This is in from Franciscan University at Steubenville:
Father Z,
I thought you would like to know that a have received unofficial word that starting this fall semester Franciscan University of Steubenville will be offering the Traditional Latin Mass every Saturday morning (low mass) and once a month on Sundays (missa cantata). I also believe that the university’s schola will continue to offer Compline on a few Saturday evenings per semester like they did last semester (which was well attended and quite lovely).
Keep up the good work and remember all of us here in Steubenville when you offer the Holy Sacrifice. Be assured that you are in our prayers.
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Fr. Z,
Perhaps we could pick your brain on this matter?
At this point, a significant victory has been achieved for the Universal Church present at Steubenville. The Mass of the Saints is now much more readily available, and that presents authentic liturgical diversity (which is obviously a good thing).
Would it be appropriate for individuals to push for more EF masses, or would resting and allowing the EF to sink in be more appropriate?
Those of us navigating these waters elsewhere need good playbooks ;-)
LCB: I don’t know the community there. Thus, it is hard for me to know what else to say. Without question you want to make sure that what is scheduled is well attended. That is a sine qua non. After that can be demonstrated, you can push for more.
You need a track record. That is reasonable.
As a previous conference attendee and subsequent receiver of their university newsletters, let me say that ALL their Masses are well-attended, if not stuffed full many times. The EF should be a success there as well.
I think the university has done its part. Now it is up to the students, faculty, and staff.
If the Mass of the Ages is poorly attended, it will cease to be on campus
The fear I have is that the “charismatic” stuff is so BIG a part of the culture there that the TLM will strike many students as something totally foreign.
Also, heavy hitting members of the faculty (like Scott Hahn) SEEM to have no interest in the traditional Mass. (that is JUST a perception.. I may be wrong… my apologies if I am.)
Cathguy
You are wrong about the Hahns (and many of the other faculty.) The Hahns attend the most traditional parish in the area (and the first one in the area to have a TLM available, mind you) Many of the other faculty members belong to that parish as well. And maybe that is why the assumptions are there – they are all active in their own parishes in choir, as ushers, as daily communicants, their sons as altar boys, and perhaps weren’t “seen” for the campus TLM, or they attend a daily Mass when it is most convenient before or between classes and it may not be the most ‘traditional’ Mass of the day.
I think it is important to be more careful about how we ‘express concerns’ so that we don’t stray into gossip or calumny (not that you have, cathguy, but some of the things I’ve seen people say about others here & elsewhere have been right in that gossip/calumny zone.)
Now, there were quite a number of students AND faculty who signed the peition for the TLM. “Totally foreign” or not, many many students are begging to be allowed to reclaim their rightful heritage in the TLM and it is beautiful to see it being given to them by the friars.
Once it is attended, it is ‘totally foreign’ no longer and many students already prefer it to the charismatic type Masses.
As to the Mass being “well-attended,” I can assure you it will be!
I heard that the EF’s at FUS thus far have been standing room only in CTK Chapel. And despite the outward charismatic appearances, many of the students are actually traditional. In any case, I assure you I, for one, will be attending once I begin there in the fall!
Thanks for the update, Father!
Sheesh, when I tried to get Traditional Compline started 9 years ago I was told politely it wasn’t wanted unless it was going to be in English. How far we have come!
With regard to attendance at the TLM in Steubenville, I can assure you there is enough interest to have a well attended daily Mass. I would think that there would be at least 150 people that would attend a daily TLM. As for Sundays the numbers would be much higher. With regard to the Hahns, I can tell you that after the First TLM at St. Peter’s, Dr. Hahn’s son’s Facebook page had the tag line “Loving the Traditional Latin Mass.” At least half the campus is very traditional in liturgical preferences, as opposed to Charismatic. The one thing that bothers me, is that I can not help but think that the University placed the TLM on Saturday morning, so that it could not fulfill one’s Sunday obligation, thereby forcing attendance at the New Mass. I also know that the FSSP has been trying to get into Steubenville for over a decade. Steubenville Catholics deserve a Traditional Latin Mass Parish. They have the numbers, but I think the diocese is scared that many of the leaders of the local Novus Ordo parishes will flee to the TLM if it is fully freed.
Cathguy et al.
Our Faculty seems to be far more traditional in it’s liturgical practices than the student body. It is rare that you would see most professors at a Campus Liturgy (ESPECIALLY anything in the fieldhouse abomination) but far more likely to find them at the very traditional and “old fashioned” Liturgies, including the Mass of All Ages at the local parish, St. Peter’s, in which the University resides.
And to boot, many students and staff make the trek to Pennsylvania to attend St. Boniface parish where there is a stable Latin-Mass community.
As for Rochesterian, When you get to FUS you should look into the new Traditional groups that have begun, such as the Dom Geurranger society, which is the lead promoter of the EF and look into a traditional household, the staple of FUS life, such as the Brothers of St. Francis or the Equites Lux Sacra.
As for Compline, it IS beautiful, and have a sneaking suspicion that it may become more common than just every few Saturdays. God bless all, and keep praying!