCB

Well today was a red-letter day. I've been called a lot of things: a fat cow (I admit I'm overweight.), a schismatic and excommunicated Catholic, a Protestant. Really, I was even once called a feminist. That blew my mind since I've fought the radical feminists for decades. But name-calling is often preceded by brain death. The "little gray cells" go on vacation.

Sunday Meditation: Never Forget: The True Shepherds Celebrated Mass in the Meadow

This photo shows Fr. Reuter celebrating Mass at the fairgrounds during COVID. He was our first SSPX pastor when the chapel was established several years ago. We first met him when he came from the seminary to celebrate Mass at the fairgrounds while all the churches were closed. The diocesan bishops all bent the knee to Caesar. A few priests around the country celebrated Mass in their parking lots. One rented a U-Haul and drove around his diocese with his portable sanctuary. But for most Catholics in the country, their shepherds locked the churches and delivered a stone instead of bread to the faithful. They could have appealed the government lockdowns which left abortion businesses and liquor stores open. They did not. Their actions said, "We have no king but Caesar." I'm still waiting for an apology! They save that for other folks, like those angry over Pachamama being thrown in the Tiber.

Is the USCCB Even Catholic Any More?

The USCCB seems to have lost the faith decades ago, not to mention their minds! I offer the letter below as exhibit A. Why would any right-minded bishop continue to belong to this Good Old Boys Club of Nonsense? In the name of ecumenism we are told that all faiths are paths to God including paganism. And now we have a Jewish woman, Amy-Jill Levine elected as head of the "Catholic" Biblical Association who wants to rewrite the Bible because the pharisees were misunderstood. It reminds me of the song Officer Krupke from West Side Story. 

Of Agatha Christie and Hercule Poirot

I'm a big fan of Agatha Christie and love the series with David Suchet as Hercule Poirot. I've seen the role played with Peter Ustinov and Kenneth Branagh. Neither of them could hold a candle to David Suchet who played Poirot in every story Christie wrote about him. Over 25 years and thirteen seasons, David Suchet became the little Belgian detective with the moustaches. 

My husband and I just finished watching all of the seasons for about the fourth time. And then we watched the extras. Suchet answers a series of questions about what is essentially the role of his life. He described how he studied all the stories and kept a voluminous file about how Poirot dressed, ate, walked, spoke, etc. -- all that allowed David Suchet to disappear into the persona of Hercule Poirot, not an actor playing a character, but becoming one. 

On What Day of the Week Were You Born?

Oh dear...I am Wednesday's child, "full of woe." That description is actually pretty accurate for me since, in the traditional personality description, I tend toward the melancholic. 

Do Our Bishops Welcome "Undocumented Houseguests" in their Own Homes?

My friend and colleague, Janet Baker, has an interesting article on her D.C. blog about the bishops shilling for illegal immigrants. One particularly apt sentence about the illegal aliens was this:

[T]hese people are border-crashers who come and/or stay in this country while disregarding our laws and procedures. They are no more "immigrants" than a burglar is an "undocumented house guest".

Let Thanks Be Always on Our Lips!

Sometimes I get a tremendous surprise when I open a book. Tucked inside will be a letter from the past from a family member or friend. This week, I looked in my calendar book to see whose birthdays and anniversaries are coming up in the month of September. But what I found in the front was a little treasure from one of my granddaughters -- a letter she wrote on January 11, 2019 when she was still in high school. It captured a moment from the past to thrill a grandparent's heart.

When Fact and Fiction Meet to Tell the Truth!

I'm re-reading one of my favorite novels, The Masterful Monk by Owen Francis Dudley, a Catholic priest who converted from Anglicanism. He wrote a series of connected novels about human happiness. I've read them all. The Masterful Monk is the third in the series which is recommended in Fr. John Hardon's Catholic Lifetime Reading Plan. 

Hell on Earth is the Default Position in Massacusetts (and Elsewhere)

While I was at the beach, my grandkids were feeding goldfish to the seagulls. We were at Assateague Island National Seashore and it turns out that it's illegal to feed seagulls at national parks. Gosh, who knew? My two year old grandbaby could face a $5,000 fine and spend up to a year in jail. 

Meanwhile, Maura Healey, the faux Catholic governor of Massachusetts, where it's also illegal to feed seagulls, recently signed a bill allowing babies to be killed in the birth canal. Just slit that unwanted little parasite's neck so he comes out dead. But don't feed the sea gulls; it can send you to jail.

That, friends, is the definition of hell. We all know that baby seals and eagles' eggs are protected. And now we know that seagulls have rights too. Although the seagulls love goldfish. They might not appreciate their right not to be fed by the tourists.

