Here are some of the Traditional Masses available on December 9th, which has been designated a Holy Day of Obligation this year.

St. Mary Church, Norwalk, CT, 8 am, 12:10 pm, 7 pm Solemn Mass

Corpus Christi Church, South River, NJ, Missa Cantata, 7 pm

The following churches will offer Rorate Masses. The Rorate Mass is a beautiful Advent devotion: the Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary is offered by candlelight just before dawn.

Saturday December 7:

St. Mary Church, Norwalk, 6 am.

Holy Innocents Church, New York, NY, 7 am

St. Margaret of Cortona Church, Bronx, 6:30 am

St. Josaphat Church, Bayside (Queens), 6:30 am; Rorate Masses also on the following weekdays at 6:30: Dec. 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21.

Our Holy Redeemer , Freeport, NY, Solemn Mass, 6:15am.

Saturday December 14:

St. Patrick Oratory, Waterbury, CT, 6 am Missa Cantata. Parish social afterwards in the hall with an Advent spiritual talk, followed by Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

Holy Innocents Church, New York, NY, 7 am

St. Josaphat Church, Bayside (Queens), 6:30 am; Rorate Masses also on the following weekdays at 6:30: Dec. 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21.

Annunciation Church, Crestwood, NY, 6 am, upper church

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 259 Oliver St, Newark, NJ, 6 am. Ample and secure parking available accessed via Chestnut St. behind the church.

Our Lady of Sorrows, Jersey City, 6 am

St. John the Baptist Church, Allentown, NJ, 6 am.

Corpus Christi Church, South River, NJ, 6:30 am Missa Cantata.

Our Lady of Fatima Chapel, Pequannock, NJ, 6:30 am Missa Cantata

Other dates

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, New York, NY: Rorate Masses at 6:55 on the following days: Dec. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10. 11. 13. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 23, 24

Tuesday Nov. 5th: St. Mary of Mt. Virgin, New Brunswick, NJ, Sung Requiem Mass, 7 pm

Wednesday, Nov. 6th: St. Mary Church, Norwalk, CT, Solemn Requiem Mass 1:15 pm. Missa pro Defunctis by Claudio Casiolini.

Thursday, Nov. 7th, Carmelite Monastery, 189 Madison Ave. Morristown, NJ, 7 pm the Purgatorial Society of Andrew Avellino 4th Requiem Mass of the 2024 year

Thursday, November 7, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, New York, NY,  
6:00 PM – Confessions; 7:00 PM, Requiem Mass, Missa Cantata
(A Missa Cantata is offered on the First Thursday of the Month with Confessions before Mass, the Sermon is preached in Polish and a Coffee Hour usually follows the Mass. All are welcome to this Mass organized by the Polish Apostolate. There is an accessible lift at the 115th Street entrance and parking is available on a first come, first serve basis at the 116th Street driveway.)

Friday, November 8, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, New York, NY,  6:00 P.M. Confessions; 7:00 P.M. Anniversary Requiem Mass, Missa Cantata for the deceased members of the Regina Coeli Council #423 of the Knights of Columbus, Sermon and Absolution at the Catafalque. 8:00 P.M. Talk with Father Fidelis Moscinski CFR in the Parish Hall.

Monday, Nov. 11, Sts. Cyril and Methodius, Bridgeport, 6 pm, Armistice Day Requiem. Requiem High Mass for all the War Dead, particularly those of our parish. Absolution at the catafalque after Mass, followed by the placing of a wreath on the war memorial.

Wednesday, Nov. 13: Annunciation Church, Crestwood, NY, Annual Requiem Mass for Deceased Priests and Religious of the Archdiocese, 7 pm Upper Church

Tuesday, Nov. 26: St. Ann Church, Hampton, NJ, 7 pm, Traditional Latin Vespers for the Dead. Enroll deceased at PurgatorialSociety.org

Catholic Church suspends operations at Connelly Theater in flap over controversial plays….

After the New York archdiocese prevented the production of “Becoming Eve” at the church-owned Connelly theater, the general manager resigned in prostest. The theater itself announced that it is ceasing operations with no sign when, or if, it will reopen.

