Bishop Vasa says No to "Safe Environment" Programs - part two

Bishop Vasa Says No to”Safe Environment” Programs -  part two

From Catholic World News News:http://www.cwnews.com/offtherecord/offtherecord.cf

"Kudos to Bishop Robert Vasa of Baker, Oregon, who has announced that he will not comply with a new USCCB policy USCCB policy requiring sex-education programs (advertised as "safe-environment" training) for all Catholic children.
Many Catholics have aired their concerns about these programs, and this bishop, at least, has obviously been listening."

He asks:
Are such programs effective? Do such programs impose an unduly burdensome responsibility on very young children to protect themselves rather than insisting that parents take such training and take on the primary responsibility for protecting their children? Where do these programs come from? Is it true that Planned Parenthood has a hand or at least huge influence on many of them? Is it true that other groups, actively promoting early sexual activity for children, promote these programs in association with their own perverse agendas? Do such programs involve, even tangentially, the sexualization of children, which is precisely a part of the societal evil we are striving to combat? Does such a program invade the Church-guaranteed-right of parents over the education of their children in sexual matters? Do I have the right to mandate such programs and demand that parents sign a document proving that they choose to exercise their right not to have their child involved? Do such programs introduce children to sex-related issues at age-inappropriate times? Would such programs generate a fruitful spiritual harvest?
Right. That does cover the complaints, all right. Now what?
Bishop Vasa answers:
"At very least, even the possible unsatisfactory answers to any of the questions above leaves me unwilling and possibly even unable to expose the children of the diocese to harm under the guise of trying to protect them from harm."

Bishop Vasa's email address is bpvasa@dioceseofbaker.org
God Bless and protect Bishop Vasa

Bishop Vasa says 'No' to "Safe Environment Programs" part one

Dear All, For those families still suffering because of the "safe environment" programs that they feel abuse their childrens innocence, here is some wonderful news for you. Bishop Robert Vasa from the Diocese of Baker is putting the children of the Baker Diocese under his protection. He is respecting the parents and their concerns regarding their own children. He is respecting the Church and Her Teachings and he is following in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Who laid His life down for His Sheep and His little lambs.

Bishop Robert F. Vasa

Let us pray that other Bishops will ask questions of these programs so that our children will never again be subjected to abuse from the very people that are to protect them Here are his words and here is what he is concerned about. Thank God for this good Shepherd. To make sure we really protect children, we need answers 10/06/2005 Bishop Robert Vasa BEND — The next topic is one that I bring up only with great reluctance for I do not want to give any appearance whatsoever of being soft on my desire to assure the complete safety and protection of children. The Charter for the Protection of Children has been interpreted to include mandatory “safe-environment training” for all children of or connected with the Church. In the diocese, we have indicated that such training must be made available to all children under our supervision in our Catholic schools but have not taken on the nearly impossible task of assuming responsibility for every child in the diocese.

As a result of this discrepancy between a new interpretation of the charter and our diocesan policy, the annual charter audit will undoubtedly find the Diocese of Baker, and me as bishop, “Not in Compliance” and will issue a “Required Action,” which I am prepared, at this point, to ignore. I say this not because I resist efforts to protect children, but rather precisely the opposite. There are a series of questions that I believe need to be answered before I could mandate such a diocesan-wide program of “safe-environment training.” A few such questions follow: Are such programs effective? Do such programs impose an unduly burdensome responsibility on very young children to protect themselves rather than insisting that parents take such training and take on the primary responsibility for protecting their children? Where do these programs come from? Is it true that Planned Parenthood has a hand or at least huge influence on many of them? Is it true that other groups, actively promoting early sexual activity for children, promote these programs in association with their own perverse agendas? Do such programs involve, even tangentially, the sexualization of children, which is precisely a part of the societal evil we are striving to combat? Does such a program invade the Church-guaranteed-right of parents over the education of their children in sexual matters? Do I have the right to mandate such programs and demand that parents sign a document proving that they choose to exercise their right not to have their child involved? Do such programs introduce children to sex-related issues at age-inappropriate times? Would such programs generate a fruitful spiritual harvest? Would unsatisfactory answers to any of the questions above give sufficient reason to resist such programs? There are many concerned parents who have indicated to me that the answers to all of these questions are unsatisfactory. If this is true, do these multiple problematic answers provide sufficient reason to resist the charter interpretation? At very least, even the possible unsatisfactory answers to any of the questions above leaves me unwilling and possibly even unable to expose the children of the diocese to harm under the guise of trying to protect them from harm. I pray that, in this, I am neither wrong-headed nor wrong. For holding to this conviction I and the diocese may be declared negligent, weighed and found wanting. (continued)

Operation Save Katrina's Babies

Dear Friends I was asked if I knew of any activity to help the victims of Katrina. Here is something I just received and want to pass on. A new way of being the Hands of Christ to our children. Operation Save Katrina's Babies Dear Pro-lifers, Louisiana and Mississippi pregnancy resource centers are in desperate need of our help. Four New Orleans area pregnancy resource centers were destroyed by Katrina, and it t is unclear how incapacitated the Mississippi PRCs are, because no one has been able to get through to any of their directors. That's the bad news. The good news is that five of eight Louisiana abortion clinics were also destroyed. The PRCs in Baton Rouge, Shreveport, and other outer Louisiana areas have been inundated by families needing diapers and formula. Area hospitals are also asking the centers to recover post-partum patients. The formula companies say they have sent huge shipments to the area, but they're not getting to the PRCs. I spoke with three PRC directors in Louisiana yesterday, and they gave me a list of their greatest needs. We are going to collect donations in the Chicago area over the weekend at Parkview Christian Church (11100 Orland Parkway, Orland Park, Illinois 60467), and a semi is going to deliver them to Louisiana on Monday (September 12). Here are the needs, in order of urgency: 1. Formula: Advanced Similac with iron; Enfamil with iron; any other formulas - dry, condensed, or ready to serve 2. Diapers, especially newborn 3. Infant car seats 4. Pedialyte 5. Bassinets 6. Baby wipes More than that, the PRCs desperately need money. They need to finance mobile medical units to go into the devastated areas as they are accessible. A director told me that there is lots of giving going on to churches and relief agencies, but the PRCs are being overlooked. We also need money to pay for the semi truck gas. (The truck and driver's time are being donated.) Donations for gas can be made to Concerned Women for America of IL, P. O. Box 188, Palos Heights, IL 60463. There is also a need for volunteers to go to Louisiana and stay for a week or two or longer, particularly men for protection. A nurse at the Shreveport PRC says she will help find housing. Donate directly online to: www.ctlm.org. These funds will go to finance mobile medical units and restoring pregnancy care centers. Please distribute this alert widely. Thank you very much, Jill Stanek Contact Information email: jillstanek@comcast.net web: http://www.jillstanek.com

