Parish History - The Shrine of the Blessed Virgin
1884 picture of the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin - click to view largerThe Shrine of the Blessed Virgin (previously called Rock Spring) is located near the Rosary Walk behind the Main Church. It was built in 1856 after the Apparition of Our Lady of Lourdes in 1854, inspired by that miraculous event. This spot became the destination of several well-attended pilgrimages. On May 14, 1874, the Feast of the Ascension, a pilgrimage was held at White Marsh that was attended by over 3,000 persons from Washington and Baltimore. It was a great event and was well covered in the Catholic and secular press. The Catholic Mirror reported in its issue of May 23, 1874:
"The first noted pilgrimage made in America appears now in that of White Marsh, and it may yet be remarkable in being the forerunner of others more imposing, more numerous, although not more animated by zeal and piety."
Faith in God and the reverence for the Blessed Virgin were rewarded at the Shrine at White Marsh as at the Shrine at Lourdes. A leaflet prepared under the direction of Father Wiget in 1874 reads:
"The scenery around, so picturesque, the rocks, the gushing waters, must remind the pious pilgrim of the hallowed place and miraculous waters of Lourdes. There (White Marsh Shrine) many a prayer has been said by pious country people around, and tears of devotion have shown the deep feeling of visitors from the neighboring cities. Many a grace has there been obtained through the intercession of the Queen of Heaven, and even cures, singular, certainly, if not miraculous, have been wrought by the use of the waters of this spring, substituting, as it were, the waters of the Rock Springs for those of Lourdes."
The Catholic Review described the procession to the Shrine:
The pilgrims formed in procession on the top of the hill and were preceded by numerous acolytes and the celebrant. Father Wiget moved in pious company down the slope of the hill to the plain below. As the solemn train winded its way down the narrow land, the sweet perfume of the incense, ascending the hill like the vapors of the oracle at the Delphic cleft, the beautiful green banners and the starry flag and Papal flag fluttering in the breeze, the inspiring strains of music from the different bands falling with rapturous melody upon the ear, proved clearly that something more than ordinary was about to be witnessed. The sky overhead was beautiful and clear, and the azure canopy of heaven, with its vaulted arches, and the beautiful imagery of the earth, rendered still more lovely on this bright May day, combined to impress the happy pilgrims that her humble shrine at the spring would be pleasing to her, and that as such it would be accepted.
When the procession arrived at the Shrine, Rev. Father Wiget addressed the pilgrims in a few words calling for his text the words of Scripture, "All nations shall call me blessed." He said, "All Christian nations have forever called her Blessed. She showers down her blessings on mankind in many ways. Who has not heard of the wonderful apparition of the Virgin at Lourdes, where thousands go to drink the waters she has blessed? Is she not the same Blessed Mother here as there? If God will give us one place like that of Lourdes in America, shall we not accept it, and thank Him for it with all the graces following it? What a beautiful sight to see the vast multitude in this humble plain. May it be to all a day of true devotion." After the conclusion of these remarks the pilgrims all knelt around the Shrine where the gathering recited the Litany of the Blessed Virgin. At this solemn moment when their souls were blended in the most holy union of prayer, there was but one feeling amongst them and that feeling was of the most intense and sublime devotion. When the Litany was finished, the pilgrims arose and chanted the beautiful hymn "The Sovereign Lord We Grateful Praise" which was sung with so much unction that it impressed all with the idea of supereminent excellence of the grand old Catholic faith, besides affording an index to the sincerity of their belief in prayers to the Mother of God.
In 1874 Father Maguire of St. Aloysius Church, Washington, preached an eloquent and powerful sermon at Rock Spring. "We are all pilgrims here, winding our way to Heaven," was Father Maguire's explanation for the success of the pilgrimage. It was likewise the reason for the European pilgrimages that were documented in the history of the Church. Recounting that they were about to have a grand one to Rome, where the pilgrims would lay their grateful and sympathetic offerings before the Holy Father, Pius IX, and also to Lourdes, Father Maguire asked, "Why then should not Catholics honor this humble shrine of the Blessed Virgin: Was not America dear to her?" He reminded those assembled that "the very soil upon which they stood was called Mary's Land." He promised "she would bestow her favors upon those who honored her shrine today."
