Raw milk debate in Wisconsin

My family drinks "raw milk" that is to say unpasteurized milk.  Or as I like to call it, milk from the cow.  Why, pray tell would we do something so strange?  Well if you must know, here are some interesting facts on the benefits of raw milk.  So it tastes better and is better for you, so why is the state of Wisconsin trying to shut down small farmers selling raw milk?  I mean this is a free country, right?  Riiiiiiight?

Currently there is legislation in the Wisconsin supported by our own Sen. Dan Kapanke to allow for the sale of raw milk.

Kapanke said he has no problem signing onto a bill that would make it legal to sell raw milk in Wisconsin, as it is in more than half the states in the union.
"I grew up on it," said Kapanke, who drank a glass of raw milk at the meeting at Western Technical College in Viroqua. "How can I sit in Madison and say you can't drink it?"

I never understand those laws which protect citizens from themselves in the name of the holy god Safety.  Interesting tangent, the Committee of Public Safety (French: Comité de salut public) during the French Revolution was the body responsible for slaughtering tens of thousands of Catholics and the Genocide in the Vendée.... all for public safety....  I'm just sayin!

Update:  From St. Brigid's Meadow on the Ridge

Some more good news on the legal front: Senator Dan Kapanke of La Crosse has signed on as a cosponsor to LRB 3242/3, which would legalize sales of raw milk. Below is an email he sent out yesterday:

This is an update to let you know that I signed on as a co-sponsor last week to the Raw Dairy Milk Bill (LRB 3242/3) introduced by Senator Pat Kreitlow, Senator Glenn Grothman and Representative Chris Danou. As you know, this bill will allow for the sale of raw milk in certain controlled conditions. It provides consumers the freedom to purchase raw dairy milk directly from farms if they so chose. Plus, it will invest money back into our local economy while giving small dairy farms a much-needed economic boost.
I look forward to the bill’s swift advancement in the legislature and will keep you posted on further developments.
Sincerely,
Dan Kapanke
State Senator, 32nd District

St. Mary's Oratory, Cashton, WI

I just found out that the Institute of Christ the King, Sovereign Priest has permanently placed a pastor at St. Mary's Oratory in Cashton, WI.  I have not heard Mass there yet, but I would like to one of these days.  I see from their website they have also updated their Mass times.  I think it used to be 3pm on Sundays, now they have a 10:30am Sunday Missa Cantata and daily Mass through the whole week.  Very nice!

Updated: I originally put Wausau(who shared a priest with Cashton) but it is Cashton I am talking about.

Updated 2: thepalmhq is a member and gives us all the details

Happy Thanksgiving!

To my two or three readers, I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! 

In the Christian era the custom of celebrating a thanksgiving harvest festival began in the High Middle Ages. For lack of any definite liturgical day or ceremony prescribed by the Church, various practices came to be observed locally. In many places, as in Hungary, the Feast of the Assumption included great thanksgiving solemnities for the grain harvest. Delegates from all parts of the country came for the solemn procession to Budapest, carrying the best samples of their produce. A similar ceremony was observed in Poland, where harvest wreaths brought to Warsaw from all sections were bestowed on the president in a colorful pageant. These wreaths (wieniec), made up of the straw of the last sheaf (broda), were beautifully decorated with flowers, apples, nuts, and ribbons, and blessed in churches by the priests.

The most common, and almost universal, harvest and thanksgiving celebration in medieval times was held on the Feast of Saint Martin of Tours (Martinmas) on November 11. It was a holiday in Germany, France, Holland, England, and in central Europe. People first went to Mass and observed the rest of the day with games, dances, parades, and a festive dinner, the main feature of the meal being the traditional roast goose (Martin's goose). With the goose dinner they drank "Saint Martin's wine," which was the first lot of wine made from the grapes of the recent harvest. Martinmas was the festival commemorating filled barns and stocked larders, the actual Thanksgiving Day of the Middle Ages. Even today it is still kept in rural sections of Europe, and dinner on Martin's Day would be unthinkable without the golden-brown, luscious Martin's goose.

More info on the history of giving Thanks to God

I certainly am grateful for many things.  When I think of the countless persecutions of Catholics throughout history, I can't help but feel grateful that our families can live in relative peace.  May it please God this gratitude lead to many good works in charity. 

Mmmm, I smell turkey!

The League of Bearded Catholics

As you may know, my facial foliage is in full bloom currently and The Crescat pointed me to the blog The League of Bearded Catholics  

It's about time we had our own league!  I currently have a "Short Boxed Beard" but I could see myself in some Mutton Chops.  The Badger-ette may have something to say on that....  Mutton Chops, that's even fun to say. 



Read the whole article here:

http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00e54ecb4e398833012875b23cb4970c

Chapel of Bones - Évora, Portugal

Fascinating pictures of the "Chapel of Bones" is in Évora, Portuga from a great blog I recently came across!



