Cleansing Fire

Defending Truth and Tradition in the Roman Catholic Church

Posts Tagged ‘Events’

Inaugural men’s conference set for May 16

March 6th, 2015, Promulgated by b a

Inaugural men’s conference set for May 16 By Mike Latona/Catholic Courier

The conference will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 16, in the gymnasium of St. John Fisher College in Pittsford. Also collaborating in the organization of the event is organizing the event is Exult Rochester — a coalition of Catholic men from Rochester-area parishes — in conjunction with the Diocese of Rochester. Registration is open to men in the diocese and beyond, with an attendance capacity of 1,000. Tickets are $50 per person and available at exultrochester.org.

Bishop Salvatore R. Matano will begin the event by celebrating Mass at 8 a.m. Three popular national Catholic speakers are scheduled to follow.

For more info see exultrochester.org.

Pictures from March for Life?

January 23rd, 2015, Promulgated by Diane Harris

If you have your own pictures from the 2015 March for Life which you’d like to see uploaded to this space, with a credit, please let us know at Contact@CleansingFire.org

Rochester Catholic Women’s Conference

January 18th, 2015, Promulgated by Hopefull

ScreenShot023 The Second Annual Rochester Catholic Women’s Conference will be held on Saturday, March 28, 2015 at Aquinas Institute.  If you remember, last year the event was sold out and there were many women who wanted to attend but could not.  If this is of interest to you, now would be the time to register, without waiting for the announcement detail to get around to your parish.

The entire program, registration information, costs etc. can be found here:  http://www.rochestercwc.org/index.html

You can also see a video from last year’s conference.

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“Restlest Heart” April 3

March 24th, 2014, Promulgated by Bernie

web poster Flyer

 

Reminder: Mass for Priestly Vocations – Friday, August 16

August 10th, 2013, Promulgated by Gen

This is just a reminder that on Friday, August 16th, at 6:30 PM, there will be a Mass offered at the Carmelite Monastery on Jefferson Road. The intention of the Mass is for an increase of priestly vocations. Fr. Michael Mayer will be presiding. Holy Mass will conclude with Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

Vespers 6

These events are wonderful opportunities to practice what we preach. We need priests badly, and if we gather together to pray for this intention, just imagine how much more efficacious our prayers will be!

 

Evening of Reflection with Mother Olga

March 11th, 2013, Promulgated by Dr. K

mother olgaSt. Pius X church will be hosting a special night of reflection for area Catholic women. Mother Olga Yaqob, founder of the Daughters of Mary of Nazareth, will deliver a reflection entitled “Faith Moves Mountains: In the Steps of Mary and Joseph.” The event will take place Friday evening, March 15th, from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM at St. Pius X church located at 3000 Chili Ave. Admission is free, and women of all ages are welcome to attend.

This evening of reflection is sponsored by the Station of the Cross. Mother Olga will also appear on Calling All Catholics the same day from 4-5 PM.

Information about Mother Olga is available here: http://www.dmnazareth.org/mother-olga-of-the-sacred-heart/

Sacrament of Penance Video Contest

January 30th, 2013, Promulgated by Dr. K

Near the end of 2012, the Diocese of Rochester began a video contest for area Catholic teens. These young adults were asked to produce a video on the Sacrament of Penance in honor of the upcoming diocesan Day of Penance on March 26th. Several videos were submitted and three finalists were chosen. Now, it’s up to the people to vote for their favorite! Public voting will account for 40% of the final vote tally (judges determine the remaining 60%).

I encourage everyone to watch the three videos posted below and vote for your favorite here:

http://forgiven.dor.org/index.cfm/is-this-your-first-visit/vote/register-email/

The first place winner will receive $500, second earns $250, and the third place finisher gets $100. Voting is open from January 29th through February 6th.

Finalist #1 – Video by: Anna Creatura


Finalist #2 – Video by: Francesco Iantorno


Finalist #3 – Video by: Kate Brooker and Kelly Smith

These teens put a lot of time and effort into these videos, so vote now!

