In Remembrance of 9/11

Immaculate Conception, Cleveland, will offer a Solemn High Requiem Mass on Tuesday at 6:30pm in remembrance of the victims of the 9/11 tragedy. And, should you not be able to make it to the evening Mass, there is the regular Tuesday morning 7am low Mass at St. Stephen.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

Solemn Mass, Sept. 14

For the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, St. Stephen will offer Solemn Mass at 6:30pm. Please take the opportunity to celebrate this wonderful feast.

We found this on Fr. Z's blog.

The aromatic herb, basil (Ocimum basilicum) has long been associated with the Holy Cross.

Etymologically, it is related to basileios, the Greek word for king.

According to a pious legend, the Empress Saint Helena found the location of the True Cross by digging for it under a colony of basil. Basil plants were reputed to have sprung up at the foot of the Cross where fell the Precious Blood of Christ and the tears of the Mother of Sorrows.

A sprig of basil was said to have been found growing from the wood of the True Cross.
On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross it is customary in the East to rest the Holy Cross on a bed of basil before presenting it to the veneration of the faithful.

Also, from the practice in some areas of strewing branches of basil before church communion rails, it came to be known as Holy Communion Plant Blessed basil leaf can be arranged in a bouquet at the foot of the crucifix; the dried leaves can also be used by the faithful as a sacramental.

V. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
R. Who made heaven and earth.

Let us pray.

Almighty and merciful God,
deign, we beseech You, to bless
Your creature, this aromatic basil leaf. +
Even as it delights our senses,
may it recall for us the triumph of Christ, our Crucified King
and the power of His Precious Blood
to purify and preserve us from evil
so that, planted beneath His Cross,
we may flourish to Your glory
and spread abroad the fragrance of His sacrifice.
Who is Lord forever and ever.

R. Amen.

The bouquets of basil leaf are sprinkled with Holy Water.

Assumption Mass Schedule

The Latin Mass schedule for the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 15, a holy day of obligation, is as follows.

7am Low Mass @ Immaculate Conception, Cleveland

6:30pm Low Mass @ St. Stephen

6:30pm Solemn Mass @ Immaculate Conception, Cleveland

Prayer composed by Pope St. Pius X

O immaculate virgin, mother of God and mother of humanity, we believe with all the fervour of our faith in your triumphal assumption both in body and in soul into heaven where you are acclaimed as queen by all the choirs of angels and all the legions of saints; we unite with them to praise and bless the Lord who has exalted you above all other pure creatures and to offer you the tribute of our devotion and our love.

We know that your gaze, which on earth watched over the humble and suffering humanity of Jesus, in heaven is filled with the vision of that humanity glorified and with the vision of uncreated wisdom, and that the joy of your soul in the direct contemplation of the adorable trinity causes your heart to throb with overwhelming tenderness; and we, poor sinners whose body weights down the flight of the soul, beg you to purify our hearts so that, while we remain below, we may learn to see God and God alone in the beauties of his creatures.

We trust that your merciful eyes may deign to gaze down upon our miseries and anguish, upon our struggles and our weaknesses; that your countenance may smile upon our joys and our victories; that you may hear the voice of Jesus saying to you of each one of us, as he once said to you of his beloved disciple:

"Behold your son," and we who call upon you as our mother, we, like John, take you as the guide, strength and consolation of our mortal life.

We are inspired by the certainty that your eyes, which wept over the earth crimsoned by the blood of Jesus, are yet turned toward this world racked by wars and persecutions, the oppression of the just and the weak. From the shadows of this vale of tears, we seek in your heavenly assistance, tender mercy, comfort for our aching hearts, and help in the trials of Church and country.

We believe finally that in the glory where you reign, clothed with the sun and crowned with stars, you are, after Jesus, the joy and gladness of all the angels and the saints, and from this earth, over which we tread as pilgrims, comforted by our faith in the future resurrection, we look to you our life, our sweetness, our hope; draw us onward with the sweetness of your voice, so that one day, after our exile, you may show us Jesus, the blessed fruit of your womb.

O clement, O loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary.

Amen.

Latin Masses at Sacred Heart

We just wanted to pass along the following note concerning upcoming Latin Masses at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in South Euclid, Ohio.

