Recta Ratio

The fall foliage is making a little progress up in Northern New England. But it looks like we are still 2-3 weeks from peak up there.

Check out the latest (updated this morning) Foliage Network report.

Last quiz for the weekend, I promise.

Hamlet You scored 27 evilness, 36 romance, 54 tragic, and 18 comic!

Philosophical procrastinator, Hamlet is among the greatest tragic characters ever created. In dispair over his father's murder and his mother's marriage to his uncle, Hamlet discovers that his new stepfather and uncle is his father's killer. But Hamlet thinks about revenge too long, which costs him his life.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 77% on evilness You scored higher than 0% on romance You scored higher than 99% on tragic You scored higher than 0% on comic

Link: The Shakespeare Character Test written by mandi_g on Ok Cupid

You are a Social Conservative (23% permissive) and an... Economic Conservative (86% permissive) You are best described as a: Strong Republican Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid

Father Walter Cuenin, who has gone beyond the national dissident Catholic role-model of Father McBrien, and has been a thorn in the side (I was tempted tot he more colorful phrase) has finally been sacked as pastor of a church in Newton.

Dom Bettinelli is the person to read about this story as his sources are very good.

The Red Sox are a game behind the Yankees in the AL East, and a game and a half behind the Indians in the Wild Card race.

The BC Eagles (2-1) are on the road, taking on Clemson today, their first ACC road game.

The Patriots (1-1, tied with all the other teams in the AFC East) play the Steelers Sunday.

And the Saint John's Prep Eagles, ranked 8th by the Boston Globe, are 2-0 going into today.

The only really troubling thing here is the Red Sox, who seem determined, having once broken the old habit of choking at the end of the season, to take it up again.

November 18-20, at Holy Name parish, Providence, RI. And only $70 to attend.

Found via In Illo Tempore.

You scored as Classical Humanist. You are traditional and orthodoxy is very important to you. You are most likely Catholic, or else your religion is ancient, with a long continuous tradition. You have a good sense of humor and like to take things easy. You aren't a very exciting person, but are dependable. You think that people need to cultivate the virtues of prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice. You think that the study of science is good, but don't often keep up with the products of technological progress. You believe that the study of history has great application to understanding current events. You think that people can govern themselves most of the time, and that government needs to be mainly small; however, you do not expect too much of government. Your favorite philosophers are Plato, Aristotle, Confucius, Marcus Aurelius, Augustine of Hippo, and Thomas Aquinas. Classical Humanist 94% Enlightenment Optimist 44% Existentialist 19% Pessimist 19% What's your Philosophical Anthropology? created with QuizFarm.com

Found via Rome Of the West.

Come Rack! Come Rope! is not the only Monsignor Robert Hugh Benson book available today. Here are some others.

Big hat tip to Lane Core for finding this one!

Hurricane Rita weakened to a category 3 storm before making landfall in Texas early this morning. But that still means flooding, fires, lots of wind damage, tornadoes, and additional levee failures in New Orleans, which was getting rain in 3-4 inch per hour spurts.

This storm is going to further strain already fully-engaged disaster relief services, so please, if you can, consider a donation to the Saint Vincent de Paul Society.

It is not life-threatening, and the surgery was described as minimally invasive. This was the first of two such surgeries he is scheduled for, both in the knee.

September has so many Marian feasts!

Madonna with the protecting cloak
Ravensburg, c. 1480

This is what the Catholic Encyclopedia has to say about Our Lady of Ransom.

Since I have been reading a lot about English Catholicism lately, Our Lady of Walshingham, whose shrine was desecrated by iconoclast protestants in the 1550s, is a natural topic.

Here is a link to the RC shrine at Walshingham (there is an Anglican one there, too).

Here is a history of the Shrine.

A Lament For Walsingham
(to get this, it helps if you remember that Queen Elizabeth's primary anti-Catholic enforcer was named Sir Francis Walshingham).

In the wracks of Walsingam
Whom should I chuse
But the Queene of Walsingam
To be guide to my muse?

Then, thou Prince of Walsingam
Graunt me to frame
Bitter plaintes to rewe thy wronge
Bitter wo for thy name.

Bitter was it, oh to see
The sely sheepe
Murdred by the raveninge wolves
While the sheepharde did sleep.

Bitter was it, oh, to viewe
The sacred vyne
Whiles the gardiners plaied all close
Rooted up by the swine.

Such were the worth of Walsingam
While she did stand
Such are the wrackes as now do shewe
Of that (so) holy lande.

Levell, levell with the ground
The Towres doe lye
Which with their golden, glit-t'ring tops
Pearsed oute to the skye.

Where weare gates noe gates are nowe,
The waies unknowen,
Where the presse of freares did passe
While her fame far was blowen.

Oules do scrike where the sweetest himnes
Lately wear songe,
Toades and serpents hold their dennes
Where the palmers did throng.

Weep, weep O Walsingam,
Whose dayes are nightes,
Blessings turned to blasphemies,
Holy deedes to dispites.

Sinne is where our Ladye sate,
Heaven turned is to helle;
Sathan sitte where our Lord did swaye,
Walsingam, oh, farewell!

From Eamon Duffy, The Stripping of the Altars, my current reading.

Interior, the Slipper Chapel at Walshingham

While we are discussing things English and Catholic, take a look at this excellent catalog of Medieval English Parish Church Wall Paintings.

And John at The Inn At the End of the World has a great photo of Our Lady of Walsingham Anglican-Use parish in Houston, which was planning to have Mass there despite the hurricane.

Update: It is a little late now, but I discovered a Novena to Our Lady of Walsingham. Thanks to Pro Ecclesia, Pro Familia, Pro Civitate's Jay, who is now on pilgrimage to Walshingham.

Fasting and praying for the victims of our two hurricanes this month would be a splendid idea.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13-5 in his favor yesterday. The full Senate is expected to follow suit next week, with only the most egregious liberals (Kennedy, Clinton, etc.) voting no.

As everyone is saying, the real battle will be waged over Justice O'Connor's successor, as that conservative seat may become more reliably conservative. My favorite pick for that seat is still Judge Edith Jones.

But here are the known acceptable possibilities:

Former Attorney General John Ashcroft
Judge Edith Jones
Judge Emilio Garza
Judge J. Michael Luttig
Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson
Professor Mary Ann Glendon

If any of these figures are nominated, smiles will break out here at Recta Ratio. And if Jones, Luttig, or Garza is confirmed by the Senate, I will feel like buying the whole blogosphere a beer, or at least a Shirley Temple.

According to an anoymous cardinal's diary of the recent conclave, Pope Benedict was elected on the fourth ballot with 84 votes.

But to me, the thing that jumped off the page in 50-point bold, italic type was that on that final ballot, someone voted for Bernard Cardinal Law for pope.

Now the single vote for Cardinal Schoenbonn I can see. He is a legitimage papabile and it was surprising that he had received no votes in the previous 3 ballots.

But Cardinal Law? Who voted for him? Bernard Law?

A good list.

Hat tip to Rich Leonardi at Ten Reasons.

You speak eloquently and have seemingly read every
book ever published. You are a fountain of
endless (sometimes useless) knowledge, and
never fail to impress at a party.
What people love: You can answer almost any
question people ask, and have thus been
nicknamed Jeeves.
What people hate: You constantly correct their
grammar and insult their paperbacks.


What Kind of Elitist Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Of course. What else would you expect for a guy who never met a book he didn't want to hold onto for life and pass on to the next generation as patrimony?

The Christendom kids at Fiddle Back Fever take the prize, with their squirrel fixation.

Dale Price (who else?) does the honors on the oft-quoted, frequently-seen media maven, Father Richard McBrien.

Hilary has a great questionairre for wanna be members of the League of Evil Traditionalists.

My answers?
3 A
4 B
5 C
6 B
7 E
8 A

Comes From Covington, Kentucky. It is the interior of the Basilica of the Assumption.

And the exterior

These are from a site which seems to specialize in 19th Century German-American church artists that I stumbled upon in my researches.

In fact, periodically over the last few decades, one or another Vatican dicastery has made the same point: that men with homosexual inclinations ought not to be ordained.

Father Andrew Baker, writing in the May/June 2003 Lay Witness Magazine, of Catholics United For the Faith, dug these up, starting with the 1961 document everyone who has been around St. Blog's since 2002 knows about.

The following quotes are from documents of various Vatican offices over the last 40 years which have provided guidelines for the admission of candidates to religious life and/or seminaries:

In 1961: “Advancement to religious vows and ordination should be barred to those who are afflicted with evil tendencies to homosexuality or pederasty, since for them the common life and the priestly ministry would constitute serious dangers” (Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life).

In 1974: A candidate must overcome two distinct immature tendencies, namely “narcissism and homosexuality” and the person “must have arrived at heterosexuality” in order to speak of a person as mature (Congregation for Catholic Education).

In 1990: “Those who do not seem to be able to overcome their homosexual tendencies or who maintain that it is possible to adopt a third way, ‘living in an ambiguous state between celibacy and marriage,’ must be dismissed from the religious life” (Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life).

In 2002: “Ordination to the diaconate and the priesthood of homosexual men or men with homosexual tendencies is absolutely inadvisable and imprudent and, from the pastoral point of view, very risky. A homosexual person, or one with a homosexual tendency is not, therefore, fit to receive the sacrament of Holy Orders” (Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments).

Hat tip to Dom Bettinelli for finding that.

Update: Three priests discuss the forthcoming ban at Alan Keyes' Renew America.

With an inner ear infection.

It isn't described as serious. I hope he heals quickly.

Seven years ago today, my mother died of pneumonia after a hernia operation, at the age of 75. She had been suffering from dementia for some years prior to that. My father had died at the age of 69 about 7 years prior to her death.

O God, Who hast commanded us to honor our father and mother, look in the tenderness of Thy mercy upon the souls of George, my father, and Kathryn, my mother, and forgive them their sins, and grant unto me the joy of seeing them again in the glorious light of everlasting life. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

V. Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord.
R. And may perpetual light shine upon her.
V. May she rest in peace.
R. Amen

Here is another of those embarrassing "I grew up in the 1970s" confessions about my prior ignorance of the Faith. Though he died a year before I started first grade, I had no idea who Padre Pio was until about 1997, when I first started shopping extensively (weekly) at the gift shop (excellent selection of Catholic books from TAN and Ignatius) at the Carmelite Chapel at the North Shore Shopping Center in Peabody. I don't think he had ever been mentioned in my hearing. He was absolutely not on my radar screen. Well, here is a brief biography that partially makes up for my ignorance.

Now Saint Pio's Post Communion Prayer, "Stay With Me, Lord" is part of my morning prayer routine.

Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have You present so that I do not forget You. You know how easily I abandon You.

Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak and I need Your strength, that I may not fall so often.

Stay with me, Lord, for You are my life, and without You, I am without fervor.

Stay with me, Lord, for You are my light, and without You, I am in darkness.

Stay with me, Lord, to show me Your will.

Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Your voice and follow You.

Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You very much, and always be in Your company.

Stay with me, Lord, if You wish me to be faithful to You.

Stay with me, Lord, for as poor as my soul is, I wish it to be a place of consolation for You, a nest of Love.

Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late and the day is coming to a close, and life passes, death, judgement, eternity approaches. It is necessary to renew my strength, so that I will not stop along the way and for that, I need You. It is getting late and death approaches. I fear the darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the cross, the sorrows. O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile!

Stay with me tonight, Jesus, in life with all its dangers, I need You.

Let me recognize You as Your disciples did at the breaking of bread, so that the Eucharistic Communion be the light which disperses the darkness, the force which sustains me, the unique joy of my heart.

Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death, I want to remain united to You, if not by Communion, at least by grace and love.

Stay with me, Jesus, I do not ask for divine consolation, because I do not merit it, but, the gift of Your Presence, oh yes, I ask this of You!

Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for. Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will, Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You and ask no other reward but to love You more and more.

With a firm love, I will love You with all my heart while on earth and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity.

Amen.

Just a reminder. Friday is the easiest day to forget about in Embertide, because you have Thursday off.

The Senate Judiciary Committee votes on the nomination of Judge Roberts to be Chief Justice. Democrats are split and Republicans are united in his favor.

A good movie from a Catholic perspective, says Seattle Catholic.

The Autumnal Equinox is at 6:23 this evening. So Fall is officially here. The weather in Boston is bright sunny skies and about 75 degrees, with no humidity.

The New England foliage is slow to come on this year. I'm guessing that the dry August weather is having something to do with that. On the bright side, we have not had too much wind, so leaf-drop has not been a significant problem.

Oh well, if the Sox are busily swallowing the gas pipe, we can at least look at the trees for the next six weeks.







And then there is the apple picking




Don't forget the mums!




And the pumpkin patch

The perfect jack-o-lantern, I think, is in the foreground, behind the green one!




And there is the return of the Autumn People (apologies to Ray Bradbury)

Over at Restore the Church.

For myself, I could see the repeating of the Epistle and Gospel excised. It would be an organic reform that makes sense to just read them once, in English. God knows Latin, but He knows English as well. In my mind, the jury is out on the Last Gospel. I would keep the Leonine Prayers. Heck, I'm in favor of extending them to the 1970 Missal after every Mass, as prayers for the missionary efforts of the Church worldwide.

The US government's position is that the Holy Father cannot be named as a defendant in the Texas pervert priest case.

And I think this is a case of a plaintiff's lawyer over-reaching in his "noble" quest to find the deepest pockets out there to SCORE from.

Nope. Sorry, the Vatican is not an ATM for you, counsellor.

The Boston Red Sox picked a heck of bad time for a slump. That 3-5 game lead they have been holding for the last couple of months is gone. They are no longer in first place. They are now a half-game behind the Yankees. Are we back to the "old Red Sox" pattern?

Is just a link.

But it is a great one, to Catholic Church Conservation, where Gillibrand has posted a great photo of an altar at Hirschau, Germany, dedicated to the Fourteen Holy Helpers.

If I can find some close-ups of the altar, or other interesting things in this church, I'll post them later.

The discovery of Catholic heritage is a major theme here at Recta Ratio. having grown up in the marvy, groovy '70s, in the worst days of the "butterfly curriculum, I can frankly say I got out of 19 years of Catholic education knowing almost nothing about the Faith.

So it is without embarrassment that I provide this list of who the Fourteen Holy Helpers are:

Achatius
against headaches
Barbara
against fever
against sudden death
Blaise
against ills of the throat
Catherine of Alexandria
against sudden death
Christopher
against plagues
against sudden death
Cyriacus
against temptations, especially at time of death
Denis
against headaches
Erasmus
against abdominal maladies
for protection of domestic animals
Eustachius
against family trouble
George
for protection of domestic animals
Giles
against plagues
for a good confession
Margaret of Antioch
for safe childbirth
Pantaleon
for physicians
for protection of domestic animals
Vitus
against epilepsy
for protection of domestic animals

And there are devotions to the Fourteen Holy Helpers collectively (as well as devotions to some of them individually).

Invocation of the Fourteen Holy Helpers
Fourteen Holy Helpers, who served God in humility and confidence on earth and are now in the enjoyment of His beatific vision in Heaven; because thou persevered till death thou gained the crown of eternal life. Remember the dangers that surround us in this vale of tears, and intercede for us in all our needs and adversities. Amen.

Fourteen Holy Helpers, select friends of God, I honor thee as mighty intercessors, and come with filial confidence to thee in my needs, for the relief of which I have undertaken to make this novena. Help me by thy intercession to placate God's wrath, which I have provoked by my sins, and aid me in amending my life and doing penance. Obtain for me the grace to serve God with a willing heart, to be resigned to His holy will, to be patient in adversity and to persevere unto the end, so that, having finished my earthly course, I may join thee in Heaven, there to praise for ever God, who is wonderful in His Saints.
Amen.

