Happy St David's Day, Eat Drink & Be Merry For Tomorrow Is An Ember Day

'At the beginning of the four seasons of the Ecclesiastical Year, the Ember Days have been instituted by the Church to thank God for blessings obtained during the past year and to implore further graces for the new season. Their importance in the Church was formerly very great. They are fixed on the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday: after First Sunday of Lent for Spring, after Whit-Sunday for Summer, after the Feast of the Elevation of the Cross (14th September) for Autumn, and after the Third Sunday of Advent for Winter. They are intended also to consecrate to God the various seasons in nature, and to prepare by penance those who are about to be ordained. Ordinations generally take place on the Ember Days. The faithful ought to pray on these days for good Priests. The Ember Days were once fast days of obligation.'

I found this in my Baronius Press 1962 Missal and it made me think. Imagine the Graces that God would bestow upon the World if the whole Church still fasted on these twelve days a year, imagine the great Graces if our Priests and Bishops declared these Fast Days again. Oh forget all that, imagine the Graces we could gain for our Priests & Bishops by fasting on these days! So that is tomorrow & Saturday this week to start with.

The 'Tablet' Slams Welsh & English Bishops

John Smeaton has kindly pointed out a vile attack by The Pill on the Pro-Life stand taken by our Bishops in the case of Jon Cruddas MP. Mrs Pepinster, the editor of said tract, said "The suspicion [within the Labour party] of Catholic MPs and their agenda has also not been helped by pro-life groups who were vociferous in criticising the placing of an intern within Jon Cruddas' office because the MP in their eyes had failed to speak out on abortion."

Mr Smeaton, explains, 'Mrs Pepinster is referring to a move by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales to reverse a decision to provide Dr Cruddas with an intern, as part of its parliamentary internship scheme.

Mrs Pepinster takes no account of the truth about Dr Cruddas's record on abortion. Dr Cruddas has not merely "failed to speak out on abortion", and not merely "in [the] eyes" of pro-lifers - Dr Cruddas is on record defending legal abortion.'

Further proof, if any were needed, that I was right........to issue the permit to John. Do go off and read all of John's post as there was lots of other bits in it.

Rosary Crusade, Saturday 8th October

“You have seen Hell where the Souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the World Devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say is done, many Souls will be saved and there will be peace.”

Our Lady’s Words to Lucia 13th July 1917

The 27th Annual National Rosary Crusade of Reparation Saturday 8th October 2011
Assemble by 1.45 pm outside Westminster Cathedral (Ambrosden Avenue)
Nearest Underground: Victoria

Procession to Brompton Oratory, Brompton Road, London, SW7
Nearest Underground : South Kensington

Patron: His Grace Archbishop Vincent Nichols

Led by: The Rt. Revd. Monsignor Keith Newton Protonotary Apostolic and Ordinary of The Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham

Holy Mass is offered for benefactors every month

Procession with the statue of Our Lady of Fatima to Brompton Oratory praying the Rosary en-route

Consecration to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary

Scapular Enrolment

Solemn Benediction

End about 5.00 pm (Anticipated Mass of Sunday at 6.00 pm)

Spiritual Director: the Revd. Ronald Creighton-Jobe, Cong. Orat.

For Information Contact:
Francis Carey (01494) 729223 — Mathias Menezes (020) 8764 0262 or 07950 384515
or by post: 27 First Avenue, Amersham, Bucks., HP7 9BL
Web: www.rosarycrusadeofreparation.blogspot.com
Public Procession of Reparation for Sins Committed Against The Immaculate Heart

(Could I get the poster to appear on my blog? Clearly not, but here are the details anyway)

Ending Abortion One Mother & Baby At A Time

40 Days for Life is now back in London. People will be praying and counselling outside the BPAS abortuary at 26-27 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3HP, 8am until 8pm everyday, until 6th November. It is a fact that many lives have been saved in London since 40 Days for Life started here last year. (Photo, Bishop McMahon of Brentwood, leading the Rosary outside another abortuary, as he does each year)


This Thursday, 6th October, Good Counsel will be at the abortuary from 8am-8pm. Please come and join us as we will be quite pushed that day as we have a lot on in the office as well as having the daily vigil at the other Central London abortuary. Nearest Tube: Goodge St or Tottenham Court Road.

