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Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost

Laudetur Iesus Christus! Sunday is the 12th Sunday after Pentecost (and also the feast of St. Augustine) and as custom we share the commentary on the propers for Sunday’s Mass: http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2020/08/heavenly-liturgy-and-earthly-compassion.html#.X0Hi1357nwc

Votive Mass update: We thank those who attended the votive Masses for the Defense of the Church on Friday. In case one hadn’t read the propers, they are particularly powerful in their request: http://www.saintrosequincy.org/propers/votive-mass-defense.pdf

Latin Masses This Week

Schedule Changes

THIS FRIDAY: Dr. Peter Kwasniewski Returns to Charlotte – September 2nd, 7pm

The CLMC is hosting Dr. Peter Kwasniewski to offer a special lecture for the CLMC, entitled: The Primacy of Tradition and Obedience to the Truth. Friday September 2, Aquinas Hall (St. Thomas Aquinas Parish), 1400 Suther Road, Charlotte.

5:30pm Cocktails/Meet & Greet

7pm Lecture

7:45pm Panel Discussion & Q&A

9pm Book Signing

This free lecture will be a sequel to his talk to us last November, and build upon his new book, True Obedience in the Church. Moreover, the event will also feature a special panel discussion which includes Dr. Kwasniewski and two other noted liturgical writers, Greg DiPippo from the New Liturgical Movement, and Christopher Owens of the Veterum Sapientia Institute (The Latin Institute co-founded by Fr. Barone). The panel will answer your questions about the future of the Latin Mass. It will be moderated by the CLMC’s own Brian Williams.  Please invite your friends and spread the word.

Reminder: Dr. Kwasniewski also has several other talks scheduled during his NC visit: https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2022/08/dr-kwasniewkis-four-lectures-in-north.html

Norcia Monks Visit to St. Ann – September 10-11: Fr. Benedict Nivakoff, the prior of the traditional Benedictine Monastery in Norcia, Italy, will be at St. Ann parish Saturday September 10 for a fundraising event to help rebuild their monastery damaged in the 2016 earthquake. The Norcia Monks offer the Traditional Latin Mass exclusively as well as pray the traditional Benedictine breviary. They of course are also known for their famous monastic beer, Birra Nursia (Norcia Beer), which attendees can taste that evening. On Sunday September 11, Fr. Benedict will offer the 12:30pm Latin Mass. According to St. Ann parish, the event schedule will be:

  • Saturday September 10, 6pm Solemn Vespers in the Church (unclear if it is Novus Ordo or Traditional Vespers)
  • After Vespers: Beer tasting fundraiser (to attend fundraiser please contact Sr. Mary Lucia at 704-523-4641, ext. 221
  • Sunday September 11, 12:30pm – Fr. Benedict will offer the Latin Mass at St. Ann
  • To learn more visit about the monks visit: https://en.nursia.org/  To order their beer (if you can’t wait until September 10), visit: https://birranursia.com/

Holy Face Devotions & New Book

The Holy Face devotion is to make reparation for the sins committed against the first three Commandments of the Lord: The denial of God by atheism (communism), blasphemy, and the profanation of Sundays and Holy Days. Devotion to the Holy Face has been referred to as the devotion for Jesus Crucified.  To help counter communists and opponents of the Latin Mass, the CLMC faithful are invited to participate to help combat communism and the enemies of the Latin Mass. The schedule is as follows:

  • St. Mark – Mondays 2-2:45pm
  • St. Thomas Aquinas – Tuesdays 6am in the main church
  • St. Ann – Tuesdays 7:30am in the chapel after the Novus Ordo Mass (uses the booklet which takes 15-20 minutes)
  • Don’t see your parish? Why not organize one?

