Thursday, July 1, 13th Week in Ordinary Time
Fourth from left: Fray Serra's giant monument in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.
BLESSED JUNIPER SERRA (b Mallorca 1713, d California, 1784), Franciscan, Professor, Missionary, Father of the California Missions
Born Miquel Josep Serra, this Catalan native joined the Franciscan order where he took the name of St. Francis's childlike companion, Brother Juniper. Until he was 35, he was an important professor of philosophy who was also famous for his preaching. Then he decided to become a missionary to the New World, arriving first in Mexico where for 18 years he worked in central Mexico and what is now known as Baja California. In 1769, when the Spanish territories in central America were threatened by a Russian invasion from the north, Serra and a fellow missionary headed north and founded the first Catholic mission in what is now San Diego. In the next two decades, despite unending physical and material difficulties, 8 more missions were founded, including the famous ones in Monterrey/Carmel, San Luis Obispo, San Juan Capistrano and San Buenaventura. (Twelve more would be founded after his death.) Serra also fought for and gained from the Spanish military commander of the region the first Bill of Rights for native Americans which protected the Indians by making the friars their legal guardians. Serra, who suffered until the end of his life from the consequences of a badly infected wound leg when he first arrived in Mexico, was sustained by prayer, often from midnight till dawn. He was an indefatigable traveller, mostly on foot, and personally baptized over 6,000 individuals and confirmed just as many. He brought native Americans not just the gift of faith but a decent standard of living, thus winning their love. He is buried in the San Carlo Borromeo mission in Carmel. He was beatified in 1988.
Readings for today's Mass:
www.usccb.org/nab/readings/070110.shtml
OR for 6/30-7/1:
Photos show the Pope at St. Paul's Basilica visiting a new gallery of archeological finds and at the Vespers.
The Holy Father celebrates the First Vespers and Mass on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul
'The Church is young and open to the future'
He announces a new Pontifical Council to promote new evangelization in secularized countries with an ancient Christian tradition
Photos, from left: Vespers at St. Paul's; Angelus on Sunday; and St. Giuseppe Cafasso, subject of yesterday's catechesis, in a Turin church mural. Conspicuously missing is any photo of the Mass at which the Pope conferred the pallium on 38 new metropolitan archbishops.
This issue makes up for three days since Sunday when the newspaper did not appear because Sunday and Monday are both religious holidays, so it covers the Vespers on Monday, the Mass and Angelus on Tuesday, and the General Audience yesterday. Given prominent play on Page 1 is the letter from the Pope to Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone on the 50th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.
THE POPE'S DAY
The Holy Father met today with
- Mons. Angelo Amato, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. He signed decrees about
miracles that will lead to one sainthood and four beatifications, recognized the martyrdom of 21
individuals in the 20th century, and the heroic virtues of six others.
- Mons. Walter Mixa, emeritus Bishop of Augsburg. The Holy See later issued a note about the meeting.
- H.E. Pablo Cabrera Gaeta, Ambassador of Chile, on his farewell visit
- Cardinal Edmund Casimir Szoka, emeritus President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State
and of its Governatorate.
The Vatican also formally announced the nomination of Mons. Kurt Koch, until now Bishop of Basel (Switzerland),
to succeed Cardinal Walter Kasper as President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and
his elevation to the rank of Archbishop.
THE POPE'S PRAYER INTENTIONS
FOR JULY 2010
General intention:
That elections in every nation may be carried out with justice, transparency, and honesty,
respecting the free decisions of citizens.
Missionary intention
That Christians may strive to promote everywhere, but especially in our cities, education, justice,
solidarity, and peace.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 01/07/2010 15:33]