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Monday, July 11, 2016

Catholic News World : Monday July 11, 2016 - SHARE

2016


Novena to Saint Benedict - #Miracle Prayers and #Litany to SHARE -

St. Benedict,  Patriarch of Western Monasticism, and founder of the Benedictine Order , was born in Nursia, Italy, in 480 and died in 547
NOVENA PRAYER - Say for 9 days
Glorious St. Benedict, sublime model of virtue, pure vessel of God's grace! Behold me humbly kneeling at your feet. I implore you in your loving kindness to pray for me before the throne Of God. To you I have recourse in the dangers that daily surround me. Shield me against my selfishness and my indifference to God and to my neighbor. Inspire me to imitate you in all things. May your blessing be with me always, so that I may see and serve Christ in others and work for His kingdom. 
 Graciously obtain for me from God those favors and graces which I need so much in the trials, miseries and afflictions of life. Your heart was always full of love, compassion and mercy toward those who were afflicted or troubled in any way. You never dismissed without consolation and assistance anyone who had recourse to you. I therefore invoke your powerful intercession, confident in the hope that you will hear my prayer and obtain for me the special grace and favor I earnestly implore (name it). Help me, great St. Benedict. to live and die as a faithful child of God, to run in the sweetness of His loving will and to attain the eternal happiness of heaven. Amen.
(3) Our Father, (3) Hail Mary, (3) Glory Be St. Benedict, pray for us.
THE LITANY OF ST. BENEDICT
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit, Have mercy on us.Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, Pray for us.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, Pray for us.
Holy Father, Saint Benedict, Pray for us.
Father most reverend, Pray for us.
Father most renowned, Pray for us.
Father most compassionate, Pray for us.
Man of great fortitude, Pray for us.
Man of venerable life, Pray for us.
Man of the most holy conversation, Pray for us.
True servant of God, Pray for us.
Light of devotion, Pray for us.
Light of prayer, Pray for us.
Light of contemplation, Pray for us.
Star of the world, Pray for us.
Best master of an austere life, Pray for us.
Leader of the holy warfare, Pray for us.
Leader and chief of monks, Pray for us.
Master of those who die to the world, Pray for us.
Protector of those who cry to thee, Pray for us.
Wonderful worker of miracles, Pray for us.
Revealer of the secrets of the human heart, Pray for us.
Master of spiritual discipline, Pray for us.
Companion of the patriarchs, Pray for us.
Equal of the prophets, Pray for us.
Follower of the Apostles, Pray for us.
Teacher of Martyrs, Pray for us.
Father of many pontiffs, Pray for us.
Gem of abbots, Pray for us.
Glory of Confessors, Pray for us.
Imitator of anchorites, Pray for us.
Associate of virgins, Pray for us.
Colleague of all the Saints, Pray for us.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

V. Intercede for us, O holy father Saint Benedict, R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let Us Pray: O God, Who hast called us from the vanity of the world, and Who dost incite us to the reward of a heavenly vocation under the guidance of our holy patriarch and founder, Saint Benedict, inspire and purify our hearts and pour forth on us Thy grace, whereby we may persevere in Thee. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Wow #PopeFrancis appoints 1st Woman as deputy Spokesman along with American Greg Burke former #FoxNews journalist

ROMEREPORTS report: The Pope interrupted his summer vacation to welcome his two new spokespersons.
"How are you doing?" 
"A Spaniard stuck in the Vatican..."

In their first conversation, the Pope mentioned three aspects of their new job:fidelity, loyalty and transparency.

From now on these two become the official voice of the Vatican and its interpreters.

The prefect of the Secretariat for Communication made the announcement at noon, at an informal meeting in the Vatican press office

MSGR. DARÍO VIGANÒ
Prefect, Secretariat for Communication
"As you know, the Pope has appointed Greg Burke director of the Vatican press office. I give you the official document with the news... and appoint Paloma García Ovejero as deputy director of the Vatican press office. Now their position is official."

Among the meeting attendees was also the hitherto spokesman, Fr. Federico Lombardi, who was appointed just 10 years ago.

MSGR. DARÍO VIGANÒ
Prefect, Secretariat for Communication
"You know his experience and his high profile. I know they already distributed the press release. They are now called to continue the work done by Fr. Federico Lombardi, to whom I give a heartfelt thanks for his 10 years of service.”

