American TFP: Court’s Decisions Must Strengthen Pro-Family Resolve

The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) has issued the following statement about the June 26, 2013 Supreme Court's decisions on same-sex “marriage”:

The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) strongly decries the June 26, 2013 Supreme Court decisions on aspects of same-sex “marriage.” The first decision struck down section 3 of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act  that confers federal benefits only to the marriage of one man and one woman. The second decision nullified the votes of a California state referendum that enshrined the definition of marriage as the union of a man and woman in the state’s constitution.

In both decisions, the Supreme Court solemnly renounced the duty imposed by Natural Law on every government to uphold morality in striving for the common good. The decision also represents a serious disconnect from American legal tradition and a disenfranchisement of 7,000,000 California voters who approved Proposition 8 at the ballot box.

In the first decision, United States v. Windsor, the Supreme Court arrogated to itself the right to redefine marriage, creating a privileged class inside federal law, and gratuitously conferring benefits upon a sterile relationship which by design cannot perpetuate society or fulfill the function for which the benefits were created.

In Hollingsworth v. Perry, the Court refused standing to ProtectMarriage.com who appealed to the court not to leave the majority of California voters defenseless against the shameless behavior of the governor and state officials who refused to defend the state constitution which they had sworn to uphold. The decision represents the victory of anarchy imposed upon citizens by authority.

Both decisions provide a much-needed platform to the homosexual movement that has suffered defeats in 31 popular referenda from states that have enshrined marriage between one man and one woman into their constitutions. The rulings are yet one more example of how this agenda advances above all by judicial fiat or is rammed through legislatures.

The decisions do not change the laws or marriage amendments outside of disenfranchised California. They must not affect our resolve to fight for the sacred institutions of marriage and the family. The court’s ruling cannot nullify God's definition of marriage which cannot and will not change.

 In California itself, the battle may not be over if one or more counties sue to upon Prop 8 in their jurisdictions. ProtectMarriage.com has vowed to fight on at every level.

In the Cultural War fiercely raging today in America, these decisions represent one more step in a brutal offensive that obliges all pro-family forces to take the initiative. The American TFP prays that the court's decisions will serve as a call for all morality-loving Americans to engage in a legal, principled, and uncompromising fight against the homosexual agenda.

You Tell Me: Which is the Ugliest Church?

Kappal Matha Church in Uvari, India

Roman Catholic

Church of Santa Monica in Rivas-Vaciamadrid, Spain

Roman Catholic

 L'Église Sainte-Bernadette du Banlay in Nevers, France

Roman Catholic

San Paolo Parish in Perugia, Italy

Roman Catholic

Cardinal Dolan Makes First Visit to New York City Mosque: “You Love God, We Love God…”

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, made his first visit to a mosque in New York City and it was the Albanian Islamic Cultural Center in Tompkinsville where he met with Muslim and other faith leaders.

The cardinal spent more than two hours touring the mosque and the Miraj Islamic School and having lunch with about 40 clergy and laity.

“I thank God that this day has arrived,” the cardinal said. “I thank you for your welcome, I thank you for making me feel like a friend and a member of a family.”

The cardinal asked questions about the Muslim faith and emphasized throughout his visit how much the two religions and their members have in common.

“You love God, we love God and he is the same God,” the cardinal said of the Muslim and Roman Catholic faiths.

See more below:

Cardinal Dolan Makes First Visit to New York City Mosque: “You Love God, We Love God…”

Sign of the Times: Destruction of the Church of St. Jacques

It was said the Church was too old yet nearby they built to modern looking churches. It is incredible. What the enemies of the Church could not do, we are doing to ourselves.
The self-destruction of the Church is happening.

Memorial Day Flash Mob -- Who will honor our fallen heroes?

On Memorial Day, TFP volunteers joined up with students of Saint Louis de Montfort Academy for a patriotic "flash mob" at the mall to honor America's fallen heroes.  It was loud.

Share this video with your friends.


Memorial Day Flash Mob -- Who will honor our fallen heroes?

Can You Send a White Rose to Our Lady in Fatima?

