Notorious Late Term Abortionist Shot to Death

See story here.

I'm surprised a guy like that went to church at all. He must have been "fun" to have as a parishioner. I wonder if Obama will go to his funeral to cry personally, or will he send Joe Biden to cry for him? I don't know if his own death was more painful than what he personally inflicted on thousands. And frankly, I don't care. I'm sorry the abortion industry has itself a martyr. I'd have preferred him to have his industry shut down in a different way. Like people coming to their senses.

On the plus side, more babies in the Wichita area may have a chance to live.

Whoway ancay Iway urntay otay?

Yes, it's pig latin. But a certain holding company who is not releasing things they can after a 45 year remove is for whatever reason hell on vid from the dEay ullivanSay howSay. It's very seldom in musical theatre there is a song sung directly to God. But this is one of them. The song this particular show is from is "oarRay ofway hetay reasepaintGay, hetay mellsay ofway hetay rowdCay." I own the CD, and never got to see the show live, but it's one of my favorite scores - and this performance is particularly rich.





If you want it, get it.

Hellllo Gorgeous!!!

It's Jacaranda time. For about 46 weeks of the year, these trees look non-descript and unremarkable. But for about 6 weeks or so they are in all their glory. We're having a particularly particular "May gray" season this year - but these lovelies are a welcome vision. They start "turning" end of April, and are in full swing right now. Though some of them, depending where they are, blah, blah, are in that "half-state" with the green already coming back.

They were introduced to San Diego by Kate Sessions, a noted horticulturalist. Kate is considered the "mother" of Balboa Park. She brought well over 100 different kinds of species of trees to San Diego. The Jacaranda is the city's official "Ornamental tree." The city also has a park and elementary school named for her. She lived from 1857-1940. She was a San Francisco native, and one of the first women graduates from Berkeley. Her work will be appreciated by generations of San Diegans and visitors to come.

I didn't shrink the picture before I uploaded, so if you click on it you can see an enlargement.

Mercy Killing Candidate

Seriously. Sometimes stuff happens in the office you can't make up. The other day this sorry specimen had been moved from this spot, to a little space in the office that has linoleum flooring. The office manager said "Why is this in HERE?" He was informed that there had been a complaint from the floor below that this "thing" had been leaking water, through the floor planks, and onto a desk.

The office manager said: "THIS Plant?" So he picks it up, frowns, and decides to move it right back to where it had been. "They" must have been out of the office, or this plant had finally drained all the excess water. Because I waited all day for someone to come upstairs and punch the office manager right in the nose. Didn't happen. Hope springs eternal for Monday.

HA Award - The French Republic

This is a first, a group award to an entire country. Gee, I know this may be an obscure history topic, but besides the US name another country during the Second world war which was instrumental in freeing France from Nazi hordes. The country I'm thinking of is English speaking, and had a population over well over 40 million at the time. I'm wracking my brain, but it seems to me if it wasn't for that rather large fixed floating landmass of an Aircraft Carrier otherwise known as the United Kingdom, which was used as a staging area to amass men and materiels and contributed her own life blood to cause, the French might well now be speaking German to this day.

What's coming up....why June 6th. Oh, my goodness, how time flies...it's the 65th anniversary of the Normandy D-Day landings. Hey, here's a thought, France throws a big "Thank you for saving our asses" celebration. Let's see whom to invite. How about as the 1st people on your guest list, you invite the heads of state of all those who have helped saved your ass? THERE'S a thought. Oh. But if you're whatever passes for the French government you go into a snit and decide that you don't like the head of state of the UK. I wouldn't blame her if she went to the balcony of Buck House and gave the French the finger. Or, I suppose, in her case, fingers. Maybe next time the French can just liberate themselves.

Or perhaps I'm being mean. Maybe they're just sparing her the sight of the blow-job the Obaminator will get from the French people. He's done SO much for them, by comparision.

And as long as we're at it:

Why is the Champs Elysee lined with trees? So the Germans can march in the shade.

WTF?

Tell Me Why

I was thinking about a song I learned many years ago when I was a small girl of 9-10 and in the Soldality of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Salem, Virginia. I found a lovely video of this song on line.



Father Krimm, the Redemptorist pastor of late and happy memory, used to sing the bottom part, while we girls sang the top melody line.

