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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 Sterile faith v. living faith: “In my experience, parishes which have increasing numbers of attendees do charitable outreach or liturgy really well. That being said,…”
- on LENTCAzT 2025 – 16: Thursday 2nd Week of Lent – Satan changes tactics: “@VForr, that piece is from Ralph Vaughan Williams’ haunting “Dives and Lazarus” variants: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQoP9iLwoos.”
- on Ite ad Ioseph… Go to Joseph! – UPDATED: “In Gloucester MA., We have the St. Peter’s Fiesta. They do the Greasy Pole, that is horizontal on a platform…”
- on LENTCAzT 2025 – 16: Thursday 2nd Week of Lent – Satan changes tactics: “Ooops, sorry, it wasn’t Percy French. He wrote “The mountains of Mourne” – which are also in County Down. Here’s…”
- on LENTCAzT 2025 – 16: Thursday 2nd Week of Lent – Satan changes tactics: “VForr: it’s the well known hymn ” I heard the voice of Jesus say come unto me and rest.. “…”
- on Ite ad Ioseph… Go to Joseph! – UPDATED: “I’ve just completed my consecration to St Joseph using Fr Calloway’s book. This is the 6th year I’ve done it…”
- on LENTCAzT 2025 – 16: Thursday 2nd Week of Lent – Satan changes tactics: “Thank you, Fr. Z. This reminds me that I need to re-read the Book of Pastoral Rule by St. Gregory…”
- on Daily Rome Shot 1273 – Amazing: “I honestly thought the Lepanto Institute’s exposé was an early 1st April post, or maybe a sneak entry from the…”
- on LENTCAzT 2025 – 16: Thursday 2nd Week of Lent – Satan changes tactics: “What is the name of that orchestral piece? It is very pleasant.”
- on Daily Rome Shot 1273 – Amazing: “One way to avoid paying into the Hymnal Industrial Complex is to stick to Gregorian Chant which is in the…”
- on Ite ad Ioseph… Go to Joseph! – UPDATED: “Sent a friend to Joseph via a medal. Is there a way to contact Fr Calloway?”
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His name is Jesus, the lover of mankind, in whom I place my hope for salvation.
After years of trying, I finally captured decent audio of the Paul Ladmirault Sanctus from his Messe Breve. I need to try again with the camera mounted on a tripod and an external stereo microphone. Nothing can be done about baby noises, but that’s a pretty good problem to have in any parish.
http://te-deum.blogspot.com/2015/03/paul-ladmiraults-glorious-sanctus-and.html
As an aside, the bad news is I tripped with my EOS 70D camera and it went bouncing on the cement during an outing to Port Huron to watch ice flows. The good news is the raspberries on my elbow and knee will heal, and the camera, thus far, seems not to have suffered any major damage. I’m just praying I don’t show up on someone’s YouTube clip. Then again, going down like a walrus is very fitting for icy waters.
In just 10 days, thousands of people in our rapidly growing parish and town will celebrate the Incarnation on our town’s patronal feast day, the Feast of the Annunciation.
We go all out – this is what we do:
http://avemarialiving.com/tag/ave-maria-town/
http://www.aveherald.com/news/ave-maria-news/1319-feast-of-the-annunciation-2013.html?tmpl=component
Scary night Monday; my pregnant wife was bleeding but…after an ultrasound both baby and Mama are doing fine (though Mama could use some prayers because she still regularly feels ill).
Local Catholic parish had a weekend retreat which I attended. It was peaceful and faith filled. Not your run of the mill but given by—–
Rev. Fr. Augustine Vallooran, VC, who is the Director of Divine Retreat Centre, Kerala, India, the largest Catholic renewal retreat centre run by the Vincentian Fathers. Over the last 25 years since its foundation, 10 million pilgrims have participated in the week-long retreats held every week throughout the year, in 7 different languages. To find out more about Divine Retreat Centre, visit http://www.drcm.org
Well I do not plan on traveling to India anytime soon but I feel blessed that he came here. Just another way to pray and praise God. Not Latin or high, but it is a blessing to have so many people from India there who are Catholic’s. This blog group probably would not have liked it but just think of all the other non God things the people could have been doing.
However The very best GOOD NEWS of all is John 3:16!
