Wednesday, October 29, 2008

A Festival of HOPE!

Wow, Catholic author, Barry Michaels is giving us what we need right about now and "just what the doctor ordered." What am I talking about? Well, I'll let you listen to Barry himself in just a moment describe this awesome festival that will run all through the month of November to celebrate HOPE and the release of his new book, Your Guide to Spe Salvi: Saved in Hope. Barry has a whole line up of Catholic authors (myself included!) who will be bringing you messages of hope throughout the month of November.

From Barry:

"The Festival of Hope will be a month-long blog event that will be dedicated to and celebrate the theme of Christian hope.

There are several important aspects to this event:

– I’ll be reflecting on hope and offering some interesting resources for further reflection, understanding, and prayer.

– (More exiting to me) I’ll be hosting a series of guest bloggers, talented Christian (both Catholic and non-Catholic) authors and artists, all offering some rich and helpful reflections on the theme of hope.

– Finally (and also exciting to a book-nut like me), you’ll also have the chance to win some very worthwhile prizes while you’re here! I’m reluctant to proceed with this one, because there’s a great collection of books and other items sitting in a box in my office, ready to be given away to you and other visitors, and the more I look at them, the more I want to keep them for myself. They’re excellent! (Don’t worry, I promised the authors I’d give them away to you.)

Our Guest Bloggers

Let me tell you about those guest bloggers, because you’re going to be interested. As of today, our Festival of Hope guest-blogger line-up (authors who have agreed to serve as a guest blogger for a day) includes:

– Mike Aquilina, vice-president of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology and author of a list of extraordinary books, including Signs and Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christian Symbols, The Fathers of the Church, and The Resilient Church

– Tim Drake, one of the premier Catholic journalists in the United States, longtime reporter for the National Catholic Register, and author of the new book Behind Bella, as well as Young and Catholic: The Face of Tomorrow’s Church

– Pete Vere, a canon lawyer and the co-author of several popular books for Catholic readers, including Surprised by Canon Law: 150 Questions Laypeople Ask about Canon Law, Surprised by Canon Law 2, Pied Piper of Atheism: Philip Pullman and Children’s Fantasy, and More Catholic than the Pope: An Inside Look at Extreme Traditionalism

– Sr. Kathryn James Hermes, FSP, the author of Making Peace with Yourself: 15 Steps to Spiritual Healing, The Surviving Depression Journal: A Companion through the Tough Times, and Prayers for Surviving Depression, and a member of the Congregation of the Daughters of St. Paul

– Nancy Carpentier Brown, author of The Mysteries of Harry Potter and The Father Brown Reader and Catholic education expert

– Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle, a participant in the Pontifical Council for the Laity’s recent international congress on the dignity of women, and author of The Domestic Church: Room by Room and The Heart of Motherhood

– Dr. Heath White, assistant professor of philosophy at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and author of Postmodernism 101: A First Course for Curious Christians

– Mary DeTurris Poust, author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Catholic Catechism and Parenting a Grieving Child: Helping Children Find Faith, Hope, and Healing after the Loss of a Loved One

– Regina Doman, Catholic artist and author of Angel in the Waters (a personal favorite children’s book of mine) and The Shadow of the Bear

– Karina Fabian, science fiction author of Infinite Space, Infinite God and Firestorm of Dragons, and president of the Catholic Writers Guild

– Lawrence Klimecki, Catholic artist and illustrator of S Is for Saints

– Ellen Gable Hrkach, author of the novel Emily’s Hope, a columnist on the new website for Catholic catechists, AmazingCatechists.com, and a frequent contributor to Family Foundations magazine

You will be hearing from all of them on the topic of Christian hope on this blog during the Festival of Hope! Is that cool, or what? (That’s where the list is at now; I hope and expect that it will expand a bit before November 1 rolls around. I’ll keep you posted.)

Books and More for You

Not only will you get the insightful contributions from that gang of contributors; you’ll also have an opportunity to win something from a long list of prizes I’ll be giving away that mostly includes a bunch of excellent books, plus a few other great things thrown in for fun. (Many of these books have been donated by the authors themselves, some have been donated by my publisher Pauline Books and Media, and a few are on me.)"
(Continued here on Barry Michael's blog)

Be sure to visit Barry's blog by clicking on the link above to see what else Barry has to say about this event and the month of November. There's much more. I have only teased your appetite for books and inspiration!

