Stella Maris Parish offers Lenten program

A Lenten program, “Come to the Feast” by Vivian Williams will be sponsored by Stella Maris Parish of Northern Door County.

The program will be held at Stella Maris Parish from Monday through March 1 in Baileys Harbor. All sessions will begin at 7 p.m. and last an hour followed by a social hour. A free-will offering will be available.

The featured speaker, Vivian Williams, serves as the liturgy director for the St. Giles Family Mass Community in Oak Park, Ill., and frequently speaks and writes on topics related to liturgy, ministry and catechesis. She holds a Master of Arts degree in pastoral studies with a concentration in word and worship from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. She is a presenter in the Chicago Archdiocesan “Fundamentals of Catholic Theology Program” for Catholic schoolteachers and “Fostering Faith Program” for catechists. Her experience includes 25 years as a Catholic school teacher, 10 years as a parish catechist, 41 years as a spouse and 33 as a mother.

For information, contact the parish office at (920) 868-3241.

Santorum: A martyr to the cause?

Rick Santorum does not want to be president. That’s obvious.

Without extensive polling about what voters care about, he has taken position after position that would guarantee defeat in the general election.

So what’s Santorum doing? He is establishing himself as the “conservative” candidate, and the embodiment of the most extreme tenets of the Catholic faith. In Wednesday night’s debate, when asked to define himself in one word, Santorum chose “courage.”

Well put. It takes courage to stand up and say things that will doom your election. Unless of course, you are looking for a higher recognition than being president.

He wants to be a Christian martyr.

Let’s look at the evidence.

The majority of voters in this country are women. So what’s Santorum’s position on women’s issues?

He disapproves of contraception. Never mind that 99% of sexually-active women have used contraception. It’s “not okay,” he said this fall. “It’s a license to do things in a sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be.” Though he does not want to ban contraception, he believes states should have the right to ban various forms. Nevermind that contraception leads to fewer abortions. Foster Friess, the biggest donor to the super PAC supporting Santorum, joked last week that the best form of contraception was for a woman to put “an aspirin between her knees.” The candidate may have said the line was a “bad joke,” but it’s in line with his thinking.

He is strongly anti-abortion, even in the case of rape or incest or risk to the life of the mother. (You have to give him credit there. Murder is murder if that’s what you think abortion is, regardless of how the woman got pregnant or the risks to her health. ) He’s against fetal testing because, he says, it leads to abortion. Nevermind that it also saves lives of mothers and babies and determines whether or not there is a fetal abnormality. Santorum and his wife have a special needs child. He knows how difficult that is. He’s lucky. He has money and a stable family situation. There are so many families who cannot handle a special-needs child. I know. I had one. (He’s a healthy, happily married nearly 30-year-old now.) I can’t imagine how I would have coped without financial means. More families with special needs children end in divorce than families of children without.

Santorum is against sex unless it is to propagate. Is he dismissing anyone, male or female, who is infertile, any woman who is pregnant or menstruating, or in fact, is not in her short fertile period each month? No sex for anyone who is entering or past menopause? I’m curious to know if Santorum’s wife takes her temperature every month to determine when she can conceive.

He’s not totally sold on women working outside the home, writing in his 2005 book, It Takes a Family that “The radical feminists succeeded in undermining the traditional family and convincing women that professional accomplishments are the key to happiness.” Nevermind that in today’s economy most women have no choice but to work.

There goes the women’s vote.

He is offering himself up to be burned at the stake. He believes that his God’s laws take precedence. “Where do you think this concept of equality comes from?” He asks. “It doesn’t come from Islam. It doesn’t come from the East and Eastern religions. It comes from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” He talks in terms of “war” against “radical Islam” and that “we must educate, engage, evangelize and eradicate.” Of course he is against sharia law, “the creeping influence of Muslim law.” So much for the Islamic vote, the Buddhist vote, the Sikh vote and the Hindu vote.

He is self-flagellating. Santorum believes that “our civil law has to comport with a higher law: God’s law.” And that our decisions must be based on “biblical truths”. There goes the atheist, agnostic and humanist votes.

He is branded on the forehead.
After calling Obama’s religion a “phony theology,” that is not found in the Bible, whatever that means. (Certainly a majority of his supporters have no idea what he’s talking about.) He calls it a “different kind of Christianity.” There goes the black vote.

He is offering himself up to be drawn and quartered. Santorum alludes, in a not-so-subtle way, to Obama’s similarity to Adolf Hitler. In a speech last week, he mentioned that this year’s election was similar to the early 1940s when Americans thought that Hitler was “a nice guy” and not “near as bad as what we think,” and he goes on to say that, “It’s going to be harder for this generation to figure this out.” Nothing is more offensive to Jewish voters than trivializing the Holocaust. There goes the Jewish vote.

He is putting on his hair shirt. Like many Republican candidates, Santorum is against gay marriage. But he goes much further. He has compared laws against gay sex as being in line with those against bestiality, incest, child molestation, adultery and polygamy. Sodomy laws, he says, properly exist to prevent acts “which undermine the basic tenets of our society and the family.” There goes the gay vote.

He goes to the rack. He has said that in the minds of “some Christians” Mormonism is a “dangerous cult.” There goes the Mormon vote.

He’s prepared to be mocked. Santorum suggests that certain religions put the Earth above man, debunking the climate change argument. “Christians,” he says, “have dominion over the Earth.” There goes the environmental vote.

His neck is in a vise. Let’s not forget Satan. “Satan has his sights on the United States of America,” Santorum says. “Satan is attacking the great institutions of America, using those great vices of pride, vanity and sensuality as the root to attack all of the strong plants that has so deeply rooted in the American tradition.” There goes the Eastern liberal elite vote.

He’s getting his eyes gouged out. So who’s left? The evangelicals and the right-wing conservatives. After all, he’s a man who has the “courage” to stand up for his principles, no matter what the cost. But wait! Didn’t Santorum say Wednesday night that he didn’t believe in the No Child Left Behind law but voted for it anyway just to take one for the team? ”It was against the principles I believed in,” he said. Well, there’s goes the evangelical and the far-right conservative vote.

Is that Rick Santorum I see, carrying a cross?

Sally Quinn
 | Feb 24, 2012 6:12 PM

.static-scl-btn-facebook {
padding: 1px 1px 0 21px;
background: #29447e url(‘http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/test/perf_testing/phase1/fb-buttons.png’) no-repeat 0px -188px;
border-bottom: solid 1px
text-decoration: none;
display: inline-block;
outline: none;
cursor: pointer;
}
.static-scl-btn-facebook span {
padding: 2px 6px 3px 6px;
background-color:
border-top: solid 1px
font: bold 13px/13px ‘Lucida Grande’, ‘Tahoma’, ‘Verdana’, ‘Arial’, sans-serif;
color: white;
display: block;
}

Share

.static-scl-btn-twitter {
margin: 2px;
padding: 0;
width: 55px;
height: 21px;
background: white url(‘http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/test/perf_testing/phase1/tweet.png’) no-repeat 0px 0px;
display: inline-block;
cursor: pointer;
}
.static-scl-btn-twitter span {
text-indent: -9999em;
display: block;
}

Tweet

Loading…

Comments

Add your comment
Read about the changes to comment thread appearance, moderation.

