Sick this weekend...

Dear Friends and Family,

I caught a rather nasty flu bug, am sleeping a lot, and my head is not working too well this weekend, so I won't be posting tomorrow.

But am remembering all of you in the novena of Masses I'm celebrating here at the convent this week.

May Jesus grant you the peace and joy that He desires to place in every soul of good will.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Giving Thanks to God as I Prepare for Christmas

Nativity in front of the monastery, just above the main road of the village, for all to see...

Dear Friends and Family,

Just 30 hours from now I will be in the midst of offering the Midnight Mass, by candlelight, in Lanherne's historic chapel--in this place where St. Cuthbert Mayne offered the Mass in exactly the same way shortly before his martyrdom. There will be nuns off to one side, veiled behind their grill but chanting God's praises, there will be a number of the little local flock in the pews, eager to adore the newborn King, there will be some visitors--those who may have never attended a Mass before, or not for many years, and above all there will be the holy angels and saints, and the Queen of this night, the Blessed Virgin Mary, adoring the King of Kings as He is rendered present upon the altar.

And I will have the privilege of entering in procession while carrying a statue of the baby Jesus, giving Him a kiss and placing Him in the manger, kneeling to incense Him, then moving to the foot of the altar to begin the Holy Sacrifice, in which the sacred mysteries take place... then the great blessing of bringing Him to each of the Nuns, then to each of the faithful, so that He might enter their hearts and souls. Then all will kneel in adoration of the Word made flesh within them, as the Nuns chant to their newborn Savior. What a night... but one that is not done yet!

As the final blessing is given and the last Gospel--the beautiful prologue to St. John's Gospel--is read, the Nuns will prepare to intone Christmas Carols, and I will prepare to kneel once again before the statue of the baby Jesus, to incense Him, and to bring Him to each of the Nuns, to be kissed, to be adored... then to each of the faithful, young and old, that all might greet Him with a kiss as this Christmas Day begins.

After placing Him back in the manger, and returning to give thanks with the altar boys in the sacristy, all will head to the hall, for hot chocolate, perhaps some cake, and Christmas greetings.  Then, when the clock strikes perhaps 2:30 or 3:00, I'll return to the chapel--where now all will be quiet and still--to kneel before the newborn King, to thank Him for coming among us.

What an amazing privilege... God is so incredibly good to give a poor priest like me such a blessing.

Each of you will be remembered in a novena of Masses that I will be offering here, beginning with the midnight Mass. May Jesus and Mary grant each and every one of you all the spiritual gifts that you need to live well this holy Christmas season.

And to those of you across the Atlantic, who pray for me every night, who offer sacrifices for me, and who also make possible my priestly life and ministry through your donations, may God reward you. If you have two minutes and wish to see a glimpse of the mission territory I am working in, look here: https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/2-in-5-uk-millennials-cant-identify-baby-in-bethlehem-christmas-story . Please pray especially, this Christmas, for a number of families I am in contact with, who have drifted away or have never known the Faith. May God draw them all close to His most Sacred Heart.

Sending you much Christmas love and prayers,
Fr. Pillari

Retreat near Lourdes

Dear Friends and Family,

Thank you for all of your prayers these past two weeks. It was a very blessed week of retreat near Lourdes! And also a good week of studies in Toulouse.

As you may be aware, France is currently going through some crippling strikes and manifestations. Thankfully I still managed to travel safely, though without much sleep the past two nights. It is now 10PM, after a very blessed but long day of apostolate, but I wanted to at least show you a few photos.

The house at the entrance to the Monastery, where I stayed for 7 days. 

Seven days of silence with Our Lord and Our Lady--quite a blessing! Since I was so close to Lourdes, I would read an account of the apparitions during my meals, and thus had the joy of reliving the blessed days of Our Lady's apparitions to Bernadette, her childhood trials that proceeded the apparitions, the struggles and joys of her family, etc.

The days were punctuated by the morning and evening chanted offices of the Sisters of Bethlehem, who chant beautifully, and some hikes to pray the rosary. I'm too tired to write more at the moment, but it was a week full of graces. So much good comes from living in silence and solitude with Jesus and Mary. But the first Sunday night there, I was also invited to come speak to the Sisters during their evening recreation, and to begin teaching them the Traditional Mass, which they wanted to experience for the first time when I offered their Mass Tuesday and Wednesday.

A stream I hiked along back into the mountains, passed some ruins.

Early yesterday morning, as I drove to the airport in Toulouse, I was able to stop in Lourdes and spend an hour at the Grotto. Here are a few photos.

Looking toward the main church, hidden in the background. The grotto is just behind it.

You all were in my prayers. May Our Lady, the Immaculate Conception, bless and guide each of you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Annual Priestly Retreat

A 4-year-old boy, whom I hope to soon baptize, gave me a gift today when I visited his family. Apparently, it was a prize he won at school and was not given lightly.

Dear Friends and Family,

It is now almost midnight and in a few hours the next day's prayer, Masses, and then flight to Toulouse for studies will begin. So I'll have to keep this short.

Please keep me in prayer especially from Dec. 7th, in the evening, through the morning of December 15th. I will be making my annual retreat in the monastery of the Sisters of Bethlehem near Lourdes (chosen in part because it is not far from my studies in Toulouse). You can see photos here: http://bethleem.org/monasteres/lourdes.php

I hope to stop by Lourdes the evening of Dec. 7th to greet Our Lady at the grotto, and then continue on to the monastery.

You all will be in my prayers.

Studying the Holy Trinity and Our Savior

The Triumphant Lamb, Who was slain.

