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Family, everywhere

From the Abington Journal: Overflowing with family fun: Relatives from 17 states attend Borek-Pendrak reunion

RANSOM TWP. – A downpour of rain did not put a damper on one family reunion Sunday, July 25. At 10 a.m., the Borek-Pendrak Biennial Reunion commenced with registration. But by 1 p.m., heavy rain had already begun to fall as more guests arrived to find a soggy parking area behind the home of Edward Edwin Borek in the Milwaukee section of Ransom Township. Some guests brought food and desserts to share and other kin such as Paul and Dorothy Kwiatkowski of Old Forge prepared favorites such as sausage and peppers and rigatoni with homemade meat sauce

—Another thing I like about our reunion is that we never, ever, ask anybody coming to the reunion for money. It’s all free will. If they want to give, fine, and if they don’t want to give, that’s fine. But we don’t request anyone to make a contribution. Since 1945, we never ran short of money. I use the two —G— words: the family is very generous and gracious,— said Roman Borek,— a native of Milwaukee who resides in Pasadena, Ca.

This year, relatives made the trek from states such as California, Indiana, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Colorado and Virginia.

According to Ed Borek, Borek-Pendrak family reunions started at the end of World War II in 1945. He said, —The reunions started in 1945 to honor WWII Veterans from both the European and Pacific theaters. My mother and father had the desire to honor the veterans and it was a very, very memorable event. Throughout the years, we’ve had periodic reunions, but in 1990, we re-established the Borek-Pendrak reunion committee. For the last 10 years, we’ve had the reunions at my house because it was the perfect location in the country.—

As guests trickled in under the huge tent erected to the rear of the family homestead, Roman Borek gave each family member a nametag. The twin brothers, Ed and Roman Borek, along with a reunion committee, have been planning since February 2010 when Roman sent invitations to 246 head-of-household families scattered throughout the United States.

Every two years for as long as Roman Borek remembers, on the last Sunday in July on even-numbered years, rain or shine, the Borek-Pendrak family has gathered.

In the program booklet that each guest received are words that summarize perhaps why family from 17 states made their way to this reunion:

—What it means to be Family? Being Family means sharing celebrations when good times abound, and having arms to hold you when tears fall.

Being Family means you belong somewhere special, where you are known and loved just as you are, and where you are encouraged to become the person you still hope to be.

Being Family means that every season of the year you have a place to call home, a place of your own, where they hold you forever close to their hearts…—

What family is all about. Also, check out the pic of Fr. Jason, assistant priest at St. Stanislaus cathedral.

Current Events, Perspective, PNCC, , , ,

More on church closings

From the Los Angeles Times: Cleveland’s Catholic Church closures leave ethnic enclaves dispirited
Proud Eastern European communities fight to save what they see as a cultural heritage.

On a back street in urban Cleveland, Hungarian immigrants built St. Emeric Catholic Church, where a dozen stained glass windows recall their history and a mural of their first king, St. Stephen, overlooks the altar.

For more than 100 years, waves of Hungarians swept into Cleveland from the wars and upheavals in Europe, finding work in the area’s steel mills and auto plants. They were part of a tide of Eastern Europeans who became a backbone of the industrial economy here.

But the factories have been closing in recent decades, and now the churches are closing too.

Under orders of Cleveland Bishop Richard Gerard Lennon, St. Emeric parish will be eliminated and the church, along with an adjoining Hungarian Boy Scout center and a cultural school, will be closed.

In one of the largest retrenchments of the Roman Catholic Church in America, Lennon ordered the closure of 50 parishes in his diocese, more than half of them with ethnic congregations —” largely Eastern European.

The final closures are occurring this month, fueling sadness and anger among parishioners.

“I pray every day to keep St. Emeric open,” said Joseph Balint, who immigrated to Cleveland and worked at a naval weapons factory after he fought in the Hungarian revolution. “It is really a sad story, but I believe in miracles.”

The communities are not going down without a fight. They have marched on the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in downtown Cleveland and petitioned the church courts in Rome. Each Sunday, a group of Poles gathers outside the closed St. Casimir Church on the northeastern side of the city, praying and singing the Polish national anthem.

“These tough men came to this country and built churches for themselves,” said Malgosia Feckanin, who left Poland during the Cold War and prays outside St. Casimir. “Now this man, Richard Lennon, wants to take them away. It reminds me so much of communism.”

So far, Lennon has not backed off. On many Sundays, he personally says a final Mass at the churches scheduled for closure, though he is sometimes unwelcome.

Plainclothes Cleveland police sit in the pews and uniformed officers have a heavy presence outside. Protest signs refer to the diocese as “Lennongrad.”