Check out the whole article here:
http://www.danielmitsui.com/hieronymus/index.blog/1760871/evora-ossuary/

Preparation for Christmas at Guadalupe Shrine

I will pass on an email about some great prep to get spiritually jacked up for the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord.

The Franciscan Friars at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe are offering an “all day” program of Eucharistic Adoration and Confessions in the Shrine Church on Saturday, December 19 (the Saturday before Christmas).  The Adoration would be
primarily for the intention of reparation (though we could offer it up also for a selection of a good holy successor to Bishop Listiecki, as well as other intentions). Confessions would be available for the whole time,  except during Holy Mass at 11 a.m.

This is a beautiful way to prepare for the celebration of  the Birth of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  If you can commit to a ½ hour or more, please indicate the time you would like to spent with Our Eucharistic Lord at the Shrine Church on the form below and e-mail it back to me(contact Badger Catholic).

 "In a world where there is so much noise, so much bewilderment, there is a need for silent adoration of Jesus concealed in the Host…. It is a source of comfort and light, particularly to those who are suffering." “With the Synod Assembly, therefore, I heartily recommend to the Church’s pastors and to the People of God the practice of Eucharistic Adoration, both individually and in community” Pope Benedict XVI, February 22, 2007, Sacramentum Caritatis, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation.

Saturday, December 19 - All Day Eucharistic Adoration and Confessions at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe

9:30 AM Exposition and Adoration - Confession Starts
10:00 AM
10:30 AM
11:00 AM Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
11:30 AM
12:00 PM
12:30 PM
1:00 PM
1:30 PM
2:00 PM
2:30 PM
3:00 PM
3:30 PM Benediction

Lambeau Field!

I'll be there Sunday(after Holy Mass of course).  I put together some fun facts about the connection between the Green Bay Packers and the Catholic Faith: 


Vince Lombardi, probably the greatest all-time NFL coach, was a devout Catholic.  Not only did he attend daily Mass, but he brought many of his players along with him.  This might surprise some because of his very choleric temperament.  David Maraniss wrote a great book on him titled "When Pride Still Mattered." 

Vince Lombardi, the late coach who was known to frequently finger black rosary beads in his pocket, attended daily Mass and often stopped by St. Norbert College to chat with the priests. 

The Packers current coach, Mike McCarthy, also attends daily Mass.

The Packers have their own priest as a chaplain, I think still Father James Baraniak.  Not a bad assignment!  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel did a piece on him last year. 

Also I found the Packers 1997 Super Bowl team had several Catholics on the roster along with coaches.

Beginning with star quarterback Brett Favre and a host of others including tight end Mark Chmura[Thank God for Confession]. Others are Jeff Dellenbach, Santana Dotson, Mike Prior, Marco Rivera, Jeff Thomason, and Frank Winters to name a few. According to team chaplain Steve Newman, no one lives their faith more sincerely than Notre Dame grad and outstanding punter Craig Hentrich. Some of the Catholic coaches who serve as inspiration to the Catholic Packer players include defensive whiz Fritz Shermer, as well as the quartet of Gill Haskel, Tom Lovat, Mike Sherman, and Bob Valesente. Longtime Catholic team chaplain Father John Blaha will be there with the team in San Diego.

 Also once a year the Packers play the "Bishops Charities Game" where a portion of the proceeds go to the Church.

In 1961, the Diocese of Green Bay approached Vince Lombardi about playing a second charitable contest in Green Bay (the Shrine game was already a fixture in Milwaukee).

Lombardi, a devout Catholic, agreed to the contest. The original contract gave the Packers, their opponent and the church each one-third of the gate receipts.

During the 1970s, the Packers and the church changed the contract so the Diocese would receive a flat donation, rather than a percentage.

For more than 30 years, the church handled much of the game's business-related tasks, including game program and advertising sales, using a network of volunteers covering 14 Northeastern Wisconsin counties. The Packers assumed many of those tasks beginning in 1994.

To date, the series has raised over $3.4 million. 

In 2000, the American Religion Data Archive reported Green Bay to be predominantly Catholic (71.5%), with Lutherans composing an additional 16.4%. The remaining 12% are almost entirely Protestant denominations.

Albeit that much of this is more cultural connection to the faith more than anything, but still interesting, no?

CCHD in Wisconsin - even more

Two groups who are funded by the CCHD in Wisconsin, ESTER and JOSHUA, have discontinued their partnership with the pro abortion group Gamaliel.  

From the Diocese of Green Bay newspaper, The Compass

In an interview with The Compass Nov. 13, Stephanie Gyldenvand, ESTHER organizer and spokesperson, said she and other ESTHER and JOSHUA officials were upset to learn about HCAN's abortion stance.
"When we started with HCAN, there was an agreed set of principles" on health care reform, she said. "But the position they decided to take (on abortion), without notifying anyone, made it clear that our partnership could no longer continue."

