EWTIN is Now on Youtube!

Here's a sample of what's on YouTube from Fr. Corapi.

Urgent Plea For Help...! The Good Counsel Network

The Good Counsel Network is a group which works tirelessly to help women in crisis pregnancies. Fr. John Boyle highlighted the dire financial straits the group is in:


Today Good Counsel has £50 in the bank, we needed £445 to buy this week's food vouchers. We are supporting fourteen mothers and their children at the moment, whose only support is this small weekly voucher. Please pray the following prayer for the next nine days and if you can help, donate online (click on the sidebar link) or transfer money into our bank account (phone + 44 (0) 20 7723 1740 or email for details). As times are hard, our income has gone down and our expenses have gone up.

Please forward this message to anyone who you think may help. For more information about Good Counsel see our blog.


NOVENA TO ST. RITA
Helper of the hopeless

Holy Patroness of those in need, St. Rita, you were humble, pure and patient. Your pleadings with your divine Spouse are irresistible, so please obtain for me from our risen Jesus the request I make of you, that Good Counsel will raise the funds they need and my own request (mention it.)
Be kind to me for the greater glory of God, and I shall honour you and sing your praises forever.
Glorious St. Rita, you miraculously participated in the sorrowful passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Obtain for me now the grace to suffer with resignation the troubles of this life, and protect me in all my needs. Amen.


Our Father, Hail, Mary, Glory be to the Father...


They haven't yet set up a PayPal button, though, hopefully, they will do so very soon. I doubt that they'll mind too much which method of payment you make, but the faster the better!


Please help financially if you can, and by prayer either way!

H/t to http://mulier-fortis.blogspot.com/

Benedict in Fatima Watch it Here

H/t to the Vatican Channel from YouTube

Pope Pins Abuse Scandal on Church Sin

Pope Benedict XVI says the clerical child abuse scandal shows that the greatest threat to Catholicism comes from "sin within" the Church.

He made his comments in response to a question while en route to Portugal. Critics have previously accused the Vatican of attempting to blame the media and the Church's opponents for the escalation of the scandal. But the Pope made clear its origin came from within the Church itself, and said forgiveness "does not replace justice".

'Need for penance'

"Today we see in a truly terrifying way that the greatest persecution of the Church does not come from outside enemies, but is born of sin within the Church," the pontiff told reporters on a plane bound for Portugal. His comments were his most direct response to media questions, and some of his strongest words yet on the abuse scandal, says BBC Vatican correspondent David Willey, who is travelling with the Pope. Benedict said the Church has "a very deep need" to acknowledge that it must do penance for its sins and "accept purification". However, he added that forgiveness should not be a substitute for justice.

There has been a wave of allegations in the past few months that Church authorities in Europe and North and South America failed to deal properly with priests accused of child sex abuse, sometimes just moving them to new parishes where more children were put at risk. The Pope himself has been accused of being part of a culture of secrecy, and of not taking strong enough steps against paedophiles when he had that responsibility as a cardinal in Rome.

However, his supporters say he has been the most pro-active pope yet in confronting abuse.

'Spiritual crisis'

The Pope later on Tuesday landed at Lisbon, the capital, despite fears that the volcanic ash cloud affecting flights in the region would disrupt his plans.
Portugal is the site of one of Europe's most popular shrines, at Fatima
He celebrated an open-air Mass before a crowd of about 80,000 people in the city. Benedict told the crowd that nothing could destroy the Catholic Church. "The resurrection of Christ assures us that no adverse power will ever be able to destroy the Church," the Pope said during his address the banks of the Tagus river.

During his four-day trip the pontiff was also due to celebrate Mass at the Catholic shrine of Fatima, and in Oporto. Church officials say he will address Europe's spiritual and economic crisis. Although nearly 90% of people in Portugal are reported to be Catholics, only about 20% attend Mass regularly, the BBC's Vatican correspondent, David Willey, reports from Lisbon.

Pope Benedict intended to tell the Portuguese to seek solace in their faith to relieve the gloom of financial hardship, he says. Carlos Azevedo, the auxiliary bishop of Lisbon and the co-ordinator of the papal visit, said on Monday that the pontiff will speak about "the joy of faith and hope". "The moral values guiding the economy and politics show that there is a spiritual crisis," he said.

