The Areopagus 11-25-08
posted by Phil Lawson
11-25-08
Much has been made, and will continue to be made, about the US Bishops speaking out forcefully on the issue of Life, especially with regards to abortion and embryonic stem cell research. I don’t imagine this advocacy will cease with the conclusion of the presidential election. In fact, judging from the comments made at the Annual Fall Bishop’s meeting this week, they’ll continue to speak out forcefully.
Archbishop Chaput of the Archdiocese of Denver has been one of the more eloquent and vocal champions in the defense of life and the role that faith should play in public and political discussions. He authored a splendid book, “Render Unto Ceasar: Serving the Nation by Living Our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life” Published by Doubleday, 2008. The book lays out the historical role Catholics have played in the development of this country. In essence, he argues that the more we love and serve God in light of our Catholic faith, the more faithfully and fruitfully we love and serve our country.
It’s a book well-worth reading. One of my favorite quotes/stories is the following:
“We can take a lesson from the early church. The emperor Valens ruled the eastern half of the Roman Empire in the AD 360s. He was a brutal man at a time of bitter political and religious turmoil, and he sought to destroy the orthodox faith in Christ. Saint Basil the Great, then the bishop of Caesarea, confronted him face-to-face about his policies. ‘Never has anyone dared to speak to me with such freedom,’ Valens said. Basil replied, ‘Obviously you have never met a bishop before.’” –p. 189 Render Unto Caesar
Here’s guessing you won’t be hearing silence from our Catholic leaders in the foreseeable future as long as there are moral issues that need to be addressed.
One final side note—it’s striking how the same people who chastise the bishops for speaking out on abortion tend to be the same ones who castigate the church for failing to speak out loudly enough against Hitler and the holocaust. You can’t have it both ways.
Phil’s Tidbits:
The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist in Ann Arbor, MI http://www.sistersofmary.org/ recently held their discernment retreat for young women. They were expecting 130 young ladies. (No that’s not a typo). They hold these retreats about 3 times a year and always have a tremendous response. While numbers alone are not a guarantor of God’s blessing and being in harmony with His Will—the fruits in this case are certainly telling. “For you shall know them by their fruits…”
An increasing number of parents, my wife and I included, have expressed discomfort with the origins of a number of the childhood vaccines on the market. In many cases, the vaccines were created using cells from aborted babies. Hence, this is a very fruitful development!
New Biotech Firm Will Focus on Making Vaccines not Tainted by Abortion Available to the Public
WASHINGTON, November 11, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Sound Choice Pharmaceutical Institute (SCPI), a pro-life public educational organization encouraging safe and moral medicines and therapeutics, has given backing to a new biotech firm which will be providing vaccines to the public which have not been tainted by abortion.
SCPI has announced their first successful support for a new biotech firm - AVM Biotechnology. AVM has a new vaccines division that will be importing safe and effective vaccines for those who, for philosophical or moral reasoning, are opposed to the vaccines that are tainted with human DNA contaminants.
AVM Biotechnology has added the vaccine division in addition to their regenerative medicine and human therapeutics division in response to the request from numerous parents and grandparents who have chosen not to vaccinate until moral and ethical vaccines are available.
Debi Vinnedge, Executive Director of Children of God for Life - a pro-life organization which has focused on the vaccine issue – said of the effort to produce ethic vaccines: "Sound Choice Pharmaceutical Institute is a light at the end of a very long, dark tunnel for thousands of parents who want to protect their children and communities - but are concerned about the moral implications for that choice. If we have an ethical alternative - and with the support of SCPI and AVM Biotechnology we hope to have that in the coming months - we can comply with vaccination recommendations from the American Pediatric Association and still comply with our faith."
According to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data, as many as 10% of United States children are not fully immunized. The reasons vary, but most focus on the safety and efficacy of the vaccines that are available. It is estimated that about 3% of the population will not vaccinate based on the knowledge that the vaccines are produced using human cells from an aborted fetus.
Although a moral objection to vaccinations is an accepted objection in some states, others may only accept a medical or philosophical objection. Each state delineates their own specific acceptable objection criteria and process.
"AVM's original business plan was to focus on adult stem cell regenerative medicine due to the safety and economics. It wasn't until we were approached by COG for Life that we rethought our original strategy and realized - we could do both." says Dr. Theresa Deisher, president of SCPI.
Dr. Deisher, a Stanford doctoral graduate in molecular and cellular physiology and former Principal Scientist with Amgen says she is excited about being able to help a community of parents and children that have, up to this point, been discriminated against. "I can see an opportunity to help not only these parents, but also safeguard the children and the communities in which they live and ultimately our nation's health," stated Dr. Deisher. "This is a small niche market - one that the larger pharmaceutical industry is not likely to venture into - but one that we will gladly support."
See the websites for more info:
http://www.avmbiotech.com
http://www.soundchoice.org
This is from Fr. Richard John Neuhaus as written in First Things—referring the future saint from Vietnam Cardinal Van Thuan. It’s an inspiring piece, especially as we approach the start of Advent this Sunday:
I met him only a couple of times, and then briefly, but my memory is that of meeting a saint, which is what many who knew him well say he was. Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan wore a pectoral cross made from the barbed wire of the prison where the Communists kept him for thirteen years, nine in solitary confinement. Paul VI named him Archbishop of Saigon in 1975. John Paul II invited him to Rome and created him a cardinal. He died in 2002. The following is from a Lenten reflection published in Our Daily Bread, by Fr. Ralph Wright: “ The most beautiful Masses of my life. Once more, I return to my own experience. When I was arrested, I had to leave immediately with empty hands. The next day, I was permitted to write to my people in order to ask for the most necessary things: clothes, toothpaste. . . . I wrote, ‘Please send me a little wine as medicine for my stomachache.’ The faithful understood right away. They sent me a small bottle of wine for Mass with a label that read, ‘medicine for stomachaches.’ They also sent some hosts, which they hid in a flashlight for protection against the humidity. The police asked me. ‘You have stomachaches?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Here’s some medicine for you.’ I will never be able to express my great joy! Every day, with three drops of wine and a drop of water in the palm of my hand, I would celebrate Mass. This was my altar, and this was my cathedral! It was true medicine for soul and body, ‘Medicine of immortality, remedy so as not to die but to have life always in Jesus,’ as St. Ignatius of Antioch says. Each time I celebrated the Mass, I had the opportunity to extend my hands and nail myself to the cross with Jesus, to drink with him the bitter chalice. Each day in reciting the words of consecration, I confirmed with all my heart and soul a new pact, an eternal pact between Jesus and me through his blood mixed with mine. Those were the most beautiful Masses of my life!” Our Daily Bread is a collection of eucharistic reflections from the first century to the present day and I suggest you check it out.
