Fanatic Friday: Rawhide edition

Well, I got halfway through a roundup post but didn't finish it.

My German overlords have welted my back exceedingly recently.  Is there such a thing as a white collar sweat shop? 

I think after I get my house paid off I will start Badger Catholic Ministries® where I go door to door and drink other people beer and complain about Church politics.  I know, I do that now with some of you, but I'd like to get paid for it as well.  Seems like a decent way to make a living.

By the way, it is more beneficial to talk about natural marriage than traditional marriage.  Tradition can change(gradually), nature cannot.

Haha, I think I grew up with everyone in this bar.


Runner up: The Ataris: Boys of Summer

Ben Nguyen: "The Continued Assault on Religious Freedom"

via the Diocese of La Crosse Youtube

I only get audio out of one speaker, but still it's totally worth the time to watch.  His talk I think is around 25 minutes.  Seriously, listen, it's excellent. 

Cardinal Dolan to Present at 2013 Pallium Lecture in Milwaukee

CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz
MILWAUKEE – On Thursday, September 5, 2013 Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York and president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, will be the main presenter for this year’s Pallium Lecture Series.

The Pallium Lecture is a presentation selected by Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki to focus on catechetical formation and spiritual renewal. Archbishop Listecki will lead a prayer service to begin the evening.

Cardinal Dolan’s presentation, “Who Do You Say That I Am?” will explore how Catholics encounter the living presence of Christ in the Church as Mystery, Sacrament and Communion. At the same time, it will explore how our encounter with Christ in the Church invites a response of discipleship and evangelization. Like Mary, the Mother of the Church, we say “Yes” to a life born of faith so we can embody that faith through lives of witness at home, work, and in the broader culture.

This year’s Pallium Lecture will take place at the Milwaukee Theater, 500 W. Kilbourn Ave., Milwaukee, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are free, but reservations are required. Click here for additional information and to order tickets.
ArchMil

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, ora pro nobis!


Image

from Wiki:
The original wooden icon suspended on the altar measures 17" × 21" inches and is painted on hard nut wood with a gold leaf background.[3] The image depicts the Blessed Virgin Mary wearing a dress of dark red, representing the Passion of Jesus, with a blue mantle, representing her perpetual virginity, and cloaked veil, which represents her pure modesty. The icon shows Mary looking towards the faithful, while pointing at her son, Jesus Christ who is frightened by the instruments of crucifixion and is depicted with a fallen sandal.[4] On the left side is the Saint Archangel Michael, carrying the lance and sponge of the crucifixion of Jesus. On the right is the Saint Archangel Gabriel carrying a 3-bar cross used by Popes at the time and nails. The Virgin Mary has a star on her forehead, signifying her role as Star of the Sea while the cross on the side has been claimed as referring to the school which produced the icon. The Byzantine depictions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in art have three stars, one star each on the shoulder and one on the forehead. This type of icon is called Hodegetria, where Saint Mary is also pointing to her Son, known as a Theotokos of the Passion.[5]

Mary's long slender nose, thin lips, and smoothly arched eyebrows also show that a Greek artist had painted her. The halo and the crown in the picture were added later. In those days, a halo was not commonly painted around the head. Instead, as in this painting of Mary, the veil and her face itself were rounded, practically circular, to indicate her holiness. The size of the mother seems out of proportion to her son; this is deliberate. The artist wished to emphasize Mary in this story, so he painted her larger than life.[6]

The Greek inscriptions read MP-ΘΥ (Μήτηρ Θεοῦ, Mother of God), OAM (Ὁ Ἀρχάγγελος Μιχαήλ, Michael the Archangel), OAΓ (Ὁ Ἀρχάγγελος Γαβριήλ, Gabriel the Archangel) and IC-XC ( Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, Jesus Christ ), respectively. The icon is painted with a gold background on a walnut panel which was probably painted in the islands of Crete, which at the time was then ruled by the Republic of Venice.[7] The Cretan School was the source of the many icons imported into Europe from the late Middle Ages through the Renaissance. The icon was cleaned and restored once in 1866 and again in the year 1940.

Some Roman Catholics believe the icon to be a true copy of the painting that according to legend was painted from the life by Saint Luke using the meal table of the Holy Family in Nazareth, and in Eastern Orthodox tradition was often identified with the Hodegetria icon,[4] and consider it to be a miraculous imprint of the Virgin Mary both in the Latins and Orthodox communities.

Abp. Listecki: DOMA ruling has no effect on Catholic teaching

Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki responded to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision today striking down a portion of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, saying that it "in no way changes Church teaching with regard to the sacrament of marriage."

"The recognition of marriage, understood by the Catholic Church as involving one man and one woman, long precedes Christianity. But since the Church’s earliest days, Christians have professed a firm commitment to that natural and sacramental institution."

“This is a sad day for the sacrament of marriage, when the U.S. Supreme Court redefines the institution as something other than what God created,” said Listecki. “Marriage between a man and a woman is life-giving and is foundational to civil society. It needs to be strengthened, not redefined.

"The Catholic Church also opposes any and all unjust discrimination against, or mistreatment of, homosexuals. Neither their personhood nor their dignity is being questioned. The heart of the question, in fact, is the defense and preservation of the public institutions and the common vision for human flourishing upon which any free and just democracy directly depends."

