Haitian Food Crisis (Updated)

A friend who linked to this post found more information on this story.

I was hungry and you gave me to eat…”

I received this letter today and if you are able I hope that you can help.

We send you an urgent plea for help. The people of Haiti are suffering starvation and a food crisis on a daily basis. Food prices continue to spiral out of reach, spiking as much as forty-five percent since 2006, and turning Haitian staples like beans, corn, and rice into closely guarded treasures.

A Dame of Malta, who leads Hope for Haiti, tells us:

“You may have read in numerous publications that Haitians are eating dirt. Yes, they mix dirt with oil and salt and shape them into circles and dry them in the sun. They sell for 5 cents; with the outrageous price of rice, this is what our brothers and sisters are left to eat.”

The American Association of the Order of Malta supports four major missions in Haiti. Each of the missions is in desperate need of funds to buy food for starving children, mothers and fathers, and elderly Haitians. These people depend upon us for a daily meal.

The four missions in Haiti associated with The American Association include:

Haitian Health Foundation
Hopital Sacre Coeur - Crudem
Hope for Haiti
Project Pierre Toussaint

Each of our missions will guarantee that 100% of the monies will go toward food to those in need. Please help this cause and send whatever you can; we will let you know how our Order has come to the aid of the Haitian families who depend upon us for survival from day-to-day during these very bad times.

Please send your donation to:
Order of Malta – American Association
P.O. Box 3420
Long Island City, NY 11103-0418

You can also go to the American Association website and donate online.

False Pacifists

I am posting this essay by Fr. McNabb entitled "On False Pacifism" as a rebuttal to many who claim a moral superiority over others and who with unjust harshness criticize our men and women serving us in the military. H/T to The ChesterBelloc Mandate

On False Pacifism
by Fr. Vincent McNabb, O.P.

Two errors, garbed as virtues, are at present threatening the course of European justice. One of these is false pity; the other, false pacifism. Now whereas we wish to speak at length of the latter, a word may dismiss the former.

False pity makes an appeal after this manner: "Be merciful even to your enemy. Overcome him if you will; but be not overcome by what is worst in him. Conquer, but do not copy him. In the hour of victory forget your enemy's frightfulness. Forget even that he is your enemy, and remember only that he is your brother.

"The errors latent in this appeal to the quality of mercy need hardly be dwelt upon, whilst one fatal quality swallows up the rest. The truth is that this gentle-toned pity is almost a superlative pride. It is so supremely self-conscious that in spite of the soil of Germany being still practically inviolate, it calmly foretells victory.

The false pacifism, which we other pacifists nowise confound with true pacifism, makes a brave show on platforms and on paper. It lends itself readily to the more moving kinds of address. It appeals to the noble-hearted. It unnerves heroes. It deceives even the elect. Seldom does it preach its evangel of peace without direct mention of Him around whose cradle angels sang of "Peace on earth to men. "It almost disarms criticism by beseeching Christian men to remember the Rock whence they were hewn and the Captain whose victory on the mount was won: Non occidendo sed moriendo, by dying, not by putting to death.

But the noble blunder into which these pacifists have fallen can be seen only by those who have the power of grasping, as the Scholastics would say, certain simple distinctions. Their first duty is to see the distinction between common virtue and heroic virtue. It was the Greek thinkers and heroes who first detected and proclaimed this simple distinction. Plato and Aristotle, who knew Greeks, divided them into normal Greeks and hero Greeks. The average man, whether Greek or barbarian, can risk his life in order to save his life ; in other words, he can be brave in self-defence. Only a hero will risk his own life to save another's ; that is, only a hero can meet death bravely that others may live.

This distinction between common virtue and heroic virtue passes into the classical Christian distinction between the commandments and the counsels. Until a man under-stands these two, and the difference between them, he has not understood Christianity; and until a man understands Christianity, how can he judge of Europe in this year of our Lord nineteen hundred and fifteen?

This, then, is the distinction between commandments and counsels. A command is something that all must do. A counsel is something that none need do, but some will do. Thus unto everyone it is commanded: "Thou shalt not steal." All are forbidden to take what is not their own ; and are commanded to give back what is not their own if they have taken it. But the Master has given a counsel : " Sell all thou hast." This is more than a command ; not, indeed, more in obligation, but more in hardship and nobility. It suggests that the higher way, the way, not over the earth, but through the air, is to those rare souls who have grasped the principle that "a man's riches consists less in the multitude of his possessions than in the fewness of his wants.

