Beatification of Father Augustine Thevarparampil

Father Augustine Thevarparampil (1891-1973) , known as the apostle of the untouchables, was born in Ramapuram, India on April 1, 1891. At the age of 33, on Dec. 17, 1921, he was ordained by the Servant of God Mar Tommaso Kurialacherry. He was commonly called "Kunjachan" which means "little priest". In 1923 he was sent as vice parish priest for the Church of St. Sebastian in Kadanad, but his poor health forced him to return to his former village in 1926.

During this time of illness, Father Augustine became aware of the miserable living conditions of the untouchables - the lowest caste of the Indian society forced to perform degrading works. Father Augustine devoted his life to evangelization and fighting for better treatment of the poor including the untouchables. He baptized over 6,000 people during his life.

Father Augustine rose at 4 AM each day, celebrated Holy Mass, and then he went out into the world for Christ. He helped resolve disputes, preached the Gospel, and cared for the sick. Father Augustine would particularly love to visit children. The children would flock to his side when he visited their village, and he would give them any sweets that he had on him.

Father Augustine lived modestly and entirely spiritually. He was a servant of God. His will begins: "I possess neither land nor money, and I owe no one anything. I want my funeral to be a very simple one."

On October 16, 1973, at age 82, Father Augustine, the priest that cared for the poorest of the poor, died. His tomb attracts thousands of pilgrims.

He was declared a Venerable by Pope John Paul ll back in June 2004. His canonization process, which began on August 11, 1987, continues now. A miraculously healing of a boy's clubfoot was attributed to his intercession leading to his beatification today. Cardinal Varkev Vithayathil presided in name of Pope Benedict XVI at the beatification of Father Augustine Thevarparampil.

Please say a prayer for his canonization and if you receive favors through Blessed Kunjachan's intercession, inform the following people so that he might be formally canonized. If you have information relevant to the canonization of Blessed Augustine, please contact:

The Vice-Postulator
Cause of Blessed Kunjachan
St. Augustine's Forane Church
Ramapuram Bazar P.O
PIN: 686576- Kerala, India

Ph: 04822-262481, 260323
E-mail: bvlpala@yahoo.com

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Novena for Vocations: Day Five

Day Five of this novena for greater vocations to the priesthood is up at K's blog.

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain

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The Da Vinci Protest

Catholic Online has an article concerning the upcoming debut of the "DaVinci Code" as a movie. This movie, along with the book, promotes heresy including claims that Jesus had children with Mary Magdalene.

Someone might counter and say that the book is fiction, but apparently the author doesn't think so. The completely fabricated rituals and claims in this book are obviously believed by the author, Dan Brown.

When appearing on “The Today Show,” host Matt Lauer asked him, “How much of this is based on reality in terms of things that actually occurred?” Dan Brown responded: “Absolutely all of it. Obviously, there are - Robert Langdon is fictional, but all of the art, architecture, secret rituals, secret societies, all of that is historical fact.” (Source)

This book is an attack on Our Lord's Divinity and on His Catholic Church! We shall protest this heresy!

As the controversy around the upcoming Da Vinci Code movie grows, the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) and its America Needs Fatima campaign announced plans to hold 1,000 peaceful prayer vigils outside theaters nationwide beginning May 19.

“These public acts of reparation will literally blanket the country. From Alaska to Alabama, from California to Connecticut, dedicated volunteers are banding together for protest prayer vigils in front of movie theaters showing the blasphemous Da Vinci Code movie,” said America Needs Fatima director Robert Ritchie.
...

“Interest is overwhelming. The phones haven’t stopped ringing. Catholics are joining in droves. We have protest leaders of all ages who are very devoted people: priests, college students, parents, and grandparents,” Ritchie explained. “They’re motivated because they realize that if our culture doesn’t respect the rights of God, it won’t respect its own leaders and fellow citizens.”

Referring to the woman who according to tradition wiped Jesus’ face on the way to Calvary, the TFP spokesman said: "Veronica is a good example for us to follow. She saw Our Lord wounded and bleeding, carrying the Cross. Her love for Jesus moved her to take her veil and wipe His face. God inspired her. What she did was heroic. Alone, she faced the guards to console Jesus. Today we have the chance to console Our Lord at hundreds of movie theaters, where He will be mocked again by blasphemy.”

(Source: CatholicPRWire)

Join me in praying against the DaVinci Code. I pray that this book may not lead anyone from the faith of Jesus Christ. Please join me as the debut date of May 19, 2006, approaches.

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Quotations from Mother Teresa and St. Pio

Blessed Mother Teresa:

"I believe in person to person. Every person is Christ for me, and since there is only one Jesus, that person is the one person in the world at that moment."

Padre Pio:

"Do not abandon your soul to temptation, says the Holy Spirit, because the joy of the heart is the life of the soul, it is an inexhaustible treasure of sanctity; while sadness is the slow death of the soul and it is of no use to anyone."

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St. Clare of Assisi, Words of Inspiration: April 30, 2006

 

"Praise and glory be to you, O loving Jesus Christ, for the most sacred wound in your side . . . and for your infinite mercy which you made known to us in the opening of your breast to the soldier Longinus, and so to us all. I pray you, O most gentle Jesus, having redeemed me by baptism from original sin, so now, by your Precious Blood, which is offered and received throughout the world, deliver me from all evils, past, present and to come."

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St. Catherine of Siena

Memorial (1969 Calendar): April 29
Double (1955 Calendar): April 30

St. Catherine was born on March 25, 1347, as the 23rd child of twenty-five children. Her twin, the 24th child, died at birth. St. Catherine was the daughter of Giacomo di Benincasa, a cloth dyer, and, Lapa Piagenti, the daughter of a local poet.

At the young age of six, St. Catherine received a vision of Jesus coming to her and blessing her. At age seven, St. Catherine consecrated her virginity completely to Jesus Christ. She became a Dominican tertiary when she was only 16 years old. She lived and subjected herself to long periods of fasting, where the only thing she consumed was the Holy Eucharist.

In 1366, St. Catherine received the most important vision of her life. She described it as a spiritual marriage with Christ where the Infant Child of Jesus presented her with a ring. She saw it on her hand each day of her life from that moment as a reminder of her union to serving the Lord. Following this, she began writing letters, begging for peace, and serving the sick and dying. She truly lived the life that Jesus calls each of us to live. St. Catherine was even a counselor to Pope Gregory XI and Pope Urban VI.

St. Catherine was also privileged to bear the sacred wounds of Our Lord - the Stigmata. She died on April 29, 1380, and she was canonized as a saint by Pope Pius II in 1461.

Prayers:

Precious Blood, Ocean of Divine Mercy: Flow upon us! Precious Blood, Most Pure Offering: Procure us every Grace! Precious Blood, Hope, and Refuge of sinners: Atone for us! Precious Blood, Delight of holy souls: Draw us! Amen.

- By Saint Catherine of Siena

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that we who commemorate the heavenly birthday of blessed Catherine, Thy Virgin, may rejoice in her yearly festival and profit by her example of great virtue. Through our Lord.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

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Novena for Vocations: Day Four

Please pray the fourth day of this novena for greater vocations to the priesthood. It's posted at K's Blog.

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain

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Status of the Catholic Church in Russia

Zenit recently published a very enlightening article on the growth of the Catholic Church in Russia following the re-establishment of the Church there, which began on April 13, 1991.

Here is part of the article:

Q: How has the Catholic Church in Russia transformed itself after the re-establishment of its structure 15 years ago?

Archbishop Kondrusiewicz: Here I think it's necessary that I speak of statistics. At the end of the '30s of the last century, only two Catholic churches remained in Russia, along with two priests.

We grew a bit in 1991 as 10 parishes were registered "officially." To register, means to present oneself at the Russian Ministry of Justice to be able to have juridical status and status of a physical person.

Also working were seven priests, two of whom were older than 80; there were four chapels and two churches. That was all! There wasn't anything else!

At present, after 15 years, we now have an episcopal conference, not very large because there are only three bishops, four archdioceses, close to 225 parishes and around 25 organizations, such as the seminary; Caritas, which has developed very strongly in the different archdioceses; Radio Maria in St. Petersburg and Radio Don in Moscow, among others.

We also have more or less 270 priests and 250 nuns; in both cases the majority are foreigners, from 22 different countries.

Little by little we are forming priests and, for example, 10% of them are now of Russian origin.

As to the number of Catholics, there are about 600,000 in the territory of the Russian Federation, though some studies point out that they comprise 1% of the population, that is, just under 1.5 million Catholics. However, many are in diasporas or are still afraid to declare their faith, and they must be sought and gathered.

Continuing with the statistics, of the 225 parishes, close to 25% of them do not have their own church. They do not have a place to pray, so they must find an alternative site.

We also have a seminary in St. Petersburg, "Mary, Queen of the Apostles," where about 50 seminarians are studying. The first priest was ordained in 1999, eighty years after any Catholic priest had been ordained in Russia!

In the archdiocese of Moscow there are seven publishing houses that, over these 15 years, have published close to 600 different publications in Russian. So imagine, if every parish priest had at least one copy of each of them, he would have a library!

© Innovative Media, Inc.

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Words of Inspiration: April 29, 2006

Our Lord died for us; He died for a reason not to be put on our wall or in a textbook but to be placed in our hearts to make us remember we are to be Eucharistic tabernacles to let the light of Christ to shine through us.

Source: Me

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A Morning Prayer by St. Gregory of Nazianzus

I rise and pledge myself, Lord, that this day I shall do no evil deed, but offer every moment as a sacrifice to you. I blush when I remember my sinfulness; I shudder when to recall how I have betrayed you. Yet you know that now I want only to serve you. Make me this day your devoted servant.

~ St. Gregory of Nazianzus (329-389)

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