Fishers of Men Online

The Fishers of Men video is now available online through Catholic Online.

Click here to watch it.

Nashville Dominicans on PBS

H/T to the Dominican Friars blog.

The Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, is a wonderful, growing, traditional order. I am blessed to encounter them on a regular basis.

They were featured last month on the PBS program Religion and Ethics Newsweekly. Check out the video. Transcript is also online.

Schools, Sisters, and the World

This editorial appeared in the Herald News a few weeks ago. I thought it was worth sharing with all of you. It so eloquently describes how the loss of women willing to respond to the call of religious life affects the Church and the world.

You won’t find it in Scripture, your catechism or any of the sacred tomes that speak so eloquently of the possibility of eternal happiness, but let me give you a snippet of wisdom about the critically important bridge between the here and the hereafter: Salvation is free but religion costs money.
[...]
When nuns with the vow of poverty taught in the many Fall River schools now closed and filled with only memories, these holy ladies had no trouble fulfilling their vow of not accepting money. Miraculous medals were not legal tender. Paying teachers a living wage today has been a burden. Paying them well, almost impossible.
[...]
The Catholic Schools we see fading slowly from our midst were truly the first Global Positioning System for parents committed, whatever the cost, to setting their children on the direct road to paradise.

Read the rest here.

Ordination

Do you recognize this seminarian?

No? I bet you know him.

The New Liturgical Movement Blog has a fascinating series of posts filled with pictures and newpaper articles from the 1951 priestly ordination of a certain well-known German prelate. Check it out. You won't be disappointed.

Part 1

Part 2

Adventure of the Priesthood

Yesterday afternoon, the Holy Father visited Rome's Major Pontifical Seminary for the occasion of the feast of its patroness, Our Lady of Trust. After presiding at Vespers, the Holy Father expressed his joy at having the opportunity, as Bishop of Rome, to visit "his seminary".

"Because the gift of being adoptive children of God has illuminated your lives", the Pope told the seminarians, "you have felt the desire to share this with others. That is why you are here, to develop your filial vocation and prepare yourselves for your future mission as apostles of Christ. ... Savouring the joy of life with God the Father means that you feel the ever more urgent need to become messengers of the Gospel of His Son, Jesus".

"All this cannot but induce great trust, because the gift received is amazing, it fills us with wonder and sates us with intimate joy. And thus you are able to understand the role Mary has in your lives. ... Just as 'the Son was born of woman', of Mary Mother of God, the fact that you are children of God means you have her as mother".

The Pope then addressed the parents of the future priests, saying "you are probably the most surprised of all about what has happened and is happening to your children. You had perhaps imagined for them a mission different from the one for which they are now preparing. ... Let us look to Mary. The Gospel helps us to understand that she too asked herself many question about her Son Jesus, and reflected on Him for a long time.

"It is inevitable that the vocation of children in some way also becomes the vocation of the parents", he added. "You have found yourselves participating in your sons' marvellous adventure. Indeed, although it may appear that a priest's life does not attract the interest of the majority of people, in reality it is the most interesting of adventures and the most necessary for the world: the adventure of demonstrating and realising the fullness of life to which everyone aspires. It is a very demanding adventure and could not be otherwise because a priest is called to imitate Jesus".

The Holy Father then went on to refer to two aspects that characterise the lives of seminarians. In the first place, that of listening to the voice of the Lord which, he said, "requires an atmosphere of silence. For this reason the seminary offers time and space to daily prayer; it pays great attention to liturgy, to meditation on the Word of God and to Eucharistic adoration. At the same time, it asks you to dedicate long hours to study: by praying and studying, you can create within yourselves the man of God that you must become and that people expect a priest to be".

The Pope went on: "There is also another aspect to your lives: ... the community aspect, which is of great importance. ... Your communion is not limited to the present but also concerns the future. The pastoral activity that awaits you must see you acting together united in a single body, an 'ordo' of priests who, with the bishop, watch over the Christian community".

