Friends in Christ,
Welcome to our weekly Sunday update. This Sunday is the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost. In the Gospel reading for this Sunday Our Lord cautions us against anger: “You have heard that it was said to them of old: Thou shalt not kill. And whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. But I say to you, that whosoever is angry with his brother, shall be in danger of the judgment” (Matthew 5:21-22). "Do not be angry" may not be found among the Ten Commandments, but the sinful character of anger is all too obvious in a world where its consequences abound in incidents of road rage, domestic strife, civil discord and so much more. To give in to sinful anger is an offense against the second greatest commandment given us by Our Lord: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matthew 22:39). Thus, when we sin in this way, it is necessary that we not only be reconciled to the brother, sister, spouse, friend, enemy or other individual whom we have offended, but that we make our peace with God Himself.
Calendar of Special Observances
Celebrations are those listed in the Roman Missal of 1962.
DAY, DATE – FEAST (CLASS)
Sunday, July 13 – Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (II)
Monday, July 14 – St. Bonaventure, Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church (III)
Tuesday, July 15 – St. Henry II, Emperor, Confessor (III)
Wednesday, July 16 – Feria (IV) – Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel (IV)
Thursday, July 17 – Feria (IV) – St. Alexius, Confessor (IV)
Friday, July 18 – St. Camillus de Lellis, Confessor (III) – Commemoration of St. Symphorosa and her Seven Sons, Martyrs
Saturday, July 19 – St. Vincent de Paul, Confessor (III)
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
The
links provided below can be used to download printable copies of the
Proper Prayers for the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost with English or
Spanish translation, followed by commentary by Dr. Michael P. Foley.
Latin Mass Schedule: Sundays
Charlotte Area Latin Masses
11:30 a.m., Saint Thomas Aquinas
12:30 p.m., Saint Ann
Other Diocese of Charlotte Latin Masses
8:30 a.m., Saint John the Baptist (Tryon)
1:00 p.m., Church of the Epiphany (Blowing Rock)
1:30 p.m., Our Lady of Grace (Greensboro)
Diocese of Charleston Latin Masses
12:00 p.m., Prince of Peace (Taylors SC)
1:00 p.m., Our Lady of the Lake (Chapin SC)
Note: Travelers are urged to consult parish websites or offices for up-to-date information regarding possible changes in the regular schedule of Sunday Mass times.
Latin Mass Schedule: Weekdays (July 13 - July 19)
Charlotte Area Latin Masses
Saint Ann – Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.
Saint Thomas Aquinas – Thursday, 7:00 p.m.
Saint Ann – Friday, 7:00 a.m.
Other Diocese of Charlotte Latin Masses
Our Lady of the Mountains (Highlands) – Thursday, 9:30 a.m.
Saint John the Baptist (Tryon) – Friday, 8:30 a.m.
Church of the Epiphany (Blowing Rock) – Friday, 9:30 a.m.
Diocese of Charleston Latin Masses
Prince of Peace (Taylors SC) – No daily Mass this summer
Note: The summer Mass schedule for Prince of Peace parish is in effect and no daily Latin Masses are scheduled at Prince of Peace Monday-Saturday this summer.
Travelers are advised to contact parish offices to confirm weekday and Saturday Mass times, since local schedules are sometimes subject to change without notice, especially on or around holidays, holy days of obligation and other special feast days.
Announcements
Welcome Back Fr. Jones Celebration – Sunday July 13, 2:00 p.m. – The Carolina Traditional Liturgy Society is organizing a potluck after the Saint Ann parish 12:30 p.m. Latin Mass this Sunday to welcome back Fr. Jones, who has returned to Saint Ann to serve as parochial vicar and chaplain for the Latin Mass chapel. See you there!
Deacon David Carter, FSSP Interview – The July edition of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP) newsletter, Meménto, featured an interview with newly ordained Deacon David Carter, a Saint Ann parishioner who is seminarian with the FSSP in Nebraska. The interview, conducted by Rachel Shrader (also a Saint Ann parishioner), also notes the influence (among many) of the Saint Ann parish Latin Mass in fostering his vocation. The newsletter can be read at this link.
Daily Holy Face Chaplet for Sacred Liturgy (perpetual novena) – For the protection of the Latin Mass, it has been recommended to all friends of the sacred liturgy in the diocese to consider continually praying the powerful Holy Face chaplet, under the banner of Our Lady of the Holy Name. To pray the chaplet, please see this link.
