BREAKING NEWS: Part III COUNCIL OF PRIESTS: DECISION 2004
Oklahoma City, OK (AP) -- The Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City did not provide the previously desired channel for justice in yesterday's election to the open seat of the Council of Priests. When presented with the petitioner's briefs regarding voting irregularities and the request to overturn the election, one judge on the Tribunal asked, "What, does this Fr. Hamilton have a marriage case for us to annul? If not, then what is he bothering us for?" The other candidates protesting the election results received similar responses. And since recourse cannot be had to the Church's supreme court, the Roman Rota, due to their cappuccino break, it appears the results of Decision 2004 will stand. The Rev. Don Wolf, the incumbent whose seat was up for election, has won the election and retains his seat on the Council of Priests.

Fr. Hamilton delivered a concession speech via radio moments after the Tribunal's refusal to hear the case: "I thank all of my supporters. These past several days of campaigning have been tiring. Though the outcome is not what we had hoped, there is some sense of relief and mercy that we can bring this to a close. I will continue to serve God's people as I have been called to do and I will continue to be of service in this Archdiocese, though not in an elected capacity. While we may always have some doubts in our minds, while we may always wonder about the rightfully elected priest in this election, I have no doubt -- and nor must you -- that the Holy Spirit can work through whomever sits on the Council, no matter how he got there. And the Holy Spirit, dwelling in us by our Baptism, will continue to work through each of us. God bless you. And God bless the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City!"

Thus concludes this extended thread. The election results are indeed that I am among the three candidates who did not get elected. The Rev. Don Wolf was elected and retains his seat on the Council. Thanks for enjoying the silliness and the humor with us!

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Pray for Them.

And you should too. This next round is going to look like Romper Room in comparison.

I'd rather risk illness, thanks very much.

Mysterious signals from 1000 light years away�| New Scientist

The truly sad part will be that we will decode these signals only to discover it's an infomercial for their equivalent of the Ab-Blaster.

Accidental Convergence

I was working arranging the third part of the first year of the Borromeo Project, when I stumbled upon a funny convergence in the Catechism and a little bit of my past.

In my younger days, i.e. high school, I flirted with rock groupie status for RUSH. One of their great concept albums was titled 2112. The story line revolved around a totalitarian theocracy which had banned rock music. (Old folks in the back, sit down and stop clapping.) One lone hero discovers an electric guitar and liberates everyone through 3-chord power rock.

As I was working I came across paragraph 2112 of the Catechism. It reads in part: "The first commandment condemns polytheism. It requires man neither to believe in, nor to venerate, other divinities than the one true God. Scripture constantly recalls this rejection of "idols, (of) silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see." These empty idols make their worshippers empty: "Those who make them are like them; so are all who trust in them." God, however, is the "living God" who gives life and intervenes in history.

The convergence just sort of came to me. In 2112, the lone hero reminds man of his fundamental dignity through the rejection of the theocracy. In paragraph 2112, the Christian is reminded to reject all the false gods and discover his true identity as one created in Love and worship the one, true God. Granted the analogy limps a bit in that you get the impression from the song that somehow rock music is to be the new form of worship, it still is a funny occurance.

BREAKING NEWS: Part II COUNCIL OF PRIESTS: DECISION 2004
Oklahoma City, OK (AP) -- Following the news just hours ago that voting irregularities have been found in the election to the open seat of the Council of Priests, Canon (Church) lawyers have been called upon to represent all candidates. A case is currently before the Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City claiming that Fr. Don Wolf is not the rightful winner of the election, due to the incorrect counting of "glitches" in Miami, Oklahoma. Fr. Hamilton and at least one other candidate have vowed to take this case to the supreme Church court, the Roman Rota at the Vatican.

BREAKING NEWS COUNCIL OF PRIESTS: DECISION 2004
Guymon, OK (AP) -- Early this afternoon, word was beginning to circulate that Rev. Don Wolf, the incumbent, was the winner in a very close race for the open seat on the Council of Priests. Reporters at each candidate's watch party headquarters were preparing for the concession and victory speeches, respectively. Fr. Hamilton, youngest candidate on the ballot, was moments away from the podium where he was to deliver a brief speech conceding the election, thanking his supporters, and asking God's blessing and guidance upon the re-elected incumbent and upon the entire Council.

