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  • Critiquing the New Age Ideas of Richard Rohr and Teilhard de Chardin

    An investigation and a warning into a New Age theology, first put forth by Chardin, later espoused by Rohr, that has gone too far beyond the realm of Catholic orthodoxy Often in history, an apprentice will rise up after his master’s time is long gone. This student will perhaps appear to be original, but for those who remember the source of their ideas, they are but a mere echo. That is what Fr. Richard Rohr is like to Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. Tiehard de Chardin arose during the great surge of modernism and its battle with the Church. He ideas were condemned by the Magisterium in his time, yet his ideas lingered on, much so because they appeal to the modern scientific imagination. And now these ideas are starting to reemerge. It is imperative that we know the sources of these ideas and understand their hidden implications lest we be taken off guard by them. The Universe is the Body of God? See here how Rohr develops his theology from Chardin, taking things to the final end of this strange belief: "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience." Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin “We are not just humans having a God experience. The Eucharist tells us that in some mysterious way, we are God having a human experience.” Fr. Richard Rohr, Universal Christ Firstly, we are not souls trapped in a body. That is the heresy of Manichaeism or Albigensian. No, God made us humans: body and soul. St. Augustine states: “If the world wasn’t necessary for us to learn the ways of God, God wouldn’t have created the world.” We, being physical creatures, learn about spiritual realities from the earth. Secondly, we are not God. It seems to me that some try to lower God from being the First Principle of all creation. Instead of acknowledging God as Creator, they wish to lower God to His creation. In doing so, they are seeking, in a Humanistic way, to proclaim that man is God. To continue along this path of investigation, we shall continue to look at The Universal Christ , Rohr’s newest book. It is telling that Fr. Rohr excludes a very important part of the following excerpt, quoted at the beginning of this book: (St. John of Damascus:) “I do not worship matter; I worship the Creator of matter who became matter for my sake, who willed to take his abode in matter; who worked out my salvation through matter. Never will I cease honoring the matter which wrought my salvation! I honor it, but not as God In his book, Rohr left out the final line: “ I honor it (speaking of matter), but not as God .” It is once more telling that Rohr thought it appropriate to include this quote at the start of his book. He was trying to support a narrative. The fact that he leaves out the full clarity of the excerpt, as if to mislead, must put us on guard. Rohr’s Universal Christ furthermore states: “The universe is the Body of God, both in its essence and in its suffering.” This is completely against Catholic teaching. Vatican I, Session Three (On God and the Creator of All Things) clearly states, “If anyone says that the substance or essence of God and that of all things are one and the same: let him be anathema.” Thus, with this thinking, God the Creator is reduced to his creation. Suddenly, if the essence of creation is God, than man must be God. Of course, we know that is not so. “[Christ is a cosmic reality that is found] whenever the material and the divine co-exist—which is always and everywhere.” — Rohr “The Universe is the body of God…yes, it’s the second person of the Trinity in material form.” — Rohr Loosing God in the Ambiguity of “Awakening” " Most of the Catholics Christians I’ve met would for all practical purposes believe Jesus is God only, and we are human only. We missed the big point. The point is the integration, both in Jesus and ourselves." (Fr. Richard Rohr, Source ) The most important part of the former quotation for our investigation is his conclusion: The point of the Incarnation and Resurrection is our integration in Jesus and ourselves . Rohr believes the point of life is to combine ourselves with Jesus in one whole. This reasoning sounds orthodox on the surface, however, instead of this reasoning being used in the Catholic sense, Rohr means to use it in the monistic way. Monistic, meaning that God and man are one, or that man is God. I may be coming too quick to my conclusion, but I pose the question: What else is the natural progression of this Chardinian/Rohr thought if not that man is God and that God is one with his creation? Rohr has already stated as much. It would help us now to bring in a few other peers of Rohr. By examining their line of thought, we can perhaps better understand Rohr. James Finley is a fellow member of Fr. Richard Rohr’s Center for Action and Contemplation. Finley spent six years at the Abbey of Gethsemani before he became a psychologist. He is known for his book, “ Merton’s Palace to Nowhere ”, and he is also the voice of the popular podcast, “Turning to the Mystics.” In a recent interview , Finley was asked the question: “Is God real?” “I would say, God does not exist. There isn’t some infinite being called God who exists. God is the name that we give to the beginning-less, boundary-less, endless, infinite plenitude of existence itself. I am who am. God is that by which we are . And furthermore, God is a presence in an ongoing self-donating act that’s presencing itself and utterly giving itself away in and as the gift and the miracle of the intimate immediacy of our very presence. The closer we can start to get to it are these moments of awakening we spoke of earlier, like these awe moments of quickening…” We will touch on this error: “Moments of awakening” to our true self, or the realization that we are God. The idea of a “spiritual awakening” or “realization” stems from Eastern Buddhism. In their philosophy, they believe that God is within the human, in a panthiestic way. This idea of “realization” is not Christian. Repentance is what we have. We must conform ourselves to the God who is within our hearts, yes, but infinitely above us in His majesty. It is also noteworthy that Fr. Rohr once invited Marianne Williamson to one of his Center’s events. She is the author of the occult book “ A Course in Miracles ”. In this book, “it is taught that the crucifixion of Jesus has no meaning and was even wrong, because people think that sin doesn’t exist or is a lack of consciousness. After all, there’s nothing that keeps you separated from God, except for the thought that you are separated from God (...) Rohr endorses the teachings of Marianne Williamson on ‘A course in miracles’, in which she states that we are all in heaven now but we simply do not realize it because we haven’t found the illumination of the ‘God consciousness.’ ” ( Stichting Promise ) This illumination, or realization, of a “God consciousness” is a new age, Buddhist idea that is not Christian. At that, it is a Marxist idea, because it believes the progress is continual. In 1952, Fr. Teilhard wrote in a letter: “As I love to say, the synthesis of the Christian God (of the above) and the Marxist God (of the forward) – Behold! that is the only God whom henceforth we can adore in spirit and in truth.” Douglas Farrow, a theologian, remarks : “The Christ of Rohr includes, just as that of Teilhard, the whole creation. Jesus may be the unique Christ, but He is nevertheless just one example of the revelation of the Christ. It is a revelation, not a reconciliation, which we have to look for in Jesus” The New Yorker , speaking of Fr. Richard Rohr, builds dangerous assumptions on the foundations laid out: “According to his teachings, you don’t have to follow Jesus or practice the tenets of any formal religion to come by salvation, you just have to “fall in love with the divine presence, under whatever name.” If We Are God, There Is No Law That Is Above Us What is evident in many pagan cultures is that they fall short of Judeo-Christian morality. Man was and still is too dominated by concupiscence to imagine the tenets of Christianity by himself. Since God is above us, and He makes the law, Christianity is not something any worldly man would set in stone. While Hinduism seeks to escape from suffering, Christianity embraces suffering. In knowing that God suffered first for us, we find joy and peace. In knowing that God loves us and wills us to repent and come to Him, we pick up our cross and leave our former lives behind. Many heretics in ancient days, such as the Pelagians or Quietists, believed in a logic like this: We are capable of being the source of our own grace Whatever we will is lawful since we are capable of our own self determination We can therefore do evil and it can be good This is why many moderners who reject the ethos of Christianity reject original sin and the existance of Hell. Yes, it is pride to reject these things. “How dare anyone condemn me for doing these evil things that I chose to do?” To mention sin is to attack their pride. Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin had a problem with dogma of original sin. Evolutionary theory was his way to get around it. Christiancentury.org states : “Teilhard also aimed to show that the doctrine of original sin could be understood as the condition for the original act of creation. Evolution suggests that humans exist in a process of becoming, rather than being made perfect from the start. Adam and Eve are therefore best understood as images of sin, not as our biological ancestors . Paradise is a state of salvation open to all who live in unity with Jesus. Teilhard thought that attributing all sin to a single historical act that might, in fact, not have occurred was grossly immature. And to defend a version of the doctrine of original sin that ignored the evidence of reason and experience diminished its deepest meaning. Thus, Fr. Chardin was stripped of his teaching position in 1925 for denying Original Sin and the existence of Hell. It is Church teaching that Adam and Eve were are biological ancestors and that their disobedience is the cause of original sin, which, like DNA, passed down to their children. In the CAC article titled Heaven Is a Great Party , Rohr says. “God has always had a very hard time giving away God: No one seems to want this gift. We’d rather have religion, and laws, and commandments, and obligations, and duties. I’m sure many of us attend church out of duty, but gathering with the Body of Christ is supposed to be a wedding feast.” What is a true wedding feast but a high mark of man’s dignity? It has the laws of manners and decency. It has vows made before God. A religion without laws, commandments, obligations, duties, and virtues, without religion itself, is chaos. For now, let us conclude. Further Errors Appendix: The Dancing “God”? “I would believe only in a god who could dance.