South Bend, IN: Bp. D’Arcy’s TLM

22 Comments

1. Andrew, UK and sometimes Canada says:

   19 January 2009 at 9:07 AM

   Nice that His Excellency used the high altar.
2. Silas Mattingly says:

   19 January 2009 at 9:39 AM

   Of course, this is not actually a Pontifical Low Mass, but merely a Low Mass celebrated by a bishop. Very edifying, regardless.
3. Alessandro says:

   19 January 2009 at 10:09 AM

   Why do they use the high altar without taking away the other? It is a very odd view: a “table” between the celebrant and the congregation. Wouldn’t it be better to use the new altar on the “ad orientem” side if they don’t want to (or can) take it away?
4. Fr. John Zuhlsdorf says:

   19 January 2009 at 10:11 AM

   Alessandro: Do you suppose it might be fixed to the floor?
5. Former Altar Boy says:

   19 January 2009 at 11:10 AM

   Let’s hope His Excellency offered up the Mass for the conversion of Notre Dame UNiversity.
6. r7blue1pink says:

   19 January 2009 at 11:16 AM

   That is Fr Geroge Gabet FSSP on the Right of Bishop D’Arcy and FSSP seminarian Greg Eichman(from FW)..

   Bishop D’Arcy will be celebrating at Sacred Heart in Fort Wayne on Sunday February 8th at 11:30am
7. Tomas says:

   19 January 2009 at 11:24 AM

   What a beautiful Church! This is apparently not his Cathedral, either. Can you imagine what Catholic architecture would look like if the “Novus Ordo” had been the Mass of the Ages?!
8. LCB says:

   19 January 2009 at 11:27 AM

   The altar at St. Patrick is indeed fixed.

   Fr. Z, if you look carefully at the processional photos (mmm, eye candy!) you’ll see that Bp. D’Arcy is also wearing a biretta. TLM community in South Bend has already been graced with 2 potential vocations in just a short time.

   Concerning the Latin Mass, Bp. D’Arcy has previously said this, “Many years ago… [Professor Mark Searle] gave me clear advice when this Mass was first restored. He said, “Bishop, it is very important for you to celebrate that Mass with the people so they have a sense that they are fully part of the diocese.” I was privileged to do so, and now I intend to do so again. I have asked Father George [Gabet] to set up a time so I can celebrate this Mass in each end of the diocese. I will need to rehearse again, and it will bring back so many memories. I look forward to it and to meeting those many people including, I am told, a few young people who come from the surrounding area to pray at this Mass.”

   We are incredibly blessed to have a shepherd with the dedication to vocations, Tradition, and truth that Bp. John D’Arcy has.
9. Roland de Chanson says:

   19 January 2009 at 1:17 PM

   This was a good man that Boston lost. Bail ó Dhia air. (God bless him (Irish)).
10. UHS Youngstown, OH says:

    19 January 2009 at 1:23 PM

    Father Z thank you for posting this and brightening my day. The University of Notre Dame accepted my daughter last month but I have serious reservations about sending her there because of the progressive teachings of one of their well publicized theologians. I pray the university will follow the example set by his Excellency the Most Reverend John D’Arcy and once again become a bastion of traditional Catholic practices and beliefs.
11. TJM says:

    19 January 2009 at 1:44 PM

    UHS Youngstown, Oh

    Don’t fear for your daughter at Notre Dame. As an alum, I can attest that there are a large number of very dedicated traditional priests and faculty there. They have a weekly TLM, Rosaries at the Grotto, Religious Processions, etc. Unfortunately, the folks that get the publicity are the Richard McBrien’s of the
    world. Keep in mind who pushes folks like him – the anti-Catholic, left-wing American media. They would never interview an orthodox staunch priest from Notre Dame because that priest does not fit their agenda. There is a website you should look at created by Notre Dame students and alum – the Shrine
    of the Holy Whapping. It will lead you to other links that will give you a much more positive view of the current religious atmosphere at Notre Dame.
    All the best, Tom
12. Joe of St. Thérèse says:

    19 January 2009 at 3:16 PM

    Deo Gratias! One brick at a time
13. CAL says:

    19 January 2009 at 3:24 PM

    How we would love to have him about an hour and a half down I69.
14. AJP says:

    19 January 2009 at 7:27 PM

    UHS,

    Congrats to your daughter on getting accepted at ND! Another alum here and
    as TJM says, fear not! The picture of ND that the media as well as some
    folks on the blogosphere portray is much gloomier than how things are at the
    university itself. I graduated in 2003, and already there was a strong
    undercurrent of orthodoxy among undergrads, grad students, profs, priests,
    and some administration. From what I can tell through the blogosphere,
    things have only gotten better. For instance, Campus Ministry now sponsors
    and promotes the TLM on campus – something that wouldn’t have happened even
    7 years ago.

    As for McBrien, while the media loves him, he’s quite a non-entity on the
    campus. Really. Most of the students have never even heard of him. He
    rarely teaches, especially undergrad courses. He just doesn’t have that much
    influence over day to day life of undergrads at ND. Your daughter should be
    careful of the theology department, however. There are some big time
    dissenters there. Since all ND students must take 2 theology courses at some
    point, my advice would be for her to find out before registering who’s
    teaching the courses, try to look up something on their backgrounds, and
    choose accordingly.

