"A SIMPLER PROTECTION...MUD"

 

A dead bird floats in oily water in Breton Sound about 10 miles southeast of Breton Island on Thursday.

From NOLA.com:

The investigation into what went wrong when the Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20 and started spilling millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico is sure to find several engineering failures, from cement seals that didn't hold back a powerful gas bubble to a 450-ton, 40-foot-tall blowout preventer, a stack of metal valves and pistons that each failed to close off the well.

There was, however, a simpler protection against the disaster: mud. An attorney representing a witness says oil giant BP and the owner of the drilling platform, Switzerland-based Transocean Ltd., started to remove a mud barrier before a final cement plug was installed, a move industry experts say weakens control of the well in an emergency.

When the explosion occurred, BP was attempting to seal off an exploratory well. The company had succeeded in tapping into a reservoir of oil, and it was capping the well so it could leave and set up more permanent operations to extract its riches.

In order to properly cap a well, drillers rely on three lines of defense to protect themselves from an explosive blowout: a column of heavy mud in the well itself and in the drilling riser that runs up to the rig; at least two cement plugs that fit in the well with a column of mud between them; and a blowout preventer that is supposed to seal the well if the mud and plugs all fail.

In the case of the Deepwater Horizon, Scott Bickford, a lawyer for a rig worker who survived the explosions, said the mud was being extracted from the riser before the top cement cap was in place, and a statement by cementing contractor Halliburton confirmed the top cap was not installed.

If all of the mud had still been present, it would have helped push back against the gas burping up toward the rig, though it might not have held it back indefinitely.

The article doesn't mention the last-resort acoustic switch that was not installed on the Horizon.

The oil well spewing crude into the Gulf of Mexico didn't have a remote-control shut-off switch used in two other major oil-producing nations as last-resort protection against underwater spills.

The switch costs $500,000. The total cost of a rig like the Horizon can run over $100 million.

AHEM

author says:

Ah, it's fun to be puerile every now and again. For me, anyway.

Peace and blessings,

J&M


From Jesus and Mo.

WENCHOSTER CALENDAR - MAY

 

 

I'm ten days late with the Diocese of Wenchoster calendar this month. I hope that you don't organize your life by their calendar, because, by now, you're in chaos.

On the origins of the name Wenchoster:

"The Romans occupied Britain for some four centuries, yet the names they gave to their towns have been supplanted. We all know that castra means a camp, and can recognise Winchester. Gloucester, Doncaster, Caister and Wroxeter as Roman stations; but to the romanised Britons these were Venta Bulgarium, Glevum, Danum, Venta Icenorum and Viroconium and the present names all derive from the Old English ceaster, a word borrowed from the Latin. There are so many of these names ending in variations of -chester that the English must have given them to almost any site on which fortifications were found, sometimes, no doubt, to places strengthened before the Romans came."

England and Wales A Traveller's Companion.
Arnold Fellows. Oxford University Press. 1964. pp. 62-63.

So to Wenchoster, and Wen-ceaster meaning of a fortified place on the wen or bend of the river, and certainly the cathedral occupies a promontory of low-lying land around which the sluggish Wen still flows, but to the Romans, the place was Venta Codpiecium, meaning a place where the air stank of fish. Until the 17th century the tidal estuary into which the Wen flows still allowed a substantial fishing industry along the banks of the river, and for a time in the 1760's the southern transept of the cathedral was used for mending nets and salting trout.

Since I was curious to learn more about the three days of Rogation Revels preceding Ascension Day, I Googled around and found this post by Maggi Dawn:

Today, tomorrow and Wednesday are the three days of the Minor Rogation – the three days before Ascension Day, which always falls on the Thursday 40 days after Easter.

The word “Rogation” comes from the Latin rogare (to ask), and traditionally yesterday’s gospel reading would have been from John 16: “Ask and ye shall receive”.