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra “More often than the sacred beings of other cultures, the gods of Hinduism and Buddhism dance. They express their creative and destructive energies through fluid rhythmic movements, setting the pulse of the universe. In benign moods they dance gracefully in divine play. In stern moods they dance with a force that, if fully unleashed, could destroy worlds. Sculpture and paintings depicting deities including Shiva, Krishna, and the elephant-headed Ganesha, together with video clips of dance performances, will illuminate these ideas.” — Sdmart Blog See: The Cosmic Dance of Shiva. Shiva, which means “nothingness”, is a dancing god who creates in the chaos of a dance. Speaking of this dance, called the Nataraja, Aldous Huxley said: “The whole thing is there, you see. The world of space and time, and matter and energy, the world of creation and destruction, the world of psychology…We (the West) don’t have anything remotely approaching such a comprehensive symbol, which is both cosmic and psychological, and spiritual.” The popular writer Sadhguru breaks this down clearly: “India is the only place where our gods must dance…This is because the closest analogy you can give to the phenomenon of creation is that it is like a dance. Today, modern physicists are using such words – they say creation seems to be in a dance. If you observe a dance, on the surface, there seems to be no logical coherence to what is happening. But if you look closely enough, there is a very profound system to the whole process. (...) You cannot understand the dance because everything that you understand will only be a wrong conclusion. But you can experience the aesthetic of the dance, or you can become the dance…If you become the dance, you become the divine…” Fritjof Capra (author of the Tao of Physics), Carl Sagan, and many other modern scientists are facinatined by this concept. Sagan, known for the series Cosmos, says that he liked to imagine the Nataraja was “a kind of premonition of modern astronomical ideas.” Religious ideas of the East have crept far into modern science, the new age, and Christianity itself. Fr. Richard Rohr, The Divine Dance: Exploring the Mystery of Trinity : “Scientists are discovering this reality as they look through microscopes and telescopes. They are finding that the energy is in the space between the particles of the atom and between the planets and the stars. ( Is this where his idea that the essence of God is in everything comes from? ). They are discovering that reality is absolutely relational at all levels. When you really understand Trinity, however slightly, it’s like you live in a different universe. And a very good and inviting one!” Fr. Richard Rohr (Ibid): Trinity is the very nature of God, and this God is a circle dance, a centrifugal force flowing outward, and then drawing all things into the dance centripetally. In Hinduism, the idea of a dancing god enclosed in a circle is: god is the creator and creation, the dance and the dancer. Fr. Richard Rohr (Ibid): “If this God names himself/herself in creation and in reality then there must be a “family resemblance” between everything else and the nature of the heart of God.” Thus, the error. Many will try to claim this idea of a dancing “god” is based in the Fathers, by showing that they used the term “perichoresis.” However, this write up on Wikipedia explains why this is not so: "Perichoresis" is derived from the Greek peri, "around" and chōreō, "to go, or come". As a compound word, it refers primarily to "going around" or "encompassing", conveying the idea of "two sides of the same coin". Suggested connections with Greek words for dancing ("choreia", spelled with the short letter omicron not the long omega) are not grounded in Greek etymology or early Christian use, but are modern in origin.” — Further investigation of their belief in physics: “Before Albert Einstein propounded his theory of relativity in the early 20th century, it was assumed that matter could ultimately be broken down into indivisible indestructible parts. But when individual subatomic particles were smashed against each other in high-energy experiments, they didn’t scatter into smaller bits. Instead, they merely re-arranged themselves to form new particles using kinetic energy or the energy of motion: subatomic dynamism. “At the subatomic level, all material particles interact with one another by emitting and reabsorbing (i.e., creating and destroying) other particles. Modern physics shows us that every subatomic particle not only performs an energy dance, but also is an energy dance; a pulsating process of creation and destruction. For the modern physicist, then, Shiva’s dance is the dance of subatomic matter,” Capra wrote in a letter .” Appendix: Substitutionary Atonement Theory Rohr : "I believe that Jesus’ death on the cross is a revelation of the infinite and participatory love of God, not some bloody payment required by God’s offended justice to rectify the problem of sin. Such a story line is way too small and problem-oriented. “This theory of atonement ultimately relies on another commonly accepted notion—the “original sin” of Adam and Eve, which, we were told, taints all human beings. But much like original sin (a concept not found in the Bible but developed by Augustine in the fifth century), most Christians have never been told how recent and regional this explanation is or that it relies upon a retributive notion of justice” On the contrary: Council of Trent : “If anyone asserts that the transgression of Adam injured him alone and not his posterity, and that the holiness and justice which he received from God, which he lost, he lost for himself alone and not for us also; or that he, being defiled by the sin of disobedience, has transfused only death and the pains of the body into the whole human race, but not sin also, which is the death of the soul, let him be anathema, since he contradicts the Apostle who says: “By one man sin entered into the world and by sin death; and so death passed upon all men, in whom all have sinned.” [Rom. 5:12] Notes: Fr. Richard Rohr wrote a book called The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective . The Vatican document Jesus Christ, Bearer of the Water of Life , speaking of the Enneagram, says that “when used as a means of spiritual growth introduces an ambiguity in the doctrine and the life of the Christian faith.” More suspect quotes by Fr. Rohr: “ The brilliance of Buddhism is that it put enlightenment front and centre, where as we [Christians] put ...salvation front and center, and its just messed up because Jesus was talking about enlightenment too, but we didn't let him do that, we turned him into an answer giver.” “When Christians hear the word “incarnation,” most of us think about the birth of Jesus, who personally demonstrated God’s radical unity with humanity. But in this book, I want to suggest that the first incarnation was the moment described in Genesis 1, when God joined in unity with the physical universe and became the light inside of everything. (This, I believe, is why light is the subject of the first day of creation, and its speed is now recognized as the one universal constant.) The incarnation, then, is not only “God becoming Jesus.” ( Universal Christ ) Fr. Chardin: “It has sometimes seemed to me there are three weak stones sitting dangerously in the foundations of the modern Church: first, a government that excludes democracy; second, a priesthood that excludes and minimises women; third, a revelation that excludes, for the future, prophecy.’ ( Letter to Christophe de Gaudefroy , 7 October 1929) “Like the countless shades that combine in nature to produce a single white light, so the infinite modalities of action are fused, without being confused, the one single color under the mighty power of the universal Christ.” ( Science and Christ ) “Christ has a cosmic body that extends throughout the universe.” ( Cosmic Life , 1916, XII, 58) “It seems we are now reliving after 1,500 years the great conflicts with arianism - with the big difference that we are now concerned with defining the relations, not between Christ and the Trinity, - but between Christ and a universe that has suddenly become fantastically large, formidably organic and more than probably poly-human (...planets - millions perhaps). And if I may express myself brutally (but expressively) I see no valid or constructive way out of the situation except by making through the theologians of a new Nicea a sub-distinction in the human nature of Christ between a terrestrial nature and a cosmic nature.” ( Letter to Andre Ravier SJ , 14 January 1955, Lettres intimes, 452) “A general convergence of religions upon a universal Christ who fundamentally satisfies them all: that seems to me the only possible conversion of the world, and the only form in which a religion of the future can be conceived.” “Lastly, to put an end once and for all to the fears of 'pantheism’', constantly raised by certain upholders of traditional spirituality as regards evolution, how can we fail to see that, in the case of a converging universe such as I have delineated, far from being born from the fusion and confusion of the elemental centres it assembles, the universal centre of unification (precisely to its motive, collective and stabilising function) must be conceived as pre-existing and transcendent. A very real 'pantheism' if you like (in the etymological meaning of the word) but an absolutely legitimate pantheism-for if, in the last resort, the reflective centres of the world are effectively 'one with God', this state is obtained not by identification (God becoming all) but by the differentiating and communicating action of love (God all in everyone ). And that is essentially orthodox and Christian.” ( The Phenomenon of Man ) This investigation is written without enthusiasm, but I think worth sharing to warn others about jumping into the works of these two priests, Fr. Richard Rohr and Fr. Teilhard de Chardin. If any false accusations are put forth, do excuse them. All said, I think the larger work stands as a warning worth hearing. May Fr. Rohr, let us pray for him, hold fast to the teachings of the Catholic Church and may Fr. Chardin rest in peace. May God bless you, dear reader!

  • 10 Common Catholic Prayers

    These are prayers that all Catholics should be familiar with Here are a list of prayers taken from the 1885 Baltimore Catechism , which has been known ever since as a valuable tool for learning the Catholic faith. These are prayers that Catholic can use in their daily lives for much fruit. List of Prayers from the Baltimore Catechism The Lord's Prayer (Our Father) The Angelical Salutation (Hail Mary) The Apostles' Creed The Confiteor An Act of Faith An Act of Hope An Act of Love An Act of Contrition The Blessing before Meals Grace after Meals Prayers The Lord's Prayer (Our Father) Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. The Angelical Salutation (Hail Mary) Hail Mary, full of grace! the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. The Apostles' Creed I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified; died, and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The Confiteor I confess to Almighty God, to blessed Mary, ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and to all the Saints, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word and deed, through, my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore, I beseech blessed Mary, ever Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and all the Saints, to pray to the Lord our God for me. May the Almighty God have mercy on me, and forgive me my sins, and bring me to everlasting life. Amen. May the Almighty and merciful Lord grant me pardon, absolution, and remission of all my sins. Amen. An Act of Faith 0 my God! I firmly believe that Thou art one God in three Divine persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; I believe that Thy Divine Son became man, and died for our sins, and that he will come to, judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, who canst neither deceive nor be deceived An Act of Hope 0 my God! relying on Thy infinite goodness and promises, I hope to obtain pardon of my sins, the help of Thy grace, and life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Redeemer. An Act of Love 0 my God! I love Thee above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because Thou art all-good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of Thee. I forgive all who have injured me, and ask pardon of all whom I have injured. An Act of Contrition 0 my God! I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. The Blessing before Meals † Bless us, 0 Lord! and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen. Grace after Meals † We give Thee thanks for all Thy benefits, 0 Almighty God, who livest and reignest for ever; and may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

  • 200 Years Since the Death of “The Apostle of Kentucky”

    Fr. Nerinckx was a heroic missionary priest who brought many souls to God “Do not forsake Providence and He will never forsake you!” The churches founded by Fr. Nerinckx in Kentucky are as follows: Holy Mary’s, Calvary St. Vincent de Paul, New Haven St. Romuald, Hardinsburg St. Paul, Big Clifty St. Ignatius, White Mills St. Clare’s, Colesburg St. Charles, St. Mary’s St. Bernard, Clementsville St. Patrick’s, Mercer County St. Augustine, Lebanon St. Augustine, Grayson St. Anthony, Axtel And the renewed Holy Cross church which he helped build with his own hand on the site of the first Catholic church ever built in Kentucky, a log chapel constructed by the pioneers in 1792 A passage from Martin John Spalding’s Sketches of the Early Catholic Missions of Kentucky : “His labours in the arduous field upon which he had now entered were as great as their fruit was abundant. With his whole soul, he devoted himself to the work of the ministry. He even seemed to court labours and sufferings for their own sake. Of a powerful frame, and of herculean constitution, he never spared himself. His rest was brief, and his food was generally of the coarsest kind. He generally arose several hours before day, which hours he devoted to prayer and study. In fact, he seemed to be always engaged in mental prayer, no matter how numerous or distracting were his employments. “He appeared to live solely for God, and for his neighbour. Performing his duty was his daily bread. And though old age was fast creeping over him, yet he relaxed in nothing his exhausting labours. His soul was still fresh and vigorous; and God so preserved his health, that, even at the age of sixty, he seemed gifted with all the strength and vigour of youth. “He seldom missed offering up the Holy Sacrifice daily, no matter what had been his previous fatigues or indisposition. Often was he known to ride twenty-five or thirty miles fasting, in order to be able to say Mass. His missionary labours would be almost incredible, were they not still so well remembered by almost all the older Catholics of Kentucky. “His