What Does The Prayer Really Say?
W D T P R S

Here I am at the cathouse. They at supper right now. Sichuan fare will be my repast. Cats don’t block the tunnel but that doesn’t mean they are wonderful.

The leaves are changing here. Beautiful.

I am at the library bringing back interlibrary loans. Very useful service. Books come from libraries all over the region. Invaluable for research.

In another entry I wrote:

Now that Summorum Pontificum is a year old, we are seeing that the provisions of Ecclesia Dei adflicta are being implemented.

I think we must be patient about implementing Summorum Pontificum.

At the same time we must keep moving forward.

I am delighted that "personal parishes" are being established. 

We need places of stable worship where all the sacraments can be celebrated.

We need places of reference where people can learn and get comfortable in their own Catholic skins again. 

Personal parishes are very important and helpful. 

We need many of them, everywhere, and soon.

At the same time, bishops could have set us personal parishes long before Summorum Pontificum was issued. 

Under the provisions of Ecclesia Dei adflicta, which expanded the existing legislation, all those things were already possible.

Summorum Pontificum is a juridical solution which gives every priest of the Latin Church the right to use the older liturgical books.  Pastors of parishes can now establish TLM’s in their parishes without permission from anyone.  They can use the Rituale Romanum without permission from anyone.  This can happen in every parish.  Granted, that is not going to happen soon.  But this need not be isolated to a parish here or there, creating small communities cut off from the rest of the life of parishes in the diocese.

Summorum Pontificum is the present and future.

Ecclesia Dei adflicta is the past.

Summorum Pontificum... now!

An interesting piece of mail came in.

Students at John Paul the Great Catholic University (JP Catholic) are getting on television and coverage in the mainstream media for their ads supporting propositions to protect marriage and get parental notification for abortion. 
—An ad of theirs ran in California on broadcast TV immediately following the VP debate
—The LA Times covered their efforts on another set of ads
—The TV news ran a story on them
 
I’ve compiled a lot of the info here:
http://singinginthereign.blogspot.com/2008/10/jp-catholic-students-making-waves.html
 
Rather than inviting speakers like Hillary Clinton to speak at graduation ceremonies, this is what Catholic Universities should be teaching their students to do!
 
My blog aimed at the academic audience so I don’t typically get much of a popular readership but this story needs to get out there.  JP Catholic needs support—we’re just a little school, barely 3 years old!  Catholics would go nuts if they students were making this kind of an impact!
 
Thanks and God bless!

Michael Barber
Professor of Theology, Scripture and Catholic Thought
John Paul the Great Catholic University
10174 Old Grove Road
Suite 200
San Diego, CA 92131
www.jpcatholic.com
www.singinginthereign.blogspot.com

Let’s avoid discussion of the using the title "the Great".  That is a rabbit hole for this discussion. I am likely to delete your comments or lock out you IP if you drag it in that direction.  That is sometime for a different entry, not this one.

From a priest reader west of the International Date Line (edited):

Hello Father Z,

...

I am 31 years old and a newly ordained priest, ... and am presently assigned at a parish ….  I know I cannot write a long letter to you (it would take much of your time) and express all my sentiments.  I have a lot of things that I cannot do for the love of the Church’s faith and tradition for fear of being persecuted and maligned even by own companion priests and the faithful of the parish where I serve as assistant.   [I have lived that too.  I understand what you are talking about.] To a lot of people here, everything that harks back before 1962 is evil, damnable, and worthy of every condemnation.

I write you to express my sympathy for your work and the important role you play in galvanizing and encouraging Catholics throughout the world who deeply love their faith and would wish to remain true to their identity.  I for one, Father, have experienced persecution for being loyal to the Holy Father and firm in my determination to be solidly grounded in the faith.

For many years, I have closely studied the liturgy and the rich tradition of the Church in the seminary albeit doing it privately (even secretly at times). And throughout the many years that I have admired and been inspired by the liturgical treasures of the Church both past and present, I couldn’t help but suffer in the midst of all the persecution which the current climate in the Church … exerts to those who want to live out according to the fullness of Catholic faith.

I am not trying to be cranky at this, but I just would like to share my own experience to you of how the Church is in a very sorry state here …. [I had to cut this, just to be sure.]

Things have been changing a bit in the Church especially in your place but not much here in _.  Our bishops here are more interested in speaking about politics …  than overseeing the faith of our people and the discipline of our clergy.

