Who knows the pity and sorrow of the Mother of God, our sorrowful intercessor!

Putin's Patriarch Cyril celebrated this past Sunday in the Russian Military Cathedral,

infamous for its "steam-punk" design, and pro-war Soviet symbolism.

"Mothers wail:

- We do not cry for ourselves, but only that our sons be spared.

Fathers mourn:

- recalling past hopes, no longer believing their sons will return.

Wives tear their hair:

- in anguish for their husbands.

In Alexandria and in Syria the same words of prayer rise to heaven,

- prayers for mercy and prayers for victory.

But heaven remained unmoved." - Aleksey Remizov

We cannot be indifferent.

 The bodies of village mayor Olga Sukhenko, her husband and son and that of a man believed to be a Ukrainian serviceman, who was not yet identified, lie in pit in the village of Motyzhyn, Ukraine, Sunday, April 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A lifeless body of a man with his hands tied behind his back lies on the ground in Bucha, Ukraine, Sunday, April 3, 2022. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

The last frame filler.

Winter 2021-2022.

Probably my 5th Benedict Joseph Labre painting, the 2nd after Antonio Cavallucci.

Now I will work on more free-style works.  I also need to send a lot of stuff to auction.  My dreams about packing and boarding my flight suggest time is running out.

It is accomplished.

Ave Maria!

In thanksgiving for the Consecration of Russia and Ukraine, the Church and humanity, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The hope of nations be accomplished beyond all telling.

For the grace of God has appeared, saving all... - Titus 2:11

Today is the long awaited Consecration.  What a wonderful prayer of Consecration from the Holy Father.  For me, everything speaks of the mystery of grace today, from the Mother of Divine Grace.  Every reading, every psalm, and of course every prayer at Mass.  From today's preface:

For the Virgin Mary heard with faith

that the Christ was to be born among men and for men's sake

by the overshadowing power of the Holy Spirit.

Lovingly she bore him in her immaculate womb,

that the promises to the children of Israel might come about

and the hope of nations be accomplished beyond all telling.

Through him the host of Angels adores your majesty

and rejoices in your presence for ever.

May our voices, we pray, join with theirs

in one chorus of exultant praise, as we acclaim:

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts… - Preface of the Mystery of the Incarnation

Queen of Peace, obtain peace for our world.

O Mother, may your sorrowful plea stir our hardened hearts. May the tears you shed for us make this valley parched by our hatred blossom anew. Amid the thunder of weapons, may your prayer turn our thoughts to peace. May your maternal touch soothe those who suffer and flee from the rain of bombs. May your motherly embrace comfort those forced to leave their homes and their native land. May your Sorrowful Heart move us to compassion and inspire us to open our doors and to care for our brothers and sisters who are injured and cast aside. - Consecration

So. What do the opponents of Pope Francis think and say about the Consecration?

 

Are they rallying around the Pope?

Where are the Cardinal critics of the Pope, who had been calling for a new consecration, on this?  Are they uniting with the Pope?  I'm told many traditionalist-Fatimists will not participate - I have no way of verifying that.  As Sr. Lucia once said regarding the secret and the 1984 Consecration, "Some people are never satisfied."

How about Fr. Z?  Is he united with the Pope?  Will he support the Holy Father?  Will he join in the Consecration?  Hard to say.  I came across the following comment on a post he did.

Fr. John Zuhlsdorf says:

23 March 2022 at 8:23 AM

BUT WAIT… there’s more.

Did you notice that care of the Earth is included in the consecration? It isn’t heavy-handed, but it is there.

Also, this following comes from Ann Barnhardt, who does not even in the slightest believe that Francis is the real Pope nor that this consecration is other than something masonic … or worse. What’s worse? Here:

Now, an interesting tidbit that I was alerted to by a Spanish-speaking reader. In the Spanish, Italian and Portuguese versions of the faux-consecration text released by the Antichurch, the title “Queen of Heaven” (intact in the English version), is perverted to Queen of “tierra del Cielo” in Spanish, “terra du Céu” in Portuguese, and “terra del Cielo” in Italian. Never before have these languages used this bizarre form with the word “tierra/terra” when referring to Mary as Queen of Heaven.

What “Regina della terra del Cielo” literally means is “Queen of the land in the sky”… AND GUESS WHO GOES BY THAT TITLE??? Yup. The Pachamama demon. The “land in the sky” is one of the Pachademon’s “domains”, and “Reina del tierra del cielo” is a Pachamama title. It is “wenu mapu” in the Mapuche language and religion.

