New Our Lady of America Shrine Blog

   Pam Jackson has begun a new blog to promote the Shrine of Our     Lady of America in Rome City, IN

Our Lady of America is the only approved apparition in the United States. On the blog, she showcases her beautiful homemade rosaries.
Check it it out here.
Fr Andrew Apostoli told me that Our Lady promised that if her statue was installed in the National Basiclica of the Immaculate Conception, that it would be a center of grace like Lourdes. Pray for the bishops to do the will of Our Lady.

Today is World Down Syndrome Day

Because our children have 3 of the 21st chromosome, we celebrate their uniqueness today, appropriately on the first day of spring. Because they are as unique and beautiful as spring flowers.

Sadly, we must remember that 90% of our precious babies never see the light of day. Christina Dunigan has a great post on this called An Acceptable Level of Collateral Damage.

Let's compare the War on Terror, then, to the War on Down Syndrome, which kills three genetically standard babies for every "enemy" (baby with Down syndrome) successfully eliminated. For every 100 of the "enemy" killed, we are killing 300 "civilians" -- non-targeted "normal" babies. That's at least 13 times the "collateral damage" rate of combat bombing missions.

Now we can join in prayer that the health care bill which further threatens their lives is defeated on this day.

Servant of God, Dr Jerome Lejeune, pray for us.

Christina's 8th birthday

She came home from school on Friday wearing a birthday crown, carrying a backpack full of little gifts from her teachers; bookmarks and stickers. She knew that it was her birthday, so when Grandpa came up from Long Island and we busily scrubbed the house and cooked, her anticipation grew.
At Mass, Christina wore a hot pink "I'm the Birthday Girl" button which she proudly pointed out to everyone, as she sat with uncharacteristic patience in the pew.  After a special blessing from Fr Tito, fifty of our closest friends followed us home and the party began. Lasagna and salad, garlic bread and Coke, we celebrated eight years of joy which Christina has brought into our lives.

Soon it was time for the birthday cake, and she put on her crown and beamed as fifty voices sang "Happy Birthday". We broke open the pinata, opened her gifts and waved goodbye to the guests. The birthday girl took a nap to get ready for Youth Group while the teens in the dining room played a boisterous game of Pictionary.

Before Youth Group, I watched Fr Groeschel's Live Show on EWTN where Chris Bell was celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Good Counsel Homes. I tuned in just as he was sharing the statistic that 90% of unborn babies with Down syndrome are aborted, and reflected that if the world were made of loving people like those adults he knows with Down syndrome, it would be a wonderful place. I called in to thank him for his kind comments, and wish him a Happy Anniversay. Good Counsel Homes has helped over 5,600 homeless pregnant women since it began as an act of love 25 years ago. Our group, running the Ave Maria Home hope to open our home this year, once we raise the $200,000 necessary to gain state permission to open. We are working on a website to promote the Ave Maria Home, I'll be linking to it when it is ready.

After the show, we attended the Youth Group, where once again, Christina was the belle of the ball, with over 100 teens singing "Happy Birthday" to her. She had a wonderful birthday, thanks to all the love of our wonderful Catholic community here in Connecticut.

My reviews of The 13th Day quoted in Ignatius Press catalogue

I was excited to see the enticing array of films in the new Ignatius Press catalogue, but I was more thrilled to see my review of "The 13th Day" quoted with that of Steve Greydanus and Daria Stockey. "Catholics need a wake-up call on what it means to be the Church Militant. In the face of a darkening world landscape, "The 13th Day" is just that" says the quote on page10.
I was even more amazed when I read the other quote from my review on the Ignatius Press website page for "The 13th Day". My heart beat faster when I saw those whose quotes were chosen.
I was quoted with Fr Andrew Apostoli, CFR, the Official Fatima Shrine and Most Rev Vincent Nichols the Archbishop of Westminster, UK. Such august company!
"Directors Ian and Dominic Higgins, accomplished more than a pious revival of a fond moment in Catholic history, they re-cast familiar images of a story whose relevance has grown with time."
– Leticia Velasquez, Hartford Catholic Examiner
(read full review - also on Catholic Media Review)
This is a great honor for me as a writer to have my work quoted by such a fine publisher and in such respected company. I consider it part of my calling as a writer to help interpret books and film for busy Catholics who are wading their way through the filth of the culture of death. I will be interviewing a cast member of "The Blind Side" next week,  and publishing my review in "US Catholic".
This publicity has inspired me to catch up on the dozen or so book reviews I have to write, so please understand if this blog quiets down. ..

I am a Columnist at Amazing Columnists

My first bilingual column is up "The Midnight Arrival of Our Lady of Guadalupe".

