articles still comin

Ugh... it's muggy and hot, 80 degrees overnight here in Baltimore... dang harbor.
But, we find relief from another wonderful article in The Record on Archbishop Kurtz. This time I post in full this piece on his pastoral visit to St. Joseph's Proto-Cathedral and Minor Basilica in Bardstown, KY - the place where it all began:

Archbishop celebrates Mass at historic St. Joseph

Marnie McAllister
Record Staff Writer

The new archbishop celebrates Mass in Bardstown, where the diocese first set its roots

BARDSTOWN, Ky. — Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz celebrated his first public Mass since his installation last week in Bardstown, Ky., where the Catholic roots of Kentucky first took hold. The Aug. 18 celebration filled the Basilica of St. Joseph-Proto Cathedral with parishioners as well as members of other area Catholic churches.

Archbishop Kurtz told members of the congregation, “What a joy it is to be with you and to begin my service as your archbishop.”

It was his second visit to the area, he said. The first was in July 2001 when he traveled to Bardstown “to see St. Joseph and to visit the beautiful Holy Land of Kentucky, which enriches all of us through the whole United States.”

He added, with a touch of mirth, “I experienced the same warm weather then.”

Archbishop Kurtz also recognized and thanked the priests, deacons and laypeople who serve at St. Joseph and other rural area parishes.

He spent little time talking about his installation as the new leader of the Archdiocese of Louisville — a sign, perhaps, that the time for speeches has passed and that his pastoral work has begun.

Demonstrating that he is already invested in the day-to-day life of the Archdiocese of Louisville, the archbishop noted that Father Joseph Batcheldor, a retired priest who resides at St. Joseph, was celebrating his golden jubilee as a priest. He also recognized the first anniversary of Father Pablo Hernandez’s ordination. Father Hernandez is associate pastor at St. Joseph.

Then, he began his homily, urging the faithful to “pray for the gift of fire in our lives.”

Quoting a Jesuit martyr, Archbishop Kurtz noted that for people, “Bread is important. Freedom is more important. But most important of them all is unbroken fidelity and faithful admiration” of the Lord.

People spend most of their time getting “bread,” he said. “Even deeper than any material possessions we have is freedom — freedom to say yes to God. But even deeper is that fire that allows you and us to be unbroken in our fidelity to God and faithful in our admiration.

“We need fire in order to do that,” he said, denoting three purposes of fire.

First, fire purifies, enabling one to live virtuously.

Fire also gives people the zeal to “live our faith perfectly.” And finally, “the fire Jesus spoke about in the Gospel is Pentecost — the fire that gives us energy. How can I do the things God asks me? The gift of baptism gives us energy.”

In closing, he said, “God calls us to renew the face of the earth and to start with ourselves.”

Before Mass ended, Father William Hammer, pastor of St. Joseph, presented Archbishop Kurtz a portrait of Bishop Benedict Joseph Flaget, the diocese’s first bishop. It was a birthday gift for Archbishop Kurtz who turned 61 on Aug. 18. The choir led the congregation in singing “Happy Birthday.”

Father Hammer also presented the archbishop a few other “gifts” to help him adapt to life in Kentucky. He counseled that “three syllable words are contracted to two syllables, such as Luh-vall, Naz-reth and Leb-nan.”

He gave the archbishop a map of Kentucky that has both blue areas and red areas, and depending upon where he is, he should say either, “How ’bout them Cats” or “How ’bout them Cards.”

He also presented him with a set of keys. The set included a key to the church, the bell tower, the school and keys to the city, county and My Old Kentucky Home, Father Hammer quipped.

“And here,” he said, “the biggest key of all is the key to our hearts.”

Archbishop Kurtz said he plans to celebrate Mass at the Cathedral of the Assumption, 433 S. Fifth St., this Sunday, Aug. 26, at 9:30 a.m. He also plans to celebrate Masses at the Little Sisters of the Poor, 15 Audobon Plaza Drive, Aug. 30 at 10:30 a.m.; St. James Church, Edenside Avenue and Bardstown Road, Sept. 2 at 11 a.m.; and Our Lady Help of Christians, 13512Dixie Highway, Sept. 16 at 11 a.m.

Archbishop Kurtz, the retreat, etc.

Can't type much...gotta pack... leaving for the 10 hour drive to Baltimore with the three guys that are joining me there (!) at 6am tomorrow.

The C-J had two more articles on Archbishop Kurtz when I was on the end-of-summer retreat for seminarians. We have 6 new guys for the Fall, which puts us at 9. That's cause for much joy!

An opinion piece: A new archbishop
Sit-down with Peter Smith: City's new archbishop sees few big changes in first year
A recent entry from Peter's blog: Archbishop hopes for long stay gives more excerpts from his interview with His Excellency than the above article could include.
Reminder: Check out Peter Smith's blog for several recent entries on Archbishop Kurtz.

The retreat was awesome, the best one I've been too so far (this is my third). It was a great opportunity to get to know the other seminarians better. We prayed morning and evening prayer together and had daily Mass. And the priests on the "Vocation Team" gave talks which were helpful, encouraging, and supportive. In our free time we played Cornhole and "Hillbilly Golf" which was a blast. Oh... and we watched Becket one night... gotta love that excommunication scene!

Archbishop Kurtz spent the last day of the retreat with us. We all had breakfast together and he talked with us for about an hour before celebrating Mass. I was again impressed by his kindness and zeal. He even informed me that someone had referred him to my blog! That's OK :) I admit that the links I provide in the sidebar give a wide-open indication of my preferences on things and where I'm coming from... nonetheless, I hope he approves. I really do carefully consider each post before I click "Publish Post" because I know my vocation director checks in on me here from time to time as well. Plus, seminarians at St. Mary's who have blogs have to submit the address to the administration. I would act appropriately if any of the above expressed concern over this blog.

Anyway...after the retreat we had an annual luncheon with the Serra Club which provided further support and comraderie. Then off to St. Louis Bertrand for our group and individual photos. Beautiful setting... I was glad we had them taken there.

All-in-all an awesome week and I'm excited to return to St. Mary's with new diocesan brothers. Oh...wait... I think I owe you all (many?) my impression of the Installation. Here's a brief comment... I really gotta pack!

Archbishop Kurtz's homily was the highlight for me. It was beautiful. It is not very often that you hear a homily that comments on the second Mark of the Church (holiness), and that quotes the Catechism, Deus Caritas Est, Sacramentum Caritatis, and the first verse of the Magnificat in Latin to boot. He even honored our beloved Bishop Maloney and the history of our Archdiocese. It made a lasting impression.

Happy Birthday Archbishop Kurtz!

Today, Saturday, August 18th is Archbishop Kurtz's 61st birthday! Happy Birthday, Archbishop Kurtz!

With filial respect and humble gratitude, in our Savior I am Your Excellency’s devoted son,
Matthew Hardesty

**oooh, gotta like the sound of that!** ;)

First Letter from the Archbishop

Not counting his statement (here and here, with analysis here) on the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum - which was actually issued to the faithful in Knoxville but published in The Record as well (acting as Louisville's official statement) - here is Archbishop Kurtz's first letter to the faithful of the Archdiocese of Louisville:

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:

This weekend we will take up the annual Peter’s Pence Collection in support of the works of our Holy Father. The proceeds from this collection fund emergency relief assistance to those who suffer from war, oppression, disease and natural disasters. Through works of charity, Catholics provide a powerful witness of love and deeds to empower the weak, the defenseless and the voiceless, and to sustain those who suffer.

