Articles & Updates

VIEWPOINTS OF AN ASPIRING SAINT

June 11, 2005
There are those who say we are all saints and others who say we are not saints until we get to heaven. It is probably safe to say we all have the potential to be saints but how many of us aspire to be one? I do. Though most of my life I was unaware of this desire which lay dormant in my heart, I had an awakening of the most unusual kind! I witnessed a Eucharistic Miracle at a place of pilgrimage, in Worcester, Massachusetts, where I went in search of the Divine Healer, for my grandchild, Katelin, who was gravely ill. Through faith, prayer and Jesus Christ, came a remarkable cure, which is well documented in the book “Memoir of a Miracle”. It was not the end of the story, nor even the climax; it was the reward of faith, which propelled me to Ask, Seek and Knock at Heaven’s door. The defining moment came while I was venerating a consecrated host after Mass in the tiny chapel at Audrey Santo’s home. It bled. Yes, I did say bled, and I will never forget that life changing moment, or my response. I said, “Oh my God, everything they tell us is true!” They, being the Catholic Church and the truth being, the Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. I remember being both excited and ashamed. I was excited because I knew I had witnessed something very special, very unusual. I was ashamed because like Thomas I knew I must have harbored some doubts. How easy it is to believe when we see something physically, yet as Catholics we are called to “see” by faith! My life was immediately and forever changed by that experience. That was an unexpected miracle and one I had NOT asked for. I gave my heart totally and completely to Jesus! I made a promise before I went on my pilgrimage that if the Lord healed Katelin, I would make His works known. I have tried my best to do that but my Eucharistic experience has given me a desire to make Adoration better known and more widespread. I am currently on a committee that has brought Perpetual Adoration to St. Gregory the Great but wouldn’t it be wonderful to have this beautiful devotion in every Parish?! Impossible, you say! Nothing is impossible unto God. Saints aspire to do the Lord’s work while here on earth. Often, they persevered against great odds. Adoration brought many strengths and graces to them. My husband cut out a headline from an article and taped it to my dresser mirror. It reads “The Dawn of a New Millennium” and I am a “new” Dawn, changed by grace through Jesus Christ. A priest, friend of mine is fond of telling me, ‘There is no Saint Dawn.’ “No, not YET!" is my response. We are all called to walk the road to perfection, knowing full well we will never attain it, but we do it anyway for the love of God. All that matters to Him is that we TRY!!!

Our Next LOL Meeting January 14

January 2, 2009
Our next meeting is January 14, 2010 in The Gathering Room attached to St. Gregory's Church. We begin at 7:00 pm with prayers, followed by readings from the Bible, Catechism, St. Faustina's Diary & we will have a speaker, Linda Amabile from the Disability Advocacy Committee with food & fellowship to follow. Hope to see you there.
All are welcomed.

CELIBACY, A CHOICE AND A GIFT!

