Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Bishop Vasa says Oregon hospital can no longer be called Catholic.

Dear Advocates for Life, Lent shouldn't be a time for rejoicing, but it is. Please bathe in the knowledge that Bishop Vasa keeps his promises to His Boss and in doing so, protects HIS SHEEP. Here's the good Bishop's email address bpvasa@dioceseofbaker.org . Thank God for Holy Boldness. Thank God for Bishop Vasa. . CNS Story: HOSPITAL-BAKER Feb-16-2010 Bishop says Oregon hospital can no longer be called Catholic By Ed Langlois Catholic News Service PORTLAND, Ore. (CNS) -- The Diocese of Baker has ended the church's official sponsorship of central Oregon's largest medical center, citing the hospital's refusal to adhere to some Catholic teachings. Baker Bishop Robert F. Vasa said St. Charles Medical Center in Bend "gradually moved away" from church ethical and religious standards and can no longer be called Catholic. "As bishop, I am responsible for attesting to the full Catholicity of the hospitals in my diocese, a responsibility which I take very seriously, and I have reached the conclusion that I can no longer attest to the Catholicity of St. Charles," Bishop Vasa wrote in the Feb. 18 issue of the Catholic Sentinel, diocesan newspaper for Portland and Baker. The main point of contention is tubal ligation, a form of permanent female reproductive sterilization. "It would be misleading for me to allow St. Charles Bend to be acknowledged as Catholic in name while I am certain that some important tenets of the ethical and religious directives are no longer being observed," the bishop said in a statement issued jointly with hospital officials. The statement said the decision was difficult for all involved. Mass will no longer be celebrated in the hospital's chapel and all items considered Catholic will be removed from the hospital and returned to the church. The St. Charles name will remain the same and the cross will remain on top of the building. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Tipton, Ind., founded St. Charles 92 years ago. In the 1970s, the hospital became a community nonprofit organization with the sisters remaining as sponsors. In 1992, when the sisters decided they could no longer sponsor St. Charles because of the smaller number of sisters, an "association of the Christian faithful" took up the duty of making sure the hospital's Catholic identity was preserved. At the same time, control of policy and operations went to a board of directors. Bishop Vasa said the association's structure did not give it sufficient authority to control the tenets of Catholic identity as expressed in the U.S. bishops' "Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services." In 2007, the bishop asked St. Charles officials for an audit of compliance with the directives. He identified problems and began talks, which hit an impasse. In the joint statement Feb. 15, hospital administrators and the bishop said they have "respectfully disagreed" on the meaning of some of the directives. "We are saddened by this decision because of the 92 years of history the St. Charles Bend hospital has had with the Catholic Church," said James Diegel, president and CEO of Cascade Healthcare Community, the parent company of St. Charles. "But, we have an obligation to provide comprehensive health care services to our patients while remaining true to our values of compassion and caring for all." Diegel said the Cascade Healthcare board of directors intends to continue using the ethical and religious directives as they have been interpreted by the hospital. Bishop Vasa has encouraged the hospital to stay as close to the directives as possible in the future. "This is not a condemnation of St. Charles, it is a sadly acknowledged reality," Bishop Vasa wrote in the Sentinel. The bishop said he is convinced that the St. Charles board genuinely thought the ethical and religious directives were voluntary and optional and board members now cannot see a way to move back into compliance. END Copyright (c) 2010 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed. CNS · 3211 Fourth St NE · Washington DC 20017 · 202.541.3250 http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1000676.htm God Bless you and yours, Carolyn From the Code of Canon Law....to be followed in all cases different from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops which is non-binding. Can. 387 Since the diocesan bishop is mindful of his obligation to show an example of holiness in charity, humility, and simplicity of life, he is to strive to promote in every way the holiness of the Christian faithful according to the proper vocation of each. Since he is the principal dispenser of the mysteries of God, he is to endeavor constantly that the Christian faithful entrusted to his care grow in grace through the celebration of the sacraments and that they understand and live the paschal mystery. www.vocalnews.org VOCAL Voice of Catholics Advocating Life PO Box 458 Sublimity, OR 97385 503-769-4767 Member of the Catholic Media Coalition "In line with the Church, on-line with the World". www.catholicmediacoalition.org and Reform CCHD Now www.reformcchdnow.com

