A corporal work of mercy.
Click on photo for this corporal work of mercy!
Sunday 27 February 2011
New Roman Missal Cover
Here is a lovely picture from Father Tim Finegan's blog, The Hermeneutic of Continuity coming soon to a parish near you except in Canada where it has not yet been approved by the Holy See because...
Thursday 24 February 2011
Roman Missal for Canada: Still waiting...
Lest I be accused by any diocesan authorities of being a "conspiracy theorist" I've now had it confirmed by another source that the delay in the Recognitio from Rome for the corrected translation of the Roman Missal (2000) in Canada is the universal posture.
If you are unfamiliar with this topic, click on the Roman Missal medallion on the left to take you to the series of articles. You will also find there the email addresses of Canada's bishops.
I will not, as demanded on another blog, reveal my sources, suffice to say that they are from within the clergy and the laity.
If the Recognitio is not granted soon, then the printing process will be greatly in peril for the beginning of Advent. The responsibility for this will lie with the bureaucrats at the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. They can proffer that they have "asked for nothing out of the ordinary" but that simply makes no sense. If they did not, then Rome would not be taking so long.
The calendar and differing dates for feasts between Canada and the United States is also an issue, two being Canadian/North American Martyrs and Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha as an example.
This is no place for Canadian nationalism or Quebecois episcopal posture preference dictates to the rest of Canada.
My prediction?
Meetings are being held now in Rome with CCCB officials; Rome will rule and it won't be in favour of what was submitted.
Now, get on with it!
If you are unfamiliar with this topic, click on the Roman Missal medallion on the left to take you to the series of articles. You will also find there the email addresses of Canada's bishops.
I will not, as demanded on another blog, reveal my sources, suffice to say that they are from within the clergy and the laity.
If the Recognitio is not granted soon, then the printing process will be greatly in peril for the beginning of Advent. The responsibility for this will lie with the bureaucrats at the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. They can proffer that they have "asked for nothing out of the ordinary" but that simply makes no sense. If they did not, then Rome would not be taking so long.
The calendar and differing dates for feasts between Canada and the United States is also an issue, two being Canadian/North American Martyrs and Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha as an example.
This is no place for Canadian nationalism or Quebecois episcopal posture preference dictates to the rest of Canada.
My prediction?
Meetings are being held now in Rome with CCCB officials; Rome will rule and it won't be in favour of what was submitted.
Now, get on with it!
Monday 21 February 2011
One year ago...
One year ago today, the announcement came that the Toronto Apostolate of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter had come to an end. It as the First Sunday of Lent, 2010. Since that time, the Archbishop of Toronto appointed a diocesan priest to celebrate the traditional Latin liturgy at St. Theresa's Church in Scarborough in addition to his other parish duties as Associate Pastor at large and demanding parish north of Toronto. The Mass is no longer a Missa Cantata and attendance has dropped as well since the departure of the FSSP with no signs of growth to be had. The location remains a problem, little transit, not much parking and the time of day at 1:00 is still problematic.
On the positive side, the traditional Mass continues to grow, albeit slowly at St. Vincent de Paul under the Fathers of the Oratory and the Toronto Traditional Mass Society, soon to be known as Una Voce Toronto, has a new Board and is planning more regular programs and opportunities to move the agenda forward.
In my own opinion, the Fraternity will come back to Toronto some day, but on their terms. That would be no more bouncing from one parish to another and one rectory to another. They must have their own parish and rectory to develop live their charism and serve the people desiring to worship and live the Catholic culture in accord with the traditional liturgy and fully united to the Holy Father.
That day will come when the inevitable closing of parishes occurs, particularly in east Toronto where many struggle to survive amidst changing demographics and immigration patterns and general apostasy of Catholics from the faith.
Originally posted on February 21, 2010.
TORONTO--Only three weeks after a Solemn High Mass was held on Candlemas assisted by transitional Deacons and Seminarians of St. Augustine's Seminary in Toronto; and less than a week after a column appeared on Rorate Caeli Blog extolling the provisioning of the Traditional Latin Mass in Ontario, it was announced today after the Mass for Quadragesima Sunday that effective next Sunday, February 28, 2010, the Toronto Apostolate of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter will come to an end.
Apostolate Chaplain, Father Howard Venette, FSSP addressed the nearly 100 congregants following the Mass advising the shocked congregation that the departure was due to "internal personnel" matters. Father Venette will be reassigned to Orlando, Florida following his 19 month stay in Toronto.
The FSSP was invited to Toronto by Archbishop Thomas Collins with the hopes of establishing a personal parish for the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. In September 2009, a public announcement was made by the Fraternity and on the Archdiocese of Toronto web page that Canadian Martyrs parish would be the location over a six-month transitional period. Within days of this announcement and without public explanation, the situation changed and the parish plan did not materialise.
