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The Bible is a treasure trove of insights and wisdom, yet it's so often overlooked because of our prejudices, doubts and fears.
As part of my daily routine I try to read the Bible each day, and I believe that reading the Bible is by far the best habit for personal development — or life transformation.
I read the Bible in various formats including printed and digital. And over the years I've collected a number of versions including: King James, English Standard, New Living Translation, Amplified, and the Message.
At the moment I use YouVersion, which comes free with reading plans, tools and other resources that enable me to keep track of what I'm reading, bookmark, and take notes. It's definitely worth downloading the app.
Because I like to mix things up a bit, I particularly like the audio function on YouVersion, as I can simply listen to the Bible being narrated whilst I'm exercising, driving, or doing some work around the house.
The Bible as part of a personal development plan
Reading the Bible is important to my personal development because it gives me a greater awareness of my own humanity, and a better appreciation of the greatness of God. It helps me to keep things in perspective.
It strengthens my faith and helpfully reminds me that it's not all about me, as it's sometimes easy to become narcissistic and forget that our service is for the good of others.
The Bible isn't for everyone, as there's many who'd doubt it's authenticity. But for me, it's been the only book that's consistently been accurate in describing what I observe within myself (when honest) and the world around me.
And for me, that's good enough!
It's also been a place where I've found refuge and peace when faced with life's challenges.
But, as with all things, reading the Bible requires a right approach and some self-discipline. And neither of these I find easy by nature.
Ever read the Bible?
If you've never read the Bible, here are some suggested helpful tips from J. C. Ryle from his book Practical Religion that I'd encourage you to consider..
#1. Begin reading your Bible this very day
Simply put, Ryle says the most profitable approach is to just do it!
Start. Don't wait. Take the holy book and resolve to read it.
Today. And then everyday.
#2. Read the Bible with an earnest desire to understand it
Rather than it becoming a daily 'task' to cross off our tick list, Ryle says that when reading the Bible, the most important thing is gaining understanding. Quality of understanding, as opposed to quantity of reading, is key.
#3. Read the Bible with child-like faith and humility
Approaching the Bible with a determination to believe it 'as is', as opposed to questioning its content with cynicism or doubt shaped by our own prejudices, is most essential when reading the Bible.
This can be difficult for some people because of the attitudes of those who've influenced them, or as a direct result of their previous experiences of church, media portrayals, or even 'Christians' themselves.
As much as it'll not be easy, I'd encourage you to put aside those things momentarily and instead look into the text as would a child reading their first adventure story.
With excitement, anticipation and awe.
#4. Read the Bible in a spirit of obedience and self-application
As those understand the importance of taking responsibility, we can tend to lean towards wanting to do things on our terms and in our own way.
But when approaching the Bible, we should give consideration to how each verse applies to us personally. To our daily lives; our attitudes, choices, and our behaviour.
Alongside this should be a willingness to put into practice what we understand, as it's only through application that we develop, grow and change.
#5. Read the Bible daily
Fresh revelation, insight, knowledge and provocation from the Bible comes to readers who commit to searching for God's wisdom daily — with diligence and care.
#6. Read all of the Bible — and read it in an orderly way
Reading scripture systematically, and in its entirety, gives us a right and complete perspective of God.
With this comes an understanding of his word, its meanings, and how we are to rightly apply it.
I have to confess, I've yet to do this — but I'll get there one day!
#7. Read the Bible fairly and honestly
Accepting the word of God 'as is', without being subject to either our own views, or the forced interpretations of others, should be our approach to determining what each verse means.
Again this can be challenging, but it's worth noting that without God's help to understand, the Bible may seem at best confusing, at worst strange. But God helps us to understand.
#8. Read the Bible with Christ continually in view
In all our reading, seek to identify how Jesus Christ is revealed. And I would add, allow fresh insight from the Bible to compel you to consider worshipping Jesus.
Read Erik Kowalker's full post for more from these tips from J. C. Ryle.

subset: commoncrawl


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software: After Effects + 3rd party plug-ins
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by Eran Stern
Eran creates a teaser for an upcoming reality show using footage from the Rubberball, Glamour Key and Aqua Geo Graphic libraries on artbeats.com. He has incorporated plug ins from Mettle, GenArts and Red Giant Software, with some tricks in After Effects, to create this fun, fresh piece.
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software: After Effects, Photoshop, Mocha AE
length: 35:24
Take a break and learn some valuable tips! This entertaining, yet highly useful tutorial by design guru Eran Stern utilizes Photoshop's cloning tools and Mocha's tracking to clone out unwanted text, add green screen footage of people, and replace objects.
software: Premiere Pro
length: 19:33
Learn to mimic the high dynamic range toning effect in Premiere Pro. Using a few special techniques and blending mode, Eran will show how you can harness the effect of the Mercury Playback Engine on both nature landscape footage and portrait or people stock footage shots.
software: Illustrator, Cinema 4D, After Effects
length: 19:22
Once again Eran Stern offers up terrific tips for integrating stock footage into your projects. In SportHD, you'll learn how to actually make the footage become the message, using the displacement map effect. After Effects and Cinema 4D project files are included to help you complete the look yourself.
software: After Effects
length: 27:14
In this tutorial, Eran first takes you through the steps of distorting footage to match your source, in this case a city scene shot with a fisheye lens. Then follow along as Eran creates a title which appears to burst from an explosion, ending with the individuals letters burning out. With a few clips from Artbeats, your own music, and After Effects, you can make this cool sequence come to life.
length: 02:29
by Angie Taylor
In this video you'll learn how to correctly incorporate the left and right video footage created in S3D into your After Effects Stereoscopic 3D scene.
Find out more about buying this complete workshop here Stereoscopic 3D Motion Graphics Workshop
length: 03:36
It's important to be aware of the basic concepts involved in depth perception before diving into the tools required to create stereo 3D. This video looks at how our eyes and brains interpret distance.
software: After Effects, Mocha
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In this final installment of a two-part video series, learn how Eran uses AE's crash zoom effect and mocha's easy tracking capabilities to complete this unique and entertaining project.
software: Photoshop, After Effects
length: 36:14
Follow Eran from concept to creation, as he shows you the steps of envisioning a witty and entertaining idea, drawing a storyboard, searching out the perfect footage, and designing a final piece. This first installment of a two-part series is packed with tips such as masking, creating shadows, and using After Effects CS5.5's new warp stabilizer effect.
length: 25:06
In this new tutorial, Eran uses the text tool in After Effects, along with several text animators to create rings of particles, making for a magical transition for any footage you choose.
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crazyshelly's Mom Answers Activity
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french party ideas
so the murder mystery dinner i'm throwing is based in paris in 1940 - war time but on a high end train leaving the city before the war. still supposedly very exclusive though. know dinner and will of course have tons of red wine on hand. have some ideas for dessert as i have done this party before but would love new suggestions as well as apps and cocktails. pre prep or not too hard is good because i want to have fun but mainly because i'm also running the mystery part. thanks!!!!!!
re: mpalmer6c
see below.
Mpalmer6c is right! But let's not quibble. If you want to be really French, apps are quite minimal as to not spoil the appetite for the main event, i.e.bowls of nuts and olives, main course could be any fabulous French stew, ie Blaquette de Veau (my personal favorite) or Coq au Vin or Boeuf Bourguignon, followe by a simple green salad and cheese board.
Gourgeres and champagne for your app. Tres chic, tres delicieux and tres simple! You can also have the option of a kir royale instead of plain champagne.
re: gourmanda
not all foodies and i don't know they'd all do escargot. it's why coq au vin is so great. it's lovely and traditional but it's made out of ingredients that everyone will eat.
crepes are a great ides for dessert.
Well, considering Larousse Gastronomique was published in 1938, I would reference an early copy for ideas (thanks to Amazon's search inside feature, you can keyword search and then view whole pages). For example, on a page about catering cocktail parties, dishes include: crustades, bouchees, timbales, vol-au-vent, pates, galantines and ballotines, chaud-froids, dishes in aspic, canapes, and ice cream and petit fours.
These are obviously the élite, not the droves of poor souls leaving on foot, by bicycle, in overcrowed motor vehicles, with carts or whatever. I suppose despite some shortages they found dainties to eat. Champagne would have been hidden away in cellars, so there certainly was some for the means to pay for it.
These are people with the means of leaving before the actual Occupation, during the so-called "phoney war" (drôle de guerre).
As for the German occupiers, the officers at least certainly indulged in Parisian haute cuisine...
But I hope your mystery dinner will have some allusions to the general living conditions there and then.
re: lagatta
My French father-in-law used to say, "During times of peace, livi in the city; in times of war, live in the country." In wartime Parisians would go to their relatives who lived on farms to get provisions such as meat, especially rabbit, so rabbit stew would be appropriate (lapin au vin blanc is delicious if you can get over the source) or buy on the black market if they had the funds since everything was rationed. So have your champagne if you wish, or have a hearty stew with chunks of country bread with some simple wine to reflect some of the conditions at the time. BTW, coffee with chicory would also be appropriate as chicory was used to extend the rationed coffee.
re: nemo
the thing is it's all scripted on the box. they tell me it's 1940. june 13th to be exact and these select few people are about to get on the last train out before the city is totally occupied. so i can't make it 1938. :) it has taped parts you listen to and scripts for the characters and all. there are dukes and princesses and black marketeers and a parfumerie heiress and a RAF captain, etc. predone. VERY fun.
anyway the menu is coq au vin (suggested and what i did last time). i believe i had haricot verts and i personally prefer noodles to potatoes despite that being homier. may do roasted/parslied potatoes this time instead to seem more upsacale. last time i did it was years ago in grad school with very little money and i did a homemade chocolate mousse for dessert and cannot for the life of me remember what i did for an appetizer. it was seated because everyone is listening to the script.
re: weezycom
tarte tatin is actually an excellent selection since in october apples are very in season in VA. and i could make ahead. thanks.


