In Bayside, Queens, NY, in honor of Our Lady of Prompt Succor. We have previously described this devotion, which is popular in Louisiana.

This Wednesday, January 6th is Feast of the Epiphany (on the traditional calendar). The following church will offer traditional Masses.

St. Mary Church, Norwalk, CT, 8 am low Mass, 7 pm Solemn Mass

St. Pius X, Fairfield, CT, Missa Cantata, 7 pm

Sts. Cyril and Methodius, Bridgeport, CT, 7:45 am Low Mass, 6 pm Missa Cantata.

St. Patrick Church, Bridgeport, CT, 7 am low Mass, 7 pm high Mass.

St. Patrick Oratory, Waterbury, CT, 8 am low Mass, 6 pm high Mass

January 5: Bring your containers of water, salt, frankincense, myrrh, gold, and chalk to be blessed and exorcized during the solemn blessing service at 5 pm.

St. Joseph Church, Danbury, CT, 6 pm Solemn Mass. Celebrant: newly ordained Fr. Brendan Blawie (his first Solemn Mass). Blessing of the chalk. Fr. Blawie will offer his first blessing after Mass.

St. Martha Parish, Enfield, CT, 7 pm

Holy Innocents Church, New York, NY, 6 pm

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, New York, NY, 7:45 am, low Mass, 7 pm Solemn Mass, procession with the Christ child, blessing and distribution of chalk

St Josaphat, Bayside (Queens), NY, 7:30 pm

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

Immaculate Conception Church, Sleepy Hollow, NY 7 pm, low Mass. Blessed Epiphany water will be available. If you wish to take some with you, please bring a small bottle as supply will be limited. And if you have chalk, bring it with you for a blessing after Mass.

St. Paul the Apostle, Jersey City, 7 pm: CANCELLED

On January 8, 2021at 7:30 PM at the parish of St . Joshaphat in Queens, a mass will be celebrated in honor or Our Lady of Prompt Succor. This is surely one of the more unusual Marian devotions – outside of New Orleans and Louisiana, that is. The Ursuline Academy of New Orleans provides this description:

THE STATUE OF OLPS

In 1809, Mother St. Andre’ in New Orleans wrote to her cousin, Mother St. Michel Gensoul, in France.  She asked her cousin to join her and bring more Ursuline sisters to New Orleans.  Mother St. Michel first had to ask for permission to leave France, so she prayed to Mary for a “quick and favorable” answer from the Pope.  Mother St. Michel promised to have a statue made honoring Mary under the title of Our Lady of Prompt Succor if her prayer was answered quickly.  (“Succor” comes from the word meaning  “to help” in Latin.) 

Even though France was at war and Pope Pius VII held captive, her letter reached the Pope in Rome.  A miraculously speedy permission was granted within five weeks!  As soon as she received permission, Mother St. Michel had the special wooden statue of Mary carved and covered in gold.  She and the other sisters brought it with them to New Orleans in 1810.  Her flowing robes were carefully carved so that she would appear to be moving quickly. 

SWEETHEART

In 1812, a terrible fire was burning the city.  The nuns placed a small statue of Our Lady of Prompt Succor in the Chartres Street convent window facing the fire.  “Our Lady of Prompt Succor, hasten to help us or we are lost,” they prayed.  The wind then suddenly changed direction, and the convent was saved!  This small statue is known as “Sweetheart” and can be seen in the Ursuline Chapel on State Street. 

BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS

In 1815, in the Battle of New Orleans, 10,000 British troops led by General Packenham attacked New Orleans.  The greatly outnumbered American soldiers, led by General Andrew Jackson, fought from behind bales of cotton.  Their families were afraid and fled to the chapel of the Ursuline nuns.  They prayed all through the night for a victory.

During Mass on the morning of January 8, 1815, news arrived that the British had been miraculously defeated.  The Americans suffered very few casualties!  General Jackson offered his thanks to Reverend Mother St. Marie Olivier de Vezin in person at the convent.  The Ursuline nuns promised to celebrate a Mass each year on January 8^th to thank Our Lady of Prompt Succor for her intercession. 

CORONATION

Pope Leo XIII approved the crowning of the “Miraculous Statue of Our Lady of Prompt Succor” in 1894.  The faithful and appreciative citizens of New Orleans (and beyond) donated their gold and precious jewelry for the making of these crowns.  The coronation of Baby Jesus and Our Lady took place in a beautiful ceremony led by Archbishop Janssens on November 10, 1895 at the Dauphine Street chapel. 

Our Lady of Prompt Succor is the patroness of New Orleans and Louisiana, and she is special to all of us at Ursuline.  Because she guides us to Jesus and intercedes for us, she is like “a bright star on life’s vast ocean.”

Canon Jean-Marie Moreau, curently in residence in Sulphur, Louisiana, sends us the photos below. He regrets not being able to be present for the January 8 Mass!

Our Lady of Prompt Succor – with Andrew Jackson and the battle of New Orleans!