Good article also goes into the email that is circulating and the corrective actions the groups took.

The Diocese of La Crosse has yet to issue anything publicly to clarify the confusion.

The fact remains that Bishop Morlino of Madison is not participating in the CCHD collection this weekend until he has completed his own investigation of the funds being spent. And other groups directly funded by the CCHD nationally have directly funded to promotion of abortion, contraception, and same sex "marriage."  Milwaukee group Voces dela Frontera, still remains in question as I have seen no corrective statement made regarding this group by the Milwaukee Archdiocese or elsewhere. 

Voces de la Frontera – Wisconsin - $50,000

• Promoted homosexual campaign “Gayneighbor.org” for ally group Equality Wisconsin in Oct. 2009 newsletter
• Listed as member of “Health Care for America Now”
  Health Care for America Now firmly stated:
  
  • “When we say health care for all, we also mean preserving the reproductive health care coverage women currently have.”
    
    (Richard Kirsche) “Unfortunately, the House legislation included a provision that will deny some women access to abortion services, a standard benefit now available on the insurance market. We will work to see that women have access to comprehensive health coverage in the final bill that passes.”
    
    A central promise of health care reform is that if you like the health care coverage you have, you can keep it. Today in America, millions of women who buy health care on their own or who get it through the small business employer have abortion care coverage. Congressman Stupak's amendment would strip them of that coverage, breaking that central promise.
    
    Stupak wants to outlaw abortion coverage in the new health insurance Exchange, where individuals and small businesses will purchase their coverage. Instead, women would only be able to purchase abortion coverage in a "abortion rider" plan - a single-service plan that covers abortion only. Such an "abortion rider" is discriminatory and illogical. Women do not plan to have unintended pregnancies (or pregnancies in which a complication will arise that will require ending the pregnancy). In fact, about half of all pregnancies are unintended. Abortion is simply not something that women plan to insure against.

I haven't seen any emails yet "attacking" the bishops, but apparently some are circulating which are not being charitable.  That is unfortunate.  Even though Catholics have been extremely scandalized in our time, we must show the bishops the same respect we would show Jesus Christ, the High Priest.  The Holy Father recently spoke on the need for charity dealing with others on the internet as well as in person.  Hopefully the situation nationwide with the CCHD will be corrected and perhaps additional oversight or precautions can be taken to ensure proper handling of our donations.

The secret to blogging

CCHD - More updates

Recently I blogged on how the Bishops are supporting groups promoting abortion in Wisconsin.  through the USCCB group known as the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.

It seems things have been heating up over this.  The Bishops fall meeting in DC had brought this subject up.

The chairman of the U.S. bishops’ subcommittee which oversees the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) has defended the program against what he called “outrageous” allegations and claims. He reiterated that the campaign is pro-life and has “zero tolerance” for funding any group that violates Catholic teaching.

Bishop of Biloxi, Mississippi Roger Morin on Tuesday addressed the fall assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) on the topic of the CCHD.

CNA Nov 19

This response is a bit troubling considering the fact that their own documents are the ones condemning them.  The USCCB published who received money, this isn't like someone is releasing classified documents.

The bishop(Morin) said it was “particularly disturbing” that people form an opinion of CCHD based on an individual incident of misconduct.

What is becoming obvious is that MANY of the organizations receiving money participate in promoting the culture of death.  If we just look at Wisconsin we can find 4 out of the 7 groups receiving money have directly or cooperated with groups in promoting abortion.  This is not an "individual incident" and this is very minimal checking on my part. 

Green Bay	ESTHER (Gamaliel Foundation affiliate)	$32,000
Green Bay	JOSHUA Justice Organization Sharing Hope & United for Action	$25,000
LaCrosse	AMOS (Gamaliel Foundation affiliate)	$25,000
LaCrosse	Joining Our Neighbors Advancing Hope	$25,000
Milwaukee	Common Ground – Industrial Areas Foundation – See Website	$40,000
Racine	RIC - Racine Interfaith Coalition (Gamaliel Foundation affiliate)	$25,000
Milwaukee	Voces dela Frontera	$50,000

Another thing to remember is that the CCHD is not involved with actually helping the poor, but to overcome the "root causes" of poverty.

• Pro-Life groups are NOT eligible for these funds
• Pregnancy Care Centers are NOT eligible for these funds
• Religious Orders are NOT eligible for these funds
• Soup kitchens and homeless programs are NOT eligible for these funds.
• Direct services at Not covered.

Relevant Radio's Drew Mariani's show today is on this subject...

