Medical Update

My recent MRI on Thursday showed that my tumor remains stable, so my doctors and the bishop have approved my request to return to the seminary in January. It was great Christmas news!

I leave this evening for a short trip to France - mostly the Brittany and Normandy regions. I will post photos when I return. Thank you all for your continued prayers for my health, and be assured of mine for you!

Charlotte Diaconate Ordination

My close friend Rev. Mr. Jason Barone was ordained a transitional deacon on December 17th in Charlotte's Cathedral of St. Patrick. My friendship with Deacon Barone dates back to 2003 when we met in Europe on a Summer retreat sponsored by the Legionaries of Christ. Rev. Mr. Peter Shaw was also ordained, and I am happy that I have gotten to know him over the past year.

A few hours after the ordination, Deacon Barone served as deacon and homilist for a Solemn High Mass at Saint Ann Church in Charlotte, NC. Fr. Timothy Reid offered the Mass, and the music was provided by St. Ann's Schola Cantorum:

Organ Prelude & Processional
Sprinking Rite: Asperges Me (4-voice Montani)
Introit: Rorate caeli (Gregorian chant)
Kyrie (4-voice Goudimel)
Gradual: Prope est Dominus (Gregorian chant)
Alleluia: Veni, Domine (Gregorian chant)
Credo III (Gregorian chant)
Offertory: Ave Maria (3-voice by Giovanni Cipolla)
Offertory Hymn: Creator alme (3-voice Oliver Hayes)
Sanctus XVII (Gregorian chant)
Agnus Dei (4-voice Goudimel)
Communion: Ecce Virgo (Gregorian chant)
Recessional: Veni O Sapientia (2-voice Rowe)
Postlude: Salve Regina (Gregorian chant)
Organ Postlude

I don't have any photos from the Mass, but five months ago at St. Ann's, Rev. Mr. Barone served as Master of Ceremonies for a Solemn High Mass in the presence of the local Ordinary, Bishop Peter Jugis. Rev. Mr. Shaw is kneeling in front, holding the Missal:

Please pray for Deacons Barone and Shaw, who will both be ordained to the priesthood in a few months.

Father Ted

When I was in Ireland I learned about this very funny show about a Catholic priest and his newly ordained assistant:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjIDYpbVqYY

I Want Those Albs

Photo taken from Roman Catholic Vocations

Possibly Unpopular Opinion of the Year

On my cousin's blog, she often posts her "Possibly Unpopular Opinion of the Week." She's an Army wife and a homemaker and writes about raising her children. Her posts are quite funny, so I am stealing her idea just once, even though this post is not going to be funny. It is going to be quite serious. I'm going to give my "Possibly Unpopular Opinion of the Year." Most of my family and friends are going to disagree, but it needs to be said. It concerns the Legionaries of Christ.

A brief history of the Legion, taken directly from their website:

On January 3rd, 1941, Fr Marcial Maciel (1920-2008) founded the Legion of Christ in Mexico City. In an audience on June 12th, 1946, Pope Pius XII said that the new religious congregation must contribute to the formation of Catholic leaders, especially in Latin America. In 1959, the first draft of what would become the statutes of a movement for lay people was drafted. Shortly after, the name Regnum Christi (Kingdom of Christ) was chosen. In February 1965, Pope Paul VI granted definitive approval to the Legion of Christ with the Decretum Laudis (Decree of Praise). In 1970 Pope Paul VI entrusts the Legionaries of Christ with an extensive mission territory in the Riviera Maya of Quintana Roo, Mexico. This mission territory is now the Prelature of Cancun-Chetumal.

In 2006, a canonical investigation by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith reached sufficient moral certainty to impose grave canonical sanctions on Fr. Maciel, corresponding to the accusations made against him, including the sexual abuse of minor seminarians. Taking into account the advanced age and delicate health of Fr. Maciel, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith decided “to forego a canonical trial and invite the priest to a reserved life of prayer and penance, renouncing all public ministry. The Holy Father approved these decisions.” On January 30, 2008, Fr. Marcial Maciel passed away in Jacksonville, Florida.

In 2009, after a gradual internal process of gathering information, the congregation of the Legionaries of Christ publicly confirmed that Fr. Maciel had a daughter in the context of a prolonged and stable relationship with a woman, along with other gravely reprehensible behaviors. Some months later, the communications media presented two other people, siblings who state that they are sons of Fr. Maciel by his relationship with another woman.

In March, Pope Benedict XVI decided to initiate an apostolic visitation to the institutions of the Legion of Christ to help the congregation overcome its existing difficulties. The apostolic visitation, carried out by five bishops, began on July 15, 2009.

On March 25, 2010, the superiors of the Legion of Christ and Regnum Christi issued a public statement expressing their deep sorrow for the gravely reprehensible actions of their founder. At the same time, they renewed their commitment to deepen their understanding of the Legion’s history, charism, and spirituality, and to engage in a process of renewal under the guidance of the Church.

Upon the conclusion of the apostolic visitation, Pope Benedict XVI decided to continue accompanying the Legionaries of Christ. To this end, on July 9, 2010, the Pope appointed Archbishop Velasio De Paolis as pontifical delegate, with the task of guiding the congregation of the Legionaries of Christ through a process of revision and renewal. An apostolic visitation to the consecrated members of Regnum Christi was also announced.

Sounds horrible, doesn't it? I was also surprised and very hurt as this scandal unfolded. Many Catholic dioceses were dealing with sex abuse crises at the same time that these allegations were coming to light, so in a way it just added to the "discomfort" of being Catholic during this time. I'm sure that many people suffered, just as other Catholics suffered from local scandals in their own dioceses.

I love the Legionaries of Christ. Why? Because I have known them for over 10 years, and I wouldn't be in the seminary if it weren't for them. In fact, I dare to say that I wouldn't be Catholic if it weren't for them. They are a great order whose founder and some of their leaders failed them miserably. Who knows what his intentions were in the beginning. I like to think that he had good intentions - who knows. Perhaps he had the best intentions; perhaps he didn't. Either way, he failed (as we all do, by the way), but in this case, he brought shame upon his followers and upon the Church in general.

I'll tell a story. In the Spring of 2003, I was just completing my Freshman year at the Naval Academy. I was barely 18 years old. I heard about a trip to Europe - the "Prince of Liechtenstein Catholic Leaders Fellowship." It was a free trip to Europe, and I had never been to Europe! It was a one month Summer pilgrimage and retreat to France, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. They wanted an equal number of men and women to go (since they were staying in separate housing), and a few men dropped out at the last minute. They needed Catholic men to sign up - who wouldn't want to go? I only applied because I wanted to go to Europe, and it turned out that the trip was run by some priests - the Legionaries of Christ. I didn't care - I wanted to go to Europe!

Who knew that this trip would change me completely! During this trip I learned how to pray from the heart. One of the Legionary priests, Fr. David Daly, learned that I had not been to Mass or Confession in many years, so he sought me out. Eventually, I went to confession for the first time in about 8 years and was restored to a State of Grace. I can't explain how that made me feel. Later on, I spoke to him about his priesthood and I was immediately attracted to the idea of becoming a priest. I wanted the priesthood. I wanted to be able to offer Holy Mass and to absolve sins. This idea never left my heart, and 8 years later, I am in my 3rd year of seminary. The years in between college and seminary weren't free of challenges, but I was "turned over" to another Legionary priest, Fr. Michael Sliney, in my college years, and he helped rekindle the "spark" of a vocation while I continued to run from the idea of a vocation to the priesthood. Others who attended this pilgrimage are also in seminaries or convents. God worked through these priests and this pilgrimage. There is no doubt about it!

At the time of the pilgrimage in 2003, the Legionaries of Christ were quite popular. They boasted thousands of seminarians and hundreds of priests throughout the world. Thousands of people joined their Regnum Christi movement because they are faithful to the traditions of the Church. Then all of a sudden, everything came crashing down with Fr. Maciel's abuse scandal.

