Join us in prayer during Planned Parenthood's "open house" in Oshkosh

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin receives $18 million in state and federal taxpayer funds, and recently, the Wisconsin legislature voted to pull approximately $1 million of that money. Planned Parenthood is the state's largest abortion chain.

In an effort to bolster its public image and gain new customers — don’t forget, PPWI was the target of a full-page Pro-Life Wisconsin ad in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, pictured left — Wisconsin’s largest abortion chain is holding open houses for PPWI “friends”. The open houses will be held in Oshkosh, Eau Claire and Portage (where Bishop Morlino recently held a prayer vigil).

Pro-Life Wisconsin Winnebago, Outagamie, Calumet, and Brown county affiliates are holding a prayer vigil tomorrow at the Oshkosh Planned Parenthod during the open house. Your presence to “stand up” for LIFE and for the closing of Wisconsin’s abortion chains is needed! Please join in a peaceful prayer vigil with others who value life!

Wednesday, June 1, 4-6 p.m., Planned Parenthood, 378 S. Koeller Street, Oshkosh.

From Pro-Life Wisconsin.

Kloppenburg concedes

A bitter Wisconsin Supreme Court election race has now, finally, ended. This morning, Kloppenburg conceded the Supreme Court race to Justice David Prosser, ending a campaign that had asked for a rare statewide ballot recount.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Kloppenburg asked for the taxpayer-financed recount - the first statewide recount in two decades - after losing by 7,316 votes in the April 5 election. Waukesha County, a key stronghold for Prosser, finished its recount last.

Don't forget about the votes of those cloistered nuns in Prairie du Sac thrown out by the Kloppenburg campaign. The Badger Catholic even received an email from the Kloppenburg campaign manager, attempting to smooth over the disenfranchisement.

Wisconsin native, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo marries

Burlington native Tony Romo married former Miss Missouri and local television anchor Candice Crawford in a ceremony in Dallas on Saturday, People magazine reports.

Among the more than 600 guests were Troy Aikman, Roger Staubach and Dez Bryant, and team owner Jerry Jones.

If the 2011 NFL season proceeds as normal, the Packers and Cowboys are not scheduled to play.

Prayer request

Please pray for a pregnant woman and her unborn child. The woman had a heart attack a week after her 4th baby was born due to the stress of the delivery on her heart. She now has cardiomiopathy and her heart is at 40%. She was told to never get pregnant again because the chance of a future pregnancy killing her was very high. She has been told by her "pro-life" doctor that she falls into the category of women who might die if she continues the pregnancy. He told her that it would be OK to end the pregnancy, according to Catholic doctrine. Without a doubt she will be continuing the pregnancy, but not everyone is having mercy on her. They have reacted with anger that she allowed herself to get pregnant again. They see this child as a mistake and not the blessing of a new life. She is a strong soul, but please pray for her.

Read the rest at Pro-Life Wisconsin.

The Badger Catholics are on vacation...

The Badger Catholics are on vacation this week, but during this week-long period, your regular updates about all things sunshine, lollipops and unicorns will continue, have no fear. Rumor has it Matt will be checking in from time to time, hitting the "Time for a Drink" button.

Wondering where Badger Catholics go on vacation? See the "Places I need to visit" sidebar.

Or... would a Badger Catholic vacation be more along this line:

The group, which allegedly travelled around parishes to spy on progressive priests who do not toe the Vatican line, was believed to be involved in the popular priest's ousting.

Many thanks to Matt for entrusting me with the care of the blog this week, and thank you all for reading! Feel free to email me at virginia@prolifewisconsin.org. Safe travels for Matt and his family.

Susan B. Anthony List profiles Wisconsin State Senator Glenn Grothman

In 2010, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin received more than $18 million from federal and state sources. Because of this funding, PPWI was able to utilize its other resources to fund 5,439 abortions in 2009 alone. Even scarier is the fact that, in 2008, PPWI performed 56% less abortions, or 3,053. So, the fact of the matter is that as funding to Planned Parenthood rises, so do the number of abortions it performs.

Sen. Grothman and his colleagues on the Joint Finance Committee voted, on May 18, to cut approximately $2 million of PPWI’s $18 million in public funding. It is important to note that neither Grothman nor his pro-life colleagues intend to stop here. Due to the pro-abortion stewardship of former Gov. [a pro-abortion Catholic] Jim Doyle, the Legislature has a very tangled web to unweave.

In order to better protect life, all public funding for Planned Parenthood must eventually be eliminated. As Sen. Grothman said, “There’s a very ugly side to this organization, and I regret that they’re going to take such a tiny cut in the budget.” Regardless, this effort to cut Planned Parenthood’s funding must be seen as a heroic effort in a long battle to protect life in Wisconsin.

Read more at Susan B. Anthony List. Photo, above, is of Sen. Grothman speaking at Pro-Life Wisconsin's Day at the Capitol on March 24.

Woman, 95, dies after being struck by car after Mass

Appleton - Police say a 95-year-old woman has died after being struck by a vehicle that rolled back on a sloped drive at St. Pius X Catholic Church after morning Mass on Sunday.

A female motorist pulled up to the entrance of the church, but the vehicle rolled backward as she got out. The driver was dragged with the car, which struck three people. The 95-year-old woman was one of the three.

The driver and the two other people hit by the car were taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

Police did not release the names of those involved. The accident happened about 11:30 a.m. Sunday.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Happy Memorial Day

Remember those who have died for our freedoms today. Be grateful to God for the freedoms we enjoy that have been secured by the blood and sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of Americans who have fought in wars.

God Bless America!

La Crosse diocese shakeup

I think this was announced in all parishes this weekend but 42 priests of the diocese will be moving to different assignments as of July 1st.  That has to be at least half the active priests.  We were told all the announcements will be in the next issue of The Catholic Times.  I heard a few very interesting appointments but not yet who the next rector of the Cathedral will be.  The pastoral plan for parish consolidation is being implemented so I'm not sure if those moves are being announced as well at this point or not. 