"Thus everyone is under the command : "Thou shalt not kill." By virtue of this a man may not take human life. Yet if another attempts his life he may defend himself by slaying the other. The average man, if attacked by another, could not be bound to forgo all self-defence by force. Yet if a man for some noble motive did allow himself to be slain instead of slaying his foe, he would be giving an example of heroic virtue. But too much stress cannot be laid upon the sound ethical principle that " No one is bound to heroic virtue." The attitude of the Society of Friends towards war is undeniably a noble one ; or it would be noble were it wise. But since it insists that everyone shall exercise the heroic virtue of non-resistance by force it lacks that touch of mercy which would make it kindred to mankind.

A last and most necessary distinction is between "meum" and "tuum" that is, between our power over our own rights and our power over the rights of others. A man may quite lawfully give his purse up to the first stranger who asks it of him. But a postman who would give up a purse he was bound to deliver would be condemned for neglect of duty.

In the same way an individual on the banks of the Meuse might resign his rights against trespass by allowing German troops to pass through his garden. But if that individual is a Belgian soldier, whose duty it is to defend the rights of his fellow-countrymen, then to allow German soldiers to pass through the garden would be a traitorous neglect of duty. Far from being heroic virtue, it would be the cowardice of treachery.

It is not a little strange that the men who so persistently preach heroic virtue in the matter of the commandment : "Thou shalt not kill" do not preach it in the far easier commandment : "Thou shalt not steal."As we know, the commandment : "Thou shalt not kill" is the chief safeguard in a civilization that is dominantly military, whereas the commandment : "Thou shalt not steal" is the chief safeguard in a civilization that is dominantly commercial.

Now, the counsel to defend no rights even the rights of others, or our own transcendent right to live by an appeal to physical force is the absolute or heroic in the commandment against killing. But the absolute or heroic in the commandment against stealing is : "Sell all thou hast and give to the poor."How few there are to urge this absolute amongst the men who look on war as a crime ! Peace has its frightfulness no less than war. Mammon is a more sanguinary god than Mars. When men plead that Mars is red-handed and should not be adored, it may be well to remind them, amidst their financial operations, that their counsels of perfection would be more effective if they themselves followed them in the lesser sphere of self-emptied riches.

Navy SEAL Michael Monsoor's Supreme Act of Chivalry

My previous post was on a talk by Fr. Chavez called Summoning Men to Lay Down Their Lives. For most of us this will be more on a spiritual level, making daily sacrifices and placing the needs of our neighbor before our own. While the history of our Order is filled with examples of knights sacrificing their lives for their brethern few of us will have to make this decision today. But there will always be occasions where people make this ultimate sacrifice and yesterday President Bush awarded Navy SEAL Michael Monsoor the Medal of Honor for his heroic act of giving his life for that of his neighbor.
The details that earned him the award are below but I think one point is worth highlighting. He was a Catholic, attended Mass and was named after St. Michael the Archangel and it was on St. Michael's feast day, September 29th, that he lay down his life for two of his comrades.

This is the President's speech and Medal of Honor citation:

The Medal of Honor is America's highest decoration for military valor. Over the years, many who have received the medal have given their lives in the action that earned it. The name of Petty Officer Michael Anthony Monsoor will now be among them. In September 2006, Michael laid down his life for his brothers in arms. Today, we remember the life of this faithful Navy SEAL. And on behalf of a grateful nation, we will present Michael Monsoor's family with the Medal of Honor that he earned.....Previous Medal of Honor recipients, thank you for joining us.I appreciate Chaplain Burt; Navy SEALS -- the finest warriors on the face of the Earth; the Monsoor family, and everybody else.The Medal of Honor is awarded for an act of such courage that no one could rightly be expected to undertake it. Yet those who knew Michael Monsoor were not surprised when he did. This son of Orange County, California, grew up in a family where helping others was a way of life. Mike's father was a Marine; his mother a social worker. Together, they raised their four children to understand the meaning of service and sacrifice.From a very early age, Mike showed the strength of his own convictions. Apparently going to kindergarten wasn't one of them. Mike had no complaints after the first week of school -- until someone broke the news to him that he had to go back the next week. (Laughter.) Many mornings, Mike refused to put on the nice clothes for school. Instead, he insisted on wearing mismatched outfits. Mike's mother soon discovered there was no stopping the determined young boy from mixing plaids and stripes. And years later, there would be no stopping an even more determined young man from donning a uniform of Navy Blue.In some ways, Mike was an unlikely candidate for the Navy. He suffered from terrible asthma as a child. On some nights, his coughing fits would land him in the hospital. But Mike would not lie low for long. He strengthened his lungs by racing his siblings in the swimming pool. He worked to wean himself off his inhaler. He built himself into a superb athlete -- excelling from sports like football to snowboarding.After enlisting in the Navy, he began preparing for the ultimate test of physical endurance: SEAL training. Less than a third of those who begin this training become SEALs. But Mike would not be denied a spot. In September 2004, he earned the right to wear the Navy SEAL trident.The newly minted frogman became a beloved member of the SEAL team community. His teammates liked to laugh about the way his shiny Corvette would leave everybody in the dust. But deep down, they always knew Mike would never leave anybody behind when it counted. He earned their confidence with his attention to detail and quiet work ethic. One of Mike's officers remembers an instructor once asking after an intense training session, "What's the deal with the Monsoor guy? He just says, 'Roger that,' to everything."When Mike deployed with his team to Ramadi in the spring of 2006, he brought that attitude with him. Because he served as both a heavy machine gunner and a communications operator, he often had a double load of equipment -- sometimes more than a hundred pounds worth. But under the glare of the hot desert sun, he never lost his cool.At the time, Ramadi was in the clutches of al Qaeda terrorists and insurgents. Together, the SEALs and the Army 1st Battalion of the 506 Infantry Regiment took the offense against the enemy. The SEALs carried out a broad range of special operations -- including providing sniper cover in tough urban conditions, and conducting raids against terrorists and insurgents. Overall, Mike's platoon came under enemy attack during 75 percent of their missions. And in most of these engagements, Mike was out front defending his brothers. In May 2006, Mike and another SEAL ran into the line of fire to save a wounded teammate. With bullets flying all around them, Mike returned fire with one hand while helping pull the injured man to safety with the other. In a dream about the incident months later, the wounded SEAL envisioned Mike coming to the rescue with wings on his shoulders.On Saint Michael's Day -- September 29, 2006 -- Michael Monsoor would make the ultimate sacrifice. Mike and two teammates had taken position on the outcropping of a rooftop when an insurgent grenade bounced off Mike's chest and landed on the roof. Mike had a clear chance to escape, but he realized that the other two SEALs did not. In that terrible moment, he had two options -- to save himself, or to save his friends. For Mike, this was no choice at all. He threw himself onto the grenade, and absorbed the blast with his body. One of the survivors puts it this way: "Mikey looked death in the face that day and said, 'You cannot take my brothers. I will go in their stead.'"Perhaps the greatest tribute to Mike's life is the way different service members all across the world responded to his death. Army soldiers in Ramadi hosted a memorial service for the valiant man who had fought beside them. Iraqi Army scouts -- whom Mike helped train -- lowered their flag, and sent it to his parents. Nearly every SEAL on the West Coast turned out for Mike's funeral in California. As the SEALs filed past the casket, they removed their golden tridents from their uniforms, pressed them onto the walls of the coffin. The procession went on nearly half an hour. And when it was all over, the simple wooden coffin had become a gold-plated memorial to a hero who will never be forgotten.For his valor, Michael Monsoor becomes the fourth Medal of Honor recipient in the war on terror. Like the three men who came before him, Mike left us far too early. But time will not diminish his legacy. We see his legacy in the SEALs whose lives he saved. We see his legacy in the city of Ramadi, which has gone from one of the most dangerous places in Iraq to one of the most safest. We see his legacy in the family that stands before us filled with grief, but also with everlasting pride.Mr. and Mrs. Monsoor: America owes you a debt that can never be repaid. This nation will always cherish the memory of your son. We will not let his life go in vain. And this nation will always honor the sacrifice he made. May God comfort you. May God bless America.Come on up. And now George and Sally Monsoor will be here -- a Military Aide will read the citation.The citation is read:The President of the United States, in the name of the Congress, takes pride in presenting the Medal of Honor, posthumously, to Master At Arms Second Class, Sea, Air and Land, Michael A. Monsoor, United States Navy. For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as Automatic Weapons Gunner for Naval Special Warfare Task Group Arabian Peninsula, in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 29 September 2006.As a member of a combined SEAL and Iraqi Army sniper overwatch element, tasked with providing early warning and stand-off protection from a rooftop in an insurgent-held sector of Ar Ramadi, Iraq, Petty Officer Monsoor distinguished himself by his exceptional bravery in the face of grave danger. In the early morning, insurgents prepared to execute a coordinated attack by reconnoitering the area around the element's position. Element snipers thwarted the enemy's initial attempt by eliminating two insurgents. The enemy continued to assault the element, engaging them with a rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire. As enemy activity increased, Petty Officer Monsoor took position with his machine gun between two teammates on an outcropping of the roof. While the SEALs vigilantly watched for enemy activity, an insurgent threw a hand grenade from an unseen location, which bounced off Petty Officer Monsoor's chest and landed in front of him. Although only he could have escaped the blast, Petty Officer Monsoor chose instead to protect his teammates. Instantly and without regard for his own safety, he threw himself onto the grenade to absorb the force of the explosion with his body, saving the lives of his two teammates. By his undaunted courage, fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of certain death, Petty Officer Monsoor gallantly gave his life for his country, thereby reflecting great credit upon himself and upholding the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