Restoration of the Shrine - click to view largerFrom Washington and Baltimore people traveled by the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad to Collington, a depot located some two or three miles from White Marsh. From Collington, the various Catholic societies formed in procession and marched to the Church.
After early years of notoriety and use, the Shrine fell into disuse and neglect. In 1957 the OSMA Caravan of the Alhambra searched for the Shrine and began a beautiful restoration. This work was gradually taken up by James Maloney who completed it with the help of the Knights of Columbus and some members of the Caravan. A unique Rosary Walk adjoining the shrine was built almost single handedly by James Maloney and dedicated as Fr. Ganser's Rosary Walk.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Ascension of the Lord Bulletin Note
Weekly Bulletin Article
Ascension of the Lord
05/04/08
Today our parish rejoices with 35 of our young children who for the very first time will receive the Most Blessed Sacrament at the 10 a.m. Sunday Mass. This should give us pause to reflect on the day that we made our First Holy Communion – perhaps many years ago. What joy the soul experienced on that day. What joy the soul experiences each time the precious Body and the precious Blood of the Lord Jesus is taken into our own human frame. This food for the soul enlivens our faith, provides a generous portion of sanctifying grace, makes us one with our Lord and Savior, and nurtures us in a life of holiness.
Our children do not need more toys and games; they do not need more fancy and expensive clothes; they do not need more sports programs; they do not need more money to spend on things. They do need loving parents who will spend time with them; they do need to hear that they are loved; they do need an environment at home where the Catholic Faith and where Catholic values are important; and most of all, they do need to be at Mass EVERY week so that they can receive with us and learn to cherish as we do the Most Holy Eucharist.
I commend the parents of our young people for the good example that you set for them. I commend you for coming to church with your family on a regular basis, especially on those days when it is difficult and challenging to do it. I commend you for teaching your children the importance of the Mass by the manner of dress, by the spirit of prayerful quiet and reverence before – during – and after the Mass, by the example you give in a respectful reception of the Holy Eucharist. You will not regret having done your best to raise your children as good Catholics by attending Mass with them. In this you provide an avenue of grace for them so that they might be more closely united to Jesus Christ and His Most Holy Church.
I offer this reminder to one and all. It remains church practice to genuflect toward the Blessed Sacrament in the Tabernacle before entering your pew prior to the Mass, and upon leaving your pew at the conclusion of the Mass. It remains church practice to abstain from food and drink (with the exception of a medical necessity) prior to the reception of the Blessed Sacrament. It remains church practice to be in the state of grace, that is – free of mortal sin, for the reception of the Eucharist. It has become church practice to offer a slight bow of the head as the person in front of you receives the Blessed Sacrament – this is a gesture of reverence as you step forward to receive. Notice that the priest genuflects prior to his reception of the Eucharist. In all of this, we give evidence to Our Lord that we wish to receive Him with a pure heart and with loving reverence. These gestures are received by Him with loving gratitude for sure.
As we treasure the gift of the Most Holy Eucharist and receive the Lord in this sacrament often, may He continue to bless and protect each of us in the week ahead. May our children learn from us the inestimable value of the Holy Eucharist given to the Church by Our Lord!
Ascension of the Lord
05/04/08
Today our parish rejoices with 35 of our young children who for the very first time will receive the Most Blessed Sacrament at the 10 a.m. Sunday Mass. This should give us pause to reflect on the day that we made our First Holy Communion – perhaps many years ago. What joy the soul experienced on that day. What joy the soul experiences each time the precious Body and the precious Blood of the Lord Jesus is taken into our own human frame. This food for the soul enlivens our faith, provides a generous portion of sanctifying grace, makes us one with our Lord and Savior, and nurtures us in a life of holiness.
Our children do not need more toys and games; they do not need more fancy and expensive clothes; they do not need more sports programs; they do not need more money to spend on things. They do need loving parents who will spend time with them; they do need to hear that they are loved; they do need an environment at home where the Catholic Faith and where Catholic values are important; and most of all, they do need to be at Mass EVERY week so that they can receive with us and learn to cherish as we do the Most Holy Eucharist.
