That is right, the "so-called" Catholic parishioners of St. Andrews in Red Springs protested against their priest, Father Ospina and padlocked him out of the church. Things got so bad the Police Department was dispatched, and Father was escorted away "for his Saftey" In addition to the lock that had been bolted outside the side door, a sign on the glass read, "Iglesia Cerrada hasta que tengamos nuevo parroco. Justicia!!" That translates to "Church closed until we have a new priest. Justice!" Father Ospina has served as priest of the Red Springs church for about a year, and he also delivered the Spanish Mass at St. Francis De Sales Catholic Church in Lumberton and the missionary station of St. Andrew in St. Pauls. Many parishioners say that Father doesn't make time for them. Well sounds to me like they need to be considerate that they are not his only parish, he has quite the work load. If they really want to help, try encouraging vocations and do their part as Catholics.
This is what happens when you forget what being Catholic is. Father Ospina is a good and holy priest, and is trying to give these inconsiderate protestant wanna-be nincompoops a treasure they have forgotten all about. The Tridentine Mass. That's right, the only vehicle that will allow us to be once again universal (ie: Catholic)!
The Vicar General of the Diocese of Raleigh, Monsignor David Brockman, was dispatched with a message for the unfaithful of this parish. The Bishop has shut the parish down, and will decide to reopen it when He wants to. His Excellency will personally celebrate the first Mass when the parish is re-opened. Way to go Your Excellency!
These people are not Catholic, granted I'm no saint, and am prone to sinfulness; but this just cuts the cake! Good thing this didn't happen here at our beloved parish, because the parishioners would have to be escorted away for their saftey, by Yours truly. If my brothers in blue would not take my side, I have a whole Council of Loyal and Catholic Knight's to back up Holy Mother Church. Futhermore we know better, the church is not our's it belongs to God; the priest is the caretaker of the building the same as of our souls. What blatant disrespect. Council 9001 frowns upon such actions and stands up against it.
Letter to the NC State Deputy:
Worthy State Deputy, I am Grand Knight of council 9001 in Dunn, Pepe Aguilar. I am writing this correspondence to inquire if there is anything being done to assist Father Ospina in Red Springs with his current situation. Such actions by (in this case "so- called") catholics and catholics in general is so indignant, that it deserves to be addressed approprietley; which in this case His Excellency has acted accordingly. As knights we are called to be in solidarity with our priests. We must let it be known that we do not tolerate such behavior from our members if any were present during this protest, and furthermore we should offer our support to Father Ospina. My council stands behind Fr. Ospina and every good and holy priest in this diocese, especially ours (Father Parkerson). We would ask that the State Council step in as well to support Father Ospina, and encourage every council especially those in Robeson County, and in St. Andrews parish to stand up for this good and holy priest! If we can not do what it is that we say we must do as knights, then we have failed our faith, Holy Mother Church, and God. Let us take a stand against such an injustice and humiliating act against not only Father Ospina, but against the Diocese, the Bishop, The Pope, and Holy Mother Church and ultimately God. Please respond ASAP, and do not let such a disgraceful action slip by the wayside. The State Council needs to speak out against this, just as His Excellency made his authority be known, so too must we let our courage and solidarity be known.
Cum Sancte Michaeli ad Propugnaculum Sancta Mater Ecclessia Christi,
Response from State Council:
The official stance of the State Council is that "We will pray for Fr. Ospina". The State Council conferred with Msgr. Brockman and was advised to " let the Diocese handle the situation, whereas they are working it out with the parishioners and making them understand that Fr. Ospina is in charge of that parish. As of now there is nothing that we can do, the Diocese has everything under control. We will support Fr. Ospina and we will respond in case of an additional 'sos' signal is sent out."
Although the State Deputy agreed with me that this incident was the most humiliating thing that can happen to a priest, he assured me that if it gets out of hand then the State will step in and offer their assistance.
Council 9001 will remain vigilant and on guard in defense of Holy Mother Church and her priests. Even though this is not the exact message we were all wanting to hear (swords drawn and The Judge cocked back) at least the State Council took the initiative to speak to the Vicar General and is willing to step in, if the situation further deteriorates. Under obedience we shall remain, yet ever watchful and will further assist if anything goes array. After speaking to Fr. Ospina at mass in Wilmington he was relieved and grateful that we support him. I offered him all assurance that we will be of assistance if needed, of which he took great comfort.