The theme for this year’s collection — “Let us make sure that none of God’s children ever feels alone” — is based upon a September 2006 homily given by Pope Benedict XVI in which he discusses the solidarity of the baptized. As we participate in this special appeal, we join more than 1 billion Catholics worldwide in a loving expression of solidarity. We share in the concern of the successor of Peter for the many different needs of the universal Church and for the relief of those most in need around the globe.

I ask you to consider contributing to the collection this year, and I am grateful for your generosity. Together let us ask the Lord to bless our Holy Father, as well as those in need through-out the world.

Sincerely yours in Our Lord,

Most Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D.
Archbishop of Louisville

Archbishop Kurtz article round-up

As I mentioned, here are the latest articles on Archbishop Kurtz's Installation from the online edition of The Record. These have been out for a couple days but... this cold's been killin me.

Archbishop Joseph Kurtz installed as fourth Archbishop of Louisville
snippet:

But he offered special thanks to his predecessor, Archbishop Thomas C. Kelly.

“To you, Archbishop Kelly, who for the past almost eight years has called me friend and indeed been a father, you have been so good and gracious in welcoming me to your home of 25 years,” Archbishop Kurtz said. And he noted that his installation was taking place on the 30th anniversary of Archbishop Kelly’s ordination as a bishop.

It was a moment that produced prolonged applause from the congregation. The new archbishop also delivered remarks in Spanish, and had thanks and praise for the late Bishop Charles Maloney, calling him “a lover of all, especially the most poor.”

“I pray that he will be remembered on this occasion,” he said, “and God willing, will be interceding to the Lord for all of us.”

Friends of new archbishop flock to ceremony from afar
snippet:

Archbishop Kurtz’s sisters, Theresa Bakos and Patricia Cameli, described their brother as studious and holy. But Cameli added, “Of course, he’s silly as heck, too. He has a wonderful sense of humor.”

When it comes to family and friends, his sisters said, he’s no less dedicated than he is to his pastoral duties.

“He’s never missed a baptism in the family,” said Bakos. “He’s such a good brother and uncle.”

Archbishop: prayer ‘draws us together’
snippet:

The new archbishop told the priests, bishops and deacons and their spouses that it was fitting that their first meeting would be a gathering for prayer.

“To pray the Liturgy of the Hours reminds us not only of our call to pray for all the faithful, but to pray for the world,” Archbishop Kurtz said. “And so there is not a more deeply symbolic gesture of gathering, save for the Holy Eucharist itself, that draws us together.”
...
The new archbishop — the fourth in the history of the archdiocese and its ninth ordinary — also pleased those gathered to hear him by properly pronouncing the name of his new city of residence.

“Lou-a-vull,” he said. “Did I say that right? I just say it the way they do in Tennessee. I know there’s a T-shirt available that has all the right and wrong ways to say it.”

But the applause from his audience said Archbishop Kurtz had no need of the shirt.

Family, youth among archbishop’s greeters
snippet:

Lauren Hemker, also a member of the youth board and a senior at Sacred Heart, said before the installation ceremony that she was looking forward to telling Archbishop Kurtz “what a great Catholic school system we have” in the archdiocese.

“I’d like for him to get to know the Catholic grade schools and high schools in the archdiocese,” said Hemker, a member of Holy Trinity Church. “Catholic education is really important to me. I really appreciate how much my parents spent on my education.”

Choir represented about 50 parishes
snippet:

Shortly after he was named Archbishop of Louisville in June, Archbishop Kurtz received a congratulatory telephone call from Father Ben Brown, who called from aboard the USS Bataan. The ship was on duty in the Adriatic Sea at the time, and Father Brown, a chaplain in the U.S. Navy, said he would guess that his call was the “longest long-distance call” the new archbishop received from a priest of the archdiocese.

Father Brown, who is a commander in the Navy, was awarded the Bronze Star in 2006 for “meritorious achievement as chaplain” in Iraq the previous year.

And one more from the C-J, where Peter Smith does an uncharacteristic dip into the negativity that the C-J loves to pour on the Church:

Kelly looks to the future
snippet:

"My primary and only priority is to enter the life of prayer" with his fellow Dominicans, Kelly said. "It's a house I know well, where I'm pretty comfortable. Life is pretty austere. I hope I can get through that all right."

They get up early and spend hours each day in prayer on stiff benches, he said.

"I thought of many actions -- palm trees, the Amalfi Coast (in Italy), but this is what I would rather do more than anything in the world," he said.
...
Kelly said he's encouraged by a recent trend in which nine young men are now in seminary.

"I'm enamored of the quality of the vocations we're getting, and the numbers are now looking more hopeful," he said.

P.O.D. Shot of the Week

Ladies and gentlemen, as I try to pick my P.O.D. Shot of the Week from a current event, this week's selection seems most appropriate:

Here, Archbishop Kurtz - rockin' the purple episcopal cassock with fascia and zuchetto - blesses a rosary of one of the hundreds of faithful gathered at his post-Installation reception.

biretta tip to Matt Stone, C-J photographer. See more photos here.

oh...and...have I said, "check out that crozier!" yet? hehe :) That's a "thing of beauty" as Fr. Paul would say...or better yet... "that's Primo del Rey!"

Kurtz gallery

The Gallery I mentioned can be accessed here. You can also access it from the C-J's homepage or the "More Galleries" page (for now). Enjoy!

Kurtz's new Kentucky home

My reaction later (I've got a terrible cold...), but for now, here's the C-J on the Installation of Archbishop Kurtz yesterday.

Louisville welcomes new archbishop

Oh, and check out that crozier! ;)

Also coming soon: more pics (the C-J's slideshow that is associated with the article seems to not be working, if the pics show up for you, let me know) and articles from The Record when they're published online. You can also check out Peter Smith's blog. He's the Religion Reporter for the Courier-Journal. He's got about six posts on the Installation (look under "Previous Posts" on the right-hand side).

One more thing, here's a Q&A the C-J published in case you're wondering, "What's an installation? Will Kelly still be an archbishop? etc.

Correction: Gallery working here

welcome Whispers visitors

Welcome, all you visitors from Whispers in the Loggia! And thanks Rocco for the link. My name is Matthew Hardesty and I'm a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Louisville. I'll be entering 2nd Theology in a couple weeks at St. Mary's Seminary & University in Baltimore, MD ("Roland Park"). This blog has been established as a way for friends and family to keep up with me, my discernment, and formation. I also like to share all things Marian and various events and moments in my life. Recently I've been covering the celebrations of the 25 years of ministry of our former (wow..."former") Archbishop Thomas Kelly and the gear-up for our new Archbishop Joseph Kurtz. His Installation yesterday really was amazing in many ways. I'll post my own reflection with pics and articles soon.

In Jesu, per Mariam,
Matt1618

more on the Vespers service

The Courier-Journal was present last night, covering the Vespers service with Archbishop Kelly and Archbishop Kurtz that I mentioned here.

New archbishop meets with priests.

Be sure you read the article to get a glimpse of his character. His homily and the Cathedral choir's performance made it one of the most beautiful services I've ever been too in our Cathedral.

