We're growing, and need more help...

We're adding to our music faculty at The Atonement Academy, and we have posted this position in several places, but if you know of a talented Catholic musician who would qualify -- and please note the high level of qualifications necessary -- please pass this along:

Choral Music Instructor

The Atonement Academy, a large, vibrant Catholic school with a comprehensive graded music program seeks a full-time Choral Music Teacher for the 2012-2013 academic year. This represents an opportunity for candidates with exceptional musical and pedagogical skills to exercise their talent in a unique and supportive setting. The Atonement Academy is the parish school of Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church, the founding parish for the Anglican Use of the Roman Rite in the United States. With a mission to strive for excellence in the physical, intellectual and spiritual virtues through a challenging course of classical and Catholic education, the academy builds into every student’s routine daily Mass, rigorous academics, and opportunities for participation in sports as well as a variety of extracurricular activities. Founded in 1994 and a recipient of the National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award, The Atonement Academy enrolls approximately 550 students in grades pre-kindergarten through twelve. Every student participates in the comprehensive choral music program that encompasses the disciplines of music theory, sight-singing, ear training and vocal technique. Beginning in the third grade, students are assigned to one of ten choirs which sing in rotation for the daily school Mass. In addition, these students present several concerts each year with select students competing in state-wide TMEA, TPSMEA, and TCDA competitions.

Requirements:
• Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Music
• High level of proficiency in vocal pedagogy as it pertains to children’s and young adult voices, choral conducting and organ service playing.
• Training and experience in Kodaly, Ward, Royal School of Church Music or similar method of music education.
• Experience working with children and a desire to instill in them an appreciation for great choral music, particularly music of the Church.
• Knowledge of Gregorian chant, Anglican chant, hymnody and sacred choral repertoire appropriate for treble and mixed voices.
• Ability to work collaboratively with the other members of the academy music faculty to execute the vision as articulated by the Pastor, administrative team and Director of Music.
• Practicing Catholic, faithful to the Magisterium.

Responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to:
• Teaching age-appropriate concepts of vocal technique and music theory (note-reading, ear training and sight reading) to students at the primary and secondary levels;
• Sharing duties with other music faculty in providing organ music for daily school Masses;
• Preparing student choirs to sing for daily Mass
• Preparing student choirs to sing for annual concerts (Christmas and spring)
• Sharing in accompanying duties for concerts with other music faculty members
• Additional potential to be involved at the parish level -assisting with training parish choirs, accompanying choirs at Sunday Mass. Additional compensation provided.

Salary: Commensurate with experience

Instruments:
3-manual, 50 rank Casavant pipe organ (church)
1 manual, 7 rank Laukuff organ (chapel)
4-octave set of Malmark choir chimes

To apply for the above position, send cover letter and resumé to:

Edmund G. Murray
Director of Music
Our Lady of the Atonement Church
The Atonement Academy
15415 Red Robin Rd.
San Antonio, TX 78255
(210) 695-2240
e-mail: emurray@atonementonline.com

¡Viva Cristo Rey!

That's the cry heard before the executioner's bullet found its mark. With an evil attempt in the 1920's and into the 1930's by Mexico's civil government to eradicate the Catholic Church from the country, the people's response to the persecution was the rising up of the Cristeros - Catholics who would not have their faith ripped away from them. Most Catholics resisted peacefully, but there also were some who felt driven to take up arms against the government troops.

Of the twenty-five martyrs (who were executed at different times and different states throughout Mexico), twenty-two of them were priests, and three were laymen who were gunned down in their efforts to protect their pastor. Many others died; however, these who were canonized are those who refused to take up arms, but who ministered covertly and illegally to the suffering Catholics of their country.

This is a list of the Holy Martyrs of Mexico who were canonized by Blessed John Paul II on 21 May 2000:

St. Cristóbal Magallanes Jara, St. Román Adame Rosales, St. Rodrigo Aguilar Aleman, St. Julio Álvarez Mendoza, St. Luis Batis Sáinz, St. Agustín Caloca Cortés, St. Mateo Correa Magallanes, St. Atilano Cruz Alvarado, St. Miguel De La Mora De La Mora, St. Pedro Esqueda Ramírez, St. Margarito Flores García, St. José Isabel Flores Varela, St. David Galván Bermudes, St. Salvador Lara Puente, St. Pedro de Jesús Maldonado, St. Jesús Méndez Montoya, St. Manuel Morales, St. Justino Orona Madrigal, St. Sabas Reyes Salazar, St. José María Robles Hurtado, St. David Roldán Lara, St. Toribio Romo González, St. Jenaro Sánchez Delgadillo, St. Tranquilino Ubiarco Robles, and St.David Uribe Velasco.

Almighty and Everlasting God, who didst enkindle the flame of thy love in the hearts of St. Christopher Magallanes and the holy martyrs of Mexico: Grant to us, thy humble servants, a like faith and power of love, that we who rejoice in their triumph may profit by their example; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Helping Catholic Schools Be Catholic

Here's an article by Charolotte Hays, from the National Catholic Register, describing a program by the Catholic Education Foundation, which assesses the effectiveness of Catholic schools:

How Catholic Is Your Child’s School?

