Our Parish Times - Just Another Catholic Standard

Our Parish Times is a periodical published by the Catholic Businessmen's Network, founded in 1991.  It focuses on news pertaining to the Catholic parishes in Montgomery County MD.  Each parish has its own page, with some other columns here and there.  Frankly, these pages are filled with happy cheery stuff, with lots of photo-op types of pictures.  Oh, yes!  It has lots and lots of advertisements sprinkled throughout, most if not all of them from members of the CBN.  Since the periodical is free for the taking from church lobbies, I must presume that their revenue comes from the ads.

At one time I found OPT to be a refreshing alternative to the archdiocesan propaganda rag known as the Catholic Standard.  It was not uncommon to find columns that discussed the very real problems and scandals that plagued the Church.  Some of them were outright critical of the various cover-ups.  About 10 years ago, anything that could be considered critical of the chancery disappeared from the OPT.  As a case in point they mentioned not one peep about archdiocesan misbehavior that literally made international news.  Did OPT trade its journalistic integrity for permission to place their ads in church lobbies?

The OPT has also taken up the habit of schmoozing with progressives who work, or did work, for the Archdiocese.  Chuck Short is one such individual, with his column appearing on the front page.  Yesterday I picked up the December 2022 issue from a church lobby.  At the bottom right hand corner we read that the former director of social concerns for the Archdiocese of Washington will be inducted into Montgomery County's "Human Rights Hall of Fame".

I'm not going to go into the kind of "social justice warriors" who were inducted into that dubious clique over the years.  All you have to do is contemplate the progressives who run Montgomery County and you get the idea.  Therefore, Short's induction into that cabal comes as no surprise.  What is disappointing is the absolute chortling in which the OPT engages, right on its front page.  It is disgusting beyond all telling to see this kind of slobber in publications that hold themselves out to be Catholic.  This is just one small reason (among many) why so many hold the Faith in contempt.  The staff of Our Parish Times should be ashamed of themselves.

Our Parish Times Allows Pro-Abortion Dems To Wax Sanctimonious About Racism

Today I picked up the January 2021 issue of Our Parish Times.  At one time it offered a refreshing difference from the tired propaganda found in the Catholic Standard.  Such is no longer the case, as you will soon see.

On page 3 we read of "The Persistent Challenge of Racism" by Carmela Cowgill and Bill Beard.  I did some searching on Cowgill.  At one time she was parish council chair at Resurrection Church in Burtonsville, MD.  Her Facebook page evinces a focus on progressive causes.  Most disturbing are her political contributions to Joe Biden and Act Blue.  The latter contributions were earmarked for specific candidates, including Chris Van Hollen and some non-Maryland candidates.

The other author is Bill Beard.  On his twitter page (wrbeardjr1) he describes himself as "husband, father, social justice advocate..".   The rest of the page is a progressive screed.  We see a tweet to petition the bishops to stop attacking President Biden, but further down we see another tweet congratulating Cardinal Gregory for attacking President Trump.  Hypcrite much?  Of course he too contributed exclusively to pro-abortion candidates, such as Biden, Pelosi and others.

Getting back to the article, we see that after the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, several parishes formed "listening groups" to discuss racism..  I have heard no formal, official determination that racism was a factor in either of those deaths.  To make a long story short, after these gab-fests ended, they decided to embark on a "necessary journey to examine our Christian response to racism".  So they held "virtual racial justice sessions", complete with dissident speakers such as Sister Simone Campbell and Steven Schneck.   Recently, Campbell stated that Biden has a "very developed approach to abortion".   She calls rescinding the Mexico City policy and restoring Planned Parenthood funding "very developed" because she too supports baby-slaughter.  I've written about this "nut nun on the bus" quite a bit in the past.  As for Steven Schneck, I too have written about this guy who supports pro-abortion candidates.  His role in these "sessions" was to "examine racism and Catholic social teaching in light of the then-ongoing presidential election process".  I wonder just how subtle was the shilling for Biden during these sessions?

I just picked up this issue of Our Parish Times today and thought this would be a quick stroll through that edition.  It isn't.  How much more progressive propaganda will we find later?

