Our Lady of the Pillar: October 12th

The Feast of Our Lady of the Pillar appears in the Missal as a Mass in some places and congregations for October 12th. The celebration of the Office and Mass for the feast of Our Lady of the Pillar, observed on October 12, was granted to all of Spain by Pope Clement XII in 1730. As the date coincides with the discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus, the Blessed Virgin Mary was later named the Patroness of the Hispanic World.

As summarized in the Angelus Press 1962 Daily Missal: "The Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar in Saragossa is one of the most celebrated places of pilgrimage in Spain.  Whilst praying there at the feet of the miraculous statue, the good Father Chaminade was apprised by divine revelation that he was destined to found the Society of Mary."

The following is taken from SalveMariaRegina.info:

Among the Twelve Apostles, three were chosen as the familiar companions of Our Blessed Lord, and of these St. James the Greater was one. He alone, together with St. Peter and his brother St. John, was admitted to the house of Jairus when the dead girl was raised to life. They alone were taken up to the high mountain apart, and saw the face of Jesus shining as the sun, and His garments white as snow; and these three alone witnessed His fearful agony in Gethsemane. What was it that won St. James a place among these three? Faith—burning, impetuous and outspoken, but which needed purifying before the "Son of Thunder" could proclaim the Gospel of Peace. It was St. James who demanded fire from Heaven to consume the inhospitable Samaritans, and who sought the place of honor next to Christ in His Kingdom. Yet Our Lord, in rebuking his presumption, prophesied his faithfulness to death. Indeed when St. James was brought before King Herod Agrippa, his fearless confession of Jesus Crucified so moved the public prosecutor that he declared himself a Christian on the spot. Accused and accuser were hurried off together to execution, and on the road the latter begged pardon of the Saint. The Apostle had long since forgiven him, but hesitated for a moment whether to publicly accept as a brother one still unbaptized. God quickly recalled to him the Church's Faith, that the blood of martyrdom supplies for every Sacrament, and embraced his companion with the words, "Peace be with thee." Together then they knelt for the sword, and together received the crown.

But before all this, in the years after the Ascension of Our Lord, all the solicitude of our great Mother and Lady was centered upon the increase and spread of the Holy Catholic Church, the consolation of the Apostles, disciples and the other faithful, and in defending them from the persecution and assaults prepared by the infernal dragon and his hosts. Before Our Blessed Lady departed from Jerusalem to take up her abode in Ephesus, She ordered and arranged many things, both by herself and her holy Angels, to provide for the needs of the Church in Her absence. The most effectual service She could render was Her continual prayer. She offered special prayers for St. James the Greater, as She knew this Apostle would be the first to shed his blood for Christ.

On the fourth day before leaving for Ephesus, Our Blessed Lady asked Our Lord: "Lord, what dost Thou command me to do? What dost Thou desire of me?" Repeating these words, She saw her Divine Son descending in Person, with all His court to visit Her. The humble and devout Virgin worshiped Him in deepest reverence from the inmost of Her purest soul. Our Lord replied to Her petition: "My most beloved Mother... I am attentive to Thy petitions and holy desires and they are pleasing to Me. I shall defend My Apostles and My Church, and I shall be their Father and Protector, so that It shall not be overcome, nor the gates of Hell prevail against It (Matt. 18:18). It is necessary for My glory that the Apostles labor and follow Me to the Cross and to the death I have suffered for the whole human race. The first one to imitate Me is My faithful servant, James, and I desire that he suffer martyrdom in this city of Jerusalem. I desire that thou go to Zaragoza, where he is now, and command him to return to Jerusalem. But before he leaves that city, he is to build a church in Thy name." After expressing her sincerest gratitude to her Divine Son, She asked that She be permitted to promise the special protection of Her Divine Son and that this sacred place shall be part of Her inheritance for the use of all who call with devotion upon Her Son's Holy Name, asking Her to intercede for them. Our Divine Lord promised His holy Mother that all She asked would be fulfilled according to Her will and power at this sacred Shrine.

