St Thomas in India

From CNEWA's ONE magazine:

“St. Thomas definitely landed on this very spot,” says Philomena Pappachan, caretaker of a chapel that marks where the doubting apostle arrived in southern India in the year A.D. 52. Located a few feet from the cemented banks of the Periyar River, the chapel is dwarfed by a grove of palm trees and a 30-foot cutout of the saint, who is depicted with a staff and an open book on which “my Lord and my God” is printed in English.

No archaeological evidence exists to substantiate or refute her claim. Yet for nearly two millennia, countless numbers of Christians and Hindus have believed “the holy man” journeyed through Syria, Mesopotamia, Persia and finally India, where Thomas died a martyr’s death in the year 72...

Culled from the communities he founded, Thomas ordained priests and deacons to minister to their spiritual and temporal needs. Eventually, the heirs of St. Thomas became dependent on the Church of the East — an Eastern Syriac church founded by Thomas and centered in the Persian Empire. The catholicos-patriarch of the Church of the East regularly sent bishops to southern India to ordain priests and deacons and regulate ecclesial life.

For more than 1,500 years, India’s Thomas Christians were fully integrated into Indian society. Their liturgical practices reflected their Eastern Syriac ties. Other elements of this tradition — such as the architecture of their churches and their way of remembering the dead — revealed their Hindu cultural heritage.

The arrival of the Portuguese at the close of the 15th century, however, dramatically changed the lives of all Indians. When Vasco da Gama staked his claim for his Catholic king, he found not only tea and spices, but a Christian community that joyfully welcomed the Portuguese as companions in the faith. Sadly, the advent of the Europeans triggered the beginning of division among the sons and daughters of Thomas — who now number more than ten million. Their common Christian faith and their devotion to the doubting apostle bind them ever still.

Read the rest of the article...

May God bless all who read my ramblings,

500th POST!!

So this is my 500th post on this blog. It took me a little over 5 years but I don't post as often as a lot of others and I had gaps in posting while I was deployed. What do I want to talk about in my 500th post... I don't know I am making this up as I go.
OK, here's something: 2 days ago Pope Benedict XVI established a Syro-Malankar exarchate in the US. I wonder how many people before reading this had heard of the Syro-Malankar rite. I found this article on Zenit. The commentary in green is obviously mine.

New Apostolic Exarchate for Syro-Malankara Church

1st Bishop Will Also Be Visitor to Community in Canada, Europe

NEW YORK, JULY 14, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI erected an apostolic exarchate (I wonder what is the difference between eparchy and exarchate?) for the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in the United States, and appointed Father Thomas Naickamparampil (appropriate for a priest to St Thomas Christians) of the Major Archieparchy of Trivandrum as its first bishop.

The bishop-elect, 49, was also appointed apostolic visitor for the Syro-Malank

ara Catholics in Canada and Europe.

Thomas Naickamparampil was born on June 6, 1961 at Mylapra in Pathanamthitta District of the Eparchy of Pathanamthitta.

After completing high school, he joined St. Aloysious Minor Seminary, Pattom, Trivandrum, and then later completed his priestly formation at the Papal Seminary in Pune. He was ordained on Dec. 29, 1986.

He has a doctorate degree in philosophy from the Pontifical University Gregorian in Rome.

The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church traces its roots back to St. Thomas the Apostle (That's right "Doubting Thomas" evangelized India long before the Age of Discovery brought European powers there. I am personally a big fan of his and I think he got a bum rap. He's no worse for his disbelief than Peter for his denials). The Church split from the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church in 1930, and then entered into communion with Rome. In 2005, the Eastern Church was elevat

ed to a major archiepiscopal Church. It is currently led by Major Archbishop Baselios Cleemis, and currently has eight eparchies and some 500,000 faithful.

The community of Syro-Malankara Catholic Church began to organize in 1984 in New York. Today there are an estimated 10,000 members, 16 parishes and 15 mission stations (The nearest one of these to me is Miami. I am

curious to see their liturgy, but there is a Syro-Malabar parish in Atlanta that I could go to. I would think the liturgy is similiar since they are both St Thomas Christians) of the Church in the United States and Canada. It also counts with 30 priests, and 34 religious.

