S. Ioseph Sponsi B. Mariæ V. Conf. et Ecclesiæ Universæ Patroni

Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite

The Last TLM at St. Mary’s/ Saint Joseph Latin Mass Society

Fr. Daniel Liu, Fr. Miguel Flores, Fr. Jonathan Raia

March 19, 2024

Dominica I. Passionis

Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite

Passion Sunday

The Last Sunday Mass for Saint Joseph Latin Mass Society at Saint Mary Cathedral

Fr. Daniel Liu

March 17, 2024

Missa in Commemoratione Omnium Fidelium Defunctorum

Mass of All Souls

Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite Missa pro defunctis

Mass Setting by Giovanni Pierliugi da Palestrina

St Mary Cathedral Austin, Texas

November 2, 2019

Select few from Ordination of:

Edward Dolphin CSC

Nicholas Guiney CSC

Stephen Jakubowski CSC

Ryan Kerr CSC

Tyler Kreipke CSC

Peter Puleo CSC

Michael Ryan CSC

Brian Vetter CSC

to the Order of the Presbyterate

Basilica of the Sacred Heart University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

Saturday within the Octave of Easter

April 6, 2024

1:30pm

The final profession of vows (Perpetual Vows) by Sisters Lucero Espitia Márquez and Guadalupe Guillen Chávez of the Discípulas de Jesus took place on August 15 at 6 p.m. The Most Reverend Joe S. Vásquez, Bishop of the Diocese of Austin, presided over the celebration at St. Albert the Great parish in Austin, TX.

1324 The Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life."  

"The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch."

1325 "The Eucharist is the efficacious sign and sublime cause of that communion in the divine life and that unity of the People of God by which the Church is kept in being. It is the culmination both of God's action sanctifying the world in Christ and of the worship men offer to Christ and through him to the Father in the Holy Spirit."

1326 Finally, by the Eucharistic celebration we already unite ourselves with the heavenly liturgy and anticipate eternal life, when God will be all in all.

1327 In brief, the Eucharist is the sum and summary of our faith: "Our way of thinking is attuned to the Eucharist, and the Eucharist in turn confirms our way of thinking."

Located in Jerusalem, the Holy Sepulchre is considered the holiest place on earth. And it attracts pilgrims by the thousands, all drawn to pay homage to their Saviour, Jesus Christ. The Church contains the two holiest sites in Christianity: the site where Jesus was crucified, at a place known as Calvary or Golgotha, and Jesus's empty tomb, where he had been buried and resurrected. Ownership of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is shared between the Greek Orthodox, Catholics and Armenian Orthodox.

Jerusalem, Christian Quarter, Israel

September 2022

Located in Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine, The Church of the Nativity is the oldest complete church in the Christian world. Built by the emperor Justinian in the 6th century. It replaced the original church of Constantine the Great, built over the cave venerated as Christ’s birthplace, and dedicated in AD 339. Before Constantine, the first Christian emperor, the Romans had tried to wipe out the memory of the cave. They planted a grove dedicated to the pagan god Adonis, lover of Venus, and established his cult in the cave. As St Jerome wrote in AD 395, “The earth’s most sacred spot was overshadowed by the grave of Adonis, and the cave where the infant Christ once wept was where the paramour of Venus was bewailed.” Persians invaded Palestine in 614 and destroyed many churches. They spared the Church of the Nativity when they saw a mosaic on an interior wall depicting the Three Wise Men in Persian dress. Apart from the Holy Sepulchre, this is considered one of the Holiest sites in Christianity due to being the birthplace of Jesus.

Bethlehem, Palestine, West Bank

September 2022

Bishop Joe S. Vasquez was installed as the 5th bishop of the Diocese of Austin on March 8, 2010. I have been blessed to have been confirmed by him in 2014, and years later started photographing him, as he served around the Diocese.

