Gawker: Miami Vice

On Thursday, July 28th, Gawker, a gossip website, published an ‘investigative’ piece on the Archdiocese of Miami, its past archbishop, priests, and seminary entitled “The Catholic Church’s Secret Gay Cabal.” The very opening lines of the article get the blood boilin’, which is what it was intended to do, I suspect. However, as I read the article, it became apparent that there were several inaccuracies contained within. The article at times even contradicted itself.

The investigative report begins with this statement: “Favalora, who was the most powerful Catholic official in South Florida from 1994 until last year, stands accused of cultivating what one group of pissed-off Catholics described as a corrupt ‘homosexual superculture’.” Whenever you start off an article quoting a group of pissed-off Catholics, there is an extremely high probability that most of the information contained within the article is fabricated and biased. Nonetheless, I think we need to examine all of the assertions being made and determine their validity.

The report makes several other claims about Archbishop John Favalora. The author tends to believe that Favalora, whom I have met on several occasions throughout the last couple of years, liked to have seminarians sit on his lap during parties and that he was co-owner in a company that produced an “all natural” sex drink.

“Come sit on Papa’s lap”

Being a former seminarian who studied at Miami’s minor seminary, I can bear witness to that fact that the archbishop was only around the seminarians once every couple of months, for an hour or two at the most. To my knowledge, there was never any inappropriate behavior exhibited.

“Part owner of a company that makes ‘all natural’ boner-inducing beverages”

There is absolutely no evidence to support the claim that the Archdiocese of Miami owned 35,000 shares of stock in a company that produced a sex drink for teenagers. In fact, the only information I found on the internet about this was a 2005 blog post reporting claims being made by a Florida attorney. Therefore, this can be refuted based on lack of proof.

Furthermore, the Chrsitifidelis group that is behind many of these accusations has no official website. Rather, the group seems to be made up of nothing more than “pissed-off” former Catholics. Some bloggers who are reporting this article and the report produced by Christifidelis as fact argue that the group is a legit lay-Catholic organization. Why then is there no ‘official’ record of it?

Favalora Resigns 8 Months Prior to Reaching Mandatory Retirement Age

Some church insiders have speculated that a few months prior to Archbishop Favalora’s decision to resign early, then-Bishop Wenski received a phone call from Archbishop Pietro Sambi, Apostolic Nuncio to the U.S.. During that phone conversation, Wenski was informed that the Holy Father was going to appoint him as Coadjutor Archbishop of Miami. Wenski was originally from Miami and frequently returned to his native archdiocese whenever he had the opportunity. (As a former seminarian for Orlando, I can attest to that fact.) Therefore, Wenski knew Miami…probably better than Favalora.

During this time, the Diocese of Orlando was in the middle of a lengthy, diocesan-wide capital campaign. Wenski leaving Orlando to be named coadjutor archbishop in Miami would have had a devastating effect on the Alive in Christ campaign, a point he would have stressed to the Nuncio. Wenski would only go to Miami if he were named Archbishop, not Coadjutor.

Also at this time, Favalora was experiencing some health issues. While these talks about a new shepherd for the archdiocese were continuing behind the scenes, the Miami archbishop spent some time in the hospital. So, the timing was right for the decision to resign early. That’s all there is to it.

“A Kind of Gay Hogwarts with Palm Trees”

As I mentioned a bit earlier in this response, from August 2008 until May 2010, I studied at St. John Vianney College Seminary. Based on my experience, the seminary was an institution that allowed young men who believed they had a call to the priesthood discern in a healthy and stable environment. There were never any instances of seminarians being involved in any kind of gay relationships within the seminary walls. The caliber of men studying at the seminary has improved dramatically over the years. The Florida church will be blessed for years to come.

However, this has not always been the case. There is no refuting that many seminaries throughout the United States have experienced troublesome times when faculty members and students were accused of inappropriate sexual behavior. While most of the accusations have never been proven and are simply allegations, we must treat the situation with the utmost care. Based on the information in this article, we cannot be absolutely positive that abuse occurred at St. John Vianney in Miami. Right now, all we have to go on is what a few people are saying.

