More News concerning the Order and our Parish

Dear Reader,

After selecting the Father Arnold Chrapkowski OSPPE, new Superior General of the Order of the St. Paul the First Hermit has elected a new board of the General Curia of the Order, called the Definitorium.

Pauline general's closest collaborators will be:

Vicar General (I Definitor) - Fr. Michael Lukoszek OSPPE  (former Rector of the Order's Seminary  in Cracow)

II Definitor - Fr. Mariusz Tabulski OSPPE

III Definitor - Fr. Richard Bortkiewicz OSPPE

IV Definitor - Fr. Kazimierz Maniecki OSPPE

Procurator General to the Holy See - Fr. Basil Degórski OSPPE

Administrator General - Fr. Jan Bednarz OSPPE

The Administrator and Procurator General are both incumbents.



Now onto some Local News.
Our Parish today celebrated its Dedication as did the church. The ancient church dating back to the twelfth century , and was dedicated to San Lorenzo only.  M. Armellini refers to a document from the Vatican, according to which:
" ... near Prima Porta in a meadow at the right hand there is a small abandoned church, in which It contains its annexed bell tower. Of this, reports Martinelli in his Triumph of the Cross, have been under the old title of s. Lorenzo. There was a hospital served by Oblates et oblate mention of which is found in the year 1243."

At the beginning of the seventeenth century , Pope Urban VIII had it restored and enlarged, and on this occasion it was also dedicated to St. Urban. The same pope established the parish with the decree "Creditam desuper nobis" of 7 March 1629 , incorporating it in the diocese of Porto Santa Rufina . When this diocese was abolished on January 5, 1945 the church was annexed to the Diocese of Rome .

On the front of the old church, there are two marble plaques both made ​​by Pius X in 1912 to commemorate the victory of Constantine against Maxentius of 312.

The interior of the oldest church was completely rebuilt in reinforced concrete beams.

The parish is the titular church of Saint's Urban and Lawrence in Prima Porta, Urbe.


Vale amicus... Till next time.

GOD BE PRAISED! WE HAVE A NEW FATHER GENERAL!!!!!!!

The New General of the Order of Saint Paul the First Hermit was elected: Fr. Arnold Chrapkowski OSPPE, former Vicar General of the Order.





The selection was made today , i.e. On Thursday, March 6th , during the meeting at Jasna Góra of the General Chapter of the Order.

Arnold Marek Chrapkowski is 46 years old, (SUPER SUPER YOUNG, the youngest in our entire history!!!!!) and was born on 28th April 1968 in the diocese of Pelplin .

Made his first religious profession on 8th September 1988 , and perpetual profession on July 30th, 1993. He was ordained June 18th, 1994 year. He is a doctor of canon law .

Fr. Chrapkowski is the 86th General of the Pauline Order. He replaced Fr Isidore Matuszewski OSPPE, who served as general since 2002, for two terms, i.e. for 12 years.

6 years ago, February 26th 2008, Father Arnold Chrapkowski was elected Vicar General of the Order. The Vicar serves as the closest collaborator of, and also the deputy to the General of the Order.

Fr. Chrapkowski, during this year's session of the General Chapter, was elected President of the Chapter, or a person who after passing the general office, prefered by the fathers and brothers, has full and supreme authority until a new general is elected.

Shortly after the election, in the historic Library of Jasna Góra, The Fathers and Brothers gathered to participate in the ceremony of his assumption into office as the new Master of the Order .

Then, at midday, the fathers and brothers gathered in the Chapel of Our Lady, to participate in prayer and entrusted new general to the B.V.M. After the announcement of the name of the new General of the Order, everyone sang as thanksgiving the 'Te Deum '. Then, the new Master of the Order, Fr. Chrapkowski spoke.

"Venerable Fathers and Brothers in our Pauline vocation , dear faithful of the Lord Jesus Christ who gathered in front of the Miraculous Image Of Mary of Częstochowa, yesterday we started our rite of the imposition of ashes, the time of Lent. Today, fathers and brothers gathered at the General Chapter commissioned me to the office of the supreme moderator of the Pauline Order. This selection, together with the ashes I accepted yesterday on my head . This office, which I accepted, not for my own glory , but to remember all the time that I am dust and to dust I shall return, and this is what I have been commissioned for, it is not for my own sake, but for the sake of the religious community, which I now head " .