Apparition of Our Lady of El Pilar 

At the command of Our Lord, a great number of Angels placed Her on a throne formed by a resplendent cloud, and proclaimed Her Queen and Mistress of all creation. The purest Mother, borne by Seraphim and Angels, departed body and soul for Zaragoza in Spain. St. James was lost in exalted prayer when the Angels placed the throne of their Queen and Lady within sight of the Apostle and his disciples. The Angels bore with them a small column hewn of marble or jasper, and a small image of their Queen. Seated on Her throne on the cloud, She manifested herself to St. James. The Apostle prostrated himself and in deepest reverence venerated the Mother of his Creator and Redeemer. At the same time he was shown the image and the pillar in the hands of some of the Angels. The loving Queen gave him Her blessing and said, "My son James, this place, the Most High and Omnipotent God of Heaven has destined to be consecrated by thee upon earth for the erection of a church and house of prayer, where, under My patronage and name, He wishes to be glorified and magnified, where the treasures of His right hand shall be opened up for all the faithful through My intercession, if they ask for them in true faith and sincere piety. This column, with My image placed upon it, shall be a pledge of this truth and of My promise. In the church which thou shall build for Me, it shall remain and be preserved until the end of the world. Thou shalt immediately begin to build this church, and after thou hast completed it, thou shalt depart for Jerusalem."

At the Queen's command, the holy Angels set up the column, and upon it the sacred image, in the same place where they now stand. St. James, together with the holy Angels celebrated the first dedication of a Church instituted in this world under the name and title of the great Mistress of Heaven and earth. Our Apostle gave most humble thanks to his Blessed Mother Mary and asked for special protection of this Spanish kingdom, and particularly of this place consecrated to Her devotion and name. Our heavenly Mother granted him all his requests, gave him Her blessing, and was carried back to Jerusalem.

A multitude of miracles have been wrought at the Shrine of Our Lady of El Pilar, but the following stands pre-eminent both for splendor and authenticity. Let those who impugn the devotion to Our Blessed Lady know that it stands on record that by means of it a man recovered, at this Church in Zaragoza, one of his legs which had been amputated. His name was Miguel Juan Pellicer, aged at that time 19 years, and born at Calanda, a town of Aragon and the home of his parents. One day the young man, being in the service of his uncle, Diego (James) Blasco, at Castellon de la Plena, in Valencia, fell out of a wagon and broke his leg. He was taken to the hospital at Valencia, and after many remedies had been tried in vain, he was taken to the great hospital at Zaragoza, where he was placed under the care of Juan d'Estanga, a celebrated surgeon.

The young man had a great devotion to Our Lady of El Pilar, and when he was taken to Zaragoza, he first received the Sacraments at Her Church. When the surgeon was obliged to amputate his leg—a finger's breadth below the knee—Miguel invoked the Blessed Virgin with great fervor. When the wound had begun to heal, he dragged himself to Her image to offer up thanks and place his whole life in Her hands; and when, afterwards, he suffered intense pain in the sore limb, he used to go to the Church of El Pilar and anoint the stump with the oil from one of the lamps which burned before Her. He did this consistently, and for two years was known by everybody to frequent the Church of Our Blessed Lady, sometimes imploring Her aid, sometimes begging the charity of the passers-by.

Miracle of Calanda 

In 1640 he returned to Calanda, and used to beg for his support. On March 29, 1641, after having exhausted himself cutting grass, he hung up his wooden leg, and went to bed. Later that night his mother entered his room, and was amazed to see two feet in her son's bed. At first she thought one of the soldiers quartered in the town had got into the house, and ran to tell her husband. But when Miguel's father arrived, he saw it was his son, and awoke him. The son cried out on awakening, "I dreamt that I was in the chapel of Our Lady of El Pilar, where I was anointing my stump with the oil of the lamp!" The father instantly answered, "Give thanks to God, my son. His Holy Mother has restored you your leg." Miguel did not know it till then.

