A Memorial Day Prayer‏

Memorial Day was first observed on May 30, 1868, when
flowers were placed at the graves of Union and
Confederate soldiers. On this day we honor all who
have died in service of our nation.

Dear God our Father,

Your word tells us, “Unless the LORD build the house,
they labor in vain who build. Unless the LORD guard
the city, in vain does the guard keep watch” (Psalm 127:1).

Thank You for those who have guarded not only our
cities, but our country, allies, and many other communities
from unjust and unprincipled aggressors. On this Memorial
Day, with a solemn and sacred spirit, we pause to remember
and honor the brave men and women in our Armed Forces
who gave up their lives for their fellow Americans at
home and abroad.
Many were young and many were married, with their loved
ones praying for them back home; but they were each fighting
to protect the freedom we enjoy when they were called to make
the ultimate sacrifice.

Dear God, please bless our heroes and heroines with Your
mercy, grace, and peace. Bless also their families and
friends. May Your perpetual light shine upon them; and may
their souls and the souls of all our faithful departed rest
in peace. In Jesus’ name.

Amen.

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.

Jesus, a Nice Guy

I would just like to share, briefly, the gist of a homily I heard today. Those of you who watched EWTN's Mass, or went to one around the DoR, will have noted that the Gospel is that which deals with the cleansing of the temple. The Mass I attended had a priest presiding (rare, I know), who gave this little bit of insight which is ideal for us who zealously seek to restore reverence to our own "temples." And, no, I wasn't anywhere remotely close to Our Lady of Victory, so don't even think about it.

"We see Jesus get angry. Now, don't get me wrong. Jesus was a nice guy. A great guy. He got hungry, because He was fully man, and He probably got cranky too, because He was fully man. Some of you are probably thinking, 'God shouldn't get angry like that. It's scary.' Well, what we see today in the Gospel is called 'righteous anger.' Would that we be consumed with the same passion to cleanse our parishes of the abuses we see perpetrated in the sight of God. What clearer directive do we have, friends, than this? God cleansed His own temple. Imagine all the pigeons flying out, all the coins rolling down the temple steps, and why? Because God's anger was brought upon these perpetrators of sacrilege. He will not permit Himself to be profaned, and that is what drove Our Lord's divine anger."

Bishop Morlino on Eucharistic Reverence

This was sent to us by a dear friend of the blog. Many thanks go out to her and her family. May God bless such kind-hearted and sincere Catholics.

The video below is of Bishop Morlino discussing reverence at Mass. His insight is invaluable, and should be given, in a spirit of precise charity, to all your administrators, your pastors, your sacramental ministers, or what ever else you may have. He states, "No one intends to be irreverent." I could not agree more. Our lay preachers think they're doing the right thing. They love the Church, but in a very inappropriate way. Just like a 15 year old boy may "love" his girlfriend after a night of passion, that love is misplaced and juvenile. There's something there, but it's trounced and destroyed by the effects of sin. No one, unless they are instruments of Satan, seeks to destroy that which they know to be good. No one, unless they are instruments of Satan, would follow a path they know to be wrong. However, if we permit these people to walk in these ways, to continue embracing the metaphorical girlfriend, we testify to be in error ourselves, for we are doing nothing to bolster the good which we perceive, the good which Our Lord perceives.

Submissions for the Vocatus Es Contest

The following are submissions for the create-your-own vocations poster for Rochester. Enjoy! We'll start voting once we have several posted. Send your submission for funny or serious DoR self-designed posters to me at cleansingfire@live.com.

Submitted serious vocations poster:

- Submitted by Anonymous Photo credits: jdbradley and CarbonNYC

- Submitted by A.G.

- Submitted by Anonymous 

- Submitted by Nod, from  http://blynken.blogspot.com/

Submitted humorous vocations posters:

- Submitted by Emma

- Submitted by Nate

- Submitted by Nate

- Submitted by anonymous

- Submitted by Ben and Mary Anderson

Liturgical Reform

This video sets forth very clearly exactly what we (and others like us) mean when we talk about "reform of the reform."

You Know You're in Good Company When . . .

. . . at daily Mass, the priest sings "Dominus Vobiscum" and every single person responds in flawless unison, "et cum spiritu tuo."

And you also know you're in good company when, on a similar note, every single person can sing the chant ordinaries without picking up a book.

That's the real spirit of Vatican II. The sooner you grasp that, the sooner you become a citizen of reality.

Biblical Cartoons.

Sacred or Secular Music at Mass?

Can you tell the difference?? from Corpus Christi Watershed on Vimeo.

Announcing the Brand New "Vocatus Es Contest"

The Diocese of Rochester is trying (and I give them some credit for that) to recruit men to the priesthood through these posters you've seen here and in your parish atria and gathering spaces. However, most men aren't called through feel-good posters, but one-on-one interaction with priests. There is something so fraternal about the priesthood, something which gets forgotten or trivialized in these posters. Sure, the little boy at the altar looks cute enough. "Aww, he's soo wittle!" But that's not what rouses vocations awareness.

