History of the Mothers of Lu

"The little village of Lu, northern Italy, with only a few thousand inhabitants, is in a rural area 90 kilometers east of Turin. It would still be unknown to this day if, in the year 1881, the family's mothers of Lu had not made a decision that had “serious consequences”. The deepest desire of many of these mothers was for one of their sons to become a priest or for a daughter to place her life completely in God’s service.

Under the direction of their parish priest, Msgr. Alessandro Canora, they gathered every Tuesday for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, asking the Lord for vocations. They received Holy Communion on the first Sunday of every month with the same intention. After Mass, all the mothers prayed a particular prayer together imploring for vocations to the priesthood.

Through the trusting prayer of these mothers and the openness of the other parents, an atmosphere of deep joy and Christian piety developed in the families, making it much easier for the children to recognize their vocations."

This picture is indeed unique in the annals of the Catholic Church. From September 1st-4th 1946, the majority of the 323 priests and religious met in their village of Lu for a reunion which attracted world-wide attention.

"Did the Lord not say, “Many are called, but few are chosen” (Mt 22:14)? In other words, many are called, but only a few respond to that call. No one expected that God would hear the prayers of these mothers in such an astounding way. From the tiny village of Lu came 323 vocations: 152 priests (diocesan and religious), and 171 nuns belonging to 41 different congregations! As many as three or four vocations came from some of these families.

Blessed Philip Rinaldi

The most famous example is the Rinaldi family, from whom God called seven children. Two daughters became Salesian sisters, both of whom were sent to San Domingo as courageous, pioneer missionaries. Five sons became priests, all joining the Salesians. The most well-known of the Rinaldi brothers is Blessed Philip Rinaldi, who became the third successor of St. John Bosco as Superior General of the Salesians. Pope John Paul II beatified him on April 29th, 1990. In fact, many of the vocations from this small town became Salesians.

St. John Bosco

It is certainly not a coincidence, since St. John Bosco visited Lu four times during his life. The saint attended the first Mass of his spiritual son, Fr. Philip Rinaldi, in this village where he was born. Philip always fondly recalled the faith of the families of Lu:

"A faith that made our fathers and mothers say, ‘The Lord gave us our children, and so if He calls them, we can’t say no.’"

Fr. Luigi Borghina and Fr. Pietro Rota lived the spirituality of Don Bosco so faithfully that the former was called the “Brazilian Don Bosco” and the latter the “Don Bosco of Valtellina”. Pope John XXIII once said the following about another vocation from Lu, His Excellency, Evasion Colli, Archbishop of Parma: “He should have become pope, not me. He had everything it takes to become a great pope.”

Every ten years, the priests and sisters born in Lu come together from all around the world. Fr. Mario Meda, the long-serving parish priest of Lu, explained that this reunion is a true celebration, a feast of thanksgiving to God who has done such great things for Lu."

The prayer that the mothers of Lu prayed was short, simple, and deep:

“O God, grant that one of my sons may become a priest! I myself want to live as a good Christian and want to guide my children always to do what is right, so that I may receive the grace, O God, to be allowed to give you a holy priest! Amen.”

NOTE: The above section is an html copy of a pdf version credited here.

---

We hope to begin a group dedicated to this devotion January 1, 2023.

Mothers and mothers-to-be are invited to sign-up:

StDennis.ca/mothers-of-lu

Canadian District Newsletter: The Catholic Home

Greetings to all,

On behalf of Father David Sherry, District Superior of the SSPX Canada, I would like to introduce you to our new venture; a family magazine entitled The Catholic Home.

For some time now, Father Sherry had it in his mind to create a periodical that could be shared in Catholic homes, as a way to help the faithful grow in Christian joy amidst our difficult times. There is certainly no lack of good academic and journalistic Catholic material to consume, but to our mind, it is difficult to find something that the whole family can enjoy.

We must recapture the Catholic spirit of building culture, and through The Catholic Home, we hope to inspire the faithful to build a truly Catholic ethos in the home. Each issue of the magazine will include an array of articles and activities. Original fiction, devotional reading, and even home-making tips and recipes will be yours to discover.

We will be sending out issues quarterly to start with, and each family or individual person can take home a copy at their leisure. Your priests and parish administrators have been informed and will ensure you are aware of how to obtain your copy, if you haven’t already.

This is an apostolate endeavour, thus we are relying on Providence and entrusting our project to Saint Joseph. If you could, we ask that you consider even a small donation to help our efforts continue, and so that we may spread the seeds of Catholic restoration.

For information on how to donate, to receive more copies, or if you haven’t received a copy, please visit www.thecatholichome.ca.

Also, any and all donations can be sent to:

The Catholic Home; St. Joseph's Centre,

1395 Rue Notre Dame

Saint-Cesaire, QC

J0L 1TO

We thank you for your support, and we hope above all that your bookshelves and coffee tables will be filled with copies of The Catholic Home for generations.

