Saturday, March 14, 2015

Open Letter to Knights of Columbus


(More news yesterday on Boston's St. Patrick's Day parade. I am in a time crunch but wanted to let readers know that I wrote to MA and National KofC leadership and share my email with you.)



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IHS

Dear Brothers in Christ,

As you are aware, yesterday Boston's gay pride parade organizers were officially entered into the St. Patrick's Day gay pride parade.

This lewd and lascivious group, whose parade floats include nudity and simulating sodomy, said 'they do not know how many of their members are going to march in the St. Patrick's Day parade.

You've got to be kidding us with the farcical screed circulated by KofC leadership and posted on the MA KofC website.

The Knights of Columbus had no business joining an event that disclosed to underage children and families what kind of sex the marchers are having and asked them to clap for it.

What's the next showcase and recruiting event? At a strip club on LaGrange Street?

The conduct of an event and overall message to the people watching it is a critical factor in the judgment of Catholic apostolate participation. The sophomoric cheap shot blaming your critics for your own poor judgment obscures a valuable lesson to be learned.

Mayors Walsh and Menino repeatedly made clear during their tenure they will not let us practice and teach our religion. The Archbishop conceded our right to practice and teach our religion and has handed his people over oppression. The men underneath him are following his lead. There were a handful of men in town willing to say the interference and obstruction of our government and demoralization our children was wrong.

The time to attempt to enter the public square to showcase and retain our values in our family events happens as the politicians are applying pressure.

Our archbishops have to strap on their big boy pants make the right statements to the press. That parade has a Catholic Saints name on it. The Archbishops people marched in it and observed it. His responsibilities are not limited to things the Chancery sponsors. His job includes involvement in the unconstitutional interference with the practice of our religion. He can't indulge and honor or be gaga for politicians as they are defeating their flock.

The Knights of Columbus has to get into the game as families are under attack. They can't force Catholics to host gay marriages at their halls. They can't support the election of baby murderers and politicians who will demoralize our people. They can't appoint them as parade marshals.

The time to 'showcase our values' with this parade has passed. We needed you for the last 23 years. We did not have the troops and the parade has become a public event asking children to applaud homosexual sex.

This situation is not going to get better any time soon. Over the past few days, Pope Francis announced he is "a real wimp". Something observers of the papacy of endorsing immoral conduct and attacking faithful Catholics have suspected for some time.

We need to get our act together.

I would invite each of you to read Don Bosco's vision, pray on it in front of the Blessed Sacrament. I have posted the critical mass below. We are in the midst of it. Good times are ahead. We need good men and timing of when and what we do is critical.

When the enemy sets fire to our treasures, that is the time to rush to the scene with your hoses. Don't use your apostolate to help elect or empower the arsonists. Don't join the arsonists victory parade after they have pillaged and destroyed over the bodies of the valiant men who tried to preserve our rights and our faith.

In Christ, cm
Mother, Grandmother and blogger

Don Bosco's Dream:

Try to picture yourselves with me on the seashore, or, better still, on an outlying cliff with no other land in sight. The vast expanse of water is covered with a formidable array of ships in battle formation, prows fitted with sharp spear-like beaks capable of breaking through any defence. All are heavily armed with cannons, incendiary bombs, and firearms of all sorts - even books - and are heading toward one stately ship, mightier than them all. As they try to close in, they try to ram it, set it afire, and cripple it as much as possible.

"This stately vessel is shielded by a flotilla escort. Winds and waves are with the enemy. In this midst of this endless sea, two solid columns, a short distance apart, soar high into the sky: one is surmounted by a statue of the Immaculate Virgin at whose feet a large inscription reads: Help of Christians; the other, far loftier and sturdier, supports a [Communion] Host of proportionate size and bears beneath it the inscription Salvation of believers.

"The flagship commander - the Roman Pontiff [the Pope]- seeing the enemy's fury and his auxiliary ships very grave predicament, summons his captains to a conference. However, as they discuss their strategy, a furious storm breaks out and they must return to their ships. When the storm abates, the Pope again summons his captains as the flagship keeps on its course. But the storm rages again. Standing at the helm, the Pope strains every muscle to steer his ship between the two columns from whose summits hang many anchors and strong hooks linked to chains.

"The entire enemy fleet closes in to intercept and sink the flagship at all costs. They bombard it with everything they have: books and pamphlets, incendiary bombs, firearms, cannons. The battle rages ever more furious. Beaked prows ram the flagship again and again, but to no avail, as, unscathed and undaunted, it keeps on its course. At times a formidable ram splinters a gaping hole into its hull, but, immediately, a breeze from the two columns instantly seals the gash.

"Meanwhile, enemy cannons blow up, firearms and beaks fall to pieces, ships crack up and sink to the bottom. In blind fury the enemy takes to hand-to-hand combat, cursing and blaspheming. Suddenly the Pope falls, seriously wounded. He is instantly helped up but, struck down a second time, dies. A shout of victory rises from the enemy and wild rejoicing sweeps their ships. But no sooner is the Pope dead than another takes his place. The captains of the auxiliary ships elected him so quickly that the news of the Pope's death coincides with that of his successor's election. The enemy's self-assurance wanes.