The Quest for Masculine Identity

I saw a Fr. Philip Chavez interviewed the other night and was impressed by what he had to say. He is a young priest of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) which is also the Society that Fr. Corapi belongs to. You can listen to an excellent talk of his titled Summoning Men to Lay Down Their Lives. at his website. Here is a little bio of his mission,

After several years of study and pastoral work, assiduously addressing family issues, my superiors have encouraged me to establish an outreach to men in order to address the complex challenges and difficulties they often face in growing humanly and spiritually in the present age.

The degree of disillusionment I've encountered in men who are striving to reach simple human happiness and spiritual peace is great. Sustaining a healthy life's balance is frequently challenging for males given the far-reaching effects of developmental conflicts, lack of male mentoring, emasculating formative experiences, and cultural influences that beset them. Men often find themselves isolated, profoundly dissatisfied, unfulfilled, and desperately seeking answers.

At the present, I am embarking on a more intense outreach to men -- particularly by way of seminars and parish missions -- toward their advancement in genuine masculine identity and character integration. Among the many objectives, I strive to call men toward their natural duty to mentor younger men and adolescents, inspire then to sacrificially honor their commitments, coach them to assemble and work in small teams, and summon them to defend their family, Church and society. All my work finds its basis upon sound theological and human principles, so that men may experience the longing of the Psalmist: "Strengthen me with a perfect spirit" (Ps 50:14).

Paschal Vigil At St. John's in London

Even though it is already a few weeks ago I found photos of the Paschal vigil held at St. John's Church of the Order of Malta in London at the website of Traditional Catholic. Click here to view the pictures.

Bl. Nonius Alvares Pereira

Today is the feast of Bl. Nonius Alvares Pereira a cousin of the founder of the Braganza family, born in Santares (Portugal) on 24 July 1360. He was Constable of the kingdom of Portugal, a famous Knight and Prior in the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. Afterwards he left everything and became a lay-brother in the Carmelite order, where he was remarkable for his devotion to Our Lady and humbly undertook the meanest duties in the friary. He had no hesitations about begging alms from door to door and was outstandingly generous and charitable towards the poor. He died on 1 April 1431, which was Easter Sunday.

Prayer:
O God, who called blessed Nonius to lay down the weapons of this world and follow Christ under the protection of the Blessed Virgin, grant through the intercession of this former member of our order that we too may deny ourselves and cling to you with all our hearts. Through the same Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The text of this page is quoted from: The Missal with readings of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes, & of Malta, London 1997

I found this biography at the web site of the Blessed Nuno Society in Duluth, MN. It is a Catholic prayer apostolate and mission society made up of laity, clergy, and religious who have joined together to form a union of prayer. The primary purpose of the Society is the individual sanctification of its members. The special object of the Society's work is to aid the educational, medical, spiritual, and general welfare needs of orphaned and homeless children.

