UPDATE - It is confirmed. The Hancock presentation has been canceled.
The story that we broke over the weekend about an occult event at St. Joseph's in Belmont was investigated today on several levels at the Archdiocese and it appears the event has been cancelled.
While there is no formal confirmation yet, the event is no longer listed on the bulletin at St. Joseph's and it is no longer on Hancock's schedule of events.
This is actually a very surprising outcome. These kinds of events have come and gone in the archdiocese from time to time and we have not been able to get action taken on them. Dare we hope that this is a sign that our concerns are going to be taken seriously?
Thanks to all who responded, contacted the pastor, surrounding parishes to warn other pastors, the Bishops and others in the Archdiocese to expressed your concerns.
Finally, thank you to those in the Archdiocese who did the right thing, standing up to protect the grieving and broken.
The Tenth Crusade
3 comments:
and Thank YOU Carol for making this known! God Bless YOU!
Carol
You are entitled to your opinion. But please hear mine. My daughter passed at 19 in 2009 after battling cancer. If it weren't for Maureen Hancock, I would not be here. She has helped more people than you can imagine. Please live and let live and allow this remarkable woman do her work.
Dear Vikki,
I am very sorry for your hearbreak and loss. Death has touched my life in many ways and in many relationships but I know there is no loss like the one you suffered.
Though I am trained in grief and loss, I don't know you and I do not feel qualified to speak to your personal situation. And the comments space in a blog is not the right venue.
I ask your forgiveness if this situation has hurt you. Catholics are right now rising to secure our deposit of faith. We are late to that party and our zeal is running on high.
I have spoken of the spiritual but I do want to explain something else in light of the comments you submitted.
In another comment (that seemed duplicative because I have comment moderation on and so I did not publish it), you mentioned that Maureen 'saved you'. This is but a small part of the fruit of Maureen's show that Catholics do not want their brothers and sisters to be led to. For Catholics, the only thing that could ever save us is Christ. He is the reason we are all here. We want our brothers and sisters in grief to know those we love who have died will rise with Christ in His Ressurection. This is the source of our solace. It is not healthy for the kind of long-term healing it takes to get beyond our grief to have Maureen in the picture.
There is an old Irish ballad that captures the essence of our spirituality that perhaps says it better.
Here is an English translation in a popular song:
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,
naught be all else to me, save that thou art;
Thou my best thought by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
Be thou my wisdom, thou my true word,
I ever with thee and thou with me Lord;
Thou my great Father, I thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.
Be thou my battle shield, sword for the fight;
Be thou my dignity, thou my delight;
Thou my soul's shelter, thou my high tower:
Raise thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise:
Thou mine inheritance now and always;
Thou and thou only first in my heart;
High King of Heaven, my treasure thou art.
High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven's joys, O Bright Heaven's sun!;
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O Ruler of all.
You can find the full ballad here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Be_Thou_My_Vision
Maureen's power may be mortal or it may be something else. What Catholics know is, it is condemned by our religion and we can't have anything to do with it for a variety of reasons.
Catholics don't have any right or desire to stop Maureen from putting on her show in other places though we do and will advise Catholics the reason why they need to seek solace for their grief elsewhere.
For Catholics reading, it looks as though St. Joseph's has replaced the reference to Maureen with a prayer shawl project which is very appropriate and healing ministry that should be encouraged.
God Bless.
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