Some have noticed new statuary in the parish center, which arrived a few months ago as a gift to the parish from a family at the FSSP apostolate in Tacoma, Washington, St. Joseph's parish, an arrangment organized by the pastor there, Fr. Timothy O'Brien, FSSP.
Three beautiful statues, including a statue of St. Joseph (below), Our Lady, and an impressive crucifix, were donated to St. Lawrence, only requiring our parish to pay for transportation. Given the delicacy of the items and their large size, the shipping cost approximately $3,200, and despite the great care taken by all involved, some small damage was done. Thanks very much to the Kadar-Kallen family for repairing St. Joseph, which looks wonderful now.
You will be able to see it in person at the St. Joseph's table Monday night after the High Mass in the parish center. May God reward the many people who helped us display these beautiful pieces of art in our parish center, helping us all to pray in a better way.
A new sign arrived and now hangs on the front of St. Lawrence Church, in place of its predecessor which needed to be updated with the latest details of parish life, including information about the Divine Office, updated scheduling of Mass and Adoration, and details of the parish's business office hours, which are now finally published, enabling parishioners to stop by unannounced to take care of any of their parish business. The process is thanks to the hard work of Melissa Roma and others; and it's amazing how much work goes into such projects.
Parishioners are encouraged to download a copy of the church sign (here) to print and post on their refrigerators.
HARRISBURG—Building on the great experience last week, St. Lawrence's Knights of Columbus host their second Lenten fish fry tomorrow night (March 3).
You may pre-order on the Knights' website here.
Please note that this week the Knights give two options of when to pick up your food (for either dine in or to go):
- after Stations of the Cross (~6:15 pm)
- after Mass (~7:15 pm)
Fr. Smith, Fr. Cortes, and the Knights look forward to spending time with whoever comes!
We are approaching the one-year anniversary of the novena and consecration that we did last year, imploring Our Lady’s help to preserve the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) and the Traditional Latin Mass. As you will recall, in the months following the issuance in July 2021 of the moto proprio "Traditionis custodes," many were rightly afraid that our parish here at St. Lawrence could be disbanded. This concern was echoed around the world in other similar places. Fr. Komorowski, FSSP superior general, asked the priests of the FSSP and all of the Faithful at our parishes to seek Our Lady’s help.
We were all amazed when it was announced a couple of weeks later that the Holy Father had met with two FSSP priests, and had subsequently signed a special decree protecting the work of the FSSP, preserving it’s right to keep the Traditional Latin Mass. When we saw that the date of Pope Francis’s signature on the decree was Feb. 11—the Feast of Our Lady Immaculate of Lourdes, and the day that we all consecrated ourselves to her—we saw the work as due to her intercession.
This year, as an act of thanksgiving as well as of petition to protect us from future problems, our superiors have asked us to repeat the Consecration at the High Mass on Saturday, Feb. 11, at 9 am. We will also prepare for that consecration with a novena beginning on Feb. 2.
For our novena of preparation, we will pray a decade of the Rosary followed by the Memorare after each Low Mass (and after the sermon of each High Mass):
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
We will use the following prayer as our Act of Consecration on February 11, 2023:
O Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and Help of Christians, behold this day before thy feet, the priests and seminarians of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, together with all those who, united with us as a spiritual family, place their hope and trust in thee.
O Queen and Mother of all priests, it was by thee that Jesus, the High Priest and Victim, was given unto the world, and He in turn has given thee as Mother to us.
Intercede, therefore, we implore thee, for us thy children, whom thou didst receive and accept at the foot of the Cross. Look with favor upon the work we seek to do for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. Obtain for us by thy prayers the graces we need as members of the one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, to be instructed and enlightened by her Magisterium, to be devoutly zealous for the graces of her Sacraments, and to be unfailingly loyal in our unity with the Vicar of thy Son.
The rest of the text is recited only by priests and seminarians of the Fraternity:
Conscious of our own frailty, and of the hatred of the world for the works of light, we offer this day to thy Immaculate Heart our Priestly Fraternity and beg thee to take it under thy patronage. We chose thee, this day and evermore, as our advocate and Queen, and devote ourselves and all those souls who seek our priestly care, together with all our works and all we have and are, to thy loving protection.
To thee and to thy Immaculate Heart, we entrust and consecrate ourselves. Assist us in our endeavors to spread the Kingdom of thy Son, so that those who have strayed from the truth may once more attend to the teaching of the Church; those separated from her unity may return to the one true fold; those in sin may be restored to a state of grace; and those who have abandoned the Sacraments may return with fervor to receive them.
O Virgin Most Pure, do thou, together with Saint Peter, and all the angels and saints, pray for us all in these times of trial. May thy love and protection be ever upon our Fraternity, so that we may faithfully proclaim the Holy Gospel and bring the Sacraments to ever more souls. Obtain for us by thy prayers that we may persevere in grace until death, when we may be united with thee, our loving Mother, in the house of the Father.
Amen.
Requiem Mass for Fr. Frank Parrinello: Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 7pm—Fr. Frank Parrinello, the first chaplain of the Mater Dei Latin Mass Community, died on Jan. 7, 2023, in Sioux City, Iowa. He was 55. The newspaper of the Archdiocese of Omaha, of which he was a priest, reported heart attack as the cause of death. St. Lawrence will offer a Sung Requiem Mass for him, with blessing at the catafalque, Wednesday night.
As the first chaplain of the Mater Dei Community, beginning Dec. 2, 2007, shortly after the issuance of Pope Benedict’s Moto proprio Summorum Pontificum, which expanded access to the Traditional Latin Mass, Fr. Parinello made a lasting impact, initiating many devotions and activities still practiced at St. Lawrence. Fr. Parrinello “brought a deep sense of community” to the newly established Mater Dei, said Mary Ann Vigilante, who began working for Mater Dei under his leadership.
“Scrolling through my old emails, he initiated the Holy Name Society, the Knights of the Altar, Junior Sodality, Women’s Sodality, Pro-Life Committee, Sunday socials, picnics, gatherings,” Mary Ann said.
Then a member of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), Fr. Parrinello was also the first chaplain of the Lancaster Latin Mass Community, beginning May 2008.
The obituary published by the Archdiocese of Omaha noted that his funeral had been scheduled for Jan. 14 at St. Michael Church in South Sioux City. Burial was to be at Calvary Cemetery in Sioux City, Iowa.
More from the same obituary:
[Fr. Parrinello] grew up in Sioux City and earned a bachelor’s degree in social work and psychology from Briar Cliff University in Sioux City in 1989. As a young man, though, he felt a deeper calling into his faith and toward the priesthood, Father Cook said. The two became friends as archdiocese seminarians studying at Mount St. Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
Father Parrinello was ordained in 2000 and was associate pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Norfolk from 2000 to 2003 and pastor of St. Leonard Parish in Madison from 2003 to 2005. Then he felt called to enter the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, Father Cook said. With permission from the archdiocese, Father Parrinello served with the Fraternity in Rapid City, South Dakota; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
In 2015 he completed a master’s degree in social work from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio. He had a mental health practice with Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma.
A few years ago, Father Parrinello returned to the Archdiocese of Omaha to be closer to his parents and work for the Lord through mental health care, said his sister, Gina Rosenbaum of North Sioux City, South Dakota.
He established Our Lady of Good Counsel Apostolate for Psychotherapy and Counseling, with an office in downtown Omaha. He served as a volunteer chaplain for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and consultant to the archdiocese’s Metropolitan Tribunal, a Church court….
Father Parrinello was preceded in death by his mother, who died in October. Survivors include his father; his sister and her husband, Paul Rosenbaum; four nieces and two great-nieces.