As one of the seminarians responsible for music throughout each week, I, along with the other “music guys,” have been tasked with getting the music ready for all of the liturgies. We have quite a few liturgies to plan for; here is a bit of a breakdown of the schedule for VAW.

Friday Night the seminarians will welcome the guests with a social in the Bishop Noonan Community Room. Following the arrival of the guests, we will all gather in the main chapel for an adjusted form of Night Prayer, with a formal welcoming and blessing ceremony.

Saturday is action packed with the guests being introduced to the “Pillars of Priestly Formation” with a video made by Fr. Alvarez. (That should be interesting to say the least.) To begin the day, we will all gather in the chapel for Morning Prayer. Later in the morning, after the video and seminarian panel, we will all gather in the chapel for Mass. The afternoon on Saturday is meant to be enjoyable; we usually set aside time for all of us to get some recreation, whether that be playing basketball, soccer, football…you get the point. Following the time for sports, we will gather in the chapel for Evening Prayer. After dinner, the guests will participate in group sessions with the seminarians, where they will be able to ask our point of view on formation. (They usually ask about the interview process, the academics, communal prayer, living in the dorms, and our vocations stories. It really is a great time that allows them to gain a human perspective on the experience of seminary.) Following the group sessions, we gather in the chapel for Stations of the Cross.

On Sunday, the guests and seminarians will gather in the Chapel of St. Raphael for Morning Prayer. Following the celebration of Lauds, the guests will have the opportunity to meet with the Vocations Director and seminarians from their Diocese. The weekend comes to a close with the celebration of the Eucharist.

It is going to be an excellent weekend with a lot of graces! For me, the young men who come to share the experiences of Vocations Awareness Weekend minister to me in more ways than I could ever minister to them. They allow me to see that the Lord is still calling people to serve His church despite all of the cultural influences that tell all of us to live life, do whatever we want. The church in Florida has a bright future ahead!!

Please pray for us and for all the guests.

Pax.

This afternoon at 5 p.m., the seminary community begins our annual silent retreat. So, from 5 o’clock this evening until Sunday afternoon, I will be free from the distractions of cell phones, computers, etc. Needless to say, I am really looking forward to this retreat; I am kind of wondering how the Lord is going to work. Please keep me and all the seminarians in your prayers, that the Lord will grant us all humility to receive and recognize the movements of the Spirit in our lives. As always, you all will remain in my prayers.

Pax.

In his weekly audience today in St. Peter’s Square, B16 stated that the Church asks us to embark on a journey of conversion during Lent:

[C]onversion means changing the direction of the path of our lives…It is going against the current when the ‘current’ is a superficial, incoherent, and illusory way of life that often drags us down, making us slaves of evil or prisoners of moral mediocrity. Nevertheless, through conversion we tend to the highest measure of Christian life, we trust in the living and personal Gospel who is Jesus Christ. He is the final goal and the profound path of conversion, the path that we are all called to travel in our lives, allowing ourselves to be illuminated with his light and sustained by his strength, which moves our steps. (Benedict XVI, Wednesday Audience 17 Feb. 2010)

The Holy Father also reminds us that we have our origins in God and that we shall one day return to him because of the gift of Jesus Christ:

The human being is dust and to dust it will return, but it is dust that is precious in God’s eyes because He created humanity, destining us to immortality…Jesus the Lord also wanted to freely share in human frailty with each person, above all through his death on the cross. But it was precisely this death, full of his love for the Father and for humanity, that was the way of glorious resurrection, the means by which Christ became the source of grace given to all who believe in Him and participate in the same divine life. (Benedict XVI, Wednesday Audience 17 Feb. 2010)

Therefore, in these days of Lenten journey, let us take some amount of time each day to reflect on the gifts that God has given us. Let us reflect on the times that God was made present to us and we turned away from that presence. We should identify and remove the things in our lives that are having a negative impact on our spirituality and causing us to sin. Give up something for Lent as a sacrifice. However, we should also give something in return for all the things God has given us. Here are some practical suggestions: make an effort to pray the rosary everyday; be friendly and compassionate to those who tend to get on your nerves; show love to someone who has not shown you love in return; or volunteer at a food shelter.

May the Lord bless all of us throughout this Lenten Season and bring us closer to Him through a conversion of heart. Have a blessed Lent.

Diocese of Orlando:

Archdiocese of Miami: 305-762-1137

Diocese of St. Petersburg: 727-345-3452

Diocese of Palm Beach: 561-775-9552

Diocese of Venice: 941-484-9543

Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee: 850-435-3552

Diocese of St. Augustine: 904-262-3200, ext. 101

***Note: If you are the bulletin editor at a parish in the Diocese of Orlando, please email me (tom@thomaspringle.com) for additional bulletin inserts promoting Vocations Awareness Weekend.***

To begin his first speech on U.S. soil, the ambassador spoke of his role in the United States government, which is to be a “bridge-builder of issues between the United States and the Vatican.” The ambassador noted two challenges that his office deals with: 1) global tensions that are the result of increasing pluralism, and 2) interests between the United States and the Vatican for the sake of the common good.

Ambassador Diaz mentioned that human identity is still a major issue as a result of the drastic changes in cultural dynamics in countries across the globe, which he attributed to “human migrations.” This struggle to define the human identity has made difference–whether those be based on culture, ethnicity, or gender–a threat to the world family. We have become increasingly fearful of the other before we have thought about becoming friends. However, we cannot allow this to continue because the “actualization of person” happens when we are in communion with others. Therefore, developing relationships with others is “not a choice” because we meet God in the other.

“Love offers no shortcut.” In our modern times, where we have a misunderstanding of human identity, we pick and choose who we want to love. This is where religious communities can make a major difference. Religious communities can, and do, come together–no matter what affiliation–to work for the benefit of all. These religious communities recognize that differences in culture can make a great impact on the world. Difference should not be a force of division in the world! Just the opposite is true; culture has been enriched by human diversity.

The “dignity of all persons is no easy task to accomplish”; it is a constant struggle that the Church and the United States have been trying to overcome for some time now. There are many ways that this can be accomplished. One of them is through the human imagination. “Failure to engage the human imagination” is not an option if we wish to foster commonality between cultures.

There is “serious evil in the world” that tries to inhibit the discovery of such commonalities. If we should be humble enough, we could eliminate the hatred that exists between cultures. There is a “great need today…to engage in conversation.” There is where the United States can make significant contributions, according to Ambassador Diaz.

“In the United States of America, a positive approach in relating faith and civil” contributions can work to advance the dialogue between various cultures and beyond religious affiliation. Faith is a positive agent of change in the world. Religion is not to be simply practiced in the privacy of one’s home. Religion and faith should not be left at home. Religion should be brought into the world. The ambassador went on to quote Benedict the XVI: “There is thus an urgent need to delineate a positive and open secularity which, grounded in the just autonomy of the temporal order and the spiritual order, can foster healthy cooperation and a spirit of shared responsibility.”

Persons of different faiths can and should work side-by-side in order to address the differences that exist between us. We are all “transient pilgrims” in this world. Do we spend our time tearing each other apart, or do we build bridges among the members of our human family? We should not take the easy road. “We must do unto others as we should have them do unto us.” This was the pulse of our Father’s love and still “beats in the hearts of people throughout the world.”

US Embassy Holy See

According to Diaz, the mission of the United States government is to engage the Holy See, using what Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calls “smart power”. Smart power utilizes a wide-range of diplomatic tools that enable us to spread our mission throughout the world. We use this type of diplomacy by focusing on 1) Global Health, 2) Religious Freedom, 3) Human Rights, and 4) Peace and Security.

