(Above) St. Jean Baptiste church (“Saint Gene’s”).

Thus the New York Post:

Fleming, Kirsten, “Have you heard the Higher Word? NYC grown Catholic orchestra going from strength to strength.” nypost.com (10/1/2026)

The orchestra will be performing tonight, October 2, at 7:15 PM at St. Jean Baptiste church, 184 E. 76th Street, New York. Tickets are required.

According to the above article:

(At their recent concert at Old St Patrick’s Cathedral)the audience was filled with stylish Catholics, young and old, many of whom gathered a few blocks away at Jack’s Wife Frieda for the afterparty. Higher Word claims responsibility for at least two marriages and a few Catholic conversions of musicians.

Well……

But we can certainly support these goals:

To stage such elaborate and elegant evenings, Higher Word relies on ticket sales, donations and the generosity of friends. Many of the musicians play, not for the money, but “for the mission.” They hope to become sustainable and offer a larger calendar of events, including lectures, liturgies and more concerts and eventually to be stitched into the mainstream cultural fabric of the Big Apple. “Anything that’s Catholic shouldn’t be siloed in a corridor, where things that are beautiful are reserved for the secular world,” said McIntosh.

(Above) The Higher Word concert at St Patrick’s Old Cathedral, April 2025.

The pope recently concluded a four-day apostolic visit to France. He left a number of contradictory impressions. First, I’d like to highlight the visual and aural aspects of the visit. Singing the Salve Regina with a multitude before the backdrop of the facade of Notre Dame,  walking past religious sisters, all in habits, the pope exhibited restrained dignity.  Inside Notre Dame,  he knelt before a “modernistic” tabernacle set up on the original medieval altar at the end of the choir and then reverenced the Crown of Thorns brought to France by St. Louis, while the choir sang music of Monteverdi. 

Then came the prayer vigil for “young people.”  What of the tableaux of saints presented there: St. Irenaeus, St. Blandina, St. Genevieve, St. Joan of Arc (riding in on a horse!), St. Francis de Sales, St. Jean Vianney,  a procession of Marian statues (commemorating,  among other apparitions, Lourdes,) and finally “mission saints” of more recent times, including St. Therese of Lisieux, and Charles de Foucauld (riding on bicycles or “classic” cars!). The music included chant, Duruflé’s Ubi Caritas et Amor, the Salve Regina (sung by the young people attending) and, accompanying the procession of Marian statues, Chez nous soyez Reine(just as one hears on the Chartres pilgrimage of Our Lady of Christendom!)

The pope visited the Catholic University of Paris:

“As he arrives at the Catholic University of Paris, Pope Leo XIV pauses to pray at the site of the brutal massacre at the Carmes monastery during the French Revolution, which is marked by the Latin expression “Hic ceciderunt” (Here they fell). On September 2, 1792, a revolutionary mob summarily executed around 115 Catholic priests and Bishops, many of whom refused to submit to the Civil Constitution of the Clergy and were beatified by Pope Pius XI in 1926.”  Vatican News, X.com (9/26/2026)

Such gestures, images and music break radically with the style of more recent Vatican events, particularly those attempting to appeal to “youth.” One recalls, for example, under Pope Francis the disgraceful scenes from the 2013 World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro. The images of Pope Leo’s visit are also hardly consistent with the Catholic progressive party line on evangelization!  For in the Church’s post-Vatican II culture, is it not an article of faith that modern man had to be approached in his own language – with images, art and liturgy of his own and radically different from those of the past? What we saw in Paris was a long litany of no-no’s for the likes of the National Catholic Reporter – or the mainstream Catholic media in France.

Some have taken these scenes and the multitudes in attendance at the papal masses as evidence of the health or at least of the resurrection of the Catholic Church in France.  Among these enthusiasts seems to be Pope Leo himself. A closer view, however, yields a far less rosy picture. First, the size of the throngs in attendance at papal masses is no sign of the health of the Church. Let us remember that in 1978 -1980 (and well beyond) Pope John Paul II was able to routinely mobilize immense crowds at his masses.  Over the last 48 years we have seen how little long-term effect those events actually had (for example, in Ireland). 

Second,  the youth vigil was, after all, a show. It closely resembled the Olympic spectacles that ultimately date back to Leni Riefenstahl’s 1938 film Olympia. Admittedly, what we saw in Paris last week resembled much more the impressive, edifying ceremonies of the Athens and Beijing Olympics – each a celebration a nation’s history and accomplishments, rather than the travesties in Paris two years ago. Nevertheless, the logic of a show, however well done, is entirely different from reality – or from prayer.

