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Showing posts with the label Pope Pius XII

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary | 2021

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August 15, 2021 November 1st, 1950, in his Apostolic Constitution  Munificentissimus Deus , Pope Pius XII proclaimed the Assumption of Mary a dogma of the Catholic Church. The doctrine of the Assumption solemnly decrees that at the end of her earthly life Mary was assumed, body and soul, into heaven. Contrary to popular perception, Our Lady did not "ascend" into heaven. Only Christ ascended into heaven under his own power. Mary was taken up into heaven by God. In celebrating her most glorious Assumption, we ask Mary to help us live with faith and hope, seeking God's will in all things. May she enlighten our minds to the destiny that awaits us, the dignity of every person, and God’s immense love for all humanity. "Now toward the end of the summer season, at a time when fruits are ripe in the gardens and fields, the Church celebrates the most glorious "harvest festival" in the Communion of Saints. Mary, the supremely blessed one among women, Mary, the

A Prayer for Palm Sunday and Holy Week

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[This prayer may be recited individually or as a family before an image of Christ crucified on Palm Sunday and throughout Holy Week. It is taken from the words of Pope Pius XII On the Sacred Liturgy .] "Dearly beloved, in Holy Week, when the most bitter sufferings of Jesus Christ are put before us by the liturgy, the Church invites us to come to Calvary and follow in the blood-stained footsteps of the Divine Redeemer, to carry the Cross willingly with Him, to reproduce in our hearts His spirit of expiation and atonement, and to die together with Him." V/ We ought to glory in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ R/ in whom is our salvation, life and resurrection. V/ Let us pray. All-powerful, eternal God, You have chosen to give mankind a model of humility; our Savior took on our flesh, and subjected Himself to the Cross. Grant us the grace to preserve faithfully the lessons He has given us in his Passion and to have a share in His Resurrection. This we ask of You

Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary | 2020

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August 15, 2020 November 1st, 1950, in his Apostolic Constitution  Munificentissimus Deus , Pope Pius XII proclaimed the Assumption of Mary a dogma of the Catholic Church. The doctrine of the Assumption solemnly decrees that at the end of her earthly life Mary was assumed, body and soul, into heaven. Contrary to popular perception, Our Lady did not "ascend" into heaven. Only Christ ascended into heaven under his own power. Mary was taken up into heaven by God. In celebrating her most glorious Assumption, we ask Mary to help us live with faith and hope, seeking God's will in all things. May she enlighten our minds to the destiny that awaits us, the dignity of every person, and God’s immense love for all humanity. "Now toward the end of the summer season, at a time when fruits are ripe in the gardens and fields, the Church celebrates the most glorious "harvest festival" in the Communion of Saints. Mary, the supremely blessed one among women, Mary, the

St. Marguerite Bourgeoys, Canada’s First Female Saint

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On January 12th the Catholic Church in Canada celebrates the memorial of Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys, a 17th century French missionary who came to the New World in order to serve the poor. She founded the Congregation of Notre-Dame in Montreal dedicated to teaching, evangelization and works of charity, a hospital and schools. Beloved by Quebecois, she was called "the Mother of the Colony". She was born on Good Friday 1620, in Troyes, France, the sixth of twelve children to Abraham Bourgeoys and Guillemette Gamier, and baptized the same day. Her middle-class family was deeply religious. Her father died when she was young. At 19, Marguerite’s mother died. The following year, on October 7, 1640, during a procession in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary, while looking at a statue of Mary, Marguerite had a divine vision that would change her life. She later recounted: "We passed again in front of the portal of Notre-Dame, where there was a stone image [of our Lady] above t

The Danger to the Church of False Reformers

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Numerous popes have warned of dangers to the Church and to humanity should false reformers enter the Church's hierarchy and sow apostasy. Christ promised that the gates of Hell would not prevail against the Church. He did not promise local Churches would be faithful: "many will be led into sin; they will betray and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise and deceive many; and because of... increased evildoing, the love of many will grow cold." (Matthew 24: 10-11) "These most crafty enemies [the devils] have filled and inebriated with gall and bitterness the Church, the spouse of the Immaculate Lamb, and have laid impious hands on Her most sacred possessions. In the Holy Place itself, where has been set up the See of the most holy Peter and the Chair of Truth for the light of the world, they have raised the throne of their abominable impiety, with the iniquitous design that when the Pastor has been struck, the sheep may be scattered." — Pope Le

