Oregon with Cardinal Burke

 

Dear Friends and Family,

Happy Easter! My apologies that I am only now posting after several weeks. It has been a very full, and blessed, past few weeks.

This past week was spent with Cardinal Burke in Oregon where he gave a series of conferences on the new code of penal law, due to soon be promulgated by the Vatican. Outside of the official program, there were also ample opportunities to ask him, and the other canonists present, questions. Wednesday evening Fr. John Boyle, pictured above right, from the Diocese of Portland, and I had the blessing of taking His Eminence and Bishop Carey, the Bishop of Baker, OR to a Mexican restaurant for dinner.

While we were taking this photo a few locals thought it would make for a great photo op to have their picture taken with us, as you see below:

We used the opportunity to try to bring them back to the Faith. As Cardinal Burke said, "God sent me here to tell you to come back to church." 

Here are some photos taken from the retreat center near Redmond where the conference was held:

Holy Week was also very blessed. In addition to being a grace-filled retreat, I was able to get to know the Benedictines of Mary, who are a wonderful group. If you know a young lady looking into the Benedictine life I could recommend them.

The Priests' guest house, just down the hill from the monastery. Along with three other priests, I made my Holy Week retreat there.

The Nuns' monastery. In their liturgies, they sound just like they do on their CD's!

My health is also processing well, but I will wait to give you an update on that next week!

In the meantime, may Our Lady be your guide, and may Our Lord watch over you and protect you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Pillari

A Visit to the Zoo

 

Dear Friends and Family,

On this beautiful Passion Sunday the weather was so nice that I ventured out with my parents for a trip to the Cleveland Zoo. Walking has become easier and easier so it was not a problem to spend almost two hours walking around the exhibits, including the rain forest, which you have a glimpse of in the photo below:

Housed in a vary large glass building it gave us the chance to see beautiful varieties of animals. The multi-colored birds were the most spectacular, though I regret that I did not take any photos of them to show you. What vibrant colors! And they would fly right by you. One perched on a branch just about two feet above my head and didn't mind me moving around and inspecting him.

We also saw tiny frogs that are considered the most poisonous animals on earth. The poison from one frog is enough to kill 100 people.... I have a newfound respect for frogs. Then there were other animals.

This alligator is about 6 feet long. These Koalas were  quite close to us:

It was a fun outing. 

My back continues to improve. The big step of the last 4 days is that I have been able to sit upright at a desk for several hours a day and to work there. This bodes well for my studies, which I am trying to catch up on, and should be able to catch up by the end of the semester.

You may not see a post from me the next two Sundays because I will be making my annual priestly retreat--which I was unable to make last year--in the guesthouse of a Benedictine monastery of nuns, the Benedictines of Mary in Gower, MO, from Palm Sunday through Easter Monday. If you do not hear from me before Easter week, know that you will continue to be in my daily prayers.

May Our Lady guide you into the great graces that God has in store for us this Holy Week.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Pillari

Feast of St. Joseph Holy Mass at St. Stephen's

 

Dear Friends and Family,

Among the many blessings of this past week I received the wonderful invitation to celebrate the Holy Mass--in the form of a sung, solemn High Mass--this Friday March 19th at 18:30 for the Feast of St. Joseph, and next Thursday March 25th at 18:30 for the Feast of the Annunciation, at St. Stephen's parish on the west side of Cleveland. The historic church is quite beautiful, as you can see above. It was a particular act of kindness for Fr. Bede, a benedictine monk in the area, to offer to have me be the celebrant in his place for these two Masses. If you are in the area, I will hope to see you there.

Other blessings of this past week included going out and walking more. Little by little my stamina is increasing. Today, between 3 different walks, I think I walked a total of around 2 miles.

Beyond that my life is rather simple: prayer and study for most of the day.

Thank you for all of your prayers.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Pillari

Bread from Heaven

 

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings and a blessed Third Sunday of Lent from a sunny Cleveland Ohio! The past days have been quite beautiful here: often blue skies and sun, with crisp cool air hovering around freezing. I have been able to get out and do a little walking in the neighborhood, which has been a real blessing. 

