SOLT News

Fr Sam Talks about Same-Sex Attraction in Soho, London when the UK Government is Considering Redefining Marriage

2012-03-15T08:03:00.000-05:00

The following is an excerpt of a talk given by Fr Samuel Medley SOLT, "Healing our Relationships through Graced Friendships" (Click here for full transcript and video) and is part of a 4 part series on the Theology of the Body. This excerpt deals with same-sex attraction at a very key time when the UK government is talking about redefining marriage and the bishops have just read a pastoral letter encouraging the faithful to oppose it. It is significant that this talk was given in Soho, London, the heart of the sex industry for 200 years, where most of the sex shops are and the heart of the gay pride movement. You can see more of this talk on Fr Sam's blog, LoveAndResponsibility.Org

SAME-SEX ATTRACTION

The way this topic must be addressed is in the context of REDEMPTION.

Every single human person has a grave disorder. It's called sin. Each of us can say "There is a war in my members." The best way we can describe it is with St Paul's words.

I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. So then it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin which dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I of myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. (Romans 7:15-25)

This is not only the interior experience of every sinner, but also of those who suffers same-sex attraction. Some people would like to affirm people in a gay identity, but this cannot be the Christian response, because the act itself, not the person, is intrinsically disordered, and if we love someone, we would not want them to be in habitual grave sin. What then? Do we try to fix them or change them? With this idea I would be careful of attempting to try to fix a person. They are a person who needs to be loved not necessarily a problem to be solved and sometimes God might permit them to suffer this in some way for the rest of their life. What they do need is the same as everyone else - Redemption! Let's look at the causes of same-sex attraction to try to seek a path of redemption.

UNLOVED, UNAFFIRMED, AND IN NEED OF REDEMPTION

A person finds themselves sexually attracted to the same sex usually because of an unmet need for affirmation, love, and affection they had as a child from the same-sex parent or also as a result to the abuse or hurt received from the opposite sex parent, or differing variables of abuse and neglect from either parent. In fact, many psychologists and counselors have had great success with those who have unwanted same-sex attractions in helping to heal this as one would do with a disordered affection in the passive will of the person. This will undoubtedly upset many people who do not have a catholic vision of man and his anthropology found in the theology of the body, who attempt a kind of gay-affirmation therapy, focussing on depression or stress as results of social resistance to the gay lifestyle rather than something much deeper in the human heart. These people say that would be unfair to ask a person to change something so deep in his heart. Remember, that 80% of our sexual identity is formed before the age of 5 and therefore one could claim that he was always that way.

We must be clear that this kind of healing or change is not to be considered as a

“categorical view of change, grounded in an essentialist view of homosexual sexual orientation that assumes same-sex attractions are the natural and immutable essence of a person,” but “it is far more helpful and accurate to conceptualize such change as occurring on a continuum. This is in fact how sexual orientation is defined in most modern research, starting with the well known Kinsey scales, even as subsequent findings pertinent to change are often described in categorical terms.” (NARTH Statement on Sexual Orientation Change) emphasis added

Order Sexual Authenticity
Visit her Blog

One of the most honest and realistic looks at same-sex attraction comes from Melinda Selyms, who wrote, “Sexual Authenticity: An Intimate Reflection on Homosexuality and Catholicism.”

“It's my suspicion that in a lot of cases, people who struggle for years with same-sex attraction are struggling because there are other factors driving their attractions, and these factors are not being addressed. For some people, it seems, the issues are rooted in psychological wounds received in their family of origin, and for those people reparative therapy seems to do a lot of good. Resolve the psychological substrata of sexual orientation, and the attractions sort themselves out of their own accord.”

Especially for men, who are often more sensual, same-sex attraction is more of a matter of a libinistic sexual attraction, for women, who are often more sentimental, it tends toward an attraction of the whole of the person to the whole of the other person. For both of these it is still a need for love and affirmation. Again here it is necessary to stress that one does not change their passive will overnight or categorically or by an act of the active will. It happens when the person gifts their inmost being freely and consciously to the desire for Redemption. This voluntary desire is key. You know the joke, how many psychologists does it take to change a lightbulb? It doesn’t matter. The light bulb has to want to change. For those who don’t want this, it is not an option and often by these people it is seen as an attack on their lifestyle. From my experience in living in Christian mens’ households where a few of the men professed to experience an unwanted same-sex attraction, the two things they needed from me were:

1. Brotherhood. Healthy male “disinterested friendship” (Words of the Catechism) supplied positive and chaste affirmation of them as men in a masculine identity.

2. A condemnation of the “homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity” (Words of the Catechism)

I suspect this is because that it is an affirmation of them as a man but also a support to their choice of trying to live a chaste life through a reinforcement of the negative choice involved, like the positive and negative poles necessary for electric power. The deeper changes in us are much more slow and permanent, yet also some may experience that they will have to suffer some degree of temptation the rest of their lives. The courage apostolate has the appropriate quote of St Frances de Sales on their website:

"Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them - every day begin the task anew."

This apostolate has been most effective at least with helping many men and women come to terms with same sex attraction. Their 5 goals are:

1. Live chaste lives in accordance with the Roman Catholic Church's teaching on homosexuality. (Chastity)

2. Dedicate ones life to Christ through service to others, spiritual reading, prayer, meditation, individual spiritual direction, frequent attendance at Mass, and the frequent reception of the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist. (Prayer and Dedication)

3. Foster a spirit of fellowship in which all may share thoughts and experiences, and so ensure that no one will have to face the problems of homosexuality alone. (Fellowship)

4. Be mindful of the truth that chaste friendships are not only possible but necessary in a chaste Christian life and in doing so provide encouragement to one another in forming and sustaining them. (Support)

5. Live lives that may serve as good examples to others. (Good Example/Role Model)

Yet some people have no intention of wanting or believing that a change in their sexual orientation is possible. The media often reinforces this with a subtle kind of brainwashing by a constant propaganda line that “I was born this way” It is clear now that, even as Dean Hammer, who who supposedly coined the phrase of the “gay gene” himself has said, “there is no gay gene” and therefore is not an variant of human nature or a genetic thing. THERE IS NO STUDY THAT CLAIMS HOMOSEXUALITY IS SIMPLY GENETIC. It is shown from studies of twins that it is not inherited, even though studies may show that it may be heritable or traced to certain biological traits. It also therefore cannot be considered on par with other aspects of human nature such as age, race, gender, and ought not to be described as a “right” or encoded into discrimination laws as a variant.

Also it must be said very clearly that it is not a good thing even though it may be socially acceptable and legal, for two men or two women to claim to have the same “right” or capacity to raise a child in a healthy environment. Dr Dean Byrd, a psychologist and counselor, who was a consultant for an adoption agency on this matter reveals that in many cases it may greatly harm the emotional and personal well being of the child:

“How healthy is the rejection of gender roles? What is more alarming is that both historical and current research provides significant concerns about the medical and mental health consequences of homosexual practices, as well as the stability of homosexual relationships. Medical health, mental health, longevity and relationship stability are essential issues to be addressed when considering the placement of children.” Gender Complementarity and Child-rearing: Where Tradition and Science Agree

Through analysing different studies he concludes that child rearing in a same sex home will:

-teach by example the rejection of our sexual differences that are inscribed in our nature

-teach children that sex is for pleasure and doesn’t have to include procreation

-due to the very high rate, even majority of couples that are not monogamous, even saying it is better to let their partner freely have sex with others to remain monogamous, the child will not learn stability that comes from monogamy

-the child will have a high rate of confusion of gender identity, a much higher tendency toward depression, emotional imbalance, and promiscuity

NO ONE IS A VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCE OR DOOMED BY HISTORY

Because of the identification that we have with the way we grew up and because so much of who we are depends on the formation we receive as tiny children, it is easy for a person to feel condemned to simply be the outcome of their past, marked forever by a distant mother or absent father or whatever kind of childhood. You hear it all the time in popular culture, songs, and movies - almost like an excuse for self-pity or a definition of who a person is based solely on what has happened to them. Yet what is most wounding in our lives is not what has or hasn’t happened to us, it is our own reaction to it. However, we know that God is a Good Father, and his plan is for freedom and healing.

What is the healing of someone who has been wounded by their fundamental relationships in life: graced friendships.

Read more at Fr Sam's blog, LoveAndResponsibility.Org

Praying the Novena to St Joseph, a Man of "Unreserved Trust in Divine Providence"

2012-03-09T04:25:00.001-06:00

Every year the SOLT community prays a novena to St Joseph to honor the foster father of our Redeemer and the spouse of the glorious Virgin Mother of God.

We invite you to join us in praying this novena, March 10-18 to prepare for his Solemnity we celebrate on March 19th, in which we remember the seven privileges given him by God.

CLICK HERE for a printable PDF copy.

Here are the words of our holy father, Pope Benedict XVI about Good St Joseph:

"The beloved Pope John Paul II, who was very devoted to St Joseph, left us an awesome meditation dedicated to him in the Apostolic Exhortation Redemptoris Custos, "Guardian of the Redeemer". Among the many aspects it highlights, particular emphasis is placed on the silence of St Joseph. His is a silence permeated by contemplation of the mystery of God, in an attitude of total availability to his divine wishes. In other words, the silence of St Joseph was not the sign of an inner void, but on the contrary, of the fullness of faith he carried in his heart, and which guided each and every one of his thoughts and actions.
A silence thanks to which Joseph, in unison with Mary, could be the guardian of the Word of God, known through the Sacred Scriptures, coming face to face with it continuously in the events of the life of Jesus; a silence interwoven with constant prayer, prayer of the blessing of the Lord, of adoration of his holy will and of unreserved trust in his providence. It is no exaggeration to say that it was from his 'father' Joseph that Jesus acquired – on the human level – that robust interiority which presupposes authentic justice, the "superior justice" which He would one day teach to his disciples (cfr Mt 5:20).

SOLT Sister Speaks about Obama's HHS Mandate and the True Meaning of Health Care

2012-02-28T07:36:00.001-06:00

View Sr Miriam James' blog, the Nunessential

This Lent the Holy Father Asks Us to Focus on the Heart of the Christian Life: Charity

2012-02-22T14:39:00.000-06:00

Each year the Holy Father gives the whole Church, a kind of orientation for the holy season of Lent in his annual Lenten Message. This year he asks us to try to become more charitable as Christ is charitable.

"The Lenten season offers us once again an opportunity to reflect upon the very heart of Christian life: charity. This is a favourable time to renew our journey of faith, both as individuals and as a community, with the help of the word of God and the sacraments. This journey is one marked by prayer and sharing, silence and fasting, in anticipation of the joy of Easter.

"This year I would like to propose a few thoughts in the light of a brief biblical passage drawn from the Letter to the Hebrews:“ Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works”. These words are part of a passage in which the sacred author exhorts us to trust in Jesus Christ as the High Priest who has won us forgiveness and opened up a pathway to God. Embracing Christ bears fruit in a life structured by the three theological virtues: it means approaching the Lord “sincere in heart and filled with faith” (v. 22), keeping firm “in the hope we profess” (v. 23) and ever mindful of living a life of “love and good works” (v. 24) together with our brothers and sisters. The author states that to sustain this life shaped by the Gospel it is important to participate in the liturgy and community prayer, mindful of the eschatological goal of full communion in God (v. 25). Here I would like to reflect on verse 24, which offers a succinct, valuable and ever timely teaching on the three aspects of Christian life: concern for others, reciprocity and personal holiness."

Bendicen la capilla de Nuestra Señora de la Santísima Trinidad (VIDEO)

2012-02-22T14:32:00.000-06:00

The Following article was taken from El Mañana, the local paper of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.

El Obispo acude a la ceremonia que se efectuó en el templo que está en la colonia Naciones Unidas, mismo que es construido por más de un año

NUEVO LAREDO.- El esfuerzo y trabajo de feligreses que durante más de un año dedicaron a la construcción de su nueva capilla de Nuestra Señora de la Santísima Trinidad, ayer fue recompensado cuando el obispo Gustavo Rodríguez Vega la bendijo.

Fue durante la celebración del mediodía cuando más 300 personas, entre niños, jóvenes y adultos, fueron testigos de este acto.

"Hemos bendecido este templo, al inicio de la Santa Misa, ", expresó el Obispo de la Diócesis de Nuevo Laredo.

La misa la concelebró con el padre Antonio Anderson y el Diacono Juan Guzmán Castillo.

"Recuerdo que fue hace dos años, cuando en una visista pastoral esto era apenas una pequeña capilla con un techito, algo muy pequeño y ahora después de tanto esfuerzo se logró construir esta capilla más grande", comentó el obispo Gustavo.

"Aquí esta el esfuerzo y trabajo de todos ustedes que colaboraron para su construcción", destacó.

Dicha capilla se ubica en la colonia Naciones Unidas del lado norte, del fraccionamiento Los Olivos, al poniente de Nuevo Laredo.

El servicio de catecismo, y misas que otorga también beneficia a habitantes de los fraccionamientos Toboganes, Bonito Toboganes y Rancho Victoria.

Después de compartir la comunión, el Obispo presenció un número musical llamado "Óyelo, escúchalo" que niños de esta parroquia le brindaron como agradecimiento de su visita; para ello portaron atuendos similares a la del Chavo del 8, Kiko, y la Chilindrina principalmente.

Al término de número musical, Rodríguez Vega les agradeció su participación manifestándoles en broma: "Ya me habían asustado al ver a tanta niña con puntitos negros, dije que hay sarampión por aquí, pero no, eran las chilindrinas", comentó sonriendo.

Para terminar con al celebración todos los asistentes festejaron junto al Obispo compartiendo un platillo de mole y arroz en una verbena.

Celebran misa en nueva capilla El Obispo Gustavo Rodríguez Vega bendijo la capilla de la colonia Naciones Unidas, ante más de 300 feligreses.

Bishop Gustavo Rodriguez Vega of Neuvo Laredo, Mexico, Blesses a Chapel in honor of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity

2012-02-20T15:55:00.001-06:00

This past Sunday, February 19, 2012, Bishop Gustavo Rodriguez Vega, the ordinary of the diocese of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, blessed a chapel entitled, Nuestra Señora de la Santissima Trinidád (Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity). This is one of the chapels that has regular Sunday Mass in the parish of Nuestra Señora del Refugio in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, which is in the custody of SOLT. Fr Anthony Anderson has been the parish priest for over 12 years, and continues to see great growth in the parish, which has over 90,000 parishioners with 4 Sunday Mass sites other than the main parish church and many more smaller village chapels.

Here are some pictures of the chapel, recently finished.

Here is a clip from the bishop's homily:

Laity Enjoy a Retreat This Weekend

2012-02-10T17:25:00.000-06:00

This weekend at Our Lady of Corpus Christi, in Corpus Christi, Texas, the SOLT laity will be drawing near to the Most Holy Trinity through Our Lady's way of discipleship. Activities include a kid's retreat, Mass, Adoration, Confession, Prayer, Rosary, and fellowship with good food, time for catching up together, and even a great catholic film and night time star-gazing with Fr Dan.

Please contact the Regional Lay Servant, Mike Pond, for further details, or if you are a SOLT lay person and have changed your email address, please contact him at southtexas@ourladylovesyou.org

CLICK HERE for more info about the SOLT laity or lay formation.

Mission Continues to Grow in Papua New Guinea

2012-02-03T07:06:00.001-06:00

Here are some pictures of our mission to the Kununuga tribe in Papual New Guinea:

Inside the Village Chapel

Crossing the river on a narrow bridge

Villagers enjoying a feast

The Kununuga Tribe Gathered for a Photo in front of the Chapel

Sr Judith and a Villager Farming Root Crops

The Feast of the Presentation - 16th World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life

2012-02-02T10:16:00.001-06:00

The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, February 2nd, is 40 days after the Nativity of the Lord, when all first born sons in Israel were required to be consecrated to the Lord. The Lord Jesus was presented by his Blessed Mother and good St Joseph and received by two prophetic and expectant Israelites, Simeon and Anna. The Church, the priestly people of God, are called to live the consecration of their baptism in order to shine the light of Christ for all the world to see.

Every year on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord the Church celebrates the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life. Each consecrated person is called to be a signum contradicetur, a sign of contradiction, a eschatological sign of the world to come, where God will be all in all. This is done by living the evangelical counsels in vows or promises that in a consecrated person's radical witness, the life of Christ would be made manifest. It is a good day for consecrated men and women to renew their commitment to the Lord. In many diocese throughout the world SOLT celebrates this day with special fervor. As Pope Benedict XVI said for this year's celebration:

“On today’s feast we therefore celebrate the mystery of consecration: the consecration of Christ, the consecration of Mary, the consecration of all those who commit themselves to following Jesus for the sake of the Kingdom of God.”

Simeon's canticle Nunc Dimitis, which the Church prays every day for night prayer is taken from this encounter in the temple. Enjoy this musical tribute to the Presentation from Vatican Radio.

Reading List:

Redemptionis Donum - Apostolic Exhortation by Bl Pope John Paul II

Vita Consecrata - Post Synodal Exhortation by Bl Pope John Paul II

Message for 15th World Day of Prayer (last year) by Pope Benedict XVI

New Chinese SOLT Page - 新年快乐

2012-01-23T14:34:00.000-06:00

Introducing, our new webpage in Chinese.

Happy Chinese New Year! 新年快乐

遠見目標

全人類﹐
經由作為耶穌及聖母的門徒﹐
與天主聖三結合為一。

特殊任務
聖三聖母會的成員許諾﹕
在小團體內﹐
我們耶穌及聖母的門徒生活在充滿恩寵的友愛中﹐
活出耶穌苦難﹐
聖死及復活的奧跡﹔
向聖母完全奉獻自己﹐
追隨耶穌安貧﹐守貞﹐
服從地生活﹐在聖體中合而為一﹐
在最需要服事的方面工作﹐
以使全人類達到圓滿的發展﹐
因而帶領他們成為耶穌及聖母的門徒。

特殊神賜
耶穌與聖母的門徒在小團體內﹐
在最需要服事的方面工作。

Why Women Weep by Sr Miriam James, SOLT

2012-01-23T09:54:00.000-06:00

The following story has been taken from the blog of Sr Miriam James, SOLT, NunEssential:

Many times we blame men for our problems, and yes, there is a deep woundedness between men and women because of original sin. Even John Paul II mentioned that women suffer in a more particularly acute way, the imbalance between men and women...

Women, how will we stem this tide? by giving in to the demands and false illusions of the world? or by running in the other direction and rejecting our femininity and becoming doormats? Neither option is the answer, for those options are just opposite sides of the drastic pendulum swim.

The answer lies in integration and holiness. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines the meaning of chastity as

"the successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being." (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2337)

No, it doesn't mean being "barefoot and pregnant" as some "feminists" would claim that the Church teaches. Nor does it mean embracing hedonism and nihilism. It doesn't mean becoming like men or turning to sterilization and abortion, treating fertility and womanhood as a curse.

It means allowing Jesus to come and reveal us to ourselves. It means embracing the strong rock of Life and standing firm. It means learning and growing ever more deeply into what it really means to be a woman. It means casting aside the lies that are in our hearts and living in the truth. It means transformation and discipleship. Ultimately, chastity is the journey of true and authentic love. Learning who we really are so we can make a complete and full gift of ourselves.

For the full blogpost click here.

Apostolic Formation of SOLT Brothers in Seminary

2012-01-19T12:25:00.000-06:00

Br Peter Shaffo and a student

Teaching the Catholic Faith

“We had all of our special needs group (ages 7-20) meet in a room for music. Each student got their choice of an instrument to play to participate in the activity. I've never seen such child-like joy in so many faces at once. For a few minutes, it was like being in Heaven with the angels and saints singing.”

-Br. Peter Shaffo

Catechesis

Br Rigsby praying before class

“Every time I teach them I see their eagerness and openness to believe. I also see the brokenness in their hearts. The Lord blesses me each time with an opportunity to help form them in His truth.”

-Br. John Rigsby

Brothers weekly encountering Jesus

‣ Instructing 49 children in the truth of our Catholic faith.

‣ Preparing 16 teenagers for Confirmation.

‣ Drawing 7 adults into the heart of the Church through RCIA.

‣ Bringing the peace and joy of Christ to 20 persons in the
hospital.

‣ Learning from and praying with 20 elderly in hospice care and the nursing home.

16 brothers and 2 vans

Br Michael Mary

We commute to the seminary. Different guys have different classes from morning to late night. Classes are rescheduled. Meetings are held. We teach and serve all over the diocese, each brother with his own schedule. Errands keep popping up. Next year, hopefully we’ll have more brothers, and by then, this Brother could really use an additional van.

-Br Michael Mary Coordinating Transportation of the Men

Evangelization center's monthly discussion series stirs up healthy debate

2012-01-18T05:52:00.000-06:00

The following article was taken from the website for the Diocese of Patterson, New Jersey, where Fr Derek Anderson, SOLT, is the Director of Catechesis as Evangelization.

By MICHAEL WOJCIK, News Editor

MADISON - On a sunny Saturday morning, a second-floor room at St. Paul Inside the Walls: the Catholic Center for Evangelization buzzes with lively debate and discussion. Sitting with desks in a semi-circle, a group of nine interested people tackles difficult and heady questions of theology and philosophy, such as "Can we ever know truth?" and "Is having faith reasonable?"

Locked in intense conversation, this diverse group - populated by faithful believers, fallen-away Catholics, new faithful, agnostics and atheists- keeps each other on his or her toes intellectually speaking. During the two-hour session, part of St. Paul's "Reasons to Believe" debate and discussion series, they challenge each other on various theological and philosophical points as well as the facilitator, Father Derek Anderson.

"We [Catholics] have faith in the Trinity, because God has revealed it," said Father Anderson, a priest of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) and the new diocesan vicar for catechesis. During the Dec. 17 session, the third in the series, Father Anderson noted that "St. Thomas Aquinas [a notable Catholic theologian] had great confidence in human reason - that God has given every human person the natural light of reason. We can come to know God exists through the visible world around us."

In the midst of his PowerPoint slide presentation that kicked off the session, Father Anderson found the discussion veering into other areas of thought - from the morality of past times, back to St. Thomas Aquinas and then to Taoist philosophy. Some of the skeptics - and faithful, playing the "Devil's Advocate" - challenged some of the priest's assertions, among them that we can know God exists from reason alone.

Father Anderson countered by noting that, although we cannot see God, many Catholics do believe in miracles. These supernatural events are meant to inspire and lead us to faith in those things we cannot see. Take for example, "doubting" St. Thomas, who believed that Jesus rose from the dead only after he could place his fingers in the holes of the Savior's crucified hands.

"Thomas said to Jesus, 'My Lord and my God.' That was a profession of faith. Thomas believed Jesus was God after experiencing the miracle of the resurrection. Not everyone who saw or listened to Jesus believed he was God, faith was required for that. But in Thomas we see that miracles are meant to lead us to a profession of faith," Father Anderson said. "Miracles cannot be explained by science, because they go beyond the limitations of scientific knowledge. But it's not illogical or unreasonable to believe in miracles," the priest said.

Still, some of the group's skeptics questioned Father Anderson's assertion that we can actually believe in a God we cannot see. Since October, the priest - who first arrived in the diocese in August - has been meeting monthly for the "Reasons to Believe" series. The group has been blessed with a revolving collection of debaters - like the December group - for deep discussion and some healthy and intellectually rigorous repartee.

"We want to reach out and meet people where they're at. We want to talk about various dimensions of life and faith," said Father Anderson, who came to the Diocese of Paterson from SOLT's House of Study in Rome, where he served as academic dean and his religious community's general secretary. "We want to start a conversation about the reasons we believe and to address modern objections to our faith."

During the sessions, Father Anderson often turns to theological or philosophical text - from such sources as the "Catechism of the Catholic Church" or St. Thomas Aquinas. At the session, he read from "What Faith Is and What It Isn't," an article written by Father Robert Barron, founder of the global ministry, "Word on Fire."

"The decision to accept in trust what God has spoken about Himself is what the Church means by 'faith,' " writes Father Barron, as read by Father Anderson and other group members. "This decision...rests upon and is conditioned by reason, but it presses beyond reason, for it represents the opening of one heart to another. The Catholic Church wants people to use reason as vigorously and energetically as possible - and this very much includes scientific reason. But then it invites them, at the limits of their striving, to listen, to trust, to have faith," Father Barron writes.

The debate and discussion built on the previous session, which raised the issue, "The Question of Truth: Can We Know Anything with Certainty?" There, Father Anderson invited into the discussion his brother, Justin Anderson, Ph.D., assistant professor of Christian ethics at Seton Hall University, South Orange. Among other things, they spoke about what people mean by the word "truth" today, and looked at various contemporary theories of truth - one of which is the classical notion of truth the Church adheres to: we say we have reached truth when the conception in our mind corresponds to the reality outside of us, Father Anderson said.

Following two hours of rigorous debate, one participant, Mary Theresa Conca of St. Cecilia Parish, Rockaway, smiled while exiting the second-floor room at St. Paul's. Also the evangelization center's head of hospitality, Conca noted that, "the sessions give me, a devout Catholic, the tools to understand why I believe what I believe and to explain - and defend it - to others."

"The course also gives me things to think about until the next session. It also gives me some things, so I can plant a seed or place a question [in the hearts and minds of others] for them to think about," Conca said. "There aren't many venues across the country where you can have discussions like this. St. Paul Inside the Walls is a special place."

The "Reasons to Believe" series, scheduled through to May [see dates at right], remains open to everyone. For information about the series or about any other of St. Paul Inside the Walls' programs, call (973) 377-1004 or visit www.insidethewalls.org.

Jesus Christ: the Heart of Ministry by Br Juan Villagomez, SOLT

2012-01-17T15:58:00.000-06:00

What is at the heart of ministry? What is the source from which all works of charity get their energy? What is the balm that heals and strengthens the heart of both the minister and those he ministers to? The answer is Jesus Christ. Whether they know it or not, people yearn to encounter Him. But one cannot give what one does not have, so the minister is called to personally encounter Christ who is the Living Word of God. He must do this for himself and share the fruits of that encounter with others. This activity of encountering and communicating the Divine Word can be called Theology: an expression formed by two Greek terms meaning “God” (Theos) and “Word” (Logos). When we put them together they give three possible meanings to Theology, they are: “God’s Word”, “A Word to God” and “A Word about God.” These three meanings, when viewed together, draw us into a dialogue with the

Eternal Word as He comes to us in Sacred Scripture and the Eucharist.

The saving dialogue begins by God’s initiative as He reveals Himself to us through God’s Word. We freely respond to it in prayer by pronouncing a loving word to God in the depths of our heart in an attitude of adoration of the Divine Mystery, at first not so much comprehending it as realizing that we are comprehended by it. As a reward for this surrender, God illumines us with a ray of understanding: a word about God. But understanding is not given so that it may become one’s private property. God always bestows His gifts on individuals in consideration for all His people. And so this “Word of God” that calls for a “Word to God” in prayer and leads to a “Word about God” must be shared with others that their hearts may be disposed to seek God in the same way.

This dialogue also takes place in the Eucharist, which is The Word made flesh and veiled in mystery. But the most eloquent description of such an encounter is best illustrated with a living example: let us turn to Mary whose life is an encounter with Christ in both His Word and His Body for she conceived Him in her heart through faith, before she conceived Him in her womb by the power of the Holy Spirit (cf. St. Augustine, Sermon 293). Let us make the Heart of Mary our school for the encounter with Jesus Christ. Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, Mother of the Eucharist, pray for us.

-by Br. Juan Villagomez

The Gray Robes Seminarian Newsletter Wrapping Up 2011

2012-01-16T09:00:00.000-06:00

The Seminarians in Detroit have issued their first newsletter of this formation year. Listen to the Rector, Fr Brady, speak about current movements, Br Juan speak about the apostolate of catechesis, Br Beau in the hospital apostolate, view a day in the life of the men click here.

Or view it from scribd.com:

The Gray Robes: Seminarian Newsletter Advent 2011

We Mourn the Loss of Fr George Carlin, SOLT

2012-01-16T08:42:00.000-06:00

March 17, 1925 - October 18, 2011

Rev. Fr. George Patrick Carlin, born in New York, son of George A. Carlin and Mary Carr-Carlin. Fr. George has two brothers, Bill and Mike (deceased), and two sisters, Joan and Julia. He graduated from Canterbury Preparatory School in Connecticut and Amherst College in Massachusetts, where he majored in American Studies. He served in World War II and the Korean War as a Naval officer.

After many years as a journalist on Major American dailies, he entered a late vocation theologate conducted by the Benedictines, and earned his Master-of-Divinity degree. George traveled to the Philippines with the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity and spent five years at a Mission on a Bicol island. He received his diaconate, and was later ordained to the priesthood by his Eminence Jaime Cardinal Sin at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, the Manila Cathedral.

As a SOLT priest, he served in the Philippines, has contributed articles to newspapers and periodicals in several countries, served at St. Anthony's Parish in Harper Texas, and served as the priest in residence for the lay families in Covington GA.

Christmas Message from Fr Zachary of the Mother of God, SOLT General Lay Servant

2011-12-23T16:35:00.002-06:00

Dear Family of Our Lady, December 23, 2011

God’s choicest blessings are given to us this Christmas Day. This is the Truth communicated in Sacred Scripture where we hear with the ears of our heart: “Praised be the God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ who has bestowed on us in Christ every spiritual blessing in the heavens” (Ephesians 1:3 ). Yes, we have received EVERY spiritual blessing in the gift of God’s only Son.

