Detroit/Windsor Tridentine community: 2010 In Review

Tridentine Community News (December 26, 2010):

Another year has rushed by, and it is appropriate to reflect on the significant events that have taken place.

The major happening in 2010 was, of course, the Latin Liturgy Association National Convention. People from across the English-speaking world traveled to Detroit to participate in the talks and special liturgies held at St. Joseph, St. Josaphat, St. Albertus, Assumption-Windsor, and Sweetest Heart of Mary. A bus tour of historic churches was held, which incidentally will be repeated at another event in 2011. Chicago Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Perry celebrated the first Solemn Pontifical Mass held in this region in over 40 years, attracting a congregation of over 400.

Our region gained two dedicated celebrants of the Extraordinary Form with the ordination in May of Fr. Patrick Bénéteau for the Diocese of London, and with Fr. Robert Marczewski of Orchard Lake’s Ss. Cyril & Methodius Seminary having learned to celebrate the Mass.

The Archdiocese of Detroit displayed its support for the Latin Mass tradition in the St. Josaphat cluster by appointing experienced Tridentine celebrant Fr. Paul Czarnota as pastor.

Numerous new altar servers have joined our teams at Assumption-Windsor and St. Josaphat. Several have expressed interest in a vocation to the priesthood. One of our longtime servers, Joe Tuskiewicz, entered Blessed John XXIII Seminary near Boston as a second-career seminarian for the Archdiocese of Detroit. Joe was recently instituted as an Acolyte, allowing him to serve as Subdeacon at Solemn High Tridentine Masses. Joe did this for the first time on Christmas Day at Assumption Church.

The first weekday Tridentine Mass in Windsor debuted at St. Theresa Church in January. When pastor Fr. John Johnson was transferred to a parish in Thamesville, the Mass quite logically moved to Assumption Church, home of the weekly Sunday Mass.

St. Paul on the Lake Church in Grosse Pointe Farms held its first Tridentine Mass in over 40 years, for a funeral. The beautifully restored church proved a perfect setting for the traditional liturgy.

The All Souls Day Masses held at the side altars and high altar of Windsor’s Assumption Church attracted a record attendance of over 350 souls to the Windsor Tridentine Mass.

The Diocese of London created the Assumption Heritage Trust Foundation, an entity to raise the funds for and administer the $9,800,000 restoration of Windsor’s Assumption Church. Tridentine Mass Community member Jason Grossi was named lead architect for the project.

Jason and Dr. Steven Ball discovered and restored an historic 18th century bell in the tower of Assumption Church. The original swinging mechanism of the larger, main bell was restored. The story of this discovery gained front page coverage in the Windsor Star newspaper and national CBC Television coverage.

Following upon the success of its quarterly Tridentine Masses, St. Albertus Church made the decision to double the frequency of those Masses to eight times per year in 2011.

Diocese of Lansing Bishop Earl Boyea established the Blessed John XXIII Community at Lansing’s St. Mary Cathedral. It is the first Tridentine Mass Community in our region that has been given the possibility of evolving into a full parish. Bishop Boyea also encouraged Ann Arbor’s Old St. Patrick Parish to commence regular Extraordinary Form Masses. His Excellency celebrated a Pontifical Low Mass at All Saints Church in Flint, after which he delivered a speech explaining his support for Summórum Pontíficum and his vision for establishing multiple strong Tridentine Mass Communities throughout his diocese.

Multiple weddings and baptisms have been held in the Extraordinary Form in our various churches. What was once a newsworthy event has become, thanks be to God, a common occurrence.

Tridentine Masses This Coming Week

Mon. 12/27 7:00 PM: High Mass at St. Josaphat (St. John, Apostle & Evangelist)

Tue. 12/28 7:00 PM: High Mass at both Assumption-Windsor and St. Josaphat (Holy Innocents)

Sat. 01/01 2:00 PM: High Mass at Assumption-Windsor (Octave of Christmas)

[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 December 26, 2010. Hat tip to A.B.]