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Fire damages historic Catholic church in Ukraine | Catholic National Register

According to the parish website, Pope John Paul II visited the church on June 25, 2001, during his pastoral visit to Ukraine.

A fire severely damaged a historic Catholic church in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev.

The fire broke out in the Gothic-style St. Nicholas Church during an organ music rehearsal on September 3, destroying the organ, charring the interior and sending a chandelier crashing to the ground.

Courtesy photo.

St. Nicholas is the second oldest Latin Rite Catholic Church in Kiev (also known as Kiev) after St. Alexander’s Co-Cathedral.

Consecrated in 1909, the church served members of the local Polish Catholic community before Communist authorities shut it down in 1938.

The Soviet authorities removed the altar, installed a large organ and transformed the church into a concert hall.

Courtesy photo.

Courtesy photo.

Ukraine is a country of 44 million people bordering Belarus, Russia, Moldova, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland.

About two-thirds of the population are Orthodox Christians. The second largest Christian community is the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the largest of the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with Rome. The Latin rite Catholics constitute a small minority.

Ukraine declared independence in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since then, the local Catholic community has campaigned for the return of the church, which is overseen by the cultural department of the local municipality.

Courtesy photo.

Courtesy photo.

Authorities argued that the church could not be returned because the organ was too large and could not be placed elsewhere.

Catholics were allowed to celebrate mass in the church, but the church remained a concert hall and the community was obliged to rent the building.

According to the parish website, Pope John Paul II visited the church on June 25, 2001, during his pastoral visit to Ukraine.

Kiev Post reported on September 4 that police were still investigating the cause of the fire.

After the organ was destroyed in the fire, Catholics say there is no reason why the church should not be returned. But they report that the government and the culture ministry have so far ignored their renewed demands.

It is believed that the authorities want to restore Saint-Nicolas in a concert hall.

The priests continue to celebrate daily masses for the parish community. But they are offered outdoors and the weather turns cold after summer is over.

Courtesy photo.

Courtesy photo.

Masses are celebrated by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate.

The local superior, Father Pavlo Vyshkovkyy, told CNA: “We call on Catholics all over the world to support us in prayer and to make our situation known to others who could help restore the house of God to people. devotees of Kiev.


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Arundel Cathedral: Students congratulated on their performances at a children’s concert with the Sleepy Lagoon Orchestra

The Sleepy Lagoon Orchestra in Chichester hosted the concert, which included Holly and Madeleine from Arundel Church of England Primary School and Herbie and Amara from St Philip’s Catholic Primary School on piano, guitar and vocals during the evening.

Arundel Mayor Tony Hunt presented prizes to the children at the end of the evening and congratulated them on their contribution to a “magical evening” as part of the Arundel Festival.

Mr Hunt said: “It is just wonderful that we can all be back and enjoy this Arundel festival together. We are very fortunate to live in a city where volunteers can organize such an event and in a city that can attract such talented artists of the caliber of the Sleepy Lagoon Orchestra to come and participate.

Arundel Festival President Sharon Blaikie, Chichester University Orchestra Director Simon Growcott, Arundel Mayor Tony Hunt, and two of the musicians from the Sleepy Lagoon Orchestra with, from left to right , Herbie, Amara, Holly and Madeleine

“We have to be very grateful to the people who made this possible. The Arundel Festival is no accident. It takes months of hard work and planning, almost all done by volunteers.

“When work began on this festival in January, we were all confined. Children spent their school day online. Neither of us knew what the situation would be in August.

“Some people have said that we shouldn’t have a festival this year because we don’t know what the situation will be. Luckily for us, the festival committee took a different point of view and prepared for a whole host of situations, so they were ready for any circumstance.

“More than ever, in 2021, this 45th Arundel Festival was the result of determination, an absolute refusal to give up and hard work on the part of the festival president, Sharon Blaikie, as well as festival committee and volunteers.

“I therefore thank them, as well as all those who have contributed, the schools, the sponsors and the artists, for what they have delivered for our greatest pleasure. I am now looking forward to the 46th festival next year.

The concert was a perfect opportunity for the children to experience live music and see instruments playing.


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Saint Anne’s Cathedral – The History of the Oldest Catholic Church in Vizag

The location could well be the heart of historic Vizag, because, just off the main road in old Vizag, the tall buildings of yesteryear were gradually built. Some like LMS Telugu Chapel (now CSI Church), LMS Vizagapatam High School (now CBM High School), Hindu Library and Town Hall remain. The Mahal (Maharajah Gajapathi Rao’s mansion) and Kurupam market have been demolished, and the original cemetery nearby is in ruins. However, a forgotten treasure of Vizag remains and it is the founding Catholic Church – Saint Anne’s Cathedral which was built in the 1850s. The builder of cathedrals, the Reverend Father Jean Marie Tissot, was the first architect of Vizag who also built St Aloysius School, Waltair Fort and Convents, Ross Hill Chapel and led the establishment of the Catholic faith and modern education for the masses, especially the Telugu girls, in the region.

