Lent and Lobbying

Lent and Lobbying Dear Friends, Lent is upon us. Bishop Fulton J. Sheen might call this a "Return to Nothingness"; "God made us out of nothing...nothing at all...and it is well for us to occasionally recall that fact." The reality of this "nothingness" came our family this Ash Wednesday. John Paul Tamiian, beloved son and grandson had died before he was born this morning. At seventeen weeks gestation, weighing only nine ounces, John Paul was already well-loved and a future with him pictured in our minds. Let us pray for all families who have lost children at any age. They are precious in His sight. The reality of the personhood of these little ones is common sense, yet we need to constantly battle the Culture of Death and their ideology. To help the Culture of Life in Oregon we have an opportunity to make our values known through the Oregon Catholic Conference Advocacy Day. Archbishop Vlazny and Bishop Vasa Invite You to: Presidents’ Day - Monday, Feb. 21, 2005 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM "Issues 2005" Advocacy for Life + Advocacy for the Poor Advocacy for the Elderly + Affordable Housing Refundable State Earned Income Tax Credit Start the day in Salem at the State Capitol, Room 50 Register at 8 a.m. Program begins at 8:30 a.m. (Coffee and donuts provided) Please pre-register by phone. 503-233-8387, fax: 503-235-2630, or email: rcastagna@archdpdx.org Please make checks payable to Archdiocese of Portland, 2838 E. Burnside St., Portland 97214 For more information please call 503-233-8387. FYI Please encourage the OCC to support HB 2020 the Laci/Connor Peterson bill that gives personhood to the unborn. You can phone Archbishop John Vlazny 503-234-5334 Bishop Robert Vasa 541-388-4004 or email bpvasa@dioceseofbaker.org More information will be coming as the House/Senate Bills start coming in. Thank you for your support for Life in Oregon. God Bless, Carolyn Wendell “We shall be called to account not only for every idle word, but also for every idle silence.” St. Ambrose V.O.C.A.L. Voice of Catholics Advocating Life PO Box 458 Sublimity, OR 97385

