Life Update 5: New Life and Turn Arounds
The above featured image is a picture of my first nephew born recently (after three beautiful nieces being born to my sister and my sister-in-law.) The below is a extemporaneous video I made the day after "the election" and also when we here in Colorado lost Proposition 115 in our attempt to stop late-term abortions. The below is a short, encouraging video to show the two "turn arounds" we had in front of that large Planned Parenthood in Denver. It also shows that God answers all our prayers and penances and that God reigns: https://twitter.com/frdavenix/status/1324064677589000192?s=21 (You may need to unmute the above video at the bottom left of the Periscope screen.)
Life Update 4: California Missions
Mission One The last time I was in California was last year, but several trips are worth recounting here that shaped my ten years of priesthood. First, during the summer of 2012 (when I had been a priest for only two years) I led a group of university (and barely post-university) students on a trip called Bike for the Unborn (BFU) where we rode our bikes up the missions of Southern and Central California to raise money for the unborn and their plight in this country. By "missions," I mean we visited the ancient Churches founded by Bl. Junipero Serra, the great Spaniard Franciscan known as the "founder of California." That summer, we rode our bikes with our belongings on our back and stayed in California State Parks where we cooked by fire at night. Every mile we tried to raise [...]
Life Update 3: Evangelization with Miraculous Medals
What is Marian Evangelization? If I were on a flight, perhaps 20 years ago (this was shortly after my conversion, you see) I might share the Gospel with a person next to me on the airplane as if I were to answer to God for that soul in my particular judgment. In other words, I would share the Gospel with the hopes by the time they landed they were willing to accept Jesus as Savior. I might even throw heaven and hell in there... I don't regret that zeal. (In fact, I wish I had more of it now.) Now, I don't even regret the approach, for the Holy Spirit tells us through the prophet Ezekiel: So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you [...]
Life Update 2
As a diocesan hermit, I should be praying about five hours in the morning and working about five hours in the afternoon. I am finally getting closer to this schedule. That includes prayer for all my donors who keep me alive. As most of you know, I am now putting up a video a day. On Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday I release a 15 minute video on Ignatian Prayer walking through the Gospel of St. Matthew. This is called VLX (Video Lectio Divina.) Then, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I release my doctrinal series, the Catechism of Pope St. Pius X (CPX) which is also about fifteen minutes a day. Both can be found on my podcasts at Padre Peregrino or here on YouTube. A hermit schedule with so much time in prayer and work gives me also a lot [...]
Life Update 1: Monk-Missionary Life Has Begun
The featured image above in this new section of my blog "Life" was a recent shot of me when a friend asked me to do the old rite holy water and holy salt blessing while we were praying at the abortion center. This was before the "clients"seeking abortion showed up. These would be those "clients" who we lovingly ask to leave the abortion center. Certain mornings are now our day of prayer and counseling Denver's Stapleton "Planned Parenthood" with my friend Kevin. At this horrible facility, they kill 10,000 babies a year. While my friend does the sidewalk counseling, I pray the Divine Office (old Roman Breviary) and walk the perimeters. We had one "turn around" the second week there. In pro-life sidewalk counseling, there are a few terms that can be confusing. A "turn-around" is essentially a save. It [...]
The True Account of Alana Chen
I, Fr. David Nix, led about 20 Colorado University students to Rwanda in 2014. Upon return, Alana Chen (then at CU) encouraged 20 CSU students from our Africa trip to write letters about my character when it was doubted by older folks back in the US on issues of pastoral kindness. This was around one of the very last times I saw her (2014) and she sadly died this past weekend (7 Dec 2019.) I am extremely grateful for her defending my good name even from the grave, when doubted on similar issues of pastoral kindness towards University students this past week of mourning her loss. May God grant salvation, perpetual light and peace to her soul. On Aug 28, 2014, at 6:18 PM, Alana Chen <achen64UU@gmail.com> sent to [20 different, verified Colorado State University addresses]: Hi friends! I'm sure you [...]
Please Help Me Build a Hermitage
Dear Friends and Readers, Ave Maria! As many of you know, I am beginning life as a diocesan priest hermit. My rule of life has been tentatively approved by the Archdiocese of Denver and it includes much prayer and some ministry. I am now seeking to raise $250,000 under Peregrino Hermitage Ltd., a tax-deductible 501(c)(3) organization, in order to buy a small home or condo in Denver as a hermitage. Here are a few reasons why you should continue to believe in my priesthood: I will continue praying Holy Mass and the Divine Office. I will be praying several hours a day for the restoration of the Catholic Church and the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In the past 12 months alone, my blog and podcast had 2,200,000 visits with 794,000 unique visitors, not including bots. This means that [...]
The Best Day of my Priesthood
I spent 2017 as the parish priest in a small bayou parish in south Louisiana. Their normal pastor was serving as a chaplain for the US Army for a year, and he needed someone who knew the Traditional Latin Mass. His tiny bayou parish was very unusual insofar as it was under the jurisdiction of the diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, but was 1962-sacraments-only. The bishop down there was very good to me. Like most “Latin ghettos” in other dioceses, this Latin Mass parish was found in a poor part of the state, in this case on Tiger Bayou, full of gators and ditched oil rigs. I describe Louisiana as a “Catholic Texas” and I very much fell in love with Louisiana and her people. For example, when my neighbors across the bayou found out that my sister’s family was coming out [...]
“The Office” Catholics
The Office is not a particularly edifying TV show and I would not recommend it for its secular world view. I’ve never seen the UK version of The Office and I’ve only seen a few episodes of the American version. Still, it struck me this week that the personalities (not the religious or political views) but the personalities of The Office characters seem to reflect the very personalities attracted to various movements of American Catholicism in the 21st century. Notice equal-opportunity target-practice below: JPII Catholics≈Jim These are the young Catholics who want to make Catholicism look relevant. Jim Halpert is no neo-conservative on the TV show, but his personality is exactly what young neo-conservative Catholics like to be: cool but accessible. Perhaps he is even hip, at least when compared with the stranger breeds who surround him. [...]
Traditional Latin Mass at Midnight. Christmas ‘Missa Cantata’
Filmed in Louisiana on Christmas 2016 https://youtu.be/7B869n4X37M