Cali Supreme Court Upholds Ban on Gay Marriage

Ruled just within the last 15 minutes. What a concept, the court when with the "will of the people" rather than "make it up as you go" regards proposition 8. HOWEVER (using logic that escapes me) they allowed to let stand those 18,000 "marriages" which Gavin Newsome (SF mayor) allowed to propagate. So here's the deal -- if you want to do something like marry your car, or goldfish or whatever, because there's no explict law against it, get some idiot like Gavin to let you do it 1st.

Excelsior, Fathead

Today's Telegraph points out how screwed up the "Centre for American Studies" at the University of Leicester is if its director, George Lewis thinks Zero is "an intellectual." He also describes the governance of GWBush as a "regime." No bias at the Centre for American Studies is there? It's been a while since I've given one of these out, but this guy merits it.

From the article:

"He [George Lewis] said: "I think the idea of spending a year in Obama's America is probably more appealing to many students than doing so under the Bush regime He is perhaps the first intellectual American president we have had since Woodrow Wilson."

Full article here.

I don't know what this guy means by "we" [unless he is an American, and a stupid one at that] - perhaps "we Kool-Aide drinkers?" Him being so up on American studies, one need not supply the reference to Kool-Aide.

Where's the Birth Certificate?

This is not a ginned up photoshopped sign. It's a real one.

If it looks like a duck it's probably Hitler

/

Just saying.

Nice to Celebrate Ascension on the Ascension

Last night I went to the first High Mass I went to since I was very young. I have to say that back in the day, a lot of families, mine included, only went to the high Mass if we overslept. So I came in with vague memories. Last night's Mass was well attended, and once again the Little Oratory assisted with the singing to bolster the normal St. Anne's choir. The priest was a visiting missionary from New Zealand, now stationed in Nigeria in Ibo country. He was quite young, according to him "recently ordained."

I happen to love incense, so I was delighted there was enough to choke a heretic with. Full complement of servers, and I have a good guess as to why when His Hermeneuticalness was at a few high Masses with muckety mucks that he was a 2nd subdeacon. The first one stand in line with the humeral veil and hold the paten (I think in the misty dark ages, someone must have ticked off the head man or whatever, and he said "YOU, THIS Sunday you're going to stand behind the deacon in a thoroughly fatiguing way, we'll come up with some allegorical reason later, but YOU, you're being punished!!!" ) Then the 2nd subdeacon is there to complete the picture of getting to hold up the left side of the chasuble. And be someone else to manoever around. Two torchbearers but I don't know how many physical torches there are to be carried.

I didn't time when it started but it was to start at 7 - it did end at 8:25. Assuming they may have been at most 5 minutes late, then it really didn't take much more than 15 minutes longer than the average Sunday Mass does today. [The Epistle and the Gospel were re-read in English, too.]

The vestments were particularly sumptuous, nice to see them on someone's back rather than a museum, and there were a veil and burse to match. Click on the picture with the isolated chasubles to see more detail.

Ascension Vigil Videos

Last night the Brothers of the San Diego Oratory visited St. Anne's, and assisted at a sung vigil and benediction. It was very nice. I'd been to vespers before, but never an EF vespers. Fr. Gismondi was the principle celebrant assisted by Deacon Jose Zapeda and MC Carl. I got some nice video at the end of the litanies and Benediction. I've broken it up into 3 parts so youtube doesn't have a fit. Total is about 23 minutes. Nice reception afterwards. They are also interested in encouraging many parishes to do evening vigils. If you get in touch with them via their website, they'd be happy assist celebrants who wish to do vespers. They have materials for the congregants in both English and Spanish.

1st Part - Litany and Agnus Dei:



2nd Part - Benediction



3rd Part - The rest



Group photo:

The Brothers of the Little Oratory in San Diego have many events coming up. You can check their website here. This Sunday, May 24th at 3 p.m. they will be giving a concert at St. Joseph's Cathedral in San Diego.

There are consequences

...to roaming near wild garlic fields. This is not a particularly happy CaliCow

Too Late

"Each side will continue to make its case to the public with passion and conviction. But surely we can do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature..."

Uh, no. Not possible. Especially you.

