Monday, May 11, 2015

Magister: Pope Francis has ceased encouraging the synodical innovators

Sandro Magister, "The Closed Door of Pope Francis" (www.chiesa, May 11, 2015): "Since the end of the 2014 synod, he has spoken dozens of times on abortion, divorce, and homosexuality [Magister provides a list]. But he hasn't said a single word more in support of the “openness” demanded by the innovators."

Related: "The Bergoglio Pontificate: 'One Does Not Get Fully Rid of the Impression of Chaos' and 'Autocracy' (Interview with Robert Spaemann)" (RC, May 11, 2015).
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Sunday, May 10, 2015

Should priests stop certifying religious weddings for the state?

Canon lawyer Edward Peters, "Bad ideas know no borders" (In the Light of the Law, May 5, 2015), addresses a timely question I've heard raised in more than one quarter of late.  It's a piece worth reading in full, but the nub of it is this:
What some fear—and I understand their fear, however wrong it is—is that, in the wake of a civil redefinition of marriage to include same-sex couples, religious ministers will suddenly be required to certify same-sex couples as married (says who?) and therefore (as if there were a logical imperative here, which there is not) we should preemptively cease certifying religiously married couples as married. How on earth does one arrive at that conclusion? Certifying as married, couples that are married, is a good! The fact that others might certify as married, couples that are not married is a bad, but their bad action does not make our good action into a bad.

And if the State did suddenly require Catholic ministers to officiate at the weddings of simply divorced persons, or of same-sex couples, we would refuse. Flatly.... And if the State, in retaliation for such a Faith-demanded refusal, revoked their recognition of our religious weddings, that decision is on their heads, not ours.
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Mother's Day hilarity and profundity from Fr. Perrone

Fr. Eduard Perrone, "A Pastor's Descant" [temporary link] (Assumption Grotto News, May 10, 2015)
In a home school reading class we are reading a book which has certain passages in Elizabethan English. Such texts are charming to read and–at times–intriguing to decipher. I offer to you here a text in celebration of today’s secular observance taken from a pastor’s column from some legendary past time–first in contemporary English for your easy comprehension, and then in its original form. In my modern translation it reads:
To whom it may concern: Happy Parent B Day! you birthing persons and child-care givers. Though you were selfish in your inability to control your desires to have offspring, and though you have, as a result, burdened the environment and consumed precious resources of Earth–Blessed be It!–in order to provide for them, have nice day, all the same.
I now quote the original text:
To those irreplaceable ladies deserving of praise: Happy Mothers Day! you who gave birth to and loving cared for your children. How generous of you in sacrificing yourselves to become mothers and in providing for your children at great personal expense in feeding, clothing and educating them with all that almighty God–Blessed be He!–gave you. May you be specially honored and blessed for this today!
Ah, yes! It is with nostalgia that we look back to former times when motherhood was honored, not as a means of personal fulfillment for certain women who made that their choice, but for the noble and indispensable role mothers have in God’s plan for the human race.....

