The Diocese of Manchester is getting push back from Catholics around the state after calling on the faithful to tell Governor Margaret Wood Hassan and members of Congress to “welcome Syrian refugees.” The message posted to the diocesan Web site and emailed to newsletter recipients opens by saying quote:
Unfortunately, in response to the shock of the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, a number of elected officials, including governors and members of Congress, have called for the United States to deny entry to those seeking refuge from religious persecution and brutal violence in Syria.
It then goes on to restate the talking points of the Obama Administration about the rigor of the vetting process, citing sources of questionable objectivity.
The same day, The Most Reverend Peter Libasci, Bishop of Manchester, issued a statement saying in part, quote
“I urge our elected officials, the Catholics of the Diocese of Manchester, and all people of good will to welcome those who travel here fleeing persecution in other countries, including refugees seeking asylum from Syria. We can continue to be a country that resettles refugees of all faiths while continuing to ensure the safety of our nation and its citizens. We are not required to choose, and we can do both.
Libasci: Vocal on Syrians, silent on Christians
Our inquiry asking Libasci for the basis of his saying “we can do both” were not responded to, nor was our question about why it was preferable to bring refugees here rather than provide safe haven in neighboring countries that shared their customs, traditions and values.
Many have questioned why Libasci, like so many others around the country, are speaking out in favor of taking Muslim refugees from Syria but remaining silent while the Obama Administration has aggressively denied the petitions of Christian refugees who have been and continue to be slaughtered by ISIS as it seeks to rid the region of all non-Muslims. Their homes and churches are being destroyed en masse as they mercilessly behead Christian men who refuse to convert to Islam and relentlessly rape and kill defenseless women and children whose “crime” is being a follower of Christ.
Perhaps the greatest challenge to Libasci and the diocese has come from the Souhegan Tea Party. In response, they’ve called their membership to action writing, in part, quote
To most Catholics (including the author of this newsletter), the e-mail was a betrayal of our values and an inappropriate use of diocesan resources. (View the text of the e-mail here.) If you are interested in volunteering to educate the public about the threat posed by the Obama administration’s plans to bring more refugees to the United States, please e-mail info@souheganteaparty.com.
Souhegan Tea Party: Opposing the church on Syrian refugees
They’ve called on their members, and the public at large to:
- Call or e-mail the Diocese of Manchester (contact information here) and tell them to stop playing politics with the safety of our communities.
- Spread the word, especially to your Catholic friends: Click here to forward this information to your friends.
- Join the ACT! for America e-mail list by sending a request to nashua4ACT@verizon.net.
- Contact the governor’s office at 271-2121 or via e-mail. Urge her to continue opposing resettlement of so-called “refugees” from the Middle-East.
- Send a message to Congress: Add you name to ACT’s Open Letter to Congress expressing strong opposition to the Administration’s plans to bring Syrian refugees to the US.
- Learn more about the refugee resettlement issue at refugeeresettlementwatch.wordpress.com.
As always, we’ve provided all the links you’d ever want or need from this newscast at Girard at Large dot com.
News from our own backyard continues after this.
Candia Police: Time to eat donuts.
The Candia Crime Wave seems to be at low tide for the second month in a row. Over the past month, their police department reported issuing a mere eighty six motor vehicle warnings. They also reported only six arrests, of which four had some sort of driving infraction associated with it. Townsfolk who’ve battled the crime wave hard for these past four years, are openly questioning whether or not space aliens have taken all the criminals out of their town as they have no explanation for the sudden and dramatic improvement in the reported crime stats.
Ste. Marie: Hosting big local craft fair
Ste. Marie Parish, “on top the hill on da Wes Side,” will host its annual craft fair on December fifth from nine to four. They have forty tables of local crafts that will be available. Door prizes are part of the festivities, too. Santa will make an appearance between ten and two so the kiddos can get their picture taken and ensure good ole St. Nick gets their list. The church basement, where the fair will be held, is handicapped accessible, including an elevator. Breakfast and lunch will be served. Signs on sight will direct fair goers. In case you don’t know where “on top the hill on da Wes Side” is, it’s on Notre Dame Avenue right behind Catholic Medical Center. There is ample parking in the off street lots on either side of the church, though I’d probably try to get into the parking lot along Amory Street, versus the one off Wayne Street.
It’s Black Friday and not just for retailers. The Manchester Animal Shelter announced on the Girard at Large Radio Show this morning that it’s slashed adoption fees and extended hours for the weekend in an attempt to clear the crowded shelter. Details of the fee reductions and hours increase can be found by clicking the adjacent photo, listening to this morning’s Pet Sense segment or visiting www.manchesteranimalshelter.org.
That’s news from our own backyard, Girard at Large hour ___ is next!
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/234955905″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
