August 31, 2010

ABC's Good Morning America is coming to interview Bay City's All Saints principal

The following was posted recently on Bay City's All Saints Central Facebook page, following a story that appeared in Sundays edition of The Bay City Times about the schools Facebook savvy principal:

All Saints Central 

Good Morning America will be at ASC to film at 10am on Thur. Sept. 2nd. This summer I created an admin. profile and this ASC page to keep students, parents, and alumni aware of ASC happenings. While updating this page over the summer, I came across some negative posts by students. I sent private messages reminding these students that FB is public. That level of communication gained local press, and now GMA.

August 27, 2010

Religious sisters hope to make ‘habit’ out of tonight’s block party at Cathedral

SAGINAW — When members of the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma moved into the St. Mary Cathedral convent last summer, they made it a mission to get to know their neighbors. Tonight, they along with the Flag and Flower Community Group will share that welcoming spirit with the entire Cathedral community.

WHAT:
An opportunity for residents to meet their neighbors

WHEN: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. tonight

WHERE: Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption parking lot, 615 Hoyt Ave., Saginaw

The sisters hope many residents will come out for food, fun and an opportunity to get to know one another, and that the event will foster a greater sense of community in their new neighborhood.

Members of the media are welcome to attend tonight’s social gathering. To learn more about the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma log onto www.rsmofalma.org.

Gladwin’s Sacred Heart School closes, pastor promises vibrant parish life will continue

GLADWIN — Following the recommendation of the school board of trustees, finance council, pastoral council and local pastor, the Most Rev. Joseph R. Cistone, Bishop of Saginaw, announced his acceptance of a collective recommendation to close Sacred Heart School in Gladwin.

The recommendation and approval come following an August 19 enrollment report to the school’s board of trustees that showed only nine students registered for the 2010-2011 academic year. Previous financial projections show that a total enrollment of 15 students would have forced the school to increase tuition by $1,250 and raised the parish’s costs to more than $12,000 per student.

“In a January letter to Sacred Heart parishioners, a commitment was made by both the pastoral and finance councils that our Catholic school would be a school that we could afford,” said the Rev. John Cotter, who has served as pastor of Sacred Heart since 2006. “It is now obvious an affordable Catholic school in our community is not possible.”

The per pupil cost for the 2009-2010 school year — when 38 students were enrolled — was $8,700. The average tuition collected was $2,300 and the parish contribution was $6,400 per student.

“It is a sad day for any parish that has to close a school, but we can be proud of what our school has accomplished,” Father Cotter said. “This is now an opportunity to look forward and recommit ourselves to a solid religious education program for our Catholic students in grades K-12, evangelize our community and make the long overdue capital improvements needed at our parish.”

“We have seen a trend this year of long-standing schools being forced to close, and as a faith community we are united in prayer with the teachers, students, families and parishioners of Sacred Heart who are experiencing a sense of loss,” said the Rev. Robert Byrne, Vicar for Catholic Schools. “The time is now for all of us, at every level, to focus on supporting, strengthening and spreading the good news about Catholic schools. They are a blessing to our diocese and our communities and it is important for us to do everything we can to preserve them both now and in the future.”

Sacred Heart School in Gladwin opened its doors to students in 1918. It closed in 1932 during the Great Depression and reopened twenty years later in 1952. At its peak in 1967 an estimated 165 students were enrolled.

August 26, 2010

Diocese honors Mother Teresa through life-supporting endowment fund

Established in 2005, the Mother Teresa Endowment Fund 
has helped more than 650 struggling families.


SAGINAW — On what would have been the 100th birthday of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw reminds individuals or couples facing financial hardships that resources are available for them as they await the birth of a child and/or during the initial period following the child’s birth.

The Mother Teresa Endowment Fund assists with costs not covered by other resources, such as prenatal clinic costs, hospital and birthing expenses not covered by insurance or Medicaid, temporary rent, phone, and utility payments for the birth mother while she is out of work, maternity clothes, cribs, car seats and other basic needs.

The fund is named in honor of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the foundress of the Missionaries of Charity religious community, who is known around the world for her efforts to reach out to the poorest of the poor. Her work now continues through thousands of religious sisters who joined the Missionaries of Charity and serve throughout the world.

Mother Teresa and those who have followed her example promote life through compassionate caring for the poor, especially the sick and children.

The Mother Teresa Endowment Fund is supported through the generous gifts of many individuals. The dollars contributed are invested and the interest generated provides revenue for the assistance.

Donations to the Mother Teresa Endowment Fund are welcomed at any time and are tax-deductible. They may be sent to the Respect Life Office. The financial resources in the fund are monitored, managed and dispersed through the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw.

Applications for assistance may be obtained from the Respect Life Office at the Diocesan Center, 5800 Weiss St., in Saginaw, or by calling (989) 754-0091.


August 25, 2010

Bishops Welcome Ruling Against Embryonic Stem Cell Funding, Urge Government to Pursue Ethical Stem Cell Research

WASHINGTON — Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, welcomed the federal court injunction against the Obama administration’s funding of human embryonic stem cell research, calling the ruling a “victory for common sense and sound medical ethics.”  

He said this ruling also vindicates the bishops’ reading of the Dickey amendment, the amendment approved by Congress since 1996, which prevents federal funding of research in which human embryos are harmed or destroyed.

“I hope this court decision will encourage our government to renew and expand its commitment to ethically sound avenues of stem cell research,” Cardinal DiNardo added. “These avenues are showing far more promise than destructive human embryo research in serving the needs of suffering patients.”

The full statement follows: 

The preliminary injunction against the Obama administration’s funding of human embryonic stem cell research is a welcome victory for common sense and sound medical ethics.  It also vindicates a reading of Congress’s statutory language on embryo research that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has defended for more than a decade.

Each year since 1996, Congress has approved the Dickey amendment to forbid funding any “research in which” human embryos are harmed or destroyed.  This should ensure that taxpayers are not forced to fund a research project when pursuing that project requires the destruction of human life at its earliest stage.  However, beginning with a legal memo commissioned by the Clinton administration in January 1999, this law has been distorted and narrowed to allow federal funding of research that directly relies on such destruction.  As the bishops’ conference said in congressional testimony in 1999, “a mere bookkeeping distinction between funds used to destroy the embryo and funds used to work with the resultant cells is not sufficient” to comply with the law.  In the health care reform debate, as well, we have pointed out that an executive order by itself cannot change the meaning of a law passed by Congress, and that the longstanding policy against funding health plans that cover abortion is not satisfied, but circumvented, by a bookkeeping distinction that merely segregates accounts within such plans.

A task of good government is to use its funding power to direct resources where they will best serve and respect human life, not to find new ways to evade this responsibility. I hope this court decision will encourage our government to renew and expand its commitment to ethically sound avenues of stem cell research. These avenues are showing far more promise than destructive human embryo research in serving the needs of suffering patients 

August 20, 2010

Area soup kitchens and food pantries get needed boost during busy summer months


SAGINAW —As part of the Knights of Columbus “Food for Families” program across the United States and Canada, $1 million is being donated to help feed the hungry. Soup kitchens and food pantries across Michigan are the recipients of $68, 000 and some of that money is already benefiting the local community.

On Thursday, Bishop Joseph R. Cistone accepted a $4,063 check on behalf of the Diocese of Saginaw. The check was presented to Bishop Cistone by the Knights of Columbus at the East Side Soup Kitchen in Saginaw. Bishop Cistone, in turn, shared that money with soup kitchens and food pantries across the 11 county diocese.

Donations were distributed to the following organizations:
Representatives from the above organizations were on hand Thursday for the check presentation and at that time also received individual checks for their organizations. The East Side Soup Kitchen’s Director, Pam Cole, said the money could not have come at a better time.

“Many children, who receive breakfast and lunch during the school year, lose two meals during the summer months,” Cole said. “Just last Friday we served 512 adults and children.”

According to Cole, more donations come in during the winter months, but summer is actually the busiest time of year. The number of meals served at the East Side Soup Kitchen has gone up each year since 2001 and it is a similar story at soup kitchens and food pantries across the Diocese of Saginaw.

Bishop Cistone took the opportunity while he was at the East Side Soup Kitchen to thank the Knights of Columbus for its generous support and also thanked the employees and volunteers who work to feed the hungry.

While he was at the soup kitchen, Bishop Cistone worked a lunch-shift on the serving line. He greeted and served food to adults, teens and children who were there for a meal.

“It was a very spiritual experience,” Bishop Cistone said. “You look into the eyes of the people who are there — people of all ages and walks of life — and you just know that you are meeting Christ.”

