Here is a piece about what is going on in the Diocese of Lafayette, Indiana. My emphases and comments.
Indiana’s Bishop Higi is Faithful to Summorum Pontificum with FSSP Support
Bishop Higi tells Una Voce Carmel to Think Big
Carmel, Indiana (March 20, 2008) – The Most Reverend William L. Higi, Bishop (above) of the Diocese of Lafayette in Indiana is supporting a proposal initiated by Una Voce Carmel, a chapter of Una Voce America for a Traditional Latin Mass to be scheduled regularly on Sundays in the Carmel Deanery, Diocese of Lafayette in Indiana.
The Carmel Deanery is over 40% of the diocese and includes northern suburbs of Indianapolis in Hamilton and Boone Counties. In 2006, Hamilton County was the 18th fastest-growing county in the nation based on national census data. Also, Hamilton is the most affluent county in Indiana and ranks in the top five in the United States.
The first Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) will be offered by Father Gerard Saguto, FSSP, on Sunday, April 6th and subsequently, every other Sunday thereafter. Father Saguto is pastor of S.S. Philomena & Cecilia’s [GREAT NAME!] Roman Catholic Church located in Southeastern Indiana.Current plans include expansion to include all Sundays and Holy Days starting June 1st. At that time, Lafayette diocese’s Father Christopher Roberts, associate at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish in Carmel, Indiana will alternate with Father Saguto on Sundays. Father Roberts will complete his TLM training in the middle of May.
The location of the Traditional Latin Mass will be the day chapel at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, 10655 Haverstick Road, Carmel, Indiana.
The Una Voce Carmel Officers and board of governors attending a February 19th meeting with Father Rothrock were later quoted as saying that ” Father rolled out the red carpet for the TLM”.
However, this isn’t surprising considering that in May 2005, His Excellency, Bishop Higi and Father Rothrock helped St. Athanasius, an Indianapolis based Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Parish to established a Divine Liturgy at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish which was celebrated every Saturday for over two years.
In September 2001, His Excellency Bishop Higi established a Traditional Latin Mass indult at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in the Muncie Deanery. It continues to be celebrated on Tuesday evenings.
Loading ...
They have their work cut out for them making this parish acceptable for the extraordinary form of Mass (or any form for that matter).
http://www.seas-carmel.org/about.asp
I understand the way to get the EF in a parish is to start with the priest before going to a bishop. My situation is this: I moved from a different part of the country to a large city with about 5 or six parishes and have yet to register in one. Would it be bad form to contact the bishop and ask which parish or priest would be most amenable to the EF?
Happy Easter to you too, Fr. Zuhlsdorf!
This is absolutely sublime news. The good people in the Diocese of Lafayette have worked so hard for so long. I am ecstatic at hearing this news. I believe that this is the 29th U.S. diocese to gain an every-Sunday T.L.M. since S.P. was published in July. Alleluia! Lafayette-in-Indiana is also one of the most important hold-outs, embracing nearly 100,000 faithful.
I must repeat that I am presently on a cloud of joy over the situation in my own Diocese, once the bailiwick of Bishop Remi De Roo. But it’s Easter and no time for anything negative. Our Mass was restored on an every-Sunday basis at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in Esquimalt (near downtown Victoria). The Diocese of Victoria becomes the VERY FIRST Canadian Diocese to gain an every-Sunday Traditional Latin Mass since the publicatio of S.P.
We Cannucks are way behind the U.S. and even behind N.Z. under S.P., but at least we’re ahead of those Aussies! They still don’t have any new dioceses gaining the T.L.M. on an every-Sunday basis.
Our priest in Victoria, Fr. Alexander MacLellan, is a man of real humility, assiduity, and professionalism. This is the Mass of his ordination and he loves it completely. He has no bad words for the New Mass, which he also celebrates every Sunday, but has pointed to the reverence of the Mass of Tradition as something which moves him deeply. I have noticed that he has been very particular in his celebrations and is working to get every detail perfect. He has already trained three Altar boys.
I’m not sure that I can ‘handle’ all this good news. I have been feeding off negativity for so long now that I just don’t know how to deal with joy. God bless Pope Benedict XVI!
P.K.T.P.
The Mass will be said in the small chapel, across the lobby from the main church, which is a bit more TLM friendly. We’ll post photos at http://www.uvcarmel.org after the first Mass.
The Carmel chapter of Una Voce deserves lots of praise for the effort they put in to getting this accomplished – now if only their successes can be repeated in other parts of the diocese!
You have no idea what an achievement this is. Having read
various letters from Bishop Higi beginning in 1988 I certainly
do. He essentially said that the old Mass would return to the diocese
over his dead body. This is a powerful sign that prayer
and patience can soften the hearts of even the most inhospitable bishops.
The vocations director of the diocese deserves a lot of credit
too. Although he is not directly concerned with the old
rite, I think he has demonstrated to the bishop that the kind
of young men who are coming to the seminary today find a powerful
attraction in the traditional piety of the Church, and not in
the ‘We are an Easter people’ style that still is to be found in
control of many parishes. If you look at the vocations page on the
diocesan web site you will be both amazed and edified.
I am the afore mentioned Fr. Christopher Roberts. In my preparations, I am working on memorization of the necesary prayers. Perhaps a priest could help me with this. What prayers absolutely need to be memorized and which, although it would be good to have them memorized, could one have recourse to reading them off the altar cards?
To address Brian’s question, I am told that there are plans afoot to have one every-Sunday Mass per deanery. I’m not sure how close we are to that. The one in the Carmel deanery is an excellent beginning. I have found over the years that the minimum basis needed is the every-Sunday basis. Offer the old Mass only one or two Sundays a month and people won’t come. They don’t want to be wrenched from one spiritual charism to another every week.
P.K.T.P.
Father Roberts,
Laudetur Jesus Christus
Just out of curiousity why don’t you ask UV Carmel to help you out, I bet they know a few Traditional Priest that would be willing to help you out.
Ad Jesum per Mariam,
Will