Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Thanks in part to you, "Live Action!" :)

Planned Parenthood's
President Cecile Richards,
live ...

2011 was "Worst Year for Planned Parenthood"


Snippet from the American TFP's magazine, Crusade. March / April 2012.

www.tfp.org

"Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards, in a Thanksgiving note to her supporters called 2011 the most difficult year in our history.

"Live Action released several undercover videos showing Planned Parenthood employees aiding sex traffickers and covering up the sexual abuse of minors.

"The U.S. House and the states of Florida, Indiana, Kansas, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin enacted legislation to cut tax - based funding for Planned Parenthood.

"And several former Planned Parenthood employees will testify against their former employers in a Congressional criminal investigation to determine whether the group ignores criminal conduct or uses federal funding to pay for abortions..."

Cool story, huh??!! :)

Monday, February 27, 2012

Navis Pictures founder and filmmaker Jim Morlino ...

... his wife, Frances, and their six homeschooled children ...


"Holy Losers: What the little - known martyrs of the Vendée can teach us"


Random snippets from the Catholic Answers Magazine's Tim Ryland interview with filmmaker Jim Morlino.

March - April 2012 issue.

Website: Catholic.com/magazine .

"In February, Navis Pictures released its latest film, The War of the Vendée.

"It tells the story of the short - lived resistance movement in the countryside of western France to the anti - Catholic Republican government sprung from the French Revolution in the eighteenth century.

"It is the second full - length feature for Navis Pictures, which in 2009 released St. Bernadette of Lourdes.

"The company works with a unique conceit: Its full - length, Hollywood - quality movies are peopled exclusively with nonprofessional child actors, teenagers and younger.

"Navis Pictures founder Jim Morlino lives in Connecticut with his wife, Frances, and their six homeschooled children.

"He spoke with Catholic Answers Magazine managing editor Tim Ryland about his latest release and the apologetic potential of filmmaking...."

Now, for more on Morlino's choice to use child actors!

Question:

"Do you think it might be a stumbling block for some viewers as to believeability?"

Morlino's reponse:

"Perhaps for some.

"But because of the genuine innocence and honesty of the performances, I've found most people just tend to forget they're they're watching children after the first 10 minutes or so..."

Way to go, good people! :)

"Is this true ...?"

Wow
!

¡Guau!

You don't say??!! :)

How
Jesus conned 4,000 people ...

...into sharing
all the contents of their already - overflowing picnic hampers ...

... & Styrofoam ice chests...??!!

Catholic Answers'
Magazine's Fr. Vincent Serpa vs.


"My son's religion teacher..."

March - April 2012 issue.

Question:

"My son's religion teacher told his class that when Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish, it was actually the people who took out extra food, and this was how there was enough food to feed the four thousand.

"Is this true?"

Fr. Serpa's answer:

"Apparently this fallacy is still making the rounds.

"It's not true.

"There is nothing in Scripture to suggest it.

"The Church certainly doesn't teach it.

"Our Lord and Savior was quite capable of multiplying the loaves and fish.

"To find greater credibility in the people sharing than in Jesus working a miracle is to have a problem with faith.

"--Fr. Vincent Serpa -- "

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Franciscan sister Marianne Cope.

"New York Nun to be Canonized"


Yet another snippet from the American TFP's magazine Crusade. March / April 2012.

"Marianne Cope, a Franciscan sister who lived in the 1800s, is only one step away from being declared a saint.

"She helped establish St. Elizabeth Hospital in Utica and St. Joseph's Hospital in Syracuse before going to Hawaii to care for those with leprosy.

"A woman on her death bed was miraculously cured through her intercession.

"The Congregation for the Causes of Saints approved the miracle and Pope Benedict XVI is expected to soon approve the recommendation and set a date for the canonization ceremony ..."

Way to go, Holy Father! :)

Friday, February 24, 2012

"The Tebowing Trend"

More snippets from the American TFP's magazine, Crusade. March / April 2012.

"Bronco football star Tim Tebow is a prolife, home - schooled Christian who likes to kneel on one knee to make a short prayer during his football games, especially at the beginning, and after scoring points.

"The practice of tebowing is now spreading and is defined as getting down on a knee and praying after an achievement, even if not in a religious setting, to give thanks to God.

"www.tebowing.com has collected thousands of images of tebowing pilots, soldiers, surgeons and others from New York and Haiti to Singapore and North Korea ..."

Way to go, great people! :)

PBS study tells us all the undisputed truth:

"Three Reasons why Liberals are Sad"



Snippets from the American TFP magazine, Crusade. March / April 2012 issue.


"According to a PBS study, liberals are wealthier than conservatives but conservatives are happier than liberals.

"Liberal ideology considers all inequality unfair while conservatives happily see that inequalities exist according to personal and family merits.

"Liberals also feel entitled to benefits while conservatives believe people get what they pay for.

"Lastly, liberals consider income a bigger factor of happiness than conservatives ..."

Interesting! :)

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Southwest Texas, U.S.A.

Brackettville, 78832.

Class of 2012.

Three more B.H.S. seniors ready to challenge the Real World.

Congratulations to Mr. Jeffrey Herrera, Ms. Yanira Perez & Mr. Eric Falcon.

Two of them, Ms. Yanira Perez and Mr. Eric Falcon, are even from Yolanda Rueda's Culinary Arts Class.

Yolanda
has for sometime now been the B.H.S.' legendary haute cuisine teacher!

And already her own example has inspired Yanira to dream that someday she'll "open my own diner..."

Otherwise, in the next ten years, as they shared their hopes recently with the Kinney County Post, Tuesday, February 21, 2012, we hear:

Mr. Jeffrey Herrera --
I'll be "Living in a nice place with my wife and 5 or 6 kids ..."

Ms. Yanira Perez --
I'll be "A successful nurse and just starting to open my own diner ..."

Mr. Eric Falcon -- I'll be "Continuing my career as an architect ..."

Way to go, great and cheerful people, although in a way it's kind of sad to lose you all ... :(

Good luck! :)

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

"Repent and believe in the Gospel (Mark 1:15)"

"For our sake He made Him to be sin Who did not know sin ... (2 Cor. 5:21)"


Southwest Texas
, U.
S.A.

Saint Mary Magdalene's Catholic Parish Church


Brackettville, 78832.

Timely & well - prepared Altar Server Team makes a big difference at the First of Three Ash Wednesday 2012 liturgies!

Ash Wednesday. February 22, 2012. 8:00 a.m. Mass. TEAM: Ms. Danielle Gerardo + Ms. Brianna Flores & Mr. Alex DeHoyos.

Great service, young people, we're real proud of you! :)

When applying the ashes after Mass the priest or the deacon said to each one of us: "Repent and believe in the Gospel (Mark 1:15)"

Good job, everyone! :)

Dr. Albert Mohler!!

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's president opines on the:

"Obama Contraception Mandate"


"[It's] not only a Catholic issue ...

"our religious liberty is being similarly subverted and attacked..."

Snippets from an article in the Catholic newspaper, The Wanderer. Thursday, February 16, 2012.

By Ben Johnson, it's called 65 Orthodox Church bishops Call on Obama To Rescind The Contraception Mandate...

"Dr. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said on a daily podcast that any law requiring people of faith to violate their conscience is not only a Catholic issue ... our religious liberty is being similarly subverted and attacked ...

"Late last year, 60 religious leaders, mostly Protestants as well as two Orthodox Jewish spokesmen, signed a letter to President Obama, stating ..."

So, here's what they stated:

"It is emphatically not only Catholics who deeply object to the requirement that health plans they purchase must provide coverage of contraceptives that include some that are abortifacients ..."

Good comments, great and good people: keep up the fight! :)

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

February 23. Feast Day of Saint Polycarp.

Southwest Texas, U.S.A.

Saint Mary Magdalene Catholic Parish.

Brackettville, 78832

February 22. ASH WEDNESDAY 2012


Tomorrow's Parish Liturgical Schedule:

"7:00 a.m -- 12 noon -- 5:00 p.m."

"Stations of the Cross -- Every Friday at 6:00 p.m."

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Sunday, February 19, 2012.

Saint Mary Magdalene Catholic Parish's:

"First Winter Festival!"


