Laudetur Iesus Christus! Sunday is the 19^th Sunday after Pentecost and as custom, we share a commentary on the Collect for Sunday’s Mass: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2020/10/the-liberating-collect-for-nineteenth.html

Note of thanks: We wish to thank Fr. Jones for offering the votive Mass of the Holy Trinity last Wednesday to commemorate Columbus’s bringing the gospel to the New World. In your charity, please consider offering a decade for Fr. Jones.

Latin Masses This Week

• Wednesday October 19 – St. Ann, 6pm, St. Peter of Alcantara, Confessor (Mass intention will be for the repose of Count Arco, Blessed Karl’s grandson-in-law who visited St. Ann in 2018 – see details below)
• Thursday October 20 – St. Thomas Aquinas, 7pm, St. John Cantius, Confessor
• Friday, October 21 – Feria (no feast day), 7am (St. Ann) & 12:30pm (St. Mark) – St. Mark will offer a votive Mass for Blessed Karl of Austria (see details below)
• Saturday October 22 – St. Ann, 8am, Feria (no feast day) – This will be the 4^th Saturday Respect Life Latin Mass followed by prayers at Planned Parenthood or a Holy Hour of Reparation in the Church

Upcoming Feast Days (Latin Mass Schedule)

The following are announced Latin Masses. Should other parishes announce additional Latin Masses we will post an update.

Sunday October 30 – Feast of Christ the King

• Normal Sunday schedule, traditionally followed by Eucharistic processions

Tuesday November 1 – All Saints Day (Holy Day of Obligation) (updated 10/19/2022)

• 7am – St. Ann parish
• 12pm – Prince of Peace parish, Taylors SC (2 hours southwest of Charlotte – *leave extra time due to I-85 construction)
• 6pm – St. Elizabeth of the Hill Country, Boone, NC (2 hours northwest of Charlotte)
• 6:30pm – St. John the Baptist, Tryon, NC (2 hours west of Charlotte)

November 2 – Feast of All Souls (updated 10/19/2022)

• 7:30am – St. John the Baptist, Tryon, NC (2 hours west of Charlotte*)
• 8am – St. John the Baptist, Tryon, NC (2 hours west of Charlotte*)
• 8:30am – St. John the Baptist, Tryon, NC (2 hours west of Charlotte*)
• 9:30am – St. Elizabeth of the Hill Country, Boone, NC (2 hours northwest of Charlotte*)
• 10:15am – St. Elizabeth of the Hill Country, Boone, NC (2 hours northwest of Charlotte*)
• 12noon – Prince of Peace parish, Taylors, SC (2 hours southwest of Charlotte*)
• 6pm St. Ann Parish Solemn High Requiem Mass
• 7pm Latin Mass – Prince of Peace parish, Taylors, SC (2 hours southwest of Charlotte*)

Note: On All Souls Day, priests can offer up to 3 Masses per day, hence the extra Latin Masses being offered.

CLMC Letter to Bishop Jugis Requesting a Latin Mass Chapel and FSSP

In case you missed our announcement on October 4, the CLMC has, as part of our Synod response sent Bishop Jugis a request for a dedicated Latin Mass chapel which offers the full sacramental and parochial life in the Traditional Rite and to consider inviting in priests from the Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) to staff it. The FSSP has a papal exemption to offer the Latin Mass and sacraments without restrictions including Confirmation, as well as the Easter Triduum.  To see our announcement and letter please visit: https://charlottelatinmass.org/latin-mass-chapel/

Community News

• Pro-Life Voter Guide: Early voting begins this week and many Latin Mass attendees may be interested in learning that North Carolina Right to Life has issued its 2022 endorsements for federal and state races. They have a helpful localized website that lists endorsement based on one’s address/district: https://ncrtlpac.com/vote/
  
  
• Important Pro-Life Seminar at St. Elizabeth in Boone, Friday October 28 & Saturday October 29: St. Elizabeth of the Hill Country in Boone, NC will be hosting the Kolbe Center for the Study of Creation for a special pro-life seminar entitled, The Traditional Doctrine of Creation: The Only Firm Foundation for Building a Culture of Life. The event will answer some important questions: What is the traditional Catholic doctrine of Creation? How should Catholics evaluate the molecules-to-man evolutionary hypothesis? How do the answers to these questions relate to the anti-culture of death and the current crisis of faith and morals? Hugh Owen and biologist Pamela Acker from the Kolbe Center will be leading the seminar. It begins 7pm Friday October 28 and continues 9am – 4pm Saturday October 29, and includes lunch. There is no cost but an RSVP is requested if you wish to have lunch. RSVP by calling Kathy at St. Elizabeth’s at 828-264-8338. St. Elizabeth is located at 259 Pilgrims Way, Boone, NC.  For those in the area, this will be an excellent event and the CLMC co-sponsored the Kolbe Center’s 2019 conference at St. Mark parish in 2019.
  
  
• Catholic Homesteading Conference – November 4-5: There is a Catholic homesteading conference in early November near Tryon, and will feature a Latin Mass Friday afternoon. The event is being hosted by a few people including Jason Craig, one of the Latin Mass leaders in Tryon and includes training on various homesteading trades and topics. There will not be a Latin Mass offered on Saturday November 5 at the event; however attendees could head over to St. John the Baptist in Tryon to attend the 8:30am 1^st Saturday Latin Mass. To learn more visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/homestead-weekend-workshop-tickets-398890441047
  

• Fr. Chad Ripperger to visit St. Thomas Aquinas Parish – March 11, 2023: Renowned traditional exorcist and theologian, Fr. Chad Ripperger will be making his first public visit to Charlotte next March at St. Thomas Aquinas parish.  Fr. Ripperger offers the Latin Mass exclusively and now runs an order of exorcists called Society of the Most Sorrowful Mother. Due to the interest, St. Thomas Aquinas is asking for RSVP now and seats are going fast. Please note the conference is geared towards adults (Per parish – not appropriate for children). To register and learn more visit: https://www.osvhub.com/st-thomas-aquinas-rc-church/forms/frripperger

• 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)
• Don’t see your parish? Why not organize one?

Latin Mass & Traditional News

• The Maternity of the Virgin Mary: As noted last week, this past Tuesday October 11, was the feast of Mary, Mother of God in the Traditional Rite. Greg DiPippo (who served as a panelist for our Dr. Kwasniewski event last month) has written an article on the origins of this feast day: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2022/10/the-maternity-of-virgin-mary.html#.Y0ZRrkzMKHs

• Saint Gummarus: Dr. Mike Foley pens an informative article on a rarely known saint whose local feast day in Belgium is also celebrated on October 11: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2022/10/saint-gummarus.html#.Y0ZRo0zMKHs

• Saint Teresa of Avila: Yesterday was the feast of the great Carmelite mystic and doctor, St. Theresa of Avila, and Dr. Foley also has written an article about this reformer of the cloistered life: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2022/10/saint-teresa-of-avila.html#.Y0udXkzMKHs

• What Should Guide the Classical Education Movement?: As many parents and schools look towards a classical education for children, Fr. John Rickert, a priest with the Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) has penned a helpful article with a reminder that the traditional foundation for education is God, and His doctrine, and should be the “guide post” towards developing any education approach, including classical education approaches: https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2022/10/guest-post-what-should-guide-classical.html

• Exalting Tradition and Refuting Rupture: New Work Argues for Total Restoration of the Tridentine Rite: Fresh off his visit to Charlotte last month, Dr. Kwasniewski has released a new book by local Catholic publisher TAN Books, in which he argues the Traditional Latin Mass should be restored completely as the expression of the Roman Rite: https://www.newliturgicalmovementorg/2022/10/exalting-tradition-and-refuting-rupture.html#.Y0ZSLEzMKHs (To order visit: https://tanbooks.com/products/books/tan-books/coming-soon/the-once-and-future-roman-rite-returning-to-the-traditional-latin-liturgy-after-seventy-years-of-exile/)

• Formed by Tradition: On Veils: Fr. John Rickert, FSSP, also published an article the tradition behind veiling and its importance: https://fssp.com/formed-by-tradition-on-veils/

• St. Edward the Confessor and St. John the Evangelist: Greg DiPippo writes about King St. Edward of England, whose feast day was this past Thursday October 13: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2022/10/edward-confessor-and-john-evangelist.html

• Seeing Holy Mass through Dominican Eyes: Dr. Kwasniewski has released the third part of his series in how the Latin Mass is seen through the lens of the spiritual schools of the religious orders, notably the Dominicans: https://onepeterfive.com/holy-mass-dominican/

Feast of Blessed Karl – Friday October 21 (12:30pm Latin Mass – St. Mark)

Blessed Karl von Habsburg’s feast day is this Friday October 21 and although he is not on the Latin Mass calendar yet, many Latin Mass attendees across the US and including Charlotte have a devotion to this last Catholic monarch of Europe. Blessed Karl was the last emperor of the Austro-Hungarian empire, the remaining vestiges of the Holy Roman Empire. Married to Servant of God Zita of Bourbon-Parma, they had eight children.  After his brief reign from 1916-1918, he was exiled by the masonic global leaders after World War I and died with sanctity in exile in 1922 on the Portuguese island of Madeira. His body was exhumed in 1971 and found incorrupt. He was beatified by Pope St. John Paul II who happened to be named after Blessed Karl (Karol Wojtyla) as the late Pope’s father served under Blessed Karl when his empire included part of Poland. Blessed Karl’s feast day is the date of his marriage to Empress Zita, October 21, and gives hope that this couple will be powerful intercessors for marriage and family.

Friday October 21 – 12:30pm, St. Mark parish: St. Mark parish in Huntersville will offer the 12:30pm Latin Mass as a votive Mass of a Confessor (Os Justi) to honor Blessed Karl.

Memorial Latin Mass for Repose of Blessed Karl’s grandson-in-law, Count Arco – Wednesday October 19 – 6pm, St. Ann Parish

This week will not only feature a Latin Mass for Blessed Karl, but also for his grandson-in-law, Count Riprand von Arco-Zinneberg (Count Arco for short). What one may not be aware is that Count Arco, and his wife, Archduchess Marie Beatrix (Blessed Karl’s granddaughter) were not only Catholic royalty, but they actually lived here in Charlotte during the 1980s (attended St. Gabriel’s parish), raised their children here, and started a real estate development company which built many of the region’s noted shopping centers in Charlotte, Huntersville, and other surrounding areas. Though the Arco family moved back to Austria years ago, on Low Sunday 2018, they came back to visit Charlotte, happened to attend the 12:30pm Latin Mass at St. Ann and saw the Blessed Karl image at the CLMC welcome table. We cannot begin to describe the surprise and joy Count Arco had when he passed by the CLMC welcome table on the way into Mass and unexpectedly saw the Blessed Karl image (it was indeed priceless).

Sadly, Count Arco died in August 2021. His death was even noted in the Charlotte Observer in September 2021. In December 2021, the family requested a memorial Mass (Novus Ordo) offered by Abbot Solari at St. Ann’s, due to the parish’s connection to Blessed Karl (via CLMC). Though the Arco’s meeting with the CLMC was brief, due to our devotion to Blessed Karl and his family, we have requested this Wednesday’s 6pm regular Latin Mass to be offered for the repose of Count Arco. Please join us.

Blessed Karl, pray for us!

What Mass are you attending Sunday?

Laudetur Iesus Christus and Happy Columbus Day! Today, Wednesday October 12 is the 530^th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the New World. Tonight at 6pm, St. Ann parish will be offering a special votive Latin Mass in honor of Columbus’ discovery of the New World as called for by Pope Leo XIII.

Over 125years ago, Pope Leo XIII decreed that a votive Mass of the Holy Trinity be offered today in thanksgiving for Columbus’ discovery and bringing the Catholic faith to this hemisphere.  Commending Columbus, Pope Leo XIII wrote in his 1892 encyclical:

For Columbus is ours; since if a little consideration be given to the particular reason of his design in exploring the mare tenebrosum [dark sea], and also the manner in which he endeavoured to execute the design, it is indubitable that the Catholic faith was the strongest motive for the inception and prosecution of the design; so that for this reason also the whole human race owes not a little to the Church.  – Quarto Abeunte Saeculo, 1892

We decree, therefore, that on October 12, or on the following Sunday, if the Ordinary should prefer it, in all the Cathedral churches and convent chapels throughout Spain, Italy, and the two Americas, after the office of the day there shall be celebrated a Solemn Mass of the Most Holy Trinity…  – Quarto Abeunte Saeculo, 1892

http://w2.vatican.va/content/leo-xiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_16071892_quarto-abeunte-saeculo.html

In recent times Columbus and his legacy has been unnecessarily criticized through lies and falsehoods.  But as Servant of God, Fr. John Hardon, SJ observed in his book “Christopher Columbus: The Catholic Discovery of America”, Columbus had a deep faith for Christ and expressed it in many of his writings. Fr. Hardon provides several examples from Columbus’ log:

As is our custom, Vespers were said in the late afternoon, and a special thanksgiving was offered to God for giving us renewed hope through the many signs of land He has provided.  I now believe that the light I saw earlier was a sign from God and that it was truly the first positive indication of land.  – October 11, 1492.

I want the natives to develop a friendly attitude towards us because I know they are a people who can be made free and converted to our Holy Catholic Faith, more by love than by force. – October 12, 1492. 

For Fr. Hardon, it was clear that the zealous missionary faith of both Columbus (a Third Order Franciscan) and Servant of God Queen Isabella the Catholic (declared in 1974), led them to pursue this mission.  This hunger for souls for Christ may have also been one of the reasons, another Servant of God (now Blessed), Fr. Michael J. McGivney, chose the name Columbus for his new fraternal order, the Knights of Columbus.

For us in Charlotte, we should be thankful for Columbus because less than 50 years after his discovery, a subsequent Spanish expedition led by Hernando De Soto introduced the Catholic faith to the Carolinas in 1540 as he passed near Charlotte presumably with priests.  As such, we close with Pope Leo XIII:

And, above all, it is fitting that we should confess and celebrate in an especial manner the will and designs of the Eternal Wisdom, under whose guidance the discoverer of the New World placed himself with a devotion so touching. – Quarto Abeunte Saeculo

As some in the Church today struggle with how to minister to the pagan cultures of today, let the story of Columbus, the Franciscans who followed him, and the North American Jesuit martyrs serve as an example to us all on how to reclaim the Holy Faith that was introduced to these lands five centuries ago and with zeal share it with those who are separated from it or who lack it entirely.

(FYI – this is adaptation of a post written a few years ago: https://liturgyguy.com/2018/10/12/the-missionary-zeal-of-christopher-columbus/)

Laudetur Iesus Christus! Sunday is the 18^th Sunday after Pentecost and we are happy to share a reflection on this Sunday’s prayers from the Latin Mass, which provides subtle hints that the end of the liturgical year is coming which also points to the end of time: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2020/09/eighteenth-sunday-after-pentecost.html

Latin Masses This Week

• Tuesday October 11, Feast of the Maternity of Mary, Mother of God. No Latin Mass scheduled in Charlotte although Fr. Barone’s parish, St. Jude in Sapphire, three hours west of Charlotte, will be offering a 12 noon Latin Mass that day. In the Novus Ordo, this feast is celebrated on January 1, but in the Traditional Rite it is celebrated on October 11.  This feast is actually a patroness feast day for the Diocese of Charlotte’s 50^th anniversary celebration which has a pilgrim statue of Our Lady, Mother of God that travels to different parishes (which providentially happens to be traveling to St. Jude’s in Sapphire this week).  Please consider offering your Rosary intentions for the establishment of full sacramental life in the Traditional Rite in Charlotte (so that we can attend Latin Mass on Tuesdays or other days especially for Our Lady’s feast days in Charlotte).
• Wednesday October 12 – St. Ann 6pm, Feria day (non feast day). However, the day marks the 530^th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the New World and Fr. Jones will kindly offer a votive Mass of the Holy Trinity in thanksgiving of the bringing of the Gospel to the New World (see details below).
• Thursday October 13, St. Thomas Aquinas, 7pm, St. Edward, King & Confessor. It is also the 105^th anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun. Immediately following Mass at 8pm, there will be a Fatima Procession around St. Thomas Aquinas parish. 
• Friday October 14, 7am (St. Ann) and 12:30pm (St. Mark), St. Callistus I, Pope & Martyr.
• Saturday October 15 – St. Theresa of Avila. Sadly no diocesan Latin Masses offered in Charlotte on this great feast day.

Community News

• Wednesday October 12 6pm Latin Mass – 530^th Anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ Discovery of the New World: In commemoration of Columbus’ discovery of the new world on October 12, 1492, St. Ann parish will graciously offer a votive Mass of the Holy Trinity for its 6pm Latin Mass this Wednesday. In his 1892 encyclical on Columbus, Pope Leo XIII encouraged this votive Mass be offered on October 12 each year in the New World to give thanks for the discovery and spreading of the gospel to the New World. Learn more visit: https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_16071892_quarto-abeunte-saeculo.html
  
• Important Pro-Life Seminar at St. Elizabeth in Boone, Friday October 28 & Saturday October 29: St. Elizabeth of the Hill Country in Boone will be hosting the Kolbe Center for the Study of Creation for a special pro-life seminar entitled, The Traditional Doctrine of Creation: The Only Firm Foundation for Building a Culture of Life. The event will answer some important questions: What is the traditional Catholic doctrine of Creation? How should Catholics evaluate the molecules-to-man evolutionary hypothesis? How do the answers to these questions relate to the anti-culture of death and the current crisis of faith and morals? Hugh Owen and biologist Pamela Acker from the Kolbe Center will be leading the seminar. It begins 7pm Friday October 28 and continues 9am – 4pm Saturday October 29, and includes lunch. There is no cost but an RSVP is requested if you wish to have lunch. RSVP by calling Kathy at St. Elizabeth’s at 828-264-8338. St. Elizabeth is located at 259 Pilgrims Way, Boone, NC.  For those in the area, this will be an excellent event and the CLMC co-sponsored the Kolbe Center’s 2019 conference at St. Mark parish in 2019.
  
• Catholic Homesteading Conference – November 4-5: Lastly, as we shared on Monday, there is a Catholic homesteading conference in early November near Tryon, and will feature a Latin Mass Friday afternoon. The event is being hosted by a few people including Jason Craig, one of the Latin Mass leaders in Tryon and includes training on various homesteading trades and topics. To learn more visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/homestead-weekend-workshop-tickets-398890441047

• Fr. Chad Ripperger to visit St. Thomas Aquinas Parish – March 11, 2023: Renowned traditional exorcist and theologian, Fr. Chad Ripperger will be making his first public visit to Charlotte next March at St. Thomas Aquinas parish.  Fr. Ripperger offers the Latin Mass exclusively and now runs an order of exorcists called Society of the Most Sorrowful Mother. Due to the interest, St. Thomas Aquinas is asking for RSVP now and seats are going fast. Please note the conference is geared towards adults (Per parish – not appropriate for children). To register and learn more visit: https://www.osvhub.com/st-thomas-aquinas-rc-church/forms/frripperger

• 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)
• Don’t see your parish? Why not organize one?

CLMC Letter to Bishop Jugis Requesting a Latin Mass Chapel and FSSP

In case you missed our announcement Tuesday, the CLMC has, as part of our Synod response sent Bishop Jugis a request for a dedicated Latin Mass chapel which offers the full sacramental and parochial life in the Traditional Rite and to consider inviting in priests from the Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) to staff it. The FSSP has a papal exemption to offer the Latin Mass and sacraments without restrictions including Confirmation, as well as the Easter Triduum.  To see our announcement and letter please visit: https://charlottelatinmass.org/latin-mass-chapel/

To Last a Thousand Years – New Video by Fairfield Carmelite Nuns

The Traditional Carmelite Nuns (who attend the Carmelite Rite Latin Mass exclusively) in Fairfield, PA have just published an inspiring video detailing their new monastery and their perseverance to build it by ancient methods of stone laying and carpentry according to the great Carmelite reformer St. Theresa of Avila (whose feast day is Saturday), to ensure their building lasts a thousand years. According to the one of the sisters, the building also teaches the Nuns everyday day about stability, fidelity, and authenticity in a way that human voices do not communicate. To watch the video please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwcwOJ-qI3Q  To support the Nuns, please visit: https://www.fairfieldcarmelites.org

Latin Mass & Traditional News

• Seeing Holy Mass with Carmelite Eyes: Speaking of Traditional Carmelites, Dr. Kwasniewski writes his second installment, on seeing the traditional Mass through the perspective of the ancient religious orders. This week he focuses on the Carmelites. https://onepeterfive.com/holy-mass-carmelite/

• What is Romanitas?: This is a fascinating podcast on OnePeterFive discussing the influence of ancient Roman culture on the Church and how it remains important today: https://onepeterfive.com/what-is-romanitas/

• A Brief Reflection on the Latin Titles of the Blessed Virgin Mary: To commemorate the feast of the Holy Rosary last Friday, Dr. Mike Foley has written an excellent piece on the challenges in translating the titles of the Blessed Mother into the vernacular (e.g. English). https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2022/10/a-brief-reflection-on-latin-titles-of.html#.Yz_Gw0zMKHs

The Highest Moment That the Centuries Ever Witnessed: October 7: 451^th Anniversary of the Battle of Lepanto  

This past Friday was the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, and it was on that day, four hundred and fifty one years ago, October 7, 1571, that the Catholic armada, organized thanks to the tireless efforts of Pope Saint Pius V, and under the leadership of the great Don Juan of Austria met the menacing fleet of the Mohammedans who were poised for a massive invasion of Europe. The two fleets met in the Gulf of Lepanto with the Catholic flotilla, vastly outnumbered by their Turkish adversary. However, at that same time, when all seemed dark, when all seemed lost, with the Dominican Pope and laity across Europe praying the Rosary, Our Lady intervened at a decisive moment, giving Catholics, led by Don Juan, a glorious victory over the great foe of Christendom – marking a turning point in the history of Islam’s long decline.   

One of the wounded survivors of the fighting, was Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes of Don Quixote, who reportedly described the battle as:  

“The highest moment that the centuries ever witnessed”. 

The victory demonstrates the power of praying the Rosary, and the importance of Our Lady’s intercession especially in dark times. There are many great essays and articles on this important turning point in history and but we include just a few, starting with Rorate Caeli’s post of Pope Benedict XV’s reflection on Lepanto:

• 450 Years of Lepanto – The Highest Moment the Centuries Ever Witnessed: https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2021/10/450-years-of-lepanto-highest-moment.html
• G.K. Chesterton’s Poem on Lepanto: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47917/lepanto
• The Month of October (The Holy Rosary), Pope Leo XIII, September 22, 1891: https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-month-of-october-month-of-most-holy.html#more
• Pope Leo XIII On the Holy Rosary: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2022/10/pope-leo-xiii-on-holy-rosary-2022.html#.Y0JI4kzMKHs

We close with a reminder that Fr. Reid has encouraged everyone to pray the Rosary daily during October (if you aren’t already doing so) for an end to abortion. If Our Lady can intervene and defeat the menacing Turks in 1571, surely through the Rosary, we can merit her assistance to defeat the crisis of abortion in our age.  Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us!

Dear friends of the Charlotte Latin Mass Community (CLMC),

Laudetur Iesus Christus!

As you may recall from our CLMC response to the Diocesan Synod, 97-percent of the families responded stating their desire of having a dedicated Latin Mass chapel over the current model of having a Latin Mass at a Novus Ordo Parish with restrictions on the sacraments.

In keeping with our synodal duties, we were obligated to transmit these clearly expressed spiritual needs of our community to Bishop Jugis.  Attached below is a copy of this letter dated, August 22, 2022.

Today in our diocese, sacraments such as Confirmations, Easter Triduum, and depending on the parish, nuptial (wedding) Masses as well as requiems (funeral) are canceled or declined.  We have been told that further restrictions may be coming.

For various reasons outside their control, our devoted diocesan priests have sadly been prohibited from fully meeting the needs of our community.  However, traditional orders such as the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), a congregation of Latin Mass priests founded in 1988, were granted a papal exemption in February 2022 to offer the Latin Mass and all of the sacraments without restrictions.  

Considering these realities, we have specifically requested Bishop Jugis to invite the FSSP into the Diocese of Charlotte to run a chapel dedicated to the Traditional Latin Mass.

What would this dedicated Latin Mass chapel offer for your family?

Simply put everything we already have today plus:

• Multiple Sunday and Holy Day Masses (especially earlier Sunday morning)
• Daily Latin Mass (every day), possibly twice daily
• Easter Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Vigil)
• 3 Masses of Christmas (midnight, dawn, and day)
• All of the sacraments (including Confirmations)
• Traditional devotions
• Catechetical talks and spiritual direction

Would having the FSSP run a dedicated chapel in Charlotte threaten any of the current Latin Masses offered in the Diocese? 

No. This request is unrelated to any other Mass currently being offered by the Diocese.  If Masses are cancelled, it is likely they would have been cancelled regardless.  Ultimately Bishop Jugis alone will decide, however, as mentioned earlier, this request does not affect existing diocesan Latin Masses.

Why not invite in one of the other traditional Ecclesia Dei orders such as the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest or Institute of the Good Shepherd?

Surely any of these orders would be a welcome solution.  The FSSP, however, enjoys long friendships with the priests of our diocese and even two men from St. Ann parish are currently studying at the FSSP seminary in Nebraska. The FSSP would fit well in Charlotte.

In the five weeks since sending this letter, we have not received a response from Bishop Jugis.  While we continue to wait for a reply, you are welcome to write your own letters in support of this request or even consider politely speaking to him at his public events. Mailed letters can be addressed to Bishop Jugis as follows:

His Excellency Peter J. Jugis
Diocese of Charlotte
1123 South Church Street
Charlotte, NC 28203

As we all know, Bishop Jugis is a prayerful man who has been supportive of the Latin Mass.  Therefore, we especially ask you to place this request under patronage of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, to whom Bishop Jugis has consecrated our diocese in October 2013.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.

Laudetur Iesus Christus! Sunday is the 17^th Sunday after Pentecost, and we share a commentary on the Collect for Sunday’s Mass: http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2020/09/unity-versus-devil-collect-for.html

Sunday October 2 – Latin Mass Updates

• First Sunday Potluck at St. Thomas – Cancelled: Due to the potential for inclement weather and the lack of indoor space, the monthly first Sunday potluck at St. Thomas has been canceled. It will resume first Sunday in November.

• First Sunday Latin Mass 4pm in Salisbury & Traditional Betrothal Ceremony: There will be a first Sunday Latin Mass this Sunday October 2^nd at 4pm offered by Fr. Joseph Wasswa at Sacred Heart parish in Salisbury (45 minutes north of Charlotte). Prior to Mass will be Confessions. After Mass Father will perform a special traditional betrothal ceremony for a newly engaged couple at the St. Joseph’s altar. All are welcome. If you have not seen this, it is a beautiful ceremony. Lastly, as custom, there will be a potluck social in Brincefield Hall afterwards – please bring a dish or dessert to share. To learn more or receive the Salisbury Latin Mass Community e-mail updates please visit: www.salisburylmc.org

• Annual Life Chain after Sunday Latin Mass at St. Ann: Sunday is Respect Life Sunday and St. Ann is scheduled to hold its annual Life Chain after the 12:30pm Latin Mass along Park Road.
  
• Week of October 3-7 – Most Latin Masses in Charlotte Diocese are canceled this week due to the annual priests retreat. Please pray for the priests. The only exceptions are on Friday – please see the section below.

Feast of the Most Holy Rosary – Friday October 7 (First Friday)

(Update 10/3/2022) – Friday marks the 451^st anniversary of the victorious battle of Lepanto, when, in 1571, Pope St. Pius V, asked all the Church to pray the Rosary for a military victory over the Turks (e.g. Muslims) whose fleet was attempting an invasion of Europe. We share the nearest diocesan Latin Mass for Friday October 7.

• 8:30am Latin Mass – St. John the Baptist, Tryon, NC (2 hours west of Charlotte)
• 12 noon Latin Mass, Prince of Peace Parish, Taylors, SC (2 hours southwest of Charlotte)
• 6:00pm Latin Mass – St. Elizabeth of the Hill Country, Boone, NC (2 hours northwest of Charlotte)

We advise travelers to call the parish to reconfirm the Masses in Boone or Tryon before attending.

Community News

• Wednesday October 12 6pm Latin Mass – 530^th Anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ Discovery of the New World: In commemoration of Columbus’ discovery of the new world on October 12, 1492, St. Ann parish will graciously offer a votive Mass of the Holy Trinity for its 6pm Latin Mass. In his 1892 encyclical on Columbus, Pope Leo XIII encouraged this votive Mass be offered on October 12 each year in the New World to give thanks for the discovery and spreading of the gospel to the New World. Learn more visit: https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_16071892_quarto-abeunte-saeculo.html
  
  
• Important Pro-Life Seminar at St. Elizabeth in Boone, Friday October 28 & Saturday October 29: St. Elizabeth of the Hill Country in Boone will be hosting the Kolbe Center for the Study of Creation for a special pro-life seminar entitled, The Traditional Doctrine of Creation: The Only Firm Foundation for Building a Culture of Life. The event will answer some important questions: What is the traditional Catholic doctrine of Creation? How should Catholics evaluate the molecules-to-man evolutionary hypothesis? How do the answers to these questions relate to the anti-culture of death and the current crisis of faith and morals? Hugh Owen and biologist Pamela Acker from the Kolbe Center will be leading the seminar. It begins 7pm Friday October 28 and continues 9am – 4pm Saturday October 29, and includes lunch. There is no cost but an RSVP is requested if you wish to have lunch. RSVP by calling Kathy at St. Elizabeth’s at 828-264-8338. St. Elizabeth is located at 259 Pilgrims Way, Boone, NC.  For those in the area, this will be an excellent event and the CLMC co-sponsored the Kolbe Center’s 2019 conference at St. Mark parish in 2019.
  
  
• Catholic Homesteading Conference – November 4-5: Lastly, as we shared on Monday, there is a Catholic homesteading conference in early November near Tryon, and will feature a Latin Mass Friday afternoon. The event is being hosted by a few people including Jason Craig, one of the Latin Mass leaders in Tryon and includes training on various homesteading trades and topics. To learn more visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/homestead-weekend-workshop-tickets-398890441047

• Fr. Chad Ripperger to visit St. Thomas Aquinas Parish – March 11, 2023: Renowned traditional exorcist and theologian, Fr. Chad Ripperger will be making his first public visit to Charlotte next March at St. Thomas Aquinas parish.  Fr. Ripperger offers the Latin Mass exclusively and now runs an order of exorcists called Society of the Most Sorrowful Mother. Due to the interest, St. Thomas Aquinas is asking for RSVP now and seats are going fast. Please note the conference is geared towards adults (Per parish – not appropriate for children). To register and learn more visit: https://www.osvhub.com/st-thomas-aquinas-rc-church/forms/frripperger

• 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)
• Don’t see your parish? Why not organize one? (e-mail us at info@charlottelatinmass.org)

Feasts of the Guardian Angels (October 2) and St. Therese of the Child Jesus (October 3)

• Feast of the Guardian Angels – October 2^nd (suppressed this year as it falls on a Sunday): https://sensusfidelium.com/the-liturgical-year-dom-prosper-gueranger/october/october-2-the-holy-guardian-angels-dom-prosper-gueranger/
• St. Robert Bellarmine’s Hymn for the Guardian Angels: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2021/10/st-robert-bellarmines-hymn-for-guardian.html
• Feast of St. Therese of the Child Jesus – October 3^rd: https://sensusfidelium.com/the-liturgical-year-dom-prosper-gueranger/october/october-3-st-therese-of-the-child-jesus-virgin/

Latin Mass & Traditional News

• St. Jerome’s Lion: Greg DiPippo (who was part of our panel discussion at Dr. Kwasniewski’s talk last month) has a nice little article lifted from the ancient book, the Golden Legend, about the lion which befriended St. Jerome (whose feast day was Friday) and his monastery: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2022/09/st-jeromes-lion.html#.YzkPA0zMKHt

• Michaelmas – A Holiday We Forgot About: A CLMC reader shared with us video about the history of Michaelmas (feast of St. Michael which was this past Thursday). It gives an overview of how important this feast day was celebrated throughout Christendom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_u9cj3yK38

• Seeing Holy Mass with Benedictine Eyes: Our friend Dr. Peter Kwasniewski has started a new mini-series on the spirituality of the Latin Mass as seen through the different religious orders and their spirituality. The first installment are the Benedictines: https://onepeterfive.com/seeing-holy-mass-with-benedictine-eyes/

• Webinar: Blessed Karl and Empress Zita – A Model for Family and Nation: On Friday October 7 (1pm EDT), the Voice of the Family (a UK Catholic organization) is hosting a webinar on the life of Blessed Karl and Empress Zita as the former’s feast day is coming up later this month. The webinar will feature Eduard Von Habsburg, a decent of Blessed Karl. To sign up and learn more visit: https://www.familyandlifeacademy.com/courses/blessed-karl-and-empress-zita/

• When Bishops Put Obedience Above Charity: This Crisis Magazine article comes highly recommended by Dr. Kwasniewski, and focuses on Arlington (VA) Bishop Michael Burbidge who, as many may recall, cut the number of Latin Masses in his diocese from 21 to 8 (around 3 actually still offered in an actual church according to reports). In particular, the article raises some points about Arlington’s restrictions, particularly noting the abrupt change in policy from one day to the next, while also examining St. Thomas Aquinas’ view of obedience versus the anti-Thomists’ hyper obedience justification to follow harmful restrictions and gives a reminder of the primary role of a bishop – to save souls. Here is an excerpt:

Bishop Burbidge has decided to make a strong effort to implement whatever the pope of the moment’s liturgical policy is—and argues that this is virtuous. Hence, on July 15, 2021, Bishop Burbidge was committed to promoting use of the Tridentine Mass in accordance with Summorum Pontificum, and on the following day he was committed to restricting its use in accordance with Traditionis Custodes.

His abrupt change of course is due to the fact that his priority is not to foster his people’s spiritual lives as much as essential obedience allows. His priority is to be as obedient as he can be, provided his people’s spiritual lives are adequately fostered. He chose to be sufficiently charitable so he could be more obedient rather than sufficiently obedient so he could be more charitable…

…From this it is clear that Burbidge does not understand the role of a bishop. It is not his role to be as obedient as possible. It is to sanctify his people and as much as essential obedience allows. This is why bishops have broad powers to dispense from universal Church law, to make diocesan law, and even to replace elements of universal law with particular law. Within the limits of Catholic doctrine and of essential obedience, sanctifying his people requires taking them—rather than the pope—as the basic point of reference.

When Bishops Put Obedience Above Charity: https://www.crisismagazine.com/2022/when-bishops-put-obedience-above-charity

CLMC comment: A major battle over the future of the Latin Mass seems to be taking shape in the suburbs of our nation’s capital (e.g. Diocese of Arlington, VA). It is there where a bishop made a heavy handed and anti-pastoral decision to restrict the Latin Mass (perhaps with coercion from Rome?) in a very conservative diocese, relegating it to gymnasiums and other locations, causing much confusion and spiritual harm. Will the Diocese of Arlington’s policy succeed in suppressing the Latin Mass or have they (and Rome) overreached? The situation in Arlington bears watching. As we said last week, we can only imagine the immense sorrow bishops will have when they realize they mistakenly (or under coercion) canceled or curtailed the Latin Mass for no legitimate reason other than to punish the faithful. Please consider praying for the bishops that they will restore the Latin Mass before the hour grows late.

What Mass are you attending Sunday?

Laudetur Iesus Christus! Blessed feast of St. Jerome!  As we head into first Saturday, below are a few announcements.

Schedule Correction: We do need to make a correction to yesterday’s e-mail which noted that St. Elizabeth parish in Boone will have a first Friday Latin Mass. Unfortunately according to the parish this Latin Mass may now be canceled on October 7, so please hold off making plans to attend. If something changes we will let you know. The updated announcements are below.

• First Saturday Latin Mass – Saturday October 1: The 1st Saturday Latin Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas parish returns this Saturday October 1 at 10am, followed by a traditional blessing of religious objects.
• First Sunday Potluck at St. Thomas – Cancelled: Due to the potential for inclement weather and the lack of indoor space, the monthly first Sunday potluck at St. Thomas has been canceled. It will resume first Sunday in November.

• First Sunday Latin Mass 4pm in Salisbury & Traditional Betrothal Ceremony: There will be a first Sunday Latin Mass this Sunday October 2^nd at 4pm offered by Fr. Joseph Wasswa at Sacred Heart parish in Salisbury (45 minutes north of Charlotte). Prior to Mass will be Confessions. After Mass Father will perform a special traditional betrothal ceremony for a newly engaged couple at the St. Joseph’s altar. All are welcome. If you have not seen this, it is a beautiful ceremony. Lastly, as custom, there will be a potluck social in Brincefield Hall afterwards – please bring a dish or dessert to share. To learn more or receive the Salisbury Latin Mass Community e-mail updates please visit: www.salisburylmc.org

• Annual Life Chain after Sunday Latin Mass at St. Ann: Sunday is Respect Life Sunday and St. Ann is scheduled to hold its annual Life Chain after the 12:30pm Latin Mass.

• First Friday Latin Mass Cancellations: Due to the priests retreat there will not be a diocesan Latin Mass at St. Ann or St. Mark on first Friday October 7. There will be a 12 noon Latin Mass at Prince of Peace parish in Taylors, SC (2 hours southwest of Charlotte). This is unfortunate for the faithful that some diocesan-wide events seem to coincide with devotional days. That said, if we hear of any other diocesan Latin Masses being scheduled we will share them.
  
• Pray the Rosary Daily in October: Last Sunday Fr. Reid noted that since North Carolina is now an abortion destination state and as such he is asking all St. Ann parishioners to pray the Rosary daily during the month of October, both Respect Life month and the month of the Rosary. This request shouldn’t be too difficult to implement as many CLMC families may already be doing this well advised counsel.  

Pray to St. Peter of Verona for Protection From Storms

Lastly, with the remnants of Hurricane Ian moving into the Carolinas, this may be a timely reminder to promote the devotion to St. Peter of Verona, the 13^th century Dominican martyr. Tradition holds that blessed palms (which the CLMC and St. Ann parish distributes each April) can guard property against natural disasters. Most importantly though, one may offer prayers to St. Peter of Verona and ask for his intercession. We share the Secret prayer from St. Peter’s Mass on April 29:

Mercifully regard, O Lord, the prayers that we offer unto Thee through the intercession of blessed Peter, Thy martyr, and ever keep under Thy protection all defenders of the faith. Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

It also should be mentioned that the Traditional Latin Mass has many different collects and commemorations for various situations including natural disasters such as earthquakes, famine, fair weather, etc. Here is the Collect to avert storms:

We beseech Thee, O Lord, that all wickedness being driven away from Thy house, the fury of the raging tempest may pass away. Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Laudetur Iesus Christus! Blessed Michaelmas, also known as the dedication of the basilica of St. Michael the Archangel. St. Thomas Aquinas parish will offer a 7pm Latin Mass this evening.

Below are a few announcements followed by some reflections on today’s feast day.

• First Saturday Latin Mass – Saturday October 1: The 1st Saturday Latin Mass returns this Saturday October 1 at 10am, followed by a traditional blessing of religious objects.
  
• First Sunday Potluck at St. Thomas – Cancelled: Due to the potential for inclement weather and the lack of indoor space, the monthly first Sunday potluck at St. Thomas has been canceled. It will resume first Sunday in November.

• First Sunday Latin Mass 4pm in Salisbury & Traditional Betrothal Ceremony: There will be a first Sunday Latin Mass this Sunday October 2^nd at 4pm offered by Fr. Joseph Wasswa at Sacred Heart parish in Salisbury (45 minutes north of Charlotte). Prior to Mass will be Confessions. After Mass Father will perform a special traditional betrothal ceremony for a newly engaged couple at the St. Joseph’s altar. All are welcome. If you have not seen this, it is a beautiful ceremony. Lastly, as custom, there will be a potluck social in Brincefield Hall afterwards – please bring a dish or dessert to share. To learn more or receive the Salisbury Latin Mass Community e-mail updates please visit: www.salisburylmc.org

• Annual Life Chain after Sunday Latin Mass at St. Ann: Sunday is Respect Life Sunday and St. Ann is scheduled to hold its annual Life Chain after the 12:30pm Latin Mass.

• First Friday Latin Mass Cancellations: Due to the priests retreat there will not be a diocesan Latin Mass at St. Ann or St. Mark on first Friday October 7. There will be a 12 noon Latin Mass at Prince of Peace parish in Taylors, SC (2 hours southwest of Charlotte). This is unfortunate for the faithful that some diocesan-wide events seem to coincide with devotional days. That said, if we hear of any other diocesan Latin Masses being scheduled we will share them.

Dedication of St. Michael the Archangel – September 29

This evening St. Thomas Aquinas will offer a 7pm Latin Mass for the dedication of St. Michael the Archangel. In the Traditional Rite, each archangel (and the Holy Guardian Angels) receives his own feast day. St. Michael’s feast day is today Thursday September 29, the Guardian Angel’s feast day is October 2, St. Raphael is October 24, and St. Gabriel is March 24 (vigil of the Annunciation). The St. Andrew Missal notes that the feast of St. Michael, also known as Michaelmas, was established in 530 AD to dedicate a church in the Roman circus to St. Michael’s honor.

• Customs of Michaelmas: Fisheasters.com has an excellent history of St. Michael the Archangel, as well as some traditions for this feast day: https://www.fisheaters.com/customstimeafterpentecost10.html

• Relics of St. Michael: There are actually relics of St. Michael available for veneration. One may ask – how can there be a relic of an angel? Tradition holds that St. Michael visited a cave in Italy during the 5^th century, and sanctified the cave. Thus, the rocks of the cave, have been considered relics. To learn more visit: http://atxcatholic.com/index.php/2017/09/angels-dragons-iii-st-michael-relic-stone/#.XYrxzn97nwc

Lastly, we share a reflection by Dr. Mike Foley on the orations (prayers) for today’s Latin Mass followed by the St. Michael prayer in Latin.

• The Orations of Michaelmas:https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2022/09/the-orations-of-michaelmas.html#.YzTO2kzMKHs

Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in proelio; contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium. Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur: tuque, Princeps ilitia Caelestis, satanam aliosque spiritus malignos, qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo, divina virtute in infernum detrude. Amen.

Laudetur Iesus Christus! Sunday is the 16^th Sunday after Pentecost, and we share a commentary on the Collect for Sunday’s Mass: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2020/09/the-overstepping-collect-of-sixteenth.html

Latin Masses This Week

• Monday September 26  – Feast of the North American Martyrs (Ss. Isaac Jogues & Companions) (sadly no Latin Masses scheduled in Charlotte this day)
• Wednesday September 28 , 6pm, St. Ann – St. Wenceslaus, Martyr
• Thursday September 29, 7pm, St. Thomas Aquinas – Dedication of St. Michael the Archangel
• Friday September 30, 7am (St. Ann) and 12:30pm (St. Mark) – St. Jerome, Doctor

First Friday Announcement

Regretfully due to the priests retreat, there will not be a First Friday Latin Mass at either St. Ann or St. Mark on Friday October 7. The nearest diocesan Latin Mass may be Prince of Peace in Taylors, SC at 12 noon.

First Sunday Announcement

There will be a first Sunday Latin Mass offered by Fr. Joseph Wasswa at 4pm Sunday October 2^nd at Sacred Heart parish in Salisbury. Prior to Mass will be Confessions. After Mass Father will perform a special traditional betrothal ceremony in the for a newly engaged couple at the St. Joseph’s altar.  If you have not seen this, it is a beautiful ceremony. Lastly, as custom, there will be a potluck social in Brincefield Hall afterwards – please bring a dish or dessert to share. To learn more or receive the Salisbury Latin Mass Community’s e-mail updates please visit: www.salisburylmc.org

Community News

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)
• Don’t see your parish? Why not organize one?

Special Dr. Kwasniewski Book Sale at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish

Due to the high interest in Dr. Peter Kwasniewski’s work, St. Thomas Aquinas retained some of his books from his talk earlier this month and is holding a sale on two of his books.

• Reclaiming Our Roman Catholic Birthright – The Genius and Timeliness of the Traditional Latin Mass Sale: $15  (regular $19.95)
• Holy Bread of Eternal Life – Restoring Eucharistic Reverence in an Age of Impiety: Sale $12 (regular $17.95)

If you are interested, please see the books on the Latin Mass table in the narthex in the days ahead

Important Pro-Life Seminar at St. Elizabeth in Boone, Friday October 28 & Saturday October 29

St. Elizabeth of the Hill Country in Boone will be hosting the Kolbe Center for the Study of Creation for a special pro-life seminar entitled, The Traditional Doctrine of Creation: The Only Firm Foundation for Building a Culture of Life. The event will answer some important questions: What is the traditional Catholic doctrine of Creation? How should Catholics evaluate the molecules-to-man evolutionary hypothesis? How do the answers to these questions relate to the anti-culture of death and the current crisis of faith and morals?

Hugh Owen and biologist Pamela Acker from the Kolbe Center will be leading the seminar. It begins 7pm Friday October 28 and continues 9am – 4pm Saturday October 29, and includes lunch. There is no cost but an RSVP is requested. RSVP by calling Kathy at St. Elizabeth’s at 828-264-8338. Please see attached flyer for more details. St. Elizabeth is located at 259 Pilgrims Way, Boone, NC.  For those in the area, this will be an excellent event and the CLMC co-sponsored the Kolbe Center’s 2019 conference at St. Mark parish in 2019.

Catholic Homesteading Conference – November 4-5

Lastly, as we shared on Monday, there is a Catholic homesteading conference in early November near Tryon, and will feature a Latin Mass Friday afternoon. The event is being hosted by a few people including Jason Craig, one of the Latin Mass leaders in Tryon and includes training on various homesteading trades and topics. To learn more visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/homestead-weekend-workshop-tickets-398890441047

Latin Mass & Traditional News

• The Final Latin Mass: A moving piece about the last Latin Mass being offered at St. Anthony of Padua, thanks to the “pastoral” restrictions imposed by the Archdiocese of Washington: https://thelampmagazine.com/2022/09/22/the-final-latin-mass/

• The National Summorum Pontificum Walking Pilgrimage: The organizer of last weeks Summorum Pontificum pilgrimage in Arlington (VA) – Washington (DC) provides a recap of the momentous event: https://onepeterfive.com/national-summorum-pontificum-walking-pilgrimage/

• Did Bishop Burbidge Violate Canon 932 in Order to Punish His Flock?: An excellent article published by Corpus Christi Watershed examining the Latin Mass cancellations issued by Arlington Bishop Michael Burbidge and whether it violated Canon Law 932 §1 which essentially requires Mass to be offered in a sacred space. Moreover it raises a significant question of why is it permissible to advertise “Bingo Nights” in the parish bulletin, but not the Mass of Ages, not the Mass offered at the Vatican II Council (and for over 1,600 years)? https://www.ccwatershed.org/2022/09/16/bishop-michael-francis-burbidge-arlington/

CLMC comment: It is important to continue to praying for the bishops. We can only imagine the immense sorrow bishops will have when they realize they mistakenly (or under coercion) canceled or curtailed the Latin Mass for no legitimate reason other than to punish the faithful. Please consider praying for the bishops that they will restore the Latin Mass before the hour grows late.

• A More Realistic Appraisal of the Liturgical Movement and Its Destructive Descent: Dr. Peter Kwasniewski (whom we hosted earlier this month) has a great article on the history of the liturgical movement, which was founded by the great 19^th century Benedictine Liturgist, Dom Prosper Gueranger, to help Catholics understand the Mass better.  However, while Gueranger remained faithful to traditional liturgy, after his death the movement began slowly drift away from tradition, to the point that by the 1960s, the liturgical movement was calling for the vernacular liturgies, lay participation, and many of the problematic things we see today across the Church. Dr. Kwasniewski looks at where things went wrong. https://onepeterfive.com/liturgical-movement-destructive-descent

• Homily on the death of Queen Elizabeth II: We are pleased to share an excellent homily by a traditional priest in England, Fr. Armand de Malleray, FSSP, who gives a well balanced homily on Queen Elizabeth II’s passing and reign. He notes that although she was Christian, she also did sign into law through royal assent, many immoral laws related to abortion, euthanasia, and same sex unions. He concludes by reminding the faithful to pray for the repose of her soul, asking God and Our Lady to have mercy on her. https://voiceofthefamily.com/homily-on-the-death-of-queen-elizabeth-ii/

• The Feast of Our Lady of Ransom: Saturday was the feast of Our Lady of Ransom, which commemorates an order founded to rescue Christians held captive by the Muslims. Dr. Mike Foley pens a great article on its history and importance today: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2022/09/the-feast-of-our-lady-of-ransom.html#.Yy5vk0zMKHs

• Kazakhstan Bishop Cautions About Interreligious Meeting the Pope Attended: Bishop Athanasius Schneider (who the CLMC hosted at St. Ann in 2017), reminded the faithful that the Catholic Church is the one true religion to which there are no others. This came as an ecumenical papal conference in Bishop Schneider’s home country gave the impression that the Church believes all religions are equal. As Bishop Schneider stated:

• The auxiliary bishop of Astana, Kazakhstan, who took part in the Pope’s Sept. 13-15 visit to the Central Asian country, said the meeting’s aim, to promote harmony and peace, was “good,” but added “there is also a danger that we the Catholic Church should not appear simply as one of the many religions.”…“We’re not one of the many religions, we’re the only one true religion which God commanded to all people to believe,” Bishop Schneider told EWTN’s Alexey Gotovskiy in Nur-Sultan, the nation’s capital. “There is no other way to salvation.”

The bishop also had a helpful reminder for all bishops:

• We are not employees of the Pope, the bishops. We are brothers,” he said, according to Reuters. “When in good conscience I feel that something is not correct or ambiguous I have to say it to him, with respect, fraternally.” Bishops who disagree with the Pope have to be forthright, he continued, and should not be caught in “adulations and incense” or “behave like an employee to a boss,” Reuters reported.

https://www.ncregister.com/blog/kazakhstan-bishop-cautions-about-interreligious-meeting

CLMC Comment: We wholeheartedly agree and hope all bishops will too.

Late September Feasts

Feast of the North American Martyrs – September 26

In the traditional calendar, Monday the Church in the U.S. & Canada honors the 6 Jesuits who gave their lives for the holy faith in the 1640s. Most notable of them is St. Isaac Jogues who had some of the flesh chewed off his fingers by some of his captors yet still persisted onward to convert souls (and presumably offer Mass).  This saint also escaped from one of the tribes and ended up traveling south to the Dutch colonial city of New Amsterdam, later sold to the British who renamed it New York (after the Duke of York, the future King James II who became last Catholic monarch of England, 1685-1688).  New York City was thus blessed to have its first connection to a saint in the 1640s – many years before its first diocese was set up. Today, north of New York City, a shrine to these great saints was built in the 1930s in Auriesville, New York called the Shrine of the North American Martyrs: https://www.ourladyofmartyrsshrine.org/

There may also be a local connection to our diocese with the North American Jesuits and martyrs. One of the companions of the martyrs, Fr. Gabriel Druilettes, though not a martyr himself, was also known as the apostle of Maine, and ended up traveling to Augusta, Maine, where he befriended a customs house chief named John Winslow. Mr. Winslow was English (and protestant), but was very friendly to Fr. Druilettes and his convert companions. It’s likely that Mr. Winslow was an ancestor of our current Chancellor and Vicar General, Fr. Patrick Winslow, who describes his family heritage in this article: http://catholicnewsherald.com/189-news/faith/faith-nov/588-thanksgiving-a-family-affair-st-thomas-aquinas-pastor-descends-from-pilgrim-fathers

A great book on the Catholic history of the U.S. that told this story is Our Land and Our Lady, published in 1943 by Daniel Sargent. This book is rare, but if you find a copy, it’s very inspiring and gives us a glimpse of what a truly Catholic America could have looked like (and still should): https://www.amazon.com/Our-land-Lady-Daniel-Sargent/dp/B00087JM4U

Dedication of St. Michael the Archangel – September 29

This Thursday September 29, St. Thomas Aquinas will offer a 7pm Latin Mass for the dedication of St. Michael the Archangel. In the Traditional Rite, each archangel (and the Holy Guardian Angels) receives his own feast day. St. Michael’s feast day is this Thursday September 29, the Guardian Angel’s feast day is October 2, St. Raphael is October 24, and St. Gabriel is March 24 (vigil of the Annunciation). The St. Andrew Missal notes that the feast of St. Michael, also known as Michaelmas, was established in 530 AD to dedicate a church in the Roman circus to St. Michael’s honor.

• Customs of Michaelmas: Fisheasters.com has an excellent history of St. Michael the Archangel, as well as some traditions for this feast day: https://www.fisheaters.com/customstimeafterpentecost10.html

• Relics of St. Michael: There are actually relics of St. Michael available for veneration. One may ask – how can there be a relic of an angel? Tradition holds that St. Michael visited a cave in Italy during the 5^th century, and sanctified the cave. Thus, the rocks of the cave, have been considered relics. To learn more visit: http://atxcatholic.com/index.php/2017/09/angels-dragons-iii-st-michael-relic-stone/#.XYrxzn97nwc

What Mass are you attending Sunday?

Laudetur Iesus Christus and blessed feast of St. Matthew! Today in the traditional calendar begins the autumn Embertide, the 3-day penitential period during the change of seasons where the faithful offer thanks to God for his creation and gifts, and to pray for sanctification in the upcoming season.

Traditionally, the Ember Days, which fall on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after the feast of the Holy Cross, are days of fasting and partial abstinence (meat at only one meal, except Friday which is full abstinence) – though the fasting is now voluntary. Please consider offering your Ember day penances for the restoration of the Traditional Latin Mass, and especially for full sacramental and parochial life in the Traditional Rite here in Charlotte. The autumn Ember Days fall on today Wednesday September 21, Friday September 23, and Saturday September 24.

• Wednesday September 21: St. Ann, 6pm – Ember Wednesday and feast of St. Matthew
• Thursday September 22: St. Thomas Aquinas, 7pm – St. Thomas of Villanova
• Friday September 23: St. Ann (7am) and St. Mark (12:30pm) – Ember Friday (and commemoration of St. Linus)
• Saturday September 24: St. Ann 8am – Ember Saturday/Our Lady of Ransom & Respect Life Latin Mass (followed by prayers at Planned Parenthood and/or a Holy Hour in the Church); St. Margaret Mary Parish, Swannanoa, 10am High Mass (located 20 minutes east of Asheville – 102 Andrews Place, Swannanoa, NC)

Symbolism and Meaning of Ember Days

As noted in our weekend update, we include some helpful articles to learn more about this important period in the liturgical calendar. We especially recommend the superb article by Fr. William Rock FSSP, as he draws the connection between honoring the temporal seasons, the Old Testament Jewish feast days, and the autumn Ember Days which alludes to Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) in the Ember week readings.

• September Embertide and the Christianizing of Eden – by Fr. William Rock, FSSP
• By Nothing But Prayer and Fasting: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2021/09/by-nothing-but-prayer-and-fasting.html
• The Hymn of the Ember Saturday Masses: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2021/09/the-hymn-of-ember-saturday-masses.html
• To learn more visit: https://www.fisheaters.com/customstimeafterpentecost8.html

Feast of Pope St. Linus – Friday September 23: This Friday is not just Ember Friday, but it is also the commemoration of Pope St. Linus, the second pontiff. He is also one of two other Popes (besides St. Peter) mentioned in sacred scripture, specifically he was mentioned by St. Paul in 2 Timothy 4:21 (before he assumed his office). Pope St. Clement is the other Pope mentioned in Philippians 4:3. The Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) has an excellent article on the upcoming feasts of a few of the early Pope-martyrs: https://fssp.com/near-the-apostles-the-feasts-of-the-first-popes/  

Catholic Homesteading Conference – November 4-5: Lastly, as we shared on Monday, there is a Catholic homesteading conference in early November near Tryon, and will feature a Latin Mass that afternoon. The event is being supported by a couple of the Latin Mass families in Tryon and includes training various homesteading topics. To learn more visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/homestead-weekend-workshop-tickets-398890441047

Laudetur Iesus Christus! Sunday is the 15^th Sunday after Pentecost and as custom we provide commentary on the prayers for Sunday’s Mass: http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2020/09/the-sensational-postcommunion-prayer-of.html#.X11RudR7nwc

Ember Week Latin Masses

This week in the traditional calendar is the autumn Embertide, the 3-day penitential period during the change of seasons where the faithful offer thanks to God for his creation and gifts, and to pray for sanctification in the upcoming season. Traditionally, the Ember Days, which fall on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after the feast of the Holy Cross, are days of fasting and partial abstinence (meat at only one meal, except Friday which is full abstinence) – though the fasting is now voluntary. The autumn Ember Days fall on Wednesday September 21, Friday September 23, and Saturday September 24.

• Wednesday September 21: St. Ann, 6pm – Ember Wednesday and feast of St. Matthew
• Thursday September 22: St. Thomas Aquinas, 7pm – St. Thomas of Villanova
• Friday September 23: St. Ann (7am) and St. Mark (12:30pm) – Ember Friday
• Saturday September 24: St. Ann 8am – Ember Saturday/Our Lady of Ransom & Respect Life Latin Mass (followed by prayers at Planned Parenthood and/or a Holy Hour in the Church)

Symbolism and Meaning of Ember Days

We include some helpful articles to learn more about this important period. We especially recommend the superb article by Fr. William Rock FSSP, as he draws the connection between honoring the temporal seasons, the Old Testament Jewish feast days, and the Ember Days which alludes to Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and Yon Kippur (Day of Atonement) in the Ember week readings.

• September Embertide and the Christianizing of Eden – by Fr. William Rock, FSSP
• By Nothing But Prayer and Fasting: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2021/09/by-nothing-but-prayer-and-fasting.html
• The Hymn of the Ember Saturday Masses: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2021/09/the-hymn-of-ember-saturday-masses.html
• To learn more visit: https://www.fisheaters.com/customstimeafterpentecost8.html

Community News

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)
• Don’t see your parish? Why not organize one? (e-mail us at info@charlottelatinmass.org)

Special Dr. Kwasniewski Book Sale at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish

Due to the high interest in Dr. Peter Kwasniewski’s work, St. Thomas Aquinas retained some of his books from his talk earlier this month and is holding a sale on two of his books.

• Reclaiming Our Roman Catholic Birthright – The Genius and Timeliness of the Traditional Latin Mass Sale: $15  (regular $19.95)
• Holy Bread of Eternal Life – Restoring Eucharistic Reverence in an Age of Impiety: Sale $12 (regular $17.95)

If you are interested, please see the books on the Latin Mass table in the narthex.

Latin Mass & Traditional News

• Forgotten Customs of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross: This past Wednesday was the feast of the Holy Cross, and OnePeterFive has an helpful article on the ancient customs surrounding this feast day. https://onepeterfive.com/forgotten-customs-of-the-exaltation-of-the-holy-cross/

• Gregorian Chant: A (very) brief history from oral to notated tradition: The Catholic News Herald has published a brief article on the history of Gregorian chant (in the Traditional Rite St. Gregory’s feast day is March 12 compared to September 3 in the Novus Ordo). https://catholicnewsherald.com/90-news/local/8555-gregorian-chant-a-very-brief-history-from-oral-to-notated-tradition

• The Sibyl of the Rhine and the Sacred Liturgy: Saturday September 17 was the feast of St. Hildegard of Bingen, a 12^th century Benedictine nun and mystic (nicknamed Sibyl of the Rhine) who was gifted by God with many diverse talents from composing some of the most beautiful sacred music to being a herbalist, founding her own Benedictine convent, and wrote plays, in addition to preaching against corruption in the Church. So profound was her works that in 2012, Pope Benedict named her a doctor of the Church. The Kolbe Center for the Study of Creation publishes a book on her visions of how the solar system is arranged. Her feast day is not universal, but typically on a local calendar (at least in the Traditional Rite). https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2022/09/the-sibyl-of-rhine-and-sacred-liturgy.html#.YyVVAbTMKHs

• The Stigmata of St. Francis: September 17 was also the commemoration of the stigmata of St. Francis, which celebrates the miraculous markings of the crucifixion that St. Francis bore on his body. As Greg DiPippo notes in this article, September 17 does not commemorate the saint (his feast day October 4), but the miracle, which St. Francis is said to have received around the feast of the Holy Cross (September 14): https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2022/09/the-stigmata-of-st-francis.html#.YyacvLTMKHs

• Why British and Commonwealth Catholics Venerate their Protestant Monarch: In the days following Queen Elizabeth II’s passing, Dr. Joseph Shaw, President of the Latin Mass Society of the UK, has written an article explaining why Catholics defend the institution of the monarchy. We should also note that at the end of the 1962 (or pre-55) daily missal, prayers for the Queen (or King) of one’s country are included. Dr. Shaw explains why: https://onepeterfive.com/british-commonwealth-catholics-protestant-monarch/

• How to Save the Latin Mass Domestic Church: What are families to do if they find themselves in a situation where the Latin Mass is canceled or its too far to travel to one under the new restrictions? A helpful article from OnePeterFive offers ways families can preserve tradition in the absence of a Latin Mass: https://onepeterfive.com/save-latin-mass-domestic-church

• Virginia Parishioners Convert Gym into Latin Mass Chapel: Wise as serpents and simple as doves (Matthew 10:16), the parishioners of Holy Trinity parish in Gainesville, Virginia did not let their bishop’s restrictions on the Latin Mass affect their worship in a sacred space. When forced to have their Latin Mass offered in the parish gym (instead of the main church), they quickly converted the gym into a simple but reverent chapel. See pictures here: https://twitter.com/father_rmv/status/1570563079838244864 (it’s a Twitter link but should be publicly accessible)

Inculturation: A Wrong Turn

Recently, a parish in the diocese of Charlotte hosted an Igbo language Mass for Nigerians, which according to the Catholic News Herald, “enables Igbo-speaking Catholics to hear Mass in their native language and honor their cultural identity.” It is this latter phrase, cultural identity, which provides a good segue into the topic of inculturation, which according to Vatican II (Sacrosanctum Concilium) allows the Mass to be adapted to different cultures or regions to achieve full and active participation of the local laity (e.g. incorporate parts of local secular customs and culture into the Mass so the local people can better spiritually participate).

However, is inculturation based on tradition, or even local customs or culture? Moreover has it helped save souls? Those are the questions which are answered in an excellent five-part series of articles posted on New Liturgical Movement written by a Nigerian Catholic, who understands both tradition, and the local culture in Nigeria. We share the links below. Additionally, due to its length, we provide a few excerpts to summarize the series, which helps clear up the myths that the Vatican II version of inculturation is somehow helpful to saving souls, when in fact, it may be causing the loss of faith in Africa.

• Although today Catholicism continues to grow in sub-Saharan African countries like Nigeria, the increase is due largely to population growth, but accompanied by substantial attrition in favour of the Pentecostal branch of Protestantism. In contrast, in the years prior to inculturation when the liturgy was almost entirely in Latin, Catholics in Nigeria were witnessing a phenomenal increase “in the region of 10 per cent per year”! [37] The picture that emerges from reviewing the available data is that in every part of the Catholic World, inculturation has been associated with abysmal decline in Catholic vigur.

• The English language may indeed threaten the identity of the Igbo people, but post-Christian Western values, torn as it were from God and from the natural law, pose a more mortal and infernal danger. A largely sentimental revitalization of traditional Igbo customs and its incorporation into the liturgy stand little chance in stemming the surging and sophisticated onslaught of the decadent West. Western culture became dysfunctional and corrosive by rejecting the traditional Catholicism that nurtured it; it can be tamed and harnessed for the well-being of any society only if it is reconnected to holy Mother Church, its wellspring.

• The Psalmist invites all nations to clap their hands and “shout unto God with the voice of joy;” [70] elsewhere, “let them praise his name in choir [dance].” [71] Practising what he preached, King David famously danced ahead of the procession of the Ark of the Covenant. His actions were emulated down the ages by Ethiopian priests and European nuns. However, such excited displays are out of place in the Jewish temple worship at Jerusalem, in the Jewish synagogue worship across the world (from which much of Christian Liturgy developed [72]), or during traditional Eucharistic worship in Ethiopia, Europe, and the rest of the Christian world. Just as Elijah recognized the Lord not in the commotions of a strong wind, earthquake, or fire, but in the “whistling of a gentle air” and then covered his face in reverence [73]; so Christ often went away from the crowd to a quiet place, alone or with his disciples, to pray.

• It should be noted that the popularization introduced into the Mass under the guise of inculturation is often behind the latest trends in Pentecostalism, whose raison d’être is religious secularization or rapprochement with the zeitgeist. One result of this state of things is that Catholics unsatisfied with half-measure popularization in their parishes stream into one of the up-to-date Protestant congregation. Hence, inculturation is arguably the main reason why Catholics in Nigeria defect to Pentecostal or Evangelical groups.

• If inculturation or liturgical adaptation seeks to help the local population pray in a way which, while being natural to them, has been purified and elevated by the light of the Gospel and the Christian civilization, then inculturation, as has been practiced in Africa with the Zaire Usage its apex, has been an unqualified failure. This same conclusion applies to inculturation implemented in other parts of the Catholic world. The relevant data cited earlier showed that no modern effort at liturgical inculturation has invigorated the local Catholic population or accelerated the conversion of non-Catholics. On the contrary, in every part of the world, various sects and false religions are snatching souls at alarming rates from the fold of Christ.

Inculturation: A Wrong Turn – Part 1: Introduction and Background: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2022/08/inculturation-wrong-turn-part-1.html#.YwBc6xzMKHs

Inculturation: A Wrong Turn – Part 2: Common Claims of the Proponents of Inculturation: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2022/08/inculturation-wrong-turn-part-2-common.html#.YwCKzRzMKHs

Inculturation: A Wrong Turn – Part 3: Common Assumptions about Inculturation: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2022/08/inculturation-wrong-turn-part-3-common.html#.YwmSzbTMKHs

Inculturation: A Wrong Turn – Part 4: The Zaire Usage and False Africanism in the Liturgy: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2022/08/inculturation-wrong-turn-part-4-zaire.html#.YxAtjrTMKHs

Inculturation: A Wrong Turn – Part 5: More on the Africanism of the Zaire Usage, and the Failure of Inculturation: https://www.newliturgicalmovementorg/2022/09/inculturation-wrong-turn-part-5-more-on.html#.YxFUvLTMKHs

Lastly, as a beautiful response to the topic of inculturation, we share Dr. Peter Kwasniewski’s 2020 article on how it is the Traditional Latin Mass that can best bring different races and ethnicities into full participation in the Church: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2020/06/how-traditional-liturgy-contributes-to.html#.Yyai2LTMKHu

What Mass are you attending Sunday?