Mary, The Cause of Our Joy!
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Season of Pentecost: November 2019
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+CHRISTVS REGNAT+
PILGRIMAGE 2019
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This past August brought this year's pilgrims to the Southeast. It is amazing to know the Catholic roots of Florida and our nation, in general. Let it be known and hailed as a badge of honor that the first Conquistador to name Florida was Juan Ponce de Leon in 1513. He was a young knight fighting in the last great Battle of the Reconquista in Spain in Granada, in 1492, against the Muslim stronghold of the city. A great victory through the Blessed Virgin Mary who would reward her valiant sons the exploration and conversion of the entire Americas to harvest the native souls for Heaven.
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De Leon would embark that same year with the 3rd Order Franciscan, Christopher Columbus, to the New World with the orders of the King and Isabella the Catholic, to convert the pagan Indians to the Holy Catholic Faith and not to make them their slaves. Sailing up from Puerto Rico in 1513, De Leon landed near St. Augustine and, being Palm Sunday, named Florida after the abundance of palms and flowers "
La Florida
". He planted the Cross and announced the desire of Our Lord Jesus Christ to bring this land under His sweet Reign!
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Pictured above is the statue of Juan Ponce de Leon near the landing at St. Augustine, Florida. Here the first mission would be finally established after many attempts and unbelievable difficulties, in 1565.
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This is the famous painting of the Muslims surrendering the keys to the city of Granada to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. This country was brought to the Light of the Faith by a fighter for the Faith after reconquering Spain for Christ the King! ...May the
Reconquista
continue!
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The First Thanksgiving
on American Soil
This honor belongs to the city of St. Augustine, Florida, the first and oldest city of our present day United States. The landing of Captain General Pedro Menéndez de Avilés and his fleet of soldiers and colonists [sent by King Philip II of Spain to found a Catholic colony in
La Florida
, and as on most Spanish expeditions to the New World] – accompanied by priests – on the coast of Florida on September 8, 1565 has all the qualification to count it as the first official Thanksgiving Day in our country. The land was claimed for Spain and a Mass of thanksgiving was said. It was the first permanent European settlement in North America.
In an official ceremony Don Pedro Menéndez de Avilés came ashore amid the sounding of trumpets, artillery salutes and the firing of cannons to claim the land for King Philip II and Spain. One of the priests, Fr. Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales, who had gone ashore the previous day, advanced to meet him, chanting the
Te Deum Laudamus
and carrying a cross which Menendez and those with him reverently kissed. Then the 500 soldiers, 200 sailors and 100 families and artisans, along with the Timucuan Indians from the nearby village of Seloy, gathered at a makeshift altar, and a Mass in honor of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary was said. The Mass was followed by a feast shared by the Spanish and the Timucuan Indians. The Timucuans brought wild turkey, venison, oysters and giant clams, as well as maize, beans, squash, nuts and fruits. The Spaniards contribution was
cocido
, a stew made with pork, garbanzo beans and onions, along with biscuits, olive oil and red wine.
Adapted from
here
.
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Here Menéndez's first act was to venerate the Trophy of our Redemption, the Holy Cross, held by Fr. Lopez who offered the First Mass.
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Letter of Conquistador, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, to Philip II rejoicing in the spreading of the Catholic Faith on our soil!
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Blessing the Spanish and Indians during the Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
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Crucifix and belongings of Juan Ponce de Leon
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Here begins the Rosary at the very site of the First Mass at St. Augustine, Fl. on September 8, 1565. Walking on their knees the pilgrims finish at the Shrine of "
Nuestra Senor de la Leche
" (Our Lady Nursing the Infant Jesus).
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Photo in front of the stone statue
of St. Pius V!
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Easy to smile when alligators
are like this!
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Fort of San Marcos,
St. Augustine, FL
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Group photo after the Mass of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary into Heaven! Mitch Brett, father of a large family in Alberta, Canada, came with three of his boys and helped during the entire Pilgrimage/Adventure.
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Visiting some battlefield sites of the War of Northern Aggression
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Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, TN. Pictured here are Union soldiers perched on a rock in 1864.
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Now, 155 years later, soldiers of the Church Militant on the same rock, fighting a far greater Battle!
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Point Park on Lookout Mountain!
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Fountain of fresh spring water that miraculously gushed forth from the ground after being struck by lightning, in Andersonville, Georgia. This was a Civil War prison where thirteen thousand men died of dehydration and starvation. Among the prisoners were many Catholics, who pleaded Heaven by their prayers for some relief. Their prayers were answered and the water still flows abundantly today!
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Also while in Georgia ...
A visit to the business run by Mr. Tim Cline who showed the boys the whole process of manufacturing stainless steel tables for restaurants. They had a tour of the whole complex! Then a barbeque!
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A chance at some target shooting.
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Some promising sharp-shooters
on the horizon!
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Dear Little Army of Our Lady,
The man who named the state of Florida, planted the Cross on our land and proclaimed Our Lord Jesus Christ as King of all of its territory, was the same man who saw the great victory over the Muslims in the last Battle of Granada and saw the Muslim crescent removed from the Cathedral and replaced by the Sign of the Cross! This man was Juan Ponce de Leon. He was definitely not a Mickey Mouse nor did he come here to promote Mickey Mouse!
Pope Leo XIII, writing to the bishops of North America, said "[The Church in America] would bring forth more abundant fruits if...she enjoyed the favor of the laws and the patronage of the public authority!" (
Longinqua Oceani
, pp.323, 324). In other words, the State should proclaim the Kingship of Christ and support the Church He founded, with its laws.
Also, Pope Pius XI in his encyclical "
Quas Primas
" on the Social Kingship of Christ, said clearly, "...Rulers and princes [and presidents!] are bound to give public honor and obedience to Christ...For His Kingly dignity demands that the State should take account of the Commandments of God and Christian principles, both in making laws and in administering justice, and also in providing for the young a sound moral education!" (
Quas Primas
, p. 278, 32). Such a programme would mean the true progress for any nation and the formation of peoples who would love the laws of God and bring true freedom, not the immorality, apostasy and perversions that corrupt youth and destroy souls, "making Liberty a cloak for malice," as St. Peter said! (I Peter II:16).
All this seems humanly impossible in an age that rejects Christ's Kingship and even worse, the men of the Church, even our Holy Father(!) and clergy, also reject His Kingship! This formal uncrowning of Christ the King was declared at the Second Vatican Council. It was Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre who, with 250 bishops saw this was erroneous and fought it. But when all the dust settled, it was only Abp. Lefebvre who stood standing. He stood for Christ the King and His honor. He formed priests to promote His Kingship, sanctify souls with the True Mass and sacraments, and fight the "Mickey Mouse Church of Vatican II". He left instructions to oppose and fight this "Mickey Mouse Church" not to join it or seek a pseudo-recognition from it!
"Therefore we have to choose. Either we choose what the Popes have taught for centuries and we choose the Church, or we choose what was said by the Council. We cannot choose both at the same time since they are contradictory!" ( Abp. Lefebvre, Press Conference, September 15, 1976). This is the position we must hold until Rome comes back to Catholic Tradition!
Hold the Light even when all seems so dark! Fight with the Rosary, it is sure victory. Never budge from the Catholic Truth, it is a great honor to suffer persecution for Our Lord!...Our Lady of Fatima, hasten the hour of Thy great victory!
In Christ the King,
Fr. Hewko
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- 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 72, Rossville, KS 66533 or electronic donations can be made via PayPal.
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