Catholic Schools Day in Hartford

I was sent with Isabella, and another student and teacher to represent St Joseph's School at Catholic Schools Day in Hartford. We were there to protect state subsidies to Catholic schools such as bus transportation (in CT only the town you live in provides a bus, in NY you were bussed within a 15 mile range) and funds for school nurses. There is also a bill to allow businesses tax credits if they contribute to a scholarship program for children in poor areas to attend Catholic schools. This would include several towns where students at St Joseph live.
Rep Chris Coutu is not intimidated by being a minority Republican, and enthusiastically promoted this bill among his colleagues while we were there. He attended a meeting in Norwich where the imminent closing of 102 year old St Joseph School was discussed. With Superintendent Shine and Asst. Supt. Sr Barbara Gould, (see photo) we discussed the closing of many area Catholic schools and the negative impact it has had on the community. One aspect we stressed was the economic burden ($15K annualy) to educate the Catholic school students who enter public schools.

Catholic schools, especially faithful schools like St Joseph, are a boon to the community, and it's time they were given a break. A tax break with no strings attached.
I will keep you posted here on the progress of this bill.
Thank you Rep Coutu for supporting Catholic shools in CT

March madness

Spring is in the air; 60 degrees today. We were all irresistably drawn outdoors this afternoon. Even the cats ventured outdoors to get their fur ruffled in the breeze. . .
We played softball on the front lawn, went exploring the stream with three labradors, and got muddy water shaken ALL over us; now what did we expect?!
We enjoyed the clamour of Candian geese flying back from the South in V-formation overhead, spotted  our first Robin, a white crocus and budding wild Pussywillows in the stream. . .s unbathed and exercised, yelled and listened to the wind in the trees, breathed deeply of warm,  fresh air and gratefully stretched our legs.

Can all this joy be allowed in Lent?

Easter is coming. . . it is Sunday, which is not part of Lent and it seems like the Lord is just getting us ready to rejoice in the Resurrection, like the choir rehearing the music for the Triduum, a priceless preview of glories to come. But there's more. . .

After all, St Patrick and St Joseph have feast days in Lent.

Our Lady celebrates her Annunciation this month, 

We must be allowed outbursts of joy even in the midst of penitence almsgiving, and fasting.

On "Tweeting Abortion"

I have been struggling with commenting on this story since it is so raw; a woman, very broken by life, who calls herself an 'anti-theist', has been tweeting her abortion. I can't bring myself to read the tweets or see the YouTube video, but I have read Jill Stanek's take and am happy to share with you Mary Hasson's view from Phases of Womanhood. Her compassion and faith shine through some of the harsh commentary which surround this tragic event.

Angie desperately wants to silence the whisper of God in her own heart. But unlike the clamor of condemnation from some harsh pro-lifers, God’s whisper is a message of His love, steadfastness, and forgiveness. And it’s a whisper so powerful that it can open even the hardest heart. Ironically, Angie’s inability to still the whisper gives us hope—hope that she’ll take the armor of hurt off her own heart and hear the God who loves her.

Mary reminds pro-lifers who call themselves Christians, that though the act of abortion is awful, the soul is nonetheless precious in His sight. May we offer our Lenten prayers and mortifications for Angie and women like her.

Living Offensively; my new follower on Twitter

Living Offensively just started following me on Twitter. You can follow me here.
They are a Christian group who believe that since the world finds Christianity offensive anyway, and since Christ called us to be salt and light to the world, we are called to live offensively.
 I wanted to share a great t-shirt from their collection. This dispels the myth that Christians are against God's gift of the marital act. We just don't brag about how happy we are.
Which begs the question. . .
Where do they think our large families come from?

Korean figure skater is a proud new Catholic

And she's not afraid to show it; makes a sign of the Cross during each performance, and explains the meaning of her rosary ring to reporters. May God bless her for her stellar example to youth!

Catholics in Korea were overjoyed to see Stella Kim Yu-na make the sign of the cross during her performance at the Olympic figure skating competition on Feb. 23.

The 19-year-old went on to make a new world record and became South Korea’s first Olympic figure skating champion, winning numerous fans.

Read the entire story here.

