It's Dolan, High Ho,the merrio, the Cheese (head) Bishop stands alone.

Thanks be to God. 111 bishops voted for Bishop Kicanus. Over 120 showed some sense and voted for Archbishop Dolan to be president of the USCCB. Archbishop Dolan is not my favorite clergyman. He's no "Dagger" John Hughes but he beats the heck out of Bishop Kicanas, the man who let a seminarian with a drinking problem and a sexual obsession become a priest who later molested 23 victims.

Our Lady of Salvation, Iraq

I was reading a close to big time Catholic blog this morning and noticed that only two people had commented on a post about the parishioners of Our Lady of Salvation in Iraq but over 30 people had written in to comment about post on a lesbian teacher who got fired from the Catholic college where she worked. I find that disheartening. Maybe it's the feelings over intellect Oprah culture we live in or maybe it's a fear of offending Muslims but I've noticed that other than the pope there has been very few expressions of outrage or sympathy for these fellow Catholics.

Now that's a thurible!

In the St. James Cathedral in Spain they are serious about waving their incense.



I love the Holy Father's expression. He looks just like a delighted little boy.

Do you belong to your parish becuase of the church groups or the Mass?

Rocky has often commented to me that it seems to be the fad in Catholic churches to split the parish up into groups. The school parents only hang with each other and frankly don't care about the rest of the parish (I've seen some of this), the young women's prayer group meets in each others homes and only hang with each other. The over 50 group has their thing, the single, college grad, and under 30 group has theirs and the two groups never mingle. A single guy over 30 who didn't go to college but is doing quite well spiritually and financially and who'd make a great husband isn't welcome in either group. The married men's group only talk to each other. The Working Mothers group have no place for the mother who works all day at home. The Spanish parishioners have their own bivouac and will bristle if intruded upon.

I know a woman whose only reason for going to church at all was because she sang in the choir and her entire social life was there. When she lost her Faith she decided to leave because she couldn't bring herself to be a hypocrite. The poor woman is quite restless and unhappy now. I don't think Holy Mother Church really wants us to be separate exlusive little units within the church. I don't think it's healthy either. Stephen Kellmeyer, whom I know is not well like in some blog circles has a point with this post.

Pray for the souls in Purgatory

Random political thoughts

• Someone should've told Nancy Pelosi that allowing herself to be photograped like this was not a good idea. Normal people don't laugh like that. She looks like a crazed movie villain.
  
  Indio's wanted poster from the movie, For a Few Dollars More
  
  
  

All Souls Day

Peter Kreeft

Peter Kreeft may be a nice man but I wouldn't want him on my side if I ever had to fight. Reading a review of his new book,"Between Allah and Jesus: What Christians Can Learn from Muslims", makes me want to pat him on the head and tell him to go home and tend to his knitting. I wonder what he'd say to the survivors of the Our Lady of Salvation massacre? Would he tell them that they simply misunderstood the men who came to their church and slaughtered their priests and loved ones?

All Souls Day

Eternal rest grant unto
Dean
Geneva
Mamie and Mac
Glen and Elvira
Kristin, Bertha and Yank
Bet and Joe and Dave
Ida and her Ida Mac
Sophie, Marie, Tyler, Farr
Gretel and Tammy
Leila, Walter, Daisy and Junior
and our John Mary Thomas
and the martyrs of Our Lady of Salvation Church






\

St. Paul's Richmond, VA

Rocky and I visited St. Paul in Richmond last Sunday and it was wonderful. We didn't know it until we stepped inside but St. Paul is a "twin" of our parish, St. Rita. Both churches had the same architect, a guy from Staunton, Virginia. St. Paul's is located in kind of a difficult spot. One one side is a black neighborhood that's mixed with working class and poor folks. On the other side of the church is a working class white neighborhood. Neither neighborhood is really a place for tourists so have your wits about you if you decide to visit. Fr. George has to lock up promptly after Mass because they've had serious thefts. Father is a delightful, kind man and we were happy to chat with him and the charming head usher who gave us a tour of the church. We even got to meet the parish cat, a gorgeous, dignified old Himalyan. Such friendly people! Coming from icy cold Northern Virginia it's always a delight to be genuinely welcomed. If you ever get a chance stop by for Mass.

The Vatican says...

Whenever a secular newspaper starts a story with the words, "the Vatican says," I get ready to be annoyed. An idiot editor of L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper says that Homer Simpson is Catholic and people go "the Vatican claims Homer" or an archbishop at the Middle East synod says Israelis can't use the bible as justification for some of the things they've done and that Israel's special status ceased with the coming of Jesus people go berserk and and say that the Vatican has thrown Israel under the proverbial bus.

One archbishop is not the Vatican, which is often used as a code word for the pope and the Vatican newspaper is not holy writ. Never assume that Pope Benedict approves of something or has said something unless you see it coming from his mouth on TV or read it in an official source. Grrrr!

there is a war on, you know

It's a spiritual war and not all the players are flesh and blood. A Muslim man joined liturgical dancers in England and tried to stab a bishop. He is said to be crazy. Another Muslim man danced rather badly on the altar in a Venetian cathedral. He is confined to a hospital and is said to be mad as a March hare. A 69 year old bishop in Canada was severley beaten in his rectory and a priest who came to his aid was also attacked by a man whom authorities say is deranged. Earlier this year a bishop was stabbed to death by the man the Turkish government had sent to be his driver.

In famously nice Minnesota a Democrat ran a frankly anti-Catholic ad. In San Francisco the city council has condemned Catholicism. In England an ice cream ad features models dressed up as priests in sexually suggestive poses. In Washington DC, an actor dressed up as a priest will mock Catholics on the National Mall while giving a "benediction" at the Jon Stewart (he's a comdian) rally. The malignant enemy is working with an ancient playbook but it's devastatingly effective : Strike down the officers and the army is thrown into confusion. Pray for our priests.

Sts. Peter and Paul, priestly martyrs of Spain, France, Russia and Mexico, pray for your brother priests who are in danger!

Amen

Dr. Kinsey-- warning, it's upsetting

One day when I was a college student I was sitting in class daydreaming while my English professor droned on about sex and how Dr. Alfred Kinsey showed what women were capable of once freed from the patriarchy when a question hit me: How did Dr. Kinsey get all his data? Kinsey started his research during WWII. In the 40s and later the 50s, no decent person would've agreed to have sex in front of strangers while being filmed and connected to electrodes. So where did Kinsey's test subjects come from? It appears that they were mostly freaks, ex-cons, pimps, homosexuals, prostitutes, and child molestors. Kinsey presented these people's sexuality as a model of what normal people feel and do. Later thousands of people like my old English professor insisted in classrooms all over the country that we SHOULD behave like Kinsey's test subjects or WE weren't normal, or that we were repressed, uncool prudes.
And what about Kinsey's child sexuality research? What happened to those kids? Kinsey claimed that children are willing, enthusiastic sexual actors from birth. How many kids were molested to get his research? And it had to be molestation. Three year olds and infants did not get in their cars and volunteer to be "observed" by Kinsey's helpers.
It dawned on me that day in class, that my professor was an old windbag who was wasting my money. I came to class to learn about literature not be indoctrinated into the freak show. It chilled me then and it chills me now to think that most of we learned in sex-ed class probably came from a mind that apparently was familiar with the darkest pits of hell. The Kinsey Institue, like Planned Parenthood gets a lot of money from you and me in the form of our tax money.