Sts. Isaac Jogues, Jean de Brebeuf and Companions, the North American Martyrs

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Memorial - October 19th It has been said that the Catholic Church in North America sprang from the blood of martyrs, and the story of Saint Isaac Jogues and his companions is certainly proof of that. Jogues was born in France in 1607, and missionary zeal soon led the young priest to the New World in 1636, where he worked with the Huron natives under the direction of Fr. John de Brebeuf his fellow Jesuit and mentor. The Huron Indians, however, were not the only native peoples he encountered. The Iroquois were traditional enemies of the Huron and sworn enemies of the French. Consequently, when the Iroquois captured and held Father Jogues and his companions for thirteen months, they were imprisoned and tortured cruelly. Their fingers were cut, chewed, and burned off, and they were forced to watch the mutilation and killing of their Christian converts as a violent punishment. Father Jogues, with the help of the Dutch, was finally able to escape and return to France. He was grant

St. Padre Pio and the Stigmata of Our Lord’s Passion

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Perhaps the most distinguishing mark of Padre Pio’s holiness was bearing the stigmata, through which he shared in the suffering of Christ. Initially, our Savior’s sacred wounds, though felt by Fra. Pio, were not visible. On the morning of September 20, 1918, after celebrating Mass in the Church of Our Lady of Grace next to the friary, Padre Pio retired to the choir stalls in thanksgiving. Kneeling in loving adoration before the outspread, bloodied figure of Christ crucified, he experienced a peacefulness which invaded his whole being, a peacefulness, that he later described as "similar to a sweet sleep". What happened next is recorded in a letter Padre Pio wrote barely a month later to fellow friar Padre Benedetto: "It all happened in a flash. While all this was taking place, I saw before me a mysterious Person, similar to the one I had seen on August 5th, differing only because His hands, feet and side were dripping blood. The sight of Him frightened me: what I fel

St. Joseph Calasanz, Priest and Founder of the Piarist Fathers

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By Father David Powers, Sch.P. Saint Joseph Calasanz (1557-1648) was a holy priest and the founder of both the world's first Christian public school and later the Order of the Pious Schools (known today as the Piarist Fathers,) and he devoted his life to the education of poor children. He was born in Spain on September 11, 1557, in a little village in Aragon called Peralta de la Sal.  He was the youngest of five children born to Don Pedro Calasanz and Donna Maria Gastonia. His mother and brother died while he was still in school. He studied at Estadilla, Valencia, and Alcala de Henares.  His father wanted him to become a soldier, to marry, and to continue the family, but a near fatal illness in 1582 caused him to seriously examine his life, and he realized that he was called to the religious life.  He was ordained as a diocesan priest on December 17, 1583, after receiving a doctorate in both canon law and theology from the University of Lereda.  Calasanz served as a parish

Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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Memorial -  August 22nd With the certainty of faith we know that Jesus Christ is King in the full, literal, and absolute sense of the word; for He is true God and man. This does not, however, prevent Mary from sharing His royal prerogatives, though in a limited and analogous manner; for she was the Mother of Christ, and Christ is God; and she shared in the work of the divine Redeemer, in His struggles against enemies and in the triumph He won over them all. From this union with Christ the King she assuredly obtains so eminent a status that she stands high above all created things; and upon this same union with Christ is based that royal privilege enabling her to distribute the treasures of the kingdom of the divine Redeemer. And lastly, this same union with Christ is the fountain of the inexhaustible efficacy of her motherly intercession in the presence of the Son and of the Father. Without doubt, then, does our holy Virgin possess a dignity that far transcends all other crea

Pope St. Pius X, Undaunted Champion of the Faith

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Memorial - August 21st St, Pius X did great things for the Church during his relatively brief pontificate — he was pope from 1903 until 1914. He is perhaps best remembered as the "pope of the Eucharist," because he transformed the way ordinary Catholics regarded reception of Holy Communion. Among the modifications he introduced included lowering the age at which children received their first Communion to seven, the "age of reason." He believed that earlier reception of the Eucharist would lead to an earlier and deepened devotion to Jesus Christ in the most Blessed Sacrament. He was born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto on June 2, 1835, in the village of Riese near Venice, Italy, the second of ten children to a poor postman and his wife. He was baptized the following day. Though exceedingly poor, his devout parents valued education. At every stage of study, Giuseppe's intelligence and high moral character attracted notice. On September 18, 1858, Father Sarto wa

Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary | 2017

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August 15, 2017 November 1st, 1950, in his Apostolic Constitution  Munificentissimus Deus , Pope Pius XII proclaimed the Assumption of Mary a dogma of the Catholic Church. The doctrine of the Assumption solemnly decrees that at the end of her earthly life Mary was assumed, body and soul, into heaven. Contrary to popular perception, Our Lady did not "ascend" into heaven. Only Christ ascended into heaven under his own power. Mary was taken up into heaven by God. In celebrating her most glorious Assumption, we ask Mary to help us live with faith and hope, seeking God's will in all things. May she enlighten our minds to the destiny that awaits us, the dignity of every person, and God’s immense love for all humanity. "Now toward the end of the summer season, at a time when fruits are ripe in the gardens and fields, the Church celebrates the most glorious "harvest festival" in the Communion of Saints. Mary, the supremely blessed one among women, Mary, the

Pope Pius XII's Homily at the Canonization of St. Maria Goretti, Martyr for Purity

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Saint Maria Goretti died on July 6, 1902. The following is excerpted from the homily by Pope Pius XII at her canonization Mass on June 24, 1950. It is found in the Divine Office of Readings for the Feast of St. Maria Goretti on July 6th. "It is well known how this young girl had to face a bitter struggle with no way to defend herself. Without warning a vicious stranger (actually Alessandro Serenelli who lived with his father in the same house as the Goretti's.) burst upon her, bent on raping her and destroying her childlike purity. In that moment of crisis she could have spoken to her Redeemer in the words of that classic, The Imitation of Christ: "Though tested and plagued by a host of misfortunes, I have no fear so long as your grace is with me. It is my strength, stronger than any adversary; it helps me and gives me guidance." With splendid courage she surrendered herself to God and his grace and so gave her life to protect her virginity. The life of this s

St. Maria Goretti, Virgin and Martyr

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July 6th, is the optional memorial of Saint Maria Goretti. It is a rare thing for an immediate family member to be present at a saint’s canonization. It is even more uncommon for a murderer to be there as well—especially if that man was the one responsible for the death of the person being canonized. And yet, that is precisely what happened in 1950, when Pope Pius XII pronounced Maria Goretti a saint. Maria was born on October 16, 1890, in Corinaldo, Ancona, Italy, the eldest of five children. Her parents were poor sharecroppers and, in 1899 when Maria was only nine, her father Luigi moved the family to the tiny town of Ferriere, Italy, in hopes of finding work to feed his family. Little did he know that the business agreement he made there with a man known as Signor Serenelli would lead to such profound consequences for his oldest daughter. Serenelli had a son named Alessandro, who was older than Maria by six years. Although those who knew her often remarked on Maria’s “grace a

The Sacred Heart of Jesus and Divine Mercy

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Pope Pius XI taught that devotion to the Heart of Jesus is "the summary of our religion." And in 1956 Pope Pius XII wrote in his encyclical on the Sacred Heart, "Consequently, the honor paid to the Scared Heart is such as to raise it to the rank—so far as external practice is concerned—of the highest expression of Christian piety. For this is the religion of Jesus which is centered on the Mediator who is man and God, and in such a way that we cannot reach the Heart of God, save through the Heart of Christ." The devotion to the Sacred Heart calls for reparation of sin, and the devotion should lead us to a deeper understanding of His infinite love and mercy for us. Our Lord told St. Faustina, "My daughter, know that My Heart is mercy itself. From this sea of mercy, graces flow out upon the whole world. No soul that has approached Me has ever gone away unconsoled" (Diary, 1777). And yet, when we look at the Image of the Merciful Savior, we see rays of

Saint Joachina de Vedruna, Religious

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Optional Memorial of St. Joachina de Vedruna, June 10th  St. Joachina de Vedruna de Mas was born on April 16, 1783 in Barcelona, Spain, on the verge of a period of war and unrest. A loving and generous daughter, she exhibited the deep piety that would mark her life's work and vocation. At age 12, Joachina asked to enter the cloistered Carmelite convent, only to be turned away. Her parents hoped this childhood aspiration would pass. And for a time it did. She married Theodore de Mas in 1799, a kind and devout officer many years her senior, but was widowed in 1816. Their family was forcibly made to flee when Napoleon invaded Spain. Theodore remained to fight the French invaders, dying shortly thereafter. Joachina brought up their nine children with care. One by one, her children began to get married and leave home. Joachina weighted the future. After much reflection and prayer, she resolved to do works of mercy for others In 1826, guided by the Holy Spirit, she founded the

Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima | 2017

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May 13th is the optional memorial of Our Lady of Fatima, the title given to the Most Blessed Virgin Mary in the apparitions which occurred between May 13th and October 13th, 1917, at Cova da Iria, near the town of Fatima, Portugal, to three poor shepherd children. Lucia de Jesus Santos and Francisco and Jacinta Marto. Our Lady told the children that she had been sent by God with an urgent message for humanity. At that time, World War I was raging, and Europe was being torn apart by violence and bloodshed. Our Lady promised that God would grant peace the world over should her call for prayer, reparation and consecration to her Immaculate Heart be honored. The Blessed Virgin emphasized to the seers and to the world at large, "If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace." However, if it were ignored and people did not cease offending God, a far worse war would befall mankind, during which innumerable souls would be lost. That conflict, World

Feast of Saint Joseph the Worker

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May 1st, the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker. In 1955, Pope Pius XII established the feast with the hope that it would accentuate the dignity of labor. St. Joseph shows us that work when offered to God, no matter how mundane, routine or seemingly unspiritual, is of great value. Whenever people labor to support themselves and their families, they're fulfilling the same responsibilities that St. Joseph had in protecting and supporting Mary and Jesus. Our Lord said, "What so ever you do for my brothers and sisters you do for me." You are feeding and clothing Jesus when you work to provide for others' needs. The work Joseph did as a carpenter to support his family was done for the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Your work can also be done for Jesus as an act of love for him and an offering that will be for his glory and for the coming of his Kingdom. This is part of what it means to be a good Christian, giving a fair day's labor for the wages you ea

St. Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

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April 29th, is the memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena (1347 – 1380), the 14th century virgin, visionary and Doctor of the Church. Catherine di Benincasa was born the twenty-fifth child of Giacomo and Lapa di Benincasa in Siena, Italy. At the age of 6, she began to experience mystical visions including seeing angels. She consecrated her virginity to Christ when she was just 7 years old. Catherine defied her family’s plans to give her away in marriage by cutting her hair short and repulsing her future husband. Catherine's mother would eventually relent. With her family’s blessing, she became a Dominican tertiary at 16, where her visions of Christ, Our Lady and the saints continued. Two years later, she would join the Dominican third order, spending her days in seclusion and prayer. By the time Catherine was 23, Christ answered her prayer to take her heart and give her His own. The Lord Jesus appeared to her holding in his hands a human heart, bright red and shining. He opened

Optional Memorial of Saint Louis-Marie De Montfort

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April 28th, is the optional memorial of Saint Louis-Marie Grignion De Montfort (1673 – 1716). De Montfort's life is inseparable from his prodigious efforts to promote genuine devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Mother of the Church. " Totus tuus" (completely yours) was De Montfort's personal motto; Karol Wojtyla chose it as his episcopal motto. Born in the Breton village of Montfort, close to Rennes (France), as an adult Louis identified himself by the place of his baptism instead of his family name, Grignion. Educated by both the Jesuits and the Sulpicians, he was ordained a diocesan priest in 1700. Soon he began preaching parish missions throughout western France. His years of ministering to the poor prompted him to travel and live simply, sometimes getting him into trouble with church authorities. In his preaching, which attracted thousands of people back to the faith, Father Louis recommended frequent, even daily, Holy Communion

Saint John the Baptist de la Salle, Patron of Teachers

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April 7th, is the optional memorial for Saint John Baptist de la Salle. He was born at Rheims, France in 1651, became a member of the cathedral chapter at Rheims when he was sixteen, and was ordained a priest in 1678. Soon after ordination he was put in charge of a girls' school, and in 1679 he met Adrian Nyel, a layman who wanted to open a school for boys. Two schools were started, and Canon de la Salle became dedicated to the field of education. He took an interest in the teachers, eventually invited them to live in his own house, and tried to train them in the educational system that was forming in his mind. This group ultimately left, unable to grasp what the saint had in mind; others, however, joined him, and the beginnings of the Brothers of the Christian Schools was well underway Seeing a unique opportunity for good, Canon de la Salle resigned his canonry, gave his inheritance to the poor, and began to organize his teachers into a religious congregation. Soon, boys from