Psalm 2: Quare fremuerunt gentes

1 Why have the Gentiles raged, and the people devised vain things?
2 The kings of the earth stood up, and the princes met together, against the Lord, and against his Christ.
3 Let us break their bonds asunder: and let us cast away their yoke from us.
4 He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh at them: and the Lord shall deride them.
5 Then shall he speak to them in his anger, and trouble them in his rage.
6 But I am appointed king by him over Sion, his holy mountain, preaching his commandment.
7 The Lord hath said to me: Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee.
8 Ask of me, and I will give thee the Gentiles for thy inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession.
9 Thou shalt rule them with a rod of iron, and shalt break them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
10 And now, O ye kings, understand: receive instruction, you that judge the earth.
11 Serve ye the Lord with fear: and rejoice unto him with trembling.
12 Embrace discipline, lest at any time the Lord be angry, and you perish from the just way.
13 When his wrath shall be kindled in a short time, blessed are all they that trust in him.

My personal ideas regarding this and its pertinence to Rochester revolve around the first two verses: 1 Why have the Gentiles raged, and the people devised vain things? 2 The kings of the earth stood up, and the princes met together, against the Lord, and against his Christ. Why have people risen up and devised vain things? Is it because we grow too proud of our status, our goals or intentions, our liturgical positions? Let us not form tribunals to condemn Our Lord as seen in the second verse. However, let us convene tribunals to restore respect and majesty to His Liturgy. After all, it is His.

Compline at Christ Church on Sunday evenings

Dear CF readers - I offer to you a wonderful way to end your Sunday by attending a Compline Service. Compline marks the close of the "Hours of the Divine Office", and its origins date back to the 4th Century monastic custom of private prayer and devotion before retiring. St. Benedict is responsible for the name of the office, its liturgical character and arrangement.


Each Sunday evening at 9 p.m. from October through April there is a candlelit Compline Service held at Christ Episcopal Church on East Avenue. The service is sung by the Schola Cantorum under the direction of Stephen Kennedy, director of music and organist at Christ Church. Mr. Kennedy is also on the faculty of Eastman School of Music.

Candlelight Concerts

Candlelight Concerts precede Compline at 8:30pm each first Sunday of each month from October through April. Concerts given by fine local musicians are underwritten by contributions from Christ Church Friends of Music.

Remember this is NOT in a Catholic Church, but an Episcopal Church, but the music is VERY Roman Catholic. Christ Church obviously doesn't have the Blessed Sacrament reserved in the tabernacle so there is no need to genuflect. This is a concert and not a Catholic service. The atmosphere is very quiet and is done in candlelight. We need to get all of this music back into the Catholic Church. The total Compline service lasts about 25 minutes.

Oh Dear God - They've Got Prayer Cards Now

First was the video in English.

Then was the video with Spanish subtitles.

Now there are prayer cards with the song's refrain on them.


If you are able, you might consider going to the Cleansing Fire store at zazzle.com, located half way down on your right, and ordering a stack of Cleansing Fire prayer cards to . . . "distrubute" . . . to various people and parishes. Profits will be given to local parishes. Yes, you know the ones I mean.

"And He Found It to be Very Good"

The fact that God created the world and everything within it and upon it reinforces the sanctity and validity of much, if not all that Christians hold dear. However, when one compounds the majesty and mystery of Creation with the fullness of the Paschal Mysteries, how can one deny that the highest form of Christian worship in all of Creation is the Traditional Latin Mass? Naturally, we hold that all Masses bring about the same sanctifying grace. The Latin Mass does this and then supplements it with humility, true sacrifice and an unrivaled spiritual experience. Where else can one "see the Lord descend meekly, lowly at the word of the priest?" Yes, Novus Ordo Masses are noble and valid. There is no question that a Novus Ordo Mass done correctly and with reverence can bestow the same feelings of heavenly fulfillment. However, the New Mass is easily corrupted by politics, bickering, personal liberties and inaccuracies. There is no room for error in the Traditional Latin Mass, no possibility of stating an agenda, no chance for corruption.

I write this after having attended the most magnificently prepared Latin Mass in Rochester in several years. Schola and choir intertwined to create strains of song which rival even those of the angels above. The Mass was an absolute pleasure to every sense, tangible and intangible. How can priests, bishops and the like demonize the Traditions we saw (and will continue to see) when God Himself gave the liturgy to us? And the same holds true for those who pass judgment upon the Novus Ordo Mass as an entity. The Mass itself is an honourable thing, no matter what rite. Abuse within the Mass is what causes one to lose heart and spiritual vigor. This presents a question that must be answered: Should we embrace a Mass in which there is no room for abuse, or should we embrace a Mass "fresh in its possibilities," but riddled with problems and weaknesses when given to the wrong shepherds?

Psalm 1: Beatus Vir

We will be starting an occaisional article here in which a psalm will be posted and readers are invited to draw from it whatever they might be able to. Many of the psalms have a great deal of relevance to those of us who are exiles, oppressed in certain parishes, berated for our orthodoxy etc . . . Please feel free to post your thoughts on the psalm in the comment box below.

We will cover all 150 Psalms, so we will start at the very beginning with the first psalm.

Psalm 1
1 Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the chair of pestilence:
2 But his will is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he shall meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree which is planted near the running waters, which shall bring forth its fruit, in due season. And his leaf shall not fall off: and all whatsoever he shall do shall prosper.
4 Not so the wicked, not so: but like the dust, which the wind driveth from the face of the earth.
5 Therefore the wicked shall not rise again in judgment: nor sinners in the council of the just.
6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the just: and the way of the wicked shall perish.

"She's Not the Only Lay Administrator"

Thus was the claim of an anonymous commenter a while back in response to one of the stories about Sr. Joan Sobala. I thought it time to share with you an experience a friend had at St. Thomas More. He has asked for anonymity, and I will respect his wishes.

Below is his story:

I was asked to serve a benediction for a local prayer society, and St. Thomas More was selected for its location and size. We all knew that Mrs. Margaret Ostromecki was (and is) the administrator there, and that, while not as liturgically-flawed as other administrators, was still in the same boat.

The first indication that something was wrong was that she was supposed to arrive at the church at 7:00 to open up the sacristy, give us the key for the tabernacle, get out the monstrance etc . . . Well, she didn't show up until about 7:45, when we were half way through a "prayer service" sans benediction. Since I was serving, I could clearly see into the sacristy. When I looked up for a moment, I saw a woman standing in the doorway waving me towards her. So I got up and followed.

