CNA Daily News - US

Abby Johnson launching ministry focused on abortion workers

Thu, 31 May 2012 04:07:00 -0600

Denver, Colo., May 31, 2012 / 04:07 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Abortion clinic director turned pro-life activist Abby Johnson has announced she will launch of a new ministry to help people trying to leave the abortion industry.

“We have hundreds of ministries for post-abortive women and men. There is literally nothing for these former clinic workers,” Johnson said. “We are going to change that.”

The new outreach, which is called “And Then There Were None,” will focus on providing emotional, spiritual, financial and legal support to clinic workers as they transition out of the abortion industry.

“Our goal is to proactively reach out to workers in the abortion industry to try to help them find other non-abortion related employment,” Johnson said in a May 30 statement.

Johnson felt prompted to create And Then There Were None after having helped several clinic employees transition out of the abortion industry over the past several months.

Aside from prayer, the “most crucial aspect” of the organization is raising money “so these clinic workers can literally afford to leave the abortion industry.”

The organization will allow supporters to donate funds to help workers continue to provide for their families while seeking other employment.

The group will also provide counseling, spiritual guidance for any religious denomination, and free legal support when necessary.

Johnson experienced a conversion and left the abortion industry after having worked at Planned Parenthood for eight years, two of which were spent as the clinic's director.

After assisting in an ultrasound-guided abortion, Johnson had a “massive change of heart,” but was also influenced by the prayers of the Texas-based pro-life group, Coalition for Life.

Planned Parenthood attempted to file a restraining order against Johnson, citing their concern that she would share confidential information about the clinic and patients. The request was denied by a Texas judge on Nov. 9, 2009.

After much prayer and researching Bl. John Paul II's “Theology of the Body,” Johnson entered the Catholic Church in 2011.

More information on the Johnson’s new ministry will be available on June 4 at the websites www.attwn.org and www.exposingthelie.com.

Knights of Columbus defend Montana Jesus statue against lawsuit

Thu, 31 May 2012 02:15:00 -0600

Kalispell, Mont., May 31, 2012 / 02:15 am (CNA).- The Knights of Columbus and several individual knights have asked to intervene in a federal legal case challenging the presence of a decades-old World War II memorial in Montana because it contains a statue of Jesus.

“It is sad that some in America have become so intolerant of religion that they are willing to remove longstanding memorials to America’s war heroes to enforce their narrow view on the rest of us,” Supreme Knight Carl Anderson said May 30.

“The idea that a war memorial containing a religious symbol on a remote piece of public land somehow establishes religion in this country is at odds with the historical record, the vision of our Founding Fathers enshrined in the First Amendment and the extensive jurisprudence in this area,” Anderson stated.

The case concerns a memorial erected near Whitefish, Montana on land now within a commercial ski resort. Veterans of the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division asked Montana members of the Knights of Columbus to create a memorial like the hilltop shrines they encountered in Europe during World War II.

The Knights of Columbus’ Kalispell Council 1328 leased from the U.S. Forest Service the 25-foot by 25-foot plot of land on Big Mountain to erect the memorial. It finished the shrine in 1954 and has maintained it since.

The permit had been renewed regularly every 10 years until 2010. That year, the Wisconsin-based Freedom from Religion Foundation told the Forest Service that the memorial violated the U.S. Constitution.

The Forest Service initially denied the permit but renewed it after public outcry and media attention.

In February 2012 the Freedom from Religion Foundation sued to have the memorial permanently removed.

Its lawsuit said the continued presence of the Jesus statue is “intended as a religious shrine” and “gives the unmistakable appearance of governmental endorsement of religion.”

The suit also argued that the Forest Service’s approval of the permit for the shrine land diminishes “the civil and political standing of non-religious and non-Christian Americans” and “constitutes governmental preference for religion and Christianity.”

On May 29 the Knights of Columbus and several Montana members asked the U.S. District Court in Missoula, Montana to allow it to intervene as a defendant in order to protect First Amendment Rights.

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Dr. Raymond Leopold, a Knights of Columbus member who helps maintain the memorial, explained why he wants the statue to stay.

“I have tried to teach my children sincere love and respect for this country and those who defend it,” he said. “I know that members of our community have similar feelings about the statue and are proud to have it as one aspect of our community’s history and culture.”

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty’s litigation director Erich Rassbach is representing the Knights of Columbus and the individual knights in the case.

“From their perch in Madison, Wisconsin, these professional bullies go around the country threatening government agencies and cities with lawsuits and financial ruin. The Becket Fund will not let them get away with it here,” Rassbach said May 30.

“The Freedom from Religion Foundation has not identified any of its members who have actually seen or complained about the statue. These soldiers died fighting for our freedom—it is unfortunate that the Freedom From Religion Foundation wants to annihilate their sacrifices from public memory.”

Dan Graves, president of Whitefish Mountain Resort, said the statue “honors men who gave their lives in World War II in defense of freedom from tyranny.”

“It’s a historical monument unique to Big Mountain. Trying to erase that history, just because you have a different belief system, is wrong,” he said.

Young Catholic woman with rare syndrome speaks on true beauty

Wed, 30 May 2012 12:06:00 -0600

Austin, Texas, May 30, 2012 / 12:06 pm (CNA).- Due to a rare condition, Lizzie Velasquez is unable to gain weight and her appearance made her the target of mockery from her schoolmates who called her “the ugliest woman in the world” in a YouTube video.

