Well said...

From my dear friend Lee Anne:

George Tiller was a very strange man. I am sorry he was killed - but I am NOT sorry that he can no longer act out his perverse killing rituals. I am not sorry that he can no longer injure another human being.

Over the next couple of days, weeks and months to come, we are going to hear how the pro-life people are crazy. How they kill those who abort babies. I am here to set the record straight - pro-life people do not believe in killing. The person who murdered George Tiller was not a pro-life person.

Read the rest of this excellent post here. There are also some very beautiful pictures...

Let us pray for the pro-life movement, and for the innocent lives being ended. Let us also pray for Tiller, his family, and his murderer...

Pro-abortion Dr. Tiller murdered needlessly outside of church

This is absolutely horrible news:

WICHITA, Kan. — George Tiller, a Wichita doctor who was one of the few doctors in the nation to perform late-term abortions, was shot to death on Sunday as he attended church, city officials in Wichita said.

Dr. Tiller, who had performed abortions since the 1970s, had long been a lightning rod for controversy over the issue of abortion, particularly in Kansas, where abortion opponents regularly protested outside his clinic and sometimes his home and church. In 1993, he was shot in both arms by an abortion opponent but recovered.

You can read the rest of the story here.

This story is sad from so many viewpoints.

First of all, and most importantly, a human life has been ended needlessly. Yes, this man did much to advance abortion, but this fact DOES NOT excuse his murder! Not only this, but the man was killed while attending church services!!!

This will have many repercussions I think for the pro-life community. We must all immediately and unequivocally denounce this horrible action. We seek to change this world through peaceful and just actions, not through the taking of human life. That is against our very outlook.

I have already seen comments on Facebook and articles surrounding this tragedy that concern me greatly. There are those that are cheering this event as a triumph for the Pro-Life movement. This is NOT a time to rejoice! We must pray for this man's soul, as we should for all of the departed. We must also pray for this man's family in this time of tragedy, and for the shooter, who it looks like has been apprehended.

Finally, we pray for all those who see this as some sort of victory, or are taking joy in this crime. Yes, what he did in life was a horrible thing. He supported the killing of millions. However, that does not justify the use of violence to end his actions. He is a human being, with the intrinsic God-given dignity given to us all, and his life is worth no less than anyone else's. VIOLENCE IS NOT THE ANSWER!!! Whether or not the shooter did this for activist reasons, I can guarantee you all that the media and our opponents will use this event to vilify pro-lifers.

May grace and peace be with us all.

California Supreme Court Upholds Proposition 8

I have to admit, I was surprised that our supreme court here in the golden state upheld Proposition 8, which  in California, establishes the definition of marriage as being between a man and woman. The voters spoke, and they listened:

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The California Supreme Court upheld a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage Tuesday, but it also decided that the estimated 18,000 gay couples who tied the knot before the law took effect will stay wed.

Demonstrators outside the court yelled "shame on you!"

The 6-1 decision written by Chief Justice Ron George rejected an argument by gay rights activists that the ban revised the California Constitution's equal protection clause to such a dramatic degree that it first needed the Legislature's approval.

The court said the Californians have a right, through the ballot box, to change their constitution.

The rest of the article from the Associated Press can be read here.

The ruling did not mention of course the court's opinion as to whether they agree with Prop. 8, but they did say they were "limited to interpreting and applying the principles and rules embodied in the California Constitution, setting aside our own personal beliefs and values."

You mean to tell me that a court is there just to interpret laws and stay true to their intent, and not create their own laws? Go figure.

And kudos to the California Supreme court for doing the job they were supposed to do, instead of attempting to legislate from the bench. And thank you, justices, for listening to the California voters, and not giving in to pressure, even if of you do personally disagree with Proposition 8.

Immaculate Heart Radio's new surprise...

So we had a wonderful benefit dinner tonight with Patrick Madrid. He is an awesome guy, although he sounds taller on the radio. Sorry Patrick, couldn't resist. :)

One of the wonderful things we found out was a new little surprise that Immaculate Heart Radio has in store. It's a new station, in a small town. Just a mere 50,000 watts...