News of the event immediately spread all over the town, and the same night all the inhabitants came to witness the miracle. The next day a large crowd accompanied him to the church to render thanks, and all beheld him with two legs, who, the day before, was known to have but one. The young man was conducted to Zaragoza, and judicially examined. An advocate was named, witnesses were examined, the question was debated, and at length, on April 27, 1641, the most illustrious Lord Pedro Apaolara, Archbishop of Zaragoza, pronounced that the fact was true, and that it surpassed all natural powers. The verdict was also signed by the Prior of St. Cristina, the Vicar-General, the Archdeacon, the senior professor of canon law, and several other professors and provincials of Religious Orders.

To these testimonies may be added that of Jerónimo Brizius (quoted by the Bollandists in Acta Sanctorum, vi, p. 118), who made the following declaration: "By order of Sr. Gabriel de Aldamas, Vicar-General of Madrid, I have read the publication regarding the astounding miracle wrought by Our Lady of El Pilar. I know that it is true. In the first place, I knew the young man at Zaragoza, where, deprived of one leg, he used to ask alms at the door of the Church of the Virgin; and I afterwards saw him at Madrid, whence His Majesty had sent for him, walking on his two feet. I saw the mark which the Blessed Virgin left to attest to the incision; and the other Fathers of this royal College of the Society of Jesus saw it, like myself. I knew the parents of the young man, who were assisted by the Canons of Our Lady of El Pilar. I also knew the surgeon who made the amputation. Dated, Madrid, at the College of the Society of Jesus, March 12, 1642."

Collect:

Almighty and eternal God, who in the most glorious Mother of Thy Son hast wondrously given us a heavenly protectress, mercifully grant us perpetual protection through her aid whom we devoutly honor under the special title of Our Lady of the Pillar. Through the same . . .

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10 Practical Tips When Interacting with Muslims

The following advice is presented from Fr. Patrick Laroche's October 8th talk at the 2016 Angelus Press Conference. Fr. Lacroche is part of the ongoing mission to Lebanon, where he labors first hand for conversions to the Holy Catholic Faith:

Today, the Muslims are in our own lands in the West. Secular society is incapable of integrating them, and quite a few young Muslims eventually turn radical. But there are many Muslims who ask about the Catholic Faith, especially when they meet fervent Christians. In his book, Islam and Terrorism, Mark Gabriel, professor Al-Azhar University of Cairo, who converted to Christianity, gives 10 practical pieces of advice for converting Muslims.

1.     Use the Word of God, because Muslims respect holy books. The Gospels in particular are the best starting point.
2.     Pray without ceasing; what touches hearts is God’s grace.
3.     Be to the Muslims a true friend: dedicate time for them and help them with their problems.
4.     Raise questions which may help them question their way of life, e.g., are you sure that God pardons your sins? May I show you what the Bible says about it?
5.     Listen with attention. This is simply courtesy.
6.     Speak openly of your faith, without excuses, and bring up in particular the theme of sin and its consequences.
7.     Prepare your arguments, but do not go for discussions which humble or harass your Muslim listeners.
8.     Never manifest any scorn towards Mohammed or the Quran.
9.     Respect the customs and sensibilities of the Muslims. For instance, if you invite one of them to your home, do not offer them pork or alcohol.
10.     Persevere. The Muslims raise many questions when confronted by the Gospel. It is through humility and friendly words that we can open their hearts.

This being said, we should always thank God for the grace of faith: it is great gift of God that is not given to everybody. Secondly, let us thank God that we know His love. Moreover, conversions, and especially those of Muslims, are not at all impossible, but are obtained through prayers and sacrifices. It is the law of the communion of Saints. As Our Lord said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him” (John 6:44).

Only God can move the human heart and lead others to conversion. But usually God the Father is waiting for our prayers in order to give this grace that people understand who the true God is and begin to regret their sins. This is the grace of conversion. God is watching after the SSPX's apostolate in order to give the grace of illumination: This means God will not usually reveal directly the Faith, but work indirectly through us as His instruments.

