Harvey Millican's Blog: Musings of a Trad Dad

Not as extensive as Barnhardt’s memes but things have been so heavy lately I had to share this one…

On Thursday night, December 14, 2023, only 15 days past his 86th birthday, Fr. James Buckley departed this earthly life.

And what a life!

Although it seems impossible, there are probably a few people in the trad world who did not know Father. I would like to give just one quick story to illustrate the love this holy priest had for his people and for the holy priesthood.

Father was instrumental in my own love of tradition and he didn’t even know it. His preaching was flawless. He was a gifted teacher and even in his later years he could preach a perfect sermon off the cuff replete with accurate dates and names of obscure saints and references to literary masterpieces. All the while he was fascinating and humorous and joyful and faithful. I loved hearing him preach.

But I loved even more finding myself in his confessional.

Father would frequently reference St. Ignatius and quote him. “When you wake up in the morning, ask yourself, ‘Christ died for me. What have I ever done for Christ?’” He would assign seemingly harsh penances but always explain why. “When you pray your rosary over the next ten days,” he would say – the assumption being that you would be saying your rosary daily, “I want you to pray three decades of it with your arms outstretched in the manner of Christ on the Cross.” He would then explain that he wanted me to not only come to imitate Our Lord perfectly that I might grow in holiness but also, “so you can perform true penances in this life. If you have to do them after you die, it’s going to be worse for you. Also, read the nineteenth chapter of John’s Gospel every day.”

I am sure he had seen it all in his life and I only came to know him over the past few years. But boy did I love seeing him walking across the parking lot on his way to the church to hear hours of confessions.

Tonight, traveling, I found myself at an FSSP parish in the northeast. At the beginning of Mass, the young priest announced that this would be a requiem Mass for Fr. Buckley.

And sitting in the back of this beautiful church as Mass progressed, I cried for Father and for the beauty of his life and the magnificence of the traditional Latin Mass he loved and that he offered so reverently.

Please pray for Father’s soul.

Our Lady, Mother of Priests, pray for us!

The friend I have been asking prayers for was called to his judgment late last night.

Requiem aeternam, dona ei, Domine.

Et lux perpetua luceat ei.

A porta inferi.

Erue, Domine, animam ejus.

Requiescat in pace.

Amen.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord.

And let perpetual light shine upon him.

From the gate of hell.

Deliver his soul, O Lord.

May he rest in peace.

Amen.

For safe travels. And thank you!

I’d like to ask for everyone’s continued prayers for a friend who is in his final days. The Lord knows who this man is so your prayers will indeed be effective.

Also, I just heard the most beautiful story about a series of miracles in the life of another friend (a fellow parishioner). I cannot share the details but I thought it was so neat how she described the events that I had to take a moment to acknowledge them. Remember, with God, ALL things are possible.

Happy feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe!

I am sure anyone reading this page already knows the story of how the Mother of God appeared to a peasant Aztec man named Juan Diego in 1531; how she told him to go to the local bishop and tell him she wanted a church built in her honor; and how she gave the miraculous signs of roses and, most beautiful of all, her own image impressed upon his cactus fiber tilma – an image which remains to this day almost 500 years later. The Blessed Mother’s appearance is single-handedly responsible for converting millions to the Catholic faith and she is rightly venerated as Empress of the Americas.

In case you don’t know the story, here’s a clip from one of my favorite TV shows of all time. It’s cued up but make sure to back it up to the beginning if you want to hear the eeriest theme song ever.