When bishops to the right thing, be sure they will be attacked with nearly diabolical savagery.
Check out comments in the local newspaper where H.E. Most Rev. Alex Sample is Bishop of Marquette, MI.
Stop and say a prayer for Bp. Sample right now.
Coat of Arms by D Burkart
on Daily Rome (video) 1275 – a trip to the tailor: “It appears that the Lewis Chessmen have been keeping up with the latest consistory lists.”
on Daily Rome (video) 1275 – a trip to the tailor: “I really appreciate the video of the Tailor in Rome. Right this moment I am tasked with acquiring vestments for…”
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on A quick reminder…: “An amazing reality to behold. The glories of the faith. Mother of Priests, pray for us.”
on “Pro aris et focis” – Food for thought: “Why are you not a “fan of The Pillar”? It has become my first source of news in the Church.…”
on LENTCAzT 2025 – 17: Friday of the 2nd Week of Lent – Envy: “Great reflection and Lentcazt, Father. What/who sings the opening music? It was very beautiful.”
on Daily Rome Shot 1274 – processions and more: “The intro is very long although very pretty. The Gammarelli episode really begins at 3:48.” on Daily Rome Shot 1274 – processions and more: “A big long visit to Gammarelli video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7JA1H5RKIo”
on Sterile faith v. living faith: “I suppose it depends on what one considers charitable outreach and how much they advertise their “good” works.” on Daily Rome Shot 1274 – processions and more: “That would make a great episcopal motto, “less jabbering”.”
on Sterile faith v. living faith: “I attend a traditional diocesan parish with excellent liturgy (we even do pre-55 Holy Week, with pre-55 Tenebrae etc.) AND…”
on Sterile faith v. living faith: “diaconus says In my experience, parishes which have increasing numbers of attendees do charitable outreach or liturgy really well. That…”
on Sterile faith v. living faith: “Perhaps here is what Cardinal Roche does not see. Those who want to expand the availability of the Vetus Ordo…”
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A Daily Prayer for Priests
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since Sat., 25 Nov. 2006:
Attacks = badge of courage. God Bless him.
I wonder if there is a statistical correlation between the number of whiny comments that appear in the local newspaper, and the number of members in the local Justice and Peace group (allowing for a few extra in the shape of their Significant Others, and miscellaneous trolls).
Our Fathers chained in prisons dark,
Were still in heart and conscience free.
How truly blest their children’s fate,
If they like them should die for Thee.
Faith of our Fathers, holy Faith!
We will be true to Thee ’til death.
Either we believe this or we don’t. It’s just that simple.
Bishop Sample’s heart and conscience is free, and, and thanks be to God, the Faith has been upheld.
God bless Bishop Sample.He’s concerned, rightly so, about the education of his flock.
God bless Bishop Sample! I will keep him in my prayers, and pray that more of our Bishops have his courage and faith!
As St. John Vianney advised once: “Let them say all they have to say. When they have said all they have to say, there will be no more to be said and they will be silent.”
Thank God for Bishop Sample and for his fidelity to Holy Mother Church!
A wonderful new priest in our diocese was recently attacked in a letter to the editor in our local paper for simply speaking the Truth during his homily. We continue to pray for him and all, like Bp. Sample, who speak the Truth.
Those folks who wrote the editor have a badly formulated faith. Priests and Bishops hold the majority of the responsibility and we have wicked pastors who assure people that “things will change”. The Church is not a democracy, it was founded by Jesus Christ himself. Either you believe in the Faith or you don’t. God is love, not swords. Isn’t it interesting how liberal Catholics go into the old kannards about the Holocaust, the inquisitions and the crusades? Doesn’t fit their agenda they change the subject.
I don’t see a way to leave comments; do you need to be a subscriber, or something?
I have to let you know this. I sent an email thanking Bishop Sample for his courageous stand yesterday and received a very kind response today. Let him know you are behind him and praying for him, if you have not already. You can email him at: jjason@dioceseofmarquette.org
I am always reminded by these things of that famous statement made by then-Cardinal Ratzinger: If he did not read at least one derogatory article about him per week, he needed to re-examine his conscience to see what was going wrong.
God Bless this good Bishop!
I agree with thereseb; this looks like an orchestrated attack by the “Citizens for Peace and Social Justice.” God bless Bishop Sample, and I hope he recognizes that a small, vocal group of dissenters to the Faith, no matter how well-organized, are still just a bunch of hippie heretics.
I haven’t read the comments. When Bishop Martino spoke out the way he did, the Scranton papers’ comments were inundated with “he just likes boys” to “stay out of politics” and the usual inquisition/crusade stuff. I will just assume that it is more of the same. I honestly get bored with the same-ol’ same-ol’.
Fr. John Mary has an excellent idea. Contacting the Bishop’s office with a brief note of thanks and support can only do good.
Bp. Gumbleton, with a single statement to the press, could do a lot to defuse this situation. Has he spoken out?
Fr. John Mary, I sent an email of support and prayer. Excellent idea. I think our brave faithful bishops could certainly use a lift. Too often we take them for granted!
I’ve often thought that the first question the Pope (any pope) should ask each bishop when he arrives for his ad limina is: “By whom are you hated in your home diocese?” The answer would speak volumes, you can tell a lot about a man by the kind of enemies he makes!
Done! God Bless the good Bishop Sample
Bishop Gumbelton? I had no idea this man was still around and spreading his pernicious form of “teaching.” I remember him from the ’70’s when he was involved as an intermediary in the Iran hostage crisis, blaming the U.S. of course. And don’t forget the ’80’s, when he was a peace activist (aka supporter of the Communist bloc). I applaud Bishop Sample for refusing to give this apostate bishop a forum for his tired ideas. Would that other bishops had the courage to do the same.
The comments against Bishop Sample betray the gravity of the loss of Catholic Faith. People clamor for “free thinking” so that any opinion is as important as the doctrines revealed by Jesus Christ. They rail against his “lack of dialogue” because the Church must not stand for a superior truth which disrespects the wider culture. They decry Sample’s action against “a man of peace” so that the social gospel must always trump the teachings of Christian sexual morality.
Where are faithful Catholics when their Bishop is being tackled like this? I hope that each and every viewer of this blog who was gratified by Bishop Sample’s prophetic backbone takes five minutes from their schedule to write him and tell him what we think of a Bishop who acts like a Catholic bishop.
I have no doubt that Bishop Gumbleton needs help hauling the sacks of congratulatory mail he is getting for his “standing up against the right wingers” of the Church. It is no wonder why more bishops prefer to act like a Gumbleton instead of a Sample.
Those aren’t letters to the editor! They can’t possibly have been *edited*, can they? How did they get through? It looks more like a web log or something…
Here’s my notion of what a letter to the editor should look like: http://epistle-null.blogspot.com/2009/10/letters-to-editor.html
OK, sorry for the shameful self-promotion…
It is sad. I am sure a lot of these comments are from “progressive” students at NMU.
It is hard to believe that people don’t understand CONTEXT. The commentors obviously paint with such broad brushes that they lose the forest for the trees.
Thanks, Agnes and Clinton, for contacting the good Bishop. You don’t know what consolation and help this will bring him, along with your prayers. Our good Bishops need all the support they can get. I am reminded of Bishop John Fisher, the martyred English Bishop, who alone stood up to Henry VII. Am I being melodramatic? I think not.
Sorry, that should be Henry VIII; don’t want to bring Henry VII into disrepute!:<)!
I also sent email thanking the Bishop for shepherding those of us who live in dioceses where nothing is said about anything.
The battle was won before dear Bishop Sample ever put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard)! Deo gratias!
The good bishop has set the example of fidelity to Christ in firm charity (tough love!) in the macrocosm of his diocese for his priests in the microcosm of their own parishes and for laymen in the nanocosm of their families. Let us be attentive!
As for the inevitable tantrums, here’s another fitting quote from St. John Vianney:
“If a priest is determined not to lose his soul, so soon as any disorder arises in the parish, he must trample underfoot all human considerations as well as the fear of the contempt and hatred of his people. He must not allow anything to bar his way in the discharge of duty, even were he certain of being murdered on coming down from the pulpit. A pastor who wants to do his duty must keep his sword in hand at all times. Did not St. Paul himself write to the faithful of Corinth: ‘I most gladly will spend and be spent myself for your souls, although loving you more, I be loved less.’”
How beautiful it is to see Him reflected in one of His shepherds…
Yes, I must write him too.
I also sent him an email of support and prayer. I lived in Marquette before moving to Alaska, and still have family in the area. God Bless Him. The other guy too, I suppose – for the sake of charity. But it’s great to see Bishop Sample stand up for what’s right and not cower when the wolves gather. I thought it might make him smile after all the vile comments in the paper to know he’s got support all the way from the “real” North.
“…I sent an email thanking Bishop Sample for his courageous stand…Let him know you are behind him and praying for him, if you have not already. You can email him at: jjason@dioceseofmarquette.org”
Comment by Fr. John Mary
Great suggestion! DONE. If WDTPRSers can move polls, surely we can support bishops who know how to bish.
I read the letter that Bishop Sample sent out-bravo for him!
As I’ve said on similar occasions: a Bishop who knows how to ‘Bish’!
7qswallows-great quote from St. John Vianney!
Thank you, Clinton. It is an excellent idea to get Gumbleton to make a statement. It’s what should be happenning.
None of these press accounts actually deal with the differences between Gumbleton’s teaching and Sample’s teaching. I want a good, drawn out debate between the two! The Church Militant deserves to hear it!
I am angered by the fact that the secular press, in the interest of a simple story, makes this into a “right winger” versus a “dissident.” None of the news stories (even those in the Catholic press) actually bothers to examine where are the differences between these two men.
From what I have read, BOTH guys are bishops in good standing.
Rather than writing congratulatory notes to either prelate, we should be asking them both to use this as a teaching opportunity.
May the best (i.e. truthiest) man win.
BTW, I got a very prompt and kind response from Bishop Sample giving thanks for the encouragement and asking specifically for prayers for all those concerned and healing of the divisions in the Church.