Traditional Latin Mass in Maryland

Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien writes a compelling piece today in " The Catholic Review Online " in his " Thoughts on Our Church " column . It is a MUST READ and very topical!

In his weekly column, " Thoughts on Our Church ," His Exellency Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien posts his homily from the Ordination of June 13th at which four new priests were ordained for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The full homily can be found here . Jennifer Williams has a full story on the Ordinations filed June 16th here . Ad multos annos , Fathers!

Each week, H.E. Archbishop O'Brien posts a column called " Thoughts on Our Church " in the Catholic Review. The column always deals with a variety of topical subjects and is posted as a link from this blog when possible (electrical storms notwithstanding!). This week, in a column dated June 10th, His Excellency discusses with us"apostolic movements ": A celebrated and most valuable outgrowth of the Second Vatican Council has been the rise in the number of “apostolic movements” that have sprung up in the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Each centered in a unique spirituality, these movements nourish strongly committed laity with the teachings and sacraments of the Church, thus enabling them to carry out their vocation “to seek the kingdom of God by engaging in tempered affairs and directing them according to God’s will” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 898). Cursillo, Marriage Encounter, Communion and Liberation, Opus Dei and Focolare are s

H.E. Archbishop Edwin O'Brien posts his weekly article on the Catholic Review Online in his " Thoughts on Our Church " column . Here is some of the article and referring to the words of the Holy Father: As Catholics: “let your light shine …” – “participate in the exchange of ideas in the public square, helping to shape cultural attitudes.” He referred to the scandal created by Catholics who would “promote an alleged right of abortion.” He cited the “false dichotomy between faith and political life” and the obligation of all to respect “the most defenseless of all human beings, the unborn child in the mother’s womb.” As Americans: be reminded that the gift of freedom is “also a summons to personal responsibility.” Just as our first president insisted “that religion and morality represent ‘indispensible supports’ of political prosperity,” so did our last Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, counsel that “a democracy without values can lose its very soul.” And several times he

Archbishop Edwin O'Brien posts his weekly article in the Catholic Review in "Thoughts on Our Church" to the Catholic faithful of the Archdiocese. His Excellency recalls his experiences with the Holy Father during the Papal visit. Here is a short snippet: And in the relatively few major addresses, the Holy Father proclaimed that message unmistakably to Catholics and non-Catholics alike, ever sensitive to the beliefs of others in his audiences. So densely packed with theological and spiritual insights, his addresses will have to be re-read and studied in the weeks ahead in order to mine their rich content. Equally important and meaningful as were his words, was his very presence and the intangible magnetism which drew millions to see and listen in person or through the media which offered generous coverage. Not only did we flock to see him, but he reached out with the Good Shepherd’s concern to those who might otherwise be overlooked: the victims of clergy sexual abuse,

In his weekly post in " Thoughts on Our Church ," H.E. Archbishop Edwin O'Brien praises Judge Frank E. Cicone , Former Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of Baltimore County, for his unwavering " civility ." He then later discusses an editorial tribute in the New York Times in which the late William F. Buckley was praised for being " civil " in all his political discourse . The Archbishop then writes: Civility and civil discourse. Descriptions of what I think we will see in person when Pope Benedict XVI visits Washington and New York in just a few days. Read the rest here !

His Excellency Archbishop Edwin O'Brien has posted his homily from the Chrism Mass in his weekly column entitled, "Thoughts on Our Church," in the Catholic Review Online . Here is a part of his homily: Good Catholic people – and I humbly address all of you and all whom you represent – deacons and consecrated sisters and brothers, seminarians and laity at every level of diocesan and parish leadership: I know that I speak for your priests, here in such impressive numbers, in expressing our thanks for your indispensible collaboration in preaching the love of Christ and promoting the life of the Church in this great Archdiocese. And I pray that you will see in this Mass a significant opportunity to demonstrate your love and appreciation of your priests. If it be God’s will, may the intended priestly focus of this Chrism Mass stress the uniqueness of ordained priesthood and generate the graces so necessary to encourage many more priestly vocations of the kind we see here. A

The Chrism Mass was held Monday, March 17th in our Archdiocese at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore . Today, His Excellency Archbishop Edwin O'Brien in his column, " Thoughts on Our Church " writes a beautiful column for his brother priests and for all of us . Th e last several years, as each very special Chrism Mass approaches, I have found food for the soul in a 2002 Chrism Mass homily offered by Baltimore’s proud native son Bishop Victor Galeone of St. Augustine. I thought I should share it with you and am grateful to my good friend, the Bishop of St. Augustine, for permission to do so: "I’d like you to come back with me to the spring of 1974 – back to the town of Andahuaylas, high in the Andes Mountains. At the time, I was serving as a missionary in Peru. This particular Sunday afternoon, I was visiting our sick parishioners in the town hospital. In the men’s ward, I came across Oswaldo – a Lutheran minister who was visiting from Lima. He had taken i