Henry Van Ameringen's Truth Wins Out Buys Full Page KKK Ad

Nixon once said, " We are not in Cambodia."

Clinton once said, "I did not have sex with that woman."

Margaret Sanger once said, "We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population, if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members. "

Greg Harris said plenty -

On November 30, 2010, the Illinois House of Representatives passed the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act, co-sponsored by Representative Greg Harris, in a 32-24 vote. The bill grants legal recognition to any couple, same-sex or heterosexual, made up of two unrelated people over the age of 18. It also protects religious institutions, allowing them to still define marriage as they choose.

"We have a chance [with this legislation] to make Illinois a more fair state, a more just state, and a state which treats all of its citizens equally under the law," said Harris on the floor of the House of Representatives.

Immediately the State of Illinois made war on Catholic Charities and the Catholic Church.



"I knew very early that I was gay, so it was very uncomfortable growing up. I don't really have very happy memories," Henry van Ameringen told Advocate.Com

Henry Van Ameringen* one of the five founders of the Homosexual PAC The Cabinet is footing a good part of the bill in that war.

The KKK did not win that war either.

*

ORGANIZATION LISTING

H. van Ameringen Foundation
PREVIOUS
1 of 1 RESULTS
NEXT Contact: Mr. Henry van Ameringen
509 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10022-5501
(212) 758-6221 phone
(212) 688-2105 fax
Funding Priorities

HIV/AIDS, Health: Mental, LGBT Issues

Grant Types

Matching/Challenge Support, Seed Money/Start Up Funds, Special Projects

Limitations

No Individuals, No Research, No Cultural Projects Funding

Areas

NY, National, Local, New York City Area and National Organizations (i.e. WILL NOT fund programs outside the NYC area unless the scope of the organization's work is national)

How to Apply

Letter of Inquiry

Average Grant

$12,500

http://www.uni.illinois.edu/og/news/2011/01/step-closer-equality-civil-union-legi

Cardinal George and Catholic Charities - The Hands That Helped HIV Victims

Gay Activists are nothing like the KKK -they are much better served by the media.

Civil Unions have ended nearly 200 years of Catholic help for children and childless couples. The move to Homosexual Marriage in Illinois requires more hostility toward the only Institutional Faith ( hospitals, schools, and services) that will not yield on abortion or the marriage between a man and a woman. It is all about politics, money and votes.

A statement from Francis Cardinal George:
"...Public awareness about the disease (HIV/AIDS) has often been overcome by a creeping indifference in the face of many other world-wide crises. The Catholic Church, along with many other religious groups, has approached persons living with HIV/AIDS as people who need special spiritual and physical care. The Catholic Church continues to be engaged in this ministry internationally and locally.

In Chicago, Catholic Charities has been the catalyst for much of the Church's outreach to persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families. Whenever there is suffering the Church gathers. Please keep the men, women and children living with the disease as well as those orphaned by the disease in your prayers. Please support their caregivers and those working to prevent and cure HIV/AIDS..."

Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I.
Archbishop of Chicago

A Statement from Rev. Msgr. Michael M. Boland, Administrator, President and CEO of Catholic Charities:
"Preventing HIV/AIDS is a challenge that we cannot ignore, as there is no cure, no vaccine to prevent it and it will simply not go away. It is therefore crucial to educate ourselves and others about HIV/AIDS, as understanding these can help us to respond with intelligence and compassion to our brothers and sisters infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS and help to eradicate the hurtful stigma and humiliating discrimination which continue to accompany the disease. I invite you to browse our HIV/AIDS Services and Ministry page."

Here's more -


Catholic and AIDS Resource Links



AEGIS
www.aegis.org
AIDS Education Global Information System; comprehensive news, daily updates.

AIDS Action Website
www.aidsaction.org
Resources for professionals in the HIV/AIDS field.

American Catholic
www.AmericanCatholic.org
Home of the online editions of St. Anthony Messenger, Catholic Update, Millennium Monthly, Youth Update, Scripture From Scratch and other Catholic features, is a service of St. Anthony Messenger Press and Franciscan Communications, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

The Care Team Network
http://www.careteam.org
The mission of the Care Team Network (CTN) is to be a training and resource center for the development of volunteer Care Teams for persons with health concerns or other special needs.

Caritas Internationalis
www.caritas.org
Caritas Internationalis is an international confederation of Catholic organization, mandated by their respective Episcopal conferences. All Member Organization seek to contribute to the socio-pastoral mission of the Church through the spreading of solidarity and social justice. This is done without regard to creed, race, gender or ethnicity.

Catholic AIDS Action, Namibia
www.caa.org.na
Acting in the spirit of Christ, Catholic AIDS Action challenges the AIDS pandemic in Namibia with the Courage to Fight and the Strength to Care. It builds on Roman Catholic affiliated groups and institutions to inspire and support programs of HIV/AIDS prevention, home-based care, spirituality, and support of orphans.

Founded by Sister Raphaela Händler in February 1998, and with the strong support of all four bishops of the Namibian Catholic Bishops Conference, Catholic AIDS Action has a national office in Windhoek with branch offices in eight of the country's 13 political regions. Both Catholics and non-Catholics are served equally. The staff consists of 12 Namibians (including 5 religious sisters), plus 4 long-term foreign nationals. As one measure of diversity, the prayers that are said at the beginning and end of staff meetings are offered in seven different languages!

