LifeNet

Reminder - tomorrow: Feast of the Holy Innocents - Mass and Procession

From Church of the Holy Innocents in Manhattan.

Pro-Life Mass, Rosary Procession, & Eucharistic Adoration

 

Church of the Holy Innocents

128 W 37th St.

New York, NY 10018

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8:00AM Holy Mass & Eucharistic Adoration

8:45AM Rosary Procession to abortion clinic

10:45AM Benediction followed by lunch & social

 

 

Sponsored by the Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Renewal, the Sisters of Life, and the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants 

Beautiful - "A Christmas Moment"

This is from Kathleen M Gallagher, Director of Pro-Life activities for the NYS Catholic Conference. Thanks to Ed for sending it around.

AFTER THE UKRAINIAN MASS

Unexpectedly, this year my "Christmas moment" came in a church. Oddly enough, I don't believe I've ever experienced one there before.

It was a glorious day in September, and I was helping to lead a conference and retreat for the state's Catholic prison chaplains in beautiful Canandaigua, in western New York. The chapel in the retreat center overlooked the lake on a day when the weather was postcard-perfect: sunny and 75 degrees.

I admit that I was not looking forward to Mass on this particular day. A Ukrainian Catholic liturgy was planned, something I knew little about. What I did know was that everything in this Eastern rite Mass is sung -- everything -- and it therefore takes longer than the Roman Catholic Mass with which I am familiar. Ugh. On a day like this? Really?

Perhaps it was its novelty, combined with a large dose of incense, but I found the Ukrainian liturgy to be filled with profound meaning and reverence.

Singing the words kind of unlocked them for me in a way that empowered me to understand them. Each time the celebrant chanted, "Be attentive!" it was as if God was speaking directly to me, and it snapped me back from my tendency to either daydream or worry about what was next on the schedule. I had no choice but to partake.

There is much repetition in the Eastern rite; many prayers and petitions are repeated three times. By the third time in each set, I heard the words.

The liturgy is flooded with prayers for peace, which seemed so timely and so needed in our violence-ridden world. There are lots of reminders that only God can offer true peace, in our hearts and in our cities, and that only He is life-giving.

Many of the litanies from the Mass still echo in my head months later, and I find myself praying them as I go about washing the dishes or driving the car: 

•  "Be merciful to me, a sinner."

•  "Heal my soul and my body."

•  "Enlighten my eyes and my heart."

•  "That I may no longer live for myself."

It was during the prayers after communion that I experienced the "moment:" that instant when the essence of Christmas, Jesus Himself, penetrated my being and swelled my heart with sudden understanding and gratitude.

I was completely centered on Christ: on seeing His face in the people around me, on viewing His beauty on full display outside the windows, on listening to Him in the stillness of my heart. I felt connected to Christ not only spiritually, but physically, emotionally and intellectually, as well.

(When was the last time that ever happened to me at Sunday Mass? Honest answer: never.)

While we wait expectantly for the birth of the baby Jesus, let us clear away the distractions of our daily lives so that we might make room for Him. We can find Him, experience Him and connect with Him in both likely and unlikely places.

(Mrs. Gallagher is director of pro-life activities for the New York State Catholic Conference, based in Albany; its website is www.nyscatholic.org. She is indebted to Rev. Ilie Babota of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Stamford, Conn., the organizer and main celebrant of the Ukrainian Mass she attended.)

Hopefully Kathy won't mind us posting the whole thing!

Important - Kellyanne Conway on conference call with Susan B. Anthony List

Here is the information on joining the call and below that, the original email from Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of the Susan B Anthony List.

Just dial the 877 # at 12:30 and plug in the access code to listen. We have RSVP'd for you!

 

 

SBA List Call

Thank you for RSVPing for the call. Call details are below.

Conference Call Details:
Date: December 21, 2017
Time: 12:30PM EST/ 9:30AM PST
Call-in Info: 1-877-229-8493
Access Code: 115236#

Here is the original email we received -

Season’s Greetings!!

I want to invite you to join me on an important call that is taking place this Thursday, December 21st at 12:30PM EST/9:30AM PST.

My good friend Kellyanne Conway, Counselor to the President, will be joining us on the call. Kellyanne will discuss the Trump Administration’s many pro-life achievements during 2017, and will help us preview what’s to come in 2018.

Also joining us will be Chuck Donovan, President of the Charlotte Lozier Institute. We’ll also review some of the most exciting achievements of SBA List and CLI from 2017, and discuss 2018 priorities.

This is a private call for SBA List friends like you. If you would like to join the call, RSVP by filling out this form to receive the dial-in number and password: https://www.sba-list.org/dec2017-call-rsvp

I hope you will join us on Thursday!

For LIFE, 

Marjorie Dannenfelser
President
Susan B. Anthony List

Catholic Bishops sign interfaith statement rejecting gender ideology

Thanks to Ed Mechmann for sending this around.

Created Male and Female: An Open Letter from Religious Leaders

Created Male and Female: An Open Letter from Religious Leaders

December 15, 2017

Dear Friends:

As leaders of various communities of faith throughout the United States, many of us came together in the past to affirm our commitment to marriage as the union of one man and one woman and as the foundation of society. We reiterate that natural marriage continues to be invaluable to American society.

We come together to join our voices on a more fundamental precept of our shared existence, namely, that human beings are male or female and that the socio-cultural reality of gender cannot be separated from one's sex as male or female.

