St. Pio Day of Prayer

Torch of The Faith News on Sunday 21 September 2008 - 21:55:02 | by admin

The papal flags were flying and St. Pio pulled another glorious sunny day out of the bag for the biggest St. Pio Day of Prayer of the year. This meant that the approximately 400 pilgrims who had travelled from far and wide could enjoy the whole day in the outdoor National Shrine of St. Pio.

Fr. Louis Maggiore OFM Cap. warmed us all up with a hearty and soulful rendition of Nobody Knows the Problems I Have! which he adapted to relate to the help we get from Our Lord, Our Lady and St. Pio.

Then Fr. Keith Windsor OFM Cap. led us in the Rosary mysteries. Here he is in the entrance to the outdoor National Shrine with the great saint's picture in the background.

Fr. Paschal Burlinson OFM Cap. was the main celebrant at the Holy Mass and he preached about the Hail Holy Queen prayer; which was so dear to both Fr. Paschal and St. Pio.

After Holy Mass, the pilgrims went forward to venerate the relic of St. Pio before breaking for lunch in the pilgrim's hall or out in the beautiful sunshine.

In the afternoon I gave the talk about God's love for us and the cross as the way through suffering to the resurrection; the role of St. Pio as shepherd, father and icon of Christ crucified; the need for a good confession and the dangers posed to the spiritual life and growth to Christian maturity posed by misuse of  TV; Christ's knocking on the door of each of our hearts to call us to repentance; and the need for us to take the Bread of Life out into our spiritually starving nation. We also joined our prayers and thoughts with those on the Pilgrimage of Reparation and Prayer for the Sanctity of Life which was taking place under the leadership of Westminster's Bishop John Arnold over in Walsingham at the very hour of our talk.

There then followed a blessed time of Eucharistic Adoration beneath the baking sun with several groups offering individual prayer ministry and several priests hearing confessions. A great sign of communion in the Body of Christ was the presence of Fr. Shaji Punnattu to assist with the large number of penitents. Fr. Shaji is one of the Vocationist Fathers who arrived recently to run the parish of St. Winefride's down the road near to the ancient Holy Well of that great welsh saint and martyr for holy purity. The arrival of the Vocationists represents a real blessing and asset to the Church in these lands.


   

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St Pio - A Great Saint for our Times!

Torch of The Faith News on Saturday 20 September 2008 - 15:47:25 | by admin

Well, the research is done, the talk is written and tomorrow is the big day at 2.00pm at the Franciscan Friary at Pantasaph.

During recent days, I've been very moved, challenged and inspired by reading more about St. Pio. All these resources are good. The little prayer and meditation book called Praying in the Presence of Our Lord by Fr. Benedict Groeschel CFR has been very helpful and I recommend it as a support for those seeking more time with the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. 


It strikes me more and more that St. Pio truly is a saint for our times and a sure guide for young people today. Hopefully, it wont be too long before we see Catholic churches getting built again in these isles and some of them taking the name of St. Pio. Wouldn't that be something!

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Pray, Hope and Don't Worry!

Torch of The Faith News on Saturday 20 September 2008 - 11:16:46 | by admin

Pray, Hope and Don't Worry! St. Pio of Pietrelcina

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Pilgrimage of Reparation and Prayer to Walsingham

Torch of The Faith News on Friday 19 September 2008 - 11:41:58 | by admin

Image of the feet of a baby at 11 weeks after conception taken from SPUC literature.

I know there is a lot on this Sunday, what with the St. Pio Day of Prayer at Pantasaph in North Wales and the Harvest Festival at Little Crosby, north of Liverpool.

Nevertheless, this is very important; Bishop John Arnold of Westminster Diocese and Fr. Jeremy Davies of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal are leading a Pilgrimage of Reparation and Prayer for the Sanctity of Life at Walsingham this Sunday 21st September.

11.00 - 11.45 - Confessions (Chapel of Reconciliation)

12.00 - Angelus and Holy Mass (Chapel of Reconciliation)

1.30 - Picnic Lunch and private visits to the Slipper Chapel

2.30 - Stations of the Cross - (Chapel of Reconciliation)

3.00 -3.45 - Eucharistic Adoration and Rosary

4.00 - Holy Mile walk in silence

5.00 At the priory - Prayer for England, Rosary and the Salve Regina

5.20 - Tea in the Pilgrims Hostel

6.00 - Departure

Even though we will all be separated across the miles, let us join our hearts for the intentions and trust the Lord to make up for what we lack.

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High Flyers!

Torch of The Faith News on Thursday 18 September 2008 - 12:31:41 | by admin

Honestly - the lengths we go to for this Blog! Today is the Feast of another  great Franciscan monk and saint; Joseph of Cupertino (1603 - 1663). This gentle and kind soul was nicknamed the 'Flying Saint' after entering an ecstatic state, and soaring above the crowd during the procession on the Feast of St. Francis during his 27th year! From then on he would be raised from the ground during Holy Mass; on hearing the holy names of Jesus or Mary; or when singing hyms on the feast of St. Francis. He had a similar experience when bending down in humilty to kiss the feet of Pope Urban VIII. Only the order of his superiors could bring him out of the ecstasy and back to earth!
St. Joseph was not by any means a natural scholar, but was infused with supernatural knowledge whenever called upon to answer intricate questions. For these reasons students and aeroplane passengers frequently implore his intercession. (Indeed, he is named as patron saint of air travellers). Being blessed with the odour of sanctity, he experienced the offensive stench of souls who were not living in the State of Grace and would encourage them to repent and make a good confession.

Our other 'high flyer' for today is Piers Shepherd whom we have learned is back in England safe and well after completing and graduating from his 3 years of study at Franciscan University of Steubenville. A fellow Brit, one of Piers' years of study overlapped with one of ours; meaning that we could keep up the British side together in the Sacraments class!

Piers has, as we say over in Liverpool, a lot of bottle (read courage). A classic story is his hosting of a pro-life stand at the freshers week at his English university some years ago. He was ejected from the building by the powers that be. Undeterred he pitched his stall outside the main entrance and continued there quite amicably. That is until some 'open minded' sort tried to ignite his display. Ah, the wonders of free speech...

Piers would be an asset to any potential employers; he has a BA in Film and Media, the MA in Theology and Christian Ministry and is a truly committed Catholic.

Welcome back Piers old chap; Blighty sure needs you!  

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The Feast of the Stigmata of St Francis

Torch of The Faith News on Wednesday 17 September 2008 - 10:42:33 | by admin

In the wider Church, today is the feast of that great Italian, cardinal and theologian, St. Robert Bellarmine. My mum and dad's parish in Bootle is named for him and today is a special feast for them (which is celebrated by the singing of a hymn specially written by one of the parishioners).

With our parish being the Franciscan friary at Pantasaph we are keeping the alternative feast of the Stigmata of  St. Francis. The above stained glass window is found in the friary church of St. David of Wales.

The first time I encountered the stigmata of St. Francis was in a Catholic bookshop that I had wandered into when I was a teenager. I was not a Catholic back then (indeed I was very anti-Catholic), but I was squeemish.I angrily fled the shop thinking Catholics were sick and wierd!

All of which shows the effects of Grace on a poor sinner! Today I love the Church and I think that little St. Francis must be one of the greatest saints in history. He has also profoundly effected the direction of my life at key moments. I now understand the stigmata as a rare gift given to chosen souls to be so intimate with Jesus that they become so like Him as to share even the sufferings which He bore out of love to redeem us from sin. 

This weekend I am giving the talk at Pantasaph at the St. Pio Day of Prayer on Sunday at 2pm. St. Pio is a faithful son of St. Francis who also bore these miraculous wounds of Christ to suffer souls into the Kingdom with the Lord. A few coaches are coming along and we will have the Rosary in the morning, followed by Mass, Lunch, the talk and then a Eucharistic Holy Hour in the Church. You are warmly invited to come along. 

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Ethel Dickinson R.I.P.

Torch of The Faith News on Wednesday 17 September 2008 - 10:27:19 | by admin

Of your charity please pray for the repose of the soul of Ethel who died recently aged 83. To her friends she was known as 'Eth' or even occasionally as 'Ma Dicko' in true Liverpool humour. Ethel was a neighbour of my mum and dad for several decades and was as much a part of their street scene as the road name signs!

