Fr. Z's Blog | Formerly entitled: "What Does The Prayer Really Say?" – Clear, straight commentary on Catholic issues, liturgy and life by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf o{]:¬)

Your Fishwrap Roundup today

Posted on 1 July 2014 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Your Fishwrap Roundup today.

Over at the National Schismatic Reporter today we find the inimitable Sr. Maureen Fiedler. She chooses to wax about exploration of the T in LBGT. HERE

Meanwhile, there is an editorial which attacks San Francisco’s Archbp. Salvatore Cordileone for his defense of marriage. HERE

If that wasn’t enough, NSR seems to lament the treatment being dealt out to retired Archbp. Rembert Weakland. It seems that Weakland, who started out as a Benedictine monk at Latrobe in Pennsylvania, is not welcome at his home abbey. HERE

Posted in Liberals, Sin That Cries To Heaven, You must be joking! |
17 Comments

QUAERITUR: The washing of altar linens

Posted on 1 July 2014 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

My mother is an Extraordinary Minister of Communion and has to wash the altar linen used during the various Masses. Out of curiosity, and preventing possible sacrilege, what is the best and most respectful way to wash corporals and purificators?

The ideal, classic, way is for the priest to do the first rinsing. That water should go down the sacrarium or poured onto the ground.

There is a good booklet on the care of linens.

Handbook for Laundering Liturgical Linens.

Very useful!

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Our Catholic Identity | Tagged altar linens
8 Comments

Adoration in Austin… in the Capitol in the Capital

Posted on 30 June 2014 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

A reader sent me this.

For Corpus Christi, in Austin, the state capital of Texas, there was a Eucharistic Procession from the Cathedral to the Capitol. (You who have English as a second language, or who were born after about 1970 and went to public schools, note well that “o” and “a”.)

Can you imaging Adoration and Benediction in the rotunda of your state capitol?

HERE

It is pretty hard to imagine this in my native place, Minnesota. And here, in Madison, WI? HAH!

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Brick by Brick, Just Too Cool | Tagged Austin, Texas
34 Comments

New Seminary in France, also for Extraordinary Form!

Posted on 30 June 2014 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I am delighted at this news I just received via email:

I thought you might be interested in learning about the new seminary that will be established presently in the diocese of Fréjus-Toulon by Bishop Dominique Rey, entrusted to the Fraternity of St Joseph the Guardian (FSJC). The goal of the seminary is to form priests from North and South America in order to serve as missionaries in Europe.

The seminarians will be taught both forms of the Roman Rite, with a special focus on the traditional liturgy; their formation will also emphasize the defence of human life in all its stages and the promotion of the natural family. The seminary will be located in Bormes-les-Mimosas with a future branch in La Londe-les-Maures. There is more information at the its website.

Sounds like a great place to teach! I think that a friend of mine, with whom I was in seminary, will be teaching there.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA | Tagged Bp. Dominique Rey, D. Frejus-Toulon
7 Comments

Pope Francis and the Pallia

Posted on 30 June 2014 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Did you notice that Pope Francis, for Sts. Peter and Paul, went back to the ordinary modern pallium which all the metropolitan archbishops wear?

So, in the space of about 10 years we have seen the longish, archeologizing pallium first used by Pope Benedict (probably a creation of Piero Marini).

Not my favorite. Benedict left that one, portentously, on the tomb of Pope Celestine V.

And then Benedict went to a transitional historic pallium.

Francis used that until now.

So, we are back where we started.

I, for one, am glad to see it back. For how long? Who knows. He might get rid of it all together before he resigns at 80.

Posted in Benedict XVI, Francis, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000 |
24 Comments

Catholic church, sold, now to be a mosque

Posted on 30 June 2014 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Some of you may have seen what recently transpired in my native place. A Catholic Church, where a friend of mine had been pastor, was closed and then sold to Muslims. It will soon be a mosque. HERE and HERE

This is seriously galling.

