Historic St. Anthony Catholic Church
258 Ohio, Wichita, Ks
2nd St. & Ohio
Two blocks east of Old Town
Sunday Mass at 1:oo
English/Latin missals provided. Join us for coffee and donuts after mass downstairs in the St. Clair/Sunshine room, south exterior basement entrance.
Pastor of St. Anthony Parish: Fr. Ben Nguyen
EFLR Celebrants: Fr. John Jirak, Fr Nicholas Voelker
Master of Ceremonies: Tony Strunk
Choir Director: Bernie Dette


Continuing News

+To submit an article or if you have comments contact me, Mark, at bumpy187@gmail.com.

Like us on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/VeniteMissaEst?ref=hl

Did You Know

Mass Propers, the readings that change everyday, can be found in the red missalettes at the entrance of church?

Fr. Nicholas Voelker celebrates Low Mass Saturdays at 8:00 a.m., St. Mary's Catholic Church, 106 East 8th street, Newton. There is no mass this Saturday, January 30, 2016.


Monday, December 30, 2013

Post #272

Topics: Feast Day:  The Solemnity of Mary...Christmas Pictures: Oscar Trans Picture Album...Message: Ralph Dimattia, Latin Mass Community Council
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Run while you have the light of life, lest the darkness of death over take you. John 12:35

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...and now for the necessaries.
Please note: St. Anthony Catholic Church celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass (EFLR) in the Wichita diocese. Though this blog is loosely centered around this parish and it's members, Venite Missa Est! is by no means, in any way an official voice of, or for, St. Anthony Parish or the Diocese of Wichita. Venite Missa Est! is strictly a private layman's endeavor.

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 January 1: The Solemnity of Mary
Mass will be January 1st at 9:00 a.m. at St. Anthony parish.
January 1: the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. On this day, we are reminded of the role that the Blessed Virgin played in the plan of our salvation. Christ's Birth was made possible by Mary's fiat: "Be it done unto me according to Thy word."
An icon of the Theotokos, the Mother of God.
Egg tempera on wood, Central Russia, mid-1800's
One of the earliest titles given by Christians to the Blessed Virgin was Theotokos--"God-bearer." We celebrate her as the Mother of God, because, in bearing Christ, she bore the fullness of the Godhead within her.

As we begin another year, we draw inspiration from the selfless love of the Theotokos, who never hesitated to do the will of God. And we trust in her prayers to God for us, that we might, as the years pass, become more like her.

O Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!

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Christmas Pictures
Larry Bethel forwarded this message: "These are the pictures Oscar took of the Christmas liturgy. Thanks Oscar!"  Click the link below, please note that email subscribers may have to go to the blogsite to view.http://venite-missa-est.blogspot.com/


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A Message from Ralph Dimattia 
Latin Mass Community Council

A positive vote was passed for a gathering for refreshments after New Years Day 9:00 o'clock morning mass. I pass on this cheerful meeting asking for volunteers to bring food. Warm or cold dishes would fit nicely. No doughnuts. Kay and Diana will give backup support like plates, plastic ware ad napkins. For types of beverages you may have to call them. This message is passed on to our e-mail LMC directory. So they will be informed. Weather will be cooperating. 

A further note is alerting our Sunday Jan. 5 mass community the St Clare room is closed for the 3rd Order Franciscans.


Thursday, December 26, 2013

Post #271

Topics: Message: Ralph DiMattia...Pictures: Christmas Day Mass
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Run while you have the light of life, lest the darkness of death over take you. John 12:35

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*If your an email subscriber please go to website http://venite-missa-est.blogspot.com/to see the pictures.

*January 1: the Solemnity of Mary

Mass will be January 1st at 9:00 a.m. at St. Anthony parish.

