Please see Graham's Corner for information on some upcoming EWTN programs, including the re-airing on October 21 of Raymond Arroyo's interview with Cardinal Ratzinger before he became the Pope.

This week’s Lighterside (God is ... awesome!) contribution comes to us from Ted Sabourin.

Hi all. Sorry about the impersonal bulk letter, but I really have a lot of people to contact right now, and unfortunately my papers steadfastly refuse to write themselves.

I've decided to leave the seminary. I've been praying about it a lot over the last several months, and while I still feel called to serve the Church in some form of pastoral ministry (and find great joy in the prospect of lay ministry), I do not believe priestly ministry is it.

So, I'll be officially leaving during our reading break next week. At this point I'm still planning on finishing my degree here over the next 18 months or so.

Please keep me in prayer. Something tells me the next few months could be rather.... interesting.

I announced this to the seminary this morning, so consider this information public and feel free to spread it to others. I'm sure I've missed sending it to some people who should know.

Take care.

Andy Korvemaker     http://andyland.ca

John Pacheco

Dear Friends of Maryvale,

On behalf of Maryvale Academy, I want to extend my deep gratitude to all of you who have made generous donations to our school.  Your contributions have helped Maryvale through a critical time of growth and development.

As many of you know, one of Maryvale Academy's prime reasons for existence is to provide excellent Catholic education at an affordable tuition.  Most of our families would simply not be able to afford an average private education, which ranges from $7,500 to $14,000 per child in Ottawa.  Maryvale's tuition, on the other hand, is a mere fraction (under one-third) of the cost for families with three children enrolled.

Because of our Catholic philosophy and insistence that tuition costs remain within reach for most families, we are therefore required to seek other forms of funding.  The other two sources of income are donations and fundraising. Now that donations have stabilized, we must turn our attention to fundraising in order to overcome the remaining shortfall for the current academic year.

The purpose of this e-mail is to inform you, our supporter, of our upcoming fundraising efforts for the Academy and to solicit your support and participation.

Conventional Sources:

1) Tuition: The quickest and most substantial way of raising funds is increasing our enrollment.  We encourage you to keep spreading the word about the benefits and graces our School provides to the children of Ottawa.  The tongue is a powerful weapon, the Scripture says, so please use it in the service of Maryvale.

2) Monthly Donors: Aside from tuition, stable, periodic funding helps Maryvale meet its financial commitments. Monthly donations continue to be a very effective way of addressing our funding needs, while providing a charitable tax credit for our donors. For those of you who have not yet considered giving to Maryvale, we ask you to please do so. Even a modest contribution of $20 per month goes along way.

Operation Funding Sources:

At this time, Maryvale is currently considering a number of fundraising options which include the following programs:

1) Preferred One Shop & Support Program:  Maryvale Academy has registered with Preferred One which uses the power of bulk purchasing power to secure significant discounts for its members.  Here is how it works.  Members purchase program dollars, which in turn can be spent at popular stores.  While other programs are somewhat limiting because of the type of products and services they offer, Preferred One lets member families spend their dollars on items like groceries and gasoline from large chains (i.e. A&P, Canadian Tire, etc.)  In return for participating in this program, a percentage of the dollars purchased is paid to Maryvale.  In addition to our members, we are asking our friends and supporters to sign on to this wonderful program to help raise money for Maryvale.  It doesn't really cost you anything, and the benefits could be substantial. Instead of the credit card fees going to the banks, direct them to Maryvale instead! For more information on this program, click here: http://www.shopandsupport.ca/gr_howitworks.htm

2) Raffle: Tentatively scheduled for early December, Maryvale will be raffling off valuable prizes and cash rewards through our raffle.  In order to make this event successful, we need our supporters to consider donating items, along with purchasing the raffle tickets.

3) Auction:  Maryvale's largest fundraising event is its Auction, which is being planned for early spring.  Although it is months away, we are beginning to plan for it now in order to secure enough valuable merchandise and publicity for the event.  We therefore are asking our friends and supporters to start thinking about what they can donate.  All donations qualify for a tax receipt. We also would appreciate your attendance on Auction night!  Please bring a friend.

