National Shrine to St Joseph, De Pere, WI

Yeah, bet you have never heard of it either. 

The National Shrine of St. Joseph is the headquarters of the Archconfraternity of St. Joseph and home to the Crowned Statue of Joseph and the Child Jesus. It was recognized by Pope Leo XIII as the National Shrine of Saint Joseph in 1892.

The original shrine was located in Saint Joseph Church, De Pere, WI, pastored by Father Joseph Durin. In 1888, Father Durin founded the Association of Saint Joseph and began a perpetual novena conducted every Wednesday, a tradition which continues to this day.

Father Durin’s deep devotion to Saint Joseph also led him to spearhead the campaign for official permission from the Vatican to Crown the State of Saint Joseph and have it declared a National Shrine.

Royal wedding video

No not that wedding.  Blessings to Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

This is the wedding of Blessed Charles Hapsburg and Princess Zita.  The blessed event happened October, 21 1911.  

Maybe some of you would enjoy video footage.

*sigh*

WTMJ: Archbishop Leads Good Friday Holy Hill Walk

HUBERTUS - Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki started this Holy Weekend at Holy Hill, symbolically retracing the steps Jesus took leading to the Crucifixion.

On this chilly Good Friday morning, parishioners toting umbrellas climbed toward the basilica to reflect on the climb Jesus made at Calvary 2,000 years ago.

Listecki led them from the first station marking Christ's death sentence to the final station in tribute to the Crucifixion.

Video at Channel 4

It's nice coverage but the anchor's lead of "Christians mark the day they believe Jesus died" was a bit juvenile.  It's a religious commemoration, not a historical celebration like the Forth of July.  Otherwise very nice to see them out there covering the event.

Mystery La Crosse church

Got this email:

I found you through your blog at http://badgercatholic.blogspot.com/2010/11/happy-feast-day-to-st-jehosaphat-in.html  and thought that you might be able to identify the church in the photo that I have attached.   On the back of the photo in my mother's handwriting it says "La Crosse, Wisc."  In someone else's handwriting it says, "Our Church, Xmas 1937."  My mother's parents did not live in La Crosse at that time, but had lived at 1611 Wood St. until the early 1900s.

Thanks for any information that you may be able to provide.

This could be Holy Trinity or a parish that has closed like Saint Wenceslaus or the old St Mary's..  Anyone know for sure?  Would anybody like to attend Mass here if this church still existed??  Some of the La Crosse history can be found here.  (Yeah, yeah, I'm still working on the design for the website).

UPDATE: St John the Baptist Catholic Church

Good Friday photos

The Passion of Christ sung(in English) by three male members of the choir. 
Dr. Luckner does an excellent job with the music for Holy Week

New bassist did a phenomenal job!

Friars of the Immaculate in the houze!

Bp Callahan gave very good homilies both Good Friday and Easter Vigil.  Really spoke to my heart.

Deacon Richards, Veneration of the Cross

Joseph Richards and Fr. Gorman

The whole set is on Flickr

I have some Easter Vigil photos coming.  I literally take a couple hundred photos where not that many turn out cause the Cathedral is very dark even during the day.  Takes a while to narrow down what's worth sharing.

Also I forgot my camera for Holy Thursday Mass but Bishop Callahan had on a stunning fiddleback vestment with an ornate image of Christ crucified on the back.  I mean this think was fantastic!  Although there's almost no point during the Mass where one can see the back of the vestment, still my jaw literally dropped.  And then later on that night I found out from a priest friend that he heard the vestment was actually being thrown out in .. I think Detroit or somewhere in Michigan and Bishop Callahan rescued it and had it restored.  I saw the bishop Easter morning before #3's baptism but he looked a bit exhausted so I thought maybe I would try and ask him some other time(which might not be until Christmas at which my scatterbrain would forget).  I emailed The Catholic Times to see if they would do a story on it but I never heard back.  If any of you Catholic Times writers read the blog, I think it would be a great story.

Did you know that blogs can be written from phones?

Who'd a thunk it.  Here's a shot of the mastermind behind the blog.

St Gianna Beretta, ora pro nobis!

The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe wishes you and your family a joyous Feast Day of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, a wife, mother, doctor and pro-life witness who sacrificed her own life for the life of her child. This photograph is of the painting that adorns the side aisle shrine dedicated to Saint Gianna Molla at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The side aisle shrine also includes a first-class relic of Saint Gianna."Be living witnesses of the greatness and beauty of Christianity." - Gianna Beretta Molla

Also please say a prayer for some friends that are in Florida right now adopting a child.  They've had several setbacks in the process and would be grateful for your intercession. 

