"Deborah's Path to Freedom" ~ Can you help a woman who has spend 5 YEARS in bed waiting for knee Surgery?

 

 

Deborah is a healthy woman who only needs knee surgery. She's been waiting FIVE years, caught in an uncaring healthcare system, in a bureaucratic nightmare. Seems pretty crazy, right? She went from living independently, using a wheelchair, but still being able to drive, and even being able to take care of her pet cat. 

After getting food poisoning she was cleared by the physiotherapist to go home, but an inexperienced social worker said, “handicapped people should not live alone” and threatened Deborah with the hospital bill, be cut off from Medicaid and Medicare, and lose her primary care physician if she did not give up her apartment and go into a “Skilled Nursing Facility” (or SNF). To increase the pressure they told her it would be pre-surgery rehab. Deborah was deceived. She was dumped in a nursing home. You don’t put a healthy person whose just waiting for knee surgery in a “nursing home”. But they did. The nightmare began. 

Deborah has been shuffled for the past 5 years between “nursing homes” suffering all sort of abuse and neglect. She had her groin damaged in a hospital and re-damaged in "nursing homes". She has been left for hours - over the 5 years literally hundreds of times - in urine and feces.

Late, this past Summer she was threatened to be put PERMANENTLY in a nursing home! This should NOT be happening! If you help, you will be helping Deborah to walk again, and saving her from eventual death in a “nursing home”. If it were not for one volunteer, organized by her marvellous priest, she would  have been dragged out her her little apartment...

As Deborah's priest said: "we have to get you out of here, or you will die". Deborah needs your help with medical supplies, the costs of care-giving, and daily living expenses. Medicaid will cover her surgery, but it is getting her to surgery that is the key.

With your support for Deborah she will be able to walk again. Please help end this nightmare.

Witness is asking for your support in whatever way you can: prayers, a donation, re-posting this post, a "word" on your social media. Whatever you can do is most gratefully appreciated. 

VISIT HER GOFUNDME HERE: "DEBORAH'S PATH TO FREEDOM" TO DONATE. THANK YOU, AND GOD BLESS.

The Tragedy of Michael Voris is the story of Rebellion against Legitimate Authority.

I wrote the following back on June 12, 2012. (Read the original here) This is not the end of "Church Militant", but it is the beginning of the end. The entire situation is tragic, but inevitably predictable. Laymen have never run apostolates; such apostolates are bound to come a cropper. Likewise I had also a few months earlier raised the issue of the unorthodox relationship between Voris' organization and the legitimate authority of the local church. 

Just over 10 years later we see the tragic shipwreck of another "apostolate" that lacked the humility of submission to legitimate authority. Let us recall that even Our Lord Jesus Christ - until the time of His Passion - never questioned or encouraged his disciples to rebel against the legitimate authority of the Mosaic priests. (c.f. Matt 23:3) Until Christ abolished the Old Covenant (and ONLY he had the Authority to do so!), by completing and transforming it into the New, the High Priest and his delegates had legitimate authority given to them from God. It was only when the curtain of the Temple was rent in two, was the Old Covenant finished. 

In our sad age, an age of contagious protestantism and liberalism (and was it not Hamish Fraser who once said that most American Catholics were just protestants who went to Mass?) the urge to rebellion, to individualism, to rejecting legitimate authority will be strong... we have seen it in the icarian flight of poor Michael Voris. In not placing himself under the authority of a priest and bishop Voris opened himself up to the promptings of the devil. Pray for Voris indeed, but do not forget to pray for family, friends, and others much closer who may also be under temptation to rebel. Let us never forget that God loves the humble, and humbles the proud. The saints, the great true reformers of the Church all were distinguished in their spiritual lives by great humility.

Semantics, semantics... Real Catholic TV - the organization whose main public voice is Michael Voris has announced that it will remove the word "catholic". The full article may be  here at Catholic News Service (CNS).  Mark Shea has an interesting analysis on the motivation behind the name change. 

The problem is much deeper - does a layman have the right to catechize? Yes, if it means to individually witness for the Faith. However, does a layman have the right to carry on a open, public catechetical ministry without hierarchical oversight? NO. And this is the problem. What exactly is the "church militant"? Is it Catholic? It is not if it is not under the hierarchy. It may sound, smell, and look like the real thing, but without the bishop, it is not. No layman can carry on an apostolate claiming to teach the Faith without guidance and oversight form the Divinely appointed lawgivers: the local Ordinary in union with the Pope. Let us not get bogged down in the local diocese having lost the Faith: Rome is the judge of that. 

The Apostles and the Church Fathers have from the beginnings of the Church been confronted with those who fluff off the bishop. St. Ignatius of Antioch devoted considerable effort to emphasizing obedience to the bishop; Pius XII emphatically wrote of how laymen- when catechizing - are under the direction of the hierarchy. The Second Vatican Council reiterated this traditional teaching. 

Some words on Michael Voris and Christine Niles

News has reached me over the transom that Michael Voris and Christine Niles have left Church Militant.

Michael Voris was asked to leave over a breach of Church Militant's "morality clause," and needs to focus on his personal health, while Christine Niles appears to have resigned a few weeks ago.

Since I have written in defense of them in the past, it is appropriate to note this development.

Over the past few years, my rose-coloured-glasses view of them has lost that rosy hue. While their anger over the SSPX's treatment of clerical abuse was/is justified, some of their statements about the Society as a whole overreached and made many people angry. I watched with dismay over how they seemed to go after anyone who attacked them with an energy that didn't do justice to the matter at hand, although it must be said the other side wasn't exactly squeaky-clean either. Legal battles are ugly. In short, I was disappointed to see both Michael Voris and Christine Niles act the way they did. Professional Catholics seem to do themselves little favors by being just that.