courage was unequalled: he feared no difficulties, and was appalled by no dangers. Through rain and storms; through snows and ice; over roads rendered almost impassable by the mud; over streams swollen by the rains, or frozen by the cold; by day and by night, in winter and in summer; he might be seen traversing all parts of Kentucky in the discharge of his laborious duties. Far from shunning, he seemed even to seek after hardships and dangers. “He crossed wilderness districts, swam rivers, slept in the woods among the wild beasts; and while undergoing all this, he was in the habit of fasting, and of voluntarily mortifying himself in many other ways. His courage and vigour seemed to increase with the labours and privations he had to endure. As his courage, so neither did his cheerfulness, ever abandon him. He seldom laughed, or even smiled; but there was withal an air of contentment and cheerfulness about him which greatly qualified the natural austerity of his countenance and manners. He could, like the great Apostle, make himself “all to all, to gain all to Christ.” ” An account of Father Charles Nerinckx’s last days written by Bishop Flaget: “After the arrival of [Father] Nerinckx at the residence of the Sisters, in Missouri, he wrote to me a most affecting letter, describing the good they had accomplished in that diocese, and the hopes which he entertained of their being one day useful to the Indians. Thence he went to visit an establishment of Flemish Jesuits, which is pretty numerous, and about ninety miles distant from the monastery. After spending some days of edifying fervor in the midst of those holy and beloved countrymen of his, he set out on his return to the monastery, and thence intended coming to Kentucky. Near St. Louis, he had an interview with an Indian chief, who promised to send him a great number of the young females of his tribe, to be educated by the Sisters. He made haste to carry this news to the monastery, and his heart burned within him, while his imagination pictured to itself the good prospect, which lay open to his hopes. “On his road, however, was a path to a settlement of eight or ten Catholic families, who had not seen a priest during more than two years. Desirous of doing all the good in his power, he assembled them, heard their confessions, gave them instructions, and celebrated for them the holy sacrifice of the mass. He was thus occupied, from a little after daybreak, until towards three o’clock in the evening. Seeing the good dispositions of those Catholics, he proposed to them to build a church, in order to encourage priests to come to them; a subscription was immediately opened by those present; out of his own small means he gave ten dollars; and signatures for over nine hundred dollars were instantly affixed to the sheet. “After all this exertion, in such broiling weather, he felt feverish symptoms. These continued the next day, but apparently much diminished. He wished to go to St. Genevieve, which was only fifteen or eighteen miles distant; and though the journey was short, still the exertion and the burning sun greatly increased the fever. The pastor of St. Genevieve (M. Dahman) received him with great kindness and affection. He was obliged to betake himself immediately to bed; the physicians came promptly, and paid him every attention; but to no purpose. “[Father] Nerinckx was, I trust, in the eye of God, ripe for heaven; and his Lord saw that it was time to bestow upon his faithful servant the recompense of his labors. He had the use of his reason to the last, and edified all who saw him by his piety and patience. On the ninth day of his sickness, about nine in the morning, he received the holy viaticum and extreme unction, after having made his confession; and about five in the evening, he breathed out his pure soul to return to its Creator, with entire resignation, and without a struggle.” Martin John Spalding concludes: “Fr. Nerinckx had reached his 63rd year; and, during the last forty years of his life, he had laboured for the glory of God and the good of his neighbour, with a constancy, an activity, and a zeal, seldom equalled, never, perhaps, surpassed. His whole life had been one continued voluntary martyrdom and holocaust. He contemned this world, and panted only for heaven; but he ardently wished to go to paradise with a numerous escort of souls, whom he had been instrumental in rescuing from perdition, and leading to salvation. This thought seemed to engross his whole mind and soul: and his life was but a carrying of it out. That God, whom he served so long and so faithfully, has no doubt long since crowned these lofty aspirations of His humble and heroic servant.” A passage from The Centenary of Catholicity in Kentucky , 1884: “The announcement of his death in Kentucky was the occasion of general sorrow among