Rev. John Del Priore of St. Barnabas Parish in Mazomanie, Wisconsin

This is an excerpt from an article in the Remnant. God bless and protect Rev. Fr. John Del Priore for abolishing the "altar girl" program at the parish. I encourage you to visit the article and send Fr. Del Priore a letter of support at this time.

On July 3, 2008, an obscure radical group calling itself "Women's Ordination Conference" (WOC) released a press release blasting the courageous decision of Rev. John Del Priore of St. Barnabas Parish in Mazomanie, Wisconsin to terminate the altar girl program as part of a larger measure to encourage vocations to the priesthood. Having been installed as pastor only one month before, Father Del Priore obviously wasn't wasting any time righting the ship.

Update (April 2009): I have written him a letter of support

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Catholic University of San Diego Nixes Feminist Professor

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- The University of San Diego has withdrawn its offer of an endowed chair to a Catholic feminist scholar who supports abortion rights.

The announcement that Rosemary Radford Ruether had been appointed to the Monsignor John R. Portman Chair in Roman Catholic Theology was greeted with dismay by many Catholic and anti-abortion groups, the San Diego Union-Tribune said Wednesday. Ruether sits on the board of Catholics for a Free Choice.

University spokeswoman Patricia Gray Payton said that one person who did not object was the anonymous benefactor who endowed the chair.

"Her public position and the symbol of this chair are in direct conflict," Payton said. "This chair is a powerful, visible symbol of Roman Catholic theology, and in Roman Catholic theology abortion is disallowed."

The news that Ruether's appointment had been rescinded has created more controversy. Two Catholic women's groups have gathered 2,000 signatures on petitions asking the university to change its mind again.

Source: UPI

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Into Great Silence: Office of the Night

I was recently given the opportunity to review "Into Great Silence: Office of the Night". The CD features the recording of the Monks of the Grande Chartreuse chanting the Sunday offices of Matins and Lauds. I tremendously enjoyed listening to this CD on Sunday mornings as I sat outside and watched the sun rise. As I listened to the beautiful chant, I prayed along with the monks with my Douay Rheims Bible. I highly recommend this CD to all Catholics.

Product Description
Only in complete silence, one starts to hear.
Only when language resigns, one starts to see.

In 1984, German filmmaker Philip Gröning wrote to the Carthusian order for permission to make a documentary about them. They said they would get back to him. Sixteen years later, they were ready.

In 2007, the documentary film Into Great Silence came to American theaters. Audiences and critics embraced it immediately. After releasing the soundtrack to the film, Jade Music is proud to release Into Great Silence: Office of the Night.

This is the first time that any recording of the Office of the Night at the Grande Chartreuse is made available in its entirety. The two-CD album is a collection of chants, readings, prayers, and sounds of silence recorded by the film director Philip Gröning during his six-month stay at the monastery.

This Office of the Night appeared to me to be the core of the Monks life and spirituality, the heartbeat of the Order for more than 1000 years. I wanted to share my experience with an audience. - Philip Gröning

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St. Stanislaus Oratory in Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Solemn High Mass

On Sunday, August 10, 2008, I decided to take a trip to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. While in Milwaukee, I attended Mass at the Oratory of St. Stanislaus, which is the location of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Solely by Divine grace did I choose to attend Sunday Mass there on a highly important day for the local Traditional Latin Mass community. On this occasion, a Solemn High Mass was celebrated according to the Missal of 1962 by Right Reverend Father R. Michael Schmitz, Vicar General in the Institute and Provincial for the United States.

Afterwards, I was able to take a few photos of the Oratory of St. Stanislaus. I have attached them to this post. If you wish to publish these photos on the Internet, I ask you to first specifically write to me about your request. I would also be most interested in finding any photos of the Solemn High Mass, as I did not feel it was appropriate to take photos of the Mass while sitting in the midst of the faithful.