St. John Bosco School Mission Breakfast

January 13th, 2013, Promulgated by Dr. K

St. John Bosco school will be holding a mission breakfast for interested parents to learn more about this alternative to diocesan Catholic schools. Below is a flyer promoting the event:

johnbosco

Though I’m personally unfamiliar with the school, I have heard nothing but great things about their program. If you’re considering a Catholic education for your son or daughter, please attend this event.

There will also be an open house on Tuesday, January 29th from 7-9 PM. This will be a great opportunity to tour the new school and meet teachers and parents of St. John Bosco students.

Upcoming Event: Rosary for Priestly Vocations – December 2 at Mother of Sorrows

November 18th, 2011, Promulgated by Gen

Many of you have doubtless attended the Rosaries for Priestly Vocations over the past few years. These events, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus Council 11411, always manage to be uplifting and spiritually beneficial to those who attend. The next service in this series will be at Mother of Sorrows Church on December 2, a Friday, at 7:30 PM. Fr. Alexander Bradshaw will be presiding, with Fr. Kellner assisting. Thank you to our readers, who keep us informed of such things!

Previous Vocations Rosaries:

St. Margaret Mary – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mac1br7S5Bw

St. Anne – http://vimeo.com/23284892

St. John Fisher College – http://cleansingfire.org/2011/09/rosary-for-vocations/

St. Thomas the Apostle – http://youtu.be/QaomsR8uBVo

Reminder: Solemn Vespers This Sunday at St. John Fisher College

September 21st, 2011, Promulgated by Gen

A brief reminder that this Sunday, the 25th, there will be Solemn Vespers in the Extraordinary Form offered at St. John Fisher College at 5:00PM. You can see previous events such as this here and here. The service will be held in the Coleman Chapel, attached to Murphy Hall. The entire service will be sung, alternating between Gregorian Chant and Renaissance polyphony.

The Rochester Vespers Choir will be singing for the college’s 9:00 PM Mass, as well.

 

Rosary for Vocations

September 15th, 2011, Promulgated by Mike

My video from Tuesday evening’s Rosary for Vocations held at St. John Fisher College:

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My observations: The sacred music selections (see below) were awesome, the choir’s rendition of same was superb and Deacon Tom Jewell’s homily, which begins at the 4:02 mark, was excellent.

Opening Hymn: The Royal Banners Forward Go
Sermon: by Dcn. Tom Jewell – “Nothing is Sacred Anymore”
Procession to the tabernacle: Christus Factus Est (Gradual for Holy Thursday)
Exposition: O Salutaris Hostia
Rosary: Salve Regina (chant)
Adoration: Jesu Dulcis Memoria (chant) with Jesu Rex Admirabilis (Palestrina polyphony) interspersed
Benediction: Tantum Ergo (chant, Pange Lingua melody)
Reposition: Adoremus in Aeternum (chant)
Recessional Hymn: Rejoice the Lord is King

Rosary for Vocations – September 13th at St. John Fisher College

September 12th, 2011, Promulgated by Gen

Photo of the Knights' last Rosary service, held at St. Anne Church

We would like to let you all know about an upcoming event which you should certainly consider attending. On September 13th at 7:30 PM in the Coleman Chapel at St. John Fisher, the Knights of Columbus Council 11411 will be sponsoring another Rosary for Vocations. Do consider going, as these are always very beautiful, prayerful events which have yielded great fruit.

The Knights of Columbus are always looking for volunteers for these events. If you are interested in helping in any capacity, just sent an email to us at contact@cleansingfire.org and we’ll forward it to the Council for you. They can use servers and singers, and are looking for an interested parish to host their Advent Rosary for Vocations. These services are solely based on volunteers, so please don’t hesitate to lend a hand – it’s a noble cause, to be sure!