God bless!

Donna-Marie

Monday, October 27, 2008

A Call to Action Starting Today!

"What issue outweighs more than 40 million unborn children killed by abortion and the many millions of women deeply wounded by the loss and regret abortion creates?"~ Most Rev. Charles Chaput, Archbishop of Denver

A Call for a Rosary Novena


Fr. John Corapi has asked us all to partake in a rosary novena which begins today, October 27th and ends nine days later on Election Day, November 4th.

Here are Fr. Corapi's words:
"No other issue, not all other issues taken together, can constitute a proportionate reason for voting for candidates that intend to preserve and defend this holocaust of innocent human life that is abortion. I strongly urge every one of you to make a Novena and pray the Rosary to Our Lady of Victory between October 27th and Election Day, November 4th. Pray that God's will be done and the most innocent and utterly vulnerable of our brothers and sisters will be protected from this barbaric and grossly sinful blight on society that is abortion. No woman, and no man, has the right to choose to murder an innocent human being.
God Bless You"
Fr. John Corapi
For Election Novena click here.

Take a look at the story of the battle of Lapanto below and see how the power of the Rosary crusade changed the outcome of the battle.

--------------------------------------------------------------



Battle of Lepanto On October 7, 1571, a great victory over the mighty Turkish fleet was won by Catholic naval forces primarily from Spain, Venice, and Genoa under the command of Don Juan of Austria. It was the last battle at sea between "oared" ships, which featured the most powerful navy in the world, a Moslem force with between 12,000 to 15,000 Christian slaves as rowers. The patchwork team of Catholic ships was powered by the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Knowing that the Christian forces were at a distinct material disadvantage, the holy pontiff, St. Pope Pius V called for all of Europe to pray the Rosary for victory. We know today that the victory was decisive, prevented the Islamic invasion of Europe, and evidenced the Hand of God working throughOur Lady. At the hour of victory, St. Pope Pius V, who was hundreds of miles away at the Vatican, is said to have gotten up from a meeting, went over to a window, and exclaimed with supernatural radiance: "The Christian fleet is victorious!" and shed tears of thanksgiving to God.

What you may not know is that one of three admirals commanding the Catholic forces at Lepanto was Andrea Doria. He carried a small copy of Mexico's Our Lady of Guadalupe into battle. This image is now enshrined in the Church of San Stefano in Aveto, Italy. Not many know that at the Monastery of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Spain, one can view a huge warship lantern that was captured from the Moslems in the Battle of Lepanto. In Rome, look up to the ceiling of S. Maria in Aracoeli and behold decorations in gold taken from the Turkish galleys. In the Doges' Palace in Venice, Italy, one can witness a giant Islamic flag that is now a trophy from a vanquished Turkish ship from the Victory. At Saint Mary Major Basilica in Rome, close to the tomb of the great St. Pope Pius V, one was once able to view yet another Islamic flag from the Battle, until 1965, when it was returned to Istanbul in an intended friendly token of concord. The Rosary At Lepanto, the Victory over the Moslems was won by the faithful praying the Rosary. Even though they had superior numbers, the Turks really were overmatched. Blessed Padre Pio, the Spiritual Father of the Blue Army, said: "The Rosary is the weapon," and how right he was!

The Battle of Lepanto was at first celebrated liturgically as "Our Lady of Victory." Later, the feast of October 7th was renamed "Our Lady of the Rosary" and extended throughout the Universal Church by Pope Clement XI in 1716 (who canonized Pope Pius V in 1712).

And with that we are back to Fatima, Portugal where Our Lady, when asked her name, said: "I am the Lady of the Rosary." At Fatima, Our Lady taught us to pray the Rosary every day. Heaven presented its peace plan at Fatima and truly gave us hope for the world. Conversions were promised at Fatima: the conversion of sinners; the conversion of Russia; and what also appears to be the conversion of Islam. Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us!
Taken from:
Soul Magazine
© 2001 The Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima, U.S.A., Inc.
September - October 2001, page 6

Friday, October 24, 2008

George Weigel and Obama

Washington DC, Oct 24, 2008 / 07:09 am (CNA).- The discussion over Catholic support for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama continued this past week as professors Nick Cafardi, Cathy Kaveny, and Doug Kmiec—all Obama backers—debated the topic with political commentator George Weigel in the pages of Newsweek. Obama’s Catholic supporters argued that Obama would serve the pro-life cause in other aspects, while Weigel charged that such arguments ignore or minimize Obama’s vigorous support for abortion rights.

The pro-Obama professors made their case in an October 17 essay on Newsweek Online. They argued that an Obama presidency would reduce the abortion rate and they advocated an “interconnected” approach to promote a “culture of life” through policies favoring a family wage, universal health care, and better parenting and education for youth.

“This greater appreciation for the totality of Catholic teaching is at the very heart of the Obama campaign,” they asserted. “It is scarcely a McCain footnote.”

The professors said Weigel’s recent criticism of their positions is “unassailable” in a perfect world, but they charged that the legal path to preventing abortion “has not worked to date, and it may never work.”

They claimed in their Newsweek essay that Obama recognizes abortion as “a tragic moral choice” but would implement other policies to help women in “adverse economic and social circumstances.”

“Is Obama the perfect pro-life candidate? No.” they conceded, but... (Continued here)

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Embryos are destroyed or frozen in the process

Madrid, Oct 21, 2008 / 10:53 am (CNA).- The recent birth of Javier Mariscal, the first “medicinal baby” to be born in Spain since a new law on assisted reproduction was passed by the Socialist government in June of 2006, has led the Bishops’ Conference of Spain to issue a statement warning that the healing of the infirm should not come at the cost of the lives of other human begins.

The statement published last weekend, the bishops noted that on October 12, the first baby conceived for the purpose of healing another person was born in Sevilla. The baby’s brother suffers from a hereditary disease which forces him to undergo constant blood transfusions.

The bishops explained that with the technique that was used, “the embryos obtained through in vitro fertilization are examined to select those that are not carriers of the gene that causes the hereditary disease. From the selected group, an embryo that has the closest genetic profile to the ill sibling is implanted in the uterus. The rest are either destroyed or frozen.”

The bishops pointed out that the Spanish media “has emphasized the good news of the birth of the child and the possibility of curing the illness of his brother.” “Put like this, the news ought to be a source of joy for all. However, the dramatic fact that the sick embryos, and eventually the healthy ones that were not genetically compatible were destroyed has been silenced.”

“The Church wants to lend her voice to the voiceless and to those who have been deprived of the fundamental right to life. These statements are not a judgment upon the conscience or the intentions of anyone. They are meant to draw attention to the objective ethical principles that protect the dignity of all human beings,” the statement indicated.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Teresa Tomeo's series about NOISE on EWTN


Teresa Tomeo recently asked, "Have you ever wondered why the secular press tilts so heavily to the left of center? Are you concerned about the continued attacks on the Catholic Church? Would you like to know just how much impact the culture is having on children, families, and the country? With the help of moral theologians, law enforcement experts, media specialists, and pro-life leaders, I will attempt to answer these questions. And if you're looking for some practical ways to make a difference in the media in your home as well as ways to engage the culture, you may also be interested in watching this special series. You'll also learn just how much wisdom and common sense advise the Church has when it comes to how to using the media wisely.


Join me and my guests including Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life, Doug Keck of EWTN TV, Moral Theologian Dr. Janet Smith, and others as we try to help you make some sense out of all of the "Noise" in our lives. That's Monday through Friday at 6:30pm ET, October 20th through the 24th on EWTN Global Catholic TV. For more information go to www.ewtn.com or www.teresatomeo,com and please pray that this series helps encourage more Catholics to take a stand for decency on the air waves."


Program Dates & Times

Find your local EWTN station to see "NOISE"!

Episodes 1- 5 air Oct 20 - Oct 24
ET: 3:00 AM & 6:30 PM
PT: 12 AM & 3:30 PM

My interview on EWTN's Bookmark segment is now available on audio here


If you didn't get a chance to watch the recent EWTN's Bookmark segment in which Doug Keck interviewed me about four of my books: Prayerfully Expecting, The Heart of Motherhood, Catholic Prayer Book for Mothers and Catholic Saints Prayer Book, you can listen by clicking here. Just scrolll down to audio # 212.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Sunday Homily...