By Charlotte Hays

How Catholic is your child’s school?

There’s a new tool available to help parents answer that question.

The Catholic Identity Assessment program has been developed by the Rochester, N.Y.-based Catholic Education Foundation. Father Peter Stravinskas, executive director of the foundation, said that a school’s Catholic identity is not as assured as it was in an earlier time, when much of the faculty was composed of priests and religious. Father Stravinskas said that a number of individual schools and the Archdiocese of Denver and the Diocese of Gaylord in Michigan have adopted the Catholic Identity Assessment for all diocesan schools.

Charles Taylor, superintendent of Catholic schools in Gaylord, said that what attracted him to the assessment was that it has objective standards. “Somebody had finally sat down and formulated objective criteria for evaluating Catholic identity,” he said. The 2011-2012 school year was the first time schools in Taylor’s diocese used the assessment. They are awaiting the results.

The Catholic Identity Assessment, originally developed for Catholic high schools, is now available for elementary schools.

The process starts with a questionnaire. “It’s designed as a self-assessment instrument, so that every member of the staff, from the principal to the custodial staff, participates in this survey,” said Father Stravinskas. The questions deal with such issues as how frequently the sacrament of reconciliation is offered, whether there are theology classes and the qualifications of those who teach these classes. There are also questions about how justice and charity are promoted.

There are three tiers: self-assessment, collated by the Catholic Education Foundation; self-assessment plus an on-site visit by a CEF team; and a second visit by the team.

One satisfied customer is Father Christopher Phillips, pastor of Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church in San Antonio. Father Phillips helped establish The Atonement Academy in 1994. The academy offers classes from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade and promotes, according to its website, “spiritual virtues through a challenging course of classical and Catholic education.”

“As a Catholic school, those of us in the administration found this project to be intriguing,” said Father Phillips. “The idea of describing our program, and then letting it be assessed for its catholicity and effectiveness by a neutral third party — experts in the field — was a challenge we were eager to accept.”

Father Phillips said he would recommend the program.

“There were things we were doing very well, and the assessment helped us see how we could strengthen what we do,” said Father Phillips. “When it comes to assessing a Catholic school, it’s always a good thing to look at every aspect of it, and that’s what the Catholic Identity Assessment did. Our original vision was affirmed, and we received suggestions which have given us guidance in making aspects of our program even better.”

Father Stravinskas, who has taught and served as an administrator in Catholic elementary, secondary and college-level institutions, is a well-known author and holds a number of advanced degrees, including a bachelor of arts degree in classical languages and French from Seton Hall University, a master of arts in school administration from Seton Hall University and a master of arts in biblical theology from Immaculate Conception Seminary (Darlington). He holds a licentiate of sacred theology from the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.

He said that the program will assist Catholic schools in developing a more unified method of teaching — a biology class dealing with genetic structure, for example, might be a proper place to discuss Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI’s 1968 encyclical upholding the Church’s teaching on the immorality of artificial contraception. Students must learn to “connect the dots” between various academic fields, Father Stravinskas said.

“The God question is never inappropriate in any class. Whenever the God question naturally surfaces, that is the place it needs to be dealt with, and not confined to a 30-minute religion course,” said Father Stravinskas.
  
A strong academic course of studies is essential, Father Stravinskas said.

“When we talk about Catholic schools,” the priest said, “the noun is school and the adjective is Catholic. It’s got to be a first-rate institution. It’s got to be as strong as any other academic school or we are doing a disservice to the students.”

Not Just Academics

But academics are not the sole consideration. A teacher might be asked, for example, if class is stopped so that students can offer a prayer when they hear the siren of an ambulance passing. The priest said that Catholic educators unfamiliar with the practice often say something like “Gee, that’s beautiful. We’ve got to start doing that.”

Father Stravinskas also said that Catholic schools should promote “a culture of vocations.” Students should find it normal to say to a teacher, “I think Joe may have a vocation to the priesthood.”

Noting that Pope Benedict XVI recently spoke to several U.S. bishops about the importance of Catholic colleges and universities having a strong Catholic identity, Father Stravinskas said that this program tries to do the same thing for high schools and elementary schools.

Father Phillips concurred: “It is an effective tool to help us accomplish what the Church wants us to be doing in the way of educating our young people: giving them an authentically Catholic education, which is to form them spiritually, intellectually and physically, helping them to become virtuous and moral individuals.”

Novena to the Holy Ghost

The first novena was prayed by the Apostles, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the small company of those who had been with the Lord Jesus. After His ascension, they "devoted themselves to prayer," until the coming of the Holy Ghost. This year the Novena should begin on Friday, May 18th. The prayers of the Novena may be abbreviated by using only the Proper Prayer each day, and the concluding Collect.

NOVENA TO THE HOLY GHOST

In the Name of the Father, + and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Each day, the Novena begins with this prayer:

O HOLY SPIRIT, our Lord and our God, we adore thee and humbly acknowledge here in thy sacred presence that we are nothing, and can do nothing, without thy operation within us. Come, great Paraclete, thou Father of the poor, thou Comforter of the blest, fulfill the promise of our Saviour, who would not leave us orphans, and enter our minds and hearts as thou didst descend on the day of Pentecost upon the Holy Mother of Jesus and upon His first disciples. Grant that we may have a part in those gifts which thou didst so graciously bestow upon them.

