Joseph Cardinal Zen Celebrates Tridentine Mass in Hong Kong

Last March 29 of this year, Joseph Cardinal Zen of Hong Kong celebrated a Pontifical Mass at the Chapel of Our Lady Help of Christians in the Salesian Compound in Hong Kong assisted by the local clergy and Fr. Burke, a former SSPX priest who is now in communion with the Holy Mother Church. Photos courtesy of HK based Filipino Butch Durias who attended the Mass which was organized by Cyril Law, a young theologian, chanter and advocate of the Tridentine Rite. When wil our Philippine Cardinals follow the example of Cardinal Zen?

Latin Mass to Highlight Congregacion del Santisimo Nombre del Nino Jesus Anniversary

The Congregacion del Santisimo Nombre del Nino Jesus will celebrate its 29th Founding Anniversary on October 26, 2008. A thanksgiving Mass in the Traditional Latin Rite will be held at the Sto. Nino de Violago Chapel at the Waltermart Compound in E. Rodriguez Ave. Q.C. with Rev. Fr. JoMichell Zerrudo as celebrant. The Mass will be held at 9AM with a rendition of the Missa de Angelis Gregorian Chant. Longtime exhibitors and hermanos mayores are invited to witness the occasion and some will be given recognition for their years of supporting the Congregacion.

The newly elected board members and officers will be taking their oath of office while other members of the Congregacion will be making their renewal of commitment at the said event. The Congregacion is headed by President Mel Chionglo, Vice-President Nolie Hans, Secretary Bob de Castro and Treasurer Jing Chua. The new Chairman of the board is Ricky Miranda with Mr. Ben Farrales as the Founding Chairman. Everyone is invited to witness and celebrate the occassion.

On October 19, a week before the anniversary celebration, a special 9AM Mass will be held at the same chapel for the acceptance and renewal of new and old members of the different ministeries serving at the Chapel. These ministries include the choir, the altar servers, the auxiliaries (ushers/usherettes), the lectors, commentators and eucharistic ministers. This will also be the first time that male auxiliaries have been accepted in the ministry of hospitality. Celebrant is Rev. Fr. Bel San Luis, S.V.D. assisted by the Youth Choir of St. Joseph's College.

St. Lorenzo Ruiz, "Protomartyr" - the First Filipino Saint

San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila

Born: 1600s, Binondo, Manila, Philippines
Died: 29 September 1637, Nishizaka, Nagasaki, Japan
Venerated in: Roman Catholic Church
Beatified: 18 February 1981, Manila, Philippines by Pope John Paul II
Canonized: 18 October 1987, St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City by Pope John Paul II
Major shrine: Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz, Binondo, Manila, Philippines
Feast: 29 September
Attributes: rosary in clasped hands
Patronage: Filipino youth, Chinese-Filipinos, the Philippines, Overseas Filipino Workers, people living in poverty.

Lorenzo Ruiz, layman Dominic Ibáñez de Erquicia, O.P.James Kyushei Tomonaga, O.P. and 13 companions, Philippines, martyrs in Japan

1633, (August and October)
DOMINIC IBANEZ DE ERQUICIA: Spanish Dominican priest, born in Regil (San Sebastian) member of the Province of Spain at first, and afterwards of the Holy Rosary Province. Taught at St. Tomas College (Manila) and preached in various parts of the Philippines. In 1623 he went to Japan where he worked incognito. Denounced to the authorities by a Christian apostate, he was subsequently imprisoned and put to death. He played a very important role as Vicar Provincial to the missions. Part of his letters have been conserved. Age 44.

FRANCIS SHOYEMON: Japanese, Dominican Cooperator Brother. He was a companion of Domingo Ibanez in his apostolate. Arrested in 1633, he received the Dominican habit while in prison. He was killed together with this spiritual father.

JAMES KYUSHEI TOMONAGA OF ST. MARY: Japanese, Dominican priest. Born of a noble Christian family of Kyudetsu, he studied at the Jesuits' College at Nagasaki. He was expelled from Japan in 1614, because he was working as a catechist. He preached in Manila and Taiwan, but in 1632 he returned to his native land to help his fellow Christians. He was arrested, tortured and later killed, "because he was a religious and propagated the faith". He was 51 years, the oldest of the group.