The new exarchate will have its headquarters in New York City, and the main parish will be the Malankara Catholic Church in Long Island.

Malankara Major Archbishop Isaac Mar Cleemis(above)

On another note remotely related note, the Syro-Malankar and Syro-Malabar rites are based out of Kerala State in India which is home to Vailankanni, which is a major site of pilgrimage because of the shrine to Mary that is there. I first heard about it right after the tsunami and I have wanted to visit there ever since. Maybe some day I will finally get to go.

May God bless everyone who reads my ramblings,

St Thomas in Indian Churches

I found these pictures in a photo gallery about the influence of St Thomas on Christianity in India. Its quite significant since he was the first to preach the Gospel there in 52 AD. I especially like the picture with St Thomas at the foot of the Crucifix holding up his finger covered in Christ's Blood.





May God bless all who read my ramblings,

Idaho Seminarians 07

Please pray for our Idaho Seminarians:


Noel Albiter
Bishop Treinen House of Discernment and Formation
804 North 9th Street
Boise, ID 83702

Bill Busz
Sacred Heart School of Theology
PO Box 61
Hales Corners, WI 53130
Pre-Theology II

Jose Guadalupe Calderon
Conception Seminary
P.O. Box 502
College II

Johnnatan Florez Carmona
La Ceja
Antioquia, Colombia,
College III

Francisco Conterares
Bishop Treinen House of Discernment and Formation
804 North 9th Street
Boise, ID 83702

Camilo Garcia
St. Augustine's Catholic Center
628 S. Deakin Ave.
Moscow, ID 83843
Internship

Jaime Gil
Pontifical North American College
00120 Vatican City State
Europe,
Theology I

Francisco Godinez
Mt. Angel Seminary
P.O. Box 512
St. Benedict, OR 97373
Theology I

Jose De Jesus Gonzalez
Our Lady of the Valley
1122 W. Linden
Caldwell, ID 83605
Internship

Juan Manual Guzman
Bishop Treinen House of Discernment and Formation
804 North 9th Street
Boise, ID 83702

Chase Hasenoehrl
Pontifical North American College
00120 Vatican City State
Europe
Theology I

Alberto Herrea
Sacred Heart School of Theology
P.O. Box 61
Hales Corners, WI 53130
E.S.L.

Jorge Moises Mac
Bishop Treinen House of Discernment and Formation
804 North 9th Street
Boise, ID 83702

Mariusz Majewski
Mt. Angel Seminary
Aquinas Hall # 216
St. Benedict, OR 97373
Theology III

Jose Luis Martinez
Bishop Treinen House
804 N. 9th St.
Boise, ID 83702
E.S.L.

Jeff Mattern
Mt. Angel Seminary
Subiaco Hall #5, One Abbey Dr.
St. Benedict, OR 97373

Brian May
Bishop Treinen House
804 N. 9th St.
Boise, ID 83702
Theology I

José Ramirez
Mt. Angel Seminary
P.O. Box 513
St. Benedict, OR 97373
Theology I

Miguel Ramos
Sacred Heart Seminary
P.O. Box 61
Hales Corners, WI 53130
E.S.L.

Saul Reyes
Mt. Angel Seminary
P.O Box 574
St. Benedict, OR 97373
Theology III

Cirilo Sanchez
Mt. Angel Seminary
P.O. Box 521
St. Benedict, OR 97373
College II

Marcos Sanchez
Bishop Treinen House
804 N. 9th St.
Boise, ID 83702
E.S.L.

