Mass of Reparation

In 1773 the pope, Clement XIV, suppressed the Jesuit order. He bowed to the pressure of Catholic princes of the Borbóns/Bourbons (Spain, France, Two Sicilies, Parma), and the Portuguese and Austrians. In non-Catholic states (Prussia and Russia) the princes were free to ignore the pope and protect the Jesuits. The suppressed Jesuit, Luigi Felici, in 1797 wrote the Divine Praises (expanded by Pius VII). Pius VII in 1814, with the bull, Sollicitudo omnium ecclesiarum (The care of all Churches), re-established the Jesuits.

Blessed be God.
Blessed be His Holy Name.
Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Blessed be the name of Jesus.
Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.
Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception.
Blessed be her glorious Assumption.
Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.
Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most chaste spouse.
Blessed be God in His angels and in His Saints.

May the heart of Jesus, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, be praised, adored, and loved with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, even to the end of time. Amen.

The Divine Praises were to make reparations after public blasphemy. Recently, Wednesday, 17 August, the tabernacle, and its contents, including the Divine species (Jesus) in the visible form of sanctified communion wafers, were forcibly removed from the parish church of Holy Name in Cleveland, Ohio. Shortly thereafter a scrap dealer notified the police about the thief, Eddie Davis. He was also involved in the theft of a dozen items from the Anglican Cathedral, Trinity, a few days earlier. All those items, several jewel encrusted chalices amongst them, were found with two pawnbrokers. The door of the tabernacle has been found. Two luna (gilded glass or crystal case that holds a large Eucharistic Host) are missing. A ciborium (chalice with a cover mounted by a cross), which had been a gift of a Salvadoran archbishop to the current pastor, Msgr. Richard Antall, has been found, but not the cover. It contained the Eucharist, which is unaccounted for, and that is the public blasphemy. To-day, there was a Mass of Reparation concelebrated by Bp. Roger Gries, Msgr. Antall, and retired pastor, Fr. Thomas O'Donnell at Holy Name.

Mass began with a silent procession, five Knights of Columbus attending. The altar was bare. An asperges (sprinkling) took place, first the altar, then the people, then the walls. Mass continued. At the offertory, an incensing was made in that order, then the altar table was prepared for Liturgy of the Eucharist. Mass continued, an Eucharistic procession (inside) took place with an Exposition of the Eucharist and Benediction. Benediction was followed by a recitation of the Divine Praises.

The diocese needs dozens of such Masses. The first Mass reading had been the voiced exasperation of Jeremias to God.

Thou hast deceived me, O Lord, and I am deceived: thou hast been stronger than I, and thou hast prevailed. I am become a laughing-stock all the day, all scoff at me. For I am speaking now this long time, crying out against iniquity, and I often proclaim devastation: and the word of the Lord is made a reproach to me, and a derision all the day. Then I said: I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name: and there came in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was wearied, not being able to bear it. — Jeremias xx.7-9.DRC

Bishop Gries, noted, “It is practically in the job description for a prophet to be martyred.” Jeremias was not a happy man, and not a silent one. He performed his mission, and suffered in it. Jeremias was not a volunteer, he was compelled to do what he did.


Holy Name was in the process of rehabbing several stained glass panes.