Friday was the feast of St Fidelis of Sigmaringen. There is a biography of him at the Catholic Encyclopaedia. St Fidelis was a lawyer who entered the Capuchin Franciscans at the age of 35. He spent his apostolic career in untiring efforts to convert those who had fallen into the errors of Calvin and Zwingli. On his mission to the country of the Grisons, he was met everywhere with the cry "Death to the Capuchins!" After one sermon, he was surrounded by Calvinists who offered him his life if he would apostatise. He said "I came to extirpate heresy, not to embrace it"and was struck down.
My attention was drawn to St Fidelis by the blog Canterbury Tales which is written by Taylor Marshall, a convert to the Catholic Church and a former Episcopal priest.
5 comments:
S. Nuno de Santa Maria, ora pro nobis!: http://www.tribunaonline.net/2009/04/heroi-e-santo.html
I came to extirpate heresy, not to embrace itSuch a phrase would be considered an intolerable breach of ecumenical protocol in today's church.
Hello from Kansas, Father. Thought you might be interested in St Fidelis church in western Kansas. which is also known as "The Cathedral of the Plains" (nickname only--St Fidelis is not a cathedral). It's quite modern by European standards, built in 1908-1911, but it is a lovely church, built by the Volga-German immigrant families. You might enjoy visiting their website, www.stfidelischurch.com There are also some fantastic pictures at http://www.kansastravel.org/cathedralofheplains.htm
I truly enjoy reading your postings. You are a fine priest, and you are appreciated by many of us. To paraphrase Monty Python, "We're not dead yet!" May God bless you and keep you, Fr Finigan.
Dear Father Finigan
As an Anglican 'Anglo Catholic' convert from Deptford I can personally verify that the Capuchin Franciscan Friars - Erith, Kent (Greater London) are still challenging heresy in Europe 2009 i.e..
Erith is in the London Borough of Bexley. It lies on the south bank of the Thames, about six miles east of Woolwich. A Capuchin named Fr Maurice is mentioned in old directories as working in the neighbourhood in 1867. According to an old tradition Mass was said in a house in Cross Street; this house has not yet been identified.
Consequently, with the permission of his Superiors, he rented a small room and there gathered these scattered Catholics for Mass on Sundays and Holydays. Bigotry was rife in Erith at that time, and soon as the owner of the room discovered to what purpose his property was being put, he gave Father Maurice notice to quit."
Soon Fr Maurice had secured a plot of land in West Street, on which he built a small church and school. - West Street is low-lying, and near the river in the older and then, industrial part of Erith.
The church was dedicated to St Fidelis, the Capuchin martyr. Fr Maurice and his brother companion are said to have dwelt at first in a small corrugated-iron hut until a benefactor came to their aid and the old friary of St Fidelis was built at the end of the church. In this the friars lived for over a quarter of a century; later it housed the caretaker and his family; subsequently it was incorporated into the school and used as a classroom.
After a time some property was bought high up on Northumberland Heath, at the junction of Bexley Road and Carlton Road. There Fr Bernardine, the Guardian at the time. built a new friary dedicated to Our Lady of the Angels. Building began in October 1902; the house was opened in the following year. The intention was to build a church also on this site.
But only sixty years later was this ambition realised, after many vicissitudes. Fr David, who was the Guardian from 1925 to 1928, built a hall between the friary and the little cemetery and for a time this hall was used as a church, at least on Sundays.articles: old-chapel-lg.jpg
Fr Gerald, during his Guardianship, transformed one whole wing of the friary into a chapel; this was opened in December 1947, and was in use until the present fine church was opened in 1963. At first one corridor of the friary, then two, served as a chapel in which Mass was said for those who lived at that end of the parish; West Street church continued to serve those at the other end, until late in 1989, when, as part of an extensive Council plan or redevelopment, it was closed and demolished together with its adjoining buildings. Two stained glass windows from St Fidelis church have now been repositioned in he church of Our Lady of the Angels. It cost £50,000 to build and was built by Mr. H. Friday- Contractor.
The Bishop Right Rev. Cyril Cowderoy, Bishop of Southwark.arrived with him came the Provincial of the Franciscan Order In England, and before them in long procession filed Franciscans from Oxford, Birkenhead, Chester and Crawley, and priests from all over this district. The procession moved slowly up the aisle, coming to a halt before the altar. After praying, the Bishop made a tour of the church before blessing the foundation stone.The Tower is 67ft high, but appears taller because it tapers towards the top, thus giving a false perspective. Nevertheless it is tall enough to act as a landmark in the surrounding area, and it also offers an amazing view of the surrounding Parish. It was Dedicated on 28th September 2002 by the Most Reverend Archbishop Michael G Bowen.
A Primary School in Bexley Road was opened at the beginning of November 1960 it is dedicated to St. Fidelis, thus maintaining continuity with the old school and church in West Street.
Erith is now the official residence of the Provincial and his office (Curia). At the moment James Boner OFMCap is the provincial.
Franciscan Friary
2 Carlton Road
Erith
Kent DA8 1DN
Our Lady of the Rosary pray for us!
I like St Fidelis - I have a picture of him at my blog.
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