from coast to coastbe to inspire people to live good and upright lives. blasphemous “novels” can...

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FROM COAST TO COAST:Catholics Come Forward to Defend theHonor of Our Lord Jesus ChristCatholics Come Forward to Defend theHonor of Our Lord Jesus Christ

T r a d i t i o nF a m i l y a n dP r o p e r t y ®

July/August 2006

“Imbue our youth and children withChristian doctrine; give them regulardoses of that medicine for souls which isthe constant and courageous explanationof the Gospel. Furthermore, never tire ofsaying ‘Non licet’—It is not permitted. It isnot permitted to attend those theatricalperformances in which the most sacredrites are insulted and in which licentiousactions are presented. It is not permittedto frequent schools with atheistic profes-sors, materials, or even worse.”

“Fathers of families must not risk theirchildren’s frequenting theaters havingprograms that disparage morality andreligion, and that idealize blasphemy andimmorality. Such places are forbidden to

the Christian family, which cannot standas a spectator of actions that constitutean affront to God and the Faith, to theChurch, and to every sacred law.”

“Our Lord Jesus Christ continues Hisbattle with His Cross. We will use thatsame weapon. We will pray for our ene-mies, but will never accept their princi-ples. We will condemn the cowards whodo nothing save repeat, ‘What are youhoping to accomplish? What can we doanyway?’ These questions are ridiculous,worthy not of men but of worms.”

“Governments have their politics, butWe also have ours. Our politics is ‘OurFather, Who art in Heaven, hallowed beThy name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will

be done, on earth as it is in Heaven . . . .’”“Let us place ourselves in Mary’s

heart. There we will be in the safety ofNoah’s Ark, so to speak, even though sur-rounded by the deluge of evils.”

“O Mother of God and my mother, bythe great supplication of thy heart, begfor me a strong and solid devotion to theSacred Heart of Jesus.”

“Let us thank God that He has givenus life by the death of His Son and calledus to participate in the miracle of HisResurrection.”

Note:1. Quotations adapted from Regis Barwig,

More Than a Prophet: Day-by-Day with Pius IX(Altadena, Calif., Benziger Sisters Publishers, 1978).

F o r g o t t e nT r u t h s

We Cannot Be Spectators of Actions Offensive to God

Rejecting The Da Vinci CodeOf late the Church’s enemies have employed a new tactic to attack Our Divine Savior and

His Church by making use of blasphemous “novels” and “fiction.” The role of novels shouldbe to inspire people to live good and upright lives. Blasphemous “novels” can only influencethe loss of Faith, and consequently produce lives devoid of virtue and morals.

Rejecting The Da Vinci Code: How a Blasphemous Novel Brutally Attacks Our Lord and theCatholic Church, written by the TFP Committee on American Issues, is a fitting response toDan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code.

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The great Pope Pius IX was beatified in Septem-ber 2000. His reign, the Church’s longest, encom-passed an extraordinarily trying period for theChurch and Christian civilization, as both werebeset by the liberal revolutions of the nineteenthcentury. Standing uncompromisingly against liber-alism, Pope Pius IX was reviled and feared, butoften respected as well, by the Church’s numerous

secular and religious adversaries.His writings and pronouncements, ranging from

his splendid definition of the dogmas of the Immac-ulate Conception and Papal Infallibility to hisresounding denunciations of liberalism’s errors inhis Syllabus of Errors, made friends and foes takenotice. They are well worth considering still today.We present here a mere sample of his wisdom.1

C O V E R S T O RYFrom Coast to Coast: Catholics Come Forward to Defend the Honor of Our Lord Jesus Christ 4Bishops’ Support for TFP Protests Against The Da Vinci Code 7Ready, Set—Protest! 1 0

C O M M E N TA RYWhy Does Sony Fear Free Publicity? 1 2

O N LY I N A M E R I C AHeroism 1 4

A N F P R O G R E S S R E P O R TSpreading the Sacred Heart Badge 1 7An Audience With the Queen 1 8A New “Grace” in El Paso 1 8Notre Dame OKs Homosexual Film Festivals 1 9Our Readers Write 1 9

P R O P H E T S , M A R T Y R S , S A I N T SA N D H E R O E SThe Marvellous Story of Saint EustachiusPatron Saint of Hunters 2 0

B A C K C O V E RPhoto Essay: Protests and Prayer Vigils Across America 2 4

July/August 2006

Contents

Editor: C. Preston Noell III Associate Editors: John Horvat II, Michael Drake, Earl Appleby, Eugenia Guzman, Michael Whitcraft Photography: Gary Isbell, Michael GorreForeign Correspondents: Charles E. Schaffer, Austria; Jose Carlos Sepulveda, Brazil; Paul Foley, England;Benoit Bemelmans, France; Beno Hofschulte, Germany; Juan M. Montes, Italy; David Nash, South Africa; Felipe Barandiaran, Spain

The American TFP The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) wasfounded in 1973 to confront the profound crisis shaking the modern world. It is a civic,cultural and nonpartisan organization which,inspired by the traditional teachings of theSupreme Magisterium of the Roman CatholicChurch, works in a legal and peaceful mannerin the realm of ideas to defend and promotethe principles of private ownership, familyand perennial Christian values with their

twofold function: individual and social. TheTFP’s words and efforts have always beenfaithfully at the service of Christian civilization.The first TFP was founded inBrazil by the famous intellectual and Catholicleader Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira in 1960.His work inspired the formation of otherautonomous, TFP sister organizations acrossthe globe, thus constituting the world’slargest anticommunist and antisocialist network of Catholic inspiration.

CRUSADECRUSADE®

Crusade Magazine is a publication of The American Society forthe Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP). Direct allrequests and inquiries to: Crusade Magazine, P.O. Box 341,Hanover, PA 17331 or e-mail to: [email protected]. Web:www.tfp.org, Tel.: 888-317-5571, Fax: (570) 450-6352. © 2006 byThe Foundation for a Christian Civilization, Inc. This publicationincludes images from Dynamic Graphics, Corel, and Art Todaywhich are protected by Copyright laws of the U.S. and elsewhere.ISSN 1096-3782LCCN 98-641433 M-82

Cover: Catholics of

America stand uppublicly to defendOur Lord’s honor.

Page 14 Heroism—forever inspiring.

Page 4 Over 1,000 protests on May 19, 2006:The Da Vinci Code rejected.

Page 20 SaintEustachius: an example of fortitudein neo-pagan times.

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O n May 19, 2006, The Da Vinci Code wasreleased nationwide, and a polarizedAmerica was stirred up all the more with

this latest example of blasphemy against the Faith. For months, the media and the film’s promoters

have highlighted the various nonfictional issuesraised in this “fictional” work. Many Catholics sawDan Brown’s affirmations on the divinity of Christ,the establishment of the Papacy and true origins ofthe Church as a veiled blasphemous attack.

At first, the Catholic response was a systemat-ic and massive refutation of Dan Brown’s errors.Dozens of books and documentaries “decoded,”“cracked” or “broke” the pseudo-cryptic code thatso many, including the author, have mistaken forthe truth.

By May 19, 2006, the time for refutation wasover. It was time to reject, and on opening night,Catholics did just that by gathering in front of

over 1,000 theaters nationwide to protest againstblasphemy.

The Story of a Massive ProtestWhen Sony Pictures announced last year its inten-tion of putting The Da Vinci Code on film, theAmerican Society for the Defense of Tradition,Family and Property (TFP) and its America NeedsFatima campaign started organizing grassrootsprotests.

Blasphemy has always touched a raw nerve withAmericans, and The Da Vinci Code went beyondthat. Never before have Church teachings and histo-ry been so grossly distorted in a major motion pic-ture. Never before has the Divinity of Jesus Christbeen denied so brutally before such a vast audience.Yet the overwhelming media hype surrounding thefilm made any reaction seem impossible.

Yet the idea of protest caught on, and Catholicseverywhere were energized. What began as a smalleffort to find a few local organizers soon explodedinto a massive grassroots network that has led toover 2,000 protests across the nation.

A Cross Section of AmericaThe protest network enjoyed an impressive out-pouring of support from Americans from allwalks of life—an authentic America united todenounce and repudiate blasphemy. Everyonewanted to get involved. Housewives, students andteachers suddenly found themselves on the front-line in today’s Culture War. One 87-year-oldgrandmother in a wheelchair took it upon herselfto be an organizer. Professionals, doctors andlawyers offered to lead protests; musicians andartists put their talents to work; university stu-dents took advantage of the summer vacation toput together protests. Church and pro-life youthgroups also joined in. Some people located areatheaters showing the film and organized the vig-ils. Others planned meetings and barbecues to

FROM COASTFROM COASTCatholics Come Forward to Defend theB Y J O H N H O R V A T I I

C o v e rS t o r y

A rally ofreparation at theKrikorian Theatrein Monrovia, Calif.Catholics werejoyful in standingup for Our LordJesus Christ andthe Church.