In a more sober vein, I will have a word about Holy Mary, our spiritual mother and Mother of Christ, about Her own indispensable part in God’s plan for the human race, precisely as a mother–not only in the obvious sense of Her divine maternity through consenting to what was revealed to Her by the Archangel, but also in the sense of Her place in establishing, with and under Christ, the new order, the new Testament, the new religion of Christ. I’m thinking here of the fascinating event that took place at the wedding in Cana. Notice that it was Mary’s astute observation which precipitated the miracle our Lord was to perform. “They have no wine,” She said. As in the case of Saint John’s writings, there is a deeper significance to this than may appear at first. Our Lady was not only noticing an approaching predicament for the wedding guests, but one for all of Israel whose people had become spiritually depleted. The miracle of Christ made the new and superior ‘wine’ of the New Testament: a new faith, a new sacrifice, ceremonies and sacraments. But what concern was this of Hers? Indeed, that’s the very question Christ put to Her, not in order to belittle Her (as some have thought) but to indicate that She indeed has that concern because She has claim to the graces Christ imparts. The interceding, mediating role of Mary is one part of Her spiritual maternity. (The greater part is being the literal Mother of Christ.) We will meet with Her again on Pentecost Sunday where Her maternal position in the Church is highlighted further. Although She was not one of the apostles, She was there with them, mothering them and through them the entire Church. This event was somewhat of a parallel to the incarnation: Mary, by the fertility of the hovering of the Holy Spirit, brought about a conception and a birth: the first time to Christ; at Pentecost to the Church, His mystical body.
If even in today’s radically secularized world we have a remnant of recognition for the indispensable place of mothers, we Christians ought not to forget as well the necessary place of Holy Mary (by God’s choosing) in bringing about the salvation of mankind.
Today, at the noon Mass, we will celebrate First Holy Communion for some of our children. How much we wish this to be a memorable day for them with their beloved Jesus, and the first of many devout receptions of the Holy Sacrament! In an image from the Book of Revelation, one can see a dragon ready to devour the offspring of the woman–the evil one scheming to snatch these innocent ones from the hand of God. May Holy Mother Mary keep them ever near Christ through His sacraments!


Fr. Perrone
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Which is the nursemaid and which the mother, the RC Church or the Evangelical denomination?


The great Thomas Howard is one of those Catholic converts who I admire because he doesn't make the cornerstone of his Catholic identity a broadside attack on his own Evangelical background. Yes, the Catholic Church offers the fullness of the Faith in her Sacred Tradition, Magisterium, and 2000 years of fathomless resources. But he would defend to the end the invaluable role Evangelicalism played in his own development as a spiritual nursemaid.

In one way, you would almost have to have "been there" to understand why. But short of talking to Tom Howard yourself, about a good a glimpse into why as you're likely to get is offered by Tim Callies in "The Most Important Thing My Parents Did" (Challies.com, April 9, 2015).

Now if only those managing the stores over at Catholic Inc. [TM] could back off from pushing Care Bears, Jellycats, Pillow Pets, and Barney and Friends long enough to allow their customers to begin to re-discover that their spiritual offerings go a tad beyond feel-good fuzzy plush toys, we might have a fighting chance to stave off complete bankruptcy. As things stand, Latin America is quickly becoming a show case for how Pentecostals and other Evangelicals are harvesting a bumper crop of Protestant converts from the nursemaid of contemporary Catholicism -- or should I say "Catholic Inc. [TM]"?

If my mother were still living and I were to write a Mother's Day tribute to her, what I would say about her (along with my father) would probably be something very similar to what Tim Challies says.
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What's right with this? What's wrong with this?

Matthew Milliner, "All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Evangelicalism" (First Things, May 1, 2015). ["Here's one to make Raider Fan a bit ill."] Seriously, though, what's right as well as wrong with this?

[Hat tip to JM]
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Tridentine Community News - Are Traditional Catholics Better Informed Now Than They Were Twenty Years Ago?


"I will go in unto the Altar of God
To God, Who giveth joy to my youth"

Tridentine Community News by Alex Begin (May 10, 2015):
Are Traditional Catholics Better Informed Now Than They Were Twenty Years Ago?

Those of us who have been around the Latin Mass scene for more than twenty years might remember the bad old days: The only regular news came from the occasional Latin Liturgy Association newsletter. Hard-to-find liturgical books, such as a Latin Ordinary Form Altar Missal, had to be ordered from the Vatican, which meant writing a letter to Rome requesting a quote, waiting several weeks for a reply, only to be told once in a while that the book one was seeking was out of print and to write back again “later.”

One could argue that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s 2007 Motu Proprio Summórum Pontíficum was the key reason that the environment for traditional liturgy has improved, but in actuality the single best development over the past two decades for the growth of the Traditional Latin Mass has been the Internet.