Dear Friends and Family,

Though this week was full of blessings--welcoming a new young family to Mass, teaching catechism to another young family, having lunch today with altar boys and the teaching them about serving for the Holy Mass, celebrating the Feasts of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary in the temple and of St. John of the Cross, speaking on the phone with one of my altar boys who was in a motorcycle accident today, but is thankfully OK and resting at home, and many other blessings--though I could write about those events I wanted instead to say a few words about theology studies, which I don't think I've written much about.

A week from tonight I will be flying to Toulouse for another week of theology study, this one focused on the Holy Trinity and Christology. Together with good priests from France, Spain, and Italy I will spend each morning studying St. Thomas Aquinas's teaching on the Holy Trinity as given in his Compendium of Theology, and then each afternoon studying Christology in Aquinas. Since these are two of the most important mysteries of our faith, and since good Dominican priests will be teaching each session, it should be interesting.

In the meantime, as part of the theology program in Toulouse (L'Institut Saint Thomas D'Aquin), I have been studying some of Augustine's and Aquinas' treatises on grace and the new law of the Gospel. Most recently I read one of Augustine's major works against the Pelagians, entitled "On the Spirit and the Letter"--in which he argues for the absolute necessity of grace and the assistance of the Holy Ghost in order to reach Heaven, and in order to follow God's law here on earth. It's interesting to follow his writing and get a sense of the debate then raging in the fifth century. It's beautiful to see how Augustine outlines the truth of Christ on this point. The work is not very long, perhaps 90 pages and my work was to make an outline of the text--for example, noting the Scripture passages that Augustine uses and how he interprets them--in preparation for a paper I will need to write showing the development on this point from Augustine to Aquinas. As you might guess, they both agree! But Aquinas provides some more precision on various points.

Well, for those of you not interested in theology that probably put you to sleep. But for the rest of you, it hopefully gave you a glimpse of what I will be doing in 8 days' time. Immediately following those 5 days of study I will begin my annual retreat, which I am very much looking forward to! But I will write more about that next weekend.

May Jesus and Mary watch over you and guide you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Renovated Quarters

Taken on the drive home from Mass in Plymouth today. To give you a glimpse of the green countryside.

Dear Friends and Family,

Yesterday I moved into the renovated chaplain's quarters here at Lanherne. After a year of renovation work, and the past few months of living out of boxes in a bedsit--especially working out of boxes for my office: not the most efficient practice!--it is truly wonderful to be back in the chaplain's quarters.

The workers have done a tremendous job of preserving the historic building. For example, the floorboards in my room are apparently several hundred years old! Other parts of the building are much older. Most of their work is hardly visible as it involved repairing the roof supports, fixing windows, redoing the wiring and plumbing, removing more recent walls to go back to the original layout of some rooms (OK, that part is visible), redoing drainage and sewage, replacing the boilers, and heating system, etc. etc.

Below is the photo of the renovated chaplain's office and bedroom:

A truly beautiful space with the old window giving plenty of light.

They renovated a corridor to become a little library:

I've already begun filling the shelves with books...

It feels wonderful to be able to begin properly laying out office files, books, envelopes and stationary, different piles of "to do's" etc. etc. For those of you who have been waiting for a letter from me, I hope to finally be able to sort the letters properly and begin replying.

The space should work very well for prayer, study, work, and rest.

I also had the blessing of seeing our good bishop today, Bishop Mark O'Toole, at St. Edward's in Plymouth. He is conducting a parish visitation this weekend and spoke about future renovations and various other matters. It was a very encouraging visit. Among other things, I was struck by his sincerity, willingness to speak frankly, willingness to listen, and love for the Catholic Faith. May God protect him and guide him.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Movie Recommendation

Some of the good team of workers who have been fixing up the monastery the past 8 months.

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings on Remembrance Sunday! Here in England, we are marking the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, and commemorating the many men and women who lost their lives. Every priest is permitted to offer a requiem Mass for the repose of the souls of all who died in the two World Wars last century. I had the blessing of offering two such Masses this morning--at Lanherne and Plymouth. And the day had many other blessings.

It began with quiet prayer, the Divine Office, and Confessions, but then I blessed a new mother (or rather a mother who had just given birth to her 5th), in the traditional "Churching of Women" ceremony, which offers special prayers for the mother. After the Mass in Plymouth, I had the joy of eating with the young adults (18 - 30) of the congregation and spending time talking and laughing with them. Then, here at Lanherne, there was an evening Baptism of the newest member of our congregation. The children and all present (perhaps 30 people) were especially reverent and prayerful. It is always a joy to baptize a baby and then hold him in my arms as I consecrate him to Our Lady.

Next weekend I will be, God-willing, moving back into my room, which the workers have been studiously transforming and preparing, along with the rest of the presbytery. They have done an excellent job of replacing all the piping, wiring, much of the roof, fixing windows, a new heating system, etc. etc. and in addition have made the rooms look quite nice. I hope to share some photos with you. Am quite looking forward to moving back upstairs as I will once again be able to pull my office and various other items out of boxes and operate in a good workspace. But the looks of things, the end result will be well worth the wait!

But as the title of this post indicated I wanted to recommend a movie to you: The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima (1952). I watched it this week in order to evaluate it for a local family. I am pleased to say that it is better than I remembered it. Cinematographically well-done and entertaining. More importantly, it conveys a good sense of the basic events and environment of the apparitions. While to be sure artistic license was taken, I find it to be a wholesome, family-friendly movie that will lift your hearts to God and renew your thanksgiving for the beautiful gift of Fatima, which came in the midst of World War I.

