Friday, June 22, 2012

Following the Footsteps of the Martyrs

The July edition of The Catholic Telegraph was published early to coincide w/ the Fortnight for Freedom.  Hence, my article takes up the theme:


85 years ago, our neighbors to the south were embroiled in a life and death struggle to maintain their freedom to worship as they saw fit.  With laws that the were enacted with the ratification of a new Constitution but never enforced, The Church in Mexico thought it had found an uneasy peace with the government.  However, as President Calles took office, he began a systematic implementation of the rules that previously existed.  This resulted in the suppression of the rights of Catholics to gather for Mass and for priests and nuns to wear religious garb outside of a house of worship.  Also, foreign born clerics were expelled from the country.  (As a side note, this oppression and the resulting heroism is told dramatically in the new movie, ‘For Greater Glory,’ which is currently in theatres.)

Our brothers and sisters to the south did not sit by quietly to allow this oppression to persist, however.  Bishops, priests, religious and lay men and women, Catholic, Protestant and Atheist, even, bonded together in a wide range of efforts to preserve the rights of Mexican citizens to express their religious liberty.  And while it was a long and difficult struggle, eventually the government had to withdraw, eventually the struggle for freedom was won; through the power of prayer and an attitude that they would not succumb to the forces arrayed against them.

The atrocities committed in Mexico against the Church are not the first time in history that civil governments attempted to silence and/or marginalize people of faith.  In the early Church, St. Justin Martyr was a great apologist and defender of the faith, even to the Emperor himself.  During the English Reformation, Sts. Thomas More, John Fisher, Margaret Clitherow, and Edmund Campion stood against the reforms of Elizabeth and gave their lives in witness to the Catholic Faith.  In the missionary countries of Africa and the Far East, the seeds of the Church were sown by the courageous witness of those who challenged the status quo and fought for the freedom to embrace this newly introduced religion, because it was true and resonated deep in the echoes of the heart.

Every time the Church is persecuted, it does not start with a full scale frontal assault, but rather slowly chips away at the fringes before, all of a sudden, there is no longer a freedom to do what our faith impels us to do: care for the poor and the elderly, teach and form the young, preach the Gospel, manifest Christ to the world around us.  All of these are obligations not just of the priest, but of every Catholic.

The comforting aspect is that we do not do this alone.  Recently, a Baptist woman came up to me as I was wearing my Roman Collar and affirmed: I support the Catholic Church!  And we do not stand just in this time, as the saints who have gone before us give us the example and courage to follow in their footsteps, so that there might be raised up from among our very midst saints in the vein of those listed above, from every age and walk of life.

The founding fathers of this country purposely installed religious liberty as our first and most cherished right because they knew the power of a citizenry that was aware of a higher power to do great things.  It is on all of us to embrace that call today.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

New Book to Build the Culture of Vocations

Wing Tip by Sherry Boas

My review:

I was honored to be asked to read a preview copy and submit a review of the work to the author prior to publication. Here is my short synopsis:

'The inner life of a priest is not always easy to describe as both his family history and his experience in ministry affect who he is as a priest. Ms. Boas invites us into the inner life of Fr. Dante as he struggles with his own weaknesses, yet relies on the steel that is underneath as he struggles with the greatest challenge he will face as a priest. She captures him beautifully on paper and I would love to chat with my brother priest in person!'

For those who have read 'Diary of a Country Priest,' you will find the similar internal doubts and struggles that accompany one who has faith. We walk forward into the sometime darkness of our world and what appears to be a chance encounter leads to a chance of a life time.

A great summer read with a truly Catholic worldview and a strong effort to build a culture of Vocations within the Church.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Event for a Cause

A couple who's wedding vows I witnessed (and been friends of the bride and family since my seminary days) send along a personal note which I was asked to share:

Please join us for Vivian's Victory: a fun, family event to support our daughter and son in law Maria and Rod  Dunlap and their sweet daughter, Vivian, who has been diagnosed in the womb with a congenital heart defect called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrom (HLHS). To learn more about the Dunlaps and their journey of love with Vivian, visit their blog. Our younger daughter Clare, when she found out about Vivian, decided to make this walk her senior capstone project which is a requirement for Mount Notre Dame seniors.  It has not only been a journey of faith with Rod and Maria but a joy to watch her sister work so hard as a 17 year old to try to pull this big event together
She has delegated to Tim and I emailing our contacts and the silent auction!

