Area communities to observe Memorial Day

From Staff Reports

May 23, 2012 4:10PM

• Reprints

Volunteers Dolores Koon, left, of Elgin, Ill., and Cathy Story, right, of Sleepy Hollow, Ill., place flags on the graves of veterans at River Valley Memorial Gardens in West Dundee, Ill., on Friday, May 27, 2011. | Andrew A. Nelles~For Sun-Times Media |

Updated: May 23, 2012 4:10PM

Monday is Memorial Day — the national holiday dedicated to the memory of those who died in military service to America and for defending the cause of freedom around the world.

Area communities will observe the occasion with a variety of solemn ceremonies beginning Friday with the placing of flags at River Valley Memorial Gardens in West Dundee.

In addition to the pageantry and ceremonies, there also will be the 35th annual Fox Trot through downtown Elgin — this time on a new day: Saturday. Here is a listing of the weekend highlights:

Elgin

The Elgin Patriotic Memorial Association, in cooperation with the city of Elgin, will sponsor a variety of programs for Memorial Day on Monday. The schedule is:

8:45 a.m., Mount Hope Cemetery — At Mount Hope Cemetery, 1001 Villa St., there will be a Catholic Mass along with a combined color guard, rifle salute and the playing of “Taps.”

9:15 a.m., Lakewood Memorial Park — A service to honor those buried at Lakewood Memorial Park, located at 30W730 Route 20, will be held at the cemetery’s Garden of Honor and include a combined color guard. The observance will conclude with a rifle salute and the playing of “Taps.”

9:45 a.m., Veterans Memorial Park — A program to honor those who lost their lives at sea will include an address by former Navy fighter pilot and retired commercial pilot Dale Dopkins. The program will include the Elgin Choral Union and conclude with the strewing of flowers into the Fox River, a rifle salute and the playing of “Taps.” The Veterans Memorial Park is located adjacent to the Gail Borden Public Library at 270 N. Grove Ave.

11 a.m., Bluff City Cemetery — 945 Bluff City Blvd. — An Elgin tradition since 1868, this year’s program will be dedicated to all returning veterans and recognize the 180th anniversary of General Winfield Scott’s march through the area during the time of the Blackhawk War. Special tribute will be paid to two soldiers from that conflict who are buried near the Fox River in the Jon Duerr Forest Preserve south of the city.

The program will feature an address by Elgin historian Bill Briska and music by the Elgin Choral Union and the Larkin High School band. Local students will continue the long-held tradition of reading Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and General John Logan’s Orders, which established Memorial Day.

Officials say the most solemn moment of the morning will be the laying of organizational wreaths at the Grand Army of the Republic memorial — an observance akin to the laying of the wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Washington, D.C.

Activities will conclude with the roll call of deceased veterans, a rifle salute and the playing of “Taps.”

Following the program, Civil War historian Ken Gough will be on hand to help anyone desiring to know more about any of the Civil War-era graves in the cemetery.

Again this year: A free shuttle bus will pick up riders at the main gate and east gate before and after the service for transportation to and from the ceremony area.

Residents are encouraged to visit local cemeteries during the Memorial Day period. At Bluff City Cemetery, more than 500 flags honoring local veterans line the streets as part of the award winning “Avenue of Flags.” There are also more than 2,500 smaller flags flying over veterans’ graves placed by local volunteers as part of the “Adopt a Cemetery” program.

For further information and directions, visit www.elginmemorialday.org.

East, West Dundee

The 2012 Memorial Day Parade will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday in East and West Dundee. The parade route will begin at Immanuel Lutheran Church along Route 72 and proceed into West Dundee to end at Grafelman Park. Anyone interested in participating in the parade is asked to call Ken Andresen from the VFW at 847-649-8233. Appreciation is expressed to all those involved at the VFW Post 2298 for their continued support of this annual parade.

West Dundee

There will be a Memorial Day service at 11:30 a.m. Monday at River Valley Memorial Gardens, Route 31 in West Dundee (just north of Alexander’s Restaurant).

The schedule includes:

Spiritual address will be given by the Rev. Aaron James of First Congregational Church of West Dundee.

Dundee Tri-Cities VFW Post 2298 and Auxiliary will participate in this half-hour service honoring more than 964 veterans buried here at River Valley Memorial Gardens.

Soloist is Kathy Clifford.

Lt. Col. Ernest Gross (retired), a volunteer bugler with Bugles Across America, will participate with the National Anthem and “Taps.”

Josh Cunningham, bagpiper with the Dundee Marching Scotts-Piper Band, will perform.

Note: Flag placement on 964 veteran graves will take place beginning at 9 a.m. Friday at River Valley Memorial Gardens by cemetery staff and volunteers.

St. Charles

Official ceremonies and a parade will take place Monoday on Memorial Day. Events include participation in demonstrating respect and love for the nation to Gold Star Families (those who have lost a family member serving our country), veterans still living, and to families and friends is an appropriate way to honor those who offered and given their lives. All veterans and residents are welcome to participate in several activities planned in St. Charles:

Flag Raising — 6 a.m.: at Baker Community Center, 101 S. Second St.