The 23-year-old, however, is confident she has been greatly blessed by God, and has become an author and motivational speaker on true beauty.

“God is the number one reason why I am here,” she told CNA. “He blessed me with the greatest blessing of my life, which is my syndrome.”

The YouTube video received over 4 million hits, with some commenters referring to Lizzie as “it” and suggesting she “do the world a favor” and kill herself. Although Lizzie deeply suffered from the mockery, she decided to respond to the cruelty with courage and determination.

With the unconditional love of her family and her profound faith, Lizzie set herself a series of goals, including becoming a motivational speaker, and has been meeting each one. Two months ago, she posted a response video on YouTube sharing her story.

Lizzie was born into a Catholic family in Austin, Texas, and she remains active in her community and parish. Despite her condition being difficult – only a handful of people worldwide are known to have it – she says she has decided to embrace it with integrity.

“To this day the doctors have no idea what it is or what to call it. It remains undiagnosed to this day.”

“Even though this is hard, God has been at my side every step of the way. My faith, my family and my friends are the three things that have made me who I am.”

The main symptom of her condition is that she cannot gain weight. “I eat almost all day long, but I still cannot gain weight. Besides this, I really don’t have any other health issues,” Lizzie explained.

She dismissed as a “dumb rumor” reports that she has to eat every fifteen minutes. “I don’t have a specific diet. The truth is that I eat a lot of small meals throughout the day.”

“I get full very quickly, and so I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner regularly. The only difference is that between meals, I tend to eat much more than the average person probably would,” Lizzie said.

She said her faith has been the most important aspect in meeting the challenges of her life. “Besides my family and my friends, my faith is everything to me. When I have a bad day, I know the only thing I have to do is put it in God’s hands, and I know he will help me overcome anything.”

She said the first place people need to look to find true beauty is within themselves. “Beauty is not defined only by external appearances. True beauty is who you are inside, and who God made you to be.”

In order to find this beauty, Lizzie said, “The first step you have to take is to learn to accept who you are. Accept your imperfections, your good qualities, your personality, everything!”

“Once you can completely accept and love yourself, your true beauty will shine brighter than you if every thought it could.”

To learn more about Lizzie visit: www.aboutlizzie.com

Religious liberty group launches massive HHS mandate site

Wed, 30 May 2012 02:11:00 -0600

Washington D.C., May 30, 2012 / 02:11 am (CNA/EWTN News).- A legal group that aims to defend religious freedom has launched a new website offering a wealth of resources on the contraception mandate, and the various lawsuits that have been filed against it.

“There was a lot of misinformation out there on the mandate,” said Emily Hardman, attorney and communications director for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a D.C.-based organization.

Hardman told CNA on May 29 that the Becket Fund “wanted to provide an accurate, concise and useful resource for reporters and the general public.”

She explained that when the information “is laid out clearly in one place,” it is evident that the mandate’s requirements violate the First Amendment’s protections of religious freedom.

On May 22, the Becket Fund launched a webpage to serve as a centralized resource for information surrounding the contraception mandate. The webpage tracks the lawsuits that have been filed against the mandate by plaintiffs ranging from EWTN to seven U.S. states to two private business owners.

A total of 23 lawsuits have been filed by 55 plaintiffs to challenge a federal mandate that will require employers and colleges to offer health insurance plans covering contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs, even if doing so violates their consciences.

The regulation has received widespread criticism from individuals and groups from a variety of religious and political backgrounds.

Bishops from every diocese in the U.S. have spoken out against the mandate, warning that it violates religious freedom and could force Catholic hospitals, schools and charitable agencies to shut down in order to adhere to their beliefs.

The Becket Fund’s webpage lists the date that each lawsuit was filed, as well as the identity of the plaintiffs, the district where it was filed and the law firm that is handling the case. It also includes links to legal documents, press releases and additional information related to each case.

In addition, the webpage offers an interactive map to illustrate the distribution of the lawsuits throughout the country, as well as a timeline tracking developments regarding the mandate.

Belmont Abbey College filed the first lawsuit challenging the mandate in November 2011. In the months that followed, lawsuits were also filed by several other colleges, including Colorado Christian University, Louisiana College and Ave Maria University.

In February, the mandate was further challenged by the states of Nebraska, South Carolina, Michigan, Texas, Florida, Ohio and Oklahoma.

Private business owners have also joined in objecting to the mandate, arguing that religious freedom extends not only to religious organizations but also to religious individuals seeking to run non-religious companies in accordance with their faith.

Frank O’Brien of O’Brien Industrial Holdings LLC, has filed a lawsuit against the mandate, along with the owners of Hercules Industries, Inc., a heating, ventilation and air conditioning manufacturer based in Colorado.

On May 21, a new wave of lawsuits was announced by 43 dioceses and Catholic organizations in 12 districts throughout the country.

Among the latest plaintiffs are the archdioceses of New York, St. Louis and Washington D.C., the Catholic publishing group Our Sunday Visitor and several Catholic Charities organization from around the U.S.

The Catholic University of America, Franciscan University of Steubenville and the University of Notre Dame also filed May 21 lawsuits, along with the dioceses of Pittsburgh, Dallas and Springfield.

