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Current Events, Perspective, PNCC, Political

What is it about Scranton

…and its Roman Catholic Bishops?

From the Citizens Voice: Scranton bishop tells forum his letter is ‘only relevant document’ for diocese.

Local and national Catholics reacted Tuesday to statements by Bishop Joseph F. Martino apparently discounting teachings of the national body of bishops during a political forum at a Honesdale Roman Catholic Church this weekend.

Martino arrived unannounced in the midst of a panel discussion on faith issues and the presidential campaign at St. John’s Catholic Church on Sunday. According to people who attended the event, the bishop chastised the group for holding the forum and particularly took issue with the discussion and distribution of excerpts from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ position on voting issues. The document defines abortion and euthanasia, as well as racism, torture and genocide, as among the most important issues for Catholic voters to consider.

—No USCCB document is relevant in this diocese,— he was quoted as saying in the Wayne County Independent, a Honesdale-based newspaper. —The USCCB doesn’t speak for me.—

Thomas Shepstone, a local businessman and Catholic who spoke about his opposition to abortion rights during the event, recalled Tuesday that Martino also told the audience that he voted against the U.S. Bishops’ statement and described it as a consensus document —written to mean all things to all people.—

According to participants, Martino expressed dismay that the panelists did not discuss the pastoral letter he directed all priests in the Diocese to read in place of their homilies on Oct. 4 and 5. In that letter, he called on Catholic voters to consider abortion above all other issues, except those he defined as having equal moral weight, like euthanasia and embryonic stem-cell research.

—The only relevant document … is my letter,— he said at the forum, according to the Independent. —There is one teacher in this diocese, and these points are not debatable.—

According to the Independent, the bishop also said he no longer supports the Democratic Party.

A diocesan spokesman on Tuesday confirmed the bishop’s comments as reported in the Independent…

And, this one’s the kicker:

Tagle said the bishop criticized the resident pastor, the Rev. Martin Boylan, for holding the forum and —seemed to justify his presence there by stating that he owned the building.—

I think Bishop Martino is channeling Bishops O’Hara and Hoban.

I found this article through the blog Another Monkey in The Bishop is not the Church. Obviously The writer’s understanding of the Bishop’s role is confused, and I can see why. Where the Bishop is, there is the Church, but of course confusion ensues when the Bishop concerns himself with politics and property ownership over the spiritual well being of his flock. His role is to teach. Teach is not spelled B U L L Y. If he taught his flock in love and channeled their energies into making over the earth, rather than one election, he would have far better success.

Perhaps the bishop needs a refresher on prudence:

Prudence is the virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it; “the prudent man looks where he is going.” “Keep sane and sober for your prayers.” Prudence is “right reason in action,” writes St. Thomas Aquinas, following Aristotle. It is not to be confused with timidity or fear, nor with duplicity or dissimulation. It is called auriga virtutum (the charioteer of the virtues); it guides the other virtues by setting rule and measure. It is prudence that immediately guides the judgment of conscience. The prudent man determines and directs his conduct in accordance with this judgment. With the help of this virtue we apply moral principles to particular cases without error and overcome doubts about the good to achieve and the evil to avoid. — The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1806

This CNS story on a homily by Archbishop Quinn from four long years ago is also instructive.

Christian Witness, Current Events, Saints and Martyrs,

Pray for the Christians of India

From Asia News: Lalji Nayak, martyr for the faith in Orissa

Bhubaneshwar (AsiaNews) – Lalji Nayak, tortured to force him to abandon his Christian faith, died of his injuries two days ago. …”they [his radical Hindu assailants] stuck a knife in his neck and threatened to kill him if he did not renounce Christianity, but Lalji Nayak, even though he was severely bleeding, refused to abandon his faith. He died in the hospital on October 1″.

Lalji Nayak’s village, in Rudangia, was attacked by Hindu fundamentalists on September 30, at four o’clock in the morning. Rudangia is in the district of Kandhamal, the epicenter from which the pogrom against Christians began more than a month ago.

For a complete recap of the martyrdoms, assaults, rapes, and pillaging taking place in India, all directed at Christians, see The Western Confucian’s coverage. The headlines alone are horrific.

Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy!
Mary, Queen of martyrs and confessors, intercede for us!
All holy martyrs and confessors, pray for us!

Thank you to the Young Fogey for the link.

Current Events,

For all you medievalists and boy bishop wannabes…

From the Albany Times-Union: Medieval Faire returning

ALBANY —” Judy and Dan Odell have dug their monks’ robes out of the attic, which can only mean one thing.

No, they’re not recycling old Halloween costumes.

After a six-year hiatus, the Medieval Faire is returning to the Cathedral of All Saints on Saturday, Oct. 18.

The vast nave of the 124-year-old Gothic treasure —” it is the fifth-largest cathedral in the nation —” will again echo with the bleat of lambs, the metallic rustle of chain mail and the thrum of wheels spinning yarn.

“After 26 years, we decided it was time to give it a rest, but we had a lot of people asking us to bring it back, so we did,” said Dan Odell, who is co-chairman with his wife.

The Odells are hoping to reach a new audience of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings fans after dropping the event in 2002 due to declining attendance. It peaked in the early ’90s with more than 2,000 visitors and a $10,000 influx of cash for the financially struggling Episcopal congregation, whose membership has fallen to about 120 households.

“It’s a lot of fun doing the Medieval Faire because everyone’s wandering around in period costume,” said juggler Mike McCrea, who’ll be back after performing at the event for more than 10 years with sharp weapons, fire, bowling balls and a unicycle.

Beneath flying buttresses and thick walls of red Potsdam sandstone, members of the Society for Creative Anachronism will joust with battle axes, pike poles and shields, as well as less combative interplay, as they engage in medieval re-enactment.

Other performers in the family-friendly program include Merdwin the Mediocre, the Pokingbrook Morris Dancers and medieval music by the Adirondack Baroque Consort, the Bleecker Consort and harpists Susan Coughtry and Jim Davis. There also will be demonstrations by potters, a soap maker, silversmith, blacksmith and stained-glass window creator. A variety of food and beverages will be sold.

Another medieval tradition, the procession of a boy bishop, will be revived when Beeliek Austin dons the cathedral’s set of pint-sized vestments and is installed with pomp and circumstance at a 2 p.m. ceremony.

“I hope we attract people new to the region who have never heard of the Medieval Faire and want to see what it’s all about,” Odell said. “We listed it on craigslist and we’ve gotten a lot of hits.”

Note that the boy bishop link above leads to a site that contains the Order of Service for the Enthronement of the Boy Bishop according to the late 20th century use of the Episcopal Cathedral of All Saints in Albany, New York.

What: Medieval Faire featuring family-friendly music, crafts, food and entertainment with a Middle Ages theme.

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, October 18, 2008.

Where: Cathedral of All Saints, 62 S. Swan St. (corner of South Swan and Elk streets), Albany.

Cost: Adults $8, seniors $6, children 4 to 12 $5, children 3 and younger, free.

Information: 518-465-1342

Christian Witness, Current Events, PNCC, ,

From IWJ – Immigration through the Lens of Faith

From IWJ:

I would like to invite you to participate in IWJ’s “Immigration Through the Lens of Faith” training, which will take place November 9-11 in Chicago. This training is designed for staff and leaders of IWJ affiliates, religious or community outreach staff of unions, community services representatives, and organizing staff of faith-based organizations.

In the training, participants will learn how to:

  • deepen outreach to the religious and labor communities
  • provide a closer look at the intersection of worker justice and immigrant worker rights
  • implement examples of best practices around issues that effect immigrant workers and how to implement them
  • tackle the problem of wage theft and join IWJ’s national campaign to prevent it

To register contact Renaye Manley at 773-728-8400 x15 or visit the registration website. There are a limited number of spaces available.

