From Decline and Fall - Mr Evelyn Waugh

"'He was talking very excitedly to me,' said the Vicar ... I confess I could not follow him clearly. He seems deeply interested in (c)hurch matters. Are you quite sure he is right in the head? I have noticed again and again since I have been in the (c)hurch that lay interest in ecclesiastical matters is often a prelude to insanity.'" p72 'the sports'.

Fr Redfern and Evelyn Waugh

Photograph taken after Father Joseph Redfern's first Solemn Latin Mass. Father is a newly ordained Australian priest who will serve the diocese of La Crosse (The Crosier) in the States. Please pray for him. It was a beautiful Mass, of course. Click to see the large version of the picture, also featuring a very pious looking Jude!

I am on a little something like a mini hiatus at the moment. I gained full time employment on the feast of St Vincent de Paul, Deo gratias, and the night hours challenge the day!

I exhort you all to go and read the 'Sword of Honour' collection by Evelyn Waugh - it is magnificent. Every time I walk past the army barracks nearby, I miss Guy Crouchback! That should teach me for taking fancies to characters from books and portraits hanging in South Australian art galleries...

Felicitas parva!

Please pray for Felicitas Perpetua Lim W (Lily) who was born on the 17th July in the year of Our Lord 2006, and will be baptised into the Mystical Body on Sunday. Ingrédere in templum Dei, ut habeás partem cum Christo in vitam aeternum. Deo gratias!

Tóchar Pádraig (3)

Tóchar Pádraig (2)

Tóchar Pádraig (1)

Some pictures of this years pilgrimage.

Going through Ireland, from Balintubber Abbey to the Croagh Padraig.

Prayer for Peace

I know that this isn't a political blog but I would just ask you to please spare a moment in your prayers for all the people of Lebanon at this time, but especially our co-religionists the Catholic Maronites.

Oremus.

Deus, a quo sancta desideria, recta consilia et iusta sunt opera: da servis tuis illam, quam mundus dare non potest, pacem; ut et corda nostra mandates tuis debita, et hostium sublata formidine, tempora sint tua protectione tranquilla.

Per Christum Dominum nostrum.

Amen.

Same Old, Same Old

Some things are terribly frustrating. We'll borrow your thurible, a Kyrie or three, and pat you on the head.

Now I am a Trad

Now I really am, may I say, a Trad. For yesterday I had my eyes tested at last and was given the official prognosis that I am shortsighted and need glasses. Therefore do I now join that prestigious rank, brimming out of our pews, choir loft, and sanctuary, and rejoice that the Fathers won't appear so blurry preaching in the pulpit! Hooray!

***Salvete!*** updated

Sorry I've been... away... for so long...

In case noone's noticed, the Holy See's webpage now contains the CCCC (Compendium of the Catechism). In French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovenian, Spanish. AND NOW IN ENGLISH HERE


Of course, we still have the incredibly useful Baltimore, the Penny Catechism of the English and the catechism designed by our dear Pope S. Pius X himself. But for the sake of having something simple with pretty pictures do dish out to people, methinks the Compendium has its uses!!!

Nuntiavit est

CathNews reports:

Visiting Albury to speak with 60 priests and monks from the Australian Confraternity of Catholic Clergy, Papal nuncio, Archbishop Ambrose Battista De Paoli, emphasised the importance of "living" Christianity.

The Border Mail reports that Benedict's ambassador to Australia, Archbishop Ambrose Battista De Paoli, spoke in Albury on Tuesday about challenges facing the main Christian churches in Australia.Declining numbers in the pews and a clergy shortage were among the problems, the Pennsylvania-born Apostolic Nuncio said.

Albury's St Patrick's parish assistant priest, Fr Michael Kennedy, is national president of the 350-strong Confraternity, which represents mainly those with a traditional Catholic outlook.

What a lovely compliment! Do read the latest issue of the The Priest, the journal of the ACCC, featuring articles on Deus Caritas Est by our own Fr T, and Professor Sacristan! :)

DAILY PRAYER FOR PRIESTS
Almighty and Eternal God
look with mercy on Your priests,
sharing Your Fatherhood in Holy Church.
Your Son, the Lord Jesus, has made them
priests and victims with Himself:
day by day, may they offer the worship
of His Mystical Body
in the Eucharistic Sacrifice,
with their own homage
of heart, mind and body.
By the Holy Spirit, make them zealous
in their priestly ministry;
keep them devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary,
obedient to the Pope and their own Bishop,
and through them inspire young men
to serve you in the Priesthood.
To You, O Holy Trinity,
be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

I finally get it

The Sydney Archdiocese is about to launch into their World Youth Day 2008 campaign. They are using 'Activ8' as their slogan to get the youth moving. It took me some time, but I have just now worked out the significance of it... Act(s) I v.8. The theme of the thing! I'm not one for 'sms' language, but I suppose that it is quite clever.

Good news and some quotes from today

From a friend's e-mail - 'The film about the Carthusians 'Into Great Silence' is to be screened on 4th and 7th August, at 21.00, during the Melbourne International Film Festival.' Hooray!

Quotes from today: "No to cuddle-me Jesus hymns", "'But that is so pre-Vatican II!' So is Aquinas, Sacred Scripture, and... Jesus!"

More later.

Sermon - Feast of Ss Peter and Paul

Sermon by Father Glen Tattersall, FSSP on the Feast of Ss Peter and Paul - on the occasion of the first solemn Mass at St Aloysius' Calufield, celebrated by Father Michael McCaffery, FSSP.

Campos

Rorate Caeli has added a link to the website of the Apostolic Administration's main Church (it is not a cathedral since that is occupied by the Diocese of Campos). I can't speak Portugese so all I'll say is to take a look here for some wonderful pictures of masses, etc from the Church.

A Short Tale of Two Parish Halls

There are a number of rather beautiful churches around this area dating from the late 19th to early 20th centuries, and of varied demoninations. Many of them have parish halls.

Many of these churches no longer own their parish halls.

The Anglicans sold their parish hall. It has been turned into a gym with a logo that looks like this:

A nearby Catholic church sold their parish hall, too. A most beautiful and large structure, the hall was blessed by Archbishop Mannix in 1929, and crowned with a magnificent dome. The hall was sold to the Jews who now use it for a school campus. One can imagine how once the cross upon the dome stood in triumphant view over the landscape, for is it any surprise that it was debased and replaced with a school plaque? It only makes bitter sense, I suppose. We'll all be rooned...

At least the Anglican hall is still used for a place of worship.