Places for traditionalists to relocate

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Bennett_Mariae

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I am strongly considering relocating in order to be part of a stable, active Catholic traditionalist parish/community. Has anyone on this forum considered this same possibility, or actually done so? There are obviously many, many practical considerations to be considered and difficulties to overcome. But as a single person with no children or other family ties, I would have a much easier time of it than most people.

Insights? Positive advice?
 
A very good place for a trady;) to move is to the New York Metropolitan Area. We have extraordinary form tridentine latin Masses everyday of the week:D at various churches in the tri-state area but mostly at Holy Innocents Church. Wednesdays and First Fridays/Saturdays are always Sung Masses with a great schola.:harp::. and Solemn High Masses are also great occasions and treats which are fairly to well attended. Most churches have the Blessed Sacrament exposed throughout the day for prayer and meditation. Mass times are convenient especially during lunch breaks.

If you’re not a city person then Lincoln Nebraska is also a good choice to live. It is the only diocese to have institutued acolytes and the only diocese which strictly bands altar girls. The FSSP seminary is located there and their chapel was recently consecrated in the presence of Cardinal Levada.
 
Bennett_Mariae said:
I am strongly considering relocating in order to be part of a stable, active Catholic traditionalist parish/community. Has anyone on this forum considered this same possibility, or actually done so? There are obviously many, many practical considerations to be considered and difficulties to overcome. But as a single person with no children or other family ties, I would have a much easier time of it than most people.

Insights? Positive advice?
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Hello,
I prayed about it first to see if God wanted me to move. I’m still in a pretty liberal diocese/parish. My guess is that God has wanted to use me here and He has, no comfort in being a little piece of God’s sandpaper, but I’ve grown stronger in the truth of the Catholic faith.
The Western states of America, Washington down through Arizona are pretty liberal. You will find a few traditonalist parishes/masses, but very few. From what I’ve been told as well the Eastern states are more conservative. I’ll have to look into Nebraska, but really I try to ask Jesus Christ where He would like me to go…maybe it’s not what I want. I usually find out after spending some time in adoration.

God Bless! 🙂
 
The bishop of Lincoln, Nebraska is Fabian Bruskewitz. He has quite a reputation for conservatism and orthodoxy, however he is also 75 years old. I am not certain how much longer he will remain bishop, and how the diocese might change when he does step down.
 
To the list of locations I can only add:

Front Royal, Virginia

which is the headquarters of human life international, seton home study school and also has extraordinary form masses nearly everyday at St John’s. I can’t say much about them because I havent been to one. There is also a Melkite chapel/parish nearby which has excellent liturgies celebrated by an abbot (archimandrite).

I am unable to give further advice on this matter, I know very little and look forward to more answers, though I will not be moving to any diocese for the specific reason of “Orthodoxy” I agree that there is reason for certain people and families to do that.

Harrisburg, PA

is another conceivable option because it has one FSSP parish attached to the Cathedral that is without question my favourite latin mass community to have found yet. The liturgy has good “active participation” by pre-62 standards. Superb Chant and Homilies. Many children, a very good enthusiasm and balance, filled with large families and younger children. I see the Extraordinary form masses continueing to grow in this diocese at the local parishes gradually, which would be unheard of and impossible in Baltimore Archdiocese due to the local Archbishop and his Auxialiary not being favourable toward it (which is where I live now).

Oh sorry to see you live in the Baltimore Archdiocese as well.
St Benedict’s and St Alphonsus are very good but I can see why you would want to move away. It is good I chose places not very far away from you.

The Diocese of Arlington is also noticeably better than Baltimore. In the Diocese of Arlington the Bishop and upper hierarchy is not so much against the tradition as much as they are “indiffferent” or “ambivalent” to it. St Athanasius in Vienna is a nice community, but it does have an awkward relationship with the Diocese…they acknowlege each other but leave each other alone… St Athanasius started a school for children which is nice: www.stanthonyacademy.org
 
The problem in relocating as has been pointed out in the case of Nebraska and its 75 year old Bishop, is that things can change as people in the diocese and even individual parishes change. For example 6 months ago I would have recommended central Mass where we have the St. Benedict center plus a diocesan parish with an EF Mass, now the church that hosts the EF Mass is closing and although we have been promised a new location it is all up in the air right now.

It might be better to stay where you are and try to work towards bringing an EF Mass to your community, working with other like minded people. That is what happened here in the Diocese of Worcester.
 
