Diaconate Ordination - Part V

Let's see how many people you can name from the opening procession at the June 5 ordination Mass. This video is kind of like a who's who of DoR politicking. I have another video I will upload soon showing the second part of the procession.


On an unrelated note, we will be starting voting in the "Vocatus Es Contest" when we switch over to the new site.

Diaconate Ordination - Part IV

Buried among all the liberal politicking and the liturgical problems at the Diaconate Ordination, there were a couple gems I should like to share with you all. The one in the video below was particularly enjoyable. Bishop Clark is thrilled to be ordaining a married man to the priesthood next year, but I think we all know that the bishop isn't getting a liberal poster child of dissent. He's getting a loyal son of the Church. For this reason, when Dr. Caton knelt in front of Bishop Clark, and the bishop told him "Scott, believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach," a little burst of glee had to be suppressed in my throat.

Diaconate Ordination - Part II

Part 2 of a many-part series on the liturgical irregularities at Sacred Heart Cathedral.

I am certain that all of you have heard that absolutely atrocious setting of the Alleluia used by the DoR to celebrate feigned-diversity. You know, "Halle, Halle, Halle . . . .Looo - ooooo - yah." Well, I bet you've never seen 50 priests and a bishop clapping to it, along with hordes of deacons and lay people.

I have much to say about this, but the video can sum it all up better than I can. Be sure to watch it full -screen - I shot in HD for you. You can even see Bishop Clark clapping in rhythm. Now isn't that just the cherry on top of the liturgy sundae?

Diaconate Ordination - Part I

I was graced to be able to be present for Dr. Scott Caton's ordination this Saturday. While the Mass was certainly not as bad and riddled with abuse that it could have been (i.e. prancing gays in tights) there were certainly several moments of liturgical-disconnect. One instance that particularly stood out to me was the following clip I shot. During the preparation of the gifts, the choir sang "I Am the Lord of the Dance," accompanied by one of the Dady Brothers (secular musicians, mind you) playing the mandolin. Now, I love the Dady Brothers. They're great local talent. However, just because you're an amazing artists doesn't mean that you have the right to strum your mandolin, or guitar, or whatever in the sanctuary of God. There is a clear separation of sacred and profane that should be recognized by the planners of the liturgy. But, then again, we know what "liturgies" are permitted and endorsed by the DoR.

Anyways, the striking thing about this piece was that they're singing about Our Lord as if he's Garth Fagan, a dance master and glee-maker. About 50 feet above Mr. Dady and his mandolin is a life-sized crucifix, showing Our Crucified Lord. All around the church are the bloody stations depicting Our Savior's woe. Why would such a song as this be considered appropriate for a Mass? The Mass is a celebration and memorial of Calvary, not the last season of Dancing With the Stars.

St. Thomas the Apostle to Close

From the very first whispers even unto the present moment, not a single kindness was shown to the people of St. Thomas the Apostle. Their sufferings were mocked and magnified by the greed and callousness of their administration, especially Fr. Norm Tanck. I don't care how many people say we shouldn't single an individual out. When a wrong has been committed, it is the duty of the lay faithful to address it. This is what we are doing.

Fr. Tanck has lied and offered false truths to the people of St. Thomas. As their priest, he should have been leading their defense, but that task was thrown to the ground by his treacherous hands. We were obliged to pick it up, for the sake of genuine charity, caritas. Fr. Tanck will also be the new pastor of the St. Irondequoit community, as it's been termed. He will be assisted by Fr.'s Horan and Leone.

As of now, the parish will be closed on September 1, 2010. This is not official yet, but we have it from a very reliable source. The diocese is certainly in a hurry to destroy the faith in Irondequoit. And I wonder why? Could it be that they see their political agendas and "renewal" efforts failing? Do they blame the orthodox members of the diocesan Church for this? Do the administrators of the diocese not realize that the people of St. Thomas and St. Salome have only followed the Church loyally? Why does the diocese root out the sane parishes, the kind and focused faithful, and the devoted laity, to bring down the hammer of their "leadership"?

