in Pennsylvania's First Congressional District
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania's_1st_congressional_district http://archphila.org/pastplan/MAPS/Arch.pdf
and the Central Garden State

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

"So He went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee." (2/4/18)

 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time (2/4/18

  • Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest (1/31/18)
  • Abortion Ban: Senate Vote Fails to Pass Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (National Review, 1/29/18) - but both Casey and Toomey voted the right way!
  • Patrick Meehan will not seek re-election after harassment settlement (Fox61, 1/28/18)
  • Some 2018 Events for Honoring Marriage/Family/Sexuality and God's beautiful plan for human happiness (1/27/18
  • Inter-American Human Rights Court Tries to Impose Homosexual Marriage on Entire Continent (C-Fam, 1/26/18)
  •  A scorecard and an alternative for Pa's 8th Congressional District (1/25/18)
  • What’s up with Greenleaf, McIlhinney, Petri, and Watson? (1/23/18)
    In the post, Perry Warren is misidentified as a Republican.

  On the right side of the home page is a link to email the White House and the Pa Delegation on selected federal matters (1/27/18 update), as well as a link to email Bucks County's Delegation in Harrisburg on selected state matters (1/27/18 update). 

STOP Pro-Abortion "Internships" at Catholic Campus. Protest Now (TFP Student Action).

Monday, January 29, 2018

Support Unborn Children with Down Syndrome (Pa Catholic Conf, 1/29/18)

https://www.votervoice.net/UserSite/PACC/Campaigns/56463/Respond

Abortion Ban: Senate Vote Fails to Pass Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (National Review, 1/29/18)

But BOTH Casey and Toomey voted the right way!

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/455883/abortion-ban-senate-vote-fails-pass-pain-capable-unborn-child-protection-act

Religious Liberty News (USCCB, 1/29/18)

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?m=1100920568270&ca=7cdd8d4a-1cf7-4f6a-aa93-520bdd3cc818

Sunday, January 28, 2018

Pennsylvania Rep. Patrick Meehan will not seek re-election after harassment settlement (Fox61, 1/28/18)

http://fox61.com/2018/01/28/pennsylvania-rep-patrick-meehan-will-not-seek-re-election-after-harassment-settlement/

Saturday, January 27, 2018

1/28/18: "He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey Him."

 4th Sunday of Ordinary Time (1/28/18; signed homily

  • Some 2018 Events for Honoring Marriage/Family/Sexuality and God's beautiful plan for human happiness (1/27/18
  • Inter-American Human Rights Court Tries to Impose Homosexual Marriage on Entire Continent (C-Fam, 1/26/18)
http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2018/01/26/180226b.html
  •  A scorecard and an alternative for Pa's 8th Congressional District (1/25/18)
  • What’s up with Greenleaf, McIlhinney, Petri, and Watson? (1/23/18)
    In the post, Perry Warren is misidentified as a Republican.

  On the right side of the home page is a link to email the White House and the Pa Delegation on selected federal matters (1/27/18 update), as well as a link to email Bucks County's Delegation in Harrisburg on selected state matters (1/27/18 update). 

STOP Pro-Abortion "Internships" at Catholic Campus. Protest Now (TFP Student Action).

State Issues, 1/27/18 update

Pa Catholic Conference


Pa Family.org Citizen Action Center (select additions)

Federal Issues, 1/27/18 update

USCCB's Action Center

USCCB's and CRS' Catholics Confront Global Poverty / Action Center 

USCCB's Justice for Immigrants' Action Alerts

    [We can ensure safety for refugees, as well as their host communities.  As our noble efforts at assistance must not be hijacked, this blogger believes that our communications MUST specifically state that contraceptives/abortifacients MUST be excluded from "assistance."]

USCCB's Marriage Unique for a Reason

  • "The USCCB continues to support the First Amendment Defense Act, the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act, and the Healthy Relationships Act in Congress" (USCCB, 1/1/18 and 2/1/18)

Pa Catholic Conference's Current Alerts
(two federal)

National Center on Sexual Exploitation

  • On EWTN News Nightly (9/20/17), the National Center on Sexual Exploitation's Haley Halverson explained why Congress must amend Communications Decency Act, Section 230.
    • "'Expeditious passage of H.R. 1865 Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017 (FOSTA) and S. 1693 Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA) will move the country closer to striking a blow against the online havens that facilitate sex trafficking'" (National Center on Sexual Exploitation, 9/7/17). 

 Human Life Action Action Alerts

    Current Action Alerts

    Previous Action Alerts....




Some 2018 Events for Honoring Marriage/Family/Sexuality and God's beautiful plan for human happiness

Friday, January 26, 2018

Audience with participants in the Plenary Assembly of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (Vatican, 1/26/18)

http://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2018/01/26/180226b.html

Senate Vote on Late-Term Abortion Ban (March for Life Action, 1/26/18)

http://p2a.co/vHvxqB3

Thursday, January 25, 2018

'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'

 Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle (1/25/18)
  • President Donald J. Trump Proclaims January 21 through January 27, 2018, as National School Choice Week (The White House, 1/22/18)   
     
  • What’s up with Greenleaf, McIlhinney, Petri, and Watson? (1/23/18)
    In the post, Perry Warren is misidentified as a Republican.

  • 4th Sunday of Ordinary Time (1/28/18

  On the right side of the home page is a link to email the White House and the Pa Delegation on selected federal matters (1/23/18 update), as well as a link to email Bucks County's Delegation in Harrisburg on selected state matters (1/23/18 update). 

STOP Pro-Abortion "Internships" at Catholic Campus. Protest Now (TFP Student Action).

A 1/25/18 scorecard and an alternative for Pa's 8th Congressional District

  • "The USCCB continues to support the First Amendment Defense Act, the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act, and the Healthy Relationships Act in Congress" (USCCB, 1/1/18).  Human Life Action (an affiliate of the USCCB) supports the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, the Conscience Protection Act and H. Con. Res. 80 against Assisted Suicide.

Dist.
Representatives
First Amend-ment Defense Act
Child Welfare Provider Inclu-sion Act (H.R.1881 / S.811)
Healthy Relation-ships Act (H.R.2028)
Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (H.R.36 / S.2311)
Con-science Protec-tion Act (H.R.644 / S.301)
Oppose Assisted Suicide

Not co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor
Voted no
Not co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor

Not co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor
Voted no
Not co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor

Not co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor
Voted yes
Co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor

Not co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor
Voted yes
Co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor

Co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor
Voted yes
Not co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor

Not co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor
Voted yes
Not co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor

Not co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor
Voted yes
Not co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor

Not co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor
Voted yes
Not co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor

Not co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor
Voted yes
Not co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor

Not co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor
Voted yes
Not co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor

Co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor
Voted yes
Not co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor

Co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor
Voted yes
Co-sponsor
Co-sponsor

Not co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor
Voted no
Not co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor

Not co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor
Voted no
Not co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor

Not co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor
Voted no
Not co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor

Not co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor
Voted yes
Co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor

Not co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor
Voted no
Not co-sponsor
Co-sponsor
Vacant





Voted yes
Senators






Robert Casey, Jr (D)

Not co-sponsor

Not co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor

Patrick Toomey (R)

Not co-sponsor

Co-sponsor
Not co-sponsor

    Wouldn't it be cool to have a representative who acted as though he shared our views on the sanctity of human life and marriage/family? 

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

"Jesus rebuked him and said, 'Quiet! Come out of him!" (1/28/18, 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time)

  • Scenes from the March for Life 2018 (1/19/18)
     
  • President Donald J. Trump Proclaims January 21 through January 27, 2018, as National School Choice Week (The White House, 1/22/18)
  •  
  • What’s up with Greenleaf, McIlhinney, Petri, and Watson? (1/23/18)
    • In the story, Perry Warren is misidentified as a Republican.

  • St. Francis de Sales, Deaf People, and American Sign Language (1/24/18)
  • Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle (1/25/18)
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/012818.cfm

  On the right side of the home page is a link to email the White House and the Pa Delegation on selected federal matters (1/23/18 update), as well as a link to email Bucks County's Delegation in Harrisburg on selected state matters (1/23/18 update). 

STOP Pro-Abortion "Internships" at Catholic Campus. Protest Now. (TFP Student Action)

http://www.usccb.org/about/pro-life-activities/january-roe-events/nine-days-of-prayer-penance-and-pilgrimage.cfm

St. Francis de Sales, Deaf People, and American Sign Language

Today marks the Memorial of Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church.  Among various honors, St. Francis is remembered as a patron saint for Deaf people.  Four centuries ago, he showed deep concern for conveying the Faith to just one individual with a hearing loss (cf, Father Thomas Dailey, OSFS of DeSales University).  

How Many People Have Hearing Losses and Use American Sign Language?

Estimating the numbers of people with hearing loss is challenging!  And how a hearing loss impacts a particular person depends on the type/severity of the loss, what sort of amplification is possible, the age at onset, and educational/rehabilitation strategies, among other factors.  It is even more difficult to estimate the number of people who rely on American Sign Language (ASL).    
  • Among individual with all types and severities of hearing loss, Jerome Schein and Marcus Delk (National Census of the Deaf Population, 1974) defined "Deaf" people as those whose hearing loss was so severe that they could not hear/understand speech. Schein and Delk found 0.2% of the general population to be "prevocationally deaf" (i.e., to have become deaf prior to 19 years of age).  They also found 90% to have hearing parents and 90% to have hearing children.  Many have assumed that prevocationally deaf people comprise the majority of ASL users. 

