It was a beautiful afternoon this past Saturday when St. Mary’s Church in Norwalk celebrated it’s patronal feast with a Solemn Mass within the Octave of the Assumption. The musical setting of the Mass was Mozart’s glorious “Sparrow’s Mass.” The church was honored with the presence of Bishop Frank Caggiano.

Bishop Caggiano kneels at the door of the church, waiting to be greeted by the pastor.

Acolytes bring a crucifix to present to the Bishop

Before Mass, the Bishop vests before his people.

After Mass, the congregation exits to escort the statue of Our Lady of Norwalk throught the neighborhood in procession.

At 6 pm, the procession pauses for the recitation of the Angelus.

(Above) Getting ready to set off the fireworks!

A festive dinner follows the procession, with entertainment, including a special guest singer.

“That’s Amore!”

“Shall We Dance”

Traditional Masses on the schedule at St. Vincent Ferrer, New York:

On Friday, September 8th, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, there will be a 7 pm Mass in the Dominican Rite. The gentlemen of the Schola Cantorum will sing Maurice Duruflé’s Messe cum jubilo, Op. 11, Andrea Gabrieli’s Nativitas tua Dei genitrix á 7, and Vincenzo Bertolusi’s Ego flos campi.

On Monday, September 11th, in commemoration of the 16th Anniversary of 9/11, the New York Purgatorial Society will sponsor a Dominican Rite Requiem Mass at the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer at 7 pm.

Tomorrow, August 22, is the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  Two area churches have scheduled special Traditional Masses:

St. Mary Church, Greenwich, CT,  Solemn Mass, 7:30 pm

Pontifical Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, New York, Low Mass, 7:45 am; High Mass, 7:30 pm

Stained glass window in St. Michael’s Church, New York.

On Friday, August 25, 2017, there will be the 4th Prayer Vigil Rally for Persecuted Christians and Minorities around the world.

We will celebrate Holy Mass (Extraordinary Form) beginning at 6 PM at Holy Innocents Church on West 37th Street and Broadway.

After Mass, we will gather at the main doors of the Church to prepare our signs, Rosaries, prayer books, candles and Icons, Relic of the True Cross and Canopy.  At 7:30 PM, we will begin the Procession to Herald Square, West 34th Street and Broadway, where we will pray the Holy Rosary.  We will then continue the Procession to Times Square, West 44th Street and Broadway where we will pray the Chaplet to Saint Michael.  The Procession will conclude in front of Holy Innocents Church with the praying of the Litany for Persecuted Christians and the Blessing with the Relic of the True Cross.

Route of the Procession

East on West 37th Street
South on Broadway
Prayer at Herald Square
West 34th Street and Broadway
West on West 34th Street
North on 7th Avenue
West on West 42nd Street
North on Broadway
Prayer at Times Square
West 44th Street and Broadway
South on Broadway
West on West 37th Street

There is now a daily Traditional Mass at the Pontifical Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in New York. Monday through Saturday, there is a low Mass at 7:45 am.

Other Traditional Masses on the schedule at the Shrine:

Saturday, September 2, 2017 – 9 AM – Traditional Latin Sung Mass offered in Reparation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on 1st Saturdays; Confessions heard before Mass and during Eucharistic Adoration.

Thursday, September 7, 2017 – 7 PM – Traditional Latin Sung Mass – Homily in Polish

Friday, September 8, 2017 – 7 PM – Traditional Latin High Mass and Blessing of Seeds, Seedlings, Crops, Fruits and Flowers – Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Friday, September 15, 2017 – 9 PM – Traditional Latin High Mass, Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary

ALL NIGHT VIGIL – THIRD FRIDAY OF REPARATION TO THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD

Saturday, September 16, 2017 – 5 AM – Traditional Latin High Mass, Feast of Saints Cornelius and Cyprian

Sunday, October 1, 2017 – 10:25 AM – Traditional Latin Sung Mass, External Solemnity of Our Lady of the Rosary,  Opening Mass of the Young Adult Apostolate followed by Gathering, Place TBA

Below: Photos from the Solemn Mass for the Feast of the Assumption, including a blessing of flowers. All photos in this are courtesy of Diana Yuan.

ST. MARY PATRONAL FEAST CELEBRATION
Norwalk, CT
Saturday, August 19, 2017 at 4:00 p.m.

Everyone is welcome! Join the Parish Community and Bishop Caggiano in a Procession, the Celebration of Holy Mass, and Dinner in the Hall. Invite friends and family.

4:00 p.m. Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the Extraordinary Form with Bishop Caggiano.
5:30 p.m. Procession through the streets.
7:00 p.m. Dinner and Dancing in the Church Hall.

See a video from last year’s feast.

Tickets for the Dinner will be on sale at the Rectory:
Adults: $15
Children under 10: $5
Tickets at the Door:
Adults: $20
Children under 10: $10
If you would like to volunteer and help with the many tasks and details, please contact Fran Di Meglio: dimeg2425@aol.com

This Mass is the very touchstone of Catholic tradition…. This recovery of the sacred is inextricably linked to the recovery of the Catholic faith as a faith that is living, that is joyful, that is beautiful, a faith that is a light in the deepening darkness of a world in thrall to the gray eminence…. How blessed is this parish to be at the very forefront of the return to Catholic tradition that is embedded in this Mass.
–Father Richard Cipolla

Good news in Norwalk, CT: Daily Traditional Mass! Starting September 5th, at St. Mary’s Church the daily morning Mass will be a Traditional low Mass. The time will be changed on Monday to Friday to 7:30 am. Deo gratias!

Father Richard Cipolla announced the change today on the St. Mary’s website:

The Traditional Roman Rite of the Mass lies at the very heart of Saint Mary’s parish. Since Father Markey introduced it in the parish some seven years ago, it has become integral to the very existence of this parish both in spiritual ways and in eminently practical ways. The Solemn Mass on Sunday has brought so many new people to the parish and continues to be a source of inspiration and genuine prayerful worship to all who assist at the Mass. The Traditional Mass, also known as the Extraordinary Form, is a gift from God via Pope Benedict to St. Mary’s.

When God gives someone a gift He expects it to be used for His glory and to be part of the missionary effort of the Church to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world. In our case, I have decided that this gift needs to be used even more deeply in the parish than up to this point. After much thought and prayer, I have decided that the daily morning Mass will be celebrated in the Extraordinary Form. The time of the Mass will be moved to 7:30 a.m. to allow more people who go to work early to attend Mass. The readings will be in English. The quiet simplicity of the Low Mass will enrich us all. Cardinal Sarah’s book on Silence specifically mentions the silence of the Canon in the Extraordinary Form as something very good for the worshipping community. Most of our parishioners will notice little change, since we celebrate the daily Novus Ordo Mass in continuity with the form of the Traditional Mass. This change will also enable more of our parishioners to experience the beauty of the Extraordinary Form and enrich their understanding of the worship of the Church in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

In no way should this change to the daily celebration of the Extraordinary Form be interpreted as a “return to the past”. As Pope Benedict said: “What was sacred then is sacred now.” We live in the now, not in the past. And we look to the future with confidence that the presence of the Extraordinary Form at St. Mary’s will be a force within the Church to worship God in the Spirit, the God of Truth, Beauty and Goodness. The return to the Tradition of the Church is absolutely necessary in an age of spiritual amnesia within the Church that has sapped her strength to be who she is: the presence of Jesus Christ in the world.

Your support, as always, is very important to me. Let us pray for each other and our beloved parish church dedicated to Mary most Holy.

Father Richard Gennaro Cipolla
Pastor

Dr. Jennifer Donelson, associate professor and the director of sacred music at St. Joseph’s Seminary (Dunwoodie) in New York, will be offering  classes in Gregorian chant this fall.

Introduction to Chant

Mondays, 7:00-9:30PM
September 11–December 18, 2017

Saint Joseph’s Seminary (Yonkers, NY)

More information and tuition information: see the Saint Cecilia Academy.

Course Description: Serving as an introduction to Gregorian chant, this course will cover neumatic notation, Gregorian modes, ear training and sight reading, vocal technique appropriate for singing chant, and Latin pronunciation. Special focus will be placed on rhythmic interpretation of the chant according to the classical Solesmes (Mocquereau) method. By the end of the class, students will have confidence in singing from the Graduale Romanum, solfège, and psalm tones, and some experience in conducting (chironomy). Additional topics introduced in the class include the history of Gregorian chant, rehearsal techniques for teaching chant to children and adult choirs, and an introduction to chant resources in English and Spanish.

Gregorian Chant for Children Ages 5 to 14 – Ward Method Classes at Colm Cille Homeschool Co-Op

Classes meet at St. Catharine’s Church in Pelham, New York, beginning September 13th, on Wednesday mornings as part of the complete homeschool co-op curriculum. For more information on the classes or for tuition rates, please email info@jenniferdonelson.com.

Private Lessons in Chant Conducting (Chironomy)

Are you interested in learning how to conduct Gregorian chant according to the classical Solesmes method? Have you learned some of the basics and are now looking to improve your developing conducting skills? Dr. Jennifer Donelson is offering private lessons, either in-person or via Skype/FaceTime.

Learn more about tuition rates and scheduling availability by emailing Dr. Donelson at info@jenniferdonelson.com.