 

Installation of Archbishop Chaput

September 9th, 2011, Promulgated by Gen

I tuned in to watch the Installation of Archbishop Chaput yesterday, and I really couldn’t help but be profoundly moved by the extreme reverence and humility of Philadelphia’s new Archbishop. His sermon, in my opinion, is one of the best ones I have ever heard (ranking alongside Bishop Slattery’s sermon at the Pontifical Mass at the National Basilica, which you can listen to here). I have taken certain parts of his sermon and put them here for your enjoyment. We must pray that, when Bishop Clark submits his resignation, we receive someone as dedicated to Truth as Archbishop Chaput is.

The relationship of a bishop and his local Church — his diocese — is very close to a marriage. The ring I wear is a symbol of every bishop’s love for his Church. And a bishop’s marriage to the local Church reminds me, and all of us who serve you as bishops, that a bishop is called to love his Church with all his heart, just as Christ loved her and gave his life for her.

Of course, my appointment to Philadelphia is an arranged marriage, and the Holy Father is the matchmaker. The good news is that romance is a modern invention — and given the divorce rate common today, it’s not everything it’s cranked up to be. In fact, history suggests that arranged marriages often worked at least as well as those based on romantic love. When arranged marriages were common, there was an expectation that people would get to know each other and then come to love one another. Good matchmakers were aware of the family history of each of the spouses and their particular needs. And the really wise matchmakers could make surprisingly good choices.

Our life together is part of the story of salvation, which God continues even into our own time. Mary didn’t expect the Annunciation. She didn’t expect to be mother of our Redeemer. And yet her act of obedience changed the course of history and led to a new covenant of love and fruitfulness. I have no illusions of being worthy of this ministry, but I do trust the wisdom of the Holy Father. So I’m deeply grateful for his confidence and the privilege of serving this local Church.

Along with a ring, two other symbols really define a bishop’s ministry. The first is the pectoral cross that rests next to the bishop’s heart. And Jesus tells us that if we want to be his disciples, we need to do three things (Mt 16:21-27): We need deny ourselves, we need to take up our cross, and we need to follow him. It’s vitally important for the bishop to really believe this, to live it, and to preach it, even when calling people to accept very difficult things in fidelity to the Gospel.

The second symbol is the crosier, which is a symbol of the shepherd. The Good Shepherd was the first image of Christian art created by the earliest disciples in the catacombs in Rome. One of first representations of Jesus we have is the Good Shepherd who carries a lamb on his shoulders. All of us, especially the people of Philadelphia, should keep that image in our hearts in the months ahead because the Good Shepherd really will bring the Church in Philadelphia through this difficult moment in our history to security and joy and a better future.

This installation today takes place in the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. The word cathedral comes from the Greek word cathedra, which means “the chair.” The cathedral is the church that houses the bishop’s chair, which has always been seen as another key symbol of the bishop’s role – in this case, his teaching authority. St. Augustine of Hippo, speaking in the 4th century captured the role of the bishop in these words. He said:

“Jerusalem had watchmen who stood guard . . . And this is what bishops do. Now, bishops are assigned this higher place” — the bishop’s chair in the basilica – “so that they themselves may oversee and, as it were, keep watch over the people. For they are called episkopos in Greek, which means ‘overseer,’ because the bishop oversees; because he looks down from [his chair] . . . And on account of this high place, a perilous accounting will have to be rendered [by the bishop] – unless we stand here with a heart such that we place ourselves beneath your feet in humility.”

Another time, on the anniversary of his episcopal ordination, Augustine described the bishop’s duties in the following way. He said (this is a big job):

“To rebuke those who stir up strife, to comfort those of little courage, to take the part of the weak, to refute opponents, to be on guard against traps, to teach the ignorant, to shake the indolent awake, to discourage those who want to buy and sell, to put the presumptuous in their place, to modify the quarrelsome, to help the poor, to liberate the oppressed, to encourage the good, to suffer the evil and to love all men.”