And so I'm challenging you all to design two posters:

#1 will be a serious poster, asking young men to answer the call to the diocesan priesthood.

#2 will be a comedic poster, embracing the fruits of your snarkiness. I will post ALL submissions, presuming they aren't inappropriate, and we will vote on them in due time. 

You can submit for one or both categories.

What do you get for all your hardwork? How about a brand new Cleansing Fire t-shirt! If you want, I'll even autograph it for you. Just promise you won't sell it on eBay. Yes, I'm just that awesome. Runners up will receive, in order of achievement, a Cleansing Fire medal for second place, and 10 Cleansing Fire prayer cards for third place.

So get to work! I want to see your Vocations Awareness Posters! Send your submissions in the Vocatus Es Contest to me at cleansingfire@live.com. Do it now, and maybe

A Nod of the Miter Goes To . . .

. . . you, the readers. Yesterday evening, we surpassed 100,000 hits. That means that we have had thousands of people, in the Diocese of Rochester and outside of it, reading of our plight and our efforts. You, dearest friends, have turned this blog into a success. We have conducted ourselves for almost a full year in the ways of light-hearted sanctity and jocularity, bringing comfort, affirmation, and an occasional smile to your besieged hearts.

We have "admonished the sinner" and "instructed the ignorant," two of the spiritual works of mercy so integral to the life of the Church. While we have our detractors, even in our own midst, their words fall on deaf ears, and are heard by individuals whose apathy and sluggishness prove their unwillingness to risk great things for the sake of the greatest, that is, the Holy Eucharist, brought to us each and every day in the Mass. Without a proper respect and zeal for the King of Kings, we can have no genuine recourse, in this life or the next.

And so, as we near our First Anniversary, and all the festivities there-upon, I want to thank you all for your continued support and readership. People always tell me, not knowing my blogging identity, "you know, all those blogs, they're run by cranky old white men who can't deal with reality." You, friends, are proof that this is not so. Just look at our followers on Facebook - almost half of them are in high school or college. The others are young parents of large families, converts, devoted single people, and those who have stayed true to the authentic teachings of the Church through the tumult of the 60's and 70's. We are the real face of diversity. The sooner these aging liberals realize that, the sooner God's will may be realized.

Your humble host and friend in orthodoxy,
Gen

Needed: Baby Swing, Highchair/Stroller

If any of you would like to help Mary Jost at the Focus Pregnancy Help Center, she sure could use many things.

She most especially needs baby swings, highchairs and stroller. With the nice weather, the mothers want to take their babies out in a stroller. The Center always needs diapers from newborn and up.

So if any readers would like to make a very significant contribution to a most worthy cause, please call Mary at 200-9477. She would be very grateful for any contribution that you could make.

From Rome

Cardinal Arinze on Kneeling, Communion Rails, and Eucharistic Reverence

Prayers needed to stop this abortion

A very good friend called to ask all of us to pray to stop an abortion that is scheduled take place early tomorrow morning. The doctors (?) talked her into it. Please say some prayers that the abortion does not happen. Thank you.

In Honor of Our Dear Lay Administrators

Another "Epic Limerick" for your perusal.

I found myself mumbling in Latin,
The words more luscious than satin.
So I spoke them aloud,
In the midst of the crowd,
And that's when this story did happen:
The alb-clad lay preacher rose tall,
And gave a most sobering call:
"I feel I've done wrong,
Misleading this throng,
And piercing their souls with this awl."
At this the old woman reached down,
Picked up an awl, stained by blood brown,
She spun it about,
Beginning to shout,
"I drove all my faithful downtown!"
So I kept up my feverish pace,
Running this linguistic race,
Mumbling old prayers,
Despite all the stares,
In this dark, sterile, liberal place.
The awl was a menacing tool,
Which she used in a spirit most cruel,
When one would oppose her,
With intent to depose her,
She'd challenge that bloke to a duel.
So the awl pierced many a soul,
To defend her illicit role,
And those who survive,
Must carefully drive,
To escape the clutch of this troll.
But then, alas, she lamented,
Admitting her soul was demented,
She dropped the awl,
And discerned her call,
Te be a nun, and contented.

On This Day O Beautiful Mother

In honor of Our Blessed Lady. Catholics of a certain age will definitely remember singing these hymns, especially when First Holy Communion fell on Mothers Day.


On this day, O Beautiful Mother!
On this day we give thee our love;
Near thee, Madonna, fondly we hover,
trusting thy gentle care to prove.

On this day we ask to share, dearest Mother,
thy sweet care;
Aid us e'er, our feet astray, wandering from
thy guiding way.

Queen of Angels, deign to hear, thy dear
children's humble pray'r;
Young hearts gain, O Virgin pure, sweetly
to thyself allure.

For the Crowning of the Blessed Mother, this was probably sung more than any other hymn.



