New YouTube Video

Here is the new video for Cleansing Fire's YouTube channel. However, I'd also like to announce that a previous video, "Closed Parishes of the Diocese of Rochester," has had its original audio returned! You can now hear it as it was intended to be heard.

Anyways, enjoy.

All Souls Chapel in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery

All Soul's Chapel, built in 1876, has become the centerpiece of Holy
Sepulchre cemetery. Designed by Andrew Jackson Warner, it was a
small but graceful building measuring 40' x70'. Warner was one of
Rochester's most prominent architects, having been the architect
in residence for the building of St. Patrick's Cathedral and
designer of the addition to the cathedral and Our Lady Chapel.
He also designed the buildings of St. Bernard's Seminary.

The style he selected for the chapel was Early English Gothic, with a
steep slate roof, and built of Medina stone from a local quarry. The
building was planned and completed in three phases, over a ten-year
period.

Phase I

The first phase was the construction of the below-ground undercroft,
which was needed for the storage of bodies, when the winter weather
prevented the hand digging of graves. A crypt for the bishops of the
diocese was also provided there, and was in use until the mid 1930's.

Phase II
The second phase was the completion of the main floor of the chapel
itself, which was done as money became available. In 1885 it was
completed. Some of the interior design features of the chapel were
the attractive supporting hammer beams and the carved wood frames
for the memorial plaques, the handiwork of Dominic Mura, a local
carpenter.

The stained glass windows picturing the fourteen Stations of the
Cross were made in the Studios of P. Nicolas in Roermond, Holland.
He also designed the rose window with Bishop McQuaid's coat of arms
as the centerpiece and the two lancet windows on the facade of the
building.

The handsome white marble altar, trimmed in black marble, stands on
a base of pink Tennessee marble. It was designed and built by the
Hall Company of Boston and was a gift given by the faithful of the
diocese.

The bishop stipulated that each donation was not to exceed $.25,
thus making it possible for everyone to participate in this
magnificent gift. The stenciling and gold leafing of the hammer
beams and the painting of the ceiling panels, with their pictorial
symbols and icons of the passion of Christ, as well as other
religious symbols, highlight the magnificent interior decoration
of the chapel. Not much is known concerning the artist, other than
his name, Chester F. Leiderson; but his work, after all
these years stands as a tribute to his craftsmanship and
artistic ability.


Over the years, the chapel has served many purposes, other than
as a committal chapel for burials. In the early days, services
were held for the faithful from nearby neighborhoods and as an
interim church building for newly developing parishes in the
adjacent areas. It is still very much in use today as a
committal chapel. A monthly memorial mass is said there for all
the deceased in the cemetery, from October to May each year,
and in the other remaining months, the mass is said in the St.
Bernard's Chapel in All Saints Mausoleum on the cemetery grounds.
The building has been meticulously cared for and renovated over the
years to remain the architectural gem that it is today.
All Saints Mausoleum
The Chapel



The Chapel Tower -- Phase III
The third and last phase, completed in 1886, was the addition of the
magnificent 110-foot tower, topped with a bronze rooster weather vane,
symbolizing St. Peter's denying of Christ as the cock crowed. The original
plan called for a bell in the tower, along with a water tank for irrigation,
but these were never installed.

In 2000, some 114 years later, a large bronze bell became available
when a chapel building closed. It had been dedicated to the memory
of Bishop McQuaid after his death in 1909. It was made available by
the diocese to the cemetery, which arranged to have it moved,
restored and placed in the tower. It now speaks, along with the 1980
carillon, and can be heard by visitors throughout the East Division.
Sometimes, when the wind is just right, it can be heard on the other
side of the Genesee River.

In the 1930's Archbishop Edward A. Mooney, the bishop of the diocese,
built a lovely new six-crypt mausoleum of white Vermont marble,
in the base of the tower. It is used as the resting place for the
bishops of the diocese. Since not all of the bishops of Rochester
Diocese are entombed in this mausoleum, a handsome bronze memorial
plaque for all the bishops who did serve, was placed at the base of
the tower. Those not buried here are Cardinal Mooney in Detroit,
Michigan, Archbishop Fulton Sheen, in St. Patrick's Cathedral in
New York City and Bishop Joseph Hogan in St. Rose's Cemetery in his
boyhood hometown of Lima, New York.


In 1983, the bronze statue of Bishop McQuaid, which was erected on
the grounds of St. Bernard's Seminary in 1929, was moved to the
cemetery grounds, shortly after St. Bernard's Seminary closed.
It is now located at the base of the chapel tower. This impressive
statue was designed in the Joseph Sibbel Studios of New York City
and cast in bronze in Italy. It was given in memory of the bishop
by the clergy of the diocese.

For many years, the chapel was the focus of the annual ceremony of
the blessing of the graves. Bishop McQuaid early decided to intro-
duce this European custom of All Souls' Day. He began on November
1, 1876. The Bishop and clergy first sang the Office of the Dead
inside the chapel; then McQuaid addressed the crowds from the
chapel steps; finally he processed about the grounds sprinkling the
graves with holy water.

Unfortunately, November proved too chilly a month to be popular and
was changed to September with a notably increased in attendance.
Only during World War II did the crowds decrease, because of the
gasoline shortage. Continuity was broken, and the last blessing of
the graves took place in 1966 witnessed by no more than 200 visitors.

Modernist in the C of E

Maybe because a good part of my background is British, I find this extremely funny. I hope you do too.



Another for your enjoyment.

The Gloria to Missa Luba

Salve Festa Dies

What's so important about Sunday, October 18, 2009?

Well, I'll give you one hint: it has to do with a change from four digits to three digits . . .

Yes, that's right, it's the 1000 day mark for the Bishop Clark retirement count-down!