January 1: the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. On this day, we are reminded of the role that the Blessed Virgin played in the plan of our salvation. Christ's Birth was made possible by Mary's fiat: "Be it done unto me according to Thy word."
An icon of the Theotokos, the Mother of God.
Egg tempera on wood, Central Russia, mid-1800's
One of the earliest titles given by Christians to the Blessed Virgin was Theotokos--"God-bearer." We celebrate her as the Mother of God, because, in bearing Christ, she bore the fullness of the Godhead within her.

As we begin another year, we draw inspiration from the selfless love of the Theotokos, who never hesitated to do the will of God. And we trust in her prayers to God for us, that we might, as the years pass, become more like her.

O Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!
...and now for the necessaries.
Please note: St. Anthony Catholic Church celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass (EFLR) in the Wichita diocese. Though this blog is loosely centered around this parish and it's members, Venite Missa Est! is by no means, in any way an official voice of, or for, St. Anthony Parish or the Diocese of Wichita. Venite Missa Est! is strictly a private layman's endeavor.

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 A Message from Ralph DiMattia and the Latin Mass Community Council 

     On cue 11:15 AM Christmas Day the choir lead in song – ADESTE, FIDELES, LAETI  TRIUMPHANTES, -----------.  Leading the procession into church were 14 Altar Servers and in beautiful raiment were: Celebrant Fr John Jirak, Deacon (Fr Nicholas Voelker) and Sub Deacon (Fr Patrick Reilley). What followed was a glorious historical mass befitting the birth of our Lord.  Voices eloquently sung accompaniments for the Mass Propers. Thank you Bernie! Well done!
  
To our official count of 188 attendees (not counting our 3 priests) a  grateful thanks to all for the memorable occasion.  Even the parking cooperated.  Note Fr Pham, as a favor, guided the Vietnamese Community to park north of 2nd Street. Thank you Father!

 Fr Jirak gave permission for Oscar Tran to photo the mass. Went Well. More later.
 I helped count the ballots for our St Anthony Parish Council. Our community member Joseph Hardy won one of the 4 positions. Congratulations Joseph.

 Ongoing is the constant updating our Directory.   Plus designing an appropriate cover for it etc.    Fr Patrick Reilley, our Sub Deacon yesterday, is our latest addition.   I believe Fr Pham has agreed to cover the expense of publishing our Directory.

 Upcoming will be our Low Mass Jan. 28 Tuesday 6 PM Blessed Sacrament followed by our First Council Mtg. Presided by yours truly.

This Sunday we’ll supply the Juice and Doughnuts. See you after mass.
From our house to yours my wife and I wish all of you the best of  Season Greetings !   

Ralph DiMattia

LMC
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Pictures: St. Anthony Christmas Mass 2013
Christmas Mass 2013. I grabbed this off Facebook, I believe Mr. Mark Mann took this picture.
Celebrant Fr John Jirak, Deacon (Fr Nicholas Voelker) and Sub Deacon (Fr Patrick Reilley).

Fathers Voelker, Reilley and Jirak vest for mass.

Our boys. I have never before had the privilege of being associated with such a fine group
of men as these. They work very hard at their duties and are always a joy to be around.

Post #270

Topics: Feast Day:  Feast of St. Stephen
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Run while you have the light of life, lest the darkness of death over take you. John 12:35

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...and now for the necessaries.
Please note: St. Anthony Catholic Church celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass (EFLR) in the Wichita diocese. Though this blog is loosely centered around this parish and it's members, Venite Missa Est! is by no means, in any way an official voice of, or for, St. Anthony Parish or the Diocese of Wichita. Venite Missa Est! is strictly a private layman's endeavor.

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Today is the second day in the octave of Christmas. The Church celebrates the Feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Stoned outside Jerusalem, he died praying for his executioners. He was one of the seven deacons who helped the apostles; he was "filled with faith and with the Holy Spirit," and was "full of fortitude." The Church draws a comparison between the disciple and his Master, emphasizing the imitation of Christ even unto the complete gift of self. His name is included in the Roman Canon.

