LifeisaPrayer.com Featured on WLCR and Daily Breakfast Podcast

In the past week, Life is a Prayer.com has been featured (or spoken of) on The Daily Breakfast pocast on SQPN.com (the episode talks about setting up a green or bluescreen, and specifically mentions this page on my Computer Support site). And today I talked to the kind hosts on the JPII Generation show on Holy Family Radio (WLCR AM 1040 in Louisville, KY) about the website.

Also, the Priestie Boyz were featured on the GrapeVine News Minute podcast on September 24. Thank you for all your help in getting the word out about the Lost in Ecstasy CD! We'll be having some available for sale at the Crossroads Music Festival this weekend!

A New Blog in Town...

A fellow classmate of mine has started a new blog, Sum Servus Tuus, Domine (Translation: "I am your servant, Lord."). It's still in its infancy, but I'm sure many great things will come from here. (He's been added to my Seminarian blogroll on the left).

And, lest I forget to say, he's using a Mac with iWeb, which automatically gives his blog some bonus points ;-).

NBC Has Problems with VeggieTales' Religious References

It seems like network television has decided to promote its own 'secular' religion, and silence Christianity... NBC decided to air 30-minute episodes of VeggieTales (animated Children's Biblical video series), but they are cutting any references to God or religion which are specifically Christian... which is what most of the videos are about.

Does it make sense to you? Me neither.

From an article on LifeSite:

"Originally NBC demanded that the producers remove all Biblical verses from the shows. Since then, the demands have become increasingly more draconian, the cartoon’s creator Phil Vischer reported on his blog site."

Soccer Game vs. St. Meinrads (UPDATED: Photos Available)

The KGB Lions today played in an epic soccer match against the St. Meinrad Seminary soccer team. The game was hard-fought, and ended in the best way possible: with no loser. We tied 1-1, and had a great time meeting some of the seminarians from St. Meinrad's.

View pictures from the game on my Seminary Pictures page. Below is a picture of a save I made in the first half.

St. Pio of Pietrelcina, pray for us!

[Edit: I was happy to meet Dennis, of the blog Vita Mea, and Patrick, of the blog Veritas Nunquam Perit, both seminarians studying at St. Meinrad's, after the game.]

Seminarian Game Saturday / Priestie Boyz Update

Just a quick reminder: Tomorrow (Saturday the 23rd), the Kenrick-Glennon Seminarians will be hosting the St. Meinrad Seminary's soccer team at 1:00 p.m. on the Kenrick-Glennon Seminary soccer field (around the back). Everyone is welcome!

So far, the Priestie boyz have been receiving a lot of good press from various bloggers and from word-of-mouth in St. Louis. They still have plenty of CDs available, so check out the album [priestieboyz.com]. I hope to update their website soon with some interesting stories about our band and the production of the CD.

St. Louis Catholic Seminarians Produce Album

ST. LOUIS CATHOLIC SEMINARIANS PRODUCE ALBUM
“Priestie Boyz” release alternative CD

A group of local Catholic seminarians (and former seminarians) has released a CD of “inspirational Catholic alternative music.” Priestie Boyz, a group of Roman Catholic seminarians studying for the priesthood at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, are selling the album Lost in Ecstasy on their website, www.priestieboyz.com.

Founded in 2004, the Priestie Boyz describe their music as embodying “love for the Church and Jesus Christ and a joyous attitude,” according to spokesman and sound engineer Jeff Geerling, who is also a seminarian.

“We strive to return our talents to the One who gave them to us. We believe our music is a prayer, and we hope it is a prayer for those who hear it,” Geerling said.

After production began, band members Mike Bauer and Anthony Podesta left the seminary, but continue to work alongside the remaining seminarian band members.

Lost in Ecstasy can be purchased online at www.priestieboyz.com, as well as in some St. Louis stores and at music events (details on the band’s website).

Annual Pro-Life Mass and March to Planned Parenthood

Sometimes you can feel the presence of Satan in certian places. Today, I definitely felt his presence while praying the Sorrowful mysteries at the abortion mill we marched to from the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. There is a great spiritual battle going on in our society, and the devil certainly seems to be taking a stranglehold of many people's hearts because of the life issues at the fore of our society. Our job is to use all of our strength in prayer and virtue to stop him from doing his evil work.

I have some pictures from this morning's Mass and march, including a few with all the college seminarians in them. Please pray for an end to abortion and a greater respect for human life!

Pope Benedict XVI's Speech

For a non-sensationalist perspective on Pope Benedict's academic lecture last Tuesday, which seems to be floating around in the news today, read this article. (Also, it is a good idea to actually read the lecture the Pope gave—because reading things out of context causes a ton of trouble.) From the article:

"Benedict's offence, of course, was recklessly to quote this 600 year-old expression of the point of view of a medieval Middle Eastern potentate. He didn't endorse it, didn't say that it was his own view, attributed it in context. And is now told that he has "aroused the anger of the whole Islamic world". Most of which, probably, had never heard of Manuel II Paleologue before this morning. Perhaps the pope should be careful of bringing such subversive ancient texts to light.

On the other hand, if you cannot, as part of a lengthy and profound academic lecture, cite a 600 year-old text for fear of stirring the aggravation of noisy politicians half way around the world, what CAN you do? We might as well all retreat into obscurantism. And keep our mouths shut, for otherwise, who knows who we might offend. And if, as a result of the outrage, some Catholics get killed or their churches burned down by offended scholars and textual exegesists it might be thought that Manuel's original point had rather been made."

Battle of the Seminarians (Soccer Match between Kenrick and St. Meinrad's!)

I'd like to invite any of you who can come to witness the first ever soccer match between the Kenrick-Glennon Lions soccer team and the team from St. Meinrad's Seminary (from Indiana)! The game will be next Saturday, September 23, at 1:00 p.m. on Kenrick-Glennon Seminary soccer field (behind the right side of the seminary). We hope that this will be an opportunity for you to see many Catholic Seminarians and enjoy a great soccer match!

I'll be there, playing as always in the goalie position, and I'd love to talk to you after the game's over. There is no charge for admission, and we would love for you to all come!

The Seminary's address is:
5200 Glennon Drive
St. Louis, MO 63119

Parents' Mass and Brunch at the Seminary

(My parents and I in front of the St. Joseph
Statue west of the main seminary building.)

Today the College Seminarians invited their parents to join the Seminarians for Mass and Brunch at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary. As my parents and others' parents visited, I was reminded of the great gift God gives us in the parents and family he provides for us. Not only on earth (the Church and our biological families), but also in Heaven—with Mary as our mother and God as our Father.

Whatever imperfections we may find in our families, we can find only perfection in the family that we are part of because of our baptism into the Catholic Church! While we can find much to complain about in liturgy, in certain administrative decisions by our bishops, priests and heirarchy, and in individual Church members, we can never find fault in the relationship between Mary and the Church, or between God and his chosen people. The only flaws are on our end; and our lifelong task is to rid ourselves of those flaws.

St. Louis Priests and Seminarians Excel in Labor Day Races

This news just in (luckily a little less distressing than the Crocodile Hunter's death earlier today...):

Creve Coeur, Missouri--Two local priests and two seminarians made fine showings at the 29th annual JCC Labor Day Run. The 5K and 10K courses are renowned among Saint Louis runners for the difficulty of their hills, both in incline and in placement. And though the 67-degree coolness provided a welcome respite from the week's heat, the nearly smothering humidity--measured at 90% by a local weather station--witnessed runners sweating even during their warm-ups.

Of the 180 folks who ran the 5K (3.1 miles), Glennon sophomore Charlie Samson held off several cross-country stars to cross the line 6th overall for 2nd place in his age group. Reverend Michael Butler (Kenrick '89), the Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese, announced his return to the racing scene with a top 25 finish, winning his age group outright.

Over 200 runners competed in the 10K (6.2 miles). Reverend Bill Vatterott (Kenrick '03), Associate Pastor of Holy Infant parish in Ballwin, used the race to gauge his training for the Chicago marathon. He kicked to 11th overall and won his age group. Stephen Mirarchi, new to Kenrick in first-year Theology, finished 6th overall and placed first in his respective age group as well.

Through their entry fees, the four men contributed $85 to the JCC's mission of promoting physical and spiritual growth in an interactive, multigenerational gathering place.

Congratulations! A fine team effort to all involved. (And, interestingly enough, I was DDR'ing (is that the term?) against Charlie Samson the night before this race... and he still placed 6th/2nd!).

Soccer Season - KGB Lions

The Kenrick-Glennon Lions' soccer season is beginning very soon, and we invite (as always) anyone who'd like to watch a game to visit us while we're playing on the field behind Kenrick-Glennon Seminary. This year, our games will be on almost every Sunday, starting on September 17, at 2:45 p.m.

Our first practice is today, and I'm quite excited to be back on the pitch again (especially after watching the World Cup a short while ago!).