Rocky's favorite veil

This is one of my oldest veils. I bought it when I first began collecting them. I think I must have over 20 now. Some are antique, most are handmade and thus, unique. All of them are special. I don't collect anything that I don't love but this one stands apart from the rest because it's Rocky's favorite. It's very heavy lace. It so heavy that regular bobby pins won't hold it in place. I use the old fashioned extra strong ones for this baby. I only wear it at Easter.

Revere the Lord

Once there was a famous writer who was some kind of Protestant but wavering in his belief who found himself attracted to Catholicism. He wandered into a cathedral and sat down before Mass was to begin. He watched the altar servers fool around while lighting the candles. He got up and left thinking that if Catholics really believed in the Real Presence the boys never would've been rough housing in the sanctuary and if even if they were, someone, a priest, an adult, someone should've admonished them. He never converted.


I thought about that story while watching adults treat a local church like a movie theater last Sunday. When Saint Peter saw Our Lord on the beach after His resurrection he (St. Peter) got dressed and then jumped into the water to swim and then run to Jesus. The Gospel says that Peter was naked in the boat while he fishing. He probably wasn't completely undressed. He might have simply removed his outer garment or was everything but his loin cloth. The Jews at that time were very modest. Stripping down to one's loin cloth was considered naked for all practical purposes.

The Romans typically crucified prisoners fully nude in order to increase their suffering and humiliation but at one point made a slight and temporary, I think, exception (underwear only) for the Jews not because they cared much for Jewish tradition but practical people as they were, they realized that you can't have a public execution if the shocked public all averted their eyes or ran away.


As excited as Peter was, he loved His Lord and His God too much to come before Him improperly dressed so Peter ran up to the Lord in wet clothes.

When Saint John saw Jesus in his Revelations vision he didn't go up to Him and give Our Lord a hug or a "How ya doin'?." John, the beloved disciple, fell on is face prostrate.

We have so many examples from the saints yet many Catholics still act like Jesus is their buddy from the car pool and that He should be grateful that we even came to Mass at all. If a non-Catholic walked into your parish today would he be impressed by what he sees in the pews or would he end up walking out thinking, ' These people don't really believe what they claim.'?
The Pope can give a beautiful example of Catholic life, the priest can give sterling homilies, the nun or monk can shine with goodness but one layperson's lazy behavior can turn the good examples into so much dust in wind.

well that was horrible

Rocky and I visited Nativity Church. in Springfield, VA. It was horribly depressing. The church is ugly but that's standard for churches built in the 60s, 70s and 80s so we didn't expect anything else. When we arrived a large group baptism ceremony was letting out. Most of the people were still milling around talking loudly and it was like they were at an auditorium. Nobody genuflected or bowed or even nodded towards Jesus. That may be partially because it was so hard to find Him. Nativity had no crucifix, instead there was one of those dopey resurecifixes over the altar. In a shadowy corner nearby was a tiny, ugly box sitting on a pillar. That was the tabernacle. Next to it, the santuary lamp appeared to be out. It was so sad. We tried to pray but it was so noisy that we got up to go. Just before going out I looked back and saw the priest tidying up the pews. All those lay people and the priest had to clean up? The last time I was at Nativity was 14 years ago and I'd forgotten it. It'll take another funeral for me to go back.

There's no tacky wedding like a Catholic tacky wedding. Ugh!

Oh man, this is bad. Looking at this video reminds me of why so many priests strongly dislike celebrating weddings.

St. Anthony Bridals

What a wonderful idea. St. Anthony Bridals help budget minded or lower to middle income brides have a nice wedding.

Rest in peace, La Stupenda

When I was about nine or ten I heard Joan Sutherland singing on TV. She had a voice that left me speechless. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard.

the botanica is gone

There was a botanica near our church and every time I saw the ghastly thing I'd say the prayer to St. Michael and then last week after Mass we drove past it and saw that the botanica was gone. Once ages ago Rocky and I went inside because we mistakenly thought it was a Catholic bookstore. After seeing the rows and rows of spell books, penis shaped candles and a weird altar that was not dedicated to God we got the hell out of there. Usain Bolt, the Jamaican sprinter couldn't have moved any faster than we did fleeing that place.

The week before last they seemed to be doing a brisk business but now the place is boarded up. There's cardboard and dried soap circles in the windows. Thank you, Jesus!

youth is often wasted on the young

Karen Owen apparently spent her four years at Duke University in the prone position. A co-worker asked me what I thought of the story. I said that sleeping with 13 boys and then writing a 42 page tell-all was tragic. She replied that 13 men in 4 years wasn't that unusual for a sexually active young woman at college. Wow. Imagine spending $200,000 for your kid to dance on the edge of hell. I'm really, really thankful that I'm not in that age group anymore if Karen Owen is the norm.

Poor girl. Did she really want to fornicate with all those guys or was she trying to be the star of the hip crowd? Some people have been very harsh in condemning Miss Owen, others are celebrating her as a brave feminist but I can't help but wonder what when wrong in this girl's life.

Is bragging about how poor you are some new Catholic fad?

I recently came across two new blogs the other day and found myself getting agitated, utterly pissed off really, as I read them. Both bloggers are Catholic. Both are married and are highly educated and usually live a very modest lifestyle by choice. Fine and dandy. Both seem delighted, extol the joys of low income living and are critical of people who have TV and cars, send their kids to school and who don't frequent thrift shops*. Neither seems to do any charity or parish work. One feels great solidarity with the poor as she walks home with her organic groceries instead of driving to a suburban grocery. Oh for Pete's sake... Well, I think the whole organic thing is a expensive bit of showing off. All food, everything that lives or lived is organic matter. My wooden coffee table is organic. My plastic pink Crocs are not. My TV is inorganic. My broccoli in the freezer is organic. Uncle Chester mouldering in his grave is organic matter. Keiko the robot is inorganic.

One woman complained that her friends were mean when she signed up pre-natal food assistance, (I think she was talking about WIC). I stand with the mean friends. WIC is supposed to be for low income pregnant and postpartum women who don't have a lot of options. It provides supplemental food and nutritional information in order to prevent fetal malnutrition and all the maladies and miseries that come with it such as cretinism. It was not meant for people who choose not to work in the field that they studied at college. If you can travel for fun, buy expensive items when the mood strikes you and have a computer at home then you are not the woman who WIC was meant to help. If you are playing at being poor with the knowledge that you can drop the game at any time, then WIC was not intended for you. By taking it you are stealing from women who really need and from the rest of us who work and pay taxes.

Mother Teresa didn't play games. She went to the slums of Calcutta, not to be smug or show everyone how holy she was. She went for the love of Christ. I do hope poor mouthing -- almost bragging about one's low income isn't becoming some new young Catholic trend becuase if it is, someone, and this might be the job for the laity, better step in quick and call it for what it is: silly and insulting to genuinely poor people who don't have the option to change their minds if things stop being cool.



*I enjoy shopping at thrift and consignment shops but I don't consider myself more virtuous that the woman who wouldn't be caught dead in one.

what a week

It's been an exhausting week at work. We had an extremely labor intensive project and so I'm glad to see Friday come. I found myself thinking wistfully about the movie, Into the Great Silence.

Carthusians live what looks like a simple, romantic life high in the snowy mountains but a weak person would find it grueling. The monks never stop working. If they aren't laboring, they are at prayer. I wouldn't last a week at a Carthusian monastery but everytime I got tired of my project and daydreamed about Into the Great Silence it was like a tiny moment of vacation.

burning books=outrage, burning Christians=silence

Remember how everyone went beserk because some preacher in Florida was going to burn the koran? Back in March a Muslim mob burned a Christian alive and raped his wife while forcing their children to watch. I'd say that's a darn sight worse than burning a book but the major media ignored the story. Last week in Ethiopia-- Ethiopia, the oldest Christian civilization, Muslims in a small villiage burned down the houses of their Christian neighbors. The Christians are still living out in the open under trees. Their neighbors are refusing to let them leave or rebuild. I read about this in and English newspaper. As far as I know the American media didn't touch the story.

This week Catholics in Saudi Arabia were caught going to Mass. A Saudi prison is one of the most horrible places on earth. You don't want to go there. The fate of these Catholics is up in the air.

According to American mainstream media, none of these stories is as important as the jackleg preacher talking about burning the koran.

Holy martyrs, pray for us!

Random thoughts on Sobran and Skojec and Kathleen Folden

• Joe Sobran died last week and his funeral was on Tuesday. I don't really remember him because he'd been cast out by William F. Buckley long before I was even interested in politics and I didn't like the essays of his that I've read but the reactions to his death fascinated me. There were loving tributes including a touching one from Anne Coulter and remarkable nastiness. One commenter on Fr. Z's blog said that he was not sorry to see Sobran gone. One commenter said he was a Jew hater and anti Israel so she felt nothing at all knowing that he was dead. Another person called him an unstable, rude genius. One Catholic blogger said that she wished he'd been a Protestant instead of a Catholic. Who was this man really and why did he excite such passions so long after his big time writing career was essentially over?


• Steve Skojec wrote an essay on Inside Catholic saying that a lot of Traditionalist Catholics are jerks. The reaction was what you'd expect. You can't spit on people--whether they have it coming or not-- and then expect them to shrug.
  
• Kathleen Folden saw a tax payer sponsored piece of blasphemy and went St. Boniface on it. A lot of sophisticated Christians are cringing with shame and I don't know where Kathleen stands with the Lord compared to anyone else but the the Lord said something about liking the hot better than the lukewarm, didn't He?

Go to Peter

I don't think American Catholics appreciate St. Peter as much as we ought to. Maybe it's because his successors are always with us. Perhaps it's because Americans tend to dumb everything down. We either think of Peter as the first pope or we simply think of him as the head of the bumbling apostles.

Have you failed? Have you ever really messed up so horribly that a mere apology will not fix it? Go to Peter. He knows your shame and regret. He betrayed Our Lord three times after boldly saying earlier that night that he'd never do such a thing. Have you ever hidden your Faith so you could blend in with the cool folks? Peter understands. He stood around a fire warming himself with the temple servants. Have you ever been so depressed that you thought everything was hopeless? Peter's been there. From Good Friday to Easter Sunday he thought that everything was lost, that the Light of the world was gone out forever and how it must have scalded his heart when he looked at St. John and Mary.

Have you ever thought, this job is too big for me? Have you listened to your friends when they said, "What can one little person do?" Peter understands that too. He went to Rome and stayed there even though it meant losing his life. Satan and the Romans must have thought after Peter's crucifixion that the Christians were done. They were wrong. As St. Peter hung on the cross dying in agony he knew where he was going. With his help, may you and I get there too.
St. Peter, the apostle, pray for us that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

St. Clelia, pray for rme.

St. Clelia Barbieri, is the youngest saint to found a religious order. She is also the patron saint of people who are ridiculed for their piety. I thought of St. Clelia yesterday. A co-woker, a Catholic mocked another Catholic woman, (the mother of three priests so I think she did pretty well), for her pious nature. She despised this woman for having a prie dieu at home and a corner shrine. I guess she'd be horrified by my home. We don't have a prayer bench but we do have paintings of saints all over the place and a crucifix in every room but the bathroom. My co-worker then went on to insult the woman's priest. He is well known in our diocese and sounds like someone I'd be very happy to know. The next time Rocky and I are in Front Royal, we'll be sure to stop by his parish.

Later she told me an extended and particularly filthy sodomy joke. I can not repeat it in print and I don't want to hear it again in my mind. Both times I changed the subject. I should've spoken up.That was gutless on my part and I am determined that it will never happen again.

St. Clelia, physically delicate but spirtually a little lioness, pray for me.

St. Therese

Fall, the burnt orange season

This is my favorite time of year. The cicadas have gone to their destinies and no longer sing their nightly song of love and death. Now the big black crickets have their turn on the stage. The robins and doves have left us, but the blue jays have come to visit for a few weeks and Canadian geese have returned to spend part of their day in my building's picnic area. I watch them through the morning fog while walking to the bus. The fox, groundhogs and deer are more visible when we go for Sunday afternoon drives. The cherry blossoms of Spring and the daffodils of Summer are gone but now we have crysanthemums, my great grandmother called them October roses, and pumpkins.

Football is back and that's very fine. I really did miss Brett, Peyton, Troy and of course the whole Fox team.

The horrible Summer heat has broken and the tempreture drops below 80 again. Soon I'll be able to break out my thin Fall gloves and light sweaters. I love it.

Mass of the Ages

Rocky and I went to confession and the TLM at St. Rita's tonight. It's the feast of St. Jerome, one of my favorite saints and the patron saint of librarians. I've been to the Traditional/Tridentine Latin Mass before but tonight something I've read countless times really sunk in. The priest goes up to the altar of God and pleads our case. Next he comes down from the altar and brings merciful Jesus, our first and greatest Advocate to us. This happens at all masses of course, but somehow you really get it when attending a TLM.

There were several small children there tonight but if I hadn't seen them toddle in before Mass I never would've known that they were there. It was silent, hushed as if the whole world was waiting with baited breath to see the miracle.

Fr. Gee (we haven't come up with a nick name for him yet) will say the Low Mass every Thursday. If you're in Alexandria come on by.

