News - May 2020 RSS Feed

Monday, June 1 - Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church; Pope Francis inaugurated this feast day in 2018, to honor Mary, who carried, bore, and mothered Jesus, stood under the cross with Him, prayed in the Upper Room with the apostles, and received the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Memorial of St. Justin, martyr. Second century scholar and writer, who composed two famous defenses of the faith, addressed to two persecuting Roman emperors. Tuesday, June - Optional Memorial of Sts. Marcellinus and Peter, martyrs, fourth century. Peter was an exorcist and Marcellinus a priest who both were imprisoned for their faith, under the Emperor Diocletian. Wednesday, June 3 - Memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, 19th century martyrs. Charles and 21 other young Uganadan men, who served at the royal court, were martyred by order of their king for their Catholic faith. Friday, June 5 - Memorial of St. Boniface, 8th century bishop and martyr. St. Boniface was a Benedictine monk and a great medieval figure. He is the apostle to and patron of Germany, where he was martyred, sent to convert those peoples by Pope Gregory II. St. Boniface is buried at the renowned Fulda Abbey. Saturday, June 6 - Optional Memorial of St. Norbert, bishop, who lived in the 11th and 12th centuries. Norbert transformed his life after a dramatic conversion, and became a great archbishop in his native Germany. Sunday, June 7 – Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity (First Sunday of restricted public Masses in the Burlington Diocese)

Monday, May 25 – Memorial Day Optional Memorial of St. Bede the Venerable, priest and Doctor of the Church. Seventh and eighth century, English Benedictine monk and historian, called Venerable during his life because of his fervent, sound, and eloquent writings on the Scripture and Catholic doctrine. Optional Memorial of St. Gregory VII, pope. Eleventh century Benedictine monk, cardinal and pope, who contended with the Holy Roman Emperor, strove to cleanse the Church of abuses and defend her before civil authorities. The Emperor finally exiled Gregory from Rome. He died the next year in Salerno, Italy. Optional Memorial of St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi, virgin. Born in the 16th century, she died in 1607. This saint was a Carmelite nun and mystic who experienced many spiritual ecstasies and practiced great austerities in her life. Her motto was “Suffer, not die!” Her incorruptible body is displayed in a glass coffin at the Carmelite church in Florence, Italy. Tuesday, May 26 – Memorial of St. Philip Neri, 16th century Italian priest, renowned for his happy and funny personality. He founded the first Congregation of the Oratory, a group of priests who lived, worshipped, and worked together without vows. This first oratory was the model for the British oratories founded by Saint John Henry Newman in the 19th century. Oratories are found today throughout the world. Saint Philip Neri also is the patron saint of the U.S. Army Special Forces and of the city of Rome. Wednesday, May 27 - Optional Memorial of St. Augustine of Canterbury, bishop. Seventh century priest sent by the pope from Rome with other Benedictine monks to convert the English peoples. St. Augustine was the first Archbishop of Canterbury. Friday, May 29 – Optional Memorial of St. Paul VI, pope. Italian archbishop and cardinal, born at the end of the 19th century, he died in 1978, succeeded by Pope John Paul I, who died only a month after his election as pope. Pope Paul VI succeeded Pope Saint John XIII in 1963. Paul VI completed the Second Vatican Council and set in place many changes, including a new Roman Missal. He also issued Humanae Vitae, On Human Life, the landmark papal encyclical that rejected artificial contraception. Sunday, May 31 – Pentecost Sunday Also The Feast of the Visitation when the date falls on a weekday.

Memorial Day grave blessings at the New Mount Calvary Cemetery on Monday, May 25 by Fr. Harlow.

Monday, May 18 – Optional Memorial of St. John I, Pope and Martyr, 6th century. John died in prison in Ravenna (Italy), sentenced there by the Arian King Theodoric after a mission to the Emperor Justin in Constantinople. Jealous of Pope John’s magnificent reception at the imperial court and furious at Emperor Justin’s opposition to the Arian heresy, the King threw Pope John in prison, where the elderly pontiff died a few days later. Wednesday, May 20 - Optional Memorial of St. Bernardine of Siena, priest. Fourteenth century Italian Franciscan priest and inspiring preacher with great love for the Holy Name of Jesus. Thursday, May 21 - Optional Memorial of St. Christopher Magallanes, priest and martyr, and his companions, martyrs; St. Christopher and fellow Mexican parish priests and laymen gave their lives for the faith during the anti-Catholic presidency of Plutarco Calles during the 1920s. Optional Memorial of St. Eugene de Mazenod, 18th and 19th century French bishop who ministered to the poor and founded the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Friday, May 22 – Optional Memorial of St. Rita of Cascia, 14th century Italian wife, mother, widow, and religious. Her suffering and religious devotion won the conversion of her abusive husband. St. Rita also is known as the saint of the impossible. Ascension Thursday – Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, 40 days after Easter. Holy Day of Obligation. Some dioceses transfer this Solemnity to the next Sunday. We celebrate the ascension of Jesus Christ our Lord to Heaven, to reign with his Father. Mass this year … The requirement to attend Mass is lifted by the rules of the corona virus pandemic.

We celebrate this yearly holiday on the second Sunday of May, also the month of Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Mother of our Savior, Mother of God. There may be a special blessing for mothers at Mass this weekend. Look up a blessing for the mothers in your life. Here’s one prayer, among many you may find, this one from Catholic Online. “Mary, on this day when we honor all mothers, we turn to you. We thank the Lord whom you serve for the great gift of motherhood. Never has it been known that anyone who sought your intercession was left unaided by grace. Dear Mother, thank you for your ‘Yes’ to the invitation of the angel which brought heaven to earth and changed human history. You opened yourself to God's word and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Dear mother, intercede for all of our mothers. Ask your Divine Son to give them the grace of surrendered love so that they could join with you in giving their own "Fiat." May they find daily strength to say yes to the call to the sacrificial love- the very heart of the vocation of motherhood. May their love and witness be a source of great inspiration for all of us called to follow your Son. On this Mothers day, Mother of the Word Incarnate, pray for us who have recourse to you... In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

Click the title link above to read the litany that Fr Lance W Harlow, Rector, at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Burlington prayed , on May 1, while the American bishops were re-consecrating the United States to our Lady of the immaculate conception; Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the diocese of Burlington before her statue at the cathedral. The litany is prayed every Monday night at the Cathedral. During the month of May, Father has entrusted the Diocese to its patronness seeking her intercession and protection for all the men, women, its churches and institutions.