After the explosion of sexual abuse allegations against Catholic priests in the early 2000s, the bishops of the United States reexamined the process of choosing future priests. Before a prospective candidate can even be considered for the seminary, they must go through an extensive psychological evaluation which usually lasts about six hours. Upon completing the psych eval, the candidate then has to be interviewed by members of the Diocesan Vocations Committee. It is important to note, members of these committees are not only priests; they include lay Catholics, priests, and religious.

Miami Clergy is Full of Active Homosexuals

Another claim made in the Gawker piece is that most of the clergy in the Miami Archdiocese are active homosexuals. In fact, the article goes to great lengths to say that the church in South Florida would not be able to function if the Pope decided to remove every single gay priest. That is the most ridiculous claim I have ever heard. There is absolutely no proof that priests in Miami are active homosexuals, it is simply false speculation.

+Wenski Era in Miami

After accusing priests of having live-in boyfriends, the article makes a transition to the current Miami administration, led by Archbishop Wenski. In the first several months of his time in Miami, Wenski did make a drastic amount of changes within the hierarchy of the South Florida Church as well as the administration of many of the parishes and schools. Those in the article have stated that such changes so early on in an administration indicate a number of problems within the archdiocese. That is not necessarily true.

When Wenski officially took over the Diocese of Orlando back in November 2004, he immediately began making changes to the administration of the diocese. These changes included a number of moves within local parishes, new faces taking on responsibilities within the Chancery, etc. Such a move is characteristic of Archbishop Wenski—he hits the ground running. There were no significant issues within the Diocese of Orlando when he officially became our bishop; rather, he had the time to evaluate the priests and parishes and to decide on what changes to make.

My Concluding Remarks

While I did not cover every part of the gossip article, I believe we have had the chance to examine the most egregious claims. Ultimately, the authors of both “Miami Vice” and “The Catholic Church’s Secret Gay Cabal” do not present adequate evidence that suggest their claims are accurate. The articles’ seemingly constant contradictions also show that, at times, the authors may not have believed in the statements they were making. But, the most interesting (for lack of a better word) declaration was one about the intent of the original report, which was to defend the church. (Yes, you read that right.)

Seriously? That is definitely not how I perceived it. The authors never intended to hurt the church?? In the end, that is exactly what this ‘investigation’ has done. All too often in these modern times, people make unsupported claims with no regard for whom they may hurt or what damage they may cause. Any writer—professional or otherwise—must take into account the fact that the words they choose can have a devastating effect on someone’s life. It’s time for that to change.

Housekeeping Note: The comments for this particular article have been disabled.

I have been hearing a lot about the show Degrassi from quite a few young people and I thought that I would check it out to see what the show was all about. If you haven’t seen the show, it follows a group of high school students as they encounter all of life’s challenges. At first, I thought the show offered our young people a learning experience about overcoming the struggles that high school can bring. However, the show is confusing our young people and misguiding them in accepting immoral activity.

Degrassi, which is produced by MTV Networks, has shown acceptance towards teenage pre-marital sex, the use of contraception and abortion (to name a few).

In the latest show aired last evening, Jenna, a cheerleader, and her boyfriend K.C., football player, find out that they have a child on the way. When Jenna first talks to K.C., he tells her that they will get through this together. Jenna’s first thought of K.C. accepting responsibility for his actions is quickly thrown in the trash as K.C. says, “once you get the abortion it will all be over.”

Shortly after, Jenna tells her older brother about her pregnancy. Her brother takes her to the doctor where she finds out that she is 5 months along and the abortion would be considered a late-term abortion. The doctor tells Jenna that late-term abortions are risky and informs her of other options.

At some point in the show, the young woman who plays Jenna makes a public service announcement in which she recommends teens to use contraception if they are going to have sexual experiences in high school.

So, why am I upset about what seems like another liberal attempt to confuse our kids about the “moral acceptance” of contraception and abortion? I am upset because this program is aired on TeenNick. According to its website, the intended target audience for the channel are those young people between the ages of 12 and 24. So, this show is telling our children, as young as the age of 12, children who aren’t even in high school, that sex between teens is acceptable and, in fact, the thing to do. Where have our standards gone?

This is why I am urging all of my readers to join me in an email campaign to TeenNick that demands changes be made to the storyline and plot of Degrassi. Until something is done, please boycott all MTV Networks, which include: Nickelodeon, TeenNick, MTV, VH1, CMT, TV Land, SPIKE, and Comedy Central. (The full list can be found here.)

It is completely unacceptable that we are confusing our young people into believing that these immoral acts are accepted by society.

MTV Networks can be contacted by filling out this contact form: http://www.viacom.com/Contact/Pages/default.aspx. Please select “Viewer Services” as the subject and “Nickelodeon…” as the category.

UPDATE: In my email to MTV Networks, I asked them to move the show to MTV 2 until the changes are made.

UPDATE #2: Here is my email to MTV:

BoycottMTV

UPDATE #3: To date (8/31/2010), I have not received any response from MTV. I will be sending a follow up email.

]]> http://www.thomaspringle.com/2010/08/boycott-mtv-networks/feed/ 0 http://www.thomaspringle.com/2010/08/anne-rice-quits-catholicism/ http://www.thomaspringle.com/2010/08/anne-rice-quits-catholicism/#comments Thu, 12 Aug 2010 18:36:47 +0000 Tom Pringle http://www.thomaspringle.com/?p=1603 I was watching Nightline last night and saw Anne Rice being interviewed about why she has “quit” being Catholic. Here is the interview from ABC:

During the interview, Rice said that she cannot be part of a church that condemns homosexuals. With all due respect, the Catholic Church does not and has not ever condemned homosexuality; rather, the Catholic Church has condemned homosexual acts, declaring them intrinsically disordered. This is just another example of someone wanting the Church to conform to their personal beliefs when it should be the other way around; we should conform our beliefs to that of the teachings of the Church.

(I am just being a proud uncle. What else can I say…I love that little guy!!!)

]]> http://www.thomaspringle.com/2010/02/happy-birthday-micah/feed/ 0 http://www.thomaspringle.com/2009/11/new-diocesan-vicar-general/ http://www.thomaspringle.com/2009/11/new-diocesan-vicar-general/#comments Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:49:01 +0000 Tom Pringle http://www.thomaspringle.com/?p=443 A short break from my usual posts to offer congratulations to Very Reverend Gregory Parkes, Chancellor of the Diocese of Orlando and Parochial Administrator of Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Celebration, Florida, who was named the Vicar General for the Diocese of Orlando last week. Below is the announcement from the Diocese of Orlando website.

Bishop Thomas Wenski is pleased to announce the appointment of Very Reverend Gregory Parkes, J.C.L. as Vicar General of the Diocese of Orlando. Father Parkes assumed this role on November 1. He serves along with Monsignor Patrick Caverly who has served as Vicar General of the Diocese of Orlando since 1992. Father Parkes will continue to serve as Diocesan Chancellor of Canonical Affairs and Parochial Administrator of Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Celebration.

A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general has executive power over the whole Diocese regarding administrative matters, except those matters the Bishop has reserved for himself.

Father Parkes was ordained to the priesthood on June 26, 1999 by Bishop Norbert Dorsey. He attended the North American College in Rome from 1996 – 2000 where he earned a Licentiate Degree in Canon Law from the Pontifical Gregorian University. After returning to the Diocese of Orlando, Father Parkes was assigned as Parochial Vicar of Holy Family Catholic Church in Orlando where he served from 2000 – 2004. In addition, he was appointed Defender of the Bond and served in the Marriage Tribunal during this same period. In December 2004, Bishop Thomas Wenski appointed him Chancellor of the diocese. Father Parkes was appointed Parochial Administrator of the newly formed Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Celebration in March 2005.

Father Parkes serves as a member of the Diocesan Finance Committee, Priest Placement Board, Presbyteral Council, Incardination Committee, College of Consultors, and is on the Board of Trustees of St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach. He has two brothers, Very Reverend Stephen Parkes who is Parochial Administrator of Most Precious Blood Catholic Church in Oviedo, and Christopher Parkes who is married and lives in Maryland.

PHOTO SOURCE: Diocese of Orlando

“To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”  — President Woodrow Wilson

The concept of Armistice Day was changed in 1954 after many veterans organizations asked that the holiday be changed so that Americans could remember all those individuals who had served our country. Here is an excerpt from President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s proclamation of the First Veterans Day.

Eisenhower's Veterans Day Proclamation

“I, Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States of America, do hereby call upon all of our citizens to observe Thursday, November 11, 1954, as Veterans Day. On that day let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shored, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain. I also direct the appropriate officials of the Government to arrange for the display of the flag of the United States on all public buildings on Veterans Day.”

Today, as our country fights a seemingly never ending War on Terror, let us remember the sacrifices of our military men and women who are defending our freedom and the freedom of all. Take time today to be remember them and their families in your thoughts and prayers. Also, take time today to promote peace in everything that you do so that the efforts of our military men and women are not in vain.

On a personal note, I would like to take this opportunity to remember my grandfather, Eugene W. Pringle who served our country in the Air Force. My grandfather, who died a couple of years ago, was always so proud of serving his country. In fact, the pride he had in his country inspired his children to join the military – my father, Terry, served in the Air Force and my uncle, Mel, in the Navy. Many of the uncles on my mother’s side of the family also served in the military: my uncle Tommy served in the Navy and my uncle Freddy served in the Marines. Thank you all for being willing to sacrifice everything in defense of our country’s freedom.

PHOTO SOURCE: Veteran’s Administration

VIDEO SOURCE: YouTube

The first day I was home, I traveled up to St. Augustine to join in on the festivities for Sr. Kathleen Power’s 50th Anniversary as a Sister of St. Joseph. (For the last couple of years, Sr. Kathleen has been serving as Assistant Vocations Director for the Diocese of Orlando.) During the Jubilee Mass, I was given the opportunity to serve with two seminarians from the Diocese of St. Augustine as well as two other seminarians from the Diocese of Orlando. What a beautiful Mass it was!! Fr. Miguel, our Vocations Director, concelebrated at the Mass and gave the homily, recalling how the Sisters of St. Joseph have a played a pivotal role in the formation of countless young Catholics throughout the State of Florida–myself included.

On Monday of the break, I spent the majority of the day at St. Charles, helping around the office. Every chance I get, I try to do as much as I can for the parish that raised me; it is my way of saying thank you. While I was there, I got to spend some time with the parish staff and share with them a little bit of my journey this year at St. John Vianney.

On Wednesday, I was given the opportunity to say thank you to the students and faculty of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School for their prayers and support by playing my trombone with the school choir. I had an excellent time!! There is a lot of talent in that school! Being at the School Mass reminded me of all the times I had gone to Mass during my years at St. Charles School and how those masses helped develop my vocation. I only hope that there are a few kids in that group of students who are considering serving God in some way by becoming some kind of minister in the church. Who knows, maybe there is even someone who has a calling to become a priest.

Wednesday evening, I traveled to Merritt Island to have dinner with Fr. Karl, Fr. Mike, Sr. Mary, and Sr. Maura from Divine Mercy. What a great time we shared! I am truly thankful for being given the opportunity to walk with them for a little part of my journey. If they only knew what they have done for me–they have shown me that Christ dwells in the ordinary, little things, surrounding us at every moment of our lives. I look forward to seeing them during my Thanksgiving break. (I promised Sr. Mary that I would come and see all of them.)

