The Mass

Pope Pius X 
(1835 - 1914)

Patron Saint of our Parish

 

St. Pius X, the Pope

    A fearless defender of the purity of Christian Doctrine.
    He realized the value of the Liturgy as the prayer of the Church and the solid basis that is furnishes for the devotion of Christian people.  He spared no effort to urge early and frequent - even daily - communion.

St. Pius X, the Parish

    A consistent leader, in the forefront of new programs, pilot projects, and new methods; that did not so much change, but help to build up Christ's Church.  all in accordance with the new Liturgy brought about by Vatican II


St. Pius X Parish is a Leader!

    A young vibrant and exciting community - working together, worshipping together, serving and sacrificing - because they love their God and each other.

    Let us be leaders; but not of the worldly type, who accomplish by forcing, urging and driving to get things done; rather leaders who lead as Christ did: "Come, follow me!"

St. Pius X
Elected August 1903
Died August 1914
Canonized 1954

More of St. Pius X

Reference: Our History, 1986, Jack Hubenig


 

FEAST OF ST. PIUS X, Pope
August 21

"To defend the Catholic faith and make all things new in Christ" was the task that St. Pius set for himself.  His motto "To renew all things in Christ" was the guiding principle of his reign as pope.

Giuseppe Sarto (1835-1914) was born to poor parents.  He entered the seminary at age 15 and was ordained in 1858 at age 23.  For seventeen years he was a parish priest, then chancellor of his diocese.  Appointed Bishop of Mantua in 1884, he endeared himself to his people by his gentleness and warmth as he went about renewing his diocese.  Ten years later he was named Cardinal and Patriarch of Venice, and in 1903 he was chosen to be Pope.

It was a time that called for strength in leadership in the Church and this humble saint was equal to the challenge.  The opening prayers of the Mass (on His Feast Day) recognized that he was filled with "heavenly wisdom and apostolic courage."  He met the needs of the Church and the needs of society.  Primarily he turned to the spiritual needs of the Church and is remembered as the pope who encourage frequent reception of Holy Communion, especially by children, and he urges that they receive this wonderful sacrament as early as possible.

Of great interest to us today is the personal initiative that he took and encouraged in liturgical matters.  He initiated reforms of liturgical books, a revision of the text of the psalms, and he encouraged an active participation of the laity in the celebration of mass.  It is known that he was convinced of the value of the vernacular in the liturgy, but thought the time was not yet right for its use.  Much of what he envisioned and encouraged is a reality for us today.

In the internal affairs of the Church he gave impetus to the codification of Church law.  He took a strong stand against interference in the internal affairs of the Church by governments, especially France.  He was concerned also for the correct teaching of catholic doctrine and the strong catechetical formation of the youth.  He encouraged the serious and critical study of the Scriptures.

The years of the pontificate of Pope Pius X were difficult, but he untiringly gave of himself "in spirit of simplicity, poverty and courage, arousing the faithful to a Christian way of life and waging constant warfare against the errors of his age."  (cf. note in The Liturgy of the Hours).  He was a gentle and sensitive shepherd after the model of Jesus the Good Shepherd.  An historian wrote of him: he was "a man of God who knew the unhappiness of the world and the hardships of life, and in the greatness of his heart wanted to comfort everyone."  We have been blessed with great and competent popes in our century.  They have been teachers, spiritual giants, inspiring guides, courageous and zealous preachers.  Above all they have been holy pastors.  And today we are privileged to honor the first of the 20th century popes, the gentle sensitive, pastoral Pius X.

_ Excerpts from St. Monica Parish Bulletin 08/19/01, NYC, NY, USA - 

 


From Peter Scagnelli © Copyright, J.S. Paluch Co.:

Presidential vetoes we understand.  But imagine vetoing a papal election!  Yet in the conclave of 1903, the Archbishop of Cracow (ironically, a predecessor in that office of Karol Wojtyla, the future John Paul II) vetoed the leading candidate on the order of the Austro-Hungarian emperor.  Instead, the cardinals elected Giusppe Sarto of Venice as Pius X, the first pope, after a succession of nobles and diplomats, to hail from humble origins.  Nor did the papacy alter his endearing simplicity.  Tailors eventually made his cassock cuffs detachable because he absentmindedly wiped his fountain pen on them, forgetting that hsi old black cassock had been replaced by papal white!  Taking as his motto "To restore all things in Christ" (Ephesians 1:10), Pius condemned the theological innovations called "modernism," yet dramatically altered the then-common practice whereby people rarely received Communion for fear of unworthiness, mandating early First Communion and urging everyone to frequent reception.  Refusing to bless troops assembled in Saint Peter's Square - "I bless peace, not war!" - he died brokenhearted as World War I engulfed "Christian" Europe despite his peacemaking efforts.


 

 

 

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