But then a few hushed whispers were witnessed from campaign directors to Fr. Hamilton. Within seconds, Fr. Hamilton stepped back stage and his Press Secretary emerged. "Reverend Fathers, Religious Sisters, distinguished Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulchre, ladies and gentlemen," Sr. Mary Agnes, O.P. said, "we have just received word that some voting irregularities are being reported from Miami, Oklahoma. This leaves the Council of Priests election rather uncertain. Fr. Hamilton spoke earlier by telephone with the apparent victor of the election, Fr. Don Wolf. They exchanged a few brief words and the promise of prayer. This latest news, however, leaves us unsettled. Fr. Hamilton is, at this moment, calling Fr. Wolf again, to express interest in waiting for an official investigation before a victor is declared. He will be with us momentarily. In the meantime... uh, excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, Fr. Hamilton."

At this point Fr. Hamilton stepped to the podium to a very supportive crowd and a spontaneous schola that chanted "Christus Vincit. Christus Regnat. Christus Imperat!" Fr. Hamilton began, "Thank you. Thank you, very much. Please. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Since the close of the polls, we have had some anxious and now tumultuous hours. Admittedly, we are scrambling a bit now, not sure how to proceed. We have learned that voting irregularities are being reported in this election and an official investigation is opening into the matter. To restore a necessary confidence in our voting system, I believe a full investigation should be conducted and completed before a winner is declared in this race. Therefore, I hereby call upon the election commission to do a full recount of this election. Since voting takes place via fax machine, early reports claim that a few electronic glitches caused marks to appear next to different candidates' names, which were incorrectly counted as votes for a wrong candidate. Until this matter is reviewed I believe it would be irresponsible to declare a winner. In addition, my campaign is also calling upon former President Jimmy Carter to come and oversee the process of ballot recounting. This process must be entirely transparent and "above the table" if the matter is to be fairly resolved. Therefore, I thank you all now for your ongoing support and I ask for your patience. We will have another statement shortly."

Fr. Hamilton and his staff quickly left the stage area and the crowd of supporters slowly dissolved, leaving a sea of streamers, large "V"s, and empty offertory envelopes strewn on the ground.

Our Lady of Kazan (Kazanskaya)

For those who have read much concerning the return of this venerable icon but didn't understand what the hubbub was about, consider this post your basic one-stop shopping portal.
I believe this icon also goes by the title, Our Lady of Tenderness, but I could be mixed up.

For history, go here and here.

For the Pope's homily, go here.

For the Pope's letter to Alexei II, the Patriarch of Russia, go here.

For a picture of the icon, go here.

For pictures of the celebration, go here.

Why the Holy Father handed over this icon should be as clear as the beard on my cheeks. "I have become all things to all men, in the hope of winning at least some." In this case, our Holy Father has become one of the Russian people who have looked to Our Lady under this particular invocation and have longed to have returned to them this symbol of their love for the Blessed Mother. He returns this image of wood, gold, and pigment, so that, holding on in the virtue of hope, that the true image of the Son might be reflected in a Body of Christ healed of all divisions.

UPDATE: For a completely different take on this story, go consult the Curt Jester.

I just wanted some Doritos, Officer.

I would think so...

Unless you spew on an Asian dignitary, then everyone has to get involved...

Verifyin' and Testifyin'

Since I missed Zell Miller's speech, except for one part where I was convinced an artery was about to blow, I looked up the speech on line. It is everything that Fr. Hamilton suggested it would be. Link is above.

Monster Rectory?

I was watching a re-run of Monster House on the Discovery Channel when a delicious idea hit me. Why not put my rectory up for this kind of treatment? We could call it the "Monastery House." Unfortunately, they don't accept projects that are more than an hour away from L.A. or Las Vegas. So while I might still send in an application, I don't think we are going to get anywhere with them.

That leaves Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. For that to fly, though, a group of people would have to send in letters, extolling my merits and virtues, as all of you know, I have none, so that's probably right out as well.

Why all of this focus upon re-decorating? Well, let's see...the plaster is sliding off the wall in the downstairs living room due to a leaking roof. The carpet is so old upstairs that I saw a sample of it on the Brady Bunch. (P.S. they hated it too.) The upstairs bathtub looks like it was taken from a closed asylum for dunking the mentally ill, better known as hydrotherapy. The house was built in the 1930's so let that piece of information guide you.

I will keep you posted on developments on that front.

Welcome, Reverend Reader!
This is just a quick shout out to a recent reader, the Rev. Howard Remski of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, Chaplain to the Latin Mass community of St. Michael Chapel in Bethany, Oklahoma! We're glad you've been reading and we are encouraged that you even left a comment, and conveniently in English, not Latin, so all our readers can enjoy! It is good to have you here in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City!