Solemn High Mass in Honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Friday, August 3 at 12:10 pm 

First Saturday, August 4 at 8am. Low Mass followed by devotions 

Solemn High Mass on Sunday, August 26 at 11:30. This will be followed by a reception honoring Abbé Matthew Weaver, one of our seminarians, who received the cassock and tonsure. Abbé Weaver is studying for the priesthood for the Institute of Christ the King, Sovereign Priest

In Defense of the Church

In light of the USCCB's "Fortnight for Freedom", St. Stephen's First Friday Latin Mass at 6:30pm will be offered for the Defense of the Church. The Mass will be of the Sacred Heart, with a commemoration of the prayers (collect, secret and post-communion) from the Votive Mass for the Defense of the Church. As is normal for First Friday, benediction will follow Mass. Please join us as we pray for the liberation and exaltation of Holy Mother Church.



Third Inter-Parish Picnic, July 28

Please see below for information regarding the Third Inter-Parish Picnic.

(Try opening the picture (right-click) into a new window, then you'll be able to zoom in and see the content)

Solemn Mass, Sunday, Sacred Heart

In honor of the Sacred Heart, Solemn High Mass will be offered at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in South Euclid, Ohio, on Sunday, June 17 at 5pm.

Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish
1545 South Green Road
South Euclid, Ohio 44121

Solemnity of the Sacred Heart

A blessed feast day to you all.

Immaculate Conception Cleveland will offer low Mass for the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart at 6:30pm on Friday, June 15.

A plenary indulgence can be gained by praying the Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart, Iesu dulcissime.

Act of Reparation

Most sweet Jesus, whose overflowing charity for men is requited by so much forgetfulness, negligence and contempt, behold us prostrate before you, eager to repair by a special act of homage the cruel indifference and injuries to which your loving Heart is everywhere subject.

Mindful, alas! that we ourselves have had a share in such great indignities, which we now deplore from the depths of our hearts, we humbly ask your pardon and declare our readiness to atone by voluntary expiation, not only for our own personal offenses, but also for the sins of those, who, straying far from the path of salvation, refuse in their obstinate infidelity to follow you, their Shepherd and Leader, or, renouncing the promises of their baptism, have cast off the sweet yoke of your law.

We are now resolved to expiate each and every deplorable outrage committed against you; we are now determined to make amends for the manifold offenses against Christian modesty in unbecoming dress and behavior, for all the foul seductions laid to ensnare the feet of the innocent, for the frequent violations of Sundays and holy-days, and the shocking blasphemies uttered against you and your Saints. We wish also to make amends for the insults to which your Vicar on earth and your priests are subjected, for the profanation, by conscious neglect or terrible acts of sacrilege, of the very Sacrament of your divine love, and lastly for the public crimes of nations who resist the rights and teaching authority of the Church which you have founded.

Would that we were able to wash away such abominations with our blood. We now offer, in reparation for these violations of your divine honor, the satisfaction you once made to your Eternal Father on the cross and which you continue to renew daily on our altars; we offer it in union with the acts of atonement of your Virgin Mother and all the Saints and of the pious faithful on earth; and we sincerely promise to make recompense, as far as we can with the help of your grace, for all neglect of your great love and for the sins we and others have committed in the past. Henceforth, we will live a life of unswerving faith, of purity of conduct, of perfect observance of the precepts of the Gospel and especially that of charity. We promise to the best of our power to prevent others from offending you and to bring as many as possible to follow you.

O loving Jesus, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mother, our model in reparation, deign to receive the voluntary offering we make of this act of expiation; and by the crowning gift of perseverance keep us faithful unto death in our duty and the allegiance we owe to you, so that we may all one day come to that happy home, where with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, God, forever and ever. Amen.

Iesu, mitis et humilis Corde, fac cor nostrum secundum Cor tuum.

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make our hearts like unto Thine.

Another pious tradition practiced by Catholics is the Enthronement of Sacred Heart of Jesus. This ceremony takes place in the home, preferably presided over by a priest, and is meant to establish the Social Reign of Jesus Christ in society by way of the family.

And we cannot forget the promises from Our Lord to St. Margaret Mary which are granted to those who practice devotion to His Sacred Heart.