Catholic Charities
www.catholiccharitiesusa.org
Catholic Charities encourages people to help themselves by learning to advocate for their rights. Catholic Charities USA is a membership organization based in Alexandria, Virginia. By providing leadership, technical assistance, training, and other resources, the national office enables local agencies to better devote their own resources to serving their communities. Catholic Charities USA promotes innovative strategies that address human needs and social injustices.

Catholic Health Association of the United States
www.chausa.org
The official site of the Catholic Health Association of the United States, which represents more than 2,000 Catholic health care sponsors, systems, facilities, and related organizations. Founded in 1915, CHA unites members to advance selected strategic issues that are best addressed together rather than as individual organizations. The Association advocates for a just health care system, convening leaders to share ideas and foster collaboration, and uniting the ministry voice on critical issues.

Catholic Medical Mission Board
www.cmmb.org
Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB), founded in 1928, is the leading U.S.-based Catholic charity focusing exclusively on international healthcare, particularly the well-being of women and children. CMMB works collaboratively and without discrimination to deliver solutions to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa, and provide primary healthcare in Latin American and the Caribbean. Global initiatives include recruitment and placement of medical volunteers, medicine and medical supply shipments, emergency development and training grants for in-country primary healthcare workers.

Catholic News Service
www.catholicnews.com
The mission of Catholic News Service is the mission of the Church itself--to spread the Gospel through contemporary means of communication. Our mission is to perform this task by reporting the news which affects Catholics in their everyday lives. Some of that news is good and some is bad, but it is what readers need to know in order to work for salvation. They need to know that there are saints in the making in the Church today and they need to know that there are sinners too.

Catholic Relief Services
www.catholicrelief.org
Catholic Relief Services was founded in 1943 by the Catholic Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and disadvantaged outside the country. The fundamental motivating force in all activities of CRS is the Gospel of Jesus Christ as it pertains to the alleviation of human suffering, the development of people and the fostering of charity and justice in the world. CRS provides direct aid to the poor, and involves people in their own development, helping them to realize their potential.

The Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance
www.e-alliance.ch
The Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (EAA) is a new and broadly ecumenical network for international cooperation in advocacy on HIV/AIDS and global trade. It provides excellent resources for churches and church leaders looking to respond to the AIDS pandemic..

Faith in Action Volunteer Program
www.fiavolunteers.org
Faith in Action is a national volunteer movement that brings together religious congregations from many faiths and other community organizations. Their common mission is to help people who are aging and chronically ill maintain their independence by providing them assistance with everyday activities.

Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_hiv.cfm
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation is an independent philanthropy focusing on the major health care issues facing the nation. The Foundation is an independent voice and source of facts and analysis for policymakers, the media, the health care community, and the general public. This link goes directly to the Daily HIV/AIDS Report.

Maryknoll
www.maryknoll.org
Maryknoll, The US based Catholic mission movement includes: the Maryknoll Society (priests and brothers), Maryknoll Congregation (Sisters), the Maryknoll Mission Association of the Faithful (laity, priests and religious), and the Maryknoll Affiliates. Since 1911, Catholics in the United States have responded to the worldwide cry of the poor by becoming Maryknoll Missionaries. Today, Maryknollers help people overseas build communities of faith. Some work in war zones with refugees, others minister to the sick, the elderly, orphans or people with AIDS. Through lives of service, Maryknollers translate the gospel of love into different languages and in different cultures.

National Association of Catholic Chaplains
www.nacc.org
The National Association of Catholic Chaplains is a professional association for certified chaplains and Clinical Pastoral Education supervisors who participate in the healing mission of Jesus Christ. It provides standards, certification, education, advocacy, and professional development for its members.

National Association of Church Personnel Administrators (NACPA)
www.ncapa.org
The National Association of Church Personnel Administrators (NACPA) is a membership organization dedicated to the development and promotion of just personnel practices rooted in gospel values. NACPA has been serving the Church and its ministers since 1971. Membership in the Association is open to clergy, laity and religious of the Catholic Church as well as interested persons of other faith traditions. NACPA and NCAN developed a resource for developing policies with regard to employees who are living with HIV/AIDS.

National Black Catholic Congress
www.nbccongress.org
"We, The National Black Catholic Congress, comprised of member organizations, represent African American Roman Catholics, working in collaboration with National Roman Catholic organizations. We commit ourselves to establishing an agenda for the evangelization of African Americans; and to improve the spiritual, mental, and physical conditions of African Americans, thereby committing ourselves to the freedom and growth of African Americans as full participants in church and society. Aware of the challenges, we are committed to evangelize ourselves, our church and unchurched African Americans, thereby enriching the Church. We hold ourselves accountable to our baptismal commitment to witness and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ." - Mission Statement

National Black Catholic Evangelization Forum
www.bcn.net
The official site of the National Black Catholic Evangelization Forum. In collaboration with other national organizations, the Forum offers "promising practices" designed to empower local and regional leaders to do the work of evangelization as "we work together to eradicate the evil of racism in the Church and in society." Visit the site to order a copy of HIV/AIDS: Sharing the Compassion of God, a program that offers scriptural reflections, questions to promote personal transformation, a prayer service for hope and healing, and practical suggestions for ongoing community outreach to those affected by HIV/AIDS.

