The Holy House of Loretto

Photo taken by your's truly as I sat and prayed in the Holy House of Loretto.

For years I have been talking with a priest friend about making a pilgrimage to Italy together.  We would talk about it all the time, but that’s where it stopped.  Until this past October.  I was visiting him, and one night, after a long day of work in his parish, we were eating delicious food and drinking delicious drink, and once again we began talking about this trip we would one day take.  Then one of us, I honestly can’t remember who, said something along the lines of “You know, we should actually do this.”  And right then and there we got out our calendars and found some dates that would work, we booked our flights.  It was finally going to happen.

As we planned the trip there were many places we wanted to go, and for the most part we went to them.  I have a devotion to St. Benedict, so Subiaco, Monte Cassino, and Norcia were on the itinerary.  My friend suggested we go to Loretto, to pray in the Holy House.  I had heard of the Holy House, and frankly, I was skeptical.  The legend is that it was miraculously transported from Nazareth by angels to the town of Loretto in Italy.  There was a less miraculous version of the story where a family named with the surname of DeAngelis takes the Holy House apart brick by brick in Nazareth, then transporting it to Loretto, and there reconstructing it.  Neither story really piqued my interest.  It was a nice story, but why would I drive all the way across Italy to Loretto to see a house that might, or might not, be the House in which the Angel Gabriel visited Our Lady and where the Word was made flesh?  

My friend said, “You HAVE to go and pray there!”  Other people who had been their said the same thing.  There seemed to be unanimity among those who had been there that it was a “must see.”  Some said it was “one of the holiest places they had ever been to.”  Others said that “after you pray there you will KNOW that it is the real deal.”  I was still a bit skeptical but I decided to go, and am I extremely grateful that I did.

As we approached Loretto you could see the basilica way up on top of the hill on which the city is built.  Compared to St. Peter’s it was nothing special.  It was beautiful to be sure, but nothing like the grand Basilicas of Europe.  As we parked and walked toward the Basilica, it was raining, and there weren’t many people around at all.  We entered the Basilica and entered the Holy House.  The House is covered with marble on the outside, but on the inside, it’s just ancient brick.  The Basilica was built around the Holy House, so right in the middle of the Basilica stands the Holy House.  

In entering the Holy House the thing that was immediately apparent was that it was a very holy place.  There was a silence unlike I have ever experienced there.  The place was heavy with silence, and heavy with holiness.  There were no chairs or pews, except for one chair reserved for little old ladies.  If you wanted to stay and pray you either stood, knelt, or sat on the floor.  Which is what I did.

I sat on the floor, with my back against the wall.  I was right beneath the angel’s window, called such because it is the window through which the Archangel Gabriel entered the house to announce to Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus.  Directly in front of me was the Altar of the Apostles.  It’s called the Altar of the Apostles because it is believed that the Apostles themselves offered Mass on the Altar.  Above the Altar is the miraculous image of our Lady holding the Child Jesus.

As I sat there and prayed, the spirit of silence and prayer settled upon me.  The prayer was amazing!  In all my travels I have never, ever experienced a sense of holiness like I did in that place.  I could feel the presence of Our Lady.  She was there.  

The time flew.  In what seemed like five minutes, I had already prayed for an hour, which was the amount of time we had pre-arranged.  I left the Holy House, and said to my priest-friend that “I could pray here all day.”  And that was not an understatement.  It’s one of those places where the holiness and prayerfulness of the place can pull you into prayer and keep you there without you even knowing it.  I wandered around a bit looking at the Basilica, which is filled with stunning artwork, but I couldn’t stay away from the Holy House.  It wasn’t long before I was back in there.  When it was time to leave, it was hard.  I wanted to stay there all day, and all night.

So, was the Holy House carried there by angels?  Was it brought there by a pious family?  I don’t know.  What I do know is that it IS, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the home of Mary and Joseph and Jesus.  What I do know is that it is one of the holiest places in the world.  What I do know is that I would go back there in a heartbeat, and when I do, I’ll plan a whole day to just sit and pray.

Today, on the Solemnity of the Annunciation I pray that the spirit of the Holy House, and the graces given me there will be revived and renewed within me.  

*     *     *     *     *

If you want to read a bit on the Holy House, here are a few itemsI’d recommend.  The first is a book written from the perspective of the history and archeology of the Holy House (which, for the record seem to prove that it more than likely is the actually Holy House of Nazareth).  The second is a DVD, that is fairly well done, if a bit dated - not in information, but in that it was clearly made a number of years ago.  Finally, if you want something more spiritual and pious, you might check out the book by Bob and Penny Lord.  Just click on the links if you want to see more.

