"Quien no conoce a Dios, ante cualquier palo se le hinca..." 

Oh, right on, buenos amigos mios mexicanos ... :)

"How I learned to quit worrying about next year's bombing of Iran....

"And instead learned to just love Father Antonio Moreno's more or less Christianized (ha! ha!) ñgangulero tree!"

Because, if nothing else!

This years version seems to have an almost Christmas sort of ambiance, much better than the original version we had here at Saint Mary Magdalene's Catholic Church, Brackettville, Texas 78832, in November 2008.

That years wind - up was a spectacular in front of the altar re - creation of a ñgangulero invocation of savage so - called Pan African Tribal Gods -- with Deacon Jimmy Bader's fired up BBQ Grill fulfilling the role of the ñganga -- at least in a secondary anthropological sense -- as the caldron of fiery sacrifice...

To make that ceremony seem even more like something condemned in the book Sober Intoxication of the Holy Spirit by Monsignor Raniero Cantalamessa (sp?) we were all compelled to stand up and dutifully mumble the Lord's Prayer and some version of the Litany of the Saints!

And at  the same time the flames leaped, sparked and crackled and the starter fluid stank, the priest leaning forward intently viewing the burning contents of the fiery caldron as he ritually stirred the flames. 

Inside the church.

In front of the altar....

Archbishop Gómez had already written us to say he'd referred all this to Father Tony Vilano, but!

Nada, nada, nada! :(

This year who knows?

Cardinal Newman makes it clear that the Church can adapt any such formal pagan worship mumbo - jumbo and Christianize it; let's hope Father Moreno can pull it off!

As he told us all Thursday night, Father knows first hand about being physically attacked by Satanically - occult manifestations - -- in his case a wild boar outside a remote Franciscan monastery in rural Italy! -- so we can most likely count on him not to let things go too far this year! :)


Last Saturday's deacon-less 5:30pm Mass well - served! 

Saturday. November 3, 2012. 5:30 p.m. Mass. TEAM Mr. Dante Luna and Mr. Justin Hidalgo.

Way to go, great people! :)