Greg Burke, the new spokesman for the Pope, is from Saint Louis (Missouri). He is 56 years old and has experience in the media, coming from his studies at Columbia University in New York. He came to Rome originally as a correspondent for TIME and Fox News and is a member of Opus Dei. 

The new deputy spokeswoman is Spanish journalist, Paloma García Ovejero.She is 40 years old and a Vatican correspondent for the Cadena Cope, which is linked to Spanish bishops. She covered the last few years of Benedict XVI's pontificate, up until now with Pope Francis. 

GREG BURKE 
Vatican spokesman 
"I'm honored and moved actually by having the trust of the Pope, okay? There's no doubt about that. Incredibly thankful to Fr. Lombardi, because I've learned a lot in this whole time, really, an old time Jesuit, scholar and gentleman. I think she is somebody everybody knows, both of us come from, I've been out of the  press corps for years, but both of us come from that area, and I think that's good.” 

PALOMA GARCÍA OVEJERO
Vatican deputy spokeswoman
"Two lay people, one American, and the other a Spanish-speaker. I think if you go to the Gospel, the first people who announced the Resurrection were women. It is a logical choice, maybe the name and surname not so much, but it is natural. This is Pope Francis' style, and it is consistent with his words and especially with his vision of the Church."

In practice, Fr. Federico Lombardi will remain spokesman until July 31. His last press conference will be with Pope Francis on the flight back from World Youth Day in Krakow.

#Amazing St. Benedict Medal Protects from Evil - SHARE #StBenedict's #Medal of Powerful Protection!

St. Benedict of Nursia, Italy (A.D. 480-543), the twin brother of St. Scholastica, is Father of Western monasticism. His “Rule of St. Benedict” is the rule for many religious orders. The Benedictine Order is located at Monte Cassino, Italy, about 80 miles South of Rome). He had been living as a hermit in a cave for three years, when a religious community came to him after the death of their abbot and asked Benedict to become their leader. Some of the “monks” didn’t like this and tried to kill him with poisoned food. St. Benedict made the sign of the Cross over the food, and became aware they were poisoned, then toppled the cup and told a raven to carry off the bread.
About the Medal The Jubilee Medal of St. Benedict according to the Catholic Encyclopedia : FRONT One side of the medal bears an image of St. Benedict, holding a cross in the right hand and the Holy Rule in the left. On the one side of the image is a cup, on the other a raven, and above the cup and the raven are inscribed the words: “Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti” (Cross of the Holy Father Benedict). Round the margin of the medal stands the legend “Ejus in obitu nostro praesentia muniamus” (May we at our death be fortified by his presence). BACK The reverse of the medal bears a cross with the initial letters of the words: “Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux” (The Holy Cross be my light), written downward on the perpendicular bar; the initial letters of the words, “Non Draco Sit Mihi Dux” (Let not the dragon be my guide), on the horizontal bar; and the initial letters of “Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti” in the angles of the cross. Round the margin stand the initial letters of the distich: “Vade Retro Satana, Nunquam Suade Mihi Vana — Sunt Mala Quae Libas, Ipse Venena Bibas” (Begone, Satan, do not suggest to me thy vanities — evil are the things thou profferest, drink thou thy own poison). At the top of the cross usually stands the word Pax (peace) or the monogram I H S (Jesus). 
The History of the Jubilee Medal The medal was made  in 1880, to commemorate the fourteenth centenary of St. Benedict’s birth. The Archabbey of Monte Cassino has the exclusive right to strike this medal. The ordinary medal of St. Benedict usually differs from the preceding in the omission of the words “Ejus in obitu etc.”, and in a few minor details. (For the indulgences connected with it see Beringer, “Die Ablässe”, Paderborn, 1906, p. 404-6.) The habitual wearer of the jubilee medal can gain all the indulgences connected with the ordinary medal and, in addition: (1) All the indulgences that could be gained by visiting the basilica, crypt, and tower of St. Benedict at Monte Cassino (Pius IX, 31 December, 1877) (2) A plenary indulgence on the feast of All Souls (from about two o’clock in the afternoon of 1 November to sunset of 2 November), as often as (toties quoties), after confession and Holy Communion, he visits any church or public oratory, praying there according to the intention of the pope, provided that he is hindered from visiting a church or public oratory of the Benedictines by sickness, monastic enclosure or a distance of at least 1000 steps. (Decr. 27 February, 1907, in Acta S. Sedis, LX, 246.) Any priest may receive the faculties to bless these medals. 
Origins It is doubtful when the Medal of St. Benedict originated. During a trial for witchcraft at Natternberg near the Abbey of Metten in Bavaria in the year 1647, the accused women testified that they had no power over Metten, which was under the protection of the cross. Upon investigation, a number of painted crosses, surrounded by the letters which are now found on Benedictine medals, were found on the walls of the abbey, but their meaning had been forgotten. Finally, in an old manuscript, written in 1415, was found a picture representing St. Benedict holding in one hand a staff which ends in a cross, and a scroll in the other. On the staff and scroll were written in full the words of which the mysterious letters were the initials. Medals bearing the image of St. Benedict, a cross, and these letters began now to be struck in Germany, and soon spread over Europe. They were first approved by Benedict XIV in his briefs of 23 December, 1741, and 12 March, 1742.
Specific Promises associated with the St. Benedict Medal  
1. To destroy witchcraft and all other diabolical and haunting influences; 
2. To impart protection to persons tempted, deluded, or tormented by evil spirits; 
3. To obtain the conversion of sinners into the Catholic Church, especially when they are in danger of death; 
4. To serve as an armor against temptation;
 5. To destroy the effects of poison; 
6. To secure a timely and healthy birth for children; 
7. To afford protection against storms and lightning; 
8. To serve as an efficacious remedy for bodily afflictions and a means of protection against contagious diseases. 
 How to wear the medal 1. On a chain around the neck; 2. Attached to one’s rosary; 3. Kept in one’s pocket or purse; 4. Placed in one’s car or home; 5. Placed in the foundation of a building; 6. Placed in the center of a cross. 

Approved Blessing of the Medal of St. Benedict

Medals of Saint Benedict are sacramentals that may be blessed by any priest or deacon -- 

V. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
R. Who made heaven and earth.

In the name of God the Father + almighty, who made heaven and earth, the seas and all that is in them, I exorcise these medals against the power and attacks of the evil one. May all who use these medals devoutly be blessed with health of soul and body. In the name of the Father +almighty, of the Son + Jesus Christ our Lord, and of the Holy + Spirit the Paraclete, and in the love of the same Lord Jesus Christ who will come on the last day to judge the living and the dead, and the world by fire.
Amen.

Let us pray. Almighty God, the boundless source of all good things, we humbly ask that, through the intercession of Saint Benedict, you pour out your blessings + upon these medals. May those who use them devoutly and earnestly strive to perform good works be blessed by you with health of soul and body, the grace of a holy life, and remission of the temporal punishment due to sin.
May they also with the help of your merciful love, resist the temptation of the evil one and strive to exercise true charity and justice toward all, so that one day they may appear sinless and holy in your sight. This we ask though Christ our Lord.
Amen.

The medals are then sprinkled with holy water.

Permissu superiorum -Nihil obstat and ImprimaturSaint Cloud24 April 1980

Buy a St. Benedict Jubilee Medal from the Benedictine Mission House in theUSA  http://www.benedictinemissionhouse.com/index.php/d-medals-stbenedict/product/9-medal-1-p-10

Wow #Oldest Priest in the World reveals his Secret to Long Life at age 107! SHARE #Priest's Story....

The oldest priest in the world lives in Belgium. He revealed the secret to his long life...a strict daily routine as the recipe for a long life. His name is Father Jacques Clemens, who will celebrates  his 107th July 11. Clemens,  has also celebrated his 80th anniversary as a Catholic priest. He usually gets up every morning at 5.30 a.m. and goes to bed at 9.00 p.m. When Clemens was about to retire at 75, his bishop asked him to remain in service until they found a replacement - and he stopped holding regular  services at his parish in Nalinnes last year.

Today's Mass Readings and Video : Mon. July 11, 2016


Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot
Lectionary: 389

Reading 1IS 1:10-17

Hear the word of the LORD,
princes of Sodom!
Listen to the instruction of our God,
people of Gomorrah!
What care I for the number of your sacrifices?
says the LORD.
I have had enough of whole-burnt rams
and fat of fatlings;
In the blood of calves, lambs and goats
I find no pleasure.

