Keep on protesting blasphemy because it gets results...

Head of Italian museum displaying 'blasphemous frog' sacked

The head of an Italian museum who offended the Pope by exhibiting a wooden sculpture of a crucified frog has been sacked amid a debate over artistic freedom.

By Nick Squires in Rome
Last Updated: 10:10PM GMT 30 Oct 2008

Corinne Diserens, the Swiss director of the museum in Bolzano, in the mountainous north-east of Italy, was dismissed after months of controversy over the bright green, bug-eyed amphibian, which is nailed to a cross and holds a frothing mug of beer and an egg.

Picture of the offending frog

She had refused to remove the work by the late German artist Martin Kippenberger despite protests from the Vatican that it was blasphemous.

She said the museum had a right to artistic freedom, and kept the frog on display as originally planned from May to September.

But a majority of the museum's board of directors disagreed and instead dismissed her this week.

The official reason given by the museum was that Ms Diserens had caused a "difficult financial situation" by overspending her budget, but supporters said she was being punished for the row over the frog.

Her sacking prompted a debate on contemporary art in the German-speaking region of Alto-Adige, where a far-right party with anti-immigration views tripled its support in local elections this week, becoming the province's second most powerful political force.

"The relationship between art and politics is never an easy one, but to be sacked because of one work of art is really incredible," said the head of a gallery in nearby Trento, Fabio Cavallucci.

Pope Benedict XVI condemned the four-foot-high frog, entitled Zuerst die Fuesse (Feet First), when he heard about it during his summer holiday in the nearby town of Bressanone.

He said it "injured the religious feeling of many people who see in the cross the symbol of the love of God and of our salvation which deserves recognition and religious devotion".

The Vatican wrote a letter of support in the pope's name to Franz Pahl, president of the regional government, who was so outraged by the sculpture that he went on a hunger strike to demand its removal and had to be taken to hospital during the summer.

"Surely this is not a work of art but a blasphemy and a disgusting piece of trash that upsets many people," he said at the time. "This decision to keep the statue there is totally unacceptable. It is a grave offence to our Catholic population," he said.

Ms Diserens had accused local politicians in the staunchly Catholic region of trying to exploit the issue ahead of the provincial elections.

Museum curators maintained that Kippenberger's frog, with its tongue out and wearing a loincloth, was a self-portrait of the artist "in a state of profound crisis" and was not an attack on the Church.

Kippenberger died in 1997 but his works have been shown at the Tate Modern and the Saatchi Gallery in London and at the Venice Biennale, and retrospectives are planned in Los Angeles and New York.

Get ready for rosary rallies 2009 -- look what one rally captain did in 2008...

Caroline Kuhn from the Las Vegas Nevada area organized multiple rallies throughout the Las Vegas metropolitan area. 

    One can see that she went through tremendous efforts to make the rallies in her area as successful as possible.  Besides that, Caroline volunteered at our local office in Kansas placing calls unceasingly.

    Here are some samples of all of the work that Caroline put into her rally.  Here is the beautiful invitation, the program and the Do's and Don'ts.  The Do's and Don'ts was an excellent tool of both positive things that the participants should do during the rally as well as things they should avoid doing.  All of these combined efforts demonstrate the seriousness with which Caroline undertook the rallies.

    Miss Fiedler from Stevens Point Wisconsin organized a good size rally with 62 in attendance.  Miss Fiedler repeatedly mailed out invitations to churches, advertised in newspapers and even on the radio.  May Our Lady truly reward both Caroline and Miss Fiedler for all of their efforts, as well as all rally captains and participants!

----------------------------------------------------------

14 Do’s and Don’ts for the Public Rosary

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Set-up time at the rally locations should start no later than 11:30 AM so someone will be there for early arrivals. The Rosary prayers will start promptly at 12 Noon local time.

1. Safety-Safety-Safety! - Please form a single line on the public sidewalk, far from the road. Keep a watchful eye on the safety of everyone around you - pedestrians, fellow rosary participants, yourselves, especially children if present.

2. Keep the banner up and stretched out - If it gets windy and the banner starts to pull and keep you off-balance or unsteady on your footing, please roll up the banner and set it aside until the wind subsides. The banners should be held up supported by at least 3 people, one on each end of the banner and another at the center.

3. Do not disrupt the normal flow of traffic - Make sure the public rosary does not block pedestrians or vehicles, nor obstruct their view of the traffic. Pedestrians must have enough room to pass through the sidewalk. We cannot have them walk on the street or get into an accident because we’re blocking their use of the sidewalk.

4. Stay on the public sidewalk - Make sure that rally participants do not step on the street or on private property during the event.

5. Pass the attendance sheet - Print the attached Rosary Rally Attendance Sheet and fill in your name as the Rally Captain. Make several copies, pass them around before and after the Public Rosary. Request attendees to fill in their names and contact information. Passing out several sheets will make the process go faster. Please collect them all after the event.

6. Take pictures – If at all possible, take 2 or 3 pictures with everyone in it including the banner. Designate only one person to take pictures and remind him/her NOT to step on the road while taking pictures.

7. Use the Public Rosary Program - Print the attached Public Rosary Program and Prayers and distribute to the attendees. You may modify it as you please but as a minimum, a full rosary (5 decades) of the Blessed Virgin Mary must be prayed. We also recommend starting with the Offering Prayer and concluding with Consecration to Jesus through Mary. If at all possible, include the Divine Praises and the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary. You may pray additional mysteries if time permits.

8. Use Bullhorn or Megaphone - All participants must be able to hear you the prayers. If you do not have a bullhorn or megaphone to use, have every 3rd person in the line to lead the prayers, and the rest to respond to the prayers. If the leader uses a bullhorn or megaphone, he/she should walk back-and-forth from one end to the other of the line so people can hear the prayers better.

9. Distribute Rosaries and "How to Pray the Rosary" Leaflets to the Public - Attendees are expected to bring their own rosaries. Rosaries and the “How To Pray The Rosary” leaflet should be given to others (public) who would like to learn how to pray the rosary.

10. The Public Rosary must be Orderly, Peaceful, and Show Reverence - As we stand on the public square in prayer, we are representing our Catholic Faith and our Church. Our actions, words, and countenance should embody true discipleship in Christ, in humility, faithfulness, and love for Our Lord, Our Blessed Mother, and our brothers and sisters.

11. Be Visible - Participants should not be covered by the banner or the hand-held signs.

12. Leave the rosary location as you found it - Please do not leave any paper or anything after the rally that the city may have to clean-up. The city will charge us heavily if they have to pick up anything we leave behind at the rally location.

13. Call me if any problem arises - We pray that there will not be any problems or incidents during the public rosary event. But if any arises, please call me at my cell phone (702) 274-4714.

14. Please send me the completed Attendees Sheet and copies of pictures/video footage taken at your rosary location.

THANK YOU for your great love and sacrifice for Our Blessed Mother! May She bless our offering and make it fruitful, bringing repentance and conversion, and ultimately, the triumph of the Her Immaculate Heart.

In Jesus and Mary,
Caroline Kuhn

Come to the Public Square Rosary in Saint Louis on Saturday, November 1

Contact Mark Serafino 314-713-0967 (cell).

We're having a Public Square Rosary at St. Francis de Sales Oratory in St. Louis (corner of Gravois and Ohio St.) on Saturday November 1st immediately following the 12:10PM High Mass.

We will stand in front of the Oratory and pray the Rosary together with special intentions for our Country.  Contact Mark Serafino 314-713-0967 (cell) with questions.

Please pray for my friend, Michael Jordan -- today is his birthday!

Here is Michael Jordan with his wife Theresa, and five children. 

Please pray for him.  Today is his birthday. 

Captain from Cincinnati continues Rosary Rally everyday of the year with banner...

