Photos of Saint Vincent de Paul Church, in Perryville, Missouri

HERE ARE PHOTOS of Saint Vincent de Paul Church, in Perryville, Missouri. The church is located in Perry County, about 75 road miles south of downtown St. Louis, and is a part of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis.

Due to poor timing on my part, I failed to take photographs within the nave of the church.



The parish dates from 1817, but the current church building appears be from the early 1960s, with more recent additions. Like many parishes in this region, this church is staffed by members of the Congregation of the Mission.





Memorial garden with fountain.



Statue of the Holy Family in the garden.

Address:
1000 Rosati Court
Perryville, Missouri 63775

"graveyard of grand and beautiful buildings"

A REPORTER VISITS the ruined Cathedral of Mogadishu, Somalia; see the article Somalia's graveyard of grand and beautiful buildings, on the BBC website. From the article:

"...we were inside the remains of what had once been one of the grandest Catholic cathedrals in the whole of Africa, built by Italian colonialists in the 1920s. Its last bishop, Salvatore Colombo, was murdered there in 1989 as he was giving mass.

"I felt very tiny inside that building. Perhaps because the roof has been completely blown off, the walls of the cathedral seemed to stretch right up to the blue sky above.

"Although we were in the carcass of a building, enough remained of the elegant stone arches and the shadows of crosses, for us to know that we were in a sacred place..."

Mogadishu was devastated by civil war, but the city is now being rebuilt.

"Curiosity"

One of my most exciting memories from my college years was paying a visit to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, home of the unmanned space exploration program for the United States. There I watched a live feed of images of the Saturn system photographed during the flyby of Voyager 1 spacecraft. Exciting times! The spontaneous cheers which arose from the crowd — students and scientists alike —  expressed a great joy.

The animation of the landing of the Mars rover "Curiosity,"seen above, is quite dramatic and exciting in itself, and I'm sure that most of us hope that it goes well.

There are some who think that the space program is expensive and wasteful, spending money that is better spent elsewhere, such as on social services — this despite the fact that many Ph.D.s would be homeless were it not for the space program. While the space program often has been wasteful, there have also been crowning moments of awe, like the Apollo 11 moon landing. But what the critics may not realize is that an even greater virtue than liberality is the virtue of magnificence, which exhibits great courage and great honor, found in the best achievements of the space program. I wrote more about magnificence and the space program here.

Newsletter from the Oratory

SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES ORATORY EMAIL NEWSLETTER 2653 Ohio Avenue Saint Louis, Missouri 63118 www.institute-christ-king.org www.TraditionForTomorrow.com 314-771-3100