Christian Witness, Current Events, Perspective,

Awaiting the immanent collapse

The word from the NY Times: Talks Implode During Day of Chaos; Fate of Bailout Plan Remains Unresolved

The meeting opened with Mr. Paulson, the chief architect of the bailout plan, —giving a status report on the condition of the market,— Tony Fratto, Mr. Bush’s deputy press secretary, said. Mr. Fratto said Mr. Paulson warned in particular of the tightening of credit markets overnight, adding, —that is something very much on his mind.—

Matched against today’s word from the Word:

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. — Psalm 1:1-3 (RSV)

So let us meditate on and delight in the Lord – then shall we prosper.

Christian Witness, Current Events, , ,

Crop Walk in South Deerfield, MA.

Holy Name of Jesus Parish in South Deerfield, Massachusetts will be participating in Crop Walk on Sunday, October 19th The walk begins and ends at the South Deerfield Congregational Church. There is a 2.5 mile course and a 6 mile course. Holy Name will be providing a water station for the event. I encourage my readers in the area to support the parish’s efforts by volunteering, walking, or sponsoring a walker.

Like all Crop Walk events 25% of all proceeds stays in the local community to benefit local programs.

Remember too that the PNCC is a participating denomination in Church World Service.

Current Events, PNCC, Poland - Polish - Polonia, , , ,

Polkas at the Pavilion Festival today in Rothschild, WI

From the Waussau Daily Herald: Polka, pierogies take center stage at Pavilion

During last year’s Polkas at the Pavilion, the floor of the Pavilion was hopping almost as much as the dancers. This year, organizers hope to have an even bigger crowd for the daylong event Saturday, Sept. 20.

“Last year, we had around 900 people in attendance and raised almost $9,000 for the pavilion,” said organizer Ron Raczkowski. “We’re trying to build on that for this year.”

Raczkowski, along with his wife, Kathy, and brother, Dan, started the event after attending a rock music event at the pavilion and thought it would be fun to fill the 6,725 square foot building with polkas. They got eight polka bands together, organized refreshments and donated all the proceeds to pavilion restoration efforts.

“We had a blast,” Raczkowski said. “It was really fun seeing all the different musicians mingling with the crowd.”

…

The success of last year’s event allowed the Raczkowskis to increase the number of bands this year.

“All the bands said yes to donating their time last year, not knowing how the crowd would be,” Raczkowski said. “But when they saw how big the crowd was, they all said yes again for this year. We even got two more to come.”

The event also will feature a polka dancing competition.

…

Our Saviors National Catholic Church in Mosinee will be selling authentic Polish food including four types of pierogies, golobki and kielbasa, said the Rev. Marion Talaga.

“Last year was wonderful. People loved the golobki and the pierogi and the Polish sausage with the real Polish sauerkraut,” he said.

Details:

What: Polkas at the Pavilion
When: Noon to midnight Saturday, Sept. 20
Where: Rothschild Pavilion, 1104 Park St., Rothschild
Cost: $10 for ages 18 and older; $8 ages 12 to 17; children younger than 12 get in free.
Contact: 715-571-8236 or 715-359-3660

Christian Witness, Current Events, Perspective, PNCC, , , ,

Economic doom, economic safety

The collapse of major financial houses, the loss of retirement savings, and the ripple effects to come (increased unemployment, higher taxes, fewer “programs” to calm the surley, personal bankruptcy, unpaid bills, alcoholism, divorce, suicides, crime…) causes me to wonder; who played the market right?

I had cause to call my bank the other day. I forgot the password on an account and I needed a reset. The woman on the phone was extremely friendly. As she was doing the reset we had a little chit-chat. She noted that she had been busy. The topics came around to the current “crisis.” She quickly reassured me of the bank’s capitalization and soundness. I agreed with her.

Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t done an analysis of the bank’s financial statements, or an assessment of the credit risks they have taken, but I know this much – they are local.

These are the sorts of banks who still say no to people. They make folks jump through hoops to prove themselves before they hand out money. Tony and Anna couldn’t get the interest only mortgage, or any mortgage, if they didn’t have money down and a sufficient income to make the payments. Most of the little, hometown, homegrown banks and credit unions do it that way. They reduce unwarranted risk by sticking to models that work. They act in a principled and disciplined manner even if they could have eked out a 20% profit boost.

