One Year Anniversary

Today is an anni-

versary for me. It's not a pleasant one to remember. It was one year ago today that I was told by my former pastor not to "chase after" and "embarrass" people who walk away from Holy Communion without consuming the Host. I quit on the spot. Usually you don't quit after 37 years all in a shock to the system like that. But I had to do it. Needless to say, the diocesan non-response of just shining it on without an apology is despicable to me. I never thought much of our bishop to begin with, but his non-response/handling is about as bad as the original offense as it condones what the pastor did.

Thankfully, I had already been going to St. Anne's parish in San Diego for frequent daily Mass, it having been close to my work. If not for Fr. Sean Finnegan's visit in the summer of 2008, I'd have been unaware of that new parish being given over to the TLM.

I still go to see the Sainted Fr. S. at his home to assist at his Sunday Mass. [He is not able to drive any longer, due to an eye problem.] But I also frequently make a morning Sunday Mass at St. Anne's, as well as get there for daily Mass when I can.

The TLM still has a few drawbacks for me. I'm no "silent" canon fan. But at least I know that the priest is going to say and do exactly what the Mass calls for. The priest isn't going to ad lib. And for sure he'd like as not personally put someone in a headlock who tried to waltz away with Holy Communion without consuming it. That's probably what I like best about the Latin Mass. Fr. Gismondi [aka "The Amazing Fr. G." on this blog] would follow through on St Tarcisius's example. Sadly, today, some priests would consider him a "meanspirited" naive rube.

Today Fr. Gismondi had a votive Mass for Vocations. Most appropriate. We need more good priests. And also prayers for priests who seem to have lost their way.

The Run Around with the Diocese

One would think that after leaving the message I did in the chancery office on the phone line for the bishop Sunday night that someone from the diocese would have gotten back to me personally at the latest before the close of business Tuesday, seeing as how I had left the message within an hour of the incident happening.

Not so. Funny, I would have thought by day two SOMEONE would have called me first and apologized, unprompted. But. No. Not in THIS diocese. It would have been nice if at the end of Monday, someone would have called to say: "We're SORRY, the bishop is hearing Fr. Mark's side of the incident, etc." [In the left message I said I'd like to set up a meeting with the bishop .]

It was nearing the end of the workday Tuesday, when I had to call the diocese to see if the janitor had erased the message or what. There hadn't even been the simple courtesy call from the diocese to acknowledge the message I left almost 48 hours previously. Nada. Zilch. Zero. Nichevo. BUPKIS.

So around 3:45 give or take on Tuesday, I called the diocese and got the bishop's secretary. I said "I'd like to speak with the bishop." I told her who I was, and it was clear SHE knew about what I'd said. on the macine "Sorry, he's on another line." "I'll hold." 5 minutes later: "He's still on line."

I asked what time the office closed and she told me 4:30. I called at 4:25 and he was "in a meeting." So I asked her to speak with whomever sets up the bishop's meetings. I was told he did that himself. Riiight. So I said "Please have the bishop call me. My job doesn't allow for calls during my work day, so please call during my lunch hour, or he may call at his leisure after 4:30."

Today, I got a call from the diocese. Bishop? Nope. The chancellor. A layman, with no power to tell the priests to do anything. I said that I'd like a meeting with the bishop. I said as I understood it, people had a right to request a meeting with the bishop - and that I wanted to bring a letter of formal complaint. He said he didn't know where I'd gotten that idea. He said that he'd recommend me meeting with the pastor first - as that's their "policy." I told him I didn't see what could be gained by that. I told him again what the incident entialed and said that I don't know why a bishop would not be concerned with preserving the sanctity of the Eucharist. And he said I was "putting words in his mouth."

They know the pastor has had a stroke in the past, and has been known to "go off" on people since the stroke. I am not the only one to have run into his temper. So they essentially want to throw me into a one on one private meeting with the pastor, where I have no "Friend at court" or have any power to discipline him to do the right thing. I.E. For him to stop instructing people not to stop people walking away to the pews with the Eucharist unconsummed. Frankly, what's to "discuss?" We're not having a "difference of opinion" if the hymns are any good or not. As regards protecting the Host, I feel perfectlly safe in saying I was 100% right in guarding it, and he was wrong.

