 From the Pastor: Martyred for Wearing a Cassock!
When a new pastor takes over a parish, all of the “stuff” that the last pastor began but didn’t finish is dumped on his desk. When Francis took over as Bishop of Rome in March of 2013, one of the files he “inherited” was that of a young martyred seminarian, Rolando Rivi, whose scheduled beatification was going to make him the first seminarian raised to that rank on the road to Sainthood. On October 5, 2013, it became official. Francis, in commenting about it the next day, said, “Yesterday in Modena (Italy) Rolando Rivi was beatified. He was a seminarian of that region, Emilia, who was killed in 1945, when he was 14, because of hatred for his faith, guilty only of wearing a cassock during that time of raging violence against the clergy, who spoke out to condemn in the name of God the postwar massacres” (emphasis mine). Since I wear a cassock all the time, his words caught my attention! Those who hate the Catholic Church's moral teachings, be they the communists and socialists who killed Blessed Rolando or “progressive” Catholics (including laity, Religious, Priests, and even Bishops), to this day absolutely hate cassocks and those who wear them. Blessed Rolando experienced this hatred in perhaps its most violent form. I culled the following information from several sources on the web back then for a bulletin article (links to which are no longer available). As you would expect, even more details can be found now if you wish to do a little more research on your own. His feast day is this Thursday, May 29, which is also Ascension Thursday this year. Rivi discovered his vocation very early and entered the seminary when he was only 11 years old. At that time, all seminarians wore cassocks, and so did he. The Rector, Msgr. Luigi Bronzoni, would explain to the seminarians that they had to be very careful not to associate with bad companions and occasions of sin, but moreover, they had the obligation to distinguish themselves by prayer and service in the parish, in study and in purity, in good works and dedication to the Lord. “Even in vacations--he used to recommend--the seminarians must always wear the cassock which is the sign of our belonging to Jesus.” Rolando wore his cassock and white collar with pride, even on vacation in the hot months of summer. Some of his peers who normally sought comfort didn’t wear the cassock, and even some of his relatives told him: “You are on vacations, take off your cassock, be freer to move and play…” He answered: “I don’t have to take my cassock off, I can’t, it is the sign that I belong to Jesus!” His cassock was not for him a human or social barrier to relationships with others. It was not an impediment for the development of his activities, even the recreational ones. Everyone knew how affectionate he was to his cassock. He wore it always. It was very common to see him walking the streets of San Valentino, normally going towards the Church alone or with others, always smiling in peace, ready to say hello to everyone, always with his austere cassock. Everyone used to see the young seminarian walking in the streets, everyone knew his lifestyle, he was known as: “The little priest.” His parents used to tell him: “Don’t wear the cassock, at least don’t wear it during these times…” They used to explain that it was not prudent to wear it in such unstable moments. But Rolando used to answer: “But why, what is so wrong with me wearing it? I don’t have any reason not to wear it. I am studying to be a priest and this cassock is the sign that I belong to Jesus.” The communist and socialist partisans noticed the kid wearing the cassock, too, and hated him for it. Kidnapped and stripped of his cassock, Rivi was imprisoned and tortured for three days. Some of the partisans proposed to let him go, since he was only a young boy. But the majority sentenced him to death, in order to have “one less future priest.” On April 13, Rivi was taken to a forest in the surroundings of Modena. The partisans dug a grave and had Rivi kneel on its edge. While he was praying, the young seminarian was killed by gunshots to the heart and head. His cassock was rolled into a ball, kicked around, and then hung as a war trophy in the front door of a house. Blessed Rolando Maria Rivi, martyr for wearing the cassock, pray for those who hate what the cassock stands for and so hate those who wear it. And pray that our altar boys, seminarians, and priests will be worthy of wearing such a precious garment that still says so clearly, “I belong to Jesus.” With prayers for your holiness, Rev. Fr. Edwin Palka From the Pastor: Conclaves 2013 and 2025