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Your White Rose tax-exempt donation will support the 2013 Public Square Rosary Crusade.
When you send a white rose to Our Lady in Fatima, Portugal,…

• you are touching and consoling Her Immaculate Heart which is terribly insulted by the growing sins of the world
• you are helping to sponsor 10,000 rallies in the Public Rosary Crusade in America, the largest network of public rosaries in ANF’s history
• you are getting your prayer intentions remembered at the Fatima shrine as the America Needs Fatima representatives pray the Rosary and deliver the roses there and pray for you in the blessed candlelight rosary procession the evening of the vigil of the Miracle of the Sun
• you are getting your name and rose put (together with all the other white roses) at the very spot where Our Lady appeared

GO HERE:
https://secure.americaneedsfatima.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=106

Six Ways to Live a Good Life and Reach Eternal Happiness by Saint John Bosco

Born in 1815, Saint John Bosco was a man of extraordinary intelligence, charm, and physical strength—gifts he used exclusively to serve his neighbor in tireless efforts to win souls to God, especially those of young boys. He founded the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales, a school and refuge for boys, and, in 1859, the Christian education of youth.

His teaching style was candid, simple but filled with wisdom. We present here what he called “medicine” for the soul. The simplicity and efficacy of these “prescriptions” remind us of those good old-fashioned homemade remedies made by our mothers and grandmothers. They help young and old alike.

Prescription #1: Give God the greatest possible glory and honor Him with your whole soul. If you have a sin on your conscience, remove is as soon as possible by means of a good Confession.


Prescription #2: Never offend anyone. Above all, be willing to serve others. Be more demanding of yourself than of others.


Prescription #3: Do not trust those who have no faith in God and who do not obey His precepts. Those who have no scruples in offending God and who do not give Him what they should will have many fewer scruples in offending you and even betraying you when it is convenient for them.


Prescription #4: If you do not wish to be ruined, never spend more than you earn. You should bear this in mind and always measure your true possibilities accurately.


Prescription #5: Be humble. Speak little of yourself and never praise yourself before anyone. He who praises himself, even if he has real merit, risks losing the good opinion of others. He who seeks only praise and honors is sure to have an empty head fed only by wind… will have no peace of soul and will be unreliable in his undertakings.


Prescription #6: Carry your cross on your back and take is as it comes, small or large, whether from friends or enemies and of whatever wood it be made. The most intelligent and happiest of men is he who, knowing that he is doomed to carry the cross throughout life, willingly and resignedly accepts the one God sends him.


Promise of Happiness
Don Bosco concludes: “Dear friend, I am a man who loves joy and who, therefore wishes to see you and everybody happy. If you do as I say, you will be joyful and glad in heart.”

An Univited Guest at the TFP Call to Chivalry Camp

At the TFP Call to Chivalry Camp near Los Angeles, California, the participants and staff were surprised by an uninvited guest who wanted to be part of the action.

He took a tour around the camp looking at all the facilities and even stopped to see the game materials. 

He then left. It is not known if the bear was Catholic...

Alone, Poor and Sick: A Snapshot of China’s Elderly

by Chen Weijun
The one-child policy is destroying the Chinese social system, based on the family and "filial piety". A nationwide survey shows that the approximately 160 million people over 65 in the country do not have enough money to meet daily expenses, live in poor health and have no family support.


Beijing (AsiaNews) - The one-child policy is destroying the entire social system of China. In addition to the approximately 200 million abortions it has caused since its approval (1979), the law is in fact affecting the elderly population, one of the most impressive in the world  in terms of its growth rate and absolute numbers: about 160 million people are over 65 years of age. This is demonstrated by a study carried out by Chinese and Americans researchers: one-third of people over 65 is in poor health because of lack of coverage through the health system, while a quarter live below the poverty line.

The survey covered about 18 thousand people in 28 provinces. The data points out that 65% of the elderly population is likely to live in poverty fopr the rest of their lives, given that the pension system cannot cover costs if it isn't receiving taxes from workers, which in any case are far fewer than the elderly. The China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study is only the first of a series of government studies in the social field: next year studies on the mid-range and work in China will be carried out.

Analysts who have studied the results of the research have reported alarming figures. More than 38% of the elderly "has serious difficulty" in meeting their daily needs; 24% have to integrate their pension with an odd job to make ends meet, 25% live on less than 2,433 Yuan (about 300 EUR) a year, the minimum set by the government to define a pauper.

