Monday, November 30, 2009

Need Prayers? Our Lady's Prayer Warriors Will Pray For You!

For immediate help for an urgent prayer intention, please call Maria Ritchie at 717-632-3596.

Have you ever sat in a hospital waiting room waiting for news about a family member or friend?  Have you ever felt abandoned, lonely or without someone who you could count on for help?  What about that certain problem that keeps nagging you without a peaceful moment?  What about the times that worry is such that you can barely pray?

These are times, more than ever, that you need Our Lady's Prayer Warriors!

What is a Prayer Warrior?

A Prayer Warrior is a volunteer with America Needs Fatima who will pray for the intentions of those who ask for prayers AND for those who have no one to pray for them.

WHY?

Because a Prayer Warrior is a person who is seriously trying to fulfill the message of Our Lady of Fatima.

What did Our Lady say at Fatima?

At Fatima, Our Lady said: "I am the Lady of the Rosary. Continue always to pray the Rosary every day."

She also said at Fatima: "Pray, pray very much, and make sacrifices for sinners; for many souls go to hell, because there are none to sacrifice themselves and pray for them."

Who can be a Prayer Warrior?

Anyone who says the rosary daily or anyone who is asking the grace of praying the rosary daily can be a Prayer Warrior.

Who can ask for prayers?  Anyone of good will.

How Does This Work?

Every day, Our Lady's Prayer Warriors will say a Rosary for the intentions mentioned above, as well as those you give them.  If you would like them to pray for you, please post your prayer intentions (they are kept confidential) here. 

Or, write them to:  maritchie777@yahoo.com email address. There is NO need to be specific or detailed. 

For example:  Please pray for the health of my brother. Pray for an end to abortion. Please pray for the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in our day. Pray for an end to all blasphemies against the Sacred Persons of Our Lord and Our Lady.

Or, if you would like to speak with one of Our Lady's Prayer Warriors before sending intentions, that's fine too. 

You can call Mrs. Maria Ritchie: 717-632-3596

Want To Be A Prayer Warrior?

To join, please call Mrs. Maria Ritchie for more information at 717-632-3596.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

10 Years Later: Elian Gonzalez and Hope in Our Lady's Final Triumph Over Communism

Our Lady of Fatima continues to give graces and reassure us that She will Triumph.

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Remember the miraculous rescue of the little Cuban boy by Our Lady in the shark infested waters 10 years ago?

(Please see the articles posted below with more details.) 

Well, the "Miracle Rafter" Elian Gonzalez was miraculously rescued from the high seas ten years ago this Thanksgiving Day.  Sadly, his mother and 19 other, drowned.

When America Needs Fatima took the Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Fatima to his uncle's house ten years ago, the then five year old Elian exclaimed:

"She is the nice Lady that saved me, I saw Her, but She did not have that thing on Her head" (The Crown).

On Thursday, a press conference commemorating the event took place in his uncle house, which is now partly converted into a museum. 

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Our Lady rewarded Elian and his family with yet another important grace, for the totality of the news media showed up to the 10:30 A.M. news conference.

Newspaper, Radio, T.V. were present, along with a string of hundreds of people that constantly came by to commemorate and assure the Gonzales family of their prayers to Our Lady of Fatima. 

The visitors and the media were rewarded with a picture of Elian and Our Lady Fatima (the one you see above), taken by the TFP-ANF Fatima Custodian at the time of the visit ten with the Pilgrim Statue 10 years ago.

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On Thanksgiving Day at noon, six, and eleven o'clock, all the major news networks carried the interviews and coverage of  the event. 

Yesterday, Fox News Radio aired every half hour and on the hour an interview with TFP-ANF Fatima Custodian in which among the many things he mentioned the popularized statement constantly repeated by Elian's uncle, Delfin Gonzalez:

"Cuba's Satanic Communist regime may have his body, but they will never have his soul.  His Guardian Angel, and Our Lady of Fatima, will always protect him."

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“She Protected Me on the Water”

When TFP representatives brought the Pilgrim Virgin to visit Elian in 2000, he told them that Our Lady had protected him on the water.

On November 22, TFP supporter Sergio de Paz brought a pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fatima to the home where child Cuban refugee Elian Gonzalez spent four short months. The six-year old boy was rescued at sea while escaping from Communist Cuba.

He became the center of a diplomatic battle which ended when he was forcefully removed by government officials in the predawn hours of Holy Saturday, 2000. After Elian was returned to Cuba, the home became a museum dedicated to him.


Mr. de Paz, who is also president of the Cuban organization Cubanos Desterrados, organized the event to commemorate the sixth anniversary of Elian’s rescue at sea, on Thanksgiving Day, 1999. 

The boy’s great-uncles Lazaro and Delfin and his great-aunt Caridad, crowned the statue which is a replica of the miraculous image that shed tears in New Orleans in 1972.

The commemorative event held special significance for Elian’s relatives and was followed by a press conference, aired on many local TV channels, including Fox, Telemundo and Univision. During the press conference, Delfin recalled the statement made by Elian when TFP representatives brought the statue to visit him six years ago. While gazing at the statue, Elian said: "She is the nice lady that protected me for 24 hours on the water, but she did not have that thing [the crown] on her head."

Elian’s relatives also reiterated their firm belief that Our Heavenly Mother will protect him now in Cuba, until the coming of her reign, which she foresaw in Fatima when she said, "Finally, my Immaculate Heart will triumph!"

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Where Is Elian’s Journey Leading Us?

Written by The American TFP

The steady stream of photos of a smiling Elian Gonzalez reunited with his father could well foster the impression of a happy ending to the sad story of this young Cuban refugee. Were one naive enough to believe this, one might well conclude that the entire matter was a tempest in a Miami teapot. Moreover, one would think that Bernard Cardinal Law of Boston was quite right when he said the whole thing was nothing but a circus with a simple solution: returning the boy to his father.1


With possession regarded as nine points of the law, Elian’s is a closed case for many Americans. All too soon, this family affair will be yesterday’s news. Father knows best, and Fidel – who in a candid moment described himself as the true father of all Cubans – will have won more than meets the eye for his “new look.” Cuba’s baseball team has already come to the United States to play the Orioles, and American tourists, in turn, are visiting the prison island in growing numbers. All’s well that ends well.

In this prevalent – if perverse – mindset, the valiant fight for Elian’s freedom is reduced to three elements: a nonsensical case of parental rights, an emotional group of aging anticommunist Cubans, and a government that overreacted by using armed force to solve the problem.

Is that its real meaning? Is that how we will see it when we look back years from now? Does the fact that Elian appears to be happy with his father and stepmother end the story? We’re not so sure. Before the final chapter is written and the camera lights go out, we have a few words to say.

What is the Real Issue? Returning a Child
to his Father, or Dealing with Cuba’s Stark Reality?

Of course, if the Elian case really concerned only the father’s rights, there would have been no case – and no story to consume so much printer’s ink and radio and television airtime.
Behind the question of the father looms the larger problem of the fatherland, or rather, the unrepentant communist dictatorship. That decrepit despotism lies at the heart of the matter – and everyone knows it.

A courageous group of priests on the island recently declared that Castro’s regime shows “diabolical efficacy” in its domination of the Cuban people.2 Even the United Nations Human Rights Commission has again condemned Cuba for its human rights violations.3

There is no freedom in that island prison, where the most basic civil liberties – the freedom to practice one’s faith, to own property, to associate with friends of one’s choosing, to express one’s opinions openly, to travel in safety – are routinely denied.
Elian’s return to Cuba – forced or voluntary – cannot alter that fundamental reality. By holding on to him, the Cuban-American community was fighting to defend him from a police state whose constitution decrees that “the formation of the communist personality of youths and children” belongs, not to the parents, but to the government.4

Let Justice be Restored in Cuba and We Will Restore Friendly Ties
If, like Cuban-Americans, all Americans had a family member languishing in a Cuban prison (well out of sight of free-spending tourists), we would soon join the anti-Castro chorus of our Cuban-American brothers and sisters. And instead of inviting Castro’s baseball team to come and play in our cities, we would demand that Castro liberate our kinfolk before any improvement in relations. We would settle for nothing less.

If, like Cuban-Americans, all Americans had relatives subjected to the stifling oppression in Cuba, earning a pittance for their hard labors, eating whatever rations are distributed, while being forced to proclaim their allegiance to Marxist doctrine and policies, would we tolerate any cozying up to Castro?