The closing of these two parishes is nothing less than a political maneuver hidden behind a facade of people who have been made to feel important and righteous. The IPPG should be ashamed of itself. What Catholic, nay, what human, would willingly turn on his own family? Only the mentally infirm and the traitorously inept would even think to attempt such a thing. And yet these individuals have done more than formulate thoughts- they turned them into dangerous and daunting weapons of canonical destruction.

To the parishioners of St. Thomas the Apostle and St. Salome - stop contributing to the weekend collections. If the diocese says you don't have the money to support yourselves, don't try to argue otherwise. Make them bleed.

Start getting organized to sue for your money back. Your renovation(s), repairs, enhancements, etc. are your own - you have a right to what you paid for. Do not give one more penny to the diocese, to your parish, or to the CMA. They do not deserve your money, nor are they worthy to sit at your feet and beg for the "scraps off your table." They are the dogs that devoured your spiritual well-being. They deserve no special consideration.

Get to work, friends. Start writing to religious orders, other bishops, and friends who now people. We need to find a buyer for this property, or at least, someone who can take it over at no cost to the diocese. This is the job of another group separate from Cleansing Fire, so I will let them get to work on their own time.

God will not reward the impious. God does not give aid to those who desecrate His holy Church.

Our Lady of Divine Compassion, comfort us in our time of need and sorrow, and pray for the souls who have led us to our doom. They have more need of prayers than anyone else.

Bishop Clark's Decree Regarding the Future of Irondequoit

Folks - there's nothing more which I can say. Just read this. Nothing good can come of this:

Update from Dr. K, 8:18 PM: I believe this decree is dealing with the dissolution of the five parishes as separate parish entities (similar to what happened with Peace of Christ). It does not appear to call for closure of any particular church building. Were closure to be decreed, it would seem that such would need to be clearly stated in the document. I am not sure what this may mean for STA at this point in time. Has the diocese decided to give STA time to prove it should remain open, like was awarded to Holy Name? Is another decree of closure soon to follow? Has the diocese accepted the addendum of St. Thomas (to keep it open) which was attached to and sent along with the IPPG recommendation?

We will post updates as information arrives.

Bishop Accepts IPPG Proposal

Cleansing Fire has learned that Bishop Clark has accepted the IPPG recommendation to merge the Irondequoit parishes into one. However, whether or not the parishes to be closed were mentioned specifically has yet to be determined. I will keep you all up to date with whatever news comes to us. Please check back often, and spread the word.

As if pressured by the fates, Fr. Tanck included in this weekend's bulletin one more slap-in-the-face for St. Thomas the Apostle parishioners. To read his piece in the cluster bulletin, click here. Why is it that when people need a pastoral priest the most, they are confronted with veiled accusations of faithlessness?

Probably the same reason that the orthodox in Rochester are punished for their faith by the administration.

Another thing you should note, is that Fr. Tanck's announcement this evening is the first time he has been present at a weekend Mass at STA in seven weeks. Could his views be any more obvious to the casual observer? I think not.

Bishop Clark, remember that you are a representative of the Holy Apostles. Let this knowledge, and your conscience, dictate your decision, not the politicking of those with whom you have surrounded yourself.

St. Thomas the Apostle, pray for us. St. Matthew the tax collector, and holy Apostle, pray for us. Our Lady of Prompt Succor, pray for us.

DoR Liturgical Training Video

I saw the following via a link on the New Liturgical Movement and thought I should share it with you. This seems to be the video which inspires parishes like Assumption to do the kind of liturgies they do. I'm pretty sure that if you look at the credits on this, you'll see Bishop Clark's imprimatur.

No, not really. But just watch it.



"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

Albs, Marty Haugen, Liturgical Dance

So much for a fresh and vital Church - from these things it looks as if it's stuck in the 1970's. Remember folks, the 70's died for a reason.

