Pious Forwards: February 2005 Archives

I received the following from a friend:

Date: 2/17/2005
Dear Friends,

Good friends, and the two girls they are trying to adopt, need help.

Bill and Katie Worthen, currently have a wonderful family with 5 children between the ages of 10 and 3. Bill is in banking and Katie is a pediatric nurse. They are great Catholic parents. For the last 2 years, they have been pursuing adoption of foster kids through Catholic Charities (and DSS) to add to their family. They have taken all the "adoption classes", added on to their house, and had, and passed, all the "home visits".

Two sisters- "the girls"-are legally available for adoption. They are 5 and 11. They have been raised by their grandfather and great-grandmother. A year ago, they were placed in two separate foster homes because of their guardians' failing health. Their grandfather died at the end of last year. Their great-grandmother is terminally ill. The 5 year old has scoliosis and will need surgery in the future; the 11 year old is considered "too old" for adoption.

DSS has a "policy" of 6 children per household. In order to adopt the two siblings, the Worthens would need a waiver.

Bill and Katie applied for a waiver to this rule more than 5 weeks ago, so that they might be able to keep siblings together. The Worthen children attend Catholic school in Weymouth. Last week, the Worthens had to register their children for next year. So as not to miss registering the girls, Katie called the Catholic Charities' social worker they were working with and was assured that the waiver was "just a matter of time and paperwork". They received verbal assurances from the social worker that the man in charge of the waiver saw no reason for it not to go through. The good news was even shared with "the girls" and their dying grandmother, who were all ecstatic that the girls would be together with 5 new siblings.

Two days later, the Worthens received a call telling them that the waiver had not been approved. When Kate expressed incredulity with DSS reneging on the waiver, she was given a phone number to contact so that the could get counseling to deal with their "grief."

Their "grief" is not the point. Two girls will not be welcomed with open arms into a loving home because of DSS bureaucracy. The Worthens, and the girls, are being wronged because the state feels that 7 children is too many. Two natural siblings who have already been through so much will be kept apart, and in foster care because of DSS's policy to limit family size.

The Worthens need our help and prayers. There are four things you can do:

1) Please join us in calling Kevin Barboza at DSS -(617)748-2000 [before June 1st, 2005] and tell him how outrageous and cruel this bureaucratic decision is.

2) Please write Letters to the Editor of your local newspaper to raise public awareness that decisions critical to the future of children are being made based on "policy" not commonsense and care for the welfare of children.

3) If you, or anyone you know, have any connections that could aid in expediting a reversal of this decision and the execution of this adoption, please call us so that we can connect you with the Worthens.

4) Pass this on to others [if you receive it before June 1st, 2005].

Thanks on behalf of the Worthens and "the girls",
Bonnie and Matt Kunath
Bonnie@MKNetworking.com

Thank God for church ladies with typewriters and computers. These sentences actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services:

Bertha Belch, a missionary from Africa, will be speaking tonight at Calvary
Methodist. Come hear Bertha Belch all the way from Africa.

The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.'

The sermon this morning: "Jesus Walks on the Water." The sermon tonight:
"Searching for Jesus."

Our youth basketball team is back in action Wednesday at 8 PM in the
recreation hall. Come out and watch us kill Christ the King.

Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those
things not worth keeping around the house. Don't forget your husbands.

The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a
conflict.

Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone
who is hard to love. Say "Hell" to someone who doesn't care much about you.

Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.

Miss Charlene Mason sang "I will not pass this way again," giving obvious
pleasure to the congregation.

For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery
downstairs.

Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help
they can get.

Barbara remains in the hospital and needs blood donors for more
transfusions. She is also having trouble sleeping and requests tapes of
Pastor Jack's sermons.

The Rector will preach his farewell message after which the choir will
sing: "Break Forth Into Joy."

Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church.
So ends a friendship that began in their school days.

A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music
will follow.

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What Is Hell?"
Come early and listen to our choir practice.

Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several
new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.

Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled.
Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

Please place your donation in the envelope a long with the deceased person
you want remembered.

Attend and you will hear an excellent speaker and heave a healthy lunch.

The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and
gracious hostility.

Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.

The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be
seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.

This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from
the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.

Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM. All ladies are
invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B. S. is done.

The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would send
him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.

Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the
back door.

The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church
basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this
tragedy.

Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please
use large double door at the side entrance.

The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan
last Sunday: "I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours."

There once was a man named George Thomas, pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak..."I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright. I stopped the lad and asked, "What you got there, son?" "Just some old birds," came the reply.

"What are you gonna do with them?" I asked

"Take 'em home and have fun with 'em," he answered. "I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time."

Forwarded:

Would you like a single page you could carry around that contains a complete explanation of all the indulgences available for Lent, Triduum and the Year of the Eucharist? (the Holy Father just promulgated two new ones!)

Go to www.bridegroompress.com to download a free one-page flier that not only explains it all, but also contains the complete texts of the prayers that carry plenary indulgences in these seasons!

Also, don't forget, you can receive a free once-a-week short set of quotes from the earliest Christians commenting on each Sunday Gospels. Join the new Gospel Commentary e-mail list "Through the Fathers' Eyes" at fathers-subscribe@bridegroompress.com

Matisyahu. Pretty good, actually! White guy (obviously) grew up in a non-religious home where he listened to reggae, had a conversion experience three years ago and decided to do a Hasidic version of it. Religious lyrics, too.

http://www.hasidicreggae.com/index.php?section=file&album_id=8&id=57