St Louis de Montfort wrote: "The greatest event in the whole history of the world was the Incarnation of the eternal Word by whom the world was redeemed and peace was restored between God and men. Our Lady was chosen as his instrument for this tremendous event, and it was put into effect when she was greeted with the Angelic Salutation. By the Angelic Salutation God became man, a virgin became the Mother of God, sin has been pardoned, grace been given to us. Finally the Angelic Salutation is the rainbow in the sky, a sign of the mercy and grace which God has given to the world. And the Angel's greeting to our Lady is one of the most beautiful hymns we could possibly sing to the glory of the Most High. So also do we repeat the same salutation to thank the most Blessed Trinity for the immeasurable goodness shown to us. We praise God the Father because he so loved the world that he gave us his only Son as our Saviour. We bless the Son because he deigned to leave heaven and come down upon earth, because he was made man and redeemed us. We glorify the Holy Spirit because he formed our Lord's pure body in the womb of our Lady, that body which was the victim for our sins." (St Louis de Montfort, The Secret of the Rosary nos. 45-46).

Our Lady embraced this Truth and desires that we all enter her joy at the coming of the Son of God and the Son of Mary. The Love of God that is freely given to us in Christ is able to change our lives, transforming them and all the lives we touch. May you and your family enter into this Truth and Love this Christmas Day.

You and your families will be remembered in a novena of Masses beginning Christmas.

In the united Hearts of Jesus and Mary,

Father Zachary of the Mother of God

SOLT General Lay Servant

Christmas Message of Sr Anne Marie Walsh, SOLT General Sister Servant

2011-12-23T16:34:00.000-06:00

Dear Sisters and Family of Our Lady, December, 2011

Peace and Christmas blessing!

At this time, the Liturgical year compenetrates our own community history in a beautiful way. The light of Advent bids us contemplate that which precedes one of the greatest events in human history in order to understand something of God's ways in preparing us to receive the gift of Himself.

"In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled.". Lk. 2:1. Some translations use the word "taxed" in place of enrolled. Both are significant for us.

St. Gregory says that "the registering of the whole world when our Lord was about to be born was mystical; for He appeared in the flesh Who should write down the names of His own elect in eternity. " And St. Ambrose said: "There is described a secular registration, implied a spiritual one, to be laid before the King not of earth but of Heaven; a registering of faith: a census of souls. For the old census of the Synagogue was abolished, a new census of the Church was preparing...This was then the first public enrollment of souls to the Lord... But in order that men might know that the taxing was just, there came up to it Joseph and Mary, the just man and the virgin. He who kept the word and she who obeyed it."

As a community we have felt this calling to a census, a calling to accountability, even to the registering of our properties. We have sometimes felt this to be inopportune, even a trial. We have been “taxed”, uprooted, required to leave our discerned ways of doing things at a time when we seemed close to being born into the heart of the Church, in order to travel to a place that is strange and uncomfortable for us. We have felt unwelcome at times, looked upon with mistrust. We are required to be “here” so that we can be "counted," yet we experience at the same time that there is no real room in the Inn.

When we look, with great stillness in our hearts, we see that this time for us is deeply mystical. Our present experience profoundly participates in the experiences of the Holy Family. We see the anxiety of St. Joseph in our General Priest Servant as he works to secure the place where Our Lady's Society is to be born fully into the Church. We see we are in this place because it is God's providential will working through authority given and blessed by Him.

We reflect on the Holy Family and remember that God did not overlook the fact that Mary was on the verge of giving birth. The events surrounding this Birth were arranged to the last detail and meant to be the context in which the mystery of our salvation would enter into our lives in Person. These are beautiful, mystical realities, to be pondered more than fully understood. We are caught up in these same mysteries. The mystical life is really simply one of recognizing God's ways at work and allowing ourselves to be swept up into them without resistance. We give thanks for these marvels revealed to us in the quiet reflections of Advent in which we recognize that compliance with the census is important as a mark of our obedience and trust. But it is not the main drama and should not demand undue attention from us.

As a family united, let us be one with Mary and Joseph in expectant hope, mindful that all of God's ways are full of mystery and accepting that the deepest difficulties most often hide and give birth to the greatest blessings. May our faith in God's omnipotent care never fail us as we await the sweet arrival of our longed-for Love Who comes to us in all the wrappings of our own littleness!

With heartfelt Love we extend Christmas blessings of Peace and Joy to and from all of Our Lady's Sisters!

Sr. Anne Marie, SOLT

General Sister Servant

UPDATED Memorial Masses for Fr Santan Pinto, SOLT

2011-12-19T03:21:00.008-06:00

Here are the update of memorial Masses for Fr Santan Pinto, SOLT:

December 21 – St. Thomas More Catholic Church, Spokane, WA 6pm
- St. Brigid Catholic Church, Memphis, TN 6pm

December 22 – Our Lady of Corpus Christi Adoration Chapel , Corpus Christi, TX
–10am Our Lady of Victory, Paris, TX 6pm

December 24 – Our Lady of Guadalupe, Helotes, TX, 4pm

December 25 – Sacred Heart Church, Guelph, Canada, 9am
December 26 - 30 Gregorian Masses, Monastery, Pittsburgh, PA

December 27 – St. Mel’s Catholic Church, Fair Oaks, CA, 7pm

- St. Joseph’s Catholic Church , Newton, NJ , 8am

December 28 – St. Alphonsus Church, Seattle, WA, 10am

December 29 – Sacred Heart Church, Guelph, Canada, 7pm

December 30 – St.s Francis and Anne Church, Kolin, LA 5:30pm (rosary), 6pm Mass

December 31 – Our Lady of Belen Catholic Church, New Mexico, 10am

January 3 – Our Lady of Guadalupe, Helotes, TX, 8am

January 7 – Our Lady of Guadalupe, Helotes, TX, 8am

January 17 -Our Lady of Guadalupe, Helotes, TX, 8pm

January 28 – St. Benedict’s Church, Mohnton, PA , 9:30(rosary) ,10am Mass

Let us continue to pray for the eternal repose of his soul and for the consolation of his family. Fr Pinto died in a car accident while visiting his family in India. Correction from previous post: His friend was driving the car and is fine, while his friend's nephew is still in critical condition.

Fr Santan Pinto, SOLT Leaves a Parting Message

2011-12-16T18:51:00.000-06:00

Fr Santan Pinto, SOLT, who was the novice servant to many of our priests, spiritual director to many sisters and laity, friend to the little ones of God, and disciple of Jesus and Mary, recently died in a car crash while visiting family in India. Before he died, he wrote a Christmas message:

Dear Disciples of Jesus and Mary, Missionaries of Mercy and Friends:

The Lord chooses to hide His greatest blessings. These are seen or noticed by those who seek them. The wise men sought the Lord and were directed by means of a star. Simeon and the prophetess Anna sought the Lord and the Holy Spirit directed them to come to the temple at the very hour that Joseph and Mary were bringing Jesus to the temple. Zaccheus sought to see Jesus and Jesus went and stayed with Him.
In the Resurrection the women were seeking Jesus. They were told, "Why are you the living among the dead. He is risen as He said." even today we will never find Him in the world with all it's glamour, power and greatness. He will always be found by the little ones in a place that is hidden, poor and simple.

What is important for us this Christmas is to find within our hearts a spark that we should keep working at. Each of us can desire to seek the Lord in our own little ways. Let us try to be creative. Try to spend much time with Mary and Joseph asking them to form your heart so it may grow in this desire to seek the Lord.

Remind yourself that everyone who desired to see Jesus found Him. Learn this Christmas to keep this little candle of devotion burning in your heart!

The patriarchs, the prophets and His leaders were all little and simple men. God chose that His Son be born as a man - in humility and poverty and silence.

Let us use this Christmas season to grow in these three virtues and graces, so that Jesus will reveal His presence to us. We will know this year that Jesus was truly born in our lives by the joy and peace that will accompany us constantly. It is His light of grace that dispels the darkness of sin in us. It is His grace that enables us like Mother Mary to wonder and praise God, and ponder all these words in our hearts.

Even today He hides Himself in the Most Holy Eucharist. It should be our constant desire to come to seek His glory and majesty in these sacramental signs.

In our hearts let us bring all our family members, friends, co-workers, enemies and those we dislike to the Living Manger as we receive Jesus and honor Him in the Blessed Eucharist. Let us ask the Lord that they too share this great desire that fills our hearts to see the Lord and worship Him in the tabernacles of our hearts!

Please share this Christmas letter with your family and friends? Thanks.

Blessings to you, your family and friends for this great and grace-filled season of Christmas! And may the blessings of Christmas continue to guide and protect you throughout the coming year."

With my priestly blessings,
Fr. Santan Pinto SOLT

Br Rick Bunch Served those with HIV in Thailand for 20 Years

2011-11-27T10:04:00.001-06:00

The first time I ever met Br Rick Bunch, SOLT, I was on the way to a Bangkok prison, where he was going to introduce me to some of the people he was serving there who were dying of HIV. "Change of plans," he said on the phone. "I just suffered a massive heart attack and they are bringing me to the hospital." So instead I ended up visiting him in the Bangkok Christian Hospital. As I walked in the nurses were inserting an IV needle into his ankle - without an anesthetic. He gritted his teeth held on for dear life to the metal bar of his hospital bed, then looked up at me and smiled, saying, "Welcome to Thailand!" He was a living miracle. Cardiologists do not know how a man who uses 20% of his heart capacity could possibly do what he was doing. He was running several houses for those with HIV, under the umbrella of an NGO called, "Alden House," named after Fr Thorelson Alden, who had worked with Br Rick in the early days.

Br Rick first went to Thailand to work at the Rebirth Centers, drug rehabilitation centers, one for men and one for women. During his stay in Bangkok to learn the Thail language, he was deeply moved by the suffering that he saw there by those trapped in drug addiction, the sex industry, and the squalor of the slums, where he had rented a room to at least to have a presence amdong the suffering. "What can I do? I don't speak the language and have no money?" he asked the SOLT founder, Fr Jim Flanagan. Fr Jim told him, "Take care of the people. The only thing I can tell you right now is to pray to Our Lady and ask for guidance." That is just what he did. Br Rick recalled,

"In the early days, the only thing I could do was just to be with people as they were dying. This was one of the greatest gifts God ever gave me, to encounter Jesus Christ in his sufferings. I recognized him in their emaciated bodies, suffering and slowly being destroyed. The only thing I had was the only thing I could offer them, Jesus. I must have baptized thousands of people as they laid dying. Then I saw in them the Lord's Resurrection. It seemed like you could almost see the light of heaven on their face as they died."

Br Rick worked with those dying of HIV and other illnesses for the past twenty years, rescued children from prostitution, and helped those in the midst of suffering find the consolation that Christ offers. Please pray for the different centers of Alden House. They are all half underwater due to the flooding in Thailand. Recently he travelled to Bangkok by boat for two hours after being picked up on the second story staircase of one of the centers.

As part of an effort to bring all missionaries working alone to apostolic houses, Br Rick will be leaving Thailand to live in community life, but not before he is able to successfully hand on the apostolate to the Thai workers who have accompanied him for the past decade. May Jesus and Mary continue to guide Br Rick in the work of bringing consolation to the afflicted.

-Fr Sam Medley, SOLT Webmaster

Sr Mary of the Trinity Shares her Conversion Story on EWTN

2011-11-23T03:18:00.000-06:00

Jesus’ Love Heals In Pain And Suffering, Says Bishop

2011-11-19T06:37:00.000-06:00

This article was taken from the Catholic Key of the Kansas City, Kansas, diocese:

Bishop Robert W. Finn receives the blessing of Father James Flanagan, founder of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, during the annual Mass for Healing and Forgiveness Nov. 11 at St. Louis Parish in Kansas City. (Kevin Kelly/Key photo)

By Kevin Kelly
Catholic Key Associate Editor

KANSAS CITY — Physical pain, humiliation, sorrow, abandonment.

Absolutely everything that suffering human beings feel, Jesus also felt, Bishop Robert W. Finn told more than 100 people who came to a special, annual Mass for Healing and Reconciliation Nov. 11 at St. Louis Parish.

And just before he died, the bishop said, Jesus forgave.

“Then the healing of his grace, the beauty of his saving love, began to live and grow, and take over the life of the world,” Bishop Finn said.

This Mass marked the sixth year that the special Mass had been celebrated, but this time there were special intentions and a very special guest.

Concelebrating with Bishop Finn and St. Louis pastor Father Carlos Saligumba was Father James Flanagan, founder of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, that in its 53-year history has sent teams of priests, including Father Saligumba, religious and lay into service for the church.

The Mass of Healing and Forgiveness was begun by Jim and Karol Dougherty, four years after Kansas City police shot and killed their 26-year-old son, Aaron, in their home.

But rather than lose themselves in anger and hatred, the Doughertys worked with police to increase training and awareness of police crisis intervention involving the mentally ill.

This year, the Mass was offered for the employees of the Catholic Chancery who have been caught in the crossfire of criminal child pornography charges against a priest that led to a Jackson Country grand jury indictment against Bishop Finn himself on misdemeanor charges that he failed to report the priest to authorities.

But Bishop Finn said he turned to Jesus as he weathered months of public scorn and calls for his resignation.

More specifically, he said he contemplated and prayed upon the wounds that Jesus suffered, and how Jesus told his disciples that they, too, must take up their own cross if they are to follow him.

“Our Lord Jesus Christ begins to save us by helping us see in his sufferings a mirror of ourselves and our sufferings,” Bishop Finn said.

“There will be days when we say, ‘My heart is broken,’” he said.

“Look at the heart of Jesus that was pierced. Look at the blood and water flowing from that heart that has washed us,” he said.

“We look upon his head that was spat upon, beaten with rods and crowned with thorns,” Bishop Finn said. “If we feel we’ve been beaten, then we look to the face of Jesus, which is still beautiful in its humanity and divinity.”

As he did with the disciple Thomas, who needed to see the wounds of Jesus before he would believe, so too Jesus extends those wounds to all, Bishop Finn said.

“In the Risen Jesus, they are marks of glory. They are the signs of his love for us. They are the price he paid for you and me,” the bishop said.

“He doesn’t cover them. He extends them to us,” Bishop Finn said. “So desirous is he that we would be free from sin and death that he gave his heart, his hands and feet, his head, his entire will so that we would have a model, a source of strength and a promise of hope and resurrection.”

When believers unite their suffering with the suffering of Christ, “powerful and wonderful things can happen,” Bishop Finn said.

“The sufferings that could cripple us became powerful instruments when we give them to the Lord and say, ‘I want my suffering to be an instrument of love and peace. As imperfect as I am, as weak and helpless, I want my suffering to be a source of beauty for all the world,’” he said.

By uniting our human suffering with the human suffering of Christ, “we have a means to participate in the life of Jesus,” he said.

“When we give ourselves to Christ, what amazing things he can do with us,” Bishop Finn said.

But two things are still required before the healing power of God’s grace can begin — sorrow for the sins we have committed, and forgiveness of those who have sinned against us, Bishop Finn said.

“I am sorry, Lord, for having sinned,” he said. “I am sorry for hurting others. I am sorry for my selfishness, for my greediness that cause me not to reverence others over myself.

“As a deacon, priest and bishop, I am sorry, and I must feel it in my heart for the sins of deacons, priests and bishops,” Bishop Finn said.

“Lord, I forgive those who hurt me. Those are very difficult words to say,” he said.

“I forgive those who made fun of me, those who have neglected me.

“Now I ask, Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy.”

Seminarians Update from Detroit

2011-11-15T09:33:00.001-06:00

Greetings from your SOLT brothers in Detroit! During the third week of August of this year, all SOLT seminarians in both philosophy and theology began to arrive at Most Holy Redeemer Parish so as to begin their academic year at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. Our current parish at Most Holy Redeemer is in Mexicantown in the southwest section of Detroit. We have five SOLT priests in residence here: Fr. Dennis Walsh, Pastor of Most Holy Redeemer; Fr. Richard Klepac, Associate Rector; Fr. Brady Williams, Rector of the SOLT House of Formation; Fr. Peter Marsalek, Vice Rector; and Fr. Eduardo Montemayor. Fr. Eduardo is completing his STL degree in The New Evangelization. We reside here at Most Holy Redeemer in a very large rectory of more than twenty rooms. We SOLT members have been warmly welcomed by the Most Holy Redeemer Parish community as well as by the the priests, professors, staff amd seminarians of Sacred Heart Major Seminary. We are looking forward to a very busy, faith-filled and successful year of academics and ministry. Thank you for all of your prayers.

In Jesus and Mary,
Br John Mariano, SOLT

A Year of Faith

2011-11-03T14:40:00.000-05:00

"Many are lost today. To lead them you will need to take a compass reading. Since Blessed Pope John Paul the Great said of the Second Vatican Council,

'a sure compass by which to take our bearings'

"you will need to read your compass. READ THE DOCUMENTS!! I find that many people in parishes and those whom we serve have never read the Vatican II documents and therefore they don't know where the Church is right now, and they sure don't know where we are going."

These were the words of SOLT Founder, Fr James Flanagan, when commenting on the Second Vatican Council. He said that priests ought to interiorize the documents and know them backwards and forwards.

Rereading the documents of Vatican II will surely be an initiative within the Year of Faith that our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI has declared will open next year. In his Apostolic Letter and motu proprio, "Porta Fidei," by which he decreed the year, he said that it will start on October 11th of 2012, the fiftieth anniversary of the Second Vatican Council and the twentieth anniversary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the catechism of that council.

However, there still remains some confusion about the implementation of the Council, perhaps because the authentic intentions of the council fathers were not followed in favor of "the spirit of Vatican II," which meant that some could get away with all sorts of aberrations of faith, morals, ecclesiastical practice and to be frank, quite a bit of disorder. This has left many of the faithful, who often simply want the full truth of the doctrine of Christ, with a sour taste in their mouth at the very mention of Vatican II.

For this reason, Fr Flanagan spoke about a principle that is very close to the heart of Pope Benedict XVI, "the hermeneutic of continuity." He said, "Make sure you read the Council of Trent documents at the same time you read the Vatican II documents," and "read the Catechism of the Second Vatican Council in one hand while holding in the other hand the Catechism of the Council of Trent."

This is also a principle of Blessed Pope John Paul II, who wrote as a Cardinal in his book, Sources of Renewal, that in the Council of our age one can find all the other previous councils compenetrated and vice versa. He said the principle of interpretation and implementation of Vatican II must be "the enrichment of faith" contrasted with "the crisis of faith as the documents of Vatican II themselves recognize."

If we follow this interpretive principle, the hermeneutic of continuity, we should not fear nor shrink from fully implementing the Council in its original initiatives, which seems to be the pastoral program of Pope Benedict, who is undertaking liturgically the reform of the reform.

In this year of faith, we ought to have a rereading of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Second Vatican Council Documents, and a great enthusiasm for knowing the holy and life-giving teachings of Jesus Christ, which are faithfully transmitted through the unity of Scripture, Tradition, and the Sacred Magisterium.

Reading List:
Apostolic Letter, Porta Fidei
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Vatican II Documents
Trent Council Documents
Catechism of the Council of Trent

Obtaining a Plenary Indulgence for the Souls of the Faithful Departed

2011-11-03T14:39:00.001-05:00

There is a special plenary indulgence that can be gained during the first nine days of November to be applied to a soul of the faithful departed:

A plenary indulgence, applicable only to the holy souls, may be gained once in any church either on All Souls' Day, on the preceding or following Sunday, or on the feast of All Saints, on the usual conditions, viz: a visit to a Church where the Our Father and Creed are recited, Sacramental Confession, Holy Communion and prayer for the Holy Father's intention. Those who visit a cemeterybetween 1st and 8th November and pray for the faithful departed, may obtain a plenary indulgence, applicable to the holy souls (and at other times a partial indulgence).

The conditions to obtain a plenary indulgence are the following:

1. The faithful must receive the sacrament of confession, either eight days before or after the act is performed.
2. Receive Holy Communion on that day.
3. Recite prayers for the intention of the Holy Father (In this case an Our Father and a Creed)
4. Absence of attachment to mortal or venial sin

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains about indulgences:

It is necessary to understand that sin has a double consequence. Grave sin deprives us of communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life, the privation of which is called the "eternal punishment" of sin. On the other hand every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the "temporal punishment" of sin. These two punishments must not be conceived of as a kind of vengeance inflicted by God from without, but as following from the very nature of sin. A conversion which proceeds from a fervent charity can attain the complete purification of the sinner in such a way that no punishment would remain.The forgiveness of sin and restoration of communion with God entail the remission of the eternal punishment of sin, but temporal punishment of sin remains. While patiently bearing sufferings and trials of all kinds and, when the day comes, serenely facing death, the Christian must strive to accept this temporal punishment of sin as a grace. He should strive by works of mercy and charity, as well as by prayer and the various practices of penance, to put off completely the "old man" and to put on the "new man." (1472, 1473)

SOLT spirituality is based on Marian Consecration, in which we consecrate to Jesus through Mary, all our spiritual benefits. Perhaps the most fruitful obtaining and application of our indulgences may done by giving these things to Our Blessed Mother. May her prayers and our cooperation help many of the faithful departed enter into the fullness of God's eternal glory.

The Greatest Commandment

2011-10-24T07:29:00.005-05:00

The following is taken from the blog of Fr Vladimir Echalas, SOLT, The Word for the World and is a homily for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time that he shared on Australian Catholic Radio:

The essence of the Covenant between God and Israel is expressed through the Ten Commandments. To ensure that the Israelites would follow them, the Pharisees multiplied them into 613 positive and negative laws. There were too many commandments to follow and because they were confusing they became a burden to bear for the people.

Jesus’ answer to the question “Which is the greatest commandment” is a quotation from two passages in the Old Testament:

1) Dt. 6:5 as the greatest commandment “You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, with your whole soul and with your whole mind.” It is called the “Shemah Israel or “Listen Israel”.

2) Lev. 19:18 as the second greatest commandment “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Although they were quotations from the Old Testament, Jesus introduced a new way of looking at them: First, the hinge or the meaning of any commandment is Love! Second, Jesus put the two commandments together as an inseparable unity. The two commandments are just like the two sides of one coin which is love.

Why do we have to love God? Because God is love and he has loved us first. God translates this divine love through our human experience of being loved. Under normal circumstances, all of us are the fruits of the overflowing love between our father and mother. From the moment of our conception till birth we have experienced this magnificent love most especially from our mothers. During our childhood and our growing years, we were the recipients of love from people around us like our families and friends.

I felt the tremendous love of God through the extraordinary love my family gave. Being the youngest, I felt I was the center of the family’s affection and that’s how I believe that I am the center of God’s affection. I felt so loved by God because my family love me very much. Now it is my turn to give this love back to the source who is God.

Why do we have to love others as our self? Simply because God loves them as he loves us. 1 Jn. 4:20 reminds us that if we say we love God but we hate our brother, we are liars! Because if we cannot love our brother whom we can see, then how can we love God whom we cannot see? In romantic love, we fall in love with the other person because we feel attracted to his/her goodness or good qualities. It is the magnet of love that draws us to the other person. In our love to our parents, siblings, friends and even to humanity, it is the goodness in us that overflows and seeks to be shared. This is called charity which is love in action. St. Paul reminds that there are three things that will last: faith, hope, charity and the greatest of these is charity (1 Cor 13:13). He also reminds us of the futility of things without love. “If can speak the tongues of angels, have all the prophetic knowledge, give all my possessions, but do not have love, I gain nothing…” (1Cor 1:1-3).

It is not enough to say “Dear God, I love you with all my heart” if we cannot say “I love you” to our parents, spouses, friends and others who are part of our lives. It is not also enough to be saying I love you to God nor to others if we cannot translate it as concrete charity through our good works to others. Don’t wait for tomorrow to do this, do it now because tomorrow may never come… GOD LOVES YOU!

7 Newly Professed SOLT Brothers in the Asia Pacific

2011-10-20T06:13:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures of seven recently professed Brothers of the Asia-Pacific Region of the 2010-2011 formation year.

Children Learn to Pray in the Month of the Rosary

2011-10-14T03:11:00.000-05:00

The following is from the October 2011 newsletter for Our Lady's Montessori School in Kansas City, KS, run by SOLT sisters and collaborators. Visit their website: http://www.ourladysmontessori.com

October is the month of the Holy Rosary! We will be making little finger rosaries, learning the Guardian Angel prayer and talking about St. Francis and his love for animals and nature. We will discuss Columbus coming to the Americas on Columbus Day.

Since it is cold/flu season, we will also be talking a lot about germs, washing our hands and other healthy habits to keep us from getting sick. We will be reminding each other to “Please, please catch that sneeze! Don’t let it get away!”

To help learn problem solving we will talk about Tucker Turtle. Whenever something happens to Tucker Turtle he doesn’t like, he:

1. Thinks “Stop”
2. Tucks inside his shell and takes 3 deep breaths
3. Thinks of an idea

This will help teach impulse control and give the children a helpful tool to remember to think about actions prior to reacting.
At the end of October, we will learn all about pumpkins and visit Faulker Pumpkin Farm!

View the full newsletter

The Corrected Translation of the Mass

2011-10-10T06:38:00.002-05:00

The Bishop of Leeds, Bishop Arthur Roche, who is the chairman of the International Commission for English in the Liturgy (ICEL) says this about the corrected translation of the Mass, that much of the English speaking world will begin in Advent:

“In the new translation we find a text that is more faithful to the Latin text and therefore a text which is richer in its theological content and allusions to the scriptures but also a translation which, I believe, will move people’s hearts and minds in prayer.”

In the SOLT parish of the Virgin Mother of Good Counsel, Hythe, Kent, England, a four part catechesis at Sunday Masses was conducted August 28th, September 4th, 11th, and 18th, as the dioceses of England and Wales had started using the corrected translation in September. Here are blog entries and audio homilies from the assistant priest of the parish, Fr Samuel Medley, SOLT. NB: They also include the Sunday Homily for the readings of that day.

PART I: INTRO - Sursam Corda
How the Corrected Translation will Help Elevate our Hearts

PART II: Et Cum Spiritu Tuo
A Prayer for the Sanctification of the Minister

PART III: Verbum Domini
Being Washed and Sanctified in the Word of God

PART IV: Pro Multis
Many Are Called but Few Are Chosen

Stadiums Full of Rosary Praying Pilgrims

2011-09-22T03:23:00.000-05:00

October 8, 2011, at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC, tens of thousands of pilgrims will gather to pray the Rosary for Peace.

Fr James Kelleher, SOLT, has on various occasions, filled stadiums around the USA with tens of thousands of people praying the Rosary while adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. This was the case in 2005 at the Dallas Cotton Bowl, in 2008 at the Kansas City at Royals Stadium (see video below), and will be the case on October 8th of this year at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C. In each case the Rosary is prayed for peace, and as a living sign of the communion of the universal Church it each hail mary bead is prayed by a person from a different country in their own native language and responded to in English.

In the Diocese of Arlington in preparation for the the October 8th event, the Eucharistic Family Rosary Crusade has distributed over 100,000 miraculous medals so far. The medal was originally called the Medal of the Immaculate Conception. However due to many answered prayers, conversions and cures, it eventually became known as the "Miraculous Medal." When you wear it, the Virgin Mary prays for you and with you to Jesus!

If you and your family would like to become pilgrims next month, to pray to our Blessed Mother for peace, please visit the website of the Eucharistic Family Rosary and sign the pledge! You can also stay up to date with the latest news by liking them on Facebook or following them on Twitter.

Here is a sample of the Eucharistic Family Rosary Crusade in Kansas City

More Pictures from Migrant Ministry

2011-09-22T01:17:00.000-05:00

Ministry to Migrants

2011-09-19T13:10:00.000-05:00

Some of the migrant team with the children of the traveling families

A mission that is very dear to the heart of Our Lady began through her Society in the year 1963. At that time, The Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity began serving the migrant workers in the Central States (Region) of the United States ; especially in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Nebraska and Wyoming . The migrant workers labor in the fields harvesting, hoeing and planting the crops from sunrise to sunset. The priests of Our Lady’s Ecclesial Teams serving in this mission to migrant workers celebrate Holy Mass each day. The other members of the Ecclesial Team prepare the migrants for the Sacraments of Baptism, Penance, First Holy Communion and Confirmation; visiting with and counseling the families while priests validate and bless the marriages. The whole Ecclesial Team serves in the numerous corporal Works of Mercy as well as in areas of socio-cultural needs and development. The mission formally begins each year in May and concludes at the end of the Migrant season of labor in October. The members of the Ecclesial Team of Our Lady’s Society return at this point with the Migrant workers to the south of Texas where the apostolic work continues in service to the needs of these poor and marginalized families.

Baptism, First Confession and First Holy Communion, and Confirmation
are often prepared and celebrated by the traveling migrant team

Sister Agnes is teaching the children how to pray

Sr Mary Elisabeth: How I Felt Making Perpetual Vows

2011-08-24T15:25:00.000-05:00

On July 16th, 2011, Sr Mary Elisabeth of the Coronation did something that changed her life forever. She made public perpetual vows in SOLT of chastity, poverty, and obedience. The following is her answer to the question, "What did it feel like?"

Ask someone what the happiest moment of his life was, and you'll probably hear about a wedding day or the birth of a child. Why? People are happiest when they're in love. And that's what being a religious sister is really all about. What other bride wears her veil every day for the rest of her life? The veil is a symbol of our eternal espousal and a sign to the world that we belong to God alone. Only He is invited to enter the mystery of our inmost selves. Likewise, He invites us into the depths of His heart, to know Him, to love Him and to serve Him in a profound intimacy that begins here and now but that will continue increasing forever in our eternal union with Him.

What do sisters do?

"What counts most is not what religious do, but what they are as persons consecrated to the Lord", said Blessed John Paul II*. Often people associate sisters with the good works they perform, yet our identity comes, not from the types of work we do but from our relationship with God. Our vows do not come from ourselves alone; they are not made merely out of a desire to accomplish a certain good work in the world. They are a response to God's invitation to live a life of love with Him. When you love a person, you are attentive to the desires of his heart. "What would He like? What more can I do for Him?" From the answer to these questions arise the types of work that sisters do in the world.

Lay Volunteering - New Coordinator

2011-08-20T15:34:00.000-05:00

If you are looking to do something more than just the ordinary witness of your Catholic faith, you want to be part of a community centered on the Sacraments & Faith, and you want to serve those in need - you might be called to volunteer for a time at a mission.

Lay Volunteers at St Ann's Mission in North Dakota

In SOLT, there are many ways to do this:

The following is a short list of some (not all) of the missions in which the Lay Faithful can serve as Lay Apostles:

Mission with Native Americans in Belcourt, North Dakota
The needs are many
Our Lady's Montessori School, Kansas City, Kansas
Needs trained Montessori teachers and assistants
Benque Viejo, Belize
Needs are many, especially high school teachers and health clinic workers (Spanish not necessary)
Nuevo Laredo, Mexico
Two parishes with five churches and a medical clinic, door-to-door visits, must speak Spanish. There is also University and Jail apostolates.
Colon, Mexico
Abused, abandoned, neglected or orphaned children; primary & secondary school; elderly assistance

We would also like to present to you our new coordinator for lay volunteering in our community:

Lay Volunteer Coordinator
Susan Zook
PO Box 152
Robstown, TX 78380
soltvolunteers@gmail.com

Pray for Priests - Become a Missionary of Mercy

2011-08-19T09:12:00.002-05:00

Missionaries of Mercy

See web page

We want to do something to make the world better and to make the Church holier. Yet at times it easy to feel helpless in the face of it all. What can I do? What possible effect can I have on things?

The greatest work that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished was offering in love his sufferings to the Father for our redemption. Likewise, those who suffer, and we all have sufferings, can greatly help the work of redemption in the Church by offering their sufferings in union with the Eucharistic Sacrifice on behalf of priests and seminarians.

The Missionaries of Mercy are those persons who are called to be in spiritual union through their intercessory prayer with the seminarian and priest members of Our Lady’s Society. They are persons who come from any age and any vocational background who have and are suffering. The Word of God speaks to the Missionaries of Mercy in the prophesies of Isaiah. Sensing this membership as a call from God, the Missionaries of Mercy link each of their own particular sufferings with that of Jesus Christ, whom our Heavenly Father has asked to suffer for our salvation.

If you would like to become a Missionary of Mercy please contact:

Missionaries of Mercy Coordinator
Susan Zook
PO Box 152
Robstown, TX 78380
soltvolunteers@gmail.com

Update from World Youth Day Pilgrims

2011-08-18T09:23:00.002-05:00

Here is another update from Our Lady's Pilgrims

We walked over 100 km to get here but we finally made it to Compostela.

Seeing a small circle of light on the ground ahead when all around is darkness, beaming just enough to allow you to take the next step without falling (not necessarily without tripping)! The Camino of the soul reflected through a physical and tangible experience. What a treasure of reflection here! Our motto became "just one more mile" and in that we found our JOY, reflected in those around us... What a grace to be able to pray near one who walked with Jesus Himself. Santiago is beautiful and all of you, family and friends, remain in our hearts everyday. Love, Katie

In Coria (hopefully my future home), we were able to see a glimpse of the table cloth that is said to have been used, along with the shroud of Turin, at the last supper. Here in Compostella, we had the privilege to celebrate Mass at the tomb of St. James who as we all know was at the Last Supper. This reminds me that it is at the "table" that we come together and reflect, talk, and communion with our families. We have been together for most of our meals and have come together as family- God's family realizing that we are all part of the mystical body of Christ!

Blog from Rachel or in Latin, Rachelem! Santiago de Compostella is amazing. We have finished the second part of our pilgrimage: part A was Fatima and such, part B was the sacrificing Camino, part C will be World Youth Day! As Father Scott said, we are going quickly from solitude to solidarity . :) Miracles and miracles keep happening for us. Every church Father says Mass in; every alberque we stay in; people are at the right place at the right time for us. (It did involve running through Spanish streets a few times....). The Camino really was beautiful. I told Ada that we would hate whoever planned it, IF we had no purpose, which luckily we did. :). And Masses both in the Cova da Ira AND on the altar in the crypt of St. James' tomb??? It is the blessing of a lifetime, this trip. Intentions for you all are in our hearts, at everywhere we go; a special prayer today was for my son-of-thunder bro James. :). We are all very happy but sometimes it takes a while after 4:30 wakeup calls for a week. :). Oh and it was a sight to behold when we first saw the Cathedral of St. James. I think our smiles permanently stretched our faces :). Our community morning Rosary and silence (for two hours:)), and night Liturgy Prep are very beautiful. Last night we had a very intense discussion about whether or not God has favorites. We concluded that it was not true that He has favorites, only that He does have very seeable patterns of Divine Election. Besides, as in the cases of the Israelites and our Lady, they were chosen especially, for US to have the ultimate benefits. So that was cool... And also, today, Dorothy figured out that us Americans have the Faith because of St. James. St. James, to the Spanish missionaries; Spanish missionaries, to the Americas. Cool, right? It's also really cool here because I am understanding more and more Spanish in passing conversation. The people here have a very graceful little lisp for various s, z, and c sounds. Okay, I had better stop :). Love and tons of prayers to you all! Did you know that here, goodbye is...

Ciao

Dialogue of Faith with Science with Michael Rizzio

2011-08-18T09:05:00.000-05:00

Mike Rizzio, a SOLT layman who has an interest in the dialogue between science and our Catholic, Eucharistic faith, has posted on his blog this statement of Albert Einstein about catholicism during the Nazi regime:

"Being a lover of freedom, when the Nazi revolution came in Germany, I looked to the universities to defend it, knowing that they had always boasted of their devotion to the cause of truth; but, no, the universities immediately were silenced. Then I looked to the great editors of newspapers, whose flaming editorials in days gone by had proclaimed their love of freedom: but they, like the universities, were silenced in a few short weeks. Only the Catholic Church stood squarely across the path of Hitler's campaign for suppressing the truth. I never had any special interest in the Church before, but now I feel a great affection and admiration because the Church alone has had the courage and persistence to stand for intellectual truth and moral freedom. I am forced thus to confess that what I once despised, I now praise unreservedly."

–Albert Einstein, quoted in Time Magazine December 23, 1940

Mike blogs frequently about the scientific approach to light and the Light of Faith.

Summary of Assembly Posts

2011-08-15T07:20:00.000-05:00

Our Lady's Pilgrims Trekking to Meet the Holy Father

2011-08-11T16:48:00.000-05:00

Our Lady's Pilgrims in Coria, Spain
with Bishop Cerro Chaves of that city

A group of young SOLT pilgrims from Texas, who have set up a blog to chart their journeys called Our Lady's Pilgrims, have set out to trek across Portugal and Spain to meet the Holy Father at World Youth Day.

They landed in Lisbon, Portugal on August 5th, quickly made their way to Santarem and Fatima where they had mass at the Cova da Iria chapel of the apparition, and participated in the candlelight procession in the evening. They made their way to the SOLT mission in Calzadilla, Spain, hosted by Fr Vincent Albano, SOLT. They set out for Tui, Spain, where they would begin the hike to Santiago de Compostela. This route is part of an ancient pilgrim path called "the Camino Portugúes" which has been trod even by the likes of St Elizabeth of Portugal in the 14th century.

Included in the group is Fr Scott Giuliani, SOLT, Sr Maria Angelina Soto, SOLT, Sr Maria Veronica Xiquen, SOLT, and eight rugged youth that are affiliated with SOLT, and of course, a mom to make sure everyone drinks enough water. Please continue to pray for these pilgrims and accompany them via internet as they make their way to see the Holy Father for World Youth Day.

New General Procurator

2011-07-25T07:05:00.000-05:00

Fr Dale Craig, SOLT, has been appointed as the General Procurator. He has served for the past five years as the General Lay Servant and therefore has a good knowledge of the inner workings of SOLT administration.

He will have the task of helping SOLT to live their Constitutions with regard to the acquiring and administration of goods, the fiduciary care of members, of raising funds for the missions, and of balancing the books.

Congratulations Fr Dale. Our prayers go with you.

Novitiate House Moving to Our Lady of Corpus Christi

2011-07-21T16:50:00.001-05:00

Retablo at the Perpetual Adoration Chapel of
Our Lady of Corpus Christi Retreat Center

The SOLT priest and brother novitiate house of the American Region is moving to Our Lady of Corpus Christi. Here you can find a retreat center where sacred silence is the natural outgrowth of the beautiful perpetual adoration chapel that marks the campus. The novices will undergo a year of prayer and ascesis, formation in the SOLT charism that engenders human and spiritual growth, accompanied by manual labor and a strong community life.

If you or someone you know may be interested in the vocation to priesthood or religious life, contact our vocation director.

If you are interested in an Ignatian silent retreat, or booking a retreat for your parish, school, or youth group, contact them here.

SOLT Seminarians Headed for Detroit

2011-07-21T16:34:00.003-05:00

SOLT Sems in Rome this past Christmas

SOLT has decided to send their men in priestly formation to a seminary in the United States. The main reason is to increase their pastoral zeal in the gift that American formation has to offer. For the past 11 years, SOLT has sent its American Region Seminarians to Rome to the Angelicum.

After looking into a few possibilities, SOLT will send their men in priestly formation for both philosophical studies and sacred theology to Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Michigan. They will live in a religious house of studies at a local parish and commute to the seminary. Undoubtedly, SOLT will continue to send particular priests to Rome for further studies, but the seminarians will go to Detroit.

One of the attractions certainly was the emphasis given to the new evangelization in the curriculum, and the attention given to faithfully proclaim the teachings of Jesus Christ promulgated by the Sacred Magisterium to today's audience. Another reason was the generous hospitality afforded by His Excellency, Archbishop Allen Vigneron, for which the SOLT community is very grateful.

The house of studies will be staffed by SOLT formators:

-Fr Brady Williams, SOLT, who is the current rector of the SOLT seminary, has a liscentiate in sacred liturgy from the Anselmiano in Rome.

-Fr Peter Marsalek, SOLT, who has a doctorate in dogmatic theology from the Angelicum in Rome and has worked as the president of John Paul II and Bishop Gariga Middle School, and as the diocesan director of religious education and catechesis for the diocese of Corpus Christi, Texas.

New General Secretary

2011-07-20T15:41:00.001-05:00

Fr Jerry Drolshagen, SOLT, has been appointed the new Secretary to the General Priest Council. Fr Jerry has a doctorate in canon law from the Angelicum, the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquainas, in Rome. Besides serving at a local parish on the outskirts of Rome, he has served in the formation of our SOLT seminarians.

We are grateful for the service of Fr Derek Anderson, SOLT, for his past eight years of service in this position.

Congratulations and our prayers go with you!

Fr Rogel Rosalinas, SOLT General Priest Servant Receives Blessing from Founder

2011-07-18T13:02:00.000-05:00

General Assembly is a Time for Kids to Learn Discipleship even through Play

2011-07-18T12:59:00.000-05:00

The SOLT lay formation for kids teaches that as soon as a person is baptized they are called to sanctity. We take this very seriously and teach children even as young as 4 years old about the mysteries of our faith, the Holy Eucharist, the Mass, the Blessed Mother, the Rosary, Patron Saints, how to pray, practicing virtue, and bring them at least twice a month into the presence of the Blessed Sacrament for a children's holy hour. Be a holy child in the Child Jesus with Mary our Mother.

Here at the Assembly some consecrated men and women are teaching the children through games how to practice virtue and grow in teamwork.

SOLT Servant-Leaders Offering their Lives and Offices to Jesus Through Mary

2011-07-17T03:57:00.000-05:00

General Councils of Priests, Sisters, and Laity, offering
their lives and offices to Jesus through Mary

It is not easy to lead in the Church today. It is necessary to ask God for special help, wisdom, grace, and an insight into how to serve the people of our time, that the holiness of God may be manifested in the Church in a new way, yet in keeping with the timeless tradition of our faith. For this reason, our SOLT superiors found themselves before Our Lady the our 53rd anniversary of our founding to pray for the necessary graces to lead our community with wisdom, courage, and generous discipleship to bring forth a harvest of holiness, love, and truth.

Our prayers go with you. May you lead the SOLT community into the green pastures of sanctity, communion, and peace.

Perpetual Profession of Four SOLT Sisters

2011-07-16T18:01:00.027-05:00

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Here are the pictures from the perpetual profession of four SOLT Sisters:

Perpetually Professed SOLT Sisters R-L: Sr Mediatrix of All
Grace Patterson, SOLT, Sr Maria Giovanni Paolo dell'
Eucaristia Orsini, SOLT, Sr Mary Aloyisius of Jesus Kim, SOLT,
Sr Mary Elisabeth of the Coronation Marks, SOLT

Prostrate before the Lamb of God

Signing the Consecration of Perpetual Vows

Offering their lives to Our Lady

The sign of peace to the newly perpetually professed

Sisters are a sign of the Perpetual Merciful Love of God

Happy Foundation Day Society of Our Lady!

2011-07-16T05:00:00.001-05:00

Today is the 53rd anniversary of the foundation of SOLT. The Society of Our Lady was founded in 1958 in the Parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, located in the Sangre de Christo Mountains. This parish was under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Our Lady’s Society quickly spread throughout the United States, having received the status of a Pious Society on July 16, 1958, the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.

Fr Tony Blount - Helping to Make the Church a Hymn of Praise to the Most Holy Trinity

2011-07-16T03:33:00.007-05:00

Fr Anthony Blount, SOLT, was newly elected to the General Priest Council. Aside from being a great preacher and joyful disciple of Our Lady and Our Lord, he is also a great flutist. In the Jubilee Year of 2000 he made an album with the school children of Our Lady of Mt Carmel, of which he was at the time the parish priest. It was called "Fr Tony and the SOLT Shakers." Below is Fr Tony playing the flute outside at a parish festival with one of the Cardinals of the Church enjoying the music and atmosphere. Here is a sample from the album:

Lord I lift Your Name on High (Lyrics)

If you have trouble listening click here.

Even the Cardinals of the Church enjoy his flute playing

Here is another song entitled, "Madre," about Our Lady. I believe the picture below is Fr Tony playing the song with the Ecclesial Team of priests, sisters, lay volunteers, and parish staff.

Madre (Lyrics)

If you have trouble listening click here.

Thanksgiving Day, Jubilee Year 2000

View priests councils.

Consecrated Widows for the Church - Imitating Mary in her Widowhood

2011-07-16T03:33:00.005-05:00

Just as the Immaculate Virgin Mary, interceded for the apostles as they preached the Gospel to all nations, and sacrificed her very life to become a living prayer of reparation, blessing, and fruitfulness for the whole Church, so these women, these widows, offer their lives consecrated to the saving Mission of Jesus Christ.

Learn more about consecrated widows.

