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Mine… the Pudding last night was a great success!
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“This blog is like a fusion of the Baroque ‘salon’ with its well-tuned harpsichord around which polite society gathered for entertainment and edification and, on the other hand, a Wild West “saloon” with its out-of-tune piano and swinging doors, where everyone has a gun and something to say. Nevertheless, we try to point our discussions back to what it is to be Catholic in this increasingly difficult age, to love God, and how to get to heaven.” – Fr. Z
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YOUR RECENT COMMENTS
- on Faith practice declining far and wide…. except…: “Dear Masked Chicken, thank you for pointing me to your post of 22 March, which which I largely agree. My…”
- on ROME 24/4– Day 28: bad news and good news: “Yes. Let all the poisons come out! After seeing it on TV many years ago and reading the two volumes,…”
- on ROME 24/4– Day 28: bad news and good news: “Perhaps world events are making some nervous international travelers. Personally, I would have loved to go to Poland on a…”
- on ROME 24/4– Day 28: bad news and good news: “The bit about Claudius thinking that a return to the republic was likely or even possible may take its inspiration…”
- on ROME 24/4– Day 28: bad news and good news: “Pray for Derek Jacobi! Such a talented actor, but sadly, an irregular life.”
- on 15 April 2019 – Notre-Dame de Paris: “I was wrong. It’s not a Cramnerian table. It’s a……. Ikea coffee table made to resemble a half Easter egg,…”
- on ROME 24/4– Day 28: bad news and good news: “The BBC “radio play” of I,Claudius is also rather good. https://share.libbyapp.com/title/505092”
- on Faith practice declining far and wide…. except…: “To MB: THE BEST TIME was a long time ago before Paul VI and Bergoglio and their hand-chosen sycophants decided…”
- on Faith practice declining far and wide…. except…: “I don’t know where MB lives, but it’s objectively false to assert that the FSSP “now have a virtual monopoly…”
- on 15 April 2019 – Notre-Dame de Paris: “Looking at the pictures, one can be grateful that the artist at least didn’t use this as an opportunity to…”
- on Faith practice declining far and wide…. except…: “@MB “When a man feels like he has something no one else can give, something essential, and no one to…”
- on Faith practice declining far and wide…. except…: “There was a time when if you wanted to know the miracles of the Church, the great teachings, the stories…”
- on Faith practice declining far and wide…. except…: “Out of my wife and my siblings & spouses, half are not RC anymore but are probably still on the…”
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I am ever closer to the birth of our sixth child here on earth, the eighth in our family. Thirty days hence to the official due date, though Baby will come on whatever day God ordains as The Birthday! +JMJ+
I played the organ accompaniment to Michael Haydn’s Deutschemesse at Mass this past Sunday at the beautiful Baroque Ulrichskirche (Pinswang, Austria). There was no need for a choir this day; the good people of Pinswang knew the work well, and sang it with nary a false note. Such lovely music is part of the Mass here in Pinswang each Sunday.
I recently found out that my German family (which immigrated to the USA from the southern Rhine a hundred years ago) was originally Savoyard aristocracy—which explains the family’s French-sounding name AND my love for Savoyard cuisine.
Yum!
My wife is pregnant for the 5th time.
I’m reading another good book by Sigrid Undset which I started just after finishing a good book by Benson. Great stuff. Good books are good news!
Our pastor has been gradually introducing changes (accompanied by good explanations) to our church. Last year he moved the Tabernacle to the front. This month he has started using patens. Confession is offered more often and the lines are growing. It is very exciting to be in a “brick by brick” parish.
The Pro-life March yesterday in Washington D.C.! Hundreds of thousands from around the country, mostly youth.
“We are facing an enormous and dramatic clash between good and evil, the ‘culture of death’ and the ‘culture of life’. We all share in it, with the inescapable responsibility of choosing to be unconditionally pro-life.” – Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae.
The future of this battle is on our side because the pro-life movement is young and vibrant, while we unfortunately know what happened to the youth on the other side. Their troops are dwindling and ours is growing.
My family visited a wonderful parish in Indianapolis that had EF (FSSP) mass at 9:30. The priest gave a great homily and the choir was superb. It was the highlight of our gymnastics weekend.
My family is preparing to celebrate our Mother’s 90th Birthday. We give thanks to God for her and the realtively good health, mentally and physically that she is enjoying. God has blessed her and all of us who love her.
Recorded a great podcast on Sacred Music with a musician last night. And, had an article published in Adoremus Bulletin’s February Issue.
We finally got a piano, so that our musically-inclined children can learn to play. (Nothing much past Mozart, either; I find Beethoven wild [at times.])
I booked flights to go see my father who lives on the other side of the country. (Canada is a big country!) Due to health issues of my wife, then my father, then me, I have not seen him in over eight years. He will finally meet my youngest son. (Please pray for my father. He is a good man and father, but he continues to shun God.) As a bonus when I was checking out Mass locations I found out there is a Carmelite Convent near where he lives with daily Mass!
I should add that a FSSP priest is coming to our small city to celebrate Mass this Sunday.
A much loved priest is back in our diocese and we spent the afternoon and evening with him and another beloved priest yesterday. Deo gratias !
teomatteo: Our Lady of the Rosary– great parish! I visited there once in 2002 and their choir is indeed outstanding. That was really a Summorum Pontificum parish before its time, OF and EF coexisting harmoniously.
Just discovered today that the National Catholic Register is available on the Kindle; beginning this Saturday, I will be able to publically offer the traditional form of the Mass seven days a week; after nine months I have recovered enough from an injury to start running again.
Our community choir will perform John Rutter’s “Mass of the Children” this spring. This is the only opportunity for anyone in this neck of the woods to hear a live Latin or classical Mass setting. Hopefully this will satisfy my urge for high church music for at least a couple of months.
My toughest class of the week has been postponed, giving me more time to
procrastinateprepare.Good news: I’ve started what should be an interesting semester of classes at Loyola Chicago.
Bad news: I got a flyer today advertising a talk that’s to be given by Fr. Pfleger, also at Loyola Chicago. Defender of justice and all. They’re calling him a “Radical Disciple” and a so-called “faithful dissenter.” Gag me with a spoon.
But at least I’m on my way to becoming a legit theologian so I can counter such lunacy.
went to my first march for life yesterday. 5 years ago i used to begrudgingly go to Mass and read Joyce during the homilies [i thought i was so ironic]. The work God has done on my heart has been amazing.
We just experienced our first March For Life, after years of saying, “Someday”. What a wonderful, energizing experience to be completely enveloped by like-minded Catholics and other pro-lifers of various faiths. And what fun to see how much of a reunion it is, especially for our young associate pastor who seemed to bump into someone he knew at every turn! Even the breakdown of our bus at about 9pm last night, delaying our return to central Ohio until 4 am, couldn’t diminish the joy of the weekend!
Bp. Robert Vasa from Baker, OR has been named coadjutor of the Diocese of Santa Rosa, Ca :)
In North Carolina we a blessed to have three Extraordinary Form Masses for the Purification on Wednesday, 02 February 2011, the details of which can be found on the Wikkimissa website under the North Carolina entry.
My children and I participated in our first March for Life yesterday. It would be lovely if it also turned out to be our only one.
I wandered into the chapel trying to pray vespers, when I stumbled across a visiting priest saying a low Mass at a side altar! And the best part is that he simply chose the EF because he hadn’t said Mass that day yet and could have just as easily said an OF Mass.
Also, I met a catechumen who will be received into the Church on May 1. This person didn’t know much about the liturgy before, but already knows the importance and has a preference for Latin, proper Sacred Music, and reverence! Brick by Brick.
Plus for all you Latin Lovers I’m slowly transiting my breviary prayers from spoken English to spoken Latin, to ultimately sung Latin.
I have at least 3 good and holy priests praying for me. Would that every soul did also.
The universitys I applied to have offered me places to study Theology !! Yaay :) … now all I have to do is get the grades they want :O
My novella The Boys Upstairs was awarded the Catholic Writers Guild Seal of Excellence! So very very cool.
Also, I cleaned my house. That’s more verging into Act of God territory though. LOL!
3 seasons of Star Trek Voyager came in the post this afternoon
I just got an ultrasound today for my first baby. The baby is alive and well!
Our local March for Life had 3x as many as were expected.
Echoing Catholicofthule: Good books are indeed good news! I am surrounded by ones I’ve ordered just since Christmas– the sense of anticipation is a daily blessing. Some time each day finds me buried in the pages of Fatima for Today which is providing me with much inspiration and incentive for prayer. In the last few minutes I finished a Lord Peter Wimsey novel and have more to devour spurred on by watching DVD’s of the 1970’s series during our Friday Movie Nights. The simple pleasure of finding just the right book at any given time is a gift I thank God for each time I pick up one.
Gnocchi for supper, that’s good news. And, great to hear of the finale to the Christmas pudding adventure!
My indoor pressure cooker / smoker arrived and what a wonderful gift from my daughters and wife. Sunday ribs were excellent.
My wife and I found out yesterday that our firstborn will be a son! I’m beaming with… every emotion that you can beam with!
I just saw an article with what seems like an adequate reason for concelebration: three newly-ordained brothers’ First Mass: http://bit.ly/eDgA1f
Although the article (in Spanish) says literally “First Mass” I’m sure they meant “First Mass at home” since they were ordained exactly three months earlier in Brazil. Proud mother only regretted that her daughter was unable to attend due to her duties at her convent. Now that’s a Catholic family!
I figured out a way to adjust the platen on the letterpress. Now it’s on to casting new rollers! St. John of God, patron of printers, ora pro nobis!
The West Coast Walk for Life was outstanding in every way. This year, I actually got to listen to and be moved by the speakers, in contrast to last year, when taking cover from the pelting rain made listening very problematic. (I realize that rain is nothing to complain about, after watching the March for Life participants brave the cold in DC.) It’s tremendously heartening to see how well the younger generation embraces the pro-life cause.
I also need to give thanks that all the passengers on our BART train car made it safely to our destination, despite the harassing actions of a drunk rider on a three-day bender who could have been the center of a very bad scene, in the absence of any transit police presence. I really pity all who have to use that public transit every working day.
T.V. News last night here in Brisbane, Australia carried good coverage of the massive March for Life in Washington D.C.
On 26th July the Archbishop of Brisbane reaches 75 .His successor will need to be orthodox and strong to clear the local vineyard of its many weeds and battle the massive New Church bureaucracy.
Finally managed to give the parish where I was Confirmed the details for the church where I was Baptised, they’ve posted proof of the Confirmation and by the end of this week those details will be in the register in my home parish. And a whole lot closer to finally getting a longed-for visa.
One of my seminarian “sons” phoned from Washington D. C. and told me that the vast majority of seminarians at the Mass were in soutanes. His group were in their black clerics. What a difference a generation makes. He also stated that Cardinal George had an “awesome” (this word is still trendy) Q and A session for youth. This young man said there were at least 1,000 seminarians at the March. I think that means about one-fifth of those in the seminaries were there. That is counting some of the new orders.
My little sister, and her husband, who were believed to be unable to have children, are expecting. She thought she had the stomach flu and went to urgent care, only to learn she is 4 months pregnant! Praised be the Lord!!
Archbishop Broglio came to my base a couple of weeks ago for a visit and to do confirmations. His homily at the confirmation Mass was outstanding. Among other things, he talked about Fr Thomas Conway, the Catholic chaplain on the USS Indianapolis in 1945. When the ship sank, Fr Conway swam back and forth among the survivors, hearing confessions, offering encouragement… Right kind of young man hears that, the priesthood will suddenly seem a lot more attractive. The Archbishop was making a point about making a decision to serve God – even if it doesn’t lead to dying of dehydration and exhaustion in shark-infested waters… I think it was good for the confirmands, and the rest of us, to hear.
link about Fr Conway:
http://milhomme.blogspot.com/2010/07/fr-thomas-conway-65th-anniversary.html
Wow, congrats to everybody expecting babies/nieces/nephews
Father — check out this Twitter-pic from the March for Life.
Benedict XVI is the Pope of Christian Unity [Excellent. Indeed he is.]
