Amy and My Books Make Great Christmas Gifts

From Amy:

I've redone and updated our bookstore, and have rashly included a new special offer:

All 15 titles in the bookstore for $150.00, shipping included. I thought that some of you might want to make a gift to your parish library or local Newman Center (well, the later sans the children's saints' books, but you surely have some worthy child in your life who could use those)

Go here for the goods.

Why Catholics Give

I'm tired of hearing the oft repeated refrain that we Catholics have something to learn about giving from our non-Catholic friends.

 

Take a look around you, in your city or town and take a good look at all those large Catholic buildings...churches, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, seminaries, religious houses...how did they ever get built?

 

From the generous giving of Catholics.

 

Now, take another look. How have they been used? Is the giving that built them dried up because many of those who were given so much have taken what was given and tried to go "professional" and make a "profit"? One is likely to take a walk (if they live in the Northern U.S.) among the ruins of Catholicism...abandoned orphanages, closed seminaries, closed religious houses, sacred buildings that now serve as a restaraunt mocking the former building's occupants by having waitresses walk around in short modified friar's habits.

 

Another meaning of the parable we heard yesterday might be to see the distributor of the cash as the laity and the servants as the servant leaders of the church. What have they done with what has been given? How have they used it?

 

I still find Catholics to be the most generous givers out there, those who find Catholics aren't giving to their particular church or ministry might want to ask themselves why these generous givers aren't choosing to give to them.

Families of Murdered Men to Hold News Conference at Bishop's Conference

Not even a note from the Bishop?

 

From the Hudson Star Tribunne:

 

"We haven't had a card, a note, a phone call from our own bishop, so we have to try to get their attention another way," said Tom O'Connell. His son, Dan, and intern James Ellison were shot and killed on Feb. 5, 2003, at the O'Connell funeral home in Hudson.

The Rev. Ryan Erickson, a priest in Hudson at the time, probably killed the men because O'Connell was about to confront the priest over allegations that he sexually abused a teenage boy, a judge ruled last month. Erickson, who had been moved twice by his bishop after the killings, hanged himself last December.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops opens its annual fall meeting in Washington today. Most of the sessions are closed to the public.

"They have their charter saying they will protect young people from abuse, but what are they doing?" Tom O'Connell said Sunday.

At their news conference in Washington, 10 members of the two families will ask that each bishop disclose far more information about alleged abusers and their misdeeds, publicly acknowledge their mistakes, meet with abuse victims and support laws in every state to lift criminal and civil statutes of limitations in child sex-abuse cases.

"They won't talk with us privately," said O'Connell, who with the Ellisons has asked to meet with Pope Benedict on the issues. "Maybe we can get their attention by speaking publicly."

Rochester Bishop Addresses Homosexual Issue

Bishop Matthew Clark to Homosexual Priests and Future Priests:
 

* homosexual priests who spend themselves each day in faithful, loving ministry to God's holy people. We deeply value your ministry.

* to gay young men who are considering a vocation to priesthood. We try to treat all inquiries fairly. You will be no exception.

* to all who may have been confused or misled by premature and narrow reporting of the visitation and rumored document. It is always better to deal with fact than with rumor and half-truths.

 

Daddy Gator has Burn't Down the House he Built

From Mike Bianchi in the Orlando Sentinel:

How does it feel, Gators?

How does it feel to be Ray Goff?

How does it feel to be Phil Fulmer?

How does it feel to be Peyton Manning?

How does it feel to be Curley Hallman, Bill Curry, Brad Scott and Gerry DiNardo?

Now the Florida Gators are just like every other coach, player and program that has felt the guile and style of Stephen Orr Spurrier. Now, he has ruined their season, too, just like he has ruined so many seasons for Southeastern Conference teams from the Louisiana lowlands to the summit of Rocky Top.

Except this one is the rockiest of bottoms. This one hurts most of all because it was Spurrier, the ultimate Gator, tearing apart the very program he put together. This was college football fratricide.

Daddy just burned down the family house...

...And now the inevitable comparisons begin. Zook's UF team threw six touchdown passes and beat South Carolina 48-14 last year. The last Spurrier-coached Florida team beat South Carolina 54-17. And the first time Meyer plays here, the Gamecocks turn the Gators into chicken feed.

I guess this Spurrier guy can still coach a little, huh? Don't look now, but Spurrier still has never lost a Florida-South Carolina game. In fact, he led the Gamecocks to their first win over the Gators since 1939. That's when Lou Gehrig made his famous farewell speech at Yankee Stadium and told the world, "I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth."

From the look of giddy pleasure on his face, Spurrier might have argued that point Saturday.

"I feel so fortunate to be coaching this team," he said. "This is neat. We're defying logic. I knew we had a chance to make history here, I just didn't know we would be making it so fast."

Two weeks ago, the Gamecocks won at Tennessee for the first time ever. And now they've scored more points than they ever have against Florida and defeated the Gators for the first time in 66 years.

Ah, 1939 -- the same year The Wizard of Oz came out.

It only seems fitting, because Urban Meyer is quickly finding out that, "Toto, I don't think we're in Utah anymore."

Meanwhile, the ol' ballcoach is taking South Carolina on a wild and wondrous journey somewhere over the rainbow.

And they would have won the SEC East had they won...

Hard to be impressed with Urban Meyer's first year as the UF head coach. He has taken a team loaded with talent and managed to squeak wins out against Vanderbilt and other lesser talented teams, while at the same time losing to the likes of South Carolina.

Spurrier who could have been coaching the Gators if he hadn't been asked to particpate in interviews like the other candidates (were there ever any other candidates besides Meyer?)...has taken a team with no talent and beat the likes of Florida, Tennesee and came close to beating Georgia.

Why would anyone think that the genius who hired Ron Zook to replace Spurrier in the first place would do any better the second time around--even when given the opportunity to hire Mr. Gator back again?

By the way the USF Bulls are on track to be in the BCS this year...while two of the big three won't be...

Will Ban, Won't

Italian Press reports new document will ban "practicing" homosexuals (I might add that this says absolutely nothing, since practing heterosexuals also are banned from being ordained celibate priests).

 

From ABC News:

 

The Church cannot admit to the priesthood those who practice homosexuality, have deeply rooted homosexual tendencies or those who support the so-called 'gay culture,"' the newspaper quoted the document as saying.

In recent months there have been numerous leaks about the contents of the document but Il Giornale's report by its respected religious affairs correspondent Andrea Tornielli appeared to be the first with direct quotes.