*UPDATES* – Trump Ohio Attacker, Tommy DiMassimo, Featured In ISIS Propaganda Videos 2015 – Bernie Sanders Supporter…

This will obviously need numerous updates as more information flows in.

(The Last Refuge) An attempted physical attack on Donald Trump took place earlier today in Dayton Ohio – DETAILS HERE – The attacker was identified as Tommy DiMassimo.

A student of Wright University in Dayton Ohio, Tom Dimassimo is a progressive leftist thug who has participated in various protests including flag burning

By his own admissions DiMassimo is self-identified as an activist with Black Lives Matter, and various left-wing social justice groups.  In addition he’s a Bernie Sanders supporter.
However, shocking new video has now surfaced of Tommy DiMassimo also participating in ISIS propaganda videos, and possibly being a part of their anti-U.S. agenda... (continued)

Read More at The Last Refuge

Link:

• BREAKING – Trump Ohio Attacker, Tommy DiMassimo, Connected To ISIS – Suspect Featured In ISIS Propaganda Videos 2015…

Holy Shoot

Churches offering gun training to attract members

By Justin Rocket Silverman

A neighbor’s sign “has been an attendance driver,” preacher Jeff Copley says of a critic of his church’s gun classes.

(The Daily) MARENGO, Ohio — Salvation isn’t automatic — but it might be semiautomatic.

In an effort to increase membership, a number of U.S. churches — including the Church of Christ congregation in this rural village 30 miles north of Columbus — are offering an unconventional public service: Concealed weapons training.

“Church has done a good job with coffee klatsches or whatever, but we haven’t really reached out to guys,” said Jeff Copley, a preacher at the church. “And guys in Morrow Country, they shoot and they hunt.”

Hundreds of students have enrolled in the 10-hour course, which meets the state requirements for earning a concealed weapons permit. The training includes two hours on a church member’s private shooting range.
“I grew up going to church, but hadn’t attended in a number of years,” said David Freeman, 52, a local engineering manager who attended a firearm safety class at the church. “Always considered myself a Christian. I came for the gun classes and have been coming back for two years.”

The Marengo church launched its program several years ago and was likely among the first in the country to offer concealed weapons training. But from Texas to North Carolina, a smattering of congregations have recently followed suit, as ministers seek to capitalize on local enthusiasm for gun culture and demand for carry permit classes to expand their flocks.

Central Baptist Church in Lexington, N.C., held its first concealed weapons classes in March, in what the Rev. Ryan Bennett described as just “another avenue to reach people.”

“We want to draw people in to our campus,” Bennett told a local newspaper at the time. “And we’re going to try anything that we can to do that.”

While conceding that he carries a 9mm pistol with him at all times, he said he doesn’t want his congregation to be labeled “gun-toting.”

“We promote responsibility. We don’t endorse violence,” he said. “It’s just another way to draw people in.”
In Texas, where it’s legal to carry guns into any church without a specific no-firearms policy, Heights Baptist in remote San Angelo began offering concealed carry classes in June. The class was a response to security concerns among congregants.

“We’re about 150 miles from the border with Mexico and we’re very unsure about our insecure borders — about what’s coming into our cities,” Pastor James Miller told NRA News. “Personally, I feel more secure that should our worship time be interrupted by a life-threatening intrusion, that we would at least stand some kind of a chance in stopping either a mass killing or terrorizing experience.”

Preacher Jeff, as Marengo Christian’s Copley is called by his flock, likewise emphasizes the spiritual importance of being able to defend oneself.

“Jesus advises his disciples to sell their cloak and buy a sword,” he told The Daily. “He instructed his people to be prepared to defend themselves. It’s really hard to find someone in our congregation that doesn’t shoot somehow.”

In part, the new offerings represent a response to broadly declining religious enthusiasm. Across the country, about 20 percent of Americans identify themselves as unaffiliated with any church, up from 15 percent five years ago, according to a study released this month by the Pew Research Center.

Against that backdrop, the classes “may reflect the desperation of some churches to attract members in a time of decline,” said Bill Leonard, a professor of church history at Wake Forest University.

But gun training remains out of step with mainstream doctrine. For example, the National Council of Churches of Christ, which represents about 100,000 Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox and Evangelical churches comprising 45 million members nationwide, endorsed strict gun control in a 2010 position paper.

Conceding the need for an armed police force, the council wrote that “to allow assault weapons in the hands of the general public can scarcely be justified on Christian grounds. The stark reality is that such weapons end up taking more lives than they defend, and the reckless sale or use of these weapons refutes the gospel’s prohibition against violence.”

But advocates of gun ownership rights cast the new classes as a reflection of widespread public support for gun rights.

