During the Encampment on Friday night, we conducted a ceremony during which we lit two bonfires with flaming arrows (we have to work on the flaming arrow part) in remembrance of Thom and Marc and promised never to let them go out.  On Saturday night we revealed the work that we friars had been doing over the past week:  three shields, one for the Knights of Lepanto (pictured above), one for Thom and one for Marc.

I am no herald, but I have done some private research on heraldry, so if anyone reads this blog who has suggestions or corrections, I am completely open to them.  For an explanation of the arms of the Knights of Lepanto see this post.

By the way, for anyone who cares to help me out with my heraldry, the blazoning of the arms of the Knights of Lepanto I render thus:  Per fess azure and argent, a fleur de lis counterchanged between two fleur de lis argent and a cross formy gules dexter,  a fleur de lis azure sinister.  That is just a guess.  I really don't know what I am doing.  I concur with Chesterton:  "Anything worth doing is worth doing badly."

My intention is to bestow full knighthood in an official capacity upon both Thom and Marc posthumously.  Both of them were in formation for knighthood; however, we have had no formal investitutures or doubings yet in the organization.  Even so, it seems that the two of them providentially entered the order of knighthood during the last encampment.

In any case, I wanted to bestow upon Thom and Marc the arms of their knighthood, so the first thing I did is find the arms for the French Girard family which as it turns out is three gold trefoils on a blue field.  Blazoned that would be, I think, azure three trefoils or.  My second concern was how I would distinguish their arms from each other's.  There is a heraldic way of showing that the bearer of arms is a son, but I thought I might do it in a different way by giving each of their arms a distinctive honorary augmentation.

My line of thinking on their deservingness for this honor is as follows.  Thom was the brains and the spirit behind the  Encampments, and by universal acclaim among the knights he became the first Encampment Grand Marshal.  As I talk more and more to various knights I am amazed to just how deeply Thom had assimiliated the Spirit of Lepanto.

Marc, as I have said before, was his father's son and a hero.  What more needs to be said?

So on Saturday night, before I had the boys recite the oath, we presented the shield of Lepanto to Mr. Dietz, the new Grand Marshal of the Encampments, the shield of Sir Thom to his son Adam, and the shield of Sir Marc to his brother Lucas.

Master Paul recieving  the Lepanto shield from Brother Giuseppe to present to Mr. Dietz.

Mr. Casey placing Sir Thom's shield on the tower after having recieved it from Adam.

Lucas holding the shield of Sir Marc.

Friar honor guard for the three shields.

Sir Thom's Shield

I am not going to try to express the proper blazoning of these arms, suffice it to say that the arms of the Girard family (three gold trefoils on a blue field) have been quartered with the arms of the Knights of Lepanto.  Quartering usually indicated a marriage, but sometimes it was used to augment the arms of a knight because of some noble deed.  In such cases a king or barron might quarter the arms of the knight with his own arms.  Thom, as the first Grand Marshal and because of his complete commitment to what the Knights of Lepanto are about has earned the right to have his arms quartered with that of the Knights of Lepanto.

Sir Marc's Shield

I guess that Marc's shield would be properly blazoned thus:  azure, a horse argent and three trefoils or.  What I have done is take the Girard arms and augment them with a white horse.  In the organization of the Knights of Lepanto I have envisioned establishing an honorary council of anyone who has held a high place of responsibility or who by some deed of honor has established his precedence.  I planned to call it The Council of the White Horse, in remembrance of King Alfred the Great and his victory over the Danes, which Chesterton immortalized in his epic poem The Ballad of the White Horse.

Defender of the faith as he was, Chesterton saw in the epic history and legend of King Alfred a testimony of God's love for England, and was moved by his Catholic sensibilities to assimilate the story in a mode that produced a work that was not only chivalric, but also spiritually moving. The motif of the White Horse was used in connection with a geological formation on a hill in Berkshire. From ancient times a 374 foot long figure of a horse had been cut out of the side of White Horse Hill. The turf was dug out, exposing the white subsoil below, so that the figure of the white horse could be seen against a green grass background. According to the legend accepted by Chesterton, the Vale of the White Horse in Berkshire was the location of the Battle of Ethandune. In the mind of Chesterton, and in the text of the ballad, the white horse signifies the presence of Christendom. When Christians are in control of Wessex they tend the white horse and regularly cut the grass back to preserve the figure; when the Danes are in control of Wessex the figure is grown over. The ballad ends with the restoration of Christendom in Wessex, the establishment of the English Kingdom and the scouring of the horse (Book VIII).