Nearly a lifetime ago for many of you, I wrote a bulletin article about the 2013 conclave that had recently elected Francis. I mentioned it last week in my Sunday sermon. This week, I have copied it below. You may think that I was naive, believing that most Cardinals actually took their jobs seriously, but I don’t think so. I think that at least the majority of them knew exactly who they were casting their votes for when they chose Francis. They wanted what he offered, and he delivered in spades. I think they knew Leo before voting for him, too. It still remains to be seen just what they saw in him and desired him to accomplish as Pope, but I still don’t think they went into this blindly. Anyway, here is what I wrote then, and I still believe it to be true of the latest conclave. And, as I gave Francis the benefit of the doubt until he proved otherwise, so I give the same benefit to Leo XIV. May he be a good, holy Holy Father! [2013] From the Pastor: “What do you think of our new Pope, Father?” Everybody, it seems, wants to know my opinion on Pope Francis. Parishioners, family, friends, fellow priests and online surveys all want to know my impressions, as if my opinion really matters! The truth is, though, that none of the voting Cardinals asked my opinion before making their decision. They figured they could handle it on their own -- with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, of course!. While faithful and unfaithful Catholics, almost every news organization in the world, atheists and people of perhaps every religion or walk of life were busy wringing their hands, wondering how the Cardinals could ever figure out which of them God wanted to lead His Church and making wild speculations and even demands on the yet to be selected Pope, most people failed to recognize a basic reality: from the moment a Catholic Bishop is made a Cardinal he knows that his one main job is to elect a new Pope if the need arises. Think about it. The US Bishops already had the full responsibility of running their own archdiocese before they were given the office and title, “Cardinal.” That did not change. The Masses they celebrate, already of infinite value, are not more “powerful” after than before being given a red hat. No, the main difference, it seems to me, is that they now have the added responsibility of “checking out” the other Cardinals just in case they would ever need to vote in a conclave. While most of us never pay much attention to Cardinals from other parts of the world, each Cardinal makes it a point to get to know all of the others as well as possible long before the “need” ever arises. Whether they get to know each other through personal contact, discreet inquiries, social media or even “google” searches, they have already, for quite some time before the necessity of a conclave, been scrutinizing each others’ strengths and weaknesses, holiness and demeanor, managerial and liturgical style and faithfulness to Catholic Church teachings. Yes, even Cardinals can be lacking in any or all of these regards, just as Judas, Peter and the other apostles were each less than perfect in their own ways. By the time a reigning Pope dies (or, now, retires), catching us all off guard and scrambling to even discover just how many Cardinals there are, the Cardinals themselves have already formed opinions of just which of their fellow “Princes” of the Church would lead in the manner they believe to be right for the conversion of sinners and the salvation of souls (not a matter of little importance, yet never, never mentioned!) Judging from the media coverage, though, one would think that it never occurred to any of our Cardinals that they would actually need to be prepared in advance for just such an occurrence. The nonsense about how long or how short a time period between Pope Benedict’s resignation and the conclave being an indicator of a power struggle between the “old guard” and the “young bucks” was fairly comical. The demands that the next Pope had to be anything but Catholic was more demonic than humorous. The widespread portrayal of the world’s Cardinals as numbskulls who had never previously given even a thought about electing a Pope before Benedict’s surprise announcement showed just how little the media as a whole understands even the most basic workings of the Church. Unfortunately, just as I continually warn against, it seems that the majority of even faithful, practicing Catholics got all of their false understanding of what was going on from secular (read clearly: anti-Catholic) news sources which would like nothing better than to destroy the Church. All of this brings us to my answer to the question, “What do you think of our new Pope, Father?” I trust that the Cardinals did their jobs properly and have been praying and preparing in other ways for this since the time each was named a Cardinal. Therefore I believe that Pope Francis is going to be the best Pope the Church has ever had. Unless and until he proves otherwise, I am going to stick to that opinion! With prayers for you holiness, Fr. Edwin Palka PS Yes, the Cardinals are already looking to see who might be the next Pope! From the Pastor: Happy Mother’s Day!
A very happy and holy Mother’s Day to all mothers reading this! Mother’s Day is such a valued secular holiday that there is no way that it can be ignored within the Church, even though it is not on the liturgical calendar. On this day, we honor our biological mothers, our Godmothers, our adoptive mothers, and even the special women of our lives who may have “filled in” for our mothers if our own were missing. Today, I wish to highlight one additional mother who, simply because calling her “mother” has fallen out of favor, is rarely, if ever, honored on Mother’s Day. Let us never fail to honor our Holy Mother the Church. A quick search online for the term Holy Mother the Church or simply Holy Mother Church shows that the Catholic Church was called “Mother” over and over in Church documents and other spiritual writings of the distant past, but did you know that it shows up even in current Church documents? For example, in the Catechism of the Catholic Church under the Chapter titled, “God’s Salvation: Law and Grace,” we find the heading, “The Church, Mother and Teacher.” I will quote the two paragraphs directly under that heading: 2030 It is in the Church, in communion with all the baptized, that the Christian fulfills his vocation. From the Church he receives the Word of God containing the teachings of “the law of Christ.” From the Church he receives the grace of the sacraments that sustains him on the “way.” From the Church he learns the example of holiness and recognizes its model and source in the all-holy Virgin Mary; he discerns it in the authentic witness of those who live it; he discovers it in the spiritual tradition and long history of the saints who have gone before him and whom the liturgy celebrates in the rhythms of the sanctoral cycle. 2031 The moral life is spiritual worship. We “present [our] bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God,” within the Body of Christ that we form and in communion with the offering of his Eucharist. In the liturgy and the celebration of the sacraments, prayer and teaching are conjoined with the grace of Christ to enlighten and nourish Christian activity. As does the whole of the Christian life, the moral life finds its source and summit in the Eucharistic sacrifice. Doesn’t that show how the Church can truly be called “Mother”? Just as our mothers generally love, nurture, and teach us, just as our mothers sustain us, encourage us, and strengthen us, just as our mothers urge us to live up to the fullest of our potential, so does Holy Mother the Church. The paragraphs following those quoted continue along the same path. They explain how our Holy Mother the Church teaches us the moral life and always encourages us to stay holy and grow in holiness. Paragraph 2040 continues the motherly language, “Thus a true filial spirit toward the Church can develop among Christians. It is the normal flowering of the baptismal grace which has begotten us in the womb of the Church and made us members of the Body of Christ. In her motherly care, the Church grants us the mercy of God which prevails over all our sins and is especially at work in the sacrament of reconciliation. With a mother's foresight, she also lavishes on us day after day in her liturgy the nourishment of the Word and Eucharist of the Lord.” What blessings our Mother bestows upon us! Just as the Fourth Commandment tells us to honor our earthly father and mother, so it similarly would apply to our Holy Mother the Church. For just as surely as we honor her who loves us and gives us mortal life, so should we honor her who loves us and gives us life eternal. Sadly, we do not always recognize our mother’s dignity, her intentions, or her wisdom, yet she is always ready to overlook our faults and failings and embrace us the moment we return to her. In this and in many other ways, mothers, especially Holy Mother the Church, are the most clear images of God that we have upon this Earth. (And no, I am not calling God “Mother” with this statement.) May we love and honor them all as they deserve, by following their teachings and living their love. Shortly before I sent this article to the printer, Holy Mother Church, who was experiencing labor pains as a conclave was being held to determine the next Pope, gave birth, so to speak. Because you will have already had much news fed to you about who Cardinal Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, the first American Pope, is, I don’t have to go into any more details at this time. I may have more to say about it next week. In the meantime, Happy Mother’s Day once again! With prayers for your holiness, Rev. Fr. Edwin Palka From the Pastor: First Holy Communion
The day that one receives Holy Communion for the first time should be one of the most joy-filled days in any person’s life. God made us with a longing deep within our hearts and souls for union with Him. Although our understanding of that longing matures as we grow in our faith, it is present even within the smallest infant. For the Catholic child, this longing is brought into his life in a very tangible fashion every time mom and dad bring him to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. From the time a Catholic infant knows how to reach out and put things into his mouth, he desires to receive Holy Communion. As he is carried in his mother’s arms while she opens her mouth to receive Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, the Catholic infant will invariably reach out to try to “receive” Holy Communion as well. His understanding of this sacrament in which Jesus is fully present--Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity--is not highly developed, of course, but it is there nonetheless. To the extent that he is capable, he understands that the church is a place unlike any other place his family takes him. It is a place of reverence and prayer, where he is taught to be quiet and still, much beyond his desire to do so. He observes others kneeling in prayer and adoration, and although he may not fully understand what they are doing, he makes the connection between what they are doing in the church and what is done at bedtime when mom and dad pray with him and his siblings. He realizes that kneeling is not something he sees anywhere else and knows it must be special. He sees and begins to understand just how special is the church building (and the activities going on in it) when he notices the statues and stained glass windows; when he hears the bells ring and the organ play; when he sees the altar boys in cassock and surplice (looking like miniature—and practicing to be, perhaps—priests, plus those who are already taller than the priest!), and the priest in his Mass vestments; when he sees the candles lit and sees and smells the incense; and, most importantly, when he sees the confession line and the Communion line. Hence, the church is seen as a special place to a Catholic even from infancy. It is special even before there is an understanding of what the “special” really is. Long before he has even a small theological or scriptural understanding of the Mass or the Sacraments, the Catholic youngster burns with a desire to receive Holy Communion. As previously noted, whoever carries the infant must always hold his arms and hands so that he does not reach out and grab the Host. Whoever holds the hand of the pre-schooler in the Communion line must drag him away as he yells, “But I want one!” Whoever accompanies the slightly older child must constantly be on guard that he doesn’t kneel and stick out his tongue and receive his First Holy Communion long before his “official” preparation and reception. (This actually happens more often that you might think, for all it takes is the closest parent to be distracted for just a moment and, well, if the youngster acts like he/she is supposed to receive and mom and dad don’t indicate otherwise, the priest gives the Benediction and places the Sacred Host on his/her almost innocent tongue! Contrariwise, we sometimes skip youngsters—and, more rarely, adults—who don’t seem to be paying attention at the altar rail, and they have to wait until the next go-round to receive.) You may remember this from your own young life. Certainly, you see it in your own or others’ children. Our Lord knew we would have this craving, which explains why He chose to unite us to Himself in this manner. He knew what He was doing when He told us that to receive eternal life, we must eat His Body and drink His Blood, which He called true food and true drink. Today is finally the “big day.” It is the day that many children will have this longing fulfilled. Yet “fulfillment” is not an action that happens once and is then done away with. Those who receive their First Holy Communion this weekend will realize that in fulfilling this longing for union with God in the Blessed Sacrament, they will hunger more and more for union with Him in the Church, in the home, and in the community. Once they get a taste of God, so to speak, they will yearn all the more to grow in holiness, to know Him, love Him, and serve Him in this world so as to be happy with Him forever in Heaven. May this be the true desire of us all. Wait, I almost forgot! After the 10:30 Mass, we will have our May Crowning. Our Lady did not receive Holy Communion as a child, for the Church wasn’t founded until much later by her Divine Son, but she received Holy Communion on a regular basis, perhaps even daily, after the first Pentecost. She had been entrusted by Jesus to John, the Beloved Apostle, from the Cross. St. John, as a priest and bishop of the Catholic Church, which Jesus founded upon Peter’s rock-solid proclamation of Faith, would have celebrated Mass and given Mary Holy Communion regularly. Imagine that! After conceiving the Son of God in her womb at the Annunciation, giving birth to Him at the Nativity, nursing Him, nurturing Him, initiating His first public miracle, witnessing his unjust persecution and crucifixion, and, finally, laying him in the tomb, she was still able to receive Him for the rest of her earthly life in the Eucharist! Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, pray for our First Holy Communion children! May they love Him as you love Him! With prayers for your holiness, Fr. Edwin Palka |
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