Church Hierarchy Feeling Some Much-Needed Financial Pain

Please go to the website of Our Parish Times and examine the January 2020 edition.  On the front page, left side is an article by Msgr John Enz ler entitled "Is Our Anger Hurting Those Most In Need?"  As you read it, you'll see that it's not much more than a cheap attempt to lay guilt trips on faithful Catholics who are making their disappointment known in the only language the Church hierarchy understands - money.  Well, obviously we are having an impact in that area.  That is why we see this backlash from Ensler, who no doubt scribbled this screed at the behest of higher-ups in the Church. 

Not only does Enzler dance around the problems that we are addressing (other than token lip service), but he is actually downright dishonest about the use of our donations.  Nowhere in his diatribe do I see acknowledged the fact that a portion of our donations to our parishes is assessed by the Archdiocese and then paid to the chancery.  Moreover, as I noted last week, the Archdiocese in turn forks over a portion of those assessments to the USCCB.  In his article, Enzler quotes the late Tip O'Neill who said "all politics is local".  If that is the case, Msgr Enzler, why shouldn't donations stay local as well?

If the DC chancery is really concerned about the financial well-being of their parishes, they would announce ways that parishioners could donate without any money being siphoned up the chain of command.  Perhaps they might cease their own contributions to the USCCB.  Perhaps the bishops as a whole stop having their semi-annual meetings in swanky hotels; a retreat center would be more in conformity with their sacerdotal offices, anyway.

In the meantime, I would suggest that faithful Catholics do all they can to keep their money from funding corrupt chanceries and the USCCB.  Now we do have the precept of the Church that says we must support the work of the Church.  But it is not the work of the Church to shield predators from justice or to glom onto progressive causes as though they are equivalent to the salvation of souls.  There are traditional orders to be supported.  There are local charities and pro-life efforts that operate on shoe-string budgets.  There are local food banks and soup kitchens that need help.  Truth-telling Catholic sites such as LifeSiteNews and Lepanto Institute need assistance.  This is a non-exhaustive list of organizations that will put your donation dollars to worthy use.

Maybe Enzler might want to think of the real mission of the Church.  Then he might write of himself and his cronies, "Is Our Dereliction of Duty Condemning the Souls in Our Care to Hell?"

A Mixed-Bag Stroll Through Our Parish Times

After the May 19th Mass I picked up the May 2019 issue of Our Parish Times.  This issue is focusing on school graduations, namely those from Catholic schools.  However, to read the various articles, one would not detect anything particularly Catholic about them.  The articles state that graduates are "prepared to meet the challenges of the real world".   Well, that's nice, in and of itself, but what about the schools' mission to prepare students to be faithful Catholics and to attain eternal salvation?  So far I see not one peep regarding that goal - a goal that surpasses by far all the scholarships and focus on this world.

I'm looking right now at page 16.  All the graduates from St. Bartholomew's School (on River Road in Bethesda) are pictured, with favorite quotes underneath each picture.  Not one quote is from a Catholic saint or even Our Lord Himself.  We see things from Ghandi and Martin Luther King.  We even read quotes from (this is no joke) Freddy Mercury and Whitney Houston.  Why no quote from any Catholic who takes Jesus Christ seriously?  I find that omission to be curious.  Was that deliberate?

After all that, it was refreshing to read on page 34 how the kindergarten class at Holy Redeemer made Rosaries for the missions.  They also made some to present to their mothers on Mothers' Day.  Equally good to see were accounts of May Processions and First Communions.

That oasis came to a bitter end when I read on page 22 (St Michael page) some tripe that does obeisance to envirowhackoism.  What else can it be when the authors mindlessly recite the mantra from the so-called "Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change", the one that predicts that if we don't go green within 12 years, well, they don't really say what will happen, do they?   One wonders just how much carbon footprint was caused by the creation of that IPCC report, what with all these wonks in their private jets, the paper wasted, etc - but I digress!