Thursday was quite an interesting day. Three other Orlando Seminarians and I went to Bishop Moore High School to share with the male sophomore students a little bit of vocations. We shared our vocation stories after showing them Fishers of Men. Like last year, the talks reminded me of why I was in the seminary. Sometime I forget exactly who and what I am doing this for. It is always a great experience getting a reminder.

As you can see, the break was jam packed. When I was not doing things Diocesan related, I was spending time resting and chillin’ with the family. All-in-all, it was a good break…I just wish it wasn’t so short. Back to studies and classwork! Bye for now…

PHOTO 1 SOURCE: Diocese of Orlando

PHOTO 2 SOURCE: Bishop Moore Catholic High School

Throughout this week, most of us here will be working on papers that are due in the very near future. We will also be studying for our mid-term exams, which are coming up next week (October 5th-9th). However, then we all have something to look forward to; mid-semester break is the week of October 12th. For me, break will be spent catching up on some much needed rest and spending time with family in Orlando. I am mostly looking forward to getting to see my nephew crawl around the house.

Off to the chapel for Morning Prayer and Mass. Bye for now….

Most Holy Trinity, Our Father in Heaven, who chose Mary as the fairest of your daughters; Holy Spirit, who chose Mary as your spouse; God the Son, who chose Mary as your Mother; in union with Mary, we adore your majesty and acknowledge your supreme, eternal dominion and authority.

Most Holy Trinity, we put St. John Vianney College Seminary into the hands of Mary Immaculate, the New Eve and Star of the Sea, in order that she may present this seminary to you. Through her we wish to thank you for the great blessings you have bestowed upon us throughout our fifty years of service. Through the intercession of Mary, have mercy on the local churches we serve. Shower wisdom upon our bishops and all who assist them in their responsibilities of governance. Bestow strength to our seminary administration, faculty, and staff. Grant protection to those here discerning the priesthood of Jesus Christ. Call forth the precious gift of many vocations to the diocesan priesthood. Through the intercession of our mother, have mercy on the sick, the poor, the refugee, the tempted, sinners–on all who are in need.

Mary, Immaculate Virgin, our mother, patroness of our land, we praise you and honor you and consecrate our seminary and ourselves to your immaculate heart. O Sorrowful and immaculate heart of Mary, pierced by the sword of sorrow prophesied by Simeon, save us from degeneration, presumption, and despair. Protect us from all harm. O sorrowful and immaculate heart of Mary, you who bore the sufferings of your son in the depths of your heart, be our advocate. Pray for us, the community of St. John Vianney College Seminary, that acting always according to the will of your divine son, we may live and die pleasing to God. Amen.

Here are some pictures from the seminary’s ceremonies yesterday dedicated the new mosaic and consecrating the seminary to Mary.

PHOTO SOURCE: Tom Pringle

VIDEO SOURCE: Tom Pringle

Dedicating the mosaic to Mary, Star of the Sea is significant for us at the seminary. It reminds us that whenever we face challenges, struggles and temptations in life we can always look to our Blessed Mother for guidance and protection. In other words, we are all ships drifting out on the sea with no idea of which way to go. But we look to the sky and see a bright light emerging through the darkness and chaos of the storm, leading us to a safe harbor. That bright light that guides us is Mary.

Let us turn then to our Blessed Mother, Star of the Sea, asking for her  intercession to protect us from all temptations and guidance to lead us to know her Son more deeply.

Mary, New Eve and Star of the Sea, pray for us.

PHOTO SOURCE: Dignare Me Laudare Te, Virgo Sacrata

DENISE O’TOOLE KELLY | FLORIDA CATHOLIC STAFF

ORLANDO | Everyone’s on Facebook.

It’s an exaggeration, to be sure, but it’s one the media relations and communications folks at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops were hearing too often to ignore.

“That’s where the people are, and that’s where we need to be if we want to get our message out,” Don Clemmer, assistant director of media relations for the bishops’ conference and a primary keeper of its new Facebook page, told the Florida Catholic.

