Relics of St. André Bessette To Visit Assumption Church This Tuesday

Tridentine Community News (May 1, 2011):

Instead of offering the usual Tuesday evening Tridentine Mass, this Tuesday, May 3, Assumption Church in Windsor will be hosting the regional visitation of the Major Reliquary of St. (Brother) André Bessette.

Canonized on October 17, 2010, St. André was a member of the Congregation of the Holy Cross from 1874–1937 and was assigned as a porter (doorkeeper) at Notre Dame College near Montreal. He informally counseled visitors and became known for his strong devotion to St. Joseph. Thousands of cures were attributed to his visiting the sick and anointing them with blessed oil from a lamp which burned before St. Joseph’s altar. Originally advocating the building of a chapel dedicated to St. Joseph in 1904, as an increasing number of the faithful came to visit, St. André was instrumental in building the current Oratory of St. Joseph in Montreal in 1924. His devotion touches us locally even today: The blessed St. Joseph Oil and St. Joseph Cords distributed at Detroit’s St. Joseph Church are obtained from Brother André’s Oratory.


Assumption will be open from 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM for private veneration of the relics. At 7:00 PM a special Liturgy of the Word will be celebrated by Archbishop James MacDonald, the retired Archbishop of St. John’s, Newfoundland. The theme of the visitation will be the similarities between Brother André and Detroit’s Solanus Casey, both of whom attained great sanctity through their humble ministry as porters. Assumption is located at 350 Huron Church Road at University Avenue, adjacent to the Ambassador Bridge. Free parking is available in the lot on the east side of the church; tell the attendant that you are going to church.

Tuesday 7:00 PM Tridentine Masses will resume at Assumption Church on May 10.

Prayer For The Queen

On this weekend when most every newspaper is awash with news about the Royal Wedding, it is fitting to mention that in England and Wales, the following Prayer For The Queen (or King) is specified to be prayed after Sunday High Masses, in much the same way that we have a custom of Prayers After Low Mass in the universal Church.


The twist is that this prayer can be chanted by the choir, and an example recording of such can be found on YouTube. One can also find on YouTube a lengthier, polyphonic version of this prayer adapted for Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.

℣. Dómine, salvam fac regínam nostram Elísabeth.
℟. Et exáudi nos in die, qua invocavérimus te.

Orémus. Quaesumus, omnípotens Deus, ut fámula tua Elísabeth regína nostra, qui tua miseratióne suscépit regni gubernácula, virtútum étiam ómnium percípiat increménta; quibus decénter ornáta, et vitiórum monstra devitáre, et ad te, qui via, véritas, et vita es, cum príncipe consórte et prole régia, gratiósa váleat perveníre. Per Christum Dóminum nostrum.
℟. Amen.

℣. O Lord, save Elizabeth our Queen.
℟. And hear us in the day when we call upon Thee.

Let us pray. Almighty God, we pray for Thy servant Elizabeth our Queen, now by Thy mercy reigning over us. Adorn her yet more with every virtue, remove all evil from her path, that with her consort, and all the royal family she may come at last in grace to Thee, Who art the way, the truth, and the life. Through Christ our Lord.
℟. Amen.

This prayer demonstrates our obligation to pray for our leaders, no matter what denomination they may espouse.

Next St. Albertus Mass: May 15

The next Tridentine Mass at St. Albertus Church will be in two weeks, on Sunday, May 15 at noon. The celebrant will be Fr. Wolfgang Seitz, ORC. Wassim Sarweh will direct the music.

Tridentine Masses This Coming Week
Mon. 05/02 7:00 PM: Low Mass at St. Josaphat (St. Joseph the Worker)
Tue. 05/03 7:00 PM: No Latin Mass this week at Assumption-Windsor – Visitation of St. André Bessette’s Relics instead

[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 1, 2011. Hat tip to A.B.]