Diary of a Parish Priest

 

 
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Fr. Manning

Preserve Religious Freedom

 

Preserve Religious Freedom

A webpage initiative of the Archdiocese of Washington with information about the decision of several Catholic groups in the Archdiocese to file suit against the Obama administration's HHS mandate that Catholic institutions provide coverage for immoral drugs and procedures when they offer employee medical insurance. 

This lawsuit is about an unprecedented attack by the federal government on one of America’s most cherished freedoms: the freedom to practice one’s religion without government interference. It is not about whether people have access to certain services; it is about whether the government may force religious institutions and individuals to facilitate and fund services which violate their religious beliefs.

 

The Archdiocese of Washington, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, The Consortium of Catholic Academis of the Archdiocese of Washington, Archbishop Carroll High School and the Catholic University of America are joining the lawsuit which is only one of twelve lawsuits filed today on behalf of 43 Catholic institutions around the country.

The lawsuits have been filed in eight states and the District of Columbia by the Archdioceses of Washington and New York, the Michigan Catholic Conference, Catholic Charities in Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri and Indiana, health care agencies in New York and two dioceses in Texas.

In an irony too rich, but also too unjust to savor, the University of Notre Dame is also joining the lawsuits. Perhaps Obama will return his honorary doctorate in protest?

So What Did Sebelius Say?

After all the furor over the ill-advised invitation by Georgetown University to Kathleen Sebelius to speak at the "non commencement event," and the predictable deaf ear turned toward it by the University administration, what did she say?

Well, pretty much work hard, work for the common good, keep your idealism, Carpe diem. She was pretty heavy on the Georgetown sports metaphors (the transcript of the speech I read doesn't transcribe whether there was any hooting or hollering when the teams were mentioned). Which ideals she meant for the graduates to hold onto wasn't clear, but strongly implied that elders don't have them anymore.

She used the word "Catholic" once in referring to John Kennedy's presidential campaign but did not identify herself as one. And she repeated the poorly understood phrase "separation of church and state" which has often been used in an attempt to silence public discussion about moral issues.  (Some critics have noted there was little to fear Catholicism would influence anything Kennedy did, public or private.)  

Some of then-Senator Kennedy’s opponents attacked him for his religion, suggesting that electing the first Catholic president would undermine the separation of church and state, a fundamental principle of our democracy. The furor grew so loud that Kennedy chose to deliver a speech about his beliefs just seven weeks before the election.

In that talk to Protestant ministers, Kennedy talked about his vision of religion and the public square, and said he believed in an America, and I quote, “where no religious body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly upon the general populace or the public acts of its officials – and where religious liberty is so indivisible that an act against one church is treated as an act against us all.”

Kennedy was elected president on November 8, 1960. And more than 50 years later, that conversation, about the intersection of our nation’s long tradition of religious freedom with policy decisions that affect the general public, continues.

 

Indeed it does. Except under Sebelius' watch, it's the federal regulations that are being imposed on Catholics. 

In support of the US Catholic bishops call for faithful Catholics to be heard, Holy Cross will have petitions available for parishioners to sign which call for the protection of religious liberty in the United States.

Rumson - Fair Haven Municipal Alliance to Prevent Drug and Alcohol Abuse

 

Rumson and Fair Haven have joined together in a regional effort to combat drug and alcohol abuse in our communities, especially among our young people and in both our public and private schools.

The Serenity Prayer

 

A part-time Municipal Alliance Coordinator will be employed by both governments to implement a grant received from the Governor's Council of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, provide comprehensive substance abuse prevention programs to the communities of Rumson and Fair Haven, address community risk factors through collaborative planning with local resources. The Coordinator will also provide support to existing resources, i.e. schools, local law enforcement and recreation departments.

Holy Cross looks forward to cooperating with the Municipal Alliance Coordinator when named, and welcomes assistance in providing our students, their parents and parishioners with timely information and education to prevent drug and alcohol abuse.

 

Welcome to Our New Principal: William J. Belluzzi

I was pleased to learn today that the Office of Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Trenton has given its approval to my and the Search Committee’s selection for new Principal of Holy Cross School.

William J. Belluzzi began his teaching career as a Language Teacher and Guidance Counselor at Bergen Catholic and St. Joseph Regional High Schools, served as an Instructor at Dominican College and then became principal of both public elementary and middle schools in Bergen County. He currently serves as the Superintendent of Schools of Montvale Public Schools.

Certifications, awards and distinctions

• New York: School District Leader. New Jersey: School Administrator, Principal, Supervisor, K-12 Pupil Personnel Services, K-12 Spanish, K-12 Italian, Elementary School Teacher.
• 1989 Bergen County Guidance Counselor of the Year; 1999 Bergen County Elementary and Middle School Administrative Excellence Award; Inducted into the Bergen Catholic Hall of Fame, 2004; Administrators Educational Visit to Korea, July 2001.
• President, Bergen County Elementary and Middle School Administrators Association 2001 – 2003; Vice- President, 1999 – 2001; Executive Board, 1997 – Present; Member New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association Council, 2001 – 2005; President, Bergen County Coalition of School Administrators, 2002 – 2003; Executive Board, 2001 – 2006.

 Education

• William Paterson University M.Ed. In Administration and Supervision, January 1996

• Montclair State University M.A.T. in Secondary Education, May 1977

• Fordham University B.A. in Romance Languages, Magna cum laude, June 1973

Mr. Belluzzi and his wife are residents of Bay Head, New Jersey; they have two daughters who have completed both their primary and secondary education in Catholic schools.

Mr. Belluzzi’s love of education, children and his faith were evident in all the answers he gave to our committee.  His sincerity, compassion and conscientious approach to education will serve us well. Here are two paragraphs from the letter he wrote to the Search Committee explaining his vision for Catholic education:

          The challenges of a Catholic education as we move further into the 21^st century will be to maintain a specifically Catholic identity, to remain current in curriculum and instructional practices, to make certain that schools are fiscally sound with viable enrollments, and to make provisions for necessary technology, supplies and equipment with a rich program of extracurricular activities. The particularly Catholic identity must provide the basis for integrating communal liturgical worship experiences, opportunities to practice Christian service, knowledge about faith and traditions, and meaningful discussion about important issues which will be faced both now and in the future…

Catholic schools have a distinct advantage as they augment the role of the family in helping students to respect and value themselves and others while developing their specific God-given talents to make a contribution to our society.  Recognizing that parents are the primary educators of their children, the faculty and administration, together with the parish and the greater Church all need to pledge themselves toward the same vision. We all must care deeply about the young people entrusted to us and recognize that they are the reason for our existence.

We are delighted that Mr. Belluzzi will be joining us at Holy Cross and we welcome him back to his Catholic educational roots. He will be joining us before long to greet parents, children and parishioners as soon as we can arrange the dates and times.

Please pray that Holy Cross School continues to prosper and that our new principal will be guided by the Holy Spirit and the good will of school parents, faculty, children and parishioners alike.

 Fr Manning

Youth Group Plant Sale

Thanks to Mr. Feerst, Ms. Evans and all those who helped with the plant sale for the last two weekends. A big thank you to those who purchased plants --- may they live long and prosper.