Agree or disagree with Ann about Francis, THAT is pretty disturbing.

I’ve never heard Mary referred to as Queen “of the Land of Heaven”.

This Pachamama demon thing never seems to go away.

And… I’d like to know… where is that damned black bowl NOW? - Fr. Z

The critical spirit.

From now on I want to avoid the critical spirit regarding those who oppose and resist anything and everything the Holy Father says and does.  Today's reading at Mass seems to speak to all of us, especially as a precaution against hardening our hearts and resisting the Holy Spirit.  The following stood out for me this morning:

Say to them:
This is the nation that does not listen
to the voice of the LORD, its God,
or take correction.
Faithfulness has disappeared;
the word itself is banished from their speech. - Jer 7

If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
“Harden not your hearts as at Meribah
as in the day of Massah in the desert

Where your fathers tempted me... - Ps 95

 

Whoever is not with me is against me

and whoever does not gather with me scatters. - Lk 11:23

Leave them to Heaven, I abjure the critical spirit and return to the Lord with my whole heart, for he is gracious and merciful.

 

RT @Pontifex: Let's prepare to live through a day of prayer in the solemnization of the Annunciation, asking that the Mother of God may encourage the hearts of those oppressed by the cruelty of war. May the act of dedication to Her Immaculate Heart bring #peace to the world.

— Vatican News (@vaticannews_it)

March 24, 2022

The Final Consecration

Now that the Consecration will be accomplished in a new circumstance, which actually corresponds exactly with the original request of Our Lady to Sr. Lucia, while affirming the efficacy of the 1984 Consecration by St. John Paul II, the arguments and disputations on Fatima ought to cease.

Apologists for Fatima, along with their conspiracists regarding the secrets and the consecration, will find themselves out of a job.  Spreading misinformation and fear, as well as distrust in the Magisterium and Papacy should cease.  Historians can do their job, the Church can guide and define devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, including the devotion of the First Saturdays, but the oddball Fatimists should eventually realize their work is over. 

 How many have been deceived over the decades? 

Even people like Cardinal Burke and the notorious Archbishop Vigano, not forgetting the late Fr. Gruner and associates, along with other Fatima apostolates, based much of their claims upon conjecture and speculation regarding the Secrets and so-called botched Consecrations.  For instance Cardinal Burke, at one time more or less claimed his argument for a new 'faithful' consecration in accord with Our Lady's exact request, insisted the Fatima message was focused upon an apostasy in the Church.  His conclusions were pretty much based upon the scholarship of Frère Michel de la Sainte Trinité, now a Carthusian.  Much of Frere Michel's work and conclusions were published and circulated before the Consecration of 1984 and long before the public release of the Third Secret of Fatima.  In Fact Fr. Gruner's cult disputed everything officially revealed on Fatima blaming apostates within the Church.  They even promoted the fantastical theory that Sr. Lucia was replaced by a double who had been obliged to say what the Vatican ordered her to say.  Over the decades these people have inadvertently and sometimes deliberately contributed to the malformation of a poisonous sect or cult within the Fatima apostolate.  Sadly, even the legitimate and approved Fatima apostolates are frequently affected, followers often riddled with suspicion and uncertainty due to an obsessive/compulsive religiosity based upon misinformation and apocalyptic angst.

I hope they all go out of business, their fear mongering discredited, their funding dried up, allowing a period of peace so that devout persons may return to a well integrated Catholic faith and praxis.

ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY

I said in another post I welcome the Consecration.

I also said I hoped that a strong catechesis would accompany it.  That too has been accomplished.  A prayerful reading of the Holy Father's letter to the Bishops, along with the full text of the prayer of Consecration is in effect a strong, prophetic catechesis.  The text of the Consecration is a moving prayer, not unlike the great prayers of the Old Testament.  I recall the prayer of Ezra, Daniel, Esther, Solomon, Judith and so on.  The Consecration is complete and total.  I think it is magnificent.

ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY

O Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, in this time of trial we turn to you. As our Mother, you love us and know us: no concern of our hearts is hidden from you. Mother of mercy, how often we have experienced your watchful care and your peaceful presence! You never cease to guide us to Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

Yet we have strayed from that path of peace. We have forgotten the lesson learned from the tragedies of the last century, the sacrifice of the millions who fell in two world wars. We have disregarded the commitments we made as a community of nations. We have betrayed peoples’ dreams of peace and the hopes of the young. We grew sick with greed, we thought only of our own nations and their interests, we grew indifferent and caught up in our selfish needs and concerns. We chose to ignore God, to be satisfied with our illusions, to grow arrogant and aggressive, to suppress innocent lives and to stockpile weapons. We stopped being our neighbour’s keepers and stewards of our common home. We have ravaged the garden of the earth with war and by our sins we have broken the heart of our heavenly Father, who desires us to be brothers and sisters. We grew indifferent to everyone and everything except ourselves. Now with shame we cry out: Forgive us, Lord!