So, where do all three of these things occur in a hellish concoction of error? Yup, you guessed it, Bishop Clark's annual Chrism Mass. We have received information regarding what exactly went on there, so I will break it down into swallowable chunks for you:

• There was liturgical dance. An African American gentlemen wearing white pants and a white shirt flitted about the church and sanctuary of Sacred Heart Cathedral, adding to this "liturgical movement" very bizarre hand gestures which our noble informants cannot decipher.
• Bishop Clark, in his generally decent homily, started acknowledging different cultures, i.e. celebrating diversity. However, he added a new category of "culture" by saying, "Some of us are gay, some of us are straight." This was a random, unnecessary, and inappropriate statement. You don't need to do political pandering to gays when you're saying Mass. He's probably just getting excited about the next Rainbow Sash Mass.
• Sr. MaryAnn Binsack played the role of the she-monsignor, wearing her alb which complements her hair cut so nicely. Note that she stands for the consecration, just as many other of the women who like to play dress-up at Mass.
• For the Eucharistic Prayer, the whole Eucharistic Prayer, Bishop Clark was accompanied by piano. Our informant said it was like "Bishop Clark: the Musical." I was able to track down the precise setting used, and guess what? It's not chant. It's Marty Haugen's composition of the Eucharistic Prayer. Why do certain of the clergy insist on using this man's music? He's not even Catholic, but a Lutheran. I know Bach was a Lutheran, too, but he gave us the B Minor Mass - why don't we compare the two: click here for Haugen. I won't dirty this blog by embedding his rubbish. Below is a video containing highlights of the B Minor Mass. This is what Sacred Heart is capable of, what with that magnifictenly grotesque organ, the Eastman School of Music, etc. But no, we get someone playing the piano. Makes sense, doesn't it? Spend millions of dollars on the music at the cathedral, but then use a piano for the highest summit of the Mass. Yeah - no flaw in logic there.
• The only positive thing is that in the front row of the congregation was a woman with a head covering. As our informant said, maybe she will make some of the priests and deacons think twice about what they're doing.

I will be posting more details as they come in. Watch the Bach video to restore your sanity.

The Faithful (?) Remnant

In the comment box for Dr. K's piece on parish attendance at SA, OLOL, SM Downtown, and GS, Bernie mentioned that for as many people that have left, at least doubly so have stayed. Why? In my most humble opinion, those who stay in parishes whose liturgical prowess, not to mention theological basis in reality, fall into the following categories:

1. The Ideological Crusaders - These are the people who try to work from within to kill the beast. These people usually have a love for all things genuinely sacred, a distaste for heresy and dissent, and an underpinning sense of fear. Those whom I know who have stayed in parishes such as St. Anne have only done so because they "are on the music committee," or maybe "the liturgy committee." Whatever the committee, they stay to undo do, or at least, oppose, those evils which have made themselves manifest. However, under this genuine desire to serve the parish that once was, they fear what the parish is. In their minds, the St. Anne (or Good Shepherd, or Our Lady of Lourdes) of the past is not dead, but in hibernation - all they need to do is prevent the hunter from shooting the poor beast in its sleep. Well, perhaps it's true that a parish can revive from adversity - just look at Our Lady of Victory before the refugees. However, there is a difference between shifting demographics and a purposeful scattering of the flock. If a lamb meanders away on its own accord, it can be readily led to rejoin the others. However, if a wolf drives a lamb away, bloodying it and battering it, it is improbable that the lamb should rejoin those in the pasture - it has borne too much injury, and suffered too much pain to go back. Those who fled the parishes made a choice akin to that of leaving the room of a dying parent for one last time. Upon leaving that parish, you will never know it as it once was known. "The old things have passed away," and it is not the working of the Holy Spirit.
2. The Ignorant - These are those poor souls who have never been catechized properly, never been educated by a true lover of the faith, never been exposed to the true beauty of the liturgy. For these people, "Church" is "church." The parish is the faith, as opposed to an instrument of that faith, through which its universality is displayed. These people cling to a parish, no matter what, because they love it. No doubt rests in my mind as to the love people have for their home parish. However, there comes a point when one must make a break from the parish, if it becomes a hotbed of sin and dissent. A child will always, in some way, love her mother. However, if the mother becomes a drug addict, selling her body for money enough for the next snort of cocaine, conscious only between binges of drugs and alcohol, the child must leave that parent and seek refuge elsewhere. There is love for the mother, of course. However, the temporal needs of the child outweigh the love for the self-destructing parent. Rehab is an option, yes. But a child never stays with the parent if her welfare is endangered. So too must the faithful flee from dissent - yes, you will always love your spiritual mother, your parish, but at what cost? Would you rather lose your soul for clinging to error and those professing it, than you would experience a "white martyrdom," voluntarily leaving your parish for the sake of Truth?
3. The Bitter - These are the people who let anger and pain get in the way of practicing Catholic virtues. The Bitter stay at a parish to be a thorn in the side of the administrator - not to rectify a problem, but to agitate and aggravate the problem's creator. This is not right, not at all. One must always have love for one's enemy - as we have love for those whom we discuss here. However, the moment hate enters into the picture, one must flee. This is the doing of Satan, who uses the free will of weak and erring humanity to enter into the Church. I have no doubt that Nancy DeRycke, Joan Sobala, Anne-Marie Brogan are good and loving people. However, through their actions, a demeanor enters the Church, a demeanor which is most definitively not from God. The Bitter are no different - they have a love for the Church, but they let this love turn into a jihad, if you will. It turns from love, to pain, to anger, to aggression.
4. The Opportunists - These are those individuals who enjoy putting on a show. I cannot begin to recount the stories of dozens of individuals, each one focusing around someone who would put up a strong front of orthodoxy, only to swoop in for titles and privilege once the faithful had left. A reader sent an email to us about something along these lines at St. Anne. A woman on the parish council was "grievously wounded" at what Sr. Joan had started doing at Mass. She had resolved to resign her chair on the parish council but, not for the sake of joining another church. No, she intended to convert to the Episcopalian parish on nearby Highland Avenue (which, you will note, is holding ecumenical Lenten services with OLOL). However, once several seats were vacated in several committees, she suddenly had a conversion, and swooped in to save the ailing parish. By the time all was done, she had more titles and duties after the debacle than she had before. This is heinous in its duplicity. This is not loving the Church at all - it is using it to flaunt one's abilities, one's talents, one's name and reputation. "Oh, look, Mr. _______ is on the music committee, the liturgy committee, the finance committee, and the RCIA team. He must be really into the Church." Oh, no, dear friends. The opposite is true. Those who stay at these failing parishes only for the sake of gaining something are more concerned with "self," not the Church.

I can state, with absolute certainty, that losing my parish of 30 years was the most painful thing I have ever experienced. It wiped me out emotionally, spiritually, physically, and mentally. For several months, my soul wept as it has never wept before. Not for family, not for pets, not for national disasters. No death was as bitter and all-consuming as was the death of my beloved parish. However, if it had not been for this bloody exile, this personal Via Dolorosa, I would never have discovered the unsurpassed beauty of the Traditional Latin Mass, the depth of the faith I had never truly experienced, the transcendence of a Novus Ordo Mass celebrated correctly, without political bias, done right. In losing my soul, I gained it back. Indeed, looking back on those years, I can clearly see the hand of God through it all. Without these things, I would be one of the God-loving apathetic lambs in the congregation. I wouldn't be motivated to assist those in similar situations, I wouldn't be motivated to write to Rome or the nuncio. I wouldn't be motivated to put myself to the spiritual grindstone, as it were. I would be absolutely complacent. A lover of God, yes, and a lover of the Church, but not a defender.

If you, dear reader, are an exile, you will know what I have relayed. You will have wept, you will have suffered. You will also have discovered yourself. If you are one of the faithful who have held on, continuing the good-fight, well aware of the implications, please consider making a break. Do not lose your soul defending a building. Gain radiance of soul by defending the Church.