MadCatHerald: Treat miscarried babies with the dignity they deserve

Guest columnist Steve Karlen

The days ahead were as joyful as any we’d experienced in our life together. We beamed when friends who knew of our struggle with secondary infertility congratulated us and we devoured all the fetal development materials we could find, eager to mark every last milestone in our baby’s nascent life.

Celebrating our first child’s birthday later that week, we couldn’t have been happier. Among the presents Peter opened was the Dr. Seuss movie, Horton Hears a Who. Reflecting on the film’s signature quote, “A person’s a person no matter how small,” it was clear that evening that our family of three had become a family of four.

A week later I remember foolishly telling Laura, “I’m sure we’ll be sad again someday, but right now I just can’t see how!”

It didn’t take long for that question to be answered. It was another sunny spring morning — just 16 days after the positive pregnancy test — when Laura realized something was wrong. Five agonizing hours later, our worst fears were confirmed; Laura was miscarrying.

continue at MadCat

Priest Uses Monkeys As Altar Servers To Compete With Megachurch

(AoftheAP) Fr. P.T. Bailey, frustrated at the steady stream of parishoners leaving his parish for a new evangelical megachurch, recently made a potentially controversial change at his parish, designed to attract new members and convince old members to return.

The change? Using trained chimpanzees as altar servers.

"Ever since Bobo, Gonzo, Chico, Matata and George arrived at Our Lady of Extenuating Circumstances, our attendance has increased by 250%," Fr Bailey said. "Donations have been rising, too. It's been fantastic."

Continue at Acts of the Apostasy

ROFL

Guadalupe Shrine: Relevant Radio Marian Day of Reflection - May 19

Father Rocky, Executive Director for Relevant Radio, invites you to deepen your knowledge and love of Our Lady by attending a Marian Day of Reflection. The day will focus on the theme: “The Many Splendored Names of the Blessed Mother”. Confession will be available in addition to the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. The day will begin at 10:00 a.m. and conclude with the Chaplet of Divine Mercy at 3:00 p.m.

This event is free and open to the public. As the Shrine Church has limited seating, we ask all planning to attend register online at RelevantRadio.com. A $15.00 lunch from the Shrine’s Culina Mariana Café is available. If capacity for lunch is reached, pilgrims may bring their own lunch or make a reservation directly with the Culina Mariana Café at 608-788-8400

Registration deadline is May 10. For more information call Relevant Radio at 800-342-0306 Ext. 7335.

Schedule
8:30 a.m. Registration Check-in
9:30 a.m. Silent Prayer / Time to Walk the Trail to the Shrine Church
10:00 a.m. Welcome
10:10 a.m. First Meditation
10:45 a.m. Break / Silent Prayer
11:00 a.m. Second Meditation
11:00 a.m. Confessions
11:45 a.m. Holy Rosary
12:15 p.m. Holy Mass
1:15 p.m. Lunch / Free Time
2:15 p.m. Third Meditation
3:00 p.m. Divine Mercy Chaplet

Bus pilgrims will leave after Divine Mercy Chaplet. Other pilgrims are welcome to join regularly scheduled Shrine devotions:

3:30 p.m. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Holy Rosary
4:00 p.m. Evening Prayer and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament

Guadalupe Shrine

This is the Thursday before "A Day With Mary" retreat which is Saturday May 21st....  I guess we should pick one or the other.... 

My kids will be so excited

I had a blog visit from Salzburg, Austria.

Gov. Walker and the bishops

Most Reverend Listecki (archbishop of Milwaukee);
Scott Walker (governor of Wisconsin);
Most Reverend Ricken (bishop of Green Bay);
and Most Reverend Morlino (bishop of Madison) at the 2011 Catholics at the Capitol event.

ArchMil

I think they have a good relationship.  Gov Walker listens to the advice of the bishops..... probably better than most actual Catholics in the pews. 

The Badger Catholic moves to Green Bay?

