By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer
Mary Ann Schoettly, a 66 year old divorcee and mother of three was automatically excommunicated when she was “ordained” a priest in a Jewish synagogue outside Philadelphia on Sunday. The “pseudo-ordination” was denounced by Philadelphia’s Cardinal Justin Rigali.
Read the rest
A few listeners have called in to our radio broadcast, Women of Grace® Live, heard Monday through Friday at 11 AM (ET) and available via podcast on our website, www.womenofgrace.com, expressing fear about the direction our current president is taking the nation. Not only is there concern about violations regarding the dignity and worth of the human person from the moment of conception to natural death, but there is a great fear mounting with regard to the vilification of Catholics and Christians in the press and in potential policy. Recent statements identifying pro-life individuals and Catholics as “national terrorists” has frightened many.
In light of these calls, I am offering to you again a blog I wrote following the November, 2008 elections. It deals with fear and trust. I do hope it is of value to you. As always, I welcome your comments.
Read the rest
By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer
A new survey has found that 10 percent of America’s estimated 230 million adults are former Catholics, while 2.6% of American adults are converts to Catholicism. Thus there are roughly 4 adult Americans who have left the faith for every 1 who has entered the Church.
Read the rest
By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer
The former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, Mary Ann Glendon, who was scheduled to receive an award at Notre Dame’s Laetare Medal at the school’s ill-fated commencement on May 17, has notified University president Fr. John Jenkins that she is declining the award and will not attend the ceremony.
Read the rest
On April 19 I was one of four speakers at the Boston Women's Conference, an outreach in the Archdiocese of Boston and held at Boston College. An attendee approached me through the course of the day and commented on my scapular. It is a bit of a dainty affair and features a picture of Our Lady and the Sacred Heart. She asked me if the Women of Grace website contained any information about the scapular. I expressed to her that it did not, but that I would consider adding information about this devotional and sacramental to the site. In the meantime, however, I offer the following article that I wrote about the scapular for an issue of
Canticle Magazine: The Voice of Women of Grace. I hope you find it useful and beneficial, that it clears up any questions you might have regarding the scapular, and that it creates a desire in your own heart to be invested in this holy way of life.
Read the rest
By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer
Unconfirmed reports are saying that Notre Dame president Fr. John Jenkins may have been summoned to the White house on Wednesday of last week. The university has given no statement on the matter, but a private jet owned by Notre Dame did file a flight plan to Washington for April 22.
Read the rest
By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer
A new controversy is brewing in the UK over whether or not couples should be allowed to store embyros for the purpose of using them later to cure diseases or create new body parts for themselves. One U.S. is already offering these services.
Read the rest
By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has written to all U.S. Representatives asking them to support the Pregnant Women Support Act which will provide common sense support to pregnant and parenting women and their families.
Read the rest
By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer
Experts say the Vatican’s “doctrinal assessment” of dissident U.S. nuns involved in the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) is long overdue.
Read the rest
By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer
Mari Loli Lafleur, one of four children from Garabandal, Spain who allegedly saw the Blessed Virgin on numerous occasions between the years 1961-65, died on April 20 at the age of 60.
According to a report by Pewsitter.com, Mari Loli had been ill for some time after being diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis and Lupus in 2002 at a Boston hospital.
Joey Lomangino, the founder of the U.S. based apostolate for Garabandal issued a brief statement on April 21 announcing her death.
The apparitions occurred between 1961 – 1965 in the small village of Garabandal located 55 miles southwest of Santander, Spain. There has been no official statement issued from Rome regarding the Church’s opinion on the events of Garabandal. Local bishops have long been skeptical of the events even though they have never been officially condemned or approved.
However, it is worth noting that in his “Official Note” of July 8, 1965, Bishop Eugenio Beitia of Santander wrote, “We point out, however, that we have not found anything deserving of ecclesiastical censorship or condemnation either in the doctrine or in the spiritual recommendations that have been publicized as having been addressed to the faithful, for these contain an exhortation to prayer and sacrifice, to Eucharistic devotion, to veneration of Our Lady in traditional praiseworthy ways, and to holy fear of God offended by our sins. They simply repeat the common doctrine of the Church in these matters.”
The Garabandal Prophecies are most famous for the prediction of four supernatural events:
• A worldwide warning to be experienced by everyone on earth. Its purpose would be to call humanity to amend its behavior and return to God.
• A great miracle that will occur in the late winter or early spring within one year after the warning.
• A permanent sign that will remain for all time at a pine grove near Garabandal.
• A terrible chastisement or punishment that is conditional to some extent, based upon how well mankind heeds the messages of Garabandal.
Mary Loli was the only seer, who knew the year of the warning. Conchita, another one of the visionaries, knows the nature of the great miracle as well as the exact date – and has been charged with announcing this to the world eight days before it happens.
© All Rights Reserved, Living His Life Abundantly/Women of Grace.
http://www.womenofgrace.com
Read the rest
