Everything you hold sacred...

St. Cornelius, Pray for us!

Today is the feast of the patron saint of our university's founder -- Cornelius Vanderbilt. Although the good Commodore would not have made much of it, that doesn't mean that we can't! Pray for Vanderbilt -- and maybe the founder, too!

St. Helena, Pray for us!

On this feast of the Holy Cross we should remember St. Helena, who found the true Cross. The story of her faithfulness to a very unusual vocation is remarkable. I like best the fictionalized version of her life by Evelyn Waugh simply titled Helena. On the whole, relics are good things.

Here she is in St. Peter's Baslica:

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday to our dear Blessed Mother!

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of mercy

our life, our sweetness, and our hope

to thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve

to thee do we send up our sighs

mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.

Turn then, most gracious advocate

thine eyes of mercy towards us

and after this, our exile, show unto us

the blessed Fruit of thy womb, Jesus

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary

pray for us, O holy mother of God

that we may be made worthy

of the promises of Christ.