     After listening to and seeing the heroic deeds of the young members of the TFP Saint Joseph pro-marriage caravan in their struggles in Arizona, California, and now Florida, we decided to re-fly Our Lady’s banner from the recent Fatima Rosary Vigil. 

Their courage inspired our courage.

Come to the Public Square Rosary in Brecksville, Ohio, on Saturday, November 1 at noon...

Contact: Edward Ritchie 330-650-6621

You are invited to pray a Public Square Rosary rally beseeching Our Lady to intervene and save America.  It will take place on Saturday, November 1 ( All Saints Day), at 12, noon, in Brecksville, at the intersection of Route 82 and Route 21.

In his magnificent work, "The Secret of the Rosary", St. Louis de Monfort states, "Public prayer is more powerful than private prayer to appease the anger of God and to call down His mercy , and Holy Mother Church, guided by the Holy Ghost, has always advocated public prayer in times of public tragedy and suffering."

In 1571, when Islamic forces threatened Europe, Pope Saint Pius V, after raising to action a Catholic fleet, ordered constant public rosary processions in the streets of Rome.  While in a meeting with his Cardinals, he went to the window. 

Moments later he returned and suddenly announced that in a vision he saw that the overwhelmingly outnumbered Catholic fleet had completely destroyed the Muslim fleet in a miraculous victory.  The triumph in this battle of Lepanto was declared and the joyful celebration of thanksgiving began.  The feast of the most Holy Rosary was instituted in thanksgiving to Our Lady for obtaining such a momentous Catholic victory.

In the same way,  we will pray a Public Square Rosary rally beseeching Our Lady to intervene and save America.  It will take place on Saturday, November 1 ( All Saints Day), at 12, noon, in Brecksville, at the intersection of Route 82 and Route 21.

Please join us as we pray to Our Lady to save America and to bring the triumph of her Immaculate Heart.

Please call me with any questions at 330-650-6621.

Reparation needed for sacrilegious theft

Parish stunned by sacrilege act

From the BBC:

The Monstrance was taken from St Peter's Church in Warrenpoint

Members of a County Down parish have been left stunned by the theft of a Monstrance from their church.

The Monstrance, which contained the Host, was taken from St Peter's Church, Warrenpoint at lunchtime on Tuesday.

Very Reverend Canon John Kearney said that although the artefact was valuable, it was "the sacrilege" which had upset his congregation.

"It has caused, certainly, a palpable sense of shock and sadness in the community," he said.

"It's a special day in the parish because many, many people come to the church in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament to take time out to pray, to reflect."

Fatima Statue 'Blesses' Wedding Anniversary

Fatima Home Visit Held in Conjunction With Wedding Anniversary   

    Recently, a host and hostess in San Antonio Texas had a Fatima Home Visit.  As part of their program for their home visit, they celebrated their fifteenth wedding anniversary. 

Forty five guests joined them in welcoming Our Lady and celebrating their anniversary.  I can think of no better way to celebrated such a milestone, than with the presence of Our Lady, after all Our Lord's first public miracle was at a wedding reception and performed at the request of Our Lady.

    This couple used this time not only to celebrate such a wonderful event with Our Lady, but also to do good to others.  One of the guests who attended was a family with a twenty eight year old daughter who suffers from a brain tumor, also attending was a neighbor whose husband had suffered from a stroke.

    This couple used such a happy occasion to practice authentic Catholic charity, which I am sure pleased Our Lady very much!

Getting ready for the Rosary Rallies in 2009 -- bigger and better than in 2008, God willing...

Being Public
An aspect of the 3,500 rosary rallies is the great joy of the participants in going public with the rosary. They derived a special pleasure in standing up for Our Lady and made special efforts to be visible.

From Mondovi Wisconsin came the new of a noontime rally of 25 people on the sidewalk of a busy highway. Motorist passed by and read the banner. The Rally Captain quoted The Secret of the Rosary by Saint Louis de Montfort which states: "Public prayer is far more powerful than private prayer to appease the anger of God and call down His mercy and Holy Mother Church, guided by the Holy Ghost, has always advocated public prayer in times of public tragedy and suffering." He reported general excitement in the group and interest in starting other rallies next year in other places since he believed “there is hunger for more of this in the small towns of our area.”

Baldwin Park, California

On short notice, one Rally Captain in Woodstock, Ga., arranged the whole event with the help of his parish pastor in just four days. About 80 people started in the center of a local park saying the Consecration prayers together before moving to the sidewalk where we could be more visible to the traffic. Many drivers offered their support or questioned what we were praying for. The event was so blessed that the parish priest asked if another Public Square Rosary Rally could be held in early November.

In Tucson, Ariz., the rosary rally was held with the local pro-life group in front of an abortion clinic. Many passersby showed support while a few loud people voiced their disapproved. It was a windy day and participants had to hold on tight to the banner.

In Omaha, Neb., a small group of Catholics felt honored to process down the street. “We must have seen hundreds of cars go by. I loved to see drivers look at us as they passed. Most responses were positive, and we were already conveniently praying for the people who responded negatively.”

More People and More Often
Many Rally Captains reported more participants than last year. Others want to have the rallies more often. Most are looking forward to next year.

The Rally Captain in Pecos, Texas reported that this rally had four times more people than the 2007 rally. Sixty participants were at the event in front of a nearby county courthouse with a good amount of exposure to traffic.

In Monticello, N.Y., about 140 people took part in a nearly four-block-long Marian procession led by the local Knights of Columbus Council Color Guard to the steps of the county courthouse where the rosary was recited in English and in Spanish. The procession was followed by a Holy Hour back at the parish church. Inspired by his parish priest, the Captain reported that all are “so looking forward to next year!”

At the county courthouse in Hays, Kans., 22 people gathered to pray the rosary for America. It began at noon as the church bells were ringing a block away. The banner was tied and taped to the wooden fence used for decoration in front of the courthouse. People waved as they drove by and read the banner. After the prayer rally some people asked if this was going to be done more often and that they would attend if more were planned.

“Last year our corner had only four people praying the Rosary, this year there were close to 25!” wrote one veteran Rosary Captain. “Our poor country is in deep trouble and our only hope is going to come from heaven.”

From Mission, Texas, the Rosary Captain reported that his rally had gone well and that the Blessed Mother had touched their hearts because “all felt that this should be done every month instead of yearly to steer this great nation in the right direction.”

“We had a very successful Public Square Rosary Crusade with great attendance compared to last year and by next year I expect to triple the number of attendees,” wrote yet another Rosary Captain. Another Captain reported 40 participants in Kalispell Montana up from 12 last year.

