Catholic Journey

Prayers that need to be revived

2012-01-25T22:38:00.003-06:00

In my opinion Catholics everywhere need to start saying these prayers again. Often!

O God, our refuge and our strength, look down with mercy upon the people who cry to Thee; and by the intercession of the glorious and immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of Saint Joseph her spouse, of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and of all the saints, in Thy mercy and goodness hear our prayers for the conversion of sinners, and for the liberty and exaltation of the Holy Mother the Church. Through the same Christ Our Lord.

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray: and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Bonfire of the Vanities: My Experimental 'Spirit of Vatican II' Liturgy

2011-08-15T22:47:00.002-06:00

I wish this experiment would be tried here in New Ulm. I really think that we need to be able to experience this type of Mass more. We need it. Our souls need it.

Bonfire of the Vanities: My Experimental 'Spirit of Vatican II' Liturgy

St Joseph's cathedral

2011-07-30T01:50:00.001-06:00

St. Joseph's Cathedral in Sioux Falls, SD has been reopened after a long renovation. From the picture below it looks wonderful. My family and I usually attend Mass there when we stay in Sioux Falls. I can't wait to see it in person.

St Peter Chrysologus

2011-07-30T01:44:00.001-06:00

Saturday of week 17 of the year

or Saint Peter Chrysologus, Bishop, Doctor

St Peter Chrysologus (380 - 450)

He was born and died in Imola in northern Italy. He was made bishop of Ravenna, the new capital of the Roman Empire, and was responsible for many of the building works there. The name ?Chrysologus? means ?golden speech?, and was given to Peter because he was such a gifted preacher; unfortunately, most of his writings have perished, and only a collection of short sermons remains.

--From RC Calendar iPad app

BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR AUGUST

2011-07-29T14:00:00.001-06:00

BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR AUGUST

VATICAN CITY, 29 JUL 2011 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for August is: "That World Youth Day in Madrid may encourage young people throughout the world to have their lives rooted and built up in Christ".

His mission intention is: "That Western Christians may be open to the action of the Holy Spirit and rediscover the freshness and enthusiasm of their faith".
BXVI-PRAYER INTENTIONS/ VIS 20110729 (80)

US Nuncio, Archbishop Pietro Sambi dies

2011-07-29T13:58:00.001-06:00

Prayers for the Archbishop and his family.

US Nuncio, Archbishop Pietro Sambi dies

2011-07-28 Vatican Radio

Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Apostolic Nuncio to the U.S., died Wednesday evening in Baltimore. 73 years old, he had suffered complications following lung surgery two weeks ago.

His family had travelled to the US to be with him and have asked bishops priests and lay faithful for their prayers.

Archbishop Sambi was appointed by Pope Benedict in 2005 as the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States. He began his duties in Washington, D.C. in February of 2006. Previously he was Apostolic Nuncio to Indonesia and Israel and Apostolic Delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine.

His funeral will be at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC on Saturday August 6th –feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

This is the Night: The Exultet

2011-04-23T11:44:00.000-06:00

It's finally here. The Easter Vigil, the high point of our liturgical year is upon us. Jesus Christ is Risen!

Tonight we will hear one of the most beautiful prayers that our Church offers. The Exulet. This prayer should be chanted by a deacon (if you are lucky enough to have one) or a priest. Here are a couple of recordings of the Exultet that I enjoy. The files are large, however, well worth the wait:

Fr. Tim Hepburn chants the Exultet in English.

Father John Zuhlsdorf's podcast has a wonderful version of the Exultet sung in Latin along with some very interesting information about this glorious prayer.

The Exultet

Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing choirs of angels!
Exult, all creation around God's throne!
Jesus Christ, our King is risen!
Sound the trumpet of salvation!

Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor,
radiant in the brightness of your King!
Christ has conquered! Glory fills you!
Darkness vanishes for ever!

Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult in glory!
The risen Savior shines upon you!
Let this place resound with joy,
echoing the mighty song of all God's people!

My dearest friends,
standing with me in this holy light,
join me in asking God for mercy,
that he may give his unworthy minister
grace to sing his Easter praises.

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give him thanks and praise.
It is truly right that with full hearts and minds and voices
we should praise the unseen God, the all-powerful Father,
and his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
For Christ has ransomed us with his blood,
and paid for us the price of Adam's sin to our eternal Father!

This is our passover feast,
When Christ, the true Lamb, is slain,
whose blood consecrates the homes of all believers.

This is the night,
when first you saved our fathers:
you freed the people of Israel from their slav'ry,
and led them dry-shod through the sea.

This is the night,
when the pillar of fire destroyed the darkness of sin.

This is night,
when Christians ev'rywhere,
washed clean of sin and freed from all defilement,
are restored to grace and grow together in holiness.

This is the night,
when Jesus broke the chains of death
and rose triumphant from the grave.

What good would life have been to us,
had Christ not come as our Redeemer?

Father, how wonderful your care for us!
How boundless your merciful love!
To ransom a slave you gave away your Son.

O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam,
which gained for us so great a Redeemer!

Most blessed of all nights,
chosen by God to see Christ rising from the dead!

Of this night scripture says:
"The night will be as clear as day:
it will become my light, my joy."

The power of this holy night dispels all evil,
washes guilt away, restores lost innocence,
brings mourners joy;
it casts out hatred, brings us peace,
and humbles earthly pride.

Night truly blessed,
when heaven is wedded to earth
and we are reconciled to God!

Therefore, heavenly Father, in the joy of this night,
receive our evening sacrifice of praise,
your Church's solemn offering.

Accept this Easter candle,
a flame divided but undimmed,
a pillar of fire that glows to the honor of God.

Let it mingle with the lights of heaven
and continue bravely burning
to dispel the darkness of this night!

May the Morning Star which never sets
find this flame still burning:
Christ, that Morning Star,
who came back from the dead,
and shed his peaceful light on all mankind,
your Son, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

Rorate Caeli Purgatorial Society

2011-01-02T13:56:00.004-06:00

In searching through my blog list this caught my eye. The Rorate Caeli Purgatorial Society. I want to spotlight this because I feel that praying for the souls in purgatory is becoming a lost practice. I encourage everyone who might stop by my blog to enroll your deceased loved ones and to pray for the souls in this society.

Rorate Caeli Purgatorial Society

Please pray for the enrolled souls and the holy priests of the Society:
"For all the souls enrolled in the Rorate Caeli Purgatorial Society: Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the Faithful departed rest in peace. Amen."

Then ...

Eternal God,
please bless our priests,
who are selflessly saying Masses for this Society.
Make them more greatly aware of the grace
that You pour out through them
when they minister the sacraments,
and help them to fall more deeply in love with You
after each and every Mass that they celebrate.
Please strengthen our priests,
who shepherd Your flock,
when they are in doubt of their faith,
that they may be examples of Your Truth
and guide us always on the path to You.
We ask these things of You, our Eternal Priest.
Amen.

US bishops praise updated Vatican norms dealing with sex abuse :: EWTN News

2010-07-16T14:32:00.001-06:00

US bishops praise updated Vatican norms dealing with sex abuse :: EWTN News

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops lauded a move by the Vatican to update its norms on dealing with sex abuse, saying they “welcome” the new changes.

On July 15, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith updated the 2001 Apostolic Letter, “The Safeguarding of the Sanctity of the Sacraments” (Sacramentorum sanctitatis tutela), to include the new norms which state that the abuse of a mentally disabled adult and the downloading of child pornography are now in the same category as abusing a minor.

Also included in the changes is extending the statute of limitations for sexual abuse to 20 years after the victim turns 18.

Bishop Blase Cupich of Spokane, Washington praised the updates on Thursday, saying that the “Vatican action is a welcome step forward as we deal with the terrible crime and sin of sexual abuse by a cleric.”

“What we read today from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is heartening,” said Bishop Cupich, who is also chairman of the USCCB Committee on Protection of Children and Young People.

“The bishops in this country felt the support of the Holy See in 2002 with the establishment of the Essential Norms and we are strengthened even more as the measures outlined in this document build on and go beyond what has been particular law for the Church in the United States since then,” he added.

Bishop Cupich also noted that the “seriousness with which the church views sexual abuse of a minor by a cleric cannot be understated. By putting child sexual abuse by clergy in the same context as the safeguarding of the sacraments, the Church is making it clear that such misconduct violates the core values of our faith and worship.”

“Today the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith notes that the abuse of the mentally impaired, no matter what the person’s age, is horrific. Abuse of someone who cannot defend himself or herself is craven, cowardly behavior.”

“Welcome, too,” he added, “is the recognition that the crime of child pornography damages not just those who pursue it, but any child degraded in the making of it. Child pornography is a degradation of any child of God. A priest’s involvement with it is particularly offensive.”

“The document makes law of measures that have already been in use by the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith to facilitate handling of cases brought to the Vatican,” the prelate explained. “This is an important step in the continuing effort to achieve justice for innocent people whose trust in a cleric was violated.”

Bishop Cupich concluded that the new modifications further “our strong resolve to do all that is possible to see that children are protected and safe, especially in the Church. We apologize to those who have been hurt in the past. We are doing everything possible to prevent such harm in the future.”

Archbishop Carlson condemns casual attitude towards abortion :: EWTN News

2010-07-16T14:23:00.001-06:00

Archbishop Carlson condemns casual attitude towards abortion :: EWTN News

Explaining the Commandment “you shall not kill,” the Archbishop of St. Louis has said that human life is sacred because “it involves the creative action of God.” He condemned abortion, saying those who view it as merely “a political issue” violate this Commandment and those who are “pro-choice” cannot remain Catholics in good standing.

Archbishop Robert J. Carlson also condemned avoidable war, euthanasia, and the ordinary use of capital punishment while also warning of the dangers of hatred, anger and vengeance.

Writing in a July 6 column in the archdiocesan paper the St. Louis Review, the archbishop began: “God's law in the Old Testament is clear and unambiguous: You shall not kill. Jesus is even more demanding: Every one who is angry is liable to judgment.”

Sins against this commandment are “easy to commit,” he continued, explaining that anytime we think, speak or act out of “anger or hatred or jealousy or revenge” we violate respect for life, God’s “most precious gift.”

“Human life is sacred because, from its beginning until its natural end, it involves the creative action of God,” he continued, noting that all direct and intentional killing is “gravely sinful.”

“God alone is the Lord of life. No one has the right to end arbitrarily what God has begun, and sustained, through the gift of His love,” Archbishop Carlson wrote.

Recounting the murder of Abel by Cain in the Book of Genesis, he noted God’s question to Cain: “What have you done?”

“Today this question is asked not only of those who kill someone, but also of those responsible for violence, anger, hatred and vengeance in any form,” he continued.

Archbishop Carlson also condemned abortion, describing it as “the killing of a defenseless baby in the womb.”

“People who are casual about the sin of abortion and who choose to view it as a political issue rather than the serious moral issue that it is are guilty of violating the Fifth Commandment,” he continued, quoting the Second Vatican Council document Gaudium et Spes: “ … human life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: Abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes.”

“You cannot be 'pro-choice' (pro-abortion) and remain a Catholic in good standing. That's why the Church asks those who maintain this position not to receive holy Communion. We are not being mean or judgmental, we are simply acknowledging the fact that such a stance is objectively and seriously sinful and is radically inconsistent with the Christian way of life,” the St. Louis archbishop wrote.

He also noted that “Abortion is so grave a sin that the Church penalizes it with excommunication.”

The archbishop said it was “a shame” that so many violent words are daily expressed between family members. He warned of anger and intolerance being “pervasive in our Church and our society.” These attitudes are destructive and sinful and are “of the Evil One.”

He acknowledged that the Fifth Commandment does not bar legitimate self-defense, which can be “not only a right but also a grave duty for someone responsible for another’s life.” However, the Commandment also directs Christians to work “for justice and peace,” to avoid war “whenever possible,” and to limit capital punishment to “the most extreme (and rare) circumstances.”

Explaining the immorality of euthanasia, he noted the need for ordinary care for a sick person though “extraordinary” procedures are not necessary. Those with questions about such situations should contact their pastor, he advised.

“Taking proper care of our health, respecting others and showing respect for the dead are all matters covered by the Fifth Commandment's demand that we reverence God's most precious gift — human life,” his St. Louis Review column concluded.

Some Protestant churches construe the Commandments differently, placing “You shall not murder” as the Sixth Commandment.

What Does The Prayer Really Say?»Blog Archive » Philadelphia: Pentecost TLM and Churching of Women

2010-05-22T11:50:00.000-06:00

Fr. Z has a very interesting post on an tradition of the Churching of Women. Check it out!

What Does The Prayer Really Say? Philadelphia: Pentecost TLM and Churching of Women

Archbishop Nienstedt urges marriage amendment to Minnesota constitution :: EWTN News

2010-05-04T22:22:00.000-06:00

Archbishop Nienstedt urges marriage amendment to Minnesota constitution :: EWTN News

Saying marriage is not “simply a union of consenting parties,” Archbishop John Nienstedt has advocated a state constitutional amendment to protect marriage from legal decisions that would create same-sex “marriage.” These unions confuse the “core meaning of marriage” and would have unintended consequences if legally recognized, he warned. The Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis in a Wednesday commentary in the Minneapolis Star Tribune said that marriage matters because it is “the natural way we bring together men and women to conceive and raise the next generation.”

But the reality of marriage as a lifelong, life-giving union between a man and a woman is “severely challenged” by factors like high rates of fatherlessness and family fragmentation that impoverishes women and children.

To these problems, legal redefinitions creating same-sex “marriage” would add “a whole new level of challenge and uncertainty.”

“Defining marriage as simply a union of consenting parties will change the core meaning of marriage in the public square for every Minnesotan.”

Archbishop Nienstedt noted that a previous change in marriage, no-fault divorce, promised to liberate women from bad marriages without affecting anyone else. However, it resulted in “unintended consequences” that few predicted.

“Same-sex marriage represents an even greater challenge,” he claimed.

The civil purpose of marriage is to provide communal support for uniting mothers and fathers to care for their children, but same-sex unions cannot serve this public purpose.

“What will happen to children growing up in a world where the law teaches them that moms and dads are interchangeable and therefore unnecessary, and that marriage has nothing intrinsically to do with the bearing and raising of children?” the archbishop asked. “Do we really want first-graders to be taught that gay marriage is OK, or that the influence of a mother and a father on the development of a child somehow doesn't matter?”

Acknowledging that not all children live in “the ideal situation,” he said same-sex “marriage” would be a government declaration that “we have officially abandoned the ideal that children need both a mom and a dad.”

Therefore, he said, a “simple definition of marriage” should be added to the Minnesota constitution. While politicians previously said it was unnecessary because there was no realistic threat, the archbishop pointed to court decisions in Iowa and other states which have imposed same-sex “marriage.”

“Thirty-one states have passed marriage amendments, from Oregon to Wisconsin, from Michigan to California. There is nothing radical about the ideal of making sure marriage is defined as a union of one man and one woman,” he wrote in the Star Tribune.

“A marriage amendment is the only just and respectful resolution.”

And With Your White Book: The Missal Is Approved

2010-04-29T22:59:00.000-06:00

Whispers in the Loggia: And With Your White Book: The Missal Is Approved

A decade in the making -- and after an oft-contentious process that's been both praised and panned... and, on all sides, pored over intensely throughout -- it's now official: the complete revision of the Roman Missal in English is an impending reality of church life.

Within the hour, a Vatican source relayed definitive word that the new rendering of 2002's third Missale Romanum -- the first vernacular text to be universally employed across the Anglophone world -- has received the recognitio (confirmation) of the Holy See.

The work's final approval for liturgical use given in a decree dated 25 March, news of the move was first shared privately yesterday by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. A formal announcement is expected shortly in the customary end-of-meeting communiqué of the CDW's Vox Clara Committee, the blue-ribbon group of English-speaking prelates which has played the clearinghouse role on edits and revisions to the forthcoming translation.

Intended as a more faithful rendering of the Latin editio typica (the liturgy's binding text), the path to today's move dates to 2001, when the CDW instruction Liturgiam authenticam mandated new norms, overturning the post-Conciliar translation policy of "dynamic equivalence" in favor of an improved adherence to the Latin original.

Though the bulk of the reworked Mass-prayers, including the propers of seasons and saints, is still to emerge in its definitive form (known as the "White Book"), Rome granted recognitio to the new Missal's most familiar and consequential element, the standard Order of Mass (OM1), in 2008, permitting its early publication to provide a grace period to prepare musical settings and catechetical efforts to ease the significant change from the various English translations which've gone essentially unchanged for nearly four decades. (Underscoring the long trail of tensions the project has incited, CDW pointedly granted the OM1 confirmation in the dead of Roman summer, days after the US bishops became the lone body of the 11 Anglophone benches to gibbet a major piece of the new translation; once the Vatican reinforced its support for the project, however, the failed Proper of Seasons was approved on a USCCB re-vote four months later.)

As noted previously, with the Holy See's climactic part of the process now complete, the focus returns to the 11 Anglophone bishops' conferences, each of which is charged with disseminating the finished product within its jurisdiction, coordinating the preparatory programs and, above all, fixing the new Missal's implementation date within their proper territory.

While these will vary slightly from country to country, most observers expect the new book to "sunrise" at or around Advent 2011. And with Vox Clara's major project now handled, the commission is widely anticipated to take on a similar overhaul of another significant plank of English-language worship, with the Liturgy of the Hours or sacramental rites leading the on-deck buzz.

Illinois Bishop Issues Directive on Tabernacle Location

2010-04-09T15:02:00.003-06:00

Please Bishop LeVoir? Please?

Overheard in the Sacristy » Blog Archive » Illinois Bishop Issues Directive on Tabernacle Location

April 1, 2010
+Holy Thursday

Dear Priests, Deacons, Religious and Faithful of the Diocese of Peoria,

The Mass, of course, is our most important act of worship—the very source and summit of all we do as a Church. A profound reverence for the Reserved Sacrament is also intrinsically related to the Eucharistic liturgy.

The Reserved Sacrament must therefore be treated with the greatest possible respect, because at all times the Blessed Sacrament within that tabernacle, as in the Eucharistic Liturgy, is to be given that worship called latria, which is the adoration given to Almighty God. This intentional honor is incomparably greater than the reverence we give to sacramentals, sacred images, the Baptistry, the Holy Oils, or the Paschal Candle. The Sacrament is reserved not only so that the Eucharist can be brought to the dying and to those unable to attend Mass, but also as the heart and locus of a parish’s prayer and devotion.

There is a kind of bundle of rituals in our Catholic tradition with which we surround the Tabernacle. As we enter or leave the church, we bless ourselves with holy water, we genuflect towards the Tabernacle, we prepare for Mass or give thanks after Mass, consciously in the presence of the Most Blessed Sacrament. At prayers and devotions, during the Liturgy of the Hours, in any private prayer which takes place in a Catholic Church, we truly pray before the Risen Christ substantially and really present in the Sacrament reserved in the Tabernacle.

These core Catholic convictions and their architectural ramifications have recently been reaffirmed by many Bishops in the United States. As bishop of this Diocese, I am also convinced that where we place the Tabernacle—and how we ritually reverence the Reserved Sacrament—is as important for the continuing Eucharistic catechesis as is all our preaching and teaching. With Jesus truly present in the Blessed Sacrament at the physical center of our places of worship, how can He not also more firmly become the center of our spiritual lives as well?

After consultation with my Presbyteral Council, I am therefore asking that those few parish churches and chapels where the tabernacle is not in the direct center at the back of the sanctuary, that these spaces be redesigned in such a way that the Reserved Sacrament would be placed at the center. In some cases, this change can be easily achieved, but given financial and design restraints, plans for redesign may be submitted to the Office of Divine Worship at any time during the next five years. Monastic communities whose chapels are open to the faithful as semi-public oratories may also request a dispensation from this general regulation according to the norms of their particular liturgical tradition. There may also be some very tiny chapels where a change could be impossible. These requests should be submitted in writing to my office.
I would also like to remind everyone in our Diocese that at Mass, in accord with the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, the Tabernacle should only be reverenced at the beginning and end of the liturgy or when the Sacrament is being taken from or returned to the Tabernacle. At all other moments and movements in the liturgy it is the Altar of Sacrifice that is to be reverenced.

It is my conviction that Eucharistic Liturgy and Eucharistic devotion are never in competition but rather inform and strengthen our shared worship and reverence. May all in our Diocese grow in greater love and appreciation of the gift of the Eucharist.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Daniel R. Jenky, C.S.C.
BISHOP OF PEORIA

Archbishop John Nienstedt Comments On Clergy Sex Abuse Cover Up Charges

2010-04-09T14:59:00.001-06:00

Stella Borealis, "The Star Of The North"

Archbishop John Nienstedt Comments On Clergy Sex Abuse Cover Up Charges

.
Saint Paul, MN. April 8, 2010 – The Most Reverend John C. Nienstedt, Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, comments in his column in today’s issue of the Archdiocese’s newspaper, the Catholic Spirit, that he believes attempts to involve Pope Benedict XVI in allegations of clergy sex abuse cover ups are “misguided and unfair.”