St. Therese of Lisieux, known as the Little Flower, always wanted to be a missionary and in fact stated that she “wanted to spend her time in heaven doing good on earth.” I doubt she ever expected to be a missionary in space!
St. Thérèse Relic Makes Space Flight
NEW CANEY, Texas, NOV. 20, 2008 (Zenit.org).- St. Thérèse wrote that she wanted to be a missionary on every continent simultaneously and reach the most remote islands -- now her dream has extended to space flight.
The Carmelite community of New Caney, Texas, enjoys the friendship of Colonel Ron Garan, who was on the May 31-June 14 Discovery shuttle mission.
Before heading into space, Garan had called the women religious to request their prayer for the voyage, and he told them he could take some small item into space on behalf of the community.
The sisters reported that the words of St. Thérèse came to mind: "I have the vocation of an apostle. I would like to travel over the whole earth to preach your name and to plant your glorious cross on infidel soil. But oh, my beloved, one mission would not be enough for me, I would want to preach the Gospel on all five continents simultaneously and even to the most remote isles. I would be a missionary, not for a few years but from the beginning of creation until the consummation of the ages."
The Carmelites gave the astronaut a relic of St. Thérèse for his flight.
Now, they report, she has traveled 5,735,643 miles around the earth for 14 days at 17,057 miles an hour. Meanwhile, the sisters commended the world to her intercession.
God Bless you!
Phil Lawson For the latest info on St. Peter’s, check out the parish website: www.saintpetercatholic.com (You can also find old editions of the Areopagus here)
The Areopagus is a regular email for adults that includes various reflections, tidbits, news and events. Hope you find it fruitful!
If you would like to be added to this list, send an email to lawsphil@gmail.com
On the other hand, if you would like to be removed, send an email to the same address indicating that.
Much has been made, and will continue to be made, about the US Bishops speaking out forcefully on the issue of Life, especially with regards to abortion and embryonic stem cell research. I don’t imagine this advocacy will cease with the conclusion of the presidential election. In fact, judging from the comments made at the Annual Fall Bishop’s meeting this week, they’ll continue to speak out forcefully.
Archbishop Chaput of the Archdiocese of Denver has been one of the more eloquent and vocal champions in the defense of life and the role that faith should play in public and political discussions. He authored a splendid book, “Render Unto Ceasar: Serving the Nation by Living Our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life” Published by Doubleday, 2008. The book lays out the historical role Catholics have played in the development of this country. In essence, he argues that the more we love and serve God in light of our Catholic faith, the more faithfully and fruitfully we love and serve our country.
It’s a book well-worth reading. One of my favorite quotes/stories is the following:
“We can take a lesson from the early church. The emperor Valens ruled the eastern half of the Roman Empire in the AD 360s. He was a brutal man at a time of bitter political and religious turmoil, and he sought to destroy the orthodox faith in Christ. Saint Basil the Great, then the bishop of Caesarea, confronted him face-to-face about his policies. ‘Never has anyone dared to speak to me with such freedom,’ Valens said. Basil replied, ‘Obviously you have never met a bishop before.’” –p. 189 Render Unto Caesar
Here’s guessing you won’t be hearing silence from our Catholic leaders in the foreseeable future as long as there are moral issues that need to be addressed.
One final side note—it’s striking how the same people who chastise the bishops for speaking out on abortion tend to be the same ones who castigate the church for failing to speak out loudly enough against Hitler and the holocaust. You can’t have it both ways.
Phil’s Tidbits:
The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist in Ann Arbor, MI http://www.sistersofmary.org/ recently held their discernment retreat for young women. They were expecting 130 young ladies. (No that’s not a typo). They hold these retreats about 3 times a year and always have a tremendous response. While numbers alone are not a guarantor of God’s blessing and being in harmony with His Will—the fruits in this case are certainly telling. “For you shall know them by their fruits…”
An increasing number of parents, my wife and I included, have expressed discomfort with the origins of a number of the childhood vaccines on the market. In many cases, the vaccines were created using cells from aborted babies. Hence, this is a very fruitful development!
New Biotech Firm Will Focus on Making Vaccines not Tainted by Abortion Available to the Public
WASHINGTON, November 11, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Sound Choice Pharmaceutical Institute (SCPI), a pro-life public educational organization encouraging safe and moral medicines and therapeutics, has given backing to a new biotech firm which will be providing vaccines to the public which have not been tainted by abortion.
SCPI has announced their first successful support for a new biotech firm - AVM Biotechnology. AVM has a new vaccines division that will be importing safe and effective vaccines for those who, for philosophical or moral reasoning, are opposed to the vaccines that are tainted with human DNA contaminants.
AVM Biotechnology has added the vaccine division in addition to their regenerative medicine and human therapeutics division in response to the request from numerous parents and grandparents who have chosen not to vaccinate until moral and ethical vaccines are available.
Debi Vinnedge, Executive Director of Children of God for Life - a pro-life organization which has focused on the vaccine issue – said of the effort to produce ethic vaccines: "Sound Choice Pharmaceutical Institute is a light at the end of a very long, dark tunnel for thousands of parents who want to protect their children and communities - but are concerned about the moral implications for that choice. If we have an ethical alternative - and with the support of SCPI and AVM Biotechnology we hope to have that in the coming months - we can comply with vaccination recommendations from the American Pediatric Association and still comply with our faith."
According to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data, as many as 10% of United States children are not fully immunized. The reasons vary, but most focus on the safety and efficacy of the vaccines that are available. It is estimated that about 3% of the population will not vaccinate based on the knowledge that the vaccines are produced using human cells from an aborted fetus.
