Stella Borealis II

Jesus & Mary Prayer Group; Meets: 2^nd Mon / 2^nd Thurs (changes) – 7:30pm
Risen Savior Church; 1501 E Cty Rd 42
Average attendance: 14; Catholic: 100%
952.432.5359 or 952.432.4171 (Call first for day)

St Paul

St. Francis Prayer Group; Meets: Mondays – 7:30 pm
Lumen Christi; Bohland & Cleveland Avenues
Average attendance: 40; Catholic: 90%
651.690.1501

Tuesdays

Bloomington

Praise Jesus Prayer Group; Meets: Tuesdays – 7:30 pm
St. Bonaventure Church, 901 E 90th St (Marian Area)
Average attendance: 15; Catholic: 100%
952.831.6094 or 952.927.8039

Brooklyn Center

Fountains of Living Praise PG; Meets: 2^nd & 4^th Tuesdays – 7:00 pm
St. Alphonsus Church, 7025 Halifax Ave N
Average attendance: 20; Catholic: 100%
763.566.4990

Clearwater

River of Life Prayer Group; Meets: 7pm 1^st Tues & 3^rd Thurs
St. Luke's - Parish Center; 1745 Huber Ave NW
Average attendance: 20; Catholic: 98%
320.558.6169

Columbia Heights

Immaculate Conception PG; Meets: Tuesdays – 7:30pm
Immaculate Conception Church, 4030 Jackson Street NE
Average attendance: 50; Catholic: 90%
763.574.0092 or 763.788.5729

Coon Rapids

Epiphany Prayer Group; Meets: Tuesdays – 8 pm
Epiphany School (Media Center), 11001 Hanson Blvd
Average attendance: 12; Catholic: 100%
763.767.0767 or 763.444.4651

Crystal

St. Raphael’s (Daytime) Prayer Grp; Meets: 1^st Tuesdays – 10am
St. Raphael’s (Choir Room); 7301 Bass Lake Road
Average attendance: 20; Catholic: 100%
763.427.3197

Kimball

St. Anne's Prayer Group; Meets: 1^st Tuesdays - 7pm
St Anne's Church (in school); 1310 Main St
Average attendance: 4; Catholic: 100%
320.398.7562

Mankato

River of Life Prayer Group; Meets: 1^st & 3^rd Tuesdays - 7:30pm - Summer
Holy Rosary School (Conference Room); 525 Grant Ave
Average attendance: 30
507.388.2515 or 507.345.8667

North St Paul

North - St. Peter's Prayer Grp; Meets: Tuesdays - 7:30 pm
St. Peter's Fellowship Hall; 2950 Margaret Street
Average attendance: 35; Catholic: 85%
651.771.4311 or 651.777.4406

St Cloud Area

St. Wendel’s Prayer Community; Praise & Worship / Charismatic Mass
Tuesdays – P&W: 7pm / Mass: 7:30pm; St Wendel’s Church
Prayer teams after Mass at:
St. Wendel's Church
St. Columbkille Church
For more info, call: 320.252.6084

St Paul

Sacred Heart Prayer Grp (Spanish); Meets: Tuesdays – 6 pm
Sacred Heart Church (Chapel); 840 6^th Street E
Average attendance: 70; Catholic: 100%
651.771.1277

Wednesdays

LaCrosse, WI

Divine Lover Prayer Group; Meets every other Wednesday, 7:00 p.m.

Private Home

Average attendance: 12; Catholic 100%

608-785-0877

Richfield

Assumption Prayer Group (Spanish); Meets: Wednesdays – 7 pm
Assumption Church; (St. Joseph's Hall in Activities Bldg); 305 E 77^th Street
Average attendance: 50; Catholic: 100%
952.448.4100

Thursdays

Burnsville

Clearwater

River of Life Prayer Group; Meets: 7pm 1^st Tues & 3^rd Thurs
St. Luke's - Parish Center; 1745 Huber Ave NW
Average attendance: 20; Catholic: 98%
320.558.6169

Crystal

St. Raphael’s (Evening) Prayer Grp; Meets: Thursdays – 7pm
St. Raphael’s (Marian Hall); 7301 Bass Lake Road
Average attendance: 20; Catholic: 100%
763.544.9416

Forest Lake

Abundant Life Prayer Group; Meets: Thursdays – 7:30 pm
St. Peter’s Church (Meeting Room); 1250 S Shore Drive
Average attendance: 15; Catholic: 100%
651.426.3013 or 651.433.2248

Hopkins

St Joseph's Holy Spirit Prayer Grp; Meets: 1^st & 3^rd Thursdays - 7:30pm
St Joseph's Church (downstairs social hall); 1310 Main St
Average attendance: 20; Catholic: 100%
952.935.0716 or 952.933.8423

Little Falls
Healing Light Prayer Community; Meets: Thursdays – 7:00 p.m.
St Mary’s Church,
Average attendance: 12; Catholic: 100%
320-632-6173 or 320-632-3340

Maple Lake
St. Timothy’s Prayer Group; Meets: Thursdays – 7:30 pm
St. Timothy’s Church (basement)
Average attendance: 20; Catholic: 100%
320.963.6165

Minneapolis
People of Joy Prayer Group; Meets: Thursdays – 7:30 pm
St. Alberts’s Church (Chapel); (E 29^th St & 32^nd Ave)
Average attendance: 5 – 10; Catholic: 65%
651.282.9896 (Mark) or 651.243.9411 (Vince)

St Paul
St. James Prayer Grp (Spanish); Meets: Thursdays – 6:30 pm
St James Church (Chapel); 650 Palace Avenue
Average attendance: 20; Catholic: 100%
651.765.0864

St Paul
St Paul's Outreach; Meets: Thursdays (most) – 8:30 pm
(For College Students); Koch Commons - St Thomas Campus
Average attendance: 100; Catholic: 100%
651.451.6114

Wayzata
New Beginnings Prayer Group; Meets: Thursdays – 7:30 pm
Holy Name Rectory; 155 County Road 24
Average attendance: 20; Catholic: 100%
763.553.1343 or 763.475.3586

Fridays

Minnetonka
Jesus is Lord Prayer Group; Meets: Fridays – 10:15 am; (after morning Mass & Rosary)
Immaculate Heart of Mary Church; 13505 Excelsior Blvd
Average attendance: 5; Catholic: 100%
952.938.2594 or 952.938.8172

Morris
Queen of Peace Prayer Group; Meets Fridays – 7:30 p.m.
Private home
Average attendance: 5; Catholic: 100%
320-589-1073 or 320-589-1390

St Paul
Community for Christ (Filipino); Meets: Last Fri of month 6:30 pm
Blessed Sacrament Church (basement); White Bear Ave at LaCrosse St
Average attendance: 20; Catholic: 100%
952.445.7757

St Paul
Korean Prayer Group; Meets: Fridays - 8:00 pm
St. Andrew Kim Church; 1449 N Cleveland Ave
Average attendance: 15; Catholic: 100%
763.323.9112

Saturdays

Clearwater
New Wine PG; Healing Mass only, Last Sat. of the month
6:30 pm - Praise and Worship; 7:00 pm - Mass
St. Luke's;1745 Huber Ave. N.W.
763-441-5806

Sundays

Anoka
St. Stephen’s Intercessors PG; Meets: Sundays – 7:00 pm
St. Stephen’s Center; 2020 5th Ave North
Average attendance: 18; Catholic: 95%
763-521-0612

Mankato

River of Life Prayer Group; Meets: Sundays - 7:30pm - Winter
Holy Rosary School (Conference Room); 525 Grant Ave
Average attendance: 30
507.388.2515 or 507.345.8667

Willmar
Alleluia Prayer Group; Meets: 2^nd & 4^th Sundays – 7:30 pm
St. Mary’s Church; 713 12th Street
Average attendance: 8; Catholic: 100%
320.222.3434 or 320.235.7956

Irregular Meetings

Elk River
In Spirit and In Truth Prayer Grp
Meets irregularly – call 1^st
2nd Sundays - 7 pm
763.441.7829

English Language Text of the new ICEL translation

2007-04-13T19:49:00.000-07:00

.
Thanks to Father Finnegan of The Hermeneutics of Continuity. He provided the raw text; I provided the highlighting and emphasis, going from memory.

Ray from MN
Stella Borealis.

Text of the new ICEL translation

The text of the new ICEL translation of the Ordinary of the Mass, courtesy of Fr Sean Finnegan and friends. I will get working on producing some nicer versions in Word and pdf unless someone else can do that little job and let me know in the combox.

UPDATE Fr Sean has sent me a rough and ready pdf which you can download here. (Right-click and save is best.)

(Of course, this is not necessarily the final official text and there may still be quibbles about a word here or there.)

The Roman Canon and Eucharistic Prayers 2-4 are at the end.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
R. Amen.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
or —

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
or —

The Lord be with you
R. And with your spirit.

Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins,
that we may be ready to celebrate the sacred mysteries.

I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have sinned greatly in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done and in what I have failed to do,
through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault.
Therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints,
and you my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.

May almighty God have mercy on us and lead us, with our sins forgiven,
into eternal life.

R. Amen.

or —

Have mercy on us, O Lord For we have sinned against you.
Show us, O Lord, your mercy. And grant us your salvation.

May almighty God have mercy on us and lead us, with our sins forgiven,
into eternal life.
R. Amen.

or —

You were sent to heal the contrite of heart:
Lord have mercy or — Kyrie eleison
Lord have mercy or — Kyrie eleison

You came to call sinners,
Christ have mercy or — Christe eleison
Christ have mercy or — Christe eleison

You are seated at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us:
Lord have mercy or — Kyrie eleison
Lord have mercy or — Kyrie eleison

May almighty God have mercy on us and lead us, with our sins forgiven,
into eternal life.
R. Amen.

Lord have mercy or — Kyrie eleison
Lord have mercy or — Kyrie eleison

Christ have mercy or — Christe eleison
Christ have mercy or — Christe eleison

Lord have mercy or — Kyrie eleison
Lord have mercy or — Kyrie eleison

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.
We praise you, we bless you,
we adore you, we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, Only-begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer.
you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.
For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,

with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.
R. Amen.

Let us pray…
R. Amen.

The Word of the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.

Pray, Father, your blessing. May the Lord be in your heart and on your lips
that you may proclaim his Gospel worthily and well,
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
R. Amen.

or —

Cleanse my heart and my lips, almighty God,
that I may worthily proclaim your holy Gospel.

The Lord be with you
R. And with your spirit.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to N.
R. Glory to you, O Lord.

The Gospel of the Lord.
R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Through the words of the Gospel may our sins be wiped away.

I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;

[These are the big words the liberals are afraid of]
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.
His kingdom will have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and he Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,

who has spoken through the prophets.
And one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.