This came after the archdiocese, which owns the Connelly Theater, prevented New York Theatre Workshop from putting on the play “Becoming Eve,” which tells the story of a transgender woman within the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. 1)

Well, since 1993 this building has housed the “Cornelia Connelly Center,” an initiative of the Sisters of the Holy Child aimed at “disadvantaged” girls. The name is that of the foundress of the Holy Child schools. The Catholic faith is still present on East 4th Street today, but cannot be said to feature prominently in the school’s publicity. And how long will the school remain here? From the strategic plan of the Cornelia Connelly Center:

 Continue to utilize and maintain the building at 220 East 4th Street.
 Explore options for alternate locations once our lease expires. 2)

The theater in the school building has been leased out for years to various off-broadway productions.

Now it is welcome news that the archdiocese is finally paying attention to what takes place on its properties. But is what was proposed to be shown at Connelly that different in spirit from a recent event at St. Patrick’s cathedral itself?3)

1. Blum, Gillian, “Catholic Church suspends operations at Connelly Theater in flap over controversial plays“ The Spirit (10/28/2024)
2. Cornelia Connelly Center, “Strategic Plan 2021-2026.” About the school see connellycenter.org
3. See “Rosary Rally Organized as Act of Reparation for Sacrilege at St. Patrick’s Cathedral,” The Society of St Hugh of Cluny (2/23/2024)

So, Kamala Harris has turned down an invitation to the Al Smith dinner of the New York Archdiocese. Now some have asked what Kamala Harris may have lost  – or gained –  by not attending this event. I believe she has lost nothing and has avoided some not insignificant political risks. 

The Al Smith dinner, which saw the light of day in 1946,  is a classic relic of the “Age of Spellman.” The Catholic Church after World War II sought to demonstrate its alignment with – and acceptance by –  the governing powers of the United States. Catholics have arrived and are now respected by all  – that was the message. And that alleged newly won Catholic influence was firmly under the direction  of the hierarchy. The dinner took on additional significance when, starting in1960, it became customary in an election year for the two presidential candidates to jointly appear. (There have been several instances since 1960 when they did not.) 

But even in 1946, apparently overlooked by the leadership of the Catholic Church,  the total secularization of the United States government and society was well underway. (e.g., Everson v. Board of Education (1947) and its “wall of separation between church and state”). As the years passed, Cardinal Spellman himself was forced into conflicts with the rising secularist tide. He even lived long enough to see himself demonized as a reactionary by the media. By 2024, what with the “devout” Catholic President Joe Biden fighting for abortion (amid the subdued voices of the American Catholic hierarchy), the notion of any specifically Catholic political influence had become a sick joke.  

Clearly,  Kamala Harris’s presence at an event like the Al Smith dinner, although it may be important to the prestige of the Archbishop of New York,  will have no effect on the actual voting by Catholics. We read that the views of Catholics today on issues traditionally seen as “Catholic” – abortion, “LGBT,” contraception, etc. – track those of the general population.  This moral indifferentism is also implicit in the format of the Al Smith dinner, which attempts to simulate an aura of good feeling, of equivalence between the candidates of the two parties. The message is that their differences may be, after all, not that great. Indeed, did not Pope Francis just recently declare the same thing himself (Catholics should vote for “the lesser of two evils”)? 1) The “seamless garment” has become the de facto ideology of the Catholic Church. 

If Kamala Harris gains nothing by attending the dinner, what risks does she avoid by skipping it? Various commentators have focused on the danger of an unscripted exchange with Trump that could prove damaging to her. For the key to her campaign strategy  is maintaining a totally controlled outward appearance. This point has obviously been raised by the Trump camp. But progressive Catholic commentators devoted to Kamala Harris say essentially the same thing. They assert that Trump would violate the rules of the game of the Al Smith dinner (as he allegedly did in 2016),  go on the attack,  and put her on the spot.1)

Reading carefully this progressive Catholic commentary, however,  I sense there’s a more profound reason why Kamala Harris might have been well advised to avoid this event. The entire focus of this year’s campaign of the Democratic party – and of the American establishment  –  is to depict Trump as an untouchable, a demonic figure, an enemy of democracy. One does not engage in friendly banter with such an adversary! Thus, this strategy directly contradicts the image that the Al Smith dinner seeks to project: that, at some level, there exists an underlying unity between the two candidates and between them and the Roman Catholic Church. Indeed, regarding the last point,  Harris might be reluctant to participate in an event with this Church that could raise doubts among her supporters regarding her militancy in favor of abortion.

