Disconnected

The title of this post does not refer to my connection status. However, it still relates to the fact that I can't go online at home since our PC monitor took an ultra-narrow path - a thin vertical line from the top to the bottom of the screen, literally.

The timing was perfect - a month full of wedding events and music to listen and transcribe for which a fully functioning pc would take most of the burden.

Nevertheless, I march fearlessly in the night knowing that everything happens for a reason and somehow after a lot of hardwork I would be able to replace what was lost and everything will be back to normal God-willing.

+JMJ+

SSPX, Vatican Reconciliation Imminent?

According to an article from Rorate Caeli and Catholic Online, there appears to be a document on Pope Benedict XVI's desk concerning a decree on the removal of excommunication for the bishops that were ordained by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and Bishop Antonio de Castro Mayer.

Article Link:
http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2008/11/decree-for-removal-of-excommunications.html

If You're Catholic, Then Help Me Out!

A number of abominable videos have appeared over YouTube and despite protests from a lot of people all over the world, the management has refused to pull out even just one of those blasphemous videos.

What really ticks me off though is their bias towards people of other faiths. I bet you a million bucks that the moment I post a video that pokes fun at Muslims or Muhammad my account will be suspended and my video taken out in a couple of days.

Let us once and for all stand up for our Catholic Faith and send a message to Google CEO Mr. Eric Schmidt that in the interest of fairness they should not allow videos that are offensive to Catholics (in fact, these videos are a violation of their posting guidelines) just as much as they should not allow videos that offend any race, creed and nationality.

The folks at America Needs Fatima is asking you to send an online petition to Google (who owns YouTube) by clicking here. If the link does not work then copy and paste this URL on the address bar of your favorite browser - http://www.americaneedsfatima.org/YT/

Are you just going to allow our Lord Jesus Christ to be humiliated and spat at by people who are doing this simply because they strongly believe that Catholics are wuzzies who don't care about their religion and that anyone can simply get away at insulting and making fun of Catholic beliefs and practices?

Jesus said that if you deny Him then He will deny you before His Father when the dreadful day of judgment comes. ACT NOW!

Stop the Culture of Death!

I was a little bit busy today checking my emails and I almost forgot to do something about my friend's email to me more than a week ago. That friend by the way is Jerwin Aguinaldo and he is currently the Chief Captain of the Apostles of Mary - Catholic Youth League of the Philippines. The email he sent was about the pending anti-life bills in congress and that we should do something about it. Just reading the latest news on the hearings at the Batasan on House Bill 5043 (Reproductive Health Bill) compelled me to forward his email to everyone on my distribution list. I was quite troubled by the statistics:

• 105 are in favor;
• 12 are in favor but have not signed;
• 28 are neutral;
• 93 are against.

From what I know, the bill needs 120 votes to get approved. Let us not make this happen. Jerwin has just started a signature campaign against these 'Death' bills. Please support life by contacting your congressman or senator and let them know what you think. Be vigilant and monitor the hearings at the batasan. You can also post a blog or let your 'friendsters' know by posting at their bulletin board. Or you can email Jerwin by clicking here to request for copies of the signature sheets. Remember, the faith that you once cherish and have taken for granted may soon be restricted and your freedoms curtailed when these bills are passed. Let us not copy the mistakes of Europe, China and the U.S. Stand up for the unborn! Stand up for God! Stand up for LIFE!

Pope Benedict XVI is an Organ Donor

I never really knew that the Pope has signed-up to donate his organs until now. There is still on-going debate among scholars on the exact moment of life and death and I believe this will have serious implications. From what I know, after death the Pope's body shall remain intact and shall not be embalmed.

Read the whole article here.

Pro-Life Rally Successful

Around 12,000 pro-life advocates gathered yesterday afternoon at the University of Santo Tomas to celebrate the anniversary of Humanae Vitae with the theme: "Biyaya ng Buhay, Biyaya ng Pamilya (Blessing of Life, Blessing of the Family)."

Here is a link to the article: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/109416/Thousands-attend-CBCP-led-pro-life-rally-at-UST

Join the Fight For Life!

It is tomorrow folks! Although I won't be able to come I will be devoting my whole day to praying for the souls of the unborn. O Mother of Mercy have mercy on us!

A fun place for Catholic choral groups!

I have just setup a social networking website for Catholic choral groups all over the world. Simply called the, Catholic Choir Network it aims to foster a dynamic sharing of resources, ideas, know-how and hopefully a source of inspiration for everyone as it also aims to promote a better understanding of our Catholic faith in relation to the Sacred LIturgy.

The website is open to parish priests, choir directors, composers, arrangers, lyricists, writers, and singers. As long as your duties involve anything that pertains to a catholic choral group you are most welcome.

The site is still being updated but I hope it won't discourage you from joining. If by any chance you don't fit the description above then please invite any friend you know who is a member of Catholic choral group and have them sign-up.

Traditional Latin Mass in Ayala, Alabang

Yes you read it right! This Sunday will be the first ever celebration of the 'Extraordinary' form of the Mass (according to the 1962 rite) in Southern Metro Manila.

Pope Benedict XVI's, Summorum Pontificum is definitely in full swing with parishes starting to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass.

My first experience with the Traditional Latin Mass was in 2001 at Our Lady of Victories Church in Cubao which was administered by the Society of St. Pius X. I attended it with a friend of mine and after that, I was hooked. Other than the SSPX the only other church that celebrated the TLM back then was The Church of the High Redeemer. Now, there's the Divine Mercy Parish at Sikatuna Village, Quezon City and other churches for which names I don't remember.

So don't forget this Sunday, June 29 at 9:30am the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul will be the Mass for which millions of Catholic martyrs died for. The very Mass the great Saints and Fathers of the Church witnessed.

This Mass will be celebrated by Fr. Gratto Germanetto, CRS at St. Jerome Emiliani and Sta. Susana Church, Ayala Town Center, Zapote Road, Ayala, Alabang, Muntinlupa City.

Don't forget to bring your friends and family. Some people say the only people who shows up at those Masses are the elderly. On the contrary, in my almost seven years of going to Our Lady of Victories for the Traditional Latin Mass, the crowd is diverse. I always see a lot of youth and teenagers there (between 15 - 30 years old). In fact the youth are much more attracted to it so if you're young or young at heart come and join us this Sunday.

+JMJ+

Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos to ordain priests for Tridentine Latin Mass

The President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos is set to ordain four priests for the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) on May 30.

The ordination will be broadcast live on EWTN. For the complete story click here

Free Choral Concert!

+JMJ+

Hi everyone!

Pax Christi!

I am pleased to announce that the world renowned and award winning choral group, the UE Chorale - will hold a FREE CONCERT on Wednesday, May 21, 7:30pm at the Our Lady Queen of Peace and Good Voyage Parish Church, Bgy. Queen´s Row West, Molino, Bacoor, Cavite.

Our very own Victor Ramirez (Jay to all who know him) will be one of the performers. He has been very active in our Parish for many years being a member of the Catholic Renewal Choir (heard Sundays 6:30pm), PREX and Coro dela Reina among others.

Their Choirmaster is no less than Mrs. Ana Tabita Abeleda-Piquero of the Philippine Madrigal Singers.