Catholics are also now able to educate themselves about liturgy, doctrine, devotions, sacred music, and other subjects typically not taught at the parish, vicariate, or diocesan level. Web sites, books, and YouTube videos are easily discovered which can answer many questions a curious individual might have about the Faith. Practical questions, such as where to obtain vestments and supplies necessary to support a Latin Mass, are also easily answered with a simple Google search.

The Web has given a platform for special interest products to be made available to a widely scattered worldwide audience. Publishers such as Baronius Press (Hand Missals, Breviaries, and assorted religious books), Loreto Publications (Hand Missals and prayer books), PCP Books (Altar Missals and used books of all sorts), FSSP Publications and Angelus Press (Books of all sorts), Roman Catholic Books (Altar Missals and devotional books), and Birettta Books (priest training materials) can now alert a worldwide market to the availability of their merchandise without having to mail out catalogs.

Blogs have become a way to share detailed academic and practical information. The New Liturgical Movement, Fr. Z, Roráte Cæli, The Chant Cafe, and locally, Pertinacious Papist are leaders in communicating news and inviting discussion on traditional liturgical subjects. These blogs were arguably the principal means by which Catholics and existing indult Tridentine Mass sites learned about the provisions of Summórum Pontíficum; few dioceses did much to alert the faithful about the benefits this document imparted.

Conferences can now be publicized far more easily: Sacra Liturgia, the Church Music Association of America’s Sacred Music Colloquium, C.I.E.L., and numerous smaller gatherings now attract audiences that formerly only traveled to the biennial Latin Liturgy Association National Convention.

Facebook, and to a lesser extent Twitter, have become forums where Latin Mass communities, parishes, and groups such as Juventútem can conveniently announce and promote forthcoming events. Two minutes of typing can notify hundreds or thousands.

All of the above aspects of the Internet create an environment of mutual support and education. They are of direct practical benefit to the faithful interested in attending local, regional, national, and global events of interest. Equally important, they serve as inspirational examples of success to people endeavoring to start Tridentine Masses in currently underserved areas.

This writer recalls being afraid to bring up the subject of the Tridentine Mass with priests of the Archdiocese of Detroit as recently as 1997. Now we have two quasi-parishes in our region: The St. Benedict Tridentine Community in Windsor and the St. John XXIII Community in Lansing, plus the similar Oakland County Latin Mass Association. There are also established Extraordinary Form communities at St. Josaphat, Assumption Grotto, St. Edward on the Lake, and Ss. Cyril & Methodius, plus periodic Masses held at St. Albertus, Our Lady of the Scapular, St. Hyacinth, and elsewhere. As recently as 2003, such a thriving scene would have been unimaginable to the 10-odd faithful gathered at the late-but-not-lamented Villa Maria Nursing Home Chapel in Windsor, the only site in the region hosting an approved Traditional Latin Mass. We owe this progress as much to Summórum and the Internet as to our local clergy and volunteers.

Perhaps the ultimate irony of the Internet era is that the once sole source for many liturgical books, the Vatican publishing house, last year shut down its web site, paxbook.com. In recent years it had been just as easy to order books from the Vatican as from any other vendor, but now we’re back to the future: Unless you’re lucky enough to find one on Amazon.com, you’ll once again have to write Rome (albeit via e-mail) if you want to inquire about the availability of that Vatican Altar Missal.

No St. Albertus Mass on May 17

Unfortunately, the Tridentine Mass originally scheduled at St. Albertus for Sunday, May 17 has been cancelled, due to the inability to secure a celebrant. It is getting increasingly difficult to find priests available on Sundays, despite the ever-growing number of priests interested in the Extraordinary Form. Rest assured that Masses at St. Albertus will continue; rather than pick dates, then find priests, henceforth we will secure celebrants first, then pick dates.

