7:16 is when the sun brought rosy fingered Dawn to Rome.
The Roman sun sets today at 18:37. We move from the 19:00 cycle to the 18:45 cycle for the non-ringing of the Ave Maria Bell.
It is the Feast of John XXIII on the official calendar. I’m sure that the great devotion and cult for him outshines even that which Paul VI is famous for. Churches all over the world are celebrating.
On the other hand, it is also the Feast of the Maternity of Mary in the traditional calendar.
In the newer calendar, it is the Feast of St. Philip the Deacon, one of the seven chosen by the Apostles. He is mentioned in the blessing in the Rituale Romanum for a car. The Ritual has “currus” for car but Fr. Foster (and the Holy See) has used also “autorhaeda”.
Here is the blessing, which is typical of the Roman genius, having a fun little twist while calling to mind our passage through this vale of tears towards eternal life:
Benedictio vehiculi seu currus
V. Adjutórium nostrum in nómine Dómini.
R. Qui fecit cælum et terram.
V. Dóminus vobíscum.
R. Et cum spíritu tuo.Orémus.
Propitiare, Dómine Deus,supplicatiónibus nostris, et béne + dic currum istum déxtera tua sancta: adjúnge ad ipsum sanctos Angelos tuos, ut omnes, qui in eo vehéntur, líberent et custódiant semper a perículis univérsis: et quemádmodum viro Æthíopi super currum suum sedénti et sacra elóquia legénti, per Levítam tuum Philíppum fidem et grátiam contulísti; ita fámulis tuis viam salútis osténde, qui tua grátia adjúti bonísque opéribus júgiter inténti, post omnes viæ et vitæ hujus varietátes, ætérna gáudia cónsequi mereántur.Per Christum Dóminum nostrum.
R. Amen.
Et aspergatur aqua benedicta.
Here is an English version:
V. Our help is in the name of the Lord
R. Who made heaven and earth
V. The Lord be with you
R. And with your spiritLet us pray
Be merciful, O Lord God, on account of our prayers, and with your holy right hand bless this car: appoint your holy Angels to accompany it, that all who travel in it may be delivered and protected at all times from every danger: and just as you through your minister Philip bestowed faith and grace upon the Ethiopian sitting in his chariot and reading the sacred Scriptures, so also show the way of salvation to your servants, who, aided by your grace and ever intent upon good works, after all the vicissitudes of this life and journey, may be found worthy to obtain eternal joy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
R. Amen.
The vehicle is sprinkled with holy water.
Just for fun.
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Disgrace deserving of the severest scorn.
The Church Of England just covered the oldest cathedral in England (597 AD) in GRAFFITI to represent diversity
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) October 10, 2025
Continuation of last nights repast. Yesterday I gave you the first part.
Orata al forno.
It was perfect. And just right amount. Not too filling.
Homemade ciambelline and amaro.
And that concludes the Friday Supper Report.
Oh yes, we had a Catarrato with the whole meal.
Speaking of wine.
The Catholic Church in Kenya has introduced a new Altar Wine for Holy Mass.
From now on, only wine with the coat of arms of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) and the signature of the bishops’ chairman can be used at Mass.
This decision came after the old Mass wine… pic.twitter.com/9KvC0KHVRS
— ????????? ????? (@UgonnaMario) October 10, 2025
And this in California…
How can this be real? https://t.co/ruSWvSa4nG
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) October 10, 2025
This is best with the sound down… weird choice of music.
Incredible archival footage of the 1923 exhumation of St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
30,000 pilgrims joined the soon-to-be-Saint as she was processed back to the convent where she famously wrote the timeless classic, “Story of a Soul.”
Translation of the narration in the next tweet? pic.twitter.com/dCZ1Ch1u2K
— Bree Solstad (@BreeSolstad) October 10, 2025
In chessy news… chess.com… the 13th World Champion Garry Kasparov dominated to win 2025 Clutch Chess (Fischer Random). Coincidently precisely 30 years ago in October, Kasparov was defending his title against the challenger Anand in the 1995 World Chess Championship match.
White to mate in 4. Hardish.
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
Priestly chess players, drop me a line. HERE
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1. Qf2+ Kxh3
2. Qh2+ Kxg4
3. Qf4+ Kh5 (if Kh3, Ng5+ mates)
4. Qg5 mate.
Regarding the post about ballots for the Prop 50 vote, both my wife and I received ours today, we will both vote NO but the post on X by Ted Cruz was inaccurate from what we received today. Fake news? I dunno but you gotta be honest, right?!
The Canterbury graffiti, is, as young people would say ‘totally cringe’ or as I would say ‘really naff’ The one good thing is it appears to be stickers so no permanent damage to the building. Reputation on the other hand…..
I am slightly surprised that St Therese seemed to have originally been buried in a public cemetery, didn’t the Carmel have their own graveyard?
As to the “Church” of England covering their oldest cathedral with graffiti this is not surprising in an age that celebrates ugliness and suppresses beauty. It seems we are surrounded by ugliness in the shows on TV, how people dress, etc. It seems the one place I can find beauty is at the Catholic Mass at an older church, especially the TLM.
The theological graffiti which has been scrawled across Christendom — and in our own time not infrequently by the Catholic theological academy — for the past five hundred years is even more offensive than amateur hour nonsense endured at Canterbury. This present display of cretinism is evidence of the decomposition we’ve all endured for the past sixties years across the Christian confessions. Protestantism actually no longer actually exists. It’s vestiges can only be described as post-Christian.
It is my understanding that the Carmel of Lisieux [founded in 1838] did initially have a small cemetery but at some point the civil authorities mandated that burials be located in one location for the municipality — perhaps health concerns prompted this action. The grounds of the Carmel are quite modest and it could have easily turned into a cemetery itself. The nuns had a large plot in the municipal cemetery and, of course, burials were done with the appropriate rites.
I think it is a good thing that the humble cleric who composed the blessing of a car chose to use the Ethiopian as biblical reference over Elijah. All joking aside, I love the theological richness, often peppered with biblical references, of the blessings of the old Rituale Romanum. We can also be sure they do what they are supposed to be doing.
I don’t know what they were thinking in Canterbury, but that graffiti thing is just awful. I don’t think this will appeal to young people at all.