Dr. Charles Weaver, music director at Regina Pacis Academy and St. Mary’s Church, Norwalk, will present a lecture on St. Hildegard. The lecture will be preceded by a demonstration class in Gregorian chant with the Regina Pacis middle school schola. The class will begin at 1:15 pm and the lecture at 2 pm.
RSVP: Please call the school if you plan to attend: (203) 642-4501.
Yesterday, Regina Pacis Academy had a beautiful Solemn Mass for the Feast of the Epiphany for the school community at St. Mary’s Church in Norwalk.
Distribution of the Epiphany chalk.
The following churches will offer Traditional Masses on Tuesday January 6th for the Feast of the Epiphany. We also include churches that will be blessing Epiphany water on the Eve of Epiphany, Jan. 5.
Connecticut
St. Mary Church, Norwalk, 10 am Missa Cantata, followed by blessing of the chalk; 12:10 pm Low Mass.
Georgetown Oratory of the Sacred Heart, Redding, 6 pm
St. Roch Church, Greenwich, Jan 5 at 6:30 pm, blessing of Epiphany water
Sts. Cyril and Methodius, Bridgeport, Jan 5, Solemn First Vespers of the Epiphany at 6:00 p.m.,
followed by blessing Epiphany water {bring your empty container to fill from the large receptacle}; Jan. 6, Solemn Mass at 6:00 p.m., followed by reception
St. Patrick Oratory, Waterbury, Jan 5: Following Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament, prior to the 6pm Mass, Epiphany water will be blessed. Epiphany Water will be made available after this time along with blessed chalk for you to use to bless your homes in the new year of grace; Jan. 6, 8 am low Mass.
New York
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Harlem, New York, 7 pm
St. Josaphat Oratory, Bayside, Queens, 7 pm High Mass
St. Rocco, Glen Cove, Long Island, 6:45 pm blessing of Epiphany water followed by a Missa Cantata. You are invited to bring containers of water to be blessed.
St. Margaret of Cortona, Riverside, Bronx, Jan. 5: 6 pm Vigil of Epiphany blessing of Epiphany water (please bring your own water); Jan. 6 Solemn Mass 6 pm.
St. Paul the Apostle, Yonkers, 12 noon
St. Mary and St. Andrew, Ellenville, 7 pm High Mass
Holy Trinity, Poughkeepsie NY at 6 pm
New Jersey
Our Lady of Sorrows, Jersey City, 8 pm
Our Lady of Fatima Chapel, Pequannock, Jan 5, 5 pm blessing of Epiphany water, Jan. 6, 7 am, 9 am, 7 pm
St. Anthony of Padua Oratory, West Orange, Jan. 5, Vigil of Epiphany, Low
Mass at 9:00 AM. Blessing of Water, Chalk and Incense will follow the Mass; Jan. 6, 9 am low Mass; 7 pm high Mass
St. Mary of Mt. Virgin, 190 Sandford St., New Brunswick, Missa Cantata, 7 pm, Epiphany chalk and water to be distributed after Mass.
St. John the Baptist, Allentown, 6:45 chalking of the church doors; 7 pm Solemn Mass featuring Missa Papae Marcelli by Palestrina; Epiphany water and blessed chalk will be distributed after Mass; diner recpetion to follow in church hall.
Shrine Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, Raritan, 7 pm
St. John Vianney, 420 Inman Ave., Colonia, Jan. 5, 7 pm, blessing of Epiphany water. Please bring your own on gallon bottles of water for blessing.
Charles-Gaffiot, Jacques, “In the Earthly City of Emmanuel: the Liturgy of Heaven Dwells among Mankind” in Salomon, Xavier F., Charles-Gaffiot, Jacques, and Constensoux, Benoit, To the Holy Sepulcher:Treasures from the Terra Sancta Museum (The Frick Collection, New York and D.Giles Limited 2025)
Is it not remarkable? A catalog for the exhibition of liturgical treasures from the Terra Sancta Museum in Jerusalem is published by a secular institution, the Frick Collection. Yet it contains in an essay of some 17 pages, one of the most succinct and theologically rich explanations of the Roman Catholic Mass I have ever encountered. Perhaps this clarity and honesty are attributable to the secular nature of the hosting institution, which needs to explain to visitors what the exhibits were used for and what their meaning was to their donors and creators. Assuming that the average visitor knows nothing about such matters – a good assumption – the Frick museum has to provide a basic introduction to the subject. And it has little incentive to advance modernist and secularist agendas.
