St. Lawrence Center at KU

A Catholic friend is very enthusiastic about the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center at the University of Kansas. She described the recent surge in the numbers of potential vocations to the religious life, stating that the increase is approximately 400 percent over the past five years--from about 15 students to about 60 who are considering a religious vocation. I don't know if the numbers are valid, but if so the figures likely represent a real revival for the Catholic Church among young adults.

Tom Burke, Knight of Life

The 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) law makes it a federal crime to block access to abortion clinics to save babies. If a FACE-type law had been in place 40+ years ago, it would have strangled the Civil Rights movement. The Operation Save America website compares the two movements quite clearly.

Tom Burke of Kansas City, KS is a Catholic man who has been arrested (40+ times) for attempting to save babies from being killed in abortion clinics by "blocking access." This time it appears the government will sentence Tom to federal prison for a year and a half for his trying to save babies. Tom's recent pro-life work is described in the last paragraph of Congressman Jerry's Moran's report.

I spoke with Tom a few months ago and he said, "If people understood the great happiness that comes with doing this work, there would be many others who would join me in getting arrested." Tom was joyous when he said this, as he knows he has chosen a very special and rewarding way to serve God.

Tom's thoughts about the special vocation of non-violent resistance to abortion are described in his published letter to Joe Scheidler, founder of the Pro-Life Action League and another long-time whipping boy of pro-abortionists. [Joe will be speaking in Kansas City this fall.]

Dear Joe,

May the Lord give you peace. Thank you for being a committed and faithful pro-life activist. Please extend my thanks to your wife, Ann, your son Eric, and your daughter, Annie, too. I am very grateful for the love and concern your family shows for all children who are or were in danger of abortion and for their mothers.

Thank you for praying for the conversion of your enemies each day. God hears your prayers, especially when they are presented before the throne by the Blessed Virgin Mary.

God bless you all. Love and prayers,

Brother Tom Burke, Kansas City, KS

Please pray for Tom Burke as he sacrifices himself again for his smallest brothers and sisters.

How to Please God?

It may be as simple as praying more, and keeping promises. I've certainly made promises when I've asked God for special favors in my life. He always fulfilled His part of my self-initiated bargain. Now it's time for me to fulfill my end of the contract.

How about you? What promises to God have you made to solicit His gifts?

Mother's Count vs. Dad's Count

A family email from a daughter alerts everyone to the Homeschooling Conference to be held in Kansas City late this spring:

"I did not know if anyone would be interested in this conference....most topics could be applied whether you homeschool or not. This will be held the same time the National Right to Life Convention is in Kansas City."

[Attachment] I thought I would share with you information about our Kansas City Conference for Catholic Homeschoolers, June 15th and 16th. Our main speakers are Mary Ann Budnick, Cay Gibson, Maureen Wittman, and Kelly and Bob Roper.

The registration fee is $20.00 for an individual or $25 for a couple postmarked by May 15th. After May 15th registration will only be taken at the door and the costs are $30/$35.

Our oldest son, a numbers person, decided to check out the Homeschooling Conference agenda and speakers, and noted this humorous incongruity:

I looked at the profiles of the speakers.....

"Kelly Roper serves as a consultant ... Kelly shares nine children with her husband, Bob. Bob Roper is a member of .... Bob and his wife, Kelly, share eight children,..."

Maybe it IS possible to lose count....

Humorously, [Our Son]

My own thought is, "Is Kelly trying to tell Bob something?"

Wanted: Student Priests

An interesting collaboration has developed between Una Voce America (UVA) and the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP). They are co-sponsoring three weeks of training in the offering of the old Latin Mass to take place near Lincoln, Nebraska during June 2007. See complete information at Rorate Caeli.

China--Hope and Frustration

The Chinese government says it needs more Catholic priests because "Catholicism encourages love and tolerance for others, which can help promote the building of a harmonious society in the country." The China Daily article can be read from the perspective of Hope and the perspective of Frustration.