When I got into the sacristy, she didn't bother to introduce herself. The first thing she said was, "What do you guys need for benediction?" I told her that we needed the monstrance, the key to the tabernacle, a humeral veil, the thurible, incense, charcoal and the book containing the various prayers for benediction. Well, it was not going to be that simple. First, she got out the book and the incense components. However, she also got out a box of unconsecrated hosts. "Fine," I thought. "She's just getting ready for Mass tomorrow morning." Oh, I was so wrong. She then came back into the room with the monstrance, and proceed to place an unconsecrated host inside the lunette, and then into the monstrance. At first, this didn't even register, but then I thought to myself, "Wow. That's really wrong." So I said, "Ma'am, we need the key to the tabernacle so we can put a consecrated host in the monstrance." She then looked at me and, with a look of absolute amazement said, "Well, if that's the way you guys do it, go ahead." I then asked her for the key, but she said she would just go out and get the host and put it in. I then told her that we have a priest who will do that.

After this showing of absolute sacramental ignorance, I asked for the humeral veil. In return, she got out a chasuble. I very nicely told her that a humeral veil is much different from a chasuble. At this point she said, "I don't even know what a humeral veil is. You can find it then." She left.

So, yes, the pastoral administrator at St. Thomas More thought that we would have Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament with the Most Blessed Sacrament, because, "It's not the way we do it." Thank God I'm at Our Lady of Victory where the administrator is a priest who knows where Jesus is (tabernacle) and where He is not (box of unconsecrated hosts).

In Thanksgiving to Almighty God for 50 Years of Priesthood

All who read this are most cordially welcomed this Sunday, September 27th, to Saint Stanislaus Church at 1:30 for the Tridentine Latin Mass to be celebrated by Father Gerard McMahon in honor of his 50th anniversary of ordination.

The Mass will be a Missa Cantata (a High Mass without all the ceremony). This is also the first High Mass of the choir season too. But the most important point is to give thanks to Our Lord for Father McMahon's 50 years as a faithful and orthodox priest of Christ.

Please pray that Our Lord gives us many holy priests for our local diocese and, to pray for our local diocesan seminarians that Our Lord grant them the grace of perseverance in their vocation to the Holy Priesthood.

St. Stanislaus is at the corner of Hudson Avenue and Norton Street. There is plenty of parking both behind the church and across the street from the church. There is a handicapped elevator, security on the premises and restrooms.

Our Schola Roffensis will chant the ordinary (Missa Orbis Factor) and proper parts of the Mass. The polyphonic choir will sing "Ad Te Levavi Oculos Meos" by Palestrina during the Offertory and "Sicut Cervus" also by Palestrina during the Communion.

The ordinary parts of the Mass are the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei. The proper parts are the Introit, Gradual or Tract, and both the Offertory and Communion antiphons.

Holy Communion is received kneeling at the communion rail. The priest will recite a prayer over you, there is no need to say "Amen". You should be in the state of grace (no mortal sin on your soul) to receive Holy Communion.

I hope many of you can make it as I told Father that I was posting this on the blog. So this invitation goes out to Sister Emily, Nerina, Rob, Persis, Dr. K, nyyankeegirl, Mike from dorcatholic, genjlcgettys, Honorious IV, ben, Kelly, sed, Ben Anderson, Jonathan, Gene from Rochester Catholic, MaryKay, CPT Tom, Tim Doubt, EandKMom, Tony, Scott/Mary, RochChaCha, Thy Will be Done, Bernie, Lee Strong from View from the Choir, Laura
Trifiro, Gabriella, God Among Us and IrondequoitCatholic and especially to all you "anonymous" posters. I hope that I haven't forgotten anyone. If I did, believe me, it was not intentional.

Cleansing Fire Caption Contest #2

The winning caption will receive five free Cleansing Fire prayer cards.

Incidentally, this is our 300th post. Thanks to all who read and contribute!

Why I Am Not an Evangelical

Well, so many reasons, but this video says it all. Really, folks, brace yourselves. If you watched the film "Jesus Camp," you have already seen this. However, it might be worth another view, seeing as how it really makes you feel good about being a Catholic.

A Dose of Merriment From the NY State Conservative Party

Yes, I am a member.

I was perusing the annals of YouTube and happened upon this little gem. I have always been a devoted admirer of William Buckley, and thought that this might serve as a "shot-in-the-arm" for us. It has long been said that the Conservative Party is the "Catholic Party," as evidenced by the great piety of its key founder, Mr. Buckley. If you're sick of partisan politics and seek to vote how the pope would, join the NYS Conservative Party today. (I am not getting paid for this promotion. I only do that which God and St. Bill direct me to do.)

Of Farms and Shepherds

We have all grown accustomed to the Diocese of Rochester's "touchy-feely" approach to liturgy, particularly through theme Masses, Masses with specific groups of people and Masses held in "unique" locations.

Well, evidently "farm" is now a suitable synonym for "church." Bishop Clark has decided to say a Mass in Savannah during a cluster picnic. I can only hope that he will use a communion rail to keep the swine and the cattle out. After all, that's what it's meant for.

However, one positive thing is this: the bishop is reaching out to rural Catholics in the diocese, celebrating Mass for them during a hard time. However, let's compare functions which the bishop has attended and those which he hasn't.

Has not attended:

• Nocturnal Adoration Society social functions, as his three predecessors did.
• Closing Masses at dozens of parishes.
• Closing ceremonies for the schools the DoR has closed.
• Old Rite Confirmation at St. Stanislaus.
  
• Anniversary celebrations at OLV, St. Anne (before the fall) and the entire list of "sane" parishes.

Has attended:

• Sr. Joan Sobala's "Installation Mass."
• Nancy DeRycke's "Installation Mass."
• The labyrinth.
• Numerous occasions of non-Christian "ecumenism."
• The "rainbow sash Mass."
• High school graduations.
• The production of "The Video."
• Need one continue?

So, yes, Bishop Clark will be saying Mass for a group of Catholics (Masons?) in the rural areas of the diocese. This begs one question:

Which Savannah parish is getting a new female lay administrator?

Latin Mass 4 of 4

Fourth installment touches on Canonical Digits, Washing the Hands, giving out Holy Communion and the evolution of the Latin language.

Catholic Humor/Puns

Once there was a thief who stole a priest's wristwatch, and then went to Confession immediately afterwards to that same priest. He said, "Bless me Father for I have sinned, it's been yaddah yaddah since my last Confession. I stole a wristwatch, but now I feel really bad about it and don't want it anymore. Here--you take it."

Father replies, "No thank you. You should give it back to the person you stole it from."

"Well, I offered it to him, but he didn't want it."

