08.15.2026 The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

66°F E@5mph SR0606(0506) SS2007(1907)

Morning Offering given
Jesus take me as I am
Summon out what I should be
Set your seal upon my heart
Holy Spirit dwell in me

Village peaceful, rain coming

Coffee: Berres Brothers Jamaican Me Nuts pod

Today we remember: Mary Bernard, may she rest in peace.
Birthday greetings to Debbie Swartz have an awesome day!

St Tarcisius patron of 1st Communicants reminds us of the primacy of this sacrament. Jesus, every time I receive the Holy Eucharist may it be with the same awe and gratitude I felt at my first Holy Communion.

Meditations for Each Day, pg. 326, The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The just die in the love of God and martyrs died for the love of God but Mary died consumed by the love of God. It was not a disease which brought an end to her life, but love. Her love for Jesus was more ardent and more perfect than that of any other creature. Her love for him grew from day to day until it entirely consumed hehr and her immaculate heart could no longer contain it. Humility is the mother of ll the virtues even as pride is the source of all the vices. If we wish to share in Mary’s triumph, we must first of all share in her humility. (Lk 14:11, Js 4:6)

Scripture Reading for Day 15 of Never Alone
Isaiah 54:10 Though the mountains fall away and the hills be shaken, My love shall never fall away from you nor my covenant of peace^* be shaken, says the LORD, who has mercy on you.^e
Psalm 147:3 Healing the brokenhearted, and binding up their wounds.^c

I’m in Letter to the Editor mode.
—-
RE: Verkada Cameras in the Village

Has anyone ever seen the TV Series “Persons of Interest”?  As the street is panned, markers appear above or alongside of each person walking/driving/riding in public.  This is what the Village of Cashton has voted to do.

The reasoning given; 1) Safety. 2) Making law enforcement investigations easier.3) Protection from liability.

Questions:

1. Was due diligence done regarding the company you are dealing with previous to the informational/ decision making meeting? 

If so, I wonder why you would choose a company that has been in trouble at least 2 times for misuse of data gathered?

2. Why would the board feel they had to make such an immediate decision? 

I am quite certain the cost of these cameras would not have changed dramatically after a waiting period.

3. Are you aware these cameras are coming under scrutiny for violating civil rights?
4. What is so pressing/wrong in the village office that our trusted city workers need to be watched all the time?
5. Wouldn’t a flashing red light at the corner of 33 & Front or a fireman in the street directing traffic be a better warning than a camera on a pole as far as accident issues?
6. The police force is so busy they cannot do an investigation?  

NOTHING can replace hands-on investigations and noticeable law enforcement presence. What it looks like (as seen on camera) may not tell the real story.

7. What is the crime rate in Cashton, and what is happening on the street that 10 cameras would be needed?
8. When was the last accident at the corner of 33 & Front?  When was the accident previous to the last?  Did any of them involve the fire department?
9. Actually, how many accidents, burglaries, robberies, break-ins, thefts, fights, muggings have there been inside the village confines in the last 10 yrs?

It would seem to me our tax dollars could be spent better in other ways: repaired streets, better sewer lines, good sidewalks  and better transparency before the decision is a done deal based on what the board and law enforcement are doing.  

I’ve heard several times from board members that it could have been handled differently.  The question is, when are you going to handle it differently?
——–

Now let’s ponder what has been happening in the Catholic Church

•https://www.charis.international/en/
https://ewtn.co.uk/article-the-synod-on-synodality-what-every-catholic-should-know/
https://ewtn.co.uk/article-latin-mass-supporters-react-with-dismay-to-popes-severe-new-restrictions/

•Church Closings:
Midwest & Great Lakes

• Iowa (Archdiocese of Dubuque) – 76 churches ended weekend Mass in July 2026; 160 parishes planned to be consolidated into 24 pastorates by 2040
• Illinois (Diocese of Joliet) – 22 sites (20 parishes + 2 worship sites) closed/merged as of July 1, 2025, including St. Mary’s in Park Forest and St. Boniface in Monee
• Michigan (Archdiocese of Detroit) – At least 58 churches in the Detroit area could stop weekend Mass and be consolidated; up to 90 may be affected
• Minnesota, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island – Dioceses consolidating or closing churches due to low attendance and unfunded building needs
• Wisconsin
• Diocese of Madison has been implementing its Into the Deep pastoral planning process since July 1, 2023, under Bishop Donald Hying. This includes consolidating parishes into “parish families” and closing some smaller congregations. Specific parish names are not fully listed in the provided data, but the process has reduced the number of parishes in the diocese The Catholic Project.
• Diocese of Green Bay The Vatican has approved the closure of the historic St. Mary’s Parish in Manitowoc, WI, as part of the diocese’s restructuring EWTN News.
• Diocese of Milwaukee The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has published a map and list of parishes that have closed or merged in the Milwaukee Archdiocese. These closures are part of the archdiocese’s ongoing parish reorganization, which has merged several small parishes into larger ones Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Diocese of Superior  (from official list) Diocese of Superior:

Northeast

• New York (Diocese of Buffalo) – Vatican overturned several closures; Bishop Michael Fisher had proposed merging ~34% of parishes.
• New Jersey, Vermont, Massachusetts – Dioceses reviewing closures and consolidations.
• New York (Diocese of Providence) – Declining Catholics, fewer priests, and deteriorating buildings prompting closures.

South & Southwest

Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas – Dioceses consolidating or closing facilities.
Why?

•The Catholic Church strictly forbids Catholics form joining Freemasonry. The ban began in 1738 and continues today. The Vatican teaches that Masonic ideas oppose Catholic faith specifically regarding religious truth and the nature of God. Catholics who join the Masons are in a state of grave sin and cannot receive Holy Communion.
Masonry teaches all religions are equal paths to truth which conflicts with Catholic belief that Jesus is the sole revelation of truth. Masonic philosophy relies on human reason alone to find life’s purpose, downplaying divine grace and church doctrine. The secretive nature and oath bound structure of Masonic lodges historically raised concerns in the Vatican about plotting against the Church. From 1738- 1983 joining the Masons meant automatic excommunication. The 1983 Code of Canon Law removed the word automatic for general membership, but the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith repeatedly reaffirmed that membership remains a grave sin that bars individuals from the sacraments. So the question is why would Pope Leo appoint a freemason (Umberto Longo) to the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences?

Way too much to think about.

Know you are prayed for.