A Very Merry Main Street Market

Merry Christmas everyone. I hope you enjoy the company of family and friends.

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is the gingerbread house. So, I went earlier this month to the Very Merry Main Street Market at Beaumont Civic Center. It was fun to watch the kids working hard to build the gingerbread houses. It was more fun to watch the parents take the task very seriously.



Merry Christmas everyone

Alchemist, The Book

I don't read much fiction. But, when I started reading Alchemist,I couldn't put it down. I can't remember the last time I read a novel that made me re-think the meaning of my life.

Anyone can easily find yourself in this book. You may be one character or the other. By the time you finish reading the book, you'll have a better understanding of yourself.

I appreciate the writer's view of the Middle East. He could have easily used the stereotypical view of the Middle East. Instead, he showed the wisdom of his Middle Eastern characters.

The best thing about the book is its shortness. The back of my copy included an interview with the writer, Paulo Coelho. The interview was originally published on beliefnet. According to Paulo, the book will be made into a movie. I doubt the movie can capture the spirituality and philosophy of the book.

---

Alchemist

The Murder of Sister Karen Klimczak

UPDATE - Mar. 10, 2007
On Wednesday, Craig M. Lynch, the murderer of Sr. Karen Klimczak was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Since her murder, I asked myself, "What does Sr. Karen think of her murderer?." Knowing her work of peace, I had a feeling she has already forgiven him. I wasn't mistaken. The Buffalo News reports:

Fifteen years before Sister Karen Klimczak was strangled by an ex-convict on Good Friday, the Buffalo nun wrote a letter of forgiveness to her killer.

She apparently had a premonition, perhaps during her prayers or a dream just before Holy Week in 1991, that her life would one day be taken violently.

Back in 1991, she wrote:

“ ‘Dear Brother, I don’t know what the circumstances are that will lead you to hurt me or destroy my physical body,’ ” Sister Jean read.
[...]
“ ‘No, I don’t want it to happen,’ ” she read softly. “ ‘I would much rather enjoy the beauties of this earth, experience the laughter, the fears and the tears of those I love so deeply!’ ”

Sister Jean continued: “ ‘. . . Now my life has changed and you, my brother, were the instrument of that change. I forgive you for what you have done and I will always watch over you, help you in whatever way I can. . . . Continue living always mindful of His Presence, His Love and His Joy as sources of life itself — then my life will have been worth being changed through you.’ ”

R.I.P Sr Karen. You were a walking angel on earth.

---

UPDATE - Dec. 19, 2006
The jury has reached a verdict. The Newsday reports:

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) _ A jury has convicted a parolee of killing a pacifist nun at the halfway house she operated in Buffalo.

Craig Lynch was found guilty late Friday in Erie County Court of manslaughter, burglary and second-degree murder for beating and strangling Sister Karen Klimczak on April 14 in her room at Bissonette House.
[...]
Lynch could face 25 years to life in prison at sentencing March 7. He is in jail without bail.

Read more...

R.I.P Sr. Karen. I hope your murderer will never hurt any other person.

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ORIGINAL POST - Apr. 19, 2006

On Friday, Sister Karen Klimczak from Buffalo, N.Y. went missing. On Monday, the search for her came to an unhappy ending:

Just as 600 people prayed for a miracle that a missing nun who devoted her life to nonviolence would be found alive, authorities made the devastating announcement Monday evening that her body had been recovered and that an ex-convict she tried to help was arrested in her murder.
[...]
Police said Sister Karen Klimczak, 62, who had lived and worked at Bissonette House - a halfway house on 335 Grider St. named for the Rev. A Joseph Bissonette, a priest brutally murdered in the same building in 1987 - was killed by one of the parolees staying there.

Read more...

Then comes the reason behind her murder:

Sister Karen Klimczak was killed for a fake bag of crack, then buried in a deep grave in a crumbling back shed where no one could have found her, police revealed Tuesday.

Detectives who investigated the Good Friday slaying of the pacifist nun said that her alleged killer, Craig M. Lynch, 36, confessed that he was high on crack cocaine and bent on getting more when he went into Sister Karen's room at the Bissonette House halfway house.

His plan was to steal her cell phone and sell it for money to buy crack. But when she walked in, he panicked, then strangled and beat her, authorities said.

Read more...

He could have asked her for money. She would have definitely helped him in one way or another. Instead, he turned to violence toward a person who advocated peace until her death.

Praying With The Iraqi People

A Christian Science Monitor journalist/Writer/Contributer wrote last week:

Does it matter that Iraq is almost completely a Muslim society and I'm a Christian? As I pondered this question, I found where Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of this newspaper, wrote: "God is universal; confined to no spot, defined by no dogma, appropriated by no sect. Not more to one than to all, is God demonstrable as divine Life, Truth, and Love; and His people are they that reflect Him - that reflect Love" ("Miscellaneous Writings 1883-1896," p 150).

There isn't a Muslim God and a Christian God. There is, I believe, only the one infinite All-power. This makes us all children of the one God, and therefore we have a brotherhood that is wider than the narrow confines of religious dogma

Read more...

Prayers have no boundaries. When in need of a prayer, don't hesitate to ask a Muslim, a Christian or to pray with you. I believe in the power of interfaith even when some people disappoint me. I always think back to myself and say, "There are good and bad apples in the basket. Pick the good ones."

Iraq certainly needs your prayers these days.

The Kidnapping of Fr. Sami Abd-Ahad

UPDATE Dec. 11, 2006
The kidnappers released Fr. Sami on Sunday. Thanks God he returned safely to his family, friend and parish.

---

ORIGINAL POST Dec. 6, 2006
There's been another kidnapping of a Chaldean priest in Baghdad. He's the sixth priest to be kidnapped in the latest wave of terrorizing the Iraqi Christian community.

Fr. Sami was kidnapped after leaving his home to go to church two days ago. Patriarch of the Chaldean Church Emmanuel III Delly has pleaded for his safe return in an open letter to his kidnappers.

I'll keep you unpdated on Fr. Sami's status. Please, keep him and all the innocent Iraqis in your prayers.

KFC: Our Daily Chicken

It's time for another Catholic joke. I hope you enjoy it:

A salesman from KFC walked up to the Pope and offers him a million dollars if he would change "The Lord's Prayer" from "give us this day our daily bread" to "give us this day our daily chicken." The Pope refused his offer.

Two weeks later, the man offered the pope 10 million dollars to change it from "give us this day our daily bread" to "give us this day our daily chicken" and again the Pope refused the man's generous offer.

Another week later, the man offered the Pope 20 million dollars and finally the Pope
accepted.

The following day, the Pope said to all his officials, "I have some good news and some bad news. 'The good news is, that we have just received a check for 20 million dollars. The bad news is, we lost the Wonder Bread account!'"

Source: Comedy Central

Lisa's Testament of Faith

Sometimes, readers send me stories that got be shared with the other readers. We can all learn from each other. Today, I share with you Lisa's story:

I was born into a Church of England family. My parents had me christened in the church that they married in. I assumed that I was a Christian. My Mum had been a Sunday school teacher, and used to sing “Jesus” songs with me in the bath, but I only remember them making me feel pretty uncomfortable.

As a teenager, I started to explore my identity. I studied RE in school. RE taught all major religions, and it started me thinking very seriously about whether or not there was a god. I was especially impressed by the Sikh religion. I also remember a group of us exploring the occult until a friend warned us that it would cause us to go to hell. We found an encyclopedia picture of hell, it did not look fun and so we stopped.

I took my A levels in science. It was at this point that I decided that there had to be a God on intellectual grounds. Chemistry taught the theory of chaos, in which all things became more disorganized unless an outside force organized them. Also I recognized the logic of the periodic table of elements. No one but a higher being could have done these things. I remember asking my Christian friends how they had found God. I also prayed to him myself, asking him to find me, or at least let me know which religion had the right answers.

After A levels I went straight to University. I wanted to be a missionary doctor; perhaps by being very good I would find God. I started to question evolution, which had been a large part of my biology studies. A close friend became a Christian in college, and he completely changed over night. It was like watching a different person take over. In my eyes he became a better person, and yet I was not convinced that he had all the right answers. He kept telling me that I needed to be born again. He invited me to his baptism and the pastor asked everyone to stand up if they wanted to receive Jesus as savior. I remember shrinking in my seat and wondering what my new university friends would think of me. At the same time I found myself standing up. At this point in time I was aware of a deep hunger to belong to God, and an awareness that I had sinned. I felt a relief after standing up, and a realization that Jesus was God. This was a completely new experience.