Let us also better understand the words of Our Lady of Fatima: “Pray, pray much. Do sacrifices for the sinners: indeed many souls are going to hell, because there is nobody who sacrifices oneself for them.” St. John saw Our Lady with the crescent under her feet. I think this means the Islamic world, and the Virgin Mary will conquer it if we are her instruments.

Image & Text Source: SSPX

Also Recommended: Inside Islam: A Guide for Catholics: 100 Questions and Answers 

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The Feast of the Motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Double of the II Class (1954 Calendar): October 11

Many Catholics may forget that January 1st to Traditional Catholics is known as the Feast of the Circumcision.  While the feast does recall the Motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary, it is the Feast of the Motherhood of Mary on October 11th that is actually specifically for the honor of our Lady, the Mother of God.

The dogma of the Divine Motherhood was defined by the Council of Ephesus in 431. In his encyclical proclaiming the present feast, which commemorated the 15th centenary of the council, Pope Pius XI especially requested that we pray to Mary for the return of the separated Churches of the East. For these Churches had united with the Pope and the whole Church at Ephesus in proclaiming her to be Mother of God, and to this day they retain a deep devotion to her. Mary is their Mother, also, for in becoming Mother of our Redeemer she became the spiritual mother of all men.

Let us then on this day pray to our Blessed Mother to bring about an end to the great schism and crush the heresies in this world.  May all who are separated from the Church of our Lord be reunited in the Ark of Salvation - the Holy Catholic Church.  

Collect:

O God, You willed that Your Word should become incarnate in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the time of the angel's announcement. We firmly believe that Mary is truly the Mother of God. We pray that her powerful intercession with You may help us. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord . . .

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33 Benedictines Martyred by Pirates: St. Placid & Companions

St. Benedict with St.'s Placid and Maurus.

Simple (1955 Calendar): October 5

Saint Placid was born in Rome, in the year 515, of a patrician family, and at seven years of age was taken by his father to the Benedictine monastery of Subiaco, recently founded, to be educated. At thirteen years of age he followed Saint Benedict to a new foundation at Monte Cassino, where he grew up in the practices of a wonderful austerity and innocence of life.

He had scarcely completed his twenty-first year when he was chosen to found a monastery at Messina, in Sicily, upon some estates which had been given by his father to Saint Benedict. He spent four years in building that monastery. There miracles made him known, and it was said that his humility was so perfect and had such charm, that it earned for him the affection of all. He could not see a poor man without hastening to aid him. One day he cured all the sick of the island at the same time, when they were brought and assembled before him for his benediction.

The fifth year spent by the monks in Messina had not yet ended when a band of Saracen pirates who had already killed a great many persons, burnt everything to the ground in 541. They then put to a lingering death not only Placid and thirty monks who had joined him, but also his two brothers, Eutychius and Victorinus, and his holy sister Flavia, who had come to visit him. The entire flotilla of the invaders perished when these barbarians left the island, amid a sudden storm; although they had a hundred ships and were 16,800 in number, not one ship or passenger survived. A religious who had escaped notice wrote to Saint Benedict an account of the massacre, after burying the martyrs. Saint Placid was the first Benedictine martyr, and the monastery of Messina, which was rebuilt not long afterwards, was henceforth known by his name.

Reflection: Adversity is the touchstone of the soul, because it makes manifest the degree of its virtue. One act of thanksgiving when matters go wrong, is worth a thousand thanks when all things please us.


Collect:  O God, who has granted us the grace to celebrate the birthday of Your blessed martyrs Placid and his companions, grant that we may also share their eternal happiness in heaven. Through our Lord . . .  Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

Les Petits Bollandistes: Vies des Saints, by Msgr. Paul Guérin (Bloud et Barral: Paris, 1882), Vol. 12; Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints, a compilation based on Butler's Lives of the Saints and other sources by John Gilmary Shea (Benziger Brothers: New York, 1894)

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Carmelite Traditional Holy Mass in Aylesford

A few days ago I discovered a great video on You-Tube that shows not only the beauty of the Traditional Carmelite Rite of Mass but also the great site of pilgrimage in Aylesford.

