It is a pious custom for Holy Mother Church to sing the hymn Te Deum at the conclusion of the calendar year. A hymn of thanksgiving, praise, and petition to God, it has been and continues to be used throughout the Church for several occasions, liturgically-based or otherwise. Although its origin is disputed, its earliest composition is believed to be in the late 4th century AD.
We praise thee, O God: we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord. All the earth doth worship Thee, the Father everlasting. To Thee all Angels cry aloud: the Heavens and all the powers therein. To Thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry, Holy, Holy, Holy: Lord God of Sabaoth; Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of Thy Glory. The glorious company of the Apostles praise Thee. The godly fellowship of the Prophets praise Thee. The noble army of Martyrs praise Thee. The holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge Thee; The Father of an infinite Majesty; Thine honourable, true, and only Son; Also the Holy Ghost: the Comforter.
Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ. Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father. When Thou tookest upon Thee to deliver man: Thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb. When Thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, Thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers. Thou sittest at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father. We believe that Thou shalt come to be our Judge. We therefore pray Thee, help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious blood. Make them to be numbered with Thy Saints in glory everlasting.
O Lord, save Thy people: and bless Thine heritage. Govern them and lift them up for ever. Day by day we magnify Thee; and we worship Thy Name, ever world without end. Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin. O Lord, have mercy upon us. O Lord, let Thy mercy lighten upon us: as our trust is in Thee. O Lord, in Thee have I trusted: let me never be confounded.
On this last day of the calendar year, let us thank God for the good - and bad - times this year has given us, for they were all opportunities to further our relationship with Him.
This Saturday, for the feast of the Martyr, St. Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, there will be a Sung Latin Mass at St. Mary's church in the west end of Toronto, located on Davenport Road.
Mass will start at 9 a.m., and there will be parking on the immediate side streets surrounding the lovely church.
Once again, this Mass has been organized by the Toronto Traditional Mass Society, which also provide the excellent music. Please continue to keep them in your prayers.
Let your family, friends, and fellow Catholics know about this Mass. Perhaps you may even know someone who is searching for the Truth, who may wish to come?
Happy and Blessed Christmas, and see you Saturday at Mass!
Dear readers, here are a few photographs of the beautiful Missa Cantata that was offered by Fr. Kazimierz Brzozowski of St. Mary's (Polish) Catholic church, this morning, in the west end of Toronto. The Mass was organized by the Toronto Traditional Mass Society-Una Voce Toronto (who also provided the lovely music).
Please continue your support of the Toronto Traditional Mass Society-Una Voce Toronto. There will be another Mass on the Feast of St. Thomas Becket, at 9.a.m. at St. Mary's. Further information to come.
The High Altar before Mass
The Gospel
The Sermon
The Offertory
The Canon of the Mass
The Absolution before Holy Communion
ECCE AGNUS DEI
The Final Blessing
The Last Gospel
[All photos are copyright Toronto Catholic Witness 2018. You are free to use them, but you must credit this blog]
Tomorrow, on the Feast of the Protomartyr, St. Stephen, there will be a Sung Latin Mass at St. Mary's church in the west end of Toronto.
Mass will start at 9 a.m., and there will be parking on the immediate side streets surrounding the lovely church.
Once again, this Mass has been organized by the Toronto Traditional Mass Society, which also provide the excellent music. Please continue to keep them in your prayers.
Let your family, friends, and fellow Catholics know about this Mass. Perhaps you may even know someone who is searching for the Truth, who may wish to come?
Happy and Blessed Christmas, and see you tomorrow at Mass!
This Saturday, December 22 at 9:00 am., there will be a sung Mass according to the Missal of 1962. The Mass will be for the Ember Saturday in Advent with its multiple prophetic Lessons and Graduals and the Canticle of the Three Children.
We thank again Fr. Kazimierz Brzozowski of St. Mary's Polish Catholic church, and the Toronto Traditional Mass Society for organizing the Mass, and providing the music.
"The problem with a number of traditional Catholics; they almost don't believe that Novus Ordo people have souls"
Bishop Richard Williamson
A few years ago, Bishop Richard Williamson rhetorically asked that very question of so-called "traditionalists". The temptation to phariseeism and gnosticism takes many forms; where an elitism exists, there usually is a form of gnosticism. The Devil never rests, and he knows that he can easily drag into Hell those who may have the "Faith", but lack charity. Pride, the cardinal vice, drives this horrible spiritual disease.
In the following address, Bishop Williamson admonishes the lay faithful to humility, to charity, and to love of fellow Catholics.
Just the other day, I received the following in the combox. It seems to typify the hatred, the rage, the phariseeism of far too many:
Anonymous said...
yeah - no wonder 50s catholicism is so repulsive to you - no sex, drugs, 'n rock'n roll. Really what spirit would lead men to call themselves after insects or inanimate objects like "doors"? Are these bands of angels? Or are these bands of demons and their doors nothing but another entryway into hell?
Physician heal thyself!
No, I will not presume to dare to sit on the Judgement Seat of Jesus Christ on the state of Jim Morrison's soul, and refer to him as a "demon" (or that of any other man). Did not our Blessed Mother keep encouraging us to pray for sinners? Well, this seems to have been forgotten. Please offer a prayer that Jim repented and is now in Purgatory.
But this rage is not just against broken souls who did not have the incredible blessing of having Catholic parents. It even extends to the spewing of hatred towards "novus ordo" bishops, such as the recently deceased, saintly, Bishop Robert Morlino. Bishop Morlino, was much maligned, but those who follow Jesus Christ, usually are. May the holy Bishop be in Heaven by this Christmas. Please pray for his noble and holy soul.
Vox Cantoris, reports on various, self-appointed (lay of course - just where do they get their "authority"?) Catholics all lashing out at each other, each eager to expose the next heretic.
This is what we have come to: those who are not part of a given Pharisaical sect, are thrown out as mere rubbish. What is completely forgotten is that Jesus Christ came for sinners.
Please pray for these deluded souls. And please offer up a prayer for the souls in Purgatory and for sinners (myself included). Finally, please pray for the Pope. It is only when we are confirmed in the Faith, that we will have healing. Until then, we need to get to Mass, to pray, and to avoid any of these spiritual poisons that the devil is spreading to destroy, confuse and lead souls to Hell.
Early, this morning, about 60 Catholics assisted at a Sung Rorate Mass according to the Missal of 1962.
The church, in darkness, was lit only by the numerous candles beautifully placed on the Altar, in the Sanctuary and throughout the church.
Catholics thank Fr. Kazimierz Bzorzowski of St. Marys Polish Catholic church, for offering the Mass, and the Toronto Traditional Mass Society for organizing the Mass, as well as providing the music. God bless all.
Tomorrow, on Saturday, December 15, the Votive Mass of Our Lady In Advent, also known as the Rorate Mass from the first word of the Introit will be offered at 7:00 a.m., at St. Mary's Polish Catholic church (1996 Davenport Road) in the west end of Toronto.
Tradition is that the Mass begins in the early morning hours before dawn and ends as the sun breaks, from darkness into light.
Music soothes the savage soul; it can even soothe the soul of the "counter revolutionary", who really is an evolutionary, liberal protestant at heart. No Pope (except when it suits them), no Mass (unless it is the Mass they like), no Church (unless it is the "church" of their liking).
What musical tribute is fitting? I originally thought of The Beatles' "Revolution". However, I have settled on a more subtle tribute by The Doors, "Touch Me".
One might ask the counter-revolutionary: "what was that promise that you made"?
"Can't you see, that I am not afraid"!!
Friends, why this particular tribute? Simply because returning to the 50s, will take us straight back to the 60s.
Perhaps, after viewing this video, our dear counter-revolutionaries may be more inclined to Birtwhistle's, Panic?