           

Where Are You?

Time sure does fly. It seems like it has been forever since I have posted anything here Hopefully there are still a few of you who still check in now and again.

Over the past few weeks I have been working with some colleagues to put on a number of workshops on the new translation of the Roman Missal. The workshop will be available online soon. I will provide a link when it is up.

This coming Friday I begin my new assignment as pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul in Dimock and Holy Trinity in Ethan. I am very grateful to my Bishop for this assignment and look forward to jumping back into Priestly Ministry after two years of school. Please pray for me and the flock that has been entrusted to my care.

After I get settled in it is my hope to begin to post the audio of my homilies here once again.

Lenten Project

Tomorrow Lent will be upon us. Hopefully by now you have decided what your penance(s) will be. If not, check out the suggestions from Fr. S. at Clerical Reform here.

I have been looking for a good reason to start blogging again, and had an inspiration today. Ever day during Lent, I will have a short reflection on one of the prayers from the Roman Missal for the day. I will be using the prayers from the new translation of the Roman Missal. Hopefully this will do two things. First, it will hopefully help us pray better during this holy season, and second, to familiarize us with some of the prayers from the new translation.

We begin tomorrow, so be sure to check back daily.

Sermon: 14th Sunday of the Year

Sorry it has been so long since I last posted. I have been traveling and am currently in Charlotte, NC. You might be wondering about the above photo, well, you will have to listen to the sermon to understand. This week I was visiting the parishes of Kingsbury County, South Dakota. Have a listen:

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Where's Fr. Christensen? Part II

Another of the three parishes I have been taking care of for the past couple of weeks is St. Anthony's in Selby, SD. Selby has a population of 647. The Church has a beautiful statue of St. Anthony:



Here is a wide view of the Sanctuary:



And a little closer view:

Above the Altar is suspended a beautiful crucifix with Jesus vested as a priest, after all on the cross He was both Priest and Victim. Something that you liturgy nuts (myself included of course) will notice is that Jesus is wearing a Maniple:

There is also a lovely statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary:

St. Anthony's has a cabinet that has various liturgical items in it. Oh, if only some of them were still being used:

Next on our tour of the Catholic Churches of North Central South Dakota will be St. Joseph's in Eureka.

Where's Fr. Christensen?

For the past couple weeks I have been ministering to three small parishes in north central South Dakota; St. Michael's in Herreid, St. Anthony's in Selby, and St. Joseph's in Eureka. In the next three posts I will share some photos I have taken of the three parishes. I will begin with Herreid, population 360 (in 2008).

Here is a view of the Church (I posted this on facebook and someone accused me of straightening all the hymnals for the picture):

Here is a closer view of the Sanctuary. Notice the lovely altar cloth on the altar in the foreground. It matches both the tabernacle veil and the vestments:


Here is a closer view of the High Altar which, thank God, was not removed after the "changes" of the Second Vatican Council. Notice the veiled tabernacle, one of my favorite things:

Here is one of the side altars, this one is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus:

They even have some of the "old school" confessionals. In case you are wondering, yes, I use them.

So there you have it, a few pictures from where I have been the past couple of weeks. The next post will have pictures from St. Anthony's in Selby.

Welcome Readers of WDTPRS

Fr. Z of the blog What Does the Prayer Really Say offers me culinary solidarity, so welcome to all you who have come via his blog.

Mmmm Mmmm Good

Those of you who know me well know that I enjoy cooking alot (and if you have seen me, you know I also like to eat). Tonight I am hosting a brother priest and a transitional deacon for dinner and so a good part of today is being spent in the kitchen.

In the footsteps of the great and mighty Fr. Z, I think I will share the process with you via photos and commentary, this post with be updated as I go.

First, dinner will begin with a caprese salad. Here I am beginning the prep work:

The roast beast (aka beef) prior to preparation:

After a nice slathering of olive oil and a generous rubbing with garlic and a plentiful sprinkling with salt, pepper (fresh ground of course) and rosemary:

Into the oven it goes:

Final update. The roast was amazing. Due to some circumstances beyond my control (yes, there are such things) I was unable to take some pictures of the finished roast, but boy was it juicy and delicious. The caprese salad, garlic mashed potatoes and the brussel sprouts were delicious as well. We finished it all off with an american classic: apple pie and ice cream.

