From the Catholic News Agency:

Washington D.C., May 21, 2012 / 10:39 am. - Forty-three Catholic dioceses and organizations across the country have announced religious liberty lawsuits against the federal government to challenge the Obama administration’s contraception mandate.

The announcement was applauded by Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, who called it “a compelling display of the unity of the Church in defense of religious liberty.”

“We have tried negotiation with the Administration and legislation with the Congress – and we’ll keep at it – but there’s still no fix,” said Cardinal Dolan, who is the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“Time is running out, and our valuable ministries and fundamental rights hang in the balance, so we have to resort to the courts now,” he explained in a May 21 statement . . .

Several Catholic universities around the country also joined in the lawsuits, including The Catholic University of America, the University of Notre Dame and Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Notre Dame president Fr. John Jenkins, C.S.C., said the lawsuit was filed “neither lightly nor gladly, but with sober determination.”

“We do not seek to impose our religious beliefs on others,” he explained in an email to Notre Dame employees.

Rather, he explained, “we simply ask that the Government not impose its values on the University when those values conflict with our religious teachings.”

Read it all – interesting implications during an election year.

From the National Catholic Register:

When Saraswati Devi awoke from the anesthesia, her clothes were soaked in  blood. She was lying on a grass mat on the floor in excruciating pain, and there  were no medical staff to answer her cries. She was one of 53 women who underwent  surgeries at a “sterilization camp” sponsored by the government of India in its  national campaign to drastically cut population growth.

The campaign is underwritten by tens of millions of dollars in American and  British foreign-aid funds.

Read it all.

Thank you for your support (your phone calls, your emails and the many who turned out to the Town Council meeting tonight) on our behalf regarding our zoning change request.  Your communication and advocacy were critical.  And, to those who turned out tonight for the Council meeting, thank you for your patience (the “big box” store debate was the first agenda item on the docket – a 2 hour discussion!) and your support.  The visible show of support was powerful.

The result was that Town Council approved the first reading of our zoning change 9-0!

Thank you, also, to our Mayor and our Town Council members for their efforts, input, and their favorable decision.

I was particularly moved by the advocacy of some our neighbors who spoke about the generous ministry of St. Andrew’s in the neighborhood.  If you ever wonder the power of simple good neighborliness and Christian kindness, it was brought home in a fresh way tonight.

Thanks, especially, to the Lord who has called us at this time and in this place to give witness to Him and, who, in His kindness has given us favor with man.

SAMP is a scheduled to appear before the Town Council tonight to have our request for our zoning change considered (see previous post for more details).

Our Town Council meets tonight at 6.00 p.m. at the Town offices on Houston Northcutt Blvd.   Town Council has the final responsibility for deciding this matter.  You can help in the following ways:

1. You can pray.
2. You can attend the Town Council meeting this coming Tuesday (Town offices are on Houston Northcutt Blvd).  In fact, we would welcome your presence at the Town Council meeting.  Having Mt. Pleasant residents present and participating in Town Council meetings is always beneficial for our elected officials.
3. You can call, or email, our Mayor and Town Council members and express your support.  This, in fact, is an exceptionally helpful way you can participate in this process.  In your communication, you should be courteous, you should note that you are a Mt. Pleasant resident and you should ask the Town Council to support our rezoning classification from Residential to Public Institutional.

Please note that there is one – and the same – phone number and email address for both the Mayor and all Town Council Members.  The phone number is, 843.884.8517, and the email address is, councilclk@tompsc.com

Mayor
Billy Swails

Town Council Members
John Burn
Elton Carrier
Ken Glasson
Chris Nickels
Chris O’Neal
Linda Page
Craig Rhyne
Thomasena Stokes-Marshall

Dear Friends,

St. Andrew’s needs your help – again (specific action steps are noted at the bottom of this post).

In 2009 the Town of Mt. Pleasant ratified a “Comprehensive Plan” that has since served as the blueprint for growth and development for our community.  As a part of that plan, a new category of zoning was created.  This category, known as Public Institutional (PI 1), identifies all those buildings that serve the public good as eligible for inclusion. This includes government buildings, schools, hospitals and churches, which were specifically identified by the Town of Mt. Pleasant as those entities eligible for rezoning.  Not only were these entities eligible but the Town Planning Commission specifically recommended that such entities, including churches, pursue PI 1 status for the benefit of the wider community.

