…bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
On the vigil of Pentecost in 1544, St Philip was praying in the Catacombs of Saint Sebastian, on the Via Appia, as he had done many times, and asked God to give him the Holy Spirit. St Philip was suddenly filled with great joy, and had a vision of the Holy Spirit as a ball […]
May 26th is the liturgical memorial of St Philip Neri. A pivotal figure in the Church. As one person wrote so eloquently, “Those qualities which distinguish the Oratorian charism—domesticity, localism, intellectual rigor, humility, collegiality, aesthetics, urbanity, prudence, and love of the world—can only be integrated and understood in the light of the sanctuary lamp.” While […]
The other day (May 25) we had the liturgical memorial of the great Italian saint, Philip Neri. He is indeed an under appreciated saint of the Church. Neri can’t be white-washed nor can be merely imitated in a blind way. We need to encounter Neri on his own terms. Some want to make him a […]
Today’s the feast of Saint Joseph Vaz, the most recent canonized saint of the Church. It is also the first time we get to remember him liturgically. Saint Joseph is one of four saints of the Congregation of the Oratory. Here is Pope Francis’ homily earlier in the week (14 January 2015) when he canonized […]
This morning during a meeting with the Prefect of the Congregation for Saints Cardinal Amato, the Holy Father announced his intention to convene a consistory for the canonization of Blessed Joseph Vaz of the Oratory. Blessed Joseph Vaz, CO, (Konkani: Bhoktivont Zuze Vaz, Sinhala: Bhagyawantha Jose Vaz Piyathuma) (21 April 1651, Benaulim – 16 January […]
The liturgical memorial of Saint Philip Neri fell on Sunday but it was transferred to this day in Oratorian communities. One cannot pass on prayerfully remembering this Apostle to Rome. Neri is one of the most esteemed saints of the 16th century coupled with people like Loyola. Fr George Rutler, priest of the Archdiocese of New York offers […]
The Oratorian saints and blesseds are not well known because the Oraorian vocation is not well known in the USA. This needs to be rectified. In the USA we have several established Oratories with several more in the process of being established. Today, the priests, brothers and laity of the Oratory are honoring the Blessed […]
Salvio Huix i Miralpeix was born on December 22, 1877 in Santa Margarida de Vellors in the Diocese of Vic in Catalonia. He was ordained a secular priest in 1903, and four years later entered the Congregation of the Oratory of Vic, the spiritual sons of Saint Philip Neri. At the Vic Oratory he lived […]
O God, who never cease to bestow the glory of holiness on the faithful servants you raise up for yourself, graciously grant that the Holy Spirit may kindle in us that fire with which he wonderfully filled the heart of Saint Philip Neri. Let’s remember the Congregation of the Oratory and the loyal sons of Saint Philip Neri. I am thinking particularly thinking […]
The Cross received the living Jesus and gave Him back to us dead; the Shroud received the dead Jesus and restored Him to us alive. (Blessed Sebastian speaking of the Shroud of Turin) The Congregation of the Oratory and devoted faithful liturgically recall Blessed Sebastian Valfre, C.O. (1629-1710), a priest of the Oratory. Unless you are plugged […]