Bishop Joseph Martino continues his work in Scranton… with the Catholic University there.
I hope Fr. Jenkins is reading.
Hey… Fr. Jenkins! What goes on the health services for the students at Notre Shame?
Bishops Seek Information on Student Health Services
at Catholic Institutions of Higher Learning
Bishop Joseph F. Martino and Auxiliary Bishop John M. Dougherty have asked the four Catholic institutions of higher learning in the Diocese of Scranton to provide information on their student health services to have assurance that no practice is occurring which would be in violation of Catholic teaching.The bishops made the request in an April 1 letter to Holy Cross Father [who ahve Notre Shame] Thomas J. O’Hara, president of King’s College in Wilkes-Barre; Immaculate Heart of Mary Sister Anne Munley, president of Marywood University in Scranton; Michael A. MacDowell, president of Misericordia University in Dallas; and Jesuit Father Scott R. Pilarz, president of The University of Scranton.
In their letter, the bishops explain that their inquiry is prompted by a March 25 article in the student newspaper at St. Joseph University in Philadelphia. The article describes how the university, in its words, finds the “middle ground between Church doctrine and student healthcare.”
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Read the rest at the site of the Diocese of Scranton.
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We could do with some bishops like yours over here in England. Only the Bishop of Lancaster seems ready to stand up and be counted at present – and he’s due to retire.
Let’s hope the appointment of Bishop Nichols to Westminster inspires him to address such issues – not least with our dreadful Catholic (or so they say) Education Service.
Enabling adultery is healthcare?
I’m working with Villanovans for Life to get us to honor Bishop Martino next year with our annual Respect Life Award. He honestly may be the strongest and most consistent pro-life voice in the Church today. What a beautiful example he sets not only for bishops around the country and the Church, but for all Catholics. May God continue to bless him with courage, grace, humility, and love, and may He bless the Church with more leaders like him.
As an ND alumna, I can assure you that your insinuation is baseless and that health services at ND does not prescribe contraception or provide referrals to students seeking it and that ND-issued health insurance does not cover contraception, abortion or IVF.
The attacks on Fr. Jenkins’ character are getting old.
I hope EJ is correct about NDU. However, there are a number of Catholic colleges and universities that DO NOT adhere to Church teaching on such issues. In addition, the same type of inquiry ought to be made of Catholic hospitals as many of them also fail to adhere to Church teaching. I am pleased that the Bp. recognizes the pastoral responsibility to ask the question. Too many today seem to have adopted the “don’t ask-don’t tell” approach.
EJ, I am a double-Domer and have serious doubts about Father Jenkins character and judgment. It started with his decision to allow the
Monolgues to be presented on campus. The attacks on Jenkins should continue until he recants or resigns. By the way, to my knowledge he has not
responded to one alum who has protested to his office. I guess he’s also good about hiding under his desk. Tom
Bishops taking an interest in making sure things are done the right way in their dioceses are to be commended! Way to bish!
Father Jenkins can be removed, who’s his superior that is unwilling to do it ,perhaps someone in Rome needs to remove him also.
“As an ND alumna, I can assure you that your insinuation is baseless and that health services at ND does not prescribe contraception or provide referrals to students seeking it”
I’m reminded somehow of an anecdote involving Dr. Samuel Johnson, his dictionary, and a respectable woman.
When you travel to Catholic universities, it’s amazing how many have Planned Parenthood or other abortion/contraception providers squatting like toads just beyond the property line. Liberal or conservative, Catholic or “in the Catholic tradition” — it doesn’t matter. They inflict their presence on the scenery, and try their best to be more visible than they ever try to be around a secular university. It screams out from them that they hate us.
One time, I saw that around the corner from Planned Parenthood was an anti-Catholic religious bookstore. It looked downright friendly, sitting next to PP.
Maureen thats the DEVIL honey, he knows where JESUS has set up as the ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN (THE CATHOLIC CHURCH) He is always lurkig around waiting to devour who he can, these days the field is bountiful for him there are soo many so called “catholics” who have betrayed JESUS.