And there is a Litany of the Fourteen Holy Helpers (for private use only)
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 Martyrs,
pray for us.
Saint Joseph, helper in all needs, etc.
Fourteen Holy Helpers,
Saint George, valiant Martyr of Christ,
Saint Blase, zealous bishop and benefactor of the poor,
Saint Erasmus, mighty protector of the oppressed,
Saint Pantaleon, miraculous exemplar of charity,
Saint Vitus, special protector of chastity,
Saint Christophorus, mighty intercessor in dangers,
Saint Dionysius, shining mirror of faith and confidence,
Saint Cyriacus, terror of Hell,
Saint Achatius, helpful advocate in death,
Saint Eustachius, exemplar of patience in adversity,
Saint Giles, despiser of the world,
Saint Margaret, valiant champion of the Faith,
Saint Catherine, victorious defender of the Faith and of purity,
Saint Barbara, mighty patroness of the dying,

All ye Holy Helpers, etc.
All ye Saints of God,
In temptations against faith,
In adversity and trials,
In anxiety and want,
In every combat,
In every temptation,
In sickness,
In all needs,
In fear and terror,
In dangers of salvation,
In dangers of honor,
In dangers of reputation,
In dangers of property,
In dangers by fire and water,
Be merciful, spare us, O Lord!
Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Lord!

From all sin,
deliver us, O Lord.
From Thy wrath, etc.
From the scourge of earthquake,
From plague, famine, and war,
From lightning and storms,
From a sudden and unprovided death,
From eternal damnation,

Through the mystery of Thy holy incarnation, etc.
Through Thy birth and Thy life,
Through Thy Cross and Passion,
Through Thy death and burial,
Through the merits of Thy blessed Mother Mary,
Through the merits of the Fourteen Holy Helpers,
On the Day of Judgment, deliver us, O Lord!

We sinners, beseech Thee hear us.
That Thou spare us,
We beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou pardon us, etc.
That Thou convert us to true penance,
That Thou give and preserve the fruits of the earth,
That Thou protect and propagate Thy holy Church,
That Thou preserve peace and concord among the nations,
That Thou give eternal rest to the souls of the departed,
That Thou come to our aid through the intercession of the Holy Helpers,
That through the intercession of Saint George Thou preserve us in the Faith,
That through the intercession of Saint Blase Thou confirm us in hope,
That through the intercession of Saint Erasmus Thou enkindle in us Thy holy love,
That through the intercession of Saint Pantaleon Thou give us charity for our neighbor,
That through the intercession of Saint Vitus Thou teach us the value of our soul,
That through the intercession of Saint Christophorus Thou preserve us from sin,
That through the intercession of Saint Dionysius Thou give us tranquillity of conscience,
That through the intercession of Saint Cyriacus Thou grant us resignation to Thy holy will,
That through the intercession of Saint Eustachius Thou give us patience in adversity,
That through the intercession of Saint Achatius Thou grant us a happy death,
That through the intercession of Saint Giles Thou grant us a merciful judgment,
That through the intercession of Saint Margaret Thou preserve us from Hell,
That through the intercession of Saint Catherine Thou shorten our Purgatory,
That through the intercession of Saint Barbara Thou receive us in Heaven,
That through the intercession of all the Holy Helpers Thou wilt grant our prayers,

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us, O Lord.

V. Pray for us, ye Fourteen Holy Helpers.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promise of Christ.

Let us Pray.

Almighty and eternal God, Who hast bestowed extraordinary graces and gifts on Thy saints George, Blase, Erasmus, Pantaleon, Vitus, Christophorus, Dionysius, Cyriacus, Eustachius, Achatius, Giles, Margaret, Catherine, and Barbara, and hast illustrated them by miracles; we beseech Thee to graciously hear the petitions of all who invoke their intercession. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

O God, who didst miraculously fortify the Fourteen Holy Helpers in the confession of the Faith; grant us, we beseech Thee, to imitate their fortitude in overcoming all temptations against it, and protect us through their irttercession in all dangers of soul and body, so that we may serve Thee in purity of heart and chastity of body. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The NYT has picked up the story on the Vatican barring homosexuals from the seminary.

The new policy is great. I have long advocated it, and support it 100%. But it is time to be realistic. Will this end the problem of priests abusing teenage boys? No. There will still be isolated instances of it. But what it will do is prevent the homosexualization of the priesthood, and tremendously limit the amount of cases of homosexual predation on teenage boys in the future, after all those who are now priests have passed from the scene. And for those who are priests now, the rules created by the USCCB and individual dioceses are there for current protection. It will take a while for the new policy to take full effect (decades), even assuming 100% vigorous compliance, which isn't going to happen.

But the Church as an institution needs to protect itself. Only those who have taken the agenda of the homosexual lobby as their own, or those misled by the cultursmog that tries to obscure the true nature of the crisis, can object. It needs to be done. It is being done. And the Church will be better for it.

And I agree with what Gerald at The Cafeteria Is Closed has to say on the topic.

Every single church owned by the Diocese of Biloxi, MS, was damaged to one extent or another by Hurricane Katrina.

Yipes!

Beatified in 2001, these Catholics were murdered by the Communists during the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1938. And these Valencian martyrs were by no means the only ones to die for the Faith in Spain. The vicious anti-Catholicism of the Spanish communists produced more martyrs in a very much more concentrated time span than the English protestants ever did in 300 years.