Fight for Marriage Continues in Florida

Miami, Florida

After breakfast we went to the Diario Las Americas for an extensive interview about the TFP campaign for traditional marriage. The Spanish newspaper circulates widely among Cuban-American exiles and other Spanish speaking families in Miami and we were given the opportunity to explain the urgent need to protect the Sacrament of marriage from the homosexual movement’s attempt to redefine and undermine it.
The scars inflicted by Communism run deep in Miami where countless Cubans live in exile. The journalists who interviewed us had both escaped from Cuba and they told us their stories. One managed to escape by pretending to be mad, thus convincing Communist authorities he was unfit to serve in the military. He was placed in a madhouse at age 14 and not even his own mother knew that he was, in fact, mentally stable and completely sane. Acting crazy for six years made it much easier for him to escape and finally reach America.
Both reporters questioned whether Communism has any influence in the United States given the fall of the Berlin Wall, which led to an interesting discussion on the Cultural Revolution, egalitarianism and the errors of Russia mentioned by Our Lady of Fatima and the metamorphoses of Communism today.
Campaign near Florida International University
By the time we reached Florida International University there weren’t many students on campus, so we moved to a busy intersection nearby and set up our banners, the American flag, and the TFP standard. It was extremely windy. The banner acted like a sail and nearly swept those who were holding it off their feet. Wow, did people honk here! I lost count; almost one honk every other second. There were moments when I literally had to scream to make myself heard by other TFP volunteers standing two feet away from me. That’s how loud all those honks were, not to mention all the thumbs up we received. Negative responses were few. A woman came out briefly with a small sign that read: “Honk if you love equal rights.” The writing on the sign was so faint, it was difficult to read and the woman holding it, with every passing minute, seemed to sink further into the shrubs on the corner where she stood, discouraged by the symphony of honks for traditional marriage as God wills it.
A rather strange thing occurred while we drove through the campus of Florida International University. As we paused to confer notes with our lead vehicle, an older man with white hair driving behind us, got out of his van and rudely interrupted our conversation: “It looks like you’re lost. If you want, I can tell you how to get back to Pennsylvania,” he said. He obviously saw our Pennsylvania plates. Besides the 6 x 10 American flag we use on campaign, neatly folded on the dash, nothing indicated what we were there planning to do. However, something about the TFP members’ presence disturbed him and he ranted about our coming to Florida to promote the “conservative agenda.” Sure enough, he was in favor of abortion and same-sex “marriage.” His agitation was surreal.

The contradiction of “Equal Rights”
I can’t resist a word on “equal rights.” Rights are the recognition of a good: the right to life, the right to the fruits of one’s labor, the right to private ownership, the right to constitute a family and so on. Now, how can something intrinsically evil be considered a right and placed on par with a good? Since when has sodomy, a moral evil, become a right? Since when has evil behavior qualified as a right?
Mr. James Bascom offered fliers to the stopped traffic at the light. When he approached a beat up truck, the driver screamed out. Since he was yelling in Spanish, Mr. Bascom did not understand what he was saying, and wasn’t sure if the man wanted a flier or not. As soon as he reached the truck door and got a good look at the driver, however, it became clear. Again, the man repeated something in Spanish and in a menacing tone, lifted a hand gun off his lap, the muzzle pointing in Mr. Bascom’s direction, and motioned that he get away. Point made gangster style.
Thank you very much for your support and especially for your prayers. All of the TFP volunteers send you their best regards and prayers.
Saint Joseph, pray for us!
Our readers write:
It is uplifting to consider this campaign for traditional marriage. Every issue touching one Sacrament moves God, engages eternity and therefore becomes substance for history. You have been writing one of the most heroic pages of American history. May Our Lady be your custody.
-- Nelson F.
I’ve been following your progress. You young men are doing an outstanding job and I’m very proud to know that you are part of our Catholic family. I’ll keep you in my prayers.
God bless you and keep you from harm,
-- Gina B.
Thank you so much for what you are doing. I will lift you in prayer (especially my daily rosary) that your mission throughout California will be protected and for the grace of the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of those souls who are in darkness. It's a shame that some CATHOLICS just don't get it!
-- Veronica B.
I love what you guys do. I love the blogsite too. Your volunteers are my heroes. You MUST tell them that for me please.
I did adoration online at www.savior.org a day ago and got the idea to do a public fast. So, hundreds if not more, are doing a fast on October 8 [for traditional marriage]. Would you be so kind as to please announce our fast on your web or blog? The more [who pray and fast] the better for our nation and for marriage. Right now on my table is a statue of Our Lady of Fatima with a candle burning all day for her feast and for the success of traditional marriage.
Thanks for sending your troops to LA and all of CA to help witness for marriage and for Christ. I was so inspired. I was so impressed. God reward you for your great works of witness.
-- Frances
San Francisco, CA
How to Support the Caravan
If you want to help protect the institution of marriage, the family and future of America, please consider filling our van's gas tank with fuel and keep us on the road for traditional marriage. So far we've traveled 8,142 miles for God's marriage.
Sponsor 1 tank of gas, 330 miles, for $107.00
Sponsor 2 tanks of gas, 660 miles, for 214.00
Sponsor 3 tanks of gas, 990 miles, for $321.00
Or even 5 tanks of gas, 1650 miles, for $535.00
If you would like to make your contribution by mail, please send a check payable to TFP Student Action and mail it to:
TFP Student Action,
1358 Jefferson Rd.
Spring Grove, PA 17362.
Financial Reports Notice

New desecration video on YouTube, old videos pulled

Please offer thanksgiving that the maker (fsmdude) of the 55 Host Desecration videos has finally removed them from YouTube!

I have included a thanksgiving prayer at the bottom of this post for you to say. Please say it with fervor, ardor and zeal.

But the fight to defend Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist continues. A new blasphemer who calls himself TJ has posted a video http://uk.youtube.com/user/Discipline01 on YouTube, and he states:

“I have no respect for your Jesus-freak nonsense and I am happy to offend you and your filthy, hate mongering, sadistic, piece of c-xxx scumbag of a God!!!”

Because in his new video, TJ says:

“…everyday I am going to go to Church, I am going to get my little wafer, I am going to smuggle it out after it has been blessed and it is Jesus’ body, and I am going to bring it home, and I will collect them until I have about 5 of them…and then I am going to make a video and I am going to desecrate them in a very vile way. I am not exactly sure what yet, but I have a whole week to come up with my methods. So, if anyone has any ideas, let me know.”

He uses pages of the Bible to blow his nose, saying it is “a stupid book, a work of fiction and if you don’t like what I just did, get over it! Because believe me, I am going to do way worse in the days and weeks to come.”

And he ends with: “The Eucharist has not seen desecration until TJ desecrates it.”

Shocking!

You and I cannot accept this type of hate speech against our dearest Lord in the Blessed Eucharist.

We must protest immediately to YouTube and Google directors telling them this new video is beyond the pale and must be pulled immediately. Today. Right now. This instant.

And we must demand that TJ’s account be suspended so he cannot post the vile desecrations of the Holy Eucharist that he has threatened to do.

Because YouTube-Google has pulled videos offensive to Jews and Muslims but seems slow to pull videos that attack the Catholic Church, Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, and the Bible: the inspired word of God.

This is not fair.

SEND your protest message NOW! And please offer a prayer of reparation as well. I have included one below for your convenience.

--------------------------------------------------------

Sample message to YouTube-Google

Google/YouTube Board Members,

     This is to vehemently complain against a new video (http://uk.youtube.com/user/Discipline01) posted on YouTube by TJ in which he insults the Catholic Faith, blows his nose on pages of the Bible, and threatens to steal Holy Communion Hosts to desecrate in the most vile ways and post videos of himself doing it.

I don’t accept this. I understand you have pulled videos offensive to Jews and Muslims. I expect you to remove any and all videos that offend the most sacred beliefs of Catholics.

As a board member of YouTube or Google, I demand you ensure that Catholics receive respect, and equal and fair treatment.

----------------------------------------------------

Contact information for YouTube-Google

Google-YouTube
1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Mountain View, CA 94043
Fax: +1 650-253-0001

Phone (650) 253-0000, then press “0″ for a live operator.

More worldwide Google contact information below.

------------------------------------------------------

Prayer of Thanksgiving

O God, of Whose mercies there is no number, and of Whose goodness the treasure is infinite; we render thanks to Your most gracious majesty for the gifts You have bestowed upon us, evermore beseeching Your clemency, that as You grant the petitions of them that ask You, You will never forsake them, but will prepare for the reward to come. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Fatima Prayer of Reparation

O Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore thee profoundly. I offer thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which He is offended. By the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of thee the conversion of poor sinners.

-----------------------------------------------------

To the sinner's pride we oppose Mary’s total humility. 

Let’s quote from St. Alphonsus de Liguori’s The Glories of Mary:

“Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to thy word." Oh, what more beautiful, more humble, and more prudent answer could all the wisdom of men and of angels united have invented...