The author, Jacques Charles-Gaffiot, bases his analysis almost entirely on the Traditional Latin Mass. Indeed, he emphasizes the continuity of the Tradition embodied by this Mass from early Christianity to the splendid liturgical celebrations at the court of Louis XIV (contemporaneous with the creation of many of the exhibits that can be seen in this show) to the clandestine liturgies of Fr. Maximilian Kolbe at Auschwitz. The author’s analysis of the Mass as primarily a sacrificial act is eminently Catholic. The same is true of his equation of the Mass with the heavenly liturgy. Throughout his essay Charles-Gaffiot develops the symbolic meaning of the Mass and of the sacred objects used therein and on display in this exhibition. As he writes:
The pieces of gold and silver assembled in the exhibition this book accompanies find the understanding and legitimization of their existence in liturgy, particularly in Catholic liturgy. The decorators and goldsmiths who designed these pieces and gave them shape adhered to canons that were profoundly and widely understood in their day, allowing and facilitating their use during specific religious ceremonies, which were also painstakingly established. (p. 97)
Charles-Gaffiot describes in great detail the parallels between the Mass and Jewish rituals. For the Church had always seen Christian worship as the fulfillment and completion of the worship of God set out the Old Testament. Then, especially regarding liturgical dress, there came influences from pagan Rome (or example wearing of the stole or the adoption of the basilica by the earliest churches.)
This passage is a good example of the author’s approach:
Since the seventh century, a crucifix has been placed on top of the altar indicating that with each celebration of mass the place becomes the new Calvary, where Christ sacrifices himself. Moreover, the lighting on or around the altar conveys a particular symbolism. During Mass, at least one candle must be lit on each side of the altar: the one to the left of the crucifix represents the holy figures of the Old Law; the one to the right those of the New. They also symbolize the two cherubim placed on the Ark of the Covenant (the seat) as well as the two seraphim that Isaiah heard singing three times to honor the Thrice Holy God. During solemn Masses, the six candles on the altar are lit; a seventh is added behind the crucifix on the occasion of a pontifical Mass. These lights recall not only the seven-branched candlestick but also the seven golden lampstands placed before the throne of God as described in the Apocalypse.(pp.100-01)
This essay alone is well worth the substantial ($89) price of the catalogue! The exhibition only lasts untl January 5, 2026. I have written a review: The Legacy of Christendom.
(Above and below) Canterbury Cathedral, the site of Becket’s martyrdom (and the goal of Medeieval pilgrimages)
(Below) The place of the martyrdom.
(Below) A side chapel in the cathedral.
This Thursday, January 1, is the Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord and the Octave of Christmas. It is a holy day of obligation. The following churches in the area will offer the Traditional Mass.