Click here to see the new territory covered.. Look closely. When you find the star, you'll find where that new station will be located as well... Quite an accomplishment! God is good indeed!

Support Immaculate Heart Radio!

Blessings and peace to you all. I'm goin' to bed now. :)

Pax,
Dean

Swine flu at local Sacramento parish school... UPDATED

I found out today that the school located at my parish, St. Mel's Catholic Church, has been temporarily closed due to a possible now confirmed case of the swine flu:

As reports of swine flu cases accelerated worldwide, Sacramento County public health and church officials temporarily closed a Catholic school in Fair Oaks on Sunday because a student there is ill with what may be the new strain of influenza.

Local testing showed the ailing teenager from St. Mel School didn't have a standard flu strain, so samples were sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, which could have results as early as today.

A St. Mel seventh-grader had been in Mexico during the school's Easter break, then became ill and went home early on Monday, the first day of class after the break, said Kevin Eckery, a spokesman for the Catholic Diocese of Sacramento.

Read the rest of the article here (as much as I hate linking to the Sacramento Bee)…

I think this was a good precaution to take. However, people must not over-sensationalize. Use common sense people. If your child gets sick, especially with flu-like symptoms, it is a good idea to keep them home. Practice good hygiene with your kids. Most of all, do not worry too much. Just stay on the look-out and be proactive.

Let us all pray for those affected by the swine flu. May this issue be solved soon, and those impacted return back to normal daily activities quickly.

Pax et bonum,
Dean

UPDATE 1 (1433): It has been confirmed that the illness at St. Mel's is swine flu. Read here.

UPDATE 2 (1914): Over at KCRA , they are reporting that the student in question is doing just fine. Deo Gratias! Right now, there are four other students being tested that have flu-like symptoms. Interesting, as I have heard different numbers everywhere... See the video here.

FINAL UPDATE IT SEEMS: Three out of four students reporting symptoms have been diagnosed. Maybe the numbers are correct this time. :) Read the story here.

New York has a new shepherd...

I watched the Installation Mass of New York's Archbishop Timothy Dolan. Right from the start, you can clearly tell where he stands on the issues:

The Resurrection of Jesus goes on in our apostolate for the struggling, searching, and marginalized, as thousands of those closest to Christ's Sacred Heart-the hungry, homeless, sick, troubled, and immigrants--find solace and help in our Catholic charities and healthcare. Conscious are we of former Mayor Ed Koch's observation that the Catholic Church is the glue that keeps this city together . . . and, and . . . the Resurrection goes on, as His Church continues to embrace and protect the dignity of every human person, the sanctity of human life, from the tiny baby in the womb to the last moment of natural passing into eternal life. As the Servant of God Terrence Cardinal Cooke wrote, "Human life is no less sacred or worthy of respect because it is tiny, pre-born, poor, sick, fragile, or handicapped." Yes, the Church is a loving mother who has a zest for life and serves life everywhere, but she can become a protective "mamma bear" when the life of her innocent, helpless cubs is threatened. Everyone in this mega-community is a somebody with an extraordinary destiny. Everyone is a somebody in whom God has invested an infinite love. That is why the Church reaches out to the unborn, the suffering, the poor, our elders, the physically and emotionally challenged, those caught in the web of addictions. (Emphasis mine. Rest of the homily is here.)

During this part of the homily, there was a thundering standing ovation for his clear defense of the unborn. Then another telling moment occurred. As the camera rolls back when everyone is applauding, there are two people in the corner of the screen that are seen just standing there silently with their hands folded in front of them. It was the Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg, and the Governor of New York State David Patterson. How sad that these two men will not stand up for what is clearly the right thing to do. Why will they not stand in defense of the most innocent of our population? Let us pray for these two politicians, and all others with authority will see that the "right to choose" is really not a choice at all, and ends in the murder of an innocent human life...

Let us also pray for Archbishop Dolan as he embarks on this new ministry! May he be an example and a light for those in his Archdiocese and beyond!

Blessings and peace dear brothers and sisters,
Dean

H/t to the Archdiocese of New York for the homily text and image.

For all the glitz and glamour that China threw into the Olympics...

