Solemn High Pentecost Mass...

I was fortunate to be able to host some friends visiting from out of town: Br. Edward and Fr. James. We took the opportunity to celebrate a Solemn High Mass in the Extraordinary Form for Pentecost Sunday. It so happens that the day was my 12th anniversary of ordination too. A wonderful celebration on all accounts...

R.I.P. Fr. Charles Schoenbaechler, CR...

I had the tremendous honor today of fulfilling the final request of a dear friend, mentor, and priest. I celebrated - in the Extraordinary Form - the solemn requiem of Fr. Charles Schoenbaechler, CR. In the presence of Archbishop Kurtz, joined by members of his community of Resurrectionists, priests of the archdiocese, and hundreds of the faithful with whom he was much beloved, we commended his soul today to the mercy of Almighty God.

There are many words that were used to describe father by those who knew him and were touched by his ministry: holy, devoted, prayerful, dedicated, wise. He was one month shy of celebrating his 71st anniversary of priestly ordination. Devoted to the Extraordinary Form of the Church's liturgy, he ministered faithfully to the Lord's flock.

Rest in peace, Fr. Charles, and may your goodness to us be rewarded.








From his ordination & first Mass:







From today's requiem Mass:

Easter 2013...

The Triduum and Easter Sunday are in the books. It was an exhausting, but very beautiful celebration at St. Martin's. the church was beautifully decorated, the turnout big and prayerful, the music and liturgy superb. Here's a few tidbits from Easter Sunday:














And a video from the Easter Sunday Extraordinary Form Mass. The choir did a splendid job with the Missa Brevis of Palestrina:

Christ the King Procession...

A video of today's procession at our parish Extraordinary Form Mass for the feast of Christ the King:
Click HERE

Uncovered vestment...

You never know what you might come across, hidden away in a cabinet for who knows how long, in one's own rectory...

Highlight Video of the St. Magnus & St. Bonosa Reinterment Mass...

We have received the video which was made of the procession and Mass for the reinterment of St. Magnus & St. Bonosa. Here is a short highlight video. The full-length video will be available on Blu-Ray format (high definition). An announcement will be made when these videos become available. Until then, enjoy this short highlight film of the Mass:

From Today's Bollettino, on Social Media and the New Evangelization...

SOCIAL NETWORKS: PORTALS OF TRUTH AND FAITH; NEW SPACES FOR EVANGELISATION

Vatican City, 29 September 2012 (VIS) - "One of the most important challenges facing the task of evangelisation today is that which is emerging from the digital environment. Pope Benedict XVI calls attention to this particular topic, in the context of the Year of Faith, in his choice of theme for the forty-seventh World Communications Day: 'Social Networks: portals of truth and faith; new spaces for evangelisation'", reads a communique released today by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

"The theme suggests a series of important points for reflection. During a time in which technology has emerged as part of the fabric of connectivity of human experiences, such as relationships and knowledge, we need to ask: can it help men and women meet Christ in faith? It is not enough to find an adequate language, but rather, it is necessary to learn how to present the Gospel as the answer to that basic human yearning for meaning and faith, which has already found expression online", the English-language communique says.

"Such an approach, which will serve to create a more dynamic and humane digital world, requires a new way of thinking. It is not simply a question of how to use the internet as a means of evangelisation, but instead of how to evangelise in a context where the lives of people find expression also in the digital arena.

"In particular, we need to be attentive to the emergence and enormous popularity of social networks, which privilege dialogical and interactive forms of communication and relationships.

"World Communications Day, the only worldwide celebration called for by Vatican Council II (Inter Mirifica, 1963), is celebrated in most countries, on the recommendation of the bishops of the world, on the Sunday before Pentecost (12 May in 2013).

"The Holy Father’s message for World Communications Day is traditionally published in conjunction with the Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, patron of writers (January 24)".

More Press for St.s Magnus & Bonosa...

More press concerning the recent investigations and reinterment of St.s Magnus & Bonosa, this coming from the local city paper: the Courier-Journal. Check it out HERE.

Also, here's a nice photo scan of the original article, from the same paper, reporting the arrival of the relics in Louisville on 1 January 1902:

St.s Magnus and Bonosa: Pics from Before the Procession and Reinterment...

Many people have asked about the reconstruction of the saints relics. I offer a few photos relating to the reconstruction phase of the investigation:

The relics of St. Magnus are removed from the reliquary case in the side altar of the church:






The relics in the back chapel where the investigation was conducted under close security:



Beginning of the initial examination of the relics of St. Magnus:






One of the newly constructed robes before dressing:



The Archbishop inspecting the reconstructed St. Magnus in the back chapel of the church:

Procession and Reinterment of St.s Magnus & Bonosa: the Momentum Studio pics...

Just received the following pictures from The Momentum Studio taken at the Procession/Solemn Mass/Reinterment of the relics of St.s Magnus & Bonosa this past Sunday at St. Martin's. These are some incredible pictures. A BIG THANKS to them!

Procession and Reinterment of the relics of St.s Magnus & Bonosa...

This weekend saw a celebration of historic proportions here at the parish: the reinterment of our two saints, Magnus and Bonosa. St. Martin's has been home to the full skeletal remains of two third century Roman martyrs since 1901. Their resting places - underneath the two side altars in the front of the church - were in need of repair and therefore the relics needed to be moved to complete that work. The opportunity was taken (with appropriate ecclesiastical approbation) to remove them from their reliquary cases and to undertake a study of the relics themselves. Professor Phillip DiBlasi from the university graciously agreed to do the work. His findings were remarkable. He was able to determine such things as approximate age, stature, and ethnicity. He was even able to tell that Bonosa was right handed. His findings were entirely consistent with the story surrounding their identities and martyrdom. While the parish has in its possession the usual ecclesiastical documents associated with relics attesting to their authenticity - and there never existed any doubt as to their authenticity - several fascinating details of their individual lives were able to be discerned by the careful visual inspection of the relics by an archeologist such as Professor DiBlasi, who also did a careful cataloguing of the remains for future posterity. Additionally, under the supervision of parishioner Dr. Michael Macfarlane, the skull of St. Bonosa was transported under close security to one of the downtown hospitals where it was examined by means of a CT scan. It is hoped that sometime in the future this CT scan will allow us to complete a forensic facial reconstruction of St. Bonosa, thus revealing her actual facial appearance. Additional donations of funds will be necessary to complete this task, however.

With the work completed, the task of returning the saints to their resting places in the newly repaired reliquaries remained. This was done on Sunday at the parish's noon Extraordinary Form Mass. A procession with the relics to the sanctuary was followed by a solemn high Mass and then the reinterment in the side altars. The church was filled to capacity (approximately 750 - 800 people) as both parishioners and curious visitors gathered in the church from far and wide. The parish choir provided the beautiful Mass setting of Josquin's Missa Pange Lingua, and a special schola formed by alumni of the former St. Thomas Seminary in Louisville provided the beautifully chanted propers. A parishioner, who is an excellent seamstress, completed a new solemn set of vestments in gold for the occasion, and these were used for the first time at the Mass. The same parishioner constructed the new robes that are now used to dress the saints in their reliquaries, and the trims on the new set of vestments match those used on the new robes. Holy cards of the two saints containing third class relics (small pieces of their former robes) were distributed to the faithful, who venerated the relics at the conclusion of the Mass.

Find below some of the first pictures that have been received of this event, taken by parishioners and visitors to the parish at the Mass. Many more pictures will be received and will be posted as they arrive: