THE HOLY CROSS BULLETIN
DECEMBER 2012 – Nº 48
Dear friends and benefactors,
Events of major importance shook and have still shaken the Tradition world. After the announcement of a possible practical agreement with Rome, mainly both some priests and Bishop Williamson’s expulsion reveal the seriousness of such internal crisis.
Our monastery was and has still been connected with those events, as we have welcomed both Fr. Ernesto Cardozo and Bishop Williamson within our walls, the latter came to Brazil to confirm us in the Faith through the confirmation sacrament and through the anti-liberal and anti-modernist preaching by explaining us the nature and the causes of such present crisis clearly and deeply. He exhorted us to pray the Rosary every day, which many started to do after his stay in Brazil. Only the Mediatrix of all graces received from her own Son the power to smash the hellish viper head, and thus opening our royal path of the Holy Cross, which leads us to the eternal beatitude that our Redeemer got us with His Most Precious Blood.
Such confirmations have been strongly criticized and regarded as illicit. And why would they be illicit? Because some say they have not been consented by Bishop Fellay, as well as all such apostolate that was carried out in Brazilian lands. On the contrary, we think such confirmations were licit and beneficial for the following reason. It is known by all that Bishop Williamson’s preaching displeases Rome. In this present combat, such voice, like Archbishop Lefebvre’s 40 years ago, is of paramount importance for being one of the only genuinely Catholic Episcopal voices in the world. Silencing Bishop Williamson at the present time would be to betray his Episcopal duty. His speech is the Episcopal grace, which was received to protect and to advise the faithful about the danger of a deadly agreement for Tradition or something alike: a spirit of an agreement without such said agreement. When we have that before our eyes, we think that Bishop Williamson did something good while exposing himself to hard sanctions to benefit the faithful. It is a shepherd’s duty. The good shepherd must give his tranquility and his life for his flock and his sheep.
For such reason, Bishop Williamson and we are united in this moment when his name once more is dishonored with the stigma of rebellious, disobedient and other worse adjectives.
May God grant Bishop Williamson and all who defend the Catholic Faith the strength to persevere to the end in the defense of Christ King and not in the allegedly modern men’s rights, which Vatican II wanted consecrate sacrilegiously, thus causing the biggest disaster of the history of Church ever since its foundation.
Father Prior
on October 28th, 2012,
Christ the King’s Feast.
DOCTRINE
The Sacrament of Confirmation
What is the Sacrament of Confirmation?
Confirmation or Chrism is a sacrament which gives us the Holy Spirit and it prints the character of soldiers of Christ in our souls and it makes us perfect Christians.
How does the Sacrament of Confirmation make us perfect Christians?
Confirmation makes us perfect Christians by confirming us in Faith, and by perfecting other virtues in us as well as the gifts received in holy baptism, and that is why it is called Confirmation.
What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit which are received in Confirmation?
The gifts of the Holy Spirit which are received in Confirmation are seven: Wisdom, Understanding, Council, Fortitude, Science, Piety, Fear of God.
What’s the matter of this sacrament?
The matter of this sacrament, and the imposition of hands of the Bishop, the anointing of the forehead of the baptized person with the holy chrism, so this sacrament is also called Chrism, which means anointing.
What is the holy chrism?
The Holy Chrism is olive oil mixed with balsam and consecrated by the bishop on Holy Thursday.
What do oil and balm mean in this sacrament?
In this sacrament, the oil that is poured and that strengthens means abundance of grace that spreads in the Christian soul to confirm the Christian Faith; and the balm, which is aromatic and preserves from corruption, means that the Christian is fortified by this grace is able to spread the good aroma of Christian virtues, and to preserve himself unspotted from the vices.
What is the form of the Sacrament of Confirmation?
The form of the Sacrament of Confirmation is: I signal thee with the sign of the cross, and I confirm thee with the chrism of salvation, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Who is the ordinary minister of the Sacrament of Confirmation?
The ordinary minister of the Sacrament of Confirmation is the bishop only.
Who is the extraordinary minister of the Sacrament of Confirmation?
The priest.
Wherever Bishop Williamson confirmed the faithful, he also did it to people who had already been confirmed in the new rite. Why? Because modifications were introduced in the new rite concerning both matter (which does not need to be olive oil anymore), and form.
CHRONICLE
May 12
Wedding of Gabriela and Geraldo in Arraial Novo, celebrated by Fr. Antonio Maria.
May 13
Perpetual Vows of Sorors Maria Beatriz and Maria Inês, and annual vote of Soror Maria Goretti at the Institute of Our Lady of the Rosary in Anápolis. The Reverend Prior takes part in the ceremony and then he returns.
May 15
Fr. Antonio Maria travels to the La Reja seminary.
May 17
The Rev. Father Ernesto Cardozo sings the Ascension Mass.
May 21
Arrival of the Rev. Father Fernando Conceição Lopes, who comes to see the sisters of his institute, who are in charge of our school.
May 26
Pilgrimage of Pentecost Vigil with the participation of the sisters.
May 27
Mass of Pentecost then catechism about the current situation of Tradition. The letter that Bishop Williamson, Bishop Tissier and Bishop de Galarreta wrote to Bishop Fellay and his advisers is explained to the faithful.
June 2
Conference in Campos on the current situation.
June 3
Baptism of Tiago Gadotti adult, after a preparation that was taken very seriously by this new member of the Holy Church.
June 6
Fr. Antonio Maria and Br. Placido go to Arraial Novo for the feast of Corpus Christi.
June 7
Beautiful Corpus Christi procession at the monastery with the participation of the sisters, who decorated the St. Michael and St.Anthony’s chapel with great zeal, where the Mass was celebrated.
Our friends come from Vitoria to take part in the feast.
June 10
Fr. Antonio Maria leaves for Bellaigue.
June 15
Brief mission in Victoria, where the sisters must attend a college examination for distance education.
July 4
Dona Teresa, the “granny” as she is known, receives Extreme Unction at St. Luke’s Hospital. Her condition improved and she returns to the house a few days later.
August 25
Arrival of Bishop Williamson to Rio de Janeiro, from where he heads for Salvador after having lunch at friendly faithfull’s home.
August 26
Confirmations in the Monastery of Our Lady of the Faith and the Holy Rosary (Candeias – BA) with great presence of the faithful, followed by a conference of Bishop Williamson addressed to the faithful on Liberalism.
August 27
Bishop Williamson dialogues with Rev. Fr. Jahir Britto and his community.
August 28
Bishop Williamson heads for Vitória, where the faithful welcome him with the marks of true piety and holy joy.
Brothers André, Agostinho and Tarcisio also come to Victoria for the ceremony of confirmations the following day.
August 29
Departure to Campo Grande. A delay of plane forces Bishop Williamson to stay another day in Victoria and to cancel the visit and confirmations in Campo Grande. Visit postponed, but not canceled. Providence will provide.
August 30
Departure to Maringa, where confirmations are carried out on day 31. As in Vitoria and Candeias, Bishop Williamson gives a conference to the faithful.
September 1
Return to Rio and going up the ridge to Nova Friburgo, where Bishop Williamson administers the sacrament of Confirmation to about 50 Confirmation applicants and he speaks to the faithful and the monks several times for instruction and edification of all.
September 3
Feast of St. Pius X, Bishop Williamson is with us until lunch time. During the Mass, he speaks about the most unique difficulty encountered by Archbishop Lefebvre concerning the obligation to disobey the supreme leader of the Church, in order to conserve and to protect the faith. The Church administrative machinery was used against the Church’s faith, by permission of God for the punishment of men and the glory of those who remained faithful, beginning by Archbishop Lefebvre, a true luminary in the present darkness that befell the Holy Church.
September 30
Advised by Bishop Williamson, Father Prior completes the series of confirmations left undone, by visiting Campo Grande and administering this sacrament so extraordinary as prescribed by Holy Church in similar cases.
October 12
Brother Placido and the Reverend Prior go to Victoria, where Deivid helps us open a Paypal account to receive donations from abroad.
October 15
The Reverend Prior visits Father Fernando Lopes and his Institute in Anapolis, where a boarding school houses about 100 students, of whom about 40 are girls. Three girls of Nova Friburgo are currently in such boarding school.
November 6
The Reverend Prior leaves for Maringá and he comes back through Rio de Janeiro, where he is welcomed by some friendly faithful.
November 12
The Rev. Father Cardozo shows the monks a documentary about the Cristeros, as he had done to the sisters and as he usually does on various topics such as Garcia Moreno, Thomas Morus, Eucharistic miracles, etc..
November 13
The Reverend Prior and Br. Placido depart for Arraial Novo for the burial of D. Lucy, the mother of 14 children whose example is a grace for young couples in Arraial Novo.
November 14
We received and read, in the dining room, the beautiful, warm and firm statement by Rev. Fr. Jahir Britto in defense of Bishop Williamson.
November 25
Communion of five children of our school, prepared by the sisters.
REPORT OF THE CELLARER
We now have a school in operation. What a job! This heroic work is done by Rev. Fr. Fernando Conceição Lopes’s congregation sisters. May God bless him forever for such great generosity in having founded such institute that takes care of the education of children.
However, if the work is done by the sisters, the costs are supported by the monastery. Now our small or big jobs are not enough to pay for those expenses. Therefore this poor administrator who writes you humbly asks for your help, and he assures you of the prayers and the gratitude of the brothers, sisters and the children.
A Mass is celebrated every month for our benefactors.
Brother Cellarer
Addresses for correspondence and bank accounts for those who want to help us:
Mosteiro da Santa Cruz
Caixa Postal 96582
28610-974 Nova Friburgo – RJ
BRAZIL
IN THE USA
Acct Name: Miguel F da Costa (civil name of F. Thomas Aquinas OSB)
Acct No.: 7528268324
Bank: Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
2340 N Mesa St
El Paso, TX 79902
IN EUROPE
Soc. C. Mant. do Mosteiro da S. Cruz
BNP PARIBAS
PARIS ARC DE TRIOMPHE
Code Banque Code Agence N° de compte Clé RIB
30004 02933 00010061014 60
IBAN: FR76 3000 4029 3300 0100 6101 460
BIC: BNPAFRPPPCE
80 av. Marceau
75008 Paris – FRANCE
To access our Paypal’s account see our site:
www.beneditinos.org.br
Have a Happy New Year
+
Pax
Please, help our school and the Sisters of the Holy Rosary.