While Thom by virtue of his being the first Grand Marshal is also to be considered a member of the Council of the White Horse, Marc, by virtue of his heroic death is to be considered the founding member.

On Sunday morning just before Holy Mass, we had two candles lit from each bonfire and had them carried into the Church by Carol and Jacquiline Girard.  Thom's Sheild was carried by Adam Girard, and Marc's by Lucas Girard.  The Knights have pledged never to let either of those two fires to be extinguished.  May their gesture, be translated into their own heroic deeds.

I have been out of circulation in the blogosphere due to preparations for the Encampment and recovery from it.  My plan was to make sure that the Encampment was at least as successful as it has been in the past with Thom's direction and to make sure that we remembered our departed friends in a fitting way.  I think we succeeded.

I have much to blog on regarding the Encampment.  I will get it posted as I am able.

First of all, I have an oath that the Knights asked me to write for the squires and pages.  Actually the idea was Thom's and he had planned to write it himself.  As a former scout master he wanted to model our oath on the Boy Scout Oath.   Well, he never got an opportunity to write it so I did.

But before I get to that, I want to say a little about what I taught the boys over the weekend.  I spoke about virtue and how the Latin root vir means both virtue and man.  In other words, virtue is manliness.  Men are supposed to be strong.

I also told them that virtue is a habit, a good habit.  Bad habits are easy to form.  They are usually pleasurable and we repeat them frequently without any effort until they become second nature.  Virtue is also second nature, but the formation of the habit of virtue is difficult, because its consistent repetition is difficult. Virtue most often goes against our ease and requires us not to seek our immediate pleasure but a goal difficult to obtain.

Just as with anything else, our success in matters of virtue depends on our motivation.  If we are motivated to become a good athlete, we will put ourselves through all kinds of inconvenience, as St. Paul says: Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one (1 Corinthians 9:25).  How often are we willing to torture ourselves for ephemeral goals, when for eternal life we are willing to do so little?

True manliness is something that has to be cultivated.  It takes practice.  Much more effort is required to be virtuous than to ride a skateboard, play a video game, or excel in baseball.

Men and boys need to be challenged.  They need to see the adventure of ordinary life.  Real manliness means to be responsible for one's actions.

I pointed out to the boys that virtue was second nature to Marc Girard, so that when he had no time to think, his first instinct was to save his sister and go back into the water for his father.  He was going to come up with his father or not come up at all.  He died a hero, because he lived a life of virtue.

So conclude my talk with the boys, I told them to do four simple things, consistently, as a matter of virtue: 1) make a morning offering everyday; 2) examine your conscience and make an act of contrition every evening; 3) treat your mothers with respect; 4) treat your sisters and other girls with respect.  I told them that if they did these four things, they would acquire virtue.  I also told them that these four things were not a synthesis of the spiritual life, but that I knew these things are particularly what they need to do as boys who are becoming men, and that if they did do them, then other important matters would fall into place.

On Saturday night after they recited the oath, I asked them to tell me the four things I had asked them to do. Then I said that the oath was the fifth thing, a kind of sacramental by which they could supernaturalize their motives and seek the grace of God.

So here is the oath:

The following is to be recited by both pages and squires:

By my honor I will strive to the utmost
To live according the ideals of Marian Chivalry;
To serve Christ and His Most Holy Mother,
And to defend the faith and the Church;
To seek the fellowship of good men,
And to hearken to their words;
To be humble and courteous,
And to serve the weak and the needy.

The following should be added by squires only:

To be chaste in thought, word and deed;
To see to it that no lady or damsel be brought to reproach through my fault;
To draw my sword only in the interests of truth and righteousness.
And then with courage and without retreat.

Pages are the boys from ages 6-12 and squires are the boys from 13-17.

I know that the oath is long.  It is a synthesis of our Marian spirituality and an medieval knights oath.  I am interested in your comments.  I suppose it could be synthesized further, but not too much further.  This oath cannot be as generic as the Boy Scout oath, since our organization is not as generic as the Boy Scouts.

In any case, the oath as it stands does embody the spirit that should belong to the Pages and Squires.

We have to turn boys into men--real men.

Also, I have revised the page to reflect the fact that the memorial for Thom and Marc will be at the campfire on Friday, not Saturday.

