" PAST " HEROIC CATHOLIC PRIESTS R.M.S. TITANIC "WELCOME ABOARD"

Ninety -nine years ago to-day, R.M.S. TITANIC commenced taking on her full crew in Southampton.All officers ( except Captain Smith) had spent the night aboard. From 5.18 a.m. a continuing stream of crew members came aboard. At 6.00 a.m. Thomas Andrews the Ship's Designer came aboard and Captain  Smith boarded at 7.00 a.m.

 

 Passengers then commenced boarding including our three Heroic Catholic Priests and our holidaying Seminarian ( see our Post 15 th March,2011 "Saved for War"). The process of receiving all passengers had to be accomplished in a few short hours, for TITANIC was due to sail for Cherbourg , France to collect more passengers.She would leave at 12.00 Noon. All of the passengers had to be checked in, shown their cabin allocation and any hold luggage struck below."There was not a moment to lose"as an earlier sailor used to say.

Father Thomas Byles

 Father Thomas Byles (Second Class Ticket 244310 cost 13 Pounds) was an Englishman and a convert received into the Church in 1894.His Father was an Evangelical Minister. Thomas Byles entered the Seminary in 1899 at the Baeda College in Rome and was ordained Priest 0n 15th June, 1902. He was reputed as a fine Preacher, and an accomplished Teacher and Boxing Instructor for the boys in his Parish School at Ongar. It was agreed that he could celebrate Holy Mass in the Second Class Lounge - God, being a Catholic was apparently not welcome in First Class

Father Juozas Montevila was a Lithuanian by birth, but his country was then part of Czarist Russia. Juozas studied for the Priesthood at the Seminary at Seinai which is now part of Poland.On 22nd March, 1908 he was ordained Priest. The exercise of his Priestly ministry was complicated by the persecution of the Czarist police. For Father Montvila was attempting to secretly minister to the Ukrainian Catholics whom the Czarist authorities were trying to suppress on account of their communion with the Holy See. The authorities made the situation impossible, so that Father Montvila was effectively forced to emigrate if he was to exercise his Priestly ministry at all .

Father Joseph Benedikt Peruschitz O.S.B.

 

Father Joseph Benedikt Peruschitz ( holder of Second Class Ticket 237393) had paid his 13 Pounds fare in order to take up an appointment in the United States. He was a German, a Bavarian to be precise, and was born on 21st March, 1871. He entered the Seminary in 1890 and , in 1894, he entered the Benedictine Order at the monastery of Scheyern He was ordained Priest on 28th April, 1895 - the Feast of Saint Paul of the Cross.

So,the great drama opened , at 12.00 TITANIC was set in motion after her lines had been cast off. Her departure was not without incident, as the tremendous cavitation of her three giant propellers sucked the adjoining S.S. New York toward her , but the situation was quickly taken in hand and she was on her way. She carried with her a secret from the public at large, and from her passengers - a fire was burning in one of her coal bunkers - such things were not uncommon - but efforts to extinguish it were not successful yet.

 

Events would be allowed to take their course, but the good God had his "other Christs" in place to take care of those who could not remotely guess what was about to overtake them.

 

" PAST " EN KINDLED

A knock at the door on Friday, the UPS Man hands me a light weight box , and I am catapulted into the outer regions of the electronic "envelope"!!

Thanks to the amazing generosity of my daughter Justine, and her husband Paul, I am now the proud and enthusiastic owner of a KINDLE 3G E-Reader. Stunning ! Imagine carrying around an item the size of a small format Paperback, capable of containing 3,500 books and able to facilitate search within any one or all of them, that remembers what page you are up to in the one's you are reading etc., etc.

Needless to say I am immeasurably grateful, and impatient to extend the library to facilitate my reading and reference work for my Blogs and FOUNDATION.One of my early coups has been to load Whiston's Complete Works of Flavius Josephus for about $5-00 - the paperback of one of his works costs $ 34 !
Let me know if I get boring about Kindle - but the possibilities! Already I am re-reading in the Kindle Edition "The Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ"by Archbishop Alban Goodier S.J. and reading for the first time the Autobiography of Ulysses S. Grant- just as terrific a read as my Brother-in -Law Tony Hannon said it is!

" PAST " ANOTHER ECUMENICAL PROBLEM SOLVED

 

 

OUTGOING - Bishop William Malone of Maitland - Newcastle Diocese.

 

The Holy Father has announced the resignation of Bishop William Malone of Maitland-Newcastle Diocese and the appointment of Father William Wright Parish Priest of Liverpool in his stead.

Bishop Malone 's ecumenical adventures with the local Anglican Bishop verged on the truly weird and at the outer edge were suppressed by the Holy See as soon as announced and before they could come into effect. Bishop Malone's actions were an embarrassment to any well-informed Catholic, yet he had his "isn't he nice "supporters too, not to mention salaried nuns pushing the same un Catholic line as the Bishop.

Father William Wright has had his share of tough assignments including Parish Priest of Moree with all its Aboriginal problems for several years and Parish Priest of Sutherland South of Sydney which had its own particular problems in the past.