"In that case, you can keep it."

_____________________________________
"If Satan ever goes bald, there'll be Hell Toupee!"
---------------------------------------------

Two cannibals were sitting around chewing the fat one day, when one of them mentioned that no matter how long he boiled them, he still couldn't get a missionary tender enough to satisfy him.

"What kind of missionaries do you use?" asked the other cannibal.

"You know — the fat ones with the brown robes and the funny haircuts."

"Ah ha," replied the other. "You're not supposed to boil that kind — they're friars!"
______________________________________________

Heaven is Where:
The Police are British,
The Chefs are Italian,
The Mechanics are German,
The Lovers are French and
It's all organized by the Swiss.

Hell is Where:
The Police are German,
The Chefs are British,
The Mechanics are French,
The Lovers are Swiss and
It's all organized by the Italians.

Immaturity Gains Little, Save Annoyance

From my comment left at the post from this morning:

Until you (IrondequoitCatholic) can learn to behave yourself, or, at least, to act in a manner befitting of the faith to which you claim to belong, I have enabled comment moderation. I will permit any comment whatsoever, save those which express contempt for those of us who run this site.

Please, everyone, feel free to comment. This is only a temporary thing.

Again, my apologies. Most people have lives, and, thus do not resort to constant badgering on random websites. Even our "critics"/"opponents"/"opposition" act with dignity befitting their faith. Perhaps you, sir, can learn to do the same.

Please, people, do not stop commenting. Your input is what makes this blog great! Rest assured, I do not like silencing voices. I will just need to wait until this pre-pubescent turns 18 and is able to handle the undertaking known as "civility."

Traditional Latin Mass Explained Part 3 of 4

The third installment: Veils & dress -- Mary's role in obedience and authority -- Communion in the hand or on the tongue -- stealing the Eucharist and fasting.

A Poll For Your Musical Enjoyment

Where the conclave was previously will now be a running string of non-Dr.K polls. These new polls will not be dealing with the same subject matter, i.e. liturgy rubrics, bishops, administrators etc . . .

The first of these side-quizzes is "Which of the following is your favorite polyphonic Mass?" The options are as follows, and can be sampled by clicking the name of the Mass:

Byrd's Mass for Four Voices
Palestrina's Missa Brevis
Tallis' Mass for Four Voices
Victoria's Requiem Mass

Enjoy!

Traditional Latin Mass Explained Part 2 of 4

The second installment: Why Latin? How the church is setup and "veils and dress".

Funny Church Video

Can you find Sister Joan Chittester?

This clip is from the Erie Benedictine Sisters of which Sister Joan Chittester is a member. Can you find her? This is from the Ed Sullivan Show in 1967, the summer of love.

New Theme Mass at Sacred Heart

Brace yourselves for this one.

The Maniturgium

The trailer below is from the 1963 movie "The Cardinal".

Take note at :10 and more clearly at :29, the server on the left side of the screen. See how his hands are folded. Very typically Roman way for a server to hold his hands during church ceremonies.

Notice the Bishop is wearing a "precious" mitre as he begins the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar. Later switches to a plain gold mitre when he confers the Sacrament of Holy Orders. This mitre is called an auriphrygiata. In attendance are the deacon, subdeacon and archpriest, along with the bishop's retinue of attendants.

At 1:36, on the far left of the screen you'll notice the precious mitre being held by the "mitre bearer". He is wearing a vimpa on his shoulders. This is starting to make a comeback, but not in Rochester.

At 1:37, you'll hear the ordinandi say the Latin word "adsum". This means "I am present". You say this when your name is called, in Latin, of course. This is a short, but beautiful part of the "Litany of the Saints" when the ordinandi prostrate on the floor. At 2:14, you get a good shot of the "tonsure" on the back of the head.
The bishop then consecrates the ordinandi's hands with Chrism.

At 2:40, is a very old custom at the ordination of wrapping a priest's hand with a linen cloth called a maniturgium. This only exposed his thumbs and forefingers after his palms were anointed. Then the Bishop had the priest touch the chalice and paten with his four fingers. This symbolized the importance of what was called the 'canonical digits,' i.e., the two fingers on each hand a priest needed to celebrate Mass. These were the digits that the Iroquois Indians savagely cut off of St. Issac Jogues hands. The Indians knew he needed these fingers to celebrate Mass. The Pope Urban VIII gave permission for Issac Jogues to use his other fingers on his mutilated hands.

The maniturgium is given to a priest's mother at the first Mass on the day after his ordination. She is suppose to be buried with it. This is making a comeback too.

This part of the movie was filmed at the Cistercian Casamari Abbey in Frosinine, in Lazio province. The vestments are commonly referred to as "fiddlebacks" or "Roman" as opposed to the fuller cut Gothic vestments. The ordinandi wear their chasuables folded until they are ordained.

Cleansing Fire Caption Contest #1

Please concoct a witty/entertaining caption to the photo below.

Of Timidity

Seeing as how well-received the previous reflection was, I thought it apt to compose another, what with this spirit of pious preparation for the upcoming Missa Cantata at St. Stanislaus.

One might very well consider timidity, in its purest and most childlike form, to be a kind of evolutionary gift, something which is instilled in us by our Creator in order that we avoid pain, suffering and death unnecessarily. And one would be correct. Children hide beneath the sheltering arms of their mothers for a reason, after all. But when this childlike timidity is used as an excuse for permitting attacks and slanders against the Church, this is most decidedly not innocent. It is soul-destroying and cowardly, not deserving of one ounce of praise or even sympathy. It is a sin to permit evil to occur to Our Lord's Church, with which He entrusted us, mere mortals, two thousand years ago. Why do some continue to sit idly in silence while others are consumed by the wrath of the Progressive Church and its most decidedly not divine conjurers?

It is cowardice, and not permissible. When we are silent, we give consent as evidenced by the previous video here released. Just as silenced condemned the saints of old, it condemns us today when we do nothing to rectify error. Indeed, the spiritual works of mercy lay forth rules for living, among which are included the following words: "Instruct the ignorant." Ignorance is not a negative thing at all unless willingly accepted and vehemently defended. A child is not at fault for not knowing every aspect of the Faith flawlessly. Bishops, however, would be at fault, and most egregiously so. Every passing moment of silence earns an eternity of suffering, for out of our silence comes a willingness to overlook the abuses of the Blessed Sacrament, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the great and numerous devotions of the Church and the nobility of Christ's vicar on Earth, the pope.

