Our Lady of the Rosary Chapel

Rosary Sunday Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost St. Bruno, C

Our Lady of the Rosary

15 Pepper Street Monroe CT 06468

(203) 261-8290 Emergencies: (203) 268-9200

www.rosarychapel.net

Fr. Adan Rodriguez (Pastor)

frrodriguez@rosarychapel.net

HOLY MASS

Sundays: 7:00 & 10:00 am Weekdays: 7:00 & 8:00 am

CONFESSIONS

Sundays 6:40—6:55 am 9:15—9:55 am

Weekdays 6:40—6:55am

And by appointment

HOLY ROSARY

Sundays: 9:40 am First Saturdays: 8:45 am

October 6, 2013 Volume 1, Issue 5

The Rosary and Lourdes When you think of the Rosary in connection with a Marian apparition, it’s Fati-

ma that usually comes to mind. However, there is and always has been a tre-

mendous devotion to the Rosary at that other great site where Our Blessed Lady

appeared, the town of Lourdes in southwest France.

The story of Lourdes must surely be fa-

miliar to everyone: that just a few

years after the declaration by

Pope Pius IX of the dogma of

the Immaculate Conception,

Our Lady appeared to a local

peasant girl named Berna-

dette Soubirous, announc-

ing that she was indeed

that Immaculate Concep-

tion, that pure and perfect

fruit of the rod of Jesse, that

sinless woman who has

crushed the head of the ser-

pent.

The town of Lourdes today has become

the destination of thousands of pilgrims annually, who flock to the site of Our

Lady’s appearance from all over Europe and the entire world, some of them

anxious to find a cure for themselves or a loved one, others simply to pay their

respects to this most blessed among women.

The town itself has become commercialized beyond all decency, with shop after

shop lining the once tranquil streets of this little town, all eager to outdo the

others in bargains on little plastic statues and religious trinkets of every descrip-

tion. However, Church au-

thorities have always firmly

prohibited the commerciali-

zation of the actual sanctu-

ary of Lourdes. This sanctu-

ary or “Domain”, which used

to be the property of the

French government, was

restored to the Church in

1941 by the French Presi-

Inside Story Headline

2

DATE FEAST TIME INTENTION

Sun Oct 6 Rosary Sunday

20th Sunday after Pentecost

St. Bruno, C

W

7:00 am

10:00 am High Mass followed

by Procession and

Benediction

Donors to the Poor Box

Missa pro Populo

Mon Oct 7 Most Holy Rosary of the BVM

St. Mark I, PM

St. Sergius & Companions, Mm

W

7:00 am

8:00 am

Robert Di Cecco, RIP

Rev. Harold L. Hirsch, RIP

Tue Oct 8 St. Bridget of Sweden, W

W

7:00 am

8:00 am

Giovanni Cerra, RIP

Nicole McGovern

Wed Oct 9 St. John Leonard, C

St. Denis, B, & Companions, Mm W

7:00 am

8:00 am

Intentions of Superior of Company

Irene Gaye

Thu Oct 10 St. Francis Borgia, C

W

7:00 am

8:00 am

Edwin & Cherye Harrow

Tara Gaye & Baby

Fri Oct 11 Motherhood of the BVM

W

7:00 am

8:00 am

Catholic Family Salvation Society

Kerry McGovern

Sat Oct 12 St. Mary on the Sabbath

W

7:00 am

8:00 am

12 noon (Rosary Rally)

Roger Vansevenandt, RIP

Sun Oct 13 21st Sunday after Pentecost

St. Edward the Confessor, King of

England

G

7:00 am

10:00 am

Intentions of Superior of Company

Missa pro Populo

CALENDAR

Please submit your Mass requests to Father

Rodriguez via e-mail or in person, specifying

the intention, whether the person is living or

deceased, and if a specific date is required.

To pray for the living and the dead is a spiritual

work of mercy. Remember your loved ones by

having a Mass said for their intentions.