Tridentine Masses This Coming Week
  • Mon. 05/11 7:00 PM: Low Mass at St. Josaphat (Ss. Philip & James, Apostles)
  • Tue. 05/12 7:00 PM: Low Mass at Holy Name of Mary (Ss. Nereus, Achilleus, Domitilla, Virgin & Pancras, Martyrs)
** Ascension Thursday is a Holy Day of Obligation in the U.S. **
  • Thu. 05/14 7:30 AM: Mass at Assumption Grotto (Ascension Thursday) [Unknown if High or Low]
  • Thu. 05/14 7:00 PM: High Mass at Old St. Patrick, Ann Arbor (Ascension Thursday)
  • Thu. 05/14 7:00 PM: High Mass at St. Josaphat (Ascension Thursday)
  • Thu. 05/14 7:00 PM: Mass at Assumption Grotto (Ascension Thursday) [Unknown if High or Low]
  • Thu. 05/14 7:00 PM: High Mass at St. Anthony, Temperance (Ascension of the Lord - 1st class)
[Comments? Please e-mail tridnews@detroitlatinmass.org. Previous columns are available at http://www.detroitlatinmass.org. This edition of Tridentine Community News, with minor editions, is from the St. Albertus (Detroit), Academy of the Sacred Heart (Bloomfield Hills), and St. Alphonsus and Holy Name of Mary Churches (Windsor) bulletin inserts for May 10, 2015. Hat tip to Alex Begin, author of the column.]
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Tridentine Masses coming to metro Detroit and east Michigan this week


Tridentine Masses This Coming Week

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Saturday, May 09, 2015

Vatican & the UN "environmentalist" pro-abort agenda

You doubtless know about the Papal Environmental Conference at the Vatican on April 28th hosted by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, which, when all is said and done, looks for all the world like social grandstanding extravaganza mutually exploited by the Vatican and by UN leftists (see, e.g., Rebecca Terrell's "How Green Was My Vatican"). Everything, it seems, from international poverty and overpopulation to human trafficking and modern slavery, and the sexual abuse of children, supposedly can be blamed on environmental problems.

The notable International Child Advocate Elizabeth Yore attended the conference in Rome and offered her incisive rebuttal to the alarmist remarks of "environmentalists" like Jeffrey Sachs and Paul Ehrlich. Yore states, "There is an undeniable, profound moral and ethical schism between the moral teaching of the Catholic Church on life, and the Sustainable Development agenda and its draconian anti-life means promulgated by Sachs and the UN."

If that is true, we have reason to be concerned. If even a third of the concerns raised by Michael Matt's otherwise equally alarmist account of the Vatican event are true, we may have serious a problem.

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Thursday, May 07, 2015

An inevitable political trajectory

“A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it.” (G.K. Chesterton)


Jeff Culbreath, "Will the next president stop the coming persecution?" (New Sherwood, April 1, 2015), writes:
This post by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf inspired a lively discussion with some erudite comments. One reader suggested that the next president, if sufficiently conservative, could head off the persecution that seems to be barreling towards us at breakneck speed. To that idea, a fellow named Dennis Martin responded:
“No president can change the trajectory. The bureaucracy can destroy any president it sets out to destroy. Even if a incredibly gifted president-leader managed to move reform legislation through Congress, the fundamentally lawless mentality of a rising majority of the culture would do a ‘non serviam’.

The Department of Justice is now loaded with radical civil service appointees who cannot be removed because of civil service protection. The federal appeals courts are loaded similarly because the Democrats politicized judicial appointments 30 years ago (Bork), denied George Bush many of his appointments, and then railroaded many of Obama’s during the last Congress. Beyond that the law schools are hopelessly politicized. The chatterati, the intellectuals, the journalists, the financial sector–all the movers and shakers are now post-Christian, deeply-contraceptive, deeply anti-nature and thus deeply lawless. They don’t realize it but they have no god but Power.

The problem is far beyond what even the most gifted single leader can address. We have a culture that is anti-culture, that hates law itself, hates nature itself. No, not everyone is like that but the elites of the culture and, in a curious but really not surprising way, also the hoi polloi in the ‘just gimme mine and leave me alone’ segments of the culture, are like that now.