Take from our hearts all that is not pleasing to thee and make of them a worthy dwelling-place for Jesus. Illumine our minds, that we may see and understand the things that are for our eternal welfare. Inflame our hearts with the pure love of the Father, that, cleansed from attachments to all unworthy objects, our lives may be hidden with Jesus in God. Strengthen our wills, that they may be conformed to the will of our Creator and guided by thy holy inspirations. Aid us to practice the heavenly virtues of humility, poverty, and obedience which are taught to us in the earthly life of Jesus.

Descend upon us, O mighty Spirit, that, inspired and encouraged by thee, we may faithfully fulfill the duties of our various states in life, carry our particular crosses with patience and courage, and accomplish the Father's will for us more perfectly. Make us, day by day, more holy and give to us that heavenly peace which the world cannot give.

O Holy Spirit, thou Giver of every good and perfect gift, grant to us our special intentions of this novena of prayer. May the Father's will be done in us and through us; and mayest thou, O mighty Spirit of the living God, be praised and glorified for ever and ever. Amen.

Here is said or sung the Veni Creator Spiritus:

Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,
and lighten with celestial fire,
thou the anointing Spirit art,
who dost thy sevenfold gifts impart.

Thy blesséd unction from above,
is comfort, life, and fire of love,
enable with perpetual light
the dullness of our blinded sight.

Anoint and cheer our soiled face
with the abundance of thy grace.
Keep far our foes, give peace at home;
where thou art Guide, no ill can come.

Teach us to know the Father, Son,
and thee, of both, to be but One;
that through the ages all along,
this may be our endless song:

Praise to thy eternal merit,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

OUR FATHER, who art in heaven; hallowed be thy Name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Here is said the Proper Prayer for the Day:

FIRST DAY
Come, O Holy Ghost, the Lord and Lifegiver; take up thy dwelling within our souls, and make of them thy sacred home. Make us live by grace as adopted children of God. Pervade all the energies of our souls, and create in us fountains of living water, springing up unto eternal life.

SECOND DAY
Come, O Spirit of Wisdom, and reveal to our souls the mysteries of heavenly things, their exceeding greatness, and power, and beauty. Teach us to love them above and beyond all the passing joys and satisfactions of earth. Show us the way by which we may be able to attain to them, and possess them, and hold them hereafter, our own forever.

THIRD DAY
Come, O Spirit of Understanding, and enlighten our minds, that we may know and believe all the mysteries of salvation, and may merit at last to see the eternal light in thy light; and in the light of glory to have the clear vision of thee and the Father and the Son.

FOURTH DAY
Come, O Spirit of Counsel, help and guide us in all our ways, that we may always do thy holy will. Incline our hearts to that which is good, turn them away from all that is evil, and direct us by the path of thy commandments to the goal of eternal life.

FIFTH DAY
Come, O Spirit of Fortitude, and give courage to our souls. Make our hearts strong in all trials and in all distress, pouring forth abundantly into them the gifts of strength, that we may be able to resist the attacks of the devil.

SIXTH DAY
Come, O Spirit of Knowledge, and make us to understand and despise the emptiness and nothingness of the world. Give us grace to use the world only for thy glory and the salvation of thy creatures. May we always be faithful in putting thy rewards before every earthly gift.

SEVENTH DAY
Come, O Spirit of Piety, possess our hearts, and incline them to a true faith in thee, to a holy love of thee, our God. Give us thy grace, that we may seek thee and find thee, our best and our truest joy.

EIGHTH DAY
Come, O Spirit of holy Fear, penetrate our inmost hearts, that we may set thee, our Lord and God, before our faces forever; and shun all things that can offend thee, so that we may be made worthy to appear before the pure eyes of thy divine Majesty in the heaven of heavens.

NINTH DAY
Come, O Holy Comforter, and grant us a desire for holy things. Produce in our souls the fruits of virtue, so that, being filled with all sweetness and joy in the pursuit of good, we may attain unto eternal blessedness.

The following prayer concludes the Novena each day:

O GOD, who as at this time didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people by sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit: grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgement in all things, and evermore to rejoice in His holy comfort; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth with thee in the unity of the same Holy Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

Truth

"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come."

- St. John 16:13

Those are words from the mouth of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, that with the coming of the Spirit -- the Spirit we received at baptism, and with which we were sealed in confirmation -- we will be guided "into all the truth."  To be guided into all the truth is but part of the equation.  We have our part to play, which involves grasping hold of the truth, incorporating it into our lives, and allowing it to guide our thoughts, words, and deeds.

Why is it that even a child understands the law of nature, when he is told that if he walks in front of a speeding car he'll be seriously hurt or even killed, and yet otherwise-intelligent people think they can hear God's commandments and ignore them with no penalty?

I love this saint...

St. Isidore the Farmer, born into a poor but devotedly Catholic family, wouldn’t have appeared to be destined for much in life. His parents had high hopes for him, so it would seem. They named him after the great bishop of Seville, St. Isidore, but that was about all they could give him. As soon as he was big enough to labor in the fields, he was sent off to work. And there he stayed. The boy became a young man who fell in love with an equally devout young woman, Maria. They married, they had a child. They knew immense sorrow when their child died, but they never waivered in their faith.

