Quinquagesima
Our Lady of Fatima, on a crisp Sunday morning before Mass
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Daily Sermons
February 17 – Bp. Dolan – The Flight: No Plane, but Yes a Ticket
February 21 – Fr. Lehtoranta – Blessed Robert Southwell
February 22 – Fr. Lehtoranta – St. Peter, Leader of the Church, and George Washington, Leader of the Nation
February 23 – Bp. Dolan – St. Peter Damian
February 24 – Fr. Lehtoranta – Lessons of the Life of St. Matthias
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✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
This week our late Lent meets our early Spring. Stealthily has it crept in, piggybacked on a number of Louisiana Winter days, wet, overcast and warm. The lack of sunshine distracted us mostly, but now it is here, Spring. One Lenten theme from years ago was “The Soul’s Springtime,” I recall. But each Lent really is that, if only we would. Your soul wants to bud and blossom, like my Lenten Roses which are already eager to flower. Ditto for the daffodils. Perhaps some will be on time for St. David’s Day, which coincides this week with Ash Wednesday. Ashes make great fertilizer they say. Potassium. A rich symbol and a powerful sacramental with which to start your Lent. Come.
Thanks to everybody who’s helping with our Shrovetide Social Sunday, or just visiting over some pancakes, which is the idea. I regret not to be here, but I had already been scheduled for a long delayed Milwaukee visit. However our newly restored Fr. Cekada will be happy to see you, as will Fr. McGuire and Fr. Lehtoranta, before the latter heads off to Chillicothe. Enjoy the afternoon as well! There’s some good fun on offer. Let’s get to know each other, and encourage each other in the practice of our precious Faith.
Come to think of it, this is a real church week, isn’t it? You’ll want to get your ashes on Wednesday. They will be distributed just about all day long. Then the prayer and penance part back on for First Friday, and the first of our Friday Evenings of Recollection. This includes some really rich Mac and Cheese, which you will not want to miss after the evening Mass. Or just come for Stations. But do remember the All Night Adoration, and First Saturday.
The cats are delighted with Spring, and have been ever so dutiful in attending to things, stinting them-selves even of sleep to hunt outdoors. But the other day they surprised me. Caravaggio first attacked a pile of old bulletins (he never reads the Bishop’s Corner) and a pair of new socks, still in their bag. Rustle, rustle. Then arrives Puccini, and soon they were romping, racing through the house, like kittens. They hadn’t done this, I thought…during the whole time of Fr. Cekada’s illness! Only now. Do they know something we don’t, these mostly silent felines? Well, I resolved, no wonder we call it a CATSCAN. Probably named after them!
Fr. McGuire had another Funeral Friday in Effingham, Illinois, for the widow of the man he buried two weeks ago, Donald Gardner. Remember them both, and their family, in your prayers. Mrs. Gardner’s very name, Gertrude, links her to us and makes us remember her. Meanwhile, yesterday I conducted the funeral of Jerry Remmel in Milwaukee. We need some baptisms to balance things out.
Fr. Oscar Saavedra came down for a quick visit Monday afternoon from Michigan. All is well there, but they’re building a mosque near the church! It’s always good to see him again. He explains that he hibernates in Winter, but with Spring returns his energy. May it be for you as well!
—Bishop Dolan