Holy Father Pleas for Freedom for Christian Woman in Pakistan

Today the Holy Father pled for the freedom of a Christian mother of five in Pakistan who is accused of blasphemy against the Prophet Mohammed and has been sentenced to death.  How can we help?  First of all, pray.  Then go here to find out more.

Pope Benedict's General Audience Address - Nov. 17

Dear Brothers and Sisters,


Our catechesis today deals with Saint Juliana of Cornillon, better known as Saint Juliana of Liège. Born at the end of the twelfth century, Juliana was orphaned young and became an Augustinian nun. Intelligent and cultured, she was drawn to contemplative prayer and devotion to the sacrament of the Eucharist. As the result of a recurring vision, Juliana worked to promote a liturgical feast in honour of the Eucharist. The feast of Corpus Christi was first celebrated in the Diocese of Liège, and began to spread from there. Pope Urban IV, who had known Juliana in Liège, instituted the solemnity of Corpus Christi for the universal Church and charged Saint Thomas Aquinas with composing the texts of the liturgical office. The Pope himself celebrated the solemnity in Orvieto, then the seat of the papal court, where the relic of a celebrated Eucharistic miracle, which had occurred the previous year, was kept. As we recall Saint Juliana of Cornillon, let us renew our faith in Christ’s true presence in the Eucharist and pray that the “springtime of the Eucharist” which we are witnessing in the Church today may bear fruit in an ever greater devotion to the Sacrament of Christ’s Body and Blood.

The Call of God

Next week in the RCIA class here at CCM we will be talking about the sacrament of Holy Orders.  Here is a preview of what we'll be talking about:

Awakening 2010

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Awakening Retreat Nov. 12-14th!  Everyone had a great time and grew in their faith over the weekend.  Here are some photo highlights:

Love vs. Use

Emily Bissonnette has once again written a fabulous article on Theology of the Body over at catholicexchange.com.  Here are some snippets that I enjoyed.  Read the whole article here.
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"Because a person has a rich inner life and has free will that allows him to be a unique person, he can never be used as a means to an end. Central to the Church’s teachings about sexual morality is the understanding of the human person as a body/soul unity. John Paul summarized, “Sexuality morality comes into being not only because persons are aware of the purpose of sexual life, but also because they are aware that they are persons” (Love and Responsibility 33)."
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"In his encyclical, Evangelium Vitae, John Paul II said that the root of this type of society [a society that embraces the culture of death and use] is an “eclipse of the sense of God and of man” (#21).  When our vision of God is obscured, then we are unable to discern the greatness and the call of the human person.  Without a proper vision of what it is to be human, we have difficulty discerning the beauty and goodness of our Creator."
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"The challenge for us is how to communicate the beauty of life as a gift and the joy of treating others with love to a world that seems to have lost sight of our call to greatness. When we share this gift with the world, we will eventually see the culture, music and media begin to reflect this vision."

Archbishop Dolan Elected To Be USCCB President

Congratulations, Archbishop Dolan!
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U.S. Bishops Elect Archbishop Dolan New President, Archbishop Kurtz Vice President, Bishop Bransfield Treasurer, Also Vote on Chairs-Elect of Six Committees

BALTIMORE (November 16, 2010) — The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) elected Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York as their new president and Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky vice president at their annual Fall General Assembly.

Archbishop Dolan, who succeeds Cardinal Francis George of Chicago as president of the USCCB, was elected 128-111 on the third ballot in a run-off with Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson, Arizona. Archbishop Kurtz was elected 147-91 on the third vice presidential ballot in a run-off with Archbishop Charles Chaput, OFM Cap., of Denver. Archbishop Dolan and Archbishop Kurtz begin their three-year terms as president and vice president at the conclusion of this week’s meeting.

The bishops elected Bishop Michael Bransfield of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia to serve as USCCB treasurer-elect of the USCCB in a 123-114 vote over Bishop Paul Bradley of Kalamazoo. As Archbishop Kurtz is vacating the office of treasurer to assume the vice presidency, the bishops affirmed by acclamation that Bishop Bransfield assume the office immediately.

The bishops voted for the chairmen-elect of six committees who will begin their three-year chairmanships in November 2011. The bishops elected:

Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for Military Services to chair the Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance in a 138-105 vote over Bishop Randolph Calvo of Reno, Nevada.

Bishop Joseph McFadden of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to chair the Committee on Catholic Education in a 120-118 vote over Coadjutor Bishop David O’Connell of Trenton, New Jersey.

Bishop Denis J. Madden, auxiliary bishop of Baltimore, to chair the Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs in a 125-113 vote over Bishop Ronald Gainer of Lexington, Kentucky.

Bishop David L. Ricken of Green Bay, Wisconsin, to chair the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis in a 137-102 vote over Bishop Paul Coakley of Salina, Kansas.