This Saturday, December 15, the Votive Mass of Our Lady In Advent, also known as the Rorate Mass from the first word of the Introit will be offered at 7:00 a.m., at St. Mary's Polish Catholic church (1996 Davenport Road) in the west end of Toronto. Tradition is that the Mass begins in the early morning hours before dawn and ends as the sun breaks, from darkness into light.
There are those who wish to return to some form of fifties Catholicism, thinking that a return to the mere externals of worship prevalent at that time will bring a revitalization. Not a chance. It did not work back then, and it will not work today. The culture has changed; and it is always changing. We can no more go back to 1955, then Catholics during the Council of Trent could return to the Church of Aquinas.
It is a question of radical evangelization at the moment in time, and moving this into the future. It is a question of doctrine, and living that doctrine, not time travel. Do you wish to know the name of a priest who was a real missionary, a real fighter, a real counter-culturalist? St. Maximilian Kolbe. Yet it was this radically militant priest, who was able, in that hellhole of Auschwitz, to achieve the impossible: ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est... and thus save the souls of the doomed men. Radical Catholicism has that divine ability to spread true love where hatred exists! Yet this same man would no doubt be suspended from the priesthood if he were alive today. Doubt it? Read his writings! Study his life!
An even greater danger is that this neo-fifties Catholicism is a delusional re-creation of a pseudo-fifties. What some wish to reconstruct is actually even worse than what existed in the fifties, for it is a caricature. One certainly can understand why some seek the all elusive (so they think) doctrinal solidity of the 1950s, but a review of the facts does not support this. Catholics who have carefully read Bishop Sheen's "Three to be Married" (written in 1949), are aware that the late archbishop lamented the explosion of infidelity! So much for the 1950s being something to hold up as an example. All the rot that exploded after the Council was there. In fact, the 1950s themselves, did not appear out of nowhere. The 50s were a product of 500 years of protestantism and 200 years of liberalism.
It is not even a question of the "Mass" (namely, the Tridentine Mass). It is a question of doctrine, of Truth. Of living the doctrine, living the Mass. Let us remember: the innovators all said the Latin Mass, the abusers in the 40s and 50s, all said the Latin Mass. The Catholics who all came out in favour of the Pill, and started to use it: all went to the Latin Mass. But society was organized against the Mass, and they breathed the poison in because they wanted the luxury and easiness of modern life.
If we really want to be counter revolutionary, we are going to have to start a revolution in our spiritual lives. That means, firstly to seek humility and live with charity. That means ridding our religious lives of political overtones, of "party" politics (e.g. "I am for Paul, I am for Appollos..."), of affectations becoming fetishes. It means an end to backbiting, scandal mongering, name calling...
As St. John of the Cross warned: "Bridle your tongue and your thoughts very much, direct your affection habitually toward God, and your spirit will be divinely enkindled"
Tomorrow, on December 8th, at 9 a.m., there will be a Missa Cantata according to the Roman Missal of 1962, to celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception at St. Mary's Polish Catholic church (1996 Davenport Road) in the west end of Toronto.
St. Paul confronted the forces of darkness in the ancient world. Without knowledge of the True God, man turns to debauchery. St. Paul wrote of godlessness as the root cause of sexual perversion; be it in Rome or Thessalonica. In the modern world, the explosion of sexual immorality has the exact same cause. In a word, modern man, is godless. Thus, he turns to the demonic.
Pope Leo XIII once write that those who had the Truth and threw it away have succumbed to a form of spiritual madness. That t hey were even worse than the pagans of old. Only a madman would throw the Truth away. We have gone mad.
Witness presents to viewers, Bishop Robert Morlino lovingly praying for even the worst haters of Our Lord. Perhaps one, two of these poor, sad people were converted after seeing the Bishop's Witness?
Please pray for the repose of the holy, noble soul of Bishop Morlino. We have reason to believe he may well be in Paradise. Those prayers will not go to waste. God knows how best to dispose of our prayers.
Let us pray for the conversion of those deluded, maddened souls. Bishop Morlino could expect from a Catholic nothing less.
Dear friends, tomorrow is the Funeral Mass of His Excellency, Bishop Robert Morlino of Madison, Wisconsin.
The bishop fought the good fight, he ran the race. Now, let us pray his sins are cleansed, and that he enters the House of the Father before Christmas.
Please continue to pray for the repose of the noble, holy, kind, manly, and gentle soul of Bishop Morlino. You will notice friends, that the bishop was discerning; a man of prudence and compassion. He knew that turning a ship around was a long and arduous task; that if, done too recklessly, will lead to shipwreck. Bishop Morlino, was a good captain of the ship of souls that he was asked to guide through the storm.
Please also pray for lost souls. Souls who hate the Church, Christ and His teachings.
Bishop Morlino publicly prayed for such people, calling down the peace of Christ upon them. Let us heed the saintly bishop's call to love, even our enemies, just as Christ did.
"Peace be with you, and I mean all of you" Bishop Robert Morlino.
"The formation of these young people's minds, hearts and behaviours,
is, in so many ways, commended to your care"
Bishop Robert Morlino
Dear friends, last Saturday, His Excellency, Bishop Robert Charles Morlino departed from this Vale of Tears.
Pope St. Pius X, spoke of Catholic education as of primary importance. We, here, in Toronto, need to listen to the words of Bishop Morlino even more so about Catholic education given the horrendous crisis that is rocking St. Michael's College School. Even as I write, St. Michael's is considering collaborating with a pro-homosexual, pro-contraception, pro-fornication organization to supposedly teach the boys to be better "men through youth and peer engagement, education, and empowerment". Unfortunately, they do not explain how this can be accomplished through the use of condosm, or the being indoctrinated into propaganda by "teachers trained in :GBTQ-inclusive education..."
Yet, contrary to such evil, teachers, Bishop Morlino reminds us, need to stay close to the Sacraments, the Mass... every day. " You are the channel... of joy in their lives... the joy that only Christ can give..."
As Bishop Morlino said, young people "deserve" God's love and "embrace", and "God's salvation". Imagine denying young people the opportunity of God's Salvation!!! "The highest goal of a Catholic school is "their salvation".
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
No one has ever seen God; if we love one
another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
H. E. Bishop Robert C. Morlino, 4th Bishop of Madison
His Excellency, Bishop Robert C. Morlino of the Diocese of Madison, Wisconsin died last night, on the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, after a brief illness.
Bishop Morlino was a loyal son of the Church and faithful bishop. He ran the race, he fought the good fight, he remained loyal to Our Lord Jesus Christ, he cared for his beloved sheep.
May he now be rewarded for his faithful, and humble service to Christ. Please do not forget to pray for his parents, Charles and Albertina, who raised their son in the Faith, so that young Robert would hear God's call to the priesthood and episcopate.
"As Bishop of Madison, Bishop Morlino’s three expressed priorities were: to increase the number and
quality of the men ordained to the diocesan priesthood; to instill a greater sense of reverence throughout
the entire diocese, especially through our worship of God, celebrated in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass,
and to challenge Catholic institutions in the diocese to live out their professed faith in Jesus Christ, risen
from the dead, through their ministry in the secular community.
All objective indicators point to the fact that Bishop Morlino accomplished what he set out to do in the
diocese, by the way of fostering greater priestly vocations (he ordained 40 men to the priesthood, with
another 24 presently in formation), bringing a greater sense of reverent worship to the entire diocese, and
he made significant inroads toward encouraging the Catholic institutions in his care to live out their
mission with greater fidelity, during his fifteen-plus years as Bishop of Madison. We pray this continues".
Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May he rest in peace.