MASS TODAY

Rosary Sunday

2nd Collect: 20th Sunday after Pentecost

3rd Collect: St. Bruno, C

Preface: BVM

Proper Last Gospel: 20th Sunday after Pentecost

MASS TODAY

18th Sunday after Pentecost

2nd Collect: St. Thomas of Villanova, BC

3rd Collect: St. Maurice & Companions, Mm

Preface: Trinity

MASS NEXT SUNDAY

21st Sunday after Pentecost

2nd Collect: St. Edward the Confessor, King of England

3rd Collect: All Saints

Preface: Trinity

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Resumption of High Mass

Now that October is here

again and the weather has

been getting cooler, we are

resuming our Sunday High

Mass at 10:00 am. Please

consider lending your tal-

ents to our choir and learn

how to sing correctly the

great propers and Kyries of

the Mass.

Apple Picking

Thanks go out from our

students to one of their

teachers who allowed them

to gather apples last Friday

at his home. Rumor has it

that our girls will be making

apple sauce.

Movie Night

Last week’s attendance at

our Friday Night at the

Movies was well attended

by clergy, teachers, parents

and students, who were

treated to a viewing of

Frank Capra’s classic Mr.

Deeds Comes to Town, star-

ring Gary Cooper and Jean

Arthur.

The Rosary and Lourdes (continued)

3

dent, Marshall Philippe Pétain. Pétain had been a great general of the

French army during World War I, and so it seemed natural for the French

people, after their defeat by Adolf Hitler in the early days of the Second

World War, to turn to Pétain to lead them once again in their hour of

shame. He is known today for his role as the leader of the Vichy French,

those who capitulat-

ed to the Nazi occu-

pation, surrendering

their right to further

defend themselves

and fight back against

the Germans. For this

reason he is despised

in America, and lost

much of his former

prestige in his home-

land also. However,

he was a devout Catholic and is held in high esteem, as a hero even, by

traditional Catholics today in France. In 1941, the white marble side doors

of the great basilica at Lourdes were engraved with a message of gratitude

to Marshal Pétain, who had visited Lourdes that year and allowed the

Church to reclaim ownership of the Domain. In translation, this inscription

reads: “In memoriam 1940-41, on the morrow of our disasters, France

seeks to rediscover her soul under the government of Maréchal Pétain.”

This basilica dominates the landscape of the domain of Lourdes, towering

high above the River Gave and the grotto that lies next to it. It is actually

three separate churches, the Upper Basilica, the Crypt, and the Rosary

Basilica. It is the Rosary Basilica, of course, which concerns us today, the

last of the three churches to be completed, in the year 1899. It was conse-

crated in 1901 and has the capacity for 1,500 worshippers.

Blessing of St. Francis

The blessing of animals

scheduled for this past Fri-

day occurred too late for a

report in this week’s copy of

the bulletin. We hope to

bring you a full account

next week.

Choir Practice

Starting this week, choir

practice will be at the new

time of 3:15 on Friday after-

noons. All are welcome.

Stepney Green Rosary Rally

Please join us for next Sat-

urday’s Public Square Ro-

sary Rally, to be held at 12

noon in front of the church.

We shall be praying the

Rosary for the Church, our

country, and the conversion

of sinners.

The Rosary and Lourdes (continued)

The nave is open and circular, surmounted by a dome. This dome contains sixteen

circular stained glass windows. The fifteen spaces between these windows signify

the fifteen

decades of

the Rosary.

The dome is

surmounted

by a gilded

crown and

cross, which

were a gift

from the peo-

ple of Ireland

in 1924. The

cross was

regilded in

2000-2.

4

ANNOUNCEMENTS (cont.)

The Interior of the Dome at the Rosary Basilica

Down below, the nave is surrounded by fifteen smaller side chapels, one

for each of the Mysteries of the Rosary. On the left of the nave are found

the Joyful Mysteries; in the centre behind the sanctuary are the Sorrow-

ful Mysteries, and to the right are the Glorious Mysteries. Each side-

chapel comprises a large mosaic with a central image depicting the

theme of that Mystery, and an inscription in Latin. Incorporated within

the larger image may be smaller images of related themes. For example,

the side chapel directly behind the altar contains a depiction of the

Crowning with Thorns, which is surmounted by an image of the Ark of

the Covenant. These mosaics date back to the early days of the basilica

in 1900, and were restored in 2006-7 at the time of an extensive renova-

tion of the entire basilica. While this renovation did much to restore the

basilica to its former glory, the modernists who are now in charge of this

holy site took advantage of the opportunity to add their own innovations.

Evidently frustrated by the traditional layout of the interior of the basili-

ca, with its fifteen side-chapels representing the traditional Rosary of St.

Dominic, these artistically challenged philistines now modified the exteri-

or facade of the basilica to include mosaics depicting the so-called

“luminous mysteries”, with which John Paul II, back in 2002, had tried to

improve on Our Lady’s gift.

The Rosary Basilica has a semicircular white marble entry facade, de-

picting Mary handing the Rosary to St. Dominic. We should consider our-

selves fortunate that they didn’t knock a hole in the wall to build a new

door depicting Our Lady handing her new “improved” Rosary to JP2.

Mercifully too, they haven’t painted over or chiseled off the mosaic of the Blessed Virgin Mary

on the upper wall of the sanctuary. This depicts Mary with outstretched arms and the cap-

tion “Par Marie à Jésus” ("Through Mary to Jesus"). This depiction, of a very young woman

facing directly forwards, is much more in keeping with St. Bernadette's descriptions of the

apparition than the iconic statue in the niche in the Grotto.

Outside the basilica is the great open space where pilgrims gather for their daily pro-

cessions. This space is known as Rosary Square, and one of these processions is the

Torchlight Rosary Procession, which has been held at 9:00 pm every evening since 1872. At 8:45 pilgrims gather in

the so-called “Prairie” for a short welcoming ceremony and announcements. Then the procession proper commences

at 9:00 pm”, ending up in Rosary Square in front of the Rosary Basilica about an hour and a half later. Pilgrims carry a

statue of Our Lady of Lourdes, a copy of the statue that stands in the actual grotto. During the Procession, the pil-

grims walk in groups behind their pilgrimage banner. Everyone is invited to carry a lighted candle with a paper shade

which diffuses the light and makes the candle less likely to blow out. The focus of this procession is the Rosary. All

fifteen decades are recited, usually in a variety of languages. The Lourdes Hymn is also sung, with verses in different

languages. Intercessions may be invoked followed by the Laudate Mariam. The final blessing is given by all the bish-

ops and priests who are present, in Latin, and then of course instead of an invitation to observe the Great Silence or

to pray quietly at the grotto, modern-day pilgrims are exhorted to exchange the “Sign of Peace” with fellow pilgrims,

in other words to hug and kiss everyone around them in a veritable orgy of sentimentality and “fellowship.”

In spite of such modern-day interruptions to the holy tranquility and serenity of Lourdes, the sanctuary remains a sa-

cred shrine, where people still humbly gather to pray for the intercession of their Blessed Mother. In all their cares

5

The Rosary and Lourdes (continued)

Side Chapel depicting the Resurrection

ALTAR SERVERS

Saturday, October 12

George Welker

Sunday, October 13

10:00 High Mass

Celebrant: Fr. Hall

MC: James Morris

Th: Christopher Mendes

Ac1: Michael Mendes

Ac2: Sam Richardson

Cr: Gustav Kusterer

The Rosary and Lourdes (continued)

and sorrows, they have come in their thousands from all over the world to

pay homage at the place where she appeared. And we can be sure that all

the efforts of the modernists are powerless to distort their simple faith, just

as the persecutors of St. Bernadette failed to shut them out from the grotto

so many years ago.

6

Our Lady of the Rosary Chapel operates

a thriving parish, complete with full-

time Catholic school for grades K

through 12. Two Masses are offered

daily, and various devotions and other

ceremonies are provided during the

course of the liturgical year. Our parish

guilds offer wonderful opportunities to

become more involved as your time

and interests permit. We are always

looking for volunteers to serve Mass,

sing in the choir, or work in the church

and on the property and grounds. The

enthusiastic participation of our parish-

ioners is one of the hallmarks of Our

Lady of the Rosary Chapel, and we wel-

come your support and talents.

Newcomers are particularly welcome,

and we invite you to introduce yourself

to one of our priests. He will be able to

answer your questions concerning the

traditional Latin Mass and the crisis in

the Catholic Church since Vatican II,

and guide you towards a fuller under-

standing of what your own role should

be in these difficult times in which we

live.