I commend the parents of our young people for the good example that you set for them. I commend you for coming to church with your family on a regular basis, especially on those days when it is difficult and challenging to do it. I commend you for teaching your children the importance of the Mass by the manner of dress, by the spirit of prayerful quiet and reverence before – during – and after the Mass, by the example you give in a respectful reception of the Holy Eucharist. You will not regret having done your best to raise your children as good Catholics by attending Mass with them. In this you provide an avenue of grace for them so that they might be more closely united to Jesus Christ and His Most Holy Church.
I offer this reminder to one and all. It remains church practice to genuflect toward the Blessed Sacrament in the Tabernacle before entering your pew prior to the Mass, and upon leaving your pew at the conclusion of the Mass. It remains church practice to abstain from food and drink (with the exception of a medical necessity) prior to the reception of the Blessed Sacrament. It remains church practice to be in the state of grace, that is – free of mortal sin, for the reception of the Eucharist. It has become church practice to offer a slight bow of the head as the person in front of you receives the Blessed Sacrament – this is a gesture of reverence as you step forward to receive. Notice that the priest genuflects prior to his reception of the Eucharist. In all of this, we give evidence to Our Lord that we wish to receive Him with a pure heart and with loving reverence. These gestures are received by Him with loving gratitude for sure.
As we treasure the gift of the Most Holy Eucharist and receive the Lord in this sacrament often, may He continue to bless and protect each of us in the week ahead. May our children learn from us the inestimable value of the Holy Eucharist given to the Church by Our Lord!
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Yes, You Have To Go…
and Help Others to Get There, Too!
Posted By Mickey Addison On May 6, 2008 @ 12:00 am In Today | No Comments
A recent poll released by Georgetown University reported that Catholics born after 1980 shared most of the values of those born before 1960… similar devotion to the saints and observance of the liturgical seasons were cited as specific examples. Curiously, though, the poll revealed those same younger Catholics reported they didn’t believe they had to attend Holy Mass on Sunday.
Look folks, I love that you’re taking the Church’s moral standards seriously and that you’re pious about the Catholic faith when it comes to the devotions, disciplines, and culture, but here’s the deal: You have to attend Holy Mass each and every Sunday and Holy Days of Obligation on pain of mortal sin.
That’s right, I went there.
It is a mortal sin, a “sin unto death” (1 Jn 5:16), to miss Holy Mass on Sunday and Holy Days without a good reason. Here’s what the Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us about our obligation: …the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor. Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin (#2181). Because of this you are obligated to go to Confession and receive absolution before you receive Holy Communion at the next Mass you attend.
050608_lead_today.jpgSunday Mass is not an option or merely something “good to do,” it is a Commandment from God. He commands us to observe the Sabbath day in (among other places) Deuteronomy: For remember that you too were once slaves in Egypt, and the LORD, your God, brought you from there with his strong hand and outstretched arm. That is why the LORD, your God, has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day (Dt 5:15).
For us 21st century Catholics, our “Egypt” is the slavery to Original Sin we existed in prior to our baptism. Through the mercy of Our Savior we have been brought out of the darkness of death and into the light of God, and we owe Our Lord our lives. Just like He asked the Apostles in the Garden, Jesus Christ asks us to keep watch with Me for one hour (Mt 26:40). The tithe of an hour on Sunday - out of 168 hours in a week — is a small offering to One Who has restored us to life.
People avoid Holy Mass for various reasons. Do these apply to you or to someone you know?
Out of the Habit
We are creatures of routine. Even when we resolve to do something, if it is not a regular part of life, it can be hard to get in the groove with it. If you resolve to go back to Mass, clear your schedule of other obligations for as long as it will take you to get ready and travel and attend. Tell someone else you will be there so the commitment propels you. Use the same reminder system that you use for other important appointments. Have clothes laid out ahead of time. The flesh is weak and full of excuses, so anticipate what they will be and fight them off ahead of time. After several weeks, Mass will become “what you do” on Sunday — it will become a habit and seem as normal as not going now seems.