I would like, very much, to celebrate this special day, but I'll leave it to you, the readers, to decide how, when, where, etc . . . Perhaps a Cleansing Fire delegation to the Latin Mass that day? Lunch after? Nothing? Everything? The choices are yours, so let's start a dialogue.

Sorry about dropping the D-bomb.

St. Edward of Massachusetts

St. Edward of Massachusetts? A great defender of the faith? Not so much.

I know that if you're reading this, you know why this man's political views were antithetical to everything "Catholic" in this world (and the next). However, I would like to ask a question? Do schismatic Catholics still observe something called "social justice," or do they only care about the poor, not the unborn, the elderly etc . . . ?

From the blog of a certain someone who is now a "priest" at Spiritus Christi:

I like to think that Ted is now part of the heavenly senate, continuing to work toward the rights of all.

I hate to rain on the parade at Spiritus, although, come to think about it, there probably is no parade because gay pride week is over. But, I must still rain nonetheless. Ted Kennedy fought, not for the rights of all, but for the rights of the few and the death of many.

"As for me and my family, we shall follow the Lord."

The Lord would not stand for the killing of unborn children. Then again, perhaps the pro-choice politicians are blessed among men (and women), for they listen to Jesus' command very clearly: "Let the little children come unto me." Through their legislation, they have sent many little children unto Our Lord. Perhaps, though, the Lord didn't mean to kill them . . .

I don't know. I'm no Bible scholar. I'll leave that to our able lay administrators. They seem to know the will of God.

Religious Humor

A Belated "Nod" Goes to . . .

Officer Mike D., for aiding in the recovery of the vehicle of Truth.

You have my immense gratitude.

(More regarding this matter will come shortly.)

Another baby saved, Praise God!

Dear Prolifers,

I am so happy to report to you that another precious
baby was saved from abortion on Thursday, August 27th. at
Planned Parenthood!!

This was about to be an RU 486 abortion. We intercepted
the mother & her daughter who were about to go into
Planned Parenthood.  The woman's daughter is 18 years old
& didn't want her mother to kill her brother or sister.
We talked to the mother & then brought her into the Focus
Center. She cried with remorse for what she was about
to do.

She was wearing the Rosary, around her neck, that I gave
her about six weeks ago, when she passed me on the
sidewalk.  She wasn't pregnant then or she didn't know
she was.  The Blessed Mother was interceding for her.
She is talking about adoption & Suzanne, the counselor
at Focus, called Bethany Adoption Services, for our client.
The daughter was so happy that her mother 'choose life'
today.  They went away very happy & we will continue to
support this family, through her pregnancy.  What a
blessing this day was though sad for the lives that
were lost.

There also could have been a second save.  Praise God!
The couple passed us on the sidewalk & he said to the
girl that he was with, looking at the graphic picture, 
"this is what you are about to do".  She told him to
"shut up" & they walked into Planned Parenthood.
Less then 10 minutes later they both came walking out
and I offered him a Truth packet, with lots of
information in it, which he took.  They walked down
the sidewalk. Thank you Lord!

Keep praying & we need you,
Mary

I want to thank all the prolifers that were there
witnessing & praying, on the sidewalk, in defending
'life'. 

With Candles Ablaze

I have been reviewing, to my most immense displeasure, the footage of the 2009 CMA video released by the Diocese of Rochester. There are several points which Dr. K adroitly pointed out earlier this evening.

HOWEVER -

From 5:23 on, for several seconds, it is plainly seen that the sanctuary candles are lit. This means that the Blessed Sacrament was present for the duration of this mockery of faith. Not only was Our Lord present during this festival of monetary promotion, but no one gave him any reverence or even a nod of silent affirmation of his presence. Not once in the whole video does one see a person kneeling before Our Lord, or someone bowing in deference to His awesome majesty. Yes, we see our solid priests raising the matter at the moment of consecration, but what then? Evidently the Diocese of Rochester doens't consider Our Lord's presence to mean anything, when focusing, as it always does, on the capital to be gained from shameless self-promotion and the spreading of corrosive half-truths.


There is no excuse for this immature and wholly inappropriate use of a church building. A church is to be a place of respectful prayer, as the psalms duly state, "God is in His holy temple. Silence, all, before the Lord." Why is this so hard to grasp?

It is because the diocese has become complacent in its faith, with a few notable exceptions, most of which have been passive-aggressively attacked in this video. Tell me, do you not think it a massive statement on the part of Bishop Clark that the parishes most prominently featured are those which are most prominently orthodox? It is not, dearest readers. It's a bishop who's learning how to "play hard-ball."

Let's play/pray right back, then. Shall we?

Nod of the Miter, Smack of the Crosier - August 27, 2009

Little known fact of Rochester Diocesan History

It seems that the first radio broadcast on record for the solemnities of a Catholic episcopal consecration was for our third bishop, John Francis O'Hern. O'Hern was consecrated a bishop in the Old St. Patrick's Cathedral on the feast of St. Joseph, March 19, 1929. His co-consecrators were two of his best friends: Rochester-born Edward J. Hanna, Archbishop of San Francisco and Thomas Charles O'Reilly, bishop of Scranton. Rochester's pioneer raadio station, WHAM broadcast the whole ceremony to the diocese from 9 am to 2:30 p.m. Today you "ordain a bishop", you don't "consecrate a bishop". Libs hate it when you say "consecrate a bishop."

Name that church -- It's St. Mary's in Medina

If you can name the church where this picture was taken, I will write an article about your favorite Catholic Church in Monroe County. Hint: the picture is not of a church in the diocese of Rochester. The first correct response wins. Winner is based on the time-stamp at the end of your post. Good luck!

All I Can Say Is . . . Wow

Wow.

(Click it.)

Baby saved from being killed

This article below is from Mary Jost, director of the
Focus Crisis Pregnancy Center on University Ave.

