Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Holy Face Appears at Back of Priest's Head


This is the famous "appearance" of what seems to be the face of Jesus Christ at the back of Rev. Fr. Thomas Chao's head (He is now in his 90's and is a priest from China who was tortured during the communist take-over and migrated to the Philippines; he was an assistant priest at St. Peter's Parish in Paco, Philippines and is now back in China continuing his apostolate. His priestly vocation has been renewed and reinvigorated when he started celebrating Tridentine Mass as requested by EDDSJ). This happened sometime April 1996 when during the Gloria, members of the congregation noticed the image and fortunately, someone brought a video recorder. Fr.Chao had no idea of what was happening and after Mass, people were telling him of what occured and he was informed of the image still remaining in his head. He seemed to be confused of what truly happened since people started weeping. It took the following Sunday for him to see the video of what happened and was overwhelmed of the event. The succeeding Sunday, he returned to celebrate Mass with his head almost shaved yet the image could still be seen forming through the little hair left. The video is more dramatic since it can be seen clearly through a certain angle. I was present during his Tridentine Mass and can attest of the truthfulness of the event that no trickery was involved either through tattooing nor coloring/shaping his hair. He was featured in one of the episodes of the now defunct channel 2's ":Balitang K" TV program of Korina Sanchez which interviewed him and several witnesses. When a local Church official was interviewed too, he did not give a favorable view on the event since he said there was no clear message given (he did not even bother to investigate). However for us, the message is clear, that it is really Jesus Christ who is the celebrant of the Holy Mass and that he favors our Tridentine apostolate inspite of trials coming from both the progressive and traditonalist sides of the local Catholic Church in the Philippines. Fr. Chao who is so humble and is very saintly occassionally visits the Philippines and still celebrates the Tridentine Mass inspite of his advanced age. May he have more years to come!

Monday, June 28, 2010

The International Una Voce Federation

Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce

A Brief History.

Formation: In 1964, Dr. Borghild Krane, an eminent psychologist in Norway, sent out an appeal to concerned Catholics to group together in defence of the Church's liturgical heritage. As a result of that appeal a number of national associations came into being in 1964/65. Delegates from six European associations met in Rome early in 1965 and the International Federation was formally erected in Zurich on January 8th, 1967 when delegates from 20 associations approved the draft statutes and elected the first Council.
A Lay Movement: The International Una Voce Federation is a lay movement, and its principal aims are to ensure that the Missale Romanum of Pope John XXIII (1962 edition) is maintained in the Church as one of the forms of liturgical celebration, and to safeguard and promote the use of Latin, Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony. A General Assembly is convened every two years in Rome and elections are held for the Council and Presidency. The current President is Mr Jack Oostveen from Una Voce Delft, The Netherlands. The Federation is recognized by the Holy See, its views are received with courtesy and respect by the relevant Roman Congregations, and its representatives are received by them in the same manner. Over the years it has made successful interventions with Rome on numerous occasions to safeguard the traditional Mass and ancient liturgical practice. Its first President, Dr. Eric de Saventhem was instrumental in convincing Pope John Paul II in 1986 to convoke a special Commission of Cardinals to investigate to situation concerning the celebration of the traditional Mass.



The Federation is not an organization run from above by a central committee. Each national association is an autonomous body that is encouraged to do all that it can to achieve the objectives of the Federation at the local level but the International Federation is better placed to represent the common concerns of traditional Catholics world-wide at the highest level of Church government. Negotiations with Rome tend to be carried out behind the scenes and are not normally made public.



Membership: The International Federation represents 30 member associations in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Chile, England and Wales, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Russia, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, and the USA. In 2004 the International Federation made remarkable progress. Applications for information and assistance came from Bogota in Columbia, from Katmandu in Nepal, from Madras in southern India, from Belarus, Slovenia, Latvia, Lithuania, Spain, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Mexico, and Hungary.



Comments from Cardinals:



On 25 July 1996 Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith commended the International Una Voce Federation for playing an important role in supporting the use of the 1962 edition of the Roman Missal in obedience to the directives of the Holy See.

Cardinal Medina Estévez, until recently the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, feels that use of the 1962 Missal should be granted to all who request it and has stated that on the basis of his personal research the rite of St. Pius V has never been abrogated.

