Cleansing Fire

Defending Truth and Tradition in the Roman Catholic Church

Author Archive

John Allen to address DOR Ministerium

April 2nd, 2011, Promulgated by Mike

John Allen, “the fair-minded nearly ubiquitous columnist and nearly only redeeming factor for the dissenting National Catholic Reporter” (according to Fr. Z.), will address the DOR Ministerium on May 24.  His topic will be “The Future Roman Catholic Church.”

Allen’s talk would seemed to be based on his 2009 book, The Future Church: How Ten Trends Are Revolutionizing the Catholic Church. Amazon.com plugs it as follows …

What will the Catholic Church be like in 100 years? Will there be a woman pope? Will dioceses throughout the United States and the rest of the world go bankrupt from years of scandal? In THE FUTURE CHURCH, John L. Allen puts forth the ten trends he believes will transform the Church into the twenty-second century. From the influence of Catholics in Africa, Asia, and Latin America on doctrine and practices to the impact of multinational organizations on local and ethical standards, Allen delves into the impact of globalization on the Roman Catholic Church and argues that it must rethink fundamental issues, policies, and ways of doing business. Allen shows that over the next century, the Church will have to respond to changes within the institution itself and in the world as a whole whether it is contending with biotechnical advances—including cloning and genetic enhancement—the aging Catholic population, or expanding the roles of the laity.

This announcement lists the intended audience as  “All lay ecclesial ministers of the Diocese of Rochester.”


A recipe for vocations

April 1st, 2011, Promulgated by Mike

From Called By Name, the blog of Fr. Kyle Schnippel, Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati …

I was raised in a very small town, roughly 1,000 people all together, even including the surrounding countryside. To say everyone knew everyone would be an understatement! Despite the small size, and the fact that only 50% of the town is Catholic (Lutherans and Methodists make up the rest), my home parish has sent five sons to the seminary in the last 20 years. Two of us have been ordained, two were in the seminary and left, one is currently in the college seminary. A remarkable feat, which continues to stun me, even seven years after my own ordination.

Even though my home parish is so small, there is a dedicated army of ‘adorers’ who spend at least an hour a week in front of Our Eucharistic Lord, present in the monstrance. From the close of the last Mass on Sunday at noon through Friday evening, at least one person (and usually two) is scheduled to spend an hour to watch and pray with Our Lord. In no mere coincidence, this dedication to prayer started roughly as this little vocation wave started to take shape. Because it is such a small community, everyone feels an obligation to keep Our Lord company: from the elderly who cover some of the early morning hours while everyone else is home asleep or the midday hours as others work, to students from school who walk over after school to spend an hour with He who created them. Moms and dads of young families take the late evening shift, after the kids have been tucked safely away. Others fill in as they can and are able. From the time this started when I was in high school to today, I know not to call my mother on Tuesday evenings, for she has to keep her hour at Church.

Especially in periods of Adoration, we see Christ face to face, as it were, and encounter Him at a deeper level. During these times, are hearts are opened to experience the great love of Christ who came that we might have life through Him. In these moments, the initial stirrings of a vocation are heard, the longing of the heart is kindled, and the soul is strengthened to follow where ever God calls. For this, and so much more, whenever someone asks what they can do to support vocations, I urge them first and foremost to prayer before Our Lord during Adoration. It is a prayer time unlike any other.

Full post here.

DOR Catholic Schools – 1979 vs 2010

April 1st, 2011, Promulgated by Mike

A few days ago Dr. K. posted a bulletin excerpt from Peace of Christ Parish which  referred to the decline of Catholic schools in Metropolitan Rochester. While not mentioning a precise year, the snippet stated there were once 21 “urban” Catholic schools on the east side of the river and another 14 on the west.

Matthew Clark was installed as Bishop of the Diocese of Rochester in 1979 so that seemed like an interesting year on which to base an historic look at DOR’s Catholic schools. That year’s edition of the Official Catholic Directory showed a total 40 Catholic schools listed under what it termed “Metropolitan Rochester,” 21 of them on the east side and 19 on the west. Also listed were another 9 Monroe County Schools in the OCD’s “Outside Metropolitan Rochester”  category.  A list of those 49 schools and their 1979 enrollments follows.


Monroe County Catholic Schools - 1979

  School                     City/Town Students   Total
  Annunciation               Rochester      196
  Blessed Sacrament          Rochester      138
  Corpus Christi             Rochester      210
  Holy Apostles              Rochester      289
  Holy Cross                 Rochester      282
  Holy Family                Rochester      131
  Holy Rosary                Rochester      330
  Most Precious Blood        Rochester      225
  Our Lady of Good Counsel   Rochester      266
  Our Lady of Perpetual Help Rochester      226
  Sacred Heart               Rochester      423
  St. Ambrose                Rochester      620
  St. Andrew                 Rochester      380
  St. Anthony of Padua       Rochester      193
  St. Augustine              Rochester      339
  St. Boniface               Rochester      260
  St. John the Evangelist    Rochester      299
  St. Monica                 Rochester      315
  St. Philip Neri            Rochester      271
  St. Salome                 Rochester      247
  St. Stanislaus             Rochester      250
  Our Lady of Lourdes        Brighton       180
  Our Lady Queen of Peace    Brighton        96
  St. Anne                   Brighton       210
  St. Thomas More            Brighton       201
  St. Pius Tenth             Chili          588
  Holy Ghost                 Gates          290
  St. Helen                  Gates          415
  St. Theodore               Gates          455
  Our Lady of Mercy          Greece         170
  Our Mother of Sorrows      Greece         460
  St. Charles Borromeo       Greece         462
  St. John the Evangelist    Greece         425
  St. Lawrence               Greece         262
  Guardian Angels            Henrietta      200
  Christ the King            Irondequoit    250
  St. Cecilia                Irondequoit    455
  St. James                  Irondequoit    242
  St. Margaret Mary          Irondequoit    300
  St. Thomas the Apostle     Irondequoit    349
Total – Metro Rochester                          11,900

  Nativity of the B.V.M.     Brockport      175
  St. Jerome                 East Rochester 196
  Good Shepherd              Henrietta      350
  St. Joseph                 Penfield       484
  St. John of Rochester      Perinton       209
  St. Louis                  Pittsford      405
  St. John the Evangelist    Spencerport    265
  Holy Trinity               Webster        366
  St. Rita                   West Webster   431
Total – Outside Metro Rochester                   2,881
Total – Monroe County                            14,781


There were also another 23 Catholic schools in the remaining 11 counties of DOR.

