FSSP IN URBE Triduum schedule...

Some have asked for the Easter schedule:

Palm Sunday: 9.30 am
Maundy Thursday: 6.30 pm
Good Friday: 6.30 pm
Holy Saturday: 10:00 pm
Easter Sunday: 10 am

This year no Tenebrae.

See here: http://roma.fssp.it/.

Real nuns: the Adoratrices du Cœur Royal de Jésus-Christ Souverain Prêtre

Such youth! This photo was just taken at the Sunday Angelus in the Vatican City State.

These sweet sisters help to bring joy and meaning to many of our lives (one of them I went to high school with!). I had not seen her in 2.5 years since she took her junior vows and it was a blessed moment to see her smile and joy!

If you want to support the good guys, make checks payable to "Adoratrices du Coeur Royal" and mail to:

Mother Marie of the Love of God

Adoratrices du Cœur Royal de Jésus-Christ Souverain Prêtre

Maison du Cœur Royal

Via di Gricigliano, 45

50065 SIECI (FI)

ITALY

Young ladies, if this is your call, e-mail and begin to learn French: adoratrices@icrsp.org

Mother Marie of the Love of God of the Adoratrices du Cœur Royal de Jésus-Christ Souverain Prêtre sends her love and thanks everybody for the support!

Music on this blog?

I've been thinking about putting music on this blog. Something that would have the crash and peal of Rome bells.

Maybe it's a dumb idea? Non sono sicuro.

Cmq, a good song would be The Cardinal Suite: Prologue (City of Prague Philarmonic Orchestra: Jerome Moross) from the film The Cardinal of 1963.

Vediamo.

How the devil destroyed the good name of Pius XII...

It was like the Davini Code hype: everybody purchased it; everybody read it; everybody believed it. Fiction is fun.

This was the one book (play) that destroyed his good name and that's all it took:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Deputy.

But there is hope: see here for the true story of Pius XII, wartime hero and great lover of holy Judaism: http://sipastorangelicvs.blogspot.com/.

Tribute to Pius XII in Rome suburb of E.U.R....

In E.U.R. near Tre Fontane is the Grotta della Rivelazione shrine of which many Italian pilgrims flock to during their stop at Tre Fontane. Lots of miracles and this worthy tribute.

Pius XII in Rome's E.U.R. travertine...

Of happy, blessed and holy memory.

You have to know (at least) a bit about liturgy...

If you have been baptized then you have to know at least a little something about liturgy. The good news is that's it's all here in toto, just read:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xii/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xii_enc_20111947_mediator-dei_en.html

What is wrong with this picture?

Even a kid can understand that some dress is appropriate or fitting for the hour and some is not.

As kids when when my brother and I dressed well our dad would sometimes say: "You boys look sharp." This meant a lot and taught us well.

In this image one guy looks sharp and the other does not. If you are in a position of trust and leadership such as the priesthood then dress for the hour and accept no substitutions and you will be respected for it.

This post is dedicated to Rev. Mons. R.J. Schuler, R.I.P.

Catholic custom: veils for Passiontide...

Saturday evening the veils went up. This is a Catholic custom which I can still remember as a boy my grandparents talking about with excitement. For two weeks we will now enjoy this tradition as we prepare for Easter.

Passion Sunday: best Introit of the year!

The tomb of St. Peter: the old altar cards...

This photo is circa early 1960s Clementine Chapel in the Vatican Basilica. It will take Italians to write to the Bishop Sacristan of St. Peter's Basilica to ask for a return of these altar cards, now kept in storage in the Basilica's tesoro.

What the old altar of the chair in St. Peter's Basilica used to look like...

As everybody knows, it was Virgilio Cardinal Noè who as Archpriest of the Vatican Basilica had two altars torn out: this altar of the chair and another in the canons' chapel.

Cardinal Noè was part of that Lombardy clique that came into power in the Vatican in the sixties and swept in to make everything "modern." Even today when he still gives interviews he actually weeps at the name "Papa Montini" because as he explains, Pope Paul was the "greatest" pope the Church ever had.

What altar cards from St. Peter's Basilica used to look like...

It's time to bring these back from the sacristy storage in the tesoro, but that will be up to the Italians to make it all happen (forza, ragazzi!).

What altar cards from the Holy Land used to look like...

Anybody who has been to the Holy Land has seen the countless souvenir objects for sale in and around Jerusalem made from this material.

This photo was taken in a Franciscan convent of the Francescani dell'Immacolata in Imperia, Italy. It is an 1895 Franciscan altar card made in the Holy Land. Would be nice to see Christian artisans in that part of the world again make these very unique and special treasures.

A very rare image: cardinalatial garments and insignia, etc.

Here's a peek at what it all looked like. Notice the mourning or penitential cappa magna, etc.

Many thanks to a friend who shared this image from a book!

Franciscans of the Immacolata Ordinations...

Vesting of the prelate.

Franciscans of the Immacolata Ordinations...

See their site here: http://www.immacolata.com/.

Catholic culture: take a look at this quality...

Let's create jobs and bring back all of this quality to be used in the holy of holies.

Catholic culture: take a look at this quality...

Each object is didactic (it teaches)...

Franciscans of the Immacolata Ordinations...

The processional began in the magnificent XIII century cloister of the monastery of the Franciscans of the Immacolata next to their church in Tarquinia, north of Rome.

Francescani dell'Immacolata (Ritus Ordinationis il 25 Marzo 2009 a Tarquinia).

See it all and be inspired (!) in Catholic Italy...

Franciscans of the Immacolata Ordinations...

An unforgettable day in the hills just north of Rome. Many thanks to His Grace Raymond Burke who was the ordaining prelate as well as to the Father Founder Padre Stefano Maria Manelli and to all the priests, brothers and sisters of the Missionari dell'Immacolata. Hearty congrats!

See their site here: http://www.immacolata.com/.

Franciscans of the Immacolata Ordinations...

Five new Franciscan priests ordained for the Church and kindly remember them out of your charity in prayer: Rev. Frs. Costa da Silva, Fernandes Gomes, Sulit, De Iuliis and Polis.

Franciscans of the Immacolata Ordinations...

Franciscans of the Immacolata Ordinations...

This church building we were told is about 700-800 years old. Just imagine that many years of Masses celebrated within these hallowed walls!