I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,
for we have received from your abundance
the bread we offer you,
fruit of the earth and work of human hands:
it will become for us the bread of life.
R. Blessed be God for ever.

By the mystery of this water and wine
may we come to share in the divinity of Christ
who humbled himself to share in our humanity.

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,
for we have received from your abundance
the wine we offer you,
fruit of the vine and work of human hands:
it will become for us the spiritual drink.
R. Blessed be God for ever.

With humble spirit and contrite heart
may we be accepted by you, O Lord,
and may our sacrifice to you this day
be pleasing in your sight, Lord God.

Wash me, O Lord, from my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

Pray, brothers and sisters, that the sacrifice which is mine and yours
may be acceptable to God the almighty Father.
R. May the Lord accept the sacrifice from your hands
for the praise and glory of his name, for our good
and the good of all his holy Church.

Amen.
The Lord be with you
R. And with your spirit.
Lift up your hearts.
R. We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
R. It is right and just.

R. Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

The mystery of faith.
R. We proclaim your death, O Lord, and profess your resurrection
until you come in glory.
or —
R. When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup,
we proclaim your death, O Lord, until you come again.
or —
R. Saviour of the world, save us,
for by your cross and resurrection you have set us free.

Through him, and with him, and in him, to you, O God, almighty Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, is all honour and glory, for ever and ever.
R. Amen.

Taught by the Saviour’s command and formed by the word of God,
we have the courage to say:
Our Father …

Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days,
that, sustained by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin
and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope,
the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
R. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and for ever.

Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your Apostles,
Peace I leave you, my peace I give you, look not on our sins,
but on the faith of your Church, and be pleased to grant her peace and unity
in accordance with your will.
R. Amen.
The peace of the Lord be with you always.
R. And with your spirit.
Let us offer each other the sign of peace.

May this mingling of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ
bring eternal life to us who receive it.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, by the will of the Father
and the work of the Holy Spirit, you gave life to the world through your death.
By this your most holy Body and Blood free me from all my sins and from every evil;
keep me always faithful to your commandments, and never let me be parted from you.
or —
Lord Jesus Christ, may the receiving of your Body and Blood
not bring me to judgment and condemnation, but through your loving mercy
let it be my protection in mind and body, and healing remedy.

Behold the Lamb of God,
behold him who takes away the sins of the world.
Blessed are those called to the banquet of the Lamb.
R. Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof,
but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.

May the Body of Christ keep me safe unto eternal life.

May the Blood of Christ keep me safe unto eternal life.

The Body of Christ.
R. Amen.

What has passed our lips as food, O Lord, may we possess in purity of heart,
that what has been given us in time may be our healing for eternity.

Let us pray …
R. Amen.
The Lord be with you
R. And with your spirit.
May almighty God bless you: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
R. Amen.

Go forth, the Mass is ended.
R. Thanks be to God.

Eucharistic Prayer I

To you, most merciful Father, we therefore humbly pray
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.
We ask you to accept and bless these gifts, these offerings,
these holy and undefiled sacrifices, which we offer you first of all
for your holy Catholic Church. Be pleased to grant her peace,
to guard, unite and govern her throughout the whole world,
together with your servant N. our Pope and N. our Bishop,
and all Bishops who, holding to the truth, hand on the catholic and apostolic faith.

Remember, Lord, your servants N. and N. and all gathered here,
whose faith and devotion are known to you. For them we offer you this sacrifice of praise
and they offer it to you for themselves and all who are theirs,
for the redemption of their souls, in hope of health and security,
and fulfilling their vows to you, the eternal God, living and true.

In communion with the whole Church, they venerate above all others the memory
of the glorious ever-virgin Mary, Mother of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ,
† then of blessed Joseph, husband of the Virgin, your blessed Apostles and Martyrs,
Peter and Paul, Andrew, James, John, Thomas, James, Philip,
Bartholomew, Matthew, Simon and Jude: Linus, Cletus, Clement, Sixtus,
Cornelius, Cyprian, Laurence, Chrysogonus, John and Paul, Cosmas and Damian
and all your Saints:
grant through their merits and prayers that in all things we may be defended
by the help of your protection. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

In communion with the whole Church, and celebrating the most sacred night/day
on which blessed Mary the immaculate virgin brought forth a Saviour for this world,
they venerate above all others the memory of the same glorious ever-virgin Mary,
Mother of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ, †

In communion with the whole Church, and celebrating the most sacred day
on which your Only-begotten Son, eternal with you in your glory,
appeared in a human body, truly sharing our flesh,
they venerate above all others the memory of the glorious ever-virgin Mary,
Mother of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ, †

In communion with the whole Church, and celebrating the most sacred night/day
of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh,
they venerate above all others the memory of the glorious ever-virgin Mary,
Mother of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ, †

In communion with the whole Church, and celebrating the most sacred day
on which your Only-begotten Son, our Lord, set at the right hand of your glory,
our weak human nature, which he had united to himself,
they venerate above all others the memory of the glorious ever-virgin Mary,
Mother of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ, †

In communion with the whole Church, and celebrating the most sacred day of Pentecost,
on which the Holy Spirit appeared to the Apostles in tongues of fire,
they venerate above all others the memory of the glorious ever-virgin Mary,
Mother of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ, †

Therefore, Lord, we pray: graciously accept this offering from us, your servants,
and from your whole family: order our days in your peace,
and command that we be delivered from eternal damnation
and counted among the flock of those you have chosen.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Therefore, Lord, we pray: graciously accept from us, your servants,
and from your whole family, this offering which we make to you
also for those to whom you have been pleased to give
the new birth of water and the Holy Spirit,
granting them forgiveness of all their sins: order our days in your peace,
and command that we be delivered from eternal damnation
and counted among the flock of those you have chosen.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

We pray, O God: be pleased to bless, recognize,
and approve this offering in every way: make it spiritual and acceptable,
that it become for us the Body and Blood of your most beloved Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ.

Who, on the day before he was to suffer took bread into his holy and venerable hands:
with eyes raised to heaven to you, O God, his almighty Father,
giving you thanks he said the blessing, broke the bread
and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my Body,
which will be given up for you.

In the same way, when supper was ended, he took this precious chalice
into his holy and venerable hands,

and once more giving you thanks, he said the blessing and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take this, all of you, and drink from it, for this is the Cup of my Blood,
the Blood of the new and eternal Covenant;
it will be poured out for you and for all

[“For All” or “For Many” or “For the Many”: this may still be under dispute.]
for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this in memory of me.

The mystery of faith.
R. We proclaim your death, O Lord, and profess your resurrection
until you come in glory.
or —
R. When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your death, O Lord,
until you come again.
or —
R. Saviour of the world, save us, for by your cross and resurrection
you have set us free.

Therefore, O Lord, as we celebrate the memorial of the blessed passion,
the resurrection from the dead, and the glorious ascension into heaven
of Christ, your Son, our Lord, we, your servants and your holy people,
offer to your glorious majesty from your own generous gifts,
the pure victim, the holy victim, the spotless victim,
the holy Bread of eternal life and the Chalice of everlasting salvation.

Be pleased to look upon them, with a serene and kindly gaze,
and to accept them as you were pleased to accept
the gifts of your just servant Abel, the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith,
and the offering of your high priest Melchizedek, a holy sacrifice, a spotless victim.

In humble prayer we ask you, almighty God, bid that these gifts be borne
by the hands of your holy Angel to your altar on high
in the sight of your divine majesty, that all of us who receive
the most holy Body and Blood of your Son through this sharing at the altar
may be filled with every grace and blessing from above.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Remember also, Lord, your servants N. and N.
who have gone before us with the sign of faith and rest in the sleep of peace.
Grant them, O Lord, we pray, and all who sleep in Christ,
a place of refreshment, light and peace.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

To us sinners also, your servants who hope in your abundant mercies,
graciously grant some share in the communion of your holy Apostles and Martyrs:
with John the Baptist, Stephen, Matthias, Barnabas, Ignatius, Alexander,
Marcellinus, Peter, Felicity, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecilia, Anastasia,
and all your saints, into whose company we beg you admit us,
not weighing our merits but granting us pardon, through Christ our Lord.

Through whomyou constantly create all these good things, O Lord,
you make them holy and fill them with life, you bless them and bestow them on us.

Through him, and with him, and in him, to you, O God, almighty Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, is all honour and glory,
for ever and ever.
R. Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer II

The Lord be with you
R. And with your spirit.
Lift up your hearts.
R. We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
R. It is right and just.

It is truly right and just, our duty and salvation,
always and everywhere to give you thanks, Father most holy,
through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ,
your Word through whom you made all things,
whom you sent to us as Saviour and Redeemer,
incarnate by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin.
Fulfilling your will and gaining for you a holy people,
he stretched out his hands as he suffered,
to break the bonds of death and show forth the resurrection.
Therefore, with the Angels and all the Saints
we proclaim your glory,
as with one voice we say:

R. Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

You are indeed the Holy One, O Lord,
you are the wellspring of all holiness.
Therefore, make holy these gifts, we pray,
by the dew of your Spirit,
that they may become for us
the Body and Blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Who, as he was handed over
and entered willingly into his Passion,
took bread and, giving thanks, broke it,
and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take this, all of you, and eat of it,
for this is my Body,
which will be given up for you.

In the same way, when supper was ended,
he took the chalice
and, once more giving you thanks,
he gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take this, all of you, and drink from it,
for this is the Cup of my Blood,
the Blood of the new and eternal Covenant;
it will be poured out for you and for all
for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this in memory of me.

The mystery of faith.
R. We proclaim your death, O Lord,
and profess your resurrection
until you come in glory.
or —
R. When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup,
we proclaim your death, O Lord,
until you come again.
or —
R. Saviour of the world, save us,
for by your cross and resurrection
you have set us free.

Therefore, as we celebrate the memorial of his death and resurrection,
we offer you, Lord,
the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation,
giving thanks that you have deemed us worthy
to stand in your presence and serve you.
Humbly we pray
that, sharing in the Body and Blood of Christ,
we may be gathered into one by the Holy Spirit.

Remember, Lord, your Church
spread throughout the world,
and bring her to the fullness of charity,
together with N. our Pope and N. our Bishop
and all the clergy.

[Remember your servant N.
whom you have called {today}
from this world to yourself.
Grant that he/she who was united with your Son in a death like his,
may also be one with him in his resurrection.]

Remember also our brothers and sisters
who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection,
and all who have died in your mercy:
welcome them into the light of your countenance.
Have mercy on us all, we pray,
that with the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
the blessed Apostles,
and all the Saints from every age who have pleased you,
we may be worthy to share eternal life,
and may praise and glorify you
through your Son, Jesus Christ.