U.S. Bishops' Pro-Life Chair Urges Support for Law to Prevent Federal Funding of Abortion

WASHINGTON — Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, chair of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities, called on members of the House of Representatives to support the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act” (H.R. 5939), introduced by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) at the end of July.

He called for support in an August 20 letter. The bill already has 166 co-sponsors including 20 Democratic members. The text of the letter can be found at www.usccb.org/prolife/DiNardo-HR5939.pdf.

“H.R. 5939 will write into permanent law a policy on which there has been strong popular and congressional agreement for over 35 years: The federal government should not use taxpayers’ money to support and promote elective abortion,” Cardinal DiNardo said. “Even public officials who take a ‘pro-choice’ stand on abortion, and courts that have insisted on the validity of a constitutional ‘right’ to abortion, have agreed that the government can validly use its funding power to encourage childbirth over abortion.”

He said some people assume this position already is fully reflected in U.S. law, and noted, for example, that “some wrongly argued during the recent debate on health care reform that there was no need for restrictions on abortion funding in the new health legislation, because this matter had already been settled by the Hyde amendment.”

However, he noted, the Hyde amendment, which precludes money for elective abortions and health plans that provide them, is only a rider to the annual Labor/Health and Human Services appropriations bill. It has been maintained essentially intact by Congress over the last 35 years, but it only governs funds appropriated under that particular act.

Federal funds are prevented now from funding abortion by riders to various other appropriations bills as well as by provisions incorporated into specific authorizing legislation for the Department of Defense, Children’s Health Insurance Program, foreign assistance, and so on. Gaps or loopholes in these protections have also been discovered at various times, requiring Congress to address them individually.

Thus, “while Congress’s policy has been remarkably consistent for decades, implementation of that policy in practice has been piecemeal and sometimes sadly inadequate,” Cardinal DiNardo said.

H.R. 5939 would also codify the Hyde/Weldon amendment that has been part of the section containing the Hyde amendment in annual Labor/HHS appropriations bills since 2004. Hyde/Weldon has ensured that federal agencies and state and local governments that receive federal funds do not discriminate against health care providers because they do not perform or provide abortions.

“It is long overdue for this policy, as well, to be given a more secure legislative status,’’ Cardinal DiNardo said. “No hospital, doctor or nurse should be forced to stop providing much-needed legitimate health care because they cannot in conscience participate in destroying a developing human life.”

Cardinal George Announces Vatican Approval of New Roman Missal English-Language Translation, Implementation set for First Sunday of Advent 2011


WASHINGTON — Cardinal Francis George, OMI, Archbishop of Chicago and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has announced that the full text of the  English-language translation of the Roman Missal, Third Edition, has been issued for the dioceses of the United States of America.

The text was approved by the Vatican, and the approval was accompanied by a June 23 letter from Cardinal Llovera Antonio Cañizares, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. The Congregation also provided guidelines for publication.

In addition, on July 24, the Vatican gave approval for several adaptations, including additional prayers for the Penitential Act at Mass and the Renewal of Baptismal Promises on Easter Sunday. Also approved are texts of prayers for feasts specific to the United States such as Thanksgiving, Independence Day and the observances of feasts for saints such as Damien of Molokai, Katharine Drexel, and Elizabeth Ann Seton. The Vatican also approved the Mass for Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Human Life, which can be celebrated on January 22.

Cardinal George announced receipt of the documents in an August 20 letter to the U.S. Bishops and issued a decree of proclamation that states that “The use of the third edition of the Roman Missal enters into use in the dioceses of the United States of America as of the First Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2011. From that date forward, no other edition of the Roman Missal may be used in the dioceses of the United States of America.”

The date of implementation was chosen to allow publishers time to prepare texts and parishes and dioceses to educate parishioners.

“We can now move forward and continue with our important catechetical efforts as we prepare the text for publication,” Cardinal George said.

In the coming weeks, staff of the bishops’ Secretariat of Divine Worship will prepare the text for publication and collaborate with the staff of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL), which will assist Bishops’ Conferences in bringing the text to publication. In particular, ICEL has been preparing the chant settings of the texts of the Missal for use in the celebration of the Mass. Once all necessary elements have been incorporated into the text and the preliminary layout is complete, the final text will go to the publishers to produce the ritual text, catechetical resources and participation aids for use in the Liturgy.

