Rosary Sunday, Pentecost XIX
Extra Sermon:
On the Occasion of the Consecration of Bp. da Silva
✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
Today’s Rosary feast serves as the culmination of our celebrations for the consecration of a new bishop, with all the good we know the good Lord will draw from this act for years to come. The little Rosary Procession this morning, Bishop da Silva’s first Pontifical Mass, and the Rosary Confraternity Breakfast afterwards, with a bit of the story of this young bishop’s life thus far; conclude our joyful, grateful festivities. His Excellency returns to Brazil on Tuesday. Already next Sunday he has called a Catholic Conference, and will confer Confirmation.
Rosary Sunday points all of us, bishops and priests, seminarians and faithful, in the direction of prayer, our beginning and end, our strength and salvation. The revealed Rosary prayer unites the vocal with that of the head and heart. It unites us with each other, Catholics throughout the world, and leads us together to victory. This is a sure thing, not a vague hope, for it unites us with God through His Mother. We cannot fail so long as we, like Moses of old, lift up our hands in prayer. Waters part, the sun stands still.
We clergy had the happy impression that the celebration of Bishop da Silva’s consecration was very much, again, a parish family feast. We welcomed guests from all over, even Brazilian Catholics
from Ohio, Tennessee and Florida, but I think you adopted our dear “little” bishop into your hearts. Such is the family of the Faith. Thank you.
How touching it is to consider the many hours our young servers spent mastering the long and intricate ceremony, the choir’s practice and presence in the middle of the week, the planning and setup for the wonderful dinner, and all of the behind the scenes work.
My thanks must be doubled today for this Rosary Sunday observance. Our year continues with Forty Hours later this month, which ends with All Saints Sunday on Christ the King. It is a heavy schedule these beautiful Fall days, but consider how blessed, how happy we are still to practice our Faith in the midst of Communist Revolution, the imposition of a Satanic death cult in our country. All that we do here says “STOP” to the lies and fear, the divisions and anxiety they have imposed on us. Participate here these days wholeheartedly. This spiritual fuel never runs out. It is free, but precious beyond price. The best part is that afterwards you can still carry it in your pocket or purse. Your Rosary! Pray it wherever you are. Pray it many times a day, a few beads at a time. Each time is your “spiritual reset,” your soul’s—and your sanity’s—survival.
Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us!
– Bishop Dolan