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Tom & Sue Personal Pilgrimage 2016: June 13 (Day 18) Our Lady of Czestochowa, Poland

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Dobranoc: (Thanks Rosemarie)

Did you know that daybreak in Poland is at 4 AM?  UGH! The sun is shining shortly after…….and I’m up, thinking I am late.  Even with black out shades the light sneaks in. Now try going back to  sleep!

We wanted to be up early anyway, since we were taking a road trip to Our Lady of Czestowchowa, about 2 hours away.  This is the greatest Shrine to Our Lady in Poland.  Father Tomasz said we were smart to go early (and during the week), the crowds would be small.  Well, we even skipped breakfast, but didn’t get out the door until almost  8:30.

Don’t ask! We were just being leisurely. Well, to  tell you the truth, we have a shower that has 10 heads.  It’s like being in a car wash!  Susan was in it the first night for almost 20 minutes.  We have been fighting over it ever since.  LOL

The traffic wasn’t too bad but there is a lot of construction going on in preparation for World Youth Day when they expect at least 2 million youths and adults to converge on Krakow. God help them.  Many people in the old town and nearby are staying with relatives and renting out their homes, since there are not enough hotel rooms and apartments  The U.S. has the second largest number of people coming, after Italy.  That’s pretty good!

We arrived at the Shrine not expecting what we saw and were amazed at how large and beautiful it was.  Our first stop was  to the chapel of the Icon of the Blessed Mother and Jesus, a Black Madonna,  where mass was about to begin.

We stood against a wall 1/2 half way up  to the altar and could not see anything there were so many  people.  After mass most of them stayed to get to the altar area to pray before the famous Icon, we left and went out to get a  coffee.   Twenty minutes later it was like a bomb scare had gone off as the hordes of people left the Chapel.

We went  back in, only to find that they had covered the Madonna Icon and closed the altar area for cleaning. Most of the people were in groups on tour buses and went to the dining hall for lunch, a perfect time to explore the marvelous shrine.  See photos.

Susan and I had a quick bite at the nearest cafeteria style  restaurant.  It was just food, but we needed something.

We then explored the grounds and the whole Basilica  and went to the adoration chapel to pray the Rosary since the Rosary chapel was  closed.  At the second decade, we stopped, since mass had begun in the icon chapel, and even with the doors closed in the adoration chapel, it was too loud to meditate…..it was  just above the Icon.

We went down to the mass since they allowed people to walk behind the altar and the Madonna where you could venerate many relics in a  glass enclosure.  We waited for the gospel to be finished, took a couple of pictures and went to the back.  We waited for the homily to be over and walked out the other side.

Time to depart since it was after 2 and we thought we would go to Auschwitz, but that didn’t happen, it would have been to late when we  got there and we were tired from the drive.

We went to the apartment  and I have to look at the pictures to remember what we did……….I’ll be  right back.

Ok, I got it.  Susan and I went out for dinner to this nice  restaurant which, when we entered, they said the dining room was closed but  we could sit on the patio.  That sounded great and after we sat and ordered a glass of wine and a bottle of water they said they could give us  blankets.  I thought that it might snow, so we took one each, I  wanted the green one.  This  restaurant is famous for perogies (filled dumplings…an Eastern European specialty)…….and that night they gave a lesson on making them in the garden were we sat.  They  filled the restaurant with the group that learned their secret.

Susan had duck and I had veal chop Milanese.  Both  dinners
were outstanding.  With the wine we had and the rest of  the meal the bill was 160 pln.  After adding a generous tip, we left $48  poorer.  Did I ever tell you I love  Krakow ?????

It was home to shower again and relax; maybe some TV and a good nights sleep.  We have a new arraignment, I’ll tell you about it  later.

There is a story of Our Lady of  Czestochowa below.

Dobrovnic, its close

“What  you are is God’s gift to you,
What  you become is your gift to God.”

