The Virtue of Eutrapelia in full flower: today's ordinations in Milwaukee

The joy in our faith that we used to cherish around and despite all the workings of the Wandering Actionites, and that was so rudely taken from us last year at this time, has returned in full force. If the evidences aren't lying, no one will so easily rob it away again, not any Wanderers, nor any Actionites, nor any theological poseurs with tall tales, nor anybody else. This noontime two young men, Carlos Florez and Ricardo Martin, were ordained to the presbyterate, and we rejoiced loudly and continually in it.

For the hour before the ordinations began, a prayerful prelude was led by the Central City Catholic Youth Choir, with precision and enthusiasm and piety (and, it must be admitted, the offering to God of several clap offerings). When the actual Liturgy began, they were joined by the Milwaukee Archdiocesan Choir, who were equally enthusiastic and precise and devout, even though the processional was the tooth-on-edging "Sing a New Church." For those who watch EWTN, this is the same choir that sang at +Timothy's installation Mass that was broadcast there. For the music people, besides that processional, the music was:

Rite of Sprinkling Holy Water: Water of Life/Agua de Vida [J. Cortez]
Responsorial: Salmo 22: Tu Vas Conmigo [Hurd]
Alleluia: [J. Chepponis]
Litany of Saints: Roman Missal (in English)
Laying on of Hands: Veni Creator Spiritus [B. Bridge] and L'Esperit del Senyor [trad.]
Sanctus, Acclamation, Great Amen: Misa Bi-Lingual: Echo [J. Honore]
Agnus Dei: [J. Schiavone] (this is a Latin language setting)
Communion: Lord. when You Came/Pescador de Hombres [C. Gabarain/Jabusch] and I Love the Lord [trad.]
Recessional: Forth in the Peace of Christ [J. Quinn]

I was seated in the middle of a flock of photographers and videographers and was busy praying, but I caught our notoriously eutrapeliac archbishop bouncing in his cathedra wiggly with overflow joy twice, there may have been more I did not see. And, +Timothy has followed through on his installation resolution to learn Spanish, during his homily he paid tribute to the parents of the ordinands in Spanish, about two paragraphs worth, well-pronounced. And during the vesting of the two newly-ordained, the dressers got one of the chasubles very tangled around the head of their victim, and set off a round of blessed giggles. Seems there are unforeseen hazards to trying to dress someone else --- especially in public.......

There were, of course, many people stopping at the Eucharist Chapel and the shrine to Mary, Mother of the Church either as they arrived or afterwards before proceding to the reception; which was crowded, extraordinarily joyous, plenty of food and beverage, and very much appreciated mariachi band. After first Masses (one of them in Columbia, the other in Milwaukee's central city north, the first in two decades there) one of them will become the associate at the parish in this neighborhood just south of Fr. Groppi's bridge.

Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah!
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