Archdiocese of Detroit Ordinations

This weekend the Archdiocese of Detroit will ordain 3 men to the Holy Priesthood. One of these men is Deacon Don Lacuesta, who is from Ss. Cyril and Methodius Parish, as well as a classmate of mine......well at least for one class in the winter. Make sure to spend some time this weekend in prayer, asking our Lord to protect these men as they begin to minister to the people of the Archdiocese of Detroit. They have devoted their lives to serving Jesus Christ and His Church, the least we could do is to interceed for them through our prayers.

Cardinal Maida will ordain these men on Saturday June 3rd at 10AM at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

Most gracious Heavenly Father,
We thank you for our for our faithful priests and bishops, whose spiritual fatherhood and example of fidelity, self-sacrifice, and devotion is so vital to the faith of your people.
May our spiritual fathers be guided by the examples of Saints Peter and Paul, all the Apostles and their saintly successors. Give them valiant faith in the face of confusion and conflict, hope in time of trouble and sorrow, and steadfast love for you, for their families, and for all your people throughout the world. May the light of your Truth shine through their lives and their good works.
Assist all spiritual fathers, that through your Grace they may steadily grow in holiness and in knowledge and understanding of your Truth. May they generously impart this knowledge to those who rely on them.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Remarkable Picture

This picture was taken on Sunday during Pope Benedict's visit to Birkenau Nazi death camp in Oswiecim, Poland. This was one of the last stops during the Holy Father's trip to Poland.

The Dark Side of the World Cup

Many World Cup Prostitutes Coerced, Says Caritas

VATICAN CITY, MAY 25, 2006 (Zenit.org).-

Many of the 40,000 prostitutes arriving to Germany in the next 17 days to "service" World Cup fans will be there against their will, says Caritas Internationalis. "This may be the world's oldest profession, but that's because the vulnerability of women throughout the ages in many ways has not changed," said Duncan MacLaren, secretary-general of Caritas Internationalis. "Many women will say this is the life they chose, but economic desperation or the breakdown in social structures that constrain women into prostitution doesn't leave them many options," he continued.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has announced it fears that between 30,000 and 60,000 women and girls will fall victim to forced prostitution and abuse during the World Cup.Prostitution was legalized in Germany in 2002.The sex industry has prepared for the expected influx of 3 million soccer fans by constructing mega-brothels and "sex shacks," with private parking, showers and the promise to maintain clients' privacy.

"Football fans should not tarnish the name of the 'beautiful game' by exploiting fellow human beings," MacLaren said. "We encourage all people of good will to raise their voice against an evil trade that treats women as things."

Trashing the Christ

NBC, ABC, CBS PROMOTE ‘DA VINCI CODE’ BUT TRASHED ‘THE PASSION’

Alexandria, VA—The Media Research Center will release this afternoon a new study, The Trashing of the Christ, which documents the contrasting coverage the networks – ABC, CBS, and NBC – have provided The Da Vinci Code movie and that given to The Passion of the Christ movie. The contrast is stark: hostility to The Passion and gleeful promotion of The Da Vinci Code. Some of the study’s findings include:

The networks gave The Da Vinci Code more of a publicity push than The Passion and any other recently released movie.

The Passion was treated as a social problem – the biggest TV anti-Semitism story of that year – while The Da Vinci Code was presented often as an “intriguing” theory rather than threatening or offensive to Christians.

In their push to promote The Da Vinci Code, the networks routinely failed to address how the book most offended Christian sensitivities: that Christianity itself is a lie.

While Mel Gibson was attacked for his religious beliefs, Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown and filmmakers Ron Howard and Brian Grazer were never personally examined or challenged about their personal religious beliefs, their willingness to milk controversy, play fast and loose with facts, and offend Christians for personal gain.

“The networks did nearly everything they could to trash The Passion and its traditional portrayal of Christ and the crucifixion,” said MRC President Brent Bozell. “The same networks, however, have bent over backwards to promote and applaud the viciously anti-Christian bigotry presented in the Da Vinci Code book and movie. When it comes to trashing Christ and Christians, the networks are all for it.”
See full report PDF Version

The full report goes on to mention that NBC provided 38 pre-release stories on the Da Vinci Code, most notably on their morning "Today" program. This was more than ABC and CBS combined. Yet, when the "Passion" was being released, NBC was far behind ABC and CBS in terms of covering that film. Hmmm.........agenda?

