‘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.
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At this point, what more is there to say?
Amen!
Farrell, Roche, Cupich.
Lord help us (again).
Don’t forget Bishop McElroy( new Cardinal) another Modernist member.
Most important [not to diminish liturgy] is Roche, Tagle, Farrell, Cupich assigned to Discipline of the Sacraments. Whatever Burmese Bo or Scot Gilbert may prefer they’re outnumbered by among the most liberal cardinals in the Church. Adherents of Amoris Laetitia and all it entails. Nonetheless the ordinary of the diocese the likes of Archbishop Cordileone, Bishop Paprocki et al cannot be compelled to ignore the canons of the Church 915 in particular. Although the appointments anticipate engagement ahead.
But great picture!
The photo says everything we need to know about Cupich. Somehow I doubt he has that one hanging in his office.
Yeah, I’m not sure about the picture. McCarrick was promoted by JP2, and promoted again, despite allegations going back to the 1990s. B16 never did anything about him, and even Archbishop Vigano was in Ted’s corner until he wasn’t. As far as I know, Mr McCarrick was never involved in liturgical governance, unlike the new DDWDS archbishop.
So, is this just more simmering discontent about Amoris, or McCarrick, or Cupich because all is not right in CatholicWorld? Or is there a point? I’m sure if we combed the internet just as carefully we could find all sorts of conservative heroes ponying up to the greatest fundraiser of all time, right?
So true. To try to smear Cardinal Cupich with the photo even before a single word of the story is surely a type of “journalism” unworthy of Catholic World Report. I suggest you make amends by digging up and publishing every single photo of McCarrick with every Catholic prelate, including recent popes!
The Catholic hierarchy is looking more and more like an exclusive club for closeted homosexuals. God help us.
Will this appointment bring sanctity, godliness and honour to the table?
I believe that when Jesus prayed that all might be one He was likely thinking that the ONE would be in line with his teachings. It sure seems like Francis is taking a play out of the book of Chairman Joe in appointing people to posts based on their political leanings rather than their support for Church teaching. Both seem determined to destroy what they are sworn to defend.
Unfortunately, this simply further reinforces the suspicion that long before being elected pope, Senor Bergoglio was, and perhaps still is, one of “them”.
Oh, greeaaaaaaaat.
Since one of our commenters has posted an open question as to what concerns might connect with photos and reports involving the message communicated by items such as “Cupich-McCarrick” above, and as most other commenters have noted their disgust of these 2, I offer this video posted in February by Damian Thompson, of Holy Smoke (Spectator) showing what Thompson says is the Pontiff Francis “lying” to a reporter confronting his actions as head of the Argentine Bishops Conference, to defend and protect the Argentine child sex predator “Rev.” Julio Grassi, now serving a 15 yr prison sentence in Argentina. See video here:
https://mobile.twitter.com/holysmoke/with_replies
As other commenters have alluded to the larger problem (which includes being silent about warehousing sex abusers near schools…such as Cupich did…and behavior like Cardinal Bergoglio/Pontiff Francis in defending sex abusers, smearing accusers, and rehabilitating and promoting both sex abusers…McCarrick and “Rev. Inzoli…and coverup artists…such as Danneels of Belgium…protector of his friend “His Excellency” Vanguelwhe…the Belgian McCarrick…who raped his own nephew), I believe that the understandable and wholesome response to photos and stories involving the message conveyed by “Cupich-McCarrick” imagery is this:
The problem with all of the above named high-ranking clerics etc etc etc, is that they are simply all of the same mind, “the mind of McCarrick” (to paraphrase St. Paul).
If this is the point, then the DDWDS angle is irrelevant. CWP aimed wrongly. Instead, they could have produced an op-ed about corruption in the Church, from John Paul II and Benedict XVI on down. Or out.
Mr Thompson is an opinion writer. In other words, a gossip columnist. Is that the kind of journalism that good Catholics aspire to produce, read, and desire? Mr Thompson is essentially the same as the rest of us here: we offer opinions on stuff. And sometimes we find a picture, a tweet, a snapchat to back up what we believe or want to believe. When our opinions offer untruths, it is detraction. Then it becomes a grave sin against the Commandments.
“The problem with all of the above named high-ranking clerics etc etc etc, is that they are simply all of the same mind …”
I can think of a few feminists who might say the same. Their problem would be that they are all clerics–all men, in other words.
Mr. Flowerday:
Your contempt for Damian Thompson is not a reasonable argument, and it gives the impression that your intention id to ignore the case of then-Archbishop Bergoglio and his defense of the predator Julio Grassi.
The accusation made by Thompson is that the video shows the Pontiff Francis in the act of denying that he defended and tried to protect Julio Grassi.
Multiple sources in Argentina and outside it, have stated that Archbishop Bergoglio defended Grassi, and spent millions of Church dollars doing it, and smearing Grassi’s accusers. Among the sources are a judge on the Argentine high court, who stated that Archbishop Bergoglio tried to intervene in the trial by submitting the reported “defense/smear” to him, presumably with the intent that it be shared with other judges on the Argentine supreme court, as an inside maneuver, an act hidden from the eyes of Argentine public.
The video shows a reporter confronting the Pontiff Francis about his role in defending Grassi, and all can see that the Pontiff denies it.
This matter is not the first denial, as in a recent hagiography of the former Archbishop Bergoglio, the then-Archbishop says he never had any sex abuse issues when he was tbe Archbishop. I believe that statement, if memory serves, was made in Austin Ivereigh’s book in Pontiff F, “The Great Reformer.” We can all go find it, as it is in print now.
When a is charge made, then we are on the ground of rebuttable presumptions. Silence in the face of charges involving sex abuse are not “Christ-like,” as many opinion-peddlers prefer to insist.
The fact of Grassi’s abuse has been decided in the Argentine high court, and the charges that Archbishop Bergoglio orchestrated a behind the curtsin defense if Grassi are made by people in Argentina, including one of the high court judges.
The people making these charges are doing it publicly, in writing snd here in video.
Luke any man, Pontiff Francis is duty bound to answer, and others are duty bound to press the charge, and Thompson and others are doing it.
The charge is very consistent with the behavior pattern of Pontiff Francis regarding sex abusers (e.g., Inzoli of Italy) and coverup Cardinals (e.g., Danneels of Belgium).
The pattern of behavior is a fact, and the charges are lsid in public.
Pretending that this particular Pontiff is above it all shows a degree of “devotion” to this particular Pontiff.
Whether or not there is a comparable degree devotion to the pursuit of truth is in question.
The preference for avoidance and silence on the matter may very likely explain why the Pontiff Francis has avoided traveling to visit his home country.
Pretending reality isn’t happening is a bad modus operandi for the Church.
It ought to trade that in for a pursuit of the truth.
That might cause us all to intersect with The Man Who Is The Truth.
I hope it does, in every case, including those involving the Pontiff Francis.
“I take seriously my obligation to …pray, as Jesus did the night before he died, that all may be one,” he [Cupich] wrote.
If God had wanted the Church to be one according to Bergoglio and Cupich, He surely would have let us know. NB: Cupich does not define his ‘one.’ It’s a sure bet that his meaning differs from mine and my Catholic friends.
Meanwhile, I and my family shall follow the Lord and the Church He handed onto His apostles. When the one big moshey mess of immoral relativist hierarchs claim the Church must follow their way of progress, I’ll pray the breath of God to blow them away like the fluff of cottonwood seeds. And He shall.
Cupich is one of the most notorious coverup artists in the US Episcopate. When he was in charge of the Josephinum in Ohio he allowed it to be turned into a gay bathhouse. Whe he was Bishop of Spokane he allowed the Jesuits to turn Gonzaga University into a retirement home for predator priests from Alaska. He has continued to cover up sexual abuse as Archbishop of Chicago. And yet, despite all this (or possibly because of it) Pope Bergoglio continues to reward and promote him. It is long overdue for him to exchange his red hat and cassock for an orange jumpsuit.
What’s in yellow, below:
comments containing … personal attacks
Mr du Toit, can you prove these allegations?
Look: I get the culture of anti-celebrity. It’s a flip side of hero-worship. And many, many contemporary heroes have been sullied: Maciel, Law, Finn, Nienstedt, Corapi, etc.. We dislike someone in the public eye–what they did, the way they look, an opinion we don’t like.
When we chase after a hero–a mentor we know, a saint we can read about–we engage our faith constructively. Does the picture above engage us to grow closer to Jesus Christ? Do the allegations about bathhouses, retirement homes, lavender mafia, etc. help us in faith? Or do they stir up passions about which we can never satisfy? Cardinal Cupich isn’t going to jail anytime soon. Just standing next to a sex predator isn’t a crime. Some people have even been made saints despite having such a history.
I congratulate CWR on being open enough and faithful enough to print items like this that attack those opposed to the Church.
Onward all…we are in this together.