"I accept responsibility for the Order with a huge heritage and at this point I would like to embrace the memory and prayer all my religious brothers scattered around the world in 17 countries , in 71 monasteries and homes of our Order. What is outsourced to the General Chapter, it is not the only choice, but it is primarily a look. A look through the eyes of contemporary history and heritage of our Order. The Order does not create from now on, we assume the great history and we want to move in the present. The motto of our Chapter is fidelity to the heritage of Blessed John Paul II and the Servant of God, Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski . We want to listen to their voice, this voice heard on the new reality, always with the Miraculous Icon of the Virgin of Jasna Góra . In this image is typed the vocation of every Pauline, in the image we have entered our life and our ministry."

"I wish to express my profound gratitude to the Fathers of the previous generals , ranging from Fr George Tomzińskiego , by Father John Nalaskowskiego , Father Joseph Platek , Father Stanislaus Turek , to the Father Isidore Matuszewski . I am grateful to these men and pray for the good that each of them has inscribed in our Pauline Order and humbly ask you gathered here and my brother too, that we as Paulines, are always Faithful to this vocation. May she [B. V. M.] supports us and helps . All of you, pray for the General Chapter of the Order and for all, that we are able to give a relevant testimony to life and bring joy to other humans by being  (living???) the Gospel . God bless you . "

After the speech, Latin antiphon ' Monsters Te esse Matrem ' was sung in the presence of the miracoulus icon of Our Lady of Częstochowa- ' Show unto us Mother ' .

Remember, Man, that thou art dust and unto dust thou shall return!

Dear Reader,


GO TO CONFESSION. I wanted to rant about fasting but am going to say this: let's be radical this Lent. Let's actually be penitential, give up stuff that you would never in a million years give up, Unless its will affect your study, work or spiritual life, give up a tone of stuff, take up works of mercy and more pray and contemplation. How about that?  Double check with your confessor or spiritual Advisor/ Father.


and try to go to mass more often too.






Vale amicus... Till next time.

Resurrexit sicut dixit, just not what you are thinking.

Dear Reader,


It’s been a long time between the proverbial drinks.

But here I am, here we are after a time. Much has happened and much is to be reported, but if you read this blog, then almost all the news is old hat.

First and fore most, I am only a little more than a year away from completing my seminary studies here in beautiful Rome. The weather is staring to clear (not meant to be a metaphor), the sun is shinning and thanks be to God the world keeps spinning.

So, before I entered into religious life, I lived in and grew up in Sydney, Australia. His Eminence, George Cardinal Pell, was the Archbishop of this lovely little metropolitan see.  I can tell you that he will be missed by the Catholic community of Sydney and the nation as a whole. I am not gonna pretend that i know who would take his place in Sydney now that he is the Prefect for the Secretariat for the Economy, but who ever it will be will have huge shoes to fill (literally!)

The General Chapter of the Order of Saint Paul the First Hermit is taking place now in the monastery of Jasna Góra, Poland. We will have a New Father general in the next week perhaps, because now after his two 6 year terms, many things need to be accounted for and it will be very interesting to see who will “get up”. Of course, the fate of the order depends on who will be elected too!

Today is Ash Wednesday, and I have to say it feels weird not having been to mass in the morning and to have been “ashed”. This evening we will have a conventual mass and I will receive them then. Have I ranted about how much I do not like the masses in the evenings? No? Maybe in the next blog.

This piece of music is my dig right now.

But remember the first time I fell in love with classical music. The summer of 1999/2000 (southern hemisphere of course) two of my fav pieces ever was G.F. Handal’s Water Music and Der Tod und das Mädchen / Death and the Maiden by Schubert 4th movement: Presto: HERE http://youtu.be/z42GrmR4U2Y?t=30m23s till the end.

Yet my most favourite piece of classical music would have to be on of the last Greats. Could he even described as classic? But I believe a lot in the power of music and the way it tugs on the heart strings. Just as many of mass settings when chanted convy a certain atmosphere and spiritual message. The IX mass alwys leaves me in awe. Elgar. It sounds very Lenten!!!!!!

So I’m just touching base, I’m still alive!


Memento mori



Vale amicus... Till next time