"Breaking through all resistance, the new Pope steers his ship safely between the two columns and moors it to the two columns; first to the one surmounted by the Host, and then to the other, topped by the statue of the Virgin. At this point something unexpected happens. The enemy ships panic and disperse, colliding with and scuttling each other. Some auxiliary ships which had gallantly fought alongside their flagship are the first to tie up at the two columns.

"Many others, which had fearfully kept far away from the fight, stand still, cautiously waiting until the wrecked enemy ships vanish under the waves. Then, they too head for the two columns, tie up at the swinging hooks, and ride safe and tranquil beside their flagship. A great calm now covers the sea."

At this point Don Bosco asked one of the priests present for his views. He replied that he thought that the flagship symbolised the Church headed by the Pope, with the ships representing mankind and the sea as an image of the world. The ships defending the flagship he equated with the laity and the attackers with those trying to destroy the Church, while the two columns represented devotion to Mary and the Eucharist.

He did not mention the death of the Pope and neither did Don Bosco in his reply, in which he agreed with what the priest had said, while adding that the enemy ships symbolised persecutions:

"Very grave trials await the Church. What we have suffered so far is almost nothing compared to what is going to happen. The enemies of the Church are symbolised by the ships which strive their utmost to sink the flagship. Only two things can save us in such a grave hour: devotion to Mary and frequent Communion. Let us do our very best to use these two means and have others use them everywhere."

5 comments:

breathnach said...

Carol,

the local Knights of Cowardice can run but they can't hide. Your letter spelled out their scandalous deference to principalities and powers in no uncertain terms.

Anonymous said...

Excellent!

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a trend.A Virginia Knights of Columbus council is pressing forward with plans to honor pro-abortion, pro-homosexual “marriage” Gov. Terry McAuliffe by having him as grand marshal of its St. Patrick’s Day Parade. In response, the parish priest has strongly reproached the council and cut ties.

Norfolk Knights of Columbus Council 3548, which has organized the Norfolk Saint Patrick’s Day Parade since 1967, had secured McAuliffe as grand marshal, apparently keeping the choice from the pastor of Holy Trinity Parish, where the council is based. When Father Dan Beeman took it up with the state council on the advice of his bishop, he was told by the state council that another grand marshal would be chosen, a decision that was reversed ten days later.

“Governor McAuliffe stands contrary to the Catholic Church in not one but many of the most essential teachings of the Church in the political arena,” the Norfolk pastor wrote in a March 5 letter to parishioners, distributed at Sunday Mass on March 8. “He himself promised to be a ‘brick wall’ against restrictions on abortion, has taken away commonsense protections for women in abortion facilities and lowered safety standards, and consistently takes money from pro-abortion lobbying groups.”

“Further, he not only favors the re-definition of marriage, he himself performed a gay ‘marriage’ as soon as a court overturned the law of the Commonwealth,” Father Beeman wrote. “Marriage and Life are two of the foundational efforts of the Knights of Columbus as a national organization, so it is dumbfounding how the Knights could then decide to honor the Governor.”

Father Beeman was acting on the advice of Richmond Bishop Francis DiLorenzo in contacting the state council, he said, as well as in making the national office aware of the situation.

He had written the council last year at the request of one of the bishop’s vicars to request the committee keep the parade a non-political event and not honor any political candidate, office holder or former office holder above the city level.

“Politicians at those levels often make decisions about issues which Catholics hold as non-negotiable to our Catholic faith,” Father Beeman told his parish. “It was our strong urging that they not honor any political persons, but that if they did, they should not honor anyone who stands in opposition to the teaching of the Church on issues of life, marriage, or religious liberty.”

When he contacted the committee last year, also at the request of the bishop, he said, it was “to be sure that the Knights understood this is an important part of distinguishing our Catholic identity in public forums and awards.”

However, the Council 3458 parade committee had already chosen a grand marshal for 2014, someone who took public stances against Church teaching. Father Beeman met with them and after the discussions the committee chose another grand marshal.

It was late in the process this year when Father Beeman learned of the choice of McAuliffe as the 2015 grand marshal, via a bulk mailing from the Knights.

“I was saddened and shocked to learn only two weeks ago that the Knights of Columbus had, again, decided to give the honor of Grand Marshall to a politician,” Father Beeman said. “Going against their word to me last year, this year they decided to honor Governor Terry McAuliffe.”

M. Prodigal said...

Don't see this pope anchoring the barque of Peter to the Holy Eucharist and the Blessed Mother, at least not yet...

M. Prodigal said...

"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. (Mt 5:11)

...along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. (Mk 10:30)

Remember what I told you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. (Jn 15:20)

Persecution from without and WITHIN, a sign of a true disciple. 40 years of modernism and non-catechesis is bringing its evil fruit. Most Catholics are catechized by the immoral world. Few are the true shepherds who can now bear up under the persecution to preach the truth. And Christ is the Truth.