When you come in to visit me,
who asks these things of you?
Trample my courts no more!
Bring no more worthless offerings;
your incense is loathsome to me.
New moon and sabbath, calling of assemblies,
octaves with wickedness: these I cannot bear.
Your new moons and festivals I detest;
they weigh me down, I tire of the load.
When you spread out your hands,
I close my eyes to you;
Though you pray the more,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood!
Wash yourselves clean!
Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes;
cease doing evil; learn to do good.
Make justice your aim: redress the wronged,
hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.

Responsorial PsalmPS 50:8-9, 16BC-17, 21 AND 23

R. (23b) To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
for your burnt offerings are before me always.
I take from your house no bullock,
no goats out of your fold.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
“When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think you that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

AlleluiaMT 5:10

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelMT 10:34-11:1

Jesus said to his Apostles:
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.
I have come to bring not peace but the sword.
For I have come to set
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one’s enemies will be those of his household.

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

“Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet’s reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is righteous
will receive a righteous man’s reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because he is a disciple–
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”

When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples,
he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.

Saint July 11 : St. Benedict : Founder of Western #Monastcism - Patron of #Fever, #Monks , Temptations


St. Benedict of Nursia
FOUNDER OF WESTERN MONASTICISM
 Born: 480, Norcia (Umbria, Italy)
Died: 21 March 547 at Monte Cassino, Italy
Canonized: 1220
Major Shrine: Monte Cassino Abbey, with his burial Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire, near Orléans, France Sacro Speco, at Subiaco, Italy
Patron of: Against poison, Against witchcraft, Cavers, Civil engineers, Coppersmiths, Dying people, Erysipelas, Europe, Farmers, Fever, Gall stones, Inflammatory diseases, Italian architects, Kidney disease, Monks, Nettle rash, Schoolchildren, Servants who have broken their master's belongings, Speliologists, Spelunkers, Temptations
Founder of western monasticism, born at Nursia, c. 480; died at Monte Cassino, 543. The only authentic life of Benedict of Nursia is that contained in the second book of St. Gregory's "Dialogues". It is rather a character sketch than a biography and consists, for the most part, of a number of miraculous incidents, which, although they illustrate the life of the saint, give little help towards a chronological account of his career. St. Gregory's authorities for all that he relates were the saint's own disciples, viz. Constantinus, who succeeded him as Abbot of Monte Cassino; and Honoratus, who was Abbot of Subiaco when St. Gregory wrote his "Dialogues". Benedict was the son of a Roman noble of Nursia, a small town near Spoleto, and a tradition, which St. Bede accepts, makes him a twin with his sister Scholastica. His boyhood was spent in Rome, where he lived with his parents and attended the schools until he had reached his higher studies. Then "giving over his books, and forsaking his father's house and wealth, with a mind only to serve God, he sought for some place where he might attain to the desire of his holy purpose; and in this sort he departed [from Rome], instructed with learned ignorance and furnished with unlearned wisdom" (Dial. St. Greg., II, Introd. in Migne, P.L. LXVI). There is much difference of opinion as to Benedict's age at the time. It has been very generally stated as fourteen, but a careful examination of St. Gregory's narrative makes it impossible to suppose him younger than nineteen or twenty. He was old enough to be in the midst of his literary studies, to understand the real meaning and worth of the dissolute and licentious lives of his companions, and to have been deeply affected himself by the love of a woman (Ibid. II, 2). He was capable of weighing all these things in comparison with the life taught in the Gospels, and chose the latter, He was at the beginning of life, and he had at his disposal the means to a career as a Roman noble; clearly he was not a child, As St. Gregory expresses it, "he was in the world and was free to enjoy the advantages which the world offers, but drew back his foot which he had, as it were, already set forth in the world" (ibid., Introd.). If we accept the date 480 for his birth, we may fix the date of his abandoning the schools and quitting home at about A.D. 500. Benedict does not seem to have left Rome for the purpose of becoming a hermit, but only to find some place away from the life of the great city; moreover, he took his old nurse with him as a servant and they settled down to live in Enfide, near a church dedicated to St. Peter, in some kind of