Some of these articles are just brief blurbs with links to other articles, others are complete articles.

National Catholic Reporter

CatholicCulture.org

"Voices from the Desert" (This website we would consider questionable in their facts and conclusions, such as "dwindling church attendance." Also, they are an advocacy group/site for those abused by priests, and usually these organizations are just a front for anti-Catholic, anti-Church, "reform" nonsense. Nevertheless, we want to share with you the breadth of coverage here.)

This quote from the eminently quotable C.S. Lewis, from his book Mere Christianity, is so appropriate for our Church today and our diocese in particular. In our case, the sense of Bishop Galante, Msgr. McGrath and others is that we must move "forward" and be "progressive." We must close up those stodgy old churches that are too "Catholicy" in favor of the new-fangled non-denominational megachurch model, with their big screens, fancy sound systems, new spiritual techniques, and hip new "ministries." Here's what Mr. Lewis has to say about those reluctant to look back on "old" ways that were not broken in the first place, and bullheaded insistence on false progress.

You may have felt you were ready to listen to me as long as you thought I had anything new to say; but if it turns out to be only religion, well, the world has tried that and you cannot put the clock back. If anyone is feeling that way I should like to say three things to him.

First, as to putting the clock back. Would you think I was joking if I said that you can put a clock back, and that if the clock is wrong it is often a very sensible thing to do? But I would rather get away from that whole idea of clocks. We all want progress. But progress means getting nearer to the place where you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man. We have all seen this when doing arithmetic. When I have started a sum the wrong way, the sooner I admit this and go back and start over again, the faster I shall get on. There is nothing progressive about being pigheaded and refusing to admit a mistake. And I think that if you look at the present state of the world, it is pretty plain that humanity has been making some big mistakes. We are on the wrong road. And if that is so, we must go back. Going back is the quickest way on.

The Harris Poll tracks "prestige" and ranks "priest/minister/clergy" at 41%. The Harris poll makes a point of explaining that to the American people, monetary reward is usually divorced from the concept of "prestige," which is why we see teachers and firefighters so highly regarded according to this poll.

The Lemoyne-Zogby poll however, since it is commissioned by the USCCB, consistently claims that American bishops are held in high regard by American Catholics, something we find very difficult to believe. But then again, they are reporting these findings to their employers who, let's face it, pay them to conduct said studies.

One always has to look at the questions asked. For example, in the most recent Lemoyne-Zogby poll, they gave respondants only two options, optimism or pessimism (and varying shades of optimism and pessimism), in their assessment of the Church's future. Common sense indicates, however, that when it comes to a great variety of topics, many people would not describe their attitude as either "optimistic" or "pessimistic," but often "neither" or "uncertain" or perhaps "wary." None of these were options, however. Any pollster knows that when you limit and control the respondants' options, you also control the results. In the worst of polls, you can ascertain your outcomes.

Options for self-identification were somewhat odd also. "Traditional" or "traditionalist" were not among the options, for example, but "born again" was. Have you ever met or heard of a "born again Catholic?" They also had "fundamentalist" and "evangelical" as options, but not "liberal," only "progressive."

More than ten percent of the respondants are not practicing Catholics in the sense that they go to mass less than once a month. Additionally,the number of people polled was small. Only 767 people identified as Catholic were polled, hardly a significant number of people, and who knows if the sample was representative since they give no indication of this on their site, nor do they share the margin of error or the poll results in a more raw form as in the Harris study. Based upon these facts alone, we would dismiss the Lemoyne-Zogby poll as nothing but propaganda for the USCCB.

Interestingly, the Catholic Register, a liberal publication, published an article back in September entitled, "Trust Evaporating: Poll Finds Clergy Trustworthiness Slips Preciptously." In the article they discuss Canadian Catholic findings, but also mention the above mentioned polls. A Fr. Clough stattes, "Who you don't know you don't trust," referring to the fact that the overall findings of the Canadian poll includes those who do not attend church. That seemed a little ironic to us, though, since in our own diocese it is, unfortunately, precisely those who we do know who we have come not to trust.

A Fr. Borean commented, "If I were bishop I would say, 'Gentlemen, you know we have something in front of us. We have to preach the gospel truly. When we do that there's no hidden interests, there's no personal agendas.'" Amen, Fr. Borean.

"Hypocrisy does not engender trust," said Father Clough. How true, how true.

You may read the entire article here, but we will be quoting from sections of this interesting essay, The American Church, Is it Here?, in anticipation of our look at Pope Saint Pius X's 1906 encyclical against the modernists entitled, Pascendi Dominici Gregis. The aforementioned article (and perhaps the encyclical, too!) may be perceived by some as radical, but the author's points are well made and ring startlingly familiar. It looks as if the original article was written in 1983.

Within his essay, author Michael Davies summarizes a 1981 article in the Homiletic and Pastoral Review. This article was written by an anonymous priest and discusses "the plight of the papist priest;" that is, the priest who is obedient to the pope and the magisterium (holy teaching authority) of the Church. Sadly, twenty-eight years later, you may find yourself recognizing many of these conditions as unfortunately present here in the American Catholic church. (However, it should be noted that under Pope Benedict XVI there is greater hope.)

1) Many American dioceses are ruled by bishops who are either Modernists or who submit to Modernist control of their diocese;

2) Modernists have a "lock-tight" control of the diocesan bureaucracy;

3) Priests who are loyal to the Pope have been reduced to a minority of one-eighth of the diocesan clergy;

4) These priests are isolated, ridiculed and have no hope of advancement;

5) Most seminaries are totally Modernist, and the students who are ordained from them are totally-programmed Modernists;

6) Modernist influence is particularly dominant in the fields of liturgy, catechetics, and the diocesan press;

7) The situation is certain to worsen;

8) Many American dioceses are already totally alienated from the Holy See;

9) Given the present process of consultation prior to episcopal appointments, there is no prospect of orthodox priests being promoted to the episcopate.

Further, the author Davies quotes states the following:

About half the clergy comprise the swing area: a vast mushy no-man's land where the priests will flip-flop wherever and whenever convenience dictates. At present this means conforming to the radical Modernist leadership. For some of these men, a nostalgia for Rome surfaces now and then, but is quickly submerged. Theirs is the tired refrain: "But this is what the bishop wants, and we took a vow of obedience to our bishop."

Therefore what we really have is disobedience to tradition, disobedience to clear Catholic Church teaching, and in its place a false obedience to sadly misled bishops who in turn mislead the faithful with the cooperation of their priests.

In our particular case, we have the lowering in status of our churches to "just buildings," as easily dispensable as old candy wrappers. In their stead, we face the prospect of what we already see in existence throughout our own and other dioceses: new, modern[ist] structures that are antiseptic, cold, round or semi-circular so as to promote the elevation of "community" above all things.* Said structures are typically lacking in ornamentation worthy of God, but replete with CatholicChurchSupply.com type furnishings. Such generic "auditorium"-like sanctuaries are often without statues and side altars, absent truly beautiful teaching art, yet manage to find space for the addition of un-catholic devices such as audio visual equipment and plenty of room beside the altar for rock bands and grand pianos. Worst of all is the removal Our Lord and Savior in the tabernacle to a side altar, separate chapel, or God knows where.

