Pretty much everyone heard of the “black mass” that was scheduled to take place at Harvard yesterday.
The Internet was ablaze with commentary about what it all meant. The president of the college (named Faust, through some twist of “truth is stranger than fiction” irony) issued a statement about the event that was far stronger in its condemnatory language than the one released by the Archdiocese of Boston. But under the auspices of free speech, nothing was to be done about it.
Around social media, I saw Catholics — priests and laity alike — planning to offer or attend Eucharistic Adoration in reparation for this vile act.
But I didn’t expect anything to change. Like every other abuse hurled at Catholics, I expected this one to go on as planned. I have been so habituated to observing the denegration of our faith in the public square and the almost universally feckless responses from our bishops (who evidently seek first and foremost to ingratiate themselves to our hostile secular leaders and culture) that cynicism is about all I can muster up these days.
Then, something amazing happened. This happened.
Catholics showed up by the thousands to protest the sacrilege. Young and old, religious and layman side by side, the Eucharist borne before them like a flaming sword.
In Hoc Signo Vinces.
And suddenly, the reports were coming in. “Negotiations” had broken down. The “black mass” no longer had a place to welcome its vile rites. It had been driven off campus at the very least, and quite possibly cancelled altogether.
Through the streets of Caimbridge came the welcome sight:
I found these images profoundly moving, and I sensed almost at once that something momentous had just taken place. Spontaneously, united by a love for our Eucharistic Lord, Catholics came together and scattered the darkness with His light.
For the first time in my adult life, I find that I perceive the unsheathing of something deep within the Catholic heart. Our great and venerable faith, which has been tangled up in political correctness, afraid to exert its truths to a troubled world, saw the emergence of crusaders, waging not weapons but prayer and sacraments.
It is as if the collective tolerance of those Catholics who truly believe in their ancient and venerable mother Church at once cried out, “Enough! We will allow our Lord to suffer no more of these abuses!”
Without leadership or direction, we came together as one, and pushed back against the forces that seek to encircle and destroy us.
I hope this is a sign of our awakening. I recognize that we may yet be lulled back to sleep. But I felt it, deep in my bones, that this is a milestone. Perhaps even a turning point. We may not realize why or how for some time yet to come, but this mattered more than we know. In a way, this was a Vendée moment.
I offer my heartfelt thanks to all those who went to Harvard last night, bearing with them the “Divine, Incarnate, Crucified Love.” You made a difference. You reminded Our Heavenly Father that there are those yet in the world who love His Son enough to show up and bear witness to it.
It is only a beginning, but it is no small thing.
Act of Reparation to the Most Blessed Sacrament
With that most profound respect
which divine Faith inspires,
O my God and Saviour Jesus Christ,
true God and true man,
I adore Thee,
and with my whole heart I love Thee,
hidden in the most august Sacrament of the Altar,
in reparation of all the irreverences,
profanations, and sacrileges, that I,
to my shame, may have until now committed,
as also for all those
that have been committed against Thee,
or that may be ever committed for the time to come.
I offer to Thee,
therefore, O my God,
my humble adoration, not indeed,
such as Thou art worthy of,
nor such as I owe Thee,
but such, at least,
as I am capable of offerings;
and I wish that I could love Thee
with the most perfect love
of which rational creatures are capable.
In the meantime,
I desire to adore Thee now and always,
not only for those Catholics
who do not adore or love Thee,
but also so supply the defect,
and for the conversion of all heretics,
schismatics, lebertines,
atheists, blasphemers,
sorcerers, Mahomedans,
Jews, and idolaters.
Ah! yes, my Jesus,
mayest Thou be known,
adored, and loved by all
and may thanks be continually given to Thee
in the most holy and august Sacrament!
Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever! Amen.
It was wonderful that *all* Catholics came out for this, the Novus Ordo, the sedevacantists, SSPX, the Catholic Action League (not to be confused with Bill Donohue’s group) and Father Feeney’s groups (Still River and NH). And don’t forget Dr. Faust. Lots of irony to go around.
Wow, I wish I had known about this ahead of time. I would have gone.
I love the comment above
Perhaps if such religious groups weren’t congratulating themselves so much last week when SCOTUS handed down the decision we’d know this was just the start and more (much more) is to come.
Err… Steve… buddy… the Vendee failed. Miserably.
Well, so did the Alamo, in and of itself. Maybe the Alamo is a better reference.
I think either work. The Vendee is remembered as an important Catholic resistance moment. I don’t believe we’re going to win either. We’ll fight, and the Church as we know it will come crashing down around us.
And the few of us who are left will have to get to the work of rebuilding.
As long as there are a few, Hell has not prevailed.
Why not a “Cristiada moment,” then?
The Cristiada failed too, didn’t they. Not for lack of trying but weren’t they sold out by the Vatican state department?
I agree that the way in which so many Catholic responded to this blasphemy is deeply inspiring. What else could have inspired 2000 people to show up for Eucharistic adoration at Harvard, including the president of Harvard, of all people.
Though when you say: “Without leadership or direction, we came together as one, and pushed back against the forces that seek to encircle and destroy us.” It’s worth noting that there was in fact plenty of leadership and direction here. The Archdiocese of Boston and Cardinal Sean were quite vocal, and helped both express the outrage that made this a news story and also provide the venue for public reparation through Eucharistic adoration.