association with "a company of virtuous men" who were in sympathy with his feelings and his views of life. Enfide, which the tradition of Subiaco identifies with the modern Affile, is in the Simbrucini mountains, about forty miles from Rome and two from Subiaco. It stands on the crest of a ridge which rises rapidly from the valley to the higher range of mountains, and seen from the lower ground the village has the appearance of a fortress. As St. Gregory's account indicates, and as is confirmed by the remains of the old town and by the inscriptions found in the neighbourhood, Enfide was a place of greater importance than is the present town. At Enfide Benedict worked his first miracle by restoring to perfect condition an earthenware wheat-sifter (capisterium) which his old servant had accidentally broken. The notoriety which this miracle brought upon Benedict drove him to escape still farther from social life, and "he fled secretly from his nurse and sought the more retired district of Subiaco". His purpose of life had also been modified. He had fled Rome to escape the evils of a great city; he now determined to be poor and to live by his own work. "For God's sake he deliberately chose the hardships of life and the weariness of labour" (ibid., 1). A short distance from Enfide is the entrance to a narrow, gloomy valley, penetrating the mountains and leading directly to Subiaco. Crossing the Anio and turning to the right, the path rises along the left face oft the ravine and soon reaches the site of Nero's villa and of the huge mole which formed the lower end of the middle lake; across the valley were ruins of the Roman baths, of which a few great arches and detached masses of wall still stand. Rising from the mole upon twenty five low arches, the foundations of which can even yet be traced, was the bridge from the villa to the baths, under which the waters of the middle lake poured in a wide fall into the lake below. The ruins of these vast buildings and the wide sheet of falling water closed up the entrance of the valley to St. Benedict as he came from Enfide; today the narrow valley lies open before us, closed only by the far off mountains. The path continues to ascend, and the side of the ravine, on which it runs, becomes steeper, until we reach a cave above which the mountain now rises almost perpendicularly; while on the right hand it strikes in a rapid descent down to where, in St. Benedict's day, five hundred feet below, lay the blue waters of the lake. The cave has a large triangular-shaped opening and is about ten feet deep. On his way from Enfide, Benedict met a monk, Romanus, whose monastery was on the mountain above the cliff overhanging the cave. Romanus had discussed with Benedict the purpose which had brought him to Subiaco, and had given him the monk's habit. By his advice Benedict became a hermit and for three years, unknown to men, lived in this cave above the lake. St. Gregory tells us little of these years, He now speaks of Benedict no longer as a youth (puer), but as a man (vir) of God. Romanus, he twice tells us, served the saint in every way he could. The monk apparently visited him frequently, and on fixed days brought him food. During these three years of solitude, broken only by occasional communications with the outer world and by the visits of Romanus, he matured both in mind and character, in knowledge of himself and of his fellow-man, and at the same time he became not merely known to, but secured the respect of, those about him; so much so that on the death of the abbot of a monastery in the neighbourhood (identified by some with Vicovaro), the community came to him and begged him to become its abbot. Benedict was acquainted with the life and discipline of the monastery, and knew that "their manners were diverse from his and therefore that they would never agree together: yet, at length, overcome with their entreaty, he gave his consent" (ibid., 3). The experiment failed; the monks tried to poison him, and he returned to his cave. From this time his miracles seem to have become frequent, and many people, attracted by his sanctity and character, came to Subiaco to be under his guidance. For them he built in the valley twelve monasteries, in each of which he placed a superior with twelve monks. In a thirteenth he lived with "a few, such as he thought would more profit and be better instructed by his own presence" (ibid., 3). He remained, however, the father or abbot of all. With the establishment of these monasteries began the schools for children; and amongst the first to be brought were Maurus and Placid. The remainder of St. Benedict's life was spent in realizing the ideal of monasticism which he has left us drawn out in his Rule, and before we follow the slight chronological story given by St. Gregory, it will be better to examine the ideal, which, as St. Gregory says, is St. Benedict's real biography (ibid., 36). We will deal here with the Rule only so far as it is an element in St. Benedict's life. For the relations which it bore to the monasticism of previous centuries, and for its influence throughout the West on civil and religious government, and upon the spiritual life of Christians, the reader is referred to the articles MONASTICISM and RULE OF SAINT BENEDICT.

