Of Timidity

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

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

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

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

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

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

Traditional Latin Mass Explained Part 1 of 4

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

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

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

Any questions, leave them in the combox.

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

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

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

Nocturnal Adoration Society

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

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

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

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

Catholic Humor

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

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

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

Conclave Finale

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

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


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

So Little A Sentence, So Much Wrong

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

ACORN Supports Prostitution and Pedophilia

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

Missa Cantata at Saint Stanislaus on Sept. 27

Introibo ad altare Dei



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

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

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

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

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

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

Any questions left in the combox will be gladly answered.

Below is Missa Orbis Factor which will be sung.


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

What's Missing in the Progressive Church?

Humility.

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

Two Upcoming Events

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

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

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

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

St Feehans on Chestnut Ridge Road

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Where did St. Feehan's go?

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

An Archibshop With Courage and Sanity

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

Archbishop Suspends Communion in the Hand To Avoid Abuses of Eucharist

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conclave: Part Four

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

Happy voting.

Boil, Boil, Toil and Trouble

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

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

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



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

Diocesan Double Standard?

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

Why do I ask?

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

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

Prayer

Sent to my email account.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But what about the atheists? Is another argument.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keep looking up.

Our Friend, Shakespeare

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

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

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

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

Conclave: What Next?

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

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

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

St. Josaphat's Ukrainian Catholic Church

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Musings From Sanctus: Bishop Casey Edition

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

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

Conclave: End of Round 1

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

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

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

"Dominique" by the Singing Nun

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


Immediately below is the refrain:

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

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

(To Refrain)

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

(To Refrain)

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

(To Refrain)

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

(To Refrain)

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

(To Refrain)

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

(To Refrain)

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

Final Call for Cleansing Fire Choir Volunteers

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

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

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

SOLEMN HIGH MASS ON THE FEAST OF THE HOLY CROSS

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

An altarboy's dream!

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

History of a Conclave

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



Part II



Part III

What? A Conclave? And We're Invited?

Yes, it's true.

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

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

Interior Pictures of St. Josephs

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

Need Baby Clothes

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

Thank you,
Mary Jost

FW: Hilarity

I recently received this in my inbox:

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

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

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

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

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

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

So the Pope slapped her.

Reminder ! Tridentine Latin Mass at Holy Spirit Church

Just a reminder of the Tridentine Latin Mass this Saturday morning at 8 a.m. (groan) at Holy Spirit Church, corner of Hatch and Plank Roads. It will be a Missa Cantata. The celebrant will be Father Gerard McMahon.

Sage Observation From Cardinal Siri

"If the Church were not Divine, this council (Vatican II) would have buried her."

-Cardinal Giuseppe Siri

_______________________

On a side note, someone recently criticized me/us for "attacking the pope." For future reference, citing papal documents is not anti-papal. When someone says, "Pope Benedict said in _____, that _______ is not permitted," that someone is not saying any of the following:

• The pope is wrong.
• The pope is not a valid pope.
• The pope should resign.
• The pope should be ousted.
• The pope should be re-educated.
• The pope is out-of-line.
• The pope is inappropriate.
• The pope is too out-dated.
• The pope is absolutely insane.

If anyone says that, then that's what we consider to be "sede vacantist," that is, Catholic who believe that the See of Rome has no validly elected leader, i.e. "pope." We are not of this persuasion here at Cleansing Fire. Anyone who suggests anything to the contrary should be considered illiterate. I think the photo below shows that our late pontiff John Paul II agrees with my statement.


Pope John Paul II, defender of the faith, pray for us.

Epic Fail, Catholic Style

Doing my weekly "perusal session" last night, I found what may very well be called "a Catholic Epic Fail." For those of you who may not be familiar with the term "epic fail," it is like this: someone does or says something incredibly moronic, but doesn't realize that what he/she has said/done is moronic.

What was this "epic fail?"

"St. Francis
47th Annual
Chicken BBQ
July 12th
11 am. until sold out
Adults $7.00 ~ Children $5.00
Chicken Halves $4.00
Tickets available at the door."

St. Francis Annual Chicken BBQ? Something tells me the patron of animals and animal lovers would not want his name associated with such an activity.

To see the full ad in the bulletin, just click here and go to page 4.

Funny remark Bishop Casey made once

St. John the Evangelist in Greece was the first church in the DoR built after the Second Vatican Council. Auxiliary Bishop Lawrence B. Casey was called upon to bless this new-fangled looking church. He is reported to have said, after having looked around the church, ". . . do I bless it or launch it. . .?

