I post this on behalf of my good friend the great Fr. Robert Pasley, who reigns gloriously at Mater Ecclesiae in Berlin, NJ. Each year they have a great celebration for the Feast of the Assumption.
Here is this year’s information for those of you anywhere within range. It is always worth the effort. I am tempted to fly in for the occaston!
From a reader:
Mater Ecclesiae Roman Catholic Church will be celebrating its Tenth Annual Assumption Mass of Thanksgiving on Monday, August 15 at 7:00 pm. Breaking with past tradition, the Mass will not be celebrated in southern New Jersey but at St. Peter the Apostle Church (National Shrine of St. John Neumann) at 1019 N. 5th St. (5th St. & Girard Ave.), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Msgr. George Tomichek will preach the sermon.
Please note that Mass will be celebrated in the upper church (entrance on 5th St.).
(There are three parking lots — two on Lawrence St. and one on 5th St. — which together have space for approximately 250 cars. The church is also accessible to public transportation.)
Mater Ecclesiae will also be celebrating a Solemn Mass at 11:00 am on Sunday, August 14. This will be followed by a potluck dinner and Solemn First Vespers of the Assumption at 2:00 pm.
My first traditional Latin Mass was the 2007 Annual Assumption Mass.
I encourage everyone with the time and opportunity to travel to Philadelphia for this Mass. The church is old and venerable. And the body of St. John Neumann reposes in the lower church.
For those of you who ordinarily attend the Novus Ordo . . . wouldn’t it wonderful to celebrate Our Lady’s Assumption on the Feast of the Assumption?
How appropriate. St John Neumann had such a great devotion to Mary. Possibly the greatest American bishop. Just finished reading a story of his life and letters. Amazing man….but I digress. Would love to participate in this!
We just past by there this past weekend. Both the upper church and St John’s crypt shrine have been restored, but the upper Church has the altar pulled down the steps from the reredos.
http://www.stjudeliturgicalarts.com/resources/LiturgicalArts/images/layout/Current%20Work/current_main_large.jpg
Here is St John’s crypt Church restored.
http://www.stjudeliturgicalarts.com/resources/LiturgicalArts/images/layout/Case9_NeumannShrine/MainPict_Case9.jpg
Father-
I hope you can make it. I should be there as well. I missed it last year.
Semper Fi!
Silicon Valley’s a little far to be considered “in the area”, but I wish everyone a blessed day. On the other hand, St. Philomena’s Mass on Saturday of this week ( a High Mass) will be the first of a series of Masses. Our regular Sunday Mass WILL have the Assumption follow it on Monday. I believe we’ll be the only place in the diocese to celebrate it on Monday.
God bless,
Chris
I’m contemplating it, but honestly… my nervousness is a bit strong at this point. I do, however, love the Shrine. :)
I visited the Shrine of St. John Neumann around 1982 or 1983, when the Crypt Church at St. Peter’s was in the former architectural style. I haven’t had the chance to go back since.
If I could bilocate, I would love to be at this Mass!
I also have a booklet on the life of St. John Neumann which I got from a shrine in-of all places- North Dakota, right after his canonization in 1977. There was a photo of the inside of the Upper Church of St. Peter’s. I thought it was very nice-they didn’t do too much in the way of ‘modernization’.
There was a photo of the inside of the Upper Church of St. Peter’s. I thought it was very nice-they didn’t do too much in the way of ‘modernization’.
It has hardly been modernized at all — as far as I know, the only change was that the mensa was separated from the reredos. But then I’ve only been going to the Shrine for 10-12 years and have been in the upper church only a handful of times.
The lower church — where St. John Neumann’s relics are under the altar — is being slowly “de-modernized.”
This is a must-attend event… Fr. Pasely’s Masses are always beautiful… And they have a wonderful choir… I know many of the members are professional…. They graduated from conservatory. Don’t miss it!!!
Here is the site to see what the Lower Church of Saint Peter’s looks like in Philadelphia.
http://www.stjudeliturgicalarts.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/content.page/nodeID/0cad2b9d-eb0d-419d-9f99-4b7fd165cadb/
Extensive work was also done to the Upper Church as well. I hope Msgr. Tomichek uses the “old” new pulpit to preach from. Msgr. Tomichek is a parish son of Saint Peter’s and has been present for each opening of Saint John Neumann’s coffin since 1962.
N.B. Bishop Neumann held the Proclamation of the Immaculate Conception while Pope Pius IX infallibly declared it as Dogma. The first of Philadelphia’s two saints was in Rome for his “ad limina” visit.
I passed “Mater Eccasiae”‘s property this evening and saw some damage to their stone wall along the wall; looks like it may have been caused by a car accident. I hope no one was hurt.