Maybe I should start attending the Happy Hour instead of relying on the salad bar for info. Fr. Joe La Mar reports that at the Happy Hour, Fr. Jim Noonan shared that he was arrested along with 64 others at a demonstration at the White House on August 21. Ms. Marie Dennis, head of Maryknoll Office of Global Concerns, was also arrested.
The group Tar Sands Action calls for protests and acts of civil disobedience over the coming days against the proposed Canada-Texas Keystone XL Pipeline project, slated to carry toxic "bitumen" (a low grade of oil extracted out of tarry earth) from the Tar Sands region of Alberta Canada, south across the great plains and the vital Ogallala aquifer, all the way to the Gulf Coast near Houston.
In a blog by Rose On, she states:
"Some highlights from Saturday: Jim Antal, former head of Fellowship of Reconciliation and now president of the Massachussetts Conference of the United Church of Christ was arrested. Kristy Powell, originator of the One Dress Protest, was arrested. Lt. Dan Choi, leader of the protest against the former military policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, was arrested. Fr. Jim Noonan, Maryknoll Catholic priest, who spent years in Cambodia under Pol Pot serving AIDS patients was arrested."
A little fact-checking is in order. Pol Pot stepped down in 1979, a year before the HIV virus was identified. Noonan didn't go to Vietnam until much later, but did indeed minister to people suffering from HIV/AIDS in Cambodia.
It's nice to know that once we dismiss that pesky R.B, Maryknoll's newly acquired (and totally undeserved) reputation for passivity and obedience to the rule of law will be mercifully short-lived.
Showing posts with label Fr. Jim Noonan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fr. Jim Noonan. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
On life supports?
Fr. Jim Noonan, former superior general, addressed a gathering of 32 Maryknoll Brothers, Fathers and promoters last night in the Founders Room, reporting on the recent meeting of the American Catholic Council in Detroit in June.
In the first hour, Jim went through the two documents that came out of the Council: Soundings of the Faithful and Catholic Bill of Rights and Responsibilities.
More than 4,000 people attended the Conference from 38 States and several Canadian Provinces. Participants discussed what makes them happy about being Catholic (Why People Love the Church) and why are they still a Catholic? They also discussed the desire to have a Church that better witnesses to Gospel values as well as what they find disturbing or disappointing about the Church today.
The results of the survey were interesting but hardly surprising, and many Maryknollers might agree with them.
Fr. Marty Lowery expressed his hope that we here at the Center might do something to surface our own opinions of the issues facing the Church. Mr. Greg Darr, promoter from Chicago, expressed some disappointment of the demographics of both the conference and the survey: fully 96 percent were 45 years of age and older, with 63 percent being more than 65 years, Caucasian and college educated.(Coincidentally, this mirrors Maryknoll magazine readership.)
After an hour, Jim gave us a small break and invited any who wanted to remain for informal discussion of what we can do to safeguard the seemingly fading spirit of Vatican II. Surprisingly, 29 guys stayed for what I feel was one of the most spirited and energetic discussions we've had in ages.
I offered that in the Korean parish where I help out, these areas of concern (married priests, women priests, non-communicative and authoritarian bishops, lack of accountability, lack of lay participation and in-put) do not seem to be high priorities. Plus, the growing populations of the Church in the United States (Hispanic, Vietnamese, Korean and Haitian) don't seem to share our concerns. Are these immigrant parishes keeping the Church here on life supports? My hometown (Amsterdam, N.Y.) once had seven parishes; it now has three. Brooklyn is in the process of closing or combining 40+ parishes.
Several men reported that younger relatives or parishioners they know share our concerns that the present structure of the Church is seriously flawed, a fact made painfully obvious in the continued bungling of the scandals around the world.
What came out was a desire to keep our conversation going, perhaps in preparation for the meeting of all Society members in 2013. To that end, our next session here at the Center will be August 10 at 7:30.
In the first hour, Jim went through the two documents that came out of the Council: Soundings of the Faithful and Catholic Bill of Rights and Responsibilities.
More than 4,000 people attended the Conference from 38 States and several Canadian Provinces. Participants discussed what makes them happy about being Catholic (Why People Love the Church) and why are they still a Catholic? They also discussed the desire to have a Church that better witnesses to Gospel values as well as what they find disturbing or disappointing about the Church today.
The results of the survey were interesting but hardly surprising, and many Maryknollers might agree with them.
