"What does the future hold for Traditional Catholics in Detroit? "

Palm Sunday 2008 in Assumption Grotto, Detroit. Source.

Via New Catholic today:

Last week, Diane Korzeniewski of the Te Deum laudamus blog posted a lengthy report (45 Fewer Parishes in the Archdiocese of Detroit) on the plans of the Archdiocese of Detroit to "restructure" its 267 parishes into a much smaller contingent. Among the parishes threatened with possible closure are Assumption Grotto (the only church in the whole archdiocese with a daily TLM) and St. Josaphat (one of the three other churches in the archdiocese aside from Assumption Grotto that have a weekly TLM fulfilling the Sunday obligation). The following is Korzeniewski's take on the possible impact of the parish changes on Detroit's Traditional Catholic community:

Long Term Impact on Traditional Catholics in Detroit?

One of the things I have been concerned with all along is that there is no provision to ensure that the Archdiocese of Detroit has a long-term plan for Catholics attracted to the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM). There is interest among some seminarians and I believe Archbishop Vigneron will work to address this. In the future, it could mean more opportunities in the suburbs to experience the TLM. One of the challenges though, is allowing people to follow the full calendar, rather than having just a weekly or monthly chance to worship in this way, if they are partial to it.

Assumption Grotto is the only parish in the Archdiocese which offers the Traditional Latin Mass 364 days yearly, the exception being Good Friday. However, even Good Friday's Tre Ore service uses the 1962 Missal. The parish coming in second is St. Josaphat, which is about a 10-15 minute drive from Grotto. It offers many of the same things using the 1962 as does Grotto, with the main exception being that they don't have a daily TLM. There is Mass on Monday evenings and on special feasts during the week, as well as the Triduum, if I recall. It was clustered years ago with St. Joseph and the Sweetest Heart of Mary. I am quite concerned as to what this means for them. The cluster of three has shared one priest, and their plan reads as follows:

"Sweetest Heart of Mary (personal parish), St. Josaphat (personal parish), and St. Joseph. In early 2012, these already clustered parishes are to develop a plan to merge, to be submitted to the Regional Moderator no later than December 30, 2012. This plan may result in the elimination of buildings and will include consolidation of Mass schedules to conform to the archdiocesan policy of following canon law for a priest to say no more than three Masses on a regular Sunday or holy day of obligation."

All three of those church buildings are absolute gems. It would break my heart to see any of those buildings closed.

The main concern I have about the Traditional Latin Mass communities in Detroit is that I do not feel we are recognized as a component of "diversity" that has something to offer the wider community. When one thinks of diversity, it often limited to race and ethnicity; it does not include, for example, traditional Catholics. This is not something unique in the Archdiocese of Detroit, but a common thread in many dioceses. I think dioceses need to be continuously encouraged to allow those of us with a love for the usus antiquior a place where we can worship in a way that lifts our hearts to God in a deep and profound way, and in a setting proper to the form.

The AoD's plan, unfortunately, has the potential to eliminate this opportunity for traditional Catholics in the coming years. Where they were careful to ensure that, for example, certain ethnic groups, such as the Polish, Italian, Croatian, and others had some kind of provision, there has not been a similar protection for traditional Catholics. There is the potential for certain unintended consequences should such a void develop in this archdiocese years down the road. I don't know if these things have been considered or not. I hope to discuss them personally, at the very least, with my auxiliary bishop, to raise awareness.

Well put. Thank you.

The state of Catholicism in Germany: a sample

A friend recently sent me a link to a piece of vintage current German liberal Catholic "religion talk," symptomatic of the state of the Church in Deutschland. The piece, entitled "Kirche 2011: Ein notwendiger Aufbruch" (April 4, 2011), is a sort of manifesto by liberal German theology professors and professorettes (the writers insist on being au courant in the gender inclusive department). Interestingly, the semantic range of "Aufbruch" covers everything from "start" and "departure" to "break" and even "awakening."

Taking recent sex scandals as their point of departure and pretext for distancing themselves from Catholic tradition, the authors blaze through the following points in rare, fashionable form: (1) Structure of participation; (2) Community; (3) Legal culture, respecting the rights, dignity and freedom of each individual; (4) Liberty of conscience, (5) Reconciliation, stressing a solidarity with 'sinners' which takes the Church's own sins seriously; (6) Worship.

