My Franican Rosary

Tradition has it that St Francis and St Dominic met in Rome when they were both there to seek ratification for their new Orders from the Pope. The two Orders have regarded themselves as 'first cousins', even 'brothers', ever since. Where possible, Franciscans come to Dominican churches to preach on the feast of St Dominic and Dominicans go to Franciscan churches to preach on the feast of St Francis. Hence, I find it perfectly fitting, if not desirable, to count among my friends, Franciscan Friars, Franciscan Sisters, and Lay Franciscans. My Cardinal Archbishop, is a Capuchin Franciscan. We're all family.

Then when I met Brother Vito Martinez, OFM Cap, my world expanded to include Br. Vito, the rest of his Novitiate, and his world of formation. We are united in prayer.

When Fr. Vito undertook the apostolate of making rosaries. My interest was really piqued.

I make rosaries

. I've tried to make rosaries in the past. OK. I've made one. This one was for a friend making her final profession. I ordered a sterling silver cross with her name engraved. The beads were black and white. The medallion in the middle was Our Lady of Pompeii. It was very Dominican. I had Fr. Richard Fleck, OP, bless it.

The Rosary fell apart.

My craftsmanship was at fault, of course, not the Dominican blessing.

I fixed it for her. Then, again...and...again.... Every time I saw her, she handed me her Rosary to be repaired.

I went out and bought her, her own needle nosed pliers. :-/

I've never made another, although I fix people's rosaries, all the time. Since I do it for free, no one dares complain.

Anyway, I read on Br. Vito's blog that he was making a traditional 15 decade Dominican Rosary for a Dominican nun. Well, I wanted one. That's a lie. I coveted.

I asked; and I received. Br. Vito generously agreed to make a 15 decade traditional Dominican rosary. Imagine. This is great because we Lay Dominicans are buried in habit. We are not allowed to wear full habit, (we wear the scapular for ceremonies) unless it's our shroud. I have a habit. I have a belt. I was dreading making myself the Rosary. And I was going all the way, and making a 20 decade. But God had mercy on me, and brought Br. Vito in my life. Now, I have better.

Did you read what Pope Benedict XVI said about the Dominicans and Franciscans, just this year? He talked about the two Orders being intertwined in love. He spoke of their founders' zeal and apostolic mission. Their unique reading of the times and how this is carried forward today. As in a Franciscan making a Rosary for a Dominican. :-)

Did you know that until the promulgation of "Inter Oecumenici in 1964," the blessing of Rosaries was a reserved blessing, and only priests of the Dominican Order could bless them. That is why the older Roman Rituals did not contain a blessing for Rosaries. However, since Vatican II, any priest or deacon may bless a Rosary using formulas in use from 1964 to 1984 or the formula found in the new Liber Benedictionum of 1984 (LB 506):

May this Rosary and the one who uses it be blessed, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen. That's why I had Father Reynold Rynda, OFM Cap bless my Rosary. See pix.

Having a Franciscan make and bless a Dominican Rosary is the best of both worlds. You can't get any better than that. Note that Franciscan historian Luke Wadding (1588-1657) dates the origin of the Franciscan Crown to the year 1422. He tells the story of a young novice in the Franciscan Order who, previously accustomed to express his devotion to the Blessed Virgin by adorning her statue with a wreath of fresh flowers, was prevented from continuing this practice in the novitiate. In distress, he considered leaving the Order. But the Blessed Virgin appeared to him and instructed him to recite a rosary of seven decades in honour of her seven joys; thus, he might weave a “crown” more pleasing to her than flowers on her statue.

From that time, the practice of reciting the “Crown of the Seven Joys“ became general in the order. Thus it became known as the Franciscan Crown—or the Seraphic Rosary.

Legend tells us that St. Dominic was taught the Rosary from the Blessed Mother. Legend tells us that St. Dominic prayed the Rosary before he preached. Legend tells us that St. Dominic said the Rosary was the best weapon against heretics.

It is fact that the Dominican Pope, Pius V, had his navy pray the Rosary before the Battle of Lepanto. It is fact the a Lay Dominican, Bartolo Longo used the Rosary effectively and built the Shrine of Pompeii. Miracles occur there, today. It is a fact that the Dominicans helped spread devotion to the Rosary.