Cheers,

Kennedy Hall

Editor

P.S. Spread the word! If you would like to hand out copies, let us know; thecatholichome@gmail.com.

Prayer Crusade: The Mass and Vocations—our treasures

Dear members of the Society, my dear faithful and friends.

Last year, on November 11th, we asked for your generosity to help intensify our petitions towards Heaven, in order to obtain, through a prayer crusade, the liberation of the Mass and the influx of many vocations.

This crusade ended on Holy Thursday and we have now gathered together the results. With overwhelming joy, we will have the honour of solemnly handing them over to the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Heavenly Mother, on the first day of the month dedicated to her, being also the Feast of Saint Joseph.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all most warmly for the commitment and zeal with which you responded to our urgent appeal. In these trying and difficult times for the Church and her children, the sight of a worldwide holy alliance of prayer is a powerful comfort for souls, and a firm pledge of hope in the unfailing assistance from Heaven.

How grateful we are for the motherly assistance of the Blessed Virgin Mary! All over the world, the same observations have been made: despite the health restrictions and the other difficulties of all kinds, the faithful are flocking in ever greater numbers to the altars where our priests offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. In many places, the number of faithful has even doubled. How can we explain this remarkable growth?

Firstly, it is the power of the rosary: infallible and always efficacious with the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The rosary acts like a magnet attracting to God souls that recite it, and drawing down God’s blessings upon them - and around them.

Secondly, it is through the tireless and ingenious dedication of our priests, to whom I also express my deepest gratitude. Even sometimes by taking risks, they have sought to rival each other, with zeal and fervour, in guaranteeing access to the sacraments, for the benefit of your souls, and thus attracted many new faithful. Thanks to their sometimes daring docility and the freedom of action they enjoy within the Society, their priestly ministry has never ceased to shine forth in a magnificent way and to spread divine life in abundance.

Finally, it is also by the renewed fervour and eagerness with which each one of you undertakes to work for your own sanctification. It is undeniable that circumstances are shaking off the sluggishness in which our souls were perhaps slumbering. In these difficult times, as in others previously, Divine Providence makes use of the evils it has allowed, in order to spur us on. Since we fear of being deprived of it, we appreciate more the value of the Mass. We seek the sacraments with a greater eagerness and we cherish even more the spiritual benefits when we are able to receive them.

So with these sincere thanks, I also want to encourage you. Our Prayer Crusade must not stop here! The world and the Catholic Church need people who pray, and who sanctify themselves, so that Our Lord Jesus Christ may extend His reign on this earth, firstly in them and then through them, to all those who fall under their influence. The Church and the world are dying. God needs souls that are alive and whose spiritual vitality is like new blood for the regeneration of society. God’s holy will is your path to holiness.

May this intention for vocations remain very present in our hearts. There must be nothing more important to us all than to help encourage generous souls to consecrate to God their whole life and all their strength.

May God bless you, assist you in your generosity and grant that you may all abide in His charity!

Dillwyn, April 25th, 2021, on the Feast of Saint Mark

Don Davide Pagliarani, Superior General

Rosaries counted to 30th April 2021

SEMINARIES

Saint Pius X Seminary - Ecône                         21’382

Holy Curé of Ars Seminary - Flavigny              14’107

Sacred Heart of Jesus Seminary - Zaitzkofen    9’118

Saint Thomas Aquinas Seminary - Dillwyn      14’322

Holy Cross Seminary - Goulburn                      4’307

DISTRICTS and AUTONOMOUS HOUSES

Africa                                                            147’341

Asia                                                              402’988

Australia / New Zealand                                135’236

Austria                                                            63’786

Belgium / Netherlands                                    16’982

Canada                                                          165’352

France                                                            296’830

Germany                                                        175’573

Great Britain / Ireland                                      31’950

Italy                                                                 61’622

Mexico                                                            102’695

South America                                                148’954

Switzerland                                                     131’796

United States                                                  282’508

Brazil                                                                30’615

Central America / Caribbean                            29’223

Eastern Europe                                               167’741

Spain / Portugal                                               17’614

Contemplative House - Montgardin                   2’967

Saint Theresa's Novitiate - Salvan                      4’432

Lebanon                                                          20’630

TOTAL                                                       2’500’070

Forming Catholic Children

https://catholicconferences.bandcamp.com/album/forming-catholic-children-frs-beck-themann-sspx

These exciting lectures discuss the proper formation of children based upon traditional Catholic principles, and were given November 12 - 13, 2010 at St. Michael's Chapel in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Pope Pius XI points out in His Encyclical on Christian Marriage (Casti Connubii), that “Christian parents must understand that they are destined not only to propagate and preserve the human race on earth, …but to educate children who are to become members of the Church of Christ, to raise up fellow citizens of the saints and members of God’s household (Eph. 2:19).”