On the Last Day of Christmas.... and Remember Alea

On the Last Day of Christmas.... and Remember Alea Dear Friends, It is the last day of the Christmas season; everything changes at the Baptism of Our Lord and....there has been a gift to the Catholic community: a spirit of reconciliation between the family and the priest. They had a long conversation and although there is not a complete meeting of the minds the family is content, but will not return to that parish. This "confrontation" was necessary and there's a great possibility that no other little children will be denied their blessing in the future. For those of you who have written with their "election stories", or questions about this one, I thank you and will get back to you ASAP, if necessary. Remember that no emails will be given out from VOCAL to anyone without your permission. As our Oregon Catholic community celebrates together we mourn together. On January 1st at 10pm a car lost control on an icy bridge and a beloved child of God and man was the first traffic fatality. Alea Kosydar, 22 years old, was killed as the car she was riding in slid an hit a tree. Her dad, Jerry, said that she had in her possession a new video of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a Christmas gift she "borrowed" from another family member so she could share it with others; among them the family of her boyfriend. He was driving the car and suffered minor injuries. Not only did his family learn the pro-life message of Our Lady, but the forgiveness of Christ from holy Christian examples who had just lost their most precious girl. On the Feast Day of the Mother of God, Alea was taken into the arms of her Heavenly Mother. May we have the blessing to be doing His work when we are called home. Iin the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pope John Paul II entrusted the cause of life to her loving protection, and placed under her motherly care the innocent lives of children, especially those who are in danger of not being born. This is a story that Jerry Kosydar loves to tell to his family and surely Alea herited his passion as well. Here is the story in memory of Alea. We read in the Book of Leviticus how the Lord tells Moses about the serious crime of offering children to Molech, referring to the Canaanite custom of sacrificing children to the god Molech. The little victims were first slain and then cremated. (Leviticus 20,1-5 and 18,21). In the Americas, five centuries ago, cruel human sacrificing rituals were performed in the Aztec empire. Between 20,000 and 50,000 were sacrificed a year. The rituals included cannibalism of the victims limbs. Most of them were captives or slaves, and besides men they included women and children. The early Mexican historian Ixtlilxochitl estimated that one out of every five children in Mexico were sacrificed. The climax of these ritual killings came in 1487 for the dedication of the new and richly decorated with serpents temple of Huitzilopochtli, in Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City), when in a single ceremony that lasted four days and four nights, with the constant beating of giant drums made of snakeskin, the Aztec ruler and demon worshiper Tlacaellel presided the sacrifice of more than 80,000 men. Our Lady of Guadalupe crushed this serpent in 1531. Today, the ancient Serpent is certainly achieving big hits in its attack upon human life. Millions of unborn children are killed every year around the globe, in procedures that in some countries are not only legal but also officially supported and financed. In many cases the procedures follow the same rules as the sacrifices to the ancient god Molech: the slain and then cremation of the little children. The Woman clothed with the sun, in the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Protectress of the Unborn, will crush this serpent again. A Prayer for Abortion Victims Prayer for all victims of abortion. May those involved in abortions be reconciled to God and may the innocent dead be saved. Holy Mother of God and of the Church, our Lady of Guadalupe, you were chosen by the Father for the Son through the Holy Spirit. You are the Woman clothed with the sun who labors to give birth to Christ while Satan, the Red Dragon, waits to voraciously devour your child. So too did Herod seek to destroy your Son, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and massacred many innocent children in the process. So today does abortion killing many innocent unborn children and exploiting many mothers in its attack upon human life and upon the Church, the Body of Christ. Mother of the Innocents, we praise God in you for His gifts to you of your Immaculate Conception, your freedom from actual sin; your fullness of grace, your Motherhood of God and the Church, your Perpetual Virginity and your Assumption in body and soul into heaven. O Help of Christians, we beg you to protect all mothers of the unborn and the children within their wombs. We plead with you for your help to end the holocaust of abortion. Melt hearts so that life may be revered! Holy Mother, we pray to your Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart for all mothers and all unborn children that they may have life here on earth and by the most Precious Blood shed by your Son that they may have eternal life with Him in heaven. We also pray to your Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart for all abortionists and all abortion supporters that they may be converted and accept your Son, Jesus Christ, as their Lord and Savior. Defend all of your children in the battle against Satan and all of the evil spirits in this present darkness. We desire that the innocent unborn children who die without Baptism should be baptized and saved. We ask that you obtain this grace for them and repentance, reconciliation and pardon from God for their parents and their killers. Let there be revealed, once more, in the history of the world the infinite power of merciful love. May it put an end to evil. May it transform consciences. May your Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of hope. May Christ the King reign over us, our families, cities, states, nations and the whole of humanity. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary, hear our pleas and accept this cry from our hearts! Our Lady of Guadalupe, Protectress of the Unborn, Pray for us! Prayer of John Paul II for Life O Mary, bright dawn of the new world, Mother of the living, to you do we entrust the cause of life: Look down, O Mother, upon the vast numbers of babies to be born, of the poor whose lives are made difficult, of men and women who are victims of brutal violence, of the elderly and the sick killed by indifference or out of misguided mercy. Grant that all who believe in your Son may proclaim the Gospel of life with honesty and love to the people of our time. Obtain for them the grace to accept that Gospel as a gift ever new, the joy of celebrating it with gratitude throughout their lives and the courage to bear witness to it resolutely, in order to build, together with all people of good will, the civilization of truth and love, to the praise and glory of God, the Creator and lover of life. Pope John Paul II Encyclical Letter "The Gospel of Life" Given in Rome, on March 25, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, in the year 1995. Let's start this New Year with the resolution to do the work of the Lord by advocating for the lives of his most innocent children. Sunday, January 16th at the Oregon State Capitol from 2:30-3:30 is the Oregon Right to Life Rally. Father Charles Taaffe will be honored for his 30 years of caring for young mother's and their babies in his three homes. A mass for Life will be at noon at St. Joseph Church. There will be pro-life displays to educate and energize us until the Rally. Also, Monday, February 21st, President's Day is Oregon Catholic Conference's Advocacy Day at the Capitol. It will be hosted by Archbishop Vlazny and Bishop Vasa at St. Joseph Church, Salem from 8am until 3pm. The cost is $10. Let our Shepherds know how much we value Life. More information will be coming. Life is so precious and fragile. Let us remember the love for life that Alea Kosydar shared so eagerly and pray for the repose of her soul and peace and comfort for those who love her. God Bless, Carolyn Wendell "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death,, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" Revelation 21:4 V.O.C.A.L. Voice of Catholics Advocating Life PO Box 458 Sublimity, OR 97385