MICHAEL KUROBIOYE: Japanese, lay catechist. He was a companion of Fr. James of St. Mary. When he was imprisoned and tortured, he revealed the hiding place of Fr. James. Soon repenting of what he had done, he joined his companion in his martyrdom, confessing his faith.

LUCAS ALONSO OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: Spanish, Dominican priest, born in Carracedo (Astorga) a son of the Spanish Dominican Province, he joined the Holy Rosary Province in 1617, thus becoming a missionary. After teaching at St. Tomas in Manila and preaching in Cagayan,he went to Japan in 1623 and worked there, encountering great risks and hardships for ten years. He was arrested while in Osaka (1633) and killed in Nagasaki after being tortured. Age 39.

MATTHEW KOHIOYE OF THE ROSARY: Japanese of Arima, Brother of the Dominican Order. Catechist and helper of Blessed Lucas Alonso, he became a Dominican novice. He was arrested at Osaka in 1633, endured horrible torture but remained faithful to Christ until his death. Age 18.
1634, (October-November)
MAGDALENE OF NAGASAKI: Japanese, Augustinian and Dominican tertiary. Daughter of a martyred Christian couple, she consecrated herself to God. Her spiritual director was Fr. Ansalone. When the latter was arrested, she presented herself to the guards, declaring that she was a Christian. She was tortured in a cruel manner, but remained firm in her faith until she was hung on the gibbet where she died after thirteen days.MARINA OF OMURA: Japanese, Dominican tertiary. Entered the Third Order in 1626 and was very helpful to the missionaries. She was arrested in 1634 and submitted to shameful humiliations, after which she was burned alive.
HYACINTH JORDAN ANSALONE: Italian, Dominican priest. Born at S. Stefano Quisquina (Agrigento), son of the Dominican Province of Sicily, afterwards joining the Holy Rosary Province. In the Philippines, he worked among the poor and the sick. He went to Japan in 1632 and worked there for two years. He was arrested in 1634 and had to undergo various tortures before dying on the gibbet. Age 36.

THOMAS HIOLI NISM OF ST. HYACINTH: Japanese, Dominican priest. Son of martyred Christians of Hirado, student at the Jesuits' college at Nagasaki. He emigrated to Manila in 1614 after being expelled on account of the persecution. Studied at St. Tomas College, then became a Dominican missionary in Taiwan. He returned later to Japan, where he preached for 5 years among great perils. He was then arrested, tortured and put to death. Age 44.
1637, September
In 1636, the Dominicans of Manila organized a missionary expedition with the intention of helping the Christians in Japan. As soon as they arrived in the island of Okinawa they were arrested and kept in prison for a year, after which they were transferred and condemned to death by the tribunal of Nagasaki.

ANTHONY GONZALEZ: Spanish, Dominican priest. Born in Leon (Spain), he became a Dominican in his native country, but, moving to Manila (1631) he joined the Holy Rosary Province. He taught at St. Tomas and later became its rector. In 1636 he led the group of missionaries going to Japan, but was soon arrested with the rest. He was a man of much prayer and penance. After a year he died in prison having endured the tortures inflicted upon him by the persecutors. Age 45.

WILLIAM COURTET OR THOMAS OF ST. DOMINIC: Born of noble parents in Serignan (France). He was a member of the Dominican Reformed Congregation of St. Louis but then joined the Holy Rosary Province and went to the Philippines where he taught at St. Tomas and later went to Japan. He also ended up on the gibbet, after a year of imprisonment, during which he endured horrible tortures. He died singing praise to the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary and psalms in the midst of torture. Age 47.

MICHAEL DE AOZARAZA: Spanish, Dominican priest. He was born in Onate (Spain) and became a member of the Province of Spain, but later joined the Holy Rosary Province. He worked in the mission of Bataan (Luzon - Philippines). He refused to give up his faith and accepted with joy tremendous suffering. Age 39.

VINCENT SCHIWOZUKA OF THE CROSS: Japanese, Dominican priest. Son of a Christian family, he was a student at the Jesuits' College and a catechist. He was expelled from Japan in 1614. He later became a priest in Manila and worked among the Japanese exiles. Before returning to his native land (1636) he received the Dominican habit. After a year of imprisonment the tortures induced him to apostatize, but he soon returned to the faith and died as a martyr on the gibbet.

LAZARO OF KYOTO: Japanese, layman. He contracted leprosy and was deported to the Philippines with other lepers. In 1636 he joined Gonzalez as his guide and interpreter. Not resisting to the tortures Lazaro apostatized for a few hours but then repented and died for Christ together with the others.

LAWRENCE Ruiz: Filipino, layman. Born in Binondo (Manila) of a Chinese Father and a Filipino mother, he received his education from the Dominicans, becoming a member of the Rosary Confraternity. He married and fathered three children. Becoming involved in some obscure incident with bloodshed, he joined the missionary expedition in order to escape. He was arrested and endured all kinds of tortures until his death. He thus becomes the Protomartyr of the Philippines.
Miracle proposed for the Canonization
Occurred in Manila in the year 1983 through the intercession of the group in favour of Cecilia Alegria Policarpio, child - 2 years old, cured completely of brain's paralysis without any effective therapy. The miracle was recognized by John Paul II on 1st June, 1987.
The reason why Christians were persecuted
"The followers of Christ, arriving unexpectedly in Japan, not only came here carrying their goods, but also, without any permission, have spread and propagated their wicked law, destroying the good and legitimate one and plotting to overthrow authority in the country. This is the beginning of great calamity, which we should avoid by all means. Japan is a Shintoist and Buddhist country, which venerates the gods, honours Buddha, and respects the 'way of benevolence' (Confucius).
The followers of the Fathers (the Christians) have all disobeyed the orders already given by the government despising religion ... and destroying the good. They are overjoyed when they see those about to be executed; they run after them wherever they go and adore them ... Such is the supreme ideal of this religion. Unless it is suppressed immediately, endless misfortunes will fall on the State. In all the regions of Japan, all these Christians should be eliminated without any delay ... If anyone dares contravene this order, he will be put to death ......

Pope's Reflection at Lourdes on Eucharist

"We Cannot Be Silent About What We Know"


LOURDES, France, SEPT. 15, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a Vatican translation of the discourse Benedict XVI gave Sunday night at the conclusion of the Eucharistic procession in the prairie at the Marian shrine in Lourdes.

* * *

Lord Jesus, You are here!

And you, my brothers, my sisters, my friends,
You are here, with me, in his presence!

Lord, two thousand years ago, you willingly mounted the infamous Cross in order then to rise again and to remain for ever with us, your brothers and sisters.

And you, my brothers, my sisters, my friends, You willingly allow him to embrace you.

We contemplate him.

We adore him.

We love him. We seek to grow in love for him.

We contemplate him who, in the course of his Passover meal, gave his body and blood to his disciples, so as to be with them “always, to the close of the age” (Mt 28:20).

We adore him who is the origin and goal of our faith, him without whom we would not be here this evening, without whom we would not be at all, without whom there would be nothing, absolutely nothing! Him through whom “all things were made” (Jn 1:3), him in whom we were created, for all eternity, him who gave us his own body and blood -- he is here this evening, in our midst, for us to gaze upon.

We love, and we seek to grow in love for him who is here, in our presence, for us to gaze upon, for us perhaps to question, for us to love.

Whether we are walking or nailed to a bed of suffering; whether we are walking in joy or languishing in the wilderness of the soul (cf. Num 21:4): Lord, take us all into your Love; the infinite Love which is eternally the Love of the Father for the Son and the Son for the Father, the Love of the Father and the Son for the Spirit, and the Love of the Spirit for the Father and the Son. The sacred host exposed to our view speaks of this infinite power of Love manifested on the glorious Cross. The sacred host speaks to us of the incredible abasement of the One who made himself poor so as to make us rich in him, the One who accepted the loss of everything so as to win us for his Father. The sacred host is the living, efficacious and real sacrament of the eternal presence of the saviour of mankind to his Church.

My brothers, my sisters, my friends,

Let us accept; may you accept to offer yourselves to him who has given us everything, who came not to judge the world, but to save it (cf. Jn 3:17), accept to recognize in your lives the presence of him who is present here, exposed to our view. Accept to offer him your very lives!

Mary, the holy Virgin, Mary, the Immaculate Conception, accepted, two thousand years ago, to give everything, to offer her body so as to receive the Body of the Creator. Everything came from Christ, even Mary; everything came through Mary, even Christ.

Mary, the holy Virgin, is with us this evening, in the presence of the Body of her Son, one hundred and fifty years after revealing herself to little Bernadette.