We know from historical precedent that the first thing "reformers" do is to destroy church architecture and furnishings. They destroy art and statuary, they desecrate holy things, they even torch buildings. All this and more has been done, and always in the name of progress, of Reformation. They know, perhaps intuitively, that the easiest way to change people's religion and how they worship is to change where they worship.

Yes, these structures are more recognizably non-denominational protestant in character than Catholic. And when we change church architecture so dramatically, we change the focus of the mass and the focus of our prayer, not to mention Catholic tradition and identity generally. When we change the focus of the mass, we succeed in changing the mass and, consequently, our very Faith.

Update: We have been informed that the church in question is the new Assumption Church in Galloway Township. How sad. You'll notice on the website that the exterior of the facility isn't so bad, but the inside is pretty sparse. I've been to the old Assumption Church and school, which is sitting on prime real estate in Pomona (and presumably why the new one is not located there) since I grew up not too far from there. It wasn't the most beautiful church in the world, nor was it the first one in that location. However it at least looked "Catholic" and was not a generic auditorium. If you're nervous about what your new McChurch would look like, just take a gander at the newest churches in the Diocese to get an idea.

Here are a couple of snippets of the comments sent to savestmarys in response:

• It looks like an evangelical, non-denominational Protestant place of worship. it reminds me of the River of Life Church in Cherry Hill, which is the church that my son's friend attend. On the outside, it does not look like a warehouse. The service begins with music which is scrolled on a screen in front of the church.

• I don't know where this church is; not familiar as one I have been to recently but it sure looks like a Catholic Charismatic Conference thing to me.  The Charismatic Ministry was once called Hearts Afire and Let the Fire Fall when it was so active in Steubenville, Ohio. That was in the 80's.The people from Steubenville used to travel around doing special presentations, especially around Pentecost. I can remember  being at masses where people sang like that and were "on fire" with the spirit.  People spoke in tongues and rested in the spirit...The altar is visible in one picture but it does seem diminished; does this happen every week at this church supposedly? We were to a church in Colorado where they had the big screens like this; it was so people could know the prayers being said we were told.  In some areas where there are great singers and musicians who volunteer their talents , I could see this happening.  The people seem middle aged and the right age to have been "charismatic Catholics" back in the day. Just an opinion.

In response to the Bishop of Scranton being removed, we received emails to this effect. Here is one of them:

• Terrific.  Maybe our diocese will be as lucky and this person some call our bishop will be recalled or whatever

***

We couldn't find any details, so does anyone know where in the diocese this mystery church is located? Click HERE for pictures. It is something called the "Hearts of Fire Ministry" and it appears very...not Catholic. The church looks like an auditorium, complete with sound system and giant screens. It very much resembles, truth be told, Gloucester County Community Church and other protestant megachurches we've seen, aside from the crucifix. You can't even see the altar since the giant praise choir must be covering it up with their backs. Tabernacle? Who knows. Morbid curiosity causes us to inquire.

"Our people were scattered around the country like refugees, " he says. "I thought, 'The church is a way to bring them home."
-Fr. Tony Ricard

So true! There are so many scattered sheep. Our churches are ways to bring them back to home to God and to the Faith. Closing them up just closes that familiar door, the only way they know back to return to Him.

Although following Katrina this parish was slated to be closed, the parish pitched in, with their pastor at the helm. They believed in themselves, their faith, their parish, and, well, you read the story. It'll bring tears to your eyes.

Click here to read article

Determined priest provides place for parishioners after Hurricane Katrina

by Sheila Stroup, The Times-Picayune

Sunday August 30, 2009, 5:00 AM

It was September 2005, and New Orleans was a ghost town. The 8th Ward neighborhood that surrounded Our Lady Star of the Sea lay in ruins. His rectory had taken in 6 feet of water from the levee failures that followed Hurricane Katrina.

But the ebullient priest never doubted that the red-brick church on St. Roch Avenue would reopen.

"There was something in my heart that told me, 'People are coming back to Our Lady Star of the Sea no matter what, ' " Ricard, 45, says. "So I never asked, 'What do we do if they don't come back?' I asked, 'What do we have to do to bring everyone back?' "

During 77 days of living in exile with his family near Leesville, his faith grew stronger.

"My parishioners were people who had always lived in New Orleans, and I knew they wanted to come home as much as I did, " he says.

The native New Orleanian -- "Father Tony" to his parishioners, the young men he mentors and members of the New Orleans Saints, for whom he serves as Catholic chaplain -- reasoned that if he opened the church, his flock would return to the city.

"Our people were scattered around the country like refugees, " he says. "I thought, 'The church is a way to bring them home.' "

The 75-year-old building, raised several feet above the ground, sustained relatively minor damage from Katrina: The air conditioning and heating units were ruined, and the wooden floor needed refinishing, but otherwise, the lovingly refurbished church was in good shape.

He and his parishioners had brought it back from the brink of death once already. He knew they could do it again.

"What we had going for us was faith and an awful lot of love, " he says.

. . . . . . .

When he became pastor in July 2001, the church at 1835 St. Roch Ave. was crumbling. Active members numbered 120, and there were rumors that the archdiocese was going to close the church.

But instead of performing the last rites, the young priest challenged the people to breathe life back into Our Lady Star of the Sea.

He told them, "I will bring my gifts to the table, but you need to bring your gifts, too."

His lively homilies made them believe in themselves and their church and convinced them to be generous during the offertory. The congregation grew week by week as word spread about the dynamic new pastor, and in eight months the working-class worshipers donated $50,000 to restore the church's interior.

"They were determined to save their parish, " he says.

At that time, a pastel mural behind the altar showed Mary surrounded by a host of fair-skinned angels.

"But all those angels had moved to Metairie, " Ricard jokes.

New Orleans artist Vernon Dobard convinced the new pastor that behind that wall were other angels trying to get out. As part of the renovation, the New Orleans artist created "The Dance of Holy Innocence, " a vibrant floor-to-ceiling mural that shows Mary surrounded by gorgeous angels in flowing gowns, representing the various cultures that have worshiped at Our Lady Star of the Sea.

"It was so beautiful, " Ricard says, "people cried when they saw it."

. . . . . . .

In the dark days that followed the hurricane, Ricard had another reason to reopen Our Lady Star of the Sea. His second parish, St. Philip the Apostle in the 9th Ward, had been under 10 feet of water for weeks and couldn't be salvaged. He wanted members of St. Philip's to have a place to call home.

"It was really a kind of natural migration, " he says.

He had been appointed pastor of that church a few months after becoming pastor at Our Lady Star of the Sea, and for five years he had the difficult job of dividing himself between the two church communities.

"It was like having two families, " he says. "It also meant I had two sets of old ladies who thought they knew everything about running a church."