Receipt of the text marks the start of proximate preparation for Roman Missal implementation. Before first use of the new text in Advent 2011, pastors are urged to use resources available to prepare parishioners. Some already have been in use; others are being released now. They include the Parish Guide for the Implementation of the Roman Missal, Third Edition, and Become One Body, One Spirit in Christ, a multi-media DVD resource produced by ICEL in collaboration with English-language Conferences of Bishops. Both will be available from the USCCB. Information on resources can be found at www.usccb.org/romanmissal.

Bishop Arthur Serratelli of Paterson, New Jersey, Chair of the Bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship, voiced gratitude for the approval.

“I am happy that after years of preparation, we now have a text that, when introduced late next year, will enable the ongoing renewal of the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy in our parishes,” he said.

Msgr. Anthony Sherman, Director of the Secretariat for Divine Worship of the USCCB noted, “A great effort to produce the new Roman Missal for the United States, along with the other necessary resources, has begun. Even as that work is underway a full–scale catechesis about the Liturgy and the new Roman Missal should be taking place in parishes, so that when the time comes, everyone will be ready.”

August 17, 2010

Religious Sister of Mercy makes profession of Perpetual Vows


The Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma celebrated the newest perpetually professed member of their community in the presence of the Most Rev. Joseph R. Cistone, Bishop of Saginaw, and the Most Rev. Carl F. Mengeling, Bishop Emeritus of Lansing.

Sister Mary Christa Nutt, professed the order’s Perpetual Vows during a Mass on Monday at the Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption in Saginaw.

As part of the ceremonial rites Sister Mary Christa signed the vow formulary upon the altar and Bishop Cistone prayed the solemn prayer of consecration. Mother Mary Quentin Sheridan, the order’s superior general placed a ring on Sister Mary Christa’s finger, saying:

Receive this ring, for you are betrothed to the eternal King; keep faith with your bridegroom so that you may come to the wedding feast of eternal joy.

Finally, Mother Mary Quentin affirmed Sister Mary Christa to the religious community, saying:

We confirm that you are now
one with us as members of this Religious Institute of the Religious Sister of Mercy of Alma, Michigan, sharing all thing in common with us now and in the future. Be faithful to the service the Church entrusts to you to be carried out in her name.

August 10, 2010

Registration is now open for the 2010 Bishop's Charity Golf Classic

Join us for the 2010 Bishop's Charity Golf Classic to raise funds for seminarian education. Download the flyer to become a participating sponsor, register to attend the dinner banquet and silent auction, or compete in one of the two golf outing opportunities.

Center for Ministry's Dr. Ed Hogan will make move to Saint Louis Seminary, Pontifical Institute

Dr. Ed Hogan has accepted a position in the Archdiocese of Saint Louis, Mo., where he will serve on the faculty at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary and as the Director of the Pontifical Paul VI Institute for Catechetical and Pastoral Studies. He will continue to serve as the Director of the Center for Ministry and Department of Formation until the end of October before departing for Saint Louis.

Dr. Hogan came to the Diocese of Saginaw four years ago, in August of 2006. During his time here he served as the Diocesan Theologian, Director of Deacon Formation, member of the Education Department, Director of the Center for Ministry and Office of Formation and Theology 101 columnist for FAITH Saginaw magazine.

"Of course, this is an exciting opportunity for me and my family. At the same time, we are sad to leave the good friends and good work we have found here in the Diocese of Saginaw," he said.

"I want to express my thanks to Bishop Cistone: Your heart and ministry have been the source of many graces for me!  I want to thank the priests of the Diocese: You have been unfailingly kind to me and my family. And I want to thank the many people I have met and known here: You welcomed me warmly when I was a stranger, and I count it as a great blessing that we part as friends. We will continue to hold you all in our hearts and prayers - please keep us in yours."

Bishop Cistone has expressed his deep gratitude for Dr. Hogan's many contributions to the Diocese of Saginaw.

"Dr. Hogan's sound theology, organizational skills and personal kindness have been great blessings to our Diocese," he said. "His presence and professional service will be surely missed.  I wish Dr. Hogan and his family many blessings as they prepare to relocate and begin a new phase in their lives."

August 9, 2010

Bishops’ Child Protection Office Shares Messages Children Hear In Safe Environment Programs

WASHINGTON — As schools launch a new academic year, millions of children also are set to learn the ABC’s of child protection. In Catholic schools and parishes nationwide, safe environment training gives children the skills necessary to protect themselves from would be-offenders. Mary Jane Doerr, associate director of the Secretariat for Child and Youth Protection of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has listed here some of the messages children hear in safe environment programs.
  1. Abuse is never a child’s fault, a point that children need to hear over and over again.Offenders try hard to make children feel complicit in the abuse or to blame them for the abuse.  Children learn that that is never true! The blame always belongs to the adult who is taking advantage of a child’s trust and vulnerabilities.
  2. God loves children forever and wants them to live holy and happy lives. If a child has been abused, that child learns they are still innocent and loved by God and their families. The shame of child sexual abuse needs to be put where it belongs: on the abuser.
  3. Abuse that has happened should be reported. Children learn to tell a parent or another trusted adult if someone is hurting them and to keep telling until they are believed. One study shows that children tell of their abuse an average of nine times before someone believes them. Parents can help children learn whom they can trust by pointing out the adults who can be trusted. Parents can also teach children the correct names of private body parts. This simple step gives children the vocabulary to tell others what happened to them.
  4. You can recognize abuse when it happens. Children learn to trust that feeling that says something isn’t right and to tell a parent or other trusted adult when something happens that makes them feel uneasy. Children learn to question if someone is telling them to do what the child doesn’t like but says it is because he loves the child. Children learn to tell parents or trusted adult if another person makes them sad or confused or tries to get them to break rules. This can stop the process of grooming by which an abuser lures a child toward danger. A child who questions another’s inappropriate behavior can send a message to the offender that this child is not an easy target, but one that will tell what is being done to him/her.
  5.  There are ways to spot a grooming process. Offenders are willing to spend a great deal of time grooming the family, the child and even the community so they may be seen as a trusted family friend. Children learn that anyone who lets children break rules, gives them alcohol or shows them pornography needs to be reported to parents and other trusted adults. Children learn not to keep secrets from parents. They learn that they should tell parents when someone gives them special gifts or is always touching them or tickling them and says not to tell.
  6. Parents or other trusted adults will talk about this subject. Children often try to protect their parents from bad news, so they need to learn they can tell their parents anything. This lesson is conveyed when parents stay involved in their children’s activities and talk with them about what is happening in their lives. This is how children learn what can be shared with parents. The more effective safe environment programs include parents in the learning process. This gives the child a clear signal that this subject is not off limits but instead is something to be talked about with family members.
  7. Boundaries exist. Learning about personal boundaries can protect children and their knowing boundaries reinforces the teaching to listen to one’s instincts. Children who listen to the voice that says, “This doesn’t feel right,” can protect themselves.
  8. Children can stand up for themselves. Children need to be respectful and obey, yet at the same time need to know there are times when it is okay to say no to an adult. Children learn when it is appropriate for them to say, “No, stop doing that.” For example, they hear they can say no to someone who makes them uncomfortable, shows them pornography, or offers them alcohol.
  9. There are ways to explain inappropriate behavior. Children learn how to describe what’s happening when someone is doing something that just seems a “little weird” even though it may not seem wrong. The ability to articulate what has happened to a child enables a child to more easily confide in a parent or other trusted adult. This can alert the adult to a potentially dangerous situation so it can be avoided. This is ultimately the goal of safe environment education.

August 5, 2010

Bishops' Delegation Finds Mission to Haiti both Disturbing and Hopeful

WASHINGTON — The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) sponsored a delegation July 26-August 2 to Haiti and the Caribbean region to examine the plight of Haitians impacted by the January 12 earthquake.  
          
The mission, led by Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami and Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn, New York, took place a little more than six months after the tragedy and focused upon the situation of vulnerable populations, particularly children, as well as reconstruction and economic development efforts. The delegation also traveled to the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic to assess the problems facing Haitians in those countries.
          
“It is clear that efforts to clean up and recover from the earthquake are progressing slowly,” said Archbishop Wenski. “However, the international community must remain steadfast in working with the Haitian government to reconstruct the country and strengthen its institutions. The survival and long-term future of the Haitian people are at stake.”
          
In addition to visiting with members of Haiti’s government, civil society and business sectors to discuss long-term development, the delegation paid special attention to the most vulnerable Haitians, especially women and children, visiting orphanages and camps in Port-au-Prince and the other countries.
          
“Children, especially those who have lost parents or are separated from them, remain at grave risk,” said Bishop DiMarzio. “Without a more concerted effort to protect them and find long-term solutions for their care, they will become even more vulnerable to criminal elements, including smugglers and human traffickers.”
          
In some of the camps, the delegation found that women remain vulnerable to violence and sexual assault. “Women, especially single mothers with children, are struggling to feed and protect their families, but at the same time are themselves exposed to gender-based violence.  More must be done to enhance their security,” said Maria Odom, executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc (CLINIC) and member of the delegation. 
          
Despite the slow recovery and humanitarian challenges, the delegation saw seeds of hope in their mission. They visited a number of emergency, transitional, and development programs operated by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and their local partners.  CRS has operated in Haiti for 55 years, responding to the needs of the most vulnerable and supporting local development and strengthening of Haitian families.         
          
In the aftermath of the earthquake, CRS additionally supports child protection programming, which includes family tracing to reunite separated children with their families, where possible, and the pursuit of durable solutions for orphaned children. CRS is also working throughout Haiti to assist the displaced located outside of the earthquake zone, and, through agriculture programs, to help them find the means to remain in the countryside.
          
Upon returning to the United States, the delegation recommended that several steps be taken by the U.S. government to help reunite and strengthen Haitian families and continue helping Haiti’s long-term development, including:

  • Providing humanitarian parole to the family members, including children, of Haitians evacuated to the United States for medical treatment;
  • Streamlining the process for post-earthquake arrivals applying for deferred action, so that they can work immediately in the United States and send remittances back to Haiti;
  • Implementing a proactive asylum screening program for Haitians who are interdicted at sea, with appropriate adjudicators and language specialists aboard Coast Guard ships;
  • Introducing best interest determinations for vulnerable children in shelters, which would include strengthened family tracing efforts; and
  • Working with the Haitian government to increase their capacity to expedite clean up and reconstruction efforts and to provide security for Haitians, both in the earthquake area and along the border with the Dominican Republic;
  • Working with the Haitian government to ensure the sustainable agricultural development of Haiti’s rural areas; and
  • Working with the Haitian government to ensure the inclusion of civil society and the business sectors in efforts to decentralize the economy and the population’s access to jobs, health-care, and education services.
The delegation will be releasing a more formal and detailed report and recommendations in early September.  The delegation included staff representatives from Migration and Refugee Services and the Office of International Justice and Peace Office of the USCCB; the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), and Catholic Relief Services.

“This is a pivotal moment in Haiti’s history which requires cooperation and patience,” stated Archbishop Wenski. “Haiti is at a crossroads and it is crucial that the international community not lessen its commitment to the rebuilding process.”

In a collection taken up after the earthquake, Catholics in the United States contributed $80 million to recovery efforts in Haiti, which is being used to provide human needs assistance and to help restore Haiti’s infrastructure, including churches, schools, and clinics. CRS and the Secretariat for the Church in Latin America of the USCCB are administering the funds, in consultation with the bishops of Haiti.

“It will take time to make Haiti whole again, but it is important that the Haitian people and the children of Haiti— its future leaders — do not lose hope,” concluded Archbishop Wenski.

All Saints only high school in Bay County to see its students perform above the national average on ACT in 2010

Read Andrew Dobson's report "Bay County ACT scores below national average, school officials say improvements on the horizon" from The Bay City Times:


"ACT scores for Bay County high schools were all below the national average of 21.1 for 2010, minus Bay City All Saints Central High School — the county’s only private high school — where students averaged 23.5 out of a possible 36 points."

U.S. Bishops President Cardinal George Decries Court Decision Striking Down California Marriage Law

WASHINGTON — Cardinal Francis George, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, decried the August 4 decision of a federal judge to overturn California voters' 2008  initiative that protected marriage as the union of one man and one woman.


“Marriage between a man and a woman is the bedrock of any society. The misuse of law to change the nature of marriage undermines the common good,” Cardinal George said. “It is tragic that a federal judge would overturn the clear and expressed will of the people in their support for the institution of marriage. No court of civil law has the authority to reach into areas of human experience that nature itself has defined.”


Joining Cardinal George in his criticism of the court decision was Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee for the Defense of Marriage


Archbishop Kurtz noted that “Citizens of this nation have uniformly voted to uphold the understanding of marriage as a union of one man and one woman in every jurisdiction where the issue has been on the ballot.  This understanding is neither irrational nor unlawful,” he said. “Marriage is more fundamental and essential to the well being of society than perhaps any other institution. It is simply unimaginable that the court could now claim a conflict between marriage and the Constitution.”

