Father Richard Tartaglia of St. Mary's Catholic Church

Fr. Richard Tartaglia of St. Mary's Church

Photo by Loci B. Lenar

By Loci B. Lenar

Almost twenty years have passed since I began my initial search for a spiritual director/confessor.  I expected the process to be straightforward and simple; however, it became rather challenging.  The most important element in my mind at the time was to find someone that could understand and relate to my spiritual circumstances as connected to my Catholic faith. 

Since 1991, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has revealed his spiritual presence in my life through signs and wonders. I believe it's extremely important for anyone experiencing the presence of God to have an advisor in order to anaylize the spiritual events as well as to discuss the meaning of God's plan and purpose in your life.

Have you ever tried looking for the appropriate medical specialist before making a final decision?  Perhaps you found someone and then later decided to switch because you were not satisfied with the outcome?  The comparison can be made with someone who serves the Lord and provides guidance for dealing with everyday journeys of life here on earth.

More than fifteen years have passed since making that faithful decision in choosing Father Richard Tartaglia as my spiritual director/confessor.  However, before making that decisive choice, it was a hit and miss process with a few other priests.  In hindsight, it was the appropriate choice. Father Richard is not only a skillful spiritual counselor, but I also consider him as a friend.

                                                                             

St. Mary's Church - Photo by Loci B. Lenar

Fr. Richard is one of several pastors at Saint Mary's Catholic Church, located on Myers Avenue and Route 46 in Denville, NJ.  Saint Mary's Prep is also part of the parish and provides Catholic education from kindergarten through 8th grade. Father Martin Glynn is the head pastor at Saint Mary's Parish.

Fr. Richard Tartaglia's Office - Photo by Loci B. Lenar

                                     

Frankly, I admit, it's a delight to sit down and engage in dialogue with Fr. Richard about our Catholic faith, and then suddenly without warning, switch topics to baseball!  

If you examine the photograph of Father Richard's desk, he has more New York Yankees memorabilia than the Cooperstown Museum in NY.  I am in awe of his widespread collection of baseball souvenirs. And candidly, I must say, why not enjoy the game of baseball through collectibles?  It's fun entertainment for all ages and families.  In my opinion, he's the NY Yankees number one fan in the tri-state area.  I am quite sure he is happy about the major league baseball season finally getting started, especially with the game played between the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.  What an exciting rivalry for Yankee and Boston fans! 

Almost everyone at St. Mary's parish is aware of his love for God and baseball. 

His work in helping parishioners at St. Mary's and celebrating Holy Mass is appreciated by many and by no means forgotten.  As a gesture of thanks, baseball collectibles are common gifts given by parishioners for his thoughtful support and kindness.

He has numerous baseballs with some signed by Yogi Berra and Reggie Jackson.  He has a plaque of Derek Jeter breaking Lou Gehrig's team record in 2009 for hits by a Yankee.  A photo of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig hangs on the wall with a plaque of newcomer pitchers, C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett.

If time would allow, you could spend hours discussing baseball with Fr. Richard, but because of his busy schedule, God's work prevails.  When it comes to faith, he's a walking encyclopedia of church doctrine and a model priest for all.  God the Father has gifted Fr. Richard with an open mind and open heart to address matters of spiritual importance.

Going back more than fifteen years, the most important matter I needed addressed was my request to receive the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.  Because of an on-going heart condition known as Atrial Fibrillation and continued bouts with headaches, it was God's spiritual remedy for treating my medical condition.  Through prayer, the Blessed Mother guided me to Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for his perfect timing in blessing me with this healing sacrament of the Catholic Church.

After requesting church assistance, I was anointed with oil by Fr. Richard Tartaglia with the healing sacrament. I thank the Lord for working his healing grace through this Holy Sacrament at Saint Mary's Catholic Church.

Through the blessings and grace of God, I was healed of my heart arrhythmia. The medical condition is treated with Lanoxin, a cardiac medicine. However, I've not used the medication for over fifteen years. I was treated by Dr. Gilbert Mandel of Denville, NJ, for the disorder. Additionally, I was healed from years of suffering painful headaches after countless visits to medical specialists with treatments that went to no avail. With the power of prayer and the Anointing of the Sick, God's healing grace cured me. The sacrament is administered through the church.



In James 5:14-15 the following is noted: "Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven."



I hope that through reading my testimony, God will bless you with His grace to use the sacraments of the church and to return to weekly celebration of the Mass.



May God bless you on the pathway to salvation and healing!



Copyright 2010 Loci B. Lenar
Christian-Miracles.com 

Apparition of Cross Appears in Window

Photograph by Tarmo Hannula

The following excerpt and photo is from Pajaronian.com

By Todd Guild

Hundreds of people have been flocking to a small house in downtown Watsonville, CA, to get a glimpse of what the owners say is a miracle.

Since the phenomenon was discovered two weeks ago, residents say visitors hoping to see the cross — which changes color and shape depending on the type of light behind it — have been coming around the clock.

On Thursday afternoon, about two dozen people were gathered in the garage, sitting on benches and chairs, silently praying and placing flowers on a table just under the window.