May Jesus and Mary watch over each of you and guide you this week.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Rome Video + Week Full of Blessings

Dear Friends and Family,

In case any of you have insomnia and need something to put you to sleep.... (or for my mother who is always happy to see her son in a video), you will find a video of the talk I gave to young men in Rome here, along with the text: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/young-men-become-leaders-by-imitating-the-intense-suffering-of-christ

This week was very full--so full that I forgot to take a photo to share with you all! Though I don't usually like to list a bunch of activities in a blog, I'll do so here to give you a glimpse of what the week was like:

Tuesday: a deanery meeting and lunch with the priests took up most of the day, in St. Austell, on the south coast. The evening was largely spent in an online Greek class. Preparing Sermon for All Saints' Day and special preface to be chanted the next morning.

Wednesday: dentist appointment, visit to a young family where the mother just gave birth to her firth--a beautiful baby boy!--then an evening "Eve of All Saints' Day" celebration at a local farm, featuring homemade pizzas, the telling, and even acting out, of saints' stories, and the rosary. It was a very nice four hours. The best presentation was done by a child dressed as the Angel of Portugal from Fatima.

Thursday: All Saints' Mass in the morning for the Nuns and local families, along with the beautiful long office of Matins, preparing the sermon for All Souls' Day, meeting with the foreman to work out the design for part of my office here at Lanhrerne, then an evening All Saints' Mass at St. Edward's in Plymouth.

Friday: 6 AM First Mass of All Souls' Day, by candlelight at Lanherne, 8 AM Mass for Nuns and faithful, various work during the day, then an evening Mass at St. Edward's in Plymouth.

Saturday: Prepare formation talk. 4 PM Rosary and gathering at a family home in Plymouth, to present the 3rd of the Twelve Steps to Holiness and Salvation, pray the rosary with them, then back to Lanherne to finish preparing today's sermon.

Sunday: Rise for a quiet Holy Hour and the Divine Office. Remember that I forgot to print today's announcements and so type those up and print them out, then head to the chapel to prepare the sanctuary for Mass, and then begin with Confessions and the usual flow of the day.

It was a very blessed week and now I am looking forward to a desert day tomorrow... Thank you all for so many prayers on my behalf. God is so good to me to give me opportunities such as the above. May Jesus and Mary watch over each of you and guide you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

The Joy of a Steady Daily Routine

Rome Youth Conference Participants

Dear Friends and Family,

This week I mainly wanted to share with you photos of the days in Rome, which you will find here: http://voiceofthefamily.com/see-all-photos-of-the-voice-of-the-family-weekend-of-prayer-and-formation-for-catholic-young-adults-in-rome/ For those at Lanherne or in Texas, see if you can spot those from your respective regions--for Texas, Luke Davis and for Cornwall, Tom Cuthbert.

As for this past week here, one major highlight was once again having a steady daily schedule of prayer and work. A wonderful blessing...

Enjoy the photos.

You are in my daily prayers here. Providentially, the first Friday of November, when I always offer my Mass for my benefactors (those who support my priestly ministry through prayer, donations, or work), will be Nov. 2nd. So I will be offering one of my Masses on All Souls' Day for you all.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Romae, Cum Iuvenis

Cardinal Burke speaks about holiness and responds to questions at the Lepanto Foundation last night.

Having pizza in Rome with some of our group.

Dear Friends and Family,

Thank you for all of your prayers these past few days. The Voice of the Family youth conference in Rome seemed very blessed. They finished with all-night adoration at Santissima Trinita last night, followed by the Holy Mass offered by Cardinal Burke, whereas I flew back to England, arriving here at 6 AM, but I can testify that the Thursday to Saturday program was excellent.

You will most likely be seeing reports, photos, and perhaps some of the talks, on LifeSite in the next week or two. Personally, it was a wonderful three days. Once again, a bit short on sleep, but as someone said, "we'll be able to rest one day in Heaven!"

The Conference took place at the Fondiazione Lepanto, located very close to the Circus Maximus, Colosseum, and Roman Forum, and run by Roberto de Mattei. While the youth and other leaders stayed in nearby hotels, I had the blessing of staying at the Fondazione, which gave me a nice quiet chapel for prayer each morning and evening. Thursday began with the Holy Mass, which I offered in the Fondazione's little chapel, with 30+ packed into the little space to adore our Lord at the foot of Calvary.

Thursday's program was dedicated to forming pro-life leaders. The 30 young adults participating Thursday--who had been chosen from among 200 applicants--were highly motivated pro-life leaders and devout Catholics from around the world. To give you just two examples, Melvin, the black gentleman pictured at the top back of the photo, just graduated from law school in North Carolina. He became a Catholic only 4 years ago but has a deep love for the faith and is a really fine young man. Madeline, third from the left in the top right corner of the photo, is in charge of evangelization for the Diocese of Cardiff, Wales, where she is also a student. Again, a really great young woman who was quite smart in how she had coordinated an intervention in the political process on behalf of pro-lifers.

From the very start, the talks addressed head-on the crisis in the Church and society on key issues which are interrelated: contraception, the sin of homosexuality, abortion, divorce, and touched upon the deeper, underlying issue of fidelity or the lack thereof with regard to Christ, His Church, the Sacraments, etc. For example, one talk illustrated the general crisis by examining what has taken place in Ireland these past decades. The day finished with a 3-hour dinner at a local restaurant to give everyone a chance to discuss further and simply support each other in fellowship.

Friday was dedicated to a pilgrimage to some holy sites in Rome, such as the Catacombs, St. John Lateran, the Holy Stairs, Santa Maria Maggiore, etc. I had the privilege of offering the Holy Mass for them in the side chapel of Santa Maria Maggiore where Pope St. Pius V is buried. He is a great pope who, among other things, oversaw the careful preservation of the Holy Mass--the same that is celebrated today throughout the world (commonly known as the "Latin Mass")--and the Roman Catechism (or Catechism of the Council of Trent) which was the backbone of preaching and catechesis for 4 centuries, and is still used by many people today. I spent the morning and afternoon offering spiritual direction, and then was blessed to be able to speak privately with Cardinal Burke in the evening, followed by a dinner with the young adults.

