"I will go in unto the Altar of God
To God, Who giveth joy to my youth"
Tridentine Community News (May 25, 2014):
St. Anne de Detroit To Hold Tridentine Mass on June 11
The oldest parish in the Archdiocese of Detroit will see the historic Latin Mass return to its premises on Wednesday, June 11, when soon-to-be-ordained Fr. Ryan Adams will celebrate one of his first Masses in the Gabriel Richard Chapel. [Photo below by Andrew Fanco / Detroit Church Blog]
Fr. Gabriel Richard [1767-1832] was Michigan’s equivalent to California’s Fr. Junipero Serra. Like Fr. Serra, Fr. Richard was a man of numerous talents. He ministered to a Protestant community while still serving as a Catholic priest, printed a French periodical on the first printing press in Detroit, was elected as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and co-founded the University of Michigan. He served at Ste. Anne Parish, founded in 1701 and the oldest parish in the Archdiocese of Detroit. The altar on which Fr. Richard used to say Mass now contains his body: It is the High Altar in the Gabriel Richard Chapel, which is located behind and adjacent to the sanctuary of St. Anne’s main church.
The time of the Mass is still in flux, but we will report it as soon as we know.
Weekly Tridentine E-Mail Broadcast
Speaking of Mass schedules, it’s worth reminding our readers that we send out a weekly listing of upcoming Tridentine Masses in metro Detroit and Windsor, along with news snippets, every Friday. To subscribe to this broadcast, please e-mail the address at the bottom of this page.
St. Thomas the Apostle in Ann Arbor To Hold Tridentine Mass on June 23
A few churches in our region seem to have orbited around the Tridentine world for a long time, but never seem to have made the leap. Ann Arbor’s St. Thomas the Apostle Church has hosted at least one wedding in the Extraordinary Form; one private Low Mass celebrated by the Vatican’s chief Latin translator; and [informal] weekly Saturday Vespers according the traditional Breviary. At long last the church will offer its first public Tridentine High Mass, on Monday, June 23 at 7:00 PM. As one might expect for an Ann Arbor venue, Juventútem Michigan has arranged a social event for young adults age 18-35 to follow the Mass. Further information is on the Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/245555705630354/
Sacred Architecture Journal
The Institute for Sacred Architecture, based in Notre Dame, Indiana, publishes a semiannual journal named Sacred Architecture. Intended to promote traditional church designs, the magazine has historically offered many thought-provoking articles. Issue 24, published in Fall, 2013, contained two particularly noteworthy articles.
The Editorial, by architect Duncan Stroik, makes the point that Catholic high schools should not settle for makeshift chapels, hastily thrown together as temporary rearrangements of auditoriums or gymnasiums. As a sign of commitment to exposing good liturgy to our children, moveable but artistically well-conceived sacramental furniture for those temporary facilities should be considered. A better choice is to construct suitable chapels for the schools. Locally, our own Academy of the Sacred Heart Chapel in Bloomfield Hills is a perfect example of what can and should be built, as is the chapel at the Academy’s former sister school across town, now known as the Grosse Pointe Academy and pictured here:
An article by Dr. William Mahrt entitled “Sacred Rhetoric: Microphones and the Homogenization of Liturgy” makes the argument that P.A. systems used for more than just the announcements and Homily discourage good liturgy. Celebrants should be encouraged to chant the Mass, in both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms. Singing in an acoustically well-designed edifice should not need to be supported by a microphone, nor should sacred silence and more quiet prayer be discouraged. The mic encourages an informal, “chatty” character, which supports the mindset that the Sacred Liturgy is addressed to the congregation, when in fact it is addressed to almighty God. Fortunately, most Extraordinary Form Mass sites already restrict the mic’s usage to the pulpit only, for these very reasons.
Tridentine Masses This Coming Week
- Mon. 05/26 7:00 PM: Low Mass at St. Joseph (St. Philip Neri, Confessor –OR– Rogation Mass)
- Tue. 05/27 7:00 PM: Low Mass at St. Benedict/Assumption-Windsor (St. Bede the Venerable, Confessor & Doctor)
- Thu. 05/29 7:00 PM: High Mass at St. Joseph (Ascension Thursday)
- Thu. 05/29 7:00 PM: High Mass at Old St. Patrick, Ann Arbor (Ascension Thursday)
- Fri. 05/30 7:00 PM: High Mass at Queen of Apostles, Hamtramck (St. Joan of Arc, Virgin) – Dinner for young adults age 18-35 will follow Mass, organized by Juventútem Michigan
"An acoustically well-designed edifice" aye there's the rub. I am Ruthenian Byzantine. With us, the people sing the responses, the ordinary and often the propers as well. We are cursed with an acoustical travesty of a church built in 1965. It seems that no amount of money and expertise can solve the problem. What a treat it is to sing the Divine Liturgy in one of our old churches.
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