X Factor Star Calls Catholic Mom His Hero and Credits Her For His Success

From Catholic Familyland - What does it mean to be Consecrated to Our Lady?

God's Interventions

Recently I have been thinking of God's interventions.  He intervened in the Bible in the case of Noah and the Flood and when in Exodus the waters crushed the Egyptian soldiers after Moses and the Israelites had crossed the Red Sea.

 I was originally scheduled to have to my surgery on October 24th but then got a phone call which asked whether I would want to move it up to October 17th.  I said Yes.  While it was my free will to change the date of surgery since they had a cancellation it is still my contention that it was an act of divine providence that I had my surgery this past Monday instead of this coming Monday.  My husband and I have had plans to help celebrate my parents 50th wedding anniversary out of town for quite some time and if the events which happened to me this past week happened this upcoming week there is no way my husband and I could have spent time celebrating my parents golden anniversary with them and other family members.

First, after I had surgery I had trouble with my stitches bleeding.  Then on Thursday I had an emergency where I was admitted to the hospital for a day.  I now know that this was truly God's intervention that had my surgery date rescheduled to an earlier date.

Blessed John Paul II First Feast Day - A Saint for Our Times

Sunday Night Prime: On Dietrich Von Hildebrand's Fight Against Hitler

Since I am recovering from having surgery on Monday I will pass along this great show for you to watch. Enjoy!

Dr. Mark Miravalle on the Solar Miracle at Fatima

The Solar Miracle at Fatima - Dr... by AirMaria

Catholic Culture Clash Links -- 10-12-11

Bless all those in our government for foiling a terror plot attempted by the Iranians.  Factions of the Iranian government had planned a terrorist attack on the Israeli and Saudi Arabian embassies in Washington and planned to assassinate the Saudi ambassador.  This certainly takes chutzpa on the part of the Iranian government. But, what do you expect when we have a president who is willing to compromise with our enemies?  Do you think that this terrorist attempt is an act of war?  My question is what options do we have to hold Iran accountable for their actions?  Attorney General Holder said that the U.S. is going to hold Iran accountable for its actions. How? Okay... Just heard they've decided to try more sanctions.  That's about par for this administration - continuing with their failed policies.  If we retaliated with military action would this fall under the Just War Doctrine?

What is your opinion of the "Occupy Wall Street" protesters? Over at Teresamerica I posed this question: Are They Astroturf Useful Idiots Who Represent the Bums of America?

Apparently a Catholic participant named Tom Beaudoin has proposed that Catholics follow this model and apply it to the grievances they have with the Church.   Look at this paragraph from Tom's article: 


What would be the last straw that would make you join such a movement? Would it be the episcopal malfeasance and coverup known as the sexual abuse crisis, would it be the steady disaffiliation, deconversion, and detachment of your family members or friends from the faith as church structures, teachings, and practices become steadily more incredible in contemporary society, or would it be the failure of the church to practice in its internal affairs the justice it preaches to the world -- or something else?" 


From this paragraph do you get the gist that Tom and other occupiers want to "transform" the Church into  something its not in order to fit into secular society's cesspool of moral relativism?   I'm sure Tom wants to abandon Tradition. No Thanks!  The Church's teachings are infallible and indefectible. 


Archbishop Gomez encourages Catholics to boldly defend life.    He said, “This issue is deeply related to who we are as Catholics, to our identity as disciples of Jesus Christ.” 



“This issue is deeply related to who we are as Catholics, to our identity as disciples of Jesus Christ.”


He is calling the faithful to pray together as a Church during the month of October for an end to “every offense against the sanctity and dignity of the human person”. 


Archbishop Gomez continued “Our religion, in a beautiful and mysterious way, is deeply identified with human life,” he said. “What other world religion remembers the time when its founder was in his mother’s womb?”


“Biblical religion is a religion in which family and children, and the promise of children, plays a big role,” he said. “Think of God’s words to the prophet Jeremiah: ‘Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.’”


“An unborn child was the first to bear witness to Jesus! God loved us so much that he entered into this world as each one of us did — through the womb of a mother.”
“Jesus Christ took our human nature and spent nine months in the womb!” he underscored. “Why would he do this? To show us that human life is sacred. To show us that every life is precious to God.
To show us that each of us is a child of God who is loved in a special way by our Father in heaven.”

He went onto explain that Christians have been defending the right to life “from the very beginnings of the Church” and “why we defend for the right of every child to be born.”



Archbishop Gomez continued saying this, “This is why we defend the rights of the old and the sick to be cared for with love and compassion until their natural death.This is why we strive to preserve the mystery of marriage as the union of man and woman in the plan of God.  And this is why we strive for justice for the immigrant and the worker; for the imprisoned, the hungry and the homeless. This is who we are as Catholics. We are a people of life and for life.” 

Muslim Convert To Christianity Speaks Out: Are Allah & Muhammed Gangsters?

Bishop David Zubik Vehemently Denies Allegations: "This Collar Is Not A Bulls-Eye"

My bishop, Bishop David Zubik of Pittsburgh, is denying allegations that he molested a boy during the 80's. Every person who either volunteers or wants to become employed by a Catholic institution must pass a background check. The guy who has made the accusation against Bishop Zubik failed the background check. Now in a case of what seems to be of a retaliatory nature, this man has accused Bishop David Zubik of molestation after his failing the background check and his being denied the ability to volunteer as a lay minister for a parish in Pittsburgh. The accuser then when on to tell people that he intended to "bring down somebody pretty high up."

"The fear of every priest is that someone, sometime, somewhere, somehow will level a false accusation against him. That nightmare has been realized for me," he said. "I emphatically state no such behavior occurred, nor any semblance of such behavior. The accusation is false, offensive and outrageous." - Bishop David Zubik, October 5, 2011. 

From Channel 4 News in BEAVER, Pa. -- Pittsburgh Catholic Bishop David Zubik on Wednesday vehemently denied an accusation that he sexually assaulted a student in the 1980s.

Channel 4 Action News' Bob Mayo reported that the bishop went public with a news conference to deny the accusation by 45-year-old Michael Rock, a former student at Quigley Catholic High School in Baden, where Zubik served from 1980 to 1987.

"Specifically, my accuser alleged: 'He was the most violent with me. He forced me up against the wall in the chapel and tried to tongue kiss me.' I emphatically state no such behavior occurred, nor any semblance of such behavior. The accusation is false, offensive and outrageous," Zubik said, reading from a prepared statement.

Beaver County District Attorney Anthony Berosh seemed to agree.

"I can assure you, based on 30 years of experience, I have never heard of a more convoluted, extenuated series of stories in order to justify the recollection of the now-made allegations against the bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh," Berosh said.

According to a news release from the Pittsburgh diocese, the accusation was made public in a blog post.

When the diocese learned of the accusation, it turned the information over to the district attorney's office, authorities at the Vatican and the independent diocesan review board, the statement said.

"Take a look at this collar. I've been putting this collar on every day for the past 40 years. In the name of my brother priests, I want to say that this collar is not a bull's-eye," Zubik said.

Even though the statute of limitations expired a long time ago, Berosh said his office did an in-depth investigation and found nothing to backup Rock's claims.

"The allegation was brought to our attention not by the alleged victim in this case, but by the diocese of Pittsburgh itself," Berosh said. "I believe that says a lot about the integrity of the (zero-tolerance) system that has been set up over a period of years between the district attorney's office of the various counties and the diocese of Pittsburgh."

Worshipers at St. Mary of Mercy Parish downtown expressed trust in Zubik on Wednesday afternoon.

"I cannot believe that this would happen to Bishop Zubik, and I am praying that this all just goes the right way for him because I trust in him," said Dennis Johnson, of Bethel Park.

"He's a good person. He's done a lot for us," said Joan Mastrandrea, of Mount Washington.

In an email to Mayo, Rock wrote, "I stand by my blog! It is really tough for me and my family right now. I have nothing more to say at this time."


From Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Bishop Zubik described his accuser as "a complex individual" and said he had no intention of taking legal action against him.

"I assure you that I am concerned about the welfare of my accuser. At the same time, I expect that my integrity and the integrity of the Church I lead will be respected as well. I pledge my prayers for my accuser, and I ask your prayers for both of us," he said.

Both Bishop Zubik and this troubled individual are in my prayers. 

Dr. Mark Miravalle Discusses Catholics Obligation To Obey The Magisterium