St. John Vianney Seminary

When I was a college seminarian I did not go to St. John Vianney Seminary, but since starting my work in the vocation office I have had numerous opportunities to visit SJV and I have always went away with great hope and reconfirmed in my vocation. Here are two short videos that show a little bit of what's happening there. Check them out.

"Exultet iam angelica turba caelorum:
exultent divina mysteria:

et pro tanti Regis victoria tuba insonet salutaris...."

("Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels!

Exult, all creation around God's throne!

Jesus Christ, our King, is risen!

Sound the trumpet of salvation!")

Come Home

An excellent ad for...well...us...



Wouldn't it be nice if we could get this on every major TV network.

Comedy Central aka Bigotry Central

Via Domenico Bettinelli at Bettnet.com:

Just when you think Catholic bashing in the media can’t any more obnoxious it does. Brent Bozell exposes Comedy Central’s virulently hate-filled anti-Catholic screed in the form of a Tv show called “The Root of All Evil.”

It’s hosted by bottom-feeding shock comic Lewis Black, whose schtick of being as offensive as possible has garnered him such fame that this is the first time I’ve heard of him. Black is a bigot who judges the Catholic Church, which stands on trial charged as being the root of all evil. Sounds hilarious. This is on Comedy Central, why?

He’s joined by another no-name comic, Greg Giraldo, who Bozell says abandons all pretense all comedy to vent his spleen about the Church he was baptized into. You can guess the level of blasphemy and offensiveness that spews forth.

As usual, these cowards attack the Church because they know that Catholics will return insults only with words and prayer, whereas even a much milder level of invective at Islam would be met with fatwas and attempts on their lives.

By the way, Alltel Wireless was the sponsor of the phone-in poll for those who wished to vote for the Church as the root of all evil. Knowledge of which you can do with what you will.

Why Confession is a Good Thing

Once in a while Mark Shea has something really good on his blog. Here is one that I think makes alot of sense. It is a clip from ER that shows that when it comes right down to it and someone is knocking on death's door they really, really want to know that they are forgiven. No amount of pius platitudes or feel good religion can compare to hearing a priest say "I absolve you of your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Check out the clip:

I Have Returned

After being chastised by a number of people for not posting after my return home after my pilgrimage to the Holy Land I decided I better say something. It was an amazing pilgimage with many, many graced moments. God surely treats me much better than I deserve.

I hope to have a few posts for you soon, but it will be fairly slow until after Holy Week.

South Dakota Parish Featured on Liturgical Blog

The New Liturgical Movement, a wonderful blog about liturgical matters, recently feature photos and other information about St. Mary's Church in Salem, SD. It's a post worth taking a look at so click here to see it. Here is a before picture to wet your whistle:

No, I'm Not Dead...Just Busy

Well folks, things are moving along. I have found that being a pastor is alot of work. I'm not complaining by any means, just stating a simple fact. In fact, I have been so busy that I have thought about closing up the old blog for good, but couldn't bring myself to do it. Obviously I am behind on posting homiles, I will try to get some up in the next couple of days before I leave on pilgrimage. Speaking of which, please keep my in your prayers Feb. 17-27 as I will be on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I am greatly looking forward to praying where Jesus lived, died, and rose again.

Yes, It Did Indeed Raise Some Eyebrows

When Pope Benedict offered Mass facing the same direction as the people with, as his Master of Ceremonies said, "his gaze toward the Cross" I knew that it might raise some eyebrows, and it certainly has. Media both within and outside of the Church have been commenting on it in various ways.

One of the phrases that seemes to be repeated is that "this is the first time this has happened since the Second Vatican Council," and honestly, I thought this was the case. Then Fr. Z provided a photo of Pope John Paul II offering Mass, facing the same direction as the people, at the very same altar. Here it is:

This Will Raise a Few Eyebrows

This just in via Whispers in The Loggia:

In another significant liturgical turn at the very top, B16 will celebrate tomorrow's annual Sistine Chapel Mass for the Baptism of the Lord in the ad orientem stance -- that is, facing away from the congregation and toward the cross that stands at the chapel's back wall.

In an explanatory note from the Office for Papal Liturgical Celebrations picked up by the Italian wires, the papal MC Msgr Guido Marini announced that the Mass, to be conducted according to the post-Conciliar "Ordinary Use" approved by Paul VI, would employ the main altar of the Sistina. As a result, the note said, "at certain moments the Pope will have his shoulders [back] to the faithful and his gaze toward the Cross."

As the chapel's original altar is not freestanding, versus popolorum celebrations there have required the construction of a temporary altar and platform. While John Paul II celebrated his first Mass after his 1978 election using the permanent altar and no freestanding altar exists in the Pope's private chapel, a public papal liturgy has not been celebrated using the "common orientation" in recent memory."The celebration at the old altar is being restored so as not to alter the beauty and harmony of this architectural jewel," the note said, "preserving its structure from the celebratory point of view and using an option contemplated by the liturgical norms."

The change of orientation, Marini's statement said, would seek to enhance "the attitude and disposition of the whole assembly."The annual liturgy features the baptism of several infants by the pontiff. The contemporary baptismal font designed by Lello Scorzelli -- also the designer of the pastorali, the cross-topped liturgical staffs used by Paul VI and his successors -- will likewise be maintained.

UPDATE:

Here is a picture of the event for your enjoyment (or not depending on your ideas of what the Liturgy should be.

Happy New Year!

I thought this was a great picture of the Holy Father ringing in the new year with Solemn First Vespers of Mary the Mother of God so I thought I would share it with all of you.