Helping a Child of God Fall Asleep in Christ to Rise with him in Glory by Fr Dennis Mary Dugan, SOLT

2011-07-16T03:33:00.000-05:00

The following was taken from the reflections of Fr Dennis Mary Dugan, SOLT, associate pastor of Divine Mercy Parish, Belize City, Central America.

This is why we become priests …

As I knelt beside the bed of a thirty year old dying woman, I began to read the baptismal prayers. The gravity of what God was doing here was apparent to all present. The loving God in His generosity was giving her the gifts of His Church, including the most supreme gift of Himself, the Eucharist. God was present to her in her sufferings; He loved her dearly. He was comforting her as she listened attentively to the prayers. This is why we become priests … to share the love and generosity of God to those in most need. Her cancer was discovered only a few months ago, now she received notice that it had spread and was in an advanced stage. She stated that she wanted to get right with God before her death, so she summoned a priest. Her Mother was seated at the end of her bed, her soon-to-be Godmother knelt beside me, while her father and boyfriend of ten years drew close to witness her Baptism. She encountered Jesus in the four Sacraments that she received - Baptism, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, and the Eucharist.

She was made who God called her to be … a child of God, an heir to God's Kingdom, a new creation in Christ. She was welcomed into the family of God, in communion with all Christians. The original sin was cleansed from her soul, all her actual sins were forgiven her and all punishment due to these sins were removed. Through His sanctifying grace she became a participant in the divine life of the Trinity. In obedience to His heavenly Father, Jesus was lead by the Holy Spirit, through His suffering and death to His glorious resurrection. She, too, was being lead through suffering and death to her glory in God. She heard that her life was lived in union with Jesus. The Lord had lived, suffered, died and rose and so shall she. She was entrusted to follow Him and His life. To live in Jesus, is her life. Though weakened by her illness, she was now strengthened by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and empowered with His supernatural gifts and virtues. She was made ready to be received by God, if He took her to Himself. Through His real, true and substantial Presence she became the temple of the God. He indeed lived in her and she truly lived in Him. In her sickness she was ever conformed into the likeness of the suffering Jesus. Now she was animated by the God who did not abandon her on her cross. He desired to unite Himself to her in her suffering. And with His strength and grace, through her cross God was leading her to her salvation.

The Lord in His goodness had one more gift for her. She was told that we Catholics believe that the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Our Savior Jesus - was given to all as our spiritual mother, by Jesus on His cross. Jesus gave to His Mother the parting gift of His faithful disciple John, "Woman, behold your son." And Jesus gave to John His dear Mother in the words, "Behold your Mother." In this last gift of God, Jesus gave to all mankind Mary as our spiritual Mother. Mary desires to have a relationship with all her children and to help them in their needs. This newest Catholic was given a homemade string rosary, with a Miraculous Medal on it blessed by our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. She listened how the Rosary is a prayer from the Gospels, and that we pray it in union with Our Mother Mary. While we meditate on the mysteries of Christ life, contemplating His face, Mary's help us to know and love God more. May we, her spiritual children, be worthy of so noble a Mother. She kissed the cross and the image of Mary on the Miraculous Medal and the Rosary was put around her neck. She expressed gratitude for all that she received and we praised the Lord together for His generosity. We parted ways with smiles and tears. I told her I would soon return for a visit, and she told me to come again anytime. God is great ! Now and forever !

Pictures from Four SOLT Sisters' First Profession

2011-07-15T14:46:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures from the First Profession of Four New SOLT Sisters:

Receiving the Profession Cross

Profession First Vows of Chastity, Poverty, and Obedience

Congratulations Sisters!

Singing to Our Lady after Profession

Sr Maria Hostia and her family

Hymn to Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity

2011-07-15T06:17:00.002-05:00

At a SOLT Assembly, you are bound to hear sung at different times the hymn to Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity. The words of the is hymn were written by SOLT Founder, Fr James Flanagan. The actual melody was written by Fr Rogel Rosalinas, SOLT, the current General Priest Servant.

Here is a recording from the 2006 General Chapter:

You can download the musical score here.

You can listen a most beautiful rendition, recorded by some young choral singers from Boston here.

What are the types of Lay Membership in SOLT?

2011-07-15T01:46:00.000-05:00

New Lay Members Making Public Commitment in SOLT

Membership

s Catholics, we are all called to be missionaries. While some are called to undertake apostolic works in foreign mission fields, others are called to become missionaries by praying for those whom God has sent "to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit..." Lay membership levels in Our Lady's Society reflect these individual differences in callings, age, and family circumstances. The Society offers different types of membership ranging from Definitive Members who leave home to serve on SOLT Ecclesial Teams to Missionaries of Mercy who remain at home and offer their sufferings and prayers for the mission of Our Lady’s Society. Specific Membership Types include:

MISSIONARIES OF MERCY are those persons who expressly offer their sufferings and prayers for the mission of Our Lady’s Society and particularly the Priests who are both Priest and victim.

VOLUNTEERS are those persons who answer the call of God to gift themselves voluntarily and freely to serve for a period of time. While they only associate themselves with a particular mission for a period of time, they enjoy the family relationship and friendship that our community offers. To volunteer at a SOLT mission visit this page.

ASSOCIATE are those

who offer prayer for the works of Our Lady’s Society;
who are helping the missions of Our Lady’s Society financially and on a limited voluntary basis;
who support the work of Our Lady’s Society;
who receive spiritual nourishment from Our Lady’s Society.

COMMITTED MEMBERS are those:

who have undergone formation programs prescribed for this form of membership;
who have consecrated themselves to Our Lady and contracted themselves for one year to Our Lady’s Society (renewable for another one year);
who, by the contract, promise to live, abide and uphold the Statutes of the Public Clerical Association of the Faithful and its ideals;
who have the right to attend deliberations on Society matters and vote on decisions of the Association;
who give their lives, according to their state, to the mission of Our Lady’s Society;
who seek to gift themselves to the Spiritual, community and apostolic life of Our Lady’s Society while embracing Family Ecclesial Teams.
who gift themselves financially according to ability.

CORPORATE MEMBERS are those:

who have undergone formation prescribed for this form of membership;
who expressly contribute part of their time, effort and capabilities for the work of Our Lady’s Society;
who, in their community and work place, live the mission, charism and spirituality of Our Lady’s Society;
who attend the Society’s functions as possible
who join deliberations about Society works through designated representatives.

DEFINITIVE MEMBERS are those:

who have undergone formation programs prescribed for this form of membership;
who have consecrated themselves to Our Lady and contracted themselves for three years to Our Lady’s Society (renewable for another three years / and some for life upon discernment);
who, by the contract, promise to live, abide and uphold the Statutes of the Public Clerical Association of the Faithful and its ideals;
who have the right to attend deliberations on Society matters and vote on decisions of the Association;
who give their lives, according to their state, to the mission of Our Lady’s Society;
who seek to gift themselves to the Spiritual, community and apostolic life of Our Lady’s Society while embracing Family Ecclesial Teams;
who gift themselves financially according to ability.

Four New Sisters for the Church - SOLT Sisters Make their First Profession

2011-07-15T01:21:00.000-05:00

On July 14, 2011, four women made temporary vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience as SOLT Sisters. The words of their first profession are:

"God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit through Your love shared in the mystery of the Trinity and for Your honor and glory, and in honor of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, I do vow to You in the presence of the Sister Servant, Chastity, Poverty, and Obedience for one year according to the Constitutions of the Sisters of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity."

Here are a few pictures:

All the Sisters give the newly professed the sign of peace

Four Newly Professed Receive Fr Flanagan's Blessing

SOLT's Charism Explained in Light of the Trinitarian Communion Protected by Canon Law

2011-07-14T16:40:00.000-05:00

This is a reprinting of an article in the publication of the BAHANDI, the official publication of the SOLT seminarians of the Asia-Pacific Region by Fr Samuel Medley, SOLT.

The Image of the Most Holy Trinity

God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are a communion of relationships, or a communio personarum (Communion of Persons), in which the three divine Persons eternally gift themselves to one another in love. When the triune Creator allowed his perfection to overflow out of himself in establishing the universe, he imprinted and endowed it with his own image, by which all things live in a communio vitae, caritatis, et veritatis (communion of live, charity, and truth). God’s relationships in himself and this vestigia Trinitatis (trace of the Trinity) that is found in all creation is the divine law, in which all other law finds its legitimacy. Once a person begins to know the master pattern of the Trinity, he will not be able to cease finding the semblance and image of God woven in the fabric of all being; it is full of generic communions with specific individuated beings, i.e. genus and species. The most prominent image of the Trinity is man himself, who was created to live in a communion of persons—a family—and perhaps the most sublime family is the Church, the family of God and imago Trinitatis (Image of the Trinity), which “shines forth as ‘a people made one in the unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit’” (Lumen Gentium 9).

Canon law has practical usefulness when it comes to living the relationships of the Church. Its letter and spirit shines as a light to illumine these relationships, a blueprint that reveals their constitution and structure, a compass to guide us in living them well, a defense against the enemy of God who frequently attacks them, but most of all, it serves to bring the People of God to be “one unceasing hymn of praise to the Most Holy Trinity.” When read in this light, canon law says to the Church, “Family of God, Become what you are!” (Familiaris Consortio 17).

One Divine Calling, Three States of Life

“By virtue of their rebirth in Christ, all the faithful share a common dignity; all are called to holiness; all cooperate in the building up of the one Body of Christ, each in accordance with the proper vocation and gift which he or she has received from the Spirit (Rom 12:3-8)” (Lumen Gentium 32, CIC c.208). The Church, modeled after the Triune God, has three fundamental states of life that share one divine calling. The Most Holy Trinity is the key to understanding their unity and diversity, equality and complementarity, in what ways they are the same and what ways they are not. “Every Christian’s identity has its source in the Most Holy Trinity.” (Pastores Dabo Vobis 12) Just as in the Trinity there is only one divine essence, being, intellect, will, and act so in the Church there is only one people of God, one mission, one priesthood, one consecration, one family “called to exercise the mission which God has entrusted to the Church to fulfill in the world, in accord with the condition proper to each” (CIC), can. 204 § 1). Canon law speaks of three states of life that mirror the three divine Persons:

“By divine institution, there are among the Christian faithful in the Church sacred ministers who in law are also called clerics; the other members of the Christian faithful are called lay persons.

§2. There are members of the Christian faithful from both these groups who, through the profession of the evangelical counsels by means of vows or other sacred bonds recognized and sanctioned by the Church, are consecrated to God in their own special way and contribute to the salvific mission of the Church.” (CIC, canon 207 § 1-2).

If we examine each state of life according to cannon law, we can see that there is strikingly close resemblance between each state and a divine Person. If we understand each divine Personality, or how it relates to the other Persons, we will be given a very special insight into the nature of each state of life.

In Place of God the Father

The priesthood most resembles the Father, that is why we call them by that name. The priest, configured to Christ by the Sacrament of Holy Orders, “is seen by the assembly of the faithful as the one who presides in loco Dei Patris” (Pastores Gregis 7; St. Ignatius of Antioch) and from the most ancient of times has been seen in the Church as “in persona Dei Patris” (Pastores Gregis 34) Priests serve in the joyful generosity of God the Father giving Jesus in the Eucharist to the Church, which is at the heart of their paternal fruitfulness. Like the Father they have been entrusted with the sacred power to forgive sins. Yet it must always be remembered that, while they are fathers, they ever remain sons, for there is only one Father who has no Father, origin or principle; and only one therefore who is truly worthy of the name “Father” (Mt 23:9), by whom all other fathers receive their name (Eph 3:14-15). Humbled by this reality, a priest must never lord his fatherhood over the children of the Church, because he too is an evangelical child of God, and therefore ought not ever to fall prey to clericalism, or a domineering, self-serving spirit. Just as the Eternal Father would not exist without the Eternal Son, so the priest must remember that he exists for the children of the Church. His fatherhood can never leave the context of brotherhood, for he is also a son of God with the rest of the faithful. Here also lies the special value of the vocation to consecrated brotherhood, which reveals to all Christians the brotherhood of Christ.

Alter Christus – the Person of God the Son

Laity have the vocation that most closely resembles the divine Personality of God the Son, who is eternally begotten and proceeds from the Father. Priests are the usual celebrants in the very act by which the lay vocation is born, Baptism, by which they become sons in the Son. For the past few centuries, priests have been spoken of using the radical term of St. Augustine, “alter Christus,” other Christ, yet we ought not forget that he used this term originally to refer to all Christians, (In Iohannis evangelium tractatus, tr. 21, 8) who must work in the world as the fragrance, aroma, leaven, light, salt, savor, and presence of the Incarnate Son of God, bringing the temporal order to be patterned in Jesus Christ the Lord. God desires that this filiation not remain merely inchoate, abstract, or ephemeral, but be solidly grounded and incarnated in ecclesial filiation as well, one that is regulated by canon law. This sonship is lived out in filial love and obedience to the Church and her pastors that the faithful may become “holy as God is holy” (1 Pt 1:16) answering the call they have received in Baptism.

The Person-Love, The Holy Spirit

“I consecrated myself so that you may be consecrated.” Consecrated life, known as the status perfectionis, or state of perfection, has a particular concentration on the call to holiness. “By the profession of the evangelical counsels the characteristic features of Jesus — the chaste, poor and obedient one — are made constantly ‘visible’ in the midst of the world and the eyes of the faithful” (Vita Consecrata 1) Now a person does not become “consecrated” by means of a sacrament, and for this reason some have erroneously said that it is not a real state of life. They supposedly interpret the Council’s statement in that way, “From the point of view of the divine and hierarchical structure of the Church, the religious state of life is not an intermediate state between the clerical and lay state.” (LG 33) Yet canon law protects the unique personality of this vocation from being absorbed: “By its very nature, the state of consecrated life is neither clerical nor lay.” (c.588 §1) “The profession of the evangelical counsels indisputably belongs to the life and holiness of the Church. This means that the consecrated life, present in the Church from the beginning, can never fail to be one of her essential and characteristic elements.” (Vita Consecrata 29) Consecrated life is constituted in the Church as a sacramental. “Sacramentals are sacred signs by which effects, especially spiritual effects, are signified in some imitation of the sacraments and are obtained through the intercession of the Church” (CIC c.1166) Sacramentals are intended to dispose a person for the sacraments. Consecrated life is a special gift to dispose a person for the sacraments of Baptism or Holy Orders. We ought not try to understand this gift to the Church unless we look to the Most Holy Trinity. For, just as the Holy Spirit is only the Spirit of the Father and the Son, so consecrated life only exists of Baptism or Holy Orders, yet it is its own unique status vitae, incommunicable and distinct from the others, having its own unique personality in the Church. The uniqueness of this state of life can be seen in light then of the holiness of the Holy Spirit. The holiness of God is present in this state, for “the holiness of the Church is fostered in a special way by the observance of the counsels proposed in the Gospel by Our Lord to His disciples.” St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus knew very clearly the distinct personality of her consecration, “In the heart of my mother the Church, I shall be love.” The Holy Spirit is the Person-Love who is the uncreated Gift of the Father and the Son. A consecrated person is to live and act in the Church in persona Spiritus Sanctus, i.e. in persona amoris, in the person of Love. This love is not abstract, but something made visible. This is why consecrated persons make public vows or promises, why they live in a community, why they wear a habit, why they serve those most in need of seeing God, the poor, the anawim, those in greatest apostolic need. So that this form of life be stable and protected by the Church: “It is for the competent authority of the Church to interpret the evangelical counsels, to direct their practice by laws, and by canonical approbation to establish the stable forms of living deriving from them, and also, for its part, to take care that the institutes grow and flourish according to the spirit of the founders and sound traditions” (CIC c.576).