"In this Sunday’s gospel passage, we see that Jesus is caught in a real predicament. The dilemma is compounded by the fact that two bitterly opposing sects, the Pharisees and the Herodians, have joined forces to attack Jesus.

Had Jesus said that paying the tax was unlawful, the Pharisees and the Herodians would promptly have reported the matter to the Roman officials and his arrest would have quickly followed. Had he answered that it was lawful to pay the tax, he would have damaged his reputation before the Jewish people who resented paying tax to an invading government.

“Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God” (Matthew 22: 21). With this distinctive answer Jesus establishes a teaching which goes beyond the needs and circumstances of his own times and serves as a guiding principle for all generations.

All of the baptized enjoy a dual citizenship. We are citizens of the country of our birth or political allegiance, and we are citizens of the kingdom of heaven. Ideally, these two citizenships should not clash, but sometimes they do. Jesus calls us to be good citizens of both kingdoms, but many times conflicts do arise which cause the citizens of the heavenly kingdom to take a stand in defense of the truth... (Continued here at Fr. James's blog).

Sunday, October 12, 2008

My interview on EWTN's Bookmark this week


In case you didn't get a chance to catch this morning's episode of EWTN's Bookmark in which I was interviewed, you can see it at another time this week. These are the show times listed on the EWTN's Bookmark website: "Sun 9:30 am ET • Mon 5:00 am ET • Wed 5:30 pm ET • Sat 9:00 pm ET." For more information click here at the EWTN's Bookmark website.

God bless your day!

Donna-Marie

Fr. James's Sunday Homily

Aside from the abortion issue, the issue of homosexual marriages is also in the forefront of the culture wars during this presidential election. Let us take a clear look at the issue according to the mind of the Catholic Church.


The Conference of American Bishops has already given a clear and comprehensive teaching on the issue of same-sex marriages (http://www.usccb.org/laity/manandwoman.shtml). Here is a brief summary.


Marriage, as instituted by God, is a faithful, exclusive, lifelong union of a man and a woman joined in an intimate community of life and love. Man and woman are equal. However, as created, they are different from but made for each other. This complementarity, including sexual difference, draws them together in a mutually loving union that should be always open to the procreation of children.

Marriage is both a natural institution and a... (Continued here)

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Fr. James's Daily Homily

Dear Friends,

Please take a few moments to read Fr. James's Daily Homily which is about his experience yesterday at his local abortion clinic in which the police were involved...

America at the crossroads


"I am back online today with a daily homily. Yesterday, I was unable to provide an online daily homily because the time that I had allotted for this kind of apostolate was lost at the local abortion clinic.

For almost two years, I have been leading the Rosary at the local abortion clinic every Tuesday morning at 9:30 AM. A nutritive group of wonderful people, young and old, join me for this weekly pro-life apostolate. Presently, other parishes have been taking turns during the week for the 40 Days Campaign. The increased presence at the clinic is causing the son of the abortion doctor to become quite angry and frustrated. Moreover, vivid pro-life signs facing the busy street are making him quite upset. The son of the abortion doctor is the business manager of the clinic and he is losing business. Abortions are down. Last week, there was not a single abortion at the clinic. This is a huge difference compared to the 40 - 50 abortions that were going on there prior to January, 2007..." (Continued here)

Recent "Mom's Corner" Segment on Ave Maria Radio

To hear a recent segment of "Mom's Corner" with Teresa Tomeo and I discussing my new books and other topics brought up by the callers who called in to the show and won copies of my books, just click here.

Pope Pius XII and the Jews

Rome, Oct 2, 2008 / 01:16 pm (CNA/Europa Press).- A new book by the Italian-American nun and expert in literature Sister Margherita Marchione entitled, “Pius XII: The Truth Will Set You Free,” has hit book stands in Italy as the 50th anniversary of the death of the late Pontiff approaches on October 9.

Through direct testimonies, documents and photographs, the book rehabilitates the figure of Pius XII and shows his active commitment in support of the Jewish people during World War II.