The hymn below can and does get Catholics to sing with gusto to the Virgin Mother of God. It is one of those hymns that Catholics seem to love to sing. This is not the version from that stupid "Sister Act".

Mozart's Veni Sancte Spiritus

This is the closing portion of the piece - definitely worth a listen.

Our Lady of the Lighthouses, Pray For Us

A reader of the blog sent the following to us. He was visiting his aunt, a one-time parishioner at St. Anne Church on Mt. Hope Avenue, and who now lives at Monroe Community Hospital. The reason she chose to live there rather than a home like St. John's or St. Ann is because she knows how reverent the Masses are there. Every Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday, Fr. Bonsignore offers a Mass, and in her words, "they're just so sublime!"

Well, today the hospital chaplain was away, celebrating the golden anniversary of ordination for a friend of his. In his stead was a priest who, at the request of the "informant," will remain nameless. Usually, this priest is solid, loving the Traditions of Holy Mother Church. And doubtless he did today, but in a most . . . peculiar . . . way.

Upon the altar, flanking the crucifix, he placed to lighthouse figurines. Adorning them at their base was the stole which should have been worn with the chasuble he chose for the day. However, the stole that he wore (over his chasuble, mind you) was apparently made of felt, with glued-on flames and other "fire decorations." His explanation for the statuettes was that they represented the fruits and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He continued this theme at the "Behold the Lamb of God" portion of the Mass by saying, "Here is the Lamb of God, whose fruits and gifts are like these beacons on the shores of life. Happy are those who have been called to His supper."

This is part of a trend which is perhaps the most unfortunate of trends in the post-Conciliar Church. Uniformity has been lost. The Mass is an instrument of whatever priest is saying it, rather than being a timeless, ageless, statement-free liturgy focused on God rather than self. Are we starting to see the merits of having a by-the-book interpretation, folks? When you "say the black and do the red," no one gets angry, no one feels hurt, and the Mass is genuinely beautiful. However, when you let personal ideas and tastes infiltrate the hallowed halls of our liturgical "know-how," that's when problems begin.

I hope that you all had a lighthouse-free Pentecost. I'm certainly glad I did.

The Man's a Saint - The Brother's a Foul-Tongued Cretin

For anyone who caught Brother Wease's interview with Dr. Scott Caton, you will have noticed that a little piece of you died. No one should be made to deal with such a lewd, shallow, dull-witted individual as Wease. I mean no offense to the man, but when he refers to Dr. Caton's children as "little packages" that drive him insane, and when he professes to be a Jehovah's Witness because he let them in his house, and when he says that all priests should have the ability to have a sexual outlet with their wives, he loses his veil of innocence and charity.

Dr. Caton - you have all of our sincere admiration for dealing with such an insipid and tactless man on live radio.

Brother Wease - stick to your station's celebrity bikini contests (do not click if you value your soul), and leave religion to those who actually take it as something serious, and not an amusement for communal jocularity.

Missa Cantata for Pentecost

This coming Sunday there will be a Gregorian Missa Cantata celebrated by the Rev. Gerard McMahon. Mass is at 1:30 at Saint Stanislaus Church. The local "Schola Roffensis" will sing the Gregorian Chant Mass "Orbis Factor" and the Gregorian propers. Orbis factor means "Creator of the World". Take a listen to the clip below and see what you'll be missing. See you all on Sunday. Remember - it's "open seating".

Can the deacon's wife preach the homily?

"On March 25, 1963 kids were uneasy"

In grade school, I was taught by the School Sisters of Notre Dame. They taught us many useful things, but most important of these was our Catholic faith. Getting to heaven was the major reason we were born, ultimately to be with God in heaven.

Practicing our Catholic Faith, and the frequent reception of the sacraments and attendance at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, would give us the necessary graces (actual and sanctifying), to get us to heaven. Our minds and bodies were fresher and more alert in the morning, so each day we had to attend 8 a.m. Mass and the off to school to study the truths of our Catholic faith.

I distinctly remember Sister Meinulpha (and the priests too) telling us that the Church never changes quickly; it changes slowly and with good reason as it use prudential judgment and the wisdom contained in its vast 2,000 years of tradition to guide any change that might happen. She further instructed us that where the Holy Ghost is present there is gentleness, meekness and humility. If that is not the case, beware of a false outcome.

These very major points were not lost on me (I believed everything the Sisters told me) when I started seeing the upheaval after Vatican II. I smelled a rat. So I was always skeptical of the Council, because it didn't seem to square with what the Sisters and priests had taught us about change. They wouldn't lie. It was breaking a commandment to lie.

Kids like a secure environment. When that changes, most kids tend to get uneasy. On March 25, 1963 kids were uneasy. The Sisters changed from their old habit to a modified habit. We knew it was coming. The 12 Sisters filed from the convent to church for 8 a.m. Mass. The door opened and for the first time we saw the Sisters in their "new and modified" habits. We didn't pay attention to the Mass much that day, because part of the environment was changed. The Sisters knew that.