Blessed Nuno of St. Mary (Nuno Alvares Pereira) died as a simple Carmelite brother on April 1, 1431 and was beatified on January 23, 1918. Before entering the monastery as a widower, Nuno lived as a great knight, husband and father, and patriotic hero of his native Portugal. He was the Third Count of Ourem and Founder of the Royal House of Braganca. After the marriage of his daughter, he renounced his many titles and gave away all his possessions. One third of his wealth was given to the poor and orphans. He built several churches including the beautiful Carmelite monastery in Lisbon, which he later entered as a humble brother. He did much to spread the devotions of the rosary and the scapular in Portugal and is known as the "Precursor of Fatima", "The Holy Constable", and the "Peacemaker". His memorial Mass is celebrated on April 1.
Blessed Nuno was selected as our Patron because of his devotion to Our Lady, his great awareness of the need for prayer, his love of poor children, and his spiritually heroic victory over self and the world. The life of Blessed Nuno reflected a balance between spiritual and corporal acts of mercy which continues to inspire the members of this charitable prayer apostolate.

Blessed Nuno is remembered in secular history for his military victory at Aljubarrota in 1385, yet he hated war and is often referred to as "the Peacemaker". Although he died in 1431 (the same year as Joan of Arc), the great knight known as the "Precursor of Fatima" was not beatified until January 23, 1918, just 102 days after the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima. At Aljubarrota, Nuno led a group of 6,500 volunteers against a Castilian force of 30,000 soldiers. By human estimation, he could not win. Indeed, his death in that battle seemed certain. At stake was very independence of Portugal and the determination of whether Portugal would reject the legitimate pope.Miraculously, by the end of the day, Nuno had secured victory for Portugal and the Castilian army was in retreat. Had Nuno died at Aljubarrota during that battle on August 14, 1385, history, as we know it, would be impossible to recognize. His direct descendants included Isabella the Catholic, supporter of Christopher Columbus, Emperor Charles V, who ruled over more territory that any other European monarch (including most of the Americas), and Archduke Ferdinand, whose death triggered the World War which was tearing Europe apart at the time of Our Lady's Fatima apparitions. Also descended from Blessed Nuno were the members of the Royal House of Braganca, monarchs of Portugal and Brazil, including England's Queen Catherine, for whom the Borough of Queens, New York was named. Nuno himself was born out of wedlock, an unlikely candidate to become the founder of Royal Houses. But it happened because of a victory at Aljubarrota ....a victory he attributed to the Blessed Virgin, whose name was inscribed on his sword.What sort of man was Nun' Alvares Pereira? He would kneel in the heat of battle to pray. In time of war, he fed the hungry populations of his Castilian opposition at his own expense. He customarily refused to share in the spoils of battle. Once, he was so hungry that he traded his horse for six loaves of bread, then gave every loaf to a group of English knights who were looking for food. He allowed squires from the enemy forces to meet him in peace, just because they wanted to see "the Great Nuno" about whom they had heard so many stories. He grew up wanting to be a pure and perfect knight like Sir Galahad of legend and became, perhaps, the only knight in history to ever truly achieve that dream. He supported the ideas of his close friend, Prince Henry the Navigator, and traveled with him to Ceuta, thus beginning the "Age of Explorations". He remained a faithful and loving husband to the daughter of King John until her death, then entered the very monastery he had paid to construct. He helped to spread the devotions of the Rosary and the Scapular throughout Portugal. Blessed Nuno gave away his wealth to assist the poor, including countless orphaned children, and even agreed to become godfather to many of them. He died in poverty as a Carmelite brother on April 1, 1431 just as the priest, who was reading the Passion of Christ to him pronounced Our Lord's Words from the Cross: "Behold thy Mother"

10 Prison Inmates Baptized In Cincinnati Prison

From The Catholic Telegraph , the archdiocesan newspaper of Cincinnati, is this Easter story of 10 inmates received into the Church by Archbishop Pilarczyk.

ARCHDIOCESE — Ten inmates at Lebanon Correctional Institution (LeCI) experienced the sense of hope and promise of new life that accompanies the Easter season when they were welcomed into the Catholic Church on March 23.

Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk presided at a Mass at the close-security prison during which the men received the sacraments of initiation. The men were Daniel Charles Baker, Eric Edward Harmon, Scott William Hampton, Jason Allen Harris, Jonathon Dean Leggett, Bernard Perfetto, Dean Allen Preston, David Stephen Sour, Benjamin Charles Walton and Timothy Wilson.

