Wednesday, November 7, 2012
A letter from the chairman of Minnesota for Marriage
Dear Marriage Supporter,
We ran a strong campaign to defend Marriage in Minnesota, but unfortunately we came up short against the powerful tide of resources, as well as media, political, and Hollywood support, that same-sex marriage activists enjoy nationwide.
Early this morning, we conceded defeat on the Marriage Amendment. Through much of the evening, it appeared that the results were following our model and gave the appearance we were on track to win in the end. Some time later, the results from several unreported precincts from Minneapolis came in. Even though there were still a number of precincts that hadn't reported in parts of the state where we did well, the total votes there were not enough to overcome the deficit in the metro.
Despite the disappointing outcome of this election, we have no regrets in making the effort to defend Marriage in Minnesota. We rejoice today that marriage is still marriage. We know that God has defined marriage as between one man and one woman, regardless of the efforts of some to overthrow His design.
We give thanks to God for His creation of marriage, and we must commit ourselves to work and pray that attempts already in the works to redefine marriage in our courts and legislature will not succeed. Marriage as the union of one man and one woman has served Minnesota well. We will remain vigilant to this true and just cause and will fight any attempt in the courts or in the legislature to redefine marriage in our state.
We also want to give a special thanks to YOU, our supporters and volunteers, who have generously donated your time and resources in this effort to protect marriage. Remember that none of your efforts were in vain—rather, the work of this campaign has helped create the foundation for the even greater work of restoring a vibrant culture of marriage in our state.
This election is not an end but a beginning. The groups that have come together in an effort to protect the definition of marriage look forward to getting on with the work of restoring the culture of marriage in Minnesota. We hope you will continue to join us.
It's been an incredibly close and hard-fought race, and it is clear that we have a lot of work to do to restore the kind of vibrant marriage culture we want to leave for our children and grandchildren.
May God bless you.
Sincerely,
John Helmberger, Chairman
Minnesota for Marriage
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Pastor's Notes for November 4
Dear Parishioners,
This weekend, we formally begin the Diocesan Ministries Appeal again. We have specified all funds over our goals to go toward ongoing improvements. Your generous support is appreciated.
That being said I want to take a chance to thank you for your generous support of our parishes. I am especially grateful that so many take advantage of donating grain to the parishes, Capital Campaign, or DMA. I am aware that because you give it directly, you do not claim it as income, and the tax benefits come in that form versus a receipt from the parish. There are other means of supporting our parishes, and Wayne Pelzel at the Pastoral Center (507 359-2966) is willing to help you make any arrangements of transfer of property, stocks, bonds, or annuities. He has also mentioned ways that you can 'give' your land to the Church but assure that it stays in the family.
Last, of course Tuesday is Election Day. Please remember to vote consistent with our faith. Our selection will set the course of our country for much more than the next 4 years. Most important areas of concern for us as Catholics: The protection of life from conception to natural death and against funding or support of abortion, euthanasia, or research destructive to human embryos (aka embryonic stem cell or cloning research), the protection of religious freedom, the protection of the traditional definition of marriage. But I also remind all of us that our civic responsibility does not end at the polls, nor does it end no matter who wins the elections.
In Christ,
Fr. Todd
This weekend, we formally begin the Diocesan Ministries Appeal again. We have specified all funds over our goals to go toward ongoing improvements. Your generous support is appreciated.
That being said I want to take a chance to thank you for your generous support of our parishes. I am especially grateful that so many take advantage of donating grain to the parishes, Capital Campaign, or DMA. I am aware that because you give it directly, you do not claim it as income, and the tax benefits come in that form versus a receipt from the parish. There are other means of supporting our parishes, and Wayne Pelzel at the Pastoral Center (507 359-2966) is willing to help you make any arrangements of transfer of property, stocks, bonds, or annuities. He has also mentioned ways that you can 'give' your land to the Church but assure that it stays in the family.
Last, of course Tuesday is Election Day. Please remember to vote consistent with our faith. Our selection will set the course of our country for much more than the next 4 years. Most important areas of concern for us as Catholics: The protection of life from conception to natural death and against funding or support of abortion, euthanasia, or research destructive to human embryos (aka embryonic stem cell or cloning research), the protection of religious freedom, the protection of the traditional definition of marriage. But I also remind all of us that our civic responsibility does not end at the polls, nor does it end no matter who wins the elections.
In Christ,
Fr. Todd
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Minnesota Marriage Minute review
Minnesota Marriage Minute: Episode 44 - YouTube: As the election in in less than a week, Minnesota for Marriage has released a final video.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Autumn Leva: Minnesotans don't need a 'license to love' - TwinCities.com
Autumn Leva wrote a piece at TwinCities.com entitled Minnesotans don't need a 'license to love'. It is a well-written and comprehensive explanation of marriage, and why we should support the traditional definition.
A chilling account of the mandated Sex Education course of the HHS
LifeNews has an chilling article entitled Like Alfred Kinsey, Obama HHS "Grooming" Children for Sex. Dr. Judith Reisman gave a lecture tracing the roots of the Health and Human Services Sexual education course mandated by the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) to the psuedo-science of Alfred Kinsey. Kinsey's research not only was massively flawed, it was gravely immoral, consisting of abuse of children as young a 2 months old. What I found most disturbing is her spot-on comparison of the goals of the education with the FBI's Molester Grooming Paradigm.