Holy Virgin, help us to contemplate, help us to adore, help us to love, to grow in love for him who loved us so much, so as to live eternally with him.

An immense crowd of witnesses is invisibly present beside us, very close to this blessed grotto and in front of this church that the Virgin Mary wanted to be built; the crowd of all those men and women who have contemplated, venerated, adored the real presence of him who gave himself to us even to the last drop of blood; the crowd of all those men and women who have spent hours in adoration of the Most Holy Sacrament of the altar.

This evening, we do not see them, but we hear them saying to us, to every man and to every woman among us: “Come, let the Master call you! He is here! He is calling you (cf. Jn 11:28)! He wants to take your life and join it to his.

Let yourself be embraced by him! Gaze no longer upon your own wounds, gaze upon his. Do not look upon what still separates you from him and from others; look upon the infinite distance that he has abolished by taking your flesh, by mounting the Cross which men had prepared for him, and by letting himself be put to death so as to show you his love. In his wounds, he takes hold of you; in his wounds, he hides you. Do not refuse his Love!”

The immense crowd of witnesses who have allowed themselves to be embraced by his Love, is the crowd of saints in heaven who never cease to intercede for us. They were sinners and they knew it, but they willingly ceased to gaze upon their own wounds and to gaze only upon the wounds of their Lord, so as to discover there the glory of the Cross, to discover there the victory of Life over death. Saint Pierre-Julien Eymard tells us everything when he cries out: “The holy Eucharist is Jesus Christ, past, present and future” ("Sermons and Parochial Instructions after 1856," 4-2.1, “On Meditation”).

Jesus Christ, past, in the historical truth of the evening in the Upper Room, to which every celebration of holy Mass leads us back.

Jesus Christ, present, because he said to us: “Take and eat of this, all of you, this is my body, this is my blood.”

“This is”, in the present, here and now, as in every here and now throughout human history. The real presence, the presence which surpasses our poor lips, our poor hearts, our poor thoughts. The presence offered for us to gaze upon as we do here, this evening, close to the grotto where Mary revealed herself as the Immaculate Conception.

The Eucharist is also Jesus Christ, future, Jesus Christ to come. When we contemplate the sacred host, his glorious transfigured and risen Body, we contemplate what we shall contemplate in eternity, where we shall discover that the whole world has been carried by its Creator during every second of its history. Each time we consume him, but also each time we contemplate him, we proclaim him until he comes again, “donec veniat”. That is why we receive him with infinite respect.

Some of us cannot -- or cannot yet -- receive Him in the Sacrament, but we can contemplate Him with faith and love and express our desire finally to be united with Him. This desire has great value in God’s presence: such people await his return more ardently; they await Jesus Christ who must come again.

When, on the day after her first communion, a friend of Bernadette asked her: “What made you happier: your first communion or the apparitions?”, Bernadette replied, “they are two things that go together, but cannot be compared. I was happy in both” ("Emmanuélite Estrade," 4 June 1958). She made this testimony to the Bishop of Tarbes in regard to her first communion: “Bernadette behaved with immense concentration, with an attention that left nothing to be desired … she appeared profoundly aware of the holy action that was taking place. Everything developed in her in an astonishing way.”

With Pierre-Julien Eymard and Bernadette, we invoke the witness of countless men and women saints who had the greatest love for the holy Eucharist. Nicolas Cabasilas cries out to us this evening: “If Christ dwells within us, what do we need? What do we lack? If we dwell in Christ, what more could we desire? He is our host and our dwelling-place. Happy are we to be his home! What joy to be ourselves the dwelling-place of such an inhabitant!”

Blessed Charles de Foucauld was born in 1858, the very year of the apparitions at Lourdes. Not far from his body, stiffened by death, there lay, like the grain of wheat cast upon the earth, the lunette containing the Blessed Sacrament which Brother Charles adored every day for many a long hour. Father de Foucauld has given us a prayer from the depths of his heart, a prayer addressed to our Father, but one which, with Jesus, we can in all truth make our own in the presence of the sacred host: “‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’ This was the last prayer of our Master, our Beloved … May it also be our own prayer, and not only at our last moment, but at every moment in our lives: Father, I commit myself into your hands; Father, I trust in you; Father, I abandon myself to you; Father, do with me what you will; whatever you may do, I thank you; thank you for everything; I am ready for all, I accept all; I thank you for all. Let only your
will be done in me, Lord, let only your will be done in all your creatures, in all your children, in all those whom your heart loves, I wish no more than this, O Lord. Into your hands I commend my soul; I offer it to you, Lord, with all the love of my heart, for I love you, and so need to give myself in love, to surrender myself into your hands, without reserve, and with boundless confidence, for you are my Father.”