The archbishop baptized 10 inmates, welcoming them into the church.
Through our Lady of Sorrows Parish in nearby Monroe, both LeCI and Warren Correctional Institution are ministered to by a team of Catholic volunteers committed to serving the spiritual needs of their incarcerated Christian brothers, explained Christine Shimrock, who serves as a prison chaplain. The volunteers, representing a number of area parishes, strive to emulate the services provided at the parish level including Mass, instruction and one-on-on counseling. At LeCI, the Catholic group, comprised of approximately 30 inmates, meets weekly and Jesuit Father Gene Carmichael presides at Mass for the men twice monthly.

Shimrock, a member of St. Susanna Parish in Mason, said the opportunity to develop and share their faith is significant for the inmates on several levels. "Society is so quick to judge people for their mistakes, but God doesn’t work that way. It’s important restoratively for the inmates to recognize that we’re all forgiven. More than 85 percent of the inmates will return to society and, as a citizen, I would like someone to return having repented. This ministry enables the inmates to return full of faith and with some spiritual goals."

"They also benefit from the sense of peace and fellowship because they don’t find that in the prison culture," Shimrock added. "They find others who believe in and support them too. It’s the one place they won’t be judged, and they’re given the fundamental tools they need to rebuild their faith and their lives."

The 10 men petitioned Archbishop Pilarczyk to celebrate Easter Mass at the prison and confer the sacraments by writing letters and, along with the volunteers and LeCI staff, were thrilled to welcome him.

Joining the catechumens and their sponsors were volunteers from the prison’s Kairos program and many of their family members.

Shimrock praised LeCI’s administration for the decision to allow the inmates’ relatives to be present for the Mass. "This is unprecedented," she said. "Families aren’t allowed past the visitors’ area, so to see the place where the men worship is so meaningful. The prison administration and staff have been so supportive of our program. They realize that when the men are faith-filled, it trickles down to the entire prison."

During the offertory, food items were collected from inmates.
"It’s really something special today for the men being baptized," said Warden Timothy Brunsman, who attended the Easter liturgy. "We’re thrilled to have the archbishop here."
Also on hand for the joyous service were Fathers Carmichael, George Klein, Mark Schmieder and Terry Meehan, pastor at Our Lady of Sorrows.

In his homily, Archbishop Pilarczyk spoke of the joy of the Easter season saying, "Easter is the celebration of new life and Jesus’ return to the living. In baptism, we begin to live a new life — the life of the risen Jesus."

"Life’s a wonderful thing," he added. "It’s a great gift. Today we thank God for life. May you find peace and contentment in the life of the Lord."

Wearing crisp white shirts, the elect were then called forward to be baptized and confirmed. After the archbishop conferred the sacraments, the assembly welcomed the new members of the Catholic Church with resounding applause. The men later received the Eucharist for the first time.

Eric Harmon, who attended a Catholic high school, said he decided to participate in RCIA because "It was time to put myself spiritually where I needed to be and that is being a member of the Catholic family."

Being Catholic in prison is a challenge, Harmon acknowledged. "The pettiness goes to the extreme at times, and it’s rough to keep on the right path with the corruption going on around you, so I pray a lot," he said.

His fellow inmate, Bernard Perfetto, said what drew him to Catholicism is "the message of love, forgiveness and hope — three things that are in short supply in prison. It (becoming Catholic) really gives me the feeling that I’m a servant of God and that means a lot when you’re confined in a place like this."

Perfetto said his faith will also give him the courage to re-enter society when the time comes. "It gives me hope to know that there is a faith community I can be part of on the outside, a place where I will be accepted."

Raised with no religion in his life, Benjamin Walton said he felt a sense of belonging when attending Catholic Mass and found RCIA to be "educational and enlightening."

"I know this is where I want to be," he said of the Catholic Church. "I’ve been so excited. This is the day I’ve joined Christ. I can’t stop smiling."

Walton was especially excited to have several family members join him for the occasion, including his grandmother, Sharon Ray.

"I’m so proud that he chose this path," Ray said. "I wouldn’t have missed this day for the world."