Of course not. Rather, the American people would rise up as one to demand that the regime branded by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger as the “shame of our time”5 be overthrown, and that freedom, private property, free enterprise, and family life be restored
If every American family had a relative in such demeaning and unnatural conditions, would anyone dare raise the question of loosening – much less lifting – the embargo against so cruel a regime? Obviously, no. The only acceptable option would be the total restoration of a free society under the rule of law.

We must Steer Clear of this “Psy-war” Maneuver!
A crafty maneuver of revolutionary psychological warfare is under way, seeking to exploit the good-hearted sentiments for which Americans are renowned and blind our eyes to a rabid wolf in sheep’s clothing. We are expected to accept as a legitimate ruler a blood-stained despot – the unelected “President” Castro – while closing our eyes to steps designed to normalize relations with his police state. In short, we are being asked to endorse the Neville Chamberlains of our day—or at least to look the other way at their betrayal.
Would we have agreed to cozy up to Hitler in 1944? Unthinkable!

We must not forget that to uphold the principles of freedom, America waged wars against Nazism and its evil twin, Communism, sacrificing legions of her sons.

Are we not the same America? Why should we renounce our principles and convictions now? The very principles that made America great?

The American TFP does not believe our nation will so dishonor itself. Rather, we cherish an abiding hope, nurtured in faith, that we will defeat these psy-war intrigues and work to restore the sound principles of our nation’s glorious past that have made America known across the globe as the “land of the free and the home of the brave.”

Our future – and the future of the world – depends to a great degree on our faithfulness to that heritage.

We turn our thoughts and prayers to God Almighty and to Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, who watches over Cuba as its patron saint. Divine Providence saved Elian from the shark-infested waters of the Florida Straits. May Our Lady and Her Divine Son intervene soon to liberate the millions of “Elians” still groaning under the communist yoke and, above all, to keep America faithful to its noble ideals.

The American TFP
April 26, 2000

Beautiful Our Lady of Fatima Home Visit

    We received a beautiful letter today from a Mrs. Cathey in Tennessee.  She wrote, "Two days ago your custodian Marc brought the beautiful statue of Our Lady of Fatima to visit my home.  I thought I was excited before the sweet visit, but since the visit I haven't quite come down to earth yet.  The custodian asked me to put the beautiful rosary on her hands and my daughter placed the crown on Her head.  She was thrilled and told me how she had always wanted to crown our Blessed Mother. 

    One of my guests commented on how well informed Marc was.  Everyone was so quiet when he spoke that you could hear a pin drop.  They wanted to hear every word that he said.

    I want to thank America Needs Fatima for allowing me to have the honor of such a blessing.  The others and I felt Our Lady's presence with us."

    This is just one example of the kinds of graces received by those who host the Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady in their homes.

    If you would like the opportunity to receive such graces please contact us at (888) 460 - 7371.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Dignified Pride Is The Harmonious Complement Of Humility

by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira

Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val

A manly figure, whose strength is replete with harmony and proportion and whose bodily vigor seems penetrated by and imbued with the strong and luminous presence of a great soul. His facial features are very defined and also well proportioned.

Handsome? Without a doubt. But there is almost no time to analyze his physical beauty because his profound gaze-at once serious, serene, pensive, grave and gentle-so captivates the attention that one hardly notices anything else.

It is the gaze of a thinker and a man of action -- a thinker who sees things from the highest summits of philosophy and theology, yet a man of action whose sights are well fixed in reality, who can see deeply into people, things and events. There is a note of melancholy in the gaze, one of firmness and energy in the lips, and a noble, lofty attitude in his whole being. The hands seem made to command.

Everything about this extraordinary man shows us a fighter who has no illusions about the world, who takes a definite stand in face of it, and who is ready for all the battles that life presents. All this is seemingly illuminated by a subtlety of expression and an aristocratic affability that allows us to glimpse the noble and diplomatic character of this man.

Such was the rich personality of he who in this life was called Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val, titular Archbishop of Nicea, who went down in history as the Secretary of State of Saint Pius X.

Descended from an aristocratic line, he was the son of Marquess Merry del Val and the Countess of Zulueta, and in his veins ran illustrious blood from various countries of Europe: Spain, England and Holland. He consecrated himself to the service of the Church, taking Holy Orders and receiving the fullness of the priesthood. In this, he lost nothing of his natural talents. Rather, he elevated them, for the special quality of grace is not to destroy nature, but to elevate and sanctify it. His profound wisdom sprouted from an ardent faith and an admirable piety. His strength was an expression of a supernatural temperance. His dignity was the fruit of a keen consciousness of the respect that he owed himself for so many natural, and principally supernatural, reasons.

In an epoch where the winds of baseness sweep over everything and even try to drag the priesthood into mediocrity-extolling a disparaged, demotic and secularized clergy to the taste of the reigning demagogy-the noble figure of Cardinal Merry del Val presents an admirable model of supernatural dignity that well illustrates the ineffable dignity of the priest in the Church of God. That dignity can shine not only in a prelate like Rafael Merry del Val, but also in the most modest town vicar.

Christian pride is not the opposite of humility, but rather its harmonious complement.

The Secretary of State of Saint Pius X was a profoundly humble soul, and from him came one of the most beautiful writings on Christian humility.

In this section, where we usually compare two contrasting pictures, today we compare a photograph with a prayer.

Our readers will thus see how a most elevated dignity coexists with a most profound humility in a genuine, supernaturally Catholic heart, in imitation of that Sacred Heart that the Church tells us is at the same time meek, humble and infinitely majestic.

• • •

LITANY OF HUMILITY

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed,
* deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved,*
From the desire of being extolled,*
From the desire of being honored,*
From the desire of being praised,*
From the desire of being preferred,*
From the desire of being consulted,*
From the desire of being approved,*

From the fear of being humiliated,
* deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised,*
From the fear of suffering rebukes,*
From the fear of being calumniated,*
From the fear of being forgotten,*
From the fear of being ridiculed,*
From the fear of being wronged,*
From the fear of being suspected,*

That others may be more loved that I,
** Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I, **
That in the opinion of the world others may increase and I may decrease,**
That others may be chosen and I set aside,**
That others may be praised and I unnoticed, **
That others may be preferred to me in everything, **
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should,**

Desecrating the Holy Eucharist is “hate speech” in our book

Send your instant e-petition today!

The online video sharing site YouTube is host to some very sick, blasphemous and disturbing videos, which contain brutal attacks on the Holy Eucharist.  Perhaps the most disturbing video of all is the one titled: Desecrating the Eucharist by smoking Jesus body.

It is followed by this caption: “Eucharist desecration.  You Catholics are truly going to love this one.  More is on its way.”

It was posted on YouTube by user name antieucharist.  And it shows people in a mock Catholic ritual of sorts burning and stepping on the Holy Eucharist.  (Access with caution: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9LEtAEuWGI)

Beneath the offensive video are a series of viewer comments about the video Desecrating the Eucharist by smoking Jesus body.  One tried to minimize the gravity of the video with this comment:

“I know you are just kids having fun, but you do not understand what you are doing.  I made fun of the same thing when I was a teen.  There is much more to it than you realize.”

Although we have no way of knowing for sure if this is a Consecrated Host, the answer of user antieucharist indicates his intent in desecrating the Eucharist:

“…you are incorrect.  We are not kids just having fun.  We are fully aware of what we are desecrating."

And in an answer to another viewer, he wrote:

“We are well aware of the Eucharist’s status, and that’s why we chose it.”

That’s why America Needs Fatima is urging Catholic across the globe to send a:

Stop Host Desecration e-petition to YouTube.

To make this petition effective, America Needs Fatima is asking its membership to pray and to help mobilize one million Catholics worldwide on the Internet without delay.

If thousands of Catholics pray and speak up, there’s a chance YouTube will enforce its policy and remove these sacrilegious attacks on the Holy Eucharist.  YouTube policy says:

We encourage free speech and defend everyone's right to express unpopular points of view.  But we don't permit hate speech …

Desecrating the Holy Eucharist is “hate speech” in our book.

Please pray and send YouTube your STOP HOST DESECRATION e-petition today.

To help America Needs Fatima mobilize one million Catholics worldwide on the Internet without delay, please click here to make a donation.  Thank you!


Act of Reparation

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, animated with a desire to repair the outrages unceasingly offered to Thee, we prostrate before Thy throne of mercy, and in the name of all mankind, pledge our love and fidelity to Thee!