We acknowledge and affirm that all human beings are created by God and thereby have an inherent dignity. We also believe that God created each person male or female; therefore, sexual difference is not an accident or a flaw—it is a gift from God that helps draw us closer to each other and to God. What God has created is good. "God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them" (Gen 1:27).

A person's discomfort with his or her sex, or the desire to be identified as the other sex, is a complicated reality that needs to be addressed with sensitivity and truth. Each person deserves to be heard and treated with respect; it is our responsibility to respond to their concerns with compassion, mercy and honesty. As religious leaders, we express our commitment to urge the members of our communities to also respond to those wrestling with this challenge with patience and love.

Children especially are harmed when they are told that they can "change" their sex or, further, given hormones that will affect their development and possibly render them infertile as adults. Parents deserve better guidance on these important decisions, and we urge our medical institutions to honor the basic medical principle of "first, do no harm." Gender ideology harms individuals and societies by sowing confusion and self-doubt. The state itself has a compelling interest, therefore, in maintaining policies that uphold the scientific fact of human biology and supporting the social institutions and norms that surround it.

The movement today to enforce the false idea—that a man can be or become a woman or vice versa—is deeply troubling. It compels people to either go against reason—that is, to agree with something that is not true—or face ridicule, marginalization, and other forms of retaliation.

We desire the health and happiness of all men, women, and children. Therefore, we call for policies that uphold the truth of a person's sexual identity as male or female, and the privacy and safety of all. We hope for renewed appreciation of the beauty of sexual difference in our culture and for authentic support of those who experience conflict with their God-given sexual identity.

Sincerely Yours:


Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera
Bishop of Scranton
Chairman, USCCB Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs

The Most Rev. Dr. Foley Beach
Archbishop and Primate
Anglican Church in North America

The Rev. John F. Bradosky
Bishop
North American Lutheran Church

Most Rev. Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
Archbishop of Philadelphia
Chairman, USCCB Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth

Most Rev. James D. Conley
Bishop of Lincoln
Chairman USCCB Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage

The Rt. Rev. John A. M. Guernsey
Bishop, Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic
Anglican Church in North America

Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison
President
Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod

Imam Faizal Khan
Founder and Leader
Islamic Society of the Washington Area

Most Rev. Joseph E. Kurtz
Archbishop of Louisville
Chairman USCCB Committee for Religious Liberty

Melchisedek
Archbishop of Pittsburgh
Orthodox Church in America

The Rt. Rev. Eric V. Menees
Bishop, San Joaquin
Anglican Church in North America

Rev. Eugene F. Rivers, III
Founder and Director
Seymour Institute for Black Church and Policy Studies
Church of God in Christ

Rev. Dr. Gregory P. Seltz, PhD
Executive Director
The Lutheran Center for Religious Liberty

The Rev. Paull Spring
Bishop Emeritus
The North American Lutheran Church

Rev. Tony Suarez
Executive Vice President
National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference

Very Rev. Nathanael Symeonides
Ecumenical Officer
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

The Rev. Dr. L. Roy Taylor
Stated Clerk, General Assembly
Presbyterian Church in America

Andrew Walker
Director of Policy Studies
Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission

The Rev. Dr. David Wendel
Assistant to the Bishop for Ministry and Ecumenism
The North American Lutheran Church  

Paul Winter
Elder
Bruderhof 

Here's a PDF of the letter as well.

Fr. Andrew Apostoli, CFR - Arrangements

As many people already know, Fr. Apostoli has moved into eternal life - this is from the Friars of the Renewal.

It is with a profound joy mixed with sadness that we announce the passing of our dear founder and spiritual father. Father Andrew Joseph Apostoli, CFR, peacefully breathed his last at 9:26 AM, on Wednesday, December 13, 2017. He was surrounded by the love and prayers of his brothers.

And here are further links - the wake is Tuesday with the funeral Wednesday. Both at St. Casimir's in Yonkers.

Wake and Funeral Schedule

Announcement of Passing

Community Statement

CFR Sisters Statement

Fr. Andrew Joseph Apostoli, CFR, Obituary

 

Fr. Andrew Apostoli, CFR - need for our prayers

Father is quite ill and may have reached the end of his journey. It seems things have gone downhill since his mid-November announcement.

"I continue to be grateful for all the prayers and support and certainly extend my prayers and blessings to you all."

Fordham University featuring Planned Parenthood Internships

Thanks to Jessica for pointing this out to us. Hit the link and then make the call to Fordham! And tell them you support the very fine Fordham Pro-life group that is on campus and always has a good turnout for the March for Life. If you hit the link it is easy to sign the petition.

STOP Pro-Abortion "Internships" at Catholic Campus. Protest Now.

Fordham University in New York City – a Catholic institution – currently features Planned Parenthood on its web site under "internships and job opportunities" for students.

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Sign your petition to remove these pro-abortion listings.  Your instant protest will go to the president of the university, Fr. Joseph M. McShane, SJ, urging him to remove every pro-abortion group listed by the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies department.

How can a Catholic university encourage students to connect with Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion groups?

Speak up.  Don't remain silent.  Let your voice be heard.

Join this peaceful protest now.  Share this page with your friends.

Contact information (please be firm yet polite):

Fr. Joseph M. McShane, SJ
President, Fordham University
441 East Fordham Road
Bronx, NY 10458
Phone:  718-817-3000
Email:  president@fordham.edu