On this date in 1845...
Venerable John Henry Newman was received into the Catholic Church at the hands of Blessed Dominic Barberi, C.P., Priest. A thank-you to any who blogged about this anniversary, including Gerard Serafin, and most especially Lane Core, who is also celebrating the anniversary of his own reception into the Church today.

From the time that I became a Catholic, of course I have no further history of my religious opinions to narrate. In saying this, I do not mean to say that my mind has been idle, or that I have given up thinking on theological subjects; but that I have had no changes to record, and have had no anxiety of heart whatever. I have been in perfect peace and contentment. I never have had one doubt. I was not conscious to myself , on my conversion, of any difference of thought or of temper from what I had before. I was not conscious of firmer faith in the fundamental truths of revelation, or of more self-command; I had not more fervour; but it was like coming into port after a rough sea; and my happiness on that score remains to this day without interruption.

Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O., Apologia Pro Vita Sua

The Feast of St. Denis, Bishop and Martyr
is today. There is information on him here. He is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers.

It is also the feast of the Nine Martyrs of Astoria, killed during the Spanish Civil War.

Catholic Light

posts on the Venerable's most lengthy poem, and the oratorio made from it.

Jamie continues the posting on A Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine.

Deo gratias !
My friends Brenda and Rob had their first child on Tuesday- a girl. The baby is doing fine, but it seems that Brenda had a very difficult delivery. Prayers for her, Rob, and the little one would be appreciated.

The Feast of St. John Leonardi, C.R.M.D., Priest and Founder
is today. There is information on him here. He was a good friend of my own founder. To any Clerks Regular of the Mother of God out there, blessed feast day !

On October 7, 1845
Venerable John Henry Newman wrote a letter to his friend Henry Wilberforce:

My dearest H. W.,

Father Dominic the Passionist is passing this way, on his way from Aston in Staffordshire to Belgium, where a chapter of his Order is to be held at this time. He is to come to Littlemore for the night as a guest of one of us whom he has admitted at Aston. He does not know of my intentions, but I shall ask of him admission into the One true Fold of the Redeemer. I shall keep this back till after it is all over.

I could have wished to delay till my book was actually out, but having all along gone so simply and entirely by my own reason, I was not sorry to accept this matter of time at an inconvenience, to submit myself to what seemed an external call. Also I suppose the departure of others has had something to do with it, for when they went, it was as if I were losing my own bowels.

Father Dominic has had his thoughts turned to England from a youth, in a distinct and remarkable way. For thirty years he has expected to be sent to England, and about three years since was sent without any act of his own by his superior. He has had little or nothing to do with conversions, but goes on missions and retreats among his own people. I saw him over here for a few minutes on St. John the Baptist's day last year, when he came to see the chapel. He is a simple quaint man, an Italian; but a very sharp clever man too in his way. It is an accident his coming here, and I had no thoughts of applying to him till quite lately, nor should, I suppose, but for this accident.
With all affectionate thoughts to your wife and children and to yourself,
I am, my dear H. W.,
Tuus usque ad cineres,
J. H. N.

Jamie
has some good posts about a work by the Venerable. His timing is excellent, considering that the anniversary of Newman's reception into the Church is on Saturday, and this work was a big factor in his making that step.

Fr. Johansen's blog
has lots of information and commentary on the attempt to legally kill an innocent woman.

The Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary
is today. There is information on it here.

In Jesus Christ is the fulness of the Godhead with all its infinite sanctity. In Mary is reflected the sanctity of Jesus, as by His grace it could be found in a creature.

Mary, as the pattern both of maidenhood and maternity, has exalted woman’s state and nature, and made the Christian virgin and the Christian mother understand the sacredness of their duties in the sight of God.

Her very image is as a book in which we may read at a glance the mystery of the Incarnation, and the mercy of the Redemption; and withal her own gracious perfections also, who was made by her Divine Son the very type of humility, gentleness, fortitude, purity, patience, love.

What Christian mother can look upon her image and not be moved to pray for gentleness, watchfulness, and obedience like Mary’s? What Christian maiden can look upon her without praying for the gifts of simplicity, modesty, purity, recollection, gentleness such as hers?

Who can repeat her very name without finding in it a music which goes to the heart, and brings before him thoughts of God and Jesus Christ, and heaven above, and fills him with the desire of those graces by which heaven is gained?

Hail then, great Mother of God, Queen of Saints, Royal Lady clothed with the sun and crowned with the stars of heaven, whom all generations have called and shall call blessed. We will take our part in praising thee in our own time and place with all the redeemed of our Lord, and will exalt thee in the full assembly of the saints and glorify thee in the Heavenly Jerusalem.

Venerable John Henry Newman, C.O., Meditations and Devotions

I stumbled across a cool article....
from the Journal of Seventeenth-Century Music :
The Chiesa Nuova in Rome around 1600: Music for the Church, Music for the Oratory.

On October 5, 1845
Venerable John Henry Newman made a note in his diary:

I kept indoors all day preparing for general confession.

Rhai twp biwrocrat
...at the EU forgot that Wales exists . Half of my ancestors came from that little patch of Britain, so I'm not exactly thrilled with this...
Also, a certain community of female Benedictines has just done something odd. (Somehow, I don't think the nuns at St. Emma Monastery would approve...)

Links courtesy of Ales Rarus.

The Feast of St. Faustina Kowalska,Virgin
is today. There is information on her here
In addition, it is the feast of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, C.SS.R., Priest. He, along with St.John Nepomucene Neumann, C.SS.R., Bishop, spent some years here in Pittsburgh.
It is also the feast of Blessed Raymond of Capua, O.P., Priest, Blessed John Hewitt, Priest and Martyr, and Blessed Bartholomew Longo, who was involved with the occult before coming back to Christ.

From Parochial and Plain Sermons
by Venerable John Henry Newman:

Has not Christ undertaken the charge of our souls? Has He not made Himself answerable for us whom the devil had rent? Like the good Samaritan, "Take care of him," He says, "and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again I will repay thee."

The Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Founder
is today. There is information on him here. A blessed feast day to all the Franciscans out there, and all others who have the Poverello as a special patron !

On October 3, 1845
Venerable John Henry Newman wrote to the Provost of Oriel College, Oxford, to resign his Fellowship. He was received into the Catholic Church less than a week later. (The Provost accepted his resignation with a rather sarcastic reply, in which hoped that Newman would be spared "the worst errors of Rome, such as praying to human mediators or falling down before images"....)

Remember the post on liturgical bloopers?
The one I posted last Sunday? Well, we had a classic today, and heard about a even more priceless one. Before he began his homily, Fr. Michael stated that the classical music we were hearing in the background was not in our imaginations. The PA system was picking up a radio station ! (Apparently he had tried to get it to stop and was not able to do so.) He mentioned that this had happened before, at a daily Mass, "only that time, the station was playing 'Stairway to Heaven' " !!!!

There's a picture of St. Philip
over at Republic of Virtue.
Zadok posts a quote from the Venerable on the work of Guardian Angels.

Mark Shea....
has more "Modern Major-General" parodies than I've ever seen in one place before. However, he somehow missed this one that I first came across as an undergraduate.

If it were not Sunday...
it would be the feast of St. Froilan, O.S.B., Bishop, St. Gerard of Brogne, O.S.B., Abbot, and St. John of Dukla, O.F.M., Priest. It is also the feast of Blessed Columba Marmion. O.S.B., Abbot. To all the Benedictines and Franciscans out there, happy feast day !

Music at the Noon Mass
Processional Hymn: "Faith of Our Fathers"
Offertory: "I Sought the Lord"- J. Harold Moyer (1927- )
Recessional Hymn: "For the Beauty of the Earth"

( Our regular organist/choir director was away today, so we had a substitute. I think I startled him a bit when I managed to hit a C sharp below middle C during warm-ups !)