A Priest Needs Your Prayers
This morning, Joe Maher of Opus Bono Sacerdotii sent me this kind note:
Suzanne, a priest contacted me after seeing your site. Thank you again and may Our Lady of Priests be your health and your protection! ~ Joe
Please pray to Our Lady of Priests for this particular priest throughout Holy Week but especially on Good Friday:
Stabat mater dolorosa
iuxta Crucem lacrimosa,
dum pendebat Filius.
At the Cross her station keeping,
stood the mournful Mother weeping,
close to Jesus to the last.
Cuius animam gementem,
contristatam et dolentem
pertransivit gladius.
Through her heart, His sorrow sharing,
all His bitter anguish bearing,
now at length the sword has passed.
O quam tristis et afflicta
fuit illa benedicta,
mater Unigeniti!
O how sad and sore distressed
was that Mother, highly blest,
of the sole-begotten One.
Quae moerebat et dolebat,
pia Mater, dum videbat
nati poenas inclyti.
Christ above in torment hangs,
she beneath beholds the pangs
of her dying glorious Son.
Quis est homo qui non fleret,
matrem Christi si videret
in tanto supplicio?
Is there one who would not weep,
whelmed in miseries so deep,
Christ’s dear Mother to behold?
Quis non posset contristari
Christi Matrem contemplari
dolentem cum Filio?
By the Cross with thee to stay,
there with thee to weep and pray,
is all I ask of thee to give.
Pro peccatis suae gentis
vidit Iesum in tormentis,
et flagellis subditum.
For the sins of His own nation,
She saw Jesus wracked with torment,
All with scourges rent:
Vidit suum dulcem Natum
moriendo desolatum,
dum emisit spiritum.
She beheld her tender Child,
Saw Him hang in desolation,
Till His spirit forth He sent.
Eia, Mater, fons amoris
me sentire vim doloris
fac, ut tecum lugeam.
Can the human heart refrain
from partaking in her pain,
in that Mother’s pain untold?
Fac, ut ardeat cor meum
in amando Christum Deum
ut sibi complaceam.
O thou Mother! fount of love!
Touch my spirit from above,
make my heart with thine accord:
Sancta Mater, istud agas,
crucifixi fige plagas
cordi meo valide.
Make me feel as thou hast felt;
make my soul to glow and melt
with the love of Christ my Lord.
Tui Nati vulnerati,
tam dignati pro me pati,
poenas mecum divide.
Holy Mother! pierce me through,
in my heart each wound renew
of my Savior crucified:
Fac me tecum pie flere,
crucifixo condolere,
donec ego vixero.
Let me share with thee His pain,
who for all my sins was slain,
who for me in torments died.
Iuxta Crucem tecum stare,
et me tibi sociare
in planctu desidero.
Let me mingle tears with thee,
mourning Him who mourned for me,
all the days that I may live:
Virgo virginum praeclara,
mihi iam non sis amara,
fac me tecum plangere.
Let me, to my latest breath,
in my body bear the death
of that dying Son of thine.
Fac, ut portem Christi mortem,
passionis fac consortem,
et plagas recolere.
Virgin of all virgins blest!,
Listen to my fond request:
let me share thy grief divine;
Fac me plagis vulnerari,
fac me Cruce inebriari,
et cruore Filii.
Wounded with His every wound,
steep my soul till it hath swooned,
in His very Blood away;
Flammis ne urar succensus,
per te, Virgo, sim defensus
in die iudicii.
Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,
lest in flames I burn and die,
in His awful Judgment Day.
Christe, cum sit hinc exire,
da per Matrem me venire
ad palmam victoriae.
Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence,
by Thy Mother my defense,
by Thy Cross my victory;
Quando corpus morietur,
fac, ut animae donetur
paradisi gloria. Amen.
When my body dies,
let my soul be granted
the glory of Paradise. Amen.
