Saint Josemaría Escrivá

St Josemaria Escriva2.jpgO God, through the mediation of Mary our Mother, You granted Your priest Saint Josemaría countless graces, choosing him as a most faithful instrument to found Opus Dei, a way of sanctification in daily work and in the fulfillment of the Christian’s ordinary duties. Grant that I, too, may learn to turn all the circumstances and events of my life into occasions of loving You and serving the Church, the Pope and all souls with joy and simplicity, lighting up the pathways of this earth with faith and love. Deign to grant me, through the intercession of Saint Josemaría, the favor of … (make your request). Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the Father.
Watch the video clip of the Opus Dei Prelate giving his recollections of the day the saint died, June 26, 1975.

DiNoia on the challenges to faith in Christ

In early June Dominican Archbishop Augustine DiNoia addressed a full house people at New York’s Yale Club on some challenges to the faith and why faith in Christ is reasonable. His talk was titled “Facing the Challenges to Faith in Christ Today: The Dominican Way,” the text of his talk is here: DiNoia Facing the Challenges to Faith in Christ Today 2010.pdf

Claudia McDonnell’s article in the Catholic New York, “Faith and Reasoning,” gives a digest of the talk and issues.

Archbishop DiNoia was ordained a bishop in July 2009 and is the Secretary to the Congregation of Divine Worship and the Disciple of the Sacraments at the Holy See.

John Brahill elected 5th abbot of Marmion Abbey

John Brahill.jpgFather John Baptist Brahill, 61, was elected by his confreres of Marmion Abbey (Aurora, IL) to the 5th abbot. Abbot John succeeds Abbot Vincent de Paul Battaille who has served Marmion’s abbot for the last 18 years.

The newly elected abbot of Marmion Abbey is a 1967 graduate of Marmion Academy and has been a member of the Benedictine community since 1978 and a priest since 1982.

A little more than a year ago Abbot John returned to Marmion Abbey after serving for many years (1992-2009) as prior of San Jose Priory in Guatemala. Most recently he has served as the master of novices and as the liaison for Abbey Farms.

Abbot John will serve an indefinite term as abbot. The election was confirmed by Abbot Peter Eberle, the Abbot President of the Swiss-American Congregation. He’ll receive the abbatial blessing from the Bishop of Rockford, Thomas G. Doran, at some point in the future.

Abbot Vincent has oversee many significant projects at Marmion including the building of the abbey church (St Augustine of Canterbury), various renovation projects at the same and at the Academy. Likewise the community has grown with a number of vocations.

Marmion was settled by monks of Saint Meinrad Archabbey in 1933. The monks of operated a military acdaemy, staffed a few parishes and founded a community of monks in Guatamala at the request of Pope John XXIII who asked religious communities to sacrifice 10% of their community to do missionary work. Since 1965, Guatemala’s San Jose Priory educates high school seminarians in the Benedictine spirit.

You may be familiar with the name Marmion, the 19/20th century abbot who is now known as Blessed Columba Marmion. Marmion lived in the years of 1858-1923. Of Irish and French heritage the young Marmion was first ordained a secular priest for the Dublin Archdiocese before becoming a Benedictine monk at the Abbey of Maredsous in Belgium. His gifts recognized Marmion was a founder and later appointed prior of Mont Cesar (Louvain) and later elected abbot of Maredsous 1909, a position he held until his death.

For me, this is amazing series of events because a saintly abbot whose cause for canonization was not begun until 1957 and yet not 10 years after his death Marmion caught the eye of a monk of Saint Meinrad enough to name a monastic foundation for. Now we ask the Lord raise Blessed Columba to sainthood.

You may be interested in viewing the Abbey’s vocation video: Introduction, Part 1, Part 2, Fidelity to the Monastic Way of Life, Stability, Obedience and Monastic Priesthood.

Novena in Honor of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati begins today

Bl Pier Giorgio Frassati3.jpgToday begins nine days of prayer in honor of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, “the man of the 8 Beatitudes.”

The invitation to prayer is posted in various languages on the international website. The course of prayer for the nine days can be found here.
Join us in the confidence of Blessed Pier Giorgio’s intercession. This is 20th anniversary of Frassati’s beatification…what a wonderful time to get to know Blessed Pier Giorgio!

Bernard J. Quinn: Another possible saint from NY?

