Note from the Bishop
One of the highlights of the week was, of course, our annual All Saints Party which followed the High Mass on Christ the King. Two hundred or so souls attended that Mass to see our procession of saints. We had a lot of children dress up—many of whom stumped the bishop. (The list of winners for this year’s contest can be found in the bulletin.) Speaking of stumping Bishop, our three Archangels just plain gave up on him being able to guess. So, just as they always did in Sacred Scripture, they were careful to reveal their names in a very timely manner. Some of the saints were so obscure that even they forget their names and had to be reminded by mom and dad. Whew! Now I don’t feel so bad! Besides, in heaven we won’t have to guess anymore. We will both see and know each of the saints. That eternal day will be a great one. May God grant us perseverance.
Many of the relics of our saints are placed in various places throughout the church. It is our way of honoring them during the octave; it is also our way of making reparation for all the dishonor that Vatican II did to them. How many statues, images and relics were smashed and thrown away by the Modernists. Perhaps even more saddening is that these same Modernists actually called into question the very existence of many of the saints and removed even more of them from the Liturgical calendar. Go around and look at the different relics and pray to the saints—but please, do not touch them. Oh! You might be wondering about the four big reliquaries above the tabernacle. At the foot of St. Gertrude’s statue is a large relic of St. Gertrude herself. Beneath that are three large chests: the biggest one is filled with many small relics of multiple saints; the smaller brown chest has several relics as well; but the golden chest—that one is our treasure! It is filled with a very large portion of the relics of whom I believe to be St. Perpetua. As great as it is to have the relics of so many saints, the best is that we have Our Lord Himself present in our tabernacle. I reflect, with all of this, one cannot be any closer to heaven than we are without actually leaving this earth.
This Tuesday, I hope you will join the school children at St. Stephen’s Cemetery for the All Souls Rosary Procession. How fitting that the children visit there to pray for their deceased pastors, Bishop Dolan and Fr. Cekada. Next Sunday afternoon we will meet at Gate of Heaven Cemetery where many of our faithful have been buried. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them!
I am away this weekend visiting our flock in Milwaukee before meeting Fr. McKenna in Grand Forks, North Dakota to do Confirmations.
Stay close to the saints and they will draw you closer to Our Lord.
– Bishop McGuire