The healthcare situation is also disastrous. About 33% of respondents suffer from a chronic disease: 54% of these have high blood pressure, while 40% are not even able to diagnose their illness. There are very high rates of psychological symptoms: 48% of women and 32% of men show signs of depression. Added to this is the fact that the availability of access to the medical system is greatly reduced for the elderly who live in big cities. Beijing can only provide 1,100 beds per 10 thousand requests for admission.

The government continues to hope in the traditional "filial piety" taught by Confucianism. The study shows that in fact only 38% of the elderly live with their children, but 60% reside "in the immediate vicinity." According to the Asian culture, the eldest son had to take care of his parents when they get older, while daughters move to their husband's house. This also explains why selective abortions in favor of male babies, continues to grow in China.

In any case, the internal balance seems at breaking point. Of the elderly who do not live with their children, only 53% receive financial support from their relatives since the social and family system seem to have become much more mobile than even just 30 years ago. Professor John Strauss of the University of California points out that another factor also must be taken into consideration: "at the moment those over 65 had 3 or 4 children. The next wave will be to those who have suffered the one-child law, and therefore a lot less hope. "

The Rosary Gives Two Pharmacists Courage To Take A Stand For Life

It had been weighing on the hearts of Dan and Mary Sutherland for years: Should we stop selling contraceptives?

To do so could cause a lot of trouble. The Sutherlands are small business owners, not activists. “How could we do that?” Dan recalls thinking. “We’d be jeopardizing our livelihood. And is it our place to thrust this upon our public?”

The Sutherlands, both pharmacists and members of Christ the King Parish in Topeka, Kansas have owned a pharmacy in St. Mary’s since 2004. Their dual mission has always been to care for their family-and their customers. And that was what they thought they were doing.

But that persistent doubt kept coming back,and they wondered if they really could reconcile their Catholic faith with selling contraceptives. “We compartmentalized ourlives,” explained Dan.“We regularly attended Mass, sent the kids to Catholic school,and followed natural family planning in our personal lives. But in our business life, our pharmacy was dispensing contraceptives.”  “As pharmacists,it was so troubling,” said Mary. “We both knew that all contraceptives could be abortifacients.” The Sutherlands might have continued to straddle the fence if they had not received motivation from an unexpected source—their daily family Rosaries.

In 2007, the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph cosponsored a living Rosary rally in Kauffman Stadium, the home of the Kansas City Royals in Kansas City, Missouri.  As part of that effort, families were encouraged to pray the Rosary together for the success of the living Rosary rally. The Rosary had played a part in the conversion of Dan, who had been raised a Missouri Synod Lutheran, but became a Catholic in 2003.  “It really just has helped us with so many graces and has brought Christ and His Church to the center of our married life and our family life,” said Mary

Soon, the Sutherlands discovered that the strength and unity that grew out of their bolstered prayer life helped them address their inner conflict. “Before we began praying the Rosary, occasionally the thought (of their contraceptive dilemma) would come in to my mind, and honestly I’d push it out fast,” said Mary.  “It was a threat to our livelihood,” said Dan.  “It was fear. What would (discontinuing the sale of contraceptives) do to our business, our livelihood, our professional lives if we say we’re not going to do that?”

Would they alienate their customers?  Would there be legal ramifications? They had already taken several steps to make theirs a “pro-life pharmacy.”  Wasn’t that enough?

The Sutherlands decided no, it wasn’t. "Doing the will of God, what ever that was, became more important to both of us regardless of the cost,” said Mary.

The Sutherlands took a big step forward in 2011 when they contacted the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia.  When we talked to (staff bioethicist) Father Alfred Cioffi, we told him, "Here we are. This is our business. What do we do?” said Dan. “We thought we'd get a 'do this' and'don't do this' answer. We didn't get that at all."

Rather than an easy, black-and-white answer, Father Cioffi walked them through the issues and the Church’s teachings, to help them form their own consciences.

Father Cioffi gave them six steps for discernment. The last was to find out if Kansas has conscience protection laws in place for pharmacists in their situation.  Their progress was halted again in January 2012 when they discovered that Kansas had enacted only very limited conscience protection laws.  “That was a huge thing for Dan, because he's the primary bread winner for the family," said Mary. "What do we do now?"

They continued to pray and trust that God would show them the way. Then, only a month later, Mary received an email from a friend, who knew nothing of their struggle.