In terms of promoting global health initiatives, the U.S. government and the Holy See are ready to fight world hunger. However, this goes hand-in-hand with easing the tension of climate change on the planet. During talks about the Copenhagen Accord, several international steps were taken to combat climate change. These include: 1) making a pledge to only raise the global temperatures by 2 degrees Celsius, 2) setting goals throughout the world that help reduce countries’ impacts on climate change, and 3) having transparency to let the world know how those goals are being met.

Countries must now work together to advance the Copenhagen Accord. Caring for persons and caring for the environment are interrelated!! “We need to be mindful of inter-generational solidarity so future generations can share” in the same benefits that we share in now. Universal solidarity is a benefit, as well as a responsibility.

In terms of religious freedom, the United States and the Vatican are working together to promote religious freedom throughout the world because it is a “human right and [a] source of stability for all countries.” The United States is seeking to identify and denounce those countries throughout the world that do not honor religious freedom. Ambassador Diaz quoted Secretary of State Clinton:

The freedom of religion “is the first liberty mentioned in our Bill of Rights, and it is a freedom guaranteed to all people in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights…Religious freedom provides a cornerstone for every healthy society. It empowers faith-based service. It fosters tolerance and respect among different communities. And it allows nations that uphold it to become more stable, secure and prosperous.”

In terms of the protection and advancement of human rights, Ambassador Diaz highlighted one specific area in which the Vatican and the United States are working together, human trafficking. The ambassador stated that there are 12.3 million victims  of human trafficking around the world; women make up 56 percent of those victims. The U.S. and the Holy See have come together in a special way by assisting in the creation of the “first ever inter-congregational effort” against human trafficking. The International Network of Religious Against Trafficking in Persons was formed in October 2009 and includes 30 women religious from 26 nations.

In regards to peace and security, the United States and the Vatican both hold that religion is being used as a “pretext of violence.” Throughout the world, religion is being used to justify the murder of innocent peoples. Ambassador Diaz reminded us that “no Holy War is a just war.” Religion cannot be used as a pretext of violence because the very foundation of all religions is love.

In concluding the 11th Annual Fides et Ratio conference, Ambassador Diaz remarked that the President of the United States (POTUS) and Benedict XVI have called upon all to embrace actions that “promote the common good for all.” The United States is “committed to bridging human differences.” We must “listen to the other; listen with the ear of the heart.” People across the world have a tremendous and deep love for the United States, but that also brings high expectations for the POTUS. However, the same goes for the Catholic Church. The Church is “one of the most important listening posts in the world” because they have international relations with many of the world’s countries. If we simply work together, despite our cultural or religious differences, we can effectively bring change to the world and advance peace.

At the end of the conference, the ambassador took questions from the audience. When asked what he could tell the seminarians for future reference, Diaz stated: “We need religious leaders who know the world, who know the issues of the world and who can wrestle them.” He went on to say that “we are not called to flee from the world. The Church is in the midst of the world. The people of faith are called to be there, to be in Haiti, to be wherever human dignity is trampled.” And finally, the ambassador told us that “we have to remember the past because we do not want the future to be that past.”

]]> http://www.thomaspringle.com/2010/02/fides-et-ratio/feed/ 1 http://www.thomaspringle.com/2010/02/catching-up/ http://www.thomaspringle.com/2010/02/catching-up/#comments Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:48:14 +0000 Tom Pringle http://www.thomaspringle.com/?p=499 Hello everyone!! It has been a few weeks since I last posted anything, so I wanted to keep you all up to speed on how life is going at the seminary. For the most part, things have been relatively quiet around here; not too many things happening out of the ordinary. Nonetheless,  here is a brief recap of the last few weeks:

On January 15th, the seminary community went on a Day of Recollection to assist us in switching gears from the Christmas Break and to prepare us for the upcoming academic semester. Our retreat master was Monsignor Thomas Caserta from the Diocese of Brooklyn (Pastor of the Shrine  Church of St. Bernadette). Msgr. Caserta spoke to us about the evangelical councils of obedience, chastity, and poverty. (Interesting side note: Diocesan priests do not take a vow of poverty; instead, diocesan priests take a promise to live in simplicity.) The Day of Recollection, which only lasted about 20 hours or so, was eye opening for me. It allowed me to really reflect on priestly service and the baptismal call of all. The mini-retreat gave me the opportunity to reflect on how the Lord is working in my life and how he continues to call me to serve His church, His people.