At the same time, his reputation as a national speaker was growing, and he was traveling nearly every month.

"It was tough going back and forth, " he says. "It was a challenge for the parishioners and for me."

Katrina left far greater challenges in its wake, but Ricard was undaunted. On Christmas, less than four months after the storm, he celebrated Mass with more than 400 parishioners.

"I called it the 'we-opening' of our church, " he says.

In February 2006, after he learned that Our Lady Star of the Sea was not on the reopening list released by the Archdiocese of New Orleans, he asked for the chance to prove his church could survive.

He explained to the congregation what that meant: They would have to pay their bills. They would have to pay their monthly assessment to the archdiocese. They would have to come up with the money for repairs to the church.

"I told them, 'We have to do this all on our own, ' " he says.

They opened their hearts and their pocketbooks, and when Ricard traveled around the country speaking he would ask the congregations to take up a second collection for his church instead of paying him.

At the gospel Mass on Dec. 16, 2007, when he read the letter from Archbishop Alfred Hughes announcing the official reopening of Our Lady Star of the Sea, 525 people stood up and cheered.

"Today, we rejoice that like that reed swaying in the wind, we have not been broken by the disaster of Katrina, " their pastor told them. "We have not faltered. We have not failed."

(Click on the link above to read the rest of the article. Thank you to our friends at "The Insuppressible" St. Henry's Parish New Orleans for recommending it to us.)

I received my most recent Coming Home Network International newsletter yesterday. In it, evangelical convert Keith Moore describes his journey into the Catholic Church. A combination of largely unchurched, Methodist, "nondenominational," and house church in background, he describes his first experience inside a Catholic church. He was visiting Washington state and attended mass at St. Aloysius, near Gonzaga University.

I will never forget walking into that beautiful Cathedral. I had never seen the Stations of the Cross. I had never seen such amazing stained glass windows, not just for their beauty, but for the stories they told of God's work in our lives. The statues were amazing...they suddenly seemed to me very important because of what they pointed to. I was almost trembling by the time we left that day.

St. Aloysius was built in 1911. How many "new" or modern Catholic churches have you seen that contain purposeful, beautiful, and inspiring art? I myself have seen almost none. That's not to say that it cannot be done, but that it usually is not.

What we have already in existence in the Diocese of Camden are churches that already have these things. St. Mary's, though small, has these things. It is not just a building, it is truly a house of God. It is through sacred art and the structure of a traditional Catholic church that we learn about the Faith. In and of itself, by virtue of its presence, it is a means of evangelization.

Beautiful churches draws in those who who know little about Catholicism, often without them even realizing why. In attempting to make our churches, and therefore our Faith palatable to those currently outside it, many have tried to lower the bar and create "spaces" that are less overtly Catholic and consequently less intimidating to those who do not understand the purpose of beautiful art inside a house of God. But in doing this we lose the very thing that makes our Church attractive to those who seek to join It. Our traditional Catholic churches are treasures that not only have historic merit, but serve an important purpose in our continual conversion.

When I am at mass at St. Mary's, I see all around me in the stained glass windows the saints who are interceding for us in Heaven, the angels who are witnesses at each and every holy sacrifice of the mass, and I am reminded of my place in God's order. Churches like St. Mary's should not be so flippantly dispensed with. They are God's silent tools of conversion.

We received this email yesterday. It's basically what people have been predicting would happen all along. But maybe all the confusion, crowding, and lack of parking gives the Diocese the green light to build the protestant megachurches of their dreams. I, for one, am conspiracy minded enough to doubt that even those in the chancery office are so stupid as to underestimate the required parking and potential confusion of the situation they created.

However, they must be undergoing some turmoil and dissension in the ranks given that so many of the key players in the chancery's Parish Closure Program have mysteriously "left" over the past couple months. (I guess we can call it a "program" now that Ms. Marilyn Vollmer, national church shut-down queen, is gone. An appropriate name for the program might also be "Destroying God's Gifts.")  At least four of the key players have left, total. Msgr. Roger McGrath, remains, however. But maybe since he's in the area he'll come to our Assumption Feast and have such a good time, he'll learn to like us! Chicken barbecue's on us, Msgr. McGrath! Hope to see you there!

Here's the email:

I spoke with my mother, who attends that church on Saturday nights and just as I predicted, parking is a huge problem over there. My sister works nights so she needs to go to Mass as early as possible on Saturday nights. Unfortunately, when she arrived, there were no parking spaces left, so she was unable to stay. My mother got the last parking space so she was able to attend. However, the service began ten minutes late. She said she observed people talking during the service and leaving after staying only fifteen minutes! It sounds like there was lots of confusion there.

My mother actually lives in Maple Shade so I am hoping that she and my sister find a church in the Trenton Diocese that fits their schedule. Things are less crazy up there!

Also, in the Courier Post article, the Pastor of the new Church (community, whatever) said that Queen of Heaven church would not be sold for at least a year. If that's the case, then why did they close the church now?  Also, there are still some nuns who live at the Queen of Heaven convent. Does this mean that they will be thrown out and lose their home?

May God help us all.

On Sun. Aug. 16, 2009, Sharrott Winery of Winslow Township, NJ (not far from Hammonton) and Plagido's Winery of Hammonton, NJ will be hosting a wine tasting at St. Mary's Feast of the Assumption.

One ticket will allow feast-goers unlimited wine tasting throughout the day, plus a free souvenir wine glass. We also hope to be selling wine by the glass. Plagido's and Sharrott will have their wines available for purchase by the bottle as well.

Sharrott Winery won "Best Chardonnay" at a prestigious international wine competition. And having had Plagido's wines, I can tell you they are also very good! We are privileged to have two amazing wineries join our Feast!

Well known South Jersey band The Snake Brothers are scheduled to play at the Feast of the Assumption Festival on Saturday August 15th. They will also have CDs and things available for purchase! There are 3 CDs currently available, $15 each. You will not regret picking one up.

The Snake Brothers describe themselves as "South Jersey's own swingin', do-woppin', cowboyin', acoustic band." I think that about sums it up. I have their CD, South Jersey Waltz, and can tell you they are awesome. Do not miss it!

A huge thank you in advance to The Snake Brothers for your generous offer to play at our Feast! We are very much looking forward to it.

Other Feast News:
Remember, we also have 50-50 tickets ($10/ticket or if you'd like to try to sell a book let us know) and Chicken BBQ tickets for sale ($9). The Chicken BBQ, by the way, is reverting to the previous "BBQer" and barring any unforeseen hail storms (!!!) everything should be wonderful. In the past people have absolutely raved about how wonderful the BBQ chicken is. By the way, the chicken will be available on Sunday only. On Saturday we will have other food items that I'm sure will be delicious also. You may buy tickets before and after all masses as well as from Angela in the rectory. 856-694-2576

We will also be selling--but not in advance--tickets/bracelets for unlimited wine tasting. In addition, there will be wine by the glass. The wine is locally crafted from internationally award-winning South Jersey wineries. We will also have our beer garden. Please do not forget to sign up for the talent show. You do not have to be a member of the church to participate in the talent show! Call the rectory (or contact us) to sign up. 856-694-2576

We know that the church closures are not about money. Truly, whatever is lacking could surely be found. (The Diocese owns so much unused real estate and has plenty of money.) And besides, some of the most financially viable churches in the Diocese have been slated for closure. But many persist in believing the closures are about money.