Isidore attended Mass daily, always before he went to the fields to work. His devotion sometimes caused him to arrive late for his duties, but he always accomplished as much or more than the other workers. Out of jealousy the others reported his daily lateness to the employer, who decided to keep an eye on Isidore. It became evident that Isidore was toiling faithfully and steadily, and as a sign from God of the goodness and honesty of Isidore, the employer saw the image of an angel working beside him.

I love this saint. As little as he had, he was always generous towards others, always willing to share his meager meal with anyone who had less. His love for God formed the foundation of his work. The manual labor which occupied all his years was dignified by his devotion.

All the saints are interesting, although some of them probably would have been difficult to have been around. But this one… this is a saint I would have liked to have known. Maybe it’s because I grew up working on the family farm, and I know the satisfaction that comes from honest labor on the soil. Maybe it’s my own childhood memories of having a team of oxen as St. Isidore did. Maybe it’s my recollection of feeling an especially close bond to the Divine when working the land. But whatever the cause, I love this saint.

The Casting of Lots

Here's an article I wrote and posted on The Anglo-Catholic.  It's about St. Matthias, and what seems to be chance, and God's plan...

Australian Ordinariate

Our Lady of the Southern Cross

The wonderful news of the erection of a Personal Ordinariate for Australia has come in a press release from the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference:

Personal Ordinariate to be established in Australia on 15 June

Media Release
11 May, 2012

The President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Archbishop Denis Hart, announced today that Pope Benedict XVI intends to announce the establishment in Australia of a Personal Ordinariate for Former Anglicans to commence on 15th June 2012.  A Personal Ordinariate is a church structure for particular groups of people who wish to enter into communion with the Catholic Church.

In 2009 Pope Benedict announced special arrangements to cater for groups of Anglicans who wished to join the Catholic Church. This provision allows them to maintain some of the traditions of prayer and worship of Anglicanism.

Personal Ordinariates have already been established in the United Kingdom (2011) and the United States of America (2012).

The Australian Bishops have already put in place procedures to enable clergy and lay church members to join the Catholic Church through the Ordinariate.

Archbishop Hart hopes that there will be a warm welcome to those wishing to enter the Catholic Church through the Ordinariate.

“I am confident that those former Anglicans who have made a journey in faith that has led them to the Catholic Church will find a ready welcome”, he said.

This new community will have the status of a diocese and will be known as the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross under the patronage of St Augustine of Canterbury.

For media enquiries, please contact Fr Brian Lucas on 0419 243 959 or Beth Doherty on 0407 081 256

St. Damien of Molokai

In the year 1840, Joseph De Veuster was born in Belgium, to a large family who were farmers and merchants.  This was the future Father Damien.  When his oldest brother entered the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts, his father planned that Joseph should take charge of the family business. Joseph, however, decided to become a religious.  When he was nineteen he entered the novitiate in the same house as his brother. It was there that he took the name of Damien.

In 1863, Damien’s brother was supposed to leave for the mission in the Hawaiian Islands, but he became seriously ill. Since preparations for the voyage had already been made, Damien obtained permission from the Superior General to take his brother's place. He arrived in Honolulu on March 19th, 1864, where he was ordained to the priesthood the following May 21st. He immediately devoted himself as a travelling missionary on the island of Hawaii.

At that time, the Hawaiian Government decided on a very harsh measure which they thought would stop the spread of the dreaded disease of leprosy, or Hansen’s disease. It was decided that anyone who contracted this disease would be taken to the neighboring island of Molokai, where they would have to stay for the rest of their lives. The Catholic Church was deeply concerned about these abandoned lepers and the Bishop spoke to the priests about the problem. He didn’t want to send anyone "in the name of obedience," because he knew that whoever went would probably contract the disease. Four of the priests volunteered, and they would take turns visiting and ministering to the lepers. Fr. Damien was the first to leave, and at his own request and that of the lepers, he remained permanently on Molokai.

He brought hope to this place of despair. He became a source of consolation and encouragement for the lepers.  He became their pastor, the doctor of their souls and of their bodies, without any distinction of race or religion. He gave a voice to the voiceless, he built a community where the joy of being together and openness to the love of God gave people new reasons for living.  He saw the beauty and dignity of each person, no matter how deformed and grotesque their outward appearance.

After Father Damien contracted the disease in 1885, he was able to identify completely with them.  He spoke of "we lepers…" Father Damien was, above all, a witness of the love of God for His people. He got his strength from the Eucharist: "It is at the foot of the altar that we find the strength we need in our isolation..." He said that he was It is there that he found for himself and for others the support and the encouragement, the consolation and the hope, he could, with a deep faith, communicate to the lepers. All that made him "the happiest missionary in the world.”

Fr. Damian served for sixteen years among the lepers, and died on April 15^th 1889.

O God, by whose grace thy servant St. Damien of Molokai, enkindled with the fire of thy love, became a burning and a shining light in thy Church: Grant that we also may be aflame with the spirit of love and discipline, and may ever walk before thee as children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, liveth and reigneth, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Crusader Bulletin

You can read the latest Crusader Bulletin by going to this link.  There are lots of things of interest -- academic achievements, sports, music...you'll want to read it all!