Catholics. He was personally known by the greater number of these, and where that was not the case, there were none who had not knowledge of his reputation for sanctity. The fact of his death was announced from the pulpit of the cathedral, Bardstown, by Bishop Flaget himself, and as he told the story of his life and death, of the services he had rendered to the diocese, and of the christian virtues that ennobled his character, his eyes overflowed and the tones of his voice were indicative of deep anguish. The cathedral congregation had seen less, possibly, of Father Nerinckx than any other in the State; but a stranger in their presence that day would have thought that the dead priest had been bound to them by long-established pastoral ties. Among the people of his own congregations there was felt much keener sorrow, but to this was added a sentiment that was akin to triumph. They had been served by a saint! — thus they reasoned — and they had now an intercessor in heaven who would pity them because they had been his children.” A section from Father Nerinckx’s will: “[Have] Zeal for souls — your own and that of so many desolate orphans and scholars — burning zeal of Jesus and Mary! Gain souls, hunt souls, catch souls, court souls, draw souls, pull souls, carry souls, deliver souls, shelter souls, buy souls! . . . Souls! Souls! and nothing but souls, for the love of Jesus, the owner of all souls! “…The writer’s wish is here set down on paper; may he hear it accomplished on earth, and may he see it rewarded in the company of the Friends of Mary in heaven! Amen! Amen!!” Prayer for God’s help: “O Jesus, Who didst inspire Thy servant, Charles Nerinckx, with boundless zeal for the salvation of souls, and who didst fill him with a compassionate love for Thee and Thy Blessed Mother, deign to make known to Thy Church that his labors were acceptable to Thee, and through the merits of Thy passion and death, and the intercession of Thy Mother, mercifully grant the favor which we now beg of Thee …(insert prayer intention)… Amen.” A passage from 1880s’ The Life of Charles Nerinckx  by Bishop Camillus Maes of Covington: “On the night of Father Nerinckx’ death, a very remarkable incident had taken place at the Convent of Bethlehem: “Sisters Benedicta Fenwick and Mechtildis Hayden were making the hour’s adoration of the Most Holy Sacrament, when the latter, hastily rising off her knees, went to Sister Benedicta and said to her in a low voice, ‘Father Nerinckx is dead, I know he is. He is now in the presence of the Blessed Virgin whom he so tenderly loved on earth; and, in a short time, I shall follow.’​ Sister Mechtildis had been suffering for a long time from a cancer in the head, and was so very sick with consumption that she had to remain in bed the next day. On the evening of that day, August 13th, 1824, and whilst the corpse was being brought from Ste. Genevieve, a similar scene, as strongly savoring of the supernatural, and the truth of which is vouched for by Sister Eulalia Kelly, who was an eye-witness to the fact, occurred toward nine o’clock, P.M. Sister Mechtildis got out of bed and began running about the house, singing: ‘Praises to the Lord! Our dear Father Nerinckx is in heaven! Alleluia!’ Thinking that her suffering had made the poor sister light in the head, her companions did all they could to quiet her; but to all their entreaties she only answered; ‘Father Nerinckx is in heaven!’ About a quarter of an hour later, the messenger from Ste. Genevieve actually arrived, and brought them the first news of the death of their founder, adding that the funeral procession was on its way to Bethlehem, and would arrive there some time during the night.” An inscriptions on his grave at Loretto: ‘In memory of Rev. Charles Nerinckx, a native of Flanders, who died Aug’t. 12th, 1824, in Missouri. His remains were translated to Kentucky in 1833, by brother Charles Gilbert, at the request of the Loretto Society, and interred at this place by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Flaget, and the Rev. G. I. Chabrat, Superior of the Society.’ May God bless the Kentucky Holy Land well into the future and may we never forget the sacrifices and love of our founding father and apostle On August 12th, 2024 At 5–5:30pm, a great prayer rally will be held at the Sisters of Loretto cemetery, the home of Fr. Nerinckx’s grave. After, at 6:30pm, all are invited to travel the 10 minute drive to the Abbey of Gethsemani, where upon Calvary Hill, the giant hill with the cross, we will have a Great Novena session . On-fire Catholic leaders will give a talk about how we, as a community united in prayer, can make the next 9 years a great novena leading up to the 2,000th anniversary of the Catholic Church (2033). Can you believe we live at a time such as this? You do not want to miss this historic occasion.

