May 27th; Pentecost Sunday
That the Holy Spirit may come down upon the leaders of our nation
and upon all whose consciences are clouded by secularism,
and inspire a new era of faith, liberty, and justice for all;
We pray to the Lord:
Respect Life
Pentecost Sunday celebrates the fulfillment of Jesus promise, that the Father will send the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to empower the disciples (and us), to bear witness to Jesus and to be present in His body, the Church. So today is the birthday of the Church! How are you supporting the Church in promoting a Culture of Life?
The primary Life issue continues to be the First Amendment crisis brought about by the Administrations contraceptive mandate, seen as an attack on religious freedom. On March 16, the Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) called for a nationwide prayer campaign for protection of religious freedom and conscience rights from several threats; the HHS mandate that forces employers, including religious ones, to provide contraception/ sterilization in their health plans. They asked for prayer and penance for our leaders and for restoration of religious liberty http://www.usccb.org/news/2012/12-049.cfm .
On April 12, the Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued a document, "Our First, Most Cherished Liberty, outlining the bishops concerns over threats to religious freedom, both at home and abroad. The bishops called for a Fortnight for Freedom, a 14-day period of prayer, education and action in support of religious freedom, from June 21-July 4. These fourteen days, from June 21the vigil of the Feasts of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas Moreto July 4, Independence Day, are dedicated to this fortnight for freedoma great hymn of prayer for our country.
Our sister parish in Greenlawn, St. Francis of Assisi, will offer a week-night Novena, hosted by Michael & Ellen Labasso, for the protection of religious liberty and conscience rights in America, freedom from persecution for the Catholic Faith in America, re-establishing a Culture of Life in America, protecting Americas men and women in the Military, and peace and Gods blessings on our Nation. You are invited to join them from 7-8 PM, June 21, 22, 25-29; July 2, 3 at their church.
In a May 21 statement, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), http://www.usccb.org/news/ applauded 43 dioceses, hospitals, schools and church agencies for filing 12 lawsuits around the nation saying the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services mandate violates religious freedom. Among those filing suit are: the Archdiocese of New York; the Diocese of Rockville Centre; Catholic University of America; Franciscan University of Steubenville; and the University of Notre Dame. Entities ranging from retirement homes to publishing houses joined the lawsuits.
You can make your voice heard by joining the Nationwide Rally for Religious Freedom at Noon, Friday, June 8. Tens of thousands of faithful citizens will gather in prayer and public witness in cities and towns all across the United States to oppose the HHS Mandate and stand up in defense of our religious freedoms. Join the Rally at Rep. Steve Israels Office, 150 Motor Parkway, or the Rally at Senators Charles Schumers and Kirsten Gillibrands Offices, 145 Pinelawn Road, Melville, to say NO to the new U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Mandate, which forces employersincluding religious charitiesto provide free contraceptives and abortion-inducing drugs in their health plans. If you need more information, contact Grace Colucci, 631-748- 0694, gccolucci@aol.com , or visit http://standupforreligiousfreedom.com
Prayer for Religious Liberty
(text of National Prayer Cards)
O GOD OUR CREATOR,
from your provident hand we have received our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
You have called us as your people and given us the right and the duty to worship you, the only true God, and your Son, Jesus Christ.
Through the power and working of your Holy Spirit, you call us to live out our faith in the midst of the world, bringing the light and the saving truth of the Gospel to every corner of society.
We ask you to bless us in our vigilance for the gift of religious liberty.
Give us the strength of mind and heart to readily defend our freedoms when they are threatened;
give us courage in making our voices heard on behalf of the rights of your Church and the freedom of conscience of all people of faith.
Grant, we pray, O heavenly Father, a clear and united voice to all your sons and daughters gathered in your Church in this decisive hour in the history of our nation,
so that, with every trial withstood and every danger overcome for the sake of our children, our grandchildren, and all who come after us this great land will always be one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen. Copyright 2012, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC.
The Life Issues are heating up as we approach Election Day; we invite you to join the parish Respect Life committee to become active in this great Civil Rights movement; call Joan & John Peters on 754-4522.
