Blessing of the Cornerstone at Our Lady of Sorrows

In the past I had written about my visit to Our Lady of Sorrows Retreat Center in Phoenix, AZ and I also mentioned the need to support the construction of a new Church at Our Lady of Sorrows.

I'm pleased to report that progress continues for them and that the blessing of the cornerstone took place on October 5th of this year.

As the Society's website states:

The next day (Saturday, October 5) saw another important ceremony, the blessing of the church's cornerstone. Though as a symbolic piece this cornerstone does not have the same structural import as the roof trusses, nonetheless it has a far more religious significance. THE cornerstone (or in Latin lapidis angularis) is of course Our Lord Jesus Christ, "the stone the builders rejected" and thus crucified Him, of Who a church building itself represents.

Present for this ceremony, was from his residence in Chicago, Illinois, Bishop Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, those previously mentioned out-of-town and in-town clergy and religious, as well as the Benedictine monks of Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery who came from Silver City, New Mexico. Approximately 300 faithful were also in attendance.

Inscribed on the cornerstone's facade were these words:

Our Lady of Sorrows Church     October 5, 2013 
Stabat iuxta crucem Jesu mater eius
(There stood at the cross of Jesus, His mother).

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First Screening of Lefebvre the Movie

On Sunday, October 13, the first public screening of the English language version of the documentary film, Archbishop Lefebvre: The Documentary, will be given as the conclusion of the Angelus Press Conference.

Few churchmen led as influential lives in the 20th century as did Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre — an intelligent, faithful, and devout bishop with the heart of a missionary, this feature-film-length documentary captures and present him on screen as never before.
Shot on location throughout the world, the documentary contains exclusive interviews with those who knew him: friends, family, missionary faithful, seminarians, priests, bishops, as well as authors and historians.

Any Catholic interested in the story of the Church in the 20th Century, or in the life of the Church today will want to watch and own this documentary on one of the Church's most fascinating prelates.
Stay tuned for more documentary info!

Watch the trailer for the Archbishop Lefebvre documentary >
See where this movie will be playing near you >
Pre-order it now on DVD (release date: 12-1-2013) >

Source: SSPX Website

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Fisher More College: A Traditional Catholic College

Taken from the website:

“The College of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More was refounded three years ago as a traditional Catholic College starting almost from zero. In the first year there were five students, in the second year twenty, now in the third year over forty. This College is unique in the world, as it is the only College that is fully accredited to issue the B.A. degree in Liberal Arts and is at the same time fully traditional Catholic, with the Traditional Latin Mass on campus daily, Confession, the rosary, vespers, terce and compline. It accepts traditional Catholic professors and students. Its aim is to help rebuild the Catholic Church, so that young men and women will become the salt of the earth in our society and will pass on the Faith of all time to future generations. The College of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More occupies a unique place in the struggle of traditional Catholics to retain and pass on their Faith, because young men and women who have emerged from traditional Catholic high schools or who have been homeschooled ABSOLUTELY NEED the formation provided by this College before they confront the neo-pagan world we live in. It is too much to expect that those who complete high school education as teenagers will remain unscathed in all cases if exposed to the intellectual and moral dangers of largely anti-Christian higher education.

As with all initiatives, funds are needed to get started. The magnificent campus building, formerly the convent of Our Lady of Victory, was built in 1909 and is in need of renovation. Until the number of students has reached the economically viable figure of at least 120, operating costs must be subsidised and we need help now. Finally, our students in many cases come from large families of traditional Catholics that need scholarships to enable them to send their children, many of them homeschooled, to our College.

The new founders and professors of our College have shown themselves to be highly courageous in undertaking the initiative of founding a truly Catholic College of this kind. We are calling on you to support this College, which is a beacon on the hill and offers great hope for a Catholic future. This is an initiative that is truly deserving of support.”

 You may donate to the organization and learn more by clicking here.

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Catechism of the Council of Trent Online

CatechismClass.com is offering a great promotion.

Simply enroll in their Adult Education Program and contact the organization afterwards to request a FREE PDF of the Catechism of the Council of Trent.  The 346-Page Document is available to all enrolled students in the CatechismClass.com at absolutely no additional charge.

The Catechism of the Council of Trent, in addition to numerous other documents and supporting materials, is used in the organization's best selling Adult Education Program.

