By
Morgan on September 29th, 2009
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FIRST EXTRAORDINARY FORM MASS IN MONTGOMERY DRAWS 300
It is with great joy that we announce that the first Extraordinary Form Mass held in Montgomery in 40 years drew over 300 of the faithful on Sunday, September 27th, packing St. Peter’s Catholic Church and equaling the average number of faithful who attend the main Sunday Ordinary Form Mass at that church.
Celebrated by Fr. Mark Fischer, Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, and sung by St. Cecilia Schola Cantorum of nearby Auburn, Alabama, the Mass was a Missa Cantata, with all the Propers, beginning with the beautiful and familiar Asperges Me. The Schola also printed the program for the Mass.
Fr. Mark Fischer, FSSP, during the Asperges
After the Mass, the refreshment room was packed with grateful Catholics talking about the sacred Mass they had just attended, with many lined up to meet and thank Fr. Mark Fischer, as well as Fr. Patrick Driscoll, Pastor of St. Peter’s.
In addition, renowned author Thomas E. Woods, a member of Una Voce Central Alabama, was on hand to sign copies of his books, particularly his highly popular Sacred Then And Sacred Now: The Return Of The Old Latin Mass.
Una Voce Central Alabama’s next goal is to secure the establishment of a regular Extraordinary Form Mass at St. Peter’s, and we have no doubt this will soon be forthcoming. As mentioned in an article (below), our petition - bearing over 120 names - was submitted to Fr. Driscoll, pursuant to Article 5 of Summorum Pontificum, in July. Since that time, more persons have written Fr. Driscoll, asking that their letter be attached to the petition.
The interest and devotion to the Extraordinary Form Mass in the Montgomery area is without question, and we will continue to work with Fr. Driscoll, Archbishop Rodi, as well as the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, to realize the regular celebration of this Mass of the Ages.
More photos will be forthcoming from what was an historic and absolutely stunning day in the central Alabama area of the Archdiocese of Mobile.
Many thanks, again, to Archbishop Rodi, Fr. Patrick Driscoll and Mr. John Rasnick, Una Voce Georgia. who was in attendance and who did so much to help us realize this wonderful day for Catholics in this area.
Catholics interested in joining our work, as a lay organization dedicated to providing support for the Extraordinary Form Mass, please contact us.
We officially received our non-profit recognition from Federal and State authorities this past summer, so all dues and contributions are tax-deductible.
If you do not wish to become a member of Una Voce, but would like to contribute to our work, please feel free to send your tax-deductible contributions. Because we firmly believe in providing generous stipends, we welcome all contributions to aid in this endeavor. Statements of all contributions (including dues payments) are mailed in January, as documentation for tax purposes.
Most of all, however, pray for us, that our work will result in the regular celebration of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, and that our efforts will reach the many Catholics in this area who are devoted to this Form of the Mass of the Roman Rite.
By
Morgan on August 28th, 2009
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At Last! Extraordinary Form Mass To Be Celebrated In Montgomery, September 27th
Una Voce Central Alabama is pleased to announce that, after 40 years, the Latin Mass (Extraordinary Form) will be celebrated at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Montgomery, Alabama, at 5:00 p.m., Sunday, September 27th.
Father Mark Fischer, Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, will be the celebrant, with the Mass, a Missa Cantata, sung by St. Cecilia Schola Cantorum, of Auburn.
Una Voce Central Alabama has donated to St. Peter’s the latest booklet missals for use by the faithful, and will provide a printed program for the Mass.
Special thanks to Fr. Patrick Driscoll, Pastor, St. Peter’s, Archbishop Rodi, Archdiocese of Mobile, and to Mr. John Rasnick, Una Voce Georgia, for all their contributions toward making this Mass possible.
With our petition presented, as discussed in the article below, Una Voce Central Alabama continues its efforts to see the establishment of an every-Sunday Extraordinary Form Mass at St. Peter’s, and this inaugural Latin Mass will no doubt enhance these efforts.
By
Morgan on July 17th, 2009
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PETITION FOR EXTRAORDINARY FORM MASS PRESENTED
It is with great joy that Una Voce Central Alabama announce that a petition, containing over 100 signatures of parishioners, representing “a stable group of faithful” in accordance with Article 5 of our Holy Father’s Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, has been presented to the Pastor of St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Montgomery, Alabama, requesting the regular celebration of the Extraordinary Form of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, according to the Missal of Bl. John XXIII.
The process for the restoration of the Extraordinary Form Mass has now officially begun, and we are certain that the number of signatories to the petition will more than meet any definition of “a stable group of faithful” which the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei may ascertain.
St. Peter’s Catholic Church, with its traditional Roman Catholic architecture and fittings, including the main High Altar and 2 side altars, is the ideal location for the celebration of the Latin Mass in central Alabama.