The Second Day of Christmas

St. Stephen
The deacon Stephen, stoned in Jerusalem two years after the death of Christ, has always been the object of very special veneration by the faithful. He is the first martyr. The account in the Acts of the Apostles relating his arrest and the accusations brought against him emphasize the parallel with our Saviour's trial; he was stoned outside the city wall and died, like his Master, praying for his executioners.

Stephen belongs to the group of seven deacons whom the Apostles associated with their work in order to lighten their load. He was "filled with faith and with the Holy Spirit," "full of grace and strength" he showed himself as a man of God, radiating divine grace and apostolic zeal. As the first witness to Christ he confronted his opponents with quiet courage and the promise made by Jesus (Mark 13.11) was fulfilled: ". . .Disputing with Stephen they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit that spoke."

In St. Stephen, the first martyr, the liturgy emphasizes the imitator of Christ even to the extent of the complete gift of self, to the extent of that great charity which made him pray in his suffering for his executioners. By establishing the feast on the day after Christmas the Church draws an even closer comparison between the disciple and the Master and thus extends his witness to the whole mission of the redeeming Messiah.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Post #269

Topics: Please Pass On: No Midnight Mass at St. Anthony...Christmas Mass: Parking Issue...Email from an Old Friend: Server Discerning Vocation
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Run while you have the light of life, lest the darkness of death over take you. John 12:35

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Please note, and share, that there is no Midnight Mass this year but rather a Solemn High Mass, the third mass of Christmas on Christmas day at 11:15.  Again: NO MIDNIGHT MASS this year.
...and now for the necessaries.
Please note: St. Anthony Catholic Church celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass (EFLR) in the Wichita diocese. Though this blog is loosely centered around this parish and it's members, Venite Missa Est! is by no means, in any way an official voice of, or for, St. Anthony Parish or the Diocese of Wichita. Venite Missa Est! is strictly a private layman's endeavor.

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 No Midnight Mass at St. Anthony

Please note, and share, that there is no Midnight Mass this year but rather a Solemn High Mass, the third mass of Christmas on Christmas day at 11:15. Again: NO MIDNIGHT MASS this year.

 Midnight Mass in the Extraordinary Form has been celebrated at St. Anthony as long as I can remember, or at the least since 2004 when I discovered the Latin Mass. There are many people who usually don't attend St. Anthony but reserve their worship at Christmas for this mass in particular. Please pass this information to anyone who may benefit.

This Christmas' Solemn High Mass consists of Fr Jirak as Celebrant, Fr Voelker as Deacon and Fr Reilley as Sub Deacon.

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 Christmas Mass at St. Anthony Parking Issue

We are aware that parking for our Christmas Solemn High Mass at 11:15 could be a major problem. The English 9:30 mass and the Vietnamese 11:00 mass (held in the gymnasium) may leave us with very few parking choices. Our three priests need reserve spots naturally. Volunteers to look into this would be appreciated. The Vietnamese are expecting 1000 in attendance. The weather forecast allows for no moisture and temperatures in the high 40's. Attendance could be high.

So!!! Our suggestion is COME EARLY. Only after the 9:30 mass may we enter the church. A word to the wise is!
Ralph Dimattia-Latin Mass Community Council

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Thought You all Would Enjoy Hearing from an Old Serving Buddy

This email was passed on  from Sean J. Forristal. Sean and his father used to travel from Salina for Sunday mass at St. Anthony. Sean was a server.

"Awesome, you are going to have a Solemn High Mass for Christmas.  I wish I was there to be a part of it.  Please, pray for me at the Solemn High Mass, especially for my vocation; I am currently discerning a vocation to St. Louis Abbey in St. Louis.  Even though I have great love and respect for Clear Creek Abbey, I have a desire to teach, which is St. Louis Abbey's major apostolate.  There are two Benedictine priests and a nun on my mother's side that were connected to St. Benedict's Abbey in Atchinson, whom were teachers; thus, this abbey may continue my family's line of Benedictine educators.