The Supreme Court's decision paves the way for same-sex married couples to receive federal benefits. However, a narrow ruling in a related California case leaves gay marriage bans in place in other states, including Wisconsin.
via JS

The Scalia quote

It is an assertion of judicial supremacy over the people’s Representatives in Congress and the Executive. It envisions a Supreme Court standing (or rather enthroned) at the apex of government, empowered to decide all constitutional questions, always and everywhere “primary” in its role. This image of the Court would have been unrecognizable to those who wrote and ratified our national charter.
and
It is an assertion of judicial supremacy over the people’s Representatives in Congress and the Executive. It envisions a Supreme Court standing (or rather enthroned) at the apex of government, empowered to decide all constitutional questions, always and everywhere `primary’ in its role.
- Justice Antonin Scalia

Forbes

PS Jimmy Akin

I've got more stuff but not enough time right now.

Madison Cathedral bulletin from 1965

"We purchased a Latin Mass missal at my grandparents estate sale recently. Inside I found this Bulletin from St. Patrick's Church in Madison, WI - February 7th, 1965.

"This was before the Novus Ordo (New Mass) came out. It is interesting to note the number of daily and Sunday Masses compared to today. Some of the comments on the bulletin also seem to be quite the zingers seeing as the new Mass was not out yet."
You can click the image to make it larger.




Remember the poem at the end was prior to the Novus Ordo being published in 1969, but I'm not sure how that makes sense considering the content.   Ahh, Aristotle has educated me that there was a 1965 Transitional Missal, I was not aware. 

Latin's gone
Peace is too
Singin', an dshoutin'
From every pew.

Altar's turned around
Priest is too
Commentator's yellin'
Page twenty two.

Communion rails goin'
Stand up straight
Kneelin' suddenly
Went outa date.

Processions are formin'
In every aisle
Salvation organized
Single file.

Rosary out
Psalms are in
Hardly ever hear
A word against sin.

Listen to the Lector
Hear how he reads
Please stop rattlin'
Them rosary beads.

Padre's lookin puzzled
Doesn't know his part
Used to know the whole deal 
In Latin by heart.

I hope all changes
Are just about done
That they don't drop Bingo
Before I've won.

Haha, great finish!

Could you imagine if something like this went in a bulletin today? 

Abp. Listecki: Abuse documents to be posted next week

On April 3rd, I informed you of my decision to authorize the release of documents related to diocesan priests with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of a minor. These documents are scheduled to be posted to the archdiocesan website next week and I’m sure they will generate many stories in the news.

We have worked with the attorneys for abuse survivors who identified almost 6,000 pages of documents they believe should be made public and that best demonstrate how the archdiocese handled allegations of sexual abuse, responded to reports, and dealt with offending priests. Those are the documents that will be posted.

My hope in voluntarily making these documents public is that they will aid abuse survivors, families, and others in understanding the past, reviewing the present and allowing the Church in southeastern Wisconsin to continue moving forward. We can never tell abuse survivors enough how sorry we are for what they endured. My apology goes out to all who have been harmed and I continue to offer to meet with any individual abuse survivors who would find it helpful.

What we do today in responding to reports of abuse is different than in decades past but that fact does not erase the past. The documents present one part of the history of what happened and demonstrate how people tried to do their best with what they knew at the time. We may never have the complete picture because the records are not always clear and there is no way to delve more deeply because many of the people involved are dead or have had memories fade as 20, 30 or 40 years or more have passed.

But, we know that bad things happened to innocent children and youth.  The arc of understanding sexual abuse of a minor progressed from being seen as a moral failing and sin that needed personal resolve and spiritual direction; to a psychological deficiency that required therapy and could be cured; to issues of addiction requiring more extensive therapy and restrictions on ministry; to recognition of the long-term effects of abuse and the need to hold the perpetrator accountable for this criminal activity. 

Acknowledging our past means examining how the Church, especially its bishops and priests, dealt with this issue over the years.  It includes facing up to mistakes that were made, even if some of those mistakes become apparent only in hindsight.  It means demonstrating our resolve to make sure nothing like this can ever happen again.  Today, I am confident that no organization in the world does more to combat sexual abuse of minors than the Catholic Church in the United States.

continue at ArchMil

So, I guess we should probably talk about the Supreme Court ruling

So I've been torn all morning whether and how to respond to the Supreme Court's decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act.

I think it would be difficult to overstate the severity of the blow to our civilization, the harms this decision will cause and the crises people of faith will face in the coming years. At the same time, strong, sweeping and broad statements might help us blow off some steam, but they're easily ridiculed and dismissed. As such, I was planning to hold my tongue until I found a particularly well-written piece on Fr. Dwight Longnecker's blog that does a good job of summing up why I'm troubled:

The mass media ignore the pro-life position or they mock it and undermine people like me as angry fundamentalists clinging to religion and guns. The mass media are lined up with the powers of the state to promote the agenda of the Culture of Death in a way that will over ride all democratic processes to impose the Culture of Death on all citizens. With increased surveillance and increased domestic police powers, and fueled with this rage, I’m scared. It will not take much at all to tip over into a secular totalitarian state with an aggressive Culture of Death agenda.

If you've logged into Facebook or Twitter today, you've probably seen a number of folks talking about the persecution that is "coming" or calls to prepare for martyrdom. Like syphilis, which evolved to a less deadly disease to avoid killing off its hosts, modern tyrants seem to have realized that swift brutality is nowhere near as effective as "softer" forms of coercion.

Yesterday's tyrant might use the sword, the guillotine or the firing squad to kill you for living out your faith. Today's tyrant wields taxes, fines and regulations that simply make it impossible for you to live.

I don't fear martyrdom, which--God willing--is quickly followed by eternity in paradise. But I do fear these supposedly milder forms of persecution because of what they'd do to my family.

If I were a small business owner, compliance with the HHS mandate might mean the difference between feeding my family and not feeding my family. The same is true for bakers, photographers and others who face jail and massive fines for not participating in same sex "wedding" or civil union ceremonies. Entire industries worth of employees and employers could be subject to financial ruin by not supporting the promiscuity and abortion at all costs agenda.