The Catholic Diocese of Green Bay is currently seeking a Web Administrator for our Communications Department. This individual will have primary responsibility for the Diocesan website, including ongoing analysis, development, research, design, and content management. This position will work closely with individuals from other diocesan departments to ensure that the site remains timely, topical, and visitor-friendly. The web administrator will post database information on sites, conduct regular testing and troubleshooting to identify potential technical problems, generate usage reports, and employ web analytics to enhance search engine optimization

Career Builder

I'm just kidding.  Everybody knows I'm a Vatican spy bent on corrupting all the good in the Church from the last 40 years. 

La Crosse Diocesan Pro-Life Convocation this Saturday

Immaculate Conception Parish – 341 W Main Street Hwy 95, Alma Center, WI (Centrally located – 10 miles from Black River Falls)  Saturday, April 30, 2011

For Parish Pro-Life Coordinators

But also for Anyone with a Passion for Life!

10:00 Greeting – Christopher Ruff
Opening prayer – Fr. Jude Dioka
10:15 Screening of Documentary - Blood Money
11:30 Q & A panel -  Lisa Sommers, Rachel's Vineyard, and Will Goodman, Jen Dunnett, Pat O'Donnell – Servants of Our Lady of Guadalupe
12:15 Lunch
1:00 Lisa Sommers discusses establishment of Rachel’s Vineyard Office in Stevens Point, with healing retreats for post-abortive women and men
1:30 Pro-Life displays, discussions, information sharing:  Key Pro-Life Coordinators will describe initiatives they have undertaken in their parishes and share what others would need to know to do the same, for example: • Spiritual Adoption  • Parish Memorial Garden  • Fetal Development Poster Series  • Parish Baby Shower • 40 Days for Life – Hear the inspiring stories from around our own Diocese!
3:00 Divine Mercy Chaplet in Church (April 30 is Vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday)
3:30 Closing remarks – Christopher Ruff

Please RSVP by emailing Ministries@dioceseoflacrosse.com or calling 608-791-2667

Verso lAlto

HT Matthew Taylor

Indiana becomes first state to defund Planned Parenthood

They Did It! Bill Passes 66-32, Abortions After 20 Weeks Also Banned…

Get it done.

Indianapolis (AP) — Indiana is poised to become the first state to cut off all government funding for the Planned Parenthood organization, providing a significant victory for the anti-abortion movement but posing a political predicament for the state’s governor, Mitch Daniels, as he considers running for president.
The Indiana House is expected to vote as soon as today to cut off the $3 million in federal money the state distributes to the organization for family planning and health programs. The Senate approved the measure earlier this month.
The action would open a new legislative front in the conservative assault on the organization, which has been targeted for its abortion services. Efforts to cut off federal funds in Congress failed this year, but bills are moving in a number of statehouses.

Update: One down, 49 to go! (HT: Emily Esfahani Smith)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana House voted 66-32 Wednesday to approve a bill cutting the $3 million in federal money the state distributes to the organization for family planning and health programs.
The measure also ban abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy unless there is a substantial threat to the woman’s life or health and requires women seeking an abortion be told that life begins at conception and that doctors performing abortions have admitting privileges in a nearby hospital. The Senate approved the measure earlier this month.

Weasel Zippers

GET IT DONE WISCONSIN!

HT Steve Kuhl

Cardinal George takes out the trash

That process has now been short-circuited by your remarks on national radio and in local newspapers that you will leave the Catholic Church if you are told to accept an assignment other than as pastor of Saint Sabina Parish. If that is truly your attitude, you have already left the Catholic Church and are therefore not able to pastor a Catholic parish. A Catholic priest's inner life is governed by his promises, motivated by faith and love, to live chastely as a celibate man and to obey his bishop. Breaking either promise destroys his vocation and wounds the Church. Bishops are held responsible for their priests on the assumption that priests obey them. I have consistently supported your work for social justice and admired your passion for ministry. Many love and admire you because of your dedication to your people. Now, however, I am asking you to take a few weeks to pray over your priestly commitments in order to come to mutual agreement on how you understand personally the obligations that make you a member of the Chicago presbyterate and of the Catholic Church.

With this letter, your ministry as pastor of Saint Sabina Parish and your sacramental faculties as a priest of the Archdiocese are suspended. The official rescript will follow, but this suspension permits you to retain the office of pastor while temporarily without permission to function. During this time, Father Thulani Magwaza, who is well known to the people of Saint Sabina's as your Associate Pastor, will be administrator of the parish, and Father Andrew Smith, a Chicago African-American priest currently at Saint Ailbe Parish, will assist him.