For further inquiries and for driving directions please contact the OLQPGVP church office +63 (46) 517-5912.

The University of the East Chorale Profile
taken from their website http://www.uechorale.com

The UE Chorale is the Official Choir of the University of the East. It was founded in June 1992 as the UE Glee Club consisting of students from the different colleges of the University. Apart from singing for official functions in the University, other activities of the UE Chorale includes participation in the MADZ Et. Al., a yearly festival hosted by the Philippine Madrigal Singers, performances in several Philippine government function and other worthy projects.

Since June 1999, the UE Chorale has trained under their conductor, Ms. Anna Tabita Abeleda-Piquero, a member of the Philippine Madrigal Singers. She instilled in them discipline, sense of commitment and love for their work, gearing towards musical excellence for world-class performances. After only six months of rigorous training, the UE Chorale won 2nd place in the 1st Concurso Coral de Ateneo (1999), 1st Place in the 28th National Music Competition for Young Artist (NAMCYA) in Regional Finals and Honorable mention in the Nationals.

In June 2003, the group fulfilled its vision of becoming an ambassador of goodwill through concerts and participation in international festivals with a three-month long European Tour visiting the cities of Germany, Austria, and Italy. There were several highlights in this First European Tour with the UE Chorale making its mark as one of the best Choirs in the world by qualifying and winning in two of the most prominent competitions in Europe. In the prestigious 40th International Chorwettbewerb in Spittal, Austria, the University of the East Chorale is the overall Second Place winner in the Polyphonic Art Song category of the International Choirs' Competition besting nine other countries - Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Hungary, Norway, Russia, Sweden, USA, and Austria. A group with its own individual charm and appeal, the UEC won the coveted Publikumspreis when it was voted by the public as the choir in the competition. Being the crowd favorite, the group was the only choir invited to the Office of the Mayor in Spittal an der Drau for a courtesy call.

Joing the ranks of internationally-acclaimed Filipino choirs, the UE Chorale competed in the prestigious 51st Guido d' Arezzo Concurso Polifonico in Arezzo, Italy where they won First Prize in the Competizione Straordinaria category, First Prize in the Nino Antonelli Special Prize category for its rendering of contemporary compositions joined by other eighteen participants from all over the world, and won Second Prize in the Polyphonic Category. By winning in several categories, the group became one of the only two choirs that qualified to vie for the Citta di Arezzo Grand Prize.

Locally, the University of the East Chorale was chosen as the Consumer's Choice Awardee for the Most Outstanding Chorale Group of 2003 and the Grand Prize winner in 2003 Himig ng Koro Chorale Competition.

For June to August of 2004, the UE Chorale again embarked on its Second European Tour visiting the countries of Italy and France. The group competed in an International Choral Competition in Gorizi, Italy and won First Prize in one of the categories and won the most coveted Publikumspreis Award.

In November 2005, the group was invited in different cities in Korea, joined choral festivals and performed in a series of concerts together with National Artist for Music and founder of Philippine Madrigal Singers, Professor Andrea O. Veneracion.

with these recent accomplishments, the University of the East Chorale is blazing a trail of its own, adding awards and accolades to its achievements and proving their mettle in the national and now, in the international choral arena.


Ad Jesum per Mariam,

Romeo K. Escuyos Jr.

A Very Exclusive Catholic Cruise—and You’re Invited

LEARN THE CATHOLIC FAITH,
SEE WHERE IT GREW UP,
AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THE FUTURE
HOLDS FOR THE CHURCH.

There is no better way to do that
than on this exclusive,
small-group cruise.

Dear Fellow Catholic:

I invite you to join me this summer on a 12-day Northern European cruise that will deepen your faith, increase your knowledge of Catholic teachings and history, and widen your circle of Catholic friends.

I'm referring to Catholic Answers' "Christian History Cruise."

In the headline above I call this cruise "exclusive" and "small-group" because that is what it will be.

We expect to have about 50 guests in all.

Since we will have 5 speakers (more on them below), the guest-to-speaker ratio will be a highly attractive 10 to 1.

This means you will have lots of time with each speaker: at dinner (you will dine with each speaker about twice), at leisure on the promenade deck, and on our many shore excursions.

You will be able to pick the speakers' brains, ask advice, and have all of your doctrinal and historical questions answered.

You also will make friends with several dozen other great Catholics like yourself.
(To go straight to our special web site about this and our other cruises, please visit http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com.)

THIS WILL BE A "CAPITAL" TRIP!

You will visit all the Scandinavian capitals--Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo--and you will spend two days in St. Petersburg (Russia's one-time capital).

You also will spend time in Germany's capital, Berlin, and in Estonia's capital, Tallinn.

In addition, there will be an optional pre-cruise event in London!

AN IMPRESSIVE LINE-UP OF SPEAKERS

THOMAS HOWARD is a convert to the faith and popular writer. His Evangelical Is Not Enough has brought many people into the Church--and that's just one of about a dozen books he has written.

Tom is a brilliant lecturer, noted for his gentle wit, deep knowledge, and clarity of expression.

CHRISTOPHER CHECK is the executive vice president of The Rockford Institute and is an expert in Catholic history.

Catholic Answers recently issued his audio CD set about the all-important Battle of Lepanto. This was the 1571 battle that prevented the Turks from overrunning Europe.

People who have listened to these CDs have told us they think Chris is one of the most thrilling speakers they've ever heard.

JAMES AND JOANNA BOGLE live near London and are the leading orthodox Catholic lay couple in England. James leads the country's top lay-Catholic organization, and Joanna is interviewed frequently by the BBC and other media to get the "orthodox Catholic side" of major issues.

Between them, they have more than a dozen books to their credit, including the popular Come on In, It's Awful, a witty invitation to join the Catholic Church.

KARL KEATING (that's Yours Truly) is founder and president of Catholic Answers, the author of five books, the publisher of This Rock magazine, and altogether a pretty nice chap, if I do say so myself.

WHAT WE WILL DISCUSS WHILE SAILING THE BALTIC

Northern Europe is not strongly Catholic today, but it once was.

1.    How did it first become Catholic?

2.    Why did it cease to be Catholic?

3.    How can it become Catholic again?

4.    What does it mean to be a Catholic today, whether in Northern Europe or in America?

5.    How can we take what we learn on this cruise and apply it to the Church (and to our individual lives) back home?

These are the questions that will underlie not just our on-board talks but also our on-shore excursions.

As we attempt to answer them, we will come to know better not only the tenets of our faith but also the thinking of those, both present and past, who have opposed Catholic teachings.

SEE LONDON THROUGH CATHOLIC EYES

Preceding the cruise will be an optional pre-cruise event in London. The dates are August 18-20.

Most of us have had, for many years, a keen interest in the aftermath of the English Reformation because that event had big consequences for the colonies that became the U.S.A.

We will learn about Catholic and Reformation England (and about the Catholic Church in modern England) under the expert guidance of Joanna Bogle.

She will guide us at such sites as Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London, the Tyburn Shrine to Martyrs, and even Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park.

(Over the years, Speaker's Corner has been the site of many apologetics talks by apologists such as Frank Sheed, by his wife, Maisie Ward, and by other members of England's Catholic Evidence Guild.)

During this pre-cruise event we will stay at a top hotel in central London, within easy walking distance of the places we'll visit.

A TALK BY A TOP PARLIAMENTARIAN (WHO IS A CONVERT!)

One evening, at our hotel, we will have the privilege of being given a private talk by ANN WIDDECOMBE, Member of Parliament and convert to the Catholic faith. She has written several books (some of which she will have on hand to autograph).

Miss Widdecombe is an accomplished speaker (you have to be, to rise as high as she has in Parliament) and, more importantly, a dedicated convert to the Catholic faith.

WHY YOU OUGHT TO JOIN US!

We will spend 12 days in the company of friendly people who share our faith and who want to live it well.

Our group will be small. We'll get to know one another well. Each guest will have lots of private time with each speaker.

I don't know of any other cruise package that can make that boast.

Our cruise in the Baltic Sea is not that far off. I hope you will pray about joining us--and I hope the answer to your prayer is a resounding "Yes!" If it is, I ask you to make your reservations right away.

Best wishes in Christ,

Karl Keating
President, Catholic Answers

P.S. You can learn all about our Christian History Cruise--and all about the other cruises we are sponsoring in 2008--by going to http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com.

You also can sign up for any of our cruises online.

If you have questions not answered by our web site, please telephone our agent, The Cruise Authority, at 800-707-1634, between 9:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. Eastern Time.

P.P.S. Let's talk about money for a moment.

The bad news is that the dollar is weak against the euro.

The good news is that you pay for your place on our cruise ship (which serves as your European "hotel," your fancy "restaurant," and your "ground transportation") in dollars, not euros--and the dollar prices were locked in a long time ago.

There's no way you could spend so much time in Europe at such a reasonable cost if you had to pay in euros instead of dollars.

Decent hotel rooms in most of the cities we'll visit are running $350+ per night. Then you have to add in expensive restaurant meals and car rental fees or train tickets. You'd end up paying twice as much if you traveled that way!

The bottom line: This Catholic Answers cruise is a particularly affordable way to see Europe right now. I invite you to investigate our very reasonable rates at http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com


You will visit all the Scandinavian capitals--Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo--and you will spend two days in St. Petersburg (Russia's one-time capital).

You also will spend time in Germany's capital, Berlin, and in Estonia's capital, Tallinn.

In addition, there will be an optional pre-cruise event in London!

AN IMPRESSIVE LINE-UP OF SPEAKERS

THOMAS HOWARD is a convert to the faith and popular writer. His Evangelical Is Not Enough has brought many people into the Church--and that's just one of about a dozen books he has written.

Tom is a brilliant lecturer, noted for his gentle wit, deep knowledge, and clarity of expression.

CHRISTOPHER CHECK is the executive vice president of The Rockford Institute and is an expert in Catholic history.

Catholic Answers recently issued his audio CD set about the all-important Battle of Lepanto. This was the 1571 battle that prevented the Turks from overrunning Europe.

People who have listened to these CDs have told us they think Chris is one of the most thrilling speakers they've ever heard.

JAMES AND JOANNA BOGLE live near London and are the leading orthodox Catholic lay couple in England. James leads the country's top lay-Catholic organization, and Joanna is interviewed frequently by the BBC and other media to get the "orthodox Catholic side" of major issues.

Between them, they have more than a dozen books to their credit, including the popular Come on In, It's Awful, a witty invitation to join the Catholic Church.

KARL KEATING (that's Yours Truly) is founder and president of Catholic Answers, the author of five books, the publisher of This Rock magazine, and altogether a pretty nice chap, if I do say so myself.

WHAT WE WILL DISCUSS WHILE SAILING THE BALTIC

Northern Europe is not strongly Catholic today, but it once was.

1. How did it first become Catholic?

2. Why did it cease to be Catholic?

3. How can it become Catholic again?

4. What does it mean to be a Catholic today, whether in Northern Europe or in America?

5. How can we take what we learn on this cruise and apply it to the Church (and to our individual lives) back home?

These are the questions that will underlie not just our on-board talks but also our on-shore excursions.

As we attempt to answer them, we will come to know better not only the tenets of our faith but also the thinking of those, both present and past, who have opposed Catholic teachings.

SEE LONDON THROUGH CATHOLIC EYES

Preceding the cruise will be an optional pre-cruise event in London. The dates are August 18-20.

Most of us have had, for many years, a keen interest in the aftermath of the English Reformation because that event had big consequences for the colonies that became the U.S.A.

We will learn about Catholic and Reformation England (and about the Catholic Church in modern England) under the expert guidance of Joanna Bogle.

She will guide us at such sites as Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London, the Tyburn Shrine to Martyrs, and even Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park.

(Over the years, Speaker's Corner has been the site of many apologetics talks by apologists such as Frank Sheed, by his wife, Maisie Ward, and by other members of England's Catholic Evidence Guild.)

During this pre-cruise event we will stay at a top hotel in central London, within easy walking distance of the places we'll visit.

A TALK BY A TOP PARLIAMENTARIAN (WHO IS A CONVERT!)

One evening, at our hotel, we will have the privilege of being given a private talk by ANN WIDDECOMBE, Member of Parliament and convert to the Catholic faith. She has written several books (some of which she will have on hand to autograph).

Miss Widdecombe is an accomplished speaker (you have to be, to rise as high as she has in Parliament) and, more importantly, a dedicated convert to the Catholic faith.

WHY YOU OUGHT TO JOIN US!

We will spend 12 days in the company of friendly people who share our faith and who want to live it well.

Our group will be small. We'll get to know one another well. Each guest will have lots of private time with each speaker.

I don't know of any other cruise package that can make that boast.

Our cruise in the Baltic Sea is not that far off. I hope you will pray about joining us--and I hope the answer to your prayer is a resounding "Yes!" If it is, I ask you to make your reservations right away.

Best wishes in Christ,

Karl Keating
President, Catholic Answers

P.S. You can learn all about our Christian History Cruise--and all about the other cruises we are sponsoring in 2008--by going to http://email.catholic.com/t/5914/261471/71/0/?u=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jYXRob2xpY2Fuc3dlcnNjcnVpc2UuY29tLi8%3d&x=b5c15426

You also can sign up for any of our cruises online.

If you have questions not answered by our web site, please telephone our agent, The Cruise Authority, at 800-707-1634, between 9:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. Eastern Time.

P.P.S. Let's talk about money for a moment.

The bad news is that the dollar is weak against the euro.

The good news is that you pay for your place on our cruise ship (which serves as your European "hotel," your fancy "restaurant," and your "ground transportation") in dollars, not euros--and the dollar prices were locked in a long time ago.

There's no way you could spend so much time in Europe at such a reasonable cost if you had to pay in euros instead of dollars.

Decent hotel rooms in most of the cities we'll visit are running $350+ per night. Then you have to add in expensive restaurant meals and car rental fees or train tickets. You'd end up paying twice as much if you traveled that way!