Hope:

1. New Chinese priests likely will learn Catholic doctrine, even in state-controlled seminaries, to pass on to new converts
   
2. New converts to Catholicism will likely increase because of more priests and churches
3. A respect for Catholic principles, even though adulterated, may favorably influence some Chinese leaders
   
4. Catholics will become more active and respected in Chinese society, sponsoring schools, orphanages, and medical clinics
   

Frustration:

1. Chinese patriotic priests may never be able to preach their faith without communist adulteration--such as compromising with abortion-- which means they can never be reconciled with Rome
2. "Catholic" medical clinics and schools will justify moral evils--including the "end justifies the means"--resulting in a caricature of the Catholic religion
   
3. New converts are likely not to acknowledge the Pope's leadership of the Church or Christian principles that conflict with Chinese government policy
4. The schismatic Patriotic Church will continue to be given favors by China, which seem to be tied to the increasing suppression of the underground church loyal to the Pope.

Deleted Post--"Way of Life"

When I started writing this blog at the beginning of last summer, I chose a pen name that was intended to remind me of what I am - dust. Several comments on "Way of Life" have caused me to regret writing that post describing a Saturday evening Mass at an unnamed church in Kansas City and it has been deleted. The critical comments were well-deserved. Even though my post is deleted, I am attaching the reader comments to the "Way of Life."

Readers noted that I misinterpreted "way of life" in the Eucharistic Prayer to include a homosexual way of life. I also typed "Latin" instead of "Greek" in reference to Kyrie Eleison. I focused on people's dress (jeans, in particular) that seemed to indicate a lack of reverence in church, and I admit this judgment does not consider what is in a person's heart and intention before God. My post did refer to administering the Sacrament of the Sick to most of the people in the church, including those not yet 40 years old, and I am still concerned about that. The almost exclusive white race in churches that I visited is also still a concern to me.

Some of the reviewer comments also apply to my other posts on churches that I have visited in the past month. I will leave these posts up, and welcome any other criticisms. For the deleted post that aroused righteous indignation, I admit my faults and sins.

C.S. Lewis on the Web

The most interesting and profitable moral and historical discussions on the web are found at John C. Wright's Live Journal. I keep thinking I'm reading and hearing another C.S. Lewis! However, I have scanned his Orphans of Chaos and cannot recommend it. It was written before his conversion.

God and God-Like

An old friend, Mrs. V and I had lunch together recently and we've decided to keep in contact more regularly. We discussed the 'every-man-is-God' heresy that seems to tempt so many Christians today. The error has many variations.

1. A person believes he can make his own ethical and moral rules by which to live--according to his own viewpoint and needs
   
2. A person does not commit grave (mortal) sins and thus does not need Christ's redemption
   
3. The Divine nature of Jesus Christ is confused with God's power keeping human beings in existence
   
4. The nature of Godhood (e.g., omniscient, timeless, unchanging) is distorted
5. A person believing he is God has a difficult time practicing humility
   
6. A person denies he is sinful and makes excuses for sins

The natural outcome of "every-man-is God" tends to cultism, such as the Mormon belief in 'As man is, God once was; as God is, man may be.' [The Mormon God can change because he exists within time--thus He cannot be God who created time.]

A good alternative to "every-man-is-God" is to unite our will completely with God's will. As Jesus recommended, strive to be perfect like His heavenly Father (Matt. 5:48). The Imitation of Christ is a traditional Catholic work advising a Christian how to pursue holiness and communion with God.

Quote - by John C. Wright

Everything in paganism from which the civilized mind recoils, as slavery, infanticide, polygamy, sodomy, had been defeated by Christianity, and made a recurrence only when and where Christianity retreats. [From his conversion story. I was fascinated.]

The Traditional Latin Mass in Pittsburgh --Fr. Kenneth Myers

The March 2007 issue of Homiletic & Pastoral Review, the oldest Catholic priests' magazine in the U.S., has an article on the traditional Latin Mass by a diocesan priest who celebrates regularly both the Old Latin Mass and the New English Mass. Fr. Kenneth E. Myers describes why the beauty, sacredness and solemnity of the traditional Latin Mass helps people pray and worship God. Fr. Kenneth Baker, S.J. concurs in his magazine editorial, "Reflections on the traditional Latin Mass."

