The sunrise in Rome was 0647 and the sun just set at 1941. The Ave Maria is at 2000.
It is the Feast of St Isidore (+636). Some people believe that he could be a good Patron of the Internet. There is the “Internet Prayer” which I wrote many years ago and which has been translated into many languages.
It’s rainy this afternoon but the morning was lovely.
Some views.
The City saw a 6:48 sunrise and will have its sunset at 19:40. The Ave Maria bell is to ring at 20:00. The full moon is coming: 6 April: important for the dating of Easter, of course. It is the Feast of Sixtus I and of St. Richard of Chichester. The later always makes me think of the limerick my old pastor had in his back pocket for this day. Posted earlier.
I had mentioned yesterday my gratitude to my Roman Donors. I said Mass for your intention as soon as I arrived on Saturday. And with my mention of donations a few more came in which I am please to acknowledge here.
Thanks…
EL, MP, PJMcD, HB, AFC, DMcN, KS, TO’R (wow)
I hope I didn’t miss anyone. Donations come in via different services and it gets complicated. Also, sometimes there are no email addresses, so it is hard to write thank you notes.
I’d like also to thank some of the past “200” and “100” campaigners who have persevered. Sometime ago, I had campaigns to add monthly subscribers. Each time I was blessed with a good response. Of course there are those who silently drop away for one reason or another which is understandable. I have lists of donors past and present and you are remembered in my prayers, in particular when I am informed that someone has passed away. They are remembered in prayer.
Palm Sunday was wonderful at my adoptive parish of Ss. Trinità dei Pellegrini. The place was packed as you can imagine. All the images in the Church are covered and not haphazardly: many have individually made to cover the image just to the edge of the frame. Striking. Since there are a lot of large images, there is a lot of purple. The altar, however, was dressed in Roman purple, which has a reddish cast.
You can see the deacon has his broad stole.
Lunch lunch with The Great Roman™ and the Great Roman Wife™ – a real treat since she can’t always join in – along with my Chicagoans.
Rigatoni alla carbonara.
And puntarelle. What a pleasure. They were perfect.
I ran into a few blog readers after Mass. It is great to meet people whose names I’ve seen the combox and in donations over the years. That’s one of perks.
Meanwhile,…
White to move in this unbalanced situation.
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
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The wonderful nuns of Gower Abbey, the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, have a new disc and digital download:
These are the RESPONSORIES of Tenebrae for all three days of the Triduum. They are, arguably, the most beautiful chants of the entire liturgical year.
My old pastor Msgr. Richard Schuler used to trot out this limerick on this Feast of St. Richard.
There was an old Bishop of Chichester,
Who said thrice (the Latin for which is ‘ter’),
“Avaunt and defiance,
Foul spirit called Science,
And quit Mother Church, thou bewitchest her.”
Of course the Church is not anti-science, unless it is HACK-science. At least in sane times the Church is against HACK-science. Sane times, mind you.
On this topic of the Church and Science I recommend the book, Galileo in Rome: The Rise and Fall of a Troublesome Genius by William R. Shea and Mariano Artigas and Dava Sobel’s A More Perfect Heaven: How Copernicus Revolutionized the Cosmos (UK edition HERE). In addition, there is Heilbron’s The Sun In The Church and Galileo by the same.
BTW… St. Richard called for a Crusade against the Saracens. Bless him.
Happy feast of St. Richard!
Sunrise in Rome was 6:50 and sunset 19:38. The Ave Maria rings at 200o.
It was Palm Sunday.
Welcome new registrants:
MTN
Stefan Lignum
armycook
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not sure what goes in this field
It is Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week.
Was there a GOOD point made in the sermon you heard at your Sunday Mass of obligation?
Tell about attendance especially for the Traditional Latin Mass. I hear that it is growing. Of COURSE.
Did you have a procession with palms or olive branches?
Any local changes or (hopefully good) news?
Over at Ann Barnhardt’s place you will find a video of something that happened in France in 1987. Catholics who desired the Traditional Latin Mass were locked out of the parish church on Palm Sunday… much like what now-incredibly-Cardinal Cupich once did in 2002 to people in Rapid City on Good Friday. At the time that was called an “invitation to unity” and painting himself as the victim: “I would ask them, ‘Why do they find it so difficult, on the day of the Lord’s death, to celebrate with their bishop, who is the sign of the Lord’s unity?'”