Connecticut
St. Mary Church, Norwalk, 8 am; 7 pm
Georgetown Oratory of the Sacred Heart, Redding, 12 noon
Sts. Cyril and Methodius Oratory, 8:30 am Low Mass, 10:15 am High Mass
St. Patrick Oratory, Waterbury, 10 am low Mass; 12 noon high Mass
St. Martha Church, Enfield, 9 am
St. Michael Church, Pawcatuck, 10 am High Mass
New York
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, New York, 10:30 am
Our Lady of Refuge, Bronx, 1 pm
St. Josaphat Oratory, Bayside, Queens, 9:30 am
St. Rocco, Glen Cove, Long Island, 11:30 am Missa Cantata
St. Matthew Church, Dix Hills, Long Island, 10:30 am
St. Paul the Apostle, Yonkers, 1:30 pm
Annunciation Church, Crestwood, 2 pm
St. Mary and St. Andrew, Ellenville, Dec. 31, 11:30 pm, Midnight High Latin Mass; Jan 1., 11:30 am
St. Joseph Church, Middletown, 10:15 am
Sacred Heart Church, Esopus, NY, 11:30 am
Holy Trinity, Poughkeepsie, 7 pm
New Jersey
Our Lady of Sorrows, Jersey City, 9 am
Our Lady of Victories, Harrington Park, Dec. 31 Vigil Mass, 6 pm
Our Lady of Fatima Church, Pequannock, NJ, 7 am, 9 am, 11 am, 1:30 pm, 5 pm
St. Anthony of Padua Oratory, West Orange, 9 am low Mass; 11 am high Mass
Blessed Sacrament, Raritan, 10:30 am
St. John the Baptist, Allentown, NJ, 11 am
We have all heard by now of the replacement of Cardinal Dolan. It is fitting, therefore, to take a look at two projects, launched at his initiative,and currently underway involving historic parishes of New York City
(Above) St Elizabeth of Hungary being demolished. (12/17/2025).
We have often covered on this site the parish of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, formerly one of the loveliest churches in Yorkville/the Upper East Side. Most recently, we published The End of the Churches: St. Elizabeth of Hungary (8/19/2024)(with links to earlier posts)
The parish was closed by Cardinal Dolan in 2014 and sold to a developer for $11.8M in 2024. It will be replaced by a building offering eight luxury condominiums, each with its own outdoor space. Now, demolition has begun. See Young, Michael and Pruznick, Matt, “Preliminary Rendering Revealed For 213 East 83rd Street On Manhattan’s Upper East Side,” New York Yimby (7/15/2025)
(Above and below) St. Elizabeth church and tower in happier days. (7/12/2005)
(Below) as it is today.
(Above) The main entrance today.
(Above) The cornerstone has been (ritually?) defaced. (Below) As it appeared in 2005.
Almost inevitably, when I take such pictures – and again last Thursday – a bystander speaks up. Whether he or she is a former parishioner, a neighbor or simply a passerby I usually don’t learn. They always express their sorrow at the loss – and sometimes indignation at the cardinal and the archdiocese. The clergy, however, have long ago ceased to care about such people and their opinions. What counts now is the immediate realization of cash.
Moving south and west to far-off Chelsea, we see that demolition has begun on the complex of buildings of the parish of St. Columba on 343 West 25th Street. One of the oldest Catholic churches on Manhattan island, St. Columba’s name and architecture reflect its beginnings in the 1840’s, as the Irish flocked to New York fleeing the great potato famine. For whatever reason, the original parish church built at that time of poverty – resembling a shed – was retained, although later impressive windows and furnishings were added. In 1909 a splendid new school was built. By 2013, the parish was predominantly “Hispanic.” In those years I had friendly dealings with the 1-woman “IT department” of the parish (they had a avery nice website).
For our report on this parish in 2013, see: The Churches of New York XXXVIII: a Survivor in Chelsea (6/24/2013)
Under Cardinals Egan and Dolan things unwound with ever increasing speed. In 2006 the school was closed. On 11/2/2014 the parish was merged with Guardian Angel parish, with the latter parish being the main “worship site.” In 2015 the pastor of St. Columba’s since 2011 was removed for, the archdiocese stated, “violations of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.” 1) On 7/12/2022 the pastor found that a canopy over the altar had collapsed ( also tearing down with it a recent work of “art” on the wall behind the sanctuary). Immediately thereafter the church was closed – permanently. 2) 0n 1/1/2023 the church was “relegated to secular purposes” (= offered for sale). In January, 2025 the properties of St. Columba parish – the church and rectory, a school building and convent – .were sold to a developer for $48M. It was subsequently announced that 197 residential rental units in two towers would be built on the site. Demolition has now begun.
(Above) St. Columba Church (12/17/2025)
(Above and Below) The former school covered with netting and scaffolding.
(Above and below) The former convent.
(Above) The former parochial school. It was rented out until quite recently to a non-Catholic school which has moved on to the premisses of another closed Catholic parochial school in Manhattan. (Based on my own experiences in Brooklyn, I doubt if in its last decades of operation St. Columba school actually used the separate boys’ and girls’ entrances as such.)
(Above and below) The collapsed canopy in 2022 ( From the website of Guardian Angel/St. Columba parish – see footnote 2)
(All accessed 12/19/2025)
(Above) 8th century psalter from England with a partial English translation between the lines.
Sing a New Song: The Psalms in Medieval Art and Life
An Exhibition at the Morgan Library
Through January 4, 2026
We are in the last weeks of a special exhibition at the Morgan library on the psalms and their role in medieval life. Now the exhibition includes much more than that. On display are several Hebrew texts of the psalms, including one of the earliest known manuscripts of a psalm from Egypt. There are examples of translations from the Byzantine world, Romania, Egypt and Ethiopia. There are other medieval chant books, prayer books, books of hours and breviaries which fill out the exhibition.
The exhibits on display include some of the most important creations of the illuminator’s art. Let us remember that up to about the year 1200 the creation of illuminated manuscripts was not a sideline, but a main focus of Western art. And for many centuries thereafter artists continued to create new masterpieces – even after the invention of printing.
(Above) A Gradual from Florence 1392-99: shown is Ascension day (“Viri Galilaei…”)
The accompanying texts to the exhibits, although clearly coming from a non-Christian perspective, are informative and fair. I would only add the following points regarding what a visitor can learn from these magnificent works of art.
This exhibition reminds us of the importance of the written word prior to modernity. As I wrote in regard to another exhibition of illuminated manuscripts at the Morgan Library in 2022:
Do not these masterworks demonstrate to us the importance the written word once had? Today a word appears on Outlook and – if it even survives the spell checker – shortly thereafter may vanish forever. Yet in illuminated manuscripts the word is carefully preserved for all time. This is particularly true of the early medieval period. But even towards the end of the centuries covered by this exhibition, we see the extreme care with which books, both printed and handwritten, are prepared. 1)
In contrast with today, the book in earlier ages was a precious thing. This was doubly so when it contained the word of God.
(Above) St. Ann teaching the Virgin Mary (and apparently a school as well).
These exhibits demonstrate also the liturgical nature of medieval prayer life. Singing and reading the entire psalter each week was absolutely central to the prayer life of monks, clergy and nuns. Let us remember too that, in the Middle Ages, the psalms would have been first heard as sung, not read from a book. The illustrations in these books show again and again the rituals of the Church.
After about 1200 the production of books increasingly came into the hands of guilds of artists and, after 1450, of printers. The written psalms, both in Latin and later in the vernacular, became much more widely accessible to laymen. Yet even into the16th century Latin remained the primary language. And the psalms with their preeminent role throughout the liturgy (the mass and the divine office)also formed the piety of laymen. And women too – some of these books of psalms and prayers were destined for female clients; women were also involved in the shops making them. We think of the books of hours, which were produced in innumerable examples in the 15th and 16th centuries. Indeed, at least some laymen were reading breviaries, a type of book which had arisen in the 13th century. Reading by the laity of the “liturgy of the hours” was later claimed as an innovation of the liturgical movement and Vatican II.
We discover that the medieval laity were not an ignorant mass, excluded by the Latin language from the rituals of the Church and the words of scripture, and forced to develop their own piety. There was no gap, as asserted by the Liturgical Movement, between an “objective” liturgy and a “subjective” private piety. Of course, readers of Eamon Duffy’s The Stripping of the Altars would already be familiar with these facts. 2)
(Above) St. Thomas More’s prayer book with his handwritten notes.
A monument to this medieval lay piety is the last exhibit: the Latin prayer book of St. Thomas More, annotated by him with prayers and notes, both in Latin and English. He did this in in prison awaiting execution. This book is an inspiring yet poignant relic of his personal devotion – a concluding witness to the strength of the faith in old Catholic England.
For more information on the Exhibition see the website of the Morgan Library: Singing a New Song.