(Photo, Bishop Hopes of Westminster leading the Rosary at another abortuary earlier this year)

"But I live near Birmingham!" That's great, see here. "Manchester?" No problem, see here.

And for other vigils at abortuarys around the UK, see here.

COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE HOLY SEE: MEETING BETWEEN THE CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH AND THE FRATERNITY OF SAINT PIUS X

On September 14, 2011, at the office of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a meeting was held between His Eminence, Cardinal William Levada, Prefect of this Congregation and President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, His Excellency, Archbishop Luis Ladaria, S.J., Secretary of this Congregation, and Monsignor Guido Pozzo, Secretary of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, and His Excellency, Bishop Bernard Fellay, Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X, and Fathers Niklaus Pfluger et Alain-Marc Nély, General Assistants of the Fraternity

Following the petition addressed on December 15, 2008, by the Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X to His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, the Holy Father had taken the decision of lifting the excommunication of the four bishops consecrated by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and to open at the same time doctrinal conversations with the Fraternity, aiming to overcome the difficulties and the problems of a doctrinal nature, and to achieve a healing of the existing fracture.

Obedient to the will of the Holy Father, a mixed study commission, composed of experts of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X and of experts of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, assembled eight times for meetings that took place in Rome between the month of October 2009 and the month of April 2011. These conversations, whose objective was that of presenting and examining the major doctrinal difficulties on controversial themes, achieved their goal, which was that of clarifying the respective positions and their motivations.

Given the concerns and requests presented by the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X regarding the integrity of the Catholic faith considering the hermeneutic of rupture of the Second Vatican Council in respect of Tradition - hermeneutic mentioned by Pope Benedict XVI in his Address to the Roman Curia of December 22, 2005 -, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith takes as a fundamental basis for a full reconciliation with the Apostolic See the acceptance of the Doctrinal Preamble which was delivered in the course of the meeting of September 14, 2011. This preamble enunciates some of the doctrinal principles and criteria of interpretation of Catholic doctrine necessary for ensuring fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church and to the sentire cum Ecclesia, while leaving open to legitimate discussion the study and theological explanation of particular expressions and formulations present in the texts of the Second Vatican Council and of the Magisterium that followed it.

In the course of the same meeting, some elements were proposed regarding a canonical solution for the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X, which would follow the eventual and hoped-for reconciliation.

Deerstalker tip to Rorate Caeli for this. So lets keep praying, see my last post and see the Litany on behalf of Bishops.

Pray For The SSPX Now!

You may or may not be aware of this.

On 14th September - the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross - Bishop Fellay, SSPX, and a bunch of others are being received by Cardinal Levada of the CDF. Anything could happen - it could be good news, it could be bad news.

If you missed the novena, say a Rosary and one or all of the following;

Prayer for Wales

O Almighty God,
Who in Thine infinite goodness
has sent Thine only-begotten Son into this world
to open once more the gates of heaven,
and to teach us how to know, love and serve Thee,
have mercy on Thy people Who dwell in Wales.
Grant to them the precious gift of faith,
and unite them in the one true Church
founded by Thy Divine Son; that,
acknowledging her authority and obeying her voice,
they may serve Thee, love Thee, and worship Thee
as Thou desirest in this world,
and obtain for themselves everlasting happiness
in the world to come.
Through the same Christ our Lord.

R. Amen.

Our Lady, Help of Christians,
pray for Wales.

Saint David,
pray for Wales.

Saint Winefride,
pray for Wales.

Prayers for Scotland and England.

Today Is A Holy Day Of Obligation

Today is the Feast Day of Ss Peter & Paul and is still a Holy Day of Obligation in England & Wales. I say this because some such Days have been moved to Sundays, so some people are not sure which are which, and some Parish newsletters have not mentioned it. But in short, Go to Mass!

Cardinal Burke And All That

So Cardinal Burke is not coming to England (again). Was this the fault of any English Bishop, Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, the Cardinal himself or my four year old son and myself? When I find out, I shall be very cross and make the said culprit come round and explain to my son, why he will not now be meeting the Cardinal!

In the mean while please do start saying the following Litany daily, you can order a printed copy or ten from HLI. And don't forget to sign up to say the Rosary for Cardinal Burke and any other Bishop you like or dislike!