May you shine before him.
Love
Susan & Tom

Prayer to Our Lady of  Czestochowa

O Mother of  God, Immaculate Mary, to thee do I dedicate my body and soul,
all my prayers and  deeds, my joys and sufferings, all that I am an all that I have.

With a joyful  heart I surrender myself to thy love. To thee will I
devote my services of my  own free will for the salvation of mankind, and for the help of the Holy Church  whose Mother thou art.
From now on my only desire is to do all things with  thee, through thee,
and for thee. I know I can accomplish nothing by my own  strength, whereas
thou can do everything that is the will of thy Son, Our Lord  Jesus Christ.
Thou are always victorious. Grant, therefore, O Helper of the  Faithful, that
my family, my parish, and my country might become in truth the  Kingdom where
thou reignest in the glorious presence God the Father, God the  Son, and
God the Holy Spirit, forever and ever.
Amen.

The Story of Our Lady of Czestochowa
The  Monastery of Jasna Gora in Czestochowa, Poland, is the third-largest
Catholic pilgrimage site in the world. Home to the beloved miraculous icon
of Our Lady of Czestochowa, the monastery is also the national shrine of
Poland and the center of Polish  Catholicism.

Timeline
According  to tradition, the icon of Jasna Góra was painted by Luke the
Evangelist on  a tabletop built by Jesus himself, and the icon was discovered
by St.  Helen, mother of Emperor Constantine and collector of Christian
relics in  the Holy Land. The icon was then enshrined in the imperial city of
Constantinople, according to the legend, where it remained for the next  500
years.
803
The  painting is said to have been given as a wedding gift from the
Byzantine  emperor to a Greek princess, who married a Ruthenian nobleman. The image
was then placed in the royal palace at Belz, where it remained for nearly
600 years.
1382
History  first combines with tradition upon the icon’s arrival in Poland
with a  Polish army fleeing the Tartars, who had struck it with an  arrow.
1386
Legend  has it that during the looting of Belz, a mysterious cloud
enveloped the  chapel containing the image. A monastery was founded in Czestochowa
to  enshrine the icon, and soon King Jagiello built a cathedral around the
chapel containing the icon.
1430
Hussites  (pre-Reformation reformers) attacked the monastery, slashed the
Virgin’s  face with a sword, and left it desecrated in a puddle of blood and
mud.

It is said that when the monks pulled the icon from the mud, a  miraculous
fountain appeared, which they used to clean the painting. The  icon was
repainted in Krakow, but both the arrow mark and the gashes from  the sword were
left and remain clearly visible  today.
1655
The  miracle for which the Black Madonna of Czestochowa is most famous
occurred, when Swedish troops were about to invade Czestochowa. A group of
Polish soldiers prayed fervently before the icon for deliverance, and the
enemy retreated.
1656
King  John Casimir declared Our Lady of Czestochowa “Queen of Poland” and
made  the city the spiritual capital of the nation.
1717
Pope  Clement XI officially recognized the miraculous nature of the  image.

September  15, 1920
The  Virgin again came to the aid of her people, when the Soviet Russian
Red  Army gathered on the banks of the Vistula River, preparing to attack
Warsaw. The citizens and soldiers fervently prayed to Our Lady of  Czestochowa
and on the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, she appeared in the  clouds above
Warsaw. The Russians were defeated in a series of battles  later dubbed the
“Miracle at the Vistula.”
1925
Pope  Pius XI designated May 3 a feast day in her  honor.
1945
During  Nazi occupation, Hilter prohibited pilgrimages to Jasna Góra, but
many  still secretly made the journey. After Poland was liberated, half a
million pilgrims journeyed to Cz?stochowa to express their  gratitude.
September  8, 1946
1.5  million people gathered at the shrine to rededicate the entire nation
to  the Immaculate Heart of Mary. During the Cold War, Jasna Góra was a
center  of anti-Communist resistance.
1979
Pope  John Paul II, a native of Poland, was a fervent devotee of the Virgin
Mary  and of her icon at Cz?stochowa. As pope, he made pilgrimages to pray
before the Black Madonna in 1979, 1983, 1991, and  1997.
1991
He  held his Sixth World Youth Day at Czetochowa, which was attended by
350,000 young people from across Europe.
May  26, 2006
Pope  Benedict XVI visited the shrine.
Miracles,  Cures, and Signs

In  1430, Hussites (pre-Reformation reformers) attacked the monastery,
slashed the  Virgin’s face with a sword, and left it desecrated in a puddle of
blood and  mud.