Nature is real and powerful and in the end will reassert Herself as the truth from the Creator. Human nature, divine nature, natural law cannot be buried for ever. But they can be buried for the lifetimes of one or more generations–until the prosperity and comfort built up over centuries is finally dissipated and brutal scramble for survival sets in. The truths of Caritas and Creator will eventually be rediscovered, in desperation and calamity at the bottom. But not before much evil and bloodshed has been visited upon this and other lands.”
Absent a miracle from heaven on a grand scale, I have to agree with Mr. Martin. All is masterfully arranged. Everything is now in place, including a relentless and ubiquitous propaganda infrastructure. And while many Americans are still kindasorta sympathetic to Christian morality, insofar as it fits their favorite political narrative, that sympathy is hopelessly soft and easily swayed by the emotional manipulation of the Left. Not that “conservatives” don’t also resort to emotional manipulation, but grown-ups always fail when they try to be cool. When it comes to the same-sex “marriage” issue, the sob stories of the Left are more persuasive for a couple of reasons – first, most Americans accept Liberalism’s flawed assumptions about reality; and second, most Americans place a high premium on their own sexual freedom.

It seems ridiculous and surreal that something as marginal as homosexuality would trigger the demise of a great civilization. In 500 years, if this poor earth is still around, archaeologists and historians will be scratching their heads at this one.
In light of the opening Chesterton quote, this redounds upon the cheery fact that those constituting the political majority of our electorate are pretty much those "dead things" floating "with the stream." Then again, it would be nice to be surprised.

[Hat tip to Anon III.]
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Tuesday, May 05, 2015

"Madlibbing with Modernism ..."

Elliot Bougis, "Madlibbing with Modernism ..." (FideCogitActio, April 25, 2015):
“Many __________ of the present day are little concerned about [the marks of the true Church]; the question of deciding between true and false in religion never occurs to them. They hold that all churches are equally true, since all taken collectively constitute the Church Catholic with which a man may be united by a good life even though he belong to no particular church organization. It is a matter of supreme indifference whether a person belong to one church or another; in fact, it seems to matter little whether he belong to any church. Moreover, they hold that every man enjoys full liberty to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience. Hence every man is free to select the church that suits his fancy or convenience…. God, it seems, has no voice in the matter; He must be content to receive such worship as man sees fit to render Him. It is evident that marks for recognizing the true Church have no place in such a system.”
Now, for $800 bollars, fill in the blank!

A. adolescents

B. Protestants

C. Catholics

D. bishops

BONUS QUESTION: When was this passage penned?
Any takers? I haven't heard that anyone has claimed the $800, which is probably rhetorical anyway. But you can email Mr. Bougis at fidescogitactio@ gmail . com

[Hat tip to JM]
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"Environmental Gospel" as social grandstanding

Hello folks, it's Guy Noir again, with another happy message for your giddy souls, namely this: 
If the Catholic Church is trying to push the gospel, you could've fooled me -- with this: Thomas Reese, "Encyclical on environment stimulates hope among academics and activists" (National Catholic Fishwrap, April 24, 2015).
This is the same inanity currently infatuating the more avant-garde evangelical community, and it confuses social grandstanding with faith. When the pope and his handyman start sounding like James Cameron and Al Gore, or Ronald Reagan and Dan Quayle for that matter, we have a problem.
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Sunday, May 03, 2015

Fr. Perrone on San Francisco's Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone

Fr. Eduard Perrone, "A Pastor's Descant" [temporary link] (Assumption Grotto News, May 2 [sic], 2015) 
Pressure is being put upon San Francisco’s Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone on account of a released statement of his requiring teachers in his Catholic schools to refrain from obfuscating the Church’s teachings in the classrooms. No matter what their personal religious beliefs may be, since they represent the Church and are hired by her to impart her doctrines, they must teach Catholic truth and give witness to the same in their public lives. This directive concerns not only specifically religious doctrines of the Church which have been delineated by the Church’s magisterium, but also truths of the natural moral law. Furthermore, teachers there who are Catholics must not participate in organizations which may call themselves Catholic but do not correctly present the teachings of the Church.
The particular doctrinal issues involved are these: the belief that the Church is a divine, not a human, institution; the real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist; the obligation for Catholics to attend Mass on the prescribed days; the reality of the last judgment and the existence of purgatory. Then there is the moral teaching–always the hot issues of contestation. These include the sanctity of human life; the sinfulness of masturbation, fornication, adultery, contraception, artificial means of reproduction, and homosexual acts; and the definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Such a litany of grave sins would incite protest in many a place in the USA today, but in San Francisco one can only imagine the intensity of indignant reaction. Angry militants there have now called upon the Pope to remove their Archbishop, for the sole reason that he is doing what bishops are ordained to do! There have been demonstrations made and written arguments composed against the teachings being mandated by his excellency.
Cordileone’s is precisely the kind of clear, authoritative, and public voice the Church has been sorely in need of for a long time in the Catholic Church of the USA. I’d like to cast my eager though unimportant vote in support for this courageous shepherd of the Church. Saint Paul had written about such a circumstance as in San Francisco when he admonished Saint Timothy (2 Tim 4): “Preach the word (of Christ’s truth); be insistent in season and out of season; reprove, entreat, rebuke in all patience and doctrine. For there shall be a time when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires they will heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, and they will indeed turn away their hearing from the truth.” (Must have been an outbreak of ear dermatitis in Frisco...) Saint Paul said this by way of introduction to his prediction that his time for being “sacrificed” (i.e. assassinated) was getting close. People bent on immorality can bestir themselves to such a frenzy of spite and aversion to truth as to demand bloodshed. Whether or not it will come to this in SF, the good Archbishop is getting his punishment from his recalcitrant flock for speaking the truth. He deserves our prayers to continue on courageously amid such nasty opposition. I ask a prayer or two for this good shepherd who’s not running away when he sees wolves positioned to devour his flock.
The lovely month of Mary. You will notice that the Mary Altar in our church has been specially adorned for May. As has been our practice, flowers may be brought to Her via the sacristy. It’s a little way of giving visible evidence of our devotion to the holy Mother of God.
What a fine parish event last Sunday! It was a sellout and a first of its kind here. I’m referring to the Dualing Pianos Dinner and concert held in our gym. This was an imaginative way to throw a fundraiser for the parish. In all aspects it was an enjoyable afternoon spent with fellow parishioners, and with good food, jazzy music, and an auction of appealing items–all set out in our gym transformed into a handsome-looking banquet hall. My compliments and gratitude to the organizers, patrons and workers who made the day a success. Their efforts made me think of the hardworking folks who put on our annual fall benefit dinner with a like enthusiasm and involvement. Our parish is abundantly blest in many ways. I thank our Lord and our good Lady Saint Mary for the graces we receive so abundantly in Assumption Grotto Parish.
Fr. Perrone
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Tridentine Community News - Deacon Edward Gardner to be Ordained; Airport Chapels; "What Priest Shortage?"; St. Agnes School Enrollment Surges; Mass Schedule


"I will go in unto the Altar of God
To God, Who giveth joy to my youth"

Tridentine Community News by Alex Begin (May 3, 2015):
Deacon Edward Gardner to be Ordained Priest

Many of our readers know Abbé Ed Gardner. Originally a member of Ann Arbor’s Christ the King Parish – interestingly, a non-territorial Charismatic parish – Ed has been a seminarian at the Institute of Christ the King’s seminary in Gricigliano, Italy for the past eight years. During his trips home he has assisted at the altar at some of our local Tridentine Masses. On July 2, Deacon Gardner will be ordained a priest by Raymond Cardinal Burke at Church of Saints Michael and Cajetan in Florence, Italy. He requests your prayers as this important day approaches.