Dear Prolifers,

On Thursday, August 20th., there was a baby saved from being killed at
Planned Parenthood by abortion. Thank God! The mother came out &
said to me that she saw the graphic pictures & couldn't do it. I brought
her into the Focus Pregnancy Help Center & give her more information
& a DVD on Growth & Development, of the baby in utero. I brought her
into the Material Aid Room & gave her a stuffed animal & a T-Shirt for
her baby that she would bond with her child.

I'm sorry to report that many other babies, lost their lives at Planned
Parenthood this day. We need more people now to be out in front of
Planned Parenthood to pray & to witness, to save lives. They do the
ultrasounds & preparations on Tuesdays & the abortions, all day,
on Thursdays. Please comeout to pray & witness. Thank you.

To Anonymous

Email me. We need to talk.


I know there are a lot of posters who are here anonymously, but only one treats me and my co-writers like enemies of decency and the Faith. (And it's not Ray Grosswirth.)

I won't make the others suffer by banning anonymous comments. I've had really more than enough of your disdainful rhetoric. You call me a hypocrite? Perhaps the problem not within the depths of my soul but within your own perception of reality.


I apologize to the readers of this blog who have had to deal with persistent bickering. Will you please pardon me for this "housekeeping" post?

You Must Look For This

I just watched this trailer and thought it amazingly well done. A more in depth article can be found at Catholic Ponderings.

Congolese Music at the Tridentine Latin Mass

The Missa Luba is a based on the Tridentine Latin Mass using traditional Congolese songs. The arrangement was by Franciscan Father Guido Haazen from Belgium. This is the Kyrie section. Kyrie is actually Greek; not Latin. This is not your typical European styled Catholic Mass music. This is something quite different, but nonetheless was used as the music for the celebration of the Tridentine Latin Mass.

Hitler Liked Progressive Liturgy

It's a fact.

"We Have a New Priestess"

So did an email in my inbox start off. Evidently, the infallible master's degrees of St. Bernard's have enabled yet another lady to become a "pastoral minister." Seriously, if a degree from St. Bernard's is your Imprimatur to start a Renaissance of unwanted reform, you have some issues.

You can see the bulletin and read the news for yourself here.

I can't wait till the installation Mass. Funny, I don't recall an installation Mass for any priests taking over parishes . . .

Then again, when a diocesan priest says, "We (priests) know that if one of us and 'Julie' get into a fight, the bishop will choose 'Julie.' So much for the priesthood being the greatest fraternal society in the world," you can't expect anything else from our unpleasant reality.

Pray for the bishop. Pray for the new administrator. They will both have to bear an unbelievable burden. It's somewhat vague what her duties may entail, but when a lay woman (yes, I know, redundant) gets involved with a relatively stable parish, little good can come of it. Of course, patterns may change, but look at the DoR track record.


(Folks, get your cameras ready. I can only pray that this "minister" will act with humility and liturgical correctness in her new assignment. It is possible, you know. Anyways, as I said, have your cameras ready.)

St. Andrew's on Portland Avenue -- Church Architecture

This video, using Rochester's Saint Andrew Church on Portland Avenue, gives a basic overview of church architecture. The video shows basic parts of a church (in cruciform style). It describes what an apse, transepts, nave, clerestory are. This parish had Msgr. George Eckl as its pastor. He died at 100 (he was pastor emeritus then). The special effects in the video can be distracting.

Welcome to Blogdom

Well, it looks as if yet another Rochester seminarian has joined the blogging community. Peter Mottola has created a very well-written blog at http://declinapaulisper.blogspot.com/. I highly suggest that you give it a read and become a subscriber. These young people need all the help they can get.

"We three bloggers come from afar, bearing words more radiant than stars."

Weak metaphor. I know. Deal with it.

Solution: 16 hidden Bible book names

The letters in bold reveal the solution to the paragraph with 16 Bible book names hidden in it.

I once made a remark about the hidden books of the Bible (merely by a fluke). It kept people looking so hard for the facts and for others it was a revelation. Some were in a jam, especially since the name of the books were not capitalized, but the truth finally struck home to numbers of readers. To others it was a real job. We want it to be a most fascinating few moments for you. Yes, there will be some really easy ones to spot. Others may require judges to help them. I will quickly admit it usually takes a minister to find one of them, and there will be loud lamentations when it is found. A little lady says she brews a cup of tea so she can concentrate better. See how well you can compete. Relax now. There really are sixteen names of books in this story.

"Gimme two to go."

Thus were the words of a man who presented a pyx to a priest this morning.

The priest's words: "We need to talk after Mass."

It was a great inspiration to see a priest willing to say "no" to a lay person. So many of the problems we encounter today stem from the weakened role of the priest in our "worship communities," which stems, in turn, from an unwillingness to exert traditional influence.

Note, the laity didn't feel "oppressed" by the Mass until liberal liturgists, and I'm being generous, calling them "liturgists," said to the laity, "You see, the priest has turned his back on you."

Um, no. The priest faces God, not the people whom he has made. In the courts of Europe, one used to face the king or queen, even when leaving a room. Therefore, the person had to back up, still in a bowing posture, until the king or queen was out of sight. You don't talk to a subject of the crown when the monarch himself is in the room. And who can deny that Our Lord is the chiefest monarch? A friend told me recently, "the devil came up with some very creative lines that weakened the 'ad orientem Church.' And our liturgists were often his mouthpieces." How true this is.

A little brain teaser

Can you find sixteen (16) books of the Bible in this paragraph?

I once made a remark about the hidden books of the Bible (merely by a fluke). It kept people looking so hard for the facts and for others it was a revelation. Some were in a jam, especially since the name of the books were not capitalized, but the truth finally struck home to numbers of readers. To others it was a real job. We want it to be a most fascinating few moments for you. Yes, there will be some really easy ones to spot. Others may require judges to help them. I will quickly admit it usually takes a minister to find one of them, and there will be loud lamentations when it is found. A little lady says she brews a cup of tea so she can concentrate better. See how well you can compete. Relax now. There really are sixteen names of books in this story.

