September 2009

Bishops: ‘Personhood’ amendment could backfire

Florida’s bishops said Sept. 24 they do not support a proposed state constitutional amendment that would bestow legal “personhood” at conception and said there should be no collection of petition signatures in support of the measure at Catholic parishes.

In a statement released by the Florida Catholic Conference the bishops said they share the desire for the law to recognize human life from its beginning to natural end. However, they said, the amendment if adopted would likely be overturned by the courts and the legal battle could ultimately lead to reaffirming of the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion.

“The unintended effect would very likely jeopardize current protections in state law and cause a loss of momentum in the ultimate goal of establishing full legal protection of the unborn from the moment of conception,” the bishops wrote.

The group Personhood Florida earlier this month launched an effort to gather enough signatures to place its amendment on the Florida ballot.

09.25.09 | Return To Top

Women’s council seeks higher profile

JACKSONVILLE | It’s time to blow the lid off one the U.S. Catholic Church’s best–kept secrets, in the opinion of Judy Powers of St. Juliana Parish in West Palm Beach.

Powers, outgoing Florida province leader for the National Council of Catholic Women, said she’s tired of being part of a “secret society” and wants to make the good works of the women’s organization as well–known as those of “that other organization with the funny hats.” Her reference to the Knights of Columbus drew a laugh from her audience of more than 900 at the opening session of the women’s group’s national convention Sept. 24 in Jacksonville.

“If more women knew what we did, they’d want to be part of it,” Powers said during her campaign speech for the next office she’s seeking in the organization, regional vice president. Continued...

Denise O’Toole Kelly | 09.25.09 | Return To Top

First-ever John Paul II film festival coming to Florida

MIAMI | Pope John Paul II’s legacy serves as an inspiration to people of all faiths and backgrounds, and organizers of a new Florida film festival in his honor hope it, too, will reach everyone.

“It is imperative for our community to make this festival their own,” said Laura Alvarado, one of the founders of the 10-day festival, set for south Florida in late October and early November. The founders have sought involvement from religious and nondenominational organizations and places of worship, including Catholic churches, Jewish temples, schools and businesses, she said. “If John Paul II was known as ‘the people’s pope,’ then it is our goal to make this ‘the people’s festival.’

The John Paul II International Film Festival, originally set for the last weekend of October, is now extended to Thursday, Oct. 29, through Saturday, Nov. 7. The festival was conceived by Alvarado and two other young adults who connect with the late pope, an actor and playwright in his youth, through their faith and artistic passions. Continued...

Melody Regalado | 09.24.09 | Return To Top

Church to help Census Bureau count everyone

ORLANDO | Every 10 years, the U.S. Census Bureau takes a count of each person living in the United States and the next one is set for April 1, 2010. The Census Bureau has enlisted the help of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on a national stage and, at a statewide level, has invited the Florida Catholic Conference to educate the faithful about the importance of participating in the upcoming poll.

“We want to encourage individuals to complete the census so they are counted,” said Michele Taylor, associate director for communications for the Florida Catholic Conference. Taylor was appointed to the state’s 2010 Sunshine Census Complete Count Committee and is chairwoman of its faith-based subcommittee. “Population tallies are important because they impact the amount of federal funding allocated to our state, they determine our representation in national government, and help calculate the need for community services, such as fire and police, hospitals and schools, and housing assistance and nursing facilities,” she said. Continued...

Debra Tomaselli | 09.24.09 | Return To Top

Editor remembers deadline pressure of 9–11 coverage

ORLANDO | Sept. 11, 2001, was a Tuesday. That used to be our deadline day. The staff huddled in the conference room and watched the planes run into the towers from the only TV in the place – a 15-inch color TV with rabbit ears that was picking up Channel 9, the local ABC affiliate. When the second plane hit, we just went on autopilot. We tore apart much of the paper that was done and started over again.

Our Orlando reporter at the time was a real go-getter who simply went out of the office and tried to get quotes from wherever and whomever. At one point she called me as she stood outside the Executive Airport at Tradeport in Orlando. The only media presence was herself and a photographer she knew from another publication. They watched as a Canadian “Give Kids the World” plane came out of nowhere. She said it looked so out of place, especially since most flights were grounded. They wondered if the plane was being used incognito to transport the president, who was in Sarasota at the time with U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam.

