A Record--12.6" of Snow!

Hoping we'll see a bright red cardinal come to feed--I've heard them in the trees. I know they're there!

Let Us Pray for Our Holy Father Pope Francis

Prayer for the Sovereign Pontiff

V. Oremus pro Pontifice nostro N. R. Dominus conservet eum, et vivificet eum, et beatum faciat eum in terra, et non tradat eum in animam inimicorum eius. (Ps 40:3) Pater Noster, Ave Maria Deus, omnium fidelium pastor et rector, famulum tuum N., quem pastorem Ecclesiæ tuæ præesse voluisti, propitius respice: da ei, quæsumus, verbo et exemplo, quibus præest, proficere: ut ad vitam, una cum grege sibi credito, perveniat sempiternam. Per Christum, Dominum nostrum. Amen.

V. Let us pray for N, our Pope. R. May the Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies. (Ps 40:3) Our Father, Hail Mary O God, Shepherd and Ruler of all Thy faithful people, look mercifully upon Thy servant N, whom Thou hast chosen as shepherd to preside over Thy Church. Grant him, we beseech Thee, that by his word and example, he may edify those over whom he hath charge, so that together with the flock committed to him, may he attain everlasting life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Habemus Papam!

We have a Pope!

Deo Gratias

Conclave Blog Links

"Conclave Bloggers" are no doubt in abundance as the media has swarmed to Rome to cover the papal election, but I thought I'd leave a couple of links here to blogs that I am following.

John Vennari, editor of Catholic Family News, is in Rome updating at least daily on his Conclave Blog. Besides the news directly coming from the Cardinals, Mr. Vennari offers interesting video journaling of his time in Rome, pertinent articles written by himself or his colleagues, with a little humor thrown in too.

Another interesting site is The Remnant Online where that newspaper's editor, Mr. Michael Matt, also reports from Rome.

Finally, besides excellent articles, Rorate Cæli offers a most useful calendar with dates and times the actual voting will take place.

Here is the live feed of the ChimneyCam:




Most importantly though, as Father reminded the faithful last night at our chapel's votive Mass for the Election of a Pope, pray and do penance--as though in our own Conclave, the world shut out for a time--in these vital hours and days ahead.

From the traditional Collect in the votive Mass for the Election of a Pope:

O Lord, with suppliant humility, we entreat Thee, that in Thy boundless mercy Thou wouldst grant the most Holy Roman Church a pontiff, who by his zeal for us, may be pleasing to Thee, and by his good government may be ever honored by Thy people for the glory of Thy name. Through Our Lord Jesus Thy Son Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

V. Most Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary.

R. Pray for us who have recourse to thee!

St. Pius V, pray for us.

St. Pius X, pray for us.

Kyrie Eleison!

Laetare Sunday: Rejoice!

Laetare Sunday marked the mid-point of the Church's season of Lent. Vestments turned from penitential purple to joyous rose and the liturgy was filled with the theme of rejoicing. It was as though we the penitents were given a cool drink of water on our journey through the desert. Rejoice! Keep going! As Father admonished the faithful in his homily, if you have made a fruitful Lent thus far, rejoice and persevere, for you are ever closer to Easter! And if your Lent has not been as fruitful as you would hope, rejoice! You still have time and opportunity to set things right with penitential practices.

Even God's creation seems to be crying, rejoice! It is that time of year that the sun peeks out occasionally, giving a hint of the brightness and warmth of spring soon to come. But even when the clouds, the chill temperatures, the sometimes-still slushy showers would tell us we are yet mid-winter, the birds from their nests seem to shun purple and don rose as they are heard singing their own solemn Laetare hymn.

Certainly we must give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His mercy endureth forever... even amidst the long days of Lent!

In the spirit of the day St. Mary's Assumption held their Annual Laetare Dinner Theater last night, their 13th such event benefitting Queen of the Holy Rosary Academy. Mrs. Hilary Flanery directed the Queen's Players in "The Curious Savage", a comedy in two acts. And it was a wonderful evening.

Miss Jane Binsfeld was a delight in the lead role as Ethel Savage, the blue-haired matriarch and wealthy widow whose two grown children (played most convincingly by Mr. Steve Crouse and Miss Christine George) love her only for the money they hope to get from her. Mrs. Savage, though she is anything but crazy, is sent by her children to The Cloisters, a home for the mentally imbalanced, while the younger Savages hope to take possession of her fortune once she is institutionalized. The Cloisters introduces us to several endearing, if a tad out-of-touch, characters who collectively foil the money-seekers' plans, all the while keeping the audience in stitches with their individual (and oft-hilarious) foibles.  We were even surprised with an impromptu cameo role by Fr. Frank Kurtz whose own comic relief delighted the crowd while challenging the cast to remain in character.

Bravo, Queen's Players and Mrs. Flanery, and bravo too, to all those behind-the-scenes who worked tirelessly these past few months to bring us another wonderful production.

A delicious dinner, a superbly-acted play, and mingling and visiting among good friends old and new made for a most enjoyable way to spend our Laetare Sunday, and we look forward to many more annual Dinner Theaters to come.

And so, though the song birds will undoubtedly keep on singing their joyful songs, alas, it is still Lent. But we awake this morning, hopefully refueled to renew/continue/persevere in our promises and acts of penance as we consider and endure Our Lord's journey to His Cross.

As it was so aptly put in the Play program:

In a dear rout of loneliness
How life again sang sweet
When fasting arms knew banqueting
And avid eyes could feast;
And the long Lent of love was eased
For one Laetare Day.
But afterwards came Lent again:
Again the fasting way.

God bless you with a holy and fruitful Lent.... Easter draweth nigh!

No School!!!

I love to watch our boys experience something exciting that I experienced as a kid, something that is just, well, rite of passage stuff. I can see them respond exactly as I, or their Dad, or nearly every other kid did, and it is such a delightful thing to see, and to remember back when it was my own experience.

One such instance: No School due to snow!!

Is there anything,  ANYthing, more exciting to a kid than getting the news that school is cancelled for the day? I dare say there is not, and this evening our boys got to feel that excitement, for the very first time. Yes, indeed, in anticipation of the coming winter storm that is to arrive tomorrow, their principal has called school off for the day, following the lead of the local school district.

The boys are ecstatic! Not only do they get the day off, but they get to stay up a bit later tonight since they won't have to get up early. And at 11 and 13, this is just the first time for them. As most readers will know, prior to this school year we only homeschooled our boys, so when it snowed there was no checking for school closures. I, their teacher, would sometimes shorten their day, or even give them the day off to play in the snow, but that still didn't compare to a school cancellation where they don't have to get up, put on a uniform and GO out to school.

We are so happy with our boys' school, Queen of the Holy Rosary Academy, on so many levels. That topic is an entire blog post, and I need to write it one of these days. But just today, as we all wait in gleeful anticipation of the winter weather that would close our school, and especially as former homeschoolers, I am thankful that I can watch our boys enjoying another rite of passage that they wouldn't have known were we still homeschooling, one that their mom and dad so well remember enjoying too:

NO SCHOOL, due to snow!

(I might just have to make a few--it is Lent, of course--cookies tomorrow....)

God bless you!

New Archbishop for Portland, OR

Good news this morning for Catholics in my hometown, Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Alexander K. Sample Metropolitan Archbishop of Portland, Oregon. According to the Badger Catholic blog, Archbishop Sample is "very much in the mold of Cardinal Burke."

Prayers for Archbishop-Designate Sample and the Portland Archdiocese!