SuperFan Badge

SuperFan badge holders consistently post smart, timely comments about Washington area sports and teams.

More about badges | Request a badge

Culture Connoisseur Badge

Culture Connoisseurs consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on the arts, lifestyle and entertainment.

More about badges | Request a badge

Fact Checker Badge

Fact Checkers contribute questions, information and facts to The Fact Checker.

More about badges | Request a badge

Washingtologist Badge

Washingtologists consistently post thought-provoking, timely comments on events, communities, and trends in the Washington area.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Writer Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post editor, reporter or producer.

Post Forum Badge

Post Forum members consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on politics, national and international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Weather Watcher Badge

Weather Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on climates and forecasts.

More about badges | Request a badge

World Watcher Badge

World Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Recommended

Washington Post reporters or editors recommend this comment or reader post.

You must be logged in to report a comment.

You must be logged in to recommend a comment.

Comments our editors find particularly useful or relevant are displayed in Top Comments, as are comments by users with these badges: . Replies to those posts appear here, as well as posts by staff writers.

All comments are posted in the All Comments tab.

To pause and restart automatic updates, click “Live” or “Paused”. If paused, you’ll be notified of the number of additional comments that have come in.

One size fits all school board a bad idea – LETTER

-9Weather Sponsorship Available!

SUBSCRIBER SERVICES

Saturday, February 25, 2012

SUBMIT

Join | Sign-In

Letters to the editor

• Home
• News
• Letters to the editor
• One size fits all school board a bad idea – LETTER

Posted 22 hours ago

Re: Rita Ramsay’s letter: Province should pull plug on separate system (The Nugget, Feb 23).

Ms. Ramsay’s poor understanding of the Catholic theology along with her concerns surrounding the provincial deficit, seem to be the basis for her argument for ceasing to fund Catholic schools.

It is not just Catholic school trustees and bishops who are concerned about gay/straight alliance clubs. Many Christian and non-Christian faiths, the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada and parent groups have raised a red flag.

It has nothing to do with intolerance. Creating special groups for youth who are bullied based on sexual orientation/gender identity creates a hierarchy of bullying. It can be counterproductive to singling out these youth and can provide incorrect and damaging peer counselling to vulnerable youth.

Homosexuality is a complex issue.

Even with its exhaustive list of educational recommendations, the Drummond Report did not suggest the defunding of Catholic schools as a cost-cutting measure. Bigger is not always better nor more cost-effective.

One size does not fit all and our government realizes this by funding school boards based on religious beliefs, language and culture, like our First Nations school boards.

Having a choice of school boards reflects the diversity of our society and shows respect for the differences in the form and nature of education.

The government should allow the school boards to teach according to their beliefs, as guaranteed by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and not impose its own activism agendas.

Pauline Guzik

Powassan

Advertisement

• ▪ Entertainment / Music / ArticleStellulafest 2012: The Ultimate Guitar Face-off  Stellula Music is searching for rural Ontario’s best youth guitarist and on May 17th the winner will be chosen by a panel of six judges during[...]By: Little bird | Comments
• ▪ Community / Local happenings / ArticleCrab apples…who would have thought?  My earliest memory that I can truly recall is about crab apples, and my grandfather. My age at this time is uncertain but the memory goes[...]By: North76Again | Comments
• ▪ Churches / Christian / ArticleWorld Day of Prayer – Friday, March 2  The annual World Day of Prayer service will be held on Friday, March 2 at 7:00 pm at Calvin Presbyterian Church, 401 First Ave. W., North[...]By: CalvinChurch | Comments
• ▪ Community / Local happenings / ArticleDo you want to grow your own spiritual life?  Calvin Presbyterian Church presents a workshop by the Rev. Dr. Dale Woods entitled, “Understanding Your Own Spiritual Life”. This will take place on Saturday, February 26[...]By: CalvinChurch | Comments
• ▪ Community / Local happenings / ArticleLIPI AMAZING RACE: Saturday May 26, 2012  LIPI AMAZING RACE: Saturday May 26, 2012. To Register your team of 4, please contact the Amazing Race Committee via LIPI by phone 705-472-1337, fax 705-472-4454,[...]By: helpingothers | Comments

• ▪  /  / BlogGet with it!  NFCANUCK here. How is the ice fishing? Mild here in Niagara Falls , NO SNOW, the last thing we think about is driving 5 hours to[...]By: nfcanuck | Comments
• ▪  /  / BlogLast I checked, The walking white man meant I can walk safely across the road.  Just a little vent, Last night while walking home from work I went to cross the street from one side of main to the other, Of[...]By: PixieDustCraze | Comments
• ▪  /  / BlogBullying isnt just in schools  Over the past few months, i have been listening to one of my friends who has become a victim of bullying at the work place. Ive[...]By: Population | Comments
• ▪  /  / BlogIllegal smokes or choking on Red Tape  Hi everyone, I had a couple of thoughts regarding reserve smokes and health care…you know the hot topics that seem to get alot of people[...]By: RabidChessPlayer | Comments
• ▪  /  / BlogSmokers at the doors  I would like to thank the organizers for putting together a good house league tournament this last weekend. I always love going to Mattawa for hockey.[...]By: Discord | Comments

Celebrating Love – St Valentine’s Day

Remember that Valentine’s Day is more than just a celebration of rosy romance, but also a remembrance of the sacrifice of two courageous persons who died for what they believed in, writes Juliet.

It is strange how a wonderful celebration of love and affection amongst human beings can be so misunderstood and distorted by ignorance.

Do those loudly condemning Valentine’s Day, really know what they are talking about? Do they know what they are getting so worked up about? Do they even know how this tradition of showing affection to our loved ones started and why this tradition is being continued by Christians worldwide? Do those celebrating Valentine’s Day know or understand the significance of it?

Let’s travel back in time and find out who St. Valentine was and why his day is so special. I know of two versions of the legend of St. Valentine that actually began thousands of years ago during the time of the Roman Empire. Christianity was then a reasonably young religion, seen as radical and unacceptable to the Roman government. As with all great religions that still exist today, the early believers were persecuted for practising and evangelising this “new” religion.

According to Catholic Church sources, there are two saints named Valentine. Both of them were priests.

One Valentine lived in 197 AD in Terni. He was martyred for his spiritual belief and for sending secret messages to the Christian community he led during that period of Christian persecution, expressing the love and care he felt towards his ‘flock’.

The other Valentine lived in 269 AD and was a Roman priest who performed marriage ceremonies against a prohibition on marriage laid down by Claudius II, who was Roman Emperor at that time (Source: http://www.heartlandconnection.com/news/story). Emperor Claudius who was waging many wars had prohibited marriage amongst young people due to his mistaken view that married men were less likely to join the army than unmarried men who had no family or family obligations to worry about (Source: http://www.isabelperez.com/St%20ValentineStory.htm). In opposition to this harsh and oppressive edict, Valentine performed wedding ceremonies for young people who came to him for help. He was arrested just after doing this service for a young couple who escaped (‘St. Valentine’s Story’). Catholic sources also say that he performed marriage ceremonies for Christians as Christian marriages were not legally recognised. Helping Christians, at that time, was considered a crime by the Roman government (‘The history of Valentine’s Day’, Venessa Alonso, http://www.heartlandconnection.com/news/story).