The more Thy mysteries are blasphemed, the more firmly we shall believe them, O Sacred Heart of Jesus!

The more impiety endeavors to extinguish our hopes of immortality, the more we shall trust in Thy Heart, sole hope of mankind!

The more hearts resist Thy Divine attractions, the more we shall love Thee, O infinitely amiable Heart of Jesus!

The more unbelief attacks Thy Divinity, the more humbly and profoundly we shall adore It, O Divine Heart of Jesus!

The more Thy Sacraments are despised and abandoned, the more frequently we shall receive them with love and reverence, O most liberal Heart of Jesus!

The more the imitation of Thy virtues is neglected and forgotten, the more we shall endeavor to practice them, O Heart, model of every virtue!

The more the devil labors to destroy souls, the more we shall be inflamed with desire to save them, O Heart of Jesus, zealous Lover of souls!

The more sin and impurity destroy the image of God in man, the more we shall try by purity of life to be a living temple of the Holy Spirit, O Heart of Jesus!

The more Thy Holy Church is despised, the more we shall endeavor to be her faithful children, O Sweet Heart of Jesus!

The more Thy Vicar on earth is persecuted, the more we will honor him as the infallible head of Thy Holy Church, show our fidelity and pray for him, O kingly Heart of Jesus!

O Sacred Heart, through Thy powerful grace, may we become Thy apostles in the midst of a corrupted world, and be Thy crown in the kingdom of heaven. Amen.

Praise and adoration ever more be given to the most Holy Sacrament!

Homosexual "Marriage" Momentum Stalls in Liberal NY, NJ

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. -- The state-to-state march to legalize gay marriage across the left-leaning Northeast lost some of its momentum this month.

Voters in Maine adopted a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage on Nov. 3. Since then, legislatures in New York and New Jersey have failed to schedule long-expected votes on bills to recognize the unions in those big states.

"If they are unable to pass gay marriage in New York and New Jersey, combined with the loss in Maine, it will confirm that gay marriage is not the inevitable wave of the future," said Maggie Gallagher, president of the National Organization for Marriage, which mobilizes social conservatives to fight against same-sex unions

For the full story, please read:

http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/us_gay_marriage_stalled_momentum/2009/11/25/290769.html

Interview with Young Pro-Life Counselor Threatened with Knife to Throat

by John-Henry Westen

DULUTH, MN, November 26, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Less than two months after the gunning down of pro-life activist Jim Pouillon in September, a young pro-life activist has had a knife put to her throat by a woman entering an abortion facility in Duluth, Minnesota.  21-year-old pro-life activist Leah Winandy, her mother Sarah and the director of a local pro-life group, spoke with LifeSiteNews.com (LSN) about the harrowing incident which took place early Tuesday morning.

Leah's mother, Sarah Winandy, was present with her daughter at the time of the attack, but each were standing at opposite sides of a large opening to the Building for Women in Duluth, inside of which the Women's Health Center of Duluth abortuary is located.

When a woman approached, Leah was set to speak to her, but says that the woman then snapped out a long-bladed folding pink-camouflage knife and ordered Leah to not to move or to speak.  Leah did not move, but before the woman left earshot said, "Please don't kill your baby."  At that point, recalls Leah, the woman turned around and approached Leah with the knife. 

Leah told LSN that the woman was facing her, with the knife at Leah's neck.  Leah said that she was initially scared, thinking, "what if she stabs me?"  But then, she thought, "If she stabs me that's okay, I will go to heaven to be with Jesus."  Leah recalled she was then given peace. She said, "After that I was not afraid, I was concerned for her soul."

"I looked in her eyes and said, 'Fear God, you have to fear God, Ma'am," she recalled.  After which the woman turned and walked toward the building.   As she passed Leah's mother Sarah, who had not seen the knife previously, Sarah says she pleaded with the woman, saying, "Please, we love you, we care about you," at which point the woman also waved the knife at her threateningly.

Sarah then approached her daughter with concern. When she learned of the threat with the knife to her daughter, she said she was shocked and alarmed.  In retrospect, she says that she's thankful she did not recognize the object as a knife at first since she would have run over to her daughter and "perhaps something terrible would have happened."

Sarah, a homeschooling mother of five, told LSN that despite the incident she is undeterred from counseling at the facility or allowing her children to do the same. While her elder three children have families of their own, her daughter Leah and her youngest son Michael, 20, accompany her to the abortion center to counsel at least once a week.  She said that she and her husband and family "truly believe it's the Lord who protects us wherever we are."

Sarah said that the Winandy family forgives, and continues to pray for the woman.
Jim Tuttle, the director of Pro-Life Ministries of Duluth was also at the abortion mill Tuesday morning, but he did not witness the incident as he was counseling at the alley entrance to the center.  Tuttle told LSN that his organization has arranged for pro-life witness and counseling outside the abortion center every day of its operation for the past 11 years.  The group's efforts, he said, have saved at least six or seven lives a year.  Tuttle holds the Winandy family among his most faithful volunteers.

Duluth Police arrested the suspect, 25-year-old Mechelle Talluah Hall, inside the abortuary and found a knife in her purse matching Leah's description.   She has been charged with second-degree assault.  Hall told the judge considering the conditions of her release, "I know what I did was wrong."

The Winandy's say they still hope to minister to Mechelle despite the incident, and may get their chance.  After police departed with Mechelle, a friend who had come to the center to support her was only told by abortuary staff that she had left quickly.  The Winandys approached her and when they realized who she was there for they explained the situation.  They spoke with the friend about the love of Christ and gave her a Bible.  They exchanged phone numbers and hope to follow up with the friend and perhaps even with Mechelle herself one day.

Anyone wishing to contact Leah and her family may do so through

Pro-life Ministry of Duluth
P.O. Box 161018
Duluth, MN 55816
E-mail: prolife4duluth@gmail.com

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Catholics are called to be vigilant and combative in a spiritual sense

    I have recently finished reading about a very great Catholic layman who died a little over one year ago.  He was a decorated Vietnam War hero of great distinction.

    I read something recently that he stated near the end of his military career.  He defined combat.  His definition of combat is that it "is an overt, aggressive act."  He was of course speaking about military combat on the battlefield.

    I began to reflect on these words and applied them to our spiritual lives as members of the Church militant. Sadly, today the term Church militant is not often used.  I think that is because our society does not like conflict.  Many are uncomfortable with such notions.  Yet as Catholics we know that the first great battle in history took place in heaven between St. Michael and the good angels vs. Lucifer and the bad angels. 

    If angels can and should have engaged in combat over good and evil, how much more should men.  Our lives are a daily struggle between seeking the good which is God through Our Lady and the Church and being tempted by the devils to submit to evil.  The only way we can be victorious over evil is by fighting it.  As we learn in the lives of all saints, fighting the temptations of the devil must be as the Catholic hero would state, "overt and aggressive."

    In our personal lives we have to aggressively fight temptations and occasions of sin.  In society at large we have to fight the assaults of evil.  We have to be overt and aggressive towards the evils that exist.  How so?  By publicly opposing these evils.  The public square rosary immediately comes to mind.  I just learned of a group of Catholics in California who have a public rosary every week in front of their local city hall.  That is combat.  Instead of waiting until bad laws are passed and then reacting, these militant Catholics are taking the fight to the front lines. 

    We can also be aware of and participate in actions that oppose the promoters of sacrilege and blasphemy, same-sex marriage, abortion, euthanasia, and anything that attempts to attack Our Lord, Our Lady and the Faith.  Let us be vigilant and combative in the spiritual sense, but with the same vigor as a military hero.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Health seekers get FREE MEDICINE FOR THE SOUL from Fatima Custodian

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One of Our Lady's Fatima Custodians was present at a free health clinic and took advantage of the opportunity to spread free literature with Catholic teaching on moral issues such as same-sex "marriage".

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He wrote:

"I just came  back from the "Health Care Program."  Had my blood and eyes tested.  Thanks to Our Lady everything is fine.  The best part was that Our Lady found an excellent opportunity to distribute FREE MEDICINE FOR THE SOUL, which are free fliers about the Rosary and against homosexual "marriage." It's the best medicine -- eternal salvation is the best health care program we have."