The history of the Catholic Church in Vizag dates back to 1770. A Portuguese merchant residing in Vizagapatam named Paul Rosario who gave his house and his possessions to the Theotine Fathers who came from Goa on condition that it be used as a chapel dedicated to St. Anne. It is the very first Catholic church in Vizagapatam. Catholics of the time were mostly Europeans and Eurasians, whether serving in the military or their families.

When the first Missionaries of Saint Francis de Sales (MSFS) arrived in Vizag on February 19, 1846, it was in this Sainte-Anne chapel that the Catholic soldiers took them with enthusiasm. Monsignor Neyret and Father JM Tissot prepared the plans for the Cathedral; the old chapel was demolished and on February 2, 1852 Bro. Tissot laid the first stone in the absence of the Vicar Apostolic. On December 8, 1854, Bishop Neyret consecrated the new cathedral. An early graphic illustration from 1907 was reproduced on the cover of the French periodical Les Missions.

Image credits: John Castellas

The original building of St. Anne’s Cathedral was a house about 70 feet long with verandas. The Theotin priests transformed the verandas into bedrooms and the house into a small chapel. After the last Theotine Fr. D’Attaide, the MSFS priests renovated the building by opening the veranda rooms inside the church and creating a church with three naves. The arrival of a community of nuns from St Joseph d’Annecy required the construction of a house for them in the Fort district, but the intensification of religious activity required a large church worthy of standing religions. They wanted a Gothic style design but there were no architects to consult or materials to build with, but the land around Sainte-Anne was an ideal site.

Father Tissot decided to make his own bricks and made 1,200,000 bricks at a third of the price of the poor quality bricks offered for sale. Local Irish Catholic soldiers made modest donations of 600 rupees according to their modest means, but devoted their labor to manual construction, including ascending and descending to Dolphin’s Nose to salvage bricks from an old Dutch house. . Father Tissot drew his plans in the sand to illustrate the dimensions, the elevation of the vaults, the number of naves and their width. There would be, in addition to the three interior naves, two exterior naves, which would be transformed into verandas. Above these would be a floor, where rooms would be built for the missionaries. These rooms would first house the Sister of Saint Joseph. They would also set up sacristies behind the three altars of the sanctuary and at the end of the outer verandas would run stairs leading to the upper floor. The building would become a grand edifice, with clean proportions, pointed windows, graceful interior and grandiose appearance.

In 1858, the Sisters of Saint Joseph began to stay in the cathedral until 1898, when they settled permanently in the then newly built Waltair Convent. Thus, for 40 years, the cathedral served as a convent for the Sisters of Saint Joseph. Between 1920 and 1935, the cathedral was also a boarding house for boys until it was transferred to St. Anthony in 1939.

Image credits: John Castellas

The episcopal consecration of cathedrals is reported in Catholic journals as … ‘July 26, 1891 on the feast of St. Anne, Bishop Jean-Marie Clerc, elected bishop will receive episcopal consecration in his Cathedral Church, on the feast of St. Anne, July 26. The consecrated prelate will be Mgr Joseph Coglan, archbishop of Madras and metropolitan. ‘

Reporting on Bishop Clerc’s ordination in 1891, the Madras Mail describes the decorations of the cathedral for the event… ‘arches of palm branches with ferns and flowers with flags and banners floating from its gray turrets… and upon entering the cathedral one can only be struck by the appearance of a new and beautiful cenotaph in the memory of the late Bishop Tissot. It is a white marble slab in the shape of an arc in the shape of a lancet, set in a black marble frame following the same outline, and adorned with a golden motif representing vine leaves. The slab is surrounded by a monogram of Greek characters XP and has the iconic letters Alpha and Omega engraved on the sides. At the foot are grouped a cross, an anchor and a heart, a well-known symbol of the theological virtues, Faith, Hope and Charity. Immediately above the inscription we see, in relief, the coats of arms of the late prelates consisting of a bishop’s hat, a shield with a chalice depicted on it and, as if not applicable, the words “Da robur, fer auxilium” of the familiar Eucharist hymn ‘O Salutaris’. The inscription gives the name and rank of the bishop, the dates respectively of his admission to the priesthood, of his elevation to the episcopate, and of his regretted disappearance in addition to mentioning where he died and the place of his burial. He goes on to say that “for 45 years he worked relentlessly as a good soldier of Christ, loved by God and by men. The inscription ends with the letters RIP, and the declaration that the cenotaph was… Erected by his friend and sincere pupil, Ananda Gajapathi Raj, Maharajah, Vizianagram.‘

Saint Anne's Cathedral - The History of the Oldest Catholic Church in Vizag
Image credits: John Castellas