Both Valentines were arrested for their activities, detained, tortured and ultimately put to death (martyred) for what they believed.

The more romantic version of Valentine goes on to tell of Valentine’s meeting with the daughter of his jailer who visited him when he was in prison. They became good friends and before he was executed, Valentine left her a letter thanking her for “her friendship and loyalty” and signing off with the words, “Love from your Valentine” (St. Valentine’s Story, http://www.isabelperez.com/St%20ValentineStory.htm). Valentine is said to have been executed either on 14 February 269 AD or 24 February 270 AD (2004abcteach.com).

All in all, Valentine was a brave person who believed in protecting the human right to love and marry, apart from being a true Christian ready to give his life for his faith. The 14 February celebration is really a celebration of this bravery and sacrifice by St Valentine, who is seen by some Catholic religious as an inspiration in loyalty to the faith.

Fr Frank O’Gara of Whitefriars Street Church in Dublin, Ireland, says, “What Valentine means to me as a priest,… is that there comes a time where you have to lay your life upon the line for what you believe. And with the power of the Holy Spirit we can do that — even to the point of death.” His is one of three churches that claim to house the relics of St Valentine and where pilgrims converge on 14 February every year.

Fr O’Gara also gives sound advice on the subject of marriage, “If Valentine were here today, he would say to married couples that there comes a time where you’re going to have to suffer. It’s not going to be easy to maintain your commitment and your vows in marriage. Don’t be surprised if the ‘gushing’ love that you have for someone changes to something less ‘gushing’ but maybe much
more mature. And the question is, is that young person ready for that?”
(Source: The Christian Broadcasting Network, http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/churchandministry/churchhistory/st_valentine_the_real_story)

So, with the enjoyment of the beautiful fragrant roses, chocolates, soft toys, balloons, cards and candle-light dinners, remember that Valentine’s Day is more than just a celebration of rosy romance, but also a remembrance of the sacrifice of two courageous persons in history who died for what they believed in and preserved the right to marry (Article 16 Universal Declaration of Human Rights).

Juliet (pseudonym)

Angeline Loh
17 February 2012

Rick Santorum Benefits From Protestant Support Despite His Roman Catholic Faith

Rick Santorum’s political good fortune in the Republican presidential primaries has come about in large part because of his appeal to evangelicals. A Roman Catholic, he is a beneficiary of more than two decades of cooperation between conservative Protestants and Catholics who set aside theological differences for the common cause of the culture war.

Doctrine – and anti-Catholic bias – once split Protestants and Catholics so bitterly that many evangelical leaders worked to defeat John F. Kennedy because of his religion. When Kennedy sought to confront suspicion about his Catholicism, he made his now-famous faith speech to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association, a group of evangelical Protestants in Texas. Five decades later, when some prominent evangelical leaders gathered at a Texas ranch to discuss backing a 2012 GOP candidate, Santorum was their choice.

Now running about even with Mitt Romney, Santorum has nearly doubled his support from white evangelical Republicans, from 22 percent last month to 41 percent two weeks ago, according to surveys by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life. An Associated Press-GfK survey conducted more recently, Feb.16-20, found Santorum leading Romney among white evangelicals, 44 percent to 21 percent. White Catholics also preferred Santorum, 38 percent to 29 percent, in the AP-GfK poll.

The high regard extends to Santorum’s personal life. His seven children have been home-schooled, a practice much more common among conservative American Protestants than Catholics, who have a network of parochial schools built over centuries. His concerns – opposing gay marriage and abortion, promoting traditional roles for women – contribute to that appeal. The Christian Post, an evangelical media outlet, published an article this week called “Catholic Politicians You Thought Were Evangelical,” with a short list of the most-often misidentified, led by Santorum.

The former Pennsylvania senator’s pointed rhetoric questioning the authenticity of other Christians can make him sound more like a preacher than a politician, but it draws support among many conservative Christians. He said recently that President Barack Obama, also a Christian, holds a “phony theology,” then insisted he wasn’t attacking the president’s faith but his environmental views. The Obama campaign condemned his remark.

Also drawing attention is a 2008 speech to Ave Maria University in Florida, a private Catholic school established by the Domino’s Pizza founder. In it, Santorum warned that Satan has been waging a spiritual war against the United States and has infiltrated academia, liberal Protestant churches and politics.

“Satan has done so by attacking the great institutions of America, using those great vices of pride, vanity and sensuality as the root to attack all of these strong plants that have so deeply rooted in the American tradition,” Santorum said, in a video posted by Right Wing Watch, a project of the liberal advocacy group People for the American Way. “We look at the shape of mainline Protestantism in this country and it is in shambles. It is gone from the world of Christianity as I see it.”

Romney, Santorum’s main rival for the nomination, struggles with conservatives not only because he once supported legalized abortion, which he now condemns, but also from distrust of Mormon teaching among some Christians. He rarely speaks directly about his faith or any other.

Bill Portier, a Catholic theologian and historian at the University of Dayton in Ohio, said many in the United States have come to identify conservative religion only with evangelicalism. A growing number are describing themselves as “spiritual, not religious” and aren’t affiliating as closely with a particular denomination.

Portier said his students at the Catholic university are often shocked to learn about a Catholic teaching on a social or moral issue that differs from a conservative Protestant view.

“It’s their default, what evangelicals say,” he said. “It kind of comes to them from osmosis through our culture.”

One of the best-known efforts to bring the two Christian traditions together came in the 1994 statement “Evangelicals and Catholics Together.” The authors were Chuck Colson, the Watergate felon turned born-again Christian, and the Rev. Richard John Neuhaus, a Lutheran who converted to Catholicism and was also often mistaken for an evangelical. In 2009, Catholics, evangelicals and Orthodox Christians again pledged their unity on moral issues in a document called the “Manhattan Declaration,” in which they promised civil disobedience if any laws are enacted that violate their conscience.

Some political veterans warn Santorum that what fires up the base can be a losing strategy in the general election.

Peter Wehner, a Republican who served three presidential administrations, most recently under George W. Bush, said in an article about Santorum that social conservatism must be discussed in positive terms, as promoting human dignity, “rather than declaring a series of forbidden acts that are leading us to Gomorrah.” Wehner is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a conservative think tank where Santorum was a fellow after he lost his U.S. Senate seat.

“A wise observer told me years ago,” Wehner wrote on Commentary magazine’s website, “that for a politician to be seen as the aggressor in the culture wars is the quickest way to lose them.”

Also on HuffPost:

“;
var coords = [-5, -72];
// display fb-bubble
FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, ‘top’, {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: ‘clear-overlay’});
});

Church News

Carbon Baptist Church

Hello from Carbon Baptist Church

Dr. Bill Coker will be our speaker this Sunday morning.

Please come, and you will be certain to enjoy his message. We must remember, God feeds us through his Word.

March 9 and 10 is fast approaching, remember you must have a ticket to attend the Wabash Valley Ladies Unity Night at the Maryland Community church. The tickets are free. Please see Karen Cox for tickets at 812-691-0346. The dates once again are March 9, at 7 p.m., and March 10, at 2 p.m. The message will be “God loves Broken People.”

