My World of Religion, Politics, Entertainment and Social Issues

Dear Blog Visitors: Like many throughout the world, I am mourning the death of Senator Edward Kennedy, who will always be remembered as the ultimate champion of human rights. While many have labeled Ted Kennedy as an ultra-liberal, we must never forget that he was often successful in his attempts to reach across the aisle, and it was not uncommon for him to compromise with legislators who possessed a more conservative mindset. In Ted Kennedy's honor, it would be the ultimate tribute if conservatives and liberals in the Senate could reach a compromise on a health care bill. If successful, I would certainly hope the proposed legislation would be called the 'Kennedy Health Plan.' I have a very special personal memory of Ted Kennedy I would like to share with you. In brief, I was heavily involved in a research project in 1985, which was part of a worldwide effort to determine once and for all if notorious Nazi war criminal Josef Mengele was still alive. My research involved ...

Dear Blog Visitors: Edgar Davie kindly sent me a copy of his book, entitled 'Illicit Celibacy and the Deposit of Faith.' He asked that I read it and consider writing a review. Upon completion of the pages, I am very pleased to provide the following enthusiastic review that has been circulated to publishing outlets: Book Review: ‘Illicit Celibacy and the Deposit of Faith’ by Edgar Davie Review by Rev. Ray Grosswirth, M.A., M.Div Whenever I have an occasion to read a good book or view an exciting movie, I am naturally eager to share the details with friends and acquaintances. However, it is very important that I only tease the appetite, so as not to give too much away. Today is no exception, because I want to tell you about a new book. However, as with the case of a good mystery, I don’t want to provide too many details before you have a chance to delve into the pages of this particular gifted author. As the title suggests, Edgar Davie has tackled a complex topic – namely,...

Dear Blog Visitors: If you take the time to survey blogs and videos across cyberspace, it occasionally appears that there is open warfare between liberal and conservative Catholics. My personal hope is that there can be a venue for constructive dialogue between opposing factions. I have recently made attemps to appeal to both liberals and conservatives, who in many respects, encounter some of the same dilemmas, concerning the future of the Roman Catholic Church. Such dilemmas involve multiple parish closings, a severe clergy shortage and dwindling financial resources. In this particular video, I have attempted to create a bridge between opposing factions within the Catholic Church. Bridging some of the enormous divisions is indeed a daunting task. I hope Catholic traditionalists won't view me as enemy, because we share some of the same interests, such as a reverent treatment of the sacraments and music that is tasteful and respectful of tradition. The liberal side of the aisle ...

Dear Blog Visitors: As a diversion from church politics, I thought you might like to see my latest 'entertainment' video, in which I reprise my role as 'the dancing priest.' Although designed as a humorous video, the serious underlying message is that priests need to get more exercise. Peace to all, Ray

Dear Blog Visitors: I came across this old photo today (probably dates to the 1920s). It reflects a long tradition of seminarians processing from the old St. Bernard's Seminary in Rochester to Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. You can see from the photo that there were several hundred seminarians in the procession. I recall seeing this annual ritual in my younger years. Like many seminaries throughout the world, St. Bernard's closed and Rochester now only has a handful of young men preparing for the celibate priesthood. In the face of closing parishes and a sharp decline in celibate priests, the Vatican remains stubborn amongst the clamor for change. The average age of diocesan priests throughout the country is now 64. (This makes me feel young as a 60-year-old married priest.) Traditionalists are reluctant to let go of the mandatory celibacy policy that has been in place since 1139. My argument remains that unless the Vatican allows married priests and women priests into diocesan ...

Dear Blog Visitors: I just returned from a relaxing week at Niagara-on-the-Lake. It was in fact the very first time I have taken an entire week off from my secular job since 1997. The past week was actually a celebration of three events: 1.) my fifteenth wedding anniversary; 2.) a gathering of my high school graduating class from 1967; 3.) a retreat from my burnout scenario at my secular job. In this high definition video, I give you a view of the landscape from Niagara-on-the-Lake. In addition, I reflect on my retreat experience and burn-out in general. I also speak about the importance of gathering with my high school classmates the day before I left for Niagara-on-the-Lake. I look forward to retiring from my government job in around two years, so I can devote the rest of my life to ministry. I find that being the supervisor of a city's accounts payable unit can be very taxing emotionally and physically. As stated in the video, I rarely take a lunch and even making a quick t...

Dear Blog Visitors: In this high definition video, I am pleased to report that a date and itinerary have been set for the American Catholic Council. It is scheduled for June 9-June 11, 2011and will take place in Detroit. The agenda being set can neither be described as liberal nor conservative in scope. It is rather an attempt to bring a large population of Catholics together for constructive dialogue on a variety of issues that are extremely vital toward the well-being of the church. I look forward to attending and hope as plans continue to materialize, this will prove to be an event of historical proportions. Peace to all, Ray

Dear Blog Visitors: I find I must thank God this evening for all the wonderful friendships I experienced while a student at Rochester's Franklin High School during the years 1962-1967. These wonderful people were, and continue to be, special parts of my life. I realized this evening how quickly life passes, and why it is so important to make the best of each day that is granted to us. Tonight's gathering was to commemorate the collective 60th birthdays of my classmates. I posted photos of the event at my Facebook page, and thought I would simply post a picture of the commemorative cake here. Obviously, not everyone has pleasant memories of their high school days. I was indeed blessed and fortunate to have established friendships in high school that last to this day. I found myself thinking of my many classmates who were not able to attend this evening's festivities, and I hope to see them in the near future. I also thought of those who died, and I pray that they have fo...