My dear brother bishops, it’s crucial for those of us who are bishops not simply to look like bishops but to truly be bishops. Otherwise, we’re just empty husks — the kind of men St Augustine referred to when he said, “You say, ‘He must be a bishop for he sits upon the cathedra.’ True – and a scarecrow might also be called a watchman in the vineyard.”

God bless Archbishop Chaput, and all our bishops, that they might not be mere scarecrows in the vineyard of the Lord.

(Below is the full video of Archbishop Chaput’s sermon. Please do watch it!)

Archbishop Chaput of Philadelphia: Installation Homily from Rocco Palmo on Vimeo.

 

Rally for Traditional Marriage

July 21st, 2011, Promulgated by Nerina

It’s been a while since I last posted anything on the board, but I was motivated to post the details of an upcoming rally scheduled for this Sunday in support of traditional marriage.  The following is taken from “Let the People Vote” website:

Governor Cuomo and the New York Legislature imposed same-sex marriage on New York with no vote of the people. Voters in 31 other states have been able to decide the definition of marriage for their states, but New Yorkers have been denied that right!

Stand up to protest the redefinition of marriage and demand your right to vote!

If New York is going to change the definition of marriage, it should be the People and not the politicians who make the decision!

Let the People Vote! Join us on July 24 [at 3pm] in NYC, Albany, Rochester and Buffalo to let your voice be heard!

The Rochester rally takes place at the liberty pole on East Avenue (directions can be found on the website).

P.S.  I hope to be blogging on other issues in the near future.

Mass at Ss. Peter & Paul

June 21st, 2011, Promulgated by Dr. K

Bishop Matthew Clark will offer Mass at Ss. Peter & Paul [Coptic] church this Sunday, June 26th, at 12 PM. Fr. David Reid, a former pastor of the parish when it was still Catholic, will concelebrate.

I pass along this information only because I know that there are a number of people who would like to see this beautiful building one last time. Personally, I don’t care for the idea of offering Mass in a non-Catholic Coptic church. Bishop Clark had the chance to offer Mass at Ss. Peter and Paul when the community held their closing Mass several years ago, but the bishop declined to make an appearance as he has done for each and every church closing since at least 2001.

Upcoming Lecture

June 6th, 2011, Promulgated by Dr. K

Dr. Janet E. Smith will deliver a pro-life lecture at Our Lady of Mercy high school entitled “The Right to Privacy?” The presentation will take place Thursday, June 16th at 7 PM.

Here is a description:

“Based on her new book, Dr. Smith’s talk will address the way in which a distorted view of freedom dominates various U.S. Supreme Court decisions on life issues under the guise of “the right to privacy.” Pope John Paul II, in The Gospel of Life, identified how this distorted view is one of the roots of the “Culture of Death.” Learn about some surprising connections between contraception, abortion, assisted suicide and same-sex unions.”

Admission is $25 per family, $10 per person, or $5 per student. All money raised will benefit St. John Bosco schools.

Please let the organizers know if you plan to attend by e-mailing them at: channa@johnboscoschools.org

or calling 585-678-4655.

Click here to view the flyer.

Upcoming Events

June 1st, 2011, Promulgated by Dr. K

Tomorrow (June 2nd): Feast of the Ascension

The Ascension is a holy day of obligation. Remember to attend Mass.

Saturday (June 4th): Priestly ordination

Deacon Dan Serbicki, a parishioner of Brockport’s Nativity parish, will be ordained a Catholic priest for the Diocese of Buffalo at St. Joseph Cathedral (Buffalo). The ordination Mass will start at 10 AM. Bishop Edward Kmiec presiding.

Saturday (June 4th): Diaconate ordinations

Eric Bessette, Donald Eggleston, John Hoffman, and Bob Lyons will be ordained to the diaconate for Rochester at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Bishop Matthew Clark presiding. The Mass will be offered at 10:30 AM.

