To Fast or Not to Fast, That Is the Question

Editor's Note:  Initially this post was inadvertently titled after a rock song.  About an hour after publishing, the lyrics surfaced in my brain, and I thought it better to change the title to the present one.  Happily, it is a more fitting title anyway.

After the gingerbread cookies and the chocolate of St. Nicholas Day, the complete fast of the Vigil of the Immaculate Conception:  2 snacks, 1 full meal, no meat.

And, I might add, no questions.

This past Vigil of All Saints, I realized that my two traditional Catholic calendars contradicted each other on whether to fast.  After consulting a knowledgable friend, I learned that the fast had actually been abrogated under Pope Pius XII.  So you could choose not to fast at all.

Today when I was looking at my calendar from St. Jude Shrine, my sedevacantist parish, I found a page titled "Supplement to the Instructions for Fasting and Abstinence" with all the background information to the changes that occurred under Annibale Bugnini during Pope Pius XII's reign.  Whether or not you agree with the sedevacantist position, the history is good to know.  I wish I had known it back in October.  I wouldn't have been so confused.

The last two paragraphs of the supplement page explain how the traditional fast for the Vigil of the Assumption was "transferred" (effectively abrogated) to the fast for the Vigil of the Immaculate Conception during the latter part of Pius XII's pontificate and how there never was confirmation from the Vatican on whether the obligation to fast on the Vigil of All Saints was to be lifted.

"This brief historical background serves as an introduction to the main purpose of this advisory, namely, to address the questions surrounding the abrogation of the Vigils of All Saints and the Assumption, and the suspension of the fasting and abstinence regulations for those vigils.  Both vigils were abolished in the 1950's, quite possibly as the first phase of 'change for the sake of change', engineered by the aforementioned Masonic infiltrator, Hannibal Bugnini.  When the American Bishops requested an official determination from Rome on whether the custom of fasting and abstinence on the suspended Vigil of All Saints had also been terminated, they received only a pre-printed notice, dated 15 March 1957, stating that, 'The Decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites...looks simply to the liturgical part of the day and does not touch the obligation of fast and abstinence that are a penitential preparation for the following feast day.'  Thus, without any official confirmation from the Vatican that the disciplines associated with the Vigil of All Saints no longer applied, the US Bishops unilaterally dispensed American Catholics from those long-standing regulations.  In 1957, the power of the still-valid and legitimate American bishops to bind and loose in disciplinary matters pertaining to the faithful under their care was certainly lawful.  However, the bishops' decision to relax the vigil fast was in reaction to the first wave of Vatican innovations that would soon morph into an all-out, anti-Catholic liturgical revolution that was spring-loaded to be unleashed upon the death of Pius XII.

"Just fourteen months before the demise of that aged and ailing pontiff, the penitential custom of fasting and abstinence on the Vigil of the Assumption was also effectively abolished by its transfer to the Vigil of the Immaculate Conception, this time by official decree of the Sacred Congregation of the Council (sic) on 25 July 1957.  This unusual move seemed to contradict the Pope's prohibition against rearranging the liturgical calendar, issued by his encyclical, Mediator Dei, ten years earlier.  Nevertheless, it is beyond the scope of this brief review to provide an analysis of this legislation, or, for that matter, to challenge every alteration in discipline that was enacted during the pontificate of Pius XII.  Indeed, three of them turned out to be providential just a few years later, after the true Mass had been taken away from parish churches.  The exemption of water from the Eucharistic fast in 1953; the shortening of the Eucharistic fast from Midnight to three hours; and the simultaneous introduction of Sunday Evening Masses in 1957, made it possible for circuit-riding, Latin Mass clergy to bring valid Sacraments to remote groups of remnant faithful on Sunday nights, sometimes hundreds of miles away, after assisting their own congregations earlier in the day.  Thus the legislative revisions in the waning years of Pope Pius XII may be viewed as a 'mixed blessing', with some seemingly inspired by the Holy Ghost and others of doubtful origin.  In any case, there can be no imputation of sin to those who no longer observe the old rules for fasting and abstinence on the Vigils of All Saints and the Assumption.  The faithful who are able to continue those traditions (while retaining the practice also on the Vigil of the Immaculate Conception) are encouraged to do so, as voluntary acts of penance win greater spiritual merit than those done purely for compliance with the law.  Finally, the rules for fasting and abstinence on the Vigils of Pentecost and Christmas were not affected by the changes in question, and therefore, are still listed as obligatory by this calendar."