Third, aside from the success of these events, the only factual support of this allegedly rediscovered health of the French Catholic Church is one number, taken out of context: the recent uptick in adult converts. It contrasts with almost every other statistic,  which are disastrous. 

The substance of what Leo said was much more ambiguous than what was seen.  The utterances of the Pope were often vague, nonspecific – even contradictory.  Pope Leo did condemn, strongly and directly, in words and accompanied by symbolic gestures, legal euthanasia, recently introduced in France. Yet at the same time he praised the principles of the Enlightenment and slogans associated with the French Revolution. But it is pursuant to those principles that abortion, same-sex marriage and now euthanasia have been legalized and even celebrated in France. And didn’t those principles incite the massacres whose victims the Pope later commemorated on this visit?  

Similarly, the Pope made visits to UNESCO in Paris and then to Metz (the latter representing symbolically the European Union), paying homage to the secular establishment in Europe.  Indeed, it seems the Catholic Church is seeking to “canonize” the EU by promoting the supposed sanctity of Robert Schuman. The Pope did speak out against the drift to war and arms races. But it is this very European Union which is currently funding the conflict in Ukraine and inciting in the West war hysteria against Russia. And by advocating simplistic pacifism and disarmament – apparently unilateral – as the basis for contesting the rhetoric of war, the Pope prevents his massage from being taken seriously.    

Catholic traditionalists, as such, received little or no no attention or consideration during this trip – despite the imaginative interpretations of some commentators. (The Pope did meet with some students of a private (traditionalist?) Catholic school in Metz.) The Pope seemed to deny that a “systemic”  problem of sexual abuse exists in the Catholic Church, calling abuse “first and foremost a human problem.”  After disclaiming any intent to act as a politician, the Pope entered squarely into secular politics by endorsing the view that a right-wing, non-establishment political party in Germany is “not an authentic expression of Christianity.” Does the Pope then believe that the mainstream political parties of Europe, such as those of France, which advocate and implement abortion, same-sex marriage and euthanasia are ”authentic expressions of Christianity?” 1)

And how does this visit square with the Pope’s own actions (or more often, lack of action)? For example, to avoid further scandal  Fr. Marko Rupnik’s mosaics had to be covered up on his visit to Lourdes  – but Leo has been stalling for a year and a half the trial of the same Rupnik. And the persecution of traditionalists throughout the world  – the violation of liberty of conscience – continues, at times with the direct participation of the Vatican. 

Thus,  this apostolic journey left us with some beautiful images and music – and at times encouraging words.  Even a successful papal visit, however, is not going to turn around decades of institutionalized problems. But does what we saw and heard just perhaps indicate that at least the French Catholic Church itself – which presumably was the main organizer of these events –  is seeking some accommodation with “conservatives” and even traditionalists?  As for Pope Leo, if what he saw only has convinced him that there are no structural and spiritual problems in the Catholic Church,  the results of this journey have been anything but positive. We would hope, however, that by participating in the events of this visit he has perceived the inspiring power of Catholic tradition.  A perception that may lead to the beginnings of a real, not a virtual restoration of the Faith.

1. This was especially apparent in Pope Leo’s in-flight news conference after the visit –  a technique copied from his predecessor. Silere non Possum has provided an extremely valuable account of the conference, showing how the Vatican manipulates communication. Six correspondents got to speak. Two represented semiofficial distributors of Vatican news: I. Media and Le Pelerin. Two were from mainstream secular media: ANSA (a kind of Italian AP) and El Pais of Spain (center-left). And finally, there were the reporters from the Catholic progressive establishment: the National Catholic Reporterand KNA ( the news agency of the Catholic Church in Germany). (“Leo XIV, ‘systemic’ abuse and the other issues he addressed on the flight from Metz.”Silere non Possum (9/28/2026)

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At St. Michael Church, 211 Harbor Road, Staten Island

To register go to this link.

Regina Pacis Academy’s opening Mass of the academic year will be in honor of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 8 at 9:00 am. at St. Mary’s Church, Norwalk, CT. Everyone is welcome to attend.

The annual Three Hearts Pilgrimage guides thousands of participants through a rigorous terrain for 35 miles over 2 days to their destination – the Benedictine monastery Clear Creek Abbey. The 2023 sacrificial walk of reparation had over 2000 pilgrims from 43 states walk a 2-day journey that culminated in a Pontifical High Mass offered by His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke at this abbey, which serves as a reminder of how the Benedictine Order with its Rule and way of life spread Christianity throughout Medieval Western Europe, changing the trajectory of civilization.

for more information and to register: https://www.threeheartspilgrimage.org

A beautiful sung Mass is offered every Saturday morning in Greenwich, CT. This Mass takes place in the lower chapel. You need to enter from the parish center door to the left of the church. Plenty of parking in front of the church.