Speaking about the new book, Sr. Marchione stressed the need to “speak the truth” about the work the Catholic Church carried out during the papacy of Pius XII to defend and save the Jews from the Nazi persecution.

“In Rome alone some 5,000 Jews were saved” by taking refuge in monasteries, churches and even inside the Vatican, she said.

Marchione said she hopes the book will remove the shadows that have surrounded the figure of Pius XII, who has been criticized for his alleged silence in the face of the Nazi holocaust. No “historically objective and well-documented method of research” supports such a claim which, she added, “is the result of prejudice and of precipitous and superficial analysis.”

“In reality Pius XII saved the lives of thousands and thousands of Jews and other persecuted people. Many church buildings, including his residence at Castel Gandolfo, were transformed into places of refuge. Everything took place not only thanks to his consent, but also by order of Pius XII,” the book’s publisher, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, said in a statement... (Continued here)

Special Book Launch Savings Until October 31st!


BE THE FIRST TO GET AUTOGRAPHED COPIES! You may preorder both new books at a special BOOK LAUNCH savings! Normally both books together would be $33.90 (plus shipping and handling). Through this special you will receive BOTH books, autographed, for $30.00 (plus shipping and handling)!



The Pay Pal buttons are installed. You may use Pay Pal or send a check or money order to Donna-Marie at PO Box 773, New Milford, CT 06776, USA. Shipping and handling will be $12.50 for buying BOTH books at this special BOOK LAUNCH savings! Hurry because this special lasts only until October 31st!






On orders of 10 copies or more (for group studies) there is a 10% discount and an adjusted shipping and handling fee by using this Pay Pal button below (only for orders of 10 copies of The Domestic Church Room By Room or more). Or you may contact me at DMCOBoyle(at)aol(dot)com to let me know how many books you would like and I will get back to you with the total and the shipping and handling price. You may also send a check or money order for total of books needed minus the 10% discount and then add $3.00 (adjusted ship. and hand. price) per book. Again, I can also give you the total if you email me.











Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary


"Airplanes must have runways before they can fly. What the runway is to the airplane, the Rosary beads are to prayer - the physical start to gain spiritual altitude."--Fulton J. Sheen

"The Rosary of the Virgin Mary, which gradually took form in the second millennium under the guidance of the Spirit of God, is a prayer loved by countless Saints and encouraged by the Magisterium. Simple yet profound, it still remains, at the dawn of this third millennium, a prayer of great significance, destined to bring forth a harvest of holiness. It blends easily into the spiritual journey of the Christian life, which, after two thousand years, has lost none of the freshness of its beginnings and feels drawn by the Spirit of God to “set out into the deep” (duc in altum!) in order once more to proclaim, and even cry out, before the world that Jesus Christ is Lord and Saviour, “the way, and the truth and the life” (Jn 14:6), “the goal of human history and the point on which the desires of history and civilization turn”.(1)

The Rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at heart a Christocentric prayer. In the sobriety of its elements, it has all the depth of the Gospel message in its entirety, of which it can be said to be a compendium.(2) It is an echo of the prayerof Mary, her perennial Magnificat for the work of the redemptive Incarnation which began in her virginal womb. With the Rosary, the Christian people sits at the school of Mary and is led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love. Through the Rosary the faithful receive abundant grace, as though from the very hands of the Mother of the Redeemer..."

Click here for Pope John Paul II's APOSTOLIC LETTER: ROSARIUM VIRGINIS MARIAE which is quoted above.

Monday, October 6, 2008

This morning's "Mom's Corner" segment

To hear this morning's segment of "Mom's Corner" with Teresa Tomeo and me discussing my new books and other topics brought up by the callers who called in to the show and won copies of my books, just click here.

Win a copy of my new book, Grace Cafe this morning!


Tune in this morning to my "Mom's Corner" segment on "Catholic Connection" with Teresa Tomeo. Four lucky call ins will receive a copy of my book, Grace Cafe: Serving Up Recipes for Faithful Mothering!

Tune in at 9:15 AM Eastern Standard Time by clicking here at avemariaradio.net and then click "listen live." Talk to you soon. :)


I hope you'll join us!

God bless!