To be silent is not only to consent, but to be complicit with and agreeable to every instant of sacrilegious practice, known and unknown. Look at the price of the Apostles silence, made manifest in the Crucifixion of Our Lord on Calvary. Of course, this silence was part of the Divine Plan of things, Christ's death was wholly necessary, and, indeed, the silence of the first Christians fulfilled many a prophecy. However, we are not among those gathered in fear at the foot of the cross and in the upper room. No, we are those who pompously parade about in supposed "enlightenment," declaring that we humans have more reason to glorify ourselves than God, who is above all and in all. What unrivaled arrogance is this, when the created forsake the Creator, in favor of something manufactured by those who seek to replace Divinity with banality.

Naturally, not all human beings fall into this category of willful disobedience. Many, however, fall into the sins of silence. Silence is more deadly to men's souls and bodies than any other idea, weapon or ideology. Silence permitted Adolf Hitler to rise to power. Silence permitted countless assassinations and murders in our history. Silence perpetrated crimes against humanity which are still being uncovered in remote places. Silence is the instrument of Satan, and he plays it masterfully. This maestro of mortality convinces us that it is a noble thing not to protest in the face of adveristy. He contrives lies to keep us placated and pacified. Never permit Him t wield power against us, for He is in all truth powerless. The only power which He has is that which we, in greed and pride and lust, so readily give Him. The Prince of Darkness is an impoverished sovereign, indeed, but our silence makes Him richer by the moment.

"One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent." (Acts 18:9) Need we any further urging to speak against tyranny and sacrilege? I should think not.

Traditional Latin Mass Explained Part 1 of 4

I hope many of you will attend the Missa Cantata this coming Sunday at St. Stanislaus. Mass is at 1:30 p.m. For those of you who like to sleep-in on Sunday morning, this still gives you a chance to get to Mass and have a good part of the afternoon left over.

To help explain what you will encounter at the Tridentine Latin Mass, I will post a series of 4 short videos to help explain the Mass.

Thank you also goes to Dr. K for the posting the video below. This will give you a more theological understanding of the Mass.

Any questions, leave them in the combox.

Nod of the Miter, Smack of the Crozier - September 7-21,2009

PresbyteRacers! (Or What Retired Priests or Bishops Do For Fun)

A little humorous Catholic video. Hope you enjoy it Sister Emily! Maybe after Bishop Clark retires to the old bishops home, we can get him interested in this game along with Bishop Hubbard of Albany. A little competition among retired bishops is a good thing. They could have different things like crozier-tossing contests, winner of the tallest miter award, which heterodox bishop had the most Catholic leave the faith. The could argue and debate whose diocese has the most diversity tactics. Endless possiblities here. Bishops can never have too much fun.

Nocturnal Adoration Society

I think it appropriate that we focus, for a moment, on a noble campaign present in the Diocese of Rochester. They do get some things right, after all.

This campaign is the Nocturnal Adoration Society, which humbly prays:

"Oh, Divine Jesus, lonely tonight in so many tabernacles, without visitor or worshiper, I offer thee my lowly heart: may its every beat, its every pulsation, be a prayer of love to Thee. Eucharistic Lord and King, I pay Thee my loving homage. Sacramental Jesus, beneath the veil of the Sacrament thou never sleepest; of Thy lonely vigils Thou never growest weary. Oh, loving Jesus; Oh, lonely Jesus, my heart will be a lamp, the light of which shall burn and beam for Thee alone. Watch, Sacramental Sentinel! Watch for the weary world and for the erring sinner and Thy poor lonely child. My Jesus, I bid Thee goodnight."

The locations for this devotion are many in this diocese, but perhaps the most devoted group is that which recites the Office of the Blessed Sacrament at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament. Fitting, no? It is a noble thing to do, so, I beseech you, if you are free on the last Saturday of every month, between 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM, please stop by Blessed Sacrament Church in downtown Rochester. It is most definitely worth it.

Catholic Humor

A man walked up to a Franciscan and Jesuit and asked, "How many novenas must you say to get a Mercedes Benz?"

The Franciscan asked, "What's a Mercedes Benz?"

The Jesuit asked, "What's a novena?"

Conclave Finale

The two final candidates, Fr. Antinarelli and Fr. Bonsignore, have emerged in an almost perfect tie. Ideally, we would keep voting until we got 67% with one of the candidates, but something tells me that the 50/50 ratio will not change.

So what now? ideas for a resolution? Nominations for different "Cleansing Fire Cabinet" positions? Just post a comment! All ideas welcome.


PS: You may expect a Nod/Smack video this coming week.

So Little A Sentence, So Much Wrong

(CNN) -- A legally insane killer was on the loose in the state of Washington on Saturday, two days after he escaped during a field trip to a county fair, authorities said.

ACORN Supports Prostitution and Pedophilia

I'm sure some of you have heard about the huge scandal erupting with ACORN, one of the most active pro-Obama organizations. They . . . welll . . . just watch the video. It's disgusting.

Missa Cantata at Saint Stanislaus on Sept. 27

Introibo ad altare Dei



On Sunday the 27th, there will be a Missa Cantata in the Extraordinary Form (Tridentine Latin Mass) at 1:30 p.m. at St. Stanislaus. The Mass will be celebrated by Father Gerard McMahon in thanksgiving for 50 years of priesthood.

The ordinary and proper parts of the Mass will be sung by Schola Roffensis. The motets during the Offertory and Communion will be sung by the Tridentine Latin Mass Choir. The schola is under the direction of Joel Morehouse and the choir is under the direction of John Morabito. John is also the organist and an organ student at Eastman School of Music.

The Missa Cantata is a sung Mass without the extra ceremony, such as procession and incense. Please plan to come and join your prayers to Father McMahon's as he offers to the Eternal Father the sublime Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Saint Stanislaus is at the corner of Hudson Avenue and Norton Street. There is parking behind the church and also across the street from the church on Northeast Avenue. The church is handicap accessible with elevator. There are also restrooms and security is provided.

For your use there will be Latin-English Missals at the entrance to the church. If this is your first time at the Tridentine Rite of Mass, I suggest just watch and pray. It is quite different than the Novus Ordo Mass that is said in your parish. This ancient form of Mass was codified by the Council of Trent.

Holy Communion is received only on the tongue and kneeling at the Communion rail. The priest will recite the Communion prayer over each communicant; there is no need to reply "Amen."

Any questions left in the combox will be gladly answered.

Below is Missa Orbis Factor which will be sung.


The motet for Holy Communion will be Sicut Cervus by Palestrina.

What's Missing in the Progressive Church?

Humility.

Honestly. Name one instance where you have seen one of the favorite "lay administrators" kneel, genuflect, bow, let alone acknowledge the presence of the Blessed Sacrament?

Two Upcoming Events

Two noteworthy events are scheduled for the weekend of September 26 and 27.

First: On Saturday 9/26/09 starting at 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at Murphy Hall at St. John Fisher, the Chesterton Society will be presenting talks on Reawakening Wonder with speakers including: Dale Ahlquist, Joseph Pearce, Tom Howard and David Higbe. All the speakers are spiritually and intellectually on fire. They bring our living Faith, Aquinas and Augustine to our lives today.

The second event will be held at St. John Fisher, Basil 135 at 1:30 PM on Sunday, September 27, 2009. For those of us who are challenged by the darkening moral governmental and societal disintegration, the St. Thomas More Legal Society has secured Joseph Pearce to speak on "A call to Catholic Responsibility in a Hostile Government." Joseph Pearce has written about the Catholic Faith of Shakespeare and his family during the Elizabethan persecution in "The Quest for Shakespeare." .

Each of you is, in your own way, a prophetic witness to "The "Way, the Truth and the Life". If you are able to attend, your appearance will strengthen you and strengthen the zeal of the speakers who are point persons for the truth in this culture conflict for the soul of our country, and you will help preserve the priceless pearl of our Faith for ourselves and our children.

St Feehans on Chestnut Ridge Road

The picture on the left is from Genesee Country Museum in Mumford.



Over one hundred and fifty five years ago a small band of sturdy Irishmen built St. Feehan's Church in Chili from trees they felled themselves. The church was first situated down on swampy land near the railroad tracks that today runs parallel to 490. Within a year, with their own hands and without architect or contractor, they had completed St. Feehan's and affixed a simple wooden cross at its peak.

Due to the swampiness of the ground it made the church difficult to reach during certain seasons so it was moved to Chestnut Ridge Road (then it was called Sand Ridge). Until 1885, the church was a mission of the St. Mary of the Assumption in Scottsville whose priest would ride horseback or in a carriage each Sunday (back then there was no Mass of anticipation on Saturday, only on Sunday). The Scottsville priest also serve St. Patrick's in Mumford too.

Then, about 1885, as the railroad pushed through, it was decided the Churchville priest at St. Vincent dePaul could serve it better.

Priests serving St. Feehan's were in better shape!

The railroad tracks ran adjacent to the church property so, for years, until the arrival of the automobile, the Churchville priest would pump the eight miles from his own parish to St. Feehan's by rail hand car.

The picture is an example of a rail car. None of the men are priests.

St. Feehan's had known ups and downs (no pun in-10-did) through the years. For a time, when populations seemed to be shifting towards the city of Rochester, its congregation dwindled. But as the World War II families started moving to the suburbs, there was an upsurge of parishioners. By way of interest, St. Feehan's was originally spelled "Fechan" after an Irish saint whose history is somewhat obscure.

In 1954, Bishop James E. Kearney thought that St. Feehan was unknown to the people, and since St. Pius Tenth had just been canonized, he decided to dedicate a new parish in Chili to the honor of the new saint. St. Feehan's was temporarily used as a youth center, and its pews were discarded. Those pews installed in St. Feehan's during its restoration came from St. Mary's in Scottsville. The pews in St. Feehan's today are those upon which its builders sat when they journeyed to Scottsville to attend Mass before their own church was built.

Where did St. Feehan's go?

Today, St. Feehan's is the Catholic Church at Genesee Country Museum in Mumford. It was the site of a Tridentine Latin Nupital Mass for a friend of mine in the spring of 1993. That is a story all by itself.

An Archibshop With Courage and Sanity

Sanity to think the right action, courage to do it. Below is the story which explains:

Archbishop Suspends Communion in the Hand To Avoid Abuses of Eucharist

Rome, Italy, May 11, 2009 (CNA).- The Archbishop of Bologna, Cardinal Carlo Caffarra, has prohibited the reception of communion in the hand in three parishes of his archdiocese and has asked priests to be on the watch for those who may be abusing the Eucharist.

The archdiocesan press office released a statement with the new guidelines established by the cardinal. It pointed out that in 1989, “the resolution of the Italian Bishops’ Conference came into effect, authorizing, with the approval of the Holy See, the distribution of Holy Communion in the hand.”

However, the statement noted, recently there have been reports that this privilege has been gravely abused. Consequently, Cardinal Caffarra has decided that at the Cathedral of St. Peter, at the Basilica of St. Petronius and at the Shrine of the Virgin of St. Luke, “communion shall be distributed to the faithful only on the tongue.”

According to a letter by the vicar general of Bologna, Msgr. Gabriele Cavina, “grave abuses” have taken place, as “some have taken the Sacred Species as ‘souvenirs’,” “put it up for sale,” or worse, “have taken it to be profaned in satanic rites.”

The priest explained that numerous cases of profanation of the Eucharist has been by individuals who have taken advantage of the option to receive communion in the hand, especially during large celebrations or at churches attended by large numbers of the faithful. “For this reason, it is best to control the moment of the reception of Holy Communion by following the common norms which are well-known.”

Cardinal Caffarra said that during Mass, ushers should ensure that each person who approaches the altar to receive communion “consumes the host immediately and that no one be allowed to walk away with the Eucharist in their hands or to place it in their pockets.”

Conclave: Part Four

Well, it looks as if Fr. McKenna has been eliminated. Now it is down to Fr. Antinarelli and Fr. Bonsignore. Who could have guessed? The next (last?) session is posted to your right. I would deeply appreciate it if we made this decisive, because we are looking for a 2/3 majority, plus 1. If it's a deadlock, we will start a little debate as to who should be bishop and why.

Happy voting.

Boil, Boil, Toil and Trouble

A supporter of the blog has emailed me a notice, telling me to peruse the Good Shepherd bulletin. I thought, "okay, sure. What pronoun got minced now?" Oh, I was wrong . . . so wrong. My comments are the ones in red. The rest flows from Priestess DeRycke's venomous pen.

Liturgical Ministries Appreciation
Vatican II leaders reminded us many years ago that "Liturgy is the work of the people." (Get ready. Here we go, folks!) As we gather to pray as a community, we all bring what we have (talents, joy, sorrows, needs, hopes, disappointments, understandings, questions, successes, failures, hurts—and a lot of “etc.”) to do what we can to renew our "PACT" with God and God's people — to work together. What PACT? Praise, Ask, Contrition, Thank. This weekend, we will be blessing Liturgical Ministers at all Masses. (You, a lay woman, have no authority whatsoever, by any stretch of any imagination. The pope has been clear. It is illicit.) We are so very fortunate to have so many people involved in our Liturgical Ministries—THANK YOU ONE ALL:
Planners, the Liturgy, Joint, and Children/Teen Liturgy Committees, who strive to make
our liturgies vibrant and prayerful. (The only Liturgy Planner should be the priest. I doubt very much that our teens have advanced liturgical degrees.)
Sacristans, working behind the scenes to prepare our worship space for weekly and
special liturgies (eg, funerals) and clean up and secure our building after celebrations. (Celebrations? Oh, yes, that's right. Jesus celebrated in the Upper Room with his Apostles. "Hey guys, you drink this stuff! It's better than Hawaiian Punch." Wrong. It was a sacrifice, and one which we re-live at every Mass. Yes, we celebrate Our Lord, but the Mass is a sacrifice beyond measure.)
Greeters, who arrive for Mass early to welcome us as we enter the building. (Quiet prayer isn't enough to prepare for Mass?)
Music Ministers, Choir Members, Cantors, and Instrumentalists who lead us in sung
prayer during Masses, special celebrations (i.e. Penance Services), and funerals.
Lectors, who proclaim God’s Word in Scripture at Masses and special liturgies.
Altar Servers, usually younger parishioners who assist the Presider at the altar. (Presider? they assist the presider? I thought that Altar Boys (and not altar girls) were supposed to assist the priest, the celebrant. Not the "presider.")
Eucharistic Ministers, who offer the Body and Blood of Christ to those gathered at Mass
and beyond, to those in hospitals, nursing homes, or the homebound. (I doubt very much whether these EM's are "offering the Body and Blood of Christ." They aren't the ones saying Mass. The priest does that. Oh, wait, I'm sorry. The "presider" does that.)
Ushers, who assist in welcoming and meeting the needs of people gathered for worship.
Gather/Children’s Liturgy of the Word Leaders, praying with our young people for the
first part of Sunday Masses.
Child Care and Babysitters, helping all to be comfortable during Liturgy. (Children should be quiet or removed. Sorry, but that's the way it is. If your child is acting more possessed than prayerful, you don't need a babysitter to care for them during Mass. You need to walk outside with your child, hold them and quiet them. Be a parent, not apathetic.)
Music Cart Distributors, families or individuals who hand out hymnals and/or tidy and
redistribute our hymnals on the carts to assure equitable distribution. (Because it's too hard to grab your own hymnal.)
Art and Environment Committee, who create and maintain an artistic, decorative
environment in our worship space and throughout the buildings and church grounds to
enhance all liturgical and parish celebrations. (So much to say. I'll let your minds take care of this.)
Wedding Coordinators, who assist in preparation, rehearsals and celebrations.
Flower Donators, bringing in requested flowers or items to enhance our worship space.
Liturgical Assistants, behind the scenes, attending to bells, annex, details, questions.
Presiders, Preachers, Deacons (I suppose "priest" is an illicit word for Mrs. DeRycke?)
Launderers of robes, altar cloths, linens
Cleaners of Church and Chapel
And for all the Assembly, those who gather to pray each week — All working together to make
our worship celebrations prayerful and meaningful. (Our Lord's Body and Blood are meaningful enough, thank you very much. I don't need some trippy teenage youthgroup to "enhance" my worship experience. "Kumbaya, My Lord, Kumbaya.")
If you would like to be part of one of these Liturgical Ministries in some way, please call the Parish Office or fill out a Stewardship card to let us know — someone will get back to you as soon as possible for introduction or training or whatever you need.
God bless your week! -Nancy

I look forward to your comments. I think I know what you will have to say.



(DISCLAIMER: THE ABOVE PHOTOGRAPH IS DEFINITELY NOT MEANT TO REPRESENT MRS. DERYCKE TOYING WITH LITURGY AND THE CHURCH. ANYONE WHO THINKS SUCH A THING SHOULD BE ABSOLUTELY AND UNDENIABLY ASHAMED AND SHOULD GO TO CONFESSION IMMEDIATELY.)

Diocesan Double Standard?

If someone is buried from Spiritus Christi Church why are they allowed to be buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery?

Why do I ask?

A very good friend was not allowed to be buried at Holy Sepulchre because he was buried from Holy Name of Mary Church on Winton Road.

I can't imagine the DoR would have a double standard.

Prayer

Sent to my email account.

I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue
somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December. I don't
agree with Darwin ,but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer
when my high school teacher taught his Theory of
Evolution.

Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be
endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer before
a football game. So what's the big deal? It's not like
somebody is up there reading the entire Book of Acts.
They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking
him to grant safety to the players on the field and the
fans going home from the game.

But it's a Christian prayer, some will argue.

Yes, and this is the United States of America , a
country founded on Christian principles. According to our
very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all
others better than 200-to-1. So what would you expect --
somebody chanting Hare Krishna?

If I went to a football game in Jerusalem , I would expect
to hear a Jewish prayer...

If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad , I would expect to
hear a Muslim prayer.

If I went to a ping pong match in China , I would expect
to hear someone pray to Buddha.

And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me one bit.
When in Rome .....

But what about the atheists? Is another argument.

What about them? Nobody is asking them to be baptized.
We're not going to pass the collection plate.. Just
humor us for 30 seconds. If that's asking too much,
bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs. Go to the
bathroom. Visit the concession stand. Call your lawyer!

Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One
or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do.
I don't think a short prayer at a football game is going
to shake the world's foundations.

Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other
cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights. Our
parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating,
to pray before we go to sleep. Our Bible tells us to pray
without ceasing. Now a handful of people and their lawyers
are telling us to cease praying.

God, help us. And if that last sentence offends you, well,
just sue me.

The silent majority has been silent too long. It's time we
tell that one or two who scream loud enough to be heard
that the vast majority doesn't care what they want. It is
time that the majority Rules! It's time we tell them, You
don't have to pray; you don't have to say the Pledge of
Allegiance; you don't have to believe in God or attend
services that honor Him. That is your right, and we will
honor your right; but by golly, you are no longer going
to take our rights away. We are fighting back, and
we WILL WIN!

God bless us one and all ... Especially those who denounce
Him, God bless America, despite all her faults. She is still
the greatest nation of all. God bless our service men who
are fighting to protect our right to pray and worship God.

Let's make 2009 the year the silent majority is heard and
we put God back as the foundation of our families and
institutions. And our military forces come home from all
the wars.

Keep looking up.

Our Friend, Shakespeare

I was rereading Hamlet this morning, just for the fun of it. What can I say? I'm a fan.