“The Ohio church’s classes are an example of the general cultural shift in the United States over the last two decades, in which people who support responsible gun ownership have become less timid about speaking up in public,” said David Kopel, a policy analyst at the conservative Cato Institute.

Concealed carry licenses have seen a boom in demand in recent years. In Ohio, for example, county sheriffs issued 49,828 new licenses last year, compared to 22,103 in 2007.

But judging from a sign posted in the yard next door to the Church of Christ property, not everyone in Marengo agrees that houses of worship should be offering gun training.

“Some think the Bible is a hunter’s guide,” the sign says. “They are lost.”

For his part, Copley was unfazed by the criticism.

“Frankly the sign has been an attendance driver,” he said. “We’ve had two families come and place memberships because they said this is the kind of thing we’d like to support.”

Link:

• Holy Shoot 

Related:

• Rabbi Rambo

Dan Rather Implies Ohio GOP Could Steal the Election

By Charlie Spiering

(Beltway Confidential) Former CBS newsman Dan Rather warned Facebook fans of his show on axs.tv that Mitt Romney could conceivably take Ohio, particularly since the state is controlled by Republicans.

“Keep in mind: The whole upper tier of Ohio state government is in the hands of the GOP now,” Rather explained in a Facebook post this morning. “In very close voting they have the power to influence what votes are counted and how.”

Rather warned, “Remember Ohio, Bush v. Kerry in 2004 and Florida, Bush v. Gore in 2000.”

Link:

• Dan Rather implies Ohio GOP could steal the election

Obama: How’s business? Business Owner: “Terrible since you got here”

(Battleground Watch) Here is the tweet sequence on the exchange this afternoon in Cleveland, Ohio where the shopkeeper tells Obama his appearance is killing his business:

Pool: Obama asked the proprietor at Rolston Poultry how business was going.

“Terrible since you got here,” the man said.

— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) October 5, 2012

Pool:Potus didn’t appear amused by the sentiment.

— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) October 5, 2012

Cue the face saving forced smile just like in the debates when tried to catch himself:

Apparently the TV pool report says the exchange was in jest.

— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) October 5, 2012

Something tells me this wasn’t “ha, ha” funny but more teeth grimacing gallows humor funny:

Ok, we can confirm this was not “ha, ha” funny. Direct from the restaurant/deli:

Reached by phone, a person at Rolston’s who did not give his name explained to POLITICO that the presidential visit had put a dent in sales.

“I couldn’t sell chicken for an hour. Now I can sell chicken. I got to go,” a man said before hanging up. He did mention that he shook Obama’s hand.

Link:

• Obama: How’s business? Business Owner: “Terrible since you got here"

The Persecution of Bishop Lennon

CLEVELAND - A large portion of the congregation at St. Casimir's Catholic Church walked out on Bishop Richard Lennon as he said the parish's final mass...

As Bishop Lennon approached the podium, many people stood and turned their backs on him and walked towards the rear of the church. They then paused and sang a Polish anthem.

"It's terrible, terrible, terrible," said Eleanor Stanish, a long-time parishioner who hoped to have her funeral said some day at St. Casimir's. "I don't know what's wrong with that bishop."

Bishop Lennon has made it a practice to say the final mass at a church that is closing. He expressed his sadness at this day, and a few people offered words of understanding. One man said, "If you got to close it, you got to close it. All the families are moving out."

But many others expressed anger - especially because some people claim to still have an appeal pending with the Vatican to keep the church opened. "This church is still on appeal," one woman shouted at Bishop Lennon. "You have no business being here." - Source

...................................................................................

In his final words to the St. John congregation, Lennon said, "You are greater than any temple, church or cathedral that can be built by human hands."

Some in the protest group -- including Nancy McGrath of Endangered Catholics, a local coalition fighting the closing of churches -- said they would find another way to further the fight.

Before they were escorted out, Lennon approached the group sitting in pews and asked them to "kindly leave the church."

That request instigated a heated exchange as the protesters accused Lennon of trading "souls for cash" and of not including parishioners in the consolidation decision. - Source

...................................................................................

"Bishop Lennon is an uncaring, inconsiderate and coldhearted person. He is not worthy to lead the Cleveland Catholic Diocese...

I will not lose my faith in God, but Bishop Lennon is making it very difficult to have faith in the church itself." - Source
....................................................................................

"Today is a special day, a day of sadness, a day of wonderment and a day of anger for some," Lennon said in his sermon. "This is a story of God and men and women working together for over a century. May we rely on God in these days of darkness and sadness."

During the service, uniformed Cleveland police officers watched over the bishop. One followed him down the main aisle during the final procession. Then, flanked by officers, Lennon left the church and walked in the rain through a back parking lot, ignoring the protest signs - "Dis-Membering in Process," "This is Not God's Plan," "Keep Our Church Open."

Protesters Marta Fordos of Fairview Park and Hanna Gereby of Cleveland ran after Lennon, catching up to him. "I'm sorry you have to ruin our churches," snapped Fordos. "Judas!"

Lennon, his eyes downcast, did not respond, continuing his wet march toward his car. - Source

...................................................................................

I empathize with these people who will have to move from the parishes they've been at for their entire lives, where they were baptized, married, where funerals took place, but part of me would like to see Bishop Lennon present a slide show to them following the final Masses and the protests, showing the murders of Christians in Iraq, India, and other parts of the world, and perhaps describe the lives of the Saints and how they suffered, putting things in perspective for them.

Converts' search brings them to Catholicism

By Charita Goshay

CantonRep.com staff writer

Posted Apr 11, 2009 @ 10:10 PM

Last update Apr 11, 2009 @ 11:40 PM

---

If local converts to Catholicism require an example, they need look no further than their own bishop.

As a little boy, Bishop George V. Murry was raised as an African Methodist Episcopal, but was so impressed by his experience at his Catholic school that he convinced his parents to allow him to convert. Eventually, they too, became Catholic.

In the Diocese of Youngstown, 406 converts have joined the Church just in time for Easter. On Saturday, 169 people received the Sacrament of Baptism, and 237 who were baptized in another denomination received the sacraments of confirmation and the Holy Eucharist.

Adults who want to become Catholic must enter a months-long education process known as RCIA, the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. They undertake classes in which they learn about Catholic beliefs and liturgy. Each person has a “sponsor” or mentor.

SPIRITUAL SEARCH

For Ruth DeFranco of Alliance, a divorce, the death of her only child and her father’s illness took a spiritual toll.

“I questioned my faith, with God,” said the former Methodist and Lutheran. “I was lost and had questions and felt alone. I had friends that were Catholic and attended church with them. I wanted to learn more about the Catholic faith.”

Upon becoming godmother to a Catholic friend’s grandchild, DeFranco enrolled in RCIA classes at St. Peter Church in Canton under the tutelage of Rita Kingsbury.

“It’s a great process,” Kingsbury said. “Everybody learns from one another. Most people have a rich life in God that they bring with them. Everybody becomes richer.”

One of DeFranco’s sponsors is the Rev. David Delargy of Ireland, a member of the recording group, The Priests.

For Emily Studeny, becoming a Catholic just made sense for her family. Her husband, Mike, is a lifelong Catholic, and last summer the couple baptized their baby daughter into the Church. A former United Methodist, Studeny has been attending St. Peter since 2003.

“At Christmas time, I decided it was definitely something I wanted to do,” she said. “One reason it took so long is, my family is very involved in the United Methodist Church.”

Once her mother and family gave their blessing, Studeny went ahead, saying, “It’s something you need to pray about. It’s something you have to do wholeheartedly.”

NATURAL FIT

On Saturday, the Rev. John Zuzik of Little Flower Catholic Church in Plain Township led 12 converts to the faith. Zuzik said whenever he’s approached by someone about converting, he tries to discern their motive.

“I ask them if they’ve prayed about it, and why do they feel called to become Catholic?” he said. “There’s usually a couple of reasons. One is marriage to a Catholic. A lot of people like to start off their married life with the same religion as their spouse, though it’s not required in the Catholic Church.

“We have non-Catholics who’ve come (to Mass) every week for years, then one day, they come to me and say, ‘I’ve prayed about it; it’s time.’ Other times, it’s because of a traumatic experience in their life. As they say, there are no atheists in foxholes.”

At 15, Leah Wilson is one of this year’s youngest converts. The bright and personable McKinley High School freshman said she grew up attending a United Methodist church but was never baptized.

“I learned about Catholicism in the fifth grade, through some of my friends who were Catholic,” she said. “Last summer, I decided I wanted to become Catholic. I’m very excited, and my family is happy for me.”

Wilson advises the curious to do some homework.

“It’s forever,” she said. “It’s not to be taken lightly.”

With a Catholic father and an Amish-turned-Methodist mother, Leslie Foster said she felt destined to be Catholic.

“I always felt more comfortable with Catholicism than Methodism,” she said. “I feel like I’ve always known I was going to make my Confirmation.”

“I was thrilled, very excited,” said Foster’s fiancé, Joe Cole, a “cradle” Catholic. “My mom was a Protestant who always wanted to convert, but with raising kids, there just wasn’t time.”

Cole became a sponsor for his mother, and now, Foster.

“I’ve learned more about my own faith as a result,” he said.

“It sounds kind of corny, but it felt very spiritual, falling in love,” Foster added. “It just seemed a natural fit.

