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An Ordinary’s Not So Ordinary Life • Autobiography of Bishop René H. Gracida

Corpus Christi Watershed · October 14, 2014

784 Gracida Autobiography ERE AT LAST is a story requested by so many people! The book recounts the action-packed life of Bishop René H. Gracida, who (among other things) fought Hitler’s armies in the Second World War; became an architect; served God as a Benedictine monk; had a unique career as parish priest; was a special friend to Cardinal Wojtyla; stood up for life as a bishop in spite of tremendous opposition; served as chairman of the Bishop’s Committee on the Liturgy; and saved the Kenedy Foundation for the Church.

   * *  Click Here To Purchase [Amazon.com]

Pages; Softcover. Containing innumerable full color images, many of them incredibly rare—such as the original sketch made by Frater René for his remodeling of St. Vincent Basilica in Latrobe.

2014 © René H. Gracida.
Published by Père Isaac Jogues Art Productions.

This Autobiography was written in 2014.

785 Gracida 786 Gracida 787 Gracida 788 Gracida 789 Gracida 790 Gracida

An Ordinary’s Not So Ordinary Life was written to inspire Catholics to follow Jesus Christ.

NO PROFIT CAN EVER BE MADE FROM THE SALE OF THIS BOOK ACCORDING TO CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR.

For those who don’t like Amazon.com, CreateSpace is also selling this exact book:

      * *  Purchase on CreateSpace — $26.85

Hear the Golden Jubilee Homily given by Bishop Gracida in Corpus Christi Cathedral. Download a 2007 audio recording of Bishop Gracida praying the Roman Canon—recorded on a special microphone pinned to his chest. Order a beautiful compact disc: Bishop Gracida Prays The Sorrowful Mysteries Of The Rosary Accompanied By Sacred Music.


BOOK REVIEW by H. Edwards:   Who expects a modern U.S. bishop’s biography to be an action-packed page-turner so compelling and engrossing that, once picked up, it can hardly put down until the final page has been reached? But this not-so-ordinary autobiography of an extraordinary ordinary, Bishop Rene Gracida—depression era schoolboy (and altar boy), engineering student, WWII B-17 tail gunner on bombing runs over Germany, Benedictine monk, architect and church builder, diocesan liturgy committee chairman and TLM celebrant in his 30s and in his 80s, Mustang driver and Cessna pilot as a vigorously (and litigiously) pro-life bishop who stood tall for the faith (even in the USCCB) when too many didn’t, friend of Mother Angelica and Cardinal Wojtyla, beef science student and active working cattle rancher after retirement—is nothing less than just that.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Bishop Rene Henry Gracida Corpus Christi Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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Quick Thoughts

20 January 2021 • REMINDER

We have no savings, no endowment, and no major donors. You can help us (please) by subscribing to our mailing list. It’s incredibly easy; just scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address. Thank you!

—Jeff Ostrowski
19 January 2021 • Confusion over feasts

For several months, we have discussed the complicated history of the various Christmas feasts: the Baptism of the Lord, the feast of the Holy Family, the Epiphany, and so forth. During a discussion, someone questioned my assertion that in some places Christmas had been part of the Epiphany. As time went on, of course, the Epiphany came to represent only three “manifestations” (Magi, Cana, Baptism), but this is not something rigid. For example, if you look at this “Capital E” from the feast of the Epiphany circa 1350AD, you can see it portrays not three mysteries but four—including PHAGIPHANIA when Our Lord fed the 5,000. In any event, anyone who wants proof the Epiphany used to include Christmas can read this passage from Dom Prosper Guéranger.

—Jeff Ostrowski
6 January 2021 • Anglicans on Plainsong

A book published by Anglicans in 1965 has this to say about Abbat Pothier’s Editio Vaticana, the musical edition reproduced by books such as the LIBER USUALIS (Solesmes Abbey): “No performing edition of the music of the Eucharistic Psalmody can afford to ignore the evidence of the current official edition of the Latin Graduale, which is no mere reproduction of a local or partial tradition, but a CENTO resulting from an extended study and comparison of a host of manuscripts gathered from many places. Thus the musical text of the Graduale possesses a measure of authority which cannot lightly be disregarded.” They are absolutely correct.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“By a decree of the synod of the diocese of Exeter in 1284, no one should claim any seat in a church; but whoever first entered a church for the purpose of devotion, might choose at his pleasure a place for praying.”

— A work by Fr. Husenbeth (d. 1872)

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