Is it not a strange outcome? The party of unrestricted abortion is making the (unexpressed) case that, contrary to what the hierarchy of the Catholic Church is explicitly or implicitly teaching,  there is a profound and unbridgeable gap between the two candidates. This remains so even after the recent waffling of Trump and Vance on abortion. For it is one thing to be lukewarm on this issue, it is another to be a fanatic advocate of unrestricted abortion. Kamala Harris is thereby unwittingly but helpfully pointing out the underlying fallacy of the Al Smith dinner itself.

1. Of course, it is ironic that Pope Francis’s recent statement on the American election, along with his repeated gestures in favor of Joe Biden, raise exactly the issue of papal interference in American politics that the opponents of Al Smith alleged in 1928!
2. Winters, Michael Sean, “Why it is smart for Kamala Harris to skip the Al Smith dinner,” National Catholic Reporter (9/24/2024); Spang, Thomas, “Harris meidet Kirchen-Dinner: Verpasste Chance oder kluger Schachzug?” katholisch.de ( (9/27/2024) (From Germany (!) but quoting a professor from Fordham) (Both accessed 9/29/2024)

Remaining Tour Dates: 

Friday, September 20: Nashua NH
 

Saturday, September 21: Providence, RI
 

Tuesday, September 24: Washington, DC
 

Friday, September 27 to 29: Pittsburgh, PA

For more information about locations, times and to register: https://sophiainstitute.com/promo/bishop-schneiders-book-tour/?mc_cid=44d621b4f9&mc_eid=a9c04ed159

Below is a listing of churches in the area that offer Traditional Masses on First Friday and First Saturday. Please let us know about other churches to add to this schedule.

First Friday, September 6

St. Mary Church, Norwalk, CT, 8 am and 12:10 pm; Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 9 am -11:15; 1-8 pm

Sacred Heart Oratory, Georgetown, CT, 8:30 am; Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 9 am to 9 pm.

Sts. Cyrl and Methodius Oratory, Bridgeport, CT, 7:45 am

St. Patrick Oratory, Waterbury, CT, 6 pm. Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament at 5pm, Benediction at 5:45pm.

St. Martha Church, Enfield, CT, 7 pm

Holy Innocents Church, New York, NY, 6 pm

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, New York, NY, 7 am, 7:45 am; Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament 9:30 am to 6 pm

St. Josaphat, Bayside, Queens, NY, 7 am.

Corpus Christi Church, South River, NJ, 7 pm low Mass at St. Mark’s location. At Corpus Christi Church location: Confession 6 pm, Benediction 6:45 pm.

Oratory of Saint Anthony of Padua, West Orange NJ. 9:00AM

St. John the Baptist, Allentown, NJ, 8 am, 9 pm followed by adoration of Blessed Sacrament and Confessions; at midnight a low Mass will be offered in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Mt Carmel, Lyndhurst, NJ, 1^st Friday Missa Cantata – Votive Mass of the Sacred Heart at 7pm.

First Saturday, September 7

St. Mary Church, Greenwich, CT, 8 am followed by the Holy Rosary, in downstairs chapel, entrance to left of the church.

Sacred Heart Oratory, Georgetown, CT, 8:30 am

Sts. Cyrl and Methodius Oratory, Bridgeport, CT, 8:30 am Votive Mass of the Immaculate Heart followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Holy Rosary, 15 minutes of silent Adoration concluding with Benediction

St. Patrick Oratory, Waterbury, CT, 8 am. After Holy Mass, exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Holy Rosary & Benediction

St. Martha Church, Enfield, CT, 9 am

Holy Innocents Church, New York, NY, 1 pm followed by First Saturday devotions.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, New York, NY, 7:45 AM and  9:00 AM Masses; 10:00 AM Adoration, Rosary and Confessions,  12 Noon Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament

St. Margaret of Cortona, Riverdale, Bronx, NY, 12 pm

St. Josaphat, Bayside, Queens, NY,, 6:45 am Benediction; 7 am Mass; followed by an hour of reparation.

