The Crusader Bulletin of the Eucharistic Crusade for Children in Australia #347
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The Crusader Bulletin of the Eucharistic Crusade for Children in Australia #347 Read inside: May 2020 Month of the - Pope St. Pius X p. 4 Blessed Virgin Mary - Eucharistic devotion p. 6 - The life of the Blessed Virgin Mary p. 8 - The Old Testament: Joseph and his Brothers p. 10 - Kindness: the Bloom of Charity p. 12 - Holy Souls Corner p. 13 - My Catholic Faith - The Ascension p. 14 - Liturgy this month p. 19 2 The Crusader May 2020 The Saint Saint Dominic Savio of Confessor the month (1842-1857) aint Dominic Savio was born in Dominic's soul was fired with the zeal Riva di Chieri, Italy, on 2nd April of his master, whose rule of life Give S 1842. He looked so frail and weak me souls, Lord; You take the rest, the on the morning of his birth that his boy adopted for his own. Following father rushed him that same evening the example of Don Bosco, who in to the parish church for Baptism. But season and out of season sought those Dominic survived and began serving souls wherever they were to be found, Mass when he was five years old, one of Dominic also went after them in his his greatest joys. He was often seen at own little world. In the Oratory he five o'clock in the morning in front of founded and directed the Immaculate the church on his knees in rain or snow, Conception Sodality, a group of waiting for the doors to be opened. boys who by prayer, word and example On the occasion of his First Holy carried on an apostolate among their Communion he made the resolution classmates and proved to be of valuable to die rather than sin, as he had assistance to Don Bosco in his work. frequently expressed his determination On one occasion Dominic broke up and ambition to become a Saint. a vicious duel with stones. Standing The village pastor at Mondonio, between the boy-duelists with dramatic recognising in Dominic a soul of suddenness, he flashed a crucifix and predilection, arranged to have him enter said: This is Friday. Today Christ died Don Bosco's Oratory at Turin. Don for love of us. Can you look at Him and Bosco soon noted Dominic's consuming still hate each other? quest for sanctity, and pointed out to When Dominic's health began to fail he the boy that the path to holiness is not was forced to leave the Oratory. Don necessarily in penances and torturing our Bosco and the boys were very sorry to bodies, but in the cheerful bearing and see him leave; he had been a good offering of each day's small crosses. friend to all. Don Bosco said of him: Steering the lad away from artificial “His cheerful character and lively practices, his beloved master showed disposition made him extremely popular him that for a soul avid of penance, even among those boys who were no there is a superabundance to be had for great lovers of their faith”. His death at the taking, through acceptance of the his home on 9th March 1857 was sweet monotony and tribulations inseparable and peaceful. Pope Pius XII canonised from the perfect fulfilment of the duties him in June 1954. of one's state of life. After a few months of life in the Saint Dominic Savio’s feastday environment of the Oratory and under is on 6th May the saintly care of Saint John Bosco, May 2020 The Crusader 3 FROM THE CHAPLAIN your parents relied on you, Cru- saders of the Eucharist to give Dear Crusaders and Friends, good example to your other I hope that you are all brothers and sisters and thus happy to be back to school. I keep the peace in the home. hope that you are all back to school. Being cooped up inside is Surely, we want to get out- no picnic. side and get back to doing nor- mal things, but don’t think for a Please remind your parents moment that the present situation that they can send in your treas- can stop you from helping Our ure sheets by email: cru- Lord Jesus Christ to save poor [email protected] sinners from a fate worse than death. Whether you are inside or outside, you are still able to be a As long as the present soldier of Jesus Christ who helps situation in the world continues, to save souls by means of Prayer, let us be generous with Jesus in Communion, Sacrifice, and our Prayers, Communions, Sacri- Apostolate. You may have had fices and Apostolate. even more time to pray, since you are not able to go outside. Yours in Jesus & Mary, True, you have not been able to Fr. Benjamin Campbell go to Mass and receive Our Blessed Lord as often as you did in the past, but you must cer- tainly have wished that you could receive Him. Hopefully, you have turned these wishes into real and fruitful spiritual Commuinons. And let’s not for- get sacrifices. I am sure that there have been tonnes of oppor- tunities to make sacrifices while you have been stuck inside. Fi- nally, apostolate can also be called good example. How many times during this month have 4 The Crusader May 2020 POPE ST. PIUS X By F. A. Forbes CURATE AND PARISH PRIEST — 1 he village of Tombolo, in the had many tastes in common with his curate, province of Padua and the diocese notably the love of music and of biblical and T of Treviso, is surrounded by hilly patristic studies. He soon learned to look and well-wooded country, watered by the upon Don Giuseppe as a son, and highly tributary streams of the Brenta. The parish appreciated his good qualities. church, St. Andrew’s, stands in the centre “They have sent me a young man as curate,” of the little township. Tombolo boasts he wrote to a friend, “with orders to form of no commercial industries; it is a him to the duties of a parish priest. I assure pastoral country, and the greater part of you it is likely to be the other way about. He the population is occupied in dairy farming is so zealous, so full of common sense and and the rearing of cattle. The people have other precious gifts that I could find much to clearly marked characteristics; strong and learn from him. Some day he will wear the robust in build, hardened to sun, rain, and mitre—of that I am certain—and afterwards? wind, rough-voiced and somewhat ungentle Who knows?” in manner, they have, nevertheless, good hearts and are in their own way religious. The good rector nevertheless did his best to fulfil his mission. “Don Bepi,” he would say But the Tombolani have one vice—or had to his young curate, “I did not quite like this when Don Giuseppe became their curate. or that in your last sermon.” When the They swore systematically and profusely church was empty he would make Don Bepi at everything, at each other, and at the go into the pulpit and preach, criticising and world at large. “No offence is intended to commenting the while both on matter and Almighty God,” they explained ingenuously method; comments well worth having, for to the horrified young priest, “He certainly Don Antonio was a man of wide learning understands. Just go to market, and try to sell and an excellent theologian. Meanwhile Don your beasts and your grain with a ‘please’ Bepi, whose sermons were already becoming and a ‘thank you,’ and you will see what you famous throughout the countryside for their will get!” zeal and eloquence, would listen humbly and There may have been some truth in this; and promise to try to do better. intention, no doubt, goes a long way; but the The income of the young curate was next argument did not satisfy Don Giuseppe. For to nothing, for Tombolo was a very poor the moment he dropped the subject, but he parish; but he had not been used to luxury. had not done with it. He had planned his priestly life before his The rector of the parish, ordination, and was busy carrying out Don Antonio Costantini, the scheme. To study deeply in order to was habitually ailing. fit himself more fully for preaching; to do Devoted to his people and as much good as was possible in the wholly desirous to do them confessional and in the pulpit; to help his good, his ill-health was people both materially and morally, to visit a constant impediment. He the sick, to succour the poor and to instruct May 2020 The Crusader 5 the ignorant—such was the programme, much as he could, making and with all the vigour of his soul he threw friends especially with himself into the work. the young men and the boys. He interested The widowed niece of Don Antonio who himself in their work kept house for her uncle used to see a light and in their play, burning in the window of Don Giuseppe’s treating them with such poor lodging the last thing at night and the a spirit of friendly first thing in the morning. comradeship that they “Do you never go to bed, Don Bepi?” she would crowd to talk asked at breakfast one day, for the curate to him whenever he took his meals at the rectory. appeared. One day some of them lamented that they could neither read nor write.