I'm sure most of you have heard of the tragic accident last week at Notre Dame that killed a young man who was up on some scaffolding filming the football team. At Saturday's football game, the public address announcer asked for a "moment of silence". You'd think that a Catholic college would offer a prayer for his soul, especially at a public gathering. Nope - not at Notre Dame.
My daughter is a freshman at Mt. Saint Mary's University in Emmitsburg, MD. When we went to the orientation, the President of the University stated that they were "proudly Catholic", and that "The Mount" was a "Catholic University", not simply a University with a Catholic identity. That was reassuring to hear.
Shortly after the start of the school year, a freshman died tragically due to heatstroke. The Chaplain of the school, along with the President, held a public prayer outdoors for her soul, and to beg comfort for her parents, family, & friends. It was attended by a large contingent of the student body, and the local newspaper filmed a portion of it and posted it on their website. There was no "moment of silence", there was no embarrassment for their Catholicism, there no "neutering" of the prayers to avoid offense.
Quite a study in contrasts between a university that has the "veneer" of, and is embarrassed by, Catholicism (Notre Dame), and one that embraces and is proud of Catholicism (Mount Saint Mary's).
Please watch Real Catholic TV's Michael Voris talk about yet another Notre Shame episode:
http://www.youtube.com/user/RealCatholicTV?feature=mhum#p/a/u/0/_vSvu-7lAB8
And please remember to offer a prayer for the soul of that young man, even if Notre Dame would rather you didn't.
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16 comments:
Father Jenkins had Mass on the 28th for his soul. His family was in attendance, and the student body not only filled the Basilica, the Student Center, but the quad outside as well.
It was a powerful, moving time for everyone.
Sure, maybe they should have said a prayer at the football game. But you make the assumption that there was nothing done other than that. And that's far from the truth.
Joannie,
I'm not assuming they did nothing, understanding from my Mount Saint Mary's perspective that they very well may have done something.
But a "moment of silence"? As Catholics, you'd think we'd know that 80,000 "moments of silence" don't add up to even a fraction of the value of 80,000 joined in a Hail Mary. Or even a single Hail Mary, for that matter.
I agree that they should have prayed -- and they pray before every game, so I'm not sure how the moment of silence fit into that.
But the way you wrote the post, you compared/contrasted that moment of silence to a prayer service at Mt St Mary's, and I just wanted to clarify that it was an unfair comparison, because Father celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for his soul, which we know, as Catholics, is the most powerful prayer on this earth.
I don't disagree with you on the moment of silence, but I was looking to clarify what the University did for those who didn't know.
I was there at the game - Fr. Jenkins did publicly pray for Declan and the Sullivan family. Granted it was not as "Catholic" of a prayer as many would have wanted, but it was a public prayer.
I think you are really spinning this one a bit to far.
Granted it was not as "Catholic" of a prayer as many would have wanted,
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Not knowing exactly what that means, I guess you'd have to shed some light.
But it reminds me of my return to the Church back in 1998. Early on, I met with a priest who told me that "we never want to be TOO Catholic"... I think that attitude infects many people who are ashamed of their faith - and unfortunately, many of them in the priesthood itself.
Who are you to judge a prayer?
You are a PHARISEE.
AND you might check out Voris.
He is NOT endorsed by the Archdiocese
of Detroit.
I am sure that Mt. St. Mary's must be thrilled to have you on their side....
You are a PHARISEE.
Who are you to judge someone a pharisee?
AND you might check out Voris.
He is NOT endorsed by the Archdiocese
of Detroit.
And that means what exactly?
Who are you to judge a prayer?
You are a PHARISEE.
====================
I wasn't judging a prayer, I was "judging" a "moment of silence". There's a big difference.
And let's be honest, endorsement (or lack thereof) by a diocese isn't a guarantee of anything. Remember, many dioceses endorse the CCHD.
i ATTENDED THE TULSA-NOTRE DAME GAME.
FR. JENKINS OFFERED A PRAYER FOR DECLAN AND THE SULLIVAN FAMILY.
YOU ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO JUDGE HIM OR THE PRAYER.
AS FOR VORIS, HE IS NOT WHAT HE SEEMS.
DO SOME RESEARCH.
and yeah, i think you are a pharisee
and yeah, i think you are a pharisee
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Ever notice how those who scream "don't judge" don't mind judging?
AS FOR VORIS, HE IS NOT WHAT HE SEEMS.
DO SOME RESEARCH.
I'm not in the habit of doing other people's homework in order to establish their claims. But just for a starter, here is the mission statement for RealCatholic TV:
RealCatholicTV.com is a website displaying videos and other media. The opinions expressed on RealCatholicTV.com are those of the individuals responsible for the production of the videos and other media, all of whom are Catholics in good standing who strive to conform to the teaching and laws of the Church. No materials on this website are intended to speak in the name of the Church.
So as far as I am concerned, this is what I thought they were long before I looked it up. That is, I, and I will bet many other Catholics, never thought MV was speaking in any kind of official Church capacity. So if you have something other than what amounts to "I don't like him", then substantiate it.
Hey, Anon:
going by the words you used about "judging"...let me guess, you'll be the first in line to JUDGE the new misel when it comes out in 2011, won't you?
And... I bet you voted for Obama.
Along with Mary Liz, I was at the Tulsa game. What she means is that the prayer was of the more free-form and semi-saccharine prayers that are a-typical of Catholic gatherings, where we would normally include at least an Our Father or "Eteranl rest grant unto him..."
Good to see that the same old things that happens down south happens up North!
But in spite everything I guess the point is clear or you are a catholic university or you are not.
If you compline about a minite of silence, I have to complain about a conference in wich the Headmastes of the University said that he was sad that the people choose de UCA (Universidad católica argentina) for being Catholic,that he would prefeare that it would have be choosen by it's academic excelence; that he rather hae good profesionals than good Christians... I wonder why not both? Sincerouly sometimes I think the C is meer decoration.
Greeting from the far south
Mary
Greeting from the far south
=======================
I guess those who are ashamed of their Catholicism aren't just relegated to the good ol' US of A.
The moment of silence was directly followed by Fr. Jenkins's prayer.
For some context: in a football stadium filled with 80k+ fans who have been cheering to pre-game marching band routines and yelling chants with the drumline, how is a bit of silence to establish some modicum of reverence within which to offer a prayer at all inappropriate?
This wasn't a matter of ND "replacing" something Catholic with something that wasn't. This was a matter of getting 80k+ people to shut their mouths and reflect on a tragic death before, in prayer, calling upon God for healing.
This tragedy was devastating for the ND community, and this cartoon is a misleading and cheap shot at a grieving group of students, faculty, and administrators.
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