Catechesis

Sun Rising on a beautiful Cornish morning. Upper floor windows are for the parlor where I go each week to speak with the mother superior.

Sacristy: what I find when I enter each morning before Mass.

Dear Friends and Family,

Hope this post finds you all enjoying a beautiful Sunday! It certainly is gorgeous weather here. As always this Sunday morning began with me kneeling in the chapel and thanking the Lord for the wonderful blessing of having a chapel to pray in each morning (and any time during the day!) where I can adore the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. On Sunday you could say that the Mass "lingers" here all throughout the day because the incense permeates the chaplaincy where I'm staying, and you have that nice reminder every time you walk in the hallway of what took place on the altar this morning.

Speaking of Mass, two young boys began to learn to serve today: ages 8 and 11. Together with their older brothers they will hopefully soon form a corps of 4 steady altar boys for Sundays. Our head altar boy, 20 years old, leaves in two weeks for the Island of Papa Stronsay, to spend extended time discerning with the Redemptorists there. Please keep him and the young boys in your prayers, as well as a good man named Paul who is helping to serve during the week and who has graciously accepted the humble role of serving when needed but of allowing the boys to serve instead whenever they can make it.

I also announced today a program of Sunday sermons that I hope to embark on in a couple of weeks. One challenge--a common challenge as those of you in Texas know--is that there are more requests for formation than what priestly time allows. How to help everyone grow in their knowledge of Jesus Christ and love for Him, including the knowledge of the different mysteries that He entrusted to the Church--the wonderful teachings of the Catholic Faith? What I'll be trying is something that was recommended centuries ago: to use the Sunday sermons as an opportunity for Catechesis, following a program that--if it were followed consistently for 2 - 3 years, would cover all of the essential elements of the Catholic Faith.

It's the program that was laid out in the Catechism of the Council of Trent, also known as the Roman Catechism--a work that is still used in places today as a textbook for high school and university theology courses. Following this program will have some challenges: trying to make the Catechesis short enough that it fits into the time of a homily will be a challenge! It will also mean sacrificing many other topics that could be preached on in order to make steady progress through the Catechism. Also the preparation of these sermons will take some time--I've never taught a complete course of catechesis before and it will likely mean drawing from several other sources in order to produce sermons that can be helpful for people.

But I'm looking forward to it. In addition to hopefully being good for the congregation I think this will be good for me. It will force me to think through, and be prepared to articulate for others, each of the principal mysteries of our faith. It is the sort of thing that will likely require some sacrifices along the way but that at the end will I think be quite rewarding.

One last note for today. When I went to the local general store in the center of the village to mail some letters a few days ago, I asked the man who runs the store if he'd been to the Rally last weekend. When he said yes I inquired as to his favorite part. He replied "Those ladies on the tractors"--meaning the "Flying Fergies" that I showed you photos of last week. I was proud to be able to tell him that I had seen that performance myself. My knowledge of the "Flying Fergies" also came in handy when talking with two brothers who come often on Sundays--ages 3 and 5. When I asked them about the Rally they began eagerly telling me all about the different types of tractors and their colors. When they began describing the "Fergusons" (If I'm remembering it correctly. In any case it was some name that "Fergie" was short for), and indicated that they were grey, I was proudly able to say that I knew those types of tractors. So, little by little I will hopefully get the hang of the local culture! I just learned today that a lady who comes each Sunday is a former teacher who taught "Cornish culture," so I'm hoping at some point to get some further instruction.

Praying for each of you. Missing you all but praying that Jesus and Mary will provide you with all that you need.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Tony Pillari

St. Magwan Steam and Vintage Rally

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm sitting down to write you after quite an intense week. Of course when I say "intense week" it still means I have each day at least 4 hours of prayer, so I'm quite blessed! But outside of the prayer it was a combination of phones and doorbells ringing often (for everything from requests for Confession to deliverymen trying to find the monastery to deliver the Sisters' freezer), the usual items of homily preparation, Confessions, etc. canon law and civil law study and... the St. Magwan Steam and Vintage Rally--the annual major event of the town! If you're ever passing through this part of England in September I recommend it.

First of all it's organized by S.M.E.G.A. (not to be confused with Smeagol from the Lord of the rings, though the two do sound similar), which stands for "St. Mawgan Eccentric Gentlemen's Association" comprised of 20 good local men. One of them attends Mass here every Sunday and insisted that I needed to go the Rally in order to meet folks in the town. So I dropped my studies for a few hours today and headed up the hill to a large farm that was temporarily transformed into the site of the Rally. A few photos (taken when the place first opened at 10AM, so before it got too crowded):

Local gentleman proudly working on his 1920 steam-powered tractor. 