Two excerpts -- #4 and #6 -- loosely translated:

(4) Freedom of Conscience: Respect for the individual conscience means to place trust in the decision-making ability and responsibility of the people. Supporting this capability is also a task of the Church, which must not turn into paternalism. On a serious note, this particularly concerns the realm of personal life choices and individual lifestyles. The Church's esteem for marriage and the celibate life is beyond question. But it also commands us not to exclude people living responsibly in love, loyalty, and mutual concern in same-sex partnerships or as remarried divorcees.

(6) Worship: The liturgy depends on the active participation of all believers. Experiences and expressions of the present must have a place in it. The service may not be frozen in traditionalism. Cultural diversity enriches liturgical life and is not consistent with tendencies towards centralized uniformity. Only when the celebration of faith partakes of concrete life, will the Church's message reach the people.

Yada, yada.

[Hat tip to C.F.]

What Obama and liturgists have in common

Peter Kreeft once said, "God in his wisdom saw that the American church lacked persecutions and so sent her liturgists."

Thus, . . .



. . . and so . . .



Think about it.

Review of new 3-vol. EF Roman Breviary in Latin & English

From Baronius Press, the review -- replete with many photos testifying to the reviewer's shameless love for the work -- is by none other than the irrepressible Fr. John Zuhlsdorf. Who else?

NY Dem pro-abortion “catholic” Congresswoman booed for supporting HHS attack

Things get heated ...



Get details here >>

Detroit’s Lesser-Known Historic Churches

Tridentine Community News (February 26, 2012):

In this column – and in numerous other articles and web sites – much has been written about the Archdiocese of Detroit’s “A Class” of historic churches: 1) St. Josaphat, 2) Sweetest Heart of Mary, 3) St. Joseph, 4) St. Albertus, 5) Old St. Mary, 6) Assumption Grotto, 7) St. Paul on the Lake, 8) St. Florian, 9) St. Hyacinth, 10) National Shrine of the Little Flower (Royal Oak) and 11) St. Hugo (Bloomfield Hills), eight of which happen to have hosted Tridentine Masses. Occasional mention is also made of the underappreciated: 12) Holy Family, 13) Ste. Anne, 14) Transfiguration, 15) Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (Wyandotte), 16) Holy Cross (Hungarian), 17) St. Hedwig, and 18) St. Francis d’Assisi, however photos of the interiors of those churches are scarce. All of these churches are splendid examples of traditional architecture, with minimal if any modifications made since Vatican II.

It’s easy to overlook the fact that there is an entire second set of churches of particular architectural or artistic merit, churches that may not host particularly conservative liturgies, but which nevertheless are lovingly maintained by their congregations. Some of these churches were built during the great construction era of the early 20th century, while others are 1940s-50s era edifices still built to the traditional standards codified by St. Charles Borromeo after the Council of Trent. This “B Class” of churches includes: 19) St. Charles Borromeo, 20) Ss. Peter & Paul (Jesuit), 21) Ss. Peter & Paul (west side), 22) Annunciation, 23) Holy Redeemer, 24) St. Leo, 25) Our Lady Queen of Apostles, 26) St. Cunegunda, 27) Our Lady Queen of Angels, 28) St. Alphonsus (Dearborn), 29) St. Augustine & St. Monica, and 30) St. Matthew; and the more modified “C Class”: 31) St. Raymond, 32) St James (Ferndale), and 33) St. Elizabeth.

Many local Catholics, this writer included, are barely aware of some of these churches’ existence. Virtually no attempt to publicize them is made in the Catholic or secular media. However, a visit to another, newer or wealthier diocese, where few unaltered historic churches exist, is a reminder that we in this region are blessed with a surfeit of such inspirational edifices. We may lament the closure of some of our Catholic churches, but do we even know the gems that remains open in our midst?

Fortunately, a young man has embarked upon a project to photograph the interiors and exteriors of all of Detroit’s architecturally significant churches, A, B, and C Class. In the past, we have reported on the Andrew Fanco’s Detroit Church Blog, and [Sacred Heart Major Seminary] seminarian David Keyser’s DET Catholic Churches blog, wonderful efforts indeed, but an even more comprehensive volume of content can be found in Andy Hoxie’s Flickr set “cath4ever”. The home page for this set is at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/60124357@N06/sets/?&page=1

Detailed photos for each church abound. Some are real eye-openers. For example, St. Charles Borromeo, Annunciation, and St. Leo have constructed projectile platforms for freestanding altars in front of their communion rails, but the rails, high altar, side altars, and traditional sanctuaries remain entirely intact. Andy also includes photos of churches in Grand Rapids, Chicago, and elsewhere, an important and unique catalog of sacred art.

As always, the photos themselves tell the story:



St. Charles Borromeo



Nativity of Our Lord

Tridentine Masses This Coming Week

Mon. 02/27 7:00 PM: Low Mass at St. Josaphat (Feria of Lent)

Tue. 02/28 7:00 PM: Low Mass at Assumption-Windsor (Feria of Lent)

[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 26, 2012. Hat tip to A.B.]

Apologetics on tap -- in the Philippines

I haven't seen this sort of animated public debate about the Catholic Faith in a long time. I suppose some "Theology on Tap" sessions could take a turn in this direction. But what other venues can you imagine in the United States today for this sort of public confrontation over theological issues? I don't mean the Internet. I mean live bodies hashing out the issues before an animated crowd like St. Paul on Mars Hill (Areopagus) as related in the Book of Acts, ch. 17.

Of course, there is Hyde Park in London, where anybody can mount a soap box and hold forth in front of anyone willing to listen. I remember at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, there is also a place called "The Pit," where there is a similar arrangement.

The phenomenon raises interesting questions. Are people too apathetic in the United States today, either as speakers or listeners, to get involved? I should hope not. I hear a great deal about "The New Evangelization" these days, mostly associated with in house programs about aspects of the Catholic Faith with fellow parishioners; but I'm more interested in the verb: is anyone actually "evangelizing" in the sense of communicating the Catholic Faith to those outside the Church? Is there any sense of urgency about this?

What we have in this video, of course, is "Apologetics," which is a bit different from "Evangelization," but hardly unrelated. If "evangelizing" is sharing the Faith, "apologetics" is defending it. And nobody is likely to make much headway in evangelizing these days, without also being willing and able to deal with all the predictable sorts of arguments and false assumptions he will confront when raising religious issues with nonbelievers. Positively put, one must be willing and able to offer replies to objections, along with good reasons for accepting the claims of the Faith as true.

I suppose this will all come in due time, with adequate persecution. There's nothing like suffering to focus the mind.

Priest reviews Terrence Malick's "Tree of Life"

N.B. -- The full title of the video is: "My 2012 Oscar Pick - The TREE OF LIFE - and why it won't win." Interesting.

Fr. Charles Canoy is a priest on the faculty of Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, MI.

Have you seen this?

A friend from Austin, TX, sent me this -- a sort of performance art, I suppose. It's pretty hideous-lookng until you figure it out, and then it's a pleasant surprise -- carefully calibrated for the wow factor.

[Hat tip to G.N.]

Solemn guide to intepreting Vatican II

"MCMLXII - Veterum Sapientia - MMXII: The solemn guide to interpreting Vatican II" (Rorate Caeli, February 22, 2012):

"The Apostolic Constitution Veterum Sapientia, of Pope Blessed John XXIII, on the fostering of Latin studies, reaches its fiftieth anniversary in a few days, Feb. 22, 2012.

"The words of Romano Amerio appropriately convey the meaning of this Apostolic Constitution, the most readily forgotten papal document in the history of the Church. If there will ever be a "Hermeneutic of Continuity", it is to be based on the unchangeable Tradition of the Church and on the clear signs left by Pope John XXIII in the conclusions of the Roman Synod conducted entirely by him, and in Veterum Sapientia" -- Read more >>

Women against the pill: "Feminism asked too little of men"

Erika Bachiochi & Catherine R. Pakaluk, "The Pill Is Not Good for Women" (NRO, February 21, 2012).

[Hat tip to Dr. E. Echeverria]


Related:

• Dr. Janet Smith, "If only our Bishops hat thought to consult with David Gibson" (CatholicVote.org, February 18, 2012).
  
  
• In an email from Christopher Blosser:

  There are two issues in the contraception debate -- one being the government financed-sponsorship of contraception itself (advocacy of immorality from a Catholic perspective); the other being the infringement on religious liberty or civil liberty in general.
  
  Even those defenders of Obama who don't believe contraception to be immoral have to contend with the latter issue. From the secular website Reason.com, a libertarian perspective tackling the HHS mandate:
  
  http://reason.com/archives/2012/02/17/its-not-about-contraception/singlepage
  
  From the standpoint of "freedom of choice" -- to demand that Big Brother compel insurance companies or private institutions to purchase a product for another makes no sense whatsoever.
  
  Even the libertarians understand this.

Mons. Brunero Gherardini's V-II account attacked, defended

Mons. Brunero Gherardini's theological reflections on the Second Vatican Council have begun coming under serious attacks recently, and the defense has been taken up by Prof. Roberto de Mattei:

• ""In defense of Mons. Brunero Gherardini - Part 1"
• "In defense of Mons. Brunero Gherardini - Part 2"

[Hat tip to Rorate Caeli]

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.]