Again, to end on a happy note, go to page 59 (St Raphael) and read of the conversion of a Jewish man to the One True Faith.  That is the goal of authentic ecuminism - not some "go along to get along" nonsense but leading to Jesus who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

What To Do As Opposed To Suffering In Silence

The latest issue of Our Parish Times offered a predictably milquetoast response to perhaps the most significant Church scandal in recent history, if not in fact the entire history of the Church.  The issue in question is this August 2018 edition and the article is at the bottom right-hand corner of the front page: A Breach In Trust by Patricia McGann.

You'll have to follow the article to page 8.  There you'll see the problematic sentences in the last paragraph.  We're supposed to:

• "Do our best to live according to God's laws"  Fair enough, in and of itself.  But that is not all that is required.  What is not said is just as important as what is said.
• "Seek comfort and courage by praying together and in the silence of our hearts"  Oops!  Problems here in the underlined parts!  Forget this "seeking comfort" crap!  It's time to put on the big-boy and big-girl pants here and stop this incessant focus on emotions, particularly the weepy variety!  And again, let's forget the "silence" nonsense!  Let us listen to St. Catherine of Siena on the matter: "We've had enough of exhortations to be silent!  Cry out with a thousand tongues!  I see that the world is rotten because of silence!"
• "We won't waste our time judging or condemning Cardinal McCarrick or those who were complicit with their silence, because that's God's job and we trust He'll take care of it".  Did McGann write this before McCarrick resigned from the College of Cardinals?  Maybe so.  Anyway, while we don't judge or condemn McCarrick, Wuerl, et al as persons, we most certainly do condemn the rapes of young men and their cover-ups.  It is our job to root out this mess and shine the light on it relentlessly.  By the way - beware of the phrase "God will take care of it".  Often enough, that is simply a sanctimonious cop-out phrase used by people who just don't want to take up their responsibilities as Church Militant, for reasons of laziness and/or cowardice.

All that said, I'm happy to provide some evidence that some Catholics are indeed waking up and confronting the evil where it is to be found.  These are examples to be emulated.  Within the past two weeks, Cardinal Maradiaga, one of Pope Francis' "gang of nine" visited the Diocese of El Paso, Texas.  From Ann Barnhardt, we get a pictorial report of the greeting they provided to him.  Look at the pictures!  It'll do your heart good!

Below I post a video taken by the blogger behind Mahound's Paradise, a Chicago-based Catholic blog.  He cornered Auxiliary Bishop Bartosic and tried to interview him regarding the tyrannical behavior of his boss, Cardinal Cupich.  My!  Some people really do squirm under scrutiny, don't they?

These are the types of actions that we must all be prepared to emulate if we are to purge the various progressive diseases from our Church.  Prayer and reparation are useless if we aren't willing to undertake practical action.

Msgr John Enzler - Making Allowances For Some Abortions?

Msgr John Enzler is CEO of Catholic Charities.  He's a former pastor of Blessed Sacrament parish in Washington DC (Chevy Chase neighborhood).  He writes regularly for Our Parish Times.

Unfortunately his leanings are quite progressive.  We've had occasion to comment on the evidence in the past.  In this latest issue of Our Parish Times he wrote a column entitled "Celebrating Life, Equality and Education".  Regrettably it is much worse than the usual progressive screed.  Please go to page 16 of that pdf.  In one paragraph he wrote glowingly of the March for Life.  However, he started the next paragraph by saying "I take a pastoral view of this issue".  Uh-oh!  There's that word "pastoral"!  We know now that it has ominous undertones, thanks to the way Pope Francis has used that word to camouflage all sorts of dissidence and heresy.  Msgr Enzler merely followed suit.  Here is the rest of Enzler's "pastoral view".  To wit: "Let’s start by admitting it’s wrong and admitting that abortion is in fact taking the life of an innocent baby. At the same time, let us as a Church be welcoming to all who may be considering or have had abortions. We don’t condone it, but we need to meet them where they are, recognizing that people are forced to make decisions in all kinds of circumstances. While we don’t agree with the decision, they still need to be welcomed and loved in our Church as part of God’s family."  Shall we unpack all this "pastoral" double-talk?

Let's do this "bullet style".