In school, after Mass, they let us ask questions. Sister told us about obedience and we should always be obedient to the Church and her traditions. Out of the 60 kids in class, the majority did not like the new habits. A few said "it looks so different". A few didn't care much. Guess which group I was in?

In retrospect, it seemed that on that day the old world was tossed aside and the new world had to be embraced, however reluctantly. Remember we were 13/14 years old then, but well formed enough in the Catholic faith, to know that our Catholic traditions ran deep in the faith.

I have linked below to a video the Sisters made about the change of their habits. If I haven't adequately expressed myself, please forgive me. I smelled a rat in 1963 and in all those years after with the changes that Vatican II never even came close to suggesting, I smelled an even "bigger rat". It's getting better with Pope Benedict, but we have a long ways to go to return to the Catholic heritage and traditions that are our birthright. Long live Catholic Tradition! Long live Pope Benedict!

So now, Vatican II opened on October 11, 1962 and within a little over 5 months the Sisters had their new habits made and donned. Seems like they went a bit too fast into change.

http://www.sturdyroots.org/Sewing_The_Habit.html

Nostalgia for Bishop McQuaid

Bishop Bernard J. McQuaid, the Jesuit high school's namesake, has been dead for one century. He was the first Bishop of Rochester, and made this diocese into a cradle for Catholicity. He opened scores of churches, schools, orphanages, and other Catholic institutions. He formed St. Bernard's Seminary, along with St. Andrew's, which was a minor seminary. He elevated Rochester's Catholic population from being small, weak, and almost priest-less, to something which was associated with the very fabric of the city.

But alas, his vision of Rochester has died. Below are some photographs, one showing Bishop McQuaid lying in state in St. Patrick's Cathedral in downtown Rochester, and others showing the funeral and the procession to his grave for burial. In the words of St. Thomas More, "Yes, death comes for us all. Even for kings does he come."

Click on the links to view the photos:


http://www.rochester.lib.ny.us/rochimag/rmsc/scm08/scm08513.jpg

http://www.rochester.lib.ny.us/rochimag/rmsc/scm08/scm08728.jpg

http://www.rochester.lib.ny.us/rochimag/rmsc/scm08/scm08512.jpg

Nostalgia for St. Patrick's Cathedral

No, not the one in Manhattan. I'm talking about Rochester's original cathedral, St. Patrick's, now a parking lot due to shifting demographics, Kodak's expansion, and the diocesan coffers.

This photo shows the consecration of Bishop Hanna in 1912. Note how the entire left hand portion of the image is filled to capacity with priests and seminarians in their cassocks, and how the lay people are dressed respectfully and in a dignified manner. No jean shorts and tie dye here.

Now any function at the cathedral, Sacred Heart, is accompanied with gay politicking and celebrations of "diversity" when there is no genuine diversity to be had.


http://www.rochester.lib.ny.us/rochimag/rmsc/scm08/scm08558.jpg

Nostalgia And St. Joseph's

I was browsing various sites for images not yet shared with you on this site. Below is one I particularly liked, showing St. Joseph's, now burned-down and turned into a park, as seen from East Avenue in downtown Rochester. You can really get a sense as to how grand that church was, as well as how beautiful and prosperous downtown was back then. Anyone that goes to Our Lady of Victory, Blessed Sacrament, Corpus Christi, etc. knows what a daunting prospect it is to launch oneself into the bowels of urban depravity for the sake of Mass. Note that above the street are the wires and guide-lines for the trolleys which once traversed Rochester. They were discontinued in 1936, and the subway followed suit in the late 50's.

http://www.rochester.lib.ny.us/rochimag/rmsc/scm03/scm03071.jpg

"Amazing Grace" is anti-Catholic

"Did you lose parishioners?"

The following appeared in the St. Helen parish bulletin this weekend:

I just hate it when the people who remain misinterpret why people left. No, it was not because they rejected to the person of Sr. Joan. No, they didn't object because she was a nun, not a priest. No, they didn't object because she was a SSJ. They objected because she is in open denial of papal authority, and shows an unabashed hate for everything traditional and orthodox in the Church. The fear over Latin being lost was quite real, from what I have been told by friends. However, that has stayed. But only because Sr. Joan knows that if she cut that, St. Anne would be just another bland, flavorless parish devoid of any liturgical strength.

The reason people leave parishes is not so much a matter of "I don't like _________" but rather "I don't like what ________ does because it is illicit." People could have cared less about Sr. Joan if she had just stayed in the pew rather than insert herself into the Mass. However, when you have an administrator (aka "business manager") sitting, vested, next to the priest, major problems arise. People, even if they are not the most well-read Catholics, can discern when something is not quite right. That's how so many of our readers find us - they think something is slightly amiss, so they check with people who have experienced the same thing.