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22,000 March in Blessed Sacrament Procession in Kansas City

Check out these pictures!

http://catholickey.blogspot.com/2009/11/pics-22000-youth-in-eucharistic.html

Monday, November 23, 2009

OUR LADY: SOLUTION TO SIN IN MODERN WORLD

Yesterday, I wrote about the excellent book, Evidence of Satan In the Modern World, by Leon Cristiani. 

    In 1853, one year before the proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, a possessed man by the name of Antoine Gay was taken to Ars to see if a devil by the name of Isacaron could be expelled from him.

    The incredible words that God forced Isacaron to speak really impressed me.  Devils, who are liars, sometimes are forced by God to speak the truth. These words spoken involuntarily by Isacaron can help one to have a greater understanding of the immense importance of Our Lady.

    One day at Ars, Antoine was found kneeling with arms outstretched in the form of a cross, before a statue of Our Lady .  Through the mouth of the possessed man, the devil Isacaron spoke the following words:

    "O Mary, Mary, masterpiece of God's handiwork:  God has made nothing greater than Thee!

    Incomparable creation, admiration of all the heavenly host!  All honour Thee, obey Thee and acknowledge Thee as Mother of the Creator.  Thou art raised above the angels and above all the court of heaven: Thou art seated near to God, Thou art the Temple of Deity, Thou hast carried in Thy womb all that is strongest and greatest and most powerful and most loving!

    Mary, Thou has received in Thy Virginal Womb Him Who created Thee, Thou art Virgin and Mother, there is none to be compared with Thee.  After God, Thou art the greatest; Thou art the Strong Woman, there is more glory to God in Thee than in the heavenly host.

    In Thee there has been no stain, anathema be they that deny that Thou art Virgin and Mother; Thou wast conceived without sin, Thou art Immaculate!

    I praise Thee, O Mary, but all my praises of Thee ascend unto God, the author of all good.  After the Sacred Heart of Jesus there is no heart to be compared with Thine.  O loving Heart!  O tender Heart!  Thou wilt not abandon even the most thankless or the most guilty of mortals.  Thy heart is overflowing with kindness, even to the unfortunate who merit chastisement alone, yet Thou obtainest for them grace and compassion: the worst of sinners is converted by Thee!

    O, if all the inhabitants of the earth should know Thee!  If they could understand Thy tenderness, Thy power, Thy goodness, not one of them should perish!  All that turn to Thee in trust and hope and pray to Thee continually, whatever their state may be, Thou wilt save them, Thou wilt bless them eternally."

    The devil Isacaron was forced to proclaim these truths about Our Lady.  He acknowledged what we who are baptized as Catholics should much more strongly believe. Do we believe all of the above with heartfelt conviction? 

    Do we recognize that Our Lady is  raised above all of the heavenly court?  Do we really believe that God created nothing greater than Our Lady? 

    Do we have complete confidence in the mercies of Our Lady, or do we despair, not only of our own forgiveness or of the forgiveness of others steeped in sin? "The worst of sinners is converted by Thee!"

    If we love Our Lady as we should and if we pray and do apostolate with others such as with the public square rosary as we should, we could help fulfill the statement that, "not one of them should perish."

    May the above words help us to turn to Our Lady in trust and hope and in prayer, so that whatever our state should be, Mary will save us.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Rosary Rally Captains Gather in Miami Yesterday

Thanks to Our Lady, more than 60 people attended a rosary rally on Saturday at Miami Tropical Park.

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About 30 Rosary Captains came from different areas of Metropolitan Miami Dade County with their Banners.

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20 more signed up to be Rosary Captains for 2010.

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There were many GRACES and BLESSINGS.

After the Litanies and singing to Our Lady it was unanimously agreed to have another Rosary Rally on Dec. 12 to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe.

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"HUMAN SOLUTIONS HAVE FAILED," we must ask God for supernatural solution, was the rally theme.

OUR HEAVENLY MOTHER OF FATIMA CONTINUES TO INDICATE THE RIGHT SOLUTION, and give us the assurance that "HER IMMACULATE HEART WILL TRIUMPH."

Rosary Rally in Hazleton Penn.

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Friday, November 20, 2009

Sin and Satan's influence in modern society

Those of us who take our faith seriously and who believe in the Church's admonition to avoid bad companions do not usually run into the satanic elements of society. 

    We are horrified and shocked when we read about the mass killings that take place.  I just read a story today about gangs in Peru that kidnapped people and killed them for their fat to be sold and used in cosmetics.  The only explanation for such horrors is Satan.  There have always been crimes of passion, however the depravity of these crimes have as their source, Lucifer, who takes advantage of their morally depraved state to push them to commit such unspeakable crimes. 

    I am sure that you have noticed, as I have, that the number of these kinds of killings are more and more frequent. That tells me that the influence of Satan over our society is greater and greater and that the sins committed in our society are more and more grave.

    When I learn of these crimes it only strengthens my resolve to fight for Our Lady even more, to offer greater public reparation and prayers and sacrifices for conversion.

    These crimes should also serve as a wake up call for all of us.  It is easy to fall into a kind of slumber and develop a false optimistic notion of the state of our world.  We almost forget that the devil exists, or at least forget the powerful evil influences that he has over the wounded nature of men.  When was the last time that you heard a sermon about the devil?  Certainly some priests do preach about the devil and his "works", but they are by far in the minority. 

    A very good book that I recommend is titled, Evidence of Satan in the Modern World, by Leon Cristiani.  This book originally published in 1959 speaks about the devil and how he attacks Our Lord through his assaults on men.  Much of what the author wrote about takes place in the 19th century.  One of my first thoughts upon reading this book was, if all of this was going on in the 19th century, what is the devil doing today with much more pliable victims?

    This book is an excellent refresher course for us to be reminded of the, "wiles and snares" of the devil.  If you weren't taught about the devil, this will help you be more aware of the strategies he uses as he tries to destroy men's souls.  In order to effectively oppose our enemy we must first know what he has in his arsenal.  He has many powerful weapons, but we should never forget that we have our Guardian Angel and Our Lady.  Tomorrow I will quote from this book, using the devil's own words about the power of Our Lady. 

The Public Rosary Rally in Brigantine

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Dear Francis,

The Public Rosary Rally in Brigantine went well.  There were 23 people in attendance.  A couple from Cape Cod traveled the farthest.  They were staying at Harrahs Casino for the weekend and before their trip they had searched on the Internet for the closest rally.  What a pleasant surprise! 

The weather cooperated and the group was enthusiastic and thankful that America Needs Fatima had offered this opportunity.  It is so uplifting to acknowledge the goodness and mercy of our Lord in a public forum.  One woman was so moved that she asked that we organize a rally every month.  Since Brigantine is my vacation residence, I suggested that perhaps we conduct a rally in sometime in beginning the Spring and another  in the month of August in addition to the October rally.  I shall try to organize those.

Thank you for offering this opportunity to us.

Cynthia

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Monthly rosary rallies started in Nampa, Idaho

    Mrs. Maureen Coon from Idaho is one of our rally captains as well as a volunteer recruiter.  In 2008 Mrs. Coon traveled to our volunteer office in Kansas to enlist rally captains.  This year she signed up many captains from her home.

    In addition to all of this, she has now begun holding monthly rosary rallies in Nampa, Idaho. 

    Here are two photos of her rally last Saturday, November 14th.

    The first photo shows her rally site all set up. 

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     When the participants arrive they will see everything prepared.  Sometimes if the rally captain doesn't arrive early participants who might be a little nervous become anxious about whether the rally will take place or not.  As participants approached this rally they saw that everything was set up in a very attractive and orderly way.

    The second photo shows the participants during the public square rosary.

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    If you desire, you too can hold a monthly public square rosary.  If you have been a rally captain before, you already have all of the experience.  If you have not yet become a rally captain, this is a good way to begin.  If you go to great efforts for the annual rosary, you certainly can do the same for the monthly rosary.  However, your monthly rosary doesn't necessarily require the same efforts. Our Lady is pleased with numbers, but more importantly with perseverance.

    If you would like more information please contact us at (866) 584 - 6012.

Is Fatima still timely? Or is everything OK?

One of the sad observations that I make when I look at the world around me, especially in our country, is that so many people live as though everything is wonderful and that there really are no serious problems.

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    There are those even in the Church who believe that everything is getting better.  Please don't get me wrong, of course there are those who strive to live in a state of sanctifying grace, and conversions do still take place.  We know that the Church will not be defeated by Satan, but as Our Lady pointed out at Fatima, there will be much to suffer.

