The Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Candlemas)

Connecticut:

Blessing of Candles, Procession, & Solemn Mass
(Missale Romanum of 1962)

Thursday, 2 February 2012, 7:00 p.m. at St. Mary’s Church, Norwalk

Music: Prelude: Plein Jeu (Premième livre d’orgue) (Louis Marchand, 1669-1732)
At the blessing of candles: Lumen ad revelationem gentium (plainsong, mode viii)
At the procession: Adorna thalamum (plainsong, mode vi), etc.
Messe de Nostre Dame (Guillaume de Machaut, c.1300-1377)
Gregorian Mass of Candlemas: Suscepimus, Deus
Hymn at the Offertory: Ave maris stella (plainsong, mode i) [Student Schola]
Motet at the Communion: O quam glorifica (Trent Codex 87)
Postlude: Basse du Trompette (Cinquième livre d’orgue) (Marchand)

New York:

Solemn Mass at 6pm at the Church of the Holy Innocents (West 37th and Broadway, New York).

The Mass will be preceded by the solemn blessing and distribution of candles and the procession inside the church

New Jersey:

 Thursday, February 2nd, at 7:00 PM at St. Anthony of Padua Oratory in West Orange :  High Mass preceded by a procession and blessing of candles. Following Mass there will be a convivium downstairs with  coffee and special Candlemas treats.

 On Friday, February 3rd, at 7:00 p.m. there will be a First Friday Mass – Votive Mass of the Sacred Heart of Jesus with commemoration of the Feast of St. Blaise – followed by the blessing of throats.

St. Anthony of Padua Oratory, 1360 Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange,

From a ceramic stove in Salzburg Castle.

The following Traditional Masses will be celebrated for the Feast of the Epiphany:

Friday, January 6:

Connecticut

St. Peter’s, 160 Main Street, Hartford, 6:30 PM

St. Mary’s, Norwalk, Solemn High Mass at 7:30 p.m.
Missa Cunctipotens Genitor Deus (Vatican Gradual, Mass IV)
Gregorian Mass of the Epiphany: Ecce advenit
Offertory: Reges Tharsis (plainsong, mode v, with verses)
Hymn at the Communion: Hodie nobis beata illuxit (plainsong, mode i)

Saint Gabriel, Stamford, Solemn High Mass at 7:30 PM.

Mozart’s Missa Brevis in C (“Sparrow Mass”) and the Gregorian Propers. A light reception will follow in the Parish Hall.

New York

Church of the Holy Innocents, Manhattan, Solemn Mass, 6 pm

Sunday January 8:

Saint Gabriel, Stamford, Solemn Vespers and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at 4 PM. Followed by wine and cheese in the Parish Hall

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Window in Freiburg Cathedral ( circa 1520)

St. Bartholomew, New York.

Midnight Mass at St. Mary’s Norwalk – in the newly repainted sanctuary.

“Anno a creatione mundi…” (Precentor: Bill Riccio)

The Gospel.

Homily given in Spanish and English by Fr. Greg Markey, pastor.

Holy Name of Jesus Parish, NY

St. Stephen Parish, NY

Merry Christmas to all our Readers! Our annual schedule of Christmas masses witnesses to the steady progress the Traditional liturgy has made in the “tristate area” in the 4 years since the publication of Summorum Pontificum. in December 2007 9 churches were reported to us as offering the traditional liturgy at Christmas (CT and NY only); in 2010 it was 18 and this year 21 at last count. Moreover, I believe we have not captured every mass in this area. And this number does not tell the whole story. In 2007 we reported no Traditional Midnight Masses; in 2011 there are 5. In 2007 not one solemn high mass was listed; in 2011 four churches are celebrating 5 such liturgies. One church celebrates all three masses for Christmas; another has Christmas vespers. We should be grateful for this renaissance of the Traditional Mass – but we should also recognize that so much more remains to be done. We look forward to the day when every parish celebrates such a mass at this time – and several Traditional parishes are functioning in Manhattan itself!