Megadeth and Santorum

You gotta wonder whether Obama's in serious trouble when the most pro-life candidate gets an endorsement from MEGADEATH. Well, not quite an endorsement, but close:

“I’m just hoping that whatever is in the White House next year is a Republican. I can’t bear to watch what’s happened to our great country. Everybody’s got their head in the sand.

"... Earlier I was completely oblivious as to who Rick Santorum was, but when the dude went home to be with his daughter when she was sick, that was very commendable ..."

Still, Mustaine insists he has not endorsed Santorum.

Christopher Blosser writes: "Mustaine's always been something of an enigma in the metal world. One of the top 100 metal guitarists in the world, he was kicked out of Metallica in the 80's for being a 'mean drunk' (hard to do, given Metallica's penchant for imbibing), tried the "7 steps" program but found it a distraction and decided to head straight for God in a Pascalian wager:

"“Looking up at the cross, I said six simple words, ‘What have I got to lose?’ Afterwards my whole life has changed. It’s been hard, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. Rather go my whole life believing that there is a God and find out there isn't than live my whole life thinking there isn't a God and then find out, when I die, that there is."

"Politically he's very conservative," says Christopher -- almost "fringe-right." His album Endgame, he says, was influenced by the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones). "In 2011, he called President Obama 'the most divisive president we've ever had. I've never, in my 50 years of being alive, listened to an American president try and turn one class of people against another class of people.'"

Still, probably not the kind of guy Rick Santorum would want for a photo op, but you never know these days ...

[Hat tip to C.B.]

Gay rights: tradition's vulnerable flank

J.J. Reno, "Exporting Gay Rights" (First Things, February 2012), writes: "Guaranteeing sexual liberation—unrestricted abortion, sex education, easily accessible and subsidized contraception, and gay rights—has become one of the major commitments of the Democratic party, and it is natural for a political party to shape policies in accord with its core commitments." Now the Obama administration is on a crusade to add gay rights to the exercise of America's "soft power," i.e., "the State Department will use [foreign] aid recipients' treatment of homosexuals to evaluate their suitablility for aid, and will be setting aside $3 million to fund NGOs that fight for gay rights."

When previous presidents, like Jimmy Carter made human rights an explicit priority in foreign policy, they appealed to moral principles that the overwhelming majority of Americans, at least, have endorsed for a long time. This is hardly the case with gay rights. Unlike the main elements of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, sexual liberation, especially homosexual liberation, "has no roots in the traditional cultures and religious traditions that shape the lives of the vast majority of people in the world."

Reno bases his article on a telling speech made recently by Hillary Clinton to the United Nations Human Rights Council in which the Secretary of State explicitly included homosexual rights among "human rights," drawing attention to the brutal treatment of homosexual people around the world. The conflation of rights based on a chosen life-style with those rooted in human ontology is clear.

The response of the international community to this attempt to make sexual and homosexual rights part of the "global consensus" that Western revisionists view as the inevitable direction of history has not been unmitigated gratitude. Last October, as Reno points out, "British Prime Minister David Cameron gave a speech not unlike Hillary Clinton's, suggesting that foreign aid would be cut to countries that did not recognize gay rights." The response of the Nigerians was to "criminalize same-sex marriage and homosexual cohabitation."

Those promoting the exportation of gay rights in th West are not marginalized people. On the contrary, they are part of the liberal elite who imagine themselves the enlightened governors of the morally benighted, says Reno. "The White House is turning one of the most divisive issues in our current domestic battle over culture into a principle guiding the American effort to influence and shape culture throughout the world."

As long as partisans of "traditional family values" allow the self-styled liberal elite to define the terms of the debate by identifying gay rights (based on a chosen life style) with human rights (based on non-chosen features of human nature, like color, gender, and age), they will leave exposed tradition's vulnerable flank. To the extent that homosexual disposition is an unchosen characteristic of one's nature, the Church has never condemned it, even while recognizing it as "disordered." To the extent that those with homosexual dispositions act on their inclinations, choosing an active gay or lesbian lifestyle, the Church has always judged this a matter of culpable vice, just as it has judged immoral those acts stemming from natural inclinations that lead to recreational sex, fornication, adultery and other forms of lechery. The momentum in the West is now quite clearly in the camp of those who see traditional morality as a repressive violation of "human rights." Cannibalism in the privacy of one's own home, anyone?