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discuss strategy, and set up Web sites especiallyfor their protests.

Organizers used innovation and initiative torecruit others. One organizer went door-to-doorasking for help. Others took their protest postersto church and restaurants, enlisting help wherev-er they went. Still others posted signs on theirlawns or put them visibly in their cars. The TFPWeb site listing of organizers put protesters intouch with each other.

Reparation for blasphemy became the causethat united Catholics and overwhelmed thephone banks at TFP’s Da Vinci Code Protest Cen-tral near Topeka, Kan. People who never thoughtabout publicly defending Our Lord and theBlessed Mother suddenly were leading the chargeand making a stand.

Incredible Obstacles Organizers reported all sorts of tactics to discour-age them in their endeavor while they answeredenthusiastically the call to reject blasphemy.

The Da Vinci Code advocates/fans/support-ers played both sides of the controversy. Onone hand, they would minimize the film’s reli-

gious impact, portraying it as a mere work offiction. On the other hand, they would parrotthe central theses of the “fictional” book, say-ing it was telling the truth about Jesus and theCatholic Church.

Peer pressure was another obstacle. Friendsand neighbors told protesters not to get involved.Others said that everyone would laugh at them.Fellow Catholics said the best thing was to donothing! Shamefully, there were parish priestswho said they read the book and saw no problemin its blatant disregard for Church teachings.

Despite evidence that negative publicity doeshurt companies, many repeated the mantra thatprotests give free publicity to the film. Many evencited The Passion of the Christ as an example,though there were no massive protests in front oftheaters for that blockbuster film.

Others were told to go to another movie—do

The idea of protest caught on,and Catholics everywhere

were energized. What beganas a small effort to find a few

local organizers soonexploded into a massive

grassroots network that hasled to over 2,000 protests

across the nation.

TO COAST:TO COAST:Honor of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Catholics declaredtheir rejection ofThe Da Vinci Codeloud and clear at aTinseltown USAtheater inRochester, N.Y.

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anything but protest. However, such obstacles onlystrengthened the organizers’ resolve. Many ofthem were more determined than ever to go ahead.

Support from BishopsMidway through the recruitment effort, protest

organizers received the precious support of Vati-can officials and American bishops who encour-aged organized protests. On April 28, 2006, whilespeaking at a Catholic conference in Rome, Arch-bishop Angelo Amato, Secretary of the Congre-gation for the Doctrine of Faith, criticized The DaVinci Code book and film, and urged Catholics toorganize protests worldwide.

Eleven American bishops joined in encourag-ing such protests in front of theaters. Numerouspriests denounced the film from the pulpit.

In a letter to American TFP President Ray-mond Drake, Bishop Raymond J. Peña ofBrownsville, Texas, wrote, “I am encouraged toknow that people of good will such as the mem-bers of the Society [TFP] will exercise their legalright to peacefully protest a film that serves noobjective other than to ridicule Catholic doctrineand incite the masses to error.”

Bishop Robert W. Finn of Kansas City-St.Joseph, wrote, “Thank you for your prayerful andpeaceful efforts to give public witness to the

Over eightyCatholics protested

the blasphemous DaVinci Code movie at

a theater inFrackville, Penn.

TFP members held a prayer vigil/protest in front ofRegal Theaters in Bethesda, Md. ANF Director RobertRitchie (left) rouses reaction from motorists while hisyounger brother John speaks to a passerby about thelies in The Da Vinci Code.

Blasphemy has always touched a raw nerve withAmericans, and The Da Vinci Code went beyond that.

Never before have Church teachings and history been sogrossly distorted in a major motion picture.

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“I encourage all those who areusing the release of The DaVinci Code as an opportunity to

teach the truth of the Gospel about thelife of the Lord Jesus. I offer my supportas you gather in prayerful vigils today topublicly proclaim your faith in JesusChrist and to voice your disapproval ofthe erroneous information about Jesuspresented as fact in The Da Vinci Code.”

— Justin Cardinal Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia, Pa.

“Your campaign of prayer andlawful protest is sincerely appre-ciated. It is a meaningful exer-

cise of Catholic outrage at the callousrejection of things we hold sacred.”

— Most Reverend Robert W. Finn,Bishop of St. Joseph, Kansas City, Mo.

“Be assured of my prayers forthe work of the American Soci-ety for the Defense of Tradition,

Family and Property and its AmericaNeeds Fatima Campaign, as it seeks tosupport the Catholic Church and upholdits traditional beliefs.”

— Most Reverend Raymond L. Burke,Archbishop of St. Louis, Mo.

“The current media should beashamed of themselves! Theywill do anything to discredit the

Catholic Church! Our Lord Jesus Christ,Himself said ‘having eyes they do notsee; having ears they do not hear!’”

— Most Reverend Robert M. Moskal,Bishop of St. Josaphat in Parma, Ohio

“On Sunday, Mother’s Day, Imentioned in my homily: If yourmother is being attacked with

vicious lies and someone comes to youand says, ‘Hey, I got this fantastic movieabout your mother and the bad deedsshe has done, would you pay to see that

movie? Or, if her son, Jesus, was beingpelted with stones, would you providethe throwers with more stones to throwat Jesus? If you love your mother, theChurch, will you stand idly by and allowher to be degraded?’”

— Most Reverend Anthony Apuron,Archbishop of Agana, Guam

“From the bottom of my heart Ireject all the errors and blas-phemies contained in the despi-

cable novel, The Da Vinci Code, whichunfortunately will be presented on amovie version very soon. I wish toremind all Catholics of the words of OurLord that the gates of Hell shall not pre-vail over His Church.”

— Luis Cardinal Aponte, Archbishop Emeritus of San Juan,

Puerto Rico

“I commend your efforts for agrassroots peaceful but distinctlyassertive of the truth to the con-

trary of this presentation in theaters whereit might be shown shortly. If the presenceof such public witness causes at least oneindividual to have second thoughts aboutthe ideological propaganda to which he orshe is being subject, your effort will havebeen well worthwhile.”

— Most Reverend Oscar H. Lipscomb,Archbishop of Mobile. Ala.

“The Church remains and growsand thrives. So, my dear friends,as you stand in defense of our

Lord and His Church—fear not. Knowthat our Holy Faith has prevailed for twothousand years precisely because it isTRUE. There is no book or movie or TVprogram or website or fiction-disguised-as-history that can prevail against Christand His truth. Our Church is built uponthe rock-solid certainty of eye-witnesseswho were willing to suffer torture and

death for what they knew to be true.Indeed, ‘the gates of Hell shall not prevailagainst it.’ (Mt. 16:18)”

— Archbishop Cyril S. Bustros, Eparch of Newton, Roslindale, Mass.

“I am very pleased to know thatso many faithful people will begiving peaceful and prayerful

demonstration of their faith as this filmopens in theaters around the country.”

— Most Reverend Michael J. Sheridan,Bishop of Colorado Springs, Colo.

“I am encouraged to know thatpeople of good will such as themembers of the Society [TFP]

will exercise their legal right to peaceful-ly protest a film that serves no objectiveother than to ridicule Catholic doctrineand incite the masses to error.

“It is my fervent hope that, throughthe prayers of the Immaculate VirginMary and the witness of Christ’s disci-ples, the wavering faith of many movie-goers will be strengthened against thefalsehoods depicted in this film.”

— Most Reverend Raymond J. Peña,Bishop of Brownsville, Texas

“So much of the currentmilieu (The Da Vinci

Code and related books which are veryevident in our book stores) are nothingother than a resurgence of Gnostic here-sies of the early Church. A peaceful pub-lic witness to the love and truth of Christis necessary in many areas of our life andculture these days. I plan on writing onthis in our Diocesan paper, and with thehelp and encouragement of our CatholicCenter staff we are planning severalteaching events about The Da VinciCode. Please know of my prayer for youand all involved.”

— Most Reverend Kevin W. Vann,Bishop of Fort Worth, Texas

@E-mail

FAX

Bishops’ Support for TFP ProtestsAgainst The Da Vinci Code

Bishops’ Support for TFP ProtestsAgainst The Da Vinci Code

truth of Jesus Christ and His Church,and the belief of Christians, even asthey are belittled and blasphemed inThe Da Vinci Code.”

Breaking theConsensusThe promotion-al hype by themedia createdthe impressionthat those whoopposed the filmwould be a tiny,unimportant minori-ty. Organizers nation-wide prepared them-selves to receive nega-tive reactions and tobe the focus of scornand laughter.