And yes I posted this from my cell...

IIIIIIIIIIts Polka Friiiiiidaaaaaay!

St. Paul MN snow pile still as cold as the Twins

We still have a huge mountain of snow in the SEARS parking lot near the MN Capitol, and it looks like it's still going to hold strong past Memorial Day. I was over there last Friday and I've never seen anything like this before! Only in MN!
Here's a news story about this from KSTP-TV, Channel 5

HT Bliss

State of Illinios forces Catholic Charities of Rockford to shut down adoption work

The Diocese of Rockford has announced that its Catholic Charities offices will no longer offer state-funded adoptions and foster-care services when the new Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Unions Act takes effect June 1.

Because the law did not include an exemption allowing religious organizations to refer adoptions or foster-care arrangements involving same-sex or unmarried cohabitating couples to other agencies, “the Diocese of Rockford is forced to permanently discontinue all state-funded adoption and foster-care operations as of June 1,” said Penny Wiegert, diocesan director of communications, at a May 26 news conference.

Get the scoop at American Papist

Some Catholics want to shut us down here in Wisconsin too.   It's what every single gay marriage or civil union legislation has set as it's goal; adoption.

POLL: Minnesotans Favor Marriage Amendment 51%-40%

A new Survey USA poll shows Minnesotans favors the marriage amendment 51 percent to 40 percent. Local ABC News reports:

The vote on the gay marriage amendment in 2012 could be a close one, according to our exclusive new SurveyUSA poll. In our survey of 552 registered voters on May 23 and 24, 51% say they support the amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. Another 40% say they oppose the amendment, while 8% say they wouldn't vote on the issue and 2% are undecided. This is a significant change from our last poll in March when 62% favored the amendment banning gay marriage and 33% were opposed. Both sides anticipate multi-million campaigns, including television and radio ads and a major social media effort.

NOM

MJS: Catholic school to provide iPads for middle school students

A Catholic school in Fox Point will begin providing individual iPad mobile devices to middle school students next school year.

The School Board for Saint Eugene Catholic School unanimously approved the devices for students in sixth through eighth grades, for use both in and out of the classroom.

Teachers received the devices this month, and will attend a summer workshop to help them prepare to incorporate the iPads into the 2011–'12 curriculum. The program will enable teachers to provide more project-based learning and customize the learning to students with different needs, according to Principal Rebecca Jones.

"We are very excited about the opportunities it will provide students and teachers to conduct research, unleash their creativity, and organize their projects," Jones said in a press release.

The principal said students will be able to use tool apps to take notes, write stories and research papers, and create flashcards for studying by having instant access to the Internet.

JSOnline

Congrats to the first Pro-Life Wisconsin scholarship winners

PLW's Virginia Zignego
and winner Kristin Glomstad

In our continued efforts to recognize and develop pro-life leadership and convictions among Wisconsin’s youth, the Pro-Life Wisconsin Education Task Force offers the Sharon Schumer Memorial Scholarship to two Wisconsin graduating high school seniors.

Sharon Schumer passed away as a young mother. In her short time on earth, before and while she was suffering from cancer, she worked tirelessly to educate and train teen pro-life leaders. In Sharon’s memory, Pro-Life Wisconsin annually awards a $1,000 scholarship to two high school seniors who have shown exemplary pro-life dedication and leadership. These students pledge to continue their pro-life work through college and beyond.

The number of students who apply for this scholarship grows every year, and our selection committee is faced with the difficult task of choosing two winners from a sea of worthy applicants.

The first winner of the 2011 scholarship is Kristin Glomstad , who graduated this week from Aquinas High School in La Crosse.

Read the rest at Pro-Life Wisconsin

Necedah shrine psycho charged with plotting to kill Madison abortionists

A Marshfield man who drove to Madison to kill an abortion doctor faces federal charges after he was arrested Wednesday night when his gun went off in his motel room not far from the Planned Parenthood clinic that he planned to attack Thursday.

Ralph Lang, 63, told a Madison police officer at the Motel 6, 1754 Thierer Road, that he had a gun “to lay out abortionists because they are killing babies,” according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday in U.S. District Court.

Lang said he planned on shooting the clinic’s doctor “right in the head,” according to the complaint. Asked if he planned to shoot just the doctor or nurses, too, Lang replied he wished he “could line them up all in a row, get a machine gun, and mow them all down,” the complaint said.

According to the complaint:

Lang said he had been in Madison with a gun last week, but was having “spiritual struggles” and was not “100 percent in sync with God” so he did not shoot anyone.

Lang had a history of targeting Planned Parenthood buildings. Court documents said he was arrested in 2007 outside a Madison branch, telling officers that everyone in the building deserved to be executed and that police were failing in their jobs by not carrying out the executions. Lang received a disorderly conduct citation, according to court records.

He told authorities he bought the .38 caliber gun in the Medford area about two years after his arrest “to help end abortion.”

Sgt. Bernie Gonzalez looked around Lang’s motel room and saw a box that contained several documents, including a map of the U.S. with dots in each state and the handwritten words “some abortion centers.”

Also written on the map was “Blessed Virgin Mary says Hell awaits any woman having an abortion.”

whole thing at WisStateJournal

I've heard this guy is one of the crazies heavily involved with the inderdicted Necedah shrine.  Only God can deliver us from great evil inspired by Margaret Sanger and the scourge of abortion.  Anyone who tries something like this is putting himself in place God and is just plain crazy.  People like Ralph Lang need to be locked up for good.  Way to invoke the Mother of Mercy to condemn those you hate.  Last time I check we are supposed to pray for our enemies, not shoot them.  What an idiot. 

