Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Fr. Perrone on Holy Week and why we should be in Church Thursday night and Friday afternoon




From his column this Sunday, Fr. Perrone, in his own words, below.  If you are looking for Holy Week and Easter Sunday info, you can find it here, along with photos from past years.



This is always the most difficult week of the Church year. Difficult for us, traumatic for our Lord. I therefore ought not to complain. The modern trend in the Church has been to emphasize the Lord’s Resurrection and to downplay His Passion. This is considered an enlightened view over the medieval and cheerless concentration on the Lord’s sufferings and death. Perhaps as tensions continue to build in the world, as the persecution of Christians increases, as all viewpoints except those which represent Catholic moral teaching are welcome, as evils of all kinds are making rapid advances into our once comfortable Catholic lives, then–maybe just then–we will have second thoughts on our dismissal of the suffering Christ, of His cross, of the Church members as sharers in the Passion.

The spiritual tradition of the great writers on the spiritual life favors meditation on the sacred Passion of Christ for making progress in holiness. This comes by way of thinking about the various moments in the story, from the Last Supper through the Lord’s burial; but it also includes participation through the liturgy in the annual reenactment of the original Holy Week through the sacred ceremonies that take place this week–this by way of mystery rather than by theatrical dramatics. The Church does not pretend to redo the sacred events of Holy Week as if going through a Passion play. There is rather a re-activation (pardon the jargon word) of the essential words and actions which took place back then for the benefit of the Church here and now. In other words, there is grace which is imparted to those who devoutly follow Christ in the days of this week, graces not obtained otherwise. The ideal would be for every Christian to become so one in mind and in affections with Christ throughout these days of Holy Week as to take on a likeness to Him that is incomparable by any other means. For this reason I strongly encourage you to make every reasonable effort to come to the church this week for Mass and the other sacred liturgical ceremonies, not only to derive benefits from participation in them, but also to insert yourselves into the mystery itself. Holy Week is a relived experience for the Church, a renewing of its inner life by engaging the whole mystical body of Christ in a real union with Him, the principal Agent of the events.

The week begins today with Palm Sunday, with its strange dual character of triumph in our Lord’s entrance into Jerusalem as Messiah, and of His ‘defeat’ in the solemn reading of His Passion and death. Palm Sunday leaves us with an ambiguous feeling. The palms, the procession, the Hosannas dominate the earlier part of the ceremonies with exhilaration until the liturgical shift is made to the scriptures which refer to the sufferings and death of Christ.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week have an eerie passive-aggressive (again, pardon the expression) feeling. All is exteriorly calm while the forces of evil lurk in the background, conspiring against Jesus, ready to erupt with the violence on Thursday and Friday.

There ought not to be a single person in this parish who would rather stay at home Thursday night this week or on Good Friday afternoon, or prefer to do anything other than participate in the divine services. I realize that some may be impeded from attending these days from work or other responsibilities, but this absence ought to be with great regret. One would be missing out of the very soul of Holy Week to be wilfully absent from the liturgical ceremonies.

Easter Vigil is the most extraordinary Mass of the whole year in which the movement from Christ’s inert body to His rising from the dead is expressed in liturgical signs, chants and ceremonies. If all goes well, new Catholics will be born here Saturday night in baptism, confirmation and the reception of the Lord’s Body and Blood.

Please keep the inserted page of Holy Week services and confessions so as to reduce calls to the rectory for a schedule of the week’s events. One may also consult our parish website. [See also my post with Holy Week info including pictures from recent years to get a glimpse of what it is like at Assumption Grotto, and there is secured parking].

All the forces of our parish league together in Holy Week, making a huge effort of standing with the Lord in His Passion and Resurrection. Don’t miss out. Come to be enriched; come to lend yourselves to the Lord and allow His saving grace to embrace you.


Fr. Perrone





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- Diane M. Korzeniewski

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Monday, March 30, 2015

Holy Week Schedule at Assumption Grotto




This post contains the schedule for Holy Week at Assumption Grotto.  I'm also embedding images from  last year's Holy Week with a link to more.

Please don't make Holy Week participation conditional on what kind of parish or liturgy to which you have access.  Most people don't have access to an old, gothic parish where liturgy is celebrated in the manner you see here.  Go, and if you see or hear something illicit or bothersome, offer that up to God with the prayer, "Forgive them, Lord, for they know not what they do."  In this way, you give that which you have no control over, to God, while giving to Him, yourself.

Here is the schedule, also found at the main Assumption Grotto website.

I can tell you that the main events of the Triduum are all in the Extraordinary Form (1962 Missal): Holy Thursday, Good Friday's Tre Ore, and Holy Saturday vigil.  We do have a visiting priest - the same as last year - so, these are with all the solemnity Assumption Grotto can offer.



Holy Week 2015 Schedule
Assumption Grotto Church

Holy Thursday, April 2
(No morning Masses)
7:00 p.m. Mass of the Lord’s Supper (Solemn High, EF) followed by Procession with Blessed Sacrament & Adoration in the church until Midnight

Good Friday, April 3
(No morning Masses)
12:00 noon until 3:00 p.m. •Tre Ore (three hour) Services (Extraordinary Form)
        •Solemn Liturgy with sung Passion according to Saint John;  Veneration of the Cross; Holy Communion
3:00 p.m. Divine Mercy Prayers
7:00 p.m. Stations of the Cross

Holy Saturday, April 4
(No morning Masses and no 4:00 p.m. Mass)
1:00 p.m. Blessing of Easter foods and baskets
8:00 p.m. Solemn High (EF) Easter Vigil Mass

Easter Sunday, April 5, Masses
6:30 a.m. English Low Mass
9:30 a.m. Solemn High (EF) Orchestral Mass: Missa Cantata in honor of the Sacred Heart by Eduard Perrone; Psalm 24 by Lili Boulanger; Judex from Mors et Vita by Charles Gounod
12:00 noon English sung Mass

Confessions (5 opportunities)

Thursday, April 2: 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m; 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Friday, April 3: 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m
Saturday, April 4: 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m; 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Note: There will not be confessions Saturday evening
nor on Easter Sunday mor


The photo at top is from Holy Thursday.  Here are a few more.

Washing of the feet…


At the Altar of Repose where people remain with Our Lord until midnight.  This was the conclusion of the liturgy.




On Holy Thursday is when we hear the bells in the first part of the liturgy, then they fall silent giving way to the wooden crotalus.  This image is actually from 2008, but you can see it clearly here. It takes quite a bit of wrist action to snap it.



A few from Good Friday.







And, Holy Saturday Vigil, which is very long, but very solemn






Last year, a very old custom of using a yellow drape was brought back. It opens as the Gloria is rung out.  I'll explain this more during the week.


Of course, some of the youngest men of the altar handle the job of ringing bunches of bells when the Gloria is sung at the Easter Vigil.




See all pictures from Holy Week 2014, here.  There are just too many to show.  If you are in the area, come if you can.  Booklets are provided.

UPDATE: Fr. Perrone discusses why we should want to be in church on Thursday night and Friday afternoon. 



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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
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- Diane M. Korzeniewski

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Palm Sunday

I have just two images from Palm Sunday.  I was testing a new external microphone that sits in the shoe for flash. I'm hoping, and praying, to capture better visuals and sounds this year during Holy Week.   The good news about the test is that I found a good combinations of settings. The bad news is, that didn't happen, but on a small segment within the Credo.  Thus, I have nothing to share. Your prayers for success this Holy Week would be appreciated.  I do this out of love for God as I know how some souls are stirred by the beauty and old churches like Assumption Grotto - with all the aesthetic beauty are not accessible to everyone.  Be assured, that Jesus is present in every parish where there is a tabernacle holding Him, and He awaits you whether the parish has such beauty or not.







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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

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Saturday, March 28, 2015

Further evidence that things have run amok with Medjugorje…


Just when you thought things couldn't get any stranger with Medjugorje, we learn of special, "Medjugorje shoes." But wait, they are marked down from $329 to $159.  

Spinning off of what a friend said, click them three times and you'll be home in Herzegovina.  They are made of leather, but it doesn't specify what kind. I'm thinking snake skin leather that comes with a supply of snake oil. 

Look,  it's very rare that I poke fun at this stuff, but this is so far outside of bounds, I couldn't resist.  And, I had to take snapshots because I couldn't believe what I was seeing at the Crown of Stars blog and figured it might disappear once reaction gets out.  Here's the site where the shoes are sold. 

I'd love to see the reaction of Pope Francis to this one.  



And the other half…






And, the blogger, BG, thinks it was modeled after Krizevac. 

"Apparitions" are for sale…


While we are on the subject, it looks like Ivan is back producing for the "apparition" industry with his 206 Tours.

If the CDF intervened here in the United States to stop clergy and faithful from participating in events that presume authenticity, I'm wondering if they have done likewise in other countries, including Bosnia-Herzegovina where Ivan seems to be focusing his attention.  Granted, it seems he is having "apparitions" on demand in his own home, but with other people who are paying.  This is, like I explained last time, holding a public apparition in a private residence.

Here are a few snapshots from the 206 Tours page from a few minutes ago.

On the "Specials" page, we find this (I saved PDF's of these webpages taken today, so if they disappear, let me know and I'll upload those for reference).



The rest of this comes from the main 206 Tours page for Medjugorje.



That text certainly presumes authenticity of his apparitions. It does not leave the question to the Holy See as to whether or not the lady "appearing" to Ivan is the Blessed Virgin Mary; the advertisement makes it de facto.  So, they are effectively selling the "apparitions."  Here is the text from above if you care to read it.

ABOUT IVAN DRAGICEVIC:More than any other of the visionaries, Ivan Dragicevic (born May 25th 1965) has brought the apparitions to America: The Virgin Mary appears to the visionaries no matter where they are in the world, and upon his marriage to Laureen Murphy in 1994, Ivan has shared his time between Boston and Medjugorje between which he travels back and forth. The couple have three children: Two sons and a daughter. As a child Ivan was not particularly religious and he could barely wait for Sunday Mass to end. That changed abruptly when the apparitions began and a few months later Ivan entered the Franciscan seminary in Visoko. Later he had to give up a priestly vocation because his academic abilities did not suffice in courses such as philosophy and Latin. Instead he became the most extensively traveling among the Medjugorje visionaries, speaking and making his apparitions available to the public in churches upon invitation. Having received only nine of the ten secrets Ivan still has an apparition every day. Before the apparitions Ivan was very, very shy and though he became a lot more outspoken, he still dislikes the attention that goes along with being a visionary. Ivan is serious and deep. His special ministry, entrusted to him by the Virgin, is to pray for young people as well as for priests. When he is in Medjugorje, Ivan’s encounters with the Virgin Mary on the top of Apparition Hill makes for the pilgrims’ best opportunities to attend an apparition. These public apparitions usually take place on Fridays late in the evening. Ivan is usually in Medjugorje between the months of May and September.

Business is good… Wouldn't it be nice to know the profit line on this for "the visionary?" Look at the frequency and the cost.  I don't know how many people are booked per trip, but the one in April is sold out, and the one in May is already down to limited seating.




Here's the heart of the tour:


Here's the text of the above.  Since when does the Blessed Virgin Mary submit herself to bookings like this?  

Days 3 to 8 - Medjugorje
Experience the beauty and peace of this simple village. During your stay in Medjugorje you will have the opportunity to share faith with pilgrims from all over the world. Here are some of the activities we'll be sharing with our fellow pilgrims: Each morning at 10am we assemble at St James Church for the English-language Mass (Feast days and Sundays English Mass is at Noon). Follow the path up Apparition Hill where the visionaries first encountered Our Lady. Touch and pray before the cross that commemorates the spot where Mary first appeared to the visionaries. Each evening at 6pm, we will join the villagers and pilgrims to pray the rosary. The apparition takes place at 6:40 daylight savings time, and then stay on for Croatian Mass. Don't miss on Thursdays and Saturdays Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and on Fridays Veneration of the Cross in the Church. Each evening during Croatian Mass, there is the Blessing of the Sick and blessing of the items you have with you. Our guide will arrange meetings with the visionaries at their own homes provided that they are in Medjugorje during your trip, and pending their availability. We will have the opportunity to climb Krizevac Mountain, where in 1933 the villagers built a 30' high cross on the anniversary of Jesus' crucifixion. Visit and pray at "Blue Cross", which is a place of great healings and graces- a very special place at the base of Apparition Hill.
We will visit the community of Cenacolo.

Online streaming of "apparitions" on Mary TV, and more...


But wait, there is more.  Again, while the CDF wanted communicated to U.S. bishops, through the Aposotlic Nuncio, that "clerics and the faithful are not permitted to participate in meetings, conferences or public celebrations during which the credibility of such 'apparitions' would be taken for granted," websites like this continue to go full speed ahead.

On April 2nd, Mirjana is going to have her "apparition" beamed across the world via MaryTV.