Anyways, I started to read over Hamlet's famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy, and discovered that is is amazingly pertininent to our efforts here and across the blogs of the Orthodox Underground. I quote the master below:

To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause: there's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life;
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
The pangs of disprized love, the law's delay,
The insolence of office and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover'd country from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pitch and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry,
And lose the name of action.

The relevant passages are italicized for your convenience. For anyone who doubts that Shakespeare was a closet-Catholic, just read this and try to wrap your head around that which we call "reality."

Conclave: What Next?

There are, as I type, less than two hours left in Round Two. It looks as if Fr.'s Healy, Hart and Leone will be dropped from the ballot. Fr.'s Antinarelli, Bonsignore and McKenna will remain. The rules for election are simple: the "winning" priest must have a two-thirds vote, plus one. If after a third round no clear winner emerges, as per this guideline, I will simply drop the lowest candidate.

I am, personally, somewhat surprised by the third candidate. I was also pleasantly surprised by Fr. Leone's very high turnout on Day 1. It looks as if, no matter what way this election goes, we will have found a decent and worthy man.

I will begin round three as soon as I can. There may be a lapse of a few hours. But look on the bright side: I'm still marginally faster than Rome.

St. Josaphat's Ukrainian Catholic Church

St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church in Irondequoit is celebrating its 100th Anniversary in 2009. The history of the parish can be traced back to the arrival of the first Ukrainian immigrants to the Rochester area in 1903. As more immigrants arrived, there developed a need to provide for the religious and cultural life of the people. In the early years, priests would travel St. Josaphat Church from Auburn, Buffalo, Elmira Heights and Troy, New York to administer to the spiritual needs of the faithful.

In 1908, the Benevolent Fraternity of St. Josaphat, a branch of the Ukrainian National Association, was organized. This benevolent society and its membership were the pioneers of organized Ukrainian life in the Rochester area.

On November 15, 1908 the first official meeting of the Ukrainian Catholic Community took place a t St. Stanislaus Church with the serious intent of organizing a parish. At a meeting held on June 28, 1909, ninety three parishioners agreed to contribute 3 days salary to construct a church. The sum of $417.50 was collected. Land was purchased on Remington Street and the first St. Josaphat Church was complete in 1910.

The church community soon outgrew the Remington Street location and in 1914 the church moved to Hudson Avenue purchasing a church from the Evangelical society. St. Josaphat Church remained on Hudson Avenue for the next 50 years.

In 1923, Father Basil Turula was assigned to St. Josaphat Church. Father Turula remained as pastor until his retirement in January of 1949. Under his leadership the parish paid off all debts, a church hall was constructed and an evening school where religion, Ukrainian reading and writing, Ukrainian church and national songs and Ukrainian history were taught was organized.

In September of 1941, two Sister Servants of Mary Immaculate arrived in Rochester to conduct an evening school. An all-day school was formally opened in September 1944 with an enrollment of thirty-one students. By 1949, the enrollment grew to one hundred ninety students in grades kindergarten to eight. The school remained open until 2001.

On January 20, 1950, Father Nicholas Wolensky was assigned as pastor of St. Josaphat Church. He served as pastor until his death on November 23, 1962. Under Father Wolensky’s leadership a complete renovation of the church and school took place including the installation of a new Iconostasis. In addition a chapel was erected in the convent for the sisters.

In 1957, nine acres of land and two homes were purchased on Ridge Road and Stanton Lane along with the founding of St. Nicholas Chapel on the same site. This would be the future home of St. Josaphat parish.

On December 28, 1962, Father Stephen Chomko was appointed pastor of St. Josaphat. Under his guidance a new school, rectory and convent were built on the Ridge Road property. The church on Hudson Avenue was sold and St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church moved to Irondequoit. In 1979, a new church was completed at the Ridge Road site.

St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church served as a focal point of both religious and cultural life for the Ukrainian community in and around Rochester, New York for the past 100 years. Divine Liturgies are offered in both Ukrainian and English. The school is used by local Ukrainian organizations and groups for a variety of events and meetings. The Heritage Center features various exhibits of art, information on the history of the parish and information about the first Ukrainian pioneers of Rochester. For over 25 years, the four-day St. Josaphat’s Festival provided greater Rochester with traditional Ukrainian foods, Ukrainian arts and crafts, and Ukrainian entertainment.

The parish will officially celebrate its Centennial November 13, 14 and 15, 2009. A St. Josaphat School Alumni Reunion will be held on November 13, 2009, a Jubilee Banquet on November 14, 2009 and a pontifical Divine Liturgy on Sunday, November 15, 2009.

Musings From Sanctus: Bishop Casey Edition

I know I have mentioned a few times that Santus was a good friend of Bishop Casey. Of course, he remembers him even as Fr. Casey. I thought that you might enjoy reading his stories pertaining to this bishop.

• He never liked to walk alone. When I moved with my family to Flower City Park, he used to stop by and say, "Walk with me." So I would. He wouldn't say a word, and we'd just walk to the place he needed to get to, usually a parishioner's house. Then he'd just turn around and say, "Now go home. They don't want you to leach off their generosity." I used to get so upset! So one time I said, "No, I'm coming in." Well, I went in and he basically threw me into an armchair and said, "Don't talk." So I sat there eating candy and not talking. He was a funny one, Casey.
  
• I remember being at St. Mary's (school) downtown, and one day Sr. Mary called on me to recite Catechism. So I stood up and read the passage. Then she explained a little bit, and then said, "Sanctus, read more." I was so ticked off! Everyone thought I was in trouble or something, having to stand and recite Catechism for forty five minutes. And the way the classroom was, there was a big window and it faced the rectory. Well, Fr. Casey was pastor there at the time, and he was in the rectory, watching the class through the window. After school let out, he caught me in the yard and asked why I was standing for so long. "For cripe's sake, Fr," I said, "Sr. Mary had me read the whole darn Catechism!"
• Fr. Casey used to pick me up to serve Mass everywhere. I mean, everywhere. One time he picked me up and we went to the jail. But, instead of serving Mass, he put me into a cell and had the jailer lock the door! And there were neighborhood criminals in there, too! And one of them actually recognized me! For cripe's sake, I didn't know what to say, so I just sat there till Casey picked me up to go home. Gee I was upset. When he unlocked the door I asked him what the heck was wrong with him. He just said, "oh, I forgot you came along. I'll have to remember next time."
• When I was a server for him at Sacred Heart (now Bishop Casey) he had a big dinner for all the altar boys. So we all met outside the rectory and went in. For cripe's sake, the table was set with so many knives and forks and spoons! None of us knew how to eat the stuff he had the nuns serve, and we didn't know what tools we should use, either. So we all whispered to each other, "We'll wait for Bishop Casey." Well, he heard us, so he just sat there with his hands folded. We sat there in silence for twenty minutes, and by that time the food the nuns had cooked was cold and we'd lost our appetites. Gee, I felt so sorry for those nuns. I mean, they cooked so much food for us and we didn't eat anything . . . The nuns scared me. I mean, they were angry. And you don't want an angry nun, do you?

