Traditional Religious Orders for Women – Part 2

Tridentine Community News (February 19, 2012):

By blessed coincidence, a discussion of traditional and conservative religious orders for women took place this week on Fr. Z’s blog. Three of the many that were mentioned (beyond those listed in last week’s column) base their spirituality on the Extraordinary Form of Holy Mass and the Divine Office:

The Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Church are an offshoot of the sedevacantist Sisters of the Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen. Fifteen nuns who wished to be united with Rome, including the then-present and former Mothers Superior, split off and received approval for their new order from the Diocese of Spokane, Washington in 2007. With consultation and assistance from Ann Arbor’s Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist and from the Missionaries of Charity, this growing group of sisters is focusing on an educational apostolate. From what is discernible from their web site, however, they seem to make use of both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms.
http://www.sistersofmarymotherofthechurch.org

The Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate, with both active and contemplative arms, are a surprisingly large group, with foundations throughout the world, including the U.S., England, and Australia. Their detailed web site gives a comprehensive view of their various apostolates, several of which are devoted to radio, television, and publishing.
http://www.franciscansoftheimmaculate.com/

The Carmel of Elysburg, Pennsylvania is an outgrowth of the Valparaiso, Nebraska Carmelites mentioned last week. Like its parent Carmel, it is served by priests of the Fraternity of St. Peter.
http://friendsofcarmeljmj.org

There may very well be additional such communities, but for some inexplicable reason, many of them choose to bury their liturgical preferences deep within their web sites, if they are mentioned at all. From a marketing perspective, one would think that this is a major point of attraction for many candidates. It is also worth mentioning that certain groups employ Latin for the Liturgy of the Hours and/or the Holy Mass, but in the Ordinary Form or in an order’s own rite, such as the Cistercian. Some have the Tridentine Mass on certain occasions throughout the year. Be careful to investigate thoroughly to determine the specific liturgical disciplines of any particular group.

New Tridentine Mass Site: Sacred Heart, Imlay City

Sacred Heart Parish in Imlay City has announced that it will be offering Mass in the Extraordinary Form on First Fridays at 3:00 PM. This Mass is the initiative of Sacred Heart Pastor Fr. Paul Ward, known to many of our readers from his tenure as Associate Pastor of the St. Josaphat cluster a few years ago. This is the twelfth current site in the Archdiocese of Detroit to offer the Tridentine Mass.

Tridentine Mass Sites in the Archdiocese of Detroit

Since we’re on the subject, it is timely to list of all of the sites in the Archdiocese of Detroit that host Holy Masses in the Extraordinary Form, either on a scheduled or semi-regular basis:

1. St. Josaphat, Detroit – Sundays 9:30 AM, Mondays 7:00 PM, plus Holy Days and First and Second Class Feast days which have a Gloria and Credo specified at 7:00 PM on weekdays and on Saturdays at announced times
2. St. Joseph, Detroit – Special occasions
3. Assumption Grotto, Detroit – Sundays 9:30 AM, weekdays 7:30 AM
4. St. Albertus, Detroit – Eleven Sundays per year at noon
5. Ss. Cyril & Methodius, Sterling Heights – Saturdays 6:00 PM
6. Sweetest Heart of Mary, Detroit – Special occasions
7. Sacred Heart, Yale – Sundays 2:00 PM
8. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Wyandotte – Third Saturdays at 8:00 AM
9. St. Edward on the Lake, Lakeport – First Saturdays at 8:00 AM
10. St. Hyacinth, Detroit – Special occasions at 1:00 PM
11. Ss. Peter & Paul (west side), Detroit – Special occasions at 12:15 PM
12. Sacred Heart, Imlay City – First Fridays at 3:00 PM

No such list would be complete, of course, without including the original Tridentine Mass in our region, at Windsor’s Assumption Church on Sundays at 2:00 PM and Tuesdays at 7:00 PM.

The growth of special occasion sites is interesting and not a unique Detroit phenomenon. Any form of the Sacred Liturgy that is an accepted part of the Church should be exposed to the widest possible spectrum of the faithful, as people cannot develop a love for that which they do not know.

We are unsure of the status of two Tridentine Mass sites: St. Stephen, New Boston [Is this Mass on hiatus?] and Immaculate Conception, Lapeer [Was or is this a monthly Mass?]. Please e-mail us at the address at the bottom of this page if you know the current situation at one or both of these churches.

Tridentine Masses This Coming Week

Mon. 02/20 7:00 PM: Low Mass at St. Josaphat (Feria [Celebrant may choose a Votive Mass])

Tue. 02/21 7:00 PM: Low Mass at Assumption-Windsor (Feria [Celebrant may choose a Votive Mass])

Wed. 02/22 7:00 PM: High Mass at St. Josaphat (Ash Wednesday)

Sat. 02/25 9:30 AM: High Mass at St. Josaphat (St. Matthias, Apostle)

[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 February 19, 2012. Hat tip to A.B.]