By Saturday our group had grown to perhaps 50 participants. The day was dedicated to holiness--with talks focussing on holiness in different vocations: fathers and mothers of families, priests, nuns, brothers, single in the world, etc. I gave the talk on the priesthood and at least no one fell asleep. The day seemed to go quite well. Lots of good questions from the youth. For example, there were a number of many questions in the afternoon Q and A on modesty--not your usual question, but an important one!

Cardinal Burke gave the final talk and responded to many questions, then I had to take a taxi to the airport, flew to London (and found myself sitting next to a Pentecostal minister, and his wife, which made for interesting conversation), was met at the airport by a very kind parishioner--a young man who provides security for convoys of humanitarian aid in difficult parts of the world--who rode with me as I drove the 5 1/2 hours back to Lanherne in order to help me stay awake and to discuss some spiritual topics, arrived here at 6 AM, with enough time to get ready for Confessions and the Holy Mass. Shortly thereafter I had a good, long, nap!

Thank you again for all your prayers. If you're interested in hearing more, I imagine that some of the above will appear in more detail on LifeSite in the coming days.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

L'Institut Saint Thomas D'Aquin

A field on my drive home after Mass in Plymouth this afternoon. It is good to be back in the beautiful countryside of Cornwall.

Dear Friends and Family,

This past Monday - Friday I was in Toulouse France, studying at L'Institut Thomas D'Aquin, run by the Toulouse Province of Dominicans. About 20 other students from France, Italy, and Spain joined me for a week of intense study of the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas. About 2/3 of the students were priests, all very devoted to their priestly life and ministry, which made for interesting discussions, and we were hosted by the convent of studies for the Toulouse Province, which meant that about 40 - 50 Dominicans hosted us.

Rather than give you a long list of all that took place, I will try to describe a few interesting points. One of the courses was "Politics according to St. Thomas Aquinas"--the course focussed on questions such as "what is the basis of law?" "What sorts of laws should a good country have?" "Should it try to legislate for everything or leave some things free?" "What is the proper relationship between Church and State?" Among the more interesting elements was a consideration of the natural law--the law that is written on the heart of every man and woman.

According to Aquinas, it is not written there in the form of numbered laws ready to be discovered. Rather, God inscribed in every heart a desire for certain goods, such as the preservation of one's life, begetting children, and coming to know who God is. By thinking about the implications of each in our lives we can come to discover other aspects of the law. For example, the preservation of my life means that, if my life is unjustly attacked, I  have a legitimate right to self-defense. Further reflection on this point lead to what is commonly known as the "just-war theory."

Another question was: "Should a good government make laws that prohibit or punish every sort of evil behavior?" Aquinas says no. Rather, a good government should limit the laws to the most important elements, but if it tried to punish everything it would wind up doing more harm than good. Rather, the "law of the Gospel" is meant to speak to hearts beyond what the civil law provides.

What do the laws of a good government aim to do? To help create a society where virtue is encouraged, so that people will be encouraged to live according to virtue and one day make it to Heaven.

I like the size of our group and the atmosphere for discussion. It is a promising beginning. This session was the first of 5 such sessions this year.

I have one last trip in this series of trips that began in May, after which I am very much looking forward to staying put for a while. This last trip begins this Wednesday and ends late Saturday night. It will be a trip to Rome to accompany three days of formation for young adults 18 - 30, and to give a talk on Saturday to young men on the topic of the priestly vocation. Please pray for me. I will give you a report next Sunday!

May Jesus and Mary watch over you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Roses from St. Therese

Dear Friends,

On the Feast of St. Therese, following the Carmelite tradition, the Mass in her honor was followed immediately by a blessing of roses. The prayer from the rituale asked God to pour our particular blessings upon the roses so that they might draw souls who would use them or look upon them ever closer to God's heart, that they might partake in some way of the spousal intimacy that St. Therese had with our Lord.

The photo above is of the roses sitting on my windowsill. The Sisters cut roses from their enclosed garden--beautiful as you can see above, and then carefully prepared them in two baskets to be blessed, one for the Sisters and one for the faithful and myself. Walking into the sacristy that morning it was amazing how beautiful, and strong, the smell of roses was! I stopped to "smell the roses" as I have done periodically throughout the week with the rose on my windowsill. Previously, for example with roses bought from the store, I've never been sure how much of the perfume was natural, from the rose itself, and how much of it was from something the florist might have sprayed onto the flowers. Well, I'm quite sure that the only perfume coming from these roses is natural and it is a really beautiful smell!

The rose on my windowsill is not only, as a sacramental, a source of graces, it is also a reminder of the special blessing that St. Therese was in my life. I first read her auto-biography while in college and it was a treasure that helped guide me throughout much of my novitiate and early formation in religious life. What a wonderful gift she is for all of us.

Each of you was present at that Mass, in my heart, even if you were on the other side of the ocean. And yesterday, as every first Friday, I offered the Holy Mass for all of you who are my benefactors, who are not only providing the invaluable help of making my priestly life, ministry, and studies possible by your financial support, but who in so many ways make my priestly life possible or fruitful (please God), by your prayers and sacrifices. May God grant you all necessary graces during this month of the rosary.

I am writing this post a day early because tomorrow, after the Sunday Masses, I will drive to Bristol and take a flight to Toulouse France, where I will have a week of studies before returning here next Saturday. It will be the first of 5 1-week sessions this year as part of the STL program (Licentiate in Theology) from the Institute of St. Thomas Aquinas, run by the Toulouse Dominicans. I will give you a report next Sunday, but it looks promising. For one thing it will be interesting to interact with the other priests and students, coming from several different countries, who have chosen to devote time to studying St. Thomas. And the courses themselves look interesting. Each session will have two courses (one each morning, the other each afternoon). This first week will be devoted to "Politics according to St. Thomas" and "Theology and Metaphysics." I'll let you know how they turn out.