In that sense, it also serves to provide a certain amount of perspective in the face of all of the self-inflicted worry of the last year. Yes, we faithful Catholics do all love and reverence the Eucharist. Yes we do all oppose the same Evil One.
I suppose soon everyone will go back to their regularly scheduled squabbling about the pope, but it’s heartening to see while it lasts.
Brendan,
I had been following the story pretty closely. Whatever the plans were for Monday night, they seemed to come together fairly spontaneously. Was Cardinal O’Malley (I guess you’re on a first-name basis with him, but I’m not) involved in the processions? Did he plan them? I never saw his picture in any of the coverage.
Further, the diocese didn’t express outrage. They expressed “deep sadness and strong opposition” to the event. (As a writer, I can’t help but tell you that this is an example of “telling, not showing” what they felt about the issue.) Considering the ecumaniacal activities, for lack of a better term, that Cardinal O’Malley has been recently involved in, I’m not surprised at the tepid statement. The logical conclusion of treating all faiths as though they are valid is a sort of syncretism that bars truly condemnatory language.
I would certainly never say that all Catholics love and reverence the Eucharist. You use the descriptor “faithful,” but how many Catholics does that encompass? I’ve seen estimates as high as 80% of Catholics who don’t believe in the Real Presence. That’s due to a systemic failure of catechesis, as far as I can tell. And of course, the primary Eucharistic catechesis is liturgy: how we pray affects how we believe.
The pope has absolutely nothing to do with this situation. He’s content to continue promoting the work of heretics and showing deep affection for homosexual activists among the clergy. The credit for this goes to the priests and laity who made it happen because they love the Eucharist more than fame or power or ideology.
Steve — Maybe I am so giddy about the Catholic response, but I tend to agree with your assessment of what happened and what it means. After reading the bishops “strongly worded… blah blah same old same old” I was expecting the same as you ie the horrible event would take place. I had expressed my outrage to my wife that there was no counter attack eucharistic procession, benediction and adoration or even a gosh darn rosary outside the venue… But, later, upon hearing this foolish group ended up in a Chinese restaurant/bar, I was more encouraged. I was, in a word, joyful to see those images you posted. The Catholic response is great. It is a great grace and blessing to see Light dispel Darkness. I regularly attend at a local men’s religious shrine. Tonight there will be a rosary, procession and Mass in celebration of Our Lady of Fatima. I will definitely offer up my Deo gratias and hosannas with even greater happiness.
I think one reason why some people (including Steve) were a bit let down by the initial statements from the Archdiocese is that expressions like “deeply offended” and similar are used so often (and in many cases so inappropriately) as to render them worse than meaningless. For example, I’m sure that Steve’s (and my own) views on Islam would be deemed “deeply offensive” even by many of the anti-Black Mass marchers, and probably by the Archdiocese. As for Ms. Faust, I’m sure than if people had been planning to burn Korans on the second floor of the Hong Kong Restaurant, her condemnation would have been at least as strong. Do not misunderstand. I’m not criticizing Ms. Faust, the Archdiocese or anyone. Only thinking out loud about how the One True Church fits in in today’s “multi-cultural” environment where the feelings and sensibilities of all minorities (and we certainly are one of those at the moment) must be respected. Or so it is claimed. Is it a victory at this point to at least be on a level playing field with the others? Or is even playing that game a (pardon me) Devil’s bargain? Again, just asking.
But none of this pseudo-political speculation takes away from the very real faith and reverence in Christ, His Church and the Real Presence shown above.
If a Catholic is going to “protest”, this is the way to do it, and not by sending silly emails like one blogger suggested, or standing with protest signs or signing meaningless petitions. Ditch the sixties’ nonsense and do things the Catholic way.
By the way, who is the Catholic priest holding Our Lord? And is that the FFI religious surrounding him? t must be wonderful to belong to a diocese that still believes in the power they deep down know they have.
For me, what is a very important and key observation is that the shepherd’s led from the front with concrete visible action. Candidly, I for one cannot imagine this level of success and participation without the benediction and adoration led by the bishop and local pastors. The lay folks, well meaning and intentioned, would have wandered around like… well… the sheep!
Loarra, I love your post. Deeds not words will lead the way!
Who are the monks with the beards and grey habit carrying the canopy?
Father Clancy, from MIT, put together the Eucharistic Procession. About 800 or so people made the march down Mass Ave, through Central Square, past Cambridge City Hall and in to St. Paul’s adjacent to Harvard where another 800 or so more people were in the church. With the people who joined along the way, it looked as if about 2000 people were in attendance inside and outside the church. As one who walked in the Procession, I would say that if felt “historic”. Also, many of the people in the restaurants, shops and cafes along the way, who came out to see what was going on, had to have been touched by Grace and by the number and dignity of people who were walking and quietly praying. Having lived most of my life two towns away from Cambridge, I would say it probably was the first time most of these people had seen anything like this.
Am I correct in understanding that Cardinal O’Malley was nowhere to be seen? I find that…ironic.
The priest from Harvard said that the Cardinal’s travel plans prevented him from being there. He did send a Representative. I believe it was Bishop Kenney, but I could be wrong about his name.
Thanks, Patricia. I would really have liked to have seen him out front on this, or giving a personal statement, or something. But obviously circumstances can make that difficult.