The Reverend Father Jean Marie Tissot was the great builder of the colonial Vizagapatam. Born in 1810, he arrived in India in 1845, came to Vizagapatam in 1846, and served as a priest with the Missionaries of Saint Francis of Sale in Annecy, France. Rt Rev JM Tissot was Bishop of Vizagapatam 1886 – 1890. In addition to the construction of St Anne’s Cathedral, his accomplishments extend to the long term lease on the backwaters which is today the Inner Harbor, he built reclaimed landfills, introduced new cultivation techniques and helped local farmers cultivate parts in paddy fields. Reverend Tissot also founded St Aloysius High School, Vizag in 1847, built Fort Convent and St Joseph’s Convent, Waltair, bought the land on Ross Hill and built the original Hill Chapel. Reverend Tissot has benefited from the patronage of Maharajah Sir Goday Gajapathi Rao and also of Maharajah of Vizianagram. The local Zamindars actively supported the establishment of Catholic educational institutions for local boys and the women and girls of the Zamindars actively supported, against the practice of the time, the education of Telugu girls.

Cenotaph of the cathedral at Rt Rev JM Tissot

The Madras Catholic Watchman reported in 1889 that … ‘Reverend Tissot presented to Vizagapatam, for the first time, the following elements: – The tube well; the ice maker; the sewing machine ; the washing machine; the kneading machine; the grinder and the cooker or cooker. The city’s greatest architects were once under the training of His Lordship. The superb Sainte-Anne Cathedral is a permanent memorial to His Lordship’s skill in architecture; the building is decidedly incomparable in this part of the Northern Circars.‘

The structure of St. Anne’s Cathedral has been subjected to the harshness of the many monsoons and cyclones that have plagued Vizag over the years. Perhaps this explains the dull protective tile coating applied to the exterior of the brick and chunam cathedral and the change in some architectural features. One wonders how Vizag’s own Hill Chapel, Waltair Convent and other great South Indian cathedrals have been well restored and maintained to retain their original glory? Has the first Catholic cathedral in Vizag been relegated to the fore or has it simply been “forgotten”?

This article on Saint Anne’s Cathedral in Vizag was written by John Castellas whose family had belonged to Vizag for 5 generations. Trained in St Aloysius, migrated to Melbourne, Australia in 1966, former General Manager of Engineering at Boeing & Qantas Airways, retired, Senior Lecturer in Aviation Management at Swinburne University and avid Vizag .


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The race begins to rebuild Notre-Dame Cathedral by 2024

The reconstruction of Notre-Dame Cathedral received the green light after fires engulfed its roof and sent its spire crashing into the nave below more than two years ago.

The French government agency in charge of the reconstruction said the structure was stable and secure enough to begin work.

The cathedral was to be restored to its previous design, including the 96-meter spire designed by architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc in the mid-1800s.

This selection came as a relief to many in the community after dozens of short stories – and even some wacky reinterpretations – of architecture were proposed but ultimately rejected.

Reconstruction progress has also been slowed by the pandemic.

Closures in France throughout 2020 kept workers at home and forced cathedral doors to remain closed for the first Christmas mass since 1803.

Even today, France sees thousands of cases of COVID every day.

Anatomy of a national tragedy

To date, no exact cause of the fire has been identified.

Investigators favor a theory that the fire was probably caused during restoration work carried out at the time, with either a cigarette or electrical equipment as the most likely culprit.

An investigation also noted another theory that a series of temporary electronic bells mounted on wires running through the roof could have shorted out and started the fire.

But once the fire started at 6:18 p.m., precious minutes were wasted due to miscommunication from security personnel and the fire alarm not being linked to the local fire department.

When the firefighters arrived, the fire had seized the roof.

Many firefighting tactics like water bombardments were abandoned for fear of further destroying the fragile contents of the cathedral.

At 7:50 p.m., the cathedral spire collapsed into the structure, creating a draft that slammed all of the cathedral’s doors and sent a fireball through the attic.

Inferno: Flames and smoke rise from Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris on April 15, 2019.

The firefighters retreated from the attic and abandoned the roof in order to divert resources to the north tower.

The north tower contained eight large, heavy bells.

Firefighters feared that if the north tower became destabilized and the bells fell, the damage from their fall could bring down the tower and collapse the entire cathedral as a result.

As the fires burned, a human chain carried irreplaceable religious artifacts out of the cathedral.

A firefighter and two police officers were injured before the fires were brought under control at 9.45 p.m.

Rebuild an icon

Reconstruction: After more than two years, Notre-Dame Cathedral has been given the green light to begin reconstruction.
Reconstruction: After more than two years, Notre-Dame Cathedral has been given the green light to begin reconstruction.

The Friends of Notre-Dame had led the restoration of the cathedral for the two years since the start of the fire.

Their security works included the installation of a massive tarpaulin above the vaults to protect themselves from the rain, the fortification of the north, south and west gables, in particular to protect the three large rose windows, the fortification of the pillars of the nave. the most damaged, reinforcing the flying buttresses, dressing and protecting the gargoyles and other sculptural elements of the north and south towers and removing the burnt and molten scaffolding that previously surrounded the spire.