Praise Practice is Wednesday, Feb. 29, at 6 p.m., and cell group meets after at 7 p.m. Charles Mullenix is teaching the class on the Book of Daniel. Everyone is invited to attend.

Sunday School Hour is 9:30 a.m.

Worship Hour is 10:30 a.m.

Have a great week in the service of the Lord.

Carbon United Methodist Church

I was looking for something to read last week and ran across an old book that had been in a discard bin from the library. The name of it was “Joshua: A Parable For Today,” by Joseph F. Girzone. On the back, it said that General Norman Schwarzkopf found comfort in reading it before the beginning of Desert Storm. Hmmm.

It turned out to be a simple story of a quiet, unassuming, gentle man, a wood carver who settled in a small town, such as we have here in Clay County. Over a period of about six months, the people of the area came to know him either as a deep and profound advocate of what Christ would say and do in our modern world, or they came to despise him as an anti-religion trouble-maker. Regardless, he changed everyone he came into contact with. As one plunged deeper and deeper into the book, it became clear that this Joshua was actually Jesus Himself appearing in our modern world. Quite a thought provoking read!

OK, if this man showed up in our neighborhood, how would we react to Him. Would we listen to what He was trying to get across to us? Or would we come to hate Him for trying to change our way of life, our very religious traditions, that are so important to us. His premise was that in establishing all the rules, regulations, dogmas, traditions of our various churches we have forgotten what Christ really preached about simply loving our fellow humans and have become exactly like the Pharisees who were so despised for all their strict adherence to rules. Do we really “simply love our fellow humans?” Is that our top priority? Shouldn’t it be?

The Town Country Men’s Lenten Breakfast will be at our church next Saturday, March 3, at 8 a.m. Men, if you have not attended one of these yet, plan to do so. There will be four more during the time of Lent. If you want to know more about them, call Les Webster at 446-0086. There are several different groups of men in the area who have their own Lenten Breakfasts. If you cannot come to ours, go to one of the others. I don’t know what one group is called, but I do know that my son Jeff is speaking at it this morning about his involvement in prison ministry our of Kokomo.

Forget the rules and regulations. This is the time for you to attend church and learn more about what Jesus has to offer you … and what you have to offer Jesus.

Bee Ridge Church

Upcoming events at Bee Ridge:

Ansil Harpold will be our guest speaker this Sunday. Come listen to his inspirational message.

Bee Ridge Church is located 1 1/2 miles north on Kennedy Crossing Road. We are the brick church on the top of the hill. Sunday School for all ages begins at 9:15 a.m. Worship Service and Children’s Church begins at 10:30 a.m.

Our church congregation is growing and we welcome new members or visitors anytime. Come join us for worship. Jeff Bridgewater is our Pastor, and can be reached at 812-241-3036 or e-mail: jeffbwater@yahoo.com. Hope to see you this Sunday.

Brazil First United Methodist Church

Since the middle of January, Pastor Steve Loft has been sharing messages on prayer, using the Lord’s Prayer as a pattern for developing our own prayer lives. That series came to a close last Sunday, however, the hope of growing by developing our prayer lives has not. Many members of First UM Church are joining other churches in a prayer movement called “Seek God for the City.”

WayMakers publishes a prayer journal that helps ordinary people pray with relevance, clarity and biblical hope. It is encouraging to know others are praying in similar ways. The journal has a page for each day that includes two short passages from the Bible, a brief but powerful prayer following each passage and a prayer focus for the day. As an example, the prayer focus for Thursday was “youth.” People were encouraged to pray for teens to commit their lives to Christ, make wise choices, develop solid friendships, and have open communication with their parents. Most people would agree these are great ways to pray for the youth of our community.

In addition to this prayer focus, worshipers at the church will be encouraged to “Be All There” in their daily lives. One of the amazing things about Jesus was his ability to really be present in the moment and notice people around him who needed his help. In the time leading up to Easter Sunday, the congregation will be encouraged to fully live each moment of life.

A young man by the name of Jim Elliot wrote the following words in his journal. “Wherever you are, be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.” The congregation at First United Methodist of Brazil invites you to join in living each day to the fullest. Sunday worship gatherings are at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., with small groups meeting between services, from 10:10 to 10:50 a.m. The building is located at 201 N. Meridian Street in Brazil.

Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Our Church is located at 19 North Alabama Street with Father Harold Rightor officiating. For information call: 448-1901 or e-mail: annunciationchurch@msn.com News or articles for this column should be e-mailed to: boilerfanburk@aim.com Information for this article must be submitted by Wednesday evening.

Mass schedule: Saturday, 6:30 p.m., Sunday 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Tuesday 5:30 p.m. and Wednesday and Thursday at 9 a.m.

We extend our sincerest sympathy to Sally Maccarone and her family at the loss of Sally’s husband, Joe. Sally is one of our cantors who volunteers a great deal of her time to Annunciation. Pray for eternal peace for her husband and comfort for Sally and her family.

The morning Ash Wednesday service was well attended by many. Now that we are officially in Lent, it is time for reflection. Reflection of what our Lord sacrificed for all of us. Reflection of our faults, imperfections and weaknesses. Reflection on how to correct our imperfections. Reflection on how we can be the best versions of ourselves. Reflection on how we can always be willing to serve each other to light the way to the God we are seeking. May this Lent be one of faithfulness and spiritual growth for all of us.

The Lady Knights will host an Indoor Yard Sale today from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. at Kennedy Crossing. Breakfast and lunch items will be available. Come join us and look through all the treasures for sale!

The Parish Council continues their appeal for donations for new windows in the Rectory. The older windows are causing our utility bills to remain the same even with the installation of the new heating and cooling system. Any donations are welcome!

Remember the Bingo Hall provides entertainment every Sunday evening. Grab a friend and join other parishioners for rounds of Bingo at Kennedy Crossing!

Soup and bread will be offered in the Parish Center each Friday evening at the conclusion of the Stations of the Cross service. The menu for March 2 is vegetable soup, clam chowder and cream of broccoli soup plus delicious bread.

Reconciliation services at Annunciation will be on March 13 at 7 p.m. Reconciliation services are also scheduled for March 4, at St Joseph (Rockville), March 8 at Sacred Heart of Jesus at 1:30 and St Benedict at 7 p.m., and St Paul (Greencastle) on March 21 at 7 p.m.

The Knights of Columbus will have their fish fry at Kennedy Crossing on March 9 from 4-7 p.m. St Benedict and Sacred Heart (Clinton) will host fish fries on March 16 from 4-7:30 p.m. St Joseph (Rockville) will host their fish fry on March 23 from 4-7 p.m. Support our Parish and the other Deanery Parishes by attending their Lent fish fries.

The Lady Knights will host another luncheon for the Ladies of Annunciation at the Lake House Restaurant on March 17 at 11:30 a.m. Bring your family or friends for a fun afternoon and get to know your Church family.

Praise and prayers are extended to all of our adults and children enrolled in religious education classes for their commitment to our faith. The RCIA have five enrolled who will soon be members of our faith. Our young teens in the Confirmation group are attending their retreat at St Mary of the Woods on March 4. In years past, this has been an enlightening and educational retreat! Our First Communion children have made their first reconciliation and are anxiously preparing for their First Communion.

Meetings for the Shawl Ministry are the 2nd Wednesday of the month beginning at 2:30 p.m. in the Parish Center. Anyone is welcome to share talents and join in this ministry to assist those in need of our community. Contact Dawn at 812-778-9665 for more information.

Please continue to pray for the Parishes of St Joseph — Universal, St Ann and our sister Parish Holy Rosary. Welcome any unfamiliar faces you see at our Masses!

Pray that Lent guides those that have left our faith or Parish back to their home. Pray for an insightful and prayerful Lent. Pray that we are always charitable and compassionate towards others. Pray that we are the best versions of ourselves in Glory to God.

Blessings ~

Brazil Bible Fellowship Church

We had a great evening of fellowship and challenge last Sunday night as we watched “Courageous” and enjoyed the popcorn and drinks with our church family and several guests. If you have not seen it, you really should. Besides encouraging and exhorting the men to be the leaders in their homes it also included some great humor.

The four main characters portrayed four different family settings that are quite common in our society. Regardless of their home situation, each of them were challenged to be God’s kind of leader in their life and home. It is not only a challenge but it offers great hope that one can be what God wants them to be.

The Sunday morning message from Joshua 1:5-9 was also very good. The title of the message was “How to Be a Victorious Christian.” The first point was victory begins by believing that God can be trusted. Joshua had to believe that God was going to be with him just like God was with Moses. Sometimes we think God’s promises are good for everyone else but God does not mean it for me. We must believe what God says rather than doubt Him.

In order for Joshua to lead right he had to know how and in what way to lead. God said that the “book of the law shall not depart from his mouth and he was to meditate day and night.” God does not leave us guessing what is right and wrong.

He is very clear. It is right there in the Bible. Just like Joshua had to know the law so he could lead well we also need to know God’s will. Victory begins by knowing what I need to do. Get into the Bible and let the Bible get into you. Think about it which is what meditate means. As we know what God wants us to do then the final point is we must obey.

God told Joshua to be strong because He was with him. Joshua had God’s directions in the law but that would do little good if Joshua did not act. He had to obey. We must know what the Bible says and then we must do it. That was the challenge from Pastor Gordon this last Sunday.

Beginning Sunday, March 4 we are starting a men’s and women’s study at 6 p.m. They will meet the 1st and 3rd Sunday’s each month. The men will be studying the book of 1 Timothy that is designed to encourage the men to be God’s kind of leader.

The study guide is written by John MacArthur Jr. The ladies will be studying the Book of Psalms using a study guide written by Warren Wiersbe. If you would have any interest in being a part of these studies please call Pastor Gordon at 240-3003.

Our service times are Sunday School at 10 a.m.,Worship at 11 a.m., and youth group will be meeting at 6 p.m., at the Jackson Elementary School gym. We invite you to join us as we seek to know God by knowing His Word and then applying it to our lives. That is the passion that Pastor Gordon has for us and we invite you to see for yourself. You will find us South of town on State Road 59 directly across from the 4-H Fairgrounds. We are also on facebook and also on the web at www.brazilbible.org.

Benwood Mt. Lebanon Church

Good Morning from Benwood Mt. Lebanon Church.

Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Sunday School all ages; 10:30 a.m. Morning Worship

Children’s Church Leaders are Cheryl McKinney and Caitlynn McKinney.

5 p.m. AWANA; 7 p.m. Evening Worship

Wednesday at 7 p.m. Prayer/Bible Study

Thursday at 9:45 a.m. Ladies Bible Study

FROM THE PASTOR

This week’s message is “Living in Victory” Our scripture for this message is found in 1 John 5:1-12

Sunday Night is AWANA Talent Night, starts at 6 p.m. You never know who talented your children are until you have experienced an AWANA Talent Show!

The Valentine Banquet on Saturday was attended by around 75 and everyone seemed to have a good time. Thanks to the trustees, and the deacons along with their wives for taking care of all the arrangements. Also a big thank you to Dave Henry who presented a program of harp music after the meal.

Take your aluminum cans to Wallace Disposal and tell them to credit the Benwood Mt. Lebanon account. They will send a check to the church that will be used for various mission projects.

AWANA NEWS (Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed)

Our annual AWANA Talent show is this Sunday. Everyone is invited to come out and see the incredible talent of our AWANA kids. AWANA starts as normal at 5 p.m., and the talent show starts at 6 p.m. The AWANA kids are bringing grocery items this month to be donated to the Clay County Food Pantry. The annual AWANA Grand Prix is coming up on March 25 and the kids are busy working on their cars. AWANA is for children age 3 through 6th grade.

Questions from Pat:

This weeks question is : What two things did God tell Abraham that his offspring will be as numerous as? Look for the answer in Genesis 22.

E-mail your answer to me by Wednesday at pmann228@hotmail.com question:

Answer to last weeks question:

Elisha healed the waters of Jericho by puttingsaltinto the spring.

Make sure and get your question for Pastor Dick to me by Wednesday, Feb. 29!

I have made it my goal to read the Bible front to back again this year, I was off to a really good start and then fell behind a couple of days because I would think, no I didn’t read that correctly and then I would go back and reread the whole chapter. I do understand why the Bible is a best seller. You read it and reread it and find things you missed the first time and it is exciting, mysterious, but it is not a cliffhanger, you know what happens at the END.

We are located two miles north of US 40 on the Knightsville Road, or two miles east of SR 59 on Rio Grand Road.

Church Phone Number: 446-0531

If you do not have a church home we invite you to come worship with us.

We are a non-denominational church that worships God through Jesus Christ.

Until next week, stay safe and God bless!

First Baptist Church

Welcome to the services of First Baptist on South Walnut Street in Brazil this final week of February. This Sunday is our Donut Fellowship before Sunday School classes. Come early and fellowship with all ages sharing conversations, donuts and breakfast drinks. Sunday School begins at 9:30.

Worship service begins at 10:30 with praise, prayer, and giving. Pastor Mark will bring the morning message. There is an adult-staffed nursery available. Also the children are dismissed from the sanctuary for their worship kid-style. An enclosed elevator is available to assist you if stairs are difficult.

Evening programs begin at 5:30 with AWANA Club for preschoolers through 5th grade. The teens also meet for Youth. There is adult evening service at 6 p.m., followed by choir practice.

Teen Girls’ Bible Study meets with Mrs. Stacey Thompson on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday Noon Bible Study meets in the fellowship room at 12:15.

ROCK service is Thursday at 7 p.m. This is an alternative worship for those unable to attend on Sunday as well as another time of worship and praise. This service will have a different message and style of worship.

We encourage you to use these 40 days of Lent to try to become the same kind of people Christ talked to his disciples about becoming during his own walk towards Good Friday, and ultimately Easter morning. Lent is ideally a time of deepening our spiritual life and our connection to Christ.

The first week of March, Sunday School classes using the uniform lesson texts will be studying Luke. This study is just one way you can follow Jesus’ journey to the Cross.

Center Point United Methodist Church

It is hard to believe, but one week from tomorrow we will be having our 4th Annual Mission Event! And … you are invited!! Grab a friend, and join us Sunday, March 4. If you want to attend the free concert by Graybeard come at 2 p.m.

Then, at 3 p.m. our Pie Auction will begin. Chris Pell will be auctioning off scrumptious desserts made by our local bakers. We will even have some yeast rolls and homemade noodles. You are sure to find something you like.

The auction usually lasts about an hour and fifteen minutes to an hour and a half. Afterwards you can enjoy a chili supper in our family life center. It is a freewill offering. So, give what you can.

All funds raised will be donated to The Rock ministry in Clay City. These people are there to meet the needs of the children of the southern portion of Clay County.

I am sure I do not have to tell you that when you do anything there are costs involved. Heat, lights, building upkeep, supplies for the restroom, cleaning, etc. And that does not even take into consideration materials used to help the children.

So, each year our mission event wants to help a ministry cover some of those costs. When we all work together we can make a difference. Join us in this effort.

Tomorrow Pastor Bob Kumpf will be reading from I Peter 3:18-22. The message is titled “Ah … the Rainbow!” He writes, “This is another message of hope sent to all the people who were being persecuted and living in fear because of their faith in this man named Jesus and His promise of new life.

“It is a letter to those good people who wonder why an all-powerful, all-loving and merciful God isn’t protecting them. Why would God allow the evil and powers of the world to allow bad things to happen to them? Sound familiar?

“Peter is urging them to remember that Christ had to suffer and die so that they would have the promise of eternal life, long after they faced the temporary hardships they were facing. He encouraged them to look forward in expectation to what God had prepared for them and to ‘keep looking up’! Peter reminds them of the covenant that God made with Noah after the flood represented by the sign of the rainbow. It’s a beautiful thing and a constant reminder from a faithful God. After the storm the sun (son) will come out and cover everything with His glory. Keep looking up!”

People needed encouragement in biblical times and … guess what … people need encouragement today. God gives that to us through His word. But, people don’t always read His word. So, we have to share it with them. Be in God’s house tomorrow. Be encouraged.

Peniel United Methodist Church

The end of February is upon us and we can be thinking of spring around the corner! What a great winter – so far. The Lenten and Easter season has begun. We invite everyone to join us. Our Sunday School begins at 9:45 and Church Services at 10:45. It is truly a family atmosphere! You will feel welcome!

A belated “Happy Birthday” to one of our very special members, Anna Mae Swearingen. We miss her singing with so much joy in the choir and always a cheerful smile. She has been a little under-the-weather, but we hope her 90th birthday was a good one!

Volunteers are needed to help with Junior Church. A sign-up sheet is provided in the entry. Also, a list for the flood buckets and layette kits can be found there — another helping project provided by Peniel congregation.

The Men’s Lenten Breakfast will be held March 3 at 8 a.m., at Carbon.

March 7 the Bible Study/Prayer Group will meet at 6 p.m., with Choir Practice following at 7 p.m.

The Administrative Board Meeting is scheduled for March 8, at 7 p.m.

Canned fruits are needed by the Brazil Food Pantry. Donations can be left in the entry.

The scripture for Sunday is Isaiah 62; 1-5 and Roman 8:18-27.

Pastor Pippin’s message is “Suffering and the Bible” and for the children — “Obey the Rules!”

Kennedy Crossing Rd., Brazil

For more information, contact Pastor Pippin at 443-8489.

Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church

Worship hour is 9-10 a.m., with Pastor Randy Dragan.

Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church is located five miles east of SR 59 on Billville Rd., Brazil.

Everyone is welcome.

Community Missionary Church

Pastor Ken Thomas opened service with greetings to all and giving praise and thanks to the Lord in prayer as God has been good to his people in Indiana with weather that has been the mildest that we have known for a winter thus far.

Brother Thomas remarked, “that being kind many times is better than being right.” After prayer, Peg Parksey led the congregational singing and Brother Thomas called for tithes and offerings, then led the doxology.

He then asked the congregation for spoken and unspoken request for prayer, those sick in the hospital, shut-ins and our military in harms way, as the congregation prayed with him.

The special number was sang by Peg Parksey, whom always has a wonderful song to sing for us and was enjoyed by all.

Pastor stated “There is no place safe these days, except in the arms of Jesus.” In life we have temptation on every hand and it’s hard daily for some not to give in to temptation. You will not get off scott free. Likewise, when yielding to temptation, you are “in” or “out.” You cannot ride the fence. You either walk beside him not knowing or you walk “with” him knowing that you belong to God.

To know him we must keep our mind on the things of God. You are known by the company you keep, the placed you might be found in, and your actions or reactions to others. We must be justified in things we do and say.

For example, Noah was justified and in accord with God. Being righteous he was loved by Jesus. Noah wasn’t perfect, he was a sinner too, but he walked with God. He acknowledged his sins and was forgiven. Noah built an ark as God directed and at that time, God “shut up” the door. This done as Noah acted as God had directed and his family and all on board were saved to populate the Earth.

God does the impossible for those whom walk with him. We read in Exodus 12:1-13 where God’s people were saved by blood being put over there door and they were saved as they had walked with God. The blood washes away sin. God will pass over you if you have the blood of Jesus.

You cannot be deceived by the deceiver. You are either in or out. Every once in awhile, we might try to take God’s place and pass judgement on someone.

What we do affects others, and then God may take over and discipline us.

Luke 15:10 There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

Come visit us this week. Sunday School is at 9:30 a.m., Morning Worship is at 10:30 a.m. and Evening Service is at 6 p.m.

Ladies Bible Study invite young ladies as well as adults to join them for this study on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Brother Thomas and Beverly and the congregation invite young and old to join us for a day of blessings.

Oakland Raiders value NFL combine despite having just two picks in the draft

Click photo to enlarge

INDIANAPOLIS — Raiders coach Dennis Allen resists the notion that the NFL scouting combine is somehow less important to his team because they currently have only two picks in the upcoming draft.

“I told the coaching staff the most important thing we can be doing right now is picking players, and making sure we’ve got the right guys on our team,” Allen said. “The offensive scheme, the defensive scheme, that’s going to take care of itself.”

Oakland has picks in the fifth and sixth-round of the draft, having traded away the rest, but will receive a compensatory pick or picks next month based on the loss of free agents such as cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, tight end Zach Miller and left guard Robert Gallery.

The Raiders are in the initial stages of college scouting, with Allen taking the better part of his first two weeks on the job completing a coaching staff. He’s been living out of an Alameda hotel room, not to be joined by his family until his 7-year-old son completes his first Communion.

Allen flew under the radar to an extent, with the majority of the media flocking to Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III at a different podium.

He handled himself like a veteran head coach, talking in generalities about his vision for the future andkeeping schematic specifics close to the vest while general manager Reggie McKenzie sorts through contract issues with players such as Kamerion Wimbley, Michael Huff and Aaron Curry who contribute to a

reported $11 million salary cap overage.

Allen is in lockstep with McKenzie’s view of the combine as a valuable place to judge athletic ability and get personal and medical information, without attaching too much significance to a hundredth of a second in the 40-yard dash.

