Ordinations in Florence

by Shawn Tribe

This past July 7th, Cardinal Burke ordained four new priests for the ICRSS at the beautiful Florentine church of San Michele e Gaetano. A full photo gallery can be found, but as always, we wanted to pick a few highlights to feature.

(reposted from The New Liturgical Movement)

Do I have a vocation? Monastery di San Benedetto...

by Alfiero Pirani

How do I know if I have a monastic Vocation? These are photos and video interviews, that start to answer that question, from young American Monks in Norcia, Italy:

american Roman Catholic Monks in Italy, following the Rule of St. Benedict of Nursia.

Founded in 1998, Rome , Italy, transferred to Norcia (Nursia) in the Umbria region in 2000. Recently Celebrating regular 'Extra-Ordinary' Form of the Roman Rite.

The Inspiration for the New Monastery

1. The restoration of man by the worship of God;
2. The radical gift of self to Jesus Christ in the monastic way of life according to the Rule of St. Benedict: Nihil amori Christi praeponere (RB 4:21);
3. The common life of brothers as described in the Acts of the Apostles (they were of one heart and one mind);
4. Full monastic observance, including vigils and fasting;
5. The integration of prayer, study and work;
6. Liturgical life:
   • Divine Office as prescribed in the Rule
   • Mass and Office in Latin, sung in Gregorian chant;
7. Love of the Church:
   • Cultivation of the attitude sentire cum ecclesia;
   • Drinking deeply from the streams of the living tradition;
   • Fidelity to the Magisterium, filial devotion to the Holy Father;
   • A truly "catholic", i.e. universal spirit, acquired from studying in Rome, at the heart of the Church;
8. Apostolic work, our contribution to the new evangelization: intellectual, clerical and manual work in the service of the universal Church; pastoral care of the Basilica of San Benedetto, Norcia;
9. Marian consent: openness to the will of God after the model of Mary's fiat.

For More Information, Please Contact:
Very Rev. Cassian Folsom, O.S.B., Prior

Address:

Monastero di San Benedetto
Via Reguardati, 22
06046 Norcia (PG)
http://osbnorcia.org

Pontifical Mass at Campocavallo

by Gregor Koillmorgen

On the Feast of the Epiphany, Cardinal Castrillón celebrated Pontifical Mass at the Marian shrine of Campocavallo (Osimo, Province of Ancona, Italy) with the Franciscans of the Immaculate who celebrate the Extraordinary Form there every Sunday. Rinasicmento Sacro has images and a report (in Italian). Some more images on Elsas Nacht(b)revier.

(reproduced from The New Liturgical Movement)

Diaconal Ordinations of FFI Friars in Florence

by Shawn Tribe

The Italian blog Rinascimento Sacro have a photoset up of the November 21st ordinations of eight Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate who were ordained to the diaconate by Archbishop Raymond Burke in Florence at the Chiesa di Ognissanti.


To see all the photos, please see their photoset.

(reproduced from The New Liturgical Movement)

News from Norcia, Italy

by Shawn Tribe

The Benedictine Monks of Norcia, Italy, who in past months began celebrating both forms of the Roman rite, recently celebrated the solemn vows of one of their brothers, which coincided with a Solemn Mass in the usus antiquior:

On October 6th, Br John McKenzie made Solemn Profession in Norcia. As always, the Mass included the mystical burial and resurrection ceremony, along with the Suscipe, litany and singing of the Vows. This time however, the Mass was offered in the extraordinary form as a Solemn Mass. Br Thomas acted as deacon and Fr Clement as subdeacon. Musica Traditio, the polyphonic choir from Perugia which sings for us on special occasions chose a beautiful Mass from a little known composer, Ludovico Grossi da Viadana (1560-1627).

Special guests in attendance were the Abbot of Grottaferrata with several of his monks, priests of the diocese of St. Louis, students of the Casa Balthazar and most importantly, Br John’s uncle, aunt and brother. A reception in the cortile of the monastery followed the Mass. Guests and monks alike were delighted to take part in the solemn ritual of profession. The extraordinary form added even greater grandeur to the rite.

