This Thursday, Aug. 15th, is the Feast of the Assumption and is a holy day of obligation. Fr. Geckle will say Mass for us at our usual time, 4:30 pm.
Mass for the Feast of the Assumption
Honoring a Bishop
This is an excerpt from American Catholic Etiquette by Kay Toy Fenner, first published by The Newman Press, Westminster, Maryland, in 1961.
A bishop is a priest who has received the fullness of holy orders, that is, the power to administer confirmation and holy orders as well as all the other sacraments. Most bishops also have other administrative duties above those of a priest. Because of this, special distinction is shown a bishop by all other members of the Church.
A Catholic formally greets a bishop by kissing the ring which is one of his marks of office. When one is greeting a bishop within the diocese of which he is the head, one kneels to kiss his ring. Properly one should kneel upon the left knee (kneeling on the right knee as a mark of respect is reserved for the Blessed Sacrament); but many people find kneeling on the left knee awkward. If one kneels on the right knee, one need not be concerned; it is a minor lapse of no importance.
It is never wrong, either from a religious or social point of view, to greet a bishop by kissing his ring. It is done at weddings, funerals, ordinations, any entertaining at which the bishop is the host, or meetings of Catholic organizations.
The gesture is sometimes omitted at mixed gatherings, such as the dedication of a public building lest it be misunderstood by non-Catholics present; but it is proper to kiss the episcopal ring under these circumstances if one wishes.
If one has frequent dealing with a bishop because of the nature of one’s work–when one meets him perhaps several times in a day–the usual practice is to kiss the ring at the first daily meeting and to omit the gesture for the remainder of the day.
No layman, religious, or cleric below the rank of bishop sits in the presence of a bishop until he requests one to do so. If seated, one rises when a bishop approaches to address one and remains standing until he invites one to be seated.
At a social gathering, the hostess or chairman says to the bishop, before any others present, “Please be seated, Your Excellency” and indicates a seat on her (his) right. If the bishop arrives after the other guests, all rise when he enters and remain standing until he is seated.
All these marks of respect (except kneeling and kissing the ring) should also be shown all clerics and religious by the laity.
Mass Time Change for Confirmations on August 11
His Excellency, the Most Reverend Mark Pivarunas, CMRI, will confer the Sacrament of Confirmation in Chelsea after Mass on Aug. 11. To accommodate His Excellency’s schedule, Confessions will begin thirty minutes later than normal, at 4:30, and Holy Mass will begin at 5.
Also, Fr. Sandquist will be substituting for Fr. Geckle for all the Sundays of August except Aug. 11th, while Fr. Geckle will be in Minnesota.
Fulfill the Ascension Thursday Mass Obligation at Our Lady of Fatima Chapel
Fr. Geckle will say Mass for us at 10:00 am on Ascension Thursday, May 30, 2019. Father will hear confessions starting at 9:30.
Stylish and Modest Swimwear 2019
Shopping for a swimsuit? Or just need to update some separates? There are some lovely options available this summer from mainstream sellers like Land’s End and specialty shops like ModLi and HydroChic.
Today till midnight, Land’s End is offering 40% off, so I will focus on a few of their items for this post. Plus, lots of moms receive Land’s End gift cards for a birthday or Mother’s Day.
While Land’s End offers tons of choices, most expose lots of skin. To narrow things down, search for “rash guard”. These options are the ones with the most coverage and are made to be worn over a swimsuit. Have no fear, though, as they are made of swimsuit fabric. This gives you the option to find the most comfortable swimsuit for underneath, whether it’s a two piece or one piece, and then top it off with something pretty and comfortable that goes right in the pool or the lake. Pair with your favorite swim skirt and leggings/board shorts for a complete ensemble. Land’s End is offering a swim skirt with leggings built in, but the skirt is a mini skirt. If you want longer lengths, check out other vendors, like ModLi and HydroChic.
Back to Land’s End. What about this new blouson top? It’s super stylish and feminine and has four print fabric choices:
For a sportier, surfer girl look, take a gander at the full zip rash guard tops like this one, which has half and full sleeve options:
And then there are the rash guard tees, that also offer lots of pattern/solid options:
If none of these options “suit” you, Fashion Belle has a page of links for sewing patterns as well as a page(s) for modest swimwear links. Most of these links come with a representative photo and a short description/review, which can be a real timesaver as you sort through the list. For instance, the Fresh Modesty pattern listing says that they offer options for sewing maternity swimsuits. Happy swimming!
Our Lady of Fatima Mission Chapel 