The Optimism of the Amazing Fr. G

Busy, busy day. This morning I attended St. Anne's morning holy hour, benediction and Mass. Afterwards, starting at 10 many people (I'd guess at least a good 35+) showed up to do a general cleanup of nearby badly needed property the church recently acquired. It's the sort of project that would give an older priest pause to undertake.

Wish I had more snaps but I'd quite forgotten I'd taken the memory card out of the camera [duh] and by the time I'd remembered the batteries were about dead anyway. I did manage to get this side shot of Father G, the pastor, shortly before he blessed (and for all I know, exorcized) the house. God bless Fr. G. for wearing that cassock all day, but I bet his dry cleaner will want to wring his neck. He and the deacon did manage to acquire more than a little dust on them.

Boy was there a lot of junk to be moved. A whole dumpster was filled, and there's still much more to be done. But the carpeting [AY!!!! CARRUMBA was about the best that could be said] and much of the lino and odd furnishings (including toilets that Thomas Crapper probably made himself) to say nothing of all the junk outside were hauled to the dumpster. Amongst other things, I myself managed to purge few vids from a high shelf in the house. I turned to the person next to me and said "ah-ha---this must be the former owner's porn stash" and judging by one of the titles I guessed right. For those who *must* know it was entitled [Fr. Erik, cover your eyes] "Big [euphemism for mammary glands] Club." I had gloves on at the time, and made sure it went on the BOTTOM of the trash can with some more junk on top.

About a half hour after Father went through the house and blessed every room, I was loading some items on to a pick up truck and I noticed that two nice clean cut men in dark trousers and white shirts and dark ties were speaking to a young man in our party who pointed them into the house and said something along the lines of "find the man all in black and talk to him." I laughed as they entered and said to the guy (who'd had a Chesshire cat smile) "You didn't just do what I think you did, did you?" He laughed and said "yeah, maybe Father will convert them." I restrained the impulse to follow - because I really would have liked to have been the fly on the wall on that one. About 7 minutes later, they came out, tails tucked between legs. Then later when Father came out I said "Well, did you convert them?" And he said "They're comin' back!" And it wouldn't surprise me if they DID eventually convert!!! They have no idea they'd just walked into the house intended, eventually, for catechetical instruction. 1st customers, so to speak! They just don't know it yet.

Fr. G, ever the optimist, eagerly searched for that 1909 VDB penny when I gave him a hand full of pennies I'd found in a dresser drawer. ["Here's 12 more cents off the mortgage!"] Ah, well...judging by the junk that was cleaned out today, it would surprise me none, if the former owner was the sort of guy who had stuffed money in the mattress. Wait. Somebody DID check those old mattresses, right?

After the lunch break another woman and I were detailed to go "power wash" the concrete between the church and some existing classrooms. We were about a 1/3 of the way through when the machine blew a gasket, or whatever it did when it quit and started smoking, so we hosed and broomed it the old fashioned way. By then my sneakers were so wet I knew if I went back to the house, I'd be coming back with mud pits. The deacon assured me the dumpster was about full and I shouldn't feel guilty for knocking off work.

So I went down to the Kroc center for the most relaxing swim I've had since January! I *almost* felt guilty.

[And Fr. Sean, if you read this, Roberto from the Little Oratory says "Hey Fr. Dude" or "Ciao" or whatever it is Italians say to Irish priests with English accents and Her Majesty's passport. I had a nice chat with him at lunch. He'd looked at me and realized I was a blogger who knew you. "You're GOTO!" he whispered and I smiled and gave him the sssshhhh! sign. I don't go out of my way to draw attention to the blog. Whomever finds it, finds it!]

Notre Shame has Alan Keyes arrested again.

This time, they are denying bail. Also among those arrest was a 78 year old priest, whom police saw fit to lay on the ground.

Regards this debacle, I saw the quote of the day:

"The Board of Notre Dame is packed with Obama’s Chicago cronies. It really is disgusting. It’s like having the College of Cardinals filled with Muslims." [see this thread.]

Video and photos are here.

I pray that families of graduates and graduates who are ashamed of ND will simply not attend the Sunday commencement exercises, or if they do, when Zero speaks, stand up, turn around, and pray the rosary.

I pray that Jenkin's faculties will be pulled.

Update: [This video was on his hermeneuticalness's blog - and well worth a look.]