Writing about widespread media reports that the “cover up” extends all the way to the Vatican, Archbishop Nienstedt agrees with New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, who has stated that “no one was more helpful to the American Catholic hierarchy and the Church at large in 2002 than Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger”. In today’s column, Nienstedt write, “He (then Cardinal Ratzinger) understood the depths of the crisis facing the American Church at the time and helped provide the canonical assistance we needed in order to address the terrible scourge of sexual abuse in the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.”

In his column, Nienstedt also states that “Since 2002 (when the Charter was adopted) the Catholic Church in this country has worked harder than any other organization I can think of to put into place measures to protect young people as well as to reach out to former victims.”

Nienstedt backs up that claim by stating that Catholic dioceses around the U S have invested more than $21 million for child protection efforts, including training programs, background checks and salaried positions. He notes that “almost six million students in Catholic schools or religious education programs have participated in Safe Environment training and that over two million priests, deacons, seminarians, educators, employees and volunteers have had background checks.

“Here in this Archdiocese, over 76,000 background checks have been made and 12,000 Church employees, including clergy and 30,000 volunteers have gone through safe environment training. Thus, the situation today is far different and safer than it was 30 or 40 years ago,” he contends.

Yet, in his column, the Archbishop makes no attempt to minimize the past existence of sex abuse within the Church. Let me be clear when I again state that sexual molestation of any kind is indefensible,” he writes. “It is a sin that cries out for forgiveness. We can perhaps never apologize enough for what has taken place. We must direct ourselves to the healing of victims.”

In his conclusion, Archbishop Nienstedt writes, “Whatever was the case 30 years ago, which affected Church-related and non-related organizations, the bishops today, as well as the Pope, have a much different understanding of what needs to be done. I wish we could go back to undo the harm that was done years ago. But unfortunately, we cannot. What we can and must do is to make sure it doesn’t happen today.”

UN Judge Says Pope Should be Prosecuted at International Criminal Court » Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute

2010-04-09T14:45:00.003-06:00

This is some of the dumbest stuff I have ever read. This UN Judge should be removed from his duties. This would be like Japan trying President Obama for the US dropping the bomb on Japan during the war. What a bunch of rubbish. Please pray for our Holy Father that he may not flee for fear of the wolves....even the stupid wolves.

UN Judge Says Pope Should be Prosecuted at International Criminal Court » Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute

By Susan Yoshihara, Ph.D.

(NEW YORK – C-FAM) In London last Friday, a high ranking United Nations (UN) jurist called on the British government to detain Pope Benedict XVI during his upcoming visit to Britain, and send him to trial in the International Criminal Court (ICC) for “crimes against humanity.”

Geoffrey Robertson touted his status as a UN judge in an article he published last week claiming that jurists should invoke the same procedures that have been used to indict war criminals such as Slobodan Milosevic. To try the Pope as head of the Roman Catholic Church who is ultimately responsible for sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests.

Robertson is one of five select jurists in the UN’s internal justice system responsible for holding UN officials accountable for corruption and mismanagement. His article was published in both the United States and Britain and reported on by the Associated Press.

Professor Hurst Hannum of the Fletcher School at Tufts University told the Friday Fax that it would be a “real stretch” to use the ICC since that court’s jurisdiction is mainly reserved for crimes during war. More likely, Hannum said, is that Robertson and likeminded experts would invoke the principle of “universal jurisdiction” so that national courts all over the world could detain the pope whenever he stepped foot on their soil. Critics say the principle, already used in practice, is a violation of sovereignty as it is enshrined in the UN Charter.

Yet Robertson insisted that the ICC could be used as long as the Pope’s sovereign immunity was waived and as long as jurists can show that the sex abuse scandal was carried out on a “widespread or systematic scale,” the way that child soldiers were used in the wars in Sierra Leone and the way that sex slaves are traded internationally.

Robertson, a tort lawyer, argued that prosecution at a higher level of the Church is necessary to get more money for victims of clergy sexual abuse in cases where dioceses have gone into bankruptcy. He specifically pointed out the fact that the diocese of Los Angeles has already paid $660M in damages and Boston has paid $100M.

One prominent law professor told the Friday Fax, “Without in any way minimizing the seriousness of the alleged offenses of Catholic priests, it would be a grave mistake to the laws of human rights to permit a trivializing of the responsibility to protect, and to play into the hands of American contingency-fee lawyers.”

Another human rights lawyer told the Friday Fax that the article could be part of a broader campaign. Robertson has long campaigned to strip the Holy See of its permanent observer status at the UN, and has publicly referred to the Holy See “the world’s largest NGO.”

When a campaign was launched to oust the Holy See from its status in 1999, UN Member States rallied around the Vatican, and in 2004 the General Assembly voted unanimously to expand that status. It is unclear whether UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon knew about Robertson’s leanings before appointing him to his current position.

The New York Times

2010-04-09T14:37:00.003-06:00

I found this on Fr. Z's blog.

Bishops Tobin cancels hospital's CHA membership

2010-04-09T14:27:00.002-06:00

Bravo Bishop Tobin! It's time for our Bishops to start standing up for the teaching of the Church and reminding people just who has the responsibility for passing on that teaching.

Bishops Tobin cancels hospital's CHA membership :: EWTN News

Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence, Rhode Island, recently denounced the Catholic Health Association (CHA) for causing “scandal” with its endorsement of the health care bill and asked that a local diocesan Catholic hospital be removed from its membership list.

In a March 29 letter to Sr. Carol Keehan, director of CHA, Bishop Tobin wrote that he was “very disappointed that the Catholic Health Association, under your leadership, publicly endorsed the recent health care legislation that was passed and signed into law.”

“This action was taken,” the bishop lamented, “despite the fact that the legislation will very possibly provide additional public funding for abortion and threaten the freedom of conscience of Catholic individuals and institutions.”

“Your enthusiastic support of the legislation, in contradiction to the position of the Bishops of the United States, provided an excuse for members of Congress, misled the public and cause serious scandal for many members of the Church,” Bishop Tobin charged.

“Accordingly,” he added, “I am writing to request that St. Joseph Health Services of Rhode Island, sponsored by the Diocese of Providence, be removed from the membership list and mailing list of the Catholic Health Association.”

Bishop Tobin further stated that “even the association with CHA is now embarrassing, and for that reason I request that our name be removed.”

The Rhode Island bishop concluded his letter telling Sr. Keehan he hopes “that the future of the Catholic Health Association will review its mission and will find new opportunities to renew its commitment to human life, including that of unborn children. I also hope that the Association will clearly support the teaching mission of the Church as expressed by the Bishops, whose obligation it is to preach the Gospel of Christ and apply the teachings of the Church to the important moral issues of our time.”

Regina Caeli

2010-04-05T20:14:00.000-06:00

During the Easter season the Regina Caei is sung/recited in the place of the Angelus (The Angelus is usually at 6am, noon, and 6pm). It was customary to ring the church bells at these times as well (The Angelus Bells).

Latin:

Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia:
Quia quem meruisti portare. alleluia,
Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia,
Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.

English:

Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
For He whom you did merit to bear, alleluia.
Has risen, as He said, alleluia.
Pray for us to God, alleluia.

It is finished.

2010-04-01T23:45:00.004-06:00

Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley
to where there was a garden,
into which he and his disciples entered.
Judas his betrayer also knew the place,
because Jesus had often met there with his disciples.
So Judas got a band of soldiers and guards
from the chief priests and the Pharisees
and went there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.
Jesus, knowing everything that was going to happen to him,
went out and said to them, “Whom are you looking for?”
They answered him, “Jesus the Nazorean.”
He said to them, “I AM.”
Judas his betrayer was also with them.
When he said to them, “I AM, “
they turned away and fell to the ground.
So he again asked them,
“Whom are you looking for?”
They said, “Jesus the Nazorean.”
Jesus answered,
“I told you that I AM.
So if you are looking for me, let these men go.”
This was to fulfill what he had said,
“I have not lost any of those you gave me.”
Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it,
struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear.
The slave’s name was Malchus.
Jesus said to Peter,
“Put your sword into its scabbard.
Shall I not drink the cup that the Father gave me?”

So the band of soldiers, the tribune, and the Jewish guards seized Jesus,
bound him, and brought him to Annas first.
He was the father-in-law of Caiaphas,
who was high priest that year.
It was Caiaphas who had counseled the Jews
that it was better that one man should die rather than the people.

Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus.
Now the other disciple was known to the high priest,
and he entered the courtyard of the high priest with Jesus.
But Peter stood at the gate outside.
So the other disciple, the acquaintance of the high priest,
went out and spoke to the gatekeeper and brought Peter in.
Then the maid who was the gatekeeper said to Peter,
“You are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?”
He said, “I am not.”
Now the slaves and the guards were standing around a charcoal fire
that they had made, because it was cold,
and were warming themselves.
Peter was also standing there keeping warm.

The high priest questioned Jesus
about his disciples and about his doctrine.
Jesus answered him,
“I have spoken publicly to the world.
I have always taught in a synagogue
or in the temple area where all the Jews gather,
and in secret I have said nothing. Why ask me?
Ask those who heard me what I said to them.
They know what I said.”
When he had said this,
one of the temple guards standing there struck Jesus and said,
“Is this the way you answer the high priest?”
Jesus answered him,
“If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong;
but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?”
Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Now Simon Peter was standing there keeping warm.
And they said to him,
“You are not one of his disciples, are you?”
He denied it and said,
“I am not.”
One of the slaves of the high priest,
a relative of the one whose ear Peter had cut off, said,
“Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?”
Again Peter denied it.
And immediately the cock crowed.

Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium.
It was morning.
And they themselves did not enter the praetorium,
in order not to be defiled so that they could eat the Passover.
So Pilate came out to them and said,
“What charge do you bring against this man?”
They answered and said to him,
“If he were not a criminal,
we would not have handed him over to you.”
At this, Pilate said to them,
“Take him yourselves, and judge him according to your law.”
The Jews answered him,
“We do not have the right to execute anyone, “
in order that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled
that he said indicating the kind of death he would die.
So Pilate went back into the praetorium
and summoned Jesus and said to him,
“Are you the King of the Jews?”
Jesus answered,
“Do you say this on your own
or have others told you about me?”
Pilate answered,
“I am not a Jew, am I?
Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me.
What have you done?”
Jesus answered,
“My kingdom does not belong to this world.
If my kingdom did belong to this world,
my attendants would be fighting
to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.
But as it is, my kingdom is not here.”
So Pilate said to him,
“Then you are a king?”
Jesus answered,
“You say I am a king.
For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

When he had said this,
he again went out to the Jews and said to them,
“I find no guilt in him.
But you have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at Passover.
Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
They cried out again,
“Not this one but Barabbas!”
Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged.
And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head,
and clothed him in a purple cloak,
and they came to him and said,
“Hail, King of the Jews!”
And they struck him repeatedly.
Once more Pilate went out and said to them,
“Look, I am bringing him out to you,
so that you may know that I find no guilt in him.”
So Jesus came out,
wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak.
And he said to them, “Behold, the man!”
When the chief priests and the guards saw him they cried out,
“Crucify him, crucify him!”
Pilate said to them,
“Take him yourselves and crucify him.
I find no guilt in him.”
The Jews answered,
“We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die,
because he made himself the Son of God.”
Now when Pilate heard this statement,
he became even more afraid,
and went back into the praetorium and said to Jesus,
“Where are you from?”
Jesus did not answer him.
So Pilate said to him,
“Do you not speak to me?
Do you not know that I have power to release you
and I have power to crucify you?”
Jesus answered him,
“You would have no power over me
if it had not been given to you from above.
For this reason the one who handed me over to you
has the greater sin.”
Consequently, Pilate tried to release him; but the Jews cried out,
“If you release him, you are not a Friend of Caesar.
Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.”

When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus out
and seated him on the judge’s bench
in the place called Stone Pavement, in Hebrew, Gabbatha.
It was preparation day for Passover, and it was about noon.
And he said to the Jews,
“Behold, your king!”
They cried out,
“Take him away, take him away! Crucify him!”
Pilate said to them,
“Shall I crucify your king?”
The chief priests answered,
“We have no king but Caesar.”
Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.

So they took Jesus, and, carrying the cross himself,
he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull,
in Hebrew, Golgotha.
There they crucified him, and with him two others,
one on either side, with Jesus in the middle.
Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross.
It read,
“Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews.”
Now many of the Jews read this inscription,
because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city;
and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.
So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate,
“Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’
but that he said, ‘I am the King of the Jews’.”
Pilate answered,
“What I have written, I have written.”

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus,
they took his clothes and divided them into four shares,
a share for each soldier.
They also took his tunic, but the tunic was seamless,
woven in one piece from the top down.
So they said to one another,
“Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be, “
in order that the passage of Scripture might be fulfilled that says:
They divided my garments among them,
and for my vesture they cast lots.
This is what the soldiers did.
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary of Magdala.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved
he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
Then he said to the disciple,
“Behold, your mother.”
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

After this, aware that everything was now finished,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
Jesus said, “I thirst.”
There was a vessel filled with common wine.
So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop
and put it up to his mouth.
When Jesus had taken the wine, he said,
“It is finished.”
And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

Now since it was preparation day,
in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,
for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,
the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken
and that they be taken down.
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first
and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,
they did not break his legs,
but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,
and immediately blood and water flowed out.
An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true;
he knows that he is speaking the truth,
so that you also may come to believe.
For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled:
Not a bone of it will be broken.
And again another passage says:
They will look upon him whom they have pierced.

After this, Joseph of Arimathea,
secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews,
asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus.
And Pilate permitted it.
So he came and took his body.
Nicodemus, the one who had first come to him at night,
also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes
weighing about one hundred pounds.
They took the body of Jesus
and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices,
according to the Jewish burial custom.
Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden,
and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried.
So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day;
for the tomb was close by.

--John 18:1—19:42

Pope's prayer intentions for April

2010-04-01T20:36:00.001-06:00

Pope's prayer intentions for April released :: EWTN News

On Wednesday, the Vatican's Press Office released the Holy Father's prayer intentions for the month of April. In his intentions, the Pontiff prays for the perseverance of Christians who are persecuted and that respect and tolerance will counter fundamentalism and extremism.

Pope Benedict's general prayer intention is: "That every tendency to fundamentalism and extremism may be countered by constant respect, by tolerance and by dialogue among all believers."

His mission intention is: "That Christians persecuted for the sake of the Gospel may persevere, sustained by the Holy Spirit, in faithfully witnessing to the love of God for the entire human race."

Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus

2010-03-31T20:09:00.009-06:00

Look what I found on the Diocese of New Ulm website. Good News!

UPDATE: More info can be found in the Prairie Catholic on page 5.

Historic day for the Diocese of New Ulm!
New religious order of women religious is established:
Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus

(Above: front, l-r): Sr. Regina Marie of the Holy Sacrifice of the Altar, Sr. Miriam Rose of the Incarnate Word, Sr. Magdalena Marie of the Trinity, and Mother Mary Clare of the Heart of the Father. With Bishop John M. LeVoir (center) are visiting bishops and friends of the Handmaids, Bishop Paul D. Sirba, Diocese of Duluth (far left), and Bishop Peter F. Christensen, Diocese of Superior, Wisconsin (far right) and Fr. Andrew Cozzens (far left), who assisted the Handmaids in their discernment of becoming a religious order.

Mother Mary Clare takes her solemn vows as the foundress of the order.

Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus: Four Sisters received the habit and a new name on March 24 at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New Ulm.

Spy Wednesday

2010-03-31T00:01:00.002-06:00

Judas agrees to hand Jesus over..."

One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot,
went to the chief priests and said,
“What are you willing to give me
if I hand him over to you?”
They paid him thirty pieces of silver,
and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
the disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Where do you want us to prepare
for you to eat the Passover?”
He said,
“Go into the city to a certain man and tell him,
‘The teacher says, AMy appointed time draws near;
in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.”‘“
The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered,
and prepared the Passover.

When it was evening,
he reclined at table with the Twelve.
And while they were eating, he said,
“Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”
Deeply distressed at this,
they began to say to him one after another,
“Surely it is not I, Lord?”
He said in reply,
“He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me
is the one who will betray me.
The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him,
but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed.
It would be better for that man if he had never been born.”
Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply,
“Surely it is not I, Rabbi?”
He answered, “You have said so.”

--Mt 26:14-25

Jimmy Akin on the Fr. Murphy Case

2010-03-30T20:36:00.000-06:00

Jimmy Akin gives his analysis of the Fr. Murphy case. Using the source documentation provided by the New Your Times.
NOTE: Jimmy provides links to said documentation. Please follow the link below if you want to review those links.

Cardinal Ratzinger An Evil Monster? | Blogs | NCRegister.com

Jimmy Akin Tuesday, March 30, 2010 9:59 AM

The level of vitriol being directed at Pope Benedict by the mainstream media right now is truly extraordinary. It’s primarily drive by desire for cash (scandal sells), followed closely by hatred, along with a hefty dose of ignorance.

Reading Maureen Dowd’s latest opinion column is just a cringe-inducing experience.

Even in ostensible news pieces the misrepresentation of facts is staggering. That’s where the ignorance comes in. Reporters in the mainstream media are seldom well versed in the matters they are reporting on, and it is clear that—even when outright malice is excluded from the equation—they simply do not have the background to properly understand or report on how the Vatican works and what its actions mean.

I am not saying that the Holy See’s handling of abuse cases can’t be legitimately criticized. I’m not saying that then-Cardinal Ratzinger/now-Pope Benedict XVI didn’t experience a learning curve on this point. And I don’t know what else is out there that remains to be discovered.

But I am saying that the media is getting this story wrong, particularly in the case of Fr. Lawrence Murphy, the American priest whose case was dealt with by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith when Cardinal Ratzinger was its head.

The New York Times has done a great service to those wanting to look into this story by putting online a large number of primary source documents pertaining to the case. No doubt they mean these to incriminate Pope Benedict, but if you read them carefully—and if you know the relevant background—they don’t. (The documents are also posted here in .pdf format.)

So let’s look at the facts of the case in light of the documents:

Lawrence Murphy was born in 1925 and was ordained a priest in 1950. He served at St. John’s School for the Deaf from 1963 to 1974, during which time he later admitted to having abused 19 boys (press reports are saying as many as 200, but there is speculation involved there).

In the mid 1970s his victims complained to the police, but this did not result in a trial.

Note well: This is not a case of the diocese preventing the police from knowing about it. They already knew.

His victims also hung “most wanted” powers of him outside Milwaukee’s cathedral to urge Church authorities to deal with the situation. According to a document from the 1990s produced in preparation for a Church trial, virtually no documentation was available on the details of what the Milwaukee archdiocese did at the time, but the result is known in broad brush.

Murphy was removed from the school for the deaf and given no further pastoral assignment. He moved back to his family residence, where he lived with his mother. Except for occasional visits to his brother in Houston, he lived in this house for the rest of his life.

He was never granted a pastoral assignment by the diocese of Superior, in which he was now living, but he occasionally said Mass at parishes and was used in some capacity at retreats for deaf people, due to his ability to communicate in sign language.

There were no further allegations of sexual abuse against him.

In 1995, some of Murphy’s victims and their lawyers contacted the new archbishop of Milwaukee, Rembert Weakland (ironic, yes, but that’s a different issue), reporting Murphy’s actions from the 1970s.

In December of 1995, Weakland ordered a preliminary investigation to determine whether the allegations had merit. It was concluded that they did.

However, because the charges against Murphy included the abuse of the sacrament of confession—an offense that was (and is) reserved to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith—Weakland wrote to Cardinal Ratzinger in July 1996 asking for guidance in how to proceed.

Note this well: Back in 1996 the CDF did not have a mandate to handle cases of sexual abuse by priests. It does now. It received that mandate later. But in 1996 it did not have one. The reason that Weakland notified the CDF was not because the abuse of minors was involved but because the abuse of the sacrament of confession was involved.

Weakland had not received a reply by October of 1996, and he began preparations for a canonical trial of Murphy.

In February 1997 Murphy raised the point that his crimes were committed before the 1983 Code of Canon Law was issued and that under the legal norms in force at the time, the statute of limitations had run out.

This caused Weakland to contact the Holy See with a request that the statute of limitations be waived so that the trial could proceed. He sent the request in March 1997 to the Apostolic Signatura, noting that he hadn’t heard from the CDF.

Since the case involved offenses reserved to the CDF, the Signatura promptly forwarded the request there, and within two weeks Weakland had a reply from the CDF.

The reply came from the secretary of the congregation, (now Cardinal) Tarcisio Bertone.

Here are two important points:

1) The delay in response. Weakland first wrote to the CDF in July 1996. He got his reply (after a further prompting) in March 1997—nine months later.

If you want to criticize, here is a possible thing to criticize. The CDF could have gotten back to him in a more timely manner. On the other hand, the CDF does not have a huge staff but it does have a huge mission as the Church’s theological quality control department. I think this one is debatable.