Demonstration of the agility of a "digger." A main event of tomorrow afternoon will be the "dance of the diggers" in which about 10 of these perform various maneuvers in unison. Rumor has it that they can even make them lie down on their sides and crack an egg with the bucket!

Mini steam-powered tractor pulling a little one.

The "Flying Firgies"--a groups of twelve ladies from the farm who performed choreographed maneuvers with their tractors (think of a marching band executing movements on a field, except here you have them doing it with tractors, and set to country music as opposed to marching band music).

The Flying Fergies in Action

I'm walking up to the entrance tent. In the distance you can see the ocean. The village and monastery are down in the valley below.

One of a number of old steam-powered tractors. They tended to have smoke coming from two main sources: the tractor itself and the man working on it with his cigarette.

One of 4 sets of old tractors that you could examine and sit in if you liked. There were also antique cars but I didn't make it to that section of the grounds.

Cornish flags proudly flying above the tractors. This flag symbolizes in some way Cornwall's desire for independence. No one thinks it will realistically happen, but coming from Texas it made me feel at home!

The rally had a nice feel to it--a wholesome, country feel. People were friendly and I did indeed meet a good number of people--including the photographer for the local journal who wanted a photo of the local priest in his cassock eating a bratwurst. I was happy to oblige. We'll see if I make the local news or not.

I wandered over to the "clay pigeon shooting booth" at which for a small fee you could try your aim with a shotgun at shooting clay pigeons. Turns out one of the men running it is the equivalent of the local Methodist minister. He and his wife are leading a prayer service on the grounds for all present tomorrow morning. He and his wife seemed quite sincere, what you might call "God-fearing folk." I think they would make great Catholics! and may have a chance to work towards that since they invited me to come by their farm for a cup of tea. Please say a prayer for them: Peter and Val.

Beyond that there were various types of booths: local woodworkers, model tractor producers, a china and sweets local business that offers to put on tea parties for any occasion (wedding, birthday party, funeral, etc.), and the SMEGA men who had wisely chosen to man the barbecue tent along with their wives, in addition to acting as masters of ceremonies in the main ring, which has events going on all day long. These include various exhibitions of farm animals and dogs, the "blue majorettes" (the majorettes are a series of blue tractors that perform various manouevers), and an exhibition of Cornish wrestling (will have to miss that one since it's just after tomorrow's Mass).

So if you're ever in Cornwall, come by St. Mawgan's Steam and Vintage Rally and enjoy the local culture!

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Tony Pillari

Glastonbury Abbey Pilgrimage

Dear Friends and Family,

Yesterday I drove to Glastonbury abbey--about 2 1/2 hours from the Carmel here--to participate in a small annual pilgrimage sponsored by the Latin Mass Society of England. The largest annual pilgrimages are those to Our Lady of Walsingham, Chartres, and Lourdes, and there were multiple small pilgrimages to shrines taking place yesterday. I had the blessing of participating in the one at the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey. And not only participating but, as I was praying in the sanctuary preparing for Mass, the priest who would be delivering the sermon walked over and whispered, "Father, the celebrant for some reason has not arrived, could you celebrate the Mass for us today?" So I had the blessing of chanting the High Mass, leading the rosary procession around the grounds of the old Abbey, and then giving Benediction!

Here are a few photos:

Three men on pilgrimage preparing to enter the seminary: from left to right they will be entering: Transalpine Redemptorists, Diocesan Seminary in England, Institute of the Good Shepherd in France.

The pilgrimage had reminders of elements that seem to be pervasive in the Church throughout England:

The witness of the Martyrs: we were on the grounds of the ruins of an enormous historic abbey: the Abbey of Glastonbury. In 1539 Henry VIII had the abbot, and the two monks closest to him, hung, drawn, and quartered because they resisted his takeover of the Abbey. He then proceeded to remove all the led from the buildings, which were progressively destroyed, leaving the ruins still standing today:

The historic downtown, surrounding the Abbey and the parish church, is now dominated by occult shops--for example the "House of the Goddess" which sponsors all sorts of activities for "healing." All sorts of magic and dark arts shops. Very sad. And then the tiny group of Catholics there. It seems that a large Catholic parish in England, at least in this area of England, might have 200 - 300 people attend on a weekend. Many parishes have less than 100.