Brackettville, Texas 78832.

"After the 10:30 a.m. Mass..." :)

February 21. Feast Day of Saint Peter Damian.

February 17. Feast Day of the Seven Founders of the Servites.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Saint Thomas More's whimsical -- and timely! -- quote:

"Some men say the earth is round and some say that it is flat.

"If it is round, can the King's command flatten it; and if it is flat, can Parliament make it round?"

Snippet from Andrew Napolitano's article, What Is A Just War? In the the Catholic newspaper, The Wanderer. Friday, February 9, 2012.

The author's comment:


"Of course, the answer to those questions is no, and the reason it is no is that kings and parliaments -- all governments -- just like all living beings, are subject to the laws of nature.

"One of those laws was articulated by Aquinas and embraced by More and accepted by Thomas Jefferson and taught by many Judeo - Christan scholars, and was eventually engrafted into treaties and into American law.

"It is the concept of the just war.

"In American law and culture, for war to be valid, it must not only be lawful, meaning either declared by Congress or defensive; it must also be just..."

And, so??!!

"When President Obama announced last April that he was sending the United States military to bomb Libya, he not only violated the United States Constitution, which he has taken an oath to uphold, but he also violated the moral principles of the just war..."

MORE:

www. the wandererpress . com

Monday, February 13, 2012

Southwest Texas, U.S.A.

Saint Mary Magdalene's Catholic Parish,

Brackettville, 78832



From a casual church bulletin announcement -- The Weekend of January 14th & 15th 2012 -- to a not - so casual comment about it from the Papal Nuncio??

Addressed to San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo Garcia - Siller, personally?

Oh, my!

"ANNOUNCEMENT

"From now till the first week of May 2012, the weekly Wednesday confession [time] will temporarily be changed to before noon Mass on Wednesdays.

"That is to say instead of the normal 6:00 to 6:30 pm [schedule], it will now be [from] 11:20 am to 11:50am.

"The change is just temporary..."

Is that a fact??

Cool! :)

Southwest Texas, U.S.A.

Brackettville, Zip 78832


The Archdiocese of San Antonio's "Archbishop Gustavo Garcia - Siller will administer the Holy Sacrament of Confirmation at Saint Mary Magdalene Catholic Parish Church on April 29, at 5 p.m."


Adapted from this original source: The Brackett News Weekly. Thursday, February 9, 2012.


'Way to go, your exellency! :)

Southwest Texas, U.S.A.

"Train derails"

"Officials shut down U.S. Highway 90 due to potential hazards"

By Karen Gleason. Del Rio News - Herald. Tuesday, February 7, 2012.

"At least 20 Union Pacific Railroad cars derailed about 11 miles east of Laughlin Air Force Base early today.


"Kinney County Sheriff L.K. Buddy Burgess and Val Verde County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez, along with Texas Department of Public Safety officers, ordered U.S. Highway 90 closed between the base and the area of the derailment , about four - and - a - half miles east of the Sycamore Creek Bridge ..."

And, thanks to the prompt actions of all these fine gentlemen, things turned out o.k. -- after all! :)

February 14. Feast Day of Saint Cyril & Saint Methodius.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Pope Benedict XVI's YEAR of FAITH!

Ms.
Martha Fernandez
- Sardina lays it all out for us!


"We opened the door on 10 - 11 - 11..."

Now, we're already heading out joyfully all the way to 11 - 24 - 12 ....

Which will be the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King ...!

Snippets from her original article in Today's Catholic. Friday, January 27, 2012.


"Pope Benedict XVI shows no signs of slowing down the church's efforts to reach the whole world for Christ through a new evangelization!

"He is on a mission, he states in his apostolic letter Porta Fidei ..."

And here's what he says:

" Ever since the start of my ministry as the successor of Peter, I have spoken of the need to rediscover the journey of faith so as to shed ever clearer light on the joy and renewed enthusiasm of the encounter with Christ ...

"The church as a whole and all her pastors, like Christ, must set out to lead people out of the desert, towards the place of life, towards friendship with the Son of God, towards the One who gives life, and life in abundance..." (Porta Fidei, No. 2)

Back to Martha!

