Special Mass Times for Christmas in Inland Empire

There will be a High Mass at 12pm Midnight at St Catherine of Sienna in Rialto, the choir will start performing Christmas carols sometime around 11:30-11:40pm.


339 N Sycamore Ave

Rialto, CA 92509



There will also be a High Mass at St. James in Perris, CA at 1pm.

269 West 3rd Street, Perris, CA 92570


Its not to late to prepare for Christmas by listening to some great homilies of St Bernard for Advent and the Vigil of the Nativity of our Lord.

Los Angeles: FSSP-LA: Recruiting for Altar Servers of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite

Calling both new and experienced Altar Servers that love the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite!

FSSP-LA is forming it's Altar Serving Program and we really need your help. We are calling all those who want to learn and benefit from service on the Altar, or simply wish to learn how to serve Mass. We are also calling for experienced men who could help. If you wish to join the Altar Serving Program for the FSSP-LA, please fill out the form below or send an email to me at decoulombe@gmail.com

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1qDDnZ4AA0KAbRkx18LfG9djNVwGLifOS1ZLXRoUTJg4/viewform

By January, I should be sending a regular schedule out. Now is the best time to join as we are forming and this is a great way to get active in the future FSSP parish.

We also would like every existing Altar Server in the Archdiocese to join our program. For more information, please contact Charles Coulombe

Los Angeles: Masses for the Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of Guadalupe

Hello All,

The Masses next week will be as follows:

Monday, December 8th, 2014
Feast of the Immaculate Conception

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church (Diocese of Orange County)
12:00 PM
HIGH MASS
1015 Baker St,
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

St. Mary Magdalen Chapel:
7:30 PM
LOW MASS with Fr Carcerano
2532 Ventura Blvd
Camarillo, CA 93010
(805) 484-0532

San Felipe Chapel:
7:00 PM
LOW MASS with Father Fryar, FSSP
After Mass, there will be a conference with Father Fryar on the Immaculate Conception
738 N Geraghty Ave
Los Angeles 90063

Friday, December 12th, 2014
Our Lady of Guadalupe

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church (Diocese of Orange County)
7:00 PM
SOLEMN HIGH MASS
1015 Baker St,
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

San Felipe Chapel:
7:00 PM
(There will be NO 7 AM Mass!!)
HIGH MASS with Father Fryar, FSSP
After Mass, there will be a conference with Father Fryar on the Immaculate Conception
738 N Geraghty Ave
Los Angeles 90063

Extraordinary Pro-Life Event

You are all invited to the Pregnancy Counseling Center on Friday, December 12, 2014 for a traditional Latin Mass (a.k.a. the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite) at 10:30 AM for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Unborn. Fr. James Fryar FSSP will be the celebrant, and there will be at least one altar server, who will be making all the responses in Latin for us.


Since space at the Center is limited and I hope to have handouts available for those who are less familiar with the traditional Latin Mass, please please please RSVP if you plan to attend. Fr. Fryar will be blessing the PCC after the Mass, and we will have refreshments afterwards.



God bless!
Christie, ordinary form Nurse Manager with extraordinary tastes

Pregnancy Counseling Center
10211 Sepulveda Blvd.
Mission Hills, Ca 91345
www.pregnanthelp4u.org
www.facebook.com/PregnancyCounselingCenter
818.895.2500
Fax (818) 895-2921

To RSVP, please contact latinmassla@gmail.com 

Catholic Answers: The Extraordinary Form of the Mass

Video

What is the FSSP?

The Extraordinary Form of the Mass

Did Vatican II do away with Latin in the Mass?

Radio Shows

• The Extraordinary Form of the Mass
  Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 - 6pm ET

Altar Serving Workshop - Saint Victor's Catholic Church

Please feel free to share this with other young men who may be interested in learning how to serve on the Altar.

As many of you know, at the end of the month, November 30th, 2014, Fr. Fryar will begin a weekly Mass over at Saint Victor’s Catholic Church in West Hollywood @ 7PM. To prepare for this, we will be sponsoring an Altar Serving Workshop. I will be slightly changing my curriculum to go with the FSSP standards and will be explaining and implementing some of the changes at the workshop. Therefore, I would also recommend all existing servers and trainers to attend.

Date: Saturday, November 29th, 2014
Time: 10:00 AM, all day event
Place: Saint Victor’s Catholic Church
8634 Holloway Dr,

West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 652-6477

A BBQ will be following the day’s event.

Suggested Donation: $10.00 (For Materials and BBQ.)

For students, please register using the following link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1vGJw3QyJuVIMOtBI-I1-YtSB90nFmzHBo4C2vVwpVZU/viewform

For instructors, please contact me personally.
decoulombe@gmail.com or call/text 818-794-9461

Also we will need some volunteers to help with the BBQ. Please also email me regarding this matter.

FSSP-LA: Sunday Mass & Potluck at Saint Victors

As many of you know, we are also very blessed to have Father Fryar of the Fraternity of Saint Peter here in Los Angeles. Starting the First Sunday of Advent, November 30th, 2014 @ 7PM, Father Fryar will begin saying a weekly High Mass at Saint Victors. Everyone is encouraged to attend and requested to bring both family and friends. The choir has been diligently practicing. If you are interested, please We will need Altar Servers, and Ushers. In addition, we plan on having a Potluck Dinner after the Mass, and ask everyone to participate. For more information and to coordinate potluck, please contact Charles Coulombe and 818-794-9461 or email at decoulombe@gmail.com

St. Victor Catholic Church is located at: 

8634 Holloway Dr 

West Hollywood, CA 90069

(310) 652-6477

Archdiocese of Los Angeles - Special Mass Times - Schedule for All Saints/ All Souls Weekend:

In the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, we are blessed to offer several Mass Times of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

ALL SAINTS DAY – SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST 2014:*






Holy Innocents Catholic Church

10:00 AM
HIGH MASS with Father David Gonzales, O. Praem
425 E. 20th St. 

Long Beach CA 90806 

(562) 591-6924

San Felipe Chapel:

11 AM (No 7 AM Mass)
LOW MASS with Father Fryar
738 N Geraghty Ave

Los Angeles 90063

St. Mary Magdalen Chapel:

10:00 AM
HIGH MASS with Fr Carcerano
2532 Ventura Blvd
Camarillo, CA 93010
(805) 484-0532

Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church:

12:00 PM
HIGH MASS with Fr. Michael U. Perea, O. Praem

515 West Opp Street 

Wilmington, CA 90744

(310) 834-5215

ALL SOULS DAY – MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD 2014:**

Holy Cross Cemetery:

8:30 AM

Solemn Requiem Mass with Father Robert Bishop, Father Michael Carcerano, Father Marcos Solis, and Father James Fryar, FSSP. 

5835 W Slauson Ave 

Culver City, CA 90230

Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church:

10 AM, 11 AM, 12 AM
Three Masses in the Morning with Father Michael U. Perea, O. Praem 

515 West Opp Street 

Wilmington, CA 90744

(310) 834-5215

San Felipe Chapel: 

7 PM, 8 PM, 9 PM
Three Masses in the Evening with Father James Fryar, FSSP, 

738 N Geraghty Ave

Los Angeles 90063

(310) 834-5215

ADDITIONAL MASS TIME, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND 2014:**

Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church: A HIGH MASS will be celebrated by Father Michael U. Perea, O. Praem this Sunday. The regular 6:30AM Tridentine Low Mass will also be celebrated.
515 West Opp Street 

Wilmington, CA 90744

(310) 834-5215

* In the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, All Saints Day is not a Holy Day of Obligation because it falls on a Saturday, however it is still a day in which one can receive graces by attending some of these masses. In the words of a wise priest, it is a Holy Day of Opportunity.

**In the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, All Souls Day cannot land on a Sunday. It is therefore transfered to the following day. Sunday, November 2nd is the 21st Sunday after Pentecost. The next time this will happen will be the year 2025.

All Souls Day - Solemn Requiem Mass in Holy Cross Cemetery.

Since the 2nd of November lands on a Sunday, in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, the day is transferred to the next day. One Monday Morning, November 3rd, a Solemn High Requiem Mass will be celebrated at Holy Cross Cemetery with Father Bishop as the Celebrant and Father Fryar, FSSP attending.

Solemn Requiem Mass @ 8:30 AM

Holy Cross Cemetery

5835 W Slauson Ave

Culver City, CA 90230 

Both Servers and Choir are needed. Please contact me at decoulombe@gmail.com or call me at 818-794-9461 if you are available. I need at least five Altar Servers and three members of schola. 

If there are other Masses, I will post them just as quickly as I can. Feel free to send me information. Please note that All Souls Day is not a Holy Day of Obligation, however it is both beneficial to the soul and to those have died. As a priest once told me, this is a Holy Day of Opportunity!!!

All Souls Day: Three Masses in the Evening at San Felipe

One Monday Evening, November 3rd, Fr Fryar will celebrate three Requiem Masses back to back, as is the privilege of All Souls Day. There will not be a conference following the Mass, however there will be many graces for attending.

First Mass starts at 7:00 PM

San Felipe Chapel

738 N Geraghty Ave

Los Angeles 90063

Holy Communion will only be offered at the first Mass. All are welcomed to attend! Please take advantage of the Masses that are being offered this year.

FSSP-LA: Daily Mass at San Felipe Chapel

News from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles:

Starting today, San Felipe Chapel will be having a daily Tridentine Mass, celebrated by Father James Frayer of the FSSP:

Monday through Saturday: 7:00 AM

San Felipe Chapel is located at
738 N. Geraghty Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90063

Original Link:

http://latinmass-la.blogspot.com/2014/08/fssp-daily-mass-at-san-felipe-chapel.html

Chant and Serving Workshop - Rialto, CA

Sponsored by:

Latin Mass of Los Angeles

California Latin Mass

Una Voce San Bernardino

Saint Catherine of Sienna Catholic Church

CHANT AND SERVING WORKSHOP

Come join us for a day of learning some of the sacred arts of the Catholic Church

Where:

     St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church
     339 N Sycamore Ave
     Rialto, CA 92376

When: Labor Day, Monday, September 1st, 2014 @ 10:00 AM

Who is invited: Both new and experienced participants, both in the choir, and of the altar.

The day will end with a Missa Cantata, followed by a church BBQ.

A suggested donation of $10 is requested to help support the instructors and any excess funds will be given to Saint Catherine's.

This is an excellent opportunity for all to come meet each other, to learn about the sacred arts, and to be able to be of service to the church. Space is limited so please RSVP. If this workshop is successful, we will plan others in the near future.

To sign up for the class requires two steps.

1. Register for the class here, or send an email to Charles Coulombe at decoulombe@gmail.com
2. The donation may either be given at the door, or via Paypal.

For Servers: A cassock and surplice is required. If you cannot borrow or obtain one, please contact Charles Coulombe.

Please also plan on bringing a lunch as this will be an all-day event.

Note: You may also make a direct donation to help with our costs and open additional workshops and events in the future by clicking on the link below.

 

FSSP in Los Angeles & The table

By now, you've all probably heard this week, the Fraternity of Saint Peter [FSSP] has officially opened it's apostolate here in Los Angeles. They also have opened a website using the unofficial LA domain:

FSSP-LA Website:

Many of you have probably already seen this website, but the FSSP-LA has also created an official source for news and community events that would otherwise be what would be usually seen on a Parish Website, officially known as The Table:

The Table is where it happens:

• Mass times and locations
• Events
• Everything to do with parish life and the different associations and parish activities
• within our community
• Also, special announcements
• Communication with other members of our community and more!

This is the only official FSSP source in the Archdiocese. The FSSP-LA has opened two registrations::

The Membership Registration is for those who wish to eventually be part of the future parish.

The Table is for everyone - both those who will be future parishioners, and also those who will attend occasionally, or come to a conference, or from neighboring Latin Mass Communities, or even friends from around the world who wish to join us in growing our love and devotion to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Both registrations are free. We encourage all readers who interested in the Mass of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman rite to sign up as soon as possible. To sign up for the table. You can easily find The Table by clicking here:

SIGN UP FOR THE TABLE

For those interested in belonging to the future FSSP parish in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, in addition to joining the table, we encourage members to also register here.

REGISTER HERE!

Help keep Church of the Holy Innocents (New York) open!

Please feel free to share, post, and blog

The parishioners of The Church of Holy Innocents are fighting to keep their parish opened.

This is one of the few places in New York that celebrates the Tridentine Mass regularly and on a daily basis.

Holy Innocents is a parish that financially supports itself and does not need to be closed nor does it warrant to be merged.

We pray that Cardinal Dolan, keeps our beloved parish opened. May God grant him good health and a long life.

Please everyone sign this petition. The Archbishop will reach a decision by September and they need 1000 more signatures. Please sign the petition by clicking on the ticket link above or by clicking the page below:

Petition Page:

Note Bene: Requests have been made, please Do Not negatively talk about Cardinal Dolan or the Archdiocese of New York. The mission is to save the Parish.


