The sisters are moving ahead with the initial building on their property near St. Joseph, MO. For more pictures, click here. To help the sisters financially, click here.
Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles showing great progress on their first building
The sisters are moving ahead with the initial building on their property near St. Joseph, MO. For more pictures, click here. To help the sisters financially, click here.
The Holy Father...prepared to avoid the hot sun
The photo is for real. The logo of the local heros is just part of the blogger's fanciful imagination.
Blessing of herbs, flowers and fruits on the Feast of the Assumption
We hate to admit to this ignorance, but we'd never heard of this pious practice before Canon Avis announced it in Sunday's bulletin. In doing a little further research we discovered Father Mark Daniel Kirby's blog with a wealth of information about its history and symbolism. Father Kirby is the Prior of the Diocesan Benedictine Monastery of Our Lady of the Cenacle in Tulsa, Oklahoma.Here's a part of the post. You can read the entire article here.
"Christians of both East and West have, from very early times, blessed herbs and fruit on the Feast of the Assumption. Thus blessed, these creatures become sacramentals of the Church and portents of divine protection from dangers to soul and body. In some places the herbs were placed on the altar, and even beneath the altar linens, so that from this proximity to the Most Holy Eucharist they might receive a special hallowing, beyond that conferred by the blessing prayers of the Church."We are looking forward to experiencing this blessing prior to the Masses at Old St. Patrick Oratory on August 15th.
Development News in our neighborhood
The previously announced development in the East Village area adjoining Old St. Patrick has been pretty dormant over the last couple of years other than the construction of the J.E. Dunn headquarters. About all that has happened is some demolition of deteriorated structures.Now there are good reports in the news. If they come to fruition, they will eventually result in new quality development in the vicinity of the church.
According to the Kansas City Business Journal, ground will be broken in August for the construction of a 50 unit apartment project just to the south and east of us at 9th and Holmes.
According to the article, this project could be an ice-breaker now that the recession seems to be recessing a little. News of more development should be forthcoming. The Fed's Government Services Administration is still considering building a 600,000 square foot building at 12th and Charlotte. If the GSA deal goes, another likely project is a large motel nearby. Also in the works is a renovation to commercial space of the old Blackstone Hotel just across the street from the church parking lot at 817 Cherry.
The East Village developer says that its long range plan includes between 500 and 1,000 new rental units that could ultimately be converted to condominiums.
In addition, the FAA has apparently received some federal funds to help build a parking structure on the site of the demolished Cherry Street Motel just up the street from the church. This parking will be for FAA building only, just south of OSP, but that will help the overall parking situation in the area.
This all sounds pretty good! Let's keep our fingers crossed and quality investment in our neighborhood in our prayers.
Another spiritual destination in St. Louis - The Cathedral Basilica
Should you visit St. Louis for the Vatican Splendors exhibit (see the previous post below), DO NOT miss attending Mass at the Cathedral Basilica just down the street from the Missouri History Museum. This photo of the nave of the basilica was taken last fall at the conclusion of the investiture of new knights and ladies into the Order of Knights of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem. This is stunning architecture!
Here's splendid destination for a week-end motor trip this summer
"Vatican Splendors: A Journey through Faith and Art: will be showing at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park - St. Louis, Missouri through Sept. 12.The exhibit is a fantastic walk through 10,000 square feet of Vatican treasures of art and history... from Michelangelo to the relics of St. Peter. The exhibit explores the close relationship among the papacy, art and culture through historical maps, drawings of architecture commissioned by the Vatican, paintings, sculpture and objects of faith from around the world.
This is the largest collection of Vatican artifacts ever to tour the U.S., and the exhibition is organized into 11 galleries that illustrate the evolution of the Church and its papacy beginning with Saint Peter through the papacy of Pope Benedict XVI, with thematic areas highlighting important developments, moments, people and events tied to the history of the Catholic Church and the Vatican, reflected in both important historical objects and artistic expression from different eras. The objects are presented in recreated environments that enhance the visitor's understanding of their historical and artistic significance. For more detail check out the exhibit website here.
The Missouri History Museum is at Lindell and Debaliviere in Forest Park (5700 Lindell Blvd.)
Cost: (...a modest...) $19.50 for adults; $17 for seniors and students; $13 for children ages six through 12; Children 5 and under are admitted free.
After the exhibit closes in middle September it continues its tour next at the Heinz History Museum in Pittsburgh, PA. opening October 2, 2010.
Here's a good bargain for the trip: Amtrak has a package deal that includes:
- Round-Trip Amtrak Rail Service in Coach Seating
- 2 Nights Accommodations at Sheraton City Center (Other Hotels Available)
- VIP Admission to Vatican Splendors at the Missouri History Museum
- Admission to the Gateway Arch Tram
- All Taxes
For pricing from various Amtrack cities click here.
A charming and unique rendition of "DO-RE-MI" from the "Sound of Music"
You'll love this semi-staged, but yet spontaneous video.
Institute posts photos of ordinations
If you can read French you will appreciate a little better what is going on in the photographs on the Institute's international website.On July 1st, Archbishop Raymond Burke officiated at the ordination of new priests of the order, at the church of San Michele e Gaetano in Florence, Italy.
Ordained were: Aaron Huberfeld (American), Michael Stein (American), and Antoine Bucheron (French).
The photographs of the ceremonies are excellent.
Children lead the procession
In a wonderful stop-motion photo of the beginning of the bi-diocesan Corpus Christi procession on June 6th, the photographer, Elaina Cochran shooting for The Leaven newspaper caught the lead children leaving the doors of Old St. Patrick Oratory by beginning to spread flower petals over the path of the Holy Eucharist to follow.According to "The Catechism Explained" authored by Rev. Francis Spirago, © 1921, children take the lead in solemn processions because their greater innocence renders them more pleasing to God.
Holiday Celebrations Get An Early Start
From our den window, we were entertained last night with a lovely fireworks celebration from what we believe was the Kansas City Country Club a mile or so west of us. Also, this photo shows a bright Venus clearly in the western sky.
Bishop Finn's recent homily on the occasion of the feast of St. Josemaria Escriva founder of Opus Dei
Homily for Mass of St. Josemaria Escriva
June 26, 2010 – Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish
Most Reverend Robert W. Finn
Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph
Wonderful story...Unbelieveable Photograph
Please read before viewing the following picture -
it's worth it!
Although the event described in the post below took place over 10 years ago, only recently did we become aware of it. It should be 'The Picture of the Year,' or perhaps, 'Picture of the Decade.' It won't be. In fact, unless you obtained a copy of the US paper which published it, you probably would never have seen it.
The picture is that of a 21-week-old unborn baby named Samuel Alexander Armas , who is being operated on by surgeon named Joseph Bruner.
The baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and would not survive if removed from his mother's womb. Little Samuel's mother, Julie Armas, is an obstetrics nurse in Atlanta . She knew of Dr. Bruner's remarkable surgical procedure. Practicing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, he performs these special operations while the baby is still in the womb.
During the procedure, the doctor removes the uterus via C-section and makes a small incision to operate on the baby. As Dr.Bruner completed the surgery on Samuel, the little guy reached his tiny, but fully developed hand through the incision and firmly grasped the surgeon's finger. DrBruner was reported as saying that when his finger was grasped, it was the most emotional moment of his life, and that for an instant during the procedure he was just frozen, totally immobile.
The photograph captures this amazing event with perfect clarity. The editors titled the picture, 'Hand of Hope.' The text explaining the picture begins, 'The tiny hand of 21-week-old fetus Samuel Alexander Armas emerges from the mother's uterus to grasp the finger of Dr. Joseph Bruner as if thanking the doctor for the gift of life.'
Little Samuel's mother said they 'wept for days' when they saw the picture. She said, 'The photo reminds us pregnancy isn't about disability or an illness, it's about a little person.'Samuel was born in perfect health, the operation 100 percent successful.
Now see the actual picture, and it is awesome....incredible.....
