October 11, 2022 News
DAILY ROSARY. I invite you all to come to pray the Rosary with your family and other members of our
parish, here IN OUR CHURCH EVERY EVENING AT 6:30PM DURING THIS MONTH OF OCTOBER.
Individual families have signed up for each night to lead the rosary, but all present will pray together.
Although I will join you on some of these evenings, I will not lead the Rosary, as this is part of my effort
to add some simple ways to help you grow spiritually in prayer without the necessary participation of a priest.
Back to School. Some things for public school parents to remember and know as we move ahead in the
school year.
Fairfax Public Schools. Remember to stand strong in your Catholic Faith and common sense,
especially against the brainwashing of the secular elites who want to bully you into supporting sexual
promiscuity, same-sex sexual relationships, the transgender agenda, and abortion. In this regard, please
(parents) consider “OPT-ing OUT” of the schools’ Family Life Education (FLE), at least those parts that
specifically seek to undermine what we teach our kids about the true meaning of family life. Also, be supportive
of good teachers and administrators who are trying to live their Christian faith and use common reason in the
schools. Many of our parishioners work and teach in FCPS trying to do the Lord’s work. So support them, with
your kindness and with your prayers.
New Virginia “Model Policies.” Thanks be to God, Governor Youngkin’s administration has issued
new rules to rein in the Leftist activists in our government run schools. According to the “Daily Wire”:
“In 2020… Democrats …passed a law requiring that school districts adopt policies consistent with a
state document called Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Public Elementary and
Secondary Schools. …Now, the law itself remains in effect, but the policies it refers to have been replaced by
very different ones.
“‘The 2021 Model Policies ….aimed at achieving cultural and social transformation in schools…. [It]
also disregarded the rights of parents and ignored other legal and constitutional principles that significantly
impact how schools educate students, including transgender students. …the Department hereby withdraws the
2021 Model Policies,’ officials said in the new policy.
“The old model policy said schools should ‘eliminate gender-based practices’ to avoid leaving out
transgender students…[For example] father-daughter dances and homecoming kings and queens …It spelled
out how school districts should create gay clubs, allow for transgender students to share bunks with children of
the opposite biological sex during sleepaway events, and ordered teachers to be trained to be ‘LGBT+
affirming.’
“‘….School divisions should accept a student’s assertion of their gender identity without requiring any
particular substantiating evidence,’ it said. …
“It described how to hide the gender transitioning of children from their parents, saying ‘a plan
may include addressing the student at school with their name and pronoun consistent with their gender identity
while using the legal name and pronoun associated with the sex assigned at birth when communicating with
parents.’
“Other references to parents appeared to refer to using taxpayer money to try to change the social
beliefs of adults. It called for ‘Strategies to engage parents and other stakeholders regarding an inclusive
school community that affirms LGBTQ+ students’ and promoting ‘LGBTQ+-affirming resources for students and
families’…
“The new draft policy — which will go into effect at the end of October — is far different…‘The First
Amendment forbids government actors to require individuals to adhere to …particular ideological beliefs,’ it
said. ‘The U.S. Constitution, the Virginia Constitution, federal law, state law, and relevant case law place
beyond debate the rights of parents to be informed about their children and the limitations of
government to usurp parents’ rightful role….’
“It said a student can only change his or her name with the permission of a parent, and that the ‘phrase
‘transgender student’ shall mean a …student whose parent has requested in writing…that their child be
identified while at school.’
“‘[School Division] personnel shall refer to each student using only (i) the name that appears in the
student’s official record, or (ii) …using any nickname commonly associated with the name that appears in the
student’s official record,’ it said.
“It bans teachers from using pronouns or names which are not in the student’s official record, and
teachers and other students cannot be compelled to ‘address or refer to students in any manner that would
violate their constitutionally protected rights.’ And ‘No policy, guidance, training, or other written material
issued by the [School Division] may encourage or instruct teachers to conceal material information about
a student from the student’s parent.’
“‘Overnight travel accommodations, locker rooms, and other intimate spaces used for school-
related activities and events shall be based on sex,’ the policy said. ‘For any athletic program or activity
that is separated by sex, the appropriate participation of students shall be determined by sex.’
“By law, school districts are required to adopt policies similar to the state model policy…
“The new document was created under Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow and
Assistant Superintendent Elizabeth Schultz, a Republican who was on the Fairfax County School Board…”
Polygamy is Next. I hate to say I told you so, but… You may have read about the New York State Judge who
ruled that polygamous marriage is legal. As Tony Perkins reports:
“The decision by trial court judge Karen May Bacdayan …essentially gave New York’s blessing to
polyamorous unions in her September decision, declaring that ‘… the problem with [previous same-sex
marriage rulings] is that they recognize only two-person relationships’…
“Bacdayan pointed to two…cases, New York’s Braschi v. Stahl and SCOTUS’s Obergefell v. Hodges,
explaining that both major rulings ‘limit their holdings to two-person relationships.’ … [B]ut they ‘still adhered to
the majoritarian, societal view that only two people can have a family-like relationship.’ …As far as she’s
concerned, Braschi and Obergefell ‘open[ed] the door for consideration of other relational constructs —
and perhaps,’ the judge insisted, ‘the time has arrived.’
“…Bacdayan pointed out…Chief Justice John Roberts’s… dissent [in Obergefell]. ‘Although the
majority randomly inserts the adjective ‘two’ in various places,’ Roberts wrote, ‘it offers no reason at all why the
two-person element of the core definition of marriage may be preserved while the man-woman element may
not… If not having the opportunity to marry serves to disrespect and subordinate gay and lesbian couples, why
wouldn’t …this disability… serve to disrespect and subordinate people who find fulfillment in polyamorous
relationships?’
“Only ‘implicit majoritarian animus’ would limit the definition of commitment to two people, Bacdayan
argued.
“…The media laughed off the conservative movement’s concerns about the slippery slope…20
years ago. Now, almost two decades later, with …judges paving the way for ‘plural marriage,’ it unfortunately
proves we were right. The LGBT’s fight was never about marriage — it was about every social norm.
Welcome Back, Choir. I have forgotten to welcome back our choir after their summer off. Thanks to all choir
members for all you do to add beauty to the celebration of our parish worship.
But we still need more singers. Please consider contacting Elisabeth Turco (our choir director) to talk
about joining the choir (703-506-4644, turcoe@aol.com).
Oremus pro invicem. Fr. De Celles