Be Proud You're A Catholic!

Excerpts of an article written by non-Catholic Sam Miller - a prominent Cleveland Jewish businessman:

"Why would newspapers carry on a vendetta on one of the most important institutions that we have today in the United States, namely the Catholic Church?

Do you know - the Catholic Church educates 2.6 million students everyday at the cost to that Church of 10 billion dollars, and a savings on the other hand to the American taxpayer of 18 billion dollars. The graduates go on to graduate studies at the rate of 92%.

The Church has 230 colleges and universities in the U.S. with an enrollment of 700,000 students.

The Catholic Church has a non-profit hospital system of 637 hospitals, which account for hospital treatment of 1 out of every 5 people - not just Catholics - in the United States today

But the press is vindictive and trying to totally denigrate in every way the Catholic Church in this country. They have blamed the disease of pedophilia on the Catholic Church, which is as irresponsible as blaming adultery on the institution of marriage.

Let me give you some figures that Catholics should know and remember. For example,

12% of the 300 Protestant clergy surveyed admitted to sexual intercourse with a parishioner.

38% acknowledged other inappropriate sexual contact in a study by the United Methodist Church.

41.8% of clergy women reported unwanted sexual behavior.

17% of laywomen have been sexually harassed.

Meanwhile, 1.7% of the Catholic clergy has been found guilty of pedophilia.

10% of the Protestant ministers have been found guilty of pedophilia. This is not a Catholic Problem.

A study of American priests showed that most are happy in the priesthood and find it even better than they had expected, and that most, if given the choice, would choose to be priests again in face of all this obnoxious PR the church has been receiving.

The Catholic Church is bleeding from self-inflicted wounds. The agony that Catholics have felt and suffered is not necessarily the fault of the Church. You have been hurt by a small number of wayward priests that have probably been totally weeded out by now.

Walk with your shoulders high and you head higher. Be a proud member of the most important non-governmental agency in the United States .

Then remember what Jeremiah said: 'Stand by the roads, and look and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is and walk in it, and find rest for your souls'. Be proud to speak up for your faith with pride and reverence and learn what your Church does for all other religions.

Be proud that you're a Catholic.

America's Bishops say "NO!"

In the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Archbishop of Philadelphia, Charles Chaput, succinctly expresses the essence of the Church's stance on the Obama attack on religious organizations, the belief's and faith.

The headline is: HHS Mandate is Insulting and Dangerous

Here's an excerpt from the article:

"The current administration prides itself on being measured and deliberate.

The current HHS mandate needs to be understood as exactly that. Commentators are using words like “gaffe,” “ill conceived,” and “mistake” to describe the mandate. They’re wrong.

It’s impossible to see this regulation as some happenstance policy. It has been too long in the making.

Despite all of its public apprehension about “culture warriors” on the political right in the past, the current administration has created an HHS mandate that is the embodiment of culture war. At its heart is a seemingly deep distrust of the formative role religious faith has on personal and social conduct, and a deep distaste for religion’s moral influence on public affairs. To say that this view is contrary to the Founders’ thinking and the record of American history would be an understatement.

Critics may characterize my words here as partisan or political. These are my personal views, and of course people are free to disagree. But it is this administration – not Catholic ministries, or institutions, or bishops – that chose the timing and nature of the fight. The onus is entirely on the White House, which also has the power to remove the issue from public conflict.

Catholics should not be misled into accepting feeble compromises on issues of principle. The HHS mandate is bad law; and not merely bad, but dangerous and insulting. It needs to be withdrawn – now."

Ave Maria University says..."NO!"

Kansas City STAR calls for Bishop Finn's resignation...what a bunch of nonsense!

There is not a single shred of doubt in this writer's mind that Bishop Finn has done everything possible to punish past evil actions perpetrated by some priest's in the Kansas City-St. Joseph diocese. There is also not a single shred of doubt that he has done everything humanly possible to institute safeguards to protect children in the diocese now and for the future.

This morning the Kansas City STAR editorial board published a scurrilous and transparently biased opinion that called for our beloved Bishop Finn to resign. (Click here to ruin your day).

Our Bishop has proven himself time after time, instance after instance as the finest leader of our diocese in living memory. If you have time, please write the STAR regarding this cheap shot at Robert Finn.

The Kansas City STAR is nearly bankrupt financially...and not too far from closing the doors. Publishing nonsense such as this won't help its survival in a dying industry.

UPDATE: Here are some reactions by the faithful this far...

http://kansascatholic.blogspot.com/2011/06/you-knew-this-was-coming-kansas-city.html

FYI - Holy Week Schedule

Holy Thursday - April 21st

High Mass at 7:00 p.m. followed by Adoration until midnight

Good Friday - April 22nd

Stations of the Cross at 12:00 Noon

Good Friday Liturgy at 6:30 p.m.

Holy Saturday - April 23rd

Easter Vigil at 8:30 p.m.

Easter Sunday - April 24th

Low Mass at 8:00 a.m.

High Mass at 10:15 a.m.

