Vacations 2010

Well, over the summer we made a whirlwind tour of Chicago and Washington DC within the same month which was quite exhilarating and exhausting.
Our first stop was "the land of many windmills"...
no, not Holland, but Illinois.
I don't know the whole story on these since we were just passing through, but I guess these are wind powered generators. They went on for miles and miles. It was quite the site.


While in Chicago, we did the many things most people do, but we also like to visit some Holy places to keep things in perspective. The first place we visited was the Saint Jude Shrine.
Other than the "electric candles" this house of worship was awesome. There were a few relics, most importantly a bone of Saint Jude.



Next, we went to the National Shrine of St. Therese. What a wonderful place, with many relics of The Little Flower.
It was also cool to see many pictures of her in her youth as well as her monastic days. The pictures helped bring the realism of the Saint to my mind. A lot of times I believe, many people (especially non-Catholics) think of saints as "folk heros" such as Paul Bunyan or someone not real.
The Saints are definitely real and this special place brings at least one Saint face to face with the unbelieving world.
Many relics of Saint Therese are housed here.


These are just a couple of examples.

....and what trip to Chicago would be complete without a "Chicago style pizza"?

A couple of weeks after Chicago, we visited Washington DC thanks to a generous offer of a free stay at TCU (Catholic University) from a friend of ours who is studying for the Priesthood. I had some reservations about going to DC while America had some of the worst politicians ever elected in power, we went anyway.

Other than one of the ladies in the red jackets at the state capitol, we did not have any issues with the people of the city.

This lady obviously had some issues with children, which as my wife mentioned, could possibly have been a sign that she either had an abortion or at least was pro-choice. (Oh yea, we had our pro-life attire on;)


We made a stay-over in Virginia to visit Seton Home School headquarters, and Christendom College. We had a wonderful time at Seton visiting and talking with the wonderful people there.

Chapel at Christendom College where we went to morning Mass.

............back to DC.......

Of course, we seen all the normal sights, which were magnificent. Some of the structures had large concrete columns and they all had strong foundations. I don't just mean stone foundations; I mean foundations in God. There were references to God everywhere. Our founding fathers were rooted in their faith in God and it is evident everywhere except in the current administration...but that's a rant for another day.

It is hard to believe that a town with this kind of beauty and history can sometimes be so corrupt and Godless.

Probably our favorite place we visited was The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception which was right across the road from where we stayed.

Here's a view from where we were

staying. AWESOME!

The upper church














There are many different and beautiful alters and murals throughout the shrine.

I believe they said there were over 100 different alters throughout the Basilica.

We also visited the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America.

Another awesome place to visit!

Definitely do the tour of the Church and Catacombs if you go.








On our way out of town we stopped by the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center .

There are many different exhibits and interesting photos to see.

It looked like there was a lot of hands on stuff that was either closed or still under construction.

I understand that The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist are set

to buy the Center for their growing community.





Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI

giving Holy Communion to Pope John Paul II who was Pope at the time.

Wooden replica of Jerusalem

Remember while you are on vacation never forget about God. Sundays (or Saturday) are still Holy Days even when you are away from your parish. It is still a mortal sin to miss Mass if you are able; you can usually find a Mass somewhere even if you have to drive many miles to get to it.

And always take the time for pilgrimages to Catholic sights and places of worship that are on the way or in the area where you are going. It can be a such a Blessing.

Archbishop Nienstedt Denies Communion To Same-Sex ‘Marriage’ Advocates

I believe Pope Benedict's words "It is important to recognize dissent for what it is, and not to mistake it for a mature contribution to a balanced and wide-ranging debate" ring in the ears of the faithful when they read this kind of garbage. (Read story below)

I cannot understand why people that oppose Catholic teachings continue to stay in the Church. Not that I want anyone to leave the Church, but if you don't yet understand why the Church teaches what it does, then find out!

If you still don't understand, continue to pray and ask for the graces to understand....but DO NOT STAND PUBLICLY IN OPPOSITION TO CHURCH TEACHINGS and expect to have the sacraments available to you.

Would you go to a Dodgers game wearing a Yankee's hat and shirt and shout GO DODGERS!!!!??? Kinda silly I know, but I think you get the point.

The Catholic Church is under attack from inside, whether people purposely came into the Church to try and destroy Her or whether people are just losing the battle for their souls and giving into Satan's lies and
moral relativism.
The Church has had the same teachings for 2000 years and it isn't going to change now.

These people are dissenters and they need to step back and learn their faith and open their hearts and mind to the Lord....and stop receiving Communion unworthily.

Let us pray for them. Let us Pray for Archbishop Nienstedt. Let us pray for all our Bishops, Priests and of course our Holy Father Pope Benedict.