Please pass the link to this post on. Everyone should see it!
György Kristóf Csanaky
Son of Ivan and Cecelia Csanaky, good friends of Old St. Patrick Oratory who have helped us on numerous occasions in the choir loft with their beautiful and professional singing talent. Born on June 16, 2010 weighing 9 lbs and 6.8 oz. He will be baptized as a parishioner of the St. Rose Philippine Duchesne Latin Mass Community this next Saturday at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Kansas City, KS. Oratorians extend their best wishes to the Csanaky family.
New roof overhead at Old St. Patrick
You may not have noticed, but there is a new roof on the Oratory. Our understanding is that there was some storm/hail damage to the roof about a year and a half ago and that the insurance settlement agreement was recently completed. The damage was on one side of the roof only so that was covered by the insurance, however Canon Avis and the Institute decided to go ahead and re-roof the other side at the same time to save some expense.
To do this work now, in order to prevent water leakage onto our new (and very expensive) interior paint job was considered essential.
A little nostalgia this afternoon
Don't get me wrong! We have absolutely no regrets about our move to the beautifully re-done Old St. Patrick. But, we ran across this special artfully composed photo of Our Lady of Sorrows and couldn't help be a little nostalgic about our former home for Latin Mass for about 15 years. Our Lady of Sorrows is a stunningly beautiful church home that was perfect for the celebration of the Mass of the Ages. We've certainly been very fortunate to have had two of the nicest church homes in the entire diocese. This photo was taken by Neal60 (sorry, we don't have the name of the photographer, but you can see more examples of his work by clicking here.)
Angels get their pedestals at last
Unfortunately, we forgot our camera this morning and don't have a new photo of the beautiful pair of angels guarding either side of the sanctuary that are now mounted on their new pedestals. This photo to the left was taken during the October, 2008 consecration ceremonies. The angels were donated by Bob and Alice Umphress and since the completion of the renovation have sat at the base of pillars. Now they have their long-planned places of honor on concrete pedestals also donated by the Umphresses and painted by Joe Farris.If you are interested here is some more information about the the history of these beautiful icons and how they came to the Umphresses' extensive collection of ecclesiastical art, click here for the previous post.
Meet David Wilson.
Yesterday afternoon the Blue Army organization held its Rosary Rally at Old St. Patrick. This regular monthly devotion of saying of the full Rosary has been continuously held around the two dioceses for over a quarter century. The Blue Army, a public association of the faithful, was formed in the late 1940's and early 50s to spread the message of Fatima.When you attend in the Kansas City metro area, the man who leads the devotions, as he has for 15 years or so, is David Wilson. If you've been to a Rosary Rally you know that David's rich and pleasant baritone voice fills whatever church they have been invited to. But, you probably don't know that David and his wife Kathy make a 160 mile round-trip commute every time to do this from their home in Rossville, Kansas.
David and Kathy Wilson were previously members of the Latin Mass Community at Our Lady of Sorrows for a number of years before they relocated to rural central Kansas about 15 years ago. The Wilsons are also parents of Mother Gemma of Jesus of the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles sisters north of Kansas City.
All KC-SJ and Kansas diocese Catholics who attend Rosary Rallies have come to truly appreciate the Wilsons' leadership of the monthly event and their unselfish devotion to the Holy Rosary and bringing it to the faithful regularly.
Dreary Saturday
Last year when Canon Avis introduced the laudable practice of praying for good weather after Sunday Low Masses, we did a post on it here on the blog. Since we resumed occasional posting on this OSP community blog a month or so ago, we've received about 10 visits a week from people who are looking for a prayer to protect from bad weather and found our post on Google and other search engines. Looking out the window today into a steady downpour reminded us to be sure to pay particular and concentrated attention to tomorrow's prayer after 8:00 a.m. Mass.Here's a portion of the prayer that we do at Old St. Patrick Oratory. "We beseech Thee, O Almighty God, through the intercession of Holy Mary, the Mother of God, of the holy angels, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, confessors, virgins, widows, and of all Thy saints that Thou show us Thy continuing protection, permit tranquil winds, and also pour out to us, Thy unworthy servant, Thy safety from heaven above against lightning strikes and violent storms, and that Thou remain always protective of the human race and crush down the aerial powers by the right hand of Thy power. Through the same Christ the Lord....".
