Pentecost X

THE SUMMER NOVENA
TO OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP
WITH THE THIRTEEN TUESDAYS OF ST. ANTHONY
JUNE 14 – SEPTEMBER 6, 2016
Download Prayers
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Daily Sermons
June 29 – Bp. Dolan – Anniverary Ramblings
July 1 – Bp. Dolan – Sacred Heart and Precious Blood
July 4 – Bp. Dolan – Gratitude for Our Country
July 8 – Bp. Dolan – Peace in Blood
July 15 – Fr. Lehtoranta – St. Henry, The Model Ruler
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zelusdomustuae
✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
July, summertime, brings its customary and comforting traditions to us, enough to distract the devout from its hot and heavy weather: Summer Camp and Summer Novena, the blessing of cars, the Precious Blood, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, the Scapular. All too soon August will slide into a warm September, and then perhaps a glorious Autumn will refresh us.

This week it is the boys’ turn for camp, and all seems in readiness. They meet under St. Anne’s patronage this year, God’s Grandmother. We pray for good weather and a good time, for lasting good, for our boys and young men. Much will depend on them.

Thank you for your prayers for a good Mexican trip. I found “La Republica” to be pretty much unchanged, and not notoriously unsafe. Once there were some soldiers at a gas station, along with Mexican motorcyclists, and they told me things could get dicey, but we left quietly. The commandante greeted me respectfully, so I thought we’d be okay. Sixty souls were confirmed, and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel was solemnly crowned in a long, moving ceremony in Dos Rios, Vera Cruz state. They ushered me into town under a canopy, with Mariachi and the “Moors and Christians,” costumed boys with machetes doing a kind of medieval two step from Spain. You would have to have seen it. I also visited a chapel I dedicated twenty years ago to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in nearby Cordoba. Of course I prayed for you all at Our Lady of Guadalupe and at the dear shrine of the “Baby Doctor” Jesus.

But the news was not uniformly good. Sad tales of scandalous ordinations, fallen away priests and worse filled my heart with sorrow. Please pray for the perseverance of priests and the conversion of “shepherds in the mist.” I thank Judy Fradl of long ago Dayton for having begun the Alter Christus Confraternity here, which still collects money for Masses for priests, their spiritual and material support. This month we began, after so many years, a proper First Thursday Holy Hour for Priests. Our Benedictine Sisters are praying for this same intention. Thank you for adding your prayers to theirs.

Thank you for your prayers for Fr. Cekada. He was poorly last week, what with four sessions of poison pumped into him to kill the cancer in very strong doses. But I put out a request for prayers on Thursday, and he did seem better by Friday. His chemotherapy should now be concluded. But it’s the prayers, most of all.
We had a nice visit last week from Keith and Linda Kimpel, dear friends and very active parishioners form St. Hugh in Milwaukee. We continue to hear encouraging words from our internet congregation:

“I am one of your internet followers. Don’t know what I would do without being able to at least follow the Mass every Saturday and Sunday. Thank you.”

The weather reports list “Extreme Mosquitos” among our other West Chester woes. But I must say I haven’t seen any this summer, extremist or otherwise. What a relief. I think our lack of radicalized insects is due to the nice natural balance we have here of birds, especially robins, who gobble up the bugs before they go for the blood. Puccini brought in a bloodied baby bunny the other week, and deposited him in my bathroom for later. I was able to release the little “lapin” by the front door, wishing him well.

Summer attendance picked up a little last week, and the singing remains excellent. We always have lots of visitors in Summer, some from just across town. All are welcome.

Well, remember good St. Anne this week, and St. Christopher tomorrow. Your cars are all blessed today. May you be as well!
– Bishop Dolan