So, yes, people left because of Sr. Joan. However, this bulletin blurb would lead you to think that they were the stick-in-the-mud reactionaries who can't deal with change. No. Those who left did so because they were told to do so by their pastoral administrator. "Go fertilize another parish." "Take your subversion elsewhere." "You're theology is backwards." "I'm the new resurrection." These words, dear friends, are not words of comfort or pastoral leadership. They are the rantings and intemperate bleatings of a nun whose goal is not to glorify God, but to glorify herself. I am sorry, but it is absolutely true.

If you go to any of the parishes in Gates, or know people who go there, set the record straight. People don't leave only because of the clustering. The majority will leave if they are presented with heterodoxy and dissent from Church teaching. Who cares if you have to go to Mass at a different time? The real battles come when you are confronted with administrators who have no regard for the legitimate authority of Rome. Diocesan norms mean nothing if they run contradictory to those from Rome. A bishop must do as Rome does. If he does not, he is in error, and is in denial of Rome. Rome has said NO to lay preaching, NO to women's ordination, and NO to every other abuse perpetrated by Sr. Sobala. It's time we look towards Rome for leadership, for our own local leaders are so consumed with pride they have lost sight of the authentic faith which they were ordained and appointed to defend.

Pray for Sr. Joan. Pray for Bishop Clark. They need our prayers more than most.

What's So Appealing About Orthodoxy?

Just ask any of these people who pack the pews of Our Lady of Victory.

The Key is Dignity

I had a chat today with a musician at  the Church of the Assumption, whose musical abilities are undeniable and clearly God-given. She was asking about my liturgical tastes, and I explained to her that the liturgy of the Church must be "mutually enriching," to borrow a term from our dear Pope. We must learn from the old when conceiving the new. Continuity is integral to liturgical music, as is seen by many new hymns being published which are in English, but set to the old Gregorian melodies. When I gave her this reasoning, she was very pleasant, but she looked at me, put her guitar down, and said, "well, if you want to go a step backwards, that's okay."

Backwards? This is going a step forward, in the true spirit of Vatican II, which declared that Gregorian Chant have "principum locum," principal, primary place in the liturgy. The Council never intended for guitars and plucky psalm-tones, but alas, that's what we have. And so, I decided to tell her about my upcoming trip to the Sacred Music Colloquium with Choir, Sr. Emily, and two other friends of the blog. I particularly pointed out that we will be singing Latin motets written, not 500 years ago, but 25 years ago, and which are wholly reverent and suited for the liturgy. They are undeniably sacred. Of course, we will be singing the old pieces as well, Tallis, and Byrd, and Victoria among them. Again - this is what the Council had in mind: a refreshing of the old in light of the new.

The debate then turned, most subtlety to the question of dignified music. However, what I said can be summarized in this video just released by the Lalemant Polyphonic channel. Be sure to check out their psalm settings for the Ordinary Form. They are quite beautiful.

The Strife is O'er

Before the Easter season slips away into Pentecost, I thought it would be nice to listen to one of the all time, very favorite Easter Hymn. The choir is St. John's in Detroit, an Anglo-Catholic parish with extremely well done liturgy. This particular church, however, has succumbed to having altar girls. Also, if you are into Anglican chant, browse through their selections and you'll find quite a few Anglican chant recordings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z-eAFvwmlI

STA Update - Upcoming Meeting With Bishop Clark

The meeting of the Irondequoit priests with Bishop Clark will be on Monday, May 17th. Keep yours ears open and tell us if you know of any decisions or problems.

Do Your Duty

Reminder - please vote for us in the Crescat's Cannonball Awards. We have been nominated for five categories, and are currently leading in each of these five categories. Why? Jesus loves us.

And we're just a bunch of angry, bitter, conservative reactionaries who can't let the past just die. Imagine that . . .

NOW VOTE!

http://thecrescat.blogspot.com/2010/05/unleash-hell.html

Our Approved Mass Schedule

So many times, people email us asking where to go to Mass if they're visiting Rochester. Even some DoR natives email us and ask "where can we go to escape the 'liturgy-wars?" Below (and in the side bar) is a schedule I made for you all to help you decide where to go and when to go there. If you're parish isn't listed here, don't worry. It's not that I have consigned it to the fires of Hell, it's just that it's not on the A-list of orthodoxy. I have a deep affection for every parish, because each parish is the dwelling place of God, whether they have Him enthroned on the altar or hidden in a broom closet. What all of us here at Cleansing Fire take offense at is when a parish is turned into a political statement. It's so unfortunate that a parish that is doing exactly what it is supposed to is labeled "reactionary," while parishes whose Masses are less-than-licit are labeled as "normal." This schedule seeks to present to you a list of parishes and worship sites that are doing the right thing. If you value your sanity, you should try to visit these at least once in a while. Sure, have your parish, but when you need a little dose of liturgical reality (i.e. Catholic liturgy, not Rochester liturgy) come to one of these.

I hope this helps.

Saturday Vigil Masses:
St. Stanislaus - 1124 Hudson Avenue (Rochester) - 4:00 PM (English Novus Ordo)
Our Lady of Victory - 210 Pleasant Street (Downtown Rochester) - 4:30 PM
Holy Spirit - 1355 Hatch Road (Webster/Penfield) - 5:00 PM
St. Thomas the Apostle - 4536 St. Paul Boulevard (Irondequoit) - 5:00 PM
St. Cecilia - 2732 Culver Road (Irondequoit) - 5:00 PM
St. Mary - 15 Clark Street (Auburn) - 5:30 PM
St. Mary - 7:00 PM

Sunday Masses:
St. Mary - 7:00 AM
Carmelite Monastery - 1931 West Jefferson Road  (Pittsford) - 8:00 AM
St. Thomas the Apostle - 8:00 AM
St. Cecilia - 8:30 AM
Holy Spirit - 8:30 AM
St. Mary - 9:45 AM
Abbey of the Genesee - 3258 River Road (Piffard) - 9:45 AM
Our Lady of Victory - 10:00 AM
Holy Spirit - 10:30 AM
St. Thomas the Apostle - 11:00 AM
St. Cecilia - 11:00 AM
Monroe Community Hospital (open to the public) - 11:00 AM
St. Mary - 12:00 Noon
Holy Spirit - 12:00 Noon
St. Stanislaus - 1:30 PM (Latin Mass in the Extraordinary Form)
Our Lady of Victory - 7:30 PM

These are Masses which, should you attend, guarantee that you will not witness any kind of genuine liturgical abuse. You are 100% safe with these choices.

A New Category for the Cannonball Awards

Anyone keeping vigil with us in this the night of our discontent will have noticed that "Defend Us In Battle" has begun to lash out at us. It's almost as if they sense defeat.

Their latest broadside, however, would earn them, in my humble suggestion, an honorary Cannonball Award for "Most Heavy-Handed Shakespearean Metaphor." However, living up to our villainous portrayal at that blog, I submit for your perusal my own Heavy-Handed Shakespearean Metaphor.


The following is shamelessly ripped-off from Shakespeare's Henry VIII.

CARDINAL WOLSEY Joe (Defend us in Battle)
What should this mean?
What sudden anger's this? How have I reap'd it?

What have I done to have maligned my readership thus?

That they should vote for those most foul urchins

Whose insights are limited to their own pursuits of glory?

He (that is, Gen) parted frowning from me, as if ruin
Leap'd from his eyes: so looks the chafed lion
Upon the daring huntsman that has gall'd him;
Then makes him nothing. I must read the voting results;
I fear the story of his anger. 'Tis so;
This poll at the Crescat has undone me: 'tis the account
Of all that world of wealth I have drawn together
For mine own ends; indeed, to gain the popedom Canonball Award,
And fee my friends in Rome. O negligence!
Fit for a fool to fall by: what cross devil
Made me to taunt this fellow's noble blog, and his equally noble writers?

Is there no way to cure this?
No new device to beat my treachery from his brains?
I know 'twill stir him strongly; yet I know
A way, if it take right, in spite of fortune losing horribly to him in the polls,
Will bring me off again. Wait, what's this?

What does this comment say? 'To the Pope!'
The letter comment, as I live, with all the business heavy-handed Shakespearean metaphors
I wrote to his holiness. Nay then, farewell!
I have touch'd the highest point of all my greatness;
And, from that full meridian of my glory,
I haste now to my setting: I shall fall
Like a bright exhalation m the evening,
And no man see me more.

I acknowledge my better, in every possible way.

Enter Gen, accompanied by Dr. K and Choir Loft

NORFOLK Dr. K
Hear the king's Gen's pleasure, cardinal blogger: who commands you
To render up the great seal  your attempts to steal the award presently
Into our hands; and to confine yourself
To Asher House  your own blog, my Lord of Winchester's Defend us in Battle,
Till you hear further from his highness, Gen.

CARDINAL WOLSEY Joe (Defend us in Battle)
Wait:
Where's your commission, lords? Words like these cannot carry
Authority so weighty by themselves.

SUFFOLK  Choir Loft
Who dare cross these words,
Bearing the king's Gen's will from his mouth expressly?

CARDINAL WOLSEY  Joe (Defend us in Battle)
Till I find more than the pathetic amount of votes I have garnered in the Cannonball Awards,
I dare and must deny it. Now I feel
Of what coarse metal you are moulded, envy:
How eagerly you follow my disgraces,
As if it fed ye! 

All I did was attempt to share in Cleansing Fire's glory,

and now You come seeking my ruin!
Follow your envious courses, men of malice o noble, victorious bloggers;
You have Christian warrant sufficient support in the award polls for them, and, no doubt,
In time will find their fit rewards. That seal blog and my sardonic humor,
You attack with such a violence, the king Gen himself,
Mine and your master, with his own hand gave me eyes read;
Bade me enjoy it, with the place and honours,
During my life; and, to confirm his goodness,
Tied it by letters-patents: now, who'll take it?