Cardinal Burke’s Prayer for Pope Leo XIV – His Eminence Cardinal Raymond Burke has released a prayer for Pope Leo XIV. Please consider praying this daily for the Holy Father as he leads the Church.
Prayer for Pope Leo XIV: Vicar of Christ on Earth and Shepherd of the Universal Church
O Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of the Lord of Heaven and of Earth, Our Lady of Guadalupe, guide and protect the Roman Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV. Through your intercession, may he receive in abundance the grace of the Successor of Saint Peter: the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity of our Bishops and of all our brothers and sisters in the Mystical Body of your Divine Son. Unite Pope Leo’s heart to your Immaculate Heart, leading him to rest his heart ever more securely in the glorious-pierced Heart of Jesus, so that he may confirm us in the Catholic faith, in the worship of God in spirit and truth, and in a good and holy Christian life.
In the tumult of the present time, keep Pope Leo securely within the hollow of your mantle, in the crossing of your arms, protecting him from Satan, the Father of Lies, and from every evil spirit. Implore Our Lord to grant him, in particular, the wisdom and courage to be a true Shepherd of the Church throughout the world. With you, I place all my trust in Christ, the Good Shepherd, Who alone is our help and salvation. Amen.
Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mother, have mercy upon us!
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Queen of the Apostles, pray for us!
Saints Peter and Paul, pray for us!
Pope Saint Leo the Great, pray for us!
PDF copies can be accessed at these links: [English] [Español] [Latin]
Holy Face Devotions
Prayers of Reparation to the Holy Face of Jesus are offered each week at the following churches on the indicated days:
St. James (Concord) – Monday, 10-10:30 a.m. (in the cry room)
St. Mark – Tuesday, 4:45 p.m. (special time for Tuesday July 15)
St. Thomas Aquinas – Tuesday, 6:00 a.m.
St. Ann – Tuesday, 7:30 a.m. (following 7:00 a.m. Novus Ordo Mass)
St. Michael the Archangel (Gastonia) – Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. (following 8:00 a.m. Novus Ordo Mass)
St. Vincent de Paul – Tuesday, 8:40 a.m.
Holy Spirit (Denver) – Tuesday, 10-11:00 a.m. (following the 9:15 a.m. Novus Ordo Mass)
Saint Elizabeth of the Hill Country (Boone) – Third Tuesday, at 6:45 p.m. after Mass in the Youth Room
St. John the Baptist (Tryon) - First Saturday, 9:30 a.m. (after 8:30 a.m Latin Mass)
Note: Days and times may be subject to change due to holidays.
“Jesus, Your ineffable image is the star which guides my steps. Ah, You know, Your sweet Face is for me Heaven on earth” (from Canticle to the Holy Face by Saint Thérèse de Lisieux, the 19th century Discalced Carmelite nun who took the name in religion, Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face).
Latin Mass and Liturgical News
16 Martyrs of Compiègne Followed the Lamb to the Guillotine — and to Glory by Jennifer Sokol, National Catholic Register (May 18, 2025). [16 Martyrs of Compiègne]
Vatican grants exemption from Traditional Latin Mass restrictions to Texas parish by Madalaine Elhabbal, Catholic News Agency (July 2, 2025). [Vatican grants exemption]
Interesting Saints on July 4 by Greg DiPippo, New Liturgical Movement (July 4, 2025). [Interesting Saints on July 4]
Cardinal Raymond Burke’s Keynote Address to the Faith and Culture Conference, Latin Mass Society of the UK (June 14, 2025). [Cardinal Burke Keynote Address]
Saints Processus and Martinian, Greg DiPippo, New Liturgical Movement (July 2, 2025). [Saints Processus and Martinian]
French Monks Uncork ‘Civilization of Wine’ with World’s First Abbey Wines Museum by Solène Tadié, National Catholic Register (June 27, 2025). [French Monks]
Saints and Special Observances
Saint Bonaventure, OFM, Bishop, Cardinal and Doctor of the Church had a significant impact on the formation of the future Pope Benedict XVI, who acknowledged in a General Audience on March 3, 2010, “I confide to you that in broaching this subject I feel a certain nostalgia, for I am thinking back to my research as a young scholar on this author who was particularly dear to me” [General Audience of 3 March 2010: Saint Bonaventure | BENEDICT XVI].
