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I have priest friend in England, who was ordained by [soon-to-be-Blessed] John Paul II in 1982.
He sent me a postcard recently saying that he was interviewed by the BBC affiliate in Manchester that will be broadcast on the day of Beatification! He wrote at the end, ‘My one claim to fame!!!’ I was so happy for him!
The FSSPX in my state will be offering the Easter Vigil beginning at 10:45 pm Sat., preceded by 2 hours of confessions heard.
I made it to Palm Sunday Mass. The bake sale ladies were nice to me. I made a new friend. Some other friends were there and I got to visit with them. One of the priests talked to me (they are usually pretty standoffish). I bought a blueberry danish (it’s all gone now, blush). My leg doesn’t hurt today. I got a sense that the bad things don’t last forever. I am getting to know Jesus more closely now. It is hard being like him but I understand the rewards are eternal.
The Archdiocese of Detroit was given another auxiliary bishop this morning, a young (41!) priest from Texas who will be ordained to the episcopate along with our other two auxiliaries-elect on May 5. Bishop Jose Arturo Cepeda will be the youngest bishop in the United States upon his consecration, and the ninth youngest in the world.
I’m experiencing the wonder of my first Holy Week and Easter as a Roman Catholic! I almost wept for joy during the singing of “All Glory, Laud, and Honor!”
As if that weren’t enough, after months of Memorares to Our Lady and St. Joseph for steady income and health benefits, their intercession has brought TWO full-time job opportunities!
And to add to the joy, a dear Protestant pastor friend of mine has told me he is seriously considering becoming a Catholic! More Memorares!
Sorry to heap up the good news, but the Lord has been so good to me! But one more – I have been studying Vergil’s Aeneid in Latin at Marquette University to brush up my Latin skills with an eye toward becoming a teacher. Thanks to all that Latin study, I am able to slavishly translate the Mass prayers on my own, before scrolling down for hints from a certain slavishly literal translator/blogger! :-)
Just returned from pilgrimage in the HOLY LAND! Absolutely incredible!
At the Easter Vigil, I will baptize 36 catechumens (elect). Deo gratias!
Oh! And one more! Yesterday was the one year anniversary of the Pontifical High Mass at the National Shrine, during which God pounded the final nail in the coffin of my being a Protestant clergyman! “Tu es Christus…Tu es Petrus!” Two offices, not merely one office followed by a meaningless name!
This Lent, St. Louis de Montfort, in his little book Secret of the Rosary, helped me to gain a devotion to the Rosary, something I had struggled with since entering the Church on the Feast of Christ The King, November 23, 2008. Ave Maria!
Just got back from a two week cruise through the Panama Canal. Has a wonderful Discalced Carmelite priest aboard for mass. Missed a palm procession, but was glad that mass was available on the ship.
My husband and I have been blessed with our sixth child (we currently have three on earth and two in heaven). According to my chart, I conceived on the Feast of the Annunciation and we are due around Christmas. :)
We were a bit worried about how we’d manage finances with another child, but we decided to put our trust in God and let Him determine if this was the right time for another baby. As it turns out, the same week I conceived, I received a large raise at work. God is good!
I was able to hit Confession on Saturday. Always a good thing! And there was a heck of a line too, which was heartening to see.
Through divine powers I aced my first final, and scored well above the class average. In the past as soon as I’d finish studying or walk out of class I’d forget everything. Now hopefully today’s and Wednesday’s finals will go just as well and the textbook-buy-back guy will be most generous.
I am expecting our 4th child in June and my 2nd son is receiving First Eucharist on Divine Mercy Sunday!
I have wonderful new neighbors. Things are looking good at work after a bit of a dry spell. I have most of the things for my Pascha basket already at hand. I finally have a real kitchen table and chairs for my kitchen (thanks to those new neighbors who gave me the set that the former owner of the house left there). My older son understands geometry well enough to make jokes about it. My mom went to confession, as did her friend who hadn’t been in I-don’t-know-how-many-years.
We are celebrating our first Triduum in the Extraordinary Form this year in our small community with the assistance of a local priest. A man from who attends our Sunday Extraordinary Form Mass made a Tenebrae candle holder which we will use for the first time this year. Palm Sunday Procession and Mass were beautiful (even if the wind threatened to blow us away in our procession outside!).
I served stations of the cross the last two Fridays at my parish I go to while at school! We had benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and it was so refreshing to see so many people in attendance at stations in this area. I am so blessed to have found this parish!
A friend made her first confession- she was baptized as an infant and is a pretty regular church goer- she is thirty and had NEVER made a confession (???!!!!)
One of the promises I made to St. Joseph when asking his help in selling my house in California, was that I would do everything I could to promote our FSSP mission church, St. Joseph the Worker. So, we now have publicity in two newspapers, I’m singing (when possible) with our fledgling choir, and Father asked me yesterday to serve on the parish council (and it will be a parish as of May 1). I’ve been here since last August, my house is in escrow and St. Joseph is truly taking me at my word. In four months I will be 80 years old, so, I hope I have more good news then – that I made it!
Its Holy Week!!!! The wife and I are so excited to be able to do the whole Triduum at Seattle’s North American Martyr’s parish. Check out their website for the complete schedule. http://www.northamericanmartyrs.org/
It doesn’t get any better than this, unless it would be closer to my house.
~I got to see my best friend for the first time in 4 months.
~Palm Sunday was awesome.
~My debit card was compromised last week, and when I went to the bank this morning to contest the charges, my account had already been credited. No paperwork or anything! And since I had to wait for the bank to open, I got all my prayers done before heading into work. God is good!
On 12 April, my wife made her first confession. On 20 May, we will convalidate our marriage. On 21 may, I will be baptized, then we will both make our professions of faith, be confirmed, and receive first communion!
FORMER Ambassador Doug Kmiec.
I’ll be giving my undergrad thesis defense tomorrow afternoon! Soon all this campus shall know of the Hospitallers and their island of Rhodes!
An EF Triduum is being quietly offered at the new Carmelite Monastery of the Infant Jesus in Zephyr, just northeast of Toronto. An answer to many prayers.
My husband has been studying with me as I undertake the process of conversion. He originally agreed to support my decision to join the Catholic Church, but claimed he would always be a protestant. Yesterday, he told me how amazed he is at all that he is learning. He said “I can’t believe that anyone doesn’t believe in the Real Presence in the Eucharist!” I know the Holy Spirit is teaching him; I am so overjoyed at what is happening in our lives! As I read all the comments about Holy Week, I am filled with longing to join in. Right now, we are serving as medical missionaries in an area with no Catholic parish, so I cannot attend. This is a time in the wilderness for me, but I’m putting to good use as best I am able. I watch EWTN, do the daily office, and read Fr. Z daily. I look forward eagerly to the day when we return to the US so I can enter the Church.
My parish is having a traditional Tenebrae service on Wed. evening; I’m in the Gregorian schola that will be singing it. And I’m getting married next month; my fiancee and I will be having an EF Nuptial High Mass. In addition, my fiancee will be Confirmed this Easter Vigil.
And I second the comment about seeing a long line at Confession on Sat.!
My wife practiced as a pediatric GI (gastrointerologist) in Brasil for 15 years. We were married in August 2008 and we currently live in Charlotte, NC. In order for her to practice medicine in the US, she had to retake all the board exams (USMLE) as well as complete another residency.
She just got the results for the Step 1 USMLE exam which is by far the hardest exam. She scored a ’99′ which means she scored better than 99% of the people who sit for the exam. Needless to say the whole family is very proud of her accomplishments. She gives all the credit to Our Lord for giving her the ability to do so well.
My seminarian and godson has been assigned to the Pontifical North American College in Rome for theology.
Had 115 people sign up for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament during our Lenten Mission and we will open our new Adoration Chapel the day after Divine Mercy Sunday.
Received a phone call this morning from our youngest who is stationed in harms way. It was wonderful. St Michael please keep watch on em.
As follow up to my good news last month…
On the 5th of April, at dinner with my bishop and Vocation Director, the Bishop presented me with a letter calling me to the diaconate in preparation for ordination to the priesthood. I will be ordained with two other men in June in our Cathedral!
The lilac is showing some very healthy looking large green buds.
I think this might qualify as good news: I was able to stand listening to (I listened only, since I refused to join in the singing of) that saccharine ditty “Lord of the Dance” as our communion hymn at an otherwise pretty good Palm Sunday Mass. As you might guess, one of the best things about Lent for me is that there is no song sung as the Priest leaves at the end of Mass.
My son scored Summa Cum Laude on the National Latin Exam.
We are very blessed to be members of an FSSP parish. Palm Sunday was amazing and the rest of Holy Week is sure to be the same.
I’m one step closer to diagnosing the cause and type of my seizures, which means I’m one step closer to petitioning to come back home to the monastery!
A friend disclosed to us that he has discerned a vocation to the priesthood in a certain order, and is just beside himself with joy (after years of denying it).
1) I’m getting married on May 1st, 2012.
2) If all goes well (please pray for us) the Norbertine Fathers at St. Michael’s Abbey in Orange, CA will celebrate the Solemn High Nuptial Mass. So far we have three priests that already committed and one of them told me that his superior already approved of it. A year is a long time so anything could happen but so far, that’s my good news. Hopefully it will stay that way.
