Letter from Fr. Allen from the annual clergy assembly - October 25, 2018

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+JMJ+

Dear Friends,

Greetings from the Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham and our Ordinariate Chancery in Houston, where I am attending the annual clergy assembly of the Ordinariate of the Chair of St Peter. The days are full of meetings, but also well seasoned with fellowship and prayer. As our diocese spans the continent, it is good to have this opportunity to see our bishop (who sends his greetings!) and my brother priests in the Ordinariate. Yesterday we had a beautiful choral evensong, for which we were joined by Archbishop Christoph Pierre, the papal nuncio (the Pope's personal representative) to the United States - a great honor for us and a reminder that the Ordinariates continue to have notice and care at the highest levels of the universal Church.

I can report to you that we continue to grow numbers, in ministry, and in spiritual vibrancy - indeed, the growth we have seen at Corpus Christi in the last year is being experienced across the Ordinariate. While here, we are having "business" meetings (administrative policies, safe environment guidelines, etc) and also conferences facilitated by the St John Paul II Foundation on ministry to families. We are also eating a lot.

Good as it is to be here, I look forward to returning home to my family and to seeing all of you at Mass on Sunday. Please remember this Sunday is also our monthly Evensong & Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament - do come and pray with us.

Thursday, November 1st, is All Saints Day, a holy day of obligation. Masses will be celebrated 8AM and 6PM.

Friday, November 2nd, is All Souls' Day, with Masses at 12PM and 6PM. Please see below for information about submitting names of loved ones to be remembered at these Masses. 

God bless you,
Fr Allen

U.S. Bishops Will Gather for Seven Days of Prayer and Reflection at Invitation of Pope Francis

U.S. Bishops Will Gather for Seven Days of Prayer and Reflection at Invitation of Pope Francis

October 23, 2018
WASHINGTON— At the invitation of Pope Francis, the Bishops of the United States will gather for a spiritual retreat set to take place at Mundelein Seminary in the Archdiocese of Chicago. The bishops will gather in prayer and unity for seven days, from January 2-8, as brothers in the Episcopacy.

“The Holy Father has kindly offered the preacher to the Papal Household, Reverend Raniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M. Cap., to serve as the retreat director as we come together to pray on the intense matters before us. For this, I am grateful,” said Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. “I am also grateful to Cardinal Blase Cupich for his kind offer to use the campus of Mundelein Seminary as the location for this retreat.”

The announcement comes after Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo met with the Pope earlier this month as part of a regularly scheduled Curia visit. The retreat takes place as the U.S. bishops continue their work to address the current U.S. clergy sex abuse crisis. In September, the U.S. bishops Administrative Committee http://www.usccb.org/news/2018/18-152.cfm announced an action plan including a third-party reporting mechanism, standards of conduct for bishops, and protocols for bishops resigned or removed because of abuse.

[This news release was originally published on the USCCB website]

Letter from Fr. Allen - October 11, 2018

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+JMJ+

Dear Friends,

Time flies! Here we are in the middle of October, though we are still dodging hurricanes and if autumn has arrived the humidity hasn't gotten the news. But November will soon be here and with it the great feasts of the Church Triumphant and Expectant. You will see notices for both All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day below. I remind you that All Saints' is a Holy Day of Obligation.

As a happy prelude to All Saints' Day and a reminder of the joy and comfort of the saints' intercession and companionship, this Sunday brings the canonization in Rome of six blesseds. They are:

  • Paul VI (Giovanni Battista Montini), Supreme Pontiff;

  • Oscar Arnulfo Romero Galdámez, archbishop of San Salvador, martyr;

  • Francesco Spinelli, diocesan priest, founder of the Institute of the Sisters Adorers of the Most Holy Sacrament;

  • Vincenzo Romano, diocesan priest;

  • Maria Katharina Kasper, virgin, founder of the Institute of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ;

  • Nazaria Ignacia de Santa Teresa de Jesús (née: Nazaria Ignacia March Mesa), founder of the Congregation of the Missionary Crusaders of the Church.

Get to know these dear saints!

All Souls', while not obligatory, is an important and sweet day as well, as we pray for the repose of our faithful departed loved ones. To submit names of loved ones to be remembered at All Souls' Day Masses, please do so on the form here. May God grant them rest!

God bless you,
Fr Allen

[Editor’s note: You can watch the canonizations of the six Blesseds live Sunday morning, 14 October 2018, starting at 3.30AM Eastern time on EWTN. An encore will air at 12.00 noon. This article details more ways to find live and encore broadcasts of the canonization Mass. ]

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The Chaplet of Divine Mercy

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy

The Prayers of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Opening prayers

1. While holding a rosary, make the Sign of the Cross.
2. On the first small bead, recite the Our Father. 
3. On the second small bead, recite the Hail Mary.
4. On the third small bead, recite the Apostles’ Creed.

For Each Decade

1. On the large beads, recite:
Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of your dearly beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
2. On the ten small beads, recite: 
For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Concluding Prayer

Recite three times: 
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Hurricane Michael Updates

This information is up to date as of 5.16PM on 9 October 2018:

  • Wednesday School for October 10 has been cancelled due to Hurricane Michael.

A note from Fr Allen:

WEDNESDAY SCHOOL CANCELLED!

Due to expected adverse weather and flooding conditions conditions associated with hurricane Michael, Wednesday School is cancelled this week. We will be back on track next Wednesday.

Please keep those in the Florida panhandle in your prayers.

Stay home and stay safe!
Fr. Allen