October 31, 2022 Column Father De Celles
All Saints/All Souls. This Tuesday, November 1, is All Saints Day, a Holy Day of Obligation. It recalls the
important dogma that we are all called to go to heaven, and even now are in communion with all the holy souls who have gone there before us, the Saints. This mystery is so important for us to remember and celebrate that Holy Mother Church requires us all to attend Mass, naming it a mortal sin not to go. Please see the special Mass schedule below.
The next day, Wednesday, November 2, is All Souls Day, which is never a day of obligation, but I
encourage you to try to attend Mass that day as well, and keep the whole day as one of prayer for the dead, especially those dear to you—it is a great act of love to pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. We will have an additional 7pm Mass for your convenience.
Of course, all this is proceeded Monday, October 31, by Halloween. As you know, I am not a fan of this
day, since it not only tends to distract us from and trivialize the meaning of the important days that follow, but it is also used as a feast day by those that serve the devil (including Satanists, witches, etc.). Still, I understand the innocent fun, especially for kids, of dressing up in costumes and going trick-or-treating. And this year the kids have a special need for fun after all the Covid and Shutdown anxiety. So, if it’s important your kids, have some fun, but keep it balanced, and be careful not to let it, in any way, lead you or yours away from Christ, the Saints, or the Holy Souls.
FIRST FRIDAY ALL-NIGHT ADORATON. As mentioned here last week, we will be extending the hours of
Eucharistic Adoration and Exposition on First Fridays of every Month. So, beginning this coming Friday,
November 4, we will have Eucharistic Adoration and Exposition continuously from 9am (after Mass) on
Friday until 9am (before Mass) on Saturday. This night-time adoration is often called “Nocturnal Adoration.”
We need at least 2 adorers to volunteer to commit to be present for each hour of scheduled adoration, so
that Our Eucharistic Lord will not be left alone at any time. Several of the hours are still in need of volunteers, so please visit our website to sign up. But even if you don’t sign up, please come to adore at any time. (Remember: we will also have all-day Eucharistic Adoration and Exposition on Election Day, Tuesday, November 8) Poll: Transgender Therapy for Minors. Did you hear about the new poll done by The Trafalgar Group? As reported by the Family Research Council last week:
There are dozens of actions that Americans under the age of 18 are not allowed to engage in — including
voting, joining the military, having sex with someone over 18, applying for credit cards, and adopting a child, to name a few.
And according to a new poll, nearly 80% of Americans believe that using puberty blockers or undergoing
procedures to permanently change their sexual characteristics should be among them.
The national survey of likely 2022 election voters was conducted earlier this month by Convention of States Action in partnership with The Trafalgar Group. Survey participants were asked, “Do you believe underage minors should be required to wait until they are adults to use puberty blockers and undergo permanent sex change procedures?”
Of those who responded, 78.7% said they believe underage minors should be required to wait and 21.3%
disagreed, saying they don’t believe underage minors should be required to wait.
“This polling confirms the obvious — the vast majority of Americans are not on board with the far-Left’s
sexual agenda, which is seeking to permanently mutilate the young and vulnerable,” commented Mark Meckler, president of the Convention of States, in a statement Friday announcing the release of the survey results. “The idea that young people have to be 16 to drive, 18 to vote, and 21 to drink, and yet can undergo life- altering medical procedures in middle school defies common sense, and the American people see that clearly,” he added. “As the Biden administration refuses to do the right thing for our children and take action to protect them from the horrors of the far-Left agenda, it’s imperative that individual states …step up and stand against it.”
….Pro-transgenderism advocates claim that “gender affirming” procedures save lives for those with
“gender dysphoria” (GD) — the condition in which a person may feel unhappy with their biological sex, express a desire to be the opposite sex, or even insist that they are of the opposite sex. Studies, however, have found that 80% to 95% of pre-pubertal children with gender dysphoria will experience resolution by late adolescence if not exposed to social affirmation and medical intervention.
Duh: What Priests Really Think. I do not like to participate in opinion polling, particularly polling done by
Church-related institutions. My reasoning is simple, if oversimplistic: I think most polling is manipulated to come to some pre-conceived conclusion the researchers hope to prove. So when I was asked last year to participate in the survey of priests conducted by researchers at Catholic University America, I declined. But I am amazed at its results: they actually discovered and reported what priests know to be the truth. As The Pillar reported last week:
…According to a study published yesterday, American Catholics priests describe their bishops as
“imperious,” “above the law,” and ladder-climbing “chameleons.”
The study, published by The Catholic University of America, found that American priests are “flourishing”
in their own lives and ministry, but, as one priest interviewed put it, no more likely to seek personal counsel or support from their bishop than from “a stranger in the street.”
The breakdown of trust between U.S. priests and their leaders presented in the report suggests a serious
fracture in the Church’s internal communion in the United States….
In the report … some priests told researchers that they live in “regular fear” of being “thrown under the
bus” by bishops, who – some priests say – see them as “expendable” and “liabilities.”
Survey results showed that priests were more likely to describe their spiritual fathers as “CEOs” rather
than “shepherds.” But perhaps most alarming for the bishops is the data that shows few of them are aware of their presbyterates are feeling: bishops nearly unanimously told the same survey that they would do “very well” supporting priests in need. Barely a third of priests agreed about that.
….But the apparent crisis of confidence laid bare in the Catholic University report suggests that U.S.
priests are actually more skeptical of the bishops as a body than as individuals; while 49% of priests had confidence in their own bishop, only 24% expressed confidence in the bishops’ leadership and decision making as a group.
In Happier News. My new personal best golf score: 88, at South Wales last week.
Oremus pro invicem. Fr. De Celles