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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 ROME 24/4– Day 35 (-6): adventures in symmetry: “Father, it was perfect symmetry for two people. One cup handle facing one way and the other the other way.”
- on ROME 24/4– Day 35 (-6): adventures in symmetry: “From a reader: “What are in the frames between the vestments?” Those are the priest’s vesting prayers. I’ll show more…”
- on WDTPRS: 4th Sunday of Easter (Novus Ordo) – Mighty humble Shepherd, humble mighty flock: “Fr Z you are an inspiration in your knowledge about and love for the things of God and the church.…”
- on ROME 24/4– Day 32 (-9): Happy Birthday Rome!: “Holy cow that pasta. I wish we had smell-o-vision and taste-o-vision.”
- on Three items of interest: a conversion, a connection, and a con job: “The German grind continues. It is in their nature.”
- on Three items of interest: a conversion, a connection, and a con job: “Scary about the women. What I mean is this: it would be disheartening enough just to find out that a…”
- on Three items of interest: a conversion, a connection, and a con job: “I wonder what’s going on with these women. Don’t they know that the greatest example of womanhood is Our Blessed…”
- on Three items of interest: a conversion, a connection, and a con job: “Fr.Z sez: It is really sad that some people still push this rock up the hill. Reminds one of Sisyphus,…”
- on Three items of interest: a conversion, a connection, and a con job: “Alas, those men pushing for ordaining women. STILL trying to get women to do all the work. My mother warned…”
- on Three items of interest: a conversion, a connection, and a con job: “Dear Dcn PB, I don’t see how the reality can be described differently than by saying that the one sacrament…”
- on Three items of interest: a conversion, a connection, and a con job: “Most people, whether pro or con, misunderstand the history and practice of the female diaconate. The deaconess was a separate…”
- on Your Sunday Sermon Notes: 3rd Sunday after Easter (N.O. 4th of Easter) 2024: “I remember only the joke at the beginning of the homily: Priests get four weeks of vacation per year. Some…”
- on “you must not remember your forefathers…” Wherein Fr. Z rants.: “My children at one of the solid Chesterton Academies have been taught science and theology by an amazing young Catholic…”
- on Three items of interest: a conversion, a connection, and a con job: “What is it that changed about the Catholic Herald? Interesting interview by George Farmer. (If only the faithful could be…”
- on Three items of interest: a conversion, a connection, and a con job: “Wonderful news about Candace Owens and George Farmer. Thank you for continually pointing out that Holy Orders is one Sacrament.…”
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I’m traveling to Rome in October.
I learned who someone really was, and that I need to get away from them! Always a useful lesson in any workplace.
Finally on holyday! Whohoo!
We are invited to a Catholic wedding this autumn.
Though pregnancy #2 has not been the easiest for my wife physically or emotionally, buteos have of us our little growing family is healthy. The little things, right?
Also my parents have offered a large monetary gift towards a down payment which lifts a huge emotional burden.
After 8 years and 7.5 Billion miles, New Horizons is having its closest approach to the planet Pluto and beautiful pictures are coming back of the heavens. While we hear of so many bad things, this is the best of humanity.
Landed a full time position as a financial analyst right after graduation. Really lucky part is there’s a church near the office that offers a 12:10 pm daily Mass. I’ve been spoiled at school and my internship with a 12:15 pm daily Mass that I attend on lunch break so it’s nice to know that there’s a place I can go to for some peace amidst the business of life.
I’m traveling to Dublin, Ireland, this Thursday. Anyone have any suggestions on Churches to visit and hear Mass?
My Goddaughter’s sister was finally born yesterday and born healthy, praise be to God! Please say a prayer for health of mother and daughter.
I also began a new writing project on Catholicism yesterday, which is off to a good start, and it features Father Z! Those interested can read the first edition here: https://thebenedictpost.wordpress.com/2015/07/13/explaining-the-benedict-option/
I easily passed my annual recertification for my job!
I’ve struggled a lot at this job, but last week I was told I was doing a good job by someone 1) whose judgement on such matters I highly value, and 2) does not hand out such comments lightly ^_^
Great things are happening in the Rockies at Camp Wojtyla, which my daughter just attended. Hope and joy! Check out the beautiful things the ladies (including 2 Dominican Sisters) say around the 4-minute mark. https://vimeo.com/131943194
This month, the Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist will see 6 Sisters make their perpetual profession of vows and 12 Novices make their first temporary profession of vows. https://www.sistersofmary.org/
At Juventutem Michigan, we’re very thankful for the many donors – including Fr. Z and a host of readers of Fr. Z’s blog! – who have generously supported our Show the Beauty of the Latin Mass GoFundMe campaign. So far, we have received enough funds to cover the needed camera, the Cathedral Mass videography, and the October silent Ignatian retreat for young adults. Present donations are supporting our needs as to Sacred Music.