Things you can do in a dress or a skirt

Save Paris like St. Genvieve

Kick Moorish butt and save your country like Queen Isabella



Become a doctor of the Church like my friend, St. Therese



Help a pope like St. Catherine of Siena


Infuriate klansmen and garden variety racists like St. Katherine Drexel


Conquer the known world and look cute while doing it, like the Romans.


Indulge your inner wiseacre like me and mock the great pants debate . HT to In Haught Pursuit for giving me the idea for this post.

A night with Fr. Groeschel

On Thursday Rocky and I went to the Institute of Catholic Culture event featuring Fr. Groeschel. There were 1,100 or so people in attendance so Father's talk was at St. Thomas More Cathedral. I saw Pauline sisters, Poor Sisters of St. Joseph, four diocesan priests, two Byzantine priests -- they look really snappy in their cassocks, two Franciscan monks who came with Father, and I think I saw a Vietnamese Dominican sister. When Fr. Groeschel was helped into the church I caught my breath. He is very frail. Physically, he's as delicate as onion skin paper or two hundred year old lace. But then he spoke and you actually forgot what he looks like. Inside he's still the same tough minded, wise cracking New York boy he ever was.

His topic was the afterlife. He made us laugh when he told us that Americans are so afraid of death that we pretty it up --- Uncle Vinny in his casket looks sweeter than he ever did in life. Instead of praying for Vinnie's soul knowing full well that the last time anyone saw him express religious fervour was at his First Communion, we canonize him and blandly assume that he's in heaven. Or we go goth and glamorize death. We thrash about wildly and fail to see the great beauty, the great joy of making a good death and seeing the Holy Face.

Will there be sex in heaven? No, Fr. told us and I swear some of the older (?) folks looked disappointed. Sex is for reproduction and in heaven that won't be needed. Will we have wings and sit around on clouds looking smug and plucking harps? No, Father told us. He also added that to his mind that sounded a bit like hell which got a hearty laugh. Will we all go to heaven? No, of course not. He ended his talk with a blessing and one of the sturdy young monks that came with him and a layman helped him up and to the elevator. There was a reception and book signing afterwards but St. Thomas More has steep steps. Rocky's knee didn't need the pain and since I sprained my ankle I didn't need it either. So we went home and prayed that Fr. Groeschel have a safe, uneventful trip back to New York.

Rest in peace.

Julian and Charles Lewis.



It really, really bothers me that so many people slobber over killers and completely forget the murder victims. Julian and Charles Lewis died a horrible and painful death. Charles was just 25. Julian, his father suffered for some time before he finally died. I have not seen a single blog or news article express pity for them but I've seen several that expressed sympathy for the wife and stepmother who plotted their deaths. I couldn't even find a photograph of the victims.

Reparation

I was browsing a fashion blog when I saw it. It was so completely vile that I thought for a moment that it was a piss poor joke. A designer has created very expensive, very ugly line of handbags using crucifixes. It's not meant as a devotion. At best the crucifix is used as a mere decoration, like a charm on a bracelet. At worst it's a "sophisticated" sneer at Christ. This wasn't fashion it was plain old blasphemy.

Prayer of Reparation

O Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore thee profoundly. I offer thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which He is offended. By the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of thee the conversion of poor sinners.

Amen

THE DIVINE PRAISES IN REPARATION FOR BLASPHEMIES
Blessed be God
Blessed be His Holy Name
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man
Blessed be the Name of Jesus
Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart
Blessed be His Most Precious Blood
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar
Blessed be the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy
Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception
Blessed be her glorious Assumption
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother
Blessed be St Joseph, her most chaste spouse
Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints

Jacinta, Francisco and Lucia, pray for us.

something beautiful for God

The Mater Ecclesiae Fund helps men and women get to the seminary, monastery or convent. The fund pays off student loans. I think this is a brilliant idea.

Kol Nidre and God Will Take Care of You

The first time I heard the Kol Nidre was in the Jazz Singer movie. I think Johnny Mathis' version is better.



Rocky and I were in Lancaster, PA when we walked into the Mennonite run visitor's center. This sweet hymn was playing on the radio and I never forgot it. It beats the heck of 90% of the stuff that's played in most parishes.

Behold, God

We went to adoration at Queen of Apostles in Alexandria. I looked at the mostrance and tears came to my eyes. Behold God! If people only knew how awesome, how powerful and magnificent adoration is the churches would be filled every night. God, in the guise of bread sits and waits for us to come to Him. We are in His Real Presence and He is with us. Do you know how inexpressable a miracle this is? If more Catholics knew this, they wouldn't go running to Medjugorje to see a miracle.

Fr. Groeschel is coming to town

The Institute of Catholic Culture speaker schedule for the Fall has been posted. Fr. Benedict Groeschel is coming on September 23rd!

Christ in the arms of His parents

I don't believe I've ever seen a painting like this before. The medieval artist shows Our Lord taken down from the cross in the arms of God, the Father and Mary with God, the Holy Spirit hovering above,

What happens to the statues when a parish closes?

What happens to the art and statuary when a parish closes? I used to assume that these things were saved and moved to other churches, or church property. Not necessarily so. Sometimes there is ecclesiastical recycling and sometimes parishioners manage to save things but usually most of the stuff in a closed parish just gets thrown to the four winds. I've seen pews in restaurants, statues of saints as mere decorations in fashion magazines and tramps from Madonna (the singer), to Lady Gaga trying to be "edgy" whatever the heck that means with rosaries. I've seen altars, tabernacles and reqularies for sale on ebay and it's pretty disturbing.

One man has made it his mission to save church treasures. He's opened a museum. I thank him for his efforts but boy I wish more of our bishops were better stewards.

the pants debate--- oh not again

The annual and very tiresome great pants debate has broken out in Catholic blog land again. The woman in the above photo is St. Gianna Molla. She's good enough for me. Can pants be immodest? Yes indeed and I've been stunned many a time by the display of flesh I've seen at Mass. I've seen Catholic women and girls proudly wear stuff to church that my Baptist and AME Zion relatives would never dream of wearing in a holy place. Are all pants bad? No. Time, place, circumstances and the age and intentions of the wearer have to be taken into account.

Do I wear pants? No, they don't look good on me and I find them too confining. I've been in the mountains, swamps and woodlands in skirts and did just fine. I do own one pair of jeans that I reserve for nasty, dirty jobs but that's it. I saw that one blogger got over 300 comments after her vent about pants. I wish people would be that passionate about the liturgy.

Cardinal McCarrick continues to disappoint

The cardinal is a fascinating, mystifying man. He says all the right things during Mass, he is incredibly charming and looks like a wee leprechaun but it's only one aspect of the man. In speeches to private groups he says things that are frankly, disturbing when coming from the mouth of a prince of the Church.

Rest in peace.

They have no memorial in New York. They've been failed so many ways over these last nine years. Eternal rest grant unto them oh Lord. Let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.

Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord: Lord hear my voice. De profúndis clamávi ad te, Dómine: Dómine, exáudi vocem meam.

Let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. Fiant aures tuae intendéntes: in vocem deprecationes meae.

If Thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? Si iniquitátes observaveris, Dómine: Dómine, quis sustinébit.

But there is forgiveness with Thee: because of Thy law I wait for Thee, O Lord. Quia apud te propitiátio est: et propter legem tuam sustinui te, Dómine.

My soul waiteth on His word: my soul hopeth in the Lord. Sustinuit ánima mea in verbo ejus: sperávit ánima mea in Dómino.

From the morning watch even until night let Israel hope in the Lord: A custodia matutina usque ad noctem: specret Israel in Dómino.

For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is plentiful redemption. Quia apud Dóminum misericordia: et copiósa apud eum redémptio.

And He shall redeem Israel, from all their iniquities. Et ipse redimet Israel, ex ómnibus iniquitátibus ejus.

Dies Irae

You know what's pathetic?

Thanks to the American media, who were looking for a story that would make Christians look bad, a vatican spokesman, the president, a general and a former governor all pleaded with a jackleg, self proclaimed pastor of a 50 person store front type church not to burn copies of the koran. This story shouldn't have gotten beyond a few local papers in Florida. Now there are people all over the world, America included who are fearful of how the Islamic world is going to react. I once wanted to be a journalist when I was a girl. I changed my mind obviously because I'm a natural born librarian but I'm so glad I didn't go into such a degraded field.

Bedevilled

Today Rocky and I watched an old B movie from the 50s. Anne Baxter played Monica, a loose living American woman who's on the run from a gangster in Paris. Her luck changes when she runs into a fellow American. He's a young stalwart man who's going to the seminary in a few days. He tries to help her and in the end leads her back to God.

We were particularly interested in a scene where Gregory, the seminarian-to-be and Monica run into a church. The rosary is being prayed and the church is not only packed but the priest, who is presented as a wise, noble man is leading it with four altar boys by his side. The thugs chasing Monica follow but take off their hats in church and when an usher frowns at them they sit down.

At the end of the movie Gregory is sitting in his cassock with his class listening to the rector, who quotes the following poem. As the old priest talks the camera pans up to a close up of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and then the picture fades to black. Bedevilled was not a great film. It wasn't meant to be but it was entertaining, suspenseful and showed a world that doesn't exist anymore. The priesthood, the religious life, and the Church were shown with respect. The hero is presented with two great problems. He must save the heroine and he must make it the seminary. The writers of the movie make it clear that if Gregory isn't at the seminary come Monday morning it would be a great tragedy. Can you imagine anything like this being made today?

To live in the midst of the world
without wishing its pleasures;
To be a member of each family,
yet belonging to none;
To share all suffering;
to penetrate all secrets;
To heal all wounds;
to go from men to God
and offer Him their prayers;
To return from God to men
to bring pardon and hope;
To have a heart of fire for Charity,
and a heart of bronze for Chastity
To teach and to pardon,
console and bless always.
My God, what a life;
and it is yours,
O priest of Jesus Christ.

—Fr. Lacordaire

Wadrobe

Wardrobe

My love gave me a king's robe

mock purple and red

My love gave me a white coat

a fool's coat, He said.

My love gave me a weft crown of thorns for my head,

Because He is my true love,

He wore them instead

Sr. M. Madeleva Wolff

Pray for priests

In her book, St. Therese said that she became a nun to save souls and to pray for priests. Well, most of us can not join the cloister but we can all hold hands with Therese and pray for the men God has chosen to do His work.

Back at St. Rita's

I was too sick to go to Mass last week and it felt really good to get back today. We went to confession , and while Rocky prayed in a pew I walked around the church and visited our Infant of Prague statue, which looks more like the very serious Toddler of Prague. We have a new veil made by the Bennedictine nuns in Kansas for our tabernacle which is quite pretty.

Confession is such a wonderful gift. You go in, make a clean breast of things and come out in a state of grace.

Theology of the Body gives me the creeps

Never trust anybody who spends their whole life talking about sex. Whether, it's Hugh Hefner, who is at least an open, honest pervert, the TV and radio love doctors, your "funny" uncle whom you were never allowed to be alone with, or the old Cottonmouthed neighborhood guy that all the kids were told to stay away from.

The sex obsessed freak is oftentimes an authority figure. All these stories we read about teachers preying on students aren't a new thing. It's always gone on but now they get reported. Frequently sex bores and fanatics have big fancy credentials. They went to an institute in Europe, or they wrote a lot of papers or like Dr. Kinsey, a real monster, they had a gulliable press who believed everything they said. The Theology of the Body people give me the creeps especially when I read stuff like this:

At a TOB meeting, Dr. Janet Smith stated that God is a stalker and that all lovers are pathological stalkers. I know the woman was just going for dramatic effect but this too much. I wouldn't go to this person for advice about love or God or much of anything.

Fr. Loya, whom I've never heard of before, but is apparently a big chief in the TOB tribe said that "TOB is not a big idea. It is THE big idea." I thought the big idea was Jesus.

To the SSPX folks

Some squirrely, people on Fisheaters.com * engaged in name calling aimed toward Charlotte at Cheeky Pink Girl. That wasn't very gentlemanly and she has a spirited response for them, but this dust up got me to thinking. I know that many people were hurt during the Vat II era. I recall reading about a man who was a teenager at the time, who witnessed his mother being brutally insulted by a fanatical get-with-the-times priest because she was praying the "old fashioned" rosary AFTER Mass. I get why people were left with scars and bitterness.

I know traditional/orthodox (pick your term) minded Catholics have been treated badly even today. Anyone who balked at the zeitgeist-- "Why did you move the Blessed Sacrament down the hall?", " Why is the lector wearing a mini dress and why do we have to see her underwear when she bows?" "Why doesn't Fr. give communion anymore but sits and lets the EMCs do it? "Why do you want to strip my baby naked and plunk his butt in the baptismal font and wave him around like Simba in the Lion King?" "Why is the choir singing music from Phantom of the Opera?"---were told to sit down and shut up.

Some people reacted by taking the blue pill and telling themselves that as long as they stayed away from parish activities, avoided the priest outside of Mass, and stayed away from butch nuns everything would be fine. Other people either took the red pill and decided to fight or they took the red pill and realized that things weren't fine but were too damned tired and chose to fight no more forever. Yeah, there's been pain in the pews but we have sympathetic pope now. I'll repeat that. We have a sympathetic pope. He's holding his hand out; don't be fools and slap it away while you go pout in the basement. What I've said about the Sr. Chisseters, the Pelosis, Fr. Rohr's and O'Briens and the snooty Anglo Caths who say they'd be willing to convert if it wasn't for our ugly churches and lame music, goes for the SSPX as well. You can not be Catholic but with conditons. Lyndon Johnson once said it was better to have enemies inside the big tent pissing out than standing outside pissing in but I'd prefer that the SSPX and others on the left side of the spectrum stop the flow altogehter. Either you're in or you're out. Make up your minds. If you are in, welcome. We'll work things out somehow. If you're out, say so and get the heck on down the road.

