It’s bad enough when a bigoted artist (it’s getting to be an oxymoron) trashes our religion, but what is even worse is the specter of a journalist who tries to outdo the artist. That’s what happened recently in Portland, Maine when the Maine Sunday Telegram reviewed the Stone Pinhead Ensemble’s performance of “Harold B. Thy Name.” Billed... [Read more...]
GOV. PATAKI MAKES RIGHT CHURCH-STATE DECISION
In the wake of a fire that devastated New York’s Central Synagogue on August 28, Governor George Pataki ordered a state of emergency that allows the congregation to use the New York State Armory on Park Avenue; access was granted for 10 days, from the eve of Rosh Hashanah on September 20 until Yom Kippur on September 29. The governor’s order suspended... [Read more...]
HEADS UP FOR “TRINITY”
On October 16, NBC will air a new show, “Trinity.” Its Department of Media Relations describes the show as a “powerful one-hour drama” from executive producer John Wells; Wells produced “ER.” The plot revolves around the McCallisters, “a working-class Irish-Catholic family from New York’ Hell’s Kitchen.”... [Read more...]
HUSTLER STOOPS TO NEW LOW
The September edition of the pornographic-misogynist publication, Hustler, featured a doctored picture of Pope John Paul II and Fidel Castro hawking the magazine. Castro was shown holding a copy of the magazine, with its pages open, while the pope gazed down at it. On the pope’s clothing was a yellow sticker that said, “I saved 44%”;... [Read more...]
IT’S THOSE CATHOLICS AGAIN
Secular and Catholic hospitals are merging throughout the nation and no one is more perturbed about this than Frances Kissling of Catholics for a Free Choice. What bothers her is the fact that Catholic hospitals don’t kill the kids. On National Public Radio, she recently offered this gem: “I think that we should not be surprised that Catholic... [Read more...]
JUDGE’S SLUR INVESTIGATED
A New York State employee recently contacted us regarding an Irish-Catholic slur she heard when in the company of an administrative judge. Because the case is now under investigation, we will not disclose the names that are party to this incident. The woman who wrote to us said that when she and several other employees were viewing a video of Irish... [Read more...]
KENTUCKY EDUCATOR PENALIZED FOR HER CATHOLICISM
Last April, after learning that there was an opening for the position of principal at Atherton High School in Louisville, Kentucky, Nina Bedford asked the superintendent of the Jefferson County Public Schools to submit her name as a candidate for the post; Mrs. Bedford is the assistant principal at Atherton. For reasons which appear to be bogus, Dr.... [Read more...]
LIBERAL CATHOLICS
Sociologists William D’Antonio and Dean Hoge recently published the results of their latest survey data on American Catholics. It was published in the National Catholic Reporter. Though the findings are interesting on many levels, there were a couple of conclusions that were most compelling. Regarding “Typical Catholics,” the biggest... [Read more...]
MEMBER NAILS “RED FLAG” STORY
When Loretta L. Day of West Orange, New Jersey, read an article in the Newark Star Ledger about Melissa Drexler’s admission that she killed her newborn son, she noticed something strange: Drexler was identified as someone who was “raised in a close Catholic family.” Day quickly wrote the newspaper asking why readers never learned of... [Read more...]
MEMBERS EXTRACT APOLOGY
In the last issue of Catalyst, we cited several instances where anti-Catholic bigotry was actually rewarded by schools and newspapers; we also printed the name and address of the offending parties. In at least one instance, the message that our members sent clearly hit home. We heard from Marty Gephart of Rochester High School, editor-in-chief of Rocktimes.... [Read more...]