From a reader:
I believe that you occasionally publish news of liturgical interest from various churches.
If you would like, please publicize that the 10:30 am Mass on Sunday mornings at Old St. Patrick in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is now being offered Ad Orientem every week by Father Gerald Gawronski (as well as all weekday Masses).
Attached are some pictures if you want to include any of them.
Brick by brick!
From a reader:
Hello. My sister is getting married in March in an Ordinary Form Mass and I am a bridesmaid. I wear a chapel veil when I go to Mass, whether I assist in the Ordinary or Extraordinary Form.
My question: is there traditionally a "correct" headcovering for a bridesmaid?
Should I wear one of the small, circular veils that sits atop the head, as opposed to a longer (eg, shoulder length) veil? Should the bride be the only woman in the wedding party wearing an actual veil? (I will be the only woman other than the bride who will be wearing a hair covering at the Mass.)
Sorry if this is a crazy question! Thank you so much for your assistance.
It is not a crazy question, but I can’t give you an answer about "traditionally correct" in this case. I simply don’t know what women did about this, "back in the day".
His dictis, I cannot see how a woman wearing a chapel veil in a Catholic Church is a bad thing or wrong or "incorrect".
I suppose you can argue that were such an apparition be so foreign in some parishes to provoke spasms and cause others to bleed from the eyes at the very sight, then it might be a good idea not to put it on.
Work this out with the bride and then let us know what you decided to do.
From a reader:
The Catholic church where my daughter is getting married does not allow the song from Fiddler on the Roof, "Sunrise, Sunset", to be sung at the ceremony because it is not liturgical.
The Catholic church where my wife and I were married allowed the song, which was sung as our mothers were escorted to their seats before the mass began.
Could you clarify the rule if there is one?
A church is not a Broadway theatre. A Mass or any liturgy of Holy Church is not a time for show tunes.
A wedding is not a musical tune review.
A wedding, while a joyful moment for many involved, is not just a opportunity to indulge personal tastes.
Music in church should be sacred music. It must be rooted in sacred texts and connected to and appropriate for the Church’s liturgy.
I agree completely with the decision to ban that song from use in church. It was entirely wrong for the other parish to permit it.
Sadly, this division in discipline and understanding of what Catholic liturgy is, what the sacrament of matrimony is all about, creates confusion among the faithful. It gives them the impression that anything goes (to name another broadway show) and that if a priest sticks to the Church’s true understanding of what sacraments are and what liturgy is, then he is being "mean".
From a reader:
I have been watching the papal liturgies on EWTN for several years. I recently noticed that when the Pope Benedict is wearing the pallium he SEEMS to be missing a pin/nail on the red cross over his right shoulder.
I can’t believe that the MC has forgotten this detail for several recent celebrations nor can I believe that, if lost, that a spare doesn’t exist.Therefore, I am wondering if there is some kind of symbolism here that I don’t understand. Can you briefly, I know that you are very busy, tell me why the pin is missing on the papal pallium?
Frankly, I hadn’t noticed.
Anyone?
From a reader:
Good Morning Fr. Zuhlsdorf,
I ordered the booklet from Angleus Press about Laundering Linens. Before I approach the head sacristan, I would like your opinion.
When folding the purificator the booklet says that the embroidered cross should face the sacred species. I am up against a very "fragile" sacristan and I want to make sure that is correct before I approach her.
I am a convert and was in an Altar Guild in the Episcopal church. I remember that the cross did face the wine, but now that I am catholic and working in another sacristy, they do it just the opposite. The cross faces up toward the priest. I would assume that the SSP way is correct, except that I have found 2 mistakes in the booklet..starting on the front cover. The corporal is upside down in the photo. The other is the first way to fold a purificator with the cross enclosed (like a corporal). If you have the booklet, take a look.
Anyway, do you have the correct answer? I love our priest, but he isn’t much help with these sort of "technical" issues in the sacristy.
There are many things which really make a difference in how Holy Mass is celebrated.
This is not one of the major things.
I don’t have a strong opinion on this. When I iron purificators, I make sure the cross winds up on the outside of the folds so that it can be seen. I iron the folds in such a way that the cross is up when I place it on the chalice.
After that, I don’t pay much attention to it.
But if I were you, I would work this out with the sacristan and with the priest.
More important than all of this is that the purificator be absorbent. In another entry here a few people suggested ways to launder linens so as to preserve this essential property.
From a reader:
From the January 11th parish bulletin of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Bethel, Alaska –
"Father Chuck will celebrate a Latin Mass on Saturday, January 31st at 7:00 pm. However, those who wish to participate in the Mass must attend "practice" sessions each Saturday at 5 pm. These sessions will last approximately 1 hour."
Father Chuck Peterson, S.J. is a missionary priest to the primarily Yup’ik Eskimo of western Alaska. We are the last missionary diocese in the United States. When Father first arrived here in the mid-1960’s travel between villages was still by dog team in the winter. He is a wonderful priest full of love for God and his parishioners. Yet, like all people he is also a product of his times and his order, and I suspect was a bit resistant or possibly concerned about the requests he was receiving for a Mass in the Extraordinary Form. However, the requests were polite and came from more than one person and in time he became quite agreeable and enthusiastic.
We had our first meeting last night where we practiced our Latin, discussed at length the meaning and importance of the priest’s and server’s prayers and discussed what seem to be some of the positive and negative ramifications of the interpretation of the Novus Ordo.
We’re all pleased and thankful.
I bet your are!
I am sure WDTPRSers will appreciate photos.
Ice block by ice block!
There was some confusion when the Emancipation Procl… er um Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum was released about the Latin
Art. 5, § 1. In paroeciis, ubi coetus fidelium traditioni liturgicae antecedenti adhaerentium stabiliter [previously continenter] exsistit, parochus eorum petitiones ad celebrandam sanctam Missam iuxta ritum Missalis Romani anno 1962 editi, libenter suscipiat … In parishes, where there is stably present a group of the faithful attached to the previous liturgical tradition, let the pastor willingly receive their petitions that Mass be celebrated according to the Rite of the Missale Romanum issued in 1962.
Although the Latin does not say "stable group", it does talk about a group (coetus) in the parish in a stable manner (stabiliter).
There has been some discussion of what "stable group" means. How big must it be? Must they be registered at the parish…blah blah.
These questions are usually asked only by those who don’t want the older Mass to even be thought of positively, much less actually celebrated.
Still the question has juridical issues at its heart.
How big? The group has to be large enough to receive a law. How many persons is that?
Three.
3
Drei… Trois… San… Tre… Three.
So, a reader sent this:
At our local church, the TLM was offered a week ago for the first time in 40 years!
In the homily, the visiting celebrant, Fr. Brian Klingele of Garnett, KS, defined a stable group as the 3.
Why? Because he said canon law defines a congregation as 3 or more people.
Sounds about right.
Remember: The priest can be one of the three.
And Summorum Pontificum means what it says when it uses "libenter".
From a distressed reader:
I need your help as I am not sure where else to turn. I cannot find the correct answer for this.
The Parish we attend has undergone some changes and not for the good. The first abuse is the EMHC walking right up and standing behind the priest before he receives communion.
Today though I nearly fell out of my pew. The announcement was that several adults who have joined the church and been baptized as adults will assist our Pastor in the sprinkling rite.
These 3 people all gathered around the font and I thought they would hold the (?) basin for the Priest so he wouldn’t have to refill. All four of them split off into different directions sparkling the parishioners. Fortunately, the priest came to my section. I am sure, however, my gaping jaw allowed some holy water to splash upon my tongue.
This has to be wrong. Lay people cannot do this, can they? I nearly left I was so shocked by this turn of events.
Later after we renewed our baptismal vows, he asked everyone to turn to the person next to them and make the sign of the cross on their foreheads, as “when the Priest claimed you for Christ.” No one touched me and my 7yo looked hurt that I would not allow it to happen to him. I told him, he was already claimed and marked for Christ. He already stays in the pew during Communion lest one of the EMHC tries to “bless” him.
I’ll let the readers here help with this.
Pull this apart systematically.
Start with the EMCH’s and their role in relation to the role of the priest and his Communion.
Move to issue of the sprinkling rite: what does it mean and, therefore, what lay people should be involved.
Then, the sign of the Cross business.
What is at the basis of these problems? What error is at work in the background to these choices?
One of the fruits of Summorum Pontificum whereby His Holiness liberated the older form of Mass, will be the "gravitational pull" it will exert on the way the newer form, the Novus Ordo is celebrated.
Fully aware that the plural of anecdote is not data, this comes from a reader:
Dear Fr Z,
You, and other bloggers, frequently bring joyous news of new TLM Masses and reverent OF Masses from around the world. Upon a recent visit back to Toronto, however, I was left wondering if the effects of Summorum Pontificum are slowly trickling down to the average OF Sunday Mass.
I give the example of Blessed Trinity Parish in Toronto. The 10.30 Sunday Mass is generally standard OF fare, though they have an excellent choir, which once traveled to Rome to sing at a Mass by John Paul II. I noticed some interesting things creeping into this Mass that weren’t there a while ago:
The Gloria, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei are still sung in a verse-refrain fashion but the refrain has moved into Latin, and the Agnus Dei is completely in Latin. The congregation seems to participate in this without any problems. [Of course! Latin Rite Catholics will adjust to Latin Rite liturgy!]
The church is blessed, not just with two priests, but a permanent deacon and a resident seminarian, which cuts down on the required numbers of EMHC. The deacon’s preaching in particular often reflects on the singular Truth of our Faith (cf. Dictatorship of Relativism).
There is a marked increase in devotion among the congregation with several receiving Communion kneeling and on the tongue. Many people also make their way to the tabernacle (still north of the altar) for prayer after Mass. Votive candles, often eliminated in Toronto due to insurance costs, have been reintroduced and explained as a particularly "Catholic" practice.
The priest/deacon cleaning the sacred vessels after Communion has taken to something I have only ever seen in the EF – they have adopted the hand position whereby the thumb and index finger are held over the chalice for the server to pour water over. Can keeping the thumb and index finger together after the Consecration be too far away?
Finally, the pastor, a monsignor, nearly made me weep for joy in the pews. Coming out to assist with Communion, he did not adopt the common alb and stole fashion so prevalent among priests who are not saying Mass. He came out in choir dress – long black cassock, purple fascia, and cotta – with stole and knelt at the steps of the altar until the presiding priest had received. Moreover, at the meet-and-greet after Mass he donned a long black cloak, the very image of a fully clerical cleric! Interestingly, the liturgical blue [ugh] came out on Jan. 1, but I don’t know if this is good or not.
I pray I’m not reading too much into these small signs but I thought your readers might enjoy some happy news from what is still the overwhelmingly normal way of celebrating Mass.
There are some strong currents at work. I am sure many people will start seeing changes, especially as the "biological solution" strengthens the "gravitational pull".
Coat of Arms by D Burkart
ProfessorCover on ASK FATHER: Is it a sin to take a 15 minute leave during a terrible homily?: “According to a commentary on him when he was a featured composer one year during the Proms at Royal Albert…”
on Pagliarani and Leo at Tanagra: “My daughter and my niece both recently made their First Communion, on two consecutive Saturdays. My daughters was at the…” on Pagliarani and Leo at Tanagra: “@Senor Quixana With respect, your post shows a fundamental lack of understanding. The SSPX would never in a million years…”
on ASK FATHER: Is it a sin to take a 15 minute leave during a terrible homily?: “During the time that I was forced to attend a diocesan, aka Novus Ordo parish TLM, I had my fair…”
on ASK FATHER: Is it a sin to take a 15 minute leave during a terrible homily?: “I close my eyes, put my head down and stick fingers in my ears. I guess they think I’m a…”
on ASK FATHER: Is it a sin to take a 15 minute leave during a terrible homily?: “Sometimes it is advisable to close ones eyes and ostensibly pretend to sleep to send a signal to the priest.…”
on ASK FATHER: Is it a sin to take a 15 minute leave during a terrible homily?: “I sit through it and try to pick up a few words. This particular father is from Haiti and has…”
on ASK FATHER: Is it a sin to take a 15 minute leave during a terrible homily?: “I used to have a co-worker who then was a Mass-going Catholic– he’s since lapsed– who told me that he…”
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