"All this serves as a reminder that God calls you to be saints, and that sanctity is the secret of real success in your priestly ministry. From this moment on, sanctity must be the final goal of all your choices and decisions. Entrust this desire and this daily commitment to Mary, Mother of Trust".

"Follow your journey at the seminary with your hearts open to truth, to transparency, and to dialogue with those who guide you, and this will enable you to respond simply and humbly to the One Who calls you, freeing yourselves from the risk of pursuing a personal project of your own".

VIS

Saint Thomas Aquinas

Today is the feast of one of my favorite saints, St. Thomas Aquinas. Thomas, the eighth of nine children, was born 1225 into a noble family.

The youngest son of a noble family was traditionally given to the Church, so Thomas was brought to the Benedictine Abbey of Monte Cassino, most likely with the hope that he would eventually become the Abbot there. However, war broke out in 1240 and the Abbey was closed. Thomas went to study and the University of Naples. In Naples, Thomas Aquinas encountered two things which changed the course of his life and Catholicism: the writings of Aristotle, and the Dominicans.
The Order of Preachers had opened a friary in Naples in 1231. Although there were only two friars living there at the time Thomas was there, one had a profound influence on Thomas. John of San Guiliano, introduced Domincan prayer, study and preaching to Thomas.

Although Thomas felt called to the Dominicans, his family had other plans. They thought it a mendicant's life was beneath him and desired for him to enter the Benedictines and eventually become the Abbot of Monte Cassino. After discovering that he had joined the Dominicans, his father kidnapped Thomas and locked him up, hoping the would change his mind. While under house arrest, Thomas studied the Sentences of Peter Lombard (another driving force in Thomas' writings) and helped his sister discern a vocation to the Benedictines. As a sort of final test, his brothers brought a prostitute to Thomas. Thomas did not succumb to temptation, but kept her at bay by brandishing a flaming stick and burning a cross on the wall.

Finally, his family realized that there was nothing they could do to prevent Thomas from following his vocation.

In this case, Thomas family desired for Thomas to choose his vocation based on what would bring honor, wealth, and prestige rather than what would give honor, praise, and glory to God. Yes, to be the Abbot of Monte Cassino could be the fulfilment of one's true vocation, but not if one's sights were on the externals. How often do we decide what God must want from us or others rather than letting Him tell us Himself? Many times, what God asks of us is not what we want or what we think should be, but He has His reasons. In addition, as the story of St. Thomas Aquinas shows, God has ways of making the events which prevent His plans from becoming realized way of furthering and deepening his will.

In the end, few remember the name of the Benedictine who became the Abbot of Monte Cassino, but St. Thomas Aquinas has become a driving force is Catholic theology. All this from a man who summed up his immense contributions to the faith and study of theology as "straw".

When one reads the Summa Theologiae or sings one of the five beautiful hymns which Thomas wrote, the thought enters the mind, "How can he have thought this was straw? This is extraordinary!" Yes, it is and I am sure that Thomas knew what an immense contribution he made, but he had seen something better. He had seen a glimpse of the things yet to come. What a comfort! How spectacular must the presence of God be, if it makes the works of St. Thomas seem like straw.

Below is one of the hymns which St. Thomas wrote, Adoro Te Devote. I have posted the Latin first and the English translation below. Yes, if the prayer in verse seven is granted even partially everything in the world will seem like straw.

Adoro te devote, latens Deitas,
Quae sub his figuris vere latitas;
Tibi se cor meum totum subiicit,
Quia te contemplans, totum deficit.

Visus, tactus, gustus in te fallitur,
Sed auditu solo tuto creditur;
Credo quidquid dixit Dei Filius,
Nil hoc verbo veritatis verius.

In Cruce latebat sola Deitas.
At hic latet simul et humanitas:
Ambo tamen credens, atgue confitens,
Peto quod petivit latro paenitens.