O God, who chose your servant Bishop Robert
from among your Priests,
and endowed him with pontifical dignity
in the apostolic priesthood,
grant, we pray,that he may also be admitted to their company for ever.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
The St. Michael's College School slide, that I have been writing about, has been confirmed by a homosexual alumnus who writes the following in the Toronto Star:
"While there, a group of progressive Basilian Fathers, the Roman Catholic
order of priests who run St. Mike’s, decided to ignite meaningful
conversations about homosexuality at the school".
The same former student, had this to add against those teachers who upheld Catholic teaching about the intrinsic evil of homosexual acts:
"One of my Grade 9 teachers mildly mocked gay relationships...Other teachers took a more academic approach to their homophobia"
The dissenting student then proceeded to lament that there were many students who "expressed opposition" to pro-homosexual propaganda that was presented on one occasion at the school. It is shocking that this homosexual attack students dares to take umbrage that students at a Catholic school uphold Catholic teaching. How fascistic. But even more sinister is that the Basilians and staff allowed homosexual propaganda to be promoted at St. Michael's: on the once sacred ground upon which loyal priests taught the Catholic Faith to young men without adulteration. Needless to say, this lapsed student failed to mention that in Sacred Scriptures, homosexual activity is rightly regarded as a depravity. One wonders why he remained at the school? Did he not feel any pangs of hypocrisy, or at least shame that he was attending under false pretenses? But I digress. To the contrary, these young men, that the homosexual student refers to, are to be congratulated for refusing to pander to the sin of homosexual activity. May God bless them. There are still some real St. Michael's men left.
The homosexual student's article in The Star only confirms the bizarre behaviour, the decadence, of far too many effete students who have come to populate the school over the past two and more decades. For example, the "Gangnam Style SMC parody", or the widespread use of Snapchat and Instagram. The internet has a serious problem, and we all know what it is. Sadly, far too many foolish and indulgent modern mothers are in denial about their boys' predilections. Boys need discipline. A lot of discipline. They certainly are not getting it at home, nor at the modern St. Mike's.
All of this is indicative of moral weakness, and leanings towards effeminacy. What real man - or masculine boy aspiring to manhood - would use such narcissist-enabling social media? All of these aberrations flow from the Basilians, riddled as they are with pro-homosexual dissenters. It is simply not possible that these wayward priests are able to turn these boys into real men.
The silence of the media, regarding the Basilians, can only be logically explained with hatred for the Catholic Faith. It is obvious: the entire problem flows from the "progressive" Basilians - backed up by nominal Catholic, godless parents. The media - tasting blood - is moving in for the kill: attack the "administration", so-called "toxic masculinity", and now, trot out a contrived "homophobia" - but NOT one word about the toxic Basilians.
The media would like nothing better than the total demolition of Catholic education at St. Michael's under the guise of the administration's proposed so-called "Respect and Culture Review". I am afraid that the media's wish will come to pass. Nominal Catholic parents, will back the Basilians, as the Catholic Faith is the least of their concerns. A case in point: the vulgar, effete, "Gangnam Style SMC Parody", is six years old, yet not one parent, one member of the administration, nor one Basilian denounced it and ordered its erasure. This shows us the lack of vigilance, care, and concern for these boys' souls from priests, staff (though there still are a few holdouts), and parents.
This massive slide into decadence, accelerated dramatically in the late 80s/early 90s, when the Basilians decided to deform the venerable institution of once Catholic education and true Catholic manliness into a money making machine. Gone was any concern for taking boys from good, practicing Catholic families. It was all about accepting boys from nominal Catholic families, as long as the money was there. What else would "progressive" Basilians do? Well, start promoting homosexuality on the campus, of course. Allow the teaching of dissent. (I have been informed, that in recent years, a layman was teaching religion from a rationalist perspective).
