Bishop’s Corner Let us rejoice this Sunday not that Lent will too soon be over, but that God’s mercies have given us yet another season of prayer and penance, that glorious and delightful time we call Lent. Still, some standard rejoicing is on the calendar this week with the feasts of St. Patrick and St. […]

Bishop’s Corner I write this on a sunny, early (very early) Spring day, hoping the fullness of this season of rebirth will soon be ours: sun in the soul as well as the sky; rebirth for our spiritual, family and church life. Meanwhile Caravaggio and Puccini are unusually chipper and frolicsome. I think they are […]

Bishop’s Corner “Come Winter, have another flight,” the verse reads for a sunny Candlemas dawn. Ours was cloudy, but Winter came back anyway, giving us, with its difficulties and crosses, many opportunities for Lenten sacrifices. The ones God chooses are always better than the ones we pick. Persevere in your devotion to the Poor Souls, […]

Missed Bp. Dolan’s Ash Wednesday Sermon? Listen Here: Pray for Souls in Need Bishop’s Corner We started this Lent in the cold dead white of Winter. The Holy Souls, however, provided warmth against the chill by their presence which filled the pews and swelled the congregation, as they drew near to find relief, and speedy […]

Bishop’s Corner After Candlemas’ cruel promise of early Spring, Winter has come for a second flight. Its severe beauty dazzles us, leaving everything white in its snow reflected light, cold and bright. The world has forgotten what Winter is in its obsession with “global warming.” Our Creator, however, has seen fit to remind us as […]

Bishop’s Corner It is Sexagesima, the middle Sunday of the pre-Lenten season. The church it seems bare in its post-Christmas sobriety, a good sign of the seriousness of the soon coming forty day fast. Still, joy fills our hearts, engendering generosity towards the good God who is ever so good to us. Last Sunday I […]

Bishop’s Corner Our blessed January ends today (and with it, soon, the Christmas season) and we view already a glimpse of Easter’s light after the purple and penance of our coming Lent. The days grow longer at long last, and there are little hints of Spring, regardless of whether or not our resident groundhog, Senex, […]

Epiphany III

Follow Fr. Cekada’s ongoing commentary on the recent controversies: www.traditionalmass.org/blog Bishop’s Corner We’ve already had our late January freeze, so I wonder if “Global Warming” will work in our favor, and we’ll have a temperate week? Well, whatever weather Our Lord chooses, will be fine with us, although …it is easier for so many to […]

Also listen to Bp. Dolan’s Sermon from Epiphany: A Christmas Pageant Bishop’s Corner I’m writing to you on Epiphany afternoon, as we prepare for the last and the greatest of our Christmas celebrations, and a well deserved dinner for all of our generous and good workers, volunteers, and faithful. May God reward them, and you, […]

Also listen to Bp. Dolan’s Sermon from January 1: Five Words Bishop’s Corner New Year’s greetings in the Holy Name of Jesus! May Jesus and Mary be often on your lips and always in your heart during this New Year, and it will be a blessed one. Today we honor the Infant of Prague, as […]

Listen to Bp. Dolan’s Christmas Sermon: Entering Bethlehem Bishop’s Corner I hope all of you are enjoying the Christmas holidays, with families and friends and feasting for our dear Savior’s birth. I welcome and thank Fr. Ercoli who is with us again today, as he was to help us for Christmas with his beautiful singing. […]

Follow Fr. Cekada’s ongoing commentary on the recent controversies: www.traditionalmass.org/blog Bishop’s Corner I was moved almost to tears at dear George Wissing’s funeral the other day that something so beautiful and perfect (I was seated at the sedilia, and listening to our school children sing for the first time the Dies Irae) could still be […]

Follow Fr. Cekada’s ongoing commentary on the recent controversies: www.traditionalmass.org/blog Bishop’s Corner Our long, sweet Fall finally gave way to the wind and the dark cold rain of December. Still, what a string of simply splendid Saturdays we enjoyed this Autumn. Wednesday’s high winds took our power away for several hours. We had prudently installed […]

Bishop’s Corner Already our short lived Advent is a week old. How have you done in preparing for the Holy Child Jesus, in making yourself a child for the sake of the Kingdom? Ask Mary, our Queen Immaculate, for her assistance this week. Please pray the Immaculate Conception novena with us this week to defeat […]

Also listen to Bp. Dolan’s Advent Sunday Sermon, “Why Do They Fall Away?“ Bishop’s Corner Blessed Advent Sunday to you all! After days of feasting, gaming and shopping, the Apostle pierces our surfeited souls with his cry: “Cast off the works of darkness!” Let each Christian soul pray and prepare thus for Christ’s coming into […]

“School Dazed” Fr. Cekada on some recent controversies Bishop’s Corner Blessed St. Gertrude’s Day, and happy anniversary. Today we keep the solemn, public feast of our patroness with great thanksgiving, and yes… thanksgiving! It is easier to say thank you when covered with compliments and comfort, as we have so often been. But the bitter […]

Bishop’s Corner What a beautiful day was last Sunday, as we opened with confidence our 12 Sundays of the Mother of Good Counsel counting on her intervention and miraculous aid. It was a perfect day for our cemetery rosary. Alas, the somewhat symbolic confusion caused by a combination of error and criticism led to two […]

Bishop’s Corner Last Sunday was another beautiful day, as all the saints came marching in to the High Mass of All Saints, at the beautifully decorated altar, ornamented with the relics of so many saints. After Mass, we retired to Helfta Hall, and each group of saints came up in turn to identify themselves. Such […]

Also this week: Listen to Bp. Dolan’s Sermon from the “Closing of our 2009 Forty Hours Devotion” Bishop’s Corner We are so grateful to God for the graces and glories of our Forty Hours Devotion, and to so many of you for your hard work, prayers, and extra church attendance. These were days of great […]

Also this week: Listen to Fr. Larrabee’s sermon, “Healing From Sin” Bishop’s Corner Beautiful weather greeted Fr. Ramolla and me upon our return from a very successful trip to France. Soon, we were all busy preparing for the Forty Hours, which reach their high point on this sublime feast of Christ the King. Seek an […]

Fr. Cekada’s Corner Bishop Dolan asked me to fill in while he is away. You’ll notice the absence of Bishop Dolan’s coat-of-arms. Many years ago, when I was researching a design for his coat of-arms, I asked one expert, just for fun, what kind of coat-of-arms a Cekada would have. He said that, since the […]

Bishop’s Corner Today Fr. Ramolla and I are in Savoy, France, at the chapel in Chambery. I am offering Mass, confirming, and giving minor orders to one candidate for the priesthood, as well as visiting with the good priest and people of this chapel. Afterwards there is a lunch and meeting. The Chambery chapel is […]

Bishop’s Corner Last Monday’s wind blew in cool Autumn, but the sun has been sparing so far. Aren’t our grounds lovely? The grotto and gardens are settling in nicely and nature provides a magnificent palette in our back property, wild flowers and weeds all done up in Fall colors. Add to that your blessed Rosary […]

Bishop’s Corner Well, the weather certainly was wretched last week, wasn’t it? Still, we dassn’t complain, as they say. It was exactly the weather God wished us to have. And, after all, the Good Lord and His saints indulged us once already in the matter, and it isn’t good to push things with the Divine […]

Bishop’s Corner I was telling our children the other day that this year we had three “First Days of School,” each with something special. The first day of classes fell on the feast of St. Pius X, and the children were met by a little foundling left on our door step. Not a baby but […]