A diocesan history snippet

In 1851, Bishop Timon of Buffalo appointed, as pastor of St. Peter's Church (it later became Saints Peter and Paul's when it moved to West Main Street), Father Francis Xavier Krautbauer, who later became bishop of Green Bay, Wisconsin. He was Bishop from 1875 to 1885.

St. Stanislaus Defended

Well, I listened to the pleas for a "counter" video to the DoR's CMA video.

Behold:

Video of St. Michael's on Clinton Avenue North

I thought many of you would enjoy seeing the inside of St. Michael's Church, arguably the architecturally best church in the diocese. The church is now a repository for the Brombaugh Organ, until the organ's final home in California, is ready for it. If you ever get a chance, stop in St. Michael's and look around but also pray especially for vocations.

Now in it's third home, John Brombaugh's Opus 9, built for Ashland Avenue Baptist Church in Toledo, OH, will wait patiently until it's new owners can bring it to California. In the meantime it will enjoy the cavernous acoustics of this beautiful church, kept alive by the sheer will of it's dwindling congregation. The old organ is a Steere from the early 1900s, electrified by Tellers in the 1950s (originally tubular pneumatic!), and now wheezing along and kept alive by a few dedicated volunteers in the church.

St. Boniface at the center of Swillburg

The New Saint Boniface on Gregory Street

The German Catholics of the southeastern part of city wanted a church that was closer than St. Joseph's on Franklin Street. So, the German families and the Redemptorist priests from St. Joseph's sought the approval of Bishop Timon of Buffalo (Rochester was not yet a diocese. That happened in 1868) to build St. Boniface .

The site on Gregory Street (then it was called Grand Street) was purchased for $1,000. The original three-story brick building housed the rectory and school on the first floor and the church on the second floor. The cornerstone was laid by Bishop Timon on June 17, 1860 and the dedication was June 8, 1861, also by Bishop Timon.

Boundaries of the German parishes were fixed

On October 10, 1864, Bishop Timon fixed the boundaries of the 4 then existing German parishes: St. Joseph, SS Peter and Paul, St. Boniface and Holy Family. St. Boniface was bounded on the east and north by Monroe Avenue and Howell Street and on the west by the Genesee River. In July of 1865, the pastor Father John F. Payer, an Austrian, engaged the School Sisters of Notre Dame as teachers. The original church was only 40 feet by 60 feet and to accommodate the increasing population, the church was enlarged by another 40 feet. This new addition was blessed by Rochester's first bishop, Bernard McQuaid in 1870.

The New Church

The year 1885 was devoted to making plans for the new church. The plans were submitted to architect William Schnickel of New York. On April 12, 1886, a Solemn High Mass was celebrated to beg God's blessing on the erection of the new church. On June 6, Bishop McQuaid laid the cornerstone, amid much ceremony both secular and religious. The Gregory Street church was a fine example of Gothic architecture with a tower of 195 feet and was erected at a cost of $70,000.

Solemn Dedication and Blessing

Saint Boniface had a richly carved wooden altar that was installed in 1894. The sculptor was Anthony Halstrich, formerly of the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, Germany. Herr Halstrich had established the "Anthony Halstrich Christian Art Studio" in Rochester in 1893. The interior, without the vestibule, was 130 feet long by 63 feet wide. The main altar towered to 27 feet in height from the base to the tip of the altar and a breadth of 16 feet. New Stations of the Cross by Frank Pedevilla were erected in February of 1901.

The Great Fire

On November 6, 1957, a group of Catholic priests anxiously awaited the arrival of Francis Cardinal Spellman, due in Rochester to help observe the 25th anniversary of the consecration of the Most Rev. James E. Kearney, bishop of Rochester.

As the cardinal got off his plane, he asked, "Did you know there's a church on fire in the city? It's a red brick one near the river." The fire, apparently started from sparks from a charcoal fire pot being used by workmen as they installed flashings around the chimney at the left rear of the church.

The Blessed Sacrament Rescued

The Rev. George A. Cocuzzi, vice chancellor of the diocese, was the only priest in the rectory at the time. With the aid of two altar boys, he rescued the Blessed Sacrament and other religious articles from the church.

Church Razed

On Easter Monday, April 7, 1958, the Atlas Wrecking Company began to bring down the church. The demolition was completed on June 5, 1958, the feast of St. Boniface.