With all of this done, the rebuilders faced a logging problem.

The 14the The spire of the century cathedral was constructed with much longer timber than is customarily used in modern construction.

In June, foresters felled 200-year-old oak trees to obtain the 26-meter-long logs needed to rebuild the spire.

These trees came from a forest near Le Mans which, in past centuries, supplied the carpenters of the French navy.

French President Emmanuel Macron had pledged to rebuild the cathedral for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Reconstruction is expected to start in the next few months and the cleanup is already underway.


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The cathedral beyond the forest (a dream)

Last night I had this dream:

Fran and I were visiting friends who had a nice house in the woods. The house was covered with natural woodwork that had not been painted, perhaps only varnished, so that the beauty of the wood was apparent. The house was surrounded on all sides by woods, like my old house north of Monteagle where I lived from 1990 to 1993. I don’t know who lived there, but they were friends. Fran and I were in a guest room with windows facing the beautiful forest. The dream didn’t really follow a story, just vivid images: the exterior of this rustic house; inside the bedroom, the dinner table before people were seated (a large table set for a number of people, but with two beautiful black cats, like Pete and Mama, lounging on the table), and be outside and listen to the cathedral chime – presumably the Washington National Cathedral. You could clearly hear the cathedral bells through the woods. I was talking to someone, I wasn’t sure if it was the host or some other guest, and I was saying how much I loved this place because it was submerged in the woods, and yet in the direction the Our bedroom window looked out (I think it was north), beyond the woods, was the cathedral. At one point, I was standing with the host and a few other people near a truck or jeep along the road – it was not paved, just a small road through the woods – while we listened to the bells of the cathedral; then we were just outside the house on the edge of the forest. Another of the guests told us that at the bottom of the forest there was a village; I don’t know if it was abandoned or not; but maybe not because the person discouraged us from trying to visit it. He gave the impression that the villagers were suspicious of strangers, “Not quite civilized,” I suggested, and he nodded. So it was not safe to look at them as tourists, although a lot of people had done so over the years.

It was not the most vivid dream I have ever had, nor even the most “spiritual” – I dreamed of stunts or paragliding (see page 187 of Eternal heart), or the end of the world, or even hotel lobbies, which had a more visceral feeling of divine presence than this dream. But even so, I woke up after this dream and felt the urge to not only write it down in my dream journal, but now blog about it.

On the one hand, it’s a simple dream of hospitality: visiting friends, enjoying their company, savoring their beautiful home in the woods, getting ready to break bread together (cats and all). Even a warning to stay away from a hidden place where hospitality is lacking. Hospitality is a fundamental spiritual value, not only for Christians but for all great spiritual and wisdom traditions – think of Abraham bending over backwards to offer hospitality to the three strangers at the Oaks of Mamre (Genesis 18: 1- 8) or the importance of hospitality in the Celtic tradition.

National Cathedral, Washington DC (Image credit: Shutter stock)

I think what moved me in this dream was this idea of ​​the cathedral and the forest.

You see, in this dream, the “where” of hospitality is just as important. The house is nestled in a forest and, of course, it looked like the kind of forest one would find in Virginia or Georgia, where I have lived most of my life: a combination of pines and deciduous trees, shaded and welcoming. The woods themselves seemed so peaceful and welcoming, although someone who knew the forest better than I warned us that there were places considered dangerous within them (the Forbidden Forest: such an archetype). Yet just beyond the first – not inside, but beyond – a place of great cultural beauty and worship: a cathedral. And while I love both the Catholic and Episcopal cathedrals of Atlanta, my “dream cathedral” is one of the largest and most architecturally splendid churches in North America: the Episcopal Cathedral of Washington DC, known as the National Cathedral (clearly playing fast and with “separation of church and state” there). When I became an Episcopalian in 1986, I was confirmed in the National Cathedral – a slap on my cheek and everything. So it is a church with a place in my heart, even after swimming across the Tiber in 2005.

The dream does not say if the cathedral is in the middle of a big city, as it is in reality; I don’t know if the forest of my dreams is surrounded by the city, or the city by the forest, or if there is some kind of balance between the two. As I am speculating on this here in waking consciousness, I rather prefer the idea of ​​balance. In the first chapter of Eternal heart, I cite a number of mystics (from Benedict to Julian of Norwich to Ignatius of Loyola, and beyond) who all teach that God is everywhere, so the contemplative life consists of learning to find, or “look” at, God in all things. It is an important principle for my own spiritual life. I grew up in a home that, like many culturally Christian families, operated on the assumption that you had to go to church to find God. But even then my father taught me a deep love for the woods, the forest, the conservation. He knew, on an intuitive level I believe, that God comes to us in the woods as surely as he does in church – just as you could say that God comes to us as surely in the cathedral as in the forest.