Sunday Organ Recessional

Some of you go to churches with little or no architectural pizazz, and most often these churches don't have really good organs. So I thought you would enjoy looking at magnificent architecture and some top-notch organ music on Sunday. The piece is the Grand Choeur Dialogue by Eugene Gigout. This piece was the processional played at Archbishop Dolan's installation in St. Patricks in NYC. The cathedral in the video is in Cologne, Germany.

The Beautiful Past

Thanks to Choir Loft for providing these beautiful photos.

Our Lady of Victory

I know many people who read this blog attend Our Lady of Victory. Here are a few pictures from yesteryear. The rectory seems to have more lawn today than then. Who ever does the gardening at OLV has done a really beautiful job. The garden is easy on the eyes. The picture that shows St. Joseph's Church is looking east from Our Lady of Victory. It must have been a somewhat residential area back when.

Still Looking For Musical Recruits

I was thinking that after the glorious organ music of Widor, some people might be emboldened to volunteer for a "Cleansing Fire Musical production." No, it's not "Pope Joan: The Musical." The name and content will only be revealed when the recording is done.

Really, I need volunteers for this venture. I only have 1 volunteer at present. My goal is for four+. You wouldn't want to let me down, now, would you? I'd be so hurt.

Here is a hint for the finished piece(s): The hills are alive.

You gotta keep your eyes closed for this one and pretend it's a Catholic Church.

You have to overlook a few things in this video. One it is from St. Paul's Cathedral in London. It's an Anglican cathedral, neo-Classical design by Sir Christopher Wren, but no matter how beautiful it looks (and it does) it still lack the true presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. That's why my Dad a convert to Catholicism referred to the Anglican/Episcopalian Church as the "Church of the Real Absence".

We also have to overlook the Royal Family and pretend something way more Catholic coming down the central nave. Also, in the music, there is the "Vivat Regina" part, which we could probably ignore too.

Nobody can do ceremony like the British. Absolutely NO one.

New Processional Hymn

This would be the best song to use for liturgical dancing. It even has religious words and themes in it They have words like "judgment day", "Lord", "hallelujah", "Promised Land", they even sing about "washing sins away". Just imagine Thomas Warfield standing in for Judy Garland and we could get some ushers or usherettes to fill in as dancers. on the other hand, instead of Warfield, would get have Sister Joan and the dancers could be some priests of the diocese that like her. Too bad Jerome Robbins has died, he could have choreographed it for the diocese.

Seriously this would get everybody in a happy mood and the celebration would get kicked-off with a lot of energy and enthusiasm. The possibilities are endless of where this could go. We could send liturgy into another galaxy of stars.

School Sisters of Notre Dame

The School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND)have been in the Rochester diocese for over 150 years. Actually their incorporated name is the "Poor School Sisters of Notre Dame" but years ago they dropped the "Poor" because it was thought their teaching might have been worth somewhat less because of the word "Poor". Official documents still use the "Poor".

In 1833, Blessed Theresa of Jesus Gerhardinger founded the order.

Mother Theresa Gerhardinger brought five School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) from Bavaria to America in 1847 to educate German immigrant children.

The SSNDs originally taught only in parishes with German congregation. In Rochester that would have been Holy Redeemer, Holy Family, St. Michael's, St. Joseph's, St. Boniface, SS Peter and Paul (my church as a boy. I was taught by SSNDs), Holy Ghost in Coldwater and Sacred Heart in Perkinsville (this was a short lived assignment).

They were absolutely the best teachers. Each day, school began with Mass
at 8 a.m. Then after walking (single-file) over to school we hung our coats up in the "cloak room", we began our daily studies with one hour of religion. They knew it was their mission to get souls to heaven. I was lucky because I was an altar boy so I got a chance to serve funeral (Requiem) Masses every so often.

In later years, they opened Bishop Kearney High School and went to both St. Margaret Mary's and St. Philip Neri to teach grade school. Today I think there is one nun left at Bishop Kearney and some tutor at the Notre Dame Learning Center on the west-side of Rochester. There are a few in parishes within the Rochester area.

Until about 1957, all the Rochester SSNDs were under the Balitmore Province. In 1957, the order had grown so large that the powers-to-be decided to split the province in two. Baltimore would still be its own province and the new province would be in Wilton, Ct. The nuns were given the option to stay with Baltimore or join Wilton. The new motherhouse opened in the very early 60s, right before the Second Vatican Council.

They wore a very traditional habit until 1963 when they went to a modified habit, which isn't bad considering how few nuns (except the newer orders) wear habits. Today they are very, very left of center.

I'm sure there were some nuns who were too strict. That happens and it's wrong. But all the nuns I had were just fine, holy and devoted woman. I never had a problem with them, then again I wasn't a trouble maker (I just asked too many questions). That was brought up to my parents when the nuns had a twice a year open house for the parents. "Your son is very inquisitive and asks many good questions. Does he do this at home?", asked Sister Meinulpha. "Oh, yes", my parents replied in unison.

Guess which nun that is standing in the photo above is going to be principal this year? Rich Leonardi from Ten Reasons wrote an excellent story that mention the SSND when Rich's Dad went to Saint Peter and Paul's. It's on Catholic Exchange. If I knew how to put a link in here, I would have. Sorry. The nuns didn't teach me anything about computers or links. hahaha

Holy Family Cathedral in Tulsa, OK. --Catholic Eye Candy

The other day the Catholic wires had a story about Bishop James Slattery of Tulsa Oklahoma. He will be saying the Mass "ad orientum" at the Cathedral. This cathedral has undergone a very through restoration (not wreckovation) like our Sacred Heart Cathedral. Look what a coat of paint can do, properly apply and the right color scheme. The colors and interior design are from the Augustus Welby Pugin style.

Organ Recessional after the Tridentine Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday - 2009

Rochester's original Cathedral -Saint Patrick's --NEW PICTURES

This was Rochester's first cathedral. It was at the corner of Frank Street (now called North Plymouth Avenue) and Platt Street. It was sold to Kodak in September of 1937. The other picture is of the Cathedral in ruins. The Cathedral sat about 1,200 and the Lady Chapel about 700. The Cathedral was only used on Sundays and major feasts. The Lady Chapel was used for day-to-day services.
The main altar in the Cathedral found a home at St. Francis Xavier on Bay Street.

"Sanctus" For Bishop

I like the idea.

I've designed a t-shirt for this new initiative. I hope you derive some pleasure from it.



make custom gifts at Zazzle

Holy Redeemer Church

The story of Holy Redeemer Church on Hudson Avenue begins in 1861. The parishioners of St. Joseph's Church organized an orphan asylum to support the congregation's orphans.

A large parcel of land was purchased along Hudson Avenue for the orphanage, but because of conflicting diocesan laws, it was decided to erect a church-school building on the land.

The first church structure was dedicated in 1867. The present church, at the northeast corner of Hudson and Clifford Avenues was dedicated in October of 1877.

Oscar Knebel, a native of West Germany, designed Holy Redeemer in the Italian Lombard style, but with an unusual addition of a pair of Bavarian, onion-domed towers, very characteristic of the Austrian Tyrol area and Switzerland. The tower is 196 feet high.

The sumptuous stained glass windows, depicting saints and other religious events, were made in the Franz Meyer studio in Munich, Germany.

The last church organ, installed in 1947,was in the residence of the late Andrew W. Mellon, a longtime Secretary of the Treasury.

The founding priest was Rev. Fidelis Oberholzer. He served for 33 years until 1902.

One of the assistant priest, Father Francis Xavier Kunz, founded the Order of Martha in 1911. This was not an order of nuns, but of housewives. They met once a week to sew for the young priests who were doing missionary work in the sparsely settled regions of the West and Southwest. These priests had no means of purchasing the necessary altar linens and vestments required for the celebration of Mass. So, the Order of Martha worked diligently to make, in their first year, 456 piece of altar linens. In addition to sewing, they raised money by having small card parties and social events held at the members' homes.

In July of 1922, Father Kunz was transferred to St. Francis Xavier Church on Bay Street, where he was named pastor. The Order of Martha followed him. Father Kunz died in May of 1936. While the Order of Martha keenly felt the loss of their organizer and spiritual director, they resolved to carry on for his sake. With this in mind, their crowning achievement was realized in late 1937 with the dedication of St. Francis Xavier Church in Eden, Montana. This church was built and completely furnished through the contributions and work of the local Order of Martha as a fitting memorial to Father Francis Xavier Kunz, their founder.

Musings From "Sanctus"

Here's your latest dose of "Sanctus."

"When they changed the way the altars were, so they weren't facing the right way, people just lost their minds."
"I went to Mass yesterday, and she (yes, you know who) was there. And she was wearing these skimpy little shorts! Okay, fine, you can stop the habits, but shorts? And at Mass? This is worse than when Frank showed up to Mass wearing a t-shirt with a bathing beauty on it. I saw him come into church with that thing on and I said, 'What the hell do you think you're doing, Frank?' He looked down at the gal on his shirt and said, 'enjoying myself.' Well, father saw the shirt and nearly refused him communion. Oh, and Frank's daughter was so embarrassed. I mean, really, if there's a choice between cartooned perfection on a t-shirt and elderly flab up close and personal, I'll take the shirt."
"I really liked the Latin. It's something that the Protestant churches just don't get. It was so majestic."
"That Sr. Barbara (Ms. Barbara Swiecki) always plays around with the Mass. She gets all the kids in a circle and has a talk. Geeze, you'd think the priest would smack her for that."
"When I worked at Kodak, I used to tell the guys, 'Don't talk about religion. You can have your opinions, but keep 'em to yourselves. I'm Catholic. That ain't changing.' So then they just shut up real quick. I guess they knew I had 'em licked."
"This Asian pastor and his wife live next to me, and they tried to convert me when they moved in. Well, they could have gotten a lot farther if they didn't have chickens and hens running around their property. For cripe's sake, that's not too sanitary. I don't know what they are (denomination) but they're just out-there. I told them, 'I'm Catholic. I like my Church. Keep yours to yourself.' Well, they just gave up. Guess they didn't like that I didn't convert."

A Belated Smack

I have been moved to make a belated smack of the miter to . . .

Google's "Ad Sense."

When I decided to place it on the blog, the disclaimer said that only appropriate ads would be placed on the blog. And, for the first few days, this was true. Ads for online Catholic stores, online Bible study classes etc . . . However, this morning's ad was for a free sample of a Trojan condom.

Not only has "Ad Sense" been miter-smacked, it has been excommunicated.

Nod of the Miter, Smack of the Crozier

Enjoy the new style of smack/nod.

I Have A Precious One At Home

Well, craziness has descended upon my home. A few weeks ago, I heard a small cry outside my window, so I looked out. Sitting on the sill was a tiny kitten, not any older than a couple weeks. Well, it ran off, and for the next couple weeks, I would only hear the occaisional cry.

Then a friend of mine lent a "Have-a-Heart Trap" to me that I might catch the little one and give her a safe home.

Mission accomplished.

New Videos from Cleansing Fire

The first video below is in perfect working order. The second one, putting the church photos into a video, had its audio track deleted by YouTube for a supposed copyright problem. Seriously, who bothers to renew a copyright from 1932?

If anyone cares to look for the music, just type in the words from the first slide of the movie. It's a good song and perfectly described the video. The video, as it is now, makes little sense. Don't hold me accountable for it, please.

"The Only Reverent One Is Christ Our Lord, Not Your Priest!"

So hawked the Protestant throngs outside HSBC Arena on Saturday, August 15th for the Fr. Corapi Conference. I'll start at the very beginning, for it's a very good place to start:

I (and an army of priests, seminarians and acolytes) stayed the night before the conference at the Doubletree Club Hotel, on High Street. Complimentary cookies at check-in were amazing. Beds were very comfortable with five pillows piled high for "sweet dreams," as the embroidered pillows declared. Side note: I could see the spire of St. Louis' Catholic Church from my room. Dinner and the next morning's breakfast were in the "Au Bon Pain" restuarant downstairs. I dined with a father and daughter from Georgia who are both going through RCIA. The daughter is finishing upcollege and wants to join, hopefully, Mother Angelica's order of religious nuns. So then, this is where it gets interesting: the hotel's promised shutlle busses never showed up in the morning to take us to the conference. 200 cranky Catholics on the streets of Buffalo - not a good thing. I was standing next to a Brooklyn lady who, upon seeing an oncoming taxi, rushed out and seized it, comandeering it for immediate "Corapi use." So, eight of us piled into this one taxi and were off.

So then we arrived at HSBC Arena about 7:30, half an hour before the first sermon. My seat was about 45 feet from the stage, looking down upon it. Looking around at the people flooding in I recalled the number of attendees which "Miss Georgia" told me: 19,000 people. Yes, 19,000 people. Now, I forgot to mention that there was a throng of Bible-thumping Protestants outside, trying to convert this army of 19,000 Catholics. I mean, really? You really think you're going to convert a Catholic who is going to the Fr. Corapi Conference? Poor misguided souls. The Catholic reaction to the cries of "only the Lord has authority, only the Lord is reverent" was either laughing, indifference or yelling back, "Yeah, and that's why you guys should come in and listen to our padre!"

The sermons themselves where absolutely amazing. There were two before Mass, and three after, one of which was given by Raymond Arroyo. Fr. Corapi's talks were about the Holy Spirit: "It's not a timid fire." I suppose it could be said that this is our Imprimatur? They will be selling CD's and DVD's of this conference on his website once the footage is edited (camera boom knocked over flowers onto the podium) and when the backgroudn noise is filtered out (of 19,000 Catholics, 1,000 were under 2 years old). I'll write more at length on the sermons later, once I see the footage and remember actual lines. One theme was "Those who obey receive the Spirit." He added, "but you have a duty to disobey and fight against evil and indifferent leaders in state, society and Church." His general message was, "Oh dear God, we've got the democrats in. Run for your lives! And on your way into your bunkers of Catholicity, trample under foot heresy and corrupt clergy and laity!" I think we've been doing our best to keep his message alive, yes?

Now to the Mass:

The main celebrant was Bishop Kmiec of Buffalo, with nearly 200 priests concelebrating, and throngs of deacons assisting. Several seminarians wserved as acolytes etc . . . and only one lay person (aside from the servers) helped. The woman simply read the readinsg which were not edited or neutered of their masculine pronouns. The music was generally written by Mr. Haugen, but was performed with an almost polyphonic manner. The servers wore cassocks, the priests did nothing out of line, no nuns or laypeople preached, and Bishop Kmiec's "assistant" was not some white-haired she-priest in an alb, but rather, a monsignior. The bishop acted with peity and dignity, without being either aloof or disingenuine. Let's pray that all bishops (wink, wink) learn from his pious and kindly example. How emotion-packed was the Mass? Try listening to 19,000 singing the Lourdes Hymn (aka Immaculate Mary) and not being moved with a great dose of Catholic pride. No, this does not mean we are going to have a Cleansing Fire float next year at Rochester's "Pride Week." I think the Episcopalians take up too much room anyways . . .

The food was tolderable at the arena, renamed "Holy Spirit Blessed Church" by Bishop Kmiec. I will let it rest by saying that my lunch was supplied by Perry's Ice Cream. Soft-served twist rocks my Catholic mind. Evidently the concessions people underestimated the turn-out, because they all closed by 1:30 and Tim Hortons (all 8,000 stands) ran out of coffee. However, I didn't go because of the food. I went because of the example of faith shown by all in attendance and by all who said Mass, and by he who preached. That's the amazing thing: 19,000 people all of the same mind, all catholic in the "lower-case 'c'" meaning.

The whole thing was amazing. Wish you could have all come. Maybe next time there will be a Cleansing Fire charter bus?

And a most definite "wow" goes to the fact that we were given a further Imprimatur by the area's Catholic radio station. Wow. Deo Gratias.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, 'Tis Off to Buffalo We Go

I will be leaving for Buffalo in about an hour to attend the "Corapi Conference," whose theme this year is "Lord and Giver of Life," aka, "Holy Spirit." Below is the description of the event from Fr. Corapi's site:

Father Corapi will be preaching what he says will be one of his most powerful presentations ever on the person and power of the Holy Spirit. He will be delivering four exciting and moving sermons for the first and only time at this special conference. Topics will include, "The Theology of the Person and Power of the Holy Spirit," "The Gift that Contains All Gifts," "The Holy Spirit is Given to Those that Obey," and "The Spirit We Have Been Given is No Cowardly Spirit!" More Info

Looks like someone's been reading Cleansing Fire . . .

Why Socialism Fails

From a friend:

An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before,
but had once failed an entire class.

--------------------------------------------

That class had insisted that Obama's socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.


The professor then said, "OK,
we will have an experiment in this class on Obama's plan".


All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A.


After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B.
The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy.


As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little.
The second test average was a D!
No one was happy.


When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F.

The scores never increased as bickering,
blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else.


All failed, to their great surprise, and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.

Can You Hear Me Now?

I was touring a few churches with a priest friend of mine today, and he noted how, in every "renovated" "church" even the speakers for the sound system are given more prominence than the Blessed Sacrament. Upon entering one locale he declared, "That's just obscene."

I couldn't agree more. I struggled for a few minutes trying to discern where the tabernacle was. We finally found it, off to the side, deep into what used to be a side altar. We hadn't looked there before because of the maze of pipes and banners cluttering the area. The wooden tabernacle, which looked more like doodled-on cardboard, was guarded by a sanctuary lamp, which is also called, "the red thing with a candle" according to some of our liberal brethren (sistren?).

So, yes, evidently many Catholics are now forced to worship, not God in His Most Blessed Sacrament, but rather, music and sound coming from mysterious boxes placed prominently in their churches. St. Bose, pray for us.

In response to our question, "Can you hear me now," I suppose we can. We can hear the prayers. And the folk music. And the chewing/gnawing of the host. And the slurping of the Precious Blood. And the various other digestion noises. And the frenzied, whispered directions to incompetent servers.

More From "Sanctus"

I'm sure that some of you who read this will recall the musings of a 92-year-old gentleman whom I call "Sanctus." Everyone seemed to like his original thoughts, so I decided to share with you a story he recently shared with me.

I praphrase:

"The only priest I ever became really close to was Bishop Casey (an 'assistant bishop' in Rochester a long while back). He was a great guy. He used to pick me up from my house on Flower City Parkway and bring me with him when he'd visit parishioners of Sacred Heart. There was this one time where he said, 'come on, we're going somewhere.' So I got in the car and we drove and drove and finally we got to the county jail. We went inside and I guess he had a Mass or something, but he gave me a book and put me in a cell and said, 'stay there. I'll be back later.' I was sitting there and then I looked up and saw three friends behind bars in the next cell over. 'For cripe's sake,' I said, 'what did you guys do to get in here?' 'What did we do? What did you do?' Well, a long time went by and Bishop Casey came back to get me. Did you know he was the one who did the renovation of the cathedral?' (Here, I informed him of the contemporary "renovation.") Why the heck did they do that? I mean, really, why did they need to do that junk? Geeze, you'd think the bishop would listen to the people in the pews."

Well, we can pray that he does. After all, if the recommendation of the planning group goes ahead, we need to pray that the bishop would choose to sell to a religious order rather than to a Muslim group. I'm all for religious freedom, but I'd rather see a Catholic church stay Catholic. I should think you'd all agree. Anyways, we need to pray. "Sanctus" said that he has a table set up at his house that has the following things: dozens of old prayer cards in piles, a couple statues, a crucifix, a candle or two, and a bottle of holy water from Lourdes. He prays often and devotedly, as I hope we do too. Prayers are, ultimately, the only thing which can resolve the current situations in the DoR. Indeed, without prayer, any effort fails. (On that note, the Novena of Fortitude's last two days are completed, but YouTube has been temperamental lately. I'm just waiting till it's more stable.)

In Honor of 10000 Hits: A Dose of Merriment

Need Volunteers

I have been working on a project as of late, and desperately need some people to assist in accomplishing it. I am looking for people who have the following:

• musical experience (vocal/polyphonic)
• a sense of humor (necessary)
• a desire to sing
• the ability to match pitch, possibly harmonize (if you are able)

All I will say right now is that, if this materializes, it will be the most entertaining thing ever to come from one of the Rochester-area Catholic blogs.

Please respond to cleansingfire@live.com. Even if you're not entirely certain, please, please, please send an email.

Slight Change at Cleansing Fire?

I've been mulling this over lately, and thought I should extend my question to you, the readers. Should I make it so that only registered members of blogger can post comments? Some anonymous users are genuinely trying to learn, and I am honored that they have chosen this place to learn from others. Some are absolutely hysterical. Others are blatantly hate-mongering and critical in a way which is blinded by what I construe as blind hatred for "this our glorious cause." Another option would be for a "review board" of sorts to "approve" comments which appear on the site. I am hesitant to do either of these options, however, because I just love free-flowing banter. I suppose it's too much to ask that we just behave ourselves? (Please note, my annoyance, and I am sure the annoyance of many, is not directed at people who genuinely seek to learn real answers to real questions, i.e. our recent cruelty discussion. Rather, it is directed towards those who try to cause blatant and obvious problems.)

What are your opinions? I'm very interested to hear from you all.

Veni Creator Spiritus

As more and more adverse events come to pass in the Diocese of Rochester, one has to wonder, "is the Holy Spirit at work here or is He not?" I should like to say that, yes, He is most definitely at work. Each time that a school is closed, more children find their way to traditional Catholic schools such as John Bosco and Archangel. Each time a parish is closed or "clustered," more people make their way to Our Lady of Victory and St. Stanislaus. Each time a "progresive lay reformer" becomes an administrator in a parish, more people dedicate themselves to fighting against this infection which has so weakened the local Church.

The Church's history is filled with destructions and desecrations which are then promptly met with graceful renaissance. The Romans persecuted the Church. Then the Church toppled the Roman Empire. The barbarians launched Europe and the Church into the Dark Ages. Then the Church flourished as a refuge of Faith and learning. The Church became corrupted by power and greed, then weakened by the Protestant Reformation. Then the Church refocused and saved Europe from becoming completely over-run by heresy. The Church was weakened by misinterpretations of Vatican II.

Then what?

Then we have a core of true believers, strengthened by adversity.

Then we have dedicated young men answering calls to the priesthood.

Then we have religious orders being founded with the sole purpose of restroing the Liturgy.

Then we have faithful who, though less in numbers, are even more zealous in defending the Faith.

Look around you. Amid the ruins of failed experimentation are the beautiful remnants of what "Church" was. Indeed, the remnants of what "Church" is. The Church is timeless, "ever ancient, ever new." If it weren't, it would have died with so many martyrs in Ancient Rome. The Church is resilient in the face of tribulation. If it weren't, it would have yielded to the Protestants rather than fought back with dedication for the ultimate Truth of the Eucharist. Indeed, when one considers what has besieged our Holy Mother Church, our current woes seem almost inconsequential.

