Fr. Jeffrey Keyes, C.PP.S.: September 2006 Archives

The last few weeks have been dedicated to opening school, opening Adult Faith Formation, Opening Children's Faith Formation, and opening confirmation classes. The energy needed for Autumn is extraordinary.

Probably the one place that is the biggest trial here is First Communion. We have nine first communion celebrations in the spring, and in the past they have been like the spring gathering of the pagan hoarde. Many people in church behaved as if they were coming to a sporting event, and in some cases there was the question of whether the child was adequately prepared.

This year I decided that I needed to make some serious demands of the parents in the formation of their child. I am blessed with an excellent DRE and School principal who are supportive of my efforts. We cannot really make demands of the parents without offering them the resources. So this year we had the Daughters of St. Paul come by for a Sunday and set up their book store in our Faith Formation Office. They came back again for the meeting of First Communion parents and offered a great deal of Catholic Resources for parents and children.

We also gave a free copy of Catholic Truths for our Children to each family. We may actually build our First Year First Communion Program around that book. It is an absolutely stunning book and just what we needed for our Parents.

Our Daily rag ran another article on the Pope and Islam, again laying the blame on the pope, and crediting the liberal wing of Catholicism with speaking this blame.

A better look would be in a WSJ editorial forwarded to me by my famous Roman connection. I see that Gerard at Closed Cafeteri also has a link to it, so I will send you there.

Here is the link.

I support Pope Benedict 100% and do not think he needed to apologize.

The Press needs to apologize.

Cast your vote here.

There really is too much to fathom in a short read. It is a delight to see so much thought put into our faith. For the latest Catholic Carnival, go here.

The New York Times will condemn this kind of speech, but they will not condemn this.

Actually, our biggest enemy is ignorance.

The popes speech was a pretty dense, academic speech, it was addressed to scientists, and it condemned violence. Let me get this straight.... The New York Times wants the pope to apologize for condemning violence?

via amy

Wow, I had no idea. It is my favorite herb and I have tons of it in my garden. My DRE is going to love this.

Today is the fifth anniversary of this memorable statement.

Here is my article on St. John Chrysostom

Homily for tonight's solemn Requiem Mass:

The Readings and prayers were taken from the Mass In Time of War or Civil Disturbance.

Readings:
Micah 4:1-4 (lectionary 897-2)
Psalm 72 (899-1)
Gal 5:17-26 (898-1)
Alleluia (900-1)
Matthew 5: 20-24 (901-1)

Prelude: God of our Fathers, America the Beautiful
Introit: Requiem Aeternam
Kyrie, Mass XVIII-B ad missam pro defunctus
Psalm 72, Alstott
Alleluia, Mode VI
Offertory: Pie Jesu, Faure
Sanctus, Mass XVIII
Mortem Tuam, chant
Agnus Dei, Mass XVIII
Communio: Lux Aeterna
Anthem: "I Heard a Voice from Heaven" Sir John Goss (1800-1880)
In Paradisum, Mode VII
Postlude: In Paradisum, Theodore Dubois

A notice from the Oakland Diocese to its parishes.

The Diocese of Stockton has investigated Ms. Evelyn Sevilla-Davis, leader of Our Lady of the Rosary, formerly Holy Grace Prayer Group, and before that Peace of the W.O.L.R.D. (We Our Lady of the Rosary Devotees) Prayer Group. The Bishop of Stockton has decreed the Group may not, under any circumstances:

1. teach or preach in the name of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Stockton,
2. use the term “Catholic” … in reference to any activities of her prayer group,
3. use Church facilities of the diocese for meetings or prayer group activities.

This information is provided for your awareness of this Group, since it has planned to hold a gathering of its devotees in a public pavilion in proximity to St. Edward in Newark , Sunday, September 10, 2006, around 2:00 PM.

Actually they were planning something in The Newark Pavillion that might as well be out my back door. We seem to have been able to cancel the event.

Occasionally I have posted a few things here from Fr. Mark, one of my Cistercian friends. Now he can be read more often on his own Blog. Welcome to Vultus Christi!

I cannot imagine what it must be like to minister in a new country, a country that is not your own. Still, since Wednesday I have seen it in the face of Fr. Jerard. His is such a gentle and joyful face, yet filled with wonder at all the things around him. He has been in the country for about 40 days at our center in Ohio and travelling with other members, but on Wednesday he arrived here at his new home.

Let us all welcome the Reverend Jerard Raj IradayanathanIradaya, C.PP.S., a Precious Blood Missionary who has been assigned to work among us for the next five years. He comes to us from our Indian Vicariate.

I met him on Wednesday with the Sunderaj family, and he expressed delight to be able to hear his own language in this new country. We treated him to an Indian feast at the Sunderaj house, and then brought him to the parish where the team was waiting for him. All in all it has been a full week, and soon we will get him settled, get him a drivers license, and we will be an international house ministering in an international parish.