From Beltran, Edgar, “Is Pope Leo Maintaining a TLM ‘gray area'”? The Pillar ( August 3, 2026)

This article comments on the obvious fact that Pope Leo has taken no official steps reducing restrictions on the traditional Latin Mass ( the “TLM”). Indeed, in one significant church a TLM he himself had authorized last year may not be repeated:

Meanwhile, organizers of the traditionalist Summorum Pontificum pilgrimage told The Pillar that they have asked permission to celebrate a TLM in Saint Peter’s Basilica this year, but haven’t received a response.

One of Leo’s concrete gestures towards traditionalist communities last year was allowing the celebration of a TLM during the pilgrimage in Saint Peter’s Basilica after not being allowed to do so in 2023 and 2024.

One source said organizers of the pilgrimage intend to ask again after the summer.

“The problem is that in the pope’s close circle, they saw that the Mass helped a lot of people but was also used as propaganda and they didn’t like that,” the source said.

If Pope Leo declines to allow the pilgrimage to celebrate the TLM in St. Peter’s, that could be seen by many observers as a sign that he has grown cold to the idea of abrogating, reforming or even loosening the application Traditiones custodes.

However, it is also possible that the lack of a response is a matter of personnel connected with the basilica.

There is growing speculation that Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, Archpriest of Saint Peter’s Basilica, is due to be replaced soon. Rumors in Rome indicate that Gambetti’s replacement might be Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, or Bishop Guido Marini, who are all thought to be friendlier to the TLM than Gambetti.

It is possible that a forthcoming transition in archpriest could be delaying a response about the celebration of a TLM in the basilica.

Therefore, silence should not be understood as rejection — at least not yet.

Several Vatican sources told The Pillar the decision to allow the Mass last year happened after Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke asked the pope in an Aug. 22 audience to allow the Mass to be celebrated there.

I was aware of this for a number of months now – a while back the organizers of the pilgrimage on its official website had recharacterized the service taking place in St. Peter’s as a “pontifical ceremony.” Now they have evidently decided to go public with the issue. I don’t know about the speculation regarding the changing of the guard at St. Peter’s (which, like many other alleged personnel moves of Pope Leo, has not yet happened). But that there is opposition to a TLM in St. Peter’s from what is called here “the pope’s close circle” indeed is exceedingly plausible.

Starting this Sunday, July 5, there will be a regularly scheduled Low Mass at 7:30 am at the Georgetown Oratory of the Sacred Heart in Redding, CT. This is in addition to the Missa Cantata every Sunday at noon.

This Friday, June 12, is the Feast of the Sacred Heart. The following churches will offer traditional Masses.

St. Mary Church, Nowalk, CT, 12:10 pm low Mass

Georgetown Oratory of the Sacred Heart, Redding, CT, 7 pm, Byrd Mass for Five Voices. A light reception follows.

Sts. Cyril and Methodius Oratory, Bridgeport, CT, High Mass at 6:00 p.m., followed by followed by the Litany and Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Please note that this will be the ONLY Mass (no morning Mass or confessions). Music: Missa Brevis of Andrea Gabrieli, and motets by Handl and Amerio.

Transfiguration Church, New York (Chinatown), 7pm Missa Cantata followed by benediction and consecration to the Sacred Heart.

St. Vincent Ferrer Church, New York, NY, 9:30 am, Solemn Mass, featuring Josquin des Prez “Misssa Pange Lingua.”

Holy Innocents Church, New York, NY, 6 pm High Mass

Pontifical Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, New York, NY, 7 pm High Mass

St. Josaphat Oratory, Bayside, Queens, 7 pm High Mass.

St. Margaret of Cortona, Riverdale, Bronx, 6 pm, Solemn Mass. Following the Mass, there will be a procession to the parish’s Sacred Heart shrine. The celebrant of the Mass will be Fr. Shane Conlon, FSSP. The Church’s address is 6000 Riverdale Avenue. There is a large parking lot adjoining the Church on its north-side.

St. Paul the Apostle, Yonkers, NY, 12 noon

Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament, Raritan, NJ, 7 pm

St. John the Baptist, Allentown, NJ, 7 pm High Mass, followed by a reception.

Corpus Christi Church, South River, NJ, 7 pm