New Year and Mary, the Holy Mother of God

The first day of the year is also the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. Our Mass schedule is the following:

Tuesday, December 31:   4:15 p.m.
Wednesday, January 1:    7:30, 9, 10:30 a.m.

This holy day of obligation honors the most magnificent title and most important vocation of the Virgin from Nazareth - to be the Mother of God. The Greek word "theotokos" ("God bearer") has been traditionally used to profess what we believe about Mary AND that we believe that her son, Jesus, is truly God.

Ecumenical soup kitchen

Pope Francis writes, "I want a Church which is poor and for the poor. They have much to teach us" (The Joy of the Gospel, 198). 


The Women's Alliance has for many years volunteered at the Ecumenical Soup Kitchen which is housed at the old Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church on 2nd Street. This past Saturday, December 28, just a few days after the celebration of the birth of Christ who came among us as a poor baby born in a manger, the Women's Alliance sponsored a meal at the Ecumenical Soup Kitchen. The cheese and meat was sliced and then the assembly line put together hoagies which was served to over 200 people. Here are a few picture of the gang at work. 

May we always keep in mind the words of Our Lord: "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me" (Matthew 25: 40).

Pastor's Corner, December 29, 2013

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

We have just celebrated the birth of our Savior and we sense the closeness of our God in a very special way in these days. This time is an excellent moment to follow the words of Pope Francis who, in his recently published Apostolic Exhortation entitled Evangelii Gaudium (“The Joy of the Gospel”), invites all Christians to a renewed “personal encounter with Jesus Christ” (3).

I think we will all find that as we draw closer to Christ – as we make the choice to follow him more closely each day through a committed life of prayer and faith – we will experience an increase in joy. The Savior’s merciful and tender love is capable of restoring our joy. This is the joy of the Gospel.

I also think we will find that as we experience our lives being “invaded” by a great joy rooted in our faith in Christ, we will radiate that joy to others. We must never give in to pessimism or defeatism. As the Holy Father writes, “an evangelizer must never look like some who has just come back from a funeral!” (10) No. We have the Good News which gives meaning and purpose to our lives and helps us serve the one great Love of the universe. How can we become discouraged? So many in our world seek God and we “should appear as people who wish to share their joy, who point to a horizon of beauty and who invite others to a delicious banquet” (15).

Happy New Year!

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

Merry and Blessed Christmas to all

I hope and pray that everyone had a wonderful Christmas. All the Masses here at the Cathedral were beautiful, especially the Midnight Mass celebrated by Bishop Barres. The various choirs sang like angels and all those who assisted with the liturgies gave selflessly of their time and talent. I have heard stories and met people who have come back to Church after spending some time away. We have so much more to do to reach out to those who are searching for Christ and His Church but it can all begin with a simple invitation to "come home." Remember, wise men adore Christ.

Pastor's Corner, December 22, 2013

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

With the coming of Christmas Day – yes, it is just a few days away – we renew our faith in Christ who has become man for the sake of our salvation.

Our faith in Jesus Christ is an act of trustworthiness in Him. In Lumen Fidei Pope Francis points out that we can trust in God because of “his own faithful presence throughout history” (23). The moment of His coming as man is the culmination of His promise to be Emmanuel (“God-with-us”).

God is true to His promise. That is why faith without truth does not save. What we believe needs to be true. If not, Christmas just remains a beautiful story and simply a projection of our desire for happiness. However, precisely because faith is intrinsically linked to truth, "faith is instead able to offer a new light… for it sees further into the distance and takes into account the hand of God, who remains faithful to his covenant and his promises” (24).

Yes, it is true – GOD HAS BECOME MAN! Our faith is not simply a projection of our own desire for salvation and happiness. Our faith is a trust in God who is faithful to His promise and has come to dwell among us to save us from sin and offer us heaven.

Merry Christmas!

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

Pastor's Corner, December 15, 2013

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

As we get closer to Christmas, we are probably all thinking about who I can bring to Mass on Christmas. There are so many fallen-away Catholics that simply need a loving invitation to come home. Christmas is a good time to extend a welcome to our Church.

