Author Topic: Introduce yourself! (Read 908843 times)

Belloc · « **Reply #40 on:** November 04, 2009, 02:33:22 PM »

Quote from: NorthernCatholic

Hello everyone,

I am a native Scot, male, living in Norway, married with children. I am of the sedevacantist view, in that the papal see appears to be vacant, given that anti-pope Benedict XVI is an apostate from the faith and most likely an occultist.

I was brought up in the Novus Ordo, but only came to the sedevacantist view a few years ago.

Scotland to Norway-what in hte world? Send me PM, always good to meet an Albannach...

greenhill · « **Reply #41 on:** November 05, 2009, 04:08:29 PM »

Hello everybody!
I would like to introduce myself.
My name is Donald. I am a 53 year old Englishman, but I have lived in Berlin, Germany for 25 years.
I come from a mixed (heretic) background. My father was a (lapsed) Calvinist ("Church" of Scotland) and my mother was a Lutheran. I was brought up in the Anglican schism. About 15 years ago, after reading much Catholic literature (Chesterton, etc) I felt I could no longer remain in the Anglican sect. I became a Catholic, but was totally ignorant of what the Novus Ordo had done to the church. My conversion was very wierd! I was told that because I was a practising Anglican that I knew all about it already and just given a cathecism and given the OK. I was also a practising "gαy" and was told to keep my mouth shut and be discrete. As long as I was in a "loving relationship" that was fine. The messes, sorry, masses were a shock! Things went on there that would have sent my Anglican rector into convulsions! At least there was reverence in my English parish church. The rector would NEVER have dreamed of turning his back on the altar! They gave me a wierd feeling in my stomach. My whole being and conscience started to tell me that something was wrong! The only feeling I got was a sort of vague feeling that being a Catholic was being "nice" and "tolerant" to everybody - no matter how WRONG my gut told me that false and heretical movements and "Self-expression" were. I dropped right out of this blah-blah form of "Catholicism" and into sin, sin, SIN!!!! I got sick, sick, SICK!!! I became more and more depressed and angry in the "gαy" madness.
About a year ago, when I was at my LOWEST point - lost and despairing - I was called to a church here where the priest celebrates only the true (tridentine) mass and were there is traditional Catholic teaching. I immediately had the feeling that this was IT!
I had a long talk to the priest and a l-o-n-g confession! (The poor man! Imagine listening to all those years of horrible sins!!!) And I started on a PROPER Catholic education.

As a result, I have given up "gαy"! I am a totally - and joyously! - celibate. Celibacy gives me no trouble. I am at peace now. I am deeply with God. Sometimes I regret missing out on the joy of marriage and children. This makes me sad. But, not all Christians are called to this state.

I take an active part in the Church (I am a member of the schola. Wonderful Gregorian chant!) and my life is based on the true teachings of the Church, and prayer. I pray the Rosary daily and attend mass regulary.

My life is better and better and happier and kinder.
I am more and more of a peaceful person. I am a caring traditional happy Catholic with firm beliefs and coherent morals, instead of a wishy-washy liberal lost soul in danger of Hell!

It is really fine to find all you traditionalist committed Catholics!

Nice to join you!

D

greenhill · « **Reply #42 on:** November 06, 2009, 03:55:44 AM »

Quote from: Vladimir

How is the state of traditional Catholicism in Germany?

Dear Vladimir

Thank you for asking

Well, in Berlin it is very poor for a capital city, BUT we have a wonderful new SSPX church - St Petrus - ( with a lovely high altar!, but the church is, sadly, I think, too small for all the people who attend mass. That is a crying shame when you think of all the huge cathedral-like (gutted) novus churches here which are half empty). Apart from that there are a few churches - two I think - which have tridentine masses at impossible times, as a sort of nostalgic "curiosity" I feel.
I feel at home with the SSPX, but I go to the Institute of St Phillip Neri at the church of St Afra, which is about an hour from my home. This was started by Father Goesche on the lines of the Oratory in England. He was formerly a Novus priest who later worked with the SSPX and then founded the Institute. The institute is dedicated to the true mass and propagating traditional Catholicism and Catholic culture.

I live sandwiched between a huge neo-Gothic Franciscan church ( Franciscan! I could tell you a story about the English "mass" circus which all those poor African Catholics here have to endure!) and a hideous modern box run by a bunch of sad men who call themselves Jesuits!

The Archbishop here is a poor little frightened grey mouse who, I believe, sees all deviations from the mainline Novus protestant sect as suspect innovations!