National Catholic Council for Hispanic Ministry (NCCHM)
www.ncchm.org
The National Catholic Council for Hispanic Ministry is a proactive agent of a National Pastoral de Conjunto. The council supports it's members' common advocacy, education, and networking. NCCHM promotes this pastoral de conjunto through its annual membership meeting, training symposia, national leadership congresses, and vehicles of communication, as well as a formal linkage to the United States Catholic Conference (USCCB).
The NCCHM is the only organization of its kind in the United States. It is composed of 56 Catholic national and regional ministerial and professional organizations, institutions, apostolic movements and religious congregations of men and women. NCAN is a member of NCCHM.

National Catholic Education Association (NCEA)
www.ncea.org
The NCEA is the largest professional educational association in the world. Membership includes 200,000 Catholic educators who serve 7.6 million students at all levels of Catholic education. This Web site contains information concerning elementary and secondary schools, colleges, and seminaries.

National Catholic Office for People with Disabilities
www.ncpd.org
Vigilant in promoting the inclusion of Catholics with disabilities in their parish communities and the total fabric of society.

National Conference for Catechetical Leadership (NCCL)
www.nccl.org
The National Conference for Catechetical Leadership (NCCL) was formed as an organization of diocesan, parish, and academic catechetical personnel. Its purpose is to enrich and strengthen the ministry of catechesis throughout the Catholic dioceses of the United States, and to serve the multicultural, multiracial Church. It promotes the Church's catechetical ministry.

Office for AIDS Ministry of the Archdiocese of Atlanta
www.atlantaaidsministry.org
The website administered by the Office of AIDS Ministry of the Archdiocese of Atlanta has a wealth of information about the Roman Catholic Church's response to the HIV and AIDS pandemics. Most of the resources are both in English and Spanish.

Pledge for Peace
www.PledgePeace.org
Working for peace doesn't need to be a far-off ideal. In fact it's just a mouse click away on the Web site. The site urges visitors to make a pledge to do something for peace, either by praying, forgiving someone or doing acts of charity and outreach. Those who make pledges also are asked to note how many hours they plan to devote to the endeavor. To date, more than 1 million hours have been pledged since the site was launched two years ago. The Web site is part of a project called, "1,000 Years of Peace," sponsored by St. Anthony Messenger Press, a Franciscan publishing house in Cincinnati, and communication representatives from 13 women's religious congregations from the Cincinnati region. The goal of the project is to obtain about 8.5 million hours of peace pledges to total 1,000 years of peacemaking activities.

Secretariat for African-American Catholics, United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops
http://www.usccb.org/saac/hivawareness.shtml
The Secretariat for African-American Catholics is on the forefront of raising awareness about HIV/AIDS. This site offers resources on HIV/AIDS and resources for individuals and parishes. The fact that African-Americans make up a disproportionate percentage of people living with HIV/AIDS makes these resources all the more important.


Secretariat of Hispanic Affairs, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
http://www.usccb.org/hispanicaffairs/hivaids.shtml
This site highlights the impact of HIV/AIDS on Latinos. The National Catholic AIDS Network is working in collaboration with the Secretariat for Hispanic Affairs to increase the resources available in English and Spanish for Latinos.

Salt of the Earth
http://salt.claretianpubs.org/shake/2000/08/ss0008.html
An online source for social justice published by the Claretians.


United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
http://www.nccbuscc.org
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is an assembly of the hierarchy of the United States and the US Virgin Islands who jointly exercise certain pastoral functions on behalf of the Christian faithful of the United States. The purpose of the Conference is to promote the greater good which the Church offers humankind, especially through forms and programs of the apostolate fittingly adapted to the circumstances of time and place. This purpose is drawn from the universal law of the Church and applies to the Episcopal conferences which are established all over the world for the same purpose.

The Vatican
www.vatican.va/phome_en.htm
The official site of the Vatican and the Holy See. The site is full of resources about the Roman Catholic Church, Popes and the Vatican.

ZENIT - The World as Seen from Rome
www.zenit.org/english/
ZENIT is an International News Agency. Our mission is to provide objective coverage of events, documents and issues emanating from or concerning the Catholic Church. ZENIT's articles are reproduced in hundreds of publications worldwide and are used by numerous radio and TV stations.
ZENIT's coverage includes:
Activities of John Paul II, such as his travels, documents and audiences The Vatican, including diplomatic activity, humanitarian efforts, and profiles of Church leaders Interviews with and features about leading lay Catholics, including researchers, politicians, writers and entertainers

Save the hypocrisy for Mike Flannery, Dane Placko and Rich Miller.

http://www.ncan.org/resources/church_say.cfm

Pat Quinn's Gay Abortion Christmas Carol - " Did You Hear What I Heard?"

It was as gay as Christmas when Pat Quinn signed the Civil Union act; but, gay ain't always happy. The Bishops tried to correct Quinn on the issue. You can't fix . . . Governors.


Pat Quinn hears exactly what he hears. I hear a train a-coming and I get off the tracks. I hear a fire truck or ambulance siren and I ease to the right in traffic and stop. I hear 'the garage is on fire' and I tend to dial 911. Pat Quinn hears what he wants to hear.Cardinal George and nine more Catholic bishops of Illinois spoke to the daffy Governor for over two hours at Chicago's Union League Club about the differences between political PAC Obligations and Church teaching on the evil that is abortion and the fact that marriage is between a man and a woman.

