This from John's FB page:

JOHN VENNARI SCHEDULED FOR SURGERY SATURDAY MORNING Requesting Prayers

This is a note to tell my friends that I have to go into surgery on Saturday morning, November 26. Cancer is a nasty beast, and it has caused an obstruction in the GI that must be addressed immediately. Immediately. As noted already, my case has been serious from the start, and this latest problem came to a head at the same time I returned from three weeks of cancer treatment in Mexico.

I am presently not able to update my CFN webpage (I write this note from the hospital). I was blessed to receive the Sacrament of Extreme Unction this afternoon.

Please feel free to forward and/or post this, along with the link below that provides background and info for those who wish to share prayerful and financial support. http://www.oltyn.org/vennari.htm

Thank you for all your prayers and support up until now. Please pray and ask others to pray, especially communities of religious and convents of nuns.

Am I am a little afraid of surgery? Who wouldn’t be? But I place my trust in Our and Our Lady, and take heart from all the kindness and concern I’ve received. Your outpouring of love has been astounding.

I may not be able to update for a few days.

Thank you.
John Vennari

Leave a comment on John's page here

A Brief Comment from Michael Matt: This is too personal for me to comment on here in any detail.  John is a brother to me, and this is a very serious surgery.  One thing I can do for him right now is to beg the friends and allies of The Remnant all over to the world to stop what you're doing right now and storm heaven with prayers for our old friend and champion of the Catholic cause--John Vennari.  St. Philomena, please intercede on behalf of our brother who is so devoted to you. Our Lady of Fatima, be with him now.

We're with you every step of the way, John, and we all know exactly what kind of a fighter you are. So fight this too, and we'll see you after.   -- Michael

This just in from our friends at Una Voce La Crosse:

Our founder, His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, will offer the 1^st ever Pontifical High Mass (Tridentine) at the Shrine he founded in La Crosse, Wisconsin on Saturday December 10th.  We are hoping to get the word out to have a great group for him and the Sacred Tradition.This will be the first Pontifical High Mass His Eminence has offered at the Shrine he founded in 2008.  There will be priests from the FSSP, Institute, and Diocese of La Crosse assisting as familiari. All are warmly welcome.

There is more about this event at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadelupe Facebook Page

REMNANT COMMENT: A number of us from The Remnant will make every effort to be in attendance, and I warmly encourage all of our readers to make whatever sacrifice is necessary to fill the Shrine to maximum capacity, for the greater honor and glory of God first and foremost, but also as a way of showing support and appreciation for the strong stand in defense of Holy Mother Church that His Eminence is making at this very moment. May God bless him always, and we'll see you at the Shine. MJM

Bishop Athanasius Schneider

Editor's Note: We are most grateful to Bishop Athanasius Schneider for the following courageous letter in defense of Holy Mother Church. We received his definitive text this afternoon, but note that it was distributed to numerous other Catholic websites as well. Therefore, and although we're honored to post and publish it, we strongly encourage our readers to spread and share it far and wide. Pray for Bishop Schneider and for the Four Cardinals. MJM

“We cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth” (2 Cor. 13: 8)

Out of “deep pastoral concern,” four Cardinals of the Holy Roman Catholic Church, His Eminence Joachim Meisner, Archbishop emeritus of Cologne (Germany), His Eminence Carlo Caffarra, Archbishop emeritus of Bologna (Italy), His Eminence Raymond Leo Burke, Patron of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, and His Eminence Walter Brandmüller, President emeritus of the Pontifical Commission of Historical Sciences, have published on November 14, 2016, the text of five questions, called dubia (Latin for “doubts”), which previously on September 19, 2016, they sent to the Holy Father and to Cardinal Gerhard Müller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, along with an accompanying letter. The Cardinals ask Pope Francis to clear up “grave disorientation and great confusion” concerning the interpretation and practical application, particularly of chapter VIII, of the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia and its passages relating to admission of remarried divorcees to the sacraments and the Church’s moral teaching.

As the Year of Mercy comes to a merciful close—with not much more to show for itself than a lot of talk and an obscene-looking logo—there are rumors that Francis is going to announce something even more dramatic via his soon-to-be-released Apostolic Letter "Misericordia et Misera."  

Alas, I fear that whatever Francis has in mind will serve only to further the agenda of scandal and revolution in the Church by which his pontificate has distinguished itself.  I pray that good things will come of the Apostolic Letter, even if I won't be holding my breath. (And, no, I do not consider the rumored forced "regularization" of the SSPX cause for jubilation.)

For us here at The Remnant, the close of the Year of Mercy reminds us that the situation in the Church under Pope Francis has only gone from bad to markedly worse over the past year.  One year ago, we submitted an Open Letter to Pope Francis which included this plea: 

With no little trepidation, being under the gaze of the One who will judge us all on the Last Day, we your subjects respectfully petition Your Holiness to change course for the good of the Church and the welfare of souls. Failing this, would it not be better for Your Holiness to renounce the Petrine office than to preside over what threatens to be a catastrophic compromise of the Church’s integrity?

In this regard we make our own the words of Saint Catherine of Siena, Doctor of the Church, in her famous letter to Pope Gregory XI, urging him to steer the Church aright during one of her greatest crises: “Since He has given you authority and you have assumed it, you should use your virtue and power: and if you are not willing to use it, it would be better for you to resign what you have assumed…”

So, now what?  For us, the next step was decided in that same Open Letter to Pope Francis, in which we begged him to change course or consider stepping down. There's little more that can be done at this point, other than to pray he will indeed abdicate, as we believe the scandal of yet another abdication would be the lesser of two evils (the other being an interminable wrecking ball of a pontificate).

The harsh reality is this: Pope Francis has proven himself unfit for the august office he occupies. And if there were any lingering doubts about this, the eleventh-hour intervention on the part of four courageous Cardinals and their dubia should make it obvious to even the most benighted neo-Catholic.

But this is God’s holy Church, which means that Francis is first and foremost God's problem, and that of those to whom the governance of the Church has been entrusted. 

As laymen, we can only pray: Please, God, have mercy on Your Church and remove this unfortunate man from the exalted office he now occupies. You spared us from the terrors of another Clinton Administration in the state, and now, Merciful Father, we beg You to take Francis into Your tender care -- and far removed from the governance of Your Church. This we humbly beg for ourselves, our children and all the peoples of the world: From a prolonged pontificate of Pope Francis, libera nos Domine. 

This video, shot one year ago, provides some background on how and why we issued an Open Letter to  Pope Francis, which, by the way, not one of us was eager to write but all felt bound in conscience to submit:

New from Remnant TV...

The Left is engaged in a national race-baiting campaign.
Exposing the liberal Soros-backed hate industry.

From the Underground, Michael Matt talks about the election, whining liberals, and the largest hate group in America -- the liberal left. Plus, Trump faces his first test: Will the President-Elect fold to hate industry pressure to fire senior adviser "hater" Steve Bannon, or will he hold his ground and stick a finger in eye of the most dangerous Christophobes in America. This is HUGE.

In a letter to his fellow students, Harvard sophomore, Jacob Russell, restores some modicum of hope in us that all millennials are not complete morons:

So your candidate lost. You have a right to be upset, frustrated and angry, but you also have an obligation to be respectful to others and to the will of the American people. Intellectual hypocrisy continues every day on campuses, where opinions that are not the norm are vilified or silenced.

Imagine if you treated people of different races as you treat people with different opinions. There would be a tremendous outcry! But somehow it is fine to discriminate against those with different views.

Did it ever occur to you that this may be why people voted for Trump? That it might not have been the “racist proclivities” of the U.S. or the “dangerous nationalism” of the people, but that it was people who tell them not to think or speak the way they do.

Trump won, and he did not overthrow the government or kill people to silence them. He won in the standard fashion — by getting 270 votes in the Electoral College. As I said, you have a right to be upset, but what we have on our hands now is an embarrassment.