Third Mass of Christmas today at the Oratory of Sts Cyrill and Methodius, Bridgeport CT (Institute of Christ the King, Sovereign Priest).

At 6 am, Father John Ringley offered a solemn Rorate Mass at St. Mary’s Norwalk, CT. Deacon Stephen Genovese served as deacon and Mr. John Pia was sub-deacon.

Dear Friends, We wish you a blessed Christmastide! We submit this listing of traditional Masses for Christmas.

Please bear in mind that for some of these churches you need to register ahead of time. So call the church first to check. We’re sorry that this is the case. One pastor told us not to post his schedule of Masses because the faithful need to pick up tickets ahead of time.

We can’t bear to think of people being turned away from Mass at Christmas (or any time). We will use the present circumstances to reflect on Mary and Joseph’s arrival in Bethlehem, only to find all of the inns full.

As always, we rely on our readers to contact us with information about traditional Masses in the area.

Christmas, December 25

Connecticut

St. Mary Church, Norwalk, CT, Christmas Eve: 11:30 pm Christmas Carols, 12:00 Solemn Midnight Mass; Christmas Day: 9:30 am Solemn Mass, 11:15, Missa Cantata. Please contact the church to register.

Sts. Cyril and Methodius Oratory, Bridgeport, CT, Midnight Mass, 8:30 am, 10:15 am. Please contact the church to register.

St. Patrick Church, Bridgeport, CT, Missa Cantata, 12:30 pm. Go to the Cathedral Parish to register.

St Joseph Church, Danbury, CT, Solemn Midnight Mass, Fr. Matthew Clark, celebrant, Christmas Carols at 11:30 pm; Christmas Day, 11:30 am. Please contact the church to register.

St Martha, Enfield,CT, Midnight, High Mass; Christmas Day 11:00 am Low Mass

St. Stanislaus Church, New Haven, CT, Missa Cantata, 2 pm.

New York

Holy Innocents Church, New York, NY, Sung Midnight Mass, preceded by exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at 10 pm ending with Benediction at 11:30 pm, procession to the manger and blessing of the crib at 11:45 pm; Low Mass at Dawn, 9 am; Sung Mass at 10:30 am.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, New York, NY, Solemn Midnight Mass, Christmas Day, Missa Cantata 10:30 am.

St. Agnes Church, New York, NY, 9 am.

St. Vincent Ferrer, New York, NY, Midnight Sung Mass, Dominican Rite.

St. Josaphat Church, Bayside (Queens), NY, Midnight Mass, Christmas Day, 9:30 am.

St. Rocco Church, Glen Cove, NY (Long Island), Midnight; 11:30 am.

St. Matthew Church, Dix Hills, NY (Long Island), 12:30 pm

St. Rosalie, Hampton Bays, NY (Long Island), 12:45 pm.

St. Michael Church (SSPX), Farmingville, NY. (Long Island), Midnight, 9 am.

St. Paul the Apostle Church, Yonkers, Missa Cantata, 10 am, no need to register

Immaculate Conception, Sleepy Hollow, NY, 2 pm Missa Cantata. (only one Mass today)

St. Patrick Church, Newburgh, NY, 3 pm.

New Jersey

St. Paul the Apostle Church, Jersey City, Christmas Day, 2 pm Missa Cantata, Fr. John Perricone, celebrant; 1:45 Prelude of Sacred Music. (Please note that at this time, according to the pastor’s directive, Holy Communion will not be distributed in the traditional manner, on the tongue. The faithful are asked to make a spiritual communion.)

Our Lady of Victories, 150 Harriot Ave, Harrington Park, NJ, 9:00 pm – Latin Mass (web site does not indicate if Mass is low or sung)

St. Anthony of Padua Oratory, 1360 Pleasant Valley Way, W. Orange, 11:00 pm – First Mass of Christmas, Missa Cantata (no carols beforehand); Christmas Day, 9:00 am – Low Mass, 11:00 am – Low Mass

Octave of Christmas, January 1

Connecticut

St. Mary Church, Norwalk, CT, 9:30 am, Solemn Mass, 11:15 am, Missa Cantata

St. Stanislaus Church, New Haven, CT, Low Mass, 2 pm

St. Joseph Church, Danbury, CT, Missa Cantata, 11:30 am

Sacred Heart, Georgetown, NY, 6 pm Missa Cantata

New York

Holy Innocents Church, New York, NY, New Year’s Eve Dec. 31, 11:30 pm; Jan. 1, low Mass 9 am; Missa Cantata 10:30 am.

St. Agnes Church, New York, NY, 10:30 am

Immaculate Conception, Sleepy Hollow, NY, 2 pm Low Mass (only one Mass today)

New Jersey

St. Paul the Apostle, Jersey City, 2 pm.

Epiphany, January 6

St. Paul the Apostle, Jersey City, 7 pm

Just keep in mind.. . . you may have to register ahead of time.

This morning, Father Cyprian LaPastina celebrated a Solemn Rorate Mass at the Basilica of St. John the Evangelist in Stamford.