Sunday, September 14, 2008

Tridentine Community News

Summorum Pontificum -- One Year In Effect

Today, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Septermber 14, 2008, marks one year since our Holy Father's landmark Motu Proprio took effect. Let us thank almighty God for the fruits this document has produced in the metropolitan Detroit area as well as across the world. Amazingly, Detroit/Windsor is in third place in North America in number of Tridentine Mass sites.

It is therefore appropriate to note and thank the churches that have supported our Holy Father's initiative, in order in which their Masses commenced:
  1. Assumption, Windsor
  2. St. Josaphat, Detroit
  3. Assumption Grotto, Detroit
  4. St. Joseph, Detroit
  5. St. Stephen, New Boston
  6. St. Albertus, Detroit
  7. Sweetest Heart of Mary, Detroit
  8. Sacred Heart, Yale
  9. Ss. Cyril & Mtehodius, Sterling Heights
  10. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Wyandotte
New York Takes The Motu Proprio Crown

After hearing about the growth of the Traditional Mass in our region, longtime friend of Fr. Borkowski and Tridentine Mass advocate Fr. James Miara supplied information regarding the state of the Extraordinary Form in the New York City metro area. These 14 sites make New York the region with the most Extraordinary Form Masses in North America:
    St. Agnes, Manhattan
  1. Guardian Angel, Manhattan
  2. Holy Innocents, Manhattan
  3. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Manhattan
  4. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Bronx (Fr. Miara's church)
  5. St. Joseph, Bronxville
  6. St. Joseph, Middleton
  7. St. Joseph, Poughkeepsie
  8. Immaculate Conception, Sleepy Hollow
  9. Sacred Heart, Port Chester
  10. St. Sylvia, Tivoli
  11. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Tuxedo
  12. St. Eugene, Yonkers
  13. Our Lady of Peace, Brooklyn
The Motu Proprio Blossoms in Chicago

Some forces are unstoppable. A hurricane. A freight train. Michael Phelps. And in the Tridentine world, Chicago. In the indult days, Chicago had the most Tridentine Mass sites, at eight. Today, Chicago takes second place in North America with eleven sites:
  1. St. John Cantius, Chicago
  2. St. Thomas More, Chicago
  3. St. Daniel the Prophet, Chicago
  4. Shrine of Christ the King, Chicago
  5. St. Mary of Perpetual Help, Chicago
  6. St. Odilo, Berwyn
  7. St. Andrew the Apostle, Calumet City
  8. Monastery of Discalced Carmelite Nuns, Des Plaines
  9. St. John Vianney, Northlake
  10. St. Pter, Volo
Lake London, England, Chicago is often thought of by locals as an area overflowing with liturgical abuses. Such a glass-is-half empty view ignores the blessings these places enjoy. In the truest sense of the world, Chicago is a "liberal" diocese, in that it supports Sacred Tradition as well as tolerating liturgical activity not faithful to the rubrics prescribed by Rome.

Substantial credit for manstreaming the Traditional Mass must be given to Chicago Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Perry, who celebrates the Extraordinary Form regularly in Chicago and in other dioceses.

Comparing Apples to Apples

The Detroit statistics include Mass sites that only hold their Masses on special occasions, a few times per year. The New York and Chicago numbers do not include less-than-monthly sites (if those exist at all). We believe it is important to acknowledge these as well, as not every location is ready for more frequent Masses.

Mass Schedules

Mass times for the above-mentioned churches can almost all be found at: http://web2.airmail.net/~carlsch/MaterDei/churches.htm. This site is the most up-to-date of all national Tridentine Mass directories, and thus the first one to check before you travel. Situations are fluid; Masses may be added and cancelled without notice. New Mass sites may be added since we went to press. Always consider neighboring dioceses as options. Most importantly, it never hurts to call the parish you wish to visit in advance to confirm the time of the Mass, as even the parish's web site may be out of date.

[The foregoing is reproduced by permission from the Tridentine Community News bulletin insert for St. Josaphat Catholic Church, September 14, 2008 -- a significant date, not only because it marks the anniversary of the date the Motu Proprio, Summorum Pontificum, took effect in 2007, but because (appropriately, of course) the Feast of the Holy Cross falls on my birthday.]

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