Great appreciation for Archbishop Wenski's courageous and principled efforts! Once again the Church is proving to be the counterweight to the current reign of terror.
No, I was born a man but now in my 77th year am something different, something ungendered. Is a cloud a man or woman? A drop of rain? A blade of grass? Is a prayer encompassing the earth gendered?
I address all these remarks only to you. Others won't understand as you do. If you look at Christ with your wisdom eye, you will a mass of fire- approach closely and you lose your life. If you look through the flames, you will see a gentle healing rain continuously falling. If you look through the rain, you will see something splendorous beyond words. Your own true self.
It seems that President Trump is counted among the protected pedophiles…so as usual when we point a finger, one comes back at us. The sins of pedos still do not justify one to overlook this atrocity.
Thank you, Archbishop Wenski and K of C riders. What is happening at this prison is despicable! I’m sure your witness and prayer has bolstered the morale of the prisoners there. There is always hope!
Hopefully the guards at that prison will have a change of heart - I don’t know how they can live with themselves for what they do to these prisoners.
I read a quote today from St. John Paul II: "Stupidity is also a gift of God, but one mustn't misuse it." Our government is far past misuse. It was St. JPII who sparked the end of Communism in Poland. Perhaps, with the example and leadership of Pope Leo XIV, fascism will come crashing down. May God continue to bless our Bishops with courage and fortitude. #prayforpriests
I want to live in a country that believes people can be redeemed.
Not because it’s written in scripture, or carved into stained glass—but because it’s what a just society ought to believe. Because the alternative is barbarism wearing a badge.
And right now, we are up to our necks in the alternative.
This story—about a bishop in biker gear praying outside a swamp prison—isn’t just a human-interest feature. It’s a moral flare shot into the night. A red-alert on the civic soul. A prison as national obscenity so grotesque in its performance that we’ve somehow come to accept it as theater.
We built a detention camp on a scorched strip of swamp.
We joked that the alligators would do the guard work.
We confiscated people’s books of comfort and called it protocol.
We denied access to spiritual counsel while crowing about “religious liberty.”
We made the food foul, the air unbearable, the isolation unrelenting—and called it deterrence.
This is not justice. It’s punishment with a smile. It’s cruelty institutionalized.
And it’s not just Florida. It’s not just DeSantis. It is the whole ecosystem of sanctioned violence and carceral sadism that we keep pretending is normal.
You want to know why I’m angry?
Because I spent forty years in public service, and I remember what justice is supposed to look like.
Because I believe deeply in the idea that no one is beyond the reach of learning, of change, of becoming more than the worst thing they’ve done.
Because I do not believe in throwing people away.
Because democracy—real democracy—does not vanish people into cages and forget they exist. Not in my universe.
Because if your idea of deterrence is making someone so miserable they’ll never come back, then you’ve already conceded that you’ve got no vision, only vengeance.
And because the man standing at the gate of that swamp facility—rosary in hand, leather on his shoulders—shouldn’t be the exception. He should be the rule.
I don’t have to share his theology to honor his courage.
I don’t have to agree with the Church to defend its right to show up for the imprisoned.
And I don’t have to believe in miracles to say this: we need more people who are willing to ride out to the gates and bear witness.
Where is everyone else?
Where are the faith leaders who claim to love their neighbors?
Where are the so-called defenders of religious liberty now that Bibles are being seized?
Where are the constitutionalists while the basic dignity of persons is being erased?
Don’t lecture me about freedom while you jail people for existing.
Don’t wave your flag in my face while you exile empathy from the public square.
Don’t you dare invoke the law while using it as a tool of torment.
I will not salute cruelty.
I will not bless indifference.
And I will not kneel to a system that measures justice by how efficiently it can disappear the poor.
I want to believe we’re better than this.
That buried somewhere beneath the rhetoric and the rot is a civic soul that still knows right from wrong. That still believes the person in the cell is not disposable. That still believes in mercy, not just for the comfortable, but for the condemned.
Because that’s the test of any civilization worth its salt:
How do you treat the powerless?