Friday, February 12, 2010

Stand for LIFE and PURITY in PDX on Valentine's Day / 40 Days for Life in LENT

Dear Advocates for Life, Join Bill Diss and Precious Children of Portland to stand up against the genocide in PDX. The "grand opening" of the new facility Planned Parenthood Clinic on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. is on Valentine's Day. There will be a "Blessing" of sorts by an ex-priest, now Baptist minister and "Chaplain" for PP is Vincent Lachina. From Bill Diss.... Cecile Richards the president of Planned Parenthood of America is coming to town to the grand opening of the 45,000 sq. ft. prenatal killing center on Sunday afternoon. Precious Children of Portland and other groups will be at NE Beech St. and MLK Jr in Portland Oregon from 12:30 to 5:00pm. Folks can come at anytime to pray, sing and hold signs and pick up information. Directions: I-5, Exit 303, East on Alberta, South on MLK Jr. Blvd. Planned Parenthood is having their grand opening from 2:00 to 4:00 and we would love as many people as possible to stand for LIFE and PURITY. People can look at www.pdx4life.org for more information. 40 Days Campaign for Life - February 17 to March 28, 2010 Now in BEND: For times, Contact: Gari Lynn Tocher - garilyntocher@clearwire.net PORTLAND: Monday - Sunday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Planned Parenthood at Beech & Martin Luther King Blvd., Portland. Contact: Bill Diss - bill@preciouschildrenofportland.org www.40daysforlife.com/portland BEAVERTON: Fridays from 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m., Planned Parenthood - Beaverton, 12220 SW 1st St., Beaverton. Contact: Marie Barzen - (503) 524-5326; barzenm@comcast.net or www.40daysforlife.com/beaverton FOREST GROVE: Monday - Wednesday, 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Dr. Bours office, 3303 19th Ave., Forest Grove. Contact: Georgia Perry - (503) 640-8893; georgiafred1962@yahoo.com www.40daysforlife.com/forestgrove SALEM: Monday - Saturday, 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m., Planned Parenthood, 3825 Wolverine St., Salem. Contact: Cheri - (503) 503-378-7061; cheribilliam@gmail.com www.40daysforlife.com/salem, 503-569-4794 if no answer above.EUGENE: Thursdays and Fridays, 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m., Bours Health Center, 539 E. 11th Avenue, Eugene. Contact: Lynda (541) 844-9399; lynda@prolifeunity.com www.40daysforlife.com/eugene VANCOUVER: Monday - Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 4A :00 p.m., Planned Parenthood, 5500 NE 109th Court, Vancouver. Contact: Jerry Ross (360) 732-2376; knittedinthewomb@hotmail.com www.40daysforlife.com/vancouver More info. Salem - 40 Days for Life Spring Campaign - Salem 3825 Wolverine St. NE near Lancaster Wed. come pray with parishioners of St. Edwards Church Fridays come pray with parishioners of St. Joseph Church VIGIL HOURS - 8 am to 8 pm Mon. to Sat. - Feb. 17 to March 28, 2010 contact info - call cheri 503-378-7061 or go to www.40daysforlife.com/salem Beaverton & Forest Grove - 40 days for life Spring Campaign will kick off with a Candle light Rosary Vigil DATE & TIME: 5 pm, on Ash Wednesday, February 17th LOCATION: Beaverton Planned Parenthood located at 1st & Betts. VIGIL DETAILS: Fr. Eric Andersen of St Cecilia Catholic Church will offer prayers along with Cantor Heather Renshaw leading the vigil in song. The vigil will include a pro-life rosary, chaplet of divine mercy and blessings for the success of the Beaverton and campaign. An Ash Wednesday Mass will be offered at St. Cecilia’s Catholic Church in Beaverton at 6 pm. VIGIL HOURS - 40 DAYS: The Prayerful Vigil during the Spring 40 Days for Life campaign in Beaverton will be Every Friday from 7 am to 7 pm - February 19th through March 26th. LEARN MORE: www.40daysforlife.com or for details about the Campaign in Beaverton or Forest Grove 503-524-5326. ________________________________________________ "When the time comes, as it surely will, when we face that awesome moment, the final judgment, I've often thought, as Fulton Sheen wrote, that it is a terrible moment of loneliness. You have no advocates, you are there alone standing before God -- and a terror will rip your soul like nothing you can imagine. But I really think that those in the pro-life movement will not be alone. I think there'll be a chorus of voices that have never been heard in this world but are heard beautifully and clearly in the next world -- and they will plead for everyone who has been in this movement. They will say to God, 'Spare him, because he loved us!'" Congressman Henry Hyde God Bless you and yours, Carolyn