Catholic Fire

On October 29, we celebrate Helen Kafka, better known as Blessed Maria Restituta, martyr. Helen Kafka was born in 1894 to a shoemaker and grew up in Vienna, Austria. She initially worked as a salesgirl and then as an assistant caregiver at the Lainz public hospital, which brought her into contact with the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity. At the age of 20, she decided to join the Order and took the name Restituta, after a 4th century Christian martyr. In 1919, she began working as a surgical nurse at the Moulding hospital in Austria. When the Germans took over the country, she became a local opponent of the Nazi regime. Her conflict with them escalated after they ordered her to remove all the crucifixes she had hung up in each room of a new hospital wing. Sister Maria Restitua refused and she was arrested by the Gestapo in 1942. She was sentenced to death for "aiding and abetting the enemy in the betrayal of the fatherland and for plotting high treason.” Martin ...

Today is the feast of Saint María Soledad Torres Acosta (1826-1887), who was known for her diligent and loving care of the sick and the poor. St. Mary Soledad was a "modern" saint who gave to the world yet another sisterhood dedicated primarily to nursing. They are the "Handmaids of Mary Serving the Sick", better known in this country (where they have been working since 1914) as the Sister Servants of Mary, Ministers to the Sick. The foundress, a native of Madrid, was baptized Bibiana Antonia Manuela. She was the second of the five children of shopkeeper Francisco Torres and his wife Antonia Acosta. Raised in good Christian surroundings, Manuela grew up a thoughtful child, more interested in passing her own food on to her poorer playmates, and teaching them their prayers, than playing games with them. Educated by the Daughters of Charity, she may have been inspired by that order's hospital work to think along nursing lines. Definitely desiring to join ...

"It felt like a horror film unfolding. I felt violated and betrayed. I couldn't believe that this could happen." These are the words of a Catholic nurse who was forced to choose between her religious convictions and her job when her employer ordered her to assist in a late-term abortion against her will. Catherina Cenzon-DeCarlo, 35, reports that she has had gruesome nightmares and hasn't been able to sleep since the May 24 incident. Read the entire story here. This is outrageous! It is a clear-cut violation of her conscience rights. During her job interview, she told the administrator that she would not perform abortions. I hope and pray that she wins her lawsuit. Also, if Congress passes the current Healthcare System Reform Package , the scenario in this article will be the norm for all healthcare workers, including doctors. We must act to defeat this horrific bill. Here are some simple things you can do: 1. Pray 2. E-mail and write lett...