"I will go in unto the Altar of God
To God, Who giveth joy to my youth"
Tridentine Community News by Alex Begin (October 20, 2019):
October 20, 2019 – Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost
London Oratory Schola Sings for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI
There’s the A-List, and then there’s the A-List. Readers of this column have heard about the amazing music program on offer at the London Oratory in England. One of the several choirs which sings there is the London Oratory Schola, a boys’ choir from the affiliated London Oratory School. They rehearse every day, sing for many Masses at the church, tour the world every year, and sing for film scores, most notably the Harry Potter films.
Last Sunday, October 13, they were invited to sing at the Vatican for the Canonization Mass for St. John Henry Newman. That’s impressive enough, but the young choristers had a surprise in store: They were also invited to sing for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. In the photo below, taken after the private concert (a video is available on the schola’s Facebook page), choir director Charles Cole is seated on Pope Benedict’s left. What a joy to see one of our most renowned Latin repertoire choirs being given such a significant honor.
Rubrics Books for the Ordinary Form
Many readers of this column are aware that there exist books which are considered the standard references for the rubrics of the Traditional Latin Mass: The primary, and periodically updated, reference is the 2009 edition of Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Described, by Fortescue, O’Connell, and Reid; and the secondary reference, particularly for calendar issues, is the 1964 edition of O’Connell’s The Celebration of Mass.
Less well-known are the comparable books for the Ordinary Form of Mass: Auxiliary Bishop Peter Elliott of Melbourne, Australia, wrote Ceremonies of the Modern Roman Rite [now in its second edition], Ceremonies of the Liturgical Year, and Ministry at the Altar, the definitive books concerning celebration of and serving the Novus Ordo. No one else has undertaken this sort of effort.
A common theme in these books is that His Excellency recommends that we look to the Traditional Mass rubrics for guidance when the norms for the new liturgy are unclear or ambiguous. Continuity does make sense.
Bishop Elliott has toured the world lecturing on proper celebration of the Holy Mass and even concelebrated a Latin Novus Ordo Mass ad oriéntem at St. Josaphat Church in Detroit in 2005. More recently he has offered the Extraordinary Form at various prominent churches and conferences around the globe.
Fort Hood Episode of Extraordinary Faith Now Viewable on YouTube and Vimeo
Episode 23 of Extraordinary Faith – Fort Hood – is now available for viewing on-line. This episode covered the remarkable establishment of a Latin Mass community at one of the U.S.’s largest army posts. You can find the episode on the Extraordinary Faith channel on both YouTube and Vimeo. This episode was posted on-line prior to some earlier episodes due to popular demand; additional episodes will be posted in upcoming weeks.
Tridentine Masses This Coming Week
- Tue. 10/22 7:00 PM: High Requiem Mass at Holy Name of Mary, Windsor (Daily Mass for the Dead)
- Sat. 10/26 8:30 AM: Low Mass at Miles Christi (Saturday of Our Lady)
- Sun. 10/27 11:00 AM: Pontifical Solemn Mass at Assumption Grotto (Christ the King) – Celebrant: Raymond Cardinal Burke
Via Juventútem Michigan comes word that St. Mary Church in Williamston, Michigan is introducing monthly Tridentine Masses on Sundays at 5:00 PM. The celebrant will be pastor Fr. Mark Rutherford. Consult the parish’s Facebook page for the specific dates on which Masses will be held.
A reader asked about the rules for Commemorations on Sundays. A Commemoration is the addition of a second – and in a few instances a third – Collect, Secret, and Postcommunion to the Mass. On weekdays this is a common occurrence when there are secondary Saint(s) on the same Feast Day. On Sundays the rules are a little different: Sundays are days of our Lord, and He must be at least commemorated. When a special Sunday Feast of our Lord is mandated (e.g.: the External Solemnity of Corpus Christi) or is optional (e.g.: the External Solemnity of the Sacred Heart), the skipped Sunday After Pentecost is not commemorated, as the primary Feast is already of our Lord.
