Mother of Sorrows To Lose Middle School

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

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

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

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

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

Some Franciscan Misconceptions

I have some relatives who have the privilege to attend a Jesuit institution "somewhere in New York State." The school is well known, and because we have readers walking in its hallowed halls, I will decline to mention it by name. After all, this is more of a "ha" kind of article rather than a "gotcha."

One of the patrons, obviously, is St. Francis Xavier, who, by himself, brought about thousands upon thousands of conversions in Southeast Asia and Oceania. He died just days before he would have arrived in China. What a different world we would have if this saintly man had lived long enough to set foot into that country.

However, the students are a bit confused about "St. Francis." "Isn't he the animal guy?" Well, no. He isn't. That is St. Francis of Assisi. However, this correction is not given to the students. One of my nephews overheard a teacher say, "You moron - they're the same guy. He played with animals and then he went over to Asia."

So Franciscans are actually just Jesuits in disguise? Thank God we've finally put that mystery to rest.

But wait, there's more.

There are (were?) posters hanging in those same hallowed halls which portray this ambiguous "St. Francis" as a "Green Knight." There have been no saints who got canonized on the basis of recycling, promoting ecology, cutting CO2 emissions, or anything along those lines. If so, Al Gore would surely be in their ranks.

So, just to recap, this is our Jesuit lesson for the day: St. Francis Xavier, aka St. Francis of Assisi, was a crusader for animal rights and ecology, and was commonly called the Green Knight. Sounds like a strange Catholic twist on Spider Man.


St. Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us.
St. Francis Xavier, pray for us.
St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us.


Al Gore, leave us alone.

ICKSP claims local man

One of our local Rochester "boys" is with the Institute of Christ the King. He wishes to remain anonymous. The point is this: the Holy Spirit is still very much alive and at work inspiring vocations to the Catholic priesthood. A vast number of young men are inspired to join orders that are faithful to the Holy Father and the Magisterium, men who love Our Blessed Lady and spend time in front of the Most Blessed Sacrament praying for other vocations to the holy priesthood, our nation and our Church.

Garrison Keillor @ NCEA conference

I am attending this conference; but I absolutely will NOT attend the Garrison Keillor keynote address.

How Properly To Bury the Alleluia

Dr. K wrote a piece documenting the local burying of the alleluia at Sacred Heart. Well, needless to say, the photos show a ceremony lacking any liturgical decorum. The problem with liberals is that they worship community. No - community worships God. You can see a clear comparison when you look at the photos posted below (care of New Liturgical Movement). Now, I ask you, which seems to be more sacred?

 

  

  

  

So, in the photos from Sacred Heart, we see a rabble professing faith. In these photos above, we see a sacred occurrence. The only way one could find fault with these words is if one, indeed, worships community and human abilities over the awesome omnipresence of God Almighty. This is not what we are called to do as Roman Catholics. 

On a "tying everything together" note, the poem I used in the latest Cleansing Fire video release perfectly suits the comparison set here before you. If you have not yet watched the video, please do so. The poem which is featured is also copied below for your literary delight. I believe it has been chiseled onto the heart of every liberal in the diocese. It certainly reflects their mentality.

Some keep the Sabbath going to Church --
I keep it, staying at Home --
With a Bobolink for a Chorister --
And an Orchard, for a Dome --

Some keep the Sabbath in Surplice --
I just wear my Wings --
And instead of tolling the Bell, for Church,
Our little Sexton -- sings.

God preaches, a noted Clergyman --
And the sermon is never long,
So instead of getting to Heaven, at last --
I'm going, all along.

Sounds like the liberals have a new marching prancing hymn. 

Quick, someone email Marty Haugen and tell him we need a 

tune for these lyrics. 

If you like organ music, save November 14, 2010 - 2 pm

If you truly enjoy organ music, then save Sunday, Novemeber 14, 2010 at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Olivier Latry, titulaire organist of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris and a professor at the Paris Conservatory, will be giving an organ concert. Latry is most noted for his performances of Olivier Messiaen's organ works. Latry is an excellent improviser much like Tournemire and Cochereau. Notre-Dame has two other organist, but Olivier is the head organist.

Here is Olivier playing Daquin's "Noel Etranger"

Quam Dilecta Tabernacula Tua, Domine

Today, the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter dedicates their new chapel at their Our Lady of Guadeloupe Seminary in Denton, Nebraska. The cermonies which are involved in dedicating a church, chapel, monastery, or oratory are among the most profound of any, and contain within them the beauty and the mystery of the Faith.