Two hours - Abortion is 100% Evil
Marriage is between a Man and Woman


Pat Quinn explained the meeting to Abdon Pallasch of Chicago Sun Times -

Quinn said Saturday morning that the two-hour talk between him and Cardinal Francis George and 9 other bishops was “only a little bit” about his positions the bishops say are at odds with Catholic teachings on abortion and gay couples’ right to adopt — a clash that has made headlines recently — and more about the need to help the poor.

“A lot of the discussion was how we could work together to fight poverty, help the people who are less fortunate and need a helping hand,” Quinn told the Sun-Times as he left a Christmas toy give-away on the Far South Side. “Getting people jobs, helping people who don’t have enough food to eat — that’s what the church’s social mission is all about.”

Nope.

"But after reading Quinn’s comments posted on the Sun-Times website Saturday, the bishops that met with Quinn issued a written statement saying Quinn characterized the meeting wrong: The primary purpose of the sit-down, they said, was to admonish the governor for using his Catholic up-bringing to justify views that they say aren’t supported by the church. It was the second time in the past two months the bishops have issued a statement blasting the Catholic governor.

“We share the Governor’s concern for the poor,” they wrote. “From our point of view, however, this was a meeting between pastors and a member of the Church to discuss the principles of faith, not the works of faith. On several occasions, the Governor has referred to his Catholic conscience and faith as the justification for certain political decisions.”

Governor Quinn listens . . .to Boss Terry Cosgrove about the beauty and benefits of abortion and to openly gay Rep. Greg Harris who high speed-railed the Religious Liberty and Civil Union Legislation Which Pat Quinn signed with gusto! This is the religious liberty legislation that immediately made war on Catholic Charities.

Statewide Relationship RecognitionnoLicenses marriages for same-sex couples.noHonors marriages of same-sex couples from other jurisdictionsyesRelationship recognition for same-sex couples: civil unions.2010 Civil union law enacted, effective June 1, 2011. Allows same-sex and different-sex couples to enter into a civil union and receive "the same legal obligations, responsibilities, protections and benefits as are afforded or recognized by the law of Illinois to spouses." Please join our Illinois Civil Union Tracker.1996 Anti-marriage bill adopted. Prohibits marriages "between two individuals of the same sex" and declares such lawful marriages to be "against public policy." See Illinois Compiled Statues, Chapter 750 §§ 5/201, 5/212 and 5/213.1.Statewide Employment ProtectionsyesPrivate employment protections based on sexual orientation.yesPrivate employment protections based on gender identity.yesPublic (state) employment protections based on sexual orientation.-Public (state) employment protections based on gender identity.See 775 ILCS 5/1-103 and 775 ILCS 5/1-102.2005 Sexual orientation and gender identity were added to the Illinois Human Rights Act. Senate Bill 3186, an amendment to existing law, signed by Governor Rod Blagojevich on 1/21/05Statewide Parenting LawsWho May Adopt Any person. 750 ILCS 50/2Second Parent Adoptions Approved in Petition of K.M. 653 N.E.2d 888 (Ill. App. 1995); reaffirmed in In re C.M.A., 715 N.E.2d 674 ( Ill. App. 1999)Notes Permits individual, joint and second parent adoption.

Greg Harris said that this legislation is merely the path to marriage between homosexual couples. Marriage between two men or two women is a problem for Catholics. Marriage is for procreation - breeders having kids. Breeders enjoying the procreative act outside of marriage are required to hit the confessional box and ask forgiveness for committing adultery.Adultery is having sex outside of marriage - one-tie all tie - homesexual, breeder, onanist ( the legendary Solitary Man that Neil Diamond celebrated in his 1966 song of the same name). At least that is what I hear and comprehend.

I am sure that Gov. Pat Quinn comprehends - Cosgrove's Personal PAC of Planned Parenthood gave him $ 500,000 to be governor of Illinois and Greg Harris did not obstruct Quinn's Budget. What did the Catholic Church give Pat Quinn - a pass. . . until now.

What do you hear?

Hey, Bishops, Gov. Pat Quinn The Parser Owes Planned Parenthood Personal PAC

In a statement from the Catholic Conference of Illinois, the church leaders said Quinn had “gone beyond a political alignment with those supporting the legal right to kill children in their mothers’ wombs to rewarding those deemed most successful in this terrible work.”

Yeah, but Governor Pat Quinn owes Personal PAC Planned Parenthood. He owes Terry Cosgrove*.

The man has priorities. In fact, I am certain that Terry Cosgrove jotted out a response to the good Cardinal George and all of the other Catholic Bishops of Illinois.

This is a doozy -

Quinn's office issued a statement saying he was attending Personal PAC’s annual lunch and will present an award to a rape survivor and “preeminent advocate for victims of rape”

. . .And she keeps a neat wallet.

Rape victims? Abortion is a woman's best defense against Rape? Crimes of violence? Tell that to Kelli O'Laughlin's parents. It appears that a recently paroled Gangbanger murdered the fourteen year old during a "crime of opportunity." You gotta love that neologism for a savage doing exactly and whatever he wants to do.


This murdering savage was given his "opportunity" not via George Bush's economics but by Pat Quinn's parole carousel!