2) Note that the reply came from Bertone, not Ratzinger. This is actually what you would expect. The way these dicasteries work, while the Cardinal Prefect (Ratzinger, in this case) is in charge, it is the Secretary (Bertone) who is the actual “show-runner”—the one who oversees the day-to-day functioning of the department. So while you would write to Ratzinger as a matter of protocol, you would expect him to hand the matter off to Bertone and to hear back from the latter. Indeed, after deference to Ratzinger has been paid by writing the first letter to him, Weakland and Bishop Fliss of Superior correspond directly with Bertone.

This creates a situation where we don’t really know what Ratzinger’s involvement was. In the documentation presented by the New York Times Ratzinger never replies. It’s always Bertone who does so. Bertone (not Ratzinger) even chairs a meeting at the Vatican on the matter.

Did Cardinal Ratzinger even see the initial letter regarding Murphy? Maybe. Or maybe it was given to Bertone as part of his role as show-runner. Maybe the mail room at the CDF automatically gives correspondence addressed to the Cardinal Prefect to the Secretary, who serves as his filter. I don’t know. (Maybe someone who knows such things can clarify in the combox. Please cite sources.)

Incidentally, note that in his statement, press spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi carefully and repeatedly talks about what “the Congregation” did regarding the Murphy case, not what Cardinal Ratzinger did.

Guess why.

So we don’t know if Ratzinger saw the letter, or if he was told about it, or what if anything he did.

That’s important to how we evaluate the story. Criticize the way these departments are run if you want, but we don’t have evidence that Ratzinger did anything in bad conscience.

He’s also been the leading change-agent pressing for tougher measures against abusive priests for nearly ten years.

So what did Bertone say in his reply to Weakland’s request for a waiver of the statute of limitations? He said for Weakland to continue the judicial process against Murphy, thus waiving the statue of limitations, while asking him to pay attention to certain prior norms that must be read in light of current law.

In other words, Bertone said, “Go ahead. Prosecute.”

Scarcely anything to fault Ratzinger for here.

So things proceed with the potential canonical trial of Murphy until January 1998 (by which time the case had been transferred to the Diocese of Superior, Wisconsin, in whose territory Murphy was residing). In this month, Murphy writes his own letter to the CDF.

As you’d expect, he addresses it to Cardinal Ratzinger, and as as you’d expect, Bishop Fliss of Superior (now handling the case) gets a reply from Bertone.

This is the crux letter—where people in the press want to find fault with Cardinal Ratzinger.

There are, again, a number of important things to note:

1) The text of the Murphy letter itself. Mainstream media sources will quote only a sound bite or two (at best; some flat-out misrepresent it), but thanks to the Internet and the NYT’s putting the document online, you can read it for yourself and make your own judgments.

HERE IT IS.

2) In the letter, Murphy asks the CDF to declare the action of the diocese of Superior (to whom the case has been transferred) invalid because the statue to limitations when the crimes were committed has passed. The CDF refuses to do so in Bertone’s reply and suggests that the case be handled in another way (more on that in a moment). The point is: The CDF refuses to invalidate the pending action of the diocese of Superior against Murphy. No ground of faulting Ratzinger there.

3) Murphy also makes a mercy-based request to the CDF not to be subjected to a trial at this point in his life. He writes:

I am seventy-two years of age, your Eminence [Cardinal Ratzinger], and I am in poor health. I have just recently suffered another stroke which has left me in a weakened state. I have followed all the directives of both Archbishop Cousins and now Archbishop Weakland. I have repented of any of my past transgressions, and have been living peaceably in northern Wisconsin for twenty-four years. I simply want to live out the time that I have left in the dignity of my priesthood.

So when the response came from Archbishop Bertone, what did it say?

It did not prohibit a canonical trial. It didn’t say that this couldn’t be done. But it did hint at another path, saying:

[T]his Congregation invites Your Excellency [Raphael Michael Fliss of Superior, WI] to give careful consideration to what canon 1341 proposes as pastoral measures destined to obtain the reparation of scandal and the restoration of justice.

Canon 1341 provides that:

An ordinary is to take care to initiate a judicial or administrative process to impose or declare penalties only after he has ascertained that fraternal correction or rebuke or other means of pastoral solicitude cannot sufficiently repair the scandal, restore justice, reform the offender.

So Bertone urges the relevant ordinary (now Fliss due to the change of diocese in which the trial would occur) to heed what the Code of Canon Law says regarding when to use a judicial process. Criticize the Code if you want, but we don’t have evidence of wrongdoing on Ratzinger’s part.

Note that Bertone doesn’t say Fliss can’t or shouldn’t go forward with the trial. He just says think about this canon and if there is another way to resolve the matter.

In May Fliss concluded that the scandal in the deaf community was such that the trial needed to go forward.

That same month, he and Weakland were in Rome for their ad limina visit, and they had a meeting with Bertone about the Murphy case. Ratzinger was not present.

Bertone again did not say that the trial could not proceed. He pointed out certain canonical and practical difficulties it would involve, but he did not prohibit it. He further recommended that Murphy be examined by three psychiatrists, that he be assigned a spiritual director to keep tabs on him, that he be prohibited from doing anything with the deaf community, and that he be allowed to celebrate Mass only with permission given in writing by both Weakland and Fliss.

This seems to be the last action the CDF took on the matter.

Three months later, in August 1998, Murphy died.

He really was in poor health.

Murphy had written his letter of appeal—the crux letter that the media is up in arms about—in January of 1998 and in August of 1998 he was dead.

One can fault any number of things about process or policy in this case, but we don’t have evidence that Ratzinger did anything in bad conscience. He didn’t stop the trial against Murphy from proceeding. At most (attributing everything to him that Bertone did) he recommended waiving the judicial proceeding due to the man’s advanced age and ill health while simultaneously taking steps to ensure that the man would not be a threat to anyone as he lived out his final months in seclusion.

Civil prosecutors make these kinds of judgments all the time, deciding whether it is really worth it to devote the resources to proceed to a full trial when the accused is elderly, not a threat, and likely to die during the proceedings.

They aren’t portrayed in the press as evil monsters, and from the facts of this case, Pope Benedict shouldn’t either.

Pray for the Holy Father

2010-03-29T11:59:00.001-06:00

It seems to me that the Holy Father is being unjustly harassed about this abuse case of Fr. Lawrence Murphy.
Please read the article below by Fr. Raymond de Souza for a more accurate accounting of that happened using the
very same source documents that were used by the New York Times in their initial hatchet story.

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZDkxYmUzMTQ1YWUyMzRkMzg4Y2RiN2UyOWIzNDVkNDM=

A Response to the New York Times [Fr. Raymond J. de Souza]

The New York Times on March 25 accused Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, of intervening to prevent a priest, Fr. Lawrence Murphy, from facing penalties for cases of sexual abuse of minors.

The story is false. It is unsupported by its own documentation. Indeed, it gives every indication of being part of a coordinated campaign against Pope Benedict, rather than responsible journalism.

Before addressing the false substance of the story, the following circumstances are worthy of note:

• The New York Times story had two sources. First, lawyers who currently have a civil suit pending against the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. One of the lawyers, Jeffrey Anderson, also has cases in the United States Supreme Court pending against the Holy See. He has a direct financial interest in the matter being reported.

• The second source was Archbishop Rembert Weakland, retired archbishop of Milwaukee. He is the most discredited and disgraced bishop in the United States, widely known for mishandling sexual-abuse cases during his tenure, and guilty of using $450,000 of archdiocesan funds to pay hush money to a former homosexual lover who was blackmailing him. Archbishop Weakland had responsibility for the Father Murphy case between 1977 and 1998, when Father Murphy died. He has long been embittered that his maladministration of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee earned him the disfavor of Pope John Paul II and Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, long before it was revealed that he had used parishioners’ money to pay off his clandestine lover. He is prima facie not a reliable source.

• Laurie Goodstein, the author of the New York Times story, has a recent history with Archbishop Weakland. Last year, upon the release of the disgraced archbishop’s autobiography, she wrote an unusually sympathetic story that buried all the most serious allegations against him (New York Times, May 14, 2009).

• A demonstration took place in Rome on Friday, coinciding with the publication of the New York Times story. One might ask how American activists would happen to be in Rome distributing the very documents referred to that day in the New York Times. The appearance here is one of a coordinated campaign, rather than disinterested reporting.

It’s possible that bad sources could still provide the truth. But compromised sources scream out for greater scrutiny. Instead of greater scrutiny of the original story, however, news editors the world over simply parroted the New York Times piece. Which leads us the more fundamental problem: The story is not true, according to its own documentation.

The New York Times made available on its own website the supporting documentation for the story. In those documents, Cardinal Ratzinger himself does not take any of the decisions that allegedly frustrated the trial. Letters are addressed to him; responses come from his deputy. Even leaving that aside, though, the gravamen of the charge — that Cardinal Ratzinger’s office impeded some investigation — is proven utterly false.

The documents show that the canonical trial or penal process against Father Murphy was never stopped by anyone. In fact, it was only abandoned days before Father Murphy died. Cardinal Ratzinger never took a decision in the case, according to the documents. His deputy, Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone, suggested, given that Father Murphy was in failing health and a canonical trial is a complicated matter, that more expeditious means be used to remove him from all ministry.

To repeat: The charge that Cardinal Ratzinger did anything wrong is unsupported by the documentation on which the story was based. He does not appear in the record as taking any decision. His office, in the person of his deputy, Archbishop Bertone, agreed that there should be full canonical trial. When it became apparent that Father Murphy was in failing health, Archbishop Bertone suggested more expeditious means of removing him from any ministry.

Furthermore, under canon law at the time, the principal responsibility for sexual-abuse cases lay with the local bishop. Archbishop Weakland had from 1977 onwards the responsibility of administering penalties to Father Murphy. He did nothing until 1996. It was at that point that Cardinal Ratzinger’s office became involved, and it subsequently did nothing to impede the local process.

The New York Times flatly got the story wrong, according to its own evidence. Readers may want to speculate on why.

Here is the relevant timeline, drawn from the documents the New York Times posted on its own website.

15 May 1974

Abuse by Fr. Lawrence Murphy is alleged by a former student at St. John’s School for the Deaf in Milwaukee. In fact, accusations against Father Murphy go back more than a decade.

12 September 1974

Father Murphy is granted an official “temporary sick leave” from St. John’s School for the Deaf. He leaves Milwaukee and moves to northern Wisconsin, in the Diocese of Superior, where he lives in a family home with his mother. He has no official assignment from this point until his death in 1998. He does not return to live in Milwaukee. No canonical penalties are pursued against him.

9 July 1980

Officials in the Diocese of Superior write to officials in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee about what ministry Father Murphy might undertake in Superior. Archbishop Rembert Weakland, archbishop of Milwaukee since 1977, has been consulted and says it would be unwise to have Father Murphy return to ministry with the deaf community. There is no indication that Archbishop Weakland foresees any other measures to be taken in the case.

17 July 1996

More than 20 years after the original abuse allegations, Archbishop Weakland writes to Cardinal Ratzinger, claiming that he has only just discovered that Father Murphy’s sexual abuse involved the sacrament of confession — a still more serious canonical crime. The allegations about the abuse of the sacrament of confession were in the original 1974 allegations. Weakland has been archbishop of Milwaukee by this point for 19 years.

It should be noted that for sexual-abuse charges, Archbishop Weakland could have proceeded against Father Murphy at any time. The matter of solicitation in the sacrament of confession required notifying Rome, but that too could have been done as early as the 1970s.

10 September 1996

Father Murphy is notified that a canonical trial will proceed against him. Until 2001, the local bishop had authority to proceed in such trials. The Archdiocese of Milwaukee is now beginning the trial. It is noteworthy that at this point, no reply has been received from Rome indicating that Archbishop Weakland knew he had that authority to proceed.

24 March 1997

Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone, Cardinal Ratzinger’s deputy at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, advises a canonical trial against Father Murphy.

14 May 1997

Archbishop Weakland writes to Archbishop Bertone to say that the penal process against Father Murphy has been launched, and notes that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has advised him to proceed even though the statute of limitations has expired. In fact, there is no statute of limitations for solicitation in the sacrament of confession.

Throughout the rest of 1997 the preparatory phases of penal process or canonical trial is underway. On 5 January 1998 the Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee says that an expedited trial should be concluded within a few months.

12 January 1998

Father Murphy, now less than eight months away from his death, appeals to Cardinal Ratzinger that, given his frail health, he be allowed to live out his days in peace.

6 April 1998

Archbishop Bertone, noting the frail health of Father Murphy and that there have been no new charges in almost 25 years, recommends using pastoral measures to ensure Father Murphy has no ministry, but without the full burden of a penal process. It is only a suggestion, as the local bishop retains control.

13 May 1998

The Bishop of Superior, where the process has been transferred to and where Father Murphy has lived since 1974, rejects the suggestion for pastoral measures. Formal pre-trial proceedings begin on 15 May 1998, continuing the process already begun with the notification that had been issued in September 1996.

30 May 1998

Archbishop Weakland, who is in Rome, meets with officials at the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, including Archbishop Bertone but not including Cardinal Ratzinger, to discuss the case. The penal process is ongoing. No decision taken to stop it, but given the difficulties of a trial after 25 years, other options are explored that would more quickly remove Father Murphy from ministry.

19 August 1998

Archbishop Weakland writes that he has halted the canonical trial and penal process against Father Murphy and has immediately begun the process to remove him from ministry — a quicker option.

21 August 1998

Father Murphy dies. His family defies the orders of Archbishop Weakland for a discreet funeral.

— Father Raymond J. de Souza is a chaplain at Queen's University in Ontario.

CNSNews.com - Obama Excludes Private and Catholic School Children From Easter Egg Roll Ticket Giveaway

2010-03-28T09:46:00.001-06:00

CNSNews.com - Obama Excludes Private and Catholic School Children From Easter Egg Roll Ticket Giveaway

(CNSNews.com) – The Obama administration announced on Tuesday it has reserved 3,000 free tickets to the annual White House Easter Egg Roll for students in D.C.-area public and charter schools, but not for children who attend private or parochial schools.

Why exclude children in private and parochial schools, asked the father of a parochial school student at Tuesday’s press conference where U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty announced the ticket giveaway.

“These tickets are from the White House to public schools, and we’re appreciative, but there may be other things unrelated to this press conference,” Fenty responded. “That’s a great question.” [But a bad answer!]

The 3,000 reserved tickets will be distributed to students at 11 public schools in D.C. and a few others in Virginia and Maryland. Children at private or parochial schools in the Washington metropolitan area may attend the April 5 event, but only if they are among the people who registered for an online lottery system, by which the remaining free tickets -- an estimated 27,000 -- will be distributed.

That lottery is now closed, however. “All entries will have an equal chance of being selected if your application was submitted by Sunday, February 28,” the White House Web site says. Lottery results were announced on March 4.

Robert Brannum’s 17-year-old son Nicholas attends St. John’s College High School, a Catholic school in the District. Brannum told CNSNews.com he believes the 3,000 tickets reserved for public school students should be available to all students.

“The White House is a public building,” Brannum said. “The tickets are essentially being paid for with public dollars. So it should be open to everyone, not just going to select categories of students.”

Brannum said he not only supports D.C. public schools, he attended and taught at those schools. But, he added, “There are students in the District of Columbia who attend private schools, parochial schools, or even (are) home schooled, and their parents pay taxes and they should be able to participate in some of the benefits of being citizens of the District of Columbia.”

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee and D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty watch D.C. public school students cheer about the upcoming White House Easter Egg Roll at a press conference in Northeast Washington on Tuesday, March 23, 2010. (CNSNews.com/Penny Starr)
Mayor Fenty and D.C. Public School Chancellor Michelle Rhee accepted the 3,000 tickets in an Easter basket from Education Secretary Arne Duncan. Children from the city’s J.O. Wilson Elementary School cheered and jumped up and down when they were asked if they wanted to go to the Easter Egg Roll at the White House.

There’s no guarantee that the children at the press conference will get tickets, however. Rhee said it was up to each of the public schools chosen by the Obama administration to decide which students will get the reserved tickets.

The Obama administration has been criticized for failing to support programs to help low-income and minority children attend some of D.C.’s top private and parochial schools, including the Sidwell Friends School where the Malia and Sasha Obama attend classes.

Early in his administration, President Barack Obama called for an end to the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, which since 2004 has provided vouchers for thousands of low-income and minority children to attend private schools. Following widespread protest, Obama said the program would be funded to allow those children already enrolled in the program to graduate from the school of their choice, but that no funding would be provided to bring new children into the program.

On March 16, the Senate voted down a measure that would have reauthorized funding for the program.

The Easter Egg Roll dates back to 1878 when President Rutherford B. Hayes held the event after Congress banned egg rolling on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol building.

The theme of this year’s event is “Ready, Set, Go,” and the White House says it will “promote health and wellness.”

“All of the activities will encourage children to lead healthy and active lives and follow the First Lady’s ‘Let’s Move!’ initiative, a national campaign to combat childhood obesity,” the White House said.

The event will feature live music, sports courts, storytelling, egg rolling – and cooking stations. [But it will not be about Easter!]

Wisconsin bishop clarifies confusion over Catholic position on health care :: EWTN News

2010-03-28T09:29:00.000-06:00

Wisconsin bishop clarifies confusion over Catholic position on health care :: EWTN News

In his column for the Madison Diocese's Catholic Herald on Thursday, Bishop Robert Morlino helped clarify the “tremendous amount of confusion” surrounding the authentic Catholic position on what he called the “terribly deficient” Senate health care bill that President Obama signed into law on Tuesday. He emphasized that bishops, not sisters or politicians, are the ones charged with teaching the Catholic faith.

“The context for the health care legislation discussion has been made very strange and confused – so much simply does not make sense,” Bishop Morlino began on Thursday.

“The Senate healthcare bill, passed by the House, with additional changes, and even with an 'Executive Order' pending does not cut it – the bishops have been clear on this,” he underscored.

Bishop Morlino explained the reason why the bishops have opposed the bill, saying that it is “very inadequate” on abortion funding, the protection of consciences and access for immigrants.

Addressing the situation created by Catholics who defied the position of the bishops and supported the Senate bill, the prelate wrote, “I cannot pass over the actions of the Catholic Health Association and an organization called Network, a lobby of American religious Sisters, who said, quite publicly, that what the bishops have taught is false.”

“They said that the legislation does provide an adequate framework for a Catholic to follow his or her conscience about abortion,” continued the bishop. “So, we had a trade organization – the Catholic Health Association – which calls itself 'Catholic' and we had religious Sisters who call themselves Catholic, saying, 'Sorry, bishops, you got it wrong, here is the teaching of the Church.'”

“And, of course, people like Speaker Pelosi could not do enough to wave the letter from the Catholic Health Association and the letter from Network to provide cover for Democratic legislators who wanted to waffle in protecting innocent human life,” he added. “Speaker Pelosi is not called by Jesus Christ to lead the Catholic faithful, any more than the religious Sisters in Network are, any more than the leadership of the Catholic Health Association is.”

Bishop Morlino stressed that the “bishops are called to teach, sanctify, and govern.”

“Jesus calls the bishops, the successors of the Apostles today, to teach the word of Christ to the people and He calls them in a way that He doesn’t call others, including priests,” explained the prelate. “That’s what we mean when we say that the Church is Apostolic. The bishop is a true Apostle insofar as he teaches with the Holy Father, and the priest is a true Apostle insofar as he teaches with the bishop – that’s how it works.”

“Please don’t let the current discussion and certain politicians get you confused about that. And don’t let these contradictions and confusions keep you from jumping right into the discussion and speaking the truth with love,” Bishop Morlino concluded. “There is no more basic human rights issue for Catholics and for people of good will than the necessity of the government to protect human life from conception to natural death.”

The Holy Father's March Prayer Intentions

2010-03-05T14:49:00.001-06:00

BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR MARCH

VATICAN CITY, 1 MAR 2010 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for March is: "That the world economy may be managed according to the principles of justice and equity, taking account of the real needs of peoples, especially the poorest".

His mission intention is: "That the Churches in Africa may be signs and instruments of reconciliation and justice in every part of that continent"

The Holy Father's February Prayer Intentions

2010-02-03T23:40:00.000-06:00

VATICAN CITY, 1 FEB 2010 (VIS) – Pope Benedict’s general prayer intention for February is: “That by means of sincere search for the truth scholars and intellectuals may arrive at an understanding of the one true God”.

His mission intention is: “That the Church, aware of her own missionary identity, may strive to follow Christ faithfully and to proclaim His Gospel to all peoples”.

Top Baseball Prospect Retires to Enter Priesthood - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

2010-01-23T09:07:00.001-06:00

Top Baseball Prospect Retires to Enter Priesthood - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

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Ad Orientem

2010-01-10T10:53:00.002-06:00

Over at the New Liturgial movement we see pictures of the Holy Father celebrating the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord ad orientem. A few years ago a former priest of ours referred to this as " celebrating Mass with his back to the people." I would like to offer a different perspective: Today the Holy Father celebrated Mass standing united in prayer with the people facing our Lord.