"Faith was never meant to be a solely private affair.

"Personal, yes, but not private -- as in hidden and never to shared, shown, or talked about in the public square.

"Quite the contrary!

"Our faith is based on revelation, and to reveal means to uncover, to make known, to bring to light, to show, outwardly, clearly, publicly!

"The pope reminds us of this in Porta Fidei...

"Are you ready?

"Because ready or not ... here it comes!

"The Year of Faith...! "

Way to go, Martha!! :)

Meanwhile:

South of Guadalajara, Mexico
...


Mexican Army seizes 15 tons of what sounds like amphetamines plus another 7 tons of miscellaneous chemicals.

Way to go amigos! :)

Lead story last night on Radio XEMULa Rancherita del Aire

Mexico's Drug Cartel War

"Desaparece narco a policías federales"

"314 elementos fueron asesinados"

"y 792 han resultado heridos"

"41 elementos desaparecidos durante la presente adininistración,

"la mayoría de ellos en Michoacán [19] y Tamaulipas [6]..."

Fuente original: EL UNIVERSAL / Zócalo / México. Miércoles 8 de febreo de 2012.


"Drug Cartels disappearing Federal Police"

"314 officers were murdered, and 792 more have been wounded"

"41 officers have disappeared during the present administration, the majority in Michoacán [19] and Tamaulipas [6].

Wednesday, February 08, 2012

"Lumen Gentium -- As a Light unto all Peoples"*

Shining away now in:

Southwest Texas, U.S.A. Zip 78832

YA Diana Hernandez Flores from Saint Blaise / San Blas Catholic Mission in Spofford, Texas.

YA Henry Fuentes from Saint Mary Magdalene's Catholic Parish in Brackettville, Texas.

Both Young Adults received their Lumen Gentium Award at the hands of Archbishop Gustavo Garcia - Siller in San Antonio on Thursday, February 2, 2012.

Original source: Sunday bulletin for Saturday, February 4, 2012 and Sunday, February 5, 2012.

As we're also told:

"The Lumen Gentium Award was initiated by Archbishop Gustavo as an annual award presented to those who have dedicated their talents to developing the life of the Roman Catholic Church in the parishes and missions, or who have served in an extraordinary way their particular ministries within their own parish or mission... "

Great job, good people!

Congratulations!! :)

* Dennis' own homeboy Latin to English translation! :)

February 11. Feast Day of Our Lady of Lourdes.

February 10. Feast Day of Saint Scholastica.

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Last night on Radio XEMU:

Piedras Negras, Coahuila, México

El R.P. José Valdez del Refugio de Migrantes Menores -- La Casa Inca

"Sí, hay problemas legales con nuestro gobierno federal en México, D.F..."

Father José Valdez of the House of Inca -- a sanctuary for migrant minors.

"Yes, there are legal problems with the our Federal Government in Mexico City ..."

Synopsis:

In keeping with authoritarian systems of government everywhere, Mexico's follows a two - faced public policy regarding migrants.

In a nutshell?

Mexico demands fair treatment for Mexican migrants -- outbound for the U.S. or already living here.

Uh - oh -- A DIGRESSION! :)

But!

By the way, this does not apply to Mexican nationals being rounded up and deported from the U.S.A.

Last year. we heard the bitter complaints for those being rounded up that upon arrival at Piedras Negras from a long bus ride from Arizona, all they got was so much zip.

They arrived in our part of the world. expecting assistance.

Instead, we were hearing them telling Radio XEMU that their beloved Mexican federal government granted each deportee absolutely nothing at all, while the local government granted them aid in the form of one(1) can of soda pop + one (1) baloney sandwich + directions to the bus station - "If you have the funds to buy a ticket, 'cause if not then yo'mama -- for all we care.."

End digression!

Mexico's hard - fisted government has readily counted on the American Catholic Episcopacy to rubber - stamp its every whim.

And the bishops -- both Anglo and Latino -- have groveled and done so.

At the same time, as we see in the classic DVD El Norte -- Mexico's federal government treats migrants from other Latin countries as so much dog doo - doo.