... For a very long time, I have waited for the day when I could even witness one TLMass in my own lifetime, but now I have witnessed it, not as a Mass goer, but as a celebrant myself. [So… this priest learned the older form and now can say Mass using it.]  I do it unknown to my parish priest and my parishioners in another far away parish where there are regular EF Masses.  I have to tell made up stories about my whereabouts whenever I would be out of my parish to say the EF Mass so as to protect myself from persecution and ridicule.  I love the Novus Ordo myself, though I try to celebrate it with as much as solemnity as possible using chant for the Preface, the whole Eucharistic Prayer and the Institution Narrative, the Doxology, and even the embolism, and I try to use incense as much as I am able and wear the complete and appropriate vestments. And one thing I [find] curious though is that most of the young people here, those who are 30 years old and below, appreciate and love the Mass when said with solemnity with appropriate vestments and with solemn chant.  And the ones who label me as a conservative and "out-of-touch" are some (not all) of the old ones here who have no sympathy whatever for anything old and "medieval" according to their labels. They seem to have a liturgical formula: Before 1970 = old+evil+poisonous.

Thank you Father for the good work you are doing for the Church.  May the Lord Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar be all the more loved and revered as we work for the good of the holy liturgy so as "to save the world".

A great and heartfelt message.

 

This priest should know that he is not alone.  More and more men throughout the world will be learning the older form of Mass. With prudence and patience it will be introduced in more and more parishes.  Prejudices will wane and healing will begin.

I hope priests continue to write in.  I would like their contributions to be a regular feature here.  I will maintain anonymity if requested.  For a description of Mail from priests go HERE.

I received this news.  It is posted on Una Voce of Western Washington.

The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter is Coming to Seattle!
A new parish will be formed, with permission from Archbishop Brunett

On September 28, 2008 Archbishop Alex J. Brunett announced his invitation to the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter to form a personal quasi parish in the archdiocese of Seattle. The new parish will be named "the North American Martyrs." Fr. Gerard Saguto FSSP has been named priest administrator.

Fr. Saguto FSSP arrives in Seattle the week of October 1st and will begin offering Mass at St. Joseph Chapel (located in the Josephinum) until a more permanent location is found. His first Mass in Seattle will be on Sunday, October 5th and it will be a sung Mass. Sunday Masses will continue to be at 9:30 AM - confessions begin 45 minutes prior. Daily Mass will be at 7:00 AM - confessions 20 minutes prior, except for Tuesdays. On Tuesdays, during the next month and a half (through November 11th), Fr. Saguto will offer Mass at Holy Family Parish, 9622 – 20th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98106 at 7:30 PM.

The establishment of a personal parish has been our (Una Voce of Western Washington) organization’s prayerful goal for over twenty years and we offer our sincere thanks to Archbishop Brunett for his granting of permission to invite the FSSP into the archdiocese. We are also thankful for the support, leadership and generosity of FSSP Superior General Fr. John Berg, and the FSSP North American District Superior Fr. Eric Flood for bringing this apostolate to our area. We are blessed, and so very grateful.

 

Brick by brick.

I remind all pastors that, personal parish in the diocese notwithstanding, you all have the right to implement Summorum Pontificum in your parishes without special permissions.  

Let no one forget this.

Now that Summorum Pontificum is a year old, we are seeing that the provisions of Ecclesia Dei adflicta are being implemented.

We haven’t heard much from Africa on the implementation of Summorum Pontificum.  Here is some news.

Pretoria Latin Mass Group on its way

On Saturday 27th of last month, a meeting was held at St.John Fisher Catholic Church , in Lynwood Pretoria with the aim of organising a group who wish to restore the Extraodinary Form in their own archdiocese. It was a great comfort to see that there are still those who desire to regain their lost liturgical heritage, and most importantly that there are still priests who would be willing to provide for their needs.

As of yet, not much can be said about any substantial gains with regard to actualy having the TLM celebrated once again in an official capacity, however, the effort is still in its infancy and has to "crawl before it can walk". Nonetheless, one can be at least greatful for the fact that their specific cause has not been met with the usual hostility that many are indeed faced with when presenting such a request, that their specific spiritual needs be met.

It was suggested that, in order to gain futher exposure for this specific initiative, anouncements would be made at the Mass notices as well as included into the parish bulletins of those Priests who were obliging to the effort.

Summorum Pontificum Johannesburg will continue to promote and support this effort, when possible. Updates will be posted concerning this specific initiative.

Calvin James Montgomery
President