Detailed information about the lawsuits can be found at the Becket Fund’s mandate resource webpage at: http://www.becketfund.org/hhsinformationcentral/

Pope gives Buffalo diocese new bishop

Tue, 29 May 2012 10:20:00 -0600

Vatican City, May 29, 2012 / 10:20 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Bishop Richard J. Malone has been appointed as the new head of the Diocese of Buffalo, N.Y.

“I am most grateful to our Holy Father for his trust in appointing me Bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo,” he said in a May 29 statement.

Although he is saddened to leave the faithful of his current diocese in Portland, Maine, Bishop Malone said he looks forward “with enthusiasm” to taking up his responsibility in Buffalo.

Bishop Malone was installed as the 11th Bishop of Portland in March 2004. Prior to his assignment in Maine, he was ordained in 2000 as an auxiliary bishop for the Boston archdiocese.

The new appointment comes after Bishop Edward U. Kmiec of Buffalo submitted his letter of resignation on his 75th birthday this past June.

“Bishop Malone comes to Western New York with tremendous experience and a wonderful reputation for being a caring, pastoral bishop and a true shepherd to his people,” Bishop Kmiec said.

An active member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop Malone recently completed a term as chairman of the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, which he continues to serve on.

He has also served two terms on the Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People and is a member of the Board of Directors of Catholic Relief Services, where he is chair of the U.S. Operations Committee.

Bishop Malone studied at St. John Seminary in Jamaica Plain, Mass. and earned his doctorate in theology from Boston University. He received his licentiate in sacred theology from Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Mass.

Joy overcomes Denver's future archbishop

Tue, 29 May 2012 06:04:00 -0600

Denver, Colo., May 29, 2012 / 06:04 am (CNA/EWTN News).- As Archbishop-designate Samuel J. Aquila of Fargo, N.D. assumes his role as Denver's new shepherd, the former Coloradan brings with him a love for the priesthood, a passion for pro-life advocacy and a heart for the youth.

“I never, ever dreamed that I would ever return here,” he told CNA. “And now in the Father's providential plan and in his love, I'm now the archbishop.”

“It's amazing,” he said, overcome with emotion.

Filling a position left vacant for over eight months, Archbishop-designate Aquila was announced on May 29 as the Denver archdiocese’s new leader by apostolic nuncio Archbishop Carlo M. Vigano in Washington, D.C.

The 61-year-old will succeed Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, who led the Denver archdiocese for 14 years and was installed as head of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in September 2011.

Denver's new archbishop said he was outdoors and gardening in Fargo when he received the news of his appointment from the nuncio.

“I heard my cell phone ring, and when I looked at the number I realized that it was from Washington, D.C.,” and he thought, “I'd better step aside for this conversation.”

He recalled Archbishop Vigano on the other line telling him almost immediately that the “Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has appointed you to be Archbishop of Denver.”

“Do you accept?” the nuncio asked.

After pausing briefly, Archbishop-designate Aquila responded, “I very willingly accept.”

Although he said he is “very excited” for the new post, he also reflected on how “it's one of those moments where it's bittersweet.”

“I've been in Fargo for 11 years, it's become home and I've developed wonderful friendships with the priests and the laity there.”

Far from being a stranger in a new location, however, he will be returning to a placed that he called home for 25 years. Not only did the native Burbank, Californian study to become a priest in Denver, he served as the first rector of the local St. John Vianney Seminary.

He also “vividly” remembers Pope John Paul II's trip to Denver 1993 for World Youth Day, when he served on the committee that helped to put the visit together and assisted as master of ceremonies.

Since Blessed John Paul II's historic visit, the Denver archdiocese has been the launch site for numerous ministries under the banner of the New Evangelization – the late Pope's call for reaching formerly Christian societies with the Gospel.

These include initiatives such as the college campus ministry program FOCUS, the Catholic graduate school the Augustine Institute, and the women's educational organization ENDOW.

“It's been very exciting to see what's happened in terms of the New Evangelization,” the archbishop-designate noted. “I want to continue all of the work that has been done by both my predecessors.”

One area of ministry close to his heart is priestly formation, he said, observing that the Denver archdiocese is “blessed” to have such thriving seminaries.

“I plan on working closely with the priests of the diocese, and with the permanent deacons, and really focusing in on their spiritual life and to continue to build the fraternal relationship among the priests.”

“I am thoroughly convinced that the deeper the intimacy that priests have with the Father, with Jesus, with the Holy Spirit -- in living in the communion of love -- the more will they return that love and serve their people better,” he said.

Another mission within the Church that's deeply important to him is pro-life advocacy – an area he is known for in the Fargo diocese.

For the new archbishop, any questions surrounding the issues of abortion, euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide all “get back to the basic dignity of the human person.”

“Every human being, each one of us, began at the moment of conception,” he underscored. “There is no human being that has not begun at the moment of conception.”

With that in mind, he said he's been unequivocally supportive of efforts such as the international 40 Days for Life campaign, a peaceful protest initiative that seeks to put an end to abortion.

“It's a great way to give witness to life, it's a great way to demonstrate prayer, it's peaceful,” he said. “And then there's always the tremendous joy when you know you've saved an unborn child.”

Also high on the priority list for Archbishop-designate Aquila is the local young adult Catholic community, which is among the largest in the U.S.

“I want them to know I love them,” he stated. “I look forward to working with them, to serving them, to bringing Christ to them.”

Archbishop-designate Aquila said he is also passionate about meeting and connecting with Northern Colorado's Latino population, who make up over 50 percent of the area's Catholics.

