Today Fr. Patric D’Arcy, newly ordained priest of the Archdiocese of New York, celebrated his first Mass – a Solemn High Mass in the Extraordinary Form – amid the Gothic splendor of Blessed Sacrament Church. Many clergy and seminarians were in attendance. A schola performed both chant and polyphony, including Allegri’s Miserere.
UPDATE:
(From Joseph Mercurio, Dennis Devito and Sean Connolly) The deacon was Fr. Steven Markontonis of St Philip Neri in the Bronx, Archdiocese of New York. Subdeacon was seminarian Nicholas Fernandez, Archdiocese of New York. Assistant priest was Fr. Brian Taylor of Saint Benedict in the Bronx, Archdiocese of NY. The Master of Ceremonies was Sean Connolly, seminarian of the Archdiocese of New York.
(From Charles Weaver, one of the singers) The choir for the mass was assembled for the occasion and was directed by Kyler Brown, organist of St. Jean Baptiste Church.
The music was as follows:
Mass ordinary, Gregorian Mass VIII Missa de Angelis
Sanctus and Benedictus from the Missa Brevis of Palestrina
Communion Motet Miserere Mei by Gregorio Allegri
Recessional Motet Exsultate Justi by John Williams
Veni Creator Spiritus…
Vidi Aquam…
Msgr. Javier Garcia de Cardenas, of the personal prelature of Opus Dei, gave the homily. He spoke of the need to pray for vocations and for holy priests ans of the special role of a mother’s prayers.
Fr. D’Arcy gave first holy communion to his niece, Abby.
It was a joyous event, indeed. But I have to point out this sobering fact: Father D’Arcy is the only 2012 graduate of Dunwoodie Seminary to enter the New York Archdiocese (which, the last time I looked, has a Catholic population of over 2.5 million, close to 500 parishes, and includes much of the most important city in the United States (and the world)) And Fr. D’Arcy is from Ontario, Canada. We certainly should be grateful that 100% of the new priests graduated for the Archdiocese this year are interested in the Traditional liturgy. But at this point an honest reexamination of the policies that have led to this recruiting drought – which has been going on for decades – is no longer avoidable. And to think that in the 1950’s the Archdiocese was allegedly suffering from too many priests….
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Is the sermon given by the Opus Dei priest at the ordination available on-line? Keep up the good work. In JMJ, Chris Alferiz.
[…] There is a nice write up on the event and great photos from the Society of St. Hugh of Cluny. […]
When I first heard that there was only one priest being ordained in NY, I thought for sure it was a mistake. Of course Bridgeport is suffering a drought, too..happily Hartford had 7 this year.
I think this IS, indeed, a wonderful event.
However, if the Church laments having only one seminarian actually receive Holy Orders this year, an anyone be truly surprised?
We ARE talking about New York, here.
I’ll turn 38 next month. I can’t remember any time in my lifetime–certainly not in the past 20 years–when New York and New England DIDN’T profess a view of life that not only didn’t tolerate most Catholic teaching, but has even been openly and stubbornly contemptuous of even the CONCEPT of faith. No sane person can expect that kind of regional frame of mind to fade overnight. Nor can anyone expect to see a plethora of priests flooding out of the woodwork. Not when the overall Church has become so stubbornly equivocal about being sticky about key teachings.
Archbiship Dolan cannot, in his capacity as USCCB President, cause the region to recollect its senses or cause young men to heed God’s call more quickly.
I’d like to see a whole army of priests coming from the region too. But that won’t happen if the Church, her leadership in particular, don’t make a point of being proudly and passionately Catholic.
If New York merely restates what Secretary Clinton wants to utter, I won’t waste my time.
Neither will most of the young men of the area.
[…] The Society of Saint Hugh of Cluny has photos here. […]
[…] Jeg viser fire bilder fra messen her, men mange flere bilder kan sees her. […]
We probably won’t be seeing this kind of lavish coverage in the Catholic New Yorek newspaper. Thanks, Stuart! Keep up the great work!
I took a school bus to the Eucharistic Congress in Quebec City back in June 2008. This bus was from the Peterborough diocese. I was never so impressed with all the young people aboard that bus. Their faith and sense of sacredness was very edifying to me and it gave me such hope for the future of the Church!
In particular, the seminarians who were on this bus. From the praying of the Divine Office to all the prayers that we did throughout out time together and just getting to know them and where they came from made me realize that this new crop of priests were solid, orthodox yet very faith-filled.
So it was wonderful to hear of yet another one of these men getting ordained.
Patric D’Arcy was, at the time of the Eucharistic Congress, a seminarian with the Diocese of Hamilton.
He switched to the Archdiocese of New York City.
He was a very gentle and faithful young man who quite impressed me.
I recall his love for the Extraordinary Form of the mass.
Hamilton’s loss is New York City’s gain!
God Bless you Fr. D’Arcy in your ministry!
Mr. Chessman:
I have been told, by someone who attended Fr. D’Arcy’s First Mass, that the Dunwoodie Class of 2013 — next year’s class, that is — will have three or four of its ordinands who will celebrate the EF for their First Masses.
Thank God and greetings from Poland – probably the most Catholic country in the world
God bless!!!
[…] There is a nice write up on the event and great photos from the Society of St. Hugh of Cluny. […]
[…] one priest — and his first Mass is in LatinMay 24, 2012 By Deacon Greg Kandra Leave a CommentDetails: Today Fr. Patric D’Arcy, newly ordained priest of the Archdiocese of New York, celebrated his […]
Dear Sir,
I love this Traditional Mass.
I will like to be a member.
Ave Maria
Jerrie Kusher
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