I am experimenting with themes to try to solve some problems.
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About this blog…
“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
Coat of Arms by D Burkart
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YOUR RECENT COMMENTS
- Chicagiensis_Indianapolitana on A ‘Cri de Coeur’ from the heartland: “With the rather stark difference between +Bp. Schneider’s letter and +Card. Sarah’s letter, a few observations. Let us first leave…”
- Ave Maria on A ‘Cri de Coeur’ from the heartland: “It is the enemy of souls that wants to suppress a valid Mass.”
- FRLBJ on A ‘Cri de Coeur’ from the heartland: “Totally agree with Cri de Coeur. There is no subsitute for that old time religion. We must polititely express ourselves…”
- Ages on 2 March – Blog Maintenance & Migration Day – DONE! “Cleanup in aisle 2,5,6…7…9…”: “A minor thing, probably a setting change, but I liked that the desktop version home page previously showed the full…”
- WVC on 2 March – Blog Maintenance & Migration Day – DONE! “Cleanup in aisle 2,5,6…7…9…”: “@JonPatrick – I agree – it’s as bad as when they change the layout or swipe function on your smartphone…”
- WVC on Daily Rome Shot 1559: “@TonyO – at the rate we’re going, they’re going to start announcing automatic excommunication for anyone who says anything mean…”
- amenamen on Daily Rome Shot 1560: “Black must keep White King in check, lest White Queen threatens: Bf7+, Kh7 (or Kg7) Qg8# So, Black forces these…”
- Fr. John Zuhlsdorf on Daily Rome Shot 1560: “Black to move and mate in 4. [NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t…”
- revueltos67 on Daily Rome Shot 1559: “White to move and mate in 4 1) Rc8+ Rd8 forced 2) Qxf7+ Kh8 forced 3) Qg8+ Rxg8 forced 4)…”
- JonPatrick on 2 March – Blog Maintenance & Migration Day – DONE! “Cleanup in aisle 2,5,6…7…9…”: “I am glad you are not changing the blog’s design. There is nothing I hate more that going to a…”
- kelleyb on 2 March – Blog Maintenance & Migration Day – DONE! “Cleanup in aisle 2,5,6…7…9…”: “Father Z earns the GOLD star today!”
- TonyO on Daily Rome Shot 1559: “Monsignor Breis Pereira de Maceió, Archbishop of Maceió (Brazil), has declared excommunication for any priest who celebrates or any faithful…”
- Fr. John Zuhlsdorf on 2 March – Blog Maintenance & Migration Day – DONE! “Cleanup in aisle 2,5,6…7…9…”: “Smarticus Pantsicus!”
- Longinus on “The bread was fresh and was good. The cheese was not and was excellent.”: “The dolce is heavenly, especially with a bit of Tuscan acacia honey on it.”
- The most evident mark of God’s anger and the most terrible castigation He can inflict upon the world are manifested when He permits His people to fall into the hands of clerics who are priests more in name than in deed, priests who practice the cruelty of ravening wolves rather than the charity and affection of devoted shepherds.
St. John Eudes
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“Until the Lord be pleased to settle, through the instrumentality of the princes of the Church and the lawful ministers of His justice, the trouble aroused by the pride of a few and the ignorance of some others, let us with the help of God endeavor with calm and humble patience to render love for hatred, to avoid disputes with the silly, to keep to the truth and not fight with the weapons of falsehood, and to beg of God at all times that in all our thoughts and desires, in all our words and actions, He may hold the first place who calls Himself the origin of all things.”
- Prosper of Aquitaine (+c.455), De gratia Dei et libero arbitrio contra Collatorem 22.61
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Don’t rely on popes, bishops and priests.
“He [Satan] will set up a counter-Church which will be the ape of the Church because, he the devil, is the ape of God. It will have all the notes and characteristics of the Church, but in reverse and emptied of its divine content. It will be a mystical body of the anti-Christ that will in all externals resemble the mystical body of Christ. In desperate need for God, whom he nevertheless refuses to adore, modern man in his loneliness and frustration will hunger more and more for membership in a community that will give him enlargement of purpose, but at the cost of losing himself in some vague collectivity.”
“Who is going to save our Church? Not our bishops, not our priests and religious. It is up to you, the people. You have the minds, the eyes, and the ears to save the Church. Your mission is to see that your priests act like priests, your bishops act like bishops.”- Fulton Sheen
Therefore, ACTIVATE YOUR CONFIRMATION and get to work!