St. Elisabeth of Hungary Parish, NY

The following churches will offer the Traditional Mass during the Christmas season. Please notify us if you know of a Mass that is not on our list.

Connecticut

St. Peter’s, Hartford
Christmas Day, 7:30 am, low Mass.

St. Mary Church, Norwalk
Christmas, Midnight Mass, 12 midnight, carols and organ meditations begin at 11:30, Missa Quaeramus cum pastoribus (Morales)
Christmas Day, 9:30 am, Missa dies Sanctificatus (Palestrina)
January 1, 9:30 am, Missa Puer qui natus est nobis (Guerrero)

Basilica of St. John the Evangelist, Stamford
Christmas Day, 8:30 am

SS. Cyril and Methodius, Bridgeport
Christmas Day 10:15
Jan. 1, 10:15

St. Stanislaus, New Haven
Christmas Day, 2 pm, High Mass
January 1, 2 pm, Low Mass

Church of Christ the King, Old Lyme
Christmas Day, 12 noon

St. Margaret’s Church, Willow St, Waterbury
Christmas, Midnight Mass
Christmas Day, 10:30 am

St. Martha Church, Enfield
Christmas Midnight Mass
Christmas Day, 12 pm

New York

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 627 East 187th Street, Bronx
Christmas Day, 8:30 am

Our Lady of Peace Church, Carroll Street, Brooklyn
Christmas Day, 9:30 am.

Holy Innocents, 128 West 37th Street, Manhattan
Midnight Mass, 12 Midnight, Solemn Mass (followed by reception!)
Christmas Day, 10 am, Missa Cantata; 3 pm, Sung Vespers

Our Saviour Church, Manhattan
Christmas Day,9 am Missa Cantata

St. Agnes Church, Manhattan
Christmas Day,11 am, Solemn High Mass, Missa Ego flos campi (Padilla); motet Hodie Christus natus est (Giovanni Gabrieli)

Our Lady of Mt.Carmel, 456 E. 116th St., Manhattan
Christmas Day, 10 am
Jan. 1, 10 am

Immaculate Conception Church, Sleepy Hollow
Christmas Day, 3 pm, Sung Mass
Directions: www.unavocewestchester.org

St. Eugene, Tuckahoe Rd. and Central Park Avenue, Yonkers
Christmas Day, 10:45 am.

St. Matthew Church, Dix Hills
Christmas Day, 9am

St. Ladislaus, Hempstead, Long Island
Christmas Day, 9am, Missa Cantata

New Jersey

Our Lady of Victories Church, Harrington Park,
Christmas Eve, 9 pm, Missa Cantata
Christmas Day, 8:15 am, Low Mass

Holy Rosary, 344 6th St, Jersey City
Christmas Day, 10am, Missa Cantata
Music by Lotti, Victoria & Saint Saens
January 1, 9:45am (new Sunday time)

Our Lady of Fatima Chapel (F.S.S.P.), 32 West Franklin Avenue, Pequannock
Christmas Eve: 11:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. Confessions, 11:00 p.m. Christmas carols
Midnight Mass, 12 midnight
7:00 am, 9:00 am, 11:00 am (High Mass)
Directions: http://www.olfchapel.org/

St. Anthony of Padua Oratory (I.C.R.S.S.), 1360 Pleasant Valley Way, W. Orange
Christmas Eve: 9:30 pm Confessions; 10:30 pm Traditional Christmas Carols
11:00 p.m. Solemn High Mass (First Mass of Christmas)
Christmas Day: 7:30 am Low Mass (Second Mass of Christmas); 9:00 am Low Mass (Second Mass of Christmas); 11:00 am High Mass (Third Mass of Christmas)
Diredtions: http://www.institute-christ-king.org/westorange/

December 7

From our Friends in West Virginia…..

December 8

Connecticut:

Hartford: 9 AM, St. Peter Church, 160 Main Street, Hartford.