Parents carried their young children, while men stood near the back of the garage, their hats clenched in their hands.

“I live next door so I had to come and see for myself,” Jaime Saavedora said. “I’ve been seeing all these people come here. I’m a believer, so this is really important to me. I’m glad to see so many people come out for this. It’s really incredible; it’s a miracle.”

Sophia Marr of Aptos came to the apparition after she heard about the phenomenon at a church rosary group.

“The amazing thing is that this is happening during Holy Week,” she said. “I’m Roman Catholic, and to me this is beautiful.”

“I think it strengthens peoples’ faith when they see something that’s out of the ordinary,” she added.

At one point, a woman walked up to the window, leaned close and began to cry.

“I see Jesus’ face on the cross,” she said, before collapsing to the ground, where she was caught by her companions.

Esmerelda Segura, 13, said she took the three-hour drive from Sonoma with her family after hearing about the window from her aunt.

“I think it’s amazing,” she said. “At first I thought it was just a reflection from the light, but not anymore.”

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

Wishing everyone a Happy Easter!

Scripture - Matthew 28:1-14

The Resurrection

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

The Guards' Report

While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.' If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed.

***
The stained glass window detail was photographed inside Our Lady Star of the Sea Church. The Catholic church is located in Lake Hopatcong, NJ, USA.

Copyright 2010 Loci B. Lenar
Christian-Miracles.com

God's Call for the World to Pray for Peace as We Celebrate Easter

Cross of 2010 - Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

By Loci B. Lenar

Lent prepares us through sacrifice and prayer for a spiritual renewal of the soul. However, Easter rejuvenates our lives as God the Father calls us to live by the gospels of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by transforming us into the resurrected image of His divine son.

Through prayerful contemplation and preparation for Easter, I made an appointment with my spiritual advisor, Father Richard Tartaglia of Saint Mary’s Church. My visit on Wednesday, March 31, to Saint Mary’s, included the sacrament of reconciliation and a conversation with Fr. Richard about the spiritual presence of God as our Lord manifests His love through signs and wonders throughout the world.

For anyone that's interested in visiting Saint Mary's Church, it is located on the corner of Myers Avenue and Route 46 in Denville, New Jersey.

Since 2005 and each year following, God the Father has blessed me through His divine son, Jesus Christ, with a miraculous sign of a cross which appears annually on my residence in Mine Hill, NJ. Once again, on Saturday morning, March 27, 2010, a cross surrounded by a shield appeared on my backyard fence. The spiritual presence of God and His angels coincided with the start of Holy Week.

2010 Cross - Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

The cross started appearing at the top of the fence as a result of sunlight and then slowly moved downward until it came in contact with the ground. At that point it turned into a round circle of light and then afterward it disappeared. The most recent cross was seen by my wife, Teresa, including my son, Ryan and his friend Nicole.

In Psalm 84:11, we read that “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” Through discernment and prayer, it’s the Shield of Archangel Michael, protector of God’s church and people.

In my previous testimony which is posted on this blog from March 23, 2007, I stated that nothing is visible in the house windows that might create a reflection of a cross. As before, I stand by that statement.

In my heart, I know it’s a reflection of God’s light coming from the gates of Heaven. As Jesus said in John 12:46, “I have come into the world as light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”

The photographs and testimony were shared with my spiritual advisor, Father Richard Tartaglia during my recent visit.

Father Richard Tartaglia - Photo by Loci B. Lenar

As you walk into the front door of Father Richard Tartaglia's office, the first object you notice is a poster hanging on the rear door with a caption of ‘Men in Black’ with two priests.  The poster has Fr. Jones holding a bible, while Fr. Smith holds a cross, both protecting the church from malevolent forces of evil. Ironically, the poster is based on the sci-fi movie staring Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith who are both protecting earth from galactic destruction.

With that in mind, we are indeed living in a world which is following the road to perdition if we do not embrace positive change and follow the gospels of Jesus Christ. In scripture we are reminded to love one another and to strive for world peace.

God the Father is calling for everyone to pray for Divine Mercy and to make use of church sacraments by attending and celebrating Mass.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is calling for us to pray that violence be mitigated and extinguished throughout the world.

Our Lord is calling for us to cherish and respect human life especially the unborn and elderly.

Our Lord is calling for us to live in peace with our brothers and sisters of other religious denominations.

Our Lord is calling for us to help evangelize the world and to pray for Christian unity.

Our Lord is calling for us to pray for peace in our families and for the world.

Our Lord is calling for us to pray for divine protection and to pray for assistance in our lives through the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima and Archangel Michael.

Cross Appears on My Fence in 2005

Cross of 2005 - Photo by Loci B. Lenar 

As I stated before, the cross first began to appear on my property in 2005.  For additional information on my testimony pertaining to the 2005 cross, please visit the following link: Miraculous Signs: Angels from Heaven.

March 25, 2008 front page clipping of Gloucester County Times 

Incidentally, in 2008, by coincidence or perhaps I should say by providence, the Gloucester County Times reported a similar story of a cross photographed on Easter Sunday in Pitman, New Jersey. To read the story, please visit the following links: NJ.com or Cross Appears on House During Easter.