Old St. Patrick Oratory's Canon William Avis to be interviewed on Catholic Radio

A parishioner sends this info about radio interview.

Canon Avis will be on Catholic radio (1090 AM) this Wednesday, April 13th from 3:00 to 4:00 pm CDT. You can also pick it up at www.thecatholicradionetwork.com.

He will be talking about Old St. Patrick Oratory's life, himself and the Catholic Church with the KEXS host.

ALL ARE INVITED TO HELP ON SISTER'S BARN RAISING - APRIL 16TH

Benedictine Barn Raising!

You are cordially invited to assist the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles in a barn raising on Saturday April 16th beginning at 9 am. We will be erecting a cow shed and enclosing a pasture for a milk cow. We hope to complete both projects in one day, so bring your family and friends!

All are invited.

• Those that have carpentry skills should bring saws, hammers, tin snips and battery powered drills to erect the cow shed. Limited electrical power will be available via a portable generator.
• Fence builders are also needed. Bring post hole diggers, metal stake drivers, wire cutters and heavy pliers to assist in building a barbless fence with electric wire.
• Plenty of “go fers” (as in go fer this and go fer that”) are also needed. So, if you don’t have much experience in building, we need plenty of people to move fence supplies into position so other can drive them into the ground and shuttle barn pieces to those erecting the barn. This is perfect for those with older children.

Location - The Sisters are located approximately 45 minutes north of Kansas City, and 10 minutes north of Gower, Mo. Click here for a map.

Priory or Our Lady of Ephesus

8005 NW 316th Street

Gower, MO. 64454

Questions and RSVP – Please contact Paul Villotti with questions. In order to know how many to expect for lunch, please let Paul know how many will be in your party. Feel free to leave a message.

Home – 816-862-6368

Cell - 816-872-6120

Those wishing to help offset the cost of this work may send donations to Mother Cecilia at the Priory. Please make a note that the donation is for the barn project. The Sisters thank you for all your help and prayers for the successful completion of this project.

P.S. Those wishing to assist with prep work this Saturday, April 2nd at 9 am. should contact Paul so we can have enough for lunch. Thanks in advance for all your help!

Christmas at Gower!

The Benedictine Sisters have moved into their new home and it is beautiful. Here are a couple of photos. The first is of their new chapel. The second is a White Christmas at the new convent. For more photos and information, click here.

Parishoner Alan Troyer played a generous part in a story of leukemia defeated

Alan, who has been a parishioner at Old Saint Patrick and at the Our Lady of Sorrows Latin Mass Community has been a regular donor of blood at the Community Blood Bank. Over the years, he has donated over 20 gallons.

But, donors and recipients very seldom have the opportunity to meet. That changed recently as this story broadcast on various TV stations in Kansas City reported last night and this morning.

It is a very moving story...about usually anonymous donors helping others defeat serious surgery or diseases. Just click on the video to play.

Couldn't resist placing the newest "Kansas Catholic" in this setting

In a post this morning the Kansas Catholic blog announced the birth of their newest child yesterday afternoon. This blogger, with probably more time on our hands than is healthy, took the newborn's picture to a fanciful extreme. Couldn't help it. All our blessings go out to the new baby girl and the entire family.

Vatican Library re-opens after a three-year renovation

Members of OSP know well about long renovation projects. According to the Associated Press, this beautiful photograph, is a view of the Sistine Hall, part of the Vatican Apostolic Library, Vatican City, Monday, Sept. 13, 2010. The Vatican's Apostolic Library is reopening to scholars following a three-year renovation to improve its cataloging and security measures.The library, which houses one of the world's best collections of illuminated manuscripts, opens its doors Sept. 20. Details will be announced Monday at a press conference. The library was started by Pope Nicholas V in the 1450s with an initial 350 Latin manuscripts. By the time Nicholas died in 1455, the collection had swelled to about 1,500 codices and was the largest in Europe.

On the way to Florida

As many of you know, Robin and I are moving to Florida. Robin has had the wonderful fortune to be offered the position of teaching 1st grade at Ave Maria University's preparatory school, Donahue Academy. It is her "dream job". And as much as we love Kansas City and Old St. Patrick, it was an offer that we couldn't refuse.

It happened very quickly and unexpectedly. She has now been 'on the job' for three weeks and I will be joining her this coming week...after getting many things settled in Kansas City. Robin loves it! After years teaching in a public school atmosphere, this assignment is a blessing for her and for us. The school is ideal in philosophy and reality. The children and the families are as good as you could possibly imagine. And the beautiful new town of Ave Maria, Florida is a blessing in all respects. Plus, the Gulf of Mexico is just a half-hour drive! No oil on Naples, FL pristine beaches.

Here are a few pictures: 1) the first is a photo of the school; 2) the second is a photo of the condominium building in which we will be living; and 3) the third is our view from the apartment at night toward the magnificent Ave Maria Oratory just across the street from where we live.

We hope to continue blogging from time to time about Old St. Patrick Oratory doings. But we must rely on folks sending us the news. We will return from time to time to Kansas City and will spend next summer here in our home.