However, every time that the Blessed Sacrament is desecrated, every time the Liturgy is de-sanctified, every time our priests are vilified, every time our parishes give way to passing fads of liberalism, a travesty is committed against the dignity of the Church and Her Divine Founder, Jesus Christ.

Will we continue to permit his perpetual crucifixion at the hands of contemprary centurions in almost every sanctuary in Rochester? I should think not.

"Kiss Me Sweet and Kill Me"

Thus wrote John Dowland under the persecution of Queen Elizabeth I of England.

It seems as if there are numerous parallels between our situation today in certain dioceses and the situation under the Protestant Tudors of so long ago. Although we Catholics no longer lose our lives in Western New York, several of us have had our souls ripped out and desecrated by those who claim to do the Lord's bidding. Names will not be mentioned, for you know those of whom I write.

It seems to me that left-leaning Catholics who gain leadership roles are seldom passive in their approach to administration, while those who are right-leaning (right as in both conservative and correct) are much more docile and humble. Of course, there are exceptions in both. However, how many people have fled parishes because the priest did what he was supposed to? My guess: considerably less than have left because of liberal shenanigans. Before the "new ways" were ingrained into the minds of our religious, nuns were contented to be nuns and priests were proud to be priests. Now, we have nuns who look with contempt upon their femininity and wish to become priests, and we have priests who are ashamed of their vocation. When was the last time you saw a priest, other than the priests favored here, wearing a collar or a cassock in public? I myself ran into Fr. Gary Tyman at Barnes and Noble during a recent stay. His apparel: polo shirt, khakis and dress shoes. I pray that our local church learns to appreciate the masculinity of the priesthood and the femininity of "nunhood." After all, even in the first few centuries of our Church, women stepped forward, not to be priests, but to serve as an early form of religious. They visited the sick, buried the dead, helped to lead underground faith communities. The key word there: helped. They did not preside at early liturgies, and if so, did so as illicitly and invalidly as certain women do now.

"Kiss me sweet, and kill me." If we are to die for the Holy Mother Church in a "white martyrdom of faith," so to speak, then let us make the most of it. Let our sufferings be used to bring attention to those who perpetuate error and heterodoxy. When we are chastised for orthodoxy and preserving tradition, then let us strike back with our words and our education. After all, liberlaism is, at it score, naive. It looks only at the present and forsakes the future and the past as irrelevent to present desires. Just look at our mounting national debt for proof of this. We need to give our young people the desire to stand up for the Church, and we need to make sure that our adults and elderly are firm in the Faith, unwilling to buy into the falsities of this modernist heresy. We are the Church. Let us not permit it be desecrated without a fight.

Novena of Fortitude - Day 7

We Have Bumper Stickers!

It's true. We've now got bumper stickers and t-shirts. Talk about living large . . .

I must thank a Rochester reader for supplying the designed products.


make custom gifts at Zazzle

Save St. Thomas the Apostle

Please, readers, pray for the success of our efforts in regards to St. Thomas the Apostle. The parish is one that deserves not to be punished for its orthodoxy and adherence to Rome's norms as opposed to Bishop Clark's. Pray and act.

Novena of Fortitude - Day 6

Today's theme is "blessed are the persecuted."

Novena of Fortitude Returns Monday

I apologize for not keeping as up-to-date with your doses of fortitude, but time is a resource most lacking in my week/weekend. I will post Day 6's video on Monday.

However, on a random note, a priest gave me the following psalm in reference to the Diocese of Rochester's plight of liberalism:

¹ In the LORD I take refuge.
How then can you say to me:
"Flee like a bird to your mountain.

² For look, the wicked bend their bows;
they set their arrows against the strings
to shoot from the shadows
at the upright in heart.

³ When the foundations are being destroyed,
what can the righteous do?

⁴ The LORD is in his holy temple;
the LORD is on his heavenly throne.
He observes the sons of men;
his eyes examine them.

⁵ The LORD examines the righteous,
but the wicked and those who love violence
his soul hates.

⁶ On the wicked he will rain
fiery coals and burning sulfur;
a scorching wind will be their lot.

⁷ For the LORD is righteous,
he loves justice;
upright men will see his face.

Six Christians Burned to Death

Lahore, Pakistan, Aug 2, 2009 / 11:31 am (CNA).- Religious extremists struck again in Pakistan on Saturday when a violent mob of Muslims looted and burned a Christian neighborhood, killing six Christians by burning them to death. The attacks took place in reaction to a rumor that the Koran was desecrated in a nearby village.

The violence, which took place in the central Punjab town of Gorja City, occurred early on Saturday when a throng of Muslims surged into the Christian quarter, setting all 40 of the Christian houses and two churches aflame.

As the crowd of Muslims approached Gojra City, Christians fired shots at them in self-defense.

Six Christians—four women, a man and a 7 year-old child—were burned to death in the attacks.

The rioters were enraged by the alleged desecration of the Koran in the village of Koriyan, about two miles away.

However, Rana Sanaullah, provincial minister for law, who is also responsible for security matters of Punjab, said that an initial investigation found there was no desecration of the Koran. "It was just a rumor which was exploited by anti-state elements to create chaos," he said.

According to locals, the police observed the looting and burning, but took no action. “Though police was present at the time of attack, miscreants were not stopped by them,” local Christians complained. After some time, the police tried to stop the protesters, but the mob turned on the police, resulting in some injuries.

According to Minorities Concern of Pakistan, “this is the third incident in the last two months of this kind in Punjab province in which Christian localities were attacked due to alleged blasphemy.”

Christians make up just 1.5 percent of the total population of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Thus is the world. Thus have they made it. If there is such outcry that a text, albeit sacred to a people, is desecrated, is it not worse that six human beings have been mutilated? The body is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. A book is not.