“Oh powerful answer ... that hardly came forth from the humble heart of Mary before it drew from the bosom of the eternal Father, the only begotten Son, to be come man in her most pure womb!

“Yes, for hardly had she uttered these words: Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word; when immediately the Word was made flesh : the Son of God became also the Son of Mary”

------------------------------------------------------

More worldwide Google contact information:

United States

Google Inc.
1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Mountain View, CA 94043
Phone: +1 650-253-0000
Fax: +1 650-253-0001

Google Ann Arbor
201 S. Division St.
Suite 500
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Phone: +1 734-332-6500
Fax: +1 734-332-6501

Google Atlanta
Millennium at Midtown
10 10th Street NE
Suite 600
Atlanta, GA 30309
Phone: +1 404-487-9000
Fax: +1 404-487-9001

Google Austin
Plaza 7000
7000 North MoPac Expressway, 2nd Floor
Austin, TX 78731

Google Boulder
2590 Pearl Street
Suite 100
Boulder, CO 80302
Phone: +1 303-245-0086
Fax: +1 303-535-5592

Google Cambridge
5 Cambridge Center, Floors 3-6
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: +1 617-575-1300
Fax: +1 617-575-1301

Google Chicago
20 West Kinzie St.
Chicago, IL 60610
Phone: +1 312-840-4100
Fax: +1 312-840-4101

Google Coppell
701 Canyon Drive
Suite 120
Coppell, TX 75019
Phone: +1 214-451-4000
Fax: +1 214-451-4001

Google Detroit
114 Willits Street
Birmingham, MI 48009
Phone: +1 248-593-4000
Fax: +1 248-593-4001

Google Irvine
19540 Jamboree Road
2nd Floor
Irvine, CA 92612
Phone: +1 949-794-1600
Fax: +1 949-794-1601

Google Kirkland
Central Way Plaza
720 4th Avenue, Ste 400
Kirkland, WA 98033
Phone: +1 425-739-5600
Fax: +1 425-739-5601

Google New York
76 Ninth Avenue
4th Floor
New York, NY 10011
Phone: +1 212-565-0000
Fax: +1 212-565-0001

Google New York
Chelsea Market Space
(mail cannot be received at this address)
75 Ninth Avenue
2nd and 4th Floors
New York, NY 10011
Phone: +1 212-565-0000
Fax: +1 212-565-0001

Google Pittsburgh
Google Inc.
Collaborative Innovation Center
4720 Forbes Avenue
Lower Level
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Phone: +1 412-297-5400
Fax: +1 412-297-5401

Google Reston
1818 Library Street
Suite 400
Reston, VA 20190
Phone: +1 202-370-5600
Fax: +1 202-370-5601

Google San Francisco
345 Spear Street
Floors 2-4
San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: +1 415-736-0000

Google Santa Monica
604 Arizona Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Phone: +1 310-460-4000
Fax: +1 310-309-6840

Google Seattle
Evanston Building
501 N. 34th Street, Suite 300
Seattle, WA 98103
Phone: +1 206-876-1500
Fax: +1 206-876-1501

Google Seattle
651 N. 34th St.
Seattle, WA 98103
Phone: +1 206-876-1800
Fax: +1 206-876-1701

Google Washington DC
1101 New York Avenue, N.W.
Second Floor
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: +1 202-346-1100

Asia Pacific

Australia

Google Melbourne
Google Australia Pty Ltd.
Rialto South Tower, Level 27
525 Collins Street
Melbourne, Victoria 3000
Australia
Phone: +61 (0)3 9935 2911
Fax: +61 (0)3 9935 2750

Google Sydney
Google Australia Pty Ltd.
Levels 11 & 18, Tower 1, Darling Park
201 Sussex St.
Sydney, 2000 NSW
Australia
Phone: +61 2 9374 4000
Fax: +61 2 9374 4001

China Mainland

Google Beijing
Tsinghua Science Park Bldg 6
No. 1 Zhongguancun East Road
Haidian District
Beijing 100084
Phone: +86-10-62503000
Fax: +86-10-62503001

Google Guangzhou
Tower A, 23/F, Center Plaza
161 Lin he Xi Lu, Tian He District
Guangzhou, 510620

Google Shanghai
16F, Raffles City
No.268 Xizang Zhong Road, Huangpu District
Shanghai, China 200001
Phone: +86-21-61337666

Hong Kong

Google Hong Kong
Tower 1, Times Square
1 Matheson Street
Room 1706
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Phone: +852-3923-5400
Fax: +852-3923-5401

India

Google Bangalore
Google India Pvt. Ltd
No. 3, RMZ Infinity - Tower E
Old Madras Road
3rd, 4th, and 5th Floors
Bangalore, 560 016
India
Phone: +91-80-67218989

Google Gurgaon
Google India Pvt Ltd
8th and 9th Floors
Tower C Building No.8
DLF Cyber City
Gurgaon India
122002
Phone: +91-124-4512900

Google Hyderabad
Google India Pvt. Ltd
RMZ FUTURA
BLOCK A, Fourth Floor
Plot No. 14, Road NO 2
Madhapur, Hi Tech City
Hyderabad 500 081
Phone: +91-40-66193600

Google Mumbai
Google India Pvt Ltd
264-265 Vasvani Chambers
1st Floor
Dr Annie Besant Road
Mumbai, 400 025
India
Phone: +91-22-6611-7200

Japan

Google Japan Headquarters
6F Cerulean Tower
26-1 Sakuragaoka-cho
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8512

Google Osaka
9F, Edobori Center Building
2-1-1 Edobori
Nishi-ku, Osaka 550-0002

Korea

Google Seoul
Google Korea LLC.
22nd Floor, Gangnam Finance Center
737 Yeoksam-dong
Kangnam-gu
Seoul 135 984
South Korea
Phone: +82-2-531-9000
Fax: +82-2-531-9001

Singapore

Google Singapore
#38-01/01A
8 Shenton Way
Singapore 068811
Phone: +65 6521-8000
Fax: +65 6521-8901

Taiwan

Google Taipei
Level 73, Taipei 101 Tower
7 Xinyi Road, Sec. 5, Taipei, 110
Taiwan
Phone: 886 2 8729 6000
Fax: 886 2 8729 6001

Europe

Czech Republic

Google Prague
Praha City Center
Klimentska 46
Prague, Czech Republic
11002

Denmark

Google Aarhus
Aabogade 15
8200 Aarhus N
Denmark

Google Copenhagen
Google Denmark ApS
Frederiksborggade 20, 1st Floor
1360 Copenhagen K.
Denmark

Finland

Google Helsinki
Luna House
Mannerheimintie 12 B
Helsinki

France

Google Paris
38 avenue de l'Opéra
75002 Paris
France
Phone: +33 (0)1 42 68 53 00
Fax: +33 (0)1 53 01 08 15

Germany

Google Hamburg
Google Germany GmbH
ABC-Strasse 19
20354 Hamburg
Germany
Phone: +49 40-80-81-79-000
Fax: +49 40-4921-9194

Hungary

Google Budapest
Árpád Fejedelem útja 26-28.
Budapest, Hungary
1023

Ireland

Google Dublin
Google Ireland Ltd.
Gordon House
Barrow Street
Dublin 4
Ireland
Fax: +353 (1) 436 1001

Italy

Google Italy
Corso Europa 2
20122 Milan
Phone: +39 02-36618 300
Fax: +39 02-36618 301

Netherlands

Google Amsterdam
Claude Debussylaan 34
Vinoly Mahler 4
Toren B, 15th Floor
Amsterdam, Netherlands
1082, Netherlands
Phone: +31 (0)20-5045-100
Fax: +31 (0)20-524-8150

Norway

Google Oslo
C.J. Hambros plass 2C
N-0164 Oslo
Phone: +47 22996288
Fax: +47 22996010

Google Trondheim
Google Norway AS
Beddingen 10
7014 Trondheim
Norway
Phone: +47 73 58 60 00
Fax: +47 73 58 60 01

Poland

Google Kraków
ul. Krupnicza 16
Kraków, 31-123
Poland
Phone: +48 12 398 85 00
Fax: +48 12 398 85 01

Google Wrocław
Bema Plaza, V pietro
Plac Gen. Jozefa Bema nr 2
50-265 Wroclaw
Poland
Phone: +48 71-734-1000

Russian Federation

Google Moscow
OOO Google
7 Balchug st.
Moscow 115035
Russian Federation
Phone: +7-495-644-1400
Fax: +7-495-644-1401

Google St. Petersburg
Alia Tempora
ul. Mayakovskogo Bldg 3B
Floors 8-9
Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation,
191025
Phone: +7 (812) 313-4800
Fax: +7 (812) 313-4801

Spain

Google Madrid
Torre Picasso
Plaza Pablo Ruiz Picasso 1
Madrid 28020
Phone: +34 91-748-6400
Fax: +34 91-748-6402

Sweden

Google Luleå Sweden
Aurorum 2
Luleå, 977 75
Sweden

Google Stockholm
Mäster Samuelsgatan 60
111 21 Stockholm
Sweden

Switzerland

Google Zürich
Brandschenkestrasse 110
8002 Zürich
Switzerland
Phone: +41 44-668-1800
Fax: +41 44-668-1818

United Kingdom

Google London
Google UK Ltd
Belgrave House
76 Buckingham Palace Road
London SW1W 9TQ
United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (0)20-7031-3000
Fax: +44 (0)20-7031-3001

Google Manchester
Google UK Ltd
Peter House
Oxford Street
Manchester
M1 5AN

Canada

Google Montreal
1253 McGill College, Suite 250
Montreal, Quebec, H3B 2Y5
Phone: 514-670-8700
Fax: 514-670-8701

Google Toronto
Toronto Life Square
10 Dundas Street East
Suite 600
Toronto, Ontario M5B 2G9
Phone: +1 416-915-8200
Fax: +1 416-915-8201

Google Waterloo
340 Hagey Blvd
2nd Floor
Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 6R6
Phone: 519-880-2300
Fax: 519-880-3401

Latin America

Argentina

Google Buenos Aires
Dock del Plata
Alicia Moreau de Justo 350, 2nd floor
Buenos Aires, C1107AAH
Phone: +54-11-5530-3000
Fax: +54-11-5530-3001

Brazil

Google Sao Paulo
Google Brasil Internet Limitada
Av. Brigadeiro Faria Lima
nº 3900 5th floor, Itaim
Sao Paulo, 04538-132
Brazil
Phone: +55-11-3797-1000
Fax: +55-11-3797-1001

Mexico

Google Mexico
Torre Esmeralda Blvd. Avila Camacho #36
Piso 12
Lomas de Chapultepec
Mexico DF 1100
Phone: +52 55-9171-1615
Fax: +52 55-9171-1699

Middle East

Egypt

Google Cairo
19 El Shahid Helmy El Masry St.
Almaza Area- P.O. Box 150
Heliopolis, Cairo
Egypt

Israel

Google Haifa
Building 30
MATAM, Advanced Technology Center
PO Box 15096
Haifa, 31905
Israel

Google Tel Aviv
Google Israel Ltd.
Levinstein Tower
23 Menachem Begin Road
Tel-Aviv, 66183
Israel

Turkey

Google Istanbul
Google Advertising and Marketing Ltd Sti
Kanyon Ofis Binasi Kat. 6
Buyukdere Cad. No. 185
Levent, Istanbul 34394

United Arab Emirates

Google Dubai
Dubai Internet City
Building 9, office 220/221
P.O Box 502966
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Phone: +971 4 4370 688
Fax: +971 4 4370 681

Rosary Rally on Nov. 1 in Caritas Alabama...

We are holding a rosary rally in Caritas, Alabama on November the 1, 2008 at the tree.  Please pass on the word.

My number is 813-684-1032.   If I am not there leave a message.

-- Mrs. Lester

Thank you for prayers and please pray again...

Mrs. Thelma Escaro thanks everyone for their prayers for her daughter Joy who has been and is currently in a coma after a terrible accident.

Also, please pray for Anthony Maleski and his family (below). He was hit by a train October 23. His injuries are critical, including possible paralysis. He is at Allegheny Hospital in Pittsburgh.

Thank Grucci for saying: "No Christmas, No Participation..."

Grucci did the right thing...

The Grucci Firework company will NOT participate in an annual Christmas event in New York.  The reason is the event changed its name from the Christmas Boat Parade to the Patchogue Holiday Boat Parade.

Thank Grucci for its principled stand!

Contact Fireworks by Grucci

Fireworks by Grucci
One Grucci Lane, Brookhaven, NY 11719 USA
Tel: 631 286 0088  Fax: 631 286 9036
E-mail: pbutler@grucci.com

More info on Grucci:

From our triumph as the first American fireworks family
to win the Gold Medal at the annual Monte Carlo Fireworks Competition in 1979 . . . . . . to the Grand Opening of Denver's Invesco Field Stadium . . .
. . . the APEC Economic Summit Conference in Shanghai, China . . . . . . and the recently completed 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games . . . we are continuing to redefine the art of pyrotechnics.

As the innovators and creators of the state-of-the-art style of displaying fireworks, we have produced all the major firework programs in the United States and many places in the world over the past decades:

— Six consecutive U.S. Presidential Inaugurations:
— Ronald Reagan — 1981, 1985
— George Bush — 1989
— William Clinton — 1993, 1997
— George W. Bush — 2001
— Statue of Liberty Centennial — 1986
— Brooklyn Bridge Centennial — 1983
— The Olympic Games:
— Lake Placid — 1981
— Los Angeles — 1985
— Salt Lake City — 2002
— World's Fairs:
— Knoxville, Tennessee— 1982
— New Orleans, Los Angeles — 1984
— Taejon, Korea— 1993

Crusading for traditional marriage in Florida

Volunteers of TFP-ANF holding pro-marriage signs during rush hour in Florida. 

Las Vegas pictures from Red Rock Public Rosary Rally

Here are pictures from the Red Rock Public Rosary led by Mr. Ed Graveline in Las Vegas.

Please see these wonderful pictures from the Rosary Rallies

Thank you so much for having our report and pictures posted on your blog.  It's truly an honor.  We join you in prayers that Our Lord may permit us to hold a worldwide public rosary crusade next year.  That would be so awesome! 

Here attached are pictures taken at the Suncoast and Children's Public Rosary led by Mrs Liza Barte. 

Also included are pictures of the Westcliff Dr. public rosary led by Mrs. Kim Thomas.  The American flags and the signs that you see reflect the people's urgent plea to Heaven for the help that our nation so desperately needs now.  

Zooming in on the pictures, their signs read the following petitions:

'We pray for all of our Military and their Families'

'We pray for all Americans in Financial Crisis'

'We pray for our Youth and Elderly'

If you could please include these pictures also for posting on the ANF website PSR pictures gallery, we'd be very grateful for that too.

God bless you and the wonderful work that you do for Our Lord and Our Lady.

In Jesus and Mary,
Caroline Kuhn

"Our Lady" Visits Enthusiastic Hostess in San Antonio

    A hostess in San Antonio who had a Fatima Home Visit 9 years ago, recently had another opportunity to welcome Our Lady into her home.

    She had  16 adults and 3 children present.  She described the visit as more that what she expected. She particularly liked the audiovisual about Fatima and the custodian, whom she described as, "very nice and very patient with everyone who had questions.  He was able to answer everyone to their satisfaction."