Adrian Vazquez
Mt. Angel Seminary
P.O. Box 529
St. Benedict, OR 97373
Theology III

Julio Vicente
Pontifical North American College
00120 Vatican City State
Europe
Theology III

Eladio Vieyra
Holy Rosary Parish
145 9th St.
Idaho Falls, ID 83404
Internship

Thomas Wolter
The American College of Louvain
Naamesestraat 100
B-300 Leuven, Belguim
Theology I

Saints and Scripture Great Commission

"Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Matthew 28:19
This passage at the end of St Matthew's Gospel is well known as the Great Commission. In it we are called to share and spread the light of Christ and the Good News of His Salvation to all peoples. When we think of missionaries we normally think of the Colonial Age of Europe when Europe conquered the world and they sent missionaries to the Americas and Sub-Saharan Africa. We don't normally think of the 1st Century mission work to Ethiopia, Armenia, Georgia, Persia, India, or Rome.During the Age of Exploration when Europeans finally sailed around the continent of Africa and began sailing to India, they discovered there was already a vibrant Christian community there. St Thomas, better known for his disbelief at towards the end of the Gospel of St John, had gone there a few short years after the Resurrection. He had preached there and baptized there and the Church survived his martyrdom. The Indian Church received its priests and instruction from the Syrian Christians. Even after the Muslim conquest they still kept in contact and the St Thomas Christian communities thrived and evangelized for well over a millennium before European missionaries came bearing Latin Rite Christianity. Some of the Indian Christians joined the Latin Rite, many others became Catholic as groups (Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankar Church Sui Uirisi), but many others still remain unreconciled with the Catholic Church.

May God bless all who read my ramblings,

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Doubting Thomas

He is always referred to as Doubting Thomas, but I wonder every Easter if maybe he got a bum rap.
Sure, the other Apostles believed and he didn't, but would they believe if Jesus hadn't appeared to them. And why wasn't Thomas there to see Him? Because unlike the others he wasn't locked up inside that room. He was out preaching the Gospel.
Not only that (Please correct me if this is wrong), but St Thomas was the only one of the twelve besides Peter to proclaim Jesus is God.

-- Contra

Saints and Scripture Martyrs

"For he that will save his life, shall lose it: and he that shall lose his life for my sake, shall find it."
--Matthew 16:25

The Church has been persecuted from the beginning. I've blogged before about St Ignatios of Antioch, the disciple of St John the Apostle who was thrown to the lions because of his Christian faith.
We all know about the persecution during by the Roman Empire, but how many us have given any thought to the persecutions suffered under the English, Vietnamese, Japanese and Koreans? How many of us knew that St Thomas was martyred in India?
How many of us have sat down and realized that persecution has been continuous since they crucified Jesus and stoned Stephen? As Christians we've even persecuted other parts of our Church.
In the 20th Century the leading cause of persecution and thus martyrdom was Communism. Today the leading source of persecution is Islamic governments and extremists, followed by Communists, and the third source is Hindu fundamentalists.
Keep the persecuted Church in your prayers. If you want to know what else to do, look here or here.
"Remember them that are in bonds, as if you were bound with them; and them that labour, as being yourselves also in the body."
--Hebrews 13:3

May God bless all who read my ramblings,

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New Ordinary for American Ordinariate

VirtueOnline is reporting that Jeffrey Steenson, the former Episcopal Bishop of the Rio Grande is to become the first ordinary (its not a diocese so there will not be a bishop) for the American Ordinariate about to begin on January 1st.
A bio from VirtueOnline's report:

Steenson's Anglo-Catholic pedigree comes from being an Episcopal priest for 24 years including stints as the curate and rector at two Pennsylvania parishes -- All Saints' Church in Wynnewood, and Church of the Good Shepherd in Rosemont, before going on to St. Andrew's in Fort Worth, Texas. From there he was elected, in 2004, to be bishop coadjutor for the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande under Bishop Terence Kelshaw. The former Rio Grande bishop has the distinction of being the 1000th Episcopal Church bishop consecrated with his "lappets" stretching all the way back to the first Bishop of Connecticut, Samuel Seabury who was consecrated in 1784. Steenson's consecrators included then Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, his predecessor Bishop Terence Kelshaw, Anglo-Catholic Bishop Clarence Pope, indigenous Bishop Mark McDonald, and ecumenical Bishop Anthony Burton from the Anglican Church of Canada. Steenson became the eighth diocesan bishop in 2005. He was an Episcopal bishop for two short years before swimming the Tiber.

