40th Anniversary of Humane Vitae

Check out the Diocese of Birmingham's Life site.

July 22nd Who Was Saint Mary Magdalene?

Amy wrote a book about her:

The Rest of the Story

Where the police hat came from (see post below):



From Police officer's dying wish fulfilled

A TERMINALLY ill police officer blessed by Pope Benedict before World Youth Day celebrations died in a Lismore hospital yesterday morning after a prolonged illness.

Senior Constable Gary Hill, who battled skin cancer, heart and brain tumours for the past four years, was known for his commitment to his 22-year police career and faith, the Richmond Local Area Commander, Superintendent Bruce Lyons, said.

"It was not uncommon for Gary to go and have chemotherapy in the morning and come back to work in the afternoon. I'm sure that faith kept him going."

When Senior Constable Hill had a seizure at work two weeks ago, he told his colleagues he would visit the doctor after he finished his shift. Instead he was taken to hospital and then to palliative care when it was discovered a cluster of small tumours in his brain had returned.

Superintendent Lyons said it had been his dying wish to see the Pope: "Gary always wanted to go to Rome and stand in a crowd of 50,000 people and see the Pope come out on the balcony."

Colleagues arranged for a meeting with the pontiff during his retreat at Kenthurst last week, where he blessed the police officer and gave him rosary beads.

The pontiff was given the policeman's hat after he donned it for the cameras, mistakenly taking it for an akubra he had been told had been brought along as a gift.

Pope's Catechesis on the Angelus

And by extension--on the mystery of the Annunciation, from today's Angelus message given in Sidney:

In the beautiful prayer that we are about to recite, we reflect on Mary as a young woman, receiving the Lord’s summons to dedicate her life to him in a very particular way, a way that would involve the generous gift of herself, her womanhood, her motherhood. Imagine how she must have felt. She was filled with apprehension, utterly overwhelmed at the prospect that lay before her.

The angel understood her anxiety and immediately sought to reassure her. “Do not be afraid, Mary …. The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (Lk 1:30, 35). It was the Spirit who gave her the strength and courage to respond to the Lord’s call. It was the Spirit who helped her to understand the great mystery that was to be accomplished through her. It was the Spirit who enfolded her with his love and enabled her to conceive the Son of God in her womb.

This scene is perhaps the pivotal moment in the history of God’s relationship with his people. During the Old Testament, God revealed himself partially, gradually, as we all do in our personal relationships. It took time for the chosen people to develop their relationship with God. The Covenant with Israel was like a period of courtship, a long engagement. Then came the definitive moment, the moment of marriage, the establishment of a new and everlasting covenant. As Mary stood before the Lord, she represented the whole of humanity. In the angel’s message, it was as if God made a marriage proposal to the human race. And in our name, Mary said yes.

In fairy tales, the story ends there, and all “live happily ever after”. In real life it is not so simple. For Mary there were many struggles ahead, as she lived out the consequences of the “yes” that she had given to the Lord. Simeon prophesied that a sword would pierce her heart. When Jesus was twelve years old, she experienced every parent’s worst nightmare when, for three days, the child went missing. And after his public ministry, she suffered the agony of witnessing his crucifixion and death. Throughout her trials she remained faithful to her promise, sustained by the Spirit of fortitude. And she was gloriously rewarded.

Dear young people, we too must remain faithful to the “yes” that we have given to the Lord’s offer of friendship. We know that he will never abandon us. We know that he will always sustain us through the gifts of the Spirit. Mary accepted the Lord’s “proposal” in our name. So let us turn to her and ask her to guide us as we struggle to remain faithful to the life-giving relationship that God has established with each one of us. She is our example and our inspiration, she intercedes for us with her Son, and with a mother’s love she shields us from harm.

Pope Benedict Policing the Church

U HAVE WITHIN YOU (U)

Pope's first text message to youth at World Youth Day, from CNA:

"Young friend, God and his people expect much from u because u have within you the Fathers supreme gift: the Spirit of Jesus - BXVI."

I think he may have slipped and spelled out that last "u"!

Bishop Baker Releases Letter on Humanae Vitae

Sent out to all the parishes in the Diocese of Birmingham, found here at Life

Catholic Author New Bishop of New Ulm

Catholic author (co-author)with Father Richard Hogan of the excellent Covenant of Love: Pope John Paul II on Sexuality, Marriage, and Family in the Modern World , from the Vatican:

The Holy Father appointed Fr. John LeVoir of the clergy of the archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, U.S.A., pastor of the parish of St. Michael and Mary in Stillwater as bishop of New Ulm (area 25,535, population 284,793, Catholics 66,785, priests 58, permanent deacons 3, religious 60), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Minneapolis in 1946 and ordained a priest in 1981.

Green Bay Gets a Bishop

From the Vatican Information Service:

- Appointed Bishop David L. Ricken of Cheyenne, U.S.A., as bishop of Green Bay (area 27,775, population 1,008,000, Catholics 373,000, priests 293, permanent deacons 137, religious 698), U.S.A.