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    A Movement to Build Next-Generation Christian Media For absolutely free, experience high quality content produced by 100s of independent creators OUR NEWEST CONTENT SUPPORT OUR MISSION Learn More New Courses Our New Film A New Book An Film About St. John Paul II's Lasting Legacy Each event tops the records for largest gatherings of people ever. While secular media coverage is scarce, many Christians who have never attended one don't know what the purpose of World Youth Day is either. This film hopes to give you a first-hand experience and show the potential it has for evangelization . This documentary features interviews with people from across the world while showcasing the beautiful country of Portugal, where WYD 2023 took place.

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    To test this feature, visit your live site. Categories All Posts My Posts Forums Create New Post General Discussion subcategory-list-item.views subcategory-list-item.posts 57 Follow Questions and Answers subcategory-list-item.views subcategory-list-item.posts 1 Follow Theology and Apologetics subcategory-list-item.views subcategory-list-item.posts 3 Follow Saints & Popes subcategory-list-item.views subcategory-list-item.posts 9 Follow Culture subcategory-list-item.views subcategory-list-item.posts 4 Follow History subcategory-list-item.views subcategory-list-item.posts 1 Follow Literature subcategory-list-item.views subcategory-list-item.posts 6 Follow Politics subcategory-list-item.views subcategory-list-item.posts 1 Follow Bible subcategory-list-item.views subcategory-list-item.posts 3 Follow Resources subcategory-list-item.views subcategory-list-item.posts 1 Follow New Posts StBecketOraProNobis Dec 16, 2023 Daily Challenge, Monday 11 December General Discussion Hello my siblings in Christ! Today I challenge you to pray for The Holy Souls in Purgatory! May God Bless You And Your Family And Our Lady Keep You All! ❤️🙏✝️ and may your prayers rise like incense! Like 0 comments 0 StBecketOraProNobis Dec 21, 2023 Daily Challenge, Sunday 10 December General Discussion Hello my siblings in Christ! Today I challenge you to pray Psalm 51! May God Bless You and your family and Our Lady keep you all! 🙏✝️❤️ And May your prayers rise like incense! Psalm 50 Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition 50 Unto the end, a psalm of David, 2 When Nathan the prophet came to him after he had sinned with Bethsabee. 3 Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy. And according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my iniquity. 4 Wash me yet more from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 5 For I know my iniquity, and my sin is always before me. 6 To thee only have I sinned, and have done evil before thee: that thou mayst be justified in thy words and mayst overcome when thou art judged. 7 For behold I was conceived in iniquities; and in sins did my mother conceive me. 8 For behold thou hast loved truth: the uncertain and hidden things of thy wisdom thou hast made manifest to me. 9 Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. 10 To my hearing thou shalt give joy and gladness: and the bones that have been humbled shall rejoice. 11 Turn away thy face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 12 Create a clean heart in me, O God: and renew a right spirit within my bowels. 13 Cast me not away from thy face; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 14 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and strengthen me with a perfect spirit. 15 I will teach the unjust thy ways: and the wicked shall be converted to thee. 16 Deliver me from blood, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall extol thy justice. 17 O Lord, thou wilt open my lips: and my mouth shall declare thy praise. 18 For if thou hadst desired sacrifice, I would indeed have given it: with burnt offerings thou wilt not be delighted. 19 A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit: a contrite and humbled heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. 20 Deal favourably, O Lord, in thy good will with Sion; that the walls of Jerusalem may be built up. 21 Then shalt thou accept the sacrifice of justice, oblations and whole burnt offerings: then shall they lay calves upon thy altar. Like 2 comments 2 StBecketOraProNobis Dec 10, 2023 Daily Challenge, Saturday 9 December General Discussion Hello my siblings in Christ! Today I challenge you to ask for Saint Benedict's intercession in all your troubles and needs! May God Bless You and your family and Our Lady keep you all! ❤️✝️🙏 And May your prayers rise like incense! Like 0 comments 0 Forum - Frameless

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