Ear Candy

July 10, 2010 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog

Bach: Cello Suite No.1, Prelude

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A Plethora of Catholic Movies Available on Netflix

July 10, 2010 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog

One of my Facebook Friends brought this to my attention today. Seems that Netflix, which our family uses almost exclusively to stream movies directly to our TV, carries a plethora of good Catholic movies. (Think of that scene in “The Three Amigos” when you say the word “plethora,” mkay?) If you use Netflix, here are some worthy Catholic titles to add to your queue:

A Hand of Peace

A Man for All Seasons

After the Truth

Don Matteo

Father of Mercy: The True Story of Venerable Don Gnocchi

Faustina

God in China

Into Great Silence

John XXIII

Karol: The Pope, The Man

Love is a Choice

Maria Goretti

Our Father’s Plan

Padre Pio Between Heaven and Earth

Paul VI: The Pope in the Tempest

Pope Benedict XVA

Road of Hope

Saint Anthony

Saint Francis

Saint Rita

Saints and Soldiers

St. Giuseppe Moscati: Doctor to the Poor

St. Teresa of Avila

The 13th Day

The Jeweller’s Shop

The Miracle of Marcelino

The Reluctant Saint

The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius

Théresè

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Phase Two of the Post-Maciel Legion of Christ Saga Begins

July 9, 2010 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog

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It was announced today that an Italian archbishop, Msgr. Velasio De Paolis, a member of the congregation of the Missionaries of St Charles Borromeo, is the prelate whom Pope Benedict XVI has appointed to take charge of the reform of the Legionaries of Christ. He was briefly in the cross-hairs of the international mainstream press two years ago for being the Vatican official who denied permission to Ron Howard and company to use any Catholic churches in Rome for filming the blasphemous, “Angels and Demons,” the sequel to “The Da Vinci Code.”

Archbishop De Paolis was quoted as saying: That the movies “turned the gospels upside down to poison the faith. . . .”[and] “It would be unacceptable to transform churches into film sets so that his blasphemous novels can be made into films in the name of business.”

Regarding his current appointment as the new head of the Legionaries of Christ . . .

The Vatican said the visitation highlighted three primary requirements: The need to “redefine the charism” of the Legionaries of Christ, the need to revise the exercise of authority in the order and the need to preserve the enthusiasm and missionary zeal of younger members through adequate formation.

What this will mean for the current leadership of Legionary priests isn’t clear yet, but it seems likely that, in order for this reform to be carried out smoothly and expeditiously, some of them will need to relinquish their positions.

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How Fireworks Pros Make Those Brilliant Pyrotechnics

July 4, 2010 by Patrick Madrid
Filed under Patrick's Blog

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“A brilliant fireworks display is a complicated, calculated mixture of chemistry, ballistics and imagination. Here is an in-depth look at how the pros pull it off every year:

“There’s no tradition quite like a Fourth of July fireworks display. Lawnchairs and blankets line the grassy viewing area as spectators wait for spellbinding colors, thrilling explosions and intriguing shapes to paint the sky. The event may be magical—especially for the kids—but of course, its all the product of meticulous chemistry and clever ballistics.

— By Amanda Dematto, Popular Mechanics —

“Behind the curtains—out on a river barge floating a distance from the onlookers’ vantage point—are brown cylindrical and spherical canisters of varying sizes, placed in mortar tubes and wired to a central control. An engineer pushes a button that routes an electrical impulse through 40 feet of wiring to the first canister. The impulse lights a fuse at the canister’s base, which burns through to a black powder that catapults the shell into the sky. At the same moment, a time-delay fuse is triggered, giving the shell time to soar before bursting. After about 5 seconds the shell peaks, the fuse kindles a bursting charge, and poof!—the casing ruptures, and magnificent tendrils of red, white and blue stream into the sky.

“Every step of this process is a complex, carefully crafted process. If one thing is off—too much black powder, misaligned stars or a misplaced trigger—everything can fail. Here’s a look at how professionals pull it off every year while one-upping last year’s pyrotechnic display. . . .” (continue reading)

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