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Dear Friends, I wanted to be able to have a happy ending to the "election story" as a Christmas present for you. As of yet, there has been nothing new, except that both parties have tried to communicate with each other. So.. there could be a Christmas gift in the making. We do have twelve days of Christmas. Keep on praying! Here is an explanation of the song we all love at this time of year. No matter what challenges the "world" gives Catholics, we find a way to remember the - REASON FOR THE SEASON The Twelve Days of Christmas Catholics in England during the period 1558 to 1829 were prohibited by law to practice their faith either in public or private. It was illegal to be Catholic until Parliament finally emancipated Catholics in England in 1829. "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written in England as one of the "catechism songs" to help young Catholics learn the basics of their faith. In short, it was a coded-message, a memory aid. Since the song sounded like rhyming nonsense, young Catholics could sing the song without fear of imprisonment. The authorities would not know that it was a religious song. "The 12 Days of Christmas" is in a sense an allegory. Each of the items in the song represents something significant to the teachings of the Catholic faith. The hidden meaning of each gift was designed to help Catholic children learn their faith. The better acquainted one is with the Bible, the more these interpretations have significance. The song goes, "On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…" The "true love" mentioned in the song doesn’t refer to an earthly suitor, but it refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives the presents refers to every baptized person. i.e. the Church. 1st Day: The partridge in a pear tree is Christ Jesus upon the Cross. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge because she would feign injury to decoy a predator away from her nestlings. She was even willing to die for them. The tree is the symbol of the fall of the human race through the sin of Adam and Eve. It is also the symbol of its redemption by Jesus Christ on the tree of the Cross. 2nd Day: The "two turtle doves" refers to the Old and New Testaments. 3rd Day: The "three French hens" stand for faith, hope and love—the three gifts of the Spirit that abide (1 Corinthians 13). 4th Day: The "four calling birds" refers to the four evangelists who wrote the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—which sing the song of salvation through Jesus Christ. 5th Day: The "five golden rings" represents the first five books of the Bible, also called the Jewish Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. 6th Day: The "six geese a-laying" is the six days of creation. 7th Day: The "seven swans a-swimming" refers to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord. 8th Day: The "eight maids a milking " reminded children of the eight beatitudes listed in the Sermon on the Mount. 9th Day: The "nine ladies dancing" were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. 10th Day: The "ten lords a-leaping" represents the Ten Commandments 11th Day: The "eleven pipers piping" refers to the eleven faithful apostles. 12th Day: The ‘twelve drummers drumming" were the twelve points of belief expressed in the Apostles’ Creed: belief in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, that Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, made man, crucified, died and arose on the third day, that he sits at the right hand of the father and will come again, the resurrection of the dead and life everlasting. This is the time of martyrs too, St. Stephen and the Holy Innocents. May 2005 be a year when we remember those who have suffered real losses for Christ. Let us continue to bring real peace and justice to earth by valuing the sanctity of life. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! God Bless, Carolyn Wendell "Glory to God in the Highest" Luke 2:14 V.O.C.A.L. Voice of Catholics Advocating Life PO Box 458 Sublimity, OR 97385

Suffer the little children.....

Wednesday, December 08, 2004 7:11 PM Dear Friends, Two brothers, ages three and five, always knelt for their blessing from their Portland-area parish priest. Many times before or after mass they would often run up to Father and wrap their arms around him; this was their relationship. However, just before the election things seemed to change. During the homily one Sunday, his words condemned the "self-righteous" people involved in the election process and they seemed to be directed to the boy's family; known for their dedication to the pro-life cause. The family ended up last in the communion line and as the boys knelt down for thier usual blessing, Father turned and walked away. Thinking he hadn't seen them, they followed him, "like little ducklings" and went up to the altar rail and knelt again, but Father continued his work at the altar putting the remaining hosts away. The boys knelt in confusion and the parents stood in stunned silence. No blesssing and no Holy Communion. The family gathered their children and have not returned to that parish. When I heard this story told to me off-handedly and in quiet tones, I felt it needed to be made more public. An unjust action was committed in Church. If a pro-abortion church member or politician was denied communion it would be sorely condemned as mean-spirited and discriminatory. There would be media coverage in the Catholic and secular papers and all over the internet. And what about the abuse of the children and the pain of parents watching this happen? We can't change things if we don't know about them. God Bless You, Carolyn Wendell "And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea." Mk 9:42 V.O.C.A.L. Voice of Catholics Advocating Life PO Box 458 Sublimity, OR 97385

Catholic Money Given to Anti-Catholics - CCHD?

Dear Friends,

"The Lord hears the cry of the poor, blessed be the Lord." This is the scripture that came to mind when I heard the presidential results. Most of us had been praying for the grace to see God's Holy Will no matter the outcome. I thank God for HIs mercy and a reprieve.