Diocesan priests of the Archdiocese of Valencia
Alfonso Sebastiá Viñals (1910-1936)
Antonio Silvestre Moya (1892-1936)
Carmelo Sastre Sastre
Diego Llorca Llopis (1896-1936)
Elias Carbonell Mollá (1869-1936)
Enrique Juan Requena (1903-1936)
Enrique Morant Pellicer (1908-1936)
Fernando García Sendra (1905-1936)
Fernando González Añón (1886-1936)
Francisco Ibáñez Ibáñez (1876-1936)
Francisco Sendra Ivars (1899-1936)
Félix Yuste Cava (1887-1936)
Germán Gozalbo Andreu (-1936)
Gonzalo Viñes Masip (1883-1936)
Joaquín Vilanova Camallonga (1888-1936)
José Aparicio Sanz (1893-1936)
José Canet Giner (1903-1936)
José Fenollosa Alcayna (1903-1936)
José García Mas (1896-1936)
José González Huguet (1874-1936)
José María Ferrándiz Hernández (1879-1936)
José María Segura Penadés (1896-1936)
José Ruiz Bruixola (1857-1936)
José Toledo Pellicer (1909-1936)
Juan Carbonell Mollá (1874-1936)
Juan Ventura Solsona (1875-1936)
Pascual Ferrer Botella (1894-1936)
Pascual Penadés Jornet (1894-1936)
Ramón Esteban Bou Pascual (1906-1936)
Ramón Martí Soriano (1902-1936)
Salvador Estrugo Solves (1862-1936)
Salvador Ferrandis Seguí (1880-1936)
Vicente Ballester Far (1888-1936)
Vicente María Izquierdo Alcón (1891-1936)
Vicente Pelufo Corts (1868-1936)
Vicente Rubiols Castelló (1874-1936)
Vicente Sicluna Hernández (1859-1936)

Women of Catholic Action of the Archdiocese of Valencia
Amalia Abad Casasempere (1897-1936) (widow)
Ana María Aranda Riera (1888-1936)
Crescencia Valls Espí (1863-1936)
Encarnación Gil Valls (1888-1936)
Florencia Caerols Martínez (1890-1936)
Francisca Cualladó Baixauli (1890-1936)
Herminia Martínez Amigó (1887-1936)
Josefina Moscardó Montalvá (1880-1936)
Luisa María Frías Cañizares (1896-1936)
María Climet Mateu (1887-1936)
María de la Purificación Vidal Pastor (1892-1936)
María del Carmen Viel Ferrando (1893-1936)
María del Olvido Noguera Albelda (1903-1936)
María Jordá Botella (1905-1936)
María Luisa Montesinos Orduña (1901-1937)
María Teresa Ferragut Roig (1853-1936)
Pilar Villalonga Villalba (1891-1936)
Sofía Ximénez Ximénez (1876-1936) (widow)
Társila Córdoba Belda (1861-1936) (widow)

Men and Youth of Catholic Action of the Archdiocese of Valencia
Arturo Ros Montalt (1901-1936)
Carlos Díaz Gandía (1907-1936)
Carlos López Vidal (1894-1936)
Ismael Escrihuela Esteve (1902-1936)
José María Corbín Ferrer (1914-1936)
José María Zabal Blasco (1898-1936)
José Medes Ferrís (1885-1936)
José Perpiñá Nacher (1911-1936)
José Ramón Ferragud Girbés (1887-1936)
Juan Bautista Faubel Cano (1889-1936)
Juan Gonga Martínez (1911-1936)
Manuel Torró García (1902-1936)
Marino Blanes Giner (1888-1936)
Pablo Meléndez Gonzalo (1876-1936)
Pascual Torres Lloret (1885-1936)
Rafael Alonso Gutiérrez (1890-1936)
Salvador Enguix Garés (1862-1936) (widower)
Vicente Galbis Gironés (1910-1936)

Dominicans
Antonio Manuel López Conceiro (1869-1936)
Constantino Fernández Alvarez (1907-1936)
Felicísimo Díez González (1907-1936)
Felipe Santiago Meseguer Burillo (1885-1936)
Francisco Calvo Burillo (1881-1936)
Francisco María Monzón Romeo (1912-1936)
Gumersindo Soto Barros (1869-1936)
Jacinto Ignacio Serrano López (1901-1936) (priest)
Joaquín Prats Baltueña (1915-1936) (priest)
José María Muro Sanmiguel (1905-1936)
José María Vidal Seguí (1912-1936)
Lamberto María Navascués y Juan (1911-1936) (novice)
Lucio Martínez Mancebo (1902-1936) (priest)
Luís Urbano Lanaspa (1882-1936) (priest)
Manuel Albert Ginés (1867-1936) (priest)
Rafael Pardo Molina (1899-1936)
Ramón Peiró Victori (1891-1936)
Saturio Rey Robles (1907-1936)
Tirso Manrique Melero (1877-1936)
Zósimo Izquierdo Gil (1895-1936) (priest)

Order of Friars Minor
Alfredo Pellicer Muñoz (1914-1936)
Pascual Fortuño Almela (1886-1936) (priest)
Plácido García Gilabert (1895-1936)
Salvador Mollar Ventura (1896-1936)

Order of Friars Minor Conventual
Alfonso López López (1878-1936) (priest)
Dioniso Vicente Ramos (1871-1936) (priest)
Francsico Remón Játiva (1890-1936) (brother)
Miguel Remón Salvador (1907-1936) (brother)
Modesto Vegas Vegas (1912-1936) (priest)
Pedro Rivera Rivera (1912-1936) (priest)