It seems that the least harm is probably coming from a third party holding a conference at a rented center, versus the amount of spread that is taking place via websites like this, and others including the propaganda site, Medjugorje Today; and Spirit Daily, among others.

If the CDF doesn't want people participating in conferences, meetings, and public speaking engagements, then what about those creating and visiting websites, making newsletters, medals, and other things which all presume authenticity of the alleged apparitions of Medjugorje?

I believe with all my being that if the Church has discerned this, and has determined that there is nothing supernatural, then this needs to come forth and we all have to trust God to take care of the lambs who have grown attached to it. As long as truth is delayed, truth is denied.  There is nothing compassionate or charitable about allowing falsehood and exploitation to continue.

It's been five long years since the international commission on Medjugorje has been announced and more than a year since the Commission finished it's work and handed it off to the CDF, and has since given it to Pope Francis.  How much longer must the faithful witness exploitation like those shown in this post, which are beneath the dignity of the Blessed Virgin Mary?

I'm certainly open to anything the Holy See would present to get me to reconsider my negative position, which I have a right to hold and express.   But, the evidence just mounts against authenticity.





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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
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- Diane M. Korzeniewski

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500 years since the birth of St. Teresa of Avila, Doctor of Prayer



Today marks 500 years since the birth of St. Teresa of Avila.  See my post at Standing Before Mount Carmel. 




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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
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- Diane M. Korzeniewski

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Thursday, March 26, 2015

"...Because my parents won't take me to Mass"




I've known young kids wanting to go to Mass, but parents are too busy to bother:

For the first couple years as a priest, I would go through the usual Lenten ritual of sitting in the confessional for hours at a time, hearing various parishes kids’ confessions during school. And every year, I would hear the same litany of sins: “I was mean to my brother; I lied; I didn’t do what my mom told me to do; I said a bad word; and… I didn’t go to Mass.” 
As a young priest, I wasn’t yet jaded to simply chalk this up to the typical child’s confession. So, a little surprised that  a child didn’t go, I asked a simple question: “Why didn’t you go to Mass?”

And the kids would answer in one of three ways: “Because I had a [sporting event/vacation]”; “Because we slept in”; or (and most frequently): “Because my parents don’t take me.”

“Because my parents don’t take me.” 
I would hear that answer a lot. And what really struck me about this—what really shook me to the core—was not simply the frequency that this was said, but that most of the children were saying this with a deep sorrow in their heart and a deep longing to go to Mass. They knew they were supposed to be at Mass and they thought that t hey themselves were to blame for their not going. They didn’t yet realize that if their parents didn’t take them, then it wasn’t their (the kids’ fault), but the parents. 

Read the whole thing at Aleteia.

http://www.aleteia.org/en/article/how-parents-are-stealing-the-gift-of-the-mass-from-their-children-5889249563901952




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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

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Wednesday, March 25, 2015

The Annunciation


Today is the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Day on which she gave her fiat - her "yes" to God when the angel Gabriel appeared to her. God did not force Mary to bear Jesus; she freely chose to carry Him. She did not seek to understand before assenting in faith.

With that, I turn you over to Monsignor Pope - his blog still among one my daily reads.

I'm blogging from a mobile app, so hopefully this link will be live. 

Go read, "A Woman Wrapped in Silence"

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Ivan Dragicevic thumbs nose at CDF; holds public apparition in private home.




Contradictions


I don't know how to reconcile the two headlines at the website of Medjugorje Today .  The image above is a snapshot cropped from their homepage at the time of this post the night of March 19th (note the first post is at the bottom for March 17, and the one on top come second).  I could not read past the synopsis provided for each because that requires a $19 per month subscription - more than you would pay for access to some daily newspapers online.

This thread was on their Facebook page, giving further proof that it was a publicly held event, promoting the alleged apparitions of Medjugorje, in a private residence.  That's the only thing that is private - the house.




Allegory: A boy, a door and a window


I'm going to give a simple allegory for consideration.  A boy is told by his father, in front of his friends, not to go out the door to play outside.  The boy goes to his room and proceeds to climb out a window, with his friends encouraging him.  Was the boy obedient?  Were his friends respectful of his father's wishes? It doesn't take a university degree to understand that the father's intent was for the boy not to be outside playing; that the boy was disobedient, and his friends were disrespectful to his father because they heard what he said.

