Mass at Castello, Ph.D. & Kolbe on Jews

Dear Tradition in Action,

Here is a story of possible interest on how the Latin Mass, hosted by the Castello Amorosa in Calistoga, California, was shut down (after 3 years) by county authorities over some damnable technicality.

Although the event was from 2012, it still well exemplifies the challenges the Extraordinary Rite faces even today on one front or another. In this case, more's the pity to see the keeper of a castle lay down arms at the feet of a paper tiger.

The news article link is here.

Perhaps it would go well for The Castello if they finally got what is described as a fairly simple permit which would re-allow the Mass in their chapel. Who knows?...

Maybe prayers for the end of the California drought might be more readily answered.

     M.K.

TIA,

Re: Book review on Trapp Family

I believe Maria von Trapp was much influenced in later life by the Charismatic Movement.

     W.Y.

TIA,

Re: How Should One Address the Holder of a Ph.D

The abbreviation "D.O." indicates one is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine who may or may not be board certified in a medical specialty such as psychiatry. While not as common as M.D.s, the training, skills and licensing of D.O.s are equivalent to M.D.s in the U.S.

You might want to mention that there are other earned doctorates besides the Ph.D., M.D. and D.O. such as D.Sc., J.D., J.S.D., J.C.D., D.Phil., Ed.D., Theol.D., S.T.D., Th.D., D.Min., S.S.D., D.Arch., D.P.H., and many others – especially those awarded by European universities.

When one holds an earned doctorate and is a professor at an academic institution, it is customary in speech to refer to him or her as professor rather than doctor, I believe, though some German universities have the custom of using both titles in spoken introductions, e.g. Professor Doctor Wilhelm Siegel.

I have heard, though not encountered it myself, that a German university professor with two doctorates should be addressed as "Professor Doctor Doctor Wilhelm Siegel." but I'm not sure what to say if Wilhelm with his doctorates happens, also, to hold professorial appointments in two distinct academic departments or at two universities.

Imagine, then, if Wilhelm is also married to a woman of equivalent academic achievements and university positions and one must repeatedly introduce the distinguished couple to one's many friends at a social gathering. Just pray that neither or both is also entitled to any clerical, diplomatic or judicial honorifics or the evening might never end.

     J.S.

Dear TIA,

I have read your article on St. Maximilian Marie Kolbe's writings against Freemasonry, and the powers in charge of it. This was apparently taken from his newspaper published in Poland before WW2.

I would be very interested in reading more written by St. Kolbe from his newspaper: collected/translated/English or German language back issues. The Militia Immaculata in Marytown never heard of the newspaper; neither the Polish Republic Embassy Cultural Attache.

Can you help me in getting ahold, either by purchase, or interlibrary loan, of St. Kolbe's writings/newspaper on these issues?

I DID obtain an address for the original St. Maximilian Kolbe Center in Poland:

Shrine of St. Maximilian Kolbe
Basilica of the Immaculate Mediatrix of Grace
96-515 Teresin K. Sochaczewa
Neipokalanow, POLAND, 96515.

Should I contact them?

     Very truly yours,

     G.T.


TIA responds:

Dear G.T.,

The website indicated in this link gives information where and in what languages you can find the writings of Maximilian Kolbe.

We hope you will find what you are looking for there.

     Cordially,

     TIA correspondence desk

Hi,

Re: Did George Washington Convert to Catholicism?

I read your article on George Washington, and my research is on John Hanson of Charles County Maryland. It is the same location where Father Neal was from. I have written the following for publication:

Among religious leaders, Father Leonard Neale was born on the 15th of October in 1746 at Port Tobacco, Maryland to William and Anne Neale. He was Archbishop of Baltimore and President of Georgetown College (known today as Georgetown University). When George Washington was dying, Father Neale was summoned from St. Thomas Manor on December 14, 1799 to Washington’s bedside.

With stories passed down through generations of southern Maryland residents and citations in the Jesuit journals to support the claim, Father Neale was summoned to Mount Vernon to baptized George Washington while providing the sacrament of the Last Rites for the dying. This event was passed down by a Mrs. Mulinex who was first cousin to George Washington and continued to be told by her granddaughter who claimed the religious conversion became a tradition in her family.

     All the best,

     John J. Cummings

TIA,

Re: The Bee, a Symbol of the Church

I've never heard of bees being a symbol for the Church. It's an interesting idea. But the explanation for the bees in St. Peters Basilica felt like a bit of a stretch to me. The real reason why there are bees in St. Peters is explained here: in short, the bee was the heraldic symbol of the Barberini family. The bee became common in Vatican architecture and art during the reign of the Renaissance Pope Urban VIII, a member of the Barberini family.

While there may be other reasons why there bees, the primary reason the bees are in St. Peter's should be in an article about Bees as a symbol.

     Thanks.

     H.M.

Dear Sirs,

Re: Muslim-Style Adoration for Catholic Children

I thought your article was interesting, but a bit off the mark. The prostration you describe as Muslim-inspired is, in fact, what is called proskenesis, an ancient Christian posture that is used to this day by some in the Eastern churches' liturgy. Kneeling, our typical Western posture, is a less extreme form of that same posture.

There are circumstances in which what the Children of Hope do is extremely effective--some children benefit from their approach; others benefit from a more traditional approach such as you describe. If yours were 100% effective, there would have been no need for other efforts. The Church has always been willing to make adaptations as needed in the process of Christianizing the culture; and it's been big enough to accommodate a variety of options for prayer. That a monolithic church existed before Vatican II came along and destroyed it is a myth – and as I have traveled and lived in different parts of the country, I've come to see that ever more clearly.

It's not a big deal, but I just don't think it's helpful to attack others for trying to do a good thing. You clearly have put a lot of effort in on your website and are to be congratulated for your dedication. But if we all focused more on supporting our fellow Christians, rather than demanding that everyone do things our way, we'd at least have our joint energies targeting the real enemies – the culture of death, of relativism and atheism.

     In Jesus and Mary,

     M.A.E.