Beloved brothers and sisters, day pilgrims and inhabitants of these valleys, brother Bishops, priests, deacons, men and women religious, all of you who see before you the infinite abasement of the Son of God and the infinite glory of the Resurrection, remain in silent adoration of your Lord, our Master and Lord Jesus Christ. Remain silent, then speak and tell the world: we cannot be silent about what we know. Go and tell the whole world the marvels of God, present at every moment of our lives, in every place on earth. May God bless us and keep us, may he lead us on the path of eternal life, he who is Life, for ever and ever. Amen.

Forty Hours Devotion

What: Forty Hours Devotion
Where: Parish of the Lord of the Divine Mercy, Sikatuna Village, QC
When: September 17, 2008
Time: after the 8:00 am Latin MassDuration: 2 days and 1 night

EVERYONE IS INVITED TO COME...."Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed iswilling, but the flesh is weak."- Matthew 26:41"Take heed, watch and pray, for you do not know when the time is." -Mark 13:33"Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy toescape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before theSon of Man."- Luke 21:36

The 40 Hours Devotion, introduced into Rome by St. Philip Neri in 1548, is the collective adoration of the exposed Eucharist for a period of 40 hours, in honor of the time Our Lord spent in the tomb (no single person is expected to spend 40 hours in adoration). While we say in the Creed that Christ was in the tomb for "3 days," those days are in the reckoning of the Old Testament religion, which counted any part of a day as "a day." In other words, Our Lord died at 3:00 on Friday (day one), descended into Hell (the afterworld) to save the righteous dead and was laid in the tomb on Saturday (day two), and arose on Sunday morning (day three). In modern terms, we'd say He was in the sepulcher for "1 1/2 days or so" because some of those "days" are partial days, but those who practiced the Old Testament religion, and those who practice modern Judaism, would consider that time period "3 days." Counting the time by hours, however, we can see that from 3:00 PM Friday to 6:00 AM Sunday are 40 hours. This devotion is often practiced during the Sacred Triduum (the three days before Easter which consist of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday), but is also offered in times surrounding other great Feasts, or on regular schedules not related to the calendar at all.When visiting the Blessed Sacrament as the 40 Hours Devotion goes on, we are to recite a sequence of an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and a Glory be 5 times -- the last cycle being for the intentions of the Holy Father. If one does this after having gone to Confession and received Communion, one recelves a plenary indulgence (under the usual conditions).

TRADITIONAL CONFIRMATION RITES

Kaisa ng buong Sambayanan ng
ECCLESIA DEI SOCIETY OF ST. JOSEPH
AT NG
PARISH OF THE LORD OF THE DIVINE MERCY
Maamo cor. Madasalin Sts., Sikatuna Village
Quezon City

Kasama ng mga Mananampalataya- Bayan ng Diyos
Mga Kaibigan at Tagapagtangkilik

Samahan po ninyo kami sa Pagdiriwang ng

Banal Na Sakripisyo ng Misa
(Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite)

na pangungunahan ng

Lubhang Kagalang-galang
Obispo Camilo D. Gregorio, D.D.
Obispo ng Prelatura ng Batanes

Bilang tanda ng Papuri at Pasasalamat sa

PAGTATAMPOK SA BANAL NA KRUS NG ATING
PANGINOONG HESUKRISTO

Sa pagdiriwang ng Unang Taong Anibersaryo ng motu propio
“Summorum Pontificum”
ng Kanyang Kabanalan
PAPA BENITO XVI

Ika-14 Setyembre 2008
1:30 ng hapon
Parish of the Lord of the Divine Mercy Church

Umaasa kami sa inyong presensya at pakikiisa

Maraming Salamat Po!

Solemn High Mass on the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul
Jun 27, '08 12:39 AMfor everyone
On the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and PaulParish of the Lord of the Divine MercyEcclessia Dei Society of St. JosephTraditional Solemn High Mass will be celebrated (with Deacon and Subdeacon)on June 29, 2008 at 1:30 pm. Procession will follow after Mass.