Catholic Schools Outside Monroe County - 1979

  School                  City/Town    Students   Total
  Holy Family             Auburn            110
  St. Hyacinth            Auburn            194
  St. Mary                Auburn            283
  St. Agnes               Avon              137
  St. Mary                Bath              109
  St. Mary                Canandaigua       311
  St. Vincent de Paul     Corning           128
  St. Mary                Dansville         204
  Our Lady of Lourdes     Elmira            197
  St. Casimir             Elmira            205
  St. Mary                Elmira            267
  St. Francis de Sales    Geneva            288
  St. Stephen             Geneva            264
  St. Ann                 Hornell           240
  St. Mary Our Mother     Horseheads        256
  Immaculate Conception   Ithaca            200
  St. Michael             Newark            338
  St. Patrick             Owego             124
  St. Michael             Penn Yan          151
  St. Patrick             Seneca Falls      258
  St. Mary                Waterloo          241
  St. James               Waverly           128
  St. Joseph              Wayland           120
Total - Outside Monroe County                     4,753

Total - All DOR Elementary Schools (1979)        19,534

As seen above, these 72 Catholic elementary schools were educating a total of 19,534 students in 1979.

Fast-foward to 2010

The 2010 edition of the OCD is the latest one available. It shows that last year the diocese had 24 Catholic elementary schools, 11 of which were combined into the Monroe County Catholic School system which did not break down enrollment by school but, instead, provided the OCD with a summary number.

All DOR Catholic Schools (2010)

  School                             City/Town    Students  Total
  Monroe County Catholic Schools - Comprised of      3,446
    Christ the King                  Irondequoit
    Cathedral School at Holy Rosary
      (formerly Holy Rosary)         Rochester
    Seton Catholic
      (formerly Our Lady of Lourdes) Brighton
    Our Mother of Sorrows            Greece
    St. John Neumann
      (formerly St. Ambrose)         Rochester
    St. Joseph                       Penfield
    St. Lawrence                     Greece
    St. Louis                        Pittsford
    St. Pius X                       Chili
    St. Rita                         West Webster
    Siena Catholic Academy
      (formerly St. Thomas More)     Brighton
Total - Monroe County                                       3,446

  St. Joseph                         Auburn            173
  St. Agnes                          Avon              123
  St. Mary                           Canandaigua       202
  All Saints Academy                 Corning           129
  Holy Family                        Elmira            144
  Holy Family Middle                 Elmira             98
  St. Francis de Sales               Geneva            130
  St. Ann                            Hornell            86
  St. Mary Our Mother                Horseheads         98
  Immaculate Conception              Ithaca            106
  St. Michael                        Newark            120
  St. Patrick                        Owego              61
  St. Michael                        Penn Yan          114
Total - Outside Monroe County                               1,584

Total - All DOR Elementary Schools (2010)                   5,030

As the above data shows, the Diocese of Rochester has closed 48 (66.7%) of its 72 Catholic elementary schools and has lost 14,504 (74.3%) of its 19,534 Catholic school students in the first 31 years of Matthew Clark’s tenure as Bishop of Rochester.

It would seem thus difficult to assert that Catholic schools have been high on Bishop Clark’s list of priorities these last 31 years.

UPDATE: I realize the 3 tables above are in a font size so small as to make reading difficult for some.  This seems to be due to a limitation inherent in the WordPress software we use at Cleansing Fire that I have not been able to find a way around.

Those desiring a larger font size may view these tables in PDF format.  Click here.

“Vibrant schools and vibrant parishes go hand in hand”

March 27th, 2011, Promulgated by Mike

By 2018 Archbishop Robert Carlson of St. Louis wants every Catholic child in his archdiocese to be attending a Catholic school.

… Sixty-six percent of Catholic children of elementary school age and 35 percent of high schoolers in the 11-county area covered by the archdiocese attend Catholic schools. “This is unacceptable,” Carlson said. “We cannot permit half of our children and youth to ‘fall through the cracks’ and remain untouched by the teaching and practice of our church.”

While these enrollment numbers seem astronomically high by DOR standards, Catholic schools in the archdiocese have been undergoing something of a decline.

Charts released by the archdiocese gave a stark picture of the problems that Carlson faces. Since 1960, annual tuition at Catholic elementary schools has risen from near zero to close to $4,000. During the same period, enrollment, which peaked in 1960 around 90,000, has dropped to near 30,000, and the number of elementary schools has fallen to about 125 from more than 200.

To reverse those trends, Carlson laid out a plan with three priorities:

  • Schools must have a vibrant Catholic identity, with everything about its programs grounded in the teaching of the church. “We must never impose our Catholic faith on anyone,” Carlson said in a pastoral letter released along with his presentation, “but we should be eager to share what we believe with others – inviting them to learn, to pray and to serve with us.
  • In what he said may be the greatest challenge, schools must be financially healthy and provide tuition help to those who could not otherwise attend. “The cost of a Catholic school education threatens the continued existence of too many schools in our archdiocese,” he said.
  • Schools must be growing through active recruitment and enrollment management. “We cannot be content with the status quo, or, worse, with declining enrollments in our schools,” he said.

The archbishop has developed some broad ideas as “the result of several months of community meetings and listening sessions involving nearly 3,000 people.”

“The ideas came from the parishes,” Carlson noted. “We didn’t do this stuff in the back room. We never want to have things so centralized that we take away local interest and support.” Carlson said four concepts will drive the improvements: catechesis (faith education) and academic excellence; evangelization; social justice; and stewardship. He stressed that vibrant schools and vibrant parishes go hand in hand, with each drawing strength and enthusiasm from the other.

By 2018, according to his vision, “Catholics who once left the church will be coming home. Registrations and parish membership will be increasing; Sunday Mass attendance and the reception of the sacraments – especially the sacrament of penance – will be on the rise. Youth and young adult ministries will be vibrant. Increasing numbers of Catholics will be actively involved in a variety of parish-based ministries.”

… Carlson said Catholic schools are vital to the future of the faith.

“Our biggest challenge,” he said, “is having parents realize that the best way to hand on the Catholic faith is the Catholic school.”

Full story here.