Former St. John's Church - Cross removed

St. John’s church finds new owner

Will be an Islamic faith center

The altars are gone, and the cross has been pulled off the top of the building.

It’s official — St. John’s Catholic Church has been decommissioned by the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and sold off by St. Pascal Baylon Catholic Church, which owned the buildings.

The sale to the new owners, the Darul-Uloom Islamic Center, closed on Friday, June 20. The sale included the church building, the empty school, and the attached rectory, which was used as rental housing. [What a grand place that rectory was.]

The St. Pascal Baylon parish took over care of St. John’s as part of a directive from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis — with the merger, St. John’s was effectively closed.

The Roman Catholic church held its last Mass on Sunday, June 30, 2013 and was vacant for a year until it was purchased.

The sale will help relieve St. Pascal Baylon of its outstanding $900,000 debt to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, according to the Rev. Mike Byron, the St. Pascal Baylon priest.

Though the church, rectory and school were listed for $927,000, the Archdiocese did not reveal the amount they sold for.

[…]

Decommissioning process [I think the word is “desecration”.]

A few weeks ago, former St. John’s Catholic Church parishioner Greg Cosimini passed by the old vacant church, and noticed a large lift in the parking lot.

Cosimini looked over and saw that the giant cross from the top of the building had been placed in a large dumpster. Cosimini said workers had tried to save the cross, but it was broken while being removed.

[…]

Byron said that though St. Pascal Baylon didn’t have any specific hopes of what the new use of the building might be, the outcome “an opportunity to welcome a new faith community into the East Side.”

He said that the St. Pascal’s parish would look to ways to cooperate on “some ventures of mutual interest.”

“It’s good that it’s going to continue to be used as a sacred space,” he added.

“We’re happy with the transaction, and I hope the buyers will be happy with it, too,” Byron said.

PHOTOS

I want to remind you all of something important.

Our Lord promised that Hell would not prevail against the Church. He did not promise that Hell wouldn’t prevail in these USA, or where you live.

Don’t assume that any of the structures of the Church are safe and will just automatically always be there for you without you having to lift your pinky finger to do your part.

Posted in Pò sì jiù, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices, The Religion of Peace, You must be joking! | Tagged Archd. St. Paul and Minneapolis
33 Comments

Wherein Fr. Z looks for a cobbler, or tailor, or someone….

Posted on 30 June 2014 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Are there any cobblers, leather workers out there?

Years ago I inherited a small “wallet” for a pocket stole. I almost always have a stole and oil stock about my person. One use for my spare mag pocket on my 5.11’s, right? It seems to me that that’s a pretty good trade.

Time has taken its toll and I need a replacement.

It’s not complicated.

It is hard to find these compact stoles now. The one’s you find these days are far bulkier.

I think you get the drift. The idea is to keep it slim and moderately flexible.

Anyone?

Who can make Father another stole wallet?

UPDATE 17 June:

I have had a few emails on this. I am always impressed with the way people respond to requests for help. It looks as if a couple of the readers are going to take a shot at making one! I look forward to the results. And the results will be so much nicer to have than something simply purchased somewhere.

UPDATE 30 JUNE:

I am delighted to have received from a reader his offering of a new stole wallet. That’s what I am calling it now, for lack of a better term.

With the stole

I am grateful for the thought and the effort!

Posted in The Campus Telephone Pole | Tagged cobbler, leather, stole
11 Comments

Some reader feedback – UPDATE

Posted on 30 June 2014 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I get lots of mail, some of it supportive, some of it, less than supportive.

This one is from an unsatisfied and yet cowardly, anonymous reader using a fake email address.

Why do you insist on covering up for all Francis’ heretical and blasphemous attacks on the true faith. You are no better than some 2 bit novus ordo cleric.

Spineless and very disappointing Fr Z. I will never recommend your site to anyone for your betrayal. You just go with the flow don’t you

To which I respond….

