St. Lawrence

Daily Sermons
July 9 – Bp. Dolan – St. Maria Goretti
July 11 – Bp. Dolan – The Adventure of Holiness
July 23 – Fr. McKenna – St. Apollinaris
July 24 – Fr. McKenna – Temptations Against Purity
August 1 – Bp. Dolan – For Our Home-school Graduates
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zelusdomustuae
✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
We interrupt the sequence of Green Sundays today for one of Rome’s greatest martyr saints, the Deacon Lawrence, and put on red for the occasion. This supremely “cheerful giver” (Epistle) was slowly barbequed to death for Christ. He was once hugely popular and had a whole cycle of Sunday Masses in his honor. Still today we turn to him for protection against fire, for the Poor Souls in the fires of Purgatory, and as a patron of librarians, cooks, catechumens, and a decent thanksgiving after Mass.

Well, I’ve been trying my hand at cooking of late, and with no particular success. There’s a trick jar of cayenne pepper at the Convento and my monthly Sutton casserole got more than its fair share. The Nigerians, who tend to favor the fiery, pronounced it “mild” but Fr. Cekada had to give up on the dinner, and go out for a burrito. Sorry, Father!

At our high point this Summer, and when everyone is home, we are seven clerics: one Bishop, five priests and one lector. This is a very liturgical grouping indeed, but feeding everybody is a challenge. The other day at our beautiful Mass before the Blessed Sacrament Exposed for peace, I suddenly thought, “Oh no! Did anybody heat up the chili?” But I needn’t have worried. Fr. Nkamuke had it under control. The High Mass, too, went well, a quiet but intensely solemn service, with two hours of Adoration, and many graces I am sure. Pray for the betrayed Christians of the Middle East.

The McFathers are visiting Fr. Guillaume Hecquard in Touraine as I write this, which is nice for Father, who rarely sees a fellow priest, as well as for the Fathers to see that part of France and stay in a beautiful old chateau. Such history is there!

Meanwhile, Fr. Lehtoranta has kindly taken Fr. McKenna’s place on the mission rounds up to North Dakota and over to northwestern Illinois at St. Joseph mission, as well as Milwaukee. He returns tomorrow, and since he’s one of our cooks, we will all greet him with joy. On this patronal feast of cooks (one of many the church observes) let me thank you for cooking and sending a meal, especially via the Cucina Clerical, which helps keep us organized.

Fr. Cekada’s Work of Human Hands has proven to be quite popular in an unusual place – Novus Ordo seminaries. The Josephinum in Columbus has banned him. Only the other day he received some fan mail from a foreign land where a number of students at the main seminary are reading him with interest. One said he could not disagree with anything Father writes! Pray he soon disengages from the Novus Ordo. The primate of the country recently denounced the young N.O. clergy who are traditional. It must be very frustrating for the old geezers to realize their revolution will fizzle out as a failure.

Meanwhile, Bergoglio has reinstated a Maryknoll missioner and Sandinista revolutionary, Miguel D’Escoto, as a priest in good standing. This old Marxist promptly issued a statement: “The Holy Spirit sends us Jesus’ message through Fidel Castro.” He’s in good standing in the Novus Ordo church. We’re not. Enough said.

Some of you were wondering as you left church last Sunday about the always-enigmatic parable of the prudent steward, but you needn’t have. Before Mass, or even during, as a little meditation, read the explanation of the Mass we publish in the Mass program leaflet (“Read Before Mass” or “Today’s Mass”) most Sundays. You would have learned: the meaning of the parable of the Steward, which is “be wise,” you children of God; use material treasures so as to make eternal friends; exercise your talents in the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, and those whom you help to save, will help save you.

This is a big, and beautiful, Blessed Mother week in the Church. See you on Wednesday evening for the procession, and Friday for the Holy Day of the Assumption. If you can’t make it to a good Mass, however, just stay home and pray your Rosary. I was surprised to see that in France, Pius X has further changed the Mass, introducing a lector to read the Epistle and Gospel in French. Slowly, bit by bit, the people are being led by the bit back to the N.O. religion which makes a mockery of Christianity with their Modernist pope. Talk about Black Masses! The main sacrilege of our day is surely the N.O. itself, and Masses offered “one with” the wicked antichrist occupying Rome. These are all means used to lead you into error. Resist.

Once Rome gave martyrs to the Faith. Today it is gone to the new religion. The least we can do is to see through their ruses, and refuse to go along.

St. Lawrence, pray for us and give us some of your courage!
– Bishop Dolan