In times past, people would fast on the Minor Rogation days in preparation for Ascension Day, but Rogation Days are also associated with farming because farmers used to have their crops blessed by the priest (like Lent and Easter, the fact that Christianity emerged in the Northern hemisphere has meant that the meaning of the religious festivals is tied up with the time of year – so just as the resurrection is associated with Spring, so Rogation’s prayers became associated with the sowing of crops. It’s intriguing to wonder how the timing or the meaning of Christian Festivals might have differed had Christianity moved south instead of north.)

Another tradition of the Minor Rogation was the ceremony of “beating the bounds” (also known as ‘gang-day’). The priest, churchwardens and choir would lead the parishioners in a procession around the parish boundary, praying for the protection of the parish in the coming year. (And in some parishes that would have been quite a long walk.)

The Sunday before Ascension was formerly known as Rogation Sunday. During the three weeks between Rogation Sunday and Trinity Sunday, as in Lent and Advent, no marriages were solemnized.

Most of the rogation traditions have fallen into disuse now, perhaps partly because we are far less a farming nation than we used to be. But for many students, this month is a marathon of revision and exams, so perhaps we could revive the “asking” of rogation into that context.

Description of high mass at Wenchoster Cathedral

No words can adequately express the spirituality of the Holy Mysteries.

Worship in awe and wonder.

+

and no coughing!

Ah yes. Sometimes there are no words.

IT'S HERE!

From NOLA.com:

Orange-colored oil from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has washed up on the western side of North Island, the northenmost sliver of the Chandeleur and Breton Island chain.

"On a small section of the northernmost island, we could see a pretty significant buildup of oil," said Times-Picayune photographer John McCusker, after an aerial tour of the spill this morning. "It's not inundated, but oil has definitely reached the island."

St. Bernard Parish President Craig Taffaro confirmed there was oil on Freemason Island, which is about a mile west from the middle of the crescent of the Chandeleur chain. He also said there are reports of birds covered with oil.
....

"The heaviest oil has not reached the Chandeleurs and Breton Sound, though," he said. "It breaks up from a heavy glob to a sheen."

Earlier Thursday, a BP executive told Louisiana officials some oil had reached coastal islands last night.

The already fragile chain of barrier islands off the coast of Louisiana, the Chandeleur and Breton Islands, battered and broken by hurricanes, get another hit. Pardon me, while I mourn for this and, no doubt, for worse to come.

Counterlight had it first.

WE ARE ALL NEANDERTHALS...

...at least, those of us of European heritage.

From the Telegraph:

Experts are now convinced that early modern humans and Neanderthals interbred between 50,000 and 100,000 years ago.

As a result, between one and four per cent of our DNA comes from the prehistoric creature, according to the research.

Human-Neanderthal relations occurred as the first pioneering bands of homo sapiens ventured out of Africa, scientists believe.

When they reached the Middle East they ran into groups of Neanderthals who preceded them and it is now thought that they mated.

The discovery emerged from the first attempt to map the complete Neanderthal genetic code, or genome. It more or less settles a long-standing academic debate over interbreeding between separate branches of the human family tree.
....

Professor Svante Paabo, director of evolutionary genetics at the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig, Germany, who led the international project, said that humans in Europe all have "caveman biology".

African humans did not come into contact with Neanderthals but may have bred with other unknown human sub species, he said.

Oh dear! What will the creationists say about this? I suppose the findings won't matter, because the world is only 6000 0r 7000 years old, and the scientific results cannot possibly be true. Oh, but they will mock those of us who do not share their opinions all the more!

And when we tell a person, "You're acting like a Neanderthal," the accusation will have no bite.

Thanks to Lapin for the link.

FROM THE LECTIONARY TODAY

When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

(Leviticus 19:33-34)


Am I picking and choosing Bible verses to make a point? I didn't pick and choose. The link to the passage from Leviticus was right there in the Lectionary.