2013 Letter by Apostolic Nuncio to U.S. Bishops


Let's back up a bit. So, Cardinal Müller, speaking through Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Vigano, stated in a letter sent to all U.S. bishops, in 2013, that, "clerics and the faithful are not permitted to participate in meetings, conferences or public celebrations during which the credibility of such 'apparitions' would be taken for granted." [emphasis mine in bold]

A reasonable person reading that should understand that the CDF simply does not want events that promote the alleged apparitions of Medjugorje before the Holy Father completes his discernment and makes that known. Whether he will do that soon (it's been five years since the Commission was announced), or kick the can down the road, is unknown.

CDF intervenes recently in St. Louis to stop Medjugorje-related event


Last week the CDF intervened in St. Louis to stop an event involving Ivan Dragičević. Reportedly, over 1000 people were planning to attend, with tickets sold and a center rented.  Archbishop Carlson said he was to remind people that, "they are not to participate in events that promote the so-called visionaries of Medjugorje and in particular Mr. Ivan Dragičević." He then said, "please make this information available to the Lay Faithful." After pointing out that an event on March 18th had been cancelled, he said, "No other such events should be scheduled." 

But an event was scheduled, two days… was it private? 


Just for talking purposes, we would probably all agree that there is nothing private about using a restroom with 75 people watching.  If you do that, you are basically doing your thing in public.

If Ivan Dragičević has his 'apparition' in a room by himself, then that is truly private. There is no one around to be influenced in such a way that, "promotes the so-called visionaries of Medjugorje and in particular Mr. Ivan Dragičević."  But, there is nothing private about Ivan having an 'apparition' in a residence with 10, 25, 75 or 175 people watching - people he does not know, mind you.  It's simply a public event, or meeting, held at a private residence.  It promoted the Medjugorje phenomena to everyone in attendance.

While information found at Medjugorje Today says it was by private invitation and no one was charged admission, I can't help but wonder: Were donations collected, and if so, how were they distributed and to whom?   If Ivan and the other visionaries of Medjugorje have daily 'apparitions' in a private room by themselves, there is no question about money (this goes to the criteria for discernment of presumed apparitions).

Justification Gymnastics

On the public Facebook page of Medjugorje Today, comments swelled in this thread which discussed the, "no charge" and "by invitation only" public event that took place in a private residence.  Remember what I said about the boy who climbed out the window to get outside, but probably didn't feel he did anything wrong because he listened to his father by not going out through the door.  I call it justification gymnastics, others might call it mental gymnastics.




Justification gymnastics like this could be mitigated if the Church explained more, and in a way that does not require an understanding of "Ecclesial-speak." Men - that is bishops - who have spent many years conversing with others who have backgrounds in philosophy, theology, Church history, canon law, etc., sometimes are not perceptive about what can be misconstrued, or possibly exploited.

It's clear to me, even in the 1991 Zadar Declaration, which is still in effect, that pilgrimages were permitted on condition that supernaturality was not presumed.  This is repeated over and again in official communications on Medjugorje, with similar language each time. Coupled with that in the Zadar Declaration, it says, "a healthy devotion towards the Blessed Virgin Mary according to the teachings of the Church may be promoted."  What does that mean, "according tot he teachings of the Church?" That piece of Ecclesial-speak is not necessarily understood by those gravitating towards alleged Marian apparitions.  One place we can look to see what that means is, "Marialis Cultus(1974). You will find the Rosary and Angelus promoted, and these have a very long history in the Church.  What you will not find is attending prescheduled apparitions, or using devotions, hymns, and medals not yet sanctioned, inserting references into the liturgy of the alleged apparition, etc.


Something is messed up


So, 1000 people were estimated to be coming to the main event believing they would be in the presence of Mary via a vision on demand by Ivan…  before it was unceremoniously cancelled.  Would those same 1000 people come to the cathedral in St. Louis to pray a Rosary and do a Holy Hour with Archbishop Carlson if he invited them?  Would they attend a public Rosary at their local parish if the parish priest scheduled it?

Or, does the spectacle of receiving the sight of someone having an apparition of an alleged heavenly being mean more than the simple act of giving to Mary a humble prayer and expecting nothing in return - no special messages, no sight of a glowing statue, no dancing or spinning suns, no Great Signs, or a Rosary turned to gold.