“I am not without sensitivity,” a beleaguered Lennon told a congregation being closed in Akron this year. Howls of laughter erupted from the pews.

The problems in Cleveland are affecting much of the industrial Midwest, where ethnic enclaves have been hit hard during the long industrial decline. Dioceses in Scranton, Pa., Buffalo, N.Y., and Detroit have gone through similar shrinkages but without the public clash that has occurred in Cleveland.

Robert Tayek, a diocese spokesman, said Lennon was being blamed unfairly for a process that began before he arrived. Lennon took over on May 15, 2006, when it was already clear that Cleveland had too many parishes in its urban core.

The closures have been driven by monetary losses in many of the parishes, migration to the suburbs and a shortage of priests, Tayek said.

That explanation is sharply disputed by some of the parishes, which contend they are financially healthy and have recruited foreign-born priests to conduct services in native languages. The closures are pushing them into what they call impersonal suburban churches.

“Lennon wants a homogenized product,” said Stanislav Zadnik, an electrician unemployed since November 2008. On June 20, Zadnik’s Slovene parish, St. Lawrence, is scheduled to close.

Lennon supports the ethnic role the Catholic Church plays in Cleveland, Tayek said, but at some of those churches, “you can throw a baseball and not hit anybody.” In many cases, he said, the parishioners drive into the urban neighborhoods only for church services, and then often only on holidays.

A former television news reporter, Tayek identifies himself as a Bohemian —” half Slovak and half Czech. His grandfather worked in a steel mill, he said.

The sharp reaction has surprised the bishop, Tayek acknowledged. The diocese has received e-mailed threats of violence, he said.

About 10 parishes have filed formal appeals with Catholic courts in Rome. Even while those appeals are under review, the diocese has put some church properties up for sale, another sore point with the closed congregations.

In another effort to stop the closures, Nancy McGrath sued Lennon and the diocese, challenging their legal authority to move without the consent of the parishes. The diocese countersued, charging her with trespassing after a church service.

McGrath, who formed the Code Purple protest group, claims the diocese has a hidden agenda of grabbing parish bank accounts to pay off confidential settlements involving allegations of sexual abuse by priests.

St. Wendelin had $1.2 million in its account, St. Emeric $1.3 million and St. Lawrence $990,000, according to figures compiled by Endangered Catholics, a group formed to protest the church closures.

Tayek acknowledged that the diocese had made confidential legal settlements for sexual abuse claims, but he said the cost was covered by special reserves and that none of the church closings was based on a need to pay such claims.

The diocese, rather than seizing parish assets, will transfer money with the congregations when parishes are merged, Tayek said.

The bishop’s explanations fail to ring true in many of the tidy churches where closings are tearing apart friendships that go back a lifetime and threatening to loosen people’s grips on their cultural identities.

“We built these churches on the sweat and money of our ancestors who came here,” said John Juhasz, a member of St. Emeric. “The closings are an assault on the ethnic component of the church…”

From The Times: Voice grows louder for Save the Parishes
Frustration continues to grow from Save the Catholic Parishes of Streator

Sixty-five people in support of the organization met Monday at Polish National Alliance Hall to discuss the fate of their Catholic parishes. The group discussed the engineering report by Healy, Bender and Associates, a possible protest at the steps of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Peoria, and limiting donations to the parishes.

Organizer Melissa Peters invited members of the Vision 21 Board and Rev. Monsignor John Prendergast to the meeting. None attended.

Their absence stirred up a crowd looking for answers.

“Interest is starting to build as we hear about possible demolitions of the convent at St. Anthony and rectory at St. Stephen,” said Siobhan Elias, parishioner at St. Stephen. “Like I said, it’s rumors now but considering what happened with St. Stephen School (demolition). It happened so quickly, it wouldn’t surprise me if (those buildings) were slated to come down very soon. If people want to stop it, they have to stop giving or get involved.”

At the meeting, the group discussed busing people to Peoria to protest in front of Bishop Daniel Jenky’s church.

Others found it difficult to cut their donations. Karen Ricca, a St. Anthony parishioner, suggested only donating three out of the four weeks with a dollar, then on the fourth week, giving a regular donation. She said to set that money aside and give it only if the parishes decide to stay open.

“That is one of the few ways we can get the diocese to listen to us,” Elias said. “I called three people at their office and Ihaven’t heard back from any of them…”

Of course, I would invite these folks to do what the people of Scranton, Buffalo, Chicago, Toledo, and other locales have been doing since 1897, explore the faith, history, claims, governance, and polity of the Polish National Catholic Church. Do this in a positive way; you may be far more comfortable in a Church where you actually do have a voice and a vote.