On My Refrigerator: Handy Dandy Guide to the New Religion of Vatican II

I was cleaning out a kitchen drawer on Tuesday and discovered this long-lost treasure that I had clipped from one of Fr. Zendejas' "blue papers" several years ago, before he left the SSPX and became a Resistance priest.  I had thought of it many times and wanted to review it but could not remember where I had stashed it.

My heart thrilled with its re-discovery!  "Look what I found!" I crowed to Emma.  She immediately whipped out her phone and took a picture for safekeeping.   She knows too well that just because I find something doesn't mean that I won't lose it again.

I began seriously looking over the list last night and started typing it up in chronological order, so I could see the process better.  That's when I realized that a really important change was not even on the list, that being the new rite for Episcopal Consecration, which was instituted in 1968 at the same time as the new rite for Priestly Ordination.

As for the last item, I'm not sure what Fr. Zendejas was trying to say about the New Evangelization of 2013, as John Paul II and Benedict XVI had touted it during their reigns.  I'm guessing he was trying to communicate something about Bergoglio actually implementing the things that JPII and BXVI only dreamed of.  But that is only a guess.

It's quite heartbreaking to ponder the individual items on this list, especially when you know that most Conciliar Catholics have no idea that their religion is not the same one as practiced by Catholics before Vatican II.  Maybe this list can rectify that.  It's a great outline for starting an investigation into what happened to the Church.  I recommend the sedevacantist site, Novus Ordo Watch, as a solid resource.  But by all means, read far and wide.  To get you started, here's a link to NOW's extensively documented post on the new rite of episcopal consecration.

The Guild Prayer of Restoration

I've been adding the intention to my rosary or begging St. Joseph that a truly Catholic pope and hierarchy may assume authority in the Church.  I really should be asking for a rollback to the pre-1955 liturgy as well to excise all of Bugnini's Masonic handiwork, because ditching Vatican II, while necessary, isn't enough to restore the Church.  But I guess the first order of business is to get a pope who holds the Faith of St. Peter, whole and entire.  I found this prayer today on the Guild of St. Peter ad Vincula site and have committed to saying it every day:

Almighty and Everlasting God, * we beseech thee to restore unto this world of sin * that faith which St. Peter thy first Pope and Prince of the Apostles * did once humbly confess; * and commit once more, * through thine infinite mercy, * the government of thy Church * unto a worthy Vicar of thy Son; * that he may be bestowed with such virtues * as may be pleasing in thy sight; * and that being so adorned, * he may lift from the Church and from all nations * the heavy weight of heresy that presseth down upon us; * and rendering Christendom once more acceptable in thy sight, * may bring at length all nations to render due homage at the feet of their divine King, * even Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, * who liveth and reigneth with thee, * in the unity of the Holy Ghost, * ever one God, * world without end.  * Amen.

This is the Guild's take on the status of the Church:

THE CHURCH Members of The Guild shall acquiesce and adhere to The Guild’s position on the status of the Church, namely that Vatican II has failed to provide for the good of the Church and its people, and that it is no longer possible to recognize in the post-conciliar “Church” the infallible teaching authority it possessed before the Second Vatican Council. Faced with this unhappy conclusion, we find ourselves forced, like orphaned children, to “fend for ourselves” until such time as we may once again see the light of the true Faith expressed in Rome. For the sake of the unity of The Guild and its future security, we cannot welcome as members anyone who holds a view at variance with this position. While we believe others to be free to hold different opinions, we must determine a moral ground for ourselves so that we can act in harmony as a group with a unified purpose. This position, however, is not to be construed as a condemnation of others who have reached different conclusions. Our priests and religious shall continue to welcome all Catholics of good faith to our Masses, our services, and our sacraments.

I think the part that says Vatican II "failed to provide for the good of the Church and its people," needs to be re-written.  It needs to specifically state how Vatican II contradicts past teaching.  I do agree that "it is no longer possible to recognize in the post-conciliar "Church" the infallible teaching authority it possessed before the Second Vatican Council."  

Catholicism in the South Radio Broadcast

Dixie can be a lonesome place for Traditional Mass Catholics.  I always assumed that was because the South was never a stronghold of Catholicism to begin with.  Catholic Historian Charles Coulombe says that's not so.  He will talk about Catholicism in the South tomorrow on Restoration Radio's series Catholic History with Charles Coulombe.  

In the interest of full disclosure, I am working part-time for True Restoration as its Social Media Manager, but this is something I would have shared anyway.   I am hoping that the radio program will get lots of callers, so that there can be a lively discussion.  I want to learn a lot more about this important part of Catholic history.  I will be paying particular attention to ideas and attitudes that may help us rebuild the South under the Social Reign of Christ the King.

This paragraph from the show description fills me with anticipation:

What does the antebellum period in the Southern United States tell us about Catholicism, and what happened to it during the War Between the States and in the "reconstruction" years? How is a Catholic to understand the successive chain of events that took the United States from the War of Nothern Aggression of 1861-1865 to the 1960s Civil Rights Movement which produced such figures as Dr. Martin Luther King?

The show starts at 9 pm, EDT/8 CDT.  I'll be glued to my chair with a glass of wine in my left hand, a pen in my right, and a notebook in my lap.  If you can't listen in for the live broadcast, don't panic, it will be available afterwards "on-demand".

When Father's Day Was Every Day

I have long been interested in the ways that the Industrial Revolution affected family life and how our society might facilitate the return of the patriarchal family.   To my way of thinking, if you really want to do this, you not only have to bring mothers home, you have to bring fathers home as well, because home loses its importance when its head spends the best part of his day elsewhere.

About six months ago I discovered an article titled "Industrialization and Marriage" by Robin Phillips. 
Its main premise is that industrialization fundamentally changed marriage, and this paved the way for our modern de-functionalized homes and even the feminist movement.

Phillips writes that "prior to 1800, the vast majority of people lived and worked in the same place.  Whatever else a couple's relationship may have involved, they were quite literally in business together.  The home, in turn, was not a place where people 'lived' as a passive activity when they were not doing other things.  Rather the home was a small factory, a bustling hub of productivity."  This is how the wife felt part of something important, and she could truly fulfill her role as helpmeet.  I know that I feel  peaceful and am much more focused on what I need to do when my husband is home the whole day.

This idea of the husband and wife being in business together prior to the Industrial Revolution made me think of how we now have "bedroom communities", "media rooms".  Keeping rooms were a mainstay of Colonial houses because inhabitants lived and worked in them.  Keeping implies activity, as in keeping house.  

Here's the part of the article that really stopped me and made me think:  "The geographical proximity of home and work had an impact on how couples thought of their relationship to each other.  A man and wife did not think of their relationship as something that could be abstracted from their mundane life together in the world." He explained that marital relations and earning a living "were closely bound together, and both were situated within an ecosystem of obligations, responsibilities, priorities and expectations that were bigger than the couple's relationship.  Because marriage was understood to be bigger than the relationship itself, this helped to anchor marriage in a narrative external to the two participates (sic)."

Of course this "in business together" relationship extended to the children as well.  I am listening to an audio book on rhetoric by Professor Michael Drout.  He says that in Sanskrit, the word for daughter means "one who milks the cow".  The professor says that it is believed that Sanskrit and Greek and Latin sprung from a common language, so you can see how deeply-embedded these home-supporting roles were in our culture before Capitalism came along.

 I was stunned to learn about the role government played in promoting modern housing.  Silly me, I thought people just got tired of farm life and wanted to move to the suburbs, but no, the "Industrialization and Marriage" article reveals that "the concept of the family room originated from guidelines that the government issued in the middle of the 20th century when specifying how homes could qualify for insurance.  A new model of the home emerged which deliberately detached it from labor and functionality.  Government planners urged architects and home-owners to get rid of walls and doors, to eliminate various work rooms like the sewing room and the pantry and to focus the house instead around the type of domestic bonding that was supposed to occur in rooms like the family room."

Gee, this sounds like what happened to architecture in the Catholic Church after Vatican II.  The functionality of divine worship that was expressed by things like altar rails was destroyed in order to promote "community".

In the case of housing, this change was necessary to convert independent producers into dependent consumers of industrial goods.  It has taken a long time to accomplish, but we are there.  State governments implemented compulsory schooling to speed this along.  I imagine that once dad was gone from home, taking the children was a lot easier, especially as classical education was swept aside and replaced with the memorize-and-regurgitate-textbooks method.

Clearly we have been duped into destroying God's plan for the family.  If only we could see it.

