We at the Society of St Hugh of Cluny wish all our members, friends and readers a blessed and merry Christmas.

The Midnight Mass of Christmas…in the newly redecorated church of St. Mary, Norwalk.

Mr David Hughes directed the music – including the “Messe Solennelle” of Louis Vierne.

Fr. Greg Markey, pastor of St. Mary’s, was the celebrant. Mr. Steve Genovese was deacon: Fr. Richard Cipolla was subdeacon.

At 9:30 in the morning, the third mass for Christmas (below).

“In Principio erat Verbum…” Steve Genovese was deacon, Bill Riccio subdeacon. FR. Richard Cipolla was celebrant.

Music, performed the schola of St. Mary’s, included the Missa O Magnum Mysterium by Palestrina and the motet Verbum Caro Factum est by John Sheppard.

(Requested by our friends at St. Columba parish)

ST. COLUMBA EN LA RADIO

Desde el 19 de diciembre todos los jueves la comunidad hispana de San Columba coauspicia un programa de radio. A través del mismo queremos llegar a toda nuestra comunidad, en especial a los privados de libertad, los enfermos, los emigrantes solos y toda persona que busca a Dios. Sintonícenos todos los jueves a las 9 de la noche por WPAT-930AM o también por el internet donde quiera se encuentre en http://www.descubriendoelsiglo21.com/programaderadio.html#.UrJpPNJDuSp. El Padre Tomás del Valle dirige el programa y lo produce Descubriendo el Siglo XXI. Para más información favor de llamar al 212 244 4778, la oficina del Padre Tomás. http://www.descubriendoelsiglo21.com ; www.radiosiglo21.blogspot.com

We offer you a few glimpses of the newly renovated St. Mary’s Church in Norwalk, which is scheduled to formally open this Saturday with the celebration of a Missa Cantata in the Extraordinary Form at 9:00 am.

The newly renovated church will be blessed by His Excellency Bishop Frank Caggiano on Sunday January 5. Bishop Caggiano will be presiding at the 9:30 am Mass, which will be a High Mass before a Greater Prelate (coram episcopo). Afterwards everyone is invited to a reception in the church hall, with an opportunity to greet the bishop.

The Golden Madonna- this sadly mutilated image of Our Lady, commissioned by St. Bernward before 1022, is one of the earliest statues in the West.

Medieval Treasures from Hildesheim
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Exhibition open until January 5, 2014

The Holy Roman Empire – a vague and mysterious concept to us nowadays. Yet an extraordinary exhibition of religious art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art brings the founding era of the empire close to us once again. The cathedral town of Hildesheim is now rather obscure. In the North of Germany, it is today an extreme outlying post of Catholicism in that country. Yet in the glory days of the foundation and initial flourishing of the Holy Roman Empire (say 955- 1100), it was of central importance. The bishopric of Hildesheim illustrated the close union of spiritual and temporal authority characteristic of the empire from its very beginnings. Under the patronage of several extraordinary bishops – Bernward and Godehard, both canonized, it became in the first half of the 11th century a center of first flowering of Christian art in Medieval Europe. And more of this early art survives in Hildesheim than almost anywhere else in Europe – it is rivaled only by Aachen, Bamberg and the “Welf Treasure”(mostly now in Berlin).

The artistic renaissance of the early 11th century saw the building of several noteworthy churches in Hildesheim. But it is especially the creations in sculpture, metalwork and in illuminated manuscripts that amaze us today. Let us remember that even Suger in the 12th century – the builder of the first Gothic church of Saint Denis – spent as much or more time describing the sacred vessels and precious ornaments of his church as he did the architecture itself. This exhibition offers a unique collection of the smaller works of art: candlesticks, croziers, chalices patens, and some items that have since fallen out of liturgical use, like three 12th century metal ceremonial fans. The styles range from the expressive creativity of Bernward’s candlesticks to the “classic” Gothic style of an early 13th century baptismal font.

Even after Bernward’s and Godehard’s time, Hildesheim continued to flourish as an artistic center under the leadership of the Church. And Germany itself led Europe in the working of metals throughout the Middle Ages. The result was an almost unending series of masterpieces. Magnificent examples of work in gold, silver, copper and bronze from the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries are on display in this exhibition.

St. Bernward’s “logo” on a book cover.

One of unique set of three liturgical fans – still used in the Byzantine rite.

This text should be familiar to all of you – sacramentary from 1014-1022.

The Assumption – actually from a different artistic center of Germany at that time – the abbey of Reichenau on Lake Constance.

(Above and below) The spectacular early 13th century baptismal font.

Sadly, after the Reformation Hildesheim became religiously divided – a “frontier” outpost where the Catholic and Protestant worlds coexisted uneasily. After the 16th century its former economic prosperity also departed. Finally, the “Rotenburg ob der Tauber of the North” was senselessly destroyed by bombing in 1945. Yet the extraordinary treasures of the Middles Ages, gleaming in gold and silver, survive to this day. They witness to the birth of Western art and culture after the dark ages – and to the creation of the first mature Christian commonwealth in the West as well. Be sure and pay a visit to this exhibition before January 5th!

Church of Most Holy Redeemer, New York

The following churches will be celebrating the Traditional Mass for Christmas and/or for the Octave of Christmas. Please help us to complete the schedule by informing us of Masses that we have not yet listed.

St. Mary Church, Norwalk, CT
Chrismas Eve: 11 pm Rosary by the Creche, 11:30 pm Christmas Carols; 12:00 midnight Solemn Mass
Christmas Day: 9:30 am, Solemn Mass
Wed. Jan. 1, Octave Day of Christmas: 5:30 pm, Solemn Mass

St. Stanislaus Church, New Haven, CT
Christmas Day, High Mass, 2 pm
Jan. 1, Low Mass, 2 pm

St Martha Parish, Enfield, CT
December 25th, Midnight Mass
Christmas Day, 12 Noon Mass

Church of the Holy Innocents, New York, NY
Friday, Dec. 20th, 6 pm, Solemn Mass for Ember Friday in Advent
Saturday, Dec. 21, 1 pm, Solem Mass for the Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle, Fr. John Zuhlsdorf, celebrant.
Saturday, Dec. 21, 5:30 pm, Solemn Vespers for 4th Sunday of Advent, followed by a concert of sacred Christmas music., Benediction and a reception in the church hall.
Tuesday, December 24, 1 pm, Christmas Vigil Mass
Dec. 25, Christmas Day, all three Masses of the 1962 Missal will be celebrated
Solemn Mass at Midnight, 12:01, Fr. George Rutler, celebrant. The church will open at 11:00 pm. A program of sacred Christmas music at 11:30; a reception in the church hall after Mass.
9:00 am Mass at Dawn
10:30 am, Missa Cantata. Fr. John Zuhlsdorf, celebrant.

Church of St. Agnes, New York, NY
 Christmas Day, High Mass: 11:00 AM (with Schola Cantorum)
New year’s Day, High Mass: 11:00 AM (with Schola Cantorum)

St. Anthony`s Church
1776 Mansion Street
Bronx, NY

Christmas Day: 8:30 a.m., Missa cantata

January 1: 8:30 a.m., Low mass

Our Lady of Peace Church in Brooklyn, NY 
Christmas Day,  9:30 am. 

Immaculate Conception Church, Sleepy Hollow, NY
Christmas Day, Missa Cantata, 2 pm
Jan. 1, Low Mass, 3 pm

St. Matthews, Dix Hills NY
9am Traditional Latin Mass- 3rd Mass for Christmas, in the Chapel

Mater Ecclesiae Chapel in Berlin, NJ, where all Masses are TLM:
Christmas Eve, Tuesday, Dec. 24:
10:30 PM Christmas Carols
10:50 PM Blessing of Manger and Christmas Proclamation 11:00 PM – Mass through Midnight
Christmas Day, Wednesday, Dec. 25
8:30 AM Low Mass; 11:00 AM High Mass

St. Anthony of Padua Oratory
West Orange, NJ

Tuesday, December 24

5:00 pm Confessions
5:30 pm Low Mass (First Mass of Christmas)
9:30 pm Confessions
10:30 pm Traditional Christmas Carols
11:00 pm Solemn High Midnight Mass (First Mass of Christmas)
Nota bene: The Mass begins at 11:00 p.m. so that the Consecration will occur at approximately midnight.

Christmas Day, December 25

7:30 a.m. Low Mass (Second Mass of Christmas)
9:00 a.m. Low Mass (Second Mass of Christmas)
11:00 a.m. High Mass (Third Mass of Christmas)

Holy Rosary Church
Jersey City, NJ

Tuesday, December 24

9:00 p.m. Missa Cantata
Music including Haydn’s Kleine Orgel Mass and Gregorian chant propers

Our Lady of Victories,
Harrington Park, NJ

Tuesday, December 24

9:00 p.m. Missa Cantata
Music including Haydn’s Kleine Orgel Mass and Gregorian chant propers

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church
Newark NJ

December 24

12 a.m.
The church will open around 11:00 p.m. and there will be carols sung before Mass and a reception in the parish center after Mass.

Our Lady of Fatima Chapel,Pequannock, NJ

Christmas Eve, December 24
12:00 a.m.

Christmas Day
7:00 a.m.
9:00 a.m
11:00 a.m.

St. Stephen of Hungary,   Allentown,PA
Christmas Eve Midnight Mass

The renovation of St. Mary’s Church in Norwalk is completed. The first Mass to be celebrated in front of the new reredos of Our Lady’s Assumption into Heaven will be the 9:00 Mass this Saturday, a Missa Cantata in the Extraordinary Form. This Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Advent, all Masses will return to the upper church. The upper church has been closed for renovation since September.

The newly renovated church will be blessed by His Excellency Bishop Frank Caggiano on Sunday January 5.   Bishop Caggiano will be presiding at the 9:30 am Mass, which will be a High Mass before a Greater Prelate (coram episcopo). Afterwards everyone is invited to a reception in the church hall, with an opportunity to greet the bishop.

Yesterday we have this article in the NYT on the fate of New York Catholic churches and their “artifacts.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/17/nyregion/for-relics-from-closed-churches-an-afterlife-in-staten-island.html?ref=nyregion

The article has as its stated theme the “recycling” of furnishings from closed churches.

“Some items ended up at the warehouse after the 2007 decision of the Archdiocese of New York to close or shrink 21 parishes. Others came because of renovations. Much more will be coming; the archdiocese plans to announce another round of parish closings in 2014.”

The more interesting part, however, is a chronicle – not totally complete – of the real estate deals of the Archdiocese involving the sites of former churches. Some of these deals don’t appear to have been that advantageous.

“In 2007, the archdiocese said it would not sell closing churches to developers, but that turned out not to be the case. Mary Help of Christians was sold in December 2012 to Steiner NYC for $41 million. Near the Holland Tunnel, Our Lady of Vilnius, a former Lithuanian Church, was put on the market by the diocese for $13 million. It sold in October to the Extell Development Company, which is flipping the property and asking $19 million for it. A brochure suggests 22 stories of apartments could be built there.”

The AP reports it – must be something to it, then. It’s a story that already has been extensively covered for weeks by Italian secular media and conservative Italian websites:

Pope’s crackdown on order alarms traditionalists

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/12/14/5418242/popes-crackdown-on-order-alarms.html#storylink=cpy

Where we read among other things:

“Francis has called Benedict’s 2007 decree allowing wider use of the Latin Mass “prudent,” but has warned that it risks being exploited on ideological grounds by factions in the church; Francis has made clear his disdain for traditionalist Catholics, saying they are self-absorbed retrogrades who aren’t helping the church’s mission to evangelize.”

“The sanctions (taken by the Vatican -appointed ‘commissioner’ against the Friars of the Immaculate- SC) seem harsh when compared to recent actions taken by the Vatican against other much larger religious orders or groups found to have doctrinal or other problems, such as the Holy See’s crackdown on social justice-minded American nuns or the Vatican’s reform efforts of the disgraced Legion of Christ. In both cases, a papal envoy was named to rewrite constitutions or statutes and oversee reforms, but Volpi’s actions with the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate would appear to go much further.”

On the other hand, those models af reliability, Fr. Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, and a representative of Opus Dei, deny anything unusual is going on at all.

The bottom line: you can’t stick your head in the sand any longer. The direct persecution of Traditionalists has resumed.

A major new article in the New York Times by David Gonzalez,”Bringing Back the Artistic Beauty of a 19th-Century Church.”

“The stunningly decorated sanctuary of St. Anselm’s Church in the South Bronx is a marvel of art and architecture, capturing Byzantine, Greek, Italian and German styles. No glistening detail is random, from the gold band circling the balconies — a reminder of God’s crowning glory — to the 12 side pillars, one for each apostle.”

A magnificent church, ravaged by years of neglect and incompetent repairs; a dedicated pastor; a multi-ethnic supportive community; and a visionary conservator has a masterpiece been saved?

“To that end, the New York Landmarks Conservancy, a nonprofit group, enlisted graduate students at Columbia University to prepare an application so that the church could be listed on state and national registers of historic places.

“This building is a treasure,” said Ann Friedman, who runs the conservancy’s Sacred Sites program. “It is a building that deserves more attention, funding, ongoing restoration and investment from the broader New York community.”

Must reading for those who may find themselves in similar circumstances!