Please join in prayer for God’s divine intervention in order to change our world and usher in an era of peace as foretold by Our Lady of Fatima and prophesied in Revelation 20: A Thousand Year Reign of God’s Peace.

As Jesus said in Luke 18:27, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”

Copyright 2010 Loci B. Lenar
Christian-Miracles.com

Prayers to Saint Jude: Patron of Hopeless and Desperate Cases

Saint Jude Thaddeus

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

Prayer to St. Jude

 Patron of Hopeless and Desperate Cases

O most holy apostle, St. Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the church honors and invokes you universally, as the patron of hopeless cases, of things almost despaired of. Pray for me, I am so helpless and alone.

Make use, I implore you, of that particular privilege given to you, to bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of. Come to my assistance in this great need that I may receive the consolation and help of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly (state your request) and that I may praise God with you and all the elect forever.

I promise, O blessed St. Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favor, to always honor you as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to you. Amen.

Saint Jude Heals King Abgar of Edessa

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

Prayer To Saint Jude Thaddeus the Apostle

True relative

Of Jesus and Mary,

I salute you through

This Sacred Heart of Jesus!

Through his Heart

I praise and thank God

For all the graces

He has bestowed upon you.

Humbly prostrate before you

I implore you,

Through His Heart,

To look down upon me

With compassion.

Despite my poor prayer;

Let not my trust

Be confounded!

To you God has granted

The privilege of

Aiding mankind

In the most desperate cases.

Oh, come to my aid

Until I can thank you in heaven.

All my life

I will be your grateful client

Until I can thank you in heaven.

Amen.

St. Jude, pray for us

And for all who invoke your aid.

Amen.

Saint Jude Novena

(to be prayed for 9 consecutive days)

Most holy Apostle, St. Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the Church honors and invokes you universally, as the patron of difficult cases, of things almost despaired of, Pray for me, I am so helpless and alone.

Intercede with God for me that He bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of. Come to my assistance in this great need that I may receive the consolation and help of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly (make your request here) and that I may praise God with you and all the saints forever. I promise, O Blessed St. Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favor granted me by God and to always honor you as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to you. Amen

May the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, and loved in all the tabernacles until the end of time. Amen.
May the most Sacred Heart of Jesus be praised and glorified now and forever. Amen
St. Jude pray for us and hear our prayers. Amen.

Blessed be the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Blessed be the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Blessed be St. Jude Thaddeus, in all the world and for all Eternity.

Pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary

***

The prayers can be found on Catholic websites.

For additional daily prayers, please visit the following link: Devotional Prayers

For biographical information, please visit the following link: Saint Jude

The upper stained glass window detail of Saint Jude can be seen inside of the St. Anthony of Padua Church. The Catholic church is located on 1360 Pleasant Valley Way in West Orange, New Jersey, USA.

The lower stained glass window of Saint Jude healing King Abgar of Edessa can be seen inside of Saint Jude's Church, located on 40 Maxim Drive in Hopatcong, NJ, USA.

Photographs Copyright 2010 Loci B. Lenar
Christian-Miracles.com

Possible John Paul II Miracle?

The following article regarding a possible miracle associated with Pope John II apeared on the Catholic News Agency:

Possible JP II miracle has not yet been examined, clarifies Vatican official : Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Vatican City - (CNA/Europa Press).- The prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, explained this week that the possible miraculous healing of a French nun attributed to the intercession of John Paul II has not yet been examined by the Vatican Medical Commission.

Cardinal Saraiva made his statements to a group of reporters in Rome in reference to reports published a month ago in Poland claiming that the Vatican commission had dismissed the miracle supposedly experienced by Sister Marie Simon Pierre. The cardinal said the miracle could not have been rejected “because the doctors have not examined it yet.”

The nun had been suffering from Parkinson's, a degenerative disease of the nervous system, since 2001, but has testified that she was cured in the night of June 2, 2005 after praying to John Paul II, whose final years were also marked by the disease.

“All I can tell you is that I was sick and now I am cured. It is for the church to say and to recognize whether it is a miracle,” Sr. Marie Simon Pierre told reporters in 2007.

The procedure for approving a miracle through the intercession of a specific person involves first “that it be approved by a Medical Commission, which certifies that the event is scientifically unexplainable and that the healing is instantaneous, complete and lasting,” the cardinal explained.

Before beginning the final examination, “the Congregation usually gets the opinion of two doctors beforehand” and keeps the information confidential. However, in the case of the French nun, one of the doctors expressed doubt and “the news came out,” the cardinal said. He added that even so, this does not mean that the miracle has been rejected, but rather, as is usually the case, the Congregation will ask for a third opinion before beginning the official examination.

If the evaluation by the doctors is positive, the miracle will be evaluated by a Theological Commission, which will study whether or not the event is due to the intercession of John Paul II. Then, it must pass analysis by the 30 members of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, who are like the “Parliament” of the Congregation.

Asked if this might delay the date of John Paul II’s beatification, Cardinal Saraiva said, “It’s not a case of delaying because a date was never set in the first place."

Why is this Week Called Holy?

The Garden of Gethsemane

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

The following article by Deacon Keith Fournier appeared on Catholic Online:

Catholic Online - Lent Story

Why is this Week Called Holy?
Take This Cup

By Deacon Keith Fournier

We all experience "Gethsemanes" in our own lives; times of difficulty, deep sorrow, loss, distress, fear and anguish.

CHESAPEAKE, VA. (Catholic Online) - "Then going out he went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. When he arrived at the place he said to them, "Pray that you may not undergo the test." After withdrawing about a stone's throw from them and kneeling, he prayed, saying, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done."

(And to strengthen him an angel from heaven appeared to him. He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground.) When he rose from prayer -and returned to his disciples- he found them sleeping from grief. He said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not undergo the test." (Luke 22: 39-42)

This Sunday we enter into Holy Week. Christians will gather in sanctuaries throughout the world and wave Palm branches in imitation of those who lined the streets at Jesus´ triumphal entry. We will follow the path of His struggle, the way of His rejection and we will be invited to climb the mountain of His great saving act of unmerited selfless Divine love.

During this week we are invited to enter into His pattern of surrendered love; to walk this way with Jesus, who, in His Sacred humanity, teaches us the path to our own transformation. The agony in that garden called Gethsemane shows us a very human Jesus.

Yes, He was Divine and, because of that, He alone could do for us what we could not do for ourselves, restoring through His passion and death the broken relationship between God and the people whom He fashioned for love and communion. With His outstretched arms, He bridged the gap between heaven and earth. In His triumph over death he defeated the last enemy and began the new creation.

In His Sacred humanity this man Jesus shows each of us how to live differently. We are invited to greet and embrace even that which we do not want as the very means of transformation. We have been given the grace to accept difficulties, which, when embraced in love, can actually become a path to our redemption.

The author of the letter to the Hebrews wrote "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin." (Hebrews 14:15)

The Christian tradition insists that even undeserved and unmerited suffering, when joined in love to the sufferings of Jesus Christ, can produce extraordinary fruit within us and around us. This is the mystery of suffering in the Christian life.

Saint Jose Maria Escriva once wrote "The great Christian revolution has been to convert pain into fruitful suffering and to turn a bad thing into something good. We have deprived the devil of this weapon; and with it we can conquer eternity."

How do we treat those circumstances that cause us to struggle? How do we deal with what we find unpleasant? Do we practice an "adult" form of avoidance and run, acting as if it will all just go away like when children cover their eyes? Or do we believe that even unpleasant things and "difficult" people can actually be gifts from the hands of a loving God who invites us to walk in the way of His Son?

How do we deal with unresolved conflicts or troubling relationships? Do we work toward resolution, making "love our aim" (1 Cor. 14:7), or do we avoid them, thinking they will just go away if we "pretend" they don´t exist?

Now is the time, during this week we call "Holy", to join the revolution of which this great saint writes. After all, why do we call this week "Holy"? I suggest two among many reasons.

First, the story of this week is the story of an all Holy God who showed the depth of His love through the complete emptying of Himself, in and through the Passion of His Son. Second, it is holy because we are invited into that life and way of holiness that Jesus demonstrated during all of the events that we will soon commemorate.

In the Old Testament the word often translated as "holy" literally meant- to be set aside, consecrated, for God. In Jesus Christ it now means even more. We who are baptized into Him are invited to live our lives now, in Him. To love as He loves; to pray as He prays, to walk as He walks, to suffer as He suffers; to confront evil the way He does.

All of us inevitably experience "Gethsemanes" in our own lives, times of difficulty, deep sorrow, loss, distress, fear and anguish. Friends may have betrayed us, or those whom we love may have rejected us. Maybe things about our lives are being exposed, brought into the light, and it is "uncomfortable".

It is often those times and circumstances that become the very path to holiness if we learn to love as He loves. Our Christian vocation is to live as He lives, to love as He loves and to thereby become "holy" as He is holy. We are invited to embrace the way of surrendered love.

"Take this cup". It is a very human request. What is the cup we are being asked to drink? Let us decide today to make the choice and drink, saying as we do "not my will but yours be done" When we live and love this way, the very people and circumstances that once seemed to be so difficult can become the path to freedom and we learn to walk the way of forgiving love with Him as His redemptive mission continues through time.

***

Deacon Keith Fournier asks that you join and help in this vital mission by sending this article to your family, friends, and neighbors and adding the link (www.catholic.org) to your own website, blog or social network. Let us broadcast, we are PROUD TO BE CATHOLIC!

Prayers to St. Rita

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

Nine Day Novena to Saint Rita

For Impossible or Hopeless Cases

O Holy Patroness of those in need, St. Rita, whose pleadings before thy Divine Lord are almost irresistible, who for thy lavishness in granting favors hast been called the Advocate of the Hopeless and even of the Impossible; St. Rita, so humble, so pure, so mortified, so patient and of such compassionate love for thy Crucified Jesus that thou couldst obtain from Him whatsoever thou askest, on account of which all confidently have recourse to thee, expecting, if not alwavs relief, at least comfort; be propitious to our petition, showing thy power with God on behalf of thy suppliant; be lavish to us, as thou hast been in so many wonderful cases, for the greater glory of God, for the spreading of thine own devotion, and for the consolation of those who trust in thee. We promise, if our petition is granted, to glorify, thee by making known thy favor, to bless and sing thy praises forever. Relying then upon thy merits and power before the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we pray: (here mention your request).