Indeed, husband and wife receive their children from the hand of God as so many talents committed to their charge, to be restored to God with interest on the day of reckoning. St. Augustine declares that among the blessings of marriage, children hold the first place, and should be begotten of love, tenderly cared for and educated in a religious atmosphere.

How is this possible in today’s modern world? What principles should parents be guided by in maintaining a home life that’s happy and well ordered, while at the same time providing their children with the virtue and strength of character called for in this life and in the next? Many good parents have asked these very questions. In response to so great a demand (and given its importance, especially in our age so hostile to the family), these conferences were given to provide parents with the essential building blocks of a good Catholic home: love and discipline.

Based upon the understanding that Education is truly an art (and therefore governed by definite principles), Fathers Beck and Themann establish these same principles in light of the Catholic faith, and help parents to understand practically what they can do in their own homes to raise their children well for the world they’ll be going into. These talks are sure to be of great benefit to all parents looking to give their children the best formation possible, a work of love that reaches even unto eternity, both for the parents and for the children entrusted to their care.

released May 6, 2015

Father Gerard Beck was ordained in 1996 and is responsible for overseeing the schools operated by the Society of Saint Pius X in the USA. He is a frequent speaker on family and education issues.

Father Daniel Themann was ordained in 2009 and was a professor at St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary in Winona, Minnesota from 2012 - 2015. He currently presides as Rector of Holy Cross Seminary in Goulburn, NSW Australia.

SSPX Catechism Videos

SSPX News is posting an excellent catechism series on the church crisis in which we currently find ourselves.

Click the poster below to view their videos.

February 2021 - District Superior's Letter: Be not Afraid with their Fear

Be Not Afraid with Their Fear

“But if also you suffer any thing for justice' sake, blessed are ye. And be not afraid of their fear, and be not troubled.” (I Pet. 3, 14)

Dear Friends and Benefactors,

 “Their fear” in St. Peter’s epistle is the pagan’s fear.  He has neither Faith in God, nor hope of eternal life. For him, nothing is to be feared more than pain and death. If death threatens and pleasure is still possible, he is prepared to do much to avoid death for when the end comes, all is lost. If his only hope is for pain and sorrow, why should he not commit suicide by euthanasia?

For the Christian, there is no such fear.  Jesus Christ has destroyed death and its fear because He has given us eternal life, first of the soul by grace and then of the body. Like David of old, who slew Goliath and cut his head off with Goliath’s own sword, Jesus Christ “dying, destroyed our death, and rising, restored us to life.” The fear of the Christian is not the first death of the body, but the death of the soul and the second Death in hell: “And I say to you, my friends: Be not afraid of them who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will shew you whom you shall fear: fear ye him, who after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell. Yea, I say to you, fear him.” (Lk. 12, 4-5)

Today, we can see the fearful response of the pagan to the Coronavirus.  “We must protect ourselves against the virus, therefore churches must close (religion is not “essential”); we cannot take risks (because nothing is worse than death); but we definitely need entertainment (so professional sports and filming for Netflix must continue).  The pagan also, being a slave, doesn’t think for himself, but simply “believes the experts” and does everything the Government tells him to do.  But the Christian remains free; guided by right reason and Faith, he will only obey God – and man insofar as God gives that man power to command.  That is why we should consider the question of whether it is licit to take the vaccines for the coronavirus.

Vaccines in themselves

The first thing to note are that vaccines in themselves are not evil and so, putting aside questions of prudence, it is not a sin to take a vaccine. The second thing to know is that no government has the right to force citizens innocent of any crime to take medical treatment any more than it has the right to make you marry or brush your teeth. 

That being said, if I think that I should take a vaccine, I must be sure that it is morally good. Let us imagine four vaccines: one produced by the St. Raphael Vaccine Co. Inc., another by the Acme Vaccine company; a third by the Satanic Vaccine company, and the last by the Money Without Morals Vaccine Co. (MWM)

In the first case, by hypothesis, taking the vaccine involves no sin anywhere along the way. Moreover, St. Raphael’s vaccine is tried and tested and there is moral certainty that the benefits will outweigh the downsides.

The Acme Co. has produced a vaccine without sin – but of questionable efficacy, and the long-term side effects are still unknown. I need to consider carefully whether I take it or not, weighing the good and bad effects, as well as the urgency of finding a remedy, since I may not be very much at risk from the disease in question.

The last two companies have developed vaccines using human tissues taken from murdered babies.  The Satanic Vaccine company requires that I consent to the grievous sin that is abortion.  In no circumstances may I take this vaccine as it necessarily involves sin on my part, and I must die rather than commit sin.

The MWM Co. does not care whether I consent to the evil of abortion or not as its only concern is financial profit and (presumably) the elimination of disease. If I consent to the evil that the baby die so his tissues can be used to make a vaccine, I am guilty of what is called formal cooperation in evil, and I commit a sin, since I directly approve of the evil means that were taken.   

