Pentecost IV
Photos from our Corpus Christi procession:
✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
The feasts continue, for ‘tis the season. I write to you on the Octave Day of the Sacred Heart. The feast itself drew a fine congregation for the evening High Mass. Father’s Day saw a pretty much every-Sunday attendance, well-divided among the four Masses, which is good. The faithful stepped forward to assure the High Mass, as they do, and the singing was not good. It was excellent. Come and join the 9 o’clock choir. No rehearsals, no auditions, just the Church’s own music and our devotion increased by the beautiful melody of our hymns.
All of this reminds me of the African Martyrs under Diocletian. Forbidden to assemble for Sunday Mass, they responded, “Non possumus sine Dominica,” “We can’t make it without Sunday,” and merrily went to martyrdom and the eternal eighth day of Heaven. But they were Christians, you see.
The great feast days with which the June and early July calendars are sprinkled are little Sundays, to be kept in its spirit as best we can, living in a secular world which enviously regards the eighth day, much less feast days. So, it is wonderful that one of our choirs and some of our servers and faithful appear again in church, lest God be deprived of glory, and we the joy of worship…and celebrations.
Such was the St. John’s Eve, last Thursday. But when the beautiful Solemn Mass was done, what a treat awaited us! We prayed (we always do) to the Infant for good weather, and were awarded with a perfect June evening, cool and sunny for our cloister supper and socializing. An abundant spread materialized, as did many of you. Old faithful met new families, and little children quickly formed friendships. Dusk seemed to fall quickly this year. All too soon it was time to bless the bonfire to mark the shortest night, and sing again to St. John. Our Lady’s Rosary concluded the evening beautifully. Our joy was increased by Fr. Cekada’s visit to the festivities. He enjoyed his brat enormously.
Tomorrow we honor Ss. Peter and Paul, and Wednesday ushers in July with the Precious Blood. Thursday offers an 8 a.m. “Holy Hour” with Mass and Benediction, both for Our Lady’s Visitation, and for first Thursday, for our priests. Our number has happily been increased by one, with the glorious ordination of Fr. Luke Petrizzi last Wednesday at Most Holy Trinity Seminary in Florida.
But do remember all of our priests, young and old, tried, tempted, fallen and true. How Satan rejoices to carry one off. How he despairs at the power of a life of priestly generosity and fidelity! Our Fr. Guillaume Hecquard in France yesterday celebrated the tenth anniversary of his ordination. Pray, too, for vocations and foster them by devout family life.
I am concerned to see conservative news sources, and even some clergy, “create” new threats and scandals simply to firm up their following by increasing fear, themselves fanning the flames. Were it not for their publicizing some utterance or even less of some wicked figure, who would even know about these things? Often there is no need to react, as it’s all been exaggerated. Why do their publicity for them? Better to spread the solid truths of the Covid New Global Order, than carry on about supposed “Luciferian Marches” or the targeting of statues of Our Lord. Were it not for the Conservative Media and clergy, these things would have practically no existence. Yesterday’s news. Alas, the plandemic and its plots are daily being executed, by “government order,” today. Resist.
All the more reason to pray. I thought perhaps to cancel the All Night Adoration for First Friday, because of Saturday’s holiday. But you have a better chance of keeping your Independence if you join us in a powerful vigil of prayer for America. Let there not be just one or two, but at least a handful each hour, to hold back the arm of God. It would probably be enough. Remember the lessons of Lent and Holy Week, heavenly help vouchsafed to those who only asked to be able to continue to pray, publicly and every day.
God bless your homes, and make them sanctuaries
of the Sacred Heart.
–Bp. Dolan