Father Pfleger, I deeply regret that your public remarks have brought you to a moment of crisis that I pray will quickly pass. This conflict is not between you and me; it's between you and the Church that ordained you a priest, between you and the faith that introduced you to Christ and gives you the right to preach and pastor in his name. If you now formally leave the Catholic Church and her priesthood, it's your choice and no one else's. You are not a victim of anyone or anything other than your own statements. To avoid misrepresentation and manipulation on anyone's part, this letter will be released to the parish, which is to publish it in its entirety, and to the media after it has been delivered to you.

You remain in my prayers, and I hope I I remain in yours.

Chicago Tribune has the full article

Fr. Pfleger, the man child.

HT Greg Marco

MJS: 100th anniversary of Milwaukee's St Sebastian inspires cookbook

The book - "100 Years of Sharing a Table" - features 160 recipes. Amazingly, there was next to no duplication, so every recipe that was submitted was used, said Kennedy, who is listed as the book's senior editor.

You don't have to flip far into the 225-page book (available in hardcover or with spiral binding) to see that it's much more than a cookbook. In addition to the smartly designed recipes, the book contains hundreds of photographs: current and past snapshots of parishioners and their families, as well as pictures of the church and church events.

"I wanted it to feel like a scrapbook and be more beautiful than your typical parish cookbook," said Kennedy. "I wanted it to be special."

Kennedy chose art nouveau, a style of design that was popular at the time the church was founded. "It's taken from nature but also very graphic," Kennedy explained, noting that the parish's logo is also used throughout the book.

"I was very passionate about it. It was really a fun project," she said.

While Kennedy did much of the hands-on work, other committee members contributed to the effort. One took additional recipe photographs and tested some of the recipes. Another interviewed the priest. A brief history of the parish is included.

The recipes are organized by beverages and appetizers, soups, salads, breakfast dishes, main dishes (meat and vegetarian), side dishes, breads and desserts. True to church cookbook tradition, desserts and main dishes are the two largest categories.

"100 Years of Sharing a Table" is available for order at the church's website, www.saintsebastianonline.net, which also contains information about other anniversary events. Hardcover copies also will be sold at the church's May 6 fish fry. Hardcover books sell for $25; spiral-bound, $20, plus shipping (shipping is free for orders placed in April).

Whole article at Milwaukee Journal Sentinel(and some sample recipes)

Union supporters hiring

Abbey-Roads: Divine Mercy image displayed in Daly Plaza, Chicago

The Heralds of Divine Mercy have placed an image of Divine Mercy in the middle of Daly Plaza in Downtown Chicago.    To think that the image of Divine Mercy is exposed publicly for veneration in a secular public square is amazing.  The image itself is the source of great graces, as Our Lord revealed to St. Faustina:
.
"I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy.  That vessel is this image with the inscription: Jesus I trust in You... I desire that this image be venerated first in your chapel and then throughout the world." - Diary

Abbey-Roads


More info at The Divine Mercy Project

Friars!

The Pinoy Catholic blog is reporting the Solemn Pontifical Mass of a Filipino Ordinary in his own diocesan cathedral:

"Easter Monday, April 25, 2011. The Ordinary of the Diocese of Novaliches, Most. Rev. Antonio R. Tobias, D.D., celebrated a Solemn Pontifical High Mass at the throne, according to the 1962 Missal promulgated by Bl. Pope John XXIII (the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite), in the Cathedral Shrine and Parish of the Good Shepherd, the seat of his diocese. It was the first Extraordinary Form Mass ever celebrated in the Cathedral.

The Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate assisted in the Mass.

New Liturgical Movement

Divine Mercy devotions at Guadalupe Shrine in La Crosse

All are invited to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe this Friday and Saturday for a two-day retreat in anticipation of Divine Mercy Sunday with the Mother of Mercy Messengers. The retreat is free and open to the public. A schedule of the retreat is below.

On May 1, Divine Mercy Sunday, the Shrine will celebrate the Mercy of God and the Beatification of Pope John Paul II at Holy Mass at 1 p.m. A Holy Hour with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, a reflection on the life of John Paul II delivered by Fr. Peter Fehlner, FI and veneration of the Divine Mercy Image will begin at 3 p.m. Confessions will also be available.