Click the link below to see more pictures at NLM.
NLM: Sistine Chapel, 10 January 2010

Boys' involvement in Mass increases 500%

2010-01-09T21:50:00.003-06:00

This "best bractice" is from epriest.com. I'm going point to it because I believe the the role of altar server needs to be strengthened. if we are to gain more new priests we need to get our young boys involved in Mass.

Emphasis mine.

Boys' involvement in Mass increases 500%

By returning to more demanding altar server practices, two men were able to increase participation at their parish from 10 to 60.

"Altar serving at Holy Family allows boys to be more fully integrated into the Mass and gives them a chance to experience Christ's sacrifice up close. Holy Family provides an environment that makes them feel welcome and necessary and is an excellent experience". Carson Lind, 19 year old, 7 year veteran

The need it meets

Bob and Mark, members of Holy Family Catholic Church in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, wanted to see more boys actively involved in the Mass. They felt that being an altar server could help boys participate more fully and possibly discern a priestly vocation. Bob and Mark approached their pastor, Father Dufner, and shared with him their vision.
Where it came from

Both men had served in all-boy altar server groups as boys and remembered the experience with fondness. They wanted to share this experience with the boys in their parish.
How it works

First, the men proposed making the program only for boys. They believed this would increase the boys' desire to participate in the program. Father Dufner agreed. Next, the men worked on creating a more reverent atmosphere by using cassocks and surpluses and by buying uniform footwear. Finally, the men trained the boys in the traditional roles of altar servers, but instituting cool nicknames and a system of ranks, which made them more accessible and attractive to the young boys. With these stricter guidelines, the program has seen great growth.

The results

In the last seven years, it has grown from 10 participants to 60. There is a wide range of ages involved, giving older boys the chance to mentor younger ones.
Key elements

The men believe that several key elements have helped the program grow. The boys at the parish have responded well to the all-boy atmosphere, especially the extra time it has allowed them to spend with Father Dufner, both during training and outside of Mass at numerous program activities such as bowling and fishing. The boys have also been motivated by the hierarchy of ranks, along with the program's high standards of order and discipline.

How to implement it

A good way to implement this program is to find male adult leaders who have a desire to see greater participation by boys in the Mass and encourage them to begin an altar boy program. Help these leaders to create a fun, competitive environment by instituting a system of ranks with nicknames, enforcing a strict dress code, and organizing complementary sports activities just for the altar servers. This will help motivate the boys to serve God and their church.

Submitted by Bob Spinharney on December 11, 2006.
Fr. Thomas Dufner is pastor of Holy Family.

The sedia gestatoria would protect the Pope - Catholic Herald

2010-01-07T21:40:00.003-06:00

The sedia gestatoria would protect the Pope - Catholic Herald

Security expert Dominic Scarborough urges the Vatican to draw on tradition to prevent a repeat of the Midnight Mass attack on Benedict XVI

8 January 2010

Many years ago there was a joke doing the rounds of the pubs and clubs about two Irishmen on pilgrimage in Rome who ask at a bar near the Vatican what the Pope likes to drink. Upon being told he likes Crème de Menthe the two intrepid drinkers order two pints of the stuff.

Several hours and a lot of pints later both are lying comatose in the street. When they eventually come around one says to the other: "No wonder they carry him around in a chair!"

On a more serious note, the attack on Pope Benedict during the entrance procession of Midnight Mass by Susanna Maiolo, a mentally ill woman who once again, as she did last year, vaulted over the barriers before lunging at the Pope, poses serious questions about the Holy Father's safety.

Since 1970 alone there have been three documented attempted assassinations of the Pope. In 1970 Pope Paul VI was attacked by a man with a knife at Manila Airport, in 1981 there was the shooting of Pope John Paul II in St Peter's Square and only a year later, when the same Pope visited Fatima to give thanks for his survival, he was attacked yet again by a deranged knife-wielding priest.

Aside from Pope Benedict's annual Christmas encounters with Miss Maiolo there was the attempt by a German man to get into his Popemobile during an audience in 2007. After these incidents and the rise of Islamic terrorism since 9/11 there have been many noticeable changes to the security surrounding the Pontiff.

Long gone are the days when it was deemed enough for Archbishop Marcinkus to stand next to the Pope as a kind of clerical "heavy". On all his travels around the world now the Pope is accompanied by armed close-protection officers from the 130-strong Vatican Corps of Gendarmes who accompany him and work with the close-protection teams afforded by the Italian state and the particular host country. His Popemobile is fitted with bullet-resistant glass and his movements by limousine are handled in exactly the same way as any head of state, with armed officers travelling with him and in a support vehicle. When the Pope visited Turkey he was even asked to wear body armour under his overcoat.

At every papal ceremony in St Peter's when the Pope is required to walk through the crowded basilica to reach the sanctuary it is possible to see not only his personal protection officer Domenico Giani, (who has been Inspector General of the Corpo della Gendarmeria since 2006), walking nearby but also other black-suited, close-protection officers walking at the sides of the procession. Indeed, the Pope's close-protection team are to be congratulated that one of their number seized Miss Maiolo as she leapt the barrier but the distance between the barrier and the Pope was so small that, ironically, it was the force of this officer tackling her at the very moment she grabbed at the Pope's vestments that actually brought the Pontiff crashing to the floor.

For these protection officers the security of their principal can never be guaranteed particularly when, like the Pope, he wants to be visible to the crowds who have turned out to see him and a degree of compromise is always required. Unlike a president or prime minister whose close-protection officers are usually found within an arm's reach of their principal, as any press photograph taken during a walkabout will show, the Pope is frequently engaged in liturgical acts which have no rubrical provision for an armed suited man wearing an ear-piece to be in the midst of things. That said, as with much of this pontificate the answer to this particular problem might just be found from recovering something from the past.

One only has to look at old black and white footage of pontiffs prior to Paul VI to see how popes always used to enter the basilica being carried shoulder high in the sedia gestatoria. Not only that, but there was always a throng of people around the chair, not only the actual bearers but numerous chamberlains and nobility and a large number of guards: Swiss Guards, uniformed Gendarmes, the Palatine Guard and Noble Guard. These comprised the old papal court which Pope Paul VI abolished and which formed a kind of buffer zone between the Pope and the crowds, no doubt as much a practical defence measure as a piece of ceremony.

The use of the sedia continued until very recently and many are unaware that the last pope to use the sedia was actually Pope John Paul I. While the abolition of this ancient form of transport may have since been considered appropriate in the context of the late 20th century and the need to democratise the appearance of papal ceremonies, the reality has left the Pope an isolated and vulnerable figure separated from the deacons ahead and the MCs behind, one who appears all too often like the figure in the Third Secret of Fatima: a victim walking alone simply waiting to be attacked.

While there are bound to be some who would see the return of the sedia as yet another example of this Pope "turning the clock back", in fact not only would it save an elderly man's tired legs but it would allow more of the crowd to see him. Most importantly, it would actually insulate him from the kind of physical assault we saw at Christmas by virtue of the mob of people surrounding it (who could these days be swelled by Swiss Guards and the gendarme officers in suitably formal garb) to work alongside the suited officers at the perimeter.

Naturally, the risk of attack from a gunman or explosive device would still be present and indeed potentially magnified by the sedia but the use of X-ray machines at the entrance to the basilica and physical searches of congregants should by now be mandatory at such events to confront these risks which are no more heightened by the Pope presiding at Mass from an elevated platform, as he does, than from being carried in a chair.

It was being reported earlier in the year on several Catholic blogs that the Vatican was actively considering a return for the sedia gestatoria for ceremonies in St Peter's, more because of the Pope's age than as a protection against attack. Perhaps the latest incident will persuade them that what tradition hands down frequently has a practical origin beyond merely the visually impressive spectacle that to sceptical modern eyes it had appeared to have become.

Dominic Scarborough is a regular commentator in the press and internet on Catholic affairs. His company, Proteus Risk, advises companies on security issues

The Holy Father's Prayer Intentions for January

2009-12-30T11:57:00.002-06:00

BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR JANUARY

VATICAN CITY, 30 DEC 2009 (VIS) - Pope Benedict XVI's general prayer intention for January 2010 is: "That young people may learn to use modern means of social communication for their personal growth and to better prepare themselves to serve society".

His mission intention is: "That every believer in Christ may be conscious that unity among all Christians is a condition for more effective proclamation of the Gospel".
BXVI-PRAYER INTENTIONS/JANUARY/... VIS 091230 (80)

The Sedia Gestatoria

2009-12-27T21:01:00.007-06:00

Since the attack on the Holy Father on Christmas Eve there has been talk of restoring the use of the Seda Gestatoria. Below is a post I found on Overheard in the Sactristy that explains a little about it.

I would guess that the more liberal Catholics would cry foul if the Sedia is brought back, however, I will say this, it would allow more people to see the Pope and it would protect him much more especially if they also brought back the noble guard as well.

Overheard in the Sacristy - The Sedia Gestatoria

The sedia gestatoria is a portable throne on which Popes were once carried. It consists of a richly-adorned, silk-covered armchair, fastened on a suppedaneum, on each side of which are two gilded rings; through these rings pass the long rods with which twelve footmen (palafrenieri), in red uniforms, carry the throne on their shoulders.

The sedia gestatoria is an elaborate variation on the sedan chair. Two large fans (flabella) made of white ostrich feathers—a relic of the ancient liturgical use of the flabellum, mentioned in the Constitutiones Apostolicae[1]are carried at either side of the sedia gestatoria.

The sedia gestatoria was mainly used to carry popes to and from papal ceremonies in the Basilica of St. John Lateran and St. Peter’s Basilica. The sedia was used as part of papal ceremony for nearly one millennium. Its origins are sometimes thought to date back to Byzantium where Byzantine emperors were carried along in a similar manner, but many sources indicate the use of the sedia is of a much earlier date, probably being derived from rituals accompanying the leadership of the ancient Roman Empire.

This throne was used more especially in the ceremonies at the coronation of a new pope, and generally at all solemn entries of the pope to St. Peter’s or to public consistories. In the first case three bundles of tow are burnt before the newly-elected pontiff, who sits on the Sedia Gestatoria, whilst a master of ceremonies says: “Pater Sancte, sic transit gloria mundi,” (Holy Father, so passes the glory of the world). The custom of carrying the newly-elected pope, and formerly in some countries the newly-elected bishop, to his church can be, in some instances, traced back very far and may be compared with the Roman use of the sella curulis, on which newly-elected consuls were carried through the city.

Ennodius, Bishop of Pavia (d. 521) records in his “Apologia pro Synodo”, Gestatoriam sellam apostolicae confessionis, alluding to the Cathedra S. Petri, still preserved in the choir of St. Peter’s at Rome. This is a portable wooden armchair, inlaid with ivory, with two iron rings on each side.

Besides the constant use of the Sedia Gestatoria at the coronation of the pope (which seems to date from the beginning of the sixteenth century), etc., it served in the past on different other occasions, for instance when the pope received the yearly tribute of the Kingdom of Naples and of the other fiefs, and also, at least since the fifteenth century, when he carried the Blessed Sacrament publicly, in which case the Sedia Gestatoria took a different form, a table being adjusted before the throne. Pius X made use of this on the occasion of the Eucharistic Congress at Rome in 1905.

Pope John Paul I at first declined to use the sedia gestatoria, along with the papal tiara and several other symbols of papal authority, but was eventually convinced by the Vatican staff that its use was necessary in order to allow crowds to see him. Pope John Paul II refused to use the sedia gestatoria completely; Benedict XVI has not, as of yet, restored its use. The sedia gestatoria has been functionally replaced in modern times by the motorized and secured “popemobile”. — Wikipedia

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Almost ready for Christmas - NUJournal.com - The Journal, New Ulm, MN

2009-12-26T20:22:00.002-06:00

NOTE: IF anyone has pictures of Christmas Eve Mass at St. Mary's I'd love to see them.
Almost ready for Christmas - NUJournal.com The Journal, New Ulm, MN

NEW ULM - So you think you've had a hard time getting your home ready for the holidays?

Be glad you don't have the kind of last minute projects that St. Mary's Catholic Church in New Ulm has been undertaking as it rushes to finish most of its sanctuary remodeling in time for Christmas Eve services today.

The project has been underway since June to turn the church's sanctuary from a nice, comfortable wood-paneled rec-room look to a dramatic limestone wall that draws all of one's attention to the altar and the tabernacle.

The wall has the look of an ancient temple, or maybe a gateway to the New Jerusalem, with its large blocks and its archway capped by 5,000 pound lintel. The floor of the sanctuary has been stripped of its carpet and paved with limestone matching the wall. The altar has been replaced with a dark red granite altar imported from Italy, with a matching lectern.

While the Christmas Eve and Christmas services will unveil the largely finished sanctuary, the blessing of the new altar will take place at 10 a.m. Mass on Sunday, with Bishop John LeVoir presiding.

The altar is the focal point of any Catholic church. "It is on the altar that bread and wine are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. In a very real way, an altar is where heaven and earth meet," according to the church's bulletin.

Underneath the altar are the relics of four saints, which had been stored at St. Mary's for many years. The relics include St. Luke the Evangelist, the apostle of Jesus, who lived and died in the first century; St. Bonaventure, (1221-1274), bishop and Doctor of the Church; St. Martin de Porres (1579-1639), known for his tireless work for the poor and his devotion to prayer, and St. John Vianney (1786-1859), universal patron of priests.

On Tuesday, workers from Twin Cities Tile and Marble were busy moving the granite altar pieces into place. A large base was set in the floor, covering the aperture where the relics of the four saints are being kept. Four columns on the corners support two large slabs of granite that make up the altar table. All together, the altar weighs about 6,500 to 7,500 pounds.

The workers also placed the matching lectern, which weighs about 2,500 pounds.

Meanwhile, crews from Heymann Construction were grouting the floor stones and putting plasterboard up along the side walls.

Tim Clyne, who is overseeing the engineering for Heymann Construction, the contractor on the job, estimates the wall itself contains about 60,000 pounds of stone. The wall also includes several tons of structural steel in back, and there are tons of supporting steel below holding it all up.

Msgr. Douglas Grams, pastor of St. Mary's said the work on the inside of the church began in June when footings were sunk in the basement, six feet into the ground. Supporting steel pillars and crossbeams were added to support the weight.

Upstairs, the wood panel faade behind the altar was removed while work crews cut two large vertical windows behind the sanctuary, to throw natural light around the side of the stone wall. The paneling was moved forward to cover the construction from view during the week when Sunday Mass was held upstairs. Daily masses were said in the church basement.

The church should be ready for Christmas Eve services today. The only parts remaining to be placed are the seven-foot tall tabernacle, the cabinet that holds consecrated hosts, that will stand in the archway, and a new presider's chair for the altar, and a new lighting system for the church.

When all is finished, it will complete the remodeling project on the church that has been in the works since plans were first presented and approved to diocesan committees in 2000. A $1.3 million capital campaign is financing the work, which included a needed repair of the church roof, the addition of offices on the north side of the church, a new faade over the front entrance and a bell tower that houses the old bell and statue of St. Mary salvaged from the former St. Mary's Church and School next door.

The project this year included paving the parking lot near the church, remodeling the kitchen and basement bathrooms, and a new sound system for the church.

The design work was overseen by Fr. James Notebaart, a liturgical consultant who has overseen many projects throughout Minnesota, said Msgr. Grams. R.L. Engebretson was the architectural firm overseeing the project, and Heymann Construction was the main contractor.

Contact Kevin Sweeney at editor@nujournal.com

Urbi et Orbi Message of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI

2009-12-26T11:09:00.002-06:00

Urbi et Orbi Message of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Rome and throughout the world,
and all men and women, whom the Lord loves!

“Lux fulgebit hodie super nos,
quia natus est nobis Dominus.
A light will shine on us this day,
the Lord is born for us”
(Roman Missal, Christmas, Entrance Antiphon for the Mass at Dawn)

The liturgy of the Mass at Dawn reminded us that the night is now past, the day has begun; the light radiating from the cave of Bethlehem shines upon us.

The Bible and the Liturgy do not, however, speak to us about a natural light, but a different, special light, which is somehow directed to and focused upon “us”, the same “us” for whom the Child of Bethlehem “is born”. This “us” is the Church, the great universal family of those who believe in Christ, who have awaited in hope the new birth of the Saviour, and who today celebrate in mystery the perennial significance of this event.

At first, beside the manger in Bethlehem, that “us” was almost imperceptible to human eyes. As the Gospel of Saint Luke recounts, it included, in addition to Mary and Joseph, a few lowly shepherds who came to the cave after hearing the message of the Angels. The light of that first Christmas was like a fire kindled in the night. All about there was darkness, while in the cave there shone the true light “that enlightens every man” (Jn 1:9). And yet all this took place in simplicity and hiddenness, in the way that God works in all of salvation history. God loves to light little lights, so as then to illuminate vast spaces. Truth, and Love, which are its content, are kindled wherever the light is welcomed; they then radiate in concentric circles, as if by contact, in the hearts and minds of all those who, by opening themselves freely to its splendour, themselves become sources of light. Such is the history of the Church: she began her journey in the lowly cave of Bethlehem, and down the centuries she has become a People and a source of light for humanity. Today too, in those who encounter that Child, God still kindles fires in the night of the world, calling men and women everywhere to acknowledge in Jesus the “sign” of his saving and liberating presence and to extend the “us” of those who believe in Christ to the whole of mankind.

Wherever there is an “us” which welcomes God’s love, there the light of Christ shines forth, even in the most difficult situations. The Church, like the Virgin Mary, offers the world Jesus, the Son, whom she herself has received as a gift, the One who came to set mankind free from the slavery of sin. Like Mary, the Church does not fear, for that Child is her strength. But she does not keep him for herself: she offers him to all those who seek him with a sincere heart, to the earth’s lowly and afflicted, to the victims of violence, and to all who yearn for peace. Today too, on behalf of a human family profoundly affected by a grave financial crisis, yet even more by a moral crisis, and by the painful wounds of wars and conflicts, the Church, in faithful solidarity with mankind, repeats with the shepherds: “Let us go to Bethlehem” (Lk 2:15), for there we shall find our hope.

The “us” of the Church is alive in the place where Jesus was born, in the Holy Land, inviting its people to abandon every logic of violence and vengeance, and to engage with renewed vigour and generosity in the process which leads to peaceful coexistence. The “us” of the Church is present in the other countries of the Middle East. How can we forget the troubled situation in Iraq and the “little flock” of Christians which lives in the region? At times it is subject to violence and injustice, but it remains determined to make its own contribution to the building of a society opposed to the logic of conflict and the rejection of one’s neighbour. The “us” of the Church is active in Sri Lanka, in the Korean peninsula and in the Philippines, as well as in the other countries of Asia, as a leaven of reconciliation and peace. On the continent of Africa she does not cease to lift her voice to God, imploring an end to every injustice in the Democratic Republic of Congo; she invites the citizens of Guinea and Niger to respect for the rights of every person and to dialogue; she begs those of Madagascar to overcome their internal divisions and to be mutually accepting; and she reminds all men and women that they are called to hope, despite the tragedies, trials and difficulties which still afflict them. In Europe and North America, the “us” of the Church urges people to leave behind the selfish and technicist mentality, to advance the common good and to show respect for the persons who are most defenceless, starting with the unborn. In Honduras she is assisting in process of rebuilding institutions; throughout Latin America, the “us” of the Church is a source of identity, a fullness of truth and of charity which no ideology can replace, a summons to respect for the inalienable rights of each person and his or her integral development, a proclamation of justice and fraternity, a source of unity.

In fidelity to the mandate of her Founder, the Church shows solidarity with the victims of natural disasters and poverty, even within opulent societies. In the face of the exodus of all those who migrate from their homelands and are driven away by hunger, intolerance or environmental degradation, the Church is a presence calling others to an attitude of acceptance and welcome. In a word, the Church everywhere proclaims the Gospel of Christ, despite persecutions, discriminations, attacks and at times hostile indifference. These, in fact, enable her to share the lot of her Master and Lord.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, how great a gift it is to be part of a communion which is open to everyone! It is the communion of the Most Holy Trinity, from whose heart Emmanuel, Jesus, “God with us”, came into the world. Like the shepherds of Bethlehem, let us contemplate, filled with wonder and gratitude, this mystery of love and light! Happy Christmas to all!

Woman Knocks Down the Pope

2009-12-26T10:48:00.002-06:00

As always I am a little late on the news. It seems that the Holy Father was knocked down during the procession for Christmas Eve Mass. A woman jumped the barrier knocked him down and eluded caputure long enough to plow into 87 year old cardinal, Roger Etchegaray and break his leg. Please pray for the pope, the cardinal, and this woman.