Around the country, it goes according to whether the area is mainly protestant or traditionally Catholic. In the south, where there were always mainly Catholics, there are many traditionalists masses. It depends also on the bishops. In some areas they have the impossible times and hidden away locations, and in others, where there are strong initiatives by local people, they are in central main churches at 10 O clock on a Sunday. We also have a central city church which I go to here because it has lovely late masses at 11,00 on Sunday, where the church - St Adalbert - is lent to a latin mass group and a very saintly and gentle, very traditional old "retitred" priest officiates.

The SSPX has churches and chapels all over the country and has very active participation.

God bless!

Donald

I will send the website of the Institute shortly.

greenhill · « **Reply #43 on:** November 06, 2009, 08:41:49 AM »

As promised, the website of the Institute of St Philip Neri in Berlin and some words about it.

The Institute was founded five years ago by the traditionalist secular priest Father Gerald Goesche. He raised the money to buy a former convent and home for fallen women, founded a hundred years ago in a very poor area of Berlin. (The church is dedicated to St Afra, who was an early martyr and former prostitute) The institute is dedicated to the traditional Mass, teaching, social care, and Catholic culture. Most of the non-liturgical and pastoral work is done by volunteers and there is absolutely NO funding or handouts from the Diocese. All funds come from the faithful. It has no parish, as such, to keep it independent from Novus interference, and depends on private donations (covenants, etc). Nevertheless it is a magnet for traditionalists in Berlin! The church is always full for Sunday Mass and has daily Rosary as well as Benediction, etc.
The church is a fine building but was in a very poor state when it was taken over. Father Goesche and friends had to do a lot of hard physical work! For example, the VII-inspired, misguided wreckers completely destroyed the High Altar (leaving only fragments), painted over the vaulting, and the beautiful stained glass windows are gone. No altar rails, of course! This was a GREAT PITY as the whole original interior had survived the heavy bombing of World War II completely intact!
The next big task is a total replacement of the roof structure, as it is in a very poor condition and only kept up by prayer and braces!

Not only had Father Goesche to find, at very short notice, the whole cost of buying the building (and thereby save it from profanation!), but the state keeps hitting him with various huge tax bills. He has also had to replace the High Altar, vestments, cloths, pictures, side altars, sanctuary carpets........the list is ENDLESS! And all on the donations of the faithful!!!!!!
You have guessed it!
This is also a begging letter!!!

Any tiny amount anybody can give would be very gratefully received!!!
I hope it is OK to do this. This is NOT any sort of scam, but a most needed and sacred resource for the Holy Catholic Church in Berlin.

Also there is absolutely no conflict with the SSPX. Father Goesche was very closely associated with the Society for some time and even helped to build the Society´s new church of St Petrus where I am going in a couple of hours for Confession and Mass!

Unfortunately, the website is still only in German. I was only asked to translate it yesterday. As soon as I have completed it, I will publish it again. Meanwhile, if you don´t understand German, you can look at the many wonderful pictures.

Any questions you have, I will try to answer, or I will find out and get back to you!

Thanks for reading all this!

Donald

www.institut-philipp-neri.de

MrsZ · « **Reply #44 on:** November 06, 2009, 10:07:58 AM »

I've actually been visiting this site, and registered for some time now. I've made a couple of posts and realize that I'm expected to identify myself!

I'm female, married for 19 1/2 years and have two children, ages 15 and 17. My H is a cradle Novus Ordo Catholic and I was baptised Orthodox, and occasionally attended services throughout my childhood (to age 16) with my maternal grandparents.

My parents had no faith, although each was baptised (my father Catholic) and (my mother Orthodox).

I agreed to raise our children Catholic ... and then started learning about Christianity following my mother's death at age 45 to breast cancer.

Ultimately, while starting out listening to Protestant radio and reading Protestant books .. I was led to learning more about the Catholic faith.

I was confirmed in the Catholic Church in the year 2000 ... subsequently, through I believe, interviews with Mel Gibson around the time of the making of the Passion of the Christ, I began to learn about Tradition and the Tridentine Mass.

We've been moving ever closer to a belief in the Traditional faith and the traditional mass. Unfortunately, we live in a place that is hundreds of miles from the nearest Tridentine Mass and so we suffer through a bland, albeit relatively adequate Novus Ordo Mass (if that can be even be said) ... and try to accept this as a Cross we must bear ... and continue to pray to be freed to attend a Tridentine Mass at some point before I die.

Both sides of our families are in varying degrees of apostasy from the Truth Faith ... most are practical atheists .. some adhere to some degree of apostasy connected to some heretical denomination ... There's rampant divorce, adultery and a garden variety of sins .... and so it goes.

God Bless,
MrsZ (and the "Z" stands for "zealot" a name given me by an apostate sister in law)