One of the frank quotes of Fr. Kenneth E. Myers who was ordained in 1980:

Some people reading this article may make the accusation that traditional-minded Catholics are attacking the new rite of Mass. I tried for the longest time never to say anything negative about the Mass of Pope Paul VI. In fact, I offer it almost every day because I cannot offer the traditional Mass. I never doubt its validity and I always offer it with as much devotion as I can muster. However, I am not blind. I can make comparisons between the new and the old, and I can see the theological and spiritual shortcomings of the new rite: its failure to express the fullness of Catholic Faith about the Eucharist and the priesthood, its inability to raise up heart and mind from the profane to the supernatural, its confusion on the role of the priest, and its unfaithful and banal translations of the original Latin text. How do we hold on to what we believe in without making these negative comparisons? It is a difficult task.

Fr. Myers is described in the HPR article as a "parish priest permitted by my bishop to offer this rite of Mass and serve a community of over 800 people who are devoted to the Traditional Latin Mass. [He is] chaplain of the Pittsburgh Latin Mass Community, the largest diocesan Latin Mass community in the United States."

Pornography and the Archbishop

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, KS has initiated an important program aimed at fostering the virtue of chastity and building awareness of the evil effects of pornography, including suggesting ways Catholics can protect their families from its influence and counseling persons caught in this sin. [Although, the best help I personally can think of is to make a good confession that will supply God's grace to avoid the near occasions of sins.]

Every parish was required to show a movie of the Archbishop announcing As for Me and My House at all weekend Masses. As people left the churches they were handed material to take home, including a good checklist for a spiritually healthy family. The Archbishop's newspaper, The Leaven, also provided an important article on pornography. [I can vouch for the problem of pornography within the workplace--several years ago we had to discharge a good employee. He was warned, but continued his pornographic viewing anyway.]

What is missing from As for Me and My House? I don't see a recommendation that parents install and use filters on their internet and cable service. One internet filter that can be highly recommended is found here. Other filters are described and rated here.

St. Peter's Cathedral, Kansas City, KS

I traveled to St. Peter's Cathedral where 13 people had arrived early on Saturday morning to say the rosary before the 8:30 a.m. Mass. The side chapel has no visible tabernacle, so I left through a side door to visit the Blessed Sacrament in the main part of this beautiful Cathedral structure which seems to have been preserved from most of the ravages of the past 40 years.

The front of the chapel has a panel of Our Lady of Guadalupe and a statue of St. Joseph holding the baby Jesus. In the center alcove is a crucifix that is surrounded by green plants (perhaps artificial).

About 60 persons were present when Mass began, including one large extended family with small children that swelled the assembly in the small chapel with younger people, including two or three men in their 20s. Most people were older and white, and three or four Latinos were seen, but no blacks. The priest was assisted by an altar girl and an altar boy. A white-haired older woman in jeans was the reader.

As with other churches visited, the clothing worn was casual, informal, mostly jeans for people less than about 45 (including very torn jeans on one woman), and even one low-cut cleavage blouse.

The priest seemed deliberately slow and reverent in the prayers of the Mass, and appeared to be completely faithful to the rubrics required by the Church. He gave a short homily on how God has selected us, more than we have chosen Him.

The Mass was over within a short time, and I felt sad because people left so quickly after receiving Holy Communion--perhaps without adequate understanding of the Sacrament that remains with us for an estimated 10 to 15 minutes after reception (as long as the forms of bread and wine are distinguishable).

Sacred Heart Church -- Shawnee, KS

Part III of Church Visits

The first Sunday morning Mass at Sacred Heart Church in Shawnee showed small signs of the restoration of the Church in the 21st century. The modern round church structure is somewhat similar to St. Mark's in Independence, MO which was described in an earlier post, but without the intricate crossbeam ceiling of St. Mark's. The vestibule of the Church is quite large and has a beautiful statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The front of Sacred Heart Church features stained glass windows of the four evangelists, but quite a few windows remain of clear glass--as if awaiting special donations of the parishioners. The altar table was draped in purple cloths. The purple of Lent also covered the podiums/lecterns used by the priest, readers, and choir members who stood off the right side and were accompanied by piano. The tabernacle is not centered but is to the immediate right of the altar table on which Mass is offered. A circular stained glass window of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is above the altar table and a large crucifix is immediately below. Frescoes of saints are embedded in the rear wall on each side. Above the altar-table on the ceiling is a mosaic with a dove in a blue sky--representing the Holy Spirit.