Fr. Marty Lowery expressed his hope that we here at the Center might do something to surface our own opinions of the issues facing the Church. Mr. Greg Darr, promoter from Chicago, expressed some disappointment of the demographics of both the conference and the survey: fully 96 percent were 45 years of age and older, with 63 percent being more than 65 years, Caucasian and college educated.(Coincidentally, this mirrors Maryknoll magazine readership.)
After an hour, Jim gave us a small break and invited any who wanted to remain for informal discussion of what we can do to safeguard the seemingly fading spirit of Vatican II. Surprisingly, 29 guys stayed for what I feel was one of the most spirited and energetic discussions we've had in ages.
I offered that in the Korean parish where I help out, these areas of concern (married priests, women priests, non-communicative and authoritarian bishops, lack of accountability, lack of lay participation and in-put) do not seem to be high priorities. Plus, the growing populations of the Church in the United States (Hispanic, Vietnamese, Korean and Haitian) don't seem to share our concerns. Are these immigrant parishes keeping the Church here on life supports? My hometown (Amsterdam, N.Y.) once had seven parishes; it now has three. Brooklyn is in the process of closing or combining 40+ parishes.
Several men reported that younger relatives or parishioners they know share our concerns that the present structure of the Church is seriously flawed, a fact made painfully obvious in the continued bungling of the scandals around the world.
What came out was a desire to keep our conversation going, perhaps in preparation for the meeting of all Society members in 2013. To that end, our next session here at the Center will be August 10 at 7:30.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
U.S. Region and Retirement Community Retreat
By the numbers:
At the retreat: 77
At Evening Prayer yesterday: 7
At weekly rosary for vocations: 17
At the happy hour: 47
**********************
"Its always good when Maryknollers get together." (Fr. Mike Duggan, U.S. Regional superior) in introducing our retreat director.
Father Jim Noonan (Philippines, former Super G, Mekong, Washington, D.C.) directs our U.S. Regional Retreat this year, from October 12~ 14.
The theme is: we are on a marvelous journey that never ends. Every day we have the opportunity to deepen and experience our relationship with our selves, with others' with God and with all creation.
The meaning of life: loving relationships.
The more loving relationships we have, the more fully alive we become.
"Humanity has just entered perhaps the greatest transformation it has ever known..."
"We are mere fractions of our full potential."
"What we shall be has not yet been revealed."
"We are only at the threshold of our life as adults."
Relationship with ourself: become aware how lovable, unique and mysterious we are. We can go through life wearing masks, trying to be someone others think we should be or who we think we should be. We need to know. Our strengths and our weaknesses.
What we think of ourselves determines how we relate to others. Judging others destroys relationships and imposes a burden on us and leads on down a path that leads nowhere. The shortcomings in others that annoy us most usually remind us of our own shortcomings.
A retreat gives us time for silence and solitude to allow the Spirit of the living God to enter more deeply into us. The biggest distraction to growth in self-awareness and awareness of others, of God, and of creation is busy-ness.
At the retreat: 77
At Evening Prayer yesterday: 7
At weekly rosary for vocations: 17
At the happy hour: 47
**********************
"Its always good when Maryknollers get together." (Fr. Mike Duggan, U.S. Regional superior) in introducing our retreat director.
Father Jim Noonan (Philippines, former Super G, Mekong, Washington, D.C.) directs our U.S. Regional Retreat this year, from October 12~ 14.
The theme is: we are on a marvelous journey that never ends. Every day we have the opportunity to deepen and experience our relationship with our selves, with others' with God and with all creation.
The meaning of life: loving relationships.
The more loving relationships we have, the more fully alive we become.
"Humanity has just entered perhaps the greatest transformation it has ever known..."
"We are mere fractions of our full potential."
"What we shall be has not yet been revealed."
"We are only at the threshold of our life as adults."
Relationship with ourself: become aware how lovable, unique and mysterious we are. We can go through life wearing masks, trying to be someone others think we should be or who we think we should be. We need to know. Our strengths and our weaknesses.
What we think of ourselves determines how we relate to others. Judging others destroys relationships and imposes a burden on us and leads on down a path that leads nowhere. The shortcomings in others that annoy us most usually remind us of our own shortcomings.
A retreat gives us time for silence and solitude to allow the Spirit of the living God to enter more deeply into us. The biggest distraction to growth in self-awareness and awareness of others, of God, and of creation is busy-ness.
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