Candlemas Liturgy/25th Anniversary of the Ordination of Fr. Richard Cipolla

On Sunday, February 1, an anticipated Candlemas liturgy will be celebrated at St. Mary’s, Norwalk, including the blessing of candles, procession through the church, and Solemn Mass. This is one of the oldest rites of the Church, both in East and West, and is rarely celebrated in the solemn form. The setting of the Mass will be Byrd for five voices. There also will be Motets by Messaien and Bruckner and all the proper chants. Before the Mass there will be an organ recital (Alain and Bach, plus a Bach cantata sung by Josh Copeland). The organ recital will begin at 3 PM, the Mass at 3:30 PM.

This Mass will also be the joyous commemoration of the 25th anniversary of Fr. Cipolla’s ordination to the priesthood. I hope that many of you can attend! Let me take the occasion to thank Father Cipolla – our chaplain – for all the good he has done for our Society and St. Mary’s.