Attribution or Antonomasia

We must also see the way these vocations relate to one another and what reality they hold in common. For we can truly say that the entire Church are all priests, whether ministerial or baptismal; they are all faithful, all sons and daughters of God, all baptized into divine filiation; they are all religious, consecrated, totally gifting themselves to God, called to the perfection of charity, all are called to live the spirit of the evangelical counsels, yet God desires each state in life to embody the particular attribute of the Trinity in order to fully reveal the beauty and harmony that the complementarity and interplay of these elements brings when living in ordered movement. We must look here to St. Thomas Aquinas’ genius for precise articulation. When describing religious life, he tells us that “religion is that virtue whereby a man or woman offers something to the service and worship of God. Therefore, those are called religious by antonomasia, who consecrate themselves totally to the divine service” (STh II-II q 186 a 1, Pope JPII, 10-26-94). Antonomasia, like the word attribution, is a word that denotes an exemplary relationship that reveals the quality of a thing yet not its exclusivity. This is the same thing we do when we call God the Father as Creator, yet the Son and the Holy Spirit create just as fully. When we understand this antonomasia in the Trinity, we can then fully be conscious of it in the Church, but also even in canon law. We are all called to obedience. Yet a priest is called to an exemplary obedience, and obedience is the word that most typifies his vocation (This is developed at length in the Directory for the Life and Ministry of Priests, Congregation of the Clergy), and it is obedience that many think of when they think of “Father” or “Head” to which the priest is configured. The priest however is called to obey the laity and the religious in a special way, yet he does this as a father and head obeys children and members. Similarly the Second Vatican Council “expressly mentions the consecrated chastity before the other two vows” when speaking of religious” (PJII, 11-16-94; Perfecte Caritatis 12, 13, 14, LG43). Likewise the laity have a special antonomastic relationship to poverty, an evangelical counsel which helps to order relationships to temporal goods.

Unity and Diversity

We see the beautiful way in which the Lord, the Most Holy Trinity, endowed his People to exhibit both his oneness and this threeness, his unity and diversity, his being and personality, and that he wills that this image be regulated by law. Whenever there is oneness or personhood, similarity or dissimilarity, unity or diversity, in the Church there is law to protect and order it to the oneness and personhood of the Blessed Trinity. That is why priests, religious, and lay, all must keep their own juridical personality, to reflect the personality of their state, yet this is ultimately guided by the priests whose personality it is to be head. They must always keep their own superiors and hierarchy yet be subject to the hierarchical priesthood. Also, the personality of male and female, single, celibate, married, widowed, and even the presence of children, ought to be regulated by law also, because these are differences willed by God to reflect the Trinitarian communion. We cannot ignore or confuse the sexual differences present in humanity and think that we will be progressing in a new Church movement. This is why mixed congregations of men and women usually had different structures that would more faithfully respect their sexual difference. We also cannot ignore the beautiful complementarity and unity of cultures and nations, willed by God. This is why we have regions, provinces, national hierarchies, and local adaptations.

Marian-Trinitarian Consecration

Although a person canonically becomes a SOLT member by incardination, public profession of the evangelical counsels according to SOLT constitutions, or by signing a covenant contract, there is a much deeper act that determines a person as a SOLT. It is the Solemn Act of Consecration to Our Lady, followed by imitatio Mariae in her way of relating to the Most Holy Trinity. The importance of this foundational act cannot be underestimated. This Marian-Trinitarian Consecration brings each person first to the fullness of Trinitarian life, but also to the fullness of the ecclesial relationships that are modeled after the life of the Trinity lived out in Ecclesial Teams. As the founder, Fr. Jim Flanagan said, “Mary is our foundation. We have to maintain a real relationship with her. Without her, there is no SOLT. We have to keep her in our relationships. If she is not there, the foundation falls apart.” (June 6, 2002, Vignola, Italy). It is only through Mary, with Mary, in Mary, for Mary, and by Mary, that our Trinitarian relationships of priests religious, and lay can become a hymn of praise to the Mosty Holy Trinity.

In SOLT All People Gift Themselves to the Trinity through Our Lady in Various Commitments

2011-07-14T14:26:00.001-05:00

"That the Church may shine forth as a people made one in the unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."

(St Cyrpian in his commentary of the Our Father, quoted by Vatican II - the mystery of the Church)

The following are a collection of pictures from different vocations gifting themselves to God in different ways. The sisters and brothers renew their temporary vows or promises to God of chastity, poverty, and obedience, which after 5 years may become perpetual. The laity either become committed members for one year or definitive commitment to live the SOLT way of life for the rest of their lives.

Sisters renew their vows

Brothers renew their promises

Becoming a Committed Member of SOLT as a sing or married
lay family means living for one year our charism according
to your state in life

Different families enter into a SOLT lay commitment for the
first time: the Segovia's, Sena's, and the Henderson's, also
there were some new lay commitments as well

New SOLT Lay Definitive Members: Francis and Conrad
Gonzalez, and Mary Hanrahan

New General Servant of the Laity and Councillors

2011-07-14T02:08:00.000-05:00

The General Lay Chapter elects three names of SOLT priests and submits them to the General Priest Servant for him to select the new General Servant of the Laity.

The new General Lay Servant is Fr Zachary Shallow of the Mother of God, SOLT. He has served for many years as the formator for the laity and, with the SOLT founder, was heavily involved in developing the new lay formation program, Our Lady Loves You, which he has shared on EWTN.

Here are the new members of the General Lay Council:

Blair Burton
First Assistant

Tom and Susan George
Second Assistants

Jim DesPres
Third Assistants

Eight Women Entered Into Sisters' Novitiate

2011-07-13T09:19:00.001-05:00

Here are the pictures from the entrance into novitiate that happened yesterday, July 12th. These women after a period of aspirancy and postulancy will receive the name of Mary and a veil for the next two years of novitiate. One year will be an apostolic novitiate year and the other will be a canonical year in which they learn the spirituality and patrimony of SOLT. Included are some pictures from different events.

Receiving the habit from a family member is a sign of
the support and care she received from her family
in order to answer the call of religious life.

The new novices present themselves to Our Lady to ask
her for help during the time of their formation

Some of these Sisters will make their 1st profession tomorrow

Afterward was a reception. Each meal is served by a
different group of priests, religious, and laity.

All the events tired out Fr John McHugh

Pictures of New Assistants from our General Chapter

2011-07-13T02:48:00.000-05:00

Fr Glenn Whewell, SOLT, New Vicar General

Fr Anthony Blount, SOLT, New 2nd Assistant

SOLT Elections for General Sister's Council

2011-07-13T01:42:00.004-05:00

General Sister Servant: The SOLT Sister's chapter has agreed to the request of Bishop Mulvey to extend the term of Sr Anne Marie Walsh, SOLT, for two more years in order to make application for pontifical approval of the community. It should be noted that SOLT is approved by the Holy Father as a Society of Apostolic Life of diocesan rite. They would be applying to be of pontifical rite. The distinction is that rather than being under a local diocese and bishop protector, they would be directly answerable to Rome.

Councillors to the General Sister Servant:

1st Assistant: Sr Megan Mary Thibodeau, SOLT
2nd Councillor: Sr Elieen Mary Doherty, SOLT
3rd Councillor: Sr Margaret Mary Loehr, SOLT

Breaking News: SOLT elections for General Priest Council

2011-07-13T01:29:00.003-05:00

Here are the results of yesterday's election at the General Chapter for SOLT:

General Priest Servant: The General Chapter agreed to the request of Bishop Mulvey to extend the term of Fr Rogel Rosalinas, SOLT, for two years as General Priest Servant with the intention of working on the application for pontifical approval for the community.

Vicar General: The chapter has elected Fr Glenn Whewell, SOLT, as the 1st assistant to the General. Fr Glenn has served for eight years as the vocation director and regional secretary for the American Region. He attended Holy Apostles Seminary, and has also served in giving retreats to our sisters and formation for our laity.

2nd Assistant: Fr Tony Blount, SOLT, was elected by the chapter to serve as 2nd assistant to the General. Fr Tony has served as the pastor of Our Lady of Mt Carmel catholic mission in Benque Viejo, Belize, Central America, pastor of St Joseph's in Capulin, Colorado, and most recently as the pastor of St Stephen's Indian Mission in Wyoming at the largest Indian Reservation in North America serving the Shoshone and Arapahoe peoples.

Congratulations and our prayers are with you!

While we Wait for the American Ordinariate, SOLT Continues to Serve in the Anglican Use Liturgy for Anglicans and Episcopalians to Come Home to Catholic Communion

2011-07-11T03:14:00.001-05:00

In 1994 the local bishop of Corpus Christi asked SOLT to provide a place for former Anglicans and Episcopalians to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church while being permitted to celebrate the Anglican Use Liturgy. This liturgy is taken from a 16th century translation of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass and resembles Ango-Catholic services. It was established by Bl. Pope John Paul II in 1980 as a pastoral provision for Anglican and Episcopalian converts to maintain the pious and liturgical patrimony of their ecclesial communities. Some characteristics of this liturgy are the eastward facing, or ad orientem, more bell ringing, stricter gender roles, use of the sanctuary rail, and a solemn high mass with the use of deacon and subdeacon.

You can find St Anselm of Canterbury Catholic Mission on the campus of Our Lady of Corpus Christi. Fr Jean Hart, SOLT, is their chaplain and the Anglican Use Mass is celebrated every Sunday at 11am at the St Anselm's chapel.

Click here for more information.

Our Lady of the Atonement Parish in San Antonio, Texas
is perhaps the mainstay of the Anglican Use Liturgy in the United States

Sewing the Seed of the Word of God - Sunday Homily by Fr Vlad

2011-07-10T11:35:00.000-05:00

The following was taken from the blog of Fr Vladimir Echalas, SOLT, the Word to the World.

DABAR OF GOD

15^TH SUNDAY ORDINARY TIME

To listen to the Australian Catholic Radio Online, please click:
http://cradio.org.au/index.php/resources/homilies/15th-sunday-in-ordinary-time/

Most of the parables of Jesus are based from the ordinariness of life and as such, they have very simple plots whose characters are most familiar to his hearers. Through the parables we are able to understand the realities of the Kingdom of God.

The parable of the sower is one of the seven parables in Matthew 13 which illustrates the Kingdom and its members. It tells us about the four kinds of soil receiving the seed sown by the farmer: 1) the footpath, 2) the rocky soil 3) the thorny soil and 4) the fertile soil. As an exemption, Jesus himself explained the parable at the middle of the story through an allegory. There is where we see the deeper understanding of the parable. The soil is nothing but our hearts; the seed is the Word of God and the four attitudes of receptivity.

Dabar in Hebrew is both “word” and “deed” at the same time. When God said “Let there be light” (Gen. 1:3), his spoken Word created the light. The rest of creation bears witness to the power of the Word who created everything when the Word was spoken by God. Our first reading today from the book of the prophet Isaiah reminds us of this reality: When God speaks, his Word is like a rain that makes the grass and flowers grow. How much more when God speaks to the human heart?

In our celebration of the Eucharist, God nourishes us with his Word and Body and Blood. The first part of the Eucharist is the Liturgy of the Word wherein we celebrate the Word of God in a little altar we call the ambo. The second part is the Liturgy of the Eucharist wherein we celebrate the Body and Blood of Jesus on the main altar of the church.

The parable becomes alive in our midst during the celebration of the Word. When the first and second readings together with the responsorial psalm are read by the lector and when the gospel is read by the priest (or deacon), we listen to the Word being proclaimed in the assembly. The words that we hear although spoken by the ministers are the Dabar of God. It is both the Word and Deed of God being sown into our hearts. It is God who is speaking to us both as a community and as an individual. That is the reason why we make a little sign of the cross on our breast before the gospel is proclaimed: to remind us to open our hearts because God is sowing His Word into our hearts at that moment.

When we hear the parable, we are asked: what kind of heart do I have in receiving the Word of God? 1) Hardened: I listen to the readings but they never sink in. 2) Superficial: Sometimes I get emotional and I feel good but that’s it. 3) Thorny: I welcome the Word but I have other more important concerns to attend to. 4)Fertile: I take the Word, let it sink in and change my life and those of others.

God continues to speak to us as we listen to His Word; it is meant to re-create us into the person that He envisions us to be.

Fr Vlad is assigned in our parish near Sydney Australia and his homilies are broadcast on Australian Catholic Radio.

What is a Consecrated Widow?

2011-07-09T10:31:00.001-05:00

A consecrated widow lives in the image of Mary, Mother of the Church, who lived her own widowhood in prayer, intercession, and charity in serving the apostles. A young priest said about them, "having a consecrated widow on your ecclesial team is like having a grandmotherly figure to pray for you and help with her counsel and support. After having raised a family they usually are knowledgeable about the spiritual family of an ecclesial team."

There have been many ways of witnessing discipleship of the Lord Jesus since the beginning of the Church, among these was the witness of consecrated widowhood. The very Mother of the Lord, Mary Immaculate, after the Ascension of her Son, far from laying asside her spiritual motherhood, actually increased in her maternal care for the mystical Body of Christ, the Church. Consecrated Widows witness the maternity of Our Lady and her intercession for the Church.

A consecrated widow in SOLT lives a daily regimen of prayer and service to the Church. They witness the presence of mature discipleship of Christ by attempting a close imitation of Our Lady. In a special way they are dedicated to women who have been wounded by abortion, abuse, neglect, and other forms of sin. They make promises of obedience, poverty and chastity according to this state of life that is renewable annually:

Poverty - simplifying her life and the need of worldly goods
Chastity - choosing not to marry for one year
Obedience - following the rule of life

Every SOLT Assembly there are usually some women who come forward for this commitment, which is witnessed by the whole community. This year's profession will take place on July 15th at 5pm at the Our Lady of Corpus Christi Chapel.

Fr Rogel Asks us to Pray the Rosary

2011-07-08T17:46:00.000-05:00

Fr Rogel Rosalinas, SOLT General Priest Servant, in an email to SOLT members, has asked the community to pray the Holy Rosary with the intention of interceding for the community, for the Bishop of the Principal See, and for the success of the General Chapter.

We invite you to pray the Rosary with us at this time for these intentions.

