Catholics Can Receive Special Indulgences During Eucharistic Year

From CNS STORY: Catholics can receive special indulgences during eucharistic year:



"Cardinal Stafford said the special eucharistic year indulgences include the normal requirements set by the church for all plenary indulgences: that within a reasonably short period of time, the person goes to confession, receives the Eucharist and prays for the intentions of the pope, all in a spirit of total detachment from the attraction of sin.



Special plenary indulgences, he said, would be given to those who fulfill the normal requirements in conjunction with participating 'with attention and piety in a sacred function or a pious exercise carried out in honor of the Blessed Sacrament, either solemnly exposed or preserved in the tabernacle.'



In addition, he said, those who recite the vespers and compline prayers of the Liturgy of the Hours in a church or chapel where the Eucharist is present in the tabernacle will receive a plenary indulgence.



Cardinal Stafford said that Catholics who because of illness or other serious reason cannot visit a church or chapel could still earn the indulgence if they make the visit 'with the desire of their hearts, in a spirit of faith in the real presence of Jesus Christ in the sacrament of the altar.' "

Pope --Cardinal Schotte as "man of peace"

I write about the Cardinal in one of my books as a man who took the time to notice a very young Joseph after another now Cardinal had walked by and not noticed. Based on the three minutes that he talked "baby talk" to Joseph, I would say that he "imitated Christ" in a way that many do not.



Offer a prayer for him, it may return to you.



From Catholic World News : Pope praised late Cardinal Schotte as "man of peace":



"Pope John Paul II praised the late Cardinal Jan Pieter Schotte as a 'man of peace' during funeral services for the Belgian prelate on January 14.



The Holy Father presided at the funeral in St. Peter's Basilica, and delivered a homily, in which he observed that Cardinal Schotte had 'generously and tirelessly placed his multiple gifts of intelligence, humanity, and spirituality at the disposal of the Roman Curia.' Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was the principal celebrant of the Mass.



Cardinal Schotte had served as the secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops from 1984 until his retirement in February 2004. During that time he was responsible for organizing the meetings of 12 synods. Prior to assuming his post in that office, he worked in the Secretariat of State and the Pontifical Commission for Justice and Peace. He was elevated to the College of Cardinals by Pope John Paul in November 1994. "

Join Me for a Lenten Retreat

At the Fatima Retreat House in Indianapolis, Indiana on February 11-13, 2005





'The Power of the Cross' Lenten Retreat

with Author Michael Dubruiel



This retreat is aimed at applying the passion Of Christ to your everyday life. Learn God's unique Purpose and mission for you, how to overcome the evil that you have suffered at the hands of others, to find God' presence in difficult times, and to discover the keys to unleashing the power of the cross in your life.



Registration Friday @ 6:30 pm until Sunday 1:00 pm Cost of retreat is $145.00 which includes program, materials, meals and overnight accommodations. $50.00 deposit is required at registration. "



If you live in a different part of the country, Indianapolis has Southwest, ATA, Independence Air all flying into their airport--all at incredibly low, low rates!



The book can be viewed here:



A young woman dying of a terminal illness and abandoned by her family is filled with unspeakable joy.

What is her secret?

Discover what she knew and what it means for you in The Power of the Cross!

Eastern Catholics Should Pursue Ties with Orthodox--Pope

From Catholic World News : Eastern Catholics should pursue ties with Orthodox, Pope says:



"Pope John Paul II (bio - news) has encouraged Eastern-rite Catholics to pursue their contacts with their Orthodox counterparts, saying that their 'common liturgical tradition' could furnish the basis for greater ecumenical progress.