Worse still, there are priests and pastors out there who claim that if a church cannot support itself, it has no right to exist.

(Keep in mind that debt is sometimes incurred due to the necessity of paying assessments to the Diocese and certain amounts to support local Catholic schools, whether or not parishioners actually make use of or can afford tuition at these schools. Barring these two things, most churches do not have any problem paying their utility bills and maintaining their properties. We should also remember that by virtue of threatening certain churches with closure, the bishop has scared off many Catholics from the Faith or their parishes altogether, causing a great deal of confusion, despair, and decreased church attendance, all of which affect collections.)

In any case, what we need to ask ourselves is this: As Christians, should it be the case that those churches who are wealthier deserve to exist, while those who are poorer do not? What kind of an attitude is that? Is it Catholic? Is it even Christian?

In fact, it is neither. Our Lord did not recommend that the poor go out and attempt to become rich, but that it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. Jesus said that the treasure of the poor would be great in heaven, and that the Kingdom of God belonged to them, that the heavenly banquet would be theirs!

The burden of coming to the aid of the less fortunate parishes in a Diocese falls upon the wealthier ones. And it is the job of the shepherds--the bishop and priests--to see to it that all the faithful have churches in which to worship. The effort to evangelize, not consolidate, should be in the forefront of all of our minds.

If it is believed that a prior pastor lacked the ability to financially manage his parish, then is it fair that the laity be forced to lose their church as a result? We of course know that this is only an excuse to do something we all know to be wrong, but the point is this: shepherds of  flocks in need should help them find ways to subsist.

Let us not delude ourselves. The role of a true pastor is not to persecute his flock, but to help them grow in Christ. He should be acting as a healer and not a henchman. No priest who plans on closing churches may be construed as a prophet unwelcome in his own country.

Let us look to St. St. John Vianney, one of the most unlikely saints of all. Thought to be a poor student, and having failed his seminary exams, he was finally ordained due only to his piety. He was sent to a teeny tiny French village called Ars:

Two decades after the French Revolution inspired massacres of 300 priests in France, there was a desperate need for priests....In a village of 40 houses, there were 4 taverns. Church attendance was very low, the farmers worked on Sunday, everyone spend their time drinking and swearing. It was a 'punishment parish' and the people laid bets on how long this new priest would last. But the new Cure of Ars surprised them all.

Someone peeked in his window and saw that he prayed all night. Others noticed that he removed all the fine furniture from the rectory and turned the parlour into a woodshed. He gave his clothes away to the poor and ate only two potatoes a day. Others reported that though his voice seemed to hurt their ears, his sermons stirred their hearts. He became part of the village life as well, visiting all the homes, and helping the villagers with their daily lives. He helped a shop owner with his bookkeeping, prescribed remedies for whooping cough, and when a tavern closed for lack of business, raised money for the owner to buy a farm, then tore the tavern down.

Twelve years later, people would say 'Ars is no longer Ars.' Everyone went to the three hour masses. The farmers prayed the rosary as they worked in the fields. When Father Vianney heard confessions, people would stand in line for hours....People travelled for miles and from around the world to make a confession to him. Sinners were converted at a few words from him. By the end of his life, he spend 16 to 18 hours a day in the confessional, and he was mobbed whenever he appeared. He heard 20,000 confessions a year, up to 300 a day.

In a country that had murdered great numbers of its priests, and discouraged the practicing of the Catholic faith John Vianney moved like a bright light, restoring faith and healing hearts....

The heroes of his youth were those priests who refused to submit to the French revolutionary government's nationalization of the Church, and risked martyrdom to celebrate Mass in secret in houses and barns of the faithful. John began to practice mortifications in imitation of these priests and as sacrifice for sinners from an early age.

When he was ordained and sent to Ars, he continued these austerities. He disposed of the fine furniture in the rectory, and used the money to help the poor of the parish. He spend hours in prayer, hours in the confessional and more hours serving the day to day needs of his parishioners.

In the entire village in which St. John Vianney lived, there were only a couple hundred people. Now a parish with 250 families is said not to have a right to exist! Oh how far we have fallen. This saint of saints and priest of priests spared nothing for his flock. What are the priests who should be imitating this great saint doing today? Busy figuring out how to close churches? We hope not. Let us pray that all priests, pastors, and bishops see the Light and heed the commands of Our Lord, to "preach the gospel to the poor."

I am fortunate to have a Eucharistic Adoration slot once a week. This gives me a little time for spiritual reading, among other things. I happen to love the many books written by Joan Carroll Cruz, such as The Incorruptibles, Secular Saints, and the one I had with me, which is called Miraculous Images of Our Lady. I was reading about Our Lady of Siluva (see also this link).

Our Lady of Siluva
In the early through mid-1500s, Lutherans and Calvinists were able to win over converts in Lithuania, but only among the nobles and ruling class. The peasantry (the vast majority of the people) remained staunchly Catholic, but were persecuted. Church properties were confiscated and turned over to Protestants. In 1570 the church in Siluva was similarly threatened and in his wisdom, the pastor, Rev. John Halubka, collected

some of the church's treasured articles including a few vestments, a favorite image of the Madonna and Child that hung above the main altar, and the church's records. Placing them in a metal-covered oak chest, he buried it a short distance from the church near a large rock. This was providential, since the church was soon seized by Protestants.

Finally, in 1588, a new law was passed which gave Catholics the right to repossess church properties unjustly taken from them, but the documents clearly proving previous ownership were required. For the church at Siluva, documents could not be found to prove that Peter Giedgaudas had given the land to the Church in 1457.

...in the summer of 1608...children shepherding their flocks, saw a beautiful lady standing on a large rock. Holding a child in her arms, the lady wept bitterly. Startled by the vision, one of the children ran to a Calvinist teacher, Mikola Fiera, who promptly claimed it to be an apparition of the devil who was trying to draw people away from Calvinism.

Hearing about the vision, people flocked to the rock. The Calvinist teacher continued to insult and riducule the people for paying any creedance to the children. But the Lady and Child appeared again. Fiera, the Calvinist, asked Her, "Why are you weeping?"

Sadly the vision answered, "Formerly in this place my son was adored and honored, but now all that the people do is seed and cultivate the land." Saying this, the lady and child disappeared.

The Calvinists tried to dismiss and argue against the apparation, but the people knew that they saw Our Lady and the Holy Infant Jesus. Shortly thereafter, Mikola Fiera left Siluva. The bishop had the matter fully investigated. A blind man, having heard about the vision,

remembered the metal-covered oak chest that the pastor had buried years before....when...taken to the rock, his sight was immediately restored. He was then able to indicate the exact location of the chest.

