The relics of six Knights of Columbus canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000 have begun a tour of the United States.

The 1920s brought a revolution to Mexico, along with the widespread persecution of Catholics.

Missionaries were expelled from the country, Catholic seminaries and schools were closed, and the Church was forbidden to own property. Priests and laymen were told to denounce Jesus and their faith in public; if they refused, they faced not just punishment but torture and death.

During this time of oppression and cruelty, the Knights of Columbus did not retreat in Mexico but grew dramatically, from 400 members in 1918 to 43 councils and 6,000 members just five years later. In the United States at the time, the Knights handed out five million pamphlets that described the brutality of the Mexican government toward Catholics. As a result, the Mexican government greatly feared and eventually outlawed the Order.

Read more them here.

They’ll be at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi tomorrow. Mass will be at 5:30pm, followed by veneration of the relics. Come over, I’ll see you there.

Listening to someone else being put on hold for a tech call, I hear through the speakerphone…

“Become a QuarkXpress Certified Expert“.

I had to say out loud, “Yeah, and that’s when the big bucks start rolling in.”

Quark. They haven’t gone out of business because God has a sense of humor.

It’s one thing to be stupid. It’s something else entirely to be painfully stupid. Or an America-loathing leftist terrorist-enabler. The Washington Post goes for the trifecta:

The Bush administration is holding a number of terrorism suspects incommunicado in secret prisons abroad without due process or even notification of the International Committee of the Red Cross, and some detainees have been subjected to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. This is a gross violation of international law and American values, and it’s essential to our democracy that such an exceptional policy be subject to public debate. Maybe disclosure of the prisons damaged national security — the CIA has offered no evidence of that — but it’s hard to imagine what could be more damaging than the existence of the system itself.

Here, let me help you imagine:

Waddya think, WaPO, could this possibly be a bit worse for our national security? You hippies are all into visualising, right? Visualise with me here:

It’s one thing to be stupid. It’s something else entirely to be painfully stupid.

Wherever I go, I make friends.

There’s an email list to which I subscribe, which discusses Catholicism. Someone asked a question on this list about how the Church would spread to the stars, as part of some research into writing a science-fiction novel. A bunch of folks threw out some ideas, and some generally light discussion arose.

And then, J showed up:

Dear Alumimum-Foil-Hat-Wearing Trads,

I am genuinely amused at this notion of an interstellar bishopric. For one, it seems impossible for me to understand how the Precious Blood would stay in the chalice without a pall with a gasket and vacuum seal, but that’s a question best answered by an engineer.

Novelty aside, I am a little surprised that there is the expectation that a towering “TRADS ONLY” sign on the Moon (presumably the ‘S’ would be printed backwards and, like the rest of the sign, in crayon or dripping paint) would prevent any lunar disagreements or heresies. It seems to me, based on eyeing the posts from this list for about a year, that Traditional Catholics, while much closer in terms of understanding and accepting the doctrine of the Church, still have distance between them and chips on their shoulders.

Of course, I figure someone who could make “backwards S” cracks and would tell people they most likely write in crayon would be able to take a bit back. Since this individual went to Princeton, I made a few cracks directed at the “Overly Pretentious Ivy League Grad”. You’d figure that someone who could dish it out would be able to take it, right?

Wrong. Back came a “stinging” reply. At least, I thought it was supposed to be stinging. I mean, I don’t think he would have consciously gone for “pathetic and lame”.

Dear Tom of the Donegal Express,

Your shoulders must be laden with a truly heavy cross–if not a chip–to resort to such a crass critique of both my posting and email address. It would be equally glib for me to claim that a blog I’ve recently explored was written by a homosexual, not because of its melodramatic author’s derisively mocking style and curt cleverness, but because he displays an unnaturally strong penchant for pictures of kitties. Are you really going to make this into a State-vs.-Ivy League School issue? I would have thought that someone who compares his written self to Chesterton and Pope Leo XIII would have done a better job at making me look forward to the trip, after telling me to go to Hell. Besides, Tom, I’d expect a cat lover to have more of a soft side.

[DT: Wow. But I’m crass. Glad that got cleared up.]

I’m fighting the battle for the True Faith, and have lost family, friend, and love in the process. Is it any wonder that I have my humor and you your bile? What fight are you fighting that so many of us here are not? Have self-righteousness and righteousness lost their distinction, Tom?

[DT: Ok:

A. Like 99.999% of “Traditionalists” are “Traditionalists” without losing family, friends, and love. Have you ever stopped to consider that it might be you yourself, and not your beliefs that drive people away?

