Not so "Ordinary Time"

Although we are in the middle of Ordinary Time (liturgically speaking), there are a number of important feasts for the next week or so. I'll be saying a word or two about some of them:

• Today - Friday, August 19 - St. John Eudes - founded a "non-order" - a group of priests and postulants that specialize in mission work and running seminaries. John thought that bishops would better trust priests under their direct jurisdiction over ones that belonged to a religious order. So he created the Eudists, a non-order that seems like an order!

• Tomorrow, Saturday, August 20th - St. Bernard

No, not that St. Bernard

I mean St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 - 1153) - Abbot & Doctor of the Church. Bernard was a Cistercian monk from France who was a brilliant theologian, a prolific writer and a gifted and skilled preacher.

St. Bernard was a monk for forty years and founded (himself) an incredible 163 monasteries throughout Europe!

He was the first Cistercian placed on the Roman Calendar, in 1174 by Pope Alexander III.

St. John Eudes & St. Bernard of Clairvaux, pray for us!

• PS: The breed is named for the mountain passage-way in Switzerland that connects Northern and Southern Europe. St. Bernard founded a monastery there, to minister to pilgrims. As such the pass itself was named after St. Bernard, as was the breed active in rescuing people. 163 monasteries and 1 dog breed, not a bad legacy!!!!