Last day for labs, moving forward and ravioli

Today is the last day for my hormonal labs. Yeah. I need to make a follow up appointment for the labs and hope to move on and get serious about treatment. I'm on CD 32 with whacked symptoms. We shall see. Last month was 26 days, the two prior were 40 days. So, I hope we can make sense of this.
This weekend, we have our bi-annual Italian Dinner with ravioli and spaghetti. This takes place at Sacred Heart in Camp Washington(off I75) near Cincinnati. (October, 18th which is Sunday) Dinners start at noon and go until they run out of food. Cost is $5 kids and $10 adult and you receive A LOT of food.
On another note, we are becoming frustrated with changes at the church which I, for one, didn't see coming. They took ALL the votive candles out of our church and replaced them with electric. Needless to say, we have to light candles at other parishes now because I refuse to flick a switch for my offering(call me sentimental or nit-picky, I don't care). There is also a crazy hunt for "readers" for the English Mass and they must be having a hard time because it's in the bulletin every week. Weird. This was a very traditional parish. Other than those items, our Mass and loyal attendees remains the same(thank God). My prayer is that we some day have a well supported traditional parish in either Northern Kentucky or Cincinnati. No idea how long that might take. It needs to be financially sound and supported for sure. The SSPX church in Walton is much closer to completion so I hope we keep people in the Catholic fold. The only way this will happen is by providing a secure parish/home for traditionalists.

Traditional Mass Schedule in Covington Diocese

I post this to help locals and those in town for Christmas. All Saints in Walton, KY will have an EF Mass Christmas morning at 9:15 am. There will also be an EF on January 1st at 9:15 as well as January 3(first Saturday) at the same time. Have a blessed and holy Christmas!

Without a home again.

We are AGAIN without a parish. I truly did not see this happening to us again. I choose to not go into all the details but it was not the fault of our priest, he was very supportive. I was in a foul mood most of the day yesterday and it has carried over another day. Father Fitzgerald, whom I greatly respect, told us over a year ago that our diocese could only support one Traditional Mass. That was not followed and now we are without a parish, again(the last EF Mass will be the Sunday before Thanksgiving). This has come as bad news for us as we were the only family who have our children in the school there. We have no idea what we will do, my kids are devastated. I wouldn't have brought any of this up but I do need prayers for our family as we do need a parish home quickly. My youngest has no where to make her first communion this year(and she knows it). It is also hard to find a school that will accept our boys with Asperger's. So please pray that we will find a parish, even if it is temporary. The ugly head of the legacy of Bishop Hughes has influenced my life once again. Maybe it will never go away and maybe we need to pray that we find a diocese/home that isn't so screwed up. I'm just tired from it all. So if you can, I know the election is tomorrow, but pray we find somewhere. Lord, help us in our time of need and be near us.

Planning a route

We are taking a get-away over the kids break in two weeks. What started as an inexpensive excursion has snowballed. Not to be pricey but it is in the Tennessee mountains and we have to pray Mass somewhere. There is only one Catholic Church in the area and if Florida was any indicator, it probably has the tourists(recall the bathing suits at Mass post). As of right now, our safest bet seems to be stopping in Lexington, KY on the way home for the 4 pm Mass. I am grateful to the sites that post Mass times and specifically the times and locations of the growing Latin Mass community. It is one less thing I have to fret over when we leave town. Did I mention we have to listen to a timeshare spiel? I did say it was cheap, right? I will have to report back so you can have the full experience along with us. My kids love stuff like this and doing it on a budget makes it all the better.

EF Mass for Christmas, St. Bernard Church

For the locals, or those who will be visiting family in Cincinnati or Covington, the Traditional Latin Mass/Extraordinary Form will be at 11 am Christmas Morning at St. Bernard in Dayton, Kentucky. I'm sure it will be glorious! Here is the parish website if you need directions:
St. Bernard

Happenings

I've been busy with work lately and haven't been on the computer much. It is good to be able to go to Mass again(since the surgery) and I'm finding life's hardships easier to deal with when I am better prepared spiritually. I am far from over the miscarriage and it's especially hard when the house is quiet and I'm alone. It is difficult to pray sometimes because I can't do so without crying. I'm trying to be patient with myself.

The TLM at the Cathedral in Covington is officially moving to St. Bernard's in Dayton, KY. After talking with some others, I know there are many who want a parish family and this may just be "it". For those of you local, the first TLM at St. Bernard's is on October 28th at 12:15. My kids are excited as they are having a potluck and Benediction after Mass. I have met so many wonderful people with so much in common. I find that something which looks hopeless and frustrating is often a blessing in disguise. I must remind myself of this when sufferings and crosses come my way. I am imperfect and human and can't always see that things will be "ok".

I have to take my son to an endocrinologist today and the paperwork is not finished(medical history, etc) It's gloomy here. I refuse to let that get me down. After all, it's not snowing yet...

Picture worth a thousand...

Archbishop Mario Conti, centre, wants to control the Latin mass(who is the chick?)

(Photo credit)

Journey to Traditionalism

The latest NOR has an excellent article on one man's journey to traditional Catholicism.
From Protestantism to Catholicism, From the Novus Ordo Mass to the Tridentine Latin Mass
I was struck by his attraction to the artistry that is found in Catholicism. Even as a child, I felt myself drawn to traditional churches because they seemed mystical and like a haven from the outside world. I can truly identify with this attraction as I felt it's pull, even when I was far from God. If you take the time to read this article, pay close attention to the section entitled "Beauty Tricks"....very interesting...

From the article:

I found myself naturally focusing on the individuality of that person, the priest, rather than on Christ, who was in reality the Victim being offered to His Father. Furthermore, there was a strong feeling of informality about what was going on, perhaps best encapsulated by the inevitable trooping up of laity, often strangely dressed, to help the priest distribute the Sacrament. This misery was topped off by the faithful, myself included, receiving our Lord in the palms of our hands, then popping Him into our mouths like a snack cracker.

Truer words cannot be said about the "typical"(notice I did not say reverent or sometimes found) Novus Ordo. And down further he writes:

By contrast, the Tridentine Latin Mass seeks not to make the faithful more comfortable nor to involve them more in a false sense of spiritual egalitarianism. Rather, the traditional Mass, by its every word and rubric, strives to reveal and exalt the only possible means of true Christian unity: Christ Himself. This oneness is timeless, not in the least subject to the errors of Modernity -- basically, the elevation of the individuality of self -- or any other heresy for that matter.

A very telling account from a convert seeking the glory that he imagined would be found in the Catholic Church. Why is it hiding? Most churches have been ugly for so long, they no longer realize the beauty that is lost.