It’s all good, it’s quite an icon of the Divine. We have to learn to see, to notice, to be aware. Perhaps it is easier to find God in the church and the forest – not “or” but “and” – when we do the essential contemplative work of learning to recognize the Divine Presence in our hearts. Meet God in your heart, and you will recognize the presence of God, whether it is among the trees, or the stained glass windows, or even the hidden places in your life where people not practice hospitality. You can give them hospitality.

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The Sacred Heart Cathedral celebrates the rite of accepting applicants into the new standard

In the pre-pandemic era, the church typically welcomes investigators who have gone through a few months of “first contact” in the RCIA, celebrating t

Sep 20, 2021

A catechumen accepting the Bible to express the desire to live by the Word of God


By Catherine Wan
In the pre-pandemic era, the church generally welcomes investigators who have gone through a few months of “first contact” in the RCIA, celebrating the rite of acceptance into the Order of Catechumens during a Sunday mass to allow for the congregation to witness and pray for them.

However, the church is not open to worshipers to participate in physical mass under the strict lockdown restrictions. Nevertheless, taking advantage of the national holiday of September 16 as a public holiday, the parish priest of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Father Paul Lo, invited the investigators of the RCIA of the different languages ​​to attend the rite of Acceptance spaced at different times. of the day. .

In accordance with the current SOP, participants must have completed two doses of vaccination and the number of participants must not exceed fifty people.

Through the Rite of Acceptance, applicants are officially accepted into the catechumenate stage to become catechumens. At this point, they learn the catechism and learn to live a life of progressive conversion to Christ for about six months. Hopefully in March of next year (the first Sunday of Lent) they will be enrolled during the rite of election and actively prepare for the sacraments of initiation.

The Acceptance Rite for the BM investigator group took place at 11 a.m. To comply with the SOPs, only 20 of the 46 adult catechumens, accompanied by their mentors, were allowed to participate in the physical half-hour ceremony. The rest of the catechumens and their sponsors participated in the ceremony online via ZOOM. In addition, there were 20 child catechumens who were not required to participate in the ceremony.

The Rite of Acceptance in English and Chinese was held at 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. respectively in the Cathedral by Father Paul. There were 15 English speaking catechumens, including two from the Church of Mary Immaculate. There were eight Chinese-speaking catechumens.

The Rite consisted of three parts: the reception, the liturgy of the Word and the dismissal. After asking the investigators the reason for their joining the Catholic Church, the president made the sign of the cross from afar and they themselves put the crucifix that had been blessed earlier as a symbol of their belief in Jesus Christ. .

Father Paul in his homily pointed out that the church commemorates the martyrdom of Pope Saint Cornelius and Bishop Saint Cyprian on this day. He encouraged the catechumens to imitate the courage of the two saints to face the challenges and trials of life. Faith is a gift from God, which must be strengthened by the Word of God just as Jesus had overcome the temptations of Satan by the Word of God. The president stressed that every follower of Christ should bear the cross and follow him.

After the homily, the president handed the Bible to a representative of the catechumens because the Bible will help them learn more about Jesus Christ.–CS

The Prayers of the Faithful prayed that the catechumens receive the faith which helps them wholeheartedly accept the teachings of Christ and move forward on their journey of faith.

The president dismissed the people at the end of the simplified rites, which lasted about 30 minutes, granting blessings and peace, and promising to accompany them with prayers on their chosen path of faith.


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Pope Francis: Christianity without the cross is “sterile”

ROME — On the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Pope Francis celebrated the Byzantine Divine Liturgy and called Christianity without the Cross worldly and sterile.

“Crucifixes are found all around us: on our necks, in houses, in cars, in pockets. What good is it if we do not stop to look at Jesus crucified and open our hearts to him, if we do not allow ourselves to be struck by the wounds he bears because of us, if our hearts do not swell with emotion and if we let us cry before the wounded God for love for us ”, declared Pope Francis in Slovakia on September 14th.

“The witnesses of the Cross have only one strategy, that of the Master: humble love. They do not wait for triumphs here on earth, for they know that the love of Christ bears fruit in the events of daily life, renewing all things from within, like the seed that falls into the earth, dies and produces lots of fruit, ”he said. .

The Pope presided over a Divine Liturgy broadcast live in the Byzantine rite in Prešov, eastern Slovakia, and delivered a homily in which he asked the question: Why did Jesus die on the cross?

“Why did he do this?” He could have saved his life, he could have kept his distance from the misery and brutality of human history, ”Pope Francis said.

“Instead, he chose to enter into this story, to immerse himself in it. This is why He chose the most difficult path possible: the Cross. So that no one on Earth is ever to the point of not being able to find Him, even there, in the midst of anguish, darkness, abandonment, scandal of their own misery and mistakes.

“There, at the very place where we think God cannot be present, he has come. To save those who despair, He Himself chose to taste despair; taking upon himself our bitterest anguish.

Pope Francis said that Jesus even experienced abandonment so that no one would ever be alone in their trials.

At the start of the Divine Liturgy, the Pope spent a moment in the prayerful veneration of the Cross.