With that said, I dislike the innuendos and unsavoury insinuations made about either of them. 

Vox Cantoris has a little more to say.

Pray for all involved, and may all find peace in this life and in the next. "With fear and trembling" is how the spiritual masters characterize our path to salvation, and I would be remiss if I didn't admit that I am just as sinful (if not more) as Michael Voris and Christine Niles. I am not above them.

I wish them both success in their future endeavors, whatever form that takes.

Irenaeus

A further update on Andrew Rivera

An update on Andrew Rivera. Help is still needed, as the process of recovery is long despite much progress.

Update #6 - November 17th at 7:14am

It is now November 17, over 7 months since Andrew's collapse from a diabetic coma and the resulting complications, including kidney failure (now resolved) and a stroke. During the medical crisis and testing it was found that Andrew had a hole in his heart. I'm glad to write that in mid-September, it was repaired in surgery and Andrew continues to recover. However, the effect of the stroke and the whole period of being in a coma means that his recovery is still ongoing. Make no mistake, he is improving, but, there is no indication of when he will be able to return to work. It may be many, many months, I cannot predict. 

I ask you not to forget Andrew and Orlando and to remember them in your prayers.

I thank each of you for your kindness by way of financial support. Many of you have given multiple times. Some have given small amounts, like the recent $7 donation. That is the "widow's mite," and the opus Dei! Thank you so much. 

Please, please, share this on your social media. Please help us get to the $50,000 goal by Christmas.

God bless you. 

David Anthony Domet

GiveSendGo - Supporting Andrew Rivera and Son: The Leader in Freedom Fundraising.

Join Deborah's "Path to Freedom" ~ Please help her walk again!

 

Deborah is a healthy woman who only needs knee surgery. She's been waiting FIVE years, caught in an uncaring healthcare system, in bureaucratic nightmare. Seems pretty crazy, right? She went from living independently, using a wheelchair, but still being able to drive, and even being able to take care of her pet cat. 

After getting food poisoning she was cleared by the physiotherapist to go home, but an inexperienced social worker said, “handicapped people should not live alone” and threatened Deborah with the hospital bill, be cut off from Medicaid and Medicare, and lose her primary care physician if she did not give up her apartment and go into a “Skilled Nursing Facility” (or SNF). To increase the pressure they told her it would be pre-surgery rehab. Deborah was deceived. She was dumped in a nursing home. You don’t put a healthy person whose just waiting for knee surgery in a “nursing home”. But they did. The nightmare began. 

Deborah has been shuffled for the past 5 years between “nursing homes” suffering all sort of abuse and neglect. Now they want to PERMANENTLY put her in a nursing home! This should NOT be happening! If you help, you will be helping Deborah to walk again, and saving her from eventual death in a “nursing home”. 

As Deborah's priest said: "we have to get you out of here, or you will die". Deborah is now in a very small apartment, but needs your help with medical supplies, the costs of care-giving, and daily living expenses. 

With your support for Deborah she will be able to walk again. Please help end this nightmare.

Witness is asking for your support in whatever way you can: prayers, a donation, re-posting this post, a "word" on your social media. Whatever you can do is most gratefully appreciated. 

VISIT HER GOFUNDME HERE: "DEBORAH'S PATH TO FREEDOM" TO DONATE. THANK YOU, AND GOD BLESS.

Fr. Leonard Goffine on the Feast of the holy Apostles Simon and Jude

Holy Mother Church honours today two of the Apostles, Sts. Simon and Jude. Fr. Leonard Goffine offers a brief historical summary of these two lesser-known Apostles:

St. Simon and St. Jude were probably brothers; the former received the surname Canaanite, to distinguish him from Simon Peter, either because he was a native of Cana, or because of his zeal for Christ (Luke vi. 15; Acts i, 13). Judas was surnamed Thaddeus, or Lebbeus, to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot. Both were chosen apostles by Christ, and were constant witnesses of His life and deeds. It is related of them in the Martyrology that the light of faith was communicated to Egypt and other countries of Africa by Simon, and to Palestine, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Greater Armenia by Thaddeus. Meeting in Persia, and propagating the Christian faith by their preaching and miracles, they both gained the crown of martyrdom. There is extant an epistle of St. Jude which the Church has incorporated into the Holy Scriptures. From these two apostles learn to have zeal for the glory of God, for your own salvation and for that of your neighbour. 

Blessed be Him who always schools me, even into the late hours of the night

Psalm 15.

1

 

(A miktam. Of David.)
Keep me safe, Lord; I put my trust in thee.

2

 

The Lord, whom I own as my God, confess that in him is all my good!

3

 

There are faithful souls in this land of his; wondrous delight he gives me in their companionship.

4

 

What do they do but lay up fresh store of sorrows, that betake themselves to alien gods? Not with these will I pour out the blood of sacrifice; I will not take forbidden names on my lips.

5

 

No, it is the Lord I claim for my prize, the Lord who fills my cup; thou, and no other, wilt assure my inheritance to me.

6

 

Portion is none were more to my liking; welcome the lot’s choice!

7

 

Blessed be the Lord, who schools me; late into the night my inmost thoughts chasten me.

8

 

Always I can keep the Lord within sight; always he is at my right hand, to make me stand firm.

9

 

Glad and merry am I, heart and soul of me; my body, too, shall rest in confidence

10

 

that thou wilt not leave my soul in the place of death, or allow thy faithful servant to see corruption.

11

 

Thou wilt shew me the way of life, make me full of gladness in thy presence; at thy right hand are delights that will endure for ever.

Is the Pope a Catholic? Continuity or Contradiction? Ashenden Scripted.

We provide a video from Gavin Ashenden, who expounds on the Synod of Synodality and offers what has been called "an excellent analysis of Bergoglio."

God keep you all and your peace.