YOU KNEW THIS WAS COMING, GOV. JINDAL...

 

...or you should have. You can't decry federal spending at every turn and then beg at the federal trough without suffering, at least, a few verbal raps on the knuckles.

From TPM:

In Louisiana, Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) has been a vocal critic of federal spending under President Obama, but as the state closest to the undersea leak, he already has requested various forms of federal disaster assistance. He's also anticipating the possibility that British Petroleum either won't, or won't have to under the law, foot the the full cost of all the damages associated with the spill.

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) took a swipe at Jindal when I asked during a brief interview this week if Congress was considering any funding to add to what BP will do. "Well you know, here we go. You know, the governor of Louisiana says the federal government should stay out of the state's business," Menendez told me Tuesday night. Jindal's office said they would respond but haven't yet gotten back to me. We'll update if they do.

The help that you ask for in Louisiana is going to run up the federal budget, you know, Gov. Jindal. Ah, but that's all right, because it's you who requests the money. And if help comes, you will take credit. And then you will campaign on cutting federal spending.

The who-will-pay-for-what game is already in progress. BP has said only that it will pay the costs of the clean-up.

Menendez is pushing Congress to raise the liability cap because he sees astronomical costs to communities, fisheries, processors and the tourism industry including hotels and restaurants. He said it's the "whole ripple effect of the economy when we have a disaster like this" that he's worried about, adding, "I'm not quite sure why the administration continues to take the view that BP is responsible for everything. They are certainly responsible for everything related to the cleanup. ... I'm not sure that liability is as extensive as they believe."

We shall see.

LANDRIEU NAMES NEW ORLEANS POLICE CHIEF

From NOLA.com:

Ronal Serpas, who served as second-in-command to New Orleans Police Chief Richard Pennington and now runs the Nashville Police Department, has been selected to take the reins of the city's troubled police department, Mayor Mitch Landrieu said today.
"As mayor... my top priority is to transform the culture of death on the streets of New Orleans into a celebration of life," Landrieu said at an 11 a.m. news conference at Gallier Hall. "The first step, the one step that needs to be taken is to find an individual who will help lead the New Orleans Police Department. The second step is to work with the Department of Justice to reform the police department."

The appointment of a new police chief is one of Landrieu's most important decisions. I hope Ronal Serpas can do the job, because NOPD needs cleaning up and especially because the murder numbers must be reduced, if New Orleans is to have a decent future.

Serpas will be working closely with the U. S. Dept. of Justice, because Landrieu has asked the feds to evaluate NOPD, and several federal investigations of the police department are currently in progress.

COLBERT'S ALPHA DOG OF THE WEEK

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Alpha Dog of the Week - George Rekers
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Fox News

Since mine is a family-oriented blog, I hesitated to post Stephen Colbert's segment from last night on the Rev. George Rekers and the boy he rented to carry his luggage. However, Stephen's was at the top of of my list for the best commentary on the affair. (No pun intended, but I must add that avoiding puns on the subject is like walking through a minefield.)

Enjoy if you have not seen the video already.

The Louisiana Family Forum carries great political weight here in Louisiana. According to their website:

Louisiana Family Forum maintains a close working relationship with Focus on the Family and Family Research Council.

According to the website of the Family Research Council, the organization's motto is:

"DEFENDING FAITH, FAMILY AND FREEDOM"

UNDERSTANDING WOMEN

 

"AND THUS, DEAR STUDENTS, WE HAVE ARRIVED AT THE FORMULA FOR UNDERSTANDING WOMEN".

Don't blame me. Blame my BIL.

WHY HUSBANDS MAKE POOR SECRETARIES

Husband's note on refrigerator for wife:

Someone from the Guyna Colleges called.
They said the Pabst beer is normal.
I didn't know you liked beer.
Better pick up some extra.

Cheers,

Paul (A.)

You know whom to blame.

