Ad Multos Annos, Father Ratzinger.

Joseph, left, and Georg Ratzinger, at the welcome ceremony 

in their home parish in Traunstein after their priestly ordination.

The Feast of Ss Peter & Paul this year sees the 65th anniversary of the priestly Ordination of Pope emeritus Benedict.   In his biography “Milestones, Memoirs 1927-1977,” the retired pontiff described the date as a “radiant summer day,” of which he wrote: 

“We should not be superstitious, but at the moment when the elderly archbishop laid his hands on me, a little bird - perhaps a lark -  flew up from the high altar in the cathedral and trilled a little joyful song.”  “And I could not but see in this a reassurance from on high, as if I heard the words, ‘This is good; you are on the right path’.”

Before we even begin to talk of his extraordinary body of writing and his great witness in the Church, I was reminded of an incident redolent of his holiness, of which I wrote here, about the cure of  a young American after receiving his blessing. 

Masses at our little parish for the Feast are at 9.30am (OF) and a Missa Cantata at 7pm.