Divine Mercy Retreat Schedule

Friday, April 29
7:00 p.m. - Talk One: Tell All Souls About My Mercy
8:00 p.m. - Holy Hour, Chaplet of Divine Mercy and Confessions
9:00 p.m. - Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and conclusion
Saturday, April 30
9:30 a.m. - Talk Two: Divine Mercy - "A Message From Heaven For Our Times"
11:00 a.m.- Lunch (Pre-Registration Required - Call 608-788-8400)
12:15 p.m.- Holy Mass
1:30 p.m. - Talk Three: Divine Mercy, Right Here, Right Now - "For You, Your Family, and the Whole World"
3:00 p.m. - Chaplet of Divine Mercy
3:30 p.m. - Holy Hour with Holy Rosary and Evening Prayer
4:30 p.m. - Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
4:45 p.m. - Vigil Mass of the Feast of Divine Mercy

For more information about and a complete schedule of Divine Mercy devotions and events, please visit www.guadalupeshrine.org or call (608) 782-5440.

The Museum of Divine Statues

Steve Kuhl found this one and I share his sentiment:

This is both very cool and quite sad at the same time.

Mission of The Museum of Divine Statues

The Museum of Divine Statues is a non-profit and was founded to rescue, restore and display ecclesiastical statues in a reflective and respectful museum setting.  Once no nonger used, damaged church statues are rescued and the restoration process begins.  Our restoration artist Louis McClung repaints and restores the work of art back to their original splendor. 

After the restoration process the statues are then displayed in a contemplative atmosphere where visitors have the opportunity to learn details about each statue's history an dthe symbols they are depicted with.  The museum honors the centuies-old traditions of artists who have created the statues, and also honors the religious context of these works of art and their place as symbols of comfort and prayer for those of the Catholic faith.

 More at The Museum of Divine Statues

Top 10 Trad Pickup Lines

Redcactusflower on Twitter asked for some "Trad Pickup Lines."  Here's the top 10 selected by me in no particular order.

EHillgrove
My first language is love, my second language is Latin #Tradpickuplines

churchmankirk
Do you have a brother who's a priest? ... I may need Extreme Unction if you keep making my heart beat like this!

alisongriz
"just answering Christ's command to be a fisher of men". #TradPickupLines

FrCharles
Quid facis post missam? #tradpickuplines

FireofThyLove
Excuse me, is this seat vacant? #tradpickuplines

VitaCatholic
Pope Pius X said "Holy Communion is the shortest and safest way to Heaven" but you look like a close second! #tradpickuplines

jrpascucci
Do you have a deep Marian devotion? 'Cause you've got me thinking of marryin' you. #tradpickuplines

Joel_Schmidt
Look, I know you're not interested me personally, but how about some Redemptive Suffering? #TradPickupLines

Nicole_Fisher73
You are certainly a Glorious Mystery! Would you like to play ring around the rosary? #tradpickuplines

FireofThyLove
You and I could start our own movement. We'll call it sspxoxo #tradpickuplines

Check em all out on Twitter

Cdls Burke, DiNardo Pro-Life banquet next to worlds largest abortion clinic

On May 9th, Mother’s Day, Cardinal Raymond Burke will be the guest of Cardinal Daniel DiNardo and keynote speaker at “A Night for Life” Banquet, benefiting the Pro-Life efforts of the Catholic Charismatic Center of the Archdiocese of Galveston-

Houston.  Houston. We have a problem!

In May of last year Planned Parenthood opened the world’s largest abortion clinic[to target Hispanics] just a few hundred feet from the Catholic Charismatic Center. The Center’s Pro-Life works are many and varied, but the most extensive one is equipping and helping to staff a Mobile Crisis Pregnancy Unit outside the doors of Planned Parenthood. Put simply, our Mobile Unit is a haven beside the clinic, offering free pregnancy checks and ultrasounds. Eighty percent of women desiring an abortion who who have viewed an image of their unborn child have not gone through with an abortion.

Cardinal Burke picked Mother’s Day for this event as his gift to mothers. He would appreciate your support.

Father Z

One way to get an authentic Catholic education in Wisconsin

I have several friends who are enrolled or have attended Ave Maria University's Institute for Pastoral Theology(IPT).  I have heard many good things about it and friends have recommended I look into the school for myself.  So let's think aloud, shall we?

