Juventutem Australia Website Launched

Juventutem-Australia.com now Online!

Juventutem Australia is pleased to announce the launch of its official website on the feast of Ss Peter and Paul, 29th June 2006.

Juventutem Australia was founded in September 2005 to organise the participation of the official Juventutem chapter at World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney, Australia. Young Australians returning from Cologne in 2005 were eager to ensure that the next group of young people to gather at World Youth Day would have the opportunity to participate in Juventutem events. They saw it as their invaluable opportunity to expose young Catholics from around the world to the patrimony of the Roman Church, and in a particularly Australian context.

Preparations for World Youth Day 2008 are already well under way. The numbers of young people actively drawn to the traditional forms of Latin liturgical worship is growing. These young people are committed to the Church and eager to impress their spirit upon World Youth Day. It is for this reason that Juventutem Australia has chosen for itself the motto, ‘Emitte lucem tuam, et veritatem tuam’ from the Psalm 42 prayers at the foot of the altar to compliment the general World Youth Day theme from Acts, ‘You shall receive the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon you, and you shall be my witnesses’ (Acts 1:8).

This website will provide information and updates pertinent to the ongoing planning of Juventutem’s participation in World Youth Day, 2008. It will contain latest news, media releases, and sponsorship information, and act as the major point of contact between organisers and the public. This website will be updated on a regular basis.

The Juventutem Australia executive is overjoyed in this significant step towards 2008. It is indeed fitting that the launch of the website is on the Feast of the Princes of the Apostles. Please pray, as they do, that the prayers of Saints Peter and Paul will provide the solid foundations upon which the greater Juventutem initiative will flourish for the good of the entire Church, and particularly for the sanctification of youth.

Habemus Sacerdotem Novum

The Rev Father Michael McCaffrey, FSSP, was ordained to the sacred Priesthood on Saturday 24th June, 2006 at St Francis Xavier's Cathedral South Australia, by His Grace Philip Wilson Archbishop of Adelaide. The Cathedral was filled to capacity, the (free-standing) altar dressed magnificently, the choir in fine voice, the congregation with tears in their eyes, the Archbishop full of love and pride for his new priest. Please pray for Father McCaffrey!

How does one describe being in attendence at an ordination? Seeing a man of God received as Christ's priest forever, to offer Sacrifice, preach, baptise, forgive sins, consecrate? I don't know. All I can say that one should approach a priest with a degree of fear and trembling... The rite itself is sublime - if you are looking for a theology of the priesthood, then look there.

One of my favourite treasures (translated):

Dearly beloved son, as that which you will now have to do is not free from risk, I warn you that, before you attempt to celebrate the Mass, you diligently learn from experienced Priests the ceremonies of the whole Mass, and all that regards the Consecration and Breaking of the Host, and Communion.

It was my first trip to Adelaide, and getting there was not free from drama.

Friends and I were booked to fly Jetstar, a low budget arm of Qantas, whose 'home' airport is a little shed-like construction one hour from the city, and in the middle of nowhere. On arrival we learnt that our 20:00 Friday flight had been delayed one hour due to fog. One hour later, it was delayed yet another hour. Blasphemous South Park played on the sole screen, we got it changed. Another delay. Curfew at Adelaide. Flight Cancelled.

We scurried to secure 6:30 Virgin Blue seats for the ordination the next day at 10am. We were shuttled back to the city and arrived at 12:15am. By 1am we had made it to the Right to Life Office where one friend worked. An old house, with cushions and hot water. We managed to order a 2am pizza. Sleep by 2:45, up at 5:00, at the airport and checked-in by 5:50am. Flight delayed by at least 45 minutes. Woke up our MC in Adelaide at 6am with the frightful news... Rejoicing in the Lord, we finally landed in Adelaide at 8:30am and were met by a dear friend. After some refreshments, we arrived at the Cathedral at 9:40am, and with great relief made our contribution to the plumes of prayer for the new priest.

Father's first Mass was the next day. Never have I prayed the Suscipiat with such attention. The priest sacrifices...to God!

Bus ride home later that evening.

