Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Orthfully Catholic would like to wish all their readers a Happy and Holy Solemnity.

At the moment there are only a handful of Seminarians on site as the majority of the house are out on Pastoral Placements. All that are left are those going on Extended Pastoral Placements next academic year and those preparing to be ordained Deacon or Priest.

However this didn't stop us from observing the Solemnity with full pomp and ceremony. Last night the Blessed Sacrament was exposed in a 19th Century Monstrance with images of the Sacred Heart, Immaculate Heart and Holy Patriarch on it. After an hour's Adoration we had Compline, Litany to the Sacred Heart of Jesus sung in Latin, Benediction and the Solemn Salve.
This morning we had High Mass with bells and smells despite this meaning there were only the Lectors, Sacristan and two Religious Sisters in the pews.

Ooh, it were 'igh!

God Bless you all,

The Seminarians

Corpus Christi

Orthfully Catholic would like to wish all their readers a very Happy and Holy Feast Day and pray that if you had a procession and/or Benediction in your parish today that it went beautifully!

God Bless you all,

The Seminarians

Pro-abortionist running pro-life group

Mulier Fortis has an excellent post explaining how the Vice-Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group is actually pro-choice!

We are slightly miffed about this at Orthfully Catholic because we have spent the last few months getting information from this group to send to our local MP in order to ask her to vote against the HFE Bill and all the time the Vice-Chair of the group itself is voting for it!

Its probably easier to explain the Trinity to a nine year old.

TLM at Winchester Cathedral

Fr Z has discovered something quite astonishing. We always new that Anglo-Catholics are more Catholic than the Pope but this is another level.

Wnchester Cathedral have apparently asked Bishop Hollis of Portsmouth if they can have a celebration of the Roman Rite in the Extraordinary Form and he has graciously agreed on the understanding that it is a one-off!

Here is the link:

http://wdtprs.com/blog/2008/05/tlm-in-winchester-cathedral-uk-ps-this-is-the-anglican-cathedral/

ACE Talk by Fr Luiz Ruscillo

Last night a couple of us travelled to New Malden to hear Fr Luiz speak about the Bishop of Lancaster's incredible report on the state of Catholic schools in this country.

He said the purpose of the report was to explain a line in one of his Pastoral Letters, 'Many schools are losing their Catholic identity'.

Fr Luiz then went on to explain the document by answering two questions:

1. What is a Catholic school for?

It is natural for the Church to provide education for Catholic children, they must learn what it is to be human in a Catholic context. Obviously parents are the primary educators of their children and as such must choose the best school to go into partnership with over the education of their children.
Education must explain the meaning of life through the meadium of every subject at school, as Fr Luiz said, learning that E=mc2 isn't enough, children need to learn philosophy, theology and other subjects to get a rounder perspective. All subjects need to be brought together with the faith so that Christ is seen as head of the school - the Incarnational Principle.

2. What are the values a Catholic school would want to promote?

Gospel Values ie the Beatitudes
This is done in four categories; Profession of Faith (Catechism), Sacraments, Morals and Prayer.
Education is Fides et Ratio we must show our children that faith does not mean leaving your brain at the door. Teaching the faith is not the same as evangelisation. The school itself evangelises by making Christ known to the children, Fr Luiz constantly made the comment that schools are part of the Body of Christ, but this does not mean they are parishes in themselves.
Pupils must also leanr and practice certain of the Sacraments of the Church and learn and regularly recite Catholic prayers such as the Rosary and devotions to Our Lady and the Saints.
When it comes to Morality in schools one thing they all have in common is that the are very good when it comes to justice, ecology and poverty but disastrous when it comes to personal morals, particularly Sex Education.

To certain questions put to him Fr Luiz said:

We need to reflect on what makes a school Catholic. Leadership is the key; a school must have Catholic governors and teachers who are dedicated to driving their school toward this vision.

Recruitment is difficult today for a number of reasons but the secret is the same as that for recruiting priests. We need to rediscover the secret of how to inspire teaching vocations in our children rather than look at the need to close schools.

Catholic Culture must come out in all areas of school life. It is vital that teachers be practicing Catholics so that they can bring the faith into their subject.

It is importnant that the Parish Priest is on the governing body of the school and not just a chaplain figure called in to say Mass from time to time. This will bring a close relationship between the school and the parish. No one can replace the Religious Sister or Priest working in the school. Chaplaincy is of prime importance to the life of the school as part of the Body of Christ.

Christian Catholicism must not be taught as one of many religions nor Christ as one of many religious founders.

To teach morals by debate and vote is OK to a certain extent, but it doesn't teach the children moral truth and values. It isn't enough to say 'The Church teaches such-and-such so we believe it', we must say, 'The Church teaches such-and-such and we hold it to be the truth!'

Much of this is obvious to some but it simply isn't being implemented in our schools. We must get this document circulated and implemented as soon as possible in order to save our children's education!

LMS - Ladies Must be Silent!

The Latin Mass Society of England and Wales were due to have Pontifical High Mass in Cardiff Cathedral yesterday but cancelled at the last minute (Saturday night) when the Dean of the Cathedral insisted that one of his female altar servers be present on the sanctuary.