August 02, 2012 FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION – SUMMER AT THE ORATORY SURSUM CORDA – SEMINARY SOCIETY WALL REPAIR – “HOMERUN DERBY” CANON WIENER UPDATE Dear Faithful and Friends of St. Francis de Sales Oratory, FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY Please note that the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 15, is a Holy Day of Obligation. The Mass times are: 8:00 AM (Low Mass), 12:15 PM (Mass with organ), and 6:30 PM (Solemn High Mass.) By the Apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus, promulgated on November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII formally defined the dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: "By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory" In Paragraph 40, the Holy Father summarized: “Hence the revered Mother of God, from all eternity joined in a hidden way with Jesus Christ in one and the same decree of predestination, immaculate in her conception, a most perfect virgin in her divine motherhood, the noble associate of the divine Redeemer who has won a complete triumph over sin and its consequences, finally obtained, as the supreme culmination of her privileges, that she should be preserved free from the corruption of the tomb and that, like her own Son, having overcome death, she might be taken up body and soul to the glory of heaven where, as Queen, she sits in splendor at the right hand of her Son, the immortal King of the Ages.” SUMMER AT THE ORATORY, AUGUST 19, 2012 Summer at the Oratory 2011 Come one and all - it is less than three weeks away now! Held every year to coincide with the feast of the patron saint of our city and archdiocese, King Saint Louis IX, “Summer at the Oratory” is the Oratory’s primary summer community event. Just as the Oratory’s community has grown, so has “Summer at the Oratory” expanded in scope and richness year by year. Following the External Solemnity of the Feast of King St. Louis, on Sunday, August 19, this day of festivity will be great fun for the whole family, for the Fox Park Neighborhood, and for the entire Oratory community. This year we are introducing a great Raffle. Since the Spring, a team of volunteers has been organizing donations from many businesses and making raffle tickets available to all faithful. (They may be purchased after both Sunday Masses in the Church Hall or by calling the office.) A wide array of excellent prizes is waiting to be claimed; the prizes include a vacation package, gift certificates, winery & brewery tours, and $$$, just to name a few. Games and rides, notably “Pig Races,” the dunking booth and horse rides will be there. The live jazz music lined up for this year are: The Carolbeth True Trio from 1-4 PM, and The Steve Schenkel Trio, featuring vocalist Deborah Sharn, for the late afternoon, from 5-7 PM. Then there are the time-tested popular standbys: Silent Auction, Country Market, attendance prizes, and tremendous food and drinks offered by our best cooking Knights – superb barbecues and Schlafly beer – all waiting to be enjoyed by you and your family and friends! As we get closer to the date, Mrs. Maryrose Schmidt is organizing volunteers whose willing hands are crucial to the success of this community event. Please consider donating ½ hour or more of your time to make this the best “Summer at the Oratory” ever! Maryrose Schmidt will be in the basement after both Masses on the next two Sundays with sign up sheets or contact her at 314-558-4867 orschmidtfamily@gmail.com. SURSUM CORDA: YOUNG ADULTS GROUP Old Saint Ferdinand Shrine On Saturday, July 14, approximately 30 young adults met for a day of recollection and fellowship, starting with the 8:00 AM Holy Mass at St. Francis de Sales. A convivial breakfast in the newly renovated Convent dining room followed. Together the group embarked on a tour of St. Ferdinand Shrine in Florissant, MO, and prayed the Rosary. At 12:00 noon, a spiritual conference was given to the group by Canon Matthew Talarico. The conference featured Pope Benedict XVI’s recent letter on the Feast of St. Francis de Sales, emphasizing social communications and putting them to good use for the glory of God. A picnic lunch and outdoor games completed a fantastic day of Sursum Corda – literally “hearts lifted.”        Begun in 2011, Sursum Corda is the Institute’s nation-wide initiative to foster the spiritual lives of young adults ages 18-35. The first retreat last summer was regarded by all participants as a spiritually and culturally enriching event. In addition to the interim activities at the local level, a second national retreat will take place this month, from Friday, August 10 to Monday, August 13. To see last year’s Sursum Corda Retreat, please visit here. SEMINARY SOCIETY SPONSORS A PRESENTATION BY ABBÉ WEAVER St. Francis de Sales Oratory has been blessed with meeting and supporting many candidates for the Seminary and many seminarians who come to the Oratory to assist the Canons in their work. Abbé Matthew Weaver, originally from Cleveland, Ohio, is assisting at the Oratory for a few weeks before returning to Gricigliano for the next academic year at the Seminary. On Sunday, July 22, Abbé Weaver, having just received his cassock and clerical tonsure earlier in the month, gave a delightful presentation to the faithful.                                By getting to know the seminarians and seeing the seminary through their eyes, we have gained a new appreciation for the priestly formation at the Institute’s Seminary. Our resolve to support them with our prayers has been strengthened, and so has theirs to pray for all the faithful! IOWA STREET STONE WALL REPAIR Iowa street During last winter’s snow removal operations, part of the cap stone on top of the long stone wall that runs along Iowa Street was damaged. Closer inspection of the entire wall showed that, although structurally sound, it was in need of repairs to keep it from soon becoming a major problem. Several people looked at it and offered suggestions and costs for its repair. The final plan that was contracted for consists of: rebuilding the corner post, which did have structural issues; rebuilding and resetting the capstone along the top; grinding out old mortar and tuck-pointing the major portions of the full face of the wall that are in most need; parging (covering using concrete or a masonry-based mortar) the backside of the wall along the slope of the hill; and doing some paving to prevent water from getting behind the wall from the top. This work should ensure extending this wall’s serviceable life well into the future, thereby saving the need for an extremely expensive rebuild. These repairs have now begun with a target for completion by the time we celebrate Summer at the Oratory. “HOME RUN DERBY” Canon Talarico with Abbe Weaver Had they been informed, ESPN would not have missed the sport event that took place on Sunday, July 15: the first ever Oratory Home Run Derby. Similar to the derby in the Major Leagues, each player got ten “outs” per round, and the players who hit home runs in each round advance to the next. There were three rounds in all.                 By no means was this an easy derby. From 12:30 noon to 3 PM, the St. Louis summer heat made it a contest of endurance as well as skill for the 25-30 players who tried their hand, and the pitchers and catchers who offered their talents. Cheered on by 75 or so spectators standing in the shade, the vigorous athletic contest took its full course. In the end, those wearing the cassock proved to be quite the hitters to beat. For this first ever Oratory derby, the first-place trophy went to Abbe Matthew Weaver, the visiting seminarian. May his studies at the seminary be as stellar as his performance on the baseball field! Congratulations to all who participated; it was a great afternoon of good cheers and wholesome recreation for all - the young and old, girls and boys, women and men - who came. Stay tuned for the next derby! CANON WIENER UPDATE AND CONTACT INFORMATION We are pleased to bring to you a message from Canon Wiener: “From Germany I send you all my heartfelt greetings. I am very grateful for your prayers for me and for God's infinite goodness and mercy. Right now I have completed half of the total six treatments and so far the doctors are very satisfied with the results. I will continue to pray for you and your families and for the entire Oratory in St. Louis. Thank you especially for the many written greetings I have received and which I appreciate very much. May God bless you all! – Canon Michael K. Wiener, Bayerisch Gmain, Germany” You are welcome to write a card or a letter to Canon at the postal address below: Canon Michael Wiener Institut Christus Konig Feuerwehrheimstrasse, 40 D-83457 Bayerisch Gmain Germany Yours faithfully, in Christ the King, Canon Matthew Talarico Substitute Provincial, US