Through him, and with him, and in him,
to you, O God, almighty Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
is all honour and glory,
for ever and ever.
R. Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer III

You are indeed the Holy One, O Lord,
and all you have created
rightly gives you praise,
for through your Son our Lord Jesus Christ,
by the power and work of the Holy Spirit,
you give life to all things and make them holy.
You never cease to gather a people to yourself,
so that from the rising of the sun to its setting
a pure sacrifice may be offered to your name.

Therefore, O Lord, we humbly implore you,
graciously make holy by the same Spirit,
these gifts we have brought to you for consecration,
that they may become the Body and Blood
of your Son our Lord, Jesus Christ
at whose command we celebrate these mysteries.

For he himself
on the night he was handed over
took bread
and, giving you thanks, he said the blessing,
broke the bread and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take this, all of you, and eat of it,
for this is my Body,
which will be given up for you.

In the same way, when supper was ended,
he took the chalice
and giving you thanks he said the blessing,
he gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take this, all of you, and drink from it,
for this is the Cup of my Blood,
the Blood of the new and eternal Covenant;
it will be poured out for you and for all
for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this in memory of me.

The mystery of faith.
R. We proclaim your death, O Lord,
and profess your resurrection
until you come in glory.
or —
R. When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup,
we proclaim your death, O Lord,
until you come again.
or —
R. Saviour of the world, save us,
for by your cross and resurrection
you have set us free.

Therefore, O Lord, as we celebrate the memorial
of the saving passion of your Son,
his wondrous resurrection
and ascension into heaven,
and also look forward to his second coming,
we offer you in thanksgiving
this holy and living sacrifice.

Look, we pray, upon your Church’s offering
and, recognizing the Victim by whose sacrificial death
you willed to be reconciled,
grant that we, who are strengthened
by the Body and Blood of your Son
and filled with his Holy Spirit,
may be found to be one body and one spirit in Christ.

May he bring us to perfection
as an eternal gift to you,
that we may gain an inheritance with your elect,
above all with the most blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
with your blessed Apostles and glorious Martyrs,
[with Saint N.]
and with all the Saints,
whose intercession in your presence
is our unfailing pledge of help.

We pray, O Lord,
may this Victim who is our reconciliation,
advance the peace and salvation of all the world.
Be pleased to strengthen in faith and love
your pilgrim Church on earth,
with your servant N. our Pope and N. our Bishop,
the Order of Bishops, all the clergy,
and the entire people you make your own.

Listen graciously to the prayers of this family,
whom you have called into your presence.
Merciful Father, in your compassion
gather to yourself all your children
scattered throughout the earth.
†Lovingly receive into your kingdom
our departed brothers and sisters
and all who were pleasing to you
at their passing from this life.
In that kingdom we hope to be filled with your glory for ever
through Christ our Lord
through whom you bestow on the world all that is good.

[† Remember your servant N.
whom you have called {today}
from this world to yourself.
Grant that he/she who was united with your Son in a death like his,
may also be one with him in his resurrection,
when from the earth
he will raise in the flesh those who have died,
and transform our lowly body
to be like his own glorious body.
Lovingly receive into your kingdom
our departed brothers and sisters
and all who were pleasing to you
at their passing from this life.
In that kingdom we hope to be filled with your glory for ever
when you will wipe away every tear from our eyes.
For seeing you, God, as you are,
we shall be like you for all ages
and praise you without end,
through Christ our Lord
through whom you bestow on the world all that is good.

Through him, and with him, and in him,
to you, O God, almighty Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
is all honour and glory,
for ever and ever.
R. Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer IV

The Lord be with you
R. And with your spirit.
Lift up your hearts.
R. We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
R. It is right and just.

It is truly right to give you thanks,
it is truly just to give you glory, Father most holy,
for you are the one God living and true,
who are before all ages and abide for all eternity,
dwelling in unapproachable light;
yet you, the one good and the source of life,
have made all that is,
to bless your creatures beyond measure
and bring joy to many by the radiance of your light.
Therefore in your presence stand countless hosts of angels,
who serve you day and night,
and, gazing on the glory of your face,
glorify you without end.
With them we too confess your name in exultation
giving voice to every creature under heaven
as we sing:

R. Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

We give you praise, Father most holy,
for you are great, and you have fashioned all your works
in wisdom and in love.
You formed man in your own image,
male and female you created them,
and entrusted the whole world to their care,
so that in serving you alone, the Creator,
they might have dominion over all creatures.
And when through disobedience they had lost your friendship,
you did not abandon them in the domain of death.
For you came in mercy to the aid of all,
that those who seek might find you.
Time and again you offered covenants to them,
and through the prophets taught them to look forward to salvation.

And you so loved the world, Father most holy,
that when the fullness of time had come,
you sent your Only-begotten to us as Saviour.
Incarnate by the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary,
he shared our human nature
in all things but sin.
To the poor he proclaimed the good news of salvation,
to prisoners, freedom,
and joy to the sorrowful of heart.
But to accomplish your plan,
he gave himself over to death,
and, rising from the dead,
he destroyed death and restored life.
And that we might live no longer for ourselves
but for him who died and rose for us,
he sent the Holy Spirit from you, Father,
as first fruits for those who believe,
so that, continuing his work in the world,
he might sanctify creation to the full.

Therefore, O Lord, we pray,
may the same Holy Spirit
graciously sanctify these gifts,
that they may become
the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ
for the celebration of this great mystery,
which he himself left us
as an eternal covenant.

For when the hour had come
for him to be glorified by you, Father most holy,
having loved his own who were in the world,
he loved them to the end:
and while they were at supper,
he took bread, blessed and broke it,
and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take this, all of you, and eat of it,
for this is my Body,
which will be given up for you.

In the same way,
taking the chalice filled with the fruit of the vine,
he gave thanks,
and gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take this, all of you, and drink from it,
for this is the Cup of my Blood,
the Blood of the new and eternal Covenant;
it will be poured out for you and for all
for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this in memory of me.

The mystery of faith.
R. We proclaim your death, O Lord,
and profess your resurrection
until you come in glory.
or —
R. When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup,
we proclaim your death, O Lord,
until you come again.
or —
R. Saviour of the world, save us,
for by your cross and resurrection
you have set us free.

Therefore, O Lord,
as we now celebrate the memorial of our redemption,
we remember the death of Christ
and his descent to the realm of the dead,
we proclaim his resurrection
and his ascension to your right hand;
and as we await his coming in glory,
we offer you his Body and Blood,
the sacrifice acceptable to you
and the source of salvation for the whole world.

Look, O Lord, upon the Sacrifice
you yourself have provided for your Church.
Grant in your loving kindness
to all who partake of this one Bread and one Cup
that, gathered into one body by the Holy Spirit,
they may be made perfect as a living sacrifice in Christ
to the praise of your glory.

Therefore, Lord, remember now
all for whom we offer you this sacrifice:
first of all your servant, N. our Pope,
N. our Bishop, and the whole Order of Bishops,
all the clergy,
those who make the offering,
those gathered here before you,
your entire people,
and all who seek you with a sincere heart.

Remember also
those who have died in the peace of your Christ
and all the dead,
whose faith only you have known.

Merciful Father,
grant to all of us, your children,
that we may gain a heavenly inheritance
with the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
and with your Apostles and Saints in your kingdom.
There, with all creation,
set free from the corruption of sin and death,
may we glorify you through Christ our Lord,
through whom you bestow on the world all that is good.

Through him, and with him, and in him,
to you, O God, almighty Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
is all honour and glory,
for ever and ever.
R. Amen.

A Practical, Political Analysis of the Regensburg Speech -- As Opposed to a Philosophical or Historical Analysis

2006-09-19T16:31:00.000-07:00

.
Stratfor Geopolitical Intelligence Report
September 19, 2006

Faith, Reason and Politics: Parsing the Pope's Remarks

By George Friedman

On Sept. 12, Pope Benedict XVI delivered a lecture on "Faith, Reason and the University" at the University of Regensburg. In his discussion (full text available on the Vatican Web site) the pope appeared to be trying to define a course between dogmatic faith and cultural relativism -- making his personal contribution to the old debate about faith and reason. In the course of the lecture, he made reference to a "part of the dialogue carried on -- perhaps in 1391 in the winter barracks near Ankara -- by the erudite Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus and an educated Persian on the subject of Christianity and Islam, and the truth of both."

Benedict went on to say -- and it is important to read a long passage to understand his point -- that:

"In the seventh conversation edited by Professor Khoury, the emperor touches on the theme of the holy war. The emperor must have known that Sura 2,256 reads: 'There is no compulsion in religion.' According to the experts, this is one of the suras of the early period, when Mohammed was still powerless and under threat. But naturally the emperor also knew the instructions, developed later and recorded in the Quran, concerning holy war. Without descending to details, such as the difference in treatment accorded to those who have the 'Book' and the 'infidels,' he addresses his interlocutor with a startling brusqueness, a brusqueness which leaves us astounded, on the central question about the relationship between religion and violence in general, saying: 'Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.' The emperor, after having expressed himself so forcefully, goes on to explain in detail the reasons why spreading the faith through violence is something unreasonable. Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul. 'God,' he says, 'is not pleased by blood -- and not acting reasonably is contrary to God's nature. Faith is born of the soul, not the body. Whoever would lead someone to faith needs the ability to speak well and to reason properly, without violence and threats ... To convince a reasonable soul, one does not need a strong arm, or weapons of any kind, or any other means of threatening a person with death ...'

"The decisive statement in this argument against violent conversion is this: Not to act in accordance with reason is contrary to God's nature. The editor, Theodore Khoury, observes: 'For the emperor, as a Byzantine shaped by Greek philosophy, this statement is self-evident. But for Muslim teaching, God is absolutely transcendent.'"

The reaction of the Muslim world -- outrage -- came swift and sharp over the passage citing Manuel II: "Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." Obviously, this passage is a quote from a previous text -- but equally obviously, the pope was making a critical point that has little to do with this passage.

The essence of this passage is about forced conversion. It begins by pointing out that Mohammed spoke of faith without compulsion when he lacked political power, but that when he became strong, his perspective changed. Benedict goes on to make the argument that violent conversion -- from the standpoint of a Byzantine shaped by Greek philosophy, and therefore shaped by the priority of reason -- is unacceptable. For someone who believes that God is absolutely transcendent and beyond reason, the argument goes, it is acceptable.

Clearly, Benedict knows that Christians also practiced forced conversion in their history. He also knows that the Aristotelian tendency is not unique to Christianity. In fact, that same tendency exists in the Muslim tradition, through thinkers such as al-Farabi or Avicenna. These stand in relation to Islam as Thomas Aquinas does to Christianity or Maimonides to Judaism. And all three religions struggle not only with the problem of God versus science, but with the more complex and interesting tripolar relationship of religion as revelation, reason and dogmatism. There is always that scriptural scholar, the philosopher troubled by faith and the local clergyman who claims to speak for God personally.

