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“Oh, just one more thing …”
Investigation Summary: “There are a couple of loose ends I’d like to tie up.” You contracted me to conduct a private investigation on behalf of individuals known as the “Sheep in Exile”. Based on your recent request, I have closed out that case. I have forwarded a large confidential file containing the following:
- Detailed report of investigation with key judgements,
- Photographs,
- Interviews,
- Source materials (news clippings & electronic media), and
- Physical evidence from dumpster diving.
As discussed earlier, I remain on retainer and am preparing for the imminent activation of Phase II operations. I stand ready to conduct a thorough review of certain matters pertaining to the Association of U.S. Catholic Priests (AUSCP).
With regards to the AUSCP, I have worked with your friend, Mr. Fre3d Capra, and trained him in the tradecraft required to infiltrate the AUSCP and provide inside information on the upcoming Albuquerque Assembly to be held June 25-28. His counterfeited dissident, liberal catholic credentials were impeccably contrived. He is now an AUSCP member in good standing.
Having Fre3d feign being comatose last year was a brilliant ploy. That gave him an opportunity to join the AUSCP and win their trust. Good thinking on your part!
Fre3d recognized that his old Rambler would be far too recognizable for undercover work. So he gave it to me. My dog loves it.
I have also been in touch with your “dead horse” Petition. He is quite alive and thriving
at Wyoming Catholic College. He is assisting with their P.E.A.K. summer programs (click here and here.) He will be part of the horseback riding and horse excursion program. His devotion to prayer and desire to help in influencing strong Catholic youths is a fitting way for him to move towards retirement. The way Petition was treated at St. Peter’s was a very sad thing, indeed.
As we move into Phase II, the sensitivity of the operations focusing on AUSCP and similar organizations demands that we refrain from any further open discussion. This will be my final post. All future correspondence will be encrypted and sent via other means.
Personal Comment: Although this was an exceedingly difficult case, it has certainly been intriguing and spiritually instructive. The reason I took this case pro bono was because all of us in the Church Militant have to contribute our time and prayers to defend the One True Church founded by Jesus Christ.
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Evelyn Kerr who passed away today.
The Death of a Dear Friend
1. Death of a Dear Friend: We prayed and we prayed but the good Lord has finally taken our dear friend, that good and faithful dead horse Petition. My sweet spouse and I are mourning his loss. Meanwhile, Fre3d Capra remains in a coma. We hope we never have to tell him about poor Petition.
2. Why? You might be wondering what brought on the demise our dear dead horse. Perhaps the following from the official Diocese of Arlington site will explain it all. Petition truly hoped that he would see the name of our Pastor on this list, but it was not so:
2017 Clergy Announcement
Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of Arlington, has announced the following clergy appointments effective Wednesday, June 28, 2017, except where noted differently.
Pastors
Reverend Brian G. Bashista – from Parochial Vicar at Saint James Parish in Falls Church to Pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Lake Ridge.
Reverend Edward R. Horkan – from Parochial Administrator of Our Lady of the Valley Parish in Luray to Pastor of Our Lady of the Valley Parish in Luray.
Reverend Stanley J. Krempa – from Pastor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Winchester to Pastor of the newly established Parish of Saint Bridget of Ireland in Berryville, effective July 12, 2017.
Reverend Bjorn C. Lundberg – from Chaplain at Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School in Dumfries, with residence at Holy Family Parish in Dale City, to Pastor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Winchester, effective July 12, 2017.
Reverend David P. Meng – from Pastor of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Lake Ridge to Pastor of Saint Timothy Parish in Chantilly.
Reverend Keith M. O’Hare – from Service in the Diocese of San Juan de la Maguana in the Dominican Republic to Pastor of Saint Louis Parish in Alexandria.
Reverend Matthew H. Zuberbueler – from Pastor of Saint Louis Parish in Alexandria to Pastor of Saint Anthony of Padua Parish in Falls Church.
Parochial Vicars
Reverend Milton R. Acevedo – from Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Angels Parish in Woodbridge to Parochial Vicar at Good Shepherd Parish in Alexandria.
Reverend Thomas B. Cavanaugh – from Parochial Vicar at Saint Theresa Parish in Ashburn to Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Angels Parish in Woodbridge.
Reverend Phillip M. Cozzi – from Parochial Vicar at Saint Timothy Parish in Chantilly to Parochial Vicar at Saint James Parish in Falls Church.
Reverend Alex Diaz – from Parochial Vicar at Holy Family Parish in Dale City to Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Angels Parish in Woodbridge.
Reverend Michael J.R. Kelly – from Chaplain at Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax with residence at Saint Philip Parish in Falls Church to Parochial Vicar at Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Fredericksburg.
Reverend Luis Quiñónes – from Parochial Vicar at Good Shepherd Parish in Alexandria to Parochial Vicar at Holy Family Parish in Dale City.
Reverend Augustine Minh Hai Tran – from Parochial Vicar at Saint James Parish in Falls Church to Parochial Vicar at Holy Trinity Parish in Gainesville.
Special Assignments
Reverend Brendan W. Bartlett – from Parochial Vicar at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Winchester to Canon Law Studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., with residence at Saint Charles Borromeo Parish in Arlington.
Reverend Keith D. Cummings – from Parochial Vicar at Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Fredericksburg to Chaplain at Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School in Dumfries with residence at Holy Family Parish in Dale City.
Reverend Stephen F. McGraw – from Chaplain at Christendom College in Front Royal to service in the Diocese of San Juan de la Maguana in the Dominican Republic.
Reverend Marcus A. Pollard – from Pastor of Saint Anthony of Padua Parish in Falls Church to Chaplain at Christendom College in Front Royal.
Reverend Stephen J. Schultz – from Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of Angels Parish in Woodbridge to Chaplain at Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax with residence at Saint Leo the Great Parish in Fairfax.
Retirement
Reverend Gerald Weymes – from Pastor of Saint Timothy Parish in Chantilly to retired status in a private residence.
Newly Ordained Priests
Reverend Mr. Steven G. Oetjen – upon ordination to the priesthood, to Parochial Vicar at Saint James Parish in Falls Church.
Reverend Mr. Stephen M. Vaccaro – upon ordination to the priesthood, to Parochial Vicar at Nativity Parish in Burke.
Reverend Mr. Jordan M. Willard – upon ordination to the priesthood, to Parochial Vicar at Saint Theresa Parish in Ashburn.
Transitional Deacon Assignment
Michael J. Folmar – upon ordination to the diaconate, to All Saints Parish in Manassas, effective June 12, 2017.
Christopher F. Tipton – upon ordination to the diaconate, to Cathedral of Saint Thomas More, effective June 12, 2017.
Religious Personnel Assigned to the Diocese
Reverend James Puglis, T.O.R. – from service outside the Diocese of Arlington to Parochial Vicar at Saint Joseph Parish in Herndon, effective June 10, 2017.
Clergy Personnel Assigned Outside the Diocese
Reverend William N. Serrano – from Parochial Vicar at Saint Bernadette Parish in Springfield to ministry outside the Diocese of Arlington, was effective May 15, 2017.
Reverend Jonathan St. Andre, T.O.R. – from Parochial Vicar at Saint Joseph Parish in Herndon to ministry outside the Diocese of Arlington, was effective May 18, 2017.
3. To Our Bishop – The Smell of the Sheep: You live in Arlington. You do not live in Rappahannock County – you have only been here once. If you had to attend (not celebrate) Mass here every week, you might know what “odours” are in the air here. So in the words of Pope Francis:
This I ask you: be shepherds, with the “odour of the sheep”, make it real, as shepherds among your flock, fishers of men. True enough, the so-called crisis of priestly identity threatens us all and adds to the broader cultural crisis; but if we can resist its onslaught, we will be able to put out in the name of the Lord and cast our nets.
There is a “crisis of priestly identity” here and the Sheep of Kephas and the Sheep in Exile will “resist its onslaught“.
