The Church of the Holy Innocents in Manhattan held a Forty Hour Devotion from Friday Nov. 7 to Sunday Nov. 9. Arrys Ortanez has sent us these beautiful photos of the 3-day event.

Organizer Eddy Toribo has written:

“This was the second year we have had it at Holy Innocents and, now that the parish has been left open, we expect to have many more.

We thank all those who helped and made sacrifices in order to spend time with Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament (in addition to attending the Masses) most particularly during the night hours. These days, it is difficult (compared to the past) to find people to commit to be part of the Forty Hours Prayer (Devotion), especially in the traditional context given that many people who attend the traditional Mass at Holy Innocents come from all over. Thank God, we were able to get a few faithful souls who made sacrifices and arrangements to spend the night in prayer, particularly on Saturday. We can be assured God will know how to reward that time spend in church as part of Forty Hours.”

Thanks to Eddy and Arrys for providing this report.

The Karlskirche – the masterpiece of Fischer von Erlach.

Last Tuesday Evening, November 4th, Cardinal Raymond Burke celebrated a solemn Pontifical Mass at the church of St. Charles Borromeo in Vienna, Austria – the Karlskirche. The organizer of the liturgy was Una Voce Austria. A standing room only congregation assisted at the splendid liturgy in which splendid music, beautiful vestments and precise and complete ceremonial combined for a magnificent statement of faith.

(above and below) The vesting.

(Above and below) The Karlskirche is one of the main masterpieces of that flowering of the baroque in the lands of the Holy Roman Empire – primarily Austria, Bohemia and Germany – after 1683. The architecture of this church contains numerous references to Rome – such as the two columns standing before the facade modelled on Trajan’s column.

(Above) Cardinal Burke preached in German on St. Charles Borromeo (below), whose feast day it was. He recalled the days of struggle against the “Protestant Revolution” and the role of St. Charles at the Council of Trent and as a reformer, first in Rome and then in Milan. Cardinal Burke made reference to the liturgical reforms of that time. He spoke of the necessity – then and now – of remaining faithful to all teachings of the Catholic faith.

The Karlskirche was completely filled for the liturgy. The congregation seemed like a recreation of old Austria – what with men in traditional uniforms – and families with infants and young children. The church is currently under restoration (see above and below, right) so space was at an even greater premium.

Yesterday evening, in the church of St. Agnes a beautiful solemn Requiem mass was celebrated. The music included chant, and the Missa pro defunctis (Requiem a 8) of Duarte Lobo.

Acknowledgments and special thanks are owed to many:
The Reverend Myles P. Murphy, S.T.L., Pastor of the Church of Saint Agnes
The Reverend Richard Cipolla, Celebrant and Homilist
The Reverend Daniel Champoli, Deacon
The Reverend Matthew MacDonald, Subdeacon
Mr. Steven Pack, Master of Ceremonies
The Schola Cantorum of Saint Agnes
Mr. James D. Wetzel, Choirmaster
Mr. Donald Cherry – vestments and poster
Mr. James Morlino – sound recording
And, last but not least, the funding for the music was made possible by the generosity of the Catholic Artists Society, the New York Purgatorial Society, The Roman Forum – and our own Society of Saint Hugh of Cluny.

We extend our thanks to Arrys Ortanez for sending us these beautiful photos of recent Masses in Brooklyn.

Solemn High Mass for commemoration of All Saints from the Cathedral-Basilica of St. James in Brooklyn, Fr. Joseph Wilson, Celebrant, Fr. Joe Zwosta, Deacon, Fr. Daniel Champoli, Sub-Deacon

All Souls Day Solemn Requiem Mass celebrated at St. Cecilia’s (Divine Mercy Parish) in Brooklyn,  Fr. Raymond Flores, Celebrant, Fr. Jason Espinal, Deacon, Mr. Roberto Barrientos, Sub-Deacon

This coming weekend, from Friday, November 7th, 2014 at 6pm through Sunday, November 9th, 2014 at 10:30am, the Church of the Holy Innocents in Manahattan will have the 40 Hours Devotion. (it will also be the first Friday all-night vigil).