In regard to Sacred Music, we’re glad to read that Cantius’s Br. Matthew Schuster will be coming home to Assumption Grotto for a Mass this Thursday afternoon.
In answer to the prayers of many, it seems that the plans of “The Satanic Temple” to ‘reveal’ their ‘Baphomet’ statue in Detroit are trending in about the same direction that said group’s plans went as to hosting a so-called “Black Mass” at Harvard, last May – with Harvard Catholics (including members of Juventutem Boston) driving it off-campus and perhaps (?) into non-occurrence.
Mother of Divine Mercy Parish’s prayers for the City of Detroit (St. Joseph Church) are a great response for those nearby, on Saturday morning, July 25th.
Daily victory in dealing with a vexing personal issue (thanks to the intercession of St. Thomas Aquinas) and bright prospects on the job horizon (thanks to the intercession of St. Joseph the Worker).
My homeschooled pupil has arrived more or less safely at the threshold of high school, and for this I thank God.
I attend a once-a-month Sunday EF Low Mass at the church where I received my sacraments as a child, back when the Mass was always in Latin. Someone suggested getting a few people together to sing the Mass in October on the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.
This is exciting because the monthly Mass is not well advertised. The priest comes from elsewhere and the Mass is not listed in the church bulletin. (WDTPRS readers know how that goes.)
Please pray for us!
By the grace of God, we are able to serve and love thy neighbor (and Him) in profound ways. Intercepting abortion bound mom’s in front of planned parenthood, giving these mom’s a place to stay until they can go it alone; raising a now 3yr old girl (Goddaughter) whose mother is completing her BA in Nursing; and in one week, a undocumented”ill” mother and her 3 children (12, 10 & 2) will move in with us. The children will attend Catholic elementary school and hopefully Catholic high school with the help of many faithful pro lifers in our area. God is good! And we are blessed.
We just had an official announcement that the TLM group in Tacoma, WA, will have a permanent home with an FSSP priest. The Archdiocese of Seattle will now have two FSSP parishes.
Our son (and another young man from our parish) will be entering the FSSP seminary in September, and our daughter is getting married to a good Catholic man later this year.
jschicago says:
14 July 2015 at 8:20 AM
I’m traveling to Dublin, Ireland, this Thursday. Anyone have any suggestions on Churches to visit and hear Mass?
My family just returned from a trip to Ireland, safe and sound (that was the good news).
I don’t have good suggestions on churches unfortunately, in terms of either the architecture or liturgy. One thing I learned is that the older and more beautiful churches in any city are anglican (Church of Ireland), having been taken from the Catholic Church in the 1600s; most Catholic churches were built only in the 1800s after the Penal Laws were repealed – speaking of persecution! However, walking around the city of Dublin (not in the nicest part, admittedly), I ran into a sign that said “Blessed Sacrament Chapel,” and had to check it out. Basically they do the daily exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Masses, there were a number of people praying before the Blessed Sacrament. I have since found their website: http://www.blessedsacramentuki.org/about-us/blessed-sacrament-chapel/ (this was not the monstrance they had at the time, BTW). I don’t know anything about this group but found the existence of such a place comforting and encouraging, with all the problems we have both here and in Ireland. It’s just off O’Connell Street (the main street) by the river, so the chance is that anyone will pass by the area.
At long last our Archbishop is giving us our own church. We are a satellite parish of the FSSP North American Martyr’s of Seattle. Our group has been renting a church in Tacoma, WA for over 3 years( Sundays only and First Fridays) and we are growing.
During the recent re-organizing of parish “clusters” several closures were considered. Hence the Abp is assigning a classic Catholic church to our Tacoma group. Prayers are being answered.
A priest was ordained from our parish; it had been thirty-five years since the last ordination of one of our parishioners.
One of my son’s shingles is getting better. He and his 2 brothers were visiting with us for almost 2 weeks.
So good to see them, but they have to go back to their jobs.
Some of my grandkids are taking part in an FSSP camp in Idaho.
Thank you remindme! The location of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel is only half a mile away from my hotel.
At the hospital with my wife who is in the early stages of labor right now. Eagerly awaiting the birth of our baby girl!
jschicago:
“I’m traveling to Dublin, Ireland, this Thursday. Anyone have any suggestions on Churches to visit and hear Mass?”
Hmmm… Most of my visits to Ireland in recent years have usually ended up with me in the countryside or a market town or another city by the time Sunday or a holy day rolled around.
I would definitely suggest the pro-cathedral. Very near the center of the city as you come and go for shopping or transportation or whatever. An attractive church, though I don’t recall the artistic or architectural details – last time I was there we were busy with our church choir singing (Saturday evening Mass) and modifying plans for family rendezvous (my uncle had been hospitalized the day before and my aunt popped up at the end of Mass to say hello). I recall there being a decent turnout for Mass and very hospitable, we spent time after chatting with two ladies – sisters who were consecrated virgins, I think.