Conrad Birdie's First hit

If you know the answer, shout it out. [I'd known but forgotten, and now know again. Besides Stephen F., I'm trying to flush out the other musical theatre fans.] Let me know if you need a hint. (And Stephen, I'd have been caught flat footed if you'd asked me 2 weeks ago.]

Another Judas Archbishop

At least this one is out to pasture.

"Though dozens of his brother bishops have said they were "scandalized'' or "in shock and deep distress'' that our pro-choice president will speak and be honored at the University of Notre Dame this weekend, retired Archbishop John R. Quinn of San Francisco has let President Obama know that not all pro-life Catholics -- or even all strongly pro-life Catholic prelates – see things that way.

"I am writing as a Catholic Bishop to offer a different voice from the often strident outcries over your forthcoming visit to Notre Dame,'' Quinn said in the April 22 letter. Today, he provided a copy of it to PoliticsDaily.com. Quinn, a former president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, went on to praise Obama as a history-making role model, an inspiring family man and a thoughtful person. Between the lines, his message was, Don't let those guys waving signs get you down.

In a phone interview on Thursday, I asked Quinn why he had written to the president – especially since at age 80, he so rarely speaks out these days: "No, I really don't,'' he said, "but I just thought there needed to be a positive note in this whole discourse.''

Though he does not agree with Obama on abortion rights, "it's not that the only issue involved is the life issue, though certain people have spoken very vociferously and focused only on that one point.''"

Full article here.

History making? Well, he's the first "president" who isn't actually a citizen. Other than that I'm at a loss. Oh. Wait. he's half-black. But then Bill Clinton said he was the 1st black president.

Waytago, Archbishop Quinn. Use that "seamless blanket" garbage to cover your own rear and suck up to your liberal friends so you look "with it." Same guy that let the "you must pay for domestic partners health care" people walk all over him. Move along. Nothing to see here. Certainly not a real pastor guarding the flock from the wolves. Another "hireling."

Idiot Jenkins can "Dialogue" with Zero, but can't handle "Dialogue" with Alan Keyes

What is Jenkins afraid of? Too gutless to come out and "dialogue" with abortion protestors, he hides behind his crack security team. God only knows what he would do if confronted with a really angry mob with pitchforks and lit torches.



(See video of Alan Keyes and other peaceful protestors arrested on campus of Notre Shame)

I guess he must keep Notre Shame pro-liferein. Yes, technically "they" [a private campus] have the right to throw anyone out that doesn't "belong" to the university. But suppose some graduating would take their place at commencement exercises and express similar thought. They "belong" to the university community. They have invitations. They are graduating. Would Jenkins be power drunk enough to have them arrested?

Just suppose how Jenkins would throw a hysterical hissy fit, if mid Barrack speech a number of them would stand up and turn their back on him. For extra credit, they could be wearing t-shirts which say "Abortion is murder" on the back of them.

I hope the bishop "dialogues" with Jenkins if Zero speaks. Dialogue like "pack your gear and get the hell out of my diocese your faculties for preaching and saying Mass are history here."

What a pack of gutless wonders Notre Shame has become.

Vitamins and Catholic Stuff too! Nature's Storehouse, Chula Vista

Meant to get around to posting this earlier. After Mass this Saturday, a woman told me that there was a "natural" food store called "Nature's Storehouse" that also carried quite a stock of Catholic Goods for sale, including Catholic Missals in the EF form. [I own a number of earlier Catholic missals, but had not had the "last" one promulaged in 1962.] She'd been telling another woman that there are also cheaper copies of just the ordinary parts of the Mass also for sale. They also carry a selection of religious books in Spanish.

I don't know the city of Chula Vista which lies a bit south of San Diego very well, but I thought I was pretty up on the "Catholic" stores in San Diego county. The Pauline has (or should I say "had?") the best book selection, but I think this store stands up quite well. They have quite a good selection of orthodox books, catechisms, spiritual reading, plus statues, rosaries, missals, medals, holy cards, etc. If memory serve they also carry Catholic greeting cards, and 1st communion supplies, etc.

The store is on the east side of 3rd Street, in Chula Vista, close to where "F" street crosses it. They also have a little room set aside for people who'd like to say the rosary, which is said in this store everyday it's open, at 5.