Two and a half minutes of Heavenly Music from the Catholic Music Assocation of America
To find out more about this organization of singers and musicians who love the traditional music of the Church, click here: Musica Sacra.
To listen: Click on the "go" arrow.
Have you ever heard of the heresy of "Immanentism"?
We recently ran across this term, were not familiar with it, and were curious about its derivation and anatomy. Unfortunately there's not much available in the typical sources. In 2001, Father Chad Rippinger, FSSP wrote a scholarly article in Latin Mass Magazine that touches on this philosophy and the deleterious effect that it had on the development and growth of the philosophy and belief in the wake of V.II of the rejection of ecclesiastical tradition. We thought you might like to read a little of this essay.
"(The) three sources of immanentism as they influenced the Church during the waning of an intellectual phase of Modernism in the 1950s and early 1960s provided the foundation for a psychological break from tradition as a norm. As Peter Bernardi observes, Blondel (Maurice Blondel, a French philosopher) was “working at a time when the Church was just beginning to become conscious of a certain break in its tradition.” The work of Blondel and the influx of the other modern philosophical points of view, which were antithetical to the ecclesiastical tradition, had a drastic impact on Vatican II. By the time Vatican II arrived, the intellectual foundation was in place for a systematic rejection of all aspects of ecclesiastical tradition.
Blondel and others, under the influence of modern philosophy, thought that modern man could not be satisfied with past ways of thinking. They provided an intellectual foundation upon which the Church, with a Council as a catalyst, could “update” itself or undergo an “aggiornamento.” With the foundations for the extrinsic tradition having been supplanted, the extrinsic tradition was lost. In other words, since the view of man had changed and since the view of the Deposit of Faith was subjected to a modern analysis, the extrinsic tradition, which rested upon these two, collapsed. We are currently living with the full-blown effects of that collapse. Catholics today have become fixated on the here and now, and in consequence the Church’s traditions have come to be treated not only as irrelevant but also as something to be distrusted and even, at times, demonized.
This has had several effects. The first is that those things that pertain to the extrinsic tradition and do not touch upon the intrinsic tradition are ignored. This manifests itself in the fact that some ecclesial documents today do not have any connection to the positions held by the Magisterium prior to the Second Vatican Council. For example, in the document of Vatican II on ecumenism, Unitatis Redintegratio, there is not a single mention of the two previous documents that deal with the ecumenical movement and other religions: Leo XIII’s Satis Cognitum and Pius XI’s Mortalium Animos. The approach to ecumenism and other religions in these documents is fundamentally different from the approach of the Vatican II document or Ut Unum Sint by Pope John Paul II. While the current Magisterium can change a teaching that falls under non-infallible ordinary magisterial teaching, nevertheless, when the Magisterium makes a judgment in these cases, it has an obligation due to the requirements of the moral virtue of prudence to show how the previous teaching was wrong or is now to be understood differently by discussing the two different teachings. However, this is not what has happened. The Magisterium since Vatican II often ignores previous documents which may appear to be in opposition to the current teaching, leaving the faithful to figure out how the two are compatible, such as in the cases of Mortalium Animos and Ut Unum Sint. This leads to confusion and infighting within the Church as well as the appearance of contradicting previous Church teaching without explanation or reasoned justification."
Pew (Phew!) Research makes you realize how uninformed our citizenery really is. Awful!
