Catholic Animal Lover!

Well, we ended up going to the San Miguel Mission, in Santa Fe, NM on the 19th. It was a crazy day/crazy trip. I really wasn’t going to go–again–that morning, because I had gotten about an hr and a half of sleep the night before, and I wasn’t looking forward to the trip, traveling, or going to Santa Fe. It just held nothing for me, y’know?

So my hubby and I went back and forth, and finally, when he jumped in the shower, I got dressed quickly, and ready. We ended up meeting his new friend in the parking lot. Climbing into the back of his friend’s mini-SUV (which was both too high, and too cramped for me to get into really), wasn’t really that great. My bad knees hurt like crazy during most of the trip down. I took some pictures of the landscape from Amarillo to Santa Fe (the first two are TX)—which didn’t really change much at all…

…excepting the slight elevation and rocky mini-mts. Like mesas, I guess.

Anyway. Hubby and friend talked theological chatter. They had certain grounds and traditional Catholic-ness in common, but not really much else. Plus, my husband had come from work that night, and so had had no sleep at all. So halfway through the 4 1/2hr trip, he was starting to fade. I could tell, and felt so badly for him. He wants so much to be in the traditional Mass, that he will do whatever he must. Dedicated man. I wish I had his fervor.

We made a stop or two, which I was glad about–being pregnant means having to need a bathroom a lot! It was crazy how the gas stations along the way, in the middle of no-where, ripped everyone off by having gas almost a $1 more than at regular stations–just because they could.

The tough thing about the day was the trip, the company, the car, the lack of sleep–all left something to be desired, so it wasn’t very fun, interesting, or worth it–at least for me. I dislike the flat scenery out in these-here-areas, and the browny-greeny-sandy-ness of it all. I’m just not cut out for this part of the country, I guess!

The Mission itself, which is circa 1610, was really cute, and as we headed into where it was, everything was adobe. All the buildings my eyes took in   which were cool to see, but not overly-impressive for me (again). These are the general pictures of the San Miguel Mission…

The San Miguel Mission is really more of a tourist trap than a Church it seems, so the Mass was pretty stripped down, and the people not very reverant Latin-Mass-goer-types. But it was cute, and the white walls inside were cool to touch, heh. They have a great Icon of our Lady of Perpetual Help that was a 12th century Icon. The oldest house in the US is right across the street from the Mission, which was cute to see. My favorite part of the Mission was the artwork on the Icon wall (as I call it)–it was all hand painted, you could tell, and so old. The picture doesn’t do it justice, but it was so colorful and really nifty–

And their Icon/Painting of St. Michael the Archangel above one of the doors on our way out (another picture the bad lighting didn’t do justice!)…

We ate at a really cute pizza place, also across the street from the Mission, and the Calzones, although different than I’m used to, weren’t that bad…

The trip home, we mostly slept. Me in front this time, with the friend. I fell asleep too, though, for about 2hrs. Then woke up as our friend stopped to get some Mt. Dew, due to almost dozing off on the road (!!). So I small-talked to him for most of the trip home.

All in all, Peter enjoyed the Mass, which was all in Latin, said by a really old priest, and not very helpful to me. But the rest of the trip just really didn’t cut it. I can’t wait to get out of here!

Ended up sooo tired. We stayed in bed most of Monday, just catching up on sleep! And my knees were so sore.  But anyway, it was good to receive, kneeling, on the tongue (which is how we alwaze do, even when surrounded by people receiving in the hand). We need all the graces we can get! God bless you all…

Heya. Well, I’m writing a second blog for a couple of reasons. First, to patch up the mistakes I made last time, which my husband helpfully pointed out!

The parish we’re pursuing in CO serves the Latin Mass, and there is a difference between the High & Low Masses, but they are in Latin, the ancient, dead language, so that’s what’s important, and they are as they were. Unchanged.  So the Traditional Mass I was speaking of is the Mass “as it was,” so to speak. Not just the High or Low version. Just not the Novus Ordo.

Hey, you’ll have to bear with me–I’m new!! And the Traditional aspect of my Catholic Faith is not something I have fully tapped into yet!

Also, I said there were over 50 Catholic parishes in Amarillo. This was another mistake. When I heard a priest mention this a couple of weeks ago, I didn’t focus on what he was saying, I suppose… He meant in the diocese, not the city alone. Which makes a big difference, because Amarillo itself has about 10 parishes. Which means the other +40 are spread out on the outskirts of the city in smaller towns, etc. Which I find easy to fathom, since there are all sorts of little places outside of Amarillo itself (which is a totally spread out city as it is!).

Ok, so Peter, hopefully this sets the records straight!

Along the lines of other Church-related stuffs, a friend my husband met online–another tradional Catholic suffering here in Amarillo–is going to be driving tomorrow (the 19th, Sunday), to Santa Fe, NM, to go to a Traditional Latin Mass there at (get this) the oldest church in the country!! The San Miguel Mission was built between 1610 and 1628! It is a shrine to St. Michael, which is extra special to my husband and myself, as we hold a devotion to the ArchAngel Michael.

The San Miguel Mission boasts an alter screen from 1798, a gilded statue of St. Michael from 1709, and has a spectacular bell, as well, that is reputed to have been brought in around 1712 (though this is disputed; either way, it’s old).

