A few days ago, I received another package in the mail! This one contained 50 copies of the terrific Africa eBook Project CD, created by my friend Brandon Vogt and his many collaborators, which include notable organizations such as:
The other day, as I was flipping around in the breviary, I ran across a treatise on the Trinity written by St. Hillary, a Doctor of the Church and Bishop of Poitiers.
I thought the last paragraph would make a good prayer for those of us using new media for evangelization. Continue reading
I have not been a follower of Ron Paul, described by ABC News as “the iconic libertarian congressman from Texas”, but reports of his farewell address to Congress caught my attention.
Nearly an hour long, his speech enumerated many of the problems facing our country and reinforced the grave feelings that I have for our future.
“Our Constitution, which was intended to limit government power and abuse, has failed,” Paul said. “The Founders warned that a free society depends on a virtuous and moral people. The current crisis reflects that their concerns were justified.”
Quoting the ABC News article that I read (emphasis is mine),
Paul left the podium, for the last time, offering an “answer” to all of these problems: that people should choose liberty and limit government, and seek change within themselves.
“The number one responsibility for each of us is to change ourselves with hope that others will follow,” Paul said, urging an end to two motives that have hindered U.S. society: envy and intolerance.
These last statements particularly caught my attention because earlier in the week I had the privilege of hearing Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s presidential speech to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops fall meeting in Baltimore.
In his speech, Cardinal Dolan recalled part of the closing message from the recent Synod of Bishops. That message reminds everyone, beginning with the bishops themselves, that the New Evangelization must begin with personal conversion.
“The New Evangelization reminds us that the very agents of evangelization – you and me – will never achieve that abundant harvest Blessed John XXIII described unless they are willing and eager to first be evangelized themselves,” said Cardinal Dolan, “Only those themselves first evangelized can then evangelize.”
Cardinal Dolan later said,
“The premier answer to the question “What’s wrong with the world?” is not politics, the economy, secularism, sectarianism, globalization or global warming … none of these, as significant as they are. As Chesteron wrote, “The answer to the question ‘What’s wrong with the world?’ is just two words: ‘I am.'”
There is so much more to be taken from Cardinal Dolan’s speech, which you can read here, especially concerning the central importance of the Sacrament of Penance, but I was struck by how two very different men, with two very different roles in our country, and two very different perspectives and belief systems, could both hit on the same central solution to our ills.
Our hope as one sharing the New Evangelization, or our hope as a citizen of a free nation, depends on a virtuous and moral personal conversion.
So say we all.
Last Sunday I traveled from Tulsa to Oklahoma City to spend some time with my good friend Lisa Hendey. Lisa had the day free after speaking at a conference the day before.
The most amazing part of the day was Sunday Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral. The photos above don’t really do it justice. A Romanesque-style church, it has a wonderful open and airy feeling to it, which only added to the atmosphere of this particular Mass. The stained glass windows are fantastic too, each related to the life of Our Lady. Here’s a link to the parish website that explains the windows. Go look and come back, I’ll wait…..
The 11:45 am Mass each Sunday is for the Vietnamese community in OKC. Even though neither Lisa or I know a single word of Vietnamese, we chose this Mass to experience their culture, and we were certainly rewarded.
I always enjoy attending Mass in other countries and in other languages. It’s a great reminder of how universal the Church really is and how the work of Catholic missionaries has spread the faith all corners of the world.
The Mass is always a comfort in those situations because the lack of a common language doesn’t mean that I cannot pray along and participate fully in the Mass. It takes a little more concentration, but in some ways it encourages a deeper participation.
The people we met there couldn’t have been nicer. The choir and the music were unlike anything I’ve heard before, wonderfully spiritual but also somehow imbued with the longing of a lost homeland.
It was a wonderful experience. I really hope to go again. I should look up Tulsa’s Vietnamese Community too.
