Latest news with #HolyCommunion
Los Angeles Times
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Mailbag: ‘Careless and heartless policies' are causing fear in our communities
I commend Patrice Apodaca's courage for using her column (July 27) to express objection to the meanness emanating from Washington, D.C., in particular the careless and heartless policies causing fear and upheaval in the United States' immigrant population. I do not understand the rationale for the indiscriminate, en masse sweeping up and exporting of people to countries where they have never been and/or putting them into concentration camps. I am particularly angry about this since the administration suggested that recipients of Medicaid can replace field workers. Next, they are to round up the homeless. Perhaps they will be sent to do farm labor. I empathize with Apodaca's concern that she will face retribution for speaking out. Dissent, a Constitutional right, now justifies retribution. Patrice Apodaca made good, intelligent points about the mean policies towards our marginalized citizens and residents. I do not understand how normal, kind, humane people can be devoted to our current leaders. Liz Swiertz NewmanCorona del Mar I want to thank Patrice Apodaca for her column 'Entering the Age of Meanness' published July 27, and the Pilot for publishing it, as well as the letters by Lorraine Gayer and Denny Freidenrich on that day. My wish is that everyone, including our president, would follow their example. Mary Ellen GoddardCosta Mesa After reading Mr. Colin Martinez Longmore's letter, titled 'The Diocese of Orange must not remain silent about ICE raids' we were disappointed about its erroneous assertions. To that end, as a pillar of Orange County faith, the Diocese of Orange would like to update the community about our comprehensive actions taken in response to the recent federal immigration enforcement. Because based on Mr. Longmore's letter, clearly some are unaware of everything we are doing. We would challenge Mr. Longmore and others to visit and witness the good work that has been accomplished and not rely on hearsay and innuendo. Our approach is nuanced, practical and pastoral, rooted in Catholic social teachings while also supporting the rule of law. It may not be apropos to catchy sound bites, social media divisiveness or alleviate all concerns, but we stand by our actions and commitments. In early June, we aggressively called for immigration reform (which has not happened in some four decades) while also advocating for peaceful protest that avoids our most violent instincts. It was anything but vague. Since then, we have fostered what we pray are beacons of light in dark times. While Mass attendance was initially down following the immigration enforcement, it has since returned to near-normal levels. Rather than give a dispensation from attending Sunday Mass, we encouraged our priests to celebrate Mass in the homes of those living in fear or ensure ministers bring Holy Communion to them. We never abandoned them in their time of need; instead, we offered the hope that comes from Christ. Should immigration enforcement occur at one of our places of worship — which it currently has not — our Catholic communities have received resource packets with 'know your rights' documentation and contact information for trusted legal and advocacy organizations. We recently hosted an internal seminar by our legal counsel on these issues. For the faithful facing immigration court, we send priests and deacons, offering spiritual support and a prayerful presence. This includes Bishop Kevin Vann, who attended the bond hearing of Narciso Barranco, the Tustin father of three Marines who endured a violent arrest while at a landscaping job. These actions and more exemplify the Catholic Church's pastoral care. They show how we are active and present in our communities, and they highlight our commitment to stand with our friends and families in faith, today and always. Bishop Kevin VannAuxiliary Bishop Thanh Thai NguyenAuxiliary Bishop Timothy FreyerThe Very Rev. Angelos Sebastian, Vicar General and Moderator of the CuriaGarden Grove
Sunday World
22-07-2025
- Sunday World
Serial child predator's bizarre street rant moaning that ‘he is the victim'
We snapped the remorseless paedophile mingling with unsuspecting tourists at 'The Portal' off O'Connell street on Tuesday Kenneth Cooke who has just been released from Mountjoy prison Serial child predator Kenneth Cooke sickeningly moaned he 'is the victim' when we confronted him as he was enjoying a sight-seeing stroll around the capital. We snapped the remorseless paedophile mingling with unsuspecting tourists at 'The Portal' off O'Connell street on Tuesday – four days after he was taken by car out of Mountjoy prison. Cooke (62) was released from Mountjoy Prison on Thursday of last week after serving a 10-and-a-half year sentence for the horrific abuse of his younger sister Michelle and two other unnamed boys. Informed of Cooke's response when we confronted him, brave Michelle, who was abused by the paedophile in the region of 1,000 times – blasted back: 'How is he the victim? He's a monster. Good God! 'I'm just glad now everyone will know after this story appears in the Sunday World what he looks like. 'I'm just gobsmacked. I feel sick that he said that. 'How is he the victim when he took away my childhood completely and the childhoods of two other little boys? 'He traumatised me from my earliest memories! 'I shared a bedroom with that man from the age of five. Kenneth Cooke 'So my earliest memory, from even before my First Holy Communion is of being abused by him, and then I stopped it when I was 11 when I learned it was wrong during sex education in 5th class. 'But it was as frequent as four or five times at week and by the age of nine he was trying to rape me every weekend. 