21 Reasons Why People Don't Like Assumption Grotto Church

Fr. Eduard Perrone, "A Pastor's Descant" [Temporary Link] (Assumption Grotto News, June 30, 2019):

21 Reasons Why People Don't Like Assumption Grotto Church
My parting shot before departure in that best month of the year features this light fare as a relief from the ponderous prose usually encountered here.

"I don't like Assumption Grotto Church because ...

• ... the Mass or the singing is in Latin.
• ... they don't shake hands there.
• ... I can't have Communion in my hands.
• ... it's in Detroit, far away from my home.
• ... they don't clap hands in church.
• ... everybody's quiet in church and unfriendly.
• ... their dress code rules out shorts and T shirts.
• ... the priest has his back to us, facing the altar.
• ... they don't have greeters, altar girls, women ministers of Communion, and lectresses.
• ... the priests don't start their sermons with jokes that make us laugh.
• ... there's no "praise music" there.
• ... I miss the guitar and the piano.
• ... their Masses are way too long.
• ... people kneel for Communion.
• ... they use too much incense and ...
• ... there are too many babies too.
• ... saying the rosary after Mass is "over the top."
• ... there's too much kneeling.
• ... they don't have usherettes.
• ... the sermons are too heavy. The priests need to lighten up a little.
• ... the priests don't thank the choir.
• ... the priests don't thank the choir, ushers, teachers, the janitor, etc. after Mass."

You say you've heard others?

Parish improvements. I have made it known that before I retire I want the parish grounds and facilities to be in tiptop shape, ready for takeover by my successor. (this reminds me that soon we ought to start praying for whomever he will be.) For well over a year now we have been making steady, though not always noticeable, progress improving the parish plant. It's usually the case that the more essential and costly things are not obvious to the onlooker, things such as internal repairs and upgrades. Now that many of these have been attended to you'll begin to notice things that meet the eye. Our parish grounds have been steadily improving, and much needed painting will soon commence. Both rectory and church will show their betterment. I know the parking lot and some of the sidewalks are in bad shape. You must allow us time to get around to these. By the time of our August 15 celebration there ought to be marked improvements. Patience! I always have in mind the good order of our parish structures and grounds. I also want our church to be beutiful to honor the Mother of God. She mustn't be disgraced by "Her" parish church being in poor repair or looking drab.

Another reason for wanting to move rapidly with these enhancements is the visit of His Eminence Raymond Cardinal Burke to our parish on October 27 to celebrate a Pontifical Mass. This will be one of the most significant events in the recent history of our parish. I must admonish you, however, not to delay making reservations for the Call to Holiness Conference which is bringing the Cardinal to the parish. Many have already signed up for the Conference, and its attendees will be given preferred to obtain tickets for CTH. (This must sound like those radio commercials that urge their listeners to "act now!")

The happy month of July is upon us when your pastor aestivates, though you will not escape his clutches entirely during that time. Father John will graciously step into the breach to supply what's needed in this controversial, sometimes, disturbing, writing space.

Fr. Perrone

A day in the life of a parish pastor

Fr. Eduard Perrone, "A Pastor's Descant" (Assumption Grotto News, December 10, 2017):

What's on a pastor's mind?

As I suppose it to be for everyone, I would rather do the things I most like doing. I would rather not be exceptional in this> For me, the desirable things to do would be what are called the works of leisure, that is to say, things that are not of practical necessity. Yet I, like most of you, am restricted in my desire to pursue those more delightsome things by the duties that demand my attention.

These necessary things for me are primarily pastoral and administrative. Preparing each week to teach my three or four classes sometimes takes a good chunk of prep time. Following through, I must teach the classes for for which I have prepared. There's also a Sunday sermon to write which has a whole week's period of gestation in my daily prayers where -- presumptuous or foolish to admit it -- God gives me the substance, if not the very words, of what I should deliver to the people. And then there's the writing of the weekly pastor's column, the Descant, which is a duty to which I am resigned. Some pastors don't write a weekly column for their parish papers but I, following the lead of my predecessor, have remained faithful to this weekly chore, sometimes even less ungrudgingly. Thus far my "literary" duties of the week.

Administration of the parish is another mental pressure. So many areas of parish life require decisions of all kinds which depend on the pastor's judgments. Finances, utilities, meetings, the physical plant with its innumerable necessities never escape the mind during the day, during the night, in conversations, and into prayer.