(I used Google Translate for the title of the post. I hope it says “The Universal Church” in Vietnamese. If it doesn’t, I wonder how you say “oops”.)
Holy Moly it’s July already. Only about 12 weeks left of summer here in Oklahoma. Oh sure, we complain about the heat, but I know that everyone here secretly loves the heat and loathes the cold.
Have I mentioned the Catholic New Media Conference lately? Plans are really coming together for our best one yet. You should come. Really. Click that link and find out about it.
Independence Day was very enjoyable. You can read about it here if you like. Topped it off with a trip to the Tulsa Drillers minor league baseball game last night. My brother and my good friends Jeff, Jim and Bryan were all there in spite of the 95+ degree temps.
Fr. Stanley Francis Rother
Sainthood cause for Oklahoma’s Fr. Stanley Rother has advanced a little bit. An official relator has been appointed by the Vatican to explore the issue of his martyrdom. I blogged about it here. It would be a tremendous thing for Oklahoma and Guatemala if he should ever be canonized. I hope I live to see that day. Excitement is also building here amongst our Native American population for the canonization of Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha this October.
Squirrels. Once again my nemeses caused damage to my house, this time chewing through the coax cables for my internet service. Really? They actually like that stuff? They should go get real jobs.
My first college band director passed away yesterday. Paul A. Montemurro, called “Prof” by his students, was one of a kind. Italian by ancestry, you were one moment his little “gagutz” (an endearing term we later learned means idiot), and the next the object of an emotional tirade.
Even so, you loved this bigger than life man as only true band geeks can understand. I don’t know if I would have been half as successful in college if it hadn’t been the band community that formed around his bands at Oklahoma State University in the late ’70s and early ’80s.
Rest in peace, Prof!
Ordination of John Grant by Bishop Edward Slattery
Blessing and congratulations to Fr. John Grant, a former Newman Center student of mine who was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Tulsa last weekend.
It was a joy to be there and to share the occasion with so many friends.
(photo source: Diocese of Tulsa)
For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!
I had the pleasure to meet Archbishop Joseph Naumann briefly during the 2011 Catholic New Media Conference in Kansas City, KS.
This interview with him, published in the Catholic World Report, has some very interesting comments about the fight for religious liberty, social justice, the principle of subsidiarity and personal virtue.
Social justice doesn’t mean the state taking care of everybody, but empowering people so they can take care of themselves and their families. That’s the real dignity we want to help people achieve.
I so agree with this. We have so many problems to address in our society, but in my belief, very very few of them must be solved by the government, the least effective means of solving any problem.
Does the state have some role to play with the poor? Absolutely, I think, in terms of a safety net. But that doesn’t mean that we keep increasing the number of people who are dependent on the state in some way. That, to me, is the direction we’ve been going for the last 50 years.
When the government purposely strives to have the majority of its people dependent on it for food, health care, etc., it is subverting the true meaning of that wonderful phrase from the Declaration of Independence:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Fr. Mike Schmitz published a very readable summary of this whole issue on LifeTeen.com.
It’s well worth the read and the perspective. Read it here:
Cardinal Dolan, as president of the USCCB, has been at the forefront of media attention regarding the HHS Mandate and the Fortnight for Freedom.
Among the resources available on the USCCB website for the Fortnight for Freedom is the Litany for Liberty.
Take this to prayer when you pray at home, before Mass or before the Blessed Sacrament at your home church or chapel.
We, who by the grace of God are Catholics… must steel ourselves for the battle we shall certainly have to fight to fulfill our program and give our country, in the not too distant future, happier days and a morally healthy society, but to achieve this we need constant prayer to obtain from God that grace without which all our efforts are useless; organization and discipline to be ready for action at the right time; and finally, the sacrifice of our passion and of ourselves, because without that we cannot achieve our aim.”Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, Turin, Italy, 1922
(1901-1925)
Learn more about Blessed Pier Giorgio here.
