On November 23, a judge who describes herself as “Catholic” and a lesbian who is “married” to another woman was called and privately informed by her parish priest, Fr. Nolan, that she was not to present herself for Communion.  When she presented herself, she was denied. She then went to confession, publicly rebuked her lifestyle, and reconciled herself to the Church….

No, she called the local television station.  According to Wood TV, she is “lifelong Catholic”, “a beloved judge” who “comes from a family of prominent community members”, a victim of a “public shunning”. who “has made it clear that gay people are not welcome”.  The report also describes the decision to deny communion as “{Fr. Nolan’s] new rule”, as if he just made it up on the spot.

But my heart is heavy— as perhaps many of yours are— about the future our kids will face — in a culture that is becoming anti-Christ and is losing its moral compass. Our “one nation under God” is crumbling. Psalm 11 laments: “Foundations once destroyed, what can the just do?” God help us. And He will. He promised that “against His Church the gates of hell will not prevail.” Amen! But in the meantime we’re in a fight.

Mortal sin has become law — abortion, euthanasia, gay marriage so-called, to name a few. Our Lady of Fatima warned us that the final battle would be over the family. According to St. John Paul II, the family,defined as a husband, wife and child, is “the living icon of the Holy Trinity.” Thus, it is no wonder evil hates it and is at work, “to steal, kill and destroy” it.

These brief essays may or may not describe the church you are in. 

They may or may not describe the persons sitting next to you in the pew. 

They may or may not describe the persons living in your home. 

They may or may not describe the person occupying your own shoes.

But we can assure you, the symptoms revealed in these essays exist in many churches… far too many churches.  And the causes are not something that can be easily dismissed.

In his homily, Archbishop Blair reflected on the day’s memorial of St. Charles Borromeo and read a description of the saint by Bishop Antonio Seneca of Anagni, Italy, who had lived in the same house with him.

St. Charles, the archbishop read, was “vigilant in rooting out vice, benevolent in correction, just in judgment, loving in punishment, patient of human weakness, quick to avenge disobedience, his justice was united with kindness, his severity with gentleness and peace. He was a diligent guardian of wholesome discipline both in priests and people.”

Archbishop Blair said that the Italian bishop’s description of the saint “took place in a church that had seemed to be failing, really failing.”