What do you do with the broken?
And do you still see the human inside the cage?
I am not naïve. I know the system wasn’t built for reform. But I also know that without a demand for dignity—for the chance to grow, to change, to come back from the worst—we are not a society. We’re just a managed cruelty machine.
Wenski’s stand matters. Not because it’s Catholic. But because it’s human.
It must be a signal—not just to the Church—but to every decent person watching this: show up. Document. Speak. Refuse.
Refuse to look away. Refuse to pretend this is justice. Refuse to allow cruelty to become boring.
Amazing words. Thank you Dino for using them to support the resistance! I plan to post them because more people deserve to hear you. Please keep sharing your knowledge.
We must keep fighting against the administration from hell and the oligarchs that support them. Yes the resistance does seem to be growing but we are no where near the numbers we need for effective movements. I was very excited when I saw the final count of the No Kings rallies was 13 million. But there are conflicting reports and those numbers have not been verified. Unfortunately, one rally doesn't create change. The Good Trouble rally didn't get anywhere near those numbers. The 3.5 percent rule says we must have sustained resistance. That means we must be finding daily ways to support the resistance. Ten minutes a day making phone calls, writing letters, boycotting and NOT SHOPPING all help. Writing and talking to people about the resistance also helps.
The General Strike US (also following the 3.5 percent rules) which could be a major strike against the oligarchs has no where near the numbers needed for a successful strike. Readers tell me everyday that they like the idea of the strike but are you signing up to strike or at least support the strikers at GeneralStrikeUS.com? Do it now - it's quick and easy. The very least supporters are asked to do is Spread the Word about resistance efforts!
Sacrifices need to be made and right now there are many mild sacrifices that can significantly help the resistance. Boycott Paramount streaming services and other media platforms kissing the tRump's ass.
STOP UNNECESSARY SHOPPING.
Stop making the greedy billionaire oligarchs even richer and more powerful. Boycott businesses that that have locations in nearly every state like Amazon, Walmart, McDonald's, Starbucks. Shop at small local farmers markets, small grocery stores, mom & pop restaurants and travel less. People should be preparing for the recession/depression the tRump's tariffs may cause anyways. BUY NECESSITIES & GROCERIES ONLY!
People sitting at home watching edited news saying they hate the tRump can not be counted as part of the resistance.
Resistance organizers need to do better at promoting their events. Don't count on just social media. I myself did not get to attend a national Good Trouble rally last week because I couldn't find the time or location of our local rally until the day before and didn't have time to make arrangements to go. People keep telling me that they haven't even heard about this Saturday's (July 26) Families First national rallies. They also can't find times and locations.
Not enough people are signing up for the free online One Million Rising training classes to learn how to properly organize resistance events. I have been using Mobilize.us to find events near me. That's where I found our Good Trouble rally but like I said one day notice was not enough time to plan. Organizers post your national events early and protesters check often.
Sorry citizens we don't have the numbers we need to save our democracy. Learn more about the resistance and about the 3.5 percent rule at the link below.
ADDITIONAL ANTI-TRUMP PEACEFUL RESISTANCE RESOURCES AND INFORMATION
This treatment of the migrants is indefensible. We know nothing about them except MAYBE they are here illegally. We don’t know if they are criminals. They deserve the right to be represented, the right to be heard, the right to worship, etc. will we allow them to be housed there indefinitely? For what? To show them inhumane cruelty so that DeSantis can win some points with Trump? Actually, Trump should be there for all his crimes, and we know he DEFINITELY is a criminal.
When the Church trades gold chalices for chrome exhaust pipes and prays the rosary under barbed wire, something sacred is stirring.
This is what it looks like when faith takes off its lace gloves and shows up in boots—when a bishop channels Pope Leo and reminds the empire that you don’t need a sword to confront a Hun. Just guts, God, and maybe a little grease on your cassock.
To those confiscating Bibles in the name of “security,” let me offer a psalm: The Lord hears the cry of the prisoner, even when you won’t.