STORY OF THE DAY - TODAY'S MENTAL CHECKLIST

1. Things I know for sure - quite a few
2. Things I don't know for sure - quite a few more
3. Things I'll discover I don't know as I go along (only a rough estimate) - about as much as things I currently don't know
4. Things I tell my children that I don't believe myself - lots, but now they're older I tell them I'm making it up & they can believe it at their own risk
5. things that make sense if you stop to think about it
a. in daylight - lot unless there's media or government involved
b. late at night - almost nothing, so it's better to just go back to sleep
6. Things I believe that people a thousand years ago believed, too - quite a few but I lived in L.A. when I was younger, so I have a good excuse

From StoryPeople.

THE DILLENKOFFER ENDOWMENT

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

The picture on the upper right is my sister, Gayle. Today, May 5, is her birthday. Four years ago, it was also the date of her memorial service. A friend of Gayle's established the Dillenkoffer Endowment in her honor. I usually write about the Endowment, but this year, I let the Endowment speak for itself. Gayle is, I'm sure, quite proud that she is honored through this scholarship program for GLBT young people. The first year that the scholarship was given, I had the pleasure of meeting the four outstanding winners and hearing their stories.

If you'd like to make an online donation, click here. Don't let the big numbers frighten you. Donations in lesser amounts are gratefully accepted. :-)

Checks may be sent to the address below.

The Dillenkoffer Endowment
10109 North Lane Drive
Kansas City MO 74157

AND MORE PRAYERS

From Petty Witter:

Hi Grandmere, It feels too strange to be typing 'hi June' so please excuse me for using the name we always use when talking of you.

Just to let you know that Neal ,THEMETHATISME, is in hospital. A flare up of his Crohns, his small bowel has become inflamed. On steroids for the next few days, they will then decide if surgery is needed.

Anyway if you could let people know about Neal we would both be grateful. I'll keep in touch and let you know how he's doing and there will be regular updates on my blog. Best wishes, Tracy.

From David@Montreal:

Beloved Giants of Prayer & Practice

I would ask your prayer for healing for dear Rose-Marie. Not only is Rose-Marie fighting metastatic breast cancer since 2007, she is currently dealing with a rather serious bout of pneumonia. Rose-Marie is married to Dave and thet have two sons Nicholas and Adrian, and one of her care team is my baby sister Jennifer.

Ongoing healing prayers also asked for Mark (Mapko) and my cousin Frank and Dorian.

love always - always Love

David@Montreal

PRAYERS PLEASE

For Katherine, a member of my church who died suddenly last Sunday. Katherine was the matriarch and heart of her family. Her husband, John, to whom she was married for many years, will miss her terribly, as will their three children, Mary Katharine, Grace, and Carolyn, her 7 grandchildren, and her great-grandchild.

Katherine was also a matriarch in the community of St. John's Episcopal Church. She was baptized as an infant at St. John and served for many years in various roles in the church, including being available and present to help whenever and wherever she was needed. She was well-known for welcoming newcomers to the church into her home, and those who did not have family in the area, she made part of her family.

May Katherine rest in peace and rise in glory.

May God give comfort, consolation, and the peace that passes understanding to her family and to all who love Katherine.

UPDATE: Katherine's funeral was lovely. The service was just as it should be to honor and celebrate the life of a wonderful lady. I'm certain that God received Katherine with open and loving arms. Fr Ed, our rector, spoke beautifully about her. He noted that the overarching theme of her life was service to others in the name of Christ. I think many who knew Katherine, including me, agree with the words someone once said about her, "I want to be like Katherine when I grow up." Another of her favorite sayings was, "NIS - Nothing is simple".

Don't picture Katherine with hands together, head bowed, always in prayer. She was about doing the works of the Lord. Katherine loved to laugh; she had a fine gift for and appreciation of irony; and she wasn't above the occasional cuss word. She was human in the very best sense of the word, all that God would want her to be.

Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servant Katherine. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming. Receive her into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. Amen.

"GRANDMÈRE MIMI GOES TO ENGLAND"

The video is nothing less than a masterwork by the sweetest, kindest clergyman in all England, Fr Jonathan Hagger, also known as MadPriest. Obviously, the photos are not all mine. Anyone who wishes to claim ownership, please speak up, because I've forgotten whose they are.

Watching the video brought tears to my eyes and made me long to visit England again. When Grandpère watched the chef-d'œuvre, he said, "Did you spend all your time in churches and abbeys?" Not all, but quite a lot. Seeing the pictures of the lovely people whom I met over there, made me quite nostalgic. Truly, I had a wonderful visit, and I will surely never forget the beautiful people and places.

And what about the music in the video? Roger Miller's "England Swings", "The Village Green Appreciation Society" by the wonderful Kate Rusby, and the nice surprise of "Rule Britannia!" by the Leeds Philharmonic Society, of which Doorman-Priest is a member. I attended the outstanding performance pictured in the video of Delius' "A Mass For Life". I'm guessing the music was chosen so that, as I grow even older, I won't forget that it was England I visited.

If you're a new reader of this blog, you can find links to my accounts of my time in England to the right, on my sidebar, under the heading (Surprise!) "England".

Jonathan, thank you for your time and effort in putting the wonderful video together. I won't forget your kindness.

"JOLLITY FARM"

I don't know about you, but I needed a smile break.

Thanks to Lapin.

SENDING THE OPPOSITE MESSAGE

Jim Naughton at The Lead links to an article in the New York Times about one of our own from the religious far-right, Lou Engel, who is in Uganda stirring up trouble against gays, as if the attitudes in the country are not already hostile enough to gay persons. The article is worth a read, surely.

However, I want to call attention to Jim Naughton's commentary in the post.

It is worth remembering that the suffering in the religious right's campaign to punish Western churches for their liberal attitudes on homosexuality has been borne almost exclusively by Africans. It is not gay Americans, or the leaders of mainline Protestant churches who suffer when prejudice against LGBT people is inflamed in Uganda, Nigeria or Rwanda. It is not American donors who suffer when leaders like Archbishop Henry Orombi of Uganda force priests and bishops to refuse donations that would have provided food, clean water, medicine in education to needy people. Comfortable African prelates and American donors are putting other people's lives at risk to make it clear how strenuously they oppose the West's growing acceptance of gay and lesbian relationships. The tactic is meant to communicate how throroughly they have rejected worldly wisdom and how intensely they cling to the Gospel. Unfortunately, it sends the opposite message.

"They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them."

(Matthew 23:4)

OIL SLICK SIZE TRIPLES IN 3 DAYS

From the The Huffington Post:

BP is preparing a system never tried nearly a mile under water to siphon away the geyser of crude from a blown-out well a mile under Gulf of Mexico waters. However, the plan to lower 74-ton, concrete-and-metal boxes being built to capture the oil and siphon it to a barge waiting at the surface will need at least another six to eight days to get it in place.

Crews continued to lay boom in what increasingly feels like a futile effort to slow down the spill, with all ideas to contain the flow failing so far.
....

Fishermen from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Florida Panhandle got the news that more than 6,800 square miles of federal fishing areas were closed, fracturing their livelihood for at least 10 days and likely more just as the prime spring season was kicking in. The slick also was precariously close to a key shipping lane that feeds goods and materials to the interior of the U.S. by the Mississippi River.

Even if the well is shut off in a week, fishermen and wildlife officials wonder how long it will take for the Gulf to recover. Some compare it to Hurricane Katrina, which Louisiana is still recovering from after nearly five years.

"My kids will be talking about the effect of this when they're my age," said 41-year-old Venice charter boat captain Bob Kenney.
....

Besides the immediate impact on Gulf industries, shipping along the Mississippi River could soon be limited. Ships carrying food, oil, rubber and much more come through the Southwest Pass to enter the vital waterway.

