Thanksgiving for Family, Friends, and God's Blessings

My Dad, who cooked his traditional "Dad's Breakfast"--of chocolate chip pancakes, popeyes, bacon, etc. for me a few times on my visit home this week.

Dear Family and Friends,

I am writing you from Silverstream Priory in Ireland, where I am spending a few days for prayer before diving into an intense June, July, and August. This past week was full of blessings--so much to give thanks to God for!

I spent the week at home with my parents, who are preparing to move in a few weeks--so it was the last few days to see our family home and give thanks for so many blessings there. In the midst of the week's work: writing assignments for law school, preparing talks and a sermon for this coming weekend's retreat for the National Association of Catholic Families in England, check-ups with doctors, etc. (all of whom gave me a clean bill of health--so it looks like all of you are stuck with me being on this earth for a while longer!), I spent time simply giving thanks to God for the many blessings he has given me during the time I was growing up.

The photo above is typical of so many, many, many times my parents served modeled love and service. I was extremely blessed to have a mother and father who spent their lives loving and serving us children. We spent an evening watching family videos. It was fun to laugh at what we had done as children: for example, there was one video of my little sister, then about 18 months old, with us four boys around her each trying to make her happy so that my mom could get a good video of her. My two brothers kept trying to hand her various items, I was scratching her back, all that was missing was two of us with the big palm leaves fanning her as a little queen! In spite of that, she seems to have turned out well :). Or another funny thing was coming across that jacket that I had made and worn when I ran for middle-school treasurer when I was 12 years old. Someone suggested I make a vest with pennies, etc. glued to it, and that I wear it when I gave my speech in front of the school. This was the result:

Bills handed out to other students and taped onto the jacket.

What a ridiculous vest.. that resulted in me winning the election. I'm not sure what this says about how politics works...

But above all, there was so much good to give thanks to God for, both with family and friends. For example, I visited again the adoration chapel that was a special help for me when I was discovering my vocation. It's the chapel of the Poor Claires:

Poor Claires' adoration chapel.

I was able to see my little Sister Elizabeth, who is just a few weeks away from giving birth to her second child, and to see her good husband Patrick and little Thomas.

I also had some great conversations with faith-filled friends and family members. To give you one example: a friend related an example of a "youth evangelization" event in Ohio. It was aimed at teenagers, led by a Catholic layman, but with several priests present to hear Confessions. A 14-year-old girl decided to invite a non-Catholic friend. This particular young woman had recently declared herself to be an atheist and professed some things quite at odds with the Faith. But she was so struck by the event that she eagerly got in line to go to Confession. The priest explained that he couldn't give her, as a non-Catholic, absolution, but told her that what her soul really needed was the Sacraments, both Confession and the spiritual food of Holy Communion. She left the weekend convinced and eager to become a Catholic (something quite different from her parents' beliefs!). Please pray for her that she might follow through on this good intention.

Many more blessings occurred this past week, but the above hopefully gives you a glimpse of them.

I most likely will not be able to post next weekend because I will be accompanying Bishop Schneider from Thursday to Monday for the annual pilgrimage of the National Association of Catholic Families. He will be interviewed by EWTN at some point that weekend, so perhaps you will also be able to see him on TV.

On this Pentecost Sunday, may God pour out an abundance of graces into your souls. May the Holy Ghost guide you to embrace fully the special mission that He has chosen for you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Washington D.C

Photo taken after my meeting with Trump.

Dear Friends and Family,

I spent the past few days in Washington D.C. and am happy to say that, thanks to President Trump's willingness to meet with me and move my case along, I was successfully granted a 3-year visa for the U.K.!

Well, I didn't actually meet with President Trump.... but I did get my photo taken outside the White House, and the British government did decide to grant my visa. I do not have it yet, but the decision was made, so I will be able to return to Lanherne as planned later this month.

