Easter III, Solemnity of St. Joseph, Mothers’ Day
Our 2010 May Crowning. Happy Mothers’ Day!
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Daily Sermons
May 5 – Fr. Lehtoranta – St. Pius V and Two Sisters
May 6 – Fr. Lehtoranta – St. John and the Reward He Received
May 7 – Fr. McKenna – St. Joseph in Life and in Death
May 8 – Fr. Lehtoranta – Powerful Angels and Little Soldiers
May 9 – Bp. Dolan – Patron Saint of Friends
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✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
Happy Mothers Day, and happy St. Joseph Sunday and Solemnity! What a blessed reminder for us in this so Gnostic age, that father and mother go together, just as do marriage and children. As again this year, led by innocent but well instructed children, we crown Mary Queen, let us honor and imitate her husband as well, earthly father of Our Lord, St. Joseph. May he be our model in loving Mary, even as he, the very model of fatherhood, is our protector as Catholics against the old errors of the New Age.
Last weekend at St. Gertrude was a busy time of prayer and work. There was First Friday, All Night Adoration and Sunday Mass, as well as First Saturday and May Devotions. In between, colorful, cute, and ingenious crafts were created, copied and packaged for yesterday’s summer camp fundraising sales at area stores. Thanks to all of you, young and old, who worked so hard at this bold and creative endeavor, and still found time to pray. A report follows next week.
Meanwhile, †Pat Harpen was quietly dying, and gave up his soul while praying the Rosary last Tuesday evening, the Vespers of St. Joseph, patron of a happy death. This devout member of St. Gertrude and the Rosary Confraternity, so faithful to weekday Mass for so many years, will be buried from church tomorrow morning. It is a work of charity to “bury the dead” by piously assisting at their funerals, and praying for them.
How edifying it was to see Pat struggle to make Sunday Mass while he was dying of cancer. Do you think maybe there is a lesson here? He and Ina were praying for a miracle. Perhaps it was that although the doctors scheduled him to die in two weeks, he lived for longer than two months, and made the last of his living really count, count for Christ and His Kingdom, count for the good example he gave to those he leaves behind. We are proud and humbled to have had such a Catholic in our midst.
After Monday’s funeral of a devout Rosarian, we must gather together on Tuesday evening, Rosary in hand, to begin another series of six Fatima Rosary Processions for peace. There are so many ways and places we need peace – far more than six…. Peaceful rest for our dead, peace in the remnant Church, peace in marriages and families, peace in this world, peace in Africa and Ukraine. Who could stay home when there’s so much work to be done?
In particular I ask for prayers for Ukraine, and for the protection of our Greek Catholic priest, Fr. Valeriy Kudriavtsev, and his family. Father lives right on the border with Russia, and has seen his city reduced by the pro-Russian revolutionaries to anarchy. It is dangerous for anyone, especially a Catholic or one not joining the pro-Russian agitation, to go out in public. Horrible things, not reported in the press, are happening. Please pray to Our Lady of Fatima, who once asked for Russia to be consecrated to her Heart, to keep all of these poor people safe in her motherly Heart.
Fr. McKenna returned last Sunday from his travels with the happy news of excellent growth for St. Hugh in Milwaukee, which drew about 100 souls to Easter Mass, as well as up to 40 for the newly established Ss. Processus and Martinian Mission in Rochester, Minnesota. These latter have been salvaged from the confusion of the Home Aloners. Deo Gratias!
I’m off to Mexico again on Friday – already – for a long weekend in Tijuana, which will include Confirmations and a clergy day of recollection. Pray for me, as I do for thee.
May our Blessed Mother bless you a hundredfold for your love and devotion to her!
– Bishop Dolan