Sunday Meditation: Got Gratitude?

This morning at the chapel we celebrated yesterday's Marian feast for the Immaculate Heart of Mary. What a debt of gratitude we owe to the mother of God for her fiat. Take her hand and she will lead you straight to Jesus! 

Frankly I can never understand the Protestant contempt for Mary. Do Protestants love their own mothers? How can they when they expect Jesus to see His mother as a rival? She isn't and never has been. She loves Jesus more completely than any other human who has ever lived or will live. 

In What State Do You Live?

There's a story about a little boy who goes to his dad and asks, "Daddy, where do we come from?" Dad takes a deep breath and begins to give the birds and the bees explanation. He pauses and, looking puzzled, little Johnny asks, "My friend Pete says they come from Ohio. Where do we come from?"

It's a good question? Where do we come from and what state do we live in? And the follow up question is obviously, where are we going?

My readers come from all over the map according to Google. Some come from my home state, Virginia. Others come from just about every other state in the country. Readers come from other countries and continents as well. I welcome them all as we explore life from a Catholic point of view.

The Lies Parents Tell

Parents want to rear their children to be truth-tellers. At least they should. But many parents today lie regularly to their children. Why? Mostly out of human respect. I’ll give an example from my own experience. 

The Catholic Clowns' Three Ring Circus

There seem to be a lot of circus acts in the Church these days. My dad would be shaking his head and talking about the clowns, especially those in Roman collars. We certainly see them on a daily basis. Some clown around during the Mass dressing up as Barney or blessing the congregation with a guitar or singing silly songs (like Larry from Veggie Tales) or warming up the congregational audience before every homily with a joke.

What Women Have Lost! And Men Too.

So much has been lost in the Church and in our culture, much of it since Vatican II. The sixties was a particularly disastrous decade both within and outside the Church. The sexual revolution with the invention of "the pill" made eliminating babies as easy as popping a pill every day - at least when it worked as it was meant to work. Originally intended for married couples, its use quickly devolved into recreational sex and one night stands: no responsibility, no complications, no babies. 

And the Church was silent. It was about fifteen years after Humanae Vitae, the encyclical that condemned contraception that I first heard a sermon on the papal document. I went out of church and congratulated and thanked the priest. Today, polls show that most Catholic women, about 87%, use a form of artificial birth control to avoid pregnancy.

Bishop Schneider Makes First Statement Following SSPX Consecrations

This bishop speaks with a clear voice and what he has to say should give all those saying the SSPX acts like Protestants pause. The real Protestants promote the synodal church, disregarding dozens of popes who spoke with clear voices. They have traded those popes for those who speak off the cuff on airplanes and other miscellaneous locations causing serious confusion among the faithful

Here's the statement of Bishop Athanasius Schneider who is well named. Thanks to Diane Montagna for posting it on her substack:

The Dilemma Between Preserving the Unambiguous Integrity of the Catholic Faith and Being Canonically Recognized by the Pope

by Bishop Athanasius Schneider

Capital Punishment for the Guilty vs. Compulsory Abortion for the Innocent

I've spent most of my adult life fighting for the little ones in the womb waiting to be born. For many infants, it's the most dangerous place in the world. That was recently emphasized by the attempt of a couple to force the surrogate mother carrying "their" baby to undergo abortion because the little one had a curable heart problem. She refused and fled from the biological parents who live in the death state of California to Texas where the little one could be treated after birth.

Sunday Meditation: A Day of Rest

I love the description of Sunday as a "day of rest." It comes from Genesis. God worked for six days and then He rested giving us the example of how important it is to "keep holy the Lord's day." It belongs to Him, not to us.

This morning at Mass the image came to me from the Irish blessing. 

May the road rise to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back. 

Hail Holy Queen! Happy Feast Day to our Blessed Mother.

The chapel was full this morning to celebrate Our Lady's feast day. How many stayed home today because the USCCB with the approval of the Vatican eliminated the obligation when the feast falls on Saturday or Monday? Probably most. How gratifying to see so many Catholics attend Mass willingly without obligation for the simple love of the Blessed Mother.

Revolutionaries Always Massacre the Truth First!

Truth is one of the first casualties of a revolution. When a revolutionary wants something he knows is a lie, he very quickly finds a way to bury the truth. Study history and you'll find the lies behind every revolution. I can't count how many times I heard those going into abortion centers say, "You have your truth; I have mine." No truth exists in the revolution except what pleases the revolutionary.