Taken from Parish Website: On Motherland Mass Sunday, the Last Sunday in February, Holy Cross marks the end of Black History Month. Celebrated in style. With inculturation in mind, the 10am Mass is done in multilingual languages: English, French, Igbo, Swahili, Bamileke, Yoruba, and latin languages. Flags from all African and some countires in the Carribbean are presented during procession. A combined choir comprising of Holy Cross English Choirs and St Augustine Choir. After the Mass, a reception takes place in the newly built FLC hall. Cuisines from various nationalities are served.

The Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary are the largest and oldest-continually existent predominantly African-American lay Catholic organization. The Order was Founded in 1909 by Fr. Conrad Friedrich Rebesher, a Josephite, in Mobile, Alabama. The KPC, were named after St. Peter Claver, a Jesuit priest from Spain who ministered to African slaves in Cartegena, Colombia, South America, in the 17th century. Peter Claver is said to have converted over 300,000 slaves to Catholicism. The Ladies Auxiliary was formed in 1922.

When one thinks of the University of Notre Dame, what comes to mind might be football, the fighting Irish, outstanding academics and pop cultural references in entertainment. But Notre Dame is also a Catholic University with a strong faith life. The university was founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross. While religious affiliation is not a criterion for admission, 93 percent identify as Christian with 80 percent of the total being Catholic. There are 47 chapels on campus, including one in every residence hall. Collectively, Mass is celebrated over 100 times per week on campus, and a large campus ministry program provides for the faith needs of the community.

“The sacraments,” said Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, (now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI) “are a kind of contact with God himself. They show that this faith is not a purely spiritual thing, but one that involves community and creates community.” Of the seven sacraments, priestly ordination – and the subsequent first Mass – involves and creates community like no other. Faithful from far and wide across a diocese, some of whom never even having met the ordinandi, come together as contact with God is made: by God’s power individual men are made priests of Jesus Christ forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

~ David Bonagura, Jr. 

Photos of:

Fr. Karl Romkema, C.S.C. (ordained in 2019)

Fr. Michael Thomas, C.S.C. (ordained in 2019)

Fr. Steve Jakubowski, C.S.C. (ordained in 2024)

(Fr. Steve’s first English Mass at Moreau Seminary, first Spanish mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Notre Dame)

From Austin Diocese Website:

Diocesan Celebration in Honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Held on December 7, 2019 in downtown Austin

Theme: Mother of Christ our Hope

The story of Our Lady of Guadalupe is about the incarnation of Christ expressed in a culture, in a language, to a people in a way that they can understand his message of hope. We, just like San Juan Diego, are urged by Our Lady to bring the message of hope and comfort promised by God to the people from every culture and language in our diocese.

Austin and San Jose Catholic Parish, Texas

December 7, 2019

Austin Diocese Chrism Mass was held on April 16, 2019 at St. Vincent de Paul. Bishop Joe Vasquez blessed three oils — the oil of catechumens (oleum catechumenorum or oleum sanctorum), the oil of the infirm (oleum infirmorum) and holy chrism (sacrum chrisma) — which will be used in the administration of the sacraments throughout the diocese for the year.

The word pilgramage comes from the Latin word “Peregrinum”. A pilgrimage is a purposeful wandering over a distance. A purpose to grow deeper in ones faith, and to grow in the Truth to Honor God. Not only is a pilgrimage about a destination but also contains and is about the preparation. Fasting, penance and prayer. In the Catholic faith, one Holy site frequented by most in numbers, well up to 25 million people annually, is to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Second to only St. Peters Basilica in Rome, Italy.

So much depth of knowledge is needed for Our Lady of San Juan de Los Lagos miraculous intercessions, that to understand, one has to be part of the cultural “in the know”. After our Lady of Guadalupe this is the most visited pilgramage site in Mexico bringing over 7 million visitors. 2 million during the Candlemas alone. Even during Masses not associated with Our Lady, pilgrims drop to their knees in humility to crawl to her presence.