    "The Schein and Delk (1974) NCDP report remains the ultimate source for data-based estimates of how many people use ASL in the United States....According to Schein and Delk (1974), the total prevocationally deaf population – civilian, noninstitutionalized persons of all ages – was estimated to be 410,522 persons in 1971....Schein and Delk (1974) provided evidence that there may have been as many as 500,000 people, regardless of hearing status, who signed at home in 1972" (How Many People Use ASL in the United States?  Why Estimates Need Updating, 2/21/05).

We follow a Shepherd who would go in search of just one lost sheep!  St. Francis de Sales showed deep concern for conveying the Faith to just one individual with a hearing loss.

How Do We Meet the Needs of People with Hearing Losses Who Rely on ASL?


As per canonist Dr. Edward Peters (the father of a congenitally deaf daughter)  to prospective members of the clergy:
    "* ASL is the first language of over 500,000 Deaf Americans; some two to three million more persons use ASL regularly, making ASL the most common foreign language in America after Spanish.
    * Fewer than 5% of Deaf Americans regularly attend a church (let alone a Catholic church) primarily because language barriers inhibit evangelization, catechesis, and liturgical participation.
    * Recent advances in ASL linguistics and modern communications technologies make learning ASL easier than ever; Deaf ministry programs are now available to train hearing persons with competence in ASL for effective collaboration with the Deaf.
    * College level ASL classes are offered throughout the United States and much of Canada. ASL is recognized as a foreign language by well over 200 American colleges and universities, and opportunities for face-to-face and on-line tutorial assistance are plentiful.
    I hope more hearing students will give ASL some consideration when it’s time to decide on their 'pastoral language.The need is great; the rewards are amazing!" (10/3/08)

Ten years later, there appear to be extremely  few clerics across the country who are fluent in ASL; few Sunday Masses can be celebrated in ASL.  Sunday Masses can also be conveyed via sign language interpreters.  

    Archdiocese of Philadelphia

    Masses Celebrated in ASL

    • 1st and 3rd Sundays - 11:15 AM St. Matthew Lower Church, Philadelphia, PA (Except June 3/ July and August) Confession is available at 10:45 AM
    • 2nd Sundays - 10:15 AM St. Anastasia Chapel, Newtown Square, PA
    • 4th Sundays –11:45AM St. Stanislaus Church, Lansdale, PA

    Interpreted Masses

    • Every Sunday - 9:30 AM St. Pius X, Broomall, PA
    • 2nd, 4th, and 5th Sundays - 11 AM St. Matthew Upper Church, Philadelphia, PA
      (Interpreted Mass June 3 and every Sunday in July/August)
    • 2nd and 4th Sundays - 9:30 AM St. Francis Assisi, Norristown, PA
    • 1st and 3rd Sundays - 10:00 AM St. Joseph Church, Warrington, PA
    • 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th Sundays – 9:00 AM St. Stanislaus Church, Lansdale, PA
    • 2nd and 4th Sundays- 11:00 AM Epiphany of Our Lord Church, South Phila., PA
    • 2nd and 4th Sundays - 9:00 AM St. Thomas of Villanova, Rosemont, PA
    • 2nd Sundays - 10:30 AM Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Doylestown, PA
    • 1st, 2nd and 3rd Sundays – 11:30 AM St. Ann Chapel, Phoenixville, PA
    • 1st and 3rd Sundays – 11:30 AM St. John Chrysostom, Wallingford, PA
    • 4th Sundays - 11:30 AM St. Denis, Havertown, PA

    Diocese of Trenton

    Interpreted Masses


The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has a special, informative form, regarding other requests for sign language interpretingThe gifts of our few ASL-fluent priests certainly need to be shared across dioceses for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, special missions, and retreats.

Resources for Teaching the Compendium of the Catechism:


Much of Part One focuses on what we believe, the Apostles Creed (Click for a video of Deacon Patrick Graybill, who is deaf himself.):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=VCBmBxUdzwU#t=146
 

Much of Part Two focuses on how we celebrate, the Seven Sacraments (The first video is of Father Chris Klusman.  In the second video, Father Mick Depcick, who is deaf himself, discusses the Sacrament of Reconciliation):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcXZBK8ap_8&feature=player_detailpage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CmzxUxBTo8&feature=player_detailpage

Much of Part Three focuses on how we live, the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=fVY8ptWPgT0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wlGJW_WQho&feature=player_embedded


Much of Part Four focuses on how we pray, the Our Father (the Lord's Prayer) ( Click for a video of Father Shawn Carey, who is deaf himself.):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=SUH7CiyXaBA

NOTE: Dr. Edward Peters maintains "A Bibliography of Deaf Catholic Sources and Studies."

home page links

The 10 Commandments

The Beatitudes (from "Jesus of Nazareth")