It is said that when the monks pulled the icon from the mud, a  miraculous
fountain appeared, which they used to clean the painting. The icon  was
repainted in Krakow, but both the arrow mark and the gashes from the sword  were
left and remain clearly visible today.

In 1655, The miracle for  which the Black Madonna of Czestochowa is most
famous occurred, when Swedish  troops were about to invade Czestochowa. A
group of Polish soldiers prayed  fervently before the icon for deliverance, and
the enemy retreated.

On  September 15, 1920, the Virgin again came to the aid of her people,
when the  Soviet Russian Red Army gathered on the banks of the Vistula River,
preparing to  attack Warsaw. The citizens and soldiers fervently prayed to
Our Lady of  Czestochowa and on the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, she appeared
in the clouds  above Warsaw. The Russians were defeated in a series of
battles later dubbed the  “Miracle at the Vistula.”

May God Bless Each and Every One Of You!

Tom &  Susan Melillo
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418 (USA)

E-Mail:

_TSMelillo13@aol.com_ (mailto:TSMelillo13@aol.com)

 

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Where did the Assumption take place?

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The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

Little is known about the life of the Blessed Mother after the death of Jesus. And, of course, most protestants only trot her out at Christmas time and then put her back in the box. But, of course, she raised Him from an infant and is revered as holy by not only Catholics but Muslims as well. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is an official dogma of the Roman Catholic Church.On  November 1, 1950, invoking his dogmatic authority, Pope Pius XII defined the dogma:

“By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory“.

The Catholic Church teaches that the Virgin Mary “having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.  And, of course, the Assumption is in the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary.

Certainly, no tomb has ever been found that claimed to hold her relics.

Possible Locations of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in to Heaven:

There are two locations that vie for recognition as the place that Mary was assumed in to heaven: Jerusalem and Ephesus..  Neither one has been approved or dis-approved by the Church.

In Jerusalem, at the foot of the Mount of Olives, there is a cave said to be the tomb of Mary.

Location of the Assumption in Jerusalem:

The earliest known traditions of the location of the assumption was Jerusalem.  It was here that Jesus was crucified, it was her that Mary was protected by the disciples after the Resurrection, and it could be assumed that it was here that she died.

There is no mention of the tomb of Mary in Jerusalem prior to the end of the sixth century.  The Church of the Dormition on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem that claims to be the site of her death. Subsequently, her body was placed in the tomb down the hill at the foot of the Mount of Olives, and that tomb was later discovered to be empty.

And it is in Jerusalem that tradition places her tomb in the dormition abbey belonging to the Benedictine Order in Jerusalem, on Mount Zion just outside the walls of the Old City near the Zion Gate.

Location of the Assumption in Ephesus:

Another location that claims to be the actual site is Ephesus, in modern-day Turkey. The early Christians taught that the Apostle and Evangelist John lived in Asia Minor in the last decades of the first century.  It was from Ephesus that he guided the Churches of that province.

There was a centuries-old tradition that Saint John went there and took Mary in to his house.  The house was in ruins and only re-discovered in October 18, 1881, by relying on the descriptions by Anne Catherine Emmerich.   Based on those description, which proved to be accurate, a French priest, the Abbé Julien Gouyet discovered a small stone building on a mountain overlooking the Aegean in Ephesus. He believed it was the house described by Emmerich and where the Virgin Mary had lived the final years of her life.

