Closing of 40 Hours at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, staffed by the Mercedarians

The seminarians gather before the procession:

Over 70 priests were in choir:

Archbishop Broglio of the Military Archdiocese came for the closing:

Solemn Vespers:

Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament:

Feast of Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen, priest and martyr

"It is because of faith that we exchange the present for the future.”  - Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen, martyred by followers of Zwingli in 1622.

From an eulogy for Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen, priest and martyr:

Faithful in name and in truth

Pope Benedict XIV praised Fidelis as a confessor of the Catholic faith in these words:

“He practiced the fullness of charity in bringing consolation and relief to his neighbors as well as strangers. With a father’s love he embraced all those who were in trouble. He supported great numbers of poor people with the alms he had collected from every quarter.

“With wealth collected from the powerful and from princes, he comforted widows and orphans in their loneliness. he was always helping prisoners in their spiritual and bodily needs. He showed constant zeal in visiting and comforting the sick whom he would win back to God and prepare for their last struggle.

“The most outstanding example of this meritorious was of life occurred when the Austrian army, stationed in the area of Raetia, was almost totally destroyed by an epidemic. To show compassion he used to bring food for the weak and the dying.”

In addition to this charity, he was faithful in truth as well as in name. his zeal for defending the Catholic faith was unsurpassed and he preached it tirelessly. A few days before he shed his blood to bear witness to his preaching, he gave his last sermon. These are the words he left as a testament; “O Catholic faith, how solid, how strong you are! How deeply rooted, how firmly founded on a solid rock! Heaven and earth will pass away, but you can never pass away. From the beginning the world opposed you, but you mightily triumphed over everything. This is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. It has subjected powerful kings to the rule of Christ; it has bound nations to his service.

“What made the holy apostles and martyrs endure fierce agony and bitter torments, except faith, and especially faith in the resurrection?

“What is it that today makes true followers of Christ cast luxuries aside, leave pleasures behind, and endure difficulties and pain? It is living faith that expresses itself through love. It is this that makes us put aside the goods of the present in the hope of future goods. It is because of faith that we exchange the present for the future.”

taken from the Office of Readings

40 Hours Devotion Begins

Over the weekend, 40 Hours Devotion began down the street at Our Lady of Lourdes parish (staffed by the Mercedarians).  A Solemn High Mass in the Extraordinary Form was followed by a Eucharistic Procession:

Photos taken by Patrick Hart

Happy Feast of Saint Bernadette!

"I was nothing, and through this 'nothing,' God accomplished a great deal."

- Saint Bernadette

Easter Week in Rome, Days 3, 4, and 5

Barbara took this photo....I think we were in the Gesu.  I look prayerful, but am actually about to fall asleep from jet lag.

Monsignor Soseman from the Congregation for the Clergy met us for lunch at Arlu near the Vatican:

Inside St. Peter's basilica:

The famous Pieta:

The statue of St. Peter in the basilica.  His foot is worn away from all of the pilgrims touching it, which has become a custom:

The body of Pope Saint Pius X in St. Peter's Basilica:

Saint Peter's square in the morning:

On Friday, I joined up with my friend Fr. Greg Gresko, OSB who was leading a pilgrimage for students from his monastery's high school.  First we went to Subiaco - a Benedictine monastery built over the cave where Saint Benedict lived for 3 years before founding monasteries:

The view from the monastery:

The town of Subiaco below:

Next we went down the hill to the Monastery of Saint Scholastica (Saint Benedict's sister):

Old manuscripts in the monastery library.  Before the printing press, the monks would copy texts by hand to ensure they were passed on to following generations:

Next we traveled 2 hours to the monastery of Monte Cassino, which was founded by Saint Benedict himself.  The monastery was destroyed during World War II, but was rebuild over the surviving parts.  The view from the top of the mountain:

A statue of St. Benedict offering his spirit to the Father marks the spot where he died:

The high altar in the basilica in the monastery:

The tomb of Saint Benedict and St. Scholastica:

The vineyard:

Whenever St. Scholastica is depicted in a work of art, she is often carved or painted along with a white dove, which traditionally symbolizes her soul going to heaven after her death.  As we were leaving the monastery, a real white dove flew into the courtyard:

With Fr. Greg at Monte Cassino:

On Saturday morning, I went to Mass with Fr. Arthur and the Missionaries of Charity near the Vatican.  Before heading to the airport, I paid a visit to my friend Bishop Laffitte, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Family.  I was not able to attend his Episcopal Consecration last December, so I was happy we could visit for a few minutes before I had to leave:

Rome, days 1 and 2

Easter Week in Rome is going well.  On the way into town from the airport, we passed the Coliseum: 

My friend Barbara is letting me use the beautiful apartment on the roof of her flat:

The roof (terrace):

The view from the terrace:

The original painting of the Sacred Heart in the Gesu church:

On the steps of the Basilica of Saint Mary in Aracoeli:

A large pope:

Roman excavations:

Next we went to the Catacombs of Saint Callixtus.  Over 500,000 early Christians are buried here:

A famous statue of Saint Cecilia, in the exact spot and position her body was said to be found:

Mass in the Catacombs:

The Vatican is still decorated for Easter:

Next, my dear friend Msgr Calkins showed me around to some churches.  Here, an indulgenced church: "A daily plenary indulgence in perpetuity for the living and the dead" for visiting here:

Tomb of Apostles Philip and James:

Heart of Saint Charles Borromeo:

Piazza del Popolo:

Next I traveled close to the Vatican, to the Borgo Pio.  Msgr. Calkins invited me as his guest to the "Inside the Vatican Magazine" dinner, which was a wonderful time:

Saint Peter's Basilica at dusk: