Milwaukee seminarians battle for St. Lawrence Cup

Catholic and Episcopal seminarians will take to the gridiron for annual flag football battle for the St. Lawrence Cup between the St. Francis De Sales Shoremen and Nashotah House Knights at 3 p.m. Sunday at Thomas More High School.

The Catholic Shoremen are looking to make it three in a row, says Ryan Pruess, a 6-1, 325-pound offensive lineman. But Knights Coach Jason Murbarger promises to knock them off with receivers “more nimble than the mind of Thomas Aquinas”[LOL] and a former All-American quarterback.”

For the record, that’s Tony “the arm” Blything. He’s not technically an “All-American,” says Murbarger. “But he was born in America, and he did play high school baseball.”

The trash talk tends to be tame. (Who needs to dish dirt when you can invoke the saints?) [Haha]

“Last year, one of the announcers called them Protestants — they prefer Anglo-catholiclowercase c here — and they didn’t appreciate that,” said Pruess. “So they called us Papists.”

Ouch.

MJS Annysa

Great writeup!!!  I hope the seminarians don't mind being called Papists.  Some of us quite enjoy the description. 

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Bishop Callahan starts new blog "There is a River"

As I mentioned last time, October is the month of the Holy Rosary. The rosary is not only a favorite prayer of many Catholics, it is a powerful weapon in an arsenal for peace in our especially troubled times. On 7 October 1571, the decisive Battle of Lepanto was won. In it the Catholic forces of Spain and Italy fought against the invading Turkish fleet in what was considered the battle for Europe. It was the last battle at sea that involved galley slaves at the oars of the great ships going into battle. Christian slaves in the galleys powered the Moslem ships. The Catholic ships were powered by the rosary. As the Turks howled and yelled their battle cries, the men on the Catholic ships continued the recitation of the rosary. The Christian forces were at a terrible disadvantage and Pope St. Pius V knew it; he, therefore, called upon all of Europe to pray the rosary to prevent the Islamic invasion of Europe. At the time of the victory, the Pope, who was miles away in Vatican City, rose from a meeting and with tears in his eyes, went to the window to announce the news that the fleet was victorious and encouraged thanksgiving to God. The feast that developed was first called Our Lady of Victory, and has subsequently been changed to the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary. It is a focus of this month.

continue at There is a River

It's nice to see bishops (and priests) get out on the internet and communicating with the people.  Particularly our bishop who I'm told is a big Chesterton fan.  I would love to see him dig into some articles or issues of the day.  I mentioned the idea of blogging priests one time to a liberal Catholic webmaster who did not like that idea(go figure).  Priests don't give homilies at Mass because they are necessarily the best orators or the most interesting of people, but because by their priesthood they have been given the ability to reach people that cannot be reached even with the most perfect of logical arguments.   You will probably note the blog format is a little dated(no comments, no RSS feed, no linking to posts) but it's important to see these efforts being taken.  These things can always be improved upon.

St. Catherine of Siena was an academically uneducated person, but divinely enlightened to understand what God had revealed. Writing in the latter half of the fourteenth century, she is quoting our Lord in what He expects of His priests:

They are my anointed ones, and I call them my Christs, because I have given them the office of administering me to you, and have placed them like fragrant flowers in the mystical body of Holy Church. The angel himself has no such dignity, for I have given it to those men whom I have chosen for my ministers, and whom I have appointed as earthly angels in this life. In all souls I demand purity and charity, that they should love me and their neighbor.… But far more do I demand purity in my ministers, and love towards me and towards their fellow-creatures, administering to them the Body and Blood of my only-begotten Son, with the fire of charity and a hunger for the salvation of souls, for the glory and honor of my name.

- Fr. Hardon

Invest thy servant

Milwaukee seminarian Jacob Strand was ordained to the transitional diaconate
at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome yesterday. Prayers and congratulations to Deacon Jacob!

St Francis de Sales Seminary

Milwaukee 2011 ordination video

Thanks to Anne @ Imprisoned for sharing this video.

Fr. James Groppi and the civil rights movement

Ordained in 1959, Father James Groppi (1930-1985) was assigned to a predominantly black Milwaukee church in 1963. He participated in the 1963 March on Washington, and worked for desegregation and voting rights in Mississippi and Alabama with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. From 1967 to 1969, he brought this struggle home to Milwaukee with demonstrations for open housing and other efforts to combat de-facto segregation. For several nights in 1967 Fr. Groppi led marchers out of black neighborhods to rallies on Milwaukee's "all white" South Side. Arrested on many occasions for civil disobedience, he was instrumental in calling public attention to segregation in Milwaukee and in efforts to overturn it.

Father James Groppi and civil rights leaders during NAACP march, Milwaukee, 1968.

Father James Groppi with his fist in the air at the Wisconsin State Capitol. The Assembly Chambers were occupied for 17 hours to protest the budget cuts to welfare recipients. Father Groppi was later sued for up to $15,000 for the damage done to the Assembly Chambers during the protest. He was also put in jail for contempt of the Assembly charge, and faced a State disorderly conduct charge

Father Groppi is seated in the back of a police wagon with policeman after being arrested in front of his parish for the second night in a row.

Wisconsin Historical Society

Calls to mind the type of sacrifices it takes to repeal unjust laws and to change evil practices set in place by the culture.   Just because something is a cultural norm and legal, doesn't mean it aught to be.... and doesn't mean it can't be defeated on both fronts. 

Imagine if a priest was this passionate about his pro-life work.... 

Altar girls in the Diocese of La Crosse

I got this tidbit via a reader:

Shortly after altar girls were approved, La Crosse Bishop John Joseph Paul[1983-1994] approved the usage of female altar servers for the Diocese of La Crosse and it was his last official act as bishop because he retired soon after that. When Bishop Raymond Burke had the last diocesan synod, he had legislation approved prohibiting girl servers at Pontifical Masses.

Also a good article on the subject from Thee Catholic Herald.

Name the pope who said this:

“In conformity with norms traditional in the Church, women (single, married, religious), whether in churches, homes, convents, schools, or institutions for women, are barred from serving the priest at the altar.”

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Poll Alert: Save the altar girls

Mil Cath Herald Twitter

You can vote over at chnonline.org.  The poll is kind of halfway down on the right hand side of the page.

The question "The rector of the cathedral in Phoenix will no longer allow girls to serve Mass. Which best describes your reaction?"

My answer was; He's right; only boys should serve Mass.

But you probably already knew that.

Anyone else think it a bit odd for the Milwaukee paper to do a poll on the ongoings at church in Arizona?  On the other hand I guess it was in the news...

Servant of God, Fr. John Hardon on the matter:

All the evidence indicates that the reason for the approval of altar girls came from a strong representation by bishops in the United States. Now I have the document here in Italian. It is signed by the Prefect for the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and is dated March the15th of this year[1992]. And it’s in answer to a question whether both men and women can participate in assisting in the liturgy, and the answer is in the affirmative according to instructions given by the Holy See. In other words, the document approving women altar servers stands here approved by this Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

 I didn't have time to find the quote, but Fr. Hardon on multiple occasions said he pleaded with Pope JP2(who asked for his consultation) not to enact the exception.  If anybody has it, please post.

Update 8/26 5:30PM Keep it coming!

Option	Votes	Percent
He's right; only boys should serve Mass	29	78.40%
His decision is frightening and inexcusable	5	13.50%
He set youth ministry back several decades	2	5.40%
His bishop should set him straight	1	2.70%

Update 8/29 7:30AM

Option	Votes	Percent
He's right; only boys should serve Mass	47	81%
His decision is frightening and inexcusable	8	13.80%
He set youth ministry back several decades	2	3.40%
His bishop should set him straight	1	1.70%

Born deaf, new priest wants to expand church life for others with hearing loss

Father Christopher Klusman stands at the back of St. Roman Catholic Church on Milwaukee's south side and greets worshippers after the Saturday night Mass.

This is no ordinary receiving line. The well-wishers are smiling, beaming even. Some embrace him. Others cry. Few words are spoken. But much is said.

Klusman is deaf, as are many of those who'd gathered to take part in this Mass celebrated by the newly ordained priest in American Sign Language. It is a first for many, to experience the sacrament in their own language, signed by a priest they consider one of their own.

"It's so important to have a priest who understands our language, our culture," said Karen Lausten of West Allis, one of about two dozen well-wishers who attended a reception for Klusman after Mass.

"I feel like I've learned more about my faith from him than I have my whole life."

A Milwaukee native, Klusman is among fewer than 10 profoundly deaf priests in America, and he is the first to come through the Archdiocese of Milwaukee's St. Francis de Sales Seminary.

continue at MJS

Did anyone else think it?  I wonder if he would be interested in saying the Low Mass....  A nice story though.

Update: Fr Z with some thought

Update2: From a reader:

I just want to clarify something about Fr. Christopher Klusman, the deaf priest from Milwaukee. He read lips perfectly and also speaks perfectly well. He says Mass in ASL and speaks it at the same time and hears confessions face to face. He's an amazing priest and a real gift to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee!!! 

Fr. Dunklee lives on through his writing

The Rev. Lawrence Dunklee - known for his inspirational messages - lost a brief but courageous battle with esophageal cancer Jan. 7.

Before his death, the 58-year-old priest had been director of the Center for Spiritual Care at Sacred Heart Hospital, where he touched the lives of many with his helpful homilies.

Several weeks after Dunklee's death, Mary Ellen Bliss, his longtime administrative assistant, searched his computer and found "a treasure trove" of more than 20 homilies and reflections he had given over the past several years.

Many people had told Bliss how Dunklee had touched their lives with his words. She began thinking about putting them in book form "so that we could share his inspiring words with all those who loved him so much."

That book - "A Touch of Color" - is scheduled to be released week of Aug. 15. The publication includes multiple photos of Dunklee, and quotes taken from his numerous writings are displayed in the 100-plus pages.

Continue at Leader Telegram

St. Jean-Marie Vianney, ora pro nobis!

Source

Pray for our priests!!

"church sacramental minister"

Baptized, schooled and wed at Ss. Peter & Paul Parish in Hortonville, Bernie and Floy Olk’s second oldest child, Rose Mary, now 84, didn’t stop there.

After she and Paul Kreul married in 1950, the young Hortonville couple went on to have five children of their own, all of them blessed at the church’s baptismal font. And they all learned their ABCs at its former school.

Rose Mary Kreul is among the more seasoned members of the parish, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary with a 4:30 p.m. Mass Aug. 6, led by Bishop David Ricken and church sacramental minister, the Rev. James Feely.

Post Crescent

I cant even go any further.  There's more information at the link.  The parish website shows something called a "parish director" with a welcome message.  This phrase is also in their parish bulletin so it's not the writer of the article making such a shallow and utilitarian commentary on the holy priesthood.  Maybe we could call Bp. Ricken the "episcopal minister?"  I wonder how many priestly vocations this parish is sending out.....

Now that I'm thinking about this, what is a priest called if a parish doesn't have a pastor?  Wouldn't you just call him a visiting pastor or something like that?