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Giffords' group: We'll push gun debate in 2016
Her PAC will try to change the narrative - and improve on its 2014 performance.
Democrats debate big-money strategy
Donors and operatives indentify weaknesses in the party's 2014 plan.
Tester picks aide as next DSCC executive director
Tom Lopach will be be the next executive director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
Big donors urge Warren to run
She insists she's not running, but the rich liberals seem unwilling to take "no" for an answer.
Obama backer hosting Clinton Foundation event
Three people familiar with the event say invitations have started going out for a small gathering.
Campaign-finance cases to watch
"I think you'll see continued deregulation," says one expert.
Democrats create an ALEC-killer
Activists have a plan to reverse the decline in state governments.
Dems bail on Landrieu
With control of the Senate no longer on the line, the race becomes less important for both parties.
How to waste $10 million
Voters shrug at efforts by Mayday PAC and cast their ballots for business as usual.
Where did Steyer go wrong?
He spent too much on flashy ads, critics say, and not enough on getting out the vote.
DSCC raises $20.5 million in October
Democratic officials could not immediately provide figures for the party's cash on hand.
NRSC raised $17.1 million in October
The party committee has $4.7 million cash on hand, but $9 million in debt.
The year of living stupidly
Simon says America gets wilted candidates and empty campaigns.
Pelosi raises over $100 million
She is the party's most prolific fundraiser, having raised nearly $430 million since 2002.
Scott's self-funding: $12.8 million
Florida's governor says outside spending forced him to put his own money into his reelection bid.
The real Kent Conrad
We are stunned and outraged by the utterly false and fundamentally dishonest characterization of Sen. Kent Conrad published in Politico Magazine.
Pelosi to Dems: Urgent need for cash
She and DCCC Chairman Steve Israel stress that members need to quickly pay their party dues.
Paul PAC jumps into Senate races
RAND PAC is going up with its first television ad on behalf of Kansas GOP Sen. Pat Roberts.
McConnell cuts himself $1.8M check
The Senate minority leader plans to counter the influx of Democratic spending.
Confessions of a rogue fundraiser
How I begged, cajoled and sometimes duped donors into giving money to a senator I despised.


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Since the 2012 Presidential election, conservatives have been trying to think up ways to revive their movement. Last week a number of them approached the subject, including George F. Will (basically you're doing great don't change anything), Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (basically you're doing g ... More >>
American banks are on a massive crime spree. Obama and Romney hope you won't notice.
Politico reported today that Mayor Mike trashed his longtime buddy Chuck Schumer at an April 12 meeting in Mitch McConnell's Senate office in Washington. The attack on Schumer, who supports the financial reform bill now before the Senate, is part of the oddest Bloomberg campaign ... More >>
See UPDATE after the jump "Harold Ford is a great candidate who knows how to handle himself," Chuck Schumer said in 2005. "We're very hopeful about his candidacy." Maybe a bit less hopeful today. The fine line between irony and hypocrisy is crossed every day in politics. But in ... More >>


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Endeavour Solutions
Endeavour has been taking the hard out of Business Software since 1986. We understand that no two minds think alike so we work with you to make your systems simple and understood by all. We are passionate about solving our client's problems and letting you get on with business knowing the systems just work. Visit website >
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Category: Waste & Recycling ×
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Valvan Baling Systems NV
based in Menen, BELGIUM
Valvan Baling Systems is an engineering company that specializes in the design and construction of hydraulic baling presses and accessories. Our biggest target sector is the recycling industry. Our product range of baling presses is suitable for processing natural and synthetic fibers, RDF, paper, cardboard, plastics, municipal solid waste, second hand clothing, We are ...
LRQA Limited
based in Coventry, UNITED KINGDOM
Lloyd`s Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) is the world`s leading provider of independent assessment services including certification, validation, verification and training across a broad spectrum of standards and schemes, with recognition from over 50 accreditation bodies.
Green Fuels LTD
based in Cheltenham, UNITED KINGDOM
Green Fuels is the world's leading and longest established manufacturer of biodiesel production equipment. Biodiesel is a key source of renewable, alternative energy. With 25 major bio-refineries already installed around the world, along with thousands of decentralised biodiesel processors, every day our customer base is saving 2,500 tonnes of CO2 as it produces over 350 ...
PRECIMECA Environnement
based in Toulouse, FRANCE
PRECIMECA designs and manufactures waste shredders since 1972. Specialists of solid waste shredders, industrial waste shredders, and leaders in tyre shredders field with installations all over the world to make Tyre Derived Fuel (TDF) or granulates (recycling rubber from tyres).
PE International AG
based in Leinfelden-Echterdingen, GERMANY
PE INTERNATIONAL is the global leader in integrated product and enterprise sustainability performance with proven software solutions, sustainability databases and unparalleled consulting expertise. With over 20 years of experience and 20 offices around the globe, PE INTERNATIONAL is working with 1,500 clients including companies such as Bayer, Interface, Kraft Foods, ...
H. Barber & Sons, Inc.
based in Naugatuck, CONNECTICUT (USA)
H. Barber & Sons, Inc. is the world leader in beach cleaning equipment for more than 45 years. Tractor-towed and walk-behind beach cleaner models are available for all beaches and conditions. Barber beach cleaners easily remove unwanted: seaweed, shells, stones, rocks, sticks, cigarettes, garbage, oil and tar balls from wet and dry sand with ease. Barber also manufactures ...
AWAS GmbH Bayern Wastewater Treatment Plants
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AWAS has been in research, development and manufacturing of industrial waste water treatment plants for over 30 years and owns several patents and patent rights. We manufacture: - Flotation plants (DAF) - Emulsion splitting plants - Oil-Water separators, patented AWAS Galaxie Vortex separators - Filter systems - Wash water recycling plants, wash halls - Bio reactors We ...
ISB Global Limited
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ISB Global is a leading Business Software & Systems Consultants. We specialise in the implementation of software solutions for the Recycling, Waste Management and Energy markets.ISB Global is an SAP Business Partner, with specific expertise in the integrated business management software, SAP Business One. Our solutions are designed to add value with innovative mobility, ...


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Principal leadership
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I have 3 kids currently attending Belmont and I wouldn't have it any other way! As I was once a student at Haaff, I was surprised to see some of my old teachers now teaching at Belmont, sure says a lot!! The all around atmosphere at Belmont is inviting, everyone is happy and supportive. My kids love it and I plan on keeping them at Belmont!
Belmont is the best school in town my two kids attend Belmont and love it the staff is excellent and we always feel welcome
Belmont is great.. The teachers and other staff are great... I have 3 kids who are attending and they are just loving the environment... The learning system they have placed is great...
Belmont Elementary is awesome! I just had one graduate ond go on to Middle School where she is flourishing because of the solid education she recieved here and all the life lessons taught by a caring school community. This school has a long tradition of making volunteers feel welcome and helpful. If you are looking for a public elementary school, Belmont would be hard to beat.
This school is excellent the staff is wonderful and the principal is really great. My kids love it there and they have learned so much.
Community ratings and reviews do not represent the views of GreatSchools nor does GreatSchools check their accuracy or verify the reviewers' identities. Use your discretion when evaluating these reviews.
The Community Rating is the school's average rating from its community members (e.g., parents, students, and school staff). The highest possible rating is five stars; the lowest is one star.
31 MacNaughton Rd
Pueblo, CO 81001
Phone: (719) 549-7500
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Updated: April 23, 2013 1:34PM
All eyes are on already swollen area rivers Tuesday as rain begins to fall across the Chicago region and flood warnings remain in effect on several area waterways.
In addition to the rain that has begun to overspread the area, temperatures are expected to drop and we may even see some light snow showers, the National Weather Service said.
As a result of last week's storms, flood warnings continue for the:
— Des Plaines River in Lake and Cook counties;
— Fox River in Kane, McHenry, Kendall and LaSalle counties;
— Kankakee River in Porter, Lake and Newton counties in Indiana; and
— Iroquois River in Iroquois County.
Flooding continues along the Des Plaines and Fox rivers, according to the Weather Service, and an additional half to three-quarters of an inch of rain is possible across northeast Illinois on Tuesday afternoon and evening.
River forecasts indicate this rainfall would slow the rate of the decline of water levels in the rivers, and if there is more than three-quarters of an inch of rain, or intense rain in a short time, it could result in rivers rising again.
The showers and possible thunderstorms forecast for Tuesday are expected to fall mainly south and southeast of the Chicago Metro area, the weather service said. Showers are likely into the evening, and as temperatures fall, there could be a mix of light rain and even light snow showers after midnight. No snow accumulation is expected, though temperatures will dip into the low 30s.
Wednesday should start out partly sunny, but there is a 40 percent chance of light rain and light snow after midnight again. Lows are expected to fall into the mid 30s late Wednesday.
The weather service continues to warn area residents that if they encounter a flooded roadway to turn around and find an alternate route.