Benedict's thoughtful discussion of this problem needs to be considered. Also to be considered is why the pope chose to throw a hand grenade into a powder keg, and why he chose to do it at this moment in history. The other discussion might well be more worthy of the ages, but this question -- what did Benedict do, and why did he do it -- is of more immediate concern, for he could have no doubt what the response, in today's politically charged environment, was going to be.

A Deliberate Move

Let's begin with the obvious: Benedict's words were purposely chosen. The quotation of Manuel II was not a one-liner, accidentally blurted out. The pope was giving a prepared lecture that he may have written himself -- and if it was written for him, it was one that he carefully read. Moreover, each of the pope's public utterances are thoughtfully reviewed by his staff, and there is no question that anyone who read this speech before it was delivered would recognize the explosive nature of discussing anything about Islam in the current climate. There is not one war going on in the world today, but a series of wars, some of them placing Catholics at risk.

It is true that Benedict was making reference to an obscure text, but that makes the remark all the more striking; even the pope had to work hard to come up with this dialogue. There are many other fine examples of the problem of reason and faith that he could have drawn from that did not involve Muslims, let alone one involving such an incendiary quote. But he chose this citation and, contrary to some media reports, it was not a short passage in the speech. It was about 15 percent of the full text and was the entry point to the rest of the lecture. Thus, this was a deliberate choice, not a slip of the tongue.

As a deliberate choice, the effect of these remarks could be anticipated. Even apart from the particular phrase, the text of the speech is a criticism of the practice of conversion by violence, with a particular emphasis on Islam. Clearly, the pope intended to make the point that Islam is currently engaged in violence on behalf of religion, and that it is driven by a view of God that engenders such belief. Given Muslims' protests (including some violent reactions) over cartoons that were printed in a Danish newspaper, the pope and his advisers certainly must have been aware that the Muslim world would go ballistic over this. Benedict said what he said intentionally, and he was aware of the consequences. Subsequently, he has not apologized for what he said -- only for any offense he might have caused. He has not retracted his statement.

So, why this, and why now?

Political Readings

Consider the fact that the pope is not only a scholar but a politician -- and a good one, or he wouldn't have become the pope. He is not only a head of state, but the head of a global church with a billion members. The church is no stranger to geopolitics. Muslims claim that they brought down communism in Afghanistan. That may be true, but there certainly is something to be said also for the efforts of the Catholic Church, which helped to undermine the communism in Poland and to break the Soviet grip on Eastern Europe. Popes know how to play power politics.

Thus, there are at least two ways to view Benedict's speech politically.

One view derives from the fact that the pope is watching the U.S.-jihadist war. He can see it is going badly for the United States in both Afghanistan and Iraq. He witnessed the recent success of Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas' political victory among the Palestinians. Islamists may not have the fundamental strength to threaten the West at this point, but they are certainly on a roll. Also, it should be remembered that Benedict's predecessor, John Paul II, was clearly not happy about the U.S. decision to invade Iraq, but it does not follow that his successor is eager to see a U.S. defeat there.

The statement that Benedict made certainly did not hurt U.S. President George W. Bush in American politics. Bush has been trying to portray the war against Islamist militants as a clash of civilizations, one that will last for generations and will determine the future of mankind. Benedict, whether he accepts Bush's view or not, offered an intellectual foundation for Bush's position. He drew a sharp distinction between Islam and Christianity and then tied Christianity to rationality -- a move to overcome the tension between religion and science in the West. But he did not include Islam in that matrix. Given that there is a war on and that the pope recognizes Bush is on the defensive, not only in the war but also in domestic American politics, Benedict very likely weighed the impact of his words on the scale of war and U.S. politics. What he said certainly could be read as words of comfort for Bush. We cannot read Benedict's mind on this, of course, but he seemed to provide some backing for Bush's position.

It is not entirely clear that Pope Benedict intended an intellectual intervention in the war. The church obviously did not support the invasion of Iraq, having criticized it at the time. On the other hand, it would not be in the church's interests to see the United States simply routed. The Catholic Church has substantial membership throughout the region, and a wave of Islamist self-confidence could put those members and the church at risk. From the Vatican's perspective, the ideal outcome of the war would be for the United States to succeed -- or at least not fail -- but for the church to remain free to criticize Washington's policies and to serve as conciliator and peacemaker. Given the events of the past months, Benedict may have felt the need for a relatively gentle intervention -- in a way that warned the Muslim world that the church's willingness to endure vilification as a Crusader has its limits, and that he is prepared, at least rhetorically, to strike back. Again, we cannot read his mind, but neither can we believe that he was oblivious to events in the region and that, in making his remarks, he was simply engaged in an academic exercise.

This perspective would explain the timing of the pope's statement, but the general thrust of his remarks has more to do with Europe.

There is an intensifying tension in Europe over the powerful wave of Muslim immigration. Frictions are high on both sides. Europeans fear that the Muslim immigrants will overwhelm their native culture or form an unassimilated and destabilizing mass. Muslims feel unwelcome, and some extreme groups have threatened to work for the conversion of Europe. In general, the Vatican's position has ranged from quiet to calls for tolerance. As a result, the Vatican was becoming increasingly estranged from the church body -- particularly working and middle-class Catholics -- and its fears.

As has been established, the pope knew that his remarks at Regensburg would come under heavy criticism from Muslims. He also knew that this criticism would continue despite any gestures of contrition. Thus, with his remarks, he moved toward closer alignment with those who are uneasy about Europe's Muslim community -- without adopting their own, more extreme, sentiments. That move increases his political strength among these groups and could cause them to rally around the church. At the same time, the pope has not locked himself into any particular position. And he has delivered his own warning to Europe's Muslims about the limits of tolerance.

It is obvious that Benedict delivered a well-thought-out statement. It is also obvious that the Vatican had no illusions as to how the Muslim world would respond. The statement contained a verbal blast, crafted in a way that allowed Benedict to maintain plausible deniability. Indeed, the pope already has taken the exit, noting that these were not his thoughts but those of another scholar. The pope and his staff were certainly aware that this would make no difference in the grand scheme of things, save for giving Benedict the means for distancing himself from the statement when the inevitable backlash occurred. Indeed, the anger in the Muslim world remained intense, and there also have been emerging pockets of anger among Catholics over the Muslim world's reaction to the pope, considering the history of Islamic attacks against Christianity. Because he reads the newspapers -- not to mention the fact that the Vatican maintains a highly capable intelligence service of its own -- Benedict also had to have known how the war was going, and that his statement likely would aid Bush politically, at least indirectly. Finally, he would be aware of the political dynamics in Europe and that the statement would strengthen his position with the church's base there.

The question is how far Benedict is going to go with this. His predecessor took on the Soviet Union and then, after the collapse of communism, started sniping at the United States over its materialism and foreign policy. Benedict may have decided that the time has come to throw the weight of the church against radical Islamists. In fact, there is a logic here: If the Muslims reject Benedict's statement, they have to acknowledge the rationalist aspects of Islam. The burden is on the Ummah to lift the religion out of the hands of radicals and extremist scholars by demonstrating that Muslims can adhere to reason.

From an intellectual and political standpoint, therefore, Benedict's statement was an elegant move. He has strengthened his political base and perhaps legitimized a stronger response to anti-Catholic rhetoric in the Muslim world. And he has done it with superb misdirection. His options are open: He now can move away from the statement and let nature take its course, repudiate it and challenge Muslim leaders to do the same with regard to anti-Catholic statements or extend and expand the criticism of Islam that was implicit in the dialogue.

The pope has thrown a hand grenade and is now observing the response. We are assuming that he knew what he was doing; in fact, we find it impossible to imagine that he did not. He is too careful not to have known. Therefore, he must have anticipated the response and planned his partial retreat.

It will be interesting to see if he has a next move. The answer to that may be something he doesn't know himself yet.

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Candlelight Rosary Procession --- October 6 -- Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

2006-08-12T15:10:00.000-07:00

From the Steps of the State Capitol to the Steps of the Cathedral

Sponsored by the World Apostleship of Fatima
and the
Archdioicese of St Paul - Minneapolis

Calendar of Scheduled Devotions

2006-08-11T20:55:00.000-07:00

Calendar of Scheduled Devotions

Mondays Through Fridays

Daily Morning Prayer at St. Olaf

Morning Prayer from the Church’s official Liturgy of the Hours is
prayed on weekdays in downtown Minneapolis at the Church of
St. Olaf, ten minutes after the conclusion of the 7:00 a.m. Mass.

St. Olaf Catholic Church, 8th St. S. and 2nd Ave. S., Mpls

Mondays

St. Raphael’s Young Adult Mondays
Every Monday, 7:00 p.m.
St. Raphael’s Catholic Church
7301 Bass Lake Road, Crystal (3 mi. west of Hwy 169)

St. Raphael’s Young Adults invites young adults (ages 18-40) to join them for evenings of fun, fellowship, and prayer. The group
is lead by Fr. Randal Kasel. For more information, contact Ann Koehler at annkoehler@juno.com.

Tuesdays

Spend an hour with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament
Tuesdays, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave, St. Paul

Wednesdays

Weekly Ave Maria Rosary Gathering
Wednesdays, 5:45 p.m. (first, third and fifth Wednesdays)
Cathedral of St. Paul (Lady Chapel), 239 Selby Ave, St. Paul

Cathedral Holy Hour
Wednesdays, 5:45 p.m.(second and fourth Wednesdays of the month)
Cathedral of St. Paul (Sacred Heart chapel), 239 Selby Ave, St. Paul

Thursdays

First Fridays

First Friday Tridentine Latin Mass
7:00 p.m. confession, 7:30 p.m. Mass
Church of St. Augustine, 408 3rd St N, South St Paul

Fr. John Paul Echert offers an evening Mass each First Friday according to the 1962 Missal
(often referred to as the Tridentine rite or “old” Mass).

Noctural Adoration Society First Friday
8:00 p.m. - midnight
St Joseph Catholic Church, 1310 Mainstreet, Hopkins
The Noctural Adoration Society Mission of St. Joe’s gathers for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament every First Friday. Four
prayer groups rotate each month to cover the four hour period. Membership is open to men and women who are eager to enrich
their prayer and Christian life by means of Holy Eucharist.
For more information, contact the St. Joseph parish office at (952) 935-0111.

World Apostolate of Fatima All-night Vigil -- Eucharistic Adoration
Friday, 8:00 p.m. Mass through Saturday, September 2, 4:00 a.m. Mass
Epiphany Church, 1900 111th Ave NW, Coon Rapids

The World Apostolate of Fatima observes a monthly all-night vigil beginning with a Mass in honor of the Sacred Heart of
Jesus, the traditional First Friday devotion, and ends with an early morning Mass in honor of the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
the traditional First Saturday devotion. The night is filled with Eucharistic Adoration and various communal prayers, offered
in reparation for the sins by which our Lord is offended and in supplication for the conversion of sinners.
For more information, visit www.fatimaonline.org/html/prayer_vigils.htm or contact Patrick Parks at (763) 755-1020.