It will no doubt take some time to get the Diocese back on track after cleaning out the stables.

" PAST " SUNDAY MASS A VERY AUSTRALIAN CONGREGATION

 

St.Stephen's Cathedral, Brisbane, Australia

 

 

The 10.00 a.m. Mass at St.Stephen's Cathedral Brisbane is always a solemn occasion, supported by the singing of the Cathedral Choir. Yesterday, Laetare Sunday or Rose Sunday was no exception.

The Mass was celebrated by Rev. Father Paul Chandler O.Carm. who is the Spiritual Director of Holy Spirit Seminary.and Lecturer in Church History. His celebration of Holy Mass was exemplary in devotion, love of the Liturgy and comportment. It was his misfortune to supply on Rose Sunday which caused him to wear the vestments acquired last year - they are not a success. The colour is a light salmony pink, and not the proper liturgical Rose and the cut (in the Gothic style)is ludicrously full. When the Dean first wore them last year, people found difficulty in suppressing mirth and sought to avoid eye contact. Small wonder the Dean was not about this time.Father Chandler's homily was excellent dealing with the miracle of the blind man cured by Jesus,  carefully and thoroughly going beyond the required reading to the full account in the Gospels to develop the lesson . He made the point that the continuing blind people were those who would not see God made man before their very eyes, something the cured blind man was well able and willing to do.

Here we had a near ideal celebration of Holy Mass, save for the standard Cathedral offence of consecrating the wine in a silver jug from which the Precious Blood is later poured into mini Chalices ( about the size and shape of a birdbath champagne glass - but these are Silver) - this pouring is FORBIDDEN in "Redemptionis Sacramentum".

But the other interesting aspect of the 10.00 a.m. Mass is always the composition of the congregation .It is a very Australian congregation representing most nations on Earth it seems, at the least every Continent is well -represented. There are a few sprinkled grey haired Anglo-Celts like us, a Mexican, Italians, Slavs, Ukrainians, Indonesians, Malays, Singaporeans, Japanese, South Koreans, Chinese of several regions, North Americans, Chileans, Africans of several regions, Scots, Irish, English,Indians and on and on. It is a pleasure to make one's thanksgiving after Holy Communion at anytime, but it is doubled when one can make it with our brethren and fellow citizens from around the world. We are indeed the lucky country.And Thank God, we know it and cherish the reality.

 

R.M.S.TITANIC ALONGSIDE SOUTHAMPTON AWAITING FULL CREW AND PASSENGERS

 

Thursday 4th April, 1912 after travelling the 570 miles ( 917 Km) from Belfast to Southampton, in the early minutes of the morning, R.M.S. TITANIC comes alongside Berth 44 at the WHITE STAR DOCK .  Both the passengers from London and the balance of the crew , will come aboard on the following  Wednesday . Southampton is ideally situated for ease of travel  for the passengers  who will come aboard  on that following  Wednesday 10th April,1912.

Our Heroic Priests, ignorant of the great challenge ahead of them are travelling toward embarkation, no doubt full of detailed arrangements to be finalised  and hearts full of prayer for the success of their separate missions. Our young Irish Seminarian, with a keen interest in photography, must be marvelling at the opportunities which will present themselves to his lens on this glamorous  maiden voyage which will take him on his short journey to Queenstown ( Cobh now).

 

" PAST " HEROIC CATHOLIC PRIESTS TITANIC SEA TRIALS ONE DAY ONLY

Complete and magnificent in every detail - R.M.S. TITANIC .

 

 

On this day, 2nd April, 1912, our three Heroic Catholic Priests and 1 Seminarian were making their way to their embarkation points for the travel on the "unsinkable"R.M.S. TITANIC's maiden voyage. An Englishman to officiate at his brother's wedding in New York, a German Benedictine to take up a teaching role in the United States and a (then Russian) Lithuanian to escape political persecution and a young orphaned Irishman to enjoy his Guardian 's ( a Bishop uncle) generosity . All of these holy men save one, God was moving into place for ministry to vast number in the appalling calamity soon to be revealed. The young man was being saved for a later greater ongoing calamity.

Amazingly, for such a huge vessel and the status of technology in 1912, TITANIC spent less than a full day in Sea Trials, she exercised her great engines at reasonable speed, turns to Port and Starboard , stopping, turning a full circle under the supervision of Captain E.J.Smith and his officers and the Executive Engineers of the builders Harland and Wolff. And that was that.No working up period for the crew, no shakedown trials of prolonged duration. The big day for embarkation of passengers was very near.

 Three Catholic Priests and a Seminarian are making their way toward the places where they would board the "unsinkable" RMS TITANIC in the coming days.Incredibly, the great ship was only completed to-day..Soon - on the 10th of April,  she will commence boarding passengers.In the interim she must take on fuel ( 5,892 Tons of coal), crew and do sea trials. Then she must take on huge quantities of crockery, glassware, cutlery, food and drink and get the crew organised and settled into those routines which make for efficient action and perfect service.

