Weekly Missa Cantata in Greenwich

Nov. 26, 2024 Update: Bishop Caggiano has informed us that this Traditional Mass will continue!

The weekly Saturday 8 AM Missa Cantata at St. Mary Church, Greenwich will be discontinued at the end of January 2025 at the direction of Bishop Caggiano.  As we understand it, the celebrant, Fr. Carl McIntosh, was only given permission to celebrate this traditional Mass until his time of retirement, which now will be the end of January.  

Fr. McIntosh began celebrating a Saturday morning Missa Cantata in early 2021 at his parish, St. Roch Church, also in Greenwich.  In 2023, in the wake of Traditionis Custodes, he was ordered to move the Mass out of the church,   into a room in the school building next door.  Later, the pastor of St. Mary church on Greenwich Ave. welcomed the Mass to his basement chapel.

Few of the locals know about this gem of Mass, as it was not mentioned in the church bulletin.   Early rising joggers and dog walkers pass the door to the chapel, which has been propped open, unaware of the beautiful, chanted liturgy that is unfolding within.  Regulars at this Mass found out about it by word of mouth or from notices in this blog.    

The 8 AM Mass is, on a very small scale, a remarkable achievement, evidencing the power of the traditional liturgy. This Mass is a Missa Cantata  – at a very unusual time for such a liturgy! In particular, the music was performed at a very high level – equaling or exceeding what would have been heard at the Sunday Masses of a major parish in 1962! On at least one occasion, a solemn Mass was even celebrated.

And attendance at the Saturday Mass always recovered from the changes of location – it was a minor miracle of dedication, persistence, and devotion. Despite these “spiritual benefits,”  it was more important to the diocese that this Mass first be exiled and then suppressed.  

Do I need to mention that, to the best of my knowledge, Bishop Caggiano has at no time seen fit to communicate with any of the congregation regarding his decisions throughout these four years? The entire discussion has been among the clergy. 

We urge you, if you care about this Mass, to write to Bishop Caggiano asking him to allow Fr. McIntosh to continue celebrating this Mass.  Fr. McIntosh is in fact very interested and available.  You might mention that there are no close Traditional Mass options nearby at that time.  Sts. Cyril and Methodius, which has an 8:30 AM Mass, is 45 minutes away.  Indeed,  there are few Saturday morning Novus Ordo Masses in the area.