The following is one of the last things Thom Girard wrote as he was preparing to run the Encampment scheduled for next week.  The rules are fairly elaborate and subject to whatever revisions necessary.  Please let me know what you think.

I would especially ask the young men to circulate the information so you are ready for Saturday night.

The Night Watch

The Game of the Encampment

The game of Night Watch is originally set up for boys 13 and older.  It's concept is to protect the faith (fire) against all evils (adults) and get through the evening.

Many of Nightwatch men have fallen asleep, stayed too close to the fire, been distracted, not functioned as a team, or just failed to maintain the fire. All these items can be considered important items into fatherhood.

Falling Asleep - fathers who just do not pay attention to their children.

Staying too close to the fire - a Dad who is too meek and not taking on the role of fatherhood may fall for anything

Being distracted - considered too much of something other than the focus of his family (TV, drinking, drugs, etc.)

Not functioning as a team - a set of parents not functioning together to raise the family.

Not maintaining the fire - absentee Dad.

Neither of these are what the Night Watch men should be and hopefully during this game they can understand what their fathers are going through continuously and what they are expected to go through when they are adults. Fatherhood, whether a parent, priest or brother have all these obligations to the family or the community they are involved with and need to always keep your guard up 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

How to Play

In order to win the game of night watch Team A (adults) must capture the fire(s) and return to their territory. Team B (Night watchmen) must capture 60 percent of Team A OR not have their fire captured all night.

Team Members:

Team A
Team B

Captain
Captain

Manhunter
Manhunter

Attacker
Patroller

Jailer
Jailer

Team A can capture members of team B but get no credit for captures. Team A's complete and total focus is to merely capture the fire and return to their territory safely (obviously not with the fire).

Team B can capture members of Team A and imprison them in a designated area Team B must capture 60 percent of all players and have them in jail in order to automatically win.

A member who is in jail can be questioned, freed from jail, or escape.

There is no limit to how many times you can be caught and thrown back into the slammer.

Any member from either team can be freed from jail if one of your team members touches you.

Territories

The Night watchmen have the area of the citadel to protect and guard. Obviously they must MAKE SURE THE FIRE IS LIT AT ALL TIMES! A smoldering fire is an automatic forfeiture.

The Attackers have the multipurpose room and the cottage area.

Off limit areas are those where other campers are sleeping.

Any other area not mentioned is considered Neutral and open to fair
game.

Rules of Capture

Anybody who is tagged by a patroller or attacker while in the territory of the opposing team must be notified ("gotcha" is good) and is automatically sent to Jail. Anybody can escort them.

Anybody who is tagged while in the neutral zone must be notified ("gotcha" is good) and then must be escorted right away by the person who tagged him to the jailer at a reasonable speed. The escort cannot
attack any other member until that person has been successfully placed in jail.

Captains privilege

If you are caught by the captain of the team you cannot be returned to the other team and must remain caught or you may choose to be converted (loyalty to the end?). The captain may have mercy and release the prisoner at his discretion.

Man hunter's privilege

The Man hunter can use water balloons to capture his opponent in neutral territory.

When the opponent is hit by a balloon the person must surrender themselves to the opponent's jailer. If the Man hunter escorts the captive to the Jailer he is considered converted and is forced to join the side of the MAN HUNTER.

If the opponent hit by the balloon tags the jailer before the Man hunter can escort them they are considered a prisoner. Not converted.

A captive or prisoner must give up any non-concealable items upon request of the captor or a teammate of the captor. Concealable items need not be given up unless the enemy asking for them knows that the
player has the item.

Jailer

Each team has a jail which is designated at the beginning of the game. The jail must be somewhat accessible.

Each team has one player who will play the role of the jailer, and is indicated by some external clothing that is always seen. The Jailer can be switched to Attacker or Patroller but the person who is the new jailer must have the indicated item worn. The jailer can at any point in time be removed by the team but the item of indication must left behind at the jail leaving no jailer for that team.

If the Jailer is not present or has been captured the jail remains functional and all prisoners are not released.

The jail cannot be moved once the game has begun.

Truth Serum

The jailer has a supply of Truth Serum, which he may use by poking a prisoner in the shoulder with a pinky finger. The prisoner then becomes an interrogation victim.

The jailer may then ask the victim up to six yes/no questions, and the victim may lie no more than once. The victim may answer "I don't know" if they really do not know, but then the question doesn't count against the six.