Furthermore, it's not a big stretch to envision a United States where instruction in Catholic theology becomes a hate crime. The thought of having my children taken away because I refuse to subject them to homosexual agitprop and mandatory Gardasil injections is, for me, much scarier than a guillotine. Undoubtedly, this paragraph would be mocked as hysterical among many, but we will see if that's still the case in five years.

Blessed Miguel Pro, pray for us.



Christopher Pundzak completes 200 mile "Bike to Mary" across Wisconsin


Great work Christopher! The staff at the Shrine offered him a cart ride up the hill but he wasn't havin' none of that! He rode 200+ miles across the state and finished at the doors of the Shrine church and finished with the Sunday 1 PM Mass. 

I was able to grab a few pictures.






Eponymous: Symbolic Demolition of a Church in the "Year of Faith"


Details at The Eponymous Flower

Bps. Morlino and Ricken speeches at Fortnight for Freedom events

Bp. Morlino speaks at the Capitol.

Bp. Ricken speaks on Religious Freedom.
 
Bishop David Ricken | Let Freedom Ring Rally | June 21, 2013 from Diocese of Green Bay on Vimeo.

AoftheA: Backstage At The Muppet Show…




continue at Acts of the Apostasy 

This one made me snort.

Dcn. Scott Jablonski (Madison diocese) on EWTN's Journey Home


HT Aristotle

Cdl Burke: The Church will support the faithful in their defense of marriage

An important interview given by Cardinal Burke to a French magazine concerning gay marriage and catholic education.

Interview of great interest given by Cardinal Raymond Burke, Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, by Pierre de Calbiac for "Famille Chrétienne" ... (Excerpts)


You are the Mayor of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, which ensures the proper administration of ecclesiastical justice. What is the Church's teaching about gay marriage?

The Church's teaching is very clear, sexual union is moral in the of marriage, it [the marriage] being the expression of a faithful, permanent and fruitful, ie procreative, love between a man and a woman. A note from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, published in 2003 and signed by Cardinal Ratzinger, then prefect of the same congregation, condemns any form of legalization of homosexual unions. Nature teaches us that man and woman are made for each other.A otherness is a prerequisite to marriage. It should be understood that the Catholic Church will never approve homosexual unions, which can not be naturally procreative.
continue at Gloria.tv

Photo

New FSSP Apostolate at All Saint's parish in Minneapolis

via Eponymous
Edit: this parish was one of those which was slated for closing, now it's being given new life. We'd earlier felt that the Archbishop's subordinates were being deliberately unfair in their choice of parishes to close, but this really makes up for that.

Minneapolis is one of the more Liberal cities in the United States. Its conservative working class community in Northeast Minneapolis should appreciate this.

Here is the Archbishop's letter:

June 22, 2013

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,


I am happy to announce that the parish of All Saints of Minneapolis will have a pastor and an associate to serve you beginning next month.


As you have likely seen and heard in parish communications over the past few months, the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter has offered to send two of its members to care for the parish of All Saints, which has been without a pastor for more than a year. After consultation with your parish trustees and your parish pastoral council, as well as the presbyteral council, a representative body of priests from across the Archdiocese, I have accepted the Fraternity’s offer.


Father Peter Bauknecht and Father Simon Harkins will begin their service at All Saints on July 3, 2013. Fr. Bauknecht will serve as pastor.


As you may know, the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter is a Catholic Clerical Society of Apostolic Life dedicated to providing Catholics access to the extraordinary form of the liturgy according to the liturgical books of 1962. You can find out more about the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter at their website: www.fssp.org. Mass in the extraordinary form will be offered at All Saints. Mass in the current form to which you are accustomed will be offered, as well.
[It's unclear if that's the FSSP or a diocesan priest offering it] A Mass schedule will be established, in consultation with All Saints parish leadership.[So perhaps it's the hybrid approach where the diocese and the Fraternity share the parish?]


Please join me in welcoming Father Bauknecht and Father Harkins. I will be praying for these priests as they begin service in your parish and I ask that you join me supporting their work through prayer, as well.


With every good wish, I am,
Cordially yours in Christ,

The Most Reverend John C. Nienstedt
Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
HT Rorate

After summer, remind me to make some cool map widget thing that shows where the TLMs are in the area.  I've been meaning to do this for a while(in my ample free time). 

Vince Flynn remembered for "a contagious, manly spirit" at St. Paul's Cathedral funeral

Photo: Pioneer Press
Best-selling Minnesota author Vince Flynn is remembered as a man of faith who met his challenges head-on.

Some 2,500 mourners packed the Cathedral of St. Paul Monday for Flynn's funeral Mass in his hometown of St. Paul. The author of the Mitch Rapp counterterrorism thrillers died last week at 47 after battling prostate cancer.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman and talk-show host Rush Limbaugh were among the mourners.

The Rev. Peter Laird celebrated the Mass, and was joined by Archbishop John Nienstedt. Laird says Flynn "had the gift of gab and a contagious, manly spirit."

Flynn has sold more than 15 million books in the U.S. alone. His 14th novel, "The Last Man," was published last year.
KTTC

Details at Pioneer Press

HT My Dad

A MUST read on Komen's addiction to abortion

The clean sweep at the Komen Foundation is finally complete. A few days ago Komen founder Nancy Brinker finally lost her job as CEO. It took a while but they finally got rid of her, the woman who watched her sister suffer and die from breast cancer, who dedicated her life to eradicating the disease, who created one of the most successful global health charities in the world. They removed her for the crime of trying to defund Planned Parenthood. She’s being replaced by a woman some say had a hand in developing Obamacare and who has never run a non-profit.

