Happy Birthday to My Grandmother

My reversion to the faith was greatly impacted by the death of my grandmother, I do believe that she interceded for me to return to the faith with vigor and commitment.

Today is her birthday, and this is the first one that she has had that we will not be able to celebrate with her, and give her a big hug and a kiss and wish her many more, instead I must lift my heart up to her full of love.

If you have time Please say a prayer for the repose of the soul of my Grandmother, I know she will pray for you.

Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis.

Additional Information for the next EWTN Extraordinary mass

I have found some additional information regarding the Solemn High Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite that will be televised on December 15th at 8:00 am EST from the FSSP website here is the LINK and here is the info:

The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter to Celebrate a “Rorate” Mass in Hanceville, Alabama, Will be Televised by EWTN

DENTON, Nebraska – The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) will celebrate a Solemn High Tridentine Mass at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama on Saturday, December 15, 2007 at 8:00AM EST. The “Rorate” Mass will be televised live by the EWTN Global Catholic Network.

The “Rorate Mass,” so called because it begins with the words “Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum…” (Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the Just One…), is a votive Mass offered within the season of Advent in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Celebrated by candlelight, and traditionally held before dawn, this beautiful liturgy is esteemed particularly as part of the patrimony of the German-speaking peoples.

Very Rev. Fr. John Berg, FSSP, the Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity, will travel from the community’s headquarters in Switzerland and will serve both as the celebrant and preacher. Priests and seminarians from Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary, the FSSP’s international seminary in North America, will also travel to Alabama to assist.

Pilgrim groups are invited to attend this public Mass, to be offered in the extraordinary form, and should visit the Shrine’s webpage (www.olamshrine.com) if information is needed regarding accommodation options.

About the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP)
Established in 1988 by Pope John Paul II, the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter is an international society of Catholic priests entrusted with the administration of the Catholic Church's ancient Latin liturgical traditions, trains priests in the extraordinary form of the Latin Roman Rite, and has over 120 seminarians preparing for the priesthood in the Fraternity’s two seminaries in Bavaria, Germany and Denton, Nebraska.

About EWTN Global Catholic Network
Founded by Mother Angelica, a Poor Clare nun, the Eternal Word Television Network is available in more than 140 million television households in 144 countries and territories. With its worldwide short-wave radio station, its direct broadcast satellite service, AM & FM radio network, website (www.ewtn.com) and publishing arm, EWTN is the largest religious media network in the world.

Contact:
Father Calvin Goodwin, FSSP
Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary
7880 West Denton Road
Denton, NE 68339, U.S.A.
(402) 797-7700
www.fsspolgs.org

EWTN to Broadcast Another Extraordinary Mass

It seems EWTN is at it again, EWTN will air the Advent Solemn Mass of Our Lady - in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite on December 15, 2007 - 8:00 AM EST

You can see it posted on their calender here: http://www.ewtn.com/tv/NA_120907.asp

Reading Level?

This seems Odd.. but hey I'll take what I can get

My Trip to the University of Notre Dame

I returned Sunday night from South Bend Indiana. I was fortunate to take a weekend trip to the beautiful college campus of Notre Dame du Lac , The not so fortunate part was I was witness to history, that is the witness to the Fighting Irish give up a 43 Game winning streak to the Navy Midshipmen. Overall though I was thoroughly impressed with the campus and the Catholicity of the college. I was even Blessed to attend the newly restored Extraordinary Mass in the dorm of Alumni.

(Future Kansas City Chief Ring of Fame inductee- Jim Lynch)

The Extraordinary Mass way Prayed by a Holy Cross Priest the Mass was a Missa dialogata and I was rather impressed with the turn out for a 8 a.m. Mass the day after a football game. Before mass there was a welcoming announcement from the Priest that this was his first mass in the extraordinary form in 40 years, He informed us that he was going to go slow, read the rubrics, and try his best, he stated he had practiced some but was just not the same as actually doing it, he apologized for any mistakes ahead of time. He gets an "A" for effort from me!

To Russia With Love

Arkansas Catholic ( the official newspaper of the Diocese of Little Rock) has an awesome article about a very dear friend of my Fr. James West, he has just returned from Vladivostok Russia, a port city of roughly 700,000 on the Sea of Japan.

The Full article is post here: Arkansas Catholic - To Russia With Love

Below are a few snippets, Please keep Fr. West in your prayers

Father James P. West and a team of parishioners from Immaculate Conception Church in North Little Rock got a firsthand look last month at the painstaking task of revitalizing the Catholic faith in Russia.

"The Church is building back from nothing," Father West said. "It's so slow, it's moving at a glacial pace."

From 1917 to 1959, thousands of bishops, priests, monks and lay Catholics were killed in an effort to wipe out the Church's influence while thousands of other clergy and laity were imprisoned or deported. Nearly every church was closed....

...When two American priests took up residence at Most Holy Mother of God in 1992, she explained, "There was no such thing as a volunteer, no charitable anything."

Besides, Gray added, building anything in Russia requires 23 permits.

"The priests gave us a wish list, everything from Kool-Aid to diapers to organ shoes," Gray said.

Each team member brought two suitcases, one for themselves and one packed with donated goods.

Father West said the work in Vladivostok illustrates building a Christian society from the ground up.

"Communism robbed them of all humanity, all civility," the North Little Rock pastor said of the Russian people whom he saw and visited. "It's as though the church is having first to teach them what it means to be a human being and then to move from there into the area of faith."....

"It was such a wonderful experience," Father West said. "I'd get back on the plane and go right back over there right now."

Sung Requiem Mass in Garnett KS

This just was confirmed to me today, If anyone can help them out that would be great!

If any readers are in the area and can attend please go show your support!

A Sung Mass in the Extraordinary form of the Latin rite will be
celebrated at:

Holy Angels

514. E. 4th Ave.,

Garnett, KS,

For All Souls' Day, at 7 PM on Nov. 2.

If you are not sure where Garnett KS is here is an Map to give you a better idea.

In my prayers

Photo: By Phil McCarten, Reuters.

Dear Readers-

Please pray for those in the path of these devastating fires.

This came across my wires today:

The fires continue to burn out of control ... additional evacuations havebeen called to the east of us. The fires are threatening to make a semi-circle around downtown San Diego, via the large north-south El Cajon Valley. I had thought previously the major threat was from the north; now it seems to be from the east: El Cajon and La Mesa. Another fire is burning to the south in Chula Vista, and threatening to join with the fires to the north and east, completing the semi-circle. At that point we will have noplace to go except into the ocean, if the fire climbs the west side of ElCajon Valley and starts to burn to the west, towards downtown. The winds are gusting to 100 mph in some places, so there's no telling what's going tohappen. We still have
electric power for the a/c and the breathing machines,but if the semi-circle is
completed, we won't. The stadium in Mission Valley is evidently already full of
refugees ... I don't know about the new onedowntown ... it hasn't been mentioned
yet.

Missa Cantata- St. Lawrence Catholic Center

Yes I've been gone for awhile but... I'm back today with some new pictures

Today a Missa Cantata was prayed for the first time in MANY MANY Moons at the

St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center at the University of Kansas Campus


Here are some Pictures Enjoy (You may click on the Image for an High Res View :

Virtus - My take

I have just completed "Virtus" training for our diocese as is required for anyone who works or volunteers - in any way shape or form- with children in the diocese.

The Virtus Website describes its self as :

VIRTUS is the brand name that identifies best practices programs designed to help prevent wrongdoing and promote "rightdoing" within religious organizations. The VIRTUS programs empower organizations and people to better control risk and improve the lives of all those who interact with the Church.

The three hour session I attended was titled "Protecting God's Children" The course was given in a parish hall with snacks and drinks provided for us. The program I attended was given by a very nice speaker whom seemed well read and informed on the subject. The Session consisted of a DVD video, a workbook, and pamphlets to back up the workbook.

The Video was split up into two parts Part 1: A Time to Protect God's Children and Part 2: A Plan to Protect God's Children. The video Starts off with Bishop Emeritus Raymond Boland of the Kansas City - Saint Joseph Diocese speaking on child sexual abuse and we hear from Bishop Boland throughout the Video series. After the Video sessions we were to break into small groups and discuss what we had seen, The video portrayed 4 Victims of Child Sexual abuse and 2 Men who admitted to abusing children. The story's were very explicit and very heartbreaking to hear that any CHILD had to go through these tragic experiences. The two men that were abusers showed very little outward emotional regret or remorse for their actions, and at some points even seemed excited to share their story's of Child Sexual abuse.

So where am I going with all of this?

The Virtus Session and program seems to me to give good information to parents and laity within our Catholic communities, it appears to bring awareness and a proactive approach to this awful Sexual abuse scandal that Satan has brought against Holy Mother Church, but I feel this may be too little too late.

The workbooks contained material and questions about the videos that would be typical of a 5th grade class, The discussions were not very in depth and no ordained clergy was found to show commitment to this program from the very area where the Media and others have placed focus. One Parishioner asked the program leader, "Why Don't we hear this preached during the Homily", she Did not have an answer but the person who should have the answer was not there to give it.

Satan is working very hard to attack The Catholic Church on this front and it seems very few on this side of the fence are willing to do more than the bare minimum.