Cistercians Hit the Charts

Cistercians Hit the ChartsInterview on Best-Selling Chant CDBy Dominik HartigVIENNA, Austria, JUNE 13, 2008 (Zenit.org).- The Cistercian monks of the Stift Heiligenkreuz Abbey are unlikely candidates to make pop music's Top 10 list -- but they did just that, debuting at No. 9 in the United Kingdom.A CD of their prayer, "Chant: Music for Paradise," (sold as "Chant: Music for the Soul" in some countries) has been called a "must-have" by reviewers. Cistercian Father Karl Wallner, rector of the Benedict XVI Papal University of Heiligenkreuz, attributed the CD's overwhelming welcome to the fact that "Gregorian chant spreads harmony, peace and consolation in the depth of the soul."ZENIT spoke with Father Wallner about the CD and the monks who made it.Q: Entitled "Chant -- Music for Paradise," the Cistercians' CD has had extraordinary success. It would seem that Gregorian chant could be described as "music for the world." How do you account for this?
Father Wallner: The CD enables one to listen to our daily prayer to God, which we sing in the holy traditions of the Church and of the order, on the basis of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. Its success, on one hand, is amazing. And it is amazing that suddenly a world that has become so profane is interested in a soft and harmonious Latin chant and that our CD jumped to the top of the pop music charts.
In England, not only is the CD number one in the field of classical music, but it is also among the top 10 on the charts where usually only pop and similar music is found. Even in stores, our CD has been put under the title "pop."
Here is my interpretation of this: Secular music has arrived at a dead point. In a world anguished by stress and nerves, it now causes more stress and nerves. Sacred music, above all Gregorian chant, has always been an oasis to bring relief to the soul. And it seems that many seek this oasis with nostalgia.
We have observed that for years, young people whom we invite to hear our chant, listen in silence, are fascinated, and then say with enthusiasm how they [found it] "cool." Therefore, it seems clear that there is an instinct in men's ailing hearts, which drives them to look for a medicine. Hence Gregorian chant is a medicine for the soul.
Q: Not long ago the Holy Father said that music, and in general true art, does not separate man from his daily concerns or from the reality of every day. Is this also true for Gregorian chant?
Father Wallner: I consider our choral prayer, during which we use Gregorian chant to praise and exalt God, a moment of relaxation and spiritual uplifting. Benedict speaks of [it as the] "work for God" -- in Latin, "opus Dei." Thus, it isn't a waste of time. It isn't something absurd; it's an action full of significance, a "work" -- a work, in fact, for God.
And in true music, there isn't only one man who sings, rather, it is a dimension of the Eternal that penetrates man, creating in him an ability to listen. Why has Gregorian chant always been called "the song of the angels?" Because something is felt that comes from and resounds from another world, something that cannot be measured with mere coordinates, such as rhythm, harmony and notes. That is why this form of music is not foreign to daily life, but heals the wounds of every day and helps to overcome them.
Q: What are the characteristics of this form of sung prayer, which is "daily bread" in convents and monasteries?
Father Wallner: Gregorian chant is very ancient. It was born in the first millennium, appearing already in the 4th century, and in many aspects is addressed to the Most High.
First of all the texts are, for the most part, verses from the Bible: hence it is the word of God, which from the mouths of men returns to God in the form of singing.
In the second place, the composers of the melodies were pious anonymous men consecrated to God, mostly monks, who created the music not out of a desire for fame, but men who desired, once the work was complete, to return to total anonymity. Hence, men who in their longing for holiness created something holy.
In the third place, chant is very fascinating, inasmuch as it is situated outside our normal experience of music. There are no tones of C major or D minor, there are no tempi, there is no established rhythm; it is a song for only one voice. Hence, it is a different sound from all other sounds that we today call music. And at the same time, it is at the root of all that which subsequently developed as music.
Fourth point: chant is above all a sung prayer. We sing it always before the altar; therefore, it is not for the people, but for God. That is why we can never go on tour with our chant, because it is always a question of prayer. The recordings for the CD "Chant -- Music for Paradise" were also taken from prayer.
Q: In the month of June, the Pope will pray, among other things, that all Christians cultivate a profound personal friendship with Christ, thus witnessing to his love. In what way can music and song create this friendship and perhaps also reinforce it?
Father Wallner: As a youth I learned to pray through the rosary. If I want to intensify my friendship with Jesus, I kneel before the Most High. Gregorian chant is, in fact, a form of prayer which is not about aggression or intensity, but is like "daily bread" -- so one can sing throughout life. The relationship with God that comes from the heart is already a premise.
In our meetings with young people, in which between 200 and 300 youth participate, we begin by singing a piece of Gregorian chant. This serves to create an atmosphere of peace for the young people. Then we sing the very beautiful new sacred songs that have the power to create in young people's hearts a personal relationship with Jesus. Then we pray a part of the rosary, and kneel in silence with young people in adoration of the Most High; we [also] teach them to formulate in their hearts a "you" with Jesus, to start this dialogue of the heart.
Returning to your question: Yes, music can lead to God, it can open hearts -- uplift the soul and unite it to God.
Q: Could you talk about the background of this CD?
Father Wallner: "Chant -- Music for Paradise" was born from joy and carries joy. And the reason is that the singing is based on our liturgy for the dead. The entire Requiem is on the CD, that is, the Mass for the dead.
Joy? Yes, because true joy is joy for eternal life. We experienced this in February of this year at Heiligenkreuz, when over the span of 16 days, three of our brethren died, while in the preceding five years, no brother had died. One of them had reached 100 years of age: At the time of the Nazis he had been imprisoned in a death cell.
However, for many of the young monks who have come to us in recent years and who experienced for the first time the gentle death of one of our brothers, to participate in songs of the liturgy for the dead made a great impression. In convent life, there is no liturgy more edifying than the liturgy for the dead, because one of us has arrived where we all want to go: to eternal communion with God. For this reason the CD is called precisely "Music for Paradise."
Q: One last question: Is Gregorian chant reserved exclusively for specialists, or can the rest of us also appreciate it?Father Wallner: The CD is for everyone, in my opinion, also for young people. In any case, the ratings already demonstrate this.
When I entered [the monastery] at age 18, initially chant was strange for me. Today I love it very much because it really isn't "fast food" music, which leads to laziness and indolence of soul, but -- to continue the analogy -- it is a strong broth, a vitamin concentrate.
Gregorian chant spreads harmony, peace and comfort in the depth of the heart. And I would like to add a personal thought, because as a Catholic dogmatic I believe that the divine can be imprinted in a sacred way on the earthly reality. In our convent we are living a moment of grace, because we are in close union with the Church, with the Pope and with the magisterium. And it is possible to feel this internal harmony with all that is in the hearts of the 17 singers. This music is a small sacred gift that God has willed to give to the world through us.--- --- ---On the Net:"Chant: Music for Paradise": http://www.chantmusicforparadise.com/
Video on the Making of the CD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92YVt6y3Gfk&feature=related

