Guadalupe Shrine in La Crosse launches new campaign to build retreat house and complete endowment trust

It's hard to believe the Shrine has gone this long without expressing concisely what the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is and why it exists like it does in this series of videos. They are really well done, I'd recommend watching them all.

"Everybody wants to say 'it can't be done anymore.'  And this building says, 'Yes, it can be done.'" - Duncan Stroik

Through the history of Christendom, peasants of impoverished means built glorious monuments to the Faith.  I would hope the most prosperous country in human history would not forget to give God glory through our very best offering to Him, like the offering of Abel the Just.

Details: answeringmaryscall.org

Mother Teresa and her Jesuit spiritual director

Fr. John Hardon SJ and Mother Teresa

Father Hardon participated in various apostolates to religious communities.  In the early 1980s, Pope John Paul II instructed Mother Teresa of Calcutta to have her order evangelize the poor in addition to looking after their material needs.  When she stated she didn't know where to begin such an endeavor, the Pope referred her to Cardinal Ratzinger, who called upon Hardon to instruct her Missionaries of Charity. To fill this need Hardon wrote a catechetical course for Mother Teresa's order. The course later was adapted and used to create two catechetical home study courses for lay Catholics. In 1985 Hardon founded the Marian Catechist Apostolate, an organization that uses these home study courses to provide catechetical formation to lay people in order to prepare them for catechetical ministry.  - wiki

Source

In fact, some had wrote that their friendship would cast doubt on if Mother Teresa would be beatified.

Update:

After the 9:30 Latin Mass at the Shrine this Sunday the Friars will be having public veneration of a 2nd class relic belonging to Mother Teresa of Calcutta "her personal handkerchief"

The Program for next Sunday's 11:00 AM Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine, La Crosse

…may be found here (PDF format). Those in the Marian Catechist Apostolate will be making/renewing their Solemn Consecration at this Mass, which will be celebrated by Cardinal Burke.

The Knights of Divine Mercy Schola Cantorum will be singing the proper chants for this Mass (in English), leading the Greek/Latin Ordinary, and singing a couple of harmonized Marian and Eucharistic hymns. This will be the Schola's 5th(?) year singing for the Marian Catechists' Mass at the Shrine.

Call to Martyrdom talk by Cardinal Burke

Pretty awkward into...


HT Aristotle

Marian Catechist talks available from recent conference

I am happy to announce that the talks from our Annual Marian Catechist Apostolate Consecration Weekend are available on our website (www.MarianCatechist.com). They can be accessed on the Multimedia page.
Audio presentations from 2012 Consecration Weekend:

• The Common Good by Father Roger J. Scheckel, Spiritual Advisor of the Marian Catechist Apostolate (59:09)
• The Natural Moral Law by Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke (39:19)
• The Conscience by Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke (65:37)

Cardinal Burke recommends the following excellent resources, particularly the first two books, for understanding the natural law:

• Establishing the Natural Law (printable PDF) by Reverend Raymond Smith, O.P., Ph.D. Printed copy available from the Marian Catechist bookstore.
• Written on the Heart, The Case for Natural Law by J. Budziszewski. Book available from Marian Catechist bookstore.
• Address by Pope Benedict XVI, The Listening Heart (printable PDF).
• Address by Pope Benedict XVI in Westminister (printable PDF).
• Catechism of the Catholic Church: Common Good, paragraphs 1905-1912; Natural Moral Law, paragraphs 1954-1960; Moral Conscience, paragraphs 1777-1778.

 Marian Catechists

Bp. Ricken reveals a new 60-hour religion certification program

GREEN BAY, Wis. (March 30, 2012) -- Green Bay Bishop David L. Ricken today reveals a new 60-hour religion certification program, the Foundational Catechetical Certification (FCC), to members of the diocesan Department of Education, Catholic school administrators, and catechetical leaders.

The ultimate goal of the FCC is to ensure that all teachers and parish religion educators in the Diocese of Green Bay are well educated in the teachings of the Catholic Church.