Faith is never something private. It always involves the Church. Pope Francis writes in his encyclical “The Light of Faith” that Christ gathers all who believe in Him into His Body. The Christian then “comes to see himself as a member of his body, in an essential relationship with all other believers” (22).

This is why faith in Christ outside the Church is not true Christian faith. “Faith is not a private matter,” the Pope writes, “a completely individualistic notion or a pesonal opinion” (22). “Faith is necessarily ecclesial; it is professed from within the body of Christ as a concrete communion of believers” (22). It opens the individual toward others.

Now is the time for us to extend an invitation to that “wandering” Catholic who, like all of us, needs greater faith. Christmas could be the beginning of their journey home.

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

Christmas Concert to be broadcasted

The Cathedral Christmas Concert, which took place on December 1, will be broadcasted on Service Electric Channel 2 this Sunday, December 15, at 4:30 p.m. 
We are grateful to all the choirs and to Ms. Beverly McDevitt for the tremendous effort put into this wonderful event. 

Now many people in the Lehigh Valley will be prepared for Christmas will the help of sacred music provided by our choirs. 

Cancellations for Tuesday, December 10

Because of the wintry weather, the 1st Penance Service will not take place this evening, Tuesday, December 10. It will be postponed until tomorrow, Wednesday, December 11 at 7 p.m. This snow date was announced to the parents previously.

RCIA classes have also been cancelled this evening.

Pastor's Corner, December 8, 2013

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

Normally December 8^th is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. This year, however, the Second Sunday of Advent takes precedence and the feast day is transferred to Monday, December 9 without it being a Holy Day of Obligation.

The Blessed Mother reminds us of the importance of faith. She is the woman of great faith whose unique cooperation in God’s plan of salvation brought about the birth of Our Savior. She received this grace of salvation at the moment of her conception and remained sinless her whole life. As Pope Francis’ encyclical on faith (Lumen Fidei) says, believers become “a new creation” (19) and their life faith is seen as a “primordial and radical gift which upholds our lives” (19). Mary was the most perfect of the new creation and her whole life was sustained by her faith.

The Pope goes on the say that those who have opened their hearts in faith are transformed by a primordial love and then their lives “are enlarged and expanded” (21). When we receive Christ in faith – the one who is Love – he then lives in us and our lives take on “a whole new breath” (21).

Mary had such a heart open by faith and expanded by love. She most perfectly lived the life of Christ in her own life. May she help prepare our hearts to receive in faith the Christ child whose birth we will soon celebrate.

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

Pastor's Corner, December 1, 2013

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

Today is the First Sunday of Advent. This afternoon at 3 pm the Diocesan Choir, the Vianney Voices school choir and various choirs of our parish will mark the beginning of this season with a celebration of song in the Church. I hope you can join us.

Music is a beautiful expression of our faith and a privileged way of dialogue with God. The Psalms speak often of the importance of singing and music. For example, Psalm 95 says, “O come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!” In the New Testament St. Paul exhorts us to “sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God (Col. 3: 16) and the vision of heaven in the Book of Revelation speaks of the twenty-four elders holding harps (Rev. 5: 8).

Our Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI once said: “From the very beginning, liturgy and music have been quite closely related. Mere words do not suffice when man praises God. Discourse with God goes beyond the boundaries of human speech. Hence by its very nature the liturgy has everywhere called upon the help of music, of singing, and of the voices of creation in the sounds of instruments. The praise of God, after all, does not involve only man. To worship God means to join in that of which all creatures speak” (Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Liturgy and Church Music, VIII International Church Music Congress in Rome, November 17, 1985).

May this season of Advent be a special time of grace and conversion so as to prepare us to welcome the Christ-child, including with our voices filled with song.

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

Bishop Thompson, rest in peace

Most Reverend David B. Thompson

1923 - 2013

Pastor of the Cathedral: 1975 - 1989

Most Reverend David B. Thompson, retired Bishop of the Diocese of Charleston, died on Sunday, November 24.

Bishop Thompson was 90 years old. He served as the eleventh bishop of Charleston from 1990-1999.