Saint Bonaventure of Bagnoregio, who was probably born in 1217, was originally known as Giovanni de Fidanza. As a boy, he fell seriously ill; and even his father, who was a physician, despaired of his life. But Giovanni’s mother turned in prayer to the recently canonized Saint Francis, and the boy made a miraculous recovery.
The saint of Assisi who had famously embraced a life of poverty was to exert a continuing influence on Giovanni throughout his life. After receiving the Master of Arts Diploma in Paris, the young scholar was so impressed by the dedication and piety of the Friars Minor that he sought admission to the Franciscan order. As he would later explain in a letter to another friar, “I confess before God that the reason which made me love the life of blessed Francis is that it resembled the birth and early development of the Church. The Church began with simple fishermen and was subsequently enriched by very distinguished and wise teachers; the religion of Blessed Francis was not established by the prudence of men but by Christ.”
Around the year 1243 Giovanni took the Franciscan habit and the name Bonaventure and was sent to the University of Paris where he acquired the qualifications in philosophy, theology and Scriptural studies necessary to pursue an academic career. The title of his theological dissertation was Questions on the Knowledge of Christ, and Christ was to remain at the center of all his work in the brilliant career that followed.
Both the Friars Minor of St. Francis and the Friars Preachers of St. Dominic, the other relatively new mendicant order, met with fierce opposition from the older religious orders during Saint Bonaventure’s time at the University of Paris, and the right of their members to teach in that prestigious institution was openly challenged. Saint Bonaventure responded by composing a work entitled Evangelical Perfection in which he demonstrated how the members of the medicant orders were living according to the word of Our Lord by observing their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Pope Alexander IV was so impressed by Bonaventure’s defense of the newer orders that in 1257 he supported his appointment as a doctor and master of the University of Paris. The Franciscan scholar’s tenure in the position was short-lived, however, as he was elected the same year by the General Chapter of the Order of Friars Minor to serve as Minister General.
Prior to Bonaventure’s election, the order had experienced explosive growth, its numbers expanding to include 30,000 members spread across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East and as far east as Peking. During his 17 years as head of the Friars Minor, the former academic was continuously challenged to maintain the unity of purpose and action inspired by the life of the order’s founder, Saint Francis. In 1260 he presented to a session of the General Chapter at Narbonne a text collecting the norms that were to regulate the day-to-day activities of all Franciscans. Just as importantly, he assembled the historical documents relating to the life of Saint Francis and sought input from those who had actually known the Poverello in order to compose an official biography endorsed by the General Chapter at its meeting in Pisa in 1263.
On June 23, 1273, Pope Gregory X made Bonaventure a cardinal and appointed him bishop of Albano. Then he called on him to organize an ecumenical council of the whole Church which was convened at Lyons in May of the following year. Bonaventure addressed the council twice but died suddenly on July 15, 1274. The future saint was buried the following day in the church of the Friars Minor in Lyons. Those attending his funeral Mass included the pope, cardinals, and other members of the council, as well as the king of Aragon. Addressing members of the council one day later, Pope Gregory spoke of the incalculable loss incurred by the Church and directed priests and prelates throughout the world to offer Mass on behalf of the deceased.
Saint Bonaventure was enrolled in the official list of saints by Pope Sixtus IV on April 14, 1482. On March 14, 1557, Pope Sixtus V named him one of the principal Doctors of the Church, declaring that the “Seraphic Doctor” equaled in stature the “Angelic Doctor,” Saint Thomas Aquinas. Sadly, his shrine was desecrated by Huguenots five years later, and the urn containing his remains was torched in the public square.
In addition to his voluminous commentaries on The Sentences of Peter Lombard and The Gospel of Saint Luke, Saint Bonaventure wrote numerous shorter works of enduring influence, including The Mind’s Road to God, The Tree of Life and The Triple Way. Concerning the Perfection of Life was written for the Poor Clares of the monastery founded at Longchamps by Isabelle of France, the sister of King Louis IX. Among his notable later works are the Lectures on the Six Days of Creation.
The life of this great philosopher-saint of the Catholic Church is celebrated on July 14th in accordance with the traditional Roman Calendar.
