So, what exactly is Cleansing Fire?

We are a site whose mission is to defend Truth and Tradition in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester, New York. We do so, not out of any selfish motivation or notion of greatness. As the psalmist wrote, “Lord, my heart is not exalted, nor are my eyes lofty. Neither have I walked in great matters, nor in wonderful things above me.” No, this site exists out of a love of orthodoxy and Tradition, two things integral to a thriving and beautiful Church, and two things besieged by liberals in the Diocese of Rochester.

The site was founded on June 10, 2009 by Gen, and is currently staffed by fourteen Rochester Catholics of various walks of life, each contributing greatly to the site in varied and diverse ways.  Through a precious combination of prayer, humor, news reporting, reflection, and portrayals of the sacred as it truly is, Cleansing Fire maintains a small flame of faith, a flame which the powers of darkness cannot overcome, no matter their numbers, their power, or their abilities. Again, in the poignant words of the psalmist, “Through God we shall do mightily: and he will bring our enemies to nothing.”

You may be asking yourself, “isn’t this a bit much? Sure, maybe you guys disagree with what’s going on in the Diocese of Rochester, but is this any reason to be so militant?” To put it charitably, yes – we must be militant. We aren’t so because we choose to be. We have been attacked and provoked for over forty years, from every angle, and in our own parishes. Pope Pius XII himself stated, “We belong to the Church Militant; and she is militant because on earth the powers of darkness are ever restless to encompass her destruction.”

In the eyes of the Church, true charity, true “caritas,” rests in correcting the erring sheep, and reaching out to them by educating them in the ways of orthodoxy. One could say that this is our apostolate – cradling orthodoxy as Mary cradled Our Lord at His birth, beckoning visitors to come unto us and look for but a moment at what has been and what will be, “per omnia saecula saeculorum.”

And so, we welcome you to Cleansing Fire. May you find contentment in our humble corner of the internet, a corner free from the liberal corruption we see in our parishes, our dioceses, and even our own families. We must remember, above all else, to trust in Jesus Christ, High Priest, King of Creation, Ruler of All, and Spouse of the Holy Mother Church. He is our defense, and a surer refuge no one has ever possessed.

Cleansing Fire is read daily by more than 1,200 Catholics from Rochester and across the globe.