Issue 15 - August/September 2020
Mary, The Cause of Our Joy!
The Months of Our Lady's
Immaculate and Sorrowful Heart
August/September 2020
Postcards of the Resistance
'Front Lines'
Blessing of the Rifles in Kansas
One of the faithful wisely had his rifles blessed before the next hunt!
In Pennsylvania - A Baptism
The seventh and newest member of a blessed family in the
Northeast corner of the Keystone state made innocent
in the purifying waters of Baptism!
A Sharing of Treasures
One of the traditional Catholic faithful shared his treasures with Fr. Hewko and permitted Father to take pictures of these great "prized possessions" for the edification of his fellow Catholics.
A rare painting of St. Alphonsus di Liguori.
A handwritten letter in Italian by St. Antonio Gianelli (1812-1846), discussing the money owed for thirty-two ounces of wax for Mass, dated 1836.
A handwritten note of St. John Bosco's!
A closeup of the Saint's signature.
The translation, as shown above:

Very Reverend Sir,

I have the duty to inform you that His Grace Ceretti doesn't want to appear at the entrance of the Oratory so you don't need to pass with your carriage near the Church as we agreed before. The hour fixed for the Confirmation is Eight in the morning.

While I offer you my most cordial and sincere sentiments of esteem and veneration I have the honour of declaring myself your most obliged servant.

Fr. Bosco Gio.
Turin June 28th, 1849
Handwritten letter of Pope
Benedict XV's.
Envelope for the letter
Translation
Golden seal of Pope Benedict XV!
A handwritten note by the great Catholic king, Phillip II of Spain!
A close-up of his signature: Yo el Rey.
His royal seal:
"Philipus II, Hispania Rex Dux"
A handwritten letter by
St. Charles Borromeo!
Above, the envelope and seal accompanying the letter.

Below, a closeup of the Saint's signature.
The translation...
To the left: Pope Pius XI in papal regalia!

Above: A closeup of his pontifical signature.
A handwritten letter of
St. Robert Bellarmine's!
Above, a closeup of his signature.

Below, a magnification of his seal!
A letter in St. Alphonsus di Liguori's own handwriting!
A closeup of the Saint's signature.
Written on the original, in the margins, a notation verifying the authenticity of the letter in 1833!
St. Alphonsus' seal!
Letter of the future Pope St. Pius V, as the priest-cardinal of Alessandrino, signed with his birth name, Michele Ghislieri, as noted in the translation below.
 His seal is visible as well.

At the time of this letter, he was writing as the Pope's 'Highest Inquisitor'
against heresy.

Recall too, that it was this same man, who as Pope St. Pius V, wrote the bull Quo Primum, codifying forever the Tridentine Mass and uttering strong anathemas against any who would dare to touch or alter that Mass!
A copy of the 'death mask' of Pope Pius IX. As many of you will remember, this great pope issued the Syllabus of Errors on December 8, 1864, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. It condemns a total of 80 errors or heresies!
To the left, a handwritten letter of Pope Pius IX written in 1878, with a closeup of his signature in the picture above.
A saint dear to all
traditional Catholic hearts,
the great St. Pope Pius X!

The handwritten inscription reads, "May God fill you with every blessing."
Letter from Father Hewko
✠

August/September 2020
 
Dear Friends of Our Sorrowful Mother,
 
When the woman with the issue of blood touched the hem of Our Lord's garment, full of humility, confidence, and faith in his Divine Power, she was instantly cured (St. Mark V:27, St. Matthew IX: 22). "For she said: If I shall touch His garments, I shall be whole” (Mark V: 18). St. Matthew instead of "garments" says the "the hem of His garment." This "hem" was a fringe of threads attached to the bottom of the robe, of a hyacinth or violet color, which God commanded the Jews to wear, to continually remind them of God's precepts and of Heaven itself. This Christ wore, according to the law, as a sign that He belonged to the Jewish race and religion (Numbers 15:38).
 
"And forthwith the fountain of her blood was dried up" (Mk. V: 29) and after Our Lord drew attention to her, He reassured her by the words: "Be of good heart, daughter, thy faith has made thee whole!” (Mt. IX:22).
 
The Fathers tell us it was His Divinity that worked the miracle, His Sacred Humanity was the instrumental cause and her faith touching the hem was the occasion which procured it, as there were many people bumping into Him and touching His garments. By this example, among countless others in Sacred Scripture, God manifests His pleasure in hearing His friends by using relics to answer prayers and work miracles.
 
“Relics” comes from the Latin word “relinque” or “relinquere” which means “left over” or “what is left behind.” In this case, Mother Church honors the bodies or bones of saints (1st class relics); their habits, garments, or personal belongings “left behind” (2nd class relics); or cloths that have been touched to the saints’ bones or bodies (3rd class relics). St. Thomas Aquinas says we honor these relics with a true veneration (dulia) that is directed to the saints themselves. And in honoring the saints we honor Christ whose members the saints are!
 
To show the power of even the lowest rank in relics, St. Gregory the Great pierced with a knife a cloth touched to a certain saint’s bones, and it bled!
 
St. Hilary of Poitiers draws attention to the power of the hem of Christ’s garment, saying: “Just as the author of nature has given the power to a magnet of attracting iron, so did Christ give to His garment the power of healing her who touched with faith.” Fr. Cornelius à Lapidé goes farther, to say: “And if it were so with a garment, how much more with the Holy Eucharist? Hence, St. Gorgonia was cured of a severe disease by receiving devotedly the Most Holy Eucharist. So too, was St. Catherine of Siena and many others.” (Commentary of Cornelius à Lapidé [on St. Mark V:28]).
 
Presented above, are pictures of some very rare 3rd class relics, obtained by a Traditional Catholic, who values these far more than autographed baseballs, Chicago Bulls jerseys, or photographs with a celebrity. These are handwritten letters of some great saints and one from a great Catholic king!
 
Besides these being third class relics, it is very telling to capture a moment in a busy life of one of these saints. Some letters are very practical about meeting people, sending thanks, or paying for candles. One of St. Alphonsus gives great advice to a young vocation to not delay his entrance to a seminary. This particular letter, in fact, has the only reference ever made by St. Alphonsus to a military event in secular history!
 
All these give a glimpse of a moment in the saints’ lives, busy about their duties of state, but ordering all to God’s glory. It shows how we, too, must strive to order all we do for His glory. Every email, text, hand-written note, conversation, prayer, drive to go shopping, daily Rosary, mixing concrete, hammering nails, eating, sleeping, resting, studying, changing diapers, etc. all goes to the glory of God! “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever ye do, do all things to God’s glory” (I Cor. X:13).
 
This was one of the great lessons of all the Saints and Our Lady at Fatima. Let us generously apply what She requested, offering anything we do, especially little sacrifices, saying in our heart “O my Jesus, it is for the love of Thee, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparations for the offenses committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary!”
 
In Christ the King,
Fr. Hewko
 
Contacts and Resources

  • Correspondence mailing address and Mass Requests and Stipends: Rev. Fr. David Hewko, 16 Dogwood Road South, Hubbardston, MA 01452

  • Donations: Checks can be made out to Sorrowful Heart of Mary Inc., P.O. Box 366017, Atlanta, GA 30336 or electronic donations can be made via PayPal.