#BreakingNews Seminarian Brian Bergkamp Body disappears in River after saving a Life - Statement by Bishop

Bergkamp was a seminarian who disappeared while kayaking on the Arkansas River.  Brian Bergkamp disappeared into the Arkansas River on Saturday morning while trying to save the life of another. “It was in his heart,” said Jan Haberly, director of the Lord’s Diner, where Bergkamp was an intern for the summer. “That was him. He put others first, he truly, truly did.” As of Sunday, crews were still looking for the young man in the swollen waters of the Arkansas River. Bergkamp, 24, had been kayaking with four friends, a man and three women, Saturday morning on the Arkansas River when they hit churning water under the 21st Street Bridge. Police say one of the women fell into the water, and Bergkamp left his kayak to help her. The woman was able to reach safety, but the currents were too strong for Bergkamp, and he was swept under. Now, friends and family are gathering to grieve, pray and remember the man who they say always strove to imitate Christ. Jimmy Schibi got to know Bergkamp during the time they spent together in seminary. He called Bergkamp a “man of great faith.” “He was never about himself, always looking to do something for others, never thinking of himself,” Schibi said. “He was a really an inspiration to us in the seminary and really a man that you want to model yourself after.” Bergkamp, the son of Ned and Theresa Bergkamp, grew up in Garden Plain as one of seven children. He attended one year at Benedictine College before deciding to enter Conception College Seminary in Missouri and become a Catholic priest. He was in Wichita for the summer after completing his second year of a four-year program. As search efforts continue, friends, family and fellow seminarians will gather to comfort one another and pray. The Catholic Diocese will hold a daily vigil at 7 p.m. in St. Anne’s Church, 2801 S. Seneca, until Bergkamp’s body is recovered. Schibi said he will remember his friend for his devotion to his friends and his faith. “He gave up his life to be a priest, but before he could do that, he gave up his life for another,” Schibi said. “Probably one of the most selfless individuals that I’d ever met.” Edited from Kansas.com
STATEMENT from Bishop Kemme of Wichita: 
Today I received word that one of our seminarians had a canoeing accident on the Arkansas River in Wichita. His name is Brian Bergkamp. Brian was to be a third year theologian at Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Maryland. Now, his rescue mission has been changed to a recovery mission. Brian is a quiet but dedicated man, whom I was honored to know and serve as his bishop. I want to ask for your prayers for his family who are facing the incredible pain of losing a son and brother. I also ask your prayers for our diocese who has lost a seminarian who demonstrated great promise for ministry in the Church. I am praying that he will intercede for all of us as we find the strength to move onward without him. God bless you Brian with eternal life and may the angels welcome you to your eternal home. Bishop Kemme

Wow #PopeFrancis "...I want to encourage everyone to visit – if possible, every day ....the Blessed Sacrament" SHARE

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis encouraged everyone to visit the Blessed Sacrament every day, if possible, in a message for of the upcoming Eucharistic Congress in Genoa, Italy.
“On this happy occasion which is offered to us, I encourage all the Faithful to always honor the most blessed Eucharist,” the Pope said in the message, which was addressed to the president of the Italian Bishop’s Conference, Cardinal Agnelo Bagnasco.
Citing the Second Vatican Council document Sacrosantum Concilium, the Pope referred to the Eucharist as “a sacrament of love, a sign of unity, a bond of charity,” and he called the faithful to be nourished by it “in order to be fraternally united among themselves, and cooperate in the building of the Church and the good of the world.”
“Moreover, I want to encourage everyone to visit – if possible, every day – especially amid life’s difficulties, the Blessed Sacrament of the infinite love of Christ and His mercy, preserved in our churches, and often abandoned, to speak filially with Him, to listen to Him in silence, and to peacefully entrust yourself to Him.
The Eucharistic Congress will take place 15-18 September in the northern Italian city of Genoa.

Wow #ProLife Catholic Soccer Star Cristiano Ronaldo was almost Aborted! #Football Star Life saved...SHARE


Portugal has come very far in the European Soccer Championships. This is also due to the many goals by Star Cristiano Ronaldo. His mother considered an abortion and, on a neighbour’s advice, drank boiled black beer and ran until she almost fainted, hoping to abort Cristiano. However, it did not work.  “He was an unwanted child,” Dolores explains.
His father was an alcoholic but the doctors at that time were under strict laws to protect the unborn. Cristiano is now one of the highest payed soccer players in the world. He is also Roman Catholic and a single father. He does not drink or smoke. Currently, he holds the most Likes on his Facebook Page. Please SHARE this Story maybe you'll save a Baby's Life!