Being mindful, we don't know if the lady of Medjugorje is Our Lady 


Some devotees believe so strongly that the lady of Medjugorje, is the Blessed Virgin Mary, that anyone who points out certain facts or questions credibility is treated as if they are attacking the Mother of God.  See the response one man gets from a devotee after he simply quotes what Archbishop Vigano stated in his letter to U.S. bishops (same thread as cited earlier; I blacked out the names).



I pray we hear something soon, very soon.  However, I will not hold my breath. If there is anything that is predictable about the timing the Holy See has on Medjugorje, is that it is unpredictable.



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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

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Monday, March 16, 2015

Noteworthy events coming up in the area

There are some nuts and bolts I would like to pass along - things happening locally.

March 19: St. Joseph's Day at St. Joseph's Church in Detroit


First, this Thursday is St. Joseph's feast day.  This feast day is to St. Joseph's Church in Detroit what Assumption Day is to Assumption Grotto.  It is a day of great devotion, liturgy, Italian Dinner.  You can get St. Joseph's oil, and they have a gift shop.  See the full schedule for the day starting at 6:30 a.m. and running through 8 p.m.

March 22: St. Joseph's Dinner at Assumption Grotto


Assumption Grotto has a big dinner the first Sunday after St. Joseph's feast day.  From the main Grotto website:

St. Joseph Dinner - The annual traditional Italian dinner will be held in the gym on Sunday, March 22nd, following the Noon MassThe Romano family and friends will again host this event in honor of St. Joseph. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis (no reservations). Although there is no set price for this meal, your generous donation will provide continuing support for Assumption Grotto.  [See the link for more info]


March 25: Solemnity - Annunciation; Mass/Holy Hour for the Unborn

Mass and Holy Hour For the Unborn
Solemnity of the Annunciation
Wednesday, March 25th, 2015
6:00 p.m. Holy Hour Exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet and Confessions
7:00 p.m. Holy Sacrifice of the Mass 
St. Isaac Jogues, 21100 Madison, St. Clair Shores, MI 48081 
See flyer here with more details 


March 27: Juventutem Mass at St. Josephat with Fr. Pullis


The Pertinacious Papist is reporting that Archbishop Vigneron's secretary, Fr. Steven Pullis, will be celebrating his first, public EF Mass on Friday, March 27 at St. Josaphat Church in Detroit.  He explains:

A particularly busy priest has undertaken the learning of the Tridentine Mass: Fr. Stephen Pullis, a young priest who currently serves as Priest Secretary to Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron, will celebrate his first public Mass in the Extraordinary Form on Friday, March 27 at 7:00 PM at St. Josaphat Church. He is no stranger to the Latin Mass; he assisted the Archbishop at last year’s Extraordinary Form Confirmations at St. Edward on the Lake Parish in Lakeport. 
It is always cause for gratitude when another priest learns the Traditional Latin Liturgy, but it is especially remarkable when that person has the non-stop agenda of the Secretary to the Archbishop. May God bless him for fitting this into his schedule. 
Juventútem Michigan will host its monthly dinner for young adults age 18-35 after Fr. Pullis’ first Mass.
Follow Juventutem Michigan on Facebook to keep up with their schedule.  They are quite active.


April 26: Dualing Pianos with Rev. Eduard Perrone and Mr. Gerrie Ball


This event is a spring fundraiser for Assumption Grotto.  Please consider buying a ticket and coming for an evening of fun.  See all the details here.  Tickets must be purchased in advance - none will be sold at the door. The deadline is April 21st, so don't wait.

Be sure to visit the Assumption Grotto homepage regularly to see what is going on.





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Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Paul Ladmirault's glorious Sanctus and Benedictus (from Messe Breve)



The Sanctus from the Messe Breve written by Paul Ladmirault (1877-1944) is one of the most beautiful and remains my favorite after 10 years of singing, and hearing, the repertoire at Assumption Grotto.  Just as incense rises, carrying with it our prayers to God, Ladmirault's Sanctus ascends gracefully before exploding with majestic force just after 1 minute 30 seconds.

This was taken during the context of Mass, for which the Sanctus was written.  You will see the Consecration take place, with bells ringing, and then the choir will sing the Benedictus following the prelude.  It was taken today during the 9:30 a.m. Mass in the Extraordinary Form for Laetare Sunday in Lent.

The video was taken with a Canon EOS 40D camera which has HD video capability (click the gear box in the lower left after it starts playing if on a computer and set to 720 HD; or look for an "HD" on mobile in the lower right when it is playing.)  The focusing issues were not the camera's fault the a problem with the operator.  I'm still learning how to use it. I must mount this to a tripod when shooting video to minimize focusing issues and unwanted sounds related to movement.

The sound is decent considering I used no external microphone. This is the EOS 70D's built in microphone.  I do hope to capture better audio in the future with a mounted stereo microphone.
You will hear babies (a good problem to have in any parish), and kneelers coming down, or other noises.  That's life when recording during a Mass with a wide demographic that includes many young families.  I shoot from the back of the Church to minimize disturbing people and it just so happens to be where all the parents sit with babies for similar reasons.  I'm almost immune to those sounds.

Put on some decent headphones.









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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

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Friday, March 13, 2015

CDF intervenes in St. Louis to stop Medjugorje related event






Recently, there were advertisements online for "An Evening with Our Lady and Ivan Dragicevic," but it is now missing. The alleged visionary of Medjugorje was to be hosted by the Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich Foundation in Missouri.  This flew in the face of a 2013 directive from Cardinal Müller, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, in a memo to U.S. bishops through the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Vigano. The letter included lay people in those "not permitted" to participate in Medjugorje related events, especially involving any of the alleged visionaries. After reviewing the status of Medjugorje and noting the Holy See was still investigating, Cardinal Vigano stated:

"It follows, therefore, that clerics and the faithful are not permitted to participate in meetings, conferences or public celebrations during which the credibility of such 'apparitions' would be taken for granted."


The Medjugorje event in the St. Louis area with Ivan was cancelled on March 2nd, but no explanation was provided by BACE Foundation at that time. Today we learn it was, in fact, Rome which intervened. This is explained in a statement by Archbishop Robert Carlson of St. Louis, dated March 3rd.  

See the letter here: http://archstl.org/node/4348020 or PDF here.

I don't know if the Archbishop himself was aware until contacted by Rome, though I do know someone who contacted that archdiocese some weeks back asking if this should be happening.

Just three days ago, the St. Louis Review, the publication of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, published the news.  


Bosnia-Herzegovina Bishops' ad limina concludes March 17

The international theological commission on Medjugorje was first announced on March 17, 2010. Next week, five years to the day, the Bishops of Bosnia & Herzegovina (BiH) will have their ad limina visit with Pope Francis. 

This does not seem coincidental.  After five long years, perhaps we will finally see the question of Medjugorje answered soon.  With the feast of the Annunciation coming up, it seems a fitting time of year for this.  This is a feast day known for Mary's fiat to the will of God (Luke 1:38).

My greatest hope is that truth will prevail, whatever that truth may be.  Mercy and compassion for others must subsist in truth.  And, as justice delayed, is justiced denied; truth delayed, is truth denied. 

May the Holy Spirit, and the Blessed Virgin Mary, enlighten our spiritual fathers to discern this phenomena and share that truth with the all the faithful.


The Bishops of Bosnia-Herzegovina in Rome for the ad limina.
Photo from the Bishops Conference website: http://www.bkbih.ba

- This post was updated at 5:15 PM, March 13. 

Monday, March 9, 2015

New post up at "Standing Before Mount Carmel"

At my other blog, which is for more in depth spiritual reflections, I look at Conversing with God in His own language.

Recent Posts here:





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Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Sweet: Some wide, still shots, from Assumption Grotto with a GoPro




Some at the 9:30 A.M. Mass may have noticed me using a small handheld device.  It was a GoPro Hero 4. It's primarily for video and used extensively for outdoor sports, and a host of other things.

I think I need to get a lens for my Canon EOS 70D for this kind of wide, fish-eye effect.  There's a limit to the quality I can get with the GoPro. There are many more settings on the regular camera, especially for the indoor shots, but these aren't bad!




You really get the feel of what it is like inside the parish with this shot.  It is taken around the main intersection within the nave, about half way back.


This one is a bit blurred.  It takes quite a bit of pressure to push the button, which moves the camera.  If I do this again, it needs to be mounted to a tripod and remote snapped through an iPhone App.  Still, it is not my tool of choice because the same photo taken with my Canon EOS 40D could yield better options with how the lights appear.  I generally like a starburst appearance.



More from outside.


This is taken while standing in front of the grotto and shooting back down the walk towards the church. You see the statue of Bernadette off to the center, right.





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For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.