Msgr Bernard Quinn.jpg

New York is famous for a lot, and saints is one of those things, contrary to a NY Times columnist Paul Vitello who today introduces us to the Church process of studying a local person’s sanctity. The Brooklyn Diocese has announced that it is studying the case of sanctity for Monsignor Bernard J. Quinn.
Tonight Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio will preside at the “Oath Signing Service” for the opening inquiry for Monsignor Bernard J. Quinn’s cause for canonization. The service will be held at the Church of Saint Peter Claver, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. The church founded by Quinn in 1922. Monsignor Paul Jervis is serving as postulator.
In New York state there are 10 possible saints under investigation and in some way official. And the study of Quinn’s sanctity will join the study of the 19th century vicar general of the Diocese of New York, the Servant of God Father Felix Varela (1788-1853), whose postulator is Bishop Ottavio Cisneros, an auxiliary bishop of Brooklyn.
Quinn’s story is interesting but there is got to be more to the thought that he might be able to be canonized than being a supreme advocate for racial equality –as right and necessary racial justice is for all people, not only Christians. Indeed, he was ahead of his times and had a true heart for those considered in need. We eagerly await the various documents Monsignor Jervis publishes on the life of this famous monsignor.
Here is Msgr. Bernard J. Quinn’s NY Times obituary: Bernard J. Quinn obit.pdf
The Brooklyn Diocese’s press release.

Read Paul Vitello’s NY Times article for today for more (even with several notable errors & omissions)….

Fr Austin Murphy elected 10th abbot of St Procopius Abbey

Abbot Austin.jpgToday, the solemnly professed monks of Saint Procopius Abbey, elected Father Austin G. Murphy as their 10th abbot.

The process of electing an abbot follows the Rule of Saint Benedict and the Constitutions of the American Cassinese Congregation (the grouping of monasteries to which St Procopius belongs). Archabbot Douglas of the Archabbey of St Vincent (Latrobe, PA) confirmed the election.

Abbot Austin, 36, assumes the office of abbot immediately and will receive the abbatial blessing from the bishop of Joliet at some point in the future. Before leaving the chapter room, the Abbot President will witness the profession of faith and oath of fidelity required of all major superiors.
Abbot Austin was born in Huntington, NY, on March 25, 1974, professed simple vows on September 6, 1997 and was ordained on July 3, 2004. He prepared for priesthood at the Dominican House of Studies earning the STB/MDiv. Of late he was doing doctoral studies in Theology at the University of Notre Dame.
Abbot Austin succeeds Abbot Dismas Kalcic who has served for the since 2002. He will be moving to Marmion Abbey and Academy to teach in the economics in the school.
Saints Benedict & Scholastica and Saint Procopius, pray for us.

Damien Toilolo elected abbot of St Andrew’s Abbey, Valyermo

Abbot Damien.jpgThe monks of Saint Andrew’s Abbey, Valyermo (CA) gathered to elect a new abbot, Damien Toilolo on June 22, replacing Abbot Francis who stepped down two years ago. The new abbas is the second elected abbas of St Andrew’s.

St Andrew’s Abbey is an abbey of the Annunciation Congregation.

Abbot Damien, until now, has served the Benedictine community as the Prior Administrator. But he’s also been the vocation director, postulant director, novice master and sub-prior.

A native of Los Angeles, Damien has experience in other things including a teaching credential. He was ordained a priest in 2005 after preparing for priesthood at Mt Angel Seminary. Abbot Damien will serve a 8-year term.
St Andrew’s Abbey has roots in Belgium and was for a time a priory in China before it was forced to move to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. It was raised to abbatial rank in 1992.
Abundant blessings!

Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

Naming of St John Baptist.jpgThe Church celebrates as a solemnity the birth of the Savior’s cousin, Saint John the Baptist. It is John who points to Jesus as the “path to salvation” and he teaches us that the encounter with the Lord requires to put aside our sinfulness and to put on purity of heart. It is as Isaiah says in the first reading which is applied to John the Baptist and it ought to be true for us: “I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my rights is with the Lord, and my recompense with my God.”

At Mass today it struck me that the Lord was baptized by his cousin, John. How amazing is it the Savior was baptized a family member! The Baptist points the way to our salvation in Christ.

Blessing of a Bonfire, the Vigil of the Nativity of St John the Baptist

A long forgotten tradition on the Vigil of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist is the Blessing of a Bonfire. Confusion exists because in some people’s minds the 1964 Roman Ritual was suppressed because it’s absent in the US Bishops’ Book of Blessings but it is advocated for in the Directory on Popular Piety.

Since it’s not seen often in the USA it will be seen as esoteric. But those of concerned with Catholic identity and the flourishing of the sacred Liturgy in parishes, monasteries and religious communities. This blessing is one of the most ancient blessings.