Several weeks later I was praising God, and became aware of a strong force upon me. I felt afraid and very ecstatic at the same time. I started to praise God in a strange language that I had never learnt.

However, I soon became unwell. I suffered from very severe anxiety. My Mother blamed my new faith and insisted that I never again go to church. My bible was burned. I felt worse and further away from God than ever before. I continued in my pre-Christian life, having no power to control my sin. I had a complete fear of death and hell.

For ten years I actively shunned the church. My Mother died and I got married and had my first child. It was after my son was born that I decided to return to my search for God. I went (very tentatively) back to church. I got baptized. I worked harder and harder to find peace with God, eventually getting involved with multiple church projects. You see, God had dealt with my sin, but it was not the sin but the sinner that needed to be dealt with. It was not what I did but what I was that was the problem.

I remember looking seriously at the 10 commandments. I had broken many of them over the years, but now I had reformed myself and could seriously manage them all, except “thou must not covet”-I remember feeling really perplexed when I thought about this, it felt impossible, there was something badly wrong. Then and there I decided to give up all my church work. If I could not keep the 10 commandments, then church work was a waste of time. Besides I was tired of it all, it felt like too big a job. I began to pray, I begged God to change me. I wanted to become acceptable to him. I realized that I was a sinner. God showed me just how badly wrong I was, in every area of my life. He also gave me the ability to turn away from my sin. I remember one night he woke me, I was really afraid to be in his presence, because He is a holy God and in comparison I am just a worm (I was reminded of Isaiah having an experience of God, in which he cried out “Woe is me, for I am a sinful man and I live within a nation of sinful men and my eyes have seen the king, the Lord almighty”). I thought that I would die as his holiness was totally overpowering, and my only plea was that Jesus is my savior.

The next morning it was like a complete miracle. I was really free. I have never since felt that overwhelming fear of death. I now know the peace that passes all understanding. I can truly sing “my chains fell off, my heart was freed, I rose went forth and followed thee,” I actually join with Newton singing “ amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.” I know that in this life I will never be perfect, but the power of the cross can overcome. In him there is a power to change that is quite beyond description. He has taken me beyond a set of rules and adopted me into his family. Suddenly the New Testament makes perfect sense. Over the years that have passed, I have repeatedly asked the Lord at what point in my life he saved me and his answer has remained the same-2000 years ago, on the cross.

-- Lisa

Thank you Lisa for taking the time to write me your story. I really appreciate it.

Fr. Douglas Al-Bazy Disapprears In Baghdad

UPDATE Nov. 28, 2006
This morning, I prayed to St. Anthony as his candle burned for Fr. Douglas. I prayed again for his safe return to his family, friends and church. This afternoon, I got the good news that Fr. Douglas has been released.

Thank you for everyone who prayed for his safe return. Thank you St. Anthony for your help.

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ORIGINAL POST Nov. 20, 2006
Yet another sad story from Iraq. AsiaNews reports:

Baghdad (AsiaNews) – Christians in Baghdad fear yet another priest has been kidnapped. Fr Doglas Yousef Al Bazy - 34 years, Chaldean – left his parish yesterday morning and has not yet returned home.

The alarm was raised swiftly throughout Iraq and the diaspora via the Internet and SMS: the young priest’s community and leaders of Iraq’s Chaldean Church believe it is “highly likely” that he has been kidnapped. If their misgivings are proved right, this would be the latest in a long list of kidnappings targeting Christian clerics. Not only gangs of common criminals are suspected to be behind the spate of kidnappings.

The Chaldean Auxiliary Bishop of Baghdad, Mgr Shleman Warduni and the Iraqi Christian community have different theories regarding the latest wave of the kidnapping of Christian clergymen. AsiaNews reports:

The Auxiliary Bishop said: “There are many theories about why Christians are kidnapped: crime, religious fanaticism, money, the intent to create division among the people.” He continued: “We hope that those who have taken him have a conscience and understand that we priests desire only to bring the Good News to people and to work for the good of all Iraqis. We are for the unity of Iraq and we ask to be able to work together with our co-nationals to rebuild our country and to attain peace and security.” However, among the Chaldean community, the idea is increasingly taking hold that threats and kidnappings are not carried out indiscriminately, but that they “target those people who are most involved in the Christian community, the younger and more courageous ones, almost as if to give a warning to those who persist in hoping that they will be able to continue living in the country.”

I share the community's opinion. I think it's going to get worse for the community if the security situation doesn't improve.

Please, pray for the safe return of Fr. Doglas to his family, friends and church.

Indian Day With The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe Members

Last year, I accompanied Mark during his assigment to cover the Indian Day celebration at the Indian Village Assembly of God church near the Alabama-Coushatta Indian reservation in Southeast Texas.

On Sunday, we were invited to the annual event. Mark had the day off. So, he didn't take any pictures. That's cool with me because I didn't have to compete with his excellent photojournalism skills.

It was a very nice experience. As usual, the food was great and made with love. We felt honored to be invited to the event.

Humor: Dear Wife

Dear Wife,

I wrote your name on sand, it got washed away. I wrote your name in the air, it got blown away. then I wrote your name on my heart and I got a heart attack.

God saw me hungry, so he created pizza. He saw me thirsty, so he created Pepsi. He saw me in the dark, he created light. He saw me without problems, he created YOU.

Twinkle Twinkle little star. You should know what you are. And once you know what you are, the mental hospital is not so far.

Rain makes all things beautiful. If rain makes all things beautiful, then why doesn't it rain on you?

When your live is in darkness, pray to God to free you from the darkness. If after you pray, you still live in darkness, then please pay your ELECTRICITY BILL.

The Unknown Husband

Prayer To Our Lady of Czestochowa

Dear Lady of Czestochowa, our Black Madonna, teach me the lesson of human family.

Remind me that whether we are black or white or red or yellow makes no difference, that we're all human.

When I might be tempted to judge people in terms of race or ethnicity, send your image to me so that I remember that we are all your children, that we all come from God.

And when I might hear racial or ethnic insults, strengthen your spirit of love within me, that I might speak up for the dignity of all people and not be a silent accomplice to prejudice.

Remove the fear of difference from my heart, that I might look at and treat all people as loving and lovable brothers and sisters.

Amen.

Source: 100 Names of Mary

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100 Names of Mary

Wal-Mart and Christmas

Last year, Wal-Mart went under a lot of criticism for its refusal to recognize Christmas for what it is. Christmas is Christmas. It's not some other generic holiday.

This year though, Wal-Mart is trying to reconcile with Christmas:

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - It is beginning to look a lot more like Christmas at Wal-Mart.

This holiday season, Wal-Mart isn’t trumpeting big bargains only. It’s also bringing “Christmas” back into its marketing, after several years of playing down the term.
[...]
“We learned a lesson from that. Merry Christmas is now part of the vocabulary here at Wal-Mart,” said Linda Blakley, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman.

Read more...

I haven't been to Wal-Mart in long time. I prefer other shops with better shopping atmosphere and products quality.

The Middle East Inerfaith Blogger Network

In May 2006, the Middle East Youth blog was born. The authors of the blog come from Bahrain, Israel, Iran among other countries. This should give you an idea about the spirit of the blog.

Esra'a, the founder of Middle East Youth, had another dream. She wanted to bring together Middle Easterners who don't share the same faith. She has been working hard for a while now to launch the Middle East Interfaith Blogger Network.

I'm glad to announce the birth of the Middle Eastern Interfaith Blogger Network. Thanks to the efforts of Esra'a and her wonderful team. The site is a proof that there are Middle Easterners who are working to make a difference in the region.

Congratulation folks, you're the best of the web.

Letters To God

I find the following story very interesting:

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - A U.S. man who found 300 letters to God floating in the Atlantic Ocean said on Friday he will donate them to a church instead of selling them on eBay following protests from religious people.

The letters, sent to a deceased Baptist clergyman, mysteriously wound up in a sealed plastic shopping bag near a beach in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
[...]
Lacovara said he could have auctioned them off on eBay for up to $15,000 and would have given the money to charity. But he has withdrawn them from the online auction service because he said the move offended some religious people.

Read more...

First, I liked the eBay idea since the money would be given to a charity. But, these letters were written by people who never thought their prayer requests or confessions would end up on eBay. So, I can see how the eBay idea may upset some people.

The Carmelite Nuns and Godcasts

If you're into iTunes and iPod, then you definitely heard of podcasts. There's another term I learned today. It's Godcasting or Godcasts. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports:

"Godcasting" has already gone wide. Now it's going to the edges.

A community of Carmelite nuns in Indianapolis have started what's believed to be the first podcast from a cloistered community.

Or as some call them, Godcasts.
[...]
Sister Therese said her sisters started the podcast at the suggestion of the Indianapolis ad agency that does pro bono work for them. "We thought we could have a better outreach to young people," she said. "That seems to be the way everybody is going — they have their iPods, and they're pretty mobile."

In the first podcast, several nuns talk about how anyone can be contemplative. She said there are plans to do regular podcasts, as others do, probably once a month.

Read more...

The nuns also have a beautiful website, Pray The News. It amazes me how nuns can multitask. Something I've never been able to master. In short, nuns rock.

U.S. Bishops And The Plight of Iraqi Christians

It looks like the U.S. Catholic bishops have caught up with the serious situation facing the Iraqi Christians. Here's the latest:

WASHINGTON (October 30, 2006) — The chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on International Policy has asked Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to consider measures that would help improve the deteriorating situation for Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq.

In a letter to Secretary Rice, Bishop Thomas G. Wenski of Orlando (FL) notes that Christians in Iraq continue to decline from a pre-war population of over 1.2 million to a current estimate of 600,000, and according to the U.N. High Commission for Refugees, over 40 percent of Iraqi refugees are Christian even though they represent only about 4 percent of Iraq’s total population.

The following part is probably the strongest in his letter to Condi:

“The growing and deliberate targeting of Christians is an ominous sign of the breakdown in Iraqi society of civil order and inter-religious respect and represents a grave violation of human rights and religious liberty,” Bishop Wenski wrote, pointing to the recent beheading of a Syriac Orthodox priest in Mosul, the crucifixion of a Christian teenager in Albasra, the kidnapping for ransom of four priests and the rape of Christian women and teenage girls as indicators that the situation has reached a crisis point. “The vulnerability of Christians and other religious minorities is dramatic evidence of the serious and growing security challenges facing the entire nation of Iraq,” Bishop Wenski said.

Read more...

I've been writing about their difficult situation for the last three years. Most of the time, I get a deaf ear from both sides of American politics. At one point, I thought to stop writing on this subject and move on to more fluffy and happy news. I can't be silent anymore. If you're not interested in this subject, then you may need to stop reading this blog. I decided to continue to focus on this subject. Thank you for reading this far though.

Prayer For Drunk Teenagers

A Polish Dominican priest introduced new Catholic prayers aimed at teengers. As we know, teenagers drink. So, the priest wrote the following prayer for drunk teenagers:

Lord, if in an unsober state, and under the influence of those around me, I say something stupid, please give me strength to retract my words. Protect me against senseless bravado and pride.

I doubt the teens will remember to pray it after a night of partying. But, it's worth trying to help them.

Jesus and Science

Written by Unknown Author

In chemistry, he turned water to wine.

In biology, he was born without normal conception.

In Physics, he disapproved the law of gravity when he ascended into heaven and when he walked on water.

In economics, he disapproved the law of diminishing return by feeding 5000 people with two fish and five loaves of bread.

In medicine, he cured the sick and the blind without administering a single dose of drugs.

In history, he is the beginning and the end.

In government, he said he shall be called Prince of Peace.

Chaldean Diocese of Australia/New Zealand

From the time I moved to Sydney in 1995, the Iraqi Chaldean community continued to grow in number. When I moved to the States in 2001, the Sydney Chaldean community finished building its first church.

The Chaldean community in Melbourne and New Zealand has grown at the same pace. Thanks to the immigration laws in Australia and New Zealand. People with proper education are able to immigrate to these two countries. Others arrive as refugees, but that's the hard way to get into those two countries.

It looks like the Pope noticed the growing number of this Eastern Rite Catholic community in Australia/New Zealand:

Australian and New Zealand Catholics who follow the Chaldean Rite will have their own Oceania eparchy or diocese and bishop, the Holy See announced on Saturday.

The President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Archbishop Philip Wilson, welcomed the creation by Pope Benedict XVI of the Chaldean Eparchy of Oceania with the title of "St Thomas the Apostle of Sydney of the Chaldeans".

The Pope has appointed Archbishop Djibrail Kassab of Bassorah (Basra) in Iraq as the first Bishop of the new Eparchy. Archbishop Kassab will retains his title of Archbishop "ad personam", the Holy See announcement said.

Read more...

Archbishop Djibrail Kassab is one of a kind. He's very energetic when it comes to his church duties. I attended mass at the Sacred Heart Chaldean Church in Baghdad while he was still the parish priest. After I left the country, he became the Archbishop of the Diocese of Basra. Basra is my beloved city of birth and residence for the first 22 years of my life. It's strange how he ended up in Sydney and Basra. The two cities I love the most.

Anyway, he needed this move after years of serving the Chaldean community in Basra during the good and bad times. As they say, Basra's loss is Australia's gain. I wish him luck in his new destination.

Prayer of Reconciliation

The daily news from Iraq has depressed lately. So tonight, I decided to post prayer of reconcilaition:

Life teaches us
that although we try to change others,
realistically we can only attempt
to change ourselves;
yet, so often reconciliation is viewed
in terms of changing other people.

And so I say that for each of us,
reconciliation must take place
first in our own hearts
wherein each of us
confesses and acknowledges
that we have made our own contribution
to any disunity and separation
that to some degree exists among us.

It is my fervent hope and prayer
that we shall receive the gift of healing
and reconciliation and true unity
which is only the Lord’s to give,
and comes simply from our willingness
to open ourselves to receive it.

Source: Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia

Tomorrow is another day. Hopefully, it brings better news from around the world and Iraq.

Has The World Forgotten The Iraqi Christians?

I partially answered this question in my previous post. Iraqi Christians are trying to make their voice heard. Patriarch of the Chaldean Church Emmanuel III Delly has raised the alarm again. AsiaNews reports:

Patriarch Delly,..., talked about the situation in Iraq, which is not good because of "the interference of others in the life of a country which used to be, like Lebanon and Syria, a model of peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims, who lived harmoniously for more than 1,400 years."... In an appeal to Iraq to return to peace and concord, he exhorted all men of goodwill to reinforce their support for its small Christian community.

The report continues with more from Delly:

Delly called for reflection on the forced exodus of many Christians because of persecution and the international community's indifference. "There is the danger that the Middle East, the blessed land of God, will be emptied of its Christian presence," he said. Already 80% have gone away, he continued, appealing for immediate aid to protect this "minority suffering because of the fratricidal war that has afflicted the country for many years".

Read more...

I doubt his words of warning will make a difference. But at least many of us are trying.

Iraqi Christians, The Beginning of The End

Again, I try to bring attention to the plight of the Iraqi Christians. It's the beginning of the end to the this community that existed before Muslims made their way into Iraq. Still, nobody seems to care.

The last two weeks witnessed an extensive campaign to kidnap and rape Iraqi Christians girls. Ankawa Online has been the vocal voice to condemn and report these crimes. AsiaNews is a publication I dearly respect for its continuous coverage of the deterioting situation of the Iraqi Christians. It reports from Baghdad:

Baghdad (AsiaNews) – Young Christian women and girls have been abducted and released after ransom money was paid only to commit suicide because of the shock, violence and shame they experienced....
[...]
Often incidents do not end with the prisoner's release. In one case in Baghdad, the victim committed suicide after the ransom was paid and she went home because of the torture and sexual violence she suffered.

In another case, a young woman talked to her family by phone (the kidnappers allowed her to speak to her family to reassure them that she was alive) and told them: “I'm dead” (referring to being gang raped). She eventually committed suicide whilst still in the hands of her tormenters.

Read more...

Today in Mosul, the Iraqi Orthodox Christian community laid to rest Fr Paulos Eskandar. Fr. Paulos was kidnapped on Sunday. His decapitated body was found yesterday in Mosul. His murder dried my hope that Iraqi Christians can continue to live in Iraq

The list of horrors is long. But, I'm sick and tired of the American left and right wings' ignorance when it comes to this sensational subject. I'll continue to report the situation even if it doesn't make a difference in America. At least, I know my Italian readers are deeply concerned of the difficult situation facing the Iraqi Christians. Your prayers and campaigns mean so much to me.