To DeSantis and friends—if your “religious liberty” doesn’t extend to the detained and forgotten, it’s not liberty. It’s branding.
Props to Wenski and the Pope Leo Prayer Riders. May your rosaries rattle louder than the cages.
Wonderful and encouraging news. And now, where are the rest of our religious leaders? Where are the Baptists and the Methodists? Where are the Episcopals and Presbyterians? And just where are my fellow Adventists who consider themselves defenders of religious freedom? They should all be standing outside that cruel and inhumane facility and standing up to those in power.
I feel like true Christian leaders have been blind, deaf and mute in their obligation to demonstrate a Christ like response to this administration's policies and procedures.
It appears that the Australian Prime Minister, Albanese , himself a Catholic , lacks both the courage , decency and humanity to condemn this prison camp atrocity .
teaches coordinated national strategic actions to locally organize, host community gatherings, and build a force bigger than fear, to bring down the tRump and his administration from hell.
Good Christians cannot stand by and allow such atrocities to be perpetrated. Rising up together, to show love to our fellow man, and fight fascism, is the only option we have. Christ leads, we follow.
Great appreciation for Archbishop Wenski's courageous and principled efforts! Once again the Church is proving to be the counterweight to the current reign of terror.
Thank you for reading, Michael! It's so wonderful to see the Church stand up to the worst of this president's actions.
Yes!!! This needs to happen more and louder!!!!
Excellent reporting. Thank you for keeping us informed.
Lmfao, sure they are.
Show me a church and I'll show tou a dozen PEDOPHILES.
Don you protect pedos too Michael?
I'm not half as worried about pedophiles as I am about Trump and Texas Governor Abbott conspiring to rig the 2026 midterms.
No surprise there. You're a man.
No, I was born a man but now in my 77th year am something different, something ungendered. Is a cloud a man or woman? A drop of rain? A blade of grass? Is a prayer encompassing the earth gendered?
Good answer.
I address all these remarks only to you. Others won't understand as you do. If you look at Christ with your wisdom eye, you will a mass of fire- approach closely and you lose your life. If you look through the flames, you will see a gentle healing rain continuously falling. If you look through the rain, you will see something splendorous beyond words. Your own true self.
It seems that President Trump is counted among the protected pedophiles…so as usual when we point a finger, one comes back at us. The sins of pedos still do not justify one to overlook this atrocity.
Thank you, Archbishop Wenski and K of C riders. What is happening at this prison is despicable! I’m sure your witness and prayer has bolstered the morale of the prisoners there. There is always hope!
Hopefully the guards at that prison will have a change of heart - I don’t know how they can live with themselves for what they do to these prisoners.
I read a quote today from St. John Paul II: "Stupidity is also a gift of God, but one mustn't misuse it." Our government is far past misuse. It was St. JPII who sparked the end of Communism in Poland. Perhaps, with the example and leadership of Pope Leo XIV, fascism will come crashing down. May God continue to bless our Bishops with courage and fortitude. #prayforpriests
Religion is the problem. Wake the FUCK UP!
I want to live in a country that believes people can be redeemed.
Not because it’s written in scripture, or carved into stained glass—but because it’s what a just society ought to believe. Because the alternative is barbarism wearing a badge.
And right now, we are up to our necks in the alternative.
This story—about a bishop in biker gear praying outside a swamp prison—isn’t just a human-interest feature. It’s a moral flare shot into the night. A red-alert on the civic soul. A prison as national obscenity so grotesque in its performance that we’ve somehow come to accept it as theater.
We built a detention camp on a scorched strip of swamp.
We joked that the alligators would do the guard work.
We confiscated people’s books of comfort and called it protocol.
We denied access to spiritual counsel while crowing about “religious liberty.”
We made the food foul, the air unbearable, the isolation unrelenting—and called it deterrence.
This is not justice. It’s punishment with a smile. It’s cruelty institutionalized.
And it’s not just Florida. It’s not just DeSantis. It is the whole ecosystem of sanctioned violence and carceral sadism that we keep pretending is normal.