SURREY  Choir Loft
The king, that gave it.

Gen has not been deserving of your vicious 

and heavy-handed assaults.

CARDINAL WOLSEY  Joe (Defend us in Battle)
Then let him. He's far more temperate than I.

SURREY Choir Loft
Thou art a proud traitor, priest.

CARDINAL WOLSEY Joe (Defend us in Battle)
Proud lord, thou liest:
Within these forty hours I have not been 

able to compete with Gen's tremendous support,

in the polls, on the blogs, and on Facebook.

SURREY  Choir Loft
Thy ambition,
Thou scarlet sin, robb'd this bewailing land
Of noble Buckingham, my father-in-law 

Contest of all decency and honor:
The heads of all thy brother cardinals bloggers,
Who attacked Cleansing Fire so derisively

Aren't fit to hold Gen's miter, let alone be smacked by his crozier.

Oh deceitful and heavy-handed blogger, thou!
You sent me deputy for Ireland led people to vote for a vain blog author;
Far from his succor Gen's mercy and friendship, from all

That might have mercy on the fault thou gavest him;
Whilst your great goodness, out of holy pity,
Absolved him with an axe.

Exeunt. They go unto the ballot boxes at the Crescat, and force Joe to direct each voter to consider a vote for Cleansing Fire. For that is a just and equitable punishment for his anger and vain attempts for victory.

Enemies within the Church

How do you think our DoR leadership stacks up against what is said in this video?

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.

Does God Exist?

The Catholicism Project

A double-nod of the miter goes to Kat and Fr. Barron. The former posted a video made by the latter which is a promo for a TV/DVD event which, in my opinion, looks absolutely amazing. Watch this for yourselves, and see what I mean. It's about time someone showed the real face of the Church, and Fr. Barron is doing that with this project. More information can be found here.

When Good Priests Are Fettered By Liberal Politicking

The following was submitted by one of our soon-to-be authors. I thought you would enjoy seeing what he has to say. Let me be clear - this is not an attack on Fr. Horan or any other priest. It serves as a sad reminder that even our ordained brethren can be sucked into situations and events not of their making, and be forced into the way of thinking made all-too-common by our diocesan administration. Pray for our priests, that they can remove the smog of politicking from the parish life of our worship communities.

No Catholic Left Behind

Saturday this week was the regional meeting for Irondequoit Catholics to hear the plan for the configuration of a new parish.  If accepted by the bishop it will mean the end of each of the five Irondequoit parishes and the creation of a brand new worshipping community that would span the town of Irondequoit... The new parish will use three of the five worship/facility sites.  Two parish sites will be closed (and sold -forever).

There is of course sadness for all of us.  Things will never be the same (I don’t think we realize this yet at St. Margaret Mary’s (he has this right!). (All the parish councils should have been made to vote for the same outcome as STA and SS, to close and sell their parish.  There would have been much more understanding of what the diocese is doing to their parishes.)  It is especially hard for those members of St. Thomas the Apostle and St. Salome’s who will lose their beloved church building. (They keep trying to tell us we are just losing our building when in reality we are losing our entire parish, past, present and future, as only one who has been a member of parish can possibly understand.)

Why does it have to be that way?  (Good question!) Why can’t each parish dig down deep and make that all out effort with pledges and fund raisers and increased attendance programs to try to keep alive?  (Isn’t this what we are called to do?  Isn’t this what our forefathers did to build the parishea and support them?  This is a crisis of faith, not resources, Father.)  So Irondequoit can’t support five Catholic parishes . . . Okay, let’s see which ones are strong enough or clever enough to make it.  Kind of a religious Darwinism. (Darwinism?  The survival of the fittest?  In reality, the DoR and IPPG have taken the two weakest, most defenseless parishes, the ones that have no resident pastor that will support them, the ones that have the smallest attendance and by committee decided to extinguish them forever. In reality they are practicing religious Darwinism at its worst!)  Like ships at sea we signal to each other,“Good luck and Godspeed” and off we sail each to face its future alone. (This is simply not true.  In fact, three of the parishes have been clustered for several years now, sharing priests, ministries, and staff.  Yes, we as Catholics are called to support each other and help each parish to grow together.)

That’s not how Catholics do things.  We see things differently.  We believe that we belong to each other; we believe that we’re in this life and this church TOGETHER.  We have one priest and shepherd Jesus Christ.  We have a structure to the church that was given to us by Christ Himself.  Under the successor of St. Peter (“The Rock”) the Holy Father has appointed an apostle (bishop) to be a source of unity and guidance for this part of the world (Rochester and environs).  That bishop sends out priests to celebrate the sacraments in the local parishes.  We all hear the same Gospel and eat of the One Bread that is the Body of Christ. (This is all very true but his conclusion is twisted and not a Catholic perspective at all – read on…..)

