DO YOU KNOW?

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that almost all employers, including Catholic employers, will be forced to offer their employees’ health coverage that includes sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs, and contraception. Almost all health insurers will be forced to include those “services” in the health policies they write. And almost all individuals will be forced to buy that coverage as a part of their policies.

By this ruling, the Administration has cast aside the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, denying to Catholics our Nation’s first and most fundamental freedom, that of religious liberty. Unless the rule is overturned, we Catholics will be compelled to violate our consciences or drop health coverage for our
employees (and suffer the penalties for doing so). The Administration’s sole concession was to give our institutions one year to comply.

 Read the full Letter January 25, 2012 from Archbishop John G. Vlazny on the matter of freedom of conscience and decisions by HHS:click here

Words of Wisdom from 
Father David:

In our readings, we hear about leadership and authority. Moses tells the people to expect a leader that God will raise up to take his place (Joshua); Jesus astonishes the people because he teaches like one that has authority and not like the scribes. All of us are called to be leaders and to possess authority to some degree. Its essential that we take this role seriously because each of us has the ability to affect and change our community. Even those who are more quiet can have an impact on others by their example and by the conviction that their words possess when they do speak out. While some people are born with more leadership skills, everyone can learn how to be a better leader. One important saying which I have heard in regard to leadership is that “you can’t be a good leader unless you can also be a good follower”. We see this in Moses and his successor when God says, “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kin, and will put my words into his mouth.” Moses spoke only God’s words, not his own. A leader who knows how to follow not just to lead is one who listens to others and to God to try to discern what should be done. May we listen to each other so that as leaders we may truly bring about God’s plan in the lives of one another.

In Christ, Fr. David.