Tolton driving tour in Quincy

The Quincy Herald Whig reports that a new driving tour in the city of Quincy will take motorists to five key sites in the city important in the life of the Servant of God Father Augustus Tolton.

The tour will take visitors to five locations throughout the city, including Tolton's grave in St. Peter Cemetery, St. Peter Church and even Quincy City Hall, the original site of St. Peter Church.

"We went around to the five places that you can see something, something that is still standing," said Lori Tuttle, the bureau's public relations and marketing manager who put together a brochure on the Tolton tour, which also includes St. Boniface Church at Seventh and Maine, and the old site of St. Joseph Church at Seventh and Jersey. 

Tuttle said Tolton's story and the role Quincy plays in it is something that visitors can discover when they stop by the bureau's visitors center in the Villa Katherine.   

 

The brochure can be found at the Visitors Bureau at the Villa Katherine and on its website at www.seequincy.com [more].

March for Life news round up

• New York Times ignores March for Life for fith year in a row; Washington Post focuses on abortion supporters
• Cardinal DiNardo warns that the survival of religious freedom is at stake
• Bishop Vasa says politicians who support abortion are "unfit for public office"
• UK ethicist wants to use artificial wombs because child-birth causes women - and only women - pain
• Obama praises "fundamental constitutional right" to abortion

Choo, choo! Choose life!

Every authentic pilgrimage is marked by its difficulties and the manner in which they are endured.  This is what distinguishes a pilgrimage from a trip.  A pilgrimage is a journey to a holy place through the acceptance of the cross along the way.  This year's pilgrimage to the March for Life certainly had it's difficulties, even before it really began.

I left Springfield Friday afternoon with a friend to board one of the four busses in Vandalia.  From there, we were to leave for Effingham about 5:30 p.m. to join the three other busses with the aim of setting out together for Washington, D.C. at 6:30 p.m.

Unfortunately - or perhaps fortunately - the weather did not cooperate.  Sleet began to fall around Vandalia about 4:00 p.m. and by 5:00 p.m. ice covered everything and within a short time closed Interstate 70.  The good folks at Mother of Dolors Parish kindly let two of our busses spend the night in the basement of the church; the other two busses spend the night at the Knights of Columbus hall in Effingham.

When the morning hours rolled around the Interstate had been reopened.  We boarded the busses and made the journey to Effingham where we met up with the other busses and set out toward the East.  Between Effingham and Indiana, Interstate 70 seemed a graveyard for tractor trailers, with trucks almost at a regular interval off in the ditches on either side.  Some did not look serious and others clearly were.  At least four people were killed on the Interstate on Friday night between the two exits for Vandalia alone.  Had the sleet begun to fall any later than it did, we would likely have been caught in the storm.

By the time we reached Indiana the roads were fine but we encountered a difficulty: the Interstate through West Virginia was closed due to a hazardous spill.  Our drivers learned of the detoured traffic and opted to drive through the winding country roads of West Virginia, which turned out to be a welcome change of scenery from the traffic we had been travelling with.

All in all, we arrived in Washington, D.C. some sixteen hours later than planned, but we were able to adjust our schedules and meal stops - with a bit more difficulty - so everything turned out rather well.  Not once did I hear anyone on our bus grumble or complain about the difficulties and confusion caused by them.

There seemed a larger crowd in Washington, D.C. both for the Vigil Mass on Sunday evening and for the March for Life itself Monday morning, a trend that has continued unabated; each year more people come to protest legalized abortion and to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.  And, as usual, there were more young people than before, more priests and more seminarians, all of which are very good signs.

The pilgrims from the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois gathered at St. Peter church in downtown Washington for Mass with Bishop Paprocki.

After the Mass, our four busses took a tour of the momuments and memorials before going to the rally.  I went to visit with a member of Congressman Aaron Schock's staff to discuss the persecution of Christians throughout the world, particularly in Egypt and in Nigeria.  She seemed genuinely receptive to my concerns and promised to share my concers with Congressman Schock before getting back to me.  After this meeting I joined the busses at the World War II memorial.

The weather for the day of the March stayed in the forties, with clouds and drizzle and rain, but not much wind.  To be honest, it wasn't too bad and was easier to bear than the frigid temperatures last year.

Throughout the pilgrimage I took only one picture (largely due to our travel delays and the rain).  It was one of the cutest things I've ever seen:

Holding onto their father, the children formed a train and shouted, "Choo, choo!  Choose life!"  Because of it's cuteness, it was easily the best chant of the whole March.

One of the joys of the March for Life is walking with people their for the first time.  They are continually amazed and overwhelmed by the number of people who make the journey to march with them.  Until you're there and experience the crowds firsthand, it's hard to imagine; pictures are helpful, but they really don't do it justice.  As the walk the streets of the capital, they realize just how many people do not support abortion and they are encouraged to do more to support life in any way they can.  The future of the Church is indeed young and is full of hope and a love of the faith.