    She also complimented the scheduling process describing it as excellent and very accommodating.

    For some of her guests it was their first opportunity to see the statue.  They became very emotional and amazed at how beautiful the statue was. They were surprised to learn that such a beautiful statue of Our Lady of Fatima could visit their home.

    The hostess closed by hoping that she won't have to wait nine more years for Our Lady to visit her home again.

    If you would like to sign up to host the Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima in your home please call toll free at (866 ) 584 - 6085 or email Francis Slobodnik at fjslo@aol.com

Report and photos from rally captain in Las Vegas...

With help from Our Blessed Mother, the public rosaries in Las Vegas went very well last October 11 despite the windy conditions and the extraordinary cold weather that day.  While the turnout was not as big as last year, we definitely covered more areas this year. 

More than 20 public rosaries were held in various parts of the city including in front of abortion clinics, big casinos and hotels, parks and shopping centers, on sidewalks across the Las Vegas Cathedral and other Catholic churches and landmarks, and on busy major intersections. 

One was specially organized as a children's public rosary and was well attended and led by young children.  We saw a tremendous and very moving display of love for Our Blessed Virgin everywhere.  Even motorists and passers by gave thumbs up signs, blew their horns, or waved as a sign of support to the public prayers. 

Attached is a copy of our program and also a sample of the fliers distributed or placed in the weekly bulletins in several of our local Catholic Churches.  In some parishes, a Holy Mass was offered followed by a procession and/or a talk on the history of the apparitions of Our Lady in Fatima. 

There was much joy and thanksgiving in the hearts of everyone who attended the public rosaries.   Many said we should do it more often because our nation is desperately in need of prayers especially during these very critical times when so much is at stake for our country. 

The rally captains already signed up for next year's public rosary.  And we have started to enlist the support of many of our new contacts in the twenty-some Las Vegas parishes in anticipation of the public rosary next year.  Attached are initial pictures taken at some of our public rosary locations in Las Vegas. 

Others will follow.  Someone suggested that for next year, we should reserve a park where all participants can proceed for fellowship and celebration following the public rosary event.  We did not have enough time to plan for that this year; however, we were able to hold a post-public rosary gathering for our rally captains to thank them for their dedication and support in making the Las Vegas public rosary this year a success. 

Also attached is a picture taken of some of the rally captains who were able to attend.  It was wonderful because some of us have not met in person before. 

Everyone was excited to share how their public rosaries went and ideas for the next public rosary campaign. I thought you might want to meet (at least in picture) some of our rally captains so here they are.

From left facing the picture are: Mr. John Layman, Mr. Jim Hurja, Mrs. Kim Thomas, Caroline Kuhn, Mrs. Diane Ventura, Mrs. Pat Layman, Mr. Ed Graveline, Mrs. Liza Barte, Mrs. Susan Hurja, and Mr. Johnny Ventura.  Mr. Clark Barte was behind the camera.  (Sorry, some have left the gathering by the time someone thought of taking a group picture.) 

Please accept our deepest gratitude to America Needs Fatima for organizing this nationwide public prayer and offering to Our Blessed Mother.  We cannot thank you all at TFP-ANF enough for this wonderful gift of being able to express our love for Our Blessed Mother and pray for our country in such a very special way, along with thousands of our brothers and sisters in Christ across the nation! 

Also, please give my special thanks and best regards to Mr. Edward Ritchie, Mr. Michael Drake, and the TFP members in the Spring Grove office for their kindness and support.  And to Mr. Francis Slobodnik, Mr. Chris Pierce and to all the  wonderful folks at the Kansas office and their families for the lovely and memorable stay I had with them in September.  I will never forget their hospitality, friendship, and kindness.

May Our Lord bless and keep you always.
Caroline Kuhn

Double standard in the way businesses treats Muslims and Catholics -- remember the Da Vinci Code?

 

October 20, 2008

Sony's shameful surrender to Islam

Sony have given in to Islam. There had been barely a murmur of protest, but because the soundtrack to its new game LittleBigPlanet contained to Koran verses - including the line 'Every soul shall have the taste of death' - the manufacturers have withdrawn the game and are going to change the soundtrack. Frightened of the words being taken literally perhaps. ElderofZiyon has the details. This stinks, it really does. Regular readers of this blog will remember the story we broke about Sony's shoot-em-up game that showed a lethal gun fight in the nave of Manchester Cathedral. Manchester is a centre of gun crime and campaigning against this is a central plank of the cathedral's mission. Despite requests and protests from Christian groups, Sony refused to withdraw the game. Why so craven when it comes to Islam, so contemptuous when it comes to Christianity? My advice? Stick with Nintendo.

Posted by Ruth Gledhill on October 20, 2008 at 10:57 AM in Islam | Permalink

Note:

We could add that despite the tremendous worldwide Catholic protest against Sony's blasphemous Da Vinci Code movie, Sony carried on as if nothing was going on.

Imagine if that had been a movie against Mohammed?

Video of 2008 Rosary Rally in Bergenfield, New Jersey

Nice job!

What I found most interesting about this rally was how the people launched balloons into the sky with petitions to Our Lady tied to their strings...

Take a look, and see what you think.

Gift For Public Square Rally Captains

    All of our rally captains were sent a beautiful triptych of Our Lady of Fatima.  On the outside panels are Blesseds Jacinta and Francisco. 

The panels open up to a beautiful image of Our Lady of Fatima. 

 

But, that is not all, on the panels beneath the photos of Blessed Francisco and Jacinta is a quote from each.  On the inside of the panels framing Our Lady is the Angel Prayer and some words given by Our Lady at Fatima on July 13, 1917.

    If you were a rally captain and for some reason did not receive your memento please email our campaign director, Francis Slobodnik at fjslo@aol.com  I will make sure that a memento is sent out right away.

More Accounts of Public Rosary Rallies

    While the overwhelming majority of reports reflect success at their rallies, occasionally someone reports of a low or in this case a zero turnout.  This rally captain contacted his local parish and it was printed in the bulletin for three weeks straight, nevertheless, no one showed up.  If this happened to you, remember we can offer these trials and disappointments to Our Lady.  With the proper state of soul, I am confident that Our Lady can multiply our efforts as though a good crowd were present.

    Another captain in California used the banner as well as three children of Mary posters of Our Lady of Fatima.  These are posters that are sent to those devotees of Our Lady who sign up to become closer to Our Lady by being involved in spreading Her message in special ways.  This captain also commented that the police department was very cooperative and wished them well on their rally.

    An incredible rally captain from Hawaii, who also spent several weeks at our campaign office volunteering, was able to organize 44 rally captains in Hawaii!  She closed her note with the words, "We will continue to pray for the success for the Public Square Rosary Crusade.  Hawaii will continue to strengthen our efforts for the triumph of Our Lady's Immaculate Heart."

The Mail Continues to Pour In Overwhelming Volunteers

    This is a photo of the last two volunteers at our Kansas campaign office.  On the left is Mrs. Sue Clark of Paulding Ohio, on the right is Mrs. Patricia Schmutz of Zanesville Ohio. 

    As you can see they have quite a lot to do going through all of the rally reports.  This amount of mail was from a second run to the post office at noon time.  A pile equal to this came in during the morning run.

    As the mail is reviewed we will continue to report on the incredible happenings for Our Lady across the country. 

     My favorite picture from one of the rosary rallies is this one of a lady in deep prayer.  And it matches one of my favorite quotes:

"When men resolve to cooperate with the grace of God, the marvels of history are worked: the conversion of the Roman Empire; the formation of the Middle Ages; the reconquest of Spain, starting from Covadonga; all the events that result from the great resurrections of soul of which peoples are also capable. These resurrections are invincible, because nothing can defeat a people that is virtuous and truly loves God."