“I've always had a love” for the Hispanic community, he said.

“I want to certainly continue to support them, to enable them in their faith and their culture, in their family life to continue to strengthen that in Christ and also in their devotional practices.”

Those within the Catholic Latino population “face different challenges within the society in which we live,” he observed.

Among the challenges that he hopes tackle are helping Latino Catholics “continue to integrate into the United States and bring the tremendous gifts that they offer, especially in the area of family life and their faith.”

“I certainly need to brush up on my Spanish,” he said with a smile.

Archbishop-designate Aquila will be installed as head of the archdiocese on July 18 at Denver’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

Pope appoints Fargo bishop to lead Denver archdiocese

Tue, 29 May 2012 04:01:00 -0600

Vatican City, May 29, 2012 / 04:01 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Filling a post vacant for over eight months, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Bishop Samuel J. Aquila of Fargo, N.D., as the new Archbishop of Denver.

Archbishop-designate Aquila was announced on May 29 as the Denver archdiocese's new leader by nuncio Archbishop Carlo M. Vigano, the Pope's representative to the U.S.

Archbishop-designate Aquila will succeed Archbishop CharlesJ. Chaput, who led Denver-area Catholics for 14 years and was installed as head of the Philadelphia archdiocese in September 2011.

The new archbishop of Denver was born in 1950, in Burbank, Calif., and was ordained to the priesthood in Denver in 1976. He went on to serve in parishes for 11 years.

In 1987, he began graduate studies at San Anselmo University in Rome, earning a Sacramental Theology Licentiate in 1990.

He served as director for the Office of Liturgy and Master of Ceremonies in the Denver archdiocese from 1990 until 1995. He then served as the first Rector of St. John Vianney Seminary in Denver and chief executive officer of Our Lady of the New Advent Theological Institute. In 2000, he was named a monsignor by Pope John Paul II.

He was ordained as the Coadjutor Bishop of Fargo in August 2001 and succeeded Bishop James Sullivan as head of the diocese in March 2002.

After having served as Bishop of Fargo for 11 years, he will be installed as leader of the Denver archdiocese on July 18 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

Since John Paul II's historic visit to Denver in 1993 for World Youth Day, the archdiocese has been the launch site for numerous evangelization-oriented ministries.

These include initiatives such as the college campus ministry program FOCUS, the Catholic graduate school the Augustine Institute, and the women's educational organization ENDOW.

The Denver archdiocese is also home to one of the largest Catholic young adult communities in the country, and its St. John Vianney Seminary is known nationwide for its success in attracting vocations.

Decades later, a fallen soldier's family still remembers

Mon, 28 May 2012 07:00:00 -0600

Belleville, Ill., May 28, 2012 / 07:00 am (CNA).- The yellowed newsprint was unfolded carefully. Its creases spoke of being handled many times over the years since it had been printed in the 1940s after the allies had claimed victory in the “war to end all wars.”

Sgt. Carl Stadelbacher wouldn’t be home that spring or summer or any other time until his body was returned to his home in Cobden, Ill. where he would be buried at St. Joseph Church.

Like so many other soldiers, he was just a boy, really, had not quite begun to live before he was asked to defend and then die for his country in a foreign land.

Carl’s family loved him as the second of eight children of Leo and Geraldine Stadelbacher, a farm family in rural southern Illinois.

Carl’s older brother, Bob, was deferred because of the need to work on the family farm, but Carl decided he could best do his duty in the United States Army. From all accounts, he was a good friend to many of the young men in his company — Company “K” of the 112th Infantry, 28th Division — and one friend he made visited the family in Cobden when he returned to the States.

Before Carl sailed into action in Europe, he went home on a furlough, his younger sister, Marjorie Stadelbacher said.

As the youngest girl, Marjorie kept all of the correspondence between family members and Carl. When he came home on that last furlough in the 1940s, she was only six years old, but she remembers going to Hicks Woods for a picnic with Carl and the family.

After he left, her older brother and parents wrote to Carl, but letters dated January 1945 were returned, never opened. First he was designated MIA — Missing in Action — but later reclassified as a POW. He was captured Dec. 20, 1944 in Clervaux in northern Luxembourg along with other American soldiers.

In retrospect, the war was almost over, less than a year to go, and yet it kept taking the lives of young Americans.

Carl was placed in one POW camp in Germany and then moved to another. He was liberated by American soldiers April 3, 1945 and taken to an evacuation hospital where he died 12 days later of malnutrition and pneumonia a little over a month before his 23rd birthday.

His family and friends were devastated. They believed, after these months in prison, their son would finally be home soon. He wrote to them from the hospital, saying he would regain his strength and be home in about six weeks. Then the telegram came.

As for so many other families, the mailbox played a pivotal role in their lives. At first, the return of the letters worried and discouraged them. Then word of his POW status gave them hope.

Their mother was “so happy,” Marjorie said, when they received word he had been liberated. In May, the tragic news of his death was brought by the pastor and the mayor who brought the telegram to the house. He was buried temporarily in Germany but would eventually be brought home.

Two years later, his mother wrote about the life and death of her son that was published in a local newspaper.

It reads in part: “Today, they have come the medals of honor my dear boy won on the battlefields over there. As I hold them in my trembling hands, a picture passes through my tears, of a boy entering manhood with the eager look of youth upon his face.”