The Anglo-Catholic Bishop of the Rio Grande shed the purple in December 2007 and was received into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. This was done in Rome, Italy, at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major during a private ceremony officiated by Bernard Cardinal Law, the former Catholic Cardinal of Boston and then archpriest at a Roman basilica.

The former Episcopal bishop embraced the Pastoral Provision that allows for former Anglican clergy to become Roman Catholics and eventually recoup their priesthood. The Pastoral Provision is the precursor to the unfolding Anglican Ordinariate and will operate along side of it for those converting priests who do not wish to become a part of the Ordinariate yet want to become Roman Catholic.

One year after becoming a Roman Catholic, Cardinal Law ordained Steenson as a Catholic deacon. Fourteen months late, he was priested by Archbishop Michael Sheehan in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, located within the Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe, which overlaps the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande.

Since becoming Catholic, Steenson has kept a high profile in his new Catholic circle. He has been active at various levels and has been seen at several Anglican Use events including attending Anglican Use Conferences where he has been the keynote speaker or the preacher at the solemn high Mass. In addition, he has been actively working hand-in-glove with American Catholic bishops as they hammered out the details of how the Anglicanorum Coetibus would be implemented in the United States.

In November, Steenson was introduced to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops by Donald Cardinal Wuerl. The Cardinal was then tasked with the implementation of the Anglicanorum Coetibus in the United States. Steenson was on hand when the Cardinal announced the January 1 date for the formal erection of the American Ordinariate.

The soon-to-be-named Ordinariate leader was educated at Harvard Divinity School and holds a doctoral degree from Oxford.

Steenson is now in Houston, Texas, where has been on the faculty of St. Thomas University and St. Mary's Seminary. He has also been instrumental in helping to set up the theological training that his brother bishops and priests will undergo in order to become fully formed Catholic clerics. He has worked at helping to develop the specific elements needed in the formation and retraining program. The former Episcopal bishop has worked closely with both Cardinal Wuerl and Daniel Cardinal DiNardo to get the unique seminary preparation program setup and running in time for the establishment of the Ordinariate on New Year's Day.

Once the Ordinariate is established, Steenson will be in charge of a non-geographic-type diocese, which encompasses the entire United States from Alaska to Florida and New York to Hawaii.

God grant him many years!

May God bless all who read my ramblings,

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7 Quick Takes 5April2013

1. I hope everyone has had a great Bright Week. I've had this song stuck in my head all week:

Shine! Shine! O New Jerusalem!

The Glory of the Lord has shone on you!

Exalt now and be glad, O Zion!

Be radiant, O Pure Theotokos, in the Resurrection of your Son! 

2. One of the songs during the Pascha Liturgy mentioned Christ as resting on the seventh day. I had never thought about Holy Week as echoing the Creation Story.

3. Speaking of Creation, I read a blog post that talked about Noah's flood as the reverse of creation and six other thoughts about the Flood. Definitely worth checking out for yourself.

4. I can't wait for Spring Break next week. My daughter and I have the same week off of school so we'll spend it together.

5. This Sunday is St Thomas Sunday. I've always liked the story of Doubting Thomas. I think he gets criticized more than he deserves.

6. I've been doing some spring cleaning. Its amazing how many things I have found that I haven't seen in months or years.

7. Christ is risen!

May God bless all who read my ramblings,

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Book Meme

I have been Memed and I am overdue for a response to Anita. And btw, I think I have met this blogger. From her profile I glanced that she is a lawyer and she lived in Moscow, ID about the same time I went to school there. And I remember an Anita, who was a lawyer from St Augustine's in Moscow.
Temporary deviation from topic at hand: I want to try guest blogging so let me know if you'd be interested in posting on 50 Days After.
Back to the Meme...

1. One book that changed your life...
I know its cliche, and yes I know it is an anthology, but the Bible has changed my life drastically. I actually started reading it when I was in high school, because I was looking for cool quotes to use. I tried to use the author and He used me instead.

