ROME — First Year students at the Pontifical North American College, including Jacob Mlakar, received the Ministry of Lector Jan. 15.
Mlakar, a seminarian from St. Matthew Church recently earned a Bachelor of Philosophy from the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, indicating successful completion of the pre-theology program.
Lector is the first of those ministries given to seminarians in their journey to priestly ordination and allows them to proclaim the readings at Holy Mass.
Bishop Paul Tighe of the Pontifical Council for Culture was the main celebrant of the Mass. Cardinal James Harvey and members of the faculty con-celebrated. During the rite, Bishop Tighe presented each candidate with the Lectionary and instructed them “Take this book of Holy Scripture and be faithful in handing on the word of God, so that it may grow strong in the hearts of his people.”
— Photo provided by the Pontifical North American College,
CHARLOTTE — Blessings and graces abounded at the Latin High Mass on the Vigil of the Epiphany of the Lord in the chapel at Charlotte Catholic High School Thursday night.
Father Jason Barone, school assistant chaplain, blessed the school after Mass with blessed chalk and Epiphany Holy Water.
Before celebrating a Latin High Mass at Charlotte Catholic High School on the Vigil of the Epiphany this evening, Father Barone blessed Epiphany Water, salt and chalk for the faithful to use in their homes.
Dozens of students attended the Latin High Mass at the school’s chapel.
The blessing of Epiphany Holy Water is an ancient custom and is more powerful than ordinary holy water as it contains several prayers and exorcisms in the blessing.
The Feast of the Epiphany, also called Three Kings Day or Theophany, is traditionally celebrated on the 12th day after Christmas, on Jan. 6. In the dioceses of the United States, this feast has been moved to the Sunday between Jan. 2 and Jan. 8.
Celebrate the feast of the Epiphany by planning a blessing of your home, as a witness of your Catholic faith and for protection against evil.
Ask a priest to bless a piece of chalk, then draw a cross over your front door along with the following characters: 20+C+M+B+17.
The 20 and the 17 stand for the new year, and the letters C, M and B are both the initials of the three Magi (Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar) as well as the initial letters of the Latin phrase "Christus mansionem benedicat," which means "Christ bless this house."
— Catholic News Herald. Photos by SueAnn Howell, Catholic News Herald