Shipment delays - either because oil-splattered ships need to be cleaned off at sea before docking or because water lanes are shut down for a time - would raise the cost of transporting those goods.

Posted without commentary, because I don't know what to say.

STORY OF THE DAY - SLEEPING MAN

What I'm mostly good at is sleeping, he
once told me in confidence, but he
added, I don't see much future in it.


From StoryPeople.

LOANS WILL BE REPAID

From the The Borowitz Report:

In what many are hailing as a breakthrough solution to Greece’s crippling debt crisis, Greece today offered to repay loans from the European Union nations by giving them a gigantic horse.

Read the rest of the story and see the picture for your morning laugh.

PS: It's still morning here.

COVER IT UP!

Above is the seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As you see, the goddess Virtus has a (Gasp...!) bared breast. Such lewdness is not to be tolerated - at least not by Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. Read the shocking story at Paul, the BB's place. I may seem to be favoring the BB today, but I'm not, although he IS a big huggable bear. It's that he's on a blogging roll.

Lapin sent me a link to The Huffington Post version of the story. What caught my eye at HP is the picture below of our former president's attorney general, John Ashcroft, standing in front of a statue of Lady Justice with (Gasp...!) a bare breast.

I've always felt a special fondness for pictures of Ashcroft standing before Lady Justice before he ordered $8000 worth of drapes to make the lady disappear.



Now you see her; now you don't.



And then I remembered the disgraceful picture of my friend and me standing near the statue of Neptune in the Piazza De La Signoria in Florence, which I saw just the other day when I was looking through my photo album. If ever there was a picture that cried out for cropping....

 

CALVIN BOREL ON SUPER SAVER DOES THE DERBY AGAIN

From the Advocate:

The starting gate sprung open in the Kentucky Derby, with 19 horses scrambling for position. One jockey knew exactly where he was headed.

St. Martinville native Calvin Borel deftly tucked Super Saver along the rail Saturday on a track turned into creamy peanut butter by heavy rain. Once again, he was in his favorite spot, getting a clear path all the way through the goo.

That’s why they call him “Bo-rail” and, for the third time in four years, he took the shortest path to the winner’s circle.

Finally, a bit of good news out of Louisiana. Louisiana man and Super Saver, a fine horse, won the Kentucky Derby, although the odds this year for Calvin and his horse were a bit better than 50 to 1 in last year's Derby.

THE MISSING LAST RESORT ACOUSTIC SWITCHES

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The video is from The Ed Show on MS-NBC News. The entire video, which is over 13 minutes long, is worth watching, but if you move the marker to 5 minutes into the video, you'll see the discussion of the acoustic switches.

From the Wall Street Journal:

The oil well spewing crude into the Gulf of Mexico didn't have a remote-control shut-off switch used in two other major oil-producing nations as last-resort protection against underwater spills.

The lack of the device, called an acoustic switch, could amplify concerns over the environmental impact of offshore drilling after the explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon rig last week.

The accident has led to one of the largest ever oil spills in U.S. water and the loss of 11 lives. On Wednesday federal investigators said the disaster is now releasing 5,000 barrels of oil a day into the Gulf, up from original estimates of 1,000 barrels a day.

U.S. regulators don't mandate use of the remote-control device on offshore rigs, and the Deepwater Horizon, hired by oil giant BP PLC, didn't have one. With the remote control, a crew can attempt to trigger an underwater valve that shuts down the well even if the oil rig itself is damaged or evacuated.

The efficacy of the devices is unclear. Major offshore oil-well blowouts are rare, and it remained unclear Wednesday evening whether acoustic switches have ever been put to the test in a real-world accident. When wells do surge out of control, the primary shut-off systems almost always work. Remote control systems such as the acoustic switch, which have been tested in simulations, are intended as a last resort.

