Catholic Fire

"The Lord who is Truth and says, 'I am the truth', surrounds us with His truth like a shield to protect us against the stinging darts of the devil. Christ who is Truth, holds up His shield that the shield of truth may vanquish falsehood and deceit." ~ St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church

Washington, DC (19 August 2009) – Students at Catholic universities across the nation are banding together with students at Belmont Abbey College in a stand for religious liberty and conscience rights. Students from the University of Dallas, Franciscan University of Steubenville, De Sales University and Catholic University of America are fighting back as one private school in North Carolina is being forced to fund contraception and chemical abortion under the Obama administration’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The EEOC ignited the First Amendment firestorm when it ruled Belmont Abbey College must include coverage for contraception in its employee health insurance plan. Hormonal contraceptives often function as abortifacients. “People need to wake up!” said Michael Barnett, American Life League’s director of leadership development and its LiveCampus college outreach program. “Under Obama, the federal government is forcing a religious institution to commit an act that violat...

Today is the optional memorial of St. John Eudes , a priest and member of a religious communty, a parish missionary, founder of two religious communities and a great promoter of the devotion to the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. John Eudes was born at Ri, Normandy, France, on November 14, 1601, the son of a farmer. He went to the Jesuit college at Caen when he was 14. Despite his parents' wishes that he marry, he joined the religious order of the Oratorians in France and was ordained a priest at the age of 24. John worked as a volunteer, caring for the victims of the plagues that struck Normandy in 1625 and 1631. In order to avoid infecting his fellow religious, he lived in a huge cask in the middle of a field during the plague. At age 32, John became a parish missionary, building a reputation as an outstanding preacher and confessor. He was known for his opposition to Jansenism, which taught that human nature was corrupt, original sin rampant, and perfection was b...

It was the pious boast of the city of Colchester, England, for many ages, that St. Helena was born within its walls; and though this honor has been disputed, it is certain that she was a British princess. She embraced Christianity late in life; but her incomparable faith and piety greatly influenced her son Constantine, the first Christian emperor, and served to kindle a holy zeal in the hearts of the Roman people. Forgetful of her high dignity, she delighted to assist at the Divine Office amid the poor; and by her alms-deeds showed herself a mother to the indigent and distressed. In her eightieth year she made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, with the ardent desire of discovering the cross on which our blessed Redeemer suffered. After many labors, three crosses were found on Mount Calvary, together with the nails and the inscription recorded by the Evangelists. It still remained to identify the true cross of Our Lord. By the advice of the bishop, Macarius, the three were applied successivel...

Via The Boston Herald : S OUTHBRIDGE — A Southbridge teenager is being held on $500,000 bail for allegedly stabbing his pregnant girlfriend several times because she refused to get an abortion. Police said 18-year-old Alex Santana attacked Leah Diver at about 2:30 a.m. Friday during an argument over the pregnancy. The Telegram & Gazette reports that Santana was ordered held on bail after a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf in Dudley District Court on Friday. He’s charged with armed assault with intent to murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. The 28-year-old Diver is in critical condition at a Worcester hospital. Police say the fetus survived. Santana is scheduled to return to court on Sept. 3. How horrible! Lifting up this poor woman in my prayers and praying for repentance and conversion for this young man. H/T: Katie Walker.

"I think the pertinent question is asked by you: Should we therefore be openly opposing the bills, even if that means a delay in health care reform?" It is my belief that these 'changes' need to be made 'as a condition for support' and that there ought to be no support for the reform at all unless and until these very critical matters involving the care of pre-born human life, are satisfactorily resolved. " Read the entire story at LifeSite News.

Via Christian Newswire: Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of a Civilization of Love debuted at number six on the August 14, 2009 release of the New York Times best-sellers list. The book has also made debut appearances on the Wall Street Journal and Publishers Weekly best-sellers lists. Written by Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, Carl Anderson, and Guadalupe expert, Msgr. Eduardo Chávez, the book traces her history as a religious and cultural symbol from the sixteenth century to the present, exploring the Virgin's message of love as an encouragement in the past and a guide in our present and future. Our Lady of Guadalupe was featured front & center at The Knights of Columbus' First International Marian Congress on Our Lady of Guadalupe held on August 6-8, 2009, following the organization's 127th annual convention in Phoenix. Said to be the largest Catholic celebration of the year in that area, the festival drew an enthusiastic crowd of 20,000 all eager to hear...

You can say goodbye to your health care plan and goodbye to your doctors with ObamaCare:

Carthusian monks Chant, some music and images from Grande Chartreuse France, as well as Carthusians in Spain, Italy , Slovenia, and others in France. http://chartreux.org - http://wikimapia.org/9586... ~ Via Catholiques1 .

