The Cardinal Virtues of Prudence, Justice, Courage and Temperance

Notes

• The First Annual Blue Mass is Sat Sept 28th at 4:30pm. The first Blue Mass was celebrated in 1934, a Catholic Priest by the name of Thomas Dade from Baltimore initiated the Catholic Police and Fire- men’s Society while stationed at St. Patrick’s Catho- lic Church in Washington, D.C. About 1,100 police and firemen dressed in blue uniforms marched into St. Patrick’s Catholic Church for the celebration of the first“Blue Mass” on September 29, 1934. Since then, the “Blue Mass” has become a tradition in which the local community gathers to celebrate and thank those who serve their community as po- licemen and women, firefighters, and EMS re- sponders as well as to offer prayers to God for their continued protection. This special Mass is usually held on or around Sep- tember 29, as it is the feast day of the archangels, Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, who are the patron saints of police officers/first responders.
• The Annual Pumpkin Patch returns October 6th - October 31st. Sponsorships are available.
• The St Coleman Fall Festival is Friday, October 11th from 6mp - 9pm.
• As Catholics, we're all familiar with the 3 theological virtues of faith, hope, and love, but less attention gets paid to what's known as the 4 cardinal virtues. They are prudence, courage, justice, and temperance. They're called cardinal virtues because all virtues depend on them. The word cardo in Latin means hinge. The other virtues hinge on these cardinal virtues. All the other virtues depend on them, and we should all be striving to grow in both faith, hope, and love, but the cardinal virtues as well, prudence, courage, justice, and temperance.
• Prudence is the mother of all virtues. It is the virtue of making wise and practical decisions. It involves discerning the right course of action in any situation and acting accordingly. Prudence helps us to judge correctly what is right and wrong and to act with foresight.
• Fortitude is another one of the key cardinal virtues. Another word for fortitude is courage -- strength in facing difficulties and challenges.
• Justice is the 3rd cardinal virtue. It is the virtue of giving others what they are due, whether it's respect, rights, or resources. Justice governs our relationship with others, ensuring fairness, and that we respect the rights of other people and the community at large. Finally, temperance. It's the virtue of self control and moderation.
• Temperance is another cardinal virtue. Temperance helps us to balance our desires and use of pleasures, ensuring that we do not overindulge or become enslaved to our passions. Temperance keeps our appetites in check and promotes a balanced life.