Last Thursday’s issue of The Catholic Review reported on the 150th anniversary of the Pratt Street Riot in Baltimore, a bitter conflict that resulted in the first blood spilled in the Civil War.
The city officially commemorated that event with a procession along Pratt Street this morning. I had a chance to cover it. Check out this video report:
Major news out of Baltimore. A federal court just struck down a Baltimore law that required the posting of specific signs at pro-life pregnancy centers .
Here’s a clip from a story I just finished for The Catholic Review:
U.S. District Court Judge Marvin J. Garbis ruled Jan. 28 in Baltimore that it is unconstitutional to require pro-life pregnancy centers to post signs with language mandated by the government.
The ruling was a major victory for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, which had challenged a Baltimore City law passed in 2009 requiring the posting of signs at pro-life pregnancy centers stating that they do not provide abortion and birth control.
The archdiocese argued that such signs were a violation of First Amendment rights and that the law unfairly targeted pro-life pregnancy centers while no such signs were required of pro-choice centers indicating which services they don’t provide.
“The Court holds that the Ordinance violates the Freedom of Speech Clause of Article I of the Constitution of the United States and is unenforceable,” Judge Garbis wrote. “Whether a provider of pregnancy-related services is ‘pro-life’ or ‘pro-choice,’ it is for the provider – not the government – to decide when and how to discuss abortion and birth-control methods.”
Judge Garbis said the government cannot, consistent with the First Amendment, “require a ‘pro life’ pregnancy-related service center to post a sign as would be required by the Ordinance.”
Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien, who had actively campaigned against the law when it was being considered by the Baltimore City Council, called the ruling a “clear victory both for pregnant women in need of assistance and for First Amendment principles we treasure in a free society.”
In a written statement following the ruling, the archbishop said crisis pregnancy centers were an “integral part” of the archdiocese’s efforts to help women looking for help carrying their babies to term.
“In Baltimore, these centers assist thousands of women every year who are trying to embrace the gift of life in their unborn children,” Archbishop O’Brien said. “And this ruling allows the important and compassionate work of these pro-life pregnancy centers to continue without interference from Baltimore City which sought to target these centers because they are pro-life.”
The archbishop added that “The ruling also upholds the constitutional rights under the First Amendment that protect private citizens such as those who work and volunteer in pregnancy centers from having to convey a government-mandated message.”
David W. Kinkopf, an attorney with Gallagher, Evelius and Jones who represented Archbishop O’Brien at an Aug. 4 hearing in Baltimore on the issue, said the ruling was a “great victory” for pro-life pregnancy centers and the Freedom of Speech.
Kinkopf noted that the ruling holds that because the city was regulating “core-protected speech” and not merely “commercial speech,” there was heightened scrutiny under the First Amendment.
“We think the judge got it right when he basically said there’s no place for the government to single specific speakers out for unfair speech regulation,” Kinkopf said. “The kind of speech these pregnancy centers are engaged in is not commercial speech -it’s deeply personal, moral and very important speech that deserves the full protection of the First Amendment.”
Click here to read the rest. The Catholic Review will have much more on this story.
This story just broke in Baltimore. I’m working on it now, but here’s a quick snip from a ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Marvin J. Garbis.
The judge ruled today that it is UNCONSTITUTIONAL to require pro-life pregnancy centers to post signs with language mandated by the government. The Archdiocese of Baltimore had challenged a Baltimore City law passed in 2009 that required the posting of such signs.
Stay tuned. Much, much more to come!
The Court holds that the Ordinance violates the Freedom of Speech Clause of Article I of the Constitution of the United States and is unenforceable. Whether a provider of pregnancy-related services is “pro-life” or “pro-choice,” it is for the provider–not the government–to decide when and how to discuss abortion and birth-control methods. The Government cannot, consistent with the First Amendment, require a “pro life” pregnancy-related service center to post a sign as would be required by the Ordinance.
- Marvin J. Garbis, United States District Judge
UPDATED: Here’s a link to the complete story.
Back when the 1963 building was the new kid on the block, Mercy employees placed stencils in the lighted windows of patient rooms — spelling out “A CHILD IS BORN” on the side of the tower.
If you take a close look near the top of today’s $400 million Mary Catherine Bunting Center, you’ll see that Mercy has posted the same lighted message.
Very cool idea, Mercy!
Then…
Baltimore News-Post Photo/Courtesy Mercy Medical Center
Mercy Medical Center Photo/Kevin Parks
Haussner's Restaurant, Highlandtown
The pending closure of Obrycki’s in Fells Point, a legendary crab house and Baltimore institution, reminds me of the loss of another Baltimore culinary landmark: Haussner’s in Highlandtown.
The quirky German restaurant, famous for its endless menu and extensive art collection, closed its doors more than a decade ago. Located within walking distance of several Catholic parishes, Haussner’s was THE place to celebrate special occasions in East Baltimore.
My personal favorite entrée was the sauerbraten. For dessert, you could never go wrong with the restaurant’s storied strawberry pie.
In an age of cloned chain restaurants, it’s sad to see family operations like Haussner’s and Obrycki’s leave voids in the city.
Below is a piece I did in The Catholic Review when Haussner’s closed.
