On Tuesday, October 10th at 7:30 p.m., the Pontifical Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in East Harlem, Manhattan, New York will celebrate a Solemn Traditional Latin Mass in honor of Saint Helen of Laurino.

August 18th is the Feast Day of Sant’Elena (St. Helen), patroness of both Laurino and Pruno in the Province of Salerno . One of four major observances held in her honor (May 22nd, June 29th and October 10th are the others), the Feast should not be confused with that of Saint Helena of the Cross, also celebrated on August 18th. Born in Laurino in the first half of the sixth century (some say late eighth- or early ninth-century), Sant’Elena was a beautiful and pious maiden. Abused at home, she fled to the nearby mountains of Pruno to live the ascetic life of a hermit in solitude and prayer. After 21 years she died. Her remains were discovered in the grotto and translated to the Cathedral of Capaccio-Paestum. Over the centuries, her relics were moved several times before finally being interred in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Laurino. According to legend, neighboring Valle dell’Angelo contested the ownership of the relics. To appease the rival claimants it was decided her body would be put onto a cart driven by two heifers and they would decide. When the oxen reached a fork in the road leading to the two towns, they chose Laurino.

In 1923 Italian immigrants from Laurino in East Harlem created a replica of their hometown’s Shrine of Sant’Elena at Our Lady of Mount Carmel. They obtained a major relic of the saint that will be venerated after Mass.

Friday September 29, the Feast of St. Michael
1)Shrine of the Most Precious Blood, 113 Baxter St., New York, NY, Solemn Mass, 7:15 pm. Sponsored by the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George.

2) St. Francis Xavier Church, 1703 Lurting Avenue, the Bronx, Solemn Mass, 7 pm. information. From the pastor: “This is the first Traditional Mass at Saint Francis since the council. Any publicity that can be given for this event would be very helpful. I have hopes that this will become a regular part of our parish life.”

3) St. Mary Church, Greenwich, CT. Traditional Vespers at 7:30 pm followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.  Guest preacher:  Fr. Perricone.

Also coming up:

Two Solemn Pontifical Masses in October
1)  Saturday, October 14, Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Paterson, NJ., 9:30 am.   Celebrant, Most Reverend Arthur Serratelli, Bishop of Paterson. information

2)  Thursday, October 19, St. Mary Church, Norwalk, CT.  Conference at 5:30 pm, Solemn Pontifical Mass with Bishop Athanasius Schneider at 7:30 pm.  information

We at the St Hugh of Cluny Society sponsored a Solemn Mass yesterday at the historic church of the Most Precious Blood in New York, for the start of the festival of San Gennaro. Fr Richard Gennaro Cipolla was the celebrant; Fr. Chris Salvatori served as deacon; Will Haffey as subdeacon. Bill Riccio was master of ceremonies snd David Hughes conducted the splendid music. The Sacred Constantinian Military Order of Saint George was present, maintaining their commitment to Italian culture and to the Traditional liturgy. We thank Msgr. Donald Sakano, pastor of Old St. Patrick’s,  for his invitation to the shrine church of the Most Precious Blood.

We greeted many old friends of the Society.  And as the mass progressed the congregation grew – many who had wandered in from the festival stayed for the mass. By communion it was a full church! It demonstrates what can be done to return a Catholic religious presence to what has become an almost exclusively secular event. (We also note that, further to the north on Mulberry Street, the Russian Catholic chapel of St. Michael also had its doors open to visitors. They too realized the potential for evangelization in this apparently unreligious festival.)

Thursday, September 14 will be the 10th anniversary of the date when Summorum Pontificum went into effect.

Holy Innocents Church, New York, will have a bus going to Philadelphia for the Pontifical Mass that will be celebrated at the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul by Bishop Joseph Perry at 7PM.

The bus will be leaving from in front of Holy Innocents at 3:30PM. The cost per seat is $35. You reserve a seat, please call the rectory office (212-279-5861).

Traditional Masses coming up this month:

Monday, Sept, 11, Requiem Mass in the Dominican Rite at the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer, 869 Lexington Ave., New York, 7 pm. Sponsored by the New York Purgatorial Society. information: https://sthughofcluny.org/2017/09/new-york-purgatorial-society-requiem-mass.html

Thursday, Sept. 14, The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
1) Pontifical Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 448 E. 116th St, New York, Low Mass at 7:45 am; High Mass and Te Deum at 7:30 pm.

2) Our Lady of Peace Church, 620 Amboy Ave., Fords, NJ, Solemn Mass and veneration of a relic of the True Cross, 7 pm.

3) Church of the Holy Innocents, New York, Missa Cantata, 6 pm.

Friday, September 15, The Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows
1) Pontifical Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, New York, Missa Cantata at 9 pm, followed by an all-night vigil to pray for pro-life intentions. 5 am closing Missa Cantata. information: https://sthughofcluny.org/2017/09/all-night-pro-life-vigil-in-new-york.html

2) Holy Name of Jesus Church, 245 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, Missa Cantata, 7 pm. information: https://sthughofcluny.org/2017/08/traditional-mass-in-brooklyn-for-feast-of-the-seven-sorrows.html

3) Church of the Holy Innocents, New York, Missa Cantata, 6 pm.

Saturday, September 16, San Gennaro Festival in Little Italy, New York
Shrine of the Most Precious Blood, 113 Baxter St, New York, NY (Little Italy) Solemn Mass, 11 am. This Mass will feature the Missa Brevis in D Major of Mozart. information

Sunday, September 17, Mass for those with Downs Syndrome
St. Mary Church, Norwalk, CT, Solemn Mass, 9:30 am. Those with Down Syndrome, their family and friends, are invited to a Mass asking for the intercession of St. Robert Bellarmine. A reception follows in the parish hall. information: https://sthughofcluny.org/2017/08/down-syndrome-apostolate-traditional-mass-in-norwalk.html

Friday September 29, the Feast of St. Michael
1)Shrine of the Most Precious Blood, 113 Baxter St., New York, NY, Solemn Mass, 7:15 pm. Sponsored by the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George.

2) St. Francis Xavier Church, 1703 Lurting Avenue, the Bronx, Solemn Mass, 7 pm. information

3) St. Mary Church, Greenwich, CT. Traditional Vespers at 7:30 pm followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

Also coming up:

Two Solemn Pontifical Masses in October
1)  Saturday, October 14, Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Paterson, NJ., 9:30 am.   Celebrant, Most Reverend Arthur Serratelli, Bishop of Paterson. information

2)  Thursday, October 19, St. Mary Church, Norwalk, CT.  Conference at 5:30 pm, Solemn Pontifical Mass with Bishop Athanasius Schneider at 7:30 pm.  information

Some pictures courtesy of Diana Yuan of yesterday’s Solemn Mass of the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, New York (East Harlem).

(Above) Blessing of flowers, herbs and seeds.

This week, St. Mary’s Church, Norwalk, CT, began offering daily Traditional Low Mass at 7:30 am, Monday through Friday. On Wednesdays and Fridays, the Mass is followed by exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in the St. Patrick Chapel downstairs for all-day Eucharistic adoration.  Today in a homily, Father Cipolla urged parishioners to thank God for the gift of the Traditional Mass in the parish.

St. Mary’s also has Traditional Mass on Wednesdays at 6 pm, Saturdays at 9 am, and, of course, Sundays,  Solemn Mass at 9:30 am.