The bottom line: This Catholic Answers cruise is a particularly affordable way to see Europe right now. I invite you to investigate our very reasonable rates at http://email.catholic.com/t/5914/261471/71/0/?u=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jYXRob2xpY2Fuc3dlcnNjcnVpc2UuY29tLi8%3d&x=b5c15426
To unsubscribe from this email, click here

Save ½ When You Visit Europe with Catholic Answers

A SNEAKY WAY TO SAVE 1/2
ON A SUMMER TRIP
TO EUROPE
   
(Cruise with Catholic Answers!)

Dear Fellow Catholic:

Who hasn't heard the news? The dollar is down, down, down. The euro is up, up, up.

A few years ago, it cost only 75 cents to buy one euro. Today it costs more than $1.50 . . .

. . . which means the dollar is now worth only half of what it once was compared to the euro.

I can understand why many people are postponing a trip to Europe. It's just too expensive!

But not for those joining us on a Catholic Answers cruise this summer.

Whether you choose our Christian History Cruise in the Baltic or our Bible Lands Cruise in the Mediterranean, you save two ways:

1.    You pay in dollars, not in euros, and . . .

2.    The dollar prices were fixed a long time ago, when the dollar was much stronger against the euro.

BUT IT GETS BETTER . . .

Think of your cruise ship as your hotel, your city-to-city transportation, and your restaurant.

If you tried to mimic our Baltic itinerary, for example, by staying at hotels, traveling by rental car, and eating every meal at a fine restaurant, you'd spend twice as much as you would if you sailed with us.

In the cities we'll visit, such as Oslo and St. Petersburg, rooms that are comparable to those on our cruise ship can run you more than $350 a night.

Rental cars are much more expensive in Europe than in America. Worse, gas costs about twice as much as here.

To top it off, to have equivalent restaurant meals, you'd be looking at as much $200 per person per day.

Add it all up, and you see that you'd pay twice as much to travel by land as by sea. 

(And that's not factoring in the hassle of packing and unpacking each day as you go from one hotel to the next.)

IT'S LIKE GETTING FREE TUITION

Of course, on our cruises you get more than just a great bargain in terms of lodging, transportation, and dining.

You also get great talks and tours by top Catholic speakers. Joining me on these two summer cruises will be:

1.    On the Christian History Cruise in the Baltic: Thomas Howard, Christopher Check, James Bogle, and Joanna Bogle.

2.    On the Bible Lands Cruise in the Mediterranean: Steve Ray and Jimmy Akin.

When you sail with us, you don't just see the sights. You learn your faith and have all your questions answered.

Our cruises are more than wonderful outings. They're also deeply rewarding seminars.

And, since there's no extra charge for the seminars, it's like getting free tuition!

HERE'S WHAT A TOP TRAVEL MAGAZINE REPORTS

In its May 2008 issue, Travel & Leisure quotes Mary Jean Tully, the leader of a top association of cruise professionals, as saying, "Cruises are still the best value for your money."

She notes that cruises "are immune to seesawing exchange rates, as they're priced in U.S. dollars and are set a year or more in advance."

Our European cruises have rates as low as $300 per day—and that covers your "hotels," "rentals cars," and "restaurants."

You just can't beat that.

WHEN WE'RE GOING

Our Christian History Cruise in the Baltic runs from August 21–September 2. There is an optional three-day pre-cruise event in London.

Our Bible Lands Cruise in the Mediterranean runs from October 2–16. There is an optional three-day post-cruise event in Rome.

So far, about half of our registrants are signing up for the pre- and post-cruise events.

HOW YOU CAN JOIN US ON THESE CRUISES

There are two ways:

1.    Visit our special web site: http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com. You can sign up right online. It takes just minutes.

2.    Or telephone our agent, The Cruise Authority, at 800-707-1634 between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

I urge you to read through our itineraries, learn about the amenities of the ships, and learn for yourself what a great bargain these cruises are.

We already have a roster of dozens of faith-loving Catholics who have signed up to sail with us. I hope you'll join them!

Best wishes in Christ,

Karl Keating

President, Catholic Answers

To unsubscribe from this email, click here

Visit Where the Church Thrived, Where It Was Persecuted

TO UNDERSTAND YOUR CATHOLIC FAITH,
YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND
WHERE IT GREW UP
AND WHERE IT WAS PERSECUTED.

Dear Fellow Catholic:

I invite you to join me this summer on a 12-day Northern European cruise that will deepen your faith, increase your knowledge of Catholic teachings and history, and widen your circle of Catholic friends.

I'm referring to Catholic Answers' "Christian History Cruise."

On it you will learn about the Church's past, present, and possible future from top Catholic speakers.

What's more, your faith will be deepened immeasurably ...

You will learn not only what the Church teaches but why ...

You will see how Catholic teachings have fared throughout history (sometimes up, sometimes down), and ...

You will get a good sense of Catholic prospects, both in Europe and in our own country.

(To go straight to our special web site about this and our other cruises, please visit http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com.)

THIS WILL BE A "CAPITAL" TRIP!

You will visit all the Scandinavian capitals--Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo--and you will spend two days in St. Petersburg (Russia's one-time capital).

You also will spend time in Germany's capital, Berlin, and in Estonia's capital, Tallinn.

In addition, there will be an optional pre-cruise event in London!

AN IMPRESSIVE SHIP ...

For our Christian History Cruise we will sail on the ms Rotterdam, the flagship of the Holland America Line.

This is a truly beautiful ship, recently retrofitted, very comfortable, and an ideal setting for our at-sea talks.

Our cruise will depart London on August 21 and will end in Copenhagen on September 2.


... AND AN IMPRESSIVE LINE-UP OF SPEAKERS

Here are the speakers:

THOMAS HOWARD is a convert to the faith and popular writer. His Evangelical Is Not Enough has brought many people into the Church--and that's just one of about a dozen books he has written.

Tom is a brilliant lecturer, noted for his gentle wit, deep knowledge, and clarity of expression.

CHRISTOPHER CHECK is the executive vice president of The Rockford Institute and is an expert in Catholic history.

Catholic Answers recently issued his audio CD set about the all-important Battle of Lepanto. This was the 1571 battle that prevented the Turks from overrunning Europe.

People who have listened to these CDs have told us they think Chris is one of the most thrilling speakers they've ever heard. (I concur: He makes Catholic history come alive in a marvelous way.)

JAMES AND JOANNA BOGLE live near London and are the leading orthodox Catholic lay couple in England. James leads the country's top lay-Catholic organization, and Joanna is interviewed frequently by the BBC and other media to get the "orthodox Catholic side" of major issues.

Between them, they have more than a dozen books to their credit, including the popular Come on In, It's Awful, a witty invitation to join the Catholic Church.

KARL KEATING (that's Yours Truly) is founder and president of Catholic Answers, the author of five books, the publisher of This Rock magazine, and altogether a pretty nice chap, if I do say so myself.

WHAT WE WILL DISCUSS WHILE SAILING THE BALTIC

Northern Europe is not strongly Catholic today, but it once was.

1.    How did it first become Catholic?

2.    Why did it cease to be Catholic?

3.    How can it become Catholic again?

These are the questions that will underlie not just our on-board talks but also our on-shore excursions.

As we attempt to answer them, we will come to know better not only the tenets of our faith but also the thinking of those, both present and past, who have opposed Catholic teachings.

SEE LONDON THROUGH CATHOLIC EYES

Preceding the cruise will be an optional pre-cruise event in London. The dates are August 18-20.

Most of us have had, for many years, a keen interest in the aftermath of the English Reformation because that event had big consequences for the colonies that became the U.S.A.

We will learn about Catholic and Reformation England (and about the Catholic Church in modern England) under the expert guidance of Joanna Bogle.

She will guide us at such sites as Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London, the Tyburn Shrine to Martyrs, and even Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park.

(Over the years, Speaker's Corner has been the site of many apologetics talks by apologists such as Frank Sheed, by his wife, Maisie Ward, and by other members of England's Catholic Evidence Guild.)

During this pre-cruise event we will stay at a top hotel in central London, within easy walking distance of most of the places we'll visit.

A TALK BY A TOP PARLIAMENTARIAN (WHO IS A CONVERT!)

One evening, at our hotel, we will have the privilege of being given a private talk by ANN WIDDECOMBE, Member of Parliament and convert to the Catholic faith. She has written several books (some of which she will have on hand to autograph).

Miss Widdecombe is an accomplished speaker (you have to be, to rise as high as she has in Parliament) and, more importantly, a dedicated convert to the Catholic faith.

WHY YOU OUGHT TO JOIN US!

During this cruise we will enjoy one another's company in a beautiful and historically important part of the world.

We will spend 12 days in the company of friendly people who share our faith and who want to live it well.

For most of us, this will be a vacation as well as a learning experience. I presume you intend to take a vacation this summer. Why not take it with Catholic Answers?

Our cruise in the Baltic Sea is not that far off. I hope you will pray about joining us--and I hope the answer to your prayer is a resounding "Yes!"

If it is, I ask you to make your reservations right away.

Best wishes in Christ,

Karl Keating
President, Catholic Answers

P.S. You can learn all about our Christian History Cruise--and all about the other cruises we are sponsoring in 2008--by going to http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com.

You also can sign up for any of our cruises online.

If you have questions not answered by our web site, please telephone our agent, The Cruise Authority, at 800-707-1634, between 9:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. Eastern Time.

P.P.S. Let's talk about money for a moment.

The bad news is that the dollar is weak against the euro.

The good news is that you pay for your place on our cruise ship (which serves as your European "hotel" and "ground transportation") in dollars, not euros--and the dollar prices were locked in a long time ago.

There's no way you could spend so much time in Europe at such a reasonable cost if you had to pay in euros instead of dollars.

Decent hotel rooms in the cities we'll visit are running $300+ per night. Then you have to add in expensive restaurant meals and car rental fees or train tickets. You'd end up paying twice as much if you traveled that way!

The bottom line: This Catholic Answers cruise is a particularly affordable way to see Europe right now. I invite you to investigate our very reasonable rates at http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com.

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To Go on Our Cruises, You Must Pass This Tough Test

A SIMPLE TEST TO SEE
IF YOU'RE ELIGIBLE TO JOIN
A CATHOLIC ANSWERS CRUISE

(47% of Catholics fail this test.*)

Dear Potential Cruiser:

Which of these describes you and your faith?

1.    You're pious and dutiful but not very knowledgeable about your Catholic faith.
2.    You know your faith well but have trouble answering questions about it.
3.    You don't give a hoot about your faith.

If you chose either 1 or 2, read on.

If you chose 3, stop reading here. Please accept my apology for sending this note to you. I must have gotten your e-mail address by mistake.

DO YOU HAVE THE QUALIFICATIONS I'M LOOKING FOR?

I hope so.  I'm pretty particular.

I'm looking for Catholics who love their faith, want to know it better, and want to be able to share it with others.

I'm looking for Catholics who know that their faith is a gift from God and who want to make the most of that gift.

I'm looking for Catholics who want to do this while having the time of their lives with upbeat folks just like them.

Does this sound like you? If it does, then you're someone I want to have aboard a Catholic Answers cruise.

PICK A CRUISE, ANY CRUISE

This year we're offering you three cruises to choose from. You can't go wrong no matter which cruise you sign up for.

Here they are:

1.    APOLOGETICS CRUISE TO ALASKA

Dates: June 8–15
Departs: Seattle
Ends: Seattle
Visits: Glacier Bay, Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan in Alaska and Victoria in British Columbia
Speakers: Tim Staples, Jimmy Akin, Jim Blackburn, Mark Shea
Benefits: Learn your faith like never before and have all your questions answered

2.    BALTIC CHRISTIAN HISTORY CRUISE

Dates: August 21–September 2
Departs: London
Ends: Copenhagen
Visits: Oslo, Berlin, Tallinn (Estonia), St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Stockholm
Speakers: Thomas Howard, Christopher Check, James Bogle, Joanna Bogle, Karl Keating
Option: 3-day pre-event in London
Benefits: As above, plus learn Catholic history and where the Church goes from here

3.    BIBLE LANDS PILGRIMAGE AND CRUISE

Dates: October 2–16
Departs: Athens
Ends: Rome
Visits: Cairo, Jerusalem, Nazareth, Rhodes, Ephesus, Santorini, Tunisia, Malta, Sicily
Speakers: Steve Ray, Jimmy Akin, Karl Keating
Option: 3-day post-event in Rome
Benefits: As above, plus walk where our Lord walked and see our G.H.Q. in Rome

IF YOU MEET MY QUALIFICATIONS, HERE'S WHAT TO DO NEXT

Go to our special web site, http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com, for complete information on our three cruises. You can sign up right online.

To speak to a live person, phone 800-707-1634 between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

I've given you only the basics about the cruises. I urge you to visit our web site and read about the ports we'll visit and the finely-appointed ships we'll sail on. And I urge you to do this today, before the most desirable staterooms are snatched up.

Many thanks! I look forward to meeting you on the promenade deck!

Karl Keating
President, Catholic Answers

*I made up this statistic, but it feels about right.

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NEWS: Future of the Catholic Church

Future of the Catholic Church

Updated: 04/20/2008 08:33 AM
Source: http://news10now.com/content/all_news/central_new_york/114520/future-of-the-catholic-church/Default.aspx

By: Bill Carey


Pope Benedict XVI

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. -- A half century ago, the Catholic Church was doing well in America. There were churches on every corner and they were filled, sometimes daily. There were plenty of priests and those studying to become members of the clergy.


There was even a top rated TV show featuring a Bishop from New York City, Fulton Sheen. Even the movies had heroes in clerical collars.


But things have changed. Syracuse's Bishop took note of that fact recently.


“We were a very religious country at one time. So many of my letters from the kids that I get, they tell me their grandmother, their grandfather still go to daily mass. Well, yeah, how about their fathers and mothers, you know?” said Bishop James Moynihan of the Syracuse Roman Catholic Diocese.


Which is why church leaders point optimistically to this event for young people at a seminary in Yonkers. After more than a generation of declining attendance and involvement, there is an enthusiasm, they say, present in the next generation that shows the pendulum may be swinging back.


“It's constantly growing. The kids are excited. I see vocations. You know, I see people serving in the church. Sacrificing for it. The peer pressure. I mean everything that's there, ten times worse than it was when I was a teenager. They look to their faith as an answer to that. So that's, I would say, why it's more important now to them than ever,” said Bob Walters, Syracuse Diocese Youth Ministry.


“I think that it’s very much alive. All these people here, 20,000 people here and I think with the youth involved, it’ll bring it back alive,” said Sophie Ilacqua of Utica.

“We were talking about it before. You’re in your hometown, you have your youth group and that’s maybe 30 kids, maybe. You get here and you see so many people, especially a lot of youth,” said Sean Bates of Corning.


“Belief, faith and God. And there’s all these people here supporting that and I think other people are supporting that and I think other people notice that we really do believe in God,” said Natalie Alibrandi of Fayetteville.


Church leaders say events like this will have an impact, strengthening a movement back to the church, which they say is already growing.


“No one will walk away from this thing unchanged. They'll be different for the rest of their lives. It will change their life,” Walters said.

On his stops in Washington and New York, the Pope has stressed a message of hope. In a country where the Catholic Church has often had its share of challenges, leaders see a sign of hope here for the future.


There are close to half a million Catholics living in the Syracuse, Ogdensburg and Rochester diocese.

Instaurare omnia in Christo, Romeo K. Escuyos Jr. Totally Mesmerized Phone: +63 (46) 572-3272 http://totallymesmerized.googlepages.com qualitysingers@gmail.com View my Profile     We are a chamber choir and we specialize in weddings. We can also sing at birthdays, wedding anniversaries, official functions (to sing the national anthem or doxology), or perhaps we can serenade the person you love. For rates and other inquiries please contact: Diane: +63 (915) 697-4374 (Strictly SMS only) Shiela: +63 (910) 475-0311 Or send an email to qualitysingers@gmail.com View More...

Prayers for My Mom

+JMJ+

April 20, 2008
Fifth Sunday after Easter

Friends in Christ,

My mom, Lucia K. Escuyos has passed away on the early morning of April 14th (PDT) due to 'metastasized lung cancer" at the LA County/USC Medical Center, Los Angeles, California. Her remains will arrive at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on April 22 at 8:55 pm and will proceed directly to the Loyola Memorial Chapels, Dr. A. Santos Ave, Sucat, Parañaque where she will remain in state for the next 3 - 4 days.

I wish to extend my deepest gratitude to those who offered their prayers, kind words and generous gifts. May Our Blessed Mother continue to bless and protect you and your family.


"... the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away: as it hath pleased the Lord, so is it done: blessed be the name of the Lord." - Job 1:21 (Douay Rheims Version)

Instaurare omnia in Christo, Romeo K. Escuyos Jr. Totally Mesmerized Phone: +63 (46) 572-3272 http://totallymesmerized.googlepages.com qualitysingers@gmail.com View my Profile     We are a chamber choir and we specialize in weddings. We can also sing at birthdays, wedding anniversaries, official functions (to sing the national anthem or doxology), or perhaps we can serenade the person you love. For rates and other inquiries please contact: Diane: +63 (915) 697-4374 (Strictly SMS only) Shiela: +63 (910) 475-0311 Or send an email to qualitysingers@gmail.com View More...

CFC News: Vatican Corrects CFC's GK Focus

Inquirer.Net
Inquirer Headlines / Nation

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080418-131127/Vatican-corrects-Couples-for-Christs-GK-focus

Vatican ‘corrects’ Couples for Christ’s ‘GK’ focus By Jeannette Andrade Philippine Daily Inquirer Posted date: April 18, 2008 MANILA, Philippines—The Vatican merely intended to guide and correct Gawad Kalinga’s “overemphasis on social work” when it sent a letter to Couples for Christ (CFC) chiding it for its “erroneous steps,” according to an official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. Antipolo Bishop Gabriel Reyes, chair of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on the Laity, Thursday told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the Vatican had the authority and duty to remind and guide lay groups. He said he did not think that the letter from the Vatican referring to Gawad Kalinga—a social action group that was founded by the CFC and which has become hugely successful in building homes for the poor—was an admonition. “It is more of a guidance, a correction. It is merely correcting the overemphasis on social work. It is correcting receiving funds from pharmaceutical companies [who support or manufacture contraceptives]. It is saying, stop acting like that,” he said. The bishop was asked to comment on a report on the ABS-CBN website that said the CFC had been chastised by the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for the Laity in a March 11 letter to the CFC president, Jose Tale. In that letter, the Vatican noted Gawad Kalinga’s purported shift of focus from the spiritual to the social, as well as its willingness to receive donations from companies that promoted artificial family planning. Giving ‘too little’ According to Reyes, the letter carried a quote from Pope Benedict XVI that said: “Whoever does not give God, gives too little.” “That’s before the part where it says CFC should counterbalance the overemphasis on social work,” the bishop said, adding: “Overemphasis on social work is not good when you are already neglecting your relationship with Christ.” Reyes further said the CFC had always been against artificial family planning but that Gawad Kalinga had been receiving funds from companies manufacturing contraceptives. “If you do that, you are forgetting Christian values,” Reyes said. “You can always work with everyone—Muslims, Buddhists—but still not forget Christian values. We can remain Christians. We should not forget our Christian values,” he said. He added that when he discussed the letter with some CFC leaders, they assured him that they would abide by the Vatican guidance. Asked if the Gawad Kalinga had placed the CFC in a bad light, Reyes answered in the negative. Split He said the letter was probably intended to prevent a similar conflict from occurring in other CFC organizations in other countries. That conflict had actually resulted in a split between Antonio Meloto and his group and the breakaway group led by CFC founder Frank Padilla. The letter from the Vatican appears to be taking the side of Padilla’s group, which had protested Meloto’s style of managing Gawad Kalinga. Together with Padilla, Meloto, received the 2006 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Leadership. He said his organization would continue to serve the poor and the country. “Our work is nation-building,” he said, adding that Gawad Kalinga had the support of more than 350 partner-corporations. “We do not judge politicians as corrupt. We engage them in our work. We are a divided country already in terms of politics, religion. We want to unite everyone through our work,” he said. Meloto stressed that he was a devout Catholic and remained an active member of the CFC. “But I am more focused on nation-building, in our work at Gawad Kalinga,” he said. Asked to comment on the letter from the Vatican, CFC president Jose Tale cut short a phone interview with the Inquirer, saying: “We (CFC officers and members) are preparing a statement … We will be discussing that … We already came out with a paid ad on April 7.” That advertisement merely reiterated the mission of the organization and its four core values—pro-God, pro-family, pro-life, and pro-poor. It stated: “We will continue to pursue the work for the poor through Gawad Kalinga and our social ministries. Gawad Kalinga is an integral part of our life and mission resulting from our spiritual growth and our commitment to God to love the poor. “We will continue to defend, protect and promote life in accordance with the guidelines set by the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. We sincerely apologize for any scandal that the Couples for Christ leadership, past or present, may have caused among the faithful with our previous partnerships.” “We will do our mission in full communion with the hierarchy of the Catholic Church and in observance of the statutes of Couples for Christ as a private international association of the faithful as approved by Pontifical Council for the laity.” Limit on donations “We will continue to welcome back our brethren who have left the community and help promote the spirit of our brotherhood and reconciliation.” Asked whether the CFC would move to impose limitations on the donations to be received by Gawad Kalinga, Tale merely said the matter was part of the discussion among CFC officials.