Once again, thank you for your continued updates.  God bless you and your family, especially Fr. Bethel OSB!  Have a very merry and blessed Christmas!"

Your unworthy brother in Christ;
Sean J. Forristal

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Post # 268

Topics: Low Mass: Blessed Sacrament Parish...O Antiphon: Dec 17:...Octave Before Christmas Eve: The Seven O Antiphons...Funny Story: Christmas in the West...Video: Veni Veni Emmanuel
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Run while you have the light of life, lest the darkness of death over take you. John 12:35

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Please note, and share, that there is no Midnight Mass this year but rather a Solemn High Mass, the third mass of Christmas on Christmas day at 11:15.  Again: NO MIDNIGHT MASS this year.
...and now for the necessaries.
Please note: St. Anthony Catholic Church celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass (EFLR) in the Wichita diocese. Though this blog is loosely centered around this parish and it's members, Venite Missa Est! is by no means, in any way an official voice of, or for, St. Anthony Parish or the Diocese of Wichita. Venite Missa Est! is strictly a private layman's endeavor.


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 Low Mass at Blessed Sacrament Parish
Tonight, Tuesday Dec. 17, there will be a Low Mass at 6 P.M. at Blessed Sacrament celebrated by Fr Jirak.
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O Antiphon for Dec 17:

O Wisdom, Which camest out of the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end and ordering all things mightly and sweetly: come and teach us the way of prudence.

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The Seven O Antiphons
Fisheaters
Catholic Education resource Center


The seven "O Antiphons" (also called the "Greater Antiphons" or "Major Antiphons") are prayers that come from the Breviary's Vespers during the Octave before Christmas Eve, a time which is called the "Golden Nights."

The exact origin of the “O Antiphons” is not known. Boethius (c. 480-524) made a slight reference to them, thereby suggesting their presence at that time. At the Benedictine abbey of Fleury (now Saint-Benoit-sur-Loire), these antiphons were recited by the abbot and other abbey leaders in descending rank, and then a gift was given to each member of the community. By the eighth century, they are in use in the liturgical celebrations in Rome. The usage of the “O Antiphons” was so prevalent in monasteries that the phrases, “Keep your O” and “The Great O Antiphons” were common parlance. One may thereby conclude that in some fashion the “O Antiphons” have been part of our liturgical tradition since the very early Church.

Each Antiphon begins with "O" and addresses Jesus with a unique title which comes from the prophecies of Isaias and Micheas (Micah), and whose initials, when read backwards, form an acrostic for the Latin "Ero Cras" which means "Tomorrow I come." Those titles for Christ are:

Sapientia (Wisdom, Isaias: 11:2-3, Isaias 28:29 )
Adonai (Lord of Israel: Isaias 11:4-5, Isaias 33:22)
Radix Jesse (Root of Jesse: Isaias 11:1,Isaias 11:10, Micheas 5:1, Romans 15:8-13,Apocalypse 5:1-5)
Clavis David (Key of David: Isaias 22:22, Isaias 9:6)
Oriens (Radiant Dawn, Dayspring:Isaias 9:2)
Rex Gentium (King of all Nations, King of the Gentiles: Isaias 9:7, Isaias 2:4)
Emmanuel (God with us: Isaias 7:14)

December 17
Wisdom that comest out of the mouth of the Most High, that reachest from one end to another, and orderest all things mightily and sweetly, come to teach us the way of prudence!
Latin
O Sapientia, quæ ex ore Altissimi prodiisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem, fortiter suaviterque disponens omnia: veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiæ.

December 18
Adonai, and Ruler of the house of Israel, Who didst appear unto Moses in the burning bush, and gavest him the law in Sinai, come to redeem us with an outstretched arm!
Latin
O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel, qui Moysi in igne flammæ rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti: veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.

December 19
Root of Jesse, which standest for an ensign of the people, at Whom the kings shall shut their mouths, Whom the Gentiles shall seek, come to deliver us, do not tarry.
Latin
O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem Gentes deprecabuntur: veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.