This being said, one is confronted with a question: How can the ancient mysteries be presented to the faithful who, for several years, have been without solid foundations?

In my most humble opinion, the answer lies in the words of two psalms utilized for occaisions such as this. The first is the 84th Psalm and the second is the 122nd Psalm.


Psalm 84:

How lovely are your tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! 3 My soul longs and faints for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh have rejoiced in the living God. 4 FoOr the sparrow has found herself a house, and the turtle a nest for herself where she may lay her young ones: Your altars, Lord of hosts, my king and my God. 5 Blessed are they that dwell in your house, O Lord: they shall praise you for ever and ever. 6 Blessedman whose help is from you: in his heart he has disposed to ascend by steps, 7 in the vale of tears, in the place which he has set. is the 8 For the lawgiver shall give a blessing, they shall go from virtue to virtue: the God of gods shall be seen in Sion. 9 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. 10 Behold, O God our protector: and look on the face of your Christ. 11 For better is one day in your courts above thousands. I have chosen to be an abject in the house of my God, rather than to dwell in the tabernacles of sinners. 12 For God loves mercy and truth: the Lord will give grace and glory. 13 He will not deprive of good things them that walk in innocence: O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusts in you.

I have detected, in recent months, several comments of despair, of frustration, of fear. There has been for me no greater hope than this psalm. Each line is penned for us by God, our Savior, and given to us through the anonymous authors of the Scriptures. Read this psalm, and do so prayerfully - keep in mind that we are right. There is no debate in the matter. We are the ones dwelling in His courts - we are the ones revering his "lovely tabernacles." There are those who say to us, "The Old Testament is nice, but is made obsolete by the New." "The old Traditions have died to new interpretations." This is false - the old, the Tradition of our ancestors, presents us with the depth and the profundity of what it truly means to suffer for the Church and Her Divine Founder, Jesus Christ. "He will not deprive of good things them that walk in innocence."

Psalm 122:

I rejoiced at the things that were said to me: We shall go into the house of the Lord. 2 Our feet were standing in your courts, O Jerusalem. 3 Jerusalem, which is built as a city, which is compact together. 4 For thither did the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord: the testimony of Israel, to praise the name of the Lord. 5 Because their seats have sat in judgment, seats upon the house of David. 6 Pray for the things that are for the peace of Jerusalem: and abundance for them that love you. 7 Let peace be in your strength: and abundance in your towers. 8 For the sake of my brethren, and of my neighbours, I spoke peace of you. 9 Because of the house of the Lord our God, I have sought good things for you.

This is a hymn of joy, one which was on my lips as I entered Our Lady of Victory for the first time, when I attended my first Latin Mass, when I first received the sacraments. How great it is to stand in the courts of the Lord! There is nothing on Earth that can mirror the glory and the majesty of simply resting in the presenc of Our Lord. This psalm mentions "Jerusalem." How much clearer the meaning becomes when one realizes that "Jerusalem" is, for us, this very diocese. We have given ourselves to the Diocese of Rochester - we are the loyal sons and daughters of God who have not turned our backs on He who reigns from our tabernacles. The faithful servant would not declare to his earthly king, "sit over there, sire. We're celebrating community." In like manner, we do not speak to our Lord and denounce Him, relegating Him to corner closets and dark annexes. It can be, and most assuredly is possible, that the courts of our own "Jerusalem" have become unfit for Our Lord's presence, and for this reason we see dwindling numbers of priests and religious, lack of attendance, lack of faith, lack of charity.

Restore respect for Our Lord, find joy in His tabernacles. This is the key, dear readers. Do not discard it as carelessly as others have.

Roman Catholic Dioceses in the U.S.

Can you name all of them?

Keep Holy the Sabbath

I am certain that most of you do just that - however, our schismatic brother, Ray Grosswirth, has decided to take time off from Mass to do some "discernment." Why you can't "discern" during Mass, especially when you're a "married priest from Rochester, New York," I don't know.

Anyways, here is a video that underscores the Church's stern command - "Go to Church on Sunday."

Sacristy Swat Team

A reader recently sent us an email documenting two events which happened in the OLOL/SA cluster, both involving Sr. Joan Sobala being "verbally defeated" in the sacristy. The first occurence happened at St. Anne, when a retired priest was greeted by Sr. Sobala with the phrase, "Hey, _____, how are ya? Ready for my homily today?" The priest, a quiet and meek old soul, responded with alacrity, saying, "Sister, you aren't giving the homily today - I am. I wrote it, I memorized it, I'm delivering it."

"But, _____, I'm the administrator. I'm your boss."

