Is this allowed?

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scapularkid8

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I want to start a devotion. Is that ‘allowed’? Or does it have to be approved by the Pope or something? Nearly all of our devotionals (even the Rosary) came from the laity, so I just figured maybe I could start one.
 
Go ahead. You can pretty much do whatever you want alone or with friends and family. If you want to do something at your parish where you have an open invititation, I would get permission from your pastor.
 
I would think that this section of Canon Law would apply (I have added the emphasis in bold):

Can. 824 ß1 Unless it is otherwise provided, **the local Ordinary **whose permission or approval for publishing a book is to be sought according to the canons of this title, **is the author’s proper local Ordinary, or the Ordinary of the place in which the book is published. **

ß2 Unless the contrary is clear, **what is said **in the canons of this title **about books, applies also to any writings intended for publication. **

Can. 826 ß3 Prayer books, for either the public or the private use of the faithful, are not to be published except by permission of the local Ordinary.

I understand this to mean that you would need the permission of your local ordinary (bishop) to publish and disseminate a new devotion.
 
PhilotheaZ said:
I understand this to mean that you would need the permission of your local ordinary (bishop) to publish and disseminate a new devotion.
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That’s fine. I know him and he knows me, so I think he trusts me…
 
I love the icon in your signature!!

I was thinking of starting an apostolate that encourages Catholic young men to be proud of and practice their faith in and after high school and college. I know a lot of things happen in college and high school that cause many young men my age to 1) not be proud of being Catholic 2) loose their faith and 3) stop practicing their religion. The idea for the main symbol and practivce of the apostolate comes from Ephesians 6:14: “Stand firm, therefore having girded your loins with truth…” I was thinking of involving some sort of cord similar to the cord of St. Joseph as part of membership. It would hang down below the shirt about four inches on each side causing them to show a devotion and to get people asking them questions like “What’s that cord hanging from your waist?” Then they can just say “I’m Catholic.” and explain what it means.

I got the idea from the Jewish men that wear their prayer shawls in their shirt and the tassels hang out their pants. It got me asking questions! “Hey! What are those tassels hanging out of their pants!?”.

I haven’t worked out all of the details yet.
 
scapularkid8 said:
I love the icon in your signature!!
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Thanks - it’s by Fr William McNichols, called ‘The Risen Lord’.
I was thinking of starting an apostolate that encourages Catholic young men to be proud of and practice their faith in and after college.
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Sounds like something that’s much needed 👍

I saw a youth group at Mass last night, their members all wore the same t-shirt with a logo on it. But I guess that’s impractical for every day. Your idea of cords isn’t a bad one :yup: and I like the link to St Joseph, a good role model for young men!

God bless :crossrc:
 
pray that I can get this up and running. I’m really quiet and I see that God is calling me to do this, I just hope I can have the Spirit speak for me because I’m not so good at opening up all of the time around people I don’t know…especially in a new place like college.

I was actually going to have St. Paul be the patron (after all, he did write that line!!). He is a great example of radical conversion and unmatched courage in foreign lands and Evangelizing (i.e. Greece, is an analogy for college campus).
 
scapularkid8 said:
pray that I can get this up and running. I’m really quiet and I see that God is calling me to do this, I just hope I can have the Spirit speak for me because I’m not so good at opening up all of the time around people I don’t know…especially in a new place like college.

I was actually going to have St. Paul be the patron (after all, he did write that line!!). He is a great example of radical conversion and unmatched courage in foreign lands and Evangelizing (i.e. Greece, is an analogy for college campus).
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Yep, St Paul is an excellent choice too, of course (no harm having two patrons though 😉 )

You’ll be in my prayers :yup:
 
scapularkid8 said:
pray that I can get this up and running. I’m really quiet and I see that God is calling me to do this, I just hope I can have the Spirit speak for me because I’m not so good at opening up all of the time around people I don’t know…especially in a new place like college.

I was actually going to have St. Paul be the patron (after all, he did write that line!!). He is a great example of radical conversion and unmatched courage in foreign lands and Evangelizing (i.e. Greece, is an analogy for college campus).
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Just be sure that you are serving God’s agenda, and not your own.

If it is God’s will, doors will open for you and you’ll have a feeling of peace with it. If not, doors will close and you’ll have a feeling of conflict between what you think God wants you to do, and what your own desire is.