“If you’ve got two guys who are about the same football playing-wise, when you look at the tape, let’s take the faster guy,” Allen said. “But we’re not going to take guys just because they are real fast because that doesn’t correlate to being a good football player.”

In his first meeting with the media since his introductory press conference on Jan. 30, Allen promised that new schemes on both sides of the ball would be tailored to suit the talent on hand.

Offensive coordinator Greg Knapp’s offense, Allen said, would fit nicely with quarterback Carson Palmer in the same way Matt Schaub ran a similar offense with the Houston Texans.

Allen also thought running back Darren McFadden, who missed the last nine games of the season with a severe mid-foot sprain, would flourish in a system that will include heavy doses of zone blocking.

When healthy, McFadden’s numbers took off when coach Hue Jackson instituted more gap and power blocking in place of Tom Cable’s zone blocking system.

“When you look at the running games that Greg’s been a part of, they’ve all been very successful, with a lot of different styles of runners,” Allen said.

McFadden, defensive end Matt Shaughnessy (shoulder) and wide receiver Jacoby Ford (foot) are all healthy, Allen said.

Allen also discussed defensive coordinator Jason Tarver, a surprise hire in that he had been a co-coordinator at Stanford after being a 49ers assistant for nine seasons.

“When I interviewed Jason, there was no doubt in my mind that this is a guy who had answers for everything,” Allen said.

The Raiders meet for the first time as a team on April 2, the first day a new coach can be on the field with his team.

Indianapolis coach Chuck Pagano, a defensive backs coach on Norv Turner’s staff in Oakland in 2005-06, will remember the words of his former boss, who liked his team to be fast and look good coming off the bus.

“One thing I learned from (Al) Davis, spending some time in Oakland, it’s a big man’s game,” Pagano said. “We’ll look at everyone and when we need to get bigger, we’ll get bigger.”

Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden, the 28-year-old ex-minor league baseball player who threw for 399 yards and three touchdowns to beat Stanford 41-38 in overtime in the Fiesta Bowl, looks at his age as an advantage of sorts.

“I’ve already been a pro. That’s what I’ve been telling teams, and they agree with me,” Weeden said. “In baseball, it’s a game of failure. I’ve failed and I’ve had some success, and I’ve kind of ridden that roller coaster.”

The sacred and the profound

William Byrd (c.1580)

In July 1586, some like-minded souls were invited to a gathering at the house of Richard Bold, former Sheriff of Lancashire, near Marlow, Buckinghamshire. A contemporary description tells us that the guests were “received with every attention that kindness and courtesy could suggest”. Music was probably performed, as the host was a known enthusiast, and it was, on the face of it, a pleasant and relaxed occasion.

That, though, is unlikely to have been the case. The guests at Bold’s house were Catholics, or at least Catholic sympathisers, and in the latter part of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign that meant all present were putting their lives in danger. Since 1581, reconciliation to the Catholic church had been an act of treason and a further law in 1585 made sheltering a Catholic priest an offence punishable by death.

More

On this story

• Cold play
• How radio survives – and thrives – in a digital age
• Karen Dalton, Dylan’s favourite singer
• Michael Kiwanuka/Emeli Sandé, XOYO, London
• Ed Sheeran, Brixton Academy, London

IN Music

• Escape from convention
• LPO/Jurowski, Royal Festival Hall, London
• The Cookers, Ronnie Scott’s London
• LSO/Previn, Barbican, London

Even so, we know of three important people who were present: Henry Garnet, a Jesuit priest who would be executed after becoming entangled in the Gunpowder Plot; poet Robert Southwell, an energetic promoter of the Catholic faith, who was to end his life hanged, drawn and quartered; and composer William Byrd. As Gentleman of the Chapel Royal and one of the leading cultural representatives of Elizabethan England, why was he there? For such a prominent establishment figure, this was a big risk.

It is difficult now to understand how music could flourish in these circumstances. Byrd is, arguably, the greatest composer of sacred music England has produced and it seems remarkable that he achieved these heights as a Catholic in Protestant England during a dangerous period of religious persecution.

Over the next nine months, a tour of Byrd’s music will offer an opportunity to get closer to this exceptional composer. Andrew Carwood and the innovative vocal ensemble Cardinall’s Musick, who have recently finished recording all of Byrd’s sacred music to Latin texts, are about to embark on a UK tour that will take them from Canterbury in the south to Leeds in the north, from St David’s in Wales to Orkney in Scotland.

A special attraction is that the tour will include places with a direct connection to Byrd himself. The most important is the church at Stondon Massey, Essex, where the composer lived for the last 30 years of his life. Carwood explains that this was still countryside in Byrd’s time “but Ingatestone Hall is nearby, the home of the Petre family who still own it today, and Byrd knew the family and the house well. This was a very Catholic area. Celebrations of mass were regularly held at the hall, which has priest holes and all the other devices that were commonly used for hiding priests and religious vestments.”

Another historic venue is Arundel, ancestral home of the Dukes of Norfolk. As England’s most prominent Catholic family, they seem to have enjoyed a highly privileged position. Arundel was a well-known centre for Catholics who refused to attend Anglican services and the library holds many of Byrd’s own publications of his music, together with unique choir books dating from before Henry VIII’s break with Rome.

Throughout history, music and religion have had a tortured relationship. By reuniting Byrd’s sacred music with places of his own time, Cardinall’s Musick is hoping to encourage audiences to contemplate how that relationship turned toxic in the Tudor era. It is also worth remembering that this is only part of a much wider story of oppression – from the persecution of Jewish composers in Nazi Germany to the hardline crackdown on music under the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The Catholicism that marks out Byrd as a composer born of religious strife will be much in focus on the tour. Every programme will feature one of his three masses, arguably Byrd’s greatest achievement, written in his later years when he risked being most open about his religion. In addition, Carwood will provide a spoken background at each concert, as he feels audiences cannot appreciate music that is so “emotionally real” if they do not understand the context in which it was written.

“I think the music contains great eternal truths,” he says, “but what we can’t recreate is the contemporary political situation. There isn’t the same adrenaline if we aren’t living in dread of that rap on the door. If the music was being performed with a priest celebrating mass, they didn’t know if this was the last time they would see him before he was taken away and executed. That will have given the performances an intensity we can’t recapture today.”

The big question is to what extent this added element of danger was a source of inspiration for Byrd. A parallel case often cited is Shostakovich, who composed some of his greatest music amid the political repression of Stalin’s regime in the Soviet Union. Did Byrd, too, rise to the heights of a work such as the Mass for Five Voices because he had a burning inner message to impart?

“In my opinion, Byrd is a step above all the other Renaissance composers in Europe,” says Carwood. “I love Palestrina, Lassus and Victoria, but none of them equals Byrd’s level of imagination. What he had over them is this unique life experience with his deprived Catholicism. His choice of texts is imbued with an astonishing emotional fervour, which you just don’t find with Palestrina, sitting in the relative security of Rome.”