If you have aborted your special needs baby, there is healing

As my readers know, the reason I began writing is to overcome the 90% abortion rate of babies with Down syndrome, and I hope to attract expectant mothers to  this site who are in the midst of such a crisis, in order to inspire them to give their babies life. But, if, however, you have made that awful decision, and are now suffering the consequences of having aborted your child, please do not think I am standing in judgment of you.
 Abortion is always a mortal sin, however, only God knows what kind of pressure the doctor, your husband, and others were inflicting on you. I refused prenatal testing to spare myself that kind of pressure, and I would advise other pregnant women to do the same.
Aborting a child with an adverse pre-natal diagnosis is a whole different scenario than most abortions. You were told your child would either die at birth, or have a short, miserable life (most times this is a lie or a misconception based on outdated information). You were told that it was 'selfish' to give birth to a special needs child, that you would  be burdening your husband, your children, and society. You were not given current information about treatments and life expectancy for children with your child's diagnosis, and you were left thinking perhaps that abortion was more merciful than birth for your child.
This is the common wisdom which you will hear on what we call "termination sites", websites where mothers share their abortion  stories and justify it by saying odd things like,  "I set him free to come back in a healthy body"(belief in re-incarnation is not consonant with Catholicism) .
So, what do you do now besides go to confession? You go on a specialized retreat for adverse pre-natal diagnosis from Theresa Bonapartis at Lumina Ministries. You heal from the pain caused by that awful choice, and, if you are called, tell your story to all who will listen.
God is merciful, and nothing is impossible for Him. Make this Lent the begining of your new life.
Love,
Leticia

The Drivers Test

I gulped as I signed the paper atttesting to the Connecticut DMV that I had indeed offfered 40 hours of driving instruction to my sixteen year old as she nervously awaited to be called for her road test. For six months we had our daily outings driving up and down the hills of the countryside, as she learned to handle our little SUV. We enjoyed our times together, she mastering a new skill, and I enjoying time alone with my daughter, who, since she began school two years ago after ten years of homeschooling, has had less time for long talks with Mom. They were peaceful hours, and though the housework may have suffered, our relationship was strengthened. We talked about school, about her friends, about her sisters. We discussed the difference between driving on Long Island where we lived until two years ago, and the more polite drivers of our area. Most of all we discussed how different life would be when Gabbi could drive. I realized that we were fast approaching, a huge milestone in the life of my eldest daughter, who was fast becoming a young woman.

I am proud to say we never had a big argument, and that though I may have a few more grey hairs, I somehow kept my anxiety in check, (see those nail marks on my seat bottom?) and was a fairly even-tempered instructor. I was also very knowlegable, to my surprise. Things my Driver's Ed teachers told me kept popping back into my brain, word for word, "always assume the other driver will do something dangerous and be prepared for it". I wondered why of all the schooling I had, that these phrases were so easliy remembered. Perhaps because I had delayed taking the class till I was ready for college, fearing the onerous responsibility of operating a motor vehicle capable of taking a life, the warnings I received about driving defensively were burned into my conscious memory. I wondered at the boldness of my daughter, whose fifteenth birthday wish was to pick up a drivers manual so that she could take the permit test on her sixteenth birthday.

While she was taking the test, in the pouring rain at sunset, I prayed my rosary aloud in the Motor Vehicle Department. If they couldn't understand why a nervous mother was praying during a road test, they were past helping, I figured. I asked God to give me Gabbi's nervousness, because I knew that if she didn't surrender to nerves, that her natural ability would help her pass the test with flying colors. So I dealt with the butterflies in my stomach, and watched her drive the tester back into the parking lot. She parked, and the car lights remained on for an eternity, until up emerging from the car, her 200 watt smile told me she had passed. Tears sprang to my eyes, and I had to resist shouting "Alleluia!". Gabbi came in and said she only did one thing wrong, she backed into a space and parked on the white line. Not bad for a dark rainy night!

She took the written test on the computer, posed for a photo, and soon she were walking out of the officewith a spanking new "Youth License" in her hand. Since the tragic deaths of teenagers due to reckless driving has caused many restrictions to be added to 16 to 17 year olds, just about the only difference between having a learner's permit and an actual licesense these days is that she can now drive herself. For a year, she can't even drive her best friend 5 miles to school, but you'd never know that from the breadth of the smile on her face when she called her father to tell him the news.

On the way home, we ate sundaes in the car while the rain drummed on the roof, in celebration. This junior year of high school is one of almost milestones, PSAT's, college visits, the Junior Prom, Getting her driver's license is the only full fledged accomplishment available to my 16 year old, and despite a nagging fear that I was giving her the means to kill herself, I managed to enjoy a glow of pride for a job well done. I had spent 16 years giving her roots, and the last six months giving her wings. It was time to let her use them.

There's a new climate of modesty?

Modesty is in, what a concept!
I wouldn't have believed it, but Raymond Arroyo was discussing a recent fashion show on "The World Over", with a Nashville Dominican Sister, referencing a  report by the New York Times which stated that there is a "new climate of modesty" in fashion.

Six months ago in her debut show for the French house Céline, Ms. Philo, a British designer, showed easy, jaunty sportswear. Confronted with the utter logic of doing something beautiful that also jibed with a new climate of modesty, American designers began stripping away a decade’s worth of postmodern significance to reach a plain A-line skirt.