Upon completion of questioning, the victim is freed from jail and must
return to his home territory as after a jailbreak. Questioning is
complete when the victim answers the sixth question.

There cannot be any more than one truth serum victim in each jail.

Freedom

A player in a normal state may touch a prisoner in another team's jail. Both players are ethereal and must return to their home territories by the most direct route; they need not remain together. Only once they
have returned to their home territory can they begin play again.

Land Minds

A land mind is a water balloon placed on the ground.

A land mind can only be laid down in your own territory.

An opposing player who touches the land mind in enemy territory is stunned for one minute.

A land mind can be captured and used by the Manhunter if it has not exploded and they have been stunned for one minute without capture.

Picking up a land mind in neutral or home territory has no effect.

Sportsmanship

Players may not physically impede or block other players, either with their bodies or with objects.

Breakage of this rule is grounds to eject you from the game.

You may not fabricate or replicate game items.

Lies

Although lies and deceit are part of the game, there are several things you may not conceal, obfuscate, or lie about.

• You may not lie about whether you're in the game.
• You may not lie about which team you're on.
• You may not lie about the status of the game.
• You may not lie about what non-concealable items you have.
• You may not lie about any player's status.

The End of the Game

The game is over when any one of the following conditions has been met:

• The fire has been captured
• 60% of all of the attacking players have been captured
• Night Watch survives the evening without having their fire captured

My tastes in music is as varied as humanly possible.  I like Christian contemporary, pop, jazz, classical, light rock, marches, elevator music and even country.  When it comes to reading I love to read my Bible, espionage, Westerns, outdoor adventure, biography and most recently Christian suspense thrillers.  Hobbies range from the sedate hike to hunting, fishing, motorcycling, swimming and roller skating. 

But, I will surrender to certain accusations about "guy things."  I am not keen on shopping malls.  There is a factual demonstrable presence of Kryptonite in the floors of every shopping mall in the world.

Also, I cannot understand the logic of the toilet seat position.  Why do guys get the blame for leaving the seat up?  We guys use the seat half of the time while women use it all the time.  Frequency of use suggests to my "guy mind" that the one who always uses the seat should always check that  it is down first!

There's another guy-thing that I relate to with great bias.  I like opening the door for my lady.  It's not a chauvinistic action.  It is a way to honor her.

One other guy thing is one that I relate to as well.  When I'm facing an ailment, I don't easily go to the doctor.  Steve knows that.  When I come in or give him a call we talk about a lot of stuff.  We check on our families, our walk of faith and the latest pressure of our lives.  Then, as my Primary Care Physician, Steve eventually gets down to business.

He asks me why I've come.  While in Africa I picked up a soar throat that hasn't gone away.  It's been a week since landing in the USA and it is still hurting.  In addition to that my finger had a cut on it and now the wound has swollen and is sore to the touch.

Steve smiles.  He comments that my handshake was a little weak and tentative.  The rubber gloves come on and he examines my hand.  Then, he looks into my throat, "Yuck! You've got Strep!"  Is that a professional expression?  Oh, well, it's a guy thing.

It is only now that I have been able to bring myself to announce formally on this blog an event of immensely tragic proportions.  Two of our Knights of Lepanto, father and son died by accidental drowning on Monday, June 30.  Thomas Girard, was pronounced dead at the scene around 8:30 pm and his son Marc died around 2:00 am, July 1 in Providence hospital.

Thom was one of our finest knights and a first rate example of all I wanted the knights to be: courageous, committed, kind, geniune and loyal.  Mark was his father's son.

Thom has been the Grand Master of all our encampments, both last year and this year.  He had many years experience as a scout master, but more than that he had really imbibed the Spirit of Lepanto and understood how to communicate it to others.  He really was what I wanted all the knights to be.

Marc was inducted into the Knights at the spring encampment this year, after having been among the squires since we began the Knights several years ago.  When Thom became distressed as he was swimming with his daughter Hanna, Marc, who was swimming with his younger brother Lucas, told his brother to continue to the other side, went to the rescue and saved Hanna's life and then attempted to save his father also.  Marc died a hero, a true knight.  He was his father's son.

Please pray for the repose of their souls.  The one consolation I keep returning to is that now we have two knights who, in the words of St. Maximilian, have both hands free.