May Jesus and Mary watch over you and guide you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Warm Reception as I Traveled

My Mom and Dad.

Dear Friends and Family,

It was a truly blessed week hiking with my Dad, and then a few days to be with both of my parents in their new home, which I had the joy of blessing. Thank you for all your prayers!

Some of you were concerned about how I would be treated as I traveled the U.S. in a cassock, given the recent horrible scandals that have come to light and the anger many people in the U.S. have expressed. I was received very well.

The first morning of the trip with my Dad set the tone. As we checked our luggage in at the Cleveland airport, the man working the counter asked, "Father, could I ask you to pray for me? My wife and I are hoping to adopt two children today. We have been working on this for some time, and today it will hopefully go through. Sorry to bother you, but I would really appreciate your prayers." Many times in our trip I was met with smiles and warm greetings such as, "Hello, Father," or "well now I know our flight will be safe!"

There was the lady in a Mexican restaurant who, as soon as I walked in said (in Spanish), "Thank you, Father, for blessing our restaurant [by coming to eat here]!" Or the lady sat next to me on the plane and wished to speak about her 5-year-old son who has autism. She has been away from Mass for some time, so we talked...

No doubt there were people who looked askance at a priest walking by but I didn't notice and no one said anything rude. On the contrary, people seemed to go out of their way--such as the two soldiers boarding the plane in New York with me. As I walked down the aisle they made a point of saying loudly, "You feel free to sit anywhere you want Father! We'll even have you sit in first class if you wish." Perhaps folks realize that most priests did not do the terrible things currently being reported about priests and bishops.

It was a real blessing to be able to travel in the cassock. I wanted to reassure anyone who might have been concerned.

I'm quite exhausted now, and looking forward to the first night's rest back at Lanherne. So I will sign off now...

May Jesus and Mary watch over you and guide you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

The Beauty of God's Creation

The Grand Canyon, from the top of the trail that my father and I hiked down.

Dear Friends and Family,

The beauty of what God has created is truly astounding. This past week I have had the blessing of exploring this beauty by hiking in the midst of it with my father. Each morning we would begin with a 5:30 AM Holy Mass in whatever cabin or hotel room we had, followed by thanksgiving, and then around 6:30 AM we headed out for breakfast and hiking.

On our way to the Grand Canyon we stopped at Hoover Dam to explore the amazing engineering that went into creating this massive structure--almost a hundred years ago. For example, we took an elevator 500 ft. down into the dam and walked through some of the tunnels originally dug out to divert the river so that the dam could be built. As impressive as the Dam was, it is nothing compared to the beauty of God's creation. The above photo gives you a glimpse of the splendor of the Grand Canyon. We hiked 4.5 miles down (descending more than 1/2 mile in elevation)--and this was only half-way to the bottom!--and then stopped in the "Oasis" of trees around a little creek for a sack lunch. As we hiked back up clouds gathered overhead and we watched the rain roll in across the Canyon--a beautiful site. But then the rain became a thunderstorm and we were hiking in the midst of small waterfalls and a stream flowing down the trail! It made the hike a bit more challenging but also a lot of fun.

I don't have adequate words to describe how beautiful things were, or how many thoughts the sights inspired. For example, when looking at the huge cliff faces and immense amount of solid rock, I couldn't help but think of God and His Law: how immovable they are, and how intricately beautiful his Law is. Or again, gazing upon the desert landscape and then seeing it burst into life with waterfalls spilling forth from previously baren rock faces, I couldn't help but think of how God's grace can--in an instant--pour forth an abundance of life into our souls.

I did not take many photos, but here are a few:

Moose were  often present.

View from the Oasis, half-way down the Canyon. The trail in the foreground is what we hiked up, ending at the top of the cliff in the center of the photo.

The trail with water running down. Turned side-ways...

Canyon from another angle.

Our next stop was Zion national park in Utah. Equally gorgeous, though different. Our first hike was "The Narrows"--a gorge of unique rock formations. The trail has you essentially hike through the river upstream. We were in the water about 50% of the time (the other 50% being on small sandy banks between the cliff walls. Sometimes we waded through water up to our waist. Most of the time it came to just above the knees. But it was hard hiking upstream! The water was moving fast and was quite powerful. My father and I each took a spill at some point during the hike. The views of the canyon walls and unique rock formations were at times breathtaking, and it was simply a lot of fun to face the challenge of hiking through the water.

The following day was the 8 mile hike, 2,100 ft. elevation change, of "Observation Point Trail". Here are a few photos:

From the top.

From the top looking down to the canyon floor, where we began our hike.

From part-way up the trail, looking up at the peak where the trail ends (from which the photos above were taken).

This trail was probably my favorite. I really enjoyed praying as we hiked. It was also challenging. Towards the end the switchbacks cut across the rock face of the white cliffs you see in the distance in the photo above. The rail was perhaps 4 wide at points, with a sheer drop off the side and people passing each other or some going down while others came up. Yet people of all ages, from children to grandparents made the hike.

We then headed to Bryce, but I do not have photos of that--though it was also very beautiful. So I will instead show you two photos of my father and I at breakfast.

It was a very blessed time with him. Thank you all for your prayers.

My Dad with a "cowboy cow" at a local breakfast place.

A statue of "Yosemite Same" and I at the breakfast place.

