Seven Sorrows of Our Lady

zelusdomustuae
✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
Mary’s Birthday was a beautiful day in every way, wasn’t it? Our deacon preached his first sermon for Our Lady, and sang her praises clearly and well. Many came to honor her venerated cradle, and the choir gave their first fruits of song, sweet and strong, for her Nativity Mass, and the opening of a new season.

After Mass, with perfect timing we processed out under blue skies past Ernie’s shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, so lovingly landscaped by Eldon this Spring, to the grotto, for the Blessing of Seeds and Seedlings. Finally, sanctified seedlings in hand, we retired with the Lourdes Hymn to Helfta Hall for the birthday party in Baby Mary’s honor.

I went on to baptize a baby and offer Mass, while Fr. Lehtoranta heard confessions. So we passed a most agreeable morning. Linda Maki’s chicken and noodles and intriguingly named “Dump Cake” furnished our festal lunch. The Rev. Mr. Nkamuke sped off to the airport with Gerry Keaveney, and the rest of us retired for a little rest before the evening office of Vespers (done organ style this afternoon) resounded in the empty church. As they will, some straggled in during Benediction. Soon Fr. Lehtoranta offered the last Mass of the day, reading well for the faithful the sermon the deacon had delivered that morning. I heard confessions. So ended our season’s first Sunday, like so many before, and yet unique in its beauty and grace.

Fr. McGuire, having been subdeacon at the High Mass, went up to St. Clare in Chillicothe for Mass with two First Communions, as well as the Marian Nativity Blessing. Blessed flock are they, to have such care.

Today we look forward to starting our Sunday catechism classes for children, and bible study for adults. As we keep “the feast of sorrow” we honor Our Lady’s seven, and bless our sick in her honor. This afternoon our much-anticipated annual picnic calls us back to old Sharonville. See you there?

A.D. Kinnett has been trying to organize an occasional Friday Movie Night for after the 5:45 Mass and Benediction, to begin this Friday with the classic “The Reluctant Saint” for this week’s St. Joseph of Cupertino. He will need some assistance, however, to make it happen. So, there may be a movie after Benediction. Why not come and see?

We seem to have “dodged the bullet” of the latest war they’ve been preparing for us, but let us not take peace for granted. I write this before our Friday Fatima Rosary Procession for Peace, but with every hope for a good attendance. 9/11 is forgotten now, twelve years later, and only one or two made it a point to hear Mass last Wednesday. At least perhaps, the nation has learned a lesson or two. Still, “unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it.”

Last week I had two Restoration Radio shows. It is a lot of talking and a lot of thinking and reading, but a wonderful apostolate, and another way to extend our work at St. Gertrude the Great far more widely. I am grateful for the opportunity, as are Fr. Cekada and Bishop Sanborn who have been speaking regularly about Francis.

The ’60s-style Jesuit who now claims Rome is starting his work in earnest. He now says “Triumphalists” (that’s us: it’s a word coined during the changes) don’t believe in the Resurrection! Not to worry, however. Atheists, who don’t believe in anything, will go to Heaven, he writes. I wonder if Catholics will as well? Probably not…too triumphalistic, you see. (A Catholic from Germantown, N.Y. wrote last week to say the “atheists in Heaven” bit was the last straw, and to ask where he could get a sedevacantism membership card!)

Still, Bergoglio is going to address the issue further. He promises to “undress” the Church when he visits Assisi on St. Francis’ Day, October 4th. This should be good. If you go, bring a raincoat for Bergoglio to wear for decency’s sake.

Tomorrow a new school year starts at our seminary. We place great hopes in all of our schools, and especially the one which trains our children’s priests, and promise these institutions our generous support and fervent prayer all year long.

Please spare a prayer for a fallen-away priest in Europe, who would have celebrated his silver ordination anniversary this Wednesday, also, for Fr. Roger and his work and church of St. Pius V in Rennes. They are losing their building at the end of the year, and their problems and crosses only increase. Our Lady is venerated in Rennes under the title “of miracles and virtues.” May she come to their aid.

Remember the Ember Days, to sanctify the Autumn with a little penance, a prayer for priests and future priests.

We bless our sick today; let us given them the blessing of not forgetting them, but of visiting them, as well in person as by our prayers.

May Our Lady of Sorrows be your joy.
– Bishop Dolan