Hurt Feelings
Sometimes people avoid Mass due to being wounded by persons in the Church, or perhaps they have been disheartened by personal tragedy. In such cases, they will need assistance from their fellow Catholics and (most importantly) from the Holy Spirit. St. Paul wrote about this need in the eighth chapter of his Epistle to the Romans: In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings (Rm 8:26). An open heart and a prayer to the Holy Spirit for the grace to desire prayer is sufficient for God to begin filling up the God-shaped hole in the heart.
But don’t be afraid to ask for help from fellow Catholics. Tell a regular Mass-attending friend that you need someone to go to Mass with or to sit with. Tell a priest, deacon, or mature Catholic friend about your feelings. Your feelings are real. Emotional wounds, painful memories, or disappointments and grief from sad life events - these are real things. You are not required to “put on a happy face” to go to Mass. Take your feelings with you and lay them before our tender the Lord; he understands and wants to heal your heart. And he can.
Helping Others
If you know someone who needs the grace to pray and come to Holy Mass, the rosary is a powerful prayer on his or her behalf. But personal encouragement and practical help may be needed. Don’t simply remind somebody to come to Mass, invite the person to come with you. Bring the person a bulletin and note the Mass times. Offer a ride and maybe lunch afterwards.
Sometimes a fallen-away Catholic would be more comfortable attending a Knights of Columbus meeting, or a parish Bible study, or the parish picnic before taking the step of attending Mass.
The Holy Mass is the center of Christian life because at the Holy Mass we see, hear, and touch Jesus Christ in Word and Sacrament. He is there just as physically as when He walked the Earth with His apostles. In the Eucharist, the “source and summit” of Christian worship, we enter into the nuptial meal of God and Man. It is that sort of intimacy our hearts yearn for every day, and that sort of intimacy we can fulfill in our worship during Holy Mass.
When we attend Holy Mass we can echo St Peter’s words at Mt Tabor when Christ was transfigured: Lord, it is good that we are here. And it is especially good when we have helped someone else to be there, too.
Article printed from Catholic Exchange: http://www.catholicexchange.com
URL to article: http://www.catholicexchange.com/2008/05/06/112376/
Posted By Mickey Addison On May 6, 2008 @ 12:00 am In Today | No Comments
A recent poll released by Georgetown University reported that Catholics born after 1980 shared most of the values of those born before 1960… similar devotion to the saints and observance of the liturgical seasons were cited as specific examples. Curiously, though, the poll revealed those same younger Catholics reported they didn’t believe they had to attend Holy Mass on Sunday.
Look folks, I love that you’re taking the Church’s moral standards seriously and that you’re pious about the Catholic faith when it comes to the devotions, disciplines, and culture, but here’s the deal: You have to attend Holy Mass each and every Sunday and Holy Days of Obligation on pain of mortal sin.
That’s right, I went there.
It is a mortal sin, a “sin unto death” (1 Jn 5:16), to miss Holy Mass on Sunday and Holy Days without a good reason. Here’s what the Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us about our obligation: …the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor. Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin (#2181). Because of this you are obligated to go to Confession and receive absolution before you receive Holy Communion at the next Mass you attend.
050608_lead_today.jpgSunday Mass is not an option or merely something “good to do,” it is a Commandment from God. He commands us to observe the Sabbath day in (among other places) Deuteronomy: For remember that you too were once slaves in Egypt, and the LORD, your God, brought you from there with his strong hand and outstretched arm. That is why the LORD, your God, has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day (Dt 5:15).
For us 21st century Catholics, our “Egypt” is the slavery to Original Sin we existed in prior to our baptism. Through the mercy of Our Savior we have been brought out of the darkness of death and into the light of God, and we owe Our Lord our lives. Just like He asked the Apostles in the Garden, Jesus Christ asks us to keep watch with Me for one hour (Mt 26:40). The tithe of an hour on Sunday - out of 168 hours in a week — is a small offering to One Who has restored us to life.
People avoid Holy Mass for various reasons. Do these apply to you or to someone you know?