June 11, 2005
I do not understand why there is so much controversy about priests getting married! Here in America people seem especially obsessed with this matter. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church it states that our priests are "Chosen" from among men of Faith who intend to remain celibate for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. They are called to 'consecrate' themselves with an "undivided heart" and to give themselves 'entirely' to the Lord. Celibacy is a sign of this new life of service of which the priest has been consecrated. How beautiful! When a man is consecrated to the priesthood it means he is committed to "Holiness." Just as bread and wine are forever changed at the consecration of the Mass, so a man's life is forever changed when he is consecrated to the priesthood. To put it more simply why would you join the Boy Scouts if you didn't believe in what they stand for? Celibacy is a choice and a gift! In 1 Corinthians 7:32-34 it states, "I would like you to be free from worry. An unmarried man concerns himself with the Lord's work because he is trying to please the Lord. But a married man concerns himself with worldly matters, because he wants to please his wife; and so he is pulled in two directions." Here we have a very important component of celibacy made clear, if one wants to be dedicated to Jesus in body and spirit then one must be celibate othewise division occurs. Since marriage is also a sacrament and to fulfill it one is called to obey the vows taken, at some point the vows of marriage and the priesthood will come into direct opposition. You cannot serve God and your spouse equally . The Priesthood by its very nature concentrates on Christ being "All." The greater issue here is not the shortage of priests, it is one of sanctity. Human nature seeks change, Divine Nature seeks obedience and humility. Where the points being made for married priests are well taken they are not well thought out. Doing so may aleviate one problem only to open Pandor's box to a plethora of new problems! It has been done before and it is called Protestantism. They do not grow stronger, on the contrary they have fractured and divided into over 2000 different denominations, with many making up their own rules. Something very special is watered down and lost. We have the teachings of the Church Fathers, Tradition, Scripture and the guidance of the Holy Father who has emphatically said no, to married priests. As Catholics we are to be humble and obedient to the Chair of Peter! The arrogance and rebelliousness of some in the Church only causes weakness within. The Catholic Church is not perfect. We have many problems, but we have a high degree of sanctity and holiness outlined by Jesus Christ who is found in every tabernacle in every Catholic Church throughout the world and that is truly awesome! The answer to our vocation problem will come through Eucharistic Adoration when more people go before the Real Presence and pray for good and holy priests and for a strengthening of all Religious. We go through the painful throes of cleansing from time to time throughout our history but we emerge a stronger church, not by change but by FAITH!! The Lord has promised that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against His Church and I trust in Him! Dawn Curazzato

Inspirationals

October 23, 2005
IF YOU ARE KIND PEOPLE MAY ACCUSE YOU OF SELFISH, ULTERIOR MOTIVES; BE KIND ANYWAY!

WORRY DOES NOT EMPTY TOMORROW OF ITS SORROW, IT EMPTIES TODAY OF ITS STRENGTH!

THE ONLY ONES AMONG YOU WHO WILL BE REALLY HAPPY ARE THOSE WHO HAVE SOUGHT AND FOUND HOW TO SERVE!

YOU WILL FIND, AS YOU LOOK BACK ON YOUR LIFE, THAT THE MOMENTS WHEN YOU REALLY LIVED ARE THE MOMENTS WHEN YOU DID THINGS IN THE SPIRIT OF LOVE!

HAPPINESS IS AN AFFAIR OF THE HEART WHICH HAPPENS WHEN WE LET GOD IN!

SAINTS

October 23, 2005
ST. PADRE PIO SAID IT WOULD BE EASIER FOR THE WORLD TO GET ALONG WITHOUT THE SUN THAN WITHOUT THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS

ST. THERESA WAS OVERWHELMED WITH GOD'S GOODNESS AND ASKED OUR LORD, "HOW CAN I THANK YOU?" OUR LORD REPLIED, "ATTEND ONE MASS!"

THE HOLY MASS IS OF GREATER PROFIT WHEN HEARD IN OUR LIFE TIME THEN AFTER HAVING IT CELEBRATED FOR RELIEF OF OUR SOULS AFTER DEATH!(POPE BENEDICT XV)

ST. GERTRUDE WAS TOLD THAT 1,000 SOULS FROM PURGATORY ARE RELEASED EACH TIME THIS PRAYER IS SAID: "ETERNAL FATHER, I OFFER THEE THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD OF THY DIVINE SON, JESUS, IN UNION WITH THE MASSES SAID THROUGHOUT THE WORLD TODAY, FOR ALL THE HOLY SOULS IN PURGATORY, FOR SINNERS EVERYWHERE, FOR SINNERS IN THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH, THOSE IN MY OWN HOME AND WITHIN MY FAMILY. AMEN."

JOHN PAUL II PRAYER CARD AND BLESSED MEDAL

October 26, 2005
IF YOU WOULD LIKE A JOHN PAUL II PRAYER CARD FOR HIS INTERCESSION FOR YOUR NEED AND FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF HIS SAINTHOOD, ALONG WITH A BLESSED MEDAL, PLEASE SEND A SELF ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE TO LADIES OF THE LORD, 162 SUNDOWN TRAIL, WILLIAMSVILLE, NEW YORK 14221. IF YOU WISH TO SEND US YOUR PETITIONS WE WOULD HAPPILY PUT THEM IN OUR PETITION BOOK AND PRAY FOR THEM EVERY DAY. GOD BLESS YOU!

