Maria Goretti in North Beach?

I just finished reading read a short novel, manuscript edition, entitled "Lilies Also Grow in America" The auther is Tom Layton of Simi Valley, California

The setting is North Beach all the way. The time period is 1984 to 2006 with SS Peter & Paul’s pastor and a former pastor in minor roles.

The story, in the words of the author, is a fictional account of the true story of St. Maria Goretti and her murderer, set in 1984 San Francisco. The factional characters and essential elements of the historical event are presented. The American Maria Goretti of 1984 is the Italian Maria Goretti of 1902. The Italian Serenelli of 1902 is the American Serenelli of 1984.

Why did the author choose North Beach as the setting for the tale? For two reasons (1) Maria was baptized in the Church of San Francisco in Corinaldo, Italy, where she was born and (2) because of the Italian influence found in San Francisco’s North Beach area.

The novel is an easy read. The martyrdom of Maria Goretti and her heroic virtue present a compelling story, with a powerful lesson for young people of today. St. Maria Goretti is a saint for our times and devotion to her strongly promotes an appreciation for purity of heart and body, in a world which needs repair from the sexual revolution which has done so much damage to our city and country.

Columbine Revisited

Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado, was invited to address a House Judiciary subcommittee. What he said to our congressmen during this special session was painfully truthful. His was a voice crying in the wilderness, but what he had to say, though the Media seemed to ignore it, needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert! The following is a portion of the transcript:

"Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers. "The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart.

"In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent. I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy -- it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best. This was written way before I knew I would be speaking here today:

Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
Your words are empty air.
You've stripped away our heritage,
You've outlawed simple prayer.

Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the question "Why?"

You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed,
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!

"Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs -- politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts.

"As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America, and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA -- I give to you a sincere challenge. Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone! My daughter's death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!"

The Voice

I do not know where I picked up this story, but the “Good Shepherd”
mention in the second to the last sentence caught my attention.

“A young man was faced with making an important decision that
would affect the course of his life. He considered his grand-
mother to be the wisest person he knew, and so he went to see
her. ‘Grandmother,’ he said, ‘I need to make the right decision
about my life and I've prayed about it, but I just can't
decide. Nothing happens when I pray. Tell me please, how can
I hear the voice of God?’

“The grandmother thought for a while, then replied, ‘My dear grandson,
I have quite a different problem and, because of it, I don't think
I can help you. You see, I cannot not hear the voice of God.’

“You hear what you want to hear. You hear what you're listening
for. If you want to hear the voice of God, you cannot not hear
it. God never gives up on you. God never stops inviting you
to be His own. The Good Shepherd always keeps you within
calling distance. If you don't hear Him it's not because He's
too far away or He's not speaking loudly enough. It's because
you are listening for other voices.’”

Fr. Euteneuer tells it like it is!

More on the "Gang of 18"

Catholic Priest Invites Gang of 18 To Leave Church

"FRONT ROYAL, VA — The Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer, STL, president of Human Life International, (HLI) today said “Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-3) and seventeen other members of Congress who describe themselves as Catholic not only are ignorant of their faith but also need a civics lesson.”

Read the whole thing

And read Father Malloy's May 17 "Pastor's Message" on the same subject.

Intelligent Design

I saw the ad in the San Francisco Chronicle this morning: Intelligent Design by Family Builders by Adoption.

The ad is directed to the "LBGT community." There are hundreds of children waiting for adoption, but to place them in families of homosexuals, can hardly be seen as a favor, and that is what Family Builders wants to do. Unfortunately it has the support of CYO.

I recall the admonition of Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo: same-sex adoption was "an act of moral violence" against a child.

How can we support our family structure, which is the basis of a strong nation, if we allow the very concept of family to be altered? Of course, by changing the definition of marriage to include same-sex, we are facilitating the process, and contributing to the destruction of the moral basis on which family is built.

"California Catholic Daily" is on the case.

Thanks, Gibbons. It wears well for Weare.

"Fr. Kenneth Weare’s defense of the USF’s McLaren College of Business having Congresswoman Pelosi as their commencement speaker (CSF 5/25/2007) is breathtaking in its lameness. Fr. Weare argues that those who object to Pelosi’s presence because of her career-long support of abortion risk becoming “Cafeteria Catholics” – driven by a single issue. Fr. Weare thus reduces abortion to one issue among others—as if the several issues had the same weight, so that choosing between them means no more than, say, a choice of chocolate or vanilla ice-cream. In so doing, he is in a flat-out flight from reality. Any issue involving human “rights” you care to name—immigration, poverty, health care, the war in Iraq—only has meaning if the prior right to life is recognized. Not for nothing did Jefferson enunciate the right to “Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness”, and in just that order. Like a programmer, he knew each term was necessary for those that followed. Otherwise, system failure. Without life, no liberty. Without life & liberty, no pursuit of happiness. All social “rights” are secondary to, and derivative from, the right to life. It’s only when we recognize rights in their proper hierarchy that we can make proper judgments. Old-timers tell me the Jesuits used to be able to grasp this."

