Easter II
✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
It is a grace to keep St. Pius V on a Sunday. We are privileged to have a very rare statue of the Pope of the Mass and the Rosary, the only statue of him I have ever seen. Where is it? Look up. (Always a good idea.) Right above the pulpit.
St. Pius V concludes a week of beautiful saints and devotions. Queen of them all is Our Lady and Queen. She is enthroned this year in blue over the altar, crowned and showing us her Son, even as He is sacrificed in the Holy Mass. Did you remember a May altar in your home? Be it ever so simple, set one up, and get the family together for devotions.
Remember the story of the Frenchman, a nonbeliever, who nonetheless gave his wife flowers each May for Our Lady’s altar. Later he committed suicide,but the Curé of Ars assured his grieving widow that his soul was saved at the last, because of that one practice of devotion. Little things matter.
The sorrow of the death of Fr. Collins, a true priest and former confrere, one of “the nine,” was compounded with confusion and scandal when the lay executor cancelled the agreed upon funeral plans at the last minute. Tickets had been purchased, mourners had begun their travel. Fr. Collins had agreed to the original arrangements, and left money for all the funeral expenses. Now Catholics are being asked to donate for this cause under false pretenses. All very unfortunate. Sometimes funerals bring out the worst in people. We hope to have a Solemn Mass for the repose of Father’s soul at a later date.
But we have, most of all, recourse to prayer. Our annual St. Joseph Novena begins Tuesday and continues for the Octave. On Wednesday a special Mass will be sung for St. Joseph, and again next Sunday. Fr. Collin’s death was a particularly prepared and pious one, one which points out the power of this Patron Saint of a Happy Death, good St. Joseph.
We are all looking forward to a beautiful May Crowning on Mother’s Day. Please pray for good weather, for our children preparing to receive First Communion in June, and for a strong tender devotion to Our Blessed Mother. St. Joseph is a powerful advocate for this as well.
The Mass and the Rosary! Remember them, make them part of your daily life and devotion.
–Bp. Dolan