September 1-2	Epiphany Church 1900 111th Ave. NW, Coon Rapids, MN Contact – Patrick Parks ~ (763) 755-1020
October 6-7	St. Mary of Czestochowa Church 1867 95th St. SE, Delano, MN Contact - Darlene ~ (763) 972-3564
November 3-4	Holy Trinity Church 749 6th Ave. S., South St. Paul, MN Contact - Bill Rysavy ~ (952) 892-7153
December 1-2	St. John of St. Paul 977 E. 5th St., St. Paul, MN Contact - Carol ~ (651) 771-3690

Every Friday

Spend an hour with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament
Fridays, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave, St. Paul

Young Adults Sports Nights
Every Friday, 6:30 p.m.
Rahn Park, 4440 Nichols Rd, Eagan (off of Cliff Road)
Sponsored by Cathedral Young Adults and Nativity Young Adults

For more information, contact Keith Kieffer at kamokasie@hotmail.com.

Holy Hour with Fr. Joseph Johnson
Every Friday, 7:00-8:00 p.m.
St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church
651 Virginia St., St. Paul, 55102

The group usually goes out for dinner and fellowship afterward (either on their own or by meeting up with the sports night crowd).
For more information, contact Fr. Joseph Johnson at (651) 488-6737.

Spend an hour with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament
Fridays, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave, St. Paul

First Saturday

Every Saturday

Every Sunday

Every Sunday Tridentine Latin Mass

Church of St. Augustine, 408 3rd St N, South St Paul

11:30 a.m. Sunday Mass celebrated according to the 1962 Missal by Fr. John Paul Echert
(often referred to as the Tridentine rite or “old” Mass).

Third Sundays

Young Adult Mass and Praise and Worship
5:00 p.m. Mass (third Sunday of the month)
Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave, St. Paul
Sponsored by the Cathedral Young Adults. Join other young adults for Mass, followed by chanted praise and worship (song and prayer) in the Sacred Heart chapel. They usually head out to the Liffey afterwards for food and fellowship.
For more information, contact Christopher DeMars at christopherdemars@hotmail.com.

Calix Society meeting
Sunday, August 20, 8:00 a.m. (third Sunday of the month)
Cathedral of St. Paul, 239 Selby Ave, St. Paul

Members maintain their sobriety through affiliation with and participation in the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous.

For more information, visit Calix Society and contact Jim Billigmeier at calix@usfamily.net or (651) 773-3117.

OConnell v USCCB

2006-08-10T05:39:00.000-07:00

The names of the other defendants have been removed from this copy of the document.

Paragraphs No. 12-188 are identical in terminology for all Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops and Dioceses included in the lawsuit.

I’ve left them in here, but I am inclined to omit Paragraphs 208-227 from the blog. Father Ryan is dead; he probably did it, but that’s not particularly pertinent as to whether or not 178 Bishops or so have liability. I wonder why Anderson included them in the document?

LONGINQUA -- ENCYCLICAL OF POPE LEO XIII ON CATHOLICISM IN THE UNITED STATES

2006-07-04T15:38:00.000-07:00

Longinqua oceani spatia

[A contemporary survey of the relationship of the United States with the Vatican]

LONGINQUA
ENCYCLICAL OF POPE LEO XIII ON
CATHOLICISM IN THE
UNITED STATES

To the Archbishops and Bishops of the United States.

We traverse in spirit and thought the wide expanse of ocean; and although We have at other times addressed you in writing - chiefly when We directed Encyclical Letters to the bishops of the Catholic world-yet have We now resolved to speak to you separately, trusting that We shall be, God willing, of some assistance to the Catholic cause amongst you. To this We apply Ourselves with the utmost zeal and care; because We highly esteem and love exceedingly the young and vigorous American nation, in which We plainly discern latent forces for the advancement alike of civilization and of Christianity.

2. Not long ago, when your whole nation, as was fitting, celebrated, with grateful recollection and every manifestation of joy, the completion of the fourth century since the discovery of America, We, too, commemorated together with you that most auspicious event, sharing in your rejoicings with equal good-will. Nor were We on that occasion content with offering prayers at a distance for your welfare and greatness. It was Our wish to be in some manner present with you in your festivities. Hence We cheerfully sent one who should represent Our person. [Archbishop Francis Satolli] Not without good reason did We take part in your celebration. For when America was, as yet, but a new-born babe, uttering in its cradle its first feeble cries, the Church took it to her bosom and motherly embrace. Columbus, as We have elsewhere expressly shown, sought, as the primary fruit of his voyages and labors, to open a pathway for the Christian faith into new lands and new seas. Keeping this thought constantly in view, his first solicitude, wherever he disembarked, was to plant upon the shore the sacred emblem of the cross. Wherefore, like as the Ark of Noe, surmounting the overflowing waters, bore the seed of Israel together with the remnants of the human race, even thus did the barks launched by Columbus upon the ocean carry into regions beyond the seas as well the germs of mighty States as the principles of the Catholic religion.

3. This is not the place to give a detailed account of what thereupon ensued. Very rapidly did the light of the Gospel shine upon the savage tribes discovered by the Ligurian. For it is sufficiently well known how many of the children of Francis, as well as of Dominic and of Loyola, were accustomed during the two following centuries to voyage thither for this purpose; how they cared for the colonies brought over from Europe; but primarily and chiefly how they converted the natives from superstition to Christianity, sealing their labors in many instances with the testimony of their blood. The names newly given to so many of your towns and rivers and mountains and lakes teach and clearly witness how deeply your beginnings were marked with the footprints of the Catholic Church.

4. Nor, perchance did the fact which We now recall take place without some design of divine Providence. Precisely at the epoch when the American colonies, having, with Catholic aid, achieved liberty and independence, coalesced into a constitutional Republic the ecclesiastical hierarchy was happily established amongst you; and at the very time when the popular suffrage placed the great Washington at the helm of the Republic, the first bishop was set by apostolic authority over the American Church. The well-known friendship and familiar intercourse which subsisted between these two men seems to be an evidence that the United States ought to be conjoined in concord and amity with the Catholic Church. And not without cause; for without morality the State cannot endure-a truth which that illustrious citizen of yours, whom We have just mentioned, with a keenness of insight worthy of his genius and statesmanship perceived and proclaimed. But the best and strongest support of morality is religion. She, by her very nature, guards and defends all the principles on which duties are founded, and setting before us the motives most powerful to influence us, commands us to live virtuously and forbids us to transgress. Now what is the Church other than a legitimate society, founded by the will and ordinance of Jesus Christ for the preservation of morality and the defence of religion? For this reason have We repeatedly endeavored, from the summit of the pontifical dignity, to inculcate that the Church, whilst directly and immediately aiming at the salvation of souls and the beatitude which is to be attained in heaven, is yet, even in the order of temporal things, the fountain of blessings so numerous and great that they could not have been greater or more numerous had the original purpose of her institution been the pursuit of happiness during the life which is spent on earth.

5. That your Republic is .progressing and developing by giant strides is patent to all; and this holds good in religious matters also. For even as your cities, in the course of one century, have made a marvellous increase in wealth and power, so do we behold the Church, from scant and slender beginnings, grown with rapidity to be great and exceedingly flourishing. Now if, on the one hand, the increased riches and resources of your cities are justly attributed to the talents and active industry of the American people, on the other hand, the prosperous condition of Catholicity must be ascribed, first indeed, to the virtue, the ability, and the prudence of the bishops and clergy; but in so slight measure also, to the faith and generosity of the Catholic laity. Thus, while the different classes exerted their best energies, you were enabled to erect unnumbered religious and useful institutions, sacred edifices, schools for the instruction of youth, colleges for the higher branches, homes for the poor, hospitals for the sick, and convents and monasteries. As for what more closely touches spiritual interests, which are based upon the exercise of Christian virtues, many facts have been brought to Our notice, whereby We are animated with hope and filled with joy, namely, that the numbers of the secular and regular clergy are steadily augmenting, that pious sodalities and confraternities are held in esteem, that the Catholic parochial schools, the Sunday-schools for imparting Christian doctrine, and summer schools are in a flourishing condition; moreover, associations for mutual aid, for the relief of the indigent, for the promotion of temperate living, add to all this the many evidences of popular piety.

6. The main factor, no doubt, in bringing things into this happy state were the ordinances and decrees of your synods, especially of those which in more recent times were convened and confirmed by the authority of the Apostolic See. But, moreover (a fact which it gives pleasure to acknowledge), thanks are due to the equity of the laws which obtain in America and to the customs of the well-ordered Republic. For the Church amongst you, unopposed by the Constitution and government of your nation, fettered by no hostile legislation, protected against violence by the common laws and the impartiality of the tribunals, is free to live and act without hindrance. Yet, though all this is true, it would be very erroneous to draw the conclusion that in America is to be sought the type of the most desirable status of the Church, or that it would be universally lawful or expedient for State and Church to be, as in America, dissevered and divorced. The fact that Catholicity with you is in good condition, nay, is even enjoying a prosperous growth, is by all means to be attributed to the fecundity with which God has endowed His Church, in virtue of which unless men or circumstances interfere, she spontaneously expands and propagates herself; but she would bring forth more abundant fruits if, in addition to liberty, she enjoyed the favor of the laws and the patronage of the public authority.

