‘Memoirs of a Happy Failure’ cover design by Marylouise McGraw. / null
New York City, N.Y., Jan 25, 2022 / 15:00 pm (CNA).
Editor’s note: Catholic intellectual Alice von Hildebrand, whose husband was the late Catholic philosopher Dietrich von Hildebrand, died Jan. 14 at the age of 98. Revered as a “tigress” in defense of objective Truth and the Catholic Church, von Hildebrand appeared more than 80 times on EWTN and contributed many outstanding essays over the years to Catholic News Agency. Some of those CNA essays are referenced in the homily below, given by Father Gerald E. Murray at von Hildebrand’s funeral Mass on Jan. 22 at her parish, Holy Family Church in New Rochelle, New York.
“Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God.” — Letter of St. Paul the Apostle to the Romans 5:1-2
As we join together in prayer at this Requiem Mass for the repose of the soul of our beloved friend and mentor Alice von Hildebrand, known as Lily to her friends, we pray that she who had such deep faith in the truth who is our Lord Jesus Christ, that she who radiated the peace that God bestows on those who love Him, may now see the fulfillment of her hope, sharing in the glory that God bestows on His good and faithful servants who have received the supreme gift of the beatific vision, seeing God face to face.
Before the body of a deceased Catholic is brought to the parish church for the Requiem Mass, the Church offers this prayer at the wake: “O Lord, we commend to you the soul of your servant Alice, that having departed from this world, she may live with you. And by the grace of your merciful love, wash away the sins that in human frailty she has committed in the conduct of her life.” Lily asked for Masses to be offered for her soul. She was very conscious of the need that sinners have to seek God’s pardon. In December of 2016 she told a friend: “You know, I have lived a long life. I will tell you a secret. I am ready for it to be over. I think I have done what God wanted me to do. If I died tomorrow, I think I would be grateful. Also, I am a coward: I am afraid of what is coming. I pray for the younger generation. I think we are coming back around in history when people will be killed for their faith. If you are there when I am on my deathbed remind me to say, forgive me my sins, thank you to God and I love you. Have you ever thought about the words you will say on your death bed? Of course, not; you are too young but for me it is very close.” She was only off by five years in predicting her departure from this vale of tears. Those five years, indeed all her 98 years on earth were a gift from God both to Lily and to all those who loved her. Her gratitude to God for all He did for her in this life never wavered, but rather grew stronger. She marveled at her long life as she marveled at everything that God did for her.
In August of 2017 Lily told a friend: “I love the story of Abraham, how Isaac asked him on the way to the mount where God had told him to sacrifice his son, ‘but where is the sacrifice?’ and Abraham responded, ‘God will provide.’ That is how I feel about my death — God will provide the right people and the right circumstances.” The Lord did indeed provide for her as Holy Mass was celebrated in her apartment, and she received the Anointing of the Sick and the Apostolic Pardon, on January 13th. She went to the Lord that very night, shortly after midnight.
Her death brings to an earthly close a truly amazing life. Born in 1923, her journey through this world into the world to come took her in 1940 from her native Belgium to New York, in flight from the Nazi invaders. Her first home here was at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel with her aunt and uncle. Little did she know then that she would spend 38 years at a nearby secular school, Hunter College, teaching philosophy. It was her love of books and learning that led her to Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart and then to Fordham University, where she studied philosophy under the guidance of the brilliant and courageous Dietrich von Hildebrand, who had fled Munich for Vienna when Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party took power in Germany. His writings against the Nazis put him at the top of the Gestapo list of people to be arrested when the German army marched into Austria. He escaped on the last train out of Vienna and made his way to New York, where he resumed his work as a philosopher and as a Catholic writer and speaker who inspired his students and friends with a deep love of Christ, of the Church and, in particular, of the Church’s sacred liturgy.
Lily soon became his secretary, and after von Hildebrand’s wife Margarete died in 1957, he asked her to marry him in 1959. They eventually moved to New Rochelle and were members of this parish of the Holy Family. My family were also parishioners here. I remember as a grammar schoolboy wondering who this couple was as they sat a few pews ahead of our family at Sunday Mass. I was to find out, to my great benefit, a few years later, when I decided to enter the seminary to study for the priesthood. I discovered the greatness of these two philosophers who defended all that is worth defending so that man may live at peace with himself, with others and with God.
One of the most central themes in the lives of Dietrich and Alice von Hildebrand was the crucial importance of reverence if man is to order his life properly and fruitfully in this world.
Lily wrote extensively about matters of faith in various Catholic publications in the years that followed her retirement in 1984 from teaching at Hunter College. Reverence was a central topic. Let me cite three passages from her articles.
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“The curse of modern men is that so many of them have lost their sense for wonder and gratitude. Boredom is a punishment for irreverence. Alas, our mind-boggling technological progress has brought with it the curse of taking things for granted and assuming with blind stupidity that there is nothing we cannot know — nothing that he cannot master. Having a small gadget in his hand, one feels that he is the master of the universe. He can click on a button and have the world at his fingertips. Regretfully, we never hear homilists say a word about the sin of being ‘blasé.’ It is a sin because it is a consequence of ingratitude — because it is a fruit of pride and metaphysical arrogance. Every sin brings with it its own punishment.” (“Reverence: The Mother of All Virtue,” Catholic News Agency, April 26, 2016.)
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“What is ‘reverence?’ It is an uplifting and joyful feeling of awe, a response that man is called upon to give to God’s creation which clearly points to the Creator; it is an ever renewed and grateful discovery of the mysteries of being; it is an overcoming of one’s moral blindness preventing us from perceiving the glories of the universe that we live in. It is a joy to perceive how marvelous it is ‘to be,’ and consequently, should make us respond with horror at abortion, willingly and brutally denying existence to others (for I doubt that abortionists would have chosen to be aborted themselves had they had a chance of doing it.) They deny life to others, not to themselves. We all should tremble with respect at perceiving a little creature making its dramatic entrance into our world.” (Ibid.)
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“Irreverence is spreading through modem society like a cancer. It is metastasizing and has infected virtually every facet of our everyday life. The authentic meaning of ‘culture’ refers to a refinement, an elevation, a spiritualization of everyday life —that is, it aims to put the seal of the Spirit on our daily activities. Today, however, the word ‘culture’ refers to whatever has been most recently produced. We have forgotten that true culture elevates; it does not drag down. I dare say that much of what we see today is an anti-culture. It certainly cannot be read as a sursum corda (Lift up your hearts) — a call to look upward, triggering gratitude in our souls. It was typical of Plato’s genius that he would warn us that one of the main aims of education is to train a child to ‘love what is lovable, and hate what is mean and ugly.’ This is the antidote to the disease of irreverence that is ravaging our society and sickening our culture. When will we avail ourselves of it?” (“The Disease of Irreverence,” New Oxford Review, June 2011.)
Lily’s love for the truth was a fruit of her love for Christ, who is the Truth. She did not speak about Catholicism in the classroom at Hunter, a secular school. She taught philosophy not theology. But her students who heard about the existence of objective truth in her classes were free to ask themselves questions about the origin of truth. And that led a good number of them to seek answers beyond philosophy. Lily recounted one incident that occurred shortly before she retired:
“Not long ago, in my ‘Introduction to Philosophy’ course, I was discussing truth. I gave my students the classical argument against subjectivism and relativism, namely, that whenever one tries to deny objective truth one must simultaneously claim that one’s own statement is itself true, really and objectively. Suddenly, a male student raised his hand, rose (a most unusual occurrence), and said in a strong, clear voice: ‘I object, Professor, to your spreading Roman Catholicism in this classroom.’ There followed a moment of great tension and my thoughts rushed to God for help. Then I said quietly: ‘I’m afraid that you are guilty of an anachronism.’ Since the student in question did not know what it meant, I explained: ‘The argument I have been using is taken from Plato who lived some four centuries before the birth of Christ. He can hardly be called a Roman Catholic. This should answer your objection.’ I then proceeded with my teaching. Some 16 months later I received a phone call just as I was about to leave for the university, where I was scheduled to proctor exams for the evening. The person who was calling, a former student, said she urgently wanted to see me. I told her that this was not possible since I was to be on duty the whole evening and, furthermore, it was my last day at the university until the fall term. She started to cry over the phone and insisted that she had to see me immediately. Surmising that her problem was truly serious, I contacted a friend of mine who agreed to proctor in my stead.
I then rushed to the university. I hardly had time to take off my coat when the girl who had phoned me came in. I immediately recognized her even though she had never spoken to me personally when she was my student. She had a fine, sensitive face and I had been impressed by her attentiveness and eagerness to listen. To my utter amazement, she told me abruptly that she wanted to become a Roman Catholic. I was so surprised that I was speechless, but I then decided to test her. ‘Why?’ I asked. ‘Your courses convinced me.’ ‘But,’ I responded, ‘I didn’t say a word about religion in my classes; my topic is philosophy.’
‘l know,’ she answered, ‘but do you recall an incident about 16 months ago when a student got up and objected to your refutation of subjectivism and relativism on the ground that you were spreading Roman Catholicism in the classroom? I had been brought up with strong anti-Catholic prejudices. But just when the student spoke out, the grace of God struck me. I suddenly understood that the Roman Catholic Church does stand for the objectivity of truth and that I had been blinded by prejudices.
‘Your course helped me very much and I decided to take another one with you,’ she continued. ‘I heard through another student that you were the wife of a famous Roman Catholic writer, Dietrich von Hildebrand. I rushed to the library and read a couple of his works. Now I am convinced. Please, help me to find a good priest so that I can take instructions in the faith.’
This is how L.C. found her way into the Church. I learned a great lesson through her experience: God is so powerful, so great, that He can use anything for the good.” (“Classroom Conversion,” National Catholic Register, March 20, 1983.)
We give thanks to God for the life of our dear departed friend Lily von Hildebrand. We owe her many debts of gratitude for all that she did for us and for countless others who learned, and will continue to learn, from her example, her writings and her public speeches and media appearances, especially on EWTN. She taught us how to live, and how to die. May she rest in God’s peace, knowing the One who made her, redeemed her, and has now called her to Himself.
[…]
“Who am I to judge?”
Hey, at least Navarro isn’t identifying as a sister, eh?
The bishop has dutifully passed his judgement in regards Mr Navarro’s actions. As the bishops states Navarro is “being disengenuous and dishonest.” Also, let Navarro wear a policman’s or fireman’s outfit and act as one and see what happens.
I suppose this young man thinks that the Church has failed him and so he must set about to correct her? Is that what is going on here?
“We’re following the rules, we’re following the guidelines,” he asserts. Really? And he adds, “it’s a free country, so to speak.” The appeal to “a free country” is both disingenuous and irrelevant. The country probably doesn’t give a tinker’s dam.
Holy Mother Church, however, does care, even if She has strange ways of showing it at times.
And that “so to speak” speaks volumes. It is Navarro speaking for (to put it bluntly) the father of lies. “I will not serve,” he says in Milton’s account. That is, I will not serve another, certainly not one who has the status of authority given, delegated to him–and not simply assumed.
It is just one more instance of the arrogance of an overweening autonomy at work. In time, perhaps he will learn better.
Note: The role of the so-called social media in phenomena like this is only too predictable. Imagine: without it, Mr. Martin would likely never have even thought to exercise his pretentions.
How many religious congregations and monastic communities can be regarded as living authentic religious life? More the frat house and sorority life at best, more likely assisted living facility. All with the legacy of an erroneous “spirit of the council.”
Having absolutely no knowledge of Brother Martin or the Oblates of Saint Augustine it must be said that there are not a few aware and faithful Roman Catholics who have serious reservations regarding who exactly in the Church is accurately regarded as disingenuous and dishonest — the shepherds or the sheep?
Sheep deliberately deprived of accurate catechesis and scattered, what could that verdict be?
Regardless of what wrong are going on in the Church, doing what this man is doing is not the right way. In effect, he is trying to start another branch of the Catholic Church within the Church. One that suits his views. He’s no better than all the other breakaways who got disillusioned with the Catholic Church so decided they could do better. They never do, of course. There are approximately 40,000 different Christian denominations, all started by somone who thought they could do better. It will fail, like they all do.
James: There are lots of faithful religious communities. You’re not looking in the right places…start here:
http://www.religiouslife.com
“Bishop Johnston intends any further communication to be private.”
That is as it should be, and so methinks that we can depend on Navarro to keep this whole matter as public as possible, because he knows he has no real legs to stand on. This being so – he knows he must depend on people who don’t really know what’s going on to keep this going.
FYI – I oppose the suppression – a strong term but one which I am using – of the Traditional Latin Mass, which I find profoundly moving both spiritually and musically, not being a fan of ‘glad tambourines’.
Yea let’s get the Trads!
From the Wikipedia article titled “Clerical collar”:
Catholicism
In the Catholic Church, the clerical collar is worn by all ranks of clergy, thus: bishops, priests, and deacons, and often by seminarians as well as with their cassock during liturgical celebrations.
Bishops, superiors, and popes only have authority over you if you give it to them. And given their constant abuse of authority and corruption they have no authority. This isn’t the Papal States in the Middle Ages. “Sorry Bishop. I don’t really care what you think. Have a nice day.” Granted, that was Luther’s attitude, but Frankie loves Luther. You reap what you sow.
You are mistaking the ability to use force with authority. They have authority from Christ whether they use it well or not, or can bring force to bear or not.
A few things…it seems to me that a young man starting a religious community out of the blue seems to be the height of arrogance. It’s as though he’s saying that there are no recognized communities or Orders in the entire Church that meets his standard of holiness. He is barely old enough to be ordained let alone be the founder and superior of a religious community.
Secondly, initiatives like these seem to be just a high level of medieval cosplay. What exactly makes this guy a traditional Augustinian? Does he have an Augustinian formation or did he just read some books? One can’t just wake up one day and say “Hey, I’m an Augustinian now.”
Lastly, it seems like he just showed up in the diocese of the Bishop (wearing a cassock and presenting himself as a religious when he is not) and then demanded some sort of official recognition. The Bishop is right to be wary and to not grant his approval. The Bishop has no idea who this guy is, and yet this guy presumes ecclesiastical approval. Moreover, he makes public his private communication with the Bishop and casts himself as a martyr. Lots of red flags. The Bishop is right.
Sounds like Francis, the Saint not the pope.
Padre: At every stage of St. Francis’ life, he submitted himself and his Order to the judgement of the Church.
“What exactly makes this guy a traditional Augustinian? Does he have an Augustinian formation or did he just read some books?”
Andrew, why don’t you contact him through the website of the Oblates and ask him? Maybe he was originally formed in another Augustinian community. And if he simply doesn’t join an existing community maybe that is because there is not an existing community in the Church which adheres both to Augustinian spirituality and traditional liturgy. As to starting a community out of the blue, usually a religious order begins informally with men (or women) coming together to live a communal life of prayer and then if it seems to thrive, formal approbation from Church authorities is requested and formal constitutions can be approved. That seems to be all [Br.] Martin is asking for at this stage. That said, he definitely needs to get off social media, since it is hard to imagine a religious brother – traditional or otherwise – being on Twitter. One aspect of this story that seems to be overlooked, is Pope Francis’s handcuffing of bishops and taking away their authority to approve new religious institutes on the diocesan level without approval from Rome. Yet another of the hypocrisies of the current pontificate: always talking about synodality and the authority of bishops, but in reality limiting their legitimate prerogatives. It is and should be up to Bishop Johnston whether he wants to give formal approval to the Oblates of St. Augustine; the outrageous thing is that Francis won’t let the bishop do it, even if he wants to.