This is a standing invitation to any who might visit S.W. Florida and would like a tour of Ave Maria Town and University. As soon as we get some furniture, we may have a spare room available too. God bless all OSP members and those who read this weblog. A.M.D.G.

Here's some more about Ave Maria that we posted about a year and a half ago on the occasion of our first visit.

P.S. We want to express greetings from Virginia and Patrick Hanley who are neighbors at Ave Maria. The Hanley's were members of the Latin Mass Community at Our Lady of Sorrows in Kansas City for a number of years, leaving to move to Delaware and eventually to Ave Maria. They have been very kind and helpful to us in getting settled.

A reminder that laughter is the best medicine...

With a mother who is 93 and a with a Father who just died this year at age 96, and as a senior citizen myself, I was moved to emotion and to "rolling-in-the-aisles" laughter at this prayer given by a senior citizen at a banquet of senior care professionals. Hope you enjoy it.

Benedictine Sisters continue to make marked progress on their first building...

For more pictures, click here.

5th Anniversary of Bishop Finn's announcement of our move to Old St. Patrick is celebrated

A small group of Old St. Patrick parishioners gathered Saturday evening, August 14th to commemorate Bishop Finn's visit to Our Lady of Sorrows and our 9:15 a.m. Mass five years ago on August 14, 2005 to tell us that he was giving us the use of Old St. Patrick Oratory for the exclusive celebration of the traditional Latin Mass.

Bishop Finn honored the gathering with his presence. In an emotional and extremely well-spoken presentation, parishioner Paul Villotti presented Bishop Finn with a remembrance of the evening -- a beautiful crucifix, the corpus of which was carved by his son Jacob Villotti and then cast in plaster. The cross-pieces of wood of the crucifix were constructed of salvaged pine flooring from the renovation of the Oratory. It was strikingly done.

Bishop Finn thanked all for the celebration and the gift. He also thanked Canon Avis and the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest for agreeing to assume the service of the Old St. Patrick Oratory community. Bishop Finn's comments were clearly heartfelt and, as always, full of humor that caused laughter, cheers and and great satisfaction.

The evening also celebrated the birth date of Don Deister R.I.P, who would have been 75 years old that date. Don's widow, Bernie Deister and his son Craig Deister were on hand to celebrate with us.

The celebration was sponsored by Paul and Felicia Villotti, Joe and Jo Ann Farris and by John and Robin Quastler. Photos of a few of those in attendance follow...

Very Happy Families...Old St. Patrick's Jack Potts marries in California

Parishioner Jack Potts and Anne Marie Sauder of Ponce, Puerto Rico were joined in Holy Matrimony July 24th in Ventura, California. Jack is the son of John and Jennifer Potts of Kansas City. The bride is the daughter of Carl and Kathy Sauder of Puerto Rico. Anne Marie's parents were both graduates of Thomas Aquinas College as are the newly-weds. The couple plans to return to Kansas City to form their new home as Jack will continue his education by studying for a nursing degree. Our very best wishes to Jack and Anne Marie!!!

(Shown in the photo are (left to right): John Potts, Jenny Potts, Jack Potts and Anne Marie Sauder Potts.)

Garden of our God!

In Colorado, just an hour and eight minutes by air...there are naturally astonishing vistas that native Americans thought were the work of many deities. But of course, we know differently. This view was taken in the 1,500+ acre Garden of the Gods park looking toward Pike's Peak in the center shrouded that morning with low clouds. This park is a "don't miss" attraction if you're in the Colorado Springs area.

Latin Mass in the Denver Diocese - Strong and Thriving

Yesterday morning when we left to return to Kansas City after a week in the mountains it was 59 degrees. Quite a difference in temperature when we stepped off the plane. The thermostat in our car at KCI airport parking lot read 112 degrees.

But, back to the point! We had the opportunity during our visit to attend Mass at the FSSP apostolate in Littleton, Colorado (Denver diocese). Father James Jackson, FSSP is the pastor. Many of you may know Father as he's from the midwest and a product of the KU Humanities program. The photo above was taken at the High Mass this last Sunday.

This parish, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is extremely healthy with near capacity attendance at three Masses on Sundays. The parish, which is dedicated solely to the Extraordinary Form of the Mass as is Old St. Patrick, is in the midst of a capital campaign to build a new church and social facilities. Here's an architect's rendering of the new building design. Looks beautiful doesn't it? Our prayers for their successful fund-raising goes to them.

360 Degree Viewing of the Sistine Chapel.

Follow this link for a spectacular view of the Sistine Chapel. Just move your mouse over the image when the picture fully loads. It allows you to move around, up and down and also allows you to enlarge or reduce any segment of the video. The only thing better would be to actually visit the chapel in person. A reader sent this link for our enjoyment.

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.

Pithy Health Advice

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

This is very much worth the five minutes it will take to read this superb message:

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.

http://pewresearch.org/politicalquiz/quiz/index.php

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.

Lovely sunset from our new vantage point

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.