Good news from Wyoming Catholic College

Posted on 8 September 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

This last year I had a very pleasant visit to Wyoming Catholic College to say Mass and deliver a talk.

I have always had a measure of affection for Wyoming, where I have some roots.

I received today a note from one of the cordial faculty members:

After over a year of very hard work, WCC has been preaccredited by the American Academy for Liberal Education (AALE).  This is an official accredited status that brings many benefits, especially for our students, who are the reason we exist in the first place.

During my visit to WCC I saw that students were being prepared to think and to learn, rather than merely being taught stuff and then have no idea what to do with it.

Furthermore, they are building a new campus.  The plans are impressive.

I look forward to a future visit.

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Mass intentions – reaching beyond

Posted on 8 September 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I will include the following in my latest weekly column in The Wanderer (to which you can subscribe also in electronic format):

Every Mass can be offered for the living and the dead.

When a priest receives Mass intentions from the faithful for their loved one’s intention, he is reminded that what he does really has an effect in this world and beyond.  Consecrating the Eucharist and completing the Sacrifice accomplishes something far beyond this place and this moment. 

There has been over the last decades a corrosive deemphasis of how the effects of Holy Mass transcend distances and even the threshold of death, in favor of a horizontal focus on the assembly gathered in that moment. 

I frequently meet people who long to have Masses said for their loved ones, living and dead.  People today can have a hard time finding priests who can accept Mass intentions.  Often parishes have only one priest and one daily Mass.  They cannot find priests willing or available to do so. 

Pray for an increase of vocations to the priesthood.

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Will desecrating the Eucharist receive same attention as burning the Koran?

Posted on 8 September 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader:

I see that the plan of one small church in America to burn a Koran has gained world-wide attention, interventions by the Secretary of State and religious leaders, and a spot on the BBC’s front page.

Does this mean we can confidently expect the next, sadly inevitable, act of desecration against the Most Blessed Sacrament to elicit such a response?

Somehow, I think not.

 

 

Posted in Biased Media Coverage, The Last Acceptable Prejudice | Tagged , ,
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REVIEW: Eataly

Posted on 7 September 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I have now visited the new "Eataly" complex in Manhattan, across from the Flat Iron building and Madison Square Park.  It is about a block and a half from where I often stay when here.

This is clearly going to be a vast and churning money machine.

I have been in the place several times, and at all hours the aisles and places to sit and eat have been jammed, even fairly late.

You can buy finished products for immediate consumption, such as ice cream, and slices of goodies, or glaces of wines with more goodies, and also packaged products and raw materials for cooking in your own kitchen.

I may need to go tomorrow and pick up some cockles and mussels for a set to in the rectory.  Yum.

Working with salmon roe.

The fresh pasta looks quite good.

I will also be looking for squid ink.

There are banks and banks of dry pastas.

There is a very good meat counter.

And people enjoying one of the cafe/restaurants.

The produce looks stupendous.  

I haven’t tried anything yet of the salumeria.  The bread seems to be spectacular.

The wines are, from a glance, undistinguished but useful.

My impression of a great deal of the packaged goods and products is, how to say, "corporate".  I haven’t seen them in my usual groceries in Rome.  The whole place throbs with a "corporate" feel.  I am guessing the organizers approached or were approached by various large food concerns (Barilla comes to mind) who packaged products for the enterprise.   This doesn’t mean that it is of second quality, of course.

Put it this way.  It is far to large and uniform to be anything like a real Italian market.  However, this is New York City.  Having the immediate availability of all these things nearby would be a great advantage.

I think the idea is this: you can sample myriad things and then also, on the spot, buy everything you would need to make it at home.   This would be a great place to start getting familiar with Italian staples.

Also, this would be a great place to meet people.   I wonder if a blognic would work here.  Hmmm.

And it is HUGE, and filled with fascinating and fascinated people.  It has a great feeling.  You could have a lot of fun here.

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11 Sept: Relics of St. John Bosco in San Francisco

Posted on 7 September 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a press release:

Relics of Saint John Bosco (Don Bosco)
Founder of the Salesian Order, “Father and Teacher of the Young”
to Arrive in San Francisco THIS SATURDAY September 11!

SAN FRANCISCO–On Saturday, September 11, at 11:30PM, the relics of Don Bosco will arrive at Saints Peter and Paul Church, 666 Filbert Street, in San Francisco. The relics, a portion of Don Bosco’s right arm bone encased in a 1,800 lb. reliquary, will be driven to San Francisco from Tijuana, Mexico, the most recent stop on a worldwide tour commemorating the 200th Anniversary of Don Bosco’s birth. The relics have already visited (among others) Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Honduras, Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Bolivia, Guatemala, and Mexico.

Don Bosco will be received at Saints Peter and Paul, the first Salesian presence in North America, by an honor guard including members of the SF Fire Department, the SF Police Department, the Knights of Malta, the Knights of Columbus, and the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher.  The Church will be open all of Saturday night, allowing veneration by the faithful.  On Sunday, September 12, there will be five Masses celebrated at Saints Peter and Paul, each emphasizing a particular aspect of Don Bosco’s ministry: as a Model of Service; as Apostle to the Young; as Missionary to the World; as Model of Holiness; as Faithful for the Kingdom.

