Fatima Centenary Celebrations at St John Cantius

There have been celebrations at St John Cantius, Chicago on the 13th of every month since last May to celebrate the centenary of the Fatima apparitions. This Friday, October 13th, over 3000 attended the final event commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 'Miracle of the Sun'. Bishop Joseph Perry celebrated Pontifical High Mass which was attended by a large number of the faithful, including many religious and clergy, as well as a large group of seminarians from Mundelein Seminary. Father Rocky Hoffman, Executive Director of Relevant Radio preached the sermon. Following Pontifical Mass, there was a candlelight ceremony to crown the statue of Our Lady of Fatima on the steps of the church. The statue was carried by members of the Chicago Police Department. More photos here.

Continue Reading this Article. . .

New Series of Videos about the Liturgy from the Liturgical Institute, Mundelein

Here is the first video in what I understand to be a series of ten which are being released week by week by The Liturgical Institute at Mundelein Seminary. In this one, Fr Douglas Martis, the director of the Institute, explains the meaning of the word “Liturgy”.

They will come out each week on Youtube on Sunday evening, and can also be accessed at a website created to host them, www.elementsofthecatholicmass.com.

Decoding the Christian Temple: One-day Conference on Church Architecture at Mundelein

For those in the midwest (or willing to travel), I would like to let you know about an upcoming sacred Architecture conference coming up at the end of this month with a friend of the CMAA, Dr. Denis McNamara, and others. I am seriously considering attending this, considering my interest in all things liturgical and ecclesiastical, schedule permitting. It looks fascinating. Full press release below, and more information at their website.

Is your church beige, boring and forgettable? Chances are, it hasn't been thought of as a sacramental building and its architects probably didn't know the Temple roots of church architecture.

Mundelein, IL—To help answer this need, the Liturgical Institute in Mundelein, IL announces a one-day conference on church architecture on September 26, 2014, sacramental theologian, author and speaker Fr. Douglas Martis; eminent architectural historian, author and speaker Dr. Denis McNamara; and Office of Worship Director, author and speaker Christopher Carstens will be the featured speakers at a one-day conference at the Liturgical Institute in Mundelein, IL.

The title of this conference, Decoding the Christian Temple: Church Architecture and Its Place in Christian Worship is meant to be intriguing on several levels. First of all, "decoding" implies that architecture is iconic and legible, giving the worshipper something to know and understand about God. Second, the word "temple" is a conscious choice, since the often-forgotten roots of church architecture come in large part from the Temple of Solomon, the place of God's dwelling with humanity and a highly symbolic building which represented the New Heavens and the New Earth. To enter the Temple was to leave space and time, walk about on the glorified earth, then go into the presence of God in an architectural rendition of heaven. Moreover, this theology is roundly present in the Rites of the Church, especially the Rite of Dedication of a Church and Altar.

This conference will provide architects, artists, building committees, RCIA Leaders, educators and all who love the Church’s artistic tradition with the foundational theology of art and architecture as provided for us in the Church’s ritual books. If you have ever prayed in a church, this conference will be of interest to you.

This conference will feature four sessions:

1. The Rite for the Dedication of a Church: The Key for Decoding the Christian Temple: Fr. Douglas Martis
2. From Temple to Eschaton: The Church Building As Image of the Mystical Body of Christ: Dr. Denis McNamara
3. Thorny Issues: Seating Plans, Tabernacles, Choirs and More: Christopher Carstens and Dr. Denis McNamara
   • Part I: Encountering the Mystery: Altar, Ambo, Portal, Font
   • Part II: Q&A on Seating Plans, Tabernacles, Choirs and More
4. From Brown Brick to Radiant Gems: Building the Second Vatican Council’s Heavenly Vision: Dr. Denis McNamara

Date: September 26, 2014; register here.
Where: University of St. Mary of the Lake Conference Center
1000 E. Maple
Mundelein, IL 60060

EF Pontifical Mass at Mundelein Seminary - Friday, April 25th (Updated)

The website of St John Cantius Parish in Chicago announces that on Friday, April 25th, at 4 p.m. (Central Time), His Excellency James Timlin, Bishop-Emeritus of Scranton, Pennsylvania, will celebrate a Pontifical Mass according to the Missal of 1962 at Mundelein Seminary. (directions) This will be the first Pontifical in the usus antiquior at Mundelein in almost 50 years; it is part of the program of a national meeting of the Institute of Religious Life. The St John Cantius website also gives the musical program of the Mass, including pieces by Couperin and Charpentier; the Mass setting will be a very new composition, the Missa Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, by Fr. Scott Haynes, one of the Canons Regular of St John Cantius.

I have also been informed that through the generosity of Corey and Katherine Huber of the Mater Ecclesiae Fund for Vocations, the IRL extends a special invitation to all our IRL friends and affiliates, especially cloistered and monastic communities, to participate in the 2014 IRL National Meeting by viewing all the scheduled chapel events online via video streaming. To view select portions of the National Meeting on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, you can past this link into your web browser:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrwD_SicR4hbkuvzSzzfw/videoslive_view=502&flow=list&view=2&sort=dd
Or you can go to the www.ReligiousLife.com home page and click on the link there. The link will direct you to a dedicated IRL YouTube channel.

Please note that the times given below are Central Daylight Time. Check the YouTube channel for the times for your particular time zone.
Friday, April 25, 2014
4:00 pm Pontifical High Mass (Extraordinary Form) celebrated by Most Rev. James Timlin
7:15 pm Keynote Address: “Building the Civilization of Love through the Sacred Heart of Jesus,” Dr. Timothy O’Donnell
8:15 pm Rosary & Benediction

Saturday, April 26, 2014
1:30 pm “Having Our Answers Ready: Combating the Cultural Climate of Confusion and Scorn,” Sheila Liaugminas
2:30 pm “Our Shepherds Speak,” Panel Presentation featuring Most Rev. Robert F. Vasa and Most Rev. James C. Timlin, moderated by Dr. Timothy O’Donnell
4:00 pm Holy Mass, Main Chapel celebrated by Most Rev. Robert F. Vasa

Sunday, April 27, 2014
9:00 am “True Holiness, True Joy,” Mother M. Julie Saegaert, S.C.M.C.
10:00 am Divine Mercy Chaplet & Relic Veneration
10:30 am Holy Mass celebrated by Rev. Brian Mullady, O.P.