The Mass of Exposition will be a Solemn Mass on Friday at 6pm and it will be the votive Mass of the Most Blessed Sacrament, accompanied by the procession of the Blessed Sacrament inside the church and by the singing of the Litanies of the Saints and other prayers for all ranks and ways of life in the Catholic Church.

We invite and encourage all to attend and celebrate with us the news that the Church of the Holy Innocents will remain open, as well as to pray before the Blessed Sacrament. This, of course, is a very pious and salutary devotion that always brings great benefits for a parish and those who participate in it. Please share the information with those who would like to attend.

http://nypost.com/2014/11/04/churchs-closure-could-be-the-end-of-its-treasured-murals/

So we have finally heard  the Archdiocese’s announcement of church closings and consolidations – the culmination of Cardinal Dolan’s “Making all Things New.” At the end that program, like its predecessor, only comes down to a list of parishes closing or merging – tragedies and losses small and great. Traditionalists will breathe a sigh of relief – Holy Innocents (like St. Agnes and Our Lady of Mount Carmel) is not scheduled to close. We are informed that after the announcement there at mass yesterday: “people were very happy – some clapped, cried, and shouted with joy.” In general, the impact on Manhattan was less severe than that earlier (semi-official) estimates and “targets” had indicated – by my count, 9 parishes will be closed and 6 others merged (but the celebration of masses and sacraments will continue). A couple of the mergers are merely declarative of the existing situation. Moreover, in addition to Holy Innocents, several other widely discussed candidates for closure have nevertheless emerged unscathed.

Despite this good news, If I were one of the survivors I would restrain my rejoicing. For this announcement is not by any means the end of the story. In “Making all things New,” just as in its 2007 predecessor, parishes have been or will be merged or closed entirely outside any announced official list. The Archdiocese expressly reserves this possibility:

“There are a small number of new proposals for parish mergers that have arisen as a result of the cardinal’s own reflection on those proposals presented to him, as well as from his discussions with key advisors. In keeping with the spirit of the Making All Things New process, Cardinal Dolan has asked that these new proposals be shared with the appropriate clusters and the archdiocesan advisory group so as to solicit their input. These will eventually also be reviewed by the priest council of the archdiocese before a final decision is reached. It is hoped that these new proposals will be acted upon soon so that final decisions are reached over the next several months.”

So, for example, regarding one parish initially recommended for closure, there will be ongoing consideration of:

“A potential move of Saint Michael’s Parish in Manhattan to accommodate the pastoral needs of those who will move to the new Hudson Yards development.”

(Above and below) St. Elisabeth of Hungary

(above) St. Elisabeth of Hungary

(Above and below) Our Lady of Peace.

Yes, the catalogue of churches scheduled for closure – or “termination of the celebration of masses and sacrament on a regular basis” is a tragic tale. Among the victims is the lovely church of St. Elisabeth of Hungary, which anchors a quiet streetscape on East 83rd Street – first Slovak, then “mainstream” Archdiocesan and in recent decades also the home of the Archdiocesan deaf ministry. There is the equally charming Our Lady of Peace on East 62nd Street – its parishioners are invited to transfer to the extraordinary ugly modern “church” of St. John the Evangelist. The parishioners of the Hungarian church of St. Stephen of Hungary, who just in the last few years had made heroic (and apparently successful) efforts to preserve their parochial school from closure, now will find themselves deprived of their parish as well.

(Above) St. James (with its street named after the parish!)

(Above) St. Joseph; (below) the ceiling of St. James.