[…]

Let us pray in unity with the San Franciscans who go to venerate the relics of this saint who foresaw so many problems for the modern Church for the conversion of Speaker Pelosi and for better order in that city.

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“new translation” or “corrected translation”? WDTPRS POLL!

Posted on 7 September 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

POLL BELOW!

I found this note about the new translation of the Roman Missal at SERVIAM.  My emphases and comments:

I would like to propose a change in our “default” reference to the upcoming translation changes to the Roman Missal.

At the moment there are three camps:  [1] There is the “It’s About Time” camp (of which I am a card-carrying member) and there is [2] the “Vast Right Wing Conspiracy Seeking to Undermine the Glorious Empowering Liturgical Reforms of the Last Forty Years” camp, of which I am not.  I suspect that each of these camps represent about 10% of Catholics.  In between, there are 80% who currently belong to [3] the “What New Translation?” camp.  In political circles, these are called “swing voters.”

We are currently referring to the upcoming translations as “new.”  While accurate, this reference is also editorially neutral. [Interesting.]  As most people don’t know there is anything wrong with the current translations, their default position will likely be “why hassle me with a change where none is needed?”  They might also conclude that the original prayers were simply re-written by Pope Benedict to reflect his conservative agenda.  Then we are put in a defensive position from square one.

I suggest our default reference be “corrected translation” or “new corrected translation.”  By adding the word “corrected” to all references, we teach that the original translations were defective and that this was a repair, not the promotion of an agenda.  We communicate the the real reasons for the change from the outset, not in defense against those on the left who ARE promoting an agenda.

 

Thoughts?

Let’s have your thoughts.

Please respond to this WDTPRS POLL and give your reasons for your answer in the combox, below.

{democracy:78}

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Benedict XVI will use Latin when in Scotland

Posted on 7 September 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

In case anyone missed it, I object to the term "the Latin Mass" when used to indicated the Traditional Latin Mass, otherwise called the Extraordinary Form or a whole raft of other things.

I object to "the Latin Mass", because – properly – the Novus Ordo or Ordinary Form is also to be celebrated in Latin.  The Novus Ordo is also "the Latin Mass.

This comes from The Herald of Scotland with my emphases and comments.

Pope’s Glasgow Mass in Latin

5 Sep 2010

A substantial part of the Mass to be celebrated by Pope Benedict at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow on September 16 will be said in Latin, the Vatican has confirmed.

In an interview with The Herald, published today, Monsignor Guido Marini, the Pope’s master of ceremonies, reveals the Canon and Preface – the most significant parts – will be said in the ancient language. [I think also that most everything that is sung should be in Latin.  Let the readings be in the vernacular.]

Mgr Marini said: “For all the Masses said in the UK the Preface and the Canon will be said in Latin. What the Holy Father intends by using Latin is to emphasise the universality of the faith and the continuity of the Church.”

The Canon is the most significant part of the Mass as it both precedes and follows the Consecration. [The consecration is part of the Canon.  But watch this…] It will be said in a Latin translation of the modern English liturgy, and will be viewed as a sign of Benedict XVI’s desire to return to the solemnity of the traditional liturgy.  [Did you find that odd? "It will be said in a Latin translation of the English"?  Noooo….  Latin is the original and English is the translation.]

Mgr Marini also revealed a new English translation of the Mass, [I assume that the proper prayers (Collect, Super oblata, Post communion, will be in English.] to be introduced next year, will be truer to the original Latin used by the Church for 1500 years before the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s. Parts of it will be said at Bellahouston for the first time.

But the move falls [far] short of a wholehearted [odd word] return to the old Tridentine rite of pre-Vatican II, supported by Pope Benedict, but which remains controversial. Earlier this year news of the papal visit to the UK sparked debate about the unity of the church in Scotland as it was claimed some Scottish bishops opposed returning to the old pre-1970s liturgy. [Claims aside, what is the actual track record in this regard.  What did they do or fail to do?]

Yesterday Father Stephen Dunn, parish priest of Sacred Heart church in Bridgeton, responded to the news by saying he is moving his regular Latin Mass from Monday evening slot to Tuesdays at 10am from this week.

“I’m doing this because it is in accordance with the wishes of the Holy Father,” he said. “I am delighted that the Holy Father is once again using liturgical Latin. It was never banned but has been discouraged.”

But Scottish composer James MacMillan, who has set parts of the new English verion [sic] to music for the Bellahouston Mass, dismissed any idea of controversy.

“Vatican II was never intended to do away with mass in Latin,” he said. “Contrary to what certain activists are trying to claim, neither Latin nor choral music have ever been banned.” [Do I hear an "Amen!"?]

Ronnie Convery, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Glasgow, said: “It is possible the Latin liturgy at Bellahouston may reawaken a renewed interest in the Church’s traditional music forms. We are completely relaxed about it, and support it.”