Portugal has been one of the countries worst affected by the economic problems troubling many European states. The highlight of the trip is a visit to Fatima on Wednesday and Thursday, where a giant outdoor Mass has been planned for as many as 500,000 people. Fatima is one of the main sites of Christian pilgrimage in Europe.

The Pope will be marking the anniversary of the day in 1917 when three Portuguese shepherd children reported having visions of the Virgin Mary in Fatima.

H/t to BBC News, this was an unusually balanced piece from the BBC!!!!!!!!!!!

Young Catholic Adults Host International Juventutem Weekend at Douai Abbey

During the weekend of the 10-12 September . Young Catholic Adults will be running the 2010 Juventutem Conference at Douai Abbey, the retreat will be led by Juventutem Ecclesiastical Assistant Fr de Malleray . The weekend will be full-board
Places are limited so please book early
* YCA will have half of the retreat centre to itself
* There will be socials
* Fr. de Malleray FSSP head of Juventutem will preach the retreat, Masses will be in the Extraordinary form.

THE MAIN GUEST HOUSE
Saturday 11th – Sunday 12th September (full board)*
51 pounds full-board (except Sunday lunch) PER PERSON PER NIGHT
25 pounds for students/low waged/unwaged (or whatever you can afford)

THE COTTAGES
£35 per person per night (full board). Self catering £25 per person per night (reductions for students:- or whatever you can afford) .

SELF CATERING CAMPING
£5 per person per night (or whatever you can afford - please bring your own tent and food ).

How to book - limited places so please reserve your place early
To reserve your place FOR THE WEEKEND (no deposit needed if you are coming for the day on Saturday 5th July), please a 20 pound deposit (NON RETURNABLE) to Damian Barker, Flat 5, 12 St. Catherine Street, Kingsholm, Gloucester, Glos. GL2 9DU (please make any cheques payable to Damian Barker). For enquiries ring 07908105787.

Young Catholic Adults: Newsletter

St Catherine’s Trust have very kindly helped produce the new YCA Newsletter. To download it go here

Http://www.tiny.cc/g3cc8

St Catherine's Trust, is a charitable trust set up in 2004 to promote Catholic education in accordance with the traditional teachings, liturgy and devotions of the Roman Catholic Church. It’s main activity at present is the organisation of annual week-long Summer Schools for young Catholics aged 11 to 18, and annual weekend Family Retreats for Catholic families, usually around Easter. To goto their website goto http://www.stcatherinestrust.org/

Birmingham Oratory Event

The Light of the World

Sunday, 27th June at 2:00pm, followed by Mass at 5:30pm

The Oratory, Hagley Road ,
Birmingham B16 8UE

An opportunity to hear first-hand accounts of the challenges
facing Christians around the world – and how you are helping.
Talks begin at 2:00pm, followed by Mass at 5:30pm.
We hope that Father Samir Khalil Samir SJ will be our guest of
honour, speaking on Christianity and Islam in the Middle East .
Father Samir is an Islamic scholar, semitologist, orientalist and
Catholic theologian based in Lebanon .

There will be a talk, based on first-hand material, on how your generous support has
helped victims of the earthquake which struck Haiti in January.
Fresh from project trips, UK Director Neville Kyrke-Smith will
speak about the Faith in Ukraine , while Head of Press and
Information John Pontifex will report on Christianity in Pakistan .

This event is free, but please reserve your place at
www.acnuk.org/birmingham or by calling 020 8642 8668

All Comments Will Now be Moderated

All comments will now be moderated due to spam being posted in the comments section!

A Shameful Attempt to Strike, at any Cost, Pope Benedict

I have just watched shameful denunciations on the BBC, of Pope Benedict, from such people as Michael Walsh (from Heythrop College in London and a leading theological dissident), it would appear that there is an orchestrated campaign to discredit Benedict; and that dissident Catholics and the liberal media pundits (like the BBC) are leading the calls for him to resign. The civil authorities and the American Bishops took no action for approx 40 years, and this is where the real blame lies. There is no link to Benedict, only Cardinal Bertone.

The real problem is that an "anything goes " attitude has gone on in the Church for years, indeed the "spirit of Vatican II," has infiltrated the Church almost entirely. In essence the Church has gone off the rails by being infected by the spirit of the world and it will continue to struggle until it returns to a more spiritual path.

All our prayers should be with the victims of these most terrible of crimes, they have had to put up with such wickedness - it is almost beyond bearing. May God help them in their trials.

