TIA,

You reported about the possible end of the largest seminary in England, the Ushaw seminary, and conjectured that it would probably close. Well, sorry to report the conciliar “springtime” is reaching its logical end also in Ireland: No more seminarian formation in Maynooth at least in its current form.

Here is the latest reported by The Irish Catholic.

     M.S.



Following the apostolic visitation to the only seminary in Ireland, Maynooth will cease to exist in its current form

Maynooth College may soon cease to function as a Catholic seminary marking the end of a 200-year-tradition, The Irish Catholic has learned. The national seminary, which has educated Irishmen for the priesthood since 1795, may be set for closure after the recent Apostolic Visitation by New York's Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan.

It is expected the report will recommend that Pope Benedict XVI move all Irish seminarians to a reformed and restructured Pontifical Irish College in Rome. The historic shift would bring an end to concerns about falling academic standards at Maynooth and claims by some that the college is no longer 'fit for mission'.

One senior academic told The Irish Catholic that the Apostolic Visitors were 'appalled' by some of the standards in Maynooth. Rome would give access to heavyweight universities under direct scrutiny from the Vatican.

Dear TIA,

In one of your recent letters in the section What People Are Commenting you posted a link to Urban Legends and gave it some credit.

I want to let you know that these people are not a reliable source, and should not be given any credibility. They are known to be supported by a left wing liberal organization and give many false statements.

     In Maria,

     L.M.

Dear TIA,

A friend sent me this note. It was published on the website of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary [column 1, "Our Lenten Journey"].

You might like it for your "Weirdo Catholic" section.

     P.B.



OUR LENTEN JOURNEY - Download Our Lenten Journey to help you be more aware of Mother Earth and care for the planet during this Lenten season. This process focuses on ONE USE PLASTIC BAGS and provides a time for reflection, input and action to give you a greater awareness of the effects plastic bags have on the planet.

We hope this awareness will lead to a change in how one makes choices that have a devastating impact on all. You can make a difference and it can only happen when it starts with YOU.

TIA,

Thank you for your interesting article.

I would love, as I am sure millions of other wives and even husbands would like, for the Church to openly oppose many office practices and give a few instructions to Catholics in the workplace.

There are many very bad practices around, and it would help a great deal if the Roman Catholic Church, and in particular, Our Holy Father, would tell the Business World how morally wrong it is for Catholics to be forced to go to events such as barbecues, drinks after work, activities organized by employees pertaining to “sports” or “concerts” etc, and in particular, the dreaded so-called “Christmas party.”

I have to confess that my husband and I have been married for 22 years and he has never attended a “Christmas party” (they don’t have it to celebrate the birth of Our Savior Christ, as we all know), but there are many men and women out there being pressured into it and it has gotten out of control.

Each year the workplace invents new ideas to bring their staff together to socialize in the workplace. I believe there is something called “team building” and “speed building” etc, which has members of the opposite sex telling each other all about themselves and encourage them to “keep in contact” from then on, etc, “indoor cricket and drinks afterwards” “rowing”, “drums” - anything they can think of, and to all of these, the spouses are not invited. “Work” ought to be exactly that, “work” - work and socializing are like oil and water, they do not mix.

We Catholics, and in fact, the whole world, need to stand up for the rights of married men and women and do something to start changing all these immoral practices in the workplace.

I can assure you that should the Holy Father kindly announce the Church’s beliefs on the subject of Social Mixing in the workplace and married people attending these events without their spouses, many things would start to change because people would be in a position to openly say, “Well, you may have heard or read what the Pope had to say on the subject, and I am a practicing Catholic, so I will not be doing this, or that, or attending this function, business trip, etc.”

The workplace is responsible for almost all “marital affairs” and especially the devastating result, divorce. I have had to see my own daughter go through this and my innocent grandchildren, fatherless with no hope in this world and the pain and suffering they have endured - as well as the devastating effect it has on what they will grow up and believe in and become.

It is time for Catholics to no longer keep silent and openly affirm what a Catholic believes in and stands for. Other practicing Catholics and governments and business employers should start to respect and acknowledge (and hopefully practice in their own lives, from our examples) the values, principals and instructions of the Church when it comes to the holy Sacrament of Marriage.

Unfortunately people seem too intimidated to stand up for themselves – it goes without saying that should the Church (please soon, long before the so called “Christmas parties” start) make a public statement - and instruct all priests to also remind us at Masses throughout the year - about what our obligations to our spouses and family are, then millions of people around the world will have the courage to stand up and make a change on their own.

It would be very easy for the Holy Father to appeal to companies around the world to let it be known that they should practice “family friendly” respect in the workplace. Then people who value God our Father, the Church, and the Holy Sacrament of Marriage and the family would be in a position to “flock” over to these companies, in particular, mining companies - as they are the very worst, employing women instead of men to do a man’s job; giving his job to a woman (many of whom are divorced) humiliates a man and strips him of natural manly pride in being the main breadwinner.

I do hope you can assist me with this mission as I am so tired of watching how sick the world has become. The truth of the matter is that it will become more rotten and evil until somebody like the Holy Father, or the Roman Catholic Church, announce the correct, old laws, and put an end to the Protestant way of life which has turned all good things to bad.

Please excuse my “passion” but I can assure you, I am so deeply upset with my daughter's husband leaving her and divorcing her because of flirting women at work whom he had affairs with. Women do not know their place anymore and it is the Company Policy which is 95% responsible for these events occurring in the first place.

Married men in the workplace have rights as well, and those rights are to do what they were employed to do, work. They have the right to insist their wives accompany them to events and business trips, etc, and they have the right to put a stop to all these extracurricular activities in the Workplace, and to demand that they take place long after working hours are over and that their spouses are invited since it is not work, but socializing.

     Many thanks and kind regards,

     V.R.



TIA responds:

V.R.,

Thank you for writing to us exposing the problem that caused the ruin of your daughter’s marriage. We lament what happened, and we will try to be of some assistance to you.

We are sending your letter and request for help to a Carmelite friend of TIA who lives in a hermitage and studies traditional Catholic Morals. Should he respond to us, we will post his answer in our Section on Catholic Morals.

     Cordially,

     TIA correspondence desk

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