The Picket Of Shriver's Appearance At Blessed Sacrament Today

Alright, I'll say this up front.  There were only two of us protesting today's scandal at Blessed Sacrament in DC's Chevy Chase neighborhood.  However, isn't it usually the case that the number of demonstrators protesting a given debacle is less than the number of attendees at said debacle?  Well, I understand that today there wasn't that much difference!

The two of us stayed on the corner of Western Avenue and Quesada St.  We had signs along Quesada and we passed out the flyer that you see to the right.  It was about noon when a man came from the event to report what happened.  He said that there were only 8-10 people up there and that he and his family went there to question Shriver on his pro-abortion proclivities.  He also mentioned that the three parish priests were in attendance, as well as the parish librarian who invited Shriver.  She is the one who had invited Chris Matthews a few months ago - causing us to conclude that some more pastoral oversight might be in order with regards to the guests that she invites.

I didn't think to ask if that "8-10" person figure included his family and/or the parish staff.  For the sake of present discussion, let's suppose that the 8-10 people were folks in addition to his family and parish staff.  That still means that at the maximum, only 18 pairs of ears were listening to whatever Mark Shriver was saying.  I hope that his book sales were equally paltry.

The man's relatives soon emerged.  His sister reported that she asked Shriver if he shared his late father's pro-life convictions.  Shriver answered that it was one area in which he did not agree with his father.  He tried to answer that question quickly, but he did reiterate for the record his approval of baby-murder, in front of the pastor and priests who blew off our earlier pleas.

As I said, we distributed flyers - both in person and on cars.  Some people were obviously pro-abortion themselves (presumably including the individual who saw fit to steal one of our signs).  Others were just as appalled as we regarding Shriver's appearance.  One couple remarked that they too had tried to contact the pastor, but to no avail.  Perhaps further feedback from these parishioners will succeed where we failed.

On the flyer, I stated our prayers and hopes that there is never another such ridiculous pandering to pro-aborts as the two incidents we've now had.  Will we have to picket again?  That's entirely up to the Blessed Sacrament staff.

Yesterday's Protest Of The Chris Matthews Appearance At A Catholic Church

Although he has makes no secret of his disdain for the Church's teachings on life and morals, Chris Matthews was invited to Blessed Sacrament yesterday to sign and sell his latest book.  Our numerous calls, emails, etc to the parish and to the chancery were not answered, let alone heeded.  We were left no alternative but to go there and raise our voices.  Some had advocated that we refrain from doing so.  While we respect these fellow Catholics, we feel that a "polite silence" would have been a grave injustice to the babies whose murders are approved by Matthews (and some of the other parishioners, who flat-out told us that).

Despite his nose-thumbing at Our Lord, Matthews was invited to use the Church to promote himself and to peddle his wares.  What this Church thought it would gain by selling its soul on this occasion I fail to grasp.  At first we stood in front of the church, on the sidewalk at Western Avenue.  We held our large signs and passed out a flyer describing our purpose for being there.  The Truth Truck drove by regularly (pictured right).

Others of our number went into the library where the event took place.  They offered pointed questions and even more pointed rebukes.  I walked into the courtyard as some of them were being ushered out.  Below are some scenes from that.  I understand that the proceedings inside the library itself were recorded.  I will link to those videos in a future post when they are ready.  (click here if you cannot see embedded video).



I truly hope that no other Catholic facility will see fit to besmirch its holy grounds by allowing another dissident Catholic to promote him/herself and by extension, his/her cancerous proclivities.  However, should another such sad occasion arise, we will be ready.

Exorcism And The Church Militant

Rev. Thomas Euteneuer, author of the above-named book and president of Human Life International, will be at the National Basilica of the Immaculate Conception for a book-signing on Sunday, August 8, from 11:00am to 3:00pm.

Be there, if only to procure a copy of the book.  You might recall the posting regarding priests praying prayers of exorcism outside an abortuary.  They were using prayers from Fr Euteneuer's book.