The result is that the school is now heavily populated by boys who do not take their Faith seriously. Why should they? Their parents don't. The priests have but all abandoned the doctrine taught by such venerable and holy Basilians such as Fr. Rocco Volpe, Fr. Joseph "Old Man" Thompson, and Fr. James Enright. May they all rest in the peace of Our Lord for their loyal service to Him, and in teaching and proclaiming the Truth to young Catholic men. These holy priests knew the seriousness and gravity of teaching the Catholic Faith. These priests fought the good fight, they have been rewarded.
But that was another time.
Let us now return to the tragic sequence of events that befell St. Michael's in the late 80s/early 90s, as SMCS mutated under dissident Basilians into this grotesque, modern day horror that we have before us.
Tuition started to rocket up, with additional "fees". Ah yes, those additional fees! Today tuition stands at $19,500, and a first year shakedown of $5000. Millions were needed, and raised to pay for massive new buildings and extensions. The older generation of faithful, loyal priests were de facto evicted from their retirement home. So much for "goodness", so much for any Basilian community. This disgraceful school is NOT the real St. Mike's. It is not the school I attended. Do not be fooled by anyone who tells you otherwise.
As the money poured in, corruption deepened. It usually always does. Nominal Catholics with cash (what ever happened to the school's original focus of superb Catholic education for all boys?) suddenly had the opportunity to send their nominally Catholic son to a "prestigious" school , that still churned out a technically good education, but with all the problems of Catholicism being an "intolerant" religion that made serious moral demands on life gone. Unlike my day, when Fr. Enright taught, and explained the holiness of Humanae Vitae, there would be no unpleasantries like that. I doubt Fr. Enright would last 24 hours today, once contracepting parents were informed. One can imagine it: "Mom, (or should I say "mommy"??) Father said during religion class that using contraception is a mortal sin". "WHAT!?, shouted mommy. "How dare he tell me how to live my life. I can do what I want! NO priest is going to tell me how to live my life! I want to be FREE! I'm calling the school, and he is gone!!". And so any loyal priest today, would have his head chopped off. Besides, when was the last time you heard a modern "progressive" Basilian defending the sanctity of marriage?
So there we have, my dear friends and fellow alumni, the general backdrop to the crisis at St. Michael's College School. The fish rots from the head down. There will be no hoikety Choik on C...
In light of the "progressive" Basilians, let us now take a look at one of the Members of the Board.
How many Catholics are aware that Nick Di Donato sits of the Board of Directors of St. Michael's College School?
How many Catholics are aware that Nick Di Donato's Liberty Entertainment Group paid for a mass "same-sex wedding" at Casa Loma in 2014?
How many Catholics are aware that the Basilians awarded the "Award of St. Michael's'" to Nick Di Donato, in 2015?
The wedding -- which organizers said was the largest of its kind in North America -- was held in the gardens of Casa Loma, a palatial Toronto home built between 1911 and 1914, which has since become a popular tourist attraction and event venue. "What we see Casa Loma as is this grand lady at the top of the hill watching Toronto evolve," said Nick Di Donato, president and CEO of the Liberty Entertainment Group which operates the facility and hosted the event. "This is a dramatic part of that evolution." Di Donato's company took on all costs for the event, with the couples only having to pay for an Ontario marriage licence. "It's a lifetime event and something they'll remember forever," he said. "Most of these couples are from outside Toronto -- they become our ambassadors for the city of Toronto in terms of the openness of the city and the welcome that we've provided them."
Now, a question for the "progressive" Basilians: Can they please explain the presence of Nick Di Donato on the Board of Directors? It is time for the RESIGNATION of the ENTIRE BOARD. It is TIME for Cardinal Collins to contact the Roman Authorities to initiate the transfer of St. Michael's College to the Archdiocese of Toronto. Action Item: Please let your concerns be known to the Basilians' spokesman, Fr. Thomas Rosica, who can be reached at: Father Thomas Rosica, CSB Phone: 416-879-5766 Email: trosica@basilian.org
His Eminence, Thomas Cardinal Collins may be reached at:
