Posted on 12/16/2014 1:22:34 PM PST by NYer
Do you recall that, last year, Card. Burke consoled a little boy who was crying because he couldn’t yet receive Communion? HERE
This is somewhat beyond the ken of most catholics, I believe. They might console a Questioning-status minor not yet able to vote more than once in the same pro-same-sex “marriage” referendum. But, I digress. This shouldn’t be polemic and… there I went and did it. Sorry! I am under the weather.
So, last year Card. Burke consoled a boy who couldn’t receive Communion. At that time His Eminence said that his time would come soon enough.
The day came!
Here is a piece from the site of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Wisconsin, which Card. Burke built in honor of Our Lady when he was Bishop of LaCrosse. If you haven’t visited, it’s worth a trip.
Go read the whole story. There’s a lot more to it than the simple fact of a First Holy Communion. The boy, Louis Martin, has had a lot of things to overcome in his short life.
There are lots of catholics out there who suffer from Burke Derangement Syndrome™. Oddly, you don’t see stories like this about their models.
Ping!
This can’t be true. There is only one truly compassionate clergyman in the Church, at least according to the media.
Very sweet! Thank you!
Thank you very much for sharing this story. I recall memorizing the Catechism and The Apostles Creed. I wanted my parents to be proud of me, that was my main short term motivation as a child. One has to become aware and prepared before receiving the Sacraments.
I’m glad the young man stayed with his goal.
In the next few years, he will need to pick a Patron Saint for his Confirmation, if that’s still done to old way.
I attended Mass at Trinity Academy a couple weeks ago celebrated by Cardinal Burke. He stayed after Mass and greeted everyone. He seemed very genuine and down to earth.
Some knights and dames of Sovereign Military Order of Malta were in attendance.
Lucky you.
Did that remind anyone of another Louis Martin, whose daughter wept at the feet of Pope Leo Xiii, requesting that she be a Carmelite at the age of 15? The Pontiff said she would if it was God's will; she went on to become, not only a nun, but Ste. Therese of Lisieux!
May all of us have that kind of love and faith in our lives!
About 12 years ago, I was invited to teach one of the Confirmation classes at my (then) parish and humbly accepted. Before classes began, we were asked to meet with the Director for Religious Education to familiarize ourselves with the parish program and textbook. (BTW, in our diocese, the Sacrament of Confirmation is administered in 11th grade). Reading through the instructor's manual, it advised me to bring to the first class: a large rock, small, smooth stones for each student, mood music, pillar candles, a boombox, newsprint paper, markers ... blah, blah ... and a Bible. Instead, I brought the Bible, a rosary and the Prayer to St. Michael (one for each student).
As we progressed through the program and prepared for the big day, students were given cards on which to write the name they planned to take at Confirmation. I devoted that class to the lives of the saints and provided the students with a web link to a lengthy list of Catholic saints, instructing them to read through the lives, pray for guidance and submit the name at the next class.
There were 4 classes of 20 students that year; mine was the only class where each student chose the name of a saint. I was stunned to learn the parish allowed invented names to be used. In the other classes, some students chose the names of their favorite entertainment personalities or characters from a movie! Needless to say, I am no longer with that parish and have continued to encourage the youth in my current parish to read the lives of saints and choose one on whom they can model their own life.
What an stunning story that students were allowed to choose non-saint names.
Thank you for that reminder! I have read her story and recall the event. Like Therese, St. Faustina also struggled to be accepted by her order. All the more reason why we need to read the lives of the saints to draw inspiration and courage to maintain our faith when challenged.
That’s sad and somewhat shocking, that the students can ‘invent’ Saint Names on their own.I can see it now; St. Kim di Kardashian, or St. Cassandra dela Fluke. If the authorities don’t take it seriously, they can’t expect the students to either. The plus side, is at least the Sacrament is being sincerely observed and positively promoted at all. So that’s something to be thankful for.
Another in a continuing series on why kids are the absolute best part of the Church. Louis is a remarkable little guy.
I’m also not entirely surprised that Cardinal Burke’s rep as a snarling Rottweiler appears to have been as much a press creation as Pope Benedict’s.
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