Spiritual testosterone

March 26th, 2011, Promulgated by Mike

Bishop Robert Vasa was recently installed as coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Santa Clara after serving for over a decade as ordinary of the Diocese of Baker.  According to a recent NCR article many in eastern Oregon lamented His Excellency’s exit while others expressed “delight or relief at his departure.”

Citing an 18% drop in the number of Catholics in the first 10 years of Bishop Vasa’s tenure despite a simultaneous 16% increase in overall population, NCR claimed that he had “in effect implemented” Pope Benedict XVI’s “notion of a smaller, more orthodox Roman Catholic church.”

Many attribute the decline to Vasa’s hard-line policies, rigid theological interpretations and what they describe as a markedly top-down leadership style short on compassion.

At the same time, supporters laud his “upholding of the magisterium” and “never compromising the faith,” in the words of one.

For his part Bishop Vasa seemed unapologetic …

“I would say the polarity here maybe has been emphasized a bit because I am standing in a position and in a way which has not been stood in as strongly before,” Vasa told NCR.

“I suspect Jesus was not all that popular, push come to shove,” he said. “There is always the possibility that someone is going to reject the truth, but that does not excuse me from teaching it.”

“Routinely and regularly I receive messages from across the U.S., both positive and negative, which would indicate that there are folks who feel polarized in their own diocese,” he said. “Some are praying that I never show up in their diocese, and some pray that I come there.”

“I think when someone stands up a little more strongly, a body of people are going to be very agreeable to that, while a body of people are going to find that very disagreeable. The more mellow an individual is, the less he does, the less he speaks, the fewer people he offends on either side,” he said.

“So it seems to me the more clearly we teach there is going to be an initial polarizing effect, but ultimately if we teach the truth” and “we teach that truth with compassion,” he continued, “people have to make a decision about that teaching. They can accept it, or they can reject it, but their acceptance or rejection is not the criterion for its truthfulness.”

And what did His Excellency do that ruffled so many feathers?  Judging by the space allotted to it, NCR seems to think his most egregious error was expecting Catholics to be … well … Catholic.

Vasa galvanized a traditionalist support base as well as outspoken opposition in 2004 when he promulgated a diocesan requirement that persons involved in parish ministries — notably in catechetics and service at Mass — provide full assent to a dozen doctrinal statements in what was called the Affirmation of Personal Faith

[Bishop Vasa introduced the Affirmation of Personal Faith in a 2004 Pastoral Letter entitled Giving Testimony to the Truth. Complete copies of both are available here.]

The required “affirmations” included teaching on homosexuality, contraception, chastity, marriage, abortion, euthanasia, the presence of Christ in the Eucharist, Mary, hell, purgatory and the authority of the church.

Objectors charged that the requirement was a thinly disguised loyalty oath devoid of room for individual conscience. Others questioned the choice of the stipulated teachings. Some pointed to what they said was a focus on “pelvic issues.”

Supporters praised the move, calling it timely and undiluted doctrinal teaching.

Vasa wrote at that time, “It may happen that some Catholics claim a right to ‘religious dissent,’ from even the serious moral teachings of the church” but this “does not carry with it a corresponding ‘right’ to hold positions of esteem as a catechist or liturgical minister.”

Parishioner Leigh Casler was among those who objected to the Affirmation of Personal Faith.

Casler said she wrote Vasa “numerous times” about the Affirmation of Personal Faith and met with him twice …

“During one of the audiences,” she added, “when I asked him about the importance of an individual’s conscience in terms of decision making, I remember very clearly that he said I had been improperly catechized. He said that if a person was properly catechized, his or her conscience would be formed by the Catechism and would naturally follow all the church teaching and that an individual’s conscience was only valid if it was in line with church teachings. It chilled me. Why did God give each of us a brain, a heart and the power to reason if he didn’t intend for us to use them?”

Not too surprisingly, NCR allowed Casler’s question to just hang there, unanswered. A more balanced account might have noted that His Excellency had already addressed her concerns in Giving Testimony to the Truth

While there is a possibility that someone may object that such a policy is an unjust infringement on an individual’s right and duty to follow their own conscience such an objection is invalid. Conscience is not something which exists in a vacuum. No one can claim a legitimate right to follow a conscience which is clearly not formed in a fashion consistent with the very clear teachings of the Catholic Church. The following of one’s own conscience is a strict moral obligation but that obligation is preceded by the obligation to assure that the conscience one is following is properly formed. When that conscience leads to judgments which are diametrically opposed to the clear and consistent teachings of the Catholic Church then the conscience has established itself as a new and individual, infallible personal magisterium which far exceeds the definition of conscience. Furthermore, it is one thing to claim a right to follow one’s conscience, even if it is erroneously formed, it is quite another to insist that one be afforded certain privileges, to which one has no right, while following that manifestly ill-formed conscience.

As one of Bishop Vasa’s supporters has said,

He stands his ground … It’s hard to continue saying there are absolutes in a world that is taught there’s no such thing as absolutes. I wish more bishops had the spiritual testosterone that he has displayed.

“Understanding” Roman Catholicism

March 24th, 2011, Promulgated by Mike

A large postcard from the Lakeshore Community Church (LCC) showed up in yesterday’s mail.  On the front is a photo that appears to have been taken inside Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, along with the phrase “Understanding Roman Catholicism,” with the latter two words much larger than the first and in a font that seems to have been chosen to evoke feelings of shabbiness, disorder or decay.

On the back is a large banner that asks …

So You Want To Understand Roman Catholicism?

… and beneath the banner is this message from LCC …

If you have ever wanted to understand Roman Catholic teaching in light of the Bible, you’re not alone. Many people wrestle with what it all means and how much it applies to their life today.

At Lakeshore, we’re taking a careful look at Roman Catholic teaching from history, councils, quotes of leaders, and official catechisms and will compare them to the appropriate verses in the Bible. We think you’ll be intrigued by the comparison and learn more about both in the process.

Our promise? No Catholic bashing because we believe people matter to God. Our request? Check us out with an open mind and then reach your own informed conclusions.

On nothing more than a whim I googled the phrase “Understanding Roman Catholicism” (with the quotes) and a very interesting resource popped up.  It is a book by that name written some 16 years ago by Rick Jones.  According to Amazon.com,

Rick was born and raised a Roman Catholic which laid the foundation for his third book, “Understanding Roman Catholicism”. Being saved out of Catholicism caused him to experience the dramatic difference between the emptiness of religion and a fulfilling personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In addition, in 1987 God led Rick to Chick Publications, where he has worked for the last twenty years. It was there that he began an extensive study of official Catholic beliefs and learned the stark differences between Catholicism and the Bible. Not wanting a single Catholic to miss heaven, this book was written to offer Catholics true Biblical salvation, which they will never find in their religion.