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This week also marks the first universal celebration of the recently canonized Martyrs of Compiègne - the 16 Carmelite nuns who were martyred for the faith during the French Revolution and helped bring an end to the Reign of Terror in July 1794.
They were beatified by Pope Saint Pius X in 1906, and this past December, Pope Francis declared them canonized and extended their cult (and feast) to the universal Church. Their feast day is July 17, the anniversary of their martyrdom.
Saint Theresa of Saint Augustine and the Martyrs of Compiègne, pray for us!
Closing Commentary
In closing, we return again to a commentary from The Liturgical Year of Dom Prosper Guéranger, OSB, “On Holy Communion, During the Time After Pentecost.” The first part of the commentary (Before Communion) was presented in this space in a previous issue; a portion of the second part (After Communion) appeared in our last issue. The balance of the second part is provided here along with a link to the complete text below.
On Holy Communion, During the Time After Pentecost
After Communion
Act of Love
Now will I rest me in thee, O my Sovereign Good, that hast come down to me, and entered into me, in order to content the desires of my heart by thy presence. A few moments ago, I was longing after thee; and now that longing has been satisfied. What is there on this earth that I could now desire? The very happiness of heaven, is it not the possessing thee? and thou, my Lord, assurest me, that he, who eats my sacred Flesh, abideth in thee, and thou in him. The union, then, to which love aspires, is now consummated. This happy moment of thy presence within me unites thy sovereign majesty to my lowliness; thou livest in me, and I live in thee. Divine charity has conquered every difficulty; and the life, which now circulates through my being, is not the life of time, but of eternity. I at once profit of it, to assure thee, O Lord, that thou hast my love. Thy presence within me lasts but a short time; in a few moments, there will be but the grace left by the visit thou art now paying me. At present, I can say in all truth: I have found Him, whom my soul loveth. Accept, then, O Lord, the homage of my heart, and all its affections. Make this heart faithful and ardent in the love of thee; for love is the end of the whole Law; and when thou vouchsafest to incorporate thyself with us by means of the Bread of Life, thine aim is to strengthen and increase Charity within us. May this contact with thee, O Lord, destroy that love myself, which, hitherto, has so often stifled, or at least, retarded, the love which is due to thee. Let my heart become more and more purified; may its affections be set free from, and raised above, created objects, and center in the unity of thy love, which includes all, and is enough for all.
Act of Oblation
When I thus assure thee of my love, O my God, I hear within me a voice telling me, that, henceforth, the rule of my conduct must be—thy good-pleasure. Then only shall I know that my protestations are sincere, when I give up mine own will, to follow thine in all things. Thou wilt not only require me to keep from all sin, but thou wouldst have me resolutely walk in the path of humility,—humility which repels pride, thy chief enemy. Thou commandest me to keep my senses under restraint, lest the weakness of the flesh should get the mastery over my spirit, which is prompt, but fickle. In order to make surer of a soul that is dear to thee, thou often sendest it trials; for thou hast said, that whosoever ambitions to follow thee, must make up his mind to carry the Cross. Thou hast warned thy disciples, that they must be on their guard against the world and its maxims, or that they would perish together with the world. These are the conditions which thou layest on them that would enlist under thy banner, dear Jesus! Renovated as I have been by thy precious visit, I offer myself to thee as one quite resolved to fulfill every duty of thy service. Give me thine aid, O my Lord, and King! Thy sacramental presence, which is soon to quit me, will leave me an increase of thy grace. Increase my faith, and my docility to the teachings of thy holy Church, from whose hands I have just received thee. Give me to use this world, as though I did not use it; give me to live, at once, by desire, in that abode where I hope to enjoy thee, and without shadow or veil, for all eternity.
O Mary, Queen of heaven! watch over me thy humble servant, whom the blessed Son of thy chaste womb has vouchsafed to nourish with his adorable Flesh, and which he received from thee. Present him the oblation I now make him of myself, in return for the unspeakable gift he has just been bestowing upon me.—Holy Angels! bless and protect this poor child of earth, who has been feasting on that very Bread, whereon you feed in heaven.—All ye Saints of God! who, when in this world, did eat of the heavenly Bread of the Christian pilgrim, pray and obtain for me, that It may keep with me to the end of my journey through this life, and may lead me to Him, who ceases not to be the nourishments of his elect, when in glory. Amen. [On Holy Communion during the Time after Pentecost]