Where is the actual site of the Assumption?

Obviously, we don’t have an answer. Since scholars disagree….and we are definitely not scholars…we have to assume that the matter lies open to debate.  We welcome your input.  Just drop us an email or comment below.

 

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New European Visa Requirements Starting Early 2024.

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New European Visa Requirements Starting Early 2024. Are You Prepared for ETIAS?

Starting early in 2024, US travelers will need a new document called “ETIAS” to enter the European Union. If you are a US citizen traveling to the EU as a tourist, you will need this ETIAS documentation to enter.

While it is being called by many a “visa requirement,” technically, it is a new pre-arrival authorization.

What is the ETIAS?

The European Travel Information and Authorization System, or ETIAS, is a new required document for entry to the EU. The online application for tourists and travelers entering the European Union is expected to open in 2024. However, no specific date has been set. Still, we expect this to begin early in the year,

Check out this video from Select International Tours for all the information you need.

 

 

So you will want to watch our website and Social Media for more information as it becomes available.

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August 1st & 2nd The Great Pardon of Assisi

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About the Great Pardon of Assisi:

Starting the evening of August 1st until sundown on August 2nd each year, you may take part in the Great Pardon of Assisi.

Origin of the Great Pardon of Assisi:

The tiny portiuncula the chapel built by St. Francis
The portiuncula, or “little portion”

When Jesus and the Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Francis in the year 1216 in the tiny Portuincula (the chapel he built), Jesus asked Francis what he wanted for the salvation of souls. Francis humbly replied that he would like to obtain a plenary indulgence (elimination of temporal punishment due to sin) for all those who entered the Portuincula, so long as they were truly contrite and had confessed their sins.

Up until that point in history there were only three such places to receive a plenary indulgence:  the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, or the shrine of Saint James the Great in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Most people could not afford to undertake such travel.

Jesus granted Francis this wish, but stipulated he should first present his request to the Pope.  He obtained approval from Pope Honorius III in 1216 and this became  known as the Portuincula Indulgence, or the Great Pardon of Assisi. 

 

You can obtain the Plenary Indulgence of Assisi in any Parish church throughout the world.

If you happen to be in Assisi on August 1st or 2nd,  you can also earn this pardon for yourself or for any departed family member by visiting the Portuincula or any parish church in Assisi.  Originally this also included any Franciscan church throughout the world, but was extended to include any Catholic church (subject to the conditions as shown below).

 

The conditions to obtain the Plenary Indulgence of the Forgiveness of Assisi, as it is properly called, are as follows:

 1.  Sacramental Confession within 8 days either before or after visiting the Portuincuca or any Franciscan Church in Assisi or anywhere else in the world.

2.  Participation in Holy Mass and Eucharist within 8 days at any church before or after visiting the Portuincuca or any Franciscan Church in Assisi or anywhere else in the world..

3.  Recitation of the Apostles Creed, Our Father, and a prayer for the Holy Father’s intention.

The Portiuncula or Tiny Portion inside the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels AssisiThe Portuincula is now inside the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels at the foot of the town of Assisi.

Almost all tours stop here either on the way to Assisi or upon leaving.  The Basilica is immense and the Portuincula is actually inside the Basilica.  We wonder what St. Francis, who loved simplicity, would have thought of such an immense Basilica being built here…but of course the Portuincula would probably not have lasted if it were not inside the Basilica.

As you can see here, it is quite small but open to visitors.

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Amazing story: Saint Christina the Astonishing

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Born around 1150 AD in the small town of Sint-Truiden, in present-day Belgium, Christina Mirabilis was orphaned as a teenager and worked as a shepherdess. Then, sometime in her early 20s, she suffered from a massive seizure. When the episode passed, she was found lying on the ground completely limp. Unable to see breathing or hear a heartbeat, those with her pronounced dead.