For the Sheep in Exile – Bulletin 2017-02-12 Part II
Triple Dog Dang!!! – A Mini Petition or a Conclusion Concerning Concluding Rites: There is no denying that my post For the Sheep in Exile – Bulletin 2017-02-12 was a rant. [I say “my post” because my dear wife was too tired to participate.] After more than two years of several forms of what can be described as “spiritual abuse”, I have grown to be dismayed, wearied, and disgruntled. The tidal wave of change imposed by our Pastor has caused a fundamental shift in the way St. Peter’s worships. It is not, nor can it ever be reckoned to be, a shift that has improved the quality of worship in our parish.
When I am dismayed, wearied, and disgruntled as I am now, I refer to the teaching of the Church on matters of Liturgy. For example the item The Celebration of the Christian Mystery in the Catechism of the Catholic Church certainly helps me to put things back into focus.
With regard to the specific matter of my Triple Dog Dang!!!, it is not just my opinion nor a feeling of nostalgia for the Mass of my childhood; the USCCB, in its instruction Concluding Rites, is very clear in stating the form for the final blessing:
“During the Concluding Rites, announcements may be made (if necessary) after the Prayer after Communion. The celebrant then blesses the people assembled. Sometimes, the blessing is very simple. On special days, the blessing may be more extensive. In every case, the blessing is always trinitarian: “May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” [My emphasis added] It is in the triune God and in the sign of the cross that we find our blessing.”
Our God is “almighty”!
To our Pastor – I have watched you for two years struggling consciously to omit certain words and phrases like “graciously” and “we pray” from the prayers of the Mass. How can you possibly find any reason to omit the word “almighty” when it so aptly describes the nature of our God? How can you take the words of the Church, in the Order of the Mass, and modify them to your own chosen “style”?
To our Bishop’s Delegate for the Clergy – In the grand view of the troubles besetting the Catholic Church throughout the world, the above discussion is but a small matter. Nevertheless, if the People of God, the Church Militant, are to be nourished and strengthened in preparation for the “troubles” to come, they require celebrations of the Liturgy that inspire them to draw ever closer to the Mass and the Eucharist. In these troubled times and in any times, we at St. Peter’s deserve something better than the imposition of a deficient, personal, chosen “style” upon our worship.
Assent to Counter Dissent – The Day the M̶̷̲̅ᴜ̶̷̲̅s̶̷̲̅ɪ̶̷̲̅ᴄ̶̷̲̅ Parish Died
It’s cold and damp out here in the barn.
Those good ole boys, Petition the dead horse and Fre3d Capra, have joined me in drinking a little whiskey and rye.
Petition slowly raises his head feebly saying, “Father, just say the black and do the red. Is that too much to ask?” Hearing no reply his head falls back to the floor. You’re a beaten dead horse if you dare ask for what’s right.
Fre3d Capra tries to cheer us up with some songs from the Adoremus Hymnal. But his attempt falls flat as we remember that hymnal rightly belongs in the pews at St. Peter’s and not in my barn. Parishioners asked to keep the hymnals, but you’re a beaten dead horse if you dare ask for what’s right.
There was member of the Finance Council who pointed out potential concerns about parish finances. He, himself would not contribute until his concerns could be allayed. But he was asked to leave the Council. If you attempt to dissent against a dissenter, you will become a beaten dead horse.
There was second member of the Finance Council who also voiced concerns. He too was dismissed. Once again, showing that you are a beaten dead horse if you dare ask for what’s right at St. Peter’s Parish.
More recently, another Finance Council member challenged the way a large sum had been spent without review by the Council. Rather than sign a statement that all was well when one could not be sure that all was well, he resigned from the Council. The point is clear enough now, you are a beaten dead horse if you dare ask for what’s right.
Those good ole boys Petition and Fre3d pour us another round of whiskey and rye. A silent salute is made in tribute to three former Finance Council members, three soldiers of the Church Militant who dared to ask for what’s right.
It’s cold and damp out here in the barn, but those good ole boys Petition and Fre3d have been watching this all happen for two and a half years. If you dare to assent to the teachings of the Church and simple Catholic common sense, you will become a beaten dead horse at St. Peter’s.