Traditional Latin Catholic Holy High Mass of The Resurrection of our LORD Jesus Christ Son of God, sung by Prior and Carmelite Friars at The Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Saint Simon Stock in Aylesford, Kent, England, with The St. Gabriel Singers, Choirmaster Fr. Wilfred Purney, Father Malachy Lynch O. Carm, who preached the sermon and commentary by Fr. Agnellus Andrew O.F.M., presented for television by David Kennard, BBC TV.

It is celebrated in The liturgical Rite of the Holy Sepulchre, commonly called the Carmelite Rite, that was used by the Canons Regular of the Holy Sepulchre, Carmelites, Hospitallers, Templars, and the other orders founded within the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.



But alas, so many changes have occurred to this place of pilgrimage in the onslaught of Vatican II that the altars of this sanctuary were not spared.  You can see the alterations in this newer video below.  Let us pray for a restoration of Catholic Tradition including the Traditional Carmelite Rite of Mass, altars properly fixated ad orietem, and truly beautiful houses of God once again.

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2016 Chicago Fatima Center Conference

For Catholics in and around Chicago, please check out the upcoming Fatima Conference to be held in Deerfield, IL from October 21 thru October 23rd.  The speakers are absolutely top-notch with speakers like John Venari, Fr. Rodriguez, Fr. Albert OP, Fr. Isaac Relyea, and Fr. Phillipson.

As we near the 100th anniversary of the Fatima apparitions, the words of Our Lord to Sister Lucy should resonate in our minds and hearts: He warned that unless the Fatima Message were obeyed, His ministers would follow the king of France into misfortune. That misfortune occurred 100 years after the kings of France refused His request to consecrate their nation to His Sacred Heart. The king was deposed and later decapitated. Almost 100 years has passed since Our Lady requested the consecration of Russia to Her Immaculate Heart. What misfortune awaits us!?! The time to obey Our Lady is now! Join us in Chicago as we make the case for immediate action by the Pope and the bishops to comply with Heaven's request before it is too late!

The schedule is as follows and it's only $195 for all three days.  Can't go on certain days?  That's fine - you can buy tickets at a lower price to the specific days you can go.

I will be at the Conference and hope you will join me in supporting Fr. Gruner's work and Our Lady of Fatima as we near the important 100 year anniversary of Our Blessed Mother's appearance in Fatima.

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How to Pray the Rosary as a Mental Prayer

The following is from the newsletter sent by Fr. Albert, OP, whose is a traditional Dominican priest.

October is the month of the Holy Rosary. In order to help you pray it more profitably and more “Dominicanly”, you will find here a text by Fr. Perinelle, a French Dominican of the mid-twentieth century in a book entitled How to do Mental Prayer. He devotes a chapter of this book to the explanation of how not just to say the Rosary but truly pray it, to make of it a mental prayer, which is what it is supposed to be but alas, often is not. This is due, in part, to our laziness and lack of devotion in general, but it is due as well to a lack of understanding what mental prayer is. We often imagine it to be something very complicated or so elevated that it is beyond the reach of the ordinary faithful, reserved to priests and religious. The falsity of this idea is shown by the fact that Our Lady asked everyone (not just priests and religious) to do fifteen minutes of meditation of the mysteries of the Rosary as one of the things we should do to console her Immaculate Heart on First Saturdays. May this little text help you to do that and thus receive abundantly the fruits this marvellous prayer which Our Lady gave to the world through Saint Dominic.

“Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart” (Lk II, 19)

The Rosary is familiar to you. (…) You can make it a mental prayer as long as while saying it you enter into communion with its mysteries and, in order to do that,  you ask the Blessed Virgin to teach you.

In order to enter into communion with the mysteries, take hold of them in their historical reality and in their present power.

Take hold of them in their historical and above all human reality. It is only then that they will make Jesus a real living person for you ; it is only then that they will speak to your imagination and your heart and will be able to excite your fervour.