The Good Friday Bad Scare

I don't have a Lenten picture of the church, so this will have to do.

One of the first things that Fr. Zendejas did when he became pastor of Queen of Angels was to remove the crucifix from a fixed position on the wall above the altar.  He had it suspended by two chains high above the sanctuary, near the altar rail.  This was a first but necessary step in a long-term renovation.  However, it caused quite a bit of tension last Friday when it came time to take off the purple fabric that covers it from Passion Sunday to Good Friday.

A cord or strip of fabric dangled into the sanctuary from the covering above.  When the time came in the liturgy for Father to remove it, he gently pulled the cord.  Nothing happened.  He tried again.  Still, the covering clung.  He changed positions and pulled harder.  The crucifix lurched. I could feel the tension in the lady to my left, who was now sitting bolt upright as the purple-covered crucifix moved in the air.  Undaunted, Father jerked the cord.  The fabric fell away revealing our bloodied Savior swinging wildly from the rafters.  I gasped.  The traumatized lady next to me whispered. . .


 "Je-sus".

Lord, Make Me Meek

I'm on Rev. Charles Van Vliet's email list for the new Houston apostolate of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, Regina Caeli Parish.  The most recent letter he sent on the subject of cultivating meekness really hit home for me, so I have pasted it below.  

The Holy Week schedule for this new Traditional Mass venue is included, as well as information on the Groundbreaking Mass and Ceremony that are scheduled for May 5, 2012.

"Now We Know That Thou Hast a Devil" John 8:52

Our Lord received many insults, like the one in today’s Gospel and the way He suffers them truly shows forth His meekness.  His forbearance proves His meekness, and all through the Passion, this virtue will shine.  Meekness is pre-eminently a virtue of the Christian, and hence, Christ calls His followers sheep or lambs.  Meekness is a virtue that moderates our feelings of impatience and revenge.  All anger is not sinful, for even our Lord got angry and turned over the money changers tables in the temple, but because of our proneness to evil, it easily becomes sinful.  Meekness is the virtue necessary to restrain our passions.  It is a most amiable virtue in that it disarms our opponent’s anger and makes us a true disciple of Christ, “Learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart.” Mt. 11:29  One error is to think that if we are meek, we cannot be firm or exercise authority properly.  Our Lo rd was meek and yet He was firm with the Pharisees, chased out the sellers from the temple and in the Old Testament, we see how Moses was firm in correcting the Israelites when they fell into idolatry.  Meekness is necessary, especially in superiors, since men given to anger are not following the guidance of right reason.  They will cause scandal and further revolt when anger plays havoc with their authority for the foolish decisions they make when angry.  If we want to imitate our Savior, then we also have to imitate His meekness, otherwise we are not truly Christian.  Further, men given to anger are not spiritual, for if we possess the spirit of prayer, we acknowledge our state as creatures subject to God, and therefore humble and disposed to meekness.  Meekness is also important to conquer the anger in others, for as it says in Proverbs 15:1  “a mild answer breaketh wrath, but a hard word stireth up fury”.  Our harshness will cause it in others, just as our meekness will help others to be meek. 

Meekness gives us peace of mind, which in turn we can use to convert others.  St Francis de Sales converted more by his humility than by preaching.  Let us practice meekness so we can also acquire the virtue.  One aid in doing this is trying to foresee occasions of opposition and preparing ourselves to deal with the difficult situation.  We should also ask for this important virtue in our prayers.

The schedule for the Holy Week will be as follows:

Palm Sunday: 8:00 AM blessing and distribution of palms with procession.  11:00 AM Low Mass without distribution of the palms, though they will be available before Mass.

Holy Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday: Mass as usual in the main church (Mass on Tues. and Wed. will be longer than usual due to the reading of the Passion.)

Holy Thursday: 7:30 PM Mass of the Last Supper with adoration until Midnight in the FLC

Good Friday: Stations of the Cross 11:00 AM in the Main Church

                After Noon Liturgy: 4:00 PM in the FLC

Holy Saturday: Easter Vigil: 10:30 PM in the FLC

Easter Sunday: Mass at 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM in the FLC

Please keep in mind that parking is going to be very crowded during the Triduum, particularly on Good Friday since there will be the Outdoor Living Stations at 2:30 PM and some of the parking spaces will be blocked off as a result.

We will have a donation box at the back of the chapel for those who wish to contribute toward the flowers.

