Fr. Edmond Bourque, RIP

Tridentine Community News (May 22, 2011):

We are saddened to report the passing on May 5 of a priest friend of the Extraordinary Form in this region. Fr. Ed Bourque was the principal substitute celebrant of the Windsor Tridentine Mass for many years. Many of our readers remember him from this region’s first High Funeral Mass, for Windsor Tridentine Mass Association leader Murray Harris in 2006. Fr. Bourque had a masterful grasp of the rubrics of the Tridentine Mass, and some might wonder why. Below we reprint a portion of his obituary, in which it is revealed that he taught Latin, though during his years of service to us he never mentioned this. He was also conversant in French, leading to his involvement in various French Catholic ministries.

“After his ordination on April 25, 1959, at Fall River MA, for the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette, Father studied Moral Theology at the Angelicum University in Rome. Upon his return to Canada, Father was a teacher of Moral Theology, Latin and Religion at both the Major and Minor Seminaries of the Missionaries of La Salette. From 1966 - 1969 he was Novice Master for the La Salette's. From 1969 - 1974 he returned to teach at the Minor Seminary in Enfield. In 1974 - 1985 Father was the Hospital Chaplain at Hotel Dieu Hospital in Windsor. From 1985 - 1992 he was elected Vicar Provincial for the La Salette Community. From 1992 - 2001 he was appointed Pastor of St. Joseph Parish, River Canard. From 2001 - 2004 upon his retirement he served as Hospital Chaplain at Hotel Dieu Hospital in Windsor. During his past seven years of retirement, Father has graciously assisted in many local parishes most especially at La Paroisse St. Jerome in Windsor and in our local French Schools.”

Réquiem ætérnam dona ei, Dómine, et lux perpétua lúceat ei. Requiéscat in pace. Amen.

Special Ascension Thursday Tridentine Mass
at St. Paul Church, Thamesville, Ontario

For the first time in over 40 years, St. Paul Church in Thamesville will host a Mass in the Extraordinary Form for the Feast of the Ascension on Thursday, June 2 at 7:00 PM. Built in 1903, St. Paul is located at 9 Alice Street, northeast of Chatham, and is now part of the merged North American Martyrs Parish. Celebrant for the Mass will be North American Martyrs pastor Fr. John Johnson, and music will be directed by Wassim Sarweh.

Eastertide Propers Variations for Weekday Masses

Those who attend our weekday Masses may have noticed some variation in the structure of the Propers during this Easter season. Today we will examine how the Propers differ in the three principal liturgical seasons of the year: Septuagesima-Lent, Eastertide, and the remainder of the year.

Many Saints’ Feast Days do not have complete Propers of their own. Instead, they might specify custom Collect(s) to be used with one of the Masses from the “Commons” Propers. For example, there are Commons for a Confessor (who is a) Bishop, a Confessor not a Bishop, of a Holy Woman not a Martyr, etc. In the altar missal, there is frequently a Collect (Opening Prayer) unique to the Saint, and sometimes a Secret and Postcommunion that are also unique. Each Collect is designated with a “P” if it is proper to (custom for) the Saint, or “C” if it is drawn from the Commons. One confusing point: Often Postcommunions are marked “C” even if they incorporate the name of the Saint of the day if the rest of the prayer is from the Commons. Celebrants are best off flipping the book to the Collects for the day, even if they are marked “C”, and not relying on the Commons’ Collects.

In addition to the Collects, occasionally the Epistle or Gospel may be unique to the Feast and not from the Commons. Thus the Commons may be overridden with Propers to a varying extent.

In Septuagesima and Lent, the usual Alleluia is replaced by a Tract. In Eastertide (Easter Sunday through Ember Friday in Pentecost week), the Gradual and Alleluia are replaced by the Lesser and Greater Alleluias, double Alleluias with two verses from Scripture. An Alleluia is also added to all of the Antiphons, that is, the Introit, Offertory, and Communion.

During the Octaves of Easter and Pentecost, the Sequence of Easter Sunday or Pentecost Sunday, respectively, is repeated at the weekday Masses. During certain seasons, the usual Common Preface employed with most Saints’ Feasts is replaced by the seasonal one. During Eastertide, for example, the Preface of Easter is used instead.

All of the above needs to be taken into account when certain Saints’ Feast days occur in a period that might be within Lent or Eastertide one year, and outside it in another. Similarly, the rules apply if a certain Saint’s Mass is celebrated as a Votive Mass on another day of the year, such as a November Saint being celebrated during Eastertide.

By tying the Propers, including the Readings, to a particular Saint’s (or Commons) Feast, the Extraordinary Form creates and preserves a theme for that Feast. The Ordinary Form follows a similar structure for its Propers, including the use of Commons, although certain Feasts have varying Readings depending on which Readings Cycle the current year is.

“Propers Awareness” will help you follow the Mass, and the thinking of the Church, better. This is a key reason why we expend the effort to produce Propers Handouts; it makes living the Church calendar a core part of your participation at Mass.

Tridentine Masses This Coming Week

Mon. 05/23 7:00 PM: Low Mass at St. Josaphat (Feria [Celebrant may choose a Votive Mass])

Tue. 05/24 7:00 PM: High Mass at Assumption-Windsor (Daily Mass for the Dead with Absolution at the Catafalque)

[Comments? Please e-mail tridnews@stjosaphatchurch.org. Previous columns are available at www.stjosaphatchurch.org. This edition of Tridentine Community News, with minor editions, is from the St. Josaphat bulletin insert for May 22, 2011. Hat tip to A.B.]