During this YEAR FOR PRIESTS, the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy (a national association of priests and deacons seeking to promote ongoing spiritual, intellectual and pastoral formation of its members in a fraternal setting) asks for your assistance. First and foremost, we ask for your PRAYERS. Secondly, we could use any financial assistance you are able to provide.
During this YEAR FOR PRIESTS, please consider the following suggestions:
1. In honor of the institution of Holy Orders on Holy Thursday at the Last Supper, make a Eucharistic Holy Hour before a tabernacle or exposed Blessed Sacrament on one Thursday every month. During that hour, pray for all the priests who have been helpful to you and pray for the mediocre and bad ones who have not that they would repent and become better priests before it is too late.
2. On every Thursday (except Solemnities) voluntarily abstain from meat OR fast (one full meal for the day with two smaller ones) and offer up that mortification for the sanctification of all priests, for future priests (seminarians), for sick and infirm priests, for suffering priests, and for the perseverance of good priests to continue.
3. IF POSSIBLE, consider sponsoring a priest or at least make a donation to the CCC to help defray the costs of our upcoming conference in Rome. We are gathering January 4th - 8th, 2010 with our compatriots from the Australian Confraternity of Catholic Clergy and a few priests from Britain and Ireland as well. Each member pays his own airfare and conference fees but combined those costs can easily add up to $2,000. Your generous gift can help a priest or deacon who otherwise might not be able to afford this once in a lifetime experience. We also need to offset some of our expenses, so any and all donations are greatly appreciated. Please email me if you are interested and able to proved any financial assistance. (catholic.clergy@gmail.com)
4. PLEASE make an effort to pray a rosary and divine mercy chaplet each day during our conference (January 4th to 8th, 2010). Your prayers and the powerful intercession of Our Lady, Queen of the Clergy and Mother of Priests, will be our greatest asset during this YEAR FOR PRIESTS.
Yes, we know that some of our colleagues have not behaved as they should have nor have they taught or preached with clarity and in conformity to the Catechism. Some have debased the Holy Mass into a personality cult or have diluted it into a pedestrian and banal performance rather than a supreme act of divine worship and Holy Sacrifice. While it is easy to identify the recalcitrant miscreants, it is nevertheless imperative that the faithful clergy be encouraged and supported since often they are the most maligned, attacked, persecuted and criticized by diocesan bureaucrats and ecclesiastical sycophants. We NEED YOU, our beloved faithful laity and religious, to pray for us and to support us every way possible. The heterodox dissidents who violate Ex Corde Ecclesiae have more power and influence in the press and with a handful of those higher up in the clerical food chain often appear to be in control but they are the minority and are becoming an endangered species. Newly ordained and those of us JP2 clergy have seen the abuses of the 'spirit of Vatican II' while we are cognizant of the actual content of the real 'documents of Vatican II'. Older and middle aged priests and deacons, though, are also realizing the deception foisted upon them by a few self-anointed experts who distorted the words of Vatican II and manipulated the spirit to promote their own agenda. John Paul the Great and Benedict XVI have ushered a real Renaissance in the Church where LEX ORANDI, LEX CREDENDI, LEX VIVENDI is restored in all its fullness. Reverent worship + orthodox teaching + holy living is the guaranteed formula for personal sanctity and eternal happiness.
IF nothing else, please say at least one Hail Mary, Our Father and Glory Be every Thursday during this YEAR FOR PRIESTS so that all us priests can become BETTER priests so we can BETTER serve Almighty God, Holy Mother Church and the People of God.
Father John Trigilio, Jr.
President
Confraternity of Catholic Clergy
121 William St
Marysville, PA 17053
