Epiphany
2013 ALL SAINTS CALENDAR
St. Gertrude the Great Church is known for its devotion to the saints.
It is a rare occasion when our sacristans have not set up at least a little shrine to the saint of the day. The long hallway on the west side of our church is filled with hundreds of images of the saints — 80 feet of saints, and over 350 pictures — categorized according to the month of their feastdays.
Every year we try to bring some of that devotional spirit to you with our All Saints Roman Catholic Calendar.
Click image for a sample page.
FEATURES
- Follows the pre-1955 rubrics and calendar. (Of course!)
- All feasts, fasts and observances
- Includes many optional feasts or devotional feasts not on the general calendar.
- Classic art featuring the saint of the month!
Order several for your home. Spend a year with the saints!
ONLY $9 + shipping
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This school year, as time permits, we will be publishing daily sermons from the previous week:
Dec. 26, 2012: St. Stephen by Bp. Dolan
Dec. 31, 2012: St. Sylvester by Fr. McKenna
Jan. 1, 2013: Like Our Lady: Do Not Delay by Fr. McGuire
Jan. 2, 2013: The Holy Name of Jesus by Fr. McKenna
Jan. 4, 2013: Octave of the Holy Innocents by Fr. McGuire
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It’s bad enough that Catholics get accused of worshiping graven images, but on the feast of the Chair of St. Peter, we might even be accused of “worshiping” a chair. What is the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter? Why are there two feasts? Why is this feast ever more important in our day?
Listen to Bp. Dolan with Stephen Heiner on the topic of The Chair of St. Peter.
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✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
A coyote came calling New Year’s Eve. Literally. I was awakened about 10:30 PM by a loud cry, which sounded almost human, a coyote hunting hares. The “McFathers” saw him from the convento porch, and not for the first time.
Until this incident, we were all having a very quiet New Year’s Eve. We made our Holy Hour early with Vespers, devotions and Benediction. Fr. McKenna barbequed some strip steak for us, and we all enjoyed a pleasant meal together. Some of us went to bed early. Coyotes, cats, rabbits and deer – all of whom are leaving tacks in the snow – are nocturnal creatures, and they all got busy. It is curious to think of how much “nature” survives in West Chester, including the six cardinals who came calling at the feeder during the days of Christmas.
Fr. McKenna and I headed off early on Friday to the airport, he to Milwaukee and I to Mexico. (Milwaukee does have a lot of Mexicans, however. But since Fr. Siordia did the last quinciañera they don’t come anymore.) Fr. McKenna did a flip/flop the other day. Fortunately, it was only on his back, and not his theological positions. Father did not know about the treacherous sheets of ice which lurk under snow in one part of the parking lot. He does now. Still, he felt up to shopping and cooking for us all, which we very much appreciate.
Our French guest, Gaetan D’Humiéres has returned to the seminary, but Mr. Bede Nkamuke is still with us. We look forward to his ordination in November. Fr. Valerii Kudryavtsev of Ukraine, meanwhile, has been trying for the longest time to get a visa to visit our little Nigerian flock, but it is a very slow process. It seems the Nigerian consular officials fear he is a Russian oil worker, looking to work illegally in Nigeria. Actually, he is a priest, looking to serve souls.
Fr. Lehtoranta has returned from a quick Christmas trip to Florida to retrieve his books. Father spend a pleasant and busy Christmas in Milwaukee, Saybrook, and Grand Forks, North Dakota serving souls. He resumes his teaching duties at our school tomorrow morning.
It is this same motive which takes me this Epiphany to the rough border town of Tijuana, just a few minutes from San Diego, California. Fr. Villegas’ flock needs a bishop, and I am happy to help souls, and do a little teaching and give some guidance myself. It’s all in a bishop’s portfolio today during these terrible times of chastisement and apostasy.
Today we mark with a Solemn High Mass the great feast of Epiphany. We think of the Wise Men and their precious gifts, and the many sacrifices they made to give them. This makes us think of so many of you, and your sacrifices and gifts. This is why we keep this feast as “Benefactors Day.”
From the Latin, a benefactor is someone who does well. Every Catholic does well to give of himself, as we saw at Christmas. But some of you do very well, and give of your time and talent in some noted way to make our church possible. Some of you give just about every day of the year, others for some special job or occasion. All of you “do well” and we appreciate you all, without whom we would not have St. Gertrude the Great. I thank you all today and pray for you every day. God reward your goodness.
Be sure to get your Epiphany pack and do the home blessing with the chalk and the special prayers. Pray for all of those who travel, King-like, to seek and serve Our Lord is His Sacrament, or in souls. May the blessed chalk keep away the coyotes!
A blessed Epiphany and a blessed Benefactors Day to you all!
–Bishop Dolan