See a photo slideshow here.

snippet:

Speaking on the day's Scripture reading, he called on priests to live out their gifts "in a way that calls for unity in truth, and in charity."

"In truth," he continued, "that we will always embrace the gifts of our Catholic faith and teach and proclaim those gifts with accuracy and devotion. And in charity, that we will not be tempted to simply gather with people with whom we are initially comfortable, but rather we will always reach out to each of those with whom we serve."

moving days at the archdiocese

article from the C-J here

tomorrow's the big day

Well, tomorrow's the big day, the Installation of Archbishop Kurtz as the 4th archbishop and 9th bishop of Louisville. After meeting him last night at the Vespers service at the Cathedral, I'm looking even more forward to getting to know him better at our seminarians' end-of-summer retreat. He is a very personable and attentive man. It was a real joy to speak with him for about 15 minutes or so with the other seminarians that were there.

For info on times, directions, and parking for the Installation click here and here

An excerpt from the latter link that is well worth noting:

For those who can’t attend the ceremony, it will be shown from 8 to 10 p.m. Aug. 15 on Channel 19 and repeated Aug. 19 from 7 to 9 p.m.

It also will be available through live streaming on the Internet from WHAS-TV at the station’s Web site: whas11.com. The streaming will begin at 2 p.m. and run until the installation ceremony and Mass end.

more gear-up

As I mentioned, The Record's online edition has just posted some of the recent articles on Archbishop Kurtz, again, as a part of the continued gear-up for his Excellency's Installation on Wed Aug 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Here they are:

Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz will be installed on Aug 15
Archbishop, bishops focus on marriage, family
What kind of followers will we be?
Singers, musicians will help make Gardens a sacred place

There has also been much focus on his attention to vocations. Peter Smith, who for the most part has been pretty fair to the Church, interviewed us 9 seminarians at a recent gathering. Here is his article in the Courier-Journal (I've got a little blurb in it):

Archbishop hopes to attract new priests

The Associated Press got a hold of the article and ran it too, only in a somewhat abbreviated form. The Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer (my hometown) picked it up. I'll post it below as you must pay to read it online ($1 for one-time article). But, read it in its fuller version above first.

Men being sought to enter priesthood

8/13/2007

Louisville archdiocese has roughly one-third the priests it had in 1970

Associated Press

LOUISVILLE -- When Joseph E. Kurtz takes over as archbishop of Louisville on Wednesday, he'll face the challenge of finding more people wanting to take up the priesthood.

Kurtz is stepping into an archdiocese that, for the second time in two years, has ordained no priests. For the last 10 years, the archdiocese has ordained an average of less than two priests per year, even though the Catholic population has grown 7 percent.

The archdiocese has 88 active (full-time) priests, roughly one-third the number in 1970. And the average age of all priests -- including retirees, some of whom continue to work part time -- is 63. The archdiocese has merged 17 parishes and told dozens of others to share priests because of those numbers and population shifts.

Louisville's problems are echoed nationwide, with the United States seeing a 30 percent drop in priests since 1965. But locally, the news is not all bad. Six men in the Archdiocese of Louisville, most in their 20s, are starting seminary this fall.

Three others are working their way through seminary, and several others have been meeting in support groups formed in recent years to help men explore their interest in the priesthood.

And Kurtz, as bishop of the Diocese of Knoxville since 1999, has garnered a reputation for recruiting a relatively high percentage of priests for that diocese's Catholic population. The diocese, one-quarter the size of Louisville's, has ordained about 10 priests in the last four years.

"For our size, that's a very great number," Kurtz said.

The current group of seminarians from Louisville said Kurtz will need patience in bringing more men to the priesthood.

"A lot of times, the culture and our society present obstacles where it's hard to hear that call," said Matthew Hardesty, 27, an Owensboro native who is studying at St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore. "Sometimes it does take that direct invitation" from the church, he said. "We need to be not afraid to make that invitation."

Hardesty decided on the priesthood after a Protestant girlfriend quizzed him about the Catholic faith while they were in college. Hardesty found himself unable to answer the questions, began studying and became captivated by his newfound knowledge.

Lastly, still on the topic of vocations, The Record ran an article about a vocation program I planned at St. Rita's in the south end of the Archdiocese:

Nun, seminarian share their stories with youth

Ignite Your Torch in The Record

Here is an article I just found on the Ignite Your Torch conference that I wrote about here.

update

I've updated the links in my sidebar to include other blogs I visit often. It's basically a Who's Who of the 2007 Catholic Blog Awards. Fr. Z at WDTPRS has been a recent favorite. New links are marked by the "New Link" icon which now actually does indicate new links. I'll retire that icon in a month or so.

gear up for installation

In gearing up the Archdiocese for the Installation of our new Archbishop, The Record has been publishing a series of articles on Archbishop Kelly and Archbishop Kurtz. I'll try to collect them here. The search function on The Record's website has been hard to use, but never fear, Google Advance Search to the rescue.

For your future reference here are two links you can click on to automatically use Google's Advance Search to search The Record online for articles concerning Archbishop Kelly and Archbishop Kurtz.

On Archbishop Kelly:
Archbishop Kelly honored for his service
Editorial: Archbishop: servant of faith
Issues related to the Gospel, church teaching addressed
A range of subjects, issues have been addressed
Local church is 'healthy spiritually, materially'

On Archbishop Kurtz:
Editorial: welcoming new archbishop
Family, hometown helped shape an archbishop
Family life and service to poor shaped ministry
New Archbishop called 'kind and compassionate'

I've posted some earlier articles here.
More new ones coming soon as the web version updates to include today's new print issue.

P.O.D. Shot of the Week

I'm working on a post to explain what exactly P.O.D. (pious and overly devotional) really means, with some pics as examples for what it is and isn't. Meanwhile, here ladies and gentlemen is your P.O.D. shot of the week, thanks to Fr. Z:

Ignite Your Torch, part 2

... for part 1, go here...

The workshops were academic lessons that the youth could choose from at different times. The topics were:

"Healing and the Holy Spirit,"
"Parts of the Eucharistic Prayer and How to Pray during Mass,"
"Prayer 101: The Basics,"
"Eucharistic Adoration Will Change the World,"
"The Mass: Why We Say What We Say and Do What We Do,"
"A Woman's Way of Prayer,"
"The Mass and the Meaning of Life,"
"The Living Eucharist: The Place of Encounter with Jesus Christ,"
"The Eucharist as the Revelation of True Love,"
"Security for Purity: Counting the Cost,"
"Examination of Conscience,"
"Why Do I Have to Confess My Sins Out Loud?"
"Unforgiveness: The Devil's Stronghold,"
"The Road of Abraham,"
"The Action-Packed Life of [Blessed] Pier Giorgio Frassati,"
"Imaging the Divine,"
"How to Talk to a Hostile Culture,"
"How to Answer Protestant Objections to the Mass,"
"Purgatory,"
"Sola Scriptura,"
"The Rich Gift of Love: Good Families and Dysfunctional Families," and
"When They Say... You Say...: Pro-Life Apologetics."

The clergy present were from the Dominicans, the Fathers of Mercy, and two diocesan priests, Fr. Whelan and Fr. Bromwich. The religious sisters were from the Sisters of Life, the "Nashville Dominicans," the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus, the Little Sisters of the Poor, the Sisters of Mercy, the Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker, and the Oblate Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. They all inspired so much zeal and love in the youth.