I like to think back to my college days.  I loved it(well... after the whole dropping out thing my first year and only a community college in La Crosse) and told a friend I could spend my whole life in a university.  In high school I told the school counselor that I wanted to go to the University of Minnesota for astrophysics(Yes, I'm serious.  I still miss studying physics and math).  She laughed at me for a while and basically told me to find something more practical.  Hey, it's not necessarily bad advice.  When my time at WWTC was nearing an end(a great school btw), I even was discerning entrance into the Society of Jesus(until ... you know... I looked into the order).  After I graduated with degrees in computer programming, I thought about a night/weekend approach to getting a bachelor/masters degree and continuing my education.  I haven't done anything in that regard to this point.  One problem is that I have a pretty good understanding of my field, and really I just like learning about history and theology now.  I don't need to sit in a classroom to figure out how data warehousing works since I work with the stuff every day.  So maybe unlike most, I'd like to continue my education not for career reasons, but because I actually love to learn.  Although it is hard to justify spending the money on learning when it won't involve an increase of pay, I'm not opposed to that either.  There's worse things to spend money on.

Whew, okay TMI maybe?  Anywho, I looked into IPT, but the program is for those with bachelor degrees pursuing a masters.  I have nothing but an associates degree(actually multiple associates that overlap).  So unfortunately IPT won't work for me but it may work for you.  I highly recommend looking into the school.  It is a unique opportunity for a state like ours that had no authentically Catholic universities. 

Courses are offered in an intensive weekend format: Friday evening through Sunday afternoon one weekend per month, August through May. You will note that Wisconsin is very blessed to have two locations within driving distance:

2010-2011 Sites
Year One Classes:
Ave Maria, FL
Minneapolis, MN

Year Two Classes:
Ave Maria, FL
St. Louis, MO
Janesville, WI

They have open weekends where anyone interested can come attend.  I'm sure someone will comment here  when they are, probably no more this year since we are nearing the end of the academic year. 

I've also looked into Viterbo University which has an adult education program, but there's no point in taking any religious classes there.  I wish there was an authentically Catholic university in Wisconsin which I could support.  I hope to see it in my lifetime.  I mean this; I would love to be able to send my children to Marquette.  Unfortunately, it seems clear that Marquette is just not going to reform.  Even if the Jesuits gave it up there's nobody to take over.  The archdiocese wouldn't go in and clean house either.  Best chance for Wisconsin is that a group of faithful lay Catholics get together and either try to bring in an extension of an existing campus(like Ave Maria) or build from the ground up.  I don't hear any of the presidents of the universities doing anything substantial.  By the way, here's our list for Wisconsin, 5 of whom officially support Planned Parenthood.

Alverno College,Milwaukee
Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee
Edgewood College, Madison
Marian University, Fond du Lac
Marquette University, Milwaukee
Mount Mary College, Milwaukee
Sacred Heart School of Theology, Hales Corners
Saint Norbert College, De Pere
Silver Lake College of the Holy Family, Manitowoc
Viterbo University, La Crosse

The other alternative is to go out of state to Steubenville or somewhere like that but... there are 1.6 million Catholics in the state.  Can't Badger Catholics have one university at which we can study the Catholic faith with intellectual honesty and faithfulness?

The gardener

Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene, 1581
by Lavinia Fontana

National Review: Five Truths about Planned Parenthood

1. Planned Parenthood is the nation’s largest abortion provider, performing (and profiting from) one out of every four abortions in the United States.

2. Planned Parenthood increases its abortion numbers with each passing year, bucking the nearly 20-year national trend of a decreasing abortion rate.

3. Planned Parenthood affiliates have failed to be good stewards of taxpayer funds.

4. Planned Parenthood fights reasonable laws to protect women and girls because such laws might undermine its ability to make money.

5. Planned Parenthood partners with those who sexually abuse and exploit women and girls.

read the details at National Review

HT Jill Stanek

Tailgate with Archbishop Jerome Listecki and see the Brewers

Abp Listecki at Miller Park in 2010

Purchase a new two-year subscription to your Catholic Herald as a gift for someone OR renew your subscription for two years, and you will enjoy a pre-game tailgate party – catered by Irene’s Catering -- with Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki and Fr. Don Hying, and receive a 200-level ticket to the Thursday, Aug. 18 Dodgers-Brewers game on us!

After you buy or renew a subscription, you can also purchase up to three (3) tailgate/ballgame packages – each a $45 value -- for only $30 each! Tailgate/game packages are not available without purchase of a two-year subscription.

The tailgate party will be held in the south parking lot of St. Florian Parish, 1233 S. 45th St., West Milwaukee, with free parking three blocks away. After the party, you are welcome to walk north to the ballpark.