Later in the piece, she writes: “No letters from home to cheer him, no Red Cross aid, just hope to sustain him. Finally, starvation, with its grim hand of death, silence earth’s horror and war’s wild scream.”

In ending, she said: “Give light to them that sit in darkness, and guide their feet in the way of peace. And as background for this prayer, come the silent voices of our sons beneath their crosses, row on row: Remember.”

Years later, the area where Carl had fought and was captured was still dangerous. Land mines and unexploded ordinance being removed sometimes killed the people whose job it was to clear the area of mines.

Their mother really never recovered from Carl’s death, Marjorie said.

His parents donated a stained glass window to St. Joseph’s in Carl’s memory. “The window symbolized the sacrifice of God giving his son (to the world), and mom and dad gave their son,” Marjorie said. “She always said she understood the pain the Blessed Mother had and knew her sorrow.”

Carl’s mother died at the age of 101 in 2001.

“I still think about Carl,” Marjorie said. A small insurance policy he left to his mother “helped me get through college.” She taught kindergarten in East Alton, Ill., until returning to Cobden to live.

She planted roses at the family graves in Cobden a variety, she said “would bloom all summer.”

Marjorie described Carl as a sensitive young man, always willing to help others. She remembers one day going out to the mailbox at the farm without her shoes. The gravel driveway was hard on her feet. “Carl came out and carried me back to the house,” she said and smiled at the memory.

His kindness was described through correspondence sent to the family after he died.

“God works in different ways,” Marjorie said. “If Carl had lived, the tragedy he experienced in war may have haunted him for the rest of his life.”

She said she thinks about the young men who are serving in the military today, especially those in war torn countries.

With young men suffering through so much pain and loss, she hopes and prays they will receive the care they need to recover from their injuries — both physical and emotional.

“I’m praying that a lot of young men with shattered nerves and injuries who do not receive solace from the world will turn to God and change this world through their spiritual battles.”

Posted with permission from The Messenger, official newspaper for the Diocese of Belleville, Ill.

Roman martyrs Sts. Marcellinus and Peter remembered June 2

Sun, 27 May 2012 06:08:00 -0600

Denver, Colo., May 27, 2012 / 06:08 am (CNA/EWTN News).- On June 2, the Catholic Church remembers two fourth-century martyrs, Saints Marcellinus and Peter, who were highly venerated after the discovery of their tomb and the conversion of their executioner.

Although the biographical details of the two martyrs are largely unknown, it is known that they lived and died during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. In 302, the ruler changed his tolerant stance and pursued a policy intended to eliminate the Church from the empire.

Diocletian and his subordinate ordered the burning of Catholic churches and their sacred texts, as well as the imprisonment and torture of clergy and laypersons. The goal was to force Christians to submit to the Roman pagan religion, including the worship of the emperor himself as divine.

It was at the mid-point of this persecution, around 303, that a Roman exorcist by the name of Peter was imprisoned for his faith. While in prison, tradition holds that Peter freed Paulina, the daughter of the prison-keeper Artemius, from demonic influence by his prayers.

This demonstration of Christ's power over demons is said to have brought about the conversion of Paulina, Artemius, his wife, and the entire household, all of whom were baptized by the Roman priest Marcellinus.

After this, both Marcellinus and Peter were called before a judge who was determined to enforce the emperor's decree against the Church. When Marcellinus testified courageously to his faith in Christ, he was beaten, stripped of his clothes, and deprived of food in a dark cell filled with broken glass shards.

Peter, too, was returned to his confinement. But neither man would deny Christ, and both preferred death over submission to the cult of pagan worship.

It was arranged for the two men to be executed secretly, in order to prevent the faithful from gathering in prayer and veneration at the place of their burial. Their executioner forced them to clear away a tangle of thorns and briars, which the two men did cheerfully, accepting their death with joy.

Both men were beheaded in the forest and buried in the clearing they had made. The location of the saints' bodies remained unknown for some time, until a devout woman named Lucilla received a revelation informing her where the priest and exorcist lay.

With the assistance of another woman, Firmina, Lucilla recovered the two saints' bodies and had them re-interred in the Roman Catacombs. Sts. Marcellinus and Peter are among the saints named in the Western Church's most traditional Eucharistic prayer, the Roman Canon.

Pope St. Damasus I, who was himself a great devotee of the Church's saints during his life, composed an epitaph to mark the tombs of the two martyrs. The source of his knowledge, he said, was the executioner himself, who had subsequently repented and joined the Catholic Church.

Vibrant faith of Jamaica's poor inspires Alaska teens

Sat, 26 May 2012 13:11:00 -0600

Anchorage, Alaska, May 26, 2012 / 01:11 pm (CNA).- Nineteen youth from St. Benedict Church in Anchorage flew to balmy Jamaica during their recent spring break. But it wasn’t the warm weather and sandy beaches that drew the Alaska teens.

They were on a mission to work for a Catholic outreach known as Mustard Seed. The group coordinates missionary volunteers from the United States to work in Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Zimbabwe.

The Alaskans traveled to Jamaica, since it is an English speaking country, where they “could connect with the youth,” said Oriele Jones, one of the adults who helped lead the trip.

In Jamaica, Mustard Seed helps those living on the outskirts of the island’s capital city of Kingston. There the organization serves more than 500 disadvantaged children and young adults. These include orphans with AIDS, pregnant teens and others at 10 different locations.