He was born May 29, 1923, in Philadelphia, one of three children of the late David B. and Catharine A. (McLaughlin) Thompson. He attended St. Alice and St. Carthage parochial schools and graduated from West Catholic High School in 1941. In September of that year, he began studies for the priesthood at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Overbrook, in Wynnewood, PA, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Arts degree in history. He was ordained a priest in the Philadelphia Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul on May 27, 1950, by the late Bishop J. Carroll McCormick, who was then the Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia.

He was named the pastor of the Cathedral Church of St. Catharine of Siena on Feb. 20, 1975, serving in this capacity until May 24, 1989.

He moved to Charleston in 1989 when Pope John Paul II appointed the then Monsignor Thompson as Coadjutor Bishop of Charleston. He assumed his duties as Bishop of Charleston in February of 1990 when the former bishop retired.

When Bishop Thompson retired in 1999, he continued to serve the diocese. He also served in weekend ministry at Christ Our King Catholic Church in Mount Pleasant.

Pastor's Corner, November 24, 2013

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

On Thursday this week we will celebrate Thanksgiving.

While we usually think of the first Thanksgiving as being a feast between Native Americans and the early Puritan settlers, thanksgiving celebrations took place much earlier. An “acción de gracias” was first celebrated on what is presently American soil on September 8, 1565 in St. Augustine, Florida. It was a day of thanksgiving between the Native Americans and Spanish settlers and it included the celebration of Mass. Another similar “Thanksgiving” celebration took place on April 30, 1598 in Texas when Don Juan de Oñate declared a day of Thanksgiving and it too included the celebration of Mass.

Believe it or not, Squanto, the Native American man who mediated between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans, was a Catholic. He had been a slave of the English but was freed by Spanish Franciscans and received baptism as a Catholic.

There is so much for which we need to give thanks. Remember, the Mass is the great act of thanksgiving any human being can make. At Mass we offer up the fruit of the earth (bread), vine (wine) and the work of human hands as symbolic of our very lives. We give thanks to God by offering ourselves and He transforms our meager offering into His own Body and Blood as our spiritual nourishment.

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

Pastor's Corner, November 17, 2013

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

At the General Wednesday Audience of November 6^th Pope Francis affectionately embraced a man who suffered from a disease called neurofibromatosis. It is a disease that can cause intense pain and suffering, vision problems, learning impediments, cancerous lesions and severe disfigurement.

The care and embrace of the Pontiff call to mind the embrace of another Francis, the one from Assisi, who embraced and kissed a leper. The two of them, even though they lived centuries apart, teach us all a powerful lesson of selfless charity. As Christians we are called to live this charity convinced of what Our Lord says in the Gospel, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” (Matthew 25: 40).

There are many people in our society and particularly within our own realm of influence (family, friends, coworkers, etc.) who are lonely, distraught, sick and in need of kindness, mercy and affection. Their needs come in all shapes and sizes. Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Now is the time to show our thanks to God for all He has given us by sharing with those who are in need.

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

Health and Human Service Mandate

Some people have been asking about an update on the HHS mandate. You might remember that along with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (sometimes called "Obamacare") the federal government, by way of a ruling of the Department of Health and Human Services, required that all health insurance policies cover "preventive services" which include abortion-inducing drugs, sterilizations and contraceptives. It also very narrowly defined the meaning of "religious institution" making it impossible for Catholic hospitals, universities and even Mother Theresa's religious order to be considered by the government as a "religious institution." Here is what a unanimous statement from the US Bishops on November 13, 2013 said: 

"Yet with its coercive HHS mandate, the government is refusing to uphold its obligation to respect the rights of religious believers. Beginning in March 2012, in United for Religious Freedom, we identified three basic problems with the HHS mandate: it establishes a false architecture of religious liberty that excludes our ministries and so reduces freedom of religion to freedom of worship; it compels our ministries to participate in providing employees with abortifacient drugs and devices, sterilization, and contraception, which violates our deeply-held beliefs; and it compels our faithful people in business to act against our teachings, failing to provide them any exemption at all.
Despite our repeated efforts to work and dialogue toward a solution, those problems remain. Not only does the mandate undermine our ministries’ ability to witness to our faith, which is their core mission, but the penalties it imposes also lay a great burden on those ministries, threatening their very ability to survive and to serve the many who rely on their care...
As the government’s implementation of the mandate against us approaches, we bishops stand united in our resolve to resist this heavy burden and protect our religious freedom. Even as each bishop struggles to address the mandate, together we are striving to develop alternate avenues of response to this difficult situation. We seek to answer the Gospel call to serve our neighbors, meet our obligation to provide our people with just health insurance, protect our religious freedom, and not be coerced to violate our consciences."