Out of the Habit
We are creatures of routine. Even when we resolve to do something, if it is not a regular part of life, it can be hard to get in the groove with it. If you resolve to go back to Mass, clear your schedule of other obligations for as long as it will take you to get ready and travel and attend. Tell someone else you will be there so the commitment propels you. Use the same reminder system that you use for other important appointments. Have clothes laid out ahead of time. The flesh is weak and full of excuses, so anticipate what they will be and fight them off ahead of time. After several weeks, Mass will become “what you do” on Sunday — it will become a habit and seem as normal as not going now seems.
Hurt Feelings
Sometimes people avoid Mass due to being wounded by persons in the Church, or perhaps they have been disheartened by personal tragedy. In such cases, they will need assistance from their fellow Catholics and (most importantly) from the Holy Spirit. St. Paul wrote about this need in the eighth chapter of his Epistle to the Romans: In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings (Rm 8:26). An open heart and a prayer to the Holy Spirit for the grace to desire prayer is sufficient for God to begin filling up the God-shaped hole in the heart.
But don’t be afraid to ask for help from fellow Catholics. Tell a regular Mass-attending friend that you need someone to go to Mass with or to sit with. Tell a priest, deacon, or mature Catholic friend about your feelings. Your feelings are real. Emotional wounds, painful memories, or disappointments and grief from sad life events - these are real things. You are not required to “put on a happy face” to go to Mass. Take your feelings with you and lay them before our tender the Lord; he understands and wants to heal your heart. And he can.
Helping Others
If you know someone who needs the grace to pray and come to Holy Mass, the rosary is a powerful prayer on his or her behalf. But personal encouragement and practical help may be needed. Don’t simply remind somebody to come to Mass, invite the person to come with you. Bring the person a bulletin and note the Mass times. Offer a ride and maybe lunch afterwards.
Sometimes a fallen-away Catholic would be more comfortable attending a Knights of Columbus meeting, or a parish Bible study, or the parish picnic before taking the step of attending Mass.
The Holy Mass is the center of Christian life because at the Holy Mass we see, hear, and touch Jesus Christ in Word and Sacrament. He is there just as physically as when He walked the Earth with His apostles. In the Eucharist, the “source and summit” of Christian worship, we enter into the nuptial meal of God and Man. It is that sort of intimacy our hearts yearn for every day, and that sort of intimacy we can fulfill in our worship during Holy Mass.
When we attend Holy Mass we can echo St Peter’s words at Mt Tabor when Christ was transfigured: Lord, it is good that we are here. And it is especially good when we have helped someone else to be there, too.
Article printed from Catholic Exchange: http://www.catholicexchange.com
URL to article: http://www.catholicexchange.com/2008/05/06/112376/
Monday, May 5, 2008
B16 on Ascension Thursday Sunday
Sent: Monday, May 05, 2008 9:49 AM
Subject: Marian Catholic Family Forum - Is Liberal Catholicism Dead? - B16 Yesterday
["New Pentecost... New Pentecost...."]
The Vatican might've already marked Ascension, but the Pope took the pastoral tack this morning and meditated on it at the noontime Regina Caeli... which today brought him down into the Square as it took on the feel of an "open-air cenacle":
He then urged all to mission in society:
"In a missionary Church, placed before an educational emergency like the one found in Italy today, you who love and serve it should be tireless announcers and prepared, generous educators; in a Church called to trials of faithfulness that are sometimes very demanding, and tempted to adaptation, you must be courageous and prophetic witnesses of the radical nature of the Gospel; in a Church that faces the relativistic, hedonistic, and consumerist mentality on a daily basis, you must be able to make more room for rationality under the banner of a faith that is the friend of intelligence, both in the area of popular mass culture, and in that of more elaborate and reflective research; in a Church that calls [you] to the heroism of sanctity, respond without fear, always trusting in the mercy of God".
http://whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com
Subject: Marian Catholic Family Forum - Is Liberal Catholicism Dead? - B16 Yesterday
["New Pentecost... New Pentecost...."]