Along the curved back wall of the church are stands of candles by two statues, plus a small shrine to the Infant Jesus of Prague. One of the two statues was of our Lady and the baby Jesus. The back of the church also had other stained glass windows, including the one pictured. Stations of the Cross are placed on the outside wall.

At the 8:00 am Mass, I did not expect to see many children, but I did more than a few. I listened to the wonderful noise of about a dozen babies in arms (this is a new parish built in the middle of many new houses). Most families at the early Mass appeared to have only one or two children. [The second Sunday Mass quickly followed and there were many more children than at the 8:00 am Mass.]

The priest processed into church with altar girls and an altar boy in white surplices, together with four or five others including the person who carried the book of readings. Everyone was asked to greet his neighbor before Mass started, and I was delighted that the welcoming period had been moved forward (so I thought) from between the Consecration and the Communion.

The average age of parishioners in attendance at the 8:00 a.m. Sunday Mass seemed to be mid- to late 30's. A few Latinos were observed, with the rest of the parishioners white. Almost no teenagers were seen (although as noted in the post comment on St. Mark's, this age group may attend other Masses). A couple of women appeared pregnant out of several hundred parishioners in attendance. Both men and women wore pants, and most of those under 45 years wore jeans. Women did not wear head coverings.

I was quite surprised that parishioners knelt for the introductory prayers confessing our sins. Heaven, hell, and the need for repentence were noted by the priest. The Latin hymn, Kyrie Eleison, was led by a young choir director whose masculine voice was a clear asset to the music in the Mass. The music was unfamiliar to me as it seemed relatively new. [I consider 'new' to be within the past 40 years!]

Before the readings began, about ten little children (4 to 6 years old) came to the front of the church to hear a very short talk by the priest. The children left the church in a procession carrying two wooden crosses, to eventually return to their parents after the homily. I assume there was special Catholic instruction in the adjacent school for pre-First Communion age children.

The first reader at the podium was a woman, followed by the responsorial psalm led by the male choir director. The next reader was also a woman. More women than men were also apparent in the lay distributors of Communion.

The homily given by the priest who had descended to the level of the people started out by touching on the Gospel where the Apostles saw a glimpse of God's glory. He noted God doesn't make junk; we make junk and the junk is called SIN. The priest then mentioned the religions of Abraham--Jewish, Christian, and Muslim, but I failed to note the context. The priest continued with "putting aside our junk" (sins) and keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus in His Body and Blood that gives us the unity that Christ wishes for all of us. Embrace our passion, our sufferings, our cross...

The gifts were brought to the priest by several youth and young adults, with the priest being accompanied by the altar servers as he accepted the gifts. Most of the time, the altar servers sat in chairs at the front of church, and seemed to have little to do.

The main part of the Mass won't be described here, except for those parts that caught my eye, including the re-shaking of hands that had already occurred at the beginning of Mass. The Agnus Dei hymm was sung in Latin and was followed by ten lay distributors of communion advancing to the high platform where they were given the Sacred Species to distribute to the parishioners. The majority of lay distributors were women in pants. Some of the distributors bowed toward the Eucharist before receiving it themselves.

While the priest purified the holy vessels after communion, the entire congregation knelt in thanksgiving. Parish announcements were then made by ladies who ascended to the speaker's podium, including noting the time of weekly Stations of the Cross. After extensive announcements, everyone left to depart the church. I did not see anyone stay to pray in the pews, although one young man was observed to be kneeling in front of the Infant Jesus of Prague statue in the rear of the church, and other people lit candles by two other statues.

