My roommate, an eminent son of Canada, now has his own great blog. See: http://www.piuslad.blogspot.com/ .
When one thinks of a missioner they might think of a cleric in the South Seas with his soutane darned while living in a bamboo hut. But in the world of today it's a little different.
Soliciting funds and seeking recruits is a necessary part of opearating a Latin rite parish in the Far East of Russia. After many years of unalloyed happiness, our two missioners return Stateside each year for mission preaching assignments.
Last seen in 1978 with Papa Luciani, here it is again after twenty-eight years. Pope John Paul opted not to use a throne and so it sat in storage and then in the Lateran Palace museum until last December of 2006 when it was brought back into papal use. (Photo courtesy of L'Osservatore Romano).
Many Italians joke that if you see a lizard it will bring you good luck! One sees lots of them in and around Rome in gardens. They don't bite and they can even lose their own scaly tails.
One Sunday morning I was on my way visiting every chapel in the port of Rome, Civitavecchia. In this church the elderly porter pointed this lizard out and explained that the artist used it as his signature on his work!
The Rome of today is a blast. Here's some summertime fun on the stinky Tiber River. Tourism, anyone?
These photos were taken this past July 16 in celebration of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. The Mass was sung by the bishop of Lincoln, Most Rev. F. Bruskewitz, at the convent chapel of the Carmelite Sisters (OCD) at the Carmel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph on Agnew Road in Valparaiso, Nebraska.
The bishop preaches the sermon. The acclamation of the multitudes is for this prelate. In fact, his greatness is overwhelming.
He was a student in Rome in the 1950s. He was there to see the old processions with the "bussolanti" in scarlet and behind them the Grand Almoner, flanked by the two Swiss Guards, ...chamberlains of honor, chamberlains "with mantle and sword," all in black, with stiff white ruffs, the auditors of the papal courts and the masters of the Apostolic palaces; one more auditor, in a long white robe, carrying the papal cross, with seven acolytes, carrying bronze candelabra; the door-keepers in red, the penitentiaries of St. Peter in white chasubles; mitred abbots, then bishops, then archbishops and patriarchs and cardinals...ah, the good old days!
After the recessional the bishop pronounced his blessing in the cortile upon those who assisted at the altar.
We remind ourselves that the rites are to stimulate the faithful to a greater desire for virtue and for that exemplary holiness of life which should characterize Catholic youth and others.
Today most vestments are made by a mechanical contrivance. In the "good old days" it was all made by the hands of the lovely sisters who labored in grace and prayer as His brides for His kingdom.
So 1920s to see a mirtre this glorious. Just wish our prelates still wore them this nice...