The Patriot Guard Riders Were In Beaumont

On Sep. 26, Staff Sgt. Edward Charles Reynolds from Port Arthur became another casuality of the war in Iraq. He leaves behind three children and a fiancee'. His second tour was about to finish in November. His wedding was planned for December. But, fate had a different plan for him and his family.

As it's become the custom lately, members of the radical Westboro Baptist Church of Kansas decided to picket Reynold's funeral. Word spread quickly and the Patriot Gaurd Riders headed toward Beaumont to counter protest the WBC. Unlike the WBC members, the Riders understand soldiers' funerals are about the family and honor rather than gay phobia or other issues.

On Saturday morning, more than 200 riders assembled at the parking lot of Home Depot in Beaumont. Most of them drove long hours to be on time for the funeral. Less than 10 WBC members -- including children -- showed up for their picket show.

Mark had the day off. So, we decided to document the Riders preparation and the funeral. Here are some of the pictures I took during the event.





We decided to leave after the arrival of the family during Reynold's funeral service. I felt the family needed some privacy from the cameras.

Oh and BTW, the WBC protesters, who were kept 500 feet from the church premises by state law and troopers, left before the funeral service started. I'm coming to the conclusion their main purpose is to get the media's attention.

The Turkish Hijacker And The Pope

Pope Benedict XVI continues to make the news. This time, it's over the hijacking of a Turkish Airliner by a Turkish Christian convert. The hijacker allegedly wanted to communicate with the Pope by his act of terror. The Sydney Morning Herald reports:

Turkish officials had originally reported as many as four hijackers acting in protest against the Pope's planned trip to Turkey next month. The Pope angered Muslims in a speech last month when he cited a quotation calling Islam "evil and inhuman" and linking the religion to violence.

But it emerged the hijacker was a Christian convert who wanted to avoid military service in Turkey and wrote to the Pope several months ago for help to avoid serving in "a Muslim army".

It gets better from there. The report continues:

"While the chief stewardess entered the cockpit to ask if we needed anything, the terrorist entered by force. I tried to push him out but he was a big man and I failed to stop him," Turkish Airlines captain Mursel Gokalp told reporters in Istanbul.

"He said his only aim was to give a message to the Pope and then he would submit himself to the police. He said that if he failed to deliver his message his three friends at the back of the plane would detonate the plastic bombs they had."

Read more...

Whoever baptized this person should have taught him the peaceful manners of Jesus. How about sending a letter or an e-mail to the Pope? Nooooooo, he have to make a scene of himself and terrorize the passangers on the plane. I guess the Turks are obsessed with Popes.

The Loving Husband

Here's another joke for you. I received it from a friend in the Denmark:

A man and his wife went on vacation to Jerusalem. While they were there, the wife passed away.

The undertaker told him, "You can have her shipped home for ...

$5,000, or you can bury her here in the Holy Land for $150."

The man thought about it and told him he would just have her shipped home.

The undertaker asked, "Why would you spend $5,000 to ship your wife home, when it would be wonderful to be buried here and you would spend only $150?"

The man replied, "Long ago a man died here, was buried here, and three days later he rose from the dead. I just can't take that chance."

Yet Another Case of Corrupted Catholic Priests

As much as I love the Catholic church, I despise criminal priests who pop up here and there. Here's the latest case as reported by The Associated Press:

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. - Two Roman Catholic priests stole millions in offerings and gifts made to their parish over several years, authorities said Thursday.

Monsignor John Skehan, who was pastor at St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church for four decades, was arrested Wednesday night on charges that he stole $8.6 million from the church, using the money to buy property and other assets, investigators said.
[...]
The Rev. Francis Guinan, who succeeded Skehan three years ago, has disappeared and was being sought, authorities said. He is alleged to have stolen an unspecified amount of money to take gambling trips to Las Vegas and the Bahamas.

"Millions of dollars that should have gone to helping the homeless folks or the school itself" didn't, said Amos Rojas Jr., a special agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Read more...

Nothing is going to replace the mistrust and disappointment of the parishioners in their priests. Hopefully, the new priest will be more trustworthy.

Negative People

I'm allergic to negative people. So, I thought to share this dark joke with you as I'm sure many people can relate to it:

This is something to think about when negative people are doing their best to rain on your parade. So remember this story the next time someone who knows nothing and cares less tries to make your life miserable.

A woman was at her hairdresser's getting her hair styled for a trip to Rome with her husband. She mentioned the trip to the hairdresser, who responded, "Rome? Why would anyone want to go there? It's crowded and dirty. You're crazy to go to Rome. So, how are you getting there?"

"We're taking Continental," was the reply, "We got a great rate!"

"Continental?" exclaimed the hairdresser. "That's a terrible airline. Their planes are old, their flight attendants are ugly, and they're always late. So, where are you staying in Rome?"

"We'll be at this exclusive little place over on Rome's Tiber River called Teste."

"Don't go any further. I know that place. Everybody thinks it's gonna be something special and exclusive, but it's really a dump, the worst hotel in the city! The rooms are small, the service is surly, and they're overpriced. So, whatcha' doing when you get there?"

"We're going to go to see the Vatican and we hope to see the Pope."

"That's rich," laughed the hairdresser, "You and a million other people trying to see him. He'll look the size of an ant. Boy, good luck on this lousy trip of yours. You're going to need it."

A month later, the woman again came in for a hairdo. The hairdresser asked her about her trip to Rome.

"It was wonderful," explained the woman, "not only were we on time in one of Continental's brand new planes, but it was overbooked and they bumped us up to first class. The food and wine were wonderful, and I had a handsome 28-year-old steward who waited on me hand and foot."

"And the hotel was great! They'd just finished a $5 million remodeling job and now it's a jewel, the finest hotel in the city. They too were overbooked, so they apologized and gave us their owner's suite at no extra charge!"

"Well," muttered the hairdresser, "that's all well and good, but I know you didn't get to see the Pope."

"Actually, we were quite lucky, because as we toured the Vatican, a Swiss Guard tapped me on the shoulder, and explained that the Pope likes to meet some of the visitors, and if I'd be so kind as to step into his private room and wait, the Pope would personally greet me."

"Sure enough, five minutes later, the Pope walked through the door and shook my hand! I knelt down and he spoke a few words to me."

"Oh really! What'd he say?"

He said, "Where'd you get the shitty hairdo?"

I met people who talk and act like this hairdresser. So, I understand this dark joke very well.

Barry, God And The Bike

I'm sure many of you have been waiting for my response to the outrage by the fanatic Muslims over the Pope's remark.

I have nothing to add to the Pope's remark. The overreaction by Italian nun in Somalia and others, who attacked two churches in Iraq yesterday, should answer any questions in your mind.

My church, the Catholic church, had a black history during the dark ages. It has reformed since then, and I wouldn't want to be anything but a Catholic. It's the universality of the church I like the most.

The best thing about being a Catholic is to enjoy the Catholic jokes. I don't seem to get enough of them. So, here's my come-back Catholic joke. I received it from another Catholic friend today:

Little Barry came into the kitchen where his mother was making dinner. His birthday was coming up and he thought this was a good time to tell his mother what he wanted:

"Mum, I want a bike for my birthday."

Little Barry was a bit of a troublemaker. He had gotten into trouble at school and at home.

Barry's mother asked him if he thought he deserved to get a bike for his birthday.

Little Barry, of course, thought he did.

Barry's mother, being a Christian woman, wanted him to reflect on his behaviour over the last year, and write a letter to God, and tell him why he deserved a bike for his birthday.

Little Barry stomped up the steps to his room and sat down to write God a letter.


LETTER 1:

Dear God,

I have been a very good boy this year and I would like a bike for my birthday. I want a red one.

Your friend, Barry.

Barry knew this wasn't true. He had not been a very good boy this year, so he tore up he letter and started over.


LETTER 2:

Dear God,

This is your friend Barry. I have been a pretty good boy this year, and I would like a red bike for my birthday.

Thank you,

Barry.

Barry knew this wasn't true either. He tore up the letter and started again.


LETTER 3:

Dear God,

I have been an OK boy this year and I would really like a red bike for my birthday.

Your friend,

Barry.

Barry knew he could not send this letter to God either. Barry was very upset. He went downstairs and told his mother he wanted to go to church.

Barry's mother thought her plan had worked because Barry looked very sad.

"Just be home in time for dinner," his mother said.

Barry walked down the street to the church and up to the altar. He looked around to see if anyone was there.

He picked up a statue of the Virgin Mary, He slipped it under his shirt and ran out of the church, down the street, into his house, and up to his room.