December 20
Key of David, and Sceptre of the house of Israel, that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth, come to liberate the prisoner from the prison, and them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death.
Latin
O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel; qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperit: veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

December 21
O Dayspring, Brightness of the everlasting light, Son of justice, come to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death!
Latin
O Oriens, splendor lucis æternæ, et sol justitiæ: veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

December 22
O King of the Gentiles, yea, and desire thereof! O Corner-stone, that makest of two one, come to save man, whom Thou hast made out of the dust of the earth!
Latin
O Rex Gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum: veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.

December 23
Emmanuel, our King and our Law-giver, Longing of the Gentiles, yea, and salvation thereof, come to save us, O Lord our God!
Latin
O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, exspectatio gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos Domine Deus noster.


My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord / Magnificat

My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. For He hath regarded the humility of His handmaiden.

For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For He that is mighty hath done great things to me, and holy is His Name. And His Mercy is from generation unto generations upon them that fear Him.

He hath shewed might in His arm, He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He hath sent empty away.

He hath received Israel, His servant, being mindful of His mercy. As He spoke to our Fathers, Abraham and His seed forever.


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Christmas in the West
By Timothy Egan
The New York Times

When I was old enough to drive I loaded up the little car that my dad got for the price of a lawn mower with some of the most durable of food staples and took them to my high school so I could feel good about the holidays. This was the annual Christmas Food Drive, our chance to give something back to the community, or as the more liberal Jesuits put it, “to commit an act of social justice.”

Most everything about the food drive was a mystery. Where was the food going? Indians, we were told. What kind of Indians? Poor Indians, who lived along the Columbia River, north near the Canadian border. How does the food get to them? Never mind. Will they really eat this stuff? Sure. Should we gift-wrap the Twinkies and Ho-Hos, dessert with a shelf life of John McCain? Maybe a Christmas bow, nothing more.

It wasn’t until years later that I found out something magical, even miraculous, in the unintended charitable symmetry of the food drive.

The rule was: no fresh food was accepted, with the exception of potatoes, because spuds could last through the long winter in the interior Pacific Northwest. Other than that, nothing that looked like it came from a farm, or a cow, or the sea. The more unrecognizable as an actual product of nature, the better.

From our part of town, this meant a surfeit of a certain kind. Powdered split-pea soup. Powdered mac ‘n’ cheese. Powdered white cheese. Powdered milk. Sloppy Joe mix. Hamburger Helper. Refried beans. Dinty Moore beef stew. Spam, of course, which Dwight Eisenhower said helped the Allies win the war. And SpaghettiOs — “the round spaghetti you can eat with a spoon!” Indeed, we were heavy on the Franco-American product line, which even then raised a question about why something of nominally French origin was selling a nominally Italian standby.

I’ve since learned that the inventor of SpaghettiOs, after a year-long study of the appropriate shape for a kid-friendly pasta, considered producing noodles that looked like cowboys and Indians. That would have complicated one of our major contributions.

Heavy on sodium and nitrates they may have been, but these foods filled many a winter pantry, and left us with a warm feeling, for multiple reasons, as they left the house. I loaded up my dad’s SIMCA, a Flintstones-era foreign car with less power than it takes to run a toaster, and headed off through deep snow drifts to school.

I parked on a residential side street, in a neighborhood where rusted appliances would often appear on front lawns when the snow melted in the spring. My plan had been to unload the food at the end of the school day, when I had more time. But a teacher told me I could be excused to bring everything in now. Why the hurry?

“Your food might get stolen, Tim.” Stolen? The problem was the neighborhood, I was told, in a hushed voice. Our school was in a poor part of town — called Hillyard, named for the railroad baron. Truth be told, we feared the kids of Hillyard, and made it a point to avoid them except when we had to crush them in sports.