This is unbelievably petty! If there is no way of changing the Dean's mind just let her sit there with nothing to do, don't cancel an entire Mass over the issue. This is why people don't like those of us who are attached to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite; some groups, such as the LMS, politicise the situation. Then we wonder why we are called right wing!

In response to this all members of Orthfully Catholic have decided to withdraw their subscriptions to the Latin Mass Society as it is not good for Seminarians to be branded in this way; ordination is a SAcrament of the Church and a gift from God not a political staement!

Solemnity of the Blessed Trinity

Orthfully Catholic would like to wish all our readers a very Happy and Holy Feast.

May the Blessing of Almighty God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit come down upon you all, your families and friends and give you happiness and peace.

The Seminarians!

Ember Saturday

Caritas Dei diffusa est in cordibus nostris, alleluia: per inhabitantem Spiritum ejus in nobis, alleluia, alleluia.
Benedic, anima mea, Domino: et omnia quae intra me sunt, nomini sancto ejus.
Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto.
Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Caritas Dei diffusa est in cordibus nostris, alleluia: per inhabitantem Spiritum ejus in nobis, alleluia, alleluia.

Ember Friday

Repleatur os meum laude tua, alleluia: ut possim cantare, alleluia: gaudebunt labia mea, dum cantavero tibi, alleluia, alleluia.
In te, Domine, speravi, non confundarin aeternum: in justitia tua libera me et eripe me.
Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto.
Sicut erat in Principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Repleatur os meum laude tua, alleluia: ut possim cantare, alleluia: gaudebunt labia mea, dum cantavero tibi, alleluia, alleluia.

As at 12:30 today the examination fortnight is over. Thank you all for your prayers. Now we are all on Half Term before going out to parishes for our month long placements.

God Bless you all and please keep praying!

The Seminarians

Pentecost Thursday

Spiritus Domini replevit orbem terrarum, alleluia: et hoc quod continet omnia, scientiam habet vocis, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Exsurgat Deus, et dissipentur inimici ejus: et fugiant qui oderunt eum, a facie ejus.
Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto.
Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Spiritus Domini replevit orbem terrarum, alleluia: et hoc quod continet omnia, scientiam habet vocis, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Ember Wednesday

Deus, dum egredereris coram populo tuo, iter faciens eis, habitans in illis, alleluia: terra mota est, coeli distillaverunt, alleluia, alleluia.
Exsurgat Deus, et dissipentur inimici ejus: et fugiant qui oderunt eum, a facie ejus.
Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spritui Sancto.
Sicut erat in Principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Deus, dum egredereris coram populo tuo, iter faciens eis, habitans in illis, alleluia: terra mota est, coeli distillaverunt, alleluia, alleluia.

Please pray today for the Seminarian going to London to represent the Seminary at the Parliamentary Lobby for the HFE Bill. Pray that the Holy Spirit will give him the right words that will cause the MPs concerned to change their minds!

Pentecost Tuesday

Accipite jucunditatem gloriae vestrae, alleluia: gratias agentes Deo, alleluia: qui vos ad caelestia regna vocavit, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Attendite popule meus, legem meam: inclinate aurem vestram in verba oris mei.
Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto.
Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Accipite jucunditatem gloriae vestrae, alleluia: gratias agentes Deo, alleluia: qui vos ad caelestia regna vocavit, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Pentecost Monday

Cibavit eos ex adipe frumenti, alleluia: et de petra melle saturavit eos, alleluia, alleluia.
Exsultate Deo adjutori nostro: jubilate Deo Jacob.
Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto.
Sicut erat in Princpio, et nunc, et semper, in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Cibavit eos ex adipe frumenti, alleluia: et de petra melle saturavit eos, alleluia, alleluia.

Pentecost Sunday

Orthfully Catholic would like to wish all their readers a very Happy and Holy Pentecost and depending on which Form you will be using over the next week either a warm welcome back to Ferial Time or a Happy Octave.

God Bless you all,

The Seminarians!

Catholic Mom of 10 Revisited

Mulier Fortis has a post telling us all that Mrs Parkes has had to supplement her blog for strange technical reasons we simple Seminarians don't understand. The point is while her old blog is not deleted it continues here.

Examining the Dean

At 12:30 today we will have officially completed the first week of exams, just one week (3 exams) to go. Thank you for all your prayers so far, please keep them up for one more week.

Please also pray for us today because at 8:00 tonight the Rector will be announcing the new Dean of Students. We have been voting since Tuesday and there are two candidates. All fingers, toes and belly buttons are crossed.