NewmanSoc: Pro-Abortion Rights Marquette Prof Calls Archbishop Dolan ‘Rabid’

Daniel Maguire, the Marquette theology professor whose teachings the U.S. bishops have said represent outright “false teaching,” has lashed out publicly at New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan over his letter to Representative Paul Ryan concerning the U.S. budget.

In an article posted at Religion Dispatches, Maguire laments that Archbishop Dolan’s treatment of Ryan was much softer than when the prelate severely criticized and banned him from speaking at parishes in Milwaukee.
Maguire writes:

In 2006, I also received a letter form Archbishop Dolan (then Archbishop of Milwaukee where my Marquette University is located). My oh my, how different was the letter Dolan sent me from his mellifluous effusion to Ryan, criticizing my support for pregnant women making their own decisions about problem pregnancies and my defense of marriage for those whom God has made gay. He was rabid! My teaching, he said, was “preposterous and disingenuous,” “totally at odds with clear Church teaching, Sacred Scripture, the Magisterium, and Natural Law,” and “contrary to the faith and morals of the Catholic Church.” He then followed up by banning me from ever speaking in any parish of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee on any topic whatsoever.

That’s Dolan when he’s serious.


But conservative Catholic Ryan is a different case. In the terms of the bishops’ pelvic-zone orthodoxy, Ryan is pure.

The rest at Cardinal Newman Society

Anne at Imprisoned in my Bones with more on Fr. Don Hying

Hi Matt, I was having technical difficulties and wasn't able to leave a comment on your blog, but want you to know that newly appointed Bishop-elect Donald Hying is going to be a wonderful Bishop!  He is humble, holy, kind, intelligent, loving, traditional, devoted to the Blessed Mother and to the Pope-very in line with the teachings of the church.  You really should follow my blog, he posts there frequently, you'd like what he has to say!

Blessings, Anne

You can view all her posts by Fr. Hying here.

Some of Fr. Hying's posts: 

I love to study church history, especially the times of persecution, trial and upheaval. The early era of martyrdom, the collapse of the Roman Empire, the Reformation, the French Revolution, the rise of Nazism and communism were all moments when the church faced profound crises that seemed to threaten its very existence. Yet, in the midst of violence, betrayal, institutional breakdown, loss of faith, and even death itself, saints emerged, courageous people who had built their houses on the rock of Christ and his church, and thus served as pillars of strength, hope, renewal and reform in times of great darkness and confusion.

During the French Revolution, a convent of cloistered nuns at Compiegne went to the guillotine singing, rejecting the rabid secularity of the new government. Interned at Auschwitz, Maximilian Kolbe was a bright light of faith, hope and love for countless prisoners in one of the most hellish places in history.

Like!

No meat?

My wife will love this one. 

Does anyone else find it hard to explain to people that yes they know it is not Lent but no they still don't eat meat on Friday?  NO MEAT?!

Pro-life cows make happy milk

Don't believe the hype about California cows! Read the rest at Pro-Life Wisconsin.

MJS: Pope appoints Hying as new Milwaukee auxiliary bishop

Father Don Hying, rector of St. Francis de Sales Seminary since 2007, has been named by Pope Benedict XVI as the Archdiocese of Milwaukee's new auxiliary bishop, the archdiocese said Thursday.

He succeeds Bishop Richard Sklba, who retired last year.

Hying, a West Allis native, will be ordained a bishop and installed by Archbishop Jerome Listecki on July 20 at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Milwaukee.

"This is a proud moment for the church in southeastern Wisconsin," Listecki said in the statement announcing the appointment. "Pope Benedict XVI has gifted us with a true servant-leader."

As auxiliary bishop, Hying will assist Listecki in the pastoral and spiritual leadership of the diocese.

Hying downplayed his appointment, saying, "As the saying goes, 'God does not always call the most qualified, but he qualifies those he has called.' I am both deeply humbled and honored to be appointed by His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI."

Bishop-elect Hying was ordained to the priesthood in 1989 by then-Milwaukee Archbishop Rembert Weakland. He had served as a parish priest and administrator, including three years in the Dominican Republic, before becoming dean of formation at St. Francis De Sales, the archdiocese's seminary in 2005.

He holds a bachelor's degree from Marquette University and earned his masters of divinity from St. Francis De Sales.  

Watch JSOnline.com and read Friday's Journal Sentinel for the latest developments on this report.

JSOnline

Fr. Don Hying: Now is the time to give witness to our pro-life beliefs!

Photo, above: Peggy and Bob Hamill (center)
with Canon Fragelli and Abbe Kerscher at Family
Planning Health Services in Wausau. Canon Fragelli
and Abbe Kerscher are from St. Mary’s Oratory
in Wausau and frequently lead prayer at FPHS.

I will re-post this in light of Fr. Hying's recent appointment as auxiliary bishop of Milwaukee.

Written by Father Don Hying, Rector of St. Francis de Sales Seminary in Milwaukee, about a recent experience praying at Affiliated Medical Services in Milwaukee. Pray for our priests, sidewalk counselors and all those who join us in prayer outside abortion facilities.

Late last Saturday morning, a group of us went to pray at the abortuary on Farwell Avenue. Usually, I go earlier in the day when pregnant women are entering the building and the pro-abortion escorts are stationed in front to keep the clients from talking to us. At 11 AM, the escorts were gone because all of the women were already inside. One by one, the women came out, walking slowly, looking dazed, holding a brown bag, gingerly entering their boyfriend’s car and driving away. It was heartbreaking, like watching a steady stream of casualties returning from some gruesome and hidden front, where the invisible violence could only be read on the bodies of the survivors.

