Mass for the Feast of the Holy Cross in Bayonne

To celebrate the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and in thanksgiving for Pope Benedict XVI’s motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, a Solemn High Mass was celebrated at the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Bayonne. Fr. Michael C. Barone, associate pastor of St. Anne’s in Fair Lawn, was the celebrant. Assisting him as deacon was Fr. Andreas Hellmann of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, and Fr. Ernest Rush, parochial vicar of Mount Carmel, as subdeacon. The pastor, Msgr. Ronald Marczewski, attended in choir. Altar servers were from the parish and the ICKSP’s St. Anthony of Padua Chapel in West Orange.

Aristotle Esguerra, EF Mass organist and schola director at St. Matthew’s Church in Dix Hills, NY, provided an organ improvisation of the introit Nos autem gloriari at the entrance procession, and led members of the schola cantorum of Holy Rosary Parish in Jersey City in the chanting of the Asperges, Missa I “Lux et Origo”, the Gregorian chant propers for this day, and the Te Deum in the solemn tone. Assisting him in the role of cantor was Art Bryan Manabat of the Holy Rosary schola cantorum. All additional Offertory verses from the Offertoriale Triplex, a publication of Solesmes Abbey, and selected Communion verses as found in Communio, a volume edited by Richard Rice and published by the Church Music Association of America, were included in the execution of the Gregorian proper chants.

The visiting musicians joined members of the Mount Carmel Polish choir, led by parish organist and choir director Dayle Vander Sande, in the singing of Panis Angelicus before Mass, Palestrina’s O Bone Iesu at Communion, and Polish- and English-language verses of “Holy God, we Praise Thy Name” at the recession.

Text and photos courtesy of Aristotle Esguerra