The Vatican might've already marked Ascension, but the Pope took the pastoral tack this morning and meditated on it at the noontime Regina Caeli... which today brought him down into the Square as it took on the feel of an "open-air cenacle":
He then urged all to mission in society:
"In a missionary Church, placed before an educational emergency like the one found in Italy today, you who love and serve it should be tireless announcers and prepared, generous educators; in a Church called to trials of faithfulness that are sometimes very demanding, and tempted to adaptation, you must be courageous and prophetic witnesses of the radical nature of the Gospel; in a Church that faces the relativistic, hedonistic, and consumerist mentality on a daily basis, you must be able to make more room for rationality under the banner of a faith that is the friend of intelligence, both in the area of popular mass culture, and in that of more elaborate and reflective research; in a Church that calls [you] to the heroism of sanctity, respond without fear, always trusting in the mercy of God".
http://whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com
Is Liberal Catholicism Dead?
Saturday, May. 03, 2008
Is Liberal Catholicism Dead?
By David Van Biema
He may not have been thinking about it at the time, but Pope Benedict, in the course of his recent U.S. visit may have dealt a knockout blow to the liberal American Catholicism that has challenged Rome since the early 1960s. He did so by speaking frankly and forcefully of his "deep shame" during his meeting with victims of the Church's sex-abuse scandal. By demonstrating that he "gets" this most visceral of issues, the pontiff may have successfully mollified a good many alienated believers — and in the process, neutralized the last great rallying point for what was once a feisty and optimistic style of progressivism.
The liberal rebellion in American Catholicism has dogged Benedict and his predecessors since the Second Vatican Council of 1962-65. "Vatican II," which overhauled much of Catholic teaching and ritual, had a revolutionary impact on the Church as a whole. It enabled people to hear the Mass in their own languages; embraced the principle of religious freedom; rejected anti-semitism; and permitted Catholic scholars to grapple with modernity.
But Vatican II meant even more to a generation of devout but restless young people in the U.S. rather than a course correction, Terrence Tilley, now head of the Fordham University's theology department, wrote recently, his generation perceived "an interruption of history, a divine typhoon that left only the keel and structure of the church unchanged." They discerned in the Council a call to greater church democracy, and an assertion of individual conscience that could stand up to the authority of even the Pope. So, they battled the Vatican�s birth-control ban, its rejection of female priests and insistence on celibacy, and its authoritarianism.
Rome pushed back, and the ensuing struggle defined a movement, whose icons included peace activist Fr. Daniel Berrigan, feminist Sister Joan Chittister, and sociologist/author Fr. Andrew Greeley. Its perspectives were covered in The National Catholic Reporter, Commonweal and America. Martin Sheen held down Hollywood, and the movement even boasted its own cheesy singing act: the St. Louis Jesuits. The reformers' premier membership organization was Call to Action, but their influence was felt at the highest reaches of the American Church, as sympathetic American bishops passed left-leaning statements on nuclear weapons and economic justice. Remarks Tilley, "For a couple of generations, progressivism was an [important] way to be Catholic."
Then he adds, "But I think the end of an era is here."
To some extent, liberal Catholicism has been a victim of its own success. Its positions on sex and gender issues have become commonplace in the American Church, diminishing the distinctiveness of the progressives. More importantly, they failed to transform the main body of the Church: John Paul II, a charismatic conservative, enjoyed the third-longest papacy in church history, and refused to budge on the left's demands; instead, he eventually swept away liberal bishops. The heads at Call to Action grayed, and by the late 1990s, Vatican II progressivism began to look like a self-limited Boomer moment.
Then, the movement received a monstrous reprieve. The priest sex abuse scandal implicated not only the predators, but the superiors who shielded them. John Paul remained mostly silent. A new reform group, Voice of the Faithful, arose; the old anger returned, crystallizing around the battle-cry "They just don't get it."
Benedict's visit, however, changed the dynamic. And that's a problem for progressives. Says Fr. Thomas Reese, a senior fellow at Georgetown University's Woodstock Theological Center whom Benedict famously removed from his previous job as editor of America, "Reform movements need an enemy to organize against. As most bishops have gotten their acts together on sex abuse, they have looked less like the enemy and more like part of the solution. Enthusiasm for reform declined. With the Pope's forthright response, it will decline even more."