A facebook event page has also been created. Please go to:
https://www.facebook.com/events/266254206894841

Solemn High Mass for the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul

Celebrated by newly ordained priest, Fr. David R. Gonzalez, O.Praem. On the occasion of the parish's patronal feastday. Devout assistance at a priest's First Mass grants a plenary indulgence.

SS. PETER AND PAUL CHURCH
Address:
515 West Opp Street
Wilmington, CA 90744
(310) 834-5215
SOLEMN HIGH MASS: June 29th @ 5:00 PM

Nota Bene: The Low Mass scheduled for the morning has not changed.
LOW MASS: June 29th @ 6:30 AM

Solemn High Mass of Fr. David R. Gonzalez, O.Praem.

Please join us in congratulating and praying for Norbertine, frater David Rafa Gonzalez (who will be ordained June 21st) in one of his first Solemn High Masses in Long Beach.

HOLY INNOCENTS CATHOLIC CHURCH
Address:
425 E. 20th St.
Long Beach CA 90806
(562) 591-6924
SOLEMN HIGH MASS: Ferial-Octave of the Visitation

SATURDAY, JULY 5TH, 2014 - 10 AM with Father David R. Gonzalez, O.Praem

Note Bene: Father Gonzalez was ordained today, June 21st, 2014 in the Mission Basilica of San Juan Capistrano. He will be transferring to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles where he will be working very closely with the Norbertines in Saint Peter and Paul and Holy Innocents.

Parking is very limited at the church site, however there is additional parking very near Holy Innocents. Mass attendees are asked to park at Sticklin-Snively Mortuary, who has graciously given permission to park in their ample parking lot which is easy walking distance from our church.

Sticklin-Snively Mortuary

1952 Long Beach Blvd.

Long Beach CA 90806

Announcement of Requiem Mass for Father Walker, FSSP

Please feel free to share this with all!

There will be a Requiem Mass this coming Wednesday, 25th of this month, at 7.30 P.M., at Holy Innocents Church for the soul of the late FATHER KENNETH WALKER, of the order, THE FRATERNITY OF SAINT PETER. All are invited to attend.

 

HOLY INNOCENTS CATHOLIC CHURCH
Address:
425 E. 20th St.
Long Beach CA 90806
(562) 591-6924

REQUIEM MASS - 7:30 PM, Wednesday, June 25th, 2014
Officiant: Father Michael Carcerano

The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter mourns the death of Rev. Kenneth Walker, FSSP, who was murdered on June 11, 2014 at the Rectory of Mater Misericordiae Parish in Phoenix, Arizona, where he served as assistant priest. He was dearly loved by the faithful he served and his confrères in the Fraternity. His first mass was celebrated at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in June of 2012.

Nota Bene: Parking is very limited at the church site, however there is additional parking very near Holy Innocents. Mass attendees are asked to park at Sticklin-Snively Mortuary, who has graciously given  permission to park in their ample parking lot which is easy walking distance from our church.

Sticklin-Snively Mortuary

1952 Long Beach Blvd.

Long Beach CA 90806

Event on Facebook: Click Here

Pray For The Priests of Mater Misericordiae in Phoenix

Originally published on the FSSP Website: One of our own is fallen, but the mission goes on.
see: http://fssp.com/press/2014/06/pray-for-the-priests-of-mater-misericordiae-in-phoenix/

Father Walker, First Mass, Our Lady of
Guadalupe Seminary, June 2012

The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter mourns the death of Rev. Kenneth Walker, FSSP, who was murdered on June 11, 2014 at the Rectory of Mater Misericordiae Parish in Phoenix, Arizona, where he served as assistant priest. He was dearly loved by the faithful he served and his confreres in the Fraternity.

Fr. Joseph Terra was also injured in the assault; he is hospitalized and in critical but stable condition. We ask for your prayers for the health of Fr. Terra.

We ask for your prayers for the repose of the soul of Fr. Walker and that God might grant great consolation to his family and his parishioners in this terrible tragedy. Fr. Walker was ordained a priest in 2012, and was 28 years old.

Oremus:

O God, Who didst give to thy servant, Kenneth, by his sacerdotal office, a share in the priesthood of the Apostles, grant, we implore, that he may also be one of their company forever in Heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Requiem Aeternam dona ei, Domine.

Et lux perpetua luceat ei.

Requiescat in pace.

Feast of Corpus Christi Mass and Procession

Please join us on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday to solemnly commemorate the institution of the Holy Eucharist according to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

SAINT PETER AND SAINT PAUL CHURCH:
Address:
515 West Opp Street
Wilmington, CA 90744
(310) 834-5215
HIGH MASS and PROCESSION
THURSDAY, JUNE 19TH, 2014 – 7:15 PM with Father Michael Carcerano

Traditionally, this event is open to the entire community. All priests and religious, altar servers and choir members are invited to participate.

Facebook Event: Click Here.

Google Plus Event: Click Here.

A Note about Corpus Christi Thursday: This is not a holy day of obligation. In many diocese in the United States, to include Los Angeles, the Feast of Corpus Christi has been transferred to the following Sunday. Everyone is nevertheless encouraged to attend for reasons of Spiritual Benefit and support of the Traditional Communities surrounding the Los Angeles area.

As one priest said, "This is a Holy Day of Opportunity."

Ascension Thursday 2014 - May 29th, 2014

We are proud to announce there will be at least two Masses of the Extraordinary Form in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

---

ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM CATHOLIC CHURCH
546 E. Florence Avenue
Inglewood, CA 90301
(310) 677-2736

Mass of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite:
Thursday, May 29th @ 7:30 PM
Officiant: Father Robert Bishop

Altar Servers and Choir are needed. If you would like to assist in any way, please contact the respected members below.

For Altar Servers please contact Charles Coulombe, decoulombe@gmail.com.
For Choir, please contact please contact Rene Widmann at xpn3@aol.com

---

SAINT MARY MAGDALEN CHAPEL
2532 Ventura Blvd
Camarillo, CA 93010 ‎
(805) 484-0532

Mass of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite:
Thursday, May 29th @ 7:00 PM
Officiant: Father Michael Carcerano


For more information and up to date mass times in this area, please also check out their blog at http://tlm-smm.blogspot.com

---

We will post additional information if it becomes available.

A note about Ascension Thursday: In the Archdioceses of Los Angeles and most dioceses throughout the United States, Ascension Thursday has been transferred to the following Sunday. As a consequence, Catholics are no longer obliged to attend Mass that day. Although it is no longer a Holy Day of Obligation, everyone is nevertheless encouraged to attend for reasons of Spiritual Benefit and support of the Traditional Communities surrounding the Los Angeles area.

As one priest said, "This is a Holy Day of Opportunity."

Saint Bridget Mass followed by Potluck

In continuing with the Easter Celebrations, the Latin Mass Community of Saint Bridget would like to invite you this weekend, Saturday May 10th for a special Mass of the Extraordinary Form followed by a Potluck Supper in the Hall. All are asked to bring a special dish of there choice.

St. Bridget of Sweden Catholic Church

16711 Gault Street

Van Nuys, CA 91406

Mass of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite

with Father Robert Bishop
7:00 PM

If planning the potluck, please come a little early to drop off your potluck dish. For more information and for coordination of the Potluck, please contact Charles Coulombe at 818-794-9461 or email at decoulombe@gmail.com. We look forward to meeting you.

Mass Resumes at Dominguez Seminary

We are proud to announce the Extraordinary Form of the Mass is scheduled to resume again every 1st Sunday, starting June 1st, 2014 at Dominguez Seminary.

Dominguez Seminary

18127 S Alameda St

Compton, CA 90220

Resuming June 1st, 2014

On the 1st Sunday of the month:

Extraordinary Form of the Mass @ 10 AM

with Father Robert Bishop

For more information, please check back regularly at this website:

Tridentine Latin Mass at USC

USC Tridentine Latin Mass: http://youtu.be/Ij6a-bsWQQo

Starting June 8th:

Saint Anthony Roman Catholic Church

The Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite

Will be celebrated:

Every Second Sunday of the Month!
1:30 PM

Officiant: Father Michael Carcerano

St. Anthony's is located at: 

710 East Grand Avenue

El Segundo, CA 90245 

Tel: 310-322-4392

http://www.stanthonyes.com/

For all up-to-date Masses in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, please go to
http://www.latinmass-la.blogspot.com/p/tridentine-masses.html

Tridentine Mass - Van Nuys, CA

Traditional Latin Mass of the Extraordinary Form

Every 2nd Saturday of the Month in Van Nuys @ 7:00 PM

Next Date: Saturday, 12 April 2014

Saint Bridget of Sweden is located at:

16711 Gault St.

Van Nuys, CA 91406

818-782-7180

Click for Map!

http://www.sbos.org/

Please join us and share this message with all your friends.

New Liturgical Movement: Extraordinary Faith TV on EWTN - Debut Episode April 14

Some exciting news, an EWTN debut episode entitled ""Extraordinary Faith TV" places emphasis of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. More from New Liturgical Movement:

New Liturgical Movement: Extraordinary Faith TV on EWTN - Debut Episode April 14

Monday, April 14, 2014 at 4:30 AM U.S. Eastern time.

Repeated on Good Friday, April 18, at 2:00 AM U.S. Eastern time.

Hosted by EWTN

www.ewtn.org

Latin Mass of Los Angeles: Men for the Washing of the Feet on Holy Thursday

Latin Mass of Los Angeles: Men for the Washing of the Feet on Holy Thursday: Fr. Bishop needs 12 men to volunteer for Washing of the Feet during Holy Thursday Mass. Mrs. Victoria Peters is coordinating the volunte...

Holy Week Schedule - Saint Mary Magdalen Chapel in Camarillo.

Hello All,
Although not a Holy Day of Obligation, participating in these last days before Easter are of spiritual benefit to the soul. Please join the Traditional Latin Mass Community of Saint Mary Magdalen:

HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE:

Nota Bene! Palm Sunday Start Time Change due to Blessing and distribution of palms before Mass and the length of the chanted readings.

Sunday, April 13 @ 9:45 AM
Palm Sunday
Confessions Before Mass

Thursday, April 17th @ 7 PM
Maundy Thursday - Mass of the Lord's Supper


Saturday, April 19 @ 10:30 PM
The Easter Vigil


Sunday, April 20 @ 1:00 PM
Easter Sunday


St. Mary Magdalen Chapel is located at :
2532 Ventura Blvd.

Camarillo, CA 93010

For more information, please click on the Blog for Traditional Latin Mass Community of Saint Mary Magdalen

UVOC - Lenten Mission Pilgrimage - March 30!

...just in from Una Voce Orange County

Annual Lenten Mission Pilgrimage

Sunday March 30, 2014 @ 9:00 AM

Starting from Saint Michael's Abby

19292 El Toro Road

Silverado, CA 92676-9710 US
Click for Map

For hundreds of years, Catholics all over the world have made pilgrimages to holy places. An expression of faith and penitence, this tradition is especially meaningful during the season of Lent, when we are reminded of Our Lord’s sufferings on behalf of the Faithful. Here in Orange County we are continuing that tradition with a pilgrimage in honor of Our Lady and Blessed Junipero Serra. At 9 a.m., march 30, 2014 we will walk from St. Michael’s Abbey at 19292 El Toro Road in Silverado to San Juan Capistrano Mission Serra Chapel. The Pilgrimage will begin with a Benediction by the Norbertine Fathers at the Abbey and end with a Tridentine Latin Mass at Serra Chapel.

Please see the attached flyer (2 pages) for complete details and more information:

Click Here Flyer Page 1
Click Here Flyer Page 2
Route Information
Schedule

For more information contact Una Voce Orange County before the Pilgrimage at (562) 691-5246 or via  e-mail, secretary@uvoc.org. On the day of the Pilgrimage, call (714) 390-6188

Facebook event link
Google+ even link

Sponsored by Una Voce Orange County

The Sacred Triduum (1962 Missal) returns to San Francisco after 50 years!

Holy Week Schedule (Inglewood)

Hello All,
This just came in. As additional details come in, I will post them. Holy week is one of the most beautiful times of the year. Although not a Holy Day of Obligation, participating in these last days before Easter are of spiritual benefit to the soul. I hope to see you all there.

HOLY WEEK SACRED TRIDUUM:

Thursday, April 17th @ 5 PM
Maundy Thursday - Mass of the Lord's Supper
Officiant: Father Robert Bishop

Friday, April 18 @ 3:30 PM
Good Friday - Veneration of the Cross and Mass of the Presanctified
Officiant: Father Robert Bishop

St. John Chrysostom Church is located at :
546 East Florence

Inglewood, CA 90301

Event on Facebook: Click Here!

Event of Google: Click Here!

Lecture: Pope Benedict and the Extraordinary Form (Father Fr. James Fryar, FSSP)

Given by Father James Fryar of the Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP)

A must see event: This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the FSSP and the Mass of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. The lecture will be given:

March 18th, 2014 @ 7:00 PM

Saint Anthony Roman Catholic Church

215 Lomita Street 

El Segundo, CA 90245

Please share links below:

Event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/379870638819241/379875492152089

Event on Google +: https://plus.google.com/events/c3g0lnp0rq0agoa2kkrqa84lu9k

Ash Wednesday

Please feel free to post and forward. 

ASH WEDNESDAY

Wednesday, March 5th 2014 @ 5:30 PM

Saint Therese Catholic Church

1100 E Alhambra Rd

Alhambra, CA 91801

Distribution of Ashes followed by Mass

According to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

Servers and Choir are needed.

Please contact Charles Coulombe, 818-794-9461

or email: decoulombe@gmail.com

Facebook Event Link: Click Here

Home from the Liturgical Thirty Years War

Home from the Liturgical Thirty Years War

http://vultus.stblogs.org/index.php/2014/02/home-from-the-liturgical-thirty-years-war/

Thomas Merton on Latin Chants

This is what I think about the Latin and the chant: They are masterpieces, which offer us an irreplaceable monastic and Christian experience. They have a force, an energy, a depth without equal. All the proposed English offices are very much impoverished in comparison–besides, it is not at all impossible to make such things understood and appreciated. Generally I succeed quite well in this, in the novitiate, with some exceptions, naturally, who did not understand well. But I must add something more serious. As you know, I have many friends in the world who are artists, poets, authors, editors, etc. Now they are well able to appreciate our chant and even our Latin. But they are all, without exception, scandalized and grieved when I tell them that probably this Office, this Mass will no longer be here in ten years. And that is the worst. The monks cannot understand this treasure they possess, and they throw it out to look for something else, when seculars, who for the most part are not even Christians, are able to love this incomparable art. -Thomas Merton

Latin Mass Retreat at SJB in Costa Mesa (Feb 9, 2014)

Flyer is attached below.

UNDERSTANDING WHEN TO KNEEL, SIT AND STAND AT A TRADITIONAL LATIN MASS - By Richard Friend

UNDERSTANDING WHEN TO KNEEL, SIT AND STAND AT A TRADITIONAL LATIN MASS (PDF)

Excerpt from: Understanding When To Kneel Sit And Stand At A Traditional Latin Mass - A Short Essay On Mass Postures - by Richard Friend

 

A Catholic assisting at a Traditional Latin Mass for the first time will most likely experience bewilderment and confusion as to when to kneel, sit and stand, for the postures that people observe at Traditional Latin Masses are so different from what he is accustomed to. To understand what people should really be doing at Mass is not always determinable from what people remember or from what people are presently doing. What is needed is an understanding of the nature of the liturgy itself, and then to act accordingly.

 

When I began assisting at Traditional Latin Masses for the first time as an adult, I remember being utterly confused with Mass postures. People followed one order of postures for Low Mass, and a different one for Sung Mass. I recall my oldest son, then a small boy, being thoroughly amused with the frequent changes in people’s postures during Sung Mass, when we would go in rather short order from standing for the entrance procession, kneeling for the preparatory prayers, standing for the Gloria, sitting when the priest sat, rising again when he rose, sitting for the epistle, gradual, alleluia, standing for the Gospel, sitting for the epistle in English, rising for the Gospel in English, sitting for the sermon, rising for the Credo, genuflecting together with the priest, sitting when the priest sat while the choir sang the Credo, kneeling when the choir reached Et incarnatus est etc. (we should have been bowing while seated), sitting again for the rest of the Credo, rising when the priest rose, sitting for the offertory, etc. Not knowing any better, I simply followed what other people were doing, and what other people were doing was following the postures indicated in the Latin-English booklet missal published by Coalition in Support of Ecclesia Dei (hereinafter the “red booklet”).

 

Over time I began to question the order of postures that people followed, particularly the distinction made between Low Mass and Sung Mass. It didn’t seem right. However, all the books, booklet missals, videos and references that I could find all copied the postures of the red booklet. I could not find any authoritative source to challenge the red booklet postures until I read Fortescue/O’Connell/Reid’s The Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Described (fourteenth edition) and J.B. O’Connell’s The Celebration of Mass (fourth edition). Fortescue and O’Connell are undoubtedly two of the greatest experts on the traditional Roman liturgy the English-speaking world has ever known from the pre-conciliar era.

 

Fortescue first published his book in 1917. He published a revised edition, the second edition, in 1919. Following Fortescue’s early demise in 1923, O’Connell was asked to prepare a third edition of Fortescue’s book, and over a span of thirty two years he revised it ten times. O’Connell’s last revision (the thirteenth edition) of The Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Described in 1962 remained untouched until Dr. Alcuin Reid OSB updated and revised it in 2003 (fourteenth edition) to bring it “into line with the specific requirements of the liturgical books of 1962”[2] and then again in 2009 (fifteenth edition) to update it in light of Pope Benedict XVI’s Summorum Pontificum. On his own, Reid is regarded as the leading authority on the traditional Roman liturgy today.

 

O’Connell, on the other hand, first published his own book in 1940, which he revised and updated four times, the last of which was printed in 1964. O’Connell’s monumental book is considered a must- have among priests, seminarians and servers wishing to study the rubrics of the Traditional Latin Mass and how to serve it.

 

Fortescue, O’Connell and Reid present an order of laity Mass postures that contrasts sharply with the postures indicated in the red booklet.

 

In June 2009 I assisted at a Solemn High Mass at St. Michael’s Abbey in Silverado, California celebrated by The Very Reverend Dom Daniel Augustine Oppenheimer, CRNJ, prior of the Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem, on the occasion of the seventh anniversary of their order.[3]

 

When the sacred ministers arrived at the foot of the altar and began the preparatory prayers, I distinctly recall Fr. Hughes Barbour, O. Praem., who was sitting at the edge of the monastic choir pew closest to the people, turn to face the congregation and motion for us to remain standing while they continued chanting the Introit even as the sacred ministers had arrived at the foot of the altar and begun the preparatory prayers.  We were somewhat confused but complied nonetheless.  Later, when I assisted at a Mass celebrated by Dom Daniel Augustine at the John Paul II Center in Yorba Linda, I saw the same Mass postures I had observed previously at St. Michael’s Abbey. Intrigued, I talked to Dom Daniel Augustine about this after Mass, and his explanation deepened my resolve to enlighten my fellow Catholics about Mass postures.  This short essay is the fruit of that resolution.

 

Most people are unaware that there were no officially-prescribed postures for the people for the 1962 Mass. However, there was also no official rubric directing the faithful to receive Communion kneeling on the tongue either. The absence of official rubrics does not mean that there was no standard order of postures that people followed; on the contrary, it assumes there was an order of postures handed down from tradition that people understood and followed even without an official rubric, just as it was in the case of the reception of Communion. Our task is to find out what this order was, through the eyes of the experts on the traditional Roman liturgy. To accomplish this I will rely primarily on the teaching of O’Connell, Fortescue, and Reid, and to a lesser extent on the opinion of lesser-known but equally competent authorities to prove the universality of O’Connell’s and Fortescue’s teachings.

 

https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2016/04/an-essay-on-postures-of-congregation-at.html

 

https://www.canonsregular.com/index.php/body-postures-at-mass

 

http://calatinmass.blogspot.com/2014/01/understanding-when-to-kneel-sit-and.html

Did Sister Emmerick foresee the New Mass in a vision in 1820? - By Richard Friend

  

Blessed Anna-Katerina Emmerick was an Augustinian nun who was born in Germany in 1774, spent a life of sufferings, and died in 1824. She is well known for her gift of prophesy. Our Lord Himself told her that her gift of seeing the past, present and future mystically in vision was greater than that given to anyone else in history. During the last 12 years of her life, she subsisted solely on the Holy Eucharist. From 1802 until her death, she bore the full stigmata of Our Lord.

Among her many visions, one stands out because it appears she foresaw Our Lord celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the modern Roman rite (“New Mass” or “Novus Ordo”) more than 149 years before Pope Paul VI decreed it as normative for the Latin rite. The reason for such belief is the glaring omission of the reading of the Last Gospel by the priest at the end of the Mass, which is consistent with the New Mass. Let’s take a look at this specific vision:

July 26. 1820. “I have a vision of the holy Emperor Henry. I saw him at night kneeling alone at the foot of the main altar in a great and beautiful church … and I saw the Blessed Virgin coming down all alone. She laid on the Altar a red cloth covered with white linen. She placed a book inlaid with precious stones. She lit the candles and the perpetual lamp… Then came the Savior Himself clad in priestly vestments. He was carrying the chalice and the veil. Two Angels were serving Him and two more were following…His chasuble was a full and heavy mantle in which red and white could be seen in transparency, and gleaming with jewels… Although there was no altar bell, the cruets were there. The wine was red as blood, and there was also some water. The Mass was short. The Gospel of John was not read in the end. When the Mass had ended, Mary came up to Henry (the emperor), and she extended her right hand towards him, saying that it was in recognition of his purity. Then, she urged him not to falter. Thereupon I saw an angel, and he touched the sinew of his hip, like Jacob. He (Henry) as in great pain; and from that day on he walked with a limped…” (Catholic Prophesy, Yves Dupont, Tan Books and Publishers, 1970, page 62. Bold emphasis supplied).

In his commentary on the vision, Dupont said, “It is interesting to note, too, that St. John’s Gospel ‘was not read at the end.’ This new development was foreseen 140 years ago by Sr. Emmerick.” (Ibid, p. 62) Desmond A. Birch, author of Trial, Tribulation & Triumph, (Queenship Publishing Company, 1996) noted that Yves Dupont assumes that Sr. Emmerick saw the post-Vatican II New Order of the Mass in her vision. Birch agrees with Dupont and contends that even allowing for legitimate exceptions to the reading of the Last Gospel as provided for in Quo Primum, he considered it “highly probable (but not certain) that the Mass which Sr. Emmerick saw in her vision was some post 1967 Latin Rite Mass.” (Ibid, p. 367) Birch cites three reasons to justify his contention (the following are taken verbatim from pages 367-368 of his book):

(1)   Some day the Last Gospel would not be regularly read (as it was at the vast majority of Latin Rte Masses of her time), and,

(2)   The Mass would have been shortened (but she could also have been describing a ‘Quo Primum’ ‘low’ Mass), and,

(3)   There would be no altar bells for the altar servers to ring on several occasions during the Mass (bell ringing which since 1960 has become an uncommon practice).

So, are the authors correct in their interpretation of the vision? At first glance, it would seem so, but there are inconsistencies that suggest it is not what it appears to be.

Argument from silence favors the Old Mass

 

It would have helped us a lot if Sr. Emmerick had recounted more details about the Mass. But even with the few details we have, there is enough to make a compelling case.

Let’s suppose that Our Lord appeared in a mystical vision to a daily-Mass-going Novus Ordo Catholic who’s never before seen or assisted at a Traditional Latin Mass. If Our Lord said the Old Mass, that person would have immediately noticed many things that were different. But if Our Lord said the New Mass but changed only a few details, then that same person would probably have noticed only those few details that were different.

Sr. Emmerick was gifted with the understanding of liturgical Latin. She would have immediately noticed if Our Lord had used a different text of the Mass than what she was used to, because the structure of the New Mass is different. For instance, in the Old Mass, the prayers at the foot of the altar are said at the end of the entrance procession. She would have noticed right away if these prayers were omitted. But she said nothing. She would have noticed if Our Lord did not wear a maniple (required in the Old Mass but fell into total disuse after Vatican II), but she said nothing. She would have also noticed if the angels did not move the missal from the epistle side to the Gospel side and back as it was done in the Mass of her day, but she said nothing either.

If Our Lord had wanted to show Sr. Emmerick a vision of the representative Novus Ordo Mass in the distant future, wouldn’t He have faced her as is the common practice in the modern rite? If the Lord did, that would have been the very first thing Sr. Emmerick would notice, but she said nothing. We can assume, therefore, that the Lord faced the liturgical east, which is rare in the New Mass but the norm in the Old Mass.

Among the myriad of liturgical details that Sr. Emmerick could have recounted, she mentioned only seven: (1) Our Lord carried the chalice and veil; (2) the book was inlaid with precious stones; (3) Our Lord wore a heavy red and white chasuble, which matched the colors of the altar cloths; (4) the cruets were there but the bells were not; (5) the wine was as red as blood; (6) the Mass was short; and (7) the Last Gospel was not read after the Mass. She found nothing unusual about the rest of the Mass to even merit mention. She can’t be accused of inattention either because not even the blood red color of the wine escaped her attention. This is a compelling argument from silence in favor of the Old Mass. But even without recourse to these “proofs from silence,” the details she recounts still do not support the New Mass. Let’s analyze them.

Processing in carrying the chalice and veil is not the norm

In the modern rite, the priest does not process in to the sanctuary carrying the chalice and the veil. They are pre-positioned on a credence table before the Mass and are brought to the altar by the servers during the Offertory. (The priests of the London Oratory process in carrying the chalice and the veil in a Novus Ordo “low” Mass, but this practice is not in accord with the General Instructions of the Roman Missal. I am also aware that when priests process in to the side altars of St. Peter’s basilica to celebrate Mass (Novus Ordo), they would carry the chalice and veil (if there is one), but this is an accommodation given the circumstance of the place) In the vision, the Lord Himself carries the chalice and the veil as He processes in. The chalice and veil could have been placed beforehand on a credence table just as easily as the candles were already placed on the altar before the Mass. Since the Lord cannot violate the rubrics of His own Church in saying the Mass according to the modern rite, His carrying of the chalice and veil is telling us that perhaps this is not the modern rite, but the pre-conciliar rite, where it is the norm for the priest to carry the chalice and veil (in a low Mass).

What about the absence of the bells?

The use of (Sanctus) bells is not forbidden (and never was) in the Novus Ordo. They just fell out of use in many places, but many parishes still use them, including the Novus Ordo parishes I occasionally go to. In fact, the ringing of the bell during the consecration is specifically mentioned as an option in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. (GIRM 150)

From personal observation, priests who subscribe to the minimalist approach to the liturgy would typically eschew the use of the bells. If, as Birch says, the absence of bells in the vision was to show the common practice in the New Mass during our time, then that would be like saying Our Lord preferred the minimalist approach to His own liturgy. Setting aside the obvious absurdity of this line of thinking, the problem with this is that Sr. Emmerick saw Our Lord vested in a chasuble that “was a full and heavy mantle in which red and white could be seen in transparency, and gleaming with jewels.” Moreover, the book Our Lady placed on the altar was “inlaid with precious stones.” This is utterly inconsistent with the minimalist approach. If Our Lord had wanted to be minimalist, using a plain chasuble and a simple, unbejeweled Book of Gospels would have been more effective in conveying the message, not the omission of the optional Sanctus bells. For this reason, I do not find Birch’s explanation persuasive.

In the pre-conciliar Mass, the bells are not rung at a low Mass at all “(a) during Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at an altar other than the altar of the Exposition; (b) during a sung Mass; or a public procession, or while the absolution at the bier is going on; (c) when the clergy are going to or returning from choir in procession, or the celebrant and ministers of solemn Mass are going to or returning from the altar; (d) when the Divine Office is being said in choir and the (side) altar at which low Mass is being celebrated is in sight of the choir.” (The Celebration of Mass, Rev. J. B. O’Connell, The Bruce Publishing Company, 1964, p. 355). In the 1^st edition of The Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Described, Adrian Fortescue writes that “If he serves low Mass at a side altar while High Mass or a sung Mass is celebrated at the high altar, he does not ring the Sanctus bell at all. Nor does he do so when the Blessed Sacrament is exposed in the church.” (Ibid. p. 76) Returning to Sr. Emmerick’s vision, the Mass she saw appeared to be a low Mass, since Our Lord processed in carrying the chalice and veil (in a sung Mass, the veiled chalice is placed on the altar before Mass) and the Mass was short. There was no procession or movement of clergy anywhere either. Neither was the Divine Office being said. So, that leaves only the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament (a).

The prohibition on the ringing of bells is limited to Masses at altars where the exposition is not taking place when the Blessed Sacrament is exposed anywhere in the church. The bell, therefore, should have been rung in the vision. But the angels did not bring any bell. How do we explain this?

What we can easily determine from the vision is that the sanctuary lamp was lit for Our Lord, the Blessed Sacrament, who was coming to celebrate the Mass. There was no Blessed Sacrament reserved on the altar beforehand or else the sanctuary lamp would have already been lit. If Our Lord Himself was the Blessed Sacrament exposed, then the bells should have been rung, because, as O’Connell and Fortescue explain, bell ringing is not prohibited on the altar of exposition. Bell ringing could have been avoided if the Mass was celebrated on a side altar while a sung Mass was taking place on the main altar at the same time. But there was no sung Mass taking place apart from the low Mass in the vision because Henry was “kneeling alone at the foot of the main altar in a great and beautiful church….” It is possible that there was a separate Blessed Sacrament Chapel in that great church (which is typical in great churches) that Sr. Emmerick did not see in her vision where the Blessed Sacrament was exposed for adoration which would justify the non-use of the bells at the main altar, but then one wonders why Henry was kneeling at the main altar at that hour in the night where the Blessed Sacrament was not reserved when he could have adored in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel if that was indeed the case.

A more mystical explanation is that since Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven, His throne there is the permanent altar of exposition, while the altar that Sr. Emmerick saw is the “altar other than the altar of exposition,” which means it is justified not to use the bell there. There is biblical support for this. There is an altar in Heaven (Rev 6:9), and a throne where the angels prostrate themselves and worship God (Rev 4, Rev 5:11-14, Rev 7:11-12). The Heavenly altar/throne may not have been visible to Sr. Emmerick, but it would have been to the angels, who are continually in the presence of and behold the face of God in Heaven. (Matt 18:10) Both explanations are plausible, although I find the mystical explanation more persuasive.

The omission of the Last Gospel points to a precise day in the liturgical calendar

In the post-Vatican II New Order of the Mass, there is no more reading of the Last Gospel after Mass as it was omitted in its entirety. In the pre-conciliar Mass, however, the reading of the Last Gospel is required after every Mass except during the following:

(1)   In Masses in which Benedicamus Domino replaces Ite, Missa est;

(2)   At the Third Mass of Christmas Day (when the first Gospel is Jn 1:1-14);

(3)   On Palm Sunday in the Mass that follows the blessing and procession of palms;

(4)   In the Easter Eve Mass;

(5)   In a requiem Mass followed immediately by the absolution for the dead;

(6)   Certain Masses which follow some consecrations (e.g. the consecration of a church) according to the rubrics of the Roman Pontifical.

In the vision, there was no liturgical procession or ceremony following the Mass that would justify the omission of Ite, Missa est, its replacement with Benedicamus Domino and the omission of the Last Gospel, so (1) is out. The ceremonies that accompany the Palm Sunday Mass (3) and the Easter Vigil Mass (4) are very long and elaborate, and the vision does not speak of a requiem Mass (5) in honor of a dead person. Neither is the vision about the consecration of a church (6). So by process of elimination, that leaves only the Third Mass of Christmas Day (2), when the Last Gospel is omitted because it is the same as the Gospel reading for the Mass. 

As to why Henry would be at this “great and beautiful” church on the night of Christmas Day, the vision does not give us any clues. If he did, the Mass would use the variable parts for the Third Mass of Christmas Day according to the traditional liturgy. What we do know from prophecy is that Henry, the prophesied last Great Catholic King, at a desperate time when all hope seemed lost, with divine aid would lead his small Christian army into a decisive battle against an overwhelmingly superior anti-Christian force and utterly defeat them, leading to the eventual collapse and dismantling of the Islamic empire, the mass conversion of Muslims, atheists, pagans and non-Catholics into the Catholic faith, and the glorious restoration of the Church and papacy. 

The significance of the colors of the vestment and altar cloths

In the vision, the color of the Lord’s chasuble, is white and red, whereas the liturgical color for Christmas is white. While having some red color in a predominantly white chasuble is acceptable, the reverse in this case is not. Whatever the case, the colors may not have been intended to correspond to the correct liturgical color, but rather were chosen for their symbols. According to Dupont, “The white and red cloths of the vestments symbolize the purity of Christ the Priest, and the fire and blood of those times. The red color also symbolizes the age of the Holy Ghost, which is to come after our age of darkness.” 

Anyone, of course, can give whatever meaning they want to the colors in a manner that suits their interpretation. But Dupont’s interpretation is not without basis. In fact, the vision of Sr. Mechtilde of Helfta (13^th century) lends support to the symbolic significance of red and white in latter times. She saw that prior to the time of the Antichrist, an order of preachers would come into existence. She described the members as follows:

“They will be clad in a double garment, the undergarment white and the outer one red and fastened with a girdle. Their beards and hair will be unshorn. They will go barefooted, except in winter when they will wear red sandals with white thongs. They will have no possessions and will not be allowed to have gold or silver. Each of them will bear at all times a staff which will be painted white and red and which will have a crook a span long. On one side will be portrayed the Passion of Christ and on the other side His Ascension into Heaven. No member of the order shall be younger than 24 years old. They will be priests, confessors, and good preachers.” (Revelations of Sister Mechtilde of Magdeburg, p. 208, quoted from Trial, Tribulation & Triumph, p. 414.)

St. Francis of Paula said that this order will be called Knights of the Cross (“Crusaders”), who will be instrumental in converting Mohammedans, heretics, and fallen-away Christians to Christ after the triumph of the Great Monarch. (Trial, Tribulation & Triumph, pp. 412-413). Taking these two visions together, we can see how Dupont’s interpretation of the colors makes sense - white for the purity of Christ, and red for the fire and blood of the impending chastisement, and also for the coming of the Holy Ghost at the onset of the re-evangelization process to be led by this order of preachers wearing red and white.

The vision shows Our Lord prefers the Traditional Latin Mass

Many Catholics, particularly those attached to the Traditional Latin Mass, find solace in many of the visions of Sr. Emmerick because they serve to validate the same gloomy conditions about the Church that they (and any honest Catholic) can see: “I saw again the strange big church that was being built there (in Rome). There was nothing holy in it…” (Catholic Prophecy, Yves Dupont, p.61) “I saw deplorable things…priests allowed everything and said Mass with much irreverence…” (Ibid, p. 66) “I saw that many pastors allowed themselves to be taken up with ideas that were dangerous to the Church. They were building a great, big, extravagant Church. Everyone was to be admitted in it in order to be united and have equal rights: Evangelicals, Catholics, sects of every description. Such was the new Church…But God had other designs.” (Ibid, p. 71) These visions are in sharp contrast to pronouncements that the Church is experiencing signs of a great springtime (Pope John Paul II, Redemptoris Missio, 1990), or when a reigning pontiff is quoted as saying “I dare say that the Church has never been so well as it is today. The Church does not collapse: I am sure of it, I am sure of it!” (Pope Francis, meeting with the Roman clergy at the Lateran basilica, 16 September 2013.)

However, when traditional Catholics are confronted with this vision of Sr. Emmerick, they’re stumped, because if Our Lord was seen celebrating the Mass in the modern rite, that would be tantamount to an endorsement by Our Lord of a rite that many deem inherently inferior, and whose abrupt and arbitrary imposition heralded the beginning of an unprecedented crisis (dramatic loss of vocations, drop in Mass attendance, unbelief in real presence, deformed liturgies, etc.) that besets the Church even today, contrary papal pronouncements notwithstanding. But rather than studying the matter, many conveniently gloss over this vision or look for the easy way out, asserting that Sr. Emmerick’s visions are private revelations, or that the person who transcribed Sr. Emmerick’s narration was not dependable, etc. This is an untenable position to take – quoting Sr. Emmerick on the one hand when convenient, but claiming her private revelations are unreliable when not so.

Our Lord does not make mistakes, nor are the angels prone to forgetfulness. Every little detail in Sr. Emmerick’s vision was not there by chance, so it behooves us to pay close attention. The choice of vestments, the colors, the bejeweled book, the lighting of the sanctuary lamp, the absence of bells, the omission of the Last Gospel – all were deliberate choices for a specific purpose. My research on the subject matter leads me to conclude that what Sr. Emmerick saw in her vision was Our Lord celebrating a low Mass, specifically, the Third Mass of Christmas Day according to the pre-conciliar Latin liturgy, most likely that of 1962, known also today as the Extraordinary Form.

I could be wrong, of course. It is entirely possible that what Sr. Emmerick saw was Our Lord celebrating the modern rite ad orientem (which is licit), processing in carrying the chalice and veil as priests do at the side altars of St. Peter’s basilica (in violation of the norms but tolerated at St. Peter’s), dispensing with the bells as they usually do in the modern rite (minimalist but licit), and omitting the Last Gospel (since it is not part of the modern rite). But all these can also be explained (actually better explained) according to the traditional Roman rite as I have done above, and therefore it does not follow that what Sr. Emmerick saw in her vision must necessarily be the modern Mass. Traditional Catholics should stand fast and not be easily disheartened.

If the Great Catholic Monarch of prophesy pertains to our present age, then Our Lord would have only two licit choices for Mass in the Roman rite today – the Ordinary Form based on the New Order of the Mass issued by Paul VI in 1969, or the Extraordinary Form according to the 1962 liturgy, the sixth and final typical edition of the Tridentine liturgy that actually goes all the way back into antiquity to the time of the apostles. From everything I’ve read, Our Lord preferred a rite that grew organically and developed from the beginning of the apostolic age nearly 2,000 years ago, to a rite that was once described by our Pope Emeritus as a “fabrication, a banal, on-the-spot product.” (Preface to Msgr. Klaus Gamber’s “The Reform of the Roman Liturgy: Its Problems and Background” by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger.) This gives us reason to hope that one day the venerable Roman liturgy will be restored to its former glory.