Don’t, however, try to go through all the details. It will be very useful for you, obviously, to know them well and, for that reason, to study them carefully. But each thing at its own time : during prayer what you have to do is use this study, not continue it or start it again. During it gaze peacefully upon the different scenes that the Rosary puts before your eyes, taking advantage of the shift from one to another to reawaken your attention.

Support yourself firmly on the concrete, human, earthly images of each mystery, but at the same time go further. By means of these scenes, grasp by your faith the mystery of Christ, the double mystery of His divinity and of His present action upon you. He who lived these facts is not just any man. He is man but He is God ; He is the man-God. In each of these mysteries the very Person of the eternal Word is present ; in each of them He offers Himself to the gaze of your faith. Never forget it.

Also, Christ is not a figure of the past, He is the great Living One seated at the right hand of the Father and continuing in glory His work of salvation. From heaven and in the Eucharist He envelopes you in His tenderness, He penetrates to the most intimate recesses of your being, seeks to incorporate you perfectly in Himself. Take into account this present union that unites you to your Saviour, and, contemplating the mysteries of His earthly pilgimage, turn to Him in the depths of your soul.

Turn to Him in the mysteries themselves. For even though they belong to the past in so far as they are historical events, they remain present by their power. The glorious life of Christ returned to the Father remains in continuity with them. He is still He who was born at Bethlehem, died on the cross, rose on Easter morning. All these events left their mark on His soul and remain inscribed there. In them, even unto death He has merited for you and by His present action on you He communicates to you their merit. They continue to act thus upon you and produce in you the effect of their holiness.

A great and consoling truth, one that must incite you to draw towards yourself their beneficient power — "How ?" you ask ? — By putting ourself in spiritual contact with them. — How ?   By faith. Mysteries of Christ, they are part of Him and it is by faith that you have contact with Christ. "He touches Christ who believes in Him" says St. Augustine. Thus in contemplating these mysteries, open yourself to their influence as to an everliving force. Aspire to their grace by your desire and Christ present in you will give it to you. Offer yourself to them like a mirror, and they will engrave in you their likeness.

Too often, perhaps, you consider them as past events ; too often, perhaps, you consider in them Jesus as a model exterior to you. Thinking above all of the fruit of each decade, you do a sort of moral prayer, and this moral prayer often has the defect of being quite superficial and without any real relation to the personal needs of your soul.

If you want to make your Rosary a theological prayer, enter farther into the living reality of these mysteries, turn to them in the depths of your soul and breath in their spirit.

The recitation of the Aves serve to maintain you in this spiritual communion. (…)

Also and above all, by this recitation you ask Mary that she introduce you herself into communion with these mysteries. No one can do this as she can, for no one has ever had this communion as she has.

On the blessed day of the Annunciation, she conceived Christ in her spirit before she conceived Him in her flesh. He waited to become incarnate in her until she had given her consent (…) What would have become of us is she had said no ?

But she said yes, a yes more total and ardent than any fiancée giving her life to him whom she loves. Only then did the great miracle announced by the angel take place : in the womb of the Virgin, by the work of the Holy Ghost, the Word becomes incarnate. He becomes incarnate there for us, for our salvation. Mary knows it and, with her whole heart, she associates herself to this great plan of mercy. It is in order to deliver us from sin that she gives birth. She gives Him human life so that we might have divine life. She becomes at the same time His mother according to nature and our mother according to grace, and these two maternities are inseparable in her.

Then, from that day on, she remains united with all the strength of her soul to this son who owes to her and her alone His body. (…)

As He accomplishes the mysteries of our salvation, she engraves them in her memory and meditates upon them longly in her heart. During their long, sweet intimacy at Nazareth, He instructs her about them ; on Calvary, He makes her participate in them by her ardent and heroic compassion ; in heaven, sharing in His glory, she sees them in full light.

Ask her then with filial confidence to obtain some understanding of them. Enter into her Immaculate Heart as into a peacful oratory. Envelope yourself in her recollection. Throw yourself into her as into a perfect mould, fashioned by the Holy Ghost in order to form you in the image of Christ. Pray to her to show you her son as at Bethlehem she showed Him to the shepherds and the Magi. 