SPIRITUAL MOTIVATION

From the beginning, the leadership team wanted to create a mission trip for the youth that incorporated social justice work into a deeper spiritual context.

“Before we went, we met on a monthly basis to not only get information but pray as a community,” Jones said. “We held a 24-hour fasting retreat in the fall to prepare spiritually and learn about social justice.”

The group also raised money ahead of time both to finance their travel expenses and to bring medical supplies.

Once in Jamaica, the youth participated in daily prayer, Mass and community service.

“We prayed every morning before going to the work site, had adoration and went to Mass while we were there,” said Abby McCormick, a seventh-grader at Lumen Christi High School in Anchorage.

After 6 a.m. morning prayer, the youth headed off for various work sites. At some locations, like Sophie’s Place, the youth helped feed disabled orphan children who are unable to care for themselves.

“Helping the children, like those at Sophie’s place, was the best part of the trip,” said Katlin Bowers, a ninth-grader at Lumen Christi. “To me it showed that people are struggling and trying to survive, and yet still have their faith.”

The Alaskans also performed manual labor to help improve Mustard Seed’s facilities.

“We weeded, planted seeds and made a pen for goats,” McCormick said. “It was a lot of work!”

The labor, in hot, humid weather, proved to be the biggest challenge, according to South Anchorage High School senior David Novcaski.

“There was lots of work involved, from mixing and pouring cement, digging holes and painting to landscaping,” he said. “But it was worth it to be able to help the people and see the gratitude and happiness in their own lives.”

SURPRISED BY JOY

Youth say they were struck by the joy of the Jamaican children.

At a location that ministers to children with AIDS, a boy who simply went by the name Donavon was especially memorable.

“He used a wheelchair and followed us everywhere,” Bowers said of the boy who was filled with joy. “He couldn’t talk, but he liked to be around us.”

For adult leader Jones, the opportunity to sing and pray together brought the greatest joy.

“A memorable moment for me was praying and singing evening devotions with the residents of Sophie’s Place,” Jones said. “They were so grateful for our singing — they loved to praise God through song.”

Novcaski agreed.

“We grew closer to God and were able to see first-hand how some people live in poverty,” he said.

Jones said she believes it was the first time many of the Alaskan teens had ever seen true poverty.

According to a recent United Nations report, 23 percent of Jamaicans live in poverty in the southern and rural areas. For orphans, children with AIDS and pregnant teens, organizations like Mustard Seed are vital for survival.

Despite the living conditions, the vibrant faith of the locals — in the midst of abject poverty, illness and disability — inspired the Alaskan youth.

“They are more aware of their blessings,” Jones said. “And I think they were inspired by the faith of many of the residents and how thankful they were.”

TAKE NOTHING FOR GRANTED

“It helped me to see that you shouldn’t take anything for granted,” McCormick said. “Most of the kids at Sophie’s Place couldn’t even feed themselves, but yet they were still happy.”

Some like Bowers hope other teens take advantage of future opportunities to do mission work. St. Benedict Church plans to send more volunteers to Jamaica in a couple years.

“It shows people that there is another world out there,” Bowers said. “It shows young people that life is not just about them and it provides an opportunity to be thankful for what we have here in America.”

Which is exactly what the adult leaders had hoped for.

“Missionary work is important for any Catholic,” Jones said. “Through this experience we were able to encounter Christ in the poorest of the poor, and learn to see Christ in everyone.”

Posted with permission from Catholic Anchor, official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Anchorage.

Bishop Blaire rejects claims of division over mandate lawsuits

Fri, 25 May 2012 12:59:00 -0600

Washington D.C., May 25, 2012 / 12:59 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, Calif. has clarified that he is united with his fellow bishops in their efforts to oppose the threat to religious freedom posed by the federal contraception mandate.

“I stand solidly with my brother bishops in our common resolve to overturn the unacceptable intrusion of government into the life of the Church by the HHS Mandate,” said Bishop Blaire in a May 24 statement.

He explained that he wanted to “clarify some misunderstandings” related to his earlier comments about the mandate.

A May 22 article in America magazine quoted Bishop Blaire as having concerns about an announcement the day before that 43 Catholic dioceses and organizations around the U.S. were filing lawsuits against the federal government.

Filed in 12 different jurisdictions across the country, the lawsuits challenge a federal mandate that will require employers to offer health insurance plans covering contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs, even if doing so violates their consciences.

Bishops from every diocese in the U.S. have spoken out against the regulation, warning that it poses a serious threat to religious liberty and could force Catholic schools, hospitals and charitable organizations to close.

Several media outlets and commentators have used Bishop Blaire’s comments to suggest division among the bishops regarding the mandate.

However, Bishop Blaire said that his comments have been misunderstood. He stressed his full support for his brother bishops in their efforts to fight the mandate and protect religious freedom.

He noted that the bishops’ administrative committee issued a statement in March committing to fight the mandate through appeals to the Obama administration, Congress or the courts.

“I contributed to and voted for this statement, and continue to support it, including its call for legal action as was announced on Monday,” he said.

Some liberal commentators have also suggested divisions exist among the bishops because not every diocese in the country filed a lawsuit.

However, individuals involved in the strategy discussions behind the legal action explained that the initiative did not intend to have each diocese file a suit. Rather, certain dioceses were chosen to represent a wide cross-section of the concerns and interests voiced by all the dioceses in the country.