Let's be candid - there were problems in the Legion and Regnum Christi. The Vatican has pointed this out as the Legion's Constitutions are being revised. Some members have had horrible experiences that still affect their lives, and this can't be brushed aside. Many priests and seminarians have left - about 5% I have heard. In the meantime, the Legion of Christ has turned to Rome for guidance. Some members wanted to re-found the Order, while others thought a revision of the Constitutions was more prudent. The Holy Father sided with the latter, and a revision of the Legion's Constitutions under the direction of Archbishop Velasio De Paolis is underway. The Holy Father has confirmed that they have a valid charism and mission, so let us pray for them as they continue to reform.

Personally, my relationship with the Legionaries has only grown stronger. I meet with a Legionary for spiritual direction, and he has changed my life for the better. My best confessions have been with Legionary priests. My first general confession was with a Legionary priest, and it brought me so much peace. I make my yearly retreat with the Legionaries in Thornwood, NY (highly recommended for priests and seminarians). I visit the seminarians there (who have become my friends), and I was with them for Thanksgiving this year. They are joyful, charitable, in a healthy environment, and on fire for the Lord. To be honest, I was sad when I had to leave them because I felt so "at home" with them. They are my brothers and my friends. They strive daily for holiness, and it shines forth in how they treat each other and their guests.

I was walking down the hallway of Thornwood seminary on Thanksgiving day, and I ran into Fr. Sliney - the priest who rekindled the spark of my vocation when I was in college. He was the priest who kept encouraging me to pursue the gift of the priesthood, but I kept ignoring his advice. However, his words always stuck with me. He was so patient with me. We hadn't seen or spoken to each other in 6 years because I graduated from college and left town, so I was so happy to see him and finally thank him for the great gift he gave me by continuing to encourage me to seek and love the priesthood when all I wanted to do was date and look for a wife, even though I knew deep down that I was called to the priesthood. He saved my vocation.

I have friends who are Legionaries, and they love their vocation. It's not for everyone, and I have friends who have left for marriage or diocesan priesthood, but I know very few who had a "bad" experience. I have stayed for a lengthy time in Legionary houses and seminaries in Connecticut, New York, and Rome. I have also attended their retreats. They are not "brainwashed," "pressured" or anything else. Many people make this judgment without getting to know the men involved. They are there following the Lord's calling and I pray that someday I will have half the zeal for souls that they have. They are all suffering as their Constitutions are revised and necessary changes are made, but let's pray for them. They are good men, especially the ones who have stuck around during the recent trials. Seek one of them out if you can - you won't be disappointed.

I believe that the Legion of Christ will survive this storm. It's a miracle that they've survived this long and still have so many vocations - and they are solid vocations, trust me. The Lord can bring good things out of bad situations, and He often does. I don't doubt that this will be another example. We must pray! Can you image how they must feel - those who have chosen to stay with the movement awaiting the Holy Father's ruling? There is turmoil in their family - let us empathize with them. They are our brothers, and they are suffering right now. Please stop now and say a prayer for them.

In the words of the quote they wake up to over the speaker every morning: "Christ our King, Thy Kingdom Come!"

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A few photos from my recent Thanksgiving visit to their seminary in Thornwood, NY. Here I am showing off the turkey (and the rare glass of wine!). To my right are the sweet potatoes (with marshmallows - they have Southern class!). The Americans loved them, but the South Americans had trouble liking them! I got to sit with American, French, German, and Swiss seminarians all at one table. It was wonderful.

French Legionaries! I got to practice my French with them! Cassocks and French cuffs made it even more French!

We played an American football game - all 70 seminarians! The Europeans and South Americans had to learn how to play! Would you believe that the best receiving came from a Brazilian who knew nothing about football? I made my best friends on the football field.

“Everything Can And Should Lead To God”

For those (like me) who struggle with procrastination and sloth, especially when it comes to studying, St. Josemaria Escriva gives us a stern warning that it is our responsibility to be able to defend the True Faith when we are called upon to do so. The Holy Spirit is certainly capable of enlightening our hearts and minds when Holy Mother Church is attacked, but we also have to do our part. We must study and use our time wisely before we are called to defend the Church from attacks. Is it not a bit presumptuous to be lazy in our study of the Faith, assuming that God will make up the difference later? St. Josemaria cautions:

There is an urgent need for spreading the doctrine of Christ. Store up your training, fill yourself with clear ideas, with the fulness of the Christian message, so that afterwards you can pass it on to others. Do not expect God to illuminate you, for he has no reason to when you have definite human means available to you: study and work (St Josemaria Escriva, The Forge, 841).

We must spread Catholic doctrine, even though we may feel unworthy or not holy enough to do so. We are all weak, but it is miraculous how God continues to work through us and use us as His instruments. Let us pray that we may be purified so that we may be even more effective in building up the Kingdom:

Lord, we are glad to find ourselves in your wounded palm. Grasp us tight, squeeze us hard, make us lose all our earthly wretchedness, purify us, set us on fire, make us feel drenched in your Blood. And then, cast us far, far away, hungry for the harvest, to sow the seed more fruitfully each day, for Love of you. (St. Josemaria Escriva, The Forge, 5).

Mercedarian Reflections for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception

My favorite Feast Day, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, is quickly approaching. I think it is appropriate to remember a Mercedarian Saint, Peter Paschasius, who not only was beheaded for the Faith on this day in 1300, but who was a champion of the Immaculate Conception long before it was declared a dogma of the Church. In fact, he publicly defended the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary before any other Western theologian (as far as I know), both in Paris and in his 1295 work, Life of Lazarus.

The Mercedarian website gives a great biography of this beloved Saint:

The son of devout Mozarabs [Christian inhabitants of Spain under the Muslim Moorish kings], Peter Paschasius was born in Valencia in 1227. Peter Nolasco [Founder of the Order of Mercy] and his brothers knew young Peter Paschasius' family and they stayed at their house near the Gate of Valldigna when they were on their way to a redemption. Peter Paschasius started his ecclesiastical career in his native city and he completed his studies at the University of Paris. Upon returning to Valencia, he was honored with the post of canon of the cathedral church.

Soon after, he left his post to join the Order of Mercy and he received the habit in the Valencia Cathedral at the hands of Arnaldo of Carcassonne in 1250. He traveled to Rome in 1296 and Pope Boniface VIII appointed him bishop of Jaén. On February 20, 1296, he was consecrated by Cardinal Mateo de Acquasparta in Saint Bartholomew’s chapel of the island on the Tiber. Later, when he was making a pastoral visit to his Jaén Diocese, he was attacked and taken captive to Granada by the Muslims of that kingdom. While in jail, he wrote in Provençal [a French dialect]: Dispute of the Bishop of Jaén with the Jews and Refutation of the Mohammedan Sect, two very interesting works with apologetic content to provide Christian captives with arguments against the proselytizing sermons of the Jews and Moslems. Peter also wrote The Book of Gamaliel dealing with Christ’s passion and death, The Destruction of Jerusalem, Treatise against Moslem Fatalism, The Gloss on the Pater Noster and The Gloss on the Ten Commandments.

This learned Mercedarian doctor has the honor of having publicly defended the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary in Paris and in his work, Life of Lazarus, written in 1295, long before any other Western theologian.

Several times, his fellow redeemers sent him the ransom money, but Peter preferred to have other captives recover their freedom instead of him. The fifty years he had been wearing the Mercedarian habit had left a Mercedarian imprint on his soul. On December 6, 1300, while he was still wearing the vestments he had used to celebrate Mass, he was beheaded in his dungeon. He was buried in the place where the prison was and where he died. Christians called this place "Martyrs’ Hill." Peter’s written works constitute a valuable legacy of the Order of Mercy. Some Mercedarian writers like Manuel Mariano Ribera (1720) Juan Interián de Ayala (1721) and Peter Armengol Valenzuela (1901) have defended the religious status and the Mercedarian profession of this distinguished bishop of Jaén. His works were compiled and published by Fathers Bartolomé de Anento (1676) and Peter Armengol Valenzuela (1905-1908).

May your preparation and celebration of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception be fruitful and full of joy!

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UPDATE: Many have emailed and commented about other Western theologians who began to defend the Immaculate Conception around the same time. From what I have read, Blessed Duns Scotus' work came a few years after that of Saint Peter Paschasius, not to diminish the importance of either of these theologians. Perhaps there were others who defended the Immaculate Conception even earlier?