^ Back to top  ©Copyright 2001-2008 INQUIRER.net, An Inquirer Company

Instaurare omnia in Christo, Romeo K. Escuyos Jr. Totally Mesmerized Phone: +63 (46) 572-3272 http://totallymesmerized.googlepages.com qualitysingers@gmail.com View my Profile     We are a chamber choir and we specialize in weddings. We can also sing at birthdays, wedding anniversaries, official functions (to sing the national anthem or doxology), or perhaps we can serenade the person you love. For rates and other inquiries please contact: Diane: +63 (915) 697-4374 (Strictly SMS only) Shiela: +63 (910) 475-0311 Or send an email to qualitysingers@gmail.com View More...

Last Call for Catholic Answers' Cruise to Alaska!

YOUR CRUISE SHIP TO ALASKA
IS ABOUT TO DEPART
(without you on it)


You have only a few days left to sign up
for Catholic Answers' Apologetics Cruise.

(And I'm not kidding.)

Sad but true.

We're getting close to closing bookings for our June 8–15 Alaska Apologetics Cruise.

We have to.

Holland America Line is taking back the staterooms we reserved but have not yet had bookings for. The staterooms will be made available to people who aren't part of our event, and I expect all the staterooms to be snatched up in short order.

That means that if you want to join us on this cruise, you need to sign up within the next few days.

To do so, please go to our special web site: http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com.

There you can learn all about this cruise (and about the other cruises we're hosting this year). You can register right online.

If you prefer to talk with a Real Live Person, call our friends at The Cruise Authority: 800-707-1634. Their Atlanta office is open between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

There are four preeminent reasons to sail with us. Their names are:

    Tim Staples
    Jimmy Akin
    Jim Blackburn
    Mark Shea

They are four of the top Catholic apologists in the country. From them you'll get a deeper understanding of your faith, and you'll learn how to share Catholic truths with others: your family members, your co-workers, even that busybody down the street.

During our cruise you'll see some of the most impressive scenery in the U.S., with port visits to Juneau, Sitka, and Ketchikan in Alaska and Victoria in British Columbia. You'll gawk at glaciers (with a chance to walk on one, if you like), see historic churches, and have a chance to enjoy the freshest salmon you've ever tasted.

But none of this can happen unless you sign up now.

Let me repeat that web address: http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com.

And the phone number: 800-707-1634.

Please don't let our ship sail without you!

Best wishes in Christ,

Karl Keating

To unsubscribe from this email, click here

Queen Elizabeth Can’t Join Us, but a Future Prime Minister Can!

ALAS! WE WILL NOT HAVE A CHANCE
TO MEET QUEEN ELIZABETH,
BUT WE WILL MEET ANN WIDDECOME,
A CATHOLIC M.P. TOUTED
AS THE NEXT FEMALE PRIME MINISTER!

Dear Fellow Catholic:

I invite you to join me this summer on a 12-day Northern European cruise that will deepen your faith, increase your knowledge of Catholic teachings and history, and widen your circle of Catholic friends.

I'm referring to Catholic Answers' "Christian History Cruise."

On it you will learn about the Church's past, present, and possible future from top Catholic speakers.

What's more, your faith will be deepened immeasurably ...

You will learn not only what the Church teaches but why ...

You will see how Catholic teachings have fared throughout history (sometimes up, sometimes down), and ...

You will get a good sense of Catholic prospects, both in Europe and in our own country.

(To go straight to our special web site about this and our other cruises, please visit http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com.)


St. Petersburg

THIS WILL BE A "CAPITAL" TRIP!

You will visit all the Scandinavian capitals--Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo--and you will spend two days in St. Petersburg (Russia's one-time capital).

You also will spend time in Germany's capital, Berlin, and in Estonia's capital, Tallinn.

In addition, there will be an optional pre-cruise event in London!


Tallinn

AN IMPRESSIVE SHIP ...

For our Christian History Cruise we will sail on the ms Rotterdam, the flagship of the Holland America Line.

This is a truly beautiful ship, recently retrofitted, very comfortable, and an ideal setting for our at-sea talks.

Our cruise will depart London on August 21 and will end in Copenhagen on September 2.

... AND AN IMPRESSIVE LINE-UP OF SPEAKERS

Here are the speakers:

THOMAS HOWARD is a convert to the faith and popular writer. His Evangelical Is Not Enough has brought many people into the Church--and that's just one of about a dozen books he has written.

Tom is a brilliant lecturer, noted for his gentle wit, deep knowledge, and clarity of expression.

CHRISTOPHER CHECK is the executive vice president of The Rockford Institute and is an expert in Catholic history.

Catholic Answers recently issued his audio CD set about the all-important Battle of Lepanto. This was the 1571 battle that prevented the Turks from overrunning Europe.

People who have listened to these CDs have told us they think Chris is one of the most thrilling speakers they've ever heard. (I concur: He makes Catholic history come alive in a marvelous way.)

JAMES AND JOANNA BOGLE live near London and are the leading orthodox Catholic lay couple in England. James leads the country's top lay-Catholic organization, and Joanna is interviewed frequently by the BBC and other media to get the "orthodox Catholic side" of major issues.

Between them, they have more than a dozen books to their credit, including the popular Come on In, It's Awful, a witty invitation to join the Catholic Church.

Rounding out the list of speakers aboard the ship is, ah, YOURS TRULY. (The less said about me, the better, I suppose. But, if you need to know more about me, please visit our web site.)


Copenhagen

WHAT WE WILL DISCUSS WHILE SAILING THE BALTIC

Northern Europe is not strongly Catholic today, but it once was.

1.    How did it first become Catholic?

2.    Why did it cease to be Catholic?

3.    How can it become Catholic again?

These are the questions that will underlie not just our on-board talks but also our on-shore excursions.

As we attempt to answer them, we will come to know better not only the tenets of our faith but also the thinking of those, both present and past, who have opposed Catholic teachings.


Westminster Cathedral

SEE LONDON THROUGH CATHOLIC EYES

Preceding the cruise will be an optional pre-cruise event in London. The dates are August 18-20.

Most of us have had, for many years, a keen interest in the aftermath of the English Reformation because that event had big consequences for the colonies that became the U.S.A.

We will learn about Catholic and Reformation England (and about the Catholic Church in modern England) under the expert guidance of Joanna Bogle.

She will guide us at such sites as Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London, the Tyburn Shrine to Martyrs, and even Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park.

(Over the years, Speaker's Corner has been the site of many apologetics talks by apologists such as Frank Sheed, by his wife, Maisie Ward, and by other members of England's Catholic Evidence Guild.)

During this pre-cruise event we will stay at a top hotel in central London, within easy walking distance of most of the places we'll visit.

One evening, at our hotel, we will have the privilege of being given a private talk by ANN WIDDECOMBE, Member of Parliament and convert to the Catholic faith. She has written several books (some of which she will have on hand to autograph).

Miss Widdecombe is an accomplished speaker (you have to be, to rise as high as she has in Parliament) and, more importantly, a dedicated Catholic. She has been touted by some as the next female Prime Minister of the U.K.