Pope John Paul II a Step Closer to Sainthood

2009-12-19T15:15:00.003-06:00

Pope John Paul II a Step Closer to Sainthood - FOXNews.com

Posted using ShareThis

Expectation of the Blessd Virgin Mary

2009-12-19T14:03:00.001-06:00

This interesting post came from the The LION & the CARDINAL blog.

Dom Prosper Gueranger:

This feast, which is now kept not only throughout the whole of Spain but in many other parts of the Catholic world, owes its origin to the bishops of the tenth Council of Toledo, in 656. These prelates thought that there was an incongruity in the ancient practice of celebrating the feast of the Annunciation on the twenty-fifth of March, inasmuch as this joyful solemnity frequently occurs at the time when the Church is intent upon the Passion of our Lord, so that it is sometimes obliged to be transferred into Easter time, with which it is out of harmony for another reason; they therefore decreed that, henceforth, in the Church of Spain there should be kept, eight days before Christmas, a solemn feast with an octave, in honour of the Annunciation, and as a preparation for the great solemnity of our Lord's Nativity. In course of time, however, the Church of Spain saw the necessity of returning to the practice of the Church of Rome, and of those of the whole world, which solemnize the twenty-fifth of March as the day of our Lady's Annunciation and the Incarnation of the Son of God. But such had been, for ages, the devotion of the people for the feast of the eighteenth of December, that it was considered requisite to maintain some vestige of it. They discontinued, therefore, to celebrate the Annunciation on this day; but the faithful were requested to consider, with devotion, what must have been the sentiments of the holy Mother of God during the days immediately preceding her giving Him birth. A new feast was instituted, under the name of the Expectation of the blessed Virgin's delivery.

This feast, which sometimes goes under the name of Our Lady of O, or the feast of O, on account of the [antiphon] which begins O Virgo virginum [and because on that day the clerics in the choir after Vespers used to utter a loud and protracted O, to express the longing of the universe for the coming of the Redeemer], is kept with great devotion in Spain. A High Mass is sung at a very early hour each morning during the octave, at which all who are with child, whether rich or poor, consider it a duty to assist, that they may thus honour our Lady's Maternity, and beg her blessing upon themselves...

Most just indeed it is, O holy Mother of God, that we should unite in that ardent desire thou hadst to see Him, who had been concealed for nine months in thy chaste womb; to know the features of this Son of the heavenly Father, who is also thine; to come to that blissful hour of His birth, which will give glory to God in the highest, and, on earth, peace to men of good-will. Yes, dear Mother, the time is fast approaching, though not fast enough to satisfy thy desires and ours. Make us redouble our attention to the great mystery; complete our preparation by thy powerful prayers for us, that when the solemn hour has come, our Jesus may find no obstacle to His entrance into our hearts.

O Virgo virginum, quomodo fiet istud? quia noc primam similem visa es, nec habere sequentem. Filae Jerusalem, quid me admiramini? Divinum est mysterium hoc quod cernitis.

O Virgin of virgins! how shall this be? for never was there one like thee, nor will there ever be. Ye daughters of Jerusalem, why look ye wondering at me? What ye behold, is a divine mystery.

DEC 8: The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

2009-12-08T01:00:00.003-06:00

Photo: The Immaculate Conception by Pieter Pauwel Rubens c. 1628

Holy orders

2009-12-04T23:21:00.003-06:00

THis is an article from the
MarshallIndependent.com

Zachary Peterson and Matthew Wiering had felt the call to the priesthood for a long time, but both fought it.

Peterson was "born and raised" at Holy Redeemer and attended Holy Redeemer School in Marshall.

"I really felt God calling me to do this over a number of years," he admitted. "And the more I said no, the louder He seemed to call."

Wiering grew up on a farm outside of Tyler and graduated from RTR High School.

"I always say that I did not choose the priesthood but that God chose me," Wiering said. "For many years I have felt this call from God, to serve Him in a special way by being a priest. While I felt God's invitation to be a priest for a long time, I certainly did not always want to accept it."

While the two men resisted, God kept calling, they said.

"All throughout college at Southwest, I went to daily Mass," Peterson said. "After college, I couldn't go and realized how much I relied on it."

Even as Peterson was saying no, God was preparing him.

"For a long time, I felt I wouldn't be able to get up in front of people and give a homily and over the course of time and courses in college, I learned the necessary skills to get up in front of people and give public presentations," Peterson said.

"In high school if anyone ever asked me if I had thought about becoming a priest, I would answer with a firm and passionate 'no.' But I just wasn't very open then," Wiering said. "It took me much prayer and discernment before I began to experience a change of heart and to desire the priesthood. I began to realize, only through God's grace, what a beautiful gift it is - to live for God alone and to give my life in service of His people. Once I realized that God was really calling me, how could I say 'no?'"

The two men have taken a step on their way to becoming priests as they were recently ordained as deacons in the Catholic Church.

"It's the last important step before entering the priesthood, the biggest step," said Peterson, who was ordained Nov. 7 in his home church of Holy Redeemer in Marshall.

"It's necessary to be ordained a deacon in the Catholic Church before one can be ordained a priest," said Wiering, who was ordained Oct. 8 in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy.

"It's actually at a man's diaconate ordination that he promises to be obedient to the bishop of his diocese (in my case to the Bishop of New Ulm) and to remain celibate for the rest of his life," Wiering said. "So we're talking about very serious promises, similar in gravity to the promises that spouses make on their wedding day."

While the two are in different places physically, they both know what is ahead for them.

"For the rest of this academic year, I'm in Sleepy Eye, doing an internship at St. Mary's Parish," said Peterson, who graduated from Southwest Minnesota State University in 2002 with a degree in elementary education. He teaches at the K-12 school and assists at the church with homilies and visiting the home-bound and sick. "They are extremely happy to have me," he said.

"In August, I'll go back to seminary at St. Meinrad, Ind.," said Peterson, who has a year left to study after his internship. His ordination to become a priest is scheduled for June 4, 2011.

Wiering is half a world away, in the heart of Roman Catholicism.

"I live at the Pontifical North American College, which is operated by the Catholic bishops of the United States," Wiering said. "The College is located in Rome within the territory of Vatican City. About 225 men, from all parts of the United States, are currently living here, all of whom are studying to become Catholic priests. I am studying dogmatic theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

"I wound up here because then-Bishop (John) Nienstedt, the previous bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm, asked me to come here in order to study to become a priest," Wiering said. "Mostly, I pray and study, both of which are essential for the period of formation that a man must go through in order to be ordained a Catholic priest. I also work as a chaplain for the University of St. Thomas's study abroad program. When I am not doing these things I am probably enjoying one of Italy's greatest treasures, pasta."

"Provided that I pass my classes this year and the seminary evaluation this spring, I will be ordained a priest in July 2010 in New Ulm," Wiering added. "After that I will return to Rome for one last year of academic studies in theology, after which I will return to the Diocese of New Ulm for full-time ministry."

Peterson said it's been a while since a local boy went into the priesthood.

"The last we can remember is Monsignor Bob Wyffels, celebrating his 50th year. He's currently the pastor in Morgan," he said.

While the two men may have originally resisted a call to be priest, they can't envision another vocation.

".. since I finally began to embrace this vocation and to appreciate it as a real gift, I have been very happy, in fact I cannot imagine being happier. I guess that's what happens when we listen to and accept God's call," Wiering said.

Advent Wreath � Catholic Eye Candy

2009-12-04T23:05:00.002-06:00

Here is a great article about advent Wreaths of at Catholic Eye Candy. Check it out!

Advent Wreath � Catholic Eye Candy

DEC 3: Memorial of St. Francis Xavier

2009-12-03T01:00:00.000-06:00

Saint Francis Xavier was born on April 7, 1506 in Spanish Navarre. He attended the University of Paris. While in Paris Xavier met St. Ignatius Loyola. They, along with 5 other men took the famous vow of Montmartre on Aug. 15, 1534 and became the founding members of the Society of Jesus.

After his studies Xavier and his companions left Paris and went to Venice where he spent time attending to the sick in hospitals. Xavier was ordained a priest in 1537.

When the Society was recognized by the Pope in 1538 Xavier was sent to Goa, Indoa where he Evangelized and aided the sick. Over the next ten years Xavier traveled the area converting tens of thousands to Christianity. He visited the Paravas at the tip of India, Comorin, Tuticorin , Malacca, the Moluccas near New Guinea Morotai near the Philippines, and Japan.

In 1551 Inda was set up as a province by St. Ignatius and Xavier became its provincial.

In 1552 Xavier took ill and died on the Island of Sancian near the coast of China December 2, 1552. He was canonized in 1622 and proclaimed patron of all foreign missions by Pope Pius X.

Great Saint Francis, well beloved and full of charity, in union with you I reverently adore the Divine Majesty. I give thanks to God for the singular gifts of grace bestowed on you in life and of glory after death, and I beg of you, with all the affection of my heart, by your powerful intercession, obtain for me the grace to live a holy life and die a holy death. I beg you to obtain for me {mention your petition}. But if what I ask is not for the glory of God and for my well-being, obtain for me, I beseech you, what will more certainly attain these ends. Amen.

_______
Sources:
Saints & Angels Catholic.org
Catholic Encyclopedia
SQPN Saints

NOV 30: Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle

2009-11-30T01:00:00.003-06:00

Saint Andrew is the first apostle. He was the brother of Saint Peter. Born in Bethsaida, he and Simon Peter were fisherman on the Sea of Galilee. Initially, Andrew was a follower of John the Baptist, but then became a follower of Jesus. Andrew is credited with introducing his brother Simon Peter to Jesus where they both became one of the twelve.

According to his entry in Wikipedia Andrew preached in Asia Minor and in Scythia, along the Black Sea as far as the Volga and Kiev. Hence he became a patron saint of Ukraine, Romania and Russia. According to tradition, he founded the See of Byzantium (Constantinople)in AD 38, installing Stachys as bishop.

Saint Andrrew was martyred in Patras in Achaea on Nov 30 60 AD at the order of Roman Governor, Aegeates. It is said that he was crucified on an X shaped cross called a saltire. He was bound to the cross, not nailed to it to prolong his suffering. His feast day is Nov 30 in both the Latin and Greek churches.

St. Andrew's relics were initially kept in Patras, but were eventually moved to Constantinople. When the French took Constantinople in the 13th century his relics were moved to the cathedral of Amalfi in Italy, where most of them remain today.

O Glorious Saint Andrew, you were the first to recognize and follow the Lamb of God. With your friend Saint John you remained with Jesus for that first day, for your entire life, and now throughout eternity.

As you led your brother Saint Peter to Christ and many others after him, draw us also to him. Teach us to lead others to Christ solely out of love for him and dedication in his service. Help us to learn the lesson of the Cross and to carry our daily crosses without complaint so that they may carry us to Jesus.

________
Sources:
The Catholic Encyclopedia
Wikipedia - Saint Andrew
SQPN Saints

The People Not in the Pews

2009-11-29T14:16:00.000-06:00

The People Not in the Pews

by Jeffrey Tucker

Those involved with Catholic liturgy focus heavily on what the people in the pews want, how they are responding to the music and homily, how they regard the various ceremonies, and whether and to what extent are they involved. The manta at nearly every conference and teaching session on liturgy is that we must maintain a single minded focus on encouraging "full, active, conscious participation" – of the people who happen to be there at the time.

The focus is disproportionate to the extent that it draws attention away from the whole purpose of liturgy—to glorify God and celebrate sacred mysteries—and toward the well-being of the community, and, further, it invites a kind of hubris that we are manufacturing liturgy rather than receiving it as a gift that we have the responsibility to treasure and hand on to the next generation.

Very interesting article. Read the Rest at NLM

Advent First Vespers

2009-11-28T20:25:00.006-06:00

Fr. Gonzales at Overheard in the Sacristy posted this picture of the Holy Father at Advent First Vespers. It is a beautiful photo of the Holy Father with his new ferula (Pastoral Staff).

Description:

On the front side of the new ferula is depicted in the centre the Lamb of God, and on the four points of the cross, the symbols of the four Evangelists. The arms of the cross are decorated in a net-like pattern which evokes the fisherman whose successor Pope Benedict is. On the backside there is in the centre the Chi-Rho, the monogram of Christ, and on the four points of the cross, four Fathers of Occident and Orient, Augustine and Ambrose, Athanasius and John Chrysostom, the same who also carry Bernini's cathedra. On the top of the shaft is the coat of arms of Pope Benedict XVI. Source: http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/

Also the mitre that the Holy Father is wearing is form Pope Pius IX. This mitre is referred to as the Immaculate conception mitre.On the front is an image of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and on the back is a image of Jesus the Good Shepherd. For those wondering, on December 8th, 1854 Blessed Pope Pius IX wrote the Apostolic Constitution INEFFABILIS DEUS which defined for us the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception.

The Solemnity of Christ the King

2009-11-22T11:05:00.001-06:00

ZENIT - The Priesthood and the Mass

2009-11-21T15:59:00.000-06:00

ZENIT - The Priesthood and the Mass

Emmaus Retreat

2009-11-21T15:11:00.003-06:00

This weekend my wife and several other women from our area faith community have started their annual Emmaus Retreat in Currie. MN. I would like to offer my prayers for them as they start their travel together down the road to Emmaus.

I would like to ask for prayers tonight for my wife who is giving a witness talk on the sacraments as they have affected her life.

Also, she just called me to help her find a priest to give a discussion on reconciliation as they one she has scheduled is sick with the flu. Please pray for Father Patrick Arens.

Thank you to Father Robert J. Mraz who is filling in for Fr. Arens on short notice.

U.S. Bishops Voice Disappointment in Abortion-Funding Provisions in Senate Health Bill, Urge Better Care for Immigrants and Affordability

2009-11-21T14:52:00.003-06:00

USCCB - (Office of Media Relations) U.S. Bishops Voice Disappointment in Abortion-Funding Provisions in Senate Health Bill, Urge Better Care for Immigrants and Affordability: "U.S. Bishops Voice Disappointment in Abortion-Funding Provisions"

WASHINGTON—The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops urged the Senate to make essential changes its health reform bill in order to keep in place federal law on abortion funding and conscience protection on abortion, protect access to health care for immigrants and include strong provisions for adequate affordability.

The bishops called the Senate health care bill an “enormous disappointment” that creates new and unacceptable federal policy for funding and coverage of abortions, as well as rights of conscience. Bishop William Murphy, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo and Bishop John Wester voiced their wish for better health care reform legislation in a November 20 letter to the Senate. They chair the bishops’ Committees on Domestic Justice and Human Development, Pro-Life Activities and Migration, respectively.

The letter, which was accompanied with a fact sheet on the House Stupak Amendment (http://www.usccb.org/mr/mediatalk/StupakAmendmentFactsheet.pdf), urged Senators to improve the Senate health care bill in the key areas of affordability, immigration, federal funding and coverage of abortion and conscience rights.

According to the bishops, the bill “does not live up to President Obama’s commitment of barring the use of federal dollars for abortion and maintaining current conscience laws.” They cited an “abortion surcharge” that would force insurance purchasers to pay for other people’s abortions, provisions that would allow the HHS Secretary to mandate unlimited abortion coverage nationwide, and that the bill does not even allow for religious institutions to offer their own employees coverage that conforms to their institution’s teaching.

“The Catholic bishops have advocated for decades for affordable and accessible health care for all, especially the poor and marginalized,” the bishops said. “The Senate bill makes great progress in covering people in our nation. However, the Senate bill would still leave over 24 million people in our nation without health insurance. This is not acceptable.”

The bishops encouraged expanding Medicaid eligibility for those living at 133 percent or lower of the federal policy level. They also urged an end to the five-year ban on legal immigrants for accessing federal health benefits programs and said that undocumented persons should not be barred from purchasing insurance plans with their own money.

“Providing affordable and accessible health care that clearly reflects these fundamental principles is a public good, moral imperative and urgent national priority,” said the bishops.

The text of the letter can be found online at http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/national/2009-11-20-ltr-usccb-health-care-to-senate.pdf.

Pics - 22,000 Youth in Eucharistic Procession through Kansas City at NCYC

2009-11-21T14:13:00.000-06:00

Check out the NCYC Eucharistic Procession photos over at the Catholic Key blog:

The Catholic Key Blog: Pics - 22,000 Youth in Eucharistic Procession through Kansas City at NCYC

The Manhattan Declaration

2009-11-21T13:53:00.003-06:00

Several Catholic Bishops including The Most Rev. John Nienstedt
Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis has signed the Manhattan Declaration. Find out more about it here.

Christians, when they have lived up to the highest ideals of their faith, have defended the weak and vulnerable and worked tirelessly to protect and strengthen vital institutions of civil society, beginning with the family.

We are Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians who have united at this hour to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them. These truths are:

1. the sanctity of human life
2. the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife
3. the rights of conscience and religious liberty.

Inasmuch as these truths are foundational to human dignity and the well-being of society, they are inviolable and non-negotiable. Because they are increasingly under assault from powerful forces in our culture, we are compelled today to speak out forcefully in their defense, and to commit ourselves to honoring them fully no matter what pressures are brought upon us and our institutions to abandon or compromise them. We make this commitment not as partisans of any political group but as followers of Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Lord, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Venerable Solanaus Casey Relic In Marshall

2009-11-15T21:46:00.004-06:00

Today a relic of Venerable Solanus Casey came to Holy Redeemer Church in Marshall Minnesota. The relic was used in at the 8 AM Mass as the whole church prayed for Venerable Solanus Casey's intercession for the healing of John Verly, a young man who is fighting a very rare form of brain cancer. The church was full of people praying for his intercession. I wish that I could have been there.

Venerable Solanus Casey pray for John Verly, that he may be healed.

Information about John's battle with cancer:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/johnverly/journal

Information about Venerable Solanus Casey and his cause for beatification:

http://www.solanuscasey.org/

Solanus Casey on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=2224144568&ref=ts

Bishop LeVoir joins the Cause for Beatification of the Servant of God Archbishop Fulton J Sheen

2009-11-14T19:04:00.006-06:00

[NOTE: I'm a bit late with this. Sorry]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 1, 2009
Media Contact: Sara Worrell
309.671.1550 x 309
sworrell@cdop.org

BISHOP LeVOIR TO AID IN THE CANONIZATION OF A SAINT:
HIS EXCELLENCY JOINS THE ARCHBISHOP FULTON J SHEEN FOUNDATION

PEORIA, IL-- The Archbishop Fulton John Sheen Foundation is pleased to welcome His Excellency Bishop John M. LeVoir to the Episcopal Advisory Board for the Cause for Beatification of the Servant of God Archbishop Fulton J Sheen. Bishop LeVoir joins bishops from around the US in supporting the cause. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979) was a universally popular evangelist, radio/TV personality, writer and missionary. In 2002, his cause for beatification and canonization was officially opened by the Diocese of Peoria, IL, Sheen’s birthplace. The Sheen Foundation is the official promoter of the beatification cause. The Foundation welcomes Bishop LeVoir and encourages the Diocese to visit the Foundation’s website, www.archbishopsheencause.org to learn more about Archbishop Sheen’s Canonization and how to help the Cause.

About the Fulton John Sheen Foundation:

The purpose of the Sheen Foundation is to make known the life, works and thoughts of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, to educate people in the values that he taught, to assist the missions to which he dedicated his life, to assist others in seeking his intercession, and to undertake and pursue all acts ancillary thereto, including, but not limited to, the advancement of the Cause of Canonization of Archbishop Sheen in the Catholic Church, according to the process prescribed in the Code of Canon Law under the supervision of the bishop of the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois.

Holy Redeemer's 125th Celebration

2009-11-10T17:58:00.007-06:00

An article from the Marshall Independent. I have added some pictures that I took at the end.

History on the table
by Cindy Votruba

MARSHALL - Parishioners got the chance to remember some of the good old days of mass at Holy Redeemer as they approached one of the tables set up for the church's 125th anniversary celebration Sunday.

A table filled with various vestments, chalices, books and other items used during the masses of the past at Holy Redeemer Church were on display.

There was an ablution cup that was filled with water and used after communion as well as a few maniples, which are liturgical vestments.

"Everything has been in the sacristy," said Holy Redeemer parishioner David Johnson, who helped organize the display. "That little sacristy holds a lot of stuff." Johnson said a couple of items were borrowed from the Lyon County Historical Museum, which included a green vestment.

Johnson said it took a little time to find things to go into the display.

"We spent the last two Fridays (sorting)," Johnson said. And, he said, there's still plenty more in the sacristy.

Jon and Jennifer Hansen of Marshall and their sons, Seth, Joshua, and Caleb looked at the items on the table. Jennifer Hansen said she remembered when altar boys used patens, a circular-shaped platter with a handle. It was used to catch crumbs from the Eucharist host.

"Mom, what are these called?" Caleb Hansen asked his mother as they looked at different-colored chalice covers.

"That's the top of that, to cover the chalice," Jennifer Hansen said.

Val Blair of Marshall closely inspected the bottom of one of the chalices, noting a familiar name.