OLA and the Ordinariate

Here are two letters I sent to parishioners and friends, discussing the decision to withdraw our request for transfer into the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter.

The first one:

Dear Friends,


Fr. Jeffery Moore (our parochial vicar) and I had a good meeting with Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller and Bishop Oscar Cantu to discuss issues surrounding the Ordinariate and what that might mean for the parish. All of us desired to do what is best for the people of Our Lady of the Atonement Church, and it was in a spirit of cooperation that it became evident to me that for the sake of the continued stability and unity of our parish community, the best course of action at this time is to withdraw our request to enter the Ordinariate and to remain in our present status as a Personal Parish of the Anglican Common Identity, as is stated clearly in the Decree of Erection by which we were founded in 1983.

The archbishop recalled his recent visit to the parish, commenting on how impressed he was with the Academy students, with our facility, and with the sense of the sacred found here. He expressed his respect for the fruitful and particular ministry of our parish, and he looks forward to strengthening our bond of communion, as do we.

What does this mean in practical terms? Our liturgical and devotional life does not change, our patrimony remains intact, and our clergy and people remain together as one parish family.

I’m grateful for the archbishop’s warmth and for the respect he has for our heritage, and we look forward to deepening our relationship with him.

From the time of our founding we have been under the maternal care of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Atonement. She has never failed us, and she did not fail us today. We continue under Our Lady’s patronage, and that of her Divine Son, in union with the Holy Father and with the bishops in communion with him.

Thank you to all who prayed for this important meeting. All of us there felt the presence and power of the Holy Ghost.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Christopher G. Phillips

And the second:

Dear Friends,


It’s difficult to communicate important information by way of email – there’s an understandable tendency for recipients to forward them all over the place, and there is always the strong possibility of someone misinterpreting them. However, I do want to reiterate some of the points I made in yesterday’s email about my meeting with Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller and Bishop Oscar Cantu.


1. The archbishop is NOT preventing the parish from seeking entrance into the Ordinariate at this time, or at some future time. He was clear about that, and is very respectful of our right to make that request any time.


2. It is important to all of us that we preserve the integrity and unity of our parish – church and school, clergy and people, buildings and patrimony – and at the present time the only way we can insure this is by remaining as we are; namely, a Personal Parish of the Pastoral Provision, rather than a parish of the Ordinariate. We all want the parish to be able to continue as it is, with our clergy and people intact, and with our church and school serving those who want to be here. At some point we may be able to have that in the Ordinariate -- but this is not the time.


3. Our way of worship – our liturgy, our devotional life, our music…everything we treasure and maintain – will be able to continue uninterrupted, and the archbishop and his auxiliary bishop have stated their support and admiration for what is done here.


I know the decision to withdraw our parish request to enter the Ordinariate is unexpected, and some of you might be perplexed. As you know, I have been very excited about the prospect of being in the Ordinariate, but I had to weigh every aspect of this, and decide what would be truly best for us. The stability of our parish is something I know you would not want to discard lightly, and this decision provides us with the best and safest way to continue to “preserve, nurture and share” our Anglican patrimony, as we have done for the past twenty-nine years.


As we have opportunities to deepen our communion with our Father-in-God, Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, let’s make the most of them. He was genuinely moved to learn that we will be remaining in his jurisdiction for now, and he looks forward (as do we) to strengthening our ties with the archdiocese which has been our home for so long.


The time may come when we are prepared to enter the Ordinariate, and when the Ordinariate will be in a better position to receive us as we are. We can be grateful that God has used our parish, in some small way, to prepare the ground for the establishment of the Ordinariate in this country. As strange as it seems for us not to be part of it from the very beginning, the time is not yet right.


Let’s all pray for the success of the Ordinariate, and especially for the men who are preparing for ordination over the next few months. No matter what jurisdiction we’re in, we’re all working for the same end – the building up of God’s Kingdom!


Yours in Christ,


Fr. Christopher G. Phillips

Follow his steps...

O Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know thy Son Jesus Christ to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leadeth to eternal life; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

St. Philip & St. James

Saint Philip was one of the first chosen disciples of Christ. On the way from Judea to Galilee Our Lord found Philip, and said, “Follow Me.” Philip straightway obeyed; and then in his zeal and charity sought to win Nathaniel also, saying, “We have found Him of whom Moses and the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth.” And when Nathaniel in wonder asked, “Can any good come out of Nazareth?” Philip simply answered, “Come and see,” and brought him to Jesus.

Another saying of this Apostle is preserved for us by Saint John. Christ in His last discourse had spoken of His Father; and Philip exclaimed, in the fervor of his thirst for God, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough!” The tradition of the ancients has established that he died a martyr at Hierapolis in Phrygia. There the remains of a church known to be dedicated to him have been identified, north of the entrance to the great necropolis. His relics were later transported to Rome, to the church of the Holy Apostles.