But, if I in nowise consent to the evil action itself (abortion), although benefitting somehow from its consequences by taking a vaccine cultured in, or at least tested on, aborted fetal cells, this is not necessarily a sin. By making use of the fruits of an evil action I engage in what moral theologians call material cooperation in evil, which may or may not be allowed depending on the closeness of the cooperation, the seriousness of the evil that I cooperate in, and the damage caused to a third party.

Coronavirus Vaccines

If we now apply this to the Coronavirus vaccines, we will see now that there are many different vaccines in production.  We know that the Government does not have the power to force me to take the vaccine. I must decide in accordance with my normal rules of action: right reason and God’s Law.

If the vaccine is not derived from a sinful source, the question is really one of prudence. To act prudently, I must have moral certainty that it is going to do more good than harm. I should consider the gravity of the disease. If I am at little risk from any serious consequences from the infection, it doesn’t seem proven that I should be immunised – particularly if the experts say that the vaccine does not stop infection or transmission but merely limits symptoms. If moreover, the vaccine is experimental and the side-effects are relatively unknown, I might well be puzzled.

If the vaccine is derived from a sinful source, and I consent to this evil, then to take this vaccine would be an evil act because, in such a case, I would be guilty of formal cooperation in evil.  Material cooperation (as explained above) is not intrinsically evil but requires a proportionate cause.  Supposing I need to take a vaccine, I should take the one that is not tainted by an abortion, as clearly there is no proportional cause for taking a tainted vaccine if I can take an untainted one. But, if I cannot take the untainted vaccine, I must ensure that my motives for taking it are serious enough to justify material cooperation.  In this – as in other cases of moral perplexity on a serious matter, I may do well to consult a wise priest.

Objection

Some argue that it is intrinsically evil[1] to use a vaccine from a tainted source. They are wrong. It is not by definition wrong to use something obtained by sin. The harlot who gives $5 earned by sin to a beggar does not place him in a situation where he must starve rather than spend it, he can accept the help without approving of her sinful occupation. A tenant can rent an apartment which was built on Sunday; he is not obliged to abandon it. A student can use knowledge that he had acquired using stolen textbooks; he is not obliged to unlearn it.  Or, to take an example from history, Winston Churchill said to justify some actions during World War II, “I have lied many times for my country, and I will lie many more times.” Nonetheless, it is not a sin for us to benefit from his victory over National Socialism, even if that victory was obtained, at least in part, by evil. 

In other words, to profit from an evil action is not always and necessarily to give consent to the evil action, and therefore it is not intrinsically evil, although it is true that such profiting from evil is ordinarily to be avoided, since, if we do not have a “proportionate cause” or justifying reason, it is wrong to cooperate even “materially” in a violation of God’s law.

Better than either of these extremes – giving blanket permission to take the vaccine, or forbidding it absolutely as intrinsically evil – is the opinion (in my view) of those churchmen who urge Catholics to boycott any vaccines derived from tainted sources, because, as they argue, when everyone takes them without scruple, it encourages abortion and the grisly trade in human body parts. The Pope and the bishops, for the common good, could well order all Catholics to this boycott. Whether they do or not, we must follow the principles of morality which absolutely forbid formal cooperation in evil, and allow material cooperation in evil if – and only if – there is a proportionate cause.

Fr. David Sherry
District Superior.

February 2021

[1] Intrinsically evil means “evil by definition” and thus cannot be done under any circumstance.  An example is blasphemy, which is defined as “an insult given to God.”  An action is extrinsically evil if it is evil not by definition but through some circumstance. Singing “Three Blind Mice” is not evil by definition, but would be extrinsically evil if done during Mass.

PDF: letter_fb21-02.pdf

Rosary Crusade!

New Rosary Crusade Announced by Superior General for the Mass & Vocations

Letter below, submit totals here:

Fr. Davide Pagliarani, Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius X, has asked members of the SSPX, as well as faithful and friends to embark on a rosary crusade with the special intentions of freeing the Mass and gaining Vocations: November 21, 2020 (Feast of the Presentation) - April 1st, 2021 (Holy Thursday)

Dear members of the Society, my dear faithful and friends.

This is an energetic and passionate appeal to all of you, and to all those to whom you can pass on this request: "Let us unite our forces to obtain from Heaven the unconditional freedom to celebrate Holy Mass publicly and to attend it!" The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is what we hold most dear to our hearts. May it once again be celebrated with complete freedom: it contains the solution to all evils, to all illnesses and to all fears.

To this we add another equally important prayer intention: vocations! Let us all pray, let us beg Heaven to send many labourers into the Lord's vineyard. We need many holy priests. Our seminaries must always be full! Souls are hungry and there are not enough priests to satisfy their needs.

Can we remain insensitive to the current situation? Our Lord has promised us: "Every one that asks, receives; and to him that knocks, it shall be opened". (Matt. 7:8) Let us therefore do our part. Graces are only obtained if they are asked for with insistence.