Inside they found all the contents, including a miraculously undamaged picture of the Virgin and Child. Now having the papers in their possession, the Catholics were able to get their church back, although it took years of court negotiations with the Calvinists. Because of the sheer number of people attending the church, it had to be expanded and expanded again in 1786 (picture left). By order of the bishop, in 1663 a chapel was built in the exact location of the rock, but again the sheer number of people required its expansion in 1818 and then in 1924. (The apparition was officially approved by Pope Pius VI.) The miraculous image has been credited with many countless healings.

We may even visit a shrine to Our Lady of Siluva in Washington DC at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, where beautiful mosaics depict the story.
 

Our Lady's Desire
In the case of Our Lady of Siluva, She wanted Her Son to be worshiped, the church returned to Catholic hands. In the history of our Catholic faith, there are many such stories that have gone like this. I'm sure you might know of some others. What does Our Lady always do, without exception? She points to Her Son. She wants nothing more than for Her children to worship Her Son, Jesus. So when She miraculously appears, what does She so often request? She requests that a shrine or church be erected in a certain spot.

In the history of our Church, can you think of one single time that Our Lady has requested that a church faithfully dedicated to the worship of Her Son be closed? When has she said, "Knock it down! Cose it up! Replace it with a Wawa!" No, never. Not once. She has appeared miraculously in the obscurest of locations, in places where the church had long ago fallen into ruin. But no mere falling mass attendance deters Our Lady. The church can be laying in pieces on the ground and She requests it be raised up again and the worship of Her Son continue. And it does. Why? It is Our Lord's holy will, and Our Lady's desire. Of that we can be completely confident. Truly Our Lady weeps at such travesties as churches falling into disuse, disrepair, or closure.

At St. Mary's we know that Our Lady is with us. She is our much loved patroness, as She is the patroness of every Catholic. She is our Single Greatest Advocate in Heaven, our Queen, Mother of every saint, and our Mother. Most of all, She is Mother of the Church, Mater Ecclesiae, and she intercedes for the Pilgrim Church on Earth. This is why at St. Mary's over the past year She has granted us the grace of her miraculous image changing color before our eyes. In this small way, She has reassured us of Her loving presence and protection. "Our Lady of Malaga," Mater Ecclesiae, ora pro nobis!

In case you couldn't tell, I'm constantly reading children's books. We go to the library a lot. This last weekend I attended a Catholic homeschool conference with a friend of mine and found so many wonderful books. Some of the true gems, such as the great readers from the 40s and 50s, are books that are no longer in print. I'm sometimes asked what some good titles are for parents wanting to immerse their children in the Faith. Here are some I could not resist this weekend:

The Story of God's Love: My Bible by Melissa Wright. This is an excellent children's Bible. I've been looking for a good one for a long time. This one, I'd say, is ideal for kids 5-8. It is published by Pauline books and Media (the Pauline Sisters are sisters who publish various media and I recommend their materials highly, particularly their coloring books). $25 (The Pauline site is down so here's a link to the title.)

A Catholic Child's Picture Dictionary by Ruth Hannon. This is a beautifully illustrated picture dictionary, primarily on Catholic terms. Originally published in 1956, it is now put out by the wonderful Angelus Press: www.angeluspress.org. $20

A Child's Rule of Life by Robert Hugh Benson. This is a gorgeous, black-and-white book published by Neumann Press. It takes you through a child's day, including the Holy Mass. This book is indescribably beautiful. Perhaps I'll have time to post a picture and excerpt in the future. $20. Sold by Keller Books: www.kellerbooks.com (However I didn't have luck with Keller's search function, so here's a link to the title.)

Mary by Demi. This is a beautifully illustrated book all about the life of the Blessed Mother of God. It must be seen to be believed. Each page has a different scene from her life and Bible excerpt. Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books in 2006. $20 Also purchased from Keller Books. (However, no picture on the Keller site, so here's a link.)

A Treasure Chest of Traditions for Catholic Families by Monica McConkey. This book is a spiral bound activity book that takes you through the Church year and gives activities for various saint days and holidays. I was happy to meet Mrs. McConkey at the conference. Trained as an architect, she has many really great items available. Check them out at www.armadei.com $22

Make Your Own Noah's Ark by Clare Beaton. "Stand-up Noah's Ark scene. Figures for cutting out, coloring, and playing." A great book with readymade activity! Published and sold by the Paulines: www.pauline.org.$10 (By the way, the Daughters of St. Paul have a Books & Media Center in Northeast Philadelphia, well worth a visit.)

Though these aren't books, you simply must check out Jody's Hands On Learning. Jody, who I met at the conference, is a homeschooling mother who was simply trying to help her kids memorize their prayers and catechism lessons. She wound up inventing this neat system of games, devices, and activities. I hope to show them to our pastor soon. They are good for training altar servers, teachings kids their prayers, you name it. If your child is a kinesthetic learner (as most are) or if you prefer a fun, Montessouri-style approach to learning, check out her stuff!

Although I haven't yet tried it out, I subscribed to a year of CD-roms that will be sent to my house through the mail from Nippert & Company, also known as Catholic Art Works. I purchased the Teacher's Helper CDs. The idea is that I will receive them every month or so and there are many countless Catholic art activites able to be printed out from my computer, from art sheets to holy cards and beyond. I tell you the man's work is beautiful and I can't wait to try them out. The year of CDs, which can be used over and over again (unlike online subscriptions can be) cost $42. One of the projects he had displayed that impressed me was of a little altar the child could color, cut, and construct, and a priest. But if you turn the priest around, you instead see Jesus Himself. It is meant to teach that the priest stands in persona Christi. How clever.

Well, that's all for now, but it doesn't even scratch the surface of all we saw. If you would like more information on any of these titles and cannot find them through the webistes above, I'd be happy to talk more about them. Just let us know. Remember, these homeschool conferences aren't just for homeschoolers. Any Catholic can go and explore the wealth of materials available. Plus, there are excellent talks given and confessions heard, too. The one in Virginia was totally free, but more locally CHAPLET, a South Jersey homeschooling group, hosts one each spring at Mater Ecclesiae in Berlin, NJ that is equally good.

On my daily commute to and from work I pass a Protestant church, not an especially large one, that has a new sign. You know the type of sign. It's one of those signs where, using letters, you can put up changing messages or announcements. We have a similar one at St. Mary's. It's a nifty type of sign to have and very useful. The nice thing about signs like this is that you can invite the general public in to various events, place a message, or do whatever and the message is actually readable since the letters are fairly large. It also relays to the general public the vitality of a congregation.

Fox News carried the story of the Diocese of Camden's $800,000 convent purchase on its national website yesterday.  Click here to see the article. 

So, I guess we here at St. Mary's were not the only people to find this shocking!

