M
mystified
Guest
Sunday I drove a long way to attend an indult pre-V2 Latin Mass.
Misjudging the time it would take to get there, I arrived before the Consecration of an earlier NO Mass in English. The venerable old church is not large and people were standing, genuflecting and kneeling on the patio in front of the church as they heard the concelbrated Mass via a speaker system. A best I could tell, this Mass was celebrated “as written”.
Those arriving for the Latin Mass had aging missals in hand and most of the women were wearing mantillas or other head coverings. (A leaflet missal was handed out by ushers for those who needed them.)
The congregants for the Latin Mass were so numerous that ushers put large shade awnngs and folding chairs outside for the overflowing crowd that included the full age spectrum of babes in arms to elderly with walking aids.
The Low Mass was most reverent, as I imagine it has been for some 1,500 years. The male altar servers wore cassocks and suplices and were well-versed in their duties. At communion, a second priest in alb and stole assisted in distribution (no EMs despite the throng), and I noticed that those who were not positioned where kneelers were available knelt on the bare cement.
I noticed that the hymnal in the pews included more traditional music with just a touch of Haugen-Haas, but that in the NO and the Latin Masses none of the latter was used.
Talking to the elderly priest afterward, he marveled that I had driven so far, and indicated that the local bishop would be permitting additional Latin Masses soon.
Misjudging the time it would take to get there, I arrived before the Consecration of an earlier NO Mass in English. The venerable old church is not large and people were standing, genuflecting and kneeling on the patio in front of the church as they heard the concelbrated Mass via a speaker system. A best I could tell, this Mass was celebrated “as written”.
Those arriving for the Latin Mass had aging missals in hand and most of the women were wearing mantillas or other head coverings. (A leaflet missal was handed out by ushers for those who needed them.)
The congregants for the Latin Mass were so numerous that ushers put large shade awnngs and folding chairs outside for the overflowing crowd that included the full age spectrum of babes in arms to elderly with walking aids.
The Low Mass was most reverent, as I imagine it has been for some 1,500 years. The male altar servers wore cassocks and suplices and were well-versed in their duties. At communion, a second priest in alb and stole assisted in distribution (no EMs despite the throng), and I noticed that those who were not positioned where kneelers were available knelt on the bare cement.
I noticed that the hymnal in the pews included more traditional music with just a touch of Haugen-Haas, but that in the NO and the Latin Masses none of the latter was used.
Talking to the elderly priest afterward, he marveled that I had driven so far, and indicated that the local bishop would be permitting additional Latin Masses soon.
I have a question however, I thought that our clergy no longer needed permission to celebrate Latin Masses anymore? Wasn’t this what our Pope changed?
silly me. You cleared a few things up for me, thank you stu. This is interesting information.