The Pope made his remarks in an address to participants at an interparchal synod of Italy's Eastern Catholic communities. He told them that their faithful could profit greatly from a 'solid formation rooted in the Oriental tradition,' adding that the Byzantine perspective could also provide 'an effective manner to the growing challenges of secularization. Pope John Paul has frequently encouraged the growth of the Eastern Catholic churches, and urged Byzantine Catholics to protect their distinctive spirituality and liturgy. The intereparchal synod was set up to serve the two small Byzantine Catholic communities of Italy: the Italo-Byzantine community centered around the monastery of Grottafera, and the Italo-Albanian Church. Pope John Paul remarked that cooperation between the two is fruitful because they are 'heirs of a common spiritual patrimony.' "

Pope--SATAN WILL BE VANQUISHED

From AGI online:



Vatican City, 12 Jan - The Pope commented today on the Apocalypse before the 7,000 people attending the General Papal Audience today in the Nervi Hall, indicating that the fight between good and evil, personified by Satan, is a very hard one, as shown by the manifold violence and injustice in the world today, however the outcome is certain, evil will be vanquished. Pope John Paul II explained, "God and the Lamb, Christ, surrounded by the 'Council of the Crown', are judging human history in good and evil, but showing us however the ultimate end in salvation and glory. The songs which are found in the Apocalypse and which serve to illustrate the issue of divine glory which regulates the flux, often disconcerting, of the tide of human events". Of great significance is the first part of the hymn intoned by the 24 ancients who seem to incarnate the chosen people in their two historic stages, the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles of the Church. The Pope continued, Satan, the original adversary, who accused our brothers in the heavenly court, has now been cast down from heaven and therefore no longer has great power. He knows he has not much time left because history is about to see a radical turning point in freedom from evil and therefore he is reacting full of great fury. And then the resurrected Christ will rise up, whose blood is the principle of salvation and who received from the Father royal power over the entire universe, in Him are centred salvation, strength and the kingdom of our God. In his victory are associated the Christian martyrs who chose the path of the cross, not yielding to evil and it virulence, but delivering themselves to the Father and uniting themselves to the death of Christ by means of a testimony of donation and courage which brought them to give up life in order to die". He concluded, "the words of the Apocalypse regarding those who have vanquished Satan and evil through the blood of the Lamb, echo also in the splendid prayer attributed to the Christian martyr Simeon, from Seleucia-Ctesifonte in Persia, 'I will receive life without pain, worry, anguish, persecutor, persecuted, oppressor, oppressed, tyrant or victim, there I will see no threat of king, or terror of prefects, no-one will quote me in court or terrorise me and no-one will drag me or scare me".

Church Leadership Quick to Act Sometimes...

What a public relations nightmare...seems dealing with this silently would have made more sense.



From East Valley Tribune | Daily Arizona news for Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe, Mesa, Scottsdale:



"A marriage ceremony over the holidays, performed outside of the Catholic Church and without a priest, violated church law and has led to the firing of the diocese's Child and Youth Protection Advocate --the person responsible for ensuring sexual misconduct by church personnel doesn't occur again in the diocese.



Jenny O'Connor, 47, said she was dismissed Saturday after acknowledging to the Rev. Fred Adamson, a vicargeneral, that she and her boyfriend married without the sanctity of a Catholic wedding because he is dying from cancer and they did not believe there was time to plan for and hold a church wedding.



'They asked me to come in and just asked me why I got married, and I told them,' O'Connor said Tuesday from her Tempe home. 'They said it was outside the boundaries of being a good Catholic, and I explained all the reasons why.'



'They didn't seem to think that any of that is important, and that was it,' O'Connor said. She said she was first asked to resign, but when she declined, she was terminated. "

A Book Review of The Power of the Cross

For a copy of the book click on the cover image posted in the right hand column.



Thanks to Monsignor Vincent Haut, Pastor of Resurection Parish in Jacksonville, FL:

I knew Michael Dubruiel when he and I were much younger. In those days he was determined to do his best to preach the Gospel. He was a fiery preacher and relentless searcher for authentic faith. Reading his book is like hearing him speak again. He speaks with a desire for Christ and a passion for the Gospel that has become more refined and more insistent over the years.



This will be a good Lenten book for many people because it is divided into 42 short chapters, each of which provides a scriptural passage, some incisvive reflection, and a set of steps to take one day at a time. Whether you use it as a Lenten devotional or simply as a book of reflections, you will sense some of the author's fire and rediscover the hope that comes from the Cross.



I like this sort of book because it fits my life. Breaking things into short manageable segments is the best way to move through a book about Christ's passion. We discover what Christ means for us by following the recurring pattern set up for us in Michael Dubruiel's new book.