Set your DVRs for a special program to be broadcast on ETWN:
Sat., Jun. 23 at 6 PM ET
Archbishop Fulton Sheen discusses the origin of our rights and liberties, the great value that Americans put upon the human person and then thirdly, what America’s done for the world.
Last Wednesday, on the eve of the beginning of the Fortnight for Freedom, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap., delivered a speech to attendees of the Catholic Press Association conference, meeting in Indianapolis.
It is a very sobering assessment of the war being raged against religious freedom in our country, and how perilous the situation in the Church is today and its ability to confront it.
I urge you to take the time to read his speech, which can be found at First Things.
I saw this article from the Catholic News Agency, shared on Facebook. It’s a sad, poignant but inspiring story. It is comforting to know that such people exist in this upset world.
Emotional goodbye for young Italian mother who died for unborn child
Today marks the beginning of the Fortnight for Freedom, the two-week period designated by the United States Council of Catholic Bishops to pray for religious freedom in our country. The Fortnight is being observed by dioceses, parishes and individuals across the country. Continue reading
Does this happen to you? Do you get to the end of the week and wonder where it went?
I’m not much of a blogger obviously, so I’m going to resist the shame of having two consecutive posts called “7 Quick Takes.” So, pretend that this is something else. (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)
I have a boarder. My “godson” Alex is staying with me for a few months as he transitions into the next phase of his life. He’s not technically my godson, but I did sponsor him when he joined the Church five years ago. It’s fun having him here and he’s promised to do all the mowing. Deal!
The mail just arrived with an invitation to the priestly ordination of one of my former students from the Univ. of Tulsa Newman Center. Rev. Mr. John Grant will be ordained on June 30th by Bishop Edward Slattery at Tulsa’s Holy Family Cathedral. You should check out his website: frjohngrant.com. His “wishlist” on Amazon.com is also interesting! Just what do you get a newly ordained priest?
This is very exciting and I hope to go. He’s going to be such a blessed asset for our diocese. Unfortunately, it’s also the wedding day in Denver for a very close friend. I’m conflicted.
I recently re-committed to an hour each week at our perpetual adoration chapel. Tuesday morning at 1am. I’m finding it difficult to adjust to this new timeslot. A few years ago, I had a 4am Thursday morning slot, which I found much easier to manage from a sleep perspective.
This week, rather than taking a nap beforehand, I just stayed up for it. It worked out much better and I was more focused and alert.
I like having this commitment and would encourage anyone to give it some consideration.
I’ve signed up for a retreat. I’ve worked many, many retreats for college students, but this is the first personal one for so long that I can’t remember the last one. It’s a two day drive to get there, but I’ve never been one to turn down a roadtrip. Besides, I’m a proponent of having time before and after retreats as transition periods.
I had the best time last Sunday afternoon. For Mother’s Day, another “godson”, if I can still use that term, asked me to take some photos of his wife and kids at Tulsa’s Woodward Park. The kids were great, so darn cute, and I really like spending time with them. I’m definitely not a professional photographer, but I do think some of the shots came out well. I really need to practice more with my camera.
Most of the week’s work was focused on the upcoming Catholic New Media Conference. We announced the speakers for the International Catholic Bloggers’ Summit, which is the theme for the final day of the 3-day conference. It’s going to be great fun and so many good things are happening with it. Another big announcement is coming, so keep an eye out for it.
I rediscovered the blog of another former Newman Center student. Her name is Sarah and she’s got a great sense of humor and a quick wit. If you like perusing other people’s blogs, check out Just a Brown-Eyed Girl.
That’s it! I’ll really try to find something interesting to write about next week. Heaven forbid that I have to resort to politics. We both really don’t want that to happen!
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SQPN had its annual online Podcast Marathon to end its Giving Campaign. CEO Fr. Roderick Vonhogen literally took one for the team by allowing viewers to bid on ingredients for a nasty concoction.