Plagas, sicut Thomas, non intueor,
Deum tamen meum te confiteor:
Fac me tibi semper magis credere,
In te spem habere, te diligere.

O memoriale mortis Domini,
Panis vivus vitam praestans homini:
Praesta meae menti de te vivere,
Et te illi semper dulce sapere.

Pie pellicane Iesu Domine,
Me immundum munda tuo Sanguine:
Cuius una stilla salvum facere
Totum mundum quit ab omni scelere.

Iesu, quem velatum nunc aspicio,
Oro, fiat illud, quod tam sitio,
Ut te revelata cernens facie,
Visu sim beatus tuae gloriae. Amen.

and the translation by E. Caswall

O Godhead hid, devoutly I adore Thee,
Who truly art within the forms before me;
To Thee my heart I bow with bended knee,
As failing quite in contemplating Thee.

Sight, touch, and taste in Thee are each deceived;
The ear alone most safely is believed:
I believe all the Son of God has spoken,
Than Truth's own word there is no truer token.

God only on the Cross lay hid from view;
But here lies hid at once the Manhood too:
And I, in both professing my belief,
Make the same prayer as the repentant thief.

Thy wounds, as Thomas saw, I do not see;
Yet Thee confess my Lord and God to be:
Make me believe Thee ever more and more;
In Thee my hope, in Thee my love to store.

O thou Memorial of our Lord's own dying!
O Bread that living art and vivifying!
Make ever Thou my soul on Thee to live;
Ever a taste of Heavenly sweetness give.

O loving Pelican! O Jesu, Lord!
Unclean I am, but cleanse me in Thy Blood;
Of which a single drop, for sinners spilt,
Is ransom for a world's entire guilt.

Jesu! Whom for the present veil'd I see,
What I so thirst for, O vouchsafe to me:
That I may see Thy countenance unfolding,
And may be blest Thy glory in beholding. Amen.

Website: Congregation for the Clergy

I have only looked at this briefly. Believe it or not, I am supposed to be writing three essays on the Summa Theologiae. Yeah, that's what I am doing.

Well, that was what I was doing until came across this new website for the Congregation of the Clergy. There are so many gems there that I really might need to turn off my internet access if I am going to get these written in time to turn in tomorrow.

Anyway, here is the link: Clerus.org

Coming to a Confessional Near You?

H/T to the Ritualist.



Well, maybe not to a confessional near you, but it is a scary look at what may happen in some other denominations.

It's also downright funny. Watch, laugh, and pray for vocations.

Dominican Vocations

I saw this video a few weeks ago, but I didn't get a chance to watch it until today. It contains excerpts from "And the world looks at us", a 1964 Dominican Province of Saint Joseph vocation film written by Fr. Dominic Rover, O.P., and narrated by Dana Elcar. The original film was 28 min in length, but this is only nine minutes long. The scenes included here were filmed at St. Stephen Priory in Dover, MA, the Dominican House of Studies, Washington, D.C., and St. Dominic Church, Washington, D.C. From the archives of the Dominican Theological Library (www.dhs.edu) at the Dominican House of Studies, Washington, D.C.

Enjoy!

JPII on Priestly Vocation

You never know what jems you will find on YouTube. Listen to Pope John Paull II talk about his vocation to the priesthood.

The Life of a Bishop

Bishop Thomas Tobin, from the Diocese of Providence, is featured in a four part series in the Providence Journal. Although Bishop Tobin is not my bishop, I attend school in his diocese, so I am happy to say his is almost my bishop.

The series includes information on episcopal regalia, such as the zuchetto and crozier.

Check it out here and remember to check back each Sunday for updates.

Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia

Another plug for my favorite religious order. I know several of the sisters and I love seeing them in chapel and on campus.

Check out their vocation video.



and another video featuring some beautiful sacred polyphony.

Rector Says Seminary is in Danger

h/t to Rob.

From the Boston Globe:

The Rev. John A. Farren, a conservative and occasionally controversial Dominican friar, warned in the letters last month that the "doctrinal integrity" of St. John's is at risk because of increased proximity to two Jesuit-run Catholic institutions, Boston College and Weston Jesuit School of Theology, which are expected to move into buildings currently held by the seminary.

Farren did not cite specific issues, saying only that Weston Jesuit employs "self-professed gays or lesbians" as faculty members and that several faculty members there have been questioned by the Vatican.


(...)

Farren wrote that at Weston Jesuit "opinions of every kind are propagated without adequate identification of the binding articles of faith."

"A sign of this is found in the fact that several professors of WJST are currently under investigation by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith," he wrote, referring to the Vatican agency that investigates theologians accused of doctrinal error. "Several professors at WJST are self- professed gays or lesbians. Collaboration at such an institution is not good policy for St. John's Seminary."

It's That Season Again

Ordinations...Retirements...and Clergy Transfers. The season is upon us.

In my diocese, four retirements were announced last week. Six clergy transfers were officially announced today as well as the closing of two parishes and the creation of a new parish to replace the two that closed. There are no presbyteral ordinations but two seminarians are becoming transitional deacons tomorrow.

All of this requires a bit of change on the part of the clergy and the laity. One of the priests in my diocese, Fr. Tim Goldrick is blogging about the transition of moving from one parish to another. I think he captured it very well.

Unlike some dioceses, priests in my diocese do not serve terms. Although they can appeal the decision, they can be transferred at the will of the bishop. While this can cause some unhappy priests and parishioners, it allow the bishop to assign priests where they are most needed. I believe this allows the Church to be served best.

On a related note:

Shouts has posted an excellent vocations ad from the Diocese of St. Augustine.

The text at the bottom of the ad reads:

It takes a community to raise a priest; from families who talk about vocations, to parishioners who pray for and champion religious life, to priests themselves, who through their lives of compassion and sacrifice, reveal Christ's abundant love. If you know someone who would make a good priest, tell him. And ask him to call our Vocations Office. Your encouragement could make all the difference.

Dominican Ordination

Three Dominicans from the Dominican House of Studies were ordained by Archbishop Donald Weurl on May 18, 2007. Here is some video from the ordination.

Accepting Jesus Like a Little Child

My 2 year old son...ummm, he just corrected me...my 2 1/2 year old son (He's actually 2 and 9 months) has an attraction for all things Catholic. I don't know where it comes from, but I have a good idea that it might come from me and my husband.

Now, let me make it clear that we are not one of those families where the kids play with Jesus dolls and learn to count by counting rosaries and marian statues. I think we are incredibly normal. Probably more normal than we should be. However, because of my job and our faith, ecclesial matters are common topics for conversation, when the TV is on, it is usually tuned to EWTN, and my son falls asleep to Gregorian Chant while riding in the car. Ok, so we aren't as normal as I think we are.

Today, while in the car driving to a Chinese restaurant to pick up take-out, we passed the bishop's residence. My son immediately shouted out, "Is that the Chinese food place?" I said, "No, that is the Bishop's house". My son said, "Oh, someday I eat in there". Now, that might not seem funny, but to me it was hilarious because of the other comments my son has made.

When he was about 1 1/2 I took him to the Cathedral for a prayer service for vocations. At the end of the service he became enthralled with Cardinal O'Malley's old episcopal coat of arms, which is located in one of the stairways in the back of the cathedral. A priest asked him if he wanted one. My son exclaimed, "Yes!" The priest told him that he would have to be a bishop in order to get one. My son said, "Ok! Bishop has hat!".

For the longest time after that my son told everyone that he wanted to be a bishop. He has since downgraded his aspirations and now declares that he wants to be a priest.

Last weekend, at the procession, my son decided that watching the procession wasn't good enough for him. He wanted to walk in it with the priests. Unfortunately for him, they don't make cassocks in his size.