Numerous bishops from dioceses that did not file a lawsuit have spoken out in support of the legal efforts, confirming that they are represented by the actions of their fellow bishops.

Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, who leads the U.S. bishops’ religious freedom committee, described the speculation about a lack of unity as “elements of the media looking for what they perceive to be a little, small crack in the wall.”

Speaking on EWTN's “The World Over” with Raymond Arroyo on May 24, the archbishop said that these media reports are “missing the whole story.”

He explained that the bishops have held numerous discussions and “no one disagrees about our need to defend our religious liberty.”

Bishop Blaire believes that the recent lawsuits share the same “essential goal” as the discussions with the administration and congressional advocacy.

These efforts are all united in seeking “to defend the right of the Church to define herself and to preserve the identity and integrity of the Catholic ministries exercised through her institutions,” he said.

The bishop said he recognizes that religious freedom is critical in allowing the Church to fulfill her God-given mission. It is “totally unacceptable” for the federal government to force Catholic institutions to violate their core beliefs, he said.

Bishop Blaire also urged efforts “to persuade others to join us in this just cause through reasoned civil and respectful discussion.”

He said that he looks forward to discussions at the upcoming meeting of the U.S. bishops’ conference in Atlanta this June, which will provide “an opportunity to agree on next steps to achieve our common and essential goal of ending this violation of religious freedom.”

Catholics can decide the 2012 election, expert says

Fri, 25 May 2012 04:15:00 -0600

Denver, Colo., May 25, 2012 / 04:15 am (CNA/EWTN News).- As the presidential election draws closer, political expert Brian Burch is telling Catholics that if they turn out in slightly larger numbers at the polls, they will be “the decisive vote this November.”

Although some Catholics tend to shy away from the political sphere with the mindset that it is unrelated to their faith, Burch said that due to recent developments, “we no longer have the luxury of keeping politics separate from religion.”

“Politics in the state, in our federal government in particular, is coming into our religion and we need to stand up now before it gets any worse,” the founder and president of CatholicVote.org told CNA in a recent interview.

Burch noted that in light of the federal contraception mandate and the president's recent support of “gay marriage,” Catholics have become increasingly aware of how politics are impacting their religion.

The federal contraception mandate, if enacted in its current form, will force employers to purchase insurance which covers sterilization, contraception and abortion-inducing drugs regardless of their deeply held religious beliefs.

On May 21, 43 Catholic organizations across the country, including dioceses, universities, hospitals and private businesses, filed lawsuits against the Obama administration, citing infringement of their First Amendment rights to religious freedom.

“We can't forget that religious freedom and the role of religion was what our founders built this country on,” Burch said, noting that the colonists originally fled England in order to practice their faith “without the intrusion of the state.”

The Catholic vote is not so much about “converting the Nancy Peolosis and the Joe Bidens of the world” as it is about making sure those who “love our faith and want to see it protected” turn out in larger numbers to vote in November, Burch explained.

According to statistics, “it's the people that don't vote that are actually the largest swing vote.” If Catholics turn out in a few percentage points of larger numbers, “we can decide this election.”

Catholic Vote had endorsed Rick Santorum while he was still a contender for the GOP nomination.

The former Pennsylvania senator dropped his campaign on April 10, but has since endorsed his former rival, Mitt Romney, after a meeting in which both men agreed on many issues such as traditional marriage and reining in government spending.

Catholic Vote has yet to formally endorse any other candidate, but Burch said his movement is working with their volunteers and subscribers on the decision and will announce “something very soon.”

Most voters doubt Catholic institutions would shut down over mandate

Fri, 25 May 2012 02:05:00 -0600

Washington D.C., May 25, 2012 / 02:05 am (CNA).- A new survey shows that while more Americans are opposing the federal contraception mandate, the majority of voters also doubt that Catholic institutions would shut down rather than comply with the rule.

According to a May 22-23 Rasmussen poll, 51 percent of voters find it unlikely that Catholic organizations would shut down rather than buy insurance to cover abortifacients, sterilizations and contraceptives, as required by the Obama Administration's Health and Human Services mandate.

Although 43 Catholic institutions recently announced lawsuits against the federal government over the mandate, only 40 percent of voters believe it to be “somewhat likely” that institutions would actually close their doors over the issue.

Sixteen percent believe such action to be “very likely” while 17 percent think it would be “not at all likely.”

Despite this doubt, 51 percent of voters disagree that the government should force religious organizations to provide contraception coverage if it violates their beliefs. Thirty-six percent of voters support this policy even if it violates religious beliefs.

Overall support of the mandate has fallen slightly when compared to those surveyed in a Feb. 7 poll. Of those questioned in the most recent poll, only 39 percent of voters favor the mandate as compared to the 43 percent who supported it in an earlier poll.

This new poll indicates a slight rise in women's opposition to the mandate, with female voters now evenly split over the issue. Men still overwhelmingly disagree with the mandate, with 52 percent in opposition and 34 percent in favor.

Religious freedom caucuses planned for every state legislature

Thu, 24 May 2012 16:12:00 -0600

Washington D.C., May 24, 2012 / 04:12 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Advocates of religious liberty have announced plans to launch religious freedom caucuses in all 50 state legislatures in order to fight against the erosion of religious liberty at the local level.

The caucuses will be “a focal point for those who are working on religious freedom in the states to direct and generate their efforts,” said Brian Walsh, executive director of the American Religious Freedom Program at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.