Bishop Daniel Conlon of Steubenville, Ohio, to chair the Committee on Child and Youth Protection, in a 146-92 vote over Bishop Patrick Zurek of Amarillo, Texas.

Archbishop Edwin O’Brien of Baltimore to chair the Committee on International Justice and Peace in a 145-93 vote over Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn, New York.
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Also, congrats to Bishop Conlon to chair the Committee on Child and Youth Protection.  He was my bishop during my Steubenville years and is a wonderful shepherd!

Jesus in the Womb Christmas Ad

This poster created by ChurchAds.net was made to help us remember that Christmas is about the Incarnation of Jesus.  What a fabulous way to recognize the reality of the Incarnation from the moment of conception!  It has caused quite a stir in the UK - read more about it here.

Pope Benedict's General Audience Address - November 10th

"Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This past weekend I made an Apostolic Journey to Santiago de Compostela and Barcelona, two great cities of Spain and Europe. I came as a pilgrim among pilgrims in this Holy Year of Compostela, to venerate the Apostle Saint James the Greater. The traditional practice of embracing the image of the Saint symbolizes our embrace of the Gospel which he preached and the mission which we receive in Baptism to bear daily witness to Christ and to strengthen society by our fidelity to the wisdom and truth of the Gospel. On Sunday, in Barcelona, I dedicated the Church of the Sagrada Familia, the masterpiece of the great architect Antoni Gaudí. In this magnificent edifice Gaudí wished to celebrate the eternal source of all beauty, made flesh in Jesus Christ, who calls all humanity to become, in the Church, a temple in which God dwells. Let us pray for all families, that they may fulfil their unique role in society, and for all the people of Spain and Europe, that they may always find in their Christian roots the inspiration to pursue, along the pathways of our time, the historic mission of the Continent in today’s world."

The Human Experience Out on DVD!

CCM welcomed Grassroots Films to the SEMO campus last April for a screening of the film The Human Experience.  Over 600 students and community members came out to see this amazing film and we were so excited to see such a great turnout!  Jeff Azize and Jeff Ptazynski from Grassroots Films were on hand to answer questions and hinted that the film would be available for purchase by the end of 2010 - well they were right! 

You can purchase the DVD here.  Need a refresher to remind yourself how great the film is?

Pope Benedict's General Audience Address - November 3rd

"Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Our catechesis today deals with Marguerite d’Oingt, a thirteenth-century Carthusian prioress and mystic. Marguerite’s writings, which include the earliest known examples of Provençal French, were inspired by the evangelical spirituality of Saint Bruno; they reveal her fine sensibility and her deep desire for God. Marguerite viewed life as a path of perfection leading to complete configuration to Christ, above all in the contemplation of his saving passion. She imagined the Lord’s life, his words and his actions, as a Book which he holds out to us, a Book to be studied and imprinted on our hearts and lives, until the day we read it from within, in the contemplation of the Blessed Trinity. Marguerite’s writings, filled with imagery drawn from family life, radiate a warm love of God and deep gratitude for his grace which purifies our affections and draws us more closely to him. The life and writings of Marguerite d’Oingt invite us to meditate daily on the mystery of God’s infinite love, revealed above all in the sufferings of Christ on the Cross, and to find in it the strength and joy to place our lives at his service and that of our brothers and sisters."

Fr. Barron Commenting on the Lord's Prayer

The Pope and the 'Smokeboat'

Some of you have heard of the huge thurible used at the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela affectionately called the 'botafumeiro' or 'smokeboat'.  But here's a treat not too often seen:  the Pope and the Smokeboat!


This huge thurible is 5 feet tall and can get up to 42 miles per hour.  What I think is also interesting is how many guys it takes to make it swing!  Take a look at the video again!  Look at how many men are swinging that thing!

Thanks to Rocco Palmo.

"There Be Dragons" Behind the Scenes

Check out this behind the scenes look at "There Be Dragons", a film about two friends who grow up to find themselves in the midst of the Spanish Civil War - one turns away from God (Manolo) and one turns directly toward Him (St. Josemaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei). 


You can view the trailer for the movie here.

Check out this video about St. Josemaria Escriva:


"Anything done out of love is important, however small it might appear. God has come to us, even though we are miserable creatures, and he has told us that he loves us: “My delight is to be among the sons of men.” Our Lord tells us that everything is valuable — those actions which from a human point of view we regard as extraordinary and those which seem unimportant. Nothing is wasted. No man is worthless to God. All of us are called to share the kingdom of heaven — each with his own vocation: in his home, his work, his civic duties and the exercise of his rights". ~ St. Josemaria Escriva

New Book on St. Padre Pio Released

Many of our students will be interested in this:
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Book Containing Unknown Facts About Padre Pio Hits Shelves in Spain

Madrid, Spain, Nov 1, 2010 / 01:23 pm (EWTN News)

 

A new book titled, “Padre Pio: The Unknown Miracles of the Saint of the Stigmata,” written by Spanish author Jose Maria Zavala has hit bookstores in Spain.