• The phrase "at the same time" sets the stage for the treatment of a pro-abortion mentality as being equivalent to reverence for life.
• "we don't condone it, but we need to meet them where they are"  It sounds nice, but "where they are" is literally hell-bound.  Where is the acknowledgment that the Church must immediately call such people away from abortion to immediate repentance?
• "people are forced to make decisions" Wrong.  No amount of "force" can ever justify a choice for an intrinsically grave evil such as abortion.  Enzler doesn't acknowledge that those "decisions" are impermissible.  What does that say about his own beliefs regarding abortion?
• "while we don't agree with the decision" It's not a mere difference of opinion.  Abortion is a mortal sin against God's commands.  Where is the truly pastoral concern?  Where are the Spiritual Works of Rebuking the Sinner, Instructing the Ignorant?
• "they still need to be welcomed" If one has committed the sin of abortion, they will find this welcome as they enter the confessional and confess this (and all other) mortal sin.  No other "welcome" will do.

If the topic of Enzler's article was "racism" as opposed to "abortion", would he be evincing such moral relativism?  Of course not!  But consider what was written of him in my previous posts.  We see that at the very best, he is less concerned about the murders of 3500 babies daily than he is about amnesty for border-crashers, etc.  Of course there are big bucks to be had from the latter.  The tiny babies?  Not so much!

I've been blogging on such mess for several years now.  Still I find it difficult to believe that a Catholic priest could vomit forth such pablum.  Consider that he's CEO of Catholic Charities.  Does he occupy this position despite his position - or because of it?  I suspect the latter.  This, and other problems with Catholic Charities, makes it an organization not worthy of one penny from faithful Catholics.

Good News From Our Parish Times!!

On page 2 of the May issue (or page 3 from the online pdf) we read of the Catholic Communications Campaign that is scheduled for May 27-28.  At the end of the article, we are advised that additional information is available at the USCCB site - and so it is.

"So why is this news particularly good?", inquring minds might ask.  Because it is a way that Catholics can contribute towards communication efforts without any of these donations being diverted to the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.  For years now, I and many other faithful Catholic bloggers have been sounding the alarm about the CCHD being a front organization whose only function it is to divert Catholic dollars towards progressive anti-life and anti-God organizations.  This fact leapt into the public eye during the ACORN scandals - an organization to whom the CCHD granted millions of our dollars throughout the previous years.

We do notice one curious thing, though.  Even though the Communications efforts appear to have their own collection, the Communications name is still linked to the CCHD on the archdiocese's schedule for second collections.  The collection scheduled for August 5-6 is still called "Catholic Communications and Human Development".  So does the chancery think that Catholics have such short memories and attention spans that we'll forget in August that a collection for Catholic Communications was held less than three months earlier?  That this name and date change for the CCHD collection is a deliberate obfuscation is beyond doubt.

As August approaches, we'll have more information regarding the boycott of the CCHD collection in August.   Suffice it for now to say that any such boycott does not have to impact Catholic Communications.

Our Parish Times And Strange Social Justice Opinions

I've written before about my opinion of Our Parish Times, the periodical published by the Catholic Business Network.  When it first appeared, it was a welcome alternative to the Catholic Standard.  Whereas the Standard's tilt was definitely to the left (after Tom Rowan retired), OPT took on issues and viewpoints that the Standard was reluctant to touch.  However, something happened to OPT.  In my perspective as a reader, it seems that the Archdiocese of Washington somehow neutered OPT.  Is that why their excellent columnist Bob McCarthy has disappeared from the OPT pages?

But they still retain Chuck Short, a former ADW official who is now working for Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggitt.  Two weeks ago I wrote how he has given donations to Chris Van Hollen as the latter runs for the US Senate seat being vacation by "katholyc" pro-abortion Barbara Mikulski.  In so doing, Short is subverting the campaign of the GOP pro-life candidate Kathy Szeliga; he's choosing abortion over life in this election.  Yet OPT sees fit to retain Short as he blathers about his left-wing perverted view of "social justice".  Do they keep him simply because of his connection with Leggitt?

His latest blather is entitled "Street Mercy".  Among other things he discusses the explosion in the numbers of those who panhandle at street corners and meridian strips.  Many, like myself, are concerned that the money they collect will be used to procure drugs and/or alcohol.  Short poo-poos such concerns, whipping out the "who am I to judge" canard, misquoting Jesus Christ in the process.  To be fair, Short is merely following the example of Pope Francis.  Make no mistake about it; while tippy-toeing around the matter, Short is suggesting that we engage in sentimentality as opposed to rationality, not consider to what we may be materially contributing, and blindly fork it over.

In that portion of his paragraph, Short demonstrates his lack of credibility in opining about Catholic social teaching.  Was St Katherine Drexel "judging" when she counseled against giving cash directly to beggers?  For many panhandlers, what they do is a racket (I've seen evidence of that at Shady Grove and Frederick).

I'll relate another incident that occurred at my parish several years ago, with the pastor immediately prior to our current one.  A "family of indigents" appeared in front of the churh doors, begging for money.  It was still going on when the pastor, from the pulpit, gave us the full story.  After they first appeared, the St. Vincent De Paul Society and other parish ministries approached them to see how they could assist.  The "family" declined their assistance, preferring instead to receive only cash.  The pastor suggested that we not give money to them.  Was Father being judgmental?  Our Lord did caution us to be discerning, something that Short fails (or refuses) to consider.  To his credit, Short does suggest a number of parish outreaches where we can volunteer.

What is the mission of the OPTanyway?  Is it simply to be a forum in which members of the CBN can advertise?  I don't see a mission statement in their publication.  If I missed it, please advise where it is located.  At any rate, their readership is being ill-served by columnists such as Chuck Short.

Centering Prayer In The Archdiocese Of Washington

In the January 2014 issue of Our Parish Times appeared the article to the left.  St. Elizabeth Church in Rockville, MD  is touting its "centering prayer" program.  I believe the term "centering prayer" is an oxymoron.  In reality, it's new-age spiritual poison, having roots in Hinduism.  Notice this sentence in the article: "Meditation in centering prayer is done with a much more conscious effort at letting go of our control over our thoughts..".  This is absolutely dangerous, for it leaves the human mind open to all sorts of influences, including those of diabolic origin.

Catholic Culture puts forth an excellent treatment of this practice, detailing its roots in eastern cults and its de facto idolization of man in opposition to God.

As you read this article, it becomes clear that the author is woefully ignorant of the spiritual dangers of "centering prayer".  At least I hope it's just a case of mere ignorance, as opposed to flat out defiance of the Magisterium.  I do find myself bemused that this article would see the light of day.  The publishers of Our Parish Times have in the past been involved in "rescues" at local abortion mills; how they could be so blithely allow this to be published is beyond me.

I've seen this "centering prayer" in the bulletins of other parishes, as well but can't recall which ones.  As I learn of these I will post.  Concerned Catholics are urged to alert their pastors to this menace.  Please keep this blog posted as well, and advise us if your concerns fall on deaf ears.

Mainstream Catholic Media - Aiding And Abetting The Culture Of Death

In today's Vortex, Michael Voris touches upon a key reason why this blog and its sister website were created - to do the job that the Catholic Standard refused to do, and still refuses to do.  We originally sought to put Catholics in the MD/DC area (meaning the Archdiocese of Washington, Archdiocese of Baltimore and Diocese of Wilmington) in touch with realistic information regarding the Church and the culture at large.  We still have that goal while realizing that we can serve the larger Church as well.

Voris is spot-on as he describes the "careerism" that has infected the minds of so many "officials" in various Church enterprises, including the media.  I congratulate him for naming names in the second half of the presentation.  I will say a word about EWTN, but solely in Mother Angelica's defense.  It has only been after her illness and subsequent infirmity that EWTN went "squishy" on us all; pray for Mother as this must pain her greatly.