Recently, the Fraternity was advised that while a parish was not currently available, its provision would depend on the continued growth and financial viability of the community. In the last 19 months, attendance at the Sunday Mass at St. Theresa Shrine Church increased over 100% from the attendance under the former indult at the Missa Lecta to the Missa Cantata.
Upon arrival in Toronto, Father Venette was in residence at Holy Cross parish where the Mass was celebrated daily and on High Holy Days. Following the situation in September over Canadian Martyrs, Father was moved to St. Brigid's where the daily Mass schedule changed from week to week and the High Holy Day liturgies were split between St. Brigid's and St. Theresa's Parish.
According to officials from Una Voce Toronto, Archbishop Collins had indicated that he desired no less than "five" Extraordinary Form Masses throughout the Archdiocese of Toronto every Sunday.
On the positive side, the traditional Mass continues to grow, albeit slowly at St. Vincent de Paul under the Fathers of the Oratory and the Toronto Traditional Mass Society, soon to be known as Una Voce Toronto, has a new Board and is planning more regular programs and opportunities to move the agenda forward.
In my own opinion, the Fraternity will come back to Toronto some day, but on their terms. That would be no more bouncing from one parish to another and one rectory to another. They must have their own parish and rectory to develop live their charism and serve the people desiring to worship and live the Catholic culture in accord with the traditional liturgy and fully united to the Holy Father.
That day will come when the inevitable closing of parishes occurs, particularly in east Toronto where many struggle to survive amidst changing demographics and immigration patterns and general apostasy of Catholics from the faith.
Originally posted on February 21, 2010.
TORONTO--Only three weeks after a Solemn High Mass was held on Candlemas assisted by transitional Deacons and Seminarians of St. Augustine's Seminary in Toronto; and less than a week after a column appeared on Rorate Caeli Blog extolling the provisioning of the Traditional Latin Mass in Ontario, it was announced today after the Mass for Quadragesima Sunday that effective next Sunday, February 28, 2010, the Toronto Apostolate of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter will come to an end.
Apostolate Chaplain, Father Howard Venette, FSSP addressed the nearly 100 congregants following the Mass advising the shocked congregation that the departure was due to "internal personnel" matters. Father Venette will be reassigned to Orlando, Florida following his 19 month stay in Toronto.
The FSSP was invited to Toronto by Archbishop Thomas Collins with the hopes of establishing a personal parish for the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. In September 2009, a public announcement was made by the Fraternity and on the Archdiocese of Toronto web page that Canadian Martyrs parish would be the location over a six-month transitional period. Within days of this announcement and without public explanation, the situation changed and the parish plan did not materialise.
Recently, the Fraternity was advised that while a parish was not currently available, its provision would depend on the continued growth and financial viability of the community. In the last 19 months, attendance at the Sunday Mass at St. Theresa Shrine Church increased over 100% from the attendance under the former indult at the Missa Lecta to the Missa Cantata.
Upon arrival in Toronto, Father Venette was in residence at Holy Cross parish where the Mass was celebrated daily and on High Holy Days. Following the situation in September over Canadian Martyrs, Father was moved to St. Brigid's where the daily Mass schedule changed from week to week and the High Holy Day liturgies were split between St. Brigid's and St. Theresa's Parish.
According to officials from Una Voce Toronto, Archbishop Collins had indicated that he desired no less than "five" Extraordinary Form Masses throughout the Archdiocese of Toronto every Sunday.
Tuesday 15 February 2011
An Open Letter to the Prime Minister of Canada
First Asia Bibi in Pakistan and now Said Musa in Afghanistan:
'pm@pm.gc.ca'; 'Cannon.L@parl.gc.ca'
Dear Prime Minister Harper and Minister of Foreign Affairs Cannon,
I am sure by now you are aware of the story in the National Post originating from the National Catholic Register of Mr. Said Musa, a Christian, persecuted and sentenced to death in Afghanistan. As Canadians, I am sure that you share my outrage over this injustice, particularly given the loss of life of Canadian troops and those of other NATO countries fighting for the Afghan people.
How can this be allowed to continue?
I urge you in every possible way to express to President Karzai of the need to personally intervene and have this man pardoned. Further, this continual persecution of Christians due to a flawed constitution must be prevented from happening again.
Your urgent action is required.
Yours truly,
Tuesday 8 February 2011
Discourse and the rights of Catholics
At the risk of being considered an authority on anything I must respectfully disagree with the Prince of the Church quoted here. The Cardinal opines that the climate of discourse in the United States directly led to the murder of a nine-year old girl and others whom he did not even mention, he only spoke of the shooting of Congresswoman Gifford as if she was somehow the only victim in this tragedy. The Cardinal set up a straw man. The reason was not the media or certain politicians or grass-root movements or the public discourse over health-care, economics or whether or not the President is a native born. It was a crime against God and man undertaken by one man who, without God in his heart, committed a terrible crime and heinous and evil act. He could have chosen another way.