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NASHVILLE -- A bill aimed at reducing crossover voting in Tennessee primary elections failed by voice vote in the state House Local Government Committee today.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Joe Carr, R-Lascassas, would have required each voter in a primary election to check a box agreeing that the party election "I am voting in most closely represents my values and beliefs."
Tennessee has long held open primaries.
Carr is running in the August GOP primary against U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn. But Carr has maintained all along his bill has nothing to do with that. The bill was opposed by Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Chris Devaney among others.
In the end, fellow Republicans on the GOP-controlled Local Government Committee refused to go along with Carr's bill.
In response to questions posed earlier by Rep. Vince Dean, R-East Ridge, Carr said those refusing to sign the declaration would not be allowed to vote in that primary.
But Dean questioned whether the bill would really accomplish anything, noting "they could still be honest … so this wouldn't help."
Andy Sher is a Nashville-based staff writer covering Tennessee state government and politics for the Times Free Press. A Washington correspondent from 1999-2005 for the Times Free Press, Andy previously headed up state Capitol coverage for The Chattanooga Times, worked as a state Capitol reporter for The Nashville Banner and was a contributor to The Tennessee Journal, among other publications. Andy worked for 17 years at The Chattanooga Times covering police, health care, county government, ...


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listen to music/make samples/snowboard/Keyboard/I love smoking my hookah :p


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LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) -- William Quillian Jr., the longest-serving president of the former Randolph-Macon Women's College, has died. He was 100.
The private Lynchburg school, now Randolph College, says in a news release that Quillian died early Tuesday morning.
Quillian served as the college's fifth president from 1952 until he retired in 1978.
During his tenure, Quillian oversaw racial integration of the student body. Randolph College says Quillian and the school's business manager posted bonds for two students arrested for participating in Lynchburg's first lunch counter sit-in in December 1960.
The college also completed several major capital improvement projects, including expansion of the Lipscomb Library and construction of the Thorensen Theatre and several other facilities.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Fucking around might be some people's idea of volunteering in an HIV study, but believe me, there are better ways. The other night at Lips, Peppermint and friends brought together an illustrious gang of club favorites to toast each other and to promote Project Achieve's vaccine study, which ... More >>
Cheer on the athletes at the ING NYC Marathon
Most people who canvass for city candidates are unpaid volunteers who do so out of devotion to the cause or to gain political credentials. But the world's richest mayor apparently knows better than to ask peasants to work his hustings for free. So his vassals have placed a craigslist ad seeking "wel ... More >>
Obama socialism is coming to New York! Councilmember Eric Gioia is proposing that New York City high schools include a "community service" requirement for graduations. Under Gioia's plan, juniors and seniors would have to spend 20 hours on Obama Youth activities such as "serving food at a soup kitch ... More >>
Oh yeah, Obama and McCain were at Columbia yesterday. We were too busy with floating lanterns, and didn't have a ticket besides, so we defer to the Columbia J-School site devoted to the forum. Despite their academic background, the cubs find some interesting nooks and crannies. For example, they get ... More >>
Everything from Amish gunmen to serpent kings


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Land Rover Questions Any type
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2003 Range Rover "engine Fail Safe" Message, Will Not Crank.
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Kure Beach House Rental Photos and Description
6 bedrooms, 6 full bathrooms,1 half bathroom, sleeps 15
Conched Out is a beautiful 6 bedroom, 6 1/2 bathroom home located right on the border of Carolina and Kure Beach. This large home is oceanfront and has its own private beach access. Large kitchen and dining area with a dining table that seats 15! This gorgeous home comes with 6 bedrooms, all with different themes. Ground level has a 4 car garage and foyer. Main level has 2 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths, kitchen and dining room and living room. The 3rd level has 4 bedrooms and 4 full baths and a living/family area with a sleeper sofa. Plenty of space for you and your family!
Great Summer Fun: Pleasure Island has many wonderful attractions to keep everyone happy. On Thursday nights, go to the boardwalk and hear some live, local music at the gazebo and see fireworks. We have one of the best fireworks display around. This is a weekly event during the summer. Don't leave the boardwalk without trying a Britt's Doughnut (ask anyone, they will tell you this is the best doughnut, ever).
On Sunday nights, grab your beach chairs, a cooler, and your family and come to the lake for a free outdoor movie. This is a great thing to do with your kids on a Sunday night. All movies are family oriented. They sell popcorn!
The aquarium offers a lot of fun, educational classes that relate to species found on our island. You might get lucky enough to see some baby sea turtles making there way to the ocean from their nest.
- Suitability:
- children welcome
- non smoking only
- pets not allowed
- wheelchair inaccessible


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Stuart Levine called a 'historic cooperator'
BY MARK BROWN firstname.lastname@example.com July 19, 2012 7:12PM
Defense Attorney Jeffrey Steinback (left) with his client, Stuart Levine, at the Dirksen Federal Building on Thursday after Levine was sentenced to 67 months in prison. | John H. White~Sun-Times.
Updated: August 21, 2012 6:36AM
Stuart Levine has to be one of the most downright despicable, loathsome white-collar criminals ever to pass through the doors of the Dirksen Federal Courthouse.
Before federal agents caught up with him about eight years ago in pursuit of dirty dealings in the Rod Blagojevich administration, corruption was simply Levine's way of life — and a lucrative one at that.
He stole from the taxpayers. He stole from charities. He stole from the heirs of the mentor who made him a millionaire.
As I believe I correctly described it when he first testified against Blagojevich fund-raiser Tony Rezko: Everything involving Levine was a lie wrapped inside a ruse, covering up a con, capped off with a tax dodge.
And that's why it's all the more bizarre to realize he walked back out those courthouse doors for possibly the last time Thursday as practically a hero. Yes, hero.
Nobody used that word to describe Levine before U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve sentenced him to 5½ years in prison — agreeing to honor a 2006 plea bargain deal Levine struck with federal prosecutors in exchange for his cooperation.
Instead, prosecutor Chris Niewoehner used terms like "truly historic cooperator" and spoke of how Levine had helped take down a "hall of fame" of corrupt Illinois insiders — including Rezko, Bill Cellini and Eddie Vrdolyak.
Without Levine, there wouldn't even have been a Blagojevich trial, Niewoehner told the judge.
St. Eve herself called Levine "one of the most valuable cooperators" ever seen in the Northern District of Illinois — as well as one of the most corrupt. (That gives me an idea: How about we start an annual Stuey Levine MVC Award for the year's "most valuable cooperator." Somebody remind me.)
Even suggesting here that Levine is any sort of hero catches in my throat — or at least gives my keyboard pause — as I have always found him particularly repugnant.
But the record shows that for more than seven years, Levine has faced down his own considerable inner demons — along with at least one "credible threat," presumably of the death variety and requiring FBI intervention — to help make the cases for which most of us have been properly hailing then-U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald.
That's not to put Levine on par with the good guys, only to acknowledge it takes his type to enable Fitzgerald's type to succeed.
Crooks who become "cooperators" are always a challenge for the criminal justice system.
Without them, you can't catch the bigger crooks. Let them off too easily and you risk minimizing the seriousness of their crimes.
Rarely is that dichotomy on display as strongly as in Levine's case, in large part because he confessed to so many misdeeds, including a secret life of illicit drug use and sexual peccadilloes that served to magnify his humiliation and contributed to the collapse of his marriage. Much of the self-incriminating information Levine provided was previously unknown to investigators — and might have stayed that way.
Defense attorney Jeffrey Steinback, a sentencing specialist who is the guy you'd want pleading your case at the Pearly Gates, argued it was Levine's determination to straighten out his life and do the right thing that convinced him to go forward as a cooperating witness despite the embarrassment he expected to endure.
Niewoehner noted that a "perverse result" of Levine's full disclosure and the Rezko trial was that the defendant Rezko, whose career in crime was at least as extensive as Levine's, only had to defend himself against the specific charges at hand while Levine, as his accusing witness, was forced to air out his own entire lifetime of wrongdoing.
In truth, Niewoehner said, Levine and Rezko were "equally culpable for their criminal pasts." Rezko drew a 10-œ year sentence.
There had been concern going into Thursday's sentencing hearing that St. Eve would undo the deal Levine had made with prosecutors and penalize him for his combative testimony on cross-examination in the Rezko trial, where she correctly observed that he came off as arrogant and egotistical.
But she said she was persuaded he had done a better job testifying in later trials and appeared a "different person" than the creep on display at Rezko's trial.
While the hope is that these high-profile prosecutions will eliminate the Rezkos and Cellinis and Vrdolyaks of the political world, the sad truth is there will be more, and we will need the next Levine to take them down.


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With our move down to Florida from New Hampshire, we have driven back and forth eight or nine times. On almost every trip, we have stayed in Savannah for at least one night and one of the reasons for our visits is Vic's On The River. Vic's a really great restaurant located on East Bay Street near City Hall with the entrance located on Factors Walk. There is also an entrance at 15 East River Street where you take the elevator up to the fourth floor where the main dining room is located.
What do we like about Vic's? Pretty much everything including the decor, the location on the banks of the Savannah River, delicious food with a southern attitude and great service. The bar is a wonderful place to either enjoy your meal or have a cocktail made by Angie. As an aside, you have to love a place that calls itself a bar not a lounge.
The building was built in 1859 and houses more than just Vic's. There is a store and a hotel among other businesses.
The building's history is pretty interesting as described in this section on their web site.