This really is quite interesting....give it a try. It is an online test from the Pew Research Institute. There are no tricks here - just a simple test to see if you are current on your information. This is quite good and the results are shocking. Test your knowledge of current events and elementary knowledge with 12 questions, then be ready to shudder when you see how others did.Monsignor Brad Offutt on hand for the Corpus Christi devotions at the Oratory
We were especially glad to see Msgr. Offutt at Old Saint Patrick for the Corpus Christi procession. Msgr. Offutt played an indispensable role in the development and direction of the renovation effort from 2005 through 2008. Although his contributions were varied and many, one of the most important was the research and obtaining, with great difficulty, the Oratory's beautiful main and side marble altars from a closed church in the Boston, MA diocese. Current parishioners and parishioners to come will have much to be grateful for his work and leadership during the initial years of the Oratory's transfer for the celebration of the traditional Latin Mass...now known as the Extraordinary Form...very EXTRAORDINARY indeed!
Beautiful Corpus Christi Procession from Old St. Patrick
The Oratory was beautiful and Canon Avis had the altar brightly embellished with 30 majestic candles and attractive flower arrangements. We believe that it made a very good impression on the many first-time visitors to the Oratory. Overheard were numerous compliments on the beauty of the church.
Bishop Finn and Archbishop Naumann enter the Oratory in procession with other priests, deacons, and seminarians.
Processing past the newly completed headquarters of the J. E. Dunn Construction Company, reminded us to renew our gratitude for the company's generous gift to the Oratory during its reconstruction.
Is this scene below a contradiction???!!!. We thought there was to be separation between Church and State. Briefly, anyway, they seemed very close.
Some of the 500 or so faithful in procession from parishes across both dioceses - Kansas and Missouri sides of the state line.
Archbishop Naumann recites prayers of the ceremony in the brief blessing given at the half-way point on the north end of the very attractive municipal Ilus Davis park.
After the blessing Bishop Finn continued the procession by assuming the carrying of the Blessed Sacrament.
Some of the faithful re-entering the Oratory for final Benediction.
It was a beautiful day and a holy and solemn continuation of a timeless Catholic show of adoration for the True Presence in the Holy Eucharist.
Father Evan Harkins to celebrate a First Mass, Sunday, June 6th at Old St. Patrick
A year and a half ago, during the Consecration and re-Dedication of Old St. Patrick, Evan Harkins served on the altar as a seminarian. He is now a priest, being ordained on May 29th by our beloved Bishop, Robert Finn at the Cathedral. He shown above incensing the congregation during that ceremony.At a special Mass next Sunday, June 6th (10:15 a.m.) at which the new priest will be the celebrant, Father Harkins will say a First Mass. After Mass, Father Harkins will give the congregation the opportunity to receive a "first blessing". An opportunity exists during this first blessing to receive a Plenary Indulgence. For your information and edification, there is an interesting web page at which you can read of other occasions at which one may receive this indulgence. (This photo is from the blogger's archive).
Two Corpus Christi Processions at Old St. Patrick this year!
There is a unique opportunity for Catholics this year at Old St. Patrick...TWO Corpus Christi processions. The first is:
Thursday - June 3rd
The Feast of Corpus Christi
High Mass - 6:30 p.m. with a special guest choir
Followed by a procession of the Most Blessed Sacrament
The second is:
Sunday - June 6th
The External Solemnity of the Feast of Corpus Christi
Adoration and Holy Hour - 1:00 p.m.
Procession of the Most Blessed Sacrament - 2:30 p.m.
His Excellency Bishop Robert W. Finn
The Latin Mass community of Old St. Patrick and formerly of Our Lady of Sorrows parish have always done well celebrating this most beautiful ceremony. In 2005, Bishop Finn led the first Corpus Christi procession in over four decades in this diocese down the streets of midtown Kansas City. Over 2,000 faithful participated, with much assistance by members of the OSP faithful, including taking part in the planning, providing servers and canopy carriers. (Photos are from the blogger's archive.)
In 2006, shortly after Bishop Finn announced the formation of the parish of Old Saint Patrick, we held our procession on a beautiful Sunday morning around the Our Lady of Sorrows church property. Our first rector, Father Denis Buchholz led the procession to a special altar erected in the back parking lot of the church.
The Holy See visits our blog!