However, few wereprepared to be so well received andaccepted by the public. Across thecountry, reports indicated that a

majority of the passersby supportedthe protests. Protesters received honksof approval from drivers or a thumbs-up. People came up to thank them forbeing there. Many were relieved to see

them at the theaters. Othersstopped what they weredoing and even joinedthe protests. Finally,many decided not to seethe movie after hearingwhy it was so offensive.

The protests helpedto break the consensusthat everyone is behindThe Da Vinci Code. Theprotesters were living

proof that dissenterswere not alone.

From the Front Lines

One lady stayed outside her local the-ater the entire time the movie wasrunning. At times she was joined by

Under a large cross and led by three priests, over one hundred fifty Catholics voiced theirprayers of reparation and protest against The Da Vinci Code at The Grand Theatre inLafayette, La. Protests continued every day at this location for more than two weeks.

“Thank you for your prayerful and peaceful efforts togive public witness to the truth of Jesus Christ and

His Church, and the belief of Christians, even as theyare belittled and blasphemed in The Da Vinci Code.”

—Most Reverend Robert W. Finn, Bishop of Kansas City, Mo.

Thank you for your ongoing spiritual leadership and informationconnection. We will be prayerfullyprotesting The Da Vinci Code movie.You arm all of us with the kind ofinformation that is invaluable toaction and participation by individu-als scattered all over the country.

P.H., e-mail

God bless America Needs Fatimafor its relentless efforts to combatheresies, blasphemies and everythingelse that is evil. Our Lord and HisBlessed Mother will bestow upon youabundant graces.

C.H., Coral Springs, Fla.

It’s really hard to understand howanyone would balk at fighting thisdegradation [The Da Vinci Code] toour Savior and our Faith! But,notwithstanding, I shall do all I can,even if it’s in a limited capacity, tostand by America Needs Fatima, inwhatever you and all our membersstand against in our fight againstoppression of our Faith, our Churchand Our Savior and His Holy Mother!

R.A., Dubuque, Iowa

I saw a lady praying fervently atthe adoration chapel. As she finishedher prayers, I approached her with aflier against The Da Vinci Code. Sheeagerly consented to take it saying thatshe goes to the adoration chapel topray in particular for her daughter-in-law. She said that her daughter-in-lawcompletely lost her Faith after readingThe Da Vinci Code book and that isthe chief reason she prays each week infront of the Blessed Sacrament.

M.K., Hudson, Ohio

I am brokenhearted to think ofwhat man has made of God’s creationin The Da Vinci Code.

G.M., Harahan, La.

Our ReadersWrite...


Media coverage drew muchattention to the acts of reparation

and rejection of blasphemy.

her three teenage children and others. Shereported that there were “about five quite nastyresponses, but many, many acts of kindness,and many opportunities to [talk].”

In Richmond, Va., eighteen protesters foundwidespread support. In particular, they wereimpressed by a group of children. As the chil-dren approached and read the protesters’ signs,one of them said, “I love Jesus, too!” and they allstarted singing and supporting the protest.

Another protest organizer reported on a simi-lar enthusiasm from sixth graders who saw theirprotest and started asking questions. Severalyoung boys became very excited about the idea ofprotesting and even offered to pray a Rosary ofreparation. “It was such a blessing to see theseyoung children get excited about their faith!” said

a protest organizer.An eight-year-old

boy at a protest in Hud-

son, N.Y., approached a reporter and asked him toprint his story. The reporter listened intently as theboy stated, “Tell people I hate The Da Vinci Code.Don’t go see it.”

One lady who saw a prayer vigil protestsaid seeing Catholics witnessing for theFaith encouraged her to persevere inthe Faith. In tears, she continued, “TheCatholic Church is still alive.”

Many organizers reported cooper-ation from security officers and mallmanagers who were against the film.At times, protesters were asked tomove to other locations, and thesenew locations provided better visi-bility for the protests. In fact, therewere twenty-two people protesting onthe public sidewalk outside a shoppingcenter when security came and said theyhad to move. When asked where they mightmove, the security officer said, “Well, sinceAMC Theater is showing this, and the othermerchants have no part, we are arranging tohave you protest in front of the theater!”

There were cases where a brave parish pastorwould lead his parish into protests. Such occasionswere always successful events and proved to be asource of blessing for the whole parish. Admiring-ly, one Catholic recounts the story of a parish priestwho, with a injured foot and using a cane, walkedback and forth during the protest in front of the

Eight-year-old AnthonySlobodnik holds his sign highat a protest in Merriam, Kan.

Left: A rally of reparation and protest by TFP members in front of Regal Gallery Place Stadium 14 in Washington, D.C.Right: Washington, D.C. protest organizer, Rommel Bandeira, educates the public about the blasphemies in The Da Vinci Code.


Urging all to join thenationwide protestsagainst The Da Vinci Codefilm, the American TFPpublished a full-pageadvertisement in USAToday, which has acirculation of 2.2 million,on May 17, 2006.

A ProtestInvitation in USA Today

NY


TFP member Peter Shibler is one ofthe many volunteers who worked behindthe scenes preparing large anti-blasphe-my banners. Over 420 large banners wereshipped out to protest groups across thecountry.

Impressive numbers for the record:Number of posters printed: 8,000Number of banners made: 420Total number of brass grom-mets used: 2,520Length of banner vinyl printed:5,250 feet (30 feet short of a mile!)

Weight: 1,680 poundsDays of printing: 17Man-hours worked: 438 hours on banners alone

Shortly before May 19, 2006, theprinter was running day and nightwhen, suddenly, it simply shut down.With a broken printer, many protestorganizers would not receive their ban-ners on time for their prayer vigils. So,computer technicians went to work tosolve the problem. After inspecting theprinter, however, they could not explain

why it had stopped running, nor werethey able to fix it.

Raymond Drake, president of theAmerican TFP, decided to tape a Miracu-lous Medal of Our Lady to the side of theprinter. After he did so, the printer startedworking again. Everyone was amazedwith Our Lady’s intervention and all thebanners were sent out on time.

Ready, Set—Protest!

Above left: TFP members work on fixing the stubborn printer. Above middle: Peter Shibler placessix grommets each banner. Near right: Just a few of the packaged banners, programs and fliersready to go to Protest Organizers. Far right: The banners are cut and prepared for the next step.

crowd saying the Rosary, slowly, loudlyand clearly. She described the experi-ence as “powerful.”

Of course, the protests were notwithout oppositions. Some protest-ers found people holding up hastilydrawn signs, sneering and jeering,and parodying the prayerful stance ofthe protesters. Others preferred notto face the protesters and would

“courageously” scream “it’s only fic-tion” or some other slogan as theydrove by in their cars. In St. Louis,two individuals came to the theaterdressed up as “bishops,” dancing andgesturing before awaiting cameras.

The Honor of ProtestingMost organizers felt honored bybeing at the protests. They felt it a

Protesters received honks of approval fromdrivers or a thumbs-up. People came up to thankthem for being there. Many were relieved to seethem at the theaters. Others stopped what they

were doing and even joined the protests.

Students from St. Louis de Montfort Academyparticipated in several protests. Here, the boys carrya statue of Our Lady of Fatima while they prayedand protested.

B Y J O H N R I T C H I E

privilege to publicly witness for the Faith. Otherssaid it was a rewarding experience. One protesterfrom Sugar Land, Texas, reported that their groupof twenty considered the protest and some heck-lers “a blessing from the Lord because He let usshare His suffering.”

“Catholics need to do more of this kind of pub-lic display rather than sitting inside our churcheswhile our Creator is vilified,” wrote a woman fromNew York. “While God the Father and His Son aredriven out of our country, we sit by waiting forsomeone else to do something. Well, our littlegroup did something today in the hot blazingsun. We stood up for Jesus on public domain in adignified, respectful way, and God-willing we andothers will do so again.”

“What a joy to be a real Catholic today!” wrote

one lady returning from a protest. Over 2,000 prayer vigils and protests

were held nationwide. The mostimportant accomplishment was thatthese prayer vigils were acts of repara-tion in atonement for the blas-phemies contained in The Da VinciCode book and film.

However, an added effect of thiseffort was that so many overcame theobstacles and answered the call to rejectThe Da Vinci Code. Catholics felt the joy ofbeing Catholic. Moreover, they felt part of a vastfamily of souls from all over the country, whoradiated like a thousands points of light to standup for Our Lord Jesus Christ and His HolyChurch.


Contrary to whatprotesters expected, thesigns of support fromthe general public werenumerous. Hornshonked approval andmany a thumbs-upflashed at prayer vigilparticipants nationwide.

For some, it was a perpetual protest—showing theirrejection of The Da Vinci Code wherever they went.

Over 1,000 Protests and Prayer Vigils were staged on May 19, 2006. Over 2,000 were held all together.

Map showing the locations of over1,000 protests on May 19, 2006.


“Don’t protest, you’re just giving them free publicity!” That is the advice that the anti-blasphe-my protester often endures when organ-izing protests in front of theaters. Theconventional wisdom is that controversygenerates interest, and interest will inturn only fuel ticket sales. The best thinga Catholic can do in face of a blasphe-mous movie is to “ignore it, don’t go, donothing.”

Thus, according to conventional wis-dom, the TFP massive protests in front oftheaters, and especially the over 1,000protests against The Da Vinci Code movieon May 19, 2006, were at best well-inten-tioned but counterproductive. Indeed ifthe free publicity mantra were true, thenfilm producers should have been fanningcontroversy, welcoming protests andlaughing all the way to the bank. However,as the release date for The Da Vinci Codegrew near, no one seemed to be laughing.

Reputation ManagementAs one of the nation’s leading public rela-tions firms, Sitrick & Co. is best knownfor its communications work in “sensi-tive situations” and for “reputation man-agement.”

“The old saw of no publicity is badpublicity no longer applies,” warnedAllan Mayer of Sitrick & Co., one of theleading Hollywood damage-controlexperts. He should know. As head of thefirm’s entertainment division, he hasseen plenty of cases where controversyhas ruined the careers of many a star.1

Described by Variety as “Holly-wood’s most prominent crisis special-ists,” it is no coincidence that Sony Pic-tures hired Sitrick & Co. to handle thecontroversy surrounding The Da VinciCode movie. Films perceived as blas-

phemous are serious business.As the Wall Street Journal article “Da

Vinci Damage Control” noted, Sony Pic-tures did everything possible to avertbacklash from religious groups. “Sony isparticularly concerned about appearinginsensitive to religious beliefs,” the WallStreet Journal’s Hollywood Reportobserved.2

As the May 19 release dateapproached, Sony Pictures pulled out thestops in its public relations offensive, hop-ing to deflect critics protesting the film’scentral premise that Christ married MaryMagdalene, its rewriting of early Churchhistory and its Machiavellian depiction ofthe Catholic Church. In this case, “freepublicity” generated by potential protest-ers is a crisis, not an opportunity. Hiredspecialists were on the scene to avoid afalse move that could jeopardize the film-maker’s reputation.

Trying to “Dialogue”Not only did Sony Pictures contract Hol-lywood’s most able spinmeisters, but italso hired a second firm, Grace HillMedia, a media firm that specializes incourting Christian audiences.

Grace Hill Media, a Hollywood firmheaded by Jonathan Bock, was given theunenviable task of dealing with thoseChristians who oppose the book’s thesis.The firm employed methods that someopponents believed would blunt protest-ers’ opposition.

Dialogue is the key word. In fact,Grace Hill Media even went to the pointof having Sony Pictures set up its ownopposition Web site where protesters

can vent their opinions. The site, thedavincidialogue.com, is hardly convinc-ing, though its developers certainlyspent a lot of time and resources to finda panel of religious “experts” to discussThe Da Vinci Code. However, with essaytitles like “Why Christians Ought to Seethe Movie,” it is not difficult to perceive anot-so-hidden agenda.

For a Web site that offers to “dialogue”with Christians, it curiously offers nomechanisms whereby offended Chris-tians can send their concerns directly toSony Pictures. Instead, there is a discus-sion forum that takes one to a distaste-fully named HollywoodJesus.com sitewhere a few Christians have taken up thechallenge to fence with non-believers.

In a patronizing tone, protesters arealso invited to put down their signs andpray to gain new insights into the film.

Commentary

WWhhyy DDooeess SSoonnyy FFeeaarr FFrreeee PPuubblliicciittyy??B Y J O H N H O R V A T I I

A protester gives free but negative publicity toThe Da Vinci Code movie at the Sony Pictures

Entertainment office in Culver City, Calif.


“Praying about The Da Vinci Code is lessabout the book’s brouhaha and the film’sfrenzy,” the site’s “Hollywood Prayer Net-work” section claims, “and more aboutthose doing the praying. It’s about us.Through prayer, we gain wisdom, grace,strength and insight.”3

Avoiding the B WordThroughout the controversy, Sony Pic-tures has steered clear of the term “blas-phemy,” preferring to turn the matterinto a kind of cultural event, a fictionalthriller or an historic commentary.

Indeed, up until the showing of thefilm, it had become increasingly difficultto determine what the film was allabout. At the same time that Sony Pic-tures downplayed the movie as a fiction-al thriller, it put up a Web site to “educatepeople” about the theological and histor-ical issues connected to the film.

In a case of having your cake and eat-ing it, film promoters proclaimed it is alljust fiction, while its author, Dan Brown,insists all the louder that the novel hashistorical sources. On an opening pageof the bestseller, Mr. Brown unabashedlywrites, “all descriptions of artwork,architecture, documents and secret ritu-als in this novel are accurate.”

In a confusing atmosphere of “dia-logue” and pseudo-scholarly opinions,the debate is being sidetracked. Promot-ers are staying away from the very seri-ous charge of blasphemy and asking pro-testers to do likewise. This is a strangedialogue where one side is being askedto give in on everything and the otherside gives up nothing at all.

Effective ProtestBlasphemy! That is the word that the

filmmakers fear. It is the only word thatdescribes the brutal and callous insensi-tivity to religious beliefs Christians per-ceive, and it is the only word thataddresses the central issue of how themassive promotion of a work can beseen as both insulting and offending toGod Himself.

Blasphemy is the gravest sin commit-ted against religion because it expressesthe implication that God is con-temptible. In publicly portraying Godfalsely there is the implication ofattributing to God that which does notbelong to Him or denying to Him thatwhich is His.

In a work that so blatantly denies toChrist His very Divinity, it is no wonderthere are protests against The Da VinciCode, which is why anti-blasphemyprotests are so effective. It returns thedebate to where it belongs. It revealsbefore the public just how onerous theoffense being committed is, and that iswhy promoters must use “reputationmanagement,” damage-control special-ists and spinmeisters to shift the termsof the debate. Indeed, when art attachesitself to blasphemy, no amount of public-ity, free or otherwise, can remove thestigma of the offense.

Making a Moral DecisionThose who claim protests are free pub-licity cannot point to any case whereblasphemy protests have helped a film,play or exhibit. Such protests turn whatwould normally be for moviegoers anight of entertainment into a moraldecision. More often than not, blasphe-mous works experience an initial notori-ety and die ignominiously.

At the 96th Annual Meeting of the

American Association of Museums(AAM) in Dallas, museum professionalsheld a special workshop about dealingwith protests. Journalist and panelmember Hollis Walker bluntly told theaudience to consider blasphemyprotests “no-win situations.” Their bestpolicy is defense and damage control. “Atthe very beginning, if you see somethinglike this erupting, my best advice to youis to go hire the best public relations cri-sis consultant you can find,” shestressed, “because the internal publicrelations and marketing people at muse-ums are not equipped to deal with thiskind of issue.”4

It appears Sony Pictures followedsuch advice.

Anti-blasphemy protests were held attheaters all over the country.

Protesters proclaimed blasphemy isnot entertainment and they asked eachmoviegoer to make a moral decision.

If protesting is free publicity, thenSony Pictures paid for it dearly.

Notes:1. Chris Jones, “When is bad publicity a bad

career move?” Chicago Tribune, February 8, 2004 inhttp://www.sitrick.com/pdfs/ChicagoTribune.pdf#search=’When%20is%20bad%20publicity%20a%20bad%20career%20move’.

2. John Lippman, “Da Vinci Damage Control,”The Wall Street Journal, March 17, 2006, page W4.

3. Karen Covell, “A Message from the Holly-wood Prayer Network,” http://www.thedavincidialogue.com/pray.cfm.

4. Tapes 02446-0901 and 02446-0902, “OurLady of Controversy: The Cyber Arte Exhibition atthe Museum of International Folk Art,” recordedat the Association of American Museum’s AnnualMeeting & Museum Expo 2002 (ChesapeakeAudio/Video Communications, Inc., Elkridge,Md., 2002).

When art attaches itselfto blasphemy, no amount

of publicity, free orotherwise, can remove the

stigma of the offense.

Catholics brought protests to the very door of Sony Pictures Entertainmentoffices in Culver City, Calif.


When Todd Beamer boarded UnitedFlight 93 on September 11, 2001, he neverdreamed that terrorists intended to flythat very plane into the Capitol or theWhite House. Such an act would havebeen an even greater psychological blowto an already devastated nation. Hecould have sat quietly in his seat anddone nothing, but instead courageouslychose to lead fellow passengers againsthardened terrorists with the words, “Let’sroll.” His actions have earned him thetitle of hero and are considered by someto be the first strike against terrorism.