So what do Catholics do when some area can no longer support the number of churches from the 1950’s?  We all lose. We all die. In our town we will all lay down our individual lives as parishes.  (We as Catholics are not called to die!  This is not how we are called to support each other.  We are to help each other to grow and spread the faith of Jesus.  We are people of the Light, not people of death.  We are not called to the lowest common denominator so we can all be the same.  This is not the faith that has been handed down to us through many generations that grew and spread the faith.) Now we might all find a home in a new and, shall we say, “Resurrected” parish.  We all lose something dear.  We all gain something brand new. There are no “veterans” who invite us into “their” parish. We are all “beginners” in the new parish.  (In reality, this is a risky experiment that most likely will result in the loss of many Catholics in Irondequoit.)   Why does everyone have to sacrifice when some could survive all by themselves?   (Sacrifice is when you freely give not when something is taken from you. Parishes have a right to exist, Father.)

That’s just what love does when we belong to each other.  (Love doesn’t call one to die with someone but to support and nourish the other. This is true Catholicism!)  We are in this together. NO CATHOLIC LEFT BEHIND.  (No parish left behind!)

Now let’s get busy bringing Christ to this community. I love this Catholic Church. It sent me to be with you. (Amen Father! Amen.)  I’m glad.   (The parishioners of the parishes you voted to close and sell are devastated.)

Fr. Tim

This Has Been a Test of Our Emergency Preparedness System

Sorry folks - the meeting we reported on with Bishop Clark and the Irondequoit priests DID NOT occur. We still await word from the Bishop (or any discontented priests who may wish to inform us of what's going on . . . ). 

Socialism is Evil

St. Thomas the Apostle Decision Expected Tomorrow

A very reliable source has informed us that the bishop has scheduled a meeting tomorrow with the various relevant priests (i.e. Fr.'s Horan, Tanck, Leone, Belligotti, etc.) to discuss the matter of the Irondequoit Suppression, as I call it. There is a strong chance that in 36 hours, we will know the fate of STA. At that time, we will either celebrate the reign of common sense, or mobilize against the forces of ignorance.

Pray for Bishop Clark, and for his priests, that they harden not their hearts, but that zeal for God's house may consume them.

Below are several photographs emailed to me by a friend of the blog and future staffer. They show the original "crypt church" used by the parishioners, the construction of the current majestic structure, and the solemn dedication of that same building. Note the following: many nuns in full habit, many servers in cassock and surplice, priests vested correctly and tastefully, piety on the part of the parishioners, and the clear and undeniable continuation of Tradition with a distinctly modern renewal. How beautiful this diocese once was, and imagine how beautiful it will one day be again!

Keep Voting

Dear friends and followers,

Cleansing Fire is doing remarkably well in several categories for the Crescat's Cannonball Awards. I would like to thank all of you who read this blog. When I started it, it was meant to be a place where I could rant and rave, and if anyone wanted to read it they would be free to do so. However, it quickly morphed into the role of "Defensor Fidei," Defender of the Faith, for the Diocese of Rochester. In our meager one year of existence (one year come June 10) we will have accrued 100,000 hits on this site, with an average of 300+ readers each and every day. We will have evolved from one author to twelve. We will have forced action on diocesan matters. We will have been responsible for liturgical reprimands.

We are here, not for glorification, but for service. Dr. K and I, your most humble administrators, and our fleet of authors (who will soon be revealed to the world), are here to defend the Church in Rochester, to elevate noble priests and religious, and to expose the scandal of others. We do not sit in judgment, but we condemn any action, whatsoever, that threatens the sanctity of the Mass, of the Church, and of Christ Himself.

And so, I thank you. Please keep up your voting at the Crescat, but more importantly, continue reading this blog. For so many, this is the only source of solidarity they have. We have been scattered and wounded, but no more. We have each other, and that is more than anyone could ask for.

Sincerely yours in Faith,

Gen

The Vortex

I Didn't Know that "Diversity" Was a Liturgical Color

I am hopeful that everyone here knows the various correct liturgical colors, even if there are liberals and schismatics included in this "everyone." Green, violet, red, gold/white, rose and black. However, I have noticed some local priests who use rainbow stoles and the "children of God" motif, along with the commonly-seen "tapestry" variety of stole. While I favor the last one over the first two, I think I should note that I would ultimately prefer a stole which clearly and undeniably reflects solely that liturgical color appropriate to the feast or liturgy.

This being said, how would you categorize these stoles below? No, "stupid" is not an option.

Noah's Ark Stole

Children of the World Stole

Prayer Chaplain Stole

Rainbow Stole I

Rainbow Ecumenical Stole

Fingerpaint Stole

Rainbow Stole II

I could go on, and on, and on, but I don't want to lead you into the depths of liturgical depression. That's why we have lay administrators - I wouldn't want to usurp their authority. Generally, if I had to categorize them, I would say they are all in the realm of "WTF?!?!?!?!?!"

No, I don't mean what you're thinking of with "wtf." In this context it simply means "what's the function." Get your mind our of the gutter, folks.