On 4 September 2000, Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos told Una Voce representatives that he considered the Missal of St Pius V to be a great treasure of the Church, and that he could see no reason why we should not be granted the use of all the liturgical books in use in 1962. It was his opinion that the motu proprio "Ecclesia Dei" puts a serious responsibility upon bishops to implement it, and that only when there are serious reasons to the contrary should requests be denied.



Contact (by E-mail)

President: Mr. Leo Darroch,

Vice-President: Mr. Jack P. Oostveen,

Vice-President: Mr. Bill Basile,

Secretary: Mr. Rodolfo Vargas Rubio,

Treasurer: Frau Monika Rheinschmitt.

The International Federation Una Voce Welcomes a New Member from the Philippines

8 June 2010
The International Federation Una Voce Welcomes a New Member from the Philippines.

The International Federation Una Voce is pleased to announce the admission of a new member. The application from the Ecclesia Dei Society of St. Joseph (The Philippines) has been approved by the FIUV Council and membership has been granted with immediate effect. The Federation is delighted to welcome such an active group in the Philippines and hopes and prays that membership of the world-wide organisation will help the EDSJ to further the cause of tradition in South East Asia.’

This is now the new name of EDDSJ: Ecclesia Dei Society of St. Joseph-Una Voce Philippines

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Church Kicks Out Popular Fake Priest

Church kicks out popular fake priest
By Roy Lagarde, Manila
Xavier Eubra de Borja

A fake priest who reportedly built up quite a following through his “Latin Masses,” has had his priestly career cut short by a Philippines diocese.
Cubao diocese in Quezon City announced this week it had excommunicated former seminarian Xavier Eubra de Borja on June 2.
Father Fredrick Edward Simon said Bishop Honesto Ongtioco of Cubao issued the excommunication order.

De Borja, a resident of St. Ignatius Village in Quezon City, served as an altar boy at Christ the King Parish during his student days.

After leaving the country and entering a seminary in Russia, he returned to the parish in 2009 saying he was an “ordained priest” on vacation.
He even presented documents proclaiming himself a member of the Canons Regular of St. Augustine in France.
Taken in by the elaborate ruse, the parish accepted De Borja as a “guest priest” while on vacation, supposedly before returning to his “assignment in Russia.”
However, a check with the Vladivostok-based Mary Mother of God Mission Society, revealed that no Filipino priest was assigned there.
In the meantime, Church authorities also learned De Borja had celebrated Mass, heard confessions and conducted retreats and recollections while “on holiday”.
He reportedly attracted parishioners with his celebration of the Mass, which was described as “reminiscent of all the reverence and strict compliance with the movements and rituals whenever traditional Latin Masses are celebrated.”
The fake priest is also reported to have delivered good homilies and even said Mass in Latin.

De Borja is now barred from attending Mass, receiving communion and participating in religious ceremonies.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Establishment of the TLM Personal Parish in the Diocese of Cubao

Establishment of the TLM Personal Parish in the Diocese of Cubao


By Shirley Monreal ~ June 19th, 2010 // 5:16 pm

It is of utmost joy that Ecclesia Dei Society of St. Joseph – Philippines, a lay organisation of faithful predilecting the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Rite has now initiated the erection of a personal parish dedicated solely to celebrating the Tridentine Latin Mass according to the Missal of Bl. John XXIII. EDSSJ Founding chairman Bro Dennis Maturan has posted this recently through the official yahoogroup :
The Bishop of the Diocese of Cubao, his excellency Bishop Honesto F.Ongtioco, D.D., has permitted the erection of a personal parish for those who are attached to the Extra Ordinary Form of the Latin Rite. The church building will be dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and will under the auspices of Fr. Michell Joe Zerrudo and the Ecclesia Dei Society of St. Joseph to consolidate efforts aong various groups advocating the return of the form of Mass popularly known as the Tridentine Mass. The parish will also be available for other Sacraments to be administered according to the liturgical books of 1962 or prior to 1970. It will also be a venue of training for priests who would like to learn the ancient usage of the Roman Rite and others who would like to learn the rubrics of serving at the traditional rites, including schola and choir training. The Diocese is now looking for a venue for the said personal parish and funds are solicited in order to commence such as august aposolate. Funds may be channeled through Fr. Michell Joe B. Zerrudo, Parish of Our Lord of Divine Mercy, Diocese of Cubao, Maamo cor. Madasalins Sts., Sikatuna, Quezon City, Philippines or may call his parish at 029213337. We therefore appeal to traditonal Catholic communities to help us in such endeavor.
We appeal for prayers such that this aspiration may be accomplished in God’s time.
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam! Sancti Ioannes Marie Vianney, ora pronobis

This Week’s Notices: Feast Days, Our Lady of Fatima Visit

This Week’s Notices: Feast Days, Our Lady of Fatima Visit


By Shirley Monreal ~ June 20th, 2010 // 9:29 pm

For this week and the next:
June 24 : Feast Day of the Birth of John the Baptist (1st Class)

June 29 : Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul (1st Class)

Philippine visit of the international pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fatima : 1st week of July to last week of August

Visit of pilgrim statue in the Diocese of Cubao : July 2-6 *

* Fr. Jojo Zerrudo requests for any volunteers to help out in organising for the said visitation, especially on accommodating the pilgrim entourage. The programme of her arrival consists of a Holy Mass then devotees’ visits. There are also plans of holding confessions while the pilgrim image is stationed for devotions. Please stay tuned for updates regarding this event.

Jaleville Tridentine Mass Feast of OL of Mother of Perpetual Help


The Roman Missal promulgated by St. Pius V and reissued by Bl. John XXIII is to be considered as an extraordinary expression of 'Lex orandi,' and must be given due honour for its venerable and ancient usage..therefore, {it is} permissible to celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass following the typical edition of the Roman Missal promulgated by Bl. John XXIII in 1962 and {it was} never abrogated, as an extraordinary form of the Liturgy of the Church.

- Summorum Pontificum, H.H. Pope Benedict XVI -
You are most cordially invited to the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass according to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite of the 5th Sunday after Pentecost at 9 o'clock in the morning on the 27th of June 2010 in Jaleville, Parañaque.

Promoting Worship With the Traditional Mass




Promoting Worship With the Traditional Mass

Interview With St. Peter's Fraternity Priest Calvin Goodwin

By Traci Osuna
DENTON, Nebraska, JUNE 8, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Since the Second Vatican Council, Catholics have been attending Mass said in their native tongue. Today, Latin references are completely foreign to some, and lingering memories to others.

But then there are those who are dedicated to keeping the Latin liturgy alive, and included in this group is the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, a growing community of priests that are devoted to celebrating the extraordinary form of the Mass.
As many religious orders are desperately praying for vocations, this community has young men waiting to get into their seminary program at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton.
This relatively new society of priests -- founded in 1988 -- has garnered the attention of, not only those who seek to go back to the Latin Mass, but also those who want to share in the beauty, the reverence and the piety of the traditional Latin Mass for the first time.

ZENIT: The priestly Fraternity of St. Peter is a relatively new entity -- established in 1988 -- that has as one of its characteristics the sole use of the liturgy of 1962. Could you explain what drew you to this traditional priestly fraternity?

Father Goodwin: We are a community completely gathered around the Church's traditional liturgy. It really is at the heart of our vocation. As to what drew me to the fraternity, it wasn't my idea; it was God.

I was a member of a large religious community for a number of years when I stumbled upon a church where [the Traditional] Mass was being celebrated. I don't think I could really say that I knew in a conscious way, but something in me knew that, after this, my life was going to be different.

One day, an elderly gentleman who had been asking for permission for a [Latin Mass] in the Diocese of Portland, Maine, received a letter from the bishop, explaining why they did not offer the traditional Mass. The gentleman said to me, "I guess I have to resign myself to dying without having access to the old Mass."

I stuck a little note on the letter that said "I'm sure your Excellency will do whatever you can for this gentleman," and I mailed it.
About 6 months later, I received a letter from the chancellor of the diocese, explaining why they didn't have the Latin Mass. At the end of the letter was written, "The bishop is wondering if you would be willing to do something on an ad hoc basis for some of these people." So I called and told him I'm willing to do whatever the bishop wants me to do.

Of course, I had to learn how to say the Traditional Mass. My own spiritual director taught me how to do it over one weekend. On Sept. 16, 1991, the Diocese of Portland celebrated its first Traditional Mass in about 20 years. It just went on from there.

I was saying the Traditional Mass more and the newer form of the mass, less. After a while, I began to realize that my whole spiritual life as a priest was centered on this Mass. One of the priests of the Fraternity of St. Peter came to do a lecture on the traditional Mass and he [invited me to their] district house in Pennsylvania.
I thought, "If God has led me in this direction, then I should take responsibility for this grace." Rather than wishing that everything around me would change, I'm the one who has to change. That's what brought me to the Fraternity of St. Peter and I've been here since [1999].

