Laudetur Iesus Christus! Sunday is the 2^nd Sunday of Advent (and the ancient feast of St. Barbara), as custom we share a reflection on the Collect for Sunday’s Latin Mass: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2020/12/the-heartfelt-collect-for-second-sunday.html#.YaxSaLpOmHs

• Bishop Jugis’ Reply to the CLMC: In case you missed Friday’s update, we re-share a link to His Excellency’s response to our Synod request and the potential impact it has on our community: https://charlottelatinmass.org/2022/12/02/bishop-jugis-announces-phase-out-of-latin-mass-in-due-time/

• Immaculate Heart of Mary Novena: Relatedly, we thank those praying the St. Ann parish novena to the Immaculate Heart of Mary thru December 8. Please continue to include the CLMC and Bishop Jugis among your intentions. https://charlottelatinmass.org/2022/11/30/immaculate-conception-novena-november-30-december-8/

First Sunday Announcements:

• St. Thomas Aquinas: There will not be a 1^st Sunday potluck at St. Thomas Aquinas after Latin Mass today due to a scheduling conflict.
• Sacred Heart Parish Latin Mass Today at 4pm: There will be the regular 1^st Sunday Latin Mass at 4pm today, offered by Fr. Noah Carter at Sacred Heart parish in Salisbury. There will be a potluck to follow in Brincefield Hall. For more information please visit: http://salisburylmc.org/

Per the Salisbury Latin Mass Community, there may be a road closure today coming from I-85 toward the parish. They suggest the following below route or follow this map https://goo.gl/maps/A4uUV25f7viKDRjWA)  

•           Drive toward Sacred Heart on Jake Alexander Blvd.

•           Turn right onto Brenner Avenue at the intersection where Wells Fargo bank, Harris Teeter and Aldi grocery stores are located.

•           Drive to Statesville Blvd. and turn left.

•           This will take you back to Jake Alexander Blvd.

•           Turn right at the CVS.

•           This detour should add about 3 minutes to your travel from the Jake Alexander Blvd & Brenner Ave. intersection:

Latin Masses This Week

• Wednesday December 7, 6pm St. Ann – Feast of St. Ambrose, Bishop and Confessor
• Thursday December 8 – Feast of the Immaculate Conception (See schedule below)
• Friday December 9, 7am (St. Ann) & 12:30pm (St. Mark) – Feria Day (no feast day)
• Saturday December 10 – Feria Day (See Rorate Masses below)

Feast of the Immaculate Conception – **Holy Day of Obligation & Patronal Feast of the United States**

• 6pm – St. Ann parish, Charlotte (no Thursday Confessions)
• 7pm – St. Thomas Aquinas parish, Charlotte
• 12 noon – Prince of Peace, Taylors, SC (2 hours southwest of Charlotte)
• 6pm – St. Elizabeth of the Hill Country, Boone, NC (2 hours northwest of Charlotte)
• 6:30pm – Our Lady of the Lake parish, Chapin, SC (2 hours south of Charlotte)

Rorate Latin Masses (Candlelight Latin Masses at dawn on Saturdays)

• Saturday December 10, 6:30am – St. Ann parish
• Saturday December 10, 6am – Holy Cross parish in Kernersville (1.5 hours north of Charlotte)
• Saturday December 10, 6:30am – St. Elizabeth of the Hill Country, Boone (2 hours northwest of Charlotte)
• Saturday December 10, 6:30am – Prince of Peace, Taylors, SC (2 hours southwest of Charlotte)
• Saturday December 10, 6:30am – St Margaret Mary, Swannanoa (2 hours northwest of Charlotte)
• Saturday December 17, 6:30am – Prince of Peace, Taylors, SC (2 hours southwest of Charlotte)

Advent-Christmas Schedule: Please see our webpage for the most recent announced Latin Masses during Advent and Christmas: https://charlottelatinmass.org/mass-times/

December 13-15: Advent Mission with Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) Priests (St. Thomas Aquinas parish)