"To the best of my knowledge, there is no current catechetical program in our country that is this comprehensive in integrating the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults (USCCA)," said Bishop Ricken, who is also chairman of the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. "I hope this program can be of service to others."

continue at the Diocese of Green Bay

Wow, I am curious what other dioceses are using now.  I think the Diocese of La Crosse does allow the Marian Catechist program to vouch as a certification to teach, but other than that I do not know.  The Marian Catechist program is much longer than 60 hours though.

Photo

Cardinal Burke on EWTN for new book "The Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus"

This week on EWTN's Bookmark, Father Joseph Mary Wolfe and Doug Keck will discuss Cardinal Burke's new book The Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Show times are:

Sunday, June 19th, 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. CST
Monday, June 20th, 4:00 a.m. CST
Wednesday, June 22nd, 4:30 p.m. CST

Aaah, I'm behind!  There's nothing online, but you can purchase the book at the Marian Catechist bookstore, but you have to print an order form and snail mail it.  I received a flier in the mail from them(which I put somewhere) with more details but they don't put that information on their website.  But if I remember correctly, His Eminence has compiled a new formula for consecration of a home to the Sacred Heart.  When in La Crosse he formally consecrated the Cathedral to the Sacred Heart.  I'll post some details about that later this week.  And if you haven't seen, created a beautiful shrine at the St. Louis Basilica.  What's that, you say?  Yes!  You don't need anything elaborate, just an appropriate image of the Sacred Heart, and you too too can have your parish church and your home consecrated to the Sacred Heart!  I highly recommend both!

Prayer request for Cardinal Burke

Photo: Catholic News Agency

This is a special prayer request for Cardinal Burke.  Could I ask you, in addition to your daily Memorare for our International Director, Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, to please take a few moments this coming Saturday, Sunday and Monday to pray a Chaplet of the Holy Face especially for His Eminence’s safety, as he travels to Houston, Texas for a Vigil for Life in front of Planned Parenthood’s newly-expanded late-term abortion facility.

The vigil will take place at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, May 9^th. Cardinal Burke will lead clergy and hundreds of lay people in prayer right outside of the gates of Planned Parenthood at 4600 Gulf Freeway. His presence, along with the presence of Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston and head of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities, will lend special significance to the opposition of Planned Parenthood’s huge expansion in Houston, an expansion that makes it the abortion capital of the United States and South America.  The fact that Planned Parenthood has made this expansion a unique new effort to change the face of abortion facilities in this country will be made very clear. For more information on these two events, please go to www.anightforlife.com.

St Louis Review: Fr. John Hardon, SJ

Servant of God - Fr. John Hardon, S.J. from St. Louis Review on Vimeo.

HT Eugene

Fr. John Hardon on genuflecting

Father lectured many times on the Eucharist. He loved praying the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Toward the end of his life it became more and more difficult for him as his mobility was decreasing, but he was so determined. Some time before he became so ill, he lost the feeling in his legs. How could he still walk? We marveled that he still could stand to say Mass and even more that he would still genuflect at each consecration and every other part of the Mass that called for genuflection. It took some time, but he did it.

Father Hardon lamented the fact that so many persons did not see it as necessary to genuflect before the tabernacle containing our Lord Jesus Christ. Granted, there are persons who are unable to genuflect for physical reasons but, those reasons being absent, why not genuflect? During one lecture, Father postulated that if a V.I.P. were to come, people would definitely pay proper respect—so why not give the adoration due to Our Lord present in the tabernacle? However, what really hit me hard and left such a lasting impression was a simple statement he made. He said, “If you cannot bend the knee to Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, you cannot bend your will to God's will.”

Marian Catechists

Canon 871

Was working on Marian Catechists and found an interesting inclusion in Canon Law. 

Can.  871 If aborted fetuses are alive, they are to be baptized insofar as possible.

I think its safe to say that Obama paid abortionists are not too concerned about this.

