Cdl. Burke's Homily at the Cathedral Basilica

Click here for Cardinal Burke's homily for Corpus Christi, at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis.

Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help

Altar with icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, at Saint Cecilia Church, in Saint Louis, Missouri. Photo taken in 2008.

The icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, also known as Our Lady of Perpetual Succor or the Theotokos of the Passion, is likely the best-known icon in the Latin Church. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia:

The picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour is painted on wood, with background of gold. It is Byzantine in style and is supposed to have been painted in the thirteenth century. It represents the Mother of God holding the Divine Child while the Archangels Michael and Gabriel present before Him the instruments of His Passion. Over the figures in the picture are some Greek letters which form the abbreviated words Mother of God, Jesus Christ, Archangel Michael, and Archangel Gabriel respectively. It was brought to Rome towards the end of the fifteenth century by a pious merchant, who, dying there, ordered by his will that the picture should be exposed in a church for public veneration. It was exposed in the church of San Matteo, Via Merulana, between St. Mary Major and St. John Lateran. Crowds flocked to this church, and for nearly three hundred years many graces were obtained through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin. The picture was then popularly called the Madonna di San Matteo. The church was served for a time by the Hermits of St. Augustine, who had sheltered their Irish brethren in their distress. These Augustinians were still in charge when the French invaded Rome (1812) and destroyed the church. The picture disappeared; it remained hidden and neglected for over forty years, but a series of providential circumstances between 1863 and 1865 led to its discovery in an oratory of the Augustinian Fathers at Santa Maria in Posterula.

The original icon came from Crete, and has a long series of icons for its inspiration, and in turn has inspired uncountable copies and derivatives. According to tradition, the root of this artistic representation goes back to Saint Luke the Evangelist, who is said to have painted a portrait of the Blessed Virgin: this circular painting of Mary's face is found at the Abbey of Montevergine in Italy.

Artistically speaking, it is very difficult to satisfactorily compose an image of two persons together, but the many icons of the Virgin and Divine Child Jesus, such as this one, are supremely admirable for doing so in a pleasing manner.

According to Saint Alphosus Ligouri, founder of the religious order that now has custody of the original icon:

So great is the authority that mothers possess over their sons, that even if they are monarchs, and have absolute dominion over every person in their kingdom, yet never can mothers become the subjects of their sons. It is true that Jesus now in Heaven sits at the right of the Father, enjoying that distinction even as Man because of the hypostatic union with the Person of the Divine Word.

He has supreme dominion over all and also over Mary; nevertheless, it can always be said that for a time at least, when He was living in this world, He was pleased to humble himself and be subject to Mary. Says St. Ambrose, Jesus Christ having deigned to make Mary His Mother, inasmuch as He was her Son, He was truly obliged to obey her. And for this reason, says Richard of St. Laurence, "Of other Saints we say that they are with God; but of Mary alone can it be said that she was so far favored as to be not only herself submissive to the will of God, but even that God was subject to her will.

Therefore we say that, even though Mary can no longer command her Son, since they are not on earth any more, still her prayers are always the prayers of a Mother and are therefore most powerful in obtaining whatever she asks.

Mater de Perpetuo Succursu, ora pro nobis!