A large Byzantine cross with three transverse arms hung above the outer altar of Prešov, flanked by an icon of Mary, Mother of God, and the icon of Christ the Master.

“’We proclaim the crucified Christ… the power of God and the wisdom of God.’ This is what Saint Paul tells us, but he does not hide the fact that, in terms of human wisdom, the Cross appears as something completely different: it is “scandal” and “madness” ”, declared the Pope in his homily.

“The cross was an instrument of death, but it became the source of life. It was a horrible sight, but it revealed to us the beauty of God’s love. This is why, on today’s feast, the people of God venerate the Cross and the liturgy celebrates it.

The feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross dates back to the 4th century, when the solemn consecration of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher took place on September 13, 335, at the site of Christ’s crucifixion in Jerusalem.

“One can not accept, except perhaps in words, a weak and crucified God, and instead prefer to dream of a powerful and triumphant God. It is a great temptation, ”said Pope Francis.

“How often do we miss a Christianity of victors, a triumphalist Christianity which is important and influential, which receives glory and honor? However, a Christianity without a cross is a worldly Christianity and shows itself sterile. “

Pope Francis arrived at the Divine Liturgy in Prešov in the popemobile, which passed through crowds of people standing in the streets waving Vatican flags. About 40,000 people attended the liturgy, according to local authorities.

Prešov was part of the Kingdom of Hungary until the middle of the 20th century and is home to most of the 200,000 Byzantine Ruthenian Catholics in the country.

The Ruthenian Catholic Church is one of the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches in communion with the Holy See.

In April, Byzantine Catholics in Slovakia and around the world celebrated the 375th anniversary of the Union of Oujhorod, an agreement that brought the Ruthenian Orthodox Church into fellowship with the Pope after nearly six centuries of schism.

Since the Union of Oujhorod, eparchies have been established to guide Ruthenian Catholics wherever they live, including the Metropolitan Eparchy of Pittsburgh and its three Suffragan Eparchies in the United States, and the Metropolitan Eparchy of Prešov in Slovakia with his suffragants, as well as a Slovak Eparchy in Canada.

During the Divine Liturgy in Prešov, Pope Francis recalled the testimony of the Byzantine Catholic priests and bishops of the Eparchy of Prešov who were imprisoned and martyred by the Communist regime in the 1950s.

“Here I think of the martyrs who, in this nation, bore witness to the love of Christ in troubled times, when everything advised silence, shelter, not professing the faith. However, they could not help but testify ”, declared the Pope.

“How many generous people suffered and died here in Slovakia for the name of Christ! Their testimony was given out of love for the One they had long contemplated. So much so that they looked like him even when they died.

Pope Francis said there is no shortage of opportunities for witnessing today if Christian witness is not weakened by worldliness and mediocrity.

“Dear brothers and sisters, you have seen such witnesses… Humble and simple people who gave their lives in love to the end. They are our heroes, the heroes of everyday existence, and their lives have changed history. Witnesses generate other witnesses, because they are life givers, ”he said.

“This is how faith is spread: not with worldly power, but with the wisdom of the Cross; not with structures but with a testimony. Today, the Lord, from the eloquent silence of the Cross, asks us all … Do you want to be my witness?

Image courtesy of Vatican Media


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The cathedral, the latest victim of the Concord De La Salle power station

CONCORD –

For a very brief moment on Friday in the second half, Cathedral Catholic High School appeared ready to turn their game with De La Salle into a barn burner in the second half.

The Dons had just scored a touchdown to reduce the deficit to seven points. The sidelines and the collection of about 1,000 fans who had traveled to Northern California, we’re in a frenzy.

De La Salle, running back Al Bianchina, took a throw, slid left, jumped through a hole and rushed to the sideline. Eighty meters later, the Spartans take back control.

By the time they were done, the No.1 Dons’ dreams of becoming the first San Diego team to beat national power were dashed 49-21.

Charles Greer ran for 229 yards and three scores and Zeke Berry ran for 100 as the Spartans rushed for 365 yards.

“It’s a very good team,” said Dons head coach Sean Doyle. “I give credit to our children. They fought to the end.

Lucky Sutton was the offensive star of the Dons, with 158 carries and one touchdown in 28 carries.

But quarterback Charlie Mirer struggled, completing just 7 of 16 passes for 82 yards and three interceptions. His only scoring pass came when wide receiver Max Bayles hit a 34-yard pass with a defenseman draped over him.

“They were big, quick and quick,” Mirer said. “There isn’t much else to say.

The Dons also never found an answer to the Spartans’ racing game.

De La Salle (3-1) came into the game perhaps more vulnerable than at any time during his three decades of dominating northern California. They were playing for the first time since a 31-28 loss to St. Francis of Mountain View on Sept. 10, a loss that ended a 318-game, 30-year winning streak against teams from Northern California.

Then the Dons pounced on them for two quick touchdowns in the first quarter, scoring 1 and 2 yard runs by Sutton and Mirer for a 14-0 lead after the first quarter.