You want to know why I’m angry?
Because I spent forty years in public service, and I remember what justice is supposed to look like.
Because I believe deeply in the idea that no one is beyond the reach of learning, of change, of becoming more than the worst thing they’ve done.
Because I do not believe in throwing people away.
Because democracy—real democracy—does not vanish people into cages and forget they exist. Not in my universe.
Because if your idea of deterrence is making someone so miserable they’ll never come back, then you’ve already conceded that you’ve got no vision, only vengeance.
And because the man standing at the gate of that swamp facility—rosary in hand, leather on his shoulders—shouldn’t be the exception. He should be the rule.
I don’t have to share his theology to honor his courage.
I don’t have to agree with the Church to defend its right to show up for the imprisoned.
And I don’t have to believe in miracles to say this: we need more people who are willing to ride out to the gates and bear witness.
Where is everyone else?
Where are the faith leaders who claim to love their neighbors?
Where are the so-called defenders of religious liberty now that Bibles are being seized?
Where are the constitutionalists while the basic dignity of persons is being erased?
Don’t lecture me about freedom while you jail people for existing.
Don’t wave your flag in my face while you exile empathy from the public square.
Don’t you dare invoke the law while using it as a tool of torment.
I will not salute cruelty.
I will not bless indifference.
And I will not kneel to a system that measures justice by how efficiently it can disappear the poor.
I want to believe we’re better than this.
That buried somewhere beneath the rhetoric and the rot is a civic soul that still knows right from wrong. That still believes the person in the cell is not disposable. That still believes in mercy, not just for the comfortable, but for the condemned.
Because that’s the test of any civilization worth its salt:
How do you treat the powerless?
What do you do with the broken?
And do you still see the human inside the cage?
I am not naïve. I know the system wasn’t built for reform. But I also know that without a demand for dignity—for the chance to grow, to change, to come back from the worst—we are not a society. We’re just a managed cruelty machine.
Wenski’s stand matters. Not because it’s Catholic. But because it’s human.
It must be a signal—not just to the Church—but to every decent person watching this: show up. Document. Speak. Refuse.
Refuse to look away. Refuse to pretend this is justice. Refuse to allow cruelty to become boring.
Because this ends not when they say it does.
This ends when we stop consenting to it
Amazing words. Thank you Dino for using them to support the resistance! I plan to post them because more people deserve to hear you. Please keep sharing your knowledge.
We must keep fighting against the administration from hell and the oligarchs that support them. Yes the resistance does seem to be growing but we are no where near the numbers we need for effective movements. I was very excited when I saw the final count of the No Kings rallies was 13 million. But there are conflicting reports and those numbers have not been verified. Unfortunately, one rally doesn't create change. The Good Trouble rally didn't get anywhere near those numbers. The 3.5 percent rule says we must have sustained resistance. That means we must be finding daily ways to support the resistance. Ten minutes a day making phone calls, writing letters, boycotting and NOT SHOPPING all help. Writing and talking to people about the resistance also helps.
The General Strike US (also following the 3.5 percent rules) which could be a major strike against the oligarchs has no where near the numbers needed for a successful strike. Readers tell me everyday that they like the idea of the strike but are you signing up to strike or at least support the strikers at GeneralStrikeUS.com? Do it now - it's quick and easy. The very least supporters are asked to do is Spread the Word about resistance efforts!
Sacrifices need to be made and right now there are many mild sacrifices that can significantly help the resistance. Boycott Paramount streaming services and other media platforms kissing the tRump's ass.
STOP UNNECESSARY SHOPPING.
Stop making the greedy billionaire oligarchs even richer and more powerful. Boycott businesses that that have locations in nearly every state like Amazon, Walmart, McDonald's, Starbucks. Shop at small local farmers markets, small grocery stores, mom & pop restaurants and travel less. People should be preparing for the recession/depression the tRump's tariffs may cause anyways. BUY NECESSITIES & GROCERIES ONLY!
People sitting at home watching edited news saying they hate the tRump can not be counted as part of the resistance.