Working alongside a wide variety of faith communities and other groups, the American Religious Freedom Program is helping form and support the caucuses, which will allow state legislators to share information and connect with religious and public policy organizations as they focus on threats to religious liberty.

The caucus initiative was announced at the 2012 National Religious Freedom Conference in Washington, D.C. on May 24.

Concerns over religious freedom have escalated in recent months, reaching a peak with the Obama administration’s federal mandate that will require employers to offer health insurance plans covering contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs, even if doing so violates their consciences.

The mandate has been widely criticized as an attack on religious liberty. Catholic bishops from every diocese in the U.S. have spoken out against it, warning that it could force Catholic hospitals, schools and charitable agencies to close their doors.

Organizers of the state caucus initiative said that many threats to religious freedom begin or are found at the state level.

These attacks include attempts to require individuals to perform health care procedures that violate their beliefs, censure of policy arguments that incorporate religious beliefs, and efforts to weaken religious groups’ ability to choose their own leaders.

Concerns have also been voiced over the threat to religious freedom posed by a redefinition of marriage so that it includes homosexual couples. In states that have legalized “gay marriage,” lawsuits have already been filed against those who object to cooperating with them, threatening the conscience rights of adoption agencies, church halls and photographers, as well as other individuals and organizations.

Walsh described the developing caucuses as “a place for religious freedom expertise to reside.”

He explained that the creation process has already begun in a dozen states, including Colorado, Pennsylvania, Florida, Missouri, Virginia, Kentucky, Delaware, Idaho, Kansas, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Utah.

Walsh expects these caucuses to be up and running soon. He said that a total of about 25 caucuses are anticipated by the end of this year, and nearly every state is expected to have a caucus by the end of 2013.

The effort has drawn praise from a diverse group of religious leaders, many of whom will be helping create and support the caucuses.

“Since the founding of our Nation, we have never before witnessed threats of this magnitude from all levels of government,” said Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, who chairs the U.S. bishops’ religious freedom committee. “Citizens who care about this fundamental American right must take action to protect it.”

“Blessed by two centuries of First Amendment protections in the United States, Jews must speak up when the liberties of conscience afforded their fellow Americans are being threatened,” added Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik, director of the Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought at Yeshiva University.

“The Religious Freedom Caucuses will be a central tool in addressing these threats to religious rights before the courts are left as the only recourse,” said Dr. Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Walsh explained that the effort to build caucuses has received strong support at the state level.

This is not “a partisan issue,” but “an American issue,” he said. “Religious freedom is at the core of what it means to be American.”

New organization mobilizes lay Catholics for public square

Thu, 24 May 2012 04:01:00 -0600

Washington D.C., May 24, 2012 / 04:01 am (CNA/EWTN News).- As concerns over threats to religious liberty continue to mount, a growing Catholic organization aims to help lay men and women take action to protect conscience rights and religious freedom.

Maureen Ferguson, senior policy adviser for the newly launched Catholic Association, said the group serves as both “a voice for Catholics in the public square” and a way to educate Catholics on important issues.

Ferguson told CNA on May 23 that the association is currently focused on the defense of conscience rights, which she believes are currently facing serious threats in America.

Chief among those threats is a federal mandate issued by the Obama administration to force employers to offer health insurance plans that cover contraception, sterilization and abortion-causing drugs, even if doing so violates their consciences.

The mandate has been widely criticized by individuals and groups across the U.S., including bishops from every diocese in the country, who warned that it threatens religious freedom and could force Catholic hospitals, schools and charitable organizations to shut down.

Ferguson cautioned that the mandate will affect all Americans because the Church is the biggest non-government provider of education, health care and social services.

In discussing the mandate, the U.S. bishops “have repeatedly called on lay Catholics to step up to the plate” and work to defend freedom of conscience, she said.

The Catholic Association is trying to respond to bishops’ call by helping the lay faithful to speak out and act in support of religious liberty.

The organization is currently “preparing a campaign” to support the “Fortnight for Freedom” called for by the U.S. bishops from June 21 to July 4 in response to the current threats to religious liberty.

Dioceses across the country will launch initiatives aimed at prayer, education and public action for religious freedom during the fortnight.

Ferguson explained that The Catholic Association will be reaching out through television and internet efforts, as well as a social media campaign, to mobilize Catholics throughout the two-week period.

The campaign will ask the faithful to perform one simple act per day. These acts may include writing to their Congressional representative, sharing the importance of the cause with a friend or praying to St. Thomas More, the patron of religious freedom.

“This is not a conservative or a liberal organization, said Ashley McGuire, a senior fellow for the association.

She explained that the organization is about reaching Catholics “in all walks of life,” encouraging “grassroots action” and emphasizing the “increasing need” for the lay faithful to take up their rightful place with the clergy in defending the most basic American freedoms.

McGuire pointed to a recent survey by D.C.-based public opinion firm QEV Analytics, which found that about half of Church-attending Catholics recall hearing a statement at Mass about the contraception mandate.

The majority of these people agreed with the bishops’ objections to the mandate and its coercion of religious organizations and individuals, she said.

Recent polls show President Barack Obama losing support among Catholics, a voting group that he won in the 2008 election.

McGuire sees this as a sign that Catholics are realizing that his policies threaten their fundamental rights.

As people continue to see the danger of the mentality behind the mandate, they will continue “rejecting this attack on religious freedom,” she said.