For Persons living in the World. "They will find by means of this devotion all the helps necessary for their state, such as peace in their families, refreshment in their labors, the blessing of heaven in all their undertakings, consolation in their troubles, and it is truly in this Heart, that they will find their refuge during life and above all at the hour of death. He promised He would reunite families that are separated."
For Homes where the picture of the Sacred Heart shall be Exposed and Honored. "Since He is the source of all blessings, He shall shower them in abundance on every place where a picture of His Divine Heart shall be set up and honored."
Promise of Salvation for All Who Have Been Devoted and Consecrated to It. "He then confirmed His assurance that the pleasure He takes in being loved, known and honored by His creatures is so great . . . that all who will be devoted and consecrated to It shall never perish."
For Those Who work For the Salvation of Souls. "My divine Savior has given me to understand that those who work for the salvation of souls will have a gift of touching the most hardened hearts, and will labor with marvelous success, if they themselves are penetrated with a tender devotion to His Divine Heart."
Promise of a Happy Death for those Who Communicate on the First Friday of Nine Consecutive Months. One Friday during Holy Communion, He said these words to His unworthy slave if she is not mistaken, "I promise thee in the excessive Mercy of My Divine Heart, that It's all-powerful will grant the grace of final repentance to all who communicate on the First Friday of nine consecutive months, that they shall not die under Its displeasure nor without receiving the sacraments, for My Divine Heart will become their secure refuge at that last moment."
Promise of the Reign of the Sacred Heart. "Yes, this Divine Heart will reign in spite of those who would oppose it; Satan will be put to confusion with all his followers."
For Those Who Promote Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. "Those who propagate this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart never to be blotted out." .
For Communities. "He has promised me . . . that He will spread the sweet unction of His burning charity over all those communities who honor It and place themselves under its special protection, that He will turn away from them all the strokes of divine justice, in order to restore them to grace when they have fallen from it."

Corpus Christi

The Thursday after Trinity Sunday is traditionally the day observed for the great feast of Corpus Christi. In continuing that tradition, St. Stephen's will offer High Mass on Thursday, June 7, at 6:30pm. A Eucharistic Procession inside the church will be part of the celebration.

Pope Urban IV, in 1264, instituted this feast in the Calendar. We can cite pious tradition for two inspiring events which lead to the declaration of the feast.

In 1263, a German priest, Peter of Prague, offered Holy Mass in the Church of St. Christina while on pilgrimage to Rome. Although a good and holy priest, Peter of Prague held doubts concerning Christ's Real Presence in the Blessed Eucharist. During that Mass in St. Christina's, the Host which he consecrated began to bleed. Immediately, he hurried to Pope Urban IV carrying the Blessed Sacrament, and the Pontiff declared the miracle. The Corporal on which the Host bled is still on display in the Cathedral of Orvieto.

St. Juliana of Mont Cornillon, an Augustinian nun (1193 - 1258) had a vision in which the Moon, full and beautiful, was marred by a single black spot, signifying the lack of a joyful feast day of the Eucharist at that time.

Ascension Thursday

It is hoped that this update finds you in time for the celebration of the Feast of the Ascension.

High Masses for Ascension will be celebrated at St. Stephen and Immaculate Conception Cleveland. Both Masses are at 6:30pm.

The excerpt below is from The Golden Legend.

...he ascended from the mount of Olives by Bethany; the which mountain, by another relation, is said the mountain of three lights. For by night on the side of the west it is lighted of the fire that burneth in the Temple, which never is put out ne quenched. On the morning it is light of the orient, for she hath first the rays of the sun before it shineth in the city, and also it hath great abundance of oil that nourisheth the light, and therefore it is said the hill of three lights. Unto this hill Jesu Christ commanded his disciples that they should go. For on the day of his Ascension he appeared two times, one time to eleven disciples that ate in the hall where they had supped with him. All the apostles and the disciples and also the women, abode in that part of Jerusalem which is called Mello, in the mountain of Sion, where David had made his palace. And there was the great hall arrayed and ordained for to sup, whereas Jesu Christ commanded that they should make ready for to eat the Paschal Lamb, and in this place the eleven apostles abode, and the other disciples, and the women abode in divers mansions there about. And when they had eaten in this hall, our Lord appeared to them and reproved them of their incredulity. And when he had eaten with them, and had commanded them that they should go to the Mount of Olivet on the side by Bethany, he appeared again to them, and answered to them of the demands that they made to him indiscreetly, and with his hands lifted he blessed them; and anon before them he ascended unto heaven. Of the place of this ascension saith Sulpicius, Bishop of Jerusalem, and it is in the gloss. For there was edified a church in the place where were made the signs of his ascension. Never sith might be set there any pavement, it could not be laid ne set but anon it issued out, and the stones of the marble sprang into the visages of them that set it. And that is a sign that they be stones on which Christ passed upon, which lie in the powder and dust, and abide for a token and sign certain.

The church mentioned in the above excerpt is known as the Chapel of the Ascension, built c.390. Muslims seized control of it in 1198 and added the dome.

The signs of His Ascension, as mentioned in The Golden Legend, are Christ's footprints in stone.

You can find The Golden Legend in its entirety here.