New Priests in Focus for the Week

Every Thursday we change the three priests names for the Weekly Priests in Focus.

We are encouraging ladies to offer an Ave for the priests mentioned when visiting our site (You will see the above widget in the top righthand sidebar under our header) and also may wish to off an Ave for these priests any other time in the week that you may remember.

Of course you may also want to offer more than the Ave's, you may want to offer other prayers and sacrifices during the week for these particular priests, whatever you feel called to do, is a blessing.

This week's priests are:

Fr Peek, Fr Joe, Fr Bob

A list of the priests we have prayed for individually here are in the right hand sidebar down the bottom.

If you have any priests you wish to nominate to be added to the Priests in Focus please email us and we would more than happy to add that priest to our list.

Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles, bless us with holy, courageous priests!

New Priests in Focus for the Week

Every Thursday we change the three priests names for the Weekly Priests in Focus. (We have now changed to add three priests per week.)

We are encouraging ladies to offer an Ave for the priests mentioned when visiting our site (You will see the above widget in the top righthand sidebar under our header) and also may wish to off an Ave for these priests any other time in the week that you may remember.

Of course you may also want to offer more than the Ave's, you may want to offer other prayers and sacrifices during the week for these particular priests, whatever you feel called to do, is a blessing.

This week's priests are:

Fr Zindejas, Fr Riccomini, Fr Levin

A list of the priests we have prayed for individually here are in the right hand sidebar down the bottom.

If you have any priests you wish to nominate to be added to the Priests in Focus please email us and we would more than happy to add that priest to our list.

Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles, bless us with holy, courageous priests!

Fr Robert J Fox - A Tribute

We have been richly blessed this week. We have a guest writer from Fatima Family Apostolate (Australia) posting on the life and holiness of Fr Robert J Fox from
Please continue to pray for Fr Fox's eternal soul, for all his good works; may they continue to be fruitful including the Fatima Family Apostolate and for many people to be inspired by his holiness and devotion to Our Blessed Mother under the title of Our Lady of Fatima.

TRIBUTE TO FATHER ROBERT J FOX, VALIANT SON OF THE CHURCH

Thursday, November 26, 2009 was the day when Father Robert Joseph Fox, (USA) was called to eternal life after a recent incapacitation by cancer, and after a long and tireless life in the service of His Lord Jesus Christ, and His Blessed Mother.

Many of us - grandparents, parents, young adults, and children - have been educated, formed and inspired by this valiant son of The Church who fearlessly defended the Truths of Christ made known to us through the Magisterium of the Catholic Church which he loved so ardently.

Having written some fifty books on the Catholic Faith under the patronage of Our Lady of Fatima to whom he always had recourse in his teaching, Father Fox was the founder of the Fatima Family Apostolate International, for the sanctification of families and individuals; an apostolate that he was encouraged to found some 25 years ago by Cardinal Gagnon, then Prefect for the Congregation for the Family. To that end Father wrote books, and produced audio and video cassettes as tools for families. For some twenty years he would take youth on two fortnightly summer pilgrimages to Fatima - for 2

weeks he would take male youth, then for a further 2 weeks he would take female youth. Over the course of these pilgrimages, many holy vocations to the Priestly and Religious Life eventuated, as well as many holy Marriages.

Father was a favourite presenter on the Global Catholic Television Network, EWTN, founded by Mother Angelica of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration. Here Father Fox offered Mass daily at the Shrine of The Most Blessed Sacrament during the last seven years until incapacitated recently by cancer.

He contributed many articles to leading Catholic papers in USA. His magazine, The Immaculate Heart Messenger which he began 25 years ago and being the vehicle of communication between FFA members, has a world wide circulation, including Australia. He was invited to speak in several capital cities here in Australia in 1996 and again in 2001.

The message of Our Lady of Fatima was fundamental to Father Fox's untiring catechesis. He constantly reiterated what successive Popes stated: "Fatima is a reaffirmation of the Gospel." On September 21, 1998, Father was able to take to the Carmelite Monastery in Coimbra, Portugal a special 4’2” statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary destined for the first Shrine to Our Lady of Fatima in Russia which was dedicated in St. Petersburg.
 

 Our Lady of Fatima.

With all who knew him, with all who attribute their faith formation and education to him, with all who have aspired to holiness through his encouragement, in this Year of the Priest we now pray through the intercession of the Blessed Mother Whom he loved so well:

O Immaculate Conception, Pure radiance of Purity, Mother of unutterable Splendour, take this faithful son of Yours and our brother, Father Robert Fox.

Present him to Your Beloved Son Whom we beseech to give him the reward for which he so tirelessly laboured. Let him hear those indelible words,

"Come, O blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

FFA

Australia

 

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. 

Amen.

New Priests in Focus for the Week

Every Thursday we change the three priests names for the Weekly Priests in Focus. (We have now changed to add three priests per week.)

We are encouraging ladies to offer an Ave for the priests mentioned when visiting our site (You will see the above widget in the top righthand sidebar under our header) and also may wish to off an Ave for these priests any other time in the week that you may remember.

Of course you may also want to offer more than the Ave's, you may want to offer other prayers and sacrifices during the week for these particular priests, whatever you feel called to do, is a blessing.

This week's priests are:

Fr Hunter, Fr Placido Rebelo, Fr Luis Mellado

A list of the priests we have prayed for individually here are in the right hand sidebar down the bottom.

If you have any priests you wish to nominate to be added to the Priests in Focus please email us and we would more than happy to add that priest to our list.

Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles, bless us with holy, courageous priests!

New Seminarians in the Spotlight

Dear ladies, I will be changing the names of the seminarians in our Seminarian Spotlight every Monday after the first Sunday. Allowing posts for the First Thursday new Priests in Focus & the First Sundays posts to be seen and reflected on by SM viewers.

We will be leaving the new names up for one month in the hope that many prayers will be offered up for each of the men mentioned. Here is our new list shown in the top left side bar.

Daniel who is descerning a vocation to the priesthood.

Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Winona, Minnesota.

Seminarians from the diocese of St Paul – Minneapolis.

Peter Boutros

Jack Kazzi

Deacon Justin Darlow, to be ordained to the Diocesan Priesthood on the feast of The Immaculate Conception, Dec 8, 09.

Also, on the same day, Deacon Michael Grace will be ordained for the Diocese of Brisbane.

Br Paul Rowse to the Deaconate.

Matthew Kissig Borromeo Seminary in the Diocese of Cleveland.

Please pray a Glory Be for these young men, who are on their journey toward the greatest call of all, the priesthood.

 The Young men from the Diocese of St Paul & Minneapolis

From Pope Benedict’s address to Seminarians during his six-day trip to the US in 2008:

"The People of God look to you to be holy priests, on a daily journey of conversion, inspiring in others the desire to enter more deeply into the ecclesial life of believers.


I urge you to deepen your friendship with Jesus the Good Shepherd. Talk heart to heart with him. Reject any temptation to ostentation, careerism, or conceit. Strive for a pattern of life truly marked by charity, chastity and humility, in imitation of Christ, the Eternal High Priest, of whom you are to become living icons.


Dear seminarians, I pray for you daily. Remember that what counts before the Lord is to dwell in his love and to make his love shine forth for others".


In this address from Pope Benedict XVI, he mentions the qualities he sees as imperative to a seminarians spiritual and temporal life, for example; a daily journey of conversion, to strive for a pattern of life truly marked by charity, chastity and humility, in imitation of Christ, the Eternal High Priest, of whom you are to become living icons, etc, etc.
This gives us, Spiritual Mothers, a wonderful guide when offering our prayer intentions for seminarians - and priests. No one could have said it better, concise yet profound and beautiful. Let us pray for our Holy Father as well, as he continues to guide us forward in the true Church.

New Priests in Focus for the Week

Every Thursday we change the three priests names for the Weekly Priests in Focus. (We have now changed to add three priests per week.)

We are encouraging ladies to offer an Ave for the priests mentioned when visiting our site (You will see the above widget in the top righthand sidebar under our header) and also may wish to off an Ave for these priests any other time in the week that you may remember.

Of course you may also want to offer more than the Ave's, you may want to offer other prayers and sacrifices during the week for these particular priests, whatever you feel called to do, is a blessing.

This week's priests are:

Fr Joseph de Water, Fr D Popplewell FSSP, Fr M Rehak FSSP

A list of the priests we have prayed for individually here are in the right hand sidebar down the bottom.

If you have any priests you wish to nominate to be added to the Priests in Focus please email us and we would more than happy to add that priest to our list.

Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles, bless us with holy, courageous priests!

Fr Casey tells us straight.

Fr Casey isn't known for his gently, gently attitude to living out our duties as Catholics. He says it like it is, with passion, zeal and fearlessness.
Here he hits hard on the realities of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. He gives it to us straight why there may be a shortage in vocations to the priesthood, and how we as Catholics can assist in bringing forth vocations through a change in our demeanour when visiting Our Lords Holy House.

New Priests in Focus for the Week

Every Thursday we change the three priests names for the Weekly Priests in Focus. (We have now changed to add three priests per week.)

We are encouraging ladies to offer an Ave for the priests mentioned when visiting our site (You will see the above widget in the top righthand sidebar under our header) and also may wish to off an Ave for these priests any other time in the week that you may remember.

Of course you may also want to offer more than the Ave's, you may want to offer other prayers and sacrifices during the week for these particular priests, whatever you feel called to do, is a blessing.

This week's priests are:

Fr Stephen Bohan, Mon John White, Fr Frank Hart

A list of the priests we have prayed for individually here are in the right hand sidebar down the bottom.

If you have any priests you wish to nominate to be added to the Priests in Focus please email us and we would more than happy to add that priest to our list.

Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles, bless us with holy, courageous priests!

New Priests in Focus for the Week

Every Thursday we change the three priests names for the Weekly Priests in Focus. (We have now changed to add three priests per week.)

We are encouraging ladies to offer an Ave for the priests mentioned when visiting our site (You will see the above widget in the top righthand sidebar under our header) and also may wish to off an Ave for these priests any other time in the week that you may remember.

Of course you may also want to offer more than the Ave's, you may want to offer other prayers and sacrifices during the week for these particular priests, whatever you feel called to do, is a blessing.

This week's priests are:

Fr Michael Mc Mahon, Fr Zigrang, Fr Post

A list of the priests we have prayed for individually here are in the right hand sidebar down the bottom.

If you have any priests you wish to nominate to be added to the Priests in Focus please email us and we would more than happy to add that priest to our list.

Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles, bless us with holy, courageous priests!

Father Benedict Groeschel CFR 50th Anniversary video - Grassrooots films.

Fr Benedict Groeschel on Eucharistic Adoration: "Silence, reverence, gratitude, loving devotion can flood the soul if one is blessed to do this for an hour."

One of the commitments of the Spiritual Motherhood for Priests devotion is to offer one hour a month in Eucharistic Adoration for priests. This is just a suggestion for those ladies who already practice this devotion and any others who would like too; this month could you spare a prayer and moment with our Lord for Fr Groeschel (and the order he founded the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal; CFR'S) he has given Our Lord and His Church so much and been a tireless Shepard to His flock. Fr Groeschel who by the way took his name not from the famous St Benedict but from St Benedict Labre a homeless man in Italy that couldn't get accepted into any religious order and died on the steps of the church destitute. St Benedict Labre's influence certainly has been profound in Father’s, mission wouldn’t you say!

Happy Anniversary Fr Groeschel.

A Possible Call!! Lets pray for more vocations

With our new initiative Seminarian Spotlight we will be highlighting many different resources to encourage, inspire and inform about priestly vocations.

Learn to Discern!



Here is a noteworthy article recommending some do's and dont's when someone around you is discerning a vocation. It offers some interesting tips to encourage and support any young man in this process.

The Life!

"It was not you who chose Me, but I who

chose you"

(John 15:16)."

Fulfillment!!

Let us pray for many young men to open their hearts to the Call of a priestly vocation, to trust in the will of God in their lives, to take courage and be generous.

Family Prayer for Vocations

O Divine Jesus, Who has taught us to pray to the Lord of the harvest that He send forth laborers into His harvest, be pleased to raise up many holy Priests and religious to work according to the intentions of Your Heart and to procure by their ministry the salvation of souls and the glory of Your Father. And if it should please You, O Lord to choose one such from our family kneeling before you at this moment, we thank You with all of our hearts on this earth and for all eternity.
Amen.
Mary, Mother of Vocations.
Pray for us.

A Prayer for Priests.

This prayer was shared with us on our Spiritual Motherhood For Priests Facebook Group page. It is a lovely prayer that covers perfectly the wide spectrum of situations and stages our priests may experience through out there priestly ministry. It reminds us of all the potential ways in which we can offer prayers especially for the priests who have touched our own lives.
Dear Lord protect your Priests:

O Almighty, Eternal God, look upon the Face of Your Son and for love of Him, who is the Eternal High Priest, have pity on Your priests. Remember, O most compassionate God, that they are but weak and frail human beings. Stir up in them the grace of their vocation which is in them by the imposition of the bishop's hands. Keep them close to You, lest the enemy prevail against them, so that they may never do anything in the slightest degree unworthy of their sublime vocation.

O Jesus, I pray for Your faithful and fervent priests, for Your unfaithful and tepid priests; for Your priests labouring at home or abroad in distant mission fields; for Your tempted priests; for Your lonely and desolate priests; for Your young priests; for Your dying priests; for the souls of Your priests in Purgatory.

But above all I recommend to You the priests dearest to me: the priest who baptised me; the priest who absolved me from my sins; the priest at whose Masses I assisted and who gave me Your Body and Blood in Holy Communion; the priests who taught and instructed me; all the priests to whom I am indebted in any other way. Jesus, keep them all close to Your heart, and bless them abundantly in time and in eternity. Amen.

-written by Cardinal Richard Cushing, (1895-1970), Archbishop of Boston

New Priests in Focus for the Week

I apologise for there being no 'Priests in Focus' last week, as the Seminarian Spotlight was launched on the Thursday for the feast of St Charles Borromeo.

Every Thursday we change the three priests names for the Weekly Priests in Focus. (We have now changed to add three priests per week.)

We are encouraging ladies to offer an Ave for the priests mentioned when visiting our site (You will see the above widget in the top righthand sidebar under our header) and also may wish to off an Ave for these priests any other time in the week that you may remember.

Of course you may also want to offer more than the Ave's, you may want to offer other prayers and sacrifices during the week for these particular priests, whatever you feel called to do, is a blessing.

This week's priests are:

Fr Bernard McGrath, Fr Peter Ferwerda and Fr Pat Stratford

A list of the priests we have prayed for individually here are in the right hand sidebar down the bottom.

If you have any priests you wish to nominate to be added to the Priests in Focus please email us and we would more than happy to add that priest to our list.

Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles, bless us with holy, courageous priests!

New Seminarian Spotlight Launch Celebrating St Charles Borromeo Patron of Seminarians.

As today is the feast day of St Charles Borromeo we thought it would be a very timely opportunity to launch our new part of the blog

Our Seminarian Spotlight.

St Charles Borromeo (1538-1584) is called Father of the clergy – he is the Patron of many things one being Patron of Seminarians: This link takes you to is an interesting article that offers more insight into St Charles's self sacrifice and immovable strength when it came to the correct moral decision he had to make in Church matters, he accomplished much during the Council of Trent!

As spiritual mothers we also have a necessary requirement to pray for our young men who have offered their lives to Christ in the fullest way; to give themselves wholly to his spouse the Church as their spouse.

We have been contacted by seminarians from all over the world asking for prayers for their formation, their studies, their continual discernment and their future priestly ministries. We now have a place where we can share our support for them by offering prayers, links, stories, hopefully requests from seminarians for specific prayer intentions and much more.

We unfortunately have to limit each person to three or four prayer requests for specific seminarians. If you would like to be more general and offer a seminary or a link to the seminary where the person you want to pray for is studying then that may be more helpful and we can spread our prayers further. Contact us and we will add them to our Seminarian Spotlight or Seminarian links Email us here.

We will offer links to interesting sites and blogs dedicated to our priests in formation, we will add interesting stories of seminaries and maybe a few special guest writers here on the blog sharing their stories or adding advice and inspiration for young seminarians and us all. We’ll keep you posted on this exciting new initiative with a regular reminder post.

"If we wish to make any progress in the service of God we must begin every day of our life with new eagerness. We must keep ourselves in the presence of God as much as possible and have no other view or end in all our actions but the divine honour."

St Charles Borromeo

offers some wise and beautiful words to Seminarians and Priests:

"My brothers, you must realize that for us churchmen nothing is more necessary than meditation. We must meditate before, during and after everything we do. The prophet says: I will pray, and then I will understand. When you administer the sacraments, meditate on what you are doing. When you celebrate Mass, reflect on the sacrifice you are offering. When you pray the Office, think about the words you are saying and the Lord to whom you are speaking. When you take care of your people, meditate on the Lord's blood that has washed them clean. In this way, all you do becomes a work of love. This is the way we can easily overcome the countless difficulties we have to face day after day, which, after all, are part of our work: in meditation we find the strength to bring Christ to birth in ourselves and in other men." (Office of Readings, November 4)

The Holy Father Speaks:

Here is an interesting and insightful article for seminarians posing some fascinating questions to Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI on formation; his own path during his seminary life, seminarians close to ordination, the temptation to careerism and more. Worth a read!

Part One
Part Two

Venerable Pope Pius XII To Seminarians:

On the 24Th of June, 1939, His Holiness Pius XII delivered the following speech from a balcony of the Vatican, to the assembled students of seminaries, colleges, and institutes of both the secular and regular clergy of all nationalities, who are being trained for the priesthood in the Eternal City.

Here are some excerpts from that speech:

"You are the light of the world," said Christ to the Apostles (Matt. V, 14). Light enlightens; the sun gives warmth. Behold your destiny, the purpose assigned to the Catholic priesthood to be the supernatural sun to enlighten the minds of men with the truth of Christ, to inflame their hearts with the love of Christ. And to this same destiny and assigned purpose the preparation and training for the priesthood must also correspond.

If you are to be the light of truth, which comes from Christ, you must yourselves be first illumined with that truth. It is for this that you are devoting yourselves to sacred studies. If you would enkindle men's souls with the charity of Christ, you must first glow with that same charity yourselves; this is the purpose of your religious and ascetical training.

We thoroughly approve and recommend that the ancient wisdom be brought into accord, if need be, with the new discoveries of scholarship; that there be free discussion of points on which reputable students of the Angelic Doctor commonly argue; that fresh resources be drawn from history for the better understanding of the text of Saint Thomas. Let no private person "set himself up as teacher in the Church" (Benedict XV, AAS 6-576); nor let anyone "require of others more than is required of all by the Church herself who is the teacher and mother of all" (Pius XI, quoted in CANON LAW DIGEST, Vol. 1, P. 669; AAS 15-309); finally, let there be no encouragement of useless dissensions.

But, that your education may be abundantly fruitful, it is necessary, dear young men, and We earnestly exhort you to this, that the knowledge which you draw from your courses be not directed merely to the passing of examinations, but that it leave a permanent stamp upon your minds never to be effaced, which will enable you, when the need arises, to express in speech or writing whatever serves to propagate Catholic truth and to bring men to Christ.

The priestly office demands of you, We may say, extraordinary sacrifices, among them that central and complete sacrifice of self to the service of Christ by celibacy. If any find themselves unable to keep that obligation, We beg them to withdraw from the seminary and go elsewhere, where they may live a good and useful life, whereas in the priesthood they would be in danger of losing their souls and of bringing discredit upon the Church.

As for those who have already entered or are about to enter the priestly state, We exhort them to make their consecration complete and generous. Take care that you be not surpassed in generosity by countless laymen who in these days patiently bear all sorts of hardships for the glory of God and the faith of Christ; in this combat you must show them the way by your example; by your labours and devotion you must win for them and for all men divine grace in life and in death.

Your priestly apostolate enlightened with divine truth and fired with the love of Christ, in the midst of the cruel upheavals of a world which is a stranger to truth and love in the midst of difficulties and hardships-which are, as it were the privileges of all who labour in the apostolate, accompanying them everywhere as by a kind of natural necessity-will bear abundant fruit for the salvation of souls; and it will also, with God's grace, bring that happy consolation with which the holy Apostle of the Gentiles was filled when he exclaimed: "By Christ cloth our comfort abound" (11 Cor. 1, 5).

God alone knows the ways by which His divine Providence shall lead each one of you, the ups and downs of your lives, the sufferings that await you in rocky and thorny paths. But there is one definite certainty crowning the life of every priest imbued with the truth and love of Christ-hope in Him "who hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Col. XV, 57).

In whom then should this certainty of supernatural victory be more deeply rooted than in you, who at the tombs of the Apostles and the catacombs of the martyrs have imbibed the spirit which has renewed the human race and which even now reminds us that the promises of Jesus Christ are still valid? To you therefore, beloved sons, We earnestly repeat what Saint Paul in his joy and confidence of the fruit of his apostolate exclaims:

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast and unmovable; always abounding in the work of the Lord".

Prayers for Seminarians

Daily Prayer for a Seminarian
Until his Ordination to the Priesthood

O Jesus, Eternal High Priest,

I offer You through Your Immaculate Mother Mary,

Your own Precious Blood, in all the Masses throughout the world, as petition for graces for all seminarians, Your future priests, especially for............

Give them humility, meekness, prudence, and a burning zeal for soul. Fill their hearts with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Teach them to know and love the church, that they may always and everywhere speak, act, and think with her, the glorious spouse of Christ.

Teach them generosity and detachment from worldly goods; but above all, teach them to know You and to love the One and Only Eternal Priest. good Shepherd of Souls, hear this my prayer for saintly priests.

Amen.

Prayer for a Seminarian

God our Father, You have chosen Your Son, Jesus Christ, to reveal Yourself to us. You
have chosen Your Church to show us Your love through Him.

You have chosen ___________, your son, to be a priest as a sign of that love to Your people.

We pray that the Holy Spirit continue to fill him with Your peace and joy as he prepares for the holy priesthood.

We pray that through his priesthood he may proclaim the wonder of Your faithfulness and love to all through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Amen.

Prayer for Vocations of Pope John Paul II

Lord Jesus, as You once called the first disciples to make them fishers of men, let your sweet invitation continue to resound: Come, follow Me!

Give young men the grace of responding quickly to Your voice. Support your bishops, priests and consecrated people in their apostolic labour.

Grant perseverance to our seminarians and to all those who are carrying out the ideal of a life totally consecrated to Your service.

Awaken in our community a missionary eagerness. Lord, send workers to your harvest and do not allow humanity to be lost for the lack of pastors, missionaries and people dedicated to the cause of the Gospel.

Mary, Mother of the Church, the model of every vocation, help us to say "yes" to the Lord Who calls us to cooperate in the divine plan of salvation.

Amen.

"If you are to be the light of truth, which comes from Christ,

you must yourselves be first illumined with that truth"

Pope Pius XII

Click over here for the First Thursday reminder and the indulgences connected to this day in the Year of the Priest.

Reminder: First Sunday Mass for Vocations from Our Own Families

We would like to encourage all women who are praying for priests through the Spiritual Motherhood for Priests devotion to offer their Holy Communion and Mass on the First Sunday’s of the Month in honour of vocations to the priesthood from our own families.

Today’s technology offers us a unique opportunity to unite our prayers together in a tangible way for vocations. Through the convenience of the internet we can take action through prayer asking Our Lord to listen to this straightforward and simple prayer. One that he heard over one hundred years ago from the faithful mother’s who lived in the remote Italian village of Lu.

Prayer of the Mothers of Lu:

"O God, grant that one of my sons may become a priest! I myself want to live as a good Christian and want to guide my children always to do what is right, so that I may receive the grace, o God, to be allowed to give you a holy priest! Amen."

These women were a particular inspiration to us to start this blog, they offered:

*One visit a month to the Blessed Sacrament

*They united this prayer intention for vocations at Mass on the first Sunday of the month for vocations from their own families.

Their humble simplicity and fidelity to this prayer paid off in a very substantial and fruitful way. Their prayers rose up 323 priests and religious, including one blessed of the Church and an Archbishop.

* For those ladies who do not have any children, praying specifically for young relatives or for vocations from your parish or diocese would be very fitting.

Through the trusting prayer of these mothers and the openness of the other parents, "an atmosphere of deep joy and Christian piety developed in the families, making it much easier for the children to recognize their vocations."
They were not just physical mothers to there children, they were spiritual mothers to there children. They took their stewardship one step further by offering their children back to God not once but over and over, with confidence that He would do something beautiful with them for Himself.

The most generous act we can offer Our Lord is to offer our children back to Him. To be His and His alone. They are the most precious things to us and also the most precious things to Him as

Blessed Philip Rinaldi a son from the village of Lu says, "A faith that made our fathers and our mothers say; The Lord gave us our children, and so if He calls them, we can’t say no."

Here we can be a virtual village of Lu and pick up where these holy woman left off, praying that we may do great things as they did from this small village not so long ago.

"We look forward to praying with you all."

Our new Priests in Focus for the week

Every Thursday we change the three priests names for the Weekly Priests in Focus. (We have now changed to add three priests per week.)

We are encouraging ladies to offer an Ave for the priests mentioned when visiting our site (You will see the above widget in the top righthand sidebar under our header) and also may wish to off an Ave for these priests any other time in the week that you may remember.

Of course you may also want to offer more than the Ave's, you may want to offer other prayers and sacrifices during the week for these particular priests, whatever you feel called to do, is a blessing.

This week's priests are:

Fr Frank Kurtz, Fr Linus Clovis and Fr Michael Rego

A list of the priests we have prayed for individually here are in the right hand sidebar down the bottom.

If you have any priests you wish to nominate to be added to the Priests in Focus please email us and we would more than happy to add that priest to our list.

Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles, bless us with holy, courageous priests!

Priesthood Sunday in the USA

Just a reminder to the ladies in the US that the last Sunday in October is Priesthood Sunday.

So what is Priesthood Sunday?

"Priesthood Sunday, the thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time, is a special day set aside to honor the priesthood in the United States. It is a day to reflect upon and affirm the role of the priesthood in the life of the Church as a central one.

In the wake of the clergy sex abuse scandal, there has been concern that the image of all priests has been tainted by the actions of a few. Priesthood Sunday sends a message to all that the sins of a few do not reflect the innocent majority, and that the parish priest, as the instrument of Christ's ministry on earth, is loved and respected by those in the parish community.

This nationwide event is coordinated by the USA Council of Serra International. It is sponsored by the USA Council of Serra International and the Serra International Foundation. "

HT: Priest Sunday

What happens on Priesthood Sunday?

"The lay faithful of all parishes in the country develop their own special way of marking the day and honoring their parish priests both at Mass and other parish events, such as social celebrations and school activities.

Priesthood Sunday was designed to be an event led by the laity, but your parish priest can participate by talking about how he experienced and answered his own calling, the need for vocations to keep the priesthood vital, and about priests who have inspired him.

Priesthood Sunday will also offer an opportunity for priests and their parishioners to build a stronger working relationship for the future. Together, they can dialogue to take an honest look at the challenges of the future and how they can collaborate to meet those challenges as a united force. "

HT: Priest Sunday

This is a beautiful Church initiative. Think about it, we have Mothers Day, we have Fathers Day, to show our appreciation to those gave us life and love. Priests are our fathers also, our fathers in faith and they give us life and love through the sacraments of the Church, there is no deeper reality.

Here is what one Bishop had to say:

"Please join me on this special day, Priesthood Sunday, in praying for our priests, in praising God for their courage and their generosity. As your bishop I urge you to make your appreciation for your parish priest known. A simple note, a smile or a phone call to assure him of your loving care and gratitude for his presence in the life of your local church will go a long way to serve the greater good of our wonderful and growing Catholic Church."

-Bishop Joseph Gossman, Diocese of Raleigh

Here are some tips on how to celebrate this day and show your appreciation for your parish priest or local priests over at the Houston Vocations website.

Our new Priests in Focus for the week

Every Thursday we change the three priests names for the Weekly Priests in Focus. (We have now changed to add three priests per week.)

We are encouraging ladies to offer an Ave for the priests mentioned when visiting our site (You will see the above widget in the top righthand sidebar under our header) and also may wish to off an Ave for these priests any other time in the week that you may remember.

Of course you may also want to offer more than the Ave's, you may want to offer other prayers and sacrifices during the week for these particular priests, whatever you feel called to do, is a blessing.

This week's priests are:

Fr Michael Smyth, Fr Charlie Zabler and Fr Don Hying

A list of the priests we have prayed for individually here are in the right hand sidebar down the bottom.

If you have any priests you wish to nominate to be added to the Priests in Focus please email us and we would more than happy to add that priest to our list.

Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles, bless us with holy, courageous priests!

St Teresa of Avila and the Carmel commitment to Priests

St Teresa of Avila

Today is the feast of St Teresa of Avila, a great Carmelite reformer and doctor of the Church.

Often when I think of priests, I remember that they are 'Alter Christi' ~ another Christ. So when I reflect upon the words of St Teresa below, I think of the work of holy priests in particular:

"Christ has no body now, but yours.

No hands, no feet on earth, but yours.

Yours are the eyes through which

Christ looks compassion into the world.

Yours are the feet

with which Christ walks to do good.

Yours are the hands

with which Christ blesses the world."

~ St Teresa of Avila

The Carmelite Nuns of Haifa

The Carmelite community of Haifa is renewing its commitment to priests:

"to offer our humble supplication that you may be holy."

The cloistered religious have made this renewal in a letter marking the Year for Priests, under way through next June.The letter is directed to priests around the world. HT: Zenit

Icon of 'St Teresa de Jesus'

Here is the letter to priests that the Carmelite nuns of Haifa have written and published on their website, The Carmelites of the Holy Land:

"It is with immense joy and gratitude that we address all our brother priests. In you, dear brothers, we recognize the "other Christ", and we greet you with affection in our Lord. Peace be with you!

In our vocation as Carmelite Nuns, daughters of our Mother Saint Teresa of Avila , our essential mission is prayer; especially prayer for the holiness of priests. Therefore, the invitation of our Holy Father to place your ministry, during this year, at the centre of our concern, challenges us deeply.

For four centuries Teresa's voice never ceases to invite us to: " ... be occupied in prayer for those who are defenders of the Church and for preachers and learned men who protect her from attack ... " (Way of Perfection 1:2)

We are aware of the challenges you have in fully living out your vocation in today's society; being in the world but not of the world, as Saint John states. Ecclesial circumstances have changed much due to the accelerated pace of time but your call remains unchanged: " You are a priest … and forever... " (Heb 5.6) Today, we renew our commitment to offer our humble supplication that you may be holy.

Dear priests, you accompany a person throughout his life from his birth till he enters the warm embrace of our Father. You are there everyday, offering us the Eucharist and explaining to us the Scriptures. You are Ministers of God's Mercy. You are fathers and brothers to us. You show us the blank page in which God writes our history. You are the sentry who watches over us while we await dawn after the dark of the night, while we search for the spring of fresh water in the desert...

You are present when we make our Consecration in the Church, offering our lives to the One and Triune God...

Dear brothers, we find no words that can truly express our gratitude to each one of you.

Any one of us can give countless testimonies of the invaluable gift of yourselves: to serve the people of God, to care for the sheep trusted to you, with the wise guidance of a father and the tenderness of a mother. You are the "Good Shepherd" who is not afraid to leave the ninety-nine sheep to go in search of the one that was lost...

Only in heaven shall we know the wonder of ecclesial communion; where now we have only a glimpse of its amazing reality.

To you dear brothers, who are the living memorial of Christ and totally identified with Him, how can we not express our gratitude when every morning, in the Eucharist, you give us a foretaste of the joy of heaven, a foretaste of our homeland that does not belong to this world.

To each one of you: elder priests rich in years and experience, young priests beginning your ministry, those who are in the prime of your life, or enduring sickness. Priests afflicted by trials and persecutions, priest workers, and all of you who share the lives of the poor, the favored ones of the Lord.

Priests who are educators and those who promote and discern vocations; priests whose deeds are visible only to the eyes of God who sees in secret; priests who are monks sharing with us the same contemplative vocation.To each and every one of you, we say with simplicity of heart:you can count on the silent prayer and the hidden offering of your sisters!"

Carmelite Nuns of the Holy Land .

NB: There are four Carmelite monasteries in the Holy Land: Jerusalem , Bethlehem , Nazareth and Mount Carmel . The sisters come from 24 nations and four continents: Europe, Asia, Africa and America .

Our new Priests in Focus for the week

Every Thursday we change the three priests names for the Weekly Priests in Focus. (We have now changed to add three priests per week.)

We are encouraging ladies to offer an Ave for the priests mentioned when visiting our site (You will see the above widget in the top righthand sidebar under our header) and also may wish to off an Ave for these priests any other time in the week that you may remember.

Of course you may also want to offer more than the Ave's, you may want to offer other prayers and sacrifices during the week for these particular priests, whatever you feel called to do, is a blessing.

This week's priests are:

Fr Brady, Fr M Withoos and Fr Andrew

A list of the priests we have prayed for individually here are in the right hand sidebar down the bottom.

If you have any priests you wish to nominate to be added to the Priests in Focus please email us and we would more than happy to add that priest to our list.

Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles, bless us with holy, courageous priests!

The Litany for All Priests

Image HT

Today I received in the mail the newsletter of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Hanceville, Alabama. Inspired as always upon reading, I found this particular gem, a litany for priests:

Let us pray for the Holy Father,

Cardinals, Archbishops, and Bishops,

Diocesan priests,

Priests in seminary work,

Priests in hospital work,

Priests who are ill,

Priests in danger,

Priests who are weak,

Priests who are poor,

Priests who are zealous,

Priests who want to love you,

Priests who are sad,

Priests who are worried,

Priests who are old,

Priests who are young,

Priests who are alone,

Missionary priests,

Priest who are preachers,

Priests who direct souls,

Parish priests,

Religious priests,

Priests and religious who have died,

Of all the Church, militant and suffering,

For all priests,

Give them respect for their dignity.

Give them a great love for Mary.

Give them rectitude and justice.

Give them the gift of counsel.

Fill him with your graces, Lord

Give them Your gifts, Lord

Never leave them, Lord

Give them Your wisdom, Lord

Give them constancy, Lord

Heal them, Lord

Deliver them, Lord

Strengthen them, Lord

Relieve them, Lord

Help them, Lord

Enkindle their hearts, Lord

Console them, Lord

Give them peace, Lord

Sustain them, Lord

Impel them for Your glory, Lord

Accompany them, Lord

Protect them, Lord

Enlighten them, Lord

Instruct them, Lord

Give them prudence, Lord

Make them perfect, Lord

Bring them to glory, Lord

Lord, have mercy

For all Priests,

Give them peace in their sufferings.

Give them humility and generosity.

Let them be the light of souls.

Let them be the salt of the earth.

Let them practice sacrifice and self-denial.

Let them enkindle hearts with love of Mary.

Let them be other Christs.

Let them be holy in body and soul.

May they be men of prayer.

May faith shine forth in them.

May they be concerned only for the salvation of souls.

May they be faithful to their priestly vocation.

May their hands know only how to bless.

May they burn with love for you and for Mary.

May all their steps be for the glory of God.

May the Holy Spirit possess them, and give them His gifts and fruits in abundance.

Let us pray:

O God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. You are the soul and life of the Church. Hear the prayers we offer for priests. We ask this through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, their protector and guide. Amen.