Fr. Thomas Price Relative Meets with Bishop Burbidge

From the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh website:

In mid-November 2011, the Most Reverend Michael Burbidge received a letter revealing a surprising connection to Father Thomas Frederick Price, first North Carolina native to be ordained a Catholic priest. Fr. Price is known to North Carolina Catholics as the “Tar Heel Apostle” for his pioneering missionary work in the State. After making an indelible mark for the Church in North Carolina, Fr. Price went on to co-found the Maryknoll Society, renowned for its foreign missionary efforts.

The letter to the Bishop came from Edward Price, a parishioner of St. Ann, Clayton, regarding his lineage to Fr. Price. Mr. Price explained that he had received a copy of the January/February 2011 issue of the NC Catholics magazine that featured Fr. Price on the cover. Mr. Price sent the magazine to his parents, Carl and Gloria Price of New Jersey, who suspected a family connection to the priest. The Prices began many hours of genealogical research. With the help of the Maryknoll Society in New York, Mr. Carl Price confirmed his belief that he was related to Fr. Thomas Frederick Price as a third cousin.

(...)

Bishop Burbidge met with Mr. and Mrs. Price at the Catholic Center during Thanksgiving week on their first visit to North Carolina. After a private meeting, the Bishop led the couple to the location of the planned Cathedral Campus Facilities Project, to be built on a portion of the land purchased by Fr. Price more than 100 years ago.

“It’s so amazing at 82 years old to have the interest in my ancestry re-kindled beginning with the magazine, then the 100-year anniversary of Maryknoll Society, and now the building of the Cathedral -- all in one year,” said Carl Price. “I see the hand of God in all of this.

“I’m so honored by this connection,” he continued, “to know that my ancestor accomplished so much and that he walked this very ground.”

The Bishop said he hoped the Price family to be present for the opening of the Cathedral Campus.

(...)

“Spirituality has always been important to us through 54 years of marriage and nine children,” said Mr. Price. “We pray through St. Bernadette and our Blessed Mother for Fr. Price’s beatification.”

Discerning a Vocation

I receive many emails from Catholics who think they may have a vocation to the priesthood or religious life. While many desire a religious vocation, they worry that because of a sinful past or a presumed lack of "worthiness," they couldn't possibly have a vocation. My advice is always a phrase that I take directly from St. Josemaria Escriva: "Do not lack simplicity!" God can and does use our faults and weaknesses for good.

He wrote in The Way:

Look: the apostles, for all their evident and undeniable defects, were sincere, simple... transparent. You too have evident and undeniable defects. May you not lack simplicity (932).

In the 2nd chapter of Christ is Passing By, St. Josemaria highlights the weaknesses of the Apostles (our first bishops chosen by Christ Himself!). Can we not relate? He wrote:

The first Apostles, for whom I have great affection and devotion, were nothing to boast about, humanly speaking. With the exception of Matthew, who probably earned a comfortable living which he left behind at the behest of Jesus, the Apostles were mere fishermen. They lived a meager existence, fishing all night to keep food on the table.

But social status is unimportant. They weren’t educated; they weren’t even very bright, if we judge from their reaction to supernatural things. Finding even the most elementary examples and comparisons beyond their reach, they would turn to the Master and ask: “Explain the parable to us” (Matt 13:36). When Jesus uses the image of the “leaven” of the Pharisees, they think that he’s reproaching them for not having purchased bread (Matt 16:6‑7).

They were poor; they were ignorant. They weren’t very simple or open. But they were even ambitious. Frequently they argued over who would be the greatest when — according to their understanding — Christ would definitively restore the kingdom of Israel. Amid the intimacy of the last supper, during that sublime moment when Jesus is about to immolate himself for all of humanity, we find them arguing heatedly (Luke 22:24‑27).

Faith? They had little. Jesus Christ himself points this out (Matt 14:31; 16:8; 17:17; 21:21). They had seen the dead raised, all kinds of sicknesses cured, bread and fish multiplied, storms calmed, devils cast out...

And did these men of little faith at least stand out in their love for Christ? Undoubtedly they loved him, at least in word... They are ordinary men, complete with defects and shortcomings, more eager to say than to do. Nevertheless, Jesus calls them to be fishers of men (Matt 4:19), co‑redeemers, dispensers of the grace of God.

Could Jesus be calling you as well?