Hands down is San Diego, California. The city has the longest running Traditional Mass in the country and was recently granted the right to operate a Traditional parish. It is administered by the FSSP with occasional visits I am told by the Norbertines who used to run the show when there was no parish.

There are also a number of parishes in san Diego that are very conservative very othodox and well above the norm for parishes these days.

stannes-sandiego.org/index.html

The history of this Parish and of the San Diego Traditional Mass Society can be found on this link as well as on the FSSP Website. It shows without a doubt what the power of prayer can do:thumbsup:
 
Bennett_Mariae said:
I am strongly considering relocating in order to be part of a stable, active Catholic traditionalist parish/community. Has anyone on this forum considered this same possibility, or actually done so? There are obviously many, many practical considerations to be considered and difficulties to overcome. But as a single person with no children or other family ties, I would have a much easier time of it than most people.

Insights? Positive advice?
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Malleus: I moved to Omaha Ne from San Diego in 1999. Omaha has a vibrant economy despite the recession - and is in the top ten best places to live 2 years running. Not to mention a great Catholic Tradition and Tradtional Catholicism / Schools
 
Chicago might be worthy of consideration because it has two traditionalist societies. The Society of St John Cantius on the North Side and the Institute of Christ the King on the South. Several other churches in the city and suburbs also provide a Sunday Latin Mass.
 
To the OP and others,

Actually, if you look and ask with enough persistence, you will find that even the most ostensibly left localities have silent traditional “dissidents” within them, who are just looking/hoping for other voices. I live in such a region and believe it’s extremely important for me to hold my ground – not angrily, offensively, or stridently, just by being a quiet but self-assured witness to the core of tradition within the Church, particularly in terms of worship, prayer. Traditionally minded people think they’re alone; it’s just that they’ve been silenced by those who shout more loudly. That’s why more & more Latin Masses, confession times, adoration times, etc. have opened up in increasingly more communities: it’s not because those communities overall have become more traditional, but because the traditionalists have located each other.
🙂
 
I agree that New York is a wonderful place for Catholics. You will find it all here, from very liberal to very orthodox. We have Catholic churches almost every few blocks. You can find Mass and/or confession almost any time of the day. There is always adoration somewhere in the city. We have the US headquarters of Opus Dei, we have the Sisters of Life, Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (Father Groeschel), wonderful parish priests like Father George Rutler. As I said, there are some very liberal Catholics here as well, so you have to be careful. But the great thing about New York is you can find whatever you want, the worst or the best. Another thing that I really love is there are several monthly all night vigils, which involve Mass, all night adoration and prayer. Absolutely wonderful. Another plus is we have some of the most beautiful churches you will find anywhere in the country, dating back to the early 1800’s. And we have a wonderful new bishop, Archbishop Timothy Dolan, a true man of God, devout and yet a wonderful sense of humor.

Of course, the down side about coming to New York is the cost - if you live in Manhattan, expect to pay about $1500 for a studio apt (500 sq feet, if you’re lucky), your apt will probably be facing a wall, forget about owning a car, your transportation will be buses and the subway. And you do have to take into consideration the fact that we are the number one target of terrorists. 9/11 is always hanging over our heads, quite literally with that big hole in the sky downtown.

But the Holy Spirit is alive and well here in modern day Babylon, so if you can find a job and a place to live, and don’t mind living in a city that never sleeps, you can consider New York. Of course, you can always move to one of the outer boroughs as well, which are somewhat cheaper, a little more like the rest of America, and you might even be able to own a car. I live in Brooklyn, and am just a few subway stops from Manhattan.
 
Bennett Marie

Here’s my advice: stay where you are.

I relocated across the country for the reasons you want to eighteen years ago. It was the biggest mistake I ever made - well, the second biggest mistake I ever made.

Hold tight where you are. I am sure an Extraordinary Rite Mass will be coming to a location near you soon. In the meantime, you have Our Lord with you still. Offer to Him your desire for greater reverence and respect.

There is a vast difference between the people on the east coast and those on the west. Ask anyone who has relocated from there to here. The NYC metropolitan area people are the top of the line! Never have to worry where you stand with a New Yorker. However, on the other hand, the people on the west coast are very different. Also, there are many cultural differences. If you love bagels and pizza and real ethnic food, don’t move to the west coast.

What I’m trying to say is that a big move is very stressful and, depending on your age, hard to adjust to. Then there is your family that you leave behind. Will you ever see them again?

My personal experience hasn’t been good at all; it’s been a disaster for me, but for whatever reasons, Our Lord permitted me to make the move.
 
dachsiemom2 said:
From a similar post a while back - St. Louis Missouri.
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I live in St. Louis, and I’d say you could find any kind of parish you can imagine here. There’s the Oratory which would probably be exactly what want. Here’s their website.

institute-christ-king.org/stlouis/

They have Latin Masses, and there’s confession before every Mass.

St. Louis had a lot more parishes a few years ago, but many have had to close for financial reasons.
 
daeve said:
I live in St. Louis, and I’d say you could find any kind of parish you can imagine here. There’s the Oratory which would probably be exactly what want. Here’s their website.

institute-christ-king.org/stlouis/

They have Latin Masses, and there’s confession before every Mass.

St. Louis had a lot more parishes a few years ago, but many have had to close for financial reasons.
Click to expand...
Malleus : Since you live in St Louis - I went through there once and saw a Church that appeared to be Catholic and it was North of the Arch and right next to the River . It was very Ornate. Is it Catholic? or was I mistaken? I stopped and was going to go in there - but a Wedding was going on and i didnt want to intrude.
 
Be careful when relocating. Be careful not to relocate to a schismatic or sedevacantist trady parish!
 
Elizabeth502 said:
To the OP and others,

Actually, if you look and ask with enough persistence, you will find that even the most ostensibly left localities have silent traditional “dissidents” within them, who are just looking/hoping for other voices. I live in such a region and believe it’s extremely important for me to hold my ground – not angrily, offensively, or stridently, just by being a quiet but self-assured witness to the core of tradition within the Church, particularly in terms of worship, prayer. Traditionally minded people think they’re alone; it’s just that they’ve been silenced by those who shout more loudly. That’s why more & more Latin Masses, confession times, adoration times, etc. have opened up in increasingly more communities: it’s not because those communities overall have become more traditional, but because the traditionalists have located each other.
🙂
Click to expand...
I have to echo what you’ve said from personal experience. Completely unaware of the rift in the church (I hadn’t yet been confirmed and was still figuring out the faith), the Lord relocated me to one of the most liberal dioceses in the country. I don’t know where I’d be today if it weren’t for His providence in placing me in probably the most conservative parish within a 2-hrs drive (that I could find, anyway). From this church (albeit Novus Ordo) I found out about the pre-Vatican II/post-Vatican II divide and have come to apprciate the TLM along with many other almost lost traditions. Since the Bishop seems to actively try to squelch any hint of affection for anything pre-Vatican II, the parish has had a hard time trying to get altar rails re-installed and the Host reinstated to the main tabernacle (the Lord has been relegated to the one in the side chapel, which is disconnected from the sancutary itself except by a door) – nevermind a return to the TLM itself. But what has been encouraging is that those who are fond of the Catholicism’s traditions are finding each other at this church, and trying to get a Latin children’s choir going, promoting the use of the veil, among other things.
 
Malleus_01 said:
Malleus : Since you live in St Louis - I went through there once and saw a Church that appeared to be Catholic and it was North of the Arch and right next to the River . It was very Ornate. Is it Catholic? or was I mistaken? I stopped and was going to go in there - but a Wedding was going on and i didnt want to intrude.
Click to expand...
Right under the Arch is what we call the Old Cathedral, but it’s the Basillica of St. Louis. Here’s their website: psichurch.com/churches/140stlouis/

It’s the oldest cathedral West of the Mississippi, and a big part of St. Louis history. It’s really beautiful inside and you almost feel like you’ve stepped into another time and place. I worked in a building right across the street and the other two Catholics in my office and I would go there for ashes. They have a lunchtime Mass timed so you can get there and get back in an hour’s time.

We have a New Cathedral too, called the Cathedral Basillica of St. Louis. Here’s their website: cathedralstl.org/intro/. This is where the Archbishop lives and has his offices.

Christ Church Cathedral is also downtown, but that’s Episcopalian, I think. Very beautiful, but no pews. They have chairs. There are 3 or 4 other Catholics churches downtown including St. Patrick’s which is a haven for our homeless people. You could make quite a tour of churches here, old and new beauties all over town. Some of them have been cannibalized inside, but many are still intact and still look and feel like “Church”.
 
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