Christian Witness, Perspective, PNCC,

Beauty (or death) in intimate faith communities

The Young Fogey gave me a proper shout-out in his post about Big boxes and boutiques, referencing a post by Br. Stephen Treat at The Anglo-Catholic.

He did capture the sense of “at home” I find in PNCC Parishes — down to earth people, a mixture of backgrounds and classes, all coming together to worship God without much in the way of snobbishness. It is people unafraid of their blue collar, factory, farm, coal miner, meat packer backgrounds, regardless of where they are in the present day. They embody the PNCC motto: Truth, Work, and Struggle. The PNCC also works because it is Catholic, with consistent worship from town-to-town, parish-to-parish. That works for me, as for anyone whose background and tradition is Catholic worship (or who are seeking that stability). I understand Brother Stephen’s point about certain “boutique” churches being an adventure from location to location, pastor to pastor — a disconnect from authentic Tradition and a source of confusion for seekers.

I received a press release a few days ago from Church Growth Mastery entitled The Answer to Church Growth. The press release noted: “Most Churches in the U.S. have an average membership of 60-75 members.” A citation from The Hartford Institute for Religion Research notes in its Fast Facts section:

Q: What’s the size of U.S. churches?

A: The median church in the U.S. has 75 regular participants in worship on Sunday mornings, according to the National Congregations Study. Notice that researchers measured the median church size —” the point at which half the churches are smaller and half the churches are larger —” rather than the average (186 attenders reported by the USCLS survey), which is larger due to the influence of very large churches. But while the United States has a large number of very small churches, most people attend larger churches. The National Congregations Study estimated that the smaller churches draw only 11 percent of those who attend worship. Meanwhile, 50 percent of churchgoers attended the largest 10% of congregations (350 regular participants and up).

They do note that 59% (177,000) of all parishes were small, with 7 to 99 members. The statistics exclude Roman Catholic and Orthodox parishes.

On the hopeful side, we might consider that this represents an affinity for smaller “boutique” churches, a niche. On the down side, it may represent the last of the “hangers-on,” keeping the doors open until the last member is buried (but who will bury the last member). In the end it still comes down to what each parish does, what it represents for its community. Is it open, welcoming to newcomers, or a closed society. Does it proclaim Jesus first and above all. If it is closed, or puts any message before its proclamation of Jesus, it is already cold and on the way out.

Current Events, Perspective, , , , ,

Worldwide Press office has major fail, and … will I be put on trial?

Yesterday, the Vatican announced a series of new or modified legal measures focused on sins against the sacraments and other serious issues. That’s not what anyone heard. They heard U.S. News & World Report say: Catholic Church Equates Sex Abuse With Female Ordination. I am not faulting the Press. They got it right, because that is exactly what they heard, with ears that have no training in such matters.

The Young Fogey and Damian Thompson of the Telegraph get what went wrong — horribly wrong — with the way the new rules were offered to the world. They were offered on a silver platter that held the head of the Vatican Press Office’s director along with the heads of a goodly number of high ranking clergy and the Bishop of Rome — none of whom get it. They let the fiasco happen. The focus was on process and legalities, and the underpinnings were never discussed.

Some things not commonly understood, actually not even understood by most Roman Catholics:

Much of this was about legal processes. The Roman Church has them in spades. If people joke about the voluminousness of the Byzantine Code, they would be equally amused by all the legalisms and processes that live in the Roman Church. Have a problem — there a rule for that. Have a conflict — there’s a tribunal for that. Didn’t do your job — a requisite penalty in Chapter X. The following sins were heard in confession — look to the book of appropriate penances.

Yesterday was about announcing heady legal stuff about cases, the practice of law, rights, obligations, defenses, witnesses, trials, attorneys, and more. Certain Roman clergy and a few lay members of the Roman Church spend years pursuing a doctorate in Canon Law. They proudly carry the initials J.C.D. after their name (The Latin abbreviation for: Juris Canonici Doctor). They need it to understand stuff like this:

Art. 18

With full respect for the right of defense, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith may sanate acts in cases lawfully presented to it if merely procedural laws have been violated by lower Tribunals acting by mandate of the same Congregation or according to art. 16.

Art. 19

With due regard for the right of the Ordinary to impose from the outset of the preliminary investigation those measures which are established in can. 1722 of the Code of Canon Law, or in can. 1473 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, the respective presiding judge may, at the request of the Promotor of Justice, exercise the same power under the same conditions determined in the canons themselves.

Art. 20

The Supreme Tribunal of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith judges in second instance:

1° cases adjudicated in first instance by lower tribunals;
2° cases decided by this same Supreme Apostolic Tribunal in first instance.

If you have ever looked at the U.S. tax law you would know what I mean. Laws have a nasty habit of growing and increasing, defining and redefining, adjusting, and correcting. Beyond written law, you have case law, the precedent decisions of judges on cases which set the parameters for future decisions and interpretations. One block being built upon another until you have a Tower of Babel. After a while you have the tax code, or the laws of the Roman Church. Somewhere in all of that the mission, the purpose, and the point of it all gets lost — but at least lawyers and accountants have jobs.

The Roman Church attempted to backtrack a little today, trying to fix the PR mis-step. In doing that they further inserted foot into mouth. See the NY Times: Women Priests And Sex Abuse Not Equal Crimes: Vatican for instance.

Why the problem with the attempt at correction? Because of the complexity of these laws, and their basis in protecting all the sacraments, and the Catholic understanding of what sacraments are, the crimes the laws address are equally serious. Is it serious matter to sexually abuse a child? — Yes. Is it serious matter to defile the Eucharist or tell a confession? — Equally, yes.

The sacraments are a physical conveyance of God’s grace by the means entrusted to the Church to bring this about. When the priest consecrates the bread and wine — it is no longer bread and wine. When sins are forgiven, they are actually wiped away and forgotten, God has stepped in to forgive. When a priest is ordained, the Holy Spirit has changed him so that the particular man can do a share of the Bishop’s ministry. When the sick are anointed, God brings about true healing. It is not magic or voodoo, it is not a commemoration alone, but a direct promise from God that when offered in the way Jesus offered these same gifts, they are offered to us anew by God, and He is present.

The Church is saying that they have a tremendously precious gift, more precious than any treasure found on earth, and they are making certain laws to protect those gifts. As we attempt to protect ourselves, our borders against terrorists, the Roman Church is making its own “Patriot Act,” and is attempting to protect what is most precious — the eternal life and the good of its members.

So yes, attempting to turn a cheese tray and a Bud into the body and Blood of Jesus is grave, as is attempting to confect orders on a person who cannot by nature receive that gift, as is blabbing someone’s confession on YouTube, as is a man using the power and place he has been given so as to abuse children. All very serious because they trifle with the things of God, holy things.

The public perception cannot be overcome. I am not sure there would have been a way to fix this even if all this had been laid out in briefing books. The Press will do as they will. What may have worked, however, is to express the seriousness accorded to what the Church teaches – Scripture, Tradition, and adherence to the Christian way of life. It wasn’t the fact that they laid down more legalities and procedures, the things they did focus upon. It was rather that they should have talked about the central message in a maximum of two phrases: They were calling themselves back to who they should be, and were taking it seriously. Actually, the Patriot Act analogy would have been a great talking point.

I am not sure that making laws will accomplish any of this in the end, but perhaps it helps in R.C. culture. Better that they find and focus on the central message, and give a few examples of lives lived in accord with Christ as the means to convey that message.

Oh, and the whole schism thing — basically meaning I no longer accept that the Bishop of Rome has special powers beyond those accorded to every bishop, that I reject his claim to such, along with a few other more nuanced “doctrines.” Since I engaged in schism as an adult (schism according to Roman Catholic laws — which, since I don’t believe in them means they hold no power over me), do I get a free trip to Rome to stand trial before the appropriate congregation (on their dime of course)? I hereby demand that Bishop Howard Hubbard take action in accord with the Norms prescribed in Art. 2, § 2 and provide me with a formalization of my “latae sententiae excommunication and likewise … undertake a judicial trial in the first instance or issue an extrajudicial decree, with due regard for [my] right of appeal or of recourse…”

Are they going to do this for every former Roman Catholic that has publicly declared themselves apart from the Roman Church? I did serve my last R.C. Pastor with proper notice in accord with R.C. Church law. He never bothered to follow-through I guess. Que Sera, Sera, another one bits the dust… Then again, when my wife and I first visited that parish and signed the book, specifically there for the purpose of noting we wished to speak to the pastor about membership, all we received was a set of “envelopes” in the mail. That, 6 months later. No call, and the worst possible follow-through. You do have my mailing address, don’t you? I still receive your mailings and envelopes…

Current Events, Perspective, Political, , , ,

Happening to real people

From the NY Post: Jobless and Broke 400 NYers a day see benefits expire

There’s one gone every 80 seconds.

That is, every day, 400 unemployed New York City residents exhaust their unemployment benefits, a study of state unemployment statistics by The Post reveals.