Soon after, a funeral was held at her local parish.  During her funeral Mass in Sint-Truiden, she suddenly stood up in the open casket and levitated up to the rafters of the church  (explaining that she “could not bear the smell of the sinful people there” ).

While most of those in attendance fled in terror , the priest made Christina come down and continued celebrating Mass.

She stated that she had actually been dead; that she had gone down to Hell and there recognized many
friends, and to Purgatory, where she had seem more friends, and then to Heaven.  God offered her a choice of going to heaven or accepting severe penances on earth in reparation for sinners.  She chose the latter, and endured many sufferings, including being accused of insanity and tortured.

She dressed in rags, and behaved survived by begging and adopted a somewhat strange manner.   The last years of her life Christina passed in the convent of St. Catherine at Saint-Trond, and there she died around the age of seventy-four.

But not everyone thought she was menally ill:   the prioress of St. Catherine’s praised her obedience, Saint Lutgardis sought her advice and Blessed Mary of Oignies praised her,

Where are the relics of Saint Christina the Amazing?

We don’t have any definite information about her relics…apparently the monastery where she ended up was destroyed after her death.  We suspect it was the convent where she lived, but our research has not turned up any definite information…and the convent itself has long since been torn down.  Can you help us?  If you know where her relics are, please send us an email so we can add a page to our site.

About the canonization of Saint Christina the Amazing:

Around the time in history the Church was still forming the modern canonization process, and so she’s never been been formally canonized.  Nonetheless, she was popularly considered a saint for centuries after her death.

She is patron saint of psychiatrists, psychologists and those suffering mental illness.

 

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New movie about St Maximillian Kolbe coming in 2024

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We went to see a short presentation about a new film being made about this great saint: “Kolbe’s Passion”, I believe it will be called.  It featured a short clip of his experiences in the starvation bunker.

Most of us know how St. Maximillian Kolbe died:  he took the place of a man condemned to a starvation bunker, and the man survived Auschwitz while St Maximillian Kolbe did not.

This is more of a critique of the presentation, rather than that of the movie itself.

We assume there is much more to the film, but unfortunately the presenters spent most of their time pointing out their needs (cameras, flights to Poland, housing, etc.) and very little time describing the plot of the movie itself. We were left with the impression that it focused mainly on the activities in the starvation bunker….but then why the need to film in Poland?  Any studio in the U.S. would suffice.  I am sure there is a reason, but it never was made clear.  To be honest, we should have asked that question at the time.

The promoters are young Catholics and I admire their enthusiasm…it was inspirational, to say the least.  Sadly, I think this was a missed opportunity, since potential investors are going to be looking for more details than what were presented here.

One other thing we noted at this presentation…..people in their 30’s comprised the bulk of the audience.  It was great to see so many young people so enthusiastically behind this movie.  Unfortunately, we did not see many older people likely to have “deep pockets”  for the financing required.

Help get the word out and perhaps find someone to host a presentation.

Fortunately, there is a link to get further information that you can find here.

We truly hope this movie will get made, but hope that they will take this advice and do a better job presenting this project to future investors.

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5 New Episodes of “My Lourdes Faith Journey” Starting July 10

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From Monday, July 10 to Friday, July 14, 5 new episodes of My Lourdes Faith Journey will premiere on EWTN at 5:30 PM EST with encore daily at 2:30 AM EST.

This special series is produced, directed and filmed by Our Lady of Lourdes Hospitality North American Volunteers and graciously aired by EWTN.

Watch on your local EWTN cable network or tune in online live at www.ewtn.com/tv/watch-live.

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Movie Review “Sound of Freedom”

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Review of “Sound of Freedom”

Sound of Freedom MovieChild trafficking doesn’t quite fit the bill for most family entertainment; and quite frankly, I prefer movies that tend to be uplifting.  So, I really wasn’t motivated to watch this movie; however, since Jim Caviezel was the star, and Angel Studios produced it,  I was anxious to check it out.  It’s based on a true story, and I discovered this movie had a realistic feel to it, rather than being a documentary…. and to me that made it much more watchable, since I am not a big fan of documentaries (yes, I know..I should be).