We feel ourselves so awkward, so clumsy in our efforts to find Him, to discover His divine countenance ! But she is always there, sweet mother of the sinners that we are, full of delicacy and loving comprehension for us. She will give you a truer, warmer knowledge of Jesus more adapted to your needs than anyone else could ; she will reveal to you the hidden sense of His mysteries ; she will help you draw into yourself their spirit and make of them the light of your life.

Many of the faithful, in cloisters or in the world, have sweetly experienced this. Without thinking about mental prayer perhaps, they tried to say their Rosary well. Not without effort, certainly : at the beginning they had difficulty sometimes to go farther than the material recitation of the Aves. But little by little, Mary introduced them into divine intimacy.

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New Brothers for the Society of St. Pius X

It is traditionally on the feast of St. Michael that the Brothers of the Society of St. Pius X pronounce their vows by which they are consecrated to God.

The ceremony of the vows is always preceded by a week of retreat where all the brothers get together. This year, their retreat took place at our retreat center in Los Gatos and the ceremony of vows at St. Thomas More church in San Jose, CA. Today, four novices made their first profession: Brs. Christopher, Paul-Mary, Simon, and George. This brings the number of SSPX brothers in the USA to 19, 119 worldwide.

On the day of his profession, the novice, after invoking the most holy Trinity, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, “before God and the Church,” consecrates himself to God for three years in the religious life by the vows of obedience, poverty, and chastity, according to the statutes of the Society of St. Pius X.

After these three years of annual vows and another period of six years, the brothers take their final vows.

Two brothers made their perpetual profession today: Br. Louis (Le Ray) and Br. Anthony (Hewko), who both reside in St. Ignatius Retreat House in Ridgefield, CT. The ceremony of the vows took place during the Solemn High Mass, at the offertory, in front of the opened tabernacle. Present at the ceremony were Fr. Jürgen Wegner, Superior of District; Fr. Yves Le Roux, Rector of St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary; Fr. Thomas Asher, Prior at Los Gatos; and Fr. Kenneth Dean, Novice Master. Fr. Patrick Crane preached the retreat and assisted to the ceremonies, as well as the other resident priests of St. Aloysius Gonzaga Retreat House: Frs. David Nichols, William Kimball and Christopher Petersen.

On the eve of the feast, September 28, two postulants became novices: Nicolas Brown took the new name of Br. Nathanael and Thomas Crouse became Br. Ignatius. They now wear the brother's habit: cassock and narrow cincture of black cloth without a sash. They received also a crucifix, the “sign of the Passion of Jesus Christ, so that it may be for you the foundation of the faith, a defense against adversity, and the everlasting standard of victory.” (Brothers’ Ceremonial – SSPX Statutes) They will have a complete full year of novitiate before being able to pronounce their religious vows.

The specific aim of the brothers in the Society is to assist the priests in all their duties, not by wishing to take their place in the priestly function but by facilitating their apostolic task in many ways. This can be by relieving them of material jobs, such as: bursar, practical works in the rectory or seminary, like gardening, cooking, upkeep of the buildings, care of the library, secretarial work, etc. Or it can be through a more direct participation in the apostolate, such as: responsibility for the church, choir master, catechism classes, organist, or helping out in a primary school. In the missions, this could also be the construction of buildings, or teaching in a trade school.“
  
In the Fall, the new postulants will enter in our Novitiate which has its own rules and schedule within the St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary. This year, we are happy to expect up to five postulants. During the postulancy time, the postulants are initiated to the spiritual life and they show their aptitudes for the life of brother in the Society of St. Pius X.

Source: SSPX

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Feast of St. Remigius

Simple (1955 Calendar): October 1

October 1st, in some places is the Feast of St. Gregory the Immuninator.  On the Universal Calendar, it is the Feast of St. Remigius.

