Pentecost XIII

zelusdomustuae
✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
Our Lady gave us a perfect Summer’s evening this past Monday, and sent fifty souls, Kirby counts, to pray her Rosary for our August Fatima Procession for Peace. The next morning dawned beautiful and bright for her Summer Novena, shared with St. Anthony. That after-noon many helped prepare for the Assumption. The devil was active, too, as his pride cannot bear Our Lady’s triumph. But with her help, we triumphed over the adversity and went to celebrate a glorious feast, starting with the Blessing of Herbs and First Fruits under a hot, bright sun.

Fr. McGuire remarked that he had never seen a more beautiful Assumption altar. The restored fountain gurgled in Marian blue. Fragrant basil and mint and sage awaited blessing, and the Sisters loaned their lovely statue of Our Lady. The little angels of the procession led us into the Pontifical Mass, bearing flowers for Mary’s tomb. All was duly sung and with soaring voices and sonorous chants. Many servers assisted the expert Pontifical ceremony.

Still, Assumption is a difficult, a challenging Holy Day, and this year’s rush hour rain didn’t help. It’s still Summer after all, and some were away vacationing. Al-so, it’s a weekday, a workday, and school has just start-ed for many. Some just stayed home, as though it were nothing more. Maybe they forgot. But Our Lady of LaSalette complained of just such “forgetting,” which is punished by God. Let’s try to remember to pray for a good, well-attended Holy Day. It’s always some-thing….

But we are grateful, even for the heavy weather, the rains, the dark and humid days, which will keep us green and in bloom. We are also grateful for excellent, homegrown tomatoes, one of August’s delights. Our Mexican visitors had a great time, and send their thanks. Gracias to all of you who helped. God has blessed us with a great, generous church.

Fr. McKenna has been a bit under the weather since Boys Camp, and now of course we’ve all got the Cincinnati allergies. Still, he was up to barbecuing a fine dinner for visiting Fr. Eldracher, down from Detroit for the night. It was good to see him, and get his news. Father is managing his growing Australian missions from Michigan. This is a challenge, as the Antipodes are fourteen hours ahead of us. But they have a chapel set up again, and our youngest missioner is anxiously awaiting his visa, and his return.

Newly ordained Fr. Damien Dutertre has been mostly ministering in French speaking Quebec, where he is a big hit. Bishop Sanborn reports a full house for the seminary this year. His health is good, as is that of visiting seminary professor Fr. Cekada. Deo Gratias et Mariae!

Traditionalists in Brazil are waking up, and leaving the traitorous Pius X Society, or their curious branch-off, the Resistance, to publicly proclaim that Bergoglio is simply no pope. Another newly ordained priest has joined us, as have two Franciscan groups. I hope to meet with many of them when I visit Argentina in early October.

The Sisters kindly drove departing Sr. Jeanne Marie, Sheila Anderson, to her hometown in Illinois on the Assumption. The convent is no more, and they have been offered temporary housing nearby. Please pray for a house for them, and God’s blessings upon the two remaining Sisters. They are busy, among other things, with planning a good Catechism year, as well as just trying to survive. Give them a hand.

I enclose you all in Mary’s Immaculate Heart,

– Bishop Dolan