And this does not lie only with the undergrads. Universities themselves are making all types of provisions to coddle those who have been traumatized by the will of the American people. At Harvard, the Introduction to Economics midterm was made optional; the reason provided was that the election results came in too late, but we all know it would have been mandatory if Clinton had won by 10 p.m., as expected. READ MORE HERE

REMNANT COMMENT: Mr. Russell's concluding paragraphs sum up the situation too nicely not to quote:

There is a difference between political correctness and politeness etiquette, and unfortunately one has taken over universities while the other has been lost.

It's time to put away your Play-Doh (yes, some universities are actually handing out Play-Doh to help students cope), move on and do what it takes to better our nation, because we are all on this ship together.

Bravo, Mr. Russell. Please, God, let there be many more like you out there than we know.  If not, then God help America.

Six days after the most pro-abortion presidential candidate in history lost her bid for the White House, the venerable ‘Catholic’ University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, initiated emergency measures to assist students and faculty in trying to manage depression, anger and sadness over the Clinton defeat.

We’re providing a portion of St. Thomas’s “Note of Support from Counseling and Psychological Services” here below, but please keep in mind that this is (or was once) the premier Catholic institution of higher learning in Minnesota. Established in 1885 as a Roman Catholic seminary, it is named after the Angelic Doctor and currently enrolls over 10,000 students. It is Minnesota’s largest private, non-profit university.

Founded by Archbishop John Ireland, it finds itself today under the presidency of something called Dr. Julie Sullivan who, in a recent convocation address, again signaled the University's pro-gay agenda: “We are called to love and support everyone in our community regardless of their sexual orientation. And, I might add, regardless of the gender of their spouse.” 

My father was a graduate of St. Thomas, and I myself was a student there for a time back in the 1980s (before my father decided my soul depended on a transfer to Christendom College) and many priests and Catholic leaders of this community are numbered among its alumni.

And now this, the latest, from a ‘Catholic’ university which distinguishes itself not so much by its Catholicity or fidelity to the magisterium, but rather its pluralism, concerns over climate change and "inclusionism", having recently converted its former seminary into “Islamic prayer spaces” equipped with ritual washing stations and the whole bit:

November 14, 2016

Dear students, staff, and faculty of St. Thomas

Last week, President Sullivan reminded us that we are a community of scholars, staff, and faculty who are committed to the common good and that acts of racism will not be tolerated here. On Friday, we heard from student leaders to Stand Up and be active in changing our campus for the better.

As psychologists on staff at Counseling and Psychological Services at St. Thomas, we want our voices to be heard as well as we start a new week together. This is a time of uncertainty and change, as well as a uniquely fear-laden season in our country, our state, and our campus. We recognize that members of our community may be having a range of reactions including fear, sadness, and anger. For students who have felt targeted for their race, ethnicity, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender, or religion, we want you to know that our staff is glad you are part of our community and we are a resource for all of our students to get support.

For those of you struggling with sadness, fear or anger, we encourage you to make self-care primary right now. Spend time with loved ones who know and understand you, take a walk outside to connect with nature, re-read a favorite book, make your favorite meal, or write three things you are grateful for today. Research shows that people on the receiving end of micro-aggressions or blatantly aggressive acts are prone to feelings of sadness, anxiety, and fear. Though these are normal reactions, they can be difficult to handle and so if you are struggling, please know that resources on campus, such as SDIS, Campus Ministry, and CAPS are here to talk with you.  If you'd prefer to seek therapy services off-campus, we are happy to meet with you to talk about off-campus options and coach you on that process. There are many individual providers and group practices near that you can contact directly, such as:

Abdur Razzaq
Hamm Clinic
Minnesota Center for Psychology
Psych Recovery

Alternately, you can find a provider through the Rainbow Health Initiative READ MORE HERE

The Rainbow Health Initiative, by the way, has a banner on their homepage which screams: “Advancing Health Equality: There are significant health disparities facing members of Minnesota’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities. Our goal is health equity for the LGBTQ community.” So, make of that what you will.

As I read this urgent message to staff, students and faculty of St. Thomas, I found it hard to believe I wasn’t being “punked”. I even checked Snopes, just to make sure. But it’s real alright, and it gets even sillier.