USCCB media relations officers for some time have been using the Twitter to send brief notices (140 characters or fewer, in accord with that networking site’s design) to followers about press releases and other items of interest. The USCCB’s Twitter followers now number more than 2,200. In March, Clemmer and his colleagues started a blog to “report and reflect on matters concerning the U.S. Catholic bishops, especially as they play out in the blogosphere and the media as a whole,” according to the first posting.

The Facebook page went live the first week of August, and amassed more than 1,100 fans in its first month. Why Facebook, why now?

“We were kind of asking similar questions ourselves, but sort of from a ‘why not’ perspective. Why don’t we have a page on Facebook yet?” Clemmer said. “And it happened pretty quickly from there.”

The USCCB has used Facebook to help spread the word about the bishops’ positions on health care reform and immigration policy, to explain a change in wording in a section of the U.S. version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for it’s second edition, and to announce the launch of new Web site designed to help the faithful understand and implement upcoming changes in the English-language Mass.

Facebook has also become a venue for the USCCB’s community of fans to engage in free and lively discussion. Some might argue that, at times, it is too free and lively.

“At the end of the day you always have that option to remove” objectionable comments, Clemmer said, adding that he expects to do so sparingly. “At this point in the game I think we’d been leaning toward the side of cultivating the discussion on our page.”

WHAT FANS THINK

Both the open forum and the information about Church stances appear to be appreciated by Catholics in Florida who have signed up as fans of the USCCB on Facebook. (In keeping with the spirit of meeting people where they are, the Florida Catholic “interviewed” fans who listed Florida hometowns via the private message function of Facebook.)

“I have been a longtime fan of the USCCB Web site, using it primarily to keep up with topics of interest and importance to Catholics. Becoming a fan of its Facebook page just made it easier to keep up and also provided a forum in which to share comments with other fans,” wrote Richard Paul Siegel, who belongs to St. Lucy Parish in Highland Beach.

Tom Pringle is a seminarian for the Orlando Diocese and parishioner of St. Charles Borromeo in Orlando. He said the content on the USCCB’s Facebook page has been informative.

“The USCCB’s statements on the current issues facing our country, especially health care reform, have allowed me to formulate my own opinion. In most cases, the bishops have been the voice of reason that allows us to see a different side of the issues,” he said. “They help us to see the whole picture. As Catholics, it is important for us to know where our bishops stand on the issues.”

Tara Dibble, a parishioner of St. Stephen in Valrico, had just discovered the page when she received her interview request from the Florida Catholic.

“I think that the Church is recognizing that social networking is a way to reach the masses and it is a very progressive decision to use this outlet. So frequently I hear complaints from fallen-away Catholics that the Church is out of touch with today’s young people – this shows that this just isn’t true,” she said.

Fellow St. Stephen parishioner D’ann White said the opportunity to become a fan of the USCCB on Facebook built on ways the faith community already was using the social networking site, calling it “a wonderful way for the individual church community to stay in close contact.

“Since becoming friends on Facebook, myself and fellow parishioners have been able to keep better track of the needs of members of our parish – when there is a sickness, a death, a job loss, an occasion to celebrate. We are better able to provide immediate encouragement, assistance, congratulations and sympathy, and I believe it has brought us much closer together.”

Father Scott Circe, parochial vicar of St. James Cathedral in Orlando, said he has enjoyed the interaction with other fans of the site.

“I think it is a great idea for the USCCB to get involved with social-networking Web sites because it can spread its message with a broader spectrum of users. May the Lord bless the Church and its outreach, and may others come to know of God’s goodness through the USCCB Facebook page,” he said.

Father Tomas Marin, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Doral, noted that the USCCB Facebook site has all the information the bishops want to get out to the public, and offers a way to do so quickly. “The Church needs to keep the good news up to date,” he said.