They’re among the 3.7 million out-of-work Americans who’ll be cut off from their average $400-a-week lifeline by the end of July.

“Every day I hear heart-wrenching stories from the unemployed who have exhausted their benefits and have no money to provide the very basics for their families,” said state Labor Commissioner Colleen Gardner. “Some have even lost their homes.”

One New Yorker with just a few months left before her $430 weekly checks stop says the stress takes a huge toll.

“It’s an emotional roller-coaster. . .not sleeping, a constant feeling of worthlessness,” said Sharon Angela Richie, 47, a former executive assistant at Cabrini Medical Center who lost her job more than a year ago when the hospital went bankrupt.

“I feel as if someday I’ll be homeless living in a box,” said Richie, who’s single and living with family members in Yonkers.

One Staten Island man who exhausted his checks just last month vowed he won’t take welfare to meet his $800 a month budget living in his small apartment. He’s already burned through most of his savings and credit cards.

“I’ll do whatever the hell I can to make it up,” said Richard Respler, 27, who was downsized from the back office of a major corporation — where he hopes to return someday. “I really don’t want welfare. I won’t do that.”

New Yorkers collect 99 weeks of unemployment benefits — including 73 weeks supplied by the state with federal aid. The House has voted to extend benefits but the Senate is resisting efforts to extend them beyond their already extended length.

As a last resort for aiding growing numbers of people hurt by exhausted benefits, New York State offers programs for food stamps, small stipends and other help.

“These programs are in place to help people left with nowhere else to turn,” said Anthony Farmer of the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.

…and this video from CNN: Crunch Time for Jobless

Christian Witness, Perspective, Political

On peace and independence

From Sojourners:

“War appears inevitable. But, I continue to hope that the cloud will lift.” — Sen. Robert Byrd, in a speech delivered on the Senate floor on March 19, 2003, in opposition to the war in Iraq.

…and a great article below. As we pause on this Independence Day, we should reflect on whether those who do battle with us hate our ideals, methods, presence, or all-of-it. From my take, it has never been about the people of the Middle East hating our freedoms, lifestyle, or ideals (they may not agree with them, but they don’t really care if we do not meet their standards), but rather about our presence in their backyard. Our support of Israel’s continuous war and apartheid policies, and our military presence in other parts of the region, is the sole issue of concern.

It is incumbent upon us to trade equally with all, act as an honest broker of peace and charity, and to stop being the world’s police. Independence is never gained at the point of a gun, particularly in battles of ideology. Further, we cannot fix problems of political ideology, faith practice, cultural mores, dictatorial leadership, or even poverty and hunger through military intervention. Our military doctrine and practice does not fit fourth generation warfare; not now, not in Vietnam, nor in Korea. The record of successes and failures is on the side on non-intervention. Our peace and independence depends on a clear vision as to who we are and who we are to be in the world. The father of our country captured it well in his farewell address, warning that we must:

Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all. … In the execution of such a plan nothing is more essential than that permanent, inveterate antipathies against particular nations and passionate attachments for others should be excluded, and that in place of them just and amicable feelings toward all should be cultivated. The nation which indulges toward another an habitual hatred or an habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest.

It’s Time to End This War

After his unanimous approval by the Senate Armed Services Committee as the new Afghan war commander, General David Petraeus was pictured in The Washington Post with a broad smile and thumbs up proclaiming, —We are all firmly united in seeking to forge unity of effort.— No, we’re not, General. No, we’re not. In fact, I believe it’s time to begin to unite the religious community against the war in Afghanistan.

Following last week’s resignation of General Stanley McChrystal as commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, confirmation hearings began right away for Petraeus to become his replacement. But the real issue is not replacing one general with another because of inappropriate comments and insubordination — it’s the fatally flawed war policy in Afghanistan.

In February 1968, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong attacks erupted throughout South Vietnam, showing that U.S. political and military leaders’ optimistic pronouncements that the end of the war was near were not true. By then, it was clear to many that the war was not winnable, yet more than half of U.S. casualties in Vietnam occurred from that spring until the end of the war (35,000 of the total 58,000).

I have walked the line at the Vietnam Memorial Wall many times, with tears running down my face as I read the names of my generation who were killed there. And the painful remorse over that awful war is even greater when I remember that the majority of those who died in Vietnam were killed after we knew we would ultimately have to come home without —winning— the unwinnable war. The last of the many reasons for staying in Vietnam that I recall President Nixon saying was to come home —with our heads held high.— We didn’t.