On the Character of Saint Francis

“My God and my All.”

FOR A LONG TIME, I’ve been reading a biography of Saint Francis of Assisi — typically only a paragraph or two before falling asleep — and I finished the book last night. As today happens to be the day of the famed Portiuncula privilege, gained by Saint Francis, I thought I would post this from the biography:

Our blessed Father was agreeable to all. Joy, serenity, kindness, and modesty, were perceptible in his countenance. He was naturally mild and affable, compassionate, liberal, prudent, discreet, gave sound advice, was faithful to his word, and full of courage; he was easy in his manners, accommodating himself to all sorts of tempers; he was all to all, he was a saint among the saintly, and among sinners, as if he was one of them; his conversation was graceful, and his manner insinuating; clear in his reasoning, energetic and compliant in matters of business; and, finally, simple in his actions and words.

Such a character, worthy of imitation! The book continues, explaining the nature of Francis’ simplicity:

We must receive in their true sense what was understood in saying that “he was simple in his actions and words.” The term simplicity has two significations in English.—Firstly it is used to describe a person of little mind, narrow-minded, dull, not well informed, weak and credulous; it is also used to express candor, ingenuousness, and uprightness; to describe a person who is natural, without artfulness. It is in this sense that it is said that the greatest geniuses are the most simple; enemies of subtlety and trick, which are only appropriate to narrow minds. The simplicity of the just, in Scriptural language, is true virtue, solid without drawback, purity of heart, uprightness of intention; in opposition to every sort of duplicity or disguise—everything that St. Paul calls “the prudence of the flesh; the wisdom of this world.” St. Gregory so explains it. This does not exclude prudence, but only malice and double dealing. Our Blessed Lord warns us “to be prudent as serpents, and simple as doves.” St. Paul says: “I would have you to be wise in good, and simple in evil.” Every Christian must be simple in faith, submitting himself purely and simply to the decisions of the Church, without any endeavor to elude them by crafty evasions, as some do in so scandalous a manner; simple in the intercourse of society, being frank and sincere, doing injury to no one; simple in devotion, going straight to God; following the way pointed out by the Gospel; not resembling those of whom the wise man says: “They go two ways, and have two hearts,” the one for God, and the other for the world.

Such was the simplicity of St. Francis. He was simple because he had no other intention in his mind, no other movement in his heart, than to be conformed to Jesus Christ. In order to imitate His poverty, His humility, His sufferings, all His virtues, he did many things far above the ordinary rules of human wisdom; and, as to his language, it was formed on that of the Gospel.

St. Francis was simple, but he had great qualities of mind and heart; and his simplicity was a perfection in him—not a defect. If it induced him to do things of which human prudence disapproves, it was because he was guided by Divine light; it was because he sought to be despised by the world, to render himself more conformable to Jesus Christ. Men of his age were not deceived by it; they discovered the principle which made him act and speak with such simplicity. His constant endeavor to humble himself, and draw on himself contempt, only gave them a greater esteem for his person, and they loaded him with honors. If our age deems itself wiser, what reason has it for not doing similar justice?

— THE LIFE AND LEGENDS OF SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI, TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH OF FATHER CANDIDE CHALIPPE, O.F.M., REVISED AND RE-EDITED BY FATHER HILARION DUERK, O.F.M.