The article from The Florida Catholic can be found here: http://thefloridacatholic.org/blogs/living_faith/welcome-to-facebook-us-catholic-bishops/

The Theology of the Body is not simply for married couples, it is meant for all people who are looking to grow in their relationship with the Lord by examining their relationships with their fellow human beings. It is only through the relationships we have here on Earth that we can get a glimpse of what true union with God involves. We have to remember, however, that man is made in the likeness of God, not the other way around. “God is pure spirit in which there is no place for the difference between the sexes. But the respective ‘perfections’ of man and woman reflect something of the infinite perfection of God.” (CCC 370) Christopher West calls the TOB the “lens through which to view the whole mystery of human life.” (PTOB, p. 7)

The most profound aspect of the conferences for me was the part on celibacy. Throughout the years, there have been so many different reasons explaining why priests should remain unmarried. Here is the common one (this one I have used to explain celibacy in the past.) “If a priest gets married, he will not be able to devote the majority of his time to the people of his church community. Instead, the majority of his time will be given to his family.” I never realized how ignorant this statement really was until this series of conferences. Christopher West explained it to us in a way that really made sense.

A man who gives his life to the church by becoming a celibate is “someone who freely forgoes sexual relations in order to devote all of his energies and desires to the union that alone can satisfy. Those who are celibate for the kingdom share the same vocation to love as those who marry, but manifest this same vocation in a different manner. By devoting themselves entirely to the marriage of Christ and the Church, celibate men and women boldly proclaim that ‘the kingdom of God is here’.” (PTOB, p. 20)

He goes on to say:

“Christian celibacy is not a rejection of sexuality. Rather, it is meant to be a living out of the ultimate purpose and meaning of sexuality—union with Christ and the Church. The celibate person must embrace the spousal meaning of his or her body and live it in an authentic call to spiritual union and fertility.” (PTOB, p. 23)

“Celibacy is not a life of sexual repression but of sexual redemption. Christ calls everyone to experience liberation from lust through the redemption of the body. Only to the degree that one is free from the domination of lust is he or she able to live a healthy life either as a married person or as a celibate.” (PTOB, p. 23)

If there is anyone who is interested in this topic, I encourage you to do some research and look into what this is all about. Once you get into these amazing reflections by John Paul II, you will be amazed at how much it will really change your life. I have simply just begun my personal study of the Holy Father’s reflections and it has already touched me tremendously. Imagine what it could do for you.

For more information on the Theology of the Body, or to find resources to begin your personal studies of it, please visit http://www.tobinstitute.org.

Citations:

CCC—Catechism of the Catholic Church

PTOB—Proclaiming the Theology of the Body: A Seminar for Priests

PHOTO 1 SOURCE: Tom Pringle

PHOTO 2 SOURCE: St. John Vianney College Seminary

“Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children.“

- President George W. Bush, November 11, 2001

September 11, 2001 is a day that will live in our hearts and minds forever. This date, for us, is like the day our grandparents remember so vividly, December 7, 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor; it is like the day many of our parents remember so clearly, November 22, 1963 when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. All three of these days, covered in tragedy, pain, and uncertainty were pivotal moments in our nation’s history. Yet, the people of the United States did not let the ugliness of terror and hate get the best of them. Instead, all of us as Americans were brought together to comfort, console, and pray with one another.

None of us will forget where we were the minute we heard the news of the attacks on the United States that fateful September day. I was in my eighth grade Pre-Algebra class when the Physical Education teacher walked in and asked the teacher to go into the hall. When he walked back into the classroom, Mr. Ray turned on the television and passed the news on to us. As we sat there watching Peter Jennings give us the latest details, the television picture shifted from the World Trade Center towers to a picture of the Pentagon on fire. At that point, we all knew what was going on…America was under attack.

Later on in the day, when my fellow classmates and I went on to our English class, we continued watching the coverage. Right before the first tower collapsed, the principal had someone in the office come over the intercom informing the teachers to leave all televisions off. After our English teacher, Ms. Stewart,complied with the instructions, she told us that the lesson plans for the day had been thrown out. We were going to talk about what was happening in our country – something I am thankful for to this day. After talking about it for a few minutes, we began to write about how this made us feel and what impact it was going to have on our lives. I remembering writing a poem for our country, something I have shared with several of my closest friends.  [I will see if I can find a copy of it somewhere and post it later.]

