Extraordinary Community News

Tridentine Community News (May 27, 2012):

First Friday Mass to Debut at St. Josaphat

One of the oldest and most enduring devotions in the Catholic Church is the First Friday devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. A concise explanation of this devotion is found in the 1956 Marian Sunday Missal:

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque was born in France in the year 1647, and died in 1690. She was canonized in 1920, and her feast is celebrated on October 17.

Our Lord appeared to St. Margaret Mary several times during her life as a nun in the Visitation Order. Sometimes our Lord showed His Most Sacred Heart afire with love for men; while at other times His Heart would appear torn and bleeding because of sin and indifference.

In 1675 the great revelation was made to St. Margaret Mary that she, in union with Father de la Colombière, S.J., was to be the chief instrument for instituting the Feast of the Sacred Heart and for spreading devotion to the Sacred Heart throughout the world.

The Great Promise of the First Friday

All who receive Holy Communion on nine consecutive First Fridays have been blessed by Our Lord with the grace of a most wonderful promise. We should listen carefully. It is our Saviour, Himself, Who speaks to us through St. Margaret Mary:

‘I promise thee in the unfathomable mercy of My Heart that My omnipotent love will procure the grace of final penitence for all those who communicate on nine successive First Fridays of the month; they will not die in My disfavor, or without having received their Sacraments, since My divine Heart will be their sure refuge in the last moments of their life.’

Our Lord also told St. Margaret Mary of the following additional blessings:

1) I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life. 2) I will establish peace in their families. 3) I will comfort them in all their afflictions. 4) I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all in death. 5) I will bestow a special blessing upon all their undertakings. 6) Sinners shall find in My Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy. 7) Tepid souls shall grow fervent. 8) Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection. 9) I will bless every place where a picture of My Heart shall be exposed and honored. 10) I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts. 11) Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart – never to be blotted out.”

In the February 19, 2010 edition of The Michigan Catholic newspaper, Archbishop Allen Vigneron called for a restoration of the First Friday devotion:

“I have in mind that we should consider working together for a renewal of our practice of devoting the First Fridays especially to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, with a particular emphasis on joining together – priests and people – to ask the Lord to give our archdiocese priests ‘after his own heart,’” the archbishop said in a Feb. 12 letter to priests, in which he cited language from Jeremiah 3:15.

“I see this approach as a particularly effective way to pray for holy priests: for those of us already ordained; and for those whom God is calling to join us, both the men in our seminary and the men who are being invited to enter formation.”

In response to this call, Fr. Darrell [Roman] has decided to inaugurate monthly Masses in the Extraordinary Form at St. Josaphat Church on First Friday evenings at 7:00 PM, the first Mass being this Friday, June 1. We hope you will find time to attend this opportunity to gain graces.

Corpus Christi Masses & Processions

The Feast of Corpus Christi always falls on a Thursday, this year on June 7. The Church offers the “External Solemnity” option of moving the Feast to the subsequent Sunday, to permit a larger number of people to participate in the traditional Eucharistic Procession that follows Mass. Participation in a Corpus Christi Eucharistic Procession is enriched with a Plenary Indulgence, under the usual conditions.

Here in metro Detroit and Windsor, both options will be available to you: On Thursday, June 7 at 7:00 PM, a High Mass for Corpus Christi will be held at St. Josaphat Church. A procession will follow; weather permitting, it will go outdoors, where four altars will be prepared for stops for adoration along the way.

On Sunday, June 10 at 2:00 PM, the External Solemnity of Corpus Christi will be marked with a High Mass and procession at Windsor’s Assumption Church. This procession, too, will go outdoors, weather permitting.

Please note that on Sunday, June 10, a Tridentine Mass will be held as usual at St. Josaphat Church at 9:30 AM, for the Feast of the Second Sunday After Pentecost.

Tridentine Masses This Coming Week

Mon. 05/28 7:00 PM: High Mass at St. Josaphat (Pentecost Monday)

Tue. 05/29 7:00 PM: High Mass at Assumption-Windsor (Pentecost Tuesday)

Fri. 06/01 7:00 PM: High Mass at St. Josaphat (Pentecost Friday/Ember Friday) [First Friday]

Sun. 06/03 Noon: High Mass at St. Albertus (Trinity Sunday)

"I will go in unto the Altar of God
To God, Who giveth joy to my youth ..." [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 27, 2012. Hat tip to A.B.]