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Month: July 2023

Bishop Kevin Rhoades Returns for Mass and Altar Dedication

July 27, 2023
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On July 15th, 2023, His Excellency Bishop Kevin Rhoades celebrated the Mass for the Dedication of an Altar at the Oratory of the Holy Family. There to celebrate with him were a dozen clergy from multiple dioceses, over 400 pilgrims from all over the country, and over 100 more live-streaming the event online.

The new ambo arrived just in time to have Bishop Rhoades bless it at the beginning of Mass. From it, special readings for the Mass for the Dedication of an Altar were read. This included the recounting of the dedication of the altar in the book of Maccabees, Paul’s letter to the Corinthians about participation in the Body, and Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman about true worship recounted in the Gospel according to Saint John. Additionally, Bishop Rhoades preached an inspiring homily. In his homily, Bishop talked about the celebrations that took place in the First Reading and likened them to our own celebrations for the day. He also connected the consecration of an altar using Sacred Chrism to our consecration at Baptism: 

“When I consecrate this altar, I invite you to think about your own consecration. What does it mean to be consecrated? It means to be ‘set apart.’ This altar will be set apart for divine worship, nothing else will be done on it, it cannot be used for any other purpose other than for the offering of the Lord’s sacrifice. When we were consecrated, we were set apart for the service of God and the building up of His Kingdom. This demands our continual conversion, a sacrificial dying to ourselves so that we belong more and more to God. This is the path of holiness, the journey of our Christian life: living our baptismal consecration.”

He further emphasized this by highlighting the similarities between the rites of Baptism and the rites of the dedication of an altar. He also emphasized the constant invitation to love and unity with one another and to “live the mystery that we celebrate at the altar,” particularly amid the Eucharistic Revival. Connecting the worship Jesus spoke of in the Gospel and the participation in the Body of Christ Paul spoke of in the Second Reading, Bishop Rhoades continued: 

“Today’s liturgy reminds us of our calling to become living altars, where Christ’s sacrificial love is made present as an inspiration and a source of spiritual nourishment to everyone we meet; That’s the Christian life, the life of discipleship. It’s the life that the Blessed Virgin Mary teaches us and shows us. She is our greatest model of discipleship. Her life, and also Saint Joseph’s life, mirrored their Divine Son’s own loving self-oblation in obedience to the will of the Father. In imitating the Holy Family, we discover true freedom and joy. This joy, the joy of love, draws others to the Lord and his Church; it’s the greatest means of evangelization. I pray that the pilgrims who come here to this Oratory and who worship the Lord at this altar will experience the joy and love of the Lord. May all of us here today who receive Christ’s Body and Blood at this Eucharistic banquet, celebrated on the newly consecrated altar, go forth at the end of Mass to glorify the Lord by the witness of our lives.”

 

Following the homily and the creed, the anointing and dedication of the altar took place. The new altar of sacrifice was modeled from the altar depicted in the stained-glass window on the East side of the sanctuary. The Lamb of God centerpiece was also chosen to mirror the bottom of the stained-glass image. The window depicts the Holy Mass being celebrated within the three states of the Church: the church triumphant, the church militant, and the church suffering. The altar was designed by liturgical architect Phillip Breckler, and constructed by Barry Campbell of Te Deum LLC.

As part of the rite for the dedication of an altar, relics are placed within the altar top. Thanks to the tremendous generosity of a local FSSP priest, we were blessed to receive relics of both Saint Agnes and Saint Gallicanus. These two Saints were both early martyrs in Rome, and both were witnesses to purity. How fitting that heaven would give us two Saints to intercede for us who understand well the challenges and the goodness of the gift of purity.

At the conclusion of the Mass, Bishop Rhoades blessed the lilies, as is tradition here at Our Lady Patroness of America Center, so that they could be distributed to pilgrims as a sign of the invitation of Our Lady to a life of purity. Following the Mass and distribution of the lilies, all were welcomed to a free lunch served by The Orchid Catering. Pilgrims enjoyed pork sandwiches, wraps, mac and cheese, chips, fruit, and lots of cookies. There was even cake as we celebrated our beloved staff member, Ruby Ramey, who was just named citizen of the year in Rome City. All were well-fed, fellowship was shared, Bishop remained for conversation and blessings, and we soaked up some beautiful sunshine and the graces of a great day in the Kingdom. 

Last August, Bishop Rhoades had come to bless and rename the chapel, and to consecrate the new altar. However, due to a mishap while installing the altar top in which the marble was broken, Bishop was unable to dedicate the altar at that time. He still blessed and renamed the chapel to the Oratory of the Holy Family and granted us the grace to reserve the Blessed Sacrament here. Due to ongoing construction within the building, and at the instruction of our chaplain, Father Louis Fowoyo, we are not yet ready to have the Eucharist present daily. We hope that with our continued progress on remodeling, and with the ever-growing number of pilgrims, we will soon be able to welcome this great grace with reverence and proper devotion.