It must be said that the Pastor of St. Peter’s has been very cooperative in his wish to see the Latin Mass offered at St. Peter’s. And, though he is not trained to celebrate the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, he has pledged to exert every effort to locate priests who can celebrate the Mass for those parishioners who so passionately desire it.
Una Voce Central Alabama has 150 Missals of the approved Extraordinary Form Mass, and will donate these to St. Peter’s for use at such Masses. In addition, we reaffirm our pledge to pay the expenses of any priest and potential altar servers in central Alabama who wish to be trained in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass.
Pray for us, that our desires, as well as the expressed wishes of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, come to fruition at St. Peter’s, Montgomery.
Adesto nobis, Domine Deus noster…..
By
Morgan on March 23rd, 2009
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To All Orthodox Catholics In Central Alabama
Perhaps the hardest part of our mission as a chapter of Una Voce is disseminating information to Roman Catholics in Central Alabama who wish to see the establishment of regular celebrations of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, as given to us by the Grace of God through our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI.
Pursuant to the provisions of our Holy Father’s Summorum Pontificum, we have started a petition for Catholics to sign, which will be ultimately presented to a parish priest, according to the aforementioned provisions.
Our petition is currently at the St. Peter’s Bookshop, St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Montgomery.
Please note that all Confirmed Catholics of a family should each sign the petition. If you have difficulty traveling to Montgomery to sign the petition, please email us at the address at the top of this site, and we will endeavor to send pages of the petition to you.
Currently, the state of the celebration of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass in the Archdiocese of Mobile is just as it was ten years ago - one Mass, celebrated once per month at St. Bridget’s in Whistler, Alabama. For the many Roman Catholics in central Alabama, that is a 400-mile round trip, and is not a consideration for either practical reasons, or in keeping with the provisions of Summorum Pontificum.
It has long been known to Roman Catholics in central Alabama that we are so far distant from Mobile that we are in many instances merely considered a geographical expression. Much of the focus of bishops, since Bishop Toolen (who was magnificent), have considered the Archdiocese as essentially consisting of Baldwin and Mobile counties. In fact, we are not only closer to the suffragan Diocese of Birmingham, but often feel more in union with the outstanding leadership of Bishop Baker, Bishop of Birmingham, in his quest to see the Extraordinary Form of the Mass celebrated throughout the Diocese of Birmingham, and to have priests trained to this end.
Accordingly, until such time as we can present our petition and secure the rightful celebration of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass in central Alabama, we urge all Roman Catholics in central Alabama to attend the Extraordinary Form Masses held regularly in Birmingham and other parts of the Diocese of Birmingham. The distance for us is one-half closer, and there is no juridical impediment to attending these Masses.
Mass times for the Extraordinary Form in Birmingham can be found on the website of Una Voce North Alabama, a link to which is on this site (at right).
In the meantime, we will continue our efforts to get the message out to the many traditional Roman Catholics in central Alabama, so that they may know of our petition and our mission. Remember - it is not necessary to join our Una Voce Chapter in order to sign the petition. We have many non-member supporters.
Should you be interested, or have any questions, please email us.
By
Morgan on October 22nd, 2008
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SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM UPDATE - FROM RORATE CAELI
“We acknowledge the ongoing rumor about a possible publication of the clarification document of the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum in January 2009. Gregor Kollmorgen, of The New Liturgical Movement, offers a translation of the text published in the Italian religious news website Pontifex (Bruno Volpe):
The Instruction on the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum of 7 July 2007 which liberalized Holy Mass according to the ancient Roman rite, has been ready for some time already and is now being examined by our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. This Pontifex has learned from authoritative sources.
The text, signed by Cardinal Hoyos, President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, will be signed most likely by the Pope in late December and published in the first days of January 2009. In its most important parts the document, which had become indispensable after the many problems in the application of the Motu Proprio and forms of outright recalcitrance on the part of not a few bishops (incidentally appropriately denounced in September by the Vice President of the Commission Ecclesia Dei, Monsignor Camille Perl), addresses two crucial topics: the interpretation of the term “stable group of faithful” within an ordinary parish and the problem of personal parishes. It was even considered to list and to indicate a minimum number of faithful, but this solution has been discarded.
According to the document, the traditionalist faithful present in a parish will have the full protection of the law to ask for the old Mass, and if the bishop refuses (here is the news), saying that there are no priests capable of celebrating according to the ancient rite in that place, the Commission Ecclesia Dei will authoritatively (”di imperio”) send a priest able to do so to that diocese. In short, the bishops will no longer be able to refuse a priori to have the old Mass celebrated, because in such cases, the Commission Ecclesia Dei will send a delegated priest of its own.