4) March for Maryvale:  Later in the spring, the children of Maryvale will be hitting the streets in a walk-a-thon.  March for Maryvale is designed to include the whole family and build the school's community spirit, while raising funds for the school at the same time through student sponsorship.  (The activity of this event may change, but it will involve the students in some capacity i.e. walk-a-thon, read-a-thon, etc.)

5) Board of Director?s Golf Tournament: Maryvale?s Board of Directors will also be organizing a golf tournament in the Spring. We hope our supporters will consider entering as a foursome. A $50,000 hole-in-one prize, silent auction, and high profile VIP guest speaker are just some of the features of this great event.

Capital Funding Sources:

Apart from the funding required for the ongoing school operations,

Maryvale has initiated a few smaller programs to help raise funds for capital item purchases like gym equipment, computer equipment, and other capital requirements.

1) Canadian Tire Money:  In order to purchase gym equipment for the school, Maryvale Academy is asking that our friends and supporters to send in their Canadian Tire Money. This is a great and relatively painless way for all our supporters to help our school, whatever their financial position may be. Please drop off your Canadian Tire Money at the school or mail it to:

Maryvale Academy

P.O. Box 78074 RPO Meriline

Ottawa, ON

K2E 1B1

2) Campbell Soup Labels:  Campbell Soup offers to help schools by purchasing various school equipment for them.  In order to do this, Campbell Soup credits the school with each Campbell Soup label (with UPC bar code) submitted. So please remember to collect your labels and mail them in periodically.

3) Chocolate Bar Drive: Maryvale Students will also be involved in selling chocolate bars to raise money for our capital fund drive.  So please help us out by purchasing a chocolate bar or two or three when you hear a knock on the door!  Bulk orders are also gladly accepted.  Please contact us to reserve your box today!

_________

Maryvale Academy hopes that you will seriously consider participating in one or more of these fundraising programs and events.  We will also be hosting a couple of entertainment events during the year and we hope that you will purchase tickets in support of the Academy.

Please feel free to e-mail us at info@maryvaleacademy.ca for further information on any of our programs.

Thank you and God Bless.

Regards in the Lord,

John Pacheco

Director of Finance

Maryvale Academy of Ottawa

October 11, 2005 Newsletter

IMPORTANT:  Please Forward This Newsletter to Others

1)  Constitutional Amendment Campaign - Alberta Launch

2)  Take Action - Albertans Vote in E-Referendum

3)  How a Constitutional Amendment Can Be Achieved

4)  C-313 Vote Results:  Parliament Fails to Raise the Age of Consent

5)  Justice Minister Cotler's Reasons for Not Raising It

6)  How Did Your MP Vote?

7)      Support Our Efforts

1) Constitutional Amendment Campaign - Alberta Launch

United Mothers, Fathers and Friends is pleased to announce our partnership with Enshrine Marriage Canada (EMC).  Together this Tuesday we will launch a massive campaign to mobilize 100,000 Albertans in support of a constitutional amendment motion this fall in the Alberta legislature.  Ultimately, enshrining marriage in the Constitution is the only way to protect an institution that serves the best interests of children and society.  From Alberta we will press forward to other provinces and finally to Ottawa. 

Read the Press Release Here: www.unitedmothers.ca

BACKGROUND

We reach out with kindness and respect to those who experience same-gender attraction.  Nevertheless, as a society we cannot condone governments' and judges' actions in re-defining marriage.

Traditional marriage has served as the foundation of societies throughout time.  It plays a critical role in the creation, nurturing, and protection of strong families, which are the cornerstone of every successful society.

Although family circumstances vary, and no family is perfect, social research clearly demonstrates that children's needs are best met by the nurturing of both a mother and father.  The Government's recent re-definition of marriage is a profound social experiment that will intentionally deprive children of the right to both a mother and a father.

2) Take Action - Albertans Vote in E-Referendum

The Federal Government has ignored the concerns of Albertans over the re-definition of marriage. Further, the Alberta Government has not yet made good on its promise to exhaust every option to preserve traditional marriage in our province.