God bless and keep Fr. Ospina! St. Michael, Defend us in battle!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Council 9001's Tridentine Silver Rose Service! Pro-Life monument Dedication
The Silver Rose made it to Dunn on August 20th just in time for Daily Mass celebrated by Father Parkerson, in extraordinary form of course! The beautiful pillow was made by the wife of Council 1074, Wilmington's Grand Knight Dave King. Good job Mrs. King! Our Council is proud to have had the Silver Rose and incorporated its meaning with the blessing and dedication of our own pro-life monument. We are also proud to have had the only Tridentine program in the State, thanks to the fervor of Father Parkerson and his ministry of the Extraordinary Form. This event had a multifaceted role for our council. Not only did it show our dedication to the Pro-Life cause, but we show our allegiance to Holy Father’s wishes as expressed in his: Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum Missa Latina. Holy Father states “Up to our own times, it has been the constant concern of supreme pontiffs to ensure that the Church of Christ offers a worthy ritual to the Divine Majesty, 'to the praise and glory of His name,' and 'to the benefit of all His Holy Church”. The Beauty and worth of the Extraordinary form is sometimes overlooked, ignored and assumed antiquated and not conforming to Vatican Two. This is a perception born in error whereas the extraordinary form was always permitted. Council 9001 affirms our belief in Pro-Life, we show solidarity to our priest and to Holy Father, and pledge our lives in service to Holy Mother Church as traditional Catholic Knights of old. 
The Rose sat upon the entrance table by the fount, awaiting for service to begin.
Introibo ad altare Dei!
The Consecration
Hoc est enim
Corpus meum.
Hic est enim
Calix Sanguinis
mei, novi et
ætérni testaménti:
mystérium fídei:
qui pro vobis et
pro multis
effundétur in
remissiónem
peccatórum.
Ecce Agnus,
The rose is placed at the altar, and the Litany of the Blessed Virgin
Father Parkerson leads a decade of the Holy Rosary, before blessing the monument. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicX-d1SmeNpf7T_5nXRZBRSHIVi7kmzhqEkPFd986rfe_CcffCuw4Uvba4gvbd_coTx3xHglT9-vqV7C08HDiEvl2lJE3cxWNiPWsTtBjLEZFTKjmA_QDMkmBqfRGuezdDbnYC5faxrJGd/s1600-h/100_0806.JPG
Father Parkerson Blesses the Monument dedicated in memorium to the
The Rose sat upon the entrance table by the fount, awaiting for service to begin.
Introibo ad altare Dei!The Consecration
Hoc est enim
Corpus meum.
Hic est enim
Calix Sanguinis
mei, novi et
ætérni testaménti:
mystérium fídei:
qui pro vobis et
pro multis
effundétur in
remissiónem
peccatórum.
Ecce Agnus,
Ecce qui tollis peccata mundi,
Domine non sum dignus,
ut intres sub tectum meum:
sed tantum dic verbo,
et sanabitur anima mea.
Ite Missa Est,
Procesus ad altare
Procesus ad altare
The rose is placed at the altar, and the Litany of the Blessed Virgin
is said, followed by intercessory prayers for the intentions
of Pro-Life.
Exit the chuch and on to the monument dedication
Exit the chuch and on to the monument dedication
Father Parkerson leads a decade of the Holy Rosary, before blessing the monument. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicX-d1SmeNpf7T_5nXRZBRSHIVi7kmzhqEkPFd986rfe_CcffCuw4Uvba4gvbd_coTx3xHglT9-vqV7C08HDiEvl2lJE3cxWNiPWsTtBjLEZFTKjmA_QDMkmBqfRGuezdDbnYC5faxrJGd/s1600-h/100_0806.JPG
Father Parkerson Blesses the Monument dedicated in memorium to the
Unborn and the Deceased Knights.
Photos of the Rose at the footsteps of the Altar.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.
The Next Stop for the Rose is Sacred Heart Cathedral on the 21st.
Photos of the Rose at the footsteps of the Altar.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.
The Next Stop for the Rose is Sacred Heart Cathedral on the 21st.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The 'Year for Priests'
In keeping with the Order's longstanding "In Solidarity With Our Priests" campaign, the Supreme Knight has called upon all Knights to actively participate in the "Year for Priests" declared by Pope Benedict XVI. The centerpiece of the Order's program for this yearlong celebration (June 19, 2009 – June 19, 2010) is a new holy card featuring a prayer for priests. The card features an icon, written by Marek Czarnecki (http://www.seraphicrestorations.com/ ), showing Christ in Mass vestments with a gold pelican over his heart, the ancient symbol of self-sacrifice. At the bottom of the icon is an altar prepared for Mass, and at the sides are Melchizedek, whose sacrifice of bread and wine prefigured the Eucharist, and St. John Vianney the patron of parish priests. The back of the card includes a prayer for priests.
