Transalpine Redemptorists: Undisputed Communion

Deo gratias!

Our community now truly rejoices in undisputed and peaceful posession of Communion with the Holy See because our priests are now in canonical good standing.

…

Believe us, the price to pay is nothing; even all the angry voices that have shouted against us and calumniated us are as nothing when weighed in the scales against undisputed communion with the Vicar of Christ; others have died for it; what are raucous voices?

Read the entire letter here, from Fr. Michael Mary, C.SS.R.

p.s. The Transalpine Redemptorists are also responsible for the Purgatorian Archconfraternity. This service alone is worth its weight in gold.

Psallite Sapienter

By way of The New Liturgical Movement, there is a new book available called Psallite Sapienter: A Musician’s Practical Guide to the 1962 Missal.

I find it interesting because

It covers the types of sung Masses and and what is required of the organist and choir, and the expectations and needs of the full liturgical year, plus weddings, funerals, and Benediction.

… according to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

As I am the Cantor for the Gregorian Chant Choir of our FSSP Parish, this book provides some much needed insight as to our role within the Solemn Liturgical Action. For the past 6 years, we have been very reactive (as opposed to proactive) to the musical needs of our parish. As our proficiency has grown, we have become more comfortable with this role, but still very apprehensive as to the timing of the music within the Mass.

I look forward to obtaining this book.

Ascension Thursday … er … Sunday … whatever

I am greatly saddened by the virtual obrogation of Ascension Thursday. It messes with the timetable of the Liturgical Year (so much for the symbolism of 40 days), and mucks up Sunday Masses in the usus antiquor. For instance, the External Solemnity of the Ascension on Sunday completely steps on the Sunday within the Octave of the Ascension. In the current landscape, those Sunday’s propers will never be read again.

I am especially saddened because my very own Bishop Sheridan scheduled the yearly priests retreat for this week. So, for those of us who attend the TLM, there is no possible way for us to attend Mass on Ascension Thursday at our TLM parish, if only out of devotion (the obligation to do so has been relegated to the dustbin).

Dr. Alcuin Reid writes about the transferrence of Holy Days to Sunday in ‘Another obstacle to unity’ :

However, whilst these may be concerns, there are others to be taken into account.

The first is that those who worship according to the usus antiquior are most often deeply attached not only to the form of the rite but to the riches of the whole liturgical year. They would usually make the effort to be at Mass on the “extra” days whether it was strictly of obligation or not. By all means let the bishops remove the “weekday” obligation if they think it unduly onerous. But this does not necessitate their insistence on the transfer of the liturgical celebration of the feasts in the older use. For the transfer impoverishes the liturgical ‘diet’ that will now be on offer. What Mass will the priest say on the Thursday before Ascension “Sunday,” as in the more ancient use a “votive” Mass of the Ascension is simply not possible? It would in any case be ludicrous to extinguish the paschal candle after the Gospel on Thursday symbolising the departure of our Lord’s resurrected body only to do so again on Sunday! Are we to have two Epiphanies? Are the feasts of All Saints, Sts Peter and Paul and the Assumption to be repeated on a Sunday or a Monday after their observance the previous day? And what of their proper vigil days that are integral to the older use? What offices are to be celebrated? Then there is the issue of the occlusion of the liturgical texts of the Sundays that the transferred feasts will displace. Alas this “clarification” serves to deprive the faithful of some of the very liturgical heritage Pope Benedict sought to protect.

The second is that the liturgical life of the Catholic Church has always borne witness to unity in diversity, but not uniformity. Eastern and Western Catholic rites have utterly different calendars. Different uses of the Roman rite have had significant variations even, in the case of Religious Orders, in the same cities. The Ambrosian rite of Milan had no Ash Wednesday. Yes, it may seem a bit untidy to have some celebrating Epiphany on one day and some others a few days later, but there is surely no sin in it? After all, the calendar of the more ancient use, last issued in 1962, celebrates many feasts on different days from that of that of the modern use, and not without good reason. It must be said plainly that there is no overriding liturgical reason that these feasts cannot be celebrated on their original days in the usus antiquior.

This repeated meddling with the TLM is growing more and more suscpicious. I will get to that later.

FSSP TLM DVD Trailer

In addition to the TLM Instructional Video, there is now a trailer of said video. I look forward to providing copies of the DVD for priests in my diocese.

Thanks to the generous financial assistance of Keep the Faith, Una Voce International, and the William C. Meier Foundation, this video is being offered at NO COST to any priest in North America who requests it.
A copy will be mailed to you as soon as it becomes available.

PRIESTS, reserve your copy here.

All others can order here.

Bishop-elect James D. Conley at Clear Creek

Some of you may have heard that His Holiness has appointed Msgr. James D. Conley to be the Auxiliary Bishop in Denver, Colorado. He has regularly offered the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (TLM) while serving in Wichita, Kansas.

Here is Msgr. Conley (bio) assisting with the Inauguration and Blessing of the Residence at Our Lady of the Assumption at Clear Creek.

It is refreshing/exciting to have a Bishop (-elect) that has previous experience with the TLM coming to Colorado.

Denver Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., will ordain the new auxiliary bishop during a Mass of Episcopal Ordination Friday, May 30, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, at 1:30 p.m. in the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver.

TLM Instructional Video

The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter is making available an instructional video for priests to learn how to say the Traditional Latin Mass.

This 2-DVD disc set has been produced by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter in collaboration with the EWTN Global Television Network to teach priests how to say Low Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. The video includes an introduction by Darío Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos, President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei. A comprehensive step-by-step explanation and walk-through of the entire ceremony of Low Mass. A real-time demonstration of the Mass filmed from four simultaneous camera angles with the ability to switch the viewing angle at any time! Instruction in the basic principles of gesture and movement as well as all the variable elements commonly encountered when offering Mass. A talk on the fundamental principles of the Extraordinary Form by Fr. Calvin Goodwin, FSSP, and a spiritual commentary on the liturgy. English, Spanish, & Italian audio tracks available. Over three hours of footage on two DVDs!

I am going to work with my parish to buy several copies for distribution to priests in our diocese. I have already spoken with a few priest who are interested in learning the Mass. They were invited to attend the Priest Training at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, Nebraska by none other than His Excellency Michael Sheridan, Bishop of the Diocese of Colorado Springs.

Previews of the DVD will soon be available here.

Immaculate Conception Parish

Emphasis on Parish.

Immaculate Conception Latin Mass Community, staffed by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, will officially be designated with Parish Canonical Status by the Diocese of Colorado Springs.

The declaration will take place at at a Solemn High Mass on Sunday, April 13, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. The Celebrant will be Very Rev. Ricardo Coronado-Arrascue, J.C.D, Judicial Vicar of the Diocese of Colorado Springs. Fr. Thomas Fristchen, F.S.S.P. will act as Deacon. The Sub-Deacon has yet to be announced.

The Mass for the Third Sunday After Easter will be sung from the Graduale.