I'm sorry but this is ridiculous

Swing over to Lair of the Catholic Cavemen and check out this post on Fr. Stan Fortuna's latest concert. I love Fr. Groeschel. I love the Franciscans of the Renewal but Fr. Stan makes me want to avert my eyes. It's like watching your grandpa suddenly strip naked and do the samba.

Something beautiful

Here's a beautiful picture of a Cistercian nun. This nun's convent is located in Wisconsin and the sisters make hosts for Mass. They also accept online prayer requests.

Goodbye Good Man

What a shame.


St. Pio, St. John Vianney, Blessed Solanus Casey, and St. Athanasius please pray for this priest.
St. Therese, St. Dymphna, please pray for this priest.
Oh Mary, queen of the clergy have mercy.....

Genetic meme

Chris from IMHO tagged me……..


1. Which famous person would you most like to learn that you are descended from? Queen Catherine of Aragon

2. Which famous person would you hate to learn that you are descended from? Senator Robert Byrd

3. If you could be ancestor to any living famous person, who would it be and why?
Paris Hilton, so I could come to her as ghost to tell her to put some damn clothes on and stop acting like a um….good time girl.

4. If you could go back in time and meet any known ancestor(s) of yours, who would it be?
My mother's father who died from a black widow spider bite before I was born. I'd like to go in time to warn him to not put on the boot that the spider was hiding in. I'd also like to meet Caroline my great great great grandmother; born a slave in South Carolina in 1811. I'd like to find out the names of her parents and where she is buried.

5. Tag five others: anyone else who would like to play.

random thoughts for a Thursday night

1. A while back my husband was asking me about Fr. Haley. I told him that I hadn't heard or read anything about his status. Today in Renew Ameican I read this I wonder why the sisters bothered to get the book in the first place.
   
   
2. So far Archbishop Wuerl is saying all the right things and he's actually visiting a wide variety of parishes not just the ones in the suburbs and he even went to my old childhood parish, St. Augustine in DC. But I look at his past in Pennsylvania and I don't expect him to do much of anything good here.
   
   
3. After Mass on Saturday a beautifully coiffed older woman dressed in red a red shirtwaist dress, a white blazer, and black patent leather pumps stood up to give a speech. She was a nun from the order of the Sisters of St. Joseph. She was there to ask for donations for the support of their Peruvian mission. She said that they'd sent two of their younger sisters to Peru and because of the order's dwindling numbers it was a real sacrifice to do so. I thought, gee, perhaps if the sisters actually looked and acted like nuns you might have better luck with vocations and fundraising….. I prefer to give my money to nuns like these .
   
   
4. The owner of the Catholic Sensibility blog posted that he thinks pro-lifers need to stop looking so gloomy and learn to sparkle. I think I understand what he's saying. You do catch more flies with honey than vinegar but I can't agree with him. I don't want the pro life movement to sugar coat abortion. It is a sin that cries out to God for justice and this country is risking terrible punishment. We are worse than Sodom. We are worse than Ninevah or ancient Egypt or even the Aztecs and the Romans. There's no way to put on a happy face about this. Our Lady of Akita, pray for us.
   
   
5. Here is a wonderful source for those who love St. Therese. It has photos of her that I've never seen before.
   
   
   

Her roses still fall

Two weeks ago I said a novena to St. Therese. My prayer was answered and a few days later someone sent me a St. Therese chaplet. The chaplet is made by Carmelite nuns in Spain out of crushed rose petals. Getting that chaplet was a complete surprise. The dear saint has a sense of humor.

Thanks EWTN

Thanks for all the coverage of the papal Masses, thanks for the daily Mass, the rosary with the nuns, thanks for Fr. Corapi, Fr. Straub, and Fr. Bill Casey, thanks for nourishing my faith.

Happy 25th anniversary

Happy Feast of the Assumption!

Oh clement, oh loving, oh sweet Virgin Mary.