2. One book that you have read more than once...
I honestly have never read any book more than once.

3. One book you would want on a desert island...
War and Peace, cause it might be a looong time before help comes.

4. One book that made you laugh...
Father Joe

5. One book that made you cry...
I am not going to admit that any book made me cry, but The Jungle came close.

6. One book that you wish had been written...
Why My Opinion is Never Wrong :)

7. One book you wish had never been written...
Das Manifest

8. One book you are currently reading...
Utopia by St Thomas More

9. One book you've been meaning to read...
The Red Badge of Courage. I started to read it but I had to return it to the library and I have always wanted to finish it.

I tag anyone who wants to be tagged. And as another side note I woud like to share that it is -41 F here this morning.

Pope Pius XI: Spaghetti Western Star

I saw an article quoted (the quote was translated) over at WDTPRS?. The article noted that Pope Pius XI packed heat:

We are not dealing with just any librarian, but with Achille Ratti, who became Pope with the name Pius XI.

And the gun?

Here’s the explanation of this oddity. When he was prefect of the Ambrosian Library in Milan, Ratti kept a a revolver close at had "as a deterent to keep off possible miscreants with gunshots in the air, or the like."

Once promoted to the Vatican Library, he brought his gun with him. And when in 1918 Benedict XV sent him to Poland as an apostolic visitor, he sent to Warsaw via the diplomatic pouch, "a small revolver and ammunition".

As Pope, we don’t know. But it occurs that he could have been a quick-draw, based on the motto he chose for his episcopal caot-of arms: "Raptim transit" , "it goes by swiftly", a citation of Job 6:15.

When I read it I thought immediately of Spaghetti Westerns. Instead of Clint Eastwood, maybe Pope Pius XI could have starred, or maybe co-starred with St Gabriel Possenti.
I thought up a few titles, but please by all means add more in the combox:
For a Few Prayers to St Thomas More
The Good, the Bad, and the Holy
Fistful of Rosaries
Once Upon a Time in the Roman Empire

and there's one title that would fit perfectly:
God's Gun

Sunday Snippets: A Catholic Carnival

So this week I have decided to join in on the Sunday Snippets Carnival. Its held over at This That and the Other Thing
Sunday was a post on an OT prophecy regarding Mary's perpetual virginity and Dan has asked someone to adopt him/his blog
Monday was a quote from St Hilary on the Eucharist
Tuesday is an excerpt from Unam Sanctam about Luke 22:36-38
Wednesday was a posting of a Tiny Toons music video of Istanbul was Constantinople
Friday had a post on a St Thomas Aquinas quote a thought of the day from Fr. William Doyle, SJ and I joined in the 7 Quick Takes
Saturday was the beginning of my Small Seeds series


May God bless all who read my ramblings,

Saints and Scripture Sunday

Psalm 51:15
Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will speak out your praise.

This verse is said everyday all across the world as part of the liturgy of the hours. I'm not sure which translation is used for the liturgy of the hours, but in English we say "O Lord open my lips and my mouth shall declare your praise." And this is also split between the two choirs.

Through the liturgy of the hours, along with Mass (or Divine Liturgy for the Eastern Churches) the Church never stops praying. Of course there are myriad other forms of prayer such as rosary going on, but at any given moment somewhere in the world two things are happening liturgy of the hours and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The Church never stops praying, we pray continuously.

Formalized prayers of the Church are great way to glorify God and to continuously declare His praises. However, the Lord opens mouths and we often find other ways to speak His glories. The best ways I can think of is evangelization. All the Apostles went off to preach the love and the glory of God. Sts Paul and Peter most come to mind when we think of this, but lets not forget St Thomas who went to India nor Sts James, Matthew, and John whose writings are still used to spread the Gospel and continue the perpetual adoration and worship of God. I could name countless other saints, since of course by their nature saints declare the praises of God.

May God bless all who read my ramblings,

Theotokos Thursday VI

 Mary giving her cincture to St Thomas

May God bless all who read my ramblings,

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