Holy Mother, amid the misery of our sinfulness, amid our struggles and weaknesses, amid the mystery of iniquity that is evil and war, you remind us that God never abandons us, but continues to look upon us with love, ever ready to forgive us and raise us up to new life. He has given you to us and made your Immaculate Heart a refuge for the Church and for all humanity. By God’s gracious will, you are ever with us; even in the most troubled moments of our history, you are there to guide us with tender love.

We now turn to you and knock at the door of your heart. We are your beloved children. In every age you make yourself known to us, calling us to conversion. At this dark hour, help us and grant us your comfort. Say to us once more: “Am I not here, I who am your Mother?” You are able to untie the knots of our hearts and of our times. In you we place our trust. We are confident that, especially in moments of trial, you will not be deaf to our supplication and will come to our aid.

That is what you did at Cana in Galilee, when you interceded with Jesus and he worked the first of his signs. To preserve the joy of the wedding feast, you said to him: “They have no wine” (Jn 2:3). Now, O Mother, repeat those words and that prayer, for in our own day we have run out of the wine of hope, joy has fled, fraternity has faded. We have forgotten our humanity and squandered the gift of peace. We opened our hearts to violence and destructiveness. How greatly we need your maternal help!

Therefore, O Mother, hear our prayer.

Star of the Sea, do not let us be shipwrecked in the tempest of war.

Ark of the New Covenant, inspire projects and paths of reconciliation.

Queen of Heaven, restore God’s peace to the world.

Eliminate hatred and the thirst for revenge, and teach us forgiveness.

Free us from war, protect our world from the menace of nuclear weapons.

Queen of the Rosary, make us realize our need to pray and to love.

Queen of the Human Family, show people the path of fraternity.

Queen of Peace, obtain peace for our world.

O Mother, may your sorrowful plea stir our hardened hearts. May the tears you shed for us make this valley parched by our hatred blossom anew. Amid the thunder of weapons, may your prayer turn our thoughts to peace. May your maternal touch soothe those who suffer and flee from the rain of bombs. May your motherly embrace comfort those forced to leave their homes and their native land. May your Sorrowful Heart move us to compassion and inspire us to open our doors and to care for our brothers and sisters who are injured and cast aside.

Holy Mother of God, as you stood beneath the cross, Jesus, seeing the disciple at your side, said: “Behold your son” (Jn 19:26). In this way he entrusted each of us to you. To the disciple, and to each of us, he said: “Behold, your Mother” (v. 27). Mother Mary, we now desire to welcome you into our lives and our history. At this hour, a weary and distraught humanity stands with you beneath the cross, needing to entrust itself to you and, through you, to consecrate itself to Christ. The people of Ukraine and Russia, who venerate you with great love, now turn to you, even as your heart beats with compassion for them and for all those peoples decimated by war, hunger, injustice and poverty.

Therefore, Mother of God and our Mother, to your Immaculate Heart we solemnly entrust and consecrate ourselves, the Church and all humanity, especially Russia and Ukraine. Accept this act that we carry out with confidence and love. Grant that war may end and peace spread throughout the world. The “Fiat” that arose from your heart opened the doors of history to the Prince of Peace. We trust that, through your heart, peace will dawn once more. To you we consecrate the future of the whole human family, the needs and expectations of every people, the anxieties and hopes of the world.

Through your intercession, may God’s mercy be poured out on the earth and the gentle rhythm of peace return to mark our days. Our Lady of the “Fiat”, on whom the Holy Spirit descended, restore among us the harmony that comes from God. May you, our “living fountain of hope”, water the dryness of our hearts. In your womb Jesus took flesh; help us to foster the growth of communion. You once trod the streets of our world; lead us now on the paths of peace. Amen.

[00434-EN.01] [Original text: Italian]

I have nothing to say.

Story here.

In a good way.

The holy Father acquiesced to the Ukraine Bishops request to consecrate Russia and the Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and I am very happy.  Already it seems the Russian onslaught has stalled - perhaps that will change - but the same Bishops invite us to join in a novena in preparation for the consecration.  The Vatican has affirmed the validity of St. John Paul's consecration in 1984, so this consecration is an extraordinary grace.  I have such peace.

Many people who follow apparitions and private revelations are all a buzz - calculating timelines and comparing/linking all the predictions and prophecies - just as they have always done.  Others, victims of conspiracy theories and falsehoods about Fatima and the Holy Father, are parroting their same old claims and objections against it.  I have nothing to say on all of that.  It doesn't matter - since the bishops have spoken and the Holy Father has responded positively, already doing all he can in his efforts for peace.

Peace, great peace and joy.

St. Benedict exhorts us: “Keep death daily before your eyes.”

 

An Enclosed Garden of God: The Joyful Mystery of a Traditional Carmelite...

I'll catch up here.

I've been posting to FB with some commentary - on the war of course, and Putin and his Patriarch. It's a convenient format, to link, post an excerpt and a short commentary, as opposed to composing a blog post here.

Daily I watch the sufferings of the courageous people of Ukraine - I cry and I pray.  I'll update the blog tomorrow, with links to some articles I've found in my research.  In the meantime, I cry and I pray for the people who have been made to suffer.

The prophecies coming true?

Women and children walk to the train station as they try to leave Kyiv, Ukraine, 

Wednesday, March 2. 2022. Russian forces have escalated their attacks 

on crowded cities in what Ukraine's leader called a blatant campaign of terror. 

(AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

That is what those who follow them claim.

And so it seems.  Apparently even the Ukrainian Bishops have asked the Holy Father to perform the consecration of Russia in strict, literal form as requested by Our Lady at Fatima.  For me that doesn't change the fact that the consecration was done in 1984 and was accepted by Heaven.  The Holy See and Sr. Lucia affirmed that it was finally accomplished.  Sr. Lucia had revealed the consecration would be done late - and it was.  Which means that many of the errors of Russia had already spread across the globe, with wars and persecutions as well.  Nevertheless, the Soviet Union collapsed - and countries like Ukraine were free.  Russia turned from atheistic Communism and allowed freedom for Christianity - the Orthodox Church began building new churches and restoring those which had been destroyed, and so on.  The Iron Curtain was destroyed.

Yet many people want the Pope to repeat the Consecration 'correctly'.  That's not something I know about or agree with - except to say, in time of war, if the Bishops of Ukraine desire it - perhaps the Pope can do something.  First of all, affirming the 1984 Consecration and then catechizing the faithful regarding prophecy and Catholic teaching.  The consecration was never the responsibility of the laity, it was and is always the purview of the Pope and the Bishops in communion with him.  The message of Fatima, the call of Our Lady to the laity is conversion, penance, daily rosary and the devotion of the five first Saturdays.  Everything the laity needed to know had already been revealed when the apparitions were made known.  The 3rd secret, its contents and interpretation, along with the consecration request was for the Pope.  To say otherwise is to make the Holy See a liar, along with Sr. Lucia and the Pope and even Our Lady.  

“They did not wish to heed My request! ... Like the King of France, they will repent of it, and they will do it, but it will be late. Russia will already have spread its errors in the world ...” - Our Lord to Sr. Lucia, apparition at Pontevedra/Rianjo 1931

Many place private revelation over what the Church has said.

Tracking and interlacing all of the prophecies to corroborate with the Fatima message has become a sort of cult activity with many who follow private revelations, locutions, apparitions and so on.  Oftentimes many of these people question the authority of the CDF, of local bishops who do not approve of the messages and 'communities' associated with the seers and or promoters of the phenomena.  If a seer is banned in one parish or diocese, they move to another.  They believe heavenly messages have more authority than the Church.  These people oppose the authority of the Church - they create division and mistrust, undermining the the ordinary teaching of the Church.  These people are attached to something other than God, to a way they deem better and more authoritative - God cannot be pleased.  

If prophecies call the faithful to anything, it is to fidelity to the Church and the Holy Father along with the Bishops in communion with him.  They are meant to call us back to the Gospel - reform our lives and believe in the Gospel.  To witness to this, especially in time of crisis.  If the times coincide with prophetic revelations, it shouldn't make us fearful - it is God's will that we live through these events, and keep our eyes, our faith, fixed on Jesus.  Comparing notes on private revelations while disparaging others who may or may not believe does nothing.  Trying to corroborate  this prophecy with that event is nothing.  It changes nothing, does nothing.  It is verging on superstition and idolatry - loss of faith, when things don't play out as one decided they should.