Regina Caeli Parish Groundbreaking Mass and Ceremony

Please join us in celebrating the beginning of our new parish building project on Saturday, May 5, 2012 - 11:00 a.m. High Mass

Celebrated by Very Rev. John Berg, Superior General of The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter

1:00 p.m. Groundbreaking Ceremony followed by Lunch

SAVE THE DATE! Additional Details TBA

Rev. Charles Van Vliet, FSSP
6646 Addicks-Satsuma Rd.
Houston, TX  77084

Mailing Address for Regina Caeli Community:
PO Box 41062

Houston, TX  77241-1062

Traditional Latin Mass at

ST ELIZABETH ANN SETON

6646 ADDICKS-SATSUMA RD

HOUSTON, TX 77084

Sundays in the Family Life Center

8 A.M. High Mass

11 A.M. Low Mass

Parking on Sunday is at TRUITT JUNIOR HIGH

(from West Little York, and just east of Addicks-Satsuma, turn north onto Huffmiester into "The Colonies", the first stop is Hamstead Park Dr. Turn left and then right into the parking  lot by the two big recycling bins.) 

 

Please Note:

Traditional Latin Masses are celebrated in the Parish Church:

Weekdays at 6:30 A.M. and on Saturday at 7:30 A.M.

 

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO TAKE A LOOK AT OUR ONLINE

MASS & FEAST DAY SCHEDULE!

 

www.ReginaCaeliParish.org

The South's Gonna Rise Again With the Help of Tridentine Mass Supporters?

The crown of thorns given to Jefferson Davis by Pope Pius IX is on display at the Confederate Hall Museum in New Orleans.

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: The emerging Dixie Independence Movement is now growing rapidly, and appears to be increasingly populated by Catholics, many of whom are taking leadership roles in the movement across the Southland. While it is impossible to calculate actual numbers at this time, reports are coming in to The Catholic Knight about many traditionalist Catholic groups, such as the FSSP and the SSPX, having a large crossover in membership with the League of the South and the Southern National Congress, especially in states that were part of the Old Confederacy (1860 - 1865). This of course is not limited to traditionalist Catholics, as many practical Catholics of all stripes are becoming partial to the movement.  


My jaw dropped when I read the above passage.  Then I finished reading the post and watched the video.   As someone who sees no hope of improvement in the present political "game" of the Republicans vs. the Democrats, I have come to the conclusion that the country must somehow adopt the Social Reign of Christ the King to avoid total ruin.  I couldn't imagine how such a Catholic alternative would come about.  I certainly never dreamed that it might come through the influence of Catholics in The League of the South, although I realized years ago that the Catholic agrarian movement of Fr. Vincent McNabb seemed compatible with the League of the South ideals.

Read The Catholic Knight's entire post and do watch the video also.  The video starts out a little slow.  Be patient.  It's worth your time.

Finally, More Traditional Mass Options for Houston

The Fraternity of St. Peter's Houston Apostolate is now offering daily Mass and two Sunday Masses, all in the extraordinary form.

A little background on the extremely limited availability of the Tridentine Mass in Houston:

It's been four years since Pope Benedict promulgated Summorum Pontificum.  It's been eight years since Fr. Stephen Zigrang unsuccessfully tried to get permission from the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston for a Tridentine Mass parish.  Read about it here.

To take up where the article leaves off, the Society of St. Pius X took Fr. Zigrang in.  He has served at Queen of Angels in Dickinson, TX, ever since.

Feast of Corpus Christi

From the About.com article, Corpus Christi, by Scott Richert:

For centuries after the celebration was extended to the universal Church, the feast was also celebrated with a Eucharistic procession, in which the Sacred Host was carried throughout the town, accompanied by hymns and litanies. The faithful would venerate the Body of Christ as the procession passed by. In recent years, this practice has almost disappeared, though some parishes still hold a brief procession around the outside of the parish church.

I never went on a procession until we started attending the traditional Mass. Before then, my only experience had been through a story in an old Catholic book for children. In it, a procession awakens a vocation to the priesthood in a young boy. That story had a profound effect on me--so much that I asked our pastor if we could not have a procession. I was surprised completely by his reply, "No, we can't do that. Not everyone in this town is Catholic!"

All I could think was, "Well, they might be, if we had regular processions."

I don't know if any of the onlookers in our parish have been converted, but as we wend our way through the old rundown neighborhood behind our church, I see them stop what they are doing to watch us go by. They hear us singing the ancient, other worldly music, and I know that we have given them a beautiful gift.