After the march our pilgrims gathered at nearby a park to meet our busses, but before the busses arrived there was time for a light saber duel (the link is to a Facebook video that I wasn't able to download; I hope it works for you).

The journey from Washington back to Springfield was uneventful.  The rest of the day will be spent resting - it's hard to sleep well on a bus - and catching up on a few things.

Fr. Barron responds

...to the "Why I Hate Religion But Love Jesus" video:

An Anniversary

A few moments ago I returned from the altar of the Lord where I offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass using the prayers "For the Priest's Parents" on this twenty-fourth anniversary of the death of my mother's, Patricia Ann.

On the holy card from her funeral are printed these words of Saint Ambrose:

We have loved her in life, let us not forget her in death.

These words, which are also printed on the holy card from my father's funeral, have long stayed with me and given me much comfort over the years.  They remind us that death is not the end and that it does not completely separate us from those we love.  Death is painful, but it is not final.

Each year on the anniversary of their deaths I celebrate the Mass for them, either in public or in private.  This evening I found the revised translation of the prayers - which I used for the first time -very moving because they express the deepest sentiments of my heart in two humble requests.

Through the prayers, the priest repeatedly prays not only for the eternal rest of his parents, but also to be united with them again.  Because most of  you will likely never hear these beautiful prayers, their texts are as follows:

The Collect:

O God, who commanded us to honor father and mother,
have mercy in your compassion
on my father and mother (our parents),
forgive them their sins,
and bring me (us) to see them one day
in the gladness of eternal glory.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

The Prayer Over the Offerings: 

Receive, O Lord, the sacrifice we offer you
for my father and mother (our parents);
grant them everlasting joy in the land of the living
and unite me (us) with them
in the happiness of the Saints.
Through Christ our Lord.

The Prayer After Communion: 

May participation in this heavenly Sacrament
obtain perpetual light and rest
for my father and mother (our parents),
we pray, O Lord,
and bring me (us), along with them,
to the fullness of you everlasting glory.
Through Christ our Lord.

At the bottom of the holy card from her funeral a simple prayer was printed.  In your charity, I humbly ask you to kindly offer it for her:

Merciful Jesus, grant enteral rest unto the soul of Thy faithful departed servant and bring her to Thy glory, there to praise and bless Thee forever.  Amen. 

It's not just a Catholic problem

Back in August I posted an article describing a conference aimed at normalizing and de-criminalizing pedophilia on the part of psychologists and others who argue pedophilia is not immoral but only a way of showing love:

The August 17 Baltimore conference is sponsored by B4U-ACT, a group of pro-pedophile mental health professionals and sympathetic activists. According to the conference brochure, the event will examine “ways in which minor-attracted persons [pedophiles] can be involved in the DSM 5 revision process” and how the popular perceptions of pedophiles can be reframed to encourage tolerance.

Lest anyone think this group acts alone, the government of Greece has now added pedophilia to its list of "disabilities".  Where is the public outcry about this?

In related news, officials in Australia are reporting an increasing number of cases of children sexually abusing children which is believed to be a result of pornography:

VICTORIAN children as young as five are being referred to specialist programs to address sexually abusive behaviour - and the number of minors exhibiting such behaviour is exploding.

The availability of pornography through portable devices drastically affects a child's understanding of acceptable sexual behaviour, according to experts, and is being blamed for the rapid escalation in cases.

No doubt the scope of this serious problem extends far beyond Victoria.

In honor of the day

I was a poor slave boy but the priests of the Church did not disdain me.  It was through the influence of one of them that I became what I am tonight…  It was the priests of the Church who taught me to pray and to forgive my persecutors.  It was through the direction of a Sister … that I learned to interpret the Ten Commandments; and then I also beheld for the first time the glimmering light of truth and the majesty of the Church.  In this Church we do not have to fight for our rights because we are Black.  She had colored saints – Augustine, Benedict the Moor, Monica.  The Church is broad and liberal.  She is the Church for our people.

- The Servant of God Father Augustus Tolton 

Global warming misprediction

A friend recently reminded me that back in 2008 Al Gore told a group of Germans, "the entire North ‘polarized’ cap will disappear in 5 years."  Five years later would be 2013.

The North 'polaried' cap is still there today where a week ago today this happened:

I don't think this is the inconvenient truth of which Mr. Gore tried so desparately to convince us.

And before you ask,  yes, this was a warm December, but, at least in Illinois, it was the 9th warmest December on record (record keeping began in 1895); that means that 8 Decembers were warmer than the December of 2011.  Hardly convincing evidence.