On January 23rd, St. John Vianney College Seminary hosted the Liga Orante, a group of little old Cuban women who get together to sponsor fundraising events  and pray for vocations to the priesthood. It is always great to hang out with the ladies from the Liga Orante because it allows us to see and thank some of the people who pray for seminarians and support us. We also get to work on our Spanish conversational skills. (I still need a little more practice on this front.)

Throughout the last three months or so, the entire junior class (with only a few exceptions) have been working on our Humanities Projects. The purpose of the projects is to show a correlation between humanities (art, music, etc.) and religion or philosophy. For the project, the juniors were broken up into five groups of three. The groups were asked to choose two humanities categories and prepare a 15 minute presentation. My group chose painting and literature and its correlation to theology; we focused on the Passion story–the Way to the Cross, the Crucifixion, and the Descent from the Cross. The presentations were given on January 28th. All of the groups did an excellent job!!

So, that’s a recap of the last few weeks. Some interesting highlights for the weeks to come include:

• Our annual Fides et Ratio conference takes place on February 5th. This year’s guest speaker is a Pre-Theology alumni of St. John Vianney, the United States Ambassador to the Holy See, Miguel Diaz. Mr. Diaz will be speaking on the relationship between the United States and the Vatican, which is a little different from our usual Fides et Ratio topic of discussion–as the sitting ambassador, Diaz must speak from his office. More to come on this later!!
• Mid-semester exams will take place from February 15th through February 18th. Please pray for us this week.
• The beautiful and reflective Season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 17th.
• Mid-semester break begins on February 18th…I will be home by 1:00p.m. I am quite excited about spending some time with the family, especially Micah D. who is now walking!!!
• We come back from mid-semester break on February 25th and almost immediately go on a three-day silent retreat. Please pray a little extra throughout those three days (Feb. 25th-28th).
• Finally, Vocations Awareness Weekend is already right around the corner. The seminary community will welcome young men from most of the Dioceses of the province March 12th-14th. Anyone interested in attending should contact their vocations directors. Contact information can be found by going to Whispers of the Spirit.

Pax.

(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/2010/01/disaster-in-haiti/ http://www.thomaspringle.com/2010/01/disaster-in-haiti/#comments Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:12:22 +0000 Tom Pringle http://www.thomaspringle.com/?p=492 Over the last few hours, the news of the massive, devastating earthquake in Haiti has had precedence on all of our thoughts and minds here at the seminary. The Church in Florida is so uniquely diverse that we have seminarians at St. John Vianney from 17 countries of birth and whom speak five first languages. Included in this group are three seminarians of Haitian descent, which makes the tragedy in Haiti hit close to home.

All morning, we have been watching the television and browsing the internet for any good news emerging from the region affected by the earthquake. However, the bad news continues to pour out of the poorest country in the western hemisphere. In regards to the Catholic Church in Haiti, the latest news has been even more devastating. The Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince has maintained extensive losses to churches, schools, formation houses, etc. The most devastating and heart wrenching loss of churches, however, has to be that of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Port-au-Prince , which received extensive damage. [In fact, when I saw these before and after pictures, I was completely dumbfounded.] The Port-au-Prince seminary also fell victim to the earthquake, collapsing with seminarians inside the building. The seminarians are still trapped beneath the rubble; they will especially be in my thoughts and prayers today.

Among the greatest loss to the Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince is the Archbishop, Msgr. Joseph Serge Miot. The Archbishop’s body was located beneath the rubble of his collapsed residence.