I’m a little concerned in the idea that one of your goals is to get young Catholic men to have pride in their religion. Whenever I see the word “pride,” it’s a red flag for me.

Jim
 
I meant pride in more of a “not afraid to practice and defend their faith, not shy away from it” sort of thing. It isn’t a pep rally.

Good points Jim. I will definately take this into consideration. Please pray for me to have humility and the ability to be open to the Lord during this time.
 
Any patron sain suggestions? I want Paul, Joseph, and probably one more. I figure that if there are three, the members will be able to identify with at least one of them and follow their example.

I want St. Paul, St. Joseph, and one other…
 
scapularkid8 said:
Any patron sain suggestions? I want Paul, Joseph, and probably one more. I figure that if there are three, the members will be able to identify with at least one of them and follow their example.

I want St. Paul, St. Joseph, and one other…
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I like St Thomas More - a real family man, and while he had a brilliant career he put God first in everything.
 
DEFINITELY Blessed Pier Frassati, the “Man of the Beatitudes”:

bettnet.com/frassati/

He’s an awesome patron for young people! 🙂

“To live without faith, without a patrimony to defend, without a steady struggle for truth, that is not living, but existing.”
 
I was considering St.Thomas More…
Blessed Pier Frassati seems like a perfect match. I’ll see if there are any other suggestions before I decide. I should also pray about this.

I’m feeling now that this was a weird idea. If you were a teenage/early-twenty-year-old guy, would you wear a cord around all day every day? I know I would (but my view is biased!) for the cause of celebrating my faith, but I don’t know if anyone would be interested…
 
I am very intrigued by your idea… Have you thought about what name you would give the cord/tassle? The “Tassle/Cord of Chastity” “Chastity Cord”… hmmm… just throwin’ out a few titles.

God bless you in this new mission… keep us updated. 😃
 
scapularkid8 said:
I was considering St.Thomas More…
Blessed Pier Frassati seems like a perfect match. I’ll see if there are any other suggestions before I decide. I should also pray about this.

I’m feeling now that this was a weird idea. If you were a teenage/early-twenty-year-old guy, would you wear a cord around all day every day? I know I would (but my view is biased!) for the cause of celebrating my faith, but I don’t know if anyone would be interested…
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I’ve never been male, so I don’t know. I guess that’s a detail that could be figured out later 🙂

You could try other things - you ever seen those rosary bracelets with beads made of wood or semi-precious stones? Some of them look appropriate for young guys - say something like one of these two:

http://www.thecatholicgiftstore.com/img/rb1007s.jpg

http://www.thecatholicgiftstore.com/img/rb1019s.jpg

Or you could get them to wear a saint’s medal or a crucifix?
 
I won’t give up on the cord until I know for sure that it’s not God’s will. Who knows, nobody thought the Scapular would be big. I have been reflecting on what to call it, but I haven’t decided yet.
 
(I would’ve added this to my other post, but for some reason, it won’t let me edit it in…) The whole rationale behind the cord is that it is both a symbolic and practical reminder of the duty of every Catholic Christian young man (and woman, of course) to gird himself with the truth and bear wittness to the Gospel in his life. If peoples’ curiosity is peeked by the cord, all the better. That gives them the opportunity to testify to the Truth that they have chosen to be accompanied by. It would be a distinct mark of the apostolate, which is another reason for the cord. If a Catholic kid sees a group of young men walk by with the cords, he can think “Hey. There go those guys that wear those cords. They seem like they have their faith in order. I wonder what that (insert apostolate name here) is all about…”

As for a name for the cord, I would probably use something along the lines of Verum Funis or “truth rope” in Latin. It is a reminder of chastity, but the main reminder is to always remember the Truth of the Gospel and to live it in their life.
 
You know I had an idea many years ago and still have it in my heart that I would love to start a devotion / practice where dedicated men and women of the Faith would wear a Rosary outside their civillian clothes, much in the same way as the Dominicans Franciscans etc.

A small hand held Rosary running from belt loop into pocket or from one belt loop to another, simply hanging down in a semicircular fashion.

I have done it myself several times and would love to start spreading the practice.

There again those wearing it would have to be dedicated to its recitation. It is not a piece of Jewelry!!
 
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