Although riveting, it is also sad and yet has an ending that is heartwarming.  Alas, if all reports are even half-true, millions (and we mean many millions) of children are sex slaves to traffickers, and few of them are likely to have happy endings.

Those in the U.S. have watched an estimated 500,000 undocumented aliens stream across the Southern border each year and we have to wonder….how many of these are child traffickers?  The same can be said for some European countries.

Well..back to the review of “Sound of Freedom”:

Casting was great…not just Jim Caviezel, as well as the supporting cast….including the children.  Cinematography was also great.  It was thought-provoking….you can’t help wonder how many children are exploited annually….and what finally becomes of them? Of course the movie doesn’t tell us that.

Note:  the movie was made in 2018.  It is arguably even truer today than then.  The production company initially had a distribution deal with 20th Century Fox. However, after the Walt Disney Company acquired 20th Century Fox, Sound of Freedom was shelved.  The film’s producer, Eduardo Verastegui, spent more than a year getting rights for the movie from Disney. Unfortunately, as soon as Disney released the rights for the film, the COVID pandemic hit and prevented the producer from getting it released.

The real-life Tim Ballard, the DHS agent played by Caviezel, has testified at a House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee and shared footage of the sting operation portrayed in Sound of Freedom with the media. CBS applauded Tim Ballard and “Sound of Freedom” in 2014 for their efforts against child trafficking. Yet, today, the same mainstream media is dismissing the film based on Ballard’s work as a “paranoid” QAnon conspiracy. Why the sudden shift?

Spoiler Alert:  Watch for it!  Some actual footage of the sting operation plays during the final moments of the movie (or was it during the credits?) …but you’ll have to be looking for it…it flashes by quickly, with some of the faces blurred out in the images. By the time Tim left Colombia, he and the team had rescued over 120 victims and arrested more than a dozen traffickers,” reads text on the screen. I found that part fascinating.

Read more

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Andrea Bocelli to Sing in Lourdes on July 16

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On July 16, Andrea Bocelli will be singing to celebrate the last apparition of the Virgin to Bernadette

On July 16, to celebrate the 18th and final Apparition in Lourdes, Dançar Marketing and Colégio Vértice (BR) will be offering pilgrims in the Sanctuary of Lourdes a special concert by Andrea Bocelli entitled “Prayers for life” for families who have lost loved ones during the pandemic.

After the Marian procession, which will begin at 8:30 p.m., Andrea Bocelli will perform, accompanied by the Choir and Orchestra of Pau Pays de Béarn, from the city of Pau, conducted by the Italian maestro Carlo Bernini and accompanied by the Ukrainian violinist, Anastasiya Petryshak and by French soprano, Clara Barbier Serrano.
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Faithful Catholic families….do we fight or flee?

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As we look at the culture around us, we see what would seem to be a steady downhill slide…. some governments and businesses pushing the LGBTQ agenda; abortion as a “right”; gender identity (apparently there are up to six genders!); politicians who openly sow racial discord; sports leagues that have gone “woke” and so many other things in opposition to what we, as Catholics, hold dear.

Much of what follows is directed toward U.S. residents, but in general it also applies to Canada and a host of other countries as well.

Abortion in a Post-Roe World:

Here in the U.S., some states have banned abortion completely;  some after a certain number of weeks; but other states have offered to become “abortion sanctuaries” for those who cannot procure a legal abortion in their own state.

The U.S. military will grant up to three weeks of administrative leave and reimburse service members who travel to other states where abortions are legal.

So, although Roe vs Wade has been over-turned, it is only one battle in the war against abortion.  It merely sent the abortion issue back to the states.

 

The Transgender Movement:

As Catholic Christians, we believe as the Book of Genesis states: “God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them”.