Marian Catechist lesson review online

The Director for Catechesis for the Diocese of La Crosse Ann Lankford has teamed up with the Marian Catechists and Fr. Peter Fehlner, FI for a video series on the Marian Catechists courses.  The first lesson of the Basic Course is now available on AirMaria; video as well as mp3 audio, both available for download. They are meant to be supplemental to the group study in the parish.  Fr. Peter addresses the questions students most commonly have trouble with. The first lesson is on Salvation History.   You will find Fr. Peter is a rich well of knowledge and wisdom.  I can't embed from their site so you will have to follow the link.  Only lesson 1 is available but several others will be going up soon. 

Fr John Hardon and the 30 Day Spiritiual Exercise

April 29, 2010, the Feast of Saint Catherine of Siena, marks a very special anniversary. Having known Father Hardon for nearly two years back in 1992, I finally worked up the courage to undertake the thirty day retreat with him.  The last day of my retreat was April 29^th. He never pushed me to do it, but one knew what Father Hardon wanted without being told.  It was a retreat that changed my life so dramatically that it seems it was miraculous.  You see, at the age of forty, with a promising career in accounting, I was ready for our young girls to start school so that I could have more time to pursue my profession.  God had other plans that I was unaware of—but that my husband and Father Hardon were aware of.

Knowing that they were hoping my retreat elections would be:  a) to try and have more children, which was not something I wanted with three C-sections in our history, and b) to home educate all our children—something that I knew only wacko, hippie, radical kooks did.  It was illegal after all!  It was not fair that I should have to sacrifice so much for what they wanted!  One night, after a particularly hard day, I let off a lot of steam to both my poor husband and Father Hardon.   Years later, his secretary was talking about people who had persecuted Father or lost their temper with him.  Father’s reaction, she said, was to spend three days in fasting and prayer for the perpetrator. Oh, my! That is really loving your enemy.  It would seem his efforts were most effective.

Within several days, as the retreat continued—amazing in itself with three young children under the age of six—I decided to give home schooling a try and have more children.  Funny how life changes.  Without the love and prayers and guidance of Father Hardon, the choice never would have been made.  Was it hard to change?  Definitely.  Was it hard to home school?  Without a doubt.  Was it worth it?  Well, one thing is for sure, God cannot be outdone in generosity, as Father Hardon frequently said.  Words could never explain the blessings of making those choices, of doing God’s will.

           

As part of the reflection on our role in the new evangelization, let us ask ourselves, “What price am I willing to pay to convert my friend or neighbor?”  Am I willing to fast, pray, or even lay down my very life as Christ did for me?  Father prayed for martyrdom, whether it be a red martyrdom or a white martyrdom.  Martyrdom is not something to be feared, but a precious gift given by Christ to those He loves the most.  Father showed us that the little sacrifices of our will help us not only to prepare for martyrdom but to experience that peace and joy that can only come from doing God’s will instead of our own. He will bless us beyond our expectations, more than we could ever imagine.

Some Triduum photos

Photos at the Cathedral of St Joseph the Workman in La Crosse, WI.

Retired Diocese of Winona, MN bishop, Bp Harrington presiding.  The lighting is dark enough where its difficult to get a still image without a flash.  I have a Canon Rebel XSI, but I think I should have gone with the equivalent Nikon.  Since I bought my camera I've met more and more people who swear by Nikon.   

Holy Thursday



Note well, 12 men having their feet washed. *which reminds me to tell another story later..






Good Friday



Deacon Joseph Richards processing with cross


Msgr Richard Gilles, left,
Friar Joseph Schmitzer, FFI, front left


Great photo if it wasn't blurry... doh!



Easter Vigil


Blur to the left is Msgr Gilles


Probably the best shot I got.


Fr Michael Gorman, Cathedral Rector to the right of Bp Harrington

Friars of the Immaculate in da hizouse

Lance O pointed out to me that when a visiting bishop presides in another diocese that his crosier should be turned backwards which it was.  He said he noticed at one point it wasn't and Msgr. Gilles corrected it.