A New Book by Colleen Drippe'

A few days ago I drove west and had a delightful lunch with Colleen Drippe', the editor of Hereditas Magazine and the author of a new children's book that reminds me of one of the Hardy Boys series. In addition to authoring a previous set of children's books, Colleen writes science-fiction (see two of her stories in the new INFINITE SPACE, INFINITE GOD sci-fi anthology mentioned in a previous post). She is also the author of GODCOUNTRY, an imaginative Catholic sci-fi novel that I'm currently reading. Colleen has over 200 published works to her credit, including quite a few articles on home-schooling. I asked Colleen several questions about her new book, and her answers appear below.

What was your purpose in writing MYSTERY AT MINER’S CREEK?

You asked a big question there. I have written a mystery/suspense novel for young readers, but the book is more than that. I have provided an alternative, however small, to the corpus of corrupting and enervating writing so often presented to modern children. This is a Catholic book. While it is recreational reading, MYSTERY AT MINER’S CREEK is also a teaching book – not explicitly (or boringly) but in its very story line and in its assumptions. And this book is part of my campaign (shared by an increasing number of other Catholic writers) to retake the field of fiction writing for the Faith.

How are you qualified to write this book?

As the mother of four grown children (taught at home for most of their school years) I write what I know. In recent years, I have also been a teacher in a Catholic school and have come to know a good many well-brought up Catholic children. I write what I see, remember, imagine, and would like to see.

Is MYSTERY AT MINER’S CREEK for a particular age level? For boys? For girls?

I have aimed this book at the fifth grade through maybe ninth or higher. The main characters are boys – but after all, girls like a good adventure story too. They’ve got brothers, haven’t they? I think this will appeal to homeschoolers but also to those in school. My earlier books did.

What is the framework of the story? The storyline?

This is the story of Mr. and Mrs. Steiner and their seven children who take possession of a run down desert ranch where, Mr. Steiner tells them, his children can grow up straight and strong. He is a magazine illustrator and can live where he pleases – and this is where he pleases.

From the beginning, there is both mystery and adventure. Much work must be done on the antiquated adobe house and at first there are no amenities. A further complication arises in the presence of the children’s city cousin, Ryan. Ryan’s parents are away on a business trip and he is to live with the family for several months. Conflict arises immediately.

Strange happenings follow – signs of a prowler, a stray dog and an elusive Mexican boy who warns them not to stay, odd accusations from the local sheriff, footprints, trails – but I don’t want to spoil things for the reader.

Enough to say, the mystery unravels, the threads are tied properly, and the main character, Peter Steiner, learns more than he bargained for. So does Ryan.

What lessons will students learn from reading MYSTERY AT MINER’S CREEK?

This is a story of family life. It is a realistic story. Most of us have relatives who do not live as we do, whose children are different from ours. And we are all tempted to judge others from time to time. This is a story about a rash judgment (more than one). It is also the story of competent parents who trust and guide their children – including the nephew who does not fit in. It is not a story of helpless grownups and wise children. The lessons here are both old and true. I am showing how family life works when you do it right.

Do you have any other books planned in this series?

Yes, I am working on the next Steiner family mystery now. It is called THE DESERT FATHER MYSTERY. Ryan is back and the boys have been given the opportunity to help a real archaeologist on a dig. But of course things do not go smoothly –

Where can MYSTERY AT MINER’S CREEK be purchased?

This book, along with another book of mine (for younger children) called CHRISTMAS AT THE LITTLE BLUE HOUSE, is available from Little Flowers Family publishers.
Or you may write for a catalog of other books at:
Little Flowers Family Apostolates
RR1 McDonalds Corners
Ontario KOG1M0
CANADA

Colleen Drippe' is a very imaginative and busy lady and you may want to check out her web sites here and here.

Temptations before Death

Mrs. M has died. About two weeks before she passed away, we talked at length in the nursing home. She had decided all her sexual sins of the past were normal, that God would understand and was not offended, and that her actions of many years ago were really not sins, etc. I knew Mrs. M's health was rapidly deteriorating and her erroneous conjectures caused me great concern.