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
Ambrosio de Benaguacil (Luis Valls Matamales) (1870-1936) (priest)
Aurelio de Vinalesa (José Ample Alcaide) (1896-1936) (priest)
Berard de Lugar Nuevo de Fenollet (José Bleda Grau) (1867-1936) (brother)
Buenaventura de Puzol (Julio Esteve Flors) (1897-1936) (priest)
Enrique de Almazora (Enrique García Beltrán) (1913-1936) (deacon)
Fidel de Puzol (Mariano Climent Sanchis) (1856-1936) (brother)
Germán de Carecagente (Jorge María Garrigues Hernández) (1895-1936) (priest)
Joaquín de Albocacer (José Ferrer Adell) (1879-1936) (priest)
Modesto de Albocácer (Modesto García Martí) (1880-1936) (priest)
Pacíficio de Valencia (Pedro Salcedo Puchades) (1874-1936) (brother)
Pedro de Benisa (Alejandro Más Ginestar) (1876-1936) (priest)
Santiago de Rafelbuñol (Santiago Mestre Iborra) (1909-1936) (priest)

Capuchin Sisters of the Order of Saint Clare
Isabel Calduch Rovira (1882-1937)
Mariá Felicidad (Mariá Felicidad Masiá Ferragud) (1890-1936)
Mariá Jesús (Mariá Vicenta Masiá Ferragud) (1882-1936)
Mariá Verónica (Mariá Joaquina Masiá Ferragud) (1884-1936)
Milagro Ortells Gimeno (1882-1936)

Discalced Augustinian
Josefa de la Purificación Masiá Ferragud (1887-1936)

Society of Jesus
Alfredo Simón Colomina (1877-1936)
Constantino Carbonell Sempere (1866-1936)
Darío Hernández Morató (1880-1936)
José Tarrats Comaposada (1878-1936)
Juan Bautista Ferreres Boluda (1861-1936)
Luis Campos Górriz (1905-1936) (layman)
Narciso Basté Basté (1866-1936)
Pablo Bori Puig (1864-1936)
Pedro Gelabert Amer (1887-1936)
Ramón Grimaltos Monllor (1861-1936)
Tomás Sitjar Fortiá (1866-1936)
Vicente Sales Genovés (1881-1936)

Salesian Society of Saint John Bosco
Agustín García Calvo (1905-1936) (priest)
Alejandro Planas Saurí (1878-1936) (layman)
Alvaro Sanjuán Canet (1908-1936) (priest)
Antonio Martín Hernández (1885-1936) (priest)
Eliseo García García (1907-1936) (priest)
Felipe Hernández Martínez (1913-1936)
Francisco Bandrés Sánchez (1896-1936) (priest)
Félix Vivet Trabal (1911-1936) (priest)
Gil Rodicio Rodicio (1888-1936) (priest)
Jaime Bonet Nadal (1884-1936) (priest)
Jaime Buch Canals (1889-1936) (priest)
Jaime Ortiz Alzueta (1913-1936) (priest)
Javier Bordás Piferrer (1914-1936) (priest)
José Batalla Parramón (1873-1936) (priest)
José Bonet Nadal (1875-1936) (priest)
José Calasanz Marqués (1872-1936) (priest)
José Caselles Moncho (1907-1936) (priest)
José Castell Camps (1902-1936) (priest)
José Giménez López (1904-1936) (priest)
José Otín Aquilué (1901-1936) (priest)
José Rabasa Ventanach (1862-1936) (priest)
Juan Martorell Soria (1889-1936) (priest)
Julio Junyer Padern (1892-1938) (priest)
Julián Rodríguez Sánchez (1896-1936) (priest)
Miguel Domingo Cendra (1909-1936) (priest)
Pablo Mesonero Rodríguez (1912-1936) (priest)
Recaredo de los Rios Fabregat (1893-1936) (priest)
Sergio Cid Pazo (1884-1936) (priest)
Zacarías Abadía Buesa (1913-1936) (priest)
Ángel Ramos Velázquez (1876-1936) (priest)

Daughters of Mary Help of Christians
María del Carmen Moreno Benítez (1885-1936)
María Amparo Carbonell Muñoz (1893-1936)

Third Order of Capuchians of Our Lady of Sorrows
Agustín Hurtado Soler (1872-1936)
Carmen García Moyón (1888-1937)
Crescencio García Pobo (1903-1936)
Florentín Pérez Romero (1904-1936)
Francisco Tomás Serer (1911-1936)
José Arahal de Miguel (1887-1936)
José Llosá Balaguer (1901-1936)
José María Llópez Mora (1874-1936)
José María Sánchis Mompó (1858-1936)
Justo Lerma Martínez (1886-1936)
Manuel Ferrer Jordá (1872-1936)
Manuel Legua Martí (1875-1936)
Pablo Martínez Robles (1879-1936)
Salvador Chuliá Ferrandis (1866-1936)
Salvador Ferrer Cardet (1884-1936)
Timoteo Valero Pérez (1901-1936)
Urbano Gil Sáez (1901-1936)
Vicente Cabanes Badenas (1908-1936)
Vicente Gay Zarzo (1885-1936)
Vicente Jaunzarás Gómez (1896-1936)

Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Mariano Juan María de la Cruz García Mendez (1891-1936)