St. Remigius became bishop of Rheims by popular acclaim in 459 AD, the period when the Franks from Germany were overrunning Roman Gaul. Bishop Remigius brought about the marriage of the pagan Clovis, the most powerful of the Frankish chieftains in Gaul, with Clotilda, a saintly Catholic princess. Clovis defeated invading Alammani hordes by invoking the God of his Christian wife, and then himself turned to Christ.

On Christmas Day in 496 AD Bishop Remigius baptized Clovis, and with him won to the Faith the future nation of France.  This very much paved the way for the Carolingian Dynasty and the Foundation of Catholicism as the core of Europe.

Collect:

O Almighty God, grant that our solemn celebration of the feast of Your confessor bishop Remigius may increase our devotion and bring us closer to our salvation. Through our Lord . . .

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Sts. Cyprian and Justina & The North American Martyrs

Simple (1955 Calendar): September 26

Today we celebrate the life of Saints Cyprian and Justina. At Antioch the virtue of the virgin Justina converted Cyprian, a magician, to Christianity. Cyprian later became a priest and then a bishop. Both suffered martyrdom under Diocletian in the year 304, and their bodies were brought to Rome by some Christian mariners.

Traditional Matins Reading:

Cyprian, who was first a magician and afterwards a martyr, attempted, by charms and spells, to make Justina, a Christian virgin, consent to the passion of a certain young man. He consulted the devil as to the best way to succeed, and was told in reply that no art would be of any service to him against the true disciples of Christ. This answer made so great an impression on Cyprian, that, grieving bitterly over his former manner of life, he abandoned his magical arts, and was completely converted to the faith of Christ our Lord. Accused of being a Christian, he was seized together with the virgin Justina, and they were both severely scourged. They were then thrown into prison to see if they would change their mind; but on being taken out, as they remained firm in the Christian religion, they were cast into a cauldron of boiling pitch, fat, and wax. Finally they were beheaded at Nicomedia. Their bodies were left six days unburied; after which some sailors carried them secretly by night to their ship, and conveyed them to Rome. They were first buried on the estate of a noble lady named Rufina, but afterwards were translated into the city and laid in Constantine’s basilica, near the baptistery.

Collect:  Comfort us, O Lord, with the unfailing protection of Your holy martyrs Cyprian and Justina, for You are always merciful to those who are helped by Your saints. Through our Lord . . .

Also in the United States, today is the Feast of the North American Martyrs: Ss. Isacc Jogues, John de Brebeuf, and their companions.   All in all, eight French Jesuit missionaries, the first canonized saints of the North American continent, labored and died among the most barbaric of the Native Americans in the most impenetrable fastnesses of the 17th-century New World.

After struggling with unbelievable privations and hardships, they were severely tortured and martyred by the Iroquois Indians between the years 1642 and 1649.

Fathers Isaac Jogues and Anthony Daniel and the two lay oblates, John Lalande and Rene Goupil, gave their lives in what is now New York State; Fathers John de Brebeuf, Gabriel Lalemant, Charles Garnier, and Noel Chabanel in central Canada.

From the Servants of the Holy Family:

September 26th is the feast of the North American Martyrs. They were martyred in the 1640's and canonized by Pope Pius XI on June 29, 1930. Fathers Isaac Jogues and Anthony Daniel, with the coadjutor Brother Rene Goupil and the oblate John de la Lande, were martyred in the territory which is now the United States; Father John de Brebeuf, Gabriel Lalemant, Charles Garnier and Noel Chabanel in Canada. All were Frenchmen by birth. They worked amidst great privations for the conversion of the Hurons. Taken prisoners by the Iroquois tribe, they were put to atrocious tortures which they bore with joy for the love of God. (St. Andrew's Missal) They had said that these new lands and new peoples would not be converted without the shedding of blood like the early days of Christianity and it was their blood that accomplished this.

Collect: O God, You blessed the first fruits of the faith in the vast expanse of North America by the missionary labors and martyrdom of blessed Isaac, John, and their companions. May the harvest for Christ grow daily more abundant in the whole world through the intercession of these saints. Through our Lord . . .

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