The email was from Kansans for Life. They urgently needed medical professionals to testify at a hearing before the Kansas House Judiciary Committee for expanding conscience protection for Kansas pharmacists, nurses and doctors.  They told God they would do what ever He asked so this came like a tap on the shoulder.  How could they say no?

We’re thinking this is part of the answer to our prayers, and Kathy Ostrowski(of Kansans for Life) said to me jubilantly, "You’re an answer to our prayers,” said Dan. “I sat down that night, said a prayer to the Holy Spirit, and typed out my testimony.”

His testimony, and that of many others, contributed to the passing of the Healthcare Rights of Conscience Law in Kansas.  It was signed by Gov. Sam Brownback in June 2012.

The Sutherlands then explained in letters to customers that they were making a business decision not to sell contraceptives. On July 1st, the St. Mary’s Pharmacy truly became a part of the culture of life.  July 1st  came and went and nothing much happened. “I had two or three people ask me,” said Dan.

But for the Sutherlands’ faith life and consciences, the impact has been tremendous. “We had to come to a point in our lives where we could say, "What if we lost our house and business because of this decision?" said Dan. "And we got to the point where we could say, 

"It will be OK. If we do lose it all, so be it. But we’re living according to our faith life," he added.

This story was first published by The Leaven, the official newspaper for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.
Reprinted with permission ©TheLeaven.
"There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the power of the Holy Rosary."  Sister Lucia
  How To Pray The Rosary

  



The Rosary Gives Two Pharmacists Courage To Take A Stand For Life

Baltimore Ravens Star Skips Meeting With President Who Blessed Planned Parenthood | CNS News

CNSNews.com) – Retired Ravens center Matt Birk chose not to attend a Ravens team meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House on Wednesday, citing his own pro-life views as a Catholic and criticizing the president’s support for Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion business.


 For more, click below
Baltimore Ravens Star Skips Meeting With President Who Blessed Planned Parenthood | CNS News

Video: Saint Louis de Montfort Academy: Where Heroes Are Forged

This is the latest video about our St. Louis de Montfort Academy. Enjoy!

Defying School Board, Student Rips Up Graduation Speech and Says the Lord’s Prayer Instead

A high school valedictorian from South Carolina ripped up his approved speech on stage this past weekend, and minutes later, delivered the Lord’s Prayer in defiance of the school district’s decision to no longer include prayer at graduation ceremonies.

Roy Costner IV drew loud applause and cheers when he surprised attendees of the Liberty High School graduation at Clemson’s Littlejohn Colliseum on Saturday.

For more and to see the video, click on the link below.




Defying School Board, Student Rips Up Graduation Speech and Says the Lord’s Prayer Instead

Mammy's: The Real Cracker Barrel

Below is the beginning of a charming story by Norman Fulkerson on life off the beaten path.

In an ever changing world one thing seems to always remain the same, a meal at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store. It is perhaps that universal sameness, both in food and décor, which always leaves me a bit disappointed. While the artifacts that hang on the walls are authentic they have nothing to do with the owner, nor those serving the food.
This fabricated ambience made up of assorted farm tools, metal signs, family photographs, cast-iron cookware and old-fashioned toys might have an initial appeal, but it falls short of satisfying a deeper desire for something authentically down-home. It lacks individuality we so appreciate and merely delivers an ambience that is mass produced in cookie cutter fashion coast to coast.

What we desire in a place that calls itself an Old Country Store is organic society and are often sadly disappointed. This is exactly what I found off the beaten path at Mammy’s restaurant in Bardstown, Kentucky.

Hourigan Family Recipe Book
As with other examples of organic society in America, I was not actually looking for such a place when I drove into Bardstown, Kentucky on a particularly nice sunny fall morning. This charming city earned the Rand McNally distinction of being the Most Beautiful Small Town in America for 2012^[1] so I figured it might be a good place to find an authentically down-home breakfast rather than the standardized version so commonly dished out at Cracker Barrel.

Christy Clark with the Hourigan Family Recipe Book which she used as inspiration to start her family restaurant

This is what led me to Mammy’s and a memorable conversation with owner Christy Clark who took time from her busy schedule to tell me the history of her restaurant.
To read the rest of the story, click on the link below.

Mammy's: The Real Cracker Barrel