(Continued from Part 1)
To be sure, the last ten years have not been only a tale of a triumphant progress. For in practice, in many ways, the indult regime has continued. Traditional Catholicism remains extraneous to the mission and self-understanding of the “establishment” Catholic church. Regardless of what SP says, the Traditional Mass is usually viewed as a favor bestowed on a minority group.The continuance of the celebration of the Traditional Mass still largely depends on the arbitrary decision of the pastor of a given parish – and often on the arbitrary decision of the bishop to continue the existence of the parish itself. Priests – especially those of certain well-known orders -very often remain in fear of the reaction of the diocese if their involvement in a traditional liturgy became known. And the “traditional” defects of the Traditionalists themselves are very much alive today – eccentricity, factionalism, the inability to cooperate with others, a reluctance to devote the time and the money necessary to really consolidate the gains that have been made.
And hovering above the scene is the threat posed by the Vatican’s radical turn to the left under Pope Francis. The Pope has repeatedly and forcefully expressed his disdain for the Traditionalists – especially the young ones . Yet the new regime has not hindered the progress of SP – indeed, it may even be fostering its spread. But, as I wrote in 2013, I would not be at all surprised if crises on other fronts motivated Francis to take drastic steps against the Traditional Mass – actions that undoubtedly would be met by the indifference, or even the enthusiastic approval of the hierarchy. To paraphrase “Stonewall” Jackson, however, let us not take counsel of our fears. The Traditional Mass has survived and indeed is flourishing today despite all obstacles. And, fortunately, we know that there is always one very important additional Player in the course of supposedly “human events.” We at St Hugh of Cluny hope and expect to support and to report on many new developments of the most important movement of Catholic renewal today for many years to come.
Here are some highlights of the last ten years (continued from an earlier post). This is by no means comprehensive. In going through the archives of the past 10 years, it was hard to narrow down what would be featured here.
Feb. 1, 2009: Father Richard Cipolla celebrates the 25th year of his ordination at St. Mary’s Church, Norwalk, with a Solemn Mass for the Feast of the Presentation.
May 2009: Ascension Thursday at the Church of the Holy Innocents, Manhattan. Holy Innocents had recently begun offering the Traditional Mass. Today the Traditional Mass community there is thriving, with the Traditional Mass offered daily.
(Above) June 2009: Bishop Fernando Areas Rifan, the Apostolic Administrator of the Personal Apostolic Administration of St. John Mary Vianney in Campos, Brazil, celebrates a Pontifical Mass at St. Jean Baptiste Church in Manhattan.
(Below) Bishop Rifan celebrates Solemn Pontifical Vespers at St. Mary Church, Norwalk.
Nov. 2, 2009: Bishop James C. Timlin, Bishop Emeritus of Scranton, celebrated a Pontifical Requiem Mass at the Church of the Holy Innocents.
Apr. 2011: Good Friday Traditional Liturgy returns to St. Mary Church, Norwalk. The following year, the entire Easter Triduum would be celebrated there in the Traditional rite.
(Above) January 5, 2013: Bishop Athanasius Schneider, auxiliary bishop of Astana, Kazakhstan, celebrates a Solemn Pontifical Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James, Brooklyn
(Below) January 6: Bishop Schneider celebrates a Solemn Pontifical Mass for the Feast of Epiphany at St. Mary Church, Norwalk.
Apr. 2013: A Solemn Nuptial Mass at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Waterbury. A welcome option under Summorum Pontificum
July 16, 2013: Bishop Arthur Seratelli of Paterson, celebrates a Pontifical Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Newark. Traditional Masses for this feast have become popular at this church.
Nov. 6, 2013: Standing room only at the Church of St. Agnes, New York, for a Solemn Requiem Mass featuring Mozart’s Requiem. Fr. Lenard Villa was celebrant. The music was sponsored by the Catholic Artists Society, the New York Purgatorial Society – and our own Society. This yearly event—a Solemn Requiem Mass, has proved popular. In addition, the New York Purgatorial Society organizes a monthly Traditional Requiem Mass.
Nov. 2013: Our Society organized yearly pilgrimages to Our Lady of Esperanza in New York. Here Fr. Greg Markey celebrates Solemn Mass.
May 2014: The annual Mass of the Catholic Artists Society at Old St. Patrick’s Basilica—a Solemn Mass with Fr. Brian Taylor as celebrant.
May 2014: Another welcome development is Sunday Traditional Mass at St. Anthony of Padua in Jersey City. In this Solemn Mass for the Vigil of Pentecost, Fr. John Perricone was celebrant.
June 2015: Sacra Liturgia Conference in New York, featured a 3-day conference and beautiful Traditional Masses at St. Catherine of Sienna Church, culminating in a Corpus Christi procession from St. Catherine’s to St. Vincent Ferrer Church.
April 23, 2016: A Solemn Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, Canon Jean Marie Moreau, celebrant, organized by St. Anthony of Padua Oratory.
May 27, 2016: Solemn Mass in the Dominican Rite at the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer, New York, now a not uncommon occurrence there. This Mass, which featured the music of Byrd and Tallis, Elizabethan recusants, was sponsored by our Society.
Sept 24, 2016: A Solemn Mass for the Feast of San Gennaro celebrated by Fr. Cipolla (during the San Gennaro Festival) in Church of the Most Precious Blood, Little Italy, sponsored by our Society. The first Solemn Traditional Mass in ages in this church – but just the start.
Nov. 2016: A Missa Cantata at St. Patrick’s Catheral, Fr. Leonard Villa, celebrant.
March 25, 2017: Raymond Cardinal Burke celebrates a Solemn Pontifical Mass at St. Mary, Greenwich, CT, for the Feast of the Annunciation before a packed church.
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