A link to the sanctuary webcam is located on the right hand column of this blog. A link to the PEA chapel is here:
http://74.142.49.38:8000/view/viewer_index.shtml?id=15496
Monday, August 27, 2012
St. Martin of Tours Webcams...
After an extended period of time the two webcams at the parish are back up and online. One is trained on the sanctuary and the other on the monstrance in the Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel. If you can't visit the parish in person, you may make a "virtual visit!"
A link to the sanctuary webcam is located on the right hand column of this blog. A link to the PEA chapel is here:
http://74.142.49.38:8000/view/viewer_index.shtml?id=15496
A link to the sanctuary webcam is located on the right hand column of this blog. A link to the PEA chapel is here:
http://74.142.49.38:8000/view/viewer_index.shtml?id=15496
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Celebrating the Octave of my Nativity...
So my birthday was this past Monday, and I had the opportunity to get away for a couple days to get some fishing in later in the week. Made a trip to the Cumberland River in the southern part of our archdiocese. It just so happens that a good friend of mine has recently been named pastor of three parishes in that area and so it also gave me a good excuse to go visit him and scope out his new digs. A buddy of mine and I loaded up our fishing boats and headed south. It certainly helped that he weather was unseasonably nice for mid August in Kentucky. Here's some pics:
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Installation as Pastor...
This past Sunday I was installed as the 16th pastor of St. Martin of Tours parish in Louisville at the 10:00am Ordinary Form parish Mass by Archbishop Kurtz. His excellency remained for the 12:00 noon Extraordinary Form Mass to attend in choir. Here's some pictures from the two Masses (thanks to parishioner Pat Pfister and The Momentum Studio for the great photos):
From the 10:00am Ordinary Form Mass:
The 12:00 noon Extraordinary Form Mass:
From the 10:00am Ordinary Form Mass:
The 12:00 noon Extraordinary Form Mass:
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Archbishop Martin John Spalding, the Baltimore Catechism, and Babe Ruth...
I had the opportunity to cover a Mass this morning for a brother priest at one of the most historic parishes in our Archdiocese: Holy Name of Mary parish in Calvary, KY. The historian in me was distracted all during the Mass thinking of the significance of this small parish in the Kentucky countryside.
It's the home parish of two bishops, John Lancaster Spalding and Martin John Spalding. John Lancaster would go on to be the first bishop of Peoria, Illinois, and be connected with a rather nefarious story involving the Caldwell family of Kentucky. The Caldwell sisters were big contributors to the newly founded Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. They are the namesakes of Caldwell Hall, where I studied canon law for the last three years.
Martin John Spalding succeeded Benedict Joseph Flaget to be the second bishop of Louisville. As bishop of Louisville (a See recently transferred from Bardstown, KY and the first inland diocese created in the USA) he defended the Catholic Church against the "Know Nothing" political party of the mid-nineteenth century. The "Know Nothings" incited the infamous "Bloody Monday Riots" which claimed the life of upwards of 100 German Catholic immigrants (several being murdered on the front steps of my soon-to-be parish St. Martin of Tours - a church whose patron was selected in honor of Bishop Spalding). Bishop Spalding spent upwards of a decade in Louisville - founding all sorts of institutions such as schools, pious and charitable organizations, and orphanages - before being named the fourth Archbishop of Baltimore. He invited the Xaverian Brothers (C.F.X.) to the USA, the same order that operates the high school I attended in Louisville. This order would found a school in Baltimore - St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys - where Babe Ruth would be discovered, the greatest baseball player of all time. Archbishop Spalding was influential in the founding of the American College in Louvain, Belgium, where thousands of American priests would study (and was recently closed last year). He was an influential participant in the Plenary Councils of Baltimore (origin of the "Baltimore Catechism"), an outspoken advocate of Catholic schools, founder of the St. Vincent DePaul Society aiding the poor, an influential participant in the First Vatican Council (advocating for the doctrine of papal infallibility), among other accomplishments. With all these things on my mind it was good that the preaching duties were handled by the deacon...