    Also as a woman, I would caution your daughter about the liturgical life in
    the women’s dorms. Every dorm at ND has a chapel, every dorm celebrates
    Mass on Sunday night, and many dorms celebrate mass in the evenings during
    the week. When I was at ND, the women’s dorm Masses were notorious for
    liturgical abuses and general irreverence (most don’t even have chairs, you
    had to sit on the floor for Mass like story time in Kindergarten). It was
    not unheard of for invalid matter to be used at these Masses. I found it
    all very degrading and sexist (basically the message was since we’re girls,
    we can’t handle a real Mass and must want some slumber party instead).
    But perhaps things have improved in this regard too. In
    any event, she won’t have a choice about what dorm she ends up in her freshman
    year. However, if the dorm Mass is lacking, there are so many other opportunities
    on campus for reverent Masses, including the other dorms. She’ll be OK.
15. David says:

    19 January 2009 at 8:32 PM

    In regards to the free standing altar…

    All you have to do is use your imagination… and it’s gone:

    http://img164.imageshack.us/my.php?image=austinpictureforheaderrwq1.jpg
16. Mike Morrow says:

    19 January 2009 at 8:37 PM

    I would like to comment on the tangential question that has been voiced of an EF Mass at an older church with the traditional pre-Vatican II altar, when a novus ordo (NO) table is between the altar and the congragation.

    One must be thankful that an EF Mass is taking place at all. It is, IMHO, very much preferable that the EF Mass returns to the proper and traditional altar, where its presence has been missed for 45 years, and not be degraded at the front of the NO table. I suspect I’m not the only one who has never considered such tables to be proper altars.

    One must be thankful that post-Vatican II “innovators” did not “creatively” destroy the traditional altar in this church.

    Where EF Masses and NO services are conducted in the same church, it would seem appropriate to eventually modify the table so that it can be removed for EF Mass. Its presence is offensive to the EF Mass.

    There are many post-Vatican II new-churches (such as the one I take an elderly relative to when I’m visiting) that have never had anything but a stage-type sanctuary with a NO table in front. Where an altar and tabernacle should be, are instead the chairs for the NO priest and his altar boys/girls, and/or his permanant NO deacons, high and right at the center! The post-Vatican II designers of such new-churches have ensured that there would never be a proper home for the traditional Mass. I tell my relative that if the Catholic Church ever leaves town, at least the church building will be easy to sell to pentcostals since it is ready to holy-roll right now!

    Overall, the picture of the altar and the EF Mass shown here leads me to much optimism.
17. Berthold says:

    19 January 2009 at 8:53 PM

    I am not sure if it is better to use in such circumstances the table altar (shows continuity) or the High Altar (creates normally a natural focus). However, in my experience a table altar in the centre of the Sanctuary causes some nuisance for the servers, but members of the Congregation focussed on the proceedings on the High Altar normally have little problems ignoring it – it is in most cases an inconspicuous object at an inconspicuous place (sorry to say that about a consecrated altar, but from an esthetical point of view this is often true, and a reason why these tables should be removed asap; one should not celebrate the most important thing of our faith at an object that can easily be overlooked)
18. Matt says:

    19 January 2009 at 9:38 PM

    Mike,

    NO services

    I may be jumping to conclusions here, if I am, humblest apologies, it would seem from your post the celebration of the Mass of Paul VI is no Mass at all, but a \”service\”, you ought to be aware of this:

    CANON VII.–If any one saith, that the ceremonies, vestments, and outward signs, which the Catholic Church makes use of in the celebration of masses, are incentives to impiety, rather than offices of piety; let him be anathema.

    God Bless,

    Matt
19. David O'Rourke says:

    19 January 2009 at 11:49 PM

    Of course what is most edifying is seeing the young altar boys being trained to serve the Mass of the Ages.
20. LCB says:

    20 January 2009 at 10:22 AM

    Berthold,

    The high altar creates continuity… with the last 1900 years of Christian Tradition. The NO altar creates continuity with the last 500 years of the Protestant Reformation. It’s all about what one wants continuity with.

    Matt,

    How about providing some context for that anathema? Your context would immediately contradict your own argument.
21. Matt says:

    20 January 2009 at 10:44 AM

    LCB,

    Where EF Masses and NO services are conducted in the same church, it would seem appropriate to eventually modify the table so that it can be removed for EF Mass. Its presence is offensive to the EF Mass.

    this is the context, the poster appears to suggest that the EF is a mass, but the NO is just a service. Anyone intentionally making such a statement appears to me dangerously close to the anathema.

    I don’t understand your comment.

    Matt
22. TJM says:

    20 January 2009 at 12:02 PM

    St. Patrick’s is a jewel of a Church. Having grown up in SB, I went to Mass there often. I was always amazed that the High Altar was left intact as so
    many Churches in the SB area had their High Altar’s removed and replaced. Hopefully, as ad orientem worship becomes more customary, Churches like
    St. Patrick’s will see fit to remove the people’s altars altogether. Tom

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