To give Albertans a say on the future of marriage in Canada, Enshrine Marriage Canada in conjunction with United Mothers, Fathers and Friends is launching an 'E-Referendum' asking Albertans for their views on same-sex marriage.

"I'm very anxious to see the results of the e-referendum. If the results are in favour of traditional marriage, as I am confident they will be, this will give Alberta's politicians the consent from the people of Alberta to move ahead with a resolution," said EMC's Bill Gairdner.

TAKE ACTION:

VOTE - Albertans wishing to take action and vote in our online E-Referendum are encouraged to place their vote by going to www.VoteMarriage.ca and clicking "yes" or "no" to the stated question.   

SPREAD THE WORD - To order free pass along cards to invite others to get involved in the Enshrine Marriage Alberta campaign simply write us at: info@unitedmothers.ca and let us know how many you would like.

FORWARD THIS NEWSLETTER - Pass this along to anyone in Alberta who may wish to take action on this campaign.

3) How a Constitutional Amendment Can Be Achieved

To learn more about how a constitutional amendment works visit: http://votemarriagealberta.com/aboutus.html

4) Parliament Fails to Raise the Age of Consent

"In this document, as hard as it is to believe, the minister [Cotler] argues against raising the age of consent because of potential costs associated with increased prosecution of such cases...Throughout debates in the House of Commons examining C-313, the Minister of Justice repeatedly trivialized this issue by referring to it as 'puppy-love' when the real issue is providing meaningful protection for the most vulnerable members of our society - our children....The Minister of Justice told the House and the public that this bill was unacceptable because it would have criminalized teens then he turned around and told the Liberal caucus that there was in fact a close-in-age exemption to protect teens involved with other teens...how can the Minister of Justice make two contradictory statements and be telling the truth?"

- MP Rick Casson's reaction in the House of Commons to a leaked official memo outlining Justice Minister Irwin Cotler's position opposing C-313 

Thank you to the thousands of you who wrote and called your MP on such short notice.  Unfortunately, on Wednesday, September 28, the second reading vote on Bill C-313 was defeated in the House of Commons by a vote of 167 - 99.  Had this bill become law, it would have raised the age of consent from 14 to 16 years of age and ensured that Canada's children were further protected from predators.

Unfortunately, the vote results were not surprising considering that it was a whipped vote for the Liberals. To the credit of several Liberal MPs, a few of them broke ranks to vote in favour of the bill. 

5) Justice Minister Cotler's Reasons for Not Raising It

Justice Minister Cotler tried to spin the bill's defeat in terms of not wanting to criminalize acts between teenagers, which he referred to as "puppy love."

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20050928/C313_ageofconsentbill_20050928/20050928?hub=TopStories

The criminal Code already exempts from prosecution those closely related in age. Had Cotler felt that these exemptions were not sufficient, he could have added clarification at the committee stage.

Furthermore, Cotler explained that current laws offer sufficient protection and that the bill would do little to stop predators. This is surprising considering that the Canadian Police Association, child protection organizations, and all of Canada's justice ministers support raising the age of consent because they believe it will further protect children from predators.

6) How Did Your MP Vote?

It was a free vote for the BLOC, Conservatives and NDP. All of the Conservative MPs voted in favour of raising the age of consent, except for Perth-Wellington, Ontario MP Gary Schellenberger.  The entire BLOC voted AGAINST raising the age of consent, as did most of the NDP. However several NDP MPs, including party leader Jack Layton, supported the bill. 

To see how your MP voted ON Bill C-313, visit the official government website HANSARD record and SCROLL DOWN TO DIV. 160

http://www.parl.gc.ca/38/1/parlbus/chambus/house/debates/127_2005-09-28/HAN127-E.htm#SOB-1387411

TAKE ACTION: MPs Need to Hear from You

"Why does this Government have millions of dollars for golden handshakes for patronage hacks but doesn't have enough funds to protect our kids from predators?" 

- MP Rick Casson

If there is no public outcry, what will politicians think?  Please take a few minutes to let your MP know what you think of his vote and that the age of consent is still an issue that needs to be addressed to protect children from predators. 

Call your MP - (Remember to leave your name, phone number, and address. You can phone anytime, 24 hours a day, and leave a message.)

MP Contact information: http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/people/house/PostalCode.asp?Language=E

TO SEND OFF YOUR 1 CLICK LETTER please go to: http://www.1clicklobbyist.ca/index.php?affid=216

All it takes is five minutes to make a difference.

7) SUPPORT UMFF

To continue our efforts to strengthen Canada's laws and uphold the family, we need your financial support to help pay for our campaigns and technology. Please consider becoming a quarterly donor of $25 every 4 months. To become a quarterly donor, or to make a one-time donation of $40, $75, or $100, please click here for more information: http://www.unitedmothers.ca/donate.php

IMPORTANT:  Please Forward This Newsletter to Others

Happy Thanksgiving!

Michele Dow

All Eucharistic Adoration adorers, committed and occasional, who participate in the adoration program at St. Mary's Eucharistic Adoration Chapel, are invited to attend a Get Acquainted/Information Session in St. Mary's Parish Hall, 100 Young Street, on Monday, October 24, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.  We also extend this invitation to anyone who is interested in Eucharistic Adoration.  Please come and join us.  Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament in nothing less than a close, private conversation with a living person who is the risen Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.  It is about as close as we can come in this life to talking with God face to face.

For further information, please contact Pat Stotts by e-mail:

pstotta181@rogers.com .

Peace in Christ,   Pat Stotts

Teresa Dewan

Spirit Daily

The Levels of  Purgatory

By Michael H. Brown

       Those of you who have read the "Unpublished Manuscript on Purgatory" know of a nun, Sister M.G., who had died and gone to purgatory. In a revelation granted an imprimatur by the Church, this deceased nun told a living nun that she had been in lowest level of purgatory, what she called the "great purgatory," where there was great pain, and was now in a middle area.

         In most cases, we have to be careful of these things. The Bible tells us that speaking to the dead is "necromancy." No one should seek to do it, and when it comes as a revelation (as opposed to necromancy) it has to be discerned by competent experts.

         That was the case with Sister M.G., who died in a French convent during the 1800s and began appearing to a living nun to warn of punishment after death. After years of testing the spirits, Church authorities discerned it as a holy revelation, one that shed enormous light on the afterworld and explained that purgatory not only exists but has many levels, some daunting. The lowest level, said this nun, was like hell.

       Where there was suffering akin to fire in the lower depth (similar to hell), the middle area was more than anything a place, she said, of loneliness, a yearning to be in the presence of God. At Medjugorje it has been described as a huge area filled with grayness and fog. There is moaning and crying and yet the knowing that someday the soul will be with God.

       Those who had what seem like credible insights into purgatory inform us of a number of fascinating facts. It was Sister M.G.'s claim that most souls are taken from purgatory not on All Souls' Day, as we might think, but on Christmas Day. This corresponds in remarkable fashion with a similar statement from Medjugorje.

       She also commented on interactions between souls.

       "Souls communicate with each other when God permits it, and after the manner of souls, but without words," said Sister M.G., who had been in a 19th-century French convent. 

       What are other levels like? 

       In the second purgatory, said the nun, "are souls of those who died with venial sins not fully expiated before death, or with mortal sins that have been forgiven but for which they have not made entire satisfaction to the Divine Justice. In this part of purgatory, there are also different degrees according to the merits of each soul."

        Lastly, said Sister M.G., "there is the purgatory of desire which is called the Threshold. Very few escape this. To avoid it altogether, one must ardently desire heaven and the Vision of God. That is rare, rarer than people think, because even pious people are afraid of God and have not, therefore, sufficiently strong desire of going to heaven. This purgatory has its very painful martyrdom like the others. The deprivation of the sight of our loving Jesus adds to the intense suffering. It is a continuous martyrdom. It makes me suffer more than does the fire of purgatory. It is so beautiful in heaven. There is a great distance between purgatory and heaven. We are privileged at times to catch a glimpse of the joys of the blessed in paradise, but it is almost a punishment. It makes us yearn to see God. In heaven it is pure delight; in purgatory, profound darkness. Oh, how I desire to go to heaven! What a martyrdom we suffer once we have seen God!"

