For a little over a year the usus antiquor Mass has been celebrated monthly at the All Faith Center chapel of the Florida Institute of Technology, in Melbourne, FL. This effort started shortly after the promulgation of Summorum Pontificum, at the initiative of the FIT campus Catholic chaplain, Fr. Douglas Bailey,SDS, with the knowledge and approval of the Bishop of Orlando. The first Mass was celebrated on the feast of the Holy Family in January 2008.

The schola includes 8-10 singers who are FIT faculty and students, as well as singers from neighboring parishes. Some of us have about ten years’ experience in Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony obtained as members of a different group that used to sing at a local parish. Each month at FIT we sing the entire Ordinary and Proper chants, as well as two polyphonic pieces, one each after the Offertory and Communion antiphons. This is an all-volunteer effort, including the priest and our music director, Dr. Jamie Younkin from the FIT faculty. Dr. Younkin is a specialist in Ambrosian and Gregorian chants.

The usus antiquor Mass takes place at 4pm on the 1st Sunday of the month during the academic year. The next one is on March 1st, the First Sunday of Lent. The program includes Buchholz’ Asperges, Mass XVII, Credo I, all the chants of the proper, including the Tract, as well as Mozart’s Ave Verum and Lassus’ Miserere.

Attendance has ranged from 20 to 150. The larger number fills our little chapel. We need to do more work advertising, since in spite of our efforts I run across many area residents who have not heard about this Mass.