May 20th; Seventh Sunday of Easter
That all who are struggling to overcome addictions-
whether to alcohol, drugs, pornography or gambling-
may find healing, forgiveness, and the strength to break free;
We pray to the Lord:
Respect Life
Today we begin the last week of the Easter Season. Pentecost, the birthday of the Church, is next Sunday. Our readings tell of Peter taking charge, and leading, by prayer, the selection of Matthias to replace Judas as one of the twelve. St. Johns letter exhorts us to love one another because God is love; so that when we love, God is with us. His Gospel records Jesus prayer to the Father, after the last supper, for His disciples; they, and we too, are sent forth to confirm the message of salvation. How do our words and deeds reflect our unity with the Church and zealous commitment to His message?
On April 12th, the USCCB, in Our First, Most Cherished Liberty said: Religious liberty is not only about our ability to go to Mass on Sunday or pray the Rosary at home. It is about whether we can make our contribution to the common good of all Americans. Can we do the good works our faith calls us to do, without having to compromise that very same faith? Without religious liberty properly understood, all Americans suffer, deprived of the essential contribution in education, health care, feeding the hungry, civil rights, and social services that religious Americans make every day. Notice the contrast between Religious Liberty and the much narrower Freedom to Worship, which envisions a naked public square devoid of religious influence. The HHS contraception mandate and re-definition of religious institutions, recently augmented by support for same-sex marriage, serve to marginalize the Church and its influence.
Here is one action you can take right now: Write to Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, and Congressman Steve Israel and ask them pass the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act (H.R. 1179, S. 1467). The Administrations decision to mandate coverage of sterilization and contraceptives, including drugs that can cause an abortion, makes passage of this measure especially urgent. The March 21 HHS notice of additional rulemaking does not change the coercive mandate itself or its extremely narrow exception for religious employers. This Act will ensure that the religious liberty and conscience rights of all participants in our nations health care system are respected. You can find their e-mail and USPS addresses at http://www.nyscatholic.org , select Contact Your Legislators.
Next month you can join a Stand Up for Religious Freedom Rally at their local offices; noon, Friday, June 8th. Visit http://standupforreligiousfreedom.com/ for more information.
Meanwhile, our local struggle against the Culture of Death continues. Tomorrow, Monday, May 21st, our own Leticia Crafa Velasquez will be guest speaker at the LICL http://www.prolifeli.org General Meeting,7:45 PM, at the St Regis KofC Hall, Pond Rd @ Rosevale Ave, Ronkonkoma. She is a prolific blogger and writer; she will talk about her new book: A Special Mother is Born, stories from parents of special needs children. She founded KIDS, Keep Infants with Down Syndrome in 2008 in response to the 92% abortion rate of these babies.
The proponents of abortion as an easy fix are never around to pick up the pieces. If you know someone suffering from post- abortion syndrome, urge them to attend a Rachels Vineyard www.RachelsVineyard.org Healing Retreat, a Friday to Sunday weekend, May 25-27, at the Seminary in Huntington. Call Deacon Frank Gariboldi 516-523-0586 fgariboldi@optonline.net for reservations asap.
If youve ever wanted to hear Dr. Alveda King (niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.), http://www.priestsforlife.org/staff/alvedaking.htm ,we invite you to a $25 fundraiser at Cure of Ars parish on Tuesday, June 19th, 7:30-9 PM, at 2323 Merrick Ave, Merrick. Contact Anthony Gentile at 516-798-8746 agentile@lifecenterli.org for reservations.
We continue to vigil regularly at our local Planned Parenthood office on 755 New York Ave., Huntington: 2nd Sat. 11:30-12:30, 3rd Tue. 2:30-4:30, 4th Thu. 6:30-8:30. Call 875-2245 for information.
The LICL will sponsor another Lobby for Life visit to Albany June 12 (new date!). We described our May visit last week. Contact maryannedumas@yahoo.com for more information.
The Life Issues are heating up as we approach Election Day; we invite you to join the parish Respect Life committee to become active in this great Civil Rights movement; call Joan & John Peters on 754-4522.