Heroes are a rare commodity in the“me culture” of modern-day America.Everything seems to be centered on self.Issues like homosexual marriage, abor-tion and stem-cell research are debatedon the basis of individual rights, and theidea of a higher law or the common goodare cast aside.

Yet from the day Todd Beamer foughtthe terrorists aboard Flight 93 until now,American soldiers have continued toroll. They risk their lives fighting for ahigher cause, alongside others who areconcerned solely about themselves. Theexistence of such heroes in the midst of

the modern day “me culture” is yetanother paradox that can be found “Onlyin America.”

Such a thesis would appear ques-tionable since we hardly ever hearabout such men. Pat Tillman, the for-mer professional football player for theArizona Cardinals, changed all that.

Neither the glow of stardom nor thecomforts of a million-dollar bankaccount were obstacles in his quest toserve a higher ideal. His death inAfghanistan in April 2004 captured theimagination of a nation and the enthu-siasm for such a man continues, evenwith the growing awareness that hisdeath was the result of friendly fire.

The reason for this is simple: heroismis contagious. Regardless of where andwhen it takes place, those who witness itare mesmerized. Those who hear aboutit are compelled to follow. No one forgets.The heroic early Christians, killed by theRomans, were ignorant of this fact anddid not realize the blood they shed wasthe seed of new faith. Likewise the hero-ism of our American soldiers shouldinspire the nation that produced suchbrave men.

Equally important is the fact that

O n l y I nA m e r i c a

HeroismAmerican soldiers face the prospect of injury and death with unflinchingcourage. In a nation dominated by a self-centered “me culture,” theirexistence is yet another paradox that can be found “only in America.”B Y N O R M A N F U L K E R S O N

“It didn’t seem right thatwe pay entertainersmillions to catch a

football,” the fresh newMarine was quoted assaying, “when we pay

our Marines pennies tocatch a bullet.”

Jeremy Staat takes the oath to serve hiscountry.

A beaming Private First Class Jeremy Staatafter becoming a U.S. Marine.

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“He had everything money could buy, but

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heroism is timeless. When a person doessomething truly heroic he becomesmythical or larger than life. Once a personearns such a status it remains forever as atestimony to that individual’s accom-plishment. To forget General DouglasMacArthur’s promise to the Filipino peo-ple, “I shall return” is therefore as hard asoverlooking Winston Churchill’s capacityof rallying a nation with the counsel to“Never give up.” Such men looked towarda higher ideal, faced the odds and will for-ever be remembered for doing so.

Catching Bullets Rather than Footballs This was the very reason that JeremyStaat, a former defensive lineman of thePittsburgh Steelers, decided to join themilitary. He was a personal friend of PatTillman at Arizona State University and,like the rest of the nation, he grieved Till-man’s death. His mother, Janet Staat, ofBakersfield, Calif., was not surprised byher son’s decision.

“At first it takes your breath away,” shesaid. “I watched him make a decision togo from being an elite [in the NFL] topossibly not having a blanket to sleepwith.” “He had everything money couldbuy,” she continued, “but was not happy.”He played a sport he loved and was paiddearly to do so, yet like Tillman, heyearned for more.

With his graduation from the MarineCorps in March 2006, satellite trucks frommajor news networks descended uponthe Staat home. They all wanted an inter-

view with the man whose life was a car-bon copy of Pat Tillman’s. “It didn’t seemright that we pay entertainers millions tocatch a football,” the fresh new Marinewas quoted as saying, “when we pay ourMarines pennies to catch a bullet.”

It could be argued that the examplesgiven represent naïve individuals igno-rant of what is involved in the service ofone’s country. The idea of sacrifice andpersonal risk would appear a romanticdream of young men who are unaware ofthe reality of armed conflict.

“I Was Just Doing My Job”No one would know of such a reality bet-ter than Capt. Brian Chontosh ofRochester, N.Y. In March 2003, he foundhimself in a life-threatening situationwhen the platoon he was leading cameunder attack from a “coordinatedambush of mortars, rocket-propelledgrenades and automatic weapons fire.”1

Caught in a kill zone, with tanksblocking the road ahead, he did theunthinkable and ordered his driver toadvance directly toward a .50 caliber

machine gun. He then exited his vehicleand began to clear the trench with hisrifle and pistol. Running out of ammuni-tion, he grabbed discarded weaponsfrom stunned Iraqis and continued hisvirtual one-man assault. Spotting anabandoned enemy rocket-propelledgrenade launcher close by, he used it toinflict yet more damage. When the sandsettled, he had cleared 200 yards oftrench and killed twenty enemy soldiersin the process.

After receiving the Navy Cross—theNavy’s second highest award—hedownplayed his exploits. “I was justdoing my job.” Although he came awayvirtually unscathed that day, others arenot so fortunate.

“300 Holes in His Body, Courage in His Heart”2

In July 2004, a Humvee in Sgt. Paul Brond-haver’s convoy broke down in a city northof Baghdad. He ordered a box formationaround the vehicle while mechanics wentto work. Moments later a rocket-pro-pelled grenade struck nearby sendinghim twelve feet in the air and killing hisfriend Private First Class Samuel Bowenwho was standing next to him.

What happened next defies belief.Although suffering over 300 wounds,inflicted by hot pieces of shrapnel, herefused help and ordered medics to lookafter those more “seriously wounded.”Weakened by the loss of blood yet full ofdetermination, he crawled to a nearbyHumvee where he radioed for a helicopter

“My heart is still there with my men. I need to get back to

Iraq . . . and finish what I started.”

Sgt. Paul Brondhaver (left) with friend Pfc.Samuel Bowen, who was killed in combat inIraq shortly after this photograph was taken.

Although badly wounded, Sgt. Brondhavercontinued fighting and helping his men.

“I watched him make adecision to go from beingan elite [in the NFL] topossibly not having ablanket to sleep with.”

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to evacuate the wounded and dead.Leaning out the window he then firedupon enemy soldiers and ordered amachine gunner to lay down more sup-pressive fire.

Sgt. Brondhaver survived that har-rowing day yet admitted, “My heartis still there with my men. I need toget back to Iraq,” he said, “and fin-ish what I started.”

“Wounded Warriors”Lt. Col. Tim Maxwell, a twenty-yearveteran in the Marine Corps, alsoknows what war is like. While sta-tioned in central Iraq in October2004, he laid down for what hehoped would be a ten-minute nap.His brief respite from battle wasrudely interrupted when a mortarround exploded nearby and knockedhim unconscious. He would later wakeup in Bethesda Naval Hospital with tun-nel vision, broken bones and severebrain damage. As an officer who foryears had led men in battle with a com-pass, he would now have to re-learnwhat it is.

Learning to read again with children’sbooks was difficult but thanks to militarydiscipline and the help of a speech pathol-ogist he improved rapidly. The effort how-ever was so grueling that he ended somesessions drenched in perspiration.

One of his biggest struggles was over-coming depression caused not from therigors of war but the separation from fel-low heroes still fighting in Iraq. Like Sgt.

Brondhaver, he would like to return buthis injuries will not allow it. He nowdevotes his time to helping fellowMarines through a pilot program called“Wounded Warriors.”

The most notable recipient of Lt. Col.

Maxwell’s kindness is Sgt. James Sturla, atwenty-six-year-old tank commanderwho was “degloved” during an attack inwestern Iraq. Although he had the skinand muscle ripped right off his hand heis now preparing for re-deployment. Col.Maxwell’s wounded warriors are not theonly injured soldiers wishing to return tocombat.

David Rozelle of Fort Carson, Colo.,lost his right leg in June 2003 when theHumvee he was riding in detonated ananti-tank mine. Rehabilitation was diffi-cult but with the help of a prosthetic hewas soon running a ten-minute mile on atreadmill. In November 2004, he com-

pleted the twenty-six-mile New York CityMarathon3 and is now back in Iraq. Herecounts his moving story in his memoir,Back in Action: An American Soldier’sStory of Courage, Faith, and Fortitude.

Re-enlistments Are UpIt has been five years since ToddBeamer’s “let’s roll.” What began withflag waving and yellow ribbons, how-ever, some have reduced to body-bagcounts and prison abuse scandals.

In the midst of negative news,however, there is one striking pieceof information that goes unreported.In the last six months, the Army hasrecorded a fifteen percent increase inre-enlistments; an upward trend thatbegan in 2001. More significant still isthe fact that sixty-nine percent of

those killed in Iraq come from thisbranch of the Armed Forces.

Why do so many soldiers re-enlist? Itis because heroism is truly timeless,contagious and another Only in Ameri-ca paradox.

Notes:1. Cpl. Jeremy Vought, “3/5 Marines awarded for

heroism,” http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/_.nsf/lookupstoryref/__ 2004514112222.