There is a pack of politically conservative Catholics online siding with Putin and his Patriarch because they appear to be the instrument divinely designated to inflict the wrath of God upon the sinful West. In accord with their interpretation of private revelation and scripture, of course. On the other hand, there are others who have left the decadent and corrupt Catholic Church for Russian Orthodoxy, blithely unaware of the interior corruption which exists in Moscow. They're suddenly devout, ultra-conservative Orthodox converts, more Orthodox than any synod of bishops who may or may not agree with them. It seems to me they have formed themselves into individual autocephalous churches. Jeering at the Pope and the liberal West while supporting the actions of an anti-Christ megalomaniac and his comrade-Patriarch.

Some argue that we must now take prophecy seriously because of the signs of the times.  We see the signs of the times and we can see for ourselves what is happening.  If one didn't believe the mystic who said, "Russia will move in a surprising way." - so be it - she never revealed how or why or when.  It was a vague 'prophecy'.  Today we see Russia moved in a surprising way and we are living through it.  What is the call of Heaven?  It comes to us through the Church, reform your lives and believe in the Gospel.  Live the faith - do good, sacrifice yourselves for others.  Pray.  Pray without ceasing.  Pray the Rosary.

Pray the Rosary every day.

It (the Rosary) will cause good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire for Eternal Things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means. - Promises of Our Lady

"Continue to say the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary, to obtain the peace of the world and the end of the war, because only she can obtain it." - July 1917 request.

Tell everybody that God grants us graces through the Immaculate Heart of Mary; that people are to ask her for them; and that the Heart of Jesus wants the Immaculate Heart of Mary to be venerated at his side. Tell them also to pray to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for peace, since God entrusted it to her. - St. Jacinta to Lucia

‘O Mary, Mother of God, as you are above all creatures in heaven and on earth, more glorious than the Cherubim, more noble than any here below, Christ has given you to His people, firm bulwark and protectress, to shield and save sinners who fly to you. Therefore, O Lady, all-embracing refuge, we solemnly recall your sweet protection and beg the Christ forever for His mercy. Amen.’

 

Prayers for Peace

 

Just for fun

Bl. Alberto unfinished

Bl. Alberto retouched and finished.

 The photos are so bad - but the first is what I thought was the final painting.  After viewing photos I need to work on a few things - and now I consider it finished.  I added his name but it didn't pop in the final photo.

And the war's begun...

 

Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God.

Those who pray before your holy icon, O Lady,
Are vouchsafed healing and receive the knowledge of the true faith,
And they repel the attacks of the Russian* horde.
Therefore entreat remission of sins
For us who fall down before you.
Enlighten our hearts to thoughts of piety,
And raise a prayer to your Son to save our souls.
(Troparion of the Pochaev Icon – Tone 5)

Pochaev mountain is in modern-day Ukraine, and it is there in the 14th century, that an appearance of the Mother of God with her Saviour was granted to two monks and a nearby shepherd. After the vision, a single footprint remained in the mountainside, from which a spring emerged. The previously uninhabited mountain became the site of a monastery dedicated to the miracle. Over 200 years later, the monastery was visited by the a Greek Bishop, Neophit, who left behind as a gift, an Icon of the Theotokos from Constantinople. This is the Icon which came to bear the monastery’s name: the Pochaev Icon of the Mother of God.

*Original prayer uses 'Muslim' - please pardon my edit.  I'm broken hearted and devastated this invasion has brought terror, death and suffering to Ukraine.  Of course, it may well be the fuse igniting a full-blown WWIII.

A reminder...

 

What I've been doing...

Madonna Street Shrine

acrylic on scrap wood

2022

 

Madonna

2022

Bl. Alberto Marvelli

acrylic on panel

2022

Beato Marvelli

2022

Nothing is hidden that will not be revealed.

What is holding back a proper Visitation of Silverstream?

I always feel really guilty when I write about falls from grace, such as the events related to Silverstream Priory.  

Today I was searching for back-up reports online and found several links to the more 'official' reports, along with commentary which exonerates, vindicates and corroborates Dom Benedict Andersen's claims.  That is why I revisited this - a sort of reparative gesture for Dom Benedict, along with prayers that he be treated justly by Church officials.  As a whistleblower he has been subjected to another level of abuse.  I no longer have his email, but I hope someone will let him know I'm sincerely sorry for having doubted him and for what it is worth, he has my support.

The message is out there now and it is for the Church to respond.  I think there must be many who wish to protect the former prior, among them Traditionalists who do not want their movement sullied.  Not to mention those who fear suppression for adhering to Tridentine ritual along with the rejection of Vatican II.  Fr. Mark has enjoyed the approval and endorsement of his foundation and religious/spiritual life by some powerful prelates and clergy, friends and allies in the network he cultivated over the years.   I suspect that explains why Fr. Benedict landed on 'The Perps Corner' on the website of the Archdiocese of NY.  (Kirby has friends in NYC - he once called me from the office of a priest-friend of his in Midtown - it was an introductory call - he introduced me to the priest and the conversation was mostly 'camp'.)