In this week's Catholic Register, Father Scott Lewis, S.J. reflects on the Book of Sirach and he comments on the scholarship view of this Book of the Holy Bible as "two-way spirituality". To quote Father, "As individuals we are given opportunities each day to choose between life and death." That man in Arizone chose death. He chose it of his own free-will and not because of Fox News, Sarah Palin, the Tea-Party Movement. I expect more from a Prince of the Church then the usual hyperbole that this was all the fault of someone else in the same way as CNN or the Puffington Post concluded.
As for the public discourse gossip is always wrong as is detraction of an individual. Ideas in the public square and the questioning of what is going on in the Church today by those Shepherds and bureaucrats is on the table for debate as it should be.
If we had the Internet forty or fifty years ago would the sexual abuse crisis inflicted on thousands have been allowed to continue unabated? Would those homosexual pederast priest been allowed to go about their evil?
Would those who destroyed churches and the ars celebrandi and our liturgical praxis and Catholic culture through a hermeneutic of rupture with tradition and false interpretation of the Second Vatican Council have gotten away with it?
It is easy for those in command of Catholic newspapers and Catholic television media and Catholic chanceries to criticise the unwashed bloggers and new media television personalities.
It has been said here in Toronto that the new Mayor, Rob Ford, is a child of the old Mayor, David Miller. Miller's elitism, arrogance, secrecy and abuse of process; his cuddling up to the unions lack of respect for property owners and tax payers and his insane tax increases brought Rob Ford to power.
Perhaps the bloggers and Internet TV network personalities are a result of the behaviour and attitude of bishops, priests, clericalist Catholic television producers and newspaper editors and writers and church bureaucrats and other professional Catholics who for decades have dismissed the concerns of John and Mary Catholic as being no-nothings.
In this week's Catholic Register, Father Scott Lewis, S.J. reflects on the Book of Sirach and he comments on the scholarship view of this Book of the Holy Bible as "two-way spirituality". To quote Father, "As individuals we are given opportunities each day to choose between life and death." That man in Arizone chose death. He chose it of his own free-will and not because of Fox News, Sarah Palin, the Tea-Party Movement. I expect more from a Prince of the Church then the usual hyperbole that this was all the fault of someone else in the same way as CNN or the Puffington Post concluded.
As for the public discourse gossip is always wrong as is detraction of an individual. Ideas in the public square and the questioning of what is going on in the Church today by those Shepherds and bureaucrats is on the table for debate as it should be.
If we had the Internet forty or fifty years ago would the sexual abuse crisis inflicted on thousands have been allowed to continue unabated? Would those homosexual pederast priest been allowed to go about their evil?
Would those who destroyed churches and the ars celebrandi and our liturgical praxis and Catholic culture through a hermeneutic of rupture with tradition and false interpretation of the Second Vatican Council have gotten away with it?
It is easy for those in command of Catholic newspapers and Catholic television media and Catholic chanceries to criticise the unwashed bloggers and new media television personalities.
It has been said here in Toronto that the new Mayor, Rob Ford, is a child of the old Mayor, David Miller. Miller's elitism, arrogance, secrecy and abuse of process; his cuddling up to the unions lack of respect for property owners and tax payers and his insane tax increases brought Rob Ford to power.
Perhaps the bloggers and Internet TV network personalities are a result of the behaviour and attitude of bishops, priests, clericalist Catholic television producers and newspaper editors and writers and church bureaucrats and other professional Catholics who for decades have dismissed the concerns of John and Mary Catholic as being no-nothings.
Wednesday 2 February 2011
Candlemas
Today is Candlemas, when we celebrate the traditional conclusion of Christmastide. This is the day of the Presentation of the LORD in the Temple and the Purification of Mary.
Last year in Toronto was an occasion not to be forgotten part of which is captured below. The first Solemn High Mass on Candlemas for generations. The celebrant was Father Howard Venette, FSSP. The Deacon and Subdeacon were transitional Deacons and are now priests in parishes in the Archdiocese of Toronto and the Diocese of Hamilton. Many of the Acolytes and Servers were Seminarians at St. Augustine's Seminary and others at Serra House in Toronto.
In a few weeks we will recall the one year mark since the loss of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter from Toronto.
Last year in Toronto was an occasion not to be forgotten part of which is captured below. The first Solemn High Mass on Candlemas for generations. The celebrant was Father Howard Venette, FSSP. The Deacon and Subdeacon were transitional Deacons and are now priests in parishes in the Archdiocese of Toronto and the Diocese of Hamilton. Many of the Acolytes and Servers were Seminarians at St. Augustine's Seminary and others at Serra House in Toronto.
In a few weeks we will recall the one year mark since the loss of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter from Toronto.
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