ZENIT: Why do you feel that following the traditional Roman rite is vital to "re-Christianizing" our world?

Father Goodwin: The Traditional Mass is a very important element in the re-Christianization of the world because it so clearly and fully embodies the faith of the Church. The whole notion of Christ's sacrifice is the central point of the Mass.
Of course, the primary objection that's most often offered to it is "Why would you want to celebrate the Mass in a language that people don't understand?" But that makes the assumption that the relationship of people to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is primarily one of comprehension; that the Mass is a piece of information to be learned and understood.

Today, Mass is most often celebrated in the world where people can see everything that is going on and understand everything that's said. Can we honestly say that the result of this has deepened their appreciation for what's going on? When pollsters tell us that 80% of Catholics under the age of 59 have a non-Catholic idea of what the Blessed Sacrament is, the whole communication thing may not be so successful. That should not be the primary goal. The primary goal is the worship of God.

The Mass is not a bunch of jumbled elements that we put together or we construct in order to make something that is meaningful to us. The Mass is something that exists in itself, to which we conform ourselves, so that we can more perfectly unite with God.

I think that's what young people find in the Traditional Mass. They're not looking for an explanation; they're looking for the presence of Christ. This is, in a very primary way, about reverence, piety and devotion.

ZENIT: While priestly vocations are waning in many other orders in the United States and around the world, ordinations within the Fraternity of St. Peter are increasing. What do you think draws these men to the Fraternity?

Father Goodwin: We have seminarians who have grown up with the Traditional Mass. We also have seminarians who have come to us after seeing the Traditional Mass two or three times before they entered. One found it on the Internet and said, "As soon as I saw it, I knew that it was for me."
The vocations come from God. He is sending them to us. He picks [these men] and he points them toward that perennial treasury of the Church. Prayer and faith, having spoken to human hearts for 2,000 years, is hardly likely to become a dried-up, unusable source just over a couple of decades. The human heart does not change and God's appeal to it does not change.

We started the seminary here about 10 years ago. We've had, more or less, 12 or 15 candidates a year. This year we have more than 25 coming in. We could take more if we had the room and the staff to take care of them.
ZENIT: Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who is now Benedict XVI, has been supportive of the society since the very beginning, has he not? What has this meant to the Fraternity?

Father Goodwin: There wouldn't be any fraternity if it weren't for the Holy Father. Our founders, and particularly Father Bisig, went to Rome without any expectations or any guarantees of help whatsoever. But when they got there, Cardinal Augustine Meyer, a Benedictine cardinal, led them to Cardinal Ratzinger.

Cardinal Ratzinger really was the lynch pin, not only in the founding of our priestly fraternity, but also in obtaining for it a papal status, which means we're directly under the authority of the Papal See. This gave us a lot of freedom to act within certain restrictions and really established us on a good canonical foundation right at the beginning. It usually takes years to get that status of being a society of papal rite, and we got it in a matter of weeks.

The Holy Father has been incalculably helpful and supportive to us, as was his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, under whom our society was founded. Without his support, it would not have been possible.

ZENIT: In July, it will be three years since the publication of Benedict XVI's letter "Summorum Pontificum" on the traditional form of the Mass. What effect has that letter had on the fraternity?

Father Goodwin: It has made possible a relationship between our community and other entities in the Church, such as dioceses and other religious communities. We've been able to conduct our training program, in which we train priests in saying the Traditional Mass.

We can pass this grace, this resource that we have, on to other priests and that's very important in two ways. These priests will be able to offer the Traditional Mass to members of the faithful for whom it is helpful. It also reflects the fact that the Traditional Mass movement is almost principally a movement of priests rather than a movement of the faithful.
It's true that many of the faithful have asked for the restoration of the Traditional Mass for a long time. But it's also a very strong movement among a number of priests who have been looking for a way of entering into liturgical prayer that is more nourishing to their relationship with God and their desire for God.

We've probably trained several hundred priests, at least, in the last three years since "Summorum Pontificum," just in our North American district. A large number of those priests have said to us, "This mass has saved my priesthood." When you hear something like that, you know you're on to something good. God is making use of you.
But it also means that the Holy Father's instinct is very soundly grounded and he has the needs of priests so profoundly at the center of his work and his service in the church. He knows that there are priests who need this Mass to nourish, and even preserve, their priesthood.