The great feast day of the patron saint of the impossible is upon us. Many of you know of my own personal devotion to this saint. This is a most special day for me and my family. I wish I could be back at the Shrine in Philadelphia today but that day will come again. For now, here’s hoping she sends you a rose!
Translation of the solemn epitaph of 1457:
O blessed, how you have illuminated us
with your constancy and virtue before the Cross
where you received from Christ the King great sufferings,
after having abandoned the sad worldly life (of Roccaporena)
to go and enjoy (for singing hossanas to)
your moral infirmities
and the unknown wounds of your soul
before those far more atrocious of Christ!
What merit so great you have earned!
What great faith, greater than that of any other woman,
you were given!
So much so that you received from Christ one of his thorns,
not as earthly reward
because you never thought of having greater treasure
than Christ to whom you gave yourself entirely;
nevertheless, it did not seem sufficient
to consider yourself well purified,
so you bore it on your forehead for fifteen years
before ascending to heaven. 1457.
St. Rita’s feast is Thursday – May 22nd.
The final day of the novena is Wednesday.
https://www.saintritashrine.org/novena-prayers
Friends, Fr. Zuhlsdorf (known to just about anyone who would be reading this page) has posted to his blog an article entitled “Shut up, pray for the man, keep doing your thing, and stay out of sight”.
His combox is closed. I really have no objection to that as I never opened mine.
However, if I were to comment I might say this:
“It almost feels like you’re telling a lot of people to just shut up and let ‘professionals’ do their jobs. Oh wait, you literally are telling people to shut up. It’s the first words of your title. Also, we get that you’ve got credentials in the inter-blogo thing. You’ve been doing it for years. Yay. If my math is correct, you’ve had an online presence for almost half as long as I’ve been Catholic which is to say, my entire life so that’s gotta count for some cred for me, right? Speaking of… I’m going to quote your friend’s ’sage advice’ here. ‘there is no reason to pressure him [presumably Leo] and the good guys around him into hating you because you want to see your (often childish) agenda implemented by them NOW’. I don’t know about the people to whom you are referring, Fr., but the only agenda I want to see is the Catholic faith. If that’s an unrealistic demand on a bishop or even a pope, I offer my humble apologies.”
Guess I’ll just shut up and let the internet priests and their chat group friends do all the talking from now on. I couldn’t smoothly translate the Latin at the end.
Monday May 19 is the anniversary of priestly ordination for a young priest who was called out of this world several years ago. I did not know him. Nevertheless his tragic death should call all of us to thank God for our priests, pray for them, and pray for the faithful departed. And to stay confessed.
https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/a-tribute-to-fr-kenneth-walker-fssp-1985-2014/
The answer, apparently, is yes.
And her fleet is made up of pirate ships.
Stay confessed, friends.
It appears Bishop Rene Henry Gracida is in pretty serious condition. Please pray for him.
https://www.thecatholicmonitor.com/2025/05/lepantoinst-please-pray-for-bp-henri.html?m=1
Harvey Millican's Blog: Musings of a Trad Dad 