One awkward moment at the end of the Easter Vigil, Bp. Harrington was thanking everyone.  He seemed somewhat exhausted.  After thanking he said, "In the spirit of Arch Burke, we got this thing done in two hours."  I think he meant to crack a joke, but sadly his own diocese has allowed for so many mal-formations in the liturgy that a two hour Mass(short because there were no baptisms) is something the good bishop perhaps has not experienced at his own butchered cathedral. Don't get me wrong, I like Bp Harrington personally and have found him to be fearlessly pro-life in his preaching.  (also when I was discerning the priesthood it was in his diocese)  But there is a reason my family does not live in his diocese. 

*Also back to the foot washing.  I had to hold in my laughter as a friend recently told me they attended the Newman Center in La Crosse on Holy Thursday and the priest directed everyone to wash each others feet.  So I guess buckets and rags were passed out and whoever was sitting next to you got a shoe shine(minus the shoes).  "Full participation" in the liturgy includes soap and a scrub brush?  One more reason we attend the Traditional Latin Mass(usually).  Can we confuse the priesthood of all believers with the consecrated priesthood any more?  The institution of the priesthood is celebrated during Holy Thursday Mass by acting out as if there is no difference between the laity and the priesthood?    I'm not sure if the GIRM allows for populus ad populum(or however it would be said) foot washing, but I doubt it.

Easter Sunday TLM, Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Fr. Louis Maximilian M. Smith presiding.  Fra Joseph M. Schmitzer serving


Easter gospel

Gospel


Screaming kids(my own) at the Shrine so did not get some of the pictures I was hoping for.

Sts Faustina & Gianna relics installed at Shrine in April

The relics of two saints, St. M. Faustina Kowalska and St. Gianna Beretta Molla, will be installed in two separate, solemn celebrations in April at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Both events are open to the public.

Both are first-class relics, meaning the remains of a saint’s body. The relics of St. Faustina, a Polish nun and visionary who died in 1938, are bone fragments that Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, founder of the shrine and prefect the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura at the Vatican, brought back from Rome.

The relics of St. Gianna, who died in 1962 in Italy, are three strands of hair. “We’re very, very honored to have that here. It’s through the graciousness of the family,” said Sister Christa Marie, FSGM, executive director of the shrine.

Sister Christa Marie said she had asked the saint’s son, Pierluigi, whether the family might relinquish a relic after he spoke at the shrine last July.

The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is home to hundreds of relics, Sister Christa Marie said, but only the first-class relics of the six saints honored in the side aisles of the Shrine Church will be permanently displayed behind glass for public veneration. Already installed are bone fragments of St. Therese of Lisieux and St. Maria Goretti.

Read the whole article which is really well done at La Crosse Tribune

Fr Z picked up on this too(and a CNA article)

Fr. Hardon Quote

"Professed Catholics who practice contraception either give up the practice of contraception or they give up their Catholic faith."  - Fr. John Hardon, S.J.

Fr John Hardon SJ First Confession story.

It was a bright Michigan spring day.  The girls were in their dresses buckled in their seats as the family headed down to Detroit to meet with Father Hardon.  When we reached the residence, Father was called in his office and notified that we had arrived.  We met him at Lansing Reilly Hall, which was then the residence for the Jesuits at the University of Detroit.  It was 1993.  Sarah was seven and preparing to receive her First Holy Communion.  Father Hardon would be hearing her First Confession today.  He cheerfully greeted us and asked how we all were.  After a few minutes of relaxed conversation, he invited us to stay in a large gathering room filled with aged furniture.  Area carpets covered part of the hardwood flooring.  Father walked with Sarah to another smaller conference room where he would hear her confession. 

We were thankful that the room was empty and large so that the younger three girls would have some freedom to move about and play.  However, after some length of time, I began to wonder what was happening.  Shouldn't they be done by now?  Mothers worry, especially if they are like me.  I paced back and forth and finally I peaked out the door to see if anyone was in the hallway.  There they were.  How I wished I had a camera.  There was not much light in the hall except way down at the end so that Father and Sarah were in shadow.  He was holding her hand, walking down to the chapel to say her penance with her.  Such a loving, gentle priest taking such tender care of the young girl.

