Mandatory reading from Chronicles magazine.

Undoubtedly most of you have seen this already.

But it’s worth posting again – if The Economist says it, it must be safe to be a Traditionalist!

In Belgium, here?

(Tip from  Prof. Walter Petrovitz)

We regret to announce that the vespers for St. Lucy day this year  at Our Saviour’s Church must be cancelled. Part of the Society’s administrative staff ( 1 of 2) has been called away for most of this week and next leaving us with insufficient resources. Next year though…

A minor debate has arisen on the internet in the wake of the latest James Bond epic, Skyfall. Has the legendary secret agent now revealed himself to be Catholic?  For in Skyfall  the ancestral manor house of the Bonds has an elaborate priest hole. These were of course hideouts to shelter Catholic priests from the persecutors in the 16th and 17th centuries. More ambiguously, in the vicinity of this  house stands an abandoned chapel (the estate has been unoccupied for decades). The interior is suitably barren for a Presbyterian meeting house – but there does appear to be a most un-Kirk like stand for votive candles in the corner.

It would not be all that surprising to me that Commander Bond turns out to be RC . And if he is such, he is most certainly pre-conciliar Traditionalist. For has he not always embodied a clear ethic of good versus evil on contrast to the mediocrity and ambiguity of this age? He is uncompromisingly anti-communist. His concept of the gentleman seems to be a distant descendant of the era of Astaire and Cary Grant. Obscured by all the technology on display in his later films is his chosen role as a defender of traditional life in all its forms against modernity – as embodied by a series of high tech villains seeking world dominion, usurious economic gain ( Auric Goldfinger) or just simple mass destruction. This contrast between the ancient values of traditional England and the destructive force of modern technology is very clear, for example, in the novel – not the film – Moonraker. Skyfall returns to this theme: Bond only receives a revolver and a radio transmitter from “Q.” And at the end he must do battle against the overwhelming ground and air forces of his adversary armed only with a hunting knife, a pistol, a couple of shotguns, a few sticks of dynamite, a couple of propane tanks and of course a certain Aston Martin…

A  Solemn High Mass on the Feast of St. Nicholas will be celebrated Thursday, Dec 6th at 7:30 PM

Location: Saint Gabriel Church

914 Newfield Avenue

Stamford, Connecticut

Guest Homilist: Reverend John A. Perricone

Following Mass there will be devotions in preparation for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and Veneration of the Relic of St. Nicholas

Special St. Nicholas celebration to follow in the Parish Meeting Room with treats, crafts and special gifts for children to celebrate the Patron Saint of Children.

The St. Cecilia Society of St. Mary Church is pleased to present its annual benefit concert in honor of St. Cecilia on Friday, November 9 at 7:30 pm. The St. Mary Schola Cantorum, under the direction of David Hughes, will sing a program of sacred music entitled the Music of Dedication. This concert is the single annual fundraiser to support the work of the Schola Cantorum, which sings each Sunday at the 9:30 am Solemn Mass. A reception will follow the concert.

Interview with Fr. Niklaus Pfluger, First Assistant General of the FSSPX on the current state of the discussions with Rome and related issues.

Those of you who follow this blog will have noted the ever increasing number of Traditional Masses celebrated throughout the greater New York area. And not only Masses: vesper services, pilgrimages, conferences – it is an ever expanding list. Made possible by Summorum Pontificum, this revival of Catholic Tradition, achieved through so many individual initiatives and sacrifices, continues its slow but steady growth.  The masses and other “events” directly sponsored by our Society are necessarily limited; to a great extent we report what others will be doing.  We are grateful to all our correspondents for the information you share with us – we hope that through our postings the news of your initiatives reaches a much wider audience.  We would, however, like to point out a few steps that will be of aid to our readers.

First, you should let us know of events as early as possible – but certainly earlier than the evening before the day the mass or conference is to take place. Some of our correspondents provide the information for a posting well in advance of the event and then request a follow-up posting in the days immediately before it. That is a sensible approach.

Second, if the liturgy is not in the “Extraordinary Form” that should be very clearly specified. This blog is intended to support the Traditional liturgy. Not that we will not report on other liturgical initiatives as requested and as appropriate. But again, as service to our readers, we ask that any liturgy not in the Extraordinary Form be very precisely described. In one situation this year, an advertised Traditional liturgy turned out to be the Ordinary Form. In another, what seemed to me to be a clear posting was nevertheless the subject of considerable confusion as to which form would be used.

Third, at the risk of launching an army of disruptive photographers, I strongly recommend sending in a follow–up report – with pictures if possible.  This is especially helpful for major liturgies or for initiatives in new locations. Readers would like to see and hear about events that may have taken place in their own backyard.

Enough said on these administrative matters – I look forward to your reports on the ever-growing Traditionalist “Scene“in our region!