Last night, Father McCaffrey celebrated his first Mass in Melbourne, very fittingly on the Feast of Ss Peter and Paul. Father Gismondi, FSSP, was sub-Deacon.

Ceremonial photos soon I'm sure. The ordination was filmed!

Habemus Sacerdotem novum, and while hell quakes in fury, Christ's people are glad, 'Deo gratias.'

Paris-Chartes 2006, More Photos

http://www.ecclesiadei.nl/chartres

Lauda Jerusalem!

It was truly a glorious day. As we entered the church to learn the chants for Vespers, the sun triumphantly broke through the clouds and its light beamed across the sanctuary - quite obscured by plumes of incense. Out we went in the wonderful Winter mid-afternoon, our Lord proudly held aloft amidst heartfelt cries of 'Lauda Jerusalem Dominum, lauda Deum tuum Sion!' I'd been wanting to do that for so long! Father had the most magnificent new gold vestments - so everything was most fitting. This is what it means to be a Catholic. Deo gratias.

Pentecost - Thank you, Antonio! (LMM.org)

Vespers, Processions, Ordinations, and Credo V

Please pray that Melbourne has fine weather tomorrow! We are having a picnic in the park tomorrow after Mass, the Second Sunday after Pentecost. There is nothing ordinary about that. Following this, we will be having Solemn Vespers of Corpus Christi before the Most Blessed Sacrament. An outdoor Eucharistic procession will then take place, concluding with Solemn Benediction.

Mass is at 11am, further festivities are at 4pm. More details here. Please do come if it is at all possible - it will be a most wonderful day. There should be some photographs to add to the one below taken on Thursday night. Corpus Christi is certainly one of my favourite feasts.

Please pray for Rev Mr Michael McCaffrey FSSP, who is to be ordained to the sacred priesthood on the 24th of June at St Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Adelaide, South Australia. Deo gratias!

Finally, our community is blessed enough to be learning some new chants for Mass. Does anyone know if Credo V is available online for listening? And the 'more ancient' version of the Asperges?

Dominus Est

new favourite word

'Ortopapa'. Used by at least one writer during the 1378-1417 Schism, to describe the true pope, as opposed to the 'antipapa'. Who says that mixing Greek and Latin is a modern error? (Unless 'papa' is related to Greek anyway? I dunno, I'm just an ignorant medieval.)

Benedict XVI, Ortopapa. I like it.

Charismatic Trad Mass anyone???

Now before anyone jumps down my throat about this one I'd just like to point out that I am merely speculating about a hypothesis here and it should not be seen as me advocating this.

I attended a Charismatic mass for the first time a couple of weeks ago and was quite struck by two things. Firstly the fervent belief of most of those attending in their Catholic faith and secondly the hymns; which, although certainly not to my own tastes, seemed to be a step above the Marty Haugen et al type of hymns which usually grace the novus ordo.

Now what I was thinking is that although vernacular hymns are not permitted at a high mass they are allowed at a low mass. This being the case there is no reason why charismatic hymns could not be sung at a low mass. Ok it may not be to the liking of most trads but that is not to say that it is not permissible and in any case the old mass is not the preserve of "trads" but Christ's gift to the whole Church.

It all made me wonder whether the fervent belief of the Charismatics (oviously I have no insight to their personal opinions but they came across as heartfelt) and their apparent spirituality would not be better served by the old mass rather than the novus ordo since it is a much more explicit statement of the Catholic faith.

Any thoughts on this?

Paris Chartres

See also www.nunhem.nl/cssn for more Dutch photographs of the pilgrimage

Someone sent me this and I thought a few people could conceiveably be interested:

Old Rite retreat at Douai Abbey

Douai Abbey is about half way between Reading and Newbury in Berkshire.

I don't know if this has been previously submitted to this blog. However I thought it appropriate since it does include the line from Psalm 42 from which we take our name.

Happy return

Thanks be to God and the prayers of St Anthony for the safe return of Cajetan, one of the local Dominicans' cats, who went AWOL on Monday but came home yesterday.

(I know that isn't Juventutem or liturgy-related, but it is a great relief. They'd have been very upset to lose him.)