I pray we all may stand with our Bishops for religious freedom and in support of those ministries which serve the poor and needy among us. 

Archbishop Kurtz for President

Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, Archbishop of Louisville and formerly a priest of the Diocese of Allentown, was elected President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for a three year term. 
Archbishop Kurtz lived as a resident priest in our Cathedral parish for many years (1976 - 1988). He is remembered fondly by so many people for his outstanding kindness and pastoral charity. Bishop Barres said, "the election of Archbishop Kurtz to this important leadership post by his brother bishops across the country is a point of pride for all of the faithful in the Diocese of Allentown where he served so faithfully for so many years."
Let us pray that he may have abudant grace to fulfill this important office. 

Pastor's Corner, November 10, 2013

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

This past week all the active diocesan priests met for our annual convocation in Hersey, PA. This was the first year that all the priests gathered at one time. The situation necessitated reducing daily Mass here at the Cathedral to one during those three days. I am grateful to Fr. Kosek, a Barnabite priest, for filling in for us.

You may have seen in the AD Times an article about the decreasing number of diocesan priests. Of the 127 active priests, 119 are assigned within the diocese and 100 of them are assigned to the 104 parishes throughout the diocese. Over the next five years, taking into consideration the number of scheduled ordinations, and possible retirements, deaths and those who might leave the priesthood, the number of diocesan priests in parish ministry could decrease to 80.

These are projected numbers. But what will the actual numbers be? I would suggest that much will depend on our prayers and active support for priests and for vocations to the priesthood. What are you and I doing to change the projected loss into an actual gain?

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

Pastor's Corner, November 3, 2013

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

The fullness of divine faith is found in belief in Jesus Christ. St. Augustine, the Pope reminds us in Lumen Fidei, says that even Abraham and the patriarchs were saved by faith in Christ Jesus, not who had come but who was yet to come.

In Jesus we see the full face of God. In Him we see the ultimate manifestation of divine love. “Christian faith is thus faith in a perfect love, in its decisive power, in its ability to transform the world and to unfold its history” (LF, 15). The clearest proof of this love is in the death of Christ on the Cross.

The self-giving and salvific love of Jesus as seen on the Cross “is something I can believe in; Christ’s total self-gift overcomes every suspicion and enables me to entrust myself to him completely” (LF, 16).

In this way, faith is inextricably linked to love. Faith in Christ involves a personal relationship with Him, “clinging to him in love and following in his footsteps along the way” (LF, 18). Faith is a gaze at Jesus but also taking on His eyes, His way of seeing things. Faith involves seeing life through the eyes of our beloved.

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

Pastor's Corner, October 27, 2013

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

In the encyclical Lumen Fidei (“Light of Faith”) Pope Francis says that the history of Israel shows us the temptation of unbelief in the form of idolatry. In the desert, while Moses is in long conversation with a mysterious and hidden God, the rest of Israel decides to make a golden calf and worship it.

It seemed better to Israel to worship an idol whose face they could see directly rather than renounce the physical sight of God in order to see him with the eyes of faith. The Pope reminds us that “faith by its very nature demands renouncing the immediate possession which sight would appear to offer” (LF, 13).

“Idols exist,” the Pope continues, “… as a pretext for setting ourselves at the center of reality and worshipping the work of our own hands” (LF, 13). Faith, on the other hand, “breaks with idols to turn to the living God in a personal encounter” (LF, 13).

The temptation to idolatry is very much alive today. A certain scientism causes us to think that reality is only what we can see and touch in the physical world. Idolatry is putting ourselves and/or the work of our hands at the center of reality. Faith means a entrusting of oneself to the Lord who is merciful love.

