My friend and former St. Agnes parishioner John Sonnen has an interesting note at his Orbis Catholicus:
This coming Saturday, April 19, too historic events will be held in Rome which involve the usus antiquior of the Roman rite.
Firstly, the Pontifical North American College, America’s seminary in Rome, will host their first "training" Mass according to the 1962 Missale Romanum. This Mass will be celebrated at 8 o’clock in the crypt chapel by an American priest who works in the Vatican, Fr. Gallagher.
Secondly, at 11 o’clock at the Basilica of Santa Croce off Via Flaminia there will be Pontifical Mass sung by His Eminence Darío Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos, Cardinal President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei. This Mass is being hosted by the Constantinian Knights of Saint George.
And yours truly will be there with his trusty camera (although the spring just broke which holds the battery in place!). This is the second camera of mine which has broken from too much use (in case some Christian soul wants to buy one for the cause so as to help upgrade!).
Would be nice to upgrade to a camera which can take better indoor photos, too: found one in Rome called the Canon EOS 350D 8 megapixel (499 euro)…I place this intention in the hands of Our Lady of Genazzano (of Good Counsel).
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Glad to hear about the training of seminarians in the Extraordinary Form at NAC. I just hope these guys actually get to put their training to use once they get back to their home dioceses in the U.S. This, of course, will depend on who their bishop is. Sad.
As an aside, it’s too bad the Pope couldn’t have celebrated at least one Mass during his visit, perhaps at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, in the Extraordinary Form simply to send a message of support to those who are trying to implement Summorum Pontificum. I’m still hoping we might get surprised at this Mass with the use of at least the main altar under the baldachino or, even better, a Novus Ordo Mass ad orientem with an exhortation to those in attendance to “turn towards the Lord!”
Ah, Genazzano! What a lovely little town. My wife and I have friends there on Vicolo Corsi. We have been there visiting couple of times (both from Poland and later from the US). In the church there is a beautiful Albanian icon of Our Lady.
And on your way from the City to Genazzano you pass the town of Palestrina (ancient Praeneste) of all places, where our hero Giovanni Pierluigi was born.
I wouldn’t get too worked up about the Traditional Mass at the NAC. As it stands, the only implementation happening is that it will be included in the rotation of optional Saturday Masses, which take place at 8:00 am and 12:30 pm each Saturday. Currently in rotation are Novus Ordo in English, Novus Ordo in Latin, Novus Ordo in Spanish, Novus Ordo a la “Praise and Worship”. Aside from the regular Novus Ordo in English, these other Masses come up once a month at most, which means the TLM will be just as infrequent as the rest–“every month to 6 weeks” as we were told on Sunday. Additionally, no plan was presented for instructing men in how to serve or say the Mass. There are several in the College who know how to serve and say the Mass; however, they were not named as potential resources, and given that the first TLM will be celebrated by someone outside the house should turn a few heads, as there are a couple of priests in the house who celebrate the TLM with some regularity.
All in all, it’s a first step in the right direction, but a very timid step, as if to say, “We’re going to go through the motions, but none of is really sure if this whole tradition thing is going to catch on.”
This first Mass won’t be much of a “training Mass” as a “trial Mass.” We hope it’s well-attended, but those well-acquainted with the Traditional Mass are looking on with guarded optimism.
Another issue: the Mass at NAC will be served by a server in an alb (“as is our house custom,” according to the Director of Liturgy). I’m personally opposed to this. According to Fortescue, the rubrics of the Missale Romanum require the server (be he a cleric or layman) to wear a cassock and surplice (cf. R. II, 1 and S.R.C. 4194). Any thoughts from you, Father?
So, as I said…a first step in the right direction…but a timid step at best.
TradSem: Another issue: the Mass at NAC will be served by a server in an alb (“as is our house custom,” according to the Director of Liturgy). … Any thoughts from you, Father?
Yah… that’s kind of silly, isn’t it? It is so out of step with the “ethos” both of the older Mass as well as a Pontifical Seminary in Rome. Oh well… don’t sweat the small stuff, I suppose.
Brick by brick!
I hope for reports on the event.
TradSem:
I would not be so disparaging. We’ve come a long way already, who knows how far we will go. I was a student at the NAC in the early 1990’s. These were the days of Msgr Purcell (“Larry” to all). If you wore a cassock it became a ‘formation issue’ and it was official house policy that one HAD to stand for the Canon. I consider it a minor miracle that the Traditional Mass is making a showing at all.
TradSem:
I would not be so disparaging. We\’ve come a long way already, who knows how far we will go. I was a student at the NAC in the early 1990\’s. These were the days of Msgr Purcell (\”Larry\” to all). If you wore a cassock it became a \’formation issue\’ and it was official house policy that one HAD to stand for the Canon. I consider it a minor miracle that the Traditional Mass is making a showing at all.
“If you wore a cassock it became a ‘formation issue’…” – Ahem. I know several seminarians at the NAC personally. It still is a ‘formation issue’, yet certain seminarians can still strip the nepotes Remi in the quadriviis and angiportis Romae with impunity. The NAC hasn’t changed at all. Caeli!
“If you wore a cassock it became a ‘formation issue’…” – Ahem. I know several seminarians at the NAC personally. It still is a ‘formation issue’, yet certain seminarians can still strip the nepotes Remi in the quadriviis and angiportis Romae with impunity. The NAC hasn’t changed at all. Caeli!
Wearing a cassock at the NAC is indeed a problem as our gallant rector himself told us that it comes with negative “connotations”! The Tridentine at the NAC is nothing more than a front to maintain a facade of orthodoxy at the NAC. Too bad none of it actually penetrates the heart. Is this forward progress? Sure. But the undertones and side-comments of the faculty and wolves in sheep’s clothing will surely undermine the efforts of those who truly wish to be faithful to the fullness of the Roman Liturgy. My prayers are with all traditionalist at NAC! As I myself know what trial lie ahead.
Dear “nacr”
“My prayers are with all traditionalist at NAC!”
Brother, you only pray for the “traditionalist” in our community?
Why not the entire house? With all the labels aside, we are all striving to be
holy priests for the same Jesus Christ.
Can we not move foward in a spirit of reconciliation and peace
toward the fullness of the Roman Liturgy?
Let us follow the example of our Holy Father.
peace.