Driving to Calvary on a beautifully foggy Kentucky morning:
Historical marker commemorating Archbishop Martin John Spalding:
Marian grotto at the parish:
Holy Name of Mary Church:
It's the home parish of two bishops, John Lancaster Spalding and Martin John Spalding. John Lancaster would go on to be the first bishop of Peoria, Illinois, and be connected with a rather nefarious story involving the Caldwell family of Kentucky. The Caldwell sisters were big contributors to the newly founded Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. They are the namesakes of Caldwell Hall, where I studied canon law for the last three years.
Martin John Spalding succeeded Benedict Joseph Flaget to be the second bishop of Louisville. As bishop of Louisville (a See recently transferred from Bardstown, KY and the first inland diocese created in the USA) he defended the Catholic Church against the "Know Nothing" political party of the mid-nineteenth century. The "Know Nothings" incited the infamous "Bloody Monday Riots" which claimed the life of upwards of 100 German Catholic immigrants (several being murdered on the front steps of my soon-to-be parish St. Martin of Tours - a church whose patron was selected in honor of Bishop Spalding). Bishop Spalding spent upwards of a decade in Louisville - founding all sorts of institutions such as schools, pious and charitable organizations, and orphanages - before being named the fourth Archbishop of Baltimore. He invited the Xaverian Brothers (C.F.X.) to the USA, the same order that operates the high school I attended in Louisville. This order would found a school in Baltimore - St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys - where Babe Ruth would be discovered, the greatest baseball player of all time. Archbishop Spalding was influential in the founding of the American College in Louvain, Belgium, where thousands of American priests would study (and was recently closed last year). He was an influential participant in the Plenary Councils of Baltimore (origin of the "Baltimore Catechism"), an outspoken advocate of Catholic schools, founder of the St. Vincent DePaul Society aiding the poor, an influential participant in the First Vatican Council (advocating for the doctrine of papal infallibility), among other accomplishments. With all these things on my mind it was good that the preaching duties were handled by the deacon...
Driving to Calvary on a beautifully foggy Kentucky morning:
Historical marker commemorating Archbishop Martin John Spalding:
Marian grotto at the parish:
Holy Name of Mary Church:
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Fr. Matthew and my Visits to Gethsemani...
Many years ago, during my seminary days (when I was home) and when I was first ordained, I frequently attended the Sunday Compline and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at the Trappist abbey of Gethsemani south of Bardstown. It's a very peaceful drive of about an hour south of Louisville. One of the monks, Fr. Matthew, would give a spiritual talk - always begun with a poem - after Compline ended in the chapel of the guest house. He was one of the best preachers I have ever heard; I stole many a homily idea from him. He died about a year ago at the age of 95. I recently came across some videos posted on YouTube of these talks and thought I'd share them here. They take me back...
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Change of Assignment...
So the announcements have been made at the respective parishes this weekend and I can now speak publicly. Effective June 20th, I will be moving from St. Francis Xavier and All Saints to become pastor of St. Martin of Tours in Louisville. I will continue as Judicial Vicar and director of the Tribunal.
It's a two edged sword, really. With any change of assignment there are people and places left behind. Having only spent one year at St. Francis and All Saints, I hate to leave what are two wonderful parishes. In a very short time I came to feel at home here. That being said, being assigned to St. Martin's represents a sort of coming-full-circle for me. St. Martin's is the parish I attended for several years before entering seminary; it's the parish where I celebrated my first Mass; it's the parish I've assisted with the Extraordinary Form for many years. I know many wonderful people there. I'm excited to be able to return in a new role.
St. Martin's is known for many things, among them: perpetual Eucharistic adoration, a strong emphasis on the celebration of the liturgy in both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms, a great sacred music program, social outreach programs, and others. I'm excited to have the opportunity to be involved in all these parts of parish life.
So as these next couple months go by, I'll be enjoying the rest of my time in my current assignment while preparing for yet another move. Good thing I never got around to throwing out all those boxes I used last year to move home from Washington...
St. Martin of Tours:
Celebrating the Extraordinary Form at St. Martin's, October 2011:
It's a two edged sword, really. With any change of assignment there are people and places left behind. Having only spent one year at St. Francis and All Saints, I hate to leave what are two wonderful parishes. In a very short time I came to feel at home here. That being said, being assigned to St. Martin's represents a sort of coming-full-circle for me. St. Martin's is the parish I attended for several years before entering seminary; it's the parish where I celebrated my first Mass; it's the parish I've assisted with the Extraordinary Form for many years. I know many wonderful people there. I'm excited to be able to return in a new role.
