The corruption of childhood innocence is one of the gravest evils a man can commit. In the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Our Lord warns:
“But he that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me, it would be better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea.”
Coming from God the Son, this is no small admonition. Now, combine this with deliberate blasphemy, and you have a sin of unfathomable gravity.
American TFP volunteers and local Catholics recently held a rosary rally of reparation for both of these sins at a California public library.
A group called the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence was invited to read stories to children of all ages at the Guerneville Regional Library.
These “sisters” are actually men who dress themselves in a lewd caricature of a nun’s habit. They have gained notoriety for their crude anti-Catholic activities, including pole dancing on crucifixes, declaring pedophiles as “saints,” and performing suggestive acts while dressed as Jesus and Mary.
When local Catholics heard about it, they immediately scheduled a public rosary rally of reparation. Additionally, over 5,000 people from across the country signed a petition asking the county library director to disinvite this anti-Catholic hate group.
A delegation of TFP volunteers traveled to deliver the signatures to the library headquarters, letting them know that thousands of Catholics were outraged by the invitation.
However, their pleas went unheeded, and the story time event went on as scheduled.
When the prayerful protestors arrived at the library, dozens of counter-protesters were already waiting for them. They brought all sorts of noisemakers and rainbow memorabilia. It was immediately clear that they were determined to harass the good side.
As the rally participants began to gather, the agitators tried to take over the section of the sidewalk where the rally was going to be held. However, they failed.
Once the speaker system was set up, founding American TFP member Phillip Calder led the rosary. During the rally, one woman came from behind and turned off the speaker twice. Her efforts did not make a lasting impact, as it only took a few seconds to flip the switch back on.
Their efforts to sabotage the rally did not stop there. Many of them repetitively cursed in the ears of the volunteers, attempting to provoke them to anger. At a certain point, a couple of the rabble-rousers got inches away from the faces of those praying, yelling at them and attempting to provoke a fight.
Others aggressively waved their rainbow flags, which sometimes hit those praying the rosary. However, most of them just stood by and screamed, howled and heckled.
In the face of this, God’s side did not waver. They refused to accept provocation and focused on making reparations. Following the rosary, they also prayed the Litany of Saint Michael, the Divine Praises and the Act of Consecration to Our Lady.
Their endurance was no match for hecklers. As time went on, some of them asked, “So… when are you going to leave?” It was clear in the tone of their voice that they wanted to go home. Before the rosary was finished, many of them began to put away their noisemakers and headed to their cars.
While the opposition was loud and obnoxious, it was clear that they appeared defeated. They did not show up with logical arguments, and as a result, their demonstration came across as ridiculous. Although the good might have been outnumbered, their rosary rally towered over the evil.
Empty Words Are Not Enough
The rosary rally in Guerneville sent a crucial message to Catholics worldwide.
All too often, the devil tempts souls to indolence in the face of public blasphemies. They may not condone the sin, but they see no benefit in taking action.
This is not a legitimate attitude to take. Members of the Church Militant are not called to camp out and constantly retreat from the enemy. They are called to advance and fight for the Lord God of Hosts.
The rally participants saw this first hand. It was agonizing to see parents lead their children into the library. They were involuntarily being exposed to an unthinkable blasphemy.
In the face of this, indifference is not an option.
Saint Catherine of Siena put it in stark terms:
“This silence is the ruin of the world… Ah, enough with this silence! Cry out with a hundred thousand tongues! I see that, due to the force of this silence, the world is rotting.”
Every Hail Mary of Saturday’s rosary rally proclaimed that when God is slapped in the face, Catholics will not be silent. Catholics will be there to defend Him.
It may be difficult. It may even seem impossible. But with God’s help, everything is possible.
Photo Credit: The American TFP