The Lord works all things for our good; while Bishop Rhoades was unable to consecrate the new altar of sacrifice last August, we were still blessed to have him celebrate Mass for the blessing and renaming of the chapel. Bishop Rhoades’ choosing of the name, the Oratory of the Holy Family, shows his great depth of understanding in regard to the devotion. Throughout this past year, we have seen many graces that have come through the anointing of this space, and the honoring of the Holy Family. One tremendous grace of being unable to consecrate the altar that day was that it insured Bishop Rhoades would be returning the following year to finish the work that was begun.

That day has come; now forever marked as a historic day for the Our Lady Patroness of America Center, July 15th, 2023, Bishop Rhoades returned to consecrate the new altar of sacrifice in the Oratory of the Holy Family. We are ever grateful to Bishop Rhoades for his support of the devotion, his guidance in our mission and throughout the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, and his work to consecrate this space as a place for prayer, healing, and renewal. With his continued blessing, we pray that together we can make this a place where the Holy Family is honored, families are renewed, and great graces for healing and conversion are received and spread throughout our nation and into the whole world. We look forward to many more Masses celebrated on the new altar, and many more days of joy and celebration with our pilgrims all to the honor of the Holy Family and the glory of God. 

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Pilgrim Walk – Anniversary of Devotion to Our Lady, of America.

July 14, 2023
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Join us, September 24th, 2023, for the Second Annual Walking Pilgrimage in celebration of the 67th anniversary of the devotion to Our Lady of America. We will walk along Fishingline Trail from Kendallville to Our Lady, Patroness of America Center in Rome City.  We will have varying starting points and times based on the distance you want to walk. Buses will shuttle pilgrims from the Patroness of America Center (2730 E. Northport Rd.) to your desired starting point following the schedule below. Once all pilgrims have arrived together back at the Center, we will have Benediction at the Oratory of the Holy Family. Following Benediction and Reposition of the Blessed Sacrament, we will have a light meal available for a free-will donation. The Orchid Events and Catering will be providing various options to try to accommodate guests with dietary needs, but please note any needs in your RSVP. Please help us prepare for your arrival by submitting your RSVP on Eventbrite below. We are greatly anticipating walking with you and praying with you as we celebrate the devotion and witness to our faith. 

Important!

Attending? Please let us know if you are coming to help us plan transportation and Meals. RSVP Here

Schedule for the Day

Starting points shown on map below.

1.) 7.3 Miles. Bus leaves at 12:30 pm. Walk begins at 1 pm.
2.) 4.7 Miles. Bus leaves at 1:45 pm. Walk begins at 2:15 pm. 
3.) 3.3 Miles. Bus leaves at 2:30 pm. Walk begins at 3:00 pm. 
4.) 1.1 Miles. Bus leaves at 3:00 pm. Walk begins at 3:30 pm. 
5.) 0.6 Miles. Bus leaves at 3:00 pm. Walk begins at 3:45 p.m. 

Following Benediction around 4:30 pm, a light meal will be available for purchase. 

Map of pilgrimage route along Fishingline Trail from Kendallville to Our Lady Patroness of America Center

Things to Bring:

-Backpack
-Plenty of Water
-Snacks
-Sunscreen
-Rosary and any other desired prayer materials
-If you are staying for the cookout, bring lawn chairs or picnic blankets for your comfort. 

Tips and Guidelines:

-Begin walking daily to prepare for the long distance.
-Stay on the trail with the group. Just off the trail is private property.
-Only cross roads when traffic is clear. Do not let cars waive you across. 
-Local law enforcement will be present that day to help facilitate the pilgrimage and monitor safety and health issues that may arise. 

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Altar of Sacrifice ready for Consecration

July 2, 2023
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Consecration and Blessing of the Altar

The Oratory of the Holy Family is named in remembrance of the greatest singular event in all creation!  It is a reminder of the eternal joy of Heaven when into the Holy Family through the Fiat of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the  “Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (John 1:14). At the moment of the Annunciation creation was sanctified by the presence of the Child.   On Christmas, it became manifest, history was changed, and Salvation entered the world! 

At the Last Super, Jesus established the Eucharist so that He would never leave us.  It is upon the Altar of Sacrifice in the Oratory of the Holy Family that these two truths are brought into simultaneous focus when the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is offered, and the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ once again makes His “dwelling among us” and in us.

Great pillars of our faith come together here in the Oratory of the Holy Family, the Incarnation of Christ, the Eucharist, Sanctifying Grace, and the Indwelling of the Holy Trinity.   Here, we believe Heaven is reminding us of these awesome gifts, freely available to ALL.  We pray that this Altar of Sacrifice is a fitting table for the Eucharistic Banquette.

In our faith, the altar is significant.  In the old testament, Elijah built an altar of 12 stones, representing the twelve tribes of Israel.   At the last supper, Our Lord institutes the Eucharist at the table.  In the early Church, the altar was frequently the tomb of a martyr.  As formal churches were being built, the altar was being built directly over the burial site of the martyr to whom the church was dedicated. 