In a recent meeting with the Town planners they suggested that St. Andrew’s apply to change our zoning from Residential to Public Institutional (PI 1).  Their rationale for this suggestion is that a zoning designation of PI 1 allows St. Andrew’s, and every other public institution, to work directly with Town officials as we explore solutions to the problems created by our limited and antiquated building space (i.e., we need to rebuild the Day School, children’s and youth areas, etc).  Under our current zoning classification we have to apply for a zoning variance for each and every alteration we may wish to make.  Recognizing the protracted, expensive and difficult process imposed on public institutions to make changes to their facilities due to being zoned as Residential, the Town created the new PI 1 Zoning status and, as stated above, recommended that we apply.  St. Andrew’s was happy to comply with the Town’s request.  As a part of that process public input was sought.  At our hearing last month with the Town Planning Commission we received a favorable vote by  a 6-3 margin.

The next step was to appear before the Planning Committee of the Town Council, which we also did last month.  Though we enjoyed much local support from our kind neighbors, one family did attend to speak against our request.  They cited a concern over growing traffic problems as well as the desire to have public input in future building projects that St. Andrew’s may undertake.  As to the first concern, the matter of traffic is not an issue in a rezoning request.  As to the second concern, not only out of neighborly courtesy but also as a legal requirement there will always be public input in any future building projects that St. Andrew’s may undertake.  First, we must submit a traffic impact assessment and secondly we will have to appear before the Old Village Historic District Commission.  Both of those steps require public input.

Considering the above, we were surprised and disappointed when the Town Council Planning Committee voted to deny our request 3 -1.  After all, we did pursue the rezoning of our property at the Town’s suggestion.  We fear that the precedent set by this decision will have a negative impact not just on St. Andrew’s, but on every church in Mount Pleasant.  This concern is also shared by other local churches who sent representatives to speak on our behalf.

What can you do?

Over the past month we have had very productive conversations with the Mayor and various members of the Town Council.  I have been thankful for their time and the seemingly (hopefully) productive conversations we have had.  Our Town Council meets this coming Tuesday, May 8, at 6.00 p.m.  Town Council has the final responsibility for deciding this matter.  You can do at least four things to help us:

1. You can pray.
2. You can attend the Town Council meeting this coming Tuesday (Town offices are on Houston Northcutt Blvd).  In fact, we would welcome your presence at the Town Council meeting.  Having Mt. Pleasant residents present and participating in Town Council meetings is always beneficial for our elected officials.
3. You can call, or email, our Mayor and Town Council members and express your support.  This, in fact, is an exceptionally helpful way you can participate in this process.  In your communication, you should be courteous, you should note that you are a Mt. Pleasant resident and you should ask the Town Council to support our rezoning classification from Residential to Public Institutional.
4. Lastly, you can forward this information to all of your friends who attend a church in Mt. Pleasant and ask for their verbal support as well.  If the Town Council acts against their own recommendations, set forth in their own Comprehensive Plan, there will be negative ramifications for every church in Mt. Pleasant.  There is no reason that churches, having been specifically identified by the Town’s 2009 Comprehensive Plan as eligible for Public Institutional zoning, should now be denied.

Thank you for your prayerful consideration and your action on our behalf.  It is appreciated.

Yours in Christ,

Steve

Please note that there is one – and the same – phone number and email address for both the Mayor and all Town Council Members.  The phone number is, 843.884.8517, and the email address is, councilclk@tompsc.com

Mayor
Billy Swails

Town Council Members
John Burn
Elton Carrier
Ken Glasson
Chris Nickels
Chris O’Neal
Linda Page
Craig Rhyne
Thomasena Stokes-Marshall

In yesterday’s edition of The Guardian George Carey, retired Archbishop of Canterbury, said that Christians are being persecuted and driven underground in Britain.  His comments were part of a written submission to the European court of human rights as they consider a landmark religious freedoms case before the court.

The Telegraph reports that Carey believes Christians are being “framed” by homosexual activists:

Friends,

Thank you for the massive outpouring of support these past few days with regard to our zoning status.

I wanted to give all of you a quick update.  We had a good meeting with the Mayor and Councilman John Burn this morning.  At the Mayor’s request, our rezoning request will be deferred to the May Town Council meeting.  The calls and emails that have been made to Council members have been very effective.  I am deeply appreciative of your help. I’ll keep you posted on further developments over the next few weeks.

In the meantime, I pray you have a joyous celebration of Easter – and if you have no church home, I’d love to have you join us at Boone Hall this Sunday at 9.00 am to celebrate THE day that changed the world.

In Christ,

Steve