So, now it’s time for a purge at the Parish Pastoral Council. Just like at the Finance Council, one can not be allowed to voice an opinion that is counter to the Pastor’s thinking. It is required that your “party” credentials must be spotless to be a member.
A few weeks back, a Council member was asked to resign. That member and his wife had dared to ask for what is right. They did so publicly in this blog, the Sheep of Kephas. But that act of assent to counter dissent was viewed as grounds for dismissal from the Pastoral Council.
Petition, Fre3d, and I had thought about taking the old 1962 pink Rambler and surfboard down to Pensacola, Florida and sit on the beach with our Adoremus Hymnals and sing some Advent standards. However, tonight, here in the cold and damp barn we decided not to go. The fight is here, St. Peter’s is our Parish. We will continue to ask for what’s right, we will continue to fight, even, yes, even if we must be beaten like a dead horse.
Like Petition, I will raise my head and say, “Father, just say the black and do the red. Is that too much to ask?”
Meanwhile, my dear sweet wife will make the long drive to other, saner parishes and pray novenas and make sacrifices, as we all should.
Yes, it’s cold and damp out here in the barn.
Those good ole boys Petition the dead horse and Fre3d Capra have joined me in drinking a little whiskey and rye. And I’ll keep praying for the “status quo ante” until the day that I die.
And the moral of this story is: becoming a beaten dead horse at St. Peter’s is as simple as American Pie.
And the three men I admire most
The Father, Son and the Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the M̶̷̲̅ᴜ̶̷̲̅s̶̷̲̅ɪ̶̷̲̅ᴄ̶̷̲̅ Parish died.
(To our readers, there will be more to follow.)
Emergency Hymnal Rescue – Reconnaissance
After this blog’s report concerning the daring rescue of a large number of Adoremus Hymnals from the vestibule of St. Peter’s, a very observant reader advised us that there were several more hymnals being held hostage in a box near the organ and piano. Upon learning this, Fre3d was heard to bellow a terrible “Drat!!! and Double Drat!!!” He had realized his reconnaissance was not as good as he thought.
Today, the 1962, pink Rambler American once again stealthily slipped into St. Peter’s parking lot. Fre3d, followed by my very, very dead horse, made their way into the vestibule and found that the report of remaining hymnals was all too true. There they were begging for a new home and it appeared that no one had responded to their pleas.
Fre3d quietly and reassuringly spoke to the poor hymnals and promised he would do whatever necessary to free them and find any of their friends that might yet be held captive in the Church. They pleaded to be taken immediately by Fre3d and Petition. But Fre3d, aware that this could be some kind of trap, told them that they would have to wait there until he could devise a foolproof plan to free them from their bondage in such an inhospitable parish. Reluctantly, they promised they would try to hang on until Fre3d’s plan could be executed.
Meanwhile, Petition made his way into the Church. With camera in hand (of course I mean hoof) he advanced along the side aisle and saw what this now “Modern” parish has to offer its sheep.
There it was before him – a poverty. The new Journeysongs had displaced the Adoremus Hymnals. Where once there used to be missalettes for the sheep to use to follow Mass there was nothing now except a card that feebly said “Principle Parts of the Mass”. The parish that had once been rich in ways to worship had now been stripped bare to a Protestant-style emptiness. Petition, remembered that the new Pastor had said that Adoremus would stay, but that statement no longer held any meaning. Truly, thought Petition, this is a poverty.
The pink Rambler quietly exited the parking lot. My friend and my dead horse were both silent. St. Peter’s is now “Modern”.
The Curious Case of Lector Training – New Data
If you recall, in the last paragraph of the post The Curious Case of Lector Training – A Fre3d Capra Mystery my dead horse Petition cautioned Fre3d Capra concerning whether the LTP lector training materials were actually questionable:
… Petition did point out to Fre3d that Gabe Huck was fired from LTP circa 2001. It is possible that changes were made at LTP and the 2016 lector training workbook is not of the same questionable nature as one might have found in the Gabe Huck era at NTP. Nevertheless, the question of what is going on with lectors and lector training at St. Peter’s remains an open one.