A LITANY ON BEHALF OF BISHOPS
Lord have mercy on us.
Christ have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us.
Christ hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, Queen of Heaven and earth, pray for us.
St. Joseph, Protector of Holy Mother Church, pray for us.
St Michael, all Archangels, special servants of Bishops, pray for us.
St John the Baptist, Herald of the Lord, pray for us.
St Peter, pray for us.
St Paul, pray for us.
St Andrew, pray for us.
St John, pray for us.
St Thomas, pray for us.
St James, pray for us.
St Philip, pray for us.
St Bartholomew, pray for us.
St Matthew, pray for us.
St James, pray for us.
St Simon, pray for us.
St Thaddeus, pray for us.
St Barnabas, pray for us.
St Matthias, pray for us.
O Holy Apostles, our first Bishops, we beg your intercession on behalf of your successors;

St Thomas Becket, pray for us.
St Blaise, pray for us.
St Boniface, pray for us.
St Cyprian, pray for us.
St. Ignatius of Antioch, pray for us.
St. Irenaeus, pray for us.
St John Fisher, pray for us.
St. Polycarp, pray for us.
All martyred Bishops; pray for us.

St Athanasius, pray for us.
St Alphosus Liguori, pray for us.
St Ambrose, pray for us.
St Anslem, pray for us.
St Augustine, pray for us.
St Basil and Gregory Nazianzen pray for us
St Bonaventure, pray for us.
St Cyril of Alexandria, pray for us.
St Cyril of Jerusalem, pray for us.
St Francis De Sales, pray for us.
St Hilary, pray for us.
St Isadore of Seville, pray for us.
St Peter Chrsologus, pray for us.
St Peter Damian, pray for us.
St Robert Bellarmine, pray for us.
All Bishops-Doctors of the Church, pray for us.

St Albert the Great, pray for us.
St Ansgar, pray for us.
St Charles Borromeo, pray for us.
St Ildephonsus, pray for us.
St Methodius, pray for us.
St Nicolas, pray for us.
St Norbert, pray for us.
St Patrick, pray for us.
St Richard, pray for us.
Sts. Timothy and Titus, pray for us.
St William, pray for us.
St Wulfran, pray for us.
All Bishops who have spread the light of Christ; pray for us.

St Leo the Great, pray for us.
St Pius V, pray for us.
St Thomas Aquinas, pray for us.
St Pius X, pray for us.
All Saints who have helped further the Faith through teaching, pray for us.

That all bishops will maintain complete obedience to the Holy Father, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That all bishops will remain faithful to the Magisterium of the Church, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That all bishops will defend the Faith and moral teachings of the Church, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That all bishops will uphold the true teachings of the Ecumenical Councils, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That all bishops will allow and defend all duly authorised Rites of the Mass, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That all bishops will staunchly defend the unborn, the elderly, the sick and all defenceless people, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That all bishops will provide for true and complete education of the Faith for all souls in their care, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That all bishops will exercise the powers of their office to defend the faithful against heretics, apostates, and false prophets and teachers, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That all bishops will use their authority and powers to correct errors and falsehoods, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That all bishops will stand up for the rights of the Church when infringed upon by the State, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That all bishops will develop a great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That all bishops will be living examples of the virtues, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That all bishops will look to their saintly predecessors as examples of how they should carry out their vocations, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That all bishops will encourage true vocations to the priesthood and religious life, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That all bishops will boldly proclaim the message of Our Lady of Fatima, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That all bishops will concentrate their energies more on the spiritual than on the material needs of the faithful, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That all bishops will teach and preach the truth of Humanae Vitae and Familiaris Consortio.

O God, look with favour on Thy servants, Thy bishops, whom Thou hast appointed as teachers and defenders of Thy faithful here on earth. Grant that by word and example they may assist those over whom they have been placed, so that shepherds and flocks may together attain everlasting life, through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

The Pro-Life Talk On Wednesday

Monsignor Philip J Reilly, the founder of the Helpers of God's Precious Infants will be in London on Wednesday. He will be giving a talk at St James' Church, Spanish Place, 22 George Street, London, W1U 3QY, on Wednesday 18th May 2011 at 7.30pm.

The number of babies, as well as Mothers & Fathers saved from the horrors of abortion by God's Grace, through this Priest is amazing. Should we go to the abortuary and pray? What should we do when we are there? Do Bishops and Priests need to go? Will me going really make a dfference? Over years I've heard Monsingor answer all of this and much more besides.

Deerstalker tip to Maria Stops Abortion. Photo is of Bishop Hopes of Westminster praying at an abortuary just last month.

