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The Holy Name society
was founded by Blessed John Vercelli, Master General of the
Dominican Order in the year 1274. At the Council of Lyons Pope Gregory X decreed
that there should be paid more reverence to the Holy Name of Jesus by the
Christian
peoples. To give this decree effective execution, the Pope commissioned John of
Vercelli
to see to it that the devotion to the Holy Name be preached throughout Europe.
John most warmly undertook this new
assignment, resolving to dedicate the full
preaching talents of his Order of Preachers to the sublime purpose of fostering
in the
hearts of Christian people a reverence for the Name which is above all names.
John of Vercelli was beatified by Pope Pius X in 1903. The Holy Name Society was
established in the United States in 1870 to stop blasphemies and profanities of
the
world.
On September 21, 1926, upwards of 900,000 Holy Name men under the leadership of
their National Director, Father Michael J. Ripple, O.P., marched down
Pennsylvania
Avenue, Washington, D.C., in the teeth of a driving rain, in what Archbishop
Curley of
Baltimore described as the 'greatest demonstration of faith and patriotism ever
witnessed. 'As indeed it was, for these men had come from every corner of the
nation at
their own expense.
This exhibition of strength by the nation's greatest lay religious society was a
phenomenon of the twentieth century. Fifty years before it would have been
impossible, for fifty years before there was no Holy Name Society in the nation.
A great
priest Charles Hyacinth McKenna, O.P., had not yet begun his preaching ministry,
and
Father McKenna was the Apostle of the Holy Name Society in the United States. In
an
apostolate that extended from 1870 until his death in 1917, he, together with
many
others priests, worked mightily to stop the blasphemies and profanities of a
rough and
rugged world.
The Visitation Holy Name Society attends the 9:00 AM Mass and receives Holy
Communion every second Sunday of each month. A meeting follows the Mass in the
lower conference of the rectory. All men are Welcome!
THERE IS A GREAT NEED FOR A
HOLY NAME SOCIETY
IN EVERY PARISH!
That there is need of a Holy Name Society in our day, none can deny. (Although a
few
do).
THE MOST SERIOUS REASON
is because of the present-day attack made upon the
divine character of Christ.
THE CHIEF OBJECT
of the Holy Name Society is to maintain and increase faith in
the
DIVINITY of Christ, our Savior, the only Name under heaven whereby we shall
be
saved..
THE MEANS to attain the Chief Object is to promote respect and honor for the
Person
of Our Lord Jesus.
An organized group striving heart and soul to make Jesus the God-Man better
known
and better loved--this is the Holy Name Society. This is its aim.
Another reason for the need of the Holy Name Society in our day is because of
the
abuse of the Name of Jesus, because of perjury, blasphemy, profanity, and
obscene
speech.
Another reason for the need of a Holy Name Society is because of the lack of
support to
all-lawful authority, both civil and religious, because of a
disregard for the Vicar of
Christ on earth, and because of the denial of a
number of the sacred truths which the
Holy Catholic Church believes and teaches.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN
OUR HOLY NAME SOCIETY?
We would love to have you
join us. The requirements are not difficult. The Holy
Name Pledge
noted below is our lead. We would like to you to join us on the 2nd
Sunday of the month at the 9AM Mass at our Shrine of the Little Flower parish.
We do request that as a show of interest in joining, you will come to a meeting
for
enrollment and introduction to our Holy Name members. As far as dues,
there
aren't any. We will ask you at times in the membership letter sent
to you to try
and give a donation of your choice to our Society. But,
there are NO DUES and
you decide your donation. Once a member in
our Society, you are always a
member. All you have to do is say YES
to joining. You are and will always be
remembered in our prayers.
Don't think for one moment that we are an
organization that holds loads of
meetings and has membership parties and beer
and pretzel meeting. This is
a Society of men that Honor the Most Holy Name and
live a life in accordance.
If you feel you have the
desire to join us, please contact the Shrine of the Little
Flower rectory office
and leave your name and phone number and someone will
contact you. Better
yet, come to a 9AM Mass on the Second Sunday of the Month
and make known of your
desire to join us to our Pastor, Fr. Mike Orchik.
Jerry Pasqua
President |