There is a nice family who run the store, (and the Lady and her grown son are originally from the Midlands in England) and there have been people who have claimed to see visions and have had physical healing. They do not advertise the religious goods, but simply let people "find them!" Initially it was just a health food store, but they were inspired to create a little chapel, and add the religious goods. They felt "called" to do so.

I also show one of the aisle dedicated to relgious goods, there is more behind me, as is the chapel.


The store also has a delightful skylight above their loft.



Father G. , from St. Anne's, blessed the missal I'd bought this morning, using the EF blessing for such items. I was a little surprised he rubbed the Holy Water into the missal after he had sprinkled it -- especially given I had almost hacked up an entire lung this morning during the "silent canon." So if he comes down with beri-beri or something exotic, it will be all my fault!!!

[Gee, whiz, Father, if I'd known you were going to do THAT, I'd have waited!]

Dumbest picture of Pope

When you wear garb common to head hackers, even if it's given to you by a "cute" Arab girl with a mantilla,  don't be surprised if eventually you're at a meeting where head hackers get up and start saying garbage which will necessitate you getting up and walking out with a meeting that has a head hacker addressing the assembly.  Better yet, why not NOT show up at the latter meeting to begin with.  Who advises his Holiness I wonder.  The Williamson flap was finally dealt with appropriately, and the Pope's apology was a good one to apologize for being "unaware" of Williamson's views.  Just when the dust settles - the pope starts advising Israel that they have to give over the remaining 1% of non-Arab "Muslim land" to the head hacker corps.  Perhaps, as someone suggested the Vatican would be comfy with the Gitmo "detainees" being released to their custody?

Flame away, I call them as I see them.

SonicWall Delenda Est

I expect by now most of you bloggers have seen the problem caused by:



http://cfssupport.sonicwall.com/



It seems that any photo which blogger save to 2.bp.blogspot.com (etc) is flagged as "nudity" "other."

I do not know if this is due to Obamistas launching a premature bid to control the internet for "the One" and have every thing censored, or merely some Paki (can you say Paki without it being flagged?) kids getting their jollies by hacking rather than playing with themselves - but this is annoying, Unless the people at blogger are all strung out on drugs from the night before, surely they must have seen this by now. WTH is going on?

At first I thought I might bea sick attempt to nail all religious blogs, but I checked a few general blogs and they seem to be having the same issue. The only common element is it seems to affect only 2.bp.blogspot.com uploaded photos.

Which kid was the last one in the Sacristy?

My money is on B. A was the NEXT to the last one, but didn't want to wear the "high waters" cassock, so he grabbed the long one and risked walking up the inside of it rather than hear "is there a flood around here?" jokes. I bet B was ticked. Ha. Should have left the house earlier. He'll remember next time!

H/T Mulier-fortis

Pop quiz for would be EMs

Say, HERE'S a thought....how about instead of Fr. Hippy just blindly appointing "nice people" whom he's converted to the faith (whom he may have taught a watered down version of the faith) or appointing "Good ole Bob, who's old enough to know better, but was never exactly boned up on the Baltimore catechism to begin with" as an EM - How about having them all go up to the diocese for a simple test - if they can't answer a few basic questions, or don't seem to understand basic concepts, let's NOT allow them to be EMs. (And perhaps a periodic review test for certain deacons and priests?)

Let's start with:

1) Can a woman be an ordained deacon in the Catholic Church?

2) If at Mass you notice there were very few Hosts left to be put in the tabernacle, can you just go in the sacristy and grab some unconsecrated altar breads and then put them in the tabernacle after Mass? Or do you have to ask Fr. first....or is there a completely different answer? No, these are not "trick" questions. Can you add them to what's in the tabernacle before Mass?

3) Explain why it's a GOOD idea to "wish we could use individual paper cups for Communion like the protestants." [Yes, this is a trick question.]

4) If the priest tells you to not bother about chasing after people who don't put the Host in their mouths (or take it out, for that matter) do you ignore the priest and chase after the person, or do you do what Father says because "Father knows best."

5) IF you're assisting with the Communion Cup, discuss whether or not it's a good idea to leave the Precious Blood Unconsummed on the Credence table until after Mass.