Obtain for us our request
By the singular merits of thy childhood,
By thy perfect union with the Divine Will,
By thy heroic sufferings during thy married life,
By the consolation thou didst experience at the conversion of thy husband,
By the sacrifice of thy children rather than see them grievously offend God,
By thy miraculous entrance into the convent,
By thy severe penances and thrice daily bloody scourgings,
By the suffering caused by the wound thou didst receive from the thorn of thy Crucified Savior,
By the divine love which consumed thy heart,
By that remarkable devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, on which alone thou didst exist for 4 years,
By the happiness with which thou didst part from thy trials to join thy Divine Spouse,
By the perfect example thou gavest to people of every state of life.

Pray for us, 0 holy St. Rita,
that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: O God, Who in Thine infinite tenderness hast vouchsafed to regard the prayer of Thy servant, Blessed Rita, and dost grant to her supplication that which is impossible to human foresight, skill and efforts, in reward of her compassionate love and firm reliance on Thy promise, have pity on our adversity and succor us in our calamities, that the unbeliever may know Thou art the recompense of the humble, the defense of the helpless, and the strength of those who trust in Thee, through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

NOVENA TO SAINT RITA

O glorious St. Rita, your pleadings before the divine crucifix have been known to grant favors that many would call the impossible. Lovely St. Rita, so humble, so pure, so devoted in your love for thy crucified Jesus, speak on my behalf for my petition which seems so impossible from my humbled position. (Here mention your request). Be propitious, O glorious St. Rita, to my petition, showing thy power with God on behalf of thy supplicant. Be lavish to me, as thou has been in so many wonderful cases for the greater glory of God. I promise, dear St. Rita, if my petition is granted, to glorify thee, by making known thy favor, to bless and sing thy praises forever. Relying then upon thy merits and power before the Sacred Heart of Jesus I pray. Amen.

The prayers to St. Rita can be found on Catholic websites.  To read about St. Rita's life, please visit the following link: Patroness of Impossible Cases.

For additional prayers, please visit the following link: Daily Devotional Prayers

The stained glass window detail of St. Rita can be seen inside of the St. Anthony of Padua Church, located on 1360 Pleasant Valley Way in West Orange, New Jersey, USA.

Photograph Copyright 2010 Loci B. Lenar
Christian-Miracles.com

Jesus Astonishes the Scholars

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

While traveling through Essex County today, I stopped at the Holy Name of Jesus. The Catholic Church is in East Orange, New Jersey.  The beautiful church is located on the corner of Dodd Street and Midland Avenue.

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

Unfortunately, the church doors were closed.  However, the exterior architecture caught my attention with its beauty.  I took some photos above the front entranceway to highlight the exquisite artistic design of the church.

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

Scripture - Luke 2:41-47

The Boy Jesus at the Temple

His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it; but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.

Photographs Copyright 2010 Loci B. Lenar

Christian-Miracles.com

Finding Fatima: Documentary of Miracle at Hiroshima

YouTube - What is Fatima

The Following information regarding the Fatima miracle is part of a new DVD documentary from Grass Roots Pictures and is posted on YouTube.  For further information, please visit the following link: FindingFatimaDVD.com

What is Fatima? The new documentary opens on Hiroshima, August 6, 1945

Eight Jesuit priests living just 8 blocks from the blast site miraculously survived the atomic blast. Everyone else within a radius of roughly 1.5 Kilometres was reportedly killed instantly, and those outside the range died of radiation within days. However, the only physical harm to Fr. Shiffer was that he could feel a few pieces of glass in the back of his neck.  Father Shiffer believed they survived because they were living the message of Fatima.      End

***

Note: The following story is in my earlier blog post of March 14, 2010.  However, FindingFatimaDVD.com recently contacted me through email regarding the release of new documentaries about the Fatima message.  As a result, I am reposting Father Paul's interview with Fr. Shiffer to highlight the Hiroshima miracle and the new DVD production.   

The following interview was conducted by Father Paul Ruge with Fr. Hubert Schiffer, a survivor of the atomic blast at Hiroshima.  Father Paul is currently the spiritual advisor at The Blue Army Shrine of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  The Catholic shrine is part of the World Apostolate of Fatima, USA, and is located in Washington, New Jersey.   The interview conducted by Father Paul with additional information on the events of August 6, 1945 can read at the following link: HolySouls.com 
                                                                                                                 

FR. SCHIFFER OF HIROSHIMA
by Fr. Paul Ruge, O.F.M.I.