Cemetery ceremonies — 6:30 a.m.: Boy Scouts from Troop 1 will place flags on the gravesites of our veterans at each of the cemeteries in St. Charles. The cemetery ceremonies also include an honor guard, firing squad and posting of colors. The cemetery ceremonies will begin at the

South Cemetery (east side of 7th Ave., north of Madison), then continue on to the

North Cemetery (west side of Route 25/5th Ave, north of Johnor Avenue), and then conclude at the

Union Cemetery (east side of Route 25/5th Ave., north of Stonehedge Road).

Parade — 10 a.m.: The parade steps off at 6th Street and Main Street, and continues to Riverside Avenue.

Memorial ceremony event — 10:30 a.m.: A special memorial ceremony at the Freedom Shrine will immediately follow the parade. It will take place along the river, west of the St. Charles Police Department, 211 N. Riverside Ave. In the case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held inside St. Charles Fire Station 1, at 112 N. Riverside Ave.

For more information, call Mark Powell, VFW officer, at 630-587-6444. Also, donations to support Memorial Day activities can be made out to VFW Post 5036 and sent to Mark Powell, 202 E. Main St., St. Charles, IL 60174.

Elgin Fox Trot

Each year, Memorial Day Weekend represents the kick-off to summer, celebrating with a weekend of activities for the whole family. This year marks the 35th Anniversary year of the Elgin Valley Fox Trot, a milestone that will be celebrated with special after-party activities and new opportunities for the entire community to be involved, plus several opportunities to commemorate Memorial Day at patriotic ceremonies and services on Memorial Day.

This year, the race has been moved to Saturday. The 10-mile race kicks off at 7:30 a.m., and the 5K race begins at 7:40 a.m. The start/finish line is in the Center City area, at Kimball Street and Douglas Avenue. Maps of the race route are available on the Fox Trot website: www.cityofelgin.org/foxtrot.

For those who are not interested in running, “Walk for a Cause” invites everyone who is able to join them in walking this two-mile fun walk and support any of the 18 participating charities. The two-mile fun walk kicks off at 7:50 a.m. at the start/finish Line at Kimball and Douglas.

Registration for all races is available the day of the race in The Centre Fieldhouse, from 6 a.m. to 7:15 a.m. A complete list of participating charities is located on the website www.cityofelgin.org/foxtrot.

For race enthusiasts and family members waiting at the start/finish line, there will be a festival area that includes live music, kids activities, food and a beer tent.

Area communities to observe Memorial Day

From Staff Reports

May 23, 2012 4:10PM

• Reprints

Volunteers Dolores Koon, left, of Elgin, Ill., and Cathy Story, right, of Sleepy Hollow, Ill., place flags on the graves of veterans at River Valley Memorial Gardens in West Dundee, Ill., on Friday, May 27, 2011. | Andrew A. Nelles~For Sun-Times Media |

Updated: May 23, 2012 4:10PM

Monday is Memorial Day — the national holiday dedicated to the memory of those who died in military service to America and for defending the cause of freedom around the world.

Area communities will observe the occasion with a variety of solemn ceremonies beginning Friday with the placing of flags at River Valley Memorial Gardens in West Dundee.

In addition to the pageantry and ceremonies, there also will be the 35th annual Fox Trot through downtown Elgin — this time on a new day: Saturday. Here is a listing of the weekend highlights:

Elgin

The Elgin Patriotic Memorial Association, in cooperation with the city of Elgin, will sponsor a variety of programs for Memorial Day on Monday. The schedule is:

8:45 a.m., Mount Hope Cemetery — At Mount Hope Cemetery, 1001 Villa St., there will be a Catholic Mass along with a combined color guard, rifle salute and the playing of “Taps.”

9:15 a.m., Lakewood Memorial Park — A service to honor those buried at Lakewood Memorial Park, located at 30W730 Route 20, will be held at the cemetery’s Garden of Honor and include a combined color guard. The observance will conclude with a rifle salute and the playing of “Taps.”

9:45 a.m., Veterans Memorial Park — A program to honor those who lost their lives at sea will include an address by former Navy fighter pilot and retired commercial pilot Dale Dopkins. The program will include the Elgin Choral Union and conclude with the strewing of flowers into the Fox River, a rifle salute and the playing of “Taps.” The Veterans Memorial Park is located adjacent to the Gail Borden Public Library at 270 N. Grove Ave.

11 a.m., Bluff City Cemetery — 945 Bluff City Blvd. — An Elgin tradition since 1868, this year’s program will be dedicated to all returning veterans and recognize the 180th anniversary of General Winfield Scott’s march through the area during the time of the Blackhawk War. Special tribute will be paid to two soldiers from that conflict who are buried near the Fox River in the Jon Duerr Forest Preserve south of the city.

