A Methodist pastor from Rochester, New York, shocked her congregation after publicly announcing she is a transgender woman during a service. Pastor Phil Phaneuf — now transitioning and adopting new pronouns — said her parents “do not support” her decision.
"I thank you for your selfless dedication to the faith. I know what it means to share in the trials that affect the Church. Yet God holds everything in his loving hands." This is one of the many encouraging messages that Gloria.tv receives from its donors and friends (alongside the occasional hostile note). For nearly two decades, Gloria.tv has been here — steady as a lantern in a windy night — regardless of the circumstances or how much was donated. However, the truth is that almost every year in December, we struggle just to land at zero. We never imagined the fighting Church without Gloria.tv. We’re not ready to imagine that now, either. We've always found a way forward, and we believe we will again — even amid rising costs for everything. With your help. Please consider taking part in our Advent fundraising campaign (we need to raise about €30,000). Gloria.tv depends on your support. You can donate with credit card or PayPal via: kindful Gloria.tv has survived financially because …More
'Cast a look round the world, just observe the manner of living, of speaking, and you will see immediately whether the evil of sin is known in the world or whether any attention is paid to it. Not to speak of those who live decidedly irreligious and wicked lives, how few are those who pass for good and who approach the sacraments are aware of the great evil that sin is, and the great ruin it brings with it. It must necessarily happen that, on account of this certainly culpable ignorance in which most men live, an enormous number will come to be damned, because no sin is pardoned which is not detested, and it is impossible to detest sin properly if it is not known as such.' St. Joseph Cafasso 'There are many who arrive at the faith, but few that are lead into the heavenly kingdom.' Pope St. Gregory the Great, Doctor and Father of the Church 'It is as though Jesus said: "O My Father, I am indeed going to clothe myself with human flesh, but the greater part of the world will set no value …More
Blessed John van Ruysbroeck | The Ecstatic Doctor & Mystic of Love | Catechism for Kids Blessed John van Ruysbroeck (1293–1381) was a Flemish priest and one of the greatest Christian mystics of the Middle Ages. Known as the “Admirable Doctor” and “Ecstatic Doctor,” he spent his life helping people understand the beauty of prayer, contemplation, and union with God. As a young priest in Brussels, he spoke out against false spiritual teachers who confused people about holiness. Later, seeking a quieter life of prayer, he moved to the forest of Groenendaal with two priest friends. There they founded a community where they lived simply, prayed deeply, and welcomed people seeking guidance. Ruysbroeck wrote many spiritual works explaining how the soul grows in love, how God draws us closer, and how true prayer leads us to serve others. Even great spiritual movements like the Devotio Moderna and later saints such as Thomas à Kempis were shaped by his writings. In this episode, children …More
Bienheureux Jan Van Ruysbroeck - 2 décembre Chanoine régulier de Saint Augustin (+ 1381) Originaire du village belge dont il porte le nom, il est appelé "Ruysbroeck l'admirable." Son oncle, prêtre de Sainte Gudule à Bruxelles, se chargea de son éducation. Jean fut ordonné prêtre à 24 ans. Il sera chapelain de Sainte Gudule vingt-cinq ans durant. Tout en poursuivant ses activités sacerdotales dans la paroisse, il écrivit plusieurs ouvrages mystiques par lesquels il cherche à faire partager son intense vie contemplative. C'est un regard aigu qu'il pose sur le monde et sur l'Église de son temps: il voit la cause de tous les maux dans la pauvreté de la vie intérieure. Mais, dans le même temps, il s'attaque aux illuminés qui cherchent à dévoyer les fidèles et à les entraîner sur les chemins d'une mystique hors de l'Église. A 50 ans, il se retire avec quelques amis dans un petit ermitage de la vallée de Groenendal, adopte la règle de Saint-Augustin et devient prieur d'une petite …More
The latest conclusions of the national Covid Inquiry have hit the headlines, and those who supported lockdown feel vindicated. An expert-led process costing £200 million has broadly endorsed the government’s approach, concluding that lockdown “was right” — and should, in fact, have happened sooner. But the inquiry has also been labelled as a £200 million pound “I told you so” exercise; never willing to challenge the underlying assumptions of the lockdown strategy. Critics point to the fact that the inquiry uncritically accepted figures based on discredited modelling, and ignored real-world data such as the comparative case of Sweden. They believe that lockdowns not only couldn’t significantly change the mortality rate from an airborne virus, but that they cost lives, wrecked the economy as well as socially, educationally, and psychologically crippling a generation. Later modules of the Covid Inquiry will give more opportunity for submissions on the effect of lockdown on Catholic …
CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE : AN HISTORICAL, DOCTRINAL,MORAL, AND LITURGICAL EXPOSITION OF THE CATHOLIC RELIGION. Translated from the French of Abbe Gaume by REV. F. B. JAMISON - INTRODUCTION - SECOND COURSE...to download, to print !