The document then analyzes the case of personal parishes in which the traditionalists want to celebrate the Christmas Mass or the Easter Triduum according to the ancient rite, also in cases of an absence of priests, or a prohibition by the bishop. The possibility of a shortage of priests could be envisaged, and also in this case, Ecclesia Dei will take care. The Holy See, therefore, wants to establish definitive clarity regarding the application of the Motu Proprio, and for this reason also the powers and prerogatives of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei will be better defined and strengthened.”
For further updates, visit the website of Rorate Caeli
By
Morgan on July 3rd, 2008
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UPDATE: THE LEGACY OF PERVASIVE FEAR
On March 7, we offered the post below, asking for ONE PRIEST in Central Alabama, willing to be trained in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass.
Recently, Una Voce Northern Alabama asked that we join with them in securing regional priest training, to be conducted by the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP).
It was sad and, indeed, embarrassing to report that we cannot find ONE PRIEST in the vast outer reaches of the Archdiocese of Mobile willing to take the “risk”.
For months, since Summorum Pontificum became effective, September 14, 2007, the overwhelming sentiment among priests here was one of caution - waiting until the next Archbishop of Mobile was named and installed.
Well known to just about everyone was the level of fear which was pervasive since our late Holy Father John Paul II allowed for priests to receive the Indult from local Ordinaries. The evidence of cooperation with the Holy Father within the Archdiocese of Mobile spoke for itself - one lonely priest, aged and in ill-health, offering one Latin Mass per month in one parish. Such was the Mass of the Ages suppressed. Priests admitted fear of even asking for the Indult, and the Traditional Latin Mass was spoken of in only hushed tones.
Now, with Archbishop Rodi at the helm, we hope for new leadership in the area of encouraging priests to learn the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, much as Bishop Baker has so magnificently done in the Diocese of Birmingham.
As the anniversary of the issuance of Summorum Pontificum approaches, time will tell if cooperation or disinterest will reign within the Archdiocese of Mobile.
We can only pray that the wishes of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, are given the level of respect as has been the example of Bishop Baker of Birmingham.
By
Morgan on March 7th, 2008
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WANTED: ONE PRIEST IN CENTRAL ALABAMA
It is a sad, though very real fact, that in the entire Archdiocese of Mobile, there is only one priest trained to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the Extraordinary Form. He is an aging priest, not in the best of health, and the Extraordinary Form Mass is offered by him once per month at one church, far removed from most of the Roman Catholics in the Archdiocese.
This is the tokenism of the past - a vestige of the whispered suppression of the Extraordinary Form in the years leading up to July 7, 2007, when our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI took action.
This melancholy situation, common particularly in the United States, is precisely why our Holy Father issued his Apostolic Letter Summorum Pontificum, and exactly why Una Voce Central Alabama was formed.
Unlike the Diocese of Birmingham, where Bishop Baker, working with Una Voce Northern Alabama, has demonstrated leadership in encouraging priests to learn the Extraordinary Form, it is evident that leadership within the Archdiocese of Mobile must come from the ground up - from individual priests and the laity.
The time is now. Every priest now has the Indult, by the Grace of God through His Successor to the See of Peter. What each priest chooses to do, or not do, with this Holy Gift, is up to his own conscience.
In an effort to help fulfill the wishes of our Holy Father, Una Voce Central Alabama will pay the workshop expenses for any priest in the central or southeastern portion of the Archdiocese of Mobile who wishes to be trained in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. We will also contemplate paying same for any altar servers, including Deacons. Our only condition is that once trained, the priest and servers pledge to regularly celebrate the Extraordinary Form of the Mass in Montgomery or the Montgomery area.
If you are a priest in the Archdiocese of Mobile, and interested in obtaining financial assistance from Una Voce Central Alabama to attend either of these workshops, please contact us at: unavocecentralalabama@yahoo.com
By
Morgan on January 23rd, 2008
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BOOK RECOMMENDATION: “SACRED THEN AND SACRED NOW”
Una Voce Central Alabama is pleased to recommend the hottest new book on the Catholic market, Thomas E. Woods Jr.’s Sacred Then And Sacred Now: The Return Of The Old Latin Mass, just published by Roman Catholic Books.
“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too.” — Pope Benedict XVI
Following his highly popular and critically acclaimed
How The Catholic Church Built Western Civilization, Dr. Woods has produced what may be the definitive book on the genesis of the Holy Father’s
Summorum Pontificum, and the impact it will have toward enriching the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church.
In his own words, Dr. Woods explains the purpose of the book:
“The book serves several purposes. First, it explains the mind of Pope Benedict XVI on liturgy, and why he took the bold move of restoring the traditional Latin liturgy throughout the Roman Rite for those Catholics who want it. The Pope’s initiative is not just for old fogies who refuse to get with the times. Sacred Then and Sacred Now explains why Benedict is so anxious for the faithful to avail themselves of this great treasure.
