Click here to listen to WQPH 89.3

Catholic Radio serving Shirley-Fitchburg MA and the world.

“Be Not Afraid” hymn performed by EWTN Daily Mass Choir for the September 17th Sunday Mass

Massachusetts parishes adorn themselves with large, outdoor Divine Mercy images

Sponsors have raised funds to install large Divine Mercy images in various parishes in Massachusetts. Churches in Fitchburg, Salem, Malden, Somerville, Medford, and Cambridge have installed or are scheduled to install the images. One or more images can be secured to the church’s exterior of choice. The images are installed by divinemercy33.org, a Chicago apostolate, […]

September 12, 2023

We are told that the Church which we profess, in communion with our ancestors in the faith from the time of the Apostles, to be One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic is now to be defined by synodality, a term which has no history in the doctrine of the Church and for which there is no reasonable definition. Synodality and its adjective, synodal, have become slogans behind which a revolution is at work to change radically the Church’s self-understanding, in accord with a contemporary ideology which denies much of what the Church has always taught and practiced. It is not a purely theoretical matter, for the ideology has already, for some years, been put into practice in the Church in Germany, spreading widely confusion and error and their fruit, division – indeed schism – , to the grave harm of many souls. With the imminent Synod on Synodality, it is rightly to be feared that the same confusion and error and division will be visited upon the universal Church. In fact, it has already begun to happen through the preparation of the Synod at the local level.

Only the truth of Christ, as it is handed down to us in the unchanging and unchangeable doctrine and discipline of the Church, can address effectively the situation by uncovering the ideology at work, by correcting the deadly confusion and error and division it is propagating, and by inspiring the members of the Church to undertake the true reform which is daily conversion to Christ alive for us in the Church’s teaching, her prayer and worship, and her practice of the virtues and discipline. 

Cardinal Ramond Burke

There is nothing in the holy, inspired Scripture about the death of Mary, the holy Mother of God; but we know from ancient and wholly reliable tradition that at the time she so gloriously fell asleep, all the holy Apostles, who were traveling the world for the salvation of the peoples, were lifted up in a single instant of time and were gathered at Jerusalem; and as they stood by here, they saw a vision of angels, and heard the divine chanting of higher powers. So it was that she gave her soul, in an ineffable way, into God’s hands, surrounded by the glory of God and all heaven. Her body, which had been God’s dwelling place, was brought for burial amidst the singing of the angels and the Apostles, and laid to rest in a coffin in Gethsemane; and the angelic dancing and singing continued without pause in that place for three days. But after three days, the song of the angels ceased; the Apostles were there, and since one of them–Thomas–had not been present [for her burial] and came at the end of three days, and wished to reverence the body which had housed God, they opened the coffin. And they could not find her body, which had been the object of such praise; all that they found were her burial wrappings. And being overcome by the ineffable fragrance that came out of the wrappings, they closed the coffin again. Amazed by this miraculous discovery, they could only draw a single conclusion: the one who had deigned to become flesh in her own person, and to take his humanity from her, the one who willed to be born in human flesh as God the Word, the Lord of glory, and who had preserved her virginity intact even after childbirth, now chose, after her departure from this world, to honor her immaculate and pure body with the gift of incorruptibility, and with a change of state even before the common, universal resurrection.

St. Juvenal, archbishop of Jerusalem, before the Council of Chalcedon of 451, as quoted in Euthymian history

Dear local listener,

We have resolved our broadcast issues and are very glad to invite you to tune back in and hear us on 89.3 FM

Thank you for your loyalty, prayers, and financial support.

Yours in Christ,
WQPH Members

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, TRULY present in the Holy Eucharist, I consecrate my body and soul to be entirely one with Your Heart, being sacrificed at every instant on the altars of the world and giving praise to the Father, pleading for the coming of His Kingdom.

Please receive this humble offering of myself. Use me as You will for the glory of the Father and the salvation of souls.

Most Holy Mother of God, never let me be separated from Your Divine Son. Please defend and protect me as Your special child.

Amen.

The prayer of Handmaids of the Eucharist as recited to Sister Agnes by her Guardian Angel 

image of Sister Agnes courtesy of Father Elias Mary, taken during his 2023 pilgrimage to Akita, Japan 
prayer text as quoted in “Akita: The Tears and Message of Mary” by Father Teiji Yasuda

At some time in our lives, when circumstances cause us to become fearful, the best solution is to run into the arms of our mother Mary.

In the Icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, we see Jesus with a frightful look on His Face. That is because He foresees a vision of the Passion. In His mother’s arms, Jesus finds comfort.  Mary is holding His hand, letting Him know she will be at His side, supporting, consoling and loving Him.

That is what our Mother will do for you, when you implore her aid. 

Have you submitted your intentions for Three Holy Masses, invoking Our Mother of Perpetual Help, from June 25-27, which includes the feast day?

Catholic Action for Faith and the Family

Caffrey: Arguing Upward

Underneath my 1974 high school senior yearbook photo I wrote the following caption, “Fear is the enemy, trust is the armor!”, after hearing that expression by Shaolin Temple Master Po to his student Kwai Chang Caine during an episode of the popular television series “Kung Fu.” My photo is very forgettable, but that phrase has stayed with me for almost fifty years. I loved that program, as I had great interest in martial arts and the Eastern philosophy behind it. Only one other phrase from that program has stayed with me all those years, that one spoken by Master Kan to the same young Caine: “Sometimes a stranger known to us for a moment can spark our souls to kinship for eternity.”

May 15, 2023

Father Higgins: Frere André, the “Miracle-Man” of Montreal

Compiled and reposted with permission from Mary Immaculate of Lourdes Parish, Newton MA Part I – Who Was Frere André? “Confess therefore your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much.”  St. James “For the continual prayer of a just […]

May 4, 2023

Father Higgins: Saint Joseph, Terror of Demons

At a time when folly has reached such a level that there are people who would actually use ritual satanism as a way to épater la bourgeoisie (that is, doing things to shock conventional people), it is a solace to us to consider the Patronage of Saint Joseph under his title Terror of Demons. Historically, […]

April 30, 2023

Dear friends in Christ,

The Archdiocese of Boston has recently noted that the “Satancon” convention will be held in Boston from April 28-30 at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. The organizers of this convention are billing it as “the largest satanic gathering in history.”

It is sad to witness that there are people who find satisfaction in celebrating the power of evil in the world. Perhaps they have never experienced the sense of joy and the power of redemption that we find in this Easter Season. We are a people of hope, thanks to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, who offers all believers the path to life eternal in the loving embrace of God.

By baptism we are called to be witnesses to the Good News, in particular in light of this Satancon event. Let us remember that our power to combat evil lies in the power of prayer. To that end, I join my voice to that of Cardinal O’Malley in asking that we not organize or encourage any parishioners to go to the event to protest. It will only fuel the hate of those who support it and feed the media with images.

We should not, however, stand by idly and feel powerless. Let us storm the heavens with prayer, in anticipation of and during the event. Pause at any time during the days ahead and petition God to enlighten those who are calling on the prince of darkness to turn toward the light of his saving power. Use formal prayers, such as the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel or pray the rosary, or simply use your own words. God will hear you if you simply call on him.
I ask pastors to be especially vigilant during the month of April during the distribution of holy Communion. If necessary, remind people that they should be consuming the sacred species immediately, to assure that the Blessed Sacrament is not being carried off for nefarious use.

A petition for use during the Prayers of the Faithful for the weekend before and during the event will follow in a subsequent communication.

Join me in reciting The Prayer of Saint Michael, in particular during this month:

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil; May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

With every prayerful best wish, I remain

Sincerely yours in Christ.

Most Reverend Robert J. McManus, Bishop of Worcester

If we have never sought, we seek Thee now;
Thine eyes burn through the dark, our only stars;
We must have sight of thorn-pricks on Thy brow,
We must have Thee, O Jesus of the Scars.
The heavens frighten us; they are too calm;
In all the universe we have no place.
Our wounds are hurting us; where is the balm?
Lord Jesus, by Thy Scars, we claim Thy grace.
If, when the doors are shut, Thou drawest near,
Only reveal those hands, that side of Thine;
We know to-day what wounds are, have no fear,
Show us Thy Scars, we know the countersign.
The other gods were strong; but Thou wast weak;
They rode, but Thou didst stumble to a throne;
But to our wounds only God’s wounds can speak,
And not a god has wounds, but Thou alone.

Edward Shillito, “Jesus of the Scars”

I love my country and I’ve defended it in some of the worst places in the world.

Sometimes, people in the government, bureaucracy takes over and you get bad actors in there and things like this happen, and they should never happen to law-abiding citizens.

I think about some of the operations we ran, and I’ll just give you a couple: the case of US versus Pablo Escobar, or the United States versus Osama Bin Laden. You know, I was in a unit that was chasing those clowns for years. And this government saw it fit to make it the United States versus Mark Houck for defending his son.

I’m almost speechless, you know? I’m almost speechless. And, quite frankly, I’m disgusted by those actions.

Jim Mulvihill, The 13th Apostle