6) A little refresher question for the deacons when you purify the chalice, do you:

a: brush the remains of the priest's Host off the paten with your thumb into the chalice, then hold your thumbs over the chalice, have the server pour the water over your thumbs into the chalice, drink the water (and crumbs from the Hosts) then dry your fingers, and then wipe out the chalice with the purificator

OR

b:
do you just wave the purificator around in the chalice to save time, omitting the other steps?

For extra credit, discuss how you would make sure there weren't a zillion crumbs from the Hosts left around in the ciboriums. For extra special credit discuss if you think it's a good idea for the priest to purify at least his own thumbs, paten and chalice himself - or at least use an ablution cup or SOMETHING rather than just put his own ciborium on the altar and then take a seat with no intervening steps.

I'm sure my gentle (and not so gentle) readers can think of other questions to add, but all of these questions would be on MY quiz, due to personal observation over the years interactions with EMs and a certain Deacon and a certain priest, all from real life situations in who would fail one or more of these questions.

Better yet, have a basic quiz designed by the Vatican, because doubtless, if SOME dioceses were left to it, they would come up with the WRONG answers as the "right" answers.

[BTW, don't go off on lack of training POST Vatican II -- as 4 of the 6 offenders are old enough to be old enough to know better....and yes, one was a deacon. There were some dumber than a post PRE-Vatican II folks too.]

Color me pissed off. And yes, Ive been saving this up. I can finally type "straight" after fuming over the incident which elicited question #3 this past Sunday.

The Sainted Msgr. S. Celebrated his 55th Anniversary Today

The Sainted Msgr. S. had celebrated his 55th Anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood today.


He will have his 81st Birthday this coming October. Until Last year when he was retired from being our beloved supply priest at our 5:15 Sunday Mass at my parish. A while back I had a more detailed post about him here (smiling!) I had assisted him at Sunday Mass since my own college days - more than 30 years ago myself. I was honored to be able to assist him at Mass again tonight.

He hates posing, but I "made" him before Mass tonight, which was in his home. Father is using a chalice he had made for when he was ordained. He has always used it at his daily Masses since he's been a priest.



There is a beautiful story about this chalice. He did not by any means come from a wealthy family. He'd wanted to be a priest from about age 12, and went in to the minor seminary about age 14-15. For years, the family of his aunt (who was his Godmother) had a big jar where the would add any spare pennies, nickels, and dimes for the him, so that he could have a nice chalice when he would be ordained. When he was in the major seminary, a priest he had for canon law and moral theology had been a priest in Lithuania - and that priest had a bejeweled chalice made in Germany - the jewels were THAT priest's way of getting money out of that Communist country!

Msgr. S. and a classmate of his, both got the name of the German man who'd made their professor's chalice. This German man was delighted to have the work, because in the early 50s Germans were very impoverished from the war and they had little income, and less chance to use such skills. So it was all hand crafted (there is a nice paten to go with it.) If you click on the photo you can get a large picture (or should be able to if I do this right!) Each little grape bunch is slightly different! And all along the rim of the base there are grains of wheat. Also where the fluted curved parts join each other at the base, there are very small "nails" to symbolize the nails on the Cross.

The chalice has a nice heft to it and excellent balance. I'm glad the photo came out clearly.

I've also had a picture taken of the antemension he uses for Mass. This should also enlarge if you click on it.


After Mass, Father and I went out for his favorite treat, Kentucky Fried Chicken! He was amused by my experiences with the Latin Mass - talking about what it was like "back in the day" -- and he also related how Bishop Buddy "of late and happy memory" ;-D could be a real....well, shall I say hard nosed individual to deal with. "Back in the day" (the 50s) everyone and his dog wanted to get into the SD diocese, so Bishop B. would get them to do extra work "as long as you're here I want you to go over to the Immaculata (big parish church on the campus of USD) or the Cathedral and sit in the confession box, [for hours back then!] you don't mind, do you Father?" Fr. Shipley would sometimes have to be the bearer of this particular news! Then he also had fun telling me about the one day the bishop consecrated ALL the altars in the Immaculata (there's a good 12 side altars in that one! plus the main one.

He also related a tip some of you priests may want to know [well, to be fair, maybe it only worked on that bishop.] If you LIKED where you were, you AVOIDED the bishop at all costs!!! If you were "Ready for a change" in that case you went to ALL the bishop's functions and schmoozed as much as possible. Not that you'd SAY anything, but it got the bishop's gears turning [there were a lot of new parishes going up in the diocese then[ and the bishop would say to himself "now THAT would be a good man for X."