What the Zell!
First, my apologies for not providing some posts on the first few nights of the Republican National Convention. I managed to have quite a few remarks when the Democrats met, but my own campaigning and other duties have kept me from devoting time to commentary on the RNC.

I missed the speeches on the first night of the RNC. But I can comment, I think, on strategy. Speeches by Mayor Giuliani and Sen. McCain were a wise stroke. I'm sure the idea was to provide a comfortable home for members of the Republican party who fall across a spectrum of the official party platform. The Governator's speech was very rousing. He knows how to play a crowd and you had this sense that, barring changes in the Constitution, that may well have been Schwarzenegger's acceptance speech for a presidential nomination. I think one could critique the content of the Governator's speech as being a bit weak on content, marked by slogans, cliches, and corny adaptations of his well-known movie lines. However, his story as a foreigner coming to America was very compelling and his testimony that he became a Republican because Democratic rhetoric of the time (i.e., Humphrey campaign) sounded much like the socialism he had left behind in Austria was striking. Of course, the force of that remark was rather awkward, to say the least, given that he seemed to hold Nixon up as the reason he became Republican. Ooops. I'm trying to imagine what, "I am not a crook," sounds like with an Austrian accent! Anyway, given the media drumbeat of how America is hated around the world, Arnold's was a reminder that the American dream lives and it is still attractive to people from afar, indeed it beckons them. I thought the Governator's personal story was an interesting response to the notion that somehow the supposedly unilateral actions of the US in Iraq have gained us many more enemies. The appearance of the Bush twins was a major error. They came off as shallow bimbos of privilege. And I LOVED how confused they seemed when people laughed or applauded for extended periods of time, interrupting the speech. At one point, after a supposedly funny remark, followed by continuous laughter from the crowd, one of them turned to the other and could just be heard over the microphone asking, "What are they laughing at?" She then -- and I love this! -- turned behind her to look at the massive television screen as if conspirators had posted up funny or embarrassing images! Girls, this is a national convention for president, not a place where programming normally seen on MTV's spring break coverage will be found. I wanted to say, uh, hello honey, they're laughing at your remarks, albeit much too generously, but so be it. Get a clue. The First Lady is attractive and classy and it is refreshing to be able to listen to a First Lady without wondering (fearing?) that she is setting the stage for her own future campaign. However, following the Governator's speech, Laura's speech seemed to dissipate the energy generated by Arnold. Oh, well, I guess I didn't expect her to give a rowdy speech.

But last night. Oh, man! Sen. Zell Miller went "all out"! I couldn't believe it. I don't remember hearing him speak before. He was quite a force to be reckoned with. It was remarkable just because he's a Democrat, giving the keynote on night three of the RNC. But in addition, he gave a stunning critique of Kerry and his lack of trustworthiness and preparedness for the job of Commander-in-Chief. I think he went overboard and I wonder if that will backfire on the Bush campaign, but still I couldn't believe I was hearing such a straight shooting speech from a politician. It was, actually, a bit refreshing, even if rather harsh. I had to peel myself off the wall following the hurricane force delivery of Zell's speech. Then Fr. Tharp and I ended up on the phone, so I didn't watch the Vice President's speech. Considering only how it began, I think it too, much like Laura's speech the night before, dissipated much of the energy generated by Zell's speech. But again, I didn't expect the Cheney to get very fired up.

Hey, and for my money, I love protestors being wrestled to the ground in a Secret Service "pig pile".

WATCH PARTY COUNCIL OF PRIESTS: DECISION 2004
In a few minutes polls will close and the deed will be done. I'm not sure how long it will take to get the results. I am told it usually happens quickly. Apparently, you are called on the phone only if you win. If you don't win, you're just dropped like so much trash, not even worthy of a call to say "Thanks for running." Anyway... I spoke to another candidate tonight, hoping he would concede the election, but he didn't. He told me he had not received a phone call either. So, either the both of us lost, or the election commission hasn't tabulated the results yet.

Getting the results quickly would be nice so the waiting is over. But there is another reason. As revelers continue to party, getting sloppy drunk, and waving huge "V" signs from the campaign, it would be nice to be able to send them home! How many more photos can I endure with campaign supporters hanging on me and slurring: "I love you, man! Eerrr... I mean, Father!"

BACK HOME!
I am back to my parish after a nice 2 week vacation so that I will be rested for the hussle and bussle when the schools come back into session next week.