My dear friends, I therefore invite each and every one of you: both the young and the old; lay people and those consecrated to God, I implore you to join this Prayer Crusade for the Mass and for Vocations. The Crusaders set out to deliver the tomb of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us set out to deliver the treasure of Christ the King - His testimony of love!

When will we embark on this Crusade? On November 2lst, Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the temple.

Who will be the Commander in Chief of this Crusade? She who stood at the foot of the Cross and to whom it was said: "Woman, behold thy son!" She who is therefore responsible for taking care of us, whose heart is so good and whose power of intercession is infallible!

What weapon will we use? The one given to us from Heaven: the Holy Rosary. A weapon that is easy to obtain, easy to handle, of immense effectiveness on the Heart of God and which routs the devil, the sworn enemy of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and of priests!

When will this Crusade end? On Holy Thursday (April 1st 2021), the day we commemorate the institution of both the Mass and the Catholic priesthood - the two things we hold most dear.

To whom will we deliver the results of this Crusade? To the Blessed Virgin Mary, herself. Each district will organise the collection of individual results and forward them to the General House, in due course.

If Heaven, through the intervention of Our Lady, offers us the possibility, the Society will organise a spectacular pilgrimage of thanksgiving to Lourdes, in October 2021.

May God bless you and may He bless your generosity! 

Menzingen, November 11th, 2020, on the Feast of Saint Martin of Tours,
Don Davide Pagliarani
Superior General

Public Profession Follow-up!

Father Michael McMahon leads Catholics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in a Profession of Faith in front of City Hall on the feast of the Assumption, August 15, ...

A Review

by Craig MacFarlane

(Also posted here: https://catholicfamilynews.com/blog/2020/08/17/our-lady-honored-publicly-report-on-rosary-in-calgary-canada/

To say that the Catholic Church has seen tumultuous times in her 2000-year history is an understatement.  Yet the last six months have seem incredibly tumultuous times for the Church the world over, with the government imposed restrictions on Catholic worship, the surrender of the Church’s hierarchy to the same government (archbishop Vigano and Bishop Schneider are notable exceptions), and a surge in vandalism of several Catholic churches, statues and cathedrals in North America and Europe.  Like Attila the Hun in the 5th century and his barbarian hordes, we are seeing hordes who have no respect for God’s law or Western Catholic Civilization.

These times of error and unrest cry out for prayer through a public profession of Faith acknowledging and honouring the sovereign rights of Almighty God and begging His protection. One may be tempted to keep the Catholic faith hidden inside our homes, however, the greater the dangers the Church faces, that much greater should be the counterattack from the faithful.  When Attila sought to destroy Rome, Pope Leo the Great and other faithful of the city went out to meet him face to face. More than ever is the time to take the Faith out to the public and publicly proclaim that the world needs Jesus Christ, His Church and His Blessed Mother.  The reason the world is in such a state of turmoil is because our Civil and Ecclesiastical leaders have rejected the Social Kingship of Christ.   Error and vice reign supreme today, because Christ has been dethroned in society.

The great St. Pope Pius X wisely said “The times we live in demand action – but action which consists entirely in observing with fidelity and zeal the divine laws and precepts of the Church, in the frank and open profession of religion…” With these words of the great pontiff in mind, and taking Pius X’s papal motto to “Restore all things in Christ to heart”, Catholics in Calgary, Alberta boldly endeavoured to make a public profession of Faith. On August 15, the glorious Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, over 300 Catholics– including 4 priests, a religious sister and a seminarian - gathered in front of City Hall to make a public profession of faith.  This Profession of Faith was organized by SSPX priest Fr. Michael McMahon and parishioners of St. Dennis Catholic Church.

Fr. McMahon began the Profession with a stirring address to the hundreds of faithful in the plaza of City Hall, stating the necessity of the event : “We are professing the one true Faith. That faith revealed by Our Lord Jesus Christ to honour his Father, Almighty God, for the salvation of souls; that Faith which was sealed by his blood.” In his address, Father held up as example the 17th century crusader king of Poland, John Sobieski, who said “it is better to perish, then to live even one year in slavery.”  Father encouraged everyone to live the noble examples of our ancestors, by publicly professing the faith not only on this day, but the days of our life.  

After Father’s address, he led the faithful in the recitation of rosary, and the litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The climax of the day was the renewal of the baptismal promises, where Satan and his works were firmly and publicly renounced.  It seemed that the Blessed Mother looked favourably on the actions of the day, as the weather was glorious.  The sky was blue, without a cloud; a pure blue, a reminder of Our Lady’s colour.

It wasn’t possible to just show up and pray in public without first preparing.  A lot of preparation and thought went into this event.  A novena to the Holy Ghost was prayed every day after Mass at St. Dennis until August 14. Posters were made to attract the interest of Catholics from around the city. Large banners were made that said “One Faith, One Lord, One Baptism”; “Pray the Rosary for Peace” and “Hail Holy Queen.”   A sound system with four speakers was set up so the rosary could be heard blocks away.  Hundreds of booklets were printed with the program for the Profession. Divine Providence arranged that August 15 was also the day St. Dennis was assigned all day adoration, so while most faithful were in front of City Hall praying, some stayed behind to adore the Blessed Sacrament. 

