Pentecost VII
Our four seminarians, visiting this summer from Most Holy Trinity Seminary, receive tonsure.
On July 13th, our numbers swelled by young adults in town for our annual young adult group event, over 100 marched and prayed a public rosary for peace.
✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
It was raining Monday, the first day of Boys’ Camp. True it was a soft rain, the Irish kind, and the boys seem to have played through. But camping in the rain would be above and beyond, so I put the word out for the Rosary Chain. What do you think happened? More than we could have hoped. Perfect, sunny cool days all in a row last week. I write this on a deliciously mild and dry Thursday morning after the 8 o’clock Mass. Our Lord loves to hear from us, even for little things. The power of the Rosary is great.
Remember the beauty of these Summer morning Masses, when nature and grace combine, and we give to God more than He gives to us. How is that? Well, He gives us the quiet freshness of the morning, but at Mass we give Him His Son, in offering the perfect prayer, the Sacrifice of the Mass. Love it. Make it yours. The power of the Mass is infinite.
Many of you made it to the Pontifical Mass on Wednesday, during which our first two St. Gertrude vocations, Thomas Simpson and Anthony Brueggemann, received the tonsure which mark them as clerics, first step towards Ordination. They were joined by Thomas Ojeka and John Okerulu, two of Fr. Nkamuke’s Nigerian seminarians, who also form part of our “St. Gertrude Group” of clergy. The four seminarians will be with us especially the next two weeks, helping with some of our many pending projects. We are grateful to them, and thankful to you for your so generous offerings of food. And good, too!
We had a larger group of boys than last year, and a nice representation from our St. Hugh Church in Milwaukee for Boys’ Camp. They played and prayed together for three days, and had a good time, I’m sure. But everyone took a break from the fun for the serious work of a Pontifical Mass with Confirmation and Tonsure. Complicated rubrics, but such a calm and prayerful ceremony. Afterward the ladies (God love them) provided a fine lunch.
At the last minute our chief MC couldn’t make it to the Mass because he had a murder trial, but two of our High School servers substituted for him with aplomb. “At the Mass,” Fr. Cekada specified, not at the murder trial! Life is rarely boring at St. Gertrude the Great.
The week ended with great saints, St. James, St. Christopher and good St. Anne. Today we bless your cars in honor of St. Christopher. Never start out without a Hail Mary to ask his protection. St. Anne is a particular patroness of married couples, and to her we confide newly wed Levi and Jacinta Giese, so much a part of our St. Gertrude church life in so many ways. Congratulations!
The lead Jesuit magazine, America, has just published an article rehabilitating Communism. But their Jesuit “pope” has been spouting this poison for a long time. He was even photographed with a “Communist crucifix,” a hammer and sickle shaped into a cross, and a big smile. Nothing surprises you anymore, but some surprise, or perhaps residual shame is still felt for those who worship in a
church decorated with a picture of Bergoglio, at a Mass desecrated with his name at the Consecration.
August sneaks in on First Thursday, and then we “get back to normal” with First Friday and All Night Adoration. But soon comes Summer’s high point, the Assumption, with the Sisters of Our Lady of Reparation professing their vows before the Pontifical Mass. Mark your calendar.
Safe, prayerful travel to you. May your Summer be an enjoyable one, when all is said and done. I send a blessing to go with you.
In the Precious Blood,
Bishop Dolan