With help, I dutifully carried my donation into the school, where it was stored in the football team’s weight room. From there, it would be delivered to poor Indians on Christmas Eve. Mystery intact, and a better Christmas for some people up north.

About 20 years later, I ran into a man who was raised on the Colville Indian Reservation, home to 12 bands of native people who have lived for centuries along the Columbia River. Growing up, it was rare to spend time with an Indian. Our minor league baseball team was called the Indians, and I raced against a kid from another school who was a full-blood Flathead, but Indians were abstractions for the most part, summoned into rosy view during the food drive.

It was Christmas time, in a social setting, and the man from Indian country started talking about the donated food that would arrive on the rez every year in late December. He said they welcomed the Dinty Moore beef stew and the Spam, but couldn’t stomach some of the other donations. I was amazed — that was our food drive!


“That powdered cheese — it’ll make your guts blow up if you take it with milk,” he said. “Man, that stuff was nasty.”


Well then, I asked, what did you do with it?


“We had our own food drive,” he said. “We took all the things we didn’t like and gave it to the poor white kids. In Hillyard. Made us all feel better.”

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Veni Veni Emmanuel

If you are an email subscriber go to http://venite-missa-est.blogspot.com/ to listen/view this video.

"Veni, veni, Emmanuel". It is a metrical version of the O Antiphons from the final week of Advent vespers, which now serves as a popular hymn. Its origins are unclear: it is thought that the antiphons are from at least the 8th Century, but "Veni, veni Emmanuel" may well be 12th century in origin.[3][4] The text is based on the biblical prophecy from Isaiah 7:14 that states that God will give Israel a sign that will be called Immanuel (Lit.: God with us). Matthew 1:23 states fulfillment of this prophecy in the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Post #267

Topics: Bishop Conley: Defense of Evangelii Gaudium...Feast Day: Our Lady of Guadalupe...Our Lady of Guadalupe: Appears to Juan Diego
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Run while you have the light of life, lest the darkness of death over take you. John 12:35

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Please note, and share, that there is no Midnight Mass this year but rather a Solemn High Mass, the third mass of Christmas on Christmas day at 11:15.  Again: NO MIDNIGHT MASS this year.
...and now for the necessaries.
Please note: St. Anthony Catholic Church celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass (EFLR) in the Wichita diocese. Though this blog is loosely centered around this parish and it's members, Venite Missa Est! is by no means, in any way an official voice of, or for, St. Anthony Parish or the Diocese of Wichita. Venite Missa Est! is strictly a private layman's endeavor.

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Bishop, in National Review, Criticizes Caricature of Pope’s Economic Views
Catholic World News

Blogger's Note: Bishop Conley was once the celebrant for the EFLR at St. Anthony as well as our liaison to Bishop Jackals.

Defending Pope Francis against criticism from some conservatives, Bishop James Conley of Lincoln said that the message of the Pontiff’s recent apostolic exhortation “is now being reduced to a sophomoric caricature,” much as St. Francis of Assisi has been caricatured as a “medieval flower child, preaching unbridled sentimentality.”

“Evangelii Gaudium did not reject capitalism, or even particular market theories,” Bishop Conley wrote in an article published on the website of National Review. “Instead, it rejected idolatry of any economic system as a panacea, and it called Catholics to human solidarity in the context of public policy. The pope affirmed that markets must be understood and administered in justice, with due regard for the sovereignty and solidarity of families and human dignity. Pope Benedict XVI presented similar ideas in depth in 2009, as did Saint Thomas Aquinas and Saint Augustine.”

“The personal and convicting message of Pope Francis requires us to examine carefully the humanity of our public policy, and of our private lives. It calls us to self-examination, and, more important, self-denial,” Bishop Conley added. “It calls us to temper the pursuit of our own prosperity by our obligations to our fellow human beings. But Pope Francis is not calling for an advent of socialist economic policy or radical income redistribution. The Holy Father has lived through Latin America’s 50-year cycle of extremist economic policies. He’s calling for moderation, for freedom, and above all, for virtue.”