Plinio Correa de Oliveira

Rosary Rallies Great Success: “God Will Not Refuse Our Petitions…”

Preliminary Report over 3,000 Public Square Rosary Rallies 2008

At intersections, town halls, city parks and other public places, they came in the tens of thousands as Catholics gathered to pray Public Square Rosaries on October 11 at as many as 3,500 locations across the nation. Participants from all walks of life and all ages made this special effort to be public witnesses to the Fatima Message. Their basic message was:

“We’re praying that God save America…”

The rallies were the crowning achievement of six months of intensive planning. When October 11 arrived, the American TFP and its America Needs Fatima campaign could proudly announce that – thanks be to God – well over 3,000 rallies were held across the United States. At the same time across the ocean in Portugal, volunteers placed 3,500 roses – each representing a rally captain -- at the sanctuary of Our Lady at Fatima.

Rallies with a Purpose

The rallies had a simple purpose: to ask God, through Our Lady’s rosary, to save America from its current moral, spiritual, financial and political crisis. It is evident that human solutions will not suffice. Divine assistance is necessary. Thus, the idea of public prayer seems to have captured the imagination of many American Catholics as a solution to the problems the nation faces.

“America is in such a desperate situation, I just know God heard our prayers. The Virgin Mary offered our rosaries to God on Saturday,” said one rally captain from Pennsylvania, “God will not refuse our petition in our time of suffering and uncertainty.”

A Massive Response
In John Haffert’s book, Meet the Witnesses, he estimated that 70,000 to 100,000 people went to Fatima on October 13, 1917 to see the Miracle of the Sun. On October 11, 2008, an estimated 120,000 Catholics went out to the Public Square Rosary Rallies in America.

With 3,500 Rosary Captains committed to organizing these events, the mere scope of these rallies was incredible. With the help of the campaign’s central office near Topeka, Kan., Rally Captains received all that was necessary to organize their own events – a banner, organizing kit and nametags. Posters and programs were downloadable from the Internet. News of the rallies spread quickly and to such an extent that there were rallies in every major city and all fifty states.

Rally locations were published on America Needs Fatima’s web site so that participants could find the one nearest to them. An impressive network was formed in which local organizers would meet nearby Catholics where they thought none existed. Some rallies were only blocks apart. Participants from last year’s rallies became Rally Captains this year, which often increased the number of rallies in a single city.

There were, for example, some half a dozen rallies in the city of Hazleton, Pa. In York, Pa, there were two rallies, one with more than 50 participants. In Topeka, Kansas, there were four rallies within blocks of each other. It is estimated that there were seventy rallies just in the Miami metropolitan area alone.

In this respect, one Rally Captain in Miami wrote: "On Saturday, October 11, 2008, 30 people prayed the Rosary publicly at Bird Road. Our rally was one of five on Bird Road, one of 50 in Dade County, and one of 3,500 prayed at the same time all across America at 12 noon.

We prayed to God and to Our Holy Mother for their intercession to put an end to the bad things that are happening in our nation and in the world, politically, economically, the lack of morality, ethics and principles, plus abortions and outright blasphemy.”

Before a Higher Supreme Court

Members of the American TFP gathered in front of the Supreme Court in Washington D.C. for a Rosary Rally in one of the nation’s most symbolic places. The event was graced with a statue of Our Lady of Fatima with an escort of TFP members in ceremonial garb. The program included the rosary, hymns, bagpipe music and other prayers.

America Needs Fatima director Robert Ritchie reminded the participants that the prayers of 3,500 rallies were being presented before yet a higher court – the throne of God. Mr. Ritchie especially mentioned the need for reparation for the videos showing Host desecration now on YouTube and which has been the target of a special TFP campaign.

Noteworthy Rallies
While the rally reports are just starting to come in, there are some that already stand out. One of the largest rallies was in Austin, Tex., where according to News 8 Austin, “more than 1,000 Christians participated in a prayer rally at the Capitol Saturday,” three hundred of which paraded on the Capitol steps. There was also a large group at the Capitol Building in Harrisburg, Pa. Another group stationed itself in the middle of Jackson Square in New Orleans.

Over 100 people gathered in Cincinnati’s Fountain Square where the rosary was led by a local priest while another gave a short homily. The well-organized event also featured a sound system on Fountain Square to play various renderings of “Ave Maria” and a 60-slide Power Point presentation that looped through the entire vigil that was displayed on a 20-foot high screen on top of the building immediately behind the podium and speakers. The event was blessed with the wonderful weather as the Captain noted, “Our Lady must truly know the weatherman”

“We thought our family was going to be the only people there,” said one young participant at the rally in Marysville, Calif. However, in the middle of the first rosary, another family came who had come the past year. Then, others arrived including one mother with the youngest participant: her two-month-old baby. Two of the young boys played music like “God Bless America” on their trumpets to add to the enthusiasm of the rally. One man watched for a distance. He said he was a veteran of World War II and that he was not a praying man, but the crisis that the nation is facing today, is the worse crisis that the nation has ever faced, and that the only answer is prayer. He said that he was glad that there are Americans all over the country taking to the streets, and praying in town squares.

At this same rally, pedestrians came and started praying while others came up and kissed the picture of Our Lady on the banner. During the whole rally, there were honks, waves, and thumbs up in approval. Many cars slowed down to read our banner, and others who had slowed down, came back around to re-read it. As the rally ended, a lady and her friends spontaneously began singing traditional Mexican songs of praise to Our Lady.

One of the rosary rallies in St. Louis, Mo., had some 50 participants led by the parish pastor. Children as young as one joined seniors assembled at the corner where they began the Rosary prayers. The singing of songs to Our Lady was led by the choir director and the event ended with a blessing from the pastor. There were numerous honks, thumbs up and shouts of encouragement… and a small dose of cowardly obscene gestures and scowls. All of the attendees were exhilarated by the Rally and the shared conversations on the sidewalk lasted long after the Rally was over. The pastor expressed disappointment that this was 'only' done once a year, and has already planned a second rally for November 1.

There were nearly 15 people at the Public Square Rosary Rally in Stockholm – Sweden that is. The event started at a church in the center of Stockholm where they lit a candle and prayed before starting off on a pilgrimage while walking through the city’s center. The group walked through the central square of Stockholm’s‘ King’s Garden, passed in front of the Royal Palace, then through the quays and finally ended at the Cathedral were they celebrated St Bridget’s feast day. “This Pilgrims’ Way seems nothing to some,” reported the Rally Captain, “but for those who know Sweden, it is unbelievable. I want to thank you in the name of Sweden!” The group reported that they have been trying for twenty years to do such a rosary and took courage from the over 3,000 rallies in America.

Facing Obstacles
As reports started flooding in from across the country, it was evident that Rally Captains and participants felt a great joy in praying the Rosary and honor Our Lady in public. The intensity of their commitment and their willingness to overcome obstacles is extremely edifying.

Like last year, participants in the rallies faced all sorts of obstacles ranging from discouragement from friends to inclement weather.

In South Beach, Fla., for example, over 100 people participated in the rosary rally. This beachfront community is known for its large hotels with tourists from all over the world. The Rally Captain reported a large number of these tourists got a different sight on Saturday morning as many stopped to take pictures of the event. She noted that she had been discouraged from organizing the rally from those who said that she would never get a permit for such a “liberal” area. She got the permit and, full of energy and devotion to Our Lady, held the rally.

In New Mexico, a Rally Captain reported on her successful rally: “The wind was terrible and tore my banner to pieces, sparing Our Lady's face (glad for that).” Twenty-five people were at the rally during which the Captain made some very good friends in Christ. She effusively thanked America Needs Fatima for coordinating the event.

