Will Your Pets Be Left Behind?

When you're raptured, will your pets go with you, or will they be left behind? Don't take a chance. Eternal Earth-bound Pets has the answer for you, just in case.

You've committed your life to Jesus. You know you're saved. But when the Rapture comes what's to become of your loving pets who are left behind? Eternal Earth-Bound Pets takes that burden off your mind.

We are a group of dedicated animal lovers, and atheists. Each
Eternal Earth-Bound Pet representative is a confirmed atheist, and as such will still be here on Earth after you've received your reward. Our network of animal activists are committed to step in when you step up to Jesus.

You may ask, "Is this for real?" I ask you, "Is the rapture for real?" The answer is in the questions, and it starts with "m", which stands for....

The cats are Stormy and Wendy. They live with my son and his family.

H/T to Pam at Pandagon.

Church Janitor Confesses To Murdering Priest

From the New York Times:

A church janitor has confessed to the killing of a Roman Catholic priest in Chatham, N.J., the Morris County prosecutor’s office said on Saturday.

The janitor, Jose Feliciano, 64, of Easton, Pa., was arrested just before 5 p.m. on Saturday and charged with first-degree murder in the death of the Rev. Edward Hinds, 61, of St. Patrick’s Church.
....

Mr. Feliciano has been a janitor at St. Patrick’s Church for 17 years. His daughter is a student at the parish school, and his son is a graduate.

I'm relieved that the alleged murderer confessed. Prayers for those who grieve for Fr. Hinds. Prayers for José Feliciano and his family.

Thanks to Doug for the link.

Post Deleted

I deleted the post of the video "The Best Wedding Entrance Ever" because the songwriter of "Forever", Chris Brown, was arrested for abusing his girlfriend. I didn't want the song on my blog.

As I understand it, the couple in the video, the Kleins, didn't know and are donating proceeds to advocates against domestic violence.

Connecticut Has A New Bishop!

Ian Douglas, Angus Dun Professor of Mission and World Christianity at the Episcopal Divinity School, member of Executive Council, currently clergy member of the Anglican Consultative Council, and a great deal more, has just been elected bishop of Connecticut. He was elected on the second ballot. This is very good news indeed.

See Mark Harris at Preludium for the rest of the story.

New York - St. Luke in the Fields And More

St. Luke in the Fields

On Sunday morning, during my recent visit to New York, I headed by taxi from Midtown to meet the other Doug, aka Counterlight, the artist, for my Anglo-Catholic fix at St. Luke in the Fields. TBTG that Doug attends the 11:15 service, because I am not an early morning person. Nestled in the midst of the city landscape in Greenwich Village, the church property includes a lovely garden, which Doug and I had time to tour before the church service began. The original church building dates to 1822, but the building burned twice, leaving only an old wall intact, which is visible from the garden. The most recent restoration greatly enlarged the sanctuary and includes a sacristy that any clergy, sacristan, or altar guild member would kill for.

The service, a sung Eucharist, was lovely. All was done decently and in order in Anglo-Catholic style, including incense. The music was especially beautiful, with an outstanding choir and organist. The service lasted close to two hours, but the time went quickly for me. At my church, wee St. John's, we are downright protestant in comparison, except for especially grand occasions and celebrations.

The church gave flu shots that morning, so I lined up with Doug and others from the church to get my flu shot. After our shots, Doug and I headed on foot with a group from the church, Mary, Peter, Laurel, Walter, and another gentleman whose name I do not remember (Sorry about that!) for Dublin 6, a nearby restaurant, for brunch. The delicious (and extended!) brunch and the company of the folks from St. Luke was delightful. We didn't leave the restaurant until 5:30 in the evening. It was altogether a wonderful day. Doug and I hoped to work in a visit to his studio on the Lower East Side, but we couldn't squeeze that in. I'm sorry I didn't get to Doug's studio to see his art first-hand, because he is a fine artist. Perhaps another time.

It was a great pleasure for me to finally meet Doug in real life, although I felt as if I already knew him from our many exchanges on blogs and emails. He is all that I thought he would be, and I thank him for a wonderful day. Even the weather cooperated.

Here we be, Doug and me.

If you're in the neighborhood and looking for a church to attend, Ship of Fools has a favorable report on St. Luke's by a mystery worshipper.

Roseann Is Back In The Hospital

Morning Mimi,

Roseann is back in the hospital, and she says calls and prayers would be appreciated.

The hospital number is 1-501-552-4120.

She had a vein graft on the 12th of this month and developed severe pain on Wednesday and entered the hospital through emergency. A Doppler ultrasound has been done looking for a blood clot and none was found. Now they are looking for infection. She is still in great pain and is on mega painkillers.

She needs to be lifted up in prayers and surrounded by God's healing Angels.

I'll keep you posted.

Sue

P.S. Myron has returned to Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital following his 10 day stay at Christiana Care for Gallbladder problems.

Sue, thanks for keeping us informed about Roseann and Myron.

UPDATE: I just talked to Roseann on the phone. She is so very brave that she makes me cry. She has trouble upon trouble, but she still manages to laugh. I was delighted to hear her voice and her laugh when I mentioned St. Gilda's words, "It's always something!" She and Gary hang in there like troopers in spite of daunting challenges.