New Book on the Holy Face Devotion: TAN Books has just announced a new book on the Holy Face devotion by Fr. Lawrence Carney, a Latin Mass priest in Missouri who is chaplain to the Benedictines of Mary. The book is entitled The Secret of the Holy Face: The Devotion Destined to Save Society. If you want to learn more about this powerful devotion, please visit: https://tanbooks.com/products/books/tan-books/pre-order/the-secret-of-the-holy-face/

Latin Mass & Traditional News

  • An Opponent of Vatican II Passes Away: Please pray for the repose of the soul of retired Milwaukee Archbishop Rembert Weakland, who was one of the most strident modernists of the post-conciliar Church and was ultimately disgraced by some other activities of his life (which is why he needs extra prayers). However, as Greg DiPippo with the New Liturgical Movement notes, Abp. Weakland was also one of the leading dissenters from Vatican II itself. As DiPippo notes below, it is those modernists who accuse traditionalists of being “against Vatican II”, who themselves are actually the ones who have opposed the Council:

“Remember this when you are falsely accused of “going against Vatican II” because you love the traditional Roman Rite, and the fullness of our Catholic liturgical patrimony. It is not we who love these things who are opposed to Vatican II. Those who opposed Vatican II then were the creators and implementers of the reform; those who oppose it now are the defenders of their legacy.”

https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2022/08/an-opponent-of-vatican-ii-passes-away.html

  • Announcing a New Edition of Dom Gaspar Lefebvre’s “Catholic Liturgy”: If you happen to have the St. Andrew Missal of 1945, you are reading the work of Dom Gaspar Lefebvre, one of the great Benedictine liturgists of the early to mid 20th century. To honor him and his work, Romanitas Press is republishing his magnificent book Catholic Liturgy: It’s Fundamental Principles. For those that want to take a deeper dive into the Traditional Latin Mass, and liturgical history and background, this book might be worth a look: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2022/08/announcing-new-edition-of-dom-gaspar.html#.YwmSUrTMKHs
  • “Unity Über Alles”: Bishop Burbidge in His Own Words: As primer to this coming Friday’s talk by Dr. Kwasniewski, OnePeterFive publishes an excellent article on the problematic theological reasoning for the cancellation/consolidation of the Latin Masses in dioceses such as Arlington (and others) [emphasis ours]:

“[Bishop Burbidge] forgot to mention that his policy forbids the celebration of the Latin Mass during Holy Week and the Sacred Triduum or even the publication of the times when the usus antiquior is offered. How is this “spiritual nourishment?” What is the message, Excellency? Are you saying that the Tridentine Mass is not liturgically fit for the holiest season of the year? Are you saying that the need for unity in the use of liturgical rites outweighs any spiritual benefit the faithful might receive from attending the Mass of the Ages on Easter Sunday?”

“Unity Über Alles”: Bishop Burbidge in His Own Words
  • CLMC comment: Between the lines, the above quote and question raises an interesting and important question. If a bishop restricts the Latin Mass, or refuses to allow it offered daily (relegating it to a novelty Mass once or twice a week), is he not partially denying the validity of the Traditional Latin Mass? If the Traditional Latin Mass is a valid Mass, would not restricting it to a few days a week, or even prohibiting the Latin Triduum, be admitting that the Latin Mass is not as fully valid or equal as the Novus Ordo?
  • The “Latin Novus Ordo” Is Not the Solution: Some folks who are worrisome about the Latin Mass’ future may become desperate and think “Well, if the Traditional Latin Mass is canceled, maybe our priests can just offer a Latin Novus Ordo Mass”. Or worse, some have the stranger long-term idea that in the future the “best aspects” of the Novus Ordo Mass and Traditional Latin Mass will be blended together to create a new unified “Super Mass” and all will be happy. Thankfully this insightful article by Dr. Kwasniewski will quickly pour cold water on such bizarre and perhaps divisive ideas: https://onepeterfive.com/latin-novus-ordo-not-solution/

Latin Mass & Hollywood – Shia LaBoeuf’s Conversion

If one needed evidence that the Traditional Latin Mass continues to thrive during these restrictive times, one need to look no further than the surprising, profound, and significant, conversion of Hollywood actor Shia LaBoeuf, who appeared on Bishop Robert Barron’s network this week (of all places). Mr. LaBoeuf shared his conversion story, and how it was the Traditional Latin Mass (and Padre Pio) which aided in his conversion. Moreover during the 80 minute interview (which is well worth watching), Mr. LaBoeuf kept returning to the topic of tradition and the Traditional Latin Mass. He also shared that he attended the Institute of Christ the King’s parish in Oakland, California (a Latin Mass only parish).