Here are some recent comments in response to the article regarding the bishop's 1.5 million dollar luxury estate--oh wait, no, "convent"--in Pittsgrove. As a comment of our own, it has occurred to us that undoubtedly the diocesan administration must be exerting tremendous pressure on the poor sisters at this time, who must truly feel caught between satisfying the bishop's requests and fulfilling their vow of poverty, a promise they made to God. It is outrageous that the chancery would put out a statement supposedly made by Sr. Bernadette, while no one from the media has spoken directly to her, to the best of our knowledge. There is no way of verifying that she actually said what they claim she did. Press Comments: Is Andrew Walton coming unwound? His comments are hysterical, not to mention completely contradictory. He's another way our diocese is wasting money. I wonder how much he's getting paid for his "services." Posted by: hahaha on Sun Mar 15, 2009, 11:28 PM

	How much money does Andrew Walton make that he thinks an $800,000 house is a 'modest' living arrangement? Posted by: elaine on Sun Mar 15, 2009, 11:38 PM

	Not to be mean but with all the church and school closings recently and more in the future, why do they need new nuns? What are they going to do? Posted by: theFlyingNun on Mon Mar 16, 2009, 2:32 AM

	wake up parishoners! YOU'VE BEEN DUPED!! welcome to CAMP ALTAR BOY!!! Posted by: no sin no win on Mon Mar 16, 2009, 3:58 AM

	Ahhhhhhhh...haters and cafeteria Catholics. Some things you can just go to sleep on. Posted by: Truth on Mon Mar 16, 2009, 5:13 AM

	Isn't this awful when the diocese closes St Nicholas School in Egg Harbor City and wants to shut St Nick's church! This is an outrage!!!!! Posted by: MaysLandingJane on Mon Mar 16, 2009, 6:14 AM

	As with any charity...most donated funds go to administrative costs...I am sure the 'Bishops Annual Appeal' needed a new headquarters to operate from... counting your gold in a lavish country estate seems Medival in a way Posted by: mikeyd__ on Mon Mar 16, 2009, 6:18 AM

	simple math: $8 million divided by 5 nuns = $1.6 million per nun. talk about HIGH MAINTENANCE BABES!!! Posted by: collection plate - not! on Mon Mar 16, 2009, 8:21 AM

	This purchase gives a whole new meaning to "House of Charity". But seriously, why should I give a dime? They clearly don't need my hard earned money. Posted by: Maria on Mon Mar 16, 2009, 8:30 AM

	from Kenyan grass hut to upscale rural estate. nice career move girls! ps: but do they know how use the wet bar and ice maker? Posted by: papist scam on Mon Mar 16, 2009, 8:31 AM

If you had a bunch of people giving you money every week wouldnt you spend it...They havn't spent it properly in a long time. I went to Rome on vacation a few years ago and I am getting on the plane walking to my coach seat and what do I see a priest sitting in first class. I know when I searched to purchase those seats were like $15k round trip...I have not given a dime to the church since I saw that Posted by: scam on Mon Mar 16, 2009, 8:41 AM

Why does this come as a shock to anyone? The Catholic Church is one of the wealthiest entities on the planet! They preach poverty yet acquire lavish property, jewels and artwork all the time. The vatican houses some of the most precious artworks of all time. They are not strapped for cash and never have been. They are considered to be among the larges private land holders in the world, and are estimated to have billions of dollars in banks and stocks around the world. It is one of the biggest businesses on earth. In his newest list of sins that will send you to "you know where," the pope has included accumulating vast wealth, but the Church has been doing that every day since its inception. Interesting, isn't it? And sorry, but it's not 8 million dollars, it's 800 thousand dollars. Guess the math wasn't so simple for the brain trust who thought he'd make a point. Too funny. Posted by: Really? on Mon Mar 16, 2009, 8:55 AM

	Okay, everyone get your Catholic-bashing out of your system. Just remember when you are done, that Catholics are a very devout group of people. Unfortunately, their leadership is self-serving...just like our politicians. Ever notice that no matter what the group, power corrupts? Posted by: njstorm on Mon Mar 16, 2009, 9:12 AM

	"Spirit of poverty" while living in a $1.5 million dollar home? That's kind of like saying the Bishop has a "Spirit of fasting." Greed, corruption, lies - all from the Catholic heirarchy - it is disheartening to say the least. Bishop Gallante should resign. Posted by: outraged in ocean city on Mon Mar 16, 2009, 9:32 AM

	The church is big business. The road to heaven is paved with good intentions now send me the dollars. Posted by: executioner1 on Mon Mar 16, 2009, 9:38 AM

	I am somewhat familiar with the situation, and can tell you that the sisters are not at all comfortable with the sitaution. This was all Gallante. Posted by: maverick on Mon Mar 16, 2009, 9:39 AM

If someone wants to know the excess of the hierarchy of the Catholic church in our Diocese, as well as in Philadelphia's, look at the ownership of several beachfront homes in Ventnor ... just a block from where St. James R.C. Church and school faced closings. And not begrudging just the beachfront property, but the excessive nature INSIDE those homes (yes, I have seen it firsthand). When the Diocese decided to close St. Augustine School in Ocean City, knowing full well prior to their decision that those students did NOT have another school that could take them, I knew I had given the Diocese my last time. I think Catholics in this Diocese need to express their displeasure in the only way the Diocese and the Bishop understand ... financially. That is what bought several churches at least temporary reprieves already. The religion and the faith of Catholics are strong (and yes I am one) ... its the leadership - the human element - that is flawed. Posted by: truth not rhetoric on Mon Mar 16, 2009, 9:46 AM

	There are way tooooo many empty Convents throughout the state to allow this to happen. The house should have been sold or rented for a lot of money. The Nuns are very nice people who deserve whatever they get however there are many many empty houses in this and other states for them to live in for free. Posted by: Empty nests' on Mon Mar 16, 2009, 10:02 AM

OK...so here we are with hundreds of billions of OUR dollars going out to greedy banks and business men to "save" them all. This is all OUR money and will cost us and our children for decades to come. I have a great idea. this will eliminate the current billions in debt and settle the national debt. If we just tax the Catholic church on its real estate holding in the U.S. we will raise enough cash to cancel out all the problems. All of the faithful can then empty there wallets into a brass plate on Sunday to help the churches pay there tax bills. Now the church will really now what poverty is like. We pay our tax bills every year now it is there turn. Just look around town next time you take a drive. no matter what town you live in the churches own the nicest land and the nicest homes in the nicest sections of town. Then go home and look at your home and your tax bill and just do some math and you will get an idea of the value of some of this land and structures. Posted by: njscanner on Mon Mar 16, 2009, 10:03 AM

	I am outraged by this article. There are devote Catholics who tried their best in preventing the merger from happening last year. They even poured in money from their personal savings. In return, we here about a eight-hundred thousand dollar convent. Posted by: Listen here on Mon Mar 16, 2009, 10:29 AM

