Mary, the Mother of God

The Twelve Days of Christmas

Traditional Date of the Epiphany (1/6)

The Epiphany (1/5)

St Elizabeth Ann Seton (1/4)

Christmas Weekday (1/3)

Sts Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen (1/2)

Mary, the Mother of God (1/1)

7th Day in the Octave of Christmas (12/31)

• The Octave Day of Christmas, Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God (1/1/20)

Pope Francis, Message for World Day of Peace, 1/1/2020

• Marriage: Unique for a Reason (USCCB, January 2020)

• Nigerian diocesan spokesman: Bridal party beheaded en route to wedding (Crux, 12/31/19) 
• Islamic State Group In Nigeria Reportedly Executes Christian Hostages (NPR, 12/27/19)
• "The most populous nation in Africa, Nigeria for years has faced attacks and kidnappings by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram. The group is estimated to have killed tens of thousands over the last decade. Christians are targeted, sometimes in attacks during Mass. But the Catholics in Nigeria hold fast to the faith 'unto death'" (Catholic News Agency, 2/21/19)  
• "We...hereby express our concern with regard to the persistent and continuous propagation and globalization of the homosexual lifestyle and the effort to redefine marriage which is a distorted view of human sexuality, coming especially from the Western world....we pray that God will grant us all the courage, integrity and perseverance needed at this time to uphold the unchangeable truth about the dignity of human sexuality and the sanctity of the institution of marriage" (Catholic Bishops of Nigeria, July 2015).

• A sample of what can be said from pulpits and bulletins, when we unflinchingly hold to the truths the Church teaches about the sanctity of human life and of marriage/family (12/29/19)

• Gunman kills 2 at...[Texas] church before 2 members fatally shoot him (Dallas News, 12/29/19) 

• New York Synagogue Attack: Machete-Wielding Suspect Captured In NYC After At Least 5 People Wounded In Monsey (CBS New York, 12/28/19)  

• "A Hidden Life" is the love story of Franz and Fani Jägerstätter and their children. Franz was beheaded for refusing a loyalty oath to Hitler and has subsequently been beatified. Fani should also be beatified! During his lifetime. Deacon Stephen Greydanus (National Catholic Register, 12/11/19) tells us: "Franz has no reason to think that even his neighbors... will ever think of him as anything but a misguided traitor (and, indeed, for decades after the war, that is precisely how he was remembered)." The deacon shares a quote from George Eliot, which the film maker uses in the closing credits: "the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistorical acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs"

• Film to portray Catholic woman who saved Jewish children in WWII (CNA, 12/23/19) 

National Concerns

• NO to "the Shaheen amendment...[in] the Senate’s State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs (SFOPS) appropriations bill" (Human Life Action).

• Support S. 2590/HR 4934 The Dignity for Aborted Children Act (Human Life Action)

• Senate Fails to Pass Born-Alive Legislation (Human Life Action)
• Born-Alive Legislation Deserves a Vote in the House (Human Life Action; USCCB)

• Support H. Con. Res. 79, that assisted suicide is a “deadly, discriminatory and non-compassionate practice” (USCCB) 

• Support S. 2394/HR2529, the New START Nuclear Weapons Treaty (USCCB) 

• Support the Heartbeat Bill, HR 3985 (cf, LifeSite)

• Support the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act (cf, USCCB)

• Support the Equal Campus Access Act, HR3243/S1168 (USCCB)

• Urge the President and Congress to Maintain the Refugee Resettlement Program (Pa Catholic Conference) 

• Support S. 874, the Dream Act of 2019 (USCCB Justice for Immigrants)

• Oppose the Misnamed Equality Act (Human Life Action)

• Oppose the Misnamed Do No Harm Act (cf, American Life League)

• Support the Farm Workforce Modernization Act (cf., USCCB)

Commonwealth of Pa

(Pa Catholic Conference Legislative Review and Voter Voice)

• Support the Telemedicine Bill (SB 857) as passed by the Pa House (Pa Catholic Conf)

• Support the Perinatal Hospice Care Act (Pa Catholic Conference)

• Support the "Buyer Beware Act" (SB 60) to fight human trafficking (Pa Catholic Conference)

• Support the Fetal Remains Bill, HB 1890 (Pa Catholic Conference) 

• Support the "Heartbeat" Bill (Pa Catholic Conference) 

• Support the Down Syndrome Protection Act (Pa Catholic Conference)

• Please ask the governor, Pa Senate and Pa Assembly for a religious exemption for adoptions (Pa Catholic Conference) (See also the Pa Family Council link.)

• Call for Funding Increase for Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) (Pa Catholic Conference)  
• Please ask Governor Wolf to SIGN House Bill 800 on the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) (Pa Catholic Conference)

• Support school choice in the Harrisburg School district (Pa Catholic Conference), and ask for co-sponsorship of Speaker Turzai's bill (Pa Catholic Conference)

The Garden State

• Support the NJ Born Alive Survivors Protection Act A5287/S3905 (NJRTL)

• Express your disapproval of the passage of  S4103/ A5802 (NJRTL)

• Oppose NJ S3804/A5508 (NJ Catholic Conf; NJRTL)

• Support the NJ Pain Capable Unborn child Protection Act, A 1686/ S537 (http://protectviablebabies.com/take-action/)

We never bought your attempts to play with words. 
We knew that Planned Parenthood was all about abortion...

God Calls Us to Protect the Innocent!

(Pharmacists for Life International)