What are your memories of Haussner’s, Obrycki’s or other favorites?
Whenever Evelyn Jakowski had something to celebrate, there was one place she knew she could go for some fine dining in a pleasant, eclectic atmosphere: Haussner’s in Highlandtown.
For years, the administrative assistant of nearby Holy Redeemer Chapel has marked wedding anniversaries, birthdays and special parish events with a dinner at the legendary German restaurant. Meals there weren’t just pleasure for the palate – sauerbraten, crab cakes, hasenpfeffer and grilled pig knuckle – they were also a feast for the eyes, as diners sat beneath a crammed panoply of portraits and sculptures by artists like Rembrandt, Homer and Millet.
Mrs. Jakowski was looking forward to celebrating the 11th anniversary of her son’s ordination to the diaconate at Haussner’s later this year. But since the restaurant closed its doors Sept. 22, she won’t get that chance. For her and a lot of other neighborhood Catholics, it’s going to be a big loss.
“It was a special place to go,” said Mrs. Jakowski. “They made you feel like someone special. They treated you like a guest, not just a patron.”
The founders of Haussner’s, William Henry Haussner and Frances Wilke Haussner, always treated priests with extra kindness, Mrs. Jakowski said. When long lines of waiting customers would stretch along Eastern Avenue – as was often the case - the owners would pluck priests out of the crowd and make sure they and their guests were given priority seating.
“The priests at Sacred Heart of Jesus never had cooks on Saturdays at the rectory,” remembered Mrs. Jakowski. “So they all used to go to Haussner’s.”
Father John Drum, C.Ss.R., associate pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus, was one of those Saturday evening clerical diners.
“I liked the crab cakes and the potato pancakes,” he said. “The owners were wonderful people. They provided a pleasing atmosphere with an extensive menu.”
Mrs. Haussner probably had a soft spot in her heart for the priests and nuns who were frequent guests at her restaurant because of her own experiences in Germany.
The Bontkirchen native’s mother died when Mrs. Haussner was only 13. She was raised in a 400-year-old convent boarding school, before coming to the United States in 1924. Customers remember one of her favorite life-long expressions: “The Lord gives us everything.”
Mr. Haussner died in 1963 and Mrs. Haussner has not been active in the restaurant for the last several years.
Thomas Kuhl, a 91-year-old parishioner of Our Lady of Pompei in Highlandtown, remembers Mrs. Haussner as a “very kind and very intelligent lady.” He’s been a customer of Haussner’s ever since the days when the original restaurant was located in the 3300 block of Eastern Avenue in the 1920s.
Every Saturday, after attending a rosary and benediction service at Sacred Heart of Jesus, Mr. Kuhl would walk a few blocks to Haussner’s to get some cakes or coffee rings to bring home to his mother. He has continued to patronize the restaurant over the last several decades, taking his parish priests out to dinner every year after the parish carnival.
Frances Haussner George, the daughter of Haussner’s founders, said she will donate the Haussner’s building to the Baltimore International College as a training center for chefs. All the extensive artwork, valued at more than $8 million, will be auctioned at Sotheby’s in New York and elsewhere.
“Highlandtown just isn’t going to be the same,” said Mrs. Jakowski. “Haussner’s was a classy place.”
The surprise election of New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan as the new president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops grabbed most of the headlines at last week’s fall bishops’ meeting in Baltimore. A close second might be the bishops’ two-day conference on exorcism, held just before the Nov. 15-18 general assembly of bishops.
With cinematic images of flying pea-green soup, twisting heads and growling voices firmly fixed in the popular culture, some dismiss the ancient ritual as a medieval superstition. The bishops disagree, contending that – though rare – there are still occasions when exorcisms are necessary.
Check out this take on the topic from Good Morning America.
There’s a great group of Catholic young adults that meets every Tuesday night at the Greene Turtle in Fells Point as part of the six-week Tap into Your Faith speakers series.
Tonight’s speaker is Philip Rosensteel, founder of Wired Different Media, Inc. and a graduate of Franciscan University in Steubenville. He’ll give a personal testimony on mercy.
Lots of other great speakers are coming up.
Vicki & Syl Schieber, whose daughter was raped and murdered, will speak next Tuesday on forgiveness. They will also share their opposition to the death penalty.
Baltimore City Fire Chief James S. Clack will appear Dec. 14, talking about his journey into the Catholic faith, life-and-death experiences in the field and his role as a deacon at Sacred Heart of Jesus in Highlandtown.
The TAP events get started with a “happy half hour” at 7 p.m., followed by a talk at 7:30 p.m.
Check out the TAP Facebook page.
A narthex is the main gathering area or lobby of a church. It’s where conversation takes place, bringing together people of all ages and backgrounds.
That’s what this blog aspires to be — a spot where you can join a conversation about news and happenings related to the Archdiocese of Baltimore and the Catholic world at large.
Stay with The Narthex for inspirational posts about people who live their faith every day. You’ll also get a frontline perspective on archdiocesan news you won’t find anywhere else.
I have to give a shout out to Matt Palmer, my good friend and colleague at The Catholic Review. He came up with the name for this blog. It’s the perfect fit for what I hope to accomplish here. I hope this blog will be as fun as it is informational.
Let’s get going.
The Catholic Review