After praying a Rosary and a Chaplet of Divine Mercy, we were thinking about leaving when suddenly a woman who has worked at the abortion mill for years in some form of management came driving up in her Jaguar, dashed inside and emerged moments later. As she passed me, I said quietly, almost to myself, “Stop killing people here!” She turned on me in a visceral and hysterical rage, shouting about priests abusing little boys, calling me “pathetic”, enraged by my promise to pray for her and finally giving me the finger as she drove away.

What struck me about such a brief and disturbing incident was the startling fact that the woman never denied that she was indeed helping to kill people or that what I had said was in any way false. Unable to articulate any cogent or logical response to my quiet demand, she responded with hysteria, obscenity and ad hominem assaults. The immediate reaction of rage and hate, shorn of any logic or sense, led me to see how weakened the abortionist position has become. With the crisis pregnancy center across the street, growing numbers of people who identify themselves as pro-life and new legislative momentum, the folks at Affiliated see the power of their pro-death stance weakening.

With 40 Days For Life starting this Ash Wednesday, now is the time for us to give public witness to our belief in the sanctity of nascent life.  The abortionists want their deeds to go unseen, unnoticed and unchallenged. By our public prayer and presence, we shine the light of God on a very dark place.

ProLife Wisconsin

Marquette alum appointed new auxiliary for Milwaukee Archdiocese

Fr. Hying, Left next to Abp. Dolan

MILWAUKEE – The Most Reverend Donald J. Hying, has been appointed Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The appointment, made by Pope Benedict XVI, was announced in Rome, May 26. Bishop-elect Hying will be ordained by Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki, on July 20, 2011, at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.

“This is a proud moment for the Church in southeastern Wisconsin,” said Archbishop Listecki. “By choosing Fr. Hying, one of Milwaukee‟s own as our new auxiliary bishop, the Holy Father has paid a high compliment to all the priests from this diocese. Pope Benedict XVI has gifted us with a true servant-leader.”
Auxiliary bishops serve the Church by assisting the archbishop in the pastoral and spiritual leadership of a diocese. They assist the diocesan bishop in his role as shepherd – teaching, leading, serving and celebrating the sacraments with the people of God.

“This episcopal appointment is less about the personality of the one chosen, as it is about the office,” Bishop-elect Hying said. “Throughout the history of the Church and until the end of time, the Lord chooses earthen vessels, unworthy instruments, to serve him and mediate the mystery of his salvation and mercy. As the saying goes, „God does not always call the most qualified, but he qualifies those he has called.‟ I am both deeply humbled and honored to be appointed by His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI.”

Bishop-elect Hying was ordained to the priesthood on May 20, 1989, by Milwaukee Archbishop Rembert G. Weakland. In addition to serving as Rector of St. Francis De Sales Seminary, from 2007 to present, Hying served as Temporary Administrator, St. Augustine Parish, Milwaukee, 2006; Dean of Formation, St. Francis De Sales Seminary, St. Francis, 2005 to 2007; Pastor, Our Lady of Good Hope Parish, Milwaukee, 1999 to 2005; St. Anthony Parish, Milwaukee, 1998 to 1999; Temporary Administrator, St. Peter Parish, East Troy, 1998; Team Member, La Sagrada Familia Parroquia, Dominican Republic, 1994 to 1997; and Associate Pastor, St. Anthony Parish, Menomonee Falls, 1989 to 1994.

He is a native of West Allis, Wisconsin. He was born to Albert and Catherine Hying (both deceased) on August 18, 1963 and is the youngest of six sons. He attended St. Aloysius and Immaculate Heart of Mary grade schools, Brookfield Central High School, and Marquette University. He earned his Masters of Divinity from Saint Francis De Sales Seminary.

ArchMil

HT V

WRTL supports Senate Bill 92

*sigh*

Remember this?

A good opt-out to Obamacare abortion funding failed to make it out of committee in Wisconsin

Awkwardly Wisconsin Right to Life come out strongly in support of a measure that guarentees that taxpayers will have to pay for abortions in Wisconsin.  From LifeNews

Wisconsin Right to Life strongly supports Senate Bill 92 and the organization’s Legislative Director, Susan Armacost, offered testimony at the hearing in support of the measure.

She said one of the provisions of the PPACA requires states to operate and maintain “health insurance exchanges.” Qualified health insurance plans offering abortion coverage are allowed to participate in a state’s exchange and to receive federal subsidies unless the state legislature affirmatively opts-out of offering abortion coverage.

“Specific language in the PPACA permits a state to opt-out of allowing insurance plans that cover abortions to participate in that state’s exchanges,” she said. “Senate Bill 92 clarifies that a qualified health plan as defined in the federal law that is offered through any exchange operating in the State of Wisconsin may not cover any abortion whose performance is ineligible for funding under Wisconsin’s current funding law, s. 20.927.”

“The citizens of Wisconsin must not be placed in the position of subsidizing abortion coverage in the health care exchanges mandated by PPACA,” said Armacost. “The state can take preventative action in this regard now by enacting Senate Bill 92.”

Read the bill yourself:

This funding prohibition does not apply in the following circumstances: 1) the abortion is directly and medically necessary to save the life of the woman and a physician so certifies; 2) the abortion is performed in the case of sexual assault or incest, a physician so certifies, and the sexual assault or incest is reported to law enforcement; and 3) due to a preexisting medical condition, the abortion is directly and medically necessary to prevent grave, long-lasting physical health damage to the woman and a physician so certifies.

1) Direct abortion is never medically necessary to save a woman's life.
2) This is not the legality of killing unborn children due to the condition of their conception, but who has to pay for it.   
3) That can mean just about anything. 

Self defeating.  It is better to not enact Senate Bill 92 and wait for a better one to be presented.  This type of legislation works for politicians to score points with prolifers without having to actually enact pro-life legislation which has any practical effect.  Remember, abortions can and are performed through all 9 months in pregnancy in Wisconsin.  There is a reason for that. 