Fortunately, this blog has a highly alert and knowledgeable collection of readers with an excellent corporate memory. One of them was able to fill in some important information gaps:
These Lector preparation books are issued to all of the Lectors, pre-dating Father Grinnell. They are especially needed since we no longer can “borrow” a Missalette, but they provide the opportunity for Lectors to practice before Mass. …
These are standard Issue for Lectors (and about 90% of their “Training” since Deacon Charlie retired), and I am confident that this is the result of ordering some extras to provide to new recruits. I am surprised they were left out, however; at last call, they still wanted an additional Lector for the 11:00.
Upon learning this, my dear friend who has a somewhat clever and acute mind, was moved to admit that perhaps, in his new found orthodoxy, he has become overly sensitive to what is questionable and what is not. He promised, that although his sleuthing activities will continue, he will pay close attention to gathering all the facts before jumping to a conclusion.
Fre3d, Petition, my wife, and I are, however, still faced with the challenge of finding a correct and proper explanation as to why the two copies of the LTP training workbook were discarded. Just as our friend was “surprised” that “they were left out”, we too wonder about that point. Of course, despite his promise to base his findings on fact, Fre3d has offered a theory. He suspects that there might be a new book being used for training. Hmmm!
The Curios Case of Lector Training continues ….
The Curious Case of Lector Training – A Fre3d Capra Mystery
The first inkling that something was amiss came during the great Emergency Hymnal Rescue. It was then that we learned that Fre3d Capra, a man of recent orthodoxy, was not only capable of great deeds, he now showed that he also has the makings of a master sleuth.
It occurred as Fre3d and my dead horse Petition were surveying the table where the orphaned and abandoned Adoremus Hymnals were displayed. To the left side, Fre3d spied two copies of a yellow workbook. It was conspicuous both by its color and its unusual topic Workbook for Lectors, Gospel Readers, and Proclaimers of the Word® 2016 USA. Having little time to dawdle, and recognizing that his primary objective was to liberate the hymnals that had no home, Fre3d quickly snatched a copy of the workbook, secure in his judgement that this was a proper action.
Some time later after the hymnals had been taken to their new home, Fre3d and Petition were in the barn wonderingly wondering what was the significance of the workbook. Clearly, it was new as was its mate. Clearly, it could still be used all the way through November 2016, but, despite that, it had been ejected. Fre3d’s newfound sense of orthodoxy almost caused him to jump to an incorrect conclusion – “Is this book also being discarded because it is too orthodox for the new, modern St. Peter’s?” No, unlike the Adoremus Hymnal, the workbook did not have the feel or flavor of orthodoxy possessed by the hymnal. The words inside were somewhat soft and squishy, not solid and direct. There was something here that aroused suspicion.
Quick, yet careful, research uncovered two articles from reliable sources that quickly confirmed the suspicions mounting in the somewhat clever and acute mind of our protagonist. The first article, With Liturgy… and Justice for All, informed Fre3d:
We’d venture that when it comes to liturgy, Gabe Huck would get the Most Despised Man in America Award from traditional Catholics. Huck was head of Liturgy Training Publication (LTP), one of the most far-out of liturgical renewal outfits. Huck is a big proponent of so-called inclusive language, and his publications disdained using B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini, in the Year of the Lord) in favor of the secularist, Messiah-omitting B.C.E. (Before Common Era) and C.E. (Common Era).
The article also noted:
LTP is owned by the Archdiocese of Chicago, and Huck was protected by Joseph Cardinal Bernardin. But then along came Francis Cardinal George, and in spite of Huck’s managerial skills, he was fired.
The second article from the Website Adoremus.org entitled: BCL orders Huck books removed from distribution stated:
Two books by liturgist Gabe Huck were ordered withdrawn from the catalogue of Liturgy Training Publications. Huck, the former director of LTP, was relieved of his duties last year by Cardinal Francis George of Chicago. The publishing firm is owned by the Archdiocese of Chicago.