Thought for the Day from St. Paul about the "Ravening Wolves" in the Hierarchy

Here is a sobering thought from St. Paul. Before he headed to Rome to meet his death he met with the elders at Ephesus. He told them they would never see him again and warned them of the threat that would come from within from "ravening wolves...not sparing the flock." 

I thought of Archbishop Lefebvre as I read this and his Open Letter to Confused Catholics outlining the damage done by the wolves within. St. Luke blew the warning trumpet in Acts chapter 20 quoting St. Paul with whom he traveled. That warning is most appropriate today as well as we see the devastation caused by wolves in Roman collars "not sparing the flock," wolves from among "your own selves," the hierarchy:

Where is the Vatican Going and What's at the Other End of the Dark Tunnel?

I'm not sure what the appropriate word is for the way the Vatican is going. Puzzling, baffling, idiotic, contradictory, chaotic? Dare I say satanic? Confusion and chaos are always signs of the evil one and, as Pope Paul VI so famously said, "Satan's smoke has made its way into the temple of God through some crack."  [Source]

Rome calls the SSPX rebels and the recently consecrated bishops as well as the two consecrating bishops excommunicated and schismatic. Meanwhile, the chaos and rebellion against the Vatican from within goes on unchecked and unpunished everywhere else. The Communist Chinese are allowed to appoint bishops and persecute the underground Church unopposed. Bishops in the name of synodality promote all kinds of doctrinal deviations. Freemasons rejoiced over the election of Francis and Leo walks in his footsteps. One Peter Five did a three part series titled Why Do the Freemasons Love Pope Francis? [Source] The Masons described Francis as "a radical agent of change." Interesting, eh? 

So what is the appropriate word for the Vatican's response to the crisis in the Church? Do they even admit there is a crisis? Or is the crisis part of the change agents' plan with or without the deliberate cooperation of the hierarchy? They don't need to be Masons or Communists, just think like them.

Pope Leo XIII and the Freemasons' Alta Vendita

In 1884 Pope Leo XIII had his famous vision of the devil asking God for 100 years to tempt the world and try to destroy the Church. Who did Satan use in his war against the faith? Freemasonry among others!

Works of Mercy and the Gift of Friendship

We went to the funeral yesterday of a wonderful man. We've known him for decades and although we weren't close family friends, we had many connections through the pro-life movement. As we were getting ready I thought what a great opportunity it was to practice both a corporal work of mercy, bury the dead, and a spiritual work of mercy, pray for the living and the dead. Not only that, but we saw several people we knew and rejoiced in the brief moment allowing us to renew our friendships.

So many people are gifts, some for a lifetime, some for a season. A relative once questioned my statement about being a friend to another relative whom my husband and I supported at a crucial time. She said, "You aren't friends." It was true that we hadn't had much contact for several years, but I still objected. My reply was to ask if the Good Samaritan was a friend to the wounded Jew. How much of a relationship did they have? Did the Good Samaritan ever meet the man again or had he already recovered and gone when he returned to the inn? To stand by someone in need and then lose touch altogether or even go low contact doesn't erase a time of friendship when someone may have been in great need.

Pray the Rosary to Survive the Scourge of Modernism and Keep the Faith!

Is Freemasonry on Anyone's Radar Screen?

A guitarist I never heard of, Bruno Battisti D'Amario, died last week and was scheduled for a funeral at the Basilica Santa Maria in Montesanto. And then the fat hit the fan. The man was a freemason. Not just any freemason, but an upper echelon grand poobah in the lodge:

In a statement released in tribute to the musician, the Grand Orient of Italy (GOI) revealed his membership in Freemasonry and, above all, the importance of the responsibilities he had held within it. Bruno Battisti D'Amario was presented as the founder of the Giuseppe Leti lodge in Rome and as the composer of the official anthem of the Grand Orient of Italy. He had also twice served as president of the Regional College of Venerable Masters of Lazio and as a councilor of the Order. [Source]

Sunday Meditation: Do We Govern Our Greatest Passion?

The homily at Mass this morning offered a serious challenge. Father described our greatest passion as the desire to speak. When I think of "passion" I have rarely thought about speaking with the tongue. We speak in other ways with our body, hence the term body language, but how many equate passion with speech? I daresay few.

Today is the Yard Crawl! Who Wants More Stuff?

The first full weekend in August is the Route 11 Shenandoah County Yard Crawl, miles and miles of cast-off stuff looking for a new home. Where will it all go?

When we drove to Raphine, VA last Sunday, I noticed storage facilities all over the place even in what some would describe as being in the middle of nowhere. People own so much junk that they fill up their homes and then rent facilities so they can accumulate even more. It actually reminds me of the vomitoriums of ancient Rome, purge and then refill!