Since St Augustine was the one to establish the feast day of the Baptist’s birth, six months prior to the Savior’s and in the summer solstice after the longest day of the year and when daylight incrementally lessens, a celebration of  “light of the World” manifested by the Forerunner, it is an appropriate liturgical observance. Plus, the liturgical catechesis is limitless in this rite.

Because St John the Baptist’s testimony to identity of Jesus as the true light which shines in the darkness of the world, the priest doing this rite can bring together several spiritual “themes” for expanding the heart. One can preach on John as the light-bearer before Christ; “he must increase, but I must decrease”; “I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist.”

The Rite

Priest: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

bonfire.jpg

Let us pray. Lord God, almighty Father, the light that never fails and the source of all light, sanctify + this new fire, and grant that after the darkness of this life we may come unsullied to you who are light eternal; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

The fire is sprinkled with holy water; after which the clergy
and the people sing the following hymn Hymn: Ut queant laxis

1. Ut queant laxis resonáre fibris Mira gestórum fámuli tuórum, Solve pollúti lábii reátum, Sancte Joánnes.

2. Núntius celso véniens Olympo Te patri magnum fore nascitúrum, Nomen, et vitae sériem geréndae Ordinae promit.

3. Ille promíssi dúbius supérni, Pérdidit promptae módulos loquélae: Sed reformásti genitus perémptae Organa vocis.

4. Ventris obstrúso récubans cubíli Sénseras Regem thálamo manéntem: Hinc parens nati méritis utérque Abdita pandit.

5. Sit decus Patri, genitaéque Proli et tibi, compare utriúsque virtus, Spíritus semper, Deus unus, omni Témporis aevo. Amen.

(the same in English)

1. O for your spirit, holy John, to chasten Lips sin-polluted, fettered tongues to loosen; So by your children might your deeds of wonder Meetly be chanted.

2. Lo! a swift herald, from the skies descending, Bears to your father promise of your greatness; How he shall name you, what your future story, Duly revealing.

3. Scarcely believing message so transcendent, Him for a season power of speech forsaketh, Till, at your wondrous birth, again returneth, Voice to the voiceless.

4. You, in your mother’s womb all darkly cradled, Knew your great Monarch, biding in His chamber, Whence the two parents, through their offspring’s merits, Mysteries uttered.

5. Praise to the Father, to the Son begotten, And to the Spirit, equal power possessing, One God whose glory, through the lapse of ages, Ever resounding. Amen.

P: There was a man sent from God.

All: Whose name was John.

Let us pray. God, who by reason of the birth of blessed John have made this day praiseworthy, give your people the grace of spiritual joy, and keep the hearts of your faithful fixed on the way that leads to everlasting salvation; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Philip T. Weller, The Roman Ritual (The Bruce Publishing Company, Milwaukee, WI, 1964).

Saint Agrippina, martyr

The Church liturgically commemorates the feast of Saint Agrippina, a Roman martyr who lived at the time of Emperor Valerian (153-259). Not called to be married to a believer or unbeliever but called to fully dedicate her life to Christ, Agrippina confessed in public her faith in Christ as Savior for which she was tortured. After being beatened, tradition says, she was chained by the government yet released by an angel. She died from her torture. Initially, Saint Agrippina was buried in Sicily by three Christian women: Bassa, Paula and Agathonice; her relics were later transfered to Constantinople.
Saint Agrippina is often invoked by those who are suffering bacterial infections, evil spirits, leprosy and thunderstorms.
A liturgical hymn recalls Saint Agrippina:

With Your blood, O Christ, far beyond all price,

You redeemed us from our sin.
Bringing us new life, guarding us in strife,
Making us Your blood-brought kin.

St Agrippina.jpg

Praise to You, O Christ our Lord,
Both in heav’n and earth adored!
Let Your martyr’s praise
Echo through our days;
Hymning You with one accord!
Let us form a choir, take the heav’nly lyre,
To adorn Your martyr’s feast.
Faithful unto death, with her final breath
She proclaimed You King and Priest!
Praise to You, O Christ our Lord,
Both in heav’n and earth adored!
Let Your martyr’s praise
Echo through our days;
Hymning You with one accord!
In Your martyr, brave Agrippina,
You show forth Your boundless grace.
Grant that we, inspired, may like her be fired
With the zeal to see Your face!
Praise to You, O Christ our Lord,
Both in heav’n and earth adored!
Let Your martyr’s praise
Echo through our days;
Hymning You with one accord!