Although a moral objection to vaccinations is an accepted objection in some states, others may only accept a medical or philosophical objection. Each state delineates their own specific acceptable objection criteria and process.
"AVM's original business plan was to focus on adult stem cell regenerative medicine due to the safety and economics. It wasn't until we were approached by COG for Life that we rethought our original strategy and realized - we could do both." says Dr. Theresa Deisher, president of SCPI.
Dr. Deisher, a Stanford doctoral graduate in molecular and cellular physiology and former Principal Scientist with Amgen says she is excited about being able to help a community of parents and children that have, up to this point, been discriminated against. "I can see an opportunity to help not only these parents, but also safeguard the children and the communities in which they live and ultimately our nation's health," stated Dr. Deisher. "This is a small niche market - one that the larger pharmaceutical industry is not likely to venture into - but one that we will gladly support."
See the websites for more info:
http://www.avmbiotech.com
http://www.soundchoice.org
This is from Fr. Richard John Neuhaus as written in First Things—referring the future saint from Vietnam Cardinal Van Thuan. It’s an inspiring piece, especially as we approach the start of Advent this Sunday:
I met him only a couple of times, and then briefly, but my memory is that of meeting a saint, which is what many who knew him well say he was. Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan wore a pectoral cross made from the barbed wire of the prison where the Communists kept him for thirteen years, nine in solitary confinement. Paul VI named him Archbishop of Saigon in 1975. John Paul II invited him to Rome and created him a cardinal. He died in 2002. The following is from a Lenten reflection published in Our Daily Bread, by Fr. Ralph Wright: “ The most beautiful Masses of my life. Once more, I return to my own experience. When I was arrested, I had to leave immediately with empty hands. The next day, I was permitted to write to my people in order to ask for the most necessary things: clothes, toothpaste. . . . I wrote, ‘Please send me a little wine as medicine for my stomachache.’ The faithful understood right away. They sent me a small bottle of wine for Mass with a label that read, ‘medicine for stomachaches.’ They also sent some hosts, which they hid in a flashlight for protection against the humidity. The police asked me. ‘You have stomachaches?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Here’s some medicine for you.’ I will never be able to express my great joy! Every day, with three drops of wine and a drop of water in the palm of my hand, I would celebrate Mass. This was my altar, and this was my cathedral! It was true medicine for soul and body, ‘Medicine of immortality, remedy so as not to die but to have life always in Jesus,’ as St. Ignatius of Antioch says. Each time I celebrated the Mass, I had the opportunity to extend my hands and nail myself to the cross with Jesus, to drink with him the bitter chalice. Each day in reciting the words of consecration, I confirmed with all my heart and soul a new pact, an eternal pact between Jesus and me through his blood mixed with mine. Those were the most beautiful Masses of my life!” Our Daily Bread is a collection of eucharistic reflections from the first century to the present day and I suggest you check it out.
St. Therese of Lisieux, known as the Little Flower, always wanted to be a missionary and in fact stated that she “wanted to spend her time in heaven doing good on earth.” I doubt she ever expected to be a missionary in space!
St. Thérèse Relic Makes Space Flight
NEW CANEY, Texas, NOV. 20, 2008 (Zenit.org).- St. Thérèse wrote that she wanted to be a missionary on every continent simultaneously and reach the most remote islands -- now her dream has extended to space flight.
The Carmelite community of New Caney, Texas, enjoys the friendship of Colonel Ron Garan, who was on the May 31-June 14 Discovery shuttle mission.
Before heading into space, Garan had called the women religious to request their prayer for the voyage, and he told them he could take some small item into space on behalf of the community.
The sisters reported that the words of St. Thérèse came to mind: "I have the vocation of an apostle. I would like to travel over the whole earth to preach your name and to plant your glorious cross on infidel soil. But oh, my beloved, one mission would not be enough for me, I would want to preach the Gospel on all five continents simultaneously and even to the most remote isles. I would be a missionary, not for a few years but from the beginning of creation until the consummation of the ages."
The Carmelites gave the astronaut a relic of St. Thérèse for his flight.
Now, they report, she has traveled 5,735,643 miles around the earth for 14 days at 17,057 miles an hour. Meanwhile, the sisters commended the world to her intercession.
God Bless you!
Phil Lawson For the latest info on St. Peter’s, check out the parish website: www.saintpetercatholic.com (You can also find old editions of the Areopagus here)
The Areopagus is a regular email for adults that includes various reflections, tidbits, news and events. Hope you find it fruitful!
If you would like to be added to this list, send an email to lawsphil@gmail.com
On the other hand, if you would like to be removed, send an email to the same address indicating that.
The Areopagus 11-18-08
posted by Phil Lawson11-18-08
Today is the Memorial of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne (1769-1852) She was born in France and died in Missouri. As a child she heard stories from Jesuit missionaries who worked with Native Americans. This caught her imagination and was something she desired to do her whole life. Various circumstances, including the French Revolution prevented her from achieving this desire till late in her life. Nevertheless, she did become a religious sister, joining the Religious of the Sacred Heart and spent her life in God’s service. Finally, at age 71 she got her wish and was able to minister among the Indians in Kansas. The Indians were so impressed by her prayer life that they gave her a new name: “Woman Who Always Prays.” I love that. The Native Americans could not understand her language but they could certainly understand her actions of devotion to God. It’s a great model for all of us. She died at the age of 83 and was canonized on July 3rd, 1988 by Pope John Paul the Great.
Phil’s Tidbits:
Our pastor placed this in the bulletin last weekend---someone had forwarded it to him. I think you’ll find it amusing..and a good reminder to pray for our priests!
The Perfect Priest
The perfect priest preaches exactly ten minutes.
He condemns sin roundly but never hurts anyone’s feelings.
He works from 8:00a.m. until midnight and is also the church janitor.
The perfect priest makes $40.00 a week, wears good clothes. Drives a good car, buys good books, and donates $30.00 a week to the church.
He is 29 years old and has 40 years of experience.
Above all, he is handsome.
The perfect priest has a burning desire to work with teenagers,
and he spends most of his time with the senior citizens.
He smiles all the tiem with a straight face because he has a sense of humor
That keeps him seriously dedicated to his church.
He makes 15 home visits a day
And is always in his office to be handy when needed.
