Saturday, May 14, 2022

About once a year or so, many dioceses gather their priests together for a Convocation, which means “calling together”.  This is a time for them to join in fellowship with their brother priests and strengthen each other in their vocations.  It’s important for them to be able to have this time together to learn with, and lean on, each other.

The priests we are praying for in the Diocese of Rochester this week, and the bishops we are praying for in the United States, are:

PRIESTSBISHOPS
SUNDAY 5/15All DeaconBp. John M. LeVoir
New Ulm MN
MONDAY 5/16Fr. John LoncleBp. Bruce Lewandowski CSWsR
Baltimore MD
TUESDAY 5/17Fr. Bernard MaloneyBp. Peter A. Libasci
Manchester NH
WEDNESDAY 5/18Fr. Kevin MannaraAbp. Jerome E. Listecki
Milwaukee WI
THURSDAY 5/19Fr. Christopher ManueleInternational
Bishops
FRIDAY 5/20Fr. Joseph MartuscelloBp. Robert J. Lomardo CFR
Chicago IL
SATURDAY 5/21Fr. Joseph MarcouxBp. Steven J. Lopes
Houston TX

Our prayer this week is adapted from a song, “I Call You Brothers” and a prayer, “Prayer for Priestly Fraternity”, both by Fr. Bill Quinlivan.  I thank you again, Fr. Bill, for your continued inspiration!

When You call our priests ‘brothers’ You’re reminding them that, as with Your apostles, You go where they do. May all priests intercede for one another through trials. Help them to find fraternity, and trust You to keep them on Your path.

Lead them to speak Your Word and shine Your light. You have anointed them. Make them joyful servants, telling the world Your good news is true.  Don’t let them forget Your plan, keep them in Your hands.  Show them Your power, let them see what You can do. You make all things new.

Guide them to seek Your will, find Your peace, and pursue holy Mass. When they are humbled, broken and tired, pour Your Grace out on them.  We pray they will always remember their ordination day. We’ll hear what You say when they walk Your way.

Call them to You for restoration, recreation and retreat, as You rested with Your first-called. A time in prayer can be so sweet.

Please bless their Convocation.  Christ Jesus, You share Your ministry of service, sacrament and preaching the word with our ordained brothers.  Your commandment to love one another, Your example of prayer, ministry, meals and leisure with Your apostles, as well as Your teaching on fraternal correction, each give them ways to live as brothers.  We praise You for the priests who already share holy friendship. Please continue to form them in Your image to celebrate their common call. Give courage to each of them to reach out to those struggling in their ministry or vocation.  Make them attentive to brother priests suffering illness or the effects of aging. And may they joyfully welcome the newly ordained. Amen.

God bless you,
Laurie

https://prayersforpriests.com

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Special Message on this World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests

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Friday, June 11, 2021

Today we celebrate the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.  It takes place each year on the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in this month dedicated to His Sacred Heart.

There is no doubt that our world, our Church, is going through another period of adjustment and correction.  There are so many issues dividing us and honestly much of it comes from misunderstanding, a basic lack of knowledge of the Truth.  I believe…I need to believe…that the laity really do want to know what the Church teaches, what She has taught for almost 2000 years.  Knowing that truth, believing that truth, could resolve so many of the issues.

We need strong faithful priests and bishops who are willing to speak and teach that truth to us.  A phrase that comes to mind is “unapologetic apologetics”.  We deserve it.  Ven. Abp. Fulton J. Sheen knew it.  Many of our current bishops and priests know it.  But sadly, many do not.

This time in history provides a unique opportunity for us.  Here in the United States, our Conference of Catholic Bishops is holding its General Assembly from June 16-18.  My prayer is that they use this time to go back to our Truth.  Come out of the meeting with a message that honors the infallible teaching of Holy Mother Church, unwavering in its meaning and significance.  All of the wavering and compromise has left many wondering what the truth of the teaching is, or at least unsure of their ability to speak it with boldness.  Well, I refuse.  I will not fail to speak my faith with boldness.  It is similar to disciplining a child.  If he never gets a consistent message, and consistent consequences for challenging what he is taught, he will never learn what is expected of him.  And trying to reinforce the teachings becomes much harder and takes much longer.  He never really has a chance to learn from his history.

A priest recently spoke in his homily about the fact that, if we don’t learn from our history, we are bound to repeat it.  He’s right.  We need to learn.  Erasing our history because someone finds it problematic means we cannot learn from it.

It also means that “everything that’s old is new again”.  The challenges that we as a global Catholic Church are now facing are things we’ve faced before.  And we overcame them, thanks in large part to priests who were willing to die to teach us the truths of our faith.

I’ve been listening to a song recently by Fr. Bill Quinlivan from the Diocese of Buffalo.  It is entitled “Mass Rocks”, and speaks so powerfully about one such time in our history, though certainly not the only one.  I’ve included the full lyrics and a link to the song at the end of this message with his permission.  Let me just quote part of one verse here:  “… recall penal times and tears.  Teach each generation this history and the legacy of those years.”  Teach us, but teach us the truth worth dying for.  Don’t water it down.  Don’t cave to pressures that want the Church to change it.  Own it.  We are praying for you because we know this road is hard.

Lord, we pray for the Church, that it may always be faithful to the gospel.  Amen.

May God bless you all,
Laurie

https://prayersforpriests.com/

Find Fr. Bill Quinlivan at https://frbillsings.com/

For more information about the Mass rocks:
https://www.ncregister.com/blog/ireland-s-mass-rocks-are-becoming-popular-again
https://www.irishcatholic.com/upon-these-rocks
https://ahrc.ukri.org/research/readwatchlisten/features/mass-rocks/

Mass Rocks, by Fr. Bill Quinlivan (https://youtu.be/InZchMxcveE)

REFRAIN
To the Mass rocks came the priest for the holy sacrifice in persecuted years.  And though they faced great danger sure, faith came sailing through tidal waves of fear.  Our Church was suppressed by an enemy but our mighty God has a higher law.  And while sentinels stood to keep people safe, much heroic faith lived out is what they saw.

Contented with all our blessings, should days be full of peace, please do not forget the bravery of the best of Irish priests.  Today if you’re timing their homilies, recall penal times and tears.  Teach each generation this history and the legacy of those years!

Refrain

They met their people in the field to share the Eucharistic feast.  Beaten, betrayed and exiled too, somehow zeal and hope increased!  They stayed in lonely hiding places, camouflaged, in disguise.  They risked their lives to pastor flocks, servants proven to be prudent and wise.

Refrain

To the Mass rocks came the priest.”

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Great News!

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

I’m glad that this is an off week Wednesday. Some great news was released this morning.

Venerable Fulton J Sheen is scheduled to be beatified on December 21, 2019!

The beatification ceremony will take place at the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Peoria, Illinois.

Here are links to two articles about the beatification:

https://www.pjstar.com/news/20191118/vatican-approves-beatification-of-fulton-sheen

https://catholicherald.co.uk/news/2019/11/19/venerable-fulton-sheen-to-be-beatified-in-december/

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An Invitation

We would like to invite you to join us in praying for all of our priests and clergy.  Please feel free to forward this to any others that you think may want to participate.  Regardless of how you heard about us, please send a text to (607)259-1529 or an email to prayers4priests@gmail.com if you are interested in joining us. I’ll be sending an email or text at least weekly with prayers, novenas, etc., so let me know how you would prefer to receive notifications

We are a small informal prayer group made up of faithful Catholics, praying for the sanctification of our Church and our clergy, both here and abroad.  We are doing this in a few different ways.

We will be praying a series of novenas, beginning every other Wednesday.  I’ll send a notification for each one.

Some of us will be fasting on Thursdays for our priests.  It would also be wonderful if some of us could get together once a month to pray a Rosary or a Divine Mercy Chaplet.  We could consider sending cards of encouragement and gratitude to our local priests for their day on the calendar as well.
We are open to any and all suggestions that will help strengthen our Church and our current priests, and will increase new vocations to the priesthood.


Let the praying begin!
God bless,
Laurie Desmarais & Elena Cambio

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The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining us!
Please be patient as we begin our journey of praying for our priests.
Wherever two or more are gathered (even if it is a virtual gathering),
Jesus is with us.

 

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