Based on new regulations, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) has expressed its positive opinion regarding the devotion to Our Lady of Montichiari (Rosa Mystica) in northern Italy. This approval is conveyed through a letter to Bishop Pierantonio Tremolada, with the endorsement of Pope Francis
Praying at the site of the apparitions of Our Lady of Rosa Mystica
“The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has stated that it found no elements in the messages disseminated by Pierina Gilli that contradict the teachings of the Catholic Church on faith and morals. This declaration is included in a letter published on July 8, signed by the Prefect of the DDF, Victor Manuel Fernandez, and approved by the Pope. The letter addresses the devotion to Maria Rosa Mystica (‘Mary Mystical Rose’) and the messages that Pierina Gilli claims to have received from the Virgin Mary in 1947 and 1966. The letter highlights the positive aspects of these messages, while also noting some elements that require clarification to prevent misunderstandings.”
Sister Blessed Marie-Leonie Paradis, founder of the Institute of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family of Sherbrooke, will be declared a saint on Oct. 20.
Born Virginie Alodie on May 12, 1840, in L’Acadie, Quebec, Blessed Marie-Leonie founded her institute to collaborate with and support the religious of Holy Cross in educational work, in 1880 in New Brunswick.
Today her sisters work in over 200 institutions of education and evangelization in Canada, the United States, Italy, Brazil, Haiti, Chile, Honduras, and Guatemala.
“She always felt a call to support priests in their ministry”, said Bishop Poitras, and “events led her to found a new community which was recognized in 1896 by the Bishop of Sherbrooke: the Little Sisters of the Holy Family.”
Mother Mary Leonia died on May 3, 1912, in Sherbrooke, Quebec, at the age of 72. She was beatified in Montreal on Sept. 11, 1984, by Saint John Paul II, during his visit to Canada.
Twenty Stories of Devotion to Jesus by Meredith Hinds (illlustrated by Adalee Hude)”
Directed at young people, this is certainly a book for our time. Surveys reveal that many Catholic adults no longer believe in the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist, even though that is perhaps one of the most important beliefs of the Catholic faith and what separates us from our protestant brothers and sister (also perhaps, to a somewhat lesser degree, with the Anglicans). So we are happy to see this book that tell us about the some saints that were devoted to the Eucharist.
These 20 stories help bring the stories of the Eucharist to life…..and, although it aimed at young people, we felt it was just as relevant for adults. They are hypothetical versions of what might have happened during a Eucharistic Miracle or Miraculous event….and they are believable and the conversations are quite real and enjoyable to read.
As printed, each story stands by itself and if you want to read the background of the event they are listed in the rear of the book. Our only suggestion for the layout of this book would have been to put each of these factual description in the beginning of each Eucharistic event rather than at the end of the book…..but that is only our opinion and others may prefer the book the way it is laid out.
We noticed that Carlo Acutis was included in the book. He is Blessed Carlo Acutis today, but it looks like he will soon be Saint Carlo Acutis….the first Saint of the new millenium…. great role model for young people,
There are several saints of which we were not familiar….so it added to our knowledge, which is always a good thing!
We found the illustrations to be beautifully done, and add much to the book (after all, we live in a visual world).
When you travel abroad and use your credit or debit cards, you are probably going to be charged a “Foreign Transaction Fee”. These can quickly add up if you are not careful. Here are some interesting statistics.
Waste of Money: More than 4 in 5 Americans say foreign transaction fees are a rip-off.
Foreign Fee Awareness: Nearly 1 in 3 Americans don’t know whether their credit card has a foreign transaction fee.
Foreign Fees Lurking Domestically: Nearly 2 in 3 Americans don’t realize foreign transaction fees can apply without foreign travel.
International Travel Concerns: 52% of baby boomers say they worry about card loss/theft the most when using their credit cards internationally, while 34% of Millennials are most concerned about foreign transaction fees.
Exchange Rate Stunner: 82% of Americans don’t know that using a credit card gets them the best exchange rate when traveling abroad.
Best International Credit Cards: Based on a comparison of 1,500+ credit cards, the WalletHub Awards for 2024’s Best International Credit Cards go to the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve®. Both have $0 foreign fees and great travel rewards.