"Not out there you aren't. The Mass is mine, not yours, and no matter what you want to do, you can't."

The second incident happened in the sacristy at Our Lady of Lourdes. Evidently, the children from Seton Catholic School, located about 500 feet from the parish, were going to Mass. The priest, another visiting retired priest, had prepared a homily regarding the Gospel reading, which was about the beheading of St. John the Baptist. Before Mass began, Sr. Sobala entered the sacristy and asked the priest to do different readings. The priest, being charitable, informed Sr. Sobala that she must have the wrong readings for the day, because the ones in the lectionary deal with martydom and John the Baptist. She responed, "I know what I'm doing. Those readings will scare the children, so I want to do this one (something touchy-feely)." The priest was unyielding and said, in essence, the same thing that Fr. _____ said above.

Now, this whole notion of changing the readings because they may scare the little kids . . . that's just insane. When I was little, I thrived on the stories of martydom, suffering, exile, etc . . . It showed me that the faith is something really important, more so than the feel-good platitudes these liberals have to offer. Tell me, would you be more devoted if the religion to which you belonged said, "Jesus loves you just the way you are" or "this is so special, people have died for it." While both are true, there is so much more in the second phrase. One might then ask, "Why have people died for it? How'd they die? Who did it? What made them that brave?" The answer always comes back to Our Lord, His Love, and His Sacred Heart.

Religion, not just Catholicism, but all religion, is something that one must work through, thinking critically and analytically. If you are fed mush on a daily basis, your body loses substance and muscle. The same is true for your spiritual body, i.e. "soul." If you just give the soul the comforting reasurrance that "Jesus loves you," it won't strive heavenward - it's content right where it is. One must always challenge oneself spiritually, thus fasting, holy hours, etc. are great methods of meditating on the faith. To deprive the body of something (whether it is sleep, food, or comfort) is to turn the gaze from the comfort in which we live, both spiritually and physically, so that we may focus on those areas of our life that need improvement.

What better way to do this than to have priests such as these? These men, secure in their masculinity, steadfast in faith, and unswerving in loyalty, bear witness to the priests and martyrs of old, who bore iniquity for the sake of Our Lord, who suffered patiently, correcting with direct charity. To ask a priest to refrain from giving his homily so that one may deliver one's own, or to ask a priest to switch out the readings of the day, so they will cradle the children's psyches - this is rude, selfish, short-sighted, and an affrontery to all things sacred.

Let our priests be priests, and may our nuns be nuns.

Spiritual Terrorism

Media Vita in Morte Sumus

In keeping with our look at Lenten chant and polyphony, I have chosen this piece for your contemplation. It is the "Media Vita" which, according to several sources, moved St. Thomas Aquinas to tears when he heard it. The words are below - feel free to follow along as you play the video.

Media vita in morte sumus:
Quem quærimus adiutorem,
Nisi te Domine,
Qui pro peccatis nostris iuste irasceris?


Sancte Deus,
Sancte fortis,
Sancte misericors Salvator,
amaræ morti ne tradas nos.
Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto.
Sancte Deus,
Sancte fortis,
Sancte misericors Salvator,
amaræ morti ne tradas nos.




In the midst of life, we are dying:
Whom shall we seek as a help,
If not Thee, O Lord,
Who dost rightly grow wrathful for our sins?


Holy God,
Holy Strong One,
Holy and Merciful Saviour,
Do not hand us over to a bitter death.
Our fathers hoped in Thee,
They hoped and Thou didst save them.
Holy God,
Holy Strong One,
Holy and Merciful Saviour,
Do not give us over to a bitter death.
Our fathers cried out to Thee,
They cried out and were not confounded.
Holy God,
Holy Strong One,
Holy and Merciful Saviour,
Do not hand us over to a bitter death.

The Seven Penitential Psalms - Psalm 37

Today's Penitential Psalm is that of one who prays for a removal of anger from one's life and actions. Psalm 37 focuses on our need to be humble before God, for our anger leads us into sin, sin which in turn angers Our Lord. For what angers God more than seeing his Creation succumbing to aggression, unjust war, terrorism, and violence?