And it is a fact, that the first time I use my Dominican Rosary, the first decade will be prayed for Fr. Reynold and his intentions, since he blessed my Rosary. The second decade will be for Br. Vito and his intentions. The rest of my rosary intentions are personal.

In Spiritu Patri Dominic et Francis

Mary's Garden

A Mary's Garden is a garden full of flowers. At first, it was only for flowers and plants that grew during Mary's time, or that grew in Palestine. But when that isn't possible, it can be plants that were named for Mary. There are religious names, botanical names and the common names, that we know the flowers and plants as.

Maidenhair fern is adiantum tenerum, or Our Lady's hair.
Begonia is begonia fuchsiold, or Mary's heart.
Miniature Rose is rosa, or Mary's thorn.
Geranium is pelargonum dom., or Beautiful Lady.
I could go on for pages.

The idea started in Wood's Hole, Massachusetts. Wood's Hole is one of my haunts. A summer isn't a summer without a visit to the Woods Hole Science Aquarium. In 1932 Mr. Lillie built an Angelus tower with two bells and made a garden dedicated to Mary to grace the tower. The garden is beautifully maintained, even today, and has numerous flowers of Our Lady from English medieval times.

Some day, I want a flower garden dedicated to Mary. For now, I content myself to making plant gardens and putting statues in it. I made one for my friend Fr. Fleck, but it didn't last long. He had to throw away the pot, but he kept the statue on his dresser. I think it's a nice present to give a sick friend. I really don't pay attention to whether the plants have any Mary connection. I pick them to complement the statue.

Here's a picture of my Mary Garden. It's a kitchen window garden. This is our Lady giving a Rosary to St. Catherine of Siena, and the Baby Jesus giving a Rosary to St. Dominic. This picture is sometimes called Our Lady of Pompeii, or Our Lady of Rosary. I chose it because St. Dominic is the preacher of the power of the Rosary.

Memories of St. Stephen's

I've been reminiscing about when I met Fr. Fleck. He was the spiritual promoter for our Lay Dominican Chapter meeting, at St. Stephen's Priory. Now, not only do I miss Fr. Fleck, but I'm still heartsick over the closing of the priory. That's how Fr. Fleck felt, too. We use to cry together and console each other. Now.........

Memories of St. Stephen's

It's been a year now, the door to the priory
closed. Plants in bright uniforms, which use to
guard the entrance are missing. Sightless windows
search for the statue of St. Dominic.

I drive through the circle driveway,
listening for prayer, looking for
movement, but the stones ae silent,
the fountain dry, and the benches empty.

Cob webs bloom among Queen Anne's lace,
in St. Cecilia's garden. The branches beckon
me to walk the overgrown path to the Charles.
No canoe, no paddle, no contemplation.

Where's the praise for this dusky wood?
Laudare. Benedicere. Praidicare.

I wish.
I pray.
I could.

Father Richard Ambrose Fleck, O.P.

I went to Father Fleck's funeral this morning. I am happy that he's out of his body, which was a true prison for him. I'm happy he's not suffering. But he is the person I would have gone to, to be comforted. What do I do now?

This is one good thing about having faith. The assurance of faith tells me that he is with Christ. May God grant him peace for ever.

We who are left behind must find comfort. I find comfort in poetry. Norman Vicent Peale wrote:

Know that there is no death, that all life in indivisible, that the here and hereafter are one, that time and eternity are inseparable, that this is one unobstructed universe. We are citizens of eternity.

Fr. Fleck

Please pray for Fr. Fleck. A friend just emailed me and told me that our friend, former spiritual advisor, had some sort of break down while on retreat. Poor soul.

Father Richard Fleck, O.P. is 81 years old. He's in St. Patrick Manor. My friends and I visit him a few times, a year.

About 20 years ago he had a stroke that left him paralyzed on his left side. He's regressed ever since. Now he's bed ridden and completely dependent on others for all his needs.

You can imagine how depressing this is. He use to be so full of fun. He was once an airplane pilot, you know. Now he can barely pilot his motorized wheel chair.

It must be very lonely for a priest to be in a nursing home. The older you are, the more likely you will have no living relatives or friends. And when you belong to a religious order, you would think that the community would visit. Sometimes, those in nursing homes, fall through the cracks.

Lord have mercy on such as we.