'So how is he the victim and how is he out? 10 and a half years in prison isn't half long enough behind bars for that man.' While under surveillance by this newspaper on Tuesday, Cooke spent several minutes sitting on a bench at 'The Portal' off O'Connell Street before going window shopping in the Ilac Shopping Centre and making his way up Capel Street. Approached by the Sunday World and asked if he was finally willing to offer an apology to Michelle and his other victims, the predator replied: 'I've nothing to apologise for. I'm the victim. I'm not guilty.' Asked why three children would separately identify him as their abuser, one of whom he pleaded guilty to abusing, Cooke declined to answer. Details of the horrific abuse Michelle suffered at the hands of her vile brother were detailed during a civil action she took against him last year in which she was awarded €160,000 in damages against him. The High Court heard how predator Cooke was 13 years older than her. The abuse started when she was seven after she was moved into a bunk bed in the same room with him after one of their brothers sustained a serious head injury in a road traffic incident. She did not know what he was doing was wrong, she said, adding: "He was my big brother and I trusted him, and he warned me not to say anything and gave me sweets and money." Kenneth Cooke She said the abuse was "so regular it was like you were having your dinner". He took advantage of times when their mother was out, as she often had to take their father to hospital for appointments due to his health issue, she said. He would leave the door ajar so he could hear his mother coming up the stairs, she told the court. Even after she moved into another bedroom after one of her sisters moved out and got married, the abuse continued and escalated to attempts at penetration. When she called out and said it was sore, he would stop. This would usually occur on Saturday nights when he came home drunk and the other sister who shared the bedroom was out, she said. After she learnt in school what he was doing was wrong, she said he just "acted normal and there was no suspicion among anyone". The abuse occurred between 1983 and 1987. Michelle moved out in 2002 and later got married and had two children. In 2010, she told a family member, and in 2011, at a family event, she told Cooke's own wife, who she said believed her. Kenneth Cooke at the Portal When Cooke arrived and she confronted him, she said he started verbally abusing her before then trying to "put out his hand saying he was sorry". In 2012, after she complained to the gardaí, Cooke was interviewed. In 2014, he pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of indecent assault but was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to nine years. He subsequently received another nine-year sentence, to run consecutively to the 2014 sentence, for sexual assaults on a male and a concurrent eight-year sentence for sexual assault on another male. Asked this week whether he intends on paying the €160,000 in compensation he was ordered to pay Michelle, Cooke, who has yet to hand over a cent, declined to respond. Speaking in the wake of our confrontation with Cooke, brave Michelle said his replies were all the evidence needed to show he should not have been released. 'What he said shows he shouldn't have been let out … he isn't sorry, not one bit sorry, for what he did to us. 'He should never again have been allowed to see the light of day. 'And I honestly hope that one day very soon he keels over and dies a lonely death. 'He had no remorse whatsoever. He's still claiming he wasn't guilty. 'But there was no trial in connection with the abuse of the third child because he pleaded guilty. 'So how does that make sense? 'How he got out three and a half years earlier for good behaviour is beyond me. 'How is it good behaviour when he still doesn't accept what he did? 'Why do they give these monsters 25 per cent remission automatically? 'That needs to be changed! He should at the very least have been asked whether he accepted what he did and had remorse … and, if he said no, he shouldn't have had his sentence cut!' Michelle said the fact Cooke's pictures is being published today is a source of profound relief to her. 'I am glad you got a photo so people around the area he's in will now know this man is a prolific paedophile. 'Mind your children … that's my message to parents wherever they put him next.' If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at or visit Rape Crisis Help. Kenneth Cooke who has just been released from Mountjoy prison Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 21st
Telegraph
10-07-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Church explores how to give gluten and alcohol-free Communion
The Church of England is looking at how to give Holy Communion to people who are gluten and alcohol-free. Church guidance makes clear that bread must be made from wheat flour and wine must be the fermented juice of the grape in order to be consecrated as part of the service. In February, following a meeting of the General Synod, the Church of England's legislative body, officials ruled that non-alcoholic wine and gluten-free substitutes must not be used for Holy Communion. The Rt Rev Michael Ipgrave, the Bishop of Lichfield and chairman of the Church's Liturgical Commission, said such a move would have to overturn two settled positions in the Church of England. However, the comments sparked a row, with the Church accused of creating a barrier for those unable to consume wheat flour or alcohol. The Bishop has now clarified his position, saying the Church is now working 'to provide guidance for best practice in the administration of Holy Communion' and become more inclusive. Holy Communion, also called the Eucharist, is one of the central sacraments of the Christian faith and involves a ritual in which bread and wine are consumed to symbolise the body and blood of Jesus Christ. In a written question submitted to the Synod, which will convene in York this weekend, Abigail Ogier, a Synod member from the Diocese of Manchester, asked the Bishop: 'What progress had been made to ensure that people who are unable to consume gluten and/or alcohol in even trace amounts can receive Holy Communion?' The Bishop replied: 'Reduced-gluten bread and reduced-alcohol wine are appropriate matter for the celebration of Holy Communion in the Church of England.' 