The books, The Communion Rite at Sunday Mass (1989) and Sunday Mass Five Years From Now (2001), were withdrawn as a result of a letter from Monsignor James Moroney , director of the secretariat of the Bishops Committee on the Liturgy.
Fre3d and Petition both scratched their heads when they read all of this. This did not fit the pattern. Our Pastor has be discarding all vestiges of orthodoxy and replacing them with questionable materials. But now, Fre3d could not explain why potentially questionable materials were being discarded. He wonderingly wondered to himself, “Why has this happened? What information are we missing?
Unable to solve the mystery with this paucity of clues, Fre3d considered what else might be happening. After pondering for a while, he stood bolt upright and exclaimed to Petition, There is another clue! And this clue has been given to us by our own Pastor.
Rapidly, Fre3d paged through months and months of St. Peters bulletins. Then, there it was in Bulletin_2016-05-15:
WE NEED 4 LECTORS
We need 2 lectors to serve at the 5:00 pm (Saturday) mass, and 2 additional lectors to serve at the 8:30 am and 11 am Mass on Sunday. We will train you – please contact: ….
And so it was, since May 15th our Pastor has been seeking new lectors. Each bulletin since then has carried a similar notice, although some positions have finally been filled
This clue did not answer Fre3d’s question, but he knew the discarding of the lectors’ training workbooks and the rather sudden need for a large number of lectors were somehow linked.
Unfortunately, we said that Fre3d has the makings of a master sleuth, but we cannot yet say that he is one. After all, he is Fre3d Capra and his is only a “somewhat clever and acute mind”. He needs more information to solve the mystery – Why, if the trend is towards heterodoxy, would our Pastor freely give away questionable materials when they could be used to serve his intent to fundamentally transform the parish? [Please forgive my split infinitive.]
Dear readers, if you can provide information, data, evidence, or reasonable explanation as to what might be going on with the lectors and lector training, please come to the aid of our poor, confused detective. Is Fre3d merely overly suspicious and seeing every action in the parish through a Moderno-phobic lense, or is there really something amiss?
Now, before we leave this evening, Petition did point out to Fre3d that Gabe Huck was fired from LTP circa 2001. It is possible that changes were made at LTP and the 2016 lector training workbook is not of the same questionable nature as one might have found in the Gabe Huck era at NTP. Nevertheless, the question of what is going on with lectors and lector training at St. Peter’s remains an open one.
Chester Gap
As I am writing this, it is about 6:30 PM on February 26. Today, I learned of an accident that took place on Chester Gap. An SUV, a school bus, and a small sedan were involved. Thankfully, there were no children on the bus and no one was hurt. The SUV was undamaged, but the small sedan collided with the bus. The direct cause was ice on the road.
The woman driving the SUV was emotionally shaken. She could not reach her husband by phone until over two hours later. The husband was 2,146 miles away on business, where he could provide no assistance. Now he is asking himself why this happened. As I said, the direct cause was ice on the road. Yet, I know, you know, all of the Sheep of Kephas know that there was an indirect cause that led to this accident. My wife, the driver of the SUV, and I, the husband who is so far away during a time of need, know that indirect cause resides at St. Peter Catholic Church in Washington, VA.
On at least two occasions this blog has referred to Chester Gap. In the post Dead Horse #6 – It’s a Mystery, on June 1, 2015 we said:
Chester Gap is at an altitude of 1,339 ft (408 m) and it separates Warren County from our own Rappahannock County. It is also the dividing line between two parishes of the Diocese of Arlington, our St. Peter’s and St. John the Baptist. During the Winter, the Gap presents a hazard to those traveling from Washington, Virginia to Front Royal. The road can be icy and treacherous. It is a hazard that many of the sheep in exile must negotiate on a weekly or even daily basis.
It is Lent. My wife makes every effort possible to attend daily Mass. On Wednesday of this week she was able to attend a Communion Service held by Deacon Benyo at St. Peter’s, only three miles from our home in Sperryville. Why was it that today she had to cross Chester Gap to attend Mass at St. John the Baptist? Perhaps our statements on January 4, 2015 in our post For the Sheep in Exile – Bulletin 2015-01-04 will help to answer the question.