Pastoral work is the thing for which I was ordained and the active form of work I most relish. Here are saying Mass, reciting my daily Divine Office, directing my people in the spiritual life, caring for their sacramental needs, hearing confessions, visiting the sick. The precious time alloted for this must be shared with my literary and administrative activities and so is sometimes cut short and only the minimal gets done in a given week Alas!

At the end of the day I sometimes wonder where all the time has gone. Eating and sleeping, driving, occasionally cooking a meal, and such inevitable gobblers of anyone's time leave me without much of that desired free time, the leisure time to do the things most enjoyed. Now it may sound pious or self-righteous to you for me to say it, but my personal prayer time is my very favorite thing to do. I manage to do this in the early morning hours most days, long before the work of the day begins. Here I can speak to my God to my heart's content about all that's on my mind. In some unexplainable ways I know that He hears and answers me in those quiet hours, often spent before the Blessed Sacrament. Finally there's reading books, playing the piano, and spending social time with relatives and friends. But, like the dessert after the big meal, the sweetest part takes the shortest time. Such is life for me and no doubt for you.

This reflection on the parcelling out of time in my week is not meant merely to let you know what's on my mind and what I do all week long. It's to indicate that for most people life's time consists of things that must get done as opposed to the pleasurable things one would rather do. This imbalance will be redressed, I believe, in the next life when there will be no more 'things that have to get done' but only things that are most delectable: enjoying God and His largely unknown gifts which must certainly be innumerable and delectable beyond what words can say.

In this valley of tears the all-important thing is to do what God expects us to do. Much of that is what we might rather not be doing if we had the choice. Yet He, in His goodness, gives us just enough of the good things of life, even the most simple of them, as a consolation for carrying out our daily tasks.

Perhaps you feel as I do that there are many, many more advantageous things to be grateful for in life than things to complain about. I wholeheartedly love the holy priesthood and the work proper to it. For the rest, I do what I must, sometimes even cheerfully, while I await those fewer moments when I can go about doing what's most pleasing. I hope you find your vocation in life to be equally satisfying in the larger sense, even though its demands may at times seem burdensome. In the end I am compelled to admit that life's not only worth living but, except for sin, good and fulfilling.

Carry on, Christian soul, in your daily life's work. As Saint Paul said of the athlete, he keeps his mind on the end of the game so as to win. This is hope and its season is Advent.

It's almost Thanksgiving ... and Fr. Perrone goes to Confession!

Fr. Eduard Perrone, "A Pastor's Descant" (Assumption Grotto News, November 19, 2017)

This week we observe the second of the three great holidays, Thanksgiving Day. Second? Yes, when one figures in Halloween which, according to news reports, is the second most celebrated American holiday, second only to the December one which everyone used to call Christmas. (Word is out that President Trump has declared that it's once again OK to say, "Merry Christmas." That may be reassuring to some, but to those who never championed political correctness it is, in an ironic bit of pointing the finger, "fake news.")

Thanksgiving Day is worthy of Christian endorsement so long as we recall that there's an object to our thanks -- namely God -- to whom we owe our very existence as well as everything we have. As I remarked in a pastor's column of some past year, secular society gladly embraces Thanksgiving Day for its commercial potential (kicking off, as they say, the holiday spending spree) and for the momentary reprieve of work. One may openly express thankfulness for anything whatever if it is left unsaid that the gratitude must be direct to the Almighty.


Just this past week I made thanksgiving to God for one of the most precious of His gifts to me as a Catholic: the absolution of my sins. (In case you didn't know, priests not only hear confessions but make themselves penitents of other priests.) It so happened that this confession was in close proximity to my birthday (the admission of which is not meant to cue a raucous rendition of the familiar dirge). Confession, I would say, is a great Catholic way of celebrating one's birthday, compelling one to recollect one's utter dependence upon God for forgiveness, for His grace, for life itself. Going to confession ought not to make one grumpy and cross. I'm reminded of what I once read about a composer Igor Stravinsky who would faithfully go to confession on his birthday, the prospect of which would put the composer, in his own words, "in a mood," that is, crabby.