    But if the world does not repent, satanic hatred will fill the hearts and souls of men with a great intensity that will encourage them to vigorously persecute the good.

    With the hearts of contemporary men so hardened towards God, towards Our Lady and to the Catholic Church is it any wonder that we may be approaching the grave martyrdom described?

    This is why the public square rosary cannot be emphasized enough!  We must pray, pray, pray in order to beg the mercy of Our Lady.  The world has traveled so far away from God's path that only an immense grace can bring these billions back.

    It is good to reflect on the above, to help us understand the extreme gravity of our world situation.  If we reflect well, we will pray and offer reparation with much greater intensity.  We will be happy to hold not only the annual public square rosary, but even monthly public square rosaries. 

    We should not lose hope.  The prayers of the good are much more powerful than the deeds of the wicked.  And most importantly, Our Lady said at Fatima, "In the end My Immaculate Heart will triumph."

    Let us reflect on these words, not in discouragement, but with confidence in Our Lady: our life, our sweetness, and our hope.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Report of public square rosary at McKinley Square in the Bronx, NY

    Here is a account of a public square rosary rally from a captain from the Bronx in New York.  This public square rosary was held at McKinley Square in the Bronx.

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    The rosary rally started promptly at 12 noon with the Angelus followed by the Rosary.

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One of the participants led the rosary, prayers and songs while Ifeyinwa Dimoriaku shared out the rally program to participants and passersby who were interested in participating in the rally.

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The rosary was said in three languages: - English, Spanish and Garifuna (a language spoken in Central America especially in Honduras). In between the prayers, there was an interlude during which the prayer intentions were read out and participants were invited to add their own intentions aloud. The rally ended with the Consecration prayer to Jesus through Mary.

Fifty six people participated in the rosary rally.  Several passersby joined the rally.  At the end of the rally, some of the participants who were passersby, but who eventually joined the rally were interested in finding out the location of the organization that organized the rally so that they could become part of it.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

The Tale of An Ungrateful City

by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira

Scene: A small town having all of the conventional characteristics of a small town: a central public square leading to a graceful church with stained-glass windows, a tower, bells, and a clock; across from the church, a water fountain; then, the homes, modest but comfortable; nearby, adjacent to one narrow street, an elementary school; then, more narrow streets, all of them blending into the peaceful green pastures at a distance; and not so far away, a dark forest, from which wild boars and packs of wolves come out with a certain frequency.

First character: A teacher, who instructs with angelic tenderness and patience. She is tall, alert, modest, and unpretentious.
Second character: A young shepherdess, who leaves early every morning to take her sheep to pasture. She is youthful, pure, loving, and at ease with isolation and prayer.

He has a hard job indeed, consisting of long journeys and tiring vigils.

Third character: The hunter. He is not an inexperienced amateur, but a modest public servant, who is called from time to time to recruit the most courageous men in the small town and lead them into the dark forest to combat the voracious animals. It is a hard job indeed, consisting of long journeys and tiring vigils. He is between 20 and 30 years old, strong and powerful, a leader made for the job. His hair is thick and bushy; his walk, firm and heavy; his handshake, strong, enabling one to feel the calluses on his fingers. Early in the morning, one may see him coming back from a hunt, frequently carrying upon his shoulders a dead animal, still dripping warm blood.
He is jovial and dedicated, and ever since he accepted the job, not a single wolf has come into the town, nor has a wild boar destroyed the crops. When he crosses the central public square, the comments that are made about him are not all identical. Some find him agreeable, appreciating his happy and youthful courage and his frank and masculine outlook. But others resent him. His presence in town makes them uncomfortable, especially when he recalls some of the unpleasant dangers he faces in the forest. The coldness with which he hunts, corners, wounds, and then kills animals blurs the vision of these persons, making it difficult for them to perceive the kindness of his soul. To see him happily carrying the blood-dripping body of an animal in the exercise of his brave profession, raises in the minds of some of his fellow residents the impression that he might be capable of spilling the blood of anything, even a human being. To sum the whole matter up, to some he appears to be the personification of masculinity, dedication, and talent; to others, he is a hideous image of fighting, violence, and war.
Fourth character: The grandfather. He looks his role, having a long white beard, deep clear eyes, and shaky and bony hands. He is a little deaf.
Fifth character: A retired businessman. He is between 50 and 60 years old, a little too fat, with beady eyes which move constantly. He is always changing the tone of his voice. At times it is serene; at other times, harsh; and at other times, almost whispering. He has traveled many places, analyzed many things, and become a little rich. He is the boss of the town, having solid contacts in all of the neighboring towns and villages. Through his hands pass all of the significant decisions, and everyone goes to him for advice about serious matters. By being in contact with him, everyone learns what is happening outside of the village and region.
Setting: A bar, small and crowded, where a subject of conversation has been established, and ideas about it are passing from one table to the next.
Theme: Everyone is talking about the main events of the year, and the conversation leads to the question of who is the most popular person in town?
There are many opinions. Some say it is the beautiful young shepherdess. When she leaves with her flock, she appears to be going out to meet her enchanted prince, so graceful and delicate is she.
When she returns slightly tired, she draws sympathy from all, as she symbolizes in a charming way the hardships of the pastoral work in which the residents of the region are engaged.
Others choose the teacher. To them, she represents learning, wisdom, culture, the wonderful goods of the spirit, and the opening of new opportunities for future generations. She is more than an agent of economic production; she is a factor of human edification. To them, she is a shepherdess of children, which should be worth more than to be the shepherdess of sheep. They recall the tenderness with which she conducts the children toward the central public square, to lead them in prayer, with the sound of the bells announcing the end of the activities of the day. They also recall the way she leads, afterwards, the children in play, around the fountain, singing and skipping, before taking them back to their homes.
Nobody knows with certainty whom to choose. There is not a person who fails to appreciate both of them. But soon the leaders of two trends of thought begin to appear, seeking the answer to a higher problem. Which is worth more: the prosperity symbolized by the one, or the knowledge symbolized by the other? And from another point of view, which deserves the greater honor: the grace of the shepherdess, or the sweet seriousness of the teacher? These are universal problems, problems of all times, which for this very reason arouse great interest.

When the shepherdess leaves with her flock, she appears to be going out to meet her enchanted prince, so graceful and delicate is she.

During a lull in the discussion, the voice of the grandfather is heard: "What about heroism? It too has its merit. It is a merit which we must take into consideration if we are going to be fair. We are talking about merits, aren't we? As you all know, I was a soldier. I could feel the wonder of the wind that lifted our enthusiasm in the hours of combat. We fought hard so that the normal life of labor, prayer, study, and rest might continue: the shepherds leading their sheep to pasture, the teachers instructing their pupils, the wives preparing their homes for their husbands returning from work, and the churches raising prayers for the glory of God in the highest of heavens and for peace on earth to men of good will. We fought so that the principles of justice and charity, upon which the whole Christian order is based, would not be violated by an aggressor and enemy. Our souls became enlarged proportionately to the ideal for which we were fighting. Our temper became stronger than steel, and our courage greater than the wild boar or the voracious wolf. We would go forth happily to fight, to wound, and to kill, knowing that we might be wounded and even die. The ideal was everything.
Oh, how wonderful was that ideal, how beautiful the fight in its sacred grandeur."
The old man was standing up now. His deep voice could be heard in the silence of the room. No one imagined that such a frail figure could monopolize the attention of the participants in the room as he did. Then, the old man, becoming tired, sat down. His last words: "I propose that you go beyond the teacher and the shepherdess, and also consider if there is a place for the name of our hunter of wild beasts. Couldn't there be a place of honor for someone who is a hero?"
There was emotion and a certain uneasiness among the listeners. They recalled that some days ago the parish priest made a sermon in which he spoke about these words of Our Lord: "Greater love has no man than he lay down his life for his friend."

