Laudetur Iesus Christus! Today is the 11^th Sunday of Pentecost and as custom we provide Dr. Mike Foley’s commentary on this Sunday’s Collect: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2020/08/god-has-piety-collect-for-eleventh.html

Additionally, in the Traditional Rite, today (if not a Sunday), would be the feast of St. John Vianney, patron of parish priests. In your Mass intentions, you may wish to pray specifically for one’s pastor and our good bishop, H.E. Peter Jugis. You can learn more about this great Confessor in Dom Prosper’s, The Liturgical Year: https://sensusfidelium.us/the-liturgical-year-dom-prosper-gueranger/august/august-8-john-mary-vianney-confessor/

Vaccine Mandates and Religious Exemptions

We are starting to receive inquiries from CLMC families worried about the looming vaccine mandates. Many corporate employers, including NC hospitals, have seemingly fixed their wills on mandating immoral COVID-19 abortion-linked vaccines (an issue we covered in-depth in January).  Traditionally, the Catholic Church teaching has clearly stated that as a rule vaccines and other medical treatments are always voluntary, and never mandatory.  An individual has a right to discern with an informed conscience whether or not to accept any medical treatment such as vaccines. As such, vaccine mandates are against the moral law, and Catholics indeed have a right for a religious exemption – and let no one be deceived on this truth (Romans 16:17).  

In fact, the National Catholic Bioethics Center has published a helpful letter (endorsed by the Colorado Bishops) that pastors could sign on behalf of a parishioner, which could accompany one’s religious exemption request.

Fasts and Feasts for August

As we’ve noted before, the Roman Rite (e.g. the Traditional Latin Mass) has days fasting and penance the day prior to major feast days (Christmas Eve, Vigil of Pentecost, etc.).  This month we have two important feast days with vigils and they are to occur over the next week. These days of penance are now optional but considering the turbulence occurring in the world and in the Church, one may consider taking up these penitential days again for the sanctification of the Church and the world.

• Monday August 9 – Vigil of St. Lawrence the Martyr (voluntary day fasting and partial abstinence – meat permitted at only one meal)
• Tuesday August 10 – Feast of St. Lawrence the Martyr
• Saturday August 14 – Vigil of the Assumption (voluntary day of fasting and partial abstinence – meat permitted at only one meal)
• Sunday August 15 – Feast of the Assumption

Regretfully there are no diocesan Latin Masses scheduled for Monday, Tuesday or Saturday in Charlotte – if we hear otherwise we will let you know.

The Tears of St. Lawrence Meteor Shower: St. Lawrence’s feast day is an important feast day and there is a special meteor shower that occurs around his feast day and bears his name. To learn more and how to view it visit: https://www.fisheaters.com/stlawrence.html  (Another meteor shower also is tied to St. Lucy’s feast day of December 13)

Other feasts this week: Wednesday August the 11^th is the feast of St. Philomena, the Wonderworker and Martyr. Sadly her feast day was removed in 1960, but since many in our community has a devotion to her, there is nothing preventing us from attending a Latin Mass this day and praying for her feast day to be restored. To learn more please visit her shrine and gift shop at: http://philomena.us/

Defending Church Teaching at Charlotte City Council Tomorrow Monday August 9 at 5pm

Last week we mentioned that Fr. Peter Ascik (pastor at St. Mary’s in Shelby) is leading an effort to oppose Charlotte City Council’s proposed non-discrimination ordinance which gives special protections to “sexual orientation” and “gender identify”. And to add to the city’s “kindness”, they updated the ordinance to provide no exemptions for religious institution (i.e. Parishes can be forced to comply with this new ordinance). To defend Church teaching, Fr. Ascik is inviting all Catholics in the area express opposition to this ordinance. One can do so by the following:

• Please make your voice heard by calling the City Council Monday. Contact information for the members can be found here: https://charlottenc.gov/CityCouncil/Pages/Default.aspx

• Please consider attending and/or signing up to speak at the August 9 City Council meeting, when a vote on the proposed ordinance will be held. Members of the public can speak for 2-3 minutes at the beginning of the meeting. One can also attend as an observer (signup is only required for speaking). https://charlottenc.gov/cityclerk/pages/speak.aspx

Latin Mass & Traditional News

• Ad Te Levavi – A Hint of Violet in Summer Green: The Fraternity of St. Peter daily digest provides an interesting note about the Offertory text from last Sunday’s Mass (which was used again on non-feast days this past week) is also used during Advent and Lent, and serves as a reorientation point, that just as the summer season is beginning  a “slow windown” so too is our chance for repentance, for the end of the liturgical year (which represents the end of the world) is slowly approaching: https://fssp.com/ad-te-levavi-a-hint-of-violet-in-summer-green/

• A Saint to Remember in Evil Days: Yesterday, Saturday August 7, the Church commemorated St. Cajetan, a 16^th century priest and founder of the Theatines, who lived in a most corrupt period in the Church’s history. Perhaps a saint for our days: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2021/08/a-saint-to-remember-in-evil-days.html

• Benedictus Weekly “Missal” Is Now Available: Last March we promoted a new publication called Benedictus, which is a weekly Latin Mass missal, similar to the Magnificat daily in the Novus Ordo. Benedictus contains the propers for each day in chronological order (no flipping around like the full missals) and also contain reflection and beautiful sacred art. It’s helpful especially for newcomers to the Latin Mass. To learn more visit: https://praybenedictus.com/

• Mass of Ages Latin Mass Documentary Trailer is Released Ahead of World Premiere: Mass of Ages is a groundbreaking documentary on the Traditional Latin Mass that will hope to convert many non-Latin Mass attendees to the Traditional Latin Mass. The movie will premiere online next Sunday August 15 at 8pm.  However, the producers have just released the trailer which can you view here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQDO0x4KP0M

Lastly, as noted above, the documentary, Mass of Ages, a documentary two years in the making, is now being released on the feast of the Assumption, at perhaps the most pivotal time in the history of this Mass of Ages or the Traditional Latin Mass. Some are worried or anxious about what the future holds for the Mass in this new era.  But if this Mass of Ages, growing out of the catacombs and the chaos of the fall of the Rome, nourishing the Spanish Reconquista who fought a 700 year old war to liberate the Iberian peninsula against militant Islam, converting a new world, battling protestant heretics while being renewed in the Tridentine era, and surviving the French, Russian, and liturgical revolutions with new vigor, is the Mass of Ages truly going away? Instead, will we not join with the numerous saints, pious priests, holy bishops, and fervent faithful to defend the Mass of Ages at this critical hour?  

If the answer is yes, then what Mass are you attending on Sunday?