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Feast of St. Francis Borgia

SemiDouble (1955 Calendar): October 10

St Francis Borgia is nicknamed "the 2nd founder of the Jesuit Order." May he intercede today for this order to be restored from the heresy that has plagued it over the past century. And may we learn to imitate him and despise earthly goods for the love of God.  The rich and the poor alike must have a detachment to earthly goods (i.e. prefer nothing before God). This is essential and it is the foundation of the spiritual life as taught in an Ignatian retreat.

Traditional Matins Reading:

Francis, fourth Duke of Gandia, was the son of John Borgia and of Joanna of Aragon, grand-daughter of Ferdinand the Catholic. He passed his childhood, in his father’s house, in wonderful innocence and piety; but appeared still more admirable when he showed himself a pattern of Christian virtue and austerity, first at the court of the emperor, Charles V, and afterwards as viceroy of Catalonia. He was charged to convey the body of the empress Isabella to her sepulchre at Granada. Seeing the horrible change in her features, he understood how fleeting are all earthly things, and vowed to renounce everything as soon as possible, and devote himself to the service of the King of kings. From that day forward he made such progress in virtue, that, in the midst of overwhelming occupations, his life was a faithful copy of religious perfection, so that he was called the miracle of princes.

On the death of his wife Eleanora de Castro, he entered the Society of Jesus, that he might be therein more hidden, on account of the vow which closes the door to ecclesiastical preferment. Many princes followed him in embracing a severe manner of life; and Charles V himself did not hesitate to acknowledge that his advice and example had led him to abdicate the throne. Francis devoted himself to the exercises of a penitential life, and macerated his body by fasting, iron chains, a rough Imir-shirt, long and bloody disciplines, allowing himself very little sleep; while at the same time he spared no elfort to conquer himself and to gain souls. His great virtue caused St. Ignatius to appoint him commissary general for Spain; and soon afterwards, against his will, he was chosen by the whole Society third General of the Order. In this position his prudence and holiness endeared him both to Popes and to temporal rulers. He founded and enlarged many houses of his Order, and introduced the Society into Poland, the islands of the Atlantic, Mexico, and Peru, and sent apostolic men into other regions who spread the Catholic, Roman faith by their preaching, their labours, and their blood.

He had a most lowly opinion of himself, always calling himself the sinner. This humility led him to persistently refuse the Roman purple, which was more than once offered him by the Pope. Filled with contempt for himself and the world, he delighted in sweeping away dirt, begging alms from door to door, and serving the sick in the hospitals. He devoted many hours every day to heavenly contemplation, spending sometimes eight or even ten hours in prayer, and genuflecting in adoration a hundred times in the day. He never omitted saying Mass; While he was offering the divine Victim, or preaching, the heavenly ardour which consumed him betrayed itself by the radiance of his countenance. He knew by a heavenly instinct where the most holy Body of Christ, hidden in the Eucharist, was kept. Saint Pius V appointed Francis companion to Cardinal Alessandrino,in an embassy for uniting the Christian princes against the Turks. Although his strength was almost exhausted, he undertook this journey in obedience; but on the way he happily closed his life, as he had wished, at Rome, in the sixty-second year of his age, and in the year of salvation 1572. By St. Teresa, who had often sought his advice, he was called a saint, and by Gregory XIII, a faithful servant of God. Finally, after many great miracles, he was canonized by Clement X.

Collect:

O Lord Jesus Christ, You are the model of true humility and the reward of the humble. Let us share Your contempt for worldly honor, as Your blessed confessor Francis did, so that we may also share with this saint the glory of being Your follower; who lives and rules with God the Father . . .

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Pilgrimage to the Holy Relics of Aachen

As reported by the SSPX website:

The Holy Relics of Aachen Germany are exposed only for 10 days once every 7 years.

Few places rank beside Aachen in the history of Christian Europe. Aachen’s Cathedral was built in 790-800 AD as the palace chapel of Charlemagne, King of the Francs and Holy Roman Emperor (born 742; died 814).

Charlemagne was given his final resting place in this cathedral, which was the most distinguished sanctuary in his realm. For nearly 600 years, from 936 to 1531, kings were enthroned on Charlemagne’s throne, after having been anointed and crowned at the main altar.