According to the FBI, child molesters:
• Demonstrate sex acts to children. Offenders commonly use pornography to teach or give instructions to naïve children about how to masturbate, perform oral sex and/or engage in sexual intercourse.
• Lower the sexual inhibitions of children. Some children naturally fear sexual activities. Some offenders show pictures of other children engaging in sexual activities to overcome these fears, indicating to their intended victims that it is all right to have sex with an adult because lots of other boys and girls do the same thing.
• Desensitize children to sex. Offenders commonly show child pornography to their intended victims to expose them to sexual acts before they are naturally curious about such activities.
• Sexually arouse children. Offenders commonly use pornographic images of other children to arouse victims, particularly those in adolescence.
The current government model engages in graphically demonstrating or describing sexual acts, homosexual and hetereosexual, oral, genital, or anal. It seeks to normalize sexual activity, and uses graphic images.
Sad, but while the Church seeks to eliminate such activity, the government seeks to enshrine it is science.
According to the FBI, child molesters:
• Demonstrate sex acts to children. Offenders commonly use pornography to teach or give instructions to naïve children about how to masturbate, perform oral sex and/or engage in sexual intercourse.
• Lower the sexual inhibitions of children. Some children naturally fear sexual activities. Some offenders show pictures of other children engaging in sexual activities to overcome these fears, indicating to their intended victims that it is all right to have sex with an adult because lots of other boys and girls do the same thing.
• Desensitize children to sex. Offenders commonly show child pornography to their intended victims to expose them to sexual acts before they are naturally curious about such activities.
• Sexually arouse children. Offenders commonly use pornographic images of other children to arouse victims, particularly those in adolescence.
The current government model engages in graphically demonstrating or describing sexual acts, homosexual and hetereosexual, oral, genital, or anal. It seeks to normalize sexual activity, and uses graphic images.
Sad, but while the Church seeks to eliminate such activity, the government seeks to enshrine it is science.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Pastor's Notes for October 28
Dear Parishioners,
Our sympathy to the friends of Lee Grossman who died this last week. May she rest in peace.
We are about to celebrate All Saints Day this Wednesday Evening/Thursday. Of course, Mass attendance is obligatory - but we should feel internally compelled to attend Mass. All Saints day is a celebration of what God's grace did in the lives of all the saints, and a calling to mind of what God longs to do for us, as well. During this Year of Faith, this Holy Day is taking on greater significance for me. The Most Holy Trinity has loved us into being, and desires us to be with them for all eternity. It is not an automatic thing, however, because of human free will, and because of our fallen human nature. These two dynamics are constantly at play in us, as St. Paul would say, we live divided: That which we would do, we cannot, that which we would not do, we do! But God's grace, through the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the indwelling of the Spirit, we have been given the strength to freely choose to follow God. When we make such choice, we are most free, most human. We make a choice for God and the freedom that only He can give, and being set free from the bondage of sin.
Friday, we pray for All Souls. I will offer 2 Masses (Friday Morning's will be followed by First Friday Adoration/Benediction). Attending Mass would be a good way of remembering all who have died this last year especially. We will have the Book of Remembrance out, as usual, and please list all deceased that you wish us to remember in prayer.
In Christ,
Fr. Todd
Our sympathy to the friends of Lee Grossman who died this last week. May she rest in peace.
We are about to celebrate All Saints Day this Wednesday Evening/Thursday. Of course, Mass attendance is obligatory - but we should feel internally compelled to attend Mass. All Saints day is a celebration of what God's grace did in the lives of all the saints, and a calling to mind of what God longs to do for us, as well. During this Year of Faith, this Holy Day is taking on greater significance for me. The Most Holy Trinity has loved us into being, and desires us to be with them for all eternity. It is not an automatic thing, however, because of human free will, and because of our fallen human nature. These two dynamics are constantly at play in us, as St. Paul would say, we live divided: That which we would do, we cannot, that which we would not do, we do! But God's grace, through the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the indwelling of the Spirit, we have been given the strength to freely choose to follow God. When we make such choice, we are most free, most human. We make a choice for God and the freedom that only He can give, and being set free from the bondage of sin.
Friday, we pray for All Souls. I will offer 2 Masses (Friday Morning's will be followed by First Friday Adoration/Benediction). Attending Mass would be a good way of remembering all who have died this last year especially. We will have the Book of Remembrance out, as usual, and please list all deceased that you wish us to remember in prayer.
In Christ,
Fr. Todd
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
“A Look at Consequences: KIDS"
Minnesota For Marriage Releases New Marriage Minute Video: “A Look at Consequences: KIDS" Episode 43:
The fundamental public purpose of marriage is to provide the ideal environment for children to be raised by the people who brought them into the world. The drive to redefine marriage to accommodate the political demands of same-sex couples separates the interests of children from the purpose of marriage. Marriage is then transformed from a child-centered institution to one that exists only to satisfy the demands of adults.
The fundamental public purpose of marriage is to provide the ideal environment for children to be raised by the people who brought them into the world. The drive to redefine marriage to accommodate the political demands of same-sex couples separates the interests of children from the purpose of marriage. Marriage is then transformed from a child-centered institution to one that exists only to satisfy the demands of adults.
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