Consider the section under the caption Looking for a place to find peace and calm? 

The Wellness Center (355 MHC) will provide space and time for the remainder of the semester for students, faculty and staff who find themselves needing a retreat during the day. Cushions will be laid out with hot tea and a quiet space to calm the mind and spirit.

Remember, this is not a kindergarten but rather a university, whose students are evidently so emotionally pre-teen that they need to be provided with cushions and hot tea to endure an election that didn’t go their way. (One can only imagine how these fragile creatures would deal with something really terrible, such as a natural disaster that left them without Wi-Fi for a few days. God forbid!)

How coddling and handing out cushions and hot tea helps prepare college students for the real world is anyone’s guess. And this is to say nothing of the fact that one might have naturally anticipated a certain degree of campus-wide relief over a criminal pro-abort’s defeat at the polls. And what about the Trump voters on campus? Are there any? If so, I wonder if anyone's handing out cushions and hot tea to them for being treated like racists and haters over how they cast their ballots.

But, wait, there’s more. Under the caption Unpack Your White Privilege, St. Thomas University goes so far as to make common cause with the anarchists trying to burn down U.S. cities just now, screaming “RACISM!” and even threatening death to those happy with the election results.

St. Thomas positions itself to the left of even radical leftists such as Michael Moore, by the way, who appeared on ‘Morning Joe’ (Scarborough) last week and was fair enough to decry the radically liberal charge that Trump supporters are a bunch of racists.

Co-host Joe Scarborough: “I have to repeat it again because it’s maddening. People who live by data should die by data, and the data according to Nate Cohn of the New York Times says this, and let those who have ears to hear, hear: The very people who helped elect Barack Obama president of the United States twice just elected in Wisconsin, in Michigan, in Ohio and Pennsylvania, Donald J. Trump. It’s the data.”

Michael Moore, an outspoken Never Trumper, agreed: “You have to accept that millions of people who voted for Barack Obama, some of them once, some of them twice, changed their minds this time. They’re not racist. They twice voted for a man whose middle name is Hussein. That’s the America you live in.”

That was Michael Moore—this is the University of St. Thomas: The election provides “an opportunity to join St. Thomas faculty in examining whiteness and white privilege to take the next step towards becoming anti-racist allies.”

St. Thomas University will carry on as it pleases, but faithful Catholics have the right to carry on as they please, too, which includes demanding that the word “Catholic” be removed from the letterhead of this blatantly anti-Catholic institution. Surely, there must be Catholic lawyers ready to file the necessary lawsuits to make this happen. 

In the meantime, faithful Catholics have the God-given right to boycott an institution which betrays the principles and vision of its founders, the teachings of the Catholic Church, and of course every faithful Catholic that ever cut a tuition check to the University of St. Thomas.

There are a handful of good and longsuffering professors at St. Thomas. I know many of them personally, and I call on them and all Catholic parents whose children are enrolled at St. Thomas University to seriously consider getting out now and resolving instead to put their considerable talents and monies behind the new Catholic colleges and universities that are the hope and future of Catholic higher learning in America: Christendom College, Franciscan University, Ave Maria University, St. Thomas Aquinas College, Wyoming Catholic College, Northeast Catholic College, Thomas More College of Liberal Arts—and a growing handful of others that boast fidelity to the teachings of the Catholic Church, nearly 100 percent practicing and faithful Catholic faculties, staffs and student bodies, and a commitment to provide “safe spaces” for Catholic students pursuing a Catholic education at a Catholic institution of higher learning.

The old “Catholic” colleges and universities of yesterday are Catholic no more, and should cease claiming to be. To paraphrase St. John Fisher, these schools have been betrayed even by them that should have defended the Faith upon which they were founded. They have lost the Faith.

Let’s be done with this betrayal. Let us resolve to never contribute one penny, or to in any other way support or recommend St. Thomas University to anyone. As a Catholic institution, my alma mater is dead to me. My two oldest children are attending one of the small Catholic universities which, by the way, held a campus-wide consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Kingship of Christ just last week.

They're obviously a long, long way from the University of St. Thomas -- thank God!