I personally am grateful when I find a reverent Mass, whether it's Novus Ordo or TLM. For those who don't like the NO, that's okay. Thanks to Pope Benedict you can go to an approved TLM. Yeah, you may have to drive for hours but the Mass IS available somewhere and the numbers of TLMs are increasing. My own parish St. Rita is now going to have the TLM every Thursday evening at 7:30, plus a Holy Hour on Wednesdays.

The good Lord has handed the the SSPX and the church in general, a great opportunity. Don't listen to Bishop Williamson and blow it. I hope Pope Benedict lives a long, happy life but let's face it. He aint Methuselah. The next pope could say, "To heck with it. They're all excommunicated." Opportunity is knocking at the door. It's time to answer it or go the way of the Old Catholics a sect unknown to most of the Catholic world.

*I read Fisheaters and occasionally comment. There are good, sensible people posting and commenting at that site but there is a nutter element as well. I've read comments that made me raise my eyebrow and wonder as to whether the commenter has ever left his parents home, spoken to a woman without breaking into a nervous sweat or held a job that wasn't at a Catholic organizaion where a sympathetic friend or relative pulled strings to get him in.

Feverish thoughts on two movies

Well I'm sick today. I've been hit with a Summer cold for the first time in ages. I am cold but my skin feels hot. My bones hurt, my ribs ache from all the coughing, my glands are huge and my nose has rendered me socially unacceptable. So I'm confined to quarters and wandering from the sofa to the bed. Thanks to the Nyquil I've been having some pretty loopy dreams. The last one involved me lecturing a class on Christian lessons to be found in movies. Odd but when I woke up I thought for who knows how long about two movies in particular.

Ben Hur is one my all time favorites and I actually do think of it often when I'm heading up to communion. There's a scene where Judah has finally found his mother and sister and is trying to get them to Jesus so the Lord can heal their leprosy. When they discover that Our Lord has been crucified Judah thinks it's too late and he falls to his knees to weep, not only for his family but because he know Jesus has done no wrong. Then the rain starts and the Precious Blood flows down Golgotha to where Judah and his family are. His mother and sister are healed. When I go up to communion the prayer, "Oh Jesus, heal me of my sinfulness, the leprosy of my soul," frequently comes to mind.

And there's How Green Was My Valley, a movie that everyone passionately loves but I really don't care for. Roddy McDowell was adorable but a terrible thing is done by the "good guys" and no critic seems to have picked up on it. Aangharad and Mr. Gryfud, preacher are in love but she marries the son of the mine owner, with Gryfud presiding. They ruin a man's life but come off as the hero and heroine of the movie. It's funny. As a child I liked the movie but as a grown married woman I was repelled. Time is a real sentiment wrecker.

the race thing again

I was reading an essay by a doctor who was horrified when a black aquaintance told him that well-to-do blacks go on all black cruises---gasp, and have guest speakers like Louis Farakhan. From this the doctor concluded that a race war is on the way. He figured that if educated black people were paying to hear Farakhan speak then the underlass is just a roiling cauldron that's fixing to bubble over any year now.

I think the doc either heard what he wanted to hear or he simply got punked, as the kids say. Farakhan is old, and sick with prostate cancer. He doesn't travel like he used to and I don't think he'd be happy on a boat with alcohol, gambling, pork and women in bikins. Yes, there are all black cruises. Usually it's family reunions, associations, sororities, fraternities, music festivals and the like. I don't see what's so frightening about that.

Now, I do believe that the Obama era has worsened race relations. There has been stupidity on all sides. Rocky and I went to one of the black parishes in our diocese and found a framed photo of Obama on the wall next to MLK and St. Martin de Pores. I was so upset my stomach churned. Obama is not a saint, he's not the reward for our ancestors surviving slavery. He's not a prophet, prince or mesisah. As the economy tanks I think people, except for the creepy true believers are starting to wake up but I fear that it's too little too late, like the people who realized that Jim Jones was a monster right before their neighbors forced the Kool-Aid down their throats.

Lord have mercy.

Christ have mercy.

Lord have mercy.

St. Martin, pray for us.

St. Moses, pray for us.

St. Katherine Drexel, pray for us.

St. Josephine, pray for us.
Henriette deLile, pray for us.
Mother Mary Lange, pray for us.

St. Rocco Day

He's not the patron saint of kids with skint knees. You can read about him here.

a blow upon a bruise

The drunk driver who killed Sr. Denise Mosier was being represented by Catholic Charities in his deportation proceedings. So, when you give to Catholic Charities you are helping people who have broken the laws of our country beat the rap. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and cuddly inside?

The Assumption

favorite devotion meme

Charlotte of Cheeky Pink Girl tagged me to play in the five favorite devotions meme. She's right, I'm not much for memes but here goes........

My five favorite memes are:

1. The rosary. I started praying the rosary every night after my father died when I was 13. Today I try to pray at least a decade every day. It is such a huge comfort to me. It's like sitting in Mary's lap.
   
2. The Severn Sorrows of Mary. I love this devotion. Mary promised that she will assist those who say this devotion at the hour of their death.
   
   
3. The Divine Mercy chaplet.
   
4. The St. Therese chaplet.
   
5. The 7 churches pilgrimage on the night of Holy Thursday. This one is a favorite of Rocky's as well. In Europe, Rome especially, people walk from church to church. We drive. It's usually around midnight when we finish but it's so worth it to sit or kneel or lie prostrate near Jesus in the various altars of repose.

Hail Mary, full of grace

Random thoughts

• I wish people would stop comparing Michelle Obama to Marie Antoinette. Antoinette was a vivacious young girl who didn't have a mean bone in her body. She was modest, charitable, gentle, well meaning and at the end of her life, a woman of enormous courage, dignity and grace. When urged to flee for her life she declined and chose to stay with her husband. She NEVER said, "Let them eat cake," that was a complete lie spread by her enemies and perpetuated by the ignorant.

• A growing number of conservatives and Catholics are saying that in the wake of the gay "marriage" decision in California it's just a matter of time before it's the law of the land and that the rest of us should just drop out of the whole civil marriage thing. They argue that the goverment shouldn't be involved in marriage anyway and that we all ought to go to our churches, synogauges, worship spaces, fetish huts or whatever floats your spiritual boat and get married that way. That sounds okay but do you really think the professional gays will be satisfied? If we abandon civil marriage---and I'm okay with that--- they will eventually follow us into our churches and demand to be married there. It's not about tolerance, it's about rubbing our noses in crap and making us say "thanks."
  
  
• I find the Inside Catholic site to be nigh on underable now. Between the new design and the recent low quality of the essays I think I'll skip it and read Creative Minority Report instead.
  
  
• My family reunion was great but a bit sad. One cousin has been blinded in one eye by glaucoma, another is still vital but is showing signs of age, an aunt has gone deaf... I found myself looking fondly around the room and wishing that I could stop time and keep everyone together healthy, laughing, just as we are. It was a childish wish I know but I was feeling tender and sentimental.
  