The fitting out of TITANIC has involved fitting 29 Boilers, the massive engines and turbines, 200 miles of electric cable , 20 lifeboats (including four with collapsible canvas sides). Over 3,000,000 rivets have been used in her construction.

" PAST " REVEALING THE CENTRALITY OF LOVE SAINT JOHN

 

SAINT JOHN THE EVANGELIST

Recurringly, in his Gospel and his other writings, Saint John  leaves off his narrative for a major reflection on the meaning of the Life of Christ, and the significance  of Faith that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God.

In his Gospel narrative,  ( 3:16) he opens up the subject of God's Love:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son,

that whoever believes in Him should not perish

but have eternal life.

For God sent the Son into the world,

not to condemn the world,

but that the world might be saved through Him.

He who believes in Him is not condemned;

he who does not believe in Him is condemned already,

because he has not believed in the Name of the only Son of God.

And this is the judgement, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the Light,because their deeds were evil.

For everyone who does evil hates the light,and does not come to the light,

lest his deeds should be exposed.

But he who does what is true comes to the light,

that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God.

Later, in the First Epistle of Saint John (iv : 7 -11), he reveals how that Divine Love flows through us outward to transform the world:

Beloved, let us love one another;

for love is of God,and he who loves

is born of God and knows God.

He who does not love does not know God;

for God is Love.

In this the love of God was made manifest among us,

that God sent His only Son into the world,

so that we might live through Him.

In this is love,

not that we loved God but that He loved us

and sent His Son to be the expiation of our sins.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 

No man has ever seen God; if we love one another,

God abides in us and His Love is perfected in us.

There we have laid out for us, by the Divinely inspired Saint John, the beloved disciple, the full significance of Divine Love for each of us and for the world at large. It is inspiring and challenging and gives us the measure of our success or otherwise as followers of Christ.

( PAST ) DAMAGE OF THE WASTED YEARS AND A PROBLEM OF CONSCIENCE

 

The Mitred Head of a Bishop

  

The approach of the 75th birthday of a Bishop,when he is obliged to tender his resignation to the Holy Father,  brings into focus the record of that Bishop in his sacred office.

Sometimes that record has not been one that one would wish to praise, but rather condemn - one can think of several cases in the United States over the years and even quite recently , where this has been the case. Of course when the situation is in one's own Diocese, the issue is surrounded with greater difficulty and considerations of giving scandal loom larger.Yet, at the same time , when the whole apparatus of a Diocese is geared up to boost the image of the retiree, and the composite picture becomes wholly false, other considerations arise.

 Is a great deception to be to be tolerated?

On the other hand, surely the Church in the particular Diocese has the right to mark the approaching retirement of its Bishop. It is unthinkable that it should attack or revile the man ordained and installed to be at the Head of that Diocese.Again, one would not wish to be churlish, recounting  the litany of disasters, and of effectively heretical addresses and homilies, and administrative measures not taken against rogue priests.

It is a complex  issue to weigh in the balance. But if I am confronted again by some of the fabricated drivel I encountered in the Diocesan Paper at the weekend, referring to the man as a great scholar - which he is far from being, and lauding his achievements when there are none worth mentioning  that have come to notice in years of close observation , I shall feel obliged to lay out the record in detail in defence of the truth. And I have it chapter and verse. But I do not want to do that - so much the better if he just goes and is replaced by someone who "does what the Catholic Church does, and teaches what the Catholic Church teaches"and we can get on with repairing the damage of the wasted years.

" PAST " HEAVEN KEPT SILENT ....WAITING FOR THE MAIDEN'S REPLY

 

The Annunciation  -  Fra Angelico

 

 

God's great gift of Free Will  to mankind has caused many an unusual situation in its operation. Many, but never one like this !

Great lover of mankind that He is, He had a plan to bring about the Redemption of Man and, to set this plan in train He had sent the Archangel Gabriel on this day, to the Virgin Mary a young maiden of Nazareth. But unlike most Divine plans this plan depended for its operation on the prior consent of the young maiden.

 
One can imagine the unfamiliarity of the circumstance. God, who knows even what is yet to happen, knew that Mary would accept, but left the decision to her - the Angels did not know and we might imagine , in our limited terms,their keen interest in the matter.

The Blessed Virgin had been uniquely prepared for her sacred role, she had been in the "mind"of God from all Eternity, and so when the time came for her to be conceived , she was accorded Immaculate Conception. That is to say, from the very first moment of her existence she was preserved free of the taint of Original Sin. Little wonder the Archangel would say to her : "Hail full of grace"- the salutation recognised her unique status. And it was this fullness of grace that was to lead her response to what was put to her

In her profound humility, she did not express doubt that it could happen. She humbly, modestly asked only how this could happen.The Archangel's explanation, though it must have been mysterious to her, was enough - now she knew God's Will fully.

The great silence was broken by her ready reply of complete trust: "Be it done unto me according to thy word." The most extraordinary exercise of Free Will in the history of the world.History was made at that moment , thanks be to God! Who at that moment became Man and took up His abode in the Womb of that Blessed Virgin who thus became the Ark of the New Covenant. Truly "full of Grace."