Tomorrow when I have some time, I may get a chance to put up some audio of the Sainted Fr. S. which I had captured at Mass about 2 years ago. Thank Goodness the thought had occurred to me then "I've been assisting at this man's Mass for over 30 years and I don't have any audio!!" I think it should be preserved for posterity.

There are more articles featuring him if you click the tag "The Sainted Father S. -- one of which has a *bit* of a pic taken shortly after he was ordained - he vowed to kill me if I published the entire, as he calls it "Little Lord Fauntleroy" pic.)

Why it's Called a "Hail Mary Pass"

(snaps to Paul for inspiration, for the comment he made on my "Why no male virgins" blog post.)

re: God answering a prayer concerning football and a quarterback throwing up a desparate long bomb:

Left to His own devices, God was just going to say "Oh, HELL, no, let the chips fall where they may. You're not sucking me into this thing."

So that's why it's a "Hail Mary Pass" rather than an "Our Father Pass."

One can imagine the following conversation:

Mary: "Hey, the Steeler's quarterback would like a completion, DO something, Sonny!"

God: "no way"

MARY: "YES, WAY - It's CRITICAL."

God: "oh, all right, Mom, just as a thank you for not letting "dad" whale the tar out of me over that 'missing in Jerusalem' business."

Mary: Darn skippy, you owe me on that one BIG TIME, Mister. Besides, I got money on the Steelers this week.

God: You're GAMBLING again?

Mary: Pin money. Doesn't count. If you didn't like gambling, you should let Father O'Shaunessey run the bingo!

God: Got me there.

Mary: Holy YOU! I can't BELIEVE that guy called a Statue of Liberty play! Didja see that!

God: Yeah, that's why I made sure he got sacked!


You see it's a case of "God bending His will to a woman." [There was a point during Lent where somewhere it said something about "God not bending his will to man." In the EF form "vir" was used so that left an opening for the ladies! ;-D ]

How 0ero's stimulous package will "work"

Three contractors are bidding to fix a broken fence at the White House. One is from Chicago, another is from Tennessee, and the third is from Minnesota.

All three go with a White House official to examine the fence. The Minnesota contractor takes out a tape measure and does some measuring, then works some figures with a pencil. “Well,” he says, “I figure the job will run about $900: $400 for materials, $400 for my crew and $100 profit for me.”

The Tennessee contractor also does some measuring and figuring, then says, “I can do this job for $700: $300 for materials, $300 for my crew and $100 profit for me.”

The Chicago contractor doesn’t measure or figure, but leans over to the White House official and whispers, “$2,700.” The official, incredulous, says, “You didn’t even measure like the other guys! How did you come up with such a high figure?”

The Chicago contractor whispers back, “$1000 for me, $1000 for you, and we hire the guy from Tennessee to fix the fence.”

“Done!” replies the government official.

Now I know why Pro Aborts get a "Pass" from some clergy

If you wish to come off as "soft-on-the-fullness-of-faith" do the following:

1st: Be of an age where in your salad days the Kennedys were worshiped - especially so if of Irish heritage of the "the dearios can do no wrong" school - particularly if they belong to the democrat party.

2nd: Pretend not to be aware that when someone makes a factual "observation" it is not the same as "passing judgement."

3rd: Pretend the majority of the politicians in the Democrat party today are not in league with Satan.



Then be around to interrupt before the punch line that the following joke is "ethnic" and "republican" and shouldn't be told, then after punchline excoriate the teller for "passing judgement," and have a try at going into apoplexy.

Here's the shortened version (as I modified it slightly from the version I linked to a few blog entries ago. - Ironically I got the joke from a pastor emeritus with a sense of humor. )

"Dying priest wants to see Ted Kennedy and Nancy Pelosi. They come. He has them stand to the left and right of him. When they ask why he wanted to see them he tells them he wanted to go out similar to Jesus, between a thief and a murderer."

Now, I don't know about YOU, but frankly, a spade is a spade is a spade. It was said as a joke, and this priest thought I was passing final judgement on dear old Teddy. First he tried to claim it was "ethnic" then a "republican joke" [do we not still have 1st Amendment rights?] then I was "passing judgement, and X [the absent priest] would have yelled at you too."