Thom and  Marc leave behind Carol, wife and mother, Jacqueline, daughter and sister, Adam, son and brother, Lucas, son and brother and little Hanna, daughter and sister.  Please pray for them also.  They are strong, full of faith and hope, but their suffering is hard to imagine.

Thom wrote an elaborate knight's "ritual" by which we could induct the older boys into the Knights of Lepanto.  We have used it only once, for the induction of Marc back at the Spring Encampment.  I reproduce part of it here.  The words of the "Father" were pronounced by me, but the whole "ritual" was written by Thom.  This was a dialoque between father and son:

The Candidate then kneals before the priest.

Father:  In days gone by, there existed many orders of knighthood which recognized the skill and hor of their members.  In the service of their King, and in the defense of the noble ideals of chivalry, embodied in their Queen, did these orders achieve their exalted ranks. . .You have now been brought face to face with the Order of the Knights of Lepanto and have been adequately impressed with the seriousness of this obligation which you are about to take upon yourself.  As God is our King of Kings and Mary our Queen are you prepared to take the vow of the brotherhood?

Candidate:  In the name of God, I am.

Father:  Guards remove his penance . . .[after the penance is removed]  Will you be loyal to the Catholic Church, the Pope, to the Order of the Knights of Lepanto, and your brother Knights?

Candidate:  In the name of God, I will.

Father:  Good Brother, in our company you must not seek lordship or riches, nor honor, nor bodily ease.  You must seek three things:  to renounce and reject the sins of this world; to do the service of Our Lord and Our Lady; and to be poor and penitent according to your means.  Will you promise to God and Our Lady that henceforth, all the days of your life that you will do these things?

Candidate:  In the name of God, I will.

Father:  That you will live in chastity according to your means in life?

Candidate:  In the name of God, I will.

Father:  That you will uphold the good customs of this house?

Candidate:  In the name of God, I will.

Father:  That you will never leave the Order, neither through strength or weakness, niether in worse time or better?

Candidate:  In the name of God, I will.

Father:  In the name of God, of Our Lady, of St. Francis and St. Maximilian Kolbe and of our father Pope Benedict XVI, from its beginning and until its end, we accord you all the benefits of this house.  We promise you bread and water, hardship, work and the poor robe of this house.  Knight of the Patrocinium, bring forth the Great Sword of our order. . . .

Father: [holding the sword as the cross in front of the candidate] Acknowledge this sword, its brightness stands for faith, its point for hope, and its guard for charity.  Remember well that the sword of Chivalry should be drawn only in defense of God, or of those weaker than yourself. Do you acknowledge the values of this sword?

Candidate:  In the name of God, I do.

Father:  [returning the sword] Let the scroll be read.

Herald:  To all who can hear:  Whereas Marc has dedicated himself to high and noble service to God and the Kingdom of Heaven in war and in peace, we are minded to enroll him into the Knights of Lepanto.  We do hereby elevate and affirm Marc for his unique talents soo to be known throughout the world.  To which we set our hands this 24th day of May, as Christ is our King and Mary our Queen.

Thom gave all the speaking roles to the other knights and to myself during the ritual, but all the words were his, and it was all meant for Marc.

When we performed the induction of Mark, I had only had the time to glance at the ritual very quickly.  I had  complete trust that what Thom had come up with would be appropriate.

But when I read the words out loud to Marc:  "as God is our King of Kings and Mary our Queen are you prepared to take the vow of the brotherhood?" I thought to myself, "I hadn't planned on anyone taking a vow right now."  And then when I heard myself saying: "Will you promise to God and Our Lady that henceforth, all the days of your life that you will do these things?"  and Marc said yes both times, I thought, "I will have to revise this for next time."  In any case, I figured that it was all intended in the right spirit, and expressed the Spirit of Lepanto so perfectly, so I said nothing.

Little did I know that Thom and Mark had providentially entered into the Knightly order together and were to seal their promise in this tragic and yet heroic event.  Thom and Marc used exactly the right words and they meant what they said.

Thom will be buried with the Great Sword of our order.  Similar arrangements are being made for Marc as well.  They promised to be true knights of Our Lady, and,

In the name of God, they were.

A family friend, Johanna Kotecki, has established the Girard Family Fund at the Bank of America branch at 590 West Main St. , Norwich CT 06360. Donations may be made there.

News article:  Norwich Bulletin

Summary of News:  Other Marys

Of particular interest to those who read MaryVictrix are the some of the conferences by Dr. John Rao, associate professor of history at St. John's University and director of the Roman Forum.