If you are an opportunist, or a scatterer of sheep, may God have mercy on your soul. You will be in my prayers, and in the prayers of all who read this blog. But never presume that you, dear friend, are worthy to receive God's mercy. Love Him, not yourself. Love the Church, not your self-appointed self-importance. Find the glory of God in the Tradition of His Church, not in the folds of your lay preacher's alb.

Massive Trust Fund to go to St. Thomas the Apostle

For most people, "God will provide" is a pleasant platitude hurled forth from lay-occupied pulpits. However, for the people of St. Thomas the Apostle church in Irondequoit, it is an absolute truth. I have received a few emails (all within a couple hours of each other) brimming with the joyous news. I post the email below in its entirety - my commentary added.

 

1.    Fr. Tanck stated that  STA has been contacted by attorneys representing a large trust fund in New Jersey. Fr Tanck has been informed that STA will be one of the recipients of a large amount of money from the trust fund.  Apparently, the family of this trust attended STA in the 1950s.  They had two handicapped children that attended STA school.  Both children have now passed away and the trust is being dissolved.  From what I understood of Fr. Tanck's comments, STA parish will receive $100,000 to $200,000 (closer to $200,000) from the trust!  The attorneys were inquiring whether in fact STA parish was an existing entity!  The bishop, the presbyter council, stewardship council, and the entire parish should be made aware of this new development asap.  These funds would clearly put STA in the strongest financial position of all Irondequoit parishes and should be considered by the bishop. (If St. Thomas the Apostle does, in fact, receive this money, how could anyone in their right mind consider closing the parish? To give this money, along with the Msgr. Burns fund, to the "new parish" to be created upon the closuer of STA, would be absolutely corrupt. To rob the people of STA of this $700,000 is to show an agenda, not an unfortunate series of events.)

2.  I was able to see a copy of the IPPG financial report presented by _______ to the IPPG.  It was shocking to see that $1.7 million dollars has been slated for upgrades to the three surviving parish campuses.  Listed in the report is $500,000 for expansion of the CTK parking lot, $200,000 for the expansion of the SC parking lot, $50,000 for the removal of the SC rectory.  (Why spend millions of dollars to add/change the campuses of other parishes, especially when St. Thomas already has ample parking, facilities, and income?) Also listed were funds for a new parish meeting center at SMM since they have no meeting space! The total expenditures for these three campuses amounted to over $1.7 million!   _______ sent the report to the Bishop but is interested in getting it to the presbyter council members too.  I don't believe that this information was ever shared by the IPPG.  I don't see the finance committee report published on the IPPG website. (It's because they don't like seeing their plans threatened, in my humble opinion. Either this or they don't have enough time to divulge the truth.)

3. Fr. Tanck stated that the bishop has called an "emergency" joint meeting of the presbyter and stewardship councils for March 15th. He does not know what the meeting is about but he did say it is very unusual to have such a meeting. He went on to say that it would not be about Irondequoit although he readily admitted he had no idea what the meeting was about. He promised to share the agenda with J__ once he receives it. This may mean that the decision about STA could be pushed off to the April meeting of the presbyter council. In any case, this is an interesting development.....does it have something to do with item #1? (I would bet money on it.)

4. Fr. Tanck stated that he recently attended a meeting with the bishop whereby it was announced that new by-laws for parish corporations have been developed by the DOR.  Fr. Tanck promised J__that he would share the new by-laws document with her via electronic file.  He really didn't share with the council what the changes were in the new by-laws but it would be interesting to see what is going on here and how it may relate to STA's situation. (One hopes these new by-laws actually serve to help parishes, not make it easier to strip them of finances for the sake of other parishes.)

Can you imagine the implications of a new $200,000 for this parish? It certainly puts a crimp in the plans of the IPPG.

Mother of Sorrows To Lose Middle School

A nod of the miter to a dedicated reader for informing us about the latest travesty to befall education in the Diocese of Rochester.It was announced this evening that the 7th and 8th grades at Mother of Sorrows will be closed after this academic year. This means that MoS will still have K-6, but losing the middle-school is a blow which is painful to many. I quote this friend-of-the blog below:

I just got a call from a family member who attended mass at Our Mother of Sorrows Church in Greece tonight - it was announced that this is the last year for the 7th and 8th grades. Beginning in September of this year, the school will be K-6 only. None of us are surprised by this, the parents are already heating up the phone lines tonight. When it was annouced they were "looking into whether to keep them open or not", we knew that the decision had already been made, and it would be announced in the coming few months, and sure enough we were correct.

My husband and I have done our best and stuck out paying tuition and keeping our children in catholic grammar schools (despite our school, st charles borromeo closing which just devastated my children). I am thankful my daugher, now a 5th grader at MOS has just one more year, 6th grade in september, and she is done and we are done with diocesan schools, as she is our youngest.) I HAVE HAD IT WITH THIS BISHOP AND HIS DISDAIN FOR OUR CHILDREN AND OUR SCHOOLS.

When will the officials of the diocese learn anything about keeping schools and parishes open? As we pointed out a while back, the diocese devotes more money from the CMA to the actual CMA program than it does Catholic Schools. What kind of backwards plan is this?

It's simple, friends. Cut the liberal garbage, fund the schools, get vocations, save the parishes. Pray that Our Lady of Wisdom may soften the hearts of the administration of the Diocese of Rochester.

If Treachery Were a Virtue . . .

. . . the IPPG and its members would be truly blessed.

The following was sent to us by a loyal parishioner at St. Thomas the Apostle.

So the three major requirements for the parishes that will remain open are location, space for programs, and condition of the facilities. This fellow takes these criteria and aims his shotgun of callousness at the parishes of St. Thomas the Apostle and St. Salome (surprise surprise). He declares, "St. Thomas is comparatively a bit out of the way." Well, yes, it is. If you're a St. Cecilia parishioner it is. If you are actually attending St. Thomas the Apostle (STA) then the parish is not out of the way. This logic is so deeply flawed I barely know how to approach it. The recommendation to close a parish shouldn't be made by people outside of the parish, especially is these outside people have no personal experience with the parish.

Also, note how strategically located STA is: it is on a major bus route from the heart of Rochester out to Irondequoit and beyond - perfect for people fleeing the failing parishes of the inner-city. It is going to be within a very short distance of a new housing development that will house hundreds of new families. This development, "Lighthouse Point" or some such, will practically be in St. Thomas' back yard, providing a definite influx of new parishioners. If this fellow in the proposal gets his way, ALL of the parishes he wishes to keep open will be "comparatively a bit out of the way" for these new residents.

Secondly, this man fails to consider the enormous debt of St. Cecilia's. (It's huge, Rochester. Huge.) He leaves this parish open due to some filial devotion to it (as anyone would), but he does this at the expense of hundreds of others who are at STA and St. Salome. Of all the parishes in this area, STA and St. Salome are the ones with the least financial stress - it's called "not having any debt." That's a good thing, in my experience. However, St. Cecilia is in debt, and is so to exponential degrees. The parish still owes several thousand to Partners in Faith (remember that initiative from yester-year?) and also owes money to the CMA, Catholic schools, and from what I have read, $400,000 on their social hall. If I am wrong here, someone please leave a comment. So, at the very least, I would say that St. Cecilia is around $500,000 in debt. (And this is a generous estimate. It is probably closer to $800,000.) This is before the "consolidation." Also, St. Cecilia is a parish which, as much as it pains me to say, is dying a natural death, devoid of diocesan politicking and backstabbing. Fr. Leone is presented with a parish with vastly more funerals than baptisms, whose parishioners are dying off and not being replaced. The parish is in debt "that can never realistically be paid off."

St. Margaret Mary is also having similar problems - parishioners have simply disappeared. Perhaps this has something to do with the duration of time Mrs. DeRycke spent there? The few occaisions I have talked with Irondequoit Catholics, they strike me as the kind of people who would have an allergic reaction to a feminist in a white alb.

Also, the money that would be required to turn St. Cecilia into a "viable" worship site for the entire "St. Irondequoit" parish is vastly more than what would be on hand. Why close parishes who are not in debt, who are actually "turning a profit" as it were. This makes no sense. Closing these two parishes will leave a massive section of Irondequoit without a Catholic presence. No matter what programs are run to bring Catholics back to church, the testimonial against coming back would be the unrivaled self-serving of the IPPG. I know if I were a lapsed Catholic, and I saw what is going on, I would just go to the Baptists who have expanded the Northridge Church of whatever they call it. I don't commit Protestant shenanigans to memory. These people have seen a 300% increase in attendance while Catholic parishes in the area are seeing massive amounts of decline.

Behold the glory of Bishop Clark's Rochester.

What We Can Learn From St. Bridget's Parish

I have been thinking a lot about this closing, today. I know the pain of losing a parish, but I have never seen photos encapsulate the pain as have those at the D&C's website. There is something more noble than words which can be seen in the eyes of those parishioners who have lost their home.

There is an amazing amount that we can learn from this parish, and its unfortunate death. Primarily, it was a parish of diversity, but whose focus was on the African American community of Rochester. Usually we lament liturgical dancers and multi-cultural displays in our parishes, but this is different. It was a parish genuinely rooted in African-American traditions, which, in their natural form, compliment their form of worship. Their cultural celebrations were not forced, as are those at Sacred Heart - these are genuine and wholly natural.

The people of this parish truly celebrated diversity. There is nothing quite so racist and closed-minded as falsely embracing a culture. If I were an African-American and saw non-African-Americans putting on a Mass with clear African-American cultural references and actions, I would be wholly offended. By embracing other cultures whose celebrations are not our own, we lose our grounding and take the chance of offending those whose culture we borrow.

I hold St. Bridget's up as a representation of what true cultural diversity is. Yes, they have liturgical dance, hand-holding, and boisterous singing, but that is what their cultural experience of Mass has been. It is thoroughly traditional, in the sense that those at the parish hold onto their values and particular liturgical celebrations. I wouldn't expect them to start singing English renaissance polyphony - it's not their culture. I also wouldn't expect Bishop Clark to have an Afro-Mass, but we've been proven wrong on that end.

To the people of St. Bridget's - you have our most sincere sympathies, and our most fervent, loving prayers. Our thoughts rest with you in this time of sorrow.

Be My Valentine

In honor of Valentine's Day, the annual occasion for impropriety and licentiousness, we have created a video for your viewing pleasure. Now, if you disapprove of our light-hearted humor regarding Bishop Clark (blessings and peace be upon him), please don't feel obligated to watch or to leave negative comments.

However, if you have a sense of humor, and you can laugh at some good, clean fun, please watch. It's why we posted it. The female star opposite Bishop Clark is Anne-Marie Brogan, of St. Mary's fame.

Update on St. Francis Xavier

. . . the church, not the saint.

It appears that the sale of St. Francis Xavier to the Muslims is still in the works and nearing the final stages of completion. According to my sources, the Diocese of Rochester wants no news report on this matter until the deal is signed, sealed and delivered.

Cleansing Fire will continue to investigate this rumor.

Behold Treachery

A rather blunt announcement has been made regarding the Irondequoit parishes. The following is from the St. Margaret Mary bulletin:

Please note, this isn't the official "recommendation." It's basically the cluster's way of saying what they've decided without actually saying they've decided. I'm getting awfully sick of these games these people are playing. It's shameful what they're trying to pull.

