The Exile of Father F. Dominic Menna and Transparency at The Boston Globe
Father Gordon MacRae's blog post this week can be found here
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Father Lamaitre and the Big Bang
I think you will find Father Gordon's post from last week very interesting:
Father Lamaitre and the Big Bang
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Priest Holes
Until this evening, I had never heard of priest holes. Apparently, most of them were built by St. Nicholas Own, an English martyr himself. Please visit
Last Welsh Martyr's post Priest Holes to learn more about this fascinating part of Catholic history.
The Hair Salon and Talking
Today while waiting to get my hair cut I sat reading a hair salon magazine's article that captured my attention. That article tackled the problem of gossiping at hair salons. It also gave pretty good advice on how to avoid gossiping when a stylist is cutting hair. I guess because it was a hair salon magazine, the blame seemed to lay on the shoulders of the clientele. It was still good to know that the hair cutting industry did address a problem like gossip.
My reading was interrupted though by one of the stylists and her customer. In a very loud voice the hair stylist went on and on about her weekend, her family, her children...ad nauseum. Then she would stop and ask her customer all kinds of questions about her life. Maybe they knew each other. I don't know. It just seemed that whether or not we wanted to, we had to be privy to their conversation.
I started to observe the other stylist. I noticed she was very quiet and seemed to be paying much attention to the way she cut her older customer's hair. In fact, both ladies were very quiet.
Then it was my turn with the quiet stylist. Ironically, it seemed to me that I was going to be the chatterbox as I proceeded to make small talk as soon as I sat down. But after telling her just how I wanted my hair cut, we both fell into a mutual silence.
It occurred to me that the talkative stylist was not gossiping. She was freely sharing about her own life and her own family. She was asking questions out of making conversation more than gossiping.
But that brings me to another observation. Once a person is in the stylist chair, they seem to feel a strong compulsion to share their entire life story with the stylist. It makes no difference in the gender either. The talkative stylist's next customer was a man. I noticed that the stylist did not ask him any direct questions. Yet, this guy felt a need to share about his trip, his job, etc. It felt uncomfortable knowing so much about these strangers.
...In the same way the tongue is a small member and yet has great pretensions. Consider how small a fire can set a huge forest ablaze.Scripture Source
The tongue is also a fire. It exists among our members as a world of malice, defiling the whole body and setting the entire course of our lives on fire, itself set on fire by Gehenna.
For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
It may be very prudent if we keep a rein over our tongue. Think before speaking, yes. But maybe more beneficial to us, pray before speaking.
Never-before-seen works of Michelangelo, Donatello and Andrea Bregno on ...
I don't know about you, but when I see works of art like the ones shown in the video, my heart skips a beat.
"Never Take the Eucharist for Granted"
I suppose it’s typical for human beings to sometimes take our finest gifts for granted – our health, our faith, our family and our friends, for example.You can read the rest of Bishop Thomas J. Tobin's article here
And even as Catholics we have the tendency to take for granted one of God’s most precious gifts – the Holy Eucharist, and all that it means for us. Although we typically pay lip service to the importance of the Eucharist, I wonder if we really appreciate its significance in our lives.
As the heart and soul of our Catholic Faith, the Eucharist a gift and mystery that includes several important dimensions. The Eucharist is a sacrifice – the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, made present again in a sacramental way. The Eucharist is a sacrament – the abiding presence of Christ among His people under the external forms of bread and wine. The Eucharist is a meal – established by Jesus at the Last Supper, and in which the action of eating and drinking the Body and Blood of Christ is essential to its meaning. And the Eucharist is a celebration – an affirmation of our faith in sign and symbol.
Thanks Sue Cifelli!
Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Starts Tomorrow
The novena can be found at EWTN
Monday, July 05, 2010
Saturday, July 03, 2010
Happy Independence Day, America!
Magnificat of America
America, Our America!
Hold to the Vision of Mary,
Mary Immaculate.
Her glory fills the earth,
She is our race,
Its 'solitary boast.'
She, alone with out sin,
Keeps the doom of wrath from thee,
Who art defending Her glory.
She, Conqueror of evil,
Conquers evil fro thee,
Who art resisting evil.
America, our America!
Pray always to Mary,
Mary Immaculate.
She, the Mother to Nations-
She, the Mother of Christ,
The Lord of all nations,
She guards them and guides,
Subduing their hates,
Inspiring their spirits.
She mourns for the prodigals,
As childless mothers mourn,
Torn by their treasons.
America, our America!
Give thy heart o Mary,
Mary Immaculate.
Join Her prayer of praise,
All Heaven attending,
For our land that is free.
Sing though Her song of Joy,
All nations listening,
Giving thanks to God.
Sing thou thy song of souls,
The Magnificat of Mary,
The Magnificat of America.
- Cardinal Francis Joseph Spellman
From the July Magnificat.
Painting of the Immaculate Conception by Murillo.
Two Priest Stories to Share
1. From CNA:
"...then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant . . .'" Matthew 26:27Chalice connects three priests over 99 years
“For most priests, the chalice is the most significant vessel that they use. Of all the vestments and vessels we use, it’s the most significant because it’s the one we use the most often, and because the Eucharist is at the heart of what we do as priests as far as being nourished ourselves and nourishing the people of God.
“The chalice is very significant.”
That’s how Father Alex Zenthoefer understands the importance of the chalice. He’s the assistant pastor at Holy Rosary Church and chaplain at Memorial High School, both in Evansville, Indiana, and diocesan director of Vocations.
His own chalice has added significance, because it connects him to two other diocesan priests, linking them all the way back to 1911.
2. From Insight Scoop:
Winter 1989, downtown South Bend, Indiana. The night is snowy and crisp. Inside the bar, already humid and smoky, the guitarist lights his cigarette, takes a long, patient drag and wedges it among the strings in the head of his guitar. As the smoke drifts from his mouth he begins moving his fingers across the fret board, the distortion turned up to eleven. The opening riffs of Van Halen's "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" crackle from the bending strings. Standing next to him, I watch his fingers glide effortlessly across the wood and steel. The toe of my boot taps to the chucky thumping as the bassist, my older brother, and the drummer make their entrances. With my forehead already sweaty from the lights and body heat of the room, I gather the lyrics in my head, press the microphone to my lips and begin navigating through the first verse. The crowd packed tightly into the small place begins pulsing with the beat. I feel the palpable rush from that invisible electricity between band and crowd beginning to fill the room. As the music crescendos to the refrain, I saunter over to my brother's side of the stage area where he is cuing the approaching vocal harmonies. He steps up to his microphone and we belt out, "Ain't talkin' 'bout love".Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love? Why This Gen-Xer Is a Priest | Fr. John Cihak, S.T.D.
Nine years later in the Cathedral in Portland, Oregon, I lie prostrate, my forehead pressed into the cool marble floor. The smell of incense and burning candles mingles with the warm June air imbuing it with a holy fragrance. The tightly packed church, imploring the intercession of the angels and saints of Heaven, chants the litany of the saints for us who are about to be ordained priests. The invisible and peaceful presence of grace fills the church. After the examination the Archbishop, a successor to the apostles, lays his hands on each of our heads and pours the scented chrism on our hands.
Death of the Virgin Mary
Please check out this very interesting painting by Caravaggio on Terry's blog. I had not seen this particular painting before and it was a bit shocking to see the Blessed Mother portrayed in such a vulnerable manner. It makes me wonder what Caravaggio mindset or inspiration was when he decided to paint this particular subject in such an unusual way.
Terry: BTW, I wanted to leave you a comment at your blog. Are you familiar with a painting "The Assumption of Mary Magadelene." Have you ever heard this story before? Thanks!
Friday, July 02, 2010
ACN News - Keeping Ethiopia’s Young Charismatics in the Church
ACN-USA News
7/1/2010
Keeping Ethiopia’s Young Charismatics in the Church
Support from Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is helping to keep young Ethiopian charismatics in the Catholic Church amid growing enthusiasm for Pentecostal Christianity.
Bishop Lesane-Christos Matheos, Auxiliary Bishop of Addis Ababa, told ACN that the charismatic renewal is growing among young Catholics, especially in the Ethiopian capital.
The charismatic movement’s Pentecostal worship style is attracting young people who can often be dissatisfied with the traditional liturgy which has been used in Ethiopia for more than 1,500 years.
This in turn has prompted a fall in people attending the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, by far the largest Christian denomination in the country, which has for the most part resisted calls to embrace the charismatic movement.
But the Catholic Church in Ethiopia, which numbers about 800,000, has attempted to reach out to its young charismatics with a range of new initiatives.
Bishop Lesane-Christos praised Aid to the Church in Need for supporting youth programs in the Archdiocese of Addis Ababa and went on to describe new plans, backed by ACN, which involve underpinning charismatic practice with classic Catholic teaching, including Marian devotion and emphasis on the Eucharist, as well as Confession.
Stressing the value of Pentecostal worship styles, Bishop Lesane-Christos, who was ordained bishop in April, said, “It attracts young people and gives them direction and challenges them. It helps cultivate the life of young people to live their faith.”
Thanking ACN for its help, Bishop Lesane-Christos said the charity’s support “has resulted in the young being integrated with the Church.”
With ACN’s support, the Church will be implementing a program to train the leaders of the Charismatic Renewal and give groups a better understanding of Catholic teaching.
Bishop Lesane-Christos, former director of Addis’ Archdiocesan Catholic Secretariat, said the vast majority have retained their Orthodox beliefs and remained separate from Protestant Pentecostal communities. Such groups are called “Orthopente.”
He went on to explain that in the past Ethiopian Orthodox priests reached out to charismatics but that recently their bishops have clamped down on involvement with the new movements.
Bishop Lesane-Christos said he had been very impressed by the Ethiopian Orthodox model of engagement with charismatics. He said, “It was very dynamic and very integrated to the faith. Priests and deacons were very involved.”
But, according to Bishop Lesane-Christos, some groups in the Catholic Church have not received a thorough grounding in Catholic teaching, as few priests have been involved with the charismatic renewal.
He said, “Some [priests] are suspicious of the charismatic renewal because of similarities with Pentecostal groups.”
The bishop added, “It doesn’t help to abandon it – that would bring a great negative impact. We need to embrace it.”
Bishop Lesane-Christos described the steps being taken so that “it grows as a proper movement of the Catholic Church.”
As part of the five-year pastoral plan in Addis Ababa Diocese they will send lay leaders to Uganda or India “to see the authentic charismatic movement” and invite charismatic groups to teach leaders to reduce some of the “unhealthy spirituality” that Fr. Bishop Lesane-Christos said can exist in the movement.
One problem is over-emotionalism – “emotion is not bad, God communicates through emotion, but we don’t want just emotion, we also need to involve the mind.”
He said, “Some people have the feeling that only charismatics are saved – it is an extreme way of thinking. The charismatic renewal movement mustn’t become a ghetto; it needs to be inclusive.”
Bishop Lesane-Christos continued, “Sometimes the Spirit reveals itself in the charismatic way, but it also works in another way.”
“They have to open their eyes to see the spirit leading the church in other lay activities.”
A revised and expanded version of the Life in the Spirit seminars – a basic Catholic charismatic teaching course – is now used by some groups in Ethiopia, which include teaching on areas where there may be doubt, such as the Eucharist.
With photograph of Bishop Lesane-Christos Matheos, Auxiliary Bishop of Addis Ababa presiding at a liturgy in the city’s Archdiocesan Catholic Secretariat
Editor’s Notes:
Directly under the Holy Father, Aid to the Church in Need supports the faithful wherever they are persecuted, oppressed or in pastoral need. ACN is a Catholic charity - helping to bring Christ to the world through prayer, information and action.
Founded in 1947 by Father Werenfried van Straaten, whom Pope John Paul II named “An Outstanding Apostle of Charity,” the organization is now at work in over 145 countries throughout the world.
The charity undertakes thousands of projects every year including providing transport for clergy and lay Church workers, construction of church buildings, funding for priests and nuns and help to train seminarians. Since the initiative’s launch in 1979, 43 million Aid to the Church in Need Child’s Bibles have been distributed worldwide.
For more information contact Michael Varenne at michael@churchinneed.org or call 718-609-0939 or fax718-609-0938. Aid to the Church in Need, 725 Leonard Street, PO Box 220384, Brooklyn, NY 11222-0384. www.churchinneed.org
The history of the Legion of Christ, a congregation that seeks to convey...
Pray for the Legionaries of Christ. They are fine men and do good work for the Lord and the Catholic Church.
"The Mystery of Sex and Love"
"...When Pope John Paul speaks about sex in Theology of the Body (TOB), he is talking about ‘Human Love in the Divine Plan’ or more precisely ‘The Redemption of the Body and the Sacramentality of Marriage’ [1].
He incorporates the dignity of the person, male and female. But I’m not talking about men being Martians or women, Venetians. Sex actually means the person as male or female. But when we reduce sex to a mere act then we are removing the person from the wonderful creative mystery of God. Instead of using the word “sex” for sexual union the Church uses the term, conjugal love or conjugal union.
Conjugal love is a uniting love of a husband and wife through the expression of their covenantal love. Thus the spouses renew their marriage vows every time they have conjugal union. This expression of love is conjugal love if it is open to God’s gift of life within a covenant..."
You can read this article in its entirety Here.
Thanks to Sue Cifelli.
Thursday, July 01, 2010
The Precious Blood of Jesus
Precious Blood of Jesus,
shed in the circumcision,
make me pure of mind, heart and body.
Precious Blood,
oozing from every pore of Jesus in the Agony,
enable me to love God's holy will above all.
Precious Blood,
flowing from the scourging at the pillar,
inspire me with a sorrow for my sins,
and a tolerance for suffering.
Precious Blood,
falling in profusion from the crown of thorns,
grant me a ready acceptance of humiliations.
Precious Blood,
shed profusely in the crucifixion of our Lord,
make me die entirely to self-love.
Precious Blood,
shed to the very last drop by the opening of Christ's Sacred Heart,
give me that generous love which sacrifices all for God.
Precious Blood,
sacred price of my redemption,
apply to me your infinite merits.
Precious Blood,
I adore you from the depths of my heart;
I invoke you ardently, for you are my salvation,
and by you I hope to obtain the joys of heaven.
Amen.
Prayer Source here
Seminarian John Nahrgang to Be Guest on the Journey Home This Coming Monday
Dear family and friends,
For those who may be interested, I wanted to let you know that I recently had the opportunity to do a TV interview for a show called The Journey Home on EWTN, a Catholic station available on most cable and satellite packages. This hour-long program features interviews with converts to the Catholic Church who talk about their conversion story. If you are interested in watching it, it will air on the following dates on EWTN:
Monday, July 5th at 8 pm (EST)
Tuesday, July 6th at 9 am
Thursday, July 8th at 2 pm
Saturday, July 10th at 11 pm
To my friends who are parents, just want to let you know that in the interview I spoke about some adult themes such as depression and I also quoted a pretty sobering suicide statistic.
In case you'd like to see it but don't have access to EWTN, I will email a web link when it's posted online.
Thanks and til next update! :)
All my best,
ACN News - Uganda celebrates its martyrs
ACN-USA News
7/1/2010
Uganda celebrates its martyrs
Walking up to 250 miles on foot for days, over 500,000 pilgrims in Uganda sang and prayed as they celebrated their country’s martyrs in an event supported by Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).
The celebrations on June 3rd occurred at the national shrine in Namugongo, close to the capital Kampala, in the Diocese of Moroto. Pilgrims included participants from Sudan, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and some from as far away as Malawi and Nigeria.
"We are standing on soil that is soaked with the blood of the martyrs," declared Bishop Henry Ssentongo of Moroto in his homily.
Between 1885 and 1887, 22 young men who served as pages at the Court of King Mwanga in Namugongo were put to death for refusing demands from their ruler that went against their faith. They were among the first Christian converts in their country.
Today over 12.6 million of the country's 28 million inhabitants are Catholics, and every year some 400,000 more are baptized.
Each year more and more have come to take part in the great feast, and estimates for the throng have gone as high as one million. Among the pilgrims were hundreds of priests, all the bishops of Uganda and a handful of foreign bishops, along with thousands more watching on television.
The northeast of Uganda is the most underdeveloped region of the country, one that continues to be so sorely marked by violence. One of the organizers was shot dead on the eve of the departure of the pilgrims from Moroto for the festival.
Father Andrzej Halemba, who heads the Africa desk of ACN, commented on the celebrations, "I am proud that we were able to help for this!"
"At last the people of the Karamoja region have been able to show that they have something really precious to offer their country and their Church!"
Bishop Ssentongo went on to emphasize in his homily, "This pilgrimage should mark a turning point in our lives... it is not enough to celebrate the fact that Uganda is a country of martyrs; instead we must follow in their footsteps and imitate Christ right up to the end!"
With pictures from the celebration of Ugandan martyrs in Namugongo (Photo: ACN)
From Editor's Notes:
Directly under the Holy Father, Aid to the Church in Need supports the faithful wherever they are persecuted, oppressed or in pastoral need. ACN is a Catholic charity - helping to bring Christ to the world through prayer, information and action.
Founded in 1947 by Father Werenfried van Straaten, whom Pope John Paul II named “An Outstanding Apostle of Charity,” the organization is now at work in over 145 countries throughout the world.
The charity undertakes thousands of projects every year including providing transport for clergy and lay Church workers, construction of church buildings, funding for priests and nuns and help to train seminarians. Since the initiative’s launch in 1979, 43 million Aid to the Church in Need Child’s Bibles have been distributed worldwide.
For more information contact Michael Varenne at michael@churchinneed.org or call 718-609-0939 or fax718-609-0938. Aid to the Church in Need, 725 Leonard Street, PO Box 220384, Brooklyn, NY 11222-0384. www.churchinneed.org
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