Not everyone agrees. Says Voice of the Faithful spokesman John Moynihan, "That's funny; I just came from a meeting of COR (Catholic Organizations for Reform), and there were a lot of people very buoyed up. We can now say to people, 'We have made a difference, and if you stick with us we are going to make a further difference'." Adds Peter Steinfels, a former editor of Commonweal, now a director of Fordham's Religion and Culture Center, "I think there is continuity in terms of the issues and the questions about whether Church structures can be altered." He notes that a social justice group, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, formed just three years ago.
But the familiar progressives-versus-Vatican paradigm seems almost certain to be undone by a looming demographic tsunami. Almost everyone agrees that the "millennial generation," born in 1980 or later, while sharing liberal views on many issues, has no desire to mount the barricades. Notes Reese, "Younger Catholics don't argue with the bishops; they simply do what they want or shop for another church." And Hispanic Catholics, who may be the U.S. majority by 2020, don't see this as their battle. "I'm sure they�re happy that the celebration of the Eucharist is in the vernacular," says Tilley, "but they don't have significant issues connected to Vatican II."
And so, unless Benedict contradicts in Rome what he said in New York, the Church may have reached a tipping point. This is not to say that the (over-hyped) young Catholic Right will swing into lay dominance. Nor will liberal single-issue groups simply evaporate. But if they cohere again, it will be around different defining issues. "It's a new ball game," admits Steinfels. As Tilley wrote recently in Commonweal regarding his fellow theologians, "A new generation has neither the baggage nor the ballast of mine. Theirs is the future. Let's hope they remember the Council as the most important event in twentieth-century Catholicism."
Let's see.
Click to Print Find this article at:
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1737323,00.html
Is Liberal Catholicism Dead?
By David Van Biema
He may not have been thinking about it at the time, but Pope Benedict, in the course of his recent U.S. visit may have dealt a knockout blow to the liberal American Catholicism that has challenged Rome since the early 1960s. He did so by speaking frankly and forcefully of his "deep shame" during his meeting with victims of the Church's sex-abuse scandal. By demonstrating that he "gets" this most visceral of issues, the pontiff may have successfully mollified a good many alienated believers — and in the process, neutralized the last great rallying point for what was once a feisty and optimistic style of progressivism.
The liberal rebellion in American Catholicism has dogged Benedict and his predecessors since the Second Vatican Council of 1962-65. "Vatican II," which overhauled much of Catholic teaching and ritual, had a revolutionary impact on the Church as a whole. It enabled people to hear the Mass in their own languages; embraced the principle of religious freedom; rejected anti-semitism; and permitted Catholic scholars to grapple with modernity.
But Vatican II meant even more to a generation of devout but restless young people in the U.S. rather than a course correction, Terrence Tilley, now head of the Fordham University's theology department, wrote recently, his generation perceived "an interruption of history, a divine typhoon that left only the keel and structure of the church unchanged." They discerned in the Council a call to greater church democracy, and an assertion of individual conscience that could stand up to the authority of even the Pope. So, they battled the Vatican�s birth-control ban, its rejection of female priests and insistence on celibacy, and its authoritarianism.
Rome pushed back, and the ensuing struggle defined a movement, whose icons included peace activist Fr. Daniel Berrigan, feminist Sister Joan Chittister, and sociologist/author Fr. Andrew Greeley. Its perspectives were covered in The National Catholic Reporter, Commonweal and America. Martin Sheen held down Hollywood, and the movement even boasted its own cheesy singing act: the St. Louis Jesuits. The reformers' premier membership organization was Call to Action, but their influence was felt at the highest reaches of the American Church, as sympathetic American bishops passed left-leaning statements on nuclear weapons and economic justice. Remarks Tilley, "For a couple of generations, progressivism was an [important] way to be Catholic."
Then he adds, "But I think the end of an era is here."
To some extent, liberal Catholicism has been a victim of its own success. Its positions on sex and gender issues have become commonplace in the American Church, diminishing the distinctiveness of the progressives. More importantly, they failed to transform the main body of the Church: John Paul II, a charismatic conservative, enjoyed the third-longest papacy in church history, and refused to budge on the left's demands; instead, he eventually swept away liberal bishops. The heads at Call to Action grayed, and by the late 1990s, Vatican II progressivism began to look like a self-limited Boomer moment.
