Somewhere along the line….

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I recently saw some statistics on a particular community of religious women, and I now have a better understanding of why some communities (well, actually there are a number of them) haven’t had vocations for quite a while, and if they do have any, they aren’t very young.

This community listed all living members and the year they took first vows. Most took first vows in the 1940s or 1950s. Some took vows in the 1960s, but when you get to 1964, that is the last year for almost all of them. There are a few exceptions, a 1968 here, a 1970 there, and even a 1977! Most, however, that are still living and still in the community entered before 1965.

I’m sure there were many that entered from 1965 to, say, 1973 or so, but almost all of them left.

Those who had their novitiate and took vows before all the changes seemed to have a greater sense of the profound nature of the vows. They were marrying Christ for life in a particular religious community–this was not just about the community but about Christ and the Church. They weathered all the storms.

Now, though, some groups are merging with other groups, and this is taking its toll on even existing members. If I vowed to a particular community and the community no longer really exists, do I continue on in this new “merged” community with a different constitution?

It’s getting tougher and tougher, but the answer has been there all along, every day, 24/7: return to orthodoxy. True, it may not guarantee vocations, but it will definitely not hurt.

Sometimes, the answer is so close you don’t see it. It’s so clear that it is transparent to you. For many of these “most from the pre 1965 era” groups, it’s too late.

We are now celebrating the 50th anniversary of Vatican II. I think some groups are mourning the poor implementation within their communities. (This is not entirely their fault, because often “experts” presented workshops that told them what was “expected” of them, and the experts had an agenda that had nothing to do with Vatican II.) At least some members of the communities are mourning. Unfortunately, the leaders tend to forge ahead, rearrange those deck chairs, and prepare to leave behind a legacy once they are all gone.

On the Turntable

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Occasionally I’ll say what’s “on the turntable.” And today, it’s Dvorak’s Te Deum (a rare 10″ LP version). This is a strong choral piece with a great ending. If you’ve followed my blog, you know I’m a big fan of Antonin Dvorak.

A recent LP find is the “Golden Treasury of Catholic Verse.” The LP includes introductions by Fr. Gilbert Hartke, O.P.

Sunday Shopping

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I think this is one of those cases where the teaching never changed but everyone forgot it. I still hold to the “no Sunday shopping except in case of necessities” because it just makes sense. If we shop on Sunday unnecessarily, we encourage stores to be open, etc.

It’s actually not that big of a deal to me. No Sunday shopping–my catechist taught it and the rule still holds. If people have forgotten, they just need to be reminded.

From CCC 2187: “Sanctifying Sundays and holy days requires a common effort. Every Christian should avoid making unnecessary demands on others that would hinder them from observing the Lord’s Day.” If we didn’t shop on Sundays, more people would have Sundays off, because there would be less business. The argument that everybody shops on Sunday has no weight. If we want to follow the 10 commandments, we should do our best to follow them, even if we see no examples from anybody we know.

Bl. Miguel Pro — The Movie

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When I saw For Greater Glory, I noticed that Bl. Miguel Pro was noticeably absent, but I also thought, “But there is a movie about him already.” A portrayal of his execution is present at the end of the movie, but there doesn’t seem to be any mention of him otherwise.

Yes, there was a movie made about Bl. Miguel Pro. It’s not the greatest, but it does exist. The original title is Rain for a Dusty Summer, but it is currently marketed on DVD as Guns of the Revolution.

It’s a low budget movie made in 1971 using “Spaghetti Western” techniques–filmed in Spain mainly.

Overall, it’s fair, but there are some hilarious scenes of Bl. Miguel Pro hiding in plain sight and evading the authorities. It shows that an excellent movie could be made about him. It would put the audience in stitches.

The performance of Fr. Humberto Almazán as Padre Miguel Pro is excellent. He actually is a priest, and was when he acted the role! He brings out the clowning, playful character of the blessed who, by keeping things light, was able to help people during a very difficult time in Mexican history.

Ven. Fulton J. Sheen and Purgatory

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I recently wrote an article about the thoughts of Ven. Fulton J. Sheen on the subject of Purgatory.

Here is a paragraph from his book The Moral Universe: A Preface to Christian Living.

Three possible states await a soul after death:
a state of perfect Love without suffering which is heaven;
a state of suffering without Love which is hell,
and a state of Love with suffering which is Purgatory.
Purgatory is a creation of the mercy of God. (128)

A PDF of the article can be found here.