St. Thomas Aquinas Parish has invited priests from the Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) to offer an Advent mission from Tuesday evenings December 13 – Thursday December 15. The schedule will feature a mission talk as well as confessions each evening. Additionally as a bonus, each night before the mission, the priests will give a customized talk on separate nights for men, youth, and women. We can’t express enough the blessing of having these priests – who offer the Latin Mass exclusively – to give a mission and a few talks. We encourage everyone to take advantage of this wonderful event. The mission priests are Fr. Joseph Portzer, FSSP, and Fr. Martin Adams, FSSP. The schedule is as follows:

Tuesday December 13

6pm – Men’s Talk

7pm – Mission (open to all)

Wednesday December 14

6pm – Youth Talk (suited for high school age youth – parents discretion)

7pm – Mission (open to all)

Thursday December 15

6pm – Women’s Talk

7pm – Latin Mass (open to all)

8pm – Mission (open to all)

St. Ann Annual Blessing of Religious Objects – Sunday December 18

After the 12:30pm St. Ann parish Latin Mass on Sunday December 18, Father will bless religious objects in the Traditional Rite. More details coming in the week ahead.

Community News

• Second Fr. Ripperger Talk Added For Friday March 10: Due to the overwhelming interest in hearing exorcist and traditional theologian, Fr. Chad Ripperger, St. Thomas Aquinas parish is now hosting a second, identical talk, by Fr. Ripperger on Friday March 10. Please see the parish’s note:
  
  Due to the Saturday, March 11, 2023 event filling up so quickly, Fr. Codd asked Fr. Ripperger if he would be willing to come on Friday, March 10, 2023, to do an additional identical conference, in order to allow for more parishioners and folks from the diocese to attend.  Fr. Ripperger graciously agreed, and so we will now have him speak both on Friday and Saturday.  Note, these will be the same talk on both days.  Saturday is already full.  If you are signed up already to attend Saturday, please do not register for Friday as well, or we will delete your registration.  Please register as soon as possible in order to help us with planning.  As well, if you are able to help support us bringing Fr. Ripperger in for an additional talk, please use the registration form to do so, or use this link.  Thank you! https://www.osvhub.com/st-thomas-aquinas-rc-church/forms/frripperger-friday

• Holy Face Devotions

• 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/chaplet which takes 15-20 minutes)
• St. Michael the Archangel, Gastonia – Tuesdays, 6:30-7pm, Holy Family Room
• Holy Spirit, Denver – Tuesdays 10-11am after the Novus Ordo Mass
• Don’t see your parish? Why not organize one? (e-mail us at info@charlottelatinmass.org)

Latin Mass & Traditional News

• First Saturday is the Most Important Devotion: We are pleased to share a new piece from Nathaniel Slattery, one of the leaders of our sister group, the High Country Latin Mass Community in Boone. Nathaniel writes about the importance of the first Saturday devotion written in the late Fr. Christopher Riehl’s book on the Blessed Mother: https://www.catholic365.com/article/24472/first-saturday-is-the-most-important-devotion.html

• A Unified Theory of “Backwardism”: Crisis Magazine has an interesting article on the origins of anti-traditionalism in the Vatican, and how it may have developed during the 1930s and 40s: https://www.crisismagazine.com/opinion/a-unified-theory-of-backwardism

• It Isn’t ‘Hard-Right Rhetoric’ Drawing Catholics To The Latin Mass, No Matter What NYT Says: A few weeks ago, the New York Times ran an article highlighting the Traditional Latin Mass movement revival (it was behind a paywall so it was not mentioned in prior CLMC updates). However, the Federalist, a conservative political site did a helpful analysis of it, and reviews some of the finer points of the article and examines where the Times article was right and wrong in its portrayal of traditionalists: https://thefederalist.com/2022/11/28/it-isnt-hard-right-rhetoric-drawing-catholics-to-the-latin-mass-no-matter-what-nyt-says/

• Saint Nicholas: The People’s Champion: Dr. Mike Foley pens an excellent article on the traditions and life surrounding St. Nicholas, whose feast day we celebrate on Tuesday. https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2022/12/the-peoples-champion.html#.Y4wl2n3MKHt  (Dr. Foley has also released a book on the history of Christmas customs: https://www.regnery.com/9781684512416/why-we-kiss-under-the-mistletoe/)

• St. Junipero Serra Institute: Spanish immersion course for seminarians and clergy, in a traditional environment: The Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) in Mexico is offering seminarians and clergy a Spanish immersion course this coming summer that will allow them to learn Spanish in a traditional environment (Latin Mass, chanting of the traditional office, etc.). If you know of any seminarians or clergy interested in Spanish, please share this link: https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2022/12/st-junipero-serra-institute-spanish.html#more

• Two Saints at the Start of Advent: Bibiana and Francis Xavier: Dr. Peter Kwasniewski (who visited us three months ago), examines two fascinating saints of early Advent, St. Bibiana and St. Francis Xavier and compares the Collects between the Latin Mass and the Novus Ordo: https://onepeterfive.com/saints-advent-bibiana-francis-xavier

• Cardinal Burke’s Advent Reflection: Advent and the Doors of Our Hearts: His Eminence Cardinal Raymond Burke has released (last weekend actually) an Advent reflection which remains timely for the rest of this season, and we note his quoting Dom Prosper Gueranger, the great 19th century Benedictine liturgist, whom is often cited in CLMC updates. https://www.cardinalburke.com/presentations/advent-and-the-door-of-our-hearts

December 4 – Feast of St. Barbara

Today Sunday December 4 is the ancient feast of St. Barbara, virgin and martyr. Sadly her feast day was suppressed in recent years, but this great (and often forgotten saint) is still celebrated in a few ways in the Traditional Latin Mass calendar and she remains one of the 14 Holy Helpers. We post Greg DiPippo’s article about her feast day followed by the great 19^th century Benedictine liturgist, Dom Prosper Gueranger’s commentary and reflection on her feast day. DiPippo’s article notes:

Barbara’s father was a wealthy pagan named Dioscorus, who, before going on a long trip, had her enclosed in a tower to hide her extraordinary beauty from the eyes of strangers. Contemplating the splendor and harmony of the world, which she could observe from the tower’s two windows, she began to think about its Cause. In her longing to know the truth about the Creator, she determined to seek the knowledge of Him as the only good in this world, and thus made a vow of virginity…

…Dioscorus, learning upon his return of his daughter’s conversion and refusal to marry, flew into a rage, and attempted to strike her with a sword. In one version of the story, Barbara fled from her father, and as she ran up a hill, was temporarily hidden from him in a cave which miraculously opened on it, whence her patronage of miners. There follow various accounts of the torments to which she was then subjected, her trial before a judge, and her eventual beheading by her own father’s hand. As Dioscorus walked away from the site of the execution, “fire fallen from heaven, by the just vengeance of God, so consumed (him) that there remained of him not even a tiny bit of dust.” From this last detail comes St Barbara’s role as protectress against lightning and thunder, and her patronage of military gunners, etc.

• Feast of St. Barbara: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2021/12/the-feast-of-st-barbara.html#.YaxRAbpOmHs

To conclude where the above excerpt ended, we share Gueranger’s note about her patronages:

Such is the account of the life and martyrdom of the courageous virgin of Nicomedia. She is invoked in the Church against lightning, on account of the punishment inflicted by divine justice on her execrable father. This same incident of the saint’s history has suggested several Catholic customs: thus her name is sometimes given to the hold of men-of-war where the ammunition is stowed; she is the patroness of artillery men, miners, etc.; and she is invoked by the faithful against the danger of a sudden death.

• December 4 (The Same Day): Saint Barbara, Virgin and Martyr: https://fsspatl.com/liturgical-year/505-sanctoral-cycle/december/3010-december-4-the-same-day

St. Barbara, pray for us!

What Mass are you attending Sunday?