Priests in Focus for this 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 Michael McCarthy, Fr Peter McCarthy, Fr Peter McCartin

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!

Blessed Alessandrina Da Costa (1904-1955)

This story is from the booklet, Adoration, Reparation, Spiritual Motherhood for Priests. An inspiring story of spiritual motherhood in the vocation of the single life:

A story from the life of Alexandrina da Costa, beatified on 25 April 2004, reveals the transforming power and visible effects of the sacrifice made by a sick and forgotten girl.

In 1941, Alexandrina wrote to her spiritual director, Fr. Mariano Pinho, telling him that Jesus told her,

"My daughter, a priest living in Lisbon is close to being lost forever; he offends me terribly. Call your spiritual director and ask his permission that I may have you suffer in a special way for this soul."

Blessed Alessandrina's spiritual director, Fr Mariano Pinho SJ

Once Alexandrina had received permission from her spiritual director, she suffered greatly. She felt the severity of the priest's errors, how he wanted to know nothing about God and was close to self-damnation. She even heard the priest's full name. Poor Alexandrina experienced the hellish state of this priest's soul and prayed urgently,

"Not to hell, no! I offer myself as a sacrifice for him, as long as you want."

Alexandrina in her sick bed

Fr Pinho inquired of the Cardinal of Lisbon whether one of the priests of his diocese was of particular concern. The Cardinal openly confirmed that he was, in fact, very worried about one of his priests, and when he mentioned the name of the priest, it was the same one that Jesus had spoken to Alexandrina.

Some months later, a friend of Fr. Pinho, Fr. David Novais, recounted to him an unusual incident. Fr. David had just held a retreat in Fatima where attended a modest gentleman whose exemplary behaviour made him pleasantly attractive to all the participants.

On the last night of the retreat, this man suddenly had a heart attack. He asked to see a priest, to whom he confessed and received Holy Communion. Shortly thereafter he died, fully reconciled with God. It turned out that this man was actually a priest - the very priest for whom Alexandrina had suffered so greatly.

To read more about the life of Blessed Alexandrina, there is a Tan publication written by Francis Johnston:

Alexandrina: The Agony and the Glory

Priests in Focus for this week

I would like to apologise for the general quietness at Spiritual Motherhood for Priests.

Zeliemum has placed a few important posts up, asking for prayers for particular bishops and priests during a very busy period for her personally with her big family.

Unfortunately I had let go the Priests in Focus due to a long period of ill health, among many other things.

Things are finally settling for the two of us and we will be resuming our weekly Thursday posting, "Priests in Focus" where we share the name of three priests and ask for prayers for them to strengthen them in their holy vocation.

We also hope to resume a weekly or fortnightly posting of one or two seminarians, asking for prayers for Gods Will in regard to their vocation and that they always be faithful to God's Will. This we hope do this on Tuesdays.

We will resume our first Sunday of the month posting, sharing the Mother's of Lu prayer, praying for priests within our family, or for those who have no children, praying for vocations within their diocese.

If there is any lady who would like to have their name added to our adoration list (an hour's adoration for priests a month) please email us.

We have many wonderful stories, prayers and ideas to share in this new year, I hope you enjoy them and join with us in praying for the holy priesthood.

~oOo~

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 Steve Hartley, Fr Tom Euteneuer, Fr N Maurice

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!