After 9/11, an international police action to bring the perpetrators of that horrible crime to justice would have been one thing. But to begin a war and then an occupation of Afghanistan was the wrong policy, quickly killing more Afghan innocents than the American innocents who died on September 11. It was then further compromised by the completely mistaken and morally unjustifiable war in Iraq.

When will we ever learn? The failed policies are all too familiar: a counter-insurgency strategy requiring more and more troops; creating the continued presence of a large U.S. military force; increasing the resentment and hostility of the Afghan people at a foreign occupation; trying to create a central government out of an ungovernable tribal society; and depending on an incompetent and utterly corrupt political ruler and regime.

An effective anti-terrorism policy was never really tried and was replaced by a —war on terrorism— which has failed. Here’s the metric: Has our primarily military policy in Afghanistan and Iraq killed more terrorists than it has recruited? I think we know the answer to that. The math of terrorism is against us. And our military obsession has made the most important question impossible to ask and even unpatriotic to consider: How might we reduce and defeat the causes of terrorism in the first place?

A new strategy in Afghanistan that focuses on humanitarian assistance and sustainable economic development, along with international policing, was also never tried. It could have been led by NGOs, both faith-based and secular, who have been in the region for years, have become quite indigenous, and are much more trusted by the people of these countries than are the U.S. military. But such assistance would have to be provided, as much as possible, by independent civilian and non-governmental organizations — both international and local — rather than using aid as a government adjunct to military operations.

Yes, after taking over the country, we do have a responsibility not to simply walk away. There are ethical and moral issues that need to be considered: legitimately protecting Americans from further terrorism; protecting the lives of U.S. servicemen and women; protecting the Afghan people from the collateral damage of war; defending women from the Taliban; genuinely supporting democracy; and of course, saving innocent lives from the collateral damage of war, to name a few.

And yes, effective development needs security. We could have focused on economic development, starting in areas that are secure and then growing to additional parts of the country, but providing only the security necessary to protect the rebuilding of the country. That kind of peacekeeping security would have been more likely to gain the international support we needed in Afghanistan, both from Europe and even from Arab and Muslim countries.

Non-military strategies should have led the way, rather than the other way around, as counter-insurgency doctrine requires. We should not have made aid and development weapons of war by tying them so closely to the military; rather, we should have only provided the security support needed for the development work to succeed — led by respected, well-established international organizations with strong local connections.

The current strategy, even with a new commander, will only lead to more casualties — U.S. and Afghan — while likely strengthening popular support for the Taliban as an anti-occupation force. It is a strategy of endless war that is ultimately doomed to failure.

Last Sunday, the photo on the front page of The New York Times broke my heart. It showed the family of a military serviceman just before he was redeployed to Afghanistan. He was in his fatigues, holding his 6-month-old son with a look of deep pain on his face, with his wife resting her head against his shoulder. The article told story after story about families being separated by repeated deployments in an endless war. Soldiers who are fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters are dying for a wrong-headed, ineffective, failed, doomed, arrogant, theologically unjust, and yes, immoral war policy. And of course, the ones dying are not the young people headed for our best universities and successful professional careers, but rather they are the ones who have fewer options, or who see the military as their only option. Those with the least opportunities, and their families, are again the ones to sacrifice and suffer. It’s not right and it’s not fair.

The number of U.S. service members killed in June was the highest for one month since this now nine-year war began. It’s time to end this war. Or should we just start building another wall?

Christian Witness, Perspective, PNCC, ,

Marketing schools, incorrectly

Both my wife and I have been the frequent recipient of late of continual marketing mail from the Catholic Alumni Partnership, a firm seeking to “secure the future of Catholic education.” The organization touts Regis Philbin as their spokesperson.

The firm, a privately sponsored and funded venture, with “anonymous backers” seeks to raise funds, which I understand. They also are attempting to tie into the social network needs of the individuals they solicit using buzzwords like “Reminisce” and “Reconnect.” That seems to be more marketing than reality. Their sole strategy in that regard is to have a Facebook page.

A few things that raise questions in my mind… They are attempting to solicit alumni from schools (and often their founding parishes) long since closed. It doesn’t exactly give one a warm and fuzzy feeling to be giving money toward empty, closed, and defunct buildings — and people like me have a lot of bad feelings about that. Further, I would love to know exactly where the money is going. They present stats on their website, but I see no accountability for the outlay of the money. Is this direct scholarships to students? Is it investment in buildings and grounds? Is it paying salaries? Is it going to a diocese or a parish to underwrite their investment in education? Financial statements?

Their material paints a bleak picture for the futureThey cite a 2008-2009 report by the National Catholic Educational Association..

