Novena Alert!

Well, folks, St. Philomena's feast day is coming up on August 11 and that means that the novena starts today (if you want to end on the 10th) or tomorrow (if you want to end on her feast).

The novena prayers composed by St. Jean Vianney are available HERE (scroll about half-way down).

The shorter novena prayers are available HERE.

And for more information on the Life, Martyrdom and Intercessory Power of St. Philomena, check out the website of her shrine HERE and click the 'About' section at the top for options.

Pray With Me?

As the pastor of St. Ann Catholic Church, I'm trying to foster within my own spiritual life a devotion to that beautiful woman of faith, the mother of Mary and grandmother of the Lord Jesus. To help me in this endeavor, as well as to continue to increase devotion to her in our own parish, my parish and I will be praying a novena to St. Ann in preparation for her feast, July 26. I invite you to join with us beginning Thursday, July 17 as we turn to this heavenly intercessor for aid in our need (Novena prayers can be found greater HERE).

Good Saint Ann, pray for us!

HWP: NOVENA ALERT!!!

As you may recall, June is the month in which Mother Church honors the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This is in part because the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart, celebrated on the second Friday after Pentecost, usually (or always?) falls within this month. This year the feast falls next Friday, June 27...which means that the novena to the Sacred Heart begins...TODAY! So, what better prayer to offer than the...

Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus  

I. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you." Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of......(here name your request). Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be.... 

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you. 

II. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you." Behold, in your name, I ask the Father for the grace of.......(here name your request) Our Father...Hail Mary....Glory Be.... 

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you. 

III. O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away." Encouraged by your infallible words I now ask for the grace of.....(here name your request) Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be... 

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you. 

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours. 

Hail, Holy Queen.... 

St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.

NOVENA ALERT!!!

Today is traditionally the liturgical feast celebrating the Ascension of the Lord Jesus. Unfortunately most places move the feast to the following Sunday. I say 'unfortunately' because the date of the Ascension is significant for us. Tradition tells us that after the Ascension, Mary and the Apostles gathered (at Jesus' command) for nine days of prayer for the Lord to send them the Holy Spirit. That prayer was answered on the feast of Pentecost. Since then it has been tradition to begin on the Friday after Ascension Thursday the Novena to the Holy Spirit, so that we can be like the first followers of Jesus and pray for an outpouring of the Spirit in our own day. Despite the Ascension not being celebrated today, we still begin the Novena tomorrow. Do not miss this blessed opportunity to receive the grace of God and the stirring up of the Spirit in your heart!

A link to the specific intentions for each day can be found at the EWTN website HERE.

Come, Holy Spirit!

Novena Alert: St. Joseph

Today is the first day of the Novena to St. Joseph, whose feast we will celebrate next Wednesday. Don't miss this great opportunity for an outpouring of God's grace through the intercession of the patron of the Universal Church. 

Novena to St. Joseph 

O St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt before the throne of God, I place in thee all my interests and desires. O St. Joseph, assist me by thy powerful intercession and obtain for me all spiritual blessings through thy foster Son, Jesus Christ Our Lord, so that, having engaged here below thy heavenly power, I may offer thee my thanksgiving and homage.

O St. Joseph, I never weary contemplating thee and Jesus asleep in thine arms. I dare not approach while He reposes near thy heart. Press Him in my name and kiss His fine head for me, and ask Him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath. 

St. Joseph, patron of departing souls, pray for me.

For a lengthier Novena Prayer, customized for each day, check out this one from EWTN.

Octaves, Novenas, and Pilgrimage, Oh My!

Hello everyone! Tomorrow morning we shall have nine buses of youth from our diocese heading north to attend the March for Life in Washington, D.C. I ask your prayers for our safe travel, for conversion of hearts among our group, and conversion of hearts for the people of our nation, especially those who enact laws, that we might be a people who thirst for God. Additionally, there are some big opportunities for an outpouring of grace in this coming week. 

Beginning on Saturday, January 18, we will celebrate the Octave of Christian Unity (which gains a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions) as well as the 'Nine Days of Prayer, Penance and Pilgrimage' Campaign by the USCCB. These prayers and mortifications are sure to bring many souls to Christ and to win much merit for us in offering them.

For the Octave of Unity

Each day of the Octave the prayer 'Omnipotens Deus' is offered for the particular intention of the day.

January 18: For the return of the "other sheep" to the One Fold of our Lord Jesus Christ.
January 19: For the return of the Eastern Orthodox Christians to communion with the Apostolic See. January 20: For the return of the Anglicans to the authority of the Vicar of Christ.
January 21: For the return of all Protestants throughout the world to the unity of the Catholic Church.
January 22: That Christians in America may be one, in union with the Chair of Saint Peter.
January 23: That lapsed Catholics will return to the Sacraments of the Church.
January 24: That the Jewish people will be converted to the Catholic Faith.
January 25: That missionary zeal will conquer the world for Christ.

Pray: + That they may all be one, as Thou, Father, in me and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that Thou hast sent me. I say to thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church.

Let us pray. Almighty and merciful God, who wished to gather the scattered nations into one people through your Son, grant that those who glory in the name of Christians may put aside division and become one in truth and charity, and that all men may be illumined by the true faith and brought together into the fraternal communion of one Church. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the Nine Days of Prayer, Penance and Pilgrimage

Each day there are selected readings, prayers for reflection, and invitations to offer penances. As they are rather extensive, I figured simply linking to them would be better. Click HERE to download a copy of the novena in PDF format, download the phone app, receive prayers by email or receive prayers by text message. 

Novena Alert!!!

Tomorrow, Friday, July 27 begins the Novena to St. Jean Vianney, patron of priests. Might I suggest you pray this novena for your local priest(s) for their fidelity in their vocation, holiness, and docility to the Holy Spirit? I know they would be grateful.

Check it out HERE. It's short, sweet, and packs quite a punch!

BTW - He's also an incorruptible! I love being Catholic!