An uplifting sight

I have days when I am depressed about the state of the Church.

On other days I am more buoyant. 

This morning I received a photo of a two sheets on a bulletin board at the North American College in Rome, where the American and other seminarians live and have their formation while studying at the Roman schools.

These are two sign up sheets for the seminarians.  Left: to learn to say the TLM, especially for deacons and third year guys. Right: to request the new FSSP instructional DVD for learning the TLM.

I purposely blurred some areas to blot names.

Brick by brick?   This is more like hod by hod!

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

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

  1. don Jeffry says:

    And I want to be a “hod carrier”!

  2. Dennis says:

    I understand the need to blur the names, but my son is a seminarian at PNAC and has a long held love for the TLM. I would have loved to have seen his handwriting.

  3. don Jeffrey:

    HOD CARRIERS OF THE WORLD UNITE!

  4. sacredosinaeternum says:

    And to think- merely four years ago- at this same institution- we seminarians were huddled in the basement of the NAC- studying the EF ourselves. Those on faculty hostile to the TLM would not allow it even in the crypt chapel. Brick by brick, indeed. Yet, huge “buildings” have been built in a short time. There is nothing but hope for the future as these and the thousands of of men in formation get ordained and begin to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the EF as I and many of my classmates do now. Laus Deo!

  5. Father Bartoloma says:

    Too funny!

  6. Al says:

    That’s a pretty long list of names. Uplifting indeed!

  7. a catechist says:

    Makes me want to go say a rosary for our seminarians! And whoever put that sign-up sheet there to begin with. [In the words of the Nike ad: Just Do It! o{]:¬) ]

  8. Fr. Jay says:

    I’m sure that, right next to this on the bulletin board, was a list of those interested in learning the “Folk Mass” according to the 1970s usage, with just as many interested names, hehehehehe. [Really helpful, that.]

  9. Seriously, Fr. Jay, I’m hearing from seminarians I know that few of the guys there now are interested in “old folks Masses” any more.

  10. Andrew says:

    Since the Americans obviously have a surplus of willing priests…could you ship some north to Canada when they’re trained please?

  11. sharon stockard says:

    Thank you, Dear God for Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. [Well, that’s a jump. And it is a rabbit hole.]

  12. jaykay says:

    “I’m sure that, right next to this on the bulletin board, was a list of those interested in learning the “Folk Mass” according to the 1970s usage”

    Very little learning needed for that :) Let’s see… lessons in arm positions for multiple final blessings (also comes in useful as techniques for throwing the rattle out of the pushchair)? Whine tones (as opposed to chant tones)? Protests (as opposed to processions)?

    Seriously, that’s lovely news from Rome, very encouraging. Cornerstone by cornerstone

  13. Frere Wilfrid says:

    When NACers visit this parish they usually have some correction to give me about how I say the TLM (which I have been saying for nearly 20 years!)
    Some of those guys could give lessons.
    I was in Rome last week and said the TLM at the NAC without any problem; I also noticed that several of the younger priests has said the same Mass there that day. If only the VEC would wake up. A bunch of dozy libs (the faculty that is: I’m sure there must be some good students there).

  14. A seminarian says:

    I’m a seminarian at St Joseph’s in New York. I’ve requested a copy, and so have a considerable number of my colleagues. And its not just so they can have it, a good number of guys here are really intent on learning the EF, myself included.

    One of the biggest draws of this DVD for many of us is that by learning the intricate details, they can also inform our future (god willing) celebration of the OF.

    Quick word of thanks Father as well. The only way most of our guys found out about this DVD was through your blog or the New Liturgical Movement. Was it not for blogs like yours, many of us wouldnt know this even exists!

    Brick by brick.

  15. Steve K. says:

    Andrew –

    We just sent one to you last week. Our assistant pastor at St. Benedict’s in Chesapeake, VA, Fr. Joseph Orlowski, was just transferred to Edmonton. Our loss is your gain (if you are near Edmonton) – he is a holy priest and a very thoughtful and learned man.

  16. Athelstane says:

    Wow.

    This is heartening.

  17. ckdexterhaven says:

    brick by brick. blog by blog!

  18. Charles Ryder says:

    Sadly, I know that I am one of only three seminarians at my small seminary (70 men) who has taken any interest whatsoever in this sort of Extraordinary Form autodidacticism. It was a massive up-hill battle to have an antiphon sung once or twice a semester here for Mass. Much has been accomplished over the past 10 years or so but, alas, there is still much, much work to be done.
    Pray for the perseverance of priests and seminarians.

  19. S. Krinkle says:

    Father, Recently- since the motu proprio- at the seminary near my home, they have re-instated Latin as a required class. Now, the seminarians only recieve the Body of Our Lord on their tongues. Father, please pray for me, a sinner

  20. LCB says:

    “Now, the seminarians only recieve the Body of Our Lord on their tongues.”

    And I almost fell out of my swivel chair. Now that’s real progress.

  21. Maureen says:

    Brick by brick, blog by blog —
    Build the Church up past the fog.
    Make the place a light that marks
    Where life and death are found.
    Brick by brick, blog by blog —
    Feed the fire log by log,
    Make the lighthouse shine out bright,
    Show the path to solid ground.

    Say the black, do the red:
    Priests can be both heart and head.
    If you want to follow Him,
    Follow His Bride’s command.
    Less talk sessions; more processions —
    That is how to spread His blessin’s.
    Roll your own Mass? Too much messin’,
    And it’s what noone can stand.

  22. Alan says:

    Seeing that picture just made my day:)

  23. A Priest says:

    I wonder if the other American seminary in Europe- the American College in Louvain- is training it’s men for Holy Mass in the EF…I seriously doubt it!!!

  24. Clinton says:

    I agree — it is indeed an uplifting sight to see evidence of such hunger for the EF among seminarians today. God willing, the day will
    come when you would no longer have to take the prudent step of blurring their names to protect them.

  25. Daniel Hill says:

    Lets hope they also begin to wear their cassocks wityh blue piping.

  26. Sacerdosinaeternum says:

    The sems at the NAC who serve at Mass wear the house cassocks for certain feasts throughout the year. Incredibly, about three years ago, many new ones were made. Give them a few years- hopefully all of the sems will wear them again!

  27. Lynne says:

    Maureen, I love your poem.

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