The Pope in Poland!

The Holy Father is currenly in Poland. To learn more about his trip, goto www.ewtn.com or www.vatican.va.

Student preaches morality to grads

© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com
Ben Kessler (Minneapolis Star Tribune)A university honor student who called his fellow seniors "selfish" during a politically charged commencement speech issued an apology for causing offense.

Ben Kessler, an academic All-America football player at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., scolded students for using birth control, criticized a recent food fight and backed the Catholic school's policy of barring unmarried faculty and staff in romantic relationships from rooming together on school trips that include students, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.
Graduating senior Daphne Ho told the paper Kessler then "got into other failures of society, and one of my classmates next to me stood up and left."

A number of other students walked out as Kessler, who plans to become a priest, was showered with boos and heckling during the 15-minute speech, attended by more than 900 graduates, Archbishop Harry Flynn and other dignitaries.

Some students cried and other yelled to get Kessler off the stage, the Star Tribune said.
Kessler, 21, said he intended in his speech to look back and forward at some of the issues confronting the university and society.

"Instead of providing hope for all, I offended some by my words," Kessler said in a statement released by the university. "I sincerely apologize to each person I offended."
Kessler – selected to speak by a vote of students, staff and faculty – graduated with a 4.0 grade point average, majoring in philosophy and business.

Senior Chris Kearney said Kessler "started out pretty well and then, out of nowhere, comes these bombshells about things he'd seen that irritated him."
"The heart of the speech was about making selfish decisions, so when I went up to get my diploma afterwards, I told him he made some good points about being selfish – and he's the man that was selfish enough to ruin hundreds of people's graduations," Kearney told the Star Tribune.

When the birth control issue came up, dozens of students started walking out, said Brandon Mileski, a 2002 St. Thomas graduate who watched his girlfriend receive her diploma.
At one point, Mileski said, "I thought a riot would break out. I give him credit because he kept on going when everyone started booing and heckling."

When Kessler talked about the meaning of true happiness, someone stood up and screamed, "I'll be happy when your speech in done!" according to Mileski

St. Thomas' president, Rev. Dennis Dease, said he has accepted Kessler's apology and regrets people were offended.

"I have shared my sentiments with Mr. Kessler that it was not appropriate for him to use the commencement exercise as a venue to express his opinions on several issues," Dease said.
But Dease said it's also important "to treat one another with respect as we speak and as we listen, regardless of how controversial an issue may be."

St. Thomas spokesman Doug Hennes said the administration hasn't cleared speeches ahead of time because it's never been an issue. The Tommie of the Year usually congratulates the seniors and wishes them well.

Although the timing of this speech is perhaps questionable, I cannot commend this guy enough. Reminds me a bit of St. Paul when he is preaching to the Athenians. We are certainly in need of more men and women that are as courageous as Mr. Kessler. Sounds like he is going to be top-notch priest!

Reviews of Duh Vinci Code

Here is a small sampling of reviews about this film:

"..it's not very good...long (2hr.32min) and mostly inert." --Richard Corliss (Time Magazine)

"Retarded, ridiculous, and crushingly dull." -- Devin Farachi (CHUD)

"The most controversial thriller of the year turns out to be as exciting as watching your parents play Soduku." -- Ann Hornaday (Washington Post)

For a wonderful critique by a Catholic film critic go to www.decentfilms.com.

Another Reason Why Ignorance of Our Faith Is Unacceptable

Reading "Da Vinci Code" does alter beliefs: survey

By Paul Majendie
LONDON (Reuters) - "The Da Vinci Code" has undermined faith in the Roman Catholic Church and badly damaged its credibility, a survey of British readers of Dan Brown's bestseller showed on Tuesday.

People are now twice as likely to believe Jesus Christ fathered children after reading the Dan Brown blockbuster and four times as likely to think the conservative Catholic group Opus Dei is a murderous sect.

"An alarming number of people take its spurious claims very seriously indeed," said Austin Ivereigh, press secretary to Britain's top Catholic prelate Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor.
"Our poll shows that for many, many people the Da Vinci Code is not just entertainment," Ivereigh added.

