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Weekly Bulletin August 18, 2024
by Terrie Evans
On Monday, August 19th, we honor and celebrate St. John Eudes, the farmer’s son from Normandy who became a Jesuit and conceived the desire to care for women who have fallen into dire situations while on the streets. Born in 1601 into a Catholic family, John made his 18th Communion in 1613 on Pentecost. He went to study under the Jesuits, joining the Oratorian’s on March 1623, ordained in 1625, celebrating his first Mass on Christmas. During the severe plagues that took place in 1627 and 1631, he cared for the stricken throughout his diocese while dedicating himself to the promotion of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary. When he was 32, he became a parish missionary, preaching throughout France in over 100 parish missions. While working to promote his Catholic Faith, John realized that seminaries were needed. The new General Superior would not approve of his plan, so John decided it was best for everyone if he left the religious community, resigning as a Jesuit. He founded another order of priests, the Congregation of Jesus and Mary, called the Eudists; but was attacked on all sides even though it was approved by some Bishops. The approval he needed came on his third try from Rome. During this time, John Eudes never ceased to preach powerful sermons, especially to those outside the churches. While doing mission work, he became very disturbed about the conditions for those prostitutes who wanted to escape the life on the streets. John founded the “Order of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge;” with three Visitation Nuns who came to help him find a refuge for those seeking penance and in 1644, a house for these women was opened at Caen. In his 79th year, he preached in the open air every day for nine weeks. He died on August 19, 1680, with his cause for canonization commencing on August 19, 1868; with the formal introduction on his way to Sainthood on February 7, 1874, under Pope Pius IX who titled him as Servant of God. In 1903, Pope Leo XIII named him as Venerable and he was Beatified on April 25, 1909, in Saint Peter’s Basilica. St. John Eudes was canonized on May 31, 1925, by Pope Pius XI, 245 years after his death. In Saint Peter’s Basilica there is a statue portraying St. John Eudes located on the right side of the central nave constructed by Silvio Silva in 1932. On August 19, 2009, Pope Benedict praised St. John Eudes as a “Tireless apostle of the devotion of the Sacred Hearts”, during the celebration during the Year of Priests. Pope Benedict XVI described him as having “Apostolic zeal” in the formation of seminaries for priests as well as the fact the Eudes was a model for evangelization and witness to the “Love for Christ’s heart and Mary’s Heart”. St. John Eudes is credited with authoring the famous book, “The Devotion of the Adorable Heart of Jesus.”
On Tuesday, August 20th, we honor the feast of St. Bernard Clairvaux, (1091-1153), an Abbot, Confessor, and Doctor of the Church. Born in 1090 near Dijon, France he developed an interest in literature and had a special bond with the Virgin Mary, writing about the Queen Of Heaven. He studied theology and the holy scripture before becoming a Monk in the Cistercian Order. So impressive was the young Bernard’s commitment to the reformed monastic ideals that after two years, the Abbot of Citeaux sent him to establish another house at Clairvaux in Champagne where he was appointed Abbot. Bernard always emphasized the importance of a contemplative life for monks with the life of praying and sacrificing for oneself and for the world. Every day Bernard asked this question of himself: “Why have I come here?” He never wanted to forget that his main duty in this world was to lead a holy life and to save his soul. Bernard had the power and influence on more matters than many could ever anticipate and had the authority to decide between rival popes and persuade the wayward rulers to support the Church. He inspired countless Europeans to follow Emperor Konrad III and King Louis to join the 2nd Crusade. Bernard of Clairvaux took no joy or pride in his successes, he was doing God’s work. He helped found 163 monasteries in different parts of Europe before his death in 1153; and is venerated in the Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran Churches. He was canonized on January 18, 1174, in Rome by Pope Alexander III. His Major Shrine is Troyes Cathedral and the Convent et Basilique Saint-Bernard that is dedicated to him located in St. Bernard, Clairvaux’s birthplace, Fontaine-Les-Dijon. He stated in his writings, “Take away free will, and there is nothing left to be saved. Take away grace, and there is no way of saving. Salvation can only be accomplished when both cooperate.” St. Bernard of Clairvaux is the Patron Saint of Candle Makers.
