| January 06, 2010
Visit Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke Monsignor Schmitz, High Mass - Blue Server Cassocks External Solemnity, St. Francis de Sales - Survey Continues Visit of His Eminence, Raymond L. Cardinal Burke
The day after tomorrow, Saturday, January 8, at 5:00pm we will have the great honor and pleasure of welcoming His Eminence Raymond L. Burke back to Saint Francis de Sales Oratory. It was in 2005 that then-Archbishop Burke invited Monsignor Wach, Prior General of the Institute, to erect Saint Francis de Sales as an Oratory under the administration of the Institute.
As a frequent visitor to the Institute in Gricigliano, Cardinal Burke has also ordained numerous Institute priests, the most recent being Canons Aaron Huberfeld, Michael Stein, and Antoine Boucheron last July. With profound gratitude to Christ Our King, and His Immaculate Mother, we are grateful for Cardinal Burke’s friendship and fatherly care, and we rejoice in his elevation to the College of Cardinals last November. Cardinal Burke will be here at 5:00 PM to celebrate Solemn Te Deum and Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Also present will be Monsignor Michael Schmitz, Vicar General and US Provincial of the Institute, accompanied by Institute priests, Canons Talarico, Avis, and Apple.
Following the ceremony, there will be a reception in the Oratory hall, where all gathered will have an opportunity to welcome and greet Cardinal Burke, and to offer him our warmest congratulations.
We joyfully and cordially invite everyone to come to the Solemn Te Deum to give thanks to Almighty God, and to attend the reception in Cardinal Burke’s honor.
Monsignor Michael Schmitz Celebrates Solemn High Mass
We warmly welcome Monsignor Schmitz, who will celebrate a Solemn High Mass and preach on Sunday, January 9, at 10:00 AM. Monsignor Schmitz is the US Provincial and the Vicar General of the Institute.
Blue Servers’ Cassocks Are coming
The blue choir habit of members of the Institute has become a familiar sight in the celebration of the sacred liturgy. The distinctive blue identifies priestly members of the Institute, as well as the Sisters Adorers of the Royal Heart of Jesus Christ Sovereign Priest. The choir habit is a beautiful sign of the strong identity, spirituality, and unity of the Institute’s canonical life. The blue honors Mary Immaculate, whom the Institute holds as its first patron, and represents the Institute’s complete dedication to her. It is also reminiscent of the habit worn by St. Francis de Sales during his lifetime, symbolic of his devotion to the Blessed Virgin.
In the last four years, the Institute blue has become common in the servers’ dress also, notably in the solemn celebrations in our apostolates all over the world.
At St. Francis de Sales, we have recently engaged a tailor who will instruct seamstresses to help produce servers’ blue cassocks. We cordially invite everyone who is interested in this important vestment project for the Institute to contact the office. Please help us to lower the cost for the blue servers’ cassocks by lending us your talents and your goodwill in helping to produce these beautiful blue cassocks.
 In the Divine worship, in the service of God there is nothing merely exterior: all is figurative and expressive of the interior, there all is “spirit and life”. The Church endeavors, namely, to spiritualize and transform, so to speak, corporeal things by means of higher supernatural relations, in order to direct the observing, reflecting mind of the faithful to what is invisible, divine and eternal. – This is also the case of the liturgical vestments, which thus acquire the significance and virtue of a picture; for they indicate not only in general the majesty of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, but they express, in a special way, manifold mysteries that excite and nourish devotion. The sacred vestments are full of salutary instruction and admonition for all that will comprehend their meaning and attend to their language. (Excerpted from “The Sacerdotal Vestments”, by Rev. Dr. Nicholas Gihr (1902)
St. Francis de Sales – External Solemnity, January 30
The feast of our holy patron, St. Francis de Sales, the “Doctor of Charity”, will be celebrated on Sunday, January 30, as an External Solemnity. In honor of his patronage of writers and journalists, we will invite all journalists to the liturgical celebration, followed by a reception in the hall. Please mark your calendars.
Survey Continues
We are continuing to conduct the survey on Oratory attendance. Many forms have been received; however, to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to fill out the survey, this process will continue until January 16. Thanks to all who have already participated; your cooperation and patience are greatly appreciated. The survey forms are available in the church bulletin and at http://tinyurl.com/24c3at7.
Canon Michael K. Wiener
Rector, St. Francis de Sales Oratory |
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