During the Middle Ages, Aachen became one of Christendom’s most important places of pilgrimage, on a par with Jerusalem, Rome, and Santiago de Compostela. The Aachen pilgrimage, which has been taking place every seven years ever since 1349, is devoted to worshipping the four Holy Relics collected by Charlemagne:

1. the cloak of Our Lady
2. the swaddling clothes of the Infant Jesus
3. the loin clothes worn by Our Lord during His Crucifixion
4. and the cloth where the head of St. John the Baptist was placed after his beheading

These Holy Relics will be officially taken out of the 13th century reliquary and ritually displayed between June 20-30, 2014.

To see and pray before these remarkable relics, we would like to invite you to join a 12-day pilgrimage for faithful of the Society of St. Pius X visiting Poland, Prague, and Germany. The itinerary includes Krakow, Czestochowa, Auschwitz, Prague, Dettelbach, Wurzburg, Fulda, Bamberg, Rudesheim, Cologne, Aachen, and much more!

In addition to these holy relics, pray before the Holy Infant of Prague, the Black Madonna of Czestochowa, and the relics of the Three Magi. Render homage to St. Stanislaw, St. Hedwig, St. Hyacinth, St. Wenceslas, St. Norbert, St. Boniface, St. Kilian, St. Albert the Great, St. Ursula, St. Cornelius, St. Henry II and St. Kunigunde, and many other saints. Join in Aachen's special jubilee as it marks 1,200 years since the death of Charlemagne in 814 AD.

Travel in the company of other SSPX faithful and an SSPX priest, who will celebrate daily Holy Mass. Do not miss this unique opportunity to gain countless graces and pray before these holy relics, which are exposed only for 10 days every 7 years!

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Traditional Mass Propers: 20th Sunday After Pentecost

INTROIT
All that you have done to us, O Lord, you have done in just judgment, because we have disobeyed Your Commandments; but give glory to Your own name and deal with us in accord with Your bounteous mercy. Ps. 118:1. Blessed are they who are undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. V. Glory be . . .

COLLECT - Forget Your anger, O Lord, and grant Your faithful pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from their sins and serve You without fear. Through our Lord . . .

EPISTLE
Eph. 5:15-21
See therefore, brethren, how you walk circumspectly: not as unwise, But as wise: redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore, become not unwise: but understanding what is the will of God. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is luxury: but be ye filled with the Holy Spirit, Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual canticles, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord: Giving thanks always for all things, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God and the Father: Being subject one to another, in the fear of Christ.

GRADUAL
The eyes of all look hopefully to You, O Lord, and You give them food in due season. V. You open Your hand, and fill every living creature with blessing.

Alleluia, alleluia! V. Ps. 107:2 My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready; I will sing and praise You, my glory. Alleluia!

GOSPEL
John 4:46-53

He came again therefore into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain ruler, whose son was sick at Capharnaum. He having heard that Jesus was come from Judea into Galilee, sent to him and prayed him to come down and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. Jesus therefore said to him: "Unless you see signs and wonders, you believe not." The ruler saith to him: Lord, come down before that my son die. Jesus saith to him: "Go thy way. Thy son liveth." The man believed the word which Jesus said to him and went his way. And as he was going down, his servants met him: and they brought word, saying, that his son lived. He asked therefore of them the hour wherein he grew better. And they said to him: "Yesterday at the seventh hour, the fever left him." The father therefore knew that it was at the same hour that Jesus said to him: "Thy son liveth." And himself believed, and his whole house.

OFFERTORY
Ps. 136:1
By the streams of Babylon we sat and wept, when we remembered you, O Sion.

SECRET O Lord, let this sacred rite bring us healing from heaven and cleanse our hearts of all sinfulness. Through our Lord . . .

COMMUNION
Ps. 118:49-50
Remember Your promise to Your servant, O Lord, by which You have given me hope. This is my solace in my affliction.

POST COMMUNION - O Lord, make us ever obedient to Your Commandments, that we may be deserving of Your heavenly Gifts. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and rules with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.

Sources: Saint Andrew Daily Missal and the Marian Missal , 1945

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Last Gospels Other Than John 1:1-14

For those Catholics familiar with the Traditional Roman Liturgy, the Last Gospel is a common element of the Mass.  The Last Gospel is the passage from the Gospel according to St. John in chapter 1, verses 1 to 14 inclusive, where Jesus is described as the Word-Man-Flesh. It is so named the Last Gospel because of its place in the Liturgy - namely, at the conclusion of the Mass.

The text of the Last Gospel is perhaps best known for its opening lines: In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum... (In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...)

Reading of the Last Gospel by Servus Tuus

But can the Last Gospel change?

Yes.  In one example, the third Mass on Christmas Day there is no Last Gospel recited since the Gospel from the Mass is of John 1:1-14 already. However, this is according to the 1962 rubrics.  Before 1954, the Gospel of the Epiphany would have been used as the Last Gospel.

Additionally a superseded Mass (e. g. if a feast of a Saint is superseded by a Sunday) could be commemorated by, among other things, having its Gospel as Last Gospel. 

For example, on September 29, 2013, the Feast of the Archangel Michael superseded the 19th Sunday of Pentecost.  As a result, the Last Gospel could have been changed to Matthew 22:1-14, which is the Gospel of the 19th Sunday of Pentecost, if the older rubrics were used.

"The use of a different last Gospel, called a Proper Last Gospel, occurred before 1955 when the Mass of a Feast superseded (called an "occurrence" in the rubrics) either a Sunday Mass, Vigil or Feria of Lent.

"In 1955, changes were made, under the directive of Pope Pius XII, to Holy Week changes, and also to the ranking of feasts. In these changes is included the elimination of all Proper Last Gospels except for the third Mass on Christmas (when the normal Last Gospel was read at Mass, and the Gospel for the Epiphany was substituted for the Last Gospel) and for Mass on Palm Sunday which did not include the blessing of the Palms (the Gospel read before the procession with Palms was read as the Last Gospel).

"The justification for these changes was that originally the Last Gospel was a private devotion, and while it was acceptable to retain the custom of it being recited at the end of Mass, it's purpose was not to serve as a place for commemoration. Thus to replace it only on Christmas when the normal Last Gospel was said and on Palm Sunday when the Gospel for the Blessing was omitted was logical.

"With the 1960 Code of Rubrics, which incorporated the 1955 revisions into a full Codex, all Proper Last Gospels were eliminated with the exception of Palm Sunday in Masses without the blessing of Palms."

Source for Quoted Portions: Fish Eaters

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Traditional Capuchins of Morgon, France

The traditional Capuchins of Morgon, France are making their first visit to the United States District to introduce the faithful to the Third Order of St. Francis. For a full listing of where they will be visiting and when, please click here.

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How We Are Helped By the Angels

Excerpted from the Catechism of the Council of Trent

By The Angels And the immense advantage springing from the special care and providence of God with regard to men, the execution of which is entrusted to Angels, who by nature hold an intermediate place between God and man, will be clear from a multitude of examples with which Sacred Scripture supplies us in abundance, and which show that in God's goodness it has often happened that Angels have wrought wondrous works under the very eyes of men. This gives us to understand that many and equally important services, which do not fall under our sight, are wrought by our Angels, the guardians of our salvation, in our interest and for our advantage.

The Angel Raphael, the divinely appointed companion and guide of Tobias, conducted him and brought him back safe and sound; saved him from being devoured by an enormous fish; made known to him the extremely useful properties possessed by the liver, gall and heart of the monster; expelled the demon; repressed and fettered his power and prevented him from injuring Tobias; taught the young man the true and legitimate notion and use of matrimony; and finally restored to the elder Tobias the use of his sight.

In the same way the Angel who liberated the Prince of the Apostles, will supply copious material for the instruction of the pious flock regarding the striking fruits of the vigilance and protection of the Angels. The pastor need do no more than depict the Angel lighting up the darkness of the prison, touching Peter's side and awakening him from his sleep, loosing his chains, breaking his bonds, ordering him to rise, to take up his sandals and to follow; and then the pastor will point out how Peter was led forth out of prison by the same Angel, how he was enabled to pass without let or hindrance through the midst of the guard, how the doors were thrown open, and finally how he was placed in safety.

The historical part of Sacred Scripture, as we have already remarked, is full of such examples, all of which go to show the extent of the benefits bestowed by God on man through the ministry and intervention of Angels whom He deputes not only on particular and private occasions, but also appoints to take care of us from our very births. He furthermore appoints them to watch over the salvation of each one of the human race.

This teaching, if carefully explained, will have the effect of interesting and compelling the minds of the faithful to acknowledge and venerate more and more the paternal care and providence of God towards them.

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