I'm not surprised when I see storage facilities around the cities, but out here in the country? I understand when you are getting ready to move that you might need a temporary place to declutter and give your home a more open feel to enhance the sale. But how many people fill up a storage space and never ever even look at what's in there? I've come to think of it as the graphic display of a degenerate culture buying space to serve as their junk closets! Gosh! I can't even deal with my junk drawers!

A Nagging Family Question that Won't Stop Being Asked

Do you ever get a question in your head that keeps asking itself, like an endless loop revolving and repeating over and over. For a long time I've had this question sneaking up on me at odd times. I hear the question and I really haven't attempted to answer it. Why now? Because I was reading several substacks from women who've attended conferences on relationships. They didn't bring up my question, but it hovered around what they discussed.

Here's the question:

Are grandparents important in the lives of their children and grandchildren?

That question leads to several others:

Fauci Being Held in Contempt! Disappointed in John Fetterman.

 

"Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho, Western Civ Has Got to Go!"

Western civilization is on the chopping block. The globalists want a world where everything has been tossed in the blender and been homogenized. And it's been going on for decades. Remember the 1987 protest at Stanford when Jesse Jackson led students opposing the required humanities course on Western Civiliazation? "Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho, Western Civ has got to go." And it's been going ever since at an accelerated rate, although their attack wasn't the first.

The Quality of Mercy

Last Sunday, Father preached on mercy which is a subset of charity. There's plenty of false mercy out there these days. We see it preached by those who tell us to "welcome the strangers" invading our shores. Meanwhile, Spain saw a one-day influx of about 60,000 Moors from Morocco, pouring into the city of Ceuta. According to news reports the invasion was facilitated by sex traffickers and most of those entering were young men. What does that do to a country if they allow it to continue citing "mercy?"

Thought for the Day on St. Dominic’s Feast

 St. Dominic is certainly a saint for our time. Zeal for God’s house consumed him. He devoted himself to fighting heresy with the Blessed Mother’s weapon of the rosary. How wise of us if we do the same. 

I have the blessing of being a daughter of St. Dominic because he’s my Confirmation patron. St. Dominic, pray for us.

Will We See the Conversion of Anthony Fauci?

I was thinking about Chuck Coulson the other day. You remember Coulson right? And his involvement in the Watergate scandal back in the Nixon administration? He ended up serving seven months in federal prison for obstruction of justice. It changed his life and brought about a mid-life religious conversion. After release he founded Prison Fellowship and spent the rest of his life spreading Christianity calling for a common witness with Catholics resulting in release of "Evangelicals and Catholics Together" published in 1984.

What made me think of Coulson? The Congressional hearing with Anthony Fauci where he took the 5th in response to every question including the color of his tie. 

The COVID Chickens are coming home to roost!

There's a great post on Substack about the COVID debacle and those responsible for killing millions of people across the globe with their poisonous "vaccines." They made a virus much more lethal to humans and, by accident or perhaps deliberately, let it escape the gain-of-function lab where it was created. Dr. Science Fauci showed his arrogance and hubris in recent weeks and there is some satisfaction to see him finally exposed for the villain he is. Read the article:

The Delicious Humiliation of the Man Who Poisoned the World and the Ignominious Death of 'The Science'.

Guest Post: Daniel Graham Gives a History Lesson on the Crisis in the Church

I'm delighted to post this article from Daniel Graham, author of Lex Orandi, a book that 
gives a side-by-side comparison of all the sacraments before and after the changes made in the spirit of Vatican II. Every concerned Catholic should know exactly what we've lost. I highly recommend Dan's book. Only when we understand what's been lost can we be like the woman in the parable who sweeps her house looking for her lost coin and rejoicing when she finds it. Those of us who defend the faith of our fathers are also like the man who sold everything to buy the pearl of great price. When one has a treasure, he protects it. And that is what Archbishop Lefebvre did. Those of us who go to SSPX chapels love the faith, love the Church, and love the papacy. Read the encyclicals of Pope St. Pius X and then read those of Pope Francis to see the conflict. Will the real defender of the faith please stand up. Don't get lost in the weeds. Be at peace and soldier on.

The Conflict between Modernism and Tradition

by Daniel Graham

"But the Greatest of These is Charity"

Charity seems to be in short supply these days inside the Church. I stumbled upon the blog of a professor at an orthodox Catholic college whose statements about those who defend sacred tradition shocked me. He targeted specific people, called the SSPX a "cult" all of whose members and lay faithful are excommunicated and in schism. And then he went on by condemning to hell all those who question the magisterium. All I can say is I'm glad He's not God although he seems to be usurping God's role as King and judge.