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 June 24, 2011 PRAY FOR THE INSTITUTE’S ORDINANDS - INVITATION TO CORPUS CHRISTI - SACRED RELIC EXHIBIT- GOLDEN BRICK AWARD - SUMMER AT THE ORATORY Dear Faithful and Friends of Saint Francis de Sales Oratory, PRAY FOR THE INSTITUTE'S ORDINANDS Priestly Ordinations 2010 On Thursday, July 7, 2011, His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke will ordain four new priests for the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest: Rev. Messrs. Federico Pozza, Bertrand Bergerot, Matthieu Thermed and Brieuc de la Brosse. Several of these young men were in St. Louis in 2007 for the ordinations which took place in the Cathedral Basilica, and some of you hosted them at your houses. This week of grace which closes the seminary year will also see the ordination of two deacons (in addition to the three that were ordained by His Eminence in January), seven subdeacons, and some thirty minor orders, while the dozen first year seminarians receive the cassock and tonsure. This year, our own Abbé Alex Barga will be traveling to Gricigliano to receive the orders of porter and lector. We warmly invite you to join with the clergy, sisters, and faithful of the Institute throughout the world as we pray for all these generous laborers who have answered the good Lord’s call to come to His harvest. Pray especially for the four men who are preparing to receive the most sublime dignity ever conferred upon men. They will be priests of Jesus Christ, called henceforth to bring men to God and to bring God to men. They will be sent to serve you and your families in the mission which Divine Providence has given to our Institute. EXTERNAL SOLEMNITY CORPUS CHRISTI – THIS SUNDAY, JUNE 26 Corpus Christi Procession - 2010 This Sunday, we will again celebrate the External Solemnity of the Feast of Corpus Christi. On this Feast day Holy Mother Church reminds us of the fact that we can never do enough to venerate Our Lord here on earth, where He is really present, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Please join us in the Solemn Procession through the streets around our church in the Fox Park Neighborhood after the Solemn High Mass at 10:00 A.M. SPECIAL EXHIBIT OF 150 RELICS We are delighted to announce that the Oratory will host the special exhibit of relics for two days instead of one: on Friday, July 22, at 5:00 PM, and again on Saturday, July 23, at 9:00 AM.            Father Carlos Martins On both days, the visit will begin with a conference given by Fr. Carlos Martins in the Hall, followed by veneration of the relics in the church. Please note that access to the church to venerate the relics will be available only after the conference. This visit of more than 150 sacred relics gives us all an opportunity to pay homage to Our Lord through His saints, and to the many saints who influence our lives through their intercession. Among the relics will be those of the apostles, John the Baptist, Doctors of the Church, many well-known patron saints, such as Thérèse of Lisieux, St. Francis of Assissi, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Mary Magdalene, and St. Pio of Pietrelcina. Not to be missed in the midst of this constellation are a piece of veil of the Blessed Mother and a piece of the True Cross. (See list of saints.) Please mark your calendars for July 22 and 23; join us when we receive the blessed presence of over 150 saints, and as we warmly welcome Father Carlos A. Martins, a priest of theCompanions of the Cross, and his “Treasures of the Church”, a ministry of evangelization of the Catholic Church. ORATORY WINS THIRD GOLDEN BRICK AWARD – FOR COURTYARD For the third time since 2008, the Oratory has received the annual Golden Brick award from the DeSales Community Housing Corporation; this time, it’s for the courtyard garden project. In accordance with its mission to promote the renewal of the Fox Park and Tower Grove East neighborhoods, the Corporation recognizes outstanding projects which improves and beautifies the neighborhood. On behalf of the Oratory, Canon Michael K. Wiener attended the reception on Thursday, June 16, and gratefully accepted the award from Executive Director, Mr. Tom Pickel.   Previously, the Oratory had been recognized for the renovation of the sacristy (in 2008) and the renovation of the convent (2010.) In contrast to the previous two awards, the “2011 Golden Brick” highlights an exterior improvement of the church. The courtyard garden project began with the installation of a wrought iron gate, delineating a garden space between the rectory and the convent. Once excavation began, it was discovered that underneath the asphalt was a lovely old brick courtyard. Over half of the salvaged old bricks were of very good quality, and are reused today in the paved walk way in the newly designed garden. An American poet from the Nineteenth Century, Lucy Larcom, once wrote, “He who plants a tree, plants hope.” Slowly, the small trees, shrubs, and perennials are gradually taking root in this garden on the St. Francis de Sales campus. Where the ground was once paved with hard asphalt, soft rich earth now nourishes an urban oasis of verdant plants and pretty flowers. The visibly vigorous plantings on our campus are indeed lovely additions to the Oratory’s exterior and reflect the growth of the Oratory community. This garden project was made possible through the generous donation of a benefactor, and many man-hours of hard work contributed by a Oratory members. As on previous two occasions, this Golden Brick award belongs to all of you, for without the dedication and unwavering support of all Oratory members and friends, the continued restoration of St. Francis de Sales would not be possible. SUMMER AT THE ORATORY – HELP NEEDED In just two months, on August 21, the Oratory will hold its annual “Summer at the Oratory” event, in honor of King St. Louis IX. If you can help with any aspect of the event – such as set-up and take-down, staffing the booths, operate games for children, to name a few – then we need you! Please contact the office and sign up for one or more of these duties to help make the event a great success. A special area in which we need your creative and physical help at this time is the Silent Auction. We need to collect donated items from merchants to support the Auction. Visiting the merchants on behalf of the Oratory is an ambassadorial task which highlights the restoration needs of the Oratory and is ultimately rewarding for all concerned. Please pick up a donation request letter at the Oratory office, and invite a favorite vendor to participate in the restoration effort. In addition to merchandise, the Oratory would heartily welcome special and unique items to our list of Auctions this year. Do you have an heirloom antique that you would be willing to donate to benefit the Oratory? Or a timeshare you won’t be using? Or a special talent or service, such as sewing, carpentry, music, language, sports, gardening, lessons, hairstyling, pet-sitting, …, which you would consider donating? Whatever you can offer, we could find a creative way to package it for the Silent Auction. Please contact the office and let us know what you can donate. Summer at the Oratory is our community event. Your generous help and support will grow and strengthen St. Francis de Sales Oratory! PLEASE HELP SUPPORT THE INSTITUTE’S SACRED MUSIC CAMP The response to the Institute’s second annual choir camp has been, as expected, overwhelming. The Girl’s dormitory filled up in less than a week! We currently have nine available spots for boy choristers. The tuition for choir camp underwrites a large portion of the necessary expenses: faculty stipends, musical material, camp counselors, room and board for 50 people. However, to make this unique camp affordable for choristers to attend, we must ask that you prayerfully consider making a donation to help underwrite the remaining balance. With my sincere prayers and best wishes, Canon Michael K. Wiener Rector, St. Francis de Sales Oratory