The Extraordinary From of the Roman Rite

The Servant of God, Pope Pius XII

offering the Extraordinary Form in St. Peter's Basilica

As some of you may know (particularly those who are my facebook friends) I have been learning how to celebrate the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. One of my priest-friends, Fr. S., is also doing the same and is offering some wonderful commentary on the Extraordinary Form on his extraordinary blog. Here is a taste of what he has to say:

Ad Orientem

In many Catholic minds today, this means, "turning one's back to the people." It is amazing to me how pride creeps into the mind! Somehow, if the priest is facing the same direction as the people, he must be intending to show his superiority as opposed to his unity. What insidiousness! I find that facing the same direction as the faithful is a great help in humility while offering the Holy Mass. When facing the people, ("ad populum") there is a constant temptation to make the Holy Mass about the presider and his own whims. When the priest faces the same direction as the congregation, that desire disappears because no one sees his face. It is far easier to speak to the Father.

This orientation has a second benefit, too. So often when one goes to Holy Mass, it seems that the priest is trying to tell a story or to be having a dialogue with the congregation. While there are certainly exchanges between the priest and the faithful, the Mass is primarily said by the priest, in the person of Christ, to the Father. I recall the first time that I offered the Ordinary Form ad orientem. After Holy Mass, people said, "Father, that was dramatic! It was so clear when you were speaking to us and when you were speaking to God!" Now, can this be clear ad populum? Surely. That being said, it seems easier to me to me ad orientem.

The third benefit of this orientation, it seems to me, is its intimate nature. When Holy Mass is offered ad orientem, the priest does not have the sense of being watched, of being on display. Rather, there is a great deal of closeness by virtue of having no one between the priest and the crucifix. This is, to me, the most important benefit of offering Holy Mass ad orientem.

If you want to read more of his commentary, check him out at his blog: Clerical Reform.

Retreat

This year I am doing something that a priest would rarely get to do. I am going on retreat for Holy Week. Myself and two brother priests who are studying at the Liturgical Institute will be on retreat from today until Easter Monday at St. Louis Abbey in St. Louis, Missouri. Please pray for us that the retreat will be a powerful time of communion with the Lord who suffered, died, and rose so that we might have life.

Traveling Today

Pray for safe travel.

Writing Papers...

We are NOT amused...

Fr. Christensen, Fr. Richardson, and Fr. Johansen looking rather dour.

Today begins the last week of classes this quarter, and being a procrastinator, I have much, much work to do this week. I have papers to finish and exams to prepare for. In the midst of all of this work I found myself complaining to myself and thinking this must be what hell is like. I know hell is certaly much worse than finals week, but that thought reminded me of this little explanation of Hell by Fr. Robert Barron, who teaches here at Mundelein. Enjoy...

Good Things Happening at the Liturgical Institute

I am very blessed to be studying at The Liturgical Institute where so much liturgical progress is being made. Here is one example of the great things that are happening here that my classmate, Fr. Rob Johansen, posted on his blog. It includes an audio recording of the Alleluia from the Mass for the Presentation of the Lord. Go and take a listen by clicking here, it was magnificent.

The Dance of the Holy Smoke

The title itself makes me laugh hysterically, which is exactly what I did in the library earlier today as I opened up a book entitled Parish Liturgy: A Handbook for Renewal by Robert D. Duggan and saw a section in Part II entitled Incense: The Dance of the Holy Smoke. As most of the regular readers of this blog (all five of you) know, I love using incense in the Sacred Liturgy. So, when I find such an interesting section title I just have to read it. I found this section to be particularly amusing because it provides a glimpse into a particular period in the development of liturgical thought. We look back and chuckle at it, but at the time it was considered by many to be quite serious. So, here are a few of my favorite excerpts from the section on incense.

For some people the use of incense at a liturgical celebration is a sign of the Tridentine Mass mentality and a sure indicator that those who favor it are stuck
in a rigid conservatism. For others, incense is a symbol of New Age exotica that brings to mind hippies smoking pot in the sixties and all the bad things one might imagine about the liberal Left...

The liturgical "dance of the holy smoke" triggers subliminal memories of childhood reveries, watching clouds form mysterious shapes on a sunny afternoon in mid-summer. It recalls campfires and family fireplaces, slender columns of smoke rising from birthday candles, and a hundred other forgotten memories...

