Extraordinary Community News - "Extraordinary Faith" Episode 3: Minneapolis - St. Paul, Minnesota

"I will go in unto the Altar of God
To God, Who giveth joy to my youth"
Tridentine Community News (December 7, 2014):

Episode 3 of Extraordinary Faith, filmed in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, will be televised on EWTN in the U.S. and Canada on Monday, December 15 at 3:00 AM and 6:30 PM Eastern time. Beginning Thursday, January 15, the episode will be available for viewing on our web site, www.extraordinaryfaith.tv.

The Twin Cities have long been known for the high quality of Catholic liturgy on offer. Ground Zero is St. Agnes Church in St. Paul. Under its long-time pastor Msgr. Richard Schuler, St. Agnes gained a reputation as one of the world’s great sites for Catholic Tradition. The parish offers Holy Mass in both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms, along with Sunday Vespers in Latin (pictured below). All Masses are offered at the High Altar, ad oriéntem. St. Agnes pastor Fr. Mark Moriarty shows us around the church and explains the liturgical traditions of the parish.


St. Agnes is possibly the only church on earth that offers a full orchestral Latin Mass (usually in the Ordinary Form) an incredible 30 Sundays per year. This Mass packs the church; many of the faith travel great distances to attend. We’ll introduce you to the leaders of the Twin Cities Catholic Chorale, comprised of almost 100 singers plus a full professional orchestra, filling an enormous choir loft.

St. Agnes has a thriving K-12 school attached to the parish, where sacred music is an integral part of the educational program. We’ll meet the school’s music director, Donna May, along with one of her star pupils.

Our film crew shot this episode during a conference of the Church Music Association of America that was held at St. Agnes. We’ll talk with Dr. Jennifer Donelson, organizer of the conference and a nationally known Latin Mass music director and chant expert.

Also historically significant is St. Augustine Church in South St. Paul: Home to one of North America’s first Tridentine Masses started after Vatican II, St. Augustine (pictured below) has been offering a weekly Sunday Mass in the Extraordinary Form since shortly after the Vatican reintroduced permission for them to occur in 1984. In recent years, St. Augustine has become known for its Argument of the Month Club, a men’s club which attracts hundreds to debates on Catholic topics. We’ll meet pastor Fr. John Echert, who explains some of the background at St. Augustine.


The Twin Cities, appropriately enough, have twin Cathedrals: The magnificent Cathedral of St. Paul (pictured below), perched high on a hill overlooking the downtown, and the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis. Both co-cathedrals were designed by the same architect and sport grand interiors, with baldacchino-surmounted High Altars. We’ll take you inside both edifices.


Can’t wait to see what’s in store? Take a peek at the preview video on the page for Episode 3 on our web site, www.extraordinaryfaith.tv, where you’ll also find links to every place we visit.

Tridentine Masses This Coming Week

• Mon. 12/08 11:00 AM: High Mass at All Saints, Flint (Immaculate Conception)
• Mon. 12/08 7:00 PM: High Mass at St. Joseph (Immaculate Conception)
• Tue. 12/09 7:00 PM: Low Mass at St. Benedict/Holy Name of Mary (Feria of Advent)

[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 Assumption (Windsor) bulletin inserts for December 7, 2014. Hat tip to A.B., author of the column.]