A curious parish bulletin note

 

An alert reader sent me the following notice about a comment in a parish bulletin in the Diocese of Raleigh, NC, St. Mary’s in Willmington where Fr. Robert Kus.

Fourth, beginning the last Sunday of August, the diocese will host a “forma extraordinaria” Mass at 7 p.m. at St. Mary’s upon my invitation. It will occur the last Sunday of each month at 7 p.m. This Mass was common in modern times of our Church history but declined greatly when the Second Vatican Council asked us to go back to the ancient Mass, i.e., the Mass conducted in the language of the people. The forma extraordinaria Mass is a diocesan event, not a ministry of St. Mary parish. Our parish will continue to only offer the ancient form of the Mass in English and Spanish. For more information on the forma extraordinaria Mass, contact the parish in Dunn, NC.

 

??!?!

Let’s get this straight…

  • The older Mass, pre-Conciliar, or forma extraordinaria was once "common"!
  • Vatican II asked us to go back to the "ancient Mass", which is the Novus Ordo!
  • Vatican II wanted us to go back to the "language of the people", as in ancient times!
  • The ancient form of Mass is in English and Spanish.

Father needs a refresher course.

On the other hand, I am glad that he has been willing to host an event for the diocese.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

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

  1. Jack Hughes says:

    Just my thoughts but it sounds like a Bishop who dosn’t like tradtion is paying lip service in the hopes it’ll stop his flock from sneaking of to the local SSPX chapel (yes I checked there is one in Raleigh,NC).

  2. JohnMa says:

    Wow. I looked at the parish website and I have a feeling that Father did not have much of a choice in this. He is not a believer in tradition by any stretch of the imagination. A “communion service” every Wednesday?

    The wording of this piece in the bulletin makes it clear that he hates the Mass according to the 1962 MR. He couldn’t distance himself any further from this Mass. From the pictures on the site it appears they have a high altar in addition to a picnic table. The Diocese probably gave him 0 choice in the matter.

  3. thereseb says:

    Er….is there any evidence that Mass was said in Celtic or Visigoth during the first four centuries? Let me see – what would the vernacular have been in the Roman Empire….Latin dialects which would gradually morph into the romance languages (but not yet) in the West , and Greek (with Latin still as the official language of government) in the East?

  4. Londiniensis says:

    Father Kus may have his own views, misguided as we feel (know) them to be, but – unless he is a very un-educated man indeed and believes what he has written – he should not lie to his parishioners.

  5. cuaguy says:

    While this is a weird bulletin note, my parish had a great one today. It took up half of a column to explain what an indulgence is, and how to obtain one in the Year of Priests.

  6. I think the Wednesday communion service is because a priest is not available to celebrate a Mass.

  7. Jack Hughes says:

    Thomas grant 2

    I appreciate that wednesday might be this priests day off, but I see no reason to have ‘comunion’ services, the danger being that people get a warped idea of what communion is, if a priest isn’t avaliable surely a simple liturgy of the word should suffice? (not that I’m keen on them either).

  8. Jack Hughes

    I with you, it was just an observation.

  9. Anne M. says:

    Jack Hughes

    As a resident of the Raleigh Diocese, I can assure you that Bishop Burbidge is very supportive of the Forma Extraordinaria. Five churches in our diocese offer it regularly, either once a month or once a week.

    Last month Bishop Burbidge visited Sacred Heart Church in Dunn, NC where he confirmed 21 people in the Extraordinary Form.

  10. Father Totton says:

    I believe Redmptionis Sacramentum addresses the notion of a communion service, indicating that suuch things should only rarely happen, and then, only on the Lords Day in a truly remote place lacking the ministry of a priest. It is, however, a widespread practice that communion services are held in place of weekday Masses. At least this priest indicates as much, some don’t even let you know, then you show uup to be greeted by Betty Boop who is “filling in” for Fr. Fred. I once remember hearing a parishioner (at another parish) say how much she likes “sister’s Mass” No confusion there at all!

  11. Jack Hughes says:

    Anne M

    Then you’re more fortunate than I am

  12. Sid says:

    Thanks, Anne, for setting the record straight about Bishop Burbidge, a bishop who repeatedly has demonstrated his support for the MEF/TLM. I too live in NC and have some first hand evidence.

    I worry that some of the disparaging writebacks above (and I do not include Fr. Z’s own remarks, which have the sound logic of faulting the argument, not the person), aside from drawing conclusions unsupported and unsupportable about the motives of the bishop and the pastor — conclusions, I regret to say, that likely have the degree of truth equal to a number resembling the shape of an egg –, also might leave the impression, a false one, that we MEFers be a collection of the sulky, the grumpy, the denigrating, and the dyspeptic. To foster such a false impression might not aid a winsome perception of the MEF/TLM in my state.

    For the record: The Mass forma extraordinaria on 30 August at 7pm, at St. Mary, 220 South Fifth Street, Wilmington, NC, will be a Solemn High Mass, offered by Father Paul Parkerson. An MEF will be offered every last Sunday of the month at the same time at St Mary. The pastor of St. Mary has merited our warm gratitude for his gracious invitation — gratitude that ought find expression in the collection plate.

  13. Jack Hughes says:

    Dear Sid

    I don’t know whether you were refering to me or not, but if some of us EF’ers are guilty of being sulky, grumpy and denigrating it is most likely the result of living in a diocese which for whatever reason (job, education) it is hard to leave and where the prelate not only indifferent towards to EF but actively discouriges any celebration of it. Therefore the Latin Mass Society AGM is often the one time we get to attend an EF Mass in the year.

    If as I do you also happen to live close to a SSPX chapel there is also the frustration of having access to the EF but being afraid to go because (A) the society’s papers are not in order and (b) because you know that any attendance at SSPX functions will result in your fellow parishinors (in my case, most of which are hostile to anyone prefering the EF becasue they love being EMCH’s)using it as another excuse as to why the priest (who in my case is quite competent in celebrating the EF but the EMCH’s rule the parish) should not celebrate the EF.

    So please remember this when we are suspicious about the motives of Bishop Burbidge as to quote an FSSP contact “often when we’re allowed into a diocese it is not Bishop responding to the pastrol needs of those attached to the extrodinary form (ecclesia dei) it is the fact that our Lefabvreist brothers have set up shop there and the Bishop is worried about losing members of his flock. Otherwise they are quite happy to keep both us and the Extrodinary form at arms length”.

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