SPIRIT DAILY
AUTHOR MICHAEL BROWN'S WEB SITE

November 7, 2005
PLEASE VISIT www.Spiritdaily.com OFTEN, WHERE YOU WILL FIND INTERESTING NEWS AND ARTICLES PERTAINING TO OUR CATHOLIC FAITH. MICHAEL BROWN IS AUTHOR OF "THE DAY WILL COME", "THE LAST SECRET", "SECRETS OF THE EUCHARIST" AND MANY MORE THOUGHT PROVOKING BOOKS. HE HAS ALSO BEEN A GUEST SPEAKER AT ST. BERNADETTE'S CHURCH IN ORCHARD PARK

Words from Archbishop Fulton Sheen
"CROSSES" (great words from a great man!)

December 1, 2005
Crosses can be great blessings if we allow them to be. "It is the trials imposed upon us by others, such as their injustices, their harsh words, their knife-in-the-back attitudes, and their peevishness, that gall us; yet these are counted as the daily crosses of the man who would be truly religious. Much weariness of the Spiritual life is due to the constant necessity of bearing the shortcomings of others, along with the never-ending strife against our own base inclinations. Then begins the task of accepting such people as a cross, and through our patience and forgiveness, putting love where we do not find it!"

ARCH OF TRIUMPH

January 2, 2009
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A DONATION OR JUST RECEIVE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS WORTHY PROJECT CLICK ON THE EMAIL ADDRESS PROVIDED. CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE FOR FREQUENT UPDATES AND INFORMATION ABOUT UPCOMING EVENTS.
www.archoftriumph.org