The latter order, the Oblate Sisters have an amazing charism that I'd never heard of. They are "a group of women who strive to attain union with God by offering their lives for the diocesan priesthood. The Sisters are called first of all to pray for priestly holiness and to offer the joys and sorrows of their lives for the good of priests. Ministerially the sisters care for retired and convalescent priests and collaborate with priests in parish ministry." They exist in the U.S. in the diocese of Youngstown, OH. I would certainly want them in my parish as a priest!

My final thought is on Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. The director of the U.S. "wing" of his cause, Christine Wohar, gave an excellent, dynamic presentation on the life of this young adult saint. I have a devotion to him through my involvement with the Frassati Society in Carmel, IN. They, second to probably the Young Adult Ministry office of the Archdiocese of Chicago, have one of the best young adult ministries in the country. Please pray with me the Prayer for the Canonization of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925):

O merciful God, Who through the perils of the world deigned to preserve by Thy grace Thy servant Pier Giorgio Frassati pure of heart and ardent of charity, listen, we ask Thee, to our prayers, and, if it is in Thy designs that he be glorified by the Church, show us Thy will, granting us the graces we ask of Thee through his intercession, by the merits of Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

"Verso l'alto" -- To the top!

Ignite Your Torch

Last weekend was awesome as I participated in the Ignite Your Torch annual Catholic youth conference in Louisville. The faith, commitment, and zeal of the youth never cease to inspire me.

Watch a video of last year's conference here. This year's video here. See a slideshow of pics from this year's conference here.

The four day event had a steady schedule but here's the highlights:
Thursday: Mass, a General Assembly by Br. James Brent, O.P. "Prayer: How to Meet Jesus Christ for Yourself", and a Rosary candlelight procession through the campus of Bellarmine.

Friday: Morning Prayer, Workshops, Mass, General Assembly by Fr. Crotty (of the Fathers of Mercy) "Dangers of Superstition, Magic, and the Occult," another General Assembly by Tom Grenchik (executive director of the secretariat for pro-life activities for the USCCB) "Radical Solidarity," and Holy Hour and Benediction with Confession

Saturday: Rosary at the Abortion Clinic, Mass at St. Louis Bertrand, General Assembly by Sr. Antoniana Maria, SV, Workshops, another General Assembly by Fr. Bill Garrott, O.P. "On Fire with Mary and the Eucharist", and Holy Hour with Benediction.

Sunday: General Assembly by Fr. Dan Whelan "The Future: Following Christ," Mass, and Crowning of Mary and consecration.

The whole conference had an excellent balance of prayer, study, fun, and silence. Over 200 youth were there, some from as far away as Texas. And the amazing thing...which really isn't all that amazing... is that they were eating it up. They loved it. They love the Church and all She has to offer. They love the devotions, the Mass, and Church Teachings. They were excited about the workshops - some quite academic - and the opportunity to spend time with the Lord in Adoration. They all knelt reverently on pads on the floor for the Holy -Two- Hours. And they couragously, all 200, prayed the Rosary in front of the abortion clinic downtown. We provided the option of praying from a distance in the pregnancy resource center across the street if the anxiety of the event proved to be too much. But none, to my knowledge, took us up on it. You should have heard them speaking with conviction about modesty, virginity, and sacrifice. These were high-schoolers, folks, and college kids. And those not as far along in their faith or who had some doubts were met with charitable, well-informed responses from their own peers.


Before anyone underestimates the moral capacity of our youth, come to Ignite Your Torch. When we bring them up in sound Catholic teaching and environment they always exceed our expectations. While other attemps at youth ministry and retreats less faithful to Church teaching or less willing to be "Fully" Catholic are struggling for "numbers," events like this attract youth from all over the country. The youth in the Archdiocese of Louisville would be well served by wide publication of this excellent conference.

...to be continued...
[Thanks to Mr. Albert Cesare for the pics]

Church Teaches Forum

I got back a while ago from Day 1 of the annual Church Teaches Forum here in Louisville. This is an all-star event:

Friday:
5pm Mass. Celebrant Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz, Homilist Bishop Robert Finn
6pm Social Time
7pm Banquet with keynote address by Bishop Fagian Bruskewitz: "A Resume of Some Contemporary Issues in the Church, and Their Solutions"
Introduction by Abbot Edmund McCaffrey

Saturday:
7am Pray at the Abortion Clinic
8am Registration
9am Greeting by Fr. Edmund McCaffrey
Welcome by Archbishop Thomas Kelly :)
9:15am Bishop Robert Finn: "Protecting Human Life - The Authentic Lay Vocation"
10:15am Archbishop Raymond Burke: "The Mystery of Human Suffering and Euthanasia"
11:30am Mass. Celebrant Archbishop Raymond Burke, Homilist Fr. Edmund McCaffrey "Winning the Battle for Life with Mary"
1pm Lunch
2:15pm Fr. Tadeusz Pacholczyk: "The Science & Ethics of Stem Cells & Cloning"
3:30pm Fr. Roger Arnsparger: "The Priest: Sentinel & Prophet of the Sanctity of Human Life"
Closing: Fr. Edmund McCaffrey
Rosary: Fr. Joseph Hall

analysis

Fr. Z, at the blog "What Does the Prayer Really Say?", has been giving analysis on each diocesean statement on Summorum Pontificum as they are released. Here are his comments on Archbishop Kurtz's statement.

The skinny? "All in all, this is a very nice article."

crozier bearer

I've been given a job recently that gives the title "crozier bearer" a whole new meaning! A crozier bearer is typically he who is in charge of a bishop's crozier during Mass or another ceremony, carrying, giving, and receiving it as the bishop needs it.

The Archdiocese's archivist, Fr. Dale, recently asked me if I would polish Bishop William George McCloskey's crozier (4th bishop of Louisville from 1868-1909) so that Archbishop Kurtz could use it for his Installation Mass on Aug 15. I'm honored to do it. I'll post pics of the "restoration" when I take 'em. It really is a beautiful thing. I had to leave a note with the housekeeper though so she wouldn't be alarmed by seeing a 7-foot bishops crozier in my room!

The Archdiocese's history page mentions him:

One of Spalding's successors as bishop of Louisville was the authoritarian William George McCloskey. In his forty-year reign, McCloskey attended to institutional growth but was frequently at the center of disputes — some glaringly public — with clergy, laity, and religious.

I like the following excerpt from the Catholic Encyclopedia:

He had a splendid physique and was a man of talent and cultured taste. He had a strong will, and held tenaciously to any view or plan of action that he had once entered on. Of strong Christian faith, of exemplary priestly life, he was especially charitable to the very poor and to the unfortunate classes of society. He will never be forgotten by the unfortunate magdalens of the House of the Good Shepherd at Louisville. Every Sunday, unless stormy weather prevented, he visited, instructed and consoled them, listening to each one's tale of woe and showing to this class that charity of which Christ set the Divine example. He wrote a life of St. Mary Magdalen (Louisville, 1900). His love for the poor, whom he visited in their homes even in his old age, and to whom he gave whatever money he owned, so that he died a poor man, illuminated the city in which he wielded the crosier with force and mercy for almost half a century. He was beloved by all who knew him.

