"Jacob [was] the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus Who is called the Messiah" (Matthew 1: 16).

 3/12/17, Solemnity of Saint Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 

• "Pope Francis on Sunday recalled the Beatification of Joseph Mayr-Nusser, which took place the day before in the Italian city of Bolsano. Blessed Joseph, as the Holy Father noted, was a layman, the father of a family and a promoter of Catholic Action. In 1944, Mayr-Nusser refused to take the so-called 'Hitler oath' after he was drafted into the German army. He was subsequently sentenced to death, and died on the way to Dachau concentration camp; he is honoured as a martyr by the Church" (Vatican Radio, 3/19/17). 

 

• Click here to review the federal positions backed by our bishops.  On the right side of the home page is a link to send a combined email to the offices of Pa's congressional delegation, regarding those positions.

• Tell Bob Casey not to block the nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court --corrected number (Pa Pro Life Federation, 3/17/17)

• Click here to review the state positions backed by the Pa Catholic Conference, the Pro-Life Coalition of Pennsylvania and/or the Pa Pro Life Federation.  On the right side of the home page is a link to send a combined email to Bucks County's representatives and senators in Harrisburg, regarding those positions.
• With regard to the dismemberment abortion ban [cf, Pa Catholic Conference, Pa Pro Life Federation], the Pro Life Coalition of Pa tells us that "The Pa. House likely has a veto proof majority (of 136 votes) to pass S.B.3.  However, the Pa. House leaders have not yet committed to run S.B.3....the Pa. House's passage of H.B.77 and failure to pass S.B.3 will likely result in a stalemate in which no pro-life legislation is sent to Gov. Wolf because the Pa. Senate refuses to run H.B.77 and the Pa. House refuses to run S.B.3....Please contact Speaker Turzai and Rep. Baker, and urge them to run S.B.3 in the Pa. House and not H.B.77." 

• Act now to stop assisted suicide (Diocese of Trenton, 11/4/16)

• Boycott Target and boycotts/actions from America Needs Fatima and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation

Catholic Medical Ethics and Our Need to be Authentic Witnesses to the Sanctity of Human Life

• On the right side of the home page is a link to email USCCB President Cardinal DiNardo, USCCB Pro Life Chair Cardinal Dolan, USCCB Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth Chair Archbishop Chaput, and National Catholic Bioethics Center President John Haas, PhD, STL.

Say, Hasn't the Church Already Said a Few Things about Marriage/Family/Sexuality? (1/29/17)

• Marriage Unique for a Reason (USCCB, 3/3/17) 

• "The confessor does not do his own will and he does not teach his own doctrine. He is called to do always and only the will of God, in full communion with the Church, of which he is minister, that is, servant....the Confessional is place of evangelization and, therefore, of formation....To hear confessions is a pastoral priority. Please, let there not be those notices: 'Confessions are heard only on Mondays and Wednesdays from this hour to that hour.' You hear confessions every time they are requested. And if you are there [in the Confessional] praying, keep the Confessional open, which is God’s open heart" (Pope Francis, 3/17/17)

• NaPro-TECHNOLOGY, New Hope in Infertility

Catholic Social Teaching

• "The United States mustn’t cut foreign aid while conflicts, famines, and a worldwide refugee crisis rage, Catholic leaders are insisting" (EWTN News / CNA, 3/19/17)

• On our duty to welcome the stranger (Archbishop Chaput, 3/17/17) 
  
  
• "The Report of the Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, as well as other sources, depict all too well the disastrous situation that  continues to unfold after more than six  years of violence: hundreds of thousands of victims and wounded; family-life disrupted; infrastructure, houses, schools, hospitals, and places of worship wrecked; entire cities ravaged; malnutrition and inadequate medical care. This is the grim reality that the Syrian people face every day....my delegation wishes to emphasize that the dignity inherent in every human person must take every precedence over power and revenge.  The unjust suffering of the innocent victims of this senseless slaughter should motivate all involved parties to engage in a serious dialogue and to work towards a future of peace and justice" (Holy See to the Human Rights Council of the United Nations on Syria, 3/14/17).