St. Martin's is known for many things, among them: perpetual Eucharistic adoration, a strong emphasis on the celebration of the liturgy in both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms, a great sacred music program, social outreach programs, and others. I'm excited to have the opportunity to be involved in all these parts of parish life.
So as these next couple months go by, I'll be enjoying the rest of my time in my current assignment while preparing for yet another move. Good thing I never got around to throwing out all those boxes I used last year to move home from Washington...
St. Martin of Tours:
Celebrating the Extraordinary Form at St. Martin's, October 2011:
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Easter Vigil...
Here's a pic from the Easter Vigil a week ago here at St. Francis Xavier. Five were baptized, three received into full communion.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
I Second That...
From Cardinal Mahony (http://www.cardinalmahonyblogsla.org/) of Los Angeles:
Mr. President, you are trying to resolve the wrong problem. Your HHS new federal rule governing mandated health care services is not just about women's services and who pays for them.
Rather, the real question is what protections and guarantees are afforded Americans and our various institutions by the Constitution. Your ill-placed focus should be frightening to all Americans.
Freedom of conscience and religious liberty are not concessions grudgingly granted by the Federal Government--either directly, or by way of exemption or exception. Our nation was founded on those basic and inalienable rights as the bedrock of who we are as Americans. Our Constitution was written precisely to reject and to avoid the dreadful English model whereby the king and the government are the granter of all rights, including religious rights--as well as the single power to withdraw, limit, or negate those rights.
As a Catholic American, I am outraged not only by your incredulous contortions to justify your untenable position, I am insulted that you would think that Americans who value and treasure our Constitutional freedoms would even question your overreaching infringement on individual freedom of religion and freedom of conscience.
Your "accommodation" actually makes the entire matter far worse. Every effort must be undertaken to reverse your ill-conceived revocation of our Constitutional rights.
I encourage all Catholics and millions of others of good will in our country to challenge candidates for election to Congress and to the presidency to take a strong stance in favor of guaranteeing and protecting our nation's Constitutional rights.
I fear, Mr. President, that you are knowingly and intentionally trampling upon and reversing our Constitutional rights.
Mr. President, you are trying to resolve the wrong problem. Your HHS new federal rule governing mandated health care services is not just about women's services and who pays for them.
Rather, the real question is what protections and guarantees are afforded Americans and our various institutions by the Constitution. Your ill-placed focus should be frightening to all Americans.
Freedom of conscience and religious liberty are not concessions grudgingly granted by the Federal Government--either directly, or by way of exemption or exception. Our nation was founded on those basic and inalienable rights as the bedrock of who we are as Americans. Our Constitution was written precisely to reject and to avoid the dreadful English model whereby the king and the government are the granter of all rights, including religious rights--as well as the single power to withdraw, limit, or negate those rights.
As a Catholic American, I am outraged not only by your incredulous contortions to justify your untenable position, I am insulted that you would think that Americans who value and treasure our Constitutional freedoms would even question your overreaching infringement on individual freedom of religion and freedom of conscience.
Your "accommodation" actually makes the entire matter far worse. Every effort must be undertaken to reverse your ill-conceived revocation of our Constitutional rights.
I encourage all Catholics and millions of others of good will in our country to challenge candidates for election to Congress and to the presidency to take a strong stance in favor of guaranteeing and protecting our nation's Constitutional rights.
I fear, Mr. President, that you are knowingly and intentionally trampling upon and reversing our Constitutional rights.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Odds and Ends, and a New Assignment...
Once again, it has been a while since I have posted anything here. Advent has come and gone; Christmas has come and gone. And a new responsibility/assignment has been assumed.
Effective at the stroke of midnight, January 1, I became Judicial Vicar and director of the tribunal for the archdiocese. This while remaining pastor of All Saints and St. Francis Xavier. It's a tremendous responsibility, and I'm humbled that Archbishop Kurtz has asked me to fulfill this new office. I'll be relying tremendously upon the help of our Vicar General Fr. Mark, and our Adjutant JV Fr. Philip, for their advice and expertise. As far as JCL's are concerned around here, I'm the new guy on the block, and I'll be anxiously learning the ropes as far as applying the law that I have been studying for the past three years in Washington.