The Presence of Vocations and young people: in the midst of this very small pilgrimage of perhaps 50 people--but that nonetheless managed to sing full Palestrina for the Mass!--there were three young men, pictured above, entering the seminary this month, and also a young man, perhaps 12 or 13, who had discovered and begun attending the Latin Mass. He loved it to such a point that his mother came with him on this pilgrimage to discover what this Mass was all about, and she herself was moved by the reverence and said she wanted to begin attending regularly. So signs of hope.

It was a full day but a blessed one. It began with a candle-lit Mass for the sisters at 5:20AM, and then at 7AM I headed out on the pilgrimage, returning at 7:30PM. After doing some more work last night and a full, but good, day today, I took a siesta and in a moment will have a bite to eat for dinner.

Praying for you all. May Jesus and Mary watch over you--especially those of you in particularly difficult situations with regards to access to the Sacraments for your children. May Jesus and Mary guide you and grant you their peace in the midst of suffering.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Tony Pillari

Sunday Photos

Dear Friends and Family,

Here are some photos from last Sunday--courtesy of a young family on vacation in the area who came to Mass for two weeks.

The gathering after Sunday Mass, with homemade cake each week :).

This picture looks far too pious, but it was taken during the prayer of the angelus (at gathering after Mass).

The High Altar where Mass is celebrated on Sundays and great feast days. The sisters (behind the grill and veil), are just off to the left.

The above gives you some images of my regular Sunday routine. As I type this I just finished lunch (it's now 2:20PM here in England). Today I'd like to simply say what a joy it is to have the privilege of offering the Holy Mass and all the other things that go with that! What an incredible blessing it is to wake up and have first of all a full hour of silent prayer in this chapel--I have the whole main chapel to myself, while the sisters are praying off to the side in their cloister. So that gives me the freedom to pray at times fully prostrate, etc. What a wonderful, wonderful gift to be able to begin each day with Jesus in this fashion!

Then, after the hour of quiet prayer, I chant some of the Divine Office. At the moment I've actually settled on the entry hall to the monastery as the best place to chant. Since the sisters are chanting in the chapel I can't chant there. The entrance hall has great acoustics and a large wooden cross to focus on. The cross has no corpus--which according to one tradition is meant to help you think, when you look upon it, that it is waiting for you to be placed upon it. In the morning I find it a helpful reminder that in the day that is dawning the Lord will be asking me to embrace sacrifices that He has planned--which of course are actually gifts from Him, ways that He will be inviting me to die to myself so that I can open my heart more fully to Him.

Then at 7AM comes breakfast. Since I've found I can't get to lunch until nearly 2PM I go ahead and try to have a pretty full breakfast. Then final homily preparations, preparing the chants for the Mass, other items that may be necessary (today was printing off copies of a handout from "St. Francis de Sales' Method of Assisting at Mass" for people to take home with them), some prayer, perhaps some reading; then setting up the altar for Mass, then at 9AM beginning to hear Confessions.

At 10AM celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass--what a blessing that is each day, and in a particular way each Sunday! In all of its details. This morning for example simply appreciating the wonderful smell of the incense as I was incensing the altar and thinking of the presence of Christ and heavenly blessings that the incense reminds us of. Then the Mass is such a joy but I'd better skip over describing all of that or this post will get too long...

Then visiting with people after Mass outside, then heading up to the hall for some refreshments and more visiting. Today I mainly had the pleasure of sitting and talking with the teenage young men about their school situations--school is beginning this week--as well as learning about local surfing and snorkeling. Maybe I'll try the latter one day.

Then returning to the chaplaincy wing of the monastery for a quiet lunch; and then, in just a bit, a good nap! But first wanted to write you all this post.

Thank you all for your prayers for my studies. I met a major deadline this past Wednesday--submitting the first of three chapters for my thesis in canon law. I won't say it was miraculous but I will say that I was truly amazed I was able to meet the deadline. Work that I thought would take two months, and so that I should have begun in early July, was crammed into two weeks, but somehow seems to have come out OK. Many more deadlines to go this fall, but I cleared the first hurdle!

This coming Saturday I'll be participating in the Latin Mass Society of England's pilgrimage to Glastonbury. Should be interesting to meet the other priests and faithful who will come.

Praying for you all today, that Jesus and Mary might grant your hearts the peace and joy that only They can give.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Tony Pillari