    And so this is the key: wanting badly enough to go to heaven. It is something we must all yearn for, pray for, desire with the very fiber of our being -- and do so constantly. We have to want to be with God badly enough. If not, there is purgatory, and the average stay, claimed Sister M.G., was comparable to 30 to 40 years of earth time. "Your whole heart and soul must be submerged in Him," said the nun about attaining heaven, "so that you do nothing except what is His pleasure. Rise above earthly things and your surroundings to lose yourself entirely in His Will."

       Once in purgatory, a soul is desperate for our prayers. Many cannot pray for themselves. They are dependent on us. A single Mass can raise a soul to a much higher level, or even spring that soul into heaven. A Hail Mary or Our Father can mean the world for a soul on this spiritual desert. We must always remember our deceased and also those who have no one praying for them.

       Mostly we must love. I have emphasized this before. While on earth we have many trials; it is a constant minute-to-minute struggle. And we have to invoke the Holy Spirit to transcend the devil's temptations and finish this life pure and filled with love.

       That is the route to heaven.

Jim here is a PDF version of Redemtionis Sacramentum. I know as we spoke this morning that the battle has already begun. You might want to touch base with Richmond again or maybe if we flooded the Archbishops office with emails and phone calls then he would have to take action

 Redemtionis Sacramentum

The Sabourins sent this for those of you that are troubled by the school masses at Sacred Heart in Stittsville.  How the kids are receiving communion.

Dear Friends,

Let us remain people of Faith, Hope & Charity.

Thank God for all His Love, Blessings & Mercy.

My WALK (over 750,000 steps) is done but our WORK continues.

Please take your STEP now. Register your support online.

We have more than doubled our supporters in half the time to over 260 to date. Let's target for 500 by month's end. Small steps to a BIG goal.

Ask family and friends to REGISTER or POST their support online ASAP.

Visit our site to read about My WALK for the CULTURE of LIFE with picture album and maps.

        Http://www.MoralParty.com/walkdone.html

Below for your interactive comments. (We are new at 'Blogging'. Help, if you know how!)

        Http://www.Culture_of_Life.ca

Thanks and God Bless You!

Victor Carvalho

Victor@MoralParty.com

http://www.MoralParty.com

“For the eyes of the Lord search back and forth across the whole earth, looking for people whose hearts are perfect toward Him, so that He can show His great power in helping them.…” 2 Chronicles 16:9 TLB

God has called each of us to serve Him in the place He has us. In His eyes we all have a ministry. Many serve Him in a local church through a variety of ministries, such as music, teaching, youth work, or by being a part of the church staff. Others serve on the mission field, on the job, at school, or at home.

God knows you and He knows your heart desires to serve Him. You are someone that He will use to make a difference, to share His love, and to touch the hearts of others. What has qualified you for this high privilege of being used by Him? I heart toward Him. God is always searching for those whose hearts are yielded to Him so that He can work mightily through them.

Sometimes we can be led to think that God’s work is dependent upon us, upon what we do, and upon what we know. The truth is that God wants us to be totally dependent upon Him. He is the Treasure, we are the vessels; He is Vine, we are the branches; He is the Living Water, we are the channels through which He flows.

The apostle Peter was someone who needed to learn this important truth. Jesus taught him the futility of trying to get results through his own efforts by allowing him, an expert fisherman, to labor all night and come up empty. Afterward, when He followed Jesus’ word to cast out into the deep, Peter pulled in a catch that was beyond his dreams.

As His servant, remember that your ministry is His idea and not yours. He is the One who knows you, who has called you, and who has equipped you to serve Him. Remain true, remain faithful, remain restful, and remain totally dependent upon Him.

God is not looking for those who are clever,
but for those in whom He can be wise;
He is not looking for those who are talented,
but for those to whom He can be all sufficient;
He is not looking for those who are powerful,
but for those through whom He can be almighty.

It is our prayer at DaySpring that God will encourage you today as you faithfully serve Him, and that He will use you to bring encouragement to others in a special way during Clergy Appreciation Month.

Roy Lessin
Co-Founder DaySpring Cards