Resistance organizers need to do better at promoting their events. Don't count on just social media. I myself did not get to attend a national Good Trouble rally last week because I couldn't find the time or location of our local rally until the day before and didn't have time to make arrangements to go. People keep telling me that they haven't even heard about this Saturday's (July 26) Families First national rallies. They also can't find times and locations.
Not enough people are signing up for the free online One Million Rising training classes to learn how to properly organize resistance events. I have been using Mobilize.us to find events near me. That's where I found our Good Trouble rally but like I said one day notice was not enough time to plan. Organizers post your national events early and protesters check often.
Sorry citizens we don't have the numbers we need to save our democracy. Learn more about the resistance and about the 3.5 percent rule at the link below.
ADDITIONAL ANTI-TRUMP PEACEFUL RESISTANCE RESOURCES AND INFORMATION
https://open.substack.com/pub/onemommy/p/anti-trump-peaceful-resistance-resources?r=113nff&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
I did post and note Dino's response. Here's the link:
https://open.substack.com/pub/onemommy/p/miamis-archbishop-leads-biker-dudes?r=113nff&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
I posted and noted your response. Here's the link. Thanks again for sharing your words of resistance.
https://open.substack.com/pub/onemommy/p/miamis-archbishop-leads-biker-dudes?r=113nff&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Meanwhile Rump steals a medal and a trophy from FIFA Clear warning not to stage anything in US until we have a new government
More of this! Love never fails.
Bravo Archbishop! Keep up the pressure!!
“You're not going to make America great by making America mean.”
This treatment of the migrants is indefensible. We know nothing about them except MAYBE they are here illegally. We don’t know if they are criminals. They deserve the right to be represented, the right to be heard, the right to worship, etc. will we allow them to be housed there indefinitely? For what? To show them inhumane cruelty so that DeSantis can win some points with Trump? Actually, Trump should be there for all his crimes, and we know he DEFINITELY is a criminal.
When the Church trades gold chalices for chrome exhaust pipes and prays the rosary under barbed wire, something sacred is stirring.
This is what it looks like when faith takes off its lace gloves and shows up in boots—when a bishop channels Pope Leo and reminds the empire that you don’t need a sword to confront a Hun. Just guts, God, and maybe a little grease on your cassock.
To those confiscating Bibles in the name of “security,” let me offer a psalm: The Lord hears the cry of the prisoner, even when you won’t.
To DeSantis and friends—if your “religious liberty” doesn’t extend to the detained and forgotten, it’s not liberty. It’s branding.
Props to Wenski and the Pope Leo Prayer Riders. May your rosaries rattle louder than the cages.
Wonderful and encouraging news. And now, where are the rest of our religious leaders? Where are the Baptists and the Methodists? Where are the Episcopals and Presbyterians? And just where are my fellow Adventists who consider themselves defenders of religious freedom? They should all be standing outside that cruel and inhumane facility and standing up to those in power.
I feel like true Christian leaders have been blind, deaf and mute in their obligation to demonstrate a Christ like response to this administration's policies and procedures.
Millions and millions of US residents are praying and hoping for the quick release of these tortured people.
It’s unbearable to be associated with these horrors.
Christian ministry bikers are the best. They hold the blessings of the bikes yearly. A shoutout to my former MC—United For Christ.
Tink
It appears that the Australian Prime Minister, Albanese , himself a Catholic , lacks both the courage , decency and humanity to condemn this prison camp atrocity .
We Shal Overcome!!!
Let’s build a
force bigger than fear
and louder than hate.
Let’s get ready.
Let’s get organized.
Let’s stop the tRump.
One Million Rising
teaches coordinated national strategic actions to locally organize, host community gatherings, and build a force bigger than fear, to bring down the tRump and his administration from hell.
Search
"One Million Rising"
on YouTube and/or Mobilize.us
to sign up or post an event.
Good Christians cannot stand by and allow such atrocities to be perpetrated. Rising up together, to show love to our fellow man, and fight fascism, is the only option we have. Christ leads, we follow.