Among the other relatives present were Lizabeth and Gary Preston, whose son, Dean, received the sacraments. Although not Catholic themselves, the Prestons said they wholeheartedly supported Dean’s faith journey and spoke of the difference it has made in his life.

"I’ve seen him grow a lot in his relationship with the Lord," Lizabeth Preston said. "This has also strengthened our bond. We’re much closer now. "

"He seems more at peace in all the chaos around him," Gary Preston added. "It’s only been through Christ that he’s been able to achieve that."

After many years of searching, Jonathon Leggett’s faith has also brought him a sense of peace. "I feel like a big weight has been lifted off my shoulders," he said. "Given the things I’ve done in the past, I never thought I could be forgiven. Knowing God has forgiven me is uplifting."

Bringing Hope To Those Behind Bars

H/T The Deacon's Bench for this article in The Chronicle Herald about Deacon Brian Smiths work to bring hope to those in prison. After 12 years as a full time chaplain at a men's correctional facility, he currently is ministering to female inmates 3 times a week. He describes some of the differences,

"From all he’s seen and experienced over the years, Brian feels incarceration is harder on women than men, particularly because of the separation it represents from kith and kin.

Not only that, he says, but many women, even though they may have committed a crime, are more likely to be the real victim, in some way. Brian reminds me that many women are abused at home or in a relationship, or are forced into addiction or some other vice by a relative or a loved one."

The message Brian tries to take with him into prison is one of hope.

"I like to think I’m giving them some kind of hope for a better life, for a better tomorrow, for them and their children."

It doesn’t always work, he admits. Some inmates will never be rehabilitated or feel remorse.

"You just have to love them and keep on trying to support them in any way you can."

He tells me that part of his prison duties is to give bereavement notices to inmates. He remembers one middle-aged inmate whose son had died violently. When Brian broke the news, the man fell to pieces.

"He felt himself trapped," he explains. "He wanted to be with his son. He felt he’d let him down because he wasn’t there to be with him, that he’d failed as a parent."

Brian remembers the heartbroken inmate kicking and screaming and crying. As with so much of life behind bars, Brian found it tremendously draining.

Just how tough is it in prison these days? Brian tells me 90 per cent of inmates are there because of some addiction.

"The attitude of inmates, when they’re together or in a group of other inmates, they have one personality: big tough guys who flex their muscles."

"They have another side?" I interrupt.

Oh yes, says the deacon. "When you take them into the chapel, or in the office and shut the door, they . . . go back in time; they remember when they were children." They remember being taken to church, playing while Mass was being held. They think back to some of the things their parents and grandparents tried to teach them.

"Some of the big tough guys get really teary eyed," says Brian. "They feel like a failure; that they’ve let someone down. "He shakes his head sadly. "They don’t recognize that they let themselves down."

Brian tells me that all prison inmates are offered a Bible, and that those who accept it become so absorbed in it that within a month the pages becomes dog-eared and heavily underlined.
The deacon isn’t surprised. When your world is reduced to a small cell, you start feeling no one cares.

"These are truly lost souls," he reflects.

He remembers befriending a young man who was in Burnside for a home invasion. The inmate had become an adherent of the Bible but, tragically, had been diagnosed with cancer and didn’t have long. Brian arranged for him to conduct the readings during regular prayer services and it was during this period that the dying man revealed he’d never been baptized. He asked to be admitted to the church. The inmate asked for full-immersion baptism but the only vessel large enough was the tub in the prison laundry.

Brian decided it would do just fine, so that’s where the ceremony was held, presided over by a priest and witnessed by the other prisoners. The deacon, who took the young man as his godson, will never forget the moment.

"When he came up for the third time, he had the biggest, most contented smile on his face. He’d found Jesus — in the bottom of a laundry tub in a prison chapel."

Despite its tremendous difficulties I think most people involved in prison ministry will tell you that it is the most rewarding ministry they have been involved with. Please remember them in your prayers and consider what Jesus said, "When I was in prison, you visited me."

There is more of the article to read here.

The Eucharist - Remedy Against Socialism

There is an essay over at The ChesterBelloc Mandate taken from The Church and Social Problems dealing with the encroaching of Socialism and how the remedy for this evil is in the frequent reception of the Eucharist. This is an excerpt and you can read the full article here.

Here, therefore, is the main ground why we say that the growth of Socialism presents no illusion, and that it is a reality which we shall be called upon to reckon with even far more seriously in the future.