"Because the efforts to dislodge what is evil are so arduous – we know that evil will not give up without a fight; It shouldn’t surprise us that certain groups – even those under the banner of 'Catholic,' have set a different agenda, one that while supporting a public work of assistance to those in need, nonetheless chooses not to address unjust and destructive laws that take their daily toll of thousands of human lives." Read the excellent article this quote was taken from at The Catholic Key Blog: Bishop Finn - What Laity Must Do in Battle for Life

Richard Doerflinger, Associate Director of Pro-Life Activities for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, discusses the U.S. bishops' position on abortion in the debate over health care reform. As I mentioned in my post on Friday , the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) launched a Web page promoting its support of “truly universal health policy with respect for human life and dignity.” The page, www.usccb.org/healthcare , includes letters from bishops to Congress, videos, facts and statistics, frequently asked questions, and links for contacting members of Congress. Click HERE to vist the USCCB site. ~ H/T: OSV

Jeanne Delanoue (1666-1736) foundress of the Congregation of St Anne of Providence Jeanne Delanoue was born at Samur in Anjoú, France on June 18, 1660. She was the youngest in a family of twelve and was described as self-centered, greedy, and ill-tempered as a child. Her parents owned a business and when her father died, she helped her mother run the store in order to maintain the family. When her mother died in 1691, Jeanne took over the business. Intelligent and hard-working, she made a success of the small business. Jeanne provided accommodations for pilgrims coming to the shrine of Our Lady of Ardillier. However, she caused great scandal by opening her shop on Sunday. Since her only interest was in making money off the pilgrims, she ignored what others thought and said about her. It was precisely at this time of great material success in her life, at the age of 27, shortly after the death of her mother, that two mystical experiences occurred, which...

The sad news via Michelle: We are so very sorry to have to share the devastating news that Ryan Barrett has drowned. Our heartfelt love and prayers are extended to Mary Ellen and Dave and all the Barrett family. Words cannot convey the depth of this sadness. We pray that God will grant them strength and peace in this horrible time of loss. Prayers: Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord. And may perpetual light shine upon him. May the soul of Ryan Barrett and all the souls of the faithfully departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace. Lord Jesus, come and heal the hurting hearts of this family. Mother Mary, you know what it is like to lose a son and the tremendous heartache that is involved. Mother of mercy, wellspring of compassion, comfort to those who grieve, grant this family all the graces they need at this difficult time. Wrap them in the holy mantle of your love. Comfort them in their sorrow and give them the peace that surpasses all understanding. We ask this all i...

A TEA PARTY MESSAGE TO INSPIRE YOU.... H/T: Esther

This is shocking! Please take the time to watch it. Congressman Kevin Brady Presentation on the health care bill at the Houston Tea Party Society's townhall on August 8, 200. Part 1:

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary celebrates her being taken up body and soul into heaven when her earthly title was finished. It first began to be celebrated as a feast day in the Eastern Church after the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus (431) proclaimed Mary the Mother of God. By the sixth century, the feast celebrated Mary’s Dormition, “her falling asleep”. The western church began to celebrate this feast around 650. The Church’s teaching on the Assumption was formally proclaimed a doctrine by Pope Pius XII in 1950. In today’s society, many idolize sensuality, materialism, and self-indulgence. In contrast, the celebration of the feast of the Assumption Our Blessed Virgin Mary turns our eyes away from these temporary, earthly attachments and directs our focus on the dignity and destiny of our human body and the beauty and dignity of womanhood. It turns our eyes upon the true life which awaits us beyond the grave – eternal life. May we take heart that one day our bodies and souls...

More Planned Parenthood Corruption: Spokane, Washington - An audit has uncovered information that Planned Parenthood of the Inland Northwest has required unnecessary office visits by its poorest patients, securing over half a million dollars in excess payments from Medicaid. The audit has also discovered questionable billing procedures and unauthorized staff prescribing and dispensing birth control pills, Doug Porter, Washington’s Medicaid director, told the Spokesman-Review. The excess taxpayer-funded Medicaid payments total $629,143, out of a total of about $7.7 million in payments. Interest of one percent per month will begin accruing on August 20 if the clinic does not repay the state. The audit was launched after staff with the Washington Department of Social and Health Services became suspicious of the frequency of clinic visits by Medicaid patients. “Most birth control clinics will see a woman and usually determine what method of birth control is best and then they will pres...

A few key principles should guide the development of any health care reform legislation, especially in light of the mixed and sobering track record of national health plans in other countries: • It should provide access to basic, quality health services for all persons, from conception to natural death, with a special concern for the poor, elderly and disabled, and the inclusion of legal immigrants; • It should protect the conscience rights of individuals and religious institutions; • It should exclude all so-called “services” that involve violence against the dignity of the human person, such abortion, physician-assisted suicide and their funding; • It should be economically realistic and sustainable, with costs spread equitably across all taxpayers. ~ Excerpted from Act now to ensure health care reform respects sanctity of life

Today is the anniversary of the death of Fr. Michael McGivney , the saintly founder of the Knights of Columbus who was declared venerable last year by Pope Benedict XVI. Read the full story and view the video at Padre Steve's.