When they returned, Father told the story of preparing for his First Confession.  “I was in first grade, and the nun had written twenty-one sins on the chalk board for us to consider in preparing for confession.  Of the whole class I had committed most of the twenty-one sins.” Concerned that we may have missed some sins in preparing Sarah, I asked, “Father, what were they?”  “Well,” he said with his dry sense of humor, “I don't remember.  At the time I had not yet learned to take notes

Liberalism - Definition

Got this from Johnny's Lunchbox

Pertinent definition of oft-bandied word ...
"Until the eighteenth century the term generally meant whatever was worthy of a free man, e.g., as applied to the liberal arts or a liberal education. This meaning is still current, but at least since the French Revolution liberalism has become more or less identified with a philosophy that stresses human freedom to the neglect and even denial of the rights of God in religion, the rights of society in civil law, and the rights of the Church in her relations to the State. It was in this sense that liberalism was condemned by Pope Pius IX in 1864 in the Syllabus of Errors (Denzinger, 2977-80)".<sup>1

1 Hardon, John, S.J. 1999 (2nd Printing, 2001). "Modern Catholic Dictionary", p. 317. Eternal Life. Brownsville, Kentucky.
"Denzinger" refers to Enchiridion Symbolorum (Handbook of Creeds) originally edited by Henry Denzinger and first published in 1854.</sup>

Cardinal Burke

By now you may have seen some speculation that Archbishop Burke will be named a cardinal as soon as this November.

While all three vaticanisti led their stories with an emphasis that the coming crop would be dominated by Europe and the Roman Curia -- including the "sure" elevation of the church's first American "chief justice," Archbishop Raymond Burke  

The post that Arch. Burke now occupies, prefect of the Apostolic Signatura; in effect, the church's "chief justice" as head of its top court, has historically always been filled by a cardinal.  Hence why the prediction is a pretty solid lock.  Another potential candidate is Archbishop Timothy Dolan, but it looks like he is saying he would not expect to receive the red hat this time around. 

I believe Arch Burke is about 62-63 years old.  I wont start speculating on the next papal election at this time.... but.... as Elmer J. Fudd would say "vewy vewy intewesting."

Reflections on Father Hardon, SJ

He was quite short, Father Hardon was.  He was about 5’5”. When he was preparing for his trip to Russia and Poland, he asked if anyone had some boots he could borrow. We were surprised when he said he needed a size 12 or 13. Mike, my husband, brought in some boots that he had for hiking. They were waterproof, size 12.  Father Hardon held them and said, “They are too heavy, but thank you.” The mental giant was of small stature physically. In fact, his doctor told him in the 1970’s that he should stop speaking because his heart could not last. He taught for nearly twenty-five more years. So perhaps you can understand now how frail he seemed, but that never stopped him. 

As you probably remember, Father Hardon went to Confession every day. At Domino’s farms, he would be seen sitting over in a corner with Father Downey as they heard each other’s Confessions.  Well, when Father Hardon went to Poland, there was a blizzard that made the roads and walkways nearly impassable. Daniel Peper, who recorded many hours of Father Hardon’s lectures in Detroit and around the world, went with him on this particular trip to Europe. Father Hardon needed to find a priest to hear his Confession. Unfortunately, Father Hardon could not speak or understand Polish. However, he finally found a priest who could speak Latin, so he decided to go to him. The only problem was that there was nearly a foot or more of snow outside; it was still falling, it was still blowing. Since Father was in his 80’s by now, he had difficulty tolerating the cold and walking. So he enlisted the assistance of 6’5” Daniel.  (You can see a picture of Daniel Peper with Father Hardon and Mother Teresa at www.hardonsj.org. Go to the biography page[pictured left]).  Father Hardon walked behind Daniel so that Daniel would break the wind and give assistance in making a path through the snow.  They bundled up with boots, gloves, and hats, preparing to brave the elements. Out they went. They began to walk, and walk. . . . . Quite some time later, they arrived at the entrance of the priest’s residence.  What is truly amazing about this whole story is that it was at least one or two miles to the place where the priest lived.  Then they had to walk back as well.  Father Hardon was a determined, strong-willed man who loved the Church and the sacraments.  What an example he has set for us on the importance of Confession, on the determination we, too, should have to have our Confessions heard regularly.