Super

Stained Glass Buffalo

Awkward

via Ironic Catholic

La Crosse tornado damage costs hit $9 million

La Crosse Tribune

A tornado that tore through La Crosse's South Side on Sunday afternoon left at least $9 million in damages in its wake. Residential damage already had reached $5.8 million, according to preliminary estimates released Tuesday by the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs' Division of Emergency Management. The twister destroyed nine homes, caused severe damage to 28 and minor damage to 97.

Nine businesses had serious damage, totaling $3.6 million.

The 150-yard wide tornado with 120 mph winds sliced across the South Side from 4:23 to 4:27 p.m. along a 2.3 mile path from Green Island Park to the bluff at the end of Farnam Street.

"Some people don't have a building to come back to," fire department Capt. Tom Wallerich said.

LAX Trib

Toronto parents psychologically abuse child in the name of equality

I am totally going to mess with you idiots til I move out

When many couples have a baby, they send out an email to family and friends that fills them in on the key details: name, gender, birth weight, that sort of thing. (You know the drill: "Both Mom and little Ethan are doing great!")

But the email sent recently by Kathy Witterick and David Stocker of Toronto, Canada to announce the birth of their baby, Storm, was missing one important piece of information. "We've decided not to share Storm's sex for now--a tribute to freedom and choice in place of limitation, a stand up to what the world could become in Storm's lifetime (a more progressive place? ...)," it said.

That's right. They're not saying whether Storm is a boy or a girl.

There's nothing ambiguous about the baby's genitals. But as Stocker puts it: "If you really want to get to know someone, you don't ask what's between their legs." So only the parents, their two other children (both boys), a close friend, and the two midwives who helped deliver the now 4-month-old baby know its gender. Even the grandparents have been left in the dark.

more at Yahoo news

In fact, they should not name the baby either.  Wait until he or she can speak to name themselves.  And language?  Why limit it to the parents'?  The child should not be bound to the social constructs of society.  If they call "red" something like "uzzabuuzaaah" who's to say the child is wrong?  Really?  They do put other oppressive restrictions on the child's growth.  Why stop at gender?  In fact who's to say these so called parents have been chosen by the child?  Why not let the child decide?  I think this couple really needs to examine themselves.  Far, far to conservative to really be considered "a tribute to freedom and choice in place of limitation."  What they need is to be true liberals in every facet of the child's development.

Bishop Morlino consecrates cemetery for the unborn

Tonight, 300 people joined Bishop Morlino in a unique celebration of life and also of loss. The Miracle of Life Rosary Garden, constructed on the grounds of St. Mary of Pine Bluff (3673 County Road P, Cross Plains) was consecrated May 24 as a sacred place to bury babies lost before birth. The Knights of Columbus Honor Guard led the procession, followed by the altar boys, then the Knights of Divine Mercy, with Bishop Morlino in the rear. In the photo, left, you can see Bishop Morlino proceeding past the KC Honor Guard.

Fr. Rick Heilman -- pastor of St. Mary's, founder of the Knights of Divine Mercy, a wonderful pro-life priest and a great friend to Pro-Life Wisconsin -- led the crowd in the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary [photo, left].In Bishop Morlino's homily, he discussed the importance of chastity, especially in today's culture, and how IVF and contraception work against an appreciation of life. Bishop Morlino emphasized the importance of treating life as a miracle, and celebrating every day as a miracle. The dedication and consecration prayers were followed by a family potluck cookout. The cemetery is a place for people to bury babies lost before birth. 88 burial spots were created, and four babies are already buried there.

Photo, above left: The cemetery was created in the shape of a rosary. Photo, above right: One of the bricks surrounding the rosary garden states simply, “For all the babies only God has named.”

- Virginia

Obamacare redefines "family"?

The bill begins with an enormous number of definitions, most of which simply pass the buck to other federal statutes for their content. One of those defined in the section, however, is that of "family," and the definition as given should give distributists serious concern. "The term 'family,'" the bill tells us, "means an individual and includes the individual’s dependents."

Surely, this is a curious definition; a family normally involves, at the very least, more than one person. A quick search of a dictionary reveals a number of definitions, all of which involve a group of people of some kind. This one, however, states that a family is "an individual." Certainly, it also includes his "dependents," but doesn't have to. What does this mean for distributists?

First, this definition is perfectly open to, and is conducive of, definitions of the family that distributists should adamantly oppose. By refusing to cite to a married couple, man and woman, it opens the door for literally any type of "family" that our increasingly degenerate society decides to recognize. Cohabiting couples; homosexual couples, whether "married" or not; all of these easily fit into the definition of family as described here, provided that one of them is a "dependent." The definition of "dependent" doesn't help any, either; it is left entirely up to "the Commissioner," the only proviso being that it "includes a spouse." Note that here, too, there is no mention of a spouse of the opposite sex, a pretty glaring omission given the enormous controversy currently ongoing about the subject.

more at The Distributist Review

An older article but I just ran across this tidbit.

LAXTrib: ‘Ladies for Life' Tea is June 12

The second annual "Ladies for Life" Tea will be Sunday, June 12, and feature keynote speaker Lisa Sommers from Rachel's Vineyard, a pro-life ministry in Stevens Point, Wis., that provides post-abortive healing and support services.

The event is set to begin at 2 p.m. at Blessed Sacrament Parish Hall, 130 Losey Blvd., and will include tea sandwiches, sweet, a silent auction, live local music, door prizes, a formal table-setting competition and an activity corner with crafts.

Tickets cost $10 for ages 10 and older, $5 for children younger than 10 and free for babes in arms. They are available at La Crosse area Catholic churches or by calling Elizabeth Garibaldi at (608) 769-4014. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Rachel's Vineyard.

The tea is organized by members of the local

40 Days for Life chapter, who organize anti-abortion prayer vigils and rallies throughout the year. Most recently, the group coordinated its first local "40 Hours for Life" prayer vigil on March 25-27 in conjunction with the International 40 Days for Life Campaign.

It began with a Eucharistic procession and Divine Mercy Chaplet and continued with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at St. James the Less Church and continuous prayer presence outside of Options Clinic. More than 175 people from throughout the La Crosse Diocese participated, organizers said.

La Crosse Tribune

Wow!  It's hard to believe the Trib was willing to run this story!

Mary, Help of Christians, ora pro nobis!

Napoleon crowns himself "emperor" with hostage pope watching

Pope Pius VII, after he returned to Rome in 1815 from several years of captivity imposed by the emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, instituted this feast day in honor of the assistance which the Blessed Virgin had accorded the Church. The occasion of the Pope’s exile and captivity was the emperor’s resistance to the authority of the Vicar of Christ, superior before God to his own.

A decree of the emperor in 1809 had ordered that the papal States be joined to the French empire; violence followed in Rome, when the French tricolor flag was set up and the papal arms broken. The Pope’s very courageous bull of excommunication of the emperor was made public in the following month. Then, one morning, a group of armed men entered the Quirinal Palace by breaking down the doors with axes, and its leader announced that the pope must either renounce his sovereignty over Rome or be taken by the troop to a French General, who would communicate to him his next destination.


The sacrilegious seizure of his person was executed, and he spent five years in exile in various places, finally at Fontainebleau, France. After 1815 the clemency of the great Pope towards the Emperor and his family is a matter of history; the latter were afforded a secure refuge in Rome itself, when Napoleon was exiled. And for the Emperor himself, relegated to the island of Saint Helena, the Pope pleaded for clemency with the Prince-Regent of England. When Napoleon died, it was with the assistance of chaplains sent to him by Pius VII.

Our Lady, Help of Christians, was made better known by Saint John Bosco, who consecrated his Order of Salesian priests to Her. And in Turin, beginning in 1865, he began to raise in Her honor a vast and magnificent church. Without ever having a penny in advance, always the needed sums of money arrived in time. About three-fourths of the gifts offered were presented in thanksgiving for favors obtained through Her intercession.

We will relate just one of those. A certain Senator of the Kingdom of Italy was ill; Don Bosco went to visit him and found him very discouraged and speaking of his imminent death. “What would you do,” said Don Bosco, “if Our Lady Auxiliatrix obtained your cure from God?” “My cure! Well, I would give two thousand francs a month for Her church, for six months.” “Be of good courage,” said the Saint on rising; “I will see that prayers are said for you.” Three days later, Baron Gotta, perfectly cured, went to Don Bosco to make his first payment, giving more than he had promised; and he did not cease to outdo himself in generosity.

Magnificat.ca

My reputation proceeds me

La Crosse Trib

MJS on the La Crosse tornado damage.

"Certainly our heart goes out to everyone affected," [Gov.] Walker told reporters trailing along with him. "We're grateful there were no injuries or deaths."

La Crosse, a city of 51,000 about two hours southeast of Minneapolis, is known for its scenic bluffs, Mississippi River access and its hard-partying nightlife.

Local legend has it a tornado won't touch down here because the city stands at the confluence of three rivers - the Mississippi, the Black and the La Crosse - but the National Weather Service apparently has debunked that myth. Preliminary field assessments showed the storm was in fact in a tornado and was part of the same massive storm system that spawned deadly twisters around the Midwest, the service said.

Edward O'Connor, 32, called the legend "a big fat lie" as he stared at his flattened garage.

Indian Legend Fail.

We were not even in La Crosse at the time of the storm.  My sister who lives with us called us at the in-laws and asked us if we heard about the tornado.  We came back through town after it was dark out which was a mistake.  We have to drive past the storm path to get home, and all the street lights are out.  All police personnel were called in(my dad had to drive back from the Twin Cities as soon as he heard) and were directing traffic.  It was a big mess as there was no good way to get through to the south of the tornado path.  The damage was about 8 blocks from our house.  WKBT Channel 8 had great coverage while other news outlets in the area were not as good.  I heard on the radio "complete devastation."  Ummm, no.  Joplin, Missouri has complete devastation.  La Crosse can count their blessings - no deaths or injuries.  I tweeted this video yesterday which made me realize how blessed we really are. Let's remember to pray for all those affected by the storm and all the workers and volunteers, especially ongoing efforts in Joplin.  Also say a prayer for a friend of mine who had his farm ripped apart in Minnesota by a tornado. 

But back to La Crosse's party town status.  Is there a ranking here?  Madison #1, La Crosse #2?  I think this has to be just ranked by how the amateurs behave when a couple buddies decide to drink a 30 pack of Busch Light before they go downtown.  Is there any other places in Wisconsin known as party towns?  Milwaukee has alot going on, but it doesn't really strike me primarily as a party town so to speak.

When I read "hard-partying nightlife" in a story about a tornado I got a visual of drunk college kids chucking empty bottles into the tornado vortex and having to do a shot if the bottle touches the ground.

Wisconsin's largest abortion chain to hold open houses

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin receives $18 million annually in federal and state taxpayer money. Recently, the Wisconsin legislature voted to pull approximately $1 million of that money.

So in an effort to bolster its public image and gain new customers — don’t forget, PPWI was the target of a full-page pro-life ad in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel recently — Wisconsin’s largest abortion chain is holding open houses for PPWI “friends”.

The Portage Planned Parenthood is the same one that Bishop Morlino of Madison held a prayer vigil at recently. Seems to me these Planned Parenthood centers are in need of more customers and would be potential targets for closing in the event of further taxpayer funding restrictions. Wouldn’t it be nice if a prayer vigil was organized during the open houses to bring the truth to these potential PPWI “customers”?:)

Contact me at Pro-Life Wisconsin if you're interested in joining us in prayer during these open houses. Email virginia@prolifewisconsin.org or call (877) 463-7945.
- Virginia

Weakland, Sklba to take the stand?