“I found a peace within myself and the answer I’d been searching for,” DeFranco said. “... I believe that the Catholic faith is the biblical form of Christianity and most united with Christ. They are a community that remembers Jesus.”

• Link
  

Cleveland, OH: Miracle for John Paul II’s Beatification?

From CNA via Fr. Z:

‘Miraculous’ recovery from ‘non-survivable’ gunshot wound could beatify Pope John Paul II

Cleveland, Ohio, Apr 4, 2009 / 01:55 pm (CNA).- A man who suffered a "non-survivable" execution-style gunshot to the head during a mugging in Cleveland has had a "miraculous" recovery possibly due to the intercession of Pope John Paul II. If the late pontiff is credited for the miracle, it would lead to his beatification. [This from the beginning reminds me of some of the amazing stories I read when I was doing the Studium at the Cong. for Causes of Saints. Amazing and inexplicable things. Amazing.]

Jory Ably, 26, suffered the gunshot would five weeks ago. Doctors at the Metro Health Medical Center declared it to be a "non-survivable" injury, ABC’s Good Morning America reports.

Hospital chaplain Fr. Art Nedeker administered Aebly with the Sacrament of the Sick, asking Pope John Paul II to pray for Jory and to protect him. [This is an important element: There has to be a specific intention to pray for the intercession through that specific person. This usually requires the suggestion and prompting of someone who knows about the cause and then how to report it.]

Fr. Nedeker explained that the Pope had promised him [!] he would always pray for the patients at the hospital and blessed a dozen rosaries with special patients at the hospital.

The priest gave Aebly the last of the rosaries [This is sounding to me more and more to a serious cause for a miracle.] that had been blessed by the Pope, after which Aebly consistently improved.

He was released on Tuesday, two days before the fourth anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s death.

Dr. Robert Geertman, a neurosurgeon involved in Aebly’s treatment, told Good Morning America his patient’s survival was "one in a million."

"My jaw was on the floor after a day or two of seeing he is hanging on. …I’d say it’s pretty miraculous," he said at a press conference days after the shooting.

At the press conference announcing Aebly’s release, Fr. Snedeker said:

"I stand before you today and can say, to my mind, Jory is a miracle." [At the level of the Congregation all the medical records would be reviewed.]

Aebly himself credited his recovery to "the many prayers from family, friends and co-workers" and others.

His mother Deb Wolfram told the press conference she believes in "the power of prayer" and said she believed people’s prayers helped her son through his ordeal, Good Morning America says.

A Vatican official reported that the investigation into the alleged miracle could take time. [Of course!]

"We cannot predict a precise schedule," Monsignor Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Caucus of Saints told ANSA. "All stages, including the examination of the miracle, have to be conducted in a particularly thorough way."

Approval of the miracle could lead to Pope John Paul II’s beatification, leaving one more miracle before he can be canonized.

"Here is what happens.

When people think there was a verifiable miracle, they start a cause, like a court case.

All the "proofs" must be gathered… documents and testimony gathered according to a procedure.

Once everything is gathered in the place where the alleged miracle occured, it is sent to Rome.

The Congregation verifies that the procedures were followed correctly. Then they look at the theological aspects of the claim: can it be demonstrated that the people prayed to X or asked for a miracle through X, etc. It has to be explicit and not just mixed in with "Jesus, Mary, Joseph and X, Y, Z all the saints and angels!" Often there is an image or relic or project to pray to X.

In the case of a cure (there are other kinds of miracles too!) the healing or change in condition must be sudden, complete and lasting. That must be demonstrated by proofs. The medical records are studied by a panel of doctors and other necessary experts. They look into the diagnosis and prognosis and then what happened in stark scientific terms. They determine if what happened can be explained by the science they know.

With a miracle, the Congregation has to look at the evidence and then determine that what happened. within moral certitude, through the intercession of X, the condition was grave/dire/serious and there was a sudden complete and lasting change that cannot be explained.

What I like about this case is that there was a priest who knew what was going on and there was an object associate with John Paul II and his own remark. The person’s prognoss was very bad and the healing was sudden and complete and seems to be lasting and they can’t explain it."

• Link

Separated at Birth?

Fr. Kyle Schnippel (left) and Bishop elect Jim Wall (right).

• New Bishop in Gallup, NM
• Galluping Off
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• Bishop Elect Jim Wall of Gallup, N.M.
  

Father Valencheck's New Assignment

"On Monday, the Most Reverend Richard G. Lennon, Bishop of Cleveland called me to his office at the chancery to inform me that he is transferring me from the Church of Saint Clare to Saint Sebastian in Akron, Ohio...

I try to remind you from time to time that you readers are in my prayers. Today I ask you to pray for me that I might worthily serve God and this diocese in my new role.

God bless."

• Houston: The Toothpaste is Out of the Tube