As Catholics, it is important for us to remember the people of Haiti and their families located throughout the world in prayer today and throughout the upcoming weeks, months, and years. It is going to take a long time to overcome such a devastating disaster. If you would like to offer financial assistance to help the people of Haiti recover, here are some links that will take you to sites that will accept monetary donations.

• Catholic Relief Services
• The American Red Cross: You can also text HAITI to 90999 to donate $10 to the American Red Cross charged to your phone bill.

The three Haitian seminarians we have at St. John Vianney have taught me one thing about the Haitian people–they will overcome this disaster, singing praises to God. In fact, the one thing that stood out the most to me while watching all the news reports  this morning was an observation from a reporter, Christine Webb, from one of Orlando’s news stations who happened to be in Haiti for a mission trip. She reported that “you could hear people singing through the night, praising God.”

]]> http://www.thomaspringle.com/2010/01/disaster-in-haiti/feed/ 0 http://www.thomaspringle.com/2010/01/nvaw/ http://www.thomaspringle.com/2010/01/nvaw/#comments Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:10:41 +0000 Tom Pringle http://www.thomaspringle.com/?p=485 A post I did for Whispers of the Spirit:

This week the Church in the United States celebrates National Vocation Awareness Week; a week that the Bishops have set aside in which all Catholics are asked to pray for an increase in vocations. Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston who is the current chairman of the Bishops’ Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations said that, as Catholics, “it is our responsibility to encourage young people to be generous in their response as they discern the possibility of a call to service in the Church.”

As we begin this week, it is fitting that the Gospel reading from Mass this morning was on the call of the Apostles: Simon, Andrew, James, and John. Jesus asked all of them to leave everything they possessed behind to “Come after me.” Sometimes we don’t understand or we can’t clearly see where the Lord is calling us. In these instances, we must put all of our trust and hope in the Lord , asking Him to show us the path He wants us to follow that will best serve the church.

On other occasions, we clearly hear where the Lord wants us to go and we are fearful to respond to his call. In these times, it is important to remember the life of Mary, who, though filled with fear at the message of the angel declaring her to be to virgin Mother of God, answered with a yes. Let us not forget that, in Mary’s time, women who were not married and became pregnant were literally stoned to death. However, despite all of this uncertainty, Mary trusted that God would take care of her.

Throughout this week, please pray that the young men and women of the Church in the United States will consider what our Heavenly Father wants them to do with their lives. When they do hear the Lord’s will for their lives, pray that they will respond without fear or anxiety, no matter what vocation they are called to. Pray for those who are discerning the priesthood of Jesus Christ, the consecrated religious life, married life, and single life. Pray that the Lord will grant them peace and perseverance. Finally, encourage the young people of your parishes to seriously consider what the Lord is calling them to do–sometimes all it takes is a simple invitation.

“The observance of National Vocation Awareness Week (NVAW) began in 1976 when the National Conference of Catholic Bishops designated the 28th Sunday of the year as the beginning of NVAW. In 1997, this celebration was moved to coincide with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

“The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which falls on January 10 in 2010, marks the initiation of Jesus into public ministry. At his baptism Jesus is named the beloved Son of God. With this celebration the faithful recommit themselves to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. They are also initiated through their own baptism to be the Beloved of God, commissioned to proclaim Good News with their lives.”

Source: http://www.usccb.org/vocations/news-release-nvaw-2010.pdf

This semester is going to be a little different from the Fall semester, mainly because we do not have any major events planned, except our bi-annual Vocations Awareness Weekend in March–I am already expecting to have another well attended weekend. I always look forward to hosting the countless young men who come to the seminary to discern God’s will for their lives for that brief period of two days. I never took the opportunity to come on one of the weekends even though I had been invited numerous times by people in my parish. So, if there is a young man out there from the Diocese of Orlando who is thinking about serving the church as a priest, please seriously consider contacting Fr. Miguel at the Vocations Office about coming down March 12-14, 2010.