The 14-year-old girl was stabbed a week ago Thursday when she apparently interrupted a burglary at her home. Since then, dozens of officers have investigated more than 100 leads. As friends and family gathered at a visitation for the Lyons Township freshman Wednesday, ABC7 learned one of those tips apparently panned out.

Officially, authorities at the Indian Head Park Police Department are quiet. One law enforcement source tells ABC7 that the man in custody is a state parolee. Another state police source says the person being questioned is a "Chicago gang-banger." ABC7 is told he hailed a cab after the crime last Thursday, possibly from the Hinsdale oasis on the Tri-State Tollway. Another police source says dogs were able to track the man's scent to that oasis along 294, not far from Indian Head Park.

( emphasis my own)


When goofs like Quinn parse, they believe that people of good will are just too dumb to live. I guess that is why they are soo cozy to Personal PAC, Planned Parenthood and all the piles of loot they have in the hoards built with State and Federal.

Quinn says he is honoring Personal PAC, in order to honor a rape victim. Personal Pac is all about money for abortions. Terry Cosgrove opened up huge industrial cans of whup-ass on Brady, in order to get Quinn where he stands today - honoring Cosgrove's Personal PAC.

Quinn delivered to Terry Cosgrove - got him a bullet proof pension and job, signed the Religious Liberty Civil Unions door-wedge to Gay Marriage, paid off the Green crowd and paroled lots of thugs.

Quinn promised all of the laid off skilled tradesmen who went to his rally at the Plumbers Hall last November that he would fight for them. Quinn fought for Terry Cosgrove and Personal PAC and Planned Parenthood and union men and women continue to join the unemployed. I heard Pat Quinn promise the thousands of skilled tradesmen in the Plumbers Hall. I heard Pat Quinn promise. The thousands of union women and men, and this poor dim-wit writing this morning, believed his parsing promises. We went out and worked to get Quinn elected, God Help Us.

That is where a Quinn promise ends. He is a Progressive. He owes no one but the Personal PAC, Terry Cosgrove, LGBTQ activists, the harpies of Planned Parenthood, lefty lawyers, the thugs he paroles, and the tax-a-holics.

Pat Quinn is in . . .for now. He pensioned up. The rest of us? Illinois?

Pat Quinn owes no one else, least of all the Catholic Bishops of Illinois and far down from them the children in many wombs.




*Terry Cosgrove is president and CEO of Personal PAC, a group that is dedicated to electing pro-choice politcians. His confirmation passed the Illinois Senate by a vote of 30-25 Thursday, with Republicans vehemently opposed and debate getting so heated that two senators had to be separated, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

The GOP is characterizing Cosgrove's appointment as "pay-to-play" based on his PAC's support of Quinn in the recent gubernatorial election. Quinn's opponent, Republican Bill Brady, was a hard-line opponent of abortion rights, believing them wrong even in the cases of rape or incest.

Personal PAC came out very strong against Brady in the race, taking out heartbreaking ads featuring first-person narratives of rape victims who wouldn't have been allowed to seek abortions under a Brady regime. The group raised and spent over $400,000 in the race.

Brady lost very narrowly, coming up short by just under 20,000 votes. And many Republican strategists have suggested that the PPAC ads swung enough female voters in the Chicago suburbs to tilt the race toward Governor Quinn.

The GOP is understandably reluctant, then to see him given a statewide office. But as Rich Miller writes in his Chicago Sun-Times column, this hardly qualifies as "pay-to-play" by the traditional definition of the phrase:

http://abclocal.go.com/wls
AM0054 LRB097 11341 AMC 53483 x

1
APPOINTMENT MESSAGE


2 To the Honorable Members of the Senate, Ninety-Seventh General
3 Assembly:

4 I, Pat Quinn, Governor, am nominating and, by and with the
5 advice and consent of the Senate, appointing the following
6 named individual to the office enumerated below. The advice and
7 consent of this Honorable Body is respectfully requested.

8 Title of Office: Member

9 Agency or Other Body: Illinois Human Rights Commission

10 Start Date: March 28, 2011

11 End Date: January 21, 2013

12 Name: Terry Cosgrove

13 Residence: 6805 N. Greenview, #2, Chicago, IL 60626

14 Annual Compensation: $46,960

15 Per diem: Not Applicable

16 Nominee's Senator: Senator Heather A. Steans

17 Most Recent Holder of Office: Gregory Simoncini

18 Superseded Appointment Message: Not Applicable
/story?section=news/local&id=8416828

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-mourners-gather-to-remember-slain-girl-there-are-no-words-20111102,0,3922664.story

Leo High School Track Team ( The School Without a Track) Blows Away the Field at Lisle Sectional

Leo High School is the only Catholic High School and the only non-public high school to have ever won a State Track & Field Championship in the history of the IHSA.

Leo High School has no Track. The sprinters, hurdlers, high and low jumpers relay teams and shot putters all practice within the walls of Leo High School.

Yesterday, while Cardinal George and Father Pfleger made nice after putting Leo High School in the middle of their tiff for nearly three months with a narrative of troubled school, the Leo Lions of the Track Team, coached by Ed Adams and Pete Doyle, blew away all competition at suburban Lisle Sectional -

LISLE SECTIONAL
Leo 110.5, Westmont 87, Lisle 85, Walther Lutheran 80, Francis Parker 44.