And this is the problem for Padre José: he believes he's being threatened by Mexico City because the Mexican Catholic Church offers emergency shelter to all young folks.

And, the Mexican government does not accept this!

So what?

Because!!

The Mexican government also knows the American Catholic episcopacy will keep its collective mouth shut and simply mumble and shrug at any questions about "Why can't American bishops go inside Mexico and do what the Blessed Pope John Paul II did inside Communist - ruled Poland: fearlessly beard the lion in its den and -- in his case anyway! -- publicly demanding justice for the Polish workers and their families??!!"

D*m*! :(

February 8. Feast Day of Saint Jerome Emiliani.

February 8. Feast Day of Saint Josephine Bakhita.

Monday, February 06, 2012

"Del Rio Sector Border Patrol Agents Continue to Seize Marijuana"

Snippets from the Kinney County Post. Tuesday, January 31, 2012.

"DEL RIO, Texas -- U.S. Border Patrol agents seized over half a million dollars worth of marijuana in two incidents this week."

One haul was 62 pounds of la mota (pot) with a street value of $49,680.

The second was 579.6 pounds of pot (la mota) with a street value of $463,680.

Way to go, guys!

Keep up the great work... :)

Youth Explosion Hamburger Fundraiser Deemed a Success

Southwest Texas, U.S.A. 78832.

Saint Mary Magdalene Catholic Parish Church, Brackettville.


Looked like a great turnout for yesterday's Sunday morning Youth Explosion Hamburger Fundraiser after the 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass.

And this in spite of the threatening rain clouds & chilly breeze from out of the North.

Plus!

This time, not only were most of the ladies who made such a difference @ last November's Feast of Sharing - Giving back on the serving again, but!

T
his time they seemed to have also brought the young men in their lives with them...

Great job, everyone, congratulations! :)

Saturday, February 04, 2012

Southwest Texas, U.S.A. 78832

"Guest Speaker for the Brackett Rotary on January 26th ...

was
Kinney County Librarian Sara Terrazas"


Thanks to the Kinney County Post. Tuesday, January 31, 2012.

"Sara spoke about the various programs offered by the Kinney County Library.

"Libraries are no longer just places to check out books.

"A wide variety of programs, services and classes are offered.

"Rotary was pleased to have Ms. Terrazas visit and give a well - planned and informative talk.

"We particularly look forward to the new E - Book service which will be on line in May of 2012.

"Ms. Terrazas praised the Friends of the Library for the outstanding work of raising funds for this worthwhile and innovative service..."

Way to go great people! :)

February 6. Feast Day of Saint Paul Miki and his Companions.

Local Brackettville, Texas Baptist minister does fine, succinct paraphrase of Mark 16:16.

More Marquee Magic from the Frontier Baptist Church, zip 78832.


Reverend Ned Sitzes, Pastor.

"Either Jesus Pays, or You Do"

"Life is Hard, Afterlife could Be Harder"

Way to go, Reverend! :)

Southwest Texas, U.S.A. 78832.

Two more Brackett H.S. seniors of the Class of 2012 ready for college!

Congratulations to Ms. Maria Garcia & Ms. Alicia Guerrero.

Thanks to the Brackett News Weekly. Thursday, February 2, 2012.

Friday, February 03, 2012

The aggressively bi - sexual Italian Archbishop of Manfredonia (e Viete):

Archbishop
Pasquale Gagliardi

Long before the sexually depraved founder of the Legionaries of Christ was even born, Pope Leo XIII -- perhaps unwisely! -- appointed
this future arch - enemy of Saint Padre Pio to this post.

On April 19, 1897.

To be exact!

In a book review by Hurd Baruch -- called
Will the Real Padre Pio Please Stand Up? -- the reviewer lays it all out for us!

In a nutshell?

Msgr. Pasquale Gagliardi intuitively spotted Padre Pio as a priest to be both loathed and feared.

And so, it seems!

He even claimed to have "personally discovered" a "young woman between 17 and 20" spending the night in Padre Pio's cell as a sort of "private - duty nurse!"

As for the archbishop's own sexual peccadilloes -- as long as they were female Popes Benedict XV and Pius XI seemed willing to tolerate him.