P.O.D. Shot of the Week

Before the week gets away from me, here is your P.O.D. Shot of the Week.

This time from Bishop David Zubik, bishop of Green Bay, who has just been made the new bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburg after its 14-month vacancy. The significance of this appointment for me is that Bishop Zubik is a '75 alumnus of St. Mary's, Roland Park! Here he is administering the Sacrament of Confirmation to parishioners of the '62-exclusive Institute of Christ the King, Sovereign Priest, according to the pontifical of Bl. John XXIII. The pic is from the Institute's website.

vacation pics

As I promised, here are a couple pics from the annual "rafting trip".

Day1: ATV's baby! From left to right is Fr. John, Fr. Paul, me, Joe, and Fr. Bud. Fr. David and Fr. Philip actually went rafting. If you can't already tell, we were muddy, dirty, wrecks after about 5 hours on the trails of the West Virginia mountains. It was a blast.

For Day 2 we ditched the pontoon idea and just chilled at the house... which turned out much better. It was a huge, beautiful 1920's mansion and "bed and breakfast" all to ourselves complete with large screened-in porch, pool, hot-tub, big-screen TV and a bedroom and bath for each of us. It was a great vacation and continues to be important to me as I start to incorporate myself into the fraternity of the Louisville presbyterate.

Archbishop Kurtz on the Motu Proprio and receiving the pallium

How did I miss this! A visitor to my blog posted a comment which in turn led me to his blog. There I found a link to The Record's online edition where there is an article by Archbishop Kurtz on the newly released Motu Proprio and his reception of the pallium. This is a great article! It is provided in full below.

Biretta tip to Paul at "God Spede Ye Plough" for the clue.

Pope Benedict’s document on the use of the traditional Latin Mass
Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz
Archbishop of Louisville

The Motu Proprio of Pope Benedict on the use of the Roman liturgy prior to the reform of 1970 has just been released. The Latin phrase “Motu Proprio” means that it is presented at his own initiative.

For months there has been a great amount of discussion both for and against the letter that addresses the use of the traditional Latin Mass and what effect these new papal directions will have on the life of the faithful. I wish to give you my perspective.

First of all, I believe that our Holy Father has presented a well crafted and pastorally sound direction. He makes it clear that his instruction does not establish a new rite in the Church but rather acknowledges that there is an ordinary and an extraordinary way in which the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church is celebrated.

We are familiar with that distinction of ordinary and extraordinary. The most common is the description of those lay persons who assist in distributing Holy Communion as “Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion.” In this case it means that these ministers never take the place of the ordinary ministers (priests and deacons) but have a rightful pastoral use. The terms are used to describe the ordinary ministers of Baptism and Confirmation (priest/deacon and bishop, respectively) and the pastoral allowance for extraordinary circumstances.

In the new instructions, the bishop continues to have the responsibility to ensure good order within the celebration of the Sacred Mysteries of the Holy Eucharist in a diocese. Because it is an extraordinary use, any public Mass using the Missal of Blessed John XXIII (promulgated in 1962) requires the bishop’s judgment that there is sufficient pastoral need to justify the use of this missal and pastoral ability to provide for that need.

Currently, we in the Diocese of Knoxville have the practice of a Mass using the Missal of Blessed John XXIII each Sunday.

The frequency of these celebrations depends on the pastoral need and our ability to respond to that need. The Instruction also allows for priests who are properly prepared to celebrate Mass using the Missal of Blessed John XXIII to do so privately without special permission.
The faithful who on their own and spontaneously join in this Mass do so with the blessing of our Holy Father.

The ordinary celebration of the Holy Eucharist makes use of the Missal of Paul VI and once an approved translation of the new Roman Missal of 2000 is available, it will be know as the Missal of John Paul II.

Our Holy Father gives three reasons for approving the use of the Missal of Blessed John XXIII: a way of making a path for those who have separated themselves from the Church because of the new liturgy (a path that will require those separated to embrace the fullness of truth of the Catholic Church on their return); a means of accommodating the reasonable aspirations of the faithful who yearn for the reverence that is associated with the celebration from 1962 and a preserving of the deep and rich heritage of the Church.

He also says, and I strongly agree, that this Instruction is a call for all to participate each Sunday (and even daily) in the Holy Eucharist in a manner that is both reverent and joyful.

Receiving the Pallium in Rome

While the experience of my trip to Rome is still fresh in my mind and heart, I find it fruitful to reflect on the Mass with our Holy Father as well as the missionary theme of the recent readings from Sunday Mass.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes the word “Catholic” as having two meanings: the universality of Christ present in his Church and the missionary command to all in the Church. First, there is the sense of universality, in which we are convinced in faith that Jesus Christ permeates the Church and so we proclaim in faith that, where the Church is, there is Christ.

This is especially true as I recall my visit to our Holy Father in Rome (Ubi Petrus, ibi Ecclesia). The special charism of authority which our Holy Father exercises is one of unity in Christ. At the special Mass on the Solemnity of SS. Peter and Paul in front of the main altar was placed a special bronze depiction of St. Peter kneeling before Christ and receiving the key from Him.

As I knelt before our Holy Father to receive the pallium, I prayed that Pope Benedict’s humility in serving Christ might rub off on me. So, too, the universality of the Church is seen in the mandate for each of us baptized into Christ Jesus to become His missionaries. This missionary theme has been expressed so well in the recent readings from Sunday Mass, especially the sending forth of the 72 by Jesus.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This column by Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, who was recently appointed Archbishop of Louisville, was written for the July 22 edition of the East Tennessee Catholic of the Diocese of Knoxville, Tenn. The column has been made available for publication in The Record.
Archbishop Kurtz refers to the celebration of a Mass using the Missal of Blessed John XXIII in the Diocese of Knoxville.
In the Archdiocese of Louisville, a Tridentine Mass is celebrated at 12:30 p.m. on Sundays and at 5:30 p.m. on holy days at St. Martin of Tours Church in Louisville.

friend's new book

A good friend of mine, Chris Cuddy, who was in seminary with me last year but is now taking some time off, had his new book come out last month. The book is titled, I Choose God: Stories from Young Catholics, and was co-edited with Peter Ericksen.

He compares it to Patrick Madrid's Surprised by Truth series, only Chris's book is for and from young adults. Furthermore, I would put his book, if he doesn't mind, alongside Colleen Carroll's The New Faithful and Tim Drake's Young and Catholic.

I haven't had a chance to buy and read this book yet, but I feel comfortable recommending it purely on the grounds of knowing Chris. Among many other traits he is a brilliant young man, very Thomistic, but humble, and with a great sense of humor. He is a compassionate listener and is always interested in how one is doing personally. He is cool, and prudent, and reflective with a distinct serenity. He's read more and thought more than I could imagine. I could always count on him for solid scholarly and friendly advice. Indeed he is a great friend that I only really got to barely know. I hope to keep up with him wherever he is and whatever he decides. Keep his name in mind; this year and this book aren't the last I'll or anyone will see of him. Pray for him. And pray with me a prayer of thanks to God for giving me other friends just as valuable at St. Mary's and beyond.