On Wednesday, August 21st, we honor the life of Pope Pius X on his feast day. He was born Jospeh Sarto in 1835 and was elected Pope from 1903 until his death in 1914. By the age of 10, he was attending his village school after mass every morning before breakfast. A local priest helped him to study Latin and other advanced classes, with him walking four miles to the gymnasium located in Castelfranco Veneto, for his studies. Joseph would often carry his shoes so they would last longer as he came from a family with three brothers and six sisters. He wanted to become a priest at an early age and with the help of two parish priests, he entered the Seminary in Padua with a scholarship, where he finished his classical, philosophical, and theological studies with distinction. After his ordination, in 1858, he was made an Assistant to the Pastor in a small Italian town in the mountains where he said: “Holy Communion is the shortest and safest way to Heaven”. He spent the next 17 years in faithful parish work before being appointed Chancellor of the Diocese of Treviso in 1875. As Chancellor of the Diocese of Treviso, he made it possible for public school students to receive religious instruction and worked to bring religious instruction to rural children who had no opportunity to attend Catholic School. In 1880, he was teaching dogmatic and moral theology at the Seminary in Treviso and a few years later he was offered the dilapidated Diocese of Mantua as the Bishop of Mantua by Pope Leo XIII when he said, “I shall spare myself neither care, nor labor, nor earnest prayers for the salvation of souls. My hope is in Christ”. His devotion and work in the diocese revived its spiritual and pastoral life. In 1891, Joseph Sarto was appointed to the honorary position as an Assistant at the Pontifical Throne and on June 12, 1893, Pope Leo XIII made him a Cardinal, receiving his red galero on June 15th, assigning him to the Church of San Bernardo alle Terme, and appointing him as the Patriarch of Venice. After being named a Cardinal, and before going to his new post in Venice, Sarto paid a visit to his mother who was overcome with joy and sadness when she asked, “My son, give your mother a last blessing” as she sensed this might be the last time they would see each other. With this position, Sarto avoided politics with time spent on social works and strengthening parochial credit unions. In his 18th Pastoral letter to the Venetians, Sarto argued matters regarding the Pope saying, “There should be no questions, no subtleties, no opposing personal right to his rights, but only obedience”. He was elected Pope and began his Papacy on August 4, 1903, after the death of Pope Leo XIII on July 20, 1903. He was considered by the time of his Papal election as one of the most prominent preachers in the Church despite his lesser fame globally. He chose his Papal name Pius X after respect for Pope Pius IX (1846-1878) who during his tenure, had fought against theological liberals and for the papal supremacy, saying: “As I suffer, I shall take the name of those Popes who also suffered.”
Pope Pius X said in 1903: “The primary and indispensable source of the true Christian Spirit is participation in the most Holy Mysteries and in the public, official prayer of the Church”. He sought to modify papal ceremonies and in November 1903, when he entered for his first public consistory for the creation of cardinals, the Pope chose to arrive on foot instead of being carried above the crowds. He was devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Marian image of Our Lady of Confidence. Pope Pius X encouraged the frequent reception of Holy Communion and lowered the age for First Communion from age 12 to 7. He was known for his sense of personal poverty that was reflected in his membership of the Third order of Saint Frances once saying: “I was born poor, I have lived poor, and I want to die poor”. When he was criticized by the social leaders of Rome by refusing to make his peasant sisters papal countesses, Pope Pius X responded, “I have made them sisters of the Pope, what more can I do for them?” He became the Pope who loved children; and during his papal audiences, would invite children to gather around him and would also teach Catechism to the street urchins in Venice. As a Pope, he beatified 131 individuals and in 1908, made St. John Chrysostom a Patron Saint of Preachers. He also created 50 Cardinals in seven consistories and in 1911, Pope Pius X increased the American representation in the Cardinalate as the Catholic Church in the United States was expanding. Pope Plus X suffered a heart attack in 1913 and in 1914, he fell ill on the Feast of The Assumption as his condition worsened with the events leading to World War I (1914-1918). He died on August 20, 1914, the day when German Forces marched into Belgium and just a few hours after the death of the leader of the Jesuits, Franz Xavier Wernz. His sister Anna was praying by his bedside when Pope Pius X said: “Now I begin to think the end is approaching. The Almighty in His inexhaustible goodness wishes to spare me the horrors which Europe is undergoing”. His body was buried in the unadorned tomb in the crypt below St. Peter’s Basilica after his coffin laid in state in the Sistine Chapel. The original inscription on his tombstone read: “Pope Pius X, poor and yet rich, gentle and humble of heart, unconquerable champion of the Catholic Faith, whose constant endeavor it was to renew all things in Christ”. In 1944, his body was exhumed for the start of the Beatification which took place on June 3, 1951, at St. Peters Basilica by Pope Pius XII. He was Canonized on May 29, 1954, by Pope Pius XII in Vatican City. In 1959, his remains were sent to Venice via train for the veneration of the faithful at St. Marks Basilica for one month before being returned to the late Pope’s original resting place. After his death, the Society of St. Pius X, the traditional Catholic Fraternity, formed years after his passing, was named in his honor. He has been celebrated as the “Pope of the Blessed Sacrament” with Pius X also named as the Patron Saint of emigrants from Treviso and is honored at parishes in Italy, Germany, Belgium, Canada, and the United States. In 2003, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was asked if the 100-year-old Catechism of Saint Pius X was still relevant, he said: “The faith as such is always the same. Hence, the Catechism of Saint Pius X always preserves its value. Whereas ways of transmitting the contents of the faith can change instead. And hence one may wonder whether the Catechism of Sain Pius X can in that sense still be considered valid today”.