She was the last of the triumvirate who had the audacity to try and get Susan G. Komen for the Cure out of the culture wars around abortion.

The first to go was Karen Handel who was head of global marketing for Komen. She received the initial blame from the left. Though she voluntarily resigned, she was the fall guy. Handel subsequently wrote a very readable book about it and is now running for the U.S. Senate from Georgia. Second to go was Liz Thompson, who at the time two years ago was President of Komen.

Since they are all gone completely or from day-to-day operations, it is time to tell some tales from the inside of that failed effort. I know quite a bit that has never been revealed until now. Top Komen people came to me in the summer of 2011 to ask my advice on how to step away from Planned Parenthood funding and how to communicate this, in fact how to orchestrate such a move with the pro-life movement.

They came to me because I know pretty much everyone in the pro-life movement, how many of them think, and how many would react to such a reality, that Komen would withdraw funding from the pro-life bête noir, Planned Parenthood.
continue at Crisis

Yes, read the whole thing, essential pro-life reading.

HT Bad Catholic

Jimmy Carter: Catholics not ordaining women is a "human rights abuse"


CatholicMemes

Background: Jimmy Carter: Failure Of Catholic Church To Ordain Women Is A Human Rights Abuse
HT BL

Cdl Burke: Culture of Life depends on "a new appreciation of Christian wives and mothers"

Photo: Steve Jalsevac/LifeSiteNews.com
Cardinal Raymond Burke, prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Signitura launched the Vatican’s celebration of Pope John Paul II’s pro-life encyclical the Gospel of Life (Evangelium Vitae) Saturday, delivering the main address at the English-language catechesis. The promotion of a culture of life depends, said Cardinal Burke “on a new appreciation of Christian wives and mothers… on a new proclamation regarding woman and motherhood.”

The catechesis on the encyclical marked the beginning of the Evangelium Vitae Day which culminated in a Mass Sunday morning with Pope Francis which was attended by over 200,000. An adoration hour and candlelight vigil concluded the Saturday events.

Quoting Evangelium Vitae, Burke drew attention to the “daily heroism” of "brave mothers who devote themselves to their own family without reserve, who suffer in giving birth to their children and who are ready to make any effort, to face any sacrifice, in order to pass on to them the best of themselves".
continue at LifeSite

Guzman: The Father Who is There

Recently, at the park with my wife and son, I witnessed one of the saddest sights I’ve seen in a long time. A little boy, about five or six, was there with his dad. Normally, this would be a wonderful thing, but the tragedy was, they weren’t spending time with each other. The dad was engrossed in his phone — ignoring his child.

No matter what he tried, this little boy could not get his father’s attention. He jumped up and down yelling, “Dad! Dad! Look at me!” He climbed up the jungle gym, went down the slide, raced in circles, all the while hoping that he might win the affectionate glance, the loving interaction, of his father. But the dad wouldn’t even look up from his phone. He would respond with a distracted grunt, if that.

Finally, depressed and dejected, the little boy sat in a swing by himself. He didn’t swing, he just sat there. His joy and enthusiasm had been extinguished by the inattention of his father, whose attention he very obviously craved. No doubt, his childish heart was grieved and wounded by his relative unimportance compared to a cell phone.
continue at Truth and Charity

Fanatic Friday: Fortnight Edition


Johnny Cash - I Won't Back Down from Jose Almeida on Vimeo.

I like Tom Petty, but after watching the original video... I went with Johnny.

Seriously, go watch the Tom Petty video...  the song loses some of its luster....

Green Bay Diocese clears retired priest of abuse charges

The Catholic Diocese of Green Bay said Saturday it has cleared the Rev. Justin Werner in allegations of abuse of a minor at an Outagamie County church in the 1970s.

It said Werner, a retired senior priest, was cleared following an investigation.

“The independent investigator has concluded the allegation against Father Justin Werner is unsubstantiated,” the diocese said in a press release issued Saturday afternoon.

Restrictions on Werner’s ministry have been lifted by Bishop David Ricken.“At the same time, we as a diocese must be diligent in our due process to ensure the safety of our children and to advocate on behalf of victims/survivors,” the diocese said in the release. “Therefore, the investigation regarding the allegation of abuse from the 1970’s continues.”
continue at GBPG

Abp. Listecki celebrates only Mass of festival season at Polish Fest

Sobornost: Orthodox Statement on Yoga

Excerpt:
But what is yoga? The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit word yujwhich means to “unite”, meaning the union of the individual soul with the impersonal Absolute One of Hinduism (see P. Schreiner, Yoga: Wörterbuch des Christen-tums, 1995, p. 1376). This union is considered a liberation and redemption of mankind from karma, that is, from the consequences that result from our choices and actions in supposedly previous lives.

Moreover, concerning the term yoga, we must stress that it is used as a qualifying term of one of the six classical orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy (see H. Baer, ​​”Yoga”, in the Lexikon der Sekten, Sohdergruppen und Weltanschauungen, 7th Ed, 2001, pp. 1166-1174).

But is yoga exercise? Can one isolate the practical exercise from its religious content and background? Can one ignore the purpose for which it is used? Unquestionably no.

And what about the claim of various centers, institutes, schools, groups, journals and gyms, that present it as lacking a religious nature, alleging it to be a “scientific” psychosomatic practice, or a practice for a simple existence and spiritual self-knowledge? Without doubt these assertions are inaccurate. They oftentimes misinform and confuse using an extremely attractive vocabulary (see R. Hauth, (Hrsg), Kompaktlexikon Religionen, 1998, p. 366).
whole statement at Sobornost(not too long and worth the read)

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La Crosse: “The Continued Assault on Religious Freedom” Tues. June 25

Tuesday, June 25, 7:00 pm – “The Continued Assault on Religious Freedom”  

Aquinas High School auditorium, 315 11th St . S . , La Crosse.