In the past year, Mrs. M had three temptations of the faith that she shared with me. Each temptation came from reading books against the faith given to her by other residents of the home. The first resulted in her dalliance with a belief in reincarnation. The second was when she announced that she was sure that Jesus and Mary Magdalene had twins--a boy and a girl! The third was her attempt to excuse past sexual sins.

The error of reincarnation was met by finding applicable verses from the Bible and obtaining other Christian teaching found on the internet. The 'twins of Jesus' error was met by giving Mrs. M a well documented book on Mary Magdalene. The third error in which Mrs. M excused her own sins was probably the easiest to meet.

God allowed Mrs. M to be humiliated in many ways throughout her life. This humility allowed her to listen and understand that making excuses for a sin is worse than the sin. Why? Because pride tempts a sinner to not humble himself and ask for forgiveness. Jesus came to save sinners, and we must admit we are sinners before Jesus, our Saviour. When she heard my comments, Mrs. M shook her head yes. That is my last memory of the black lady who was such a strong pro-lifer. May God have mercy on the soul of Mrs. M.

Are Your Taxes Just?

My brother sent me a link to the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty. Normally I am not enthralled by economics and public policy, but this article discusses Switzerland "which has become the target of angry protests by European Union officials and sundry European politicians." Why? Because Switzerland has lower tax rates than other European states.

The most interesting part of the article, to me, discusses the morality and justice of taxes. The author, Samuel Gregg, went back to 16th century Spain to find a

rigorous discussion of the morality of tax-rates. This was sparked by rising taxation, currency debasements, and official state bankruptcies initiated by King Philip II as he struggled to suppress rebellion in the Netherlands and ward off threats to Spain’s world-wide empire.

The article continues:

Reacting to Spain’s subsequent impoverishment, Spanish theologians such as Pedro de Navarra insisted that it was not enough for governments to legislate a tax for it to be considered just. Tax-laws, they argued, must meet other criteria of justice. Was there a genuine need for a new tax? Were the proposed taxes proportionate and equitable? Were they moderate or excessive? The same scholars claimed that imposing taxes to support wasteful government expenditures was immoral, even tyrannical. In some cases, they added, people could rightly refuse to pay, especially when taxes were taking nations to the edge of financial ruin.

I remember some years ago a discussion on whether it was right for a Italian citizen not to pay his full taxes if the average taxpayer in the nation paid only 40, 50, or 60 percent of their total taxes. One Church moralist concluded that if the truthful taxpayer paid 100 percent when most other citizens paid only 50 percent on the average, then the noble taxpayer was being unfairly assessed his share of the tax burden. I don't remember how the debate ended, but the argument seemed logical to me.

Some will note that two wrongs don't make a right, even when it means honest people pay an inordinate share of taxes because of others' lies about their actual incomes. However, I believe the burden should be on the state to justly assess and then rightfully enforce the collection of taxes, rather than allowing some people to avoid paying what is due.

Or much better, the state should first reduce the tax rates before beginning real enforcement. Recovering the annual tax gap of over 300 billion dollars in the U.S. would mean that everyone would be assessed a fair share and most if not all of the budget deficit would disappear. [Of course, that would never happen because Congress is notorious for always looking at new ways to spend more money!]

Some years ago I served on a jury that decided on the merits of a civil lawsuit. The jury determined the plaintiff had exaggerated his claims. Moreover, evidence showed that he made significantly more money than he reported on his income tax form--leaving jurors wondering how much they could trust him (that and a few other things he said!) The jury finally recommended a settlement equivalent to what the insurance company had previously offered the plaintiff. In this case, the man's lies did not create an advantage for him and a disadvantage to the insurance company (and to insurance holders who would have had to pay higher rates). But the man cheated on his tax return, meaning the rest of us paid an unfair share of the total tax burden.

Since that time a burgeoning underground economy has arisen in which workers do not pay income taxes, mostly because they are paid in cash and do not report their income which is estimated at 1 trillion dollars a year. A recent and thorough analysis of the size and characteristics of the underground economy is found in a New Jersey news article published here. The article recognizes that the underground economy is firmly rooted in illegal immigration, yet presents a sympathetic view of the immigrants themselves. My own sympathy is with taxpayers who pay their 100 percent when others cheat and pay nothing. The increasing rate of non-compliance is very bad news for the future of our country, especially when combined with immoral assessment of taxes--as was discussed by the Spanish moralists of the 16th century.