The program will feature an address by Elgin historian Bill Briska and music by the Elgin Choral Union and the Larkin High School band. Local students will continue the long-held tradition of reading Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and General John Logan’s Orders, which established Memorial Day.

Officials say the most solemn moment of the morning will be the laying of organizational wreaths at the Grand Army of the Republic memorial — an observance akin to the laying of the wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Washington, D.C.

Activities will conclude with the roll call of deceased veterans, a rifle salute and the playing of “Taps.”

Following the program, Civil War historian Ken Gough will be on hand to help anyone desiring to know more about any of the Civil War-era graves in the cemetery.

Again this year: A free shuttle bus will pick up riders at the main gate and east gate before and after the service for transportation to and from the ceremony area.

Residents are encouraged to visit local cemeteries during the Memorial Day period. At Bluff City Cemetery, more than 500 flags honoring local veterans line the streets as part of the award winning “Avenue of Flags.” There are also more than 2,500 smaller flags flying over veterans’ graves placed by local volunteers as part of the “Adopt a Cemetery” program.

For further information and directions, visit www.elginmemorialday.org.

East, West Dundee

The 2012 Memorial Day Parade will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday in East and West Dundee. The parade route will begin at Immanuel Lutheran Church along Route 72 and proceed into West Dundee to end at Grafelman Park. Anyone interested in participating in the parade is asked to call Ken Andresen from the VFW at 847-649-8233. Appreciation is expressed to all those involved at the VFW Post 2298 for their continued support of this annual parade.

West Dundee

There will be a Memorial Day service at 11:30 a.m. Monday at River Valley Memorial Gardens, Route 31 in West Dundee (just north of Alexander’s Restaurant).

The schedule includes:

Spiritual address will be given by the Rev. Aaron James of First Congregational Church of West Dundee.

Dundee Tri-Cities VFW Post 2298 and Auxiliary will participate in this half-hour service honoring more than 964 veterans buried here at River Valley Memorial Gardens.

Soloist is Kathy Clifford.

Lt. Col. Ernest Gross (retired), a volunteer bugler with Bugles Across America, will participate with the National Anthem and “Taps.”

Josh Cunningham, bagpiper with the Dundee Marching Scotts-Piper Band, will perform.

Note: Flag placement on 964 veteran graves will take place beginning at 9 a.m. Friday at River Valley Memorial Gardens by cemetery staff and volunteers.

St. Charles

Official ceremonies and a parade will take place Monoday on Memorial Day. Events include participation in demonstrating respect and love for the nation to Gold Star Families (those who have lost a family member serving our country), veterans still living, and to families and friends is an appropriate way to honor those who offered and given their lives. All veterans and residents are welcome to participate in several activities planned in St. Charles:

Flag Raising — 6 a.m.: at Baker Community Center, 101 S. Second St.

Cemetery ceremonies — 6:30 a.m.: Boy Scouts from Troop 1 will place flags on the gravesites of our veterans at each of the cemeteries in St. Charles. The cemetery ceremonies also include an honor guard, firing squad and posting of colors. The cemetery ceremonies will begin at the

South Cemetery (east side of 7th Ave., north of Madison), then continue on to the

North Cemetery (west side of Route 25/5th Ave, north of Johnor Avenue), and then conclude at the

Union Cemetery (east side of Route 25/5th Ave., north of Stonehedge Road).

Parade — 10 a.m.: The parade steps off at 6th Street and Main Street, and continues to Riverside Avenue.

Memorial ceremony event — 10:30 a.m.: A special memorial ceremony at the Freedom Shrine will immediately follow the parade. It will take place along the river, west of the St. Charles Police Department, 211 N. Riverside Ave. In the case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held inside St. Charles Fire Station 1, at 112 N. Riverside Ave.

For more information, call Mark Powell, VFW officer, at 630-587-6444. Also, donations to support Memorial Day activities can be made out to VFW Post 5036 and sent to Mark Powell, 202 E. Main St., St. Charles, IL 60174.

Elgin Fox Trot

Each year, Memorial Day Weekend represents the kick-off to summer, celebrating with a weekend of activities for the whole family. This year marks the 35th Anniversary year of the Elgin Valley Fox Trot, a milestone that will be celebrated with special after-party activities and new opportunities for the entire community to be involved, plus several opportunities to commemorate Memorial Day at patriotic ceremonies and services on Memorial Day.

This year, the race has been moved to Saturday. The 10-mile race kicks off at 7:30 a.m., and the 5K race begins at 7:40 a.m. The start/finish line is in the Center City area, at Kimball Street and Douglas Avenue. Maps of the race route are available on the Fox Trot website: www.cityofelgin.org/foxtrot.

For those who are not interested in running, “Walk for a Cause” invites everyone who is able to join them in walking this two-mile fun walk and support any of the 18 participating charities. The two-mile fun walk kicks off at 7:50 a.m. at the start/finish Line at Kimball and Douglas.