The perfect priest always has time for church Councils and all of their Committees.
He never misses the meeting of any church organization
And is always busy evangelizing the un-churched.
The perfect priest is always in the next church over!
This is an amazing true story. Conversion is always possible, no one is so hardened that by the Grace of God that can’t be reached.
Serbian Abortionist Who Aborted 48,000 Babies Becomes Pro-Life Activist
MADRID, November 13, 2008 (CNA) - The Spanish daily "La Razon" has published an article on the pro-life conversion of a former "champion of abortion." Stojan Adasevic, who performed 48,000 abortions, sometimes up to 35 per day, is now the most important pro-life leader in Serbia, after spending 26 years as the most renowned abortion doctor in the country.
"The medical textbooks of the Communist regime said abortion was simply the removal of a blob of tissue," the newspaper reported. "Ultrasounds allowing the fetus to be seen did not arrive until the 80s, but they did not change his opinion. Nevertheless, he began to have nightmares."
In describing his conversion, Adasevic said he "dreamed about a beautiful field full of children and young people who were playing and laughing, from 4 to 24 years of age, but who ran away from him in fear. A man dressed in a black and white habit stared at him in silence. The dream was repeated each night and he would wake up in a cold sweat. One night he asked the man in black and white who he was. 'My name is Thomas Aquinas,' the man in his dream responded. Adasevic, educated in communist schools, had never heard of the Dominican genius saint. He didn't recognize the name."
"Why don't you ask me who these children are?" St. Thomas asked Adasevic in his dream.
"They are the ones you killed with your abortions,” the Dominican saint told him.
"Adasevic awoke in amazement and decided not to perform any more abortions," the article stated.
"That same day a cousin came to the hospital with his four months-pregnant girlfriend, who wanted to get her ninth abortion - something quite frequent in the countries of the Soviet bloc. The doctor agreed. Instead of removing the fetus piece by piece, he decided to chop it up and remove it as a mass. However, the baby's heart came out still beating. Adasevic realized then that he had killed a human being,"
After this experience, Adasevic "told the hospital he would no longer perform abortions. Never before had a doctor in Communist Yugoslavia refused to do so. They cut his salary in half, fired his daughter from her job, and did not allow his son to enter the university."
After years of pressure and on the verge of giving up, he had another dream about St. Thomas.
"You are my good friend, keep going,” the man in black and white told him. “Adasevic became involved in the pro-life movement and was able to get Yugoslav television to air the film 'The Silent Scream,' by Doctor Bernard Nathanson, two times."
Adasevic has told his story in magazines and newspapers throughout Eastern Europe. He has returned to the Orthodox faith of his childhood and has studied the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas.
"Influenced by Aristotle, Thomas wrote that human life begins forty days after fertilization," Adasevic wrote in one article. Scientific advancements since Thomas’ time, however, have revealed that human life begins at the moment of conception. La Razon commented that Adasevic "suggests that perhaps the saint wanted to make amends for that error." Today the Serbian doctor continues to fight for the lives of the unborn.
(Reprinted with permission from the Catholic News Agency)
See the Catholic News Agency Online here:
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com
Note the age of the two parishioners who were hurt during the scuffle. One suspects it was they who helped “detain” this poor young soul. (Better think twice about messing with some of those older ushers!)
Communion-wafer caper: Suspect grabbed
The 33-year-old was cornered by other churchgoers until police arrived
The Associated Press
updated 5:11 p.m. CT, Tues., Nov. 11, 2008
JENSEN BEACH, Fla. - Police in Florida said they arrested a Connecticut man after he tried to steal communion wafers during a church service. The Martin County Sheriff's Office said a 33-year-old man was cornered by fellow churchgoers when he grabbed a handful of wafers from the priest during communion services Saturday.
The Stuart News reported that the man was being held down by six or seven offended parishioners when deputies arrived at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church in Jensen Beach.
Police say two parishioners, ages 82 and 61, received minor injuries in the scuffle.
The man was charged with two counts of simple battery, theft and disruption of a religious assembly. He was being held Tuesday on $2,000 bond at the Martin County Jail.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27667151/?GT1=43001
This story has drawn comparisons to what happened with Terry Schiavo in the United States. God bless these nuns!
Italian Nuns Refuse to Kill Eluana EnglaroToday is the Memorial of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne (1769-1852) She was born in France and died in Missouri. As a child she heard stories from Jesuit missionaries who worked with Native Americans. This caught her imagination and was something she desired to do her whole life. Various circumstances, including the French Revolution prevented her from achieving this desire till late in her life. Nevertheless, she did become a religious sister, joining the Religious of the Sacred Heart and spent her life in God’s service. Finally, at age 71 she got her wish and was able to minister among the Indians in Kansas. The Indians were so impressed by her prayer life that they gave her a new name: “Woman Who Always Prays.” I love that. The Native Americans could not understand her language but they could certainly understand her actions of devotion to God. It’s a great model for all of us. She died at the age of 83 and was canonized on July 3rd, 1988 by Pope John Paul the Great.
Phil’s Tidbits:
Our pastor placed this in the bulletin last weekend---someone had forwarded it to him. I think you’ll find it amusing..and a good reminder to pray for our priests!
The Perfect Priest
The perfect priest preaches exactly ten minutes.
He condemns sin roundly but never hurts anyone’s feelings.
He works from 8:00a.m. until midnight and is also the church janitor.
The perfect priest makes $40.00 a week, wears good clothes. Drives a good car, buys good books, and donates $30.00 a week to the church.
He is 29 years old and has 40 years of experience.
Above all, he is handsome.
The perfect priest has a burning desire to work with teenagers,
and he spends most of his time with the senior citizens.
He smiles all the tiem with a straight face because he has a sense of humor
That keeps him seriously dedicated to his church.
He makes 15 home visits a day
And is always in his office to be handy when needed.
The perfect priest always has time for church Councils and all of their Committees.
He never misses the meeting of any church organization
And is always busy evangelizing the un-churched.
The perfect priest is always in the next church over!
This is an amazing true story. Conversion is always possible, no one is so hardened that by the Grace of God that can’t be reached.
Serbian Abortionist Who Aborted 48,000 Babies Becomes Pro-Life Activist
MADRID, November 13, 2008 (CNA) - The Spanish daily "La Razon" has published an article on the pro-life conversion of a former "champion of abortion." Stojan Adasevic, who performed 48,000 abortions, sometimes up to 35 per day, is now the most important pro-life leader in Serbia, after spending 26 years as the most renowned abortion doctor in the country.
"The medical textbooks of the Communist regime said abortion was simply the removal of a blob of tissue," the newspaper reported. "Ultrasounds allowing the fetus to be seen did not arrive until the 80s, but they did not change his opinion. Nevertheless, he began to have nightmares."
In describing his conversion, Adasevic said he "dreamed about a beautiful field full of children and young people who were playing and laughing, from 4 to 24 years of age, but who ran away from him in fear. A man dressed in a black and white habit stared at him in silence. The dream was repeated each night and he would wake up in a cold sweat. One night he asked the man in black and white who he was. 'My name is Thomas Aquinas,' the man in his dream responded. Adasevic, educated in communist schools, had never heard of the Dominican genius saint. He didn't recognize the name."
"Why don't you ask me who these children are?" St. Thomas asked Adasevic in his dream.
"They are the ones you killed with your abortions,” the Dominican saint told him.
"Adasevic awoke in amazement and decided not to perform any more abortions," the article stated.
"That same day a cousin came to the hospital with his four months-pregnant girlfriend, who wanted to get her ninth abortion - something quite frequent in the countries of the Soviet bloc. The doctor agreed. Instead of removing the fetus piece by piece, he decided to chop it up and remove it as a mass. However, the baby's heart came out still beating. Adasevic realized then that he had killed a human being,"
After this experience, Adasevic "told the hospital he would no longer perform abortions. Never before had a doctor in Communist Yugoslavia refused to do so. They cut his salary in half, fired his daughter from her job, and did not allow his son to enter the university."
After years of pressure and on the verge of giving up, he had another dream about St. Thomas.
"You are my good friend, keep going,” the man in black and white told him. “Adasevic became involved in the pro-life movement and was able to get Yugoslav television to air the film 'The Silent Scream,' by Doctor Bernard Nathanson, two times."
Adasevic has told his story in magazines and newspapers throughout Eastern Europe. He has returned to the Orthodox faith of his childhood and has studied the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas.
"Influenced by Aristotle, Thomas wrote that human life begins forty days after fertilization," Adasevic wrote in one article. Scientific advancements since Thomas’ time, however, have revealed that human life begins at the moment of conception. La Razon commented that Adasevic "suggests that perhaps the saint wanted to make amends for that error." Today the Serbian doctor continues to fight for the lives of the unborn.
(Reprinted with permission from the Catholic News Agency)
See the Catholic News Agency Online here:
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com
Note the age of the two parishioners who were hurt during the scuffle. One suspects it was they who helped “detain” this poor young soul. (Better think twice about messing with some of those older ushers!)
Communion-wafer caper: Suspect grabbed
The 33-year-old was cornered by other churchgoers until police arrived
The Associated Press
updated 5:11 p.m. CT, Tues., Nov. 11, 2008
JENSEN BEACH, Fla. - Police in Florida said they arrested a Connecticut man after he tried to steal communion wafers during a church service. The Martin County Sheriff's Office said a 33-year-old man was cornered by fellow churchgoers when he grabbed a handful of wafers from the priest during communion services Saturday.
The Stuart News reported that the man was being held down by six or seven offended parishioners when deputies arrived at St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church in Jensen Beach.
Police say two parishioners, ages 82 and 61, received minor injuries in the scuffle.
The man was charged with two counts of simple battery, theft and disruption of a religious assembly. He was being held Tuesday on $2,000 bond at the Martin County Jail.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27667151/?GT1=43001
This story has drawn comparisons to what happened with Terry Schiavo in the United States. God bless these nuns!
By Hilary White, Rome Correspondent
MILAN, November 17, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The nuns who run the hospice in which Eluana Englaro has been living for 14 years have refused to carry out the court order to remove her food and hydration tube. On Friday, the highest court of appeals of Italy upheld a previous court’s ruling that Eluana Englaro, the young disabled woman who has been in a state of diminished consciousness since being in a car accident in 1992, may be killed by the removal of her food and hydration tube.
In a letter published in yesterday’s Avvenire, the daily newspaper of the Italian Bishops Conference, the Misericordine nuns of Lecco said, “Our hope, and that of many like us, is that the death by hunger and thirst of Eluana, and others in her condition, will not be carried out.”
“That is why, once again, we maintain our availability, today and into the future, to continue to serve Eluana. If there are those who consider her dead, let Eluana remain with us who feel she is alive. We don’t ask anything but the silence and the liberty to love and to devote ourselves to those who are weak, poor and little in return.”
At the same time, the Secretary of Welfare, Eugenia Roccella, said in a statement today that there is “no obligation” for government-funded health care facilities to implement the decision of the Court of Cassation that patients can be dehydrated to death.
Legal experts have said that it is possible under Italian law for the sisters to apply for permission from the courts to be appointed Eluana’s legal guardian. Monsignore Ignacio Barreiro, the head of the Rome office of Human Life International told LifeSiteNews.com that such a possibility could be a real glimmer of hope for saving Eluana’s life.
“It’s more than reasonable,” he said, “that someone who wants to keep the person alive should be appointed the guardian, rather than the person who’s ready to kill her. You don’t have to have a doctorate in theology to say that; it’s just common sense.”
Msgr. Barriero, who was an attorney before being ordained to the priesthood, added that it is a basic principle of law that “you cannot have a conflict of interest between the guardian and the person who is under guardianship. The purpose of a guardian is to look after the well being of the person.”
550 delegates of the Movement for Life, meeting in Montecatini for the 28th National Congress of the Centers for Aid to Life, have written to President Giorgio Napolitano to ask him to “enforce his highest moral authority” to allow Eluana Englaro “to continue to be cared for and loved by the Sisters of Lecco.”
Giulio Boscagli, Assessor to the Family and Solidarity in the region of Lombardy in which Eluana lives, agreed with the nuns, saying, “The ruling of the Court of Cassation seems to have lost sight of the reality” that Eluana is not dead but alive, although currently in a “seriously disabled condition.”