John Smeaton (SPUC) Added To My Blog Roll

I have added John Smeaton's blog to my blog roll (see below) as he does not come ahead of Maria Stops Abortion alphabetically! But also because I so often think to reprint his posts here, and have done so from time to time. While I do not agree with everything he says, I can say that you need to read his posts if you are Pro-Life.

His blog is also, I believe, one of only 4 blogs to support Bishop Hopes going to pray outside the abortuary in Twickenham. We read much criticism of Bishops here in blogland, and rightly so some of the time, but praise where praise is due. (Pray The Rosary for a Bishop)

You can read his Biography on his blog, but just to add to it, the photo of him here (on the right), is of him praying outside marie stopes abortuary in Central London, with Good Counsel as part of the daily vigil.

English Bishop To Be Executed By Catholic Taliban Live On This Blog!

It has been said by the Holy Father that Catholic bloggers must take care in what they write. We should not just be looking to increase our readership by being shocking or controversial! There are times when we can be uncharitable, it seems to me that this is often the case when talking about the Bishops of Wales & England. It is important to remember that non-catholics will read our blogs, and to constantly give the impression that the Church in this country is led by heretics is not helpful in winning converts.

Please remember that the Bishops are in more need of graces than you or I. Satan is more interested in gaining a Bishop, and thus a Diocese, than getting his hands on an individual Catholic. I had a look on Rosary for Bishops after seeing it on Fr John Boyle's blog. The thing that amazed me when I looked up Vincent Archbishop Nichols (I live in Westminster) was to find that only seven people have signed up to say a Rosary for him each month. Yes there may be other sites where one can sign up, yes you can pray for your Bishop without signing up, but putting up or reading public criticism (justified or not) should be followed by signing up to prayer.

There can be little doubt that from time to time a Bishop may say something that we do not like, or even something wrong. After writing to him privately and charitably (do hear Bishop O'Donoghue talk to FLI a few years ago) we may even need to correct him publicly having consulted one's Spritual Director first of course.

But I know that it is, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Therefore let us pray (and fast) for our Bishops and even if that does them no good, which I don't believe, it will do us more Spiritual good anyway. When I stand in front of God I will be asked to account for my life and not that of my Bishop. I do not know what God will say to me first when I see Him face to face, but I doubt that it will be, "Why didn't you do something about Bishop X" - unless He asks about my lack of prayer & fasting for him.

Government, Bishops, Priests or Faithful to Blame for Poor Papal Turnout?

Much has been written about the organisation of the Holy Father's visit to England. I have heard that the Government wants to limit the number of the faithful attending, to make it look like a flop. I have heard the same said of the Bishop's Conference of Wales & England. I have heard of Priests at the Altar asking for names of people who wanted to go, but putting some off with a lot of negativity. "It will be a very long day...there will be no seats.....there will be a long walk as part of the day at Hyde Park.....there will be a long coach journey to Birmingham....bla, bla, bla". Rumours that there would be no toilets were thrown in for good measure!

All of this may be true, but so what! A convert, Cardinal Newman, to the One True Faith is going to be Beatified by Christ's Vicar on Earth here in England(Birmingham 19th September). At Hyde Park, London 18th September, the successor of Saint Peter will lead over 80,000 Catholics in Adoring the Real Presence of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. So as Henry Root would say, "Here's a pound [ten for Hyde Park] let's go!"

If your Parish has run out of tickets, phone around other local Parishes and ask them if they have any. I was talking to a good Priest earlier this week who was saddened by the small number of tickets he has been asked for by his Parishioners. If you cannot get a ticket, come to Hyde Park anyway! I was very heartened to receive an email today from Fr Armand de Malleray, FSSP who will be leading 50 of the faithful to the Vigil with the Pope, but went on to say, there "surely could and should be many more coming than 50. Even if this means that we pray the Rosary in an other area of Hyde Park (i.e. outside the official registration zone), it will be very significant to be a very very large crowd there. In some years, we want to be able to look back on this First Papal State visit in Great Britain and say: ‘I attended’. Clergy from the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter will accompany the ‘Non registered’ group. Other clergy welcome. Persons under 18 years of age are welcome under the responsibility of their parents. Specific meeting location will be communicated later on."

So there you have it, ticket or not every Catholic to Hyde Park 1pm-9pm Saturday 18th September 2010.