Gardiner Street Church was magnificent. Beautiful building on the inside. Sizable, active, and young congregation – we were there for a Sunday Mass & concert and it was absolutely jam-packed. I don’t know if the gospel choir and the young adults group we met are as active with formal programs in the summer.
Other churches and chapels in the city… I can think of at least three, but was probably last in each for a family wedding or funeral, and preoccupied with same, so I don’t recall much of the art or architecture and I didn’t get a sense of their regular celebration of the Mass (besides which some of those were 15 years ago or more, and anything I’d recall might easily be out of date).
My advice is to go looking – you may be impressed by what you find. Wherever you’re shopping or touring in the city, ask the locals where the nearest Catholic church or chapel is. You’ll find some gems hidden in the darnedest places. A nondescript exterior often conceals a beautiful old interior. Think of how our older city centers here in the US were built on neighborhoods and districts of walkable scale and have/had a great density of parishes – and recall that Dublin is four or five hundred years older than our cities.
The other thing is that Ireland – while not what it once was – is still a place of churches and chapels. They built many things that included chapels or made space for chapels and they do still get used. Some of them aren’t prize-winners for external beauty, but you’ll find them – not just in the obvious places like hospitals but at the airport (where the chapel is still a separate building) or sometimes even a shopping center.
As to my own good news…
My wife underwent needed surgery in the middle of May and has been recuperating since.
Much to be thankful for.
The surgery went very well and she has been regaining her strength.
We both have good jobs with benefits – her with the Church, me with the State – that mean we can afford health insurance, she’s been able to take the time off she needs to recuperate and I can take the time off I need to help her.
Family has really come through for us.
There’s been some benefit to all of this simply forcing us to take things easy and not be so ambitious on travel or social gatherings for a couple of months. We’ve had wonderful visits from friends (and one of my favorite cousins) where we just had to take it slow enough to enjoy what was possible and not worry about doing more.
My husband’s Western novel is selling fairly well; we have had 8 book signing events so far and have sold between 5 and 15 books at each event — pretty good, considering that many well-known authors say you’re lucky if you sell ONE book at every signing. We’re now getting ready to officially launch the second book.
On a related note, I made a trip to St. Louis on June 20 for a seminar on how to publicize/market books, and afterward took the opportunity to visit two sites I had long wanted to see: the Cathedral Basilica and the Missouri Botanical Garden. They are both absolutely beautiful and NOT to be missed if you are ever in the STL area.
To top it all off, around 2:45 p.m. in the parking lot at the Garden I spotted an SUV with a “Save the Liturgy, Save the World” bumper sticker… so here’s a shout-out to that Fr. Z fan, whomever he/she may be, in the STL area.
Thank you Charivari Rob! I’m definitely going to see the pro-cathedral. Also, glad to hear your wife’s surgery went well.
Currently enjoying a wonderful vacation in Georgia, visiting my husband’s family. Made all of our savings back from our tax refund and my husband schooling is entirely paid for, debt-free!
Got a new job. It’s part time, but it’s income!
Got through my first week despite sudden bout of kidney stones. Got rid of them too. :)
Guardian Angels were watching over me and baby girl and two other drivers yesterday; baby girl and I narrowly escaped what would have been a very bad car accident. Deo Gratias, accident averted. I don’t think the truck driver or the guy in the lane next to me ever realized what they both had nearly caused.
Today I found a newly ordained priest to give the chalice and paten set to, which a church goods company had sent me by mistake with an order of other items (then told me to donate it when I called them about what to do with it). He had been given an old chalice that had belonged to a priest relative but it was not one he wanted to use regularly, so he was glad to have this one which is not fancy but brand new and “a good weight” as he said. Since it cost me nothing and I never intended to acquire this then did not know what to do with it I told him he should thank the church goods company and their mistake, but on second and better thought it is more true that Divine Providence is the good news here.
I am heading in to Port Fourchon, and getting off the boat! I just got married on April 25, and have been on the boat since May 9th. Gonna go home and spend some quality time with my awesome bride, Maru!!! I am taking at least 2 weeks off!!!
My wife has been given a pretty big promotion. This will relieve some of the financial pressure on me. Now if we could get a few of the kids out of the nest….
More good news! Our “spiritual daughter” received a proposal of Marriage from a wonderful young “Catholic” man, whom she met on CatholicMatch.com one year ago (I woke one morning with an urgency that she get on Catholic Match….she was not interested, but complied with my wishes. She placed a picture of herself and her baby on the site–that’s how God’s “intended” for her found her!).
Three years ago she came to us broken and 7 months pregnant……alone and terrified. She came in under our roof and by the grace of God began to “order” her life. For 3 years our family has grown in-love with her and our beautiful little Goddaughter (Age 3). This lovely young lady, from another country, has become a wonderful mother and is soon to graduate with a BA as a Registered Nurse.
God is so good. Praise You Lord Jesus Christ!