The day that filled me with the most joy was a few weeks ago. He is in a new bedroom and the crucifix that usually hangs in his bedroom wasn't hung yet because we wanted to get him a new one. As he laid in bed he said, "Mommy, I don't have a Jesus on the cross. I need a Jesus on the cross for my wall". I said, "Ok, we will get you one tomorrow". He said, "Ok, I need a picture of Mary and Jesus wearing red for my wall too". I assured him that he could have a picture for his wall too. The next day, we went to LaSallette Shrine and he picked out a crucifix. Then we set out to find the picture he was looking for. He looked and looked and didn't find anything he liked. Then, he saw a picture of the Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart and said, "That's it! Jesus and Mary wearing red!" So, we got the picture for him too. He hung it on his wall and that night told me that he had to pray to Jesus. All by himself, he knelt in front of his crucifix and asked me to help him pray. Now, he does it all by himself and recites the simple prayers I taught him.

I don't know if all this means something or if he is just picking up on our faith, but it makes me so happy. I hope this love which is burning within him never dies.

Ordination of Avery Dulles

A brief break from the Lenten/Triduum postings.

H/T to Amy for the wonderful newsreel video of the ordination of Avery Cardinal Dulles.

Have You Thanked A Priest Lately

On Holy Thursday we celebrate the institution of the Eucharist and also the institution of the priesthood. With that in mind, I would like to ask each of my readers to take some time out to thank their priests this week.

Priests are often taken for granted. They are often not given a second thought, until something happens and we call on them to celebrate the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick or a Funeral Mass. Many priests give from themselves until they have nothing left to give, often to their own physical, spiritual, and psychological detriment.

In my years of ministry, both in parishes and in other means, I have worked with hundreds of priests. I have seen priests go without sleep for several days because they were at fire scenes comforting families who had lost their homes, and staying up all night with the dying. The next day, they had a full schedule of Masses, appointments, and other obligations to fulfill. All on no sleep.

These are things that parishioners are usually unaware of. Many priests also have obligations and duties outside of parish ministry. They may serve as directors of diocesan offices, or as pastor of more than one parish. In addition, to these responsibilities, they have familial obligations as well. Many priests have elderly parents who they are at least partially responsible for caring for. Parishioners are also usually unaware of these personal responsibilities. Priests are also responsible for their own personal health and well being. This requires time off for rest, exercise, spiritual care, and personal friendships. I have lost count of the number of times I have been out with a priest and heard people make rude comments to him such as, "Shouldn't you be praying for people, or something".

In my former job, we used to joke that we were the priests counseling service because so many priests would stop by just to sit and chat. They would laugh, joke, vent, and even cry with us. In that job, we were able to see the priest in a way that people often do not realize. We could see him as human.

This morning I was talking with some young people about the priesthood and one boy couldn't understand that priests had parents. I mean, he was completely confused by the idea. He seriously thought that priests we just placed on earth by God just as we see them. While I think all adults know that priests did not come about that way, it is often easy to forget that they are not a subspecies of human.

As Catholics, we expect the priest to minister to us. Take some time out this week, to minister to them. Do something nice for you priest. Remind him how much he is loved and appreciated.

The Young Sisters

Yesterday, I was speaking with several of the Dominican Sisters of Saint Cecilia. The motherhouse of the congregation is located in Nashville, TN, but there are several sisters who work at St. Pius V school in Providence. Some of them are also students at Providence College. They are often seen on campus and at morning prayer and Mass.

Most of the sisters are young, and it is wonderful to see them. Their presence provides a wonderful witness for the students both at the parochial school and the college.

Please remember them in your prayers, and if possible, financially as well. They are currently in the process of renovating and expanding the motherhouse to repair damage and make room for more new sisters.

Photo from the website of the Dominicans of St. Cecilia.

PNAC 3, Tiberino 1

Clericus Cup update:

Last Saturday, the Pontifical North American College soccer team defeated the Tiberino College 3-1. This is the 3rd win for the PNAC out of 4 games.

Go PNAC!