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

Pastor's Corner, October 20, 2013

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

In chapter 1 of Pope Francis’ encyclical Lumen Fidei the Holy Father gives us a beautiful reflection on the faith of Abraham and of the People of Israel.

Faith is a journey and, if we are to understand what faith is, we need to follow along the path that others have taken. In Abraham we see that faith takes on a personal dimension. He does not see God but hears his voice. The divine voice tells Abraham to leave his land (thus he experiences a kind of “exodus”) and “enter into the horizons opened up by God’s word” (LF, 9).

Israel too is taken on a journey by God. They are freed from their misery in Egypt and led into the desert. Thus, the Pope says, “Faith becomes a summons to a lengthy journey leading to worship of the Lord on Sinai and the inheritance of a promised land” (LF, 12).

I think we can all identify in some way with Abraham and Israel. Faith in God is indeed like a journey and it can sometimes take us away from what we want and point toward a new horizon. We have to be trustful and courageous as Abraham and Israel in order to follow the light of faith.

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

Pastor's Corner, October 13, 2013

Dear Parishioners and Friends, 
Today I begin a series on Pope Francis’ new encyclical Lumen Fidei (“The Light of Faith”). As the titled indicates, it is a profound meditation on the all-important virtue of faith. 
 The Holy Father begins his letter by pointing out that the Church speaks of faith in terms of light. Jesus himself says that he has come as light into the world (cf. John 12: 46). The light of faith is even better than the sun for faith can cast light “on all of human existence” (LF, 1). 
 In our world some see faith as simply an illusory light which prevents man from “setting out in quest of knowledge” (LF, 2). But reason alone, the Church teaches, is not enough to answer all the questions that confront the human heart, especially questions about the future. 
 Faith, “born of an encounter with the living God” (LF, 4) is capable of guiding us through the journey of life, answering our questions, and becoming a star for the future. It is a virtue that is like a mother who gives birth to divine life in us and a gift that “lights up our way to the future, and enables us joyfully to advance along the way on wings of hope” (LF, 7). 
In Christ, 
Msgr. Baker

Pastor's Corner, October 6, 2013

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

This evening we begin our Forty Hours devotion in the parish. This is a special time of prayer and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. I know that God will bless each and every one of us as we honor Him in the Holy Eucharist.

One of the things I love most about Forty Hours is that is helps us fulfill one of our highest callings – to adore. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “adoration is the first act of the virtue of religion” (CCC, 2096). When we adore, we acknowledge God as our Creator, Savior and “Master of everything that exists” (CCC, 2096).

At the same time, when we adore God we recognize our own status as a lowly creature who is completely dependent on God for everything. We are really nothing without Him. To adore is to make oneself humble. To adore helps us be more grateful. To adore frees us from turning in on ourselves or turning to the things of the world as idols of worship.

During these next three days I hope you might have some time to spend with Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, adoring and worshipping Him with great love.

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

Pastor's Corner, September 29, 2013

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

This afternoon the Red Mass will be celebrated in the Cathedral. We are privileged to have as our guest homilist Archbishop William Lori, Archbishop of Baltimore and chairman of the ad hoc Committee for Religious Liberty of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. All are welcome to attend.

The first Red Mass for the Bench and Bar took place in 1245. In England the Mass was celebrated at the opening of each term of Court, a custom which continues in the United States. In England the celebrant of the Mass wore red vestments, and the judges of the High Court at the time of King Edward I, who were all doctors of the law, wore red robes, thus giving rise to the name “Red Mass.” Liturgically, the celebration is a votive Mass of the Holy Spirit.

It seems ever more important these days to celebrate the Red Mass. Those in the legal profession gather in prayer and worship so as to be a living sign of the importance of not just the freedom of worship but for the much wider and more fundamental right of the freedom of religion.

Each of us has the right and duty to live our faith in the world around us. Also, all Americans and the Church need advocates in the legal profession to defend and promote religious freedom and freedom of conscience precisely at a time in which these fundamental human rights are being questioned.

