Pentecost XXIV
✠ The Bishop’s Corner ✠
“Cajun snow” these mornings as, finally, Fall makes its gentle appearance with perfect cold nights and sunny days leading us gradually into Winter. Not all are so blessed. Fr. Ahern’s chapel in Gaylord, Michigan (appropriately named Our Lady of the Snow) got several inches the other night. Winter is there. Our little bridge back of the church, the “troll bridge,” always freezes before anything else, as the road signs say. Fr. McKenna mentioned this as he almost fell. I remembered how Fr. Cekada would often return to the rectory to warn me on a wintry morning.
We blessed Father’s grave on Thursday, at the end of our school Rosary Procession at St. Stephen’s Cemetery. The base for the grave marker is in, and the rest should follow. Somehow, due to “Covid,” they couldn’t get the granite from Atlanta. But I hope the monument will soon be in place. In any case, it was a beautiful Rosary Procession with many of the faithful and their children joining us, a perfect way to consecrate a perfect Fall day.
The Rosary Confraternity Cemetery Procession meets today at 3:30 PM at St. Mary’s in Ft. Mitchell. It’s another beautiful Catholic cemetery, where many of our faithful await the Resurrection. You may gain a plenary indulgence for the Poor Souls by participating.
We were just blessed with three glorious days at church, “our Autumn Holy Week,” we used to say. Christ the King was surrounded with His little saints, come a day early. The Consecration after Mass afforded us all the grace to reaffirm the ties that bind us here to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, even as we consecrated our church to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Thy Kingdom come! May many families continue this work by the Home Enthronement.
All Saints was a truly holy day for us, with a beautiful Holy Mass, devotions, and the distinctive double Vespers which lead us into All Souls. The blessed patter of Plenary Indulgence seekers punctuated the quiet of our chants in church Monday evening: glorious for All Saints, mournful for All Souls.
By the third day I think we were all tired, especially because of the previous week’s three days of Forty Hours. Still it is a good fatigue, and these sacrifices do refresh the Poor Souls in their lonely purification. God reward your charity.
Helfta Hall was merrily decorated, and very full, for a very happy All Saints Day party. The little ones delight us each year, and this year was no exception. I smile as Ithink back…
We remember all of the help Our Mother of Good Counsel has given us over the years as we begin our annual devotion of the Twelve Sundays today. May the protection we need be found “in the crossing of Mary’s arms.”
I’ve been invited to speak at the Tea Party meeting this Tuesday evening. As you may know I do follow and try to figure out what on earth is happening in this crazy world of ours. You’re welcome to come. But most of all, pray. Don’t forget our veterans on Thursday at 11 AM, and all of the victims of our wars, that terrible punishment for sin. We love this observance each year, poignant and prayerful.
May Christ, King of your family, be waiting for you when you return home from church.
– Bishop Dolan