* * *

The debate continued, and the parties were still divided. But now everyone was either for or against the heroic guardian. Those who were against him no longer cared whether the shepherdess or the teacher won first place. All that they wanted now was to keep the guardian from getting the place of honor. But there were others who were convinced that it was indispensable to honor the hero.
As was usual in that small town, when the time arrived to make the important decision, the businessman took the floor. Everyone turned toward him, and, little by little, that ever-changing voice began to be heard. He touched everyone's heart when he enthusiastically praised the mission of the shepherdess. They were all convinced when he spoke about the importance of culture. And at last, as if pronouncing the final verdict, addressing himself to the old man, he said he respected him, but the days of fighting were gone. The world would one day proceed and indeed had already begun to fuse all religions, all races, and all peoples. Intelligent men could have nothing but horror for the spilling of blood. The fact that someone, upon being hired, had accepted the mission of killing wild animals, was a sad necessity, but to place fighting and the pre tense of heroism on the same level with culture and economic production was an anachronism. The businessman concluded by proposing the removal of the name of the slayer from the list, but at the same time asked all to show their esteem for the old man by giving him a hand.
Everyone clapped his hands. Only a few appeared unhappy.
It was late, and they decided to leave.
The next morning no one saw the hunter at the square. They didn't see him any time after that either. He had decided to move to other lands, far away, to become rich doing something less dangerous. And the small town forgot about the incident.
Next year the number of wild boars and voracious wolves increased a little. The year after that, their number increased still more. In the third year, the number of farms decreased. Some children had been made orphans and some families had become poor.
The retired businessman complained: "How can one live in such a place?" And he moved away.
As for the small town, it continued to decay and to die.

* * *

What should this story be called? What title should be given to this article?
"Peace, Culture, and Heroism?" Or maybe, "Ungratefulness and Punishment?" I don't know. Maybe we could call it, "The Crime of the Villianous Demagogue." Another idea, "The Hawks and the Doves;" perhaps this would be the best.
The reader may choose for himself.

France's National Rosary for Life Sparks Pro-Abortion Counter-Protests

By Patrick B. Craine

FRANCE, November 16, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - To mark their 23rd anniversary, the French pro-life group SOS Tout-Petits held their annual National Rosary for Life on Saturday, sparking heated protests from the country's pro-abortion activists.

Catholics gathered to pray outside cathedrals and churches in at least 28 cities throughout France, as well as in Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Philippines.  In many of these cities, the peaceful event attracted large anti-Catholic counter-demonstrations.

For example, at the St. André Cathedral in Bordeaux, police were called to the scene as a large crowd opposed the 150 people gathered to pray.  The crowd carried pro-abortion signs and shouted "Caca Catholic," "Mary, Jesus, we f*** you," and "If Mary had had an abortion, we wouldn't have this sh**."  At the St. Étienne Cathedral in Toulouse, the protesters were held back by police.  At St. Nicolas in Nantes, they threw eggs.

Videos of some of these protests can be found on YouTube here and Daily Motion here.

URL: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/nov/09111611.html

Monday, November 16, 2009

Important Message for Rally Captains

    By now all rally captains from last year should have received their beautiful certificate of appreciation.  The words of Our Lady that are stated on the certificate are particularly moving, "I have obtained from My Divine Son, that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors, the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death."

    What a great promise of Our Lady.  If your rosary rally had trials and disappointments, if everything went smoothly, or if you are thinking about 2010, I encourage you to ponder those words. 

    The entire celestial court means all of the nine choirs of angels as well as all of the saints.  Despite the sins that we may all be guilty of, despite our infidelities we can be confident that we have the largest army in the universe interceding for us.

    The words of Our Lady truly reflect what the great Marian apostle, St. Louis De Montfort wrote, "when we give Our Lady an egg, She gives us an ox."  Even if your rosary rally had some difficulties, the reward that Our Lady offers for such a gesture is incomparably great in comparison.

    If we continue to be rally captains each and every year, imagine how much greater the intercession will be.

    If you haven't already, I encourage you to complete the one page questionnaire that arrived with your certificate.  Please say yes to Our Lady for 2010!  If all 4,337 rally captains from 2009 say yes now, that will give us plenty of time to concentrate on signing up new captains for 2010! 

    Please return Our Lady's generosity with your own generosity!

    Remember to mark if you need a new banner or not.  We understand that they can tear in strong winds or get damaged in other ways. If you would like a new banner in another language please note it on the side.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Lithuania Fights Back Against EU Resolution Favoring Homosexual Propaganda

By Austin Ruse

     (WASHINGTON, DC – C-FAM)  The fight over homosexual propaganda in schools taking place between the Lithuanian and European Parliaments escalated this week with the Lithuanian Parliament (Siemas) calling on its government to file suit against the Europeans in the Court of Justice of the European Union (EU).
     The argument began with passage of a Lithuanian “Law on the Protection of Minors against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information” which prohibits promotion of “homosexual, bisexual, polygamous relations” among children under the age of 18. While the Lithuanian president subsequently vetoed the measure, the Siemas overturned his veto and the law is slated to go in effect next March.
      As a consequence, in September the European Parliament (EP) voted 349-218 to condemn the new law and ask the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights to review it. The Parliament also considered what is called an “article 7” action against Lithuania, which could have resulted in Lithuania’s suspension from the European Union. Jean Lambert, a British MEP said at the time, “This law contravenes the EU Treaties, the EU Charter and the European Convention on Human Rights, and should be urgently repealed on those grounds.”

Full story here:

http://www.c-fam.org/publications/id.1506/pub_detail.asp

Join rosary rally in Topeka and Saint Marys, Kansas, on Saturday, November 14th,

There will be a public square rosary rally both in Topeka and St. Marys, Kansas this Saturday, November 14th at 12:Noon.  The Topeka rally will take place at 21st and Wanamaker and the St. Marys rally will take place at Railroad park.

    The rally will be offered in thanksgiving for all of the 4,337 public square rosary rallies that took place all across the United States on October 10th.  It will also be offered in continued reparation for the sins and offenses committed against the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

    Until mankind repents, each day brings greater horrors either directed towards God and Our Lady directly, directed towards the Church, or directed to men made in the image and likeness of God as in Fort Hood.

    The Saturday public square rosary will not hinder ANF members from participating in the rosary of reparation on Friday evening for the horrendous blasphemy that will take place on HBO.

    If you would like more information about these rosary rallies please call (888) 460 - 7371.

Spanish church threatens to excommunicate abortion supporters

By DPA, Nov 12, 2009, 9:10 GMT

Madrid - Spain's Catholic Church has stepped up its campaign against the government's plans to liberalize the country's abortion law, press reports said Thursday.

Bishops' Conference spokesman Juan Antonio Martinez Camino described abortion as a 'mortal sin' and as a 'heresy,' saying Catholics who contributed to abortions could not take communion and would be automatically excommunicated.

Under a draft law, currently before parliament, abortions carried out before the end of the 14th week of pregnancy would be available upon request, without having to justify them.

For the full story, please go to:

Monsters and Critics.com

Italian mayors respond to Strasbourg ruling by hanging more crucifixes in schools

From: www.catholicnewsagency.com

Rome, Italy, Nov 12, 2009 / 01:49 pm (CNA).- A number of Italian officials have responded to the ruling by the European Human Rights Court that ordered schools in Italy to remove crucifixes from the classrooms by taking unprecedented measures to preserve the Christian symbol.

According to the Italian daily “Avvenire,” the mayor of Sezzadio, Pier Luigi Arnera, has leveled a fine of 500 euros against anyone who removes a crucifix from a public place.

Arnera explained that the displaying of the crucifix in “places other than churches does not affect the dignity of anyone, because it is one of our cultural references.”

Likewise in the cities of Sassuolo and Trapani, officials have acquired dozens more crucifixes to display them in public schools.

For the full story, please go to:

www.catholicnewsagency.com

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Rally captains get new graces, start new initiatives...

With the graces from the 2009 Public Square Rosary Rallies fresh in the souls of the rally captains, many are starting new initiatives.

    A number of rally captains are beginning to hold monthly rosary rallies.  A number of rally captains are starting groups to periodically get together to discuss their faith or to study Catholic books or devotions together.  Some are getting together to see what else they can do throughout the year.

    One rally captain in Ohio started a group of 10 who are studying True Devotion To Mary, by St. Louis De Montfort. Next October armed with the graces from True Devotion I am confident that their rosary rally will be greater than ever!

    If you have ideas or events to share please let us know!  We want to pass those ideas on to others so that they too can benefit.

 

And please read this report:

To Francis Slobodnik-Rosary Rally Coordinator

I am  very sorry for this late actually very late report becuase of my health problem.  Thanks God I got over it with the help of Almighty God.

Report:  Held the Rosary Rally  on October 10, 2009 at Lichtenberger Park by Kilconnelll in Elk Grove ,California. 