We just started posting again to this blog a couple of days ago...and among our first visitors is some computer at the Holy See searching for an image of Monsignor Michael Schmitz the U.S. Provincial Superior of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest. We welcome whoever it was looking. We have posted several very nice photos of Monsignor over the last couple of years. We're pleased the Vatican came looking.
Another SCARY invasion of our privacy disclosed!
You won't believe this. Your discarded copy machine is a source of highly confidential information about you – your personal business and your business business. Will the intrusion ever end?
Read this and weep!
A Sunny Morning...at last...greeted us on Pentecost
We've been preparing for our move for over 2 months... boxing... packing... pain... ache... etc. At last, the time neared for the actual move and the skies opened for about a week of steady rain. On our moving day there was a break in the moisture and we successfully loaded and unloaded the truck without a drop falling. So we're in our new condo in the south Plaza/Brookside area. It's a mess of course! But, habitable. This morning early, we looked out the window of our 5th floor and to our surprise there was blue skies and fluffy clouds in the morning sky. Alleluia! The descent of the Holy Ghost is celebrated with a glorious day in our new surroundings.
Two former Old St. Patrick members take final vows
In this photo, courtesy of Kansas Catholic, two former members of the Old St. Patrick community are shown leaving the Oratory at the end of the four hour ceremony on May 15, 2010 in which Bishop Finn presided over their perpetual profession of vows and their espousal to Jesus Christ. The sisters, members of the order of the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles shown are (in the front) Sister Gemma of Jesus, daughter of David and Kathy Wilson and in the second row to the left, Sister Tarcisia of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, daughter of Paul and Felicia Villotti. Bishop Finn is shown overlooking the recessional in the back row to the right.
May perpetual light shine upon him
Daniel Ziglinski
Lux Aeterna, luceat eis Domine
9/14/1967 - 5/15/2010
Requiem High Mass
11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 22, 2010
Old St. Patrick Oratory, 806 Cherry St., KCMO
Rosary
5:00 p.m., Friday, May 21, 2010
McGilley Midtown Chapel, 20 W. Linwood Blvd., KCMO
Visitation
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Don Deister Passes
When I went to find a picture of Don to post on this sad message, I discovered that Don's name appeared 4,095 times on my computer. And that there were 94 photographs of Don that were used in our various bulletins, websites and blogs over the last 15 years during the Our Lady of Sorrows days and during the renovation of Old St. Patrick and since. This photo is my favorite. It shows Don during one of his many, many long days of labor leading the renovation of Old St. Patrick. In this photo he advises his crew of loyal and dedicated volunteers to..."measure twice - cut once!"All these mentions and images is just an indication of how important Don Deister was to our Latin Mass community and to all of us individually.
I've never met a person as unselfish and giving of his time and advice than Don. He did so many things for all of us.
And, now he is gone.
In my heart I do not grieve for Don because he has reached the goal that all of us live for...our eternal reward. And for that I am jubilant. I grieve for Bernie and for their children, because of the loss in their lives.
God bless you, Don. May perpetual light shine upon you. I believe with all my heart that I have a new saint to pray to.
We understand there will be a Requiem High Mass at 10:15 a.m. Saturday, January 30th at Old St. Patrick Oratory - 806 Cherry /
Downtown Kansas City, Missouri
Rosary will be said Friday evening, January 29th at 7:00 p.m. at
St. Therese Church
7207 N. W. Highway 9, Kansas City, MO 64152
With regrets this blog must be now closed
Those involved in producing this blog have been unable for the last months to maintain it. We hoped that another group would perhaps assume the duties and the work. However it has apparently fallen through.
So, we must at this juncture call a "finis".
The Institute of Christ the King's website has a Kansas City/Old St. Patrick page. Click here to access that information.
Special thanks to Steve Calovich
It was very nice to see some old friends at the Oratory last night, people that ordinarily do not attend Mass with us. Among them was Steve Calovich and his sister Celine, members of the Blessed Sacrament Latin Mass Community (KCKS). They shared Holy Mass with us. And Steve brought a gift...the T-Shirt (above) for Oratory members. The message on the front says: Follow me to Old St. Patricks...They do Latin Rite! A very clever turn of the phrase.