Keynote by Ben Nguyen, Visiting Adjunct Professor and Assistant to the Director of the Institute for Pastoral Theology of Ave Maria University. Ben is the former Chancellor of the Diocese of La Crosse, where he continues to serve as a legal and canonical consultant. After an opening prayer and remarks by Bishop Callahan, Ben will bring us up to date on the continued violation of religious freedom represented by the HHS Mandate, as well as other threats.

The keynote will be followed by comments from a panel consisting of Msgr. Roger Scheckel, Pastor of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Richland Center, Nancy Hatle vig, Pastor of Connect Church in Onalaska, Corey Sateren, Pastor of Bethany Evangelical Free Church in La Crosse, and Dr. Mark Grunwald, a physician from Prairie du Chien. Admission is free.
Diocese of La Crosse 

There is remote viewing at certain parishes... not sure if they are streaming online so anyone can watch. 

Pres. Obama on Catholic schools

Speaking in Ireland this week, President Obama stated that Catholic schools were divisive: “If towns remain divided—if Catholics have their schools and buildings and Protestants have theirs, if we can’t see ourselves in one another and fear or resentment are allowed to harden—that too encourages division and discourages cooperation.” On Thursday, the American Catholics for Religious Freedom fired back on President Obama’s words to 2,000 young people at the G8 Summit, stating, “President Obama’s anti-faith, secular agenda was shamefully on full display yesterday when he told the young people of Northern Ireland that Catholic education and other faith-based schools were divisive and an obstacle to peace. All Americans of faith should be outraged by these comments which clearly telegraph the President’s belief system and are in fact at their core even anti-American.”

continue at Breitbart

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Chris Pundzak interviewed by Relevant Radio on ride across state

 
Chris had a great interview on Relevant Radio. See more photos at Bike to Mary FB Group.

A special visitation today from Our Lady via the Relic Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Ora pro nobis.

FB: Bike to Mary

Guide to Winning Summer: Have a blast on the 4th of July

Fireworks - Appleton Memorial Park
The following is the latest installment in the "Badger Catholic's Totally Excellent Guide to Winning Summer."

Wisconsin's own Vicki Thorn has done some fascinating research showing that after a man's first child is born, his testosterone drops permanently. This makes men more gentle and patient with their children. I've noticed this applied to my life in two distinct ways since I became a father. The first application manifest itself when my reaction to seeing a wide receiver getting lit up going over the middle went from high fives and shouting to cringing and contemplating whether the brutality of football conflicts with the dignity of the human person.

The second manifestation involved fireworks.

One of the greatest moments of young adulthood took place when the State of Wisconsin decided that a great way to deal with a budget crisis would be to relax enforcement of the laws governing the sale of pyrotechnics. For a couple years in my late teens, every gathering of friends, performance of my garage band and (of course) the 4th of July, involved copious use of fireworks. I rarely went anywhere without at least bringing bottle rockets.

I worked at McDonalds throughout high school. One particular summer, I forgot to take off the 4th of July. But since I couldn't go to the fireworks, my friends brought some fireworks to work. They were also employees of the Golden Arches and somehow convinced the manager to allow us all to go outside to watch a mini-fireworks show in the parking lot. Since the rest of America was enjoying firework, there weren't any customers.

The show went well enough, but when I did take an order through the drive-thru, a customer pointed to the remains, which were emitting heavy amounts of smoke, and asked, "Is that supposed to be happening?"

"Ummmm. Yes, I think so," I responded.

The drive-thru window became a busy place as patriots returning home from the fireworks lined up to get their Big Mac fix. By the time I had the chance to ask one of my co-workers to douse the smoldering firework remains, the box burst into flames. My idiot friends and I didn't know exactly when we crossed the line, but we sure knew we were past it that night.

Now that I'm a dad, I'm content to leave the pyrotechnics to the professionals. And I highly advise you do the same.

Madison's Rhythm and Booms
The gold standard for a 4th of July celebration is Madison's Rhythm and Booms, which usually takes place the Saturday before July 4 but has been moved this year to Wednesday, July 3. Rhythm and Booms claims to be the largest fireworks show in the Midwest--a claim I was highly dubious of having been to some monster fireworks shows in Chicago.

My only trip to this event in 2008 made me a believer. Not only was the show as big as advertised, but the spectators were very close to the action. Maybe too close. We had chunks of debris falling on us the entire time. Some were sharp. Some were still on fire. It was difficult to watch because looking toward the sky left your eyes vulnerable to getting junk in them. I actually had to stomp out our blanket once. Laura took our son and headed for shelter. This is all true.

While the anemic website doesn't indicate as much, Rhythm and Booms is typically a day long festival featuring concerts, a Madison Mallards baseball game and appearances by military aircraft.

Now, to be completely fair, this event is about as strong of a 4th of July festival as you can ask for. But to me, spending the 4th of July in Madison feels kind of like spending the 4th in Moscow. I've gotta get out. And when I do, I head to...

Appleton's Fireworks at Memorial Park
While I've been in Madison for the vast majority of the last decade, my roots are in Appleton. And fireworks at Memorial Park tend to be one of the top three highlights of my year.

The fireworks are viewed from the slope of a sledding hill. Prior to the fireworks, a local cover band called Boogie & the YoYoz performs on a stage at the bottom of the hill. (If you've ever lived in Northeast Wisconsin, you know that Boogie & the YoYoz is an area cover band that plays every local event there has ever been for probably two decades.) As soon as the sun goes down, the fireworks start. About a half hour later, the smoke clears and the band takes the stage again.