At 2:45 a.m. on August 6, 1945, a B-29 bomber took off from the island of Tinian to drop the first atomic bomb on Japan. At 8:15 a.m. the bomb exploded eight city blocks from the Jesuit Church of Our Lady's Assumption in Hiroshima. Half a million people were annihilated. However, the church and four Jesuit fathers stationed there survived: Fathers Hugo Lassalle, Kleinsorge, Cieslik and Schiffer. (RH note - all other accounts state clearly that there were eight Jesuits stationed in this home not four - and it is well known that all eight survived - the author of this present article apparently only had the names of four of them, for instance Fr. Arrupe is left out of the list - and at this writing, I have not been able to find the names of the other three Jesuits. end of note.) According to the experts they "ought to be dead," being within a one-mile radius of the explosion. Nine days later on August 15, Feast of Our Lady's Assumption, U.S. forces were ordered to cease fire.

(This is the incredible story of the late Fr. Hubert Schiffer, as retold by Fr. Paul Ruge.)

 I met Fr. Schiffer in the late 70s at the Tri-City Airport in Saginaw, Michigan, as he was going to give a talk for the Blue Army Novena/Triduum. As I chauffeured him around he told me stories of his life, especially of the atomic explosion at Hiroshima. On the morning of August 6, 1945, he had just finished Mass, went into the rectory and sat down at the breakfast table, and had just sliced a grapefruit, and had just put his spoon into the grapefruit when there was a bright flash of light. His first thought was that it was an explosion in the harbor (this was a major port where the Japanese refueled their submarines.)

Then, in the words of Fr. Schiffer: "Suddenly, a terrific explosion filled the air with one bursting thunderstroke. An invisible force lifted me from the chair, hurled me through the air, shook me, battered me, whirled me 'round and 'round like a leaf in a gust of autumn wind." The next thing he remembered, he opened his eyes and he was laying on the ground. He looked around and there was NOTHING in any direction: the railroad station and buildings in all directions were leveled to the ground.

The only physical harm to himself was that he could feel a few pieces of glass in the back of his neck. As far as he could tell, there was nothing else physically wrong with himself. Many thousands were killed or maimed by the explosion. After the conquest of the Americans, their army doctors and scientists explained to him that his body would begin to deteriorate because of the radiation. Many of the Japanese people had blisters and sores from the radiation. To the doctors amazement, Fr. Schiffer's body contained no radiation or ill-effects from the bomb. Fr. Schiffer attributes this to devotion to the Blessed Mother, and his daily Fatima Rosary. He feels that he received a protective shield from the Blessed Mother which protected him from all radiation and ill-effects. (This coincides with the bombing of Nagasaki where St. Maximilian Kolbe had established a Franciscan Friary which was also unharmed because of special protection from the Blessed Mother, as the Brothers too prayed the daily Rosary and also had no effects from the bomb.)

Blue Army Shrine Featured on EWTN's New Series - The Faithful Traveler

Photographed on October 18, 2009 at the Blue Army Shrine

Photo by Loci B. Lenar

Fatima - Our Lady of Fatima - World Apostolate of Fatima, USA - Blue Army Shrine

EWTN's new television series, The Faithful Traveler will feature on Sunday, March 21st, The Blue Army Shrine of The Immaculate Heart of Mary.  The show airs at 5:00 pm EST.  The Catholic shrine is located on 674 Mountain View Road in scenic Washington, New Jersey.

The following excerpt is from the website of The Faithful Traveler:

The show's host, Diana von Glahn takes viewers on a tour of New Jersey’s National Blue Army Shrine of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, telling the story of the Marian apparitions to three shepherd children at Fatima, Portugal in the early 20th century.

Rev. Paul Ruge, the shrine’s rector, discusses how Lucia dos Santos, and Francisco and Jacinta Marto offered up sacrifices for the reparation and conversion of sinners.

Mirjana Soldo's Annual March 18, 2010 Apparition of Our Lady

Photo by Loci B. Lenar

Mirjana’s Annual March 18, 2010 Apparition - Medjugorje.com

The following message from Our Lady of Medjugorje was communicated to visionary Mirjana Soldo:

“Dear children! Today I call you to love with all your heart and with all your soul. Pray for the gift of love, because when the soul loves it calls my Son to itself. My Son does not refuse those who call Him and who desire to live according to Him. Pray for those who do not comprehend love, who do not understand what it means to love. Pray that God may be their Father and not their Judge. My children, you be my apostles, be my river of love. I need you. Thank you.”

***

The stained glass window of the Blessed Mother and Child Jesus can be seen inside of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. The Catholic church is located in Boonton, NJ, USA.

Photograph Copyright 2010 Loci B. Lenar

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

Saint Patrick Prayer

May the Strength of God pilot us.

May the Power of God preserve us.

May the Wisdom of God instruct us.

May the Hand of God protect us.

May the Way of God direct us.

May the Shield of God defend us.

May the Host of God guard us.

Against the snares of the evil ones.

Against temptations of the world

May Christ be with us!

May Christ be before us!

May Christ be in us,

Christ be over all!

May Thy Salvation, Lord,

Always be ours,

This day, O Lord, and evermore. Amen.

***

The prayer can be found on the following link:
Our Catholic Prayers

For prayers to inspire your faith, please visit the following link:
Devotional Prayers

The statue of St. Patrick can be seen inside of
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church.

The Catholic church is located in Boonton, NJ, USA.

