Tag Archives: Cancer

Seminarian Philip is in remission from his anaplastic astrocytoma tumor!

philip gerard johnson

From Philip:

Thanks for everyone’s prayers during my doctor visit on Thursday. Since I stopped treatments last Summer and the tumor has remained stable since that time, the doctor is convinced that the tumor is now in remission. Not completely cured, but not growing either. There is still a mass in my brain, but there are no signs of active cancer cells or growth right now.The doctor did warn that this type of tumor typically grows again (branching off from the original tumor), but pointed out that I am already in the “long-term survival” range for this type of tumor (Anaplastic Astrocytoma), so the fact that I have few symptoms right now means that statistically, my expected survival from now on should be measured in years and not months. Overall, great news!

Please continue to remember me and all who suffer from cancer in your prayers! I will be praying a 9-day Novena of Thanksgiving to Our Lady of Lourdes for this good news. Please join if you would like!

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You gotta check out these updates for Seminarian Philip Johnson

Click on the picture for the link to the blog, and read the updates, and then… and then… click on the “follower” gadget on his sidebar and become a “follower”.

Philip is launching himself into the blog more than ever, and it will be a joy to accompany him while he remains, for now, a seminarian with brain cancer.

But just before you go there… say a Hail Mary or three for him right this minute… Hail Mary…

Here’s the link to the post.

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This hermit’s review of Brian J. Gail’s Trilogy, vol. 1 — Fatherless

Thanks again to TMB for sending the Trilogy in to the hermitage.

Let me just direct this review to Brian… My disclaimer, Brian, is that I’m not very well read with novels. I’ve only read Fatherless once. I haven’t yet read the other two volumes in the Trilogy, yet, though I immediately started in on the second volume, Motherless, which is a good sign, no? This is just a first exclamation following a quick read… And only a few thoughts, as I didn’t jot things down as I was reading. Your work brought back many memories of my own pro-life work, and that’s another good sign for me of the book’s reflection of the reality about which you write.

My first impression: Excellent. Because of your business ranking, your work is sure to be read by some rather important execs, just to know who you are and what you’ve done. They will surely take an interest in the how-to-do-business-and-succeed aspect to the book, which will draw them in to the points you want to make. I do think it will work on all who read it, and on some it will hit home sooner than later. The elite movers and shakers are clearly your intended readership, along with some of our weaker, silent or more liberal priests and bishops. I thank you for your effort. You certainly have my prayers and blessings. I was happy to see that you were on the board for Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Overbrook, on whose behalf I’ve done some teaching for one of their seminarians all the way from the hermitage.

Brian, you may help to save uncountable women from suffering and dying from breast and cervical cancer induced by the contraceptive/abortifacient pill, not to mention the lives of untold numbers of children otherwise subjected to such an early chemical abortion. I like the way you repeated some of the info again at the end, just before closing. That will clinch the argument for some individuals. It’s not just clever. We see that you’re a true believer, both in the Natural Law and with the faith. And, yes, that does work on the hearts of those trying to make themselves believe they are hardened atheists. Your work should be gifted to all in the Fortune 500, not to mention to all the bishops, not to mention ad agencies, pharmaceutical companies, investment firms and politicians, though with hand signed cover letters covering the points on just one page. You know how these things go.

The timing of the publishing and republishing of the volumes couldn’t be better, with the Obama administration pushing chemical contraceptive/abortifacients the way he is. We all thank you. I’ve scheduled a Mass to be offered for you and yours and your intentions on 27 March 2012, here at Holy Souls Hermitage, in thanksgiving… motu proprio.

Perhaps, Brian, you could write something on the introduction of the “date rape” abortifacients introduced into Catholic hospital emergency rooms. This would be extremely timely. Obama is sure to point out the hypocrisy of the present push of the USCCB (and as of the last count today, more than one hundred individual bishops) to complain about Obama’s infringement on conscience rights regarding the non-provision of contraceptives/abortifacients, and will therefore, perhaps, get a favorable hearing from the Supreme Court. Florida has a bill put forward to repeal Obama’s attack on religion, but will it succeed with this congress? If you want to know the history of the introduction of abortifacients into Catholic Hospital emergency rooms, with uttterly unexpected names and dates and places — and a monitum about who those people are today — send me an email (see the graphic on the sidebar of the blog — also, check your inbox). I was right in the middle of all that, hospitals, ethics committees, journalists, priests and bishops. You name it. The lie is that one can know at the very moment of conception that the woman has conceived or not. This is, of course, categorically, scientifically impossible, at the moment of conception, just before, during or immediately after the sperm has reached the ovum, but it’s just at this time when such harse chemicals would be provided to — usually — girls and young women. As I’ve said before, one is not to act on a doubt, especially when homicide is at stake, but it happens all the time, with the blessings of the icons of clerical moral theology orthodoxy, with the blessings of priests and bishops. Having said all that, maybe this is one of the major themes in “Childless”, which I’ve not yet read. If it isn’t, perhaps you might fit this in for a revised edition. I note that the other two volumes are already revised.