This is appalling! There are many, many underused convents in the diocese. The diocese has a retreat center in Blackwood and to believe we would trust they're purchase of this property as a 'future retreat center' is ridiculous. What is it with this bishop, he comes across like the leaders of the financial institution we have bailed out. Totally out of touch with his pariashioners, he is getting bad advice from those around him They should reverse this purchase and sell this property. Posted by: uneasy catholic on Mon Mar 16, 2009, 10:44 AM

Talk about irresponsible actions. We were advised that the Bishop has increased the amount of money he wants to renovate the kitchen in the new, dynamic, vibrant elementary school in Clayton to the tune of $200,000 dollars. Andy Walton tried to justify the spending by saying the price was dropped from $1.5 million to $800,000 dollars. What he failed to mention was that the home was on the market for a year and when the recession/depression hit, it couldn't sell for the original listing price. So the "good catholic family took their money and moved south. How about the $1.7 million dollars for the sale of St. Bridget's school that went toward reducing the debt of that parish rather than helping to support the new elementary school in Clayton. There are too many instances of flagrant misuse of monies by the CEO of the Camden diocese and his constituents to print here. I wonder if they would agree to an audit of how they are spending their monies and make it an open report to the parishioners whose money they are spending. Sounds similar to the AIG scandalous use of taxpayers money with the backing of the government. We are being told by Bishop Galante that he is concerned about the number of Catholics leaving the church, well I suggest he look in the mirror to see how he is a major reason why this is happening. Posted by: mazz on Mon Mar 16, 2009, 10:58 AM

In 2005, there were approximately 440,000 Catholics in the Diocese of Camden according to the Diocese of Camden's Demographic Report.  On April 3, 2008, when the Bishop announced his reconfiguration plan, he claimed there were 500,000 Catholics in the diocese.  Why does this matter?  It's quite simple really and it involves....yup, you guessed it, Raffaello Follieri.

 

 

 

According to a National Catholic Reporter Article from February 2006 titled "Real estate developer with ties to 'Vatican hierarchy' in pursuit of U.S. church property:"

 

"Raffaello Follieri and Andrea Sodano visited the Capitol Hill Hyatt Regency Hotel in Washington, site of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops annual meeting. An escalator ride up from the general assembly meeting room, the Follieri Group maintained a hospitality suite for bishops. At that meeting, by a vote of 222-2, the bishops agreed to seek Vatican approval for an amendment to church policy that would allow large dioceses (those with more than 500,000 Catholics) to sell or mortgage properties for up to $10.3 million without Rome's prior consent. The previous $5.1 million limit, said those supporting the change, was increasingly cumbersome in the go-go real estate market affecting U.S. dioceses nationwide." (Emphasis added).

Hmmm, so properties that would sell for more than $5.1 million (like say St. Gregory's) would require Vatican approval......unless we have 500,000 Catholics in the Diocese of Camden. 

Guess what?  We now have 500,000 Catholics in the Diocese of Camden:

"Welcome.Thank you for visiting the website of the Diocese of Camden. The diocese was founded in 1937 and serves 500,000 Catholics in Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland Gloucester, and Salem Counties, New Jersey."

The 440,000 figure is from the Diocese of Camden's Demographic Report, available on their website:

"Comparing the 2005 census update, the 2005 Catholic Directory, and the parish reports to the 111,240 average attendance indicates that 25.4% of the Catholic population of South Jersey attends mass regularly."

The 500,000 number has no demographical or statistical basis.  An overnight, inexplicable jump of 60,000 Catholics?  A startling 13.5% increase in the number of Catholics in the diocese, without any notice or explanation?  At that rate of growth, our Catholic population would more than double every 15 years.

 

I think not!  Sad, pathetic, despicable!  I might not know much about centering prayers, labyrinths, or ecofeminism, but I'm pretty sure lying and stealing are still sins.  And when they are coming from priests and bishops, they are scandalous as well!

For anyone who doesn't receive the transition newsletter series, this latest one (#18, from 01-09-2009) is pretty funny, so I wanted to share it with you.  Like the rest, its entertainment value far outweighs its "news" content.  But at least you get to see how your charitable contributions are being spent at the diocesan level.

 

The newsletter starts with what can only be described as a large bowl of word salad from Marilyn Vollmer:

 

"Belated and prayer wishes for the New Year!  My fingers find it difficult to type 2009 as this number marks the 3rd year of planning preparations leading toward the goal of renewed and dynamic parish life in South Jersey."               

I'm not sure if this greeting is an attempt at New-Aginess or just a sign of intellectual decline.  I'm also not sure if her fingers are disappointed that the program has taken so long or if they are just in shock that this farce has been allowed to continue for three years now. 

 

Anyway, the word salad greeting is followed up with some platitudes, then this interesting analogy:

 

"At a deeper level this is a profoundly spiritual journey of the Paschal mystery, the same mystery we celebrate every Lent that climaxes with the Easter Triduum: life, death, and resurrection so that others may have life."

Ooh, I like metaphors.  Let me try this one out.  Our parishes are like Jesus, their destruction is like His crucifixion, and the new parishes are like His resurrection.  Not at all sure I agree with the last part of that, but I'll play along and extend the metaphor a bit further.  I guess that means that the Bishop would be like...Judas.  Those who know this is wrong, but refuse to say or do anything about it for fear of losing their position would be like...Pontius Pilate.  And the people from stand-alone parishes and primary worship sites who support this reconfiguration because it validates the "holiness" of their own parish would be like...the Jews crying out "Crucify Him!"  You make a good point Marilyn - thanks for the insight! 

 

Next comes the rolling out of a "leadership" training program by Peg Garvey-Mitchell for all core team members and conveners.  I can't think of a better way to waste large amounts of money than this.  Even the empty "convent" in Pittsgrove may eventually increase in value, but this is just silly.  If leadership can be taught at all, it would certainly take a lot more than a few hours with a consultant whose qualifications seem questionable.  Peg Garvey-Mitchell's profile on the National Pastoral Life Center website is strikingly devoid of any real credentials:

 

"Ms. Peg Garvey-Mitchell - Planning Consultant for non-profits

"Peg comes to us from with a vast experience of planning experiences which include leadership development, communication skills and group process. She recently served as a facilitator for the Diocese of Metuchen's First Synod. She is a consultant to the NPLC and facilitated the 2007 and 2008 Bernardin Conferences for the Catholic Common Ground Initiative."

No degrees or training are mentioned and no specific experience referenced prior to 2007 - just the generic claim of "a vast experience of planning experiences."  Surely, in such a short bio, there would have been room to mention at least one of the vast experiences.  I just don't get it - first Follieri, now Peg Garvey-Mitchell - who is making these decisions and where is the accountability? 

 

But my favorite line of the whole newsletter is this:

 

"It goes without saying that attending the Training Sessions is a must for the Priest Conveners."

Well, I guess it also goes without saying that if it really went without saying, Marilyn would not be saying it, much less underlining the word "must."  Yes, you conveners, you must go see Peg Garvey-Mitchell.  Without the benefit of her "vast experience of planning experiences," how will you ever learn how to communicate or lead?    