One participant from Albuquerque, N.M. found Satan hard at work in preventing her at every turn from coming to the rallies including a problem reading the web site with the rally locations. Thankfully she found a very public and original rally on the catwalk over I-40 at Coors. “My best friend and I went and what a blessing! It was windy and spitting drops of rain ‘holy water’ as one lovely lady called it, but just as we finished praying the sun came out. I have no doubt that Our Lady was with us. It was wonderful, to the have the cars and trucks honking as they went by. I just know that 2009 will be more successful than 2007, and that 2009 even more.”

At the Roseville, Calif. Rosary Rally, twelve brave souls ventured out in the high winds to pray the Rosary and bear witness for the Fatima Message. The high winds made it impossible to attach the banner to any tree or post but they were able to wrap the banner around a large public utility maintenance box that faced the busy intersection. “The winds were high but the prayer warriors were spirited and the incense rose to heaven to honor our Lord through his Blessed Mother.”

The Public Square Rosary Rally in Butte, Montana faced an even great obstacle: it snowed. A severe snowstorm and strong winds, the Rally Captain noted, helped supply the penance part of the Fatima Message. Twenty people braved the elements and came. Last year, some 65 had attended in beautiful weather.

One rally participant in Hialeah, Fla., did not know that the rally location had changed and thus could not make it to the place of the rally in time. As it started to get late, she pulled up at a shopping center, and said to herself: “It's already 12:20 and I am not going to miss this.” She then parked her car, unrolled the banner, and started praying the rosary. "I prayed the rosary, said the litanies and consecration by myself and as I did this a refreshing breeze cooled the area on this typically hot day. As I prayed, I also felt confident, secured a happy strength, knowing that thousands of rosaries were being prayed at the same time all over the United States."

At Oxnard, Calif., the weather was not cooperative for the rally. The wind was blowing harder and harder while the 13 brave souls were praying the rosary. Several noticed that the vase of roses was knocked down and then as if an unseen hand came to prop it again. Despite everything, the Captain hopes the weather will be better next year.

Being Public

Another aspect of the rallies is the great joy of the participants in going public with the rosary. They derived a special pleasure in standing up for Our Lady and made special efforts to be visible.

From Mondovi Wisconsin came the new of a noontime rally of 25 people on the sidewalk of a busy highway. Motorist passed by and read the banner. The Rally Captain quoted The Secret of the Rosary by Saint Louis de Montfort which states: "Public prayer is far more powerful than private prayer to appease the anger of God and call down His mercy and Holy Mother Church, guided by the Holy Ghost, has always advocated public prayer in times of public tragedy and suffering." He reported general excitement in the group and interest in starting other rallies next year in other places since he believed “there is hunger for more of this in the small towns of our area.”

On short notice, one Rally Captain in Woodstock, Ga., arranged the whole event with the help of his parish pastor in just four days. About 80 people started in the center of a local park saying the Consecration prayers together before moving to the sidewalk where we could be more visible to the traffic. Many drivers offered their support or questioned what we were praying for. The event was so blessed that the parish priest asked if another Public Square Rosary Rally could be held in early November.

In Tucson, Ariz., the rosary rally was held with the local pro-life group in front of an abortion clinic. Many passersby showed support while a few loud people voiced their disapproved. It was a windy day and participants had to hold on tight to the banner.

In Omaha, Neb., a small group of Catholics felt honored to process down the street. “We must have seen hundreds of cars go by. I loved to see drivers look at us as they passed. Most responses were positive, and we were already conveniently praying for the people who responded negatively.”

More People and More Often

Many Rally Captains reported more participants than last year. Others want to have the rallies more often. Most are looking forward to next year.

The Rally Captain in Pecos, Texas reported that this rally had four times more people than the 2007 rally. Sixty participants were at the event in front of a nearby county courthouse with a good amount of exposure to traffic.

In Monticello, N.Y., about 140 people took part in a nearly four-block-long Marian procession led by the local Knights of Columbus Council Color Guard to the steps of the county courthouse where the rosary was recited in English and in Spanish. The procession was followed by a Holy Hour back at the parish church. Inspired by his parish priest, the Captain reported that all are “so looking forward to next year!”

At the county courthouse in Hays, Kans., 22 people gathered to pray the rosary for America. It began at noon as the church bells were ringing a block away. The banner was tied and taped to the wooden fence used for decoration in front of the courthouse. People waved as they drove by and read the banner. After the prayer rally some people asked if this was going to be done more often and that they would attend if more were planned.

“Last year our corner had only four people praying the Rosary, this year there were close to 25!” wrote one veteran Rosary Captain. “Our poor country is in deep trouble and our only hope is going to come from heaven.”

From Mission, Texas, the Rosary Captain reported that his rally had gone well and that the Blessed Mother had touched their hearts because “all felt that this should be done every month instead of yearly to steer this great nation in the right direction.”

“We had a very successful Public Square Rosary Crusade with great attendance compared to last year and by next year I expect to triple the number of attendees,” wrote yet another Rosary Captain. Another Captain reported 40 participants in Kalispell Montana up from 12 last year.

Other Repercussions
The reports only give a small sampling of the many graces at the rallies and the intense commitment of those involved to organize this great public effort to call upon God’s blessing for the nation.

One person happened to find the rally by chance. He put up this account on his blog: “I looked out the window and saw a group of people setting up statues of Our Lady. I wandered over to the little square…and saw that I was just in time to join in America Needs Fatima’s Rosary Rally… Curiously enough, this past week a friend was reminding me that it is times like this in which we must turn to Our Lady with our fears and concerns; she also remarked that we ought to make a conscious effort to consecrate our nation to Our Lady.”

The Rally Captain from Saint John’s, Michigan (population 7,485) reported 207 people present at this rally. He said he wished he could have done more to get even more to attend.

On short notice, one Rosary Captain in Chambersburg, Pa., did not even have time to receive an organizer’s kit. However, fifteen people came to his rally and he is ready to do another one in December.

Press Repercussions
Although the major media remained silent on the rallies, local media, church bulletins, blogs and newsletters carried extensive and favorable coverage of the events. A sampling of the stores gives an idea of the coverage.

The Corsicana Daily of Texas, for example, reported that seventy members of Corsicana’s Catholic community joined together for its first rosary prayer rally at Community Park. “Deacon Lewis and I were pleased with the turnout at the first rally,” said Angie Sanchez, team captain for the rally. “Attendees expressed enthusiasm, whereby a larger rally is planned for next year. ”

The Republican Herald of Shenandoah, Pa., reported that group of over forty people took a prayerful request to the public square in the downtown area to ask God to “return to America.” The report gave a full and accurate report on the Fatima apparitions including the miracle of the sun and noted the great interest of passersby and car traffic.

Connecticut’s Milford Mirror reported that about 150 people gathered for a “Public Square Rosary Crusade,” to pray to God to save America. Attendees came from many area churches. There were retired people, families, teens and children. “America is mired in problems — problems in leadership, public scandal and sin, bad economy, terrorism, ” states literature that teenagers distributed in the church parking lot. “Men cannot resolve them. God can. But He has been cast out. It’s time to beg God, ‘Return to America.’”

Confiding in Providence
The main theme of the rosary rallies was “pray for America,” which fit into the headlines of bad news in the economy and elsewhere.

Man’s efforts are insignificant in themselves. However, with the aid of Providence, a simple witness became a massive and beautiful event reinforcing the belief that God can intervene and hear the prayers of the faithful. These prayers and future public prayers may not have immediate consequences, but they might weigh heavily for the future of the nation.

These 3,500 rallies were seen by hundreds of thousands of people, which is good and even necessary to help spread the Fatima message and save souls. Above all, they were a fervent plea made up of hundreds of thousands of rosaries offered by Our Blessed Mother to beg God to return to America.