Stabant omnes noti eius a longe (Lc 23:49)	All his acquaintances stood away from him. (Luke 23:49)
2 DOMINE, ne in furore tuo arguas me, * neque in ira tua corripias me,	2 O LORD, rebuke me not in Thy furor; * nor chastise me in Thy wrath.
3 quoniam sagittae tuae infixae sunt mihi, * et confirmasti super me manum tuam.	3 For Thy arrows are fastened in me: * and Thy hand hath descended upon me.
4 Non est sanitas in carne mea, a facie irae tuae; * non est pax ossibus meis a facie peccatorum meorum.	4 There is no health in my flesh in the face of Thy wrath: * there is no peace for my bones in the face of my sins.
5 Quoniam iniquitates meae supergressae sunt caput meum * et sicut onus grave gravatae sunt super me.	5 For my iniquities are gone over my head: * and are a heavy burden too heavy to bear.
6 Putruerunt et corrupti sunt cicatrices meae * a facie insipientiae meae.	6 My wounds are putrid and corrupt, * in the face of my foolishness.
7 Miser factus sum et curvatus sum usque in finem; * tota die contristatus ingrediebar.	7 I am miserable and am bowed down: * all the day long I walked in sadness .
8 Quoniam lumbi mei impleti sunt illusionibus, * et non est sanitas in carne mea.	8 For my insides are filled with mocking; * and there is no health in my flesh.
9 Afflictus sum et humiliatus sum nimis, * rugiebam a gemitu cordis mei.	9 Greatly am I afflicted and humbled: * I roared with the groaning of my heart.
10 Domine, ante te omne desiderium meum, * et gemitus meus a te non est absconditus.	10 Lord, before Thee are all my desires, * and my groaning is not hidden from Thee.
11 Cor meum conturbatum est, dereliquit me virtus mea, * et lumen oculorum meorum, et ipsum non est mecum.	11 My heart is troubled, my strength hath left me, * and the light of my eyes themselves is not with me.
12 Amici mei et proximi mei * adversum me appropinquaverunt et steterunt;	12 My friends and my neighbors * have drawn near me and stood against me.
et qui iuxta me erant, de longe steterunt, * et vim faciebant qui quaerebant animam meam.	And those who were near me stood afar: * They laid snares, those who sought my soul.
13 Et, qui inquirebant mala mihi, locuti sunt vanitates * et dolos tota die meditabantur.	13 And they that sought evil for me said wicked things, * all day long they planned deceitful things.
14 Ego autem tamquam surdus non audiebam * et sicut mutus non aperiens os suum;	14 But I, as a deaf man, heard not: * and as a dumb man not opening his mouth.
15 et factus sum sicut homo non audiens * et non habens in ore suo redargutiones.	15 And I became like one that heareth not: * and that hath no reproofs in his mouth.
16 Quoniam in te, Domine, speravi, * tu exaudies, Domine Deus meus.	16 For in Thee, O Lord, have I hoped: * Thou wilt hear me, O Lord my God.
17 Quia dixi: <>.	17 For I said, "May my enemies never rejoice over me: * when my feet stumble, they speak great things against me."
18 Quoniam ego in flagella paratus sum, * et dolor meus in conspectu meo semper.	18 For I am ready for the whip: * and my sorrow is continually before me.
19 Quoniam iniquitatem meam annuntiabo * et cogitabo pro peccato meo.	19 For I will declare my inequity: * and I will be sorry for my sin.
20 Inimici autem mei vivunt et confirmati sunt super me, * et multiplicati sunt, qui oderunt me inique.	20 But my enemies live, and are stronger that I, * and they that hate me wrongfully multiply.
21 Qui retribuunt mala pro bonis detrahebant mihi * quoniam sequebar bonitatem.	21 They that render evil for good, have humiliated me, * because I followed goodness.
22 Ne derelinquas me, Domine; * Deus meus, ne discesseris a me.	22 Forsake me not, O Lord, * my God, depart not from me.
23 Intende in adiutorium meum, * Domine, Deus salutis meae.	23 Hasten unto my help, * O Lord, God of my salvation.

And now the accompanying prayer against anger:

Oratio contra iram

Prayer against anger

Homo homini reservat iram; et a Deo quaerit medelam? In hominem similem sibi non habet misericordiam, et de peccatis sui deprecatur? Quis exorabit pro delictis illius? (Eccli 28:3-5) His verbis mihi, Domine Deus, loqueris per servum tuum filium Sirach. Et ego post hac iram aut odium contra quemquam fovere audeam? Parce, Domine, parce malitiae et pertinaciae meae, in qua hucusque perseveravi. Ex animo nunc ignosco et remitto, quidquid ullus unquam in me peccavit; supplexque oro, Domine, ne in furore tuo arguas me, neque in ira tua corripias me; utinam tamquam surdus in posterum non audiam, et sicut mutus non aperiam os meum; quando inimici mei contra me insurgunt et vim faciunt, qui quaerunt animam meam. Ne derelinquas me, Domine Deus meus, ne discesseris a me: quoniam tu es patientia mea. (Ps 70:5)