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

Shrine Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, Raritan, NJ, 8:30 am Holy Rosary; 9 am Low Mass.

Oratory of Saint Anthony of  Padua, West Orange, NJ  8:00AM

Corpus Christi Church, South River, NJ, First Saturday devotions at 11 am; low Mass at 12 noon. Convivium following Mass.

St. John the Baptist, Allentown, NJ, 12 midnight (from Friday to Saturday) low Mass offered in reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

By Jill Chessman

If one is travelling in the Wisconsin area, it is worth it to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse. The shrine project was conceived by Raymond Cardinal Burke, while he was Bishop of La Crosse in the 1990s. Beginning with the ground breaking in 2001, Cardinal Burke oversaw its design and construction, which took place in the course of about a decade. Duncan Stroik is the architect.

It’s clear that the great Catholic basilicas of Rome are the inspiration behind the architectural form of the shrine. It is in fact remarkable and gratifying to look upon so beautiful a Catholic church built entirely in the 21st century.

The shrine interior, above, could be modeled after any number of Roman churches of the baroque period, with its central dome, arched ceiling, and symmetrical architraves and pilasters. Compare it to Sant’ Andrea della Valle, below.

In this view of the shrine’s nave, we see the attention to detail in the plaster work, gilding, and beautiful golden color palette, with no expenses spared.

The shrine’s baldacchino, above, directly imitates the baldacchino of Santa Maria Maggiore, below.

The stark front facade of the shrine does not come off nearly so well as the interior. But perhaps a baroque inspired facade will be added at a later time. We can think of beautiful simple American examples that might show the way, like the facade of Visitation Convent in Brooklyn (below), whose story we covered a few weeks ago (it has just been closed!).

Many of the side altars of the shrine are devoted to the recently canonized and beatified, such as St. Gianna Molla (above) and Blessed Miguel Pro (below). One can spot references to the Guadalupe story in some of the original paintings that grace these altars. The Madonna who looks down upon St. Gianna, for example, is dressed as Our Lady of Guadalupe. Behind Blessed Miguel at his martyrdom, we see him celebrating Mass, with an image of the Guadalupe tilma on his back.

In this painting of the 13th century St. Peregrine, an anachronistic stained glass window shows Our Lady of Guadalupe curing Juan Diego’s uncle. The theme of healing ties the featured saint to the Guadalupe story. (These three paintings are by Neilson Carlin)

The lush grounds are meant to be an important part of the pilgrimage. One must park a half mile distance from the shrine and walk up a hill that is punctuated with wayside statues. (An alternative is to ride up in a golf cart driven by a shrine volunteer.)

This Holy Family group tells the story of the shrine’s founding. The donors of the land for the shrine, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Swing, are shown kneeling while Cardinal Burke stands behind them.

On the outdoor Rosary walk, one spies another reference to the shrine. Our Lady and the Apostles receive the gift of the Holy Spirit within the shrine itself.

A group of students from the University of Wisconsin prayed the Rosary at the memorial to the unborn. The memorial provides a resting place for babies lost in misacrriage (below).

A separate chapel houses this tall tower of votive candles.

A visit to the shrine is a rewarding experience. One’s spiritual needs are met by a group of dedicated Norbertine priests who say Mass and hear confessions. Priests from a nearby oratory of the Institute of Christ the King also serve at the shrine. While most Masses on the schedule are Novus Ordo, a Traditional Mass is offered every Sunday. All Masses are said ad orientem and pilgrims are asked to receive Communion kneeling and on the tongue. At the Mass I attended, an a capella choir sang Gregorian chant. A spirit of silence and prayer prevaded in the shrine church and on the grounds. I was told that there are plans to build a retreat center, which will include overnight accommodations and will be staffed by religious sisters.