Read it for yourself here. and decide if the clothing in the photos really meets the criterion. I say great, you covered the skin, now try and let the skin breathe without having something so tight stuck to it. And what about those knees?
The guidelines for modesty I follow are; from just below the breastbone to the knees, covered and flowing. Let the woman's face be the center of attraction; not her curves.

Boston Catholic Women's this Saturday

Let me know if you are going and we can meet there.
Here's a preview.

Why the "r-word" hurts; Its personal

Here's an important piece by my friend Diane Grover of IDSC for Life on why the use of the word "retard" as a pejorative hurts a mother who loves her child with Down syndrome. I second her emotion; can you look at this adorable face and call Christina a "retard"? I agree that words have different meanings at different times, but you have to keep up with the times, and take people's feelings into account. If it hurts, the "r word" should not be used by those who care about others. Period.

I went through a time, where I would try to convince myself, that hearing the words “retard” and “retarded” thrown around did not hurt me. Besides, I did not want to be one of those who assault our freedom of speech. I tried to accept it as just a normal part of our society. I tried to forget about it.

Read the entire article at Catholic Exchange.

A very special prayer request:Ave Maria Home

Did you know that there are thousands of pregnant women who are homeless?
Chris Bell knows this, and he collaborated with Fr Benedict Groeschel to form Good Counsel Homes in New York City. We here in the Quiet Corner of CT are not immune to the crisis of homeless pregnant women.
 In fact, as I was in the library preparing for the March for Life, I ran into a 20 year old pregnant woman who had just been kicked out of her parents' home in the midst of a snowstorm. I helped her find a homeless shelter, but if you've ever visited one, you know this is no place for a pregnant mother. My heart ached as I left her there, and I told her that she and others like her are the reason we are forming a home for pregnant mothers.
We at Ave Maria Home of Norwich, CT have formed a board of directors of which I am a member, and affiliated ourselves with Chris Bell's Good Counsel Homes, because we know they do things right, putting the Eucharistic Lord Jesus in the Tabernacle in every home. Their residents feel loved, as you can see in their video, and go on to lead healthy, fulfilled lives with their children. This is our goal; to reproduce the blessings of a maternity home here in Eastern Connecticut, an already depressed area, hit hard by the economic crisis.
For a year we have been spreading the word that we needed a house which 10-12  homeless pregnant women could call home. A place where they would be nurtured, body, mind and soul. A place to heal from the brokeness which left them pregnant and homeless,  and prepare for the great adventure of motherhood. A place to make up for what was missing in their lives, whether is is a HS diploma, a job skill, mothering or homemaking skills, or a spiritual life. Most of all, a home where their hearts can be restored by love. Love from staff and from their housemates. We want them to feel Our Blessed Mother's embrace at Ave Maria, and let her teach them how to mother their children through us.
We found a lovely antique Victorian home, restored with  love, and nestled among towering white pine trees in a quiet country village. Today we visited the home, took a careful tour, and voted unanimously, "this home is the answer to our prayers". Now we need two things, and for these I ask your prayers and sacrifices this Lent. We need our bishop's approval, and we need the money to do some minor repairs and fund the first years salary of our staff (about $200,000). This may sound like a lot, but it is the law in CT that the home meets the fire codes and that we have the first year's pay for our staff in the bank before we are open.

I can't tell you more about the home until we are officially the leasees, however, if you imagine a traditional Victorian home, warm with charm and a family atmosphere, with overstuffed comfy couches, and a sunny front porch perfect for rocking newborn babies on summer evenings, then I assure you, this home is all that . . . and more. And it's being offered to us for a $1 a year lease.
Please let me know in the comments if you will promise to pray for this home to be approved by the diocese, and if you are moved to share your Lenten alms with Ave Maria Home, email me at marysjoys@yahoo.com to make a tax-deductable donation. We will send you a receipt for your taxes.
If you belong to an organization like the Knights of Columbus, or another grant-giving organization, please help us apply for grants. It's a LONG way to our goal, but somewhere, there are homeless women considering abortion right now in Eastern CT. Help Ave Maria offer them a Mother's love instead.

Lenten Penances

The girls and I discussed our Lenten sacrifices before beginning a Rosary Novena for a friend's marriage. I will continue to attend daily Mass, we will say the novena every night, and we are giving up all sweets. The girls told me they will be considering their own private sacrifices. Of course, I had some handy suggestions.

This meditation, however, should be a somber reminder that Our Lord, who wants us to love with His perfect love, generously sends us penances. But will we accept them with the same sprirt of love?