Quotes from St. Maximilian Kolbe

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I’ve got a book filled with great quotes from St. Maximilian Kolbe (Maria Was His Middle Name). Here’s an example:

“[Mary’s] will does not differ from the will of God. Calling upon Her without reserve, you manifest a love for the will of God, for Her will is so perfect that in nothing does it differ from His. Thus you give glory to God that He created so perfect a creature and took Her for His Mother.”
–Letter to a religious brother, 18.IV.1934

“The Immaculate One left this earth, but Her life is deep in the hearts of men and has spread wide and far. If all the souls that have made this earthly pilgrimage could speak, there would be countless ponderous tomes to witness the activity of the Immaculate One, that sensitive mother of souls, purchased by the Precious Blood of her Divine Son…” (From Material for a Book on the Immaculate: Throughout the Ages) (pg. 70)

Us vs. Them

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The National Catholic Reporter released an article about a women’s religious community with a fairly young “epochal footprint” (the word epochal is real, but I made up the phrase). They’ve taken down the page, but the unedited original article can still be read here.

There are (or rather were) many comments under the article that bemoan the “us vs. them” attitude of a young (age 26) religious sister.

But, wait a minute here, when I think of the National Catholic Reporter, I think of a paper that strongly (and I mean strongly) encourages an “us vs. them” attitude. Most articles down through the years seem to have this sort of attitude. Read any given article about Mother Angelica in the paper from years past and I think you will see an “us vs. them (or her)” sort of attitude.

So, now it is forbidden for young religious to have such an attitude? Isn’t that what the 60’s were all about? It was a time to rally against the ‘stablishment, man. Change, change, change.

Well, change is coming, but it’s not the sort the ‘stablished communities were hoping for. It is indeed a case of “us vs. them,” by virtue of “young vs. old.” I thought that was encouraged in the 1960s. The CMSWR came into existence because of some women’s religious communities complaining about the direction the LCWR was taking. The CMSWR, therefore, is the newer group. This seems to get lost in the rhetoric.

True, the ’60s were also about everybody getting along. The Beatles sang that all you need is love. They promptly broke up and held grudges for many years.

Somehow, I remember the Beatles breaking up and not being able to reunite better than what they sang about. Actions speak louder than words. Music can give one a false feeling that everything is fine, but, I hate to tell you, it isn’t. The young are seeking a better way, and they are finding it. They don’t have grudges about “them” but they also know they are quite different from “them.” The times they are a’changin’… (and this is a bad thing?)

Back in 1993, when Mother Angelica gave her famous “I’m so tired of you…” speech, which came about because of a young woman playing the part of Christ during the Stations of the Cross (the reason was obvious), she said something to the effect of, Go ahead and keep doing what you are doing. See how many vocations you get. See how many people follow you… (Not an exact quote.) She gave a challenge, and the young religious are going ahead… and siding with Mother Angelica.

Olympic Swimmers and Mary’s Intercession

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Mireia Belmonte, a 21 year-old Olympic swimmer from Spain, recently went to the shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat to dedicate the silver medals she won to the Virgin Mary.

It should also be noted that 15 year old Katie Ledecky (US), who won gold in one of the races that Mireia won silver in, said that she prays a Hail Mary before each race.
Mireia Belmonte at Shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat
Mireia Belmonte dedicates her Olympic medals to the Virgin Mary

There Will Be Time Later

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World War II was still raging less than 70 years ago.

A soliloquy about it written in 1944 by Norman Corwin called “There Will Be Time Later,” brings the reality of those days to the listener.

From 68 years ago: August 15, 1944: There Will Be Time Later.

This will give you pause to give thanks to God for the relatively peaceful situation we live in today.

There is, without a doubt, a longing for peace that is palpable in this soliloquy, but a recognition that it has not come yet. But also, hope. Why listen to this now? I guess you have to listen to it to see why.

Vollert on Mary and the Church

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“But she was redeemed quite otherwise than the rest of men; she was preserved form contracting the sin of nature. She was redeemed apart, and therefore placed apart. Her fullness of grace, which grew in her all her life, was not dependent on the Church, but has its explanation in her divine maternity, its rule and measure. Thus she constitutes an order apart, so that she alone can enter into comparison with the rest of the Church. This fact makes possible an analogy between her, a particular person, and the collectivity which is the Church.” Vollert, Cyril, “Mary and the Chruch,” in Mariology (Carol, Juniper, editor) vol. 2, p. 558.