Good news from Hawaii

You know I don’t mean the outcome of the game with Georgia, I think.

Read this good piece in the Hawaii Catholic Herald with my emphases and comments.

Bishop, vicar general, others learning Latin Mass
 
By Patrick Downes | Hawaii Catholic Herald

Bishop Larry Silva and his vicar general Father Marc Alexander are among a handful of Hawaii clergy learning how to celebrate the Tridentine Mass, the Latin-language liturgy that predates the Second Vatican Council.

According to Sacred Hearts Father Christopher Keahi, the primary teacher of the sessions which are sponsored by the diocesan Office of Worship, the first class was Nov. 29 at St. Stephen Diocesan Center.

Father Keahi told the Hawaii Catholic Herald that the bishop would like at least one person on each island to be able to celebrate the older liturgy. [That should not be too hard to accomplish.   I suspect it will be better than that.] The participants each received a training manual and a Latin-English booklet missal, and watched a video presentation.  [I hope they provided them with online resources too.]

Pope Benedict XVI relaxed the restrictions on the use of the Tridentine Mass in July. He said that the Mass celebrated according to the 1962 Roman Missal should be made available to groups of the faithful that desire it.

The new Roman Missal, introduced in 1970 and celebrated in the vernacular, remains the ordinary way of Catholic worship.

The Latin Mass is now celebrated once a week [Sunday?] at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Honolulu by Marianist Father Francis Nakagawa. It has been celebrated continuously in Hawaii on a limited basis for about 15 years since it was permitted by Bishop Joseph A. Ferrario.

Father Keahi, who was ordained in 1965, said that the Tridentine rite was the first Mass he learned. However, after more than 40 years, he said he needed a little refreshing himself.

He said that his class should be competent in the Latin Mass after a few more months of training.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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12 Comments

  1. danphunter1 says:

    My wife and I occasionally vacation on Kauai and would love to assist at the Tridentine Mass at one of the three Catholic churches that are on the “Garden Isle”,Does anyone know if the Tridentine Mass will be offered in Hanalei?
    Mahalo!

  2. Guy Power says:

    EXCELLENT …. a good reason to retire to Honolulu in seven more years!

    The Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace looks like a traditional church … but the interior confuses me: http://starbulletin.com/2005/07/14/news/art3a.jpg
    Article about Bp. Silva: http://starbulletin.com/2005/07/14/news/story3.html

    It looks like the traditional-style church has been renovated: a so-called “gathering place” with the main altar screened off. Or am I still under the influence of New Year’s Eve? I’m just confused by the image. Here’s a 360 degree view: http://www.cathedralofourladyofpeace.com/3601.htm

    I wonder if Bp. Silva has plans to reorient (pun not intended) the pews — especially after he begins to pray the TLM???
    –Guy

  3. Esther says:

    WTG, Bishop and Fr. Marc (our previous pastor)! BTW, the screened off part that Guy Power refers to is the Adoration Chapel, not the main altar. The main altar is in the center of the Cathedral. It is a beautiful wooden alter carefully restored to and portrays the 12 apostles around it.

    The pews were changed around 10 years ago so that all pews face the altar.

  4. Templar says:

    Well, here in Middle Georgia, the results of the football seem more important to most (not I, but most) folks, as we creak along with our once a month TLM in Macon. Siggghhh.

  5. John Polhamus says:

    I suspect Fr. Damien will be leading cheers in Heaven, at the thought that his beloved liturgy will be returning to Molokai!

  6. Magister63 says:

    Is that a jacuzzi in the corner in that picture???
    That Cathedral is certainly not very “Benedictine” in orientation. It must have cost a fortune to disorient that place to a horizontal plane. Hopefully the Bishop will be able to restore that beautiful building after he begins to say the traditional Mass.

  7. Tim Ferguson says:

    Hmmm, according to wikipedia, there was 137 islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and apparently there are 79 diocesan and 78 religious order priests in the diocese of Honolulu. So, if the bishop wants one priest per island to be able to offer Mass in the Extraordinary Form, he was 87% of his clergy to be able to say the Tridentine Mass. Not bad, not bad indeed.

    (I know, I know, he means the inhabited islands, but still… :)

  8. Jim says:

    Interesting how a slight change in emphasis can change everything: (1) one priest on each island should learn to celebrate the traditional Latin mass, versus (2) no priest in this diocese has expressed an interest in learning the TLM. The latter characterizes the bishop’s approach in my diocese. If the bishop were only to send out a message that celebration of the TLM is DESIRABLE, then there would be volunteers. The bishop sets the tone. Summorum Pontificum notwithstanding, where the bishop signals a lack of interest, the TLM will not happen. It really is that simple.

  9. Garrett says:

    Templar,

    I’m a Georgia native too. Currently a student at the University (Go Dawgs!). Anyway, what church in Macon offers the TLM once per month? How’s the attendance?

  10. Melody says:

    Jim- I think this is possibly the case. Whenever I have asked the good priests (there are four) at my parish about the possibility of a Traditional Latin mass, they give me a pained, vaguely sad look before replying, “I’m sorry, but no.” The retired Monsignor even followed his polite refusal with a nostalgic conversation about the TLM with those present.
    Unless our Bishop has a sudden urge to retire or a conversion worthy of comparison to St. Paul, we aren’t going to be seeing many Latin masses here for a while.

    Father Z, I would like tell you and others on this blog about a good priest at St. Mary’s By The Sea named Father Eamon Mackin. Although his age would cause one to guess that he is one of those who remember the TLM, I am told he became a priest somewhat later in life, after the council. Although he is now in his seventies, he has taken personal initiative to learn the extraordinary form. I was honored to attend one of his first masses in the extraordinary form. Though his Latin pronunciation is not yet equal to yours or the local Norbertine Fathers, I noted the heartfelt care with which Father Mackin enunciated the words of consecration. (He was saying it softly according to the rubrics, but the church itself was so silent that I could hear the words easily).

  11. Templar says:

    Greetings and well meet Garrett.

    St Joseph in downtown Macon has the TLM at 2PM every first Sunday of the month (next one will be this weekend 6 January 2008). Here’s a link to the parish website. http://www.stjosephmacon.com/cms/ You will not see the TLM as a scheduled mass but if you open a copy of the Bulletin (on line) you will find mention of it.

    Father McDonald did a low mass in September to see how much interest there was and reportedly got about 200 folks. I didn’t attend as I didn’t hear about it (I’m from outside this parish as well). He practiced and trained for the next 2 months, also spent a lot of time offering materials on the TLM (videos and documents) to the parishoners to make sure they were exposed to it properly, and commenced the 1st Sunday of the month TLMs in December. At that mass attendence was better than 200 and less than 300, tough for me to say exactly, but more than planned for as I know they had to make an emergency run to the Tabernacle for resupply during Communion.

    The Church is beautiful (built in 1902) and with the exception of the Altar Rail being gone (with the spirit of V2 no doubt) it is a perfect setting for the TLM. Here’s a link to a virtural tour of the Church if you (or anyone else) wants to take a look.
    http://www.webgraphicsengineering.com/Macon/

  12. Matt Q says:

    Guy Power wrote:

    “WTG, Bishop and Fr. Marc (our previous pastor)! BTW, the screened off part that Guy Power refers to is the Adoration Chapel, not the main altar. The main altar is in the center of the Cathedral. It is a beautiful wooden alter carefully restored to and portrays the 12 apostles around it.

    The pews were changed around 10 years ago so that all pews face the altar.”

    ()

    The Honolulu cathedral had been screwed up for years, and began when they put up a screen blocking the high altar where the tabernacle is from the rest of the church, all the pews faced each other with an ugly table-altar in the center. The priest sits with the congregation and they allow women to proclaim the Gospel. I was there to see that first-hand. Now that DiLorenzo has been reassigned ( pity the poor people of Virginia Beach who got him now ), perhaps things will have gotten better.

    John Paul also put his foot down with that bishop also. He wanted to close sell off St Augustine, Waikiki. It’s right there in middle of the busiest tourist locale as well as serving the local neighborhoods. The Faithful complained to Rome, the Pope said no and St Augustine is still there. Thank the Lord.

    On the Tridentine front, this is very good news.

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