He shut the door to his room and sat down with a piece of paper and a pen. Barry began to write his letter to God.


LETTER 4:

I'VE GOT YOUR MUM.

IF YOU WANT TO SEE HER AGAIN,

SEND THE BLOODY BIKE

Have a nice day everyone.

Cross-blogged on Fayrouz In Beaumont

A Thank You Prayer

I am back from my much-needed break. I missed blogging and I'd like to return with a nice prayer I received from a friend:

Dear Lord,

I thank You for this day. I thank You for my being able to see and to hear this morning. I'm blessed because You are a forgiving God and an understanding God. You have done so much for me and You keep on blessing me. Forgive me this day for everything I have done, said or thought that was not pleasing to you.

I ask now for Your forgiveness. Please keep me safe from all danger and harm. Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind so that I can hear from You. Please broaden my mind that I can accept all things. Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over. And It's the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits.

I know that when I can't pray, You listen to my heart. Continue to use me to do Your will. Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others. Keep me strong that I may help the weak. Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others.

Amen

I need to warm up my thoughts before I can get back to speed. Sorry if you expected a more complicated post after my break :-(

It's Time For An Autumn Break

I'm taking a week off until my 40th birthday. Yes, I'm turning 40 in 10 days and it does feel good. I'm also starting a new and challenging job in few days. So, I definitely need a break from blogging.

I wish you enough until we meet again.

Release Father Saad Petition

UPDATE:
Fr. Saad Sirop has been freed. Thank you for the people who prayed for him and/or signed the petition.

---

NOTE: This post will stay at the top until Fr. Saad Sirop is hopefully released by his kidnappers. Please, scroll down for new posts.



Read the latest developments.
Sign the petition.

A Morning Prayer

This is another day O Lord.

I know not what it will bring forth,
but make me ready, Lord,
for whatever it may be.

If I am to stand up,
help me to stand bravely.

If I am to sit still,
help me to sit quietly.

If I am to lie low,
help me to do it patiently.

And if I am to do nothing,
help me do it gallantly.

Make these words more than words,
and give me the Spirit of Jesus.

Amen.

---

Book of Common Prayer

The Brain's God Spot

I admire the curiosity of scientists. Their latest interest in God spot is very interesting:

There is no specific area of the brain that mediates Christian mystical experiences, researchers say, following a study of 15 Canadian nuns.

A University of Montreal team found Christian mystical experiences are mediated by several brain regions.

Researchers asked 15 nuns to recount mystical experiences while studying them on MRI scanners, the journal, Neuroscience Letters reported.

Did they think a nun's brain has a blinking prayer spot? Blink blink, I'm praying. Can't you see the green light in my brain?

Fr Stephen Wang, a Catholic priest teaching at Allen Hall Seminary in London, has some words to those researchers:

"These brain studies can give us fascinating insights into how the human body and mind and spirit inter-connect, but they should not make us think that prayer and religious experience are just an activity in the brain.

"True Christian mysticism is an encounter with the living God. We meet him in the depths of our souls.

"It is an experience that goes far beyond the normal boundaries of human psychology and consciousness."

Exactly how I see it. I wonder what's next for the curious scientists!!! Do we have a soul?

The Diminished Iraqi-Jewish Community

I was always interested in the plight of Iraqi and Arab Jews. Then came the exodus of the Iraqi Christians from Iraq, which started after the American invasion of Iraq in 2003.

I find similarities between the exodus of the two communities from a land they inhabited for thousands of years. I started to read any article related to the Iraqi and Arab Jews. I wanted to learn how they coped with their exodus.

According to Wikipedia [Via Mideast Youth], 135,000-140,000 Iraqi Jews lived in Iraq by the year 1948. By 2001, that number was down to 200. According to a recent article on Kuwait Times, very few Iraqi Jews still live in Iraq:

BAGHDAD: In his worn sandals and grey spotted shirt 82-year-old Abu Brahim-one of the last Jews in Baghdad, perhaps the last-seems tired but undaunted by the violence raging around him. "They came to take me away three years ago and wanted me to leave," said Brahim, explaining that well-wishers had wanted to evacuate him to safety in the chaos following the fall of Saddam Hussein. Old, but wiry and alert, Brahim remains determined to stay put. "Why should I leave? Why change? I always lived here. I do not want to shift," said Brahim.

According to the report, there's a synagogue in Baghdad that was built in 1942. I honestly never heard of the synagogue when I lived in Iraq. Kuwait Times has more details on the status of the synagogue:

Baghdad's main synagogue, standing behind a high beige brick wall, is located on a commercial street perpendicular to a large artery of the capital. It was built in 1942, according to an inscription on the front wall.

An Iraqi Shiite has the keys to the temple, and looks after it discreetly, but refuses to unlock it to visitors. "I have clear instructions. Nobody enters it. No movement inside," he stressed, refusing to give his name, and clearly both frightened and annoyed by the sudden visit of an AFP correspondent. Brahim does not need to go to the synagogue these days in any case. "There are no more prayers there. First there were people who came, but now perhaps there are still some Jews in Baghdad. I do not know. I do not see them any more," said Brahim,

This is very sad. Very soon I'll say the same about the few Iraqi Christians who continue to live in Baghdad, Basra and other troubled parts of Iraq.

Just a Joke: The Catholic Squirrels

There were three country churches in a small Texas town: The Presbyterian Church, the Methodist Church and the Catholic Church. Each church was overrun with pesky squirrels.

One day, the Presbyterian Church called a meeting to decide what to do about the squirrels. After much prayer and consideration they determined that the squirrels were predestined to be there and they shouldn't interfere with God's divine will.

The Methodist Church got together and decided that they were not in a position to harm any of God's creation. So, they humanely trapped the Squirrels and set them free a few miles outside of town. Three days later, the squirrels were back.

But -- The Catholic Church came up with the best and most effective solution. They baptized the squirrels and registered them as members of the church. Now they only see them on Christmas and Easter

Catholic Diocese of Biloxi, Mississippi, One Year After Hurricane Katrina

It's true that New Orleans suffered the most from Hurricane Katrina. It's also true that Biloxi, Miss. suffered the same fate as New Orleans. But, it rarely gets any media attention. The Catholic Explorer has this update on the status of Biloxi and its Catholic diocese:

Bishop Rodi offered an update on the progress of recovery in the 9,653 square miles of his diocese. He said, "Things are certainly not back to normal. A tremendous amount of work has been done to remove debris, gut flooded buildings and repair the buildings that survived. The rebuilding of what was destroyed has only begun."

The damage to homes and personal property is overwhelming and it has taken a priority in the rebuilding efforts. But the mission diocese, comprised of 70,000 Catholics before the hurricane, is still struggling to deal with the hard decisions that have to be made about the 428 of 433 church-owned properties that were destroyed or seriously damaged and is burdened by the fact that insurance only covered half of the $70 million worth of damage to buildings.

Then comes the best part:

Despite the overpowering odds, Bishop Rodi seemed positive about the future of his diocese. He stated, "Although there continues to be frustration with the pace of recovery, there continues to be a positive and optimistic spirit among the people here in Mississippi. There is a strong 'can-do' spirit. We know that the next few years may be very tough, but we are convinced that good times lie ahead."

I pray that Biloxi and New Orleans don't get hit by another monstrous hurricane. Those two places need time to recover from Hurricane Katrina's destruction. They can't take another hit again this year.

A Tasting For Some Other Place

On Tuesday evening, the Beaumont Civic Center buzzed with people who came to taste the delicious food made by different organizations and churches for the annual "A Tasting For Some Other Place." The proceeds from the event go to Some Other Place. The Beaumont Enterprise states:

Some Other Place - an ecumenical mission that provides food, clothing and household goods as well as financial assistance for rent, medications and utilities for the indigent in Southeast Texas.

This was my first time to attend the event. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the spirit of good will and giving. I didn't taste any of the food because I was busy making photographs to document the event for this blog.

Kidnapped Iraqi Chaldean Catholic Priest Saad Sirop

UPDATE Sep. 11, 2006
Fr. Saad Sirop has been freed. Thank you for the people who prayed for him and/or signed the petition.

---

UPDATE Sep. 10, 2006
Chaldean Patriarch Emmanuel Delly met with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani on Sep 6, 2006 to discuss the case of Fr. Sirop. President Talabani condemned the kidnapping of Fr. Sirop and urged his kidnappers to release him.

We don't know who kidnapped Fr. Sirop. So, I'm not sure the message will make much difference. Please, continue to pray for the safe return of Fr. Sirop.

---

UPDATE Sep. 7, 2006
Luigia Storti from Pastoral Migrants Office of the Archdiocese of Torino, Italy sent me this information:

I take the chance now to notify you that on the 15 of September (19.00-20.00 p.m.) a special celebration will be held for Father Saad Sirop in San Rocco Church in Turin (Italy) where a special Mass for him was celebrated on the 16 of August, just one day after his kidnapping.

We all hope it will be a celebration to thank God for his release.

I hope my Italian readers get to attend the mass. Please, continue to keep Fr. Saad Sirop in your prayers.

---

UPDATE Sep. 5, 2006
On Aug. 21, MIR-Riconciliazione and Archdiocese of Turin Pastoral Migrants Office started a petition for the release of Fr. Saad Sirop.

Please, read the petition and sign it here. Thanks.

---

UPDATE Sep. 4, 2006
The Associated Press reports some encouraging news:

ROME The Chaldean Patriarch of Baghdad said Saturday he had spoken on the phone with a priest who was kidnapped earlier this month in the Iraqi capital, who told him a week ago that he was well but still in the hands of his captors.

Patriarch Emmanuel Delly told the Italian missionary news agency MISNA, however, that the kidnappers had assured him at the end of his conversation last Saturday that they would release the priest immediately, but he had heard nothing since.

Read more...

At least we know he's still alive. Let's pray for his safe return.

---

UPDATE AUG. 23, 2006
As I expected, the kidnapping incident has scared Iraqi Christians who still live in Iraq. Zenit reports:

Last week's kidnapping at gunpoint of a Chaldean priest in Baghdad has sent shock waves throughout the Christian community in Iraq.
[...]
For his part, Archbishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk, in northeastern Iraq, implored on television for the priest's release. Subsequently, during an interview with Aid to the Church in Need, he commented on the distress that the incident has caused in the Christian community.

"Christians are living in a panic and they are terrified of more attacks on their priests and their churches," the archbishop said.

"When a priest is kidnapped, the Christian community takes it very seriously because he is such an important religious symbol," he explained.
[...]
The archbishop described Baghdad as "a jail" from which people are desperate to escape.

Read more...

More people were leaving the country after this incident. It's very sad to see this small community shrinking dramatically.

---

UPDATE AUG. 22, 2006
At least we know that Fr. Sirop is still alive. Reuters reports:

ROME, Aug 22 (Reuters) - The Catholic Church in Iraq has received a ransom demand for a priest who was kidnapped in Baghdad, Rome-based Catholic news agency Misna said on Tuesday.

"They want money," Misna quoted Emmanuel Delly, the patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, as saying.

The agency said the kidnappers of the priest, Saad Syrop Hanna, had telephoned the Church to make their demands and had said he was in good health.

Read more...

I hope this ordeal will have a happy ending.

---

ORIGINAL POST AUG. 19, 2006
On the 15th of Aug., Fr. Sirop was kidnapped in Al-Doura suburb of Baghdad. Since then the Iraqi Chaldean church around the world has pleaded to the kidnappers for his release and safe return to his church and community. Zenit reports:

Father Saad Sirop of St. Jacob parish in Baghdad's Doura district was on his way home Tuesday from celebrating Mass in the parish church when his car was stopped by three masked armed men who forced him into their car.

In statements on Vatican Radio today, Monsignor Philippe Najem of the patriarchate said that it was still not known who kidnapped the young priest, who was planning to continue his studies in Rome.

Chaldean Patriarch Emmanuel III Delly, held a meeting with the Iraqi Prime Minister to try to find ways for Father Sirop's release.

The Iraqi Islamic Party, which represents Sunnis in the Iraqi Parliament, condemned the kidnapping.

"The Catholic Church suffers very much and daily, as the rest of the Iraqi people, who also suffer because of the lack of what is indispensable to live: water, electricity, hospital and health services, and especially security," said Monsignor Najem.

Read more...

Ankawa Online put a special section for the development in Fr. Sirop kidnapping case. Sorry for non-Arabic speakers. I wish I have the time to translate every article for you.

Please, keep Fr. Sirop in your prayers.

The Deacon and the Preacher

There once was this deacon and this preacher, and they had been friends for a long time. One day the deacon got sick and was put in the hospital, so the preacher decided to go and see his old friend.

When he walked into the hospital room, the preacher noticed all the hoses and medical equipment attached to the deacon. The preacher walked over and kneeled by the bed and asked, ''How ya doing?''

The deacon motioned at a pad and pen on the nightstand. ''You want that?'' the preacher asked him, and the deacon nodded his head yes. So the preacher handed his friend the pad and pen and the deacon began to write. All of a sudden the deacon died.

At his funeral, the preacher was asked to deliver the service. ''He was a good man and I'll never forget him,'' the preacher said, ''I was with him when he died and as a matter of fact I have his last thought in my coat pocket here.''

The preacher reaches into his pocket and pulls out the paper. ''Please, get up! You're kneeling on my oxygen hose!''


Source: Comedy Central

The Greek Hunt For a Stolen Icon of Mother Mary

I can't believe someone would steal an icon from a monastery in Greece. I guess I'm a bit naive when it comes to the minds of thieves. The BBC News reports:

A major police operation is under way in southern Greece to try to find a team of burglars who stole one of the country's leading religious icons.

The icon of the Virgin Mary, at the monastery of Elona, symbolised Greek freedom during a 19th-Century campaign to expel the Turkish Ottoman empire.

Police are working on the theory that the thieves hid inside the monastery when it closed to the public.

They are then thought to have been lowered by rope into the sanctuary.

Read more...

I hope Mother Mary helps bring back the icon to the monastery. For the thieves, I hope you don't find a restful moment in your life until you return the icon.

An Irish Friendship Wish

May there always be work for your hands to do.
May your purse always hold a coin or two.
May the sun always shine on your windowpane.
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

Daughter's Prayer

It's time for another joke:

A family was having some people to dinner. At the table, the mother turned to her six-year-old daughter and said, "Dear, would you like to say the blessing?"

"I wouldn't know what to say," replied the little girl, shyly.

"Just say what you hear Mommy say, sweetie," the woman said.

Her daughter took a deep breath, bowed her head, and solemnly said, "Dear Lord, why the hell did I invite all these people to dinner!?!"


Source: Comedy Central

Egyptian Authorities Silences a Coptic Blogger

Almost everyone knows the Egyptian Copts are not happy with their situation in Egypt. They have been harassed lately by different parties. Some of the Copts took their frustration to the blogsphere. But, the government doesn't want them to use this window and let the world know of their ordeal. Egyptian Coptic blogger Hala Helmy Botros couldn't take it anymore and deleted all her posts. The government managed to silence her voice. Reporters Without Borders reports:

Reporters Without Borders today condemned the months of harassment by the authorities in Qina (near Luxor, in central Egypt) that forced Hala Helmy Botros to close down her blog Aqbat Bela Hodood (Copts Without Borders) about the persecution of the Christian Coptic minority, and to stop writing on this subject for other websites.

Botros, 42, who wrote under the pseudonym of Hala El-Masry, is now the target of a judicial investigation and is banned from leaving the country.

"We are outraged by the practices used by the Egyptian authorities to intimidate and silence Botros," Reporters Without Borders said. "With relations between Christians and Muslims off-limits in the traditional media, all she did was write posts on the Internet about the fate of the Coptic minority. It is unacceptable that freedom of expression and movement should be restricted in this fashion. We insist that the authorities guarantee Botros' basis rights."

Read more...

Blogs have caught the attention of the Egyptian government during the last two years. A few bloggers were arrested and released after spending a "not very pleasant" time in prison. Hala is the latest victim of the government harassments.

Happy 25th Anniversary to EWTN

I grew up in the Middle East having limited access to the Catholic media. Now that I live in the States, having a Catholic TV channel feels really good. EWTN Catholic channel may not be a state-of-the-art TV channel, but it's informative enough for me and others.

This month, the channel celebrates its 25th anniversary. Thanks to the efforts of Mother Angelica. Lincoln Journal Star reports:

IRONDALE, Ala. — Twenty-five years ago, Mother Mary Angelica had a vision for Eternal Word Television Network, a channel offering nothing but Roman Catholic programming. She had little more than faith, $200 and a garage to use as a studio.

Now EWTN Global Catholic Network is available in 127 countries and more than 118 million households, and is capping a celebration of its founding in 1981. With viewers from Illinois to India, the satellite channel has grown to include radio and the Internet, and bills itself as the largest religious media network in the world.
[...]
Still based at its original campus in a hilly suburb, EWTN has long had the blessing of the Vatican. And while critics alternately accuse EWTN of being too conservative or too liberal, it prides itself on sticking to the leadership of both Pope John Paul II and his successor, Pope Benedict XVI.

Read more...

The fact that it's been attacked by liberals and conservatives means its views are moderate. I'm sure other people would agree with me.

---

Mother Angelica:
The Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve, and a Network of Miracles

Prayer To Our Mother of Perptual Help

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To you do I come; before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy, hear and answer me. Amen!

-- St. Bernard

Beaumont's St. Anthony Cathedral To Become a Basilica

I woke up this morning to some exciting news from the Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI has granted the beautiful St. Anthony Cathedral in Beaumont a minor Basilica status. The Beaumont Enterprise reports:

Pope Benedict has granted St. Anthony Cathedral in Beaumont minor basilica status, joining only three other Texas churches with that designation, according to a news release.

"This is an honor and a blessing not only for our Catholics, but also for all the people of Southeast Texas," Bishop Curtis Guillory said in a news release. "Many have come to the cathedral for worship, especially in times of crisis like 9-11 and Hurricane Rita, and for special ecumenical services."

The basilica status means the Vatican recognizes the cathedral's artistic and historical significance as well as its importance in the liturgical and pastoral ministry of the Beaumont Catholic Diocese.

"This beautiful designation links us even more closely to the Chair of Peter," Guillory said. "Basilica comes from a Greek word meaning 'hall of the King.' This is the place where our King and Savior, Christ, is worshiped."

Read more...

And, here are some pictures of the Basilica:


Mark M. Hancock
© The Beaumont Enterprise


Mark M. Hancock
© The Beaumont Enterprise

Iraqi Christians And The Dark Future

I'm always asked how many Iraqi Christians lived in Iraq before the American invasion and how many of them still live in Iraq. Chaldean Catholic Auxiliary Bishop Andreos Abouna of Baghdad has the answer. Catholic News Service reports:

LONDON (CNS): Half of all Iraqi Christians have fled their country since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, said the auxiliary bishop of Baghdad.

Chaldean Catholic Auxiliary Bishop Andreos Abouna of Baghdad said that before the invasion there were about 1.2 million Christians in the predominantly Shiite Muslim state. Since then the overall number has dropped to about 600,000, he said.

"What we are hearing now is the alarm bell for Christianity in Iraq," the bishop said. "When so many are leaving from a small community like ours, you know that it is dangerous - dangerous for the future of the church in Iraq."
[...]
He added that many Christians remaining in Iraq were either too poor, old or sick to leave....

Read more...

If my relatives are any indication of how many Iraqi Christians will stay in Iraq in the near future, I'd say NOT many families.

Leaving the country isn't always the hardest step. Trying to find a refuge in another country proves to be the hardest step in establishing their new lives.

Last June, I wrote that an estimated 6,000 Iraqi Christians live in Lebanon. Now that all hell broke between Israel and Hizbollah, that haven has become hell for those refugees. According to IRIN, some of these families have returned to Iraq:

BAGHDAD, 31 July (IRIN) - Dozens of Iraqis who fled Lebanon after the Israeli offensive began on 12 July have now reached the Iraqi capital, Baghdad and urgently need assistance, Iraqi officials said.

"They [the Iraqis] have lost everything they had and now depend on assistance from relatives, most of whom are living in poverty," said Diyar Salushi, a senior official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
[...]
"I thank Lebanon for helping us during the three years that I was there with my family," said Carlo Yacari, 42, an Iraqi Christian who was living in Beirut. "But we cannot tolerate more destruction and violence, and we now will work hard to leave to a European country where at least we will be far from the sounds of explosions and bombardments."

Read more...

I don't think Europe is going to accept many Iraqi-Christian refugees. It's not as easy as they might think. Ankawa Online's correspondent in Germany reports that a German court ruled in favor of the foreign and political refugees office to deport all Iraqi-Christian refugees from Germany. The court ruled that those refugees don't have the legal right to stay in Germany. The judge believes Iraqi Christians who face danger in parts of Iraq can move to Kurdistan where Kurds and Iraqi Christians maintain a good relationship. Nice logic judge!!!

Other countries are not more welcoming than Germany. So what's the solution for this minority when faced with such rejection? Absolutely NOTHING. We were always told by our clergymen in Iraq to pray during difficult times. We continue to pray. I sometimes think God is tired of our prayers, or he doesn't live in Iraq anymore.


Cross-blogged on Fayrouz In Beuamont

Madonna And The Crucifixion

It looks like the Queen of Shock is at it again. The Material Girl has brought her Confessions Tour to Rome. She even invited the Pope as the guest of honor at the Rome concert.

Madonna lives to shock people with her acts. I honestly believe she does it for the fun of it more than the money. So, I'm not surprised with the 2006 Madonna. After all, she's the Material Girl. Any shock that brings more ticket sales and pisses off many people, she'll be all over it.

The Washington Times reports:

Vatican officials have suggested Madonna -- the U.S. pop singer, that is -- should be excommunicated for re-enacting the crucifixion in her new stage show.

Madonna is scheduled to bring her Confessions Tour to Rome this Sunday, complete with the scene in which she wears a crown of thorns and appears to be hung on a cross, The Telegraph reports.

Cardinal Ersilio Tonino called the scene "an act of open hostility."

"It is nothing short of a scandal and an attempt to generate publicity," he added.

Read more...

That's EXACTLY why she's doing it. As for ex-communicating her, is she still a Catholic? I thought she left Catholicism a long time ago.

The Jesuit, The Dominican and Smoking

A Jesuit and a Dominican were on retreat. Both are struggling to give up smoking and the effort is distracting them from their prayer, so they decide to seek guidance from their spiritual directors.

The next day, the Dominican notices the Jesuit in the garden with his Bible, happily smoking, so he asks if the Jesuit had spoken to his spiritual director about the matter. The Jesuit replied that he had, and it had been very helpful.

The Dominican responded that he was surprised to see the Jesuit smoking because his own spiritual director had forbidden him to smoke while praying.

The Jesuit replied that his spiritual director had thought it a good thing to pray even while smoking.


Source: Mission and Spirituality News

The Vatican's 24/7 Switchboard

I didn't know the vatican has a 24/7 switchboard and they aren't thinking of outsourcing it. That gives them more points in my books. Catholic News Service reports:

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Even though it receives almost 2,000 calls a day, the Vatican is not about to outsource its small team of switchboard operators to answering machines or the labyrinth of automated phone menus.
[...]
"There are people who are a little crazy and call at 2 a.m. to do nothing but rant and rave, and there are others who call for help," said Brother Andrea Mellini, head of the Vatican's telecommunications service.
[...]
About a dozen nuns who are members of the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master work the switchboards 24 hours a day in six-hour shifts. They come from such countries as South Korea, Malta, Poland, Italy, India, Philippines and Brazil, and they speak a myriad of languages.

Read more...

The report states that you can't be transferred to the Pope. His apartment phone number is private and very few people has access to the number. So, don't bother the nuns with your insistence on wanting to talk to the Pope.

Nuns Chased a Suspected Thief

I love nuns' stories. They're almost always full with action. Here's the latest story from the Netherlands:

Two Dutch nuns, wearing habits and riding bikes, chased a suspected thief through Amsterdam, police said Monday.

On Saturday evening, one of the sisters believed she recognized a man walking past their chapel in southern Amsterdam as a thief who had snatched hundreds of euros in cash from the building two weeks earlier, Amsterdam police spokesman Rob van der Veen said.
She invited him inside for a drink and asked a fellow nun to alert police.

The thief got suspicious of their act and tried to run. That wasn't a problem for the nuns as the report states:

"The nuns then grabbed their bikes and gave chase. They tried to grab him, but he managed to escape into a residential neighborhood and they lost him," Van der Veen said. Police hunted for the man in the neighborhood but could not find him.

Read more...

As I always say, "Don't mess with nuns because they'll mess with you."

The Honorable Homeless Man

If you believe there are "no good people" left in this world, the following story may change your mind:

DETROIT - A homeless man who returned $21,000 worth of saving bonds he found in a trash bin is finding out how much honesty can pay off.

Charles Moore, 59, had been searching for returnable bottles last week when he came across the 31 U.S. savings bonds. He turned them in to a homeless shelter, where a staff member tracked down the family of the man who had owned them.