Pastoral Letter Concerning the Apostolic Catholic Church

Roman Catholic Bishop of NovalichesThe Apostolic Catholic Church Circular 2008-05

To: All Parish Priest and Principals of All Diocesan and Congregational Schools in the Diocese of Novaliches

Our office has received several queries about the Apostolic Catholic Church. Parish Priests have complained that their priests go around our parishes soliciting funds sowing confusion to our Catholic Faithful, with their claim that the Apostolic Catholic Church is the same as the Roman Catholic Church. More often than not their priests call themselves as Bishops or Monsignors or simply Fathers after a little training. Usually, they appear well groomed in spotless white and thus seem more priestly than some of our Catholic priests. They also have sisters in long white robes.A fundamental principle in the work of ecumenism is to point out not only what is the same among the churches but also to accept honestly, even if sadly, that each is different from the other.As your Bishop, I want to inform all Catholics that the Apostolic Catholic Church is a cult founded by the mother of its present Patriarch, John Florentine L. Teruel. The cult deceivingly resembles the Roman Catholic Church because they have some vestiges of the true faith, like worship of the Triune God: Father, Son and the Holy Spirit and devotion to our blessed Mother Mary under the title Ina ng Poong Bato. They recite the Rosary and make novenas. Also in a very particular way, they call God the Holy Spirit Ingkong. However, since the Apostolic Catholic Church does not accept the supremacy of the Pope of Rome but recognizes only Patriarch Teruel, the Apostolic Catholic Church thus is Schismatic Church. Its members therefore have ceased to be Roman Catholics. The Apostolic Catholic Church is thus, not the same as but is very different from the Roman Catholic Church we were all baptized into.This circular is to be read in all Sunday, including Anticipated Masses of April and May 2008.

