The Salvation of Souls: Reflections from the Monastery
Brothers Nicodemus, Damasus and Aiden discuss the extensive preparations behind Bishop Michael’s consecration, from enlarging and decorating...
Showing posts with label Audio/Video. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Audio/Video. Show all posts
Faith And Authority After Vatican II
In this continuation of the recent interview with Integrity Magazine, Brothers Bogumil and Zacchaeus explain the Transalpine Redemptorists’...
Bishop Michael Mary Interviewed by Stephen Kokx
Bishop Michael Mary joins Stephen Kokx of Integrity Magazine for the first interview following his episcopal consecration. They discuss hi...
First Pontifical Mass of Bishop Michael Mary, F.SS.R.
The first Pontifical Mass of Bishop Michael Mary was celebrated today in the Oratory of Our Lady of Casalibus on Papa Stronsay. The stones...
Episcopal Consecration of Most Reverend Father Michael Mary, F.SS.R.
On 25 July 2026, the feast of St James, Most Reverend Father Michael Mary, F.SS.R. will be consecrated a Bishop of the Roman Catholic Chur...
Rest in Peace, Brother Ignatius Maria
As many of you know by now, our Br Ignatius Maria passed into the better life on 12 April 2026. He was 24 years old. Brother is presumed t...
Stone upon Stone
Drystone walls need attention now and again to keep them in good condition. Some of the many walls on Papa Stronsay were built or repaired ...
The Prophetic Aspect of Religious life.
This conference was given on the occasion of the Religious Profession of Brother Francisco Maria of the Hidden jesus, in Christchurch on th...
Papa Stronsay Calendar 2020
The Papa Stronsay Calendar for 2020 can now be purchased from our website HERE . As always, our Calendar is jam-packed full of all ...
All Year Long
The Papa Stronsay Calendar for 2019 is now available for purchase from our website here . The Papa Stronsay Calendar enables you t...
Papa Stronsay Calendar 2018!
The Papa Stronsay wall calendar for 2018 is finally here, and can be purchased below! For those of you who may not have had the ple...
Corpus Christi
This post was intended for the feast of Corpus Christi , but Divine Providence had other designs! Our Lord gave us wonderful weather fo...
Happy New Year — Saving a Seal
Life on a small island can often be very interesting. For example: Who expects that stepping outside their front door, they would find a s...
Wonderfully Clear Teaching from a Prince of the Church!
Cardinal Arinze of Nigeria has given an interview to LifeSite News in which he proclaims in a wonderfully simple and clear manner, the Chu...
Stronsay Pier View
Today marks the longest day in the year. Here as I write, it is wet and foggy, but if the skies were clear one could watch the sun make it...
Latin Mass Society Conference
Last Saturday, 24th May, the Latin Mass Society (LMS) held their conference in London. The theme of the conference was "The Tradition...
A Perfect Storm
5th December 2013 saw an impressive storm hit large parts of the UK. Here is how it looked on Stronsay, the island next door to Papa Stron...
One of my happiest mornings was spent in 2008 in St Cecilia in Trastevere, built upon the remains of the house of St Cecilia. Time spent in the crypt of this Roman church is truly an extraordinary experience, as it is left almost as the saint would have known it, the large grain pits near which she was imprisoned, the shrine even to Minerva set there by her pagan relatives. Most wonderful was to be favoured with the key to the gated, almost ciborium like, golden chapel under the high altar where one can see the sarcophagi of the Saint, with that of her chaste husband St Valerian, through a stone lattice. I had read the wonderful account of the finding in the 1500s of her incorrupt relics, still stretched downwards as she had fallen, the blood still fresh in the wounds on her neck, and this more than a thousand years after her death. As nobody dared to touch them in this wonderful state, to this day we have no idea of what her face looked like and that is why the famous statues of her, carved by one who had seen the miracle, never show her face directly, she is always stretched downwards. There, close to her shrine, all of this came alive in my mind.
The famous phrase associated with the holy martyr we celebrate today is "singing to God in her heart", it is what holy tradition tells us she did in the direst moment of her life, and it is considered in some way why she is the patroness of musicians. I know this is a little different, and I know the words to this song, which first appeared in 1868 of unknown origin, have been somewhat de-Christianised in this more modern version, but none-the-less they fit St Cecilia very well and raise one’s heart and mind to remember a holy and innocent one, who will surely protect us in our direst needs if we call upon her intercession, singing in our own hearts.
Br Nicodemus Mary, F.SS.R.
"My life goes on in endless song, above earth's lamentations, I hear the real, though far-off hymn, that hails a new creation. Through all the tumult and the strife, I hear its music ringing, it sounds an echo in my soul... how can I keep from singing?
"While though the tempest loudly roars, I hear the Truth, It liveth. And though the darkness 'round me close, songs in the night it giveth. No storm can shake my inmost calm, while to that Rock I'm clinging. Since Love is Lord of Heaven and earth... how can I keep from singing?
"When tyrants tremble in their fear and hear their death knell ringing; when friends rejoice both far and near... how can I keep from singing? In prison cell and dungeon vile our thoughts to them are winging; when friends by shame are undefiled... how can I keep from singing?"
How can I keep from Singing?
One of my happiest mornings was spent in 2008 in St Cecilia in Trastevere, built upon the remains of the house of St Cecilia. Time sp...
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