As we go through this day, let us remember all of those who lost their lives in the morning hours of September 11, 2001 – all of the rescuers, all of the victims in the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the heroes who perished in the Pennsylvania field. Let us also remember the men and women who have died defending our country since that day. Finally, let us remember all the families that lost their loved ones as a result of these terrorist attacks on our country.

May God bless the United States of America!

In fact, at St. John Vianney College Seminary this year, the number of seminarians is at 35-year record high. The seminary welcomed 35 new seminarians at the beginning of August, bringing the total number of seminarians to 76 for the year. We are witnessing hope.

MIAMI | When former Air Force pilot Ryan Boyle, 32, finished his stint in the military to pursue a 10-year call to the priesthood, he inadvertently helped make history.

Boyle, who hails from St. Petersburg, is part of the largest group of seminarians – a total of 76 – that St. John Vianney College Seminary has seen in more than three decades.

“The last time we had numbers like this was more than 35 years ago,” said Msgr. Michael G. Carruthers, rector-president of the seminary, which is marking its 50th anniversary this year.

St. John Vianney opened in 1959 as a high school seminary for the then newly created Diocese of Miami. It now takes in students from throughout Florida, other U.S. dioceses and the Bahamas who are pursuing a bachelor’s degree in philosophy or a two-year degree in pre-theology in preparation for the priesthood.

The larger-than-usual entering class has created some extra work for the faculty and staff.

“It’s been a lot of hard work, but we’re very excited. We’ve been adding extra tables, chairs, and preparing to accommodate these young men here,” Msgr. Carruthers said.

He credited Archbishop John C. Favalora’s support for the seminary – particularly his resistance to the idea of moving the education and training of priests-to-be away from the seminary setting – for “enabling the growth of a healthy environment and a strong model of priestly formation” that made the growth in enrollment possible.

“Some suggested that we have a study house attached to a university,” Archbishop Favalora said, where future priests would attend classes with other college students while living and being instructed on the particulars of the priesthood in the study house. “However, neither the U.S. Catholic bishops nor I agreed with that. Seminarians need to be trained in the seminary. That is how it is done and how the bishops want it done.”

The historic number entering the seminary also seems to defy the economic reality.

“I’m proud these men are answering God’s call. There is a lot of pressure, especially during these hard times, to go and do something else. However, they are here seeking (Christ),” Archbishop Favalora said. “It really shows that God’s ways are not our ways.”

The archbishop visited the seminary Aug. 22 to officially open the academic year with the traditional Mass of the Holy Spirit, during which he invoked the guidance of the Spirit upon the seminarians, their professors and the seminary’s staff.

“We’re invoking the Holy Spirit to transform us into something greater than what we appear to be,” Archbishop Favalora said. “We’re asking the Holy Spirit to make holy the work we’re going to do.”

“The Holy Spirit is the breath of the seminary. It is a string that connects us to Christ whom we follow,” said Martin Nguyen, 20, a third-year seminarian from the Diocese of Orlando.

“It is an honor to pass on the priesthood from one generation to the next. Passing on the faith is what this seminary is all about, and I’m very proud to see so many taking on that tradition,” Archbishop Favalora said.

–The Florida Catholic, “St. John Vianney Seminary enrollment at 35-year high”

Bye for now…

PHOTO SOURCE: The Florida Catholic

What does this have to do with seminary? Fr. Joseph tied this story in with the upcoming year. He told the seminarians there will be tremendous struggles and challenges that will occur this year. In formation, the struggles are necessary to achieve growth. If we have someone come along and ease the burden of the challenge, we will never experience the growth we need. The Lord never gives us a challenge that we are too weak to overcome. If we persevere and have faith, we can overcome any obstacle that is put in our path. Fr. Joseph told us not to be afraid to accept the responsibilities that we are given this year because they are only meant to help us grow. If we look for the easy way out and have someone take the challenge away from us, there is no possibility for growth and we will never learn how to fly.