The confession of my sins reminds me of my lowly place under God's infinitely vast empire and that I must ever be grateful to Him for His merciful indulgence to my sinful self. Going to confession also reminds me of what it is to be a penitent in my confessional who must not only accuse himself of his sins before God, but who must also own up to his wrongdoings before a priest, one who is as fallible as another -- so that I will not easily to be compassionate and understanding of penitents. I have posted a few choice scriptural quotes on the door of my confessional. These help me to be kindly disposed to those beggars of divine mercy who come to me to be freed of the burden of their consciences. Should ever I fail in this and get uppity or impatient with you in confession, do me the charity of asking me to read the bible verses on my confessional door. That should awaken a needed humility and spare me a severe judgment from the Judge of judges.

Last week's somewhat panicky pastor's Descant forecasting a gloomy future for our parish Forty Hours devotion appears to have been overwrought. Attendance for the closing Mass at noon last Sunday was good and there always seemed to be someone adoring our Lord during the hours of Exposition. The real credit for the devotion, of course, goes to the benevolent Christ who makes Himself and His graces available during this sacred time. I want to make the Forty Hours a great spiritual success for our people and I would be sad to let go of it when we have held on to it so tenaciously these many years. Accordingly, I have asked a small committee to be formed for securing the future of the Forty Hourse Devotion in our parish. They would meet in September next year to plan for a greater participation and greater solemnity for this traditional parish service.

You will note the near completion of the handicapped entrance ramp on the church's south side, a project that has taken an unduly long time to come to completion. If its serviceability matches its fine looks, I would say that we will have a worthy addition -- or rather replacement entryway -- to our majestic church structure.

Fr. Perrone

Fr. Perrone on what we prayed to be spared

With each passing year, as our society continues to evolve, I grow ever fonder of our parish, which in so many ways is unlike nearly any other I've experienced. By the same token, I suspect, in the eyes of the surrounding society (even Catholic society), our parish must seem proportionally out-of-step and weirdly antiquated. What makes it so? Simply that it has resisted evolving along with society. There's nothing really extraordinary about our parish at all in the great historical scheme of things. The fact is, it is simply Catholic; and Catholic precisely in the sense that any of our Catholic great-grandparents would have immediately recognized. They would have found it entirely ordinary; which is what makes it so extraordinary today. This is one reason I like to include those parts of these weekly reflections by our pastor that open a window onto our parish life -- like the concluding two paragraphs of his column below, which was published the Sunday preceding the presidential election. Enjoy.

Fr. Eduard Perrone, "A Pastor's Descant" [temporary link] (assumption Grotto News, November 6, 2016):

I recently came across this and thought you'd enjoy reading it these days just before the election.

*****

A Fable
Once upon a time in a not too distant land there was a people who had just elected a New Leader (NL) who promised, if elected, to enforce contraception funding, support unlimited abortion rights and fetal experiments, and uphold gay marriages, and who was known to have done criminal deeds but people didn't much care about that because their own sins blinded them to see them. One of NL's goals that had not been kept too much of a secret was to penalize any religious body that opposed sweeping social changes for a brave new society. While some people protested these, only one religious group proved big and powerful enough to stand in the way of NL's new ways. So an order came down on them. "Either change your ways and your beliefs to fit with the new program or else heavy taxes will be levied on all your properties, and you'll be shut down in no time!" This threat terrorized the hierarchy and made the hearts of believers tremble. But to keep peace some of the hierarchy said, "Let's give in to this new program so we can keep our properties, stay in control, and keep some semblance of our religion." Others, clergy and laity alike, were adamant and refused to change. These had their parishes shut down for lack of money to pay the taxes and their clergy went into hiding -- some of whom were imprisoned. And so there was a huge split in this church. While the side of those who went along with the new policies resented the oppressive controls they weren't really all that sad. "NL means well," they said. "Besides, most of us -- unlike those rigid forlks who were shut down and forced undegroudn -- secretly agreed with a lot of what NL wanted done anyhow." And so these got on rather well, though theyfelt deeply guilty for their conformity. The diehards meanwhile, those who refused to change their ways, kept the old religion alive, conducting their religious services clandestinely and teaching their children the old religion of their fathers. So there was now an officially recognized church under NL's control and the opporessed reactionaries who kept to their traditional ways in secret.