Some losses have greater cultural, historical and artistic significance. St. James, a neoclassical temple of the 1830’s and the boyhood parish of Gov. Al Smith, will apparently close along with its current “parent”, St. Joseph’s. St. Stephen’s – next to St Patrick’s cathedral, the grandest and best-preserved high Victorian Catholic church interior in New York, will also shut its doors. The product of the combined efforts of Renwick, Brumidi and the German stained glass studios of the last years of the 19th century, the landmarked St Stephen’s was led by a series of legendary pastors prior to 1918. I would anticipate that the disposition of these two churches will attract the interest of the broader New York community. Such well-preserved interiors would of course also offer an ideal New York home to several growing Traditional – or at least “conservative” – orders. It is a solution that, although implemented in Chicago for decades now (e.g., St. John Cantius), has been expressly rejected, I understand, by the New York Archdiocese on at least one previous occasion.

(Above and below) St. Stephen’s.

(Above) At. Stephen’s

What will be the end result of all this? The New York Times has nicely summarized the factors behind “Making all things New”:

“The number of priests has fallen each year, as retirements outpace ordinations. And attendance has been declining; as of 2013, only about 12 percent of the New York archdiocese’s 2.8 million Catholics regularly attended Sunday Mass, according to the archdiocese.”

No downsizing or organizational changes can address these underlying issues. They are of the spiritual, not the material order. So I would expect that within a few years we and the Archdiocese will be confronting yet another “reconfiguration” plan.

The St. Cecilia Society of St. Mary Church, Norwalk
is pleased to present its annual benefit concert in honor of St. Cecilia
& in celebration of the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

The St. Mary’s Schola Cantorum
David J. Hughes, Director

Sunday, 9 November 2014, 4:00 P.M.
$25 general admission | $15 students & seniors

All proceeds go to support the work of the St. Cecilia Society throughout the year.
A festive wine & cheese reception will follow the concert.

N.B. This year in the Traditional calendar, All Souls Day falls on November 3rd.  On Sunday, November 2, the Mass for the 21st Sunday after Pentecost is celebrated.

From St. Casimir Church in Yonkers

St. Mary Church, Norwalk CT

All Saints Day, November 1, 9 am

All Souls Day, Nov. 3,  7:30 pm

St. Stanislaus Church, New Haven, CT

Saturday, November 1, All Saints @ 9:00am

Monday, November 3, All Souls @ 5:30pm.

Church of the Holy Innocents, Manhattan

All Saints Day, Nov. 1, 1 pm

All Souls Day, Nov. 3, 6 pm, Solemn Requiem Mass and Absolution,  Missa pro Defunctis for 5 voices by Cristobal Morales, Fr. Carlos Viego, celebrant.

Cathedral of St. James, Brooklyn, NY

All Saints Day, Solemn Mass, Nov. 1 at 1:30 pm

Church of St. Cecilia (84 Herbert Street, Brooklyn, NY)
All Souls Day, November 3rd, at 7PM
Solemn Mass with absolution after mass, celebrated by Fr. Raymond Flores

Immaculate Conception Church, Sleepy Hollow, NY

All Saints Day, Saturday, November 1,  3PM

All Souls Day, Monday, November 3, 7PM Low Mass

Church of St. Patrick in Glen Cove, NY (Long Island),
All Saints Day, Nov. 1, 10 am, Sung High Mass.

Church of St. Paul the Apostle, Brookville, NY (Long Island)
All Souls Day, Nov. 3, 7 pm, Solemn High Mass

In New Jersey:

All Souls’ Day
St. Anthony’s – West Orange
7:15 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 12:15 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.

St. Anthony’s – Jersey City
Sung Requiem Mass, 7:00 p.m.

Other Traditional Requiem Masses in the month of November:

Thursday, Nov. 6 at 6:30 pm,  St. Agnes Church, Manhattan,  Missa de Profunctis by Duarte Lobo performed by the Schola Cantorum of St. Agnes Church.

Tuesday, November 18th at 7:30, St. Mary Church, Greenwich, CT