Carwood says it is normal for Byrd’s music to hold some hidden message to the Catholic community. “This isn’t like something out of The Da Vinci Code, with the letters of the text carrying a secret message about the invasion of England. But Byrd does rearrange the verses of a psalm so that you get a different perspective on it, or cherry-pick the verses, as in ‘Deus venerunt gentes’, where he talks about the blood of the saints being spilled on the ground. That is believed to be about the martyrdom of Catholics, very much a statement about what was going on at the time.”

Given how close Byrd’s profession took him to the monarchy, it is extraordinary how he avoided serious trouble. “Perhaps it’s a bit romantic,” says Carwood, “but Queen Elizabeth loved music. She must have known who he was, as he was in the Chapel Royal, and that he was a Catholic. We have a truly beautiful anthem that he wrote specifically for her, and it’s so much more than Byrd merely paying lip-service. Maybe there was some tacit agreement between them.”

Whatever the reason, Byrd was never imprisoned and lived to the ripe old age of 83, dying at Stondon Massey in 1623, a wealthy man with several properties to his name. As audiences on the Cardinall’s Musick tour are taking in the glories of Byrd’s three settings of the Catholic mass, they may well wonder which was the more impressive of his achievements. Was it that he composed some of the greatest music of the Elizabethan era or, more simply, that he survived?

The Cardinall’s Musick tour of the music of William Byrd starts at Wigmore Hall, London, on March 5

www.cardinallsmusick.com

Catholic radio to hit airwaves this spring

Talk about it

A Mitchell native is launching a Catholic radio station to cover the Sioux Falls diocese.

The station is scheduled to go on the air in May, concluding a five-year process that Kevin Culhane and his wife, Margie, did together.

Kevin Culhane said the inspiration for the venture came when he and Margie went on a three-week pilgrimage to France in 2007 with several parishes, including Holy Spirit Parish in Mitchell.

“We spent a week in Lourdes and went to the grotto where the Blessed Mother appeared to Bernadette, saw the water from the rock, but more importantly it was the faith demonstrated by the tens of thousands of people going there daily hoping for a miracle that was awe-inspiring,” he said.

The Culhanes came back to South Dakota with renewed faith and a conversion of heart.

Kevin Culhane said he was a “cafeteria Catholic” prior to his trip to France. He didn’t practice the faith religiously; he believed some of it and wasn’t sure about other parts.

“That’s how I lived my life until 2007, when I experienced the deep, profound love for the Blessed Mother and for the Catholic faith,” he said.

The Culhanes continued to own and operate two radio stations in Yankton — KVHT FM and KVTK AM — until making a final decision in 2010 to sell the stations and commit full-time to creating a Catholic radio station. Kevin Culhane was part-owner of KMIT in Mitchell from 1984 to 1992.

“It was almost like getting smacked in the head and ‘You should’ve had a V8,’ ” he said. “I was smacked in the heart and God said, ‘Come home and listen to what I’m telling you.’ ”

Culhane said there are 18,000 AM and FM radio stations throughout the U.S. Ten percent of those are Protestant stations and 185 are Catholic stations.

His goal is to reach all faiths, but he hopes the most immediate result is that all Catholics — practicing and non-practicing — will find hope, comfort and inspiration from the programming.

South Dakota, east of the Missouri River, hosts 135,000 Catholics in 150 parishes.

The radio station, which will be dubbed “The Lamb,” will air on 91.3 FM — call letters for Mitchell and Sioux Falls is KSTJ and for Aberdeen and Ipswich is KAJF. Locators to amplify the signal will be located in Yankton and Brookings.

The format will include talk shows with some music, but the emphasis will be on teaching the Catholic faith. Local programming, including people from the Mitchell area, will be featured on the station as well.

Specifically, the rosary will be offered multiple times per day, mass will be aired daily, along with other devotional programming, Kevin Culhane said.

The station will also be affiliated with the EWTN Global Catholic Television Network and the Ave Maria Network.

“It’s just a teaching tool more than anything, to bring Christ to the Christian community,” Culhane said.

The station will be supported through sponsorships, gifts from donors and on-air fund drives. Culhane said this is a $1.3 million campaign, some of which came from the sale of the couple’s two stations in Yankton.

Long-range plans to bring Catholic radio to the entire state are in the works, he said. He hopes to reach out toward Rapid City diocese in the future. “But you have to learn to crawl before you walk,” he said.

Anyone interested in supporting the Culhanes’ effort can contact them at 605-275-4659.

Illustration by Chris Huber/Republic

Photo courtesy The Bishop’s Bulletin Margie and Kevin Culhane want to bring their faith to the airwaves.

Tags:
life, updates, radio, state, catholic, media

Sen. Marco Rubio’s Mormon past comes to light

WASHINGTON —
News broke Thursday that U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio was baptized as a Mormon at age 8, when his family lived in Las Vegas. A few years later, he converted to Catholicism.

Yet Rubio’s religious profile is even more complicated than that, given his close ties to an evangelical church in Miami.

It’s a mix — a “faith journey,” as his office put it — that has some wondering whether the rising Republican is trying to be all things to all people, and what other surprises may be in his past.

He’s a practicing Catholic but enjoys the sermons of a Southern Baptist-affiliated church, his office said, adding he has long crossed into both faiths.

The revelation that Rubio, 40, was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints drew quick comparisons to another Mormon, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. In just over a year in office, Rubio has vaulted to the top of the shortlist of running mates.

Pundits questioned whether two Mormons can share a ticket, overlooking that Rubio belonged to the faith for only a few years as a child. Still, the never-before-told history caused a stir. Rubio’s “Mormon surprise,” read a banner on CNN.

The Mormon roots were teased Thursday morning by the publisher of Rubio’s forthcoming memoir, An American Son, while a more detailed telling came from the news website BuzzFeed.

Rubio’s family was introduced to Mormonism when they moved to Las Vegas in the late 1970s, where relatives were already living and involved in the church, BuzzFeed reported.

“It wasn’t long before the Rubios were sitting down with Mormon missionaries, reading the Book of Mormon and preparing for baptism,” the story read.

The story, quoting Rubio’s cousin, said Rubio’s father, Mario, did not join because the church’s strict moral code clashed with his work as a bartender.

The family left the Mormon church by the time Rubio was 12, according to Rubio’s office, and he received First Communion in the Catholic Church a year later. After returning to Miami, Rubio was confirmed, and he was married in the church.

But as he got older, Rubio started to attend Christ Fellowship in Miami, a church affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. Though he had substantial debt, due to mortgages and student loans, Rubio gave about $50,000 to the church over a period of years last decade. He also gave to the Catholic Church, his office said.

In the 2000 Florida House Clerk’s Manual, Rubio described himself as Catholic. Two years later he listed himself as Baptist, then two years after that, he identified himself as Catholic.

“Around 2005 Marco began to return to his Catholic roots,” according to a time line provided by the senator’s office, which added, “He enjoys the sermons and the excellent children’s ministry at Christ Fellowship, and still attends often.”

In Washington, Rubio has said he attends daily Mass.

The dual nature — is he Catholic or Protestant? — has caught the eye of observers.

“Is Marco Rubio talking out of both sides, the better to court the Catholic and the evangelical votes?” Eric Giunta, a Catholic columnist for the online publication Renew America, wrote after the November 2010 election that catapulted Rubio onto the national stage as a U.S. senator.