He heads a prominent group of English Roman Catholic monks, theologians, nuns and members of Opus Dei, who commissioned the survey from leading pollster Opinion Research Business (ORB) and have sought to promote Catholic beliefs at a time when the film's release has provoked a storm of controversy.
ORB interviewed more than 1,000 adults last weekend, finding that 60 percent believed Jesus had children by Mary Magdalene -- a possibility raised by the book -- compared with just 30 percent of those who had not read the book.

The English group demanded that the "Da Vinci Code" movie, being given its world premiere at the Cannes Film festival on Wednesday, should carry a "health warning".
The group, which stopped short of following the Vatican line of calling on Catholics to boycott the film, accused Brown of dishonest marketing based on peddling fiction as fact. Continued...

Pope Excommunicates 4 Chinese Bishops

BEIJING, China (AP) -- The Vatican has excommunicated two bishops ordained by China's state-approved Catholic church, as well as the two bishops who presided over the ceremony without Vatican consent.

In a statement, Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said on Thursday the Roman Catholic Church's canon law states that in such a case excommunication is automatic.
Earlier the Vatican strongly criticized the ordination of the bishops, saying they represented a "grave violation of religious freedom" and hindered dialogue between the Vatican and Beijing.
A statement Thursday from the Vatican spokesman said Pope Benedict XVI was deeply saddened at the news of the ordinations, which took place without Vatican approval. It called on Chinese authorities to prevent any such moves in the future -- noting they lead to excommunication.

"The Holy Father learned of the news with great sadness," Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said in the statement. "It is a great wound to the unity of the Church."
On Wednesday, the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association ordained Liu Xinhong as bishop at the city of Wuhu's St. Joseph's Church in the eastern province of Anhui.
It was the second ordination in three days without the consent of the Vatican, which traditionally appoints its own bishops. On Sunday, China's official church ordained Ma Yinglin as a bishop in the southwestern province of Yunnan.

For the rest of the story goto: http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/05/04/china.vatican.ap/index.html

Feast of St. Philip and St. James "the Less"

St. Philip
Philip was born in Bethsaida, Galilee. He may have been a disciple of John the Baptist and is mentioned as one of the Apostles in the lists of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and in Acts. Aside from the lists, he is mentioned only in John in the New Testament. He was called by Jesus Himself and brought Nathanael to Christ. Philip was present at the miracle of the loaves and fishes, when he engaged in a brief dialogue with the Lord, and was the Apostle approached by the Hellenistic Jews from Bethsaida to introduce them to Jesus. Just before the Passion, Jesus answered Philip's query to show them the Father, but no further mention of Philip is made in the New Testament beyond his listing among the Apostles awaiting the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room. According to tradition he preached in Greece and was crucified upside down at Hierapolis under Emperor Domitian.

St. James "the Less"
Apostle called “the Younger” or “the Just,” named in the lists of the disciples given by Matthew, Mark, and Luke and mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. He was the son of Alpheus and was known as “the Less” merely as a means of distin­guishing him from James the Greater who was older or taller. He became the bishop of Jerusalem and is considered the author of the Epistle that bears his name. In liturgical art, he is depicted holding a book or a club. He shares the same feast day as St. Philip.

St. Athanasius!

A Champion of the Faith!

Feastday: May 2

St. Athanasius, the great champion of the Faith was born at Alexandria, about the year 296, of Christian parents. Educated under the eye of Alexander, later Bishop of his native city, he made great progress in learning and virtue. In 313, Alexander succeeded Achillas in the Patriarchal See, and two years later St. Athanasius went to the desert to spend some time in retreat with St. Anthony.

In 319, he became a deacon, and even in this capacity he was called upon to take an active part against the rising heresy of Arius, an ambitious priest of the Alexandrian Church who denied the Divinity of Christ. This was to be the life struggle of St. Athanasius.

In 325, he assisted his Bishop at the Council of Nicaea, where his influence began to be felt. Five months later Alexander died. On his death bed he recommended St. Athanasius as his successor. In consequence of this, Athanasius was unanimously elected Patriarch in 326.
His refusal to tolerate the Arian heresy was the cause of many trials and persecutions for St. Athanasius. He spent seventeen of the forty-six years of his episcopate in exile. After a life of virtue and suffering, this intrepid champion of the Catholic Faith, the greatest man of his time, died in peace on May 2, 373.

St. Athanasius was a Bishop and Doctor of the Church.