TRIP TO ITALY

January 28, 2009
ITALY, A TRIP TO REMEMBER

On October 29, 2008, 49 pilgrims, most from St. Gregory's, embarked on what would become the trip of a lifetime. The Itinerary tells you the places you will visit; places like Venice, Padua, Florence, Assisi and Rome. What it doesn't tell you is the spiritual smorgasbord you will experience along with unforgettable sights, sounds, tastes and a special bonding of many different personalities that melded into what can only be called, instant friendships! Everyone was respectful and helpful to one another; no one missed the bus, a meal or a Mass! Someone did miss a plane but they were able to catch up with the group in Chicago, where we were all united again! Things went so smooth, it was almost supernatural! Much of that had to do with our good guide, Mary and two great Spiritual Directors, Fr. Joe Gatto and Fr. Sebastian Pierro of St. Peters in Lewiston. Fr. Gatto had great knowledge of Italy, especially Rome where he studied and he was an encyclopedia of information on sites to visit and even took a large number of pilgrims on his own "Walkathon around Rome!" Parishioners Marie RoweKamp and Jean Wollenschlaeger put some of the younger pilgrims to shame as they kept a grueling pace each day in the miles of walking we did in our sight seeing adventures. We enjoyed St. Mark's, the Palace of the Doges and a Gondola ride in Venice. In Padua we enjoyed the beautiful Basilica of St. Anthony and in Florence, Neptune's Fountain, the Santa Croce Church, and the Baptistry with the renowned golden doors of the "Gates of Paradise" as well as many museums, highlighted by the Academy of Fine Arts viewing of Michelangelo's original statue of David. Then it was on to Assisi birth place of St. Francis and St. Clare to the Basilica of St. Francis, filled with beautiful Frescoes and we stood before the San Damian Crucifix which spoke to St. Francis telling him to rebuild the Catholic Church. On the way to Rome, Fr. Joe surprised us with a stop that was not on the itinerary but one that made my heart quicken. We stopped in Orvieto where one of the Church's Eucharistic Miracles is kept and venerated and it happened to be one of the Miracles I wrote about for our Spirit and Life . I was very excited to get to see this because it was this Eucharistic Miracle that constituted the Feast of Corpus Christy! As much as we all loved the cities we had visited one can only say, 'There's no place like Rome!' To have an Audience with Pope Benedict XVI was a true high point in the trip! To visit such historical spots as the Colosseum, the Forum, Constantine's Arch, the Circus Maximus, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, the Catacombs and end with a visit to Trevi Fountain was incredible. The museums are fantatic but each Basilica and church is a museum in it's own right with beautiful Frescoes and mosaics, relics and statues, so rich in our Catholic history, one more beautiful than the next! The Vatican is the creme de le creme, it is huge and beautiful and one look at the Pieta and you find yourself in tears. Visiting Pope John Paul II's grave was very moving and the body of Pope John the XXIII, who has been dead for 38 years was on display and is very well preserved. To say Italy is exquisitely beautiful doesn't quite capture it but here are a few of the favorite things several of our Parishioners experienced: Shelly Femia was very moved by the holiness of the Mass celebrated in a small chapel of the church in Assisi. Rosemarie Pandolfi found the beauty, simplicity and holiness of Assisi to be captivating and I fell in love with Assisi as well. The highlight of Rosemarie's trip was the spiritual oneness she experienced, along with our group, as Fr. Joe and Fr. Sebastian concelebrated Mass with Deacon John Leardon assisting, in St. Peter's Basilica and she was honored to do one of the readings. Ann Carrier experienced an overwhelming and powerful feeling of holiness at the tomb of St. Anthony in Padua and Christine Balcerek felt honored to lector at a Mass at St. Anthony's Basilica. Sam Curazzato was amazed at how close he got to Pope Benedict during our Audience. Charlie and Rosalie Mendola enjoyed celebrating Rosalie's birthhday in Venice with a toast in famous Harry's Bar! Tom Vacanti and several others of our group modeled some of the fine leather coats found in Florence and did such a good job that several people bought them! Fr. Joe enjoyed the Gellato!
A high point of my trip was to be able to meet a young Pakistani man whom The Ladies of the Lord have been supporting on his journey to the priesthood and who had just become a newly ordained priest, continuing his education in Rome. Fr. Rashid took several of us on a special tour of Vatican City where we saw the beautiful Vatican gardens and we walked on the path where the Pope prays his rosary every day. Over the Christmas holiday Fr. Rashid visited the United States for the first time and he concelebrated several masses at St. Gregory. This was a great gift and blessing to me and my family. Lasting memories were made in Rome. It truly was the trip of a life time but when it comes to Pizza and Pasta---there's no place like home!!
Dawn Curazzato

1981 PRECURSOR OF THE NEW SPRINGTIME

January 28, 2009
1981 PRECURSOR TO "THE NEW SPRINGTIME"