New Bishops

From the Vatican:

- Appointed Msgr. Herbert A. Bevard of the clergy of the archdiocese of
Philadelphia, U.S.A., pastor of St. Athanasius parish, as bishop of Saint Thomas
(area 352, population 108,612, Catholics 30,000, priests 15, permanent deacons
27, religious 27), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Baltimore, U.S.A. in 1947
and ordained a priest in 1972.

- Appointed Bishop William
Francis Malooly, auxiliary of Baltimore, U.S.A., as bishop of Wilmington (area
13,916, population 1,270,734, Catholics 230,000, priests 214, permanent deacons
94, religious 380), U.S.A. He succeeds Bishop Michael A. Saltarelli, whose
resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted,
upon having reached the age limit.

Pope Begins New Catechesis on Saint Paul

From the Vatican:

Last Sunday, the Solemnity of the Apostles Peter and Paul, marked the
beginning of a Year dedicated to the figure and teaching of the Apostle Paul.
Today’s Audience begins a new series of catecheses aimed at understanding more
deeply the thought of Saint Paul and its continuing relevance. Paul, as we know,
was a Jew, and consequently a member of a distinct cultural minority in the
Roman Empire. At the same time, he spoke Greek, the language of the wider
Hellenistic culture, and was a Roman citizen. Paul’s proclamation of the Risen
Christ, while grounded in Judaism, was marked by a universalist vision and it
was facilitated by his familiarity with three cultures. He was thus able to draw
from the spiritual richness of contemporary philosophy, and Stoicism in
particular, in his preaching of the Gospel. The crisis of traditional
Greco-Roman religion in Paul’s time had also fostered a greater concern for a
personal experience of God. As we see from his sermon before the Areopagus in
Athens (cf. Acts 17:22ff.), Paul was able to appeal to these currents of thought
in his presentation of the Good News. Against this broad cultural background,
Paul developed his teaching, which we will explore in the catecheses of this
Pauline Year.

Fire, Snails, and Song in Honor of J. the B.

Father Z has the tradritions:

Build a fire tonight, eat snails, and sing something in honor of St. John the Baptist!

Year of Saint Paul Study Guide

Our Sunday Visitor has co-published with The Birmingham Catholic Press a new book by Father Mitch Pacwa, S.J. on St. Paul: St. Paul: Jubilee Year of the Apostle Paul Edition: A Bible Study for Catholics

The Pope Speaks About Catholic Radio

From the Vatican Information Service:

Today in the Vatican the Holy Father received participants in a symposium entitled: "The identity and mission of Catholic radio today". The symposium was organised by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, which is presided by Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli.

"As you work in Catholic radio stations you are at the service of the Word", the Pope told the more than 100 delegates from 50 countries. "The words that you broadcast each day are an echo of that eternal Word which became flesh. ... The Incarnation took place in a distant village, far away from the noisy imperial cities of antiquity. Today, even though you make use of modern communication technologies, the words which you broadcast are also humble, and sometimes it may seem to you that they are completely lost amidst the competition of other noisy and more powerful mass media.

"But do not be disheartened!" he added. "The words which you transmit reach countless people, some of whom are alone and for whom your word comes as a consoling gift, some of whom are curious and are intrigued by what they hear, some of whom never attend church because they belong to different religions or to no religion at all, and others still who have never heard the name of Jesus Christ, yet through your service first come to hear the words of salvation. This work of patient sowing, carried on day after day, hour after hour, is your way of co-operating in the apostolic mission".

"If the many forms and types of communication may be seen as a gift from God to help individuals and all humankind to develop, then radio, through which you exercise your apostolate, brings words and music to people in order to inform and to entertain, to announce and to denounce, but always respecting the truth and with the clear aim of educating in truth and hope. Jesus Christ gives us the Truth about man and the truth for man and, on the basis of that truth, a hope for the present and future of humanity in the world".

The Holy Father went on to express the view that "radio, due to its association with the word, participates in the mission and visibility of the Church, but it also creates a new way of living, of being and of making the Church; this brings with it various ecclesiological and pastoral challenges. It is important to make the Word of God attractive, giving it consistency through your transmissions so as to touch the hearts of the men and women of our time, and to participate in transforming the lives of our contemporaries".

"What exhilarating prospects your commitment and your work open up!" the Holy Father exclaimed. "Even now, your networks can be a small but real echo in the world of the network of friendship that the presence of the risen Christ, the God-with-us, inaugurated between heaven and earth and among mankind of all continents and epochs. In this way your work will become a full part of the mission of the Church, which I invite you to love deeply. By helping the heart of each person to open to Christ, you will help the world to open to hope and to that civilisation of truth and love which is the most eloquent result of His presence among us".

Pope: Renew the Practice of the Daily Offering

From Asia News Italy:

"I invite everyone to renew, in the month of June, his devotion to the Heart of Christ, making use also of the traditional prayer of daily offering and including the intentions I have proposed for the whole Church". This is the pope's suggestion to the approximately 30,000 faithful gathered in St Peter's Square for the Angelus prayer.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart has roots in the Middle Ages, but it was emphasised and encouraged by the popes after the appearance of Jesus to St Marguerite Marie Alacoque in the 17th century.