Indeed, why?
These folks in France had Mass outside the church and then used a battering ram to go in while singing “Christus Vincit“.
Just 10 years before, in 1977, a large group of people with their priest commandeered the Parisian church St-Nicholas du Chardonnet. After some years, the SSPX took the place over. They still have it now and it is hardly to be doubted that it is the single most vibrant Catholic “parish” in the city.
Sometimes “pastors of souls”, perhaps not clearly holding in mind that they are servants, drive their flocks to strong measures.
At last I – we (I am with friends) – are in Rome.
It is April 1 and a 1st Saturday. The Roman Station was St. John at the Latin Gate. The sun rose at 6:52 and set at 19;37. The Ave Maria is supposed to ring at 20:00
Flying in… Lago di Bolsena. You can see how early in we were. That makes this first day really hard.
Mass was for Roman Donors. Donations are still welcome, for they will help me keep my US phone online more often.
Lago Bolsena, north of Rome.
At this hour… no one.
Waiting for my bags.
Very early yet for the little strawberries.
Here they come! Also a little early.
There are little signs in the streets indicating that someone is not appreciated across the board.
Which drink is mine,
Palms and branches for tomorrow.
Supper. Guesses?
April 1st 2023
Dear Diary,
Lenten reconciliation service at the cathedral. Different stations for reconciliation set up with six priests and me. We used one of the old “box” confessionals for the people stuck in the past! God love ’em. I guess those boxes weren’t so bad. A lot of people came back then. Those old priests were always saying “Go to confession!” And they DID! There were lines out the door, as I recall. Different times, before the sunshine. Hey! Some 25 people showed up tonight! It was great. One couple came up to me together, holding hands, and smiled at me before I could say anything and they said “we don’t have anything to confess we just want a blessing!” They looked so happy. I blessed them, of course. No sins? “Impressive”, as Fr. Tommy would say! But people are so good. They mean well. And at least they showed up tonight. Not nothing.
Great music by our contemporary group. Frisky guitar playing. I was still humming the tune after I got home! “To be alive and feeling free, and to have everyone in our family. To be alive in every way oh how great it is to be alive! Every day there’s newness something else to do, the dawn of something something is something… that’s where I run out. But isn’t that the whole thing right there? What memories. That song really brings back the memories of when everything started to get better. I emailed Sr. Randi and she found a link to the very song! [As editor I’ve inserted the link.] It was great! I played it over and over again on the computer speakers really loud and felt like I was young again. Music has a lot of power, doesn’t it.
On an other note: Talk to Fr. Tommy about slamming his door. He did it several times tonight.
We should talk with the music director and see if we can’t get more Rapp music in the parishes. HA! See what I did there, Diary? Just a Ray of Hope!
And so it begins; the second leg.
This morning brought bagels and schmear with lox and black coffee.
The morning was dedicated to updating my electronics and playing some blitz against an engine. After a super fast trip into JFK and rapid passage through the check in and security thanks to being able to use quicker lines a brief triage eventually got me into the lounge.
Meanwhile folks I’m to meet in Rome are lunching in another terminal.
A bit of soup. They’ll feed us in the air.
I think it will start to get real when I’m seated.
More later.
March 31st 2023
Dear Diary,
Had an all afternoon meeting with the clergy yesterday. I’ve decided it’s time to redo our diocesan policy book so we’re tackling the question of whether the diocese should be divided into deaneries or vicariates. Maybe both! A few of us had a nice lunch first at the steakhouse. I had Fr. Tommy pick up subs and water for the rest of them. I overheard one of the guys complaining that we had this meeting during Passiontide, saying he had all sorts of stuff to do at the parish and called this “busy work.” Huh! I never remember things getting all that busy during those six months I was pastor of a parish. I suppose, to be fair, I only had one parish, and these guys each have two or three, but still, how hard can it be? Anyway, we didn’t come to any conclusions, but I did name two new subcommittees to study the issue and report back in a couple months. That should make the nuncio realize that I really am doing my job here.
Coat of Arms by D Burkart
A Daily Prayer for Priests
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