7. For Our part We have left nothing undone, as far as circumstances permitted, to preserve and more solidly establish amongst you the Catholic religion. With this intent, We have, as you are well aware, turned Our attention to two special objects: first, the advancement of learning; second, a perfecting of methods in the management of Church affairs. There already, indeed, existed several distinguished universities. We, however, thought it advisable that there should be one founded by authority of the Apostolic See and endowed by Us with all suitable powers, in which Catholic professors might instruct those devoted to the pursuit of learning. [Catholic University of America] The design was to begin with philosophy and theology, adding, as means and circumstances would allow, the remaining branches, those particularly which the present age has introduced or perfected. An education cannot be deemed complete which takes no notice of modern sciences. It is obvious that in the existing keen competition of talents, and the widespread and, in itself, noble and praiseworthy passion for knowledge, Catholics ought to be not followers but leaders. It is necessary, therefore, that they should cultivate every refinement of learning, and zealously train their minds to the discovery of truth and the investigation, so far as it is possible, of the entire domain of nature. This in every age has been the desire of the Church; upon the enlargement of the boundaries of the sciences has she been wont to bestow all possible labor and energy. By a letter, therefore, dated the seventh day of March, in the year of Our Lord 1889, directed to you, Venerable Brethren, We established at Washington, your capital city, esteemed by a majority of you a very proper seat for the higher studies, a university for the instruction of young men desirous of pursuing advanced courses. In announcing this matter to Our Venerable Brethren, the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, in Consistory, We expressed the wish that it should be regarded as the fixed law of the university to unite erudition and learning with soundness of faith and to imbue its students not less with religion than with scientific culture. To the Bishops of the United States We entrusted the task of establishing a suitable course of studies and of supervising the discipline of the students; and We conferred the office and authority of Chancellor, as it is called, upon the Archbishop of Baltimore. And, by divine favor, a quite happy beginning was made. For, without any delay, whilst you were celebrating the hundredth anniversary of the establishment of your ecclesiastical hierarchy, under the brightest auspices, in the presence of Our delegate, the divinity classes were opened. From that time onward We know that theological science has been imparted by the diligence of eminent men the renown of whose talents and learning receives a fitting crown in their recognized loyalty and devotion to the Apostolic See. Nor is it long since We were apprised that, thanks to the liberality of a pious priest, a new building had been constructed, in which young men, as well cleric as lay, are to receive instruction in the natural sciences and in literature. From Our knowledge of the American character, We are fully confident that the example set by this noble man will incite others of your citizens to imitate him; they will not fail to realize that liberality exercised towards such an object will be repaid by the very greatest advantages to the public.

8. No one can be ignorant how powerfully similar institutions of learning, whether originally founded by the Roman Church herself from time to time or approved and promoted by her legislation, have contributed to the spread of knowledge and civilization in every part of Europe. Even in Our own day, though other instances might be given, it is enough to mention the University of Louvain, to which the entire Belgian nation ascribes its almost daily increase in prosperity and glory. Equally abundant will be the benefits proceeding from the Washington University, if the professors and students (as We doubt not they will) be mindful of Our injunctions, and, shunning party spirit and strife, conciliate the good opinion of the people and the clergy.

9. We wish now, Venerable Brethren, to commend to your affection and to the generosity of your people the college which Our predecessor, Pius IX, founded in this city for the ecclesiastical training of young men from North America [North American College], and which We took care to place upon a firm basis by a letter dated the twenty-fifth day of October, in the year of Our Lord 1884. We can make this appeal the more confidently, because the results obtained from this institution have by no means belied the expectations commonly entertained regarding it. You yourselves can testify that during its brief existence it has sent forth a very large number of exemplary priests, some of whom have been promoted for their virtue and learning to the highest degrees of ecclesiastical dignity. We are, therefore, thoroughly persuaded that you will continue to be solicitous to send hither select young men who are in training to become the hope of the Church. For they will carry back to their homes and utilize for the general good the wealth of intellectual attainments and moral excellence which they shall have acquired in the city of Rome.

10. The love which We cherish towards the Catholics of your nation moved Us, likewise, to turn Our attention at the very beginning of Our Pontificate to the convocation of a third Plenary Council of Baltimore.that the decrees of Baltimore were salutary and timely in the extreme. [Baltimore Catechism] Subsequently, when the archbishops, at Our invitation, had come to Rome, We diligently inquired from them what they deemed most conducive to the common good. We finally, and after mature deliberation, ratified by apostolic authority the decrees of the prelates assembled at Baltimore. In truth the event has proven, and still proves, Experience has demonstrated their power for the maintenance of discipline; for stimulating the intelligence and zeal of the clergy; for defending and developing the Catholic education of youth. Wherefore, Venerable Brethren, if We make acknowledgement of your activity in these matters, if We laud your firmness tempered with prudence, We but pay tribute due to your merit; for We are fully sensible that so great a harvest of blessings could by no means have so swiftly ripened to maturity, had you not exerted yourselves, each to the utmost of his ability, sedulously and faithfully to carry into effect the statutes you had wisely framed at Baltimore.

11. But when the Council of Baltimore had concluded its labors, the duty still remained of putting, so to speak, a proper and becoming crown upon the work. This, We perceived, could scarcely be done in a more fitting manner than through the due establishment by the Apostolic See of an American Legation. [Apostolic Delegate 1893] Accordingly, as you are well aware, We have done this. By this action, as We have elsewhere intimated, We have wished, first of all, to certify that, in Our judgment and affection, America occupies the same place and rights as other States, be they ever so mighty and imperial. In addition to this We had in mind to draw more closely the bonds of duty and friendship which connect you and so many thousands of Catholics with the Apostolic See. In fact, the mass of the Catholics understood how salutary Our action was destined to be; they saw, moreover, that it accorded with the usage and policy of the Apostolic See. For it has been, from earliest antiquity, the custom of the Roman Pontiffs in the exercise of the divinely bestowed gift of the primacy in the administration of the Church of Christ to send forth legates to Christian nations and peoples. And they did this, not by an adventitious but an inherent right. For "the Roman Pontiff, upon whom Christ has conferred ordinary and immediate jurisdiction, as well over all and singular churches, as over all and singular pastors and faithful,(1) since he cannot personally visit the different regions and thus exercise the pastoral office over the flock entrusted to him, finds it necessary from time to time, in the discharge of the ministry imposed on him, to despatch legates into different parts of the world, according as the need arises; who, supplying his place, may correct errors, make the rough ways plain, and administer to the people confided to their care increased means of salvation."(2)

12. But how unjust and baseless would be the suspicion, should it anywhere exist, that the powers conferred on the legate are an obstacle to the authority of the bishops! Sacred to Us (more than to any other) are the rights of those "whom the Holy Ghost has placed as bishops to rule the Church of God." That these rights should remain intact in every nation in every part of the globe, We both desire and ought to desire, the more so since the dignity of the individual bishop is by nature so interwoven with the dignity of the Roman Pontiff that any measure which benefits the one necessarily protects the other. "My honor is the honor of the Universal Church. My honor is the unimpaired vigor of My brethren. Then am I truly honored when to each one due honor is not denied."(3) Therefore, since it is the office and function of an apostolic legate, with whatsoever powers he may be vested, to execute the mandates and interpret the will of the Pontiff who sends him, thus, so far from his being of any detriment to the ordinary power of the bishops, he will rather bring an accession of stability and strength. His authority will possess no slight weight for preserving in the multitude a submissive spirit; in the clergy discipline and due reverence for the bishops, and in the bishops mutual charity and an intimate union of souls. And since this union, so salutary and desirable, consists mainly in harmony of thought and action, he will, no doubt, bring it to pass that each one of you shall persevere in the diligent administration of his diocesan affairs; that one shall not impede another in matters of government; that one shall not pry into the counsels and conduct of another; finally, that with disagreements eradicated and mutual esteem maintained, you may all work together with combined energies to promote the glory of the American Church and the general welfare. It is difficult to estimate the good results which will flow from this concord of the bishops. Our own people will receive edification; and the force of example will have its effect on those without who will be persuaded by this argument alone that the divine apostolate has passed by inheritance to the ranks of the Catholic episcopate.

13. Another consideration claims our earnest attention. All intelligent men are agreed, and We Ourselves have with pleasure intimated it above, that America seems destined for greater things. Now, it is Our wish that the Catholic Church should not only share in, but help to bring about, this prospective greatness. We deem it right and proper that she should, by availing herself of the opportunities daily presented to her, keep equal step with the Republic in the march of improvement, at the same time striving to the utmost, by her virtue and her institutions, to aid in the rapid growth of the States. Now, she will attain both these objects the more easily and abundantly, in proportion to the degree in which the future shall find her constitution perfected. But what is the meaning of the legation of which we are speaking, or what is its ultimate aim except to bring it about that the constitution of the Church shall be strengthened, her discipline better fortified? Wherefore, We ardently desire that this truth should sink day by day more deeply into the minds of Catholics-namely, that they can in no better way safeguard their own individual interests and the common good than by yielding a hearty submission and obedience to the Church. Your faithful people, however, are scarcely in need of exhortation on this point; for they are accustomed to adhere to the institutions of Catholicity with willing souls and a constancy worthy of all praise.

14. To one matter of the first importance and fraught with the greatest blessings it is a pleasure at this place to refer, on account of the holy firmness in principle and practice respecting it which, as a rule, rightly prevails amongst you; We mean the Christian dogma of the unity and indissolubility of marriage; which supplies the firmest bond of safety not merely to the family but to society at large. Not a few of your citizens, even of those who dissent from us in other doctrines, terrified by the licentiousness of divorce, admire and approve in this regard the Catholic teaching and the Catholic customs. They are led to this judgment not less by love of country than by the wisdom of the doctrine. For difficult it is to imagine a more deadly pest to the community than the wish to declare dissoluble a bond which the law of God has made perpetual and inseverable. Divorce "is the fruitful cause of mutable marriage contracts; it diminishes mutual affection; it supplies a pernicious stimulus to unfaithfulness; it is injurious to the care and education of children; it gives occasion to the breaking up of domestic society; it scatters the seeds of discord among families; it lessens and degrades the dignity of women, who incur the danger of being abandoned when they shall have subserved the lust of their husbands. And since nothing tends so effectually as the corruption of morals to ruin families and undermine the strength of kingdoms, it may easily be perceived that divorce is especially hostile to the prosperity of families and States."(4) [Particularly appropriate today]

15. As regards civil affairs, experience has shown how important it is that the citizens should be upright and virtuous. In a free State, unless justice be generally cultivated, unless the people be repeatedly and diligently urged to observe the precepts and laws of the Gospel, liberty itself may be pernicious. Let those of the clergy, therefore, who are occupied with the instruction of the multitude, treat plainly this topic of the duties of citizens, so that all may understand and feel the necessity, in political life, of conscientiousness, self restraint, and integrity; for that cannot be lawful in public which is unlawful in private affairs. On this whole subject there are to be found, as you know, in the encyclical letters written by Us from time to time in the course of Our pontificate, many things which Catholics should attend to and observe. In these writings and expositions We have treated of human liberty, of the chief Christian duties, of civil government, and of the Christian constitution of States, drawing Our principles as well from the teaching of the Gospels as from reason. They, then, who wish to be good citizens and discharge their duties faithfully may readily learn from Our Letters the ideal of an upright life. In like manner, let the priests be persistent in keeping before the minds of the people the enactments of the Third Council of Baltimore, particularly those which inculcate the virtue of temperance, the frequent use of the sacraments and the observance of the just laws and institutions of the Republic.

