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| January 7, 2009 |
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 September 2008 Culture of death prevailsAs Richard Henyard’s life was winding down to his final hours on earth, people on both sides of the capital punishment debate were preparing to make their voices heard. When it was known that the condemned killer had breathed his last, there were cheers from the pro–execution side and only silence and sadness from those who adhere to Catholic teaching. Someday, pro-life supporters pray, they might cheer. In their letter to Gov. Charlie Crist, Florida’s bishops were crystal clear on Catholic teaching when they wrote: “While the untimely deaths of the two young victims and serious injury to their mother cry out for justice, we are reminded that executions diminish us as a civil society and perpetuate a culture of death instead of a culture of life that acknowledges all are created in God’s image.” Those opposing a culture of death gathered at various locations around the state to pray for the killer, his victims and that a culture of life may one day flourish in our society. Linda Reeves reports from Palm Beach Gardens in, As Henyard is executed, Catholics gather in prayer and Laura Dodson writes about a group from Daytona Beach who made a pilgrimage to Stark in, Busload of pilgrims protests execution. Ed Foster Jr. | 09.24.08 | Return To Top | Florida Catholic Online Home Page Florida born bishop comes home to speak about life
PENSACOLA | Bishop Martin D. Holley, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, has seen the impact of abortion on many levels. As a middle child of 14, he can’t remember a time that he was not surrounded by the living example of respect for the sanctity of life within his family. As a parish priest in the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, he labored hard and long with pro-life advocates, and counseled families and women whose lives were torn by unplanned pregnancies. As an African-American ministering in an urban setting, he sees the pain and suffering caused by a fundamental failure to respect the dignity of human life all around him every day: abortion, racism, poverty, violence, a lack of education, high unemployment, substance abuse, incarceration, AIDS, teen pregnancy, a lack of affordable housing … the list goes on for far too long. Bishop Holley is slated to speak at the Florida Respect Life Conference Oct. 10 in Tallahassee. He took time to talk with the Florida Catholic about the importance of pro-life issues, especially abortion. The interview with Bishop Holley begins HERE... Peggy DeKeyser | 09.23.08 | Return To Top | Florida Catholic Online Home Page God in the waterGod in the water is the story of a father and his 12–year–old autistic son swimming for survival in the Atlantic Ocean during an overnight struggle for their lives. It is a touching story of prayer, faith and a father’s realization that “God was everywhere.” Karen Osborne reports in a story that will strengthen your faith in miracles. Her story begins HERE... Ed Foster Jr. | 09.17.08 | Return To Top | Florida Catholic Online Home Page Bishops ask Gov. Crist to spare murderer’s lifeFlorida’s bishops asked Gov. Charlie Crist Sept. 17 to spare the life of a double child murderer whose execution date is imminent, and repeated their ongoing plea for an end to the use of the death penalty in the state. “The Sept. 23 execution of Richard Henyard will be another example of our failure to recognize the inherent dignity of every human being, even those guilty of horrible crimes,” the bishops wrote in a letter delivered to the governor’s office. MORE... Denise O’Toole Kelly | 09.18.08 | Return To Top | Florida Catholic Online Home Page After the hurricanes, much help is needed
U.S. NAVY PHOTO In Cuba, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, the term disaster is an understatement in the wake of recent hurricanes Ike, Gustav and Hanna. Reports coming in from Haiti indicate more than 300 people lost their lives as Hurricane Ike rolled over the island nation this week and left more than one million homeless. Initial damage assessments are pushing $4 billion in Cuba. We pray the storms are over for those who have already suffered so greatly. But, the pain will linger for a long time as people attempt to rebuild lives which were already steeped in poverty. As human beings, we need to help. If you are so moved, please consider a donation for relief efforts. A partial list of agencies providing assistance in the hurricane stricken areas can be found here. Ed Foster Jr. | 09.10.08 | Return To Top | Florida Catholic Online Home Page Respect life gathering to focus on Humanae Vitae at 40A document that serves as the foundation for Catholic respect life programs and philosophies will be the focus of an annual statewide conference. This year marks four decades since the release of Pope Paul VI’s encyclical Humanae Vitae, which translates to Of Human Life. Though the document was subtitled “on the regulation of birth” and most notably reaffirmed the church’s traditional teaching on the moral unacceptability of contraception, it addressed a spectrum of issues including married love and responsible parenting, and in large part inspired the broad respect life movement as it exists today. That’s why organizers of this year’s gathering of people involved in those efforts all over Florida chose “Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Humanae Vitae” for their theme. MORE... Jean Gonzalez | 09.10.08 | Return To Top | Florida Catholic Online Home Page Helping hurricane victims is a ‘moral duty’MIAMI | Calling it a “moral duty,” Archbishop John C. Favalora exhorted all Catholics “and people of good will” to send money, food and aid to the victims of hurricanes Gustav and Ike in the Caribbean. Every parish in the Archdiocese of Miami will hold a special collection the weekend of Sept. 28 whose proceeds will be distributed directly to the bishops of the affected dioceses, Archbishop Favalora said at a press conference Sept. 8. In advance of that collection, the archbishop authorized a $50,000 donation from the Archdiocese of Miami to the bishops in Cuba and the bishops in Haiti. More... Ana Rodruguez-Soto | 09.09.08 | Return To Top | Florida Catholic Online Home Page Nobody loves a parade of stormsORLANDO | With flooding and relief efforts ongoing from last month’s Tropical Storm Fay, worries mounting for brethren in Louisiana from this week’s Hurricane Gustav — and Hanna, Ike and Josephine lining up precariously in the Atlantic — the coordinator of Florida’s Catholic disaster response network had an observation to share on Wednesday, Sept. 3. “It has been non–stop the last day or so,” said Deacon Marcus Hepburn, emergency management specialist for the Florida Catholic Conference and coordinator for Catholic Charities of Florida, the agency through which the state’s diocesan Catholic Charities jointly respond to natural calamities. MORE... Denise O’Toole Kelly | 09.03.08 | Return To Top | Florida Catholic Online Home Page |
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