Tag Archives: Travel

Visit of the Incorrupt Heart of St. John Vianney

Posted on November 18, 2018 by

We will soon be blessed here in Birmingham to host the relic of the incorrupt heart of St. John Vianney, patron saint of parish priests. The Knights of Columbus are having the relic tour the country from November to May, … Continue reading →

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A Meditation on One of the Requiem Chants

Posted on November 2, 2018 by

Our mid-day Mass for All Souls here at the Cathedral of St. Paul will have a simple musical accompaniment: a chant schola singing the Church’s beautiful requiem propers. In my homily, which I copy below, I reflect on a surprising … Continue reading →

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Working on Holy Days of Obligation

Posted on November 1, 2018 by

There are five [or six] Holy Days of Obligation each year in the United States: Immaculate Conception (December 8), Christmas (December 25), Mary, Mother of God (January 1), Assumption (August 15), and All Saints (November 1). [In a few regions … Continue reading →

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Vocations Retreat in Marbury

Posted on September 22, 2018 by

I have posted on several occasions about the wonderful cloistered Dominican nuns in Marbury, Alabama (including fairly recently) – a rather hidden and very unassuming place, with a small number of nuns but great faith, great prayer, and great liturgy. … Continue reading →

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Help Send A Good Book to Nicaragua

Posted on September 19, 2018 by

We recently welcomed a new religious order to the Diocese of Birmingham — the Fraternity Poor of Jesus Christ (link is to their Facebook page). The friars have set up a house at Blessed Sacrament Church, with three friars resident … Continue reading →

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Images above Altars

Posted on November 8, 2017 by

I’ve been on my annual retreat this week, which I am making in a beloved city in Mexico. During this time I have been sharing some photos on social media. One, in particular, generated some comment: Some have wondered not … Continue reading →

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Something You (Sometimes) See in Seminary Chapels

Posted on October 28, 2017 by

I’m visiting Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans at present, and noticed an interesting detail in their chapel. It is surely not an accident that there are four steps leading up to the main sanctuary level, then three steps from … Continue reading →

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Walking the Road to God

Posted on September 16, 2017 by

A kind reader sent me a book called Walking the Road to God that I had had on my wish list. The author, Father Lawrence Carney, went to the same seminary as me, a year ahead of me. I remember … Continue reading →

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Rome Pilgrimage – February 1-11

Posted on August 31, 2017 by

I am leading a pilgrimage to the Eternal City from February 1 to 11, 2018. We had a full group, but a couple of people have backed out, so we are advertising it again. If you are interested in participating, … Continue reading →

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Prayers for Confessors to Say

Posted on June 26, 2017 by

One spring during my period of studies in Rome, I spent Holy Week at a parish in Edinburgh, Scotland and assisted with the sacred functions there. It was there that I saw, for the first time, a beautiful prayer for … Continue reading →

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Checking on the Nuns

Posted on February 16, 2017 by

I had a brief trip down to Montgomery today, and on the way back I stopped in at the Dominican Monastery of St. Jude. I’ve written about them many times on this blog. A wonderful group of cloistered Dominican nuns! … Continue reading →

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Excellent Nuns to Hold Discernment Retreat

Posted on April 12, 2016 by

The wonderful cloistered Dominican nuns of St. Jude Monastery in Marbury, Alabama have notified me about their upcoming discernment retreat. Here is an info-graphic – click to enlarge: This Vocation Retreat will be on the weekend of June 3-5 for young women aged 16-27, so if … Continue reading →

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