Archdiocese’s Most Wanted: The ‘Perps’ Corner:   Be aware that Father Benedict Andersen, OSB, who until recently was at Silverstream Priory in Stanmullin, County Meath, Ireland, may present himself for ministry here in the archdiocese. He is not allowed to serve in any capacity in any parish or institution here. - Some Things to Know

Transparency regarding this situation is important, to protect the innocent and rid the Church of corruption.  Every incident like this vindicates the calls for reform made by Pope Francis, who is so often maligned for his warnings and policies to rid the clergy of worldliness and sexual hypocrisy.  

An independent and proper visitation by the Holy See needs to proceed now that new information is made available.

I think I'm finished with this now.

Silverstream overflowing...

Like a river.

The investigation into the goings on at Silverstream Priory is getting more attention - by credible online writers, such as Mike Lewis of WPI and of course, theologian Dawn Eden Goldstein who is a contributor to the site.  I will link to the new post, which helps support Fr. Benedict Andersen's case while also vindicating his claims of harrassment.  I'm ashamed to say I had my doubts about all of that, but I'm convinced otherwise now. 

I'm especially relieved that scolding and intimidation will no longer have its effect upon me.  I seem to  always second guessing myself regarding 'mystic monks and nuns' and their cults.  I really think a false mysticism has served to cover up a great deal of corruption over the years - especially now days with the resurgence of pre-Vatican II traditionalism.

Silverstream Priory, one-sided narratives and spiritual abuse.

On Friday of last week, Irish blogger Pat Buckley reported that four men have come forward with allegations including boundary violations, spiritual abuse, and sexual harassment against Dom Mark Kirby of Silverstream Priory, the author and alleged visionary behind the popular devotional book In Sinu Jesu. These new allegations follow a lengthy August 2021 interview with Fr. Benedict Andersen in the Pillar.

Fr. Andersen is a Silverstream monk who is currently in canonical limbo, unable to minister as a priest after his complaints of inappropriate behavior and spiritual abuse by Fr. Kirby resulted in an apostolic visitation of the priory. Formerly the sub-prior of the community, Andersen was the first person to publicly bring forward allegations against Kirby, although stories about Kirby’s past and his allegedly abusive treatment of his subordinates had been circulating for years.

If these new allegations are true, it appears that Fr. Andersen has been vindicated. Not only was he mistreated by Fr. Kirby, but his treatment by the diocese has been unjust. Read the article in the Pillar for Fr. Andersen’s account of his story and Pat Buckley’s blog post for details about the new allegations (warning: sexually explicit language).

You may recall the four-part analysis of In Sinu Jesu by theologian Dawn Eden Goldstein that we published in June of 2020. She wrote the series in order to foster dialogue about the book. It was remarkable, Goldstein observed, that the book, a Catholic bestseller with over 250 five-star reviews on Amazon at the time, had until then “escaped theological critique—especially given its claim to contain messages from Jesus that are intended for all the faithful.” - Mike Lewis

 

Signing in at Santa Croce in Gerusalemme.

 

A glimpse into a lonely heart.

In closing, I want to share something Fr. Mark wrote about friendship on his blog, Vultus Christi - now ten years ago.  The piece has since been removed from his site, but I kept the quote with the link on a post I did on friendship:

"... one must have friendships in life. [ . . .] Let yourself love. There is no danger so long as the spirit of prayer exists in you. And young priests have hours of loneliness that are very hard. They need affection and tenderness. If you don't give it to them, they will go looking for it just anywhere.

at certain hours we need someone to show us affection: a mother, a sister, a brother. Otherwise, if the heart is not anchored, it goes anywhere at all, and is lost." - One must have friendships in life.

Silverstream Revisited

Vindication for the whistleblower.

I became aware of a site claiming that four other 'victims' have come forward to tell their story about the sexual harassments within the fledgling Benedictine priory.  I believe it's a Public Association of the Faithful or a community of diocesan right and not federated with the Benedictine Order.  They follow the Rule of St. Benedict.  Thus far, canonically at least, they are not monks.*  I may be wrong, but the founder, in order to make this foundation was exclaustrated from the monastic order of his profession and made private vows to the bishop of the diocese.

Former supporters of the priory are coming to the defense of whistleblower Dom Benedict Anderson who has lived in exile from his community after his request for a visitation to investigate the religious life of the community, the formation of aspirants to their mode of monastic life, along with the eccentricities of the prior.  Without further comment, I will link to an important post which details some of the misconduct and boundary issues the prior perpetrated upon aspirants to the community, which corelate to the original  harassment claims the whistleblower publicly revealed. Sadly Fr. Benedict is in a sort of limbo, having done nothing wrong, he remains in exile from the priory and apparently is unable to exercise his priestly ministry - a grave injustice.

Be forewarned, the blog post I link to is very disturbing, yet I'm convinced it vindicates Fr. Benedict's original complaint.  Pray for him.

There Are At Least Four More Victims...

I have been given the names and details of four more men who say that Kirby sexually harassed them during their stay at Silvetstream.

I have been refused permission to name them on the Blog for now.

All 4, for different reasons, are afraid of reprisals of various kinds. - Read more here.

I reached out to Fr. Mark to ask if all this was true, reminding him of the cautions  I offered some years ago after he had told me of his plans for a monastic foundation.  He eventually cut off all ties to me, since I even questioned the publishing of his locutions on his blog at the time.  I pray for him that he will not be destroyed by all of this and find peace.  

It is very important however, that Fr. Benedict is vindicated and can continue his ministry.

Very seriously, if one feels called to monastic life, look at the established orders and abbeys.  Stay away from charismatic - be they traditional or progressive communities.  Authentic monastic life is not about novelties or the imitation of an outdated form, enhanced by ancient architectural forms and strict adherence to rubrics and observances.  A tonsure doesn't make one a monk.  Not a few 'new' communities seem to want to emulate the life style of cloistered nuns, which should be the first red flag something is off.

*According to some online commentary they are monks of diocesan right - like I said, I'm not versed in canonical terminology.  According to their Wiki site:  "In February 2017, the community reached a milestone with the formal approval of its constitutions by the Holy See, leading to the canonical establishment of the Benedictine Monks of Perpetual Adoration as a monastic institute of consecrated life in the diocese of Meath."  From NLM: "Bishop Michael Smith signed a Decree on 25 February ‘erecting the Benedictine Monks of Perpetual Adoration of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar as a monastic Institute of Consecrated Life of diocesan right in the Diocese of Meath’."  Those who have complaints against the priory should contact the local ordinary, Papal Nuncio and perhaps the appropriate Vatican Congregation for Consecrated Life.

God is in all things, sustains all things, directs all things.

“Through the long years of isolation and suffering, God had led me to an understanding of life and his love that only those who have experienced it can fathom. He had stripped away from me many of the external consolations, physical and religious, that men rely on and had left me with a core of seemingly simple truths to guide me. And yet what a profound difference they had made in my life, what strength they gave me, what courage to go on!” - Walter J. Ciszek, He Leadeth Me

My painting of fr. Louis, ocso

'Trappist Monk'

acrylic on panel for antique frame

11"x14.5"

Terry Nelson

2022

I actually finished it yesterday, January 31, his birthday.

“In Louisville, at the corner of Fourth and Walnut, in the center of the shopping district, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I loved all those people, that they were mine and I theirs, that we could not be alien to one another even though we were total strangers. It was like waking from a dream of separateness, of spurious self-isolation in a special world, the world of renunciation and supposed holiness… This sense of liberation from an illusory difference was such a relief and such a joy to me that I almost laughed out loud… I have the immense joy of being man, a member of a race in which God Himself became incarnate. As if the sorrows and stupidities of the human condition could overwhelm me, now I realize what we all are. And if only everybody could realize this! But it cannot be explained. There is no way of telling people that they are all walking around shining like the sun.” - Fr. Louis

 

Secrets

 

What I'm reading.

 

A Correction

Editing.

I removed the posts on the Cowboy Monks because of a Tweet from Fr. Ray Blake revealing Church Militant coercive tactics to elicit a condemnation of the Wyoming group and what was revealed by the whistleblower.  I posted the following on my FB page:

I was duped again. CM and Niles are underhanded and can't be trusted.

Evidently they contacted Fr. Ray Blake seeking commentary on the Cowboy Carmelites. I'm removing my links to the CM report.

fr. raymond blake

@raylblake

Church Militant has threatened me, or is this blackmail to stop any criticism.

"Are you ok with that? Your flock and bishop should know."

How else should that be interpreted?

Quote Tweet

Church Militant

@Church_Militant

· 6h

Replying to @raylblake

That's not an answer, Father. We asked you about what's taking place at the Wyoming monastery: a priest stripping down naked with novices under his care, and conducting spiritual direction in nothing but tight briefs.

Are you ok with that? Your flock and bishop should know.

3:16 PM · Jan 17, 2022·Twitter Web App

"If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue - deceives himself, his religion is worthless." - James 1:26

I was deeply disturbed by the Tweet to Fr. Blake - it was indeed coercive and inappropriate.  

Today I restored the posts simply because of the comments left by readers, which were so insightful and thoughtful, offering a more objective perspective than what the CM Report offered.  

I'll never link to CM again, because of this incident.  I have to be so careful regarding my online reading and news reports, so tainted by bias and vindictiveness, not to mention those who publish in the hopes of increasing their stats and generate buzz - or simply to defame others through gossip and detraction.

Anti-clericalism is opposition to religious authority, especially in social or political matters.

Just about every site, every Catholic site; FB page, blog, Twitter, social media fringe news sites, apologetics sites, are at each others throats, digging up dirt, accusing one another, spreading propaganda and conspiracy theories and so on. Be they so-called liberal or conservative - all are busy with judging, condemning one another - especially those who dare criticize or refute their 'work' - for which they request donations!  All of this is done in the name of the Church, of Christ, defending the TRUTH, or to save the USA, to defend Life, or whatever their claim to orthodoxy may be.

"Nothing so tends to mask the face of God as religion; it can be a substitute for God himself." - Martin Buber

Oh My! Look at the time - it's 2022

New Year means nothing to me.

Just a new calendar.

Nothing new here.  So.  We're all caught up then?

I spend too much time on FB and monitoring Twitter.  Although most of my FB time is spent watching home improvement videos, along with arts and crafts videos.  Otherwise I come across Catholic posts which generate controversy over fake news and conspiracy theories, which annoy me and sometimes I comment or post on it here, only to have my POV ignored.  Sometimes I form an opinion without knowing the facts and when I do, I sometimes moderate my tone.  I should really just shut up.

It's kind of fascinating having been on social media for so many years.  I've learned a lot, especially about others, no doubt others have learned a lot about me as well.  Knowing aspects of one's private life and beliefs contradicts what many people thought they knew about you - that works both ways of course.  

Now that I'm old a lot of that no longer matters.  At least I hope it doesn't.  Friending and unfriending on social media is absolutely meaningless.  People I have never met or knew once upon a time in the workplace are not friends in the sort of flesh and blood sense - therefore when they unfriend me, it's fine.  Unfriending means they never knew me in the first place - they believed me to be someone they wanted me to be.  Hence they were never friends in the first place.  

I was looking for something I once wrote on friendship.  Especially as it applied to same sex friendship.  It is an issue that has been gravely exaggerated due to the fact that same sex couple may now legally marry, although the Church cannot recognize SS marriage.  It's also been a concern to some Catholics if two men or two women share a house - are they lovers?  I've wasted much time on that subject, but again, those who did not know me, never understood what I was saying.  To be sure, it never should have been an issue and now, in 2022 it no longer is.

That said, I came across an extraordinary statement made by a former Priory of a monastic community who had been accused of certain improprieties with a member of his community.  I don't want to get into details of the scandal - both men have distanced themselves from me because I have shared my reflections on their situation and considered both actors were sufficiently aware of the objective boundary violations within the relationship.  The former prior unfriended me simply because I questioned the authenticity of his vocation within a vocation, for various reasons.  That's another story.

I do have to conclude there probably is something to the whistleblower's accusations and the prior's behavior.  A little thing the prior wrote, which I copied and pasted for a post I did, thinking it just might help people understand a chaste, same-sex friendship between laymen, could be very telling.  The link to the author's 2012 blog post has since been deleted.  The quote:

"... one must have friendships in life. [ . . .] Let yourself love. There is no danger so long as the spirit of prayer exists in you. And young priests have hours of loneliness that are very hard. They need affection and tenderness. If you don't give it to them, they will go looking for it just anywhere.

Also, at certain hours we need someone to show us affection: a mother, a sister, a brother. Otherwise, if the heart is not anchored, it goes anywhere at all, and is lost." - One must have friendships in life.

I believe this is significant, and ought to be reassuring to the whistleblower that something inordinate was involved in their rather small, albeit intimate community.

A long post about nothing. 

Pray For Vocations

 I'm told the Trappists have very few vocations and many houses have small communities of mostly elderly monks.  I was reading the biographies of a few monks who were part of New Melleray Abbey.  One, Br. Conrad, I was able to meet before he died.  Such an edifying life.  Pray for us Br. Conrad.