Having a dedicated corps of boys or young men to serve is crucial. You may want to talk to families whose sons are already trained to see if they would be interesting in helping, then work to find more.
I’ve already volunteered to be trained as a server if needed, since I already know/can speak Latin with modest proficiency. I wonder what’s more difficult – teaching the altar servers Latin or training a new altar server?
Find a priest who loves the old Mass and he will stick with it as long as his duties allow, even if attendence fluctuates. His love for it will be contagious, too and will encourage more boys to learn to serve.
I’m working on it. I have my doubts about mine, but I don’t know him very well. On the one hand, he often complains about how inattentive and impious his congregation is. I’ve seen him scold the parish on Sunday masses after distribution of communion because many people left. I also know he’s said repeatedly he’d prefer to have a traditional style confessional, but that no one in the congregation is willing to take the initiative on it. On the other hand, his office is filled with books like the Rahner Reader and some other things he’s said makes me wonder if he doesn’t have some anti-traditionalist sympathies.
In any event, I’m hoping he’ll at least be open to it. I’m good enough at promoting things, and he’s concerned enough with parish finances, that I think it could, if nothing else, be a major cash cow for him. Only two parishes presently offer the EF mass in the entire diocese, and they’re both a 90 minute drive from here.
PM me if you live in the Mid-Atlantic region; I know some people who know people.
Sadly, not anymore; I used to live in Maryland, but now I’m in the diocese of Austin.
Oh, and don’t advertise it as “Mass in the Extraordinary Form.” Seriously, in real life people don’t know what that means. Just write “Traditional Latin Mass: fulfills Sunday obligation.”
That’s useful; thanks. Maybe better to put “Traditional Latin Mass” where it’s going to be seen and understood (i.e., the parish bulletin) and “Extraordinary Form Mass” where it’s appropriate (i.e., the missallette covers).
Excellent!! Thanks!
I wonder… if the priest would be willing to have the mass said but isn’t willing to say it himself, if it would be possible to have a priest sent from an order or society with a TLM apostolate, e.g., the FSSP.
Actually remain/become an integral part of the parish! Don’t isolate yourselves from the rest of the parish. Separate yourselves from the rest of the parish and sooner or latter you’ll die. You might want to start referring to the Mass as the “EF Mass” like the Pope does.
No worries there. I don’t anticipate anything more than once a month, at least starting out. Maybe once a week if it’s popular, but even then, it would probably be Saturday morning or afternoon. My goal is to enrich the parish, not divide it.
If you will be having sung Masses, you will need some people who are able to chant or learn how to chant the propers and ordinary.
This is a major concern of mine. Our music ministry at this parish is not very strong as is. On special occasions they pull out the “big guns” but most of the time it’s so-so at best.
On the other hand, there’s a parish down the road about 30 minutes that has an
excellent music ministry. Really beautiful voices and an extremely competent director. I wonder if I could recruit them.
