Mother's Count vs. Dad's Count

A family email from a daughter alerts everyone to the Homeschooling Conference to be held in Kansas City late this spring:

"I did not know if anyone would be interested in this conference....most topics could be applied whether you homeschool or not. This will be held the same time the National Right to Life Convention is in Kansas City."

[Attachment] I thought I would share with you information about our Kansas City Conference for Catholic Homeschoolers, June 15th and 16th. Our main speakers are Mary Ann Budnick, Cay Gibson, Maureen Wittman, and Kelly and Bob Roper.

The registration fee is $20.00 for an individual or $25 for a couple postmarked by May 15th. After May 15th registration will only be taken at the door and the costs are $30/$35.

Our oldest son, a numbers person, decided to check out the Homeschooling Conference agenda and speakers, and noted this humorous incongruity:

I looked at the profiles of the speakers.....

"Kelly Roper serves as a consultant ... Kelly shares nine children with her husband, Bob. Bob Roper is a member of .... Bob and his wife, Kelly, share eight children,..."

Maybe it IS possible to lose count....

Humorously, [Our Son]

My own thought is, "Is Kelly trying to tell Bob something?"

Wanted: Student Priests

An interesting collaboration has developed between Una Voce America (UVA) and the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP). They are co-sponsoring three weeks of training in the offering of the old Latin Mass to take place near Lincoln, Nebraska during June 2007. See complete information at Rorate Caeli.

China--Hope and Frustration

The Chinese government says it needs more Catholic priests because "Catholicism encourages love and tolerance for others, which can help promote the building of a harmonious society in the country." The China Daily article can be read from the perspective of Hope and the perspective of Frustration.

Hope:

1. New Chinese priests likely will learn Catholic doctrine, even in state-controlled seminaries, to pass on to new converts
   
2. New converts to Catholicism will likely increase because of more priests and churches
3. A respect for Catholic principles, even though adulterated, may favorably influence some Chinese leaders
   
4. Catholics will become more active and respected in Chinese society, sponsoring schools, orphanages, and medical clinics
   

Frustration:

1. Chinese patriotic priests may never be able to preach their faith without communist adulteration--such as compromising with abortion-- which means they can never be reconciled with Rome
2. "Catholic" medical clinics and schools will justify moral evils--including the "end justifies the means"--resulting in a caricature of the Catholic religion
   
3. New converts are likely not to acknowledge the Pope's leadership of the Church or Christian principles that conflict with Chinese government policy
4. The schismatic Patriotic Church will continue to be given favors by China, which seem to be tied to the increasing suppression of the underground church loyal to the Pope.

Deleted Post--"Way of Life"

When I started writing this blog at the beginning of last summer, I chose a pen name that was intended to remind me of what I am - dust. Several comments on "Way of Life" have caused me to regret writing that post describing a Saturday evening Mass at an unnamed church in Kansas City and it has been deleted. The critical comments were well-deserved. Even though my post is deleted, I am attaching the reader comments to the "Way of Life."

Readers noted that I misinterpreted "way of life" in the Eucharistic Prayer to include a homosexual way of life. I also typed "Latin" instead of "Greek" in reference to Kyrie Eleison. I focused on people's dress (jeans, in particular) that seemed to indicate a lack of reverence in church, and I admit this judgment does not consider what is in a person's heart and intention before God. My post did refer to administering the Sacrament of the Sick to most of the people in the church, including those not yet 40 years old, and I am still concerned about that. The almost exclusive white race in churches that I visited is also still a concern to me.

Some of the reviewer comments also apply to my other posts on churches that I have visited in the past month. I will leave these posts up, and welcome any other criticisms. For the deleted post that aroused righteous indignation, I admit my faults and sins.