The desire of the nuns to care for Eluana as though she is “a daughter,” he said, “is the right path, the path taken by all those who daily take care of people who are in a vegetative state or very seriously disabled.” Boscagli pledged the “closeness and support” of the Regione Lombardia for the nuns.
At the same time, the decision of the Court of Cassation has alerted lawmakers to a legal loophole that could be used to sanction euthanasia. Justice Minister Angelino Alfano said that parliament must “fill the legislative vacuum in place” that has allowed the court to rule against Eluana.
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On a lighter note…last week I had mentioned a wonderful book by Joel Schorn, entitled “God’s Doorkeepers.” Sometimes we forget the saints were “real” people like you and me—who in their lives responded to God’s Call in a more perfect way. Hence, they had hobbies and interests like everyone else. Enjoy this tidbit about Fr. Solanus Casey, who spent a large portion of his life in Detroit:
“Fr. Solanus was a ‘real person,’ someone to whom others could relate. He enjoyed mingling at parish picnics and eating the hot dogs (with onions) served there. He was not above stopping for a beer at a tavern that one of his benefactors operated. He played billiards and baseball and was a Detroit Tigers fan. At the age of eighty he joined in games of volleyball and tennis. Ahead of his time, he promoted healthy eating (except for the hot dogs), and he liked to jog to keep trim.” -“God’s Doorkeepers” p. 90
God bless you!
Phil Lawson For the latest info on St. Peter’s, check out the parish website: www.saintpetercatholic.com (You can also find old editions of the Areopagus here)
The Areopagus is a regular email for adults that includes various reflections, tidbits, news and events. Hope you find it fruitful!
If you would like to be added to this list, send an email to lawsphil@gmail.com
On the other hand, if you would like to be removed, send an email to the same address indicating that.
The Areopagus 11-11-08
posted by Phil Lawson
11-11-08
After a 3+ month hiatus from The Areopagus I’m back. Amazing how much more busy life gets with two young children…as some of you veteran parents smile knowingly.
I’m currently reading a delightful book, “God’s Doorkeepers: Padre Pio, Solanus Casey & Andre Bessette” by Joel Schorn. Servant Books, 2006. All were humble men, often suffering from frail health, who were not much in the eyes of the world. Of particular note was Solanus Casey, born in 1870, who grew up in Wisconsin.
A few highlights:
From Brother Andre Bessette: (The sick would often come to him seeking healing—and in many cases their appeal was granted.) However, as his religious order also ran a school, people complained about the number of sick who might come in contact with their children through visiting Br. Andre. The story goes:
“A group of physicians declared Brother Andre ignorant and a danger to the public health. He responded, ‘They are right. I am ignorant. That is the reason why the Good God concerns himself with me. If there was anyone more ignorant than I, the Good God would choose him instead of me.’”
Another interesting tidbit, Padre Pio, who possessed the stigmata and died in 1968, is estimated to have heard 2 million confessions in his life. From 1918 to 1923, he would sit and hear confessions from 15-19 hours a day.
Phil’s Tidbits:
Our culture has a bad habit of elevating our politicians to cult-like status and then expecting them to produce miracles. (Of course promises made during campaigns do little to discourage that line of thinking.)
We do well to recall the words on the Psalmist…simply substitute “president, governor, senator, etc” for “prince” and you get the same result.
God alone is in ultimate control.
Psalm 146: 3-10 “Put not your trust in princes”
3 I Put no trust in princes, in mere mortals powerless to save.
4 When they breathe their last, they return to the earth; that day all their planning comes to nothing.
5 Happy those whose help is Jacob's God, whose hope is in the LORD, their God,
6 The maker of heaven and earth, the seas and all that is in them, Who keeps faith forever,
7 secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free;
8 the LORD gives sight to the blind. The LORD raises up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.
9 The LORD protects the stranger, sustains the orphan and the widow, but thwarts the way of the wicked.
10 The LORD shall reign forever, your God, Zion, through all generations! Hallelujah!
Fortuitously, election day was also the feast of St. Charles Borromeo. He was an utterly remarkable man. My favorite story of him is highlighted below. It somehow seemed a fitting commentary on so many of our politicians today.
St. Charles Borromeo (1538-1584) Feast November 4th
Priest, Bishop, Cardinal. Gifted political and religious leader. Key figure in both the Council of Trent and its implementation.
-In 1559 he was wounded by an assassin, angry about the reforms Borromeo was instituting.
-In 1560 a famine struck the region and he fed 3000 men, women and children every day for 3 months.
-In 1576 he mobilized resources to aid the people of Milan during an outbreak of the plague. The clergy and religious joined him as he went through the streets caring for the stricken (the local government officials had fled the city). For almost a year, Charles cared for plague victims…
I recently had the pleasure of writing a guest column for the parish bulletin. Perhaps you will find as much inspiration out of the stories below as I did.
“I shall live in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life.” -Psalm 23
This Psalm reminds us of our eternal home and destiny, that is Heaven. While we look forward to that reality, we are not bereft of glimpses of Heaven here on earth. In fact, C.S. Lewis once said, “God gives us tastes of heaven here on Earth, but not too much, lest we stop desiring Heaven.”
How often we receive these tastes or see these glimpses of Heaven, especially in children! Take a look at the following true stories and see what I mean:
A 4-year-old was running very quickly past St. Peter’s, when our own Sr. Michelle asked him where he was going. He barely slowed down, looked at her and said “to heaven!” and kept right on running. Lord, may we always seek you with such energy!
Recently I was leaving the Church while Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament was ongoing. As I left, I noticed one of our high school freshman also leaving. As she walked out of the Church, she looked toward the Blessed Sacrament, smiled, and blew a kiss to Jesus. Lord may we all come to love you so much!
A 7-year-old parishioner had been dealing with pain in her ears. Her Mom took her to the doctor. Upon examining her, the doctor announced there was no infection but that she had some fluid in her ears. The young girl nervously looked over at her mother and called her over, whispering to Mom, “I’ve been putting Holy Water in my ears.” She had surmised that the Holy Water would help alleviate the hurt. She thought the Holy Water caused the fluid build up, which of course wasn’t the case. While she misunderstood what the doctor said, she very correctly understood that Holy Water is a sacramental that can be an instrument of grace and even healing! Lord, may we always trust in your goodness and care for us with the innocence of this child!
