Covid vs Abortion

In the year (12 months) 2018 there were 619,591 abortions in the US. In the 18 months of COVID we have had 664,831 COVID deaths.

In New York State there have been 53,925 deaths from COVID. In 2017 there were 105,380 abortions.


In California there have been 66,247 deaths from COVID and in 2017 California had 132,680 abortions.


When one looks at these numbers we have to ask why we are not putting as much effort into stopping abortion as we are trying to stop COVID? Some in our government seem to think we should even be paying to put the unborn to death. We can see that many of those who want to close down cities and states to save lives that could be lost to COVID are the same ones who want to take the lives of the unborn.

Remembering those who have died in battle

This Memorial Day I'd like to especially remember the following who gave all fighting for their country.  I've been updating this list on Facebook each year as I make new discoveries. 

Sergeant William W. Smith was born about 1825 in Pennsylvania

4th great-grandfather

Died January 18, 1863 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee of wounds received at Stones River, Tennessee on December 31, 1862.

Private James Edward Mackerel was born in 1836 in Cork, Ireland

husband of 3rd great-grandmother

Died on August 3, 1864, in Andersonville, Georgia. He was 28.

Sergeant Washington Lafayette McCollam was born on August 1, 1842 in Middlesex, Pennsylvania 

4th great uncle

Died on May 22, 1864, in Andersonville, Georgia. He was 21.

Private John T Hanlon was born on April 3, 1898 in Hermosa, South Dakota

1st Cousin 2x removed

Died November 7, 1917, in Belgium. He was 19.

He was part of the Canadian Forces

Private 1st Class Charles Crawford Walker was born on March 28, 1918 in Chamberlain, South Dakota

2nd Cousin 2x removed

Died on June 15, 1944, in Manche, France. He was 26

Private 1st Class Donald Dean Peckman was born March 3, 1924 in Kearney, Nebraska

Husband of my 2nd Cousin 1x removed

Died November 3, 1944 in France. He was 20

Aviation Radioman 3rd Class Donald Davis Crawford was born about 1925 in South Dakota

2nd Cousin 2x removed

MIA, declared dead November 25, 1944 in the Pacific Theater. He was 19.

Private Thomas Maynard Black was born on November 11, 1925 in Davenport, Iowa

3rd Cousin 2x removed

Died March 3, 1945, in the Pacific Theater. He was 19.

TSgt Jack Highland Maltsberger was born on September 17, 1928 in Lake Stevens, Washington

Husband of 2nd cousin 2x removed

Died March 18,  1953 Plane crash Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. He was 24.

Captain Thomas Edward Nichols was born on April 1, 1938, in Abilene, Texas

3rd cousin 2x removed

Died on February 1, 1969, in Tân An, Long An, Vietnam. He was 30.

Lieutenant, Junior Grade Thomas Edward Brown was born on September 26, 1941 in Davenport, Iowa

4th Cousin 1x removed

MIA, declared dead April 29, 1966 in North Vietnam. He was 24.

New assignment

On the weekend of April 11, 2021 Father Robert Grosch, the parish priest at Saint Patrick Co-Cathedral in Billings announced his upcoming retirement, effective June 30th.   I am excited to announce that I'll be appointed as the new pastor, effective July 1. I am excited to be returning to Saint Patrick. This was my first assignment as a newly ordained priest.  Please pray for Father Bob as he transitions away from active parish ministry.  Please pray for me as I prepare to make the move to return to Saint Patrick. Pray for Deacon John Pankratz who will be ordained to the priesthood on June 24th and will become the parochial vicar at Saint Patrick.  Father Garrett Nelson will assume the role of pastor at our present assignment at Saint Mary in Livingston.

Armed With the Faith

 The connection between the Knights of Columbus and the Military has existed over a long period of years.  I am proud to say I've been a chaplain for both.  Please check out this video produced by the Knights of Columbus.

https://kofc.org/en/for-members/resources/armedwiththefaith-documentary.html

I've Been Gone for a While - Genealogy Update

It's been a while since I last posted to my blog.  I had a random thought to share.

One of the things I've been working on is my family tree. I can go back at least as far as all eight sets of my great-great-grandparents. Some lines have gone back even further. 

It's been interesting looking at my DNA. I've had test submitted to three different organizations. They've come up with different backgrounds. I thought I show you a comparison 

Ancestry 

Ireland 56% 

England and Northwestern Europe 30% 

Scotland 12% 

Wales 2% 

My Heritage 

Scandinavian 37.8% 

Irish, Scottish, and Welsh 21.0% 

North and West European 19.5% 

Iberian 17.5% 

English 3.3% 

Central Asian 0.9% 

Family Tree DNA 

England, Wales, and Scotland 54% 

Ireland 35% 

Central Europe 9% 

Baltic >2%

As I look at the variations, it makes me wonder if the My Heritage results are showing results of the Viking invasions of the British Isles and Ireland.  

I hope I remember to hope on here a little more frequently again.

Windy Day

The wind can create some fun for drivers in the Livingston area.

Homily for 3rd Sunday OT C

In St. Pope John Paul II’s 1988 encyclical Christifideles Laici, in English, “The Lay Members of Christ’s Faithful People”, he writes when speaking about baptism.

In another comparison, using the image of a building, the apostle Peter defines the baptized as “living stones” founded on Christ, the “corner stone”, and destined to “be raised up into a spiritual building” (1 Pt 2:5 ff.). The image introduces us to another aspect of the newness of Christian life coming from Baptism and described by the Second Vatican Council: “By regeneration and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the baptized are consecrated into a spiritual house”(Lumen gentium 10)

The Holy Spirit “anoints” the baptized, sealing each with an indelible character (cf. 2 Cor 1:21–22), and constituting each as a spiritual temple, that is, he fills this temple with the holy presence of God as a result of each person’s being united and likened to Jesus Christ.

With this spiritual “unction”, [anointing] Christians can repeat in an individual way the words of Jesus: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” (Lk 4:18–19; cf. Is 61:1–2). Thus with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Baptism and Confirmation, the baptized share in the same mission of Jesus as the Christ, the Saviour-Messiah.

Yet, many of us have to ask ourselves, what exactly is the “same mission of Jesus as the Christ”?

Perhaps, looking at something St. Pope John Paul II said in this encyclical, “Ecclesia in America”, or “The Church in America” (remember that he is talking about both South and North America) we might be given a sense of this mission.

One of the reasons for the Church’s influence on the Christian formation of Americans is her vast presence in the field of education and especially in the university world. The many Catholic universities spread throughout the continent are a typical feature of Church life in America. Also in the field of primary and secondary education, the large number of Catholic schools makes possible a wide-ranging evangelizing effort, as long as there is a clear will to impart a truly Christian education.

Another important area in which the Church is present in every part of America is social and charitable work. The many initiatives on behalf of the elderly, the sick and the needy, through nursing homes, hospitals, dispensaries, canteens providing free meals, and other social centers are a concrete testimony of the preferential love for the poor which the Church in America nurtures. She does so because of her love for the Lord and because she is aware that “Jesus identified himself with the poor (cf. Mt 25:31–46)”. In this task which has no limits, the Church in America has been able to create a sense of practical solidarity among the various communities of the continent and of the world, showing in this way the fraternal spirit which must characterize Christians in every time and place.

For this service of the poor to be both evangelical and evangelizing, it must faithfully reflect the attitude of Jesus, who came “to proclaim Good News to the poor” (Lk 4:18). When offered in this spirit, the service of the poor shows forth God’s infinite love for all people and becomes an effective way of communicating the hope of salvation which Christ has brought to the world, a hope which glows in a special way when it is shared with those abandoned or rejected by society.

We need to constantly be incorporating within ourselves an attitude to carry on the mission entrusted to us in our baptism. It is all about the sharing with others the mercy of God that we have experienced in our own lives. This is how Pope Francis announced the Year of Mercy,

Dear brothers and sisters, I have often thought of how the Church may render more clear her mission to be a witness to mercy; and we have to make this journey. It is a journey which begins with spiritual conversion. Therefore, I have decided to announce an Extraordinary Jubilee which has at its centre the mercy of God. It will be a Holy Year of Mercy. We want to live in the light of the word of the Lord: “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (cf. Lk 6:36). And this especially applies to confessors! So much mercy!

Let each of us find a way to be an example of God’s mercy as we “preach the good news to the poor.”

The facts shoot holes in Obama's claim that US is only host to mass killings | Fox News

Here are some interesting facts about the US being the only place that mass killings take place on a regular basis.  One has to remember our area and population when computing the reality of the situation.

The facts shoot holes in Obama's claim that US is only host to mass killings | Fox News:

'via Blog this'

Obama says response to shootings has become too routine in wake of Oregon college shooting | Fox News

"I'd ask the American people to think about how they can get our government to change these laws and to save lives and to let young people grow up, and that will require a change of politics on this issue," Obama said.

He states in his speech, "We've become numb to this."

How easily he ignores the fact that over 3000 babies are aborted each day.  We have become numb, and it starts with letting those babies be murdered every day.  It continues when we see videos of Planned Parenthood selling body parts and think that it is no big deal. We are numb to the who business because it happens in a room, outside of the reports from the press.


Obama says response to shootings has become too routine in wake of Oregon college shooting | Fox News: ""We've become numb to this," Obama said."

'via Blog this'

Life matters

Another police officer was killed last night. I just say a video of a group of people who attacked a carnival ride operator because the line was not moving fast enough. People ask the question, "Why is this happening?"

I'd like to offer a few suggestions about why this may be happening.

Let's start with abortion. When we think that it is ok the kill the most defenseless in our society, is it any wonder that we care little about others as well.

What about the break down of the family? A family should be made up of a male father, a female mother, and children. Today there are many families that are fatherless because of a lack of commitment on the part of fathers. Without a mother and a father to form and discipline children, they are often adrift in their formation into caring adults.

Oh, and then there is contraception. Families are limiting themselves to one, maybe two children, and then spoil them excessively. The children tend to think that everything is about them and their wants. Children from larger families, with a mother and a father, tend to learn a little bit more about sacrifice and service instead of being pampered.

These are just a few quick thoughts. It is not a well developed blog post, but if I don't post what I've typed now, I might not get back to finish it.

Pray for our families, pray for life, pray for holy marriages, pray for our country.