Our aim is to preserve the truth and

beauty of our Catholic heritage. We

invite all of you to participate in this

our apostolate, and in particular by

becoming shining examples of our true

Faith by your everyday life, both spir-

itual and moral. God calls us all to per-

fection, and our role is to answer that

call with all our love and enthusi-

asm. Come and be a part of this work,

which was founded not so much by

good Father Fenton in 1972, but by Our

Lord Jesus Christ himself, when he gave

the keys of his kingdom to St. Pe-

ter. This is none other than the Roman

Catholic Church, and at Our Lady of the

Rosary Chapel we are proud to be an

instrument for its continuation, and the

preservation of its Faith and Liturgy.

Our Lady of the Rosary Chapel

Saturday, October 12, at 12 noon Stepney Green (Route 25) Monroe, CT

Information―call 203-878-1210

PRAY TOGETHER FOR THE CHURCH, OUR COUNTRY, AND THE CONVERSION OF SINNERS

Why complain if we’re not willing to sacrifice ONE HOUR A YEAR for these intentions?

“PUBLIC PRAYER IS FAR MORE POWERFUL THAN PRIVATE PRAYER…

in times of public tragedy and suffering.” (St. Louis de Montfort, The Secret of the Rosary)

Our Lady of Fatima said “ONLY I CAN HELP YOU.”

Last year there were 9,000 of these rallies simultaneously in the United States. This year we’re trying for 10,000!

7

Annual Public Square Rosary Rally

Rosary used by St. Bernadette during

the Apparitions at Lourdes

St. Mary the Virgin, Paulsboro, New Jersey

Twice a month our priests make the three-hour trip to

Paulsboro in southern New Jersey close to Philadelphia

and the Delaware River. Their mission? To bring the

Mass and Sacraments to the good people of St. Mary

the Virgin Chapel, pictured left.

Bishop James Hesson served this chapel for many years

but is now too infirm to continue. Please keep him in

your prayers. Parishioners are trying hard to find a

priest who can say Mass there on a more regular basis,

but in the meantime we are doing our best to help

them and make sure this little community of faithful

Catholics are not left bereft of the Sacraments.

The address of the chapel is 1520 S Delaware St, Pauls-

boro, NJ 08066, not far from Interstate 295 (Exit 18) as

you head south towards the Delaware Memorial

Bridge. Mass times vary according to which priest is

visiting, so please call Fr. Rodriguez at Our Lady of the

Rosary Chapel if you would like to attend.

If anyone knows of a suitable priest who is available to

assist St. Mary’s, please contact Fr. Rodriguez.

Rosary Month kicks into high

gear today with a special Sun-

day dedicated to this life-

prayer of the Church. May Our

Blessed Mother continue to

watch over this her chapel as

we strive to remain faithful to

her and her divine Son, aban-

doned by so many since Vatican

II. It is through Our Lady and

her Rosary that we are able to

find our way through all the

perils and sorrows of this

fleeting world, living each

mystery in our own life, until,

please God, we may be raised to

that place of eternal happiness

and glory in the life to come.

VISIT US ON THE WEB

For up-to-date information,

such as last-minute changes

to the Mass schedule, spe-

cial prayer requests, and

other breaking news, please

refer to our website at:

www.rosarychapel.net

You will also find a wealth

of information about Our

Lady of the Rosary Chapel,

including our history, mis-

sion statement, guild activi-

ties, and school curriculum.

We hope you will find our

site a valuable resource,

and will help us by sending

your stories and photos of

life at our chapel.

A Message from the Pastor

Fr. Adan Rodriguez

NOTICE TO NEWCOMERS Founded in 1973 in the wake of the disastrous Second Vatican Council, the mission of Our Lady of the Rosary Chapel is to

maintain and restore as far as possible the traditional faith, values and liturgical practice of the Roman Catholic Church,

and to provide a haven of sanctity

where men and women of good

will may grow in love for God and

their neighbor.

Please don’t hesitate to introduce

yourself and ask questions. After

Mass come to the Social Hall, and

join us for coffee and refresh-

ments.

We welcome Spanish-speakers,

and confessions are heard in Span-

ish and English every Sunday and by appointment with the pastor.

We hope your visit with us is a pleasant one, and we look forward to seeing you again and welcoming you as a member of

Our Lady of the Rosary.