UPDATE: Diocese of Madison is NOT PARTICIPATING in CCHD collection this weekend!
American Life League alerted me to this just published by the Madison Diocese

While Bishop Morlino continues to seek out answers to the many questions arising with regard to the National Campaign, and until he is personally confident that funds collected from the faithful of the Diocese of Madison will not be used to fund groups which violate the teaching of the Church by their policies, he will continue to seek out other helpful ways to assist those in need.  This year’s National CCHD collection (2009) from the Diocese of Madison will go to the Little Sisters of the Poor and their international outreach ministry to the elderly.  The sisters operate 202 homes in 32 countries.

 We hope and pray other diocese will follow Bishop Morlino's example.

Note: It has been said that those not approving of the CCHD actions are "bishop bashing" among other things. I think this is exact opposite, we love our bishops and want any group who may be deceiving them on how money is being spent to be exposed.  Discussion and even *gasp* debate are a good thing, and as GK Chesterton said "Too often people can let an argument get in the way of a good debate."

Thursday night Facebook

Recently came across a hilarious blog, The Stained Glass Buffalo.

http://stglassbflo.blogspot.com/2009/11/thursday-night-facebook.html

Archbishop Burke in town to celebrate feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

The Shrine does not yet have a way to update news on their website so I will post this here.  They do have an image file saved with the information. 

Friday, December 11, 2009 - Feast of St. Juan Diego
7:30 pm Procession to the Shrine Church; gather at the Pilgrim Center
8:00 pm Candle lit Rosary prayed in Spanish on the Plaza (weather permitting)
9:00 pm Mass in Spanish
Main celebrant: Archbishop Raymond L. Burke

Saturday, December 12, 2009 - Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
7:00 am - Las Mañanitas
Wake Up Mary with songs in the Pilgrim Center.  Hot beverages and Mexican sweet bread!
11:00 am - Solemn Pontifical Mass in the Shrine Church *this is the Ordinary Form of the Mass
Main Celebrant: Archbishop Raymond L. Burke
Join us for the Solemn Pontifical Mass and welcome new members into the St. Juan Diego Guild for Children.  If you plan on attending, please arrive early to allow for time to walk the trail.

FACT: Coyotes and badgers work together to find food

I ran across this and thought it was too interesting not to share.  

A 1992 study conducted at the University of California's Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Biology confirmed what Native Americans recognized centuries before: Coyotes and badgers hunt together. In fact, you're far more likely to witness coyotes seeking out food alongside badgers than hunting with other coyotes. Generally, the wild dogs hang out in loose family units or lead solitary lives. They rarely hunt in packs, but the sparse prairie and desert vegetation can make it challenging to stalk prey stealthily

http://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/coyotes-badgers-find-food.htm

Soon to be the US National Anthem?

I'm sure the animals were jailed for not having health insurance.

Not in Nottingham... or US of A?

Getting cold up north....The Crescat...: malta monday...

You should check out The Crescat blog, especially on Mondays for some amazing pictures of Malta. Aaah, just a few minutes in my Mental Malta.

The Crescat...: malta monday...

... a view of Blue Lagoon in Comino with St. Mary's tower in the foreground.

Do the Wisconsin Bishops fund groups promoting abortion?

Several problems have been raised recently about the USCCB's "Catholic Campaign for Human Development."  Findings by Bellarmine Veritas Ministry & American Life League have found several cases where the CCHD has been directly funding groups that promote abortion and same sex "marriage."  The group has funded ACORN, among other groups.  CCHD money is never used to help the poor or homeless, it is specifically targeted at funding "social concerns."

Here is an excerpt:

In early 2009, the WCRP received a grant totaling $16,400 from the Philadelphia based organization Women’s Way. (Source: Women’s Way web-site)  Women’s Way, like many organizations which give grants, has a strict policy in place as to what manner of organizations are eligible for grants.
This policy includes the following:

What WOMEN’S WAY is NOT Interested in Funding
WOMEN’S WAY seeks applications that support our mission. The following types of organizations and projects conflict with our values and funding philosophy and would not be considered.

• Organizations that consider themselves to be pro-life
• Organizations and projects that do not support a woman’s full range of reproductive choices
• Organizations and projects promoting abstinence-only sex education
• Organizations and projects opposing same sex relationships or marriage (Emphasis present in original.  Source: Women’s Way web-site)

Obviously this is extremely embarrassing for the US Bishops and I'm sure at some point corrective action will be taken.  But with a bureaucratic culture at the USCCB, and a lack in oversight, it is clear the CCHD needs to go.