The book’s prologue was written by Father Elias Cabodevilla, an expert on the Italian saint, who says Padre Pio not only performed miracles but helped bring about the personal conversions of those around him.

“Up until now I haven’t seen a single case in which the gift granted by God through Padre Pio was not followed by either a radical change of life in those who had taken the wrong path, or a more serious and joyful commitment to Christ,” he wrote.

The author of the book, Jose Maria Zavala, traveled to San Giovanni Rotondo where Padre Pio lived to interview those who spent many years with the saint. He also received numerous testimonies and reports of cures and conversions from around the world.

Padre Pio of Pietrelcina was born in 1887 and died in 1968 at the Capuchin convent of San Giovanni Rotondo. He spent nearly 50 years hearing the confessions of thousands who learned of his holiness and came to seek his counsel.

John Paul II canonized him in 2002 before the largest crowd ever gathered for a canonization.
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If it just hit the shelves in Spain I wonder when it will hit the shelves in the US.

Happy All Souls' Day!

Today is a special day set aside by the Church to pray for the holy souls in Purgatory. You can learn what the Church teaches about Purgatory here.

Let us pray for the faithful departed in a special way today:
God, our creator and redeemer,
by your power Christ conquered death
and returned to you in glory.
May all your people who have gone before us in faith
share his victory and enjoy the vision of your glory for ever,
where Christ lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
(From the Office for the Dead)

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
And let perpetual light shine upon them.
May the rest in peace. Amen.

Vote Tomorrow! (or today if you're reading this Nov. 2nd!)

Marcel over at Aggie Catholics has a great Open Letter to Politicians up.  Check it out.
Also be sure to read Cardinal-designate Burke's Pastoral Letter on Voting.
You can also view a full length interview between Cardinal-designate Burke and Thomas McKenna concerning voting here.
Here are some snippets from the interview and be sure to get out there and vote!

Happy All Saints' Day!

In honor of today's Solemnity of All Saints', tonight's monthly Catholicism 101 class was about saints.  If you missed it you can check out this info on how saints are canonized.  We also talked about two particular people:  St. Damien of Molokai and Bl. Chiara "Luce" Badano.  Click on their names to find out info on them and watch the videos below.  The most recent saints to be canonized are St. Mary MacKillop, St. Andre Bessette, St. Camilla Batista Varano, St. Stanislaw Stoltis, St. Guilia Salzano, St. Juana Cipitria Barriola. These six were canonized on October 17, 2010. Read more about these saints here and read Pope Benedict's homily from the canonization Mass here.

The Holy Father's November Prayer Intentions

•Victims of Addiction. That through the support of the Christian community, all victims of addiction may find in the power of our saving God strength for a radical life change.


•Mission in Latin America. That the Latin-American Churches may move forward with the continent-wide mission proposed by their bishops, assuming their share of the universal missionary task of God's people.

Pray for the Church in Baghdad

You may have heard that there was an attack on Catholics in Baghdad on Sunday during Mass. Many were killed and many were wounded.  Fatalities reportedly include three priests.  This is an example of the reality that martyrdom still occurs.  Martyrdom is not simply something that once happened in early Christianity in the Coliseum - it still happens even today.  Let us pray for those who perished, those who survived and for the repentance of those who inflicted the harm.  Read the story here.

Dominican Sister's New House of Studies

The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist have announced the following:
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Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist Sign Purchase and Sale Agreement

(ANN ARBOR, Mich.) October 25, 2010 – “The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, has signed a purchase and sale agreement to buy the 3900 Harewood Road property in Washington, D.C., to be used as a House of Studies for the continuing education and formation of our Sisters. We are still in the inspection phase of this agreement,” said Mother Mary Assumpta Long, O.P., prioress general.

“We believe that the ultimate acquisition of this building, currently housing the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, represents an opportunity that is aligned with the visions of our community, Pope John Paul II and the Archdiocese of Detroit. It is a wonderful way to build upon the intention of the Center to bring the message of His Holiness to contemporary culture and promote vocations, and it provides yet another connection to his influence in our community and the incredibly generous donors to all these venerable institutions.

“As we continue the due diligence of the facility, we do so in prayer and discernment as we seek God’s will in our Community and our lives.”
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The property they have purchased is the former Pope John Paul II Cultural Center (some of you students may remember visiting the Cultural Center last January when we attended the March for Life).  Congratulations to the Sisters on this great opportunity!
Here is a video about their venture:

Find out more info here and here
Thanks to Marcel!