In 1858, John Stoddard had this building commissioned to be designed and built by the famous New York architect, John Norris. He was one of three major architects in Savannah at the time, along with William Jay and Charles B. Clusky. Some of John Norris' Savannah works include the Andrew Low House, the Cotton Exchange, the Mercer House, and the Meldrim-Green House. Completed in 1859, this building was originally used as a warehouse and later housed Steven Shipping Company. The lower floors were known as John Stoddard's Lower Range and the top floors as John Stoddard's Upper Range.
During the War Between The States, General Sherman's lesser officers used this building's empty offices for housing and planning space. Our main dining room showcases a map that was hand-drawn by Union soldiers detailing Sherman's march from Tennessee through Georgia. The map was originally found in 1901 during a renovation of the building. Workers were removing the old finish and noticed lines drawn on the wall. A small portion of the map was preserved, while the rest was covered due to damage and wear.
The upscale elegance of Vic's with the warm colored walls, the high ceilings and beautiful dark wood floors adds to a truly lovely night. Plus the views of the river right outside their windows, with ships moving right by or below, is really fantastic.
To all this add a baby grand piano being played all night and you have a very romantic venue.
There is also an outdoor patio if you would like to eat there. To be honest most nights when we have been there, the heat and humidity made our decision to eat inside very easy.
Let's be honest. We do not eat at a restaurant because of the ambiance unless the food is its equal. At Vic's the food actually surpasses the ambiance. From the appetizers to the after dinner cocktails everything is a treat.
My favorite appetizer is the BEST Fried Green Tomatoes I have ever eaten and I have eaten my share. They are served with a tomato chutney and goat cheese. (Does goat cheese ever NOT go with anything?) The beautiful presentation shows a lightly golden coating that is fried to perfection, not greasy or hard but just perfect.
Phyllis had the baked oysters made with melted leeks, fennel and country ham plus a parmesan cheese granite's which she shared. It was simply delicious! The taste of the sea blends so well with the sweetness of the leeks and ham on your tongue. It was a really wonderful beginning to our meal.
A dinner salad was included and was really refreshing. Those corn bread croutons were a nice touch.
I had a glass of pinot grigio and Phyllis a glass of merlot. They have a great wine list with a good selection of wines by the glass.
Phyllis and I do not usually eat biscuits served in restaurants because of the high fat content. This night we forgot to tell the waiter not to bring them to our table, a big mistake. There they sat these three beautiful light clouds of heaven with a marmalade spread. We decided without speaking to just try a little taste of one. If you have been married as many years as we have you might know what that means. You do not speak about it but continue your conversation while breaking off a small piece and dipping it in the sweet marmalade. If you do not speak about it, somehow it is not so bad, plus you're only going to try a small piece. Oh sure, just a small piece of one!!
Let's move on to the main course, quickly.
I ordered the seafood pilau; grilled sea scallops, shrimp, Verlasso salmon, Sapelo Island steamed clams with seasonal vegetable basmati rice.
What is a 'purloo'? I would call it a kind of a paella. The seafood was all fresh and delicious and the rice was a favorable compliment to the seafood. All the different seafoods were cooked to perfection and seasoned perfectly. It was definitely a meal I would order on our next trip.
Phyllis ordered a pork belly, scallops and risotto dinner with an apple slaw. The pork belly was cooked to perfection and went well with the scallops. The risotto was delicious and to be honest if the dinner includes risotto, there is a better than even chance it will be Phyllis's dinner!!
We were too full to have dessert, blame that on those biscuits! Phyllis went out to the bar while I paid the bill, a good idea if you are looking to sit at the bar which is usually full. When I went out to join Phyllis, she had the one empty chair. I had room to stand next to her and within minutes the couple next to Phyllis left and we both had seats.
The bartender, who we had met on previous trips, is Angie. She is a really great. She always has a smile on her face, she remembers you even after months of not seeing you and knows your drink: a real old fashion bartender. Well, at least she mixes a great old fashioned, my drink and Phyllis likes cosmos.
After a few cocktails we were on our way to the Hampton Inn which is located right across the street. Another great thing about Vic's is the amount of good hotels within walking distance.
If you are ever in Savannah Georgia and you're looking for a restaurant with great food, service and live piano music, head on over to Vic's. Oh, don't forget the bar and Angie. Tell her we said hello and try her old fashioned with extra cherry water.
LOOKING ACROSS THE SEINE RIVER AT THE EIFFEL TOWER This was our first real view the Eiffel Tower. We were walking through Paris and reached the point Alexandre 111 Bridge that travels over the Seine River when we saw this view. The tower is such an Iconic structure that I've seen thousands of images in print and movies. When I first saw this view, it was hard not to just gawk at it, to forget I'm a photographer and just look. Which is just what I did. I sat absorbing the fact that I was truly in Paris looking at the Eiffel Tower as it towered over the city! Then I started photographing this historic sight, loving very moment.
When we arrived at the tower this is the first image I made. As I walked under it, I thought how many photographers have photographed this view. After all, when you're close to it like this, the natural point of view is UP.
At that point I decided to try and take images that were not atypical although I doubt that you can make any image of the Eiffel Tower that has not been made millions of times before.
Before moving on let me give you some facts about the tower.
The Eiffel Tower (French: La Tour Eiffel, is an iron lattice tower located on the Champs de Mars in Paris. It was named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower. Erected in 1889 as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair, it was initially criticized by some of France's leading artists and intellectuals for its design, but has become both a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. The tower is the tallest structure in France and the most-visited paid monument in the world; 6.98 million people ascended it in 2011.The tower received its 250 millionth visitor in 2010.
The tower is 324 meters (1,063 ft) tall, about the same height as an 81-story building. The tower has three levels for visitors, with restaurants on the first and second. The third level observatory's upper platform is 276 m (906 ft) above the ground,[2] the highest accessible to the public in the European Union. Tickets can be purchased to ascend by stairs or elevator to the first and second levels. The climb from ground level to the first level is over 300 steps, as is the walk from the first to the second level. Although there are stairs to the third and highest level, these are usually closed to the public and it is generally only accessible by elevator.
There was work being performed on the tower the day we were there which is why you see scaffolding.
The arches are beautiful and I started isolating them as best I could. Look at the craftsmanship put into each one and remember it was built in 1889! That's just amazing to me...
Here are some of the 72 names of French scientists, mathematicians and engineers that are engraved in recognition of their contributions. Eiffel chose this 'invocation of science' because of his concern over the protest against the tower. The engravings are found on the sides of the tower under the first balcony. The engraving was painted over at the beginning of the twentieth century and restored in 1986–1987 by Société Nouvelle d'exploitation de la Tour Eiffel, a company contracted to operate business related to the Tower. The Tower is owned by the city of Paris. The letters were originally painted in gold and are about 60 cm high. The repainting of 2010/2011 restored the letters to their original gold color.
You might ask why would anyone protest against this Iconic structure. The protest started before it was built.
The projected tower had been a subject of some controversy, attracting criticism from both those who did not believe that it was feasible and those who objected on artistic grounds, whose objections were an expression of a longstanding debate about the relationship between architecture and engineering. This came to a head as work began at the Champ de Mars: A "Committee of Three Hundred" (one member for each meter of the tower's height) was formed, led by the prominent architect Charles Garnier and including some of the most important figures of the French arts establishment, including Adolphe Bouguereau, Guy de Maupassant, Charles Gounod and Jules Massenet: a petition was sent toCharles Alphand, the Minister of Works and Commissioner for the Exposition, and was published by Le Temps.[6]
"We, writers, painters, sculptors, architects and passionate devotees of the hitherto untouched beauty of Paris, protest with all our strength, with all our indignation in the name of slighted French taste, against the erection … of this useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower … To bring our arguments home, imagine for a moment a giddy, ridiculous tower dominating Paris like a gigantic black smokestack, crushing under its barbaric bulk Notre Dame, the Tour Saint-Jacques, the Louvre, the Dome of les Invalides, the Arc de Triomphe, all of our humiliated monuments will disappear in this ghastly dream. And for twenty years … we shall see stretching like a blot of ink the hateful shadow of the hateful column of bolted sheet metal."
Gustave Eiffel responded to these criticisms by comparing his tower to the Egyptian Pyramids: "My tower will be the tallest edifice ever erected by man. Will it not also be grandiose in its way? And why would something admirable in Egypt become hideous and ridiculous in Paris?" A great argument, don't you agree?
The Tower hovering over a carousel across the way from the tower, I saw this and placed myself in position to make this image.
Cathedral RockOne of the most beautiful of the Red Rock formations
In April of 1976, I moved to Arizona and fell in love with it immediately. We moved to Phoenix but when I really fell in love with Arizona was when I traveled to Sedona. Sedona is north of Phoenix in the Verde Valley. The main attraction is the beauty of the desert especially the array of red sandstone formations. The formations appear to glow in brilliant orange and reds when illuminated by the setting or rising sun. Sedona was named after Sedona Arabella Miller Schnebly, the wife of Theodore Carlton Schnebly, the city's first postmaster.
The Schnebly name is affixed to a road you will want to travel when you visit Sedona.
The road starts right out of the town of Sedona and provides jaw-dropping vistas as you ascend nearly 2,000 ft on seemingly countless switchbacks.
Shortly after you leave town, the road becomes gravel and can be quite bumpy in spots. You should be fine driving the road to the summit in a passenger vehicle but you will want to drive carefully and keep your eyes peeled for giant 'potholes'. From along the road you will have some amazing views of the desert in all its beauty with Sedona in the background, as you can see in these two images.
