It’s almost time for the St. Gertrude the Great Girls’ Camp! Girls ages 5-16+ are welcome to join us on July 6, 7, and 8th for three days of fun and spiritual activities. We will be joined by three sisters of St. Thomas Aquinas for days filled with camp favorites such as archery, scrap-booking and […]
Bishop’s Corner The Holy Cross is a dear devotion of ages past, still held by us as Catholics, yet strangely forgotten. Thus it is that the Finding or the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (May 3rd and September 14) have few takers, although everyone comes to kiss the Cross twice on Good Friday, and we […]
Bishop’s Corner All outdoors seemed a great Easter basket this past Thursday, filled with tall green grass under sunny skies, and an Easter Bunny as well. These were my thoughts that morning as I spied a rabbit from my window. I hope you too enjoyed the sunny skies which returned at last, after so much […]
Bishop’s Corner I write this on a rainy Tuesday in Holy Week, reflecting on the splendid Palm Sunday we had, and hoping for another Easter Triduum with which to glorify God. At St. Gertrude, we are nothing if we do not glorify God. We do this out of love for Our Lord, joined to some […]
Bishop’s Corner April truly is a cruel month, as the Poet says. It is a month of extremes of heat and cold, of promises unmet which leave us wary and weary. In a word, April is a perfect “month of the Passion.” Nature illustrates and invites us to meditate just something of what nature’s Maker […]
Bishop’s Corner Our old Obergammergau crucifix, (purchased in Baltimore) atop the arch made for it by a local Cincinnati old Italian woodcarver, was easily raised over the rood screen last week by Gino and James McMahon, and that just in time for Passiontide. Its height lifts our eyes to Heaven even as the crucifix reminds […]
Bishop’s Corner It’s usually customary to rejoice on Mid-Lent Sunday because Lent is half over, and Easter approaches. However, slackers that we are, we should rejoice that we still have half a Lent, most of this month of April, to be serious about afflicting ourselves (rather than others) and drawing ourselves and others closer to […]
This week’s bonus sermon from Ash Wednesday: A Pile of 70 or 80 Calendars Bishop’s Corner March is certainly the month for weather, isn’t it? Heavy humidity and overcast skies bring us unhealthy, unwelcome warmth and rush the flowers out of the earth. Then the wet turns cold to threaten the blossoms with a wintry […]
Bishop’s Corner It is a soft St. Patrick’s Day, mild for March, and glowing with the promise of green and growth for Spring as I write this. I hope yours was a pleasant one. The ever so talented children of the school choir surprised me with ancient Irish music for the High Mass today, a […]
Bishop’s Corner Our latest of Lents got off to a good rainy start on Wednesday. Rain sometimes symbolizes an abundance of heavenly blessings (on a wedding day, for example) and our Ash Wednesday was full of graces. How many of you made the sacrifice to come through the dark and the rain to receive your […]
Bishop’s Corner I was speaking with Fr. Hecquard the other day. He remembered fondly his stay with us last winter, and sends his prayerful greetings along with the report that France is also enjoying an early spring. The French call such mild weather (perfect days, really) “doux;” literally, sweet. And indeed how sweet have been […]
Bishop’s Corner I can’t help but see some spiritual symbolism in these dark February days. The shortest month has been all struggle, hasn’t it? Spring, promised at the Purification, has been waiting in the wings week after week, with its new life and warmth all wrapped up. But storm after storm distracts us, and delays […]
Bishop’s Corner The last days of Epiphanytide saw an early spring arrive to usher in Septuagesima, preparation in turn for the soul’s springtime, Lent. I knew it! Already on the last Sunday of January there was a bit of spring in the air, confirmed by Candlemas’ cloudy dawn later that week. Furthermore, the blackbirds were […]
Bishop’s Corner Fr. Cekada was teaching at the seminary last week, while I was in Mexico. I myself visited the seminary in January, to give the retreat. I must say I was very impressed, not only with the beautiful chapel which is nearing completion, but also with the caliber of our future priests, intelligent and […]
Also this week: Listen to Bp. Dolan’s Candlemas sermon: Christmas is Departing, But Keep Your Candle Burning Bishop’s Corner February, whose name means “to purify by sacrifice,” one author says, slid in on Tuesday, making an icy entrance for the shortest of months. Fr. Cekada, St. Francis de Sales-like, had to crawl on his knees […]
Bishop’s Corner Tomorrow January ends, and Wednesday, Christmas. Make of these endings a good beginning by a resolution or two, borrowed perhaps from St. Francis de Sales, whom we solemnize today. (You might call him the patron saint of reading as well as of writing.) It is too long to wait for Lent to reform […]
Bishop’s Corner Another “snow cycle” began again last Thursday. We are grateful for the moisture, but also for the intervals of clear weather, when it is easy to move around, and anyone could make it to church. Fr. McGuire departed in the snowstorm for points east, including the funeral on Friday for Jackie Neubauer, first […]
Bishop’s Corner Christmas reached its high point with Epiphany on January 6, a feast of devotion which we observed as the holiest of holy days, and a true holiday. Our school children sweetly chanted the First and Second Vespers which begin and end the liturgical day. Other children joined us and helped for the Solemn […]
Bishop’s Corner I write this column on Epiphany itself, after a beautiful morning Mass sung by our school children, and a very nice brunch with everyone to celebrate “Little Christmas”. The day is overcast and perhaps portends snow. We shall see. We managed to get in a story or two for the little ones, who […]
Bishop’s Corner Christmas, its vigil and holy night, its day and feasts and octave, all passed peacefully, in great beauty and quiet and spiritual joy. Even the light, “Christmasy” snow did not hold people back too much, but served rather as a charming backdrop to the feast. Our attendance was excellent, and all of those […]
Listen to Bp. Dolan’s Christmas Sermon: The Christmas Gift of Hope Bishop’s Corner All of this past week, your devoted fellow members reported to the galley to give a hand with the oars, and help our Christmas celebration to come together. This always entails a certain amount of stress and fatigue, of course, as well […]
Bishop’s Corner For a “weather week” this has been a busy one, beginning with another excellent Advent Sunday. All three so far have been snowy, yet gratifying in their attendance and spirit. Some came early last week to avoid the afternoon snow. Our Christmas Craft and Cookie Sale (get in on it, still today!) did […]
Bishop’s Corner A window in our winter weather opened Wednesday, and the sun shone brightly for our Blessed Lady’s Immaculate Conception. I was even able to sit in some sunny windless corner of my garden to pray my Office that afternoon, and most of you were able to make it for Mass. The sunlight sung […]
Bishop’s Corner It snowed, or tried to, on December 1st, almost as if to say, along with the biting chill: “December is here, winter has arrived.” The day before so many of you charitably braved the rains and the dark day to be the family for Ed Sayre’s funeral – his Rosary and Mass. I’m […]
Bishop’s Corner Advent Sunday is also Thanksgiving Sunday this year, a fitting combination because of the many blessings God has showered upon us of late, blessings (both crosses and crowns) which prepare His advent in to our hearts and lives. The devil usually stirs up some trouble around Forty Hours, as he cannot bear the […]
Bishop’s Corner St. Gertrude’s feast brought a good soaking rain all day, sure sign of Heaven’s blessings, to break the drought which has afflicted us here since June. There may still be time for us to enjoy a bit of fall before winter comes to stay. Let us pray the rains continue to repair the […]