Chick Publications has conveniently posted a version of this book online so it is possible to get some idea of what Jones means by “the stark difference Catholicism and the Bible.” I am not,however, going to spend any time critiquing Jones’ arguments as they are really quite sophomoric. You can check them out for yourself or take a quick look at this thread from Catholic Answers Forums where several people say essentially the same thing.

While Jones’ book contains elements drawn from “history, councils, quotes of leaders, and official catechisms” and bears the same name as LCC’s series of talks, I don’t know for sure that LCC plans to base its presentations on this particular resource.  Even if it doesn’t, though, I expect LCC will rely on something similar.

I doubt that LCC will pick up any new members from among those Catholics who actually know their faith.  The problem is that, in this diocese anyway, there are thousands who don’t – both practicing and non-practicing.

As one of the members of the Catholic Answers Forum wrote,

The problem is that as practicing Catholics, we know to avoid Chick publications – Protestants and non-practicing Catholics don’t. We know how to knock down his arguments – non-practicing Catholics don’t.

Fr. Kennedy: Church has no teaching on sinfulness of pedophilia

March 17th, 2011, Promulgated by Mike

Matt Abbott, over at RenewAmerica.org, has picked up on some information I have been aware of for a while now.

Father Robert Kennedy of the Diocese of Rochester, who’s presently in public ministry and presumably a priest “in good standing” [click here], wouldn’t say that pedophilia is a sin and said the Bible doesn’t condemn homosexuality, according to a book by Paul Likoudis, news editor of The Wanderer, a Catholic newspaper.

Likoudis’ book, AmChurch Comes Out: The U.S. Bishops, Pedophile Scandals and the Homosexual Agenda, released in 2002, is still timely and contains a wealth of information.

The following excerpt comes from the chapter titled “Bishop Matthew Clark and Gay Activism”:

‘Among the facilitators at the October 26, 1996 ‘Day of Reflection’ was Father Robert Kennedy, assistant professor of Liturgical Studies and Coordinator of Student Formation at St. Bernard’s Institute, who, at the time, ‘has been in ministry with gay and lesbian Catholics for 15 years.’

‘At a talk he gave earlier in March that year, reported extensively in The Wanderer of April 18, 1996, Father Kennedy taught not only that the Bible does not condemn homosexuality — he said the Church has no teaching on pedophilia.

‘Scriptural passages which ‘fundamentalists’ interpret as condemning homosexual acts, he said, must be re-interpreted in terms of the cultural beliefs of the time, and are no more binding than ritual prescriptions which bar the eating of shellfish or the wearing of clothing made of two or more different fabrics.

‘At the end of his talk, during the question and answer period, one of the audience asked Kennedy if pedophilia were a sin, and Kennedy responded that he didn’t know of any Church teaching on the subject.’ [pp. 102 and 103] [Abbott is in error here; this quote, while accurate, is actually found on page 62.]

Now, technically speaking, the Catechism of the Catholic Church doesn’t mention the word “pedophilia,” but please! How about paragraph number 2389 of the Catechism? Given the context of what Father Kennedy was talking about and the fact he was attempting to justify homosexual behavior, one could easily conclude by his response to the audience member that the Church somehow tacitly approves of adults having sex with children. (I can just hear the chorus of Catholic-bashers now.)

Again, Father Kennedy reportedly made those remarks in 1996, several years prior to when the clergy abuse scandal first “exploded” in the news. I’ve seen or heard nothing that he’s since publicly retracted them. However, I’ll bet anyone a dollar that, if asked the same question on pedophilia today, he’d have a different response.

Of course, should Father Kennedy e-mail me a clarification saying that he fully supports and promotes the Church’s magisterial teachings on sexual morality, I’ll gladly print it.

Also of note: In 2004, Father Kennedy was one of 35 priests of the Diocese of Rochester who joined 23 priests of the Archdiocese of Chicago in signing a letter protesting “the use of violent and abusive language directed at” homosexual persons by “the Vatican, bishops’ conferences and individual bishops.” (Source) Given that the Diocese of Rochester has been a cesspool of heterodoxy and moral corruption for years, this isn’t at all surprising.

A few bad apples? More like someone poisoned the orchard.

(For those interested in purchasing a copy of AmChurch Comes Out, please e-mail me for the ordering information.)

It would seem that Abbott is currently reading his way through AmChurch Comes Out, as the chapter he quotes from  (“Bishop Matthew Clark and Gay Activism”) is but the first of three consecutive chapters spanning some 50 pages and touching on what he terms the “cesspool of heterodoxy and moral corruption” in the Diocese of Rochester.  In the following chapter, “Always Our Children: Bishops Acting Up,” Likoudis both details the history behind the release of “Always Our Children: A Pastoral Message to Parents of Homosexual Children and Suggestions for Pastoral Ministers” and presents a strong critique of its underlying theology.  The chapter also details many of the activities then taking place in DOR in what can only be seen as an attempt to encourage parishioners to be more welcoming of practicing homosexuals and more accepting of their lifestyle.

The third chapter in this trilogy, “Brainstorming In Rochester: Pushing The Gay Agenda In Schools & Parishes,” takes a long look at the 1998 meeting of the National Association of Catholic Diocesan Lesbian and Gay Ministries which convened in Rochester. Here we once again run into Fr. Kennedy as Likoudis offers his assessment of the conference (page 99),

Even though there were no ground-breaking, creative or original thoughts expressed at this NACDLGM conference, this Rochester meeting was highly significant in several respects:

  • It showed that “queer theology” has reached its completion as a composite of psycho-babble and pseudo-theology, cemented by the language of dissent.
  • It showed the anti-apostolic spirit of homosexual activists who, despite their aged, enervated, debilitated and often sick appearance, are determined to be missionaries for a “queer church” — and have the support of at least 58 bishops.
  • It provided irrefutable evidence of how the pontificate of John Paul II has been rejected by Bishop Matthew Clark and his top theologians, starkly illustrated by Rochester priest Robert Kennedy’s lament the Church needs to develop a “biblical theology of creation… about what our sexuality means” — apparently unaware Pope John Paul II began his pontificate with a most comprehensive commentary on Genesis and the theology of the body and the meaning of sexuality.
  • It demonstrated that Clark’s chancery apparat — his top officials — are determined to deceive Catholics about Church teaching, exemplified by the “pastoral” advice Sister Kay Heverin, SSJ, “pastoral associate” at St. Mary’s Church gave one conference participant: “To be faithful to your conscience, you need to break the [Church’s] law.”
  • It illustrated the consequences of 20 years of institutionalized dissent, and the nasty intolerance for authoritative Church teaching by some of Rochester’s most prominent priests, religious and laity.
  • It proved homosexual activists working in Church structures are rabid in their determination to impose their ideology on parishes and schools, as Rochester Catholic Libby Ford — a partnered-lesbian and artificially-inseminated mother — showed when she exhorted her peers with children in Catholic schools or religion programs to insist children receive “no negative messages” about homosexuality — in effect, making children shills for the gay rights movement in the Church.

Five pages later, after describing addresses by two featured out-of-town speakers, Likoudis gets to three local presenters in a section entitled “Clark’s in-house wrecking crew.”

Among the line-up of speakers at this NACDLGM conference were three men who exemplify and epitomize the advance of the homosexual agenda in the Diocese of Rochester: Ex-priest Marvin Mich, on sabbatical from his position as professor of moral theology at St. Bernard’s Institute (Clark’s theologate); Fr. Robert J. Kennedy, professor of liturgy at St. Bernard’s Institute, and Monroe County Family Court Judge Anthony Sciolino.

Though not “plenary” speakers, Mich, Sciolino and Kennedy are three of Clark’s biggest guns in blasting away at both Church teaching and ordinary Catholic family life in the Diocese of Rochester.

Likoudis reports extensively on all three speeches but, as I am getting a little nauseous wading through all this garbage, you will have to contact Matt Abbott and pick up your own copy of the book to read the details.

Rochester seminarian instituted as Acolyte

March 7th, 2011, Promulgated by Mike

Peter Van Lieshout, a DOR seminarian at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, was instituted to the Ministry of Acolyte during the celebration of the Eucharist yesterday.  Peter was part of a group of 53 seminarians to receive this ministry.

His Eminence James Francis Cardinal Stafford, Major Penitentiary Emeritus and former Archbishop of Denver, celebrated the Mass and instituted the new acolytes. After handing to each seminarian the gold paten used in the celebration of the Eucharist, the Cardinal said, “Take this vessel of bread for the celebration of the Eucharist. Make your lives worthy of your service at the table of the Lord and of his Church.”

These seminarians have now received both the ministry of Lector and Acolyte in anticipation of their diaconal ordinations and, God-willing, priestly ordination. As the rite indicates, an acolyte is charged with assisting at the celebration of the Eucharist, purifying the sacred vessels and when needed to assist with the distribution of Holy Communion.

Story here.  Photos here.

Selected stats online for U.S. dioceses

March 6th, 2011, Promulgated by Mike

In obedience to St. Paul’s admonition to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5), we note that FutureChurch.org has an interesting and potentially helpful statistics utility available on its site.

The data comes from the Official Catholic Directory and is a subset of what one would find in its annual issues.  This limited data is available for every diocese, archdiocese and eparchy in the United States, but only for the years 1976, 1991, 2001, 2004, 2006 and 2009.

A couple of examples follow …



The utility may be found here.

Solemn Vespers – Photos

March 3rd, 2011, Promulgated by Mike

Here are some photos to accompany the video posted earlier today.

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George Weigel takes on 200 German theologians

March 3rd, 2011, Promulgated by Mike

InsideCatholic.com has posted George Weigel’s latest column wherein he calmly deconstructs a group of dissident theologians, many of  whom have spent their careers attempting to deconstruct the Church …

In anticipation of Pope Benedict XVI’s forthcoming visit to his homeland, more than 200 German theologians — men and women who have earned doctoral degrees in theology and teach in German universities — have issued a manifesto, “The Church in 2011: A Necessary Departure.” The manifesto itself does not identify the destination for which the Church is to depart, but the terminus ad quem seems reasonably clear from a careful reading of the document: Catholicism is to transform itself into another liberal Protestant sect by conceding virtually every point at issue between classic Christianity and the ambient culture of the postmodern West.

It is, perhaps, no surprise to find German Catholic theologians publicly supporting the ordination of married men and women to the ministerial priesthood (overtly), same-sex “marriage” (slyly), and full communion within the Church for those in irregular marriages (subtly but unmistakably). These causes have been espoused for years. German theologians dissented en masse from the 1993 teaching of Veritatis Splendor on the nature of moral acts and from the 1994 teaching of Ordinatio Sacerdotalis on the Church’s inability to admit women to Holy Orders. What was particularly striking about this new manifesto was its attempt to address serious problems with tried-and-failed solutions. That bespeaks a remarkable lack of intellectual creativity and historical sense.

Much more here.

Archbishop Carlson on the Third Commandment

March 3rd, 2011, Promulgated by Mike

Commentary from Archbishop Robert J. Carlson of St. Louis …

Last year when I wrote about the Third Commandment, I offered some fairly blunt reflections on our obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation. Here is what I wrote:

“I’m not going to sugarcoat the truth. Too many Catholics ignore their solemn obligation to attend Mass every Sunday. Parents who fail to bring their children to Mass on the Lord’s Day sin twice — by failing in their Sunday obligation and by being a source of scandal for their children.

“This is a serious problem for individuals, families, parish communities and for the whole Church. Sunday Mass is not optional. It is an essential requirement for all of us, and unless we have a serious reason, there is simply no excuse for missing Mass on the Lord’s Day. If through your own fault you miss Mass on Sunday, you are committing a serious sin. You should not receive holy Communion until you have gone to confession.”

The First Precept (law or commandment) of the Catholic Church is to attend Mass on Sunday and holy days of obligation and to keep the Lord’s Day holy by avoiding work or other activities that could prevent us from recognizing the sacredness of this time.

I didn’t sugarcoat my remarks on the serious obligation we have to observe the Third Commandment because it is so important to us as individuals and as members of the family of God, the Church. Without the Eucharist, we lose all sense of who we are as disciples of Jesus Christ and as members of His body. Without a serious commitment to worship God in word and sacrament on the Lord’s Day and other holy days of obligation, we cannot claim to be Catholics in good standing.

The Sunday eucharistic celebration, which may begin with the anticipated Mass on Saturday evening, is at the heart of the Church’s life. Sunday is that special day when we celebrate the Lord’s passion, death and resurrection until He comes again. It is here that we are fed with the Bread of Life. It is here that we prepare ourselves for discipleship and service during the coming week. If we fail to worship God on the Lord’s Day, we betray our baptismal promises and we neglect our responsibilities as disciples and as stewards of the mysteries of God.

I was blunt in my article on the Third Commandment because we need a wake-up call. Too many of us have forgotten how serious this obligation is and how important it is to our identity as Catholics.

More here.

DOR loses 1/3 of its Mass goers in 10 years

February 28th, 2011, Promulgated by Mike

71,901 souls were attending Mass in parish churches in the Diocese of Rochester last year, down from 75,376 in 2009 and 108,000 in 2000. This represents a one-year drop in parish Mass attendance of some 4.6% and a 33.4% drop in a mere decade.  Put another way, we have been losing  an average of 4.0% of our parish Mass attendees each year for the last 10 years.

DOR’s Average October Attendance numbers since 2000 look like this …

Plotted on a graph the numbers show a steady decline that gives no indication of slowing down (the uptick in 2001 is almost certainly due to the widely reported national surge in church attendance in the weeks immediately following the tragic events of 9/11/2001) …

Nationwide, Mass attendance is about 35%. In the Diocese of Rochester, noted for its widespread liturgical abuse and dissent from Church teaching, Mass attendance is now running at 23%.  Contrast this with the 62% Mass attendance rate in the Diocese of Lincoln, known for its fidelity to Rome.

“By their fruits you will know them.” – Jesus, as quoted in Matthew 7:20

‘Oprah nuns’ expanding to California

February 24th, 2011, Promulgated by Mike

Dovetailing on Bernie’s post comes this story from the Catholic News Agency …

One of the fastest growing orders of women religious in the United States is expanding to California where the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, took over administration of a Sacramento Catholic school this school year.

Perhaps more significantly, the Dominican Sisters have outgrown the motherhouse in Ann Arbor, Mich., and are planning to build two new houses of formation in California and in Texas. Each would hold about 100. The order’s lifestyle intrigued Oprah Winfrey, who featured the sisters twice on her show in 2010. As a result they have been nicknamed the “Oprah nuns.”

“We had 22 young women enter in August, and we have had between 10 and 20 new vocations per year for the past five years,” said Sister Thomas Augustine, director of California Mission Advancement. “It has happened to us before that by the time we finished adding onto the motherhouse in Ann Arbor we were already out of room! This time we are hoping to stay ahead of things so we are planning for two new houses of formation.”

Founded in 1997 by four Dominicans from the Nashville Dominicans, just 31 of the 110 Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, have made final vows so far. The remaining religious are in various stages of formation or education and discernment, said Sister Thomas Augustine.

“We’re not turning anyone away. We’ll sleep on the floor. We’ll live in kitchenettes, closets and landings. We have in the past,” Sister Thomas Augustine said.

The land in Loomis near Sacramento was purchased by Fred and Joan Cordova, a couple who received a direct-mail piece and called in 2005 to say they wanted the order to come to California and would buy the sisters land.

There are now eight sisters in the Sacramento diocese. Four are teaching at Presentation School, an elementary school that saw its enrollment jump by 44 students to 196 when the sisters took over in the 2010-11 school year, said Kevin Eckery, spokesman for Bishop Jaime Soto. “This is the first increase in enrollment in five years,” Eckery said.

Under the city of Loomis’ planning and building regulations, the sisters expect their application to be approved Jan. 18 and after negotiating details and meeting regulatory requirements to be able to build by 2012, Sister Thomas Augustine said. Funding for construction still needs to be raised, she said.

The religious’ primary apostolate is teaching. Sisters are sent out in small groups. They are teaching and administering Catholic schools in California, Texas, Arizona, South Carolina, and Michigan. A new mission will open next year in Columbus, Ohio, Sister Thomas Augustine said. Fifteen sisters are obtaining their teaching credentials this year and will go out to teach next year.

“We deliver a Catholic education because we are in the business of saving souls,” she said.

The order is part of a worldwide resurgence among religious orders who embrace the traditional religious life as part of Pope John Paul II’s call for a new evangelization, Sister Thomas Augustine said.

“The thing to note is what we all have in common: the habit, living a common life, devotion to the Eucharist and Our Lady, absolute fidelity to the Church’s teachings and the influence of John Paul II,” said Sister Augustine, who was a New York lawyer before she joined.

While all of the above is a great testament to the work of the Holy Spirit among those who are faithful and obedient to the Church, one “money quote” does stand out:

“We deliver a Catholic education because we are in the business of saving souls.”

Would only that DOR’s leaders had such a clear understanding of the fundamental purpose of Catholic schools (and, indeed, everything the Church does). Instead, our radio spots pitch “academic excellence and values that will make you proud” to parents and promise students “a lifetime of leadership and achievement.” All of that, while good, is merely secondary to the supreme law of the Church: the salvation of souls.

Cuomo, Communion and the Diocese of Rochester

February 23rd, 2011, Promulgated by Mike

From 13WHAM.com (my emphasis) …

Detroit, M.I. – A Vatican consultant said Roman Catholic Governor Andrew Cuomo should be banned from receiving Holy Communion, because he’s living in sin.

When Cuomo is not staying at the Governor’s Mansion in Albany, he lives with his girlfriend, Food Network personality Sandra Lee in a Westchester home.

Dr. Edward Peters, who is a professor at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, serves as a consultant to the Vatican court. He argued Cuomo should be denied communion.

“The governor, with complete freedom, is publicly acting in violation of a fundamental moral expectation of the church,” Peters said.

The Diocese of Rochester released this statement in response to the communion controversy:

“There are norms of the church governing the sacraments which Catholics are expected to observe. However, it is unfair and imprudent to make a pastoral judgment about a particular situation without knowing all the facts. As a matter of pastoral practice we would not comment publicly on anything which should be addressed privately, regardless if the person is a public figure or a private citizen.”

Cuomo’s press office has not commented on the situation.

In contrast with DOR’s statement, Canon Law (#915) states,

Those upon whom the penalty of excommunication or interdict has been imposed or declared, and others who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin, are not to be admitted to holy communion.

DOR seems to be saying there’s always a chance that Como and Lee are not persisting in manifest grave sin but are merely living together as brother and sister.

Right.

H/T: Cindy

Lexington Diocese leads in Catholics per ordinand

February 20th, 2011, Promulgated by Mike

From IChooseYou.com, the web site of the Office of Vocations of the Diocese of Lexington …

Lexington, KY ranks at the top of the list in Catholics per Ordinand. The results are for the three ordination years of 2007-2009. Lexington ordained 7 priests, with a total of 46,798 Catholics in 2009, making it 6,685 Catholics per Ordinand. The nationwide numbers were; 1,411 priests ordained, with 65,611,808 Catholics in 2009, making it an average of 46,500 Catholics per Ordinand.

The data is from the Winter 2011 CARA Report (Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate) from Georgetown University, which also published this table of  of the top 20 dioceses, as determined by their Ordinand-to-Catholic ratios.

CARA also reported on the top 20 dioceses (actually, due to a tie, the top 21) in total ordinations over the last 3 years for which data is available.

The report goes on to add …

CARA has compared the results of the five top-20 priest-to-parishioner comparisons for ordination years 1993–1995, 1997–1999, 2000–2002, 2003–2006, and now 2007–2009. Only 26 dioceses placed in the top 20 two or more times. In summary:

• Only the Diocese of Lincoln was in the top 20 all five times [Why am I not surprised?]
• Four dioceses were listed four times: Bismarck, Fargo, Peoria, and Wichita
• Nine were on the list three times: Alexandria, Atlanta, Birmingham, Knoxville, Omaha, Savannah, Sioux Falls, Tyler, and Yakima
• And 12 were listed twice: Charleston, Charlotte, Covington, Duluth, Gaylord, Mobile, Owensboro, Pensacola-Tallahassee, Springfield-Cape Girardeau, Steubenville, Tulsa, and Wheeling-Charleston

At the other extreme, for the three years 2007-2009, 11 dioceses with a total of almost 1,350,000 Catholics had no ordinations, and another 13 dioceses with almost 1,360,000 Catholics had only one.

On a local note, the Diocese of Rochester with its 309,773 Catholics had 4 ordinations during 2007-2009, which works out to 77,443 Catholics per Ordinand, as compared with the national average of 46,500.

Update: Rich Leonardi provides us with some of the history behind the Diocese of Lexington’s success story.  See here.

Eucharistic adoration transforms Massachusetts parish

February 19th, 2011, Promulgated by Mike

From SouthCoastToday.com …

A little church in a small town, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church was facing tough times. The congregation was dwindling, and Mass attendance was at an all-time low. The empty confessional was collecting dust, and donations were dismal.

But then the unthinkable happened.

Today, St. Francis Xavier [in Acushnet, MA]  is one of the most vibrant parishes in the diocese with standing-room only Masses, confessional lines, a busload of parishioners participating in the March for Life, and an abundance of freewill donations that will make them debt-free by April.

“Jesus is on the property,” said Mary Cardoza, the spark that inflamed the parish. “We are a church on fire.”

‘I was always a zombie catholic’

Brought up in a Catholic family, Mary Cardoza attended Catholic schools.

“I had one foot in the world and one foot in the Church,” she said.

But although she fulfilled her Sunday obligation, she never participated in church activities and often rebelled against the laws of the Church.

“I was always a zombie Catholic,” she said laughing.

When she turned 40, she decided it was time to cultivate a relationship with God.

“You only go to Him when you are in trouble,” she said.

She began meeting with a group for moms after church, who began teaching her about the faith.

It was on a group pilgrimage to the Divine Mercy Chapel in Stockbridge, where she had a life-changing experience. A message board of activities listed “Eucharistic Adoration”.

“What’s Adoration?” she asked the group. “Jesus is really in the Eucharist,” they answered. “But what do you do?” she asked. “You talk to Him,” they said. “Okay, so I go in there, kneel down and something happens — a spiritual experience. I’m on fire for an hour,’ she said.” I knew without a doubt Jesus was in the Eucharist. He was real. We were connected.”

Back at home, she had no idea what to do with her newfound faith.

After Sunday Mass, her pastor, the Rev. Daniel Lacroix, asked her to attend a Stewardship Committee meeting.

“So I go to this meeting, and it is the most depressing meeting I’ve ever been to,” she said. “They start telling me all the stuff that is wrong — church attendance and collections were down; no one was going to Confession; not many people were attending church activities. I go home and cry.”

But then, she said her prayers were answered with the solution to all that ailed her parish.

“I go back to Father Dan and tell him I have the answer — Adoration,” she said.

Lacroix offered her the use of a little room in the church basement, an exit hall to the elevator, but he had no funds to spare.

Shortly after, Cardoza received a phone call from a neighbor who had a package for her. It contained step-by-step instructions on how to start Adoration in your church.

“Her uncle had mailed it to her 10 years prior,” said Cardoza. “She had kept it until she found out about me.”

The next problem was that they needed kneelers, which cost about $500 each.

She received a call from another friend, who had started up a conversation with a woman wearing a Divine Mercy pin at Dunkin Donuts. When her friend mentioned that her church needed kneelers, the lady gave her a number to call.

“I called the number, and the Franciscans Sisters of the Immaculate in Fairhaven told me to pick up four kneelers that night,” Cardoza said.

Now, all they needed were adorers.

Cardoza spoke to the parishioners at all the Masses that weekend. She needed adorers to serve one-hour increments from Friday at 9:30 a.m. through Saturday at 3 p.m.

“Personally, I think Adoration is the best kept secret,” she told them. “I give Him all my problems; He gives me answers. I give Him all my fears; He gives me peace beyond any human understanding. I give Him my tears; He gives me joy. If you’re looking for a place to refuel with God’s graces to get through another hectic week, then Adoration is the place to be.”

Fifty people signed up.

In 2008, Lacroix was assigned to a parish on Cape Cod, and the Rev. Monsignor Gerard P. O’Connor became pastor of St. Francis Xavier’s.

“Monsignor looked at me and said, ‘Adoration in an exit hall? Put Jesus in the church,'” recalled Cardoza. “He loves Jesus with his whole heart and soul, and he loves his people. He puts Eucharist first and makes it the center, which brought the people back. As soon as he put Jesus in the church, Adoration exploded.”

Much more here.

Conspiracy or apathy?

February 18th, 2011, Promulgated by Mike

Michael Voris’ latest Vortex deals with what many see as the ongoing collapse of the Church in much of the Western world.  He’s not sure if this is the result of an overt conspiracy to take down the Church or merely the result of dissidence allowed to fester far too long by either apathetic or, sometimes, sympathetic bishops.  Ultimately, however, the cause is irrelevant as the results are the same.

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Voris contention that “what we have is a situation where dissidents who have stayed inside the Church – promoting the near collapse – are now ready … to seize control,” reminded me of a comment posted a year ago by one of our readers.

With regard to the late ’90s Corpus Christi – Spititus Christi schism Rob wrote,

We’re still feeling the aftershocks of Corpus Christi’s schism in many parishes across the diocese. 1/3 of the people decided to fight for change from outside the institution, 1/3 were Protestant and went elsewhere, and 1/3 stayed to fight for change from within. The situations at St. Mary and Assumption are examples of the 1/3 who stayed to fight from within.

Corpus Christi had long been the precious favored child of Bishop Clark, who nurtured and protected them when several people tried to expose their misbehavior and bring the parish back in line with the rest of the Church. He was heartbroken to see his efforts go up in smoke when the Vatican finally took action in 1998. Ever since then, he has been protecting the Corpus people who decided to remain in the Church, appointing them to high jobs in the diocese and many of our parishes. The bishop 100% agrees with the Corpus vision pertaining to homosexuality, the role of women, and Church governance. I don’t think there is anything out there that will disprove this assertion.

The Corpus Christi corruption of our parishes is not going to end until Bishop Clark is removed as bishop. The former Corpus parishioners will continue to infiltrate our parishes, one by one, and force their vision for the Church upon all of us. It will start with a homily here and a homily there from a lay person, but it will become so much worse as they assist to mold the parish to be the “inclusive” kind like Corpus Christi.

Thus, Voris could easily be talking about the Diocese of Rochester when he says,

[these people] have allies in the chanceries who stifle any attempt to fight back against their view of the Church. This is why they demonize faithful Catholics who want a return to piety and reverence and an emphasis on the sacraments and fidelity to the Holy Father.

The Third Rail

February 8th, 2011, Promulgated by Mike

I recently was prompted to recall a couple of 2 1/2 year-old comments on Rich Leonardi’s Ten Reasons.  I’ll get to what prompted me in a bit, but first those comments …

Kit, a frequent visitor to Ten Reasons, posted the following comment in October, 2008.

Readers should know that diocesan priests are treated like mid-level employees at the DOR. They are at the mercy of a number of lay administrators, financial auditors, and HR types who run the show. It is the latter who show up unannounced at rectories and Masses, and who report to the Bishop on the supposed “wrongdoings” of the more conservative priests.

As employees of a religious organization, priests (and other “renegade” conservative employees) are not subject to the same protections afforded most of us under State and Federal anti-discrimination laws. So yes, the DOR can fire these “at-will” employee priests for the iniquitous infraction of being, well, more Catholic than the Bishop.

Pray for us, that we are rewarded in 4 years with a successor who will undo the damage and heal the sucking chest wound that has been inflicted by the shepherd of Sacred Heart.

When another reader asked for “examples of what sorts of things a conservative priest might do which would be considered inappropriate by DOR,” Kit added these details.

… without causing trouble for or invading the privacy of those involved:

My first-hand sources advise that generally, any homily that forcefully sets forth traditional Church teachings on homosexuality (i.e., the idea of loving the sinner but acknowleding and calling the acts involved “sin” vs. total inclusion up to and including marriage), morality, modesty in behavior and Sunday dress, explaining why there will be no nuptial Masses for “mixed” (Catholic/non-Catholic or second (non-annulled) marriages, supporting the Church’s stance on female ordinations are inherently suspect. These topics can cause one to be privately counseled, particularly when a parishioner kicks up a fuss or is offended by it and calls Buffalo Road – such callers usually involve parents of gay adult children (who don’t like hearing that their actively homosexual child is living in a state of mortal sin), or people who are angry and blame the Church and/or the individual “hardliner” or “old fashioned” priest for refusing to marry them/a family member to a non-annulled or non-Catholic person.

Unfortunately, I can’t divulge further or be more specific than these rather commonplace occurrences – trust me, what I could tell you would be deeply shocking to most reading this – but I hope this gives you a sense, anyway.

Essentially, because the Diocese and its Bishop have been putting out the message that rules are meant to be broken, and have ratified and condoned the public statements and actions of [F]r. Joan, Charles Curran, and others of that ilk, anyone who tries to be a bulwark of the Truth is seen as an obstacle that must be disdained, humiliated, and ultimately removed. Worse, this Diocese’s laxity has led to a dilution of the “Brand” and an expectation that the person’s, and not the Lord’s, will shall be done here – that the Church must conform to the erosion of the culture in order to survive, and not the other way around. Embracing that disordered way of thinking has led to the mess the DOR is in today, whether those in charge deign to acknowledge it or not.

(The organ’s great, though, isn’t it? Heh.)

What prompted this trip down Memory Lane was one of Michael Voris’ most recent Vortx pieces.  In this episode he presents a report sent to him outlining the reception received by a transitional deacon who dared to preach a homily against contraception.

This response took place in what Voris’ correspondent termed a “good” diocese.  I shudder to imagine what might have happened had the diocese been DOR.

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By the way, the “recent Vortex episodes about contraception and its link to abortion” mentioned by Voris would appear to be this one and this one.

The Latin Mass

February 7th, 2011, Promulgated by Mike

Last July we celebrated the 3rd anniversary of the issuance of Pope Benedict XVI’s Summorum Pontificum.  This is the Apostolic Letter, issued by His Holiness motu proprio (on his own initiative), granting every priest of the Latin rite permission to celebrate Mass in Latin using the Roman Missal published by Bl. Pope John XXIII in 1962.  In doing so the Pope also did away with the requirement that the priest must first obtain the approval of his bishop before celebrating what His Holiness termed this “extraordinary form” of the Roman rite.

Michael Voris observed this anniversary in the July 8th issue of The Vortex, with one sentence in his report bringing to mind the situation in the Diocese of Rochester.  In describing the state of affairs in many dioceses in the years preceding the appearance of Summorum Pontificum, Voris says,

Even where some bishops have “allowed” the Mass, it’s almost always in some run down parish in the dangerous or seedy part of town at some really bad time of the day that makes it difficult for families to get to for all the above reasons.

Sounds an awful lot like home, doesn’t it?

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