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

End with Our Lady

The last evening in Fatima and the last day of our pilgrimage was spent participating in a special rosary and procession at the chapel of the apparitions. Bob and Sue Bartos prayed in English 5 Hail Marys of the fourth glorious mystery of the rosary. At the end of the rosary they carried a statue of Mary around the plaza and then returned to the chapel. It was a magnificent ending to our pilgrimage. 

Popes of Fatima

Fatima has received such high approbation by the visit of several popes. Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have visited the shrine. The pope with the closest connection with Our Lady of Fatima is Pope John Paul II. On May 13, 1981 an attempt was made on his life. A bullet passed near his heart which doctors said should have struck his aorta and killed him. The Pope said that Our Lady guided the bullet which made an unexplained deviation and barely missed the aorta. The bullet was given to the Shrine by Pope John Paul II and it is now in the crown of the statue of Our Lady. 

Old friend

This afternoon I visited an old friend here in Fatima. I met Armando Mendes on a previous visit to Fatima in the early 90's and stayed in his hotel. It was built on his family property which is only a block from the Shrine. He has a great love for Our Lady and he knows all about the apparitions. He continues to run the hotel and he is now married with 7 children. 

The sanctuary in Fatima

The first chapel in Fatima was built near the site of apparition. We will have Mass there today. Then they built another, larger church and them finally, just a few year ago, they completed a modern basilica which hold over 8,000 people. Blessed Francisco and Jacinta Marto as well as Sr. Lucia are buried in the old basilica. 

The three shepherd children

The three children who saw Our Lady in 1917 first were visited three times by the Angel of Peace in 1916, teaching them how to pray and offer sacrifices for sinners. The last visit culminated with the angel giving them Holy Communion. This morning we visited the homes of the children and the sites of the apparitions of the angel. 

Our Lady of Fatima

We have arrived in Fatima a bit tired but excited to see the site where Our Lady appeared to 3 shepherd children in 1917. A small outdoor chapel marks the spot of the apparition. We will have Mass this evening in the chapel of the angel of peace. Tomorrow we will have a formal tour of the sanctuary and the place where the children lived.  

In Lisbon

We made it back to Lisbon and now we are taking a brief tour of the city before we go to Fatima. We will have a free afternoon before Mass at 6:30 pm.  

Wake up in Lourdes

After the evening rosary procession we had a nap and then got on the bus at 2 am ( yes AM!) to catch a 6:15 am flight to Lisbon. We then will proceed to Fatima for our two day visit of another famous Marian shine. Here is a picture of some of our faithful (and tired) pilgrims waiting in the Toulouse airport so early in the morning. 

Rosary procession

Along with tens of thousands of our closest friends in the Lord, we joined the nightly rosary procession here at Lourdes. While the rosary is being prayed and sung, we carried lighted candles in procession following a beautiful statue of Our Lady of Lourdes. These pictures do not do it justice. 

The baths

St. Bernadette was told by Our Lady to dig in the ground and wash herself with the water from the spring. After some digging in the spot indicated by Mary, Bernadette found a source of water which has not ceased flowing since then. One of the pictures shows the source of the spring. You can actually enter into a semi-private area and be helped into a small bath whose water comes from the spring. There have been over 65 officially approved miracles from Lourdes water. Some of us, including me, dipped ourselves into the baths. 

Eucharistic procession

Here in Lourdes from May to October every evening at 5 pm they have a procession of the Blessed Sacrament from the chapel of adoration to the large underground church of St. Pius X. It was an amazing manifestation of faith in the Real Presence! 

St. Bernadette's home

The family of St. Bernadette fell on hard time when she was 10 years old. They were evicted from their home and had to move into a small house which use to be the city jail. They whole family lived in one small room. She was gathering firewood for the fireplace when Our Lady appeared to her. 

The troubles of a pastor

When St. Bernadette was told by Our Lady to have a chapel built on the site of the apparition, she went to tell her pastor - Fr. Peyramale. He didn't believe this young, uneducated girl. Can you blame him? Afterward, when Bernadette repeated to her pastor that the lady in the grotto said that she was the Immaculate Conception (a term he knew Bernadette could not have understood let alone make up), he started to believe her. Eventually, he became one of Bernadette's greatest defenders. It's not easy being a pastor.

