If anyone is in the Western MA area and is interrested...
The Parish where I am Music Director is hosting a Solemn High Mass (EF) on Sunday, August 5th, at 10:30 am, celebrated by the priests and seminarians of Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, NE. The Seminary Schola will also be there to chant the propers/ordinary of the Mass. As far as we know, this is the first EF Solemn High Mass in the Diocese since the Novus Ordo was implemented, so this is an historic occassion for us.
The Parish is : It is a fairly large, brick, Gothic church. The Rosary will be recited in Latin by the parish Girls' club before Mass.
I know quite a few seminarians (all of my diocese's), and here's my drift that I have received:
--A few absolutely love it, and have taken the initiative to learn it and much more on their own. --Many-to-most are open to it, and would learn it if had the chance, but since it isn't taught in seminary, they don't know it. These are the kinds of priests that love, or at least support singing the Mass, OF celebrations in latin, chant, etc...) --A many-to-a-few don't really have a desire to, but are most certainly in support of it, and would probably allow it in their parish/future parish, provided another celebrant could be found. --A few really don't like it. No matter what, there will always be this group. But personally, I haven't met any of them yet (that I know of).
SanAntonio - Well there are more now than 10 years ago but then there are more seminarians. But also, thanks to Pope Benedict they have more of an opportunity to witness an EF Mass. However, I do not think the desire to learn how to celebrate a EF Mass it is at all universal and some seminarians are worried that they might have to say a Latin Mass. I would say about 20% of the seminarians I have taught this past year really want to learn the EF with another 30%, maybe more, open to the idea of learning the Latin Mass.
What I have seen in the past 5 years up here in Michigan and what gives me so much hope for the future is a greater desire on their part to make the Mass more Catholic in the traditional sense. How? As new priests just about the only way they can accomplish this is by preaching and teaching and offering the sacraments. They have very little control over the musical liturgy and the physical environment of the Church building as associates priests, but more and more of them are now singing their priestly chants in the vernacular. Bringing back the statues that were removed or using more traditional vestments or having the congregation or choir sing Latin may have to wait until they have their own parish.
I don't mean to say that seminarians 10 or 15 years ago did not want to be good faithful priests but perhaps the seminarians today have more support in this endeavor than they used to have.
Yes we say filmed. I work in Film and TV and we laugh about it from time to time, but we will always say filmed. Now taped.... that is another matter. Tape is dead.
A parishioner who is a photographer did take pictures, but I don't know when they'll be in; We also filmed it for the local cable station and we will have DVDs available. The Diocesesan (Springfield MA) TV news people came (Real to Reel) and will do a feature on it.
Fr. Robert Fromageot preached a realy good sermon sermon, and the schola was very good.
Some of the seminarians and a priest will be around the next few days to we've been having a Sung EF Mass in the morning at 9:30.
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