Culture of Life Calendar for September & October

Culture of Life Calendar for September & October Dear Friends, We are truly blessed in Oregon. The Holy Spirit is pouring out His grace to help us make sense of our existence and stay close to Him. Here are some wonderful opportunities for us to get together, as One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Church. Culture of Life Calendar September Friday - Sunday, September 16-18 in Portland - Rachel's Vineyard Retreat These weekend retreats are for women, men and anyone suffering after an abortion. Participation is strictly confidential and offers a beautiful opportunity to experience the healing love of Jesus Christ . For more information or registration call Lori Eckstine, Project Rachel Coordinator 541-521-5186 or 1-800-249-8074. The cost is $130 for meals, room and all retreat materials. Assistance is available. Visit their website www.rachelsvineyard.org *** Mea Culpa, work fast for this one. Thursday, September 22 - "On Being a Courageous Catholic" - Mt. Angel Abbey Retreat House An evening retreat with Father Pius X Harding, O.S.B. Father Pius X Harding, as his name indicates, has a particular interest in Pope Pius X and the errors of modernism. He will share his insights from the Church's spiritual and intellectual tradition.The talks will focus on the source of challenges to the lay Catholic today, and the spiritual and practical aspects of being a courageous Catholic. Time - 4:00 to 9:00pm and the cost is $15.00 Schedule 3:45-4:15 Check-in and settle 4:15-5:15 First Talk 5:20-5:50 Vespers with the Monks 6:00-7:00 Dinner 7:00-7:30 Casual Discussion or stroll on Abbey grounds 7:30-7:50 Compline with the Monks 8:00-8:45 Second Talk Contact: Denise Campagna - 541.753.2751 Make checks payable to Mt. Angel Retreat House, by September 8th to Alice Brown, 5125 SW Beals Corvallis, OR 97333 This event is sponsored by Corvallis Pillar of Truth, a new non-profit organization in faithful obedience to the Holy See. www.corvallispillaroftruthorg *** Saturday, September 24th Day Conference, St. Joseph Catholic Church, Salem Conference Schedule 7:00 (Morning Mass in the Church) 8:00 Coffee/ juice in the parish center 8:45 Opening Prayer 9:00 Keynote Speaker: Janet Smith Natural and Non-Violent: A Catholic View of Sexuality 11:00 Break 11:15 Dr. Lynne Bissonnette Holy Feminine 12:15 Lunch provided 1:15 Mike and Amy McDermott Covenantal Love in Marriage: Living A Christ-Centered Family Life 2:00 Break 2:15 Janet Smith Culture of Life vs. Culture of Death 4:15 Closing (Vigil Mass is at 4:30 pm in the Church) Dr. Janet E. Smith is the Fr. Michael J. McGivney Chair of Life Issues and a professor of Moral Theology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary of New York. She is the author of Humanae Vitae: A Generation Later and editor of Why Humanae Vitae Was Right: A Reader and many articles on ethical and bioethics issues. Over 700,000 copies of her tape, Contraception: Why Not?" have been distributed. She taught for nine years at the University of Notre Dame and twelve years at the University of Dallas. She speaks nationally and internationally on several issues, especially the Catholic Church's teaching on sexuality. She is serving a second term as a consultor to the Pontifical Council on the Family. Dr. Lynne Bissonette is a medical doctor with specialty in psychiatry. She has been practicing medicine in the Portland area for over 28 years. Her particular interest is in marriage and the family. In addition, she is currently serving as a regional director of the Catholic Medical Association. Mike and Amy McDermott Married for thirteen years, with six wonderful children, Mike and Amy also work with the marriage preparation ministry at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Salem. Conference Registration $10 in advance, $15 at the door Send name, address and phone number with registration fee to: St. Joseph Catholic Church Respect Life Committee 721 Chemeketa St.S Salem, OR 97301 Contact and info: (503) 581-1623 www.stjosephchurch.com checks payable to: St. Joseph Catholic Church October - Respect Life Month Sunday, Oct 2, 2:30-3:30p.m. LIFE CHAIN - Salem On Lancaster Drive in Salem families and all church communities will join together for the Life Chain. Lives have been changed and babies saved through the silent example of advocates for the unborn standing peacefully with signs. Bring your children and be a witness for life. Call Salem Right to Life for information and where your church will be needed to fill up Lancaster Drive. Get your church involved. If you can't or forget to call. Just come on down. We are family. Salem Right to Life office 503.585.7856 fax 503.585.0605 ALSO ON OCTOBER 2nd You can be part of this at the same time!!!! at the Life Chain or at Home! *** Sunday, October 2nd - World-wide Prayer Event of 100,000,000!!! Sanctity of Life Sunday Worldwide Catholic Effort Aimed at Offering 100 Million Prayers for Sanctity of Life! June, 2005 - Washington, NJ - The Blue Army, USA a member nation of The World Apostolate of Fatima/Blue Army today announcded an expansive effort aimed at offering 100,000,000 prayers to Heaven on October 2, 2005 in support of the Sanctity of Life. The Worldwide Fatima Sanctitiy of Life Day initiative endeavors to produce the largest day of organized prayer the world has ever seen. What is the Blue Army? Is this a spiritual dinosaur , or a constant "militia" of Our Lady as revealed in Fatima, Portugal in 1917 for the Church militant. The Blue Army formed in response to the Red Army of Communist thought. Part of the Catholic Church, the Apostolate is calling Catholics and non-Catholics alike to implement Our Lady of Fatima's message by praying onOctober 2, 2005. This worldwide event