Meanwhile the whole land was now beginning to feel other pressures as NL pushed on to greater and greater control of people's lives. Taxes were increased to unbearable limits to create the new society that promised freedom, equality, and happiness for everybody -- everybody except those who opposed the new program. Conformists with the reforms were rewarded with jobs and privileges while the general population suffered emotionally and economically, even unto wretchedness. But whenever somebody began to object or criticize NL or the new reforms they were forcibly silenced and punished severely. In this way NL exercised total control over everything in this land and many pretended they liked things this way -- though they really resented them -- because they were afraid.

Life went on a long time in this land and the people were miserable. All the while, however, the underground believers and other dissidents kept going quietly under oppression, living by their old beliefs and ways as best they could, keeping alive in their hearts the hope that someday NL would be gone, the former order reinstated, and liberty restored.

But in the meantime, the people lived most unhappily and were very sorry that they had ever brought this sufering upon themselves.

*****
Recall that there will be an overnight prayer vigil in our church this Monday night after the 7:00 p.m. Mass through Tuesday morning just before the 7:30 a.m. Mass. We will be prostrate before the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, precisely as we sing the Benediction hymn, veneremur cernui, that is, falling down before God. This is expressed well also in (Vulgate) Psalm 94 that is prayed in the Divine Office every morning: "Come, let us adore, and bow down before God, let us weep before the Lord." We have great reason to pray so very humbly for a good outcome to this election.

The Forty Hours Devotion opens this Friday at the 7:30 a.m. Mass with its procession following, closing just before the 7:00 p.m. Mass. It will reopen Saturday morning at 6:30 (with Mass at the usual 7:30 time), closing 8:00 p.m. On Sunday morning adoration begins at 6:00 a.m. and continues through the solemn closing Mass at noon (procession with the Blessed Sacrament is at the end of the Mass). Note that during the Sunday Masses, the Eucharist is not exposed, except during the noon Mass due to a special privilege for the closing Mass of Forty Hours.

Fr. Perrone

Pancake Sunday today.

Assumption Grotto in July: Day of Recollection, Passionist missionary visit, St. Gemma Galgani, Crossroads Prolife, preparation (beginning July 13th) for Consecration to Jesus through Mary, and preparation for patronal feast day on August 15th

Fr. Eduard Perrone, "A Pastor's Descant" (Assumption Grotto News, July 10, 2016):

July usually brings a short pause in the parish activities, but, hopefully, no such pause in our ongoing efforts to live a life in Christ and continue working for the salvation of souls. This weekend brings a welcome burst of activities with Fr. Titus Kieninger of the Order of Canons Regular of the Holy Cross preaching a Day of Recollection on Mary, Mother of Mercy. There will be two conferences, one beginning at 2:00 PM and the second beginning at 3:00 PM, followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament with Benediction beginning at 4:15 PM. Following this, those who have completed their formation will make their Consecration to to the Guardian Angel. Fr. Titus will be available after the Consecrations to speak with those interested in beginning the formation year which precedes the Consecration.

This weekend is also our annual Mission Sunday with a visit from Fr. Kevin Dance of the Passionists of Papua New Guinea. The Passionist congregation was founded by St. Paul of the Cross in the early 18th century with the mission to keep alive in the world the love of Jesus Crucified as seen in His Sacred Passion. Fr. Kevin will speak about the work being carried out in Oceania (north of Australia) by the Passionists. As always, do prayerfully consider how you can support the Missionary Activity of the Church spiritually and monetarily. Envelopes are provided that you may bring back next Sunday and place in the collection or you may simply include a donation designated for the Passionists in your regular contribution envelope.

There are many holy Passionist saints in the Church. It is very interesting that the Mission Appeal by the Passionist order would be here the same weekend that Fr. Titus and Sr. Maria Gemma are here for the Day of Reflection. Sr. Maria Gemma takes her name from St. Gemma Galgani, who is one of the prominent saints of the Passionist order. St. Gemma Galgani's remarkable life was a living out of a mystical union with the Suffering Christ. During her brief life, St. Gemma Galgani endured much suffering both physically and spiritually. She received many visions from Our Lord and even spoke with Jesus, the Blessed Mother, her Guardian Angel, and St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows. She is among those Saints who received the stigmata. Her obedience to the Lord and His Church was so absolute, that when her spiritual director ordered her to pray that the stigmata be removed, she did so at once and the stigmata disappeared. She died on Holy Saturday in 1903 and was soon canonized. She remains the patroness of religious, priests, and virtually all those who suffer in some way.

