Communio – Page 334 – …bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

John Corapi takes a break from priesthood

In the past days the story of Father John Corapi’s taking a break from the Catholic priesthood has been circulating. In the meantime, read the current news of Father Corapi, 64, on his blog, The Black Sheep Dog.

Distressing indeed and a situation that requires guidance from the Holy Spirit. So, pray to Saints Padre Pio and John Neumann and John Mary Vianney for their intercession.

Corapi’s account of the situation and the process of investigation for innocence (or guilt) is too problematic. The problem with the case is not with Father Corapi –yet there are questions that persist– but in the process of coming to truth. Or so it seems.

May the Most Trinity, shower grace on us.

UPDATE: read “Father Corapi’s Bombshell” by Joan Frawley Desmond

St John Neumann celebrated in native land

The 200th anniversary of birth of Saint John Nepomucene Neumann is being celebrated in his homeland, today called the Czech Republic. Here’s the story in Czech. Cardinal Justin Francis Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia, is the Pope’s special envoy. His special connection with the Saint is that John Neumann was the bishop of Philadelphia and is buried in Philadelphia.

Pope Benedict’s letter of credence for Cardinal Rigali’s mission as a papal representative may be read here.

Benedict notes Saint John’s work included spiritual and social progress of the faithful, assistance with counsel and charity and he provided for Christian education. He’s known as the first US bishop to organize Catholic education.

You should also know that Saint John Neumann is the first bishop of the United States to be canonized. He’s not the first American saint and nor was he native born, but he is one of us. As a grammar school student my dad and I visited the shrine of Saint John Neumann which sticks with all these years later.

Saint John Neumann, pray for us.

Together in Christ

Image via Wikipedia

The Pope’s “Together in Christ” two day visit of Croatia was significant for several reasons. For him, and I think for all of us who were either physically in Zagreb or tuned via the media, time spent with the Croatians was monumental because it clearly exhibited the “dynamism of communion.” (What visit of a pope is insignificant, the wag asks?) In his own words, the Benedict reviews the events he and the world lived with him in this way:

“the experience of finding ourselves together united in the name of Christ,
the experience of being Church, which is manifested … around the Successor of Peter.
‘Together in Christ’ referred in a particular way to the family (… the occasion of my visit was the First National Day of Croatian Catholic Families…

It was very important for me to confirm in the faith especially these families that the Second Vatican Council called “domestic churches” (cf. Lumen Gentium, 11).

In today’s Europe [and one can extend this to the globe], nations with a strong Christian tradition have a special responsibility to defend and promote the value of the family founded on marriage, which remains decisive both within the field of education as well as in the social sphere.”

Continue reading Together in Christ

Catholics understanding the Book of Revelation and the Rapture

The rapture came and went…and this guy got caught up in it. Good for him. The rest of us will meander along…but in case you want to join the others in the rapture, the actual date is now October 21. So I am told. But what time should people be ready? Harold Camping, founder of Family Radio and rapture prophet. Camping might be ready for the rapture as he’s now recovering from a stroke. The 89 year old prophet of doom-and-gloom-Christian-style alters his guaranteed prediction of Judgement Day every so often.

In case you’re interested, we’re having a 3 presentations on the Book of Revelation, the Catholic teaching on the belief of the Second Coming Christ and what the rapture means. Brother Leo Checkai, OP, is going to lead us through the theology and visions as found in the Revelation and giving a strategy to read and understand this famous and mysterious final book of the Bible. Come for the class at Saint Catherine of Siena Church at 6:30 on June 29, July 6 and 13. The church is located at 411 East 68th Street, NYC.

photo taken from In Caritate Non Ficta by Philip Gerard Johnson: this pic is a hoot….

James Wiseman elected abbot of Saint Anselm Abbey, Washington, DC

Father James Wiseman, 66, was elected the new and fifth abbot of Saint Anselm’s Abbey, Washington, DC Thursday. Dom James will serve for an eight year term as abbot. He replaces the Prior Administrator Simon McGurk, a monk of Belmont Abbey in the UK.

The new abbot’s been called to serve his community in a variety of ways since his profession in 1966: priesthood (1970), abbot (1975-1983), novice master (1983-1994) and prior (1990-2006). In fact, Dom James has been elected as abbot for the second time; the first time around he was the second abbot.

Abbot James teaches theology at Catholic University of America, and has done so since 1985, and at the abbey’s school since 1969. Since 2007, he’s held the rank of ordinary professor at Catholic University.

He has served twice as chair of CUA’s theology department, and for a period of time as an associate dean. James Wiseman has written or edited six books and more than 30 published articles. He’s also chaired the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue, a collection of monks and nuns interested in questions of interfaith relations. For 12 years Dom James edited the Bulletin of Monastic Interreligious Dialogue.

Saint Anselm Abbey is one of three Benedictine abbeys in the USA of the English Benedictine Congregation, there are a total of 13 EBC houses of monks. The others being Saint Gregory the Great (Portsmouth, RI) and Saint Louis (St Louis, MO). The Benedictine monastic community was founded in 1923 Father Thomas Verner Moore and some companions. In 1961, Blessed Pope John XXIII gave the Benedictine community the rank of an abbey. Today, there are 15 monks at Saint Anselm’s.

Through the intercession of Saints Benedict, Scholastica and Anselm, and Father Luigi Giussani, may the Blessed Trinity give Abbot James the wisdom and love to serve well and prudence. Especially offer your prayers for the monastic community as it continues the work of deepening their faith and giving clear witness to monastic witness of the Gospel. There’s is an unique vocation in the Nation’s heart.

“The Western Mass” — now really…..

Clearly the liturgical formation of seminarians in the Archdiocese of Vienna is pretty bad if what is protrayed here is true. Gloria.TV exposes yet another example of how some trash the sacred Liturgy under the guise of making it accessible to the people: “The Western Mass.”

The celebrant was the rector of the Vienna Cathedral, Father Anton Faber; AND, according to Father Faber, the Cardinal-Archbishop Christoph Maria Michael Hugo Damian Peter Adalbert Graf von Schönborn, OP, approves of the way Father Faber celebrates the sacred Liturgy.

Nicholas James Samra: New eparch of Newton for the Melkites

The Holy Father, upon the recommendation of the Melkite Synod, has given his assent to election of the Most Reverend Nicholas James Samra as the new Eparch of Newton for the Melkites. Bishop Nicholas, 67, has been the auxiliary of the same. Bishop Nicholas replaces Archbishop Cyril Salim Bustros who has been elected the Metropolitan of Beruit and Jbeil.

The Eparchy of Newton covers the entire country; it was founded in 1966 and erected as an eparchy in 1976. According to 2009 stats the Eparchy has 26,700 faithful.

I have known Sayedna Nicholas for years and this is a terrific choice for the Eparchy!!!

Bishop Nicholas is the first native born to be the Father of the Eparchy!

God grant him many years!!!!!

Ratzinger Prize given to 3

WOW! Imagine giving a prize in your own name! Well, if you are the Pope and an eminent theologian, you can (and will). This is cool, as “they” say. Vatican Radio announced today that the Pope has given the prize in theological studies in this thought. While 2 of the 3 are senior in age and wisdom, but don’t be fooled: all of them are top scholars and widely known; the youngest recipient has a lot more juice in him. Abbot Maximillian is the author of a brilliant book on Ratzinger’s theology, Joseph Ratzinger: Life in the Church and Living Theology (Ignatius Press 2007).

The Rome Reports story is here. The Holy See’s story follows:

The first three winners of the Ratzinger Prize were
announced on Tuesday in the Vatican Press Office. The prize was established
last year to promote theological studies on the writings of the Pope, and to
reward promising scholars. The prizes will be given out by Pope Benedict on
June 30^th.

The Ratzinger Prize is a project of the Joseph
Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation, which was funded by Pope Benedict
with the royalties he has received from his books.

The prizes and the
conferences the foundation sponsors focus on helping the truth, meaning and
beauty of Christianity in relation to today’s culture and society emerge.

On
Tuesday, the first three winners of the Ratzinger Prize were announced.

Continue reading Ratzinger Prize given to 3

The True Meaning of Marriage

Posted on his blog today, The Gospel in the Digital Age, Archbishop Timothy Michael Dolan wrote a piece on meaning of marriage and family according to natural reason and Catholic belief. His Excellency makes several and crucial points that require our clear attention. A sound-bite understanding of these important issues is insufficient for us.

The stampede is on. Our elected senators who have stood courageous in their refusal to capitulate on the state’s presumption to redefine marriage are reporting unrelenting pressure to cave-in.

The media, mainly sympathetic to this rush to tamper with a definition as old as human reason and ordered good, reports annoyance on the part of some senators that those in defense of traditional marriage just don’t see the light, as we persist in opposing this enlightened, progressive, cause.

Continue reading The True Meaning of Marriage

Joseph Muzquiz, priest: possible saint

The Archdiocese of Boston announced on June 2 that it is taking to the next step in overseeing the study of the cause of canonization of Father Joseph Muzquiz (1912-1983).

In the summer of 2010 the initial steps with the Archdiocese and the Congregation for Saints took place. Now, the key task of this process is to see if, in fact, Father Joseph Muzquiz lived a life of heroic virtue.

Father Muzquiz, a priest of the Prelature of the Opus Dei, worked with two others in bringing Opus Dei to the USA. Saint Josemaría had admitted Joseph to Opus Dei in 1941 and had him ordained a priest in 1944 and sent him to the USA in 1949.

With the opening of the sainthood cause, Father Joseph is now referred to the Servant of God Father Joseph Muzquiz. Father Byran K. Parrish presided over the June 2nd ceremony in the name of Sean Cardinal O’Malley and the Most Reverend Emilio S. Allue, the episcopal delegate for the inquiry participated as well as the postulator of the cause, Father David Cavanagh of Opus Dei. About 150 people participated in this ceremony.

John F. Coverdale authored Putting Down Roots: Fr. Joseph Muzquiz and the Growth of Opus Dei (Scepter Publishers), the narrative of Muzquiz meeting Saint Josemaría and the story of early days of Opus Dei in the US. A brief piece on Putting Down Roots can be read here.

The prayer of petition for Muzquiz’s canonization

God, you helped your servant Joseph work with generosity and simplicity. He spread the message of sanctity in secular life to many people, teaching them to find joy and peace in their daily life. Help me to seek first the kingdom of God by sanctifying my everyday work and dedicating myself generously to the salvation of souls. Glorify your servant Joseph and through his intercession, grant me the favor I ask of you.

Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be to the Father.