By KATHLEEN GILBERT
Sunday, October 10, 2010

ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Archbishop of St. Paul-Minneapolis has denied communion to members of a group that included three nuns and a priest, who wore symbols expressing their opposition to Catholic Church teaching on marriage and homosexuality.The group expressed frustration after Archbishop John C. Nienstedt withheld the sacrament from them because they wore rainbow buttons and sashes signaling their support for same-sex “marriage” and homosexuality. The archbishop, who was celebrating his first student Mass at St. John’s on September 26, instead gave a blessing to members of the group, which included students from St. John’s University and the College of St. Benedict, as well as three nuns and a priest. Rainbow Sash Movement leader Brian McNeil said the group acted independently of his organization.Elizabeth Gleich, a St. Benedict sophomore and board member of People Representing the Sexual Minority (PRiSM), said that her group had intended to “make a statement” against the archbishop’s support for traditional marriage. She criticized Abp Nienstedt for “mak[ing] these extreme statements” by denying the group communion. Ms. Gleich, who was wearing a sash, was given communion in another line at the same liturgy.Another PRiSM member, Ana Seivert, complained in a Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) report that the archbishop’s action was “political.” “We weren’t the ones who made it political,” she said. “Once the archbishop denied communion, he made it political.”
Archdiocese spokesman Dennis McGrath said the church has told the Rainbow Sash Movement “for years” that members “cannot receive communion if you wear the rainbow sash, because it’s a political statement, a sign of protest,” according to the Star Tribune. “Going to the communion rail is the most sacred part of our faith, the Eucharist. We don’t allow anybody to make political statements or any kind of protest.”“It’s a symbol of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) movement en masse, and it was intended as a protest,” Mr. McGrath told MPR. “It was pretty obvious.”Rev. Rene McGraw, a philosophy professor at St. John’s, said that he celebrated a small Mass later that evening and gave all the members of the group communion. “My understanding of church law is that one is not to deny communion to anyone unless he or she is a public sinner, and that has traditionally been interpreted very narrowly,” said Mr. McGraw, according to the AP. “My instinct was these are people who were in need, I’m supportive of them, therefore, I’m happy to say mass for them.”However, the Vatican has confirmed that Rainbow Sashers cannot receive communion while publicly standing in opposition to Church teaching on sexuality, as stated by Cardinal Francis Arinze, the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, in 2005.Cardinal Francis George, head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, wrote in 2004 that: “The policy of the U.S. Bishops’ conference, a policy I did not invent, was to refuse Communion to anyone who used its reception as an occasion to protest against the Church’s teaching.”St. Paul-Minneapolis Archbishop Emeritus Harry Flynn, prior to his retirement, had been singled out for praise from the Rainbow Sash Movement for welcoming members to communion in his diocese. Abp Nienstedt succeeded Abp Flynn upon the latter’s retirement on May 2, 2008.Rainbow Sash wearers have successfully approached the rail in other areas, most notably the dioceses of Rochester, N. Y., Los Angeles, Calif., and Detroit, Mich. The organization usually gears up every year on the Catholic holy day of Pentecost to launch a coordinated effort to receive communion while wearing the sashes, and have even been known to snatch the host and distribute it to members when ministers were reluctant.Patrick Reilly of the Cardinal Newman Society, a Catholic college watchdog group, criticized the schools for failing to stand in solidarity with the archbishop.“As long as the University sponsors a club that blatantly opposes Catholic teaching with events like ‘Freedom to Marry Day,’ I can only foresee more embarrassing and scandalous situations like this arising,” Reilly told LifeSiteNews.“This is an opportunity for University leaders to explain Catholic teaching, clarify the institution’s Catholic identity, and act in communion with the archbishop. To remain silent would seem to condone the students’ actions.Minnesota’s bishops revealed last month that they would be mailing hundreds of thousands of DVDs to Catholics in the state explaining the Church’s position against gay “marriage,” and urging them to support candidates who favor protecting traditional marriage.
LifeSiteNews

Even the blind, liberal media seen through this ONE

Nothing says, "Wipe out AIDS and poverty" like Band-Aids and a black-and-white cookie.

That's what Bono's $15 million nonprofit the ONE Campaign -- which gives only a pittance of proceeds to its hunger and health causes -- bombarded New York newsrooms with last week to get press for its push for billions in African AIDS funding from President Obama.
The items were part of a pricey pile of puzzling loot, which also included a $15 bag of Starbucks coffee, a $15 Moleskine leather notebook, a $20 water bottle and a plastic ruler.
The stash came in four, oversized shoe boxes, delivered one at a time via expensive messenger. The boxes were timed to arrive for the UN "Summit on the Millennium Development Goals," which kicks off in Manhattan today.
Caitlin Thorne Hersey ONE' BIG WASTE: Bono's ONE Campaign blew cash on cookies, water, rulers, leather notebooks, coffee, Band-Aids and pens for media mailings.
Kimberly Hunter, spokeswoman for DC-based ONE, declined to say how much money the organization shelled out for the publicity blitz.
"Sometimes it's pretty hard to get through to reporters with the information about the lives of the world's poorest people," Hunter said. "We think it's important enough to try and break through the clutter . . . That's why we sent the boxes."
The boxes included a small tin of Band-Aids and two syringe-style pens -- along with a pitch challenging Obama to fork over $6 billion to the UN's Swiss-based Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa.
Caitlin Thorne Hersey;
Another container held the oversized cookie and water bottle in an odd pitch for funds for clean water and "sustainable sources of food."
Poverty-stricken African kids live on less than $1.25 a day -- "about the cost of the cookie in this box," ONE contended.
The leather-bound journal and ruler urged education funding in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Starbucks brew -- made with Ethiopian beans -- came with a suggestion to drum up support for investing in African agriculture.
Charity watchdog Daniel Borochoff of the American Institute of Philanthropy in Chicago called the p.r. move a "risk."
"There could be recipients -- or donors -- who might think that the money they spent could have instead been donated to help their cause," he said.
Hunter countered that ONE "does advocacy work, not charity work." Caitlin Thorne Hersey
ONE gives only a pittance in direct charitable support to its causes -- something Borochoff said the average donor might not realize.
The Bono nonprofit took in $14,993,873 in public donations in 2008, the latest year for which tax records are available.
Of that, $184,732 was distributed to three charities, according to the IRS filing.
Meanwhile, more than $8 million was spent on executive and employee salaries.
jeane.macintosh@nypost.com