So that's bad news, but what groups does the CCHD fund in Wisconsin?  I searched the USCCB document for 2009 and found these groups on the list:

Diocese & Name of Organization	Description of Organization	Granted Amount
AREA B Wisconsin Green Bay ESTHER	ESTHER (Equality, Solidarity, Truth, Hope, Empowerment, Reform) is an interfaith social justice advocacy organization that includes Catholic and Protestant congregations as well as the Fox Valley Islamic Society. We work to link communities of faith, to build relationships that will bridge divisions and to act collectively in pursuit of the common good. Though our membership is rooted in religious congregations, its mission is civic in nature. ESTHER members do not seek to proselytize, but work to find common ground on which to build a more compassionate and sustainable community. ESTHER focuses on the root causes of needs and injustices, organizing people to bring about action that will lead to systemic change. Our current focus is on five key issues: criminal justice reform, improved public education, comprehensive immigration reform, affordable healthcare and workforce housing. Action reflecting core values based in our faith gives voice to the powerless, emboldens people, and brings hope that change can happen for the greater good.	$32,000
AREA B Wisconsin Green Bay Justice Organization Sharing Hope & United for Action	JOSHUA is a congregation based community organization with 17 institutional members, including religious congregation from Catholic, ELCA Lutheran, Methodist, Episcopal, UCC, Unitarian, Moravian, and non-denominational congregations. More denominations are expected to join, including Presbyterians, before the grant year. JOSHUA is dedicated to being an effective power organization. We organize our members and others to form a community that can have a positive impact on decisions made in the public arena. JOSHUA works through: Intentional relationship building among members of our own congregations, public officials and others; Leadership development and training - providing tools to individuals promoting better leadership, while fostering both collaboration and accountability; Education and Action - We organize committees, public events, and other actions for change in public policy and accountability of both government and private officials. Current issue concerns include: health care, housing, immigrant rights, and, treatment alternatives to incarceration.	$25,000
AREA B Wisconsin LaCrosse Joining Our Neighbors Advancing Hope	We are a congregation-based organization that works for social justice. We are a member of the statewide WISDOM network and the international Gamaliel Foundation. Our primary goals are embedded in our name -- Joining Our Neighbors (building community that crosses economic, religious, social and geographic boundaries), Advancing Hope (developing new leaders, and cutting issues that can make a tangible difference in our community -- especially for the most needy and marginalized). JONAH is a new organization; our initial "covenanting" celebration was in November 2007. JONAH is an interfaith coalition. At the moment, our member congregations are Roman Catholic, Unitarian Universalist, Friends Meeting (Quakers), Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), United Church of Christ (UCC), Episcopalian, and the Unity Christ Center. We are in conversation with the Jewish Synagogue in Eau ClaireAltoona about their joining us. and the Islamic Society in	$25,000
AREA B Wisconsin LaCrosse AMOS, Inc	AMOS is a powerful coalition of faith communities working to deepen relationships within and among congregations and empower people to act together to build a more just and healthy society. We seek to: Deepen relationships by promoting "one-on-one" interviews through which people discover their talents, resources and motivations to act for the good of the community; Empower people by teaching communication and organizing skills that will enable people to be agents of change; Build cooperation and trust between congregations by working together to listen to the broader community, identify issues of common concern, analyze causes of poverty and injustice, and develop strategies for positive change; Work with leaders in government, business and other community organizations to impact decisions regarding the political, social, economic, and environmental issues for the purpose of promoting a more just and healthy society.	$25,000
AREA B Wisconsin Milwaukee Common Ground Inc.	The mission of the organization will be non-partisan political power for social justice and social change. Initial issues for action identified to date include health care for the uninsured, gun violence, job training, water distribution, racial tensions and school reform. These key issues greatly impact the lives of the poor and most vulnerable in our community.	$40,000
AREA B Wisconsin Milwaukee Voces de la Frontera Workers' Center	Voces de la Frontera (VF) is a workers' center that educates low-wage and immigrant workers about their employment rights, promotes youth leadership, and promotes community organizing as a means to win changes that will benefit the immigrant community and the workforce at large. In order to win policy changes we build alliances at the local, state, national, and international level. VF started as a bilingual newsletter which covered the struggles of workers in the maquiladora industry to improve working and living conditions. It evolved into a workers center in Milwaukee in 2001 and has steadily grown in numbers and chapters. It is a community run organization; primarily composed of low-income Latino workers and youth.	$50,000
AREA B Wisconsin Milwaukee Racine Interfaith Coalition	The Racine Interfaith Coalition (RIC) is a congregation-based community organization. Our history began in 1993. Our mission is to address the root causes of social problems and lead to new ways of thinking and acting. We accomplish that by focusing on identifying the most marginalized members of Racine. We train them to run their own meetings and lead others to understand the policies and procedures at the source of their pain. We do extensive research, and plan community forums and print publications as a result of our findings. We recruit people to formulate solutions through focus groups committees Our issue committees set goals to reduce the problem little by little Currently RIC includes 17 congregation members with two newly recruited in December of 2007.  Our total membership is 10,000.	$25,000
AREA B Wisconsin Superior Comunidad Hispana	Comunidad Hispana works to provide local Hispanics with community solidarity helping them to enjoy the rights to which they are entitled so they can begin to become empowered to overcome some of the root causes of poverty. Comunidad Hispana has evolved appropriately under the control of low-income Hispanics. Non-Hispanics who played a major role in launching the organization currently serve on the board and/or provide technical assistance. The focus of the organization is to continue to provide a place for local Hispanics to have a dominant voice in shaping the policies and activities of Comunidad Hispana. Through Comunidad Hispana, local Hispanics are taking the lead affecting institutional changes that will improve their living conditions within the community.	$25,000

Now these groups seem to have a social-concern type flavor.  The descriptions are vague enough that they could possibly be taken either way.