will spread Our Lady's plan forpeace, which is focused on hard work, following the commandments and prayer,especially the Rosary. By joining together with over 40 Member Nations and those who work hard for the Sanctity of Life, the massive effort results in the goal of sending 100,000,000 prayers to heaven from all corners of theworld. This event begins a movement that intensifies worldwide efforts to spread and emphasize the importance of the message of Fatima to pray.and pray often to resolve the problems confronting today's society. "Together we will bring the message of Fatima to life for millions of peoplearound the world, not just in big cities around the world but also to tiny villages," said Michael La Corte, Executive Director. "We will spread the message of Fatima not just to those who pray regularly, but also to many of God's children who don't fully understand the power of Our Lady's message." The world community is invited to visit www.bluearmy.com and register their pledge to pray the Rosary or according to their faith, on Worldwide Fatima Sanctity of Life Day. In registering their pledge, participants will be remembered in a Holy Mass at the Blue Army National Shrine of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Washington, NJ and in Fatima, Portugal. Each participant's name will be placed in Fatima at the site where the Apparitions took place.In addition, all visitors to www.bluearmy.com who register their pledge to say the Rosary or offer 20 minutes of prayer on October 2nd for the Sanctity of Life will be automatically entered into a special drawing to win a Free Spiritual Journey for four to Fatima, Portugal!"We ask all humanity to encourage your Catholic and Non-Catholic friends, family and loved ones, to register their pledge and if possible attend one of our October 2nd events being held throughout the United States and the world. With your help, heaven will smile as it receives 100,000,000 prayers for the sanctity of life," continued Michael La Corte. On October 2nd, Blue Army will also dedicate an inspirational monument Mary,Mother of the Life Within in Washington, NJ. Dr. Alan Keyes, one of theworld's most notable Sanctity of Life Champions, will join with Father Andrew Apostolic, one of the most recognized speakers on the message of Fatima, to address the thousands of faithful. His Excellency Bishop Bootkoski the local ordinary and the Spiritual Advisor for the Blue Army will dedicate the monument. Attendees will learn, pray, act on and spread Our Lady's message of salvation for the world. About Blue Army Shrine The Blue Army, USA is the only "Our Lady of Fatima" Apostolate that is part of the Catholic Church. They are recognized as a "Private Association of the Faithful." As such, the Church reviews their publications and actions in regards to theological accuracy, faith and morals. No other Fatima organization maintains this status. The Blue Army began the World Apostolate of Fatima (WAF), an organization that has garnered motions by Pope John Paul II to be raised to the status of International "Public Association of the Faithful" a status granted to only about 11 other catholic lay organizations." *** October 21-23 - Medford - Rachel's Vineyard Retreat (see September retreat information) *** Saturday, October 22th - Oregon Right to Life Silent and Oral Auction, Red Lion Hotel, Salem "UNDER THE SEA"..... Save This Date!!! Silent auction begins at 5pm. Please mark your calendar to join us for a fun and exciting evening with friends, including entertainment, a live auction, and a silent auction. Call 503.463.8563 or email www.ortl.org we will add you to our invitation list. *** Thursday - Sunday October 27-30 SILENT Retreat, Our Lady of Peace Retreat, Beaverton This silent retreat entails Holy Mass, Adoration, the Rosary, conferences, time for private reflection, meals in silence, opportunity for Confession and Spiritual Direction. Cost for room and board, $175 For more information call 312-527-1739 or see their website www.opusangelorum.org Retreat Masters - Father Titus Kieninger and Fr. Wolfgang Seitz of the Order of Canons Regular of the Holy Cross. Father Titus is presently professor of philosophy and spiritual director at the major seminary of the Holy Cross in Brazil. He is also superior of the Community in Detroit, Michigan. Father Wolfgang Seitz, originally from Germany is the Director of Opus Angelorum for the U.S. A Blessed Opportunity. Pope John Paul II said that "silence is the sanctuary of prayer". Only he who flees the noise of the world and enters into the silence of the heart can hear the voice of God. Take your Guardian Angel on this retreat. They need a break from all the noise too. *** Friday evening - Sunday afternoon, October 28-30 Mother/Daughter Retreat, Mt. Angel Abbey The retreat will be geared for mothers with daughters in their teens through adulthood. As a mother, what would you like to experience with your daughter on this weekend. Any suggestions and/or things you think need to be addressed in your lives, please direct them to Linda Mayer (503) 981-9090 or email Linda at eAre1Body@msn.com Any questions regarding the retreat can be directed to Fr. Michael Mee at Mt. Angel Abbey at (503) 845-3414 . (Correction - Holy Family Academy is 1st through 8th with a one day/week kindergarten. ) God Bless Us and God Please bless those affected by Hurricane Katrina. Carolyn "Spiritual Childhood is not spiritual foolishness or softness; it is a sane and forceful way which, due to its difficult easiness, the soul must begin and then continue, lead by the hand of God." Saint Josemaria Escriva VOCAL Voice of Catholics Advocating Life PO Box 458 Sublimity, OR 97385 Member of Catholic Media Coalition "Inline with the Church, online with the world"

Heavenly Help for Our Children and Schools

Dear All, Here is a prayer for all our students in and out of Catholic education. Please remember Ecce Veritas, the new independent Catholic school in Portland, in these prayers as they start this new endeavor. For those of you not in the Portland area, another independent traditional Catholic school, the Marian Latin School, in Mount Angel is welcoming new students for high school. Also, in the Mount Angel area, Holy Family Academy is available for children from first to sixth grade. Let's not forget the Home schoolers. If you're interested in Traditional Catholic Home Schooling, there is a group at Holy Rosary with over 160 Catholic Home Schooling families. Home School meetings are on the second Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m.. Parents with toddlers are welcome to join the group, even before having school age children being Home Schooled. For membership information, please contact: dndhurley@netzero.net No matter where our children are educated they need the intercession of the Church Triumphant and the dear Saints who want to help them Keep the Faith. Prayer to St. Thomas Aquinas Patron of Students, wonderful theologian and Doctor of the Church, you learned more from the Crucifix than from books. Combining both sources, you left us the marvelous Summa of theology, broadcasting most glorious enlightenment to all. You always sought for true light and studied for God¹s honor and glory. Help us all to study our religion as well as all other subjects needed for life, without ambition and pride in imitation of you. Novena to St. Thomas Aquinas Novena prayer St. Thomas Aquinas, patron of students and Catholic schools, I thank God for the gifts of light and knowledge he bestowed on you, which you used to build up the Church in love. I thank God, too, for the wealth and richness of theological teaching you left in your writings. Not only were you a great teacher, you lived a life of virtue and you made holiness the desire of your heart. If I cannot imitate you in the brilliance of your academic pursuits, I can follow you in the humility and charity which marked your life. As St. Paul said, charity is the greatest gift, and it is open to all. Pray for me that I might grow in holiness and charity. Pray also for Catholic schools, and for all students. In particular, please obtain the favor I ask during this novena (mention your request). Amen. First Day St. Thomas, called by God "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." (Mt 10:37) St. Thomas, as a young man you became convinced that God was calling you to religious life. Although your family was opposed to it, you were determined to follow God's call. Even when your brothers kidnapped you and forced you to remain a prisoner in your own house, you did not give up but waited patiently for God's hour. St. Thomas, pray for all young people who are considering their vocation in life. Help them to be open to the call of God. Inspire them to make choices motivated by love for God and an unselfish love for other people. Whatever their state in life, help them to see their chosen path as a call to service. May all married couples, single persons, priests and religious build up the Church through lives of unselfish devotion and love. Second Day St. Thomas, lover of purity "For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness" (1 Thes 4:7). St. Thomas, you had a great esteem for the virtue of purity. When your family tried to deter you from entering the Dominicans by sending a woman to lead you into sin, you resisted the temptation and deter mined to consecrate your chastity to God forever. Today we are immersed in a culture that degrades the gift of human sexuality. Human persons are viewed as objects of pleasure and their human dignity is devalued. As a consequence, society tolerates abortion, disregarding human life at the very outset. Children suffer abuse and families are damaged by infidelity. Pray that our society may once again value the virtue of chastity. Pray that those in the media will work to promote a Christian view of marriage and family life. May the plague of pornography in all its forms be eliminated. May Christian moral standards act as a leaven in society and bring about a greater respect for human life. (Recite the novena prayer.) Third Day St. Thomas, example of humility "All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted" (Mt 23:12). St. Thomas, when you were a young student some of your classmen called you the "dumb ox." Although you were more intelligent than all of them, you bore their insults patiently without retaliating. You were endowed with a keen mind but recognized that God is the source of all gifts. You humbly acknowledged your dependence on God, and begged him to enlighten you so that you would act only for his glory. St. Thomas, pray for me that I too learn to act out of humility and never from the empty desire for esteem in the sight of others. Help me to seek only God's glory and to act with a right intention. May I seek to humble myself now, so that in heaven I will shine like the stars for all eternity. (Recite the novena prayer.) Fourth Day St. Thomas, devoted to truth "But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into Him who is the Head, into Christ" (Eph 4:15) St. Thomas, you devoted your life to seeking the truth and explaining it to others. You dedicated your mind to God, and used it to probe the Word of God more deeply. Your gifts as a theologian and philosopher make you stand out as one of the greatest doctors of the Church. In your discussions, you made truth your primary aim, while treating respectfully anyone who differed with you. Obtain for me too a great love of truth. Help me to ponder God's word so as to draw from it the