I am still getting used to being a priest, and now on vacation. For most days on my vacation I celebrated the holy sacrifice of the Mass privately (well, united with the whole Mystical Body of Christ). There are definite pluses to this (e.g., no one telling you that you are doing something wrong, and no criticism if you use some Latin). However, it is nice to have someone there to enter into the prayer and give the proper responses.

I did concelebrate Mass at a parish where my sister and niece worships at times (their local parish is pretty much a mess, the tabernacle is in what looks to be the old janitor's closest in the hallway outside the church, the priest does not like the Our Father the way it is, etc). This parish is in the care of a religious order (who will remain nameless). The style of the church was rather modern (for my taste), but in some ways reflective of the spirituality of the order, and you knew it was a church. Saying Mass on the road has been, well, interesting. While the celebrant (also pastor) welcomed me, he had me do NOTHING at the Mass. He did not even allow me to say part of the Eucharistic Prayer (which he deleted the word "Father" throughout, apparently that is offensive). Of course at Communion time, since they had a whole platoon of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHCs), I was told to just sit down after I received. That really ticks me off. Afterall, I am an ORDINARY MINISTER of Holy Communion. There is such a poor understanding of ecclesiology today; priests really have been made "just like everyone else." I am certainly NOT saying that I am better than anybody because I am a priest, but as we hear in St. Paul's letters, the different parts of the Body have different roles that are proper to them. As a priest, I serve the Church in persona Christi Capitas, participating in His Headship. This is for the service of the laity, who have their specific role to play in the holy sacrifice of the Mass.

Apparently I had the blessing of the fact that the sound system was not oriented backwards, so I did not hear his homily. I knew he was talking about the terrible violence that is occurring in the Sudan (an important concern). During the homily my sister looked as if she was slapped, and then looked at me. After Mass she told me that the thrust of the homily was that the Church (read, Rome) cannot be silent about the situation in the Sudan "as it was during the Holocaust." Heck, I thought we were getting beyond the nonsense that the Church was somehow complicit in the Holocaust. There is NO historical evidence to support this. I am glad I did not hear it. I am glad to be home.

Another New Thing

Tonight is the first night of Religious Education for the kiddos in the parish. Also, it had been my ambitious plan to offer religious education for ADULTS at the same time. Sadly, there have been no takers. Why that is remains a mystery of a sort.

On point, please remember to pray for the kids of my parish. We are in our second year using the Ignatius Press Series, Image of God, and the sixth grade and eighth grade books look to be a particular challenge.

Philly Considers Wireless Internet for All

I hate to sound like Judas for the technological age, but isn't this a tremendous waste of money? The article unfortunately doesn't lay out how much it will cost taxpayers but that really isn't my beef. I have no problem with paying my taxes if I could be assured that wasteful bone-headedness could be kept to an absolute minimum. While we may have the poor with us always, we ought to act to help them rather than making it more convenient for me to get my email.

ELECTION DAY COUNCIL OF PRIESTS: DECISION 2004
Fr. Tharp is probably looking forward to campaign silence (read his inspired post below), as am I, however, ballots can be cast through today and so today is the final push. In a few minutes I will be heading west to the remote town of Boise City for some final campaign work. I have cast my vote. I apologize to readers that EWTN could not manage to have video footage of me casting my vote this morning.

Mother got a little hot under the collar, as is being reported (below), but I think I can recover due to a nice convention bounce showing up in the exit polls. We shall see. Results of the election will be reported as soon as I know them.

A reminder to readers: Today is election day for the Council of Priests and Fr. Hamilton is a candidate. However, campaign reporting is entirely made up.

And then...the Sound of Silence...

Felix Mendelssohn makes dramatic use of silence in his oratorio, Elijah. In the key scene between Elijah and the prophets of Baal, if you will recall from the biblical text, the prophets go to extremes to get Baal to respond and ignite their sacrifice. In the score, the prophets sing, "Hear and answer." And everyone falls silent, from chorus member to orchestra. It repeats like this two more times.

In the last weeks of campaigning, no doubt exists in my mind that many times Fr. H has had his hands raised before the altar of God, crying out, "Hear and answer." What he has been receiving as an answer, I will leave him to tell you. But after the convention, the smoke, the interviews, the scandalous news reports, now there is silence.

Let us hope that this endeavor ends better for Father than it did for the prophets of Baal (I Kings 18:40). In Northwest Oklahoma, I don't know of a brook that is equidistant from his parish to mine.