Meanwhile, the BBC has rejected claims by the leader of Scotland’s Catholics that it [i.e., the BBC] is institutionally biased. Cardinal Keith O’Brien said in a newspaper interview that mainstream Christian views have been “marginalised” by the corporation and that senior news managers have admitted a radically secular and socially liberal mindset pervades their newsrooms.

He also voiced concern over a documentary about the Pope, to be broadcast on the eve of his arrival in Scotland, and the level of religious programming.

However, a spokeswoman for the corporation said yesterday: “The BBC’s news and current affairs coverage of any subject is approached in an objective and impartial way reflecting the different sides of the debate. [Suuuuuuure.]

“BBC news and current affairs has a dedicated religion correspondent, and works closely with BBC Religion, ensuring topical religious and ethical affairs stories are featured across all BBC networks.

 

Posted in Brick by Brick, Pope of Christian Unity | Tagged
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NCReg: Priest Slaps Young Man For Desecrating Eucharist

Posted on 6 September 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From an article by Pat Archbold in the National Catholic Register, with my emphases and comments:

Recently there has been a rash of desecration of the Eucharist during communion time.  As a result, there have been some calls to restore communion on the tongue. [Do I hear an "Amen!"?]

That is one solution.

Here is another.

A priest in Valencia Spain witnessed a young man during communion take the Eucharist and throw it on the floor.  The priest then decided on a course of action that one could properly call old school apologetics of the corporal kind.

The priest slapped the young man across the face and dragged him from the Church and loudly pronounced him a ‘blasphemer.’ [OORAH!]

There are different schools of thought on this.  Some will undoubtedly say that the priest should have counseled the young man on exactly what is wrong with what he did.  They would say that violence solves nothing.

Another school might suppose that the young man deserved what he got and the swift punishment for his reprehensible actions will serve as a poignant reminder to the young man and to anyone else who might be so foolish to attempt the same.

I have every reason to believe that when I was a young man, if I had desecrated the Eucharist my parents would have held me down while the priest pummeled some repentance into me.

In trying to decide where I fall on the slap/don’t slap spectrum,  I recall when I was 16 in an all boys Catholic High School run by the Franciscans.  One day I was mouthing off in a very disrespectful way to a teacher during French class.  At that time, the Dean of Students, a certain Brother Gabriel, happened to be walking by the open door of the classroom and heard my disrespect.

Without a moment’s hesitation he walked right into the classroom and up to me.  He ordered me to stand up whereupon he smacked me right across the face.  Twenty four other young men took a deep breath in unison.  The dean had my attention and the attention of everyone else in that classroom.  He then grabbed me by the ear, apologized to the teacher on my behalf and escorted me to his office.

He sat me down and stared me down.  After what seemed an eternity, he asked me what I had to say for myself.  I briefly entertained making some cute remark about whether St. Francis would approve of the Dean’s five-knuckle attention getter but quickly thought better of it since I recently had an epiphany that I no longer lived in a consequence-free world.  So I said, “I am sorry, it will never happen again.”

And here is the thing, it never did happen again.  When Brother slapped me across the face, the thought of complaining never even crossed my mind because there was one thing I knew for sure.  I had it coming.  I knew better than to behave in such a way and that slap served as a stinging reminder.

As for me, there is no school like the ol’ school.

Swing away.

Proverbs 13:24

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The Feeder Feeder: NYC Botanical Garden edition

Posted on 6 September 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

As part of our On The Town day today, we three zoomed up the the NY Botanical Garden, which was delightful.

But I was surprised to see this fellow perched on a stone bridge.

I am thinking that this one may have been either an escapee or a surreptitious releasee.  He let me get fairly close.

Posted in The Feeder Feed |
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Communiovision

Posted on 6 September 2010 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

"It’s only a matter of time", said the priest. 

Sardonic humor is one thing, but he raised a harrowing prospect.

We had been talking about the sacrilegious horrors brought about by Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion.  And we weren’t talking about good-intentioned lay people trying to do a good turn but without proper training and supervision.  You know the story: someone gets a Host at Mass by putting a pyx on the altar and then, after Mass, has coffee and donuts with the gang, runs errands, and eventually pays attention the Eucharistic LORD in her purse.

We had in mind, for example, the religious sister in charge of chaplains at a metropolitan hospital who after helping herself to the tabernacle routinely tossed the pyx with Hosts into her unlocked desk door.

As we dined last last, one of the fellows at the table speculated that it was only a matter of time before some idiot priest got the bright idea to send consecrated Hosts in an envelope by mail.

From that starting point, we speculated about how this would be handled. 

Perhaps the self-communicating telecommunicant would then turn on the local-access cable channel and consume the Lord while watching Mass at the parish.

Or perhaps, if they were worried about sacrilege, they could mail out unconsecrated Hosts, and instruct the self-communicating telecommunicant what to do.

They should, for example, press the Host to the screen to auto-teleconsecrate.

I don’t have a problem with Masses broadcast on television.

But we do need to watch trends carefully.

Also, is the Blessed Sacrament being treated with due regard by Catholics in all places and at all times?   Pastors of souls have the duty to see to it that the Eucharist is treated with all reverence and care.

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