Brothers of the Christian Schools
Ambrosio León (Pedro Lorente Vicente) (1914-1936)
Bertrán Francisco (Francisco Lahoz Moliner) (1912-1936)
Elías Julián (Julián Torrijo Sánchez) (1900-1936)
Florencio Martín (Álvaro Ibáñez Lázaro) (1913-1936)
Honorato Andrés (Andrés Zorraquino Herrero) (1908-1936)
Leonardo Olivera Buera (1889-1936) (priest)

Carmelite Sisters of Charity
Agueda Hernández Amorós de Nuestra Señora de las Virtudes (1893-1936)
Antonia Gosens Sáez de Ibarra de San Timoteo (1870-1936)
Ascensión Lloret Marco de San José de Calasanz (1879-1936)
Clara Ezcurra Urrutia de Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza (1896-1936)
Concepción Odriozola Zabalia de San Ignacio (1882-1936)
Concepción Rodríguez Fernández de Santa Magdalena (1895-1936)
Consuelo Cuñado González del Santísimo Sacramento (1884-1936)
Cándida Cayuso González de Nustra Señora de los Ángeles (1901-1936)
Daría Campillo Paniagua de Santa Sofia (1873-1936)
Elvira Torrentallé Paraire (1883-1936)
Erundina Colino Vega de Nuestra Señora del Carmen (1883-1936)
Feliciana de Uribe Orbe de Nustra Señore del Carmen (1893-1936)
Francisca de Amézua Ibaibarriaga de Santa Teresa (1881-1936)
Justa Maiza Goicoechea de la Inmaculada (1897-1936)
María Calaf Miracle de Nuestra Señora de la Providencia (1871-1936)
María de la Purificación Ximénez Ximénez de San José (1871-1936)
María de las Nieves Crespo López de la Santísima Trinidad (1897-1936)
María Desamparados Giner Líster del Santísimo Sacramento (1877-1936)
María Dolores Vidal Cervera de San Francisco Javier (1895-1936)
María Josefa del Río Messa de Santa Sofia (1895-1936)
Niceta Plaja Xifra de San Prudencia (1863-1936)
Paula Isla Alonso de Santa Anastasia (1863-1936)
Rosa Pedret Rull de Nuestra Señora del Buen Consejo (1864-1936)
Teresa Chambó Palés de la Divina Pastora (1889-1936)

Servant of Mary
María Guadalupe Ricart Olmos (1881-1936)

Sisters of the Pious Schools
Carmen de San Felipe Neri (Nazaria Gómez Lezáun) (1869-1936)
Clemencia de San Juan Bautista (Antonia Riva Mestres) (1893-1936)
Consuelo Aguilar-Mella Díaz (Uruguay) (1898-1936)
Dolores Aguilar-Mella Díaz (Uruguay) (1897-1936)
María de Jesús (María de Encarnaciún de la Yglesia de Varo) (1891-1936)
María del Niño Jesús (María Baldillou Bullit) (1905-1936)
María Luisa de Jesús (María Luisa Girón Romera) (1887-1936)
Presentación de la Sagrada Familia (Pascuala Presentación Gallén Martí) (1872-1936)

Claretian Sister
María Patrocinio Giner Gómis de San Juan (1874-1936)

Little Sisters of the Abandoned Elderly
Dolores de Santa Eulalia Puig Bonany (1857-1936)
Josefa de San Juan Ruano García (1854-1936)

Third Order Capuchins of the Holy Family
Manuela Fernández Ibero (1872-1936)
María Fenollosa Alcaina (1901-1936)
Victoria Quintana Argos (1866-1936)

Member of Catholic Action Youth of the Diocese of Lleida
Francisco de Paula Castelló y Aleu (1914-1936)

Let's put a human face on this. Too often martyrs are just lumped together in faceless masses that we pass over as mere statistics. But 20th century martyrs often were photographed, so we have some idea what they looked like, even if the images appear a little stilted to us in 2005.

Some of the Capuchins martyred at Valencia

Capuchin Poor Clares

Salesian Father Blessed Jose Calasanz
Here is a page with images of as many of the Valencian martyrs as possible. it is part of a more comprehensive site on new saints.

The blood of Saint Januarius liquified on his feast day, September 19th, as it has for 1,700 years.

Naples can rest easy now.

Well, Hurricane Rita intensified to a Category 4 hurricane with winds up to 140 mph, and is headed for the Gulf Coast, with most likely landfall later this week in Texas.

Pray for the people whose lives may be impacted by this storm.

Today is Ember Wednesday in the Michaelmas Embertide.

Prayer, fasting, abstinence, almsgiving are all appropriate for Ember Days.

Here is an outline of an Ember Day Holy Hour:

1) Sign of the Cross
2) Act of Contrition
3) Confiteor
4) Acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity
5) Prayer Before A Crucifix
6) Invocation Of St. Michael the Archangel
7) Apostles' Creed
8) Prayer of St. Thomas More
9) Prayer of St. Terese of Avila To Redeem Wasted Time
10) Dies Irae
11) The Jesus Prayer (repeated nine times)
12) Prayer For the Souls In Purgatory
13) Aspiration Prayer For A Happy Death (A Subito)
14) Litany of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows
15) Stabat Mater Dolorosa
16) The Seven Penitential Psalms
17) The Seven Prayers of Saint Gregory
18) The Divine Mercy Chaplet
19) The Sign of the Cross

It actually takes about an hour and a half for me to go through these, as I have a lot of petitions in my novena at the end. But an average person not burdened with so many needs, and with the texts in front of him, ought to be able to get through this program in just over an hour.