2. Reid Forgrave, “300 holes in his body,courage in his heart—Wounded Guardsman tellsof grenade attack,” Cincinnati Enquirer, July 12,2004, http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2004/07/12/loc_loc1asoldier.html.

3. Sgt. Lorie Jewell, “Missing Limbs Don’t StopSoldiers From Finishing NYC Marathon,” Novem-ber 10, 2004, http://www.operationhomefront.net//nyc_marathon.htm.

One of his biggeststruggles wasovercoming

depression caused notfrom the rigors of war

but the separationfrom fellow heroes still

fighting in Iraq.Lt. Col. Tim Maxwell (far left) with fellowsoldiers.

After serious injury from a mortar attack inIraq, Lt. Col. Maxwell now helps fellowwounded Marines.

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Members of the “Wounded Warriors,”injured Marines, some of whom seek to

return to combat.

America Needs Fatima®July/August 2006 PROGRESS REPORT

On June 2, 2006, America Needs Fatimalaunched the Sacred Heart Badge cam-paign with the intent of flooding homesacross America with these blessed badges.The mailing, which was sent to 80,000 peo-ple, includes three badges: one for theaddressee, and two to distribute.

In 1676, Our Lord Jesus Himself intro-duced the devotion to His flaming Heartto Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, aFrench nun of the Visitation. He prom-ised, “I will bless every house in which animage of My Heart shall be exposed andhonored.” He also revealed His wish that

people not only have a picture to ven-erate in their homes, but also carry asmall picture with them.

When the Sacred Heart Badge wasfirst presented to Blessed Pope Pius IXin 1870, he exclaimed, “this is an inspi-ration from Heaven. Yes, from Heaven,”and proceeded to grant the badge a bless-ing for all time so that subsequent badgesneed never be re-blessed by a priest. Hethen added, “and I want Satan to beunable to cause any harm to those whowear this badge.”

The badge was adopted by the great

Catholic resistance movements, such asthat of the Chouans against the FrenchRevolution, Andreas Hoffer’s Tyroleansagainst Napoleon, the Cristeros againstthe anti-Catholic Mexican government inthe beginning of the twentieth century,and the Carlists against the CommunistRevolution of 1936–1939 in Spain. TheCuban Catholics facing Castro’s firingsquads also had a great devotion to theSacred Heart of Jesus and died crying,“Long live Christ the King!”

With a history such as that of theSacred Heart Badge, ANF’s DirectorRobert Ritchie could not help but beenthusiastic about spreading this devo-tion in America today, so in need of divineaid. Indeed, what better token of Faithand Divine protection could we wish forAmerica?

To order more Sacred Heart Badges, call (888) 317-5571.

B Y G A R Y I S B E L L


Father C. Anthony Miller blesses theSacred Heart badges just before theyare mailed to homes across America.

Spreading the Sacred Heart Badge

The front and backof the Sacred Heartbadges mailed to80,000 Americansthis June.

Something has changed in El Paso,Texas. There is a new “grace” in thewind.

Two years ago, scheduling Fatima vis-its was a slow task, and even then therewere many cancellations. In contrast,the phone is ringing off the hook thisyear. The schedule is full and so are thevisits, with many of these having morethan thirty-five persons attending.

Such was a visit at the Silva’s house.Since El Paso is predominantly Hispan-ic, Our Lady’s statue was receivedwarmly with many Spanish hymns. Thealtar was beautifully decorated withfresh flowers and lace.

After the usual presentation of Our

Lady of Fatima’s message, and thewriting of intentions, we intro-duced a practice that was begunthe day before at the Garcia’shouse. The participants wereinvited to come forward one byone and were handed a candlewhich was lit by the Custodian.Each person then offered a silentprayer to the Blessed Mother andplaced the candle at her feet.

This gave the room a hushed atmos-phere reminding everyone of the seri-ousness of the moment. After theRosary, participants again came up toOur Lady individually and blew outtheir candle. This practice added some-

thing special to the visit, and had themakings of a new tradition.

Needless to say, an abundant Hispan-ic repast and warm conviviality followed,and body and soul were satisfied.

USTODIAN

B Y M A R C L A S C E L L E

CORNER

Above: A full housegreeted the visit of OurLady of Fatima at theSilva home in El Paso.Left: Presenting a litcandle, each participantpaid homage to Our Lady.

ANF PROGRESS REPORT


A New “Grace” in El Paso

B Y B E N J A M I N H I E G E R T

F rom April 26 to May 3, 2006,the famous International Pil-grim Virgin Statue made an

unexpected and blessed visit to thenational headquarters of the AmericanSociety for the Defense of Tradition,Family and Property (TFP) and to thesite of its America Needs Fatima cam-paign in Spring Grove, Pa.

The statue had just returned fromvisiting the new TFP youth center nearStrasbourg, France, where TFP mem-bers from all over Europe came tospend Holy Week with the Internation-al Pilgrim Virgin. From France, the stat-ue traveled to Brazil to visit TFP mem-bers in Brasilia, Londrina, Rio de Janeiroand São Paulo.

As part of the statue’s Pennsylvaniaprogram, TFP members and supporters

held a constant prayer vigil throughoutthe eight-day stay. The high point of thestatue’s visit was a ceremony on April26, the feast of Our Lady of Good Coun-sel of Genazzano, where several youngmen renewed their consecration toMary according to the method of SaintLouis Marie Grignion de Montfort andthen received the TFP cape. Othersreceived the TFP ceremonial habit. Dr.Caio Xavier da Silveira, a foundingmember of the Brazilian TFP, was theguest of honor at the ceremony.

An Audience With theQueenQueen

TFP members and supporters held an eight-day prayer vigil before the miraculous PilgrimVirgin at TFP and ANF headquarters in SpringGrove, Pa.

One of the many apostolates of AmericaNeeds Fatima since the ‘80s is the massdistribution of Miraculous Medals andNovenas. Above: Msgr. Henry Otero blessesa new batch of 140,000 medals recentlyarrived from Spain for distribution for theremainder of 2006. Inset: The cover of thenovena and the Miraculous Medal.

ANF PROGRESS REPORT


Notre Dame OKs Homosexual Film FestivalsB Y J A M E S B A S C O M

It is with great sadness that I writethis letter. My daughter went to NotreDame. To tell you the truth I didn’t talkabout it much because I am ashamed.When she first went there I was sohappy she chose a “Catholic” college. Inever in my wildest dreams thoughtsomething as evil, repulsive and vile asthe “V——- Monologues” could everhappen at a “Catholic” college. Ilearned about this in her senior year.

I wrote a letter to the previous presi-dent, Father Malloy, and obtained aresponse disavowing any participationin this or desire to take action owing to

a school policy not interfering with stu-dent freedom and their right to beexposed to “anything.”

My first letter to the president wasrespectful and I pleaded a return toCatholic standards, respect for God andthe Commandments, and for spiritualdirection, which is why a “Catholic” uni-versity exists, and so forth.

I am on their mailing list. I havenever given them a thin dime and neverintend to after this shameful and hurt-ful act to our Faith.

Right now, after receiving [his] letter,I am hopping angry. Father Jenkins

speaks about “sacramental devotions,”“dedication to the example of theBlessed Mother” and “moral radiance.”What is he talking about?!

I read your recent Crusade article onNotre Dame. God must be so hurt thatHis sons have chosen this path. Ourpriests desperately need all our prayersand sacrifices.

God help our children. I’m prayingand hope you will help me as I am notcontent to sit back and do nothing. I seethis letter as an opportunity.

— J.G., Turnersville, N.J.

Our Readers Write...

So many students and parents hadtrusted University of Notre Dame’s newpresident, Father John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.,would restore moral order on campusby stopping “Queer Film Festival” and“V——- Monologues,” two blatant,immoral, anti-Catholic events that haveoccurred annually.

However, hopes were shattered onApril 5, 2006 when Father Jenkinsissued a statement allowing these pro-homosexual events to continue at OurLady’s university. Father Jenkins said, “Isee no reason to prohibit performancesof The V——- Monologues on campus,and do not intend to do so.”1

“This is a dark day in the history ofCatholic higher education. The idea thatexplicit pro-homosexual events somehowfit in a Catholic setting is preposterous.Catholic doctrine clearly and consistentlycondemns homosexual vice,” said TFPStudent Action Director John Ritchie.

Pray for Notre DameThe mission of a Catholic Universityincludes counseling students awayfrom sin, and to provide them with theessential conditions favorable to thepractice of virtue. As Blessed Jacintawarned, “The sins which lead mostsouls to Hell are sins of the flesh.”

That is why TFP Student Actionlaunched Pray for Notre Dame last April.Thousands of faithful Catholic studentsand parents pledged prayers for thecomplete restoration of Catholic highereducation at the university.