Governor's Letter
Click on the link below to see a copy of the Governor's letter to the State Council!
Governor's Letter
Governor's Letter
Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Knights
It is a “Heavenly Portrait,” “A Miracle that Changed History,” and a window into the heart of God. What earthly object could possibly meet such a description? The tilma of St. Juan Diego, which is imprinted with the image of the Blessed Mother, under her title of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
A small, thumb-sized portion of that tilma – or cloak – will be featured at the 127th Knights of Columbus Convention, as well as at the Marian Congress and Guadalupe Festival that follow this week in Phoenix. The tilma relic will be part of various liturgical processions and be made available for veneration by the faithful.
Throughout this convention week, the transnational reach of the Knights of Columbus and the unifying message of Our Lady of Guadalupe will be woven together in talks, images and presentations, as the Knights continue to underline the truly Catholic roots and future of the American hemisphere – North, Central and South.
Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patroness of the Americas, and the Knights of Columbus, which has councils throughout Canada, the United States and Mexico, has taken on a special mission of promoting and supporting the message of Guadalupe. Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson took Our Lady of Guadalupe as the patroness of his administration when he became head of the fraternal Order in 2000.
Guadalupe On Display
A family looks at an exhibit on Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Ballroom Foyer.
At the convention center, a large display in a main corridor tells the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the tilma. The tall, eight-panel display has attracted the attention of the hundreds of convention delegates and their families, many of whom had not known the full story of the encounter in 1531 between the Blessed Mother and Juan Diego.
One afternoon, a group of adults and children from southern Texas made the rounds of the display to deepen their strong devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
“Where we come from, Our Lady of Guadalupe is everywhere, in every church, every chapel,” said Rosa Vela. “We have a great devotion to her, we love her very much.”
Her husband, Alfredo Vela, is program director for the Texas State Council. He described a procession in their hometown, Rio Grande Valley, on December 12 each year, the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. “We have thousands, who come from all around, processing to the stadium in her honor,” he said.
They were traveling with their adult daughter and other families from their area.
“We have to give our support to the Texas delegation,” Mrs. Vela explained. “We are the cheerleaders for them, for all the good work they do.”
The Miracle Explored
The Guadalupe display includes detailed information and historical images about the events of 1531, when Juan Diego, a simple native of what is now Mexico City, was met on the hill of Tepeyac and given a message for the Bishop of Mexico to build a chapel in her honor. After being turned away respectfully by the bishop, Juan Diego returned with a sign given to him by Our Lady, the miraculous image of herself imprinted on his tilma.
Other panels of the display present the scientific evidence that points to the miraculous nature of the image, beginning with the fact that the simple threads of the tilma should have frayed and decomposed centuries ago. Yet today, the tilma is on display in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, where millions visit each year to see the image that is still fresh and clear.
The final panel of the convention display tells the story of the tiny tilma relic, which is the only known portion taken from the original tilma that exists in the United States. It is encased in hard plastic and held by a chain that is draped around the neck of a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The tilma relic is on loan to the Knights of Columbus from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which received it in the 1940s from the Mexico City Archdiocese. It is normally on display in Our Lady of the Angeles Cathedral in Los Angeles.
A small, thumb-sized portion of that tilma – or cloak – will be featured at the 127th Knights of Columbus Convention, as well as at the Marian Congress and Guadalupe Festival that follow this week in Phoenix. The tilma relic will be part of various liturgical processions and be made available for veneration by the faithful.
Throughout this convention week, the transnational reach of the Knights of Columbus and the unifying message of Our Lady of Guadalupe will be woven together in talks, images and presentations, as the Knights continue to underline the truly Catholic roots and future of the American hemisphere – North, Central and South.
Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patroness of the Americas, and the Knights of Columbus, which has councils throughout Canada, the United States and Mexico, has taken on a special mission of promoting and supporting the message of Guadalupe. Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson took Our Lady of Guadalupe as the patroness of his administration when he became head of the fraternal Order in 2000.
Guadalupe On Display
A family looks at an exhibit on Our Lady of Guadalupe in the Ballroom Foyer.
At the convention center, a large display in a main corridor tells the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the tilma. The tall, eight-panel display has attracted the attention of the hundreds of convention delegates and their families, many of whom had not known the full story of the encounter in 1531 between the Blessed Mother and Juan Diego.