light I need to nourish myself spiritually. Keep me firmly rooted in the truth, and never let me be swayed by false teachings. I pray also for those who are lost in darkness; please bring them into the light of truth. (Recite the novena prayer.) Fifth Day St. Thomas, afire with love for the Blessed Sacrament "So Jesus said to them, 'Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you"' (Jn 6:53). St. Thomas, you had a great love for Jesus in the Holy Eucharist and spent many hours in adoration be fore the Blessed Sacrament. You once said that you learned more from prayer before the tabernacle than from many hours of study. The Church owes you a debt of gratitude for the beautiful Eucharistic hymns you wrote at the request of Pope Urban IV, for the newly-established feast of Corpus Christi. Pray that I too might be inflamed with an ardent love for the Holy Eucharist. Help me to always esteem and reverence this wonderful sacrament. Pray for me that I might always participate devoutly in Mass, receive Holy Communion with great fervor, and often visit Jesus in the tabernacle. Through con tact with the Eucharistic Lord, may my heart overflow with love for God and for my neighbor. (Recite the novena prayer.) Sixth Day St. Thomas, filled with charity "Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth" (1 Cor 1 3 :4-6) St. Thomas, you were noted during your life for the charity you showed to others. During debates at the university, you did not ridicule those who argued with you but treated them with respect and love. You showed consideration for the needs of other people. Help me also to be more deeply rooted in love of God and neighbor, keeping in mind Jesus' words, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (Jn 13:35). Help me to practice this same charity in a concrete way that does not stop at words, but is shown with sacrifice. May it begin first of all in my family, and then radiate to everyone I meet. (Recite the novena prayer.) Seventh Day St. Thomas, defender of the Church "...the Church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth" (1 Tim 3:15). St. Thomas, from your youth you learned to love the Church, your spiritual home. In your teaching, you sought to explain and defend the doctrine of the Church, making it known through your writings. You understood that true wisdom means to let oneself be instructed by the Church, for Jesus guaranteed that the Holy Spirit would always be with the Church, to lead it into all truth. At the end of your life you said, "I have taught and written much...according to my faith in Christ and in the holy Roman Church, to whose judgment I submit all my teaching." Intercede for the Church today, that it might grow stronger and more spiritually fruitful in the world. Raise up holy priests, religious and laity, that they may all be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Bless the pope in his efforts to guide the Church, witnessing to the power of the Gospel to renew the face of the earth. May all theologians work to explore the richness of Catholic teaching so as to show forth its truth and benefit the faithful. Pray for missionaries as they work to spread the Gospel. May the whole Church be renewed by the power of the Spirit to more effectively witness to Christ in the world today. (Recite the novena prayer.) Eighth Day St. Thomas, teacher of prayer "Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving" (Col 4:2) St. Thomas, you knew that prayer is the source of wisdom and you spent long hours in conversation with God. Prayer became your very life. Whenever you pondered over a problem in theology, you turned to prayer to seek God's enlightenment. Now in heaven you see God face to face. Pray for me, too, that I might become a person of profound prayer. Obtain for me the grace that I might always pray with humility, confidence and perseverance. Help me to grow more and more in the spirit of prayer, so that my whole life may become a prayer. May I always seek the face of the living God. (Recite the novena prayer.) Ninth Day St. Thomas, patron of students "For in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind" (1 Cor 1:5). St. Thomas, God called you to spend most of your life in academic pursuits, first as a student, and then as a professor of theology. In your work as a teacher, you desired to help your students apply what they learned to their lives, in order to grow in holiness. You realized that knowledge is meant to draw people closer to God. In your teaching you sought to communicate the truth, desiring to help your students become better Christians. Pray for all students. Pray for those who may have difficulty in their studies, as well as for those who can study with ease. Pray that they may all be open to the truth, and always seek to better under stand it. May they grow in knowledge so as to know God better and to be able to serve their brothers and sisters as the Lord desires. St. Thomas, pray especially for theologians, that in their studies and research they may come to a deeper knowledge of revealed doctrine in keeping with the mind of the Church. May their lives reflect the holiness of the Word of God which they seek to more fully understand. (Recite the novena prayer.) May God Bless and protect our children and help us to be able to provide the means to keep them always able to hear Your Voice, for You shall come again in Glory. Carolyn God our Father, you made Thomas Aquinas known for his holiness and learning. Help us to grow in wisdom by his teaching, and in holiness by imitating his faith. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. From the Roman Missal VOCAL Voice of Catholics Advocating Life PO Box 458 Sublimity, OR 97385 Member of Catholic Media Coalition "Inline with the Church, online with the world"