Recently in Saints, Blesseds, and other Holy People Category

The Madonna House Apostolate, the secular institute founded in Canada by Russian-born Catholic Catherine de Hueck Doherty (1896-1985), showed today that the spirit of their community's founder is alive and well among them.

In 1976, Doherty received her adopted country's highest honor: she was made a member of the Order of Canada, in recognition of a lifetime of dedication to social justice and to the poor. This year, though, the Order is being debased, as the Governor General has decided to confer it upon a person antithetical to the most fundamental element of justice, the right to life. Namely, it is being conferred upon a notorious illegal abortionist.

This morning representatives of Madonna House made an act of witness: they visited Ottawa and returned Doherty's award citation and medal to the Governor General's office at Rideau Hall.

God bless them: I'm convinced that this is exactly the way Catherine Doherty would have proceeded in the face of such a negation of values.

Dom Bettinelli's got a good idea here, but I'd extend it: St. Columba should be the patron of the open source software movement. "Information wants to be free" and all that.

From time to time, you may have noticed on this blog some beautiful prayers written by the esteemed theologian and professor Jean Galot, S.J. of the Gregorian University. Fr. Galot passed away on April 18 at the age of eighty-nine, and one can only congratulate him now at drawing nearer, ever nearer, to the Sacred Heart of our Lord.

Take me, O Heart of Christ!

Take me, O Heart of Christ, in all that I am,
take me in all that I have and that I do,
in all that I think and all that I love!

Take me in my spirit, that it may cling to Thee;
take me in my willing, that it will but Thee;
take the depth of my heart, that it love only Thee!

Take me, O Heart of Christ, in my secret desires
so that you be my dream and only goal,
my one affection and my complete happiness!

Take me for the work of Thy great mission,
for a complete gift toward my neighbor's salvation,
and for every sacrifice in service of your people!

Take me, O Heart of Christ, without limits, without end;
take even what I've failed to offer Thee;
and never give back to me what you have taken in hand!

Take for eternity all that is in me,
that one day I may, O Heart, possess Thee,
in the embrace of Heaven take Thee and keep Thee!
--by Jean Galot, S.J.

Here are links to a couple of his prayer-booklets: Eucharistic Prayers and When You Visit Us.

The Venerable Sister Rita Amada de Jesus (1848-1913) was beatified today in her native diocese of Viseu, Portugal. Living in the 1800s, when Masonic governments persecuted the Church and forbade religious institutes to accept new novices, this "Apostle of the Rosary" founded the Institute of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, a community dedicated to teaching poor children, and began to operate schools in spite of government harassment.

In 1910, intensified pressure from the government forced religious institutes to operate underground and led Rita Amada to send sisters to South America, giving her community the missionary dimension she had long desired.

A physics web site has an item about a Greek Orthodox monk whose body was found to be incorrupt fifteen years after his death.

We may have a case of incorruption here in Boston too: a 25-year-old priest named Patrick Power died of consumption in 1869, but when some healings were reported through his intercession in 1929, a million visitors thronged to his grave until the site was closed by order of Cardinal O'Connell.

88-year-old Fr. Bernard Shea was 12 years old at the time, and related the events in a lecture at my parish Sunday: the body was relocated to a nearby site in the same cemetery, and placed under a new monument surrounded by an iron fence. During the transfer, the body was found to be intact, though the simple casket containing it had long decayed.

Pilgrims still come to Fr. Power's grave to pray and ask for prayers.

A seminarian writes:

Please pray for the repose of this priest, recently ordained, having been graduated from the Mount this past May. He is remembered by all for his holiness; he suffered from cancer while he was in seminary but made a recovery. Apparently the cancer returned rapidly in the past couple of weeks and he succumbed today during the 3:00 hour. Fr. Darin Didier, requiescat in pace. (death notice below)

----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2005 8:32 PM
Subject: Fr. Darin Didier

Fr. Darin Didier (Seminary Class of 2005 and a priest of the Diocese of Fargo) died this afternoon during the 3 o'clock hour. He received the Sacraments of the Anointing of the Sick, Viaticum, and the Apostolic Pardon.

Fr. Terry Dodge, a classmate of Fr. Darin here at Mount and a priest of the Diocese of Fargo, shared the news with members of the administration this evening.

Fr. Darin was very much devoted to the Divine Mercy Devotion and active in promoting Divine Mercy Sunday on campus. So it is significant that he entered eternal life during the Hour of Mercy.

As the spiritual director for the Legion of Mary and University Chaplain, I am grateful for the privilege of serving with him. He was the longtime president of the Legion of Mary on campus and the chaplain to the track and cross country teams.

Please pray for the repose of his soul and the consolation of his family, parish and friends.

When you think of good American priests, think of men like Father Capodanno, recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor. You can read a book about his life by Father Daniel Mode (himself a Navy chaplain) if you want to learn more about him. It's quite inspiring. There is also a foundation dedicated to him, with a short biography. Below is his Medal of Honor Citation:

Rank and organization: Lieutenant, U.S. Navy, Chaplain Corps, 3d Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein), FMF.

Place and date: Quang Tin Province, Republic of Vietnam, 4 September 1967.

Entered service at: Staten Island, N.Y.

Born: 13 February 1929, Staten Island, N.Y.

Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Chaplain of the 3d Battalion, in connection with operations against enemy forces.

In response to reports that the 2d Platoon of M Company was in danger of being overrun by a massed enemy assaulting force, Lt. Capodanno left the relative safety of the company command post and ran through an open area raked with fire, directly to the beleaguered platoon. Disregarding the intense enemy small-arms, automatic-weapons, and mortar fire, he moved about the battlefield administering last rites to the dying and giving medical aid to the wounded.

When an exploding mortar round inflicted painful multiple wounds to his arms and legs, and severed a portion of his right hand, he steadfastly refused all medical aid. Instead, he directed the corpsmen to help their wounded comrades and, with calm vigor, continued to move about the battlefield as he provided encouragement by voice and example to the valiant marines.

Upon encountering a wounded corpsman in the direct line of fire of an enemy machine gunner positioned approximately 15 yards away, Lt. Capodanno rushed a daring attempt to aid and assist the mortally wounded corpsman. At that instant, only inches from his goal, he was struck down by a burst of machine gun fire. By his heroic conduct on the battlefield, and his inspiring example, Lt. Capodanno upheld the finest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.

He gallantly gave his life in the cause of freedom.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)

I never heard of him before today, but there's a Blessed from Poland with my family name (in its proper form): Bl. Fidelis Chojnacki, a Capuchin who died at Dachau July 9, 1942. Time for some research!