All through the constant media bombardment of unvarified slanders and slights about Leo High School from March 15th, when CBS 2's Jay Levine set the nasty tone that Leo High School was struggling to stay open and through Father Pfleger's canard on the Tavis Smiley NPR gabfest with Cornell West that Leo is 'literally failing' this school kept its head up and its eyes on the best interests of the young men it serves. N.B. While the puffed-up Tavis Smiley sells his book at St. Sabina's today, the Leo High School Football Team and other student volunteers will be distributing groceries to our neighbors at Leo Alumni Fields -Facta Non Verba.

Leo Alumni poured in support and foundations like Cashel, Clare, WP & HB White, The John Buck Company, Irish Fellowship, Bidwill, Barney aand the Brach Foundations kept faith.

Leo Graduating senior Eder Cruz was the only Catholic League representative and one of 31 Illinois Gates Millennium Scholars.

The Leo Track Team does not need a track and Leo High School does not need a Lone Ranger savior.

Eder Cruz Leo 2011 - The Highbeam Cutting Through the Pfleger Pfog

Eder Cruz flanked by Aurora Latifi and Margarita Silva of Leo High School


On April 21st, I posted the announcement of Eder Cruz Leo 2011 selection as one of 31 Illinois recipients of the Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholarship. The Gates Millennium Scholarship follows the recipient for his or her post-secondary education: college, post-graduate ( Law, Medicine etc.)

Eder Cruz transferred to Leo High School from Cristo Rey in his sophomore year. For two years Eder was the only non-African American student here at Leo High School.

Tomorrow's Mark Brown column is a look at this remarkable young man. Mr. Brown does a splendid job in telling about the school that helped a tough, earnest and thoughtful young man. Albanian born math teacher, Mrs. Aurora Latifi, Spanish teacher Ms. Margarita Silva and Guidance Counsellor Ms. Kaitlyn Kurta are three special ladies who were particularly important to Eder in his quest for success. Leo High School is generally known as a Catholic school with a particularly high testosterone level, but it is the young women who are making real impact on our guys.

Since mid-March, Leo High School's true story has been fogged by the media concerning an Archdiocesan personnel matter between the Cardinal and Father Pfleger of St. Sabina's Parish. The story went viral and national and Leo was tagged as struggling, troubled and in Father Pfleger's words "literally failing." The fact of the matter the taggers of those terms have no skin in the game at Leo High School - not Michael Pfleger, not Jay Levine and not Phil Kadner. Not one of the foggy narrative taggers, took the time to phone, much less visit the Leo Leadership: President for Institutional Advancement Dan McGrath and Principal Phil Mesina. No one the taggers talked to Leo Alumni President John Gardner, or Leo Advisory Board President Bob Sheehy. No tagger gave a call to Leo Men with much monetary and spiritual skin in the game like Frank Considine '39, Bill Koloseike '45, Andy McKenna '47, Dick Landis '47, Don Flynn '56, Bob Foster '57, Terry Sherman '64, or Joe Powers '70.

Mark Brown visited Leo. Mark Brown helped cut through the Pfleger Pfog narrative.

Eder Cruz leaves a great deal of skin in the corridors of Leo High School. Eder Cruz is a game changer.

Click my post title for Mark Brown's great Pfog Cutter.

By the way, Yale University is dropping by Leo High School at 9AM to talk to another Leo Man - a game changer of the Class of 2012.

Michael Pfleger Biographer Tells Everyone to "Shut Up"

I have not had anything to say about Rev. Michael Pfleger - not my rice bowl. That is until today, when Michael Pfleger's biographer, one of hundreds of talented journalists in Pfleger's PR quiver, told America to shut up. I have much to say about Leo High School, which was impugned by and concerning Rev. Pfleger's most recent and public Via Dolorosa ( March 15- May 11 2011).

Leo High School was founded by Msgr. Peter Shewbridge in 1921 at the direct order of George Cardinal Mundelein - build a central Catholic high school for boys. St. Leo the Great Parish leading the newer surrounding parishes of St. Sabina, St. Kilian and Little Flower raised the funds for the school designed by Daniel Burnham's right-hand man, architect Joseph McCarthy. Cardinal Mundelein staffed the school with Irish Christian Brothers and laymen. The school opened in 1926 and Francis O'Neill was the first student to register. Mr. O'Neill turned 100 in February and more than seventy young men including a couple of white kids from Canaryville enrolled as freshman 2012.

Leo High School immediately developed a reputation for tough discipline, exacting scholarship and an athletic reputation that continues into this new century.

Thousands of Leo graduates came from St. Sabina Parish. Hundreds of St. Sabina bred Leo Men pour precious dollars in support of the school. They do that because of Robert W. Foster who single-handedly kept the doors of Leo High School open from 1991 until his retirement in 2009. Principal/President CEO Bob Foster had taught history, government, served as guidance counsellor, athletic director, football coach and school leader beginning in 1962, with brief absence from 1965-1970, returning in that year and continually serving the Leo students and our neighbors along 79th Street. Bob Foster was one heroic man serving a much larger mission. Leo High School continues thanks to Bob Foster, but without his physical presence. Bob Foster always taught, 'the individual is nothing; the mission is everything.'

The mission continues as it had after Leo High School was no longer directed by the pastor of St. Leo Parish, the racial demographics changed from white Catholic to African American, received no further subsidy from the Archdiocese per Cardinal Bernardin's directive, the departure of the Irish Christian Brothers in 1991 and the retirement of the legendary Bob Foster. There has been a huge bump in the mission's road, through no fault or participation of the school whatsoever. In fact Leo High School was never privy to any conversation about Leo High School's serving as a component in a hot-button personnel matter.

Leo High School has suffered the collateral damage from the Father Phleger flap. Leo High School was tagged with a narrative spun by ABC 7's Jay Levine and picked up by too many news persons who never bothered to contact Leo Leadership, let alone pay this great school a visit.

This morning I read a guest article for US Catholic by Robert McClory. I have never seen Mr. McClory here at Leo, let alone around 79th Street from Peoria west to Father Phleger's Throop Street. McClory is Pfleger's biographer and has a book out on sale - this current personal journey for Michael Pfleger can not hurt sales.

That same personal journey has caused an unnecessary bump for Leo High School. In fact the very words of Father Pfleger on the NPR chat-fest with Tavis Smiley and Cornell West, Leo High School was impugned as "literally failing."

The fact of the matter Father Pfleger has not been to Leo High School - like his biographer. He would have known that even in a lousy economy an inner city Catholic High School for young men with a student population of African Americans and a trio of Mexican Americans, raised many, many, many dollars, partnered with an NFL legend, raised ACT scores by 2 percentage points across the board, tested and enrolled the largest in-coming freshman class in 12 years, expanded its advisory board, netted new Non-Alumni support, place graduating seniors in the best colleges around the country, and announce Eder Cruz as a Gates Millennium Scholar for 2011.

Why Father Pfleger would say that Leo High School was literally failing? He has his reasons I suppose.

Back to Mr. McClory. Mr. McClory has a dog in this fight and it certainly is not the young men of Leo High School. Mr. McClory has a book out and a subject-client in Father Pfleger; yet, Mr. McClory demands everyone else to "shut up."

The context is this- Mr. McClory wants a total victory for Father Pfleger - that means making Cardinal George look weak by rescinding his suspension for Father Pfleger. McClory tells his national readers what he believes to be his straight dope on the conflict and also demands that Cardinal George mistrust his lying ears.

Hopefully, reason and hope will prevail when George, now back from John Paul II's beatification, and Pfleger meet again. George's suspension of Pfleger was based on what the cardinal thought Pfleger had said on a radio show. In fact, Pfleger said something quite different. Regardless, Pfleger's crime was that he did say that under certain circumstances, he might leave the priesthood and seek ministry in another (non-Catholic) church. And that is what really rankled George.

Like Cardinal George, thosands of Leo Alumni, all of Leo's staff, many of our parents, our students and evn the Associated Press, I heard exactly what Father Pfleger said to Tavis, Cornell and all of us out in radioland. Robert McClory is pretty bold there, but he is out of line in this summation:

Meanwhile, it would be especially helpful if the hordes of Catholics and bloggers who have never visited St. Sabina or driven around the neighborhood, never talked to Pfleger or listened to one of his sermons, never met or conversed with Sabina parishioners would just shut up and stop bloviating on a subject they know nothing about.

That did not stop Robert McClory. Speak up, folks! This is still America.

Robert McClory is author of Radical Disciple: Father Michael Pfleger, St. Sabina Church and the Fight for Social Justice (Lawrence Hill, 2010). He is also professor emeritus at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and a regular contributor to U.S. Catholic.

Catholic Cemetery's Roman Szabelski to Oversee the Horrors at Burr Oak

I was at Kean Gas this morning and heard from a Cook County Sheriff's Deputy that Sheriff Tom Dart had asked a judge to appoint someone to oversee the disaster that is Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip, IL.

My Cousin Willie works for the Sheriff and he has not had much shut-eye in the last six or so days. Willie bought some fish from my son Conor at Di Cola's on Western Ave. just before closing on Tuesday. Conor said Willie looked dead on his feet.

All of the Sheriff's people have done a great job.

Today, I heard that Roman Szabelski of the Catholic Cemeteries was appointed.

Roman Szabelski the Chief of the forty or so Catholic Cemteries in the Chicago Area was appointred by a judge to oversee the horrors of Burr Oak Cemetery, years of mismanagement leading to one of the great horrors of recent history.

Two years ago, Mr. Szabelski appeared on Public Radio to talk about Green Issues in the Cemetery Industry. ( click my post title)

Brushing aside the usual smarm ( snide remarks about 'What Catholics Believe') from the soft-talkers of Public Radio, Mr. Szabelski articulated the care and concern of the Chicago Catholic Archdiocese for families of the deceased:

RICHARD: The Catholic Church prefers full-body burial in consecrated ground. That’s because Catholics believe in the resurrection of the dead. The church has only allowed cremation since the mid-Sixties.

MELBY: That doesn’t mean Chicago’s Catholic cemeteries are immune to progress.

COMPUTERIZED GRAVE LOCATOR: Spell out the last name of the deceased that you are trying to locate using the touch-screen keyboard, and then press search.

SZABELSKI: So I’ve just keyed in my family name and I’m pushing search. Florence Szabelski is my mother so I’m asking it to show that record to me.

MELBY: That’s Roman Szabelski. He’s executive director of Catholic cemeteries for the Archdiocese of Chicago.

RICHARD: Roman started mowing grass at the cemeteries in 1979. Today, he presides over 2.2 million dead at 43 cemeteries around Chicago. He has a good sense of what his customers want.