A 2 ½ -year-old parishioner recently went out into his yard and picked a flower. He then took it inside to give to his mother. When Mom went to accept the flower, the young boy indicated that Mom should bend down, where he then placed the flower behind her ear. Why? Because that’s what his Daddy always does. Lord, may all of us so richly share and emulate the fatherly love you have for us!
It is not without reason that Jesus said: “unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3
Phil Lawson, MTS
Director of Catechesis & Evangelization
God bless you! Phil Lawson For the latest info on St. Peter’s, check out the parish website: www.saintpetercatholic.com (You can also find old editions of the Areopagus here)
The Areopagus is a regular email for adults that includes various reflections, tidbits, news and events. Hope you find it fruitful!
If you would like to be added to this list, send an email to lawsphil@gmail.com
On the other hand, if you would like to be removed, send an email to the same address indicating that.
After a 3+ month hiatus from The Areopagus I’m back. Amazing how much more busy life gets with two young children…as some of you veteran parents smile knowingly.
I’m currently reading a delightful book, “God’s Doorkeepers: Padre Pio, Solanus Casey & Andre Bessette” by Joel Schorn. Servant Books, 2006. All were humble men, often suffering from frail health, who were not much in the eyes of the world. Of particular note was Solanus Casey, born in 1870, who grew up in Wisconsin.
A few highlights:
From Brother Andre Bessette: (The sick would often come to him seeking healing—and in many cases their appeal was granted.) However, as his religious order also ran a school, people complained about the number of sick who might come in contact with their children through visiting Br. Andre. The story goes:
“A group of physicians declared Brother Andre ignorant and a danger to the public health. He responded, ‘They are right. I am ignorant. That is the reason why the Good God concerns himself with me. If there was anyone more ignorant than I, the Good God would choose him instead of me.’”
Another interesting tidbit, Padre Pio, who possessed the stigmata and died in 1968, is estimated to have heard 2 million confessions in his life. From 1918 to 1923, he would sit and hear confessions from 15-19 hours a day.
Phil’s Tidbits:
Our culture has a bad habit of elevating our politicians to cult-like status and then expecting them to produce miracles. (Of course promises made during campaigns do little to discourage that line of thinking.)
We do well to recall the words on the Psalmist…simply substitute “president, governor, senator, etc” for “prince” and you get the same result.
God alone is in ultimate control.
Psalm 146: 3-10 “Put not your trust in princes”
3 I Put no trust in princes, in mere mortals powerless to save.
4 When they breathe their last, they return to the earth; that day all their planning comes to nothing.
5 Happy those whose help is Jacob's God, whose hope is in the LORD, their God,
6 The maker of heaven and earth, the seas and all that is in them, Who keeps faith forever,
7 secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free;
8 the LORD gives sight to the blind. The LORD raises up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.
9 The LORD protects the stranger, sustains the orphan and the widow, but thwarts the way of the wicked.
10 The LORD shall reign forever, your God, Zion, through all generations! Hallelujah!
Fortuitously, election day was also the feast of St. Charles Borromeo. He was an utterly remarkable man. My favorite story of him is highlighted below. It somehow seemed a fitting commentary on so many of our politicians today.
St. Charles Borromeo (1538-1584) Feast November 4th
Priest, Bishop, Cardinal. Gifted political and religious leader. Key figure in both the Council of Trent and its implementation.
-In 1559 he was wounded by an assassin, angry about the reforms Borromeo was instituting.
-In 1560 a famine struck the region and he fed 3000 men, women and children every day for 3 months.
-In 1576 he mobilized resources to aid the people of Milan during an outbreak of the plague. The clergy and religious joined him as he went through the streets caring for the stricken (the local government officials had fled the city). For almost a year, Charles cared for plague victims…
I recently had the pleasure of writing a guest column for the parish bulletin. Perhaps you will find as much inspiration out of the stories below as I did.
“I shall live in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life.” -Psalm 23
This Psalm reminds us of our eternal home and destiny, that is Heaven. While we look forward to that reality, we are not bereft of glimpses of Heaven here on earth. In fact, C.S. Lewis once said, “God gives us tastes of heaven here on Earth, but not too much, lest we stop desiring Heaven.”
How often we receive these tastes or see these glimpses of Heaven, especially in children! Take a look at the following true stories and see what I mean:
A 4-year-old was running very quickly past St. Peter’s, when our own Sr. Michelle asked him where he was going. He barely slowed down, looked at her and said “to heaven!” and kept right on running. Lord, may we always seek you with such energy!
Recently I was leaving the Church while Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament was ongoing. As I left, I noticed one of our high school freshman also leaving. As she walked out of the Church, she looked toward the Blessed Sacrament, smiled, and blew a kiss to Jesus. Lord may we all come to love you so much!
A 7-year-old parishioner had been dealing with pain in her ears. Her Mom took her to the doctor. Upon examining her, the doctor announced there was no infection but that she had some fluid in her ears. The young girl nervously looked over at her mother and called her over, whispering to Mom, “I’ve been putting Holy Water in my ears.” She had surmised that the Holy Water would help alleviate the hurt. She thought the Holy Water caused the fluid build up, which of course wasn’t the case. While she misunderstood what the doctor said, she very correctly understood that Holy Water is a sacramental that can be an instrument of grace and even healing! Lord, may we always trust in your goodness and care for us with the innocence of this child!
A 2 ½ -year-old parishioner recently went out into his yard and picked a flower. He then took it inside to give to his mother. When Mom went to accept the flower, the young boy indicated that Mom should bend down, where he then placed the flower behind her ear. Why? Because that’s what his Daddy always does. Lord, may all of us so richly share and emulate the fatherly love you have for us!
It is not without reason that Jesus said: “unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3
Phil Lawson, MTS
Director of Catechesis & Evangelization
God bless you! Phil Lawson For the latest info on St. Peter’s, check out the parish website: www.saintpetercatholic.com (You can also find old editions of the Areopagus here)
The Areopagus is a regular email for adults that includes various reflections, tidbits, news and events. Hope you find it fruitful!