“Most people agree that foreign transaction fees are a rip-off, according to a new WalletHub survey, and that’s without even realizing that foreign fees can apply to orders from the U.S. placed with a foreign merchant. More than 2 in 5 people say they’ve been charged a foreign fee on an online purchase, for example. Despite how common and unpopular foreign fees are, around one-third of us still have no idea whether our credit cards charge foreign fees. Figuring that out before your next trip abroad or major purchase from an international merchant is a must. A credit card with no foreign fee can save you 3% in fees and more than 6% on currency conversion, according to WalletHub’s research.”
A warning for Americans who own guns…or ammunition…. traveling to other countries:
Many countries have much stricter gun control laws than the U.S. We encourage those of you who own guns…especially hunters..to double check, and triple check your baggage before leaving the country. Even one overlooked bullet or shotgun shell can cause a great deal of trouble. And (hopefully) it goes without saying….leave any weapons you own at home.
A warning for Americans traveling to the Turks & Caicos:
The territory of Turks and Caicos has enacted strict new laws, with a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 12 years for carrying guns or ammunition. Here is an example of how a simple mistake can land someone in prison for a very long time:
Ryan Watson from Oklahoma is behind bars there and has a bail hearing on April 25. The Oklahoma man was arrested when airport security found bullets in his luggage, which he says he brought by mistake. He is now facing up to 12 years in prison for having ammunition in his carry-on bag at a Turks and Caicos airport, according to a GoFundMe page for his family.
Ryan and Valerie Watson, the parents of two young children, were flying home from their island vacation, where they were celebrating a friend’s 40th birthday, on April 12 when they were arrested at the airport.
“They had their lives turned upside down when they tried to return home, as local airport security found four rounds of ammunition unknowingly left in a duff[le]bag from a deer hunting trip,” a description on the family’s GoFundMe page states. “It was not noticed by TSA when leaving America. Now, they are facing a legal system that is unfamiliar, daunting, and expensive that operates differently than the American Justice System.”
The U.S. Embassy in the Bahamas issued a travel alert in September 2023 telling Americans not to bring ammunition to the islands.
One tip for U.S. gun owners traveling abroad that we like:
For hunters and shooters in general….have a separate bag for guns and ammunition….and be sure to leave that bag at home! That way you are unlikely to end up in the situation described above.
The Shrine of Altötting (the Black Madonna) in Germany is often called “the Lourdes of Germany” in recognition of the many healings reported there.
The region around Altötting has a pilgrimage riding…or walking…path dubbed “The Benedict Trail”, connecting the places where the late Pope Benedict XVI spent his youth.
It is a circular bicycle path about 150 miles (245 Km) long.
The Benedict Trail begins in Altötting at a small tree outside the Church of Saint Conrad, now known as “the Pope’s Linden Tree”. The tree was planted by Pope John Paul II on his visit to Altötting in 1980.
The Benedict Trail is about 150 miles (240 km) long and starts and ends in Altötting.
It is broken up in to five stages:
Stage 1: Altötting – Neuötting – Marktl – Emmerting – Burghausen
24.1 miles (38.8 km)
Stage 2: Burghausen – Tittmoning- Waging am See
28 miles (45.9 km)
Stage 3: Waging am See – Traunstein – Seebruck
22.3 miles (35.9 km)
Stage 4: Seebruck – Seeon – Gstadt am Chiemsee – Eggstätt – Amerang – Wasserburg am Inn
36.4 miles (58.6 km)
Stage 5: Wasserburg am Inn – Gars am Inn – Aschau am Inn – Mühldorf am Inn – Altötting
41 miles (66.1 km)
Click here for our page describing the shrine at Altötting, Germany.
Saint Joseph is the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the foster father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Sacred Scripture tells us that Saint Joseph worked as a carpenter. as we know from Matthew 13:55, when the Nazarenes ask about Jesus, “Is this not the carpenter’s son?“.
Although Joseph was a descendant of the House of David, he was not a rich man. We can assume that not only from his occupation but also from the fact that when he took Jesus to the Temple to be circumcised, he and the Blessed Virgin Mary offered the sacrifice of two turtledoves or a pair of pigeons….something that was only allowed for those who could not afford a lamb (Luke 2:24).