'Communion should normally be received in both kinds separately, but where necessary may be received in one kind,' he said. Regarding plans to become more officially inclusive to those who cannot consume gluten or alcohol, the Bishop confirmed that a taskforce is now working to offer further guidance on this. He said that The Accessible Liturgy Working Group is undertaking work 'to provide guidance for best practice in the administration of Holy Communion' and to consider a case 'where consuming even trace amounts of gluten or alcohol will not be possible for a communicant,' what the 'theological, liturgical, and legal basis for the Church of England' would be on the matter. Following the row in February the Church of England released a statement saying that many professional ecclesiastical suppliers have long provided wine or bread which may contain tiny traces of alcohol or gluten which can legitimately be considered non-alcoholic or gluten free. The Bishop's comments come amid increasing awareness of coeliac disease, an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the body's own tissues when gluten is consumed. At least one in 100 people in the UK have coeliac disease, according to NHS figures. The comments also come as increasing numbers of people are either reducing their alcohol consumption or are completely teetotal. There are increasing numbers of young people, predominantly Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, choosing not to drink alcohol. In September, an annual survey of more than 5,000 adults by the charity, Drinkaware, showed that one in four members of Gen Z is completely teetotal – with their sobriety rates being twice as high as in their parents' generation. Some 31 per cent per cent of adults aged 18 to 34 said they 'never' binge drank – which was defined as consuming more than eight units in one drinking session, the equivalent of about three pints of beer or a bottle of wine. However, in 2018, this figure stood at 22 per cent.
Sydney Morning Herald
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
This old-school Chinese restaurant is one of our critic's favourite places to eat spring rolls
Inside, it's a soft-lit capsule of longevity symbols, floral wallpaper and red lanterns, an all-are-welcome time-warp of scalloped tablecloths, CorningWare plates and two stunning artworks in lightboxes. This is the oldest surviving Chinese restaurant in Bowral, opened in the mid-1970s and now run by Teresa Wong, a calm presence on the floor. Her husband, Michael, has ruled the kitchen since the last owners figured it was time to retire about 12 months ago. After two visits over a weekend in May, it has become one of my favourite places to eat spring rolls. At lunch, the only sounds come from an air-conditioner, the clang-clang of ladle on wok, and the quiet chat of two boys in suits – fresh from Holy Communion – sharing sizzling lamb with their mother and nan. The prawn toast tastes like prawn toast. The fried rice tastes like fried rice. The black vinegar pork ribs taste like a cinnamon doughnut. Dinner is a more animated affair, largely thanks to a waitress who likes to sing along to You Can Call Me Al. A group of local Rodd & Gunn enthusiasts are on their second bottle of Rockford Basket Press; an old bloke in tracksuit pants inhales some form of curry. Meanwhile, our table is into the xiao long bao dumplings – brothy little belters – and juicy, yielding pot-stickers. At the end of a long carte ranging from '$45 Banquet A' to 'Banana Fritter', there's a small collection of dishes handwritten in Mandarin – a handy go-to, Teresa says, for any Chinese tourists or expats less inclined to split a mixed entree and combination satay. We roll the dice on beef hor fun from this section and the wide noodles come out smoky, savoury and sweet, textured with the crunch of bean sprouts and spring onion. Good one.
The Age
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
This old-school Chinese restaurant is one of our critic's favourite places to eat spring rolls
Inside, it's a soft-lit capsule of longevity symbols, floral wallpaper and red lanterns, an all-are-welcome time-warp of scalloped tablecloths, CorningWare plates and two stunning artworks in lightboxes. This is the oldest surviving Chinese restaurant in Bowral, opened in the mid-1970s and now run by Teresa Wong, a calm presence on the floor. Her husband, Michael, has ruled the kitchen since the last owners figured it was time to retire about 12 months ago. After two visits over a weekend in May, it has become one of my favourite places to eat spring rolls. At lunch, the only sounds come from an air-conditioner, the clang-clang of ladle on wok, and the quiet chat of two boys in suits – fresh from Holy Communion – sharing sizzling lamb with their mother and nan. The prawn toast tastes like prawn toast. The fried rice tastes like fried rice. The black vinegar pork ribs taste like a cinnamon doughnut. Dinner is a more animated affair, largely thanks to a waitress who likes to sing along to You Can Call Me Al. A group of local Rodd & Gunn enthusiasts are on their second bottle of Rockford Basket Press; an old bloke in tracksuit pants inhales some form of curry. Meanwhile, our table is into the xiao long bao dumplings – brothy little belters – and juicy, yielding pot-stickers. At the end of a long carte ranging from '$45 Banquet A' to 'Banana Fritter', there's a small collection of dishes handwritten in Mandarin – a handy go-to, Teresa says, for any Chinese tourists or expats less inclined to split a mixed entree and combination satay. We roll the dice on beef hor fun from this section and the wide noodles come out smoky, savoury and sweet, textured with the crunch of bean sprouts and spring onion. Good one.