The Most Rev. John D’Arcy, Bishop ofFort Wayne-South Bend, Ind., said,

Let us all turn to Mary, thepatroness of Notre Dame and of ourdiocese, asking her to help Father Jenk-ins and her university through this dif-ficult and historic moment, towardsthe light that is Jesus Christ who said,“I am the way, the truth and the life.”

I regret the sponsorship of thisplay by Notre Dame again this year,and pray it will be the last time.2

Each entry on TFP Student Action’sonline prayer registry was sent to FatherJohn Jenkins, urging him to upholdCatholic morality. Please continue topray for the end of homosexual sin andfor the perseverance of Catholic stu-dents. Together, we shall stop thisimmoral travesty once and for all!

Notes:1. Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., “Closing State-

ment on Academic Freedom and Catholic Char-acter,” April 5, 2006, http://president.nd.edu/closingstatement/.

2. “Concerning the ‘V[——-] Monologues’—Bishop John M. D’Arcy regrets Notre Dame spon-sorship,” February 2006, www.diocesefwsb.org/COMMUNICATIONS/vm2006.htm.


From the beginning of the Romandynasty, the Romans were a brave andwarlike people. Nation after nation andculture after culture gave way to Caesar’sarmies. Under one scepter, the conqueredregions comprised the Roman Empire.

Because the art of warfare was thenrude and undeveloped, generals had tobe men of consummate skill and intelli-gence. Soldiers thrived on the confi-dence they placed in their leaders whomoved the great brutal machine of warat will. One Roman Emperor said that hefeared a general without an army morethan an army without a general.

Such a general was Placidus, whoserved under Emperor Trajan aroundA.D. 100. He was known for his virtues aswell as his military skills. He treated hissoldiers as sons, was charitable and gen-erous to the needy, and though a pagan,was a chaste man, faithful to his wifeand loving to his two young sons.

God looked upon him and loved him,and wished to reward his natural virtueby bringing him out of the darkness ofpaganism into the light of His friendship.

One day, as Placidus hunted in theSavine Hills with a company of officers,they suddenly spotted a herd of deer. Asthe men set off on the chase, Placidussingled out a magnificent buck and pur-sued it. He finally caught up with hisprize in a ravine but, as he prepared toshoot, was amazed to see the stag turn-ing to face him.

As the buck stood motionless on theledge of a rock just above him, a dazzlinglight appeared between its antlers. In themidst of the the splendor Placidusbeheld an image of the crucifixion andheard a voice, “Placidus, why do you fol-low Me? Behold I have taken this form to

speak to you. I am Christ, whom youserve without knowing. Your charity andgood deeds to the poor have stoodbefore Me and have made Me follow youwith My mercy. The just man, dear to Meon account of his works, must not servedevils and false gods, who cannot givelife or reward.”

Dazzled, Placidus dismounted in con-fusion. Although he heard, he did notunderstand the voice that spoke to him.At last he said tremulously, “What voice

is this? Who speaks? Reveal Thyself thatI may know Thee.”

“I am Jesus Christ, who created heav-en and earth out of nothing, who threwall matter into shape and made the lightspring from the chaos of darkness. I amHe who created the moon and the stars,and caused the day and the night; whocreated man from the slime of the earth,and for his redemption appeared inhuman flesh, was crucified, and rose thethird day from the dead. Go, Placidus, tothe city, and seek the chief pastor of theChristians and be baptized.”

A last ray of the brilliant light pene-

trated the general’s heart, and Placidusunderstood all. He remained for hourson his knees, in his first warm, gratefulprayer to the true God.

On returning home, he told his wifeTrajana (after baptism, Theopista),everything. She had also received a simi-lar revelation and was one with him.After nightfall, with their two youngsons, they found their way to one of theRoman catacombs, where they werereceived into the Catholic Church.

Another JobAfter his baptism, Placidus, now namedEustachius, returned to the spot of thevision. There, he received great spiritualconsolation as well as a certain inklingthat he was to be tried like Job, as Godwished to sanctify this worthy general tothe highest degree.

Shortly after his return home, tragedystruck. A terrible pestilence broke out inhis household sickening his horses, cat-tle and servants. The unhealthy environ-ment obliged him to take his wife andchildren away for a while. On returning,he found that thieves had robbed him ofeverything he owned. Overcome withgrief, Eustachius decided to leave Romewith his family for another country.

They made their way to Ostia andboarded a vessel for Egypt. On landing inAfrica, the captain, a wicked man, sud-denly revealed his intentions. He hadEustachius and his two boys forciblytaken off the ship, and then set sail car-rying away his wife.

Eustachius was left grief struck withhis two sons on the beach. Kneeling onthe shore, he wept bitterly. But the manof suffering was still bigger than the manof battles. Remembering the crucified

P r o p h e t s ,M a r t y r s ,

S a i n t s a n dH e r o e s

The Marvellous Story of Saint Eustachius Patron Saint of Hunters

B Y F A T H E R A . J . O ’ R E I L L Y , D . D .

God looked upon himand loved him, and

wished to reward hisnatural virtue by

bringing him out of thedarkness of paganism

into the light of Hisfriendship.


God who had appeared to him in theAppenines, he checked his grief, and tak-ing his sons by the hand, moved inland.

He had not gone far when he cameupon a river swollen by recent rain.Realizing he could not make it acrosswith both boys, he left the oldest on thebank and entered the stream. Hardlyhad he reached the other side when,upon hearing a roar, he wheeled roundto see a lion carrying off his child. Helunged across the river’s current but hadbarely made it to shore when he saw a

huge wolf seizing the younger son. The sight of this drained his courage

and he fell to his knees in despair. Heappealed to the great God who he knewhad determined all this, and begged Himto boost his confidence. He prayed thatno blasphemy ever escape his lips, andbegged God to help his young faith toplace all his trust in His Providence.

SolitudeSeveral years had passed since Eustachiushad lost his wife, his children, his position

and all he owned, and we now find him asa poor laborer in a farm called Bardyssa.He had spent this time in labor, prayerand solitude, climbing ever higher on theladder of perfection and union with God.

Where Is Placidus?Meanwhile, news came from the eastthat the Persians and other nations hadrisen up against the Roman Empire, andwere destroying everything in their path.As Rome prepared for the clash, Emper-or Trajan still lacked the man who couldguarantee victory.

“Where is Placidus?” he asked of hisaides one day. “I have heard he is stillalive.”

No one knew for sure, but Caesaroffered a huge reward to anyone whocould bring news of his former general,while Caesar postponed the battle for aslong as possible.

Meanwhile, two veterans, who hadfought under Eustachius, had been dis-patched to the Egyptian provinces. Onemorning, as they were about to give uptheir search, they came upon a worker ina field. As they exchanged words, thetwo were struck by his likeness to theirold general. But though his speech andbearing were noble, they could not imag-ine their leader reduced to such obscuri-ty and poverty. The man who stood therein a poor laborer’s tattered garments hadalready recognized these men as two ofhis bravest soldiers and asked them whythey sought Placidus.

On being told of the Empire’s plightand how Caesar had sent soldiers inevery direction looking for him, hecouldn’t suppress his feelings any longerand disclosed his identity. They immedi-ately embraced him with tears of joy.

Meditating on this sudden turn of hislife, Eustachius recognized God’s provi-dence, and prepared to mingle anew inthe din and fatigue of war. On his returnto Rome, Emperor Trajan received himjoyfully and reinvested him with thegolden belt of consular command.

God Is Never OutdoneLet us leave Eustachius for a moment ashe casts his rough army into shape, andretrace our steps to poor Theopista, fif-teen years earlier as she clung to the

“Placidus, why do you follow Me? Behold I havetaken this form to speak to you. I am Christ, whom

you serve without knowing.”

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ship’s railing, watching in horror as herstricken husband and children recededfrom her view.

Our readers may put to rest theirfears as to her fate. God was her shield,and as her inconsolable sobs reachedthe wicked captain’s ears, God instilledinto his heart such compassion that hewas ashamed of his actions. At the sightof her goodness and virtue, his cruelintention was suddenly transformedinto admiration. From captor, hebecame her guardian, and at the nextport, provided her with money andgoods and set her free.

Meanwhile, Eustachius was leadingthe Roman army east. His legionspoured like Alpine avalanches into theenemy’s country, crushing everything intheir path. Not only were the rebels sub-dued but Eustachius conquered newdominions for Rome.

Every battle has its heroes, andtoward the end of this military cam-paign, two young men stood out in valor.These two had met in the army corpsand had become fast friends. One day,while they strolled outside the camp,there was a cry to arms, so they lungedlike lions to the front line and cheeredon their companions. Fighting valiantlyagainst fearsome odds, they held backthe enemy until their own army couldassemble and come to the rescue.

When the battle was over, Eustachius

sent for the two heroes who had savedhis army. He raised them to the rank ofcaptain and honored them with hisfriendship. Through subsequent tri-umphs, Eustachius grew to love thesetwo as sons. A strong affinity boundthem and lead them to seek each other’scompany.

One day as the twoyoung men walked alonga stream, the youngerman noticed that theolder one was pensivewith an air of gloom abouthim. On inquiring as towhat ailed him, his com-panion confided, “Yes,mine is a strange story.Rivers always bring itback. I will tell you but

you must promise me not to give awaymy secret. I’m a Roman citizen and aChristian. My father was a Roman gen-eral, and a man of great reputation. Iremember one day, I was about five,when he came back from a huntingexpedition, and spoke to my mother ofthings that made her weep. The follow-ing night they brought my little brotherand I to an underground cave where anelderly man spoke to us of the true God.My parents were deeply moved. Thenthe elderly man poured water on ourheads and gave us new names. He calledme Agapitus.”

He went on to relate how they hadlost everything, then traveled to Egypt,where their mother was kidnapped.Then he went on to speak of his appre-hension by a lion as his father attemptedto cross a river with them.

The younger man stood as frozenmissing no detail of the narrative.

“Fortunately,” Agapitus continued,“some passing shepherds set their dogs onthe beast. The lion dropped me to fightthe hounds, and these good people tookme home with them and raised me. But Inever saw my parents and brother again.”

As he looked up at his companion,he saw the latter’s eyes fixed wide onhim. Clapping Agapitus fiercely by theshoulders, the young man said in ahoarse voice, “Agapitus, I believe youare my brother!”

Agapitus was astonished, “What doyou mean? Speak!”

“I too lost my parents in childhood.The people who raised me told me theyhad saved me from a wolf near thestream of Chobar. They knew I was froma noble Roman family as I wore thisgolden ornament around my neck,” andhe showed him. As Agapitus recognizedthe identical pendant his mother hadgiven him on the day of his baptism,they clasped each other exclaiming,“Brothers! Brothers!”

Their first thought after the initialexcitement was to tell their general. Totheir astonishment he began to weep,and lifting up his eyes to heaven,exclaimed, “This was the will of Himwho reigns above! He gave, and He tookaway. Blessed be His holy name!” Thenturning to them, he said, “My sons! Godhas given you back to me!” As the twoyoung men stared in disbelief,Eustachius related his own story.

The reader’s imagination can picturethe moment.

Recalled to RomeThere was just then a great commotionin the camp. A courier had just arrivedwith news of Emperor Trajan’s death andof Adrian’s election. Eustachius hadorders to return to Rome with his armyfor the celebrations.

After setting in motion the disman-tling of the camps and preparations forreturn, Eustachius was left alone in histent where he knelt to thank God for thejoys of the day.

A servant interrupted him saying,“Sir, a woman who owns the field behindour encampment begs to speak withyou.”

Eustachius signaled to the servant tobring her in.

He now turned to face a woman,advancing in years and deeply markedby sorrow. Despite her impoverishedappearance, her bearing was noble.

She fell to her knees, saying, “Greatleader of the armies of Rome, I am aRoman citizen. Years ago I was separat-ed from my husband and children, andwas brought here by force for unlawfulpurposes. But I commit my word in the

Above: Façade of the church dedicatedto Saint Eustachius. The church islocated in the eighth rione or district ofRome, named Sant’Eustachio in honorof the saint. Right: The cross-bearingstag adorns the very top of the church.

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sight of Heaven that I was never unfaith-ful to my husband and my children. Ihave spent these many years in exile andmisery. I pray you, for the love you bearyour own spouse and children to takeme back to Rome to my friends, my . . . .”

Eustachius had raised her from thefloor, and as she looked at him she froze.

“Sir,” she cried, “I pray you, tell me, areyou Placidus, the master of the Romanhorse, to whom the true God spoke inthe mountains of Italy, who was bap-tized Eustachius, and who was separat-ed from his wife?”

“Yes! Yes!” interrupted Eustachius, “doyou know of her, is she still alive?”

“Eustachius, I am Theopista!” As she crumpled to the ground,

Eustachius was besides her gatheringher in his arms.

Within the hour the small tent hadbecome the scene of a joy seldom expe-rienced on this side of the grave, as thefamily was reunited. One such moment

can outweigh years of sorrow.

Final Triumph To return to Rome victorious warrantedthe greatest celebration next to that ofan Emperor’s election. At the news that

Eustachius’ army had arrived, popularrejoicing gained new momentum.

The city, already “dressed” for the cel-ebration of Adrian’s election, nowreceived the victor with trumpet blastsand shrill enthusiasm in the grand vic-tor’s parade.

Eustachius had prepared himself andhis family for this moment. Even whilerejoicing in their reunion, he foresawthat God had brought them together notmerely for a life of earthly leisure andhappiness, but to walk together intoeternity.

Years of suffering had shown himhow passing the joys of the world are,and had opened for him the eternaldimension of happiness.

If life could have granted him a fewmore years with his wife and sons, hewould certainly have taken it andenjoyed them gratefully. But he knewwhat a Roman triumph entailed. Heknew that as part of the festivities, heand his family would be required to offerpublic incense to the pagan gods. As aChristian, he could and would not.

Now, as they approached the Templeof Jupiter, they saw the high priests wait-ing in ceremonial garb. Eustachius, hiswife and sons knew their hour hadcome. As Rome watched, the Christianfamily descended from the chariots andstood before the temple but made nomove to enter. The crowd began to mur-mur not understanding the delay. Then,suddenly, Eustachius stood aside, andrefused to offer incense. His wife refusedas well. His sons followed suit.

In the moment of astounded silencethat followed, one voice seared the air:“Death to the Christians!” Thousands ofthroats picked up the cry.

They were brought before the Emper-or, who tried to make them see their“folly,” and when asked why he wouldnot sacrifice to the gods, Eustachiusanswered proudly and fiercely, “I am aChristian and adore only the true God.”His wife and sons answered likewise.They chided the Emperor for his folly inworshipping senseless pieces of marbleand wood. In vain did Adrian try prom-ises, threats and empty arguments indefense of paganism. The family was

inflexible. There was only one penaltyfor remaining Christian—death.

The next morning, September 20, 188,the people hastened to the Coliseum foryet another spectacle. Now the trumpetsblasted calling forth the victims. Thenoble family stepped out into the arena.They were calm, and prayed. The hingesgrated as the iron gates of the subter-ranean keeps swung open. Two lions andfour bears leapt onto the arena.

Rushing toward the victims, thebeasts suddenly began acting as pets.One lion endeavored to place his headunder Eustachius’ foot, which heallowed.

Furious, Adrian shouted, “Goad theanimals!” But these only turned on theirkeepers, driving them out. In his impo-tent rage, the Emperor commanded themartyrs to be placed in the bronze bull.This was an instrument of torture madein the shape of a bull, and could holdseveral persons in its hollow body. Whenfire was lit underneath, it became anoven.

This is the way Eustachius and hisfamily received their glorious crown.However, God showed that it was Hiswill and not Caesar’s commands orinstruments of torture that had takentheir lives. After three days, when thebodies of the saints were brought out inthe Emperor’s presence, there was notrace of burning upon them. Theyexhuded a delightful odor, and seemedto be lying in sweet sleep. Their relicsremained above ground for several daysas the whole city rushed to see the won-der. As none of God’s works are barren,many were converted.

The Christians buried the holy bodiestogether with the bronze bull in thesame spot where they suffered martyr-dom. Later, a beautiful church was builtin this place, dedicated to Eustachiusand his family. Today their remains restin the church of Saint Eustachius inThermis, in the heart of modern Romeawaiting the trumpet call of the Angel ofthe Last Day.

* The preceding article is an adaptation from theHistory of the Coliseum and Its Martyrs by ReverendA.J. O’Reilly (D. & J. Sadlier & Co., New York, 1885).

Interior of the Church of Saint Eustachius, builtin the eighth century. Saint Philip Neri used topray in this church in the sixteenth century.

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the Honor of Our Lord Jesus Christ

FROM CCOAST TTO CCOAST:Catholics Come Forward to Defend

NEBRASKA GEORGIA RHODE ISLAND SOUTH CAROLINA VERMONT WYOMING MONTANA MINNESOTA KENTUCK

OREGON NEW HAMPSHIRE WEST VIRGINIA IDAHO SOUTH DAKOTA UTAH MAINE INDIANA AR

CONNECTICUT MASSACHUSETTS ILLINOIS ARIZONA COLORADO VERMONT WASHINGTON KANSAS MARYLAN

L A B A M A CALIFORNIA NEW YORK FLORIDA PENNSYLVANIA TEXAS NEW JERSEY OHIO MICHIGAN LOUISIANA

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