Bishop Murphy tells Catholics to bring faith home
Bishop William Murphy called on Long Island's Catholics to bring their faith into home and civic life in his Christmas Day message.At a morning Mass attended by hundreds who packed St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre Wednesday, Murphy's homily spanned moral philosophy and education policy, asking the faithful to press state leaders to pass a tax credit bill to ease the financial burden on New Yorkers who send their children to religious schools.
The head of the Diocese of Rockville Centre also spoke more generally about the need to protect freedom of religion and conscience throughout the world, touching on Second Circuit court cases in the United States in which he said government regulations were colliding with church teachings and persecution of people of faith across the globe.
Religious faith can and must play a part in everyday life, he said, reflecting on the meaning of scripture describing Jesus as at once of the world and divine.
"Love can go berserk if it is not tempered by truth," Murphy said. "Truth can become oppression if it has no love."
American Christians bear a special obligation to support Christians around the world who are persecuted for their faith, Murphy said, alluding to a bombing in Baghdad Wednesday that he said killed at least 24 as they were leaving Mass.
Armed conflict and violence is part of life in much of the world, he said, but nowhere is it as brutal as Africa and the Middle East.
"We need leaders who are peacemakers, who act to contain and reduce conflict and not fuel it by selling arms or encouraging groups who seek change through violence," he said.
The homily struck a chord with parishioners. After Mass, John Giouvalakis, a pharmacist from Island Park, said he hoped it would force those who heard it to reckon with violence against Christians in Syria and elsewhere. "Everyone should be concerned and it's on no one's radar," he said.
Some parents mulled implications of an education tax credit bill. Ted and Kathy Rzonca, he a lawyer and she a physical therapist from Rockville Centre who are expecting their second child, said they hoped it would allow more families like theirs to send their children to Catholic school.
"We want a strong Catholic background along with a strong educational background," Kathy Rzonca said.
Kerri Kaufmann, a mother of two from Rockville Centre, said she wanted to know more about the measure's effect on public education before she would support it. "There are so many public schools that need funding," she said. "Would it deprive those schools?"
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Confidential
> Stop scratching on holidays
Stop scratching on holidays
Published: June 1, 2012
Off Track Betting in New York State has been racing into a crisis called shrinking revenue. Some people have spitballed a solution: Don’t close on holidays.
New York State Racing Law bars racing on Christmas, Easter and Palm Sunday, and the state has ruled OTBs can’t handle action on those days, even though they could easily broadcast races from out of state.
“You should be able to bet whenever you want,” said Jackson Leeds, a Nassau OTB employee who makes an occasional bet. He added some irrefutable logic: “How is the business going to make money if you’re not open to take people’s bets?”
Elias Tsekerides, president of the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York, said OTB is open on Greek Orthodox Easter and Palm Sunday.
“I don’t want discrimination,” Tsekerides said. “They close for the Catholics, but open for the Greek Orthodox? It’s either open for all or not open.”
OTB officials have said they lose millions by closing on Palm Sunday alone, with tracks such as Gulfstream, Santa Anita, Turf Paradise and Hawthorne running.
One option: OTBs could just stay open and face the consequences. New York City OTB did just that back in 2003. The handle was about $1.5 million – and OTB was fined $5,000.
Easy money.
News
Sports
OPEN ON 1ST PALM SUNDAY, OTB RAKES IN $2M
By Jerry Bossert / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Monday, April 14, 2003, 12:00 AM
New
York City Off-Track Betting made history yesterday, taking bets on Palm
Sunday.
Since 1973, when Sunday racing was made legal in New York State, race
tracks have been allowed to operate every Sunday except for Palm Sunday
and Easter Sunday.
While Aqueduct kept its doors shut, NYCOTB had its betting parlors
open despite a letter from the New York State Racing and Wagering Board
stating that it couldn't do so.
"We're not a race track," NYCOTB president Ray Casey said. "OTB's
business is a simulcasting business.
" Bettors responded by wagering an estimated $2 million yesterday on tracks from around the country, including Keeneland in Kentucky and Gulfstream Park in Florida. While in the past NYCOTB has respected the law and shut down on Palm Sunday, it took a chance this time because its business is down. "With the weather being the way it's been our handle has been off significantly," Casey said. "Our lawyers felt from their point of view that we could open (yesterday).
" The law says race tracks can't open. It doesn't mention OTBs. "I respect the Racing and Wagering Board and I have the utmost respect for chairman Michael Hoblock but I felt we're right on this one," Casey said. The NYSRWB didn't return phone calls yesterday but said on Saturday it would meet this week to discuss fines and penalties it can impose on NYCOTB. "This isn't personal," Casey said. "I just didn't agree with the board's interpretation.
" Casey also said NYCOTB may open on Easter Sunday.
" Bettors responded by wagering an estimated $2 million yesterday on tracks from around the country, including Keeneland in Kentucky and Gulfstream Park in Florida. While in the past NYCOTB has respected the law and shut down on Palm Sunday, it took a chance this time because its business is down. "With the weather being the way it's been our handle has been off significantly," Casey said. "Our lawyers felt from their point of view that we could open (yesterday).
" The law says race tracks can't open. It doesn't mention OTBs. "I respect the Racing and Wagering Board and I have the utmost respect for chairman Michael Hoblock but I felt we're right on this one," Casey said. The NYSRWB didn't return phone calls yesterday but said on Saturday it would meet this week to discuss fines and penalties it can impose on NYCOTB. "This isn't personal," Casey said. "I just didn't agree with the board's interpretation.
" Casey also said NYCOTB may open on Easter Sunday.
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