The Basilica Recreation Centre - Befoag anal/11%?

Fr. McMahon kept a daily journal that included announcements such as meeting times of various committees, marriage announcements which had to be read three times, which movies were suitable for viewing, and other general announcements. He had a very clear, beautiful style and it was easy to read.

On January 7‘“, 1951 he wrote, “Next Sunday is Holy Name Sunday. The confessions for men and older boys will be heard in the upper church next Saturday afternoon and evening. The confessions of women and children will be heard in the basement. Special Mass for the Holy Name men next Sunday

morning at 8 o’clock.”

I am sure we did not think much of that notice in 1951 but reading it now, I have to laugh and wonder why the women and children could not be in the upper church and the men and older boys in the lower church.

When I was conducting research for this project, Mary Jenkins mentioned that she had picked up one of Fr. McMahon’s daily journals at an antique shop, and that there were several more there. I bought all the books, because i thought they might be useful for future reference.

The Holy Name Society had its origin in the Council of Lyons of 1274, which prescribed that the faithful should have a special devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus, that reparation might be made for insults offered to it by Albigensians (a sect of religious reformers condemned by the church as heretics) and other blasphemers. The Friars Preachers were preaching everywhere with the zeal

of St. Dominic. It was natural then, that Gregory X selected the Dominicans

to preach the devotion, which he did by a letter to Blessed John of Vercelli, master of the order, on September 20‘“, 1274.

The history of the society in the 15th century is somewhat obscure, but that it continued to exist is certain from papal Bulls addressed to the Order of St.

Dominic.

In the 16th century, Emperor Charles V and King Philip ll, moved by the prevalence of blasphemy and sacrilege, exhorted and encouraged the

12