After much preparation, Bishop John J. Leibrecht, of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, has confirmed the initial celebration of the extraordinary mass in the cities of Springfield and Stockton Missouri. These celebrations come in accord with Pope Benedict XVI’s motu proprio, Summorum Pontificum, liberalizing usage of the Tridentine mass as the ‘extraordinary form’ of the Roman Rite.
If you are a Catholic living in Southern Missouri, please visit THIS WEBSITE for details.
This is nothing short of miraculous. The faithful of this diocese have been refused the Tridentine Mass for years by this bishop. This is proof the Motu Proprio has carried a bit of weight to some parts of the country.
You know, that’s a really good question. My sources tell me the bishop has a “desire” to implement the Pope’s muto proprio fully throughout the diocese. However, he’s run into a huge logistics problem, being a missionary diocese, and having limited resources. The two masses on the western side of the diocese are just a first step, and they are the result of a huge need in Springfield, and a lone priest in Stockton who just wants to do it. The priest who’s doing it in Springfield is retired, and he’s mainly just doing it as a favor for the bishop, until somebody more permanent can be found. That’s why it’s just once a month for the time being.
It’s a small step to be sure, but a huge leap for a missionary diocese, and there will be more along the way. But you’ve gotta start somewhere.
The best thing Catholics on the east side of the diocese should do is start making requests of their local priests – respectfully of course. Once the need is made known more visibly, an answer may come sooner than you think. Who knows? Those of us on the west side weren’t expecting anything for at least a year after the motu proprio was released. Now here we are just six months later.
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