They have provided some photos of the event. Here are a selection.
















To see all the photos, visit: Notes from Norcia #20

Allow me to also take the opportunity to remind readers that the monks also provide live recordings of their liturgical life: Broadcasts from Norcia.

(reposted from The New Liturgical Movemement

Pope desires FSSP to be given full pastoral care of faithful

by Gregor Kollmorgen

Fr. John Berg, the Superior General of the FSSP, recently celebrated a Solemn Mass for the annual meeting of the German Pro Missa Tridentina association in Wiesbaden this 19 September. At this conference, Fr. Berg mentioned some interesting details of his audience with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI in July (cf. FSSP Superior General and Benedict XVI). According to Fr. Engelbert Recktenwald FSSP,

Pope Benedict XVI wishes that the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter be entrusted, beyond the celebration of Holy Mass in the Extraordinary Form, at as many places as possible, with the cura animarum, i.e. the full pastoral care. This was reported by Fr. John Berg, Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, at the Annual Meeting of Pro Tridentine Missa, which was held today in Wiesbaden. Fr. Berg had on 6 July, a private audience with the Pope, during which he was able to speak for fifteen minutes with him at his desk in the papal library. The Holy Father was very interested in whether the Fraternity was able to exercise its apostolate without obstacles, as intended. He inquired whether its priests, where they operate, could really work pastorally for the souls.

(reproduced from The New Liturgical Movement)

Reception of the Habit

On 31st January last, Sr. Alexandra of the Holy Face received the habit of a novice in the Sisters Adorers of the Royal Heart of Jesus, the sister Congregation of the Institute of Christ the King, Sovereign Priest, based near Fesiole, just outside Florence, Italy, and now flourishing in Ireland.

A full pictorial record of the ceremonies is available here. The Most Reverend Dr. Luciano Giovannetti, Bishop of Fesiole performed the ceremony and celebrated Pontifical High Mass.

It is traditional for the future bride of Christ to come to the ceremony attired as any bride and sometimes accompanied by her father, or, in this case, her brother, to the ceremony.

The Holy Ghost is invoked by the hymn Veni Creator Spiritus.

The putitative novice must express her free desire to be received as a novice.

The ceremony of tonsure is performed as a sign of the abandonment of the world and an old life in the world.

The habit of a novice is imposed.


The Sisters Adorers of the Royal Heart of Jesus gather with their new sister and the Bishop of Fesiole after the ceremony. A remarkable gathering a mere five years after the first Sisters Adorers were professed.

Anyone interested in finding out more about their life and vocation can apply to:

La Rév.de Mère,

Adoratrices du Cœur Royal de Jésus-Christ Souverain Prêtre,
Maison du Cœur Royal,
Via di Gricigliano, 45,
50065 - SIECI (FI),
Italy.

Institute of the Good Shepherd Ordinations in Rome

by Shawn Tribe

On the 23rd of May, the Institute of the Good Shepherd had ordinations to the subdiaconate for three of their members. These were held in Rome at the church of Santa Lucia in Selci. Msgr. Ennio Appignanesi, Archbishop emeritus of Potenza celebrated the Solemn Pontifical Mass in which the ordinations occurred.

A full photo album is available upon their Roman site, but here is a sampling.

(reproduced from The New Liturgical Movement)

Catholic Rome (Vocations)

That talented photographer, tour guide and theology student John Paul Sonnen has produced this nice video of Catholic Rome; pictures of clergy and religious:-

"To know history is to be Catholic".

A day in the life of the Good Shepherd students in Rome

by Fr Tim Finigan

Thanks to NLM for this video of a day in the life of the students of the Institute of the Good Shepherd in Rome. There is much here with which to be impressed - the devout celebration of Lauds and Mass in the morning, the friendly engagement with the lay students at the University Santa Croce, the parish priest's sensible recognition that here are some chaps who can help him with parish catechesis, the community gathered for a festive meal (prepared with consummate ecological correctness from natural ingredients) and the sense of hope and joy in the priesthood. Hey! there are even some scenes featuring the house mascot "Gustave" the cat.


L'Institut du Bon Pasteur à Rome
by KTOTV (French language)

(reproduced with permission from The Hermeneutic of Continuity)

Immaculate Conception in Rome

by Shawn Tribe

The following comes in from the ICRSS in Rome:

On December 8, Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest organized a candlelight Marian procession through the very heart of Rome for the closing of the Lourdes Jubilee year. Lead by Canon Joseph Luzuy, the procession began at the Church of Jesus and Mary (Chiesa Gesu e Maria), which serves as the church of the Institute’s apostolate in Rome. A very large crowd of more than a 1000 faithful then filed down the Via del Corso, an avenue which serves as a main artery to the center of the city, to Chiesa Santa Maria in Aquiro (Piazza Capranica), where the plenary indulgence for the Lourdes Jubilee was made available to the faithful (Chiesa Giubulare). It was here in this church that the image of Our Lady of Lourdes was publicly offered for the veneration of the faithful for the first time in Italy.

(reproduced, with permission, from The New Liturgical Movemement)

The Story of a Seminary...

The following is a translation of the account in French of the foundation of the House of Formation of the Institute of the Good Shepherd in Rome that is to be found on their website:

"From the foundation of the Institute of the Good Shepherd, Father Philippe Laguérie, Superior General of the Institute of the Good Shepherd, wanted to give a specific training of our seminarians: they follow their studies of philosophy in our 'first cycle' Seminary, to receive, in silence and prayer, a solid education and a knowledge of the Aristotelian and Thomist school. The 'second cycle', that of theology, takes place in Rome at the Pontifical Universities, in conjunction with many courses given by members of the Institute of the Good Shepherd, in order to seal our scholastic specificity and to give them a better understanding of the contemporary issues and the intellectual challenges that lie ahead of them.

There are various reasons for studies in Rome:

- It is important that these future priests, proud of their beliefs and their commitment, in line with the statutes of the Institute complete, their training in Rome, close to the See of Peter. Indeed, studying in Rome is always a source of many graces and forever mark the priests who have had this opportunity, giving them a depth of vision, at once Catholic and universal.

- Since the Institute of the Good Shepherd wishes to train priests who can work at the heart of the parishes but also address the serious intellectual and cultural crisis today, it is fundamental that they can study at the Pontifical faculties and obtain university degrees.

- By receiving this training, both of the University (3 hours per day) and our theology courses (3 hours per day), they will have the privilege to understand all the issues and challenges of the major problems of today.

Based on these motivations, the Abbé Laguérie sent to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, on 26 March 2008, a letter introducing the Roman project. Less than 10 days later, the personal secretary of the Supreme Pontiff, Monsignor Georg Gaenswein, advised, by telephone, that the attention of the Pope had been given to the letter of Abbé Laguérie and his keen interest in the project, and his personal support for it. A week later, our community in Rome was received by His Eminence Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos who, in the presence of all the officials of his Commission: "This project is one of the greatest of which I know! It extends beyond the interests of Institute of the Good Shepherd, as it is of immense value to all communities, but also for the whole Church."

Thus, with his close collaboration, and that of the Secretary General of the Vatican and the Vicariate of Rome, a new home was found to receive the 2008-2009 academic year, our new theologians.

But this house, desired and supported by the Holy Father, is very costly: we need you to meet this challenge with great energy. This is a bold project with the promise that your future priests receive training outside the common and that traditional vocations will be still more numerous in Rome and much better known. The price of rent reaches 2,500 euros per month, excluding various expenses, caretaking, fresh water, electricity, heating. This brings the annual budget to 50,000 euros. This is a colossal sum and the subject of great concern. We are very confident because, with faith firmly fixed, we follow the advice of the Divine Master, who commanded us not to worry about those things that concern the pagans ... But the other great reality is that we greatly need your help, both through your prayer and through your material support. Your help is the future of this promising enterprise!

House of Formation in Rome

The website of the Institute of the Good Shepherd House of Formation in Rome has recently been updated. It is in French but here is an unofficial translation of part of a recent update:

"If I go back on the events of this past November, I focus specifically on the catechetical responsibility which was entrusted to our seminarians and my appointment as vicar of the parish on the territory of which we reside . We would like first to thank the Parish Priest of the parish, Monsignor Sancha, and the Vicariate of Rome. This gives us great confidence that they thus honour us."

The pause between University Classes is always appreciated!

"This also shows how our specificities and the commitment of our Institute do not prevent a frank and full cooperation with parishes. There is great hope in recent years, and we must show that we can indeed work together for the greater service of souls and the Church. A reception was given for us and the fact that we are honoured with a number of tasks within the parish territory is not merely a cordial facade or a matter of convenience, but a mission with which we have entrusted."

L'Abbé de Cazenove with some of his students

"Is not it a heavy responsibility that one of our seminarians teaches thirty young people catechism every evening? For my part, there are countless confessions entrusted to me, lectures to give my new colleagues of the parish, tours of visitation to the sick, etc.. It is deeply significant to see how the Parish Priest sincerely respects our constitution and our statutes. The Roman House of the Institute of the Good Shepherd was originally intended to be the House of Formation for our seminarians studying for our second cycle of studies. Gradually, many fields of apostolate are opening to us, thus allowing these young future priests to be trained in the practice of their future apostolate at your service."

Immaculate Conception at Gricigliano

by Shawn Tribe

The ICRSS seminary near Florence has up a number of pictures from their festal celebrations for the Immaculate Conception.

Here are a few, including some nice views of seminary life on feast days as well.

Catholic culture and liturgical life is made up both of the splendour of the liturgy itself, which is primary, and secondarily from other celebrations which surround these days. (cf. my piece on this, Re-learning the Keeping of Feast Days and Festivals).

Seeing full celebrations such as these are a very great thing indeed. They help to create powerful associations and memories (particularly beneficial for children, but even for adults) and also help the liturgy of the Church to further penetrate into our lives. Be it a seminary or be it a parish or home, we should strive to attain these things to the levels we can for feast days that are of particular importance to us as a family, as a parish, or so on. In many cases this will no doubt mean beginning these customs anew.

(reposted from The New Liturgical Movement)

Benedictines of the Immaculate

The Benedictines of the Immaculate are a new traditional community of Benedictines of strict observance in Liguria, Italy. They were founded on July 2nd 2008, in Villatalla, a small Italian village located in Liguria on the height of Imperia, very near to Vintimmille and on French border.

This community was founded by two monks coming from the Abbey of Our Lady of the Annnunciation, Le Barroux (France), at the request of Monsignor Mario Oliveri, bishop of Albenga-Imperia.

Benedettini dell'Immacolata
Casa Santa Caterina da Siena
I-18020 VILLATALLA (IM)
ITALIA

Email: benedett.immacolata at alice.it

More information, including a schedule of services, can be found on their blog here.

Official Images from the FSSP's 20th Anniversary Celebrations

The New Liturgical Movement has published official images from the FSSP's 20th Anniversary Celebrations in Rome.

Bp. Athanasius Schneider at ICRSS Rome Apostolate

by Gregor Kollmorgen

His Excellency, Athanasius Schneider ORC, auxiliary bishop of Karaganda, Kazakhstan, and well known to NLM readers from his book "Dominus est" in favour of a return to the traditional practice of receiving Holy Communion directly on the tongue while kneeling, recently celebrated Pontifical Low Mass in the Roman chruch of Gesù e Maria, Via del Corso, where the Apostolate of the Institute of Christ the King in Rome has its Sunday Mass. This apostolate, by the way, after having been present in Rome for over 15 years, has now been canonically erected by the Vicariate of Rome. The images of this Mass also show some of the ceremonial before and after Mass, recently addressed by Shawn.







For more pictures go here.

(reproduced from The New Liturgical Movement)