To every unprejudiced student who still is imbued with the truth of the supernatural and makes of it the guiding light of his thinking and his acting, Socialism is the most complete expression of all that was embodied by St. John in that one word, "the world” as opposed to the spirit of Christ. With "the world” whether found in Capitalist oppression or in Socialist class-hatred and Materialism, the Christian can have no common cause. From it he can merely look for deadliest opposition, even though it should come to him under the guise of well-feigned friendship.

The weapons which first and foremost we must therefore have in readiness are those of the spirit, and the mightiest among these is the Holy Eucharist. "How" we might once have asked, "are we to surmount the indifference, the irreverence, the doubt and denial which the agnostic surroundings of our Catholic population are so likely to beget?" This is no longer a problem for us. The Holy Spirit Himself has clearly taught us the answer. It is most evidently contained in those great, providential decrees on Frequent and Early Communion. Should we fail to avail ourselves of these even to the utmost, the negligence indeed were folly; but disobedience by setting them aside were fatal unto death. Our greatest hope is in the Sacred Heart which beats within the Eucharist.

The arm of God is not shortened and the wonders of the Eucharist in the Church of the early centuries shall repeat themselves to-day. The same power that conquered the paganism of old can triumph over the godlessness of the modern world. What was the source of strength to the early Christian in days like our own if not the Holy Eucharist, received by the faithful at every Mass and borne in napkins of immaculate white to the prison cell? Thus was the flame of living fire kindled in the breast of the believer, and spreading outward and onward under the breath of the Holy Spirit, the Pentecostal storm, it at last enwrapped the earth in a conflagration of Divine Love.

These decrees, therefore, are not hasty conclusions and arbitrary laws. They have been given only "after mature deliberations." There is the divine foreknowledge of God directing us through them. It is only at our peril that we can afford to ignore them.

To the Socialistic destruction of authority and promotion of class-hatred we shall present the invincible charity of Christ, the Judge and Saviour of the world. To the vaunting pride and triumphant march of the hosts that are poured forth against us from the gates of hell we shall show, like the saints of old, the Sacred Host, displayed upon the walls of our citadel.

The duty laid upon parents by the Holy Father regarding the early and frequent Communion of their children is strongly to be insisted upon. Early and frequent Communion alone, with that devotion to Our Lady always so tenderly entwined with it, can assuredly save the Home and the Child.

In conclusion we must appeal to the Catholic laity heartily to cooperate on all sides in the urgent work of firm, vigorous and truly Catholic organization. A spirit of Catholic solidarity is the need of the hour. The opportunities for undertaking and ccomplishing original work in the social service are certainly not wanting; but there are likewise countless Catholic enterprises already organized which are languishing for want of the support they most richly deserve. Let the reader choose among these and give to the service of his choice his whole heart's devotion. It is no time to stand idle. The Lord of the vineyard is seeking through the world for laborers to enter His service. Though His call should come to us only at the eleventh hour, we must not fail to heed it. His service will amply repay us.

Catholic Support for Hilary

As I posted last week on the outcome of the Spanish elections and the voters preference of economics over moral issues and how it could be a sign of our own upcoming elections there was this article in the Sun Chronicle in Massachusetts. H/T The Remnant.

Political observers say Catholic voters are ignoring her stand on social issues such as abortion and are backing her for a number of other reasons, many having to do with economics.

Ray Flynn, the former mayor of Boston and ambassador to the Vatican, said Hillary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, have always enjoyed good support from Catholics because they are identified so closely with issues involving "social and economic justice."

Flynn said the Clintons back the kind of policies on health care, job creation, taxes and law enforcement appreciated by working class people, including Catholics.

A supporter of Hillary Clinton, Flynn said he has been campaigning for her in Pennsylvania, where there are large pockets of Irish and Polish Catholics, making the state fertile ground for her candidacy.

St. Augustine wrote in the City of God, Book III, "I must now turn to those calamities which are the only things our accusers have no wish to endure. Such are hunger, disease, war, plunder, imprisonment, massacre and horrors I mentioned in Book 1. Though these do not make men evil, evildoers regard them as the only evil. Yet, they feel no shame that they themselves are evil amid the things they praise as good. They are more pained if their villa is poor than if their life is bad, as though man's greatest good were to have everything good except himself."