On Thursday, August 22nd, we honor the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a feast instituted by Pope Pius XII on October 11, 1954. In the 4th Century, Saint Ephrem referred to Mary with the titles of Lady and Queen. She is seen as the Queen of All saints because her Son is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity and as a man, He is King and the Lord of all creation. Jesus is our King because He redeemed us. The Blessed Virgin is our Queen because she played a special part in our redemption, in our Lord’s struggle with his enemies and in His victory over them; she therefore has a share in His royal dignity. As Mary took part in the Incarnation and Redemption by her Divine Motherhood and her sorrows on Calvary, she now helps in giving to people the graces merited by her Son. St. Bernard said: “It is the will of God that we should have all things through Mary.” The saints have also received the graces they would need to become saints through the prayers of Mary. All the virtues they practiced are to be found in her wonderous way. A Prayer to Our Lady Queen of All Saints: “O God, You have given us the Mother of Your Son to be our Mother and Queen. Through her intercession, grant that we may attain the glory destined for Your adopted children in Your heavenly Kingdom. AMEN.”
On Friday, August 23rd, we celebrate the Feast Day of St. Rose of Lima (1586-1617) a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic in Lima, Peru. She was born Isabel Flores de Olivia one of 11 children whose father, Gaspar Flores, originally from Spain a Harquebusier (Cavalry) in the Imperial Spanish Army and mother, Maria de Oliva y Herrera, was a Criolla native of Peru. As a young girl, Isabel developed a devotion to Catherine of Siena, of the Dominican Order as she sought to live in Christian perfection in accordance with the spirit of a religious order. She was nicknamed Rose because of her beauty and formally took the name Rose at that time. She spent many days contemplating the Blessed Sacrament and was determined to take a vow of virginity; opposed by her parents as they wished she would marry and have a family. When a rich young man wanted to marry her and offered Isabel a large home with servants, she only wanted to love and serve God. Rose became focused on the way her life should be. Her father built a room just for prayer and reflection. She would also help the sick and hungry of her community. To supplement funds for her work, Rose sold lace, embroidery, and sewing for the care of those in need. She became a recluse, only leaving her room to attend church. The next step would be for her to take solemn vows and become a nun; her father strongly forbade it, so she chose instead to enter the Third Order of St. Dominic as a lay member of the Dominican Order while still living in her family’s home. At the age of 20, she was devoting her day to prayer while wearing a crown with small spikes to emulate the Crown of Thorns. Rose visited homes of the poor and brought them food while offering all her sufferings and good works to God for the sinners. After a long illness, Rose died on August 24, 1617, at the age of 31, with her funeral held in the cathedral with many dignitaries and those from her good works in attendance. Her remains are placed at the Basilica and Convent of Santo Domingo in Lima, Peru. Rose of Lima was Beatified by Pope Clement IX on May 10, 1667, and Canonized by him on April 12,1671; as the first person born in the Americas to be Canonized a Saint. There are 95 parishes throughout the world dedicated to St. Rose of Lima with the largest parish located in Maywood, California. St. Rose of Lima is the Patroness of Peru and the people of Latin America with her image displayed on the highest denomination banknote in Peru. A Prayer to Saint Rose of Lima: “0 God, You filled St. Rose with love for You enabled her to Leave the world and be free for You through the austerity of penance. Through her intercession, help us to follow her footsteps on earth and enjoy the torrent of Your delights in Heaven. AMEN.”
On Saturday, August 24th, we honor the life of St. Bartholomew on his feast day, born in the 1st Century AD in Galilee and died 71 A.D. in the Kingdom of Armenia. He was one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus, identified as Nathanael and mentioned in the Gospel of John. Jesus said that Bartholomew was a man without deceit. The future disciple asked, “How do you know me?” and Jesus answered, “Before Philip called you, when you were sitting under a fig tree, I knew you”. Bartholomew and Philip were friends who came upon John the Baptist who told that the Messiah, the Redeemer, the Lamb of God is the one who takes away the sins of the world. When Jesus saw Bartholomew, he spoke to him saying, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no evil”. Bartholomew made an act of faith saying, “Master, You are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel”. The Lord considered him noble, pure “without evil”, honest, simple, and strong in his faith. Bartholomew persevered as an apostle and was granted a vision of the Risen Lord. After the Ascension, Bartholomew journeyed to India on a missionary tour preaching the Gospel where he left behind a copy of the Gospel of Matthew before going to Armenia. Bartholomew and his fellow Apostle Jude “Thaddus” are credited for bring Christianity to Armenia in the 1st Century with both considered Patron Saints of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The Saint is said to have been martyred in Armenia for having converted the local king to Christianity with the king’s brother ordering Bartholomew’s torture and execution. The Saint Bartholomew’s Monastery, a prominent Armenian Monastery from the 13th Century was constructed at the presumed site of his martyrdom in Vaspurakann, Greater Armenian, present-day Turkey. In 1892, St. Bartholomew’s Church was built from donations from the local Christian population near the place where Apostle Bartholomew was crucified and killed by pagans around 71 AD. The church continued to operate for 44 years until it was demolished in 1936 as part of the Soviet campaign against religion. On his feast, August 24th, St. Bartholomew the Apostle is remembered in the Church of England with a Festival. His relics were eventually transported to Benevento, Italy. A Prayer to St. Bartholomew: “Lord, strengthen in us that Faith by which Your Apostle St. Bartholomew adhered to Your Son with sincerity c mind. Through his intercession, grant that Your Church may become a sacrament of saltation for all nations. AMEN.”