When my granddaughter was born with multiple handicaps I went in search of the Divine Healer. I found Him at the bedside of another child, who laid in a coma in Worcester, Massachusetts, Little Audrey Santo, whose cause for cannonization is underway. I went with a child like faith and a strong conviction in the truth of the healing stories in the Bible. I witnessed a Eucharistic Miracle which changed my life immediately and forever! I believed in miracles and perhaps that is part of the reason why our Katelin experienced a complete healing as outlined in the book, "Memoir of a Miracle."
I met many nuns and priests during our trials and I never forgot the words of one of the priests when I asked about 'signs' from God. He said , "Did you know God often speaks to us through 'nature' and 'dates'! I guess I never really 'thought' . It was AFTER he said that to me that I began seeing the Lord speak to me in such a way. We went to Audrey Santo's between Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday, two holy times on the church calendar. Divine Mercy Sunday was my daughter's birthday that year. The Host I saw bleed, bled on June 5th, my mother's birthday and that made me wonder if Katelin's birthday had any church significance. She was not born on her due date; she was born February 11, the Feast Day of Our Lady of Lourdes, Lourdes a place of healing! My hands shook as I held the religious calendar and looked at her birth date and it was then I knew Katelin would be healed. They were not coincidents, they were "God-incidents!" There was personal and religious meaning to those dates which awakened something in me and made my heart leap with great joy, just as the baby in Elizabeth's womb leapt at the sound of our Blessed Mother's greeting!
In the old Testament God speaks to His servants over 20,000 times and they responded, "Speak Lord, your servant is 'listening'!" Today people complain that God does not speak to His people any more, that He doesn't answer prayers, but that is not true! There is so much noise around us and so many distractions that today people say, "Listen Lord, your servant is speaking!" Do you see the difference? How can we hear the Lord if we are doing all the talking? I find Adoration to be a wonderful place to 'hear' the Lord but if we find a quiet place and pray openly and fervently we will hear that inner voice and we will recognize it as His! It was in Adoration that I got a prompting, a 'date' and I wasn't quite sure what it meant. I had begun a second book but I was getting a great deal of "interference" which continues, but I thought I might share some highlights of one of the chapters simply called 1981.
In 1981 the first portable computer came out. Computers can be wonderful tools of information but they are, unfortunately, also harbingers of misinformation and confusion as well. They are one of the biggest sources of "distraction" in the world today. Distraction and confusion are tools of the Devil, so is pornography, easily acessed on the computer.
In 1981 AIDS was first identified as a 'disease.' Though we know there are innocent victims of AIDS it is primarily spread through sexual contact and intravenus drugs. Immorality is also a rampant 'disease' and tool of the Devil.
In 1981 the first Test Tube baby was born. Here we have man playing God!
In November of 1981 the Apparitions in Kebeho, Africa begin. The Blessed Mother gave important messages to 7 visionaries. She called for prayer and repentence and she called the people to turn away from their immorality. She told them if they do not have a change of heart the rivers there would run red with blood and swollen bodies. Her warning went unheeded and the terrible Genocide in Rwanda resulted with reporters describing the carnage in almost the exact words Our Lady used to describe it!
In 1981, on the Fatima date, May 13th, Pope John Paul II is shot and almost killed. He will later vist his would be assassin and forgive him. He will take the bullet that entered his body and have it put in the Statue of Our Lady of Fatima. At a later date he would declare Jacinta and Francesco saints. It is widely believed that the outcome of the Third Secret of Fatima, in which the Pope appeared to be killed in the vision the children were shown , was mitigated due to the prayers and reparation of the Fatima children.
In 1981, a little more than a month after Pope John Paul II was shot, on June 25th the Blessed Mother reportedly began appearing to six children in a town called Medjugorje in the former Yugoslavia! They are believed to be the longest known apparitions in church history. The children will each be given 10 secrets which will be divulged to the world in their life time. Three of the children already have 10 secrets the other 3 have 9. Our Lady also leaves a message for the world on the 25th of each month. She calls for Mass, fasting, frequent confession, reading the Bible and receiving communion. No one knows when the secrets will unfold but several will be world wide events and are ominous! Our Lady has promised to leave a permanent sign on Apparition Hill at the spot where she first appeared. She has told the visionaries these are her LAST apparitions in this way.
In 1981 a crippled, Cloistered nun with no means began the largest Catholic Communications system in the WORLD and EWTN was born, making Mother Angelica a houshold name!
1981 was an important year! God is speaking to us, through His mother and through dates and events. Are we 'getting' the message. It seems not as the world capitulates deeper and deeper into sin. I believe the culmination of the above events will usher in, what Pope John Paul II called "The New Spring Time!" I think we will witness an 'event' never before seen in our history. We are being called to "Greatness" and greatness is not defined by a title, or by what we own, or by how many friends we have or even by how many people love us; it is defined by how we love others! If we truly loved as God has called us to love in the two great commandments there would be no genocide, no AIDS, no abortion, no sin! Will this time of great evil, of rampant sin and intense hatred give rise to The New Spring Time by awakening in us heroic love that will see evil for what it really is? I think it will. I think we will see a great Spiritual Revival but unfortunately we have a ways to go. God is speaking to us. He is showing us the way. He IS the WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE! Awake O Sleeper!