Should man reserveth anger for his fellow man and yet seek remedy from God? Should he that hath no mercy on one like himself entreat God for his own sins? Who shall obtain pardon for his sins? (Sir 28:3-5) By these words Thou hast spoken to me though Thy servant Sirach, O Lord God. And after this dare I foster anger and hate against anyone? Spare me, O Lord, spare me of my malice and stubbornness in which I have persevered even unto now. From my soul I now overlook and forgive whatever anyone has done against me. I humbly beg Thee, O Lord, do not rebuke me in Thy anger. O how would that I be like the deaf who does not hear and the mute who does not speak whenever my enemies rise up in force against me, those who seek my soul. Do not forsake me, O lord my God, do not depart from me, for Thou are my patience. (Ps 70:5)

If Treachery Were a Virtue . . .

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Behold the glory of Bishop Clark's Rochester.

Say Thank You to Bishop Ricken

Modernism's Full Impact

St. John Vianney - Pray for Us

I found this quote in my reading this morning, and thought I should share it with you:

"Leave a village without a priest for twenty years and they will worship animals." - St. John Vianney

Do you really need my commentary to figure out why I posted this?

St. Irondequoit

I had the privilege to speak with several members of St. Thomas the Apostle recently, and among the innumerable bits of stupidity concerning the IPPG, the diocesan norms, clusterings, etc. was this little morsel. I'm sure it's on the Irondequoit Catholic website somewhere, but I hadn't been aware until I was told by these parishioners that the IPPG refers to the eventual "parish" as "St. Irondequoit."

Naturally, this isn't some massive infraction of Canon Law or any such thing. It's not a matter of right or wrong. It's a matter of insensitivity and, well, stupidity.

Why is is a matter of stupidity?

Because everyone knows that Irondequoit is merely a "Blessed" while Webster is a "Saint." Keep your canonized suburbs straight, IPPG. We're still waiting on one more miracle in Irondequoit until it can become "St." Irondequoit. (Sarcasm off)

In other things St. Thomas, I thought that I should mention that the grave of Monsignor Burns, the founding priest of the current church, has become a focus for local prayer and pilgrimage. I stopped by the tomb a few days prior to this post, and counted dozens of crosses like you would see on the side of the road, marking the spot of a loved one's death. These simple crosses bear phrases such as, "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us," and "Msgr. Burns, intercede for STA." There are rosaries draped on the arms of these crosses, small flower arrangements, and many other signs of devotion as well.

I ask you, IPPG and certain of you who have the audacity to call these people "angry" and "vindictive," is humble prayer a sign of vengeful dealing and cold-hearted Christianity? Is it proof that the people of St. Thomas are the conniving, vindictive Catholics that you think they are? I think not. 

The people of St. Thomas deserve better than what they have received. When parishioners spoke out to Fr. Tanck because they didn't feel loved or cared for, the response was closing the confessionals. What sick form of pastoral care is that, to deprive the faithful of the sacraments? Sure, maybe something came up. Maybe someone was dying somewhere and Fr. Tanck had to rush off. I don't know. All I do know is that no provision was made for the faithful to receive the sacrament of Confession. In the words of a friend, "Oh, yes, that's something the Curé of Ars would have done. He'd shut down the confessionals to show the people how pastoral he was. Oh, wait, that's flawed logic, isn't it?"

Although I am not privy to every single detail regarding this matter, I do know for a fact that the people of St. Thomas and St. Salome have been treated unfairly. These two Irondequoit churches, the only two without debt, are the ones that have been recommended for closure. The people have been vilified and stereotyped as disgruntled traditionalists who hate the bishop. I can assure you that I have never met warmer or more charitable people in my life than I have on my visits to St. Thomas the Apostle. To let the actions of one or two individuals create a false image of a parish, one that is used against these people who mean so well, is to permit Our Lord's side to be pierced one more time. When you attack a parish, when you recommend its closure for no reason other than "it's best for the people," you attack a part of the mystical body of Our Lord.

When we lose a parish, not only are our hearts pierced, but also the heart of He who died for us.

What's the difference between Progressives and Liberals?

This guy has got to get rid of that cheesy picture at the beginning of his videos.

Dominican Sisters on Oprah

This link was sent to me by a regular reader of CF. The reader knows Sister Mary Judith who is featured in the videos.

These Sisters are an absolute inspiration. Please pray for more vocations to the sisterhood.

http://marysaggies.blogspot.com/2010/02/video-of-dominican-sisters-on-oprah.html