St. Mark's Church -- Independence, MO

[This is the second post in a series to describe Masses celebrated in Catholic churches in Kansas City (both dioceses). The purpose is to assess the state of the Church in a variety of parishes with respect to the liturgy as it will be revised in the early 21st century. I will hold most of my comments until a later post.]

The facilities of St. Mark's Catholic Church are new and the semi-circular church is attached to a long hallway with very nice and spacious meeting rooms. In the front of the church, a large crucifix is mounted on the stone wall behind a white covered table. The tabernacle is located to the right against another wall, and the microphones for the musicians are located to the left side of the Church. The ceiling is a mixture of high cross beams at various angles, and perhaps distracted me from noticing whether there were any religious statues or pictures. Along the rear wall were small stations of the cross.

I estimated the church to be about 60 percent full at the 8:00 a.m. Sunday Mass, with about 350 people in attendance. The parish consists of 2,200 families and is served by a single priest who celebrates four weekend Masses. The attendees were virtually all white at the Mass I attended, with over half the people over 50 years old. Less than 20 children (14 and under) were present, and no babies in arms (< 18 months) were seen. A single large family with five children was observed in a front pew, but was the exception because other families had only one or two children. Most women wore pants and two women were observed to wear head coverings. Among those who were less than 50, blue jeans were common.

The 8:00 a.m. Sunday Mass began with an elderly woman in a medium pink pant suit leading the singing of a song with multiple refrains of "Mercy" to piano accompaniment. Her fine voice was also to lead other parts of the sung liturgy. An elderly man read the Scriptures during Mass.

The older priest (I was later told he was a visitor) was assisted by two altar boys dressed in white cassocks, who sat to the right side of the white covered table but seemed to have few responsibilities. When the Mass began, the priest in his own words continued the call for mercy, but without saying the words "sin" or "God." The typical opening prayers appeared to be truncated, followed quickly by the prayer, "Lord, have mercy."

The devil's three temptations of Christ was the Gospel reading. The priest's homily began with a small joke, then quickly referred to temptation, sin, grace, and especially the need for repentance. The penances required by the old Church were mentioned, and were said not to get to the real meaning of Lent. The priest emphasized that it was REpentance that was needed. Except for necessary Catholic practices of becoming more generous and kind ("Ask your spouse what changes are needed!"), specific Catholic truths were not taught in the homily.

At the consecration of the wine into the Blood of Jesus, the priest used the words "for all," as the new revision to "for many" has yet to be implemented (to correspond with all extant translations of the Gospel). A very large circular white host was consecrated by the priest. A number of gold bowl-shaped vessels and chalices were on the table during the consecration, and were used by the lay distributors of communion.

People moved to shake hands with each other after the consecration, followed by nine people advancing to near the white covered table. These were the distributors of communion--six older women in pantsuits and three elderly men. After receiving communion from the priest, each lay distributor went to a planned station to distribute communion in the hand to the parishioners. Then a quiet time of about three minutes was provided to sit and meditate.

Following the meditation period, the pastor arrived in a black suit to make a significant number of announcements from the podium, including a request for new nominations to the parish council and to recruit more lectors and communion servers. New members of the parish council were asked to be "open-minded" and "listening" persons. The pastor was very personable and told a number of jokes during his announcements, including a story of having BBQ on the prior Friday during Lent (which made a fair number of parishioners gasp). The pastor continued and said he had been taught by another priest to bless the meat and convert it to fish. He ended by saying his meal was the best "fish" he had ever eaten (but the priest did not clarify whether this was a joke or not).

After Mass, almost all the people quickly left the church after Mass, but a few stayed to talk with each other, even though the outside hallway is very spacious. Two people appeared to stay to pray. The 8-page bulletin reveals that St. Mark's Catholic Church received contributions of $128K during the month of January 2007, with expenditures of $133K. These large collections indicate the older people in the parish are very generous. But when these people die, it appears collections will decline precipitously because there are so few children and young people who attend Sunday Mass.