We called our associates and affiliates with the Florida Catholic, one of whom couldn’t believe what we told her. Continued...

Jean Gonzalez | 09.11.09 | Return To Top

Respect Life Conference early birds in for bonus session

ORLANDO | Theresa Burke is a woman committed to post-abortion healing and education. Yet, the founder of Rachel’s Vineyard Ministries stumbled upon the topic during a spontaneous discussion in a support group for women with eating disorders.

Burke, who will lead a session on post-abortion counseling in conjunction with the Oct. 16-18 Florida Respect Life Conference in Orlando, recalled in an interview with the Florida Catholic how she came to make it her life’s work. Read the rest of the story here.

Jean Gonzalez | 09.09.09 | Return To Top

Grandparents’ vital roles recognized by Church

ORLANDO | After years of going to Mass every Sunday with his grandparents and other relatives, Kenny Pawlowski at age 8 asked to be baptized in the Catholic Church.

“All my family, when they did the Communion, I’d always be sitting down and watching everybody else and I wanted to do that, and I couldn’t unless I was baptized,” Kenny, who turned 10 this month, said about his decision to fully embrace his grandparents’ faith during the Easter Vigil last year at Nativity Parish in Longwood.

Kenny spoke as he ate dinner with his grandmother, Jane Pawlowski, on a recent Wednesday night session of the parish’s Intergenerational Faith Formation program. When asked how much his grandparents’ daily example influenced his choice, he said, “A lot.”

“Ken, my husband, and I really believe our faith is the most important treasure that we have that we can hand down to our grandchildren,” Pawlowski said. Continued...

Denise O’Toole Kelly | 09.09.09 | Return To Top

Respect for Life state event offers a ‘love that satisfies’

ORLANDO | Fueled by the message “dignity of the body,” Florida’s bishops invite respect life advocates of all ages and avocations to explore a “Love that Satisfies” at the annual Respect Life Conference.

The statewide conference will be open Friday night, Oct. 16, and close Sunday, Oct. 18, with Mass. The bulk of the conference will be Saturday, Oct. 17, which opens with Mass, includes three general sessions and two workshop opportunities and closes with a banquet.

The Orlando Diocese hosts this year’s event to be held at the Lake Mary Marriot, northeast of Orlando. Deborah Stafford Shearer said topics to be covered during the event include best practices in ministry, theology of the body, human trafficking, legislative issues and evangelization. The rest of the story and registration information is here.

Jean Gonzalez| 08.31.09 | Return To Top

New year, more reasons to love state’s Catholic schools

As Florida’s 87,000 or so Catholic school students start a new year, they’re encountering new technologies and new teaching techniques but their education is still rooted in Gospel values that are thousands of years old. Students, parents, teachers and administrators shared with Florida Catholic's correspondent, Karen Osborne, some of the reasons they love their Catholic schools. Her story begins here.

Denise O’Toole Kelly | 08.27.09 | Return To Top

Stormpulse interactive storm tracking map is back

If you’ve lived in Florida for more than a year, you know well that June ushers in the start of our six-month–long hurricane season. Thanks be to God, we have made it to the halfway mark safely and should continue to pray daily for His continued protection.

A big “thank you” is extended also to faithful prayer warriors and to Gov. Charlie Crist for placing his prayer to “protect our Florida from storms and other difficulties” in the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem for the past three years.

The Stormpulse interactive map which was first introduced on the Florida Catholic site in time for the 2008 hurricane season is back this year. This season we have started to build a storm resource page around the interactive map with the hope of growing into a one–stop resource for relevant news and information on tropical storms.

If you haven’t used this interactive map, give it a try. There is a lot of information available and lurking beneath the surface of the map that makes it a vital resource for storm tracking and related data. Features include distances to major cities, terminology, forecast models, history and much, much more.

And, as long as we are expressing appreciation, we thank Matt and Brad at Stormpulse.com for allowing us to make this resource available and for their dedicated efforts in continuing to improve Stormpulse.

Ed Foster Jr. | 08.26.09 | Return To Top