Donna-Marie

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Fr. James's Sunday Homily

"This Sunday’s passage from the Gospel helps us to understand stewardship. We are all given a part of the vineyard to cultivate. God gives us a part of the vineyard because he trusts us. God gives us a vocation and a mission. He gives us gifts that enable us to complete our purpose in this life and reach eternal life. Our journey takes place within the mysterious gift of freedom that God bestows upon every human person. We are called to love him freely. This means that we can also reject God.

As living members of the Church, we are each responsible for the part of the vineyard that has been entrusted to us. In the parable, we find that the vineyard has come equipped with everything that is necessary: the hedge, the wine press, and the tower. These elements make the work of the cultivators easy to accomplish. Thus God not only has entrusted us with a mission, he has also given us the means to fulfill the mission. The sacraments provide us with all of the graces that we need to fulfill the duties that correspond to our state in life. Our personal gifts and talents enable us to carry out and develop our particular daily tasks.

Most of people who worship on Sunday at their parish church are married and have children. The parish is a family comprised of many families. The parish must be at the service of the family. Especially today, when there are so many difficulties and dangers for family life, most particularly today, parishes must do all that they can to help families be family..." (Continued here)

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Join me on Monday morning!


Join me on Monday to sit down with your cup of coffee or tea and sit in on my "Mom's Corner" segment with Teresa Tomeo "Catholic Connection." You'll have an opportunity to call in too. I hope you will join us for a lively discussion about the Catholic faith, my new books coming out in a little over a week and some fun too!

Tune in at 9:15 AM Eastern Standard Time by clicking here at avemariaradio.net and then click "listen live." Talk to you soon. :)

God bless your day!

Donna-Marie

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Tune in Friday morning to "WISP Live"

I'll be on the radio with Patrick...
October 3, 2008, 10:15 to 10:55 AM (EST)
Holy Spirit Radio
“WISP Live” with Patrick McCabe and Janet Napoli
http://www.holyspiritradio.org/
Doylestown, PA

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Pope Benedict's Prayer Intentions for October

Vatican City, October 1 (CNA).-This morning Pope Benedict XVI's prayer intentions for the month of October were announced by the Holy See's Press Office.

Pope Benedict XVI's general prayer intention is: "That the Synod of Bishops may help the pastors and theologians, the catechists and promoters who are engaged in the service of the Word of God to courageously transmit the truth of faith in communion with the entire Church."

His mission intention is: "That in this month dedicated to the missions, through the promotional activities of the Pontifical Missionary Works and other organisms, every Christian community may feel the need to participate in the Church's universal mission with prayer, sacrifice and concrete help."

Pope Benedict's brother Msgr. Georg Ratzinger speaks about the Pope


Pope’s brother reveals unknown details of Benedict XVI's life

Rome, Sep 30, 2008 / 10:58 am (CNA).- In an interview by Andrea Tornielli for the Italian newspaper Il Giornale, Pope Benedict XVI’s brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, revealed several unknown details from the childhood of the Pontiff, such as when he said one time that Benedict would be a good name for a pope, and that he never attended Hitler Youth meetings he was obliged to sign up for.

During the interview in Ratisbona, Germany, Msgr. Ratzinger said his brother was “a lively child, but not an earthquake. I remember him as always being joyful. From the time he was a child he showed a great sensitivity to animals, flowers and in general to all nature. Perhaps that’s why he was always given pets as Christmas gifts. His care for nature and for living beings was characteristic of him.”

Speaking later about their family, Msgr. Ratzinger said his family was “very united” and his father was a “police commissioner who came from an old family of farmers from lower Bavaria. My mother was a daughter of artisans, and before getting married she had worked as a cook. When it was possible, as kids we went to daily Mass.”

After noting that their father considered Nazism to be “a catastrophe and not only the great enemy of the Church but also of all faiths and of human life in general,” Msgr. Ratzinger said he and his brother were forced to join the Hitler Youth because “the State ordered all school-age kids, according to their age, to be signed up for certain youth groups. When it was obligatory, we were registered as a block. There was no freedom to choose, and not showing up would have brought very negative consequences.”

He said his brother Joseph “did not attend the meetings” and that that “brought economic harm to my family because by not doing so we could not receive the discounts for school tuition.”

He said that both were altar boys and that their vocations became clear early on, “first to... (Continued here)