Then, the movement received a monstrous reprieve. The priest sex abuse scandal implicated not only the predators, but the superiors who shielded them. John Paul remained mostly silent. A new reform group, Voice of the Faithful, arose; the old anger returned, crystallizing around the battle-cry "They just don't get it."
Benedict's visit, however, changed the dynamic. And that's a problem for progressives. Says Fr. Thomas Reese, a senior fellow at Georgetown University's Woodstock Theological Center whom Benedict famously removed from his previous job as editor of America, "Reform movements need an enemy to organize against. As most bishops have gotten their acts together on sex abuse, they have looked less like the enemy and more like part of the solution. Enthusiasm for reform declined. With the Pope's forthright response, it will decline even more."
Not everyone agrees. Says Voice of the Faithful spokesman John Moynihan, "That's funny; I just came from a meeting of COR (Catholic Organizations for Reform), and there were a lot of people very buoyed up. We can now say to people, 'We have made a difference, and if you stick with us we are going to make a further difference'." Adds Peter Steinfels, a former editor of Commonweal, now a director of Fordham's Religion and Culture Center, "I think there is continuity in terms of the issues and the questions about whether Church structures can be altered." He notes that a social justice group, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, formed just three years ago.
But the familiar progressives-versus-Vatican paradigm seems almost certain to be undone by a looming demographic tsunami. Almost everyone agrees that the "millennial generation," born in 1980 or later, while sharing liberal views on many issues, has no desire to mount the barricades. Notes Reese, "Younger Catholics don't argue with the bishops; they simply do what they want or shop for another church." And Hispanic Catholics, who may be the U.S. majority by 2020, don't see this as their battle. "I'm sure they�re happy that the celebration of the Eucharist is in the vernacular," says Tilley, "but they don't have significant issues connected to Vatican II."
And so, unless Benedict contradicts in Rome what he said in New York, the Church may have reached a tipping point. This is not to say that the (over-hyped) young Catholic Right will swing into lay dominance. Nor will liberal single-issue groups simply evaporate. But if they cohere again, it will be around different defining issues. "It's a new ball game," admits Steinfels. As Tilley wrote recently in Commonweal regarding his fellow theologians, "A new generation has neither the baggage nor the ballast of mine. Theirs is the future. Let's hope they remember the Council as the most important event in twentieth-century Catholicism."
Let's see.
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Saturday, May 3, 2008
Kiva
Name Loan Amount Loan Term/Start Date Country/ Partner You Loaned Paid Back Loan Status
Amenze Marian $500.00 8 months
Jan 11, 2007 Nigeria
Lift Above Poverty Organization (LAPO) $25.00 $25.00
Aboubakar Youssouf $1,125.00 12 months
Feb 17, 2008 Togo
FECECAV $25.00 $4.18 Active
Rin Den $1,000.00 18 months
Feb 17, 2008 Cambodia
CREDIT MFI -- World Relief $25.00 $2.80 Active
Brenda Elizabeth Estrada Campos $600.00 6 months
Feb 17, 2008 Mexico
Admic Nacional $25.00 $8.33 Active
Alexander Kochnev $1,200.00 8 months
Feb 06, 2008 Ukraine
HOPE Intl- Nadiya Ukraine $25.00 $6.25 Active
Amenze Marian $500.00 8 months
Jan 11, 2007 Nigeria
Lift Above Poverty Organization (LAPO) $25.00 $25.00
Aboubakar Youssouf $1,125.00 12 months
Feb 17, 2008 Togo
FECECAV $25.00 $4.18 Active
Rin Den $1,000.00 18 months
Feb 17, 2008 Cambodia
CREDIT MFI -- World Relief $25.00 $2.80 Active
Brenda Elizabeth Estrada Campos $600.00 6 months
Feb 17, 2008 Mexico
Admic Nacional $25.00 $8.33 Active
Alexander Kochnev $1,200.00 8 months
Feb 06, 2008 Ukraine
HOPE Intl- Nadiya Ukraine $25.00 $6.25 Active
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