Advent I

Daily Sermons
November 27 – Fr. Lehtoranta – Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
November 28 – Fr. Lehtoranta – St. Catherine Labouré
November 29 – Bp. Dolan – Vigil of St. Andrew
November 30 – Bp. Dolan – St. Andrew, Drawing Others to Christ
December 1 – Fr. Lehtoranta – Bl. Edmund Campion
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zelusdomustuae
✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
Beautiful Autumn leads us into Advent this year. Fortified by watching in the night before the Blessed Sacrament, we are strengthened to keep watch for the Coming of Christ this Christmas. Redemption is nigh. It’s a short Advent, but it aims to prepare us for a long eternity. May Mary Immaculate help us to be vigilant.

Nor will prayer and penance be a forgotten extra these Advent days, something just for the pious. Thursday fasters must fast for the Immaculate Conception, and none of us must taste meat. While the abstinence is dispensed on Friday, for it is a Holy Day, you’ll have to do your best to make it to Mass through the Friday traf-fic. Try the short early morning one, or the midmorning High Mass if you’re coming from a distance. But do keep the Holy Day.

After the Friday High Mass, some of our Young Adults are Getting together (that’s what they do) to put up the outdoor Christmas lights at church. Should be a fun and social activity, as well as a help to us. There’s a lot to get ready in a short amount of time this year.

Our Immaculate Conception Novena starts Thursday, the vigil. We traditionally pray for our Church as well as for our country, for Mary Immaculate is our patroness. Confused Catholics deny that Holy Mother Church is Immaculate. They teach the heresy, condemned by the Council of Trent, that the Church could give her children poison. Well meaning Americans who love their country, have no idea how bad things really are in government, and consume the daily propaganda called news. Church and Country. Read and inform yourself, but most of all, pray. Isn’t it time you said a Rosary?

The school children had a half holiday on Thursday, after our festive St. Andrew’s Mass. The pipe which feeds into the outdoor fire hydrant and the church, has been leaking. It was successfully repaired. The capstone’s back on too, I think, as are some of the outdoor lights. We still need someone to replace stained ceiling tiles. Other maintenance projects are being discussed, which is a good thing. Dominic O’Donnell’s people came by Friday to test the mysterious backflow, some costly fire regulation requirement. We pray we pass. But it, like many things, is only supposed to last about ten years. We’re fourteen and lucky.

Scott Richesson told Fr. Cekada who told me that up to four hundred people each Sunday are following our Mass webcast, and that some of these are contributing each month. Well, it makes sense, doesn’t it, that we should bring our offering to the altar, even if virtually, by pressing the PayPal button. We welcome our virtual congregation each week, and are grateful for your long distance offerings, which help keep this apostolate running. We always check our webcast signal if we get reports of reception difficulties, but usually our output is good. There are often difficulties on the other end, though. Depending on the country, more technical problems. It’s still a vale of tears, though we have our triumphs. Technology is both friend and foe.

High Mass last Sunday was especially splendid, as both schola and choir were swelled with Michigan visitors. The sound was, well…swell! The new men’s section is making great progress, and everybody’s working hard, as choirs do throughout the world, for Christmas.

This past Thursday, Fr. Terrence Fulham of Brooksville, Florida was buried. I knew Fr. Fulham, and had briefly worked with him years ago. Father served one of the original Brooksville churches, Our Lady of Fatima. (Brooksville is a little Florida “Cincinnati,” with at least four sedevacantist churches or chapels, two under Bishop Sanborn, and two going back to the ORCM and Fr. Bonet.) Fr. Fulham had belonged to many groups over the years, but I know he was very devoted to Our Lady. Please keep his priestly soul in your prayers.

Things are doubtless busy at the Seminary as they prepare for the Consecration of Fr. Joseph Selway. Please keep this good priest in your prayers, as well as Bishop Sanborn. I’m happy to report he’s feeling much better. One of the French seminarians will be visiting to help us at Christmas.

Well, things are probably busy at your house these days, are they? But do remember the Advent Wreath, the Family Rosary, and those extra sacrifices, including of the MASS.

Come Lord Jesus!

—Bp. Dolan