May Jesus and Mary watch over you and guide you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Kolbe Center and.... a Trip with my Dad

Dear Friends and Family,

The past two days were spent in a fascinating exploration of the Church's teaching on Creation--from the point of view of theology as well as science. Mr. Hugh Owen, Director of the Kolbe Center for  the Study of Creation, and Mr. Greg Clovis, Director of Human Life International for England, graciously made the journey to our tiny corner of Cornwall in order to introduce us to the Church's teaching, as well as some of the latest discoveries in science--which was fascinating. The only one who could possibly have created man in all of his intricacies is God! And it was very interesting to discover more fully the implausibility of evolution, even from a scientific point of view.

I'd encourage anyone interested to check out some of the materials available on their website: http://kolbecenter.org . They should, in the next few months, be completing a 13-part DVD series that will present the whole topic. For anyone involved with children and education it is well worth a look.

I'm typing this at 10:30 PM on Saturday, in the midst of packing, because tomorrow afternoon I will fly to the U.S. to spend a week hiking with my Dad. Last year, for his 70th birthday, I gave him the gift of a week where the two of us could travel together, and he could pick the place. He chose the national parks out West: Grand Canyon, Bryce, and Zion, which should be really beautiful. I'm very blessed to have this week hiking with my Dad. Below is a postcard he sent me of one of the parks. I will look forward to telling you all about it after the trip!

May Jesus and Mary watch over you and guide you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Simple Joy and Blessing... at a Gas Station

Looking towards the sea, from a hike I did Thursday.

From the same hike, the lane back to Lanherne.

Dear Friends and Family,

As I drove into Plymouth this morning my heart was especially full of joy--so many, many blessings in my life as a priest. How is it that I have the privilege of celebrating the Holy Mass each day, hearing Confessions, offering Benediction, baptizing babies, etc. etc.

At our good Bishop Mark O'Toole's request, every parish in the Diocese had a Eucharistic Procession and Benediction, or Adoration and Benediction, today--in union with the National Eucharistic Congress taking place in Liverpool. I offered Adoration and Benediction this morning at Lanherne, so that the Nuns could participate and sing, and then in Plymouth led a small Procession, followed by Benediction. The weather was beautiful and it was a real joy to honor the Lord in this way. Then I headed to the home of a young couple, who had organized a barbecue for the young adults of the congregation. It was a real joy to talk with them, laugh with them, hold the babies of a few of them. For those across the Atlantic reading this, please pray for the young adult Catholics in this corner of England. Since Catholics are less than 0.7% of the population, courage is needed!

To give you a glimpse of one aspect of my daily life, I'd like to share with you... my stop at a gas station on my way back from Plymouth. I pulled off at "Cornwall Services," about 15 minutes from the monastery. After filling the tank, I approached the counter to pay. The two attendants (a lady and young man), asked, "So where are you from?"

I answered St. Mawgan, but they replied, "No, I mean where are you from before that?"

"From Cleveland Ohio, though I lived in Texas for 15 years."

"I thought so! Your accent sounded a bit different, not like a Texas accent."

Then we began chatting, asking me how I wound up in Cornwall. After I explained a bit, and spoke about being a Catholic, the young man said, "So you're a Catholic Priest?"

"Yes, the chaplain at Lanherne Convent in St. Mawgan."

"Ah. I'm a Catholic too," he said, and extended his hand.

We exchanged a few more words and then I hopped in the car to complete the journey to Lanherne. Hopefully, I will be seeing him here.

This was a very simple event, nothing flashy about it. But it gives you a glimpse into some of my daily life. In addition to the exchange of words, I was glad to be wearing the cassock, and to always be a visible sign of our Faith.

May God help many young people here embrace the Truth.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Twelve Steps to Holiness and Salvation

Lanherne's entryway--now full home to various pieces of furniture and a big chest full of tools, because the rest of the presbytery is under renovation--which is coming along nicely!

Dear Friends and Family,

I just returned from a dinner at the Buscombe Family Farm, where extended family gathered to wish 21-year-old John Buscombe well as he heads to Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary, Nebraska, this week, to begin his first year of seminary formation with the FSSP. Please keep him in your prayers.

I began offering this week a 12-month course entitled "Twelve Steps to Holiness and Salvation." I had been praying and thinking about how to best help my local flock grow in holiness. Of course, a great many things help our growth in holiness: the Sacraments, the rosary, sacrifices, good friendships, good books, etc. etc. But after a good deal of prayer and thought I settled on a short book by St. Alphonsus Liguori that focusses on 12 key virtues. The virtues are faith, hope, love of God, love of neighbor, poverty, chastity, obedience, meekness and humility, mortification, recollection, prayer, self-denial and love of the Cross. I also gave an introductory session last June on the virtue of a cheerful spirit, much lauded by St. Philip Neri.

We will be looking at the virtues because young families (and not so young families!) often have good intentions but do not know how to, or struggle to, make those intentions more of a reality in their life. So it seemed to me that a focus on the virtues could be helpful.

Yesterday, some Plymouth parishioners kindly hosted the gathering for those who attend the Mass in Plymouth. At 4 PM we began with the rosary, all gathered in their kitchen/dining room. Then I gave the talk on faith, followed by questions. Then the family kindly served refreshments and when I left, at about 7 PM, everyone was still there talking away. I proposed to the families to try to work each day at a virtue, and to have a chart on the refrigerator where each member of the family, daily, checks off a box (or marks a zero), as to whether or not they did the particular thing they were trying to do that day, to grow in that virtue.

I proposed a few suggestions of ways that they could work on that virtue. But families were encouraged to choose whatever might fit best for their family, perhaps something different from the suggestions I made. And sometimes it might be better for different members of the family to each be doing different things. For example, for the virtue of faith, one suggestion was to choose a certain prayer that they would try to pray each day as a family: perhaps some of the prayers given to the children of Fatima; or the family might choose to read something each day. For example, before dinner, there could be 10 minutes of reading part of a life of a saint (from a good version for children), all together as a family. Or there might be 20 minutes when the whole house was supposed to be quiet (except perhaps some toddlers who might need a space to play), and each member of the family would be reading quietly from a book that would nourish their faith.