A reminder that the pro-life group Crossroads will be here next weekend. Each summer, members of Crossroads Prolife walk from Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. witnessing to the dignity and sanctity of all human life from the moment of conception to natural death. They visit Assumption Grotto each year as the Northern Walk passes through Michigan in order to raise awareness about their cause and accept any donations that are offered. One of the major battlefields for the heart and soul of young Americans is the colleges and universities of this great nation. The anti-life forces control much of what is taught, promoted and funded on college campuses. That ideology eventually winds up becoming the law of the land through subsequent generations of politicians and judges, and, of course, voters. Please take some time to learn about this remarkable effort and support them financially and spiritually as you are able.

The 30-day preparation for the Consecration to Jesus Christ through Mary begins July 13. The preparation is not precisely a novena, but a period of preparation that precedes the Consecration on August 15. The more effort that can be put into preparation, the greater the spiritual benefit. If you haven't started the preparation to make or renew your Consecration it is not too late to begin today. Booklets are available in the Gift Shop.

As our patronal feast day approaches, we are always in need of volunteers to help with the many activities before, during and after August 15. Please contact the rectory if you are able to help.

Fr. Perrone on Corpus Christi, Memorial Day, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the canonization of Stanislaus Papcaynski, and the summer weekday Mass schedule at Assumption Grotto

Fr. Eduard Perrone, "A Pastor's Descant" (Assumption Grotto News, May 29, 2016):

Many things to relate to you today.

Today's feast day of Corpus Christi directs our minds to become more mindful of the great Reality of the Lord's sacred Body and Blood made present to us through the gift of the priesthood. Recently I spoke to the congregation about being more vigilant in their manner of reception of Holy Communion. Today's Eucharistic theme is an offshoot of this, centered more on the adoration of our Eucharistic Lord. While many communicate, too few adore the Lord in the Holy Sacrament. This makes me wonder whether the paucity of adorers is due to inadvertence, neglect, indifference, or rather to want of true faith in the Real Presence. No matter the reason, we, recipients of this heavenly Treasure, ought to reverently adore the Lord Almighty concealed in the Sacred Host.

Today's Mass and chants, its procession with multiple benedictions (following the noon Mass) will attempt to bring greater awareness of what we have in this Sacrament and what other christian believers have not. Our Ushers will offer food and beverage, for those who wish them, after the conclusion of today's noon Mass and procession.

Monday is Memorial Day. Remembering is becoming a rarity in this face-paced age when important things, on that account, are held in ever diminished regard. We are simply too busy about doing whatever is before us to pause and be mindful of the sacrifices of others which have made our relative well-being in this land possible. Specifically, we should take this time to ponder the worth of our great nation which motivated valorous deeds even unto the loss of life in defense of her. Catholics, nearly alone among Christians, will do much more than honor the dead on Memorial Day. They will pray for the eternal reward of the faithful departed. They do this by offering Holy Mass, gaining indulgences for them, making other prayers and doing deeds in supplication to God for the mitigation of the suffering of purgatory. Our two Masses this Monday (no evening Mass!) will be 7:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., the latter will include prayers in our cemetery and complimentary doughnuts and coffee offered in the lounge afterward.

Friday this week will be the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a feast we have not paid sufficient attention to in recent years. This year we hope you will make a special effort to join us for the evening Mass which will be done with due solemnity. An ice cream social will follow. These are indeed poor efforts on our part to express gratitude to our Lord for having opened the love and mercy of His Sacred Heart to us, and the grant of special graces of a more intimate kind for those particularly devoted to Him through the revelation of His Sacred Heart.

Next Sunday, June 5, there will be yet one more special observance in the 9:30 Mass wherein we will celebrate, along with the whole Order of Marians, the canonization of its founder Sanislaus Papcaynski. The canonization ceremony itself will take place in Rome. Here we will give thanks to God for the inspiration He gave for the founding of a religious order which may in God's good time enjoy a new planting in our parish. On this day we will rejoice with Brother Esteban and his companions. Those attending the 9:30 Mass will also be invited to the gym afterward for a dinner hosted by him and his supporters for which a free-will offering may be made.