Drag Queen Story Hours in Public Schools
(Photo: Twitter/@RealOmarNavarro)

Not content with being left alone (that’s what they used to say) the proponents of the transgender movement now want to become mainstream…..and force you to accept their beliefs.  And yet, we are said to be the intolerant ones!

Some public schools and libraries proudly host “drag queen story hours” for children….and parents pat themselves on the back for being so open-minded.

Believe it or not, the people hosting these events are not open-minded…they are after your children!

TV cartoons feature gay characters; game shows seem to almost require at least one participant to be gay or trans-sexual; everything is in your face, and it is put out there as normal.

Likewise, we see free speech (not liberal speech, of course…just conservative speech) being limited on college campuses.

“Separation of Church and State”

Try to bring religion in to the public square and people will shout “separation of church and state” without having the slightest idea what that means.  The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. constitution does not say that, it merely states that the Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech. 

But, of course, that does not stop those who are determined to push God out of everything.  Many news anchors ignore (or are ignorant of) the First Amendment and prattle on about “threats to our democracy” with absolutely no idea of what they are talking about….but they all got the same memo, so they keep repeating the phrase.

 Did you ever think you would be talking about lack of religious tolerance in your own country?

Of course tolerance of other religions is highly encouraged, it is only Christianity that is held up as a threat. In fact, the Southern Poverty Law Center (which, ironically, once championed civil rights) has said “right-wing extremism exploits Christianity and the Bible to radicalize and mobilize its violent adherents toward criminality and terrorism“.  So, if you speak out against abortion, or gay rights, or a host of other Christian principles, you are a terrorist.

Christians are sometimes called “transphobic” or “homophobic” which of course is not the case.  To be phobic is to be fearful…we do not fear transvestites or homosexuals, we merely deem their actions to be contrary to Christian beliefs.  But that doesn’ fit their narrative.

So what do families do? Well, some choose to stay and fight against these attacks on religious freedom, while others choose to flee to other locales that seem a bit more Christian family-friendly. Faced with the hostile environment in some cities or states, many families have decided to put that behind them and move to locations where they feel they can better raise their families in the Catholic Christian tradition.

Families are moving to places where there are strong orthodox Catholic religious communities nearby, such as the Benedictine Abbey of Our Lady of Clear Creek in Hulbert, Oklahoma; the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, MA; Little Portion Hermitage, in Berry, AR;  Subiaco Abbey in Subiaco, Arkansas and others.  Then, there is the growing Catholic Land Movement…a loose connection of those wishing to practice a simpler way of life.

And there are entire Catholic communities being formed, such as Veritatis Splendor in the Diocese of Tyler, Texas.

Here is a great article written by Johnathan Liedl for the National Catholic Register that tells the stories of some of those who have pulled up stakes and moved to more family friendly communities where their faith can be nurtured rather than attacked.

Of  course not everyone wants to re-locate nor are they in a position to do so. In the case of re-location, there are jobs to consider (fortunately work-from-home has helped make this easier for some), elderly parents nearby, etc.  Some are not in a position to move to a more Catholic-friendly area and others prefer “fight the good fight” where they are, perhaps by home-schooling their children through an online program such as Tan Academy; being active in the pro-life community; or a host of other opportunities.

Others have chosen to seek out a more traditional, and rural life.  One example would be The Catholic Land Movement.

Regardless, whatever the situation, we must fight back….“it can’t happen here” has been said by many over the course of history….and then it happened “here”.  Most recently in Rwanda, Bosnia, and currently in Nigeria, among other countries where Christians are attacked.

It calls to mind “First They Came – by Pastor Martin Niemöller“.

The old saying “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph in the world is that good men do nothing”.

Unfortunately, the way many Catholics have given in to the Covid hysteria and given up rights we thought were inalienable, concerns us.  We’re not there yet, and at The Catholic Travel Guide we remain optimistic as we see people start to realize that we are in a war with certain elements of the society around us.

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