One afternoon, a group of adults and children from southern Texas made the rounds of the display to deepen their strong devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
“Where we come from, Our Lady of Guadalupe is everywhere, in every church, every chapel,” said Rosa Vela. “We have a great devotion to her, we love her very much.”
Her husband, Alfredo Vela, is program director for the Texas State Council. He described a procession in their hometown, Rio Grande Valley, on December 12 each year, the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. “We have thousands, who come from all around, processing to the stadium in her honor,” he said.
They were traveling with their adult daughter and other families from their area.
“We have to give our support to the Texas delegation,” Mrs. Vela explained. “We are the cheerleaders for them, for all the good work they do.”
The Miracle Explored
The Guadalupe display includes detailed information and historical images about the events of 1531, when Juan Diego, a simple native of what is now Mexico City, was met on the hill of Tepeyac and given a message for the Bishop of Mexico to build a chapel in her honor. After being turned away respectfully by the bishop, Juan Diego returned with a sign given to him by Our Lady, the miraculous image of herself imprinted on his tilma.
Other panels of the display present the scientific evidence that points to the miraculous nature of the image, beginning with the fact that the simple threads of the tilma should have frayed and decomposed centuries ago. Yet today, the tilma is on display in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, where millions visit each year to see the image that is still fresh and clear.
The final panel of the convention display tells the story of the tiny tilma relic, which is the only known portion taken from the original tilma that exists in the United States. It is encased in hard plastic and held by a chain that is draped around the neck of a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The tilma relic is on loan to the Knights of Columbus from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which received it in the 1940s from the Mexico City Archdiocese. It is normally on display in Our Lady of the Angeles Cathedral in Los Angeles.
Vatican Cardinal Says Catholics Must Risk Discipleship
In societies that are becoming more secular and technological, Knights of Columbus, along with all Catholics, must bear witness to the fact that only God’s word can give “life-giving refreshment” to satisfy the human heart, said Cardinal William Levada in a homily on Wednesday.
A special guest at the Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention, Cardinal Levada is Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican. Formerly Archbishop of San Francisco, he was chosen by Pope Benedict XVI to replace himself as Prefect of the congregation in 2005.
The principal celebrant at the Mass, offered on the Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major, was Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop Emeritus of Washington, D.C.
Cardinal Levada said that the City of God, the “New Jerusalem” that is promised in Scripture to descend from heaven at the end of time, is not built by human hands. “The New Jerusalem does not rise up to heaven from the earth; that city is Babel, not Jerusalem,” he pointed out. “Rather, it comes down from heaven to us … we do not build heaven on earth; we simply prepare the site to welcome the New Jerusalem which comes from God.”
He made a suggestion that he said applies especially to American Catholics. Despite the many blessings and material wealth of the United States, he noted, “at times that abundance can blind people to our utter dependence on God, and the need to seek to do his will first and always.”
Bearing witness to spiritual realities and unpopular truths can make Catholics a target within the culture. “That is the cost of discipleship,” Cardinal Levada said. “As Catholics, especially in America, we can and should work with all people of good will, regardless of their religious beliefs, to improve the lot of others.” But this cooperation must not mute the voice of Catholics who proclaim that only God satisfied the human heart, he concluded.
A special guest at the Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention, Cardinal Levada is Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican. Formerly Archbishop of San Francisco, he was chosen by Pope Benedict XVI to replace himself as Prefect of the congregation in 2005.
The principal celebrant at the Mass, offered on the Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major, was Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop Emeritus of Washington, D.C.
Cardinal Levada said that the City of God, the “New Jerusalem” that is promised in Scripture to descend from heaven at the end of time, is not built by human hands. “The New Jerusalem does not rise up to heaven from the earth; that city is Babel, not Jerusalem,” he pointed out. “Rather, it comes down from heaven to us … we do not build heaven on earth; we simply prepare the site to welcome the New Jerusalem which comes from God.”
He made a suggestion that he said applies especially to American Catholics. Despite the many blessings and material wealth of the United States, he noted, “at times that abundance can blind people to our utter dependence on God, and the need to seek to do his will first and always.”
Bearing witness to spiritual realities and unpopular truths can make Catholics a target within the culture. “That is the cost of discipleship,” Cardinal Levada said. “As Catholics, especially in America, we can and should work with all people of good will, regardless of their religious beliefs, to improve the lot of others.” But this cooperation must not mute the voice of Catholics who proclaim that only God satisfied the human heart, he concluded.
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