The Principal is WRONG!

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- A Catholic school principal has organized sensitivity training for students who shouted, ''We love Jesus,'' at a basketball game against a school with Jewish students.... See the rest of the story here.

When someone shouts "We love Jesus" to anyone but other Catholics, then confront them with their disordered minds and brainwash them into being silent by "sensitivity training." Religious free speech in the U.S.? It no longer exists.

FSSP Mass in Kansas City, KS

[This is the first post in a series of generally describing Masses celebrated in Catholic churches in Kansas City (both dioceses). Most of the time, I'll focus on unusual stuff and the homily. I'll start with the Latin Mass Community of St. Philippine Duchesne (SPD) where the "Saint of the Party Animals" [my title] was the sermon.]

The two SPD Community Masses are offered by two chaplains of the FSSP at 6:30 and 11:00 a.m. every Sunday morning. Last Sunday, one priest offered Mass and the other heard confessions before and during Mass, except when both chaplains were needed to distribute Holy Communion. The 6:30 a.m. Mass is a shorter liturgy called the Low Mass. A slightly longer High Mass is offered at 11:00 a.m., with special opening prayers, entrance/exit processions, organ music, singing, additional prayers, incense, etc. I decided to attend the Low Mass early last Sunday morning.

Those who wanted to follow the Low Mass could pick up red booklets with side-by-side English translations of the Latin prayers said by the priest and the altar servers. However, it seemed many, if not most, people had their own large prayer books which they read silently before, during, and after Mass.

It's hard to believe the 6:30 a.m. Low Mass for Quinquagesima Sunday attracted a total of 12 altar boys dressed in black robes with white surplices. [Note: the High Mass a week later had 26 altar boys.] Many genuflections to the Blessed Sacrament were made by the altar boys who crossed repeatedly in front of the tabernacle as they helped to make the sanctuary ready. When the opening bells were rung, the priest and his entourage of 12 young servers entered the sanctuary. Two boys then stood, knelt, and genuflected at the side of the priest and prayed in Latin--apparently memorizing the prayers. Most of the time, the other boys quietly stood and knelt on both sides of the sanctuary, sort of like praying angels, I thought.

Latin was used for all the Mass prayers except for the repeating of the Epistle and the Gospel in English from the priest's podium. The sermon "Saint of the Party Animals" was then given and I have since learned that it was taken from The Story of Hermann Cohen by Fr. Tadgh Tierney, OCD.

After the sermon, more Latin prayers were said by the priest while the people read from their prayer books, and then the bells were rung for the holiest part of the Mass where the priest consecrated the bread and wine. At the consecration, bells were rung three times when the bread became the Body of Jesus Christ, and three times for the consecration of His blood.

The consecration is a very notable and reverent ceremony because of the deep bow of the priest, the bells, the slow raising of the chalice, the reverent genuflections by the priest and altar boys, an impressive silence, and reverent attention of the people. Actually, there seemed to be almost complete silence during the entire time I was in church, except for the priest's prayers and the occasional noises made by a few of the good number of small children attending this very early Sunday Mass. Personally, I found the silence helpful in praying.

Holy Communion was distributed to kneeling parishioners by the two priests, except for a couple of older people with walkers who stood for Communion. It appeared almost everyone in church went to Holy Communion. People returned to their pews, knelt down, and appeared to be praying. They finally stood when the opening verses of St. John's Gospel were read at the end of Mass, in Latin. Everyone genuflected when the Gospel said Jesus descended to be born on earth. After the Mass concluded, the priest led more prayers at the foot of the altar, including "Hail, Holy Queen," another prayer asking God to protect the Church, the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, and three "Lord, have Mercy's".

What was most impressive was to see the priest leave the sanctuary with his altar boys after Mass was concluded--and almost no one in the church moved for a couple of minutes! Continuing to pray, the people individually left the church once they had finished praying. Finally, I did not observe any talking in the church, even after Mass ended.