Fact: Missa Cantata for Immaculate Conception set for Dec. 8 at St. Ann's

It's official!!...dear Readers... the next Missa Cantata at St. Ann's will be on Wednesday, Dec. 8th, at 7pm for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception BVM. It was announced today by Father Reid and was in the bulletin! This will actually be the principal Mass for the Holy Day of Obligation... with the other Masses being during the day or prior night anticipated Mass.

Please be sure to spread the word and make sure to assist in was is sure to be another wonderfully moving High Mass.

"... et macula originalis non est in te"

Fact: Charlotte Observer Article on recent Missa Cantata

Dear Readers, check out this terrific article at the Charlotte Observer on last week's Christ the King Missa Cantata!

Fact: St. Ann's Missa Cantata for Christ the King was MAGNIFICENT!

Wow... Gentle Readers... what a Mass! It has taken me a while to post my thoughts because I have just been on such a "spiritual high" since assisting at another Missa Cantata of St. Ann's.

As to its principal function of giving worship and glory to God... it has raised the bar even over the wonderful past Masses offered by that wonderful priest, Fr. Reid. In speaking to one woman after the Mass, she stated that she felt just so "spiritually uplifted"... and I must say, I did as well. And the church was packed! It was not standing-room only, but there was not far from it.

As to the more peripheral elements of the Mass that make it part of what it is... the 12 Altar servers were well trained and precise as always with lovely new silver torches and the music was just spectacular!

St. Ann's schola and choir are well known for their outstanding music