Steve gave us three of these t-shirts. So if you'd like one (XL), just email and let us know. First come, first served.
It was so nice to see these folks. Steve was a former member of the Our Lady of Sorrows Latin Mass Community and Celine taught catechism classes for primary age children at Blessed Sacrament for many years. The Calovichs also wanted to let you know how beautiful they thought our new church is!
Kudos to Canon Avis, the choir and the altar servers
High Mass at the Oratory Thursday evening for the feast of the Ascension was beautiful and reverent. AND, the choir and organ performance was very, very good. The new choir director and organist did an excellent job with just a few voices. It is difficult to achieve a good blend with men's and women's voices singing Gregorian chant together. It was very well done last night. Plus, we had the opportunity to hear a bit of the formidable capabilities of our new pipe organ during the recessional. Thanks to all who participated.
First...you must read Italian...
If you speak/read Italian or can "intuit" what the site is saying, the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia-Dei" has a revised web site up and running.
It has documents, commentary, information, and events about the activities of the commission.
You can translate the site page by page using Google Language , if that helps.
Ascension Thursday - May 21st
Thursday, May 21st is the Feast of the Ascension. Masses will be at 12:10 (Noon) p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Everyone is reminded that there is no parking in the OSP lot on week-days.
This is the Introit for the feast day (Acts of the Apostles i, 11):
"Ye men of Galilee, why wonder yo, looking up to heaven? alleluia. He shall so come as you have seen Him going up into heaven, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, Ps. O clap your hands, all ye nations: shout unto God, with the voice of exultation. Glory be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost."
For more information about the fact and the feast, click here.
The Death of A Pope - by Piers Paul Read
Pat Ziglinski, "the mother of Latin Mass in Kansas City", had this novel on sale at one of her periodic book sales in the narthex last Sunday. Not being able to resist a thriller and especially one with a Church angle, we had to buy it. We're into it by about 50 pages and it is very promising.Jeff Miller, posting on The Curt Jester blog, reviews the book, thusly:
"There are not exactly too many books that could be described as an "ecclesiastical thriller". The new book by Piers Paul Read called "The Death of a Pope" is certainly part of that small genre, but not limited by that.
The novel starts with a trial for a laicized priest who had been working for an international Catholic charity and had been arrested for trying to buy nerve agent. The plot builds from there in the last weeks of Pope John Paul II's life and it follows a serious threat as you might expect from the thriller genre. The main characters follow a range mainly along a faithful Catholic and lapsed/liberal Catholic divide that includes a Cardinal, priests, a reporter, and various personnel from security agencies.
The split between faithful and less than faithful Catholics is part of the plot of the book and some of the dialogue concerns hot issues of the day such as condom use, women priests, etc. Though the book never lapses into just a vehicle for apologetics that is artificial and the issues raised are totally consistent with the plot. One thing I liked though is that the more liberal or fallen away Catholic characters were not described as unlikable stereotypes. They were treated as real people as where all the characters in the book. As you would expect from a novel published by Ignatius Press the sympathy of the book is certainly in an Orthodox Catholic direction - but again I liked it focusing on plot and characters and not making the novel a soapbox which is always a disastrous decision.
"The Death of a Pope" was a thoroughly satisfying read from the start to the end and totally satisfying how the plot resolves. While it is an enjoyable read for Catholics, the novel is quite well written and should see a large audience."
Christian population in the Holy Land declining rapidly
The New York Times published this story today about how the number of Christians in the various countries of the Holy Land is falling precipitously. The implications of this decline are many. We suggest that you read this story to understand what is happening as the Muslim population explosion continues throughout the world.
This link will take you to some information about what The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem is doing in the mideast to help support Christianity in the Holy Land. For more information about the Order and its work, click here.
Update...and explanation
A couple of days ago we were pleased to post a thank you to a member of the Oratory who was very involved as a volunteer...dedicating many hours in service. We thought that we had this person's permission to post this kudo. However, post-publication the person contacted us and asked that the post be removed.