  • 162 Catholic schools closed last year due to financially strapped budgets. [Generally, the parents of the schools fought the closings, but were given no choice. As with parishes there’s always another one nearby, or so says the bishop.]
  • Tuition in schools covers only 54% of student costs. [Community parishes that served their members, and were part of tight knit communities, always found a way to run a school, and back in the day, without tuition. Tuition wasn’t charged in my school till I reached the 6th grade, and it was $50 a year. Now parish communities are mega-churches with 5,000 plus members and little connection as a community]
  • Last year, more than 75,000 fewer students attended Catholic elementary school than in the previous year. [By choice, due to closings, due to fear and scandal? The why is most important so that the root causes can be addressed.]
  • Catholic elementary school staff —“ once comprised of religious men and women —“ is now predominantly made up of lay men and women. In fact, nationwide, only 4% of staff is religious. [The sad aftermath of Vatican II in large measure, as well as wishy-washy catechesis by Am-Church laity. How many R.C.’s know what the Eucharist is?]

Certainly they are correct in stating that Catholic elementary schools are strained, and that families have a declining ability to pay. There very well might be a need for philanthropy. Unfortunately, the track record on school and parish closings does not lead one to want to support this effort. Before going down that road, what is necessary is that every diocese, parish, and school recommit clearly, publicly, and unequivocally to maintaining their presence. Chicken or the egg — certainly, but money cannot fix commitment. Otherwise, people are sending good money down a black hole. There is also a question sitting in the background as to where the money will go when year-over-year declines in enrollment and continued closings wipe out the last of the schools?

I do not disagree with the organization’s underlying (at least public) intent. I do disagree with marketing to people hurt by closings – yes, where is my heritage? I also disagree with the lack of a greater strategy, transparency (anonymous backers, no financials), community focus, and the overall lack of a guaranteed commitment to maintaining Catholic education from the people who are the deciders – the bishops. It is not always about money.

One other thing, my wife never attended Catholic school, in her hometown, which was certainly not in New Jersey. The organization needs to fix-up its database.

Now my plug for the PNCC. The Church is committed to maintaining its school at St. Stanislaus in Scranton. Like our parishes, a bishop cannot step in and close anything without the consent and agreement of the parishioners/those affected. That is democracy in the PNCC. Also, do you know of a Church anywhere where children and the parents are not charged for the activities the Church offers. All PNCC Parishes I know of, and their supporting organizations like the PNUA (Spójnia) and YMSofR, underwrite the entire cost for children’s participation in events. No charge or out-of-pocket for parents for Christian education, the acolyte retreat, the KURS camp, or CONVO. Pretty amazing. Couple that with college stipends and other scholarships — the Church caring for its future.

Catholic education is important, and I was a recipient of its benefits. In many ways it formed me. We used to have three schools in walking distance, now there are none. That is sad, and there are ways to fix it. That model starts with unshakable commitment where faith comes before money, and where money is never the problem.

Perspective, Poetry, Poland - Polish - Polonia, , , , , ,

Dr. John Guzlowski – out, about, and reflecting

It is great to see John well on the road to recovery and writing. Two recent posts for your reading pleasure:

Charles Simic and Me: DP Poets

I got an email yesterday from a friend. He asked me what I thought about Charles Simic. He’s a poet that some of you might have heard of. He was the poet laureate of the US a couple of years ago. I think my friend was asking me about him because he figured that Charles Simic and I shared some history. We both came to the US after the war as Displaced Persons, refugees…

A really interesting reflection, and followed by a selection from Charles Simic and a new poem by Dr. Guzlowski, “A Dog Will.”

And for Father’s Day: Father’s Day

My father didn’t teach me to fish or play ball or paint a fence or drive a car. He couldn’t do any of those things. He was an orphan who worked on his aunt’s farm in Poland until the Nazis came and took him to a concentration camp. When he got to America after the war, he was too busy working to do much of anything else…

Also, compare and contrast to: My Father’s Gift to Me by Nicholas Kristof from the NY Times.

When I was 12, my father came and spoke to my seventh-grade class. I remember feeling proud, for my rural school was impressed by a visit from a university professor. But I also recall being embarrassed —” at my dad’s strong Slavic accent, at his refugee origins, at his —differentness.—

Perspective,

Messing with the economy, and people’s lives

From the National Employment Law Project: More Americans Cut Off as Congress Sacrifices Jobless Aid and Economic Stimulus in Jobs Bill

Since last December, Congress has made a series of ill-advised and deeply flawed choices handling the jobs crisis, the National Employment Law Project said today. On two occasions this week alone, Congress failed to move a jobs bill critical to the economic recovery and the millions of Americans out of work.