I’m guessing that you’ve had a hard time of it with some of the ecclesiastics of today’s Church and… and… that you haven’t come to know well very many good priest or bishops. That’s understandable, given the times in which we live.  I understand the point of the book is about being “Fatherless”, both in parish families and biological families, and why. I’ll save my thoughts about Grogan and Father John until I’ve read a bit more! Whoever advised you on the exorcism bits made some terribly grave mistakes about exorcism. Your exorcist also has a mistaken idea of vicarious suffering. Back in the day, I knew very well the exorcist in New York, indeed, Father James Le___ (R.I.P.) and helped to teach the one back in the day in Philadelphia, and, through pastoral circumstances, know way more than I want to know about Euteneuer’s case…

Sorry to say, there is a rather appalling bit to Father John’s talk with JPII. The blessed Pontiff is depicted as listening to Father John indirectly (perhaps because of the uniqueness of the unrepeatable circumstances, directly) violating the seal of confession. I’m sure any priest who attempted to do that with Cardinal Ratzinger or John Paul would have been stopped dead in his tracks. Having met up with so much of this kind of rubbish, I had a long chat with now Cardinal Raymond Burke. Something was done about it, as he promised me, so that now also the indirect breaking of the seal of confession is, in law, held to be among the gravest of crimes, ranking along with sexual abuse of minors. This is something to change in a future revised edition.

I don’t think these last comments of mine should stop people from getting the book, reading it, sharing it. But these are my monitums.

A last suggestion would be for your own reading pleasure, a simple Master’s Thesis at the Dominican House of Studies written by a rather outgoing New York journalist, truly worthy of a Pulitzer for her efforts. Anyone reading Dawn Eden’s very readable work (here’s a free .PDF) would hesitate to put up those she mentions as those promoting their books. It’s a short read, well worth it.

Finally, again, thanks, Brian, for this wonderful first volume. Everyone should read it. Again, you have my prayers and blessings.

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The Venerable Father Price and today’s family relative, seminarian Philip Gerard Johnson

Cause for Beatification and Canonization of Father Thomas F. Price

From the Diocese of Raleigh website:

The Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge has announced the diocesan phase of the Cause for Beatification and Canonization of Father Thomas Frederick Price will open March 9, 2012. Father Price, who was born in Wilmington, NC, on August 19, 1860, was the first native North Carolinian to be ordained to the Priesthood.

At the time of his ordination, some 800 people in the state identified themselves as Catholic. Father Price was committed to converting all residents of North Carolina to Catholicism. The January/February 2011 edition of the NC Catholics profiled Father Price in a cover story.
Read the news release issued January 17, 2012 (PDF), regarding the diocesan phase of the Cause for the Beatification and Canonization of Father Price.
Now check out a couple of other posts on Philip’s blog:

HERE and HERE… Just. Awesome. This is the providence of the Son of the Immaculate Conception. This is just so cool. Humble thanksgiving to the Lord!

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Seminarian Philip Gerard Johnson and the Catholic Herald

Some background about Philip for those who are unfamiliar with his wonderful story in this feature of the Catholic Herald. In an email, Philip apologized for letting my name slip. O.K., Philip, I forgive you! I suppose you had to say “log cabin” lest the more accurate description be difficult for all those non-hermits out there to understand! Now, when’s the last time you readers said the Emergency Chaplet of the Immaculate Conception? How about offering it right now for Philip? I’m going to… Oh Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee…

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Bishop Burbidge Requests Novena for Seminarian Philip Johnson

My theology student, seminarian P.G.J., is to be the intention of the Novena to the Immaculate Conception as announced by Bishop Burbidge. This is wonderful news. It was with this novena last year that Philip gained stability with his brain cancer. Let’s get ready to pray this. I’ll put up the novena daily from November 30 to December 8. From the Raleigh Diocesan Newspaper:

The Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge has announced a novena to Our Holy Mother, patroness of the Diocese of Raleigh, on behalf of seminarian Philip Johnson. The novena will begin on Wednesday, November 30, 2011, and culminate on Thursday, December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. This is the second year Bishop Burbidge has called for a novena.

Philip has been receiving chemotherapy treatments for a brain tumor for several years. In a letter to Priests, Religious and the lay faithful of the Diocese, Bishop Burbidge notes the “growth of the brain tumor appears to have stabilized about the time of the conclusion of last year’s novena.”

Philip continues to pursue his vocation and hopes to return to St. Charles Borromeo Seminary for on-campus studies. Currently he is assigned to St. Catherine of Siena Church in Wake Forest.

Links to both the Bishop’s letter and the Novena Prayer in English and Spanish are provided below so that you may forward this request to others who you may wish to invite to pray for a needed cure for Philip.

Novena for Philip Johnson
November 30th through December 8th

Father all-powerful and ever-living God,
you chose the Immaculate Virgin Mary,
the mother of your Son, to be the mother and help of all Christians.
As she endured her bitter agony
at the cross of her Son, she was consoled by you
with the hope of His resurrection.
Now, in heaven
she consoles with a mother’s love all who turn to her with faith,
until the day of the Lord dawns in glory.

~Pray the Memorare~

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided.
Inspired with this confidence, I fly to you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy hear and answer me.

~We pray~

O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
we are filled with confidence that your prayers on our behalf
will be graciously heard before the throne of God.
Bring our seminarian, Philip Johnson, healing, peace, courage and strength
as he shares in the suffering of your Son.
O Glorious Mother of God,
in memory of your joyous Immaculate Conception,
hear our prayers and obtain for us our petitions.

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