Vocations Awareness Weekend is just one event in the calendar for the remainder of the academic year. Below is the rest of the events that the seminarians will be taking part in over the next four to five months.

• Inter-Seminary Day of Communion: The priest, deacons, and seminarians from St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary make a trip down to Miami to have a friendly soccer match with us (St. John Vianney usually wins). We also all come together for Solemn Vespers and dinner.
• Day of Recollection on January 15th and 16th–Please keep us in your prayers these two days.
• Mid-Semester Exams take place from February 15th through February 18th.
• Mid-Semester Break waked place from February 18th through February 24th when we return and immediately go on a three-day retreat. Please keep us in your prayers February25-28th.
• The seminary community will host the John Paul II Vocation Monstrance from March 1st-7th.
• As mentioned above, Vocations Awareness Weekend takes place from March12th-14th.
• From March 26th through April 5th the seminarians will be in their Dioceses celebrating Holy Week with their Bishops, Pastors, parishes, etc.
• Final Semester Exams take place from April 26th-30th followed by “Community Days” from April 1st-5th.
• The seminary community will gather on April 5th to say farewell to the Class of 2010, which includes two young men for the Diocese of Orlando-Joshua Swallows and Chris Dorsey. Beginning in August 2010, these seminarians will begin at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary.

As you can see, throughout the Spring semester, the seminarians will be quite busy. However, we do have breaks built into the schedule to keep us refreshed and ready to take on whatever the Lord throws our way.

Bye for now….

For Christmas, I am serving at St. Charles for the 7:00 p.m. Christmas Eve and Midnight Masses. I will also be playing my trombone with the choir at the 10:00 a.m. Christmas Mass. It is going to be an exciting time gathering family and friends together for the celebration of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The family will gather together on Friday evening to celebrate Christmas around the tree and the dinner table. Mom and Dad are definitely going to be cooking up a storm on Friday. But, the big family get-together will be on Saturday when we gather around Grandma’s Christmas tree and dinner table.

This time of year is meant to be spent with family and friends. While you are celebrating Christmas with your families, be sure to thank God for the wonderful gifts he has given you. I am so thankful for all that God has given me this year, most especially the newest addition to the Pringle family, Micah D. who was born in February. However, there are people out in the world that are not able to share this most special holiday with their families, including our troops fighting overseas, the homeless members of our society, and those who live in nursing homes. Please also remember them in your thoughts and prayers this Christmas Season.

May the Lord bless all of you and protect you during this most holy season. May the celebration of the birth of our Lord change your hearts and bring you closer to our Heavenly Father.

There has been some misunderstanding about what the Stupak Amendment actually does for the health care bill. To help Catholics understand the amendment more thoroughly, the USCCB put out the following statement:

What does the Stupak Amendment do?

1.   It applies to this legislation the longstanding policy of the Hyde Amendment, which has governed other federal health programs for over three decades: No funds authorized or appropriated under this Act (including the “affordability credits” used to help individuals purchase health coverage) may be used for elective abortions, or for benefits packages that include such abortions.

2.   This does not apply to abortions in cases of danger to the mother’s life or rape/incest.

3.   The amendment clearly states that it does not prevent the following:

a.   Any individual whose private coverage is not federally subsidized may purchase (or continue to be covered by) a plan that includes elective abortions, paid for with that individual’s premium dollars. This includes individuals who receive health insurance through their employers, and those who may want to purchase it individually on the new Exchange (where health plans will compete to sell insurance to those who lack employer based coverage).

b.   A private insurer participating in the Exchange may sell a health plan that includes elective abortions to non-subsidized individuals on the Exchange, but then must also offer the same plan without elective abortions (selling only the latter version to federally subsidized purchasers).

c.   Any individual, even someone whose overall health plan was purchased with the help of affordability credits, may use private funds to purchase a supplemental policy covering abortions; any private insurer may sell such a policy.