... they still can't quite cover up that pesky human rights record of theirs. First we have this from Zenit:

ROME, AUG. 24, 2008 (Zenit.org).- China's spectacular results in the Olympic medal tally are not matched, unfortunately, when it comes to its performance in respecting religious freedom and human rights.

The heavy-handed repression of Tibetan opposition some months before the games left no doubt about the firm resolve of Chinese authorities to stamp out any opposition. Neither did the crackdown on Christian activists days prior to the opening of the Olympic event. Read the rest of the story here...

Then, also from Zenit, we have reports of another Bishop being arrested in China:

BEIJING, AUG. 25, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Shortly before the spectacular closing ceremonies of the Olympics, Chinese authorities arrested another bishop.

Bishop Julius Jia Zhiguo of Zhengding, who had already been under house arrest with 24-hour surveillance, was taken away by police Sunday. His current location has not been disclosed.

According to AsiaNews, the bishop had celebrated Sunday Mass in the cathedral earlier that morning. At about 10 a.m., he was taken away by four police officers.

One priest told the news agency, "After the Olympics, everything is back to the way it was before in China."

Bishop Jia, 73, has already spent 15 years in prison, from 1963 to 1978. Since 1989, he has been under strict police monitoring. His arrest on Sunday marks the 12th time he has been detained by police.

In a message regarding the Olympics from Hong Kong's Coadjutor Bishop John Tong Hon, he listed six more prelates (besides Bishop Jia) who are missing or under arrest. He characterized these seven bishops as just "a few" of the "prominent cases."

Let us pray for the leaders of the Chinese government, that they may stop this oppression, and allow their people to live in a free society...

Pax et bonum,
Dean

Surely Pelosi holds true to Catholic moral teaching, right?

Yes folks, that title is my pathetic attempt at sarcasm...

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, from right here in the Golden State of California, seems to have stuck her foot in her mouth, once again, regarding the abortion issue. Not only does she totally misrepresent Catholic teaching (remember, she professes to be a Catholic), she claims to have studied the issue in depth for some time, and yet shows total ignorance of the Right to Life issue. Here's a video from her interview with Tom Brokaw on Meet the Press:



And here is the response of ten other Catholic members of the House of Representatives to Mrs. Pelosi's comments. You will need a PDF reader for the file:

Click here for the letter.

Blessings and peace,
Dean

H/t to Thomas Peters, who has some very good comments about the whole thing at this post.

President Bush and Pope Benedict meet...

There have been rumors lately that President Bush may convert to Catholicism after he leaves office, after the fashion of Tony Blair. Wouldn't you like to be a fly on the wall (or one of those bushes) during this conversation?

Take care everyone and oh yeah:

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!! :)

Pax Christi,
Dean

Tip of the Hat to Deacon's Bench

Library worker arrested for doing what is right...

Link to the original story...

A library employee sees a man viewing pictures of naked little boys on a public computer. Woman decides to report man to police. Police arrest man, and find more child pornography in his home. So what is the next logical event?

Does said employee get kudos or a thanks for reporting the man?

No, she gets fired!

The Lindsay, Ca. library assistant Brenda Biesterfeld, initially reported the situation to her supervisor. The supervisor in turn told her not to report the issue. Ms. Biesterfeld did anyway, which led to the arrest of this man, and the finding of additional child porn in his residence. The supervisor then got angry with her, saying she didn't have any loyalty to the county.

Ms. Biesterfeld's awesome response?

"I am a mother and a citizen also, not just a county employee."

Ms. Biesterfeld was soon fired...

And the supervisor in question, Judi Hill? SHE EVEN TRIED GETTING THE POLICE TO CALL OFF THE INVESTIGATION!!!

Now, I am all one for free speech. After all, blogs wouldn't be possible without free speech.

BUT THESE PEOPLE ARE NUTS!

I am sufficiently worked up now. The weather is beautiful outside, I think it's time I go take a breather... :)

Oh, and Ms. Biesterfeld: Thank you for standing up for what is right!

God bless,
DJ

Tip of the hat to EWTNews and the Catholic News Agency.

Almost Forgot! The library in question, if anyone has an urge to look it up, say... for an address and phone number:

Here is a link to the Lindsay Branch...