There were about 72 people who attended and it was very successful.  Actually several of them expressed their desire to be Rally Captain next year.  Wonderful!!!!

I very much committed to be a Rally Captain again next year.  I am very glad that I am doing this.  I started to be a Rally Captain since the rally started in 2007.  Regretfully, I cannot send picture now. 

However as soon as I got the prints I will send them to you.  Better late than never-as said. Do I need to send you the names of the participants as we did last year?

Thank you and please include me and my family in your prayers.

Fely Salgado

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Miami Captains Plan Massive Joint Rosary Rally on November 21

Human solutions are failing and America is in an alarming moral free fall:  The Fatima moment is here...

That's why dozens of rosary rally captains are planning to hold a massive joint rosary rally all together at noon on Saturday, November 21.  Each rally captain will bring his or her banner in English and in Spanish and stand along the road so the bumper to bumper car traffic can see the event. 

This will be one wonderful and spiritual event!  Don't miss it.

                       http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/8378/40146477.jpg

Where: Bird Rd. ( SW 40 St. & 79 Ave )

When: Saturday Nov. 21 --- 12 Noon

For more information.

Call: Olivia 305-740-6436 - Cel. 305-308-3573

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

Massachusetts Man Fired for Telling Colleague that Homosexual Behavior Is Wrong

"If homosexual marriage does become legal in your state," warned Vidala, "you could be fired from your job as well, just for expressing your belief that you disagree with that lifestyle."

James Tillman

BOSTON, MA, November 9, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) -- A deputy manager at a Brookstone retail store in Boston's Logan Airport says he was fired from his job for telling a visiting manager that he believed her homosexual behavior to be wrong.  Brookstone, however, has justified its action by referring to Massachusetts' legalization of same-sex "marriage."

"It was because I expressed my belief that homosexuality is wrong.  That's the reason that I was fired," Peter Vidala told MassResistance.org.

The incident leading to Vidala's termination began when a visiting manager told Vidala that she was getting married.  Vidala congratulated her and asked where he (her husband) was taking her for the honeymoon.  The other manager corrected him, saying "where is she taking me."

"I didn't say anything, I quickly changed the subject, and I kind of went on with the workday," Vidala said.  But the manager continued to repeatedly mention her female 'fiancée' throughout the day.

"It made me uncomfortable because I see that sort of behavior as immoral, personally," Vidala said.  And so when the manager mentioned her "marriage" for what Vidala says was "at least the fourth time," Vidala felt compelled to speak.

"Regarding homosexuality, I believe that that 's bad stuff," Vidala says he told the manager.  He says that he was going to continue by explaining that he would prefer her not to bring it up in the workplace, but she started laughing.

"Get over it.  HR buddy, keep your opinions to yourself," she said.  A few hours later Vidala was suspended; two days later Vidala received a termination letter, which accuses him of "harassment" and of "imposing" his beliefs upon others.

Vidala, however, perceives the situation differently.  He told Fox News that he felt the manager could discern his opinions and that he was "intentionally goaded" by the manager to comment on her relationship.

"She knew how I felt about homosexuality," Vidala said.  "When you talk to someone about something like that, you want their support. She was kind of looking into my eyes for that social cue for me to say, 'I'm happy for you.'  But I really couldn't feel happy for her."

Perhaps more disturbingly, however, Vidala says that Brookstone's letter "cited the fact that so-called homosexual marriage is legal in Massachusetts.  And that's why this superior of mine talking about her fiancée wasn't considered harassing to Brookstone."

"If homosexual marriage does become legal in your state," he warned, "you could be fired from your job as well, just for expressing your belief that you disagree with that lifestyle."

Advocates of homosexual "marriage" have long denied that such legalization would injure those who believe homosexual behavior to be wrong.  Vidala's case, however, adds to a growing list of instances that seem to indicate the opposite. 

For instance, homosexual behavior is taught as normative in Massachussets schools. Parents Robb and Robin Wirthlin lost a case against the school after their 2nd-grade son was taught about homosexual behavior without their permission.

Even in states such as New Mexico, where same-sex "marriage" is not legal, a husband-and-wife photography company was successfully sued for refusing to photograph a homosexual commitment ceremony.  Similarly, a Methodist association in New Jersey was stripped of its tax-exempt status for part of its property by refusing to allow a homosexual "couple" to use its pavilion for a civil union ceremony.

Vidala was also disturbed by a video Brookstone shows to all new employees to help illustrate its personnel policies.  According to Vidala, in it a man who describes himself as gay says that he was offended by overhearing another man say, "Well, gee, you know, I'd be uncomfortable if a homosexual hit on me."

Vidala continued: "You could have a so-called homosexual person hit on you [if you work for Brookstone], and you won't be able to say anything, because by expressing your belief that what they're doing is wrong, you're harassing them."

Monday, November 9, 2009

Cathedrals – heavens on earth

guardian.co.uk home

Why visit an art gallery when you can visit a cathedral instead? Jonathan Jones takes a tour of our forgotten masterpieces

gloucester cathedral

Glorious cloisters … Gloucester Cathedral. Photograph: David Mansell

There's a sculpture in Gloucester Cathedral of a youth falling through the air with his arms outstretched, as if he's trying to fly. A man with a curling beard reaches out, in a futile attempt to catch him. The sculpture is known as the Mason's Bracket, because the man wears the toolbelt of a mason. It's an odd little monument that juts out from the wall, with the falling boy carved, cubist style, into its underside. Stand beneath it and look up, and the boy seems to be falling from that great vaulted ceiling high above.

Gloucester was my final stop on a journey around Britain's cathedrals to experience their artistic marvels. For a second, standing under that boy, all the glories of the cathedral, its ornate patterns and its mighty walls of honey-tinted stone, faded away – and I was left with the image of a medieval building site, and a craftsman seeing his favourite pupil slip and fall to his death. For the Mason's Bracket is a memorial by the cathedral's builders to one of their own. What a unique piece of sculpture, I thought. Why had I never heard of it? The Mason's Bracket has all the makings of an iconic work. People just need to know it exists.

Please read the whole article at:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/nov/01/canterbury-gloucester-cathedral-medieval-art

Sunday, November 8, 2009

The third place, and why we need it

By Norman Fulkerson

The informal gathering place provides a way for
many Americans to survive their hectic daily lives.
Ladies have their tearooms, but many men have found
a solution also.

Years ago, I had the chance to visit Italy. I loved my
stay there and had an amusing experience in the airport
the day of my departure. While standing in line to check
my bags, an employee announced that our flight would
be delayed. The next man in line went ballistic and
vented his anger on the lady who was checking us in.

“This is terrible,” he said. “I’ll miss my appointment.” He
went into great detail about how all of this was really of
earth shattering importance.

The Italian lady stood calmly and listened, with a
sympathetic look and a pensive gaze.  She could just as
easily have been watching a popular Italian opera as listening
to an American complaining about the tragedy
of a delayed flight.  He eventually finished his operatic
dramatization of the disaster of his altered travel
plans.  She looked at him with her droopy eyes and
serene face, and all she had to say was, “Compared to
life, its not that bad.”

This was a memorable experience for me since it
gave me a brief glimpse of two opposing philosophies!

On one side of the counter was the stereotypical “time
is money” philosophy, which cannot tolerate an
unplanned moment, while on the other side was a “joy
of life” philosophy that welcomes the spontaneous
moments that enrich life.

Such situations are a chance to take a deserved
break for some, but for our businessman it was a source
of anger and frustration. His world is one of travel planners
and nifty computer programs to schedule his every
minute. His life is a succession of airports, taxis, hotel
rooms, business lunches or quick burgers at McDonalds,
then quickly off again to some other destination to
close yet another deal.

Fortuitous circumstances that allow a moment of
relaxation are considered vile intruders in his world of
production. An outsider witnessing such a scene
might think that America is simply one big machine,
with man playing the part of cogs in a massive industrial
wheel.

Those who think this way have missed a growing trend.

With the cigar boom of the mid 90’s, smoke-rooms
for men sprouted up in almost every major city in the
country. And since my first trip to Italy I began to
notice how these rooms are a haven for men who long
for more than time management.

Riding the crest of this new wave was Denver’s elegant
Brown Palace Hotel. They simply took what was
formerly a small bar servicing their Atrium Lounge,
added a wall in 1996, and transformed it into a cigar
bar named after Winston Churchill. In its first year of
operation, “the Churchill Bar did $1 million worth of
business, a 500 percent increase over the previous year.