"This is H.O. Gregoire's," Blair said.

After setting down the chalice, Blair looked through the different chalice covers.

"I had to look it over," Blair said.

Blair found a small silver-colored piece and asked Johnson what it was. He said it was used during a baptism.

"I don't know what it's called, I'm looking for someone who knows," Johnson said.

Parishioners Mariann Vandeputte, Marie Gluth and Betty DeVos marveled at all the historical church items on the table.

"The vestments are just beautiful," Vandeputte said.

"They've changed a little," Gluth said.

Gluth said she remembered other altar pieces that weren't part of the display Sunday.

"We used to have decorative candelabras," Gluth said.

After learning about the history behind the items stored in the sacristy, Johnson said he would like to see something happen.

"If I could have my wish, I'd like to see all this used again," Johnson said, referring to the old chalices, chalice covers and other altar decorum.

Quote of the Day

2009-11-10T17:05:00.002-06:00

... being a Catholic means that you’re part of a faith community that possesses a clearly defined authority and doctrine, obligations and expectations. It means that you believe and accept the teachings of the Church, especially on essential matters of faith and morals; that you belong to a local Catholic community, a parish; that you attend Mass on Sundays and receive the sacraments regularly; that you support the Church, personally, publicly, spiritually and financially.

--Bishop Thomas J. Tobin of Providence

Congratulations Deacon Zachary Peterson

2009-11-09T18:56:00.004-06:00

On Saturday November 7, 2009 Zachary Peterson was ordained to the Order of Deacon in an incredibly moving Christ-filled ceremony.

Congratulations Deacon Zachary. You can be assured of my family's daily prayers as you continue your journey toward priesthood.

Zucchettos

2009-11-07T22:08:00.005-06:00

Today I had the privilege of attending the ordination Mass of one of our parish's seminarians to the Order of Deacon. I hope to write a more detailed post about the event when I am not so tired. After the Mass though my friend Jon's son asked a question about the bishop's zucchetto. He wanted to know if the color meant anything special.

For those who do not know what a zucchetto is: It is the small cap that many bishops wear on the top of their head. In the case of our bishop it was purple in color. Any member of the Roman Catholic clergy can wear a zucchetto and the color does denote rank. The Holy Father wears a white one, a cardinal will wear a red or scarlet one, a bishop wears purple, and priests and deacons wear black. While a priest or deacon can wear one, it is a pretty rare event. Only bishops and cardinals may wear a zucchetto at Mass.

Traditional Latin Mass celebrated in Diocese of New Ulm

2009-11-06T23:01:00.011-06:00

[NOTE: The following article appeared in the November 2009 issue of the Prairie Catholic. This news is encouraging to me because not only has the number of EF Masses being celebrated in our diocese doubled, but so has the number of priests celebrating them.]

On July 7, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI wrote a letter titled Summorum Pontificum to the Universal Church granting explicit permission for the Mass to be celebrated in Latin as it was according to the Missal of 1962 for those of the faithful who request it, as well as the celebration of other sacraments as they were at that time.

The Holy Father asked the bishops of the Church to do what they can to make the celebration of this Mass available. Pope Benedict called it the extraordinary form of the Mass to distinguish it from the Mass that is presently celebrated in English.

Soon after the Holy Father’s letter, Bishop John C. Nienstedt, third bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm, (2001-2008) established a monthly Traditional Latin Mass in the
Diocese of New Ulm offered at the Church of St. Michael in Morgan on the 2nd Sunday of every month at 11:30 a.m. For the past two years that Mass has been celebrated.

As of October 2009, a second Mass each month is being celebrated according to the Missal of 1962 on the 4th Sunday of every month, at the Church of St. Michael in
Morgan, also at 11:30 a.m.

At this time, the Mass on the second Sunday of each month is a High Mass by Msgr. Robert Wyffels, and the Mass on the fourth Sunday of each month is celebrated as a Low Mass by Fr. Mark Steffl. For those who wish, attendance at these Masses counts for their Sunday obligation to attend Mass.

A Web site has been established that will be updated regularly with information (schedules and times) on the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass in the Diocese of New Ulm. Visit [LINK REMOVED: I have removed the link to this site. After reviewing the site I have problems with some of their content -- Dave]

'We are never alone,' Pope exclaims on All Saints Day

2009-11-01T13:47:00.000-06:00

'We are never alone,' Pope exclaims on All Saints Day

Vatican City, Nov 1, 2009 / 09:58 am (CNA).- To the faithful gathered on Sunday in St. Peter’s Square for the Angelus, Pope Benedict XVI presented the communion of saints, a “beautiful and comforting” reality that says “we are never alone.” In particular he held up the ancient cult of martyrs in the early Church, and in this Year for Priests, “the saintly priests, both those canonized…and those many more that are known to the Lord.”

Pope Benedict also spoke of Monday’s commemoration of the faithful departed, also known as All Souls Day. "I would ask,” he said, “that this liturgical memory be lived in a genuine Christian spirit, that is, in light of the Paschal Mystery.”

Benedict XVI explained that Christ died and rose again and opened the door to the house of the Father, the kingdom of life and peace: “Those who follow Jesus in this life are welcomed where He came before us. So as we visit cemeteries, let us remember that there, in the tombs, are only the mortal remains of our loved ones awaiting the final resurrection.”

Pope Benedict concluded his remarks by teaching that the most proper and effective way to honor and pray for the faithful departed is by offering acts of faith, hope and charity: “In union with the Eucharistic Sacrifice, we can intercede for their eternal salvation, and experience the deepest communion, as we wait to find ourselves together again, to enjoy forever the Love that created and redeemed us."

After the Angelus prayer, the Pope recalled the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Joint Declaration between the World Lutheran Federation and the Catholic Church. "That document,” he said, “attests to an agreement between Lutherans and Catholics on the fundamental truth of the doctrine of justification, a truth that brings us to the very heart of the Gospel and the essential issues of our lives.”

The Holy Father expounded on the acceptance and redemption of man by God, saying, “Our existence is part of the horizon of grace. It is led by a merciful God who forgives our sin and calls us to a new life following in the footsteps of his Son. We live by the grace of God and are called to respond to his gift. This frees us from fear and gives us hope and courage in a world full of uncertainty, anxiety, suffering."

This anniversary, the Pontiff explained, is an occasion to remember the truth about the justification of man, witnessed together, to unite Catholics and Lutherans in ecumenical celebrations and to further investigate this issue and others that are the subject of ecumenical dialogue.

“I sincerely hope that this important anniversary will help bring forward the path towards the full visible unity of all the disciples of Christ.”

Pater noster/Oratio Dominica

2009-10-31T12:42:00.003-06:00

Pater noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum. Adveniat regnum tuum. Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie, et dimitte nobis debita nostra sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo. Amen.

Our Father / Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgve those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Bishops' campaign declares war on abortion funding in health care

2009-10-30T20:57:00.002-06:00

Bishops' campaign declares war on abortion funding in health care

Washington D.C., Oct 30, 2009 / 05:50 pm (CNA).- The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is calling on Catholics nationwide “to prevent healthcare reform from being derailed by the abortion lobby,” the conference said on Friday. The unprecedented campaign encompasses 19,000 parishes across the country, and asks the faithful to fight for restrictions on abortion funding in the health care bills by contacting their congressmen.

Because the USCCB has championed the cause of health care reform for over a decade, their current effort is extraordinary.

“The bishops want health care reform, but they recoil at any expansion of abortion,” explained Helen Osman, USCCB Secretary for Communications.

The bishops, who described the mobilization of parishes as “a make or break effort,” have already told Congress in a letter, “If acceptable language in these areas cannot be found, we will have to oppose the health care bill vigorously.”

While the grassroots effort does not appear to have risen to the level of outright opposition, the bishops also reiterated in their bulletin insert that “our nation is at a crossroads. Policies adopted in health care reform will have an impact for good or ill for years to come.”

The time line for influencing members of Congress appears to be short, with a vote on the bill expected in early November.

The Catholic bishops are also pushing for affordability, access to health care for legal immigrants and the protection of consciences.

“Genuine health care reform is much needed and should protect the life and dignity of all people from the moment of conception until natural death. Mandated coverage for abortion should be excluded and longstanding policies against abortion funding and supporting conscience rights should be included. No one should be required to pay for or participate in abortion,” they said, reiterating that no current bill meets these criteria.

UPDATE:

To send a pre-written, instant e-mail to Congress go to www.usccb.org/action. You will be redirected to a form that you can fill out and sent to your reps.

Indulgences for the Poor Souls

2009-10-25T09:41:00.001-06:00

Father Gonzales at my second favorite blog Overheard in the Sacristy has this information about upcoming indulgence opportunities. I think it is worth reposting here:

I On All Souls’ Day (Nov. 2) a plenary indulgence, applicable only to the Poor Souls, is granted to those who visit any parish church or public oratory and there recite one Our Father and one Credo.

II On all the days from November I though November 8 inclusive, a plenary indulgence, applicable only to the Poor Souls, is granted to those who visit a cemetery and pray even if only mentally for the departed.

Conditions for both indulgences:

1. Only one plenary indulgence can be granted per day.
2. It is necessary to be in the state of grace, at least by completion of the work.
3. Freedom from attachment to sin, even venial sin, is necessary; otherwise the indulgence is only partial. (By this is meant attachment to a particular sin, not sin in general.)
4. Holy Communion must be received each time the indulgence is sought.
5. Prayers must he recited for the intentions of the Holy Father on each day tire indulgence is sought. (No particular prayers are prescribed. One Our Father and one Hail Mary suffice, or other suitable prayers.
6. A sacramental concession must he made within a week of completion of the prescribed work. (One confession made during the week, made with the intention of gaining all the indulgences, suffices.)

Treasure in the Sacristy

2009-10-23T18:45:00.003-06:00

We are getting ready to celebrate our 125th anniversary at Holy Redeemer. My wife and I happen to be part of the committee planning the celebration. Today we went looking through the church sacristy for history. We were looking for items that we could put on display at the celebration. Boy, did we find history.

First we went through a great many chasuables most of them beautiful (some from the 70s not so much). We found beautiful copes for every liturgical season. Then tucked away in a box labeled "Altar Boy Stuff" we found black cassocks and white surplices. I am going to talk my boys into wearing them as part of the celebration display.

We found ciboria and altar crosses in various states of repair. In a box marked silver cruets I found a silver cup that I believe to be an ablution cup and another silver ciboria. Then I came across a box marked history. I thought, "that was sure nice of them to mark that for me like that." Inside the box was a large supply of chalice vales, palls, burses, and maniples for each liturgical season.

As I looked through the boxes my feelings were quite mixed. I was glad that these items were sill there and did not get thrown away, but at the same time I was sad, because they will probably never be used again. It would be a dream come true to see these great treasures used in Mass again. Once of the people who was working on this project with us commented that she could remember going to church and seeing these items being used. I could only reply, "I wish I could have seen that."

Things that I was hoping to find but did not:

roman style vestments
altar cards
altar bells
humeral veils

The good news is that we ran out of time and there were several other boxes in there marked "History". We will have to go back again and search for more treasures.

Bishop-elect Sirba receives the 'call'

2009-10-22T19:57:00.004-06:00

Bishop-elect Sirba receives the 'call'
By Pat Norby (the Catholic Spirit)
Tuesday, 20 October 2009

After a whirlwind weekend that started with the Oct. 15 public announcement of his appointment as bishop of Duluth, Bishop-elect Paul Sirba calmly recalled his senior year in college and his decision to enter the seminary.

Bishop-elect Paul Sirba talks about his appointment as bishop of Duluth during a special Catholic Spirit interview. - Photo by Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
“My big concern was how do you know you have a vocation,” he said during an interview in his corner office at the archdiocesan chancery building in St. Paul.

“Everybody talked about getting the call, and I never got the call.”

The call to priesthood eventually came, and another one of a different sort came Sept. 23 when the papal nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, told the vicar general and moderator of the curia that: “Jesus is by the Sea of Galilee and he called the first apostles to ‘Come follow me.’ And the Lord is calling you. He is calling you to serve in this way.”

Bishop-elect Sirba said he was shocked into silence with the news of his appointment to Duluth by Pope Benedict XVI. He also was put under the “papal secret” until the Holy See put the appointment on its Web site at 5 a.m. Minnesota time.

He was not even allowed to talk with Archbishop John Nienstedt until the Holy See notified the archbishop.

“[Archbishop Nienstedt] came in the 29th and shut my office door and I thought — OK he knows — because he never shuts my door. He was very supportive,” he said.

Many congratulations

In a statement, Archbishop Nienstedt expressed his joy for Bishop-elect Sirba.

“I greatly value his many valuable contributions to the building up of our Catholic faith here in St. Paul and Minneapolis. He will truly be missed. However, I also realize that he will not be far away, and I look forward to working with him in the province,” he said.

Although the first person Bishop-elect Sirba called about 7 a.m. Oct. 15 was his mother, Helen, 85, a flurry of congratulatory calls from friends were coming into his cell phone as he headed for the press conference in Duluth. He had to leave voice messages for his sister, Catherine Kelly, and two brothers, John Sirba and Father Joseph Sirba, a priest of the Duluth diocese.

“The story goes . . . Father Tony Wroblewski, who is pastor of the Brainerd area churches, knocked on my brother’s door and said ‘We have a new bishop and it’s your brother,’ Bishop-elect Sirba said.

“My brother wasn’t believing it right away. He thought he was joking . . . Father [Wroblewski] had to bring him in and turn on his computer and tap in to the Vatican Web site.”

Although the bishop-elect said the Sirba family members are close, “I don’t know if I’m more apprehensive of becoming a bishop or becoming a bishop for my brother’s diocese.”

Bishop-elect Paul Sirba greets Ann Manthey of All Saints in Lakeville after the Champions for Life awards banquet Oct. 19 at the University Club in downtown St. Paul. - Photo by Dave Hrbacek / The Catholic Spirit
Familiar territory

But having a brother serve in the Duluth diocese for 22 years is a plus for the new bishop.

“We have traveled up there and I’ve canoed the Boundary Waters and I’ve hiked in many of the parks,” he said. “I’ve also had the privilege of following my brother around to his different assignments. [Currently in Longville and Remer.] I know where Babbitt and Embarrass are, and I’ve stayed there in January.”

The bishop-elect also knows some of the priests from their seminary days at St. John Vianney, when he was assigned there, and during his years at the St. Paul Seminary.

Bishop-elect Sirba will take many life experiences to his new assignment, not the least of which was his years as a youth.

“I’ve got to give credit to my parents, because that’s where the seed-bed of vocations is,” said Bishop-elect Sirba, who became teary-eyed as he spoke about his mother and his father Norbert, who is deceased.

“We had a good Catholic home and upbringing,” he said. “They talk about the family being the domestic church and that is true with my folks: Ordinary people living their faith.”

When he opened up to the possibility of a vocation, he was guided toward the priesthood by a plethora of priests.

He recalled his childhood pastor at Nativity of Mary in Bloomington, Father Robert Dunn, and many associate priests. In college, he connected with the late Msgr. Richard Schuler at St. Agnes in St. Paul and many of his professors, such as Father George Welzbacher. After ordination, he was guided as an associate priest by Father Francis Fleming at St. Olaf in Minneapolis, before he began serving in the seminaries.

“I had been exposed to a lot of wonderful priests. They said, ‘You take a leap of faith every time you take a step and you see what happens,’” said Bishop-elect Sirba, who has taken that advice to heart as he moved into varied assignments.

Bishop-elect Sirba attended Nativity of Mary grade school in Bloomington, the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield, the College of St. Thomas and St. Paul Seminary. He received his master of divinity degree from St. Paul Seminary and a master of arts degree in spiritual theology from the Notre Dame Apostolic Catechetical Institute in Arlington, Va.

He was ordained a priest in 1986. He served as associate pastor at St. Olaf in Minneapolis from 1986 to 1990 and at St. John the Baptist in Savage from 1990 to 1991. He was appointed to the spiritual formation department at St. John Vianney Seminary from 1991 to 2000.

From 2000 to 2006, Bishop-elect Sirba served as pastor of Maternity of Mary in St. Paul, before becoming a spiritual director at St. Paul Seminary, where he served until July 2009.

Insights beyond parish

“It’s how God works and I would never have anticipated any of the particular assignments,” he said. “In retrospect, you look back and think I’ve been introduced to things that I wouldn’t have — serving at a college seminary, then at the major seminary . . . I think I’ve been given some insights into priestly life in a different way than serving in a parish.”

He said his work in the chancery has helped him to see that “our role is to bring help and healing where we can. It’s in a different way and different relationships.”

And, he said, the example of selfless efforts on behalf of the archdiocese by Archbishop John Nienstedt will help him in his new assignment as bishop of Duluth.

“The other benefit for me has been the unexpected pleasure of being introduced to so many people on our boards and initiatives and seeing the wonderful things that are happening in the archdiocese that you often don’t have exposure to,” Bishop-elect Sirba said. “Seeing how some of those things worked or hearing history of how they came about, it’s been a broadening and wonderful experience.”

After his Dec. 14 ordination and installation as bishop of Duluth, Bishop-elect Sirba plans to visit parishes and meet with as many priests and parishioners as he can.

“In our parishes, we are formed by the people that we serve as well as forming them,” he said. “I need to get to know the Diocese of Duluth.”

And if he needs a bit of advice from a longtime, close friend, he can cross the bridge to Superior, Wis., and visit Bishop Peter Christensen, who heads the Diocese of Superior.

“I’ll be talking with him,” he said with confidence.

Another friend, Father Scott Carl, wasn’t surprised by Bishop-elect Sirba’s appointment, he said. He has known Bishop-elect Sirba since he began seminary at St. John Vianney, where Bishop-elect Sirba was serving at the time. Over the years, Bishop-elect Sirba transitioned from Father Carl’s mentor, to a friend, to a colleague at the St. Paul Seminary, where Father Carl now teaches.

Father Carl described him as prayerful, thoughtful and a good athlete.

“Someone said, ‘He’s a priest you would want to go to confession to,’” Father Carl added. “There’s no doubt that God is most important in his life, that Jesus is his best friend.”

Staff reporter Maria Wiering contributed to this story.

Deacons

2009-10-10T19:35:00.005-06:00

Eleven men from the Diocese of New Ulm were installed as Lectors today in Sleepy Eye. It is one step on the road to their ordination as Permanent Deacons. They were mentioned in an article in the Mankato Free Press I warn you though that the article does have a few factual errors in it. The article claims that Deacons are lay people who preform many of the same duties as priests. Deacons are ordained ministers they are not lay people. The article also says that they can anoint the sick. This is also false. The anointing of the sick MUST be done by a priest to be valid. The anointing imparts forgiveness of sins and a deacon cannot do that.

A Deacon can:

Baptize
Officiate at weddings
Officiate at funerals
Distribute Holy Communion
Read the Gospel at Mass
Give a homily at Mass

A deacon Cannot:

Consecrate the Eucharist
Hear Confessions
Anoint the sick

In addition to this, there are two classifications of deacons. A permanent deacon and a transitional deacon. A permanent deacon may be married as long as he was married prior to his ordination. A permanent deacon agrees that in the sad event that his wife passes away, he will not marry again. A transitional deacon is a young man who is on his way to being ordained a priest. He may not be married. Both types of deacons are members of the clerical state and are no longer lay people.

For more information about the Diocese of New Ulm's Diaconate program please visit their web site.

The Prairie Catholic also has a good article in it as well.

Speaking of transitional deacons, Zack Peterson a member of our parish will be ordained as a deacon on November 7, 2009. He is on the road to becoming a priest. Please keep him and all of our seminarians, and permanent deacon candidates in your prayers.

A Catholic Marching Band Shows Their Faith

2009-10-04T15:34:00.007-06:00

Last night I was lucky enough to attend the 2009 Festival of Bands in Sioux Falls, SD. Prior to the beginning of the finals competition O'Gorman Catholic High School took to the field to perform their program in exhibition. They put on a great show using the Pirates of the Caribbean as their theme, but one of the things that inspired me the most happened before their show even began. While their color guard and pit is setting up their equipment some marching bands will play a warm up tune prior to doing their show (kind of a pre-show). Some bands do this, some bands do not. O'Gorman played a beautiful rendition of the Our Father. I am not sure how many of the people in the stadium knew it, but those around me who were Catholic recognized it.

So I would like to offer a gigantic tip of the hat to the O'Gorman Catholic High School Marching Knights for putting their faith front and center on the marching band field. Well done Knights!

Feast of the Holy Angels

2009-09-29T20:43:00.005-06:00

Saint Michael, the Archangel, defend us in the day of battle; be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell, satan and all the other evil spirits, who roam through the world, seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in proelio, contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium. Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur: tuque, Princeps militiae coelestis, Satanam aliosque spiritus malignos, qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo,divina virtute, in infernum detrude. Amen

Photo Credit: This image is from St. Joseph Catholic Church in Maui. Click on the image for a larger view.