I have no power to compel him to do ANYTHING. I believe correcting priests is the job of a bishop. Not a layperson. It's "above my paygrade." I thought that was the point of having bishops, in part - to see that the priests in the diocese were "With the program."

The chancellor said "nevertheless, we'd prefer you to meet with him first before requesting a meeting." I said "I'll *consider* it, and get back with you tomorrow." At that time I hadn't even thought that they MUST know of the pastor's tendency to temper when he's under stress. What were they thinking? Are they sitting there chortling and hoping this will go away?

I'd already been thinking of possibly writing to the appropirate dicastery for such things. Although, apparently these things tend to get kicked back to the diocese. But I think I will send a registered letter to the bishop, also requesting a meeting (if I don't get an apology, etc) and frankly if bishops aren't going to do their job of correcting the priests when they need to, then maybe things like this should be the nail in the coffin for Communion in the hand.

I think the ball is *supposed* to be in their court. If they HAVE spoken to the pastor, then they should have had the courtesy to tell me. But they seem to think the ball is in my court, and sadly, I think it is. I shouldn't have to do all the work. If they are being ostriches, they need to stop and wake up.

I expect people in Holy Orders to have enough sense to be on the same page on this, and it's appalling that they are not. Why should a laywoman have to do the bishop's job, frankly?

The irony of all this is that at times the pastor can be warm and generous. And I've known him for over 26 years. This PAINS me.

NO LAYPERSON should be put in this position!

[I probably ought to ALSO send a registered letter cc: directly to the diocesan archives.]

Last night I left the Sanctuary While Assisting with Communion

There was no film at 11, but I felt compelled to do what I did with good reason.

I have been attending my parish 37 years. For 34 of those years I have assisted at the 5:15 Sunday Mass as lector, EM, or server. Followers of this blog will know of the difficulties I've had since the supply priest who'd been at that Mass for most of the 34 years had been forced to retire last Easter.

Last night the deacon was not there, and in addition to serving the Mass, I assisted with giving the Host. About a 1/3 of the way through, some woman recieved from me, and did not put the Host in her mouth. I watched her for a few steps and as she got to the end of the aisle to turn, I was on her like white on rice and said to her that she MUST consume the Host right away. She looked at me blankly and consumed. This is not an everyweek occurence in the parish, but it is in a tourist area, and sad to say in recent years this sort of thing now happens several times a year.

As soon as I was back at the pastor's side, he turned on me and said in a sharp voice, "don't EVER do that again, you humiliated that woman, you do that again and you're through here." I "considered" for two seconds, and having already resolved from last year when he did the same thing to me, under a similar circumstance, I looked at him and said "I'm done."

I find it shocking and disgraceful that a priest would not want to put the care of the Eucharist as a paramount concern over someone's possible "humiliation." Either one believes in the Real Presence and acts like it, or one doesn't. If one believes, and is acting as EM or is a priest or deacon for that matter, it is shipshod at best, and I think a sin at worst not to follow through and do the right thing regardless of cost. What is the cost of NOT persuing a person like that? Scandal to the faith for the people who saw someone walk away with the Host and not consume and know that the party that gave it to them didn't seem to care either? Blatent indifference? Not on my watch. I either do the job right, or not at all. We have to ask why so many so-called "Catholics" no longer believe in the Real Presence.

So that's why I "quit" in 2 seconds rather than wait. With my luck some other person would have come up the same day and done the same. I put the ciborium on the Altar. Took the alb off, and put it over my arm. I didn't want people making up tales as to why I did what I did, so I went to the lectern and said "I care what happens to the Eucharist, and I hope you will too." and then I left.

Walked out of the sacristy, to my car, and went to the Sainted Fr. S's house to comisserate. I intend to take this to the bishop. And possibly, to the appropriate dicastery in Rome. I have no idea who served the rest of the Mass.

34 years, and that that was the endpoint. I believe the powers that be will try and make an issue that I announced what I did from the lectern, but I could not leave it as follows:

1) St Tarciscius: Martyred for protecting the Eucharist
2) St. Therese of Lisieux: Finds a morsel of the sacred species in the sacristy, and has the priest summoned while the sisters fall on their knees in adoration.
3) Pastor succeeds in forcing EM to not care about what happens to the Host.

I side with 1 & 2, and reject 3.

I have already sought the advise of another priest in addition to the sainted Fr. S.

I'll keep you posted how it comes out.

Conga Drums do NOT belong in church

...particularly mine. I don't care if Ricky Ricarrrrrdo is playing them. I don't know what possessed the pastor to think a "folk Mass" should be in order for a 5:15 on a Sunday. Ever since he retired the former supply priest (of 30+ serving years) he has been trying to "remake" this Mass over. About two months ago he decided that once a month we would have the Cursillo people do a folk Mass. We normally have a cantor and an organist. Last we we had a beautiful rendition of Panis Angelicus. Sometimes we get lucky like that.

This Sunday NO ONE SANG the entrance song. [He pastor suddenly decided we "need" a folk Mass on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of the Month.] Right at the top of Mass, Father decided it would be a good idea to castigate the congregation for not singing after he'd gone through "all the trouble to arrange for a folk Mass." Then he whined that people had opened all the doors after we'd cranked up the AC. Then he said "Well, I'm off to a great start." People laughed nervously.

Afterwards, the head cantor told me that they were so busy setting up everything, she did not have a chance to change the song numbers. Duh. I sometimes think the Holy Spirit has to do His work under duress.

There wasn't one song that wasn't in a sappy, treacely setting. "Sun Dresses" do not belong in the sanctuary either.

Carrrrrumba.

(update: Dear Stephen sent me a link to this video on Facebook. Have to include it here, because I can TOTALLY see this being used for the recessional next hootenany Mass. It would be a vast improvement!]



(Stephen, you DO realize that every 1st and 3rd Sunday, I will be thinking "conga" whenever I hear the beat-beat-beat of the Tom-tom, regardless of jungle shadows falling or not.)

New Sacrareum

Yea! About a month or two ago we'd been undergoing some smartening up of the sacristy. [About 15 years ago we had extensive work done in the church to retrofit to make it more earthquake proof. Back then we'd had the sacrareum replaced, it was old, and not functioning right. But it wasn't a proper sacrareum that was put in.] The last piece was put in place about two weeks ago. A REAL Sacrareum. Now the vessels can be cleaned out properly and this Sacrareum's left side goes onto the ground. A pit was dug for it outside, lined with rocks over the ground. A lot of needed new cabinetry was also put in. I must say the last two pastors have greatly made up for taking care of the physical plant. This previous pastor doing the retrofit of the church (badly needed) and this one taking care of the rectory (also badly needed!) and the remaining bits that weren't able to be gotten to before. Because prior to these last two pastors, zip-all had been done for 17 years.

Pop quiz for would be EMs

Say, HERE'S a thought....how about instead of Fr. Hippy just blindly appointing "nice people" whom he's converted to the faith (whom he may have taught a watered down version of the faith) or appointing "Good ole Bob, who's old enough to know better, but was never exactly boned up on the Baltimore catechism to begin with" as an EM - How about having them all go up to the diocese for a simple test - if they can't answer a few basic questions, or don't seem to understand basic concepts, let's NOT allow them to be EMs. (And perhaps a periodic review test for certain deacons and priests?)

Let's start with:

1) Can a woman be an ordained deacon in the Catholic Church?

2) If at Mass you notice there were very few Hosts left to be put in the tabernacle, can you just go in the sacristy and grab some unconsecrated altar breads and then put them in the tabernacle after Mass? Or do you have to ask Fr. first....or is there a completely different answer? No, these are not "trick" questions. Can you add them to what's in the tabernacle before Mass?

3) Explain why it's a GOOD idea to "wish we could use individual paper cups for Communion like the protestants." [Yes, this is a trick question.]

4) If the priest tells you to not bother about chasing after people who don't put the Host in their mouths (or take it out, for that matter) do you ignore the priest and chase after the person, or do you do what Father says because "Father knows best."

5) IF you're assisting with the Communion Cup, discuss whether or not it's a good idea to leave the Precious Blood Unconsummed on the Credence table until after Mass.