Prayed at site of apparition

I hope this photo will say it all. We arrived at Lourdes and prayed for all of those intentions in our Intention Book. 

On way to Lourdes

We took the bus from Florence to Rome and hopped an Easy Jet airplane, leaving Italy behind. We are on our way from Toulouse to Lourdes, a trip that will take about 2 hours and 15 minutes. Our driver and guide is Freddy. We are all looking forward to meeting with Our Lady at the end of our pilgrimage. 

Pastor's Corner, September 22, 2013

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

At this time I and my fellow pilgrims are on our way to Lourdes and then to Fatima. Once again let me assure you that we are praying for all the intentions many of you gave us before we left.

What happened on February 11, 1858, in Lourdes, France? 14-year-old Bernadette Soubirous went with her sister and a friend to the river Gave to gather wood. She saw there a young and beautiful lady in a niche in the grotto near the river. This was the first of 18 apparitions. The lady later identified herself as “the Immaculate Conception.” Yearly from March to October the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes is a place of mass pilgrimage from all over the world. The spring water from the grotto is the source of many physical healings.

What happened on May 13, 1917, in Fatima, Portugal? Ten year old Lucia Santos and her cousins Jacinta (7 years old) and Francisco (8 years old) Marto were herding sheep at the Cova da Iria near Fatima. Lúcia described seeing a woman “brighter than the sun.” Further appearances took place on the 13^th of each month and Our Lady asked the children to do penance and acts of reparation to save sinners. In the course of her appearances, Mary confided to the children three secrets, now known as the Three Secrets of Fatima. On October 13, 1917, the “Miracle of the Sun” took place. Witnesses later spoke of the sun appearing to change colors, rotate like a wheel, and “dance” in the sky.

Please remember us in your prayers as we visit these holy sites.

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker

David

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of the magnificent statue of Michelangelo called "David" because they did not allow us to take pictures of it. It was originally intended to be on top of a Church but DaVinci thought so highly of the statue that it ended up on top of the town hall for many years. At the end of the 19th Century they moved it indoors.  

Duomo

We visited the Cathedral in Florence today which is also called "il Duomo" (the eighth graders will tell me why it's called that). The two pictures are from the inside of the Church. Awesome! Later in the day there was a regularly scheduled Vigil Mass for Sunday in English at the Duomo which we celebrated with other English-speakers in Florence. 

Venice

The boat ride from the mainland to Venice was exciting. Venice is a grouping of 120 islands and 400 bridges. It as a major medieval port because of its proximity to Constantinople. The city is NOT on the Mediterranean Sea but on a sea that the eighth graders of St. John Vianney school will be able to tell me when we return.

Happy birthday

Even without the presence of Bishop Barres, we sang and celebrated his birthday this evening at dinner. They served us an interesting pasta called "strozzapreti" which literally translated means "priest strangler." Of course, I had several servings. 

Driver

The pilgrimage depends on so many people to keep things organized and to help us arrive to all the holy places on time. We have had some great guides and the hotel personnel have been very accommodating. Cosimo has been our bus driver these pass few days and has been miraculously squeezing our large bus through the tight streets of Rome. Yes, he is old enough to drive!

Seraphic Father

My eighth graders can tell me when I return why St. Francis of Assisi is called the "Seraphic Father." We made our way from Rome to Assisi. There we explored the home town of the 12th century saint most known for his living of poverty and his closeness to creation. His grave was discovered at the beginning of the 19th Century. We placed our intention book near his grave and prayed for all of those included in the book. Today was a special day for one of our pilgrims - Leeann Baumer - who celebrated her birthday with a little champagne at dinner. 

Leaving Rome

Tomorrow we leave Rome and head to Florence by way of Assisi. Coming back from dinner with a friend I spent some time in St. Peter's Square praying for the Holy Father. Here is a picture of the Square at night... Arrivederci Roma!

The Pope's Cathedral

Every bishop has his own Cathedral Church. Pope Francis' Cathedral is St. John Lateran (not St. Peter's). We spent some time in this Church and saw the chair or "cathedra" which gives every Cathedral its name.