Holy Redeemer's Fall Festival

2009-09-26T14:41:00.003-06:00

Tomorrow September 27 form 11AM until 3:30PM is our parish festival. We have been working hard the past few months getting this event ready to go. Please pray for the success of our festival tomorrow and if you are in the Marshall area please come and join us.

Harvest Fest 2009

Bishop John LeVoir

2009-09-25T19:35:00.003-06:00

Bishop John LeVoir of New Ulm will be giving a talk on "A Mission for Christ - Ways you can carry out your baptismal mission and imitate Christ by acting as prophets, priests, and kings" on Tuesday October 6th at 7PM. This will take place at the Church of St. Mary in St. Paul. The event is sponsored by the Holy Name Society of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

The Infant Child of Prague

2009-09-25T19:03:00.006-06:00

The Infant Child of Prague at the Church of Our Lady Victorious in Prague gets new clothes ahead of the Holy Father's visit. More information available over at Overheard in the Sacristy including more pictures. I think this picture is stunning. Click the picture to see a larger version.

Daily News: Emma Watson Meets Her Pope: NCRegister

2009-09-21T22:00:00.002-06:00

Daily News: Emma Watson Meets Her Pope: NCRegister
Last Wednesday, 7-year-old Emma Watson of Craigmont, Idaho, finally got her wish to meet Pope Benedict XVI. Register readers will remember first meeting Emma through this story.

Nearly aborted, Emma was born with mosaic Turner syndrome and hypoplastic left heart syndrome and has undergone five open-heart surgeries for palliation of her congenital heart condition. She has wanted to meet the Pope since age 3.

Originally scheduled to meet the Pope in February, that trip had to be canceled because Emma had to be hospitalized for intestinal bleeding. The trip was made possible through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which granted 13,425 wishes to children last year.

This time around, she almost missed seeing the Pope for two different reasons. First, only three weeks before the trip, she was hospitalized with pancreatitis. Then, on the morning of the general audience, the Watson family couldn’t find the Make-A-Wish volunteers in the plaza.

Eventually, they found one another, and the Watsons were rushed in and seated for the general audience just minutes before it began. Emma and her mother, Patti, were given front-row seats.

“Mom was looking the other way when the Pope came out,” said Emma. “I was in awe, and I started crying.”

“She kept saying, ‘It’s the Pope. That’s the Pope,’” said Emma’s mother, Patti.

After the audience, Emma and her mother were brought to greet the Pope.

The Holy Father blessed Emma “in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,” and then put his hands on Emma’s shoulders.

“He asked us where we were from,” said Patti. “I said the U.S., and then we were ushered aside.”

Normally quite talkative, Patti said that Emma was “speechless for the first time in her life.”

Emma said that when she looked into the Pope’s eyes she saw “happiness.”

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Quote of the Day

2009-09-21T17:30:00.003-06:00

"The most respectful way of receiving the Eucharist is kneeling and on the tongue. We must recover a sense of respect and reverence due to the Eucharist, because the love to Jesus is the center of our Christian lives. Our souls are at stake."

-Juan Luis Cardinal Cipriani Thorne, Archbishop of Lima

Michaelmas Ember Tide

2009-09-11T21:26:00.003-06:00

On Wednesday of next week begins the Fall Ember tide. Three days (Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday) of partial abstinence from meat, fasting, and prayer. Traditionally, there are 4 times each year where the church would set aside successive Wednesday, Friday ,and Saturdays as Ember Days.

The first set of Ember Days occurs in winter during Advent, the second comes in spring the week after Ash Wednesday, the third in the summer after Pentecost Sunday, and the fourth during the fall after the Feast of the Exultation of the Cross.

On these days Catholics would spend time fasting (They would have one principal meal during the day and if necessary for strength two smaller meals. No snacking between meals), partially abstaining from meat (They would only eat meat at one principal meal of the day), and praying to God, thanking Him for the many gifts he has given them.

The Church no longer requires Catholics to observe Ember tide, however, many Catholics still do. This year, I am going to join them in abstinence, fasting and prayer. In addition to thanking God for the gifts he has brought into my life I will also pray for the success of the upcoming harvest and for our area farmers, for Bishop LeVoir and the Diocese of New Ulm, for unity in the Catholic church, and for all priests and seminarians of the Diocese of New Ulm.

Daily News: Theology at the Fair?: NCRegister

2009-09-03T21:24:00.002-06:00

Daily News: Theology at the Fair?: NCRegister

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Theology at the Fair?

Thursday, September 03, 2009 1:20 AM
Tim Drake

What do you get when you combine three priests, cheese curds, and over 1 million visitors? “Grill a Priest,” part of Theology on a Stick, at the Minnesota State Fair.

Conceived by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ Cathedral Young Adult group, this is the second year that the group has brought its innovative bite-sized theology program to the state fairgrounds. Housed in the St. Bernards Bulldog Lodge and sponsored by the Catholic Aid Association, the event, held during five evenings of the fair, includes a lineup of Catholic speakers such as Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis Auxiliary Bishop Lee Piche and University of St. Thomas professor Michael Naughton, “Grill the Priest,” Catholic music, and the opportunity for fairgoers to talk privately with a deacon or priest.

Last night, more than 60 fairgoers stopped by to ask intriguing questions of the three priests on hand: Father Nels Gjengdall, Father Erich Rutten and Father Ralph Talbott. They included questions such as: What is the Catholic response to the anti-science movement?; What happens when we die?; How did you know you had a call?; and How do we as Catholics respond to attacks on the Church’s traditions as ‘traditions of men.’

"Moving In Day" at SJV

2009-09-01T18:23:00.002-06:00

This article comes from one of my favorite blogs Stella Borealis, "The Star Of The North" Ray from MN tells us about hi visit with new seminarians at SJV. Spend some time reading his blog. I do.

I don't get invited out to social events too often. But the other day I received an offer that I couldn't refuse. How can you say "no" to a guy who says he reads my blog, Stella Borealis, as soon as he gets up in the morning to find the important news? Father Bill Baer, Rector of the St. John Vianney College Seminary at the University of St. Thomas, invited me to attend the festivities for "Moving In Day" at the seminary. This is before classes really start when new seminary students, whether Freshmen or Seniors, move into the seminary and begin processing and registering for classes and have a three day retreat as a group. Tomorrow starts with a three mile rosary procession to the Cathedral/Shrine of St. Paul.

SJV, as it is called (although there are other SJV seminaries, named after St. John Vianney, the Cure' of Ars, patron saint of priests), is the largest Catholic college seminary in the U.S. and attracts seminarians from 28 dioceses throughout the country. They come from far places like Savannah, Georgia, Biloxi, Miss., Denver, Lexington, Ken. and Tulsa, Okla., to closer places like Wichita, Omaha, Bismarck, Green Bay, Joliet, Ill., and Duluth, LaCrosse, New Ulm, St. Cloud and of course, the Twin Cities.

New dioceses sending seminarians this year include Lafayette, Ind., with seven, and Savannah with one. Other large contingents include Bismarck with nine, Denver with six, Duluth with seven, Green Bay with six, Joliet with seven, Lansing, Mich. with 20, New Ulm with six, Omaha with nine, Owensboro, KY, with six, St. Cloud with six , St. Paul-Minneapolis with 31, and Wichita with 15.

Fr. Baer, estimated that there would be 166 seminarians, 70 of whom would be new seminarians. He told me "I really can't get a final count until the last mom has left on Moving In Day."

The day starts with the 70 new men trickling in, as often as not accompanied by parents, brothers and sisters, godmothers and the usual baggage that young men need to survive. At five, a Mass was celebrated in the St. Paul Seminary chapel (the SJV chapel being way too small) with 350 in attendance. This was followed by a barbecued chicken picnic on the back lawn of SJV catered by Famous Dave's. Then came the main event of the evening when these seventy men introduced themselves to each other and to their families.

You know, some days when you read the newspaper or watch the news, some things on the worldly side of the Church are troublesome. The funeral in Boston this morning was one of them. But if you want to find inspiration, to find hope for the future, for confidence that the Holy Spirit is indeed guiding the Church, sit down at a picnic table and listen to seventy men embarking on their discernment voyage introduce themselves. The maturity and presence they possessed was stunning. Look forward to some great preachers and priests in eight years. And also some pretty good SJV football teams. Watch out, SPS! Father Baer and his staff will find a fertile field with these men.

Many were right out of high school, as would be expected. Some had a year or two of college and were transferring to SJV. Three of them came from the Vatican's own seminary, the Josephinum, in Columbus, Ohio. Some were majoring in engineering, one in "soccer" amd another in "cheerleading." One confessed to a dissolute life in recent years. Several had spent a year or more as national evangelization missionaries with Net Ministries in West St. Paul, part of the St. Paul's Outreach extended family. One had studied architecture for a couple years. Father Baer, a Georgia Tech Architecture grad before he entered the seminary, approvingly noted that "it was the proper way for someone to get ordained."

It was wonderful to have them introduce their families and express their gratitude and love for them. Listen up! It is true that the larger the family, the more likely there will be vocations. A dozen or more of them came from families with from five to 12 children.

Sometimes I have hidden being Catholic, perhaps out of shame, or maybe ambition. But I don't think that I was ever prouder than I was today when I witnessed this next class of God's holy priests embark upon their vocations.

When they graduate from SJV, these men will have completed all their philosophy requirements for entry into a major seminary, most with a major in philosophy. In the major seminary here, the St. Paul Seminary, also at St. Thomas, the concentration is on theology. Learning the rubrics and the words of the Mass, probably doesn't come until the last semester in their last year.

In this, the Year of Our Priests, declared by Pope Benedict, please pray for our priests, our seminarians, our deacons and our sisters. They are praying for us.

Daily News: Archbishop Dolan: On Fostering Vocations: NCRegister

2009-09-01T18:04:00.002-06:00

Daily News: Archbishop Dolan: On Fostering Vocations: NCRegister

Archbishop Dolan: On Fostering Vocations

Posted by Tim Drake

Tuesday, September 01, 2009 12:30 PM

New York Archbishop Timothy DolanOver the weekend, 530 Serra Club members from 12 different countries gathered at their annual international conference in Omaha, Neb. “No one offers more support and encouragement for vocations than Serra,” said the host, Omaha Archbishop George Lucas.

Among the attendees was New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan. Archbishop Dolan told Serrans that vocations can be promoted by the laity in four distinct ways.

The first, said Archbishop Dolan, is by emphasizing the vocation of marriage and family. Citing data from a Pew Research Center study, Archbishop Dolan stated that only about 50% of Catholic young people are approaching the sacrament of marriage.

“Taking care of the first crisis will take care of the second,” said Archbishop Dolan. “Vocations to the priesthood and religious life come from lifelong, life-giving faithful marriages.”

Secondly, Archbishop Dolan spoke of re-creating a culture of vocations.

“There were no good old days in the Church,” said Archbishop Dolan. “Every era in Church history has its horrors and difficulties.”

“We need to recapture the climate/tenor/tone/ambiance in the Church where a boy or man isn’t afraid to publicly say, ‘I want to be a priest,’ and where his family, relatives, neighbors, parish, priest, sisters, teachers and even non-Catholics are robustly supportive.”

Thirdly, Archbishop Dolan said that the laity need to not be afraid to ask their priests to help them be holy.

“For a faithful Catholic, a priest is essential for growth in holiness because he gives us the sacraments, and without the sacraments we can’t be holy,” said Archbishop Dolan. “When you ask us to help you be holy, we realize that we must be holy, and you remind us that there is something unique in the Church that only a priest can do.”

Finally, Archbishop Dolan said that priests must be reminded that they are here to help the laity get to heaven.

“A priest is an icon of the beyond, the eternal, the transcendent,” said Archbishop Dolan. “Heaven gives us hope and meaning in life.”

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USCCB - Roman Missal

2009-08-21T12:44:00.002-06:00

From the new USCCB - Roman Missal Website

The Missale Romanum (the Roman Missal), the ritual text for the celebration of the Mass, was first promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1970 as the definitive text of the reformed liturgy of the Second Vatican Council. A second edition followed in 1975.

Pope John Paul II issued a revised version of the Missale Romanum during the Jubilee Year 2000. The English translation of the revised Roman Missal is nearing completion, and the Bishops of the United States will vote on the final sections of the text this November. Among other things, the revised edition of the Missale Romanum contains prayers for the observances of recently canonized saints, additional prefaces for the Eucharistic Prayers, additional Votive Masses and Masses and Prayers for Various Needs and Intentions, and some updated and revised rubrics (instructions) for the celebration of the Mass. The English translation of the Roman Missal will also include updated translations of existing prayers, including some of the well–known responses and acclamations of the people.

This website has been prepared to help you prepare for the transition. As this site continues to be expanded, you will find helpful resources for the faithful, for the clergy, and for parish and diocesan leaders.

May this process of the implementation of the revised Roman Missal be a time of deepening, nurturing, and celebrating our faith through our worship and the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy.

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Please, Father, Help Me To Be Holy

2009-08-19T23:35:00.002-06:00

This comes from the blog Stepping out of the Boat by Edward Mechmann. It is hosted by the Archdiocese of New York.

I feel like this a lot!!

Please, Father, Help Me To Be Holy
August 19, 2009

I'm trying to be holy. I try to set aside time for prayer, and I particularly try to be attentive during Mass.

But, the basic problem is me. I'm just very, very easily distracted. My mind whirls around, thinking about what I was doing, what I'm going to be doing, the current list of things I'm worried about, and on, and on. I just have a hard time focusing during Mass.

That's why I follow along in a missal, so I can concentrate two of my senses at once on the prayers of the Mass, and try to get my heart and mind to join in those prayers. I'm trying to actively participate in the Mass, instead of just being there and mouthing the responses. By doing this, I have come to appreciate the beauty and noble simplicity of the prayers of the Mass, and they draw me upward to God -- after all, He's the one we're addressing our prayers to.

That's also why it's a disaster for me when the priest change the words of the Mass. It throws me off, takes my mind out of the prayers, and adds yet another layer of distraction. The human element jumps in front of me, blocking my view of the divine.

This rarely happens at my home parish, or at the parish where I attend daily Mass. But it has happened on occasion when I've been travelling. For example, there's the priest who seems to make up the words of the Eucharistic prayers as he goes along. How can I join my prayers to his if I have no idea what he's going to say next? Or the priest who decided to re-write the Eucharistic Prayer so that it was in the form of a dialogue -- some parts he said, and others were said by the congregation. I can't even tell you what a strange experience that was. Or the priest who decided last weekend to use the Gospel reading from Saturday, the Solemnity of the Assumption, instead of the regular Sunday Gospel. That totally threw me off -- I love Mary, and I'm sorry that the Assumption wasn't a Holy Day of Obligation this year, but for goodness sake, the Sunday Gospel was the climax of the Bread of Life discourse from John 6, perhaps the most important thing that Jesus ever said.

It's particularly difficult when the priest chooses a manner of speaking as if he is having a conversation with us. That's even more distracting. I can't help but thinking, why are you talking to me? Shouldn't we all be talking to God?

I know that this kind of thing is usually done with a good intention, to make the Mass more open and inviting, or to make the congregation feel more a part of the Mass. But it has the exact opposite effect on me -- it pushes me away, and makes it much harder for me to actively participate in the Mass.

I'm not a regular at the Traditional Latin Mass, but I imagine that this is not a problem -- unless you're an exceptional linguist, you probably couldn't ad lib in Latin. There's also the old instruction to the priest to "do the red and say the black" -- do all the required movements and gestures, which are written in the Sacramentary in red, and say the required words, which are written in black. The few times I've attended the Extraordinary Form, it actually helped me that it was in Latin, because I had to concentrate harder to follow along, and I felt myself entering into the prayers more, and joining the priest in offering them. That experience has helped me be more attentive and focused while attending Mass in the Ordinary Form.

I don't want to be critical of our priests, whom I love and pray for daily. And I don't want to be some kind of "liturgical police", constantly looking for problems at Mass and acting like I'm more Catholic than the Pope. That's not my job, and I wouldn't want it anyway.

I'm just trying to be holy. But I'm a weak, restless person who has a hard time concentrating on the Lord during Mass.

So, I'm begging. Please, Father, help me be holy. Please don't change anything.

A Priest on the Field of Battle

2009-08-19T17:21:00.004-06:00

Touched By GraceA Priest on the Field of Battle
August 19th, 2009 by Russell Shaw

On Thursday, September 3 at 7 p.m. a dedicated band of people will gather in the crypt church of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington to honor a man who may some day be declared a saint. Archbishop Timothy M. Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services will be main celebrant of the Mass — an annual event — which this year falls on the eve of the 42nd anniversary of the death of Father Vincent R. Capodanno, M.M., the "Grunt Padre."

Information that could conceivably lead to his beatification and canonization is now being collected. Input from family, friends, and former military personnel will go to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome. Meanwhile Father Capodanno enjoys the designation "servant of God." The postulator of his cause is Father Daniel L. Mode, an Arlington priest and Navy chaplain who authored his biography, The Grunt Padre (CMJ Marian Publishers, 2000).

Vice-postulator Mary E. Preece says among those facing their own special "field of battle" who believe Father Capodanno has helped them are soldiers recovering from amputations and life-threatening injuries, a Vietnam war veteran’s widow coping with his unexpected death, a young priest suffering from a blood disease, and others.

Vincent Capodanno was born February 13, 1929, youngest of ten children of an Italian immigrant couple. He grew up on Staten Island, joined the Maryknoll order to become a missionary, and was ordained in 1958. September 4, 1967 found him, a Navy chaplain in Vietnam, with elements of the 1st Battalion 5th Marines near the village of Dong Son in the Que-Son Valley. A Navy medic, Lt. Joseph E. Pilon, described the day’s events.

"If you get three Purple Hearts you go home within 48 hours. On Labor Day our battalion ran into a world of trouble… 500 Marines against 2500 North Vietnamese Army regulars. We were constantly on the verge of [being] completely overrun and the Marines on several occasions had to ‘advance in a retrograde movement.’ This left the dead and wounded outside the perimeter….

"Casualties were running high and Fr. C. had his work cut out for him. Early in the day, he was shot through the right hand which all but shattered his hand — one corpsman patched him up and tried to med evac him but Fr. C. declined. A few hours later a mortar landed near him and left his right arm in shreds hanging from his side. Once again he was patched up and once attain he refused evacuation.

"There he was, moving slowly from wounded to dead to wounded using his left arm to support his right as he gave absolution or last rites, when suddenly he spied a corpsman get knocked down by the burst of an automatic weapon. Fr. C. ran out to him and positioned himself between the injured boy and the automatic weapon. Suddenly the weapon opened up again and this time riddled Fr. C. from the back of his head to the base of his spine—and with his third Purple Heart of the day Fr. C. went Home."

Vietnam remains a controversial affair. Father Capodanno believed what America was trying to do there was morally right, but in serving his beloved grunts he wasn’t making a political statement but ministering to men who needed him. He received the Medal of Honor posthumously. Other awards and honors have come his way. I don’t know if he will ever be declared a saint, but a brave and dedicated priest he unquestionably was.
From Catholic Exchange

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Daily News: Seminary Document Planned: NCRegister

2009-08-19T16:42:00.004-06:00

Daily News: Seminary Document Planned: NCRegister

Posted by Edward Pentin

Wednesday, August 19, 2009 9:31 AM

The Vatican is planning on issuing a new document on the formation of seminarians that could be published to coincide with the end of the Year for Priests.

Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, intends to hold a meeting of various permanent Vatican inter-dicastery commissions concerned with the formation of candidates to the priesthood.

“The purpose is to study the possibility, at the end of the Year for Priests, of publishing a short text, incisive and very clear, on the formation of candidates to the priesthood,” Archbishop Jean-Louis Brugues, secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education, said in an interview with L’Osservatore Romano today.

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Confession

2009-08-18T19:33:00.000-06:00

A BOY'S CONFESSION

'Bless me Father, for I have sinned. I have been with a loose girl'.

The priest asks, 'Is that you, little Joey Pagano ?'
'Yes, Father, it is.'

'And who was the girl you were with?'
'I can't tell you, Father, I don't want to ruin her reputation'

Well, Joey, I'm sure to find out her name sooner or later so you may as
well tell me now.

'Was it Teresa Mazzarelli?'
'I'll never tell.'

'Was it Nina Capelli?'
'I'm sorry, but I cannot name her...'

'Was it Cathy Piriano?'
'My 2 lips are sealed.'

'Was it Rosa Di Angelo, then?'
'Please, Father, I cannot tell you. '

The priest sighs in frustration. 'You're very tight lipped, Joey Pagano,
and I admire that, but you've sinned and have to atone.You cannot be a
altar boy for 3 months. Now you go and behave yourself.'

Joey walks back to his pew, and his friend Franco slides over and
whispers, 'What'd you get?'

3 months vacation and 4 good leads.

