Catholic Family Campaign

This excerpt on Godspy of a recent book by Fr. Stephen J. Rossetti is  a must read for any one wanting learn more about the priesthood.

Just
as priesthood is more difficult than most of us thought it would be, it
is also a lot better. In the end, there can be no mediocrity in this
life, no room for a half-hearted priesthood. It demands a personal,
total, and radical commitment. I believe that one of the many learnings
from the 2002 church crisis in the U.S. is that we are called to a life
of full integrity and to a level of holiness that we might not have
thought possible. In fact, it is the laity who has challenged us to
these heights of sanctity. The people expect us to be chaste, humble,
and totally dedicated servants of God. In our hearts, I suspect this is
what we want for ourselves too.

There are many trials and struggles of our priestly lives… But these are nothing compared to the majesty of our calling.

The priest shortage is indeed a negative sign of our affluence and the materialistic narcissism of our day.

Our lives are dedicated completely to God, and to the people. Thus,
they are sacred, despite our perpetually nagging human frailty.

Tags: Family Values
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Tags: General
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Bishop William S. Skylstad warned U.S. Bishops that a growing “coarseness” in U.S. society has had its impact on the Catholic Church. 
“Today vulgarity is common, hardly noticed. Even the name of God is disrespected in everyday speech,” he said.  Bishop Skylstad stressed that the countries history of vigorous, free exchange of ideas is gone.  Instead of debate, we see more and more personal attacks.

We see the same personal attacks and harsh debates within the church.  I am sure that some of you have left a parish council or a school council meeting in disbelief that you were at a meeting of Catholics.  The advice to his fellow bishops to “foster attitudes and discourse based in charity” is good advice for us all.  (more)

Tags: Family Values, Human Dignity
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Nicaragua has passed a law banning all abortions and eliminating the exceptions that had previously been in place.  Despite pressure from the UN, the legislation passed overwhelmingly 52 to 0 and signed into law.

Pro-life activists around the world sent letters of encouragement to the President.

Tags: Pro-Life
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Cardinal Francis Arinze was in St. Louis recently to address the Gateway Liturgical Conference.  One of the things that the told the attendees was that Latin should be used more frequently in the liturgy.  He encourages large parishes to offer Mass in Latin at least once of week and smaller rural parishes at least once a month.

This would be a great way to bring the various Church communities together by giving those who long for the Latin Mass the opportunity to feel “at home” in our new, modern churches while exposing the younger parishioners to the rich traditions of the Tridentine. 

Tags: Religious Freedoms
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A group of Catholics in Missouri is publically challenging the Church on Amendment 2; the amendment to Missouri constitution that would ensure that embryonic stem cell research be funded in the state. 

Missouri’s Catholic bishops have been leading a statewide effort encouraging Catholics to vote against the amendment that Bishop Finn wrote would enshrine the right to clone human beings in the constitution.

(more)

Tags: Pro-Life
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Pittsburg mayor Luke Ravenstahl credits his faith for the position that he finds himself in today. Specifically, he credits his Catholic upbringing and Catholic education.

He gets it exactly right when he says, “The foundation that was instilled in me…are something that I use on a daily basis.”

I love to see stories like this and the previous post on Jeff Suppan. It is a much stronger lesson for my children than having Dad tell them what they should do or how they should act.

(Read more)

Tags: Family Values, Hall of Fame
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There seems to be signs that Catholic leaders in the US are moving in the direction of denying communion to Catholic politicians who support abortion rights. This a positive step.

According to the church’s Code of Canon Law,

“Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion”

The responsibility is on the individual Catholic not to present him or herself for communion if they are not in the proper state of grace. The conversation generally focuses on politicians because their behavior is more public. However, it applies to all of us Catholic.