We know that Saint Joseph was an honorable man, because he could have easily avoided marrying the Blessed Virgin Mary when he found out that she was pregnant:
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, Son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. He did as the angel told him and took Mary as his wife. (Matthew 1:19-25)
Scripture does not tell us much more about Saint Joseph. We know he fled to Egypt with Mary until it was safe to return. Saint Joseph is last mentioned when Scripture describes Mary and Joseph not being able to find Jesus for three days before discovering Him in the Temple (Luke 3:41-52).
Sacred Scripture does not record Saint Joseph’s presence during Jesus’ public life, death, or resurrection. Therefore, many historians believe that Saint Joseph likely died before Jesus entered public ministry, although that is just supposition.
Saint Joseph as Patron Saint:
Saint Joseph is the patron saint of the dying because, assuming he died before Jesus’ public life as mentioned above, it is likely that he died with Jesus and Mary close to him. Saint Joseph is also patron saint of the Universal Church, families, fathers, expectant mothers, travelers, immigrants, house sellers and buyers, craftsmen, engineers, and all working people.
We celebrate the Feast of Saint Joseph on March 19.
In many of the churches named in his honor, there is a Saint Joseph’s Table displayed on his feast day, similar to the one shown here.
Apparitions of Saint Joseph:
Although not as numerous as the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph has appeared to others over the course of history. Among these approved apparitions of Saint Joseph are the following:
Many think that western business leaders invented business concepts…..This is not correct.
Followers may guess my views on the monastic life.
Monasteries invented data storage and retrieval systems. They were called libraries. They also didn’t need photocopiers – they had their own copiers.
Monasteries invented business governance practices. What is a chapter but a town hall meeting? What is an abbot’s council but an executive committee?
Abbeys invented fund-raising. How do you think they built the great abbeys of Europe? Very little of the money was “borrowed”. Abbots had to work the room long before corporate America thought of it.
Conservation? Green practices? Circular economy? The monks were doing this 1500 years ago. There’s nobody in ag-tech that can build a water recirculation system like the monks. There’s nobody that can get that extra inch of hair on a sheep like monks can.
Crop science? Crop yield? Hah. They still run circles around people who can’t even grow crops on the same land for more than about 50 years. They do centuries of crop yields from the same fields – naturally.
Business management systems. The monks were doing it long before the invention of double entry bookkeeping.
Staying out of bank debt. The monks were doing it long before anyone else realized the debt trap of usury.
Five star hospitality? Well, I don’t mean rooms like in luxury hotels. But for care of the pilgrim traveler, even at great inconvenience to them, they still have short term rental accommodations beat.
Ride sharing? Hah. They had a network of wagons and watercraft to take goods to market before some business guy thought of it.
The long view? Abbeys are built for a thousand years. They are beautiful, unlike the glitzy towers of today’s utilitarian monstrosities.
Radio and electronic communications networks. Okay, maybe not as fast – but they could get a message across Europe before anyone or any current tech, at the time.
The knowledge economy? They didn’t need Chat GPT or AI. They had “real I”.
Corporate structure? CEO. CTO. CFO. CMO. Treasurer. Hah. They had those 1500 years ago!
Investigations into employee theft, missing inventory, and other misdeeds. No need for such things. The monks have a process called “Chapter of Faults”. Check it out.
Company security. Nope. They’ve had 1500 years of knights and templars. Way before the idea of a police force came into being.
Finally, remember that the monks invented the university system, the hospital system, and the welfare system. They kept the culture alive in tough times, and will do so again in our era when it all collapses. Or when the asteroid hits!
It was announced by Pope John Paul II at the end of the Great Jubilee (December 24, 1999 to January 6, 2001), that there will be a jubilee year every 25 years. Therefore, the year 2025 will be a Jubilee Year, beginning on December 24, 2024 and ending on January 6, 2026.
A Jubilee Year is a special year of grace, in which the Catholic Church offers the faithful the possibility of asking for a plenary indulgence (the remission of sins for themselves or for deceased relatives). A bit different from the secular calendar, the year starts on December 24.
Opening of the Holy Door…Courtesy Vatican News Service
The most well-known rite that starts the Jubilee Year is the opening of the Holy Door in Saint Peter’sBasilica.