There were hundreds of new volunteers participating in this election; inspired and energized by an outpouring of God's grace. It's truly incredible. Stepping out of comfort zones was a common theme and the "zones" seem to have been left, permanently.

As advocates for innocent human life, we have our work cut out for us in Oregon. US Catholics voted President Bush 52% and Kerry 47% with moral issues as the number one reason. Oregon Catholics voted President Bush 42% and Kerry 58%with Iraq as number one reason.

Oregon was a target state with outside money flowing in because of the homosexual marriage issue. Outside money also paid for voter's registration in some Portland area Catholic churches through the Chicago-based National Committee for Worker Justice using the same name as the US Bishops program "Faithful Citizenship". The Oregon Catholic Conference agreed to the Chicago-based organization doing voter registration. As advocates for innocent human life, it seems unfair to allow outside groups into Oregon when local Catholics want to get involved. We'll work on this.

Now is the time to get back to basics. We need to re-evaluate our commitment to the Church's teachings and be good stewards of our money. Let's look into where Catholic money goes and if we want to continue financing secular groups that already get money from secular sources. Charity begins at home.

Pro-life ministry in Oregon has a budget of approximately $2,000 for the year. It seems UNJUST that over $120,000 goes to outside, non-Catholic and in some cases pro-abortion, pro-homosexual groups. Let's shed some more light on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. Please note the information in RED.

Catholic Campaign for Human Development
Archdiocese of Portland
2004 National CCHD Grants
Project: Adelante Mujeres – Holistic Education and Entrepreneurship Project
Organization: Adelante Mujeres
Geographical area: Washington County
Funding award: $30,000, 2004 national CCHD grant
Past CCHD grants:
($35,000, 2003 – 2004 national CCHD grant); ($35,000, 2002 – 03 national CCHD
grant); ($5,000, 2001 – 02 local CCHD grant);
Adelante Mujeres Education and Entrepreneurship Project addresses the most critical obstacles low-income Latina immigrant women encounter. Adelante Mujeres provides training, education and support for integral development, including vocational discernment, skills acquisition, internship opportunities, and mentoring for small business development and management.
Project: General Organizing
Organization: Oregon ACORN IMPORTANT!
Geographical area: metropolitan Portland area
Funding award: $25,000, 2004 national CCHD grant
Past CCHD grants:
($30,000, 2003 – 2004 national CCHD grant); ($27,500, 2002 – 03 national CCHD
grant) ($30,000, 2001-02 national CCHD grant);
ACORN (The Association of Community Organization for Reform Now) is an active grassroots association of lower-income and minority families. Member-chosen issues
include ending community apathy, securing fair and affordable housing and community control of urban renewal funds, equal urban infrastructures (road paving, increased lighting, more traffic controls, etc.) equal community policing and credit and loan policies.
"ACORN, a progressive membership based community organization is accustomed to media attention for its work bringing together low income people around issues like better access utility assistance. Now, the national organization is getting publicity of another kind. ACORN's Washington state office has been accused of engaging in unfair labor practices and of bringing at least one manager up from Portland to scab while workers are out on the picket line....."
"Meanwhile, ACORN workers are maintaining their picket line as well as pursuing charges of unfair labor practices against the organization through the National Labor Relations Board. What the repercussions of this incident will be on Oregon ACORN, which had started to work with Jobs with Justice, and even more closely with the New Party and the Rainbow Coalition, remains to be seen." Portland Alliance
Project: Full Inclusion


Organization: Lane Independent Living Alliance (LILA)
Geographical area: Lane County
Funding award: $40,000, 2004 national CCHD grant
Past CCHD grants:
($25,000, 2003 – 2004 national CCHD grant); ($4,600, 2002 – 03 local CCHD grant).
Project Full Inclusion will increase the involvement of people with disabilities on local boards and commissions so that we are “at the table” in the local decision-making process. People with disabilities have an important role to play in identifying issues of concern and actively participating in community life to resolve those concerns. LILA’s mission is to increases access, civil rights and voter participation for person with disabilities in Lane County.
Project: Anti-Poverty Leadership Project