Norwalk: Solemn Mass, 5:30 PM, St. Mary’s Church, 669 West Avenue, Norwalk

New York:

Sleepy Hollow: Low Mass 5 PM Immaculate Conception of the BVM, Sleepy Hollow

Directions: www.unavocewestchester.org

Today the parish of ST. Mary’s moved back upstairs to the main church upon the completion of the painting of the sanctuary. it is part of vast project to restore the splendor of this church. In relation to the restroation of the sanctuary, the pastor, Fr. Markey, explains:

“The French blue with the stars is a clear reminder to all who enter that we are in a church dedicated to Our Lady. The Holy Spirit over the triumphal arch reminds us of the Annunciation, where the Our Lady, the Immaculate Conception, mystically united with the Third Person of the Holy Trinity, to conceive Emmanuel, God among us. The fruits from this union are evident by the gold rays, the stars, and various colors and stencils, all descending down up us. The fleur de lis, a traditional symbol of the purity of Our Lady, envelope the triumphal arch, and fall down like snow flakes on the church below. Over the two front arches we see the first and last words of the Hail Mary written in Latin, Ave Maria and Amen, which will continue around the entire church during the next phase of the church. The double stencil patter in the apse of the church of white crowns surrounding a gold letter M, comes from the nineteenth century English architect, Augustus Pugin, famous for his love for gothic designs.”

Yesterday a magnificent liturgy was celebrated in honor of St Cecilia at the parish of which she is patron. The traditional mass already has a long-established ‘tradition” in this parish; a large congregation was present.  Msgr. Mauro Cionini was the celebrant; Fr. Jean-Marie Moreau was Deacon (and homilist); Jeffrey Collins was subdeacon. Eddy Toribio was master of ceremonies while the “Una Voce New York Schola” sang under the direction of David Adam Smith.

St Cecilia’s – begun in 1891 – is one of the magnificent unrestored Victorian churches from the golden age of New York church building. Constructed of solid wood, stone and plaster, it is redolent of the past. The altar rail and reredos remain in place; the “novus ordo” altar is but a temporary affair that can be wheeled out of the way. Yet the last years have not been kind to this church. Greenpoint, once a solidly working class area, has seen an influx of new residents who generally don’t go to church, don’t have children yet fuel massive new real estate development. It is a lethal combination for the ancient parishes of the area. St Cecilia school, once one of the premier Catholic schools in Brooklyn, was closed by 2009. St. Cecilia parish itself was abolished at the beginning of this year and with two other parishes merged into a larger “Divine Mercy” parish. The diocese had hoped for a financial bonanza from the disposal of the buildings of St. Cecilia’s. Yet, just at this moment, the financial crisis put a temporary end to the real estate speculation. This church has instead developed an innovative program to use the former school buildings for artists’ studios. One shudders to think of the art created here – yet this alliance of the church and art shows imagination otherwise sadly lacking in the New York/Brooklyn Catholic scene. (“Artists find Accomodating Landlord: A Struggling Brooklyn Parish” by Tim Sohn( New York Times 3/6/2011)).

Each candle from the consecration was incensed. St. Cecilia’s is one of relatievely few churches in Brooklyn to have been formally consecrated (in 1901). At the dedication of St. Cecilia’s in 1893, Gounod’s St. Cecilia mass was performed;  solemn vespers   included music by Donizetti and Rossini.

The sermon alluded to the glorious history and current difficulties of this parish. The church is where God meets man – as in the vision of Jacob’s ladder. And the center of this meeting is the eucharist – as emphasized by the size and beauty of the altar. There is nothing too beautiful for God – this was the spirit of those who built this magnificent edifice. Just as the bride adorns herself for her wedding day, so does the Church seek out all that is beautiful to please her bridegroom, Christ. St Cecilia, the patroness of this church and one of the greatest martyrs of early Roman church, had the honor of having her home converted into one of the very earliest churches in Rome. May she protect this church for future generations.  “Let us pray that these sacred stones may remain alive for many years to come!”

Much of the statuary and furnishings of this church are of the highest quality.