St. Augustine



"There is no better test to distinguish the chaff from the grain, in the Church of God , than the manner in which sufferings, contradiction, and contempt are borne. Whoever remains unmoved under these, is grain. Whoever rises against them is chaff; and the lighter and more worthless he is, the higher he rises-that is, the more he is agitated, and the more proudly he replies."
A Year with the Saints, (Tan Books:1988), 111.
 
HT Mary Vitamin

Ash Wednesday

Let me call you sweetheart

This evening, Francisco and I attended the Sweetheart Dance with a local Marriage Encounter group. We danced in the swirling lights of the gym to hits of the 60's and 70's, and watched as dozens of Catholic married couples enjoyed being deeply in love.
There was an infectious joy among the dancers, celebrating not serial sexual relationships between men and women, or sexual perversions,  but lifetimes of committed love. The stars in their eyes, their synchronated dance steps, and their genuine laughter was contagious, and we had a wonderful time.

I particulary enjoyed watching  an elderly couple, in matching red sweaters, whose lifetime of love and ballroom dancing was revealed in the unconscious grace of their movements. What a blessing it is to grow old together. I was reminded of this by the poignant post of my single friend at 11 on my own, "Single in a married world".
True love, based in Christ, is a lifelong commitment and a gift that brings the greatest possible joy we can know on earth. Thank you, Lord for my husband.

Nella's Birth Story

This is absolutely the most eloquently honest birth story I have ever seen. No wonder there are 900+
comments. The author is a photographer and the photos are breathtaking.
Enjoy.

Who is Pro-Choice? HuffPo Censors Pro-Lifers

Who is Pro-Choice? HuffPo Censors Pro-Lifers
This is my first post on David Horowitz's Newsreal Blog.
I discuss how the left is going ballistic about the Tim Tebow Superbowl Ad.

Catholic Schools Week

I homeschooled my three girls for ten years. I was not a homeschooler by choice, I was one by default; I could not find a Catholic school worthy of the title Catholic. I did feel that my girls benefitted from the years we grew closer as a family, especially considering that my youngest child, Christina has special needs. We learned our faith together and we had tremendous freedom to travel and to be spontaneous, as well as sleep in a bit late, which, especially on frigid New England mornings, I sorely miss.
However, I am happy Isabella and Gabriela have found the wonderful schools of the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady, Mother of the Church; St Joseph's in Baltic, and the Academy of the Holy Family. They have good Catholic girlfriends, they have caught up on their math skills and have a self confidence which enables them to meet new people easily. I have worked with many of their teachers closely as a substitute and many of them are pure gold, truly teachers by vocation who love their students. The girls relate well to the sisters and are active in school. Bella plays on St Joseph's basketball team and participates in student council, and Gabbi is in the TOP Life Club, softball team and Legion of Mary at the Academy. As a parent I look forward to school events to be able to meet other parents and teachers. I enjoy having my girls' friends at my home and feel that Catholic schools who take the name Catholic seriously like these do, deserve to grow and flourish.
Tomorrow I will join both schools as they attend First Friday Mass together in my parish church, St Mary of the Immaculate Conception.

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord; Candlemas

The Christmas season officially ends today, forty days after Our Lord's birth, He was presented in the Temple as the firstborn male.
In Mass this morning, Fr Tito said that the Annunciation was Mary saying, "be it done to me according to Thy will" and, in the Presentation, Our Lady says, "be it done to HIM according to Thy will". He said this was much more of a sacrifice to her, to give back to God the person she loved most in the world. Just as Abraham was willing to sacrifice his long promised son, Isaacc, the one on whom God's promises depended, Our Lady actually did offer her Son to be killed in sacrifice for sin.
I am reminded every time I pray the Joyful Mysteries, that every one of Mary's joys was tinged with sorrow. The joy and pride of showing off your firstborn child is a cherished memory of many a mother. I remember bringing Gabriela to Mass for the first time, and the crowd that gathered around to congratulate Francisco and I. We beamed with pride. Imagine if one of the friends had said, "your daughter is going to die in a car crash, and your heart will be broken". How would you react to such a dire prediction snatching away the joy of this moment?
Simeon brought incredible joy and wonder to St Joseph and Our Lady with his recognition of Who Jesus was, and what He would bring to Israel.
But his prophecy of a sword piercing Our Lady's heart would soon bring them back to the paradoxical honor of being the parents of the Lord incarnate. My favorite song about this is Michael Card's "Now that I've held Him in my Arms". See the video here.
Let's remember today that our children are only loared to us for a time, and to keep to our task of preparing them to serve the Lord in whatever manner He chooses; religious life, marriage, or martyrdom.

 Let's consider it an honor to carry out our parenting duties as we raise souls to give Him glory.

Disability or profound gift?