Saturday (June 11th): Priestly ordination

Deacon Scott Caton, a parishioner of Our Lady of Victory parish downtown, will be ordained a Catholic priest for the Diocese of Rochester at Sacred Heart Cathedral. The ordination Mass begins at 10:30 AM. Bishop Matthew Clark presiding. This will likely be Bishop Clark’s final ordination as Bishop of Rochester since there are no seminarians scheduled to be ordained next year.

All are welcome to attend these ordination Masses.

Solemn Vespers at St. Anne Church – Rochester, NY

May 26th, 2011, Promulgated by Gen

Here is a video of the recent Solemn Vespers service held at St. Anne Church on May 22. It certainly looks and sounds like an amazing event, one which I hope to see emulated in other parishes around the Diocese. Remember, the laity are called by the Church to participate fully in Her Liturgy of the Hours (or Divine Office, etc.) – by praying Vespers, or Lauds, or any of the other hours of the Office, you are linking yourself, not only to the entire Church on Earth, but the Church in Heaven as well.

(Video courtesy of Bernie.)

Solemn Vespers – Tomorrow at 5:00 PM

May 21st, 2011, Promulgated by Gen

I promised a reminder a few days ago, so here it is:

Solemn Vespers tomorrow, Sunday May 22, at 5:00 PM at St. Anne Church. Fr. Alexander Bradshaw will be presiding, with Fr.’s Michael Mayer and Edison Tayag assisting. The service will include Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, so please do avail yourselves of this extremely special event! The evening will feature Gregorian chant and Renaissance polyphony, along with an organ repertoire spanning five centuries. Our very own Mike was present for the last service, and took the photos you see here.

So, if you’re free tomorrow evening and haven’t been raptured, go to St. Anne Church for Solemn Vespers. Something tells me you’ll be glad you did.

Some of you might be asking yourselves, “So what exactly are ‘Solemn Vespers?'” Essentially, it’s the Church’s official time for evening prayer. Indeed, for those of you who pray the current Liturgy of the Hours, many of your editions probably use the words “Evening Prayer” instead of Vespers, just to make things a little less complicated should the laity pray this beautiful treasure of the Church. Vespers in this case are a little different from what you may have experienced in your own parishes or prayer groups. For instance, there are five psalms in the Extraordinary Form, whereas in the Ordinary Form there are three. However, aside from the number of psalms and the locations of different prayers, the old and the new forms of Vespers are pretty much the same.

At the Second Vatican Council, the Church stated that praying the Divine Office (or Liturgy of the Hours, etc.) is wholly commendable and desirable, that it “may pervade and penetrate the whole of Christian prayer, giving it life, direction and expression and effectively nourishing the spiritual life of the people of God .” Pope Paul VI was speaking here specifically about the reformed prayer of the Church after Vatican II. However, through His Holiness Pope Benedict’s motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, it was been made clear that both the old and new versions of the Divine Office are precious and integral to the life of the Church. For this reason, it is the duty of our clerics and the prerogative of our laity to participate actively, fully, and reverently in this aspect of the Church’s liturgical life. So do your best to attend what is sure to be a beautiful service.

Solemn Vespers – May 22, 5:00 PM – St. Anne Church, Rochester, NY 14620

On a side note, St. Anne is also hosting a flower show and barbeque dinner that evening. It might be worth it to attend, seeing as how you would nourish your souls and your stomachs!

(Thank you to our readers who keep us informed about such things. We’re all very grateful.)

Rosary for Priestly Vocations – May 3, 7:30PM, at St. Anne Church

May 2nd, 2011, Promulgated by Gen

As a few readers have reminded us, there will be a Rosary for Priestly Vocations at St. Anne Church on Tuesday, May 3rd, at 7:30 PM. The last one was a stunningly beautiful event, with a well-trained fleet of altar boys, a wonderful schola, and even a Knights of Columbus color guard. Please do your best to attend this upcoming event, the theme of which is “If ye love Me, keep My commandments.” What more appropriate theme could there be, when praying for vocations to our diocesan priesthood?

Fr. Jack Healy, OCarm. will be presiding at this prayer service.