Real Catholic Blog

A lecture entitled “Science and The Shroud” will take place at The Shroud of Turin Center at Mary Mother of the Church Benedictine Abbey, this Saturday at 10:00 a.m., in Goochland County in suburban Richmond, Va. (12829 River Road). If you are in the central Virginia area this weekend or want to make a special trip, please do so. Interest in The Shroud is very high again, as we’ve written about, due in part to the Easter Season, the History Channel special and the fact that later this year, The Shroud will go on a rare public display. Pilgrimages are being arranged and thousands are expected to attend the exhibit in Italy.

But for those who can’t make a European vacation, this may be a good option. The event is free. For more information, call 804.784.3366.

I’m sorry for the lack of posts recently, but I was knocked off my feet last week with something . . . still not sure what. Either food poisoning or some hit and run flu strain. However, I appear fully (or mostly) recovered and bare exciting news:

Real Catholic Blog will have a presence at this year’s March For Life, Friday, January 22, in Washington, D.C. Not an official presence, but Brother John will be in attendance and we are excited that he will relay his impressions of his experiences of this massive outpouring of pro-life sentiment. We hope to have pictures to post as well. Brother John will be on a bus chartered by Saint Anthony Maronite parish in Richmond, Va. If you see him, tell him hello. He’ll have a prayer card to give you.

For more information about this event, the largest and most significant event promoting the cause of the unborn in American each year (and maybe the world) visit MarchforLife.org. It is a three-day event, including the Rose Dinner, whose featured speaker this year is Robert George (see LifeSiteNews), author of the Manhattan Declaration, the groundbreaking document signed by thousands of religious and pro-life leaders, and hundreds of thousands of grassroots pro-life activists, committing themselves to the end of abortion in America. The March For Life site has information on chartering buses, how to participate and all the related events. We hope that all of our readers, if not their parishes and/or dioceses are not already making plans for March For Life, will take a leadership role in getting them involved. We will provide updates about March For Life until then and, as always, keep you up to date on all pro-life news.

I went to what I thought would be the daily 5:30 p.m. Mass at Saint Benedict Church in Richmond. I was in for a little surprise. Saint Benedict was in the last night of a parish mission by Father Tony Stephens, C.P.M., of the Fathers of Mercy and the parish celebrated with a full-fledged Mass of the Feast of Saint Teresa of Jesus (of Avila) (see Catholic Encyclopedia).

So, instead, the Mass started at 6:00. I had a mild disappointment, to be honest. I could’ve worked longer and the longer and later starting Mass would push my evening back further — including writing here!

But how can one be disappointed at celebrating the Mass? Father Stephens’ homily made sure of that! He spoke about our great Catholic tradition of honoring the Blessed Mother and that devotion to her is Biblically based, despite protestant criticism. He thoughtfully, phrase by phrase, explained the Biblical and theological underpinnings of the Hail Mary. Then he elaborated on the Rosary and the mercy of Our Lady.

The Rosary is one of the oldest and most thorough prayers in the Church. The repetitive nature of the prayers along the decades is Mary leading us to her son, Jesus Christ. He encouraged us to pray the Rosary every day. Even if you have young children, pray it with them, and make it a part of their lives. Sure, very young ones may not be able to keep up with it, so pray one decade with them and put them to bed and continue on. A family that prays together, stays together, so make the Rosary a privilege of getting older: Let the older (and/or well-behaved) children stay up and go further along the decades with you. What a great idea to spur devotion!

A Rosary takes about 17-20 minutes to say. If necessary, pray what you can in the morning and finish upon return from work. When Jesus gave Mary to John at Calvary, He gave her to us all. That’s why, in turn, Mary gives us to Jesus. She is a great intercessor and wants to lead us to her son — exemplified in the path of the Rosary. Because Jesus did give Mary to all of us at the foot of the Cross, she, like any mom, knows her children and wants great things for us. Nothing is greater than His mercy and she is willing to help us, which is why she intercedes for us. 

One final thought: As a seminarian, Father Stephens was a bit confused when Pope John Paul II created the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary. How can he do that? he thought to himself. This is a centuries old prayer, steeped in Church teaching and the Bible. Then he learned why John Paul is considered The Great: None of the first four mysteries were about Jesus’ ministry. The fifth is devoted to Jesus the Priest. How wonderful! How inspirational! Especially in this Year of the Priest, we should all rededicate ourselves to Jesus the Priest through the Rosary, especially the Mystery of Light.

For those who live in the Richmond, Va., area, or anyone who may visit here this weekend, I couldn’t resist a plug for the Saint Benedict Church Oktoberfest, which runs September 18-19. (In other words, a real Oktoberfest, held around the days of the actual Bavarian festival.) The hours on Friday are from 5-10 p.m. and from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. on Saturday. It offers authentic German food, music, dancing and more. If you go, you will want to tour the historic church and see, among other things, its well known sanctuary mural, which the parish restored within the last two years.

The historic sanctuary mural at St. Benedict Church in Richmond, Va. The church is a thriving, growing urban parish that celebrates traditional Catholicism.

Only in its 5th year, this festival is a knock-your-socks off event from an urban parish that is growing because of its unapologetic upholding of traditional Catholicism. The coincidence of a German Pope also named Benedict probably has been a bit of a boon to the parish, but it’s no coincidence the Holy Father is popular there, for they truly practice what he — and the Church — teach, complete with outreach and introduction to the Faith by parishioners who canvass the neighborhood. So, while the festival is great fellowship among parishioners, it’s a reflection of Christ to non-Catholics as well. The festival also kicks off its 40 Days For Life campaign. 

Founded by the Benedictines from Belmont Abbey in North Carolina in the early part of the last century, the church shares a square block area with an all-male military high school the monks still run. However, some years ago, the monks started their own (Mary, Mother of the Church) Abbey in the Virginia countryside and turned over the parish to the Diocese of Richmond. The parish runs a K-8 co-ed school two blocks away.