Catholicism

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The Priests

November 8, 2009 in Religion by Greg | 1 comment

This week I received an email announcing the new album Harmony by The Priests, a trio of Roman Catholic priests from Northern Ireland. The group consists of Father Eugene O’Hagan and Father Martin O’Hagan, brothers from Claudy, County Londonderry, and Father David Delargy from Ballymena, County Antrim. According to their web site:

The Priests Harmony It was at St. MacNissi’s College near Carnlough in Co Antrim, where Father Eugene O’Hagan, Father Martin O’Hagan and Father David Delargy met for the first time and realised their musical prowess as a singing trio. Nicknamed Holy Holy Holy by their peers due to their shared determination to enter the priesthood, it was a priest at their school who first noticed how talented they actually were.

After leaving St. MacNissi’s, they followed their vocation training at The Seminary in Belfast, where Fr. Eugene specialised in English and Scholastic Philosophy and Fr. Martin and Fr David specialised in Ancient History and Scholastic Philosophy. During that time they all studied under the Belfast based singing teacher Mr Frank Capper MBE.

The Priests concluded their training at the revered Irish College in Rome where Fr. Eugene studied there for 7 years, Fr. Martin 5 years and Fr David for 4 years.

Whilst in Rome Eugene took advantage of the fact that he was able to have signing lessons from Sergio Ballani. Almost immediately their combined and rare talent was recognised. They were invited in person by the Pope’s private secretary, the Papal Master of Ceremonies to sing for the Pope in the sacred liturgy.

The Priests’ careers overlapped once again as they all eventually returned to Ireland, where they began their work in various special ministries. Each now lives the life of a full time Parish Priest, tending the spiritual needs of their parishioners and official duties at all church services including those to mark the christenings, marriages and funerals of members of their catholic community.

Below is an introductory video about The Priests – enjoy!

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Proposition 8 – Home Invasion Video

November 4, 2008 in Government by Greg | No comments

I’m sure by now you’ve seen the Proposition 8 – Home Invasion video. According to one religious group:

In what one Catholic bishop called “a blatant display of religious bigotry and intolerance,” a commercial advocating a “no” vote on Proposition 8 depicts Mormon missionaries invading the homes of a lesbian couple.

The California ballot’s Proposition 8 would restore the legal definition of marriage to being between one man and one woman. Earlier this year, the California Supreme Court imposed same-sex marriage on the state.

In the 60 second commercial, produced by the Courage Campaign Issues Committee, two missionaries knock on a door and say they are from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They tell the lesbian couple “we are here to take away your rights.”

They enter the house, take away the women’s rings, and ransack their home looking for their marriage license. Finding it, they tear it up.

At the close of the commercial, the missionaries walk away, saying “that was too easy, yeah, what should we ban next?”. . . .

The California Catholic Conference on Monday condemned the ad as “bigoted and intolerant.”

Most Rev. Stephen Blaire, Bishop of Stockton and President of the California Catholic Conference, commented in a press release, calling the ad “a blatant display of religious bigotry and intolerance” and expressing dismay any public media outlet would air it.

“The YES on 8 campaign is not about discrimination and intolerance; it is about restoring the traditional definition of marriage for the good of society and children,” said Bishop Blaire. “All individuals and groups, whether religious or not, have both a right and a responsibility to participate in a civil debate about this important issue. From the beginning of this campaign the Catholic Conference has stressed the importance of mutual respect and denounces this type of religious bigotry.”1

Here is the Prop 8 – Home invasion video.

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Below is the short story that appeared on Salt Lake City’s KSL News channel last night about the “Home Invasion” video.

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What do you think the opponents of Prop 8 are going to do next? Are they going to attack other religious groups if the ballot initiative passes? Or will they continue to focus their attacks on Mormons?

Sources:

  1. “Prop. 8 foes criticized for Mormon missionary home invasion ad“. 4 Nov 2008. Catholic News Agency. 4 Nov 2008.↩

Catholic Vote 2008

November 4, 2008 in Government by Greg | 1 comment

I really like this video on YouTube entitled Catholic Vote 2008 – powerful!

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