16. Now, with regard to entering societies, extreme care should be taken not to be ensnared by error. And We wish to be understood as referring in a special manner to the working classes, who assuredly have the right to unite in associations for the promotion of their interests; a right acknowledged by the Church and unopposed by nature. [Labor Unions] [Rerum Novarum] But it is very important to take heed with whom they are to associate, lest whilst seeking aid for the improvement of their condition they may be imperilling far weightier interests. The most effectual precaution against this peril is to determine with themselves at no time or in any matter to be parties to the violation of justice. Any society, therefore, which is ruled by and servilely obeys persons who are not steadfast for the right and friendly to religion is capable of being extremely prejudicial to the interests as well of individuals as of the community; beneficial it cannot be. Let this conclusion, therefore, remain firm-to shun not only those associations which have been openly condemned by the judgment of the Church, but those also which, in the opinion of intelligent men, and especially of the bishops, are regarded as suspicious and dangerous.

17. Nay, rather, unless forced by necessity to do otherwise, Catholics ought to prefer to associate with Catholics, a course which will be very conducive to the safeguarding of their faith. As presidents of societies thus formed among themselves, it will be well to appoint either priests or upright laymen of weight and character, guided by whose counsels they should endeavor peacefully to adopt and carry into effect such measures as may seem most advantageous to their interests, keeping in view the rules laid down by Us in Our Encyclical, Rerum Novarum. Let them, however, never allow this to escape their memory: that whilst it is proper and desirable to assert and secure the rights of the many, yet this is not to be done by a violation of duty; and that these are very important duties; not to touch what belongs to another; to allow every one to be free in the management of his own affairs; not to hinder any one to dispose of his services when he please and where he please. The scenes of violence and riot which you witnessed last year in your own country sufficiently admonish you that America too is threatened with the audacity and ferocity of the enemies of public order. [Pullman Strike] The state of the times, therefore, bids Catholics to labor for the tranquillity of the commonwealth, and for this purpose to obey the laws, abhor violence, and seek no more than equity or justice permits.

18. Towards these objects much may be contributed by those who have devoted themselves to writing, and in particular by those who are engaged on the daily press. We are aware that already there labor in this field many men of skill and experience, whose diligence demands words of praise rather than of encouragement. Nevertheless, since the thirst for reading and knowledge is so vehement and widespread amongst you, and since, according to circumstances, it can be productive either of good or evil, every effort should be made to increase the number of intelligent and well-disposed writers who take religion for their guide and virtue for their constant companion. And this seems all the more necessary in America, on account of the familiar intercourse and intimacy between Catholics and those who are estranged from the Catholic name, a condition of things which certainly exacts from our people great circumspection and more than ordinary firmness. It is necessary to instruct, admonish, strengthen and urge them on to the pursuit of virtue and to the faithful observance, amid so many occasions of stumbling, of their duties towards the Church. It is, of course, the proper function of the clergy to devote their care and energies to this great work; but the age and the country require that journalists should be equally zealous in this same cause and labor in it to the full extent of their powers. Let them, however, seriously reflect that their writings, if not positively prejudicial to religion, will surely be of slight service to it unless in concord of minds they all seek the same end. They who desire to be of real service to the Church, and with their pens heartily to defend the Catholic cause, should carry on the conflict with perfect unanimity, and, as it were, with serried ranks, for they rather inflict than repel war if they waste their strength by discord. In like manner their work, instead of being profitable and fruitful, becomes injurious and disastrous whenever they presume to call before their tribunal the decisions and acts of bishops, and, casting off due reverence, cavil and find fault; not perceiving how great a disturbance of order, how many evils are thereby produced. Let them, then, be mindful of their duty, and not overstep the proper limits of moderation. The bishops, placed in the lofty position of authority, are to be obeyed, and suitable honor befitting the magnitude and sanctity of their office should be paid them. Now, this reverence, "which it is lawful to no one to neglect," should of necessity be eminently conspicuous and exemplary in Catholic journalists. For journals, naturally circulating far and wide, come daily into the hands of everybody, and exert no small influence upon the opinions and morals of the multitude.(5)

19. We have Ourselves, on frequent occasions, laid down many rules respecting the duties of a good writer; many of which were unanimously inculcated as well by the Third Council of Baltimore as by the archbishops in their meeting at Chicago in the year 1893. Let Catholic writers, therefore, bear impressed on their minds Our teachings on this point as well as yours; and let them resolve that their entire method of writing shall be thereby guided, if they indeed desire, as they ought to desire, to discharge their duty well.

20. Our thoughts now turn to those who dissent from us in matters of Christian faith; and who shall deny that, with not a few of them, dissent is a matter rather of inheritance than of will? How solicitous We are of their salvation, with what ardor of soul We wish that they should be at length restored to the embrace of the Church, the common mother of all, Our Apostolic Epistle, "Praeclara," has in very recent times declared. Nor are we destitute of all hope; for He is present and bath a care whom all things obey and who laid down His life that He might "gather in one the children of God who were dispersed." (John xi. 52).

21. Surely we ought not to desert them nor leave them to their fancies; but with mildness and charity draw them to us, using every means of persuasion to induce them to examine closely every part of the Catholic doctrine, and to free themselves from preconceived notions. In this matter, if the first place belongs to the bishops and clergy, the second belongs to the laity, who have it in their power to aid the apostolic efforts of the clergy by the probity of their morals and the integrity of their lives. Great is the force of example; particularly with those who are earnestly seeking the truth, and who, from a certain inborn virtuous disposition, are striving to live an honorable and upright life, to which class very many of your fellow-citizens belong. If the spectacle of Christian virtues exerted the powerful influence over the heathens blinded, as they were, by inveterate superstition, which the records of history attest, shall we think it powerless to eradicate error in the case of those who have been initiated into the Christian religion?

22. Finally, We cannot pass over in silence those whose long-continued unhappy lot implores and demands succor from men of apostolic zeal; We refer to the Indians and the negroes who are to be found within the confines of America, the greatest portion of whom have not yet dispelled the darkness of superstition. How wide a field for cultivation! How great a multitude of human beings to be made partakers of the blessing derived through Jesus Christ!

23. Meanwhile, as a presage of heavenly graces and a testimony of Our benevolence, We most lovingly in the Lord impart to you, Venerable Brethren, and to your clergy and people, Our Apostolic Benediction.

Given at Rome, at St. Peter's, on the feast of the Epiphany, the sixth day of January, 1895, in the seventeenth year of Our Pontificate.

LEO XIII

2006-06-27T10:13:00.000-07:00

Regional Catholic Colleges and Universities

Briar Cliff University, Sioux City

Cardinal Muench College, Fargo

Clarke College, Dubuque

College of St Catherine, St Paul

College of St Scholastica, Duluth, St Paul, Brainerd, St Cloud

College of St Benedict - St John's University, St Joseph & Collegeville, MN

Divine Word College, Dubuque

Loras College, Dubuque

Mount Mercy College, Cedar Rapids

Presentation College, Aberdeen

St John Vianney College Seminary, St Paul

St Mary's University, Winona and Minneapolis

University of St Thomas, St Paul

--The Aquin Online,

Viterbo University, La Crosse

2006-06-27T09:48:00.000-07:00

Explaining The DaVinci Code

One Church and Two or is it Three, “Official” Catechisms?

2006-06-26T05:30:00.000-07:00

Is somebody in Washington D.C. attempting to sabotage the American Catholic Church? I don’t mean foreign agents, I don’t mean the U.S. government. I mean the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)!

Within a month of the publication of the Compendium to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, promulgated by our late, beloved Pope John Paul II, a second new catechism, “The United States Catechism for Adults”, is being offered for sale by the USCCB.

A little history might be in order here.

The Second Vatican Council (1962-5) has been rightly praised for the changes made in the liturgies and practices of the Church that had not been altered since the Council of Trent (1545-63) that was itself the major Catholic response to the Protestant Revolutions and Schisms.

The essential dogmas and traditions of the Church are fixed forever, but the most obvious change coming from the Council was the change from Latin to the use of the vernacular, in our case, English, in the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Forty years later, many people are studying the Council and its documents and are reporting that many of the changes put into effect are not what the delegates to the Council or the Church’s Magisterium actually intended. Principally, the Latin language was not to have been abandoned and the musical tradition of the Church, Gregorian Chant, and the centuries of beautiful music were not to have been abandoned either. But that’s not for discussion today.

After this attempt to modernize the Church, although not really caused by it, came the departure of tens of thousands of priests, brothers and nuns for secular society. Breathing the air of the new 60’s revolutions of rights, freedoms and hedonism most likely was the cause of those departures. This was accompanied by a precipitous decline in new vocations to replace them. Logically, young people were breathing that same air.

This began the near destruction of the Catholic parochial school system and also the death of the Baltimore Catechism, both of which were nearly 100 years old. While the school system does remain today, it is generally only available to children whose parents can afford to pay significant tuition fees to schools with mostly lay teachers.

Not only is the Baltimore Catechism no longer used to each our children their faith, a case can be made that few schools teach much Catholicism at all. And of course those not going to Catholic schools today must rely on CCD programs that are more proficient in teaching arts and crafts and stories than they are in teaching religion to their young students.

The religious education of Catholic children has been almost abandoned in most areas of the country. Our children have been and are being raised as Catholic illiterates.

The Church, always slow to move on virtually any issue finally authorized a new 20th Century Catechism, that resulted in the publication of a 700 pp two inch thick version in 1992. The is a comprehensive and very orthodox book that is wonderful for college religion classes, but not much help for elementary, junior and senior high schools or, needless to say, CCD classes.

Last month, fourteen years later, a 200 pp. “Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church” a condensation and reformatting of that huge 1992 Catechism has finally appeared in English in the U.S.. While perhaps not appropriate for students in the early grades, it is a major step and I have no doubt but that school catechisms consistent with the Compendium are already being written.

The Compendium itself is a wonderful tool for those millions of Catholics who have not been taught any religion, in school, or from the pulpit, because it uses the extremely effective question and answer method first used by the Baltimore Catechisms. The 1992 version contains 2,865 sections outlining our Faith.

Today, about 30 days after the publication of the Compendium, I received a professionally written email proposing to me that I purchase a new catechism. The Compendium, as one might expect? No. It is another, entirely new catechism, authorized and printed by the USCCB entitled “The United States Catechism for Adults.” 627 pages. At that size I don’t know if it is intended to be marketed against the original 1992 (slightly revised in 1997) Catechism, or the new, shorter, Compendium.

This cannot be an unfortunate coincidence. While Rome was still drafting and approving and printing the Compendium, a book that appeared in other languages several years ago, the bureaucrats in Washington apparently decided that Rome was not qualified to write a Catechism for the American Church and so they decided to do one themselves. I’m aware of little public discussion that has led up to this unfortunate occurance.

In the debate leading up to the recent Bishop’s meeting in Los Angeles two weeks ago, many of the U.S. Bishops, darned few of who can speak the language, held a similar position in that Rome was not qualified to determine how Latin should be translated into English.