• The Christian Warrior
• Mary & The Modernists: An Eternal Warfare
• The Roman Catholic Church: Where are the Men?

Of further interest are some of his series on Church history especially his ones on the Crusades.  Very Good.

I admire Keep the Faith and the Roman Forum very much.  The late Dr. William Mara was a giant among the great Catholic American thinkers of the last century.

Not being a Traditionalist myself, though celebrating the Traditional Rite, I can't vouch for everything on the website.

God bless them for defending the crusading spirit.

But it is really expenseeeeve.

Here is a WSJ article that I am not sure will be available much longer online.

And a link to the International Jousting League.

Well here's some news. Just wait for the feminists to come out of the woodwork and say there are no studies to verify what is perfectly obvious to those of us who have not yet drunk the coolaid.

Imagine, boys need fathers and men in their lives, and mothers and other women should let them be boys.  Revolutionary.

And would you believe that it is actually good for boys to take risks, that it actually helps them do better in school?

I'll give the girl in the first link credit.  She sure as hell is going to catch hell:

Ms Lashlie, who describes herself as a feminist, said: "I've been in classes with young female teachers and by the end of the session my ears hurt."

Woops!  I guess she already has:

Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT union, told the paper the author was talking "a load of claptrap".

"It is disappointing that a woman has felt the need to pander to the views of a tiny group of men who present themselves as the oppressed minority," she said.

That's right.  Men know nothing about boys, or how to get them to perform well.  Excuse our self-pity.

Click on the image above to watch the AirMaria Roving Reporter interview with Thom Girard, Grand Master of our last encampment.  The next Encampment will be July 18-20.  I will have a new Encampment page up in the next couple of days.

Udate (7/8/08):

We had a technical problem with this video when we first uploaded it.  I have relinked to a new file.

This is the only video interview with the late Thom Girard, recorded at the end of the Spring Encampment, little more than a month before his death.

Vatican security forces now include an anti-bomb squad and a rapid response team, according to Domenico Giani, the head of the Holy See's 130-man gendarmerie.

The Vatican will also work more closely with Interpol to gather information on any threats, he said.

The deal with Interpol, the pan-European police agency, will give the Vatican access to a large data bank of suspects and information on the latest anti-terrorism techniques.

What is more:

The Swiss Guards have also been given anti-terrorism training, and now carry SIG P75 pistols and Heckler-Koch MP5 sub-machine guns, as well as their traditional halberds.

Earlier this year, Osama bin Laden repeated threats against Pope Benedict, who he accused of "leading a crusade against Islam".

The pope has been the subject of a series of attacks since 2006, when he used a quotation in a speech at Regensburg University that said Islam was an "evil and inhuman" religion.

No more mess'n around.

Last night my husband was upstairs helping our youngest son (15) fix his computer. Then I heard him come downstairs and go outside. After a few minutes he came back in and I said "whatchya doin'?" His reply, with a goofy grin on his face "takin' a leak" (What?!!) "We have 4 perfectly good bathrooms in the house" was my response.. then he said "We have a perfectly good backyard with tons of perfectly good trees and bushes, and I'm getting fresh air, and saving water!" (saving water..what.ever!) My reply.. "I guess it's just a disgusting guy thing!"

Honestly, I do not understand this need to urinate outdoors... even our two sons, from a very early age, have done this. I understand if you are out in the middle of nowhere-near-a-restroom where you have no choice.. like say, stuck in heavy traffic on an overpass after drinking 4 beers on the way to a concert *cough* But, in your own backyard????
Anyway, can someone (any guys out there?) please explain this need that men have to "mark their territory"? I just don't get it.

Melee (from the French mêlée IPA: [mɛle]) generally refers to disorganized close combat involving a group of fighters. A melee ensues when groups become locked together in combat with no regard to group tactics or fighting as an organized unit; each participant fights as an individual.

Tampa Bay Rays, Red Sox Get Testy in Fight for First

During the Middle Ages, tournaments often contained a mêlée consisting of knights fighting one another on foot or while mounted, either divided into two sides or fighting as a free-for-all. The object was to capture opposing knights so that they could be ransomed, and this could be a very profitable business for such skilled knights as William Marshal. There was a tournament ground covering several square miles in northern France to which knights came from all over Europe to prove themselves in quite real combat. This was, in fact, the original form of tournaments and the most popular between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries—jousting being a later development, and one that did not completely displace the mêlée until many more centuries had passed. The original melee was engaged with normal weapons and fraught with as much danger as a normal battle. Rules slowly tempered the danger, but at all times the melee was more dangerous than the joust.