The shots above show what a good sport Fr. Roderick is. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have been able to stomach it. The viewing crowd was sending prayers out to St. Timothy and St. Erasmus, both patrons of stomach disorders! 🙂
What were the ingredients?
I’m still a bit queasy having watched it. I have to award this concoction an ignominious 3 burnt toast.
Howdy!
Or perhaps I should be more exact and say “How do you do today?”
(See what I did there? I translated my Okie greeting into more specific and more understandable English.)
So, about 96 days from when I’m writing this, the English-speaking parts of the Catholic Church will begin using a new English version of the Roman Missal. This will be the 3rd official version of the Missal approved by the Church. Only the third one since we began organizing all the various texts into one book more than 450 years ago.
What’s the Roman Missal, you ask? It’s the ritual text that contains all the prayers and instructions for the celebration of the Holy Mass. It’s a big deal.
The English version, and all the other language versions, are translations from the “official” Latin language Roman Missal that is issued by the Vatican with the approval of many, many people including the Pope.
There’s quite a bit of hub-bub about this new English Missal. It’s taken many years to complete and there is quite a bit of confusion about why it’s being issued. There’s also some resistance by some people who don’t want to change the prayers they’ve used their entire lives. Understandable to have these feelings, but in my opinion, they are based on misunderstandings of the reasons for the changes.
I ran across the following three videos produced by Life Teen that give a brief yet entertaining explanation of the changes, the process involved, etc. There’s one for adults/parent, one for teens, and one for middle school age kids.
They don’t tell the whole story, but I think they’re a good start and will hopefully open the minds of folks who are scared of change.
Have a look at these and let me know what you think in the comments.
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/25418499]
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/25418957]
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/25418061]
Thanks to the Christe, Audi Nos! blog for pointing the way to these videos.
The theme for our Friday in Rome quickly centered around international Catholic radio. During the morning hours, we settled into an upper room at the Dutch Friezen Church, just off of St. Peter’s Square.
I listened to Fr. Roderick and his radio crew record a radio program in Dutch for over 2 hours. I never imagined that I would be in Rome but yet privy to the work of the Church from the Netherlands.
Later in the day, we had truly one of the best experiences I could have hoped for. We had the privilege of visiting the offices and studios of Vatican Radio and were introduced to Fr. Roderick’s former professor Mr. Sean Patrick Lovett. He is the director of the Italian and English language channels for Vatican Radio and a wonderful person to talk to about Catholic media, its past and future. Vatican Radio is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year and it a worldwide organization, broadcasting in 34 languages. It was a great experience!
Mr. Lovett also gave us a tour of one of the radio studios where live broadcasts were in progress informing pilgrims in Rome about the upcoming Beatification, security, and traffic arrangements. Mr. Lovett also expressed his interest in the work of SQPN and in some of the ways that our experience can benefit them.
Fr. Roderick and Mr. Sean Patrick Lovett at Vatican Radio
Vatican Radio Broadcast Studio
Vatican Radio Control Room
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Our first full day in Rome, Fr. Roderick and I took some time to check out the preparations for the beatification in St. Peter’s Square and get our bearings on a few places that we’ll be visiting over the next few days. We weren’t there too long, so I didn’t take too many photos. No doubt there will be more as the excitement builds.
It seems to me that there are already quite few people in Rome for the beatification. Strangely, I haven’t noticed any other Polish pilgrims but I have no doubt that there are loads of them here, somewhere.
Some SQPN fans from Indiana introduced themselves to us along one of the streets and we even had a brief encounter with Boston’s Cardinal Sean O’Malley, who kindly hosted last year’s CNMC.
Here’s a little video of St. Peter’s that I shot as well.
Fr. Roderick over at SQPN had a great idea for the upcoming beatification of Pope John Paul II.
He is inviting people to create short video testimonies about their memories of JPII and upload them to YouTube. A really fine way to document his legacy!
Learn more over at SQPN at this link.