God Bless,

The Seminarians

Wednesday Night's Television

As we have had two exams in a row and there is no exam today a few of us decided to spend the evening in front of Satan's Microwave. After Supper we watched Coronation Street and after that there was nothing of any particular interest so as Soap addicts we watched the 10th Annual British Soap Awards and as staunch Royalists we switched over to BBC2 during the commercials to watch snippets of City Salute with Princes William and Harry. I was rather looking forward to the second of these options as I am very proud of the British Armed Forces and our Sovereign, however, instead of feeling intense joy and pride I felt intense shame and anger. It was clearly part of the Socialist plot to reduce the Royal Family to nothing more that good telly. The idea was to raise awareness of the Military Campaigns we are bravely fighting at the moment, whether or not we agree with them we must still support our brave boys. It was held outside St Paul's Cathedral and the parade ground was marked out by members of the Queen's Guard dressed as Cavaliers and Roundheads - the Roundheads were traitors to the Crown! The Princes who have just been made Officers of the RAF (William) and Blues and Royals (Harry, who has also seen action) were made to stand in the crown wearing city suits and House ties rather than on a podium, in uniform receiving salutes from their regiments. The compere was Jeremy Clarkson and a few Military Bands were called out to perform popular ditties like performing seals. I felt so sorry for the Princes, Her Royal Majesty and the British Forces and ashamed to be British!

However, BBC1 made up for it with last night's episode of The Apprentice, which showed the losing team to be unbelievably thick when it comes to basic undersatnding of religion. The apprentices went to Marrakesh in order to carry out a task of haggling for ten specific items and spending less than the other team. One of these items was a Kosher chicken. The losing team went to a Muslim butcher and asked him to bless a chicken in order to make it Kosher, not speaking the local language they used signs, the sign for 'bless' being the sign of the cross. A local customer who spoke English tried to tell them that it was Halal, not Kosher but they were having none of it. So the customer said the butcher attends mosque, the butcher pointed upward and repeated 'Allah' and so the deal was done. Back in the boardroom 'Suralan' pointed out that in his CV one of the apprentices had called himself 'a good Jewish boy'. 'Suralan' being a real good Jewish boy asked if this is true why he didn't know what Kosher meant, the apprentice backed down admitting he was half Jewish and non-practicing. Vanessa Feltz, a good Jewish girl, later commented that if your mother is Jewish you are Jewish, there is no such thing as a half Jew. Turning to another apprentice who was 36 that day 'Suralan' asked how she had never known what Kosher meant, she replied that she didn't know what it actually meant and was dependent on the other guy's Jewish roots. In actual fact she had claimed to have perfect understanding of the term and didn't know he had Jewish rots before they entered the boardroom. 'Suralan' sent them out of the room to discuss who should be fired with his aides. One of the aides turned to the other and said, 'I'm Catholic, you're Protestant and we know what Kosher means. He's supposed to have a Classics degree from Edinburgh.' To which she replied, 'Edinburgh isn't what it used to be.' The best line in the entire programme had to be when 'Suralan' turned to the good Jewish boy and said, 'So you went to a Muslim butcher for a Kosher chicken, why didn't you go the whole hog and get a Roman Catholic Priest to hear his confession?'

Prayer Requests

UPDATED

Please pray for all the Seminarians at this Seminary who are preparing to begin their examination fortnight tomorrow.

Please could you also pray for the repose of the soul of the aunt of a former Seminarian and contributor to this blog who died recently.

Ascension of the Lord

Orthfully Catholic would like to wish all their readers a Happy and Holy Feast of the Ascension.

We hope your preparations for Pentecost are going well and that today's liturgies were fitting for the occasion.

God Bless,

The Seminarians

Ss Joseph, Athanasius and Zimbabwe

Between the Memoriae of Ss Joseph the Worker and Athanasius we held an All Night Vigil for the triumph of peace in Zimbabwe. We prayed that the work of politicians, aid charities and religious orders may bring an end to the reign of terror under Mugabe and that the Bishops of that African country may work hard to bring peace to the troubled nation and we had two perfect patrons for such an intention; the patron saint of workers and an African Bishop who worked hard to bring about peace in Northern Africa.

Orthfully Catholic would like to invite our readers to join us in this intention.

To Love, Honour and Obey

On the front page of yesterday's Torygraph was a story that has done the rounds of seminaries and Canon Law blogs the world over. Peter Phillips' fiancee, Autumn Kelly, has just renounced her Catholic faith so that when they wed later this month he does not have to give up his place in succession to the British throne.

What a stupid thing to do! He has no Royal title because his mother (the Princess Royal) didn't want her children to bear such weight; he is 11th in line to the throne; he clearly doesn't love her as much as he claims to because his birth right is more important to him; and yet she has put herself in schism for the sake of marrying a man she will divorce in a few short years time!

The reason the Canon Law blogs have been interested in this is because in 2006 the rules from defecting from the Church changed. In order to do so the person has to write to their Bishop to inform him of their intentions, no ordinary lay Catholic will know this and so anyone who simply decides to join the Anglican Communion has not defected, as they might think, but is in a state of schism without knowing it. This means that when the Royal couple wed their marriage could be invalid.

What we Seminarians don't understand is why the Royal Advisors didn't seek advice from the Cardinal or Nuncio of either England and Wales or Canada (Miss Kelly is Canadian) considering this is such a high profile case.

Some have said this is good reason the Act of Settlement needs to be disbanded, other say it is good reason people need to take faith a little more seriously!