"The Heart of Christ", the pontiff explained, "expresses in a simple and authentic way the 'good news' of love, summarising in itself the mystery of the Incarnation and of the Redemption . . . From the infinite horizon of his love, in fact, God wished to enter within the limits of history and the human condition, he took on a body and a heart, so that we can contemplate and encounter the infinite in the finite, the invisible and ineffable Mystery in the human Heart of Jesus, the Nazarene".

Benedict XVI recalled that his two encyclicals have also been inspired by the mystery of the Sacred Heart: "In my first encyclical, on the theme of love, the point of departure was precisely the contemplation of the pierced side of Christ, of which John speaks in his Gospel (cf. 19:37; Deus Caritas Est, 12). And this centre of the faith is also the source of hope in which we have been saved, the hope that I made the object of the second encyclical".

"Every person ", the pope continued, "needs a 'centre' for his life, a source of truth and goodness to draw upon in various situations and in the struggle of everyday life. Each of us, when we pause in silence, needs to feel not only the beating of his own heart, but more profoundly the pulsing of a trustworthy presence, which is sensed through faith but nonetheless is much more real: the presence of Christ, the heart of the world".

The solemnity of the sacred Heart of Jesus was celebrated last Friday, May 30. The following day, the Immaculate Heart of Mary is venerated.

Benedict XVI concluded with an invocation to the "maternal intercession of the Virgin" for the populations of China and Myanmar, "struck by natural calamities", and "for those going through the many situations of pain, illness, and material and spiritual misery that mark humanity's journey".

Sacred Heart of Jesus

The promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary:

1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
2. I will give peace in their families.
3. I will console them in all their troubles.
4. I will be their refuge in life and especially in death.
5. I will abundantly bless all their undertakings.
6. Sinners shall find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection.
9. I will bless those places wherein the image of
My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and venerated.
10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.
11. Persons who propagate this devotion shall
have their names eternally written in my Heart.
12. In the excess of the mercy of my Heart, I promise you that my all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the First Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: they will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my Heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.


-Michael Dubruiel

Caritas in Veritate

Social Encyclical of Pope Benedict now due out in the Fall according to CWS.

Old Books Made New

Late this year, a book written by Amy and myself fifteen years ago will be re-released under a new title by Ave Maria Press. Neither of us was ever very thrilled about the original art in The Biblical Way of the Cross, when I was asked if I had any artist in mind for the revision I immediately suggested Michael O'Brien and all though it seemed unlikely at the time that was possible it now turns out that indeed the new edition will feature the beautiful art of Michael O'Brien and be presented in full color!
The other book that will also be rereleased this Fall is Take Up Your Cross, A Lenten Walk with Jesus which is a reworking and complete revision of The Power of the Cross--perhaps Our Sunday Visitor will be able to land Michael O'Brien for the cover art of that books as well!

Day to Pray for China

From Pope Benedict via Father Mark:

Dear Pastors and all the faithful, the date 24 May could in the future become an occasion for the Catholics of the whole world to be united in prayer with the Church which is in China. This day is dedicated to the liturgical memorial of Our Lady, Help of Christians, who is venerated with great devotion at the Marian Shrine of Sheshan in Shanghai.

Here is the prayer to say:

Prayer to Our Lady, Help of Christians, of Sheshan

Virgin Most Holy, Mother of the Incarnate Word and our Mother,
venerated in the Shrine of Sheshan under the title "Help of Christians",
the entire Church in China looks to you with devout affection.
We come before you today to implore your protection.
Look upon the People of God and, with a mother's care, guide them
along the paths of truth and love, so that they may always be
a leaven of harmonious coexistence among all citizens.

When you obediently said "yes" in the house of Nazareth,
you allowed God's eternal Son to take flesh in your virginal womb
and thus to begin in history the work of our redemption.
You willingly and generously cooperated in that work,
allowing the sword of pain to pierce your soul,
until the supreme hour of the Cross, when you kept watch on Calvary,
standing beside your Son, who died that we might live.

From that moment, you became, in a new way,
the Mother of all those who receive your Son Jesus in faith
and choose to follow in his footsteps by taking up his Cross.
Mother of hope, in the darkness of Holy Saturday you journeyed
with unfailing trust towards the dawn of Easter.
Grant that your children may discern at all times,
even those that are darkest, the signs of God's loving presence.

Our Lady of Sheshan, sustain all those in China,
who, amid their daily trials, continue to believe, to hope, to love.
May they never be afraid to speak of Jesus to the world,
and of the world to Jesus.
In the statue overlooking the Shrine you lift your Son on high,
offering him to the world with open arms in a gesture of love.
Help Catholics always to be credible witnesses to this love,
ever clinging to the rock of Peter on which the Church is built.
Mother of China and all Asia, pray for us, now and for ever. Amen!

Corpus Christi

From Reuters India:

In his sermon at the Mass at St. John's before the start of the procession, the Pope said that communion joined all

Catholics together -- regardless of their backgrounds.

"We are united beyond our differences of nationality, profession, social class, ideas," he said.