Then... the point totals from each person and the family as a whole should be tallied and brought in for the next month's gather. A concept many of you in Texas are familiar with!

This Wednesday evening I'll be presenting the same topic to families who attend Lanherne, at the Buscombe farm: 5:30 PM meal, then rosary, then talk and questions. We are a small bunch here and in Plymouth, but hopefully the Lord will bless the families.

May Jesus and Mary watch over and guide each of you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

First Week Back

Dear Friends and Family,

After a wonderful first week back, which included going through a two months' worth of emails, a backlog of correspondence (still not finished), phone calls, meeting with workers who are renovating the presbytery, setting up a new office and moving into new quarters, having an hour phone conversation in Latin to keep up the practice, as well as preaching in Latin to the sisters, and simply spending time with families I had not seen in a few months, I'm quite happy but a bit wiped out! As a result, this post might not be too long.

Today was a beautiful Sunday, with early morning quiet prayer by candle-light in the chapel of St. Thomas More, the joy of hearing Confessions and celebrating two Masses, preaching, talking with families, playing with children, and then... in the afternoon at Lanherne baptizing a beautiful baby girl. It is always such a joy to baptize a child. I especially like the moment just after the ceremony when I can take the child in my arms, kneel before Our Lady's statute, and consecrate the baby to Her. I then joined the family in celebrating the baptism and the father's (surprise) 30th birthday party. I was also able to meet some of their friends and invite some back to the Church. Please pray for them.

I just returned home from all of this now and am rather wiped out, so I will sign off shortly. But it was a wonderful, beautiful day and week. I am very blessed to live in such a prayerful place and to be able to work with some young families. May God be praised.

For those of you across the Atlantic, you are in my thoughts, prayers, and heart. I am especially thinking of you all as you begin the coming school year with your children. May Jesus and Mary guide you and bless you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Duo mensibus ubi locutus sum latine...

The entrance to the villa where we studied for two months.

Dear Friends and Family,

Salvete omnes! Gaudeo me vos, saltem vos qui habitant in Britannia, visurus esse hac hebdomada.

The past 8, highly intense, but highly fruitful, weeks, were very blessed, thanks to your prayers. For those in England, I’m eager to see you soon! All of you were in my daily prayers—those in the U.S., England, Canada, and elsewhere, but it will be very good to see some of you again in person. At the moment I am operating on very little sleep, which was hard to come by during studies—and no doubt there is much work awaiting me at Lanherne—but as I sit here in Gatwick Airport my heart is full of gratitude and joy for the graces of these past two months.

A professor-friend in the U.S. had advised me, “If you attend the 8-week summer course you will learn more than you would in several years of courses at a university.” As far as I can tell, his words were true.

 

Path on the grounds where we could walk, pray the rosary.

What was the course like?

In “Villa Falconieri”, located just outside of Frascatti, just outside of Rome, about 60 students gathered to learn Latin from 15 professors from sunrise to sundown (and beyond sundown). From 9AM – 2PM we were in class (with two 15-minute breaks), then 2PM lunch, brief break, 3:30 – 5:00 Greek class, 5:30 – 7:00 Latin class (every other day I had this period free to complete homework), 7:30 – 9:00 class, 9:00 – 10:00 dinner.

What sorts of people were crazy enough to want to spend 8 weeks where they were not allowed to speak their own languages, only being allowed to speak Latin (or occasionally Greek)? They came from Italy, Spain, France, England, the Netherlands, Bohemia, Portugal, China, India, the U.S., Brazil, and Argentina. Many were either graduate students (from Princeton, Yale, Oxford, Cambridge, etc.), many others were professors in high schools looking to learn how to speak Latin for the sake of teaching it better, a few students were children, for example a 12-year old boy from Bohemia did quite well; one was a business-man working in Africa to help developing economies, another was a computer analyst (each of whom had always wanted to learn Latin for the same of being able to read the classics in their spare time). Another was a rather-well known British author (who writes children’s stories set in Ancient Rome). Another was Korea’s former ambassador to the Vatican, along with his wife.

Students acting out a scene in Latin, with two professors holding them on their shoulders.

We were welcomed by professors who live year-round in the villa, speaking among themselves nothing but Latin or Greek, so it was a bit like going to stay with a family in Italy or Spain in order to learn Italian or Spanish.

How to describe the classes? They were not lectures! While the teachers would be constantly explaining things, or reading texts with us, they were also constantly asking us questions (in Latin of course): “how could you say this a different way? What does that mean? Please come up here and act out this part, or go to these other students and try to buy something from them, etc. etc.” The course-book for the first month was “Familia Romana”—that follows the life of an ancient Roman family. So we would have to act out, sometimes improvising with our own words, scenes from their life. At the end of the first month we were divided into groups that had to take an ancient fable and write a script and perform a play. My group had the fable of a man who goes to the netherworld to try to get his wife back. I had the part of Pluto who at first refuses but then gradually grants permission (we adapted the fable a bit. The hero was a Mexica, so we finished (putting the words in Latin) by him strumming on the guitar and singing “Ai Ai, yaiyai…” (not sure how to write that but if you heard it you would know it)). The second month we studied exceptions to the grammatical rules while reading different texts, still acting things out on occasion.

We gather in the entryway to the villa to hear a harp concert the last night (from a former student who now tours the world playing the harmp). It was a beautiful concert.