"With the Rosary, the Christian people sits at the school of Mary and is led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love." -Blessed Pope John Paul II

Preaching Peace in Papua New Guinea

2011-07-08T17:37:00.001-05:00

Fr Peter Ripa at his Thanksgiving Mass outside Mount Hagen Cathedral

Fr Rally Gonzalez, SOLT, Fr Felino Bugauisan, SOLT, and Fr Peter Ripa, SOLT, continue to serve in Papua New Guinea amidst tribal violence and animosity. "It takes a special kind of heart to serve there. You have to really love the people with a love that casts out fear, fear from violence, ruffians, and getting caught in between the tribal arguments," said Sr Mabel Inaje, SOLT, a former missionary in Papua New Guinea for 13 years before returning home for medical reasons.

The mission was started by Fr Tom Gier, SOLT who died just a few years ago. Besides bringing a peace agreement to a longtime hotspot for tribal warfare, he is personally responsible for inspiring the first native vocations of Fr Peter Ripa, SOLT and Fr Simon Paglau, SOLT.

The sisters have a very active apostolate as well. Besides the daily needs of the parishes of catechesis, teaching children, they have also been involved in the media apostolate of Radio Maria, counseling women, and the ministry of peace and reconciliation.

At present, they are building a new center of formation for forming people in discipleship, improving the sister's convent, and repairing the parish. To find out more click here.

Sisters placing new tile in their convent

SOLT Seminary of Asia Kicks Off Another School Year

2011-07-08T17:14:00.001-05:00

Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Minor Seminary in Naga City, Philippines started another school year with the celebration of the Holy Spirit Mass on June 12th. The former rector, now the Regional Priest Servant of the Asia-Pacific Region, Fr Roger Abalon, SOLT, was the main celebrant. Click here to read more about this event.

The seminary, which offers SOLT seminarians a Bachelor's Degree course in Philosophy to prepare for the sacred priesthood, formally launched its first year in 2009. Archbishop Leonardo Legazpi of Naga City and Bishop Jose Rojas, of Libmanan diocese have taken a lively interest in helping the seminary achieve a temporary licensure by the Commission of Higher Education (CHED) in the Philippines, also in advising the ongoing development of their curriculum, and the building up of their faculty. It is a sign of the vitality of the local Church when religious communities found new seminaries to train missionaries to serve in areas of need.

This year Fr Rogelio Barcelona, SOLT, is the new rector. "Fr Bars" has served formerly as the Regional Priest Servant, the Novice Servant, and has served in various foreign missions, so he comes with a lot of experience that will undoubtedly aid him in forming future priests of the Church.

Click here to find out more about helping form future missionary priests of the Church.

Press Release Concerning Fr John Corapi from SOLT Regional Priest Servant

2011-07-05T13:58:00.001-05:00

July 5, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

From: Rev. Gerard Sheehan, SOLT Regional Priest Servant Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Robstown, Texas

Fr. John A. Corapi submitted his resignation from the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity ("SOLT") early in June. SOLT is a Society of Apostolic Life of Diocesan Right with its regional office in Robstown, Texas.

While SOLT does not typically comment publicly on personnel matters, it recognizes that Fr. John Corapi, through his ministry, has inspired thousands of faithful Catholics, many of whom continue to express their support of him. SOLT also recognizes that Fr. Corapi is now misleading these individuals through his false statements and characterizations. It is for these Catholics that SOLT, by means of this announcement, seeks to set the record straight.

A woman, well known to Fr. John Corapi, mailed SOLT a signed letter detailing allegations of Fr. Corapi's sexual activity with adult women, abuse of alcohol and drugs, improper sacramental practices, violation of his promise of poverty, and other wrongdoing.

After receiving the allegation, SOLT formed a three person fact-finding team to ensure that it handled this matter in accordance with canonical norms. The team included a priest-canonist, a psychiatrist, and a lawyer. Two were members of religious orders, and one was a lay Catholic. Two were men, and one was a woman. All three have national reputations and substantial experience in ecclesiastical processes related to priest disciplinary issues.

As the Society was engaging this team, Fr. Corapi filed a civil lawsuit against his principal accuser. He contended that she had defamed him and breached her contract. The contract, according to Corapi's lawsuit, contained a provision binding the woman to silence about him. He offered the woman $100,000 to enter this agreement.

SOLT's fact-finding team subsequently learned that Fr. Corapi may have negotiated contracts with other key witnesses that precluded them from speaking with SOLT's fact-finding team. Many of these witnesses likely had key information about the accusations being investigated and declined to answer questions and provide documents.

When the fact-finding team asked Fr. Corapi to dismiss the lawsuit, to forbear from foreclosing his mortgage, and to release her and other individuals from their contractual obligations to remain silent about him, he refused to do so and, through his canonical advocate, stated: "It is not possible for Father Corapi to answer the Commission's questions at this time."

SOLT's fact-finding team has acquired information from Fr. Corapi's e-mails, various witnesses, and public sources that, together, state that, during his years of public ministry:

He did have sexual relations and years of cohabitation (in California and Montana) with a woman known to him, when the relationship began, as a prostitute; He repeatedly abused alcohol and drugs; He has recently engaged in sexting activity with one or more women in Montana; He holds legal title to over $1 million in real estate, numerous luxury vehicles, motorcycles, an ATV, a boat dock, and several motor boats, which is a serious violation of his promise of poverty as a perpetually professed member of the Society.

SOLT has contemporaneously with the issuance of this press release directed Fr. John Corapi, under obedience, to return home to the Society’s regional office and take up residence there. It has also ordered him, again under obedience, to dismiss the lawsuit he has filed against his accuser.

SOLT's prior direction to Fr. John Corapi not to engage in any preaching or teaching, the celebration of the sacraments or other public ministry continues. Catholics should understand that SOLT does not consider Fr. John Corapi as fit for ministry.

Father Sheehan will not be available for comments as he is attending the SOLT General Chapter from July 5-23.

SOLT General Vicar Servant Investigates the Possibility of a Mission in Spain

2011-07-03T11:44:00.000-05:00

The following article was taken from the Spring 2011 issue of the Communio, the official publication of SOLT and can be viewed HERE.

The words of our risen Savior “Go make disciples of all the nations,” inspires Our Lady’s Society in the fulfillment of her missionary mandate and outreach to bring the Good News of Salvation to all mankind.

In the fulfillment of the vision of Our Lady's Society, given to Father Flanagan, the Southwest (New Mexico) of the U.S. was to be the springboard to the evangelization of the Americas, the Philippines to Asia and the Pacific, and Spain, the springboard to Europe and Africa.

As General Vicar Servant, Fr. Vince Albano, is assigned “the responsility for ministries in missions and apostolates with special concern for education, planning, and evaluation.”

In carrying out this responsibility he was sent to Spain by Fr. Ogie, the General Priest Servant, to investigate and evaluate the needs of the local Church and look into the possibility of establishing a missionary work of Our Lady's Society. After visiting eight different dioceses, Bilbao diocese in the northern Basque part of Spain and Coria-Caceres diocese in the mid western part, expressed very great desire to have Our Lady's Society come to serve. The Diocese of Coria-Caceres was chosen because of its greater pastoral needs as well as their desire to have us come as soon as we were available.

The Bishop, Don Francisco Cerro Chaves is very active in promoting the apostolote of the laity in the spirit of Vatican II, and he recognizes the charism of serving together on ecclesial teams, as priests, religious, and laity as a very important and essential witness that is needed to inspire and encourage the laity in the living of their vocations as active members and “living stones” in building up the Church. There is also a great need of priests and religious because of a lack of vocations coming from faith-filled and loving families. There are only 5 seminarians in theology and 6 in the minor seminary. There are very few religious in pastoral work. Older priests who have reached the age of 75 and 80 years old are still attending parishes because there are not enough younger priests to take their place. So the needs are very great for such a Catholic country as Spain.

The very great light in the darkness, however is their great love and devotion to our Blessed Mother and Fr. Vince sees why Our Lady wants her Society to be in Spain. Her very first shrine, Our Lady of Pilar, was established in Zaragoza by St James the Apostle himself. Almost every place you go there is a shrine dedicated in her honor under a special title and celebrated with special feast days. Each town has its own patron saint and a special devotion to Mary that are publicy celebrated.

A lot of interest in going to Spain and serving there has been expressed by members of Our Lady's Society and Fr. Vince will available at the International Assembly and Chapter to share more information with us and see if Our Lady is calling different SOLT members to become a pioneer and member of the ecclesial family team to Spain!

The Story Behind the SOLT Website Facelift

2011-07-02T03:36:00.000-05:00

Three months ago the SOLT website was renovated. It went from receiving on average about 1800 hits a day to over 27,000 and is now ranked in the top 3% of websites in the world by web analysts. This article was taken from Communio, the official publication of SOLT and can be downloaded HERE.

The face of a person is the most revealing and intimate part of them. It shows what they really are going through and is the contact point of communion with others. Blessed Pope John Paul II asked the Church some years ago to become “the living reflection of the face of Christ”. Marketing analysts claim that “a website shows the true face of the organization as never before. A website is increas- ingly the place where customers get that vital first impression.” If it is our business to be the living reflection of the face of Christ, it is important what the face of our community shines forth to the world.

It was in this mindset that the SOLT website was remodeled, to be a more accurate and clear representation of our community and its service to the Church and the world. It must be noted that the website had done this well in the past, but was in need of updating, to reflect the growth and the current direction we are taking. If you look at the new design, you cannot miss the fact that it was built on the beautiful foundation of what was already there. Here thanks should be given to Susan George, Marlene Sibley, and Ken Dawson for their contribution.

However, a website does not only serve ad extra, or to the outside public, it also has an ad intra benefit, or a way of building up our own family. It has the effect of revealing to the community itself who it is and what is happening in different parts of the world. All too often it is easy to have a critical spirit on what we are not doing as a community. Here it is good to examine ourselves, “Do we contemplate the face of Christ in our community? Do we see the good things Our Father is giving to us? Do we have a constructive criticism that is contextualized in God‟s purpose, and are our observations of our need for growth connected to our willingness to change in the right direction?” The website intends to inspire SOLT members to the good things that God is doing, and the beautiful love Our Lady shows us manifested in the different works and movements of our members.

I would like to point out a few changes in the website that are attempts to build up our community and also to shine forth the face of Christ to the world.

-The Sisters are now integrated into the structure of the website. Previously, there was a theological distinction between the states of life, but we are not actually distinguished between priests and consecrated persons. We are distinguished by canonical communities of priests/brothers, sisters, and lay marrieds, singles, consecrated widows, and permanent married deacons. The website now reflects this reality.

-There is now a Spanish, Italian, and Thai section of the site, with real input that comes from these locales, and meta data that is accessible by search engines in these respective languages.

-The Church‟s principle of subsidiarity is respected in allowing different areas of our community to have different input through the web design principle of dynamic content management. The Sisters have their own blog, to which they have access by password and may publish their own news. The superiors have access to the news blog, and if they need to publish immediate news, they may make their own posts. There are many other possibilities.

-Content information has been updated, and people are now more able to share the content, especially the SOLT news blog via email subscription, RSS feed, or social media sharing.

-Media has been added, particularly of Fr Flanagan, and the video and audio output, or “skins,” have changed. There is still a lot of work that can be done, but here I have to ask for help:

For all you SOLT members out there: CONTRIBUTE! Give me pictures, articles, blog posts, correct information that needs to be updated. Also, do not be afraid to shine forth the face of Christ from your own media apostolate. It is so easy now to podcast your homilies and talks, to blog your ideas and events, to post your media through sharing networks. Click here to learn the basics. Anyone can live stream their parish our apostolic house events for free. You can post your powerpoint presentations and embed them for others to use.

Pope Benedict XVI has asked us to blog, to share, to shine forth using media. Let us respond like Our Lady to God‟s communication, FIAT!!!

God love you and Our Lady keep you,

Fr Sam Medley, SOLT

SOLT Webmaster

soltwebmaster@gmail.com

Message of the SOLT General Priest Servant on the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity

2011-07-01T07:46:00.000-05:00

The following message was taken from Communio, the official publication of SOLT, Spring 2011 issue.

June 18, 2011, was the day when we celebrated the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. This feast reminds us of the most profound mystery of faith: God one and three: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We all know that the Most Holy Trinity revealed himself in history. And in every age and epoch that God reveals himself, it is always a moment of grace, a moment of favor on the part of man. He is the Father who creates and loves, the Son who redeems and sacrifices, the Holy Spirit who inspires and strengthens.

Though man falls into sin, God continues to reveal himself: his love, his forgiveness, his fidelity, his unconditional love for humanity.

We can see clearly in our human history how God works in our midst. Though we continue to be unfaithful to him, God remains in his love, kindness and mercy. Jesus Christ our Lord continues to remind us to be perfect as the Father in heaven is perfect. Just as he said that the invisibility of the Father is now visible in him and also in the Church through the Holy Spirit who continues to guide her. Christ also wanted us to learn from him in order for us to be seen by the Father as Christ is. We are asked to follow him as his disciples of the present day and continue to be witnesses to the new generation of followers. We must remain in Jesus Christ, as John's gospel narrated, "Truly, truly, I say to you,” says the Lord, “he who believes in me will also do the works that I do” (Jn 14:12). We must always remember that Christ is the way, the truth and the life. We have to believe and live out this faith in Jesus. This is our faith and we need to proclaim this faith and witness it to the whole of creation. He mentioned as well that he is sending the Holy Spirit to remind us of this reality and will guide and help us in daily discernment in our lives in the midst of the challenges and pressing needs of this present world.

This is what the Vicars of Christ did and are doing. They are docile to the Holy Spirit's impulse guiding them to what Jesus Christ would want in the Church of the present times. We observed this in the life of Blessed Pope John Paul II and in his pontificate, so also with the current Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. In every age and time, God has given us shepherds who continuously guide his Church, in a every given time, in circumstances. God never fails in guiding his Church: in every moment there is always the fresh breath of the Holy Spirit, making the Church always rejuvenated, always strong!

In the Society of Our Lady we also have similar experiences. God has never abandoned us. Throughout the history of the Society, we have felt and we have seen how the hands of God molded us and guided us. Just in the recent past, with Bishop Edmond Carmody, God gave us a shepherd who has truly guided the Society. And with the present Bishop of the Principal Seat, Bishop Wm. Michael Mulvey, it is my opinion that all his directions to us are a manifestation of God's hand again molding the Society. In every age, in every moment, God intervenes, and when he intervenes, it is always a moment of grace for the Society of Our Lady.

With the forthcoming Ordinary General Chapter, let us hope and pray that God reveals again to us His desire, His design for all of us. Let's hope that as one Family of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, we continuously move forward, always in the Service of Christ and His Church.

In Communion +,

Rev Fr Rogel B. Rosalinas, SOLT

General Priest Servant

SOLT Communio Spring 2011 Newsletter

2011-07-01T07:38:00.001-05:00

Communio, the official publication of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity is now online. You can view it here via Scribd.com
SOLT Communio Spring 2011

Or you can download the PDF file HERE.