I conclude with a notice from May 31 until August ` there will not be weekday evening Masses. I regret this in view of the spiritual good of the people who cannot attend Mass in the morning. The reality, however, is that with only two parish priests and their summertime schedules away from the parish, and with the restriction of Canon Law which does not permit a priest to say more than one weekday Mass unless there is a real necessity (a funeral, for example), there cannot be both an evening and a morning weekday Masses here during this period of June and July. I can offer a note of consolation in that Brother Esteban has agreed to distribute Holy Communion each evening in these months at 7:00 p.m., preceded by the readings from the scripture of the Mass of the day. This is, needless to say, a great benefit. Although it is not the offering of the sacrifice of the Mass it is a sharing in its inestimable fruit.

Fr. Perrone

GrottoCast!!!

I realize what a privilege it is to be able to assist at Mass at a perish where homilists are as good as confessors, where old Catholic customs are observed with affection, and one can imagine what the Church must have been like a generation or two ago.

For anyone interested in looking through a window, as it were, into this world, and in listening in to such homilies, there is no better place than GrottoCast , a new website that shares Fr. Eduard Perrone's (and his guest celebrants') homilites in audio format. Fr. Perrone, of course, is a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit serving the Assumption Grotto parish.

Here, for example, are the 2015 Christmas Homilies: Fr. Logan & Fr. Perrone (GrottoCast, December 25, 2015), which are both worth a listen, along with pictures. I'm told that a series of Carmelite retreat talks will be featured this year. As the church bulletin notes, the site will also be used to share video clips from some devotional and liturgical events. Furthermore, using the archive drop down in the sidebar, you can find a Corpus Christi procession video from June of 2015; and there is a provision (also in the sidebar) for subscribing to email notifications that will send you a link as soon as items are posted.

God bless you everyone!

Want to sing polyphany or Gregorian chant? Fr. Perrone wants to grow his already nationally-renown choir (call the parish!) - also, some interesting thoughts on the origins of terms on pastoral assignments

Fr. Eduard Perrone, "A Pastor's Descant" [temporary link] (Assumption Grotto News, September 13, 2015):

This past July marked my twentieth year as pastor of this parish. By modern standards that’s a long pastorate, but by an older measurement, it’s about average. In olden times, you see, a pastor was appointed pretty well for life as spiritual and administrative head of a parish. Long tenures had the advantage of stability–a necessity for good and effective operation. After Vatican Council II, bishops of dioceses saw their chance to ‘break the power of pastors’ who had held tight reign of their domains by the protective provisions of Canon Law. The Holy See, accordingly, granted bishops of the USA an indult which allowed them to put terms on the assignment of pastors. This was because the complaint had been made that pastors sometimes were too powerful and too comfortably ensconced in their fixed posts, even to the point that Rome would favor the rights of a pastor over those of his diocesan bishop–if ever a dispute between them developed. According to the newly created loophole, however, bishops had more control and haughty pastor’s were brought to heel. After a few decades of this experiment of limited terms, however, both pastors and parishioners expressed some dissatisfaction with it because priests varied so markedly one from one another, and in so many ways. The constant shifting about of pastors of diverse dispositions and manners tended to upset parish life for the people and it made it difficult for pastors themselves to develop and maintain lasting and fruitful relationships with their flocks–a much needed thing to secure confidence.

All that is a long way of introducing my rationale for writing today about the choir’s need for many more singers. For some reason or other we are now fewer in numbers than ever before in my twenty years here. Since I direct the choir myself, this is a special concern to me. We have been able over these years to establish a rather fine reputation for our music program. I well recall the first year here as pastor when my predecessor, Monsignor Sawher was so completely thrilled with our Christmas midnight Mass singing of a Mozart Mass–that was in 1994. We were off then to an auspicious start and were well received. Since that time, we have done a great deal to enhance the liturgical action with liturgical music composed by many outstanding composers of universal recognition, music that was composed to the glory of God. We have been able to do this because we have had parishioners willing to devote themselves to rehearse some rather difficult choral music. In general, we have not hired singers from outside (except for certain solos that required professionals). Ours has been a true parish choir.