The New Saint Boniface

Ground was broken for the new church on April 5, 1959 and the work started immediately. The altars, Stations of the Cross and statues, came from Daprato Studios, the pews from the Rochester Novelty Company and the new organ from the Teller Organ Company of Erie, PA. Stained glass windows were ordered from Pike Glass Studios.

The church was completed and opened on March 6th, 1960. The altars were consecrated by the Most Rev. Lawrence B. Casey, Rochester's auxiliary bishop on March 29, 1960. The parish celebrated 100 years of history with the solemn dedication of the new church by Bishop James E. Kearney.

Aerial view of St. Boniface

Whither Goest Thou?

I think it's about time for another Cleansing Fire reflection.

So often in our lives we are confronted with adversity, whether in society, private life, academic pursuits or the hierarchy in the cubicles. These numerous crosses which rise up can throw us far off course, occasionally driving a wedge of derision (and division, as well) between us and the Church, between us and salvation. Why do some falter while some become saints? Is there a true difference between them and us?

No, indeed there is not. Each person, even those whom we occasionally chastise here, is called to sanctity and sainthood in the universal Church. This is our true Christian vocation, to be saints and defenders of the faith. But, alas, we often fail at this when these crosses of life arise. This is the true problem, for without the cross life would be entirely free and burden-less. Indeed, if the literal cross of Calvary had not arisen, there would be no true core of Christianity. The theology and depth thereof would be lacking. The crosses which we encounter may not be the cross which Our Lord experienced, but we can learn from Him to thrive in the face of such an issue.

When a cross presents itself, we must ask ourselves, "where do we go?" Do we skirt the cross, taking an alternate route and postponing our own dolorous passion? Do we run head-long towards the cross, ready to embrace suffering for the sake of our souls (and Our Lord)? We must do this latter. Embrace the cross. Though the splinters of the cross cause us to bleed, though the nails cause us to be drained of our spiritual life-blood, we must kiss the cross. For after the passion and death of Our Lord on the Cross, what happened? The Resurrection. Yes, we must endure suffering for His sake, facing mockery, condemnation and hate. However, through this we reach a more perfect level of spiritual awareness, learning to offer up our sufferings as little penances and acts of reparation.

So, I pose the question to all of us: "Whither Goest Thou?" Do we embrace the cross or do we hide from it? I should think, reading the emails some of you send and the comments many of you post, we are generally taking the path of pain. And for that I am most glad. For after pain, only relief can come.

**Sorry to "go preachy" on you all. It's been a while since I've had the time or energy to present a reflection such as this. It's vastly easier to make sardonic YouTube videos and laugh rather than to reflect. This said, I have some videos in the works. You can expect them soon.**

Minor Seminary

These videos are especially for those younger men in the DoR who may be considering the seminary.

Saint John Vianney is the largest College seminary in the United States. Come and see how the Holy Spirit in transforming the men of today into the fathers of tomorrow.



I will pray for any man (young or older) considering a vocation.

Use this video for DoR CMA

This is a perfectly fine video that the DoR could have used, with some slight editing, to get (read, bilk) hard-earned money out of its parishioners. The video has the same message as the Clark DoR video...."send in the money and be happy."

I agree the video is a little dated, but we could edit that and save tons of money and have more money to keep our cathedral afloat, and have more scholarship money to send heretics to St. Barnyards on French Road to further erode our diocese.

What They Have to Say . . .

Ever since the enormous amount of anger/frustration shown at the diocesan YouTube channel for it's less-than-traditional promo video, people have been asking what people outside of our little bubble of Catholicity have to say. Well, here are your answers. Of course, these people have asked for anonymity, so I can't divulge their identities.

• "It's so bad it's pathetic. I would be crying, but I'm laughing at the stupidity and blindness of those who made this video."
• "This isn't a promotional video for the CMA. It's the death rattle of a dying race of heterodox 'reformers'"
• "This is absolutely disgusting. Is the bishop purposely trying to alienate the various members of his flock? If so, he's doing a great job. He's not getting a single penny from me."
• "Thank God we only have about two and a half more years with this kind of stuff. When will the bishop realize that he and his cronies are stuck in the 1970's? I mean, really, folk/rock music in St. Stan's? Get real."

All I can say is that these people are "relevant."



By the way, the Cleansing Fire Choir, "Schola Ignem," now has 10 members. Thank you to all!

Rochester Diocesan History - WE HAVE A WINNER

Name the 12th Catholic church built in the City of Rochester?

Answers to Bible search below

There are 30 books of the Bible in this paragraph. Can you find them? This is a most remarkable puzzle. It was found by a gentleman in an airplane seat pocket, on a flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu, keeping him occupied for hours. He enjoyed it so much, he passed it on to some friends...One friend from Illinois worked on this while fishing from his john boat. Another friend studied it while playing his banjo, Elaine Taylor, a columnist friend, was so intrigued by it she mentioned it in her weekly newspaper column. Another friend judges the job of solving this puzzle so involving, she brews a cup of tea to help her nerves. There will be some names that are really easy to spot. That's a fact. Some people, however, will soon find themselves in a jam, especially since the book names are not necessarily capitalized. Truthfully, from answers we get, we are forced to admit it usually takes a minister or a scholar to see some of them at the worst. Research has shown that something in our genes is responsible for the difficulty we have in seeing the books in this paragraph. During a recent fund raising event, which featured this puzzle, the Alpha Delta Phi lemonade booth set a new record. The local paper, The Chronicle, surveyed over 200 patrons who reported that this puzzle was one of the most difficult they had ever seen. As Daniel Humana humbly puts it, "The books are all right here in plain view hidden from sight." Those able to find all of them will hear great lamentations from those who have to be shown. One revelation that may help is that books like Timothy and Samuel may occur without their numbers. Also, keep in mind, that punctuation and spaces in the middle are normal. A chipper attitude will help you compete really well against those who claim to know the answers. Remember, there is no need for a mad exodus, there really are 30 books of the Bible lurking somewhere in this paragraph waiting to be found. God Bless.

Annunciation on Norton Street

The picture above was one of the architectural sketches of what Annunciation COULD have looked like. Below is what they chose. The ?church? below is not currently used as a Catholic Church. The Annunciation parishioners went back to the first church that was built across the street. It's a wooden church, quite similar to the old St. Helen's on Hinchey Road in Gates.

A DoR priest --can anybody identify him?

Can you name the former diocesan priest that is now with the Fathers of Mercy in Kentucky? He is in the top row, third from the left?

A Tridentine Mass in the early 80s

Pilgrimage from Paris to Chartres 2009

The Association Notre-Dame de Chrétienté organizes every year at Pentecost a pilgrimage from Notre-Dame de Paris to Notre-Dame de Chartres (France): three days to live and build the Christianity of the third millennium.

Covering within three days a distance of approximately 65 miles, the pilgrims walk in chapters. The pilgrimage has about 160 chapters each comprising around fifty pilgrims from all over France and even abroad (USA, Great Britain, Poland, Canada, Spain, etc. ...). Each year, approximately 8,000 to 10,000 pilgrims, walk to the Marian shrine of Chartres, expressing the condition of Christian life which is to be a long pilgrimage and a long walk to paradise...

My fondest wish is that some Rochester kids could go on this pilgrimage. Most of the kids are in their teens and twenties. Do liberals even have pilgrimages? It's sad if they don't. If you want to read a good, informative book, read "Liberalism is a Sin".

Attention Cleansing Fire Choir!

The list of songs to be sung is completed, and my fraternal relation has happily agreed to assist us in our music making and recording.

So, at this point I ask any additional people wishing to sing to email me via the link at the right of the post. As of now, there are about four of us, plus previously mentioned fraternal relation. It would be an immense blessing if even just one more person stepped forth to "glorify God through our music."

I will be emailing all choir volunteers the list of songs we will be recording. Hopefully, before the end of next week, I will be able to send you the actual musical notation for the songs.

Tridentine Latin Mass at Holy Spirit Church

Next Saturday, September 12, there will be a sung Tridentine Latin Mass at Holy Spirit Church at 8 a.m. (yes, 8 a.m.!). Mass will be celebrated by Father Gerard McMahon. Holy Spirit is at 1355 Hatch Road in Webster, at the corner of Plank Road. Any questions, leave them in the combox and I will answer them.
Oremus pro invicem.

A Reading From the Holy Gospel According to Sanctus

I thought that it was about time that all of you (save one, and I know who you are) would enjoy new bits of wisdom from Sanctus:

• "You've got to watch out for these nuns. You don't know what they're gonna try to pull."
• "It's gotten to the point where one lady has to read, serve and give out communion at Daily Mass. I asked her this morning when she was going to start wearing the vestments."
• "Latin was great. But every time I had to say the Confiteor I said it differently!"
• "I went to Mass one in the Thousand Islands, and it was in this big auditorium. The Protestants were on one side, the Catholics on the other, so two services were going on at once. Well, at communion time, I accidentally got into the wrong line, so I got the Protestant bread instead of the real stuff. Whenever I go to Mass there (DoR) I feel like I'm in the wrong line, like I'm there for a Protestant service instead of Mass."
• "When I was an altar boy (1920's), there were so many nuns, and I'd usually serve for the priest saying Mass in their chapel. Gee, you wouldn't believe what those nuns said before and after Mass. I even heard one giving one of those 'Knock Knock Jokes' to a priest. I didn't know nuns were human before that!"