Personal Commentary: My wife and I made the passage twice across a foggy, rainy, and sometimes treacherous Chester Gap last evening to attend Mass at St. John the Baptist. As we were traveling, we engaged in our recurring conversation about why we travel the extra 20.6 miles each way, week after week. Certainly, if we only made the three-mile trip from our house to St. Peter’s, we would be safer and we would save a full hour of our time. Yet, the Sheep in Exile know why we make the trip. They know why they also make the sacrifice. …
Going back to our statement on June 1, 2015, we noted:
These days, Chester Gap is also the dividing line between to ways of thinking about the Roman Catholic Church. On the Front Royal side of the Gap orthodoxy prevails. On the Washington [, VA] side there is something different. …
There it is. The Sheep in Exile, the sheep of St. Peter’s who desire to be fed with sound, undiluted Catholic doctrine, often make the trek to other parishes. They go elsewhere so that that can partake in sacramental worship and prayer without fear of encountering aberrations. They go to avoid near occasions of sin resulting from frustration and even anger. Go to a Sunday 8:30 AM Mass at St. John the Baptist and will see them and perhaps you will also see us.
As we have said in the past, we pray for our Pastor and we pray for the sheep. But there comes a time, a time like this, when you begin to wonder why we must endure this. At times like this, we begin to wonder why the Bishop thought that moving this particular priest to St. Peter’s would be beneficial to anyone or that any problem would be solved.
Consider if things had gone differently on the morning of February 26. Suppose there were children on the bus. Suppose someone had been hurt.
Consider also, if the driver of that SUV had not had not been compelled to cross Chester Gap by the need seek a Mass said in reverent conformity with the desire of the Holy Church to feed and nourish the sheep.
Consider that, if the driver of the SUV could have found something better than the current minimalist Mass at St. Peter’s, she would have been among the first to be at St. Peter’s that morning – – and she would have been there safely.
Pray for our Pastor. And pray that the bishops throughout this country lay to rest the notion that they can solve a problem merely by moving the direct cause of the problem elsewhere. It doesn’t work for pedophiles and it won’t work for radical pastors either.
Pray for spiritual justice.
Beating a Dead Horse #8 – Fre3d Again
My somewhat naive and under-educated friend, Fre3d Capra, has engaged in many exploits since Beating a Dead Horse #7 – Fre3d and For the Sheep in Exile – Bulletin 2015-07-19 – Commentary; we’ ll save those for another time. Suffice it to say he is making great strides in his spiritual growth. Today, however, marks a highlight in the relationship that we share. Let me tell you about it. It won’t take long.
Immediately after the 8:30AM Mass this morning, Fre3d’s noisy old pickemup truck (that’s what they’re called in Hawaii) came screaming down my lane and skidded to a stop under the black walnut tree. Fre3d came bounding out of the truck (I think he picked this up by watching videos at Cooter’s) and started yelling, “Petition, I have to talk to Petition right now!” (Please recall that Petition is the name of my dead horse.) “Petition has to know what I’ve just seen at St. Peter’s.”
I said to Fre3d, “Whoa, friend! What’s the big hurry and what’s so important?”
Fre3d quickly replied, “I saw it, I saw it with my own eyes and I heard it, I heard it with my own ears. I think Petition is going to come back to life! I just saw it in the Sanctuary at St. Peter’s!”
“Slow down, Fre3d. What did you see and what did you hear? What makes you think Petition is going to come back to life?”
“There was a priest, an older priest with Deacon Benyo, and he said the black and he did the red, he did everything that was in the Missal that you loaned me.” I told Fre3d that’s great, but I don’t think that it’s enough to bring Petition back to life.
Fre3d responded, “No, there’s more, there’s much more!” He gasped for breath and tried to compose himself. “Not only did he say the black and do the red precisely, he also let the altar boys ring the bells at the Consecration. There were bells and the bells made the Consecration seem more solemn, and everyone was quiet and they looked to the altar when the bells rang.”
“Now that is interesting, Fre3d. What else was there?”