May 13th; Sixth Sunday of Easter
For all mothers:
that their children will honor their many sacrifices by lives of service and virtue;
We pray to the Lord:
Respect Life
Happy Mothers Day!! This first reading records the descent of the Holy Spirit and the baptism of a Gentile, the Roman Centurion Cornelius, and his household, the forerunner of us non-Jews in Faith. Johns Epistle and Gospel speak of love, calling on us to love one-another just as God has loved us. So we are called to love especially the least of our brothers and sisters, the pre-born humans, by saving them from abortion and lethal experimentation.
On May 1st we traveled to Albany for Lobby for Life day, sponsored by our Long Island Coalition for Life (LICL) www.proLifeLI.org and the NYS Right to Life Committee (NYS RTL) www.nysRightToLife.org . We were picked up by their bus at LIE Exit 49 parking lot at 5 AM and arrived at the Well in the Legislative Office Building (LOB) before 9 AM. We picked up more lobbying materials, socialized with familiar pro-lifers, and, at 10 AM, listened to a number of speakers; NYC RTL staffers, Burke Balch of the Robert Powell Center for Medical Ethics www.nrlc.org/medethics who spoke about the rationing dangers in Obamacare, and a number of pro-life Senators and Assemblymen. Our main purpose was to distribute the LICL Position Paper to every legislators staff on our assigned 7th floor of the LOB. When we visited officials not from LI, we handed out the NYS RTL Position Paper too, since LICL is a member. Here are thumb nail summaries of the issues. We begin with legislation we OPPOSE:
Reproductive Health Act S.2524 (Klein), S.2844 (Stewart, Cousins), A.6112 (Glick) will make abortion a basic right, ensuring its legality throughout all nine months of pregnancy (think partial-birth abortion), allow post-viability abortions in out-patient clinics and non-physicians to perform them, and eliminate conscience protection for religious hospitals, ensuring NY is the countrys abortion capital.
Healthy Teens Act S.1532 (Oppenheimer), A.808 (Gottfried) sets up a new state-funded sex education grant program to enable groups like Planned Parenthood to go into classrooms promoting contraception and abortion. NY already had plenty of sex ed; another dedicated funding stream will encourage outside advocacy groups to promote their extreme agenda in our classrooms.
NYS RTL asks us to OPPOSE:
Organ Donation- Presumed Consent A.2952 (Ortiz) would make NY the first state in the US to harvest organs without explicit consent. Recall that now we are encouraged to donate our organs every time we renew our drivers license, etc. This Act requires us to explicitly opt out.
Conscience Rights of Pharmacists S.894 (Kruger) actually strips conscience protection from pharmacists who object to dispensing certain medications such as emergency contraception.
Here is legislation we SUPPORT:
Unborn Victims of Violence Act S.4347 (Ritchie) A.1673 (Cusick) protects wanted babies carried by pregnant women from acts of violence intended to destroy them. Currently there is no such protection in NYS law, in spite of increasing number of such assaults intended to harm the babies.
Sex Selection Abortion Ban S.50333 (Ball) A.7610 (Crespo) prohibits sex-selection abortion which is used to prevent the birth of a child of an unwanted sex.
Parental Notification S.4348 (Zeldin) A.2128 (Reilich) requires that at least one parent or legal guardian of a minor (under 18) receive written notification from a physician or their agent within 48 hours prior to the scheduled abortion. (you will appreciate the irony that the physician is usually the abortionist!)
The NYS RTL asks us to SUPPORT:
Pain Management Bill A.732 (Gottfried) directs health care professionals to provide pain-relieving meds, to the extent authorized by accepted professional guidelines. Studies show that unbearable pain and depression lead to active or passive euthanasia.
Unfortunately, we didnt have time to visit our local legislators, Senators John Flanagan and Carl Marcellino, on the 8th floor, or Assemblyman Andrew Raia, on the 6th. We strongly urge you to make your voice heard on these issues by telephoning, e-mailing, writing, or visiting them. Every contact represents the opinions of many more constituents, multiplying your influence! Background information, sample letters, office and e-mail addresses, and telephone numbers can be found at www.nysRightToLife.org and the NYS Bishops website www.nyscatholic.org .Our next LICL-sponsored Lobby Day is Tuesday, June 5th; e-mail maryannedumas@yahoo.com if you can participate- the babies will thank you! We invite you to become active in this great Civil Rights movement: call Joan & John Peters on 754-4522 to join the parish Respect Life committee.
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