After Mass and Breakfast at a nearby restaurant, I attended the Brewers - Nationals Major League Baseball Game, where the Brewers won 5-4 in the 13th Inning. It was a good game to watch.

Photos:

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Institute of Christ the King Website Updated

Dear Blogger,

The Institute of Christ the King has launched a new Web site at www.institute-christ-king.org.

The new Web site features:

* a fresh, elegant design
* easy navigation and better organization
* a new email list
* RSS news feed
* more resources and information
* new mini-sites for each apostolate with new pictures and maps
* a new home page that pulls the site together
* a solid, secure online donation system
* and much more . . .

This new site will be a great resource for news and information about the Institute, as well as Catholic Liturgy, Tradition, and culture.

The announcement of this new site on your blog would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you, and God bless you.

Yours in Christ the King,

Don Taylor [I have met the webmaster before]
Webmaster, Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest

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Traditional Latin Mass: August 30, 2008, St. Paul’s Church, Emo, Co. Laois, Ireland

Saint Conleth’s Catholic Heritage Association invites you to honour the Holy Year of St. Paul with Holy Mass in the Traditional Latin Rite on Saturday, 30th August, 2008, at 11 a.m. in St. Paul’s Church, Emo, Co. Laois, Ireland, followed by a tour of Emo Court House and Gardens.

For the past 15 years, St. Conleth’s Catholic Heritage Association has been working prayerfully for the provision of the Traditional Latin Liturgy in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin.

Please confirm your attendance to: catholicheritagegroup@catholic.org

For further details consult: http://www.catholicheritage.blogspot.com

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain

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Leo XIII: Church & State in France

The calumny made headway; and in their credulity the pagans called the first Christians “useless creatures, dangerous citizens, factionists, enemies of the Empire and the Emperors.”But in vain did the apologists of Christianity by their writings, and Christians by their splendid conduct, endeavor to demonstrate the absurdity and criminality of these qualifications: they were not heeded. Their very name was equivalent to a declaration of war; and Christians, by the mere fact of their being such, and for no other reason, were forced to choose between apostasy and martyrdom, being allowed no alternative. During the following centuries the same grievances and the same severity prevailed to a greater or less extent, whenever governments were unreasonably jealous of their power and maliciously disposed against the Church. They never failed to call public attention to the pretended encroachment of the Church upon the State, in order to furnish the State with some apparent right to violently attack the Catholic religion. (Leo XIII: Church & State in France)

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Christian Society - Pope St. Pius X

The civilization of the world is Christian. The more completely Christian it is, the more true, more lasting and more productive of genuine fruit it is. On the other hand, the further it draws away from the Christian ideal, the more seriously the social order is endangered. By the very nature of things, the Church has consequently become the guardian and protector of Christian society. That fact was universally recognized and admitted in other periods of history. In truth, it formed a solid foundation for civil legislation. On that very fact rested the relations between Church and State; the public recognition of the authority of the Church in those matters which touched upon conscience in any manner, the subordination of all the laws of the State to the Divine laws of the Gospel; the harmony of the two powers in securing the temporal welfare of the people in such a way that their eternal welfare did not suffer. (St. Pius X: Catholic Action)

Image Source: Believed to be in the Public Domain

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Our Lady of Sorrows Priory, Roodepoort Johannesburg

Rev. Fr. A. Esposito SSPX offers the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows Priory, Roodepoort Johannesburg. It is a truly beautiful image - our Lord Jesus Christ in the person of the priest.

Source: Summorum Pontificium Johannesburg

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Served My Second Tridentine Mass

Today I served my second Traditional Latin Mass. Again, Fr. Bernard Danbar OSA said the High Mass, today in honor of St. Alphonsus Liguori with a commemoration of St. Stephen I, Pontiff and Martyr. This Mass was held at St. Andrew the Apostle Parish in Calumet City, Illinois.

The Traditional Latin Mass is currently held at St. Andrew the Apostle Parish in Calumet City on the 1st Saturday of each month.

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