Organization: Oregon ACTION IMPORTANT!
Funding award: $30,000, 2004 national CCHD grant
Past CCHD grants:
($25,000, 2003 – 2004 national CCHD grant); ($30,000, 2002 – 03 national CCHD grant);
This project is developing an expanded core of low-income leaders across the state to achieve victories on low-income issues. The leaders are playing decisive roles in
working for reforms for greater food security, affordable housing and living wages. Low income Oregonians organize through Oregon ACTION on their own behalf. Leadership training and empowerment of hundreds of people takes place through popular education training and community organizing training.
Oregon Action (oregonaction.org)
• American Civil Liberties Union - Oregon
• AFL-CIO - Oregon
• Basic Rights Oregon - (Pro-Homosexual)
• CAUSA
• Community Development Network
• Ecumentical Ministries of Oregon
• Eugene-Springfield Solidarity Network
• Fair and Clean Energy Coalition
• MoveOn.org
• Oregon Food Bank
• Oregon Human Rights Campaign
• Oregon Revenue Coalition
• Oregon Rural Action
• Oregon Trial Lawyers Association
• OSPIRG - Did paid voter's registration
• PCUN
• Rural Organzing Project
• SEIU Local 503
• Sisters In Action
• VOZ
Oregon Action is assisted by...
• Alliance For Justice
• Applied Research Center
• Center for Budget and Policy Priorities
• Center for Community Change
• Center for Third World Organizing
• Data Center
• Families USA
• Food Research and Action Center
• Midwest Academy
• Money In Politics Research Action Project
• National Network for Immigrant & Refugee Rights
• National Voice
• Oregon Center for Progressive Policy
• SPIN Project
• TACS
• Western States Center



Latino
Organization: Portland Schools Alliance, Portland, OR
Geographical Area: Portland
Funding award: $20,000, 2004 national CCHD grant
Past CCHD grants:
($5,000, 2003 – 2004 local CCHD grant).
Project that focuses on training and organizing Latino parents to be leaders in their children’s education and the school community.


Project: Housing Justice Program
Organization: Community Alliance of Tenants
Geographical area: Portland area
Funding award: $25,000, 2004 national CCHD grant
Community Alliance of Tenants is a tenant-controlled membership organization that educates and empowers low-income tenants to organize and develop leadership who can advocate for better housing policies and practices. The organization also seeks to improve the quality of affordable housing by changing rental housing standards and making low-income housing more widely available.


Catholic Campaign for Human Development
Archdiocese of Portland
2004 Local CCHD Grants
Project: Crossroads People’s Organization
Organization: Sisters of the Road
Geographical Area: Portland area
Funding award: $5,000, 2004 Local Grant
Crossroads seeks to give voice to the homeless population by conducting workshops and training leaders who will work to impact public policy and establish the humane enforcement of laws affecting the homeless. Crossroads will participate in Portland’s 10 Year Plan Committee and the Subcommittee to Eradicate the Institution of Homelessness.


Project: Proyecto Educate
Organization: Huitzilin Cultural Group
Geographical Area: Independence
Funding award: $5,000, 2004 Local Grant
Huitzilin uses cultural performances to educate and inform the Latino community about leadership, mutual respect, self-determination, collaboration, and civic involvement. Their goal is to meet with local leaders and obtain representation in the Town Council, School Board, and other civic bodies so that they can impact the laws and policies that affect the Latino community.
Project: Immigrants Rights Workshops
Organization: VOZ Workers’ Rights Education Project
Geographical Area: Portland area
Funding award: $5,000, 2004 Local Grant

VOZ is a worker-led organization of day laborers that helps members build constructive relationships with employers and authorities, gain control over their lives and working conditions, and address the injustices they encounter. VOZ established a living wage of $9/hour, recovered over $80,000 in unpaid wages, and trained workers in computer use and the English language.


Project: Right to Sleep Campaign
Organization: Street Roots
Geographical Area: Portland area
Funding award: $5,000, 2004 Local Grant
Street Roots will conduct the media campaign for the Right to Sleep Campaign by empowering the homeless to write about their stories, engage in professional journalism, and produce and sell their own newspaper. The newspaper will advocate for the homeless, raise social awareness, create community, and furnish jobs that lead to professional opportunities for the homeless.
Remember: Pro-LIfe Ministry in Oregon has a budget of only $2,000. We need JUSTICE.
Please look into all of these groups. For over 20 years, CCHD has given Oregon Catholic dollars to people "not because they are Catholic, but because We are Catholic." In the spirit of true justice, it is time to make sure that Catholic money is used to save souls as well as jobs.

Let us work together to make Oregon a Culture of Life and Love.

"We are bleeding at the roots, because we are cut off from the earth and sun and stars, and love is a grinning mockery, because, poor blossom, we plucked it from its stem on the Tree of Life, and expected it to keep blooming in our civilized vase on the table."
- D.H. Lawrence