Christmas went very well in the parishes. Seeing that it fell on a Sunday meant that us priests got a bit of a break, Mass-wise. All Saints and St. Francis normally have five scheduled Masses a weekend, of which four are celebrated by yours truly (I'm very grateful for the help of a wonderful retired priest, Fr. Murphy, who generally celebrates one of the two Saturday evening Masses). Since Christmas fell on Sunday this year, however, I ended up with only three Masses for the weekend. One of these was a midnight Mass at St. Francis. While it was WAY past my bedtime, I celebrated a true midnight Mass, not taking the creative interpretation of claiming a midnight Mass because it ENDED at midnight (a.k.a. an 11:00 O'clock "midnight Mass"...).
Finally, as we speak, I'm in Washington, DC. Through the generosity of the Oblates of St. Francis DeSales, whom I lived with for my three years of studies, I have a place to lay my head in DC. I'm taking advantage of their generosity and spending a few days catching up with friends. I've been visiting with friends here in DC, as well as taking a train up to Boston to catch up with some of my Capuchin friends up there. My good friend Br. James is in charge of their formation house (Friary of S. Lorenzo) in south Boston while working on his dissertation for the JCD. Did I mention that the Sam Adams brewery is only a block away? What a great tour and even greater tasting. The true highlight of the weekend, though, was that we had the privilege of sharing a very enjoyable lunch with Cardinal O'Malley yesterday, who himself is a Capuchin. It's been a great few days, but it's time to get back home.
Good ol' DC Metro:
There it is. My thesis was on the shelf in the university library. I have my own Dewey Decimal now...!
Riding Amtrak up to Boston (here's the New York city skyline):
With Fr. John, Fr. Dan, and Cardinal O'Malley:
At the Boston Cathedral with Capuchin friends Br. James and Fr. Charles:
No trip to DC is complete without a visit to Shelly's!
Effective at the stroke of midnight, January 1, I became Judicial Vicar and director of the tribunal for the archdiocese. This while remaining pastor of All Saints and St. Francis Xavier. It's a tremendous responsibility, and I'm humbled that Archbishop Kurtz has asked me to fulfill this new office. I'll be relying tremendously upon the help of our Vicar General Fr. Mark, and our Adjutant JV Fr. Philip, for their advice and expertise. As far as JCL's are concerned around here, I'm the new guy on the block, and I'll be anxiously learning the ropes as far as applying the law that I have been studying for the past three years in Washington.
Christmas went very well in the parishes. Seeing that it fell on a Sunday meant that us priests got a bit of a break, Mass-wise. All Saints and St. Francis normally have five scheduled Masses a weekend, of which four are celebrated by yours truly (I'm very grateful for the help of a wonderful retired priest, Fr. Murphy, who generally celebrates one of the two Saturday evening Masses). Since Christmas fell on Sunday this year, however, I ended up with only three Masses for the weekend. One of these was a midnight Mass at St. Francis. While it was WAY past my bedtime, I celebrated a true midnight Mass, not taking the creative interpretation of claiming a midnight Mass because it ENDED at midnight (a.k.a. an 11:00 O'clock "midnight Mass"...).
Finally, as we speak, I'm in Washington, DC. Through the generosity of the Oblates of St. Francis DeSales, whom I lived with for my three years of studies, I have a place to lay my head in DC. I'm taking advantage of their generosity and spending a few days catching up with friends. I've been visiting with friends here in DC, as well as taking a train up to Boston to catch up with some of my Capuchin friends up there. My good friend Br. James is in charge of their formation house (Friary of S. Lorenzo) in south Boston while working on his dissertation for the JCD. Did I mention that the Sam Adams brewery is only a block away? What a great tour and even greater tasting. The true highlight of the weekend, though, was that we had the privilege of sharing a very enjoyable lunch with Cardinal O'Malley yesterday, who himself is a Capuchin. It's been a great few days, but it's time to get back home.
Good ol' DC Metro:
There it is. My thesis was on the shelf in the university library. I have my own Dewey Decimal now...!
Riding Amtrak up to Boston (here's the New York city skyline):
With Fr. John, Fr. Dan, and Cardinal O'Malley:
At the Boston Cathedral with Capuchin friends Br. James and Fr. Charles:
No trip to DC is complete without a visit to Shelly's!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
