January 29, 2013 /MariaNews.com

Filmmakers use social media to fund film about Medjugorje

MariaNews.com – Award winning director Sean Bloomfield and entrepreneur and producer Zaid Jazrawi announced today the launch of The Triumph Film crowd-funding campaign.  Utilizing social media the filmmakers hope to fund and promote a new documentary filmed in Medjugorje.

The Triumph – The battle has begun from Triumph Films on Vimeo.

“Get ready for The Triumph. A powerful new documentary that investigates one of the greatest mysteries in the modern world… a real-life prophecy unfolding today,” reads the opening line of their campaign.

Filmed primarily in the heart of Bosnia-Herzegovina, The Triumph investigates the modern-day miracles of Medjugorje, where apparitions of the Virgin Mary have been occurring since 1981. Sean and Zaid have dedicated the last two years to producing this epic and historical documentary.

In 1981 the Virgin Mary appeared to six small children in the tiny Baltic village of Medjugorje, bringing messages of God’s love to the world.  She promised to give each of the six visionaries a total of ten secrets that will occur on earth in the near future. The visionaries have so far revealed only one of the secrets.  In the third secret, Our Lady promised to leave a supernatural, indestructible and visible sign on the mountain where she first appeared in Medjugorje.

The film producers are using an innovative new method to help fund and promote the film. Indiegogo.com is a crowd-funding platform where anyone can help support a project in exchange for incentives also known as “perks.”   The perks for supporting the project include everything from a DVD to a trip to Medjugorje with the filmmakers.  The goal is to raise at least $50,000 to finish production and to help launch a marketing campaign for the film.

The funding campaign will last until 11:59 pm on March 10, 2013.

The Triumph raised over $5,000 with 45 contributors in less than 5 days from the launch of the campaign. Help make history, consider funding and check out the link below.

Read More: http://www.indiegogo.com/the-triumph?c=home

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January 19, 2012 / MariaNews.com

The Law of Life Summit 2013

By John Audino

Catholics Called to Witness – It is that time of year again! The March for Life in Washington D.C. is right around the corner and as public struggle against legalized abortion in America turns 40 years old, it is time to take note of how the event has grown up. Though the principles for such a large annual gathering in the nation’s capital have never changed, the organization surrounding the day has. The political protest continues to demand the basic human “unalienable Rights” of unborn children to “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Those rights are the basis for the American Declaration of Independence, and it is those rights that have been denied to all unborn children. What started with 20,000 people on a sunny, 70-degree day in January 1974 has now grown into the “largest pro-life event in the world.” The protest against legalized abortion now draws more than 400,000 participants, and the single-day March is growing into a multiple-day event.

With the objective of better organizing and promoting communication between the many pro-life organizations that come to Washington D.C. each year, practical steps have been taken to unite the efforts of groups from across the nation. One of the newest and most exciting endeavors surrounding the March for Life is the Law of Life Summit.  The Law of Life Summit is a bi-annual gathering of national pro-life leaders and students dedicated to overturning Roe v. Wade.  In an effort to expose and laud this relatively new event, I caught up with Mr. Royce Hood, organizer of the Law of Life Summit, to get an idea of just what this new event is all about.

JA: Mr. Hood, tell us about yourself and how you got involved with the Law of Life Summit?

RH: I am a graduate of Ave Maria School of Law (‘12), and an Illinois Licensed Attorney (although I was born and raised in Jupiter, Florida). I am a board member with the March for Life, founder of MariaNews.com, co-director of CatholicDaily.com and organizer of the Law of Life Summit. In a nutshell: I am active in pro-life and Catholic media. The Law of Life Summit was started as a way to unite national pro-life organizations.
JA: What exactly is the Law of Life Summit and what is its connection with the Ave Maria School of Law?

RH: The concept for the [Law of Life] Summit came about during my third year of law school. During my first two years of law school I was blown away by all of the people who participated in the March for Life. I was impressed by all of the wonderful organizations, but I had a question: How can we get all of these people and groups marching together for more than just one day? The idea for the Law of Life Summit was to bring together national pro-life groups and students. Specifically, we would focus on legal professionals.
JA: What is the intended purpose of the Summit, and what do you particularly hope to accomplish with this year’s theme: ‘Calling out the media!’ ?

RH: The Law of Life Summit = national pro-life leaders and students creating measurable and achievable objectives for overturning Roe v. Wade and for defending the sanctity of human life. Our goal is to unite national organizations and to inspire the future leaders of the pro-life movement. The only way to defeat Roe v. Wade is by combining legal strategy with an effort to achieve a cultural victory. We must educate and win the hearts and minds of the people if we will ever defeat abortion. This year’s theme, “Calling Out the Media,” was chosen to recognize the critical role of the media in promoting our pro-life efforts. This theme represents a double challenge. First, we must call out the secular media to engage in their responsibility to cover all newsworthy cultural events. For the last forty years, the coverage of one of the nation’s largest yearly gatherings in Washington DC has been dramatically overlooked by the mainstream media. Second, as pro-life leaders, we must take the challenge and fill in the gap with our own media outlets. The March for Life deserves loud, emphatic national media coverage!

JA: Finally, what kind of person is this Summit geared toward, and why should the average American be aware of and support this endeavor?  

RH: The Law of Life Summit is geared toward action-oriented individuals. While we hope to engage legal professionals, aspiring students, and pro-life organizations, this is a free event with open registration. We welcome all pro-life individuals to attend the event or log in to the livestream coverage (see below).

JA: Do you have any final words for our readers?

RH: Registrations are nearly full, however folks can watch a live webcast here:

https://new.livestream.com/cc2w/lawlife

Livestream coverage of the Law of Life Summit “3” is being provided by Catholics Called to Witness. For further information concerning the Law of Life Summit, please visit their website, www.lawlife.org. We thank and congratulate Mr. Royce Hood and Ave Maria School of Law for organizing and hosting the event.

Thus far, more than 55 million children have lost their lives in the United States alone due to legal abortion. May our prayers and efforts not be in vain. The journey to the nation’s capital promises to be a somber, yet hopeful one. In the face of such a great tragedy, perpetrated over forty long years, the resolve and newfound unity among Americans of all races and creeds is something to be celebrated. The Law of Life Summit is an excellent example of the pro-life movement’s creative and concrete attempts to bring an end to forty years of the legalized slaughter of infants in the US.

For those of you who are unable to join us in Washington D.C. please tune in to our livestream coverage of the Law of Life Summit ”3”. Please join us also in prayer as we make this pilgrimage with the intention that our nation may learn to treasure the sanctity of life and safeguard the right of every individual to that which was promised by our Founders.

The Law of Life Summit “3″

Calling Out The Media!

—————————————————————————-

WHAT: Pro-Life Leaders and Students Creating Measurable and Achievable Objectives for Overturning Roe v. Wade.

WHEN: January, 24 2013  (11:00 am to 2:00 pm)

WHERE:  The Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill

400 New Jersey Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C., USA 20001

Copyright: John Audino 2013.

Related links:

CC2W.org 

LawLife.org 

Summit webcast

Ave Maria School of Law

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October 30, 2012 / MariaNews.com 

Bishop explains how voting can jeopardize your soul

By Catholic Online

GREEN BAY, WI (Catholic Online) – In a letter to the faithful, dated October 24, Bishop Ricken told parishioners, A well-formed Christian conscience does not permit one to vote for a political program that contradicts fundamental contents of faith and morals. Some candidates and one party have even chosen some of these as their party’s or their personal political platform. To vote for someone in favor of these positions means that you could be morally ‘complicit’ with these choices which are intrinsically evil. This could put your own soul in jeopardy.”

Ricken did not tell anyone who, specifically, to vote for, but he was clear that your Christian conscience should inform your decision-making.

Many see voting as a trivial act, arguing that their vote does not matter. Yet the vote is a declaration of support for people and policies that can drive social change. Even casting a ballot for the losing side in an election stills ends a message that the losing position has your support. It acts as a brake on the momentum of the opposition.

What matters then, is that your vote is informed by your conscience. A good Christian ought not vote for a candidate or a party whose platform endorses the murder of unborn children, the corruption of marriage, and other morally objectionable planks.

Unfortunately, there are many candidates on both sides of the political spectrum that endorse morally objectionable platforms. For example, some candidates may rightly oppose abortion while endorsing other objectionable policies.

What Bishop Ricken is saying then, transcends party lines. Catholics, and indeed all Christians, are asked to vote their conscience. In other words, one should identify themselves as a Christian first, and a party member second.

All too often, one party of another claims the support of a demographic, such as Christians, while supporting positions that aren’t very Christian.

By enforcing personal integrity at the voting booth, Christians can send a clear message to all candidates that they will not accept the advocacy of morally objectionable policies, regardless of party affiliation. In so doing, they will compel legislators and policymakers to reevaluate their stance and adopt more appropriate positions on the issues, informed by Christian conscience, even if they themselves lack that information.

Every reader is encouraged to read the Bishop’s letter, which is linked here (Bishop Ricken Letter)

© 2012, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

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October 2, 2012 / MariaNews.com 

St. Louis De Montfort’s Prayer to Mary

(I am enclosing this beautiful prayer with the hope that those who love the Blessed Virgin Mary may enrich their devotion to her by the daily recitation of this prayer.  Some minor modifications have been made so that the language of the prayer may be more appropriate for our time. Deacon Antonio Sandoval)

Hail Mary, beloved Daughter of the Eternal Father!  Hail Mary, admirable Mother of the Son!  Hail Mary, faithful spouse of the Holy Spirit!  Hail Mary, my dear Mother, to whom I pledge perfect and prompt obedience; Hail Mary my powerful sovereign!  Hail my joy, my glory, my heart and my soul!  You are all mine by mercy, and I am all yours by justice.  But I am not yet sufficiently yours.  I now give myself entirely to you without keeping anything back for myself or others.  If you still see any one thing in me that doesn’t belong to you, I beseech you to take it, as I give to you all that is mine. Destroy in me anything that is displeasing to God, root it up and bring it to nought; place and cultivate in me everything that is pleasing to you.

May the light of your faith dispel the darkness of my mind; may your profound humility take the place of my pride; may your sublime contemplation check the distractions of my wandering imagination; may your continuous sight of God fill my memory with his presence; may the burning love of your heart enkindle the tepidness of mine; may your virtues take the place of my sins; may your merits be my only adornment before God and make up for all that is wanting in me.  Finally, my dear Mother, grant, if it be possible, that I may have no other spirit but yours to know Jesus and His divine will; that I may have no other soul but yours to praise and glorify the Lord; that I may have no other heart but yours to love God with a love that is pure and ardent as yours.  I do not ask for visions, revelations, sensible devotion or spiritual pleasures.  It is your privilege to see God clearly; it is your privilege to enjoy heavenly bliss; it is your privilege to triumph gloriously in heaven at the right hand of your Son and to hold absolute sway over angels, men and demons; it is your privilege to dispose of all the gifts of God as you will.

Such is, O heavenly Mary, the “best part” which the Lord has given to you and which shall never be taken away from you – and this thought fills my heart with joy.  As for my part  here below, I only wish for that which was yours; to believe sincerely without spiritual pleasures; to suffer joyfully without human consolation; to die continually to self without respite; to work zealously and unselfishly for you until death as the humblest of your servants.  The only grace I beg you to obtain for me is that every day and every moment of my life I may say: Amen, so be it – to all that you did while on earth.  Amen so be it – to all that you are doing in heaven.  Amen, so be it – to all that you are doing in my soul, so that you alone may glorify Jesus in me for time and for eternity.  Amen.  (Taken from True Devotion to Mary,  page 186)

Read more by Deacon Antonio here.

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September 14, 2012 / MariaNews.com 

Introducing CM1.TV 

CHICAGO, IL –  MariaNews.com has been given an exclusive first-look at CM1.TV.   “To put it bluntly: ‘Virtue over Vice with the Mission to Inspire…You!’”      So what is CM1.TV?    It is a project to develop a virtue based entertainment and media network.    Phase one, (“CM1.TV/News”),  is currently in testing and development although a beta-version of the website can be seen here.

Over the course of the next 12 months the site designers hope to develop CM1 News into a hub for information. Users will be able to view the latest headlines from around the world and will then be directed to the headlines source by clicking on the link.   What sets CM1 News apart from other sites is that there will be a special emphasis on Catholic, Christian and Pro-Life headlines.   Websites that wish to share their headlines can submit a link with their RSS feed and title and it will then be added to the site (assuming it meets some general guidelines).

Mainstream news such as politics, science, finance and world news will also be displayed.    CM1.TV/News is currently live for a limited time during its development and pre-launch.   The official launch will take place in January of 2013.

MariaNews.com will be following this story.

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September 13, 2012 / MariaNews.com 

‘Restless Heart’ is a film worth viewing!

By Catholic Media Review

Catholic Media Review (http://catholicmediareview.blogspot.com/)  - Most Christians have heard about the stunning conversion of St Augustine, the famous doctor of the Church. His wisdom permeates Western Culture and Catholics are familiar with his saying, “You have made us for Thyself O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.”

We have also heard about St Augustine’s long-suffering, prayerful mother, St Monica, whose feast day precedes his on the Liturgical Calendar. Many Catholic mothers consider St Monica their patroness as they intercede for children swept out of the Faith by the wayward culture.

Yet, few Catholics know the details of Augustine’s life story told in his Confessions and it is this void that the film “Restless Heart” seeks to fill.

Born to Patricius, a pagan Roman official and Monica, his Christian wife, Augustine showed great promise at a young age and felt that his backwater town in North Africa was not able to give him the education he required to develop his gift for rhetoric.  He was disgusted by his father’s drunkenness and womanizing and contemptuous of his mother’s prayerful suffering as she served her family’s needs.

Augustine was meant for better things, he reasoned, as he watched the famous lawyer Microbius and longed to be tutored by him.  Patricius did not have the funds or the desire to send him to study but Monica found a sponsor for her son and convinced Patricius to allow him to leave home.

Soon the brilliant Augustine became a renowned attorney winning case after case, relishing his fame and the pleasures of the flesh. He visited home expecting his mother to be proud of him, but she reproached him about the fact that he helped a guilty man avoid prison and return home to murder his wife.

Monica was nursing Patricius in his final days and rejoiced as he finally asked to be baptized. Augustine scoffed at Baptism; he had embraced a life of sin, which included a concubine who was to bear him a son.

Though Monica cared for Augustine and his family, she told him that she did not approve of his lifestyle and prayed constantly for his conversion, even as his friends got him involved in the cult of Manichaeism.  Soon his restlessness drove him to leave his family behind without notice travelling to work for the Empress of Rome as her orator.

Augustine had surrendered completely to the lure of fame and wealth, and his seemed a hopeless case. But as Bishop Ambrose had warned him, the Truth soon caught up with Augustine.

No need to worry about spoilers here. Catholics know this story has a miraculous ending, which brings Augustine more fame than he could have achieved in his secular career, thanks to the faithful prayer and loving example of St Monica.

What they will be fascinated to watch is exactly how a famous man who had everything to lose by becoming a Christian did so, and found peace for his soul in the Church. If ever there was an ancient story that is relevant to our contemporary culture, this is it. No Catholic family is without its wayward sons and daughters, whose restless hearts have led them from the Faith of their parents into the spiritual desert of modern society, which is no less debauched than Rome in its final days.

Catholics will be engrossed with this film in its full cinematic glory, with top notch acting, moving score, stunning cinematography,  and climactic ending. I recommend it for adolescents and up, due to some scenes involving drunkenness, adultery and violence. This is a film that should be part of every parish and home DVD collection and for a limited time can be shown at privately sponsored screenings. For more information, you can visit the film’s website athttp://www.restlessheartfilm.com/.

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August 6, 2012 / MariaNews.com 

Headlines from Apollo

1. Painting found hanging in wall of Scottish farmhouse might be one of da Vinci’s lost works, worth over £100 million (or over $155 million dollars) - For years it sat on a farmhouse wall gathering dust.   And when Fiona McLaren redecorated, she didn’t even take the time to cover the apparently worthless painting in a protective sheet, so it got flicked in specks of paint.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2183987/The-lost-da-Vinci-Is-painting-Scottish-farmhouse-masters-lost-works.html#ixzz22nGOd3rz

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2. Mars rover “Curiosity” safely lands on Mars - Curiosity, the largest and most advanced spacecraft ever sent to another planet, stuck its extraordinary landing Sunday night without a hitch and is poised to begin its pioneering two-year hunt for the building blocks of life — signs that Earth’s creatures may not be alone in the universe.

Read More: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0806-mars-curiosity-rover-landing-20120806,-11,1079506.story

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3. Christian film aims to curb human trafficking in India -  A group of independent film makers is using media to put an end to the epidemic of human trafficking that has plagued India’s “untouchables” for centuries. “We can see ourselves in this story and when we do that we get involved,” Brent Martz, co-producer of “Not Today” told CNA.

Read More: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/christian-film-aims-to-curb-human-trafficking-in-india/#.UB7ldwS3VGw.email

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Have an article or headline you’d like to see published on MariaNews.com?  Email news@marianews.com

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June 9, 2012 / MariaNews.com 

Why I Love Religion, And Love Jesus – Spoken Word w/ Father Claude

Reflection: By Royce Hood

Recently while visiting EWTN, I was privileged to meet Fr. Claude Burns AKA (Fr. Pontefix).    I was able to be a member of the audience for the taping of Father’s appearance on Life on the Rock which aired Thursday, June 7.

It turns out that Father and I have some mutual acquaintances.  Father Claude has been working with Spirit Juice Studios (based out of Chicago) to produce a series of short films that combine evangelization with spoken word poetry.     First and foremost, Rob at Spirit Juice Studio’s is a genius.  The quality of his lowest budget film could rival any multimillion dollar production.   Rob is a pro-life, pro-catholic and dedicated to the new media evangelization.   It was a pleasant surprise to learn that Father had been working with Rob!

The video “Why I Love Religion, Love Jesus” was produced in response to a video by Jefferson Bethke’s “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus.”   Jefferson Bethke (youtube user ‘bball1989′) basically says that Jesus came to abolish religion.  He says that “religion is man searching for God, but Christianity is God searching for man.”    Jefferson’s video has received over 21 million views.  He has produced a dozen other videos all generating millions of views.

In response Father Claude pointed out that while Jefferson clearly has a “heart for Jesus,” that by Jesus coming as a man, he brought “his religion to fruition.”     Father discussed on the show how messages like Bethke’s can fuel atheistic opinions.

Jefferson’s video indicated that religion has money to build massive churches but not to feed the poor.  Well, Father Claude’s video points out that is simply not the case.   The church, particularly the Catholic Church is among the largest providers of aid internationally.   “His Religion is the largest source of world-wide relief for the poor, the hungry, the sick and the repentant thief.  Ocean’s of compassion, opening wide the doors, for single mothers, orphans, married and divorced.”

Father Claude’s video has received well over half a million views since posting.   Father and Spirit Juice have also released more videos and have plans to do even more.

I was thrilled when saw this video for the first time.  It is powerful, beautiful and another great example of everyday Christians rising up to defend our Faith.

Father Claude also has a CD out.  Check it out here:

Learn more about Spirit Juice Studio’s here. 