Peter: I don’t need to ask him anything as his bishop has rendered his decision.
As for starting a community, he can do that informally (as you say) without the unauthorized use of habits, religious titles etc. He can also get a job and suspend the fundraising which seems to be done under the pretence that he has a properly established religious community (which he does not). From there he can start quietly living his life of prayer and then humbly approach the Bishop. What one does NOT do is show up in a diocese. Wear a habit, call yourself Brother (when you are not), say your an Oblate of St. Augustine and then start fund raising and holding vocation weekends and demand recognition from the Bishop before approval. He’s not asking, but demanding and now that the Bishop has answered in the negative, this guy is throwing a public tantrum.
Again, this is just medieval/church cosplay and the religious fantasies of some guy. Sadly, the bishop’s response will probably just fuel his “remnant of the true Church/persecution” delusions. I’m really sick of Trads that act like this.
He has already started founding the community informally, it’s called a de facto private association of the faithful. It doesn’t require the Bishops permission. It’s just a canonical term for a group of Catholics who come together to live under a common rule.
He didn’t just show up out of nowhere and decide to be a monk. He spent a number of years in other communities but wants to found a new group around the Old Mass and Breviary.
He also does not wear a cassock and collar currently, he stopped doing so at the request of the Bishop months ago. The reporter who wrote this story is misrepresenting him by using an outdated screenshot. They currently wear something that resembles a habit but technically is not a habit. What do you want him to wear? Jeans and a t-shirt?
There is nothing out of the ordinary about what he is doing. It’s just that the Bishop is opposed to working with him to recognize founding a community.
If the National Catholic Reporter — widely subscribed to across the spectrum of the clerical world — can mask itself as Catholic, why should this community not describe itself as it pleases.
Should we need ask ourselves who exactly is responsible for the erosion of accurate Roman Catholic nomenclature?
The ecclesiastical machine has done this to themselves and intentionally. In that context the good bishop stands on quicksand. The episcopate and the current pontificate have undermined themselves. They should not attempt to exercise an authority they have deliberately debased — it only magnifies their impotence.
James: Thanks for that hilarious example of circular reasoning and non sequiturs. Great satire of Trad arguments. Bravo! Lol.
If he is a priest, he is dead WRONG. It wouldn’t be the first time I see an american priest disobeying a bishop, going against God and priestly hierarchy; remember Fr Corapi?
This guy is more interested in his twitter audience, is more interested about promoting himself!!! Simple as!!!
Regardless of what wrong are going on in the Church, doing what this man is doing is not the right way. In effect, he is trying to start another branch of the Catholic Church within the Church. One that suits his views. He’s no better than all the other breakaways who got disillusioned with the Catholic Church so decided they could do better. They never do, of course. There are approximately 40,000 different Christian denominations, all started by somone who thought they could do better. It will fail, like they all do.
Another sad example of someone who thinks he is above the Catholic Church law. I guess you can call yourself anything you want but that doesn’t make it true. If he wants to be a brother so much why doesn’t he go through the correct process? He thinks he knows more than the collective wisdom of the Holy Catholic Church. He does not. He is disobedience personified. Shame on those 11,000 people following him. He is leading them astray and they are allowing themselves to be led astray. He appears to be acting outside of the Church. What is seems to be is that he is setting up his own personal Catholic Church. So, in effect, just a layperson who thinks he is smarter than the collective Catholic Church. He is just exercising a willful stance, going against direction from a Bishop.
This poor soul is looking for purpose in his life. I wonder if this began with the lockdown and the rush to virtual Mass, and this is his solution? Currently it seems almost comical, if not for the underlying deception and potential scandal. I hope the poor soul does not sink deeper into his self deception. If anyone reading this is within convenient access, please reach out to him over breakfast or coffee and find out what’s bugging him and offer him sound council and prayer.