That’s right, I just go with the flow. I never go against the grain, or the current, or the tide, or whatever it is. I never write or do anything controversial or edgy. And, I admit, I do say the Novus Ordo. As a matter of fact I have said Mass with the Novus Ordo 3 times since… last October, I think.

What way to win me over to his side.

Then there’s this fellow, another fake email address, whom I suspect to be a reader of the Fishwrap judging from the comboxes over there:

Arrogant conservative **** ******

Really? Is that all you have?

This anonymous guy, another coward, fake email address, who reacted to my upholding the Church’s teaching about homosexuality:

*** YOU AND YOUR STINKING HATE FILLED SACK OF *** LIFE, YOU STINKING FILTHY MONSTER.

Then there are the types who send me photos of where I live.

On the other hand, I also get this sort of thing… and this was signed by the sender and sent from a real email address:

Fr. Z- just a quick note of thanks for what you do on this blog. I went to confession for the first time in 14 years yesterday, my marriage is being convalidated on Saturday, and my wife is being received into the Church on Sunday. The details are unimportant here, but your blog has played an influential role (along with others, Catholic radio, a couple of really, really good local priests, and of course–ultimately–the grace of God) in my journey home. Thank you for your vocation and for your eternal impact on my soul and my family.

I get more of this, by far, than the other kind. This sort of thing makes it all worth it.

UPDATE:

And then there is this!

I have been a long time reader of your blog and as of three weeks ago I am hooked on the Extraordinary form. I have been wanting to email you with a word of thanks and your recent post about the mail you often receive was the impetus to do so. There are a number of reasons why I was cautious about attending the Extraordinary form but eventually my curiosity won out, thanks in large part to the encouragement I received reading your blog. THANK YOU! I have never seen anything as beautiful as the Extraordinary form of Mass, save perhaps the first time I laid eyes on my children. There is no other way to describe how I feel other than astonished. Astonished that this gift has been hidden, astonished that it took me so long to find it. I felt myself transported to the time of Moses for the Asperges, than transported to Calvary before being taken up to glimpse Heaven. There are so many words to describe what took place and yet none that will suffice. Thank you for your vocation. Thank you for your work for the Kingdom. Thank you for leading me to the TLM.

My work here is done.

Posted in HONORED GUESTS |
31 Comments

Your Sunday Sermon Notes

Posted on 30 June 2014 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Was there a good point that you heard in your Sunday homily?

Let us know.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA |
22 Comments

Francis latest interview. Feminists won’t be pleased.

Posted on 29 June 2014 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

The Holy Father had an interview with the Italian daily Il Messaggero. It isn’t all that revelatory and I suspect that not too many people will be excited about it.

There is little more statism in it. One thing to note, however, is that our feminists are not going to be happy with this interview. Not one little bit.

Here is the section about women in the Church (my trans.):

M: If you will permit a criticism…

Francis: Of course…

M: You speak, perhaps, little about women, and when you speak about them you take on on issue only from the point of view of motherhood, woman as spouse, woman as mother, etc. But women by now are heads of state, multinationals, armies. What posts can women hold in the Church, according to you?

Francis: Women are the most beautiful things that God created. The Church is woman. Church is a feminine word [in Italian]. One cannot do theology without this femininity. You are right that we don’t talk about this enough. I agree that there must be more work on the theology of women. I have said that we are working in this sense.

M: Isn’t there a certain misogyny at the base of this?

Francis: The fact is that woman was taken from a rib … (he laughs strongly). I’m kidding, that’s a joke. I agree that the question of women must be explored more deeply, otherwise one cannot understand the Church herself.

M: Can we expect some historic decisions from you, along the lines of a woman head of a dicastery [Vatican department], if not of Clergy

Francis: (laughs), Beh, many times priests wind up under the thumb of their housekeepers… [le perpetue… are “housekeepers because in Manzioni’s I promessi sposi, don Abondio’s housekeeper was named “Perpetua”]

So, feminists and the promoters of women’s ordination get nothing and then, again, nothing.