Gibbons Cooney
San Francisco

Comments Activated

Thanks to Caroline for letting us know that our comments function had only limited access. It is now fixed.

Cafeteria Catholic?

I was disappointed that a Catholic University (USF) would fail to heed the voice of our Catholic Bishops of the USA and invite an abortion proponent to present the major address at a commencement ceremony. But the article defending the choice and offering the objections thereto only exacerbated the situation, and made the divide even greater between those who want to follow the Magisterium and those who want to make deals.

Our "Catholic San Francisco" story of the event attempted to be fair and balanced. I really want to take issue with an adjunct professor of Social Ethics, Fr. Weare's remarks: those "who aggressively enforce an almost single issue campaign...can perpetuate and validate the negative label of 'Cafeteria Catholic.’. Within the context of a divided if not uneducated populace, the forced establishment of laws contrary to the common morality--such as it is--could be detrimental." He's talking about abortion. It sure can be detrimental. Detrimental in a murderous way to millions of aborted babies! And if the populace is uneducated, what are you, Father, doing to promote the prime right of everyone: the right to life?

The priest goes on to state "the congresswoman is by far much more in line with the body of Catholic moral teaching than Bush ever was." Really? That statement doesn’t 'cut any ice', as we used to argue. How can Nancy Pelosi be in line with Catholic moral teaching when she is as, Professor Dennehy correctly called her "a major facilitator in mass murder."
The last paragraph of the Catholic San Francisco tells it all. Over the years Nancy Pelosi has helped USF receive millions of dollars from the federal government. I suggest the least USF could do for Nancy would be to instruct her in her Catholic faith, admonish her that she cannot receive Communion and support abortion, and pray for her soul, as I do daily.

Academy of Art University Graduation

For some years I have been offering the Invocation and Benediction at our San Francisco Academy of Art University. It's a rewarding experience to see the giant strides that this institution of higher learning has achieved in the past six years that I have known it.

I was delighted to meet Bill Russell and Jim Brown, who received Honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters, and share the stage with them and with Dr. Lisa Stephens, President of the University, and the dozens of dedicated professors, who teach more than 10,000 students.

The graduation itself was preceded by a PowerPoint art display produced this past year--an amazing testimonial of the excellent art program.

The deportment of the students, as usual was respectful and attentive. When I was first invited to give the Invocation and Benediction I was a bit fearful of college students, having myself been present at many graduations where a bit of chaos reigned. What would happen with artists, enrolled from diverse ethnic, cultural and social backgrounds when it came time to pray? They are true ladies and gentlemen. They even laughed at my jokes, which preceded the final Benediction!

Thanks, Gerald, at "The Cafeteria is Closed"!

Thanks to Gerald Augustinus, over at "The Cafeteria is Closed" for welcoming us to the blogosphere:

Friday, May 25, 2007

An outspoken priest

From California Catholic Daily comes this about Fr. John Malloy SDB, who's been pastor of Saints Peter & Paul in San Francisco for six years and is now being transferred (nothing sinister, he had been appointed for six years). As it happens, I'll be there for lunch with the good fathers next week. Fr. Malloy has a blog. He is 85 years young, as he says."

Read the whole thing!

Also, be sure to check out Gerald's fantastic photos of Saints Peter and Paul!

Thanks, Amy, at "Open Book"!

Thanks to Amy Wellborn at "Open Book" for welcoming us to the blogosphere:

"Blogging and Blegging about...

85-year old Salesian Father John Malloy, whom some of you will remember from his strong words for Nancy Pelosi,..has a blog!"

All Children?

Here's a message I received from Nancy Pelosi

May 24, 2007

Dear San Franciscan,

When I was sworn in as Speaker, I did so surrounded by children, because they must be the center of our work here in Congress. On May 22, House Democrats held a National Summit on America's Children, an historic event which brought experts from across the country to Congress to discuss our nation's most vital resource - our children.

... Thirty-five members of Congress, over 300 academics, advocates, community leaders and CEOs, and thousands online joined these experts and participated in panels on the Science of Early Childhood Development; Early Learning; Health and Mental Health; and Income and Family Support.We take seriously our responsibility to America's future - our children.

Congress will set a new direction for the next generation by prioritizing legislation that strengthens the future of America's children, including reauthorizing Head Start, improving early childhood workforce quality through the Higher Education reauthorization act, expanding SCHIP, and making housing affordable for families.

Sincerely,

Nancy Pelosi
Speaker

This mailing was prepared, published and mailed at taxpayer expense


Great letter and good news, but are you not missing something, Nancy? What about the millions of children that are not alive to share the benefit of your National Summit, through the support of abortion, which you have promoted so strongly?