Although the efficacy of the devices may or may not be clear, depending upon to whom you're listening, the better part of caution would have been for BP to install the acoustic switches at the cost of $500,000, which is a fraction of the cost of a deep-water rig, which can run over $100 million. The spokesmen for the oil companies are already saying that the acoustic switches don't work.

UPDATE: Paul, the BB, is less restrained in his post at Byzigenous Buddhapalian.

MORE PRAYERS PLEASE

From Petty Witter at PEN AND PAPER:

Hi Jonathan. Just wanted to let you know that (my husband), THEMETHATISME, was admitted into hospital last night (May 1st). Severe abdominal pains, he's waiting to have scans etc though at the moment they seem to think it is probably a kink in the bowel as opposed to any kind of obstruction or perforation. Will keep in touch.

Posted by Jonathan at Of Course I Could Be Wrong.

PLEASE PRAY FOR JOE, JR. AND HIS FAMILY

From Jonathan (aka MadPriest):

Hi, June.

This is so sad.

As it involves Our Suzer, I think it's definitely a neighbourhood thing. Especially with tomorrow being Sunday.

Jonathan

From Suzer:

Jonathan

Will you please post a prayer request for my cousin, Cindy, her husband, Joe, and their two daughters, Morgan and Christina? Cindy and Joe's 5 year old son drowned today on a family fishing trip. Needless to say, our whole family is in shock and grief. Why such things happen, I will never know.

Their son, Joe Jr., was fondly known as Deuce. Last summer, she posted a video of him on YouTube, as he sang at a local baseball game.





Please pray for this family, as their grief is something I just can't imagine. There are no words.

Thank you,

Susan Hughes
(Suzer, at the now defunct "Wheel Inside the Wheel" blog)

There are no words, indeed, that speak to the grief of the family of this precious boy.

O God, whose beloved Son took children into his arms and blessed them: Give us grace to entrust Joe, Jr. (Deuce) to your never-failing care and love, and bring us all to your heavenly kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.


Most merciful God, whose wisdom is beyond our understanding: Deal graciously with Cindy, Joe, Morgan, Christina, and all who love Joe, Jr. in their grief. Surround them with your love, that they may not be overwhelmed by their loss, but have confidence in your goodness, and strength to meet the days to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

BISHOP GENE ROBINSON'S LETTER TO THE POPE

From the Washington Post:

Though our churches differ in many ways, we believe in the same God. As your brother in Christ, it pains me to see Catholics struggle with your response to recent allegations of sex abuse by priests. Since my denomination has also battled these demons, I want to share with you what I have learned as a bishop of the Episcopal Church.
....

The thing victims most want to hear from the church, especially its leadership, is: "I am so sorry. This should never have happened to you, especially here. We are going to do everything in our power to see that nothing like this happens again." Victims live with their horrific experiences and know that their abuse can never be undone. And so they seek assurance that the church will change the system that allows abuse to go undetected and take action to hold perpetrators accountable. Child abusers do not deserve protection; they must be reported immediately to civil authorities and prosecuted.

Read the rest of the letter on what Bishop Gene and the Episcopal Church have learned about abusive behavior within the church and ways to reverse the culture in which abuse takes place.

Although Bishop Gene does not presume to offer advice to the pope, he writes the following cautionary words:

However, I believe it is misguided and wrong for gay men to be scapegoated in this scandal. As a gay man, I know the pain and the verbal and physical violence that can come from the thoroughly debunked myth connecting homosexuality and the abuse of children. In the media, representatives of and advocates for the Roman Catholic Church have laid blame for sexual abuse at the feet of gay priests. These people know, or should know, that every reputable scientific study shows that homosexuals are no more or less likely to be child abusers than heterosexuals. Psychologically healthy homosexual men are no more drawn to little boys than psychologically healthy heterosexual men are drawn to little girls.

Bishop Gene is quite right, and I'm pleased he wrote his letter and included the words about scapegoating gays.