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Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe
December 12
Catholic Culture

"Hear me and understand well, my son the least, that nothing should frighten or grieve you. Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear that sickness, nor any other sickness or anguish. Am I not here, who is your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything."
— Our Lady to Juan Diego

In the winter of 1531, a poor, 57-year-old Aztec Indian living five miles outside of Mexico City encountered a miraculous happening on his way to morning Mass. First he heard strange music coming from Tepeyac Hill, and then he heard a woman's voice calling his name. Juan Diego climbed the hill and encountered a young woman, appearing to be of his own people in physical appearance and dress. The woman identified herself as the Virgin Mary, and told Juan Diego to ask the bishop of Mexico City to build a church on the hill to assist in the conversion of the nation and be a source of consolation to the people.

Juan Diego obeyed the request, but the bishop was skeptical regarding the message, even though he perceived that Juan was a humble, and well meaning Catholic. Juan reported the bishop's doubt to Our Lady at Tepeyac Hill, and she asked him to return to the bishop once again, bearing the same message. The bishop once again heard the story, and told Juan Diego to ask Our Lady for a sign that it was indeed herself that wished for the church to be built.

When he returned to the hill, Mary gave Juan Diego such a sign. Miraculously, roses appeared on the hill in the middle of winter, and Juan gathered them in his tilma, or cloak. Our Lady arranged the roses in his tilma with her own hands, and Juan returned to the bishop's presence. When Juan released the tilma, allowing the flowers to fall to the floor, it was revealed that a miraculous image of Our Lady had imprinted itself on his tilma (see above).

The bishop immediately fell to his knees, and came to believe in Juan Diego's message. A church was built on the spot of the apparition, as Mary had requested, and 8 million people converted to Catholicism in a short period of time upon hearing of or viewing the miraculous image of Our Lady.

The tilma of Juan Diego has been the subject of much modern research. The tilma, woven out of coarse cactus fiber, should have disintegrated after 20 years, but although over 500 years have passed the tilma is still in perfect condition. The pupils of Mary in the picture reflect the Indians and clergy present at the time of the first revelation of the image. No paint was used, and chemical analysis has not been able to identify the color imprint. Additionally, studies have revealed that the stars on Mary's mantle match exactly what a Mexican would have seen in the sky in December of 1531.

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Our Lady of Guadalupe Appears to Juan Diego
"Listen and let it penetrate your heart…do not be troubled or weighed down with grief. Do not fear any illness or vexation, anxiety or pain. Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not your fountain of life? Are you not in the folds of my mantle? In the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else you need?” (Our Lady’s words to her servant Juan Diego.)

click image for bigger version

This picture hung on the wall in my parent's home since I could ever remember. Having been born in Mexico (coming to the States as children), my parents had a special devotion to Blessed Mother and the Miracle of Tepeyac.

On Dec. 9, 1531, the Virgin appeared on a hill named Tepeyac to a Chichimec neophyte named Juan Diego, born with the name Cuauhtlatoatzin, which means “the talking eagle.”

According to traditional Catholic accounts of the Guadalupan apparitions, during a walk from his village to the city on the early morning of December 9, 1531, Juan Diego saw a vision of the Virgin - a young girl of fourteen to sixteen, dark skinned and black haired, surrounded by light- at the Hill of Tepeyac.

Speaking in Nahuatl, imploring him in the diminutive case, the Lady asked for a church to be built at that site in her honor. After much hand wringing and imploring for release of such a responsibility, Juan Diego spoke to the Spanish bishop, Fray Juan de Zumárraga, the bishop asked him for a miraculous sign to prove his claim.

The Virgin asked Juan Diego to gather some flowers at the top of the hill, even though it was winter when no flowers bloomed. He found there Castilian roses, gathered them, and the Virgin herself re-arranged them in his tilma. When Juan Diego presented the roses to Zumárraga, the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe miraculously appeared imprinted on the cloth of Diego's tilma.

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