Archd. of St. Louis: Two rural parishes planning to begin weekly Latin Mass in fall [Fr. Z]

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And now for something completely different….

Folks, I do not enjoy parsing and “fisking” those cold reactions to the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum. As a matter of fact, this *WDTPRS *thing isn’t primarily about the older form of Mass. However, the MP is so important for everything else in the life of the Church right now, despite the poohpoohing of those who say it is not such a big deal, that I am giving it my all. But, kindly know that I take no pleasure from examining the harsh reactions and it is not my intention to beat up on anyone.

Therefore, I take great pleasure in posting happy stories. They are happy to me, at least and this, after all, is *my *blog.

In The St. Louis Review, the weekly newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, %between%where the estimable Most Reverend Raymond Burke has been edifying us for several years now, I find this story.

Enjoy!

My emphases.

August 17, 2007

Two rural parishes planning to begin weekly Latin Mass in fall

by Jean M. Schildz, Review Staff Writer http://www.stlouisreview.com/articleimages/110825922346c467731b083.jpg FR. DATTILO St. Joseph Parish in Apple Creek and sister parish St. Maurus in Biehle plan to celebrate a regular weekly Tridentine Latin Mass beginning this fall.

An 11:15 a.m. Sunday Latin Mass will be celebrated on a rotating basis alternating months at the two Perry County parishes. The first Latin Mass is set to take place Nov. 4 at St. Maurus.

Father Anthony A. Dattilo, pastor of both parishes, will celebrate the Mass. It is being added at the request of parishioners, he told the Review in an interview this week.

His decision to add the Mass has received “a very positive response,” he said.

Father Dattilo noted there has been strong interest for some time at the two parishes to celebrate the Mass according to the 1962 Roman Missal. Some parishioners, he said, had asked that the Latin Mass be celebrated even before last month’s release of Pope Benedict XVI’s apostolic letter “Summorum Pontificum,” which allows for greater use of the Tridentine Mass.

Priests who wish to say the Tridentine Mass **no longer have to first receive permission from their bishop, according to the pope’s pronouncement. **

Father Dattilo said he and his parishioners prayed for this. “I see it as important. It’s a liturgical tradition of the Church that’s beautiful and holy, and I think a lot of people prayed for it. It’s not something that just dropped out of the skies. I thought I’d be an old man before this would happen. People desired this.”

The closest regular Latin Mass within the archdiocese for his parishioners has been at St. Francis de Sales Oratory in South St. Louis. A weekly Tridentine Mass has not been celebrated regularly in Perry County for years. Sts. Joseph and Maurus are part of the archdiocese’s Ste. Genevieve Deanery, which encompasses the southernmost point of the archdiocese.

The Latin Mass at the two churches will be offered in addition to the regular Sunday Masses. “The English Mass, or new order of the Mass, will stay the same. We’re adding a Mass, not deleting or changing one,” Father Dattilo stressed.

The ordinary form of the Roman Rite will continue to be celebrated Sundays at 7:30 a.m. at Apple Creek and 9:30 a.m. at Biehle.

Father Dattilo said he loves the Mass in both its English and Latin rites. He sees the value of both. **The two co-exist, he said. “People want both.” **

What draws him to the Latin rite is "the reverence in it. Everything is so directed toward God. It could be in any language as far as I’m concerned." He also appreciates the silence during the Mass, adding that “the mystery of faith comes across.”

** He loves the ordinary form** of the Mass because of the singing, the congregation’s participation and its being said in English “for people who don’t understand Latin or don’t have an affinity for it.”

A Traditional Mass Committee created by Father Dattilo will assist him in preparing for the Latin Mass. Members are Charlie Malawey of St. Maurus and Lloyd Connour of St. Joseph.

The 45-year-old priest admits he needs “to brush up on the Mass,” as he wrote in a recent parish bulletin. Father Dattilo said he learned part of the rite a long time ago and now has to relearn it. Ordained in 1990, he first attended a Tridentine Mass at St. Agatha in South St. Louis when he was a seminarian. The Mass was celebrated by Msgr. Bernard E. Granich. “He was the first one that I ever saw celebrate the Tridentine Mass. It was very beautiful,” he recalled.

** Father Dattilo plans to get some personal training in the rite and also has found helpful resources on the Internet. **

Missals and servers’ books from Ecclesia Dei of Chicago have been purchased to train servers and others. Instruction on how to say the Latin prayers, for example, is given phonetically in the materials. A St. Maurus parishioner who served at Latin Mass as a youngster will assist in the training. Another St. Maurus parishioner has volunteered to be a cantor. Father Dattilo is hoping others join her from both parishes to form a choir.

Both parish churches, he added, are suited for a Latin Mass “because they’re old-fashioned churches.” Very minimal changes were needed, he said.
Somethings to note.


  1. *]There is no mention of the Archbishop. The pastor did this. That is what Summorum Pontificum says.
    *]This is not an “either…or” choice, “older or newer”. It is “both…and”.
    *]There is going to be involvement of lay people to help organize things.
    *]The tone of the whole thing is postive positive positive.
    Why can’t more places just relax and enjoy the fruits of the provisions without getting all worked up about who’s in charge or who is being excluded?

    This relieved some of the distaste of the morning’s work.

    Thanks St. Louis!

    Full entry…
 
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