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go on the long trip because 1) it’s a 4hr car ride, & being in my first trimester of pregnancy, I can get sick pretty easy,  2) it’s  with a “stranger”–not that I dont mind making friends, but this will be our first meeting-in-person with this friend, and my husband may just fall asleep on the way home, leaving me to make “small talk” (Hubby will be going on the trip just off of a night shift, not having slept!),  3) my inclination to go to Latin Mass isn’t nearly as strong as my beloved’s, and so therefore I have been struggling with feeling like it will be a waste of a whole day with a stranger. Peter only gets Sun./Mon. off, and this will take away a whole day from our time together, which is precious little, since he works nights. It’s a selfish reason, really. I would chalk it up to pregnant emotions, but really I just am being a butthead.

But rather than gripe about it, and be without my husband for a whole day, or Mass (I struggle with the “obligation” concept, and so would probably not go anywhere here by myself), I’ve decided to go with my husband and his friend, and be in an ancient mission, and hear an ancient Mass. God’s calling it, if you will. So as He calls, I go.

I’ve been charging the batteries for our little Nikon CoolPix 2100, deleting all the extra photos, and am getting ready to not only take great pictures, but maybe write an article or two about the San Miguel Mission! So that’ll be upcoming…

On another note, I’m about to go watch “It’s Me Or the Dog”, on Animal Planet channel. This is the American version of the show that stars Victoria Stilwell, who has been training dogs for well over 10 yrs. She is amazing. I have seen her do things with dogs I think people couldn’t imagine could be done! When we get a dog, she will definitely have been a great help for me.

So in ending here, I leave you with some more pictures of Berzerker Quaxo Milo, my beloved 3yr old male cat! Enjoy and God bless!

Man it’s taken me a while to get this new blog started. But better late than never!

I wanted this blog to be a combo of two of my strong interests–the Catholic Church/Faith, and all-things-Animal! So here you have it…

It has become now crucial that we (husband, myself, cat) get ourselves out of Amarillo. TX, where we currently live, because we confirmed it via test today that I’m pregnant with our first child!! YAAAY! And we want our child to grow up in the Church.

I mean, for real. In the Traditional, Ancient, Faithful Catholic Church. And though there are over 50 parishes in Amarillo, they are none of them traditional–most barely look like church buildings, let alone resemble a Catholic Church. The Novus Ordo Masses are infected with near-Protestantism, and even without the influence, they seem to have taken everything that developed badly after Vatican 2 “to the nines”, as it were, in a downward spiral—heading the Church towards modernism, and Universalism.

Now, as someone who was a pretty dedicated Protestant for about 25yrs, and who knows all the upbeat worship songs sung even in the Catholic parishes here…and as someone who knows all the Protestant hymns, you may wonder how I can be so anti. But the truth is, I left my Protestant backround because it was empty, and I sought the Church–as Christ had established it; centered around sacrifice and worship of the Almighty, around truth and tradition. Not a church wherein there are 500 denominations and everyone thinks everyone is wrong, but it’s ok.

I had first looked deeply into the Eastern Orthodoxy, as I had a best friend who was strongly pursuing it. I would’ve become Orthodox, too. The ancient faith, so close to Christ, so far from scattered, always-changing-Protestantism—appealed to me, to my heart. But I had some issues with the dissention in the Orthodox Church, and their lack of leadership, etc..

Then I met my husband (on a theology forum, actually!), and he began the task of setting me straight, heh. God used him in a huge way–not just to melt my heart, but soul. I got to speak with a wonderful Monsignor, who helped me understand the few vital issues I was having, and I realized where I belonged (this is all the short version).

I was sadly rushed through a sort of crash-course RCIA class, and so am still a new convert, with quesitons. I often struggle with the Church, due to the infectious modernism, and the hypocricy that seems to lace it–especially here in America…But I am learning, and so very blessed to be under God’s roof and His true Church.

So annnnyway. My hubby is a strong Latin Mass supporter, and while I am a hard-core American (i.e., meaning I have a hard time thinking everything shouldn’t be in American English!!), I realize that if nothing else, the Traditional High Mass is where reverance and serentiy and true worship is.

Amarillo, TX has nothing of this kind. Not to say the Priests are not good people, or the parishoners aren’t kind–we have met some great people, and a local Priest is a wonderful Confessor! But we want to raise our new family where the tradition is that of the Church, of Christ–not of ever-changing society for the sake of “everyone’s safe and comfortable!”

So we’re looking to move our up-coming (should be around June ‘09!) family towards Colorado Springs, within the next month, to join a small parish there, with the traditional High Mass—instead of struggling to find a reason to be in the Novus Ordo every week (What ARE those green banners hanging above the alter?!).

 On an Animal Note…

Being pregnant keeps me from my newest desire–the little orange kitten (1 of 4 in a litter) that my neighbor’s cat had almost 6 weeks ago. Husband insists we can’t afford a new kitten, even though he loves orange cats, and really wants a cat that will like him, and grow up knowing him… MY BABY, Berzerker Quaxo Milo, enjoys hubby when he must, and tolerates him quite a bit–   

But he is MY KITTEN, and knew me nearly 3yrs before he even met husband, so he isn’t quite husband’s cat! Plus, Berzerker has quite an odd personality, and is aptly named.

Uh..that picture is huge…eh hem. At least it looks so in this editor. Hmm..

Anyway, so the little orange kitten, nearly old enough to leave its mother now, will have to go onto the list of “pets I wanted to get” because with a move looming ahead, and a new baby on the way, it’ll be enough to deal with. Although I think Berzerker could use the company (he gets bored)–I guess it might not be such a good idea right now either, till I can focus on the cat/s and watch them. My un-fixed male is pretty dominant, and would probably eat the little kitten when I wasn’t looking…