“Well, there was a real homily. I learned some things about the Eucharist. It was a beautiful teaching that I can share in the life of Christ. The visiting priest made it seem so clear.”
“Okay.” I was struggling to put all this new information into some order. So, I asked, “Many of these thing were the way it used to be at St. Peter’s. Was there anything else that surprised you?”
“Oh yes, for sure. When I went up to Communion, I didn’t have to wait for people lined up to receive from the extra extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist. Apparently, the visiting priest didn’t need or want their assistance. There was no congestion or tripping or making way for people to get back into the right order in their pews. What a relief! Please, may I go tell Petition about this now?”
“Certainly, Fre3d. I think he will be heartened by the good news – even if it is only for this week. He will be glad to hear about how we had a brief return to the ‘status quo ante’ at St. Peter’s.” Fre3d went rushing to the barn, with all the flies and the somewhat odd odors and I could hear him recounting his story to poor dead Petition.
I too went to the 8:30AM Mass and enjoyed that momentary return to the way it used to be at St. Peter’s. As I left the Church I made sure to stop and shake hands with Fr. Mark Pilon. I’m not sure he will ever know how very sincere were my words when I simply said “Thank you for the Mass, Father.”
Dead Horse #2
It is important to note that, when my wife and I say that we are beating a dead horse, we are referring to the expectation of fulfillment of the requests made in the Petition signed by a third of the families in St. Peter’s. Although the expectations remain, the hope of fulfillment has diminished. So, speaking of the Petition, with the hope of a return to the “status quo ante,” is like beating a dead horse. The dead horse will continue to be beaten and, at the same time, we continue to respect our Pastor and his priesthood and we pray for blessings in his life and his vocation.
In the post Dead Horse #1, I rightfully stated that I have no special qualifications in the study or practice of liturgy. My wife and I have served on the Liturgy Committee of a parish in Hawaii in 1980-1981, but our role was confined to decorating the Church to coincide with the liturgical seasons and organizing some events. I have also assisted in organizing a Confirmation in a military chapel and acting as Master of Ceremony. I have even been in charge of training altar servers. So, we are not unfamiliar with what can go right in the Sanctuary and what can go wrong. (We have seen many things go very wrong.) But we never, ever attempted to counsel a priest on his reading of the Mass.
Thus, it is with great reluctance and trepidation that we have discussed anything to do with liturgy in this blog. Nevertheless, for many reasons we have stated in the past we have offered our opinions. For example, we have noted how our pastor frequently and deliberately changes words in both the Ordinary and Proper of the Mass. Anything that we might say, however, lacks in authority. So, it was a great relief to find that Father John Zuhlsdorf recently wrote on that very topic. Fr. Z has served on the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei. The Commission was established by Pope John Paul II’s motu proprio Ecclesia Dei of 2 July 1988. When Fr. Z speaks about liturgy he has experience and has held a position of authority. Here is some of what he had to say in his post ASK FATHER: Can priests change the wording given in the Missal? (All emphasis was Fr. Z’s.)
The 2004 Instruction from the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, Redemptionis Sacramentum 31 states clearly,
[Priests] ought not to detract from the profound meaning of their own ministry by corrupting the liturgical celebration either through alteration or omission, or through arbitrary additions. For as St. Ambrose said, ‘It is not in herself…but in us that the Church in injured. Let us take care so that our own failure may not cause injury to the Church.’
There are a few places in the Missal itself where the priest is given an option, such as choosing between different penitential rites.
Nothing in the Missal permits the priest to, on his own authority, alter the texts that are given to him.
Sacrosanctum Concilium 22,3, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, establishes the principle that
“no person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority.”
Fr. Z made also made a statement that was very helpful in illustrating what is happening at St. Peter’s.
Father may not regularly use the word beseech in his day-to-day language, but the Church does in hers.
Let us paraphrase that in the following way:
Father may not regularly use the word “graciously” in his day-to-day language, but the Church does in hers.
We now carry the poor, deceased horse back to the barn – until next time.
The Sheep of Kephas 