Conclave: End of Round 1

We now move on to the second round of the conclave. I have weeded out those who received two votes or less. Now, kindly start voting again in the new poll, posted to the right. If you voted in the first one or not, please vote in this one. While we aren't doing this 100% Vatican-style, I think we're doing it as closely as bloggingly possible.

The following is the list of the six front-runners:

Fr. Antinarelli
Fr. Bonsignore
Fr. Hart
Fr. Healy OCarm
Fr. Leone
Fr. McKenna

"Dominique" by the Singing Nun

This song was wildly popular in 1963. Her name in religion was Sister Luc Gabrielle. She entered the Dominican Convent in Fichermont, Belgium. The novelty was, I believe, that a nun was singing and with a guitar, no less. Her life ended very tragically. Pray for her.


Immediately below is the refrain:

Dominique, nique, nique
S'en allait tout simplement,
Routier pauvre et chantant
En tous chemins, en tous lieux
Il ne parle que du bon Dieu.

A l'époque où Jean Sans Terre
D'Angleterre était roi,
Dominique, notre Père,
Combattit les Albigeois.

(To Refrain)

Certain jour un hérétique
Par des ronces le conduit,
Mais notre Père Dominique
Par sa joie le convertit.

(To Refrain)

Ni chameau, ni diligence,
Il parcourt l'Europe à pied.
Scandinavie ou Provence
Dans la sainte pauvreté.

(To Refrain)

Enflamma de toute écoles
Filles et garçons pleins d'ardeur,
Et pour semer la Parole
Inventa les Frères Prêcheurs.

(To Refrain)

Chez Dominique et Ses Frères
Le pain s'en vint à manquer
Et deux anges se présentèrent,
Portant deux grands pains dorés.

(To Refrain)

Dominique vit en rêve
Les prêcheurs du monde entier,
Sous le manteau de la Vierge
En grand nombre rassemblés.

(To Refrain)

Dominique, mon bon Père,
Garde-nous simples et gais
Pour annoncer à nos frères
La Vie et La Vérité.

Final Call for Cleansing Fire Choir Volunteers

If you have not yet sent an email to me regarding volunteering for the choral festivities, and you have a reasonable amount of skill and/or experience, and you have a sense of humor, then this is your last chance to join up. Right now, we have about 6-10 people, and our songs are almost 100% finished.

My brother has graciously volunteered to assist us, and he is very experienced in recording/singing etc . . . So it won't take much work or time on your part. All that's involved is a few rehearsals and the final recording. I hope to have this done by Christmas, so please, if you've been debating this internally and still haven't reached a conclusion, send me an email. We want your vocal chords! We also won't say no to instrumental accompaniment.

For those of you who have volunteered, I will be sending out a final revised copy of what is to be sung. Once we get together for the first rehearsal, we'll hammer out the details.

SOLEMN HIGH MASS ON THE FEAST OF THE HOLY CROSS

Tomorrow, Monday at 8 a.m. EWTN will broadcast a Solemn High Mass on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross from the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Hanceville, Alabama.

An altarboy's dream!

The swinging Botafumeiro dispensing clouds of incense. The dome above the crossing contains the pulley mechanism to swing the "Botafumeiro", which is a famous thurible found in this church. This thurible was created by the goldsmith José Losada in 1851. The Santiago de Compostela Botafumeiro is the largest censer in the world, weighing 80 kg (176 pounds) and measuring 1.60 m in height. It is normally on exhibition in the library of the cathedral, but during certain important religious high days it is attached to the pulley mechanism, filled with 40 kg (88 pounds) of charcoal and incense. In the Jubilee Years, whenever St James's Day falls on a Sunday, the Botafumeiro is also attached in all the Pilgrims' Masses. Eight red-robed tiraboleiros pull the ropes and bring it into a swinging motion almost to the roof of the transept, reaching speeds of 60 km/h and dispensing thick clouds of incense. One irreverent explanation of this custom, which originated more than 700 years ago--although incense has been used in Catholic ritual from the earliest times--is that it assisted in masking the stench emanating from hundreds of unwashed pilgrims.

History of a Conclave

These videos are in Italian with English subtitles. Very interesting.



Part II



Part III

What? A Conclave? And We're Invited?

Yes, it's true.

I know we've had the "next bishop quiz" before, but we've never had an actual election. Who will win? Who will lose? It's up to you, the Cardinals of Cleansing Fire. Just select the priest whom you honestly think should be the next bishop. Is he loyal to the faith? Is he able? Is he liturgically inclined? What are his views on lay preaching and lay administrators?

Please vote. If you haven't seen it, go to the top of the page and look to the right. I'm very interested to see who wins this thing. Then again, I'm not entirely certain anyone would want to "win" the episcopacy of Rochester.

Interior Pictures of St. Josephs

These are not the best pictures,but they will give you some idea of what the interior used to look like.

Need Baby Clothes

I am requesting baby girl & especially baby boy clothes for the Focus Pregnancy Help Center. I have a client coming in on Tuesday afternoon for baby boy clothes & we are a little short of boy clothes. I would be willing to pick up the clothes, if that works out better for the person donating, to the center. Please call Mary at 218-4051 or email her at marybailey@rochester.rr.com. with any questions.

Thank you,
Mary Jost

FW: Hilarity

I recently received this in my inbox:

The Pope and Nancy Pelosi are on the same stage in front of a huge crowd..

The Madame Speaker and The Pope, however, have seen it all before. To make it a little more interesting, Madame Speaker says to the Pope, "Did you know that with just one little wave of my hand I can make every Democrat in the crowd go wild?"

He doubts it, so she shows him. Sure enough, the wave elicits rapture and cheering from every Democrat in the crowd. Gradually, the cheering subsides.

The Pope, not wanting to be outdone by such a level of arrogance, considers what he could do...

"That was impressive, the Pope says, "But did you know that with .just one little wave of MY hand I can make many people in the crowd, and many around the world, go crazy with joy? This joy will not be a momentary display like that of your subjects, but will go deep into their hearts, and they will forever speak of this day and rejoice."

The speaker seriously doubts this, and says so. "One little wave of your hand and so many people will rejoice forever? Show me."

So the Pope slapped her.