Registration for all races is available the day of the race in The Centre Fieldhouse, from 6 a.m. to 7:15 a.m. A complete list of participating charities is located on the website www.cityofelgin.org/foxtrot.

For race enthusiasts and family members waiting at the start/finish line, there will be a festival area that includes live music, kids activities, food and a beer tent.

Prayer books donated to submarine base

Groton— A Catholic priest who provides services to the Catholic community at the Naval Submarine Base gave the chaplain’s office at the base 12 donated prayer books for the lay leaders serving on submarines.

“This will provide the lay leaders with the materials to be able to pray in union with the entire Catholic community on Sundays during their deployments,” said Rev. Tom Hoar, who celebrates Catholic Mass on Sundays and holy days at the submarine base.

The Father Murphy Council of the Knights of Columbus of Mystic gave the books to Hoar. Lay leaders on board a submarine provide religious services, in the absence of a chaplain, for their particular faith group.

“This gift is a wonderful demonstration of giving and speaks to the strong bonds between our Navy and local community,” said Lt. Shaun Kennedy, Naval Submarine Support Center New London. “It also demonstrates their ongoing support for the spiritual lives and needs of the submariners during their deployments.”

As a Chaplain, Must I Always Publicly Pray in Jesus’ Name?

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Dear Dr. Moore,

I’m a committed evangelical Christian, and also a chaplain with responsibility for people from all sorts of religious backgrounds. I am called on to pray at many functions, with mixed audiences. Some over me are pressuring me not to end my prayers “in Jesus’ name” but to instead pray more inclusively to God, generally. I can pray “in Your name” and that seems to solve the problem. I mean Jesus, of course, but it wouldn’t be as patently offensive and it would enable me to minister here longer and more effectively. Is that ethical?

A Confused Chaplain

Dear Chaplain,

You’re assuming this quandary is about language. It’s not. Praying in Jesus’ name isn’t simply a cultural addendum at the end of a request, something evangelicals do in the same way we repeat phrases like “just” and “lead, guide, and direct us.” We pray in Jesus’ name because Jesus commanded us to do so (Jn. 14:13). We pray in Jesus’ name because we believe that “there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5). Thus, we have no access to God apart from our being hidden in Christ.

When you pray publicly, you are not there to proselytize or to do apologetic battle against other religions. But that’s not what praying in Jesus’ name is. If you are asked to pray, you can only pray as a Christian. In so doing, you are actually, ironically enough, protecting the rights of other religions and their chaplains. I frankly don’t want a Muslim chaplain forced by the government to pray like a Episcopalian.

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As for the old “in Your name” wink and nod, I would counsel you against that. Our ancient Christian forebears, under persecution in Rome, could have pinched the incense and proclaimed “Caesar is lord” while assuring themselves privately that they meant the “eternal Caesar” of Jesus of Nazareth. After all, wouldn’t they be of more service to Jesus alive and preaching than thrown to the lions? And what is a momentary acknowledgement of a civic faith, especially when one can be as specific as one wants in private?

Well, behind all those rationalizations hung a warning: “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 10:32-33).

Christian chaplains have been ordained by their churches, and offered to the military, to be Christian chaplains. For them to pray as a civil-religion cleric is for them to enlist their services in another faith. You wear the Cross, and must speak it and not put it under the bushel of a more inclusive language of civil faith.

Chaplains don’t serve chiefly a civic function. They are there, first of all, to guarantee the First Amendment liberties of military and other personnel to the free exercise of religion. If the government decides that the only chaplains who can serve are those willing to pray like Unitarians in public, one wonders what would remain of the purpose of chaplaincy at all.

From the government’s point of view, it might not be that much to ask a chaplain to pray a sensitive prayer to a generic God. Perhaps it wouldn’t seem too much to ask a Catholic soldier to serve himself and his Protestant friends Mass since “bread is bread,” and a Muslim chaplain to lead people in the Rosary because “it’s just a prayer.”

But it is too much to ask. A Muslim who would speak of Mary as the Mother of God rejects the Koran, and he’s just not a Muslim anymore. A Catholic Mass without a priest is just not a Catholic Mass. And a prayer to a “God” who is not clearly the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ is not a Christian prayer.

When Caesar asks for service and for taxes and for honor, we should render such things gladly. Prayers don’t belong to Caesar, though, and they shouldn’t be brought before him for editorial submission. We owe Caesar submission and loyalty in almost everything (Rom. 13), almost.

But when Caesar objects to the mention of Jesus in a Christian’s prayers, we must have the conviction to say, “Sir, I wasn’t talking to you, sir.”

P-Noy meets with INC head

MANILA, Philippines – President Aquino visited the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC)’s central office in Quezon City yesterday to meet with the religious group’s leader and “touch base” with its followers, Malacañang said.

Aquino’s meeting with INC leader Eduardo Manalo took place on the eve of the appearance of Chief Justice Renato Corona before the Senate impeachment court, but Malacañang rejected insinuations that the meeting had anything to do with the impeachment trial.