—In the last three weeks, Congress has let over 900,000 workers run out of jobless benefits, jeopardized health care for hundreds of thousands relying on the COBRA subsidy, and is now allowing a crucial $25 per week federal supplement to unemployment checks to phase out. The mantra of many is about cutting spending; well they have cut spending —“ the spending of the unemployed,— said Christine Owens, Executive Director of the National Employment Law Project.

—Lawmakers have a choice between investing in job growth or giving into platitudes about deficits that cut stimulus designed to keep the economy moving in the right direction. Sadly, platitudes and election year posturing are winning. Congress is throwing a wrench in the recovery as it chips away at the safety net and yet preserves and attempts to strengthen loopholes for the wealthy. The choices Congress is making are outrageous and unacceptable,— Owens said.

A summary of recent delays and cuts in H.R. 4213, the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act, includes:

  1. Benefits Expiration. The window to renew jobless benefits expired at the end of May —“ the fourth time this year Congress has failed to meet an extension deadline and left jobless workers and state agencies dangling. As a result, since the beginning of June, over 900,000 workers have run out of jobless benefits, and by next week that number will hit 1.2 million. Additionally, as a result of the lapsed extension deadline, thousands of workers collecting unemployment checks under the 13-20 week Extended Benefits program are being cut off in the middle of their claims, unable to finish out their current tier of benefits.
  2. COBRA Elimination. More than 2 million workers have benefited from the 65% subsidy to continue health care through COBRA —“ but the House has chosen to eliminate it and many in the Senate are threatening to follow suit. NELP estimates that 144,000 individuals per month will lose out on the subsidy due to the discontinuation. For these workers, health coverage will be nearly impossible to afford and as each month passes, more unemployed people will become uninsured.
  3. $25/Week Cut in Unemployment Checks. The Senate’s proposal to phase out the Federal Additional Compensation (FAC) passed under last year’s stimulus package will reduce unemployment benefits by roughly $100 per month and effectively remove $6 billion in crucial stimulus to communities throughout the country. Ending this stimulus could result in thousands of job losses before the year’s end, and in many Southern states in particular, where jobless benefits are extremely low, it means over a 10% cut in benefit checks for the unemployed. This week NELP issued a state-by-state summary of what the $25 per week means for the unemployed, and the Economic Policy Institute estimates that failure to continue FAC could result in job loss of up to 60,000.

Meanwhile, at the same time it is slashing vitally needed aid for jobless workers and their communities, Congress is choosing to preserve part of a major loophole that favors wealthy investment fund managers. Under the latest bill, one-quarter of the income of investment fund managers will still be taxed at the low 15% capital gains rate —“ lower than most working Americans pay —“ rather than the 35% income tax rate for the highest earners.

—Congress has become so concerned about reining in future deficits that it’s cutting spending by the unemployed and threatening to cut the heart out of the recovery. Many may shrug at the dollar amount, but eliminating the $25 weekly supplement will take away the basics from needy families —“ medicine, shelter, food —“ and sap consumer spending. That Congress would make these cuts while unemployment is still sky-high is a real betrayal of hard-working Americans,— said Owens. —The American people don’t support these choices,— she added.

In the face of deficit concerns, a recent poll found that Americans overwhelmingly support the continuation of health and jobless benefits for unemployed workers. When asked which statement they agree with more, 74% agreed that —With unemployment close to ten percent and millions still out of work, it is too early to start cutting back benefits and health coverage for workers who lost their jobs,— while only 21% agreed that —With the federal deficit over one trillion dollars, it is time for the government to start reducing spending on health care subsidies and unemployment benefits for the unemployed.—

Workers may contact the NELP Benefit Questions page or call 212-285-3025 x 309.

Of course, what they fail to realize in their bickering over deficits is the longer lasting impact that structurally unemployed and uninsured persons will have on the economy and the deficit. As one’s life deteriorates, and one becomes homeless, there is less and less chance of finding a job, or even the retraining needed to move most workers back into the workforce. Further, both federal and state budgets will be hard hit by the new destitute, who will move to welfare, food stamps, and medicaid to fill the gaps that temporary unemployment once filled. Yes, we need to get working again, but until the jobs recovery begins, we need to support those who are ready, willing, and able to work. Oh, and if you think it doesn’t affect you, you will be hit too because every dollar in UI benefits contributes $3 to the local economy, that jobs in stores and the other places where UI benefits get spent. No one is sitting on UI and living the high life (yes, I’m sure there are a few scammers out there, but they are more easily detected and prosecuted these days).

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