a column of benevolent gossip

• Seen Umbert? —

  Umbert the Unborn is on pro-life t-shirts, bumper stickers, tote bags and more, but he/she started out (and still is) a cartoon strip in the
  Umbert the Unborn has a lot to say about justice for “the least.”
  National Catholic Register and 100 other Catholic papers. The feisty prenatal character first appeared in 2001. Umbert loves life and wants respect. Sometimes Umbert appears as a single cell and sometimes as a near-term baby. “Umbert’s purpose is to give a voice, personality and humanity to the unborn,” says creator Gary Cangemi. Umbert’s mother’s womb is his private universe, playground and think-tank from which he waxes philosophical or slaphappy. Go to www.umberttheunborn.com and find cartoons, a coloring book to download or a jig-saw puzzle, merchandise and other info.

• ‘Choice’ of life or death —

  St. Thomas More Church (S. California) showed a movie Jan. 22. Not the kind that calls for popcorn.
  Documentary on eugenics and “family planning.”
  “Maafa 21” is such a powerful documentary — no wonder it was preceded by a holy hour in church! “Maafa” means “disaster” in Swahili, and it’s a term today for orchestrated black genocide in the 21st century. The movie is making the rounds of pro-life organizations and Web sites and has been shown to members of Congress and their staffs. It’s a very hefty message to digest: the historically documented connection between slavery/racism, the American eugenics movement (with Planned Parenthood’s founder an influential figure), Nazi Germany and legalized abortion.
  
  During the recent 37th annual March for Life, EWTN TV stated “lawful” abortion is the equivalent of 260 Haiti disasters on American soil. “Maafa 21,” using Center for Disease Control statistics, says more blacks are killed nationwide by abortion than from cancer, stroke, heart disease, accidents, diabetes, homicide and chronic respiratory illnesses combined. You can go to Maafa21.com or call (800) 800-5433 to purchase a DVD for $20.

• Coffee and conversation —

  The Oak Park Wednesday Journal did a story recently about the St. Giles Community ROMEOs. That stands for “Retired Old Men Eating Out.” (One guy isn’t retired, so he prefers “Romantic not-so-Old Men Eating Out.”) It’s a Thursday morning breakfast group in its seventh year, that meets in an Oak Park diner for pancakes and any palaver suiting their masculine fancy. Be it papal bulls or the United Center Bulls, these 15 guys, age 47-80 share a sense of humor and an opinion.

• A builder-upper —

  Cross-grotto at St. Timothy Parish
  Rick Rodriguez, 76, must know “For everything there is a season.” And now he’s lived the line: “…A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them…” A parishioner of Queen of All Saints Basilica (N. Sauganash), he heard St. Timothy’s (N. Washtenaw) wanted an outdoor crossgrotto. Their budget was tapped. Rodriguez, retired, but a grateful believer and Knight of Columbus, got the pastor’s permission to donate the project. Rodriguez contracted out some of the work: the excavation, fabrication of an eight-foot aluminum cross he designed, pouring concrete. But the 100 boulders at the base of the pedestal, were installed and grouted by Rodriguez alone. He points heavenward to the Master Builder as his foreman and strength. Bishop Francis Kane blessed the cross in a ceremony last fall.

• Nun fun —

  Sister Jean Kenny is at it again. The Sister of Stats predicted the Saints winners in Jan. 24’s play-off game, with a score of 30-27. Actual was 31-28. As this goes to press, she kneels in St. Francis Borgia Convent (N. Panama) composing 2010’s Super Bowl poem and conjuring a final score with the Colts as victors. So far her title is: “Manning’s Miami Masterpiece.” Sister Jean the Super Bowl Queen will be on CNN and WGN TV Feb. 5.

Send your benevolent gossip to Church Clips, Catholic New World, P.O. Box 1979, Chicago, IL 60690-1979; or e-mail to dmadlener@catholicnewworld.com.