“The purpose of the President is to touch base with his supporters and you don’t need to get the support right now,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said.

The INC leadership is reportedly lobbying for the acquittal of Corona, whose lead counsel former justice Serafin Cuevas is a member of the sect.

“Unfortunately, the schedule of the President and the schedule of Ka Eduardo (Manalo) could not jibe. It was only this Monday or today that they were able to find a common schedule,” Lacierda said. “The unfortunate thing was it was only today that they were able to find a common schedule.”

Lacierda described Aquino’s meeting with the INC leader as “warm.”

Aquino had personally called for the impeachment of Corona in December 2011.

The last time Aquino went to the INC headquarters was before the May 2010 presidential elections when he was still a senator.

In his first visit, he was accompanied by his sisters Ballsy Cruz and popular TV talk show host Kris Aquino.

“As you know, the INC supported the President during his senatorial campaign and during also his presidential campaign,” Lacierda recalled.

The spokesman admitted the impeachment trial was discussed, primarily because it was among the “burning issues of the day.”

“He explained to Ka Eduardo the reasons for the impeachment – that this is part of his reform agenda.

“The President only mentioned the reason why there was an impeachment against Chief Justice Corona and he explained his reasons,” he said.

Lacierda likewise downplayed the implication of Aquino’s visit to the INC central office on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, when he could have received the religious leader at Malacañang.

“I asked that and the President mentioned it’s always a practice of not only this President but also the other presidents, to visit the head of Iglesia ni Cristo in Central. This is nothing new,” he said.

Aside from the impeachment, the other topic discussed, according to Lacierda, was the government’s skills enhancement program being implemented through the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA) headed by Joel Villanueva, a son of evangelist Bro. Eddie Villanueva of the Jesus is Lord movement, and an administration senatorial candidate in 2013.

Lacierda denied insinuations Aquino was seeking INC’s support for Villanueva.

“It was only a discussion of what the government has been doing. But there’s certainly no way something was discussed about Villanueva,” he said.

“There are certain matters that we do not list out in the schedule,” he said, dismissing accusations that the administration had not been transparent in its meeting with the INC.

Not bothered

Lacierda also said he doesn’t consider Roman Catholic priests’ celebration of Masses for Corona a show of support from the Church leadership for the embattled Chief Justice.

“We have no response to that. This is a free country. There’s a separation between Church and State. So let them – if he wants to celebrate Mass for the Chief Justice, by all means. We have no response to that. And obviously, only a Catholic priest can celebrate a Mass, a Catholic Mass. So there’s nothing we can do about it,” he said.

He also said they were not aware of any “official stand of the CBCP” on Corona’s impeachment, referring to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

“They have not released any statement. So we just rely on statements. We don’t rely on individual bishops. As far as we know, they have not published in their website any official position taken by the CBCP,” he said.

Lacierda said they haven’t heard anything from CBCP president Jose Palma “other than those short interviews.”

“But as an official position, we have not seen any official position taken by the CBCP. Any organization can make a position. Right now, it is in the hands of the senator-judges. So let’s wait for the testimony of Chief Justice Corona,” Lacierda said.  

Meeting defended

For the prosecution panel in Corona’s impeachment trial, there was nothing wrong with President Aquino meeting with INC leaders.

“It’s not uncommon for presidents to solicit the support of the influential group even harking back to the 1970s,” Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara said.

House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II also defended President Aquino’s visit to the INC.

“There’s nothing wrong about it. He just presented his sentiments on the impeachment of the Chief Justice and his campaign for reforms, which sentiments are known to the public,” he told reporters.

He said the President’s visit may be compared to Aquino’s past meetings with Catholic bishops at the height of debates on the controversial Reproductive Health bill.

“If there are groups big or small that are holding contrary views, it is not unusual for us politicians to approach them to present to them our side. To ignore them would mean insensitivity on our part,” he said.

“In the case of the Chief Justice, whether there is lobbying or not from any group, we are confident that the strength of the evidence we have presented against him would get him convicted,” Gonzales stressed.

But Zambales Rep. Milagros Magsaysay said Aquino’s visit only showed his insecurity.

“Why is he going out of his way to explain Chief Justice Renato Corona’s impeachment when he should have nothing to do with it in the first place?” Magsaysay said. “He looks so defensive especially when a so-called congressional source said the INC was influencing senator-judges to acquit the Chief Justice.”

No INC meeting

Meanwhile, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile belied reports that he met with any representative of the INC.

“I quarantined myself,” Enrile told reporters.

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, for his part, said “lobbying for or against any issue is normal.”

“Whether it is happening I don’t know. I’m one of those who can say nobody had approached me to lobby then and now,” Sotto said.

“That’s part of the normal interaction between politicians and constituents. All sectors whether you are Iglesia or civilian or non-sectarian can talk to both sides,” Sen. Edgardo Angara said.