BTW, In 1130 Pope Innocent II at the Council of Clermont banned tournaments and denied Christian burial to those killed in them.

I have a reading recommendation for our men and boys who fancy themselves to be knights or knights in the making. It is Father Francis Xavier Lasance's book entitled Kindess: The Bloom of Charity. I am not an advocate of chicken love, in fact I am all for learning more about providing ourselves with fresh food, but I draw the line at chicken swirlies.

Lest any of the big strapping men find the title of the book laced with a bit too much estrogen, I should point out that Father Lasance is also the editor of the 1945 classic The New Roman Missal, republished under the title Roman Catholic Daily Missal. I think we could justly say that the Roman Missal is The Dangerous Book for Men. Father Lasance's hand missal, although quite pricey in its new edition, is still one of the best missals for the use of the faithful at the Traditional Mass. Also worth considering is the fact that Fr. Lasance utilizes much of Kenelm Digby's masterpiece on chivalry and manliness, The Broadstone of Honor in Kindness: The Bloom of Charity.

Here is a story quoted at length by Fr. Lasance from Digby's work"

A Soldier of the Cross

It remains for us to mark that refinement and delicacy of feeling which formed so striking a characteristic of chivalry. Of this it is easy to find examples. Don Garcia Perez de Vargas was one of the most distinguished warriors who fought at the siege of Seville, under the banner of St. Ferdinand. One day at the beginning of the siege, Don Garcia Perez and another with him were riding by the side of the river at some distance from the outposts when of a sudden there came upon them a party of seven Moors retreating on horseback. The companion o Perez was for retreating immediately, by Don Garcia answered that never, even though he should lose his life for it, would he consent to the baseness of flight. With that his companion rode off. This moment is well described in the old ballad:

Ha! gone! quoth Garci Perez;--he smiled,
and said nor more
But slowly, with his esquire, rode as he rode
before.

Perez armed himself, closed his visor, and put his lance in the rest. But the enemies when they discovered that it was he, declined the combat. "The honor of the action," says Mariana, "was much increased by this circumstance, that, although frequently pressed to disclose the name of the knight who had deserted him in that moment of danger, Garcia Perez would never consent to do so, for his modesty was equal to his courage." On returning to the camp, he was met by Ferdinand, whose first question was: "What is the name of the knight who fled and deserted you?" "My liege," answered Garcia Perez, "ask anything else and it shall be done as you commanded. This man is already sufficiently punished."

You guys need a real battle to fight. It's not like there are not any out there. Any suggestions?

I thought they were just playing. They weren't. I am lucking to be alive.

More serious business.  That's one of our knights in the chain mail coif giving a talk on courtesy.  I hope the little gentlemen in the first picture learned something.

The Illustrious Marceg with his penance pack (15 pounds of rocks) during his initiation into the Knights of Lepanto.

Fra Joseph showing us how its done.  Young whippersnapper.

The famous frilly shirt brothers.

Hoodlums!

Last Minute preparations:

Chasm, check.

Keep, check.

Trail, check. Notice, moms, how well kept our trail is. This is so the guys stay as clean as possible so your clothes washing isn't so hard.

Bridge, check. Gandalf at Khazadum.

How many men does it take to put up a tent?

This is how you "get into" the Encampment.

Standing fast! . . . er, sitting fast.

Just having a little fun. Pray for us.

And here is another example of longsword sparing. These two guys are quite accomplished and the end of the fight has a bit of excitement. Unfortunately, the video quality is not the best:

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.560013&w=425&h=350&fv=] from video.google.com posted with vodpod

For you local boys:

Next two Saturdays (May 10th and 17th) will be preparation days for the Encampment here at the Griswold Friary. There are still a few things to finish with the challenge course. Any locals who can spare some time please come. Times are 9:30am to 5:00pm. Bring work clothes and potluck meals. God Bless.

Great preparation for the Encampment. See if you can keep up with Father Bonaventure

The weekend was challenging, but as you will see everyone had a great time. Don't be put off by the challenges. Doug is great with kids and had everyone encouraging each other. I didn't matter how athletic or advanced the kids were in their catechism everyone was treated with respect and support.