THE INCORRUTIBLES

January 28, 2009
THE INCORRUPTIBLES

Over the years I have heard many people say, "If there was "proof" God existed I would believe." We have the teachings of the Catholic Church. The "Deposit of Faith" encompasses the unchangeable and absolute teachings of Sacred Scripture as well as the Traditions of the Catholic Church, under the guidance of our holy father, the pope. However, the Catholic Church also approves certain people and places as being venerable, such as Fatima and Lourdes, and many saints to aid us in our journey of faith. These, along with Eucharistic Miracles, the Incorruptibles, some cases of Stigmata and healing miracles all fall under the heading ,"Tools of the Faith." Some say they are not 'necessary,' everything you need is in the Bible and that is a true statement but if God allows it, then it must have an important purpose. That quest for tangible proof began with St. Thomas who was not with his friends when Jesus first appeared after being crucified. He told the Apostles he would not believe until he saw the nail marks and put his hand into our Lord's side. A week later the Lord appeared again and told Thomas to do just that and He told him to stop doubting and believe! Jesus loved Thomas and I think He knew Thomas would have many descendants, so from time to time He does send us tangible proof of His existence for those who have trouble believing on mere faith.
There are over 250 incorrupt bodies of the saints. An incorruptible is a human body that does not decay, where decomposition seems to be miraculosly halted. When a title of Venerable or Blessed is given to a servant of God the Congregation of Rites in Rome concludes they have practiced virtue to a heroic degree. A formal examination of the remains is done. While incorrupt bodies are not necessary for sainthood they are medically and scientifically examined. The difference between a natural mummy and an incorruptible is mummies are always dry and rigid most incorruptibles are not and most often have no embalming techniques applied. They remain pliable and appear to be in a natural state which is a medical and scientific impossibility. In the cases of St. Francsis Xavier, St. John of the Cross and St. Pascal Baylon lime was thrown on their caskets in an aggressive act of destruction. All 3 remained incorrupt defying explanation!
St. Cecilia died in 177AD and is considered the first incorruptible. St. Clare of Montefalco is an unusual case in that the Lord appeared to her and said, "I have searched the world over for a strong place to plant my cross. I shall place it in your heart." From that point on she suffered severe pain and before her death she told her fellow sisters, "If you seek the cross, take my heart; there you will find the suffering Lord." After her death her heart was removed and to the astonishment of all present, clearly imprinted on the cardia tissue was a visible cross as well as other instruments of Christ's Passion. Her incorrupt body remains in the Church of the Holy Cross, in Montefalco, Italy. St. Rita, who died in 1457, and also bore the Stigmata has been incorrupt for 500 years in the Basilica of St. Rita in Cascia, Italy. St. John Vianney, who frequently spent 16 hours a day in confession died in 1859. His body was exhumed in 1904 and was found to be incorrupt. Blessed Margaret who was blind and severly deformed is Patroness of our Ladies of the Lord at St. Gregory's and is also one of the incorruptibles. The stories of St. Cathrine of Bolonga, St. Clare of Assisi, St. Maria Goretti, St. John Bosco, St. Bernadette, St. Vincent dePaul and many others can be found in the book "The Incorruptibles" by Joan Carroll Cruz.
In November of this year, while on a trip to Italy with our Pastor, Fr. Joe Gatto and 49 other pilgrims, we were blessed to see the remains of Pope John the XXIII whose body is so well preserved he appeared to be sleeping!
What does it all mean? The Council of Trent states that it is good to venerate the saints, calling them "temples of the Holy Spirt" and telling us many benefits come through them. The bodies of the saints are holy relics which move us to honor God who willed some of them to be incorrupt and to which many miracles have been procured through the ages. In 2 Kings 13: 20-21 we read that the bones of Elisha brought a dead man to life. They are a confirmation and affirmation of our faith and they have been known to bring fallen away Catholics back to the Church! There is great significance in these 'tools of the faith!' People do not leave the Catholic Church because we do not have everything they need, they leave because we do not USE everything we have!
Our beloved Pope John Paul II was not embalmed which may have lasting spiritual and historic significance in the years to come. Perhaps he too, will be added to the incorruptibles. Time will tell but Jesus' words to Thomas should ring in our ears, "stop doubting and believe!" We must Learn our faith, then we will Love our faith and only then can we Live it!!
Dawn Curazzato