United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) secretary-general and Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco also denied that the INC was trying to influence senator-judges identified with UNA.

“As the secretary-general of UNA, I would like to state that there is no truth to that rumor. No emissaries from the INC have sent feelers to senator-judges belonging to UNA for the purpose of pleading for the Chief Justice,” Tiangco said in a statement.

“It is disappointing to read of an ‘anonymous’ source trying to besmirch the reputation of both INC and UNA,” he said. “This congressional source insists he remain anonymous while he attempts to discredit UNA and debase the INC.” – With Christina Mendez, Jess Diaz, Paolo Romero, Jose Rodel Clapano

Timeline: Resumption of the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona 

Day 35 (May 7) The impeachment court allows the defense panel to subpoena Justice Secretary Leila de Lima as “hostile” witness, but two defense witnesses are barred from testifying since their testimonies bore no relevance to the case.

Day 36 (May 8) Chief Justice Renato Corona promises to testify before the Senate impeachment court based on the documents presented to the Office of the Ombudsman on his alleged $10-million bank deposits.

Day 37 (May 14) Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales presents an Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) report, which reveals Corona allegedly had 82 accounts with a “transactional balance” amounting to $10 million, spread out over five banks and not declared in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.

Day 38 (May 15) Ombudsman Morales continues her testimony, saying there were “significant” transactions on Corona’s alleged dollar accounts during the 2004 and 2007 election periods and before the impeachment trial began.

Day 39 (May 16) The defense panel presents three complainants who filed charges against Corona before the Ombudsman in an attempt to show that their claims were baseless. Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile compels Kaya Natin! Movement lead convenor Harvey Keh to explain why he should not be cited for contempt for handing over to his office confidential records of Corona’s alleged dollar accounts.

Day 40 (May 22) Corona testifies before the impeachment court. – Charmie Joy Pagulong, STAR Research

A Tribute to Father Gerry Courell

A Tribute to Father Gerry Courell

Father Gerry Courell passed away early on Sunday morning.  AboutMyArea has spoken with one of his great friends, and Chairman of the Governors of St Winefride’s Catholic Primary School, Bernie Phelan.  This is his tribute to a great man.

Father Courell with the U11 team who played at Wembley in
2009.

Father Gerry Courell was ordained over forty years ago and arrived in Neston some 15 years later to become Parish Priest at St Winefride’s RC Church. He celebrated his jubilee with us.

He was a man of the greatest integrity and humanity, forging close ties with all branches of the Christian church. One of his great passions was football, and his role as Chaplain of Tranmere Rovers Football Club was one he enjoyed hugely. He had many friends among both the staff and players, particularly looking after the welfare of players who came over from Ireland.

When he came to St Winefride’s he completely changed the concept of the role of Parish Priest. He was loved by the entire congregation as a humorous and non-judgemental man – one of the best men I have ever met and quintessentially good.

Father Courell knew every parishioner by name and saw them all through both good times and bad. A lot of people in the Parish owe him a great debt for the help and support given in troubled times.

At St Winefride’s Primary School he knew every child by name, recognised them all – I don’t know how he did it, but he did. He particularly loved the sporting achievements at the school, and none more so than the team of Under 11s who travelled to play at Wembley in 2009. It has been suggested that a trophy in his name be inaugurated to recognise the most improved pupil in sport each year.

Father Courell pictured on Ladies Day, 2010. Photo by
Linda Pelling.

Father Courell oversaw the renovations to St Winefride’s Church, personally. He dealt with all agencies, and when the time came to celebrate the 150th anniversary and the completion of the works, he was joined by people from all walks of life. During the renovations, mass was held at the Parish Church of St Mary St Helen’s in the town centre – the first time a Catholic mass had been held there since the Reformation. It was further proof of the kind of connections he made.

Father Courell was a wonderful communicator and preacher, his words often laced with great humour. Before Mass he would stop and talk to everyone, remembering their names, their families and their recent highs and lows. That was the quality that made him stand out.

He was also remarkable for the sheer simplicity with which he lived his life, always at peace with himself and he transmitted that to the congregation. He would say that the Church and Parish were his home, the congregation his family.

His presence was so significant within the church, the school and the community. One parishioner summed it up on Sunday morning, saying “It’s just empty without him.”

Father Courell suffered from a heart condition that caused him to be hospitalised on Easter Sunday. An underlying lung condition was discovered, from which, ultimately, he died, passing away peacefully in the early hours of Sunday 19th May. I was privileged to have the chance to speak to him shortly before, and it is something I will remember for the rest of my life.

If you were to ask me to define ‘A Good Man’ – I would answer simply, Father Gerry Courell.

Bernie Phelan
Chairman of the Governors, St Winefride’s Catholic Primary School.

On Friday 25th May at 9.10am there will be a special Mass in memory of Father Courell in the school hall. Other arrangements have yet to be announced, but we will endeavour to keep the community updated as soon as details emerge.      