During the interview (which you can watch on the link below), he made the most insightful point about the presentation of the Novus Ordo Mass vs. the Traditional Latin Mass – all in conversation with Bishop Baron. We share Greg DiPippo’s transcript and commentary:

Shia: “Latin mass affects me deeply. Deeply.”

Bishop Barron: “How come?”

Shia: “Because it feels like they’re not selling me a car. … When somebody’s selling me on something, it kills my aptitude for it, and my suspension of disbelief, and my yearnings to root for it. There’s an immediate rebellion in me.

As Mr. DiPippo closes the article, he encourages prayers for Shia LaBoeuf’s continued growth in the faith (and we would add to pray that Bishop Baron that he will be moved to discover the Latin Mass):

https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2022/08/joy-and-hope-mourning-and-anguish.html#.YwmsOLTMKHs

Celebrities and the Latin Mass

Surprising as Mr. LaBoeuf announcement was, he was not the only Hollywood celebrity to recognize the importance of the Latin Mass. In recent years there have been a few others in the celebrity industry who have either discovered the Latin Mass or, despite their secular liberal beliefs, express lament over the loss of the Traditional Latin Mass:

Bill Murray

“‘I tend to disagree with what they call the new mass. I think we lost something by losing the Latin. Now if you go to a Catholic mass even just in Harlem it can be in Spanish, it can be in Ethiopian, it can be in any number of languages. The shape of it, the pictures, are the same but the words aren’t the same.’

Isn’t it good for people to understand it? ‘I guess,’ he says, shaking his head. ‘But there’s a vibration to those words. If you’ve been in the business long enough you know what they mean anyway. And I really miss the music – the power of it, y’know? Yikes! Sacred music has an affect on your brain.’ Instead, he says, we get “folk songs … top 40 stuff … oh, brother…’”

Bruce Springsteen

Michael Matt at The Remnant comments on Bruce Springsteen who, in various public appearances, has referenced the impact the Latin Mass and Catholic schooling (pre-conciliar) had on him (see video below):

“Please understand, this is not an homage to ‘The Boss’, one of the music industry’s premier champions of liberal causes. This is about the impact of the Revolution of Vatican II, not just on Springsteen but on his entire generation, who watched as the Church in her human element auto-destructed before their eyes… 

…He remembers the nuns, the Latin Mass, the old days and the old ways and, according to him, it was beautiful to grow up in My (Catholic) Hometown.

As the Catholic towns of Springsteen’s childhood fade into the noxious mists of a ruthless secularism, let’s pray for the lost sheep who grew up in the shadow of the steeples. We’ll never know how it might’ve been different for them had the Mass stayed the same, priests not run off by tens of thousands to get married, and the nuns not taken off their habits and walked away from their little charges.

Think of the horrific impact that must have had on children of that generation whose Catholic world blew up and who were left to face the demons of the Sexual Revolution more or less on their own!

Well played, Vatican II.  May God have mercy on all the lost sheep, us included.”

CLMC comment: One can only wonder how many lost sheep (or future Catholics) would return to the fold in Hollywood and elsewhere – including in Charlotte – if the Latin Mass is restored to the Church, and offered daily in its own dedicated chapels. This is why the Latin Mass faithful will continue pray, advocate, and work for the Latin Mass to be restored to its glory.

What Mass are you attending Sunday?