This Spring Encampment the Knights of Lepanto will be running the Boot Camp, but we hope to have Doug back for the Fall Encampment.

[googlevideo=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6363630155519041915]


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On Saturday I conducted a day of recollection for the Knights of Lepanto. The question as to whether there is such a thing as Catholic masculinity was one of the main topics.

In the course of my presentation I brought up the controversy between Cardinal John Henry Newman and Charles Kingsley. Kingsley accused the recent convert to Romanism, Newman, and the Catholic clergy generally, of dishonesty. The polemical exchange between the two thinkers generated Newman's masterful defense of his conversion and of the Catholic faith, Apologia Pro Vita Sua.

In the debate, much more was at stake than just the honor of the the Catholic clergy. Kingsley was an advocate of "Muscular Christianity," a kind of manly expression of Christian faith, which emphasized physical exercise and sport as a necessary balance to a more bookish approach to Christian spirituality. While much can be said for a distinctly manly expression of Christian faith (as is often advocated here), Kingsley went further, by blaming Catholic Marian devotion and asceticism for the emasculation of the Church, and especially Catholic men.

Newman refuted Kingsley soundly, but the assertion that Catholic spirituality produces effeminate men is an idea that remains. Leon Podles in The Church Impotent: The Femininization of Christianity traces the current of bridal spirituality throughout the history of the Church, and even notes the Marian character of western chivalry as a contributing factor to the development of feminine spirituality. He also points out that while St. Bernard was one of the foremost influences on the development of bridal spirituality, he was also the great promoter of the Knights Templar, that is, of militant spirituality. While Podles critiques much of the ascetical and marian dimension of the western Church, he does admit that bridal spirituality is a part of the scriptural data.

Bridal spirituality cannot be jettisoned. Marriage is the fundamental metaphor for the spiritual life. It is the great sacrament as St. Paul says in Ephesians 5. It is the sacrament of nature; man is created male and female, and as such is the image and likeness of God. Christ is, in fact the Bridegroom and the Church the Bride. These realities are too fundamental to minimize.

If we adopt the language of Benedict XVI which he uses in the inaugural encyclical of his pontificate, Deus Caritas Est, and speak about the necessary balancing of eros (possessive love) by agape (oblative love), indeed if we assert the primacy of agape over eros, I think we have the answer to what sometimes might legitimately be perceived a feminizing tendency of bridal spirituality. Asceticism or perhaps better, spiritual discipline need not appear exclusively contemplative and oriented to religious experience. It is also part of the training of the whole man to confront the World, the Flesh and the Devil, our cosmic enemies. Likewise, Marian devotion is not merely the imitation of Our Lady's virtues, particularly Her feminine virtues, but a commitment to defend all that is true, good and beautiful. Our Captain, Christ the Lord, enters into battle for the sake of His Bride and defeats the Dragon, but only at the oblative cost of His life. Yes, in the end oblation is a manner of submissiveness to the provident will of God. It is obedience. But it is also an undaunted militance. It is warrior spirituality. It seems that the real argument here is about the right balance.

On Saturday, one of the guys asked if I could give a practical example where the critique of Muscular Christianity against Catholic spirituality has shown itself false. After a little thought, I replied that perhaps the best example is the almost universal compromise of Protestantism with contraception. Wayward eroticism not only produces effete men who are more occupied with words and feelings than actions and principles, it also produces, as we know, men who brutally subordinate women to their own desire for sexual gratification. Only in the Church where the Virginity of Our Lady, and the ideals of consecrated chastity have been retained has the full doctrine on the sanctity of matrimony and chaste love survived.

Contraception is a plague upon our world which must be fought to the death, and those who choose to do so face humanly insurmountable odds. Even in nations where the demographics are radically changing and birthrates are well below the replacement rates, governments are finding that their efforts to encourage large families with entitlements are ineffective. The sort of self-indulgence which is involved in contracepting the future has certainly not produced a manly culture.  On the other hand, facing the monster and fighting against it, no matter how difficult or lonely the quest might be, is exactly the militant and evangelical spirit necessary to restore manliness to religious experience.

It seems to me that it is only chivalry, specifically Marian Chivarly, that guarantees for men, both prayer and action, chastity and strength, obedience and authority.  I will fully admit, though, that if Our Lady remains only and ideal and not the living and acting Queen Mother in the order of grace and prayer, then the extremes are not likely to be avoided.