I presume to give advice: Physician, heal thyself; cease all scapegoating; and take responsibility for your actions as the first and vital step forward to reverse the severe damage to your church.

Thanks to John for the link.

O MARY WE CROWN THEE....

Around the blogosphere I see posts celebrating May Day from Counterlight, Episcopelican, and MadPriest, who is nothing but a damn Commie, along with Counterlight, and I wondered that the celebrations of the day didn't resonate. After pondering a bit, I realized that we did not celebrate May Day. In Roman Catholic tradition, at least in the ancient days of my youth and childhood, the whole month of May was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and instead of a maypole or the crowning of the May Queen, we crowned a statue of the Virgin Mary as Queen of May.

Each day, a different girl was assigned to bring a flower wreath and have the privilege of placing the wreath on the head of a statue of Mary. A boy, unless it was an all-girls school, carried the wreath on a pillow in step with the girl who was to do the crowning at the head of a procession from our school to the statue. As we processed, we sang the hymn, "Bring Flowers of the Rarest". Our statue, with Mary wearing a white robe and a blue cloak, was quite tall and stood on a pedestal. To reach the head of the statue, the girl had to climb a short ladder. Some families created homemade wreaths, while the more well-to-do ordered theirs from the florist.

In the video below, Mary Flower sings the hymn.

BRING FLOWERS OF THE RAREST

Bring flowers of the rarest
bring blossoms the fairest,
from garden and woodland and hillside and dale;
our full hearts are swelling,
our glad voices telling
the praise of the loveliest flower of the vale!


Refrain:

O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today!
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May.
O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today,
Queen of the Angels and Queen of the May.


Our voices ascending,
In harmony blending,
Oh! Thus may our hearts turn
Dear Mother, to thee;
Oh! Thus shall we prove thee
How truly we love thee,
How dark without Mary
Life's journey would be.

Refrain.

Image at the head of the post from St. Patrick's Parish in Onalaska, Wisconsin.

UPDATE: I love the hymn, and writing and arranging the post was a poignant trip down Memory Lane to arrive at a place named Nostalgia with a catch in my throat.

Alleluia, alleluia! Christ is risen! And I believe that Jesus approves when we honor his mother.

PRAISE THE LORD, AND PASS THE AMMUNITION

From the The Huffington Post:

People qualified to carry concealed weapons should be able to keep them strapped on in a church or temple as a way to enhance security, a [Louisiana] state House committee decided Wednesday (April 28).

The House Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice voted 8-3 for bill that would allow a church to hire a security force or create its own by authorizing the church's board or pastor to tap parishioners who have concealed weapons permits to bring them to church.

I'm fairly certain that the bill will make its way successfully through the legislative process and be signed into law by Gov. Bobby Jindal. In the spirit of the new law, in churches which allow congregants to pack heat, the opening hymn for each and every service shall henceforth be "Praise the Lord, and Pass the Ammunition".

H/T to Andrew Gerns at The Lead and to Ann for sending me the link.

BOBBY JINDAL, THE HYPOCRITE?

The picture above is Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal at the press conference yesterday on the oil spill off the Louisiana coast. You can't see them in the photo, but Jindal is surrounded by the folks in picture below, Dept. of the Interior Secretary Dan Salazar, Dept. of Homeland Security Sec. Janet Napolitano, and Lisa Jackson, EPA Administrator.



Bobby Jindal fulminates against the over-sized federal government; he decries taxes to pay for the functions of the bloated federal government, but when he is in trouble, he's quick to call for help from that same federal government, admitting that some problems like Katrina and the federal flood and the oil spill are too big for a state to handle on its own. I know Jindal was not governor when Katrina struck, but he's asked for ongoing help with recovery. In my eyes, Bobby Jindal looks like a hypocrite. How will he run on shrinking the federal government, when he's had to call for help from that same federal government on many different occasions?