I guess that explains why I've seen a few Obama stickers in the church parking lot. If you're afraid to "pass judgement" on Catholic politicos who do wrong you can run the risk and end up being *perceived* as not teaching the fullness of the faith, regardless of if you believe in the fullness of faith or not, IMO.

I don't know about you, but if I drove off a bridge with someone, and I didn't bother to tell the authorities, and that person later suffocated to death -- not DROWNED -- but suffocated to death, when they most likely would have lived if someone wasn't trying to save his own political skin, then I call that person a murderer. [Didn't even go into the number of deaths Teddy is complicit in due to his abortion voting record at that point.] Did I say dear old Teddy is going to hell? No, how do I know? I'm not ascribing clairvoyance to myself. Teddy may [pigs have flown before I've heard] recant all his sins on his death bed, it's possible. He may go to heaven, if he repents his sins and means it.

But I can still safely say he's been complicit in murder. Just like if I stole from a bank, I'd still be a "Bank robber" regardless if I repent eventually, or not. It's called a statement of fact. You're not "passing judgement" on me for making a statement like that. You would be if you said "Karen was a bank robber and will therefore will automatically go to hell." [Although, I think you can say "Karen was a bank robber and will therefore go to hell if she knew what she was doing and doesn't repent."]

If you're of a mindset, when you don't care to call people to task on proven fact, then you give people the idea that it's really of no consequence. Just like dear old Teddykins voted time and again to support the slaughter of the innocent, why "who are we to pass judgement." Teddy and Caroline and all of them can profess support for abortion, and keep trotting right on up for Communion and the faithful aren't supposed to be scandalised because "who are we to pass judgement." Yep. Put the blinders out. Pretend not to notice all the so called Catholic support for dirtbags like Ted Kennedy, and Obama, then wonder why portions of the flock don't seem to give a damn about whether millions of babies get killed or not. "oh, Teddy and the dearios, not to worry, sweetie, we don't hear Father X complain about him, do we?"

How come the Church doesn't honor male saints as Virgins?

To look at the Mass ordos and liturgies I guess it must just be a woman thang. [Now, I know, that in theory, single men are supposed to remain virgins as are single women. But it's a little telling isn't it, that in TWO THOUSAND YEARS OF CHURCH HISTORY, there are no guy virgins honored as such.] There is no guy, for instance honored as "virgin and martyr" etc.

Whassupwiddat? Been wondering about that one for years.

Around the Mulberry Bush with Mary

Sorta. I am beginning to appreciate that my own generation was not the only "jacked around one." I went down today to St. Anne's. Nice Holy Hour, Benediction, Mass, and Rosary and prayers for the 1st Saturday. Bits from 1920, bits from 1942, bits from '62, and a bit for the Feria of the day (St. Athanasius.)

The ordo on line wouldn't have helped, particularly. I think whomever jacked around with this stuff must have had shares in the printing companies that had the rights to publish at the time. Cynical? Moi? :-D

I didn't know the Immaculate Heart of Mary Mass was only made a universal in '42. Whatever. :-D It wasn't *quite* what it was (I think!) in 1920. I had it all marked out to follow the "Missae de sancta Maria in Sabbato" in "Tempore Paschali" Which wasn't quite right. (The Latin book I have is from the 20s. Close, but no cigar.]

I quickly grabbed the 1948 Mass which did have a Mass for the Immaculate Heart of Mary -- which irritatingly doesn't have the Epistle or Gospel in Latin. But I knew the Gospel was same in '62 as in the 20s. I'm not so sure about the Epistle though!

But I don't feel too bad. I'm pretty sure Father started to say the Gradual instead of the Greater Alleluia. He caught it and corrected. Unless going to the EF is giving me auditory hallucinations. Whatever. I didn't ask afterwards. Father had bigtime box office business in the confessional after Mass. Must be a good confessor. [No, I don't know. I usually go to complete strangers for confession! Easier for me to dump that way.]

[Uh, Fr. Gismondi, if you run across this, could you, like, maybe, when you put the bulletin together, just note the Epistle and Gospel readings to be done in the bulletin, as an extra clue? I knew it was going to be for the BVM today, but not the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Commems. didn't throw me. TLM pulls that often enough for even me to get that.]