Photograph Copyright 2010 Loci B. Lenar

Christian-Miracles.com

The Story of St Anthony the Wonder Worker

Prayers for Saint Anthony's Intercession

Prayer to Saint Anthony of Padua, Restorer of Sight to the Blind

Dear Saint Anthony, you recall the Gospel episode about the blind man who, partly healed, could see men "looking like walking trees." After a second laying-on of Jesus's hands, he could see perfectly. Saint Anthony, Restorer of Sight to the Blind, please sharpen my spiritual vision. May I see people, not as trees or numbers, but as sons and daughters of the Most High. Help me in my pressing needs. [name your special intentions]

Photo by Loci B. Lenar

Prayer to Saint Anthony of Padua, Restorer of Speech to the Mute

 

Dear Saint Anthony, how tongue-tied I can be when I should be praising God and defending the oppressed. My cowardice often strikes me dumb; I am afraid to open my mouth. Saint Anthony, Restorer of Speech to the Mute, release me from my fears. Teach me to praise God and to champion the rights of those unjustly treated. Please remember also all my intentions. [name them]

 

Photo by Loci B. Lenar

 

Prayer to Saint Anthony of Padua, Liberator of Prisoners

Dear Saint Anthony, I am imprisoned by walls of selfishness, prejudice, suspicion. I am enslaved by human respect and the fear of other people's opinions of me. Saint Anthony, Liberator of Prisoners, tear down my prison walls. Break the chains that hold me captive. Make me free with the freedom Christ has won for me. To your powerful intercession I also recommend these intentions. [name them]

Prayer to Saint Anthony of Padua, Performer of Miracles

Dear Saint Anthony, your prayers obtained miracles during your lifetime. You still seem to move at ease in the realm of minor and major miracles. Saint Anthony, Performer of Miracles, please obtain for me the blessings God holds in reserve who serve Him. Pray that I may be worthy of the promises my Lord Jesus attaches to confident prayer. [mention your special intentions]
 

Photo by Loci B. Lenar

Prayer to Saint Anthony the Wonder-Worker

Saint Anthony, you are glorious for your miracles and for the condescension of Jesus who came as a little child to lie in your arms. Obtain for me from His bounty the grace which I ardently desire. You were so compassionate toward sinners, do not regard my unworthiness. Let the glory of God be magnified by you in connection with the particular request that I earnestly present to you. {mention your petition}

As a pledge of my gratitude, I promise to live more faithfully in accordance with the teachings of the church, and to be devoted to the service of the poor whom you loved and still love so greatly. Bless this resolution of min that I may be faithful to it until death.

Saint Anthony, consoler of all the afflicted, pray for me.

Saint Anthony, helper of all who invoke you, pray for me.

Saint Anthony, whom the Infant Jesus loved and honored so much, pray for me.

Amen.

The above prayers can be found on Catholic websites.

For additional prayers, please visit the following link: Devotional Prayers

Fatima Miracle at Hiroshima

Photograph from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The following remarkable story of a rosary miracle at Hiroshima is posted on HolySouls.com.  In my recent visit to the Blue Army Shrine in Washington, NJ, I had an opportunity to speak with Father Paul Ruge, the spiritual advisor at the World Apostolate of Fatima, USA.  He confirmed the subsequent story of his interview with Fr. Schiffer, a survivor of the atomic explosion at Hiroshima.    -Loci B. Lenar

Rosary Miracle - Safe in the Midst of Hiroshima Nuclear Blast !!
     
Rosary Miracle at Hiroshima - August 6th, 1945

There was a home eight blocks (about 1 kilometer) from where the A-Bomb went off in Hiroshima Japan. This home had a church attached to it which was completely destroyed, but the home survived, and so did the eight German Jesuit missionaries who prayed the rosary in that house faithfully every day. These men were missionaries to the Japanese people, they were non-military, but because Germany and Japan were allies during WWII they were permitted to live and minister within Japan during the war. Not only did they all survive with (at most) relatively minor injuries, but they all lived well past that awful day with no radiation sickness, no loss of hearing, or any other visible long term defects or maladies. Naturally, they were interviewed numerous times (Fr. Schiffer, a survivor, said over 200 times) by scientists and health care people about their remarkable experience and they say "we believe that we survived because we were living the message of Fatima. We lived and prayed the rosary daily in that home." Of course the secular scientists are speechless and incredulous at this explanation - and they are sure there is some "real" explanation - but at the same time over 55 years later the scientists are still absolutely bamboozled when it comes to finding a plausible scenario to explain the missionary's unique escape from the hellish power of that bomb.

FR. SCHIFFER OF HIROSHIMA
by Fr. Paul Ruge, O.F.M.I.

At 2:45 a.m. on August 6, 1945, a B-29 bomber took off from the island of Tinian to drop the first atomic bomb on Japan. At 8:15 a.m. the bomb exploded eight city blocks from the Jesuit Church of Our Lady's Assumption in Hiroshima. Half a million people were annihilated. However, the church and four Jesuit fathers stationed there survived: Fathers Hugo Lassalle, Kleinsorge, Cieslik and Schiffer. (RH note - all other accounts state clearly that there were eight Jesuits stationed in this home not four - and it is well known that all eight survived - the author of this present article apparently only had the names of four of them, for instance Fr. Arrupe is left out of the list - and at this writing, I have not been able to find the names of the other three Jesuits. end of note.) According to the experts they "ought to be dead," being within a one-mile radius of the explosion. Nine days later on August 15, Feast of Our Lady's Assumption, U.S. forces were ordered to cease fire.

(This is the incredible story of the late Fr. Hubert Schiffer, as retold by Fr. Paul Ruge.)  I met Fr. Schiffer in the late 70s at the Tri-City Airport in Saginaw, Michigan, as he was going to give a talk for the Blue Army Novena/Triduum. As I chauffeured him around he told me stories of his life, especially of the atomic explosion at Hiroshima. On the morning of August 6, 1945, he had just finished Mass, went into the rectory and sat down at the breakfast table, and had just sliced a grapefruit, and had just put his spoon into the grapefruit when there was a bright flash of light. His first thought was that it was an explosion in the harbor (this was a major port where the Japanese refueled their submarines.)

Then, in the words of Fr. Schiffer: "Suddenly, a terrific explosion filled the air with one bursting thunderstroke. An invisible force lifted me from the chair, hurled me through the air, shook me, battered me, whirled me 'round and 'round like a leaf in a gust of autumn wind."  The next thing he remembered, he opened his eyes and he was laying on the ground. He looked around and there was NOTHING in any direction: the railroad station and buildings in all directions were leveled to the ground.

The only physical harm to himself was that he could feel a few pieces of glass in the back of his neck. As far as he could tell, there was nothing else physically wrong with himself. Many thousands were killed or maimed by the explosion. After the conquest of the Americans, their army doctors and scientists explained to him that his body would begin to deteriorate because of the radiation. Many of the Japanese people had blisters and sores from the radiation. To the doctors amazement, Fr. Schiffer's body contained no radiation or ill-effects from the bomb. Fr. Schiffer attributes this to devotion to the Blessed Mother, and his daily Fatima Rosary. He feels that he received a protective shield from the Blessed Mother which protected him from all radiation and ill-effects. (This coincides with the bombing of Nagasaki where St. Maximilian Kolbe had established a Franciscan Friary which was also unharmed because of special protection from the Blessed Mother, as the Brothers too prayed the daily Rosary and also had no effects from the bomb.)

***

For further details about the story, please read Dr. Stephen A. Rinehart's commentary and correspondence with Dr. Richard F. Hubbell regarding the after effects of the atomic explosion in Hiroshima.  Dr. Rhineart is considered an expert in nuclear physics.  Please visit the following link for the whole story: HolySouls.com 

Michigan diocese investigates miracle attributed to former Bishop Frederic Baraga

Bishop Frederic Baraga

Photo From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The following article connecting former Bishop Frederic Barga to a miracle appeared on the Catholic News Agency:

Michigan diocese investigates miracle attributed to former bishop : Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Marquette, Mich., (CNA/EWTN News). - The Diocese of Marquette is investigating an possible miracle attributed to Servant of God, Bishop Frederic Baraga. The official inquiry will move the cause for Bishop Baraga's canonization forward, which was opened for the prelate in 1952.

In press conference on Wednesday, the current Bishop of Marquette, Alexander K. Sample, announced the recent development, saying, “Since my first days as a seminarian studying for the priesthood, I have had great devotion to Bishop Baraga.”

“As his eleventh successor, I am thrilled at the prospect of a miracle that will advance his cause. With all the priests, deacons, religious and lay faithful of the diocese, I give thanks to God for his, holy, priestly, example,” he added.

Father Ronald Browne, who has been appointed to lead the work of the canonical tribunal, explained the story behind the alleged miracle. “We have a case involving what was thought to be a tumor on a patient's liver that showed up on various tests, including a CT scan and an ultrasound. However, when exploratory surgery was done, there was no tumor to be found,” Fr. Browne said.

The Diocese of Marquette reported that while in the Upper Peninsula, the patient and the patient's family invoked the intercession of Bishop Baraga and placed his stole on the sick person's abdomen. Following the prayers, the patient said that the pain in the abdominal area went away.

The diocese explained that in order for the event to be considered as a miracle, it needs to be affirmed as something that science cannot explain and be attributable to the intercession of the candidate for sainthood.

Once the tribunal has investigated the event – the process is scheduled to begin on March 12 – two physicians must testify regarding the physical condition of the patient before and after the event. After the alleged miracle has been verified, documentation will be sent to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in the Vatican, who will then submit the cause to Pope Benedict XVI. The Holy Father will then determine whether or not Bishop Baraga will be beatified.

If the miracle is recognized as authentic, the diocese will need to verify one more miracle in order for the Michigan bishop to be declared a saint.

Bishop Baraga was born in 1797 in Slovenia, and come to the United States as a missionary to the upper Great Lakes region in 1830. Ministering to the Odawa and Ojibwa Native American tribes, the bishop is said to have traveled throughout the 80,000 square mile territory by means of boat, canoe, horse, dog sled and even snowshoe. Often called the “Snowshoe Priest,” he was consecrated a bishop in 1853 and served until his death in 1868. Bishop Baraga is credited with writing a Ojibwa/English dictionary which is still in use today.