There is a beautiful meditation on disabilities from Monsignor Charles Pope at the Archdiocese of Washington DC website.

 Over twenty years ago I worked for a year with the profoundly mentally disabled. They lay in beds and wheelchairs often with little muscle control. None of them could talk and only a few could engage in rudimentary communication. There was one man in his forties who had never emerged from the fetal position. He lay in a large crib his tiny yet clearly adult body curled up like a newborn babe. And on his face the most angelic smile that almost never diminished. He had been baptized as an infant and to my knowledge could not have sinned. I looked with marvel each visit upon innocence and a beatific countenance. What an astonishing gift he was. And who knows but God why he was this way? But God DOES know and had very important reasons. There was something central and indispensable in this man’s existence. Some role only he could fill. Apparently I was not able to fill that role. He was not disabled, he was differently abled, uniquely abled for something different than the ordinary. Looking upon him I had little doubt that he was directly in touch with God in a way that I never had been for his radiant face infallibly conveyed that. With our human eyes we can be saddened even appalled. But we’ll understand it better by an by. One day in the great by and by we may well be surprised to learn that the most central and critical people in God’s plan were the most humble and often the most broken and that we would never have made it without them.

Thank you Monsignor Pope for this profound meditation on the unfathomable gifts of a loving God. We are grateful that you see our children through the eyes of faith and that you are helping others to do the same. May God richly reward your efforts.

New software helps children with Down syndrome learn to read

One of the many topics of conversation on my round trip drive to DC for the KIDS event at the March for Life with a pro-life physician who happens to have a daugher with Down syndrome was how our children learn to read. I had heard that phonics don't work, and she has heard that they do. Frustrating as it is to have conflicting information, I press on seeking ways to improve her reading skills.
However, one thing both sides agree upon, is that contextual clues help. I was just in a planning meeting with Christina's teachers and they showed me how they were modifying the class's sentence building lessons  for her by adding pictures.  An example is; "The moose is in the yard." with cute drawings of the moose and the yard.
A new software program does this as well, as is aimed at English Language Learners as well as those children with autism and Down syndrome who are visual learners. It was developed by Rosemary Starett, an Irish educator and is called "A Busy Day"

The scenarios offered by the software are meant to illustrate "a busy day" in the life of a young child. Users see a brother and sister each waking up, getting dressed, eating breakfast together, walking to school with their father, and engaging in several other activities that most children will easily recognize. The software presents the scenes in colorful, fully illustrated on-screen windows featuring people, places, and objects children will relate with the activities being shown. "Waking up" includes a bed, pajamas, an alarm clock, and a bird perched on the windowsill. "Eating breakfast" displays a kitchen, food, silverware, and a table and chairs. Tied into the scenes are a variety of interactive exercises such as word matching, find the right word, and spot the differences, all designed to drive word recognition and association.

Read more about it here.

Meet me at the March for Life

My group Keep Infants with Down Syndrome will be hosting a reception with Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rogers (R-WA) who is on the Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus
at 10:30 AM at:



National Right to Life Headquarters
512 10th Street, NW
Washington DC 20004

(202)626-8800

At noon, after an hour's worth of inspirational speeches, free refreshements and fellowship, we will take up our signs, don our signature blue and yellow scarves and take KIDS to the streets. We will join the March for Life, a short walk from NRTL headquarters, and march together in solidarity for the unborn child with Downs yndrome 90%of whom are being denied life through abortion.
Join us!

My article on Our Lady of Guadalupe is in the Four County Catholic

You can read it here.

Mother and daughter interview on "The Face of Pro-life"

I was preparing for an interview on this TV show about the upcoming March for Life, when the Creative Director asked if my daughter would appear on the next segment. I called Gabriela, telling her that she had 20 minutes to get ready for her television debut. After hysterical screams of "but I look terrible" died down, she got ready and came into the studio to do this outstanding interview.
 I just tried to stay out of her way, she was blooming as a pro-life leader before my eyes. And NO you don't look FAT honey, just lovely. You are a leader, articulate and convincing, well versed, and passionate, yet poised. I am awestruck by how you shone in this interview.

 How did I ever deserve such a daughter? Thank you Lord.
Here is a link to the video.

Maddie Curtis is on American Idol!

Last year I met Barbara Curtis author and mom of 12 who blogs at Mommy Life as we were awarded the American Life League Pro-life Blog awards. She was so warm and real, and we held hands excitedly as we awaited our trophies. It was an honor for me to be considered on the same level as this accomplished lady who has just reverted to the Catholic faith. She is often in the media as a outstanding pro-life witness, but the other day, I was thrilled when. .
Isabella burst into the room to tell me about an American Idol acceptee named Maddie who has 4 brothers with Down syndrome, I KNEW it was Barb's daughter. What a gorgeous voice, on a lovely young lady who simply radiates love in the home scenes shot with her brothers. And she auditioned with the song "Hallelujah".
Her faith simply radiated through her powerful performance. I just loved the reunion she had with two of her brothers and mom outside the audition. Her description of her brothers with Down syndrome says it all, "they see the world in color; we need more to see the world that way."

I wish Maddie Godspeed, I'll be watching, and voting!
Thank you for raising the profile of famlies who love their children with Down syndrome, sweetheart! You are a winner just as you are.,
Watch her story and inspiring audition here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XwbmGDgH60

Full speed ahead to the March for Life!!

The last member of my family is on anti-biotics(they last until the March, so what can we catch now?
 "Canticle" magazine came through with a check for my article on KIDs in the March for Life (gas money)
 and I have a hotel room for Friday night.
March for Life, here we come!
Christina and I are driving while the teens in my home are going by bus. If any of you want to meet Rep Cathy McMorris Rogers at National Right to Life Headquarters at 11AM on the 22nd and join us for the March, come on over, no reservations needed! We will have a light brunch.
We have signs, banner, and scarves a plenty.
Hope to meet you there.

The devil is busy but God always wins

The only member of my family without strep throat is taking her math midterm today. We are all very sick and even our computers have viruses.That's why its been so quiet around here.

Some of my Facebook friends suggested that the computer gave me a virus.

 My plans to attend the March for Life are on hold till I see who is well enough to travel. The more of a fight I get from "Old Stinky" the more blessing I am going to get from the event. This is a predictable pattern.
He always loses, I wonder why he bothers.

God will win here too.

Beautiful article by my friend Kathy Carlman

I am always humbled in the presence of real talent. I who write incessantly, and can be careless with grammar and punctuation, know talent when I see it. Each Sunday evening, while our girls play volleyball, I share the bleachers with a talented writer and college composition professor, Kathy Carlman. She hasn't been writing as much as I have, and I told her that she had to share her God-given talent. She has, and you can see why I urged her to write when you read her moving piece today on Catholic Exchange.

A Blessed Epiphany

The Friars of the Immaculate at the Marian Friary of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Griswold have a wonderful Epiphany Party. After Mass and a potluck lunch, participants enter their names and those of their loved ones into a 'raffle'.
Fr Ignatius said a prayer invoking the Holy Spirit and pulled out a holy card for all the names which included four saints who would be special patrons of that person, a title of Our Lady, a virtue to focus on and a maxim. Here are mine.
Saints:  St Veronica Guiliani(Franciscan)
 Bl. Michelina of Pesaro (Franciscan),
Bl. Mary Mancini, OP.
 St Miguel Pro.
This is the second time St Miguel Pro has been mentioned to me in this short year. A Voice in the Crowd reminded me about his heroic sacrifice in his comments after my post here. I hope my year doesn't hold the challenges of his martyrdom, but I certainly need his courage.
Marian Title: Singular Vessel of Devotion
Virtue: Hyperdulia (the devotion given to Our Lady alone, above that of the saints, beneath the worship given only to God)
Maxim: "The Immaculate can turn even our weaknesses to greater good. This is my only consolation. "
St Maximilian Kolbe
:Learning about the saints and blesseds other than St Miguel Pro, with whose story I am already famliar, is a project I will share about here.
I am so pleased with the Marian Title  and how the virtue of devotion to Our Lady points me in her direction all year, to learn about how my weakness will be made into strength. St Maximillian is right, this is a tremendous consolation, considering I lost my mother this year. I will follow in the footsteps of Venerable John Paul II whose closeness to Our Lady when he was left motherless at nine years old, gave him his vocation.
Who knows what Our Lady could accomplish through my many weaknesses?
I can't wait to find out.

My Christmas letter is reaching the Holy Father!

 Here is an email from Padre Paolo Padrini, the director of the Holy Father's initiative Pope2You.
I sent him a link to my Letter from God to a Special Needs Mother.
He'll be sending my email to the Holy Father himself! I am so honored!
You can send the Holy Fahter your Christmas greetings by following the link in the email.


Dearest friend

I wanted to thank you for your Christmas greetings and tell you that will be delivered in the coming days to the Holy Father.

We propose an important initiative: during the Month of Peace, we invite you to send the Holy Father and to the world your photographic or textual message of Peace.

We invite you to do it the same way that you used for sending Christmas greetings from the site

www.pope2you.net

We urge you to make you, as requested by the Pope, "proclaim" the Gospel, and promoter of the portal of the Vatican Pope2You.

Heartfelt thanks

The Staff of Pope2You

Start the New Year off right.

With this cheerful video from International Down Syndrome Coaltiion for Life. Look for  Christina in at least three photos.