4.    All contrary provisions in the bill are deleted – provisions allowing the HHS Secretary to include elective abortions in the government-run “public plan”; allowing federal subsidies to support plans that include such abortions; forbidding health plans to “discriminate” between abortion facilities and other health facilities; etc.

For the entire explanation of the Stupak Amendment, please visit: http://www.usccb.org/healthcare/StupakAmendmentFactsheet.pdf

Upon the passage of the House version of the bill, the Senate took up negotiations and debate on its version of the Health Care Reform Bill. However, the Senate bill does not contain the Stupak Amendment. Many pro-life Republican and Democratic Senators are standing by their Christian principles and threatening to vote against a bill that does not contain an special amendment removing federal funding of abortions. (It is about time Senators start standing up for what they believe!!) These pro-life Senators, including Senators Ben Nelson (D-NE), Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Robert Casey (D-PA), have proposed an amendment to the Senate bill that would echo the Stupak Amendment in the House bill.

What does the Nelson/Hatch/Casey amendment do?

1.   It applies the longstanding policy of the Hyde amendment to this program: No funds authorized or appropriated under this Act (including the tax credits used to help individuals purchase health coverage) may be used for abortions, or for benefits packages that include abortion.

2.   This does not apply to abortions in cases of danger to the mother’s life or rape/incest.

3.   The amendment clearly states that it does not prevent the following:

a.   Any individual (including someone whose overall health plan was purchased with the help of federal tax credits) may use his or her own private funds to purchase a supplemental policy covering abortions; any private insurer may sell such a policy.

b.   Any individual whose private coverage is not federally subsidized may purchase (or continue to be covered by) a plan that includes elective abortions, paid for with that individual’s premium dollars. This includes individuals who receive health insurance through their employers, as well as those who may want to purchase it individually on the new Exchange where health plans will compete to sell insurance to those who lack employer-based coverage.

c.   A private insurer participating in the Exchange may even sell a health plan that includes elective abortions to non-subsidized individuals on the Exchange, but then must also offer the same plan without elective abortions (selling only the latter version to federally subsidized purchasers).

4.   All contrary provisions in the bill (allowing the HHS Secretary to include elective abortions in the government-run “community health insurance option,” allowing federal subsidies to support plans that include such abortions, etc.) are made consistent with this policy.

5.   A provision forbidding health plans to “discriminate” against health facilities that are willing to perform and provide abortions is deleted. If the public plan, and private plans receiving federal subsidies, will not provide abortions, there is no reason for the government to make them include abortion facilities in their network.

Personally, I usually do not get too involved with the political arena when writing  here on my blog. However, this case is a bit different because it is considering using the typical American’s hard-earned money to fund abortions. The culture of death that is present throughout our country and throughout the world needs to take a hit today! It is time for the people who represent us in Washington to start listening to their constituents. Americans do not want to pay for abortions!!! Please write your Senators and plead with them to vote for the Nelson/Hatch/Casey Amendment.

Today, I write the 100th post for the website!!! To tell you the truth, I expected to write the post earlier-in fact, I wrote something a couple of weeks ago and forgot to post it. Nonetheless, I would like to thank you all for constantly checking up on the progress of a young man trying to discern God’s will in his life. Seminary life is not always easy!! Everything I write on the site allows me to reflect on my seminary experience. For that, I thank you all tremendously!

Now, for the next few weeks:

• Vocations Awareness Weekend Article: There will be an article coming out in the Florida Catholic very soon that I wrote about our recent Vocations Awareness Weekend. I will have it up (with some interesting pictures) when it comes out so that you all can see what the weekend was all about.
• Review of the Semester: Sometime in the next few days, I will post a review of my third semester at St. John Vianney College Seminary so that all of you can share in the experiences of this very hectic, grace-filled semester.
• Evaluations, Finals, Gaudeamus, Christmas Break: All of these are coming up!!

Until next time, PAX!

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.

“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.