These doors remain open until the end of the Jubilee, when they are once again walled up.
If you plan to travel to Rome, The Pilgrims’ Center – Info Point is the main reference place for pilgrims and tourists who want to stay updated about the upcoming Jubilee Year 2025. They are located 7 Via della Conciliazione, right near the Vatican.
The Pilgrims’ Center people can find out the main ways of participating in pilgrimages to the Holy Door and learn about preparatory events for the Jubilee, as well as find out about volunteering. It is also a distribution point for information leaflets and flyers containing basic information about the Jubilee and the various pilgrim routes round Rome such as the Seven Churches Pilgrimage, the pilgrim route of the Female Doctors of the Church and the Patrons of Europe and the Churches of Europe itinerary. A team of staff will be always available at the Info Point.
You can find out more from the official website of the 2025 Jubilee Year here.
There will be other Holy Doors for the 2025 Jubilee Year in addition to the ones in Rome.
For example, the Holy Door at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. In preparation for the 2025 Jubilee Year the Holy Door was sealed and blessed on the First Sunday of Advent (Dec. 3, 2023) at noon by Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio. There will undoubtedly be other Holy Doors in churches and shrines throughout the world for those who cannot travel to Rome…we just don’t have all the locations at this time.
The Jubilee Year 2025 Pilgrims Center in Rome:
As the Jubilee Year approaches the Pilgrims’ Center will increasingly become a welcome point for those arriving in Rome, as well as the hub for organizing bookings and access requests. It will also distribute the ‘testimonium’ ……..a certificate that Saint Peter’s Basilica issues on request, as certification of the pilgrimage to all those who have traveled at least 100 km (62 miles) on foot or 200 km (124 miles) by bicycle to Rome. This journey must be verifiable by the stamps placed on the pilgrim’s credential for pilgrims. Given its position on the Via della Conciliazione (very close to the Vatican, and one of our favorite streets) it will also serve as a reference point for all eventualities for both pilgrims and volunteers.
It is impossible not to notice that many Catholic churches built in the last 50 years lack the beauty and majesty of the churches in the years and centuries of the past. Many lay the blame on Vatican II, which seemed to want to throw tradition out the window. We are not here to debate the good and bad of the Second Vatican Council, but certainly no one can deny that many of the changes relating to church architecture were not inspirational. Suddenly churches were built somewhat resembling bomb shelters, and the interiors were devoid of many of the things that made the church a Catholic church.
Inside, the Eucharist was placed out of sight, or at least not in a prominent place. Stained glass windows and statues were minimalized. Altar rails quickly disappeared. Statues? Not too many and often not prominent. Often times, it was the Diocesan building committees that wanted this…not the individual pastors or their congregations. Want to put the tabernacle front and center? You were lucky it was (literally, in some cases) in a closet somewhere.
Side Altar in Chartres Cathedral
For example, when we look at the magnificent Chartres Cathedral in France, built between 1134 and 1260, during the “Dark Ages” (they weren’t really all that dark if you look at church architecture….some of the most beautiful churches were built during this time.)
Cathedrals and churches were meant to be inspiring….and many of them still are today. We doubt the same will be said about some of these modern buildings 100 years from now .
To the left is just one of the many side altars in Chartres Cathedral.
One of the colors used in the windows is unique…..dubbed “Chartres Blue”. In future centuries, will these new churches be equally inspiring? We doubt it.
Of course, some of the construction revolves on making the buildings less expensive to build and more efficient so far as heating and cooling costs are concerned. And while it is true that the Eucharist is the same no matter what the church looks like, we do like to enter a place that evokes a certain feeling that this is no ordinary space.
Is the pendulum starting to swing back?
Like any idea that is taken to excess, we are starting to see a renewed interest in Catholic churches that look like…..Catholic churches.
The restoration work was done by Conrad Schmitt Studios. We have no relationship with them, but they appear to do outstanding restoration work for churches.
Another source we note is that of FyndersKeepers. They offer a large range of used and restored altars, altar rails, stations of the cross, candle holders….just about everything you can think of.
Again, we do not have a business relationship with them, but they appear to have an excellent reputation.
Have any suggestions for newly remodeled churches?
Please leave a comment….we would love to know about it.