Now that I've got a baby again, I'll probably be leaving shortly after fireworks. But if you're able, I advise sticking around and enjoying a cold one to the thoroughly enjoyable sounds of Northeast Wiconsin's best cover band playing the hits of Bon Jovi, the B-52s and others.

Fortnight for Freedom events in Wisconsin

The U.S. bishops have once again called for a Fortnight for Freedom, a two-week period of prayer and action, to address many current challenges to religious liberty, including the August 1, 2013 deadline for religious organizations to comply with the HHS mandate, Supreme Court rulings that could attempt to redefine marriage in June, and religious liberty concerns in areas such as immigration and humanitarian services. Last year they outlined their position They outlined their position in “Our First, Most Cherished Freedom.”
***The bishops have called for “A Fortnight for Freedom,”
the two-week period from June 21 to July 4—beginning with the feasts of St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher and ending with Independence Day—to focus “all the energies the Catholic community can muster” for religious liberty.***

Green Bay:
http://www.gbdioc.org/images/stories/Front_Page/PDFs/f4f-All-Events.pdf [pdf]
Website was down this morning.

Milwaukee: 
http://www.archmil.org/offices/social-justice/Fortnight-Freedom.htm

Bp. Hying has a nice video there, but I can't embed it.  Sharing is caring?

Madison:
http://www.madisondiocese.org/Outreach/JusticePastoralOutreach/FortnightforFreedom.aspx
Don't forget tonight!
Rosary Rally at State Capitol 7:00 PM, State Street steps of the State Capitol Building
Most Rev. Robert C. Morlino will be in attendance!


La Crosse:
http://www.dioceseoflacrosse.com/freedom/files/Fortnight%20for%20Freedom%20Schedule%20of%20Events%202013.pdf
A great event next Tuesday at Aquinas, I'm doing a separate post on that.  

Superior:
http://www.catholicdos.org/index.php?cat=1341405133182291

Courage conference at Mundelein July 25th - 28th, Bp. LeVoir of New Ulm, MN speaking

Speakers:
Bishop John M. LeVoir, Bishop of New Ulm, Minnesota was ordained and installed as the Bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm on September 15, 2008, at the New Ulm Civic Center, New Ulm, MN. He served as Courage chaplain for the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis for several years. On January 20, 2011, Bishop LeVoir was awarded the Pilgrim Shell by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and on November 1, 2012, he received the 2012 Distinguished Alumni Award from The St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity of the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota. His publications include Covenant of Love: Pope John Paul II on Sexuality, Marriage and the Family, Faith for Today: Pope John Paul II’s Catechetical Teachings, and Image of God Religion Series, for which he served as theological consultant and author.

J. Budziszewski (Ph.D. Yale, 1981), is a professor of government and philosophy at the University of Texas, Austin. A former atheist and a convert to Catholicism, he is a specialist on natural law, on the basic moral principles that St. Paul described as “written on the heart,” and he has written especially about the suppression of conscience -- what happens when we tell ourselves that we don’t know what we really do. He is the author of a number of books, including, most recently, On the Meaning of Sex (www.isibooks.org).

Fr. Paul N. Check has served as the Executive Director of Courage International since 2008.  He was ordained for the Diocese of Bridgeport in 1997, and he holds an STB from the Gregorian University, an STL from the University of the Holy Cross, and a BA from Rice University.  He has served as a high school chaplain, parish priest, and chaplain to the Missionaries of Charity and the Sisters of Life.  Fr. Check teaches fundamental moral theology and sexual and medical ethics to seminarians, permanent deacon candidates, and religious.

Dr. Bill Consiglio, M.S.W., M.Div., D.Min. is founder and director of HOPE Ministries. His many years of university teaching, counseling, and pastoral work have provided a rich foundation for his internet ministry. He received his M.S.W. from the University of Pittsburgh and his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry in pastoral counseling from Trinity Theological Seminary. He was for 27 years Associate Professor of Clinical Social Work, SC State University and a part-time Christian Psychotherapist, specializing in the area of Sexual Orientation Resolution Therapy (SORT).

Dawn Eden is the author of My Peace I Give You: Healing Sexual Wounds with the Help of the Saints (Ave Maria Press, 2012) and The Thrill of the Chaste: Finding Fulfillment While Keeping Your Clothes On (Thomas Nelson, 2012). At age 31, she experienced a dramatic conversion to Christianity that ultimately led her to enter the Catholic Church. Dawn offers a Catholic spirituality of healing for adult victims of childhood sexual abuse. She holds a master’s degree in theology from the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C., and is currently continuing her studies toward a doctorate.

Fr. Paul Scalia is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Courage apostolate. He founded the Courage chapter in the Diocese of Arlington, VA, and still assists with that chapter.  He is the Bishop’s Delegate for Clergy for the Diocese of Arlington.

Fr. Emmerich Vogt, O.P. is a Dominican priest of the Western Dominican Province. Educated by the Dominican Order at its seminary in California, Fr. Emmerich went on to receive a M.A. degree in Theology from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, and a graduate degree in Near Eastern Religions from the University of California. Fr. Vogt is the editor of THE 12 STEP REVIEW: Christian Friends in Recovery, a publication of the Western Dominican Province. He is also author of the book The Freedom to Love: Recovery and the Seven Deadly Sins.