For the first time in twenty years I am concerned that we may not be able to continue on as we have. There are some former members who have left for various reasons and there are too few new voices to replace them. I know that choral singing is not something everyone can do, nor has time to do. That said, however, I suspect there are many others who could do this special form of parish service but are content to remain in the pews. It is indeed a sacrifice of time and effort to rehearse weekly and to sing the Sunday high Mass. It is also, if I may say so, a greatly gratifying experience that few, outside some semi-professional choirs, are able to duplicate elsewhere. The Grotto advantage over them is that, though we are only a parish choir, we have been able to sing music written for the Church in church and not in a concert hall (as is the case of most other choirs that perform music of this caliber).

Surely the time will come (and may not be that far off) when I will retire and will no longer be able to be either pastor or choir director. I would not be happy to have to relinquish my duties before my time due to a poor or indifferent response to the continuance of the choir which has done so notably well all these years.

This is, of course, a pitch for joining the choir so that we can proceed and, instead of retreating, make even greater progress in the fine tradition of choral music that we have become noted for. (Yes, we do have a wide reputation for this–even nationally–and for the liturgy generally, I’m pleased to say, though I do not flaunt the fact.)

This is not an alarmist’s message. We are not ready to fold, but we ought not to be reduced to something less than we have been. Another 12 to 20 people would be about what we need in view of the dwindling in recent years. Choir rehearsals are on Wednesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. and on Sundays, 9 a.m. through the 9:30 Mass, with a short ‘review’ rehearsal of music learnt the previous Wednesday night. It’s a commitment indeed, but no less a one that’s needed to accomplish anything worthwhile.

One of the Prefaces of the Mass concludes this way: “We, too, (with the angels of heaven) confess Your name in exultation, giving voice to every creature under heaven, as we acclaim: Holy, holy holy...” The choir, you see, represents every creature on earth giving its praise to God I’d only want to keep it coming.

Fr. Perrone

"Treason of the Clerisy"

In case you missed it, by Maureen Mullarkey, "Treason of the Clerisy" (First Things, July 27, 2015), on the fortunes of parishes rejuvenated by Fr. Rutler's administrative tenure and taken over by his successors. On the stripping of icons as a case study in pastoral stupidity. The article begins thusly:

I foresee churches with their Jesuit bureaucrats open daily from 9-5, closed on weekends.

Georges Bernanos

Jesuits are blameless in this article, but the point stands, says Mullarkey. It always stands.

[Hat tip to JM]

Fr. Perrone: Post-Holy Week house keeping & ruminations

Fr. Eduard Perrone, "A Pastor's Descant" (Assumption Grotto News, April 19, 2015):

All the great days are now behind us: Holy Week, Easter Sunday and Divine Mercy Sunday. Although the Church is still in high spirits throughout the greater Easter season, yet it would be expected that one should feel a liturgical slump. For sure, there are some peak days ahead, such as Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, Corpus Christi and the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, not to mention our own local celebration of First Holy Communion and May crowning. The break with the sharp winter temperatures and the warmth of the sunshine add to this feeling of release and repose after a season of hard work with harsh temperatures.

It is only now that I can begin to feel this pleasant change. I say this because there is about the span of a month’s time when I so immerse myself in liturgical things that I have to drop almost everything else. In other words: one week before Holy Week preparations are made; then comes the Great Week itself with Easter; what follows is a week of restoration to order, putting things back in place, noting corrections to be made for next year’s celebrations. After Divine Mercy Sunday I look over the large stack of parish work that has lain on my desk, growing ever higher by the day, and I began to make up for the “lost” time.

I write this not because you want to know what I do behind the scenes, but so that you can be a little understanding of why it may be that I cannot set meeting times and answer many messages, respond to mailings and make appointments during this time. I’m catching up on many things (not to mention the necessities of the dread tax time) so that there can be a return to normalcy. I appreciate your understanding and patience.

You will note that the church front porch and steps are being repaired and rebuilt. There had been a growing problem for the last few years. We thought it would be a relatively easy fix-up. It turned out to be a major project. After some eighty years and more one should expect that some repairs of our church would be needed. As it is, the church structure is remarkably sound (I’m told) and it is obvious that no effort or expense was spared when constructing the church, the reason for its durability as well as its admirable quality.

You will notice that there are other areas of the church plant which need attention. There’s so much here of land and aging buildings. We do our best to keep things serviceable while awaiting a time when more substantial restorations can be done. Another area for you to exercise patience.

We were pleased to have four new members of the Church brought in at the Easter Vigil Mass. While that may be a somewhat small number of converts in comparison to what suburban parishes accomplish, it is for us a good number. The more important thing, however, is that, after having interviewed them and questioned them on the faith, these converts give good indications that they will be worthy members of the Church. Christ is alive not only in Himself but also in His members who live in His grace and who represent Him to the world. This is so badly needed today when the Catholic voice is being stifled by the ungodly din of the worldly and the depraved. I have high hopes for these new Catholics (not to put too great a burden of expectation on them) that they will inject their newfound enthusiasm for the faith back into the body of the Church. This is an encouragement for all of us as well as our joy for them.

We have for several years been blessed with two extraordinary ladies–both named Mary–who have done laundry for us priests on the one hand and for the church linens on the other. Both of them have had to retire from this work (one only temporarily, it is hoped). This leaves us with a need for a couple of ladies to step in, those who may have the extra time to devote to it. Should you know of some such person, or should you yourself be she (how awkward that sounds!), do pluck up the courage and speak to the pastor or to his more kindly disposed associate priest.

Fr. Perrone

"A win-win situation for Holy Innocents proposed in the New York Times"

Kenneth J. Wolfe, writing in the New York Times, has proposed a solution to the ostensible impasse involving the parish of the Holy Innocents in New York City, as New Catholic reports in "A win-win situation for Holy Innocents proposed in the New York Times" (RC, July 7, 2014). In the June 30th issue of the New York Times, Wolfe writes:

The arguments by the Archdiocese of New York in favor of closing Catholic churches are always about two issues: parish finances operating in the red and a shortage of priests.

The Church of the Holy Innocents, however, operates with a budget surplus, according to your news article.

The parish, which is the only church in New York City that offers a daily traditional Latin Mass, clearly has a congregation that largely favors the pre-Vatican II liturgy and sacraments. The question, then, is why Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan does not invite a traditional religious order of priests into the archdiocese to administer Holy Innocents.

There are at least two such societies of clergy in perfect standing with the Vatican, the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter and the Institute of Christ the King. Each runs parishes in North Jersey, among dozens of other places in the United States and beyond.

This option, called a “personal parish,” would seem to address concerns from all sides and keep the parish and its Latin Mass community intact. My hunch is that the fraternity or the institute would be able to arrange for several priests to move to Holy Innocents immediately if Cardinal Dolan were to extend such an invitation.

New Catholic aptly adds:

Let us recall that the instrument of the Personal Parish (or Chaplaincy), that already had full applicability for such situations, was expressly foreseen by Benedict XVI (the Pope who named the current Archbishop of New York and created him a Cardinal) in the Apostolic Letter given Motu Proprio "Summorum Pontificum", signed and promulgated exactly seven years ago, on July 7, 2007 (cf. Art.10/SP, and can. 518 of Code of Canon Law).

Reinventing the liturgical wheel?

I still subscribe to The Adoremus Bulletin, an organ of the Adoremus Society for the Renwal of the Sacred Liturgy. Ever since moving our church membership to St. Josaphat Church in Detroit, just a month after Pope Benedict XVI's Motu Proprio, Summorum Pontificum, however, I must say that my subjective perception of the issues agitating the interest of the readers, writers, and editors of Adoremus has undergone a significant shift. Concerns about liturgical abuses centering on music, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, whether to receive standing or kneeling, in the hand or on the tongue, etc., have simply ceased to be problems. All of these sorts of problems have simply evaporated, along with the feeling that I was entering a politicized battlefield every time I went to Mass, with this or that faction trying to make a point, say, by substituting "God" for "Him" in the congregational responses ("Let us give God thanks and praise").

Accordingly, I feel a certain incumbancy to keep myself interested in the liturgical wellbeing of Catholics in rank-and-file Novus Ordo parishes still laboring under the Ordinary (and yet unsettled) Form of the Latin Rite. My present concerns are more likely to center on what is often lacking in Usus Antiquior parishes, because they still tend not to be community parishes but to have congregations comprised of long-distance Sunday commuters. What they often still lack is a developed program of catechesis for all ages and a parish environment in which families can easily put down roots. This is changing slowly, but the effects of years of isolation and effective liturgical prohibition are still noticeably visible.

Would it be unkind to suggest that our friends over at Adoremus seem, at times, to be laboring at the herculean task of reinventing the liturgical wheel?