To this day, we continue this tradition of honoring the Saints by placing their relics permanently into a reliquary constructed into the stone altar top, also called the mensa. 

At the Oratory of the Holy Family, we are graced to have been gifted with two certified first-class relics; St. Agnes and St. Gallicanus, both Martyrs.   See Our Altar Relics for details.

Reliquary in the Altar at the Oratory of the Holy Family

With great anticipation of the Holy Mass on July 15, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades will consecrate the new Altar in the Oratory of the Holy Family. Here is a little background on how the Altar came about.

In the Fall of 2021, Larry Young and Al Langsenkamp met with architect Phil Breckler. We had asked Phil to help us with a project, guiding us on how the sanctuary of the Oratory of the Holy Family should be outfitted. We had not yet learned of Bishop Kevin Rhoades’ interest in renaming the Chapel.

Phil came to visit us on Saturday morning, and we discussed the history of the Chapel, the devotion to Our Lady, the Immaculate Virgin, Patroness of America, and her call to us to imitate the Holy Family.

He asked for some time to study the chapel and take in the beauty of the stained glass. About an hour later, he came to us and said he had clarity on the direction and design. With a puzzled expression, I asked Phil how he could do that so quickly. With a smile, he pointed to the beautiful stained-glass window to the right of the sanctuary and said, “It’s all right there.” He pointed to the window and drew our attention to the Altar upon which the Priest was offering the Holy Sacrifice. Indeed, it was all there.

Basis for Altar design is found in the window to the right of the Sanctuary in the Oratory of the Holy Family

We moved forward with the plans asking Phil to design the altar but also to give consideration to how the entire sanctuary would be outfitted in the future when funds permit.

Phil created proof sketches and the construction documents needed to fabricate the altar. We chose local master craftsman Barry Campbell of Te Deum in Laotto, Indiana. Barry has traveled nationwide helping churches with sanctuary furnishings, working in wood and stone. We were extremely pleased to know this could all be done within the Diocese.

It is essential to honor the history at the Our Lady, Patroness of America Center, where so many have been healed. Knowing that much of the building will never again be used in its current state, we have harvested much of the beautiful white oak trim wood and doors. Given the extraordinary quality of this hardwood and its historical significance, we discussed with Barry its use in the altar. After inspecting the wood, he concluded it would be appropriate and proper. The altar uses mainly wood reclaimed from the Center’s east end.

When the altar was commissioned, there needed to be more clarity on what, if any, depictions would be placed upon the altar front. In late May of 2022, we were honored to share lunch with Bishop Rhoades. Then, Bishop made known his thoughts on renaming Mother of Mercy Chapel to the Oratory of the Holy Family. What a gift!

With Bishop Rhoades’s direction in mind, we worked with Phil and Barry to formulate imagery that would depict the Holy Family and recognize devotion to Our Lady, the Immaculate Virgin, Patroness of America, connecting the two.

Through grace, we settled on the imagery you now see on the altar. The three panels on the front depict Jesus, Joseph, and the Blessed Virgin Mary in honor of the Holy Family,

Lamb of God representing Jesus Christ in the Holy Family

Starting with Jesus, He is depicted as the Lamb of God in the center. This white marble relief was a gift to Larry Young from Ancilla College in 2003. It was part of an outdoor altar near Donaldson Hall. In 2009 Larry gave it to Irv Kloska, who used it in his backyard prayer area. When the Altar was commissioned, Irv donated it to the Our Lady, Patroness of America Center for use therein. It resembles the depiction in the stained glass to the right of the sanctuary. Other than cleaning, no restoration was needed.

Image representing Our Lady

On the left is a stylized depiction of Our Lady, the Immaculate Virgin, Patroness of America. She is represented by her Immaculate Heart, placed upon the shield of the United States of America, with the Lily of Purity presented as a gift to us.

 
In 1792, the first bishop of the United States, John Carroll, consecrated the nation to Mary under her title, The Immaculate Conception, and in 1846, the United States bishops unanimously chose Mary under that title as Patroness of the United States of America. The Holy Father further ratified this title. Understanding this history is foundational to understanding devotion to Our Lady of America.

Image representing Saint Joseph

And on the right side is the Lily of Purity, showing the gift St Joseph fully embraces as his own!  It represents this gift lavished upon him as he was destined to be the Father of Jesus. Also, the carpenter’s square represents the trade through which he provided for the necessities of the Holy Family.  Both are placed upon the shield of the United States, representing that he, too, participates in this mission of his Spouse, Our Lady of America, through their marriage.

Together these images depict the Holy Family in a way consistent with the devotion to Our Lady, the Immaculate Virgin, Patroness of America. She wants us to imitate her Fiat to the Will of God and the life of the Holy Family so we can participate in the gift of Purity as received by St. Joseph.  It is fruitful for our salvation and for those around us.

Please join us for this historic event.  See Bishop’s Mass for details.

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