Not having seen the text or format of the new “Adult” Catechism, something that from the email order form appears not to be in print yet, I can’t speak to its orthodoxy or whether or not it might be an improvement over the Compendium or the 1994 Catechism.

But what I can tell you is that 65,000,000 Catholics in this country, most of them barely catechized, are going to be very, very confused. And since there are bound to be differences, significant and insignificant, between the two books, the American Church is going to be further fractured, not just between liberals and conservatives, but between divisions within those groups.

Jesus Christ created the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. The USCCB seems intent on creating and perpetuating the Two (or more), Holy, semi-Catholic and Apostolic Church.

I don’t know whether to consider this to be sabotage, apostasy, heresy or what. Time will tell as people far more able than I study both catechisms and detail for us the differences, major and minor, and speculate on what effects it will have the Church.

Holy Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our deaths. Amen.

Father and Son Ten Superior's Catholic Cemeteries

2006-06-24T08:47:00.000-07:00

By A.M. Kelley
Superior Catholic Herald

Plunketts, father and son, tend Superior's Catholic cemeteries

Jim Plunkett, sexton of Calvary Cemetery in Superior, eases a 130-pound granite grave marker into its permanent place during cold, wet weather on May 10. (Catholic Herald photo by A.M. Kelley)

SUPERIOR -- Father and son, Rolland and Jim Plunkett, spend their days on hallowed ground. Both men work in Superior Diocese's cemeteries as sextons, an occupation as old as mankind. But times are changing and the business of running a cemetery has modern challenges.

Rolland cares for St. Francis Cemetery, on the east end of Superior, and his son Jim is Calvary Cemetery's sexton on the city's south end.

When the younger Plunkett hired on he had two assistants -- one full time and one part time -- and during the summer months there was enough work for five more grass cutters. That was 24 years ago. Since then many graves have been added and whole new burial sections have been developed. The work has increased dramatically but costs have gone up too. Now Plunkett's budget allows him only one part-time helper.

When he came on the job there was a lot to learn but he already knew how to operate big equipment. Three of his uncles were farmers and he used to work for them as a kid. He's now 48 and besides caring for the approximately 45 acres of graves and keeping everything looking good, he works with families who want to buy plots, maintains the roads and equipment -- a backhoe, dump truck and tractor -- sets the monuments and flat-markers in place and digs graves and buries the dead, or in the language of the sexton trade, he "opens and closes."

"It's hard work," Plunkett said, "and it's never ending."

The cemetery is atop a scenic hill on the Pokegama River. As of May 9, there have been 11,303 burials there since 1901. Calvary is co-owned by the Cathedral of Christ the King and Holy Assumption parishs and according to Fr. Dan Dahlberg, cathedral rector, staying out of the red is a constant challenge. He depends on a special appeal each Memorial Day to make ends meet. "The upkeep of an older cemetery is costly," he said. "Perpetual care is now costly."

The plots purchased 25, 50 or 100 years ago were sold for a fraction of their values today. These must be maintained, yet no endowments foot the bill.

Calvary has many trees and is as beautiful as a state park. That's part of the difficulty of maintaining it. Tree roots damage graves and markers, and make for painstaking mowing. Now, individuals may no longer plant trees in the cemetery next to monuments and markers.

"But if they donate a tree," Plunkett said, "we'll plant it."

St. Francis Cemetery sits on the Nemadji River and with about 10 acres developed for burials, it's much smaller than Calvary. The first burial took place about 1911 and to date there are about 4,000 graves, according to Mary Margaret Sitek, St. Francis Parish secretary. In the 1950s, American Indians from burial grounds on Wisconsin Point were exhumed and moved into St. Francis Cemetery.

Rolland Plunkett's employment as a sexton dates back to 1991. He retired that year after carrying the U.S. mail for 33 years. His son needed a part-time helper at Calvary and hired him. When the job opened up at St. Francis, he took it over. He's 74 now and his work in the cemetery is part time.

The growing popularity of cremation has created another ripple in the funding problems of cemeteries. Since 1963 when approval was given for Catholics to choose this form of burial, cemeteries have had to make allowances for the new trend.

The remains of those who have been cremated -- the cremains -- can currently be buried two to a plot in the Superior cemeteries. Or one casket and one urn can share a single plot.

The Catholic church does not approve of the practice of scattering the ashes of one who has been cremated or storing them in an urn in one's home.

"(Cremains) should be contained in a worthy vessel and buried in a grave, mausoleum or columbarium," Bishop Raphael M. Fliss wrote in a 2002 pastoral letter on the Rite of Christian Burial.

Plunkett continues to make improvements at Calvary and would like to build an upright granite columbarium with niches to hold cremains. Two neighboring non-Catholic cemeteries, Graceland and Riverside, have such buildings.

"We have to get with the times," Plunkett said.

Although he's been in the profession for 24 years, still not every day on the job is routine. For instance, Plunkett had the sad duty of burying his 16-year-old son following a car accident, and also his sister.

When his son died, a sexton friend from another cemetery dug the grave for him. But he did prepare the site for his own sister.

"It's completely different," Plunkett said, "when you bury your own. A lot of things go through your mind."

In his pastoral letter, Fliss acknowledged that cemeteries could often be places of "deep emotion and pain É and visible reminders of the brevity of life." And this is why maintaining the beauty and dignity of burial grounds becomes ever more important to "nourish hope in the final resurrection."

Editor's note: On Memorial Day, May 29, there will be Masses at 9 a.m. at both Calvary Cemetery and St. Francis Cemetery.

Chesterton Society Conference --- Intelligent Design Session With Father Stanley Jaki

2006-06-21T16:11:00.000-07:00

I attended the Saturday sessions of the 25^th Annual Conference of the American Chesterton Society over at the University of St Thomas. It was my first visit to one of their events and it was well worth the time.

Other than browsing through the many book stalls, I was intrigued by a small group presentation on Intelligent Design that was going to take place.

I’ve wondered what the “Catholic position” on Intelligent Design is. I know it’s not “7 Days and 4004 B.C.” And I know it’s not the atheistic Darwinian Natural Selection Theories of the Origin of the Species and Evolution about which I know very little other than what I read “in the papers.”

But I know the Intelligent Design folks want to prove that God created the world. Some want to prove that he did it in 7 Days.

What I “know” of the Catholic position is that the Darwinian Theories are acceptable for belief as long as we acknowledge that at some yet unknown point God “intervened” and “created a Man and a Woman.” There may be more to it, but that’s what “I know.” So I came to learn more.

Dale Ahlquist, President of the ACS and host of a popular show presenting the many thoughts and ideas of Gilbert K. Chesterton on EWTN, joked when he made the small group announcements that while the three other presentations would be “discussions”, Father Stanley Jaki’s presentation on Intelligent Design would be a “talk.” Boy, that’s for sure!

Room 114 was full to the rafters. That should have been a clue that the guy was worth listening to. I walked in right at 1:30 and lucked out with a seat right in the front row, right in front of him. This 82 year old priest (I found out later) “shuffled” in at the same time and made a few dumb jokes with a sometimes heavy accent and I wondered if I had selected the right session.

So we ended up with full chairs and maybe 20 people seated on the floor after all the folks finally arrived. He kept getting distracted by the late arrivals and I thought “this doesn’t bode well.” Well then he got going!

Later that day I discovered that this priest and scholar, born in Hungary, has PhD’s in Theology and in Physics and is a past winner of the Templeton Prize, that has also been given to Mother Theresa, Billy Graham and Aleksander Solzhenitsyn.

A commenter on the American Chesterton Society blog gave some sources that might be worth looking at if you are interested in more about Father Jaki and the subject matter:

Resume of Stanley L. Jaki

Review of his book, “Bible and Science”

Scientific Materialism, Intelligent Design, and the Cosmological Argument

He knows whereof he speaks and he speaks well and he tolerates no fools, large or small. He started out by slamming Cardinal Christoph Shoenborn of Vienna for his letter of last year endorsing “intelligent design.” Father Jaki asserts that “design” is not a scientific term and “intelligent design” ignores all of the things that science has proven.

Over the course of the session, his forcefully delivered emphatic statements and criticisms of religious fundamentalism and even mainline Protestant churches caused a half dozen people to leave, one woman nearly in tears and very angry.

But then he spent 30 minutes going precisely over Genesis Chapter 1, diagramming it on the blackboard and pretty much demolished the “7 day creation” theory by pointing out its inconsistencies. I could see by his “asides” that he really knew what he was talking about, but I couldn’t see the point since I had known that 55 years ago. It seemed a waste of time to me.

He did mention that he had written a book on the subject and recommended it for further reading (Genesis 1 through the Ages ), Then looking at his audience and probably wondering about the dolts (including me) in front of him, he suggested that we might want to start by reading his 30 page pamphlet summary ( The Creator’s Sabbath Rest: A Clue To Genesis 1).

Then he opened it up for questions and pretty much shot down everybody who asked them, quickly and incisively.

I was a bit frustrated and, still not knowing who this priest was, otherwise I’d never have dared to ask a question, when called on, pointed out that I had been taught in grade school that the Genesis creation story was an “allegory.” But I wanted to know what was the Catholic “Intelligent Design Theory” that called for that Divine Intervention that created Man and Woman. In a couple of sentences he blasted my “allegory” reference, calling Genesis a “metaphor.” (Even after reading the definitions in my dictionary, I’m not sure what the difference is, but I’m impelled to find out. That’s how good he was). He never dealt with my second question. That wasn’t his purpose in that short session.

He went on to others, generally shooting them down, even the ones from knowledgeable people who wanted to know how to demonstrate that “evolution” can’t explain through natural selection the presence of all the data present in DNA and cells. Father Jaki just nodded and indicated that that was correct. But that wasn’t why he was there that day. [If you want to argue that point with a Darwinian, you’d better know your genetics would be his first answer].

To make it short, his mission was to make it clear to us that the language of science (and by extension, the Darwinian theories) is measurement. That is not the language of theology or philosophy, or “design.” So basically, we cannot communicate with them in a common language. So there is no sense trying. “Sometimes”, he said, the correct answer is to say that “We just don’t know.”

Now that leaves a huge gap because we are not always talking to Nobel laureates when we are discussing evolutionary theories. Most times we are talking to people who are just as ill-informed as we are. But still it is critical to know that you can’t argue with someone coming from a scientific point of view, using theological, philosophical or literary arguments. Getting that through to me in an hour I guess was a success for him.

As the session ended all too quickly, I turned to the man on my right and observed “Well, that’s not what I expected at this session.” He just laughed and said “He’s always been that way.” He had not asked any questions and as we were walking out of the room I heard someone address him as “Dr.”, so he no doubt knew enough not to ask any.

I wish I had another twenty hours with Father Jaki. Lacking that, I’m going to get that 30 page pamphlet for starters.

Neverborn1

2006-05-06T12:56:00.000-07:00

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