Congratulations to all those expecting new family members!!
My good news is pretty mundane: went to the dentist yesterday and NO cavities. :)
I start at my Diocesan Seminary on the 20th of February!
lizfromFL, that is so heartwarming. It made my night. I love the good news posts! Congrats to all.
Good news is surgery on Friday seems to have gone well. Doc says he thinks everything is benign. Follow up is next Monday, but think everything will be okay. A lot of discomfort, but still covering the mass schedule here okay. Eager for the final good report Monday.
I’ve been inspired to start a blog!
Come check it out…granted it will never be as good as WDTPRS! I’ll be throwing out my Catholic thoughts and craft projects…
http://catholiccollegekid.blogspot.com/
I’m almost graduated out of college and into the workforce. Actually, I’m looking for a job now because my college requires “cooperative education”, that is, getting college credit and a paycheck for (somewhat temporary) real-world employment. I think I came pretty close to getting the past few I interviewed for, but all except one (which I will hear back on within the next week or so) is out of the question because this next term I have to take a bunch of classes that won’t be offered again for almost a year. Fortunately, I only have a few more classes after that, so… If anyone would pray I do get a job as soon as I can handle one along with my courseload (God knows when that will be), etc., I’ll thank you in Heaven someday.
P.S. I meant that to be more in the good news sort of thread than the prayer request sort, but that’s what happens when I have good news mainly in the form of hopeful things — explain what’s hoped for, pray that it does work out or else whatever God works out instead is clear.
There is a real possibility the TLM will be offered near me very soon. God is good- we have had a career change which led to concern about the cost of driving an hour and a half to Mass each week. Now, the problem may be solved. :)
Grandchild (about 12 weeks old) is a “flutter butt” on the ultrasounds, daughter is healthy and the pregnancy is covered by her medical insurance. This week of celebrating LIFE, I rejoice because our daughter could have aborted, but did not. While not of the BEST timing or planning, this child is welcomed by both the parents and the parents families.
After the SOTU, the appeal of Jar Jar Binks soars exponentially! Heh.
I’ve just learned that the date for the baptism of my infant nephew, Alex, has been set…and that I will be his godfather.
In the same month (March) my parish will serve as the venue for a Missa Cantata to be celebrated at the original altar according to the 1962 Missal. A local chamber choir called HARMONIA will provide the choral setting: Palestrina’s “Pope Marcellus Mass”. I’m really looking forward to that.
Kerry- be careful; it was Jar-Jar who moved invoke the patented Weimar Emergency Clause ™ on Palpatine’s behalf.
This doesn’t sound like good news , but bear with me.
I take a class at a local Catholic college. The class is at a remote location away from the main campus. There’s a man there that is always smiling, helpful, kind, and very at peace. I’ve thought maybe he goes to daily Mass and spends a lot of time in prayer to be that peaceful and wished I could get to daily Mass so that I could be a nice person too!
Today, I got there a little early and, since I had some time, asked him if there was a chapel at that campus. He looked surprised and said “no” but directed me to a non-denominational church down the road. I told him I was Catholic and wanted to visit the Blessed Sacrament and he got mad at me! His demeanor completely changed.
I had an epiphany! For awhile now, I’ve had some lingering doubts about the Church for a variety of reasons, one of them being that I meet so many people who aren’t Catholic and they seem more tuned in to God (for lack of a better term) than most Catholics I meet, myself included. This man allowed me to see that all that niceness can be just a facade and to realize that an ugly lie dwells underneath it.
I was glad to have this epiphany, but a little sad that my Catholic college is so devoid of the truth, the Truth.
Ava* (baby #5) is due to be born any day now.
Oh, also, Audrey, my Champagne d’Argent rabbit has given birth to an as yet unknown and unseen number of little Champagne bubbles.
I just found out the results of a CT Scan and the feared re-occurrence of cancer-not there! Praise God!
My baby sister just told me she is pregnant with her third child :)
There is potential great news on the horizon regarding my seminary education, but for now if you don’t mind I just ask that your readers pray for me that I may be patient and that I may surrender to however this turns out and seek God’s will in it.