The Diocese of Green Bay has come out with a statement  indicating no diocesan money had been spent opposing Church teaching despite the umbrella group WISDOM promoting abortion. A bit of a cop out, I must say......

Another from Milwaukee has some more bad news:

Voces de la Frontera – Wisconsin - $50,000

• Promoted homosexual campaign “Gayneighbor.org” for ally group Equality Wisconsin in Oct. 2009 newsletter
• 
  
  
  Listed as member of “Health Care for America Now”
  
  Health Care for America Now firmly stated:
  
  
  
  
  • 
    
    “When we say health care for all, we also mean preserving the reproductive health care coverage women currently have.”
    
    (Richard Kirsche) “Unfortunately, the House legislation included a provision that will deny some women access to abortion services, a standard benefit now available on the insurance market. We will work to see that women have access to comprehensive health coverage in the final bill that passes.”
    
    A central promise of health care reform is that if you like the health care coverage you have, you can keep it. Today in America, millions of women who buy health care on their own or who get it through the small business employer have abortion care coverage. Congressman Stupak's amendment would strip them of that coverage, breaking that central promise.
    
    Stupak wants to outlaw abortion coverage in the new health insurance Exchange, where individuals and small businesses will purchase their coverage. Instead, women would only be able to purchase abortion coverage in a "abortion rider" plan - a single-service plan that covers abortion only. Such an "abortion rider" is discriminatory and illogical. Women do not plan to have unintended pregnancies (or pregnancies in which a complication will arise that will require ending the pregnancy). In fact, about half of all pregnancies are unintended. Abortion is simply not something that women plan to insure against.
    

Wisconsin bishops appear to have been supporting at least one group promoting abortion, same-sex "marriage" and contraception among other things.  How can we expect the state of Wisconsin to respect our freedom of religion in life matters(ie, forcing dioceses to fund contraception) if we do not even practice what we preach?  Let's pray for our bishops and spread the word so these kinds of errors are corrected!

To the 15... 10... 5.... | LOLSaints

Check out my first LOLSaint!

To the 15... 10... 5....

Actually that is not a Chicago Bear that St. John is stepping on victoriouly, but an Ottoman Turk.

To the 15... 10... 5.... | LOLSaints

Iiiiiiiiiiiits Listecki!

Announced early this morning, Bishop Listecki of La Crosse is named as the archbishop of Milwaukee.  Both La Crosse and Milwaukee websites have good information including a farewell message by Bp Listecki on Youtube!  Very nice, both dioceses have needed to make more use of the web.

One person I talked to thought that Listecki is a possible successor to Cardinal George in Chicago(Listecki is a Chicago native). I think Cardinal George is about 6-8 years from retirement. Well, enough with the rumor mill for today. St. Charles Borromeo, ora pro nobis! Pray for Bp Listecki and his strength, and pray for the diocese of La Crosse to find our new bishop!

Green Bay Catholic

I'm traveling to be in Green Bay in the next month(I'll give you three guesses why...). I've been there several times previous but I am always awestruck how this supposedly Catholic city has completely butchered most of their churches. Are there any traditional Catholic parishes in the Green Bay area?  Seriously, I'm still searching...  And on a deeper note, what happened?








For example, St. John the Evangelist on St. John St shows photos of their beautiful church.  We see the "renovation" or wreck-o-vation as one of my friends calls it.  Check out this beautiful photo from 1969 and the very next year the "renovations were complete."

 

Deus Misereatur!

UPDATE:
I will be singing this
http://wdtprs.com/blog/2009/11/parody-song-alert-gather-us-in/

Women Religious in the Diocese of La Crosse

With all the news of the Apostolic Visitation that is going on, I thought it might be interesting to see what the state of women religious life was in the Diocese of La Crosse.

Religious orders of women in the United States belong primarily to two groups 1)  Leadership Conference of Women Religious which makes up about 80% of religious in the US and 2) The Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious which makes up the other 20%.  If you view the two websites, it easy to understand the difference between the two.  Also, it can be said that although a community has an affiliation, that it may not necessarily adhere to certain dissenting positions that a group holds. 

Hat tip to American Papist for this info.  Also some good comments in his article on the numbers. 