My back has better days and worse days. Yesterday was a better day and I was able to go for a longer walk, to work most of the day at my studies, and to even make a Holy Hour in the evening--the first time I have been able to do that in a month! However, last night my back was not particularly happy and is slowly coming back today. So today is being spent largely reclining to rest my back, and reading.

The above photo--please excuse the fact it is sideways, I can't figure out how to rotate a photo--is the book I have been reading today. It is quite good. Brant Pitre, the author, draws from various accounts of Jewish customs at the time of Our Lords that shed light on how his gestures and words would have been understood in his day, with regard to the Eucharist. I am only half-way through the book but have found it quite interesting so far. Hopefully I will get through the rest of it today.

I also have some good news regarding Holy Week. For the first time in 20 years I will have the privilege of living this Holy Week as a personal retreat. While leading a flock through the Holy Week liturgies has very particular joys, so does spending that week in silence and prayer at a monastery. This year, I will have that blessing at the guesthouse of the Benedictines of Mary in Gower, Missouri https://benedictinesofmary.org  . They are known for the beauty of their chanting and for having a good retreat house for priests, so I am very much looking forward to it.

As we begin this third week of Lent, you all will continue to be in my prayers. Please keep me in yours.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Pillari

Able to kneel again!

 

Dear Friends and Family,

As you can see above, the snow is beginning to melt and spring is on its way! 

What you see above is the view I have had for the past few weeks from the recliner where I spend most of the day studying, praying, or napping. But I am happy to report that I am steadily improving. 

This week for the first time since the injury I... stepped outside and walked up and down the street. I would have laughed hard not long ago if you would have told me that this would be something to write you about in a blog post, but it is a big step. More importantly, today, for the first time since the injury, I was able to kneel before the Blessed Sacrament for 30 minutes while I payed the rosary. It was really wonderful.

Thank you for all of your prayers and kind wishes, especially those from children. While my energy level still ebbs and flows, and in is quite, in general, quite low, it is improving. You are in my daily prayers here. 

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Pillari

Further Healing + request for your prayers for rosary initiative

 

Dear Friends and Family,

I hope this note finds you all well as we prepare to enter Lent. Above is what has been my constant view these past 11 days since I came home from the hospital. It has been a snowy 11 days, quite pretty to look at from the recliner where I have spent most of each day.

Each day I can sense and improvement--a bit more movement here or there, a bit more energy, the ability to focus on studies for a longer period of time, etc. One special joy was to begin, a few days ago, once again genuflecting for all the proper parts of the Mass. I look forward to the day when I can kneel for Holy Hours again. Hopefully that is not too far off.

My parents are taking very good care of me--spoiling me really--and I'm in good hands medically.

I would also ask for your prayers for an initiative for the daily rosary. As you are likely aware, LifeSite was unjustly kicked off of youtube, meaning that the daily rosary was also kicked off, and all previous videos removed. I spoke with John-Henry Westen a few days ago and a quick decision was made to create a new YouTube channel, Regina Angelorum Press. If you have a minute, please go here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChWoDluh-gUgIpqzG1m-Sng  and click on the rosary video and give it a thumbs up. If you were willing to also subscribe to the channel that will help others become aware it is out there (the more people subscribe or give "thumbs up" the more it will be easier to find on the internet).

You all are in my daily prayers.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Pillari

Healing

Dear Friends and Family,

Thank you for all of your prayers. As most of you know, I fell hard on the ice while jogging, 10 days ago, just before I was supposed to fly back to Rome, and broke 5 ribs, 3 transverse processes (parts of three vertebrae), and punctured a lung.

I'm pleased to report that I'm recovering well at home, having been discharged from the hospital Tuesday. Recovery is going to take some time, but each day is better than the previous one. Above all, I am pleased to report that I am once again able to offer the Holy Sacrifice daily.

Typing is difficult for me, so I will not write more today. Thank you again for your prayers. You are in mind here.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,

Fr. Pillari