The Bishop’s Note
Fr. Simpson and I have returned from an excellent pastoral visit to sunny, warm Mexico where we visited with several of the clergy in Guadalajara and Colima. The weather, sunny and 80 degrees every day, was a nice break from the cold, snowy, and gloomy Cincinnati winter—though Fr. Simpson says he doesn’t really like the hot climates. Ninety Confirmations were done (25 in Colima and 65 in Guadalajara). While in Colima, we also consecrated 4 altar stones in what was a more complicated ceremony than we originally thought it would be. It was done without chant, yet still took an hour and forty-five minutes. The symbolism behind the ceremonies and its prayers is most beautiful. Fr. McKenna hopes that one day we will be able to do it here at St. Gertrude’s, but with all the chant. I concur, but am not sure what the choir would think of that!
The Colima chapel is just a weekend mission like many of our missions in the United States, while there are three locations that we visited in Guadalajara—St. Joseph’s (Fr. Manuel Odriz’s church where the Confirmations were given), La Immaculada (where young Fr. Benegas resides and is doing much good work with the young), and the Monastic House (where Fr. Sebastian stays). Guadalajara is much like Cincinnati in that it is home to several different groups of Traditional Catholics. Trento, SSPX, and our priests are located there.
I am thankful to Fathers Lehtoranta, McKenna, and Brueggemann for taking such good care of things while I was away. Fr. McKenna came down with a little cold, but still headed up to St. Hugh’s for the weekend. Fr. Lehtoranta, always so faithful in his duties as professor and who is very reliable for many things here at St. Gertrude’s, is again here this Sunday. He has been traveling a bit more since Christmas and doesn’t seem to mind at all, though I know it is very difficult to travel on weekends for those priests who have to teach during the week.
The feast of St. Francis de Sales, patron of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, comes this week, and we will be celebrating it with a Solemn High Mass. Come and pray for the conversion of the Modernists in our once Catholic city, as well as the perseverance of our faithful Catholics. St. Francis was taken by Bishop Dolan as the patron of our group of priests. It was for his pastoral spirit and his mild ways that this great saint was always held out to us for all things pastoral. What a great saint we have!
I am sure there is more news to tell you about, but that is all for now. Please pray for our missions and priests, both here at home, as well as abroad. Be assured that you will be remembered in our prayers.
– Bishop McGuire