She cannot read blogs or Facebook while she is in the hospital, but she can take calls and read email. The hospital phone number is above and her email address is

revamundo (at) gmail (dot) com

She said that if she doesn't answer the phone, it's because she can't, because of procedures being done, etc. In that case, try again at another time.

Thought For The Day - Cajun Style

Be careful what you pray fo', 'cause sometimes it don't smell so good when you hol' it in yo' han'.

Pray For Chatham, NJ

From MSNBC:

CHATHAM, N.J. - A Roman Catholic priest was found slain Friday in the rectory of his northern New Jersey parish, and authorities were searching for his killer.

Preliminary autopsy results confirmed that the Rev. Ed Hinds was a homicide victim, said Morris County Prosecutor Robert Bianchi. No one has been arrested, and authorities said they would not discuss possible motives.

No one had been arrested, and police said they would not discuss possible motives.
....

"The fact is that this was a community leader whose arms were wide open to downtrodden," he said. "Maybe one of those individuals was involved. That kind of generosity is preyed upon."

Fr. Hinds' parish community and indeed the surrounding community is surely shocked and alarmed. Elizabeth Kaeton serves as rector of the Episcopal Church of St. Paul in Chatham and is presently away in Atlanta, Georgia. She probably knows Fr. Hinds. She and her parishioners will be affected by this terrible tragedy. A priest serving in the church that I attend now was murdered in the parish hall some years ago, and, although I was not a member of the church at the time, the entire community here in Thibodaux was in shock.

Please pray for Fr. Hinds' family and the parishioners of his church and for all those who knew him and loved him. Pray for the people of the town of Chatham and for the safety of the clergy and all the residents of Chatham.

H/T to MadPriest for the story.

Treasure In The River Wear Near Durham Cathedral

Michael Ramsey, 100th Archbishop of Canterbury

From the Guardian:

After almost 30 years, the riverbed below Durham Cathedral has given up a bewildering secret: a hoard of ecclesiastical gold and silver, including medals, goblets, and crucifixes once owned by the Queen, the pope and other state and church leaders.

A total of 32 objects given as gifts to the late Michael Ramsey – a former archbishop of Canterbury who was bishop of Durham for four years in the 1950s and spent some of his retirement in the city – have been recovered from deep in the bed of the river Wear by two amateur divers, brothers Gary and Trevor Bankhead.

Their finds include gold, silver and bronze medals struck to commemorate the second Vatican council, which must have been presented when Ramsey – archbishop of Canterbury from 1961 to 1974 – met Pope Paul VI at the Vatican in 1966.

Amazing! How did the objects come to be in the riverbed?

One theory at the cathedral is that there may have been a burglary at the retirement home Ramsey moved to in 1974 when he left Lambeth Palace. Ramsey and wife Joan lived in a tall, handsome Georgian house on the edge of the Durham cathedral precinct, just 150 yards uphill from Prebends bridge where most of the finds were made.

However others believe that Ramsey – a brilliant but eccentric and unworldly man – quietly dropped them into the river himself, at a loss to know what else to do with them. As his friend the Very Rev Victor Stock, dean of Guildford, who stayed with him every year in Durham, said: "That is so Michael Ramsey."

I wonder if we will ever know how the treasures ended up in the river. If Archbishop Ramsey dropped the objects in the river, one wonders why he didn't donate them to Canterbury Cathedral. For now, it's a mystery.

My one regret in my visit to England is that I never made it to Durham Cathedral, although I was quite near to it.



Durham Cathedral from across the River Wear

H/T to Bishop Pierre Whalon, Bishop of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, for the link to the story and the picture of Apb. Ramsey. Bishop Whalon's post includes interesting commentary on the Vatican's recent proclamation. H/T to The Lead for the link to Bishop Whalon's blog. Am I taking the hat tips too far? I like to give credit where credit is due.

Picture of Durham Cathedral from Wiki.

Hate Crimes Bill Passes Senate

From the Washington Post:

The Senate cleared a historic hate crimes bill Thursday for President Obama's signature, approving new federal penalties for attacks on gay men and lesbians.

The legislation, which was attached to the conference report for the bill outlining the Pentagon's budget, marks the culmination of a years-long fight by civil rights groups to codify the expanded protections.

The measure would extend the current definition of federal hate crimes -- which covers attacks motivated by race, color, religion or national origin -- to include those based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. It also would make it a federal crime to attack U.S. military personnel because of their service.

The measure was approved, 68 to 29, with a majority of Republicans voting against it. The House passed the same bill Oct. 8, also with most Republicans opposed.

Gay rights groups praised the Senate's action.

"We look forward to President Obama signing it into law: our nation's first major piece of civil rights legislation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people," said Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign. "Too many in our community have been devastated by hate violence. We now can begin the important steps to erasing hate in our country."

Obama says he will sign the bill. During his two terms Bush threatened to veto such a bill if it ever reached his desk.

Although we're not getting all we want out of the Democratic president and Congress, having members of the party occupy the office of president and in the majority in Congress makes a difference. Why would any decent person oppose a hate crime bill? Republicans say the bill violates the First Amendment. We shall see.