Sister Marysia Weber, R.S.M., D.O., a religious Sr. of Mercy of Alma, Michigan, is a physician certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. She completed her residency and a fellowship in consultation-liaison psychiatry at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota in 1989 and practices in her religious institute’s multidisciplinary medical clinic, Sacred Heart Mercy Health Care Center. Her primary work includes assessing and treating seminary candidates, priests, and religious. She has also offered numerous formation workshops on a variety of formation issues for U.S. Bishops and vocation directors. 
Details at Courage

ht Doughboy

More photos from "Bike to Mary"

It looks like Will is along for the ride(thanks for the photos).  Maybe I'll give him a call tonight to see how far they are.  There is a website BikeToMary.com but there's not a whole lot of info out there.  Last update says Beaver Dam, which is almost 40 miles!



Juneau



Regis school system(Eau Claire) faces discrimination lawsuit

Tim Nelson, who says Regis Catholic Schools pulled an offer to make him its next president because of speculation he is gay, has filed a discrimination suit against the Eau Claire school system.

Nelson, 48, filed a discrimination complaint with the Equal Rights Division of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. Regis announced on April 4 Nelson would lead the system but on May 2 said it instead has hired 1973 Regis graduate Mark Gobler, principal and athletic director at Luck High School and Middle School, as president.

"I guess at this point it's some type of compensation," Nelson said is what he's looking for.

Regis said the reversal was based on a "lack of candor about his affiliations with religious communities during the interview process."

"That is an outright lie," Nelson said in a phone call from New Mexico where he has worked as supervising principal of a group of American Indian community schools for the past eight years. "Throughout the whole interview process they never asked me anything about my religious life."

Two weeks after Nelson was named Regis' new president, he said Regis school officials called to question him about an obituary for his father, in which another man's name was listed next this his, seemingly indicating they were a couple.
continue at LT

This is a little dated but I haven't had a chance to follow up.

Background

Dominic Pio celebrated first birthday yesterday

It is one year ago today that Dominic was born:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/dominicgundrum/journal/6

A whole year has gone by since we laid our eyes upon his face, heard his husky little voice, touched his little hands and feet and took in what our little man was all about.  It was a year ago that he took us and everyone by surprise when he exceeded everyone's expectations.  He has traveled more and gotten to know more people than some can claim to know in a whole lifetime, he has touched hearts (especially ours),  and he has brought people back to prayer.  He has been God's tool, his instrument in which He worked his mighty deeds, what a life you have lived so far Dominic!!  When this whole journey began, there was no way we could have ever seen all of the good that could come from your little life with its large struggles.  From the onset, it was a scary unknown place that we were not sure how it would turn out.  It is a lesson for me to look back on your last year and remember how it felt to be looking at your predicted future, having no idea just how many would be deeply touched by your story, the lesson in that is life-changing!  And yet, I find myself again looking down the road to the next surgeries you will endure and again feeling unsure about how it will turn out, so the lesson on your first birthday Dominic is: TRUST.  Trust in God and His plan for your life.  The lesson is also:  have CONFIDENCE that He knows what He is doing and I can rest in that.  There also needs to be: DETACHMENT from my own will and allow God to pierce our hearts for the good of our own souls and others, because as we have learned, it is from these piercings that God is allowed to enter in and fill our hearts with GRACE.  Thank you God for our beautiful son!
continue at Dominic Pio

Yea!!!!!  A very happy birthday from all of us Badger Catholics!

Update: I see Charlie Sykes also noted the occasion.

Appling V Doyle: WI Supreme Court to weigh in on full meaning of marriage amendment

MADISON, Wis. —The Wisconsin Supreme Court has agreed to weigh in on the full meaning of Wisconsin’s marriage amendment and whether it authorizes the creation of other marriage-like unions.

Last year, a state appellate court decision upheld a lower court’s ruling that said the amendment permits the state legislature to create marriage-mimicking schemes despite language in the amendment that prohibits any “legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals.”

“Marriage–the union of husband and wife–is timeless, universal, and special; and it’s the foundation of every healthy, stable society. The people of Wisconsin recognize this, and that is why they approved a constitutional amendment that specifically protects marriage from all imitators,” said Julaine Appling, president of Wisconsin Family Action and one of the plaintiffs in the case. “The state’s domestic partnership scheme is precisely the type of marriage imitation that the voters intended to prevent.”

The lawsuit, Appling v. Doyle, was filed in Dane County Circuit Court in 2010 to stop then-Gov. Jim Doyle and the state legislature from skirting the language in the voter-approved constitutional amendment protecting marriage. Appling and five other individuals who are also members of the board of directors of Wisconsin Family Action are the plaintiffs in the case.

The “domestic partnership” plan, which Doyle proposed and signed into law after passage by the Legislature as part of the 2009-11 state budget, is only available to same-sex couples. “Domestic partners” receive “declarations” instead of “marriage licenses,” but otherwise, the procedures for creating the legal status of domestic partner is virtually the same as creating the legal status of married.
continue at Wisconsin Family Action

Photo

Video of Abp. Listecki and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir


Arch Mil

Trial delayed for Wisconsin Benedictine accused of luring teens for abduction

WAUKEGAN, Ill. - The trial has been delayed for a Benedictine monk from Wisconsin charged in Illinois with trying to abduct four girls.

The Daily Herald reports Tuesday that attorneys pushed 57-year-old Thomas Chmura's trial to Sept. 25. Chmura is free on $50,000 bond and has pleaded not guilty.

He lived at St. Benedict's Abbey in Benet Lake, Wis. He was arrested based on a description provided by one of the girls.

The judge has restricted Chmura to living with his father in the Chicago suburb of Lansing. Chmura also can't have contact with anyone under age 17.