For his good deed, the bond owner’s son gave Moore $100, but residents around Michigan and in other states decided his action merited a more generous reward.

So far, Moore has received over $4,000.

Read more...

As Jesus said in his Sermon on the Mount:

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall posses the land.

Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who follow Moore's example.

A Worldwide Day of Prayers For Peace In The Middle East

With the war between Israel and Hizbollah continuing to destroy the lives of innocent civilians from both sides, the Pope has called for a worldwide day of prayers for peace in the Middle East. The Associated Press reports:

LES COMBES, Italy -- Pope Benedict XVI said Friday that he does not plan to intervene diplomatically in the Middle East fighting, but called on people of all religions to join Sunday's worldwide day of prayers for peace.

"I think it is best to leave that to the diplomats, because we don't enter politics. But we do everything for peace. Our goal is simply peace, and we will do everything to help attain peace," Benedict told reporters as he returned from an hour-long hike in the Italian Alps.

The pope has set aside Sunday as a worldwide day of prayers for peace, hoping the prayers will bring a halt to the fighting.

Benedict invited everyone to pray "especially Muslims and Jews."

Read more...

Please, remember the civilians caught in the middle of this war in your prayers.

Stem-Cell Conference At The Vatican

With the stem-cell research debate heating up in America, it's good to know the Vatican is open-minded to this debate. It even sponsored a conference to discuss this important issue:

By The Universe: A new scientific conference sponsored by the World Federation of Catholic Medical organisations and the Office of the Roman Curia is expected to reveal that Embryonic Stem Cell research is light years away from providing the medical benefits that can be achieved through non-embryonic stem cell research.

Speakers to the conference, which will be held in Rome in September, will present their findings and may also be granted an audience with Pope Benedict. Professor of Regenerative Medicine at Newcastle University Dr Colin McGuckin, who will be speaking about his own research into using the possibilities offered by stem cell research said that by using cord blood from new-born babies, people in need of organ transplants could benefits greatly from the research, which has been developed over the past 15 years in the UK.

"This is better for humanity," he said.

It's definilely better for humanity. Science is what keeps me closer to God and never made me run away from him.

He then adds:

"There are not enough embryonic stem cells available to provide the right tissue type for everyone. But with 100 million babies born every year we have a vast supply of cord blood stem cells, which should be able to provide enough tissue for everyone.

"Embryonic stem cell research cannot compete with the benefits of cord blood."

He added: "As I understand it, as a Catholic, we are into forgiveness and understanding and also as a scientist, I promote what I feel is a workable stem cell group - cord blood stem cells. It is not my place to advise the church on policy, but rather to explain to them what the alternatives are and what can be realistically be done with cord blood - which is already a lot."

Read more...

With constructive debate, we can reach a middle ground that would benefit millions of people who are waiting for an advancement in this field of science to cure their diseases.

Three People Killed In City of Nazareth

The confrontation between Israel and Hizbollah took another mad turn today. A Hizbollah's rocket hit the city of Nazareth in Israel. The attack resulted in the death of three Arabs:

JERUSALEM — A Hezbollah rocket slammed into a building Wednesday in the mainly Arab city of Nazareth, killing three people, including two children, Israeli authorities said.
[...]
Nazareth, in northern Israel, is revered as the Galilee town where Jesus was raised and it is filled with churches. It is about 19 miles from the Lebanese border.

The Basilica of the Annunciation, the largest basilica in the Middle East, towers over the town center. Its stands on the site where Christians believe the angel Gabriel appeared before Mary and told her of the coming birth of Jesus.

Read more...

Keep it up both sides. Keep destroying the land you both claim God has given to you and ONLY you. I bet God is so impressed by you these days.

God and TV Commercials

God is like BAYER ASPIRIN. He works miracles.

God is like a FORD. He's got a better idea.

God is like COKE. He's the real thing.

God is like HALLMARK CARDS. He cares enough to send His very best.

God is like TIDE. He gets the stains out that others leave behind.

God is like GENERAL ELECTRIC. He brings good things to life.

God is like SEARS. He has everything.

God is like ALKA-SELTZER. Try him, you'll like Him!

God is like SCOTCH TAPE. You can't see him, but you know He's there.

God is like DELTA. He's ready when you are.

God is like ALLSTATE. You're in good hands with Him.

God is like VO-5 Hair Spray. He holds through all kinds of weather.

God is like DIAL SOAP. Aren't you glad you have Him? Don't you wish everybody did?

God is like the U.S. POST OFFICE. Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet nor ice will keep Him from His appointed destination.


-- Author Unknown

Iraqi Christians Taking Refuge In Cemeteries

It's hard to leave your home and start a new life in a different city. It's even harder when you seek refuge in a cemetery. That's the status of some Iraqi Christians who fled the violence in Baghdad to more peaceful parts of the country, mainly Kurdistan. AFP reports:

(AFP) -- "We don't have any choice," says a squatter gesturing to the new home he has made for his family in a Christian cemetery in Iraqi Kurdistan, after fleeing violence-plagued Baghdad.

"We are afraid of the snakes and scorpions, especially with the children, but it's better than sleeping without a roof," says Imad Matti who has just moved his wife and children into the Inkawa necropolis outside the Kurdish regional capital of Arbil.

Iraq and the rest of the world are rightly worried about Shiite and Sunni Muslims forced to flee their homes around the country because of raging communal violence.

But the exodus of Christians from the capital, which Kurdish officials say has seen 70 families arrive in Inkawa in recent weeks, has not received the same attention.

Read more...

I doubt this minority will get reasonable attention from the media. Such reports aren't interesting for readers of most media outlets. So, why bother report them regularly as it's the case with the conflict between Sunni and Shia. My respect to the media is decreasing by the day.

Four-leaf Shamrock (Clover)

For this year's St. Patrick's Day, Mark bought me two small shamrock (clover) plants. As we all know it's a three-leaf plant. The chances of finding a four-leaf clover is 1 in 10,000 clovers.

Yesterday, we noticed that the green shamrock we kept in our balcony has grown two four-leaf clovers. Mark grabbed the camera and took a beautiful picture of the plant to keep as a memory.


© Mark M. Hancock


I searched the internet for the meaning of a four-leaf clover. I found the following poem by American poet Ella Higginson:

I know a place where the sun is like gold
and the cherries bloom forth in the snow;
And down underneath is the loveliest place,
Where the four-leaf clovers grow.

One leaf is for FAITH,
And one is for HOPE,
And one is for LOVE you know;
And GOD put another in for LUCK:
If you search you will find where they grow.

But you must have FAITH,
And you must have HOPE,
You must LOVE and be strong and so...
If you work and you wait,
You will find the place
Where the FOUR-LEAF CLOVERS grow!

We're very happy in Beaumont. So this could be a message for us to stay in this city for the rest of our lives. However, I doubt it considering how life has forced me to change cities so many times.

A Chinese Bishop Arrested While In Hospital

As you probably know freedom of religion is very limited in China among other limitations. The Chinese underground Catholic Church suffers continuously from these restrictions. Here's the latest:

A 72-year-old bishop in China's underground Catholic Church was detained when authorities took him from a hospital as he was recovering from surgery, a US-based group said yesterday.

Bishop Jia Zhiguo (賈志國) was detained on June 25 by officials from the religious affairs bureau in Jinzhou, a city in northern Hebei Province, said the Cardinal Kung Foundation, which is based in Stamford, Connecticut.

The foundation said Jia might have been detained to prevent him from contacting a Vatican delegation that was in Beijing to discuss possible diplomatic relations between the communist government and the Holy See.

Read more...

This is the country that's on its way to become a superpower. Wonderful!!!

Becoming a Refugee

I was supposed to publish the following poem on World Refugee Day. Still, it's a very powerful poem no matter what day of the year it's read. The poem was published last month in St. Anthony Messenger. 14-year-old Deng Duot, a Sudanese refugee, presented this poem during the 2004 World Refugee Day commemorations in Ethiopia:


The actual moment,
Of Exile,
Is like an illness.
You are ill,
With rage.

To each family,
It means closing the door,
On friends, culture, your native country.

One year is an exile,
Compared to ten years.

Ten years,
Means nothing,
In the history of the country.

But for a human being,
Is a long time.
For a child,
A life time.
Some of us,
We're born in Ethiopian camps.

Peace is 'round the corner,
What I call home,
Will still be,
Another exile.
Because,
I don't know home.

What an irony,
To become a refugee.