How fitting it is to make a profession of Faith by publically honouring Our Lady and praying her rosary in public! In his address, Fr. McMahon aptly drew out the pivotal role of Our Lady as Mediatrix of all graces has.  She who places our prayers at the foot of the Holy Trinity and gives us graces from God that we need to live according to that Catholic faith.”  How can we not acknowledge that Our Lady is the answer to the crisis in the Church and the world?  She is the one that will bring victory and triumph to the Church when Russia is consecrated to her Immaculate Heart.

The weapon She has given to us to fight for this Triumph is the Rosary. Heaven has given more power to the Rosary than ever before.  When the Virgin Mary appeared in Fatima Portugal on May 13, 1917 she said, “Pray the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the World.”  Sister Lucia, the great Fatima Seer said “There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the Holy Rosary.” 

Therefore, the battle plan is drawn, and the weapon has been forged.  Catholics are called to enlist in the Queen of Heaven’s army, take up the Rosary, and march to battle.  The Public Profession of Faith in Calgary was just an example of God’s battle plan for the Church.  It is hoped that this event will happen every year in the city, and also inspire Catholics around the world to organize similar events.  The more the world turns against God’s Church, the more Catholics ought to push back.  As the prayer of reparation to the Sacred Heart says, “The more Thy Holy Church is despised, the more we shall endeavour to be her faithful children, O Sweet Heart of Jesus!” 

Public Profession of Faith—August 15

According to the measure given to each, (we must) exert ourselves to hasten the work of God...  by affirming both in word and deed and in the light of day, God's supreme dominion over man and all things, so that His right to command and His authority may be fully realized and respected.

— Pope Saint Pius X

​Dear Friends of Christ,

In honor of the most holy Mother of God—by whom The Blessed and August Trinity is most perfectly praised and through whom all graces from that Eternal Throne are mercifully and plentifully distributed to mankind—the Holy Rosary will be prayed on Saturday, August 15th at the Municipal Complex Plaza in downtown Calgary at 11 AM, along with the public renewal of our baptismal promises.  All men and women of good will are strongly encouraged to attend this important profession of our holy Faith.

These times of sin and sickness, error and unrest, demand that the children of God publicly cry out and witness to the greater honor of Almighty God and for the salvation of immortal souls that there is but one Way, one Truth and one Life; one Lord, one Faith and one Baptism.  As the great saint quoted above sadly lamented:  "For who can fail to see that society is at the present time, more than in any past age, suffering from a terrible and deep-rooted malady which, developing every day and eating into its inmost being, is dragging it to destruction?  . . . this disease is apostasy from God . . .  And as might be expected, we find extinguished among the majority of men all respect for the Eternal God, and no regard paid in the manifestations of public and private life to the Supreme Will - nay, every effort and every artifice is used to destroy utterly the memory and the knowledge of God." ( from E Supremi Apostolatus)

As dire as things may seem, as daunting today that task of defending, restoring and spreading the Kingdom of God upon earth, we must courageously, dear friends, follow the heroic pope's admonition to "take courage in Him who strengthens us; and setting ourselves to work, relying on the power of God, proclaim that We have no other program than 'of restoring all things in Christ' (Eph. I, 10), so that 'Christ may be all in all things' (Col. III, 2).  The interests of God shall be our interest, and for these we are resolved to spend all our strength and our very life.

As Saint Paul so perfectly attests: "No one can lay other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ" (I. Cor. III, 11). It is Christ alone "whom the Father sanctified and sent into this world" (Is. x, 36), "the splendor of the Father and the image of His substance" (Heb. I, 3), true God and true man: without whom no one can know God with the knowledge for salvation, "neither doth anyone know the Father but the Son, and he to whom it shall please the Son to reveal Him." (Mat. XI, 27.) Hence it follows that to restore all things in Christ and to lead men back to submission to God is one and the same aim.

Let us, confirmed soldiers of Christ, generously answer the clarion call to this much needed public profession, by wielding the great spiritual weapon of the Queen of Heaven's Holy Rosary, and sally forth since "The times we live in demand action - but action which consists entirely in observing with fidelity and zeal the divine laws and the precepts of the Church, in the frank and open profession of religion, in the exercise of every kind of charitable works, without regard to self-interest or worldly advantage. Such luminous examples given by the great army of soldiers of Christ will be of much greater avail in moving and drawing men than words and sublime dissertations; and it will easily come about that when human respect has been driven out, and prejudices and doubting laid aside, large numbers will be won to Christ, becoming in their turn promoters of His knowledge and love which are the road to true and solid happiness."  AMEN.


