Pentecost XVIII

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St. Wenceslaus and Family Strifes

St. Michael, Loyal in Battle

St. Jerome

Holy Guardian Angels

History of St. Gertrude the Great

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✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
Last week brought in the cool weather, just in time for a proper Fall. The trees are changing. Life is changing. The deaths and funerals continue, unabated since March. (But an uptick in baptisms: Three in the last month. Life does continue.) God calls, man must answer. But the beautiful weather these days surely contrasts with the contrived lies, the violence and manipulation which mark the “outside world.” Perhaps this is a call from the good God to lead more genuinely natural, and more supernatural lives. Here is healing, peace of heart, holiness and finally even hope for today and tomorrow.

What a powerful help and incentive to Faith is the Most Holy Rosary we sing and celebrate and pray today. Pope Leo XIII points out that this heavenly gift is sent by God’s mercy to counteract the great evils of this age efficaciously, and so peacefully. If you’re not praying the Rosary, you are not only shirking your duty in a time of pending national—world—disaster, but you are also depriving yourself of the oxygen you need to survive and thrive. The enemy demands your servile compliance and suffocates you. Your Blessed Mother calls you and says: “Here, child, let me help you off with that thing. Good. Now take a deep breath. Doesn’t that feel better?” Praying is like breathing. It’s not an extra. It’s a necessity.

We had a perfect Fall day for Dennis Hille’s funeral on Thursday. The church was about full, a beautiful tribute to a good family man and a faithful Catholic. In these confusing and changing times,
Dennis set a strong silent example of stability and good sense. He will be missed. We need a man to come forward and take his place now as an 11:30 usher. Ushers do more than you think, and we are so grateful for his fidelity to his post.

Great thanks to the ladies and young ladies (well…they’re all young, aren’t they?) who prepared Helfta Hall and the fine Confraternity breakfast for today’s Rosary Sunday observance. Thanks, too, for the beautiful church and roses and High Mass and procession. You really see “St. Gertrude in action” when one of these annual traditions comes up, as well as for the “special events.” Fr. Cekada’s funeral brought out so many volunteers that this became its own most touching tribute.

But this is a weekend, indeed a month, of prayer, at St. Gertrude the Great. So many devotions and traditions are lovingly carried out each October. What a powerful force of protection is unleashed over us, our families, our church and nation between Friday’s All Night Adoration, and November 2nd, All Souls Day. We’ll only truly feel the power of this prayer in eternity. But often Our Lord encourages us by giving little hints in time.

So, it’s not too late. There’s still time!

May the Angels direct your steps churchward this month, and Heavenward all your life.

–Bp. Dolan