Related posts
Catholic Therapists: A New Direction for Psychology
By now we’ve all heard the stories of whistle blower priests being bullied into checking into the diocesan-approved treatment center for “evaluation.” Or perhaps the seminarian or diocesan priest branded a sexual deviant, by the shrinks hired to screen him, for opposing women’s ordination or the Lavender Mafia. More recently, priests who have been falsely accused of misconduct and removed from ministry without due process find themselves bullied into the diocesan gulag for evaluation.
Here’s an entry from the Opus Bono Sacerdotii FAQ:
22. I have a priest friend who is looking for some counseling help, but he is scared to death to go to the bishop or any other brother priest, especially any one associated with the diocese. He, and I agree, is afraid that the minute you let the bishop or diocese in, he’ll/they’ll, remove the priest and his name will be disseminated all over the media and elsewhere. Furthermore, treatment centers are just as bad since they report to the bishop and are paid for by the diocese and I’ve heard some real sad stories about these places. Do you have any advice on him seeking counsel? Are there any good priest psychologists that can be trusted and are loyal to the teachings of the Church and the Holy Father?
There are very few priest psychologists/psychiatrists available. Many qualified Catholic mental health professionals help priests in this country. To find a Catholic therapist in your area who share your convictions in integrating the truths of the Catholic faith into their practice we highly recommend visiting www.catholictherapists.com.
Residential treatment is rarely indicated unless a priest is suicidal or severely incapacitated. We have priests go to psychologists from other parts of the country, take hospitality near a counselor’s center and participate in intensive 4 day per week outpatient psychotherapy. Also many priests are treated on the phone from different parts of the country and this has been very succesful. The most common conflicts in priests are those of loneliness, low male confidence, anxiety and mistrust. I’d recommend priests read the article our advisor Dr. Rick Fitzgibbons wrote in The Priest on resolving loneliness in priestly life which can be found at www.maritalhealing.com/ResolvingLoneliness.pdf.
It’s no wonder that many priests in crisis are apprehensive about seeking help for depression or anxiety triggered by the intense trauma of being falsely accused. Some commit suicide.
Follow Fr. John Zuhlsdorf’s commentary and discussion on the abuse of psychological screening by the Lavender Mafia to keep REAL MEN out of the Catholic priesthood:
Fr John Zuhlsdorf: Holy See on use of psychology in priestly formation
As Joe Maher mentioned in his FAQ at Opus Bono Sacerdotii (read about them here), the most common conflicts in priests are:
- Loneliness
- Low Male Confidence
- Anxiety
- Mistrust
joemaher(at)opusbono(dot)org
Fr. Joe’s Blog featured a great post referencing the gulags:
Retrospective on Clergy Child Abuse
Related posts
Get Help Here
Suzanne, a priest contacted me after seeing your site. Thank you again, and may Our Lady of Priests be your health and protection! ~ Joe
Opus Bono Sacerdotii (work for the good of the priesthood) is an initiative of the Catholic laity to help priests in crisis throughout the world by providing these emergency services at no cost to the *priest.
For this emergency aid to continue, it is imperative that anyone reading this make OBS known to people who may offer them monetary assistance.
If you are contemplating exposing corruption in your diocese to your bishop, contact OBS first to ensure you have access to a canon lawyer’s counsel. Doing the moral thing can turn out badly for the whistleblower otherwise.
Confidential Email Request for Assistance:
joemaher(at)opusbono(dot)org
If you have been removed from ministry and would like to talk
to brother priests confidentially for moral and spiritual support,
contact: priestnetwork(at)opusbono(dot)org
“It is edifying to see such lay people willing to risk everything to help so many in the ministerial priesthood. It is a privilege for me to be here, thank you.” ~ Jose Cardinal Sanchez, Former prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy - member of the Holy See upon his visit from Rome in October 2007 - offering Holy Mass in Our Lady of Priests Chapel located in Opus Bono Sacerdotii’s offices.
*All validly ordained Catholic priests who are not ministering in a schismatic situation and who desire to be in union with the Supreme Pontiff are eligible for support.