Airport Chapels


A reader came up with a follow-up suggestion for last week’s column on Office Building Chapels: Many airports have chapels where Catholic Masses are offered. Some have artwork of questionable taste, as for example at the Brussels, Belgium airport, where the altar is made out of an airplane wing [photo above by Tim Bray]. Most airport chapels are multi-purpose, non-denominational, and bland; Atlanta’s is a perfect example.


A few airport chapels are overachievers, however, most notably those at Chicago’s Midway and O’Hare Airports: [O’Hare Chapel pictured above]. Prior to the construction of the new terminal ten or so years ago, Midway was known for holding daily Mass in an unused gate area. Multiple announcements were made over the P.A.: “Catholic Mass to be held at Gate so-and-so in fifteen minutes”.


Nowadays both Chicago airports have dedicated chapels with an assigned chaplain offering daily Mass, Confessions, and adoration before the reserved Blessed Sacrament. See the Chicago Airports Catholic Chaplaincy web site for more details: www.cacc.us.

But wait...there’s more. There is a National Conference of Catholic Airport Chaplains, with a web site listing all of the airport chapels in the U.S. and in the world offering Catholic Masses. Most chapels on the list have no regularly scheduled services; others including Toronto and London Heathrow have a fairly busy schedule. Boston rivals Chicago with number of Masses. See www.ncacc.us for more details, and consider searching out a chapel the next time you have an hour or two before your flight.

Priest Shortage? What Priest Shortage?


Speaking of Chicago, downtown’s St. Peter in the Loop Church merits some mention. During a recent visit, this writer noticed the remarkable number of clergy assigned to the church, which is not a parish and primarily caters to local workers. With seven Masses each weekday and Confessions offered non-stop from 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM Monday-Friday, these men are kept quite busy.

St. Agnes School Enrollment Surges

These days it’s common to hear about declining attendance at Catholic schools, along with closures of many parish schools. One standout exception to this trend is St. Agnes School, the K-12 institution associated with St. Paul, Minnesota’s St. Agnes Parish. Not long ago St. Agnes School’s future was in question, but a recent newsletter mentioned that with the school’s renewed emphasis on the Classics, Latin, traditional Catholic teachings and sacred music, enrollment has surged to record levels, there is a waiting list for students, and a 50,000 square foot addition is being built. Some students commute over 40 minutes each way. With the Extraordinary Form, the Ordinary Form in Latin, 30 orchestral Masses per year, multiple choirs, Sunday Vespers, and all Masses celebrated ad oríentem at the High Altar, St. Agnes Parish and School walk the talk, and the effort is bearing fruit.

Tridentine Masses This Coming Week
  • Mon. 05/04 7:00 PM: Low Mass at St. Josaphat (St. Monica, Widow)
  • Tue. 05/05 7:00 PM: Low Mass at Holy Name of Mary (St. Pius V, Pope & Confessor)
[Comments? Please e-mail tridnews@detroitlatinmass.org. Previous columns are available at http://www.detroitlatinmass.org. This edition of Tridentine Community News, with minor editions, is from the St. Albertus (Detroit), Academy of the Sacred Heart (Bloomfield Hills), and St. Alphonsus and Holy Name of Mary Churches (Windsor) bulletin inserts for May 3, 2015. Hat tip to Alex Begin, author of the column.]
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Tridentine Masses coming to metro Detroit and east Michigan this week


Tridentine Masses This Coming Week

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Friday, May 01, 2015

V2 Rocket, Protestants, Sally Ride and the Prophet Wilson Pickett


Nobody but Raider Fan of Amateur Brain Surgeon New Ways Ecumenical Ministries [TM] could possibly pull all these disparate elements together, but here you have it: "The V2 Rocket, Protestants, and Sally Ride" (The Nesciencent Nepenthene, May 1, 2015). Every good Catholics deserves some Nesciencent Nepenthene these days.
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