SZABELSKI: We come from a very conservative tradition where people want their 3 by 8, their grave, to look like their backyard, which is perfectly manicured.

MELBY: Providing that much space won’t be a problem anytime soon. Roman says the archdiocese has stockpiled enough land not just for the next couple decades, but for the next one to two hundred years.

SZABELSKI: We’re sitting in Queen of Heaven Cemetery right now, which is roughly about a 300-acre site. About 100 of those acres are leased to the golf course next door. As we need the property, the golf course will go from 18 to 9 to zero and a driving range and that property will be used.

MELBY: Roman doesn’t expect to dig into that golf course for another 25 years.

RICHARD: Yet Roman is considering carving out a green burial section in one of the cemeteries here.

MELBY: Still it won’t be easy to do in this sea of manicured lawns. Green burial advocates prefer a natural landscape of wild grass and trees. Their preference is to keep the plots free of any monuments or markers.

SZABELSKI: So we’re trying to figure out how do you incorporate a green burial cemetery section into a traditionally kept cemetery.

Not much Green at Burr Oak, but a great deal of grief. I wonder if Chicago Public Radio will make note? Most likely not.


The families of the thousands of Burr Oak Cemetery Dead will at last have a caring and thoughtful soul looking out for them. Francis Cardinal George has a solid man being tasked with this extra duty.

Catholics cause Progressives the itch, until a human crisis like Burr Oak Cemetery seems to impact on all of us - and while the work is being done for people, the Progressives will stand on the sidelines and wait for the green light to go Bill Maher on Catholics again.

God Bless the work, Roman!

Cardinal George and Bishops Object to Notre Dame's Folly - not the President's; that Is His Problem

Dan Kelley sent this fine note to the Editorial Board at The Chicago Tribune. They will read this note - it is doubtful that the Editorial Board at the Sun Times can, much less would, read this.

Francis Cardinal George is not alone in his criticism of Notre Dame University's invitation to President Obama to speak at commencement and to receive an honorary degree: The twenty-five bishops who have so far gone public with their disapproval of Notre Dame's invitation of Obama (in alphabetical order) are:

1. Bishop John D'Arcy - Fort Wayne-South Bend

2. Bishop Gregory Aymond - Austin
3. Archbishop Eusebius Beltran - Oklahoma City
4. Auxiliary Bishop Oscar Cantú, San Antonio
5. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo - Houston
6. Archbishop Timothy Dolan - New York
7. Bishop Thomas Doran - Rockford
8. Auxiliary Bishop John Dougherty - Scranton
9. Cardinal Francis George - Chicago, President, USCCB
10. Archbishop José Gomez, San Antonio


11. Bishop William Higi, Lafayette, IN
12. Archbishop Alfred Hughs, New Orleans
13. Bishop Jerome Listecki, La Crosse, WI
14. Bishop William E. Lori, Bridgeport, CT
15. Bishop Robert Lynch - St. Petersburg
16. Bishop Joseph Martino - Scranton
17. Bishop Charles Morlino - Madison
18. Bishop George Murry, Youngstown, OH
19. Archbishop John J. Myers - Newark20. Bishop R. Walker Nickless - Sioux City.
21. Archbishop John C. Nienstedt - Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota
22. Bishop Thomas Olmsted - Phoneix
23. Bishop Kevin Rhoades - Harrisburg
24. Bishop Edward J. Slattery - Tulsa
25. Bishop Anthony Taylor, Little Rock, AR

Cardinal George and most Catholics do not object to the President being invited to Notre Dame, but not as a recipient of an Honorary Law Degree or Commencement Speaker.

Notre Dame's Jenkins was too cute by half and seemed to believe that MSNBC could 'shout' this controversy quiet. 'Oh, Joe Biden, Teddy Kenendy, John Kerry, the Daley Lads, Chris 'Milky' Matthews and Bill Maher are all Catholics and they have no problem with this Honor! Let's bring People Together and smear Catholic Faith and Morals!'

It's here. It will stay.

Ann Deegan of Glen Ellyn had this poignant response to Bill Daley's bumptious kiss-up in the Chicago Tribune:

April 7, 2009
In response to William M. Daley's commentary ("Uneasy mix of religion and politics," Commentary, April 3), Cardinal Francis George deserves praise for his stand on Notre Dame's invitation of President Obama to speak at its commencement ceremony and receive an honorary degree. It should be noted that the cardinal expressed his opinion on behalf of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, of which he is president, not as Archbishop of Chicago. He stated in that speech, "As president of the U.S. bishops' conference I have to speak precisely for the bishops and not in my own name, as I could as Archbishop of Chicago."

If Notre Dame's invitation were for the president to participate in a debate about issues such as abortion or embryonic stem cell research, Obama would be an excellent choice to represent the opposing view. This invitation, however, is meant to honor a man who adamantly opposes the Catholic Church's view on these matters and has publicly demonstrated this through major policy decisions and appointments since taking office. This is simply not the place or the setting for a person of such diametric views.

If Notre Dame is truly a Catholic university, it would respect the inappropriateness of such an invitation. Those who signed off on the decision need to reexamine "what it means to be Catholic" and recognize the disrespect their decision has for the Catholic Church and its followers, particularly those at Notre Dame. I respect the cardinal and his fellow bishops for their courageous and correct response.

Ann Deegan,Glen Ellyn