Saint James the Less (the Younger), author of the canonical Epistle, was the son of Alpheus, the brother of Saint Jude and a cousin of Our Lord, whom he is said to have resembled. Saint Paul tells us that he was favored by a special apparition of Christ after the Resurrection. (I Corinthians 15:7) On the dispersion of the Apostles among the nations, Saint James remained as Bishop of Jerusalem, where the Jews held in such high veneration his purity, mortification, and prayer, that they named him the Just. He governed that church for 30 years before his martyrdom.

Almighty God, who didst give to thine apostles St. Philip and St. James grace and strength to bear witness to the truth: Grant that we, being mindful of their victory of faith, may glorify in life and death the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

St. Athanasius, Champion of the Faith

St. Athanasius, the great champion of the Catholic Faith was born at Alexandria, about the year 296, of Christian parents. Educated under Alexander, who became the bishop of Alexandria, Athanasius made great progress in learning and virtue, eventually going into the desert to spend some time in retreat with St. Anthony.

In 319, Athanasius became a deacon, and as a young cleric, he was called upon to take an active part against the rising heresy being put forth by Arius, an ambitious priest of the Alexandrian Church who denied the Divinity of Christ. This was to be the life struggle of St. Athanasius.

In 325, he assisted his bishop at the Council of Nicaea, where his influence began to be felt. Five months later Alexander died. On his death bed he recommended St. Athanasius as his successor. In consequence of this, Athanasius was unanimously elected Patriarch in 326.

His refusal to tolerate the Arian heresy was the cause of many trials and persecutions for St. Athanasius. He spent seventeen of the forty-six years of his episcopate in exile. After a life of virtue and suffering, this intrepid champion of the Catholic Faith, the greatest man of his time, died in peace on May 2, 373.

Almighty God and Giver of Truth, uphold thy Church, as thou didst uphold thy servant St. Athanasius, to maintain and proclaim boldly the Catholic faith against all opposition, trusting solely in the grace of thine eternal Word, who took upon himself our humanity that we might share his divinity; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Crowning of the Virgin and Child

Immediately after the Mass in honour of St. Joseph the Worker, the students of The Atonement Academy presented flowers to the crowned image of Our Lady of the Atonement.

St. Joseph the Worker

Almighty God, whose Son Jesus Christ in his earthly life learned from Saint Joseph to share our toil, and thus hallowed our labor: Be present with thy people where they work; make those who carry on the industries and commerce of the world responsive to thy will; and give us all a pride in what we do and a just return for our labor; through the same Jesus Christ thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Holy Joseph, Intercessor

Unto thee God’s children sing;

Be our Patron and Protector,

To God’s throne our praises bring.

Faithful Spouse of faithful Virgin,

Lover of God’s purity;

From thy worthy place in heaven,

Pray that we may faithful be.

Guardian of the Word Incarnate,

Silent guide of God’s own Son;

Guard our hearts and lead us onward

To the life that Christ has won.

Humble man in lofty station,

God has shed His grace on thee;

Pray such grace to us be given,

That we live eternally.

Text: Fr. Christopher G. Phillips, 1991
Music: "Stuttgart" adapted by C. F. Witt, 1715

Pope St. Pius V

Pope St. Pius V -- Michael Ghislieri -- was born into a poor family on 17 January 1504.  He spent his childhood working as a shepherd, until he entered the Dominican Order at the age of fourteen.  His keen intelligence served well, and eventually he was ordained as a bishop, ultimately occupying the Throne of St. Peter.

St. Pius V lived in times much like our own.  The Council of Trent took place during his lifetime, and as is the case with most Councils, there was a time of confusion following.  He spent much of his life -- before his time as pope, and then until his death -- working to implement the principles of the Council, and strengthening the witness of the Catholic Church.

A very important event took place on October 7, 1571.  It is associated with Our Lady, and also with Pope St. Pius V.

For some time the Muslims had attempted to conquer Europe, not only for political reasons, but also in an attempt to destroy the Church and impose Islam throughout the known world.

On that clear October morning a huge gathering of ships appeared in the Mediterranean Sea, near the Greek port of Lepanto -- 280 Turkish ships, and 212 Christian ships. For years the Muslims had been raiding Christian areas around the Mediterranean and had carried off thousands of Christians into slavery. In fact, all of the ships gathered on that morning were powered by rowers – and the Muslim ships had nearly 15,000 Christian slaves in chains, being forced to pull the oars to guide the ships into battle. The Catholic fleet was under the command of Don Juan of Austria, but the Catholic fleet was at a great disadvantage in its power and military ability. This was a battle that would decide the fate of the world – either the Turks would be victorious and the Church destroyed, or the Catholics would be victorious and would put down the Muslim threat.

Pope St. Pius V knew the importance of victory. He called upon all of Europe to pray the rosary, asking for the intercession of Our Lady, that God would grant a Catholic victory. Although it seemed hopeless, the people prayed. Don Juan guided his battleships into the middle of the Turkish fleet; meanwhile, many of the Christian slaves had managed to escape their chains and poured out of the holds of the Muslim ships, attacking the Turks and swinging their chains, throwing the Muslims overboard. The combination of the attack by the Catholic fleet and the uprising of the Christian slaves meant that there was a great victory by the Catholics fleet over the mighty Turkish fleet.