The View From Schnebly Road
As you drive around Sedona you can view the Red Rock formations around each turn in the road.
Court House Butte Looms over the desert
Courthouse Butte (seen above) is very close to Bell Rock and you are allowed to walk right up close. On Bell Rock you can even walk on it.
The Sun rises over Bell Rock
Courthouse Butte with Bell Rock to it's right If you venture out into the desert, never very far from a road or your car if your careful, you will see amazing views of this truly beautiful landscape. Many people jog in the shadows of Bell Rock and Courthouse.
Jogging around Bell Rock
All of the images were taken right around sunrise or sunset, the golden hour of light, which I will write about in a post very shortly.
At this point, I will let Sedona speak for itself through my images. Just look at the colors! Are you surprised by all the green? Many years ago, I was. Look at the dramatic skies and overall light that makes up this palette of natures colors!
Taken from on Bell Rock See how close the road is.
Cathedral Rock
Lake Louise is called, Canada's 'Diamond in the Wilderness' and the 'Hiking Capital of Canada'. This area offers a vast diversity of recreational and sightseeing opportunities. Many would say that Lake Louise is the home of one of North America's finest downhill ski areas and has many, many hiking and walking trails. This region has an amazing amount of spectacular scenery from glaciers to waterfalls. A Quick Trip Tip for anyone thinking of visiting the area; this is one of the last outposts of man or woman in the area. The next nearest city/town three hours away is Jasper, the town just before you head to Alaska. DO NOT expect to find a booming nightlife like you might find in Vail, Colorado.
The Village of Lake Louise (originally called Laggan) is thirty five miles from Banff on the Trans-Canada Highway. It is named for the nearby Lake Louise, which was named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria. It is separated into two communities. The main community, referred to as The Village is at a lower elevation adjacent to the Trans-Canada Highway. It consists of a small shopping area, Samson Mall, which includes a park center, grocery store, bakery, deli, grill, bar and sporting goods store. Another Quick Trip Tip is that The Trailways Cafe makes great breakfast wraps (besides other meals) and hot coffee. It's very inexpensive about $6-$9 and very delicious.
The second community is at a higher elevation and is centered-around the Chateau Lake Louise (which I wrote about in an earlier article), adjacent to Lake Louise. Another important fact is that Lake Louise experiences a subarctic climate. IT'S COLD especially in the winter and this year in May, the average temps were about 30F-40F in the morning and 50s later in the day.
The image at the top of this post was taken about 20 years ago on our visit in August. It was taken on film and converted to digital file and not as good as our photography usually looks.
As you can see the water and sky is blue with green trees lining the mountains on either side and the glacier in the top middle.
This year when we arrived about 8AM, we had a much different view in front of us.
This time, there were no blue skies or water but instead, a frozen lake covered in snow. The green trees were looking more grey and the glacier was hidden from view behind the clouds. The funny thing was that it was still a beautiful sight. I stood there just gazing at this white wonderful winter landscape in front of me. It was really an awesome sight!
As I started getting my equipment ready to photograph this great landscape, I was trying to get as close to what I perceived was the edge of the lake. In the first image you can see the rocks leading into the lake, but not this time. There was a slight incline of snow and then a flat surface where the lake started somewhere. Then I noticed the boat house to my right and decided to use that as a guide. The lake house in the summer had colorful canoes lined up on and along side the dock that was in front of it. At this time of year, there was just the cabin with the snow covered trees jutting up behind it.
I knew this was going to be one of the views I would focus on this morning. Many times I will 'work' an image, shooting it from different perspectives. I will walk around shooting from the left, right and in front. But as you can see in the image, that would not be the case today. Not walking on a frozen lake that I was not familiar with was much too dangerous. There was no image to be made from the back and I was not hiking over and through 3 or 4 feet deep snow to get to its right. No, I would need to shoot from here using different focal lengths and cropping in camera and in post production.
As will happen when you're out in nature, we struck up a conversation with a man walking around the lake. He asked if we had seen the avalanche warning signs as we began to walk into the area. We said yes we had but that we had no planes of hiking into any area closer to the mountains then where we were standing. He said we were smart because in the previous two weeks, four people had died up on the mountain to our right. He said that temperatures were going up and the ice under the snow was melting which would cause the avalanche. He had told the hotel to put up more than one sign and he was walking around to see that they did. I asked about the lake and if it was safe to walk on. He stated emphatically that it was not safe but to look at the footprints on the lake. Shaking his head he said another accident was ready to happen. We bid our goodbyes and he left to check on the signs. He was a very nice man.
A few days later, we decided to visit later in the day hoping to get blue skies. What we saw was that part of the lake closest to the area where we had stood before, now had a pretty good size area melted. This time, there was an avalanche sign right where we had stood plus a sign warning of melting ice on the lake.
What we also saw (as you can see in this image) were people walking on the ice! Stupidity knows no bounds!!
Our cousins, who were on the trip with us, were there another afternoon without us and saw a women pushing a baby stroller on to the ice. This all helps me believe my theory that if you want stupid tricks, people are the ones for you!!
What I mean by masturbatory is in the stroking of egos on a quid pro quo basis. Let me explain!!
When we attend any group event there are certain protocols to which most attend. As you walk by people at the event whom you know but not really, I mean you've seen their face, recognize that you have seen each other but that's about it, there are certain social conventions that need to be met. If the event is a large event, maybe a high school's 25 year reunion or family event, you might know that you know this people but not enough to have a long conversation. Truth is you could not care less about any conversation with them but social convention states we need to acknowledge them. You shake hands, give the head nod and ask " How are you?". They give the same head nod but add a shoulder shrug and answer, "Great just wonderful and you?" You keep walking but answer, "Great just great. Have a great day". Both move on happily that both understood the rules; be polite but keep moving. We are satisfied that we gave the other the least acknowledgement possible but did acknowledge them really. You might do that 10 to 20 times a day.
That handshake and question is the equivalent to the 'LIKE' on Facebook: quick, easy, no big commitment and only the expectation of a return handshake. If they do not acknowledge this simplest of social convention, next time you look the other way. Sometimes happy to not extend this faux friendship any longer but resentful that they dictated this mini breakup. It's the same thing on Facebook. They don't LIKE your post (the handshake) then you don't like their post.
Let me change the location of this meeting. You are at a meeting of like minded people, maybe a business meeting, a place to exchange business cards. You meet a person, you stop hold the handshake a little longer, look them in the eye and truly have a conversation. Maybe the conversation starts out about your business or theirs, you both listen attentively and one may ask for a few more of their business cards to hand out to some people you know that might be interested in their services. That is the equivalent to the Facebook 'SHARE'. You both part with an implied agreement to look into each other's business a little more, visit their website and explore their business. Some will and some will toss the cards when they get home. This is the equivalent of people on Facebook that always 'like' but don't take the time to leave comments and never visit blogs.
On Facebook often the only time people will truly get engaged with your business (web site or blog) is if you visit theirs, quid pro quo. If one party does not have a blog with which to interact, they revert to the like button with a few "great, just wonderful" over and over again. You like me and I'll like you and we all feel wonderful to have given the least acknowledgement possible but it's a small ego stroke.
If you belong to a group of artists, the whole relationship is usually more supportive, more honest and at least the equivalent of the 'Share' on Facebook. Most times, they are much less worried about stroking each others EGOS and more about being supportive giving and taking constructive criticism (comment section on blogs) or sharing ideas, a meaningful exchange of ideas!
I am wondering if involvement in Facebook, in an artistic or business sense is worth the time. I see a decision coming real soon on my part.
By the way, if you're still reading, I freely admit that the quality of content helps drive participation.
January February March April (5) May (5) (11) June (11) (6) July (6) (6) August (6) (4) September (4) (3) October (3) November December
January (1) February (1) March April (8) May (8) (10) June (10) (2) July (2) August September October November December


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Both Dublin and Galway will be hosting Arthur's Day this year… Stay in Barnacles to be in the heart of the action!
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We did it again – top in Ireland!
Both of our Barnacles Hostels have been voted top 10 in Ireland! We are delighted! Thank you very much for voting for us and we hope to see you all very soon again! Read on
Olomouc exclusive offer – Get 3 for 2 deal
Book phenomenal special offer with Barnacles Temple Bar hostel, voted the best hostel in Ireland and 6th best hostel in the world! Book 3, pay only 2 nights! Offer includes free walking tour of Dublin! Also included is usual awesomeness: Read on
Ships Ahoy!
Stay in the Barnacles Temple Bar Hostel – the best located hostel in Dublin and enjoy amazing Dublin Tall Ships festival! All events are free and include Kings of concrete urban mini festival (think boards & bikes), on water cinema, Read on
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Save on your food & fun in both Dublin and Galway! All you have to do is to show our room key and you can avail of discounts! Don't pay full price for anything, ever again! Dublin Food and drink Read on


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In the time during and following Pentecost, the dioceses in Northwestern Europe generally get new priests, as seminarians are ordained during this time in which the Church remembers and celebrates the Holy Spirit's descent upon the Apostles and His continuing work in the Church today.
The ordinations are spread out across the entire month of June, with the first batch having taken place last weekend. On 6 June, Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck ordained Fathers Marius Schmitz (30) and Christoph Werecki (28) for the Diocese of Essen, and on Sunday the 7th the vast majority followed, with 5 new priests in Aachen, 4 in Berlin, 1 in Dresden-Meiβen, 1 in Erfurt, 3 in Hamburg, 2 in Münster, 2 in Osnabrück, 5 in Paderborn and also 5 in Würzburg. Additionally, 6 transitional deacons were ordained in München und Freising, as well as 2 permanent deacons in Trier.