I was able to travel to D.C. with my mother, a rare opportunity to have a few days just with her, before Mother's Day tomorrow. We also visited some of the Smithsonian Museums, including the National Archives, where we saw the original Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and Constitution. Rather impressive. It was even more impressive to see significant demonstrations in favor of unborn babies. When we got on the metro on the outskirts of the city, to head to downtown, there were around 10 people peacefully holding large images of aborted babies and signs inviting others to choose life. Then, in front of the national African American History Museum, there were several ladies holding a very large image of an aborted baby, as well as a sign talking about how many black children are killed by abortion. It was beautiful to see their witness.

In the Museum of Natural History, I was able to enter the butterfly room and see exquisite butterflies up close. One even landed on my head.

I have to go now for dinner with my parents... so I'll simply add that the D.C. visit included an evening visit with my cousin Chris, whom it was wonderful to see again, some prayer at the National Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, a visit to the Air and Space Museum, which was quite interesting, and time with an old friend: Fr. Thomas-Joseph White O.P.

May Jesus and Mary grant you a blessed Second Sunday of May.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Our Lady's Month

The Grotto at the University of Notre Dame

Dear Friends and Family,

I am heading out the door in a few minutes for an appointment for my visa, so this post will need to be brief. My apologies for not writing yesterday. I had a wonderful weekend with my family in South Bend Indiana, which included my nephew Leo's First Holy Communion--please say a prayer that he becomes another St. Leo! It was wonderful to see his love for Jesus and childlike simplicity.

The weekend also included a visit to the University of Notre Dame, my alma mater, part of which is pictured above. It was a joy to revisit the places where I discovered my vocation. I even ran into a member of the Children of Mary, my old prayer group. A few images of the weekend:

The Golden Dome at the center of the University: with Our Lady crowning the top.

A portion of the campus.

My mom standing by one of the lakes on campus.

St. Stanislaus Parish, where Msgr. Fritz kindly welcomed me to stay, and I was able to have quiet holy hours here in this church.

Above all, I have been thinking about how blessed the Month of May is. Our Lady gives so many graces. We really cannot turn to her too much during this time. May She draw us ever closer to her motherly Immaculate Heart, and thus ever closer to Her Son!

I'm praying for you all.

I'd best go now for my appointment for the visa.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Rosary on the Coast

Dear Friends and Family,

At 3:00 PM this afternoon Catholics gathered all along the coasts of England, Wales, and Scottland, to pray the rosary--begging God, through the intercession of His Holy Mother--for the conversion of England to the Catholic Faith, for the protection of innocent life and an end to abortion, and for true peace, the sort that can only come when a country is obedient to God.

I gathered with a number of young families from Lanherne and Plymouth on at Holywell Bay, pictured above. I cropped out of the photo the wonderful young children because, in these days, I'm never sure when a parent would object or not to such photos being posted online. But it was wonderful having the young children there!

The prayer comprised about an hour in total. Before beginning the rosary there were special prayers of protection, including the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, and an act of contrition, then the rosary, then the Litany of Loretto, and finally a Litany to the Saints of the British Isles--a beautiful, and long!--litany. It is striking how many wonderful saints England has. The sand was excellent for kneeling, and at the end the children were able to run about a bit on the beach, as pictured below. Some ventured to get their feet wet in the ocean, but the water, outside temperature (51 degrees) and strong wind were too cool for my taste!

Then one of the local families very generously welcomed us to the local village hall for refreshments, which included homemade pasties, and a host of homemade desserts, including scones and saffron buns... When I left, at 5:45 PM, everyone was still there and seemed to be having a great time.

It was a wonderful day, though at the moment I feel rather drained, perhaps not primarily by the day's activities, but rather primarily by the events of this past week in England--all that transpired in the life of little Alfie Evans this past week, the terrible evil it presented to the world: young parents told by the court they could not even care for their own child, not even when Italy made him an Italian citizen and sent a helicopter to transport him for hospital care in Rome. No, the English courts and medical system insisted that this 2-year-old disabled boy had to die. I terribly sad thing, beyond sad... But in God's providence, it seems to be helping at least some people awaken to the fact that parents should be able to have the ultimate decision in caring for their child, and that every child's life is precious.

Well, I'm too drained to write more now, so I will sign off. I will write you next weekend from the United States, where I am heading to renew my visa for England.

May Jesus and Mary watch over you and guide you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Bedruthan Steps

At the top of the cliff leading to the Bedruthan Steps.

Dear Friends and Family,

This week had a number of special joys and blessings. Among them, a new baby boy was born this weekend--weighing a healthy 8 pounds. Very much looking forward to baptizing him!

Rather than try to describe each of the blessings, I'll tell you about one that I experienced yesterday. After a rather long, cold, and rainy winter, the sun and warm weather, we had a really beautiful week. Yesterday was particularly gorgeous: sunny, 70 degrees, and the ocean was beautiful. I was able to get some work done ahead of schedule--such that the week's work which I needed to finish by Saturday evening I had instead finished by noon Saturday. After completing a few additional tasks, as the clock struck 2:00 PM, I thought, "If God has given me this beautiful day, wouldn't it be good to give thanks to Him for it by praying a rosary while walking along the cliffs?" Feeling that the answer to my internal query was certainly "yes," I hopped in the car and drove to the Bedruthan Steps.

Located about 10 minutes from Lanherne, these are a set of steps cut into the cliff that take you down to a beach. When the tide is out, you have a nice stretch of beach. When the tide is in... the beach disappears and you would not survive below the cliffs! It is a National Trust property and yesterday quite a few people had the same idea I did (well, minus the rosary).

After parking I began strolling along the coastal path, praying the rosary, and was greeted by the view you see above. The path began to wind downhill a bit towards the steps.

The clifftops dip a bit here. The steps are in the center of the photo, towards the left (not visible, but that's where they begin).

I had originally planned to walk along the top, praying the glorious mysteries. But the path towards the steps was inviting, so I prayed while walking that direction. Upon reaching the steps I thought, "Why not go down and explore the beach?" So I worked my way down the steps, which were indeed quite steep in some places. This photo gives you a glimpse of a small waterfall in the rock just above the steps:

Small waterfall just off to the side of the steps.

Upon arriving on the beach, in my cassock of course, I found a  gorgeous sandy beach, with small pools of clear ocean water, large rock formations, and the waves breaking gently from the ocean. At that point, I did what any sensible priest would do: took off my shoes and socks, hiked up my cassock, and walked around barefoot enjoying the feel of the sand and the cool water. I only took one photo down there, but this at least gives you a little glimpse:

I walked around for a while, admiring the beauty of God's creation--the beauty of the waves and ocean, the sound of the waves, the sand, the blue sky, rock formations. What will Heaven be like?... I had already prepared today's sermon on the eternal life of Heaven, and so my mind was full of wonder at what the new heavens and new earth will be like, if this earthly one can be so beautiful.

I then worked my way back towards the steps, finding a pool to wash the sand off of my feet, put my socks and shoes back on, and began to hike up the steps--but not before three guys shooting film for their youtube channel called out, joking that I would now sprint up the steps as they filmed me. I laughed and hiked (running the steps--slippery with running water--did not seem like a prudent proposition) up the steps. Around 4:30 PM I pulled back into Lanherne with a heart grateful for God's goodness and the beauty of His creation.

May Jesus and Mary watch over you and guide you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

Some wildflowers in the heart of St. Mawgan.

Keys to Understanding the Current Crisis in the Church

Altar prepared for "Low Mass for the Dead" this past Wednesday.

Dear Friends and Family,

Many of you have asked me about the current crisis in the Church--what is really going on? What are the practical dangers for ordinary Catholics? How to respond in a spirit of faith and charity?

Full answers to those questions would take a lot of pages, but I wanted to at least give you here two articles, the first a very brief one, that can help.

But before giving you those, let me share very briefly some of this week's blessings:

Here at Lanherne I offer several times a year a series of three votive Masses for the dead: each with nine special prayers (three collects, three secrets, and three post-communions) for friends, benefactors, family members, and others who are now in purgatory. They are beautiful, rich prayers. For those of my family reading this, I make sure to pray for all of our deceased relatives. I took the above photo a few minutes before one of those Masses this week.

This week also had two beautiful Marian Feasts. The Feast of the Annunciation was this past Monday (moved due to Holy Week), and is a wonderful occasion of graces. Below are a few photos of the vestments from that day:

Then today, the Saturday before "Good Shepherd Sunday," I offered the Mass of the Feast of Our Lady Mother of the Divine Shepherd. The Mass begins "Let us all rejoice in the Lord, celebrating a feast-day in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Divine Shepherd: in whose solemnity the Angels rejoice, and praise together the Son of God, alleluia, alleluia." A beautiful way to begin this Saturday!

Shedding some light on the crisis in the Church:

A great deal is being written about the current confusion and crisis. In the following article, by Dr. Janet Smith, explains what is at stake regarding the moral evil of contraception. But the same reasoning could be applied to any other serious sin, as you will see. The article is brief, and I think pretty clear and non-technical:

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/theologian-heres-how-popes-teaching-is-being-used-to-reject-humanae-vitae

The second article is a bit longer and more intellectually developed. Don't feel obliged to read it. But if you would like to understand some of the deeper issues in points underlying the current confusion regarding the papacy, and how to respond, I think it is helpful. It is the text of a talk given by Dr. Roberto de Mattei, a famous Church historian. I have gotten to know him personally these past few years and hold his scholarship in high esteem. The article distills in a brief space, given the meaty topics it covers, key points regarding the papacy and the love and devotion we owe to the Pope. Given how long the article is, you may wish to skip to the midway point where there is the heading "The Error of Papalotry."

https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2018/04/de-mattei-tu-es-petrus-true-devotion-to.html

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari

First Holy Communion with help from St. Faustina

Paschal Candle.

Front of Easter Chasuble

Easter Chalice and Burse. All hand-embroidered.

Some of the detail of the embroidery in the chalice veil.

Back of Easter Chasuble.

Dear Friends and Family,

Today--and this past week--were full of graces. Too many to put down in one post. So I will focus on one that made me especially happy today: giving First Holy Communion to a boy at St. Edward the Confessor today.

After much study and preparation, he passed his examinations with me during Lent, and was cleared to receive first Confession and First Holy Communion. First Confession took place some weeks ago, and he has since polished his soul a few times in preparation for Holy Communion. In fact, he was the first one in line this morning before Mass, and then helped prepare items with the altar boys.

Since he had the special blessing of receiving Our Lord for the very first time on this blessed day, I preached using several texts from Our Lord's words to St. Faustina. First Holy Communion is an amazing blessing, but it is also the start of more intense spiritual formation. So I preached first on the visions of Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven--and what is at stake for every soul, urging him to train hard
in order to help other souls reach Heaven. To his credit, he listened attentively. Then, I shared some of the texts on Holy Communion:

After Holy Communion today, Jesus told me how much He desires to come to human hearts. “I desire to unite Myself with human souls; My great delight is to unite Myself with souls. Know, My daughter, that when I come to a human heart in Holy Communion, My hands are full of all kinds of graces which I want to give to the soul. But souls do not even pay any attention to Me; they leave Me to Myself and busy themselves with other things. Oh, how sad I am that souls do not recognize Love! They treat Me as a dead object.” (1385)

“Oh, how painful it is to Me that souls so seldom unite themselves to Me in Holy Communion. I wait for souls, and they are indifferent toward Me. I love them tenderly and sincerely, and they distrust Me. I want to lavish My graces on them, and they do not want to accept them. They treat Me as a dead object, whereas My Heart is full of love and mercy. In order that you may know at least some of My pain, imagine the most tender of mothers who has great love for her children, while those children spurn her love. Consider her pain. No one is in a position to console her. This is but a feeble image and likeness of My love.” (1447)

Our Lord comes to us in Holy Communion full alive, with His Heart infinitely vulnerable to our love and adoration, or lack thereof.

When He came, a short while later, to this young man for the very first time, I think--based on what I could see exteriorly--that the Lord was quite happy. After Mass I brought the young man into the Sanctuary and knelt with him in quiet thanksgiving for some minutes, inviting him to pray with me that Jesus would help him become a saint. Then, after a few photos, we went to the hall to partake in the joyful reception.

What a wonderful privilege it is to be a priest!

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

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Pillari