Can’t get better than that!
After much prayer and discernment, I will be heading from Philadelphia to Denver to lead their Catholic schools. Preferably, I’ll find a parish that will offer both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Form of the Mass.
http://ntrda.me/1bb9lyV
We had a ‘double feature’ this weekend: a lecture, the last of the series sponsored by the Catholic Artist’s Society, given by Bp Conley of Lincoln NE on the way of beauty to lift us up to God, and an EF Mass celebrated by him today at St Agnes in NYC. The Mass was set to music by Rhineberger, a German composer unknown to me, but so beautiful. We even had a little organ music because it is Laetare Sunday. He used the example of the Extraordinary Form to illustrate how beauty opens our hearts and souls to a deeper experience of Our Lord. Very cool.
Along with my 3 classmates, I will be ordained a transitional deacon on April 11. Please pray for us!
Dolce & Gabbana have come out in support of traditional family values and have come under the fire of homonazi Elton John (Sir). They are really courageous for saying what they did. We need more of that. Please pray for them.
The international pilgrimage “Camino de luz” in honor of 500th birthday of St. Theresa of Avila will come to my country and hometown this week. We’ll be able to see and pray in the presence of St. Theresa’s pilgrim staff and relics. A real blessing!
Two grandbabies on the way, and my son does not need spinal surgery.
A medley:
Our daughter continues to improve from her TBI and move slowly back into normal activity.
Our parish is still growing like nobody’s business, and we had a wonderful retreat preached by Fr. Jacques Phillippe.
Thanks to the ‘global warming’ and several weeks of rain, the lakes are filling up again.
A family friend had successful surgery to manage her severe pain.
A little friend’s First Holy Communion outfit is coming together well.
At a recent gathering, with the exception of the single lady and the grandmas, everyone either had a baby in arms or was pregnant.
Was able to share information about out EF parish with some interested people.
Grateful for the large and the small!
How wonderful Skeinster! Babies AND Fr. Jacques Pillippe!
We took in a pregnant mom 3 years ago and were given the gift of having a beautiful Goddaughter run into our arms each morning. The mom is on her last semester of Nursing school and both she and her daughter have found a loving and protective (Catholic) young man to be betrothed to. Graduation and Wedding scheduled for July 2016! God is good!
Our cup runneth over……Homeless family of 4 (Father +3) living under our roof. Father found steady work and soon will be able to provide for his children.
1. Philip Gerald Johnson’s ordination to be deacon (announced above).
2. A little girl named Samantha, who has a bad heart, has gotten better. She still needs prayers.
3. I depart shortly for a pilgrimage in Rome where I’ll be attending services at Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini, all in the EF.
I just spent a week on retreat with the Benedictine monks of Norcia, and that place and that monastery is a miracle in the mountains!
Yesterday I was just in the basilica church getting ready for Terce, and a big crowd of kids came in and all got in line for confession. I was shocked about that and also about the fact that they were as quiet as mice.
After, one of the monks told me that they come from the “GK Chesterton Free School” on the other side of the mountains in San Benedetto del Tronto…a group of traditional Catholic families over there got together and formed a community and founded this school, and they make regular visits to Norcia for confession and traditional mass. Can you believe it? In Italy?
I was just reading about their curriculum on their website, check this out (my translation): “Our middle schoolers have a class one hour a week on the ‘Way of Beauty’, the way that leads to the Catholic faith through the beauty that we find in art, literature, science, mathematics. It is an idea from Pope Benedict XVI that immediately captivated us.”
If this isn’t good news, I don’t know what is!
My cousin’s baby’s worrisome health problems have cleared. He’s out of the hospital and doing well.
My home parish high school is facing closure due to deficits the parish and diocese cannot/will not cover anymore. Given a short grace period to attempt to reorganize as an independent prep in good standing with the bishop, people have been putting their money and time where their mouths are. It looks as though the financial conditions will be met – with prayer, the structural questions can be answered as well.
A former student of mine has recently begun going to Mass again after several years away. Deo gratias.
being of Italian origin my good news is reading what James C posted…there is hope fo my native land…Grazie a Dio
Purely by chance (or maybe providence) I went to Mass Saturday and it happened to be a pontifical low Mass celebrated by none other than bishop Morlino. In all my years in going to Mass at this house of formation never had I seen a visiting bishop speak positively of the TLM nor have I ever seen the house place this monthly TLM at the popular time slot.