Then again, the Spartans during these years of domination have often proved to be the most dangerous in such situations.

Greer’s 31-yard run on the first play of the second quarter triggered an 80-yard touchdown, and Journey McKoy’s interception of a Mirer pass set up Greer’s 11-yard touchdown run.

Zeke Barry’s 44-yard TD in the first game after a Dons punt gave the Spartans a 21-14 lead.

All three scores came in the span of 3 minutes, 33 seconds.

“Our offense was killing us early on and it becomes a theme,” said Spartans head coach Justin Alimbaugh. “But our energy never wavered, and then we skipped that long run and we were back there.

The Dons made it easier with a series of penalties and five turnovers. The Spartans turned three of them into scores from their very first game.

Overall, the Spartans have had four goals scored in one game.

“They got to the edge a few times and that speed they kicked,” Doyle said. “It’s hard to stop. “

Hurd writes for the Bay Area News Group.


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Donation called expression of affection of American Catholics for Paris Cathedral

Washington – The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington has raised and donated nearly half a million dollars to support efforts to restore and rebuild the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, which was significantly damaged by fire two years ago.

The donation was made on September 16 during a mass celebrated by Washington Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory in the crypt of the National Shrine.

He called the gift to “our sisters and brothers in France” for the repair of the cathedral “an expression of our deep affection and support as they continue the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris”.

“Our local response (to the fire) in the United States of America has been to join millions of people in making a commitment to help restore this global treasure,” Cardinal Gregory said.

Cardinal Gregory, who as Archbishop of Washington is chairman of the board of directors of the National Shrine, was the main celebrant of the Mass.

The concelebrants included Mgr. Patrick Chauvet, archpriest and rector of the cathedral of Paris; Mgr. Walter Rossi, rector of the National Shrine in Washington; and Mgr. Vito Buonanno, director of pilgrimages to the sanctuary.

Noting that Notre Dame Cathedral “has hosted countless millions of people for centuries – some were in fact saints while others were great sinners,” Cardinal Gregory said, “May our donation help the people of Paris to restore a place of prayer and beauty for those who visit this world-famous sanctuary in the centuries to follow. “

The Mass was televised on EWTN, Catholic TV and Salt + Light TV, and broadcast live on various Internet platforms.

Among those present were Phillip Etienne, Ambassador of France to the United States; Michael Picaud, president of the Friends of Notre Dame de Paris, the association which collects funds for the restoration of the cathedral; and the parishioners of the parish of Saint-Louis de France, the French-speaking parish of the Archdiocese of Washington.

During Mass, prayers were offered for the benefactors and donors of the cathedral restoration effort. At the end of the mass, Mgr. Rossi and Cardinal Gregory presented a check for $ 465,000 to Mgr. Chauvet. Money, Mgr. Rossi said he was brought up “because of the great generosity of people across the United States and beyond.”

“On the Monday of Holy Week 2019, a fire ravaged Notre-Dame and caused significant damage to this venerable cathedral,” said Mgr. Rossi explained before presenting the check. “That day, the National Shrine launched a campaign to help restore the cathedral, which was later supported by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the United States dioceses.”

The shrine’s fundraising effort to restore Notre Dame began when more than 2,000 people attended an organ concert it hosted less than two weeks after the fire. The concert was given by Johann Vexo, an organist from Notre-Dame who was playing in the cathedral when the fire broke out there.

The National Shrine has also created a special online collection to raise funds in support of the restoration effort.

Mgr. Chauvet, speaking in French, said he was “particularly touched” by the donation which “will be of great help to Notre-Dame”.

Noting the difficulties in traveling in this time of COVID-19, he said that “nothing will separate us from our American friends because love is stronger than the pandemic”.

“I want to thank all the faithful here because we see the generosity of the American people,” said Mgr. Chauvet said speaking through an interpreter. “After this fire, Notre Dame is no longer Notre Dame de Paris, but Notre Dame du Monde.”

More than 400 firefighters spent more than 15 hours putting out the fire on April 15, 2019, which destroyed the main roof, bell tower, statues of saints, choir and nave of the 850-year-old cathedral. The cathedral’s many priceless works of art were also damaged by smoke and water.

Firefighters were able to save the cathedral’s famous 13th-century stained-glass rose windows; relics believed to be Jesus’ crown of thorns, one of the nails used to crucify him, and a piece of wood from his cross; other important works of art and treasures; and the great organ of the cathedral. This organ, the largest in France, has 8,000 pipes and five keyboards. It was built in the 15th century and restored in the 18th century.

A five-month investigation into the cause of the fire was inconclusive. Investigators speculated that the fire was started either by a workman’s cigarette or by an electrical short circuit.

It is estimated that it will take more than a decade and cost more than a billion dollars to completely restore the historic cathedral.

“When the iconic Notre Dame Shrine was severely damaged by fire in 2019, the hearts of people around the world were shaken,” Cardinal Gregory said. “People around the world all wanted to make sure that this house of welcome and prayer would be available for generations to come so that they could find and embrace Christ in this place of hospitality and welcome.”