Oslo

WHY YOU OUGHT TO JOIN US!

During this cruise we will enjoy one another's company in a beautiful and historically important part of the world.

We will spend 12 days in the company of friendly people who share our faith and who want to live it well.

For most of us, this will be a vacation as well as a learning experience. I presume you intend to take a vacation this summer. Why not take it with Catholic Answers?

Our cruise in the Baltic Sea is not that far off. I hope you will pray about joining us--and I hope the answer to your prayer is a resounding "Yes!"

If it is, I ask you to make your reservations right away.

Best wishes in Christ,

Karl Keating
President, Catholic Answers

P.S. You can learn all about our Christian History Cruise--and all about the other cruises we are sponsoring in 2008--by going to http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com.

You also can sign up for any of our cruises online.

If you have questions not answered by our web site, please telephone our agent, The Cruise Authority, at 800-707-1634, between 9:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. Eastern Time.

P.P.S. Let's talk about money for a moment.

The bad news is that the dollar is weak against the euro.

The good news is that you pay for your place on our cruise ship (which serves as your European "hotel" and "ground transportation") in dollars, not euros--and the dollar prices were locked in a long time ago.

There's no way you could spend so much time in Europe at such a reasonable cost if you had to pay in euros instead of dollars.

(Decent hotel rooms in the cities we'll visit are running $300+ per night. Then you have to add in expensive restaurant meals and car rental fees or train tickets. You do the math!)

This means this Catholic Answers cruise is a particularly affordable way to see Europe right now. I invite you to investigate our very reasonable rates at http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com.


To unsubscribe from this email, click here

Sorry, no Queen or Putin on Catholic Answers’ Baltic cruise!

SORRY! WE WILL NOT SEE
QUEEN ELIZABETH OR VLADIMIR PUTIN,
BUT WE WILL SEE
NORTHERN EUROPE
THROUGH VERY CATHOLIC EYES!

Dear Fellow Catholic:

I invite you to join me this summer on a 12-day Northern European cruise that will deepen your faith, increase your knowledge of Catholic teachings and history, and widen your circle of Catholic friends.

I'm referring to Catholic Answers' "Christian History Cruise."

On it you will learn about the Church's past, present, and possible future from top Catholic speakers.

What's more, your faith will be deepened immeasurably ...

You will learn not only what the Church teaches but why ...

You will see how Catholic teachings have fared throughout history (sometimes up, sometimes down), and ...

You will get a good sense of Catholic prospects, both in Europe and in our own country.

(To go straight to our special web site about this and our other cruises, please visit http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com.)

THIS WILL BE A "CAPITAL" TRIP!

You will visit all the Scandinavian capitals--Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo--and you will spend two days in St. Petersburg (Russia's one-time capital).

You also will spend time in Germany's capital, Berlin, and in Estonia's capital, Tallinn.

In addition, there will be an optional pre-cruise event in London!


AN IMPRESSIVE SHIP ...

For our Christian History Cruise we will sail on the ms Rotterdam, the flagship of the Holland America Line.

This is a truly beautiful ship, recently retrofitted, very comfortable, and an ideal setting for our at-sea talks.

Our cruise will depart London on August 21 and will end in Copenhagen on September 2.


... AND AN IMPRESSIVE LINE-UP OF SPEAKERS

Here are the speakers:

Thomas Howard is a convert to the faith and popular writer. His Evangelical Is Not Enough has brought many people into the Church--and that's just one of about a dozen books he has written.

Tom is a brilliant lecturer, noted for his gentle wit, deep knowledge, and clarity of expression.

Christopher Check is the executive vice president of The Rockford Institute and is an expert in Catholic history.

Catholic Answers recently issued his audio CD set about the all-important Battle of Lepanto. This was the 1571 battle that prevented the Turks from overrunning Europe.

People who have listened to these CDs have told us they think Chris is one of the most thrilling speakers they've ever heard. (I concur: He makes Catholic history come alive in a marvelous way.)

James and Joanna Bogle live near London and are the leading orthodox Catholic lay couple in England. James leads the country's top lay-Catholic organization, and Joanna is interviewed frequently by the BBC and other media to get the "orthodox Catholic side" of major issues.

Between them, they have more than a dozen books to their credit, including the popular Come on In, It's Awful, a witty invitation to join the Catholic Church.

Rounding out the list of speakers is, well, Yours Truly. (The less said about me, the better, I suppose. But, if you need to know more about me, please visit our web site.)

WHAT WE WILL DISCUSS WHILE SAILING THE BALTIC

Northern Europe is not strongly Catholic today, but it once was.

1.    How did it first become Catholic?

2.    Why did it cease to be Catholic?

3.    How can it become Catholic again?

These are the questions that will underlie not just our on-board talks but also our on-shore excursions.

As we attempt to answer them, we will come to know better not only the tenets of our faith but also the thinking of those, both present and past, who have opposed Catholic teachings.

SEE LONDON THROUGH CATHOLIC EYES

Preceding the cruise will be an optional pre-cruise event in London. The dates are August 18-20.

Most of us have had, for many years, a keen interest in the aftermath of the English Reformation because that event had big consequences for the colonies that became the U.S.A.

We will learn about Catholic and Reformation England (and about the Catholic Church in modern England) under the expert guidance of Joanna Bogle.

She will guide us at such sites as Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Tower of London, the Tyburn Shrine to Martyrs, and even Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park (the site of many apologetics talks by luminaries such as Frank Sheed and Maisie Ward).

During this pre-cruise event we will stay at a top hotel in central London, within easy walking distance of most of the places we'll visit.

WHY YOU OUGHT TO JOIN US!

During this cruise we will enjoy one another's company in a beautiful and historically important part of the world.

We will spend 12 days in the company of friendly people who share our faith and who want to live it well.

For most of us, this will be a vacation as well as a learning experience. I presume you intend to take a vacation this summer. Why not take it with Catholic Answers?

Our cruise in the Baltic Sea is not that far off. I hope you will pray about joining us--and I hope the answer to your prayer is a resounding "Yes!"

If it is, I ask you to make your reservations right away.

Best wishes in Christ,

Karl Keating
President, Catholic Answers

P.S. You can learn all about our Christian History Cruise--and all about the other cruises we are sponsoring in 2008--by going to http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com.

You also can sign up for any of our cruises online.

If you have questions not answered by our web site, please telephone our agent, The Cruise Authority, at 800-707-1634, between 9:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. Eastern Time.

P.P.S. Let's talk about money for a moment.

The bad news is that the dollar is weak against the euro.

The good news is that you pay for your place on our cruise ship (which serves as your European "hotel" and "ground transportation") in dollars, not euros--and the dollar prices were locked in a long time ago.

There's no way you could spend so much time in Europe at such a reasonable cost if you had to pay in euros instead of dollars.

(Decent hotel rooms in the cities we'll visit are running $300+ per night. Then you have to add in expensive restaurant meals and car rental fees or train tickets. You do the math!)

This means this Catholic Answers cruise is a particularly affordable way to see Europe right now. I invite you to investigate our very reasonable rates at http://www.catholicanswerscruise.com.


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