Category Archives: Seminarians and Seminaries

In the wake of my Holy Land Pilgrimage: in come the slippery Jesuit and aging hippies

Here’s an interesting note in the wake of my entirely TLM pilgrimage to the Holy Land.  On the very early morning when we departed our residence in Jerusalem we had Mass at Midnight, using a proper for pilgrims leaving the … Read More

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Card. Sarah: The priesthood is in mortal danger. Wherein Fr. Z rants to priests.

Ed Pentin, still the best, working English Vaticanista hands down, posted at the NCReg an interview with Robert Card. Sarah.  The Cardinal talks about the book, to be released in English in March. I’ve read it already (advance English copy … Read More

Posted in ¡Hagan lío!, "How To..." - Practical Notes, Be The Maquis, Hard-Identity Catholicism, Latin, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, Semper Paratus, Si vis pacem para bellum!, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices, Wherein Fr. Z Rants | Tagged , , , ,
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FIRST REMARKS about the new book by Card. Sarah and Benedict XVI

Robert Card. Sarah and Pope Benedict XVI have collaborated on a new book. They respond to certain aspects of The Present Crisis.™ From the Depths of our Hearts The dedication of the book says it all. En hommage aux prêtres … Read More

Posted in Benedict XVI, Cri de Coeur, Hard-Identity Catholicism, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Mail from priests, Our Catholic Identity, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries | Tagged , ,
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ACTION ITEM! Seminarians are waiting for BIRETTAS! Priests are waiting for SATURNOS!

I had a note from John in Church Goods at Leaflet Missal in St. Paul.  John is at the action center of the Birettas for Seminarians Project and the Saturnos for Priests Project. John reports: Update: Priests waiting for Saturnos – … Read More

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When life gives you lemons, you can help seminarians

Did you know that in the Roman Rite we use liturgical lemons? Whenever the celebrant has to clean something off his hands, such as chrism or ash, he uses pieces of bread and slices of lemons.  Water isn’t enough cut … Read More

Posted in Seminarians and Seminaries, The Campus Telephone Pole | Tagged
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A priest opines on the effect of optional priestly celibacy

I received this from a priest friend who, for reasons that are riotously obvious these days, desires anonymity. He reflects on the discussion of optional celibacy that the Amazon Synod is sure to push.  Of course the Germans, who are … Read More

Posted in Mail from priests, Pò sì jiù, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, Synod, The Coming Storm, The Drill, The future and our choices |
27 Comments

A young priest learns he was lied to about the Traditional Mass

Invariably, priests who learn the Extraordinary (because it’s great, not because supposed to be rare) experience a shift in their understanding of Holy Mass and their position as priest/victim at the altar. Here is a blurb I picked up from Messa … Read More

Posted in Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Mail from priests, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM | Tagged
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The priest’s voice and the “priest voice” during Holy Mass. Wherein Fr. Z rants.

At NLM, Peter Kwasniewski dedicated a post to: “The Parish Low Mass Is Not a “Silent” Mass: The Rubrics on Clara Voce”. Note well that he specified “parish Mass”, in contrast to a “monastic Mass”. In a monastic setting, or … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Hard-Identity Catholicism, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, The Drill, Wherein Fr. Z Rants | Tagged , , , , ,
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TLM training available for priests

The Vetus Ordo, the Usus Antiquior, the Extraordinary Form, the Pian Rite, the Tridentine Mass, the Traditional Latin Mass… call it what you want, there are priests out there who want to learn how to celebrate it. There are so many … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Just Too Cool, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries | Tagged ,
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A priest’s prayers before and after making his own confession

From an old prayerbook for priests which I’ve had since before my ordination.  They are dense with old wisdom. Here are two prayers, in Latin and English, for priests, for before and after they make confession their own confession. I’ve … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, GO TO CONFESSION, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, Semper Paratus, The Coming Storm | Tagged ,
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PODCAzT 174 and PRAYERCAzT: The Latin of the Traditional Rite of Baptism of a Child

In this PODCAzT, which also serves as a PRAYERCAzT (my somewhat languishing project to provide Latin language help for men learning the TLM) we will hear the minimum amount of Latin required in the rite of Baptism of One Child … Read More

Posted in Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, PODCAzT, PRAYERCAzT: What Does The (Latin) Prayer Really Sound L, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM | Tagged , , ,
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BOOK : A guide for forming Catholic gentlemen and future priests – and a mini rant.

A prelude. I treasure a copy of a French book of etiquette from long lost decades, Le Livre D’Or Du Savoir-Vivre. Dictionnaire Illustre De La Politesse.  It’s an informative hoot, since much of what it contains is seemingly outdated and, … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Decorum, Hard-Identity Catholicism, Just Too Cool, Mail from priests, Pò sì jiù, Priests and Priesthood, REVIEWS, Seminarians and Seminaries, The future and our choices | Tagged , , ,
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ASK FATHER: Am I obliged to tell an old priest about his liturgical ad libs?

From a seminarian… QUAERITUR: Thank you very much for everything you do on this blog. I am a seminarian and an avid reader of this blog. My seminary is orthodox, but these are difficult times in the Church and it … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Seminarians and Seminaries | Tagged ,
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Wherein Fr. Z gives advice to new and to young priests

Congratulations, reverend and dear gentlemen and welcome to the priesthood.  We older guys are all for you, except when we are against you.  That’s going to happen, now and then.  If you are straight and you are faithful, some guys … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries | Tagged ,
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ACTION ITEM! Help a traditional deacon get to priesthood. Watch marvelous Fulton Sheen video of 1950 Roman Holy Year

Back in April, I wrote about a seminarian in a traditional group, the Institute of Christ the King, who had posted a video about wartime Vatican City, 1941, narrated by Fulton Sheen.  This seminarian, now ordained to the diaconate, was … Read More

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Because of so much darkness, there has never been a better time to be a young priest

 At Complete Christianity (a member of the new FOEDUS – League of Catholic Bloggers) Shane Schaetzel, a lay convert to the Church, wrote a post that I wish that I had written. Let me just say- as a forward to … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Four Last Things, Fr. Z KUDOS, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices | Tagged ,
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Concerning the upcoming Synod, Germans and Tapirs

I try try try to give these Synod (“walking together”) guys the benefit of the doubt, but does anyone sincerely believe that talking about married clergy is really about shortage of priests in a mission country?  Really? I can’t say … Read More

Posted in Pò sì jiù, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, Synod, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices | Tagged , ,
16 Comments

NOVENA FOR SEMINARIANS – from Corpus Christi to Sacred Heart, with a Marian Consecration

From a priest: Dear Father, we have met several times, most recently last year at the Canon Law conference in La Crosse. I wrote a novena for seminarians to be prayed from Corpus Christi to the Sacred Heart, with a … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, HONORED GUESTS, Mail from priests, Our Solitary Boast, PRAYER REQUEST, Seminarians and Seminaries | Tagged , ,
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The shortage of priests didn’t just happen by itself, it was engineered.

At The Media Group there is a piece about the epidemic of false accusations against priests.  They have the numbers.   This is economic persecution based on greed, pure and simple. On another note concerning priesthood, LifeSite re-posted a great piece … Read More

Posted in Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries | Tagged , ,
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ASK FATHER: Lutheran service more reverent than the Sunday Mass

From a reader… QUAERITUR: I’m on vacation visiting my sister in Orlando. I try a new parish every time I come because they all seem to be lacking in reverence. (After Mass, I attended a Lutheran service with my sister’s … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, The Coming Storm, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged
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