Yours in Christ the King,

Father Michael McMahon
 

"If it be just in the sight of God, to hear you rather than God, judge ye. 
For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."
— Acts 4:19-20

---

Saturday, August 15
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

11:00 AM
Rosary in square in front of City Hall

City of Calgary City Hall (PLAZA)
800 Macleod Trail SE, Calgary, AB T2P 2M5

---

A New, New Norm!

Now therefore perform ye it also in deed. 
— II Corinthians 8,11

Dear Faithful,

In the daily lexicon, the latest catchword fast closing in upon our currently cherished comrade and constant companion social distancing is The New Norm.  Preaching from the roof tops (a socially distanced and thus currently acceptable place, of course), our intrepid leaders, social experts and media gurus are relentlessly encouraging us to prepare for the new norm i.e. a new manner in which we will need to live our lives in this bright, new, controlled, yet ever-lurking-virus world.  This new norm, however, is not really new at all, having been oft foisted upon an unwitting, unprepared, lethargic and lazy populace in ages (and not so distant ages) past.  

Have we forgotten the New Norm following Friar Martin's heretical hammer tacking and attacking the Divinely established Church of God and the authority which guides, steers and defends that singular Barque of salvation?

Have we forgotten the New Norm in France, overturning altar and throne, beheading Christian civilization through the brazen proclamation of the spurious rights of man and declaration of independence from the rights of God through the sharp shrieks of Madame Guillotine?

Have we forgotten the New Norm of Comrade Lenin's Soviet Utopia and the heavy hand of Uncle Joe Stalin bloodily enforcing the People's Paradise with an iron fist and an Iron Curtain?

Have we forgotten the New Norm of good Pope John's Vatican Council and the New Norm imposed upon a hapless people through a New Mass, a New Law, a New Catechism?

Far from a new norm, this is simply the next step, a further and deeper implementation of the revolution; the final stages, perhaps, in that long struggle first announced in the primordial, subversive war cry of the ancient enemy,  the Adversary:  I will not serve!  That clarion call of pride, rejection and revolution, hatred of all that is true, good and beautiful.

Now, my dear friends, please hold onto your hats, for I wish to say, state and boldly declare . . . that we should, yes, each and every one of us, man, woman and child unequivocally, absolutely, without restraint nor hesitation, body and soul, whole heart, mind and will, accept and adopt into the very depths of our beings, into the very fiber of our existence, a New Norm.  The time has come to finally and unreservedly capitulate.  Let us stop dragging our feet, and get in step!  I can almost hear the jaws dropping.  Have you gone mad, dear Father?  Too much of the Canadian cold?  Yes, my dear friends, raving mad, crazy even, nay foolish, a fool:  . . .  for we are made a spectacle to the world, and to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake (I Cor 4. 19-20).

Now, for the sake of clarity, sanity and sanctity, let me explain and exhort:  A New Norm, yes, but the correct, the objectively real New Norm, the only Norm.  There is one, and there is only one, and the time has arrived for us to completely convert to it, to wholeheartedly embrace it, to unfailingly live it to the very best of our powers and capabilities.  Plain and simple, always true, ever old, yet always new, it is the everlasting Covenant between God and men, the one true Faith, sealed once and for all in the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ!  This norm, this recognition of the greatest of realities, this perfection and fulfillment of all life, truth and holiness, born through the Incarnation, Life, Passion, ignominious and bloody Death upon the sacred wood of the Holy Cross through which came the newness of life and the most normal of norms.  And He that sat upon the throne, said: Behold, I make all things new (Apoc. 21,5).  

The principles of this Norm must be received and taught, understood and embraced, loved and lived by each and every man and woman brought into this world.  We must practice what we claim to believe, not merely in the sacristy, not only in the church, not just privately in our homes, but every waking moment, every single day, every single thought, word and action before the eyes of the entire world for the restoration of The Norm, submission to the will of God, Creator and Redeemer:  Omnia et in omnibus Christus!  Did not the inspired Apostle Saint Paul say that whether you eat or drink do all for the glory of God!  

My dear friends, NOW, NOW, NOW is the acceptable time, not a moment to lose.  We have tarried far too long on the primrose paths of mediocrity and acceptance; sat disinterestedly by in the comfort of climate control, playing with our gadgets, watching filth from Hollywood as blasphemy has been spewed, the rights of God trampled, our holy Faith mocked, the Sacred Name of the Savior bandied about as a common curse, and the very persons of Our Lord and the Immaculate Virgin Mother ridiculed, ignored and forgotten.  NO MORE.  Let the blood boil.  We must now live like there is no tomorrow:  NOT, eat drink and be merry; rather Jesus, Joseph and the Immaculate Mary!  

The words written by Saint Paul to the Colossians above summarize perfectly the attitude of the baptized and confirmed soul, the soldier of Christ:  Our Lord Jesus Christ must be all in all things;  not all in some, not some in all, not a sometimes thing, not just when we pray, or feel holy and good, not just in church nor in private moments of devotion or desolation, but all and everywhere, to the depths of our being, penetrated and permeated by His Spirit; a burning desire to enkindle to the ends of the world in each and every soul, bar none, the knowledge and love of Christ the King . . . and what is more, the willingness to pay any price to see that it be done or to die trying.  The time has come for heroes, let us fill this role!   As the wayward and their ilk fearlessly fly their flag of multicolor, let us in righteous reply, to them and anyone else, anywhere, anytime, for any reason who dares cry out "We will not have Him reign over us," bravely unfurl the banner of Christ the King, the standard of the Cross, the wood of our salvation, the glorious emblem of peace, justice and true charity, and make our own the glorious words from the Vesper's hymn for the Feast of Christ the King:

We acknowledge Thee, Christ, to be Lord of the ages, King of the nations and only Master of man's soul and heart.
The wicked mob screams out, "we don't want Christ as King," while we, with shouts of joy, hail Thee as the world's Supreme King!

May the rulers of the world publicly honor and extol Thee; may teachers and judges reverence Thee; may the laws express Thine order and the arts reflect Thy beauty.
May kings find renown in their submission and dedication to Thee;  bring under Thy gentle rule our country and our homes!

AMEN!!!

Today, my dear friends, is the Vigil of the Voice crying in the wilderness, the Precursor, Saint John the Baptist, manly model of virility and virtue, fearless and humble, brave and unfettered by human respect, singularly devoted to duty and the will of God in the face of any and all opposition; a man, a model, a saint.  This is a perfect time to attend Holy Mass and renew our baptismal promises, fervently begging from Almighty God the graces to become His voices crying out in this modern wilderness of darkness, death, evil, error and sin.  Let us make firm resolutions which will fortify our souls and correspond to those divine graces given at Confirmation when we were anointed as soldiers of Christ, spiritual warriors, to propagate the Faith and defend the rights of Our Lord and His Holy Church.  This is NOT an option, it is our sacred trust and duty, and our greatest honor!  As the great Saint Chrysostom boldly wrote:  We have been armed with such powerful spiritual weaponry, not that they may lie idle and unused, but rather firmly grasped in order that we may bravely sally forth to battle!

God needs nothing, but He does want our cooperation, desires to "dine with us."  He wishes to give us gifts beyond compare, and a peace and joy which the world simply cannot begin to understand.  Yet He does not compel nor force; He respects the great gift of free will with which we are endowed. He only knocks at the door.  We must open. He daily rains down the manna from Heaven, yet we must go forth and gather.  Many are called, few are chosen.  We must ourselves manifest the greatest of gratitude and thanksgiving for remaining on the path, keeping that door open, and truly display it by a daily deepening of faith and charity not in word alone, but ever more fervently in deed before this poor Godless world.

Here is a short, but important list of potential and quite powerful resolutions that can be made by anyone in order to sally forth to this battle:

• Frequent attendance at Holy Mass (source and center of all grace, strength, peace and joy!)

• Careful attention to our daily prayers (which should be scheduled into our daily routine as befits such sacred acts)

• 15-minute daily meditation/mental prayer ( use the recommended book The Prayer of Love and Silence)

• A serious program to study our Faith, as well as modern errors

• Read, read, read (shut off the gadgets, the movies, the TV!)

• Strenuous and calculated avoidance of the occasions of sin

• Make a spiritual retreat

• Crush human respect and defend our holy Faith and morality at every possible occasion

• Frequent recitation of the prayer to Saint Michael---Defend us in battle!

• Consecration to Our Lady: our life, sweetness and hope...calling upon Her most terrible as an army arrayed for battle!

Let us repeat frequently in this desperate battle, from which the weak and mediocre will be swept away, vomited from His mouth, the Deus in adjutorium meum intende, the Audjutorium nostrum in Nomine  Domini . . . and the prayer to the Warrior of God, Saint Michael, that we remain numbered in that small band of noble and faithful followers, like Gideon's, the ones who will manfully carry the fight against an overwhelming foe to manifest the glory and power of Our Lord!

As the great G.K. Chesterton wrote:  The Christian ideal has not been tried and found lacking; rather it has been found difficult and left untried.  God forbid, that Catholic souls, baptized in the Blood and anointed as His soldiers would leave this life-giving ideal "untried."  Allow me to conclude with the beautiful prayer from the Holy Mass of the saint of my ordination day, Saint Paulinus, June 22nd:

 O God, who hast promised a hundredfold hereafter and life everlasting to those who leave all things in this world for Thy sake;  grant in Thy mercy that following in the footsteps of the holy bishop Paulinus, we may despise the things of this world and desire only those of heaven. 

Be assured of my fervent prayers at the Holy Sacrifice each day, that once resolved, we will persevere, for to these are promised the crown!

Yours in Christ the King,

Father Michael McMahon