Take a pilgrimage with Steve and Janet Ray!

Day 3 Fatima All Day!

September 3, 2026 No Comments

Great breakfast, then Mass at St. Joseph’s Chapel. Enervated the tombs of the three children in the basilica.

Walking tour following the life and apparitions of the three little shepherds. Saw the hamlet of Aljustrel, where the children lived. Walked to Valinhos, the site of Our Lady’s appearance after the children’s return from prison and visited the church where the children were baptized.

Lunch at a restaurant above a huge store that sells “everything Fatima“. It gives people a chance to purchase religious items of all sorts in a store that covers about a half an acre. Remainder of the day free for private devotions, shopping, naps and dinner. At 9:30 many joined other pilgrims from around the world in an evening candlelight procession.

Day 1-2 Arrivals, Lisbon Tour, Mass at Santarém Miracle, Fatima

September 2, 2026 No Comments

So, we again embark on one of our favorite pilgrimages. They’re all great, but this one stands out for folks. Everybody gathered at 8 AM at the Lisbon Airport in Portugal. We boarded the bus and did a quick tour of Lisbon seeing the main sites, especially its Catholic history. Lunch.

Our first stop was the Eucharistic Miracle of Santarem for Mass and to marvel. Then a short ride to our lovely Santa Maria Hotel only a five minute walk from the Fatima Shrine.

Dinner and quickly to bed.

Church’s Name: Sad or Humorous?

September 2, 2026 No Comments

I was driving down the road the other day and had to turn around and get a picture of this sign (click on the picture for a larger image). I had to chuckle when i thought how silly such denominationalism is — and the series of infighting and splits that must have brought this name about.

Think about it! Christians were first called Christians in Antioch in Acts 11:26. Jesus used the word Church in Matthew 16 and 18. From the 1st century, Christian communities were referred to as Catholic — the Catholic Church, as can be seen as early as the writings of St. Ignatius of Antioch. And Catholic it from then on.

Then in the 16th century, Luther came along and broke with the Catholic Church and decided to ditch the name. His group became known as Lutheran. Then a large group broke away from Luther and his new denomination because they rejected the infant baptism of Catholics and Lutherans. They were called Anabaptists — “ana” meaning again — baptizing again.

This group was obviously spawned from the break with Luther in the 16th century (see my article on Baptist Successionism). They eventually shortened the name from Anabaptists to simply Baptists.

Then someone decided to start their own little church within the Baptist tradition when they began to send missionaries around the world — usually to convert Catholics. Their parent group of Baptists must not have been sending missionaries. It was worthy of a split. They must have set themselves apart and taken the name MISSIONARY Baptist Church.

But what happened then? Maybe the Missionary Baptist Church got old-fashioned and stodgy, and so there was another split and the Progressives started their own denomination. They happily called themselves the PROGRESSIVE Missionary Baptist Church.

But the Progressives started infighting about something or other, and finally a group of elders or deacons rose up and split off again and started a new group down the street named the NEW Progressive Missionary Baptist Church.

Now what? Who knows! Tomorrow they may split again and make the FIRST New Progressive Missionary Baptist Church and the Second. And then it will probably split again into the NEWEST First New Progressive Missionary Baptist Church or the Holy First New Progressive Missionary Baptist Church. And then we will add multiple sects to the already 33,000 Protestant denominations.

Or maybe they will just chuck it all and call themselves the First Baptist Church and start all over again.

And probably, as actually happens hundreds of times a day, many will leave these sects and return to the REAL First Missionary Church, which understands true baptism and is always progressive. I happen to be speaking of the Catholic Church!

Man, am I ever glad that I left that nonsense and became a Catholic. I think the first name of the Church was the best — and the first teaching as well.

Older Posts

Mary a Mediatrix? Isn’t there just One Mediator?

September 2, 2026 31 Comments

The Bible says, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim 2:5). Yet Catholics refer to Mary as a Mediatrix (feminine form of the word mediator). So, isn’t that prima facie evidence that Catholics make up doctrines, worship Mary and disregard the Bible? […]

Sharia Law and Canon Law are Worlds Apart

September 1, 2026 No Comments

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August 31, 2026 No Comments

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Me Getting into Line! Funny!

August 29, 2026 No Comments

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August 19, 2026 No Comments

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Is Jesus being harsh calling a woman a “dog”?

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Five Generations!

August 16, 2026 No Comments

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My Interview in Dublin Ireland with “Shalom World TV Europe – an equal to EWTN

August 15, 2026 No Comments

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“Hey, I Like Your Cross!”

August 14, 2026 6 Comments

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Pastor Bob “Preaches the Word” (Discussing A Sermon on Baptism)

August 12, 2026 5 Comments

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Ireland 9 St. Theresa’s for Mass, Tour St. Patrick’s, Free Afternoon, Irish Dinner Show

August 11, 2026 No Comments

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August 10, 2026 No Comments

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What Translation of the Bible Should You Use?

August 10, 2026 24 Comments

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