Send Snail Mail to Fr. Z
Fr John Zuhlsdorf
Tridentine Mass Society of Madison
733 Struck St.
PO BOX 44603
Madison, WI 53744-4603
For email HERE
- “The modern habit of doing ceremonial things unceremoniously is no proof of humility; rather it proves the offender's inability to forget himself in the rite, and his readiness to spoil for every one else the proper pleasure of ritual.”
- C.S. Lewis
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frz AT wdtprs DOT comAs for Latin…
"But if, in any layman who is indeed imbued with literature, ignorance of the Latin language, which we can truly call the 'catholic' language, indicates a certain sluggishness in his love toward the Church, how much more fitting it is that each and every cleric should be adequately practiced and skilled in that language!" - Pius XI
"Let us realize that this remark of Cicero (Brutus 37, 140) can be in a certain way referred to [young lay people]: 'It is not so much a matter of distinction to know Latin as it is disgraceful not to know it.'" - St. John Paul II
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Recent Posts
- Your Sunday Sermon Notes – 1st Sunday in/of Lent 2026
- Daily Rome Shot 1561
- “And that, to be restored, our sickness must grow worse…”
- LENTCAzT 2026 – 13: Monday in the 2nd Week in Lent – “Everything became clear to me.”
- A ‘Cri de Coeur’ from the heartland
- 2 March – Blog Maintenance & Migration Day – DONE! “Cleanup in aisle 2,5,6…7…9…”
- Daily Rome Shot 1560
- LENTCAzT 2026 – 12: 2nd Sunday in Lent – Benedict XVI from Lent of sad 2013
- LENTCAzT 2026 – 11: Ember Saturday 1st Week in Lent – “Know Thyself!”
- On this Ember Friday we are 38 days out from Easter. What does the number 38 mean to St. Augustine?
- “The bread was fresh and was good. The cheese was not and was excellent.”
- Daily Rome Shot 1559
- LENTCAzT 2026 – 10: Ember Friday 1st Week in Lent – “Ego te absolvo” is your sure guarantee!
- Two items worthy of your precious time
- LENTCAzT 2026 – 09: Thursday 1st Week in Lent – Law and Order
- WDTPRS – Collect of Ember Wednesday of Lent (TLM & Novus)
- Daily Rome Shot 1558
- LENTCAzT 2026 – 08: Ember Wednesday 1st Week in Lent – The Four Preachers
- Daily Rome Shot 1557
- Brief summation of Bp. Schneider’s appeal to Pope Leo about the SSPX
- LENTCAzT 2026 – 07: Tuesday 1st Week in Lent – Against the wicked
- Daily Rome Shot 1556
- LENTCAzT 2026 – 06: Monday 1st Week in Lent – Bonds
- From “The Private Diary of Bishop F. Atticus McButterpants” – 26-02-18 – Ashes
- ASK FATHER: Why are Sunday “of Lent” in the Novus Ordo and “in Lent” in the TLM?
- Your Sunday Sermon Notes – 1st Sunday in/of Lent 2026
- Daily Rome Shot 1555
- LENTCAzT 2026 – 05: 1st Sunday of Lent – ANGELS!
- Daily Rome Shot 1554
- Card. Müller: a canonical solution for the SSPX
Let us pray…
Grant unto thy Church, we beseech Thee, O merciful God, that She, being gathered together by the Holy Ghost, may be in no wise troubled by attack from her foes. O God, who by sin art offended and by penance pacified, mercifully regard the prayers of Thy people making supplication unto Thee,and turn away the scourges of Thine anger which we deserve for our sins. Almighty and Everlasting God, in whose Hand are the power and the government of every realm: look down upon and help the Christian people that the heathen nations who trust in the fierceness of their own might may be crushed by the power of thine Arm. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. R. Amen.
PLEASE RESPOND. Pretty pleeeease?
The "sign of peace" during Mass in the Ordinary Form...
- I dread it as it approaches and think of ways to avoid it. (36%, 9,555 Votes)
- I tolerate it. (35%, 9,195 Votes)
- I hate it so much I won't go to Mass where it is done. (12%, 3,205 Votes)
- I like it and am happy to do it. (11%, 2,955 Votes)
- I don't care one way or another. (6%, 1,696 Votes)
Total Voters: 26,606
Loading ...WDTPRS POLL
Should the Bishops of the USA have us return to obligatory meatless Fridays during the whole year and not just during Lent?
- Yes, and I think this is very important. (81%, 15,546 Votes)
- Yes, I guess so. (9%, 1,716 Votes)
- No, I hesitate about such a move. (5%, 900 Votes)
- No, this would be a really bad idea. (3%, 511 Votes)
- I don't care. (2%, 431 Votes)
- What's penance? (1%, 152 Votes)
Total Voters: 19,255
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EXCELLENT picture. Very timely.