At 15, she outshot a traveling marksman—and by 25, she was the most famous woman in America, shattering glass balls and gender barriers with equal precision. Her name was Phoebe Ann Mosey, but the world would know her as Annie Oakley. Born in a log cabin in rural Ohio in 1860, she never knew the Wild West as home—yet she would become its most celebrated symbol. When her father died, leaving the family in poverty, young Annie did what few girls dared: she picked up a rifle and became a hunter, selling game to hotels to pay off her family's mortgage before she turned fifteen. Her talent wasn't luck. It was survival turned into art through thousands of hours of practice, through understanding wind and distance, through the kind of focus that turns impossible shots into certainty. When famed marksman Frank Butler came to town for a shooting exhibition, locals bet he couldn't be beaten. They were wrong. Annie won the match—and eventually won Frank's heart. He became her husband, manager, …More
A father handed his son an old watch. “It's a family piece,” he said. “But before I pass it down to you, I want you to do something. Take it to a jewelry store and see what they’ll offer.” The son came back quickly. “They said $150. They called it outdated and not worth much.” “Alright,” the father nodded. “Now try a pawn shop.” A few minutes later the son returned. “They offered ten bucks. Said it’s basically junk.” “Good,” the father said. “Now take it to the museum.” This time the son stayed away longer. When he returned, his voice was almost a whisper: “They offered half a million dollars. They said it’s a rare piece, a treasure — a part of history. They want to display it as a valuable artifact.” The father smiled gently. “Do you see now, son? The same object can be worthless to some and priceless to others. I wanted you to feel this for yourself.” “Your true value only shows in the right place — around people who actually recognize it. Don’t waste your life trying to …More
In 1955, every children's TV host was screaming for attention. Then Bob Keeshan walked on screen, spoke quietly, and changed everything. October 3, 1955. Eight o'clock on a Monday morning. Children across America turned on CBS expecting the usual—slapstick chaos, pie-throwing hosts, frantic energy designed to hold attention through sheer noise. Instead, they met a man with a gentle voice, oversized pockets, and a walrus mustache. He jingled keys, unlocked a door, and simply said: "Hello." That was Captain Kangaroo. And for the next 29 years, Bob Keeshan proved something radical: children didn't need to be shouted at. They needed to be respected. The television world of 1955 assumed kids had no attention span. Shows were loud, fast, commercial-heavy. Pinky Lee bounced. Soupy Sales threw pies. Buffalo Bob yelled. This was "children's entertainment." Keeshan had worked inside that world. He'd spent five years as Clarabell the Clown on Howdy Doody, honking horns and spraying seltzer. But …More
German princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis spoke with TichysEinblick.de on November 27 about the Church, the state, and the family. Key quotes - In terms of social policy, I am very liberal. But when it comes to Faith, living Faith, and to the liturgy, I am much more conservative. These are the essential things when one speaks to the Ruler of the world. One must adopt a certain attitude. - When people meet the English king, or an emperor in Africa or Asia, they bow. And this reverence, of course, is also necessary in church and in the life of Faith. - I’m absolutely opposed to the idea that one must turn one’s tolerance into a kind of religion. - For decades women were told that they are only complete human beings if they have a career. But being a housewife and raising children is a profession. - The most important lesson is truly that we must return to marriage and family. - If the political will is there … we can return to a normal birth rate — that is not below, how shall we say,…More