We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.
Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you.Help Now >
Catholic priest was once Mormon
FREE Catholic Classes
By Matt Abbott
Op/Ed
Catholic Online
Joan Solms is a parishioner of Holy Angels Catholic Church (www.holy-angels.org) in Aurora, Ill. The following is an edited letter she sent me regarding the parish and its pastor, the Rev. Martin G. Heinz.
"Father Martin Heinz is one of eight children, born and raised Catholic. As a young man, he left the Church and joined the Mormons. I believe he stayed in the LDS church for only two or three years. He reverted back to Catholicism and entered the seminary.
"He has been ordained about 12 years now. Upon ordination, he was put in charge of seminarians, and after that, was made pastor of Holy Angels Church. Holy Angels has gone through different phases of growth since it was first built. The permanent design for the church was changed (modernized) about 20 years ago. It was redesigned to be a church in a semi-circle.
"When Father Heinz came to Holy Angels, he decided to restore it to its original design, minus the altar railing, which is not allowed. Father Heinz has replaced the altar railing with three extra-long kneelers. The priest stands behind the kneelers when distributing Communion. On receiving Communion, you can stand or kneel. All our priests distribute Communion at every Mass. At first people were reluctant to kneel for Communion. I wasn't. Now more and more people take Communion kneeling.
"Father Heinz did not rehire five teachers this year because they were not teaching [authentic] Catholicism. The principal agreed with him.
"Father Heinz is very pro-life. He is the support behind our pro-life group. Aurora has one abortuary; it is the only one in our diocese. Father Heinz pays the rent for the [pro-life] counseling center across the street from the abortuary. And business at the abortuary has declined. The former abortionist use to routinely do 500 abortions a year; this year, it's less than half that number.
"Father Heinz incorporates bits of Latin into the Mass, especially at Easter and Christmas. We say the prayer to St. Michael at the end of every Mass. We have one day of perpetual Eucharistic adoration per week, beginning on Wednesday morning and ending with benediction on Thursday morning. Father would eventually like have perpetual adoration -- seven days a week.
"Father Heinz is truly trying to restore the Sacrament of Confession. It is always available. He has special confessions available before special holy days. He will bring in multiple priests to hear confession.
"The school children are taken to Mass once a week. They get solid Catholic instruction. They wear uniforms. The unfortunate news is that many parents are not deeply committed to Catholicism yet. This is apparent when you see them at Mass, especially the CCD students and parents. Not Father's fault, though.
"Father Heinz is committed to the poor. We have a very active St. Vincent de Paul group. Each year in September, the St. Vincent de Paul resale shop parks a truck in our parking lot to collect used items for the store. This year we filled two trucks with material goods. In November, we will have a coat collection for the poor. We have a food pantry. Speakers from missions abroad are brought in to speak and collect funds for their churches. We have a baby shower each year for mothers.
"Father Heinz took the old Stations of the Cross and had them mounted; and he put up outdoor Stations of the Cross, which leads up to our shrine of Fatima. We have a monument to the unborn, donated by our Knights of Columbus chapter. Once a year, Father has a prayer service at the monument.
"On Tuesday evenings, we have a rosary service; all 20 mysteries are said.
"We have a program for senior citizens. We provide rides for those who do not have transportation to Mass. Lay ministers still take Communion to the homebound.
We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.
Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you.Help Now >
"We have four or five men from our parish who are studying for the priesthood; that's a record these days."
To see how Mormonism differs from the Catholic Church, go to: http://www.catholic.com/library/noncatholic_groups.asp.
(Matt C. Abbott is a Catholic journalist and commentator. He is a columnist for and/or contributor to Catholic Online, RenewAmerica.us, TheConservativeVoice.com, MichNews.com, Opeds.com, and Speroforum.com. He is also an occasional contributor to "The Wanderer" Catholic newspaper. He can be reached at mattcabbott@hotmail.com)
Contact
Matt Abbott
https://www.catholic.org
IL, US
Matt Abbott - Author,
mattcabbott@hotmail.com
Keywords
Catholic, Abbott
More Catholic PRWire
Showing 1 - 50 of 4,716
A Recession Antidote
Randy Hain
Monaco & The Vatican: Monaco's Grace Kelly Exhibit to Rome--A Review of Monegasque-Holy See Diplomatic History
Dna. Maria St. Catherine Sharpe, t.o.s.m., T.O.SS.T.
The Why of Jesus' Death: A Pauline Perspective
Jerom Paul
A Royal Betrayal: Catholic Monaco Liberalizes Abortion
Dna. Maria St.Catherine De Grace Sharpe, t.o.s.m., T.O.SS.T.
Embrace every moment as sacred time
Mary Regina Morrell
My Dad
JoMarie Grinkiewicz
Letting go is simple wisdom with divine potential
Mary Regina Morrell
Father Lombardi's Address on Catholic Media
Catholic Online
Pope's Words to Pontifical Latin American College
Catholic Online
Prelate: Genetics Needs a Conscience
Catholic Online
State Aid for Catholic Schools: Help or Hindrance?
Catholic Online
Scorsese Planning Movie on Japanese Martyrs
Catholic Online
2 Nuns Kidnapped in Kenya Set Free
Catholic Online
Holy See-Israel Negotiation Moves Forward
Catholic Online
Franchising to Evangelize
Catholic Online
Catholics Decry Anti-Christianity in Israel
Catholic Online
Pope and Gordon Brown Meet About Development Aid
Catholic Online
Pontiff Backs Latin America's Continental Mission
Catholic Online
Cardinal Warns Against Anti-Catholic Education
Catholic Online
Full Circle
Robert Gieb
Three words to a deeper faith
Paul Sposite
Relections for Lent 2009
chris anthony
Wisdom lies beyond the surface of life
Mary Regina Morrell
World Food Program Director on Lent
Catholic Online
Moral Clarity
DAN SHEA
Pope's Lenten Message for 2009
Catholic Online
A Prayer for Monaco: Remembering the Faith Legacy of Prince Rainier III & Princess Grace and Contemplating the Moral Challenges of Prince Albert II
Dna. Maria St. Catherine Sharpe
Keeping a Lid on Permissiveness
Sally Connolly
Glimpse of Me
Sarah Reinhard
The 3 stages of life
Michele Szekely
Sex and the Married Woman
Cheryl Dickow
A Catholic Woman Returns to the Church
Cheryl Dickow
Modernity & Morality
Dan Shea
Just a Minute
Sarah Reinhard
Catholic identity ... triumphant reemergence!
Hugh McNichol
Edging God Out
Paul Sposite
Burying a St. Joseph Statue
Cheryl Dickow
George Bush Speaks on Papal Visit
Catholic Online
Sometimes moving forward means moving the canoe
Mary Regina Morrell
Action Changes Things: Teaching our Kids about Community Service
Lisa Hendey
Easter... A Way of Life
Paul Spoisite
Papal initiative...peace and harmony!
Hugh McNichol
Proclaim the mysteries of the Resurrection!
Hugh McNichol
Jerusalem Patriarch's Easter Message
Catholic Online
Good Friday Sermon of Father Cantalamessa
Catholic Online
Papal Address at the End of the Way of the Cross
Catholic Online
Cardinal Zen's Meditations for Via Crucis
Catholic Online
Interview With Vatican Aide on Jewish-Catholic Relations
Catholic Online
Pope Benedict XVI On the Easter Triduum
Catholic Online
Holy Saturday...anticipation!
Hugh McNichol