He added that the donation of the sanctuary to Notre Dame Cathedral will ensure that future generations can continue to “come to this blessed place by seeking and welcoming none other than Jesus himself in a sanctuary that existed under the title privileged of his own Holy Mother. . “


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Donation called expression of affection of American Catholics for Paris Cathedral

WASHINGTON (CNS) – The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington has raised and donated nearly half a million dollars to support efforts to restore and rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris , which has been extensively damaged by a fire two years since.

The donation was made on September 16 during a mass celebrated by Washington Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory in the crypt of the National Shrine.

He called the gift to “our sisters and brothers in France” for the repair of the cathedral “an expression of our deep affection and support as they continue the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris”.

“Our local response (to the fire) in the United States of America has been to join millions of people in making a commitment to help restore this global treasure,” Cardinal Gregory said.

Cardinal Gregory, who as Archbishop of Washington is chairman of the board of directors of the National Shrine, was the main celebrant of the Mass.

The concelebrants included Mgr. Patrick Chauvet, archpriest and rector of the cathedral of Paris; Mgr. Walter Rossi, rector of the Washington National Shrine; and Mgr. Vito Buonanno, director of pilgrimages to the sanctuary.

Noting that Notre Dame Cathedral “has hosted countless millions of people for centuries – some were in fact saints while others were great sinners,” Cardinal Gregory said, “May our donation help the people of Paris to restore a place of prayer and beauty for those who visit this world-famous sanctuary in the centuries to follow.

The Mass was televised on EWTN, Catholic TV and Salt + Light TV, and broadcast live on various Internet platforms.

Among those present were Phillip Etienne, Ambassador of France to the United States; Michael Picaud, president of the Friends of Notre Dame de Paris, the association which collects funds for the restoration of the cathedral; and the parishioners of the parish of Saint-Louis de France, the French-speaking parish of the Archdiocese of Washington.

During Mass, prayers were offered for the benefactors and donors of the cathedral restoration effort. At the end of the mass, Mgr. Rossi and Cardinal Gregory presented a check for $ 465,000 to Mgr. Chauvet. Money, Mgr. Rossi said he was brought up “through the great generosity of people across the United States and beyond.”

Flames and smoke rise from Notre Dame Cathedral after a fire broke out in Paris on April 15, 2019. Officials said the cause was unclear, but the blaze could be linked to renovations. (Photo CNS / Benoit Tessier, Reuters)

“On the Monday of Holy Week 2019, a fire ravaged Notre-Dame and caused significant damage to this venerable cathedral,” said Mgr. Rossi explained before presenting the check. “That day, the National Shrine launched a campaign to help restore the cathedral, which was later supported by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the United States dioceses.”

The shrine’s fundraising effort to restore Notre Dame began when more than 2,000 people attended an organ concert it hosted less than two weeks after the fire. The concert was given by Johann Vexo, an organist from Notre-Dame who was playing at the cathedral when the fire broke out there.

The National Shrine has also created a special online collection to raise funds in support of the restoration effort.

Mgr. Chauvet, speaking in French, said he was “particularly touched” by the donation which “will be of great help to Notre-Dame”.

Noting the difficulties in traveling during this time of COVID-19, he said that “nothing will separate us from our American friends because love is stronger than the pandemic”.

“I want to thank all the faithful here because we see the generosity of the American people,” said Mgr. Chauvet said speaking through an interpreter. “After this fire, Notre Dame is no longer Notre Dame de Paris, but Notre Dame du Monde.

More than 400 firefighters spent more than 15 hours putting out the fire on April 15, 2019, which destroyed the main roof, bell tower, statues of saints, choir and nave of the 850-year-old cathedral. The cathedral’s many priceless works of art were also damaged by smoke and water.

Firefighters were able to save the cathedral’s famous 13th-century stained-glass rose windows; relics believed to be Jesus’ crown of thorns, one of the nails used to crucify him, and a piece of wood from his cross; other important works of art and treasures; and the great organ of the cathedral. This organ, the largest in France, has 8,000 pipes and five keyboards. It was built in the 15th century and restored in the 18th century.

A five-month investigation into the cause of the fire was inconclusive. Investigators speculated that the fire was started either by a workman’s cigarette or by an electrical short circuit.

It is estimated that it will take more than a decade and cost more than a billion dollars to completely restore the historic cathedral.

“When the iconic Notre Dame Shrine suffered severe fire damage in 2019, the hearts of people around the world were shaken,” Cardinal Gregory said. “People around the world all wanted to make sure that this house of welcome and prayer would be available for generations to come so that they could find and embrace Christ in this place of hospitality and welcome.”

He added that the donation of the sanctuary to Notre Dame Cathedral will ensure that future generations can continue to “come to this blessed place by seeking and welcoming none other than Jesus himself in a sanctuary that existed under the title privileged of his own Holy Mother. . “


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