We know today that this victory was decisive. It prevented the Islamic invasion of Europe at that time, and it showed the Hand of God working through Our Lady. At the hour of victory, St. Pope Pius V, who was hundreds of miles away in his Papal residence, is said to have gotten up from a meeting, went over to a window, and through supernatural knowledge exclaimed, "The Christian fleet is victorious!" and he wept tears of thanksgiving to God.

This day has been remembered throughout the Church, first as Our Lady of Victory, and then as Our Lady of the Holy Rosary – remembering the victory God granted, and also remembering the means by which that victory was achieved – that it was an intervention by God through the prayers offered by praying the Rosary... perhaps something we might consider in our own generation.

O God, who for the confusion of the enemies of thy Church, and for the restoring of the honour of thy worship, didst appoint thy blessed Saint Pius V to be Chief among thy Pastors: grant that we, being defended by his intercession, may so steadfastly follow after thy commandments, that we may overcome all the devices of our enemies, and rejoice in perpetual peace and security; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Shepherd of the sheep

"The Good Shepherd" by Philippe de Champaigne

We know our Lord Jesus Christ as the Good Shepherd. He is the one who lays down His life for the sheep. We know also that the bishops and priests of the Catholic Church are called to bear the image of our Good Shepherd by giving themselves completely over to the service of God and His flock.

But the members of the laity need to remember something related to that. Each one has his own responsibility to be the Good Shepherd’s “good sheep.” Just as the Shepherd leads, so the sheep must follow. And by following the Shepherd faithfully, the sheep will reach pastures of heavenly joy. Good Shepherd Sunday should also be “Good Sheep Sunday,” a reminder that we must daily recommit ourselves to follow Christ, wherever He leads.

O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of thy people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calleth us each by name, and follow where he doth lead; who, with thee and the Holy Spirit, liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

St. Peter Chanel, Martyr

O Almighty God, by whose grace and power thy holy martyr St. Peter Chanel triumphed over suffering and was faithful even unto death: Grant us, who now remember him with thanksgiving, to be so faithful in our witness to thee in this world, that we may receive with him the crown of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Excerpted from The One Year Book of Saints by Rev. Clifford Stevens:

On April 18, 1841, a band of native warriors entered the hut of Father Peter Chanel on the island of Futuna in the New Hebrides islands near New Zealand. They clubbed the missionary to death and cut up his body with hatchets. Two years later, the whole island was Catholic. St. Peter Chanel's death bears witness to the ancient axiom that "the blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians." He is the first martyr from Oceania, that part of the world spread over the south Pacific, and he came there as the fulfillment of a dream he had had as a boy. Peter was born in 1803 in the diocese of Belley, France. At the age of seven, he was a shepherd boy, but the local parish priest, recognizing something unusual in the boy, convinced his parents to let him study, in a little school the priest had started. From there Peter went on to the seminary, where it was said of him: "He had a heart of gold with the simple faith of a child, and he led the life of an angel." He was ordained a priest and assigned to a parish at Crozet. In three years he had transformed the parish. In 1831, he joined the newly founded Society of Mary, since he had long dreamed of being a missionary; but for five years he was assigned to teach at the seminary in Belley. Finally, in 1836, his dream was realized, and he was sent with other Marists to the islands of the Pacific. He had to suffer great hardships, disappointments, frustration, and almost complete failure as well as the opposition of the local chieftain. The work seemed hopeless: only a few had been baptized, and the chieftain continued to be suspicious and hostile. Then, when the chief's son asked for baptism, the chief was so angry that he sent warriors to kill the missionary. Peter's violent death brought about the conversion of the island, and the people of Futuna remain Catholic to this day. Peter Chanel was beatified in 1889 and canonized in 1954.

Prayer for the day...

Grant, O Lord, we beseech thee, that we may so live in the Paschal mystery that the joy of these fifty days may continually strengthen us, and assure us of our salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

St. Mark the Evangelist

O Almighty God, who hast instructed thy holy Church with the heavenly doctrine of thy Evangelist Saint Mark; Give us grace that. being not like children carried away with every blast of vain doctrine, we may be established in the truth of thy holy Gospel; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

My experience with St. Fidelis

Mark Rey (1577-1622), a member of the Capuchins, was martyred as a result of his efforts in bringing Protestants back to the Catholic Church. He has been a man after my own heart for many, many years. Known now as St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, April 24th is his feast day. And it was on this day thirty-six years ago that I was ordained as an Anglican priest.

The date had been chosen for the convenience of the ordaining bishop, not because I had any particular devotion (nor any knowledge at that time) of St. Fidelis. I was serving in the Anglican parish of St. Stephen, Southmead in Bristol, England. Having gone there as a deacon, it was decided that my family and I would make a brief visit back to America where my presbyteral ordination could take place so that our wider family could be present. April 24th was the date which the ordaining bishop had available – a date which was more appropriate than I could have imagined at the time.

As I was kneeling before the bishop in St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Providence, Rhode Island, the thought going through my mind was, “I wish he was a Catholic bishop.” I wouldn’t have admitted to anyone at the time that I had such a thought, but it’s true. As I later learned more about St. Fidelis, I am convinced that it was through his intercession that the thought came to me. Even then, at the moment of my Anglican ordination, my feet were set on the path to Rome.

At that time I didn’t know the circumstances of the martyrdom of St. Fidelis. He was devoted to the work of bringing Protestants back to the fullness of the Catholic faith because of the overwhelming Christian love he had for others. He could not bear the thought that there were those who were deprived of the many and wonderful gifts God gives through His Church.

What a marvelous act of charity this was by St. Fidelis, that even from his place in heaven his concern extended to a young man who yearned to be home. I have loved him ever since.

St. George

O God, who makest us glad with the merits and intercession of Saint George thy Martyr: mercifully grant that we who by his aid implore thy bounty, may by the abundance of thy grace receive the same; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

"Peace to you."

"...He shows them his wounds - the nail marks in His hands, the wound of the spear in His side. And here, before their eyes, was the fulfilment of what the prophet Isaiah had said so many generations before: 'He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.' Jesus Christ – the Victim of violence, now stands before them as the Prince of Peace, and saying to them 'Peace to you.' This was a peace which the world cannot give. The Hebrew word for peace is 'shalom,' which means more than the simple absence of war and fighting; it means that everything is in its place, everything is in harmony, everything is whole – in fact, this peace is really what 'atonement' – at-one-ment – is. What Jesus accomplished on the Cross is now spoken to the disciples, and to all of us, 'Peace to you.'"

- from today's sermon, based on St. Luke 24:35-48

Peaceful...

As Jesus said, "Peace to you."  This looks pretty peaceful to me...

Looking across the courtyard between the church and the school.

St. Anselm of Canterbury

"I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand. For this I believe--that unless I believe, I should not understand."

  - St. Anselm of Canterbury, Proslogium, Chapter 1

...and please pray for our brothers and sisters in the Anglican Use Community of St. Anselm, Corpus Christi on this feast day of their Patron.

Feeding the Five Thousand

The site of Christ's miracle of the Feeding of the Five Thousand is marked by the Church of the Multiplication at Tabgha in Galilee. In addition to actually feeding a huge crowd, the miracle looks back to the feeding of the Children of Israel with manna from heaven as they were on their exodus journey, and it looks forward to the feeding of God's people with the Bread of Heaven.

The Church at Tabgha, showing the stone under the altar, where Christ placed the loaves and fish.

After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a multitude followed him, because they saw the signs which he did on those who were diseased. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a multitude was coming to him, Jesus said to Philip, "How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?" This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?" Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place; so the men sat down, in number about five thousand. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost." So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten. When the people saw the sign which he had done, they said, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!" Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

- St. John 6:1-15

A great anniversary day!

That's all there is to it...

Abbreviated Directions for Altar Servers:

1.) if it has a wick, light it.

2.) if in doubt, genuflect.

Some local scenery...

On my walk after lunch from the rectory back to the church, I passed these beautiful roses along the driveway...

Happy Birthday, Holy Father!

Pope Benedict XVI celebrates his 85th birthday on April 16th. We pray for him in his Apostolic ministry as the Successor of St. Peter.

Watch over thy servant, O Lord, as his days increase; bless and guide him wherever he may be. Strengthen him when he stands; comfort him when discouraged or sorrowful; raise him up if he fall; and in his heart may thy peace which passeth understanding abide all the days of his life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

"...a man of the Pharisees..."

Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him." Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, `You must be born anew.' The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit."

- St. John 3:1-8

Into Eastertide...

Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery hast established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ’s body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Divine Mercy Plenary Indulgence

On DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY, a plenary indulgence, is granted to the Faithful under the usual conditions:

1.     Sacramental confession (within about 20 days before or after);

2.     Reception of Holy Communion;

3.     Prayer for the intentions of Supreme Pontiff (Our Father and Hail Mary).

and who, on the Second Sunday of Easter or Divine Mercy Sunday, in any church or chapel, in a spirit that is completely detached from the affection for a sin, even a venial sin:

1.     either take part in the prayers and devotions held in honour of Divine Mercy,

or

2.     who, in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament exposed or reserved in the tabernacle, recite the Our Father and the Creed, adding a devout prayer to the merciful Lord Jesus (such as “Merciful Jesus, I trust in you!").


You may obtain the plenary indulgence for yourself, or it may be applied to the soul of one who is departed, but it cannot be obtained for another person still living.

A Hymn for Eastertide

God our Father, Lord of glory,

Thanks and praise we give to Thee;

In Thy mercy to our fathers,

Thou didst bring them through the sea.

So by water hast Thou saved us,

Now from Adam's sin set free.

Jesus Christ, our Risen Saviour,

Of Thy sacrifice we sing;

As the lamb in ancient myst'ry

To Thy people life didst bring,

So in Eucharistic glory,

Thou, God's Lamb, art made our King.

Holy Spirit, Breath from heaven,

We Thy precious gifts embrace;

At creation all things living

Thou didst sanctify with grace.

So may we, creation's glory,

Be for Thee a dwelling place.

Loving mercy of the Father,

Sacrifice of Christ the Son,

Quick'ning power of the Spirit:

In us let Thy work be done!

May we rise to life eternal,

That our Paschal joy be won.

Text: Fr. Christopher G. Phillips

Tune: "Grafton" 8.7.8.7.8.7