In light of all that has happened – clergy child sex abuse, priests with pornograhy, the hearings, the school closings, the embezzlement and so much more – let’s get out to support victims, protect children, demand transparency and renew our Church! Pray and protest for the future of the Philadelphia Catholic Church.
Please join Sister Maureen Turlish and many others during the First Friday Vigil on February 3 from noon to 1 p.m. in front of the Philadelphia Archdiocesan offices at 222 North 17th Street in center city.
All are welcome to participate in prayer, picketing and protest.
There is a parking lot at 18th and Vine. Suburban train station is just a three blocks away. Bring signs if you’d like. The protest includes a procession, short prayer vigil and petition signing.
For more information, email: maturlishmdsnd@yahoo.com
I’ll be there. The tide is turning in favor of truth, accountability, transparency and hope. Let’s have an impressive show of support for Philadelphia Catholics.
Before the dogmas of the Immaculate Conception in 1854 and the Assumption in 1950 were proclaimed ex cathedra, the faithful, the People of God, already held them as tenets of their faith. Programs such as the Christian Family Movement, Marriage Encounter and Cursillo originated from the grass roots of the Church. These movements had profound spiritual impacts on countless numbers of people. It was the faithful who initiated the change and the movements which had some of the most dramatic effects on Catholics and Christians. They came from the People of God. So I commend you, the men, women and children of Philadelphia to denounce deceit, deception, abuse, injustice and corruption in your archdiocese. Demand more from your clerical leadership, you deserve it and so does the rest of the Church. Until there is transparency, until there is accountability, until the leadership of the Church recognizes equality between themselves and those they serve, until then, there will always be doubt, distrust and suspicion on the the part of the laity towards its hierarchy.
i think if catholics turned to christ thru the word of god and turn away from their false religion and worship of idols like their priests and pope and buildings.. they would find that trying to save what was never right is the wrong thing to do.. i was catholic and fortunately god called me to god and not to the catholic church.. there is a huge difference. am thankful i was abused by catholic priests because that made me leave the evil and turn to the living god…
Hello Danny, I relate so much to what you wrote. I too Have found a sense of freedom, a true intimacy with God. I am so grateful I had the strength and courage to struggle through my painful journey and truly embrace the light. We are warriors, TRUTH is our banner!
So did I Danny. Worshipping statues,relics,communion wafers etc. etc. ad naseum was too much for me even as a child. I too found the love of Christ through His word not the loads of crap “Holy Mother church” teaches. It is too bad my Catholic friends just don’t get it. Well when you brainwash a childs mind it is tough to “unwind” them. Maybe they need deprogramming like the parents of the Moonie kids did for them in the seventies. I do know one thing. They need our prayers and patience. Kurt Gladsky gladsky@aol.com
Danny, Vicky, and Kurt,
Indoctrination (brainwashing) presents an enormous problem. It stands in the way of our ability to reason. Once one sets aside their thinking process, and turns it over to another person they are open to deception. The best that they can hope for is that the person they are following is benevolent, but they can never be sure.
At worst, the leader may be a Judas goat. “The Judas goat is trained to associate with sheep or cattle, leading them to a specific destination. In stockyards, a Judas goat will lead sheep to slaughter, while its own life is spared” (Wikipedia.)
Those who blindly defer to any cleric or Church will never know where they will end up. “Hey, let’s be careful out there” (Hill Street Blues.)
Waiting to find out the date of a family funeral. If it is not on Friday, I will be there. I feel bad I have only been able to make a couple of the first Friday rallies in the past year.
Sr. Maureen is a beacon of hope for ‘Catholic’ Philly
Don K.
You have my support, Sister Maureen!
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2011&sind=0&body=S&type=B&BN=1392
bill tracker
http://justice4pakids.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/sb1392p1906.pdf
thanks Susan for the link
Bless you Sr. Maureen for having the courage to begin a healing process!
what healing process? begin? this protest has been going on for some time-noone goes-i can’t even civilly describe what it is…but it is certainly not healing anyone…read up on the comments here…you have been duped
furthermore, i read on another section people discussing Cardinal Bevilaqua’s body…it was removed right away (gee, that’s what happens when someone dies..the funeral director takes the body). then people have the audacity to discuss hoping that an autopsy is done to find out how he really died. as if that’s not enough already, then they spin a plot the archdiocese might have the body cremated. these are people that just read the paper (albeit the wrong ones) and don’t even know Cardinal Bevilaqua…they are for the most part not from Philadelphia and some out of the country.
…”they are for the most part not from Philadelphia and some out of the country.”
I thought the RCC was a universal church, thus what takes place in Philadelphia is a concern for Catholics worldwide.
drwo13, you are so right about a universal church. AND, I would add, a 24/7 worldwide media market. And this is one of those cases where what happens in Philly, clearly doesn’t stay in Philly.
National media is focused like a laser beam, on the Msgr Lynn trial. I subscribe to the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and several local papers and ALL of them have covered molestation issues throughout the nation, and more recently in PA.
Should Msgr Lynn be convicted of Child Endangerment or Conspiracy, both of which he is charged with, it would be the first time in the nation that a diocesan official with management for predator priests would be held accountable for knowingly passing these priests on to unsuspecting parishes.
This is, putting it mildly, a very big deal in the universal church and a matter that concerns Catholics, to say nothing of the media, worldwide.
It is ALSO the reason that reading the 2005 and 2011 Grand Jury reports found at the top of this page in the RESOURCES link is so important. For they detail in devastating language, what both Grand Juries when empaneled by the Philadelphia District Attorneys to investigate child molestation in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, found to be the case. It is ugly reading, but very necessary.
Josie,I think that the people who attend the vigil are the ones best able to describe the event. It involves victims and family members along with Catholic laity. As for no one attending the event,I have been there with up to 70 people and also other times with about 25 people. It is a chance for people to gather,share their stories,support those who are still suffering.I always leave feeling fortunate to have stood with others and supported them in their journey.
oh and please do not tell me to read the blasted grand jury report…everyone is sick of being told that ad infinitum…pretty much sick of it
Ok so read Archbishop Bev’s testimony and Jason Berry’s books something different. Read some chuch history about corrupt bishops nothing new they have and do exist. If the bishops taught the church teachings like they should have we would not have these scandals nor be in the middle of losing our religious freedoms as we are. We need courageous leadership.
josie,
Please read the 2005 and 2011 Grand Jury Reports on the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s cover-up of the sexual abuse of children by Philadelphia clergy. Who covered it up you say? Begin with Krol, followed by Bevilaequa and then Rigali who followed suit in his own disreputable way. Don’t say you’re read it because you would be unable to after reading it. It is ghastly and an awful indictment of the hierarchy.
I agree and I think many don’t realize that many of the records that Msgr. Malloy compiled over the years were used in the Grand Jury reports. Canon Law dictates a very defined record keeping and he meticulously took notes of all the meetings with the victims-as he said he realized at some point there would be a criminal investigation and felt the least he could do was take copious notes for when these activities were investigated. I don’t know if people realize how much evidence has come from the Secret Archive records. The Secret Archives is the name the Archdiocese refers to for the room where the records are kept.