Ethel was a long term member of English Martyr's parish in Litherland, where she was popular in the Union of Catholic Mothers. She helped the Union there to raise large sums of money to send to Sr. Mary Paule of the Bethany Home Charity for babies suffering from AIDS in Africa.

Eternal rest grant unto her dear Lord
and let perpetual light shine upon her
and may she rest in peace
Amen. 

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Our Lady, Star of the Sea, Seaforth

Torch of The Faith News on Tuesday 16 September 2008 - 15:23:07 | by admin

I've been asked to advertise the three Heritage Open Days at Our Lady Star of the Sea in Seaforth;

Wed 17th Sept - 11.00 - 13.00
Thus 18th Sept - 11.00 - 13.00
Sat 20th Sept   - 10.00 - 12.00

The address is 1 Crescent Road, Seaforth, L21 4LJ

With the church being opened to the public I am not sure whether the Blessed Sacrament will be reserved or not. However, it is well worth popping over to say a prayer there for the conversion of Britain and to have one's mind, heart and soul lifted heavenward by the architecture which resonates with goodness, beauty and truth.

When we first got married we joined this parish for the 2 years before going to America; during which time I snapped this picture one Christmas Day! Fr. Tom Wood has done a lot of work to restore and maintain this beautiful church in its original integrity. It is another gem, whose original altar, altar rails and all round splendour would make it ideal for the celebration of the Classical Roman Rite now that Pope Benedict has encouraged its widepsread use after the 2007 Motu Proprio.

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Harvest Home

Torch of The Faith News on Tuesday 16 September 2008 - 14:44:50 | by admin

In his books The Stripping of the Altars and Voices of Morebath: Reformation and Rebellion in an English Village, Eamon Duffy uses ancient parish records to demonstrate that the English Reformation was not representative of the popular mindset, but rather a radical rupture from the religious and social consciousness of ordinary folk.

Duffy contends that the Reformation's breach with the societal and individual awareness of the Blessed Sacrament and Holy Mass as the heart of the world, inevitably led to the tragic loss of the sense of God's Presence in the wider realms of selfhood, community, social order, nature and the seasons. 

Churches had their altars torn out and their interiors denuded of beauty; sodalities which had bound together disparate interests into the service of the communal liturgy were disbanded; cults of saints were discouraged; and the liturgical calendar waned. 

Parish communities that had formerly 'eaten into' the body corporate fractured out into social groups who gave intellectual assent to various beliefs. In worship the intellect was thus sundered from the body. Communion with the successor of St. Peter having been lost, such fractures continued, and indeed continue to this day.

The radical separations of mind and body, religious and secular, community and individual, culture and nature were exacerbated by aspects of the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution, the various ongoing political revolutions and the so-called sexual revolution. The sacred reality of existence; communion with God and between persons; plus the final destiny of man had all been lost. Or had they? 

I am therefore pleased to be able to advertise the Harvest Festival at St. Mary's in Little Crosby (see earlier post) this Sunday; 21st September. As a community which held onto and passed on the 'Torch of The Faith' throughout all of these upheavals, St. Mary's parish is quite unique and historically remarkable. The community there, in union with their faithful priest Fr. Dunstan and dedicated school head teacher Mr. Peter Hennessy, keep alive that same lived faith which touches all aspects of their lives, and both toils with and receives from nature, the good gifts of God's bounty.

A good lady from there called Pat informs me that Sunday's Holy Mass is at 11.15 am and the church will be decorated with farm produce as an act of thanksgiving. Also, the church will be kept open on Monday and Tuesday so that 'others can come and, in admiring the produce, give thanks to God for His provision'. Something well worth doing if ever there was!    

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Picture Perfect!

Torch of The Faith News on Monday 15 September 2008 - 22:30:34 | by admin

Our good friend Cao from Church has been helping us tonight to get some high quality photographs of Angie's cards.

We are hoping to 'roll out' an online shop soon on this web-site with a pay-pal facility for you to order our handmade Christian cards. As with the coming roadtrip book - watch this space!

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