Internet culture: 20 years of

Internet culture: 20 years of “emoticons”
It figures: the typed smiley face “:-)” was invented by a developer in LISP, the language heavy in parentheses. Has the Internet affected your use of language? Occasionally I catch myself writing the “;-)” by hand.

Quick turnaround in Worcester A

Quick turnaround in Worcester
A relief for abuse survivors: Worcester Bishop Daniel Reilly tells the lawyers to call off their sweeping subpoena for information from SNAP’s files.

The Sept. 9 subpoena instructed SNAP to disclose all information it had in the case of five women who alleged the church didn’t protect them from the Rev. Robert E. Kelley, who was convicted of rape and has admitted molesting 50 to 100 girls at St. Cecilia’s in Leominster 20 years ago.
It also demanded “names of all persons” who ever alleged to SNAP that a priest in the Worcester diocese abused them.
…Reilly said in a statement the diocese’s insurance company made the request without his knowledge, and he was “dismayed” to learn about it in Sunday’s newspapers.
“The Diocese of Worcester is committed to the care and support of those who have been victims of child sexual abuse by clergy and I stand unequivocally by that commitment,” Reilly said.
[SNAP regional leader Philip] Saviano questioned why Reilly didn’t know about the subpoena, given that lawyers for the insurance company and the diocese itself were informed when the subpoena was issued.
“If the bishop wasn’t in the loop, I think that’s a whole other problem,” he said.

Does this demonstrate that the lawyers were heartless about threatening the confidentiality of a support group, or clueless about the bad publicity? Take your pick.

Job opening: any journalists out

Job opening: any journalists out there?
The Boston archdiocesan newspaper is seeking a full-time news reporter. BA in communications/journalism and experience required. Be Catholic. By post: Managing Editor, The Pilot, 141 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02111-1200; by e-mail: resumes@bostonpilot.org. Good luck.

How not to promote reconciliation

How not to promote reconciliation
The Diocese of Worcester is giving itself a hotfoot of bad publicity by demanding information from the files of an abuse-survivors group. Although it doesn’t seem to have any legal confidentiality privilege, SNAP says it’s going to fight..

A prayer for spouses to

A prayer for spouses to the Spirit of unity
A young lady in .fr saw the prayers on my web site by theologian Fr. Jean Galot, SJ and sent me one more to try translating. She plans to give it to English-speaking friends at her wedding. Here’s a first draft.

Holy Spirit, you who unite,
guard our unity by guiding our love,
by inspiring in us daily gestures
where it can express itself, and by prescribing rules to us
that we must keep in every circumstance:
That we not dramatize the clash of opinions,
the jostle of wills; but each make efforts
to be accommodating, according to the other
the best response to his aspirations;
Not to drag out, not to rehash
the conflicts of a moment, but quickly seek
whatever makes the wounds received be soon forgotten,
the silence or the words that bring back peace;
And never to break off, when everything explodes,
not make an absolute pronouncement,
nor carry out a gesture that cannot be withdrawn,
but keep an open heart and welcoming spirit;
To not accuse the other, indicting him for wrongs,
but take up with humility
the burden of dissensions, knowing how to recognize
mistakes and clumsinesses, errors or impatiences;
And not to give up hope at keeping union,
but calling on you, Spirit, that we take up courage
in our hardships, climbing on with hope,
ardor, stubbornness, up the road of love.
Jean Galot, SJ

For those who haven’t seen the other prayers, they’re on-line: Eucharistic Prayers and When You Visit Us.