August 4, 2010

St. John Vianney, Pray for Us

Today is the feast day of St. John Vianney, patron of priests. Please pray for our preists:

Bishop Joseph Cistone
Fr. Craig Albrecht
Fr. Todd Arnberg
Fr. Paul Bala
Fr. Gerald Balwinski
Fr. James Bessert
Fr. Richard  Bokinskie
Fr. Andrew Booms
Fr. William Bonnici
Fr. Andrzej Boroch
Fr. Edward Boucher
Fr. Robert Byrne
Fr. José Maria Cabrera
Fr. James Carlson
Fr. Nicholas Coffaro
Fr. Christopher  Coman
Fr. John Cotter
Fr. Robert DeLand
Fr. Jerzy Dobosz
Fr. Ronald Dombrowski
Fr. John Ederer
Fr. Donald Eppenbrock
Fr. James Falsey
Fr. Richard Filary
Fr. Stephen Fillion
Fr. James Fitzpatrick
Fr. T.J. Fleming
Fr. Joseph Friske II
Fr. Daniel Fox, OFM Cap
Fr. Peter Gaspeny
Fr. James Gavit
Fr. Steven Gavit
Fr. Robert  Gohm
Fr. Joseph Griffin
Fr. William  Gruden
Fr. Charles Hammond
Fr. Denis Heames
Fr. James Heller
Fr. Donald Henkes
Fr. Robert Howe
Fr. Patrick Jankowiak
Fr. Barney Janowicz
Fr. David Jenuwine
Fr. John  Johnson
Fr. Richard  Jozwiak
Fr. Loren Kalinowski
Fr. Frederick  Kawka
Fr. Randy Kelly
Fr. Kevin Kerbawy
Fr. George Klimas
Fr. Edward Konieczka
Fr. Thomas Kowalczyk
Fr. Dennis Kucharczyk
Fr. Ronald  LeFleur
Fr. Frederick Loos
Fr. Michael Maher
Fr. Kevin Maksym
Fr. John Mancini, OSFS
Fr. Emmet Marceau
Fr. Thomas McNamara
Fr. Robert Meissner
Fr. Joseph Miller
Fr. Raymond Moeggenberg
Fr. John Mullet
Fr. Osward Murungi, AJ
Fr. Thai Hung Nguyen
Fr. Jerome Niedermier
Fr. Peter Nwokoye
Fr. Patrick O’Connor
Fr. Dale Orlik
Fr. Robert Paré
Fr. José  Parra
Fr. David Parsch
Fr. Lawrence Pashak
Fr. Chester Pilarski
Fr. William Prospero, SJ
Fr. Daniel  Roa 
Fr. Joseph Roach
Fr. Noel Rudy
Fr. William Rutkowski
Fr. Reginaldo Solcedo
Fr. John Sarge
Fr. George Serour
Fr. Joseph Shabel
Fr. Robert Shine
Fr. Vernon Sierminski
Fr. Harold Sikorski
Fr. Bernard Skornia
Fr. William Spencer
Fr. Julius Spleet
Fr. Wolfgang Streichardt
Fr. Stanley Surman
Fr. Thomas Sutton
Fr. Christian Tabares
Fr. William  Taylor
Fr. John Thome
Fr. Prentice Tipton
Fr. Thomas Thompson
Fr. Brian Van Hove, SJ
Fr. Ricky Varner
Fr. Mason Vaughn
Fr. Francis Voris, OFM Cap
Fr. Ronald Wagner
Fr. John Weis
Fr. Michael Wolf
Fr. Kenneth Yaroch

Dear Lord,
we pray that the Blessed Mother
wrap her mantle around your priests
and through her intercession
strengthen them for their ministry.
We pray that Mary will guide your priests
to follow her own words,
“Do whatever He tells you” (Jn 2:5).
May your priests have the heart of St. Joseph,
Mary’s most chaste spouse.
May the Blessed Mother’s own pierced heart
inspire them to embrace
all who suffer at the foot of the cross.
May your priests be holy,
filled with the fire of your love
seeking nothing but your greater glory
and the salvation of souls.
Amen.
St. John Vianney, pray for us.

August 3, 2010