6) A little refresher question for the deacons when you purify the chalice, do you:

a: brush the remains of the priest's Host off the paten with your thumb into the chalice, then hold your thumbs over the chalice, have the server pour the water over your thumbs into the chalice, drink the water (and crumbs from the Hosts) then dry your fingers, and then wipe out the chalice with the purificator

OR

b:
do you just wave the purificator around in the chalice to save time, omitting the other steps?

For extra credit, discuss how you would make sure there weren't a zillion crumbs from the Hosts left around in the ciboriums. For extra special credit discuss if you think it's a good idea for the priest to purify at least his own thumbs, paten and chalice himself - or at least use an ablution cup or SOMETHING rather than just put his own ciborium on the altar and then take a seat with no intervening steps.

I'm sure my gentle (and not so gentle) readers can think of other questions to add, but all of these questions would be on MY quiz, due to personal observation over the years interactions with EMs and a certain Deacon and a certain priest, all from real life situations in who would fail one or more of these questions.

Better yet, have a basic quiz designed by the Vatican, because doubtless, if SOME dioceses were left to it, they would come up with the WRONG answers as the "right" answers.

[BTW, don't go off on lack of training POST Vatican II -- as 4 of the 6 offenders are old enough to be old enough to know better....and yes, one was a deacon. There were some dumber than a post PRE-Vatican II folks too.]

Color me pissed off. And yes, Ive been saving this up. I can finally type "straight" after fuming over the incident which elicited question #3 this past Sunday.

Now I know why Pro Aborts get a "Pass" from some clergy

If you wish to come off as "soft-on-the-fullness-of-faith" do the following:

1st: Be of an age where in your salad days the Kennedys were worshiped - especially so if of Irish heritage of the "the dearios can do no wrong" school - particularly if they belong to the democrat party.

2nd: Pretend not to be aware that when someone makes a factual "observation" it is not the same as "passing judgement."

3rd: Pretend the majority of the politicians in the Democrat party today are not in league with Satan.



Then be around to interrupt before the punch line that the following joke is "ethnic" and "republican" and shouldn't be told, then after punchline excoriate the teller for "passing judgement," and have a try at going into apoplexy.

Here's the shortened version (as I modified it slightly from the version I linked to a few blog entries ago. - Ironically I got the joke from a pastor emeritus with a sense of humor. )

"Dying priest wants to see Ted Kennedy and Nancy Pelosi. They come. He has them stand to the left and right of him. When they ask why he wanted to see them he tells them he wanted to go out similar to Jesus, between a thief and a murderer."

Now, I don't know about YOU, but frankly, a spade is a spade is a spade. It was said as a joke, and this priest thought I was passing final judgement on dear old Teddy. First he tried to claim it was "ethnic" then a "republican joke" [do we not still have 1st Amendment rights?] then I was "passing judgement, and X [the absent priest] would have yelled at you too."

I guess that explains why I've seen a few Obama stickers in the church parking lot. If you're afraid to "pass judgement" on Catholic politicos who do wrong you can run the risk and end up being *perceived* as not teaching the fullness of the faith, regardless of if you believe in the fullness of faith or not, IMO.

I don't know about you, but if I drove off a bridge with someone, and I didn't bother to tell the authorities, and that person later suffocated to death -- not DROWNED -- but suffocated to death, when they most likely would have lived if someone wasn't trying to save his own political skin, then I call that person a murderer. [Didn't even go into the number of deaths Teddy is complicit in due to his abortion voting record at that point.] Did I say dear old Teddy is going to hell? No, how do I know? I'm not ascribing clairvoyance to myself. Teddy may [pigs have flown before I've heard] recant all his sins on his death bed, it's possible. He may go to heaven, if he repents his sins and means it.

But I can still safely say he's been complicit in murder. Just like if I stole from a bank, I'd still be a "Bank robber" regardless if I repent eventually, or not. It's called a statement of fact. You're not "passing judgement" on me for making a statement like that. You would be if you said "Karen was a bank robber and will therefore will automatically go to hell." [Although, I think you can say "Karen was a bank robber and will therefore go to hell if she knew what she was doing and doesn't repent."]