Abp Weakland to this point
has avoided the stand

Attorneys for victim-creditors[SNAP] in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee's bankruptcy have asked the court to lift the stay on pending civil cases so they can depose aging witnesses, including retired bishops and accused priests.

Victims are seeking to depose retired Archbishop Rembert Weakland; retired Auxiliary Bishop Richard Sklba; former Assistant Chancellor Father Joseph Janicki; and seven restricted or laicized priests who appear on the archdiocese's online list of priests with credible accusations of sex abuse against them.

They say the bankruptcy has brought forward new allegations and that depositions are needed to preserve testimony in the event of a witness' death or incapacity.

The victims also plan to ask the state court to lower the age for deposing witnesses in cases that had been stalled for procedural reasons from 75 to 70.

The archdiocese issued a statement saying it "is supportive of things that continue to move the Chapter 11 reorganization process forward." But a spokeswoman declined to elaborate, saying "our full response to the motion will be filed with the court by the appropriate deadline."

MJS

I guess we'd all expect the archdiocese to just flat out oppose this.  SNAP's just fishing for more money, but the truth is that many victims, not just SNAP's, would like to see those responsible for assisting pedophiles to be exposed.  So far both Abp Weakland and Bp. Sklba have avoided responsibility for their actions.  The article seems to hint that they personally are accused of abuse.  Abp. Weakland had his scandal obviously but that is settled. 

ProLifeWI: Pro-abortion Tom Barrett op ed in MilCathHerald

Providing a platform for pro-abortion Catholics hurts the pro-life movement and insults the Catholic faith. Newspapers such as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel are only too happy to print op-eds from dissenting Catholics. But our very own Catholic newspaper? An editorial on violence, written by a pro-abortion Catholic politician, sorely misses the mark.

more at Pro-Life Wisconsin

This isn't heaven. It's Wisconsin.

"Mom," Karen Tipps's 12-year-old son Simon said on a Wednesday afternoon late last year, "our quiet little home isn't gonna be so quiet anymore."

The Tippses' home sits on the grounds of the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help outside Champion, Wisconsin. A winding trip down rural roads leads to the shrine's chapel, the stations of the cross, a grotto, and a crypt where a collection of crutches is amassed—alleged evidence of miracles performed. Upstairs there's a gift shop that sells Catholic paraphernalia: crosses and trinkets, DVD dramatizations of the lives of saints, T-shirts.

Karen Tipps and her husband are the shrine's caretakers—a task that became far more intense after it received a rare designation. On December 8, the Catholic church affirmed the shrine as one of about a dozen sites worldwide—and the first in the U.S.—to have received a visit from the Virgin Mary.

Continue at Chicago Reader

Hello, from your guest blogger

As Mr. Badger Catholic mentioned last week, he asked me to help with maintaining the wonderfulness that is this blog during his upcoming vacation. That invitation has blossomed into regular contributions. I am thrilled to be blogging here on the BC, as well as at blog.prolifewisconsin.org.

My name is Virginia Zignego, and I am the communications director at Pro-Life Wisconsin. View my profile to the right.

Contact me at virginia@prolifewisconsin.org with tips for stories or with any questions you may have. Thanks to Matt for indulging my fanaticism.

Almost forgot: Iowa man completes no-food Lenten fast

I finally found his blog:

Time flies when you’re eating food!

Ten days have elapsed and I’ve found many wonderful culinary delights since that first bacon smoothie passed my lips shortly after midnight on Easter. And it hasn’t all gone according to my original plan.

All my research told me that I would need to ease back into my diet carefully, so, with the exception of that little bacon treat, that’s what I planned to do. Smoothies, orange juice, guacamole. I also planned to target some foods that are known to be beneficial to the old liver and kidneys–two organs that I’ve been beating up on as of late. Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts were on my agenda.

So my first meal was a bacon smoothie, with two strips of bacon on the side–it just seemed like the right thing to do. I accompanied it with a little fresh broccoli. Later, I made myself a cocoa-peanut butter-banana smoothie with a side order of cabbage. Yum.

Continue at Diary of a Part-time Monk

Although he's something of a non-denominational Christian, it is a praiseworthy pursuit in today's day and age of self worship to actually live for something greater.   As he quotes:

“The unexamined life is not worth living.”

-Socrates

You will find he has the Catholic talk here, and ensures us its wasn't a penitential practice, ect.  And basically his thesis is this:

My experience reinforced my beliefs that today’s culture of excess breeds waste and gluttony. I discovered that my body (and probably yours too) is capable of so much more than I could ever fully realize.

Not the reason the ancient monks took on the discipline, but maybe the monks beer will help him realize why they were monks in the first place.  Bravo to an accomplishment.  I'm sure no contemporary Catholic, whom even share the faith of the monks, would dare try.  But an honest pursuit of truth can only lead to one Place. 

WisRapidsTrib: St. Joseph found in rectory attic

"We were house cleaning the rectory attic and found him," said Susie Budzinski, a member of the Wisconsin Rapids parish.

The "him" Budzinski referred to is St. Joseph -- well, a statue of him, anyway.

Apparently, the statue had been gathering dust since it was removed and stored during a late 1990s remodeling project.

When the figure was discovered a couple of months ago, it needed more than a good dusting.

The first step was to repair damage. That's where parishioner Jim Balzer came in.Balzer remembered the statue being in the church when he and his wife, Elaine, were married in 1961.

Continue at Wisconsin Rapids Tribune 

*cough* I wonder why the statue was stashed away in the first place.  There are probably some in the parish upset that he was found.  

MN wins on Marriage Amendment ballot measure!

Voters in the North Star State now have the chance to ratify a Constitutional amendment declaring marriage as a union of one man and one woman. Late last night the Minnesota House of Representatives approved a measure placing the question on the ballot in November 2012. The Minnesota Senate had already approved the measure.