I think the overall tone of these prayers creates a healthy and necessary recognition of sin, penitence, death, judgment, and divine mercy. Since Ember Days are penitential days, I think my combination is just about right.

There is no "We are all resurrection people" here. I think these prayers leave no doubt that we are all sinners and in dire need of the Sacrament of Penance, and divine mercy.

I love the Prayer Against Pride which is said after Psalm 6.

"Our Lord Jesus Christ humbled Himself, obedient unto , even on the Cross. And I, the most vile of worms, am but dust and ashes. I am the greatest of sinners who has merited Hell a thousand times....Do not, I beseech Thee, throw me down into the pit of Gehenna with proud Lucifer and his servants..."

That is what I call a prayer! None of the bloated self-satisfied stuff of the 1960s ("Here I Am, Lord," doesn't that just make Your day?, We're so holy because we go to Mass that we must be a "Priestly People" You have raised up "On Eagles' Wings").

People who actually believe that nonsense about themselves, and don't recognize that the medievals had it pretty much right on human nature, might well be in serious trouble on Judgment Day.

Not for them these sentiments of the Dies Irae:

"That day will be a day of wrath,"
"What great fear there will be when the Judge is coming,"
"I am a miserable wretch, and what can I plead, whose patronage can I seek, when even the righteous man will be saved only with great difficulty?,"
"Do not send me into perdition on that day,"
"I groan as one already condemned, my cheeks are red with shame for my sins,"
"My prayers are not worthy, but in Thy mercy make it so that I do not burn in the unquenchable flames,"
"Lord Jesus, in pity, give them rest."

It does the soul much good, I think, to be aware of how very sinful we all are, and how much we need God's mercy. And I thank God that there are Ember Days, Fridays, Lent, Passiontide, and Ash Wednesday to remind us of that. It is far better to think about these things now, than to be surprised to be confronted with the fruits of self-complacency on the Day of Wrath.

The Calling of Saint Matthew, by Caravaggio c. 1600.
The Golden Legend has this to say about the author of the first Gospel.
Here is a short biography from Catholic Forum.

Matthew from The Lindisfarne Gospels

That is why I haven't been posting much.

But I did post at the Yahoo Group (far more neglected lately than the blog) a great dirge I found while reading The Stripping of the Altars by Eamon Duffy, the Lyke Wake Dirge. You can find it under Files, Seasonal Prose and Poetry, Hallowmas.

According to CWN, the Holy Father has approved the document that states that homosexuals ought not to be admitted to the priesthood, and the document will go out under a cardinal's signature, after the Synod that will conclude the Year of the Eucharist.

This is exactly what Bl. Pope John XXIII did in a letter issued by one of his dicasteries in 1961. We all saw that letter floating around St. Blog's three years ago. The policy was ignored then (and, in fact, since the 1961 document was just a recapitulation of an unwritten policy that had been in effect since heaven-knows-when, the same policy was ignored before, too).

Will it be ignored now? Well, the Apostolic Visitation of US seminaries, which will be looking specifically for evidence of homosexuality and dissent, and will be going on simultaneously with the issuance of this document,makes it more difficult. But, of course, life being what it is, some seminaries will very likely slip through completely unreformed, and some individuals at certain seminaries will certainly slip through.

I forgot to mention that this week is the Michaelmas Embertide, meaning that Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of this week are special days of penitence, fasting, and prayer.

Given the tragic devastation in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, it might not be a bad idea to dedicate one's Embertide fast and prayers to the relief of the living victims, and the repose of the souls of those who died as a result of the hurricane.

Lady Chapel at Our Lady of Atonement Anglican Use Catholic Parish, San Antonio, Texas, another case in point that not all lovely Catholic parishes are in the Northeast, and that not all of them were built in the 19th century

Another view of the Gothic Revival altar, rescued from destruction from a closed convent

Detail of the statue of Our Blessed Lady, the central focus of the altar.

Pearls Before Swine's Stephan Pastis nails life so often.

Loud idiot sitting next to you with his cell phone? Or just blithering away endlessly to another person? Be polite, but firm.

I did a private self-guided retreat this weekend, and found it very helpful.

It came at a good time, as I have been letting many petty frustrations and other annoyances build up, and needed the time before the Blessed Sacrament, with Our Blessed Lady, and in Lectio Divina and traditional prayer to put these things aside and focus on what is important.

Great post over at Hallowed Ground.

Paul Lew is now Brother Lawrence, O.P.

Very tragic news. Two seminarians killed in car accident, two charged, one with drunk driving, another impersonating a cop (!).

From the description of the sad event, it looks as if the Apostolic Visitors will have some questions about this. Requiescant in pace.

This was an abysmal weekend for Boston sports. The city was loaded with FSU fans Saturday, and they, at least went away happy, beating BC Saturday night.

The Pats lost to the Panthers.

And the Red Sox are fading, losing yesterday to the As, so that they now lead the Yankees by only a game and a half.

And the Common, where a couple of fellows can usually go to throw a ball around, was basically a "no-go" zone Saturday, because of hundreds of pot-heads rallying there to make marijuana legal, the annual "Hemp Fest."

The only bright spot was a Saturday win by St. John's Prep against Central Catholic, giving the SJP Eagles a 2-0 record.