Personally I think this newer theme is a significant improvement! Not that it was bad before, but now it is easier on the eyes.
Perhaps if you added a lightening bolt it would cheer things up.
I like the picture! The new theme is alright. However, I don’t like having to click through to the post’s page to read the whole entry.
This theme loads on my computer better. The one that you had last week, Fr Z, kept throwing my computer offline. I would come onto the site, a whole lot of things would load, and then the computer would just bog down and disconnect. I wasn’t even able to read the blog, even with several tries. I finally gave up and went elsewhere.
PS. I have, in the past, had to go into my browser and disable pictures from loading too. When you have a lot of pictures of birds and things sometimes they don’t want to load without booting me out. I probably should check some old threads, but do you put them up as JPGs or BMPs or do you use some other format?
Wow, what a difference a few hours make!
When I first came online this morning and went on the blog, it still had the ‘old’ heading on top of the home page.
Now I find this new one-I like it, Father Z!
I’ve had some problems lately when I come on; for some reason, it took forever to download. Drove me nuts, especially after I submitted a comment and pressed ‘post’.
Great photo on top….rather spooky-looking!
I prefer the new Graphic Spanner as well.
The new image is very good.
I like the white theme. But I’d like to see an image of a biretta at the top so I know where I am. :) Maybe an animated graphic of a spinning biretta with Christmas lights on it.
LOVE the new header picture.
Fr. Z:
I would like to recommend that you take a look at WooThemes (woothemes.com) if you haven’t already. I’ve begun to use them with a few sites and am very impressed with their ease of use, and their taking many of the frustrations out of WordPress. They’re pretty affordable, come loaded with features, are fully supported, and receive updates often. You might also be interested to check out their eCommerce platform “WooCommerce”. I just felt compelled to share this for your interest.
Best regards,
Adam Bartlett
I have a couple themes from WooThemes.
This is just a minor thing for me, but if there were a border around each individual posts it would make me happy.
Please… don’t get into the weeds with tiny cosmetic adjustments.
I am ready to pull the plug as it is.
I like it
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD IN THE MIDST OF DARKNESS AND STORMS
I like it – It’s realy nice and clear, easy to read! Great photo too! Was a bit of suprise though!!
Father, this needs a poll. I always like a nice poll. I like this header if you don’t do a poll.
I vote for the thunderstorm
I love it!! Easier to load and much easier for me to read. Thanks.
I really like this one, but got such a shock when I opened the site!
Whatever you do, don’t pull the plug.
I like this particular blog flag. (I also liked the ‘thunderstorm’ one you featured earlier today.)
I might check back more often, Father, if you’re going to change them hourly. ;-)
Excellent! And as an added bonus, this template no longer crashes Safari on the iPod Touch, which means I can switch to desktop view (versus having to read via the web app) which means the font size is bigger in the combox. My 55-year old eyes are rejoicing tonight at the ease with which I can read comments! Being a care giver for my mom, I rarely get to the lap top anymore and read the blog in the wee hours in bed on the Touch. Please know your blog and podcasts have gotten me through many a long, sleepless night and kept my spirits up and soul fed. Be assured of my continued prayers for all your intentions, and those of others who comment here, even though I can rarely chime in.
Catherine B.
Two thumbs up. It loads faster and is easier on the eyes. What’s not to like? Thank you.
I like the new banner across the top of the blog. The picture is awesome. I don’t like the white theme, though – for some reason this version is really hard on my eyes.
I like the ‘newest new’ picture at the top of the page, Father Z! The image of St. Peter’s Basilica all lighted up in the midst of the darkness of a Roman dusk is VERY COOL!
You’re thinking of ‘pulling the plug’ on the blog? Oh, please, don’t do that! What would we do without our daily ‘Father Z fix’?
You’re part of my daily Internet routine!
Father, Like your new photo, you are a light in the darkness for many of us. Please don’t leave. We need you – and each other.
Father, I agree with Angie Mcs. It is a very powerful image. The Church is the bright Light of hope in the gathering darkness.
Fr. Z: your comment about “ready to pull the plug as it is” reminds me of how long it took to build the temple versus how long it would take to destroy it. I amuse myself.
But my vote is: I never liked the “old” look at all. I went for substance over style, however, as all your readers do. But it shouldn’t be a choice! It’s BOTH/AND!!
Like St. Thérèse, I CHOOSE ALL!!
Thanks. I feel better now. Nice theme.
Wow. It’s really white! I personally like the old theme better, but hey, I still <3 this blog! I'll get used to it in no time!
PS- My sister is glad that Basil is still there! :)