447 religious sisters belong mainly to two large religious orders
Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration - La Crosse
Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis - Stevens Point

Other orders in the diocese are:
Benedictines of Saint Bede Monastery - Eau Claire
Franciscan Sisters of the Martyrs of St. George - La Crosse
The Monastic Fraternity of Nazareth (Institute of St. Joseph) -  Tilden
Hermits - The diocese's current director of consecrated life, Sister M. Stephania Newell of the Alton, Illinois-based Franciscan Sisters of the Martyr Saint George said there are five hermits living in the diocese. source

The La Crosse Diocese also has consecrated virgin.

I may be missing some.  Please contact me or comment on this post if you know of some I am missing.  I will continue to update this. 

The first two orders listed are LCWR.  Specifically the FSPA members in La Crosse have been know to perform Reiki(Buddhist healing method) at Franciscan Skemp in La Crosse, which the US Bishops have specifically forbid.

Since Reiki therapy is not compatible with either Christian teaching or scientific evidence, it would be inappropriate for Catholic institutions, such as Catholic health care facilities and retreat centers, or persons representing the Church, such as Catholic chaplains, to promote or to provide support for Reiki therapy.

-USCCB Statement on Reiki (pdf)

This is exactly the type of shenanigans that the Apostolic Visitation is hoping to uncover and correct.  Now there are many orders and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious who are expressing dissent toward the Visitation. 

I have not seen any orders in the diocese condemn the Apostolic Visitation which is underway(indeed, there are some great religious in the diocese), nor have I seen any statements about whether or not they disapprove of the visitation.  I did find the La Crosse Tribune opined about the Visitation in August 2009, so I can only assume this was in reference to the FSPA in La Crosse(who else could it apply to). 

So it seems that some major religious orders in the diocese are suffering from a lack of catechesis and leadership.  This is not uncommon of many religious orders currently in the US.  May we pray for them and their continued renewal in Jesus Christ.

Time magazine goes after Archbishop Burke

You may have run across this article in Time Magazine recently where Amy Sullivan calls Arch. Burke "a bull in a china shop."  Apparently she knows people who know people, who know all about Arch. Burke. 

A great article from St. Louis Post Dispatch sets the record strait on some of Sullivan's claims(which comes from Tim Townsend who was not a big fan of Arch. Burke while he was in St. Louis).

On the issue in question; "should Ted Kennedy, despite actively promoting the slavery of abortion on American families, be permitted a Catholic funeral" from the always helpful Ed Peters. 

Archbishop Burke's actual comments reflect his understanding of Canon 1184, not some personal opinion as Sullivan was hoping to spin it.

Amazing: Newborn babies cry with their mother's accent

From the American Papist with another amazing scientific finding on unborn children in the womb.  

Amazing: Newborn babies cry with their mother's accent
I love picking up stories that reveal the humanity of unborn babies.

I've blogged before about the scientific studies which reveal that babies begin forming memories in the womb.

Now a new study shows that babies, even before they are born, are learning how to talk just like their mothers sound.

Look at the extract of the scientific findings:

"In the first days of their lives, French infants already cry in a different way to German babies...

In this study, the scientists compared recordings of 30 French and 30 German infants aged between two and five days old. While the French newborns more frequently produced rising crying tones, German babies cried with falling intonation.

The reason for this is presumably the differing intonation patterns in the two languages, which are already perceived in the uterus and are later reproduced."

Or to put it in simple English: before they are even born, babies start learning from their mommies.

Amazing.

Baby pics from across the pond

The Daily Telegraph's Health Picture Galleries include this lovely set: A Child is Born: Photographs of the foetus developing in the womb, by Lennart Nilsson

The photo is of a baby at 8 weeks, protected in the foetal sac.

Hat tip to Fr. Tim Finigan The hermeneutic of continuity: Baby pics

NARAL has called the ultrasound the weapon of the pro-life movement.

Let us pray that the pro-life Stupak amendment stays attached to the health care legislation.  Our Lady of Guadalupe, ora pro nobis!

New to the Missa Cantata?

Me too!  And I have been quite confused until I understood what the Kyriale is(yes this probably sounds crazy to some, but I searched for a long time trying to find out where the list of all the possible selections were located).  

The Kyriale is a collection of Gregorian chant settings for the Ordinary of the Mass. It contains eighteen Masses (each consisting of the Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei), six Credos, and several ad libitum chants. This collection is included in liturgical books such as the Graduale Romanum and Liber Usualis, and it is also published as a separate book by the monks of Solesmes Abbey.

Some of the more notable inclusions are Mass VIII which is the Missa de Angelis and Mass XI which is the Missa Orbis Factor.