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March Watch: A roundup of Sunday events

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Here’s what’s on tap for NATO-related protests and events on Sunday, the official first day of the summit. (The listing is compiled by the city’s security liaison firm, Hillard Heintze.)

• Sunday 9 a.m.: “Bust Up NATO” gathering. Corner of Michigan Avenue and Roosevelt Road.

• Sunday 9-11 a.m.: “Jokes Council Action Coordination” gathering. 615 W. Wellington Ave.

• Sunday 10 a.m.: ”Shadow Summit for Afghani Women’s Rights” gathering. Swissotel, 323 E. Wacker Dr.

• Sunday 10-11 a.m.: “Bless The March” gathering. Corner of Washington Boulevard and Clark Street.

• Sunday 11 a.m.-noon: “Pax Christi Catholic Mass” gathering. Grant Park, corner of Columbus Drive and Congress Parkway, Grant Park.

• Sunday 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: “Queers Opposing NATO” gathering. Grant Park, Petrillo Band Shell.

• Sunday 12-3 p.m.: “Protest the NATO Summit” gathering and march. Petrillo Band Shell, march to McCormick Place.

• Sunday noon: “Anticapitalist Black Bloc” gathering. Petrillo Band Shell.

• Sunday 1-2:30 p.m.: “Amnesty International” rally. Navy Pier.

• Sunday 3-6 p.m.: “Walk a Mile in My Shoes” gathering and march. Group will meet at Parkman School, 255 W. 51st St. , and march to various locations: 155 W. 51st St., 5100 S. State St., 319 E. 51st St., 500 E. 51st St. and 555 E. 51st St.

What do you think?

(Note: Your first name and last initial will appear with your remarks.)

Martha and Fritz Mullenbach, 60th anniversary – Post

Martha and Fritz Mullenbach, of Adams, Minnesota, are celebrating their 60th Wedding Anniversary on Sunday, May 20, 2012.

They were married at St. Johns Catholic Church in Johnsburg, Minnesota, on May 17, 1952.

They will be celebrating with a Catholic Mass at 10:30 a.m. at St. Johns Catholic Church in Johnsburg, Minnesota.

Their children and families will be hosting an open house at St. John’s Hall from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. Please join us to celebrate this special occasion.

Press, family tension in Mary Kennedy death

The family of Mary Kennedy, estranged wife of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has hit out at what it calls “inaccuracies and misrepresentations” in press reports following her death on Wednesday.

MSNBC and the New York Daily News are reporting that her siblings have scheduled a memorial service separate from the wake, Catholic mass and Hyannisport burial being overseen by RFK, Jr.

“While we would naturally prefer to remain private at this very upsetting time, we feel compelled to make this statement because the description of Mary carried by certain news organizations since her passing is wholly inconsistent with the sister we knew and the life she, in fact, lived.”

The press reports have centered on two DUI arrests of Mary Kennedy in the spring and summer of 2010, shortly after her husband filed for divorce.  And news accounts have dwelt on reports that Bedford, N.Y., police were summoned by domestic disturbance reports to the Kennedys’ Bedford, N.Y. estate.

The family — Mary Kennedy was one of seven children — called her an “exceptional mother, sibling and friend to many.”

“Countless people have described her an extraordinary mother, selfless in her desire to help others, and one of the finest people in the world,” the statement added.  “We knew her as all those things, and more.”

Mary Kennedy died of asphyxiation due to hanging.

She and her husband were in the midst of a custody battle over the couple’s four children, aged 11 to 17.  She was the second wife of RFK, Jr., who has two children by his first marriage.

The Daily News reported that two of Mary Kennedy’s sisters were ordered out of the Bedford home by RFK, Jr., and later sought help from local police to retrieve her papers.

The Kennedy family’s historic damage control operation appeared to kick into full gear.  RFK, Jr., in a New York Times interview, talked of his life’s troubles.

“A lot of times I didn’t know how she made it through the day,” he said.  “She was in a lot of agony for a lot of her life.”

Kerry Kennedy, his sister, who had known Mary Kennedy since school days, told the NYT:  “She was fighting, fighting, fighting with every ounce of her being to beat back those demons.”

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is a nationally known environmental lawyer and green celebrity.

He has frequently visited Seattle on the lecture circuit, and to endorse Democratic candidates.  He appeared on Portland last week to speak against proposed use of Washington and Oregon ports to export coal to China.  He has campaigned against clearcutting of ancient forests on the British Columbia coast.

Kennedy has lived much of the time in Los Angeles, and accompanied actress Cheryl Hines to the recent Sundance Film Festival and fundraisers for his Riverkeeper Foundation.

Two of his siblings have died, David Kennedy from a drug overdose, and Michael Kennedy from skiing into a tree while playing football on skis during a winter trip to Colorado.