There are between 3,000 and 4,000 people on the bar’s
mailing list, which continues to grow.” What is the
attraction? The reason is simple: “Cigars force you to
stop and do something that is pleasurable for at least
one part of your day,” said one regular of the bar.

Americans avidly search for such informal “third
places” that will provide them with the elements necessary
for a relaxing conversation.

Ray Oldenburg in his book The Great Good Place
says that “Great civilizations, like great cities, share a
common feature. Evolving within them and crucial to
their growth and refinement are distinctive informal public gathering places.”

Most men need an occasional break from work and home. What is often missing is that unique third place where they can get together with other men to enjoy a simple yet satisfying pleasure
of life: conversation.

Women may have their Victorian tearoom escapes
to enjoy a nice chat, but now many American men
have also found an escape. Providing us with yet
another Only in America paradox. In a nation that promoted
the “time-is-money philosophy,” you also find a
good number of men who appreciate fine tobacco and
the relaxation their third place provides.

Such third places are common in Europe. It is difficult
to imagine an Irishman without a pub close by to
enjoy a pint of Guinness and discuss politics. French
cafes supply the necessary ambiance for speaking
openly about philosophical currents of the day, and
the beer halls of Germany are the breeding ground for
new ideas.

Similar places also exist in America, however, and
their role in society is becoming more important. And
Mr. Oldenburg’s blueprint of the third place provides
necessary elements to see that such locations provide
the same benefits for Americans that Europeans enjoy
in their pubs, coffee houses, and beer halls.

Almost every town in America has its local diner,
which is not just a place to get an inexpensive breakfast
and hot cup of coffee — good portions of conviviality
are served up as well.

The corner barbershop is a frequent stop for retired men who want someone to talk to, and the public squares of many cities provide more than a park bench in the shade to rest on
a hot day.

The common denominator among all of these
places is the note of surprise. Who will show up today?
Those that do are always welcome since frequenters of
the third place are people with loads of personality and
lots to say. So the ordinary stop at the barber, the diner,
or the park bench becomes an experience that enriches
life like few things can.

The regular, the newcomer and the bore

According to Oldenburg there are many distinct characteristics
that make up a third place. The third place is comfortable, a home away from home. It is a place that has its regulars, but also the occasional newcomer who adds a fresh element to the ambience. “What attracts the regular visitor to the third place,” says Oldenburg, “are the fellow customers.”

Informal meeting places are “upbeat because those who enjoy them ration the time they spend there.” Besides the “regulars”
and the “newcomers,” he also describes another type: the bore.

He is the one who has “long since lost that edge that makes people interesting, an edge that is honed by confrontation with life outside.” While the regular and the newcomer leave “before the magic fades,” the bore has a tendency to hang on forever,
milking the moment for all its worth.

The reason informal meeting places are upbeat is simple: It is a place where the pretensions of work and the responsibilities of home can be put aside. It provides us with the situation and surroundings in which we can be ourselves and explore our ideas and dreams in a neutral environment with non-threatening
participants.

Smoke-rooms are perhaps the best examples of the
“third place” for men that I found. Born over 300 years
ago in London, the gentleman’s club or smoke-room
was an essential element in the social life of men,
described by one astute observer as “mausoleums of
masculine inactivity.”3

“Where the problemsof the world are solved”

It was an overcast day as I walked down the cobblestone
walkway of what I later learned is the gentleman’s
quarter or arcade. It is the oldest part of
Nashville, a place where men of the past gathered to do
business. This area of town is home to the Arcade
Smoke-room, where men of the present remember the
past. The closely laid cobblestones seem analogous to
the close friendships that are formed, strengthened,
and solidified in the Arcade. Housed in the oldest
building in town, it is a popular gathering place for
Nashville men.

My visit to the Arcade proved to be an experience.
Tennessee by nature are a very hospitable people,
and as I entered the shop I immediately felt at home
due to the kind treatment of the owner, Wilson Frazier.
Do you get a lot of customers here, I asked. “Yes,
sir,” he said, pointing to a couch pushed up against the
wall, “the problems of the world are solved right there.”
With such a small sitting area, I figured there couldn’t
be more than a handful at any given time.

When I returned during lunchtime to see who it was that solved the world’s problems, I found a constant flow of men coming and going.

The Arcade Smoke-room was the classic example of a third place as defined by Oldenburg, “where individuals may come and go as they please and in which none are required to play host and in which all feel at home and comfortable.”

Patrick Owen is a regular of the Arcade and the owner of his own smoke-room up the street. He works for the Department of Human Services in downtown Nashville and does Civil War reenacting as a hobby.

“Why do men come to these smoke-rooms?” I
asked him.

“Men need the company of other men,” he said,
“time to recapture camaraderie. Smoke-rooms give
them the opportunity to discuss traditional things.”
Men need a place to relax with other men and pound
out those perplexing questions that have been ruminating
in their head during the day.

The segregation of sexes “accounts for the origins of the third place,” says Oldenburg, “and remains the basis for much of the
appeal and benefits this institution has to offer.” Men
sometimes need to be with other men, as ladies often
need to be with other ladies.

Patrick is an archetypal example of a civil war reenactor.
When he first greets you there is the characteristic bow of the head, and the gentlemanly usage of the title sir. He doesn’t just barge into a conversation but is the champion of a smooth entrance and gentle transition. His mannerisms were thus more
civilized, like someone of the nineteenth century. He
was polite, chivalrous, a joy to be around. “The
smoke-rooms of today are like the campfires during
the time of the Civil War, where men would gather to
converse,” he said.

“We have always needed this type of thing,” he continued.
“The Greeks had their agora — an ancient
marketplace of Greece; the Romans had the Forum —
the public square where laws were read; early Americans
had taverns and coffee houses.”

Suddenly I found myself engaged in an elevated
conversation surrounded by a pensive group of men;
some puffing on cigars, others drawing from elegantly
shaped pipes. Waiting my turn to speak I was amused
by the sign hanging on the wall overhead. “A pipe gives
a wise man time to think, and a fool something to put
in his mouth.”

“Do angels have free will?”
This experience in conversational cuisine is by no
means restricted to Nashville’s Arcade. While visiting
Rae’s Tobacco Shop in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, one
day I unexpectedly found myself drawn into a theological
debate with one of the regulars, David Ravegum,
on the existence of angels and whether or not they
have free wills. With the help of a friend I was able to
explain that they do. Upon leaving David looked at me
and said, “You have piqued my interest. I am going to
go home and read up on the angels.” The next time I
visited Rae’s, David recognized me and affirmed, “You
are right, angels do have free will.”

The men who frequent the Tobacco Chandler in
Hanover, Pennsylvania, enjoy conversations more
along the sociological line. “What is happening with

the youth of today? Why don’t they have respect for
elders?” One such conversation was so interesting that
Mike Evans, the owner, suggested that we invite some
of the area youth to participate. Instead of just playing
billiards on Mike’s table, he felt they could also benefit
from the simple pleasure of an elevated conversation.

The Humidour in Timonium, Maryland, provides a
dignified ambience for its customers, with leather
armchairs, rich wood paneling, a splendid air freshener,
and large crystal ashtrays. Don Curtis of the National
Investors Company is one of the regulars.

Don is a master conversationalist with whom it is easy to talk
and who has a lot to say. His concerns are more of a
political nature and when I first met him he wasted no
time in venting his anger over the myriad scandals surrounding
the Clinton administration, especially the
moral ones. “If we are not careful,” he said, “We could
end up like the Roman Empire, rotting from within. If
that happens we won’t need an outside invader, we will
simply give up.”

Back in Nashville...
Before leaving the Arcade, Wilson Frazier was kind
enough to show me the upstairs of the shop. As we
reached the top of the stairs, a dimly lit sitting area
caught my eye. Two comfortable armchairs faced each
other with a table between them. Arranged on the
table was a chessboard ready for play. Outside the window
was a birds-eye view of the cobblestone arcade
below. The back room had a conference table where
some men go to escape the agitation of the workplace.
“It gives them the opportunity,” Mr. Frazier said, “to get
away from their offices, secretaries, and noisy phones.”

The smoke-rooms of America are a strong indicator
that some men are becoming increasingly dissatisfied
with the rat race and desire a solution to the rush
of every day life. The cigar boom provided the excuse,
the smoke-room the place — a third place “where the
problems of the world are solved.”