P.O.D. Shot of the Week

Since I was on vacation, I didn't have a chance to post a P.O.D. Shot of the Week. I'll post a couple pics from the vacation soon. But in the meantime, here you go:

This one's a little more...sedate... than the others, but I think it's a nice choice. Featured on the left is retired Archbishop William D. Borders of Baltimore, William Cardinal Keeler, center, and Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien, on the right. Archbishop O'Brien will be the new Archbishop of Baltimore, and my new "local ordinary," so to speak, while in seminary. This is an excellent choice as he is the only bishop in the United States who has been the rector of two different seminaries, St. John's Dunwoodie, and the North American College in Rome. And Baltimore happens to be the only diocese with two seminaries, St. Mary's Seminary & University in Roland Park, Baltimore and Mount St. Mary's in Emmittsburg, MD.

Anyway, back to the pic. I chose this one for its immediate significance and also to highlight Cardinal Keeler's dress. He's always had a knack for "dressing the part." Here he is wearing a scarlet cassock (proper to Cardinals), with a white rochet and, on top, the scarlet mozzetta. He also has his pectoral cross on what I think is a gold and scarlet cord, again due to his rank. Finally, he has a scarlet biretta in hand which would cover his scarlet zuchetto that is not visible here because of the direction of the shot and his hair. You can clearly see Archbishop Borders' zuchetto though, in the purple color of Archbishops.

Biretta tip to the Baltimore Sun for the pic and Fr. Jim Tucker's "Dappled Things" blog for definitions.

Congratulations Cardinal Keeler and Archbishop O'Brien!

annual rafting trip

Tomorrow I'll be going on the annual summer "rafting trip" with some priest-friends of mine here in Louisville. I can't wait!

We go with Class VI River Runners exclusively now, they are definitely the best. Since we have a bigger group than usual going this summer, we're renting one of their country homes rather than one of their new cabins like we did last year. And since most of us are a little burnt out on rafting we're going on a guided ATV trip! Believe it or not, I'm from Owensboro, KY and this will be my first time riding a "4-wheeler." I hope I don't roll the thing on top of myself!! On the second day we may rent a pontoon boat and just hang out.

I'll see if I can take some pics and post them here when I get back. I've also got some pics of some churches I visited in the Diocese of Covington on a day trip a while back.

"hello motu"

Ah, I've been waiting forever to say that! hehe

Happy 7th of July everybody! Summorum Pontificum, issued "motu proprio," has been released today.

There are a couple translations to choose from.
Here is the Apostolic letter from: Vatican Information Service and Zenit with the same translation at each, only the latter provides the customary header and footer.
The same with the Explanatory Letter to Bishops: VIS and Zenit
Finally, VIS also provides an Explanatory Note from the Holy See Press Office.

For a slightly different translation of Summorum Pontificum see the Bishops Commitee on the Liturgy's (of course?) latest newsletter. Also included in the newsletter are the Explanatory Letter, "Twenty Questions on the Apostolic Letter Summorum Pontificum" (with a table comparing side-by-side what this document allows compared to what Ecclesia Dei ["the indult"] allowed before it) and "Ten Questions on the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms of the Missale Romanum" (with a table comparing side-by-side the "Exraordinary Form" of '62 and the "Ordinary Form" of today).

Now then... let's see... ah, yes... for a cassock see Renzetti-Magnarelli but wait and get your fascia ("sash cincture") and surplice here or here ;) although Renzetti's is actually good for whatever you need. Or if you happen to be globetrotting to Rome stop by Mancinelli's, the pope's new tailor, breaking a 200+ year tradition with Gammarelli... or is I like to call it, Glammarelli :) sorry... no websites for either. Oh well, I hear you gotta "know somebody" to even get served there as a priest... let alone a seminarian!

Tridentine Independence Day

Our country's Independence Day was celebrated two days ago but that doesn't mean we can't celebrate another... you know what I'm talking about... "Tridentine Independence Day" baby, tomorrow, 7-7-07.

VATICAN CITY, JUL 6, 2007 (VIS) - Tomorrow, Saturday July 7, the Vatican Information service will transmit a special service for the publication of the Apostolic Letter "Motu Proprio data" of His Holiness Benedict XVI, "Summorum Pontificum," concerning the use of the pre-1970 Roman liturgy. The document will be accompanied by an explanatory Letter from the Holy Father.

As coverage in the Catholic blogosphere of this important document has been on overdrive, I'm not even going to try to compete with the likes of Whispers, summorumpontificum.net, WDTPRS, Creative Minority Report, NLM, RORATE CÆLI, Universal Indult Blog, etc.

For those who can't wait any longer, Rocco's got snippets along with his own excellent commentary. There is also the doc's Latin intro here, for all you budding Latinists. Note: There seems to be some confusion/debate on if the document is actually under embargo or not and if/should those who have advance copies leak its contents...

Anyway, I highly recommend you check the above sites, especially NLM, rather than rely on the secular media for adequate (read "fair, not-anti-Catholic, knowledgeable, etc.") coverage of this thing. NLM has several helpful pieces on the right attitude with which to approach it. Also remember Fr. Z's wise advice.

But, keeping his own advice in mind, he is still able to take the following pic of his own planned celebration of the 7th of July, complete with a couple bottles of bubbly, an advance copy of the Moto Proprio (he's chosen to keep it in pectore, "close to his heart," or "secret"), the '62 Missal opened to the Te Igitur, and a view of the nearby chapel steeple where The Real Celebration awaits.

Also, be sure you check out his blog for a clever insertion of the Holy Father into the picture!

new article

Here is a new Curious-Journal article that is surprisingly accurate and non-biased on Archbishop Kurtz reception of the pallium.

When the Most Rev. Joseph Kurtz is installed as Louisville's new Roman Catholic archbishop next month, he'll be wearing his new pallium -- a special vestment reserved for archbishops -- which he received last week from Pope Benedict VXI in Rome.

"It was a wonderful, glorious ceremony,'' said Kurtz of Friday's service at St. Peter's Basilica, where he and 45 new archbishops from around the world received the pallium. "It was really very moving.''

Kurtz, the bishop of Knoxville, is to be installed at a service in Louisville on Aug. 15. He replaces Louisville Archbishop Thomas Kelly, who has retired.

Kurtz was the only archbishop from the United States to participate in the ceremony in Rome, held once each year on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul, the patron saints of Rome.

He said in a phone interview yesterday that he was pleased to be included in the ceremony even though it meant flying to Rome on short notice as he wraps up his duties in Knoxville and prepares for Louisville.

"Rome was beautiful, the weather was great,'' said Kurtz, who arrived in Rome last Wednesday and returned to Knoxville on Saturday.

Several of his friends from Knoxville attended the ceremony, as did the Rev. Bernard Breen, vicar general of the Louisville archdiocese, and Brian Reynolds, the archdiocese's chancellor and chief administrative officer.

Breen said he enjoyed the service at St. Peter's, which he described as "jam-packed'' with friends and relatives of the 46 archbishops who participated.

"It was a very inspiring ceremony,'' he said.

Breen said the pallium, a wool band worn around the shoulders, is a little-known but very meaningful symbol of unity with the church.

Kurtz said Pope Benedict personally placed the pallium around the shoulders of each of the new archbishops appointed within the past year. The Pope also gave the homily during the two-hour service.

Meanwhile, plans are under way for Kurtz's Aug. 15 installation service at The Gardens, which will include a Mass and a choir from parishes in the archdiocese.

The Very Rev. William Fichteman, pastor of the Cathedral of the Assumption, which is the seat of worship for the archdiocese, said a committee is still working out details of the service.

He said church officials had considered holding the installation at the Cathedral, across Fifth Street from The Gardens, but decided they probably would need the larger facility.

Kurtz said he won't wear the pallium again until he is installed as archbishop. He said under church law, the pallium is to be worn only within the province where he is archbishop, which consists of Kentucky and Tennessee.

"I can't wait to come and be present,'' he said.

fixed

The alt text of my broken paypal image was forcing the sidebar to exceed its width limit and thus be repositioned below the body of the blog. I just told it to use the default image that paypal provides rather than the custom one I was using and presto, we're back in business.

OK, the usual Pious and Overly Devotional blog postings can resume now :)

fixed for now

I'm almost back in shape! My blog has been scrogged for a while as something was wrong with my image host and I didn't feel like digging up my FTP info to retrieve and host them elsewhere. But, for the heck of it, I looked under my "Important" folder of my Live Mail (aka Hotmail) Inbox and found one solitary email with... what is this... my registration info! So, I was quickly on my way to restoring my blog to its original glory.

I then downloaded the trial version of my favorite FTP app, CuteFTP, only to find out I didn't have admin rights to install on the bookkeeper's computer I'm using here in the Rectory...ugh... Well... "Maybe," I thought, "there's an online ftp app I could use." A quick Google Search provided, net2ftp.com. I plugged in my info and had my files in no time! Now... what to do with 'em... I remembered my friend Keith suggested Photobucket so I created a new account and uploaded my files. I then copied my Highly, Highly, Highly proprietary template code (hence my refusal to upgrade to the latest version of Blogger) into Word, did a search and replace of the image URL's, copied the code back into my template and tada! we're back!... almost... my sidebar is still bumped down below the body of the blog for some reason. And I need to re-find the Paypal image I used because net2ftp blocked it.

I'm happy for now. I hope to soon copy my template code into a new test blog (if I can still create a new one using the old version of Blogger), upgrade that one, fix the then-scrogged code to match my current blog, upgrade the current one, copy the good code into it, and be in tip-top shape complete with all the goodies the new version provides.

Did that make sense?

wise advice

Here is some wise advice from Fr. John Zuhlsdorf's blog, "What Does the Prayer Really Say?":

Fr. Z’s 5 Rules of Engagement for after the Motu Proprio is released:

1) Rejoice because our liturgical life has been enriched, not because "we win". Everyone wins when the Church’s life is enriched. This is not a "zero sum game".

2) Do not strut. Let us be gracious to those who have in the past not been gracious in regard to our "legitimate aspirations".

3) Show genuine Christian joy. If you want to attract people to what gives you so much consolation and happiness, be inviting and be joyful. Avoid the sourness some of the more traditional stamp have sadly worn for so long.

4) Be engaged in the whole life of your parishes, especially in works of mercy organized by the same. If you want the whole Church to benefit from the use of the older liturgy, then you who are shaped by the older form of Mass should be of benefit to the whole Church in concrete terms.

5) If the document doesn’t say everything we might hope for, don’t bitch about it like a whiner. Speak less of our rights and what we deserve, or what it ought to have been, as if we were our own little popes, and more about our gratitude, gratitude, gratitude for what God gives us

P.O.D. Shot of the Week

Here's another P.O.D. Shot of the Week, this time from the June 30 ordinations of the Fraternitas Sacerdotalis Sancti Petri, The Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, in Wigratzbad, Germany (the headquarters of "The Frat" and the location of their first seminary).

This group, uses the Tridentine rites exclusively, but unlike SSPX, is in communion with Rome. Biretta tip to the blog, The New Liturgical Movement, for the pic. See more here.

While you're at the NLM blog, check out this wonderful first-hand account of a Novus Ordo priest at the "FSSP boot camp" for training in the "classical Roman Rite."

more motu

As I've been trying to keep up with and chronicle here the news on the upcoming Motu Proprio on the Latin Mass (here and here, recently), below are some snippets from Whispers' excellent coverage (follow his blog for more in-depth info and, please, do donate):

First, Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone SDB, who called 15 bishops from around the world together to discuss it, gives three "key reasons" for the documents release (you won't be surprised by the very last few words):

The first and main one is to ease the full communion and reconciliation of the St. Pius X Society with the pope. Suppression of the Tridentine Mass was a major reason for Archbishop Lefebvre and his followers to break with the pope.

...

A second reason for the Motu Proprio is to enable "wider use" of the Tridentine Mass. Unlike the "ordinary form" approved by Paul VI in 1969, in the Motu Proprio, the Tridentine Mass is considered an "extraordinary" expression of the Latin Rite.

John Paul II authorized bishops to approve requests of people for the Tridentine Mass, but many bishops have refused to do so. Benedict, lobbied by traditionalists and basically sympathetic to them, devised the "extraordinary" form as a way to unblock the situation and accommodate those people.

The third reason for the Motu Proprio is to preserve "the treasures" of the Church's older culture, including Latin in the liturgy, and to integrate them into the contemporary culture.

...

All participants expressed their views at the meeting. Some saw the Motu Proprio as an expression of "pastoral charity," or a strong affirmation of "diversity in unity." By the end of the meeting, most indicated their basic acceptance of the text, but a few, like the French, still had reservations.

Of course...

Second, Rocco shares some comnments from Boston's Cardinal Sean O'Malley, OFM Cap who was in on the Motu Proprio meeting (from Cardinal O'Malley's blog here)

From Cleveland I flew to Rome at the request of Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone to participate in a meeting discussing the Holy Father’s Moto Proprio about the use of the older form of the Latin Mass. There were about 25 bishops there, including the president of Ecclesia Dei Cardinal Darío Castrillón Hoyos, the prefect of Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments Cardinal Francis Arinze, several heads of bishops’ conferences as well as some cardinals and other residential bishops.

They shared with us the Moto Proprio and the Holy Father’s letter explaining it. We also had an opportunity to read the Latin document. We each commented on that, and then the Holy Father came in and shared some of his thoughts with us. The Holy Father is obviously most concerned about trying to bring about reconciliation in the Church. There are about 600,000 Catholics who are participating in the liturgies of the Society of St. Pius X, along with about 400 priest[s]....

The Holy Father was very clear that the ordinary form of celebrating the Mass will be the new rite, the Norvus Ordo. But by making the Latin Mass more available, the Holy Father is hoping to convince those disaffected Catholics that it is time for them to return to full union with the Catholic Church.

So the Holy Father’s motivation for this decision is pastoral. He does not want this to be seen as establishing two different Roman Rites, but rather one Roman Rite celebrated with different forms. The Moto Propio is his latest attempt at reconciliation.

In my comments at the meeting I told my brother bishops that in the United States the number of people who participate in the Latin Mass even with permission is very low. Additionally, according to the research that I did, there are only 18 priories of the Society of St. Pius X in the entire country. Therefore this document will not result in a great deal of change for the Catholics in the U.S. Indeed, interest in the Latin Mass is particularly low here in New England.

In our archdiocese, the permission to celebrate the Latin Mass has been in place for several years, and I granted permission when I was in Fall River for a Mass down on the Cape. The archdiocesan Mass is now at Immaculate Mary of Lourdes Parish in Newton. It is well attended, and if the need arises for an extension of that we would, of course, address it.

This issue of the Latin Mass is not urgent for our country, however I think they wanted us to be part of the conversation so that we would be able to understand what the situation is in countries where the numbers are very significant. For example, in Brazil there is an entire diocese of 30,000 people that has already been reconciled to the Church.

Finally, at the Cardinal's blog, there are some interesting comments visitors have posted in response to his remarks that are worth sharing. Some snippets:

1. I’m wondering: Is there not also another element to this MP, that being the reforming influence which the Traditional Mass might have on the current Missal?

2. I am so pleased you were able to be in Rome to speak with the Pope on the Motu Proprio on the Traditional Mass. I believe you underestimate the power of and the latent desire for this Mass in the United States. Most people have not even heard that it is an option. The Masses I have attended have been packed with young, devout familes. The seminaries that train priests for the Traditional rite are full. Wherever the Traditional Mass is freely offered, it is well atended. I myself feel such a spiritual lift from a single Traditional Mass, that I feel spiritually empowered throughout the entire week. The fact is, since the Novus Ordo was introduced, Mass attendance has decreased by half in this country, and by 80 to 90 % in Europe and Canada. Even in Boston, Catholic marriages are down 60% in the last 20 years! If the Traditional Mass can bring them back, why not try it in most parishes in the archdiocese and see what happens? At least it’s a talking point for inviting someone to come back to the Church. On this feast of St. Peter and Paul, with its focus on evagelization, let’s do everything we can to evangelize our own. If that means having two forms of the Mass as the norm, then so be it! If we are seeking unity with Protestants, then why not with Traditionalists? And don’t underestimate our numbers. We are truly everywhere… we just have not been invited to come out and join the celebration. Now it is our turn to invite the rest of the Church to join us in the traditonal form of worship which nourished so many saints for so many centuries. Please let the Spirit work freely in our midst and support the flowering of Tradition in our parishes!

3. May I also suggest, regarding this posting, that the Holy Father, by making the Classical Roman Mass more available, is not only reaching out to the faithful who are presently involved with the Society of St. Pius X, but also, as has already been publicly stated by both Cardinals Castrillón and Bertone, endeavoring to rediscover the treasure of the liturgical heritage of the Church, to foster a hermeneutic of continuity, and to refocus - in all of the Roman Rite - our sense of what the liturgy is all about, preparing what he has termed a “reform of the reform”.

4. As a young American, I must disagree with your characterization of the demand for the Traditional Latin Mass. This issue is at the forefront of orthodox Catholicism today, particularly among the young Catholics of the John Paul II generation. I was born long after the Council, and have felt deprived of my liturgical heritage. I am not alone.

Amen.

Archbishop Kurtz receives the pallium

Biretta tip to Whispers for the following story featuring Archbishop Kurtz's thoughts on receiving the pallium on Friday morning (thanks to the Eminent Blog for the pic):

The States, meanwhile, had but one recipient this morning -- Archbishop-elect Joseph Kurtz, who doesn't take the reins in Louisville until 15 August.

Just before flying out for Rome earlier this week, Kurtz called into the home office to offer some reflections on the days ahead. Appointed to succeed Archbishop Thomas Kelly only 17 days ago, he's had quite the month, with the last-minute trip necessitating his absence from Wednesday's launch in Denver of the first stage of the US bishops' nationwide initiative geared toward strengthening and encouraging marriage. (More on that in a bit; Kurtz is chair of the USCCB's Committee for Marriage and the Family.)

Traveling with a delegation of just five, the incoming head of Louisville's 200,000 Catholics, shown here during his big moment earlier today, said he had never been to a Pallium Mass, let alone concelebrated one, let alone on such short notice.

Having met Benedict XVI in his time as prefect of the CDF, the archbishop waxed filial of his "great admiration" for the Pope; "I love his writings, his pastoral leadership," he said.

"I just think we're really blessed with this Holy Father."

As the incoming metropolitan over the province he's been a suffragan bishop of for the last seven years, the archbishop-elect said the in-house move had a deeper meaning to it as opposed to entering a province as a newcomer. He praised Kelly, who he singled out among the nation's 34 archbishops for having "really worked hard on bring together the bishops of our province for prayer, for support -- for unity, really."

Noting his happiness that "there are no strangers" among the bishops of Kentucky and Tennessee, Kurtz pledged to maintain the close ties. Continuing Kelly's work "is a great blessing," he said.

Saying he's spent the last few weeks boning up on the history of the pallium, the 60 year-old pilgrim prelate said he was expecting a "very moving" morning. He "didn't expect" to be making the trip this year, he said, noting that it was the nuncio to Washington, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, who "urged" him not to delay his reception of the lambswool band until 2008.

Even so, Kurtz looked on the bright side, musing that "having such a small group might make me focus on the more spiritual aspects of this great event." Two Knoxvilleans with him in the Eternal City, and the outgoing head of its burgeoning local church said he "didn't think it'd be as emotional" to leave as it's proven itself to be.

"I've really felt a great bond with the people here," he said. Even though Louisville offers a wealth of opportunities for new bonds, he mused that missing the "great warmth" and "great unity" of Tennessee and his team there "would be the hard part.

"We have a wonderful diocese here," he said, "it's such a vibrant church.

"People really desire to live the faith and to be true to it.... Being bishop here is kind of like being pastor of a larger [parish] church."

While Kurtz's delegation includes two Tennesseans and two representatives from Louisville, it should come as no surprise that -- as with every ecclesiastical party worth its salt -- the group includes a Philadelphian: Kurtz's longtime friend and seminary classmate Msgr Herbert Bevard, who celebrates a new ministry of his own this weekend as he's installed as regional vicar of the city's northern half.

For those curious about the pins he'll need to keep his new garb weighed down, they're staying within the family -- Kurtz said his set of the traditional three gemmed spikes will be, at his precessor's insistence, a gift of Archbishop Kelly.

CNS has some other comments from His Grace:

Carrying a shopping bag with a box containing his pallium, Archbishop Kurtz told Catholic News Service, "the whole Mass and ceremony kept saying to us, 'You are Christ, the only son of God.'"

It was a reminder that "we are called to serve Christ in union with the Holy Father," he said.

The archbishop said the fact that he was just named to the Archdiocese of Louisville June 12 and will not be installed as archbishop until Aug. 15 meant there was no time to organize an archdiocesan pilgrimage to travel to Rome with him.

But, he said, "that allowed for a very spiritual mindset" and means he will enter the Louisville Archdiocese wearing a symbol of "the yoke, serving the people in the name and the power of Christ," who carried the lost sheep back to the flock.

"I think it's beautiful to be able to go to my installation with the pallium," he said. "I will bring it to the people."

Finally, Whispers also provides the words spoken by His Holiness before bestowing the pallium (which are quite inspirational):

To the glory of Almighty God and the praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of the apostles Peter and Paul, and of the Holy Roman Church, for the honor of the Churches, which have been placed in your care, and as a symbol of your authority as metropolitan archbishop: We confer on you the pallium taken from the tomb of Peter to wear within the limits of your ecclesiastical province.

May this pallium be a symbol of unity
and a sign of your communion with the Apostolic See,
a bond of love, and an incentive to courage.
On the day of the coming and manifestation
of our great God and chief shepherd, Jesus Christ,
may you and the flock entrusted to you
be clothed with immortality and glory.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.