Check out PhatMass.com 

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June 7, 2012 / MariaNews.com

Test of Fire: Election 2012

Brought to us by Catholics Called to Witness – Inspiring Catholics to Live their Faith

(By Royce Hood) - This is a Must See video brought to us by Catholics Called to Witness, a faith-based non-profit organization from Florida.

According to their official website, CC2W’s mission is dedicated to

Upholding and promoting the following three non-negotiable principles as stressed by Pope Benedict XVI, while encouraging the Catholic community to participate in the public arena.

1. Protection of life in all its stages, from the first moment of conception until natural death.

2. Recognition and promotion of the natural structure of the family – as a union between one man and one woman based on marriage – and its defense from attempts to make it juridical equivalent to radically different forms of union which in reality harm it and contribute to its destabilization, obscuring its particular character and its irreplaceable social role.

3. The protection of the right of parents to educate their children.

CC2W.org

The video Test of Fire has already received over 1.6 million views on Youtube.com.

This video and the work of CC2W is a great example of how the lay-faithful are coming together to defend the Catholic Church and religious freedom.

We can change our culture by proclaiming the truth!

Here is the video:

“Familiarize yourself with the three non-negotiable principles, stressed by Pope Benedict XVI and learn about how you can be a witness.” – learn more at CC2W.org

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June 3, 2012 / MariaNews.com 

We Are The Cristeros

(By Heart of a Lion – A CatholicDaily.com Blog) - “Vivo Christo Rey ! This was the battle cry of the Cristiada, the persecuted Catholics of Mexico who refused to say publically that God was dead. Less than 100 years ago in Mexico, the government made a proclamation that “God was dead,” expelled foreign priests, closed churches, and forbid even the use of the word, “Adios,” as it literally contained reference to God. Religious articles were forbidden, such as crucifixes and rosaries. Priests who consented to “register” their churches with the government were able to continue to function (under the watchful eye of Los Federales).

Thousands of brave citizens resisted, and obtained their ultimate goal: to die for Christ. Over the years, the country of Mexico has repeatedly introduced legislation that is hostile to Catholics, a lesson for us in the United States. Yes, it is happening now, here. We as a Catholic people have been persecuted and harassed by our own government simply for exercising our freedom of religion. While our existence here is far from a totalitarian regime, the United States has officially crossed the line: first in the courts with Roe v. Wade, continuing into recent history with the national health mandate requiring employers, employees, and medical professionals to violate their own moral conscience and religious freedom.

Surely, we must raise our eyes to heaven and ask God to forgive all who have been involved in this coup against us, for they know not what they are doing, but to tolerate the attacks on the Catholic faith, is to condone them, tantamount to the death of the soul at the hands of The Enemy.

President Obama has recently encouraged churches to, “Get political.” While this could be seen as a cheap parlor trick in order to get votes from his Christian constituents, many see his tactics also as devisive within the American Body of Christ, for Protestants and Catholics alike. Considering Obama’s stunning announcement in favor of gay marriage, I wonder how far he is willing to go to achieve the endorsement of minority and other groups who have been marginalized. If Obama can entice churches to accept his doctrine of immorality and death by infanticide, not to mention his socialist practices, he can begin to undermine the role of the church via the watchful eye of the government. Priests would be forced to officiate unholy unions. The doctrine could be watered down to be more palatable for some of the masses, who would most likely never attend a church if it stood against the behavior they wished to normalize. Truly, the Enemy conspires day and night to topple our Holy Mother Church!

Our Catholic Confirmation automatically makes us Soldiers for Christ. We are loving and peaceful in our fight, which occurs with movie back-drop-worthy intensity every day of our lives. Jesus Christ is our King, our life and our hope. He is our General, not the President (although we respect the office of the presidency), not our government. We will continue our fight against religious control by our government, and shield our children against the evils of Planned Parenthood. Our fight will never end, until we breathe our last, savoring the moments when we are called to act out our baptism in courageous and noble ways.

Viva Christo Rey !

Read more from Heart of a Lion here: http://catholicdaily.net/heart/

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