But there may be times when a much more effective use of the symbol is achieved by a stationary container holding burning charcoal on which are placed (by a graceful liturgical dancer?) the grains of incense. The movement of the one applying the incense is, in fact, a kind of liturgical dance, despite the reluctance of many to use such terms to describe what is occurring. The stylized gestures called for in the ritual books (bowing, swinging arms, specified steps and paths to be taken) certainly qualify as choreography. And, like any dance form, its execution needs rehearsal, critique, and repeated practice if it is to seem - in the moment of celebration - effortless and un-selfconsciously graceful...

Thank God, that for the most part, such silliness is no longer commonplace in the Liturgy. Now that we have safely moved through that period in our liturgical history we have more noble and dignified ways of using incense - ways that are rooted in our 2000 year history. For that, let us thank the Almighty.

Jumping in With Both Feet...Into a Snowbank That is...

After a wonderful, snow filled (see photo above of the front of my parent's house), Christmas break classes begin again. While home I had a rare experience: celebrating Christmas Mass at my home Parish. This is something most priests do not have the privilege to do since they are in the parishes to which they are assigned, so I was very grateful to have the opportunity. Those who came (which were myriad) to Mass on Christmas Eve got the full liturgical experience. All the liturgical things I love were present: gold Vestments, an alb with lace, a biretta atop my head, incense, chanted Gospel, and a chanted Eucharistic prayer. It was a liturgical feast to be sure.

But now, after the long drive back to Chicago, I once again have my nose in the books. Over the next days and weeks I hope to be sharings some of the things I am learning, and as always, if you have a liturgical question e-mail them to me (padredana at gmail dot com), and I will try to answer them.

Back in the Saddle

After an eventful break (more on those events in a moment) I am back in the academic saddle. I arrived back at the Liturgical Institute on Sunday night and classes began promptly on Monday morning. This quarter (yes, the dreaded quarter system!) I am taking three classes for a total of 12 credit hours. The classes, are as follows: History of Christian Thought II, Sacramental Thought and Practice in the 20th Century, and Sacramentals, Blessings and Devotions. Maybe in a subsequent post I will give a brief overview of what each of the classes will cover.

Also, Fr. S. (who writes a lovely blog) is visiting, which makes for alot of fun times and good food (yeah, just what I need - more food).

My time home was very eventful. There seem to be two higlights which overshadowed my entire time back home - one happy, and one very sad. The happy event was a visit to St. Joseph's Cathedral in Sioux Falls, SD. This would not have been so exciting were it not being restored. I climbed the scaffold all the way to the ceiling to see the work that the artisans are doing. It will be truly magnificent when it is finished. You can find more information, complete with drawings, photos, and videos here.

The sad event was the death of a very dear friend in a horrible car accident. Jerry was 34 years old and would have been married 4 years only a few days after he died. He had a beautiful wife and two small children. Jerry was a very faithful, prayerful and virtuous man who will be missed by many, many people. I concelebrated his funeral along with five other priests. The Church, chapel, and part of the gym were packed for the funeral (nearly 700 people), which is a testament to the people he had influenced during his short life on earth. May he rest in peace.

But now, I am back, saddling up the old academic horse for round two in an eight round adventure.

The Road

“The road to success is always under construction”

-Lily Tomlin

Apparently, so is the road to South Dakota.

Exams and Papers

As most of you know, I am currently studying at the Liturgical Institute. Today marks the end of my first quarter and the day when papers are due and exams are taken. So, as you read this, I am probably feeling a bit ragged. So please pray for this poor priest.

What I Am Doing

Well folks, it's been awhile, and some of you might be wondering where I have been and what I have been doing, so it's time for a little update.

As of July 1 my assignment has changed from being pastor of one parish, pastoral administrator of another, and associate vocation director to further studies in the area of liturgy. In the fall I will begin studies toward an STL (Sacred Theology License) at the Liturgical Institute in Mundelein, IL. It was a great surprise (that's an understatement) and a great honor to be asked by my Bishop to do this. In the meantime - right now - I am in residence at my home parish, St. Lawrence, and providing weekend coverage for a number of small parishes. Below is a picture of my home parish church and school/parish center, which by the way, was just recently paid off. This makes the pastor very happy.

During these months between my last assignment and my next I am doing my best to prepare myself by studying my Latin and Italian. Why Italian? Well, I need to be able to read another modern language, so I decided Italian would be fun. So pray to St. Benedict, St. John Vianney, and St. Joseph of Cupertino that my Latin and Italian studies will go well.

So, as I resuscitate this blog, any ideas on what I might write about? Shall we do an "Ask Fr. Christensen" sort of thing where you can e-mail me your questions? Or shall we do something else? Please let me know what you thing. You can post it either in the comments or you can e-mail me at padredana at gmail dot com.