  
• Abortion really doesn't fix anything. The 1930s and '40s singer/actress Jeanette McDonald got pregnant out of wedlock while filming one of what became one of her biggest hits. The head of the studio told her to have an abortion. Jeanette told her sweetheart, Nelson Eddy that she'd miscarried. He didn't believe her and broke off their relationship. She lost her child and the one man she really wanted but she had the cold comfort of her career. Years later Eddy forgave her but by that time she was too old for childbearing and he'd married another.
  I thought about Jeanette when I read about the death of actress Patricia Neal. Patricia fell in love with Gary Cooper but he was married so she had an abortion. Both Gary and Patricia later converted or in her case, returned to Catholicism. She had a brilliant career but made it clear that she spent the rest of her life wishing that she'd gone ahead and had her baby.
  
  
• It's a mistake to call radical Muslims Medieval thinkers or use the term as an insult. In the Middle Ages Catholics built the first universities, castles that still stand, and the great cathedrals. They wrote poetry, sang songs and composed music that is still performed today. A Medieval queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine married the king of France, went on a crusade. Legend has it that she and her ladies rode to war dressed like Amazons. She divorced her boring husband and fell in love with Henry Plantagenent who became king of England. When she fell out of love with Henry she instigated a revolt against him and although it failed she survived the defeat, ultimately triumphed and lived to see two her sons crowned king. You think the Muslim world could've produced such a woman? And what about Saints Genvieve, Anthony, Gertrude, Francis, Dominic, Augustine of Cantebury,Leo, or Thomas? Our age has obviously not bred such powerful saints. The Middle Ages were a fascinating, complex, time, an age of legends.
  
  
  

Priesthood in South Carolina

Riding the Crescent

I'm on the Crescent (named after the Crescent city because it goes all the way to New Orleands), train headed to South Carolina for my family reunion. I love train travel. Rocky, my mother and I had a delicous meal in the dinning car and then went back to our seats. The only tiny little flaw is that we have a bunch of people from New Jersey on board. The guys aren't so bad but the women sound like a bunch of geese honking.

Rest in peace,

Sister Denise Mosler was killed yesterday by a drunk driver. He was an illegal immigrant who'd been arrested before for DUI and was awaiting deportation. She was on her way to the convent in Bristow, Virginia. The other nuns who were in the car with her are in serious condition.

Eternal rest grant unto her Oh Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace.

With all due respect

Auxiliary Bishop Gabino Zavala of Los Angeles recently made a comment about bloggers:

"We are particularly concerned about blogs that engage in attacks and hurtful judgmental language. We are very troubled by blogs and other elements of media that assume the role of magisterium and judge others in the church."

Bishop Zavala I wish you were particularly concerned about how ignorant the average American Catholic child is, or the day in and day out abuses of the Mass but no, you and your brothers are fretting about me speaking my mind.

Anne Rice

Well, Anne Rice has decided to quit Christianity. I wish I was surprised but really, if you look at poor Mrs. Rice it was just a matter of time. In many ways she's led a very sad life. Her parents are dead, her mother was an alcoholic who died from it when she was 13. Her little daughter died, her sister and husband died and her son is gay. She must feel like dandelion fluff in the wind.

I've never read her greatest literary work, Interview With a Vampire because when I was 14 I walked into book store and picked up what I thought was a retelling of Sleeping Beauty. It was one Rice's "erotic" novels, actually it was grotesque beyond my ability to describe it. I read a couple of paragraphs and was so shocked that I left the store and never had the slightest desire to touch anything by her ever again.

When she had her big splashy reversion to Catholicism I thought it was great for her sake but I also thought the big time bloggers and Catholic intellectuals who lavishly praised her autobiography and her blasphemous Jesus books--- seven year old Jesus striking a bully dead and then apologetically raising him back to life, a young Jesus having a chaste but angst ridden romance with a girl from Cana????--- were nuttier than a Benedictine fruit cake. I am comforted by the fact that most notable priests and bishops did not join the bandwagon.

Where there's life there's hope and the story is not over for Mrs. Rice. I don't think Our Lady, and St. Therese, whose statues have decorated her homes, are done with her. However, there's a lesson here: Remember the parable of the sower. And if you want to read about the life of Our Lord get a copy of Archbishop Sheen' book or Father Giuseppe Ricciotti's scholarly work.

The Virgin sleeping in the home of her parents

ugly truth is better than pretty lies

A lot of people are shocked (oh come on!) and horrified by the new story about a gay priest scandal in Rome. A reporter followed priests to gay clubs and watched them have sex with other men, which IS the whole point of going to a gay club. I can't figure out why anybody is surprised by this. Let's face it. For the last few decades the church has been heavily effeminate.

Over the years I've seen article after article asking where the Catholic men are. These articles mostly discussed theories as to why men weren't going to Mass or taking part in parish life but what a lot of people whispered was "Where are the manly priests?"

Read Goodbye Good Men some time and you'll get an idea of what the hell went wrong in our seminaries. One of my dear friends went to the Redemptorist seminary back in the 80s. He and all of his friends left because they could not stomach the open homosexuality. The last straw for my friend was when he walked in on an attempted seduction scene between a professor and a seminarian. He reported what he saw and was told to hush up and forget it.

Have you noticed how middle aged priests speak very carefully about their seminary days? Most don't seem to remember it fondly and say that they had to spend a lot of time keeping silent in order to get through and be ordained. The seminaries were a gay kingdom/playground for a long time and yes, we are reaping the miserable results. And there's something else: a lot of church women prefer a girly priest because he's more likely to let them have their way in running the parish. Until a scandal breaks out they're secretly delighted that their parish repels men. Scandals come but truth is better than lies. We need to face the truth and demand that the bishops clean up the cesspool. Until then we will keep on hearing about false hearted priests who use parish money to keep their lovers, Judases who abuse boys, and priests who preach a weak, strange gospel.

give converts a break

I was reading yet another snippy comment on a blog about converts and sighed. My husband is a convert of five years and he's a better Catholic than I, who was baptized at age nine.
He's a better Catholic than most of the Catholics I know. Last year a number of cradle Catholics asked him to take over managing the young adult bible study. He declined because of his work schedule.
Now I know it's true that there are a bunch of former Evangelical converts who have become obnoxious with their apologetics businesses. I don't care for these people. When I'm in a Catholic bookstore or at an event with books I pass right by their wares.

I've read defenders of the apologetics businessmen that argue that many of these guys were preachers and it's all they know so lay preaching and teaching is the only way they can make a living. I once read the blog of a married priest in South Carolina who enthusiastically praised Mark Shea for being so heroic. Me, being a smart alec wrote in, along with some other commenters that I didn't see what was so heroic. Father responded by saying it was heroic that Shea was giving himself fully to teaching us when he could've had a pleasant life in his old church. Since this blogger is an ordained priest I didn't say what I really thought and let it go.