If you would like to be added to this list, send an email to lawsphil@gmail.com
On the other hand, if you would like to be removed, send an email to the same address indicating that.
Letter from Bishop Listecki to the faithful re: elections
posted by Jason and Darcy
Letter from Bishop Listecki to be Read at Masses
the Weekend of November 1-2, 2008
There are times when a Bishop feels with special intensity his responsibility for the faithful entrusted to him by our Lord, Jesus Christ. For me, this is one of those times.
On Tuesday, November 4 we face the challenge of shaping our nation and its values through the elections. There are important issues before us—issues like the economy, the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, affordable healthcare and immigration reform, among many others.
But as your Bishop, I feel responsible before God to say that towering above all other issues is the foundational right to life and its catastrophic violation by abortion. In the words of Pope Benedict XVI: “Life is the primary good we have received from God, the foundation of all the others. Guaranteeing the right to life is a duty upon which the future of humanity depends.”
This is the civil rights issue of our day. Since Roe vs. Wade in 1973, 48 million innocent unborn children have been killed by abortion in the United States alone. That is more than 3000 each day, one every 30 seconds.
As followers of Christ we are called to speak the truth, to shout it from the rooftops, to vote for people and policies that defend the vulnerable and the oppressed.
Many of us recall the images of Catholic priests, sisters and lay faithful who marched shoulder to shoulder with African-Americans to fight the evil of racial discrimination. The Church made her voice clear, so that everyone would see and know the truth about racism, and act to change it.
But there has been no evil in the history of this country greater than abortion, both for its horror and for its magnitude.
Now we are faced with candidates, platforms and proposed legislation that offer clear choices. On the one hand, we see persons and policies that would seek greater protection for our unborn sisters and brothers, helping to foster a culture of life. On the other hand we see forces of a deepening culture of death that would destroy even those pro-life gains that have been made in spite of Roe vs. Wade.
I refer especially to the so-called Freedom of Choice Act. Politicians who support it are reluctant to talk about it right now, and the media do not seem inclined to bring it up. But there are those running for office who are pushing for passage of this bill.
What would the Freedom of Choice Act do?
- It would sweep away hundreds of pro-life laws limiting abortion that have been established by communities and citizens that clearly see the evil of abortion;
- It would remove bans against the public funding of abortion, so that you could be forced to help pay for abortions through your tax dollars;
- It would strip away state laws requiring the fully informed consent of women seeking abortion;
- It would threaten laws that require the notification of parents with regard to minors seeking abortion;
- It would undermine the conscience protection currently given to doctors and nurses who want nothing to do with abortion.
This is a frightening scenario.
As your Bishop, I do not endorse candidates or parties. But I cannot and will not sit on the sidelines when matters that go to the very heart of the Gospel are at stake.
I ask you to learn where candidates stand on the fundamental right to life, especially those running for highest office. Study their words and their records. Learn their position on the Freedom of Choice Act. Consider who would do the most to defend the lives of the innocent unborn.
Between now and Tuesday, I ask you to join me in praying and offering sacrifices for our nation, the elections and the cause of life. And as you go to cast your vote, I urge you to reflect on the words of Sacred Scripture: “I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Rev. Jerome E. Listecki
Bishop of La Crosse
the Weekend of November 1-2, 2008
There are times when a Bishop feels with special intensity his responsibility for the faithful entrusted to him by our Lord, Jesus Christ. For me, this is one of those times.
On Tuesday, November 4 we face the challenge of shaping our nation and its values through the elections. There are important issues before us—issues like the economy, the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, affordable healthcare and immigration reform, among many others.
But as your Bishop, I feel responsible before God to say that towering above all other issues is the foundational right to life and its catastrophic violation by abortion. In the words of Pope Benedict XVI: “Life is the primary good we have received from God, the foundation of all the others. Guaranteeing the right to life is a duty upon which the future of humanity depends.”
This is the civil rights issue of our day. Since Roe vs. Wade in 1973, 48 million innocent unborn children have been killed by abortion in the United States alone. That is more than 3000 each day, one every 30 seconds.
As followers of Christ we are called to speak the truth, to shout it from the rooftops, to vote for people and policies that defend the vulnerable and the oppressed.
Many of us recall the images of Catholic priests, sisters and lay faithful who marched shoulder to shoulder with African-Americans to fight the evil of racial discrimination. The Church made her voice clear, so that everyone would see and know the truth about racism, and act to change it.
But there has been no evil in the history of this country greater than abortion, both for its horror and for its magnitude.
Now we are faced with candidates, platforms and proposed legislation that offer clear choices. On the one hand, we see persons and policies that would seek greater protection for our unborn sisters and brothers, helping to foster a culture of life. On the other hand we see forces of a deepening culture of death that would destroy even those pro-life gains that have been made in spite of Roe vs. Wade.
I refer especially to the so-called Freedom of Choice Act. Politicians who support it are reluctant to talk about it right now, and the media do not seem inclined to bring it up. But there are those running for office who are pushing for passage of this bill.
What would the Freedom of Choice Act do?
- It would sweep away hundreds of pro-life laws limiting abortion that have been established by communities and citizens that clearly see the evil of abortion;
- It would remove bans against the public funding of abortion, so that you could be forced to help pay for abortions through your tax dollars;
- It would strip away state laws requiring the fully informed consent of women seeking abortion;
- It would threaten laws that require the notification of parents with regard to minors seeking abortion;
- It would undermine the conscience protection currently given to doctors and nurses who want nothing to do with abortion.
This is a frightening scenario.
As your Bishop, I do not endorse candidates or parties. But I cannot and will not sit on the sidelines when matters that go to the very heart of the Gospel are at stake.
I ask you to learn where candidates stand on the fundamental right to life, especially those running for highest office. Study their words and their records. Learn their position on the Freedom of Choice Act. Consider who would do the most to defend the lives of the innocent unborn.
Between now and Tuesday, I ask you to join me in praying and offering sacrifices for our nation, the elections and the cause of life. And as you go to cast your vote, I urge you to reflect on the words of Sacred Scripture: “I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Rev. Jerome E. Listecki
Bishop of La Crosse
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