Pray for us, holy Mother.

strange experience

Yesterday my husband and I felt like going to the 7 PM Mass at a local church. We went in, sat down, prayed and meditated. Around 6:45ish a group of Latinos came in carrying a Senor de Los Milagros crucifix and a Divino Nino statue. Then one of them walked up to us and curtly asked if we had come for Mass. My first inclination was to say, "Yeah, buddy, what's it to ya?" but I was sitting right in front of the Blessed Sacrament so I simply said, "Yes."

He frowned and looked like he was passing a kidney stone. "Do you know Rosa?," he asked. Umm no, dude. He gave us a what the heck are you people doing here look and went away frowning. Another man glanced curiously at us and started working on the electric candles for the mini shrine in front of the Divine Child.

Rocky and I hadn't been to this church in a while so we guessed that the schedule had changed and that this was going to be a Spanish Mass. We were about to go find a bulletin and decide whether to stay or leave when the priest walked in. He stared at us and began speaking in Spanish. I got up, genuflected and headed for the door. Rocky followed. Some of the people in the pews seemed happy to see us go. We checked the bulletin and sure enough the 7 PM has been changed to Spanish but still the reactions we got seemed odd. I realize that the Mass was in Spanish but does than mean no non-Spanish speaking people are allowed to attend? When did that rule get put in place? No-one was overtly mean to us but we clearly got the vibe that we didn't belong. Catholic means universal. I guess they've forgotten that is this parish. My husband and I won't be dropping by again.

Random thoughts for Friday night

1. 
   Amy Wellborn, recently posted a long, odd apology of sorts as to why her daughter isn't going to Catholic school this year. My first thought was to wonder why she was bringing it up. After all her kid's education is nobody's business. But then it dawned on me that a lot of people look up to her and might (wrongly) be upset because her kid is in public school when Amy makes her living from writing about Catholicism. Ah the trials of being a public figure.
   
   
   
2. At lunch time today I was so bored that I picked up a bridal magazine. I was startled to see a large add from Holy Trinity parish in Reston, Virginia saying that if you want to get married there divorce is no impediment and that a priest will "marry" the bride and groom in any dignified location. I couldn't believe this at first until I looked at the web site. This parish is a schismatic outfit that has nothing to do with the Arlington diocese or Roman Catholicism. If any couple goes there to get married it won't be a valid marriage.
   
   
3. Remember, next Tuesday is a Holy Day of obligation!
   
   
   
4. Thanks to Lair of the Catholic Cavemen, I just discovered a new blog written by a no nonsense priest. Check it out.
   
   
5. Why does the Arlington Catholic Herald (the newspaper of my diocese) accept ads for pilgrimages to Medjugorje? It's an as yet unapproved apparition and by allowing these ads the paper is running the risk of making people think that Medj is legit.
   
   
6. Happy Feast of St.Clare to all the Poor Clares, especially my favorite Poor Clare, Mother Angelica.
   
   
7. God bless this woman and shame on the people who have made her life difficult in the last few weeks.
   
   
8. Does Mass at your church look like a mommy and me party? Are most of the males who do come to your Mass old men, boys, or gay? New Oxford Review has a stirring article explaining why.

NOVENA time

Madonna is planning on doing a mock crucifixion during her concert in Rome. She's also going to prance around wearing a fake crown of thorns. Sometimes when spiritually empty women who live on their looks reach middle age they panic. They start feeling as though they need to do something---anything--- to get attention and prove to themselves that they are still young and attractive. That's why you see 50 year old mincing through the mall in crotch high mini skirts and five inch heels or you see a grandma suddenly take a lover who's half her age. In Madonna's case her behavior is mostly a ploy to reboot her career but I suspect it's partially middle age panic and faded beauty that makes her act the way she does.