Of course I'd add to the list the Catholic Standard and the paper sponsored by the Catholic Business Network called Our Parish Times.  The latter is a paper that originated maybe ten years ago.  At one time it did deal with some hard issues honestly, mostly through one columnist.  For reasons that I can only imagine, that columnist no longer appears, and now the Times joins the Standard in featuring happy little photo-ops and maybe some pieces approved by USCCB or other such organs.  For an excellent "case in point", recall the situation with Father Marcel Guarnizo at St John Neumann during Lent 2012.  You saw it on this blog.  You saw it in the Washington Post and other secular outfits.  It was in fact international news.  However, neither the Catholic Standard nor Our Parish Times uttered one peep on the matter.  Such silence on the part of supposed journalists was downright dishonest.

Two Newspapers Earn Booby-Prizes For Lousy Reporting On Father Guarnizo's Situation

First booby-prize - the Washington Post (again!)

I suppose we can all be thankful that there are no looming disasters in the world that are of note.  How else could a rehash of the February 25 incident with Father Guarnizo have made it onto the front page of the Washington Post's Sunday edition?

Michael Rosenwald and Michelle Boorstein try to compare Father Guarnizo and Barbara Johnson, claiming that they are simply just two very different Catholics.   While that itself is laughable on its face, there are more things in this article to tickle the funnybone.  So let's proceed to unpack this sloppy excuse for journalism.

First, when the Post writes that Father "has essentially accused church officials of lying", they are referring to the statement that Father released this past Thursday.  I reproduced that in my post that day.  He simply relayed the facts as he saw them.  Had he remained silent, he himself would have lied in doing so.

A few paragraphs down, we read that Father "was known as a particularly intimidating protester in weekly demonstrations outside a Germantown abortion clinic."  That clinic would be the late-term facility operated by Leroy Carhart, who murders late-term babies.  Father has been instrumental in convincing some mothers not to have this done to their babies.  I suppose from the abortionists' perspective, anyone or anything that cuts into their profit margin is "intimidating".  Otherwise, the notion of Father being intimidating is silly when one considers that Father stands about 5'6" and is 130 pounds tops.

Moving on, we see mention of "much-debated canon law".  Canon 915 is actually quite clear in and of itself.  Yes, this is a canon that ministers of Holy Communion are bound (not "requested" but bound) to obey.  It is quite scandalous that the Archbishop of Washington DC holds this Canon in disdain.  Father upheld it.

Then we read of Mother of God Community, a charismatic community located across the street from the St John Neumann Church.  Father Guarnizo is a priest of the Archdiocese of Moscow.  The two religion writers of the Washington Post write this incredible statement: "The Catholic archdiocese in Moscow appears to be part of that community."  Do you think these "religion writers" should have done just a little research on these two entities?  For the Mother of God Community, all they had to do was search the Post's own archives for articles written in 1997.  Actually the history of Mother of God Community (at least a good-enough synopsis) is on the Post's own website!  Now here's an article from Wikipedia on Roman Catholicism in Russia.  Do these writers really believe that an entire archdiocese is an arm of a group of charismatic Catholics that runs out of a relatively small office complex on Goshen Road?  Do they have common sense?

Then the Post writers quote this less-than-authoritative comment from Fr Thomas Reese, SJ.: "If I was Cardinal [Donald W.] Wuerl, I’d buy him a one-way ticket to Moscow.   These days, arch-conservative priests feel much more comfortable attacking their bishops than do liberals because they feel they’ll get support from conservative Catholic blogs and maybe some in the Vatican."  The article states that Reese is the former editor of the liberal Catholic magazine "America".  They fail to mention why he's the former editor - in a nutshell, Pope Benedict XVI gave Reese the "heave-ho" as one of the first acts of his pontificate.  I mention that only to give an idea of Reese's credibility - or lack thereof.

Second booby-prize  - Our Parish Times!

What did they have to say?  Nothing!  Nada!  Zippo!  The page for St John Neumann is filled with the usual happy-clappy stuff - but not one peep about the funeral incident.  Please don't tell me that the paper went to print before it happened for I saw reports of other events that occurred as late as March 3, a week after the incident hit the Post and other media outlets.  The silence is deafening and disingenuous.  I might have expected that from the Catholic Standard, the Archdiocesan mouthpiece that would be itching to cover up the chancery's malfeasance.  But I thought that Our Parish Times was independent of the chancery's control.  That paper has gone downhill since Bob McCarthy's column disappeared.