On Monday the 9th, the first of a number of ordinations in the Netherlands took place, of Father Ton Jongstra in 's Hertogenbosch. He was ordained for the Focolare movement. On Saturday, 14 June, 2 new priests will be ordained for Haarlem-Amsterdam and 1 for Roermond. On the same day, in Würzburg, two Franciscan priests will be ordained. On 21 June, one priest will be ordained for Utrecht.
Lastly, on the 22nd, 2 new priests will be ordained for Mechelen-Brussels, one transitional deacon for Bruges on the 25th, and a final new priest for Ghent on the 29th
All in all, we're looking at 41 new priests, 7 transitional deacons and 2 permanent deacons in the dioceses of Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. The youngest priest is 25-year-old Fr. Johannes van Voorst tot Voorst, to be ordained for the Diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam; most senior is 63-year-old Fr. Joost Baneke, Archdiocese of Utrecht. The average age is 33 for the priests and 34 for the deacons.
Most new priests and deacons come from the dioceses for which they are ordained, but some have come from abroad. Fr. Alberto Gatto (Berlin) comes from Italy, Fr. Przemyslaw Kostorz (Dresdem-Meiβen) from Poland, Fr. Mario Agius (Haarlem-Amsterdam) from Malta, Fr. Jules Lawson (Hamburg) from Togo, Fr. Jiji Vattapparambil (Münster) from India, and Fr. Alejandro Vergara Herrera (Roermond) from Chile.
Below an overview of names, dates and the like of the latest influx of men who will administer that most necessary of services to the faithful: the sacrament of the Eucharist.
6 June:
Diocese of Essen: Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck ordains Fathers Marius Schmitz (30) and Christoph Werecki (28).
7 June:
Diocese of Aachen: Bishop Heinrich Mussinghoff ordains Fathers Matthias Goldammer (27), David Grüntjens (26), Achim Köhler (40), Michael Marx (30) and Andreas Züll (38).
Archdiocese of Berlin: Rainer Maria Cardinal Woelki ordains Fathers Alberto Gatto (40), Bernhard Holl (33), Johannes Rödiger (33) and Raphael Weichlein (31).
Diocese of Dresden- Meiβen: Bishop Heiner Koch ordains Father Przemyslaw Kostorz (27).
Diocese of Erfurt: Bishop Reinhard Hauke ordains Father Andreas Kruse (44).
Diocese of Fulda: Bishop Heinz Josef Algermissen ordains Father Markus Agricola.
^Archdiocese of Hamburg: Bishop Hans-Jochen Jaschke ordains Fathers Heiko Kiehn (33), Roland Keiss (29) and Jules Lawson (47).
Archdiocese of München und Freising: Reinhard Cardinal Marx ordains transitional Deacons Alois Emslander (29), Johannes Kappauf (28), Manuel Kleinhans (30), Michael Maurer (28), Martin Reichert (26) and Simon Ruderer (30).
Diocese of Münster: Bishop Felix Genn ordains Fathers Jiji Vattapparambil (35) and Thomas Berger (38).
Diocese of Osnabrück: Bishop Franz-Josef Bode ordains Fathers Hermann Prinz (44) and Kruse Thevarajah (29).
Archdiocese of Paderborn: Archbishop Hans-Josef Becker ordains Fathers Christof Graf (28), Markus Hanke (41), Stefan Kendzorra (29), Tobias Kiene (28) and Raphael Steden (26).
Diocese of Trier: Bishop Stephan Ackermann ordains permanent Deacons Hans Georg Bach (59) and Michael Kremer (51).
Diocese of Würzburg: Bishop Friedhelm Hofmann ordains Fathers Andreas Hartung (31), Sebastian Krems (38), Paul Reder (42), Michael Schmitt (31) and Simon Schrott (29).
9 June:
Diocese of 's Hertogenbosch/Focolare movement: Bishop Jan van Burgsteden ordains Father Ton Jongstra (56).
14 June:
Diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam: Bishop Jan Hendriks ordains Fathers Johannes van Voorst tot Voorst (25) and Mario Agius (31).
Diocese of Roermond: Bishop Frans Wiertz ordains Father Alejandro Vergara Herrera (34).
Diocese of Würzburg/ Franciscans: Bishop Firedhelm Hoffman ordains Fathers Martin Koch (33) and Konrad Schlattmann (28).
21 June:
Archdiocese of Utrecht: Wim Cardinal Eijk ordains Father Joost Baneke (63).
22 June:
Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels: Archbishop André-Joseph Léonard ordains Fathers Gaëtan Parein (37) and Denis Broers (54).
25 June:
Diocese of Bruges: Bishop Jozef De Kesel ordains transitional Deacon Matthias Noë (24).
29 June:
Diocese of Ghent: Bishop Luc Van Looy ordains Father Herbert Vandersmissen (32).
Photo credit: [1] ordinations in Aachen, Andreas Steindl, [2] new priests of Hamburg, K. Erbe
Below is the full text of the homily that Pietro Cardinal Parolin gave yesterday at the consecration of Archbishop Bert van Megen, in the cathedral of Roermond. He gave his homily in English, but since there is no video of this that I could find, I have translated the text from the Dutch translation back to English. Here's hoping the general intention of it remained intact.
"Your Excellencies, honoured guests, dear Monsignor Bert and family, dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,
It's a special joy to me to preside over the consecration of Monsignor Hubertus van Megen, who has been named by our Holy Father as titular archbishop of Novaliciana and to Apostolic Nuncio of Sudan. On the occasion of this joyful event, Pope Francis asked me to share his heartfelt greetings as well as his communion with all present here. It is a time of great joy for all of us who have come together here in this cathedral today, but for you, dear Monsignor Bert, it is a time of gratitude for all the blessing which God has granted you over the years. Today you are surrounded by your parents and family, your friends and your brothers, the priests of this local Church of Roermond. This Church first raised you in the faith, you were ordained a priest for here and here you spent the first years of your priestly ministry. You also bring to the joy of this day the years of studying in Rome and your considerable experience in the diplomatic service of the Holy See, most recently in Zambia and Malawi. You are now called to return all of this to God and serve Him and new way and with greater responsibility. Today you will be consecrated to be a successor of the Apostles, a herald of the Gospel and a shepherd of Christ's flock, with the special duty of representing the vicar of Christ in his concern for the Church in the entire world, yes, in his care for the entire human family.
The rich symbolism of the rite of consecration eloquently speaks of the continuity of the Church's faith and life throughout the centuries. Through the imposition of hands and the invoking of the Holy Spirit you will be welcomed to the College of Bishops. This college succeeds in all ages the Apostle to whom the Lord Jesus entrusted the care of His flock. So you, Monsignor Bert, will become a link in a living chain which goes back uninterrupted to Jesus Himself, and will continue to the end of times, according to His promise. It will be your duty to preach the Gospel of salvation integrally, to take care of strengthening the Church community in faith and, by the celebration of the sacraments, to work for the distribution of the Kingdom of Christ in truth and life, holiness and mercy, love and peace.
"Do you love me?", "Feed my lambs"; "Look after my sheep" (Joh. 21:15-17). Jesus' words to the Apostle Peter in today's Gospel are especially applicable to someone who, like Monsignor van Megen, is called to be both bishop and Papal Nuncio. These words remind us that the task of the bishop, his ministry, must first and foremost be based on his personal love for Jesus Christ and his personal relationship with the Good Shepherd. Every day Jesus asks the bishops again, "Do you love me?" In essence this questions is of course also directed to every Christian; each one of us is called to know and love the Lord. During this time of Easter we have contemplated how every one of has died in Baptism and risen to a new life in Christ, how we received the gift of His Holy Spirit and a call to share in the mission of the Church.
But the Lord's question – "Do you love me?" – is directed in a special way to those who are also called to shepherd His flock with apostolic authority. It is meaningful that the new bishop receives the ring during the rite of consecration, the symbol of His unconditional love for the Lord and His Church, before receiving the crosier, the symbol of his pastoral authority. Pope Francis reminded us that it is the shepherd's task to go before the flock as its guide, but also to walk with the flock as a disciple, to listen to its voice and sense where the Holy Spirit, the source of every gift and mission, wants to lead it. "For you I a a shepherd," Saint Augustine said, "but with you I a a Christian" (Serm. 340:1). To be a loyal shepherd requires those virtues that Saint Paul presents in the first reading today: integrity following from a personal conversion, honest and frank witness to the truth and self-sacrifice in service to all, faithful and non-faithful (cf 2 Kor. 4:1-2;5-7).
If all this is true for every bishop, it is all the more true for the bishop who is also a Nuncio, a personal representative of the Successor of Peter, the rock on whom the Lord built His Church (cf. Matt. 16:18). As a concrete sign of the communion of the local Churches with the Holy See in Rome, the ministry of the Apostolic Nuncio is exercised in a manifestly universal sense: in service to the mission of the Church, he is called to promote the unity in mind and heart of the bishops with the Pope, to confirm his brothers in loyalty to the Gospel and the mission of the Church and to foster a spirit of authentic ecclesiastical community in every aspect of the life of the local Churches. He is also called to everywhere encourage those seeds of justice and peace, which are the leaven of God's Kingdom. For as we know, the Church is the sign and sacrament of a new mankind, reconciled and renewed in Christ.
