Lillian's Baptism

I was delighted to celebrate the Baptism of Lillian Marie Shaw this weekend in West Brookfield.  Just imagine the wonderful ways in which she will grow in Christ for decades to come!

Knights of Malta at SJS

Last evening we were honored to welcome the Knights and Dames of Malta to our community Mass.  Bishop Edgar Moreira da Cunha, recently installed Bishop of Fall River, was our celebrant.   Monsignor Dennis Sheehan, Vice-Chairman of our Board of Trustees was the homilist.  At the conclusion of the Mass James F. O’Connor, President of Malteser International (USA) was presented with the Grand Cross for his extraordinary service to the Knights throughout the years.

Assisi Lions

Today we celebrated the Feast of Saint Francis in Assisi and I prayed for each of our seminarians by name at both the tomb of the poverello and the porziuncula.  As I prayed, I carried small copies of the cross of San Damiano which I will give to each of our seminarians when I return to the Seminary.

I began the day at San Ruffino, the Cathedral where Saint Francis and Saint Clare were both baptized.  

The front door to the Cathedral is one of my favorite places in Assisi, because it reminds me of the last judgement, which is depicted at the top of the door.  

At the right of the door is a happy lion, playing with the just man, who lays sleeping (albeit a bit worn) beneath the happy lion’s paws.  At the left side of the door an angry lion devours the head of the unjust man, as a sign that we all have a choice and that we will face eternal reward or punishment on the last day.  Meanwhile, all around the door are fantastical figures, all signs of the wonders of God’s creation.

Tomorrow morning I will celebrate Mass at the porziuncula and then I’m back to Rome for a couple more meetings before flying home on Tuesday.  

Vox Clara Committee Press Release

VOX CLARA COMMITTEE

PRESS RELEASE

October 1-3, 2014

The Vox Clara Committee met from October 1-3, 2014 at the Domus Australia in Rome. This Committee of senior Bishops from Episcopal Conferences throughout the English-speaking world was formed by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on July 19, 2001 in order to provide advice to the Holy See concerning English-language liturgical books and to strengthen effective cooperation with the Conferences of Bishops in this regard.

The Vox Clara Committee is chaired by Cardinal George Pell (Secretary for the Economy). The participants in the meeting were Bishop Thomas Olmsted, First Vice-Chairman (Phoenix), Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Second Vice-Chairman (Bombay), Cardinal Justin Rigali, Treasurer (Philadelphia, Emeritus), Archbishop Alfred Hughes (New Orleans, Emeritus), Archbishop Michael Neary (Tuam), Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, S.J. (Ottawa), and Bishop David McGough (Birmingham, Auxiliary). Cardinal Francis George, O.M.I. (Chicago), Cardinal John Tong Hon (Hong Kong) and Bishop Arthur Serratelli, Secretary (Paterson) were unable to be present for this meeting.

Also assisting the meeting were Monsignor James P. Moroney (Executive Secretary), Reverend Dennis McManus (expert), Monsignor Gerard McKay (advisor), Reverend Joseph Briody (special assistant) and Reverend Gerard Byrne (special assistant). Reverend Jeremy Driscoll, O.S.B (expert) and Abbot Cuthbert Johnson, O.S.B. (advisor) were unable to be present.

The representatives of the Holy See included the Delegate to the Vox Clara Committee, Reverend Anthony Ward, S.M., Undersecretary of the Congregation, accompanied by officials of the Congregation.

The Committee heard reports on the pace of the revision of the Latin typical editions of the Roman Rite by the International Commission on English in the Liturgy and a variety of practical matters.

The greatest part of the Committee’s work was devoted to a review of the ICEL Gray Book translations of Exorcisms and Certain Supplications, the Order of the Dedication of a Church and an Altar and a supplement to the Liturgy of the Hours. The Committee was once again delighted with the quality of the translations and developed a limited list of recommendations for their refinement which it submitted to the Congregation.

Archbishop Arthur Roche, Secretary to the Congregation, joined the Committee for the first morning and expressed his gratitude for “the very distinct contribution which Vox Clara makes” in providing “a model of how to achieve an English text.” The members thanked the Secretary for his presence and encouragement.

On the occasion of the completion of his service as Prefect of the Congregation, the Committee sent a letter to Cardinal Antonio Cañizares Llovera expressing its gratitude for his strong and generous support and wished him well in his new ministry as Archbishop of Valencia.

This was the twenty-fourth meeting of the Vox Clara Committee which will continue its work in early 2015.

A Week in Rome

This past week I have been in Rome for a meeting of the Vox Clara Committee and as the meetings draw to a close, I am just now catching up with the blog.  The Press Release for the Vox Clara meeting will be posted here in a few hours.

The week began with a day and a half of lectures for ICTE, the sabbatical program at the North American College.  From there we traveled to the Domus Australia, where the Vox Clara reviewed liturgical texts for three days.

On Wednesday evening I was honored to concelebrate Mass with Cardinal O'Malley for the Feast of Saint Theresa of Lisieux at his titular church here in Rome, Santa Maria Vittoria.  It was at this Church that the fourteen year old Theresa Martin prayed that she would be allowed to enter the Carmelite Order.  The Mass was served by Boston seminarians Kevin Leaver, Michael Zimmerman and Kevin Staley-Joyce.

I prayed throughout the Mass for our beloved Carmelites in Danvers and keep remembering the Mass we had there just last week with so many members of the Saint John's community.  

Here's a picture taken in the sacristy before Mass with (from left to right) Monsignor Johnson, me, Cardinal O'Malley, Father O'Leary (Rector of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross) and Father Briody.


On Thursday morning, several of us joined the throngs of family and friends at the Ordination to the Diaconate of forty-six seminarians from the Pontifical North American College.  The ordination took place at the Altar of the Chair at Saint Peter's Basilica.  

This view is across the sea of concelebrants as Donato Infante, an alumnus of Saint John's Seminary's Pre-Theology Program and a seminarian for the Diocese of Worcester was ordained a Deacon.  Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington D.C., was the ordaining prelate.

This weekend I will be in Assisi for the Feast of the poverello for the first time in my life.  Then, before you know it, I'll be back home at SJS!

ICTE 2014

I was honored to spend a day and a half with the Priests on the ICTE sabbatical program at the North American College earlier this week.  I gave three talks.  You can click the following links to download PDFs of the slides for each of them.

The Roman Missal and Priestly Identity

The Next Translation: The Order of Celebrating Marriage

Five Words from the Roman Canon

Welcome Bishop da Cunha!

Earlier this week I was privileged to join folks from all across the Diocese of Fall River as they welcomed their new shepherd, Bishop Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V. Bishop da Cunha is the first native Portuguese speaking Bishop in the United States and his love of the people of Fall River was evident throughout the Liturgy of Installation. Here is a brief excerpt from his homily:


I feel so grateful today that the Lord and Pope Francis gave me this beautiful gift: the opportunity to serve the Lord and his people here in the Diocese of Fall River. My brother Priests and my brothers and sisters, I pledge to you today to use all the gifts God gave me, to use all the graces he will continue giving me, to serve you and to do it faithfully and joyfully. We shall walk together in faith and hope, sharing our faith with each other, praying for one another always trusting in the Lord’s words and the promise he made to us: Sufficit Tibi Gratia Mea. My Grace is enough for you.


Our own Father David Pignato was Master of Ceremonies and the Liturgy of Installation was beautifully celebrated.

Welcome Bishop da Cunha!