Meals, outings to the Roman Forum or Ostia, everything was in Latin. I even began to dream in Latin: one of my professors showed up as a pirate who drew his sword and marched into a city and then began to ask us to speak in Latin, to describe what was happening in the city…

The course was not Catholic, and was not designed for priests who need to spend a certain amount of time in daily prayer. So… after dinner in the evening, or early in the morning, I would spend time doing the necessary reading and homework for the classes plus celebrating Mass, praying the Divine Office, the rosary, etc. which made for short nights. But I was blessed to have a few students attending daily Mass. And on Sundays they chanted the Mass, with the full Gregorian Chant propers most weeks, and with a congregation of about 15. After the first few weeks I was able to begin preaching in Latin, with a short summary in English. There was also some apostolate through hearing Confessions and spiritual direction. Please pray for some non-Catholics who might embrace the faith.

Looking out over the gardens, overlooking Rome. Though you can't see it, St. Peter's is there, way in the distance.

Same view but at night.

So what was the impact on my knowledge of Latin and Greek? Time will tell, but as far as I can tell it was extremely helpful. I went from zero knowledge of Greek to an ability to read some very (very) basic texts. And with some additional work I am hopeful that I will be able to read the New Testament comfortably in Greek. In Latin I think the course was priceless. It was not just the quantity of information but the way it was taught. There is something about living in a language that is many times more helpful than simply reading it. And the method they used—the method used by the Jesuits from the 1500’s until about 1940—is a real gem.

View from the window of my room.

Thank you all for the sacrifice of not being able to communicate with me these past 8 weeks. I think these studies will, with time, bear good fruit and allow me to serve you better.

I had best go now to head to my flight.

For those in England… see you very soon!

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Pillari

PS I arrived safe and sound late last night, to discover the presbytery almost completely torn apart! But for a good reason, they are renovating it. I am now moved-in enough to a temporary room to be able to sit down and post this.

Sunrise, looking out window of the room I stayed in.

Coming soon...

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings from Italy! By tomorrow night, Sunday night, I should be in a location with a decent internet connection, on my way back to England, and will hope to write you a full post then.

Thank you very much for your prayers! It was an outstanding series of courses, well-worth the time and effort. However, I have not slept much these past 8 weeks due to the demanding schedule, but I'll write more tomorrow. For those in England, see you soon!

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Off to Italy! Last post for 8 weeks

The Basilia of St. Sernin in the heart of Toulouse.

An ordinary street in Toulouse, to give you a feel for the city (graffiti and all!)

Cathedral St. Etienne, in the heart of Toulouse.

Dear Friends and Family,

This will likely be my last post until August 19th because of the intense Latin and Greek immersion in Italy. But you will be in my daily prayers! Especially in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass each morning.

I am very pleased to say that I passed my one hour oral exam this morning with high marks--Deo gratias et Mariae! I was rather nervous--not having spoken much French in 20 years and the topic being a completely new one for me (they asked me to research and defend the Church's teaching on "No salvation outside the Church"--which is a rather involved topic). So I will be awarded this summer an "STB"--Baccalaurate in Sacred Theology--from l'Institut Catholique de Toulouse. This is essentially a validation of my previous seminary studies and conferal of a degree from a pontifical university (which l'Institut is), so that I can now be admitted to the STL and STD degrees. The STL is essentially a specialized masters degree in theology. STD is the Church's doctorate in theology awarded by pontifical universities. A few words about this wonderful opportunity.

It is a dream come true to be able to study for a doctorate in theology. A series of unexpected events, that would take too long to explain here, opened up this possibility last fall. As most of you know, the plan had been for me, after receiving my licentiate in canon law last summer, to continue for a doctorate in canon law. Then, the Lord seemed to open this door to instead receive three theology degrees, the last being the doctorate, and in a very good program. After discernment it seemed to me that this was the door the Lord was asking me to walk through.

One key in that discernment was that my bishop was encouraging and supportive. Another key was that this program should not require me to miss any Sundays for the apostolate at Lanherne and in Plymouth. Instead, it will consist of 5-weeks each year away, Monday to Friday (plus this one summer session for languages that I am embarking on now.). A third key was the quality and style of the program.

The STL and STD (God-willing) will be through l'Institut Thomas d'Aquin in Toulouse (Institute of St. Thomas Aquinas). The progam is run by the Dominican province of Toulouse. It is their house of formation where they teach theology to the Dominicans studying to be priests. They also offer, to a small group of students, these degrees and formation. The goal is to take 10 topics per year. This year's topics will be: 1) key elements of the political thought of St. Thomas, 2) St. Thomas' metaphysics and its use in theology, 3) Christology in St. Thomas and contemporaneous theology, 4)
Thomas' treatment of the Trinity 5) Thomas' teaching on angels and demons, including the sin of the demons, 6) "I do not want I want, but what I do not want"--from Romans; free will and our weakness according to St. Thomas, 7) the virtue of Faith in St. Thomas, and three other topics I can't remember...

I will be with, I think, about 15 other students, including priests from France, Portugal, Spain, and Italy. It should make for some interesting discussions. The goal is to look at any topic through the eyes of St. Thomas but then looking also at what other good sources of theology might bring. It should be interesting and the class size should make it easier to dive into discussion. While no doubt the program will not be perfect (nothing on earth is!), the professors have a strong reputation of holding and teaching the Catholic faith. And in one sense St. Thomas is the key professor, and he's a pretty solid Catholic.

This program will be an investment of time and energy, but one that I believe will bear much good fruit, in time, in caring for your souls.

I had best now care for my own soul by signing off and praying some of the Divine Office before dinner.

Each of you will be in my heart and prayers these next 8 weeks. May Jesus and Mary watch over you, guide you, and keep you from harm.

Arrivederci!

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari