Laudetur Iesus Christus! Sunday is Sexagesima Sunday, where we now are within roughly 60 days of Easter, and 11 days from the beginning of Lent. Today there is the Fatima talk at 2pm (St. Thomas Aquinas parish) and today also begins the important Holy Face novena which concludes on Shrove Tuesday (please see details below).

As this is the second Sunday of this pre-Lent season of Septuagesima, we share two articles, one commentary on Sunday’s Collect, and secondly, an essay on the forgotten season of Septuagesima, which is a three-week period to begin preparing for Lent, and easing in penances.  The first article also provides a brief explanation of the stational churches in Rome which are tied to a specific day during liturgical seasons such as this or Lent – one may come across them in the daily missals.

• The Pauline Collect of Sexagesima Sunday: http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2021/02/the-pauline-collect-of-sexagesima-sunday.html 
• Septuagesima: The Time that the Land Forgot: http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2021/02/septuagesima-time-that-land-forgot.html
• Dom Prosper Gueranger on Septuagesima Season: https://fsspatl.com/liturgical-year/448-temporal-cycle/season-of-septuagesima/3441-saturday-before-septuagesima-sunday

Latin Masses This Week

• Wednesday February 15, 6pm – St. Ann parish (Feria day – no feast day)
• Thursday February 16, 7pm – St. Thomas Aquinas parish (Feria)
• Friday February 17, 7am (St. Ann) & 12:30pm (St. Mark) (Feria)

TODAY: Fatima Talk Sunday February 12 at 2pm (St. Thomas Aquinas)

St. Thomas Aquinas parish is hosting a special Fatima seminar featuring David Rodriguez of the Fatima Center, and Charles Fraune, author of Slaying Dragons, and St. Thomas Aquinas Latin Mass attendee. Both will be giving talks on the importance of the Fatima message and it will take place in Aquinas Hall after the Latin Mass at 2pm on Sunday February 12. All are invited to attend. Please see linked flyer for schedule and details.

Ash Wednesday February 22 – Latin Mass Schedule (as announced)

• 7am – St. Ann (the 6pm Mass will not be a Latin Mass) – this 7am TLM will likely be the only diocesan Latin Mass in the Charlotte area
• 10am – Our Lady of the Lake, Chapin, SC (2 hours south of 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)

If more Latin Masses are announced we will share them.

Bring in Old Palms: St. Ann parish has a basket in the narthex for old palms where you can drop off your old palms from last year (they will be used for ashes on Ash Wednesday)

Rules for Fasting & Abstinence: 1962 vs. Current Discipline: https://mcusercontent.com/61eba0fda529907fc1dacf176/files/ee1ae3df-d987-4f22-920f-7d5deaebced0/Rules_for_Fasting.pdf

UPDATE: St. Thomas Aquinas Lenten Mission with the FSSP: February 27 – March 1, 7pm (Masses & Talk Added)

St. Thomas Aquinas parish is inviting Fr. Joseph Portzer, FSSP, a Fraternity of St. Peter priest, for the Lenten mission in two weeks (he also gave the Advent retreat).  The schedule will feature a mission talk at 7pm each evening as well as Confessions prior at 6pm.

Additionally, Fr. Portzer will offer and preach at the Sunday February 26, 11:30am Latin Mass; a talk to parents at 6:30pm that evening; and the Thursday March 2^nd, 7pm Latin Mass.

We can’t express enough the blessing of having this mission and encourage everyone to take advantage of this wonderful event. Please see flyer at bottom of the page.  

Pre-Mission Talk

• Sunday February 26 – 11:30am Latin Mass (offered by Fr. Portzer with sermon)
• Talk for parents – Sunday February 26 at 6:30pm

Mission

• Monday February 27 – 6pm Confessions, 7pm Mission talk
• Tuesday February 28 – 6pm Confessions, 7pm Mission talk
• Wednesday March 1 – 6pm Confessions,7pm Mission talk.

Post-Mission Latin Mass

• Thursday March 2 – 7pm Latin Mass (offered by Fr. Portzer with sermon)

For those new to the Latin Mass, the Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) is a congregation of priests who offer the Latin Mass exclusively and staff chapels and parishes throughout North America and the world. Two members of our community and St. Ann parish are enrolled in the FSSP seminary in Nebraska. We are grateful St. Thomas Aquinas parish for offering this timely mission.

Community News

Holy Face Devotions

• St Mark – Mondays 5-5:45pm (NEW TIME for JANUARY)
• 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, 9am, Main Church
• Holy Spirit, Denver – Tuesdays 10-11am after the Novus Ordo Mass
• Don’t see your parish? Why not organize one?

BEGINS TODAY Holy Face Novena – Sunday February 12 – 20

On the topic of the Holy Face devotion, there is a novena to the Holy Face of Jesus that begins today Sunday February 12 and ends on Monday February 20, the day before Shrove Tuesday (e.g. the day prior to Ash Wednesday), and a day traditionally dedicated to offering reparation to the Holy Face.  The novena is attached, but you can also view it here: https://www.martinians.org/novena-to-the-holy-face (CLMC note: with continued threats against the Latin Mass, this can only be a helpful novena to begin today)

Latin Mass & Traditional News

• Feast of St Valentine – February 14: Contrary to secular thought, St. Valentine’s Day is a day which commemorates a priest who was martyred for his defense of Christ. Some critics question whether St. Valentine was even real, but a simple visit to Whitefriar Carmelite Church in Dublin and one can see the chest containing his relics:  http://www.whitefriarstreetchurch.ie/index.php/the-church/shrines/saint-valentine  See also Dom Gueranger’s entry for his feast: https://fsspatl.com/liturgical-year/525-sanctoral-cycle/february/3074-february-14-st-valentine-priest-and-martyr

• Another Bishop Stands With Latin Mass Community: Last Sunday in Columbus, Ohio, Bishop Earl Fernandes visited the Traditional Latin Mass parish, St. Leo the Great Oratory, staffed by priests of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, a traditional order of Latin Mass priests, to support the Latin Mass faithful: https://remnantnewspaper.com/web/index.php/fetzen-fliegen/item/6378-another-bishop-stands-with-latin-mass-community

• Handbook of Moral Theology: This Lent, if one is looking to do some deeper reading about the Catholic faith, the Fraternity of St. Peter is recommending a republished 1921 book on moral theology by Fr. Dominic Prümmer: https://fraternitypublications.com/product/handbook-of-moral-theology/

• The Irish Fighting Spirit Parts II and III (The fight for the Latin Mass): A few weeks ago we shared the first part of a series about how the Irish fought for the Traditional Latin Mass against King Henry VIII’s government when it tried to impose protestant worship on Ireland. We are pleased to share the remaining two parts: Part II (https://onepeterfive.com/irish-fight-latin-mass-part-2/) and Part III (https://onepeterfive.com/irish-fighting-spirit/)

• KC Chiefs Superstar Defends Latin Mass: In the secular world Sunday is Superbowl Sunday. However, one player in Sunday’s game is not only a Catholic, but a Latin Mass devotee who also serves at Mass: Kansas City Chiefs kicker, Harrison Butker. We share an article by the Remnant about Mr. Butker’s love of the Mass of Ages: https://remnantnewspaper.com/web/index.php/headline-news-around-the-world/item/6368-kc-chiefs-superstar-defends-latin-mass
  
  
• Appeal for Prayers and Penances for the Liberty of the Traditional Mass in Lent: With Lent coming and continued threats against the Latin Mass, the leading international Latin Mass organization, Una Voce (One Voice), is asking Catholics to apply their Lenten prayers and penances for the protection of the Latin Mass: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2023/02/appeal-for-prayers-and-penances-for.html#.Y-h-ma3MKHs

Carmelites Lenten Offering: 40 days of Latin Masses, Prayers and Fasting For your Intentions

As we approach Lent next week, we wanted to re-share with you a wonderful annual opportunity for almsgiving that will benefit your friends and family. Our friends, the Carmelites Hermits of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Fairfield, PA, who offer the traditional liturgy exclusively (Carmelite Rite), are offering 40 days of Traditional Masses and 40 days of prayers and sacrifices for the following intentions:

• Spiritual renewal in the Church
• Sanctification of souls
• Healing of families and individuals
• Reversion of fallen-away Catholics
• Conversion of sinners who are far from God
• Protection of the Traditional Latin Mass

Knowing that many have family members away from the Sacraments and the Church or difficult situations in their lives, the Carmelites wanted to extend to all the opportunity to enroll their families, friends, clergy, or anyone in need of the graces from these many Masses and spiritual sacrifices. 

As Una Voce encourages (see earlier article above) we also invite everyone to include in one’s enrollment the protection of the Traditional Latin Mass, specifically the priests that offer it, and the bishops who can safeguard it.

Please consider making an offering of alms along with this enrollment.  Your generous financial sacrifice will bear all the more fruit for your intentions. (The Hermits completely subsist on donations).

• To enroll visit: https://www.edcarm.org/lenten-enrollment/ (deadline is Tuesday February 21)
• To learn more visit: https://vimeo.com/665845244

What Mass are you attending Sunday?