Frankly I was appalled. I've seen some of his work in the past and never would have guessed he could sink to the level of name calling, rash judgment, and lack of charity exhibited in his rants against the SSPX and other "Trads."

Can We Hope for Holy Bishops?

I'm a regular reader of Fr. Gordon MacRae's website, Beyond These Stone Walls. For those
unfamiliar with Fr. MacRae, he was caught up in the sex abuse frenzy, was falsely accused, refused to plea deal down to a two-year sentence by admitting guilt for what he did not do, and has spent decades falsely imprisoned. Today, Father posted the forward to a book, Hope Springs Eternal in the Priestly Breast, by Australian priest, Fr. James Valladeres. The book includes many details of Fr. MacRae's Gethsemane experience. The plan is to publish the book chapter by chapter as occasional posts on Father MacRae's website.

The Issue isn't the SSPX Consecrations; It's the Revolution in the Church!

 

I don't always agree with Michael Matt, but the video below is excellent. Matt discusses Bishop Thomas Paprocki's recent  statement that the SSPX have become Protestants. Bishop Paprocki is wrong.Without being disrespectful, Matt questions the bishop's opinion and raises profoundly troubling issues about the crisis in the Church. Central to his talk is the fact that the fight is not really about the SSPX consecrations, but rather the revolution in the Catholic Church. We need to pray for good bishops like Paprocki who, I sincerely believe, will, at some point, recognize and respect the actions of the Society and the emergency that necessitated it. With regard to Matt's video, if you don't want to commit to the entire 50 minutes, there's an abridged version that's twenty minutes shorter which I also posted below.

Great News From Steubenville! St. Joseph the Worker College Plans to buy the Masonic Temple.

I was so happy to see the announcement that St. Joseph the Worker College plans to purchase the Masonic temple in Steubenville, OH. Our granddaughter lives in Steubenville, with her husband and infant son. When we head back to Wheeling, WV to visit my husband's siblings and their families we always have the double joy of visiting our granddaughter as well. She and her little family are precious to our hearts.

On the FSSP Chaplaincy in Front Royal and the SSPX

St. Francis de Sales advises the faithful to always put the best construction on other people's actions and the most critical on your own. So I will do that with Bishop Burbidge's decision to invite the FSSP to start a chaplaincy here in Virginia. Since it is being formed "to serve primarily in Front Royal," it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that a primary purpose is to close (by attrition) the SSPX chapel currently in Linden "which remains in a state of irregular communion."

I can't read the bishop's mind but I will presume that he really does care about his diocesan flock and not just the money the diocese is losing which, in view of the on-going SSPX building fund donations, is approaching two million dollars.

The Post Retreat Culture Shock

Is it too soon to go on another retreat? Returning to the world after a retreat is always a bit of a culture shock. For almost a week I:

• didn't have a single phone call
• didn't see a single newscast
• didn't hear or read a single bit of bad news 
• didn't read a single e-mail

Back From Retreat and I'm Exhausted!

Not complaining, just explaining. Five days of silence was a real gift, but not, by any means,  a restful silence. One can be silent and working. Think of a Trappist monastery where the monks all pray (ora) and then go to their work in silence (labora). Some monks garden raising a crop to make jellies and jams. Some might suit up to work the apiary, checking the bees while praying for a sweet golden harvest. Some make fruit cake or roast and pack coffee beans. I once saw two monks up on ladders picking pecans at Clear Creek Abbey in Oklahoma. But all their work is wrapped in silence. 

Some things are worth repeating. May we all love the truth and always speak it in charity!

I'm on a silent, Ignatian retreat this week and scheduled a few posts before I left since I will be completely off the internet and my phone: nothing but silence, the conferences of the priest, the rosary and hours, Confession, and sitting with Jesus in the chapel. What a blessing to have that quiet time. I thought this post from 2023 is timely since many are suffering for the truth today. So I'm resurrecting it and hope you find it helpful. Please pray for the happy repose of the soul of Fr. Hardon. He was a tremendous warrior for the Lord. I heard him speak a number of times and had the blessing of attending the last retreat he offered before his death in 2000. Please pray for me as I will for you during my retreat.

Our Duty: To Suffer for the Truth!

Every now and then a theme crops up everywhere I look and demands attention. Over and over the echoes roll over me like a tidal wave: on social media, in news feeds I follow, in magazines I read, etc. Often it has a lot to do with what's happening in my life at the moment. "Pay attention!" my guardian angel reminds me, "This is important!"