by

1st Sunday of Advent

Laudetur Iesus Christus! Today is the 1st Sunday of Advent, the roughly 4-week penitential period which prepares us for the birth of Our Lord and Savior at Christmas.  As custom, we provide Dr. Mike Foley’s commentary for this Sunday’s prayers and propers: http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2020/11/the-tempestuous-collect-for-first.html

Latin Mass Cancellation This Wednesday December 1: This Wednesday December 1, there will not be a 6pm Latin Mass at St. Ann.

Advent and Christmas Schedule

To see the Advent and Christmas Mass schedule as currently announced, please visit our webpage: https://charlottelatinmass.org/mass-times/

Rorate Masses in December

As noted in the Advent schedule, many parishes are organizing Rorate Masses, a special Saturday Traditional Latin Mass at dawn by candlelight symbolizing the coming of the Light of the World at the darkest time of the year, all while honoring Our Lady. Here is a listing of Rorate Masses across the diocese. We believe these will all be High or Solemn High Masses.

  • Saturday December 4 – St. Thomas Aquinas, Charlotte – 6:00am*
  • Saturday December 4 – St. John the Baptist, Tryon, NC – 6:00am (2 hours west of Charlotte)
  • Saturday December 11 – St. Mark, Huntersville – 6:00am (Solemn High) (time change – this is now scheduled at 6:00am)
  • Saturday December 11 – St. Ann, Charlotte – 6:30am
  • Saturday December 18 – St. Margaret Mary, Swannanoa – 6:30am (2 hours northwest of Charlotte)

* In lieu of the 6am Rorate Mass on December 4, the normal 10am 1st Saturday Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas is canceled for December 4. Blessing of religious objects will occur at 7:30am.

Feast of the Immaculate Conception – Wednesday December 8 (Holy Day of Obligation)

  • Prince of Peace, Taylors, SC – 12 noon Low Mass (2 hours southwest of Charlotte)
  • St. Ann, Charlotte – 6:00 pm, Solemn High Mass

Annual Blessing of Religious Objects in the Traditional Rite – Sunday December 19

  • St. Ann, Charlotte after the 12:30pm High Mass

December 1 – day of prayer for the end of abortion: The diocese is asking all the faithful to keep December 1 as a special day of prayer as the Supreme Court hears arguments in the Dobbs v. Jackson pro-life case, which **could** overturn Roe vs. Wade. To learn more visit: https://catholicnewsherald.com/88-news/fp/7729-join-the-white-rose-witness-for-life-on-dec-1

December 4 (8am – 3pm): Kolbe Center & Pamela Acker Presentation at St. John the Baptist, Tryon

St. John the Baptist parish in Tryon (2 hours west of Charlotte) will be hosting the Kolbe Center for the Study of Creation, which advocates for the traditional doctrine of creation, presents a Catholic perspective on origins, and examines the problems with the theory of evolution, and why it is incompatible with the teachings of the Church and early Church fathers.  Evolutionism in its current form of modernism has had a terrible effect on the faith, and particularly the liturgy. Hugh Owen and Pamela Acker will be giving presentations. Additionally, as a bonus, Ms. Acker will also be giving a talk on her book Vaccination: A Catholic Perspective and vaccines.  The day begins with an optional 6:00am Rorate Latin Mass (correct time), followed by a breakfast, and presentations from 8am – 3pm. There is no cost, but a freewill offering may be taken. To learn more see this link. (The CLMC co-sponsored the Kolbe Center in 2019)

Latin Mass & Traditional News

  • In Honor of St. Cecilia: Memorable Quotes from an Interview with Conductor Marcel Pérès: To commemorate the feast of St. Cecilia last Monday (patron of music), Dr. Kwasniewski has reposted an article with the very talented conductor Marcel Pérès, who over the past few decades has produced some of the finest very early Gregorian Chant compositions and can sound even different from the beautiful chant we hear in our parishes today. If you can find some of his chant albums they are quite unique, ancient, and beautiful. Here is Dr. Kwasniewski’s post: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2021/11/in-honor-of-st-cecilia-memorable-quotes.html#.YaMQ7rpOmHt
  • The Latin Mass as Intangible Cultural Heritage: Writing in OnePeterFive, Dr. Kwasniewski has a crafty and unconventional idea on how to protect the Latin Mass – utilize the secular authorities. In short, he argues Traditionalists may need to look for outside help to protect the Traditional Latin Mass and its customs and culture. He rightly (and sadly) notes that many historical Catholic churches and sites have only been protected from wayward clergy through interventions of the civil authorities (e.g. protecting “historic” buildings or cultural sites). Perhaps this is something to consider, or perhaps not. Yet nonetheless the idea is thought provoking and something even we in Charlotte need to consider for this possibility: https://onepeterfive.com/the-latin-mass-as-intangible-cultural-heritage/
  • Meet the young Catholics restoring wayside crucifixes across France: Speaking of defending and restoring Tradition, we share an article about young French who are restoring the roadside crucifixes that frequently dot the European countryside (France and Ireland).  This article also should give Catholics in the Carolinas something to ponder: If protestants in our area will often plant three crosses along various hilltops, should we Catholics not also erect roadside crucifixes to help evangelize Western NC? https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/249709/meet-the-young-catholics-restoring-wayside-crucifixes-across-france#noredirect

Traditionalism vs. Modernism: The Carmelites Nuns Stand and Fight

We provide an uplifting and invigorating update on the situation of the Traditional Carmelite Nuns in Pennsylvania who are being coerced by Rome to change their 500-year charism. They have made the faithful and courageous decision to reject the Vatican’s 2018 Cor Orans document which essentially centralizes control over religious orders, and imposes all sorts of modernist restrictions that are designed to suppress the traditions of their charism, established by St. Theresa of Avila. Catherine Bauer, the lay director of marketing and development for the nuns explained what they are doing:

“Every monastery has its own idea about how to respond to Cor Orans.  We know of 60 monasteries who are very much against it, but the Fairfield Carmelites are the only ones willing to take a stand.  I think the others believe that if they lay low, things will blow over.  Since the Fairfield nuns received the apostolic visitation, however, it is their head on the chopping block.  Our nuns have chosen to stand up and fight, even if they will be doing so alone.

The Fairfield nuns do not want to be in this position in which they are being forced to choose between their charism and the heart of the Church.  They love the Magisterium, they love the Church and its history.  They have no intention of being schismatic, nor do they want to disobey rules.  They are Carmelites, and they are Catholic.  But this is their Church, too, and they shouldn’t be forced to choose between 500 years of Carmelite history and being in the heart of the Church.

We need the Carmelite nuns.  We need their prayers.  We must not diminish the role of contemplative orders in the Church.  Prayer will save our Church, and it will save our world.  We must protect these nuns at whatever the cost.”

CLMC note: Like the faithful Carmelites of Compiègne, the Carmelites of Fairfield are willing to take a stand against the revolutionary ideas and programs now circulating in the upper levels of the Church. At the very least, let us consider not only praying more for these faithful Carmelite nuns, but also begin thinking of practical and local means to keep Tradition alive and protected should similar visitors from overseas come knocking at our local doors.

The Carmelites of Fairfield and the Compiègne Martyrs are devoted to the Traditional Latin Mass. What Mass are you attending Sunday?