The local paper does not seem to agree with the Bishops.
http://www.timesleader.com/opinion/columnists/guydish/Why_does_our_bishop_publicly_prod_schools__MARK_GUYDISH_OPINION_04-05-2009.html
http://www.timesleader.com/news/Students__Accept_birth_control_04-05-2009.html
http://www.timesleader.com/news/Bishop_questions_condom_availability_04-04-2009.html
Now that’s a novel thought these days – a Catholic school being checked if they actually following Catholic teachings. Of course the modernists whine about it, even when the Bishop simply asks some basic questions. Can you say hyper-sensitive? But sin likes to hide in the darkness rather than be exposed to light. In California the Jesuit schools supported abortions in their health care plans until the fact was made known, and then outcry caused some action to be taken. We need more of this checking on a Catholic school’s actual adherence to Catholicism, followed by real consequences for those that don’t.
I am an ND alum that graduated in 2007. Health services does not prescribe contraceptives and prescriptions cannot be filled at the campus pharmacy.
“Notre Shame”? Grow up padre. [Grow up? See ya!] You’re better than this.
I’m a Double-domer, Mike, and I think “Notre Shame” fits just fine. I was born and raised on the Notre Dame Campus. I was baptized and married there. I have deep ties to the place and I feel very, very ashamed of my Alma Mater and what it has been turned into by businessmen masquerading as Catholic priests. I note your relative young age so I can’t blame you for your lack of outrage at what Father Jenkins has done. As one ages and gains experience in the world, you become more aware of what is ersatz and what is real and what is cheap. Tom
Mike, Notre Dame is giving President Obama a prestigious honourary degree and having him deliver the commencement speech and that alone does not merit the title “Notre Shame”? Certainly the event itself is to our shame, as Catholics obedient to… er, God.
Sincerely,
A student at a ‘Catholic’ university that’s actually worse.
Don’t misunderstand me, I am just as angry as you all are about this situation. However, childish name calling distracts from our message.
It is a grand day to see a bishop doing his duty. Health care = contraception, who are they kidding. Every aspect of Catholic education needs to be examined inthe Unite States, not only the college/university level but also high schools and elementry school
Notre Dame isn’t name calling, it’s a legitimate play on words. Notre Dame means “Our Lady”. But what once was an honor to Mary’s grace and glory is now Our Shame, a mark of shame on the Church in America.
As one philosopher has noted, the Judas Iscariot chair of Business Ethics can not be far away.
Franco,
The Times Leader absolutely hates HE Martino. But that may be an understatement.
A student called from Notre Shame last night seeking an annual donation. My wife answered the phone (luckily for the student) and she told them to get their money from Obama and that her husband (me) won’t contribute another dime to the University while the Jenkins regime is in charge. And she was nice to the student compared to what I would have said! Tom
TJM-bravo! Money talks! Feel bad about the student who had to make the call, though….
LCB-‘Judas Iscariot Chair of Business Ethics’….ooo, that’s a good one, too!
irishgirl. Thanks, I hear they have been getting a lot of rejections on their current appeal. Too bad, so sad. Tom
While I was at Notre Dame (which was recent), I remember hearing some other students lamenting failed attempts on procuring contraceptives on campus through student health services or being unable to buy contraceptive medications through the health service pharmacy. Considering that I never desired or tried to obtain these items, I guess it’s theoretically possible that the students involved were making up the stories, though I did examine the student health insurance policy to make sure that contraceptives were not covered (they weren’t at least while I was there).
I can understand the suspicion, but I think health services is one area that Notre Dame is actually doing right.
I work in the health center at a “Catholic” university. There is a Planned Parenthood right down the road. When I first came to work in the health center, Planned Parenthood was first on their list of “GYN referrals” along with other places that would give students birth control or the morning after pill. The health center doesn’t prescribe birth control but enables its use by referring students elsewhere. Once a student is on birth control, all she has to do is have the local pharmacy deliver her pills to the health center where she can pick them up. So in essence the health center IS distributing and promoting birth control. The explanation for this, when I protested, was that students were going to be sexually active so they might as well be protected—and that not all students were Catholic! There is another “Catholic” university in the next town, and their policy is the same. Shameful. Administration has turned a deaf ear to efforts to effect change, although they did take Planned Parenthood off the referral list at last (but Planned Parenthood makes sure there is literature on campus). I distribute information to students, brochures from One More Soul and other sources, and some women have stopped the pill. Brick by brick.