Ruminations of an Amateur Monastic
This weekend, Holy Week begins with the Sunday of Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem – Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion. Although Good Friday is coming – the Passion and Death are coming – for the moment, this moment, joy resounds as our King arrives in His city. In most parishes throughout the world, the principal Mass is celebrated by […]
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This morning the image below appeared as a memory on my Facebook feed. The attached post was to encourage folks to join us for Sunday Lenten Vespers at Holy Rosary. Of course, in the three short years since then, Father Wagner died, the church building was shut down, and finally our parish itself was suppressed. Vespers procession at Holy Rosary, […]
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Today was once one of the most solemn feasts of the year. It’s gone by several names over the millennia: the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, Candlemas. Coming forty days after Christmas, it was even once the end of the Christmas season. Even today there are relics of […]
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Once again, it’s time for our annual look back at the year that was. And what a year! Plague, lockdowns, crazy elections, murder hornets, you name it! But instead of looking at the crazy out there, we’re concentrating on the crazy in here, in the form of a top ten. Who doesn’t like top ten lists? These are the top […]
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At Vespers this evening, the season of Advent begins. For many of us, it seems as though we’re still living through a long Lent. Francine and I have more or less been locked down since March, only venturing outside for our daily walks, store expeditions, and church. Yesterday we pulled the “Advent box” out of the garage and began decorating […]
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For many people throughout the world, this year has been a year of loss. The present plague prevents people from gathering and imposes other restrictions on our free-wheeling behaviours. This year, we have cancelled our family Thanksgiving, which we normally hold this weekend. In most places, Mass attendance has been dispensed by our bishops, and in many places access to […]
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Today is the 99th anniversary of the dedication of our former parish church of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. The church, now in danger, was dedicated on November 21, 1921. Here is what the parish history has to say about the event: Nov. 21, 1921 Thanksgiving Day. The new Church building is dedicated by the Most Rev. Edward J. […]
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Appropriate to today – the Feast of All Souls of the Benedictine Order – we once again have the Dies Iræ, the traditional sequence for Requiem Masses and the Masses of All Souls. Today we pray for the souls of all Benedictine monks, nuns, sisters, and oblates in purgatory. Servant of God Thomas of Celano Most probably written by […]
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Today is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. This is the first year since 1891 that no Mass will be celebrated for this feast at what was once the parish of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in Tacoma. I’m feeling melancholy today, so I thought I’d post some photos from past celebrations of what was our patronal […]
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Wednesday, October 7 is the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary. For those of us who were once parishioners of Holy Rosary parish in Tacoma, it was our patronal feast. In years past, we could celebrate this on a Sunday – today, in fact. Altar servers for our patronal feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary parish (Tacoma, […]
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Francine took this video of our final Mass at Holy Rosary as a parish community. It was originally live-streamed on Facebook. Since the Holy Rosary Facebook page is now taken down, I thought it might be nice for it to live here.
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This video was made by Diana Rubio, a former parishioner of Holy Rosary and mother to two of our altar servers. All of the photos were taken over the last five or six years. See if you can find anything that says to you “unviable parish”. Diana says: After many attempts, I can finally post this video that I’ve created […]
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Forty-one days ago, we learned that our parish of Holy Rosary was to be suppressed. Twenty-five days ago, we celebrated our last Confirmations as Holy Rosary ceased to be a parish in the Archdiocese of Seattle. Eleven days ago, Archbishop Etienne celebrated the final Mass for Holy Rosary parish. And then, six days ago, we received this in the mail. […]
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Depart from me, I will weep bitterly; labour not to comfort me. (Antiphon 1 of Monastic Lauds for the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows) Two days ago, Archbishop Paul Etienne celebrated the final Mass of Holy Rosary parish in Tacoma. Perhaps appropriately, today is the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. In his blog, his excellency had this to […]
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Today is the fourteenth anniversary of my final oblation to Saint Martin’s Abbey in Lacey. Recently, Francine and I have considered the idea of transferring our promise of stability to Mount Angel Abbey in St. Benedict, Oregon. Just another moment of uncertainty in this uncertain age. Saint Benedict. Detail from a fresco by Fra Angelico. As Oblates, we promise to […]
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Nine months after the solemnity of her Immaculate Conception, celebrated on 8 December, today we celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a feast so ancient that it is celebrated on the same day in both East and West. WEST: Giotto’s Birth of the Virgin Scripture tells us very little about the early life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. […]
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Current and former Holy Rosary Parishioners are invited to attend our farewell outdoor Mass with Archbishop Etienne and several former pastors on September 13th 2020 at Noon. Guidelines to Attend We are strictly limited to 200 in the congregation, and parishioners MUST sign up ahead of time.Those who are vulnerable are encouraged to stay home and participate in a Mass […]
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