I also had pause to consider the fraternals, like the Polish National Union (Spójnia). These fraternals are so much more than insurance companies. Fraternals like the PNU provide insurance of course, but that provision is made based on sound business principals — principals that protect members in life and their families in times of grief. Beyond insurance, organizations like the PNUA have branched out into other lines like credit unions – again, focused on serving the members. Our PNUA serves its members in many ways, beyond the business model, that is, at a human level. They step in whenever necessary. For instance, the PNUA will grant charity to members when they are faced with a catastrophic event. They encourage education through college stipends, and underwrite youth focused programs through their charitable arm. Did AIG or Merrill do that? HSBC, Bear Stearns, BOA, or Chase…?

The local banks, the fraternals, the mom and pop companies that many felt were too small, too backward, too unsophisticated, are the ones who built upon solid principals (Matthew 7:24-29). They put the interest of their members (the insureds, the account holders) first. They will be the ones who are left standing.

Perhaps we need to recognize the fact that glamor, bright lights, and derivatives are just a faí§ade (2 Timothy 4:3). Perhaps we need to walk down to the corner, deposit slip in hand, PNU policy in hand, and reconnect with those who say yes when they mean yes and say no when they mean no (Matthew 5:37).

It really isn’t too late. Those who live by sound principals will be the ones who prosper.

Christian Witness, Current Events, Perspective,

Rocking your way out

A bit of an older story from the Telegraph: Highway to Hell among most requested funeral songs.

The Led Zeppelin and AC/DC anthems rank outside the top 10, but have gained ground in recent years as more Australians give up traditional Christian hymns…

As Christians we could do some headbanging over this trend, but only if we have done enough to reach the unchurched. Otherwise stay tuned because you may be hearing this at your local funeral home:

Christian Witness, Current Events, Perspective, PNCC, , ,

Ministry in time of war

At our recent Clergy Conference we heard a report from one of our diocesan priests who is assigned as a military chaplainThe PNCC has a strong tradition of vocations to the military chaplaincy. As of this writing there are at least four military chaplains that I know of.. His report was bracing and was a call to the vocation of military chaplain.

This priest has been to Iraq twice, and both times has been stationed in some of the worst areas of Iraq. He spoke at length about his ministry, especially as it relates to prayer, counseling, Bible study, suicide preventionSee this Washington Post article: Soldiers’ Suicide Rate On Pace to Set Record, interaction with local residents, program development, charity, and Ecumenical conflicts (sometimes greater than interfaith conflictsEven in the case of a long term absence of a Roman Catholic Chaplain, the former head of the Archdiocese for the Military refused to provide a time slot to this PNCC priest so he could minister to Roman Catholic soldiers – a direct contradiction of Canon 844(2) and a failure to provide for the flock. They chose rather to “provide” by appointing an “Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion!”).

He noted that our servicemen and women are heartened to know that the folks back home are praying for them. They also love to hear the chaplains read out the cards and letters sent in-care-of those chaplains. The prayers, cards, and letters brighten their difficult existence.

This priest was very supportive of me in my vocation and when he told me he was going full-time active duty I was not surprised. He definitely had the calling for this ministry. Based on his report I see why he was called. God does make sense, even in the midst of senselessness.

Whether or not you subscribe to the neo-con, Bush Administration line on this war (I do not), the men and women of the armed services need the ministry of these chaplains. It is a worthy vocation and true service in times of difficulty.

I encourage you to do several things: Pray for our servicemen and women and for the ministry of their chaplains. Consider the vocation to serve in this capacity. Send a card or letter in care of a chaplain. Let him or her know they can read it out to their congregation.

O, God, the strength of those who put their trust in Thee; Bless we pray, our soldiers, sailors, servicewomen, and airmen; our chaplains, doctors, nurses; and all enlisted in the service of our country. Give Thy holy angels charge over them to protect them from all harm; deliver them in all temptation, and if it by Thy gracious will, bring them safely home. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. —” A Prayer for Those in the Armed Forces from A Book of Devotions and Prayers According to the Use of the Polish National Catholic Church.

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