I had this nice piece of news in my mailbox today:
His Eminence Edward Card. Egan,Archbishop Emeritus of New York, accepted the invitation of the Agnus Dei Council of the Knights of Columbus in New York City to celebrate a Solemn Pontifical Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite – a Mass for Life – on 25 March 2010, the Feast of the Annunciation. The Council’s annual Mass for Life emphasizes the special link between the Incarnation of Jesus from the moment of conception in the womb at the Annunciation and Catholic Pro-Life Values. More information about the location and time of the Mass will be released shortly.
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When we moved to NYC, St. Agnes Church held an OF Mass each Sunday, in Latin. That was pre Ecclesai Dei. Then the joy we had when Card. O’Connor gave approval for an EF Mass each Sunday. THis is the culmulation of much prayer. Deo Gratia.
Kudos to all responsible for scheduling a solemn liturgy on a holy day that makes so much sense to elevate in our times, at least on a de facto basis. I’ll be there in spirit.
wow
Thanks for sharing this wonderful news. I assume this is at St. Patrick’s? Tom
Much gratitude is owed to Father Eric Rapaglia (pastor) and Father James Miara (celebrant) at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the Bronx for hosting the Solemn High Mass in the EF last year. This nice piece of news couldn’t have happened without them — their kindness should really be applauded, they truly laid the groundwork brick by brick.
This is EXACTLY what we need to advance the ball. (Cardinal O’Connor was all set to offer a Solemn High Mass right before he fell ill.) The weight that this carries cannot be overstated. This is a very, very big deal for New York and the U.S.
Day of the Unborn Child
http://www.kofc.org/un/eb/en/leadership_institute/surge_with_service/church_activities/day_of_unborn/
I remember when we founded the Agnus Dei Council in the ’90’s. We were Catholic men working – but not living – in Manhattan. As such we were unlike most Knights of Columbus councils that are established by men from a particular parish. Rather the force unifying this group of men from the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, New Jersey, etc. was the Traditional Latin Mass.
We originally held meetings in the basement of St. Agnes on 44th Street. However circumstances caused us to move around the Eastside. We also met in a deli, the back of a bar, and even a very nice townhouse.
Ultimately we found a home in the Bronx’s Little Italy where we helped establish a weekly Traditional Mass in one parish and are lending support to another pastor who may follow suit in his parish.
I am not as active in the council as I once was, but I sure am proud of the guys who have stayed true to our founding principals – Traditional Catholicism and the Extraordinary Form of the Mass.
Charles Taibi
Has His Eminence Cardinal Egan ever said Mass in the Extraordinary Form in public before, or will this be the first time?
Remember everyone, go to Virtualmarchforlife.com and sign up for the Virtual March for Life. Americans United for Life is behind the campaign. Even if you can’t go to D.C. you can still be “present”. Tell your friends, too. LIFE!!!!
Excellent news. I’m also interested to know whether Cardinal Egan has ever publicly celebrated the TLM.
I’m sure HE celebrated the TLM many times prior to 1970!
This is excellent news…this maybe what’s needed to encourage more Bishops (besides for the one’s that already celebrate the EF) to do so.
This is wonderful!
Remember, Cardinal Egan is one of the Church’s best Latinists (alongside our gracious cyberhost!).
The REAL goal is to get His Eminence to offer the TLM nine months later. Eight simple words: Christmas Midnight Mass — St. Patrick’s Cathedral — Extraordinary Form. And, remember, that Mass has been TELEVISED LIVE on WPIX-TV (Channel 11) since 1948. A live pontifical TLM — from the media capital of the universe — now THAT could be a game changer!
Solemn mass in the extraordinary form from St. Pat’s would be a wonderful event, but I am afraid the Midnight Mass would not be it. First, it is the one Mass of the year when the Cathedral and the Archbishop are front and center, with all of NY’s prominent political figures, Catholic and not, in attendance. While some people would take issue with this, this Mass is as much a civic and a media event as it is a religious one. Plus, the Archbishop’s homily is probably the one chance in the year when the entire archdiocese can hear him preach on television. I would not want to see Archbishop Dolan giving up his rightful place to Cardinal Egan, who, after all, had the opportunity to offer about nine Midnight Masses during his tenure.
Personally, I would be happy if the current Archbishop removed the present altar of sacrifice installed in the forward sanctuary by Cardinal O’Connor and reverted to using the high altar, which is largely unused unless the Archbishop has a health issue impeding his walking a distance from the sacristy (as happened when Cardinal O’Connor was undergoing cancer treatment and Cardinal Egan had knee surgery). The present altar of sacrifice, which was removed from a side chapel in the Cathedral to install a new shrine, can be given to another church, perhaps a new church in one of the upstate counties of the Archdiocese where the catholic population is growing, to link it symbolically to the cathedral as the center of the See. This would eliminate the definite crowded feeling in the sanctuary and restore the high altar to the use it enjoyed for many years until the personal preferences of Cardinal O’Connor (wonderful and saintly though he was)dictated a change which continues some 20+ years later, but is not consistent with the design of the sanctuary.
I will mark my calendar for that one. Bishop Rifan’s Pontifical Mass last June was beautiful and well attended. I hope they advertise this and the Church overflows, wherever it is going to be held. St. Patrick’s, I doubt it. ALthough I would love it and will pary for it. I believe the last Tridentine Mass in St. Patrick’s was in 1996 with people on the sidewalks it was so full, to which one of the highest of Prelates was supposed to have said. “Never again”. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Perhaps the focus should be less on strategizing going forward and more on the importance of the Solemnity of the Annunciation, the Feast of the Incarnation. Having a Pontifical Mass in the Extaordinary Form will be a glorious celebration of our Blessed Mother’s fiat, our embryonic Lord, St. Joseph as protector of the Holy Family, and the 15th anniversary of the proclamation of Evangelium Vitae.