I hope you are sufficiently tickled by these recollections.


To you, "Anonymous," what would your priest say if he saw what you were typing? I pray you will refrain from posting here any heated comments alleging elder abuse etc . . .

Obama Lies; Grandma Dies

Despite the cartoonish look to this video, it needs to be taken very seriously. Obama is a threat to all right-believing Catholics and Christians. Obama needs to be prayed for earnestly. He must repent. He is a socialist and wants the United States to be socialist country.

This is quickly becoming a pet peeve of mine

I'm sure you've all noticed that when some dies, many people say, "he or she passed". Why is this? Are people afraid to say "died"? As in "he died" or "she died".

I was talking with a friend and I asked about his aunt (notice how differently that is pronounced too..."long" a in aunt. I always pronounced it "ant".), he said, "Oh yeah, she passed about a year ago." What was she in a Euchre tournament and died at the table?

Why are we afraid of the word died? It has a very specific meaning; "passed" doesn't. Does using "passed" somehow reflect on not believing in God?

If you can, clue me in here about what's going on?

I remember when I was a kid, my mother told me that grandma died; and then later, she was on the phone with a relative speaking and my mother said (about my grandmother's death), "We lost her". I ripped into the kitchen and yelled to her "you lied to me, mother, you said she was dead".

Nod of the Miter, Smack of the Crosier - Week of September 2, 2009

I had some free time today, so I decided I might as well put up this weeks nods and smacks.

Enjoy.

IPPG Under CF Interdict

Regarding the Irondequoit Pastoral Planning Group's latest statements:

Can you find thirty (30) books of the Bible in this paragraph? Actually, there are 31 if you can find the variant of one Old Testament prophet's name.

The answers are in the above post.

From Highest Heaven to Demonic Depths

A priest with whom I often speak asked me to write on the topic of weddings, for he often experiences great frustration with them. He noted how a couple can have a beautiful wedding Mass, with sacred music and clouds of incense, and then leave church to revel in drunken madness at the reception. Of course, there is nothing wrong with revelry, but my friend told me how he once had to defend his father (recently deceased) from the vicious attacks of a less-than-sober "best man."According to some priestly authors, only the demonic can cause such a tremendous about-face on a day of undoubted sanctity. And I believe it. Weddings are moments of celebration, but not the profane celebrations of human ability. No, it's a celebration between the nuptial trinity: the bride, the groom, and God. Where do tequila shooters and vodka have a place in this?

To have a reception where the priest's father is derided and commented upon lewdly, where the "music" is so loud as to prevent conversation, where the sanctity of the day is discarded to make way for drunken debauchery is no "reception" at all, for the gift received at the altar, God's binding blessing, is no longer "received" but is discarded carelessly.

I am not saying in any way that a reception should be as solemn and sacred as the wedding Mass. After all, we all need a little fun outside of church. However, this fun must be in good taste and must be had according to the faith which we have. This faith is not one that promotes binge-drinking, lust-filled songs, and improper jokes. Our faith is one that recognizes God's providential hand in everything, including the painful and the joyful alike. To have a wedding at which you kneel so piously before Our Lord, and then to go forth and satisfy your gluttonous urges is to embrace hypocrisy and to behave in a most un-Catholic manner. Indeed, it is to act in an inhuman manner. For human beings are called to be creatures of dignity, above the impairing effects of alcohol and lust. Yes, we fall, yes, we succumb. However, to lead hundreds of others into this for the sake of jocularity? That, dear readers, is much more serious.

Please note, this is not meant to judge anyone or their receptions. It is a commentary on society. If you feel the urge to post a comment berating me for my Puritanical streak, think twice. It comes down to this: would God find fault in our often decadent and sinful receptions or would he join in? Something tells me it would not be the latter, but the former.

For All the Saints --

WARNING - I wouldn't let children watch this video without an adult viewing it first.

This is a very sobering video about faith. Christians, especially Catholics (because we have the fullness of truth) are being shut down and marginalized by the state. Perhaps this video will remind us of what suffering might come. Please watch all of it.
I would be very interested in reading your comments.