 

The newsletter ends with a note that Marilyn will be addressing questions about worship sites soon.  We've heard that the diocese is going to stop using the term "secondary" for worship sites to try to stem opposition from those parishes designated "secondary worship sites."  That's not confirmed yet, though, so we'll just have to wait and see.

 

My fingers find it difficult to type 309 as this number marks the 309th blog entry since the planning preparation decisions leading to the destruction of nearly half the parishes in South Jersey were announced.   Delayed and charm thoughts for the New Year to you too, Marilyn.

 

To be honest, we didn't have high expectations for the turnout at the rally outside St. Charles Borromeo. Imagine the allure: "Drive a half hour or so to come hold a sign on a weekday January morning/afternoon in pouring rain! Surely you don't have anything better to do, anyway, like work, homeschool, or laundry, right?" Sounds like fun, doesn't it? Let that be a lesson: never underestimate the commitment of our Council of Parishes membership!

The bishop and some of his friends must have arrived super early to avoid us, since our first picketers arrived nearly an hour and a half before the meeting was scheduled to begin. Guess we're a pretty rowdy looking group. Ha ha!


The meeting held inside the church was one to which approximately 40 "priest conveners" were invited, in addition to various lackeys like undercover sisters Marilyn Vollmer and Roseanne Quinn, and of course Bishop Galante. The purpose of the meeting was, effectively, to give a pep talk to the priest conveners.

They brought in a slick consultant to speak with them. (Hey, at least we know our money is being spent on something useful...SIKE!) She is facilitator Peg Garvey-Mitchell from the "National Pastoral Life Center" (again ironic since the whole program is intended to destroy pastoral life by destroying parishes and communities).


It is our understanding that morale is very low not only among priests in the diocese generally, but also among the priest conveners. This is why the meeting was needed. We have learned that several priests--none of whom have contacted the Council of Parishes or Savestmarys.net in any way, nor have we contacted them--are having serious second thoughts about their status as priest conveners. So the imposed program is apparently unpopular among laity and clerics alike, with the exception of a select few. (One wonders how, precisely, this select few envision themselves personally benefiting from this diabolical scheme, but we digress.)

Our information of low morale may have been confirmed by the attendance at the "pep talk" meeting yesterday. In retrospect we should have been more methodical about counting each priest as he entered the building, but judging from the cars in the parking lot upon our arrival (we got there very early) and the number of priests we saw enter the building, we estimate only about 20-25 priests actually bothered going.

We gleaned from the initials following her last name, "SSM," that Ms. ("Sr.") Marilyn Vollmer, commonly known as "the other bishop" around the Diocese, likely belongs to an order called Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother. Founded by German Mother Frances Streitel, the SSMs describe themselves as Franciscan and involve themselves primarily with healthcare and education among the poor. Quote:

The purpose of our Congregation is to hold out to society the witness of God's love and in so doing invite people to turn to God. We are dedicated to the Franciscan values of peacemaking, hospitality and reverence for all creation.

Other than that, the order's official website has very little information on it, and it appears to be a very small, aging order. Surprisingly, pictured in one of the few photos on the site are a couple of sisters wearing habits. Not surprisingly, there are no newsletters in their newsletter section and there is no way of finding out how to visit or join the order.

In any case, one wonders why an order like this one would allow one of its members to go around the country doing "work" like Ms. Vollmer is engaged in (coast-to-coast diocesan take-down aid for bishops involved with corruption scandals, etc.). How would a member of a seemingly modest Franciscan order from Wisconsin get involved with this sort of thing?

On the Archdiocese of Milwaukee site, it says that the SSMs'

ministries focus on those who suffer deprivation, social fragmentation, family disintegration, and personal isolation.

How ironic! It does not say that their ministries include causing these things, it only says that their ministries focus on these things. Hmmm. Oh, it's made a little clearer here, a little further down:

We minister in many places, from the central city to the AODA unit, from retreat centers to board rooms, from migrant camps to offices.

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Wisconsin's website directs us to an SSM website with literally no content whatsoever: ssmfranciscans.org. That's no help. But maybe they are a small order, but not such a modest one. On the Marian Healthcare System site, they tell us just a tad more. They came to this country in part to help an ailing hospital in Kansas, and

The Sisters stayed busy during the 19th century, establishing healthcare ministries throughout Wisconsin and in Denville, New Jersey. The congregation has continued its growth in healthcare and education with ministries established in Minnesota, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Iowa, New Jersey and several foreign nations.

And this leads us to a 1997 article that describes a name change for the sisters' ministry, and this is where we learn of the order's extensive involvement with the health care industry:

Health care isn't the kind of mission called to mind by the name Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother.

So beginning April 1, Sisters of Sorrowful Mother Ministry Corp. will be known as Ministry Health Care to better represent the Milwaukee-based health care system's purpose.

"The name Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother -- while it reflects the system's Catholic sponsor -- doesn't carry a lot of meaning for the average consumer that we're meeting in our marketplace," said Sister Lois Bush, chief executive officer. "The new name is simple and reflects what we do, which is the business of health care."

The article goes on to say that the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother's health care system is "one of the largest in the state [of Wisconsin]." However, when we looked up the "SSM Ministry Corp" nothing much in the way of information is available, but we did find another name: "SSM Diversified Health Services" located at 11925 West Lake Park Drive, Suite 100, Milwaukee, WI 53224, phone (414) 359-1070.

Maybe they've changed their name again? There's something called "Ministry Health Care" that describes itself in this way:

When you walk into any Ministry hospital or clinic, you will see the healing ministry and values of our founders, the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother, at work. Here, everyone works together, as one, to provide the best care available for all patients. 

At Ministry, we continually look to tomorrow. We push ourselves as an organization and as individuals to grow, to take the extra step, to work as hard as we can to bring hope, respect and dignity to each patient and their family.

Here, we see that a "Ministry" can be a business, even a multiple-clinic and hospital health care system, "one of the largest in the state" of Wisconsin.

I'm confused. Is this a non-profit group? If so, what services are they providing? It would seem, based on Ms. Vollmer, that it's just a bunch of professional women sharing their income, but maybe this is just something we need to do more research into.

Anyway, the point is that it is pretty clear that health care has been the mission and apostolate of the SSMs from the beginning. And indeed they continue in this booming industry now. So again, what is Marilyn Vollmer doing here in the Diocese of Camden? Why is she not off nursing, teaching, helping the poor in some way, or manning a retreat center somewhere? And how can we get her retrained?

(BTW, they also have "Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother International Finance, Inc.": link, which is sort of funny.)

As a side note, there is another question, which is sure to become an issue at some point.  Most members of this type of order, because of their vows of poverty, do not pay income taxes.  At what point, however, does this "vow of poverty" become a joke?  How is a "sister" who has a solid middle management position (with wages that are more than competitive for her level of ability) and who lives independently from the order to which she belongs different from the rest of us?  What is she giving to society, as a whole, to warrant special tax treatment?