The Classical Beat: Bach’s brilliant B minor Mass

Johann Sebastian Bach was the ultimate Lutheran, so its somewhat surprising that he wrote a full-length setting of the Roman Catholic Mass. In fact, its one of the most brilliant settings of the Mass ever written. The Spire Chamber Ensemble and the Rebel Baroque Orchestra will present an authentic period performance of the Mass in B minor at 7 Sunday night at Trinity Lutheran Church, 5601 W. 62nd St. in Mission./ppThis masterpiece has not been performed in Kansas City for several years, and I believe this will be the first period performance ever, said Ben Spalding, founder and conductor of the Spire Chamber Ensemble. I selected this piece to close our season because its not only one of the greatest works of history, but a truly modern work with much to teach us today./ppThe music is tricky for the singers and players, but weve assembled an all-star group of musicians who I think will bring the ancient words of the Mass to life. We want to capture humanitys relationship to the divine./ppBach was a devout Lutheran, but he, like many of his fellow Lutheran composers, would sometimes compose a movement or two of the Roman Catholic Mass. The Mass in B minor is unusual coming from a Lutheran composer because its a setting of the complete Mass. /ppBach seems to have written the Mass knowing it would never receive a full public performance in his Lutheran milieu. And, indeed, it was never performed in his lifetime. /ppUnlike most of his compositions, Bachs Mass in B minor was written for purely personal reasons, Spalding said. Its a pillar of Western music and may be my favorite choral work of all time, and I believe Im in good company./ppThe B minor comes at the pinnacle of his compositional output. It has the full range of human expression, from the plea of the opening Kyrie to the joyous outburst of the Gloria to the intimate Agnus Dei to the heart-stopping conclusion of the Dona Nobis Pacem./ppSpalding founded the Spire Chamber Ensemble in 2010 to bring together some of the countrys finest singers for choral concerts in the Kansas City area. Members of Spire sing or have sung with such stellar groups as Chanticleer, Conspirare, Seraphic Fire, the Kansas City Chorale, the Phoenix Chorale, Trinity Wall Street and Octarium./ppFor the B minor Mass, Spire is teaming up with Rebel, whom local audiences know from its performances on the Friends of Chamber Music series. The New York-based group, named after the French Baroque composer Jean-Fry Rebel, is considered one of Americas finest early music ensembles./ppI lived in Philadelphia for a few years, and my wife and I would often travel to Trinity Wall Street Church in New York City, where Rebel would collaborate with the Trinity Wall Street Choir on many outstanding choral masterpieces, Spalding said. One of my goals with Spire was to perform period performance chamber oratorios with the best players I could find, so I made contact with the directors of Rebel, and they enthusiastically agreed to travel to Kansas City again to perform this great work./ppFor tickets, call 913-432-5441 or visit a href =”http://tlcms.org/” target=”_blank”tlcms.org/a. Tickets will also be available at the door. $10 student rush tickets will be available 15 minutes before the performance. /ppspan class=”subhead”Ballet onscreen/span/pp Kansas Citians have another opportunity to see an HD screening of a ballet masterpiece with todays showings of the Royal Ballets production of La Fille Mal Garde. It screens at 1 p.m. at Phoenix Theatres at The Legends, 1841 Village West Parkway in Kansas City, Kan., and at 1:30 p.m. at the Tivoli Cinemas, 4050 Pennsylvania Ave./ppLa Fille Mal Garde has a distinguished history. The great choreographer Jean Dauberval came across an engraving in a Bordeaux shop of a painting by Pierre-Antoine Baudouin. The print depicted a young woman in a barn, teary-eyed, with her dress in disarray, as her mother gives her a stern lecture. In the background, a young man scampers up a ladder into the hay loft. /pp Dauberval was greatly amused by this randy tableau and decided to create a comic ballet based on the scene. /ppFor music, Dauberval used a pastiche of popular French airs (the original manuscript doesnt mention any composers), and the work had its premiere on July 1, 1789, at Grand Thtre de Bordeaux. /ppThe Ballet of the Straw, or There Is Only One Step From Bad to Good, as it was originally called, was an enormous hit, and two years after the premiere, Dauberval changed the title to La Fille Mal Garde (The Girl Who Needs Watching)./pp In 1828, Ferdinand Hrold wrote a new score using some of the original music. The musicians who played at the premiere apparently hated the original music; the original manuscript score is covered with scathing comments. The Hrold version has continued to be performed around the world, becoming the longest running ballet in the repertoire./ppIn 1959, Sir Frederick Ashton created for the Royal Ballet what many balletomanes consider the definitive La Fille Mal Gardee. Ashton wasnt quite satisfied with the music, so he asked the Royal Ballets conductor and composer, John Lanchbery, to rework and reorchestrate Hrolds original score./pp Hrolds charming and tuneful music provided a nice framework, but Lanchbery wrote a few numbers to Ashtons needs. The result of all this collaboration is a ballet that never fails to delight audiences./ppThe Royal Ballets production re-creates Ashtons vision with colorful costumes and sets. This is the perfect work to introduce a young person to the world of ballet, but people of all ages in need of good cheer will thoroughly enjoy it.