There's a huge difference from the professionals and the passionate convert sitting next to you at Mass. The professionals are irritating but don't let them poison your view of converts in general. It's just not fair. Oh and one more thing, every single one of the first Catholics were converts. I think Sts. Paul, Peter, Martha, John, the Magdalene, James, and Jude and the others are pretty good company to be in.

Oh Bristol, Bristol, Bristol

Oh baby, I know Levi is kinda cute and he obviously has the sad puppy eyes and the silver tounge thing down pat but sweetie, darling if you marry him you'll end up supping at Sorrow's 24 hour diner with a long spoon.

Loved the Amish, hated Philly

On our last day in the lovely Pennslyvania Dutch country we came across a benefit auction for Haiti. There were hundreds of parked buggies and swarms of well mannered happy kids. Amish ladies sewed and donated over 100 quilts, there was furniture, food, and crafts for auction as well. I have great respect for the Amish in general but I was especially touched by the kindness of these people.

The next day Rocky and I went to Philadelphia. The City of Brotherly Love was an experience. The visitor's center is poorly arranged, confusing and had only one set of smelly restrooms that were at the end of a looooong hallway. And while the civilian staff was fine, the park rangers were shockingly rude and unhelpful. We got into the line at one o'clock but were curtly told us that we could not get into Independence Hall until the five o'clock tour. Okay, could we buy tickets for the five o'clock tour? Nope. Come back at five and wait. Gee, thanks.

Another ranger yelled at Rocky because he wanted him to move away from the ladies room. Rocky politely but firmly let the ranger know that no, he wasn't loitering, he was waiting for his wife. Thanks to a combination of heat and something I ate, I was suddenly, miserably, violently sick and took a good twenty minutes to recover. When I finally came out the ranger scowled but said nothing. Since this guy had sat on his butt all day in the nice air conditioned visitor center I don't know what his malfunction was.

Rather than wait around until five we took the Big Bus City tour and it was terrible. The tour buses are dirty, stinky and in run down condition, the windows are small so you can't see anything really unless you're on top of the bus in the double decker level. The buses have no air conditioning and in order to get people off and on quickly they never shut the doors. The highlights of the tour for me were seeing the Rocky steps and statue and the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul. The cathedral ambassadors were very nice women and the cathedral is the most beautiful one I've ever seen. I'll go back to Philly one of these days but I'm in no hurry. The city really does a piss poor job handling tourists.

Master Chief at St. James

We went to Mass at St. James in Litiz, Pennsylvania. It was interesting and a bit sad. The church is very plain. It looks like a Quaker Catholic church, if there was such a thing but the pews were the most comfortable I've ever sat in. At first I thought we'd come to a special Mass becuase we were at least 25 years younger than anybody else there. But no, it was the regular 5 PM vigil. Before Mass we heard Chopin's Prelude #15, The Raindrop which I love but it isn't meant for church and it always makes me think of Halo now. The parishioners sang with gusto--- the Servant Song , which is about the singers, and God not so much and and another song that was startlingly self congratulatory.

Veronica's Veil

Vacation

Rocky and I are going on vacation and I really need it. I'm exhausted and more than a little cranky thanks to a mild bout with insomnia. On top of that I always get jittery in July anyway because it's annual review time and I can't stand the whole process but mine went well (whew!) and I'm getting a raise.

One of the greatest things in the world is to be on a long, windy country road with my dear husband Rocky. Cares just melt away..........

the novice

When I was a little girl I wanted to be a Poor Clare or a Carmelite like St Therese..............

Are you a poor ambassador for Christ?

There is a fiery blogger who's a lasped Catholic and still quite angry about her experience in the annulment courts who once wrote that it doesn't matter what the good priest says if the average person finds the Christians he meets day to day, utterly repulsive.

Sisters of Mercy

an odd thing

St. Josemaria Esciva once had a letter from a friend who complained that the Mass was too long. The saint wrote back that the friend's love was too small. I'm often reminded of this when I see people leaving Mass early. Some leave right after communion. Others bolt as soon as the priest begins reading the announcements. I sympathize with these latter folks a tiny bit. There's no reason for the priest to read what's in the bulletin unless most of the people in the pews are known to be illiterate. Then there are the scowling or distracted folks who just about run me over in the parking lot trying to peal out. By their actions they all are screaming "Thank God that's over. I've done my obligation, now let's go eat!" I've seen old folks do this and younger people as well so it's not a generational thing. Are these people protesting in some way? Are they just lazy? What is it?


When did it become so widespread to do the barest bare minimun regarding the Mass? My husband's Baptist grandmother rarely left her church sooner than an hour after the service. She was talking to her friends, talking to the pastor, talking to the choir director about the performance or making plans for the next church dinner. My grandmother never rushed out of little un-air conditioned Bethesda Baptist either. Sunday was the highlight of her week. She loved going to church. I don't get that impression from most of the Catholics I see in the pews around here.

Men's hearts have grown cold. We are casual with the Lord when we come to Mass and then rush away from Him as soon as we can. Men's hearts have grown cold.

Two ghastly blogs and one confusing one

I discovered a newish blog written by a stay at home wife. I won't link to it or even say the name. I'd rather not send her any traffic, nor do I want her to visit me here. She's a Christian but I don't ever want to set foot inside her church if she's an example of what her denomination produces. She dislikes career women, women who aren't her class and really has a bee in her bonnet about well...let's just say that she reminds me of Mae Ella Ewell and Queen Gertrude's famous line.

The other blog is a sedevacantist blog that I came across accidentally. When the page first loads it looks lovely and then once you start reading a few posts you realizet that you've wandered into drooling insane land. I was tempted to write a comment but it would be pointless to try to tell the writers that yes, Benedict is the pope and no, Michelle Obama's tacky clothes are not a sign of the apocalypse.

Finally, there's one weirdly fascinating blog, written by a guy, who occasionally writes for Inside Catholic. He's saying something but damn if I can figure out what.

St. Germaine, pray for us

Once upon a time a shabby little man stole some money from his boss. That's a bad idea in most cases but especially so in this one. The boss did not call the police. Instead he and some goons showed up at the man's house with the intent of doing him serious body harm as an example to others who might try the same thing. The man, a miserable thief was also the lowest form of coward and offered his daughter as a way to clear the debt. The boss accepted. Time passed.

Eventually someone, a horrified neighbor perhaps or maybe a teacher from the daughter's school, decided to call the police. The boss and the thieving coward father went to jail. The poor girl went to the County Home and her child went to foster care. The people who fostered the child wish to adopt her. The case is before a judge. The social workers involved in the case are fighting the adoption becuase the foster parents are white. They would have this innocent child remain in foster care until a nice black family comes along or until the natural mother fully recovers from her ordeal and is fit to take care of another living soul. It's possible that these two options will never happen.

St. Germaine, patron of abused children pray for this young mother and for this innocent child who's life is hanging on the judge's decision