Abuelito is gone

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Antonio Chicas Velasquez, my father-in-law who left this life today at his home in El Salvador while we were praying for him at Mass. My husband's father was 74 and had chronic obstructive breathing disorder. 
Antonia met us in 2004 when Christina was a baby. He taught her to walk, patiently walking her over and over again across the living room floor. The two spent hours together on the floor with Lego blocks, and she always loved it when he would push her on the swings.
God have mercy on your soul, suegro, may the angels lead you into paradise.
Vaya con dios.

Our spirits were lifted by "Up"

Carl and Ellie Fredricksen became childhood friends in the 30’s through their mutual admiration of Charles Muntz, a world traveling adventurer modeled on Charles Lindberg. The little house where they met becomes their home when they marry and spend a lifetime dreaming of moving the little house to the top of Paradise Falls, in South America where Charles Muntz is still searching for his monster. Carl sells balloons in the Zoo where Ellie is a guide in the tropical birds house. When their plans to move to Paradise Falls are never realized, and Ellie dies, Carl is bereft, hardening into a stereotypical cranky old man. Their charming little house is surrounded by skyscrapers, and though Carl intends to stay put, he loses his temper with a construction worker, hitting over the head with his cane, and finds he has been forced by the court into leaving the home he loves. He hatches a plan in the night; he will float his home away with thousands of helium balloons, sail to South America and finally plant the little house on top of Paradise Falls. What he doesn’t realize is that he has a stow-away. Intrepid Russell the Wilderness Explorer has spent the night under his porch and suddenly finds himself on a floating house in the middle of Carl’s escape plan. The crusty Carl is none too pleased at this wrinkle in his plans, he was doing this for Ellie and wants nothing to do with this pesky little boy who is fascinated by his “floating house”.

When UP came out in theatres this summer, I avoided seeing it. Those who know my tastes as a family film reviewer will find this odd, so let me explain. This summer, I heard that UP, as lighthearted as it seemed in previews, had a theme about death. Since my own mother was succumbing to cancer, I was not ready to deal with my own intense feelings in a cinema, so I stayed home. I gave the DVD to my girls this Christmas, yet they insisted I avoid showing this film to my father. You see Carl’s beloved wife in UP was named Ellie. Like Mom.

So, when I finally saw this little film, it was with trepidation. I needn’t have worried. The sweetly sentimental treatment of a lifelong love was utterly charming. The tenderness of the couple living the ups and downs of marriage set to the lilting strains of a waltz was so delightful, I have the melody stuck in my head. And I love it there. UP reminded me of two things on this New Year’s Eve as the family watched it together; cherish even the boring everyday moments you share together; they may become your fondest memories when loved ones pass away. And when they do, and life seems stalled in the past, it is merely taking a new turn. If you keep your heart open, you will find someone to care for, someone who will bring a sparkle to your eye and a spring to your step. And that’s just what Ellie would want.

Pixar has done it again. Taken a theme of high flying adventure, bolstered it with unforgettable characters, exciting action and wonderfully clever humor and wowed family audiences. How do they find such great stories with such loveable characters as Carl the Curmudgeon and Russell the rotund Wilderness Explorer? How did they know my dog’s personality quirks and insert them into Dug?  This is the type of film a family should own to develop their own inside jokes (remember the time we saw Grandpa’s teeth besides his bed in a cup?) Crusty old age is as gently teased as is the youthful know-it-all, but in UP, its all in good fun. Only the bad guys lose altitude.

UP manages to deal skillfully with several themes not considered standard fare for children’s movies; disillusionment with childhood heroes, death, depression, and absent fathers. My hat is off to Pixar who always makes me look forward to the next film. Issues of death, and marriage are fleetingly but properly set inside a church, and Carl looks heavenward when talking to his late wife, implying a belief in the afterlife. Childlessness is seen as a source of suffering, and adults are respected by children. Amazing. No language or nudity, fleeting potty reference, some frightening scenes may bother younger viewers. Ages 8 and up.  Highly recommended.

This film is now available on DVD. Rated PG. 

My favorite stamps

Sorry to my friends who didn't receive Christmas cards yet from me, yet. As I said in my article this month in Canticle magazine, Christmas should be celebrated for the entire season. Today is the feast of Pope St Sylvester.
I have been dealing with a bad sore throat for over a week, and no end in sight since it was diagnosed as 'viral'. I am trying to bravely swallow my home remedies of ginger tea with honey and lemon while offering it up for a holier New Year for America.
Here's a suggestion to help it be a holy new year.
Send these beautiful new stamps of Blessed Mother Teresa and make her stamp the biggest hit since the lovely Madonna and Child Christmas stamps.