This Week: Epiphany II

“Cometh the Hour, Cometh the Man”  –Fr. Stephen McKenna

The Bishop’s Note
Cats! I have not given you any news about the cats for a while now. Some of you probably could not care less about it, while others, I am sure, are indifferent. However, for those of you who love pet news, here is the moment you have been waiting for! Fat Cat and Black Cat stayed inside for several days, not knowing what to do with all of the snow outside. They were quite frustrated and needed to be entertained and so they pretty much tore up one of their toys. Well, they went outside two Thursdays ago and must have gotten themselves lost. Prayers to St. Francis were offered up, and Fat Cat came home on Sunday afternoon, and Black Cat returned on Wednesday. Really, I am not surprised that it was Fat Cat who came home first…after all, he likes his food! Fluffy has not left the church since all the snow. Sister says she won’t set foot outside! But Fluffy is good company, so we don’t mind!

Fr. Simpson and I are in Mexico with Fr. Contreras and several of his priests, and we should be back on Thursday or Friday. Colima, the first place we are visiting (a town which is famous for its rich Catholic history of the Christeros), had an earthquake with a 6.0 magnitude a few days before we arrived. Everyone is fine, thanks be to God. While we are there Confirmations will be administered, of course. We will also be consecrating some altar stones for the first time. The ceremony for consecrating altar stones is a very involved one with many blessings and exorcisms and takes a fair amount of time. Fr. Contreras’ mother is having a birthday, which we will celebrate while we are there. I met her during my last trip to Colima and am looking forward to seeing her again. Father is lucky to still have his mother…she is a wonderful soul!

After Colima, we will go to Guadalara, where we will meet up with Fr. Manuel who took over at the chapel of the late Fr. Bacerras, who died within the last year. Fr. Benegas, whom I ordained just over a year ago, is working there as well. Confirmations will also be administered there.

Classes resumed again at our seminary in Seattle as well as the seminary in Nigeria. Bishop Nkamuke just received a Novus Ordo priest from Côte d’Ivoire into his seminary. He will be retrained and, should he persevere, he will eventually be re-ordained. That is exactly how it should be done. There are more and more “priests” who are leaving the Novus Ordo and wanting to be re-ordained. Bishop Williamson has been conditionally ordaining many of them without providing them with the necessary training. This has caused much controversy and does much harm to souls as well as to the Catholic Church’s mission. God does not call men to the Novus Ordo priesthood. The Novus Ordo priesthood is no more a vocation from God than is the Buddhist priesthood or becoming a Protestant minister. God does not call a person to a false religion and He certainly does not call a person to be a leader of any kind in a false religion. He commands that we utterly detest and despise these religions as gateways to Hell, and as things which, rather than glorify God, offend Him. That being said, just because a man was “ordained” in the Vatican II sect does not mean that he has a vocation to the priesthood when he converts to the true Catholic Church. His vocation, like that of any other young man, must be tried in the seminary and he is to be ordained only after proving that he has all the qualities necessary for the sacred priesthood.

It is becoming more and more apparent that the oblates need a home. We have not rushed this project and have had much time to think it through. Although we have gone back and forth on the matter of whether to buy/rent a house or to build, we have finally settled on building the addition onto the rectory so that all the priests can live under the same roof and the oblates can have the old Convento. I cannot say with any certitude when building will actually begin, but Fr. McKenna and I will be planning it out with the help of some parishioners who have knowledge on this sort of thing. We want to make sure that things are done correctly.

We are now in the Chair of Unity Octave. Pray for the conversion of non-Catholics. Pray also for a greater unity of mind and heart among those Traditional Catholics who are already united in the true Faith. The charity of Christ presseth us, St. Paul says.

– Bishop McGuire

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