When will the diocese wake up and see that this kind of forced clustering doesn't work. It destroys parishes with great potential and strength while showing an absolute favoritism towards the more left-leaning churches. First Our Lady of Lourdes "took over" St. Anne. Now Christ the King has bullied St. Thomas the Apostle and St. Salome into subjugation. How can people still cling to the naive presumption that everyone will just smile and say "okey dokey" and go to a parish which was actively trying to close their original one? I can guarantee that if St. Anne closes, there will not be a massive influx of people into the Lourdes community. Our Lady of Victory and Latin Mass, yes. Dens of liberalism and error, no.

People of St. Thomas and St. Salome - please email me with anything you'd like to have posted. The address is cleansingfire@live.com. This is your chance to speak out. And I think we all know that Cleansing Fire has more credibility than the IPPG does.

When Goodly Men Retire

This month, the Secretary of State of the Vatican, Cardinal Bertone, turned 75. In accordance with Canon Law, the Cardinal submitted his letter of resignation. This is the story as reported by EWTN:

VATICAN CITY, 22 JAN 2010 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon L'Osservatore Romano newspaper published a Letter from the Holy Father, dated 15 January, in which he reiterates his confidence in Cardinal Tariciso Bertone S.D.B. as secretary of State. On 2 December 2009 Cardinal Bertone reached the age of 75 and presented his resignation from office, in accordance with the norms of Canon Law.
In his Letter Benedict XVI expresses his thanks to the cardinal, recalling "the long course of our collaboration, which began with your work as consultor of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
"My thoughts also go to the delicate work you undertook to establish dialogue with Msgr. Lefebvre", the Holy Father adds, before going on to recall how John Paul II called Cardinal Bertone to work in the Roman Curia, where he "competently and generously filled the position of secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Those were intense and demanding years during which important doctrinal and disciplinary documents were issued", he writes.
The Holy Father also speaks of his admiration for the cardinal's "sensus fidei", his doctrinal and canonical knowledge and his "humanitas" which, writes the Pope, "helped us to experience a real family atmosphere in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, united to a firm and determined discipline in the workplace".
And Benedict XVI concludes his Letter: "All these qualities were the motive that led me to decide, in the summer of 2006, to appoint you as my secretary of State, and they are the reasons why, also for the future, I do not wish to forgo your vital collaboration". 

Look at the words I emphasized: confidence, Msgr.Lefebvre, competently, doctrinal and disciplinary documents, doctrinal and canonical knowledge, firm and determined discipline. 

Not one could apply to the Diocese of Rochester. At least, not in the way Pope Benedict uses the words. Pope Benedict worked for reconciliation with Lefebvre and the SSPX, and continues to do so. In Rochester, Bishop Clark reaches out to groups that don't even claim to be Catholic - i.e. Chrust Unity Church and their pride-filled dancer who flitted around the cathedral. Sure, the DoR has confidence - but only in lay women, not ordained men. The DoR isn't competent. There are doctrinal documents in the DoR, but administrators (administraitors) boldly and incorrectly assert that "they trump those of Rome." There is doctrinal and canonical knowledge, but it is warped with age, and encrusted with political agendas of the left. There is discipline in Rochester, of coure. It's the same discipline that exiles orthodox priests to failing  parishes of poverty while the liberal, nay, the outright schismatic priests are rewarded with cushy jobs in affluent parishes. I'd like to see a loyal priest in a parish like St. Louis. Can you imagine the results?

Nod of the Miter Goes To . . .

Stephen Colbert and his famous Report for deciding to put Bishop Matthew Clark "on notice." That's a step that even we at Cleansing Fire haven't taken.

Former Rochester priest dies

Father Enrique Rueda was an incardinated priest in the Rochester diocese. He was an extremely holy and devout priest. He would not compromise the teachings of the Church. After reading through the article,you all can pretty much figure how the DoR handled Father Rueda. I"m not privy to each and every happening, but I have the general overall picture. It wasn't good. Please pray for the repose of his soul and pray even harder for our diocese and those who administer it.

http://remnantnewspaper.com/Archives/2010-ryan-rueda-rip.htm