Novenna Prayer for Conversion
After each invocation say: My Jesus, pardon and mercy through Thy Sacred Wounds

My dear parents and grandparents,

My brothers and sisters and other near relatives,

My godparents and sponsors of Confirmation,

My spiritual and temporal benefactors,

My friends and neighbors,

All for whom love or duty bids me pray,

Those who have offended me,

Those who will offend me,

Those who have suffered disadvantage of harm through me,

Those whom I, still a sinner, will offend,

Those who are especially beloved by Thee,

Those whose death is near at hand,

Those who desire most to be united to Thee,

Those who endure the greatest sufferings and trials, especially spiritual torments,

Those whose death is most remote,

Those sinners have no one to pray for them,

Those who are most deserving on account of their services to the Church,

The rich who do not need Thee and are thus the most destitute,

The mighty who spurn Thee,

The spiritually blind, that they might see their folly,

The frivolous, who spend their time in idleness,

The poor, who do not seek the treasures of Heaven,

The tepid, who devote little time to prayer,

The indolent, who neglect to perform good works,

Those of little faith, who neglect the frequent reception of the Sacraments,

The habitual sinners, who require for their salvation to a miracle of grace,

Parents who fail to watch over their children,

Superiors who are not solicitous for the salvation of those entrusted to them,

Those who strive for worldly riches and pleasures,

The worldly minded, who fail to use their wealth and talents in the service of God,

Those who witness the death of others, but do not think of their own,

Those who blaspheme and commit sacrilege,

Those who violate the dignity of the human body and mind through impurity,

Those who sin because of my sins and bad example,

Those who do not provide for the life hereafter,

Those whose judgment will be severe because of the great things entrusted to them,

The pope, kings and rulers,

The bishops and their counselors,

My teachers and spiritual advisors,

The priests of this diocese,

The priests and religious of the Catholic Church,

The defenders of the holy Catholic Faith,

Those who die on the battlefield,

Those who fight for their country,

Those who will be buried in the sea,

Those who are to die suddenly, in accidents and from other causes,

Those who will die of heart attacks,

Those who suffer with cancer,

Those who suffer with AIDS,

Those who shall die without the last rites of the Church,

Those who shall die within the next twenty-four hours,

For Catholic apostates, heretics, and other unbelievers,

For Catholics who hold Masonic membership or in other secret societies,

For the conversion of the Jews, Thy chosen people of old,

For abortionists and those who aid them,

For women who seek abortions,

For those who promote or practicre contraception,

For those who give scandal, especially to children,

My own poor soul when I shall have to appear before Thy judgment seat.
PRAYER
Final perseverance and pardon grant unto all of these, O Lord; and let Thy graces through these petitions flow unto them and be fruitful. Amen.

Book Meme

Lair of the Catholic Cavemen tagged anybody reading the blog so.....


1. One book that changed your life: The Life of Christ by Fulton Sheen.

2. One book that you have read more than once: Salem's Lot by Stephen King

3. One book you'd want on a desert island: I'll take the Bible.

4. One book that made you laugh: I Should Have Seen it Coming When the Rabbit Died by Teresa Bloomingdale. Teresa was a Catholic mother of ten wild kids and her adventures with them are gut busters.

5. One book that made you cry: Madam Bovary.

6. One book you wish would have been written: There and Back Again: A Catholic Girl Survives Lousy Catechesis and College and Comes Back to the Church in Relatively One Piece.

7. One book you wish had never been written: Having it All by Helen Gurley Brown. That book was a soul destroyer.

8. One book you are currently reading: Emma and the Vikings. It's a biography about Anglo Saxon Queen Emma.

9. One book you have been meaning to read: St. Faustina's diary.

10. Tag some others: Anyone reading this.

random thoughts for a Thursday night

1. Here is a video of solemn high Tridentine Mass. The video quality is so poor that when I first saw it I thought, 'Oh shit, my contacts must have fallen out somewhere,' but when I looked up everything was normal so I knew for sure it was the video. Hat tip to the spunky young priest, Fr. Tucker of Dapped Things.


2. I'm sick of hearing about Stephen Colbert.


3. I thought all Carmelite nuns were contemplatives but that's not so. This fantastic looking order also does teaching and retreats.

4.I spent the weekend reading this book. The author was ordained a priest very late in life and has recently passed away.

5. Check out the preaching of Fr. Larry Richards.

But for the grace of God....