Photos at Sac Prairie

AN EXCERPT from A Summer Journey in the West, 1841, by Eliza R. Steele:

July 7th.—I fell asleep, and when I was awakened at dawn this morning, by my companion, that I might not lose the scene, I started with surprise and delight. I was in the midst of a prairie! A world of grass and flowers stretched around me, rising and falling in gentle undulations, as if an enchanter had struck the ocean swell, and it was at rest forever. Acres of wild flowers of every hue glowed around me, and the sun arising from the earth where it touched the horizon, was 'kissing with golden face the meadows green.'* What a new and wonderous world of beauty! What a magnificent sight! Those glorious ranks of flowers! Oh that you could have 'one glance at their array!' * How shall I convey to you an idea of a prairie. I despair, for never yet hath pen brought the scene before my mind. Imagine yourself in the centre of an immense circle of velvet herbage, the sky for its boundary upon every side; the whole clothed with a radiant efflorescence of every brilliant hue. We rode thus through a perfect wilderness of sweets, sending forth perfume, and animated with myriads of glittering birds and butterflies :—

"A populous solitude of bees and birds,
And fairy formed, and many colored things." *

It was, in fact, a vast garden, over whose perfumed paths, covered with soil as hard as gravel, our carriage rolled through the whole of that summer day. You will scarcely credit the profusion of flowers upon these praries. We passed whole acres of blossoms all bearing one hue, as purple, perhaps, or masses of yellow or rose; and then again a carpet of every color intermixed, or narrow bands, as if a rainbow had fallen upon the verdant slopes. When the sun flooded this Mosaic floor with light, and the summer breeze stirred among their leaves, the irredescent glow was beautiful and wonderous beyond any thing I had ever conceived. I think this must have been the place where Armida planted her garden, for she surely could not have chosen a fairer spot. Here are

'Gorgeous flowrets in the sun light shining,
Blossoms flaunting in the eye of day;
Tremulous leaves, with soft and silver lining
Buds that open only to decay.' *

The gentle undulating surface of these prairies, prevent sameness, and add variety to its lights and shades. Occasionally, when a swell is rather higher than the rest, it gives you an extended view over the country and you may mark a dark green waving line of trees near the distant horizon, which are shading some gentle stream from the sun's absorbing rays, and thus, 'Betraying the secret of their silent course.' * Oak openings also occur, green groves, arranged with the regularity of art, making shady, alleys, for the heated traveller. What a tender benevolent Father have we, to form for us so bright a world! How filled with glory and beauty must that mind have been, who conceived so much loveliness! If for his erring children he has created so fair a dwelling place, how well adorned with every goodly show, must be the celestial home reserved for his obedient people. Eye hath not seen it—ear hath not heard it—nor can it enter into our hearts to conceive it. *

Wondrous truths, and manifold as wondrous,
God hath written in those stars above—
But not less in the bright flowrets under us,
Stands the revelation of his love. *

The following photos were taken at Cuivre River State Park, near Troy, Missouri:



In French, the word prairie means meadow, and it was in this sense that the grasslands of the American mid-west were originally named by the colonial settlers. The Sac Prairie shown here is a meadow in the forested and rugged Lincoln Hills, an isolated Ozark-like region otherwise surrounded by flatter grassland.





The above photos were taken at the Sac Prairie in that park, and the flower below was taken on the hillside above.



See also the article Mushrooms and Moss, which has more photos from this day.

Most Pure Heart of Mary Church, in Chamois, Missouri.