H/t to Fr Z who I think puts things very well:-

"I have been struggling through the day with this post. I haven’t known precisely what to do about my anger.

The online edition of Hell’s Bible, in its relentless hectoring of the Catholic Church (ignoring the prosecuted sins of other groups) has a story about a priest who abused many children decades ago and about the way he was dealt with by the hierarchy. This recent round deals with a monstrously sick priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee (where one of the great liberals of the USA was in command, Archbp. Weakland) but who resided in the Diocese of Superior (where another great liberal, Bp. Fliss was in charge). The priest has since gone to his eternal, I repeat eternal, reward.


Vatican Declined to Defrock U.S. Priest Who Abused Boys

Top Vatican officials — including the future Pope Benedict XVI — did not defrock a priest who molested as many as 200 deaf boys, even though several American bishops repeatedly warned them that failure to act on the matter could embarrass the church, according to church files newly unearthed as part of a lawsuit.

The internal correspondence from bishops in Wisconsin directly to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the future pope, shows that while church officials tussled over whether the priest should be dismissed, their highest priority was protecting the church from scandal.

The documents emerge as Pope Benedict is facing other accusations that he and direct subordinates often did not alert civilian authorities or discipline priests involved in sexual abuse when he served as an archbishop in Germany and as the Vatican’s chief doctrinal enforcer.

[...]

But Cardinal Bertone [then just Archbishop and the Secretary of the CDF] halted the process after Father Murphy personally wrote to Cardinal Ratzinger protesting that he should not be put on trial because he had already repented and was in poor health and that the case was beyond the church’s own statute of limitations.

“I simply want to live out the time that I have left in the dignity of my priesthood,” Father Murphy wrote near the end of his life to Cardinal Ratzinger. “I ask your kind assistance in this matter.” The files contain no response from Cardinal Ratzinger.

The New York Times obtained the documents, which the church fought to keep secret, from Jeff Anderson and Mike Finnegan, the lawyers for five men who have brought four lawsuits against the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The documents include letters between bishops and the Vatican, victims’ affidavits, the handwritten notes of an expert on sexual disorders who interviewed Father Murphy and minutes of a final meeting on the case at the Vatican.

Father Murphy not only was never tried or disciplined by the church’s own justice system, but also got a pass from the police and prosecutors who ignored reports from his victims, according to the documents and interviews with victims. Three successive archbishops in Wisconsin were told that Father Murphy was sexually abusing children, the documents show, but never reported it to criminal or civil authorities.
[...]
I will not post the lurid details, which surely indicate a profound pathology. I am too disgusted by both the details and the Times for posting them.

And I am filled with anger right now at the harm that was done by those sick and surely wicked people. I just want to …

Thanks a lot you wicked b********s. Enjoy your eternal reward.

Have a nice Year of the Priest.

And God help me for these thoughts.

But I have to make a few more observations.

The NYT article makes the point that civil authorities also gave this abuser "a pass".

It is reprehensible that the bishops in that time, informed of what was going on, especially due to the extent of what the abuser was doing, did not act to put it to an end. It is hard to understand this. I cannot explain it in any terms that satisfy my anger… our anger.

Insofar as the CDF was involved, I must press the fact that the official who put an end to the administrative dimension in Rome was then Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone, who is now the Cardinal Secretary of State. People will accuse the Holy Father Pope Benedict, who was then Prefect, of personally trying to cover up what that deeply sick priest was doing. But Card. Ratzinger, Pope Benedict, is the ultimate delegator, the diametrical opposite of a micro-manager. And he hasn’t also been the best at selecting his delegates. His strengths don’t lie in the administrative realm, but rather the theological and spiritual. Someone is to blame here, don’t get me wrong. But while there is plenty of blame to go around, the responsibility lies mostly on the US side of the pond, with bishops who blew the case back in the day.

I wonder if Pope Benedict implemented this Year of the Priest because he knew what was coming around the bend.

Another aspect of my anger comes from the tension between my loathing of priests who harm children and the conviction that there is no sin that any infinite human being can commit which is so bad that an infinite and loving, merciful God cannot and will not forgive. Provided, of course, that we sincerely beg for mercy.

The sins this man and others like him deserve eternal hell. Bishops who mishandled cases this severe probably deserve the same. The fallen part of my humanity cries out for something worse than the rack for these men. I have to remind myself constantly that God is the final judge, and He can neither deceive nor be deceived. I even get mad at myself, .. how diabolical this all is… when I catch myself hoping they didn’t somehow obtain God’s mercy.

But Hell really is too terrible to wish on someone. We should never do that.

The Times article might talk about the "priest predator who got away". He didn’t get away from God. He might have escaped our earthly bloodlust, but He didn’t escape God. And I shudder for him. Imagine the what someone, some damned soul, experiences in his first few seconds of Hell.

We are going to see another wave of reports of these cases, with more attacks, justified and unjustified, on the Church.

I don’t know how many of the Church’s attackers are really interested in helping victims obtain anything like peace or even justice in respect to those who harmed them. I suspect many attackers have motives apart from the good of the victims. Others? They maybe were personally harmed and maybe they are sincere advocates for victims. Either way the whole thing is just ugly and sad.

I am also torn because I hate seeing the Church so hectored, so singled out, as if these crimes are only committed by Catholics. That’s just plain wrong.

I know that Holy Catholic Church in its human dimension has to undergo this purification. It simply has to happen. The Church will always be attacked from without and within, as part of a constant purification. And I would be inconsistent indeed were I not to apply what I constantly mention to those going through a harsh purification. St. Augustine said about Christ, Physician of the soul, who corrects us sometimes with nearly unbearable means:

"The doctor doesn’t stop cutting just because the patient is screaming for him to stop."

We are going to have another long and lurid round of exposure of sins and failures. It will be worse this time, because more regions of the world will start producing evidence of the same. The Enemy of the soul, the devil and the fallen angels, will use earthly agents to wreak havoc in the spiritual realm. As always.

So, God help us all. We must pray for solace for the victims of this crisis, and for lots of forgiveness, even as we pray for Holy Mother Church.

To a certain extent we are going to have to lie here and be kicked by anyone who walks by… until they decide that kicking someone else gets them what they want… that and must continue to revitalize our worship of Almighty God, who alone can see us through to the other side."

YCA-Juventutem Event at ST. WILLIAM OF YORK CATHOLIC CHURCH in Reading on Sunday 28th March 2010.

We will be meeting up at the 11am Traditional Mass at ST. WILLIAM OF YORK CATHOLIC CHURCH in Reading on Palm Sunday (28th March) and then heading off for a meal afterwards (place to be specified). Everyone is warmly welcome.

Where is St. William of York?

It is situated at , Upper Redlands Road, Reading, Berks. RG1 5JT. Located next to St Joseph Convent School. Large free parish car park next to St William Church. Sung Mass preceded and followed with Confessions. For more details see:- http://www.fssp.org.uk/england/pages/mass-times.php

Young Catholic Adults in the Universe Newspaper for the First Time

A few weeks ago YCA managed to get into the Universe for the first time (18th October)!

For a snapshot of the article, please see below:-

Young Catholic Adults Weekend Retreat at Douai Abbey 18-20 September 2009

During the weekend of the 18-20 September, Young Catholic Adults (YCA) held its annual weekend retreat at Douai Abbey in Berkshire in the south of England. It was by far the biggest YCA event so far, with three Masses in the Extraordinary Form, three talks and a Marian procession over the long weekend.

The retreat was led by the head of the Juventutem Federation, Fr Armand de Malleray FSSP. Some participants stayed for the whole weekend, while others came for the day to the Marian Procession and Sung Mass of St Januarius and Companions, which was sung by the Douai Abbey Singers. Both these events were open to the public and attracted approximately seventy people; moreover, the Mass of St Januarius was the first public Traditional Mass to be celebrated in the main Douai Abbey church since the liturgical changes of 1969.

One of the retreatants wrote: “well, it‘s been over a week since the retreat and I just thought I’d like to express my gratitude to .... Fr De Malleray and all those involved. I really appreciated the retreat itself, and the effort everyone put in. The retreat was exactly what I was looking for, a peaceful, laid- back and social setting, deep and thought-provoking talks, and the absolute beauty of the Extraordinary Form of Mass. I really believe this is what young Catholics need, something deeply enriching. It certainly helped me to be a bit more serious about my Faith! I feel really great as a result of the retreat; and having met all the other great people there was fantastic, it gave me the real sense of being part of something huge, the Church.”

YCA is always looking to create more local groups/events. If you would like to volunteer or be put on the mailing list, please email Damian Barker at juventuterncatholicam@yahoo.co.uk

Aid to the Church in Need Annual Memorial Mass for Departed Benefactors and Friends

Please join Aid to the Church in Need for the Annual Memorial Mass for our Departed Benefactors and Friends with a sung Latin Mass (1962 Missal) at 7pm on Thursday, 26^th November, Celebrant, Father Martin Edwards, at the Little Oratory, Brompton Road, SW7 2RP

Fraternity of Saint Peter Day of Recollection in Bristol

The FSSP is having a Day of Recollection in Bristol, I’m sure that it will be a great day – do go along!

Sunday 11 October 2009 at

St Antony’s Catholic Church, Satchfield Crescent, Henbury, Bristol BS10 7BE

Day of recollection by Fr Armand de Malleray, FSSP

(Superior of the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter in England & Wales : www.fssp.co.uk

and Ecclesiastical Assistant of Youth Movement Juventutem: www.juventutem.org)

EF Holy Mass at 11.30am, refreshments, talk at 2pm followed

with Eucharistic Adoration, confessions and Benediction.

Contact telephone number: 0117 9466 270.

Young Catholic Adults Douai Weekend 18-20 September 2009 Photos

Approximately 70 people came the the Young Catholic Adults weekend at Douai Abbey during September 18-20th 2009. Here are some photos of this extraordinary event.

Just A Few Places Left For The Young Catholic Adults (Part Of The Juventutem Federation) Weekend at Douai Abbey in Berkshire 18-20 September 2009

Douai Abbey have very kindly given Young Catholic Adults MORE accommodation and facilities for the Douai Abbey Retreat (18-20 Septmber 2009). There are a few places left in student/youth style shared rooms in “The Cottages.” The remaining spaces are just £35 per person per night (full board) or £25 for Students.

Events Open to the Public

Saturday 19th September 09’ at 10am –Mass (the choir will be the Douai Singers ) in the main Abbey Church followed by a Marian Procession around the extensive grounds of the Abbey at 11am (starting from the main Abbey Church).



All ages/Parishes/Church groups are warmly welcome to attend Masses and the procession. All events are organised by Young Catholic Adults (YCA).


How to book for the Retreat- limited places!

To reserve your place FOR THE WEEKEND (no deposit needed if you are coming for the day), please send a 20 pound deposit (NON RETURNABLE) to Damian Barker, Flat 5, 12 St. Catherine Street, Kingsholm, Gloucester, Glos. GL2 9DU (please make any cheques payable to Damian Barker). It is helpful for the Abbey if you include a contact address, telephone number and email address (as they can book you in straight away). For further enquiries please ring 07908105787.

Detailed SCHEDULE:

(Extraordinary Form liturgy and talks by Fr Armand de Malleray, FSSP, Ecclesiastical Assistant of Juventutem www.juventutem.org)

Friday 18 September(S Joseph of Cupertino)

1-6pm onwards arrival
6.00pm – 7.00pm Holy Mass in the Parish Church

7.00-7.30pm - Supper
8.30- Social

Saturday 19 September(SS Januarius B & Comps MM)

8.00-9.00am Breakfast
9.00-9.30am Rosary
10am Sung Holy Mass, main Abbey Church

11am Marian Procession around the extensive grounds of the Abbey at 11am (if bad weather, procession within the building).
1.00-2.00pm Lunch in the Refectory
2.00-3.00pm Talk: How to bear witness to Christ in today’s world?
3.00-5pm Free time
5.00-6.00pm Talk: Why and how to pray?
6.00-6.30pm Vespers
7.00-7.30pm Supper
7.30-9.30pm Adoration and Confession
9.30pm Social

Sunday 20 September (16th after Pentecost)

7am Holy Mass in Parish Church

8am Breakfast

9am Talk: ‘Thy will be done’ – God’s will, our fulfilment.

10am Free time

12noon Rosary

1.00pm Lunch in nearby pub

Access to Douai Abbey:

Address: Upper Woolhampton, Reading, Berkshire, RG7 5TQ, England.

Abbey website: http://www.douaiabbey.org.uk

Rail: Midgham railway station, 3mn drive from the Abbey.

Nearest main station: Reading (25mn drive from the Abbey), or Newbury.

Large free car park at the Abbey