Photo Credit: St. Marys Academy and College Online Yearbook

Passport to Rome

This week Nathaniel and Emma are filling out their passport applications so that they can go on a pilgrimage to Rome with the Jam Session. They fly out of Newark on June 28 and return July 10. They will also visit Siena and Assisi. I don't know yet what they will be singing.

Nathaniel and Emma's first experience with the Jam Session was the most recent one, Jam Session V, in Syracuse, NY, singing Josquin des Prez' beautiful Missa Pange Lingua. In the Jam V group photo above, Nathaniel is in the front left wearing a leather jacket, and Emma is one row behind Fr. Stanich, just to the right of him.

Here is a history of the Jams taken from the New Year's Eve fundraiser concert program. (The concert was performed by the Jam Session Chamber Ensemble):

In 2004, Father Stephen Stanich was transferred from St. Louis, Missouri, to Dickinson, Texas. In December 2007 he invited four singers from his former parish to join a few of his new parishioners in rehearsing and performing a polyphonic Mass--in this case, the Missa Brevis by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina.

This Jam Session, as we called it, was such a success that the following August it was repeated in St. Louis, this time with the Missa: O Magnum Mysterium
of Tomas Luis de Victoria. In December 2008, Dickinson hosted Jam Session III, singing William Byrd's Mass for Four Voices; Jam Session IV took us to the high hills of Albuquerque, New Mexico, with Victoria's Missa Quarti Toni. This fourth Jam Session suddenly doubled the choir in size, from the original sixteen (with a few additions over the other two Jams) to a staggering thirty. One of the founding members is about to receive the habit in a Dominican convent in New Zealand; some are married and have relinquished the Jam in favor of their families; but the new singers have stepped up boldly and we sing on. New friendships have been made over the Jams; old ones are strengthened every time; together we sing God's praise--praying twice, as St. Augustine would say; and, in the words of another great saint, Ignatius of Loyola, we "laugh and grow strong" in the Faith.

Tis A Puzzlement: Random Thoughts on the Anglican Issue

I hesitate to even post this, but it's been in my draft folder for three weeks, and I still have the same questions.

I've been reading everything I can on the Anglican situation. I understand most of it--the structure, etc. What I don't understand is how the Anglican liturgy is compatible with Catholicism and why it is being treated with so much respect.

I always thought that Thomas Cranmer, the architect of the Anglican "Lord's Supper" hated the theology of the Catholic Mass. Maybe this problem is being resolved quietly and that's why I haven't read anything about it.

I remember clearly how just a couple of years ago, traditional Catholics were insulted by other Catholics for their adherence to the ancient Catholic Mass. Now, great pains seem to be being taken to preserve the Anglican liturgy, and I have not read one negative remark about it.

I don't understand why the priests of the SSPX, who are celibate and receive traditional Thomistic formations, are denied canonical status, but even the married Anglican clergy will have it.

I've especially noticed that the word "schismatic" is avoided when referring to the Anglicans, although it is still used frequently by the media to describe the SSPX.

Catholic traditionalists I respect seem really happy about this re-unification, though, so I am expecting to be too.

Helpful comments are welcome.

More Graces of Catholic Tradition

Elizabeth Siddal, Lady Affixing Pennant to a Knight's Spear, watercolor, 1861.

The Church provides so many ways for us to fortify ourselves for the combats of life. Two that deserve more attention relate to the vocation of marriage.

David Kleinsmith has lovely pictures of a Solemn Betrothal. Taken several years ago, they were my first introduction to this ceremony.

Athanasius explains the Churching of Women after childbirth and includes pictures of his wife and new baby.

I'm sad that I didn't get to experience either of these wonderful ceremonies in my marriage, but I'm looking forward to them for my children.

Reaping Rich Rewards

On the feast day of St. Pius X, whose motto was "To Restore All Things in Christ", I am rejoicing about the increasing numbers of Latin Masses being made available to the faithful around the world. There are two, however, that are especially dear to my heart: Tallahassee, FL, and Montgomery, AL.

These two locations are places I think of as "almost home".

As recently as two years ago, there was one Latin Mass a month in the whole Tallahassee-Pensacola archdiocese. That one monthly Mass at St. Stephen's in Pensacola is now a weekly Mass. The "About Our Parish" in the right sidebar of St. Stephen's homepage is a must-read. It is written by the pastor, Fr. Perez, and he made my heart leap for joy! It is such a relief to know that when we go home to Ft. Walton Beach, we can assist at the old Mass and that it will be celebrated with the right intention. I pray that the new one in Tallahassee will soon be celebrated weekly as well.

The Latin Mass to be celebrated by Fr. Mark Fischer, FSSP, in Montgomery at St. Peter's on September 27, is a one-time event, but Una Voce Central Alabama is working toward attaining a regular celebration. I am confident that this will happen. Any town that can build and support something as wonderful as the Alabama Shakespeare Festival clearly appreciates the good, the true, and the beautiful and will support a regular Latin Mass.

Alabama Shakespeare Festival

The Building Blocks of Western Music

My husband has nine Libers: a '53, a '58, a '61, five '62s, and most recently, a '63 in new condition. The ninth one is loaned out. Herb's schola buddy, Mickey, has ten and says, "It will be a cold day in. . ." before he lets Herb catch up to him. Actually, they take turns bidding on Libers on ebay. Nathaniel uses one of the '62s, but the rest. . .maybe they're for a future generation. Maybe we'll have a schola of grandchildren! If not, then there is always the possibility that Herb and Mickey will open the first Liber Museum of Southeast Texas.

Don't Hit Me, Ike! Love, Tina

That was my favorite message to Hurricane Ike of all the ones I saw spray painted on plywood-boarded windows. Just in case you don't get it, it refers to the rough and tumble marriage of Ike and Tina Turner of "Proud Mary" fame. Ike was fond of caressing Tina's cheek with his fist. Truly, Hurricane Ike's attack on coastal Texas was also a case of domestic violence.

May its victims find comfort, hope, and healing.

We suffered no lasting damage and are almost done cleaning up the branches and leaves. As is the case with vast numbers of other Houston-area residents, we have no power. Centerpoint is working frantically to restore Houston proper; Entergy is working just as hard in the rural areas like ours. Astonishingly, I heard one man complaining in a TV interview after the first day without electricity and demanding to know when his power would be turned back on.

Our camper is parked in the driveway. We cook, shower, and sleep in it, and its generator also powers our big freezer in the garage, this computer, and the TV in the house. We are truly blessed, and I have found many things to laugh about this week. I remember disinctly lying in bed in our camper on Saturday night after the storm and giggling. Emma, on the couch, giggled in response. I have no clue now what tickled us. However, we were alive, well, and had air conditioning and a bursting pantry. Who wouldn't giggle?

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I grew up in Ft. Walton Beach, FL, so hurricanes are an important part of my childhood memories. Back then, we didn't evacuate and didn't know anyone who did. I guess 24/7 news coverage and the widespread use of credit cards have changed that. In fact, I don't remember any large scale evacuations until the 1980s, and I was shocked by it at the time. I don't think we even had bottled water when I was a child. We filled the bathtubs and big cooking pots, and that was that. We certainly didn't expect the federal government to come "help" us. That was a job for your insurance company. If you couldn't get insurance, that was a pretty good indicator that your property was risky and you might ought to reconsider buying it.

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Despite threats of flooding on Sunday morning after Ike, we drove to church in Dickinson. We had no problems getting there except for the Beltway 8 bridge being closed. It was an especially beautiful Mass. With no electricity, it was quiet and softly lit by the altar candles. A soothing breeze whispered through the side doors. As it was the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Father brought a relic of the true cross to the altar rail for us to kiss. Face to face with true suffering and true sacrifice, I was awed. Forget Centerpoint. Forget Entergy. Here was the true Power for which we all should yearn.

Cardinal Castrillon Promoting Traditional Mass with DVD

Fr. Z on "What Does the Prayer Really Say?" is reporting that Pope Benedict, through Cardinal Castrillon, is working to make the traditional Mass a normal part of parish life, whether it is requested or not.

“All this liturgical richness, all this spiritual richness, and all the prayers so well-preserved during the centuries, all of this is offered by the Rome of today for all. As a gift for all, it is not a gift merely for the so-called traditionalists. No, it is a gift for the whole Catholic Church,” Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos said.

Here's the link to Fr. Z's post: http://wdtprs.com/blog/2008/05/pceds-card-castrillon-hoyos-celebrate-tlm-in-parishes-even-when-it-isnt-requested/