The big day is Saturday July 14th at 10 am and the  festivities begin with a 5K Walk/Run at beautiful Winton Woods. The proceeds of the walk will go to 1 heart 2 souls,  a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting expectant parents with poor prenatal prognosis for birth disabilities and infant loss, parents like Rod and Maria Dunlap.

Following the walk, stay to enjoy a family picnic with burgers from JTM. Throughout the morning, you can participate in a Silent Auction filled with fabulous baskets your whole family will enjoy. Proceeds from the Silent Auction will go to the Dunlap Fund.

For more details and to register to attend, please visit the event website: www.viviansvictory.eventbrite.com.

WAYS TO HELP:
1)    ATTEND THE EVENT
2)    WE ARE LOOKING FOR DONATIONS BOTH CORPORATELY AND PERSONALLY TO MAKE OUR BASKETS AND ITEMS FOR THE SILENT AUCTION..please call me and I will be happy to come and get those 478-4025 (no donation is too small)
3)    IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND PLEASE PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER MAKING A DONATION TO 1HEART2SOULS  to our address 5341 Stonetrace Dr or to THE DUNLAP FUND AT ANY 5/3RD BANK
4)    PLEASE KEEP THE EVENT AND VIVIAN IN YOUR PRAYERS
5)    Please forward this email to all of your contacts…thanks so much
Janet and Tim Lees
For those who missed it on Facebook and Twitter, here is my address to last Friday's Stand Up Rally in Dayton, Ohio, (with a nice bell soundtrack in the background):


Friday, June 8, 2012

Religious Freedom Rally, Dayton, Ohio

My address to the Religious Freedom Rally in Dayton, Ohio, noon, June 8, 2012:


85 years ago, our neighbors to the south were embroiled in a life and death struggle to maintain their freedom to worship as they saw fit.  The Mexican Government systematically suspended and suppressed the rights of Catholics to gather for Mass, for priests and nuns to wear religious garb outside of a house of worship, and any foreign born cleric was expelled from the country.  These stories are told eloquently in the new movie For Greater Glory which is in theaters now.

Our brothers and sisters to the south did not sit by quietly to allow this oppression to persist, however.  Bishops, priests, religious and lay men and women, Catholic, Protestant and Atheist, even, bonded together in a wide range of efforts to preserve the rights of Mexican citizens to express their religious liberty.  And while it was a long and difficult struggle, eventually the government had to withdraw, eventually the struggle for freedom was won; through the power of prayer and an attitude that they would not succumb to the forces arrayed against them.

My friends, we live in such a time and we must look to our fathers and mothers in the faith to see the example of their courage in the face of oppression, their resolve in the face of insurmountable odds, their determination when even family is turned against them.  This is our time to stand and be counted.  This is our time for greatness.

There are forces arrayed that want to redefine religious liberty into merely a freedom to worship as we please.  This is not the right protected in our Constitution.  This is not what so many of ancestors came to this country to find.  We seek a liberty to be guided by our religious ideals to serve the poorest of the poor, to educate the young, to meet the needs of the sick and downtrodden, not because they are Catholic or co-religionists; but because WE ARE.  Our faith demands that we serve, our mission is not solely ad intra, but as commanded by Our Lord, it is necessarily ad gentes, to the nations, to be a leaven in society and to be a force that works for The Good, not just for ourselves, but for ALL PEOPLE.

This is not a struggle solely for the bishops and the priests to undertake.  While i ask you to please pray for our courage in leading you through the dark times ahead, you must also be active in this!  I ask you to do three things:
1)      fast and pray for this effort!
2)      Stay informed on the topic, and dont get caught in the trap that this is just about contraception, it is much deeper and broader than that.
3)      Use social media to keep the conversation going.  The main stream media is not covering this, so we must take it on ourselves to make sure this message gets out.

As we gather here today, we stand accompanied by the witnesses who have gone before us and who have given their lives for this most cherished of all American liberties.  Let us follow the example of the martyrs of Mexico during the Christeros movement, of England during the Reformation, of Japan and the Far East during the missionary times and of the Early Church who first sowed the seeds of faith in Europe; that as they were willing to give all in testimony to their faith, and by doing so won the hearts of their enemies, that we might be willing to take up the call in our own day and age to be the leaven for society and to allow Christ to continue to speak through our words and actions.

May God bless our country and all who are gathered here.