Dear Monsignor Bert, in the exercise of your own episcopal ministry you are sent as a representative of the Holy Father to Sudan, a country that is dear to him, a country that has suffered greatly in recent years from violence and civil unrest. In unity with the bishops of that country, you will be called to proclaim, in word and example, a Gospel of reconciliation, forgiveness and mercy. In a special way you will also be called to support the Christian community in Sudan, a small flock which nonetheless is very dear to God. Confirm the in their faith and in their loyalty to the great commandment of loving God and the neighbour. In this way you will perform your mission which you receive today: by making, "as a servant for Jesus' sake", the glory of God visible as it is revealed in the crucified and risen Lord (cf. 2 Kor. 4:5-7), and by encouraging your brothers and sisters to trust in His victory over the powers of sin and death.
Now that you are preparing for your consecration and your new responsibilities, know that you can count on the mercy that this sacrament hold, on the confidence and prayers of the Holy Father and on our own prayer, friendship and support. We commend you and your ministry to the protection of Saint Josephine Bakhita, a great daughter of Sudan and an excellent witness to the power of God's mercy to redeem and transform even the most difficult situations. May the Risen Lord always support you in His love and bear rich fruits from the ministry that is about to be entrusted to you. Amen."
All photos: Bisdom Roermond
An example of the 140,000 prayer cards that the Diocese of Roermond is printing and distributing for the canonisation of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II. While various parishes, especially named for one of the two new saints, will mark the occasion, there is no Church province-wide celebration of next Sunday's unique event. Whereas the canonisations will be shown in a number of cinemas in neighbouring countries, no Dutch cinema chain has been approached to do so. The general impression among the bishops seems to be that there is little interest among Dutch Catholics. To which I have to wonder: if there is nothing being organised, how can interest be measured…
Anyway, the event will at least be broadcast live on television and via livestream in the Netherlands, and both the state and Church have sent representatives to Rome. The secretary of foreign affairs, Mr. Frans Timmermans will be there on behalf of the government, while the bishops have delegated Bishop Everard de Jong. Some feigned indignation was presented about Cardinal Eijk not going because of other obligations, but that has turned out to be a non-issue in the media. The Cardinal did send out the following letter to the parishes of the Archdiocese of Utrecht:
"On this Second Sunday of Easter Pope Francis will canonise two of his predecessors: the Popes John XXIII and John Paul II. Two new saints who are in addition well-known persons for many faithful of today: in this case, it makes the example of saints especially powerful. The 27th of April of this year is therefore all the more a joyful day for the entire Catholic Church.
The Italian Pope John XXIII (Angelo Roncalli) was Pope from 1958 to 1963. A period of only five years, but in that time he was able to do an achieve much. For example, he announced, inspired by the Holy Spirit, the Second Vatican Council, which took place from 1962 to 1965. With it, he tried to bring the Church 'up to date' under the famous motto of aggiornamento. As Church, we still gratefully reap the fruits of this Council. In 2012, for example, we celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of this Council in the Dutch Church.
John XXII's nickname was 'the good Pope', in part because of his warm personality, his evangelical humility and his great sense of humour. Many faithful still remember him fondly, but others do so as well, because he appealed "to all people of good will.". He managed to win over many people, even important Communists at the height of the Cold War. His Encyclical Pacem in Terris – published less than two months before his death – is considered to be his most important; in it he explains that peace on earth must be rooted in truth, justice, love and freedom.
The Polish Pope John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla) was Pope from 1978 to 2005. He became most known for being a great evangeliser: he travelled tirelessly across the globe to proclaim the Gospel and in 1984 he was the founder of the World Youth Days, which gather millions of young people to celebrate the faith.
His pontificate contributed to a large extent to the fall of Communist rule in the former eastern bloc, including his native Poland. He became increasingly ill in his final year, but continued holding the office of Peter. That he remained in office despite his debilitating illness and was not afraid to appear in public, is a witness to the inviolable dignity of man, which remains under all circumstances, and he so encouraged many people suffering from disease and physical handicaps. Until the end his help and support was the Blessed Virgin Mary, for whom Pope John Paul II cherished a livelong devotion. During his funerals pilgrims asked for his immediate canonisation with the cry of "Santo Subito!" – and less than ten years later that time has come.
Hopefully Pope John XIII and John Paul II can be a source of inspiration and encouragement in faith and life to even more people because of their canonisation.
Hopefully they can continue to contribute to an increasing unity of all Christians and all humanity by their words and deeds during their earthly life and also by their prayer now in heaven.
On this Second Sunday of Easter (also declared by Pope John Paul II in 2000 as Divine Mercy Sunday) united in prayer with the many pilgrims who have travelled to Rome – also from the Netherlands – for this double canonisation. We may have faith in the intercession of these two new saints, also and especially for a blessed future for the Church in our country and our entire world."
In the meantime, in Rome, the logistics are impressive, as Vatican Radio reports. With hundreds of busses and dozens of chartered airplanes coming in from Poland alone, 2,500 volunteers are working to provide the thousands of pilgrims with four million free bottles of water, 150,000 liturgy booklets and 1,000 portable toilets. Seventeen video screens throughout the city will allow most visitors – who will be gathered from St. Peter's Square all the way to the banks of the River Tiber – to follow the canonisation.
And one of them will be the Pope emeritus, as was confirmed today. So, two Popes being canonised by another Pope, while a fourth Pope is in attendance. Certainly, one for the history books.
It's hardly inconceivable anymore, but somehow it is still hard to believe accusations of sexual abuse against a generally well-respected bishop. And when the bishop denies and seems to be supported in that denial by the competent authorities, that is a relief. Just so in this case, but there's preciously little room for such denial anymore.
A week after the death of Bishop Joannes Gijsen, formerly of Roermond, the institute charged with deciding if an accusation is founded or unfounded reopened the case against him. The bishops was accused of multiple cases of sexual abuse in the time late 1950s and early 1960s, when the future bishop was a young priest. The claims of two victims have now been deemed plausible, it was revealed today. In the first case there are accusations of forced oral sex and attempted or actual rape; while the second revolves around a single instance of improper touching. The complaints commission have decided that the cases of touching are plausible, whereas the (attempted) rape and oral sex can not be proven (which is not to say they didn't take place, the commission stressed).
Instrumental in this decision was the appearance of a second complaint and the defence of the bishop, which was deemed highly implausible. In his defence, Bishop Gijsen claimed not to know the victim, while he was known to have regularly visited the victim and his family and to have received letters from the victim's father.
As Bishop Gijsen is no longer alive, there is little that can be done, even if his crimes were not subject to the statute of limitations. Bishop Frans Wiertz, who succeeded Bishop Gijsen in 1993, apologised to the victims and expressed his regret and sorrow. When the complaints were first expressed, Bishop Wiertz immediately notified the relevant authorities and advised the victims to do the same. But even when having done what is possible this late, a feeling of powerlessness remains.
Sexual abuse, however long ago, does not simply go away. It lasts for the victims, and no less for all who have known them or the perpetrator. And when the latter is a priest or bishop, a moral example (even in hindsight), who turns out to have lied about what he did, that is all the worse.
On Saturday Pope Francis appointed Dutch Msgr. Hubertus Matheus Maria van Megen as Apostolic Nuncio to Sudan. A high-profile appointment, certainly for a Dutch priest. Msgr. Bert van Megen is a priest of the Diocese of Roermond, and that diocese's Bishop Frans Wiertz considers the appointment "a great honour." As Nuncio, he will be similar to a country's ambassador in another country, maintaining contact with the government and also with the local Church.
Archbishop-elect van Megen was born in 1961 in the town of Eygelshoven and was ordained to the priesthood in 1987, after studying at the diocesan seminary Rolduc, which produced more than one other bishop. After his ordination, Father van Megen was stationed in parishes in Nieuweinde and Schaesberg, both in the Diocese of Roermond. He entered the Holy See's diplomatic service and subsequently worked at Nunciatures in Sudan, Brazil, Slovakia, Israel, the United Nations and most recently in Malawi, where he was chargé d'affaires.
Archbishop-elect van Megen joins a very select club, as he is only the fourth Dutch prelate to represent the Holy See at the highest level in a given country. The other members of this club are Archbishop Bernhard Gijlswijk (Apostolic Delegate to South Africa from 1922 to 1944), Archbishop Adriaan Smets (Apostolic Delegate to Persia from 1922 to 1930) and Archbishop Martin Lucas (Apostolic Delegate to South Africa from 1945-1952, Apostolic Internuncio to India from 1952 to 1959 and Apostolic Delegate to Scandinavia from 1959-1961). There are currently two other Dutch-born bishops active abroad: Bishop Willem de Bekker of Paramaribo, and Bishop John Oudeman, auxiliary of Brisbane. In addition, six more are retired.
The Apostolic Nunciature to Sudan was established in 1972 and seven archbishops have preceded Msgr. van Megen there. The most recent was Archbishop Leo Boccardi, who was transferred to Iran in July of last year. Previous Nuncios to Sudan also represented the Holy See in other parts of Africa at the same time, specifically Eritrea and Somalia. While Somalia currently has a Nuncio assigned, Eritrea has not, so Msgr. van Megen may eventually also be assigned to that country.
The Catholic Church in Sudan is covered by two circumscriptions; the Archdiocese of Khartoum and the Diocese of El Obeid. The archbishop of Khartoum, Cardinal Gabriel Zubeir Wako is 73, so Msgr. van Megen will very likely be involved in the appointment of his successor.