I can't join the feeding frenzy on Mel Gibson that most of the big Catholic blogs are engaged in right now. Alcoholism runs in my family. I've seen some things you wouldn't believe. Some of my relatives are the sweetest finest people you could ever meet but give them a sip of home brew, a bottle of beer or a shot of whiskey and they turn uglier than a one eyed bastard billy goat.

Considering what lurks in my own family tree all I can do is look at Mel's situation and say, "There but for the grace of God go I".

And since Hollywood is chock full of drunks, junkies, adulterers, fornicators, wife beaters and a whole lot worse I have to ask why this personal tragedy is such big news.

Balm

After the doggie Mass I was feeling pretty low but on Monday my husband and went to our usual parish for a holy hour and just sitting there with Jesus I began to feel a measure of peace. Later that week we were in Prince William County, Va and stopped by the perpetual adoration chapel at Our Lady Queen of Angels. There were six other people there. Three were teenagers who came on their own and I was thrilled to see them. In the middle of the day on a Friday those young people came not to be entertained, not to see a freak show but to sit and kneel before Christ. Our bishops have failed us. The lay people who really run our parishes have failed us but there still is faith.

This weekend we took a trip to West Virginia and went to Mass at the brand new church, St. James. It's gorgeous. I'm not sure what the style is but it's full of stained glass and the tabernacle is right in the middle of church where it should be. It was a very reverant Mass and the congregation says the rosary before Mass starts.

WMOAT

I had a hair appointment yesterday that ran late so Rocky and I couldn't make the 5PM vigil Mass at our church so we went to the 6PM at another parish. It was without a doubt the WMOAT (Worst Mass of All Time). When we walked in I knew something was wrong right off the bat. Jesus was not behind the altar, not in a chapel but stuck in a corner. That's right, the the Blessed Sacrament-- Jesus in the flesh, our joy, our strength, our salvation--- was stuck in a dank, drab corner next to the side door.

The choir was rehearsing when we came in and I realized that the songs they were singing were the same ones I used to hear at Mass when I was young child back in the 70s. It was like we had fallen into a time warp. There was a gray haired guy vigorously attacking the guitar and most of the shorts wearing parishoners looked to be in their 50s and 60s. There was only one baby, and a few little kids and two teenaged boys. Everybody else was a Boomer. There were even banners (ugh!) hanging on the wall.

A bored looking altar girl sat in her chair on the altar for half an hour before Mass. I've never seen an altar server just hang out like that before. Usually the altar boys at my church are actually doing something to assist Fr. Theoden and Fr. Aragorn. This child seemed to be just lounging.

And then I saw the dog. I love animals, dogs especially. I'd rather play with a dog than talk to most people. I think the Doberman is one of the most perfect creatures God ever made but a dog does not belong on God's holy altar. It was the priest's dog and I guess he was just checking his territory. He walked around, stopped to be petted by various delighted people and seeing that everything was in order he returned the the sacristy. Then the priest came out. He wore an orange Polo shirt and greeted us like a maitre d at a swanky restaurant. He was very nice and the people were very sweet to us, obvious newcomers but it was so noisy that we never got to pray in peace. Even if your "ministry" is to be the church greeter if you see me hunched over saying my rosary with my eyes closed don't come over to talk to me unless my car is on fire in the parking lot.

Finally Mass started. The priest had on the green vestment but there was no alb or maniple underneath. He dropped some parts of the prayers and improvised. There was no Confiteor (when I was a kid I called it the Comforter) and when was time for the homily Fr. left the ambo and strode into the aisle. My first horrified thought was that he was going to walk the pews like a Pentecostalist preacher but he mostly stayed in one place. His homily consisted of jokes and audience participation.

I looked behind him at one the altar girls and was stunned. This child spent the homily and most of the Mass drumming her fingers on her chair's armrest, resting her head on the back of her chair and staring at the ceiling while she sat sprawled, with legs gapped open. I have never seen such disrepect in my life. These people wanted altar girls so badly (Why?) that they picked a girl who obviously didn't want to be there.

They held hands at the Our Father but I declined. I don't hold hands with anyone but my husband and blood kin, sorry 'bout that buckaroos. The priest added some words to the Concecration and told more jokes at the end of Mass. He would've made one hell of a stand up act. At the end no one stopped to pray and no-one visited the Blessed Sacrament. One man looked at me with a quizical expression when I genuflected before the tabernacle. We ran out the side door.

Rocky told me that this was the first time he ever had to say a Hail Mary in order to get the strength to sit through a Mass. He wanted to get up and leave at several points but kept telling himself that it was a valid Mass. I spent the whole Mass thinking of Jesus in that corner. There is a prayer in the Tridentine rite that asks God to look at our poor efforts with an indulgent smile. I thought of Our Lord smiling at this mess like a dad who's just been presented with a hideous rice and macaroni mosaic by his beloved seven year old and took some comfort in that.

I felt like Kurtz from The Heart of Darkness lisping, "The horror! The horror!" As I said this Mass reminded me very much of the 70s. It was weak, wishy washy Catholicism lite and I saw nothing there to live my life for and nothing to drink death like water for if need be. It was like a Lutheran or AME Zion sevice. I can't imagine a young woman or man sittiing in that church and feeling any call to the religious life. I can't imagine a young woman or man from that parish wanting to stay Catholic after high school.

Afterwards Rocky and I both decided that when we see our pastor again we're going to tell him that we love him and thank him for the beautiful reverant way he celebrates Mass.

Fr. Fay

I've been reading a few of the news stories about Fr. Fay (he's the one on the right) and I just don't get it. If I walked into a church and saw that my priest looked like this had those big ole skunk stripe highlights in his hair I'd immediately assume that something is not right in the rectory and I'd take my time, talent and treasure to another parish.

This poor, wretched man had his ... friend at the rectory all the time. He threw lavish parties, bought jewelry, took a lot of vacation and was allegedly very tightfisted about the parish's money. Some people are now coming forward to say that he shirked his pastoral care duties.

How is it that hardly anyone in the parish seemed to notice? Wasn't anybody bothered by the fact that the pastor had a Waterford cystal collection?The cheapest Waterford goblet I own costs $50 a stem and I picked from the one of the less expensive Waterford lines so in order to have a collection quite a bit of money ( Whose?) must have been spent.

Thank God for the parish bookkeeper and the parochial vicar (who apparently took a lot of heat from the chancery for daring to expose this sinful behavior) but since Fr. Fay was not discreet why didn't his activities ever catch Bishop Lori's notice?


Men gossip just as much as women. Surely somebody close to the bishop must have made an arch comment about Fr. Fay or told a joke. You would think that after the serious blow that the chuch took from the pedophile scandals that bishops would be downright paranoid about stamping out any hint of bad behavior in their priests.



St. John Vianney, pray for us.
St. Pio, pray for us.
Blessed Andre and Venerable Solanus Casey, pray for us.
Servants of God, Mngsr Knox, Fr. Baker, and Archbishop Sheen, pray for us.

random thoughts for a Thursday morning

1. This is so disappointing. I used to like Peter Jackson (not enough to go see that big bust, King Kong) and I loved, loved, loved The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
   
   
   
2. Ten years from now we'll all be making "Don't leave the Spanish teacher/au pair alone with the kids," jokes but they won't really be funny at all.
   
   
3. Rocky wants to buy me a new veil. He wants something that's not black for change. He's going to pick something from Modesty veils or Halo Works I have a feeling that he's going for pink or red. Gulp! The women who glare at my sheer black veils now will probably frown themselves to death.

random thoughts on a wet Saturday morning

1. Bishop Yanta is right. When you go to church with your naked buttocks showing you are making an immoral act. You chose to go out of the house like that. When you show up in the Communion line with your breasts practically falling out of your open top you are making a decision. If you step up to lector wearing a see through blouse or you get a kick out of sitting in the front pew with your legs open you are making a choice-- and a foul one at that. Ask yourself hon, why are you dressed like that? Unless you ride a pole for a living you don't go work like that so why do you treat your boss with more respect that you do Jesus?
   
   
2. Certain blogs have started bashing Traditionalist Catholics again. What a bore. Really, what a tiresome, unhelpful, unlovely big fat bore. We ought to pray for SSPX people, not mock them. If you can treat a flat out heretic with love and respect why not do the same for the Trad? If you can go to a mosque or synogauge and bow your head respectfully why be rude and crude towards the Trad chapel? And we need to face one inconvenient fact: We would not have the Indult if it weren't for those stubborn independent chapels and SSPX. When you sit smug and prim in the pew for your indult Mass or you sit happy and relieved to be at a conservative insence and Latin filled Novus Ordo Mass, spare a kind thought for the hard headed and yes, in some ways legitamately angry people who really made it possible.
   
   
3. I love Wal-Mart. Sorry, but I do. Is it endangering the old style mom and pop stores? Yeah but you know what? A lot of those mom and pops stores were small, dirty, overpriced and in the South, they weren't all that polite to their black customers. When Wal-Mart came to South Carolina my grandmother and her contermporaries were thrilled to go there. They could afford the stuff and Mr. Sam didn't care what color they were as long as they were carrying green cash. For the first time in Grandma's life the clerks called her ma'am and were helpful. She and my great aunts loved Wal-Mart. By the way, some of the mom and pop stores on Main Street in my Grandma's town are still thriving. The presence of Wal-Mart in town forced them to rethink their business plan. They revamped the stores, sold better quality stuff that you can't get at Wal-Mart and started treating all their black customers better.
   
   
4. I think the Cafeteria is Closed has become one of the best Catholic blogs out there. I check it every day for news.
   
   
5. I just read a weird conversation on a Catholic message board. There are people out there who actually think it's a mortal sin not to breastfeed. Okaaaaaay. I'm backing away and calling for Nurse Ratchett now. Some modern day pharisee actually believes that God is going to send women to hell because some of us would rather not have breasts that resemble rotten pears and hang to their knees by the time they're 45. Where the flip is THAT in the catechism?
   
6. If you are ever in Northern Virginia, this is a really nice little church. The pastor and parochial vicar are very good priests.
   
7. If you're in DC be sure to visit Saint Matthew's Cathedral. Mnsgr. Jameson, Gerhardt, and Fr. Caulfied have a really hard job and do wonders.

Your Emminence, You rock!

Some of the feminist Catholics have their lips poked out but about Bishop Yanta's letter on modesty but I don't have a problem with it. In fact, I'm delighted that an American bishop apparently has a spine.

When I was in college I used to go around dressed in the most itty bitty mini skirts and dresses I could find. My mother objected and there were times when I got around her objections by simply leaving house dressed decently but as soon as I was out of sight I would unbutton my blouse a little too low or hike my skirt up as high as I could get it. I did this because I was intoxicated by the way men, even men my father's age behaved when I walked down the street. Probably this has to do with my father dying so young. I needed older male attention but lacked the sense to realize what kind of game I was playing. If any of those men had actually gotten fresh with me I would've panicked and run away. I guess St. Maria Goretti was looking out for me.

Two things changed my outlook on clothes. First, I met Rocky and just wanted to dress in a more ladylike fashion. We got married when I was 21 and he was 23. The love of a good or at least a seriously macho man can change a lot. Have you noticed that Jennifer Lopez is never semi nude in public anymore now that she's married to a Latin man? Second, one day I walked into the Opus Dei chapel in Washington, DC. I'm too much of a lone wolf to join Opus Dei but I do love them. I met a serious, old fashioned Irish priest there. I started going to the chapel for Mass every day and reading classic Catholic books and then my whole attitude on modesty changed.

Now please don’t think that I go around looking like something Jedidiah the polygamist has locked in his barn. I love beautiful clothes and if Rocky isn't attracted by an outfit I don't buy it or I return it to the store. Modest dressing doesn't mean you have to dress like a back country Mormon child bride or a Muslim. For me it's the difference between dressing like my style icon Jackie Kennedy or dressing like Pamela Anderson.