Here is a list of the sets:

 Missa I - Lux et origo (for the Easter season)
 Missa II - Kyrie fons bonitatis
 Missa III - Kyrie Deus sempiterne
 Missa IV - Cunctipotens Genitor Deus (for feasts of apostles)
 Missa V - Kyrie magnae Deus potentiae
 Missa VI - Kyrie Rex Genitor
 Missa VII - Kyrie Rex splendens
 Missa VIII - de Angelis
 Missa IX - Cum jubilo (for Marian solemnities and feasts)
 Missa X - Alme Pater (for Marian feasts and memorials)
 Missa XI - Orbis factor (for Sundays)
 Missa XII - Pater cuncta
 Missa XIII - Stelliferi Conditor orbis
 Missa XIV - Jesu Redemptor
 Missa XV - Dominator Deus
 Missa XVI (for weekdays during Ordinary Time)
 Missa XVII (for Sundays in Advent and Lent)
 Missa XVIII - Deus Genitor alme (for weekdays in Advent and Lent)

No mixing and matching here like Kyrie from Missa VIII and Gloria from Missa XI.  The one exception is the Credo which has 6 selections in the Kyriale, Credo I - VI.  I think the most standard is "Credo I" but I could be wrong.  How cool would it be to sing the Credo in the Ordinary Form; singing instead of saying what I believe is so much more powerful.   Even outside of Church, hearing a stadium full of people singing the national anthem is quite moving.  We don't just believe it, we REALLY believe it!  Coming from a hymn based background it's cool to see the Universal Church has put together a guide to help us elevate our minds and souls at the heavenly banquet.  This is how many of my favorite saints would have sung the Mass! 

Thanks to Wikipedia for this info.  Now next is to figure out how to sing them!  :-\  :-o

Ideas for the Year of the Priest

The following prayer was composed in 1953 by Cardinal Kung, then Bishop of Shanghai, for priests of the Catholic Church in China. At that time Communist persecution was escalating. Hundreds of priests in China, with only few exceptions, remained faithful to their vocation and, as a result, suffered 15, 20, 30 and even more years in jail. Many were martyred. Cardinal Kung himself spent many years in prison.

All powerful and eternal God, through the merits of Your Son, Jesus, and through Your love for Him, I implore You, have pity on the priests of the Holy Church.  In spite of their sublime dignity, they are fearful and weak, like all created beings.  In Your infinity mercy, inflame their hearts with the fire of divine love.  For the sake of Jesus, Your Son, bestow grace on the priests and uphold them.  Do not let them fall into temptation and tarnish their noble vocation.

O Jesus, we implore You, look with pity on the priests of the Holy Church; those who are serving you faithfully and proclaiming Your glory; those who are persecuted for tending Your flock; those who are abandoned, weary, and sorrowful; those who are lukewarm, confused and who have denied their faith; those who are sick, dying or in Purgatory.  Lord Jesus Christ, we entreat You, listen to our supplication, have pity and console them.

O Jesus, we entrust to You the priests of the whole world:  the priests who baptized me, absolved my sins, offered Holy Mass and consecrated the Holy Eucharist to nourish my soul.  We entrust to You the priests that instructed me when I was ignorant, gave me strength in my weakness, showed me the Way and the Truth and comforted me in my sorrow and affliction.  For all the blessings they obtained for me, I implore You to support them in Your loving kindness. 

O Jesus, shelter our priests in Your Sacred Heart.  Let them take refuge in Your mercy and love, in this life and to the hour of death.  Amen. 

Marian Catechists courses

The following Marian Catechists courses are available.  For those unfamiliar with the Marian Catechists, I am working on an article describing the apostolate in detail.


St. Louis, MO—A group in South County meets at 7:00 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month (through June) to review the Basic Course. Call Leslie Najjar at 369-5474 for more information.

Holmen, WI—St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish is hosting discussion groups for the Advanced and Basic Courses on the first Monday and Tuesday of each month, beginning in October. For more information, contact Patrick Brueggen at 526-4424.

La Crosse, WI—for more information on the following, please call 782-0011.

A Basic Course group meets on Tuesdays from 6:15 – 7:45 p.m. at the Blessed Sacrament Parish Center.

An Advanced Course group meets on Mondays from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at the Blessed Sacrament Parish Center.

Traditional Latin Mass photos

I uploaded pictures from the Traditional Latin Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse. Find them on Flickr below. There's alot and if I had more time I'd go through and clean them up a bit.  I should have sat more toward the middle of the isle for these but I was trying not to disturb.

TLM All Saints Day 2009



TLM All Souls Day 2009

All Souls Day was interesting for me as I have never seen a Requiem Mass before.  No final blessing, Agnus Dei, ect, there were a few differences I wasn't aware of although in the Novus Ordo I believe there also is no final blessing(in the funeral Mass anyway).  The friars do not have any black vestments(yet!) but did look very good in the dark purple. I found out the maniples are borrowed so they do not always match the colors of the vestments.