But!

As Baruch points out: when the word leaked that the archbishop was becoming more and more a homosexual predator -- then he was forced to resign.

Most likely by Pope Pius XI.

On October 1, 1929.

At the age of 69.8 -- no less!

Published in the New Oxford Review. Combined January - February 2012 issue.

Thursday, February 02, 2012

Southwest Texas U.S.A. 78832.

Kinney County Youth "On the Move!"


Ms. Elizabeth Flores -- Brackett H.S. Class of 2012. She plans on college, pursuing a career in pharmacy.

Way to go, Elizabeth!

Mr. Andrew R. Kennedy -- Makes Fall 2012 Dean's List @ Sul Ross State University -- Rio Grande College.

Way to go Andrew!

Thanks to the Brackett News Weekly. Thursday, January 26, 2012.

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

1937 - 2012: Seventy - five years on the air waves!

Radio XEMU -- Piedras Negras, Coahuila, México.


Mexican Army makes a haul in Colonia Los Cumbres, Piedras Negras, Mexico.

New Comandante gives a conciliatory live radio interview.

Says it's "an honor for me to be here...."

Mexican Radio XEMULa Rancherita del Aire

Over the past week or so, the Army grabbed a couple of "suspected delinquents," in Colonia Los Cumbres."

Not far from where we once lived ....

The soldiers seized arms, ammunition, a few grenades and what sounded like several Japanese throwing stars, too!

The two clowns didn't seem to appear to the Army to be the sharpest swords in the Cartel's scabbards, so "the civilians" were given custody of them...

Last night the new Comandante for Piedras Negras gave a respectful on - air interview to assure all of us that it's an honor to be here with you all, and that we're going to be sure to carry on..." :)

The twin evils of hatred and indifference ...

From the
Rwandan Genocide to a Rwandan Peace - keeping Unit in North Darfur, Sudan.


A thoughtful Rwandan Army Lieutenant ponders his firsthand experience of the twin evils of indifference and hatred in both places and the healing role in Rwanda today of Marian mysticism.


Snippets from an informal interview given by him to a former U.S. contractor "with the African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur."

Mr. M.P. Summers' fabulous article is titled A Continent of Contradictions. In the January - February issue of The New Oxford Review.

"When I first came to Sudan, I saw a dead woman in the market square in Shangil Tobaya -- not the first one I'd seen and I suspect not the last.

"She had been stoned to death -- for adultery most likely.

"They buried her up to her waist and had the market children do the stoning.

"I drove by with three Nigerian officers.

"The laughed as we passed and made comments about her looks.

"These men were not even fazed by the evil that had occurred in front of their faces.

"That poor wretched woman died at the hands of evil, an evil that I recognized.

"That upset me greatly.

"And those poor wretched kids who did the killing were manipulated by evil.

"That upset m even more ...."

Rwandan Genocide

"I'll tell you a little - known fact about Rwanda.

"Thirteen years before the genocide, the Blessed Mother of God appeared before three school children in the village of Kibeho.

"She gave them a message of hope and a foretelling of violence.

"The visions of death they saw were were horrible and incomprehensible at the time.

"Thirteen years later the last of the violence took place on the very spot where Blessed Mary appeared.

"One of [those] schoolchildren was among the victims hacked apart on that spot.

"She was martyred through indifference.

"Indifference blinded men to ignore the Mother of God in order to murder their fellow man.

"What has happened to my country since the killing ended?

"When we regained control, did we avenge ourselves against our neighbors?

"No, love enveloped the country.

"A love and forgiveness that, I like to think, only a heavenly mother could instill in her children...

"Our horror started through hatred and indifference.

"It has ended with love and forgiveness ..

"Men asked for forgiveness face - to - face.

"W. deal with our countrymen who committed the atrocities on a village level.

"If a man killed his neighbor, he goes to the family and asks for forgiveness ..."

A fascinating account, huh??!!

You bet! :)


The NEW OXFORD REVIEW

A one - year subscription is only $19.00!

Click online for more details! :)

February 3. Feast Day of Saint Blaise & Saint Ansgar.

February 2. Feast Day of The Presentation of the Lord.