Second, it walks beginners through the old Mass: when to sit, stand, and kneel, what the various prayers and gestures mean, and the like. It then explains why certain practices (including but not limited to Communion kneeling and on the tongue) are preserved in the old liturgy. Finally, it replies to typical objections: e.g., no one speaks Latin anymore, the priest should face the people, the people should “participate” more, etc.
I wrote the book so that both the beginner to the traditional Mass as well as the more advanced student could profit from it. It’s also useful to give to people, priests and laity alike, who may not understand your interest in the traditional liturgy.”
The book will also be availabe to order from Amazon on February 1st.
And, for those in the Montgomery area, the book will be available from St. Peter’s Bookshop, St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Montgomery, (334) 262-7304.
By
Morgan on January 14th, 2008
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HOLY FATHER CELEBRATES MASS IN SISTINE CHAPEL AD ORIENTAM
Pope Benedict celebrated parts of Sunday’s Mass ad orientam, re-introducing a posture that he maintains has always been proper for the Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms Mass of the Roman Rite.
The Pope used the Sistine Chapel’s ancient altar set right against the wall under Michelangelo’s dramatic depiction of the Last Judgment, instead of the altar placed on a mobile platform that had been used in recent years for Masses in the historic Chapel.
A statement by the Vatican’s office for liturgical celebrations said it had been decided to use the old altar, where ballots are placed during papal elections, to respect “the beauty and the harmony of this architectonic jewel”.
That meant that for the first time in this kind of celebration since the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), the pope faced the Cross, celebrating the Mass by leading the people, with all facing the Altar (ad orientam). He also read his homily from an old wooden throne on the left of the altar used by Pius IX in the 19th century.
The conservative German-born pontiff is slowly reintroducing some of the old rituals phased out by liturgical commissions after Vatican II, which allowed the vernacular to be used, while maintaining Latin as the official language of the Mass.
In July, the Pope issued a decree allowing wider use of the old Latin mass (Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite). He has also said he would like the centuries-old Gregorian chant, which officially holds “pride of place” in liturgical celebrations, to return to regular usage in all Roman Catholic parishes throughout the world. The Holy Father has also recommended that altar rails be returned to the sanctuary of Catholic churches.
During Sunday’s mass commemorating the baptism of Jesus Christ, which was celebrated in Italian, the Pope baptised 13 babies, carefully pouring water on their heads from a golden shell.
He spoke about the significance of baptism, which marks the admission of a person in the community of Christians.
By
Morgan on January 14th, 2008
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SCHISMATIC GROUPS RETURNING TO THE CHURCH
ROME, JAN. 13, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Six months after Benedict XVI issued an apostolic letter on the extended use of the 1962 missal, the Vatican says it is seeing fruits of reconciliation with Catholics who objected to the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council.
“Summorum Pontificum,” allows for more availability of the Latin-language Mass, a rite the document dubs the “extraordinary form.” The letter, issued “motu proprio” (on his own initiative), brought attention to the situation of schismatic groups such as the Society of St. Pius X, that refuse to celebrate the “Novus Ordo” Mass established by Vatican II.
Cardinal Darío Castrillón Hoyos told ZENIT that after the June 7 document, one group has already asked to return to full communion with the Church.
Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos, as the president of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesiae Dei, is the Vatican official in charge of facilitating the return to full ecclesial communion of people linked to the Society of St. Pius X, founded by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.
“We have already received responses [to the letter],” Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos said. “Here in Rome we have a community that has asked to return and we have already begun mediating their full return.”
Requests, he continued, are coming in from around the world: “Many of the faithful have contacted us, written and called, to say they want full communion.”
Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos clarified the current status of members of the Society of St. Pius X due to excommunications issued by the Vatican to group members in 1988, in the wake of the schismatic gesture by Lefebvre of ordaining four bishops illicitly.
He explained: “The excommunications for the consecration done without the Pope’s permission affects only those bishops who carried out the consecration, and those bishops who received episcopal ordination in this illicit form in the Church, but it does not affect the priests or the faithful. Only those bishops are excommunicated.”
According to the Vatican prelate, what is needed now is “to sew back together the ecclesial fabric, because our brothers — I know them, I know some of the bishops even better — are all people of good will, people who want to be disciples of Jesus.”
“In this moment,” he continued, “with a little humility, with a little generosity, we can return to full communion, and the faithful want this because they do not want to participate in the rites when the priest is under suspension because the Church does not permit them to say Mass and absolve sins — so the faithful want this full return.”
Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos said he hoped that everyone involved will continue “to work with the Holy Father to sew back together this unity so that these good people can have the fullness of holiness that comes from union with the only Church of Christ, founded upon Peter and his Successors.”