About 5% of the population of Sudan is Catholic, mainly in the south and in Khartoum. Officially there is freedom of religion, but socially there is a strong pressure against conversion from Islam to Christianity. The violence and civil war that has affected the country in recent years makes for an interesting first posting for a new Nuncio.
Msgr. van Megen will probably be consecrated soon after Easter, but the location is not yet known, although Rome seems likely. If so, Pope Francis or Cardinal Parolin may well perform the consecration. But Mgr. van Megen has also said that he hopes that the ceremony will take place in the Netherlands. In that case I can imagine that Bishop Wiertz will consecrate him. As archbishop, Msgr. van Megen will hold the titular see of Novaliciana, located in modern Algeria. Previous holders of this see were, for example, Archbishop Faustino Sainz Muñoz, Nuncio to Great Britain from 2004 to 2010, and Cardinal Achille Silvestrini when he was Secretary of the Council for Public Affairs of the Church from 1979 to 1988
He led a diocese for less than four hours, but Bishop Manfred Melzer probably won't lose any sleep over it. It is simply standard procedure in Cologne: as the archbishop retires, leadership of the archdiocese falls automatically to the most senior auxiliary bishop. Until, that is, the cathedral chapter has picked a diocesan administrator, and they didn't take very long to do that. Vicar General Msgr. Stefan Heβe (pronounced "Hesse") (pictured at right) runs the ongoing affairs of the archdiocese until Pope Francis confirms the election of a successor to Cardinal Joachim Meisner, who retired today after 25 years, two months and a few days at the head of one of Germany's oldest sees.
In 1988, Cardinal Meisner came to Cologne from Berlin, 14 months after the death of Cardinal Joseph Höffner. Today he becomes the first archbishop of Cologne in almost 129 years to retire, and he does so at the almost unprecedented age of 80. Cologne now joins three other German dioceses – Erfurt, Passau and Freiburg in Breisgau – which are also still awaiting a new bishop, in the case of the former two since October of 2012.
Cardinal Meisner leaves Cologne in the hands of diocesan administrator Msgr. Heβe, and Auxiliary Bishops Melzer, Dominik Schwaderlapp and Ansgar Puff. The diocesan administrator now had the duty to collect an expansive report on the state of the archdiocese and send that to the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Nikola Eterovic. In the meantime, the see of Cologne is Sede vacante nihil innovetur, in other words, while there is no new bishop, no changes may be made. In other respects, Msgr. Heβe has the same rights and duties as a diocesan bishop.
The Archdiocese of Cologne, or Köln as it is properly called, is the second oldest in Germany (only Trier is older), dating back to the year 200, and once dominated the western part of modern Germany as well as major parts of the Low Countries. The Dioceses of Roermond (Netherlands), Magdeburg, Aachen and Essen (Germany) and parts of Liège (Belgium) were at one time or another all part of Cologne.
The archbishops of Cologne were powerful men, in that rather German way that they were both spiritual and worldly leaders, being electors of the Holy Roman Empire. Today, while not the primatial see of Germany, Cologne remains important, being the largest diocese in number of faithful (some 2 million) and covering a significant part of the Industrial Ruhr area and including the major cities of Cologne, Bonn (former capital city of West Germany) and Düsseldorf. Cologne has produced 10 cardinals and 7 ordinaries who were declared saints.
Joachim Meisner was born on Christmas Day 1933, in what is now Wroclaw in Poland, but at the time the city of Breslau in Germany, which was rapidly falling into the clutches of the Nazis. Having lived through the war as a child and young teenager, Joachim Meisner ultimately became a priest of the Diocese of Fulda in 1962, days before his 29th birthday. In 1975, he was appointed as Auxiliary Bishop of the Apostolic Administration of Erfurt-Meiningen, which has been established only two years before (tensions between communist East Germany and the Holy See meant that the former had almost no full-fledged dioceses). Bishop Meisner was also given the titular see of Vina. In 1980, he became the bishop of Berlin, which, because of the aforementioned tensions, was not yet an archdiocese. Bishop Meisner stayed there for eight years, being created a cardinal in 1983, before being called to Cologne in 1980 (a poster welcoming his arrival is pictured at left).
Coinciding with his retirement, Cardinal Meisner published his final Lenten letter, which is also a farewell to his archdiocese and the faithful for whom he was pastorally responsible. He concludes the letter as follows:
Dear Sisters, dear Brothers,
I was allowed to serve you as Archbishop of Cologne for a quarter of a century. I have always wanted to testify to the peace of God and bring this across to you, since it is the strength of our hope. I thank you once again from my heart for all the strength which I found in that and beg you all very much for your forgiveness when my service were not a source of strength, but perhaps a source of irritation. The Lord will complete everything which was only fragmentary in my service. I will remain – God willing – among you until the hour of my death and will now have more time to pray for you all, and bring all your concerns and hopes to the heart of God.
The all-powerful God bless you all, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!"
And now? The Archdiocese of Cologne has already started the process of selecting a new archbishop by appointing a diocesan administrator. Possible candidates will now be chosen by several entities, all according to the Concordat that the Holy See signed in 1929 with Prussia, the state of which Cologne was then a part. Among these entities are Archbishop Eterovic (pictured) as the Papal Nuncio; the bishops of the other dioceses which were part of Prussia: Aachen, Berlin, Erfurt, Essen, Fulda, Görlitz, Hamburg, Hildesheim, Limburg, Magdeburg, Münster, Osnabrück, Paderborn and Trier; and the cathedral chapter of Cologne.
The Nuncio will then collect all proposed candidates and will create a list of three candidates which he considers the best choices. This so-called terna will be added to the other proposals and sent to Rome, where the Congregation for Bishops will draft its own terna based on the information provided. The list will then go to the Pope, who will either confirm it, or make some changes of his own. Then, the list goes back to the cathedral chapter of Cologne.
The cathedral chapter will elect the new archbishop from final terna. Voting continues until one candidate has an absolute majority of votes (at least 8 out of 15). After three voting rounds, only the two candidates who got the most votes continue. If all candidates have five votes after the second round, only the two oldest candidates continue on. For the fourth round of voting a simple majority is sufficient. Do both candidates still have the same amount of votes, the oldest candidate is elected.
After a new archbishop is elected, the governments of the States of Nordrhein-Westfalen and Rheinland-Pfalz can voice political concerns against the elected. The Nuncio must seek and obtain the permission of the elected for this. Once the governments agree, the Pope officially appoints the new archbishop.
In the Diocese of Roermond today, Bishop Frans Wiertz officially closed the diocesan phase of the case of Limburg-born Bishop Frans Schraven. The paperwork, documenting the bishop's life and the reasons for a possible future beatification, is now to be sent to Rome, where the Congregation for the Causes of Saints will eventually present it to Pope Francis, who has the final say about what will happen next. The file includes the proposal to declare Bishop Schraven a martyr, which negates the need for a miracle before his beatification.
Franciscus Hubertus Schraven was born in Lottum, Diocese of Roermond, in 1873. At the age of 21 he joined the Congregation of the Mission, in which he was ordained a deacon (1898) and a priest (1899). In that year he departed Marseille for China, and in 1920 he was appointed as Vicar Apostolic of Southwestern Chi-Li in China, and consecrated bishop with the titular see of Amyclae. He led the community which is now the Diocese of Zhengding until 1937, when he died at the hands of Japanese troops engaged in the lengthy war with China that led into the Second World War in Asia.
On 9 October 1937 the Japanese conquered the city of Zhengding where Bishop Schraven was responsible for the protection of some 4,000 refugees, mostly women and children. As the soldiers plundered the city and killed and raped at will. At length, the Japanese authorities demanded that Bishop Schraven hand over some women to fill the soldiers' need for "comfort", in other words, to serve as sex slaves. The bishop refused. In the evening of the day that the city fell, Bishop Schraven and nine priests were arrested and deported by truck. It took until 1973 before their fate was discovered: they had been burnt alive on a pyre…
In his homily today, Bishop Wiertz spoke the following words about Bishop Schraven:
"Someone who found out firsthand what it means to follow Jesus, is Monsignor Schraven, for whom we are gathered today. Because of his refusal to supply comfort girls, he chose in favour of a human existence for some one Thousand women. He chose against seeing women as objects, as commodities. With that he also chose for a literal following of Jesus.
When Bishop Schraven met with the Japanese soldiers, he must have realised what the risks of his position were. He literally told the commander, "You may kill me if you want, but giving you what you want, never!" A courageous attitude, which fits completely with what he wrote earlier that year to his family here in Limburg: "Essential is that we are ready when God calls us".
Sometimes it becomes clear that – surprisingly enough – different times have the exact same needs. Bishop Schraven resisted sexual abuse of women. In many places in the world this sort of abuse still takes place. As Church, as faithful people, it is our task to resist that in the name of Jesus.
In recent years there has been much to do about abuse by people of the Church herself. It was shameful to find that faithful were guilty of something like that. Bishop Schraven shows us that in the Church there have also Always been people who chose the good side, who condemned abuse and even gave their own lives if need be. In Monsignor Schraven we have an example of someone who radically stood up for the protection of girls and women from sexual violence.
Where we are able to support efforts who aim to do the same, we, as Church, can't fail to do so. We are obliged to do so in Jesus' Holy Name. Hopefully we are soon able to invoke the intercession of Blessed Bishop Schraven, who gave his own life in imitation of Jesus in the fight against the abuse of people."