To reserve your place at Catholic Herald Day at Miller Park, call (414) 769-3464 and order your two-year subscription(s). You can do it online at www.chnonline.org or by sending your check and the order form below to Baseball, P.O. Box 070913, Milwaukee, WI 53207-0913

Mil Cat Herald 

Archbishop Jerome Listecki throws out first pitch at Brewers game
on August 25, 2010

MJS: New converts join Catholic Church at Easter vigil in Milwaukee

The numbers suggest that, even in these difficult times - as the church struggles with declining enrollments and the continued fallout from the sex abuse scandal - it holds something true and abiding for many who seek it there.

"I'm hoping it will better my life," said Young, who was baptized with her two children during the Easter vigil. All the other candidates had been baptized previously. They, like Young, were confirmed and received the Holy Eucharist for the first time Saturday.

All Saints' converts have come from a variety of backgrounds: Some are truly newcomers from other faith traditions. Others were raised Catholic but had fallen away.

A few, including 30-year-old Young, came looking for refuge from the troubles in her life. The young wife and mother of two, who'd emigrated from Uganda at the age of 9, has lived in fear in recent years that she could be deported. When it weighed on her, Young said, she would remember her late mother, who raised her as a Catholic.

"I'd think, 'OK, what would my mom say?' She'd say, 'Pray more. Go to church,' " said Young. "And once I got to church, I knew it would not be complete until I got baptized."

MJS

A nice writeup .... if I didn't have to read the phrase "spiritual energy" I would be raving.  This bit below almost looks like someone else inserted it into an otherwise fine article.

Many of the converts say they are drawn by the spiritual energy and ministries at All Saints, where Diederichs emphasizes participation - in worship, as well as the many outreach programs that serve the surrounding community.

Apparently some priests discourage participation in worship(as well as outreach programs).

But for whatever reason this did call to mind my favorite liturgical quote of all time:

....[Polka Mass dude] argues that the exuberant polka music motivates participants to "worship more vigorously."

ROFL!  "Worship more vigorously" always makes me think of Christopher Walken in this Fatboy Slim video.

Hmm, I really got off topic there.  Vigorously off topic.

Wisconsin U: You kill em, we'll experiment on em, and we'll all get rich

DATE: April 27, 2011
LOCATION: BioPharmaceutical Technology Center, Madison, WI
COORDINATORS: University of Wisconsin Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Center; BioPharmaceutical Technology Center Institute
OVERVIEW: Coordinated by the University of Wisconsin Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Center and BTC Institute, this symposium brings together world leaders in the area of cellular reprogramming. The focus is on using intracellular or extracellular cues to manipulate gene regulation and control stem cell pluripotency and lineage-specific differentiation.

Wisconsin Stem Cell Symposium 

Forbes Magazine provided additional confirmation that adult stem cell research is far more successful that embryonic stem cell experimentation.  In their September 3, 2001 issue, page 36, they quoted an article printed in the Wall Street Journal Europe by Richard Miniter. 

"Of the 15 US biotech companies solely devoted to developing cures using stem cells, only two focus on embryos.  Embryo stem cell research is at the drawing-board stage - not for lack of funds but for lack of promising research to finance.  Venture capitalists have no agenda beyond making money; if they see embryo projects that are likely to bear fruit over the next five to seven years - the usual VC time horizon - they will fund them.  That the market is speaking so loudly against embryo stem cell research probably explains why embryo researchers are so eager to reverse the ban on government funding."

Life Issues

Everybody wants to be a Badger Catholic

Jim D shares this:

I just got back (to Green Bay) from the Island of Curacao which is part of the Dutch Antilles. We went to Palm Sunday Mass at St Willibrordus church. The mass was in Papiamento the local language of the non-dutch locals.

The first thing we noticed was the attendance at mass of the Islands 3 motorcycle clubs. Just before the closing of mass the club members approached the apse and they received a special blessing from the priest.

It also appears that the Catholics there are Packer fans. I have attached a photo of a Church painted in the green and gold. Also a picture of the highway sign indicating the direction to the town of St Willibrordus. Someone couldn’t keep themselves from honoring one of the Packer Greats although he missed an “e”.

I can neither confirm nor deny these reports.  It would seem though that biker blessings and rooting for the greatest franchise in sports is something all sensible Catholics can enjoy! 

PS> Did you realize the Green Bay Packers are SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!!!!  ..... just checkin'