If you're of a mindset, when you don't care to call people to task on proven fact, then you give people the idea that it's really of no consequence. Just like dear old Teddykins voted time and again to support the slaughter of the innocent, why "who are we to pass judgement." Teddy and Caroline and all of them can profess support for abortion, and keep trotting right on up for Communion and the faithful aren't supposed to be scandalised because "who are we to pass judgement." Yep. Put the blinders out. Pretend not to notice all the so called Catholic support for dirtbags like Ted Kennedy, and Obama, then wonder why portions of the flock don't seem to give a damn about whether millions of babies get killed or not. "oh, Teddy and the dearios, not to worry, sweetie, we don't hear Father X complain about him, do we?"

Who RULES? Karen RULES. And WHY does Karen RULE?

....because she IS the Sacristy Queen.


See this pain in the rear end problem above? The one where some dipwad used the brand new lighter thingie and is freakin' clueless and didn't push the taper thingie out like they should after they used it and as a result of them being a dipwad a lot of the damn taper thing melted right to the metal and you couldn't use it and if Father or I had caught them we'd have rung his or her neck.


This is why I make the big bucks.

[And next week if you're really GOOD. I mean, REALLY, REALLY GOOD - I'll show you how to light the charcoal inside 30-45 seconds or so without making a big mess, and have it all "good to go" so the incense lights right away and doesn't go out because some dipwad didn't know how to light the charcoal and as a result there is a thurible and Father tries REALLY hard but you can't do squat if the charcoal's not burning right!]

Happy Easter

95% of the day was good. (Except for the flat tire bit, I'll finish dealing with that tomorrow.)

The powers that be outdid themselves more than usual this year. I served the evening 5:15 Mass and helped with Communion. Honestly, it was like sitting/standing in a field of lilies from my vantage point.

My church is in Old Town in San Diego, and is named after the patron saint of the United States. [And yes, I'm being slightly cryptic, I like to fly under the radar.] The pastor emeritus had the Mass, Fr. Tom P. -- Father Tom was also the first priest I ever served Mass for, back in '75 early in my college days. [And all you young girls serving Mass now can call me a pioneer woman for blazing the trail for you - and you can thank Fr. Tom as well. There WOULD have been a nice pic of Fr. Tom and me here BUT the person who took it must have jerked her hand just as she took it, oh, well.]

The side niches were also decorated nicely too. I hope everyone had as wonderful a Lenten Season and Easter Triduum as I had. Below is some video I took after everyone left. Might be a little dark but it was about 6:40 or so, and I just used all available light.

Phew! Made it through another Palm Sunday

...without "incident." Every Palm Sunday I always get to the sacristy and hold my breath that "they" have not done us in at the Sunday 5:15 Mass. What would be the ONE thing NOT to run out of on Palm Sunday?

Right.

I always get to the sacristy "extra early" on big event days. If something *can* go wrong, it will always be on a day when you have little time to spare. 15-20 years ago, I'd gotten to the sacristy good and early to make sure everything was okay. Well, it wasn't. There weren't but a HANDFUL of Palms. Literally. Someone hadn't set aside ANY for the Sunday 5:15, or people just grabbed them ALL after the last morning Mass. Bupkis. Nada. ZERO. Zippity-do-dah.

Well, I did what anyone would do under such circumstances. Fortunately, THAT particular Palm Sunday we had four lovely huge cut palm branches adorning the sanctuary. Check that. By the time Mass started, we had TWO lovely huge cut palm branches adorning the sanctuary...and lots of palms to give out. Glad I've always accounted for the "what ifs" and still give a sigh of relief not to ever have had to get "hangar queen" palms on Palm Sunday since then.

The picture above is one I took tonight of our tabernacle. I'm sorry I didn't take an actual closeup. This pic is cropped from one I took of the sanctuary from further back. The palm with roses was particularly lovely.

Swift one, Father

Last night I was serving Mass. Father wanted "nice ambiance" so we had dim lights and a fair amount of candles lit. Lucky for him, because I think that helped cover his faux pas. As he was putting the finishing button on his sermon, I distinctly heard a cell phone. Using logic and my innate sonar abilities, I knew instantly it was Father's cell.

I'd seen the deacon turn his off before Mass, and I knew the sound wasn't coming from behind me, which would have been the cantor, and from my angle, I knew it wasn't from a congregant...so that left...let me see....Father. Instantly my eyes shot to his side and sure enough his right hand was taking stabs at fumbling through the chasuble and alb. It was a good five rings before it stopped.

Fortunately for him:

1. His cell has a low pleasant ring tone (albeit a musical one!), so unlike the usual Fisher Price Kiddy toy ringtone far too many people use.
2. He has a booming rich bari/bass voice.
3. He had NOT finished the sermon, had he finished but five seconds earlier, he would have been dead meat. The deacon, who'd also noticed, and I were highly amused as he vamped a few extra sentences until the ringing stop...he never was able to lay a hand on the cell.
4. The congregation couldn't plainly see his stricken expression as well as they might normally have.
5. Plus apparently both lectors, and 3 EMs and other sundry persons were sitting bang in front of him, and are stone cold deaf. Ditto, as I later found out, the cantor, who sure as heck should have heard if I did.

Much to the deacon's and my amusement, when he came back to the chair, his cell went off again, but this time he nailed it first go.

After Mass after I lead the procession out, I stopped and waited for him. "Nice cover on the cell, Father." He laughed sheepishly along with the deacon. One of our clueless lectors, who hadn't quite heard what I said said "Huh?" And I said "Didn't you notice something different about Mass tonight?" She guessed completely wrong.
We left her clueless. Served him right for not wearing a stole last night. The Blessed Mother "got him" for that one.

Posada 2008, San Diego

Last night I attended a Posada. The word "posada" means "inn." It's been a long time since I've been. So I thought it would be fun to go when it had already rained heavily and was threatening more of the same. It held up. A Spanish song is sung in 9 verses about the search for lodging all along the way. About 2/3rds of the way along I heard an Irish lilt next to me: "Isn't it lovely?" I turned to see Fr. Mark about 3 feet away from me in the crowd. He'd still been saying Mass when we'd started off. Quite windy, but there was a crowd of about 300+ people who followed the course of Mary and Joseph, Dulcinea (the donkey!), as they sought shelter from mean old innkeepers and were turned away 8 times before reaching La Casa de Estudillo! Mary rode that donkey right across the threshold too. [Nicer digs they couldn't have had! A fine old ranchero and the setting for Helen Hunt Jackson's "Ramona's Wedding!"]



A lot of fun on such a cold night. The shops had stayed open late and a lot of community organizations had turned out. Afterwards there was some pinata breaking for the kids and caroling all over Old Town, including at our church.

Christmas Carols to fall Asleep by!

We'RE NUMBER ONE!!! We're NUMBER ONE!!!!! USA!!! USA!!! (oops, sorry, got carried away there....) Last night my parish threw a Christmas party. As part of the festivities the choir managed to string together quite a number of bland, same rhthym, similar sappy sentiment songs that I'd never heard. There must have been a good six in a row. I didn't think it possible but it was!!!! TEAM. TEAM. TEAM. [I'd have gone out for a ciggie, but I a) don't smoke b) would have been mighty conspicuous getting up from the 2nd pew in the church mid-concert.) [okay, I'm being mean. They did some nice songs too. But jeez, LaWeezie. Whatever "praise" books you found those thangs in, please deposit those "Christmas Carols" in the nearest bin! Pronto! As in "Hasta la Bye-Bye."]

I was delighted to see a full church

this morning at Mass. The ideal way to start Thanks-
giving.

Sunday, someone (who should have known better!) asked me if it was a Holy Day of Obligation. Somewhere along the way they'd received faulty catechesis for not knowing this. OTOH, the silver lining is that the person at least was concerned about meeting the obligation for Holy Days.

BTW, we had a good bit of rain the last 48 hours. It pours, then the sun comes out. Drizzles, sun comes out. It's spectacularly clear. A real blessing. Unless you are in a mudslide area.

On a fun note - I've always liked "der Bingle's" "I've got plenty to be thankful for" from "Holiday Inn." [one of my favorite movies.]*



A Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving to you all.

[* - on a historical note, the business of the turkey jumping back and forth between the two different Thursdays, was no joke! FDR, in his stupidity bowed to political pressure from largely democratic party voting states to move the holiday forward by one week to help "get the holiday out of the way" so Christmas shopping could begin in earnest. (the Fri. after Thanksgiving has traditionally been the busiest shopping day of the year) Republican states held out and said "NO WAY, we are staying with tradition." So for a few years some states held the holiday in the next to last week of November, and other states hung tough for the tradition to be the Fourth Thursday of November. Sanity eventually prevailed.]

Exaltation of the Cross

Here is the 5th station of the cross in my parish, which is named after the Patron Saint of the United States.



I've always been glad that these particular stations are carved out of stone and it's easy to tell what they're supposed to represent! ["Feh" on Modern Art stations that are "primitive art."]

In the sacristy, we also have a document which essentially allows for these stations to be put in our church. The document was dated in 1938, and signed by then Bishop Buddy. Don't know *what* they were using for stations before that. I must retake this photo as it's somewhat fuzzy. You can click the pictures to enlarge.



I wonder if there was a Latin "standard form" that the bishop ever sent out that said something along the lines of: "Are you kidding, I've SEEN those proposed stations. No, you may NOT put those in your church, or pawn them off to any other church in the diocese. Matter of fact, take them out back, bust them up with a sledge hammer, and don't ever think of putting something like that in a church again, or your next assignment will be in the outer boondocks." Oh, for the days when a bishop could rattle a saber over something like this.

It seems to have been given to satisfy some requirement come up with in the 1700 hundreds

Okay, you English people....

...straighten up and fly right ♫. No whining about "how awful this county is today." Put on your nicest face, and best manners, and don't throw up on the shoes of any young American girls whilst coming out of pubs.

Teresa, a young parishioner of ours who is starting her Sophomore year at University of Evansville, is going to spend the 1st semester in Grantham with members of her college along with students from all over. She'll be pitching her tent at Harlaxton Manor. It's the UK branch of her college. She's a theatre major with a minor in History (last time I checked .. or is it minor in English?)

At any rate, she's flying out today and she leaves here an Anglophile, so do your best to make sure she stays that way, okay? She was over for a week or so during her schools Easter Break when she was a HS senior. I think she's been ready for this since she cracked open her first Harry Potter at age 7 or so. I'm sure any prayers for a safe flight and easy journey will be appreciated.

She started a new blog* the other day, which I've listed on my sidebar, and with any luck will have some regular postings. Teresa served Mass for about 9 years at my parish before going off to college. Her younger brother, Francis, currently serves Mass, and proves to be every bit the pistol his sister is.

[*My friend Stephen will immediately know from whence her blog name is derived.]

St Tarcisius, the "professor," and me

It is seldom that I write a 100% serious post, but this one is. It's been in the news and all over the blogosphere re: the militant atheist "professor" in Minnesota who has been blaspheming the Eucharist and urging others to steal a consecrated Host so he could desecrate it.

I've known atheists before who simply could not intellectually believe in God. Many wanted to believe but couldn't. Those people I find easy to pray for and hope that in spite of everything they manage to develop a conscience and do their best to do good and avoid evil.

But what this militant atheist did was pure evil. I hope he can be fired and civil action may be taken re: his incitement of another to steal a Host for purposes not intended and infringement upon the Catholics 1st Amendment rights to practice our worship services without harassment.

Yesterday I assisted serving at Mass. As I was given Communion to hold in my hand just before the priest's Communion, I looked down at Almighty God resting in my hand and tears started to form in my eyes due to the fact that I simply am at a loss to understand how anyone could so hate the Saviour I held in my hand. It is seldom I cry, period. Much less at Mass. I held them back, so I did not draw "focus" but was grateful for once that I did not assist as EM yesterday.

I thought of St. Tarcisius, who as a young boy, died rather than give up the Host to his non-Christian companions. I do not know if the story of St. Tarcisius is much taught to young 1st and 2nd graders today as it was when I was small. But it made a deep impression on me then as it does now, that yes, some things ARE worth dying for, contrary to what this "professor" claims. I would hope that if I were ever put in a position where I had to give up my life or the Host, my choice would be my life. And I hope all my Catholic friends feel the same.

So long, but I hope not farewell

...last Saturday evening I made a special point to make sure to catch the Conroy family before they soon scatter to Germany. Dad is a patent lawyer and his company really wanted to keep him ... so they said "what will we have to do to keep you with us?" And he wanted to head up the company's new office near Munich. They will be there for at least a three year stint. Catherine was actually born there when dad was there on a Fullbright scholarship. They will be returning to the same parish (English speakers mostly - St. Patricks) Catherine was baptized in and I advised if she could get confirmed over there, by all means do it...that way if and when she gets married those records will be in the same place.

Catherine will be entering the secondary school system there - a special gymnasium program where foreign children are taught half in German and half in English. There is an international school she could have attended for exceptional children - those kids on average have an IQ of about 120.. but they told her parents that they'd like her to try the regular gymnasium program first as she'd be more challenged. Catherine's IQ is well up in the genius range, as I guessed when I picked her "out of the crowd" to learn to serve Mass. The kids that are "bored and looking around" at things are often the brightest and not challenged enough. Such a pleasure to teach her to serve. And if "the unexpected" sometimes happens at Mass -- if there was something "out of the box" that didn't normally happen, it was ALWAYS fun to watch the little gears turn as she'd figure out "which principles applied" and she usually came to the right conclusion. Always the quick questions. Never had to tell her anything more than once. Great kid. She was the one who last year decided the Blessed Mother would probably enjoy sun glasses.

The parents, Lauren and John are quite excited as they quite liked their student time over there. And Lauren is ecstatic Catherine will not have to go through the bitchiness of female puberty in a US Jr. High. We both told Catherine "Hey, if you're a jerk over there, no worries, you can come back here and be somebody else and no one will be the wiser." She gave us a "dubious" look. Her younger brother Liam is going to turn out to be every bit the pistol Catherine is.

We have small parish boundaries so it's always a great loss to us when we "lose" even temporarily a family like this. I sent her off with a copy of "Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows" the sequel to "The Trouble with Angels" which I'd given her for Christmas. I'm sure she'll be "scathingly brilliant" wherever she goes.

(Yes, that is the pastor on the left. Yes, he is wearing a white clerical shirt with collar. He and a pastor emeritus now living in the parish have moved over to white clerical shirts this summer. Can't blame them. It can be sweltering.)

Do I get any time off purgatory....

...for not swatting a deacon upsidethehead when after the ablutions (not thoroughly done properly) he puts together the chalice and its accoutrements in the wrong order? Chalice on bottom then pall then paten then corporal then purificator on top? [And he never does it the same way twice, and not once has he gotten it right by accident.] Did this guy never serve as an altar boy? Do they not give rubrics classes in this diocese? Does he not take note of how it's handed to him?

"Dude, it's not rocket science. Pay attention."

Happy 54th Anniversary

today to the Sainted Father "don't call me msgr. , I work for a living" S. who is recovering in rehab after some dingleberry of a doctor didn't catch the fact that when he banged up his knee during Holy Week he also managed to pop out the nifty titanium ball and socket hip joint that he had put in in 2000. X-rays ("gee, skippy, I still hurt like all get out") two-three weeks after the event revealed this. Depending if all is a-okay, he'll probably be released this Sunday or the one after.

The bishop visited him and all that jazz - and a certain parish where he says daily Mass knows, and visited, but a certain pastor at a certain church where until for the last 30 years he's been the supply priest on Sunday until he was sumarily retired without being told doesn't know. I would have told a certain pastor had he inquired, but for right now I'm not saying zip. Except, of course, to the blogosphere. Keep him on YOUR prayer list, because for right now, despite the pastor having initially stated that "he'd fractured his leg" [untrue] it didn't occur to "The powers that be" that perhaps if this really was the case, then perhaps, as a nice gesture, someone (oh, I don't know, say...the pastor) would have put him on the list. Now, it *may* be possible that the pastor in question tried to reach him by phone and couldn't (seeing as how the operation to repair said joint) was done quickly and he didn't go back home for even a toothbrush before admission to hospital ... but, given he wasn't even on the prayer list....from the alleged fracture.....if I were a betting woman....

"30 years of service, and I didn't even get on the 'pray for' list at Mass." Gee, like no one else has noticed.