Given in the Chancery in Fairview, Quezon City, this 1st day of April in the Year of our Lord, 2008.

Most Rev. Antonio R. Tobias, DDBishop

Attested by:Rev. Fr. Jaime S. LaraChancellor

First parish to offer Mass in the Tridentine rite opens in Rome

The first parish church in Rome to celebrate Mass entirely in Latin for nearly half a century has been inaugurated with a service attended by over 500 worshippers.

Joseph Kramer, the Australian priest who presided at the inaugural Mass at the church of SS Trinita dei Pellegrini near Campo de Fiori and the Ponte Sisto, in the heart of Rome's historic centre, said that he had been "overcome with emotion" to find how many in the congregation —including young people —still cherished the Latin rite. "This is not a victory but a confirmation of tradition" he said. He hoped the example would be followed by other parishes.

At the Mass Father Kramer stood at the altar with his back to the congregation, as in pre Vatican II tradition, to the sound of Gregorian chants. The 16th-century Tridentine Mass, promulgated by Pope St Pius V in 1570, was replaced by Mass said in the venacular in 1962, as part of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.

After Vatican II the Latin rite could still be used, but only with permission of the diocesan bishop. However last September Pope Benedict XVI —who as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger had shown a clear preference for the Latin rite — issued a motu proprio allowing its reintroduction at the discretion of priests in parishes where a "stable number of the faithful" ask for a return to the old liturgy.

The Pope personally chose SS Trinita dei Pellegrini as the first Rome parish dedicated entirely to the Latin rite, Vatican sources said. Five churches in Rome already offer Mass in Latin, but only at certain times.

St. Lawrence Church

IGREJA DO SAO LORENZO

This is one of the more beautiful churches of Macau.
St. Lawrence Church was originally built of wood in the 1560, rebuilt in clay in 1618and finally reconstructed in stone around 1803.
Enter the church through a beautiful stone staircase and through an ornamental gate.
Inside you will find St. Lawrence Church surrounded by a garden filled with palm trees.
The church has twin towers and the nave is covered with Chinese tiles.
Enter St. Lawrence Church to appreciate the rich interior. Note the wooden ceiling in turquoise, white and gold beams, intricate woodwork and hanging chandeliers.
Get near the high alter to pray to St. Lawrence who is robed in rich vestments and accompanied by a small cherub.
Above the saint is a stained glass window with a dove of peace, a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

St. Augustine Church

IGREJA DO SAO AGOSTINHO

The St Augustine Church is part of a monastery founded in 1586 by Spaniards. The facade was originally of Baroque style but the existing facade is more neoclassic dating from 1814.
St Augustine Church's marble-clad high altar contains a statue of Christ carrying the cross, Our Lord of the Passion (Nosso Senhor dos Passos).
Legend says that when the statue was moved to the Cathedral by Church authorities it would somehow return to St Augustine Church.
Ever since a procession is held every year on the first Sunday of Lent.
From St Augustine Church the statue is taken to the Cathedral for a night. The following day, the figure is carried through the streets back to the cathedral. Stations of the Cross are set up along the route.
This event is attended by the clergy and hundreds of Chinese faithful and believers.
Another twist of the story occured in 1712. That time the anti-Catholic government expelled the Augustinians and banned the Passos procession from St Augustine Church.
Suddenly there was a food shortage. The local Chinese immediately associated the two events. They therefore demanded that "the man with the cross" walk the streets again. Eventually the procession resumed and as expected, the shortage ended.
English services are held in St Augustine Church every Saturday and Sunday.
The deceased wife of the famous one-armed Captain Antonio Albuquerque is buried inside St Augustine Church.
Maria de Moura is the romantic heroine who married Coelho in 1710 who lost an arm thanks to one of her unsuccessful suitors. Unfortunately she died in child-birth and is buried with her baby and arm of Antonio. The tomb is right behind the main altar.
Three of the best paintings in St Augustine Church are now in the Luis Camoes Museum. These paintings are those of Saint Monica, Saint Augustine's mother, Saint Rita of Cassia and Saint Thomas of Vilanova.