This development represents a dramatic turn of events and underscores the importance of making sure pro-family voters show up on Election Day. In the run-up to last year’s elections, pro-family activists in Minnesota were worried that Mark Dayton would get elected governor (which he did, narrowly). A Dayton win, combined with a Democratic-controlled Legislature would likely mean an effort to redefine marriage in Minnesota.

CatholicVote

Doubtless was the influence of the Minnesota bishops who rightly helped push the measure through the legislature.   

Paul Ryan & Abp Dolan talk Social Justice

Paul Ryan

Catholic university professors last week engaged in a tired broadside against Speaker of the House John Boehner as he was set to deliver the commencement speech at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

This week, something much more constructive: The public presentation of an ongoing dialogue between Paul Ryan, a Catholic from Wisconsin, who is the House Budget committee chairman, and Archbishop Timothy Dolan, the president of the Catholic bishop’s conference, about Catholic social teaching and its application to the current budget debate.

Read at NationalReview

HT CatholicVote

Abortion champion Tom Barrett given platform in Milwaukee Catholic Herald

Tom Barrett, pro-abortion Catholic Mayor of Milwaukee

From a reader

The Milwaukee Catholic Herald this week printed an article by radical pro-abort Mayor Tom Barrett proclaiming that Catholic involvement is needed to end gun violence. Hey, Tom, would abortion bother you if they used guns to kill the baby? Shame on the Milwaukee Catholic Herald for giving a forum to this man who buys votes with the blood of the innocent. 

Bishop Morlino prays in front of Portage Planned Parenthood building

PORTAGE -- Several dozen people, many from the Portage area and others who had come more of a distance to be present, gathered on the sidewalk in front of the local Planned Parenthood clinic on a main street here recently.

The April 26 prayer gathering, which featured a Rosary led by Bishop Robert C. Morlino, was one of the many pro-life efforts engaged in by members of the local parish. In fact, the St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Parish’s Peace and Justice Committee invites people of all faiths and denominations to gather outside the Planned Parenthood every second Tuesday of the month from 5 to 6 p.m. for prayer to end abortion.

This focus on the protection of the unborn is only a part of the parish’s broader acknowledgement of the importance of social justice in Catholic teaching.

“Social justice begins in the womb, and we start from there,” said Eileen Knecht, a member of the Peace and Justice Committee.

Continue at MadCatHerald

MadCat: Miracle of Life Rosary Garden to be dedicated

PINE BLUFF -- Bishop Robert C. Morlino will dedicate the Miracle of Life Rosary Garden at St. Mary of Pine Bluff on Tuesday, May 24, at 6 p.m.

Located in a beautiful rural setting, this garden is designed to be the peaceful resting place of babies who have died before birth. It offers them the dignity and honor they deserve and that their parents seek.

Continue at Madison Catholic Herald

"Rosary March" at Holy Remeemer in Madison

Courtesy of Joe Ptak

More on Facebook

Cardinal Burke: "A Nearly 50-Year Trend of Self-Centered Liturgy"

Cardinal Burke with ICKSP

Cardinal Raymond L. Burke delivered a lecture on what he calls a nearly 50-year trend of self-centered liturgy last week at the Thomistic Institute in Washington, D.C.

“In the time since the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, but certainly not because of the teaching of the council, there has been exaggerated attention on the human aspect of the sacred liturgy,” said the high ranking Vatican official in his May 11 address.

Cardinal Burke acknowledged upfront that the topic could seem redundant because the liturgy is, by its very essence, God-given and God-directed.

“Is not the Church by its very nature divine? That is, called into being and sustained in being by God, and therefore centered in God. Are not the Church herself and her worship by definition directed toward God?” he asked.

But, the American cardinal said, in the last 50 years undue attention has been given to the “human aspect of the sacred liturgy, which has overlooked the essence of the sacred liturgy as the encounter of God with us by means of sacramental signs. That is, as the direct action of the glorious Christ in the Church, to give to us the grace of the Holy Spirit.”

He went on to draw several parallels between Old Testament worship and the New Testament, where God's unique right to be worshiped finds its ultimate fulfillment.

EWTN news

Strong words. 

HT Saint Louis Catholic

New Catholic Wauwatosa school "the first of its kind"

Wauwatosa Catholic School~opening in the fall of the 2011-2012 school year~ is going to be the first of its kind. WCS is more excited than nervous to be a part of a community that is watching as we dive into uncharted waters for the Wauwatosa area. We ask for your prayers and support as two families become one while we work together to fulfill our mission.

Wauwatosa Catholic School will serve a diverse community of learners who live Christ centered lives, are developing as leaders, learning to serve, excelling academically while striving to create a better world.

We're hoping that this blog can be a forum documenting all the FIRSTS in this long-awaited, much talked-about beginning.

The formation of Wauwatosa Catholic School was preceded by six months of immediate planning, called Project Embrace, where parents and parish leaders from St. Pius X and St. Bernard came together to chart the future. In December of 2010, Archbishop Listecki approved the plan of the pastors with the full support of the futuring team. As with any major change, a wide range of emotions were evoked from both parish and school communities. However, God's Spirit gifted us with energy to address our emotions with Wisdom, Fortitude, Understanding, Knowledge, Piety, Counsel and Wonder and Awe in the Holy Spirit.

This blogger would be remiss to fail to mention that it is also a time when both St. Pius X and St. Bernard School communities will see their respective, historic schools end one last school year. Certainly, this does not come without shedding a few tears and, sadly, saying a few goodbyes.

However, Wauwatosa Catholic School intends to be the first International Baccalaureate Catholic Elementary School in Wisconsin. It will be the first Catholic school in Wauwatosa operating with the support of TWO parishes.

Wauwatosa Now