Prosecutor Victor O'Block says Chmura has been compliant with the court-ordered restrictions.
Channel 3000

Photo

HT acardnal

What if I told you...




via Mark Shea

Christopher Pundzak begins cross state journey


Ht Will

Guide to Winning Summer: Go to the State Fair

The following is the latest installment in the "Badger Catholic's Totally Excellent Guide to Winning Summer." 
Self-explanatory
It's easy to call the 4th of July the pinnacle of Summer. And indeed, there's a case to be made. But that means pretty much two thirds of your summer is in decline. And that's no good.

I think the peak of summer is the week-and-a-half window in early August when the Wisconsin State Fair runs in West Allis, just outside of Milwaukee. As much as there is to enjoy about Summer, it's hard to find anything that beats the Fair. I usually go two different days--one with my parents and one with my in-laws.

I usually loath the term "fun for the whole family."  Sesame Street on Ice is not fun for the whole family. Disney movies are not fun for the whole family. The game "Cootie" is definitely not fun for the whole family. I've begun to suspect that "fun for the whole family" is a veiled euphemism for fun for everybody except Dad.

But the State Fair truly does have something for everybody: Rides, animals, food, cold ones, spectacle, music--if you can't find something you enjoy, that's on you.


Good news: My brother, who visited the State Fair the same day, graced us with his presence for a few minutes.
Bad news: He's a total hipster.


When we go with my parents we'll usually arrive and check out some animals. Then we'll grab lunch and probably look at some more animals. But after the second round of animals, the best afternoon of the year begins as we park it under a pavilion for a few hours listening to cover bands and drinking beer in the hot summer air. At this time we'll generally grab a snack too. Last year it was "Cookie on a Stick."


Like pretty much every food that comes on a stick, these cookies were amazing.

After we've heard enough George Thorogood songs (or if the band decides to ruin the afternoon by delving into Jethro Tull) we'll head to the Expo Center. There are interesting things to look at there, and they also have a number of kids' activities. Peter is a big fan of face painting. In 2011, he went with a football on the cheek. Last year the choice was obvious: mustache.

Stachin'


Living it Up

If you've got money to spend, you can do it by seeing a band. But I wouldn't recommend it; the lineup is pretty terrible. Instead, you should spend your money on food and beer. Prior to the fair this year, a food competition will be held, and all the submissions will be available for purchase. Gilbert Brown is one of the judges, and if this food is good enough for Gilbert Brown, it's good enough for me.

A couple years back we tried the chocolate covered bacon. To my astonishment, it was good. You get the sweet chocolate flavor which melted away into the delicious flavor of bacon. It wasn't like you got both tastes at once. My wife is a big fan of the chocolate covered cookie dough on a stick, and she will walk all over the park until she finds it. It is, in fact, delicious.

While I love pizza more than most people, I don't recommend that you go and buy pizza. Make sure you're getting legit fair food: corn dogs, sausage, burgers, cheese, food on a stick. Also, somebody needs to say it, but don't waste time on cream puffs, which are easily the most overrated food at the fair.

You can also spend money on rides. I think my son is probably getting to be tall enough that we can do some awesome rides. You can get a wristband for unlimited rides, but it will cost you $35. I used to get the wristband back in high school. During my freshman year, it only cost $15.


Peter suggested we do a "silly faces picture." The results speak for themselves.


For the Budget Conscious 

There are a lot of great ways to go to the fair on a budget. The best, however, is on opening day, when admission before 4 p.m. is only $2 with the donation of two nonperishable food items.

There are also opportunities to eat relatively cheaply as well. I can neither remember nor find the name, but there is a pavilion hosted by the Wisconsin dairy industry in which traditional Wisconsin foods are sold much more inexpensively than you can find anywhere else at the fair. This includes ice cream, burgers, sausage and much more. It's an absolute steal.

Finally, if this year is like the last couple, you'll be able to purchase Robinade all over the park for only $1. The serving size is small, but it's perfect if you're bringing your big Catholic family with you. 


So go! Enjoy the fair. And send us your pictures of awesome stuff you'll be eating. 

Laetificat: Towards a sacred continuity


On Wednesday, at the annual meeting of the Tridentine Mass Society of Madison, I was elected to the organization’s board, together with youthful local blogger Ben Yanke, who just secured an internship with New Liturgical Movement blog, and Father John Zuhlsdorf, who is TMSM president, having been nominated for such by Bishop Morlino. Ben pointed out it’s “the blogger board.” It’s also definitely the Pope Benedict XVI “hermeneutic of continuity” board.

There are many opinions about the older form of the Mass. Recently a Cardinal from Germany, not a fan of the old Mass, said, “I have the impression that the whole enthusiasm for the Latin has a lot to do with prestige and the false pretenses of a supposed cultural elite.”

I wonder if that’s why Vatican II said “[p]articular law remaining in force, the use of the Latin language is to be preserved in the Latin rites,” and that “…steps should be taken so that the faithful may also be able to say or sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them,” and of course prestige and elitism is surely the most reasonable explanation for why Vatican II says that “[t]he Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as proper to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services.” (Sacrosanctum Concilium)

There is a rightness to the old Mass, “the extraordinary form,” that refreshes and renews the soul; we step out of the vernacular and mundane to encounter God; it can be like a retreat. I love Novus Ordo Mass, “the ordinary form,” in Latin too. With the old Mass you have the Gregorian chant intact in the traditional calendar, and this also I fell in love with, through my experience with the Schola Cantorum, the Gregorian chant choir. Vatican II calls that musical heritage a “treasure of inestimable value.” I love the prayers at the foot of the altar. I don’t know about you, but I do need to be sprinkled with holy water, and I do need the triple non sum dignus.
continue at Laetificat: Towards a sacred continuity