I’ve been praying the St. Joseph Novena for three very important intentions and last Sunday the sermon was about St. Joseph and we were offered a blessing with oil blessed at Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal. I hope it’s a sign that my prayers are heard.
The snow is melting, it’s finally getting warmer, Friday is the first day of Spring and the Robins have come back!
Our Parish hosted a lovely ‘Day with Mary’ on Saturday, partly organised by the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, and we had and EF Mass as part of the celebration.
Also our Pastoral Assistant has, today, been invested with the Oratorian habit (the church is an Oratory-in-formation) as our second vocation in a year.
Our newest grandbaby (6 weeks) is healthy, content, and SMILING at her parents all the time. Daughter is well and content, a stay at home mom who is glad to be able to mother full time. She and her hardworking husband planned and prayed for this and we are all pleased for them. They named her Genevieve for the patronness of Paris .
It’s not snowing! After getting 362 cm of the white stuff since October 1 (that’s 12 feet, for those not fluent in metric) that’s the best news I can think of.
Over and above that we’re all healthy and those who should be employed are. A lot for which to be thankful.
My family belongs to a great parish, with a wonderful Pastor, and generous and caring parishioners. It is truly a blessing.
1. Went to confession!
2. Relative returned to the Catholic faith after being away for years!
We have a WONDERFUL priest …. authentic, manly, courageous, a fine preacher ……. we are SO blessed.
My youngest daughter, 9, prompted by the Lenten season and without compulsion or even prompting has resolved to pray a rosary daily.
My wife and I went to confession. We went to a local TLM. It was beautiful.
I’ve got a procedure scheduled–so many awesome things doctors can do–that may free me of a heart affliction. It’s a simple day-surgery that I am tremendously optimistic about having.
“No news is good news” status quo continues in our parish, no innovations. (except we still don’t have the TLM.)
My husband’s birthday and one of my son’s birthday is tomorrow: 81 and 44 respectively.
Needless to say their middle names are ta-da, drum-roll “Patrick”!
How wonderful, Skeinster:
“we had a wonderful retreat preached by Fr. Jacques Phillippe.”
You are so fortunate.
Our bookstore recently acquired some of his books and they are selling well.
Philip Gerard Johnson, great news, I love it when priests ask for prayers! What are the names of your classmates that I may include them in my novena.
My good news is that I have a job interview tomorrow at 9:30am EDT. I have been mostly unemployed for 4years ( only occasional temp jobs) and I sorely need a job.
Thank you James C- Why can’t we in the USA come up with this stuff? I think all bishops should read about this and perhaps Archbishop Cordileone’s diocese, intensely. Very few know what REAL BEAUTY is anymore. Classes on that ought to be mandated in all Catholic Schools everywhere!
“After, one of the monks told me that they come from the “GK Chesterton Free School” on the other side of the mountains in San Benedetto del Tronto…a group of traditional Catholic families over there got together and formed a community and founded this school, and they make regular visits to Norcia for confession and traditional mass. Can you believe it? In Italy?
I was just reading about their curriculum on their website, check this out (my translation): “Our middle schoolers have a class one hour a week on the ‘Way of Beauty’, the way that leads to the Catholic faith through the beauty that we find in art, literature, science, mathematics. It is an idea from Pope Benedict XVI that immediately captivated us.”
An absolutely excellent priest friend of mine was just installed as pastor of his original hometown church. We were sad to see him go, but he’s going to do outstanding work at his parish!
It’s St. Patrick’s Day, and our parish stood up for the Catholic Church’s teachings by boycotting the local parade for which the local K of C appointed anti-life, anti-marriage Gov Terry McAuliffe as Grand Marshall despite being told not to. Praise God for a strong, faithful pastor to lead our parish.
My Eparchy brought the Divine Liturgy to the LA Religious Education Congress on Saturday. We had a full house 750+ and had to turn people away. Many people thanked us profusely for the liturgy and for an alternative to the “usual” RE Congress liturgies.
My son is discerning a call to the Priesthood. He is my only son, but if God could give His only Son for the salvation of the world; I with love and hope give mine for His service.