So, we tried. If someone doesn't wish to be recognized in this way, we can't force them. Our thanks to all who are giving of their time and treasure for the benefit of the Oratory.
Fascinating reading...Vatican opens secret documents regarding Henry VIII's break with Rome
The actual letter in which King Henry VIII requests annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. The rest is history. Pope Clement VII refuses and the Anglican schism follows. A photograph of the annulment request letter with the attached official seals of many of the King's supporters is shown in this article from Vatican Archives. You don't have to be a history wonk to be fascinated by this release of previously secret document.
Christian charity...sometimes hard to accept
A reader writes about an incident in which help was offered at the church building to another person of our community. This help was rudely refused. This reader suggested the basically insipid Christian "new age" tune might be right after all. Here's a verse of the lyric.
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we'll guard each one's dignity and save each one's pride
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love.
Archbishop Weakland admits he's a homosexual
The former archbishop of Milwaukee admits his sins.Why?
To atone? Not likely. To sell his new book, of course.
Prayers for our priests...close to us and far...during the Priestly Year
We interrupt this hiatus for this timely information about Indulgences for the Year of Priests.
We thank Rorate-Caeli for this from the Vatican regarding Indulgences for the Priestly Year, (June 19, 2009 to June 19, 2010]
"To the truly penitent priests who, in any day, pray at least the morning Lauds or Vespers before the Most Holy Sacrament, exposed in public Adoration or in the Tabernacle, and, following the example of Saint John Mary Vianney, offer themselves with prompt and generous will in the celebration of the Sacraments, above all of Confession, a Plenary Indulgence is mercifully granted in God, which they may also apply to their deceased brothers in suffrage if, in conformity with the current norms, they go to sacramental confession and Eucharist, and pray for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff.
"A partial Indulgence is also granted to the priests, also applicable to their deceased brothers, every time they devoutly pray duly approved prayers to lead a holy life and to fulfill in a holy manner the duties assigned to them.
"To all the penitent faithful who, in a Church or Oratory, devoutly assist at the Divine Sacrifice of the Mass and offer prayers to Jesus Christ, Supreme and Eternal Priest, for the priests of the Church, as well as any good work accomplished in that day, so that He may sanctify them and conform them to His Heart, is granted a Plenary Indulgence, if they have sanctified their own sins in sacramental penance and raised prayers for the intention of the Supreme Pontiff: on the days in which the Priestly Year is opened and closed, on the day of the 150th anniversary of the pious death of Saint John Mary Vianney, on the first Thursday of every month, or on any other day established by the Ordinary of the place for the use of the faithful. ...
"To the aged, the infirm, and all those who, for legitimate reason, cannot leave their house, with the rejection of every sin and the intention of fulfilling, as soon as possible, the three conditions, will also be granted in their own house, or wherever their condition retains them, a plenary indulgence if, on the aforementioned days, they recite prayers for the sanctification of priests and offer the infirmities and discomforts of their lives faithfully to God through Mary, Queen of the Apostles.
"Partial indulgence is also granted to all the faithful every time they devoutly recite five times the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Glory be, or other appropriately approved prayer, in honor of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, to obtain that the priests may keep themselves in purity and sanctity of life."
Patrick Barvick to be ordained as a Deacon May 22nd
Patrick Barvick, son of Old Saint Patrick members Anna Marie and Gary Barvick will be ordained a Deacon of the Church on May 22nd.The ordination will be held in the Cathedral of the Risen Christ in Lincoln, Nebraska. Patrick has been a seminarian in the diocese since 2001.
His service as a Deacon will last one year, after which Patrick will be ordained a priest of the Lincoln, Nebraska diocese.
Patrick began his service in the sanctuary when he was seven years old as a server for the Latin Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows parish. He continued as an altar boy until he graduated from high school when he was 18 years old.
As our former Latin Mass chaplain, Father Francis Kriski has said many times, the most efficacious training for the priesthood is altar boy service.
Our congratulations go to Patrick and to his parents and brothers and sisters at this very exciting time.
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