EWTN Friars and Knights to Celebrate and Serve Solemn Usus Antiquior Mass Live on EWTN for First Time

2009-08-18T18:32:00.002-06:00

EWTN Friars and Knights to Celebrate and Serve Solemn Usus Antiquior Mass Live on EWTN for First Time

This Saturday, August 22nd, you may wish tune in to EWTN to witness a Solemn Mass in the usus antiquior from the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama.

What will be additionally significant about this Mass is that whereas previously aired Masses have been celebrated and served by members of the communities of the FSSP, ICRSS, Canons Regular of St. John Cantius and so on, for the very first time, EWTN's own Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word and Knights of the Holy Eucharist will be celebrating and serving the Mass.

The celebrant will be Fr. Dominic Mary, M.F.V.A. assisted by Fr. Joseph Mary, M.F.V.A. as deacon, and Fr. Miguel Marie, M.F.V.A., as subdeacon.

The Mass will be served by the Knights of the Holy Eucharist.

The Mass will air live at 8:00 A.M. EDT and encore at 12:00 midnight. You can also listen on EWTN Radio or on the internet.

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Active Participation: Doing liturgy and becoming church :: CNA

2009-08-16T08:50:00.001-06:00

Active Participation: Doing liturgy and becoming church :: CNA

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Cool News From St. Paul

2009-06-18T19:55:00.003-06:00

The Vatican as declared the Cathedral of St. Paul as National Shrine.

From the Cathedral's web site:

Vatican Designates Cathedral of Saint Paul as National Shrine

The Vatican has designated the Cathedral of Saint Paul to be the first national shrine in honor of the Apostle Paul. This special distinction was granted by the Office of the Holy See and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, following a request by The Most Rev. John C. Nienstedt, Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

This will be the first national shrine in the State of Minnesota and the only national shrine in North America dedicated to honor Saint Paul.

According to canon (church) law, “The term shrine signifies a church or other sacred place to which the faithful make pilgrimages for a particular pious reason with the approval of the local ordinary (bishop).”

Those wishing to participate more fully in the life of the National Shrine can become members of the Archconfraternity of the Apostle Paul.

Tens of thousands of people, particularly tourists, already visit the Cathedral of Saint Paul every year. Bus loads of children also come to learnabout the role of the Mother Church of the Archdiocese. The number of visitors is expected to increase significantly as a result of this designation as a national shrine dedicated to Saint Paul.

Over the decades, the Cathedral developed as a catechism in stone and glass by evangelizing through its grandeur and beauty. The patron Saint Paul is particularly honored through a series of bronze grills that depict major events in his life, from his conversion to his martyrdom. The Shrine of the Nations, which features patron saints of ethnic groups from Europe who settled the area, serves as a reminder that the work of the Apostle to the Gentiles continues through every age.

BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR JUNE

2009-06-02T18:03:00.000-06:00

VATICAN CITY, 1 JUN 2009 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for June is: "That international attention towards the poorer countries may give rise to more concrete help, in particular to relieve them of the crushing burden of foreign debt"

His mission intention is: "That the particular Churches operating in regions marked by violence may be sustained by the love and concrete closeness of all the Catholics in the world".

BXVI-PRAYER INTENTIONS/JUNE/... VIS 090601 (80)

BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR MAY

2009-04-30T20:31:00.000-06:00

VATICAN CITY, 30 APR 2009 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for May is: "That the laity and the Christian communities may be responsible promoters of priestly and religious vocations".

His mission intention is: "That the recently founded Catholic Churches, grateful to the Lord for the gift of faith, may be ready to share in the universal mission of the Church, offering their availability to preach the Gospel throughout the world".

BXVI-PRAYER INTENTIONS/MAY/... VIS 090430 (80)

Bishop LeVoir Comments on Notre Dame

2009-04-29T20:06:00.005-06:00

An article on LifesiteNews.com has quoted Bishop John LeVoir among others regarding Notre Dame.
Here is what he says:

Like the majority of the U.S. bishops against the scandal, Bishop LeVoir of New Ulm, MN reacted to Notre Dame's decision by recalling the U.S. Bishops Conference 2004 directive against honoring pro-abortion politicians.

"Since President Obama has taken stands that contradict the fundamental moral principles of the Catholic Church, e.g., the approval of abortion and embryonic stem cell research, he 'should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for his actions' at a Catholic university," said Bishop LeVoir in an April 13 statement.

"The decision of the University of Notre Dame makes it much more difficult for the Church to carry out her vital mission to transform our culture into a culture of life and love," he concluded.

Jesus said there would be days like these...

2009-04-28T17:25:00.004-06:00

Today in my mailbox was an anonymous letter, well, it wasn't really a letter. It was more like a printed copy of someone's website. So not only did the person who sent it to me not sign his or her name, but they did not even use their own words to express themselves. It was chock full of the typical ignorant, anti-Catholic silliness. I have actually been to this web site before when I was in the process of converting to Catholicism and was pretty much not impressed with their scholarship. They quote only the parts of scripture that seem to make their point. Anyone can quote parts of scripture and use it to prove their point. Many times you can open up your Bible and read the words around what was quoted and a whole different meaning comes to light. That is exactly why Jesus gave us the Church, to help us understand the true meaning of the scripture so that we can keep it in context.

I have to admit that I am a little curious as to who sent it to me. It came from Marshall. Did they think that I would switch sides and become born again? Did they think I would become offended and spout vile words at them? Nah! I have more important things to do with my time.

I will say this though. To whomever sent me this: I love you. If you want to talk with me about why I am Catholic I will be more than happy to discuss it with you. Bring your own word though, because what I will not do, is debate this tired old nonsense that you have sent me. Go to Catholic Answers for that information. They have it all covered.

Ambassador Glendon Declines Laetare Medal

2009-04-27T19:42:00.003-06:00

Former Ambassador to the Vatican Mary Ann Glendon declines Notre Dame's highest award in the wake of the university's decision to honor president Obama. Here is the brief article that Fox News has on the story.

I have to give Ambassador Glendon a lot of credit. She is standing up for what she believes. She is defending the teachings of the Church and the USCCB even though it is costing her something very prestigious (althought maybe not as prestigious as it used to be).

I find it ironic that Notre Dame is seeking to gain the prestige of having a fairly untested president speak at their commencement while Ambassador Glendon, who has earned Notre Dame's award is willing to stand on her Catholic values and give up her award. Three cheers for Mary Ann Glendon!

You can read the ambassador's letter to Fr. Jenkins here.

And With Your Spirit

2009-04-22T18:12:00.004-06:00

Something that is not being talked about much (at least not around here) is the upcoming changes to the translation of Mass. Our bishops have been discussing the new translation and as a matter of fact the translation for the Ordinary of Mass (the parts that stay the same) has already been approved by the Vatican. Work is still being done on the Proper of Seasons. In a couple years we can look forward to some changes at Mass.

The Church is trying to make the new translations a more faithful reflection of the original Latin texts. The official Mass of the Latin rite (the Mass we attend every week) is written in Latin and all translations come from it. Unfortunately for us English speaking folks they did not translate the Latin very closely. They instead used a translation model called Dynamic Equivalence the result was the loss of a great deal of the beauty in our Mass prayers (that would be my opinion).

I thought I would start looking at the new translations and share my thoughts with you here. You can find a study copy of the Ordo Missae at the USCCB website.

If you follow that link one of the first changes that you will run into is the greeting:

2. Then the Priest, extending his hands, greets the people, saying:

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit
be with you all.

Or:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

The Lord be with you.

The people reply:

And with your spirit.

What's up with that?

The Latin text from where this comes is: "et cum spiritu tuo". And with your spirit is clearly a more accurate translation, but why?

Some think that it is a bit awkward to say "and with your spirit", but it is a reference to Paul's second letter to Timothy (2 Timothy 4:22). Paul also uses this form of address in his letter to the Galatians (Galatians 6:18). If you read Paul's letters he talks quite about about the actions of the Spirit in his life. It was important to him and it should be to us as well. By saying "And with your spirit" we are recognizing the Holy Spirit who was poured out upon the priest at his ordination, the same Holy Spirit who provides the Eucharist for us though the consecrated hands of the priest.

The words and actions that the Church has selected for the Mass have meaning and are important. I hope to continue to explore and share my thoughts on these changes as I get further in to the new translations.

Georgtown and Notre Dame

2009-04-16T20:24:00.006-06:00

I posted recently about the Notre Dame issue and last week we had the whole issue of the religious symbols being covered up by Georgetown University at the requst of the White House. I am once again late in posting about this because I just dd not know how to say what what on my mind. Then I came across this article in the National Review online magazine by Fr. Robert A. Sirico. e pretty much sums up they way I feel about it. Here is what he has to say. I have highlighted the parts that jump out at me.

The Catholic Identity Crisis
What the Georgetown and Notre Dame controversies reveal.

By Rev. Robert A. Sirico

In his speech this week at Georgetown University, President Obama made an interesting comment about economics. “We cannot rebuild this economy on the same pile of sand,” he said. “We must build our house upon a rock.”

I doubt that anyone would accuse him of plagiarism, but what he was quoting came from Jesus’s parable. The man who built his house on sand paid a price when the winds took it down, while the man who built his house on stone saw it withstand the storm.

It is quite appropriate that a parable was quoted at a Catholic university founded by Jesuits. The entire campus is filled with religious symbolism. Crucifixes, statues of Mary, and other religious items are everywhere, revealing the rich tradition here.

Oddly, however, although the president didn’t mind quoting Jesus without credit, his advance team insisted that all religious symbols be covered in the place in which he was speaking. Incredibly, Georgetown officials complied. At the request of the White House, officials at the university placed cover over the letters IHS — the Greek abbreviation for the name of Jesus.

This incident followed the uproar over Obama’s planned speech at Notre Dame, at which he will be given an honorary doctorate. The Notre Dame development department reports widespread anger at the decision to invite him.

Now, if I were a conspiratorial sort of thinker, which I am not, I might suspect that Obama is deliberately trying to divide Catholics. But this is not a conspiracy. Obama is merely capitalizing on a cultural shift that has been in process for a long time. Over the last half century or so, Catholics have undergone a kind of psychological development, moving from the embattled and impoverished immigrant class, unsure of their own status in a hostile culture, to founding their own institutions, serving their country, and becoming as successful as any WASP capitalist in getting their share of the American Dream.

So complete has been this assimilation that on almost any matter of public-policy or lifestyle choices, Catholics are indistinguishable from other Americans. Until, that is, one looks at those who regularly practice their faith as compared with those who have a nominal commitment that amounts to showing up to say hello or goodbye at baptisms and funerals, as Jacqueline Kennedy once put it.

If this thesis is correct, then it is not far-fetched to assert that nominal Catholics are in the midst of an identity crisis. They are embarrassed by the distinctiveness of their more faithful brethren who observe fast days, don’t approve of abortion, think marriage is what their grandparents thought it was, and hold conservative views on the other hot-button issues that Catholics in public life frequently get asked about by reporters.

Of course, nominal Catholics would deny such an identity crisis. We simply believe in a pluralistic and tolerant society, they would insist. But if the Georgetown episode doesn’t reflect an identity crisis — the religious family that was once the Church’s leading defender blots out their name (Jesuit) and their historic inspiration (Jesus) — then what does?

Think of it: A Catholic university was willing to cover up the name of Jesus, hide it from the cameras, because the president of the United States was coming and asked them to do so. The fact alone gives me chills.

At the root of tolerance is the notion that one is permissive, not about one’s own beliefs, but about the beliefs of those with whom one disagrees. If you do not know who you are and what you hold to be true, you cannot be tolerant.

We have come to the point that the most significant contribution Georgetown or Notre Dame could make to society’s diversity would be to become, once again, Catholic — and not be embarrassed about it. The Church in general and the Jesuits in particular have in their own history heroic examples of martyrs refusing to submit to secular authority and dying for the faith (such as Edmund Campion, S.J., at the hands of Elizabeth I). The least these campus authorities can do is not take active measures to undermine their own identity.

— Father Robert A. Sirico is president and co-founder of the Acton Institute.

Happy Easter Everyone

2009-04-11T22:19:00.002-06:00

Notre Dame

2009-04-03T17:07:00.007-06:00

On our way to the Chrism Mass yesterday we stopped for supper with some friends. One of them told me that she has been expecting me to post about the Notre Dame issue on my blog here. She thought I would have an opinion on it or at least the letter written by Archbishop Nienstedt about it (I think she knows that I am a fan of the Archbishop).

Since she asked, here is what I think:

1. The Archbishop's letter was clearly a private message and should not have been leaked to the public.

2. His letter was also spot on. A Catholic school should not be inviting a person who is at odds with Church teaching to speak at their commencement ceremony and they certainly should not be giving him an honorary degree. That sends the wrong message to the faithful.

3. It seems to me that Notre Dame is inviting the President because of the honor of having a sitting President speak at their event. For this they are willing to sacrifice a portion of their Catholic identity.

4. It is the job of a bishop to correct the inappropriate behavior of a Catholic school. I think though that the US bishops need to issue some clear instruction on what the Catholic church teaches on life issues and why it does so. I think it is time for our shepherds to be very public and very loud. The faithful have a right to not be confused about what the church teaches.

In trying to find some good in this whole mess I have to give a nod to all of the bishops who have come out against this decision. I have to wonder why the rest of them are so quiet though.

2009 Diocese of New Ulm Chrism Mass

2009-04-02T21:45:00.004-06:00

Our diocese had its Chrism Mass tonight. It was held at Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Church in Spicer Minnesota. This is a very new church and a very modern one. It as a very different setting that the last two years which were held at the cathedral in New Ulm. This year is also the first Chrism Mass celebrated by our new Bishop John LeVoir.

We always try to make this Mass each year. There is something about it that I find very uplifting. I am not sure what it is, but when I leave this Mass I feel rejuvenated. Maybe it's because all the priests gathered together with the Bishop, or the fact that incense is used. I don't know why, but this Mass holds a special place in my heart.

Tonight's Mass was a beautiful Mass. A lot of incense was used with is always a plus in my book. Another plus is that the bishop chanted the prayers. I love it when priests chant in Mass. I wish they would do it more often.

In addition to about 35 priests there were also two deacons and several seminarians. One thing that struck me tonight during the Mass was the reverence that our seminarians displayed as they did the jobs assigned to them. They are the future of our diocese and I think we will be in good hands.

During his homily the Bishop spoke of the need for the priests to strengthen their relationship with Christ so that they can use that relationship to help them do the things that priests do. I think this is important. Unless you are a priest you really have no idea just what the life of a priest is like. I suspect that there might be an aspect of loneliness in the life of a priest where they need to have that strong personal relationship with Christ to make it though. I'm just guessing though.

After Mass it was interesting to watch my boys. They went looking for the former priests of our parish to talk to them. My youngest son was on a mission to find them all and then when he had done that he said, "Now, I have to find the bishop," and he led us to where the bishop was and we all shook his hand. My son was so tickled that he shook Bishop LeVoir's hand. Only when that was done could we head for home.

This is kind of silly but in past years we have always sat by the center aisle and we have been able to smell the wonderful smell of the Chrism oil. This year we could not sit there and on the way home I was lamenting the fact that we did not get the smell the Chrism oil. I then rubbed my nose with the back of my hand and low and behold my hand smelled like Chrism. I thought about it for a moment and asked everyone in the car to smell the back of the hand they shook the bishop's hand with. We all smelled like Chrism oil. I guess the bishop gave us a small gift when we shook his hand. :)

Prayer

2009-03-19T21:55:00.004-06:00

Every time Lent rolls around I always pledge to myself that I am going to really focus on prayer and every year when Lent is over I realize that I did not focus on prayer. This year, however, I am praying more. I have found a short ten minute window between the time I am done getting dressed in the morning and when I wake the boys of for school where I can spend some quiet time with God. It has really been a calming experience for me. A time for me to offer God my fears and ask him for strength. I also as for prayers for the people in my life who need them.

I think what is helping me focus on prayer is the fact that I attended an Emmaus retreat shortly before Lent. It was a weekend retreat and it really helped me let go of a lot of the baggage in my life that was keeping me from praying. I also was able to spend time getting to know 20 other guys form our area and discovered that I a not alone. And you bet, those 20 guys are in my morning prayers every day.

This week I was also able to give thanks for an answered prayer because one of my friends from Schwan's who was laid off finally found a job. Prayers do work.

Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory

2009-03-04T21:09:00.005-06:00

This week I had the opportunity to attend a 3 hour Lenten retreat. The topic was on the 7 deadly sins. The video that we watched used the poet Dante's concept of Purgatory as being a 7 layer mountain. It was quite a fascinating discussion. We were only able to cover Pride, Anger, and Sloth in the 3 hours.

During the discussion portion of the retreat it quickly became clear to me that many people were hungry for information on what the Church teaches on Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory. Several questions were asked. One person wondered if a person could fail Purgatory and go to Hell. The facilitator did not really answer that question and instead offered his opinion that he did not think that God was going to let people go to hell. He felt that God loves us too much to allow that. This prompted another question, "Then what is Hell for?" His response was that it was a Theological construct. While I would love to know right now today that God will not send anyone to Hell I have to disagree. Here is what I have learned about Hell and Purgatory.

First of all, this is what paragraph 1030 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church says about Purgatory:

1030 All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.

So, while Purgatory may not be the most pleasant experience for us we can take heart in the fact that if we are in Purgatory we have died in God's friendship and we will eventually enter into Heaven and be with God. There is no flunking out of Purgatory and going to Hell.

I think you can look at Purgatory like this: If you were about to go meet the Pope face to face would you go filthy dirty, wearing ratty blue jeans and a stained and torn shirt? No, you would probably put on your best clothes and try to look your best. This is what Purgatory is, it is a opportunity for you to be purified so that you can meet God at your best.

The Catechism also speaks about Hell. Here is what it says:

1033 We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him. But we cannot love God if we sin gravely against him, against our neighbor or against ourselves: "He who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him."612 Our Lord warns us that we shall be separated from him if we fail to meet the serious needs of the poor and the little ones who are his brethren.613 To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God's merciful love means remaining separated from him for ever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called "hell."

1034 Jesus often speaks of "Gehenna" of "the unquenchable fire" reserved for those who to the end of their lives refuse to believe and be converted, where both soul and body can be lost.614 Jesus solemnly proclaims that he "will send his angels, and they will gather . . . all evil doers, and throw them into the furnace of fire,"615 and that he will pronounce the condemnation: "Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire!"616
1035 The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, "eternal fire."617 The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.

In a nutshell, Hell is the total permanent separation from God. I don't know about you, but my opinion is that this is a most dreadful thought. If you read what is written in the Catechism you cannot deny Hell. Jesus himself spoke of it. Not only that but he said that he is going to condemn all evildoers to Hell himself. Hell is not just a theological construct. It is for real and it is forever.

I suppose in an sense our retreat facilitator is correct, it isn't really God who puts a soul into Hell. A person will go to Hell because of their own decisions and choices. We will condemn ourselves to Hell by living a sinful and unrepentant life. It's our choice. To help us in our fight to stay out of this dreadful place, Jesus though his Church provides us with an important tool. The Sacrament of Reconciliation. Sadly, this Sacrament has fallen into disuse in the last 40 years or so. If anyone reads my words please go to confession. It's good for your soul.

Finally, there is Heaven. The Catechism says this:

Those who die in God's grace and friendship and are perfectly purified live for ever with Christ. They are like God for ever, for they "see him as he is," face to face

and this:

This perfect life with the Most Holy Trinity - this communion of life and love with the Trinity, with the Virgin Mary, the angels and all the blessed - is called "heaven." Heaven is the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness.

I don't know about you, but I want to experience "supreme, definitive happiness." Can you imagine seeing God face to face? I think I could spend my eternity just looking at Him. So there you have it. My mission is to spend eternity looking face to face with God. Anyone want to join me? We can start toward this goal right now. We can use this season of Lent and its three important disciplines of prayer, fasting, and alms giving to focus us on living our lives according to our faith. Let's get to it.

Happy New Year

2009-01-04T11:35:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year everyone. I am sorry that I have not been better about blogging. My family and I recently went though a tough time when I lost my job back in October. The good news is that I did find a wonderful new job that is even better that the one that I had, however, now I am faced with he task of learning anew job and my family is having to get used to a new routine as my new job is in a nearby town and I have a short commute to get to work now.

I would like to thank everyone who prayed for me and my family. I truly believe that the prayers of my family and friends are what sustained us and helped us through the hard times.

Happy new year!

Dave

The Holy Father's Prayer Intentions for November

2008-10-31T08:45:00.001-06:00

VATICAN CITY, 31 OCT 2008 (VIS) - Benedict's general prayer intention for November is: "That the testimony of love offered by the saints may fortify Christians in their devotion to God and their neighbor, imitating Christ who came to serve and not to be served".

His mission intention is: "That the Christian communities of Asia, contemplating the face of Christ, may know how to find the most suitable ways to announce Him, in full faithfulness to the Gospel, to the people of that vast continent so rich in culture and ancient forms of spirituality".

BXVI-PRAYER INTENTIONS/NOVEMBER/... VIS 081031 (90)