B. <Niedermeyer>Oh, I noticed the part where you say you have lost love over your beliefs. Now, I know cultures are different and all, but where I grew up the guy who couldn’t keep a girl didn’t go around throwing “fag” insults at others. I’m just saying.</Neidermeyer>

C. If by some chance/miracle you have found someone in the meantime, the fact that you still carry on about this lost love makes your wife/girlfriend the luckiest woman in the world.

The luckiest woman in the world.

D: You wrote a nasty email calling folks you didn’t agree with ignorant fanatics. You implied that such people were retarded, yet you have “humor” and I have “bile”. You don’t even realize how pathetically condescending you sound, do you?]

You should feel free to continue to hide behind a first name and hyperlink to an angsty blog.

[DT: It’s not angst. It’s bile and invective. BILE AND INVECTIVE. Besides, exactly what have you done to deserve to learn my full name? Do you want to write me a check or something? Maybe you’d like to have me come give some talks. Since you have such a burning need to know, my wife has asked me not to go broadcasting my full name. In case they didn’t teach you this at Princeton, a wife is what you call a woman who marries you.]

I’ll pray for you, and when time permits, I’ll still continue to wonder how the Precious Blood will stay in the chalice when your interstellar inertial dampeners fail.

[DT: Not that I care, but how would it stay in there if the chalice tipped over? That’s why they call that sort of thing “an accident”. You know, “Oops, that shouldn’t have happened.”]

If that should happen and the biosphere on Planet Pio Nono should find itself floating about in zero gravity (in which even cross, chip, and crown are just as heavy), you should feel free to contact me for assistance. I know you have my email address.

[ DT: If you couldn’t fix the problem with a chalice, why would I call you to help with a whole biosphere? Do me a favor, support liturgical dance. You sir, are the Colonel Klink factor in Traditional Catholicism.]

This, from just recently:

If she puts the smackdown on protestants, then the Society of Silly Protestant eXtremists (SSPX) should be afraid.

Comment by Mario Mirarchi — May 4, 2006

Well, I was checking my email the other day when lo and behold:

Dear Tommissar,
Please accept my apology for my snide comment I posted about the SSPX. An incident happened at Mass yesterday which made appreciate your position. The responsorial psalm was “The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone”, which was sung by a “contemporary” ensemble. They did a bluegrass version of it, and all they needed was a braying jackass and one would have been forgiven for thinking that it was an episode of “Hee-Haw” instead of Sunday Mass.
God is indeed creative in how he displays his mercy.
Again please accept my sincere apologizes. Hang tough, and keep the faith.
Best Regards,
Mario Mirarchi
PS: If you like, you may publish this in its entirety.

For the record, I’m not an “SSPXer”. At times I may attend Mass at a Society chapel from necessity (and when you come to New Mexico, you too can see there is such a thing), but I am in no way affiliated with them. In fact, most times you will find me at San Ignacio church in Albuquerque.

Also, I have always said about this blog:

It takes a big man to start to make that admission, Mario. It’s a long road, but I have faith in you.

Finally, if you seriously have only just now started to see the craziness, I want to know where you go to church. Send me an address because I want to visit.

This past weekend Primus was awarded his Light of Christ emblem.

Now if there’s something we should all know about the Light of Christ emblem, it’s this:

The purpose is to help the Cub develop a personal relationship with Jesus. With the parents’ active assistance and participation in this program, it is hoped that the Cub will come to see Jesus as a real person and his friend.

Well you know, mission accomplished. That “dying on the cross” thing was kinda his first clue that Jesus cares about him. We were really interested in the section on Eucharist, but I think our book was defective and didn’t have it. We did have something about a favorite meal, and sharing the types of food you like to eat though. Maybe there was some mixup at the printer’s and we got some chapter from a children’s cookbook or something.

In any event, the archdiocese held a special (Novus Ordo) Mass for all the Scouts in the state who earned their religious emblems. Before Mass I gave Primus a rosary with instructions to pray it if the other Scouts started talking and being distracting during Mass. Four minutes after the procession, I saw the rosary come out of his pocket.

Why yes, I did time it.

Mass was said by his Excellency, Archbishop Michael Sheehan. My favorite part of the Mass was the recessional hymn, that traditional tune, “Praise Him”

Praise Him, praise Him
Praise Him in the morning, praise Him in the noontime
Praise Him, praise Him
Praise Him when the sun goes down

Jesus, Jesus
Jesus in the morning, Jesus in the noontime
Jesus, Jesus
Jesus when the sun goes down

Now I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure this was a Jimmy Dean smoked sausage jingle. The only difference is that the Jimmy Dean people threw in the phrase “supper time” somewhere. Both the hymn and the jingle pronounced “morning” as “moe-nin”.

In actuality, I shouldn’t be so tough on “Praise Him”. Unlike nearly every other contemporary Catholic hymn, it actually recommends that we . . . praise God. This does stand in stark contrast to just about the rest of the contemporary hymnal, where we are told all the awesome things God will do for us, since we are so awesome ourselves. Good job, “Praise Him”!

For proof of this, read the lyrics of “Eagles Wings”, “Be Not Afraid”, or most of the other stuff in your average pew today. In most other hymns, the message conveyed is, “That’s mighty white of you, God, to look out for me like that. If there’s anything I can do for you (except reform my life and try to live it in a way so as to be pleasing to You) just give me a ring, ok?”

Since my wife always flinches when I say, “That’s mighty white of you” someone please remind me to tell her not to read this post.

Yes, I know he should have taken off his Tiger Cub Paw. And no, the other Cub Scouts are not in the Witness Protection Program. The wife pointed out that there were other children in the picture. And yes, if you download the picture and zoom in, you will notice the name tags have been blurred as well.

The Chaser
Sea Scout Ship 90
Napa, California

Before we get to the post, I just want to state I will be printing an email I received weeks ago in the near future. You really want to stay tuned for it.

Anyhow…

Much credit to the International Herald Tribune for exploiting Rule Number One of Journalism:

People will always stop to read about angry villagers.

The South Korean government sent in thousands of police officers and unarmed troops, water cannons and helicopters to drive out villagers and activists from a hamlet on Thursday, saying that their refusal for months to make room for an expanding U.S. military base threatened an alliance with Washington.

These things always make me wonder:

[Excuse me for being Americocentric, but I just find the idea of national police a bit odd.]

Armed with clubs and backed by water cannons, 11,500 police officers stormed the village at dawn. More than 1,000 students, unionists and villagers fought back with rocks and long bamboo sticks, according to witnesses, TV footage and local news reports.

Ok, so they used rocks and long bamboo sticks. I’m a little disappointed, but I can respect their choice of angry villager gear because I celebrate diversity.

I celebrate diversity.

At least 117 police officers and 93 protesters were injured, according to the South Korean authorities, in the clash that highlighted efforts by Seoul to juggle two forces: the U.S. military with 30,000 troops here and a domestic populace that is increasingly disenchanted with the American military presence.

Ok, you need to either train these guys better, or let the troops be armed. Leftists agitators should never inflict more casualties. Maybe we should send some retired Chicago cops over there to help your guys learn that.

To quote Billy Ray Valentine, “May I suggest you use the nightstick, officer?”

The only thing missing, of course, was the appearance of your typical Peace and Justice priests.

The last people to leave the building were several Roman Catholic priests and two lawmakers who had been encamped on the roof. They said they opposed the U.S. military’s relocation because it deprived the villagers of their farmland and increased the possibility of war on the Korean Peninsula.

Nevermind.

Ora Pro Nobis!

Today is Constitution Day.

More importantly, it’s the Feast of Our Lady, Queen of Poland; she who puts the smack down on Protestants:

The chronicles of Czestochowa contain many testimonials from the Swedes of visions of Our Lady, which terrified them:—”What witch is this in your cloister of Czestochowa, who, covered with a blue mantle, sallies from the cloister and walks along the walls, resting from time to time on the bastions, and whose sight makes our people drop with terror, so much so, that when she appears, we have to turn our faces to the ground and protect our eyes?

and Communists:

In the wake of World War I Poland had just emerged free of her three neighboring oppressors and was terribly devastated. Boys of fifteen went to swell the ranks of fighting men. The situation was critical. A counterattack from the Vistula River was successful, by the grace of God, and quickly panic set in among the Russian hordes, which hugely outnumbered the Poles. The extent of the panic can be judged by enemy losses which amounted to one hundred and fifty thousand. The Poles lost fifty thousand men, while taking sixty-six thousand prisoners. The Russian soldiers reported that they saw a woman clad in white and blue in the sky above the Polish lines, that they were terrified by the apparition and that panic set in among them. Three days later the Russians were retreating on all fronts. The Battle of the Vistula (or the Miracle of the Vistula, as it is known in Poland), is called one of the eighteen decisive battles in the history of the world by military experts.

Cat provided by our friends at Fish Eaters.