It’s 27 July 2025 and it is the 7th Sunday after Pentecost. A couple years ago, I saw a movie called News of the World with Tom Hanks as a former confederate officer, years after the Civil War. He travels from town to and town and reads aloud stories from different newspapers. He scratches out a living as a “gazetteer”. People were starved for news and were often not literate so they paid a dime – 10¢ – a head to listen. That’s about $2.50 in today’s money. [HERE (PayPal)] or HERE (Venmo)] The idea of a periodic gazetteer caught my imagination and here I am.
00:14 Init
00:35 SSPX chapel near the sad Diocese of Charlotte
09:40 About Viaticum
18:39 Wherein Fr. Z rants
20:54 From Concealed Carry Magazine
23:27 Wherein Fr. Z rants again
26:12 What some monks are up to
33:46 NEWS FROM BEYOND!
36:40 Exit
UPDATE:
Thanks for the “dime”!
LJ, MR, JT
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Thank you for The News Fr Z !
As for Concealed Carry : the perpetrator in the recent knife attack in Traverse City MI was held at bay by an armed citizen until the Police arrived. Might not hear that on CNN.
The article about the SSPX Mass site north of Charlotte caused me to reflect on TC and the parish where I assisted at the VO Mass from 2011 until COVID. (I am now 74, my wife 69 with health problems and we have custody of her 5 year old great niece and the Church is an hour’s drive away. Now that I am through patting myself on the back, I will get to my point.) In 2011 the priest did a passable job and the choir was heroic but not particularly good, but the Latin Mass part of the parish was enthusiastic and several families had a very optimistic view of the future. As time passed the priest in my opinion got better—as one parishioner told me, “He sees the effect the VO has on these boys (alter servers) and the effect it has had on himself.” Slowly but surely more talented singers joined the choir, no one to my knowledge was paid, it was all a labor of love. I still get there about 2 or 3 times a year, the priest took time to call me once about how things were going with us and took the time to talk the canon lawyer for the diocese into recommending we baptized the child even though in our state there is no such thing as permanent custody outside of adoption. In spite of TC things there seem to keep getting better. I was able to get to the VO High Mass there on the evening of Assumption. I could not believe how beautifully the choir sang. I thought I was in heaven.
My guess is that every thriving VO Mass site has parishioners who have worked hard to create a heavenly environment for their parish. Choirs have practiced, walls have been painted, the list could go on forever. Each member has probably donated more time and money than they otherwise would have because of the spiritual benefits received. My conclusion is that this shows not so much the cruelty of TC, but the cruelty of the Bishops who don’t have the courage to resist it.
Really enjoyed this!
Nice shoutout for the St. Stephen Guild for Altar Servers. I have learned so much since I joined in 2001.
I pray daily for the SSPX and FSSP. The vanguard of the church these days.