Anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun

On October 13, 1917, Mary appeared again to the three children and said, "I want to tell you that a chapel is to be built here in my honor. I am the Lady of the Rosary. Continue always to pray the Rosary every day. The war is going to end, and the soldiers will soon return to their homes." By then there were thousands of witnesses.

Mary also said, "Do not offend the Lord our God anymore, because He is already so much offended."

At that, the Miracle of the Sun was witnessed by 70,000 people as it danced in the sky, changed colors, and was hurled towards earth as if to destroy it. It is truly an amazing miracle and a proof of the Truth of the Catholic Faith.

The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared later in 1929 to Sister Lucia as well to request the First Saturday Devotion.  Read more on the apparitions in Fatima.

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Ukrainian Catholic Seminarians and Priests Evangelizing Soldiers

This is a very positive story, and in our negative world, positive stories are, I believe, extremely important. Remember, the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church is part of the Universal Catholic Church.

From Catholic News Agency:

Konigstein, Oct. 13, 2006 (CNA) - Fr. Bohdan Prach, rector of Holy Spirit Seminary in Lviv, Ukraine, said his seminarians have had great success in their efforts to evangelize men and women serving in the armed forces of Ukraine.

Prach said the pastoral work of many of Holy Sprit Seminary’s 220 seminarians involves outreach and evangelization in the Ukranian Army. “There are already young priests serving military units in Lviv and Western Ukraine. As a result, the atmosphere in the army has considerably improved,” Fr. Prach said.”

“Also, there are many adult baptisms which come as a fruit of these catechetical efforts,” he added.

Military service is compulsory in Ukraine, thus a large number of Ukrainian young people can be reached through such spiritual support of the military.

The rector made his comments on a recent visit to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) headquarters in Königstein, Germany. Fr. Prach was visiting to thank the international aid organization for their support, which has helped with the construction and upkeep of his seminary’s physical plant as well as with the formation of its seminarians, he said.

“ACN and its benefactors are indeed our most outstanding friends,” Prach said.

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Orthodox Priest Murdered in Mosul

From the International Herald Tribune:

Relatives of an Orthodox priest who was kidnapped and found beheaded three days later said Thursday that his captors had demanded his church condemn the pope's recent comments about Islam and pay a US$350,000 (€280,000) ransom.

More than 500 people attended a memorial service Thursday for Father Amer Iskender in the northern city of Mosul after his decapitated body was found Wednesday evening in an industrial area of the city.

Iskender was a priest at the St. Ephrem Orthodox church in Mosul.

"He was a good man and we all shed tears for him," said Eman Saaur, a 45-year-old schoolteacher who said she attended Iskender's church regularly. "He was a man of peace."

Relatives, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, said the unidentified group that seized Iskender on Sunday had demanded a ransom and that his church condemn a statement made by Pope Benedict XVI last month that ignited a wave anger throughout the Muslim world.

Before Iskender was kidnapped, his relatives said, the church already had put up signs condemning the statement and calling for good relations between Christians and Muslims. The message was posted again, they said, after the priest's kidnappers made their demand.

"It was a tragedy," said Hazim Shaaiya, 60, who had come to the memorial service to pay respects. "Father Amer Iskender was a peaceful, kind religious man."

Please say a prayer for this priest. Indeed, he died the death all followers of Christ are supposed to die: "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends" (John 15:13). And who better to lay down your life for than for Our King and Lord, who died for our sins and forgives us each time in Confession.

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine. Et lux perpetua luceat eis.

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Motivational Poster

My entry into the Inspirational, Motivational Poster contest:

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St. John Chrysostom on the Holy Eucharist

"This Fountain [of the Holy Eucharist] is a fountain of light, shedding abundant rays of truth. And beside it the angelic powers from on high have taken their stand, gazing on the beauty of its streams, since they perceive more clearly than we the power of what lies before us and its unapproachable dazzling rays"

(St. John Chrysostom)

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Breaking News: Pope to Sign Universal Indult on the Traditional (Tridentine) Latin Mass

Hallelujah!

A Headline in today's Times Online reads: "Pope set to bring back Latin Mass that divided the Church"! The article also states: "The new indult would permit any priest to introduce the Tridentine Mass to his church, anywhere in the world, unless his bishop has explicitly forbidden it in writing. [which we now know is not possible for the bishop to forbid the Mass]"

THE Pope is taking steps to revive the ancient tradition of the Latin Tridentine Mass in Catholic churches worldwide, according to sources in Rome.

Pope Benedict XVI is understood to have signed a universal indult — or permission — for priests to celebrate again the Mass used throughout the Church for nearly 1,500 years. The indult could be published in the next few weeks, sources told The Times.

Use of the Tridentine Mass, parts of which date from the time of St Gregory in the 6th century and which takes its name from the 16th-century Council of Trent, was restricted by most bishops after the reforms of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65).

Update (2010):By now if you have followed any news on Catholicism you will see a proliferation in the Mass of All Times that has resulted from this released indult in 2007.  See the posts below for information on what has happened.

1. Posts on the Traditional Latin Mass
2. Indult is called Summorum Pontificum
3. Summorum Pontificum Released!
4. 2 Year Anniversary of Indult: What Has Happened Since Then

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St. Denis

Optional Memorial (1969 Calendar): October 9

Commemoration (1962 Calendar): October 9
Commemoration (1954 Calendar): October 9

Today the Church remembers St. Denis, bishop and martyr and companions, martyrs. St. Denis was born in Italy. And, in 250 he was sent to France with six other missionary bishops by Pope St. Fabian. St. Denis became the first bishop of Paris. Because of his success, he angered the pagans and was imprisoned by the Roman governor. He was beheaded on the highest hill in France (the Montmartre) in 258 with the priest Rusticus and the deacon Eleutherius at Catulliacum, now Saint-Denis.

One of the many legends about his torture and death was that his body carried his severed head some distance from his execution site. During that walk, he continued to preach! This was a miracle of God. St. Denis is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, who were invoked especially in the Middle Ages against the Black Plague. Saint Genevieve built a basilica over his grave, which is the burial site of French Kings. His feast was added to the Roman Calendar in 1568 by Pope Saint Pius V, though it had been celebrated since 800 AD.

Patron: against frenzy; against strife; headaches; against diabolical possession; France; Paris, France.

Symbols: beheaded bishop carrying his head — sometimes a vine growing over his neck; mitered head in his hand or on book; white chasuble; tree or stake; sword; Our Lord with chalice and host.

Collect:

O God, You sent Rusticus and Eleutherius to join blessed Denis in preaching Your glorious name to the pagans, and on this day You so strengthened this martyr bishop in virtue that he was able to endure martyrdom courageously. May we follow the example of Your saints for love of You and spurn the pleasures of the world, without fearing to face any of its trials. Through our Lord . . .

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1 Peter 4:13-14

Dearly Beloved: Rejoice in the measure that you share Christ’s sufferings. When his glory is revealed, you will rejoice exultantly. Happy are you when you are insulted for the sake of Christ, for then God’s Spirit in its glory has come to rest on you.

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Photos of St. Padre Pio

An amazing photograph was emailed to me of St. Padre Pio. In the email, there was also this link to the photo's source: http://www.franciscan-archive.org/padrepio/Adamic-Archive-6.htm  Some of those photos are here:

Be sure to check out my post dedicated to St. Padre Pio and watch a video of him saying Mass! And see my post dedicated to the many miracles of St. Padre Pio.

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The Catholic Home - Updated Edition

I was privileged to be able to review "The Catholic Home: Celebrations and Traditions for Holidays, Feast Days, and Every Day" by Meredith Gould. This updated edition is certainly a book that will exist as a source of information for decades to come. Not only does Gould include traditional, liturgical traditions from other countries, it includes craft ideas and brilliant recipes.

While I do not agree with all of the suggestions in the book, - for example, supporting UNICEF- I do agree with many of them. And, I do believe that some Gould's suggestions are excellent ways to allow the Faith to foster in the Family - the "Domestic Church".

Update: The Curt Jester points out several errors in the view of the Sacraments in this book. I forgot to write about the section on the Sacraments, so here is my review on that portion. I would ask future readers to be very cautious with reading this book when the author talks about the Sacraments. I also would like to point out I disagreed with the author's words on page xxii: "Does anyone really want to go back to fiddling with rosary beads and staring at the back of the priest's vestments while he inaudibly mutters in Latin?" I, for one, would love to attend more Masses in Latin, and I prefer the ad orientum posture, where the priest usually faced away from the congregation. Gould seems to be anti-Tradition in this regard.

I can only recommend the first section of the book on the traditions in the Liturgical year. I honestly, after reading the Curt Jester's post and thinking on the matter, can't support the opinions of the author in the section on the Sacraments at all. There are too many theological errors.

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