My parish (Novus Ordo) has continued the slow, but sure, journey from “spirit of Vatican II” parish of wood, abstract art stained glass, and generally spartan appearance. In the past couple of years, we’ve added many beautiful statues (unfortunately obtained due to the closing of many parishes in the neighboring Cleveland diocese), new stained glass windows of the Apostles and other saints, a beautiful mosaic of the Trinity, and a 120 year old large outdoor statue of St. Therese of Lisieux kneeling before the Blessed Mother and the Child Jesus. Brick by beautiful brick.
This Lent we also had great attendance at Confession, the music director is including more Latin (“Agnus Dei” at every Mass all Lent) in the Mass, including some great ones like Ave Verum Corpus and Pange Lingua, and Scott Hahn recently visited to do his talk on the Lambs’ Supper re: the Eucharist, the Mass, and the book of Revelation.
A Chesterton inspired game (Uncle Chestnut’s Table Gype won one of five awards at the Mensa Mind Games competition this weekend!*
*Full diclosure: my brother and I co-designed the game.
I plan to (licitly) receive the Mystery of Anointing for the first time (and while in good health) this Great Wednesday after the presanctified liturgy of St Gregory at the local UGCC parish.
A co-worker confided to me that she wasn’t baptized, and would like to become a Catholic. As Providence would have it, I happened to ask her one simple question about where she lived and what church she went to and ………… this came out.
She will be meeting with one of our priests and may be able to come into the Church with one- on- one study rather than RCIA. She os radiant already!
Lovely Holy Week schedule at the EF parish! Tenebrae on Wednesday (anticipating Holy Thursday), Mass and stripping of the altar on Holy Thursday, Tenebrae on Friday (anticipating Holy Saturday), Saturday Vigil, and Easter Sunday High Mass! Lots of singing for the scholas and choir. :) My voice will be gone by next Monday but it’ll be worth it. :)
Gorgeous weather here! The squirrels are full…of the birdseed I put out for the birds… :-P
I’ve been nominated and appointed as the Dean of Students for the inter-diocesan permanent diaconate formation programme, based at St John’s seminary, Wonersh, nr Guildford, Surrey, UK. I think that’s good news!?
Got to hear Bishop Nickless of Sioux City preach Palm Sunday, and he was super! His point? It’s not just that the days of Holy Week are to be holy, but that WE are to be holy. Start now. No loopholes.
And concretely, he suggested we all spend more time praying than we do online this week.
God bless him and all our bishops.
Just returned home from France, where my mother was pickpocketed by gypsy children. That’s not the good news. The good news is that we made it home safely and while we were there, we were able to visit lots of Catholic sites/churches, such as Mont St. Michel (amazing), and in Paris, the churches of St. Sulpice (my favorite), St. Germain des Pres, St. Severin, Sainte Chapelle, the Cathedral of Notre Dame, and the Basilica of Sacre Coeur, as well as one more church near Tour Montparnasse whose name I can’t recall. Went to Mass at St. Germain des Pres and St. Sulpice – the Mass @ SGdP was full. The one @ St. Sulpice not as much so, but still a pretty good crowd. I don’t usually assist in the Latin Mass, but I wished I had researched where one would be in the Paris area before I left. That would have been an interesting experience.
“Lord of the Dance” as our communion hymn
oy vey
Good news disguised…my wife and I may have to declare bankruptcy, although we do not have sufficient cash to pay for it. We are suspended by threads of faith, while surrounded by uncertainties, (much more difficult for her then me.) I am still employed, and though I think the current place may unravel, I believe another opportunity is just two days away. We pray we can stay in the house, God willing and the creeks don’t rise. However, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity!
My 2.5yo has shown an aptitude for chanting in Latin. :) So much for Latin being too hard for the faithful to learn. ;)
My husband returned home on Friday! After a year and a half of active duty with the Army including 8 months deployment in Afghanistan our family is finally reunited. Praise God who kept him safe and brought him back to us.
The forsythia has blossomed, emboldening me to finally remove the snow shovel from the car and turn on the water line to the outside hose faucet.
I just found out I have an ulcer – the good news is that it is not something more serious as I was beginning to fear. Deo Gratias! (hopefully this means Thank you God!)
The Resurrection Choir at St John Cantius is singing at the High Mass at 12.30 on Easter Sunday. My brother recently proposed to his girlfriend (she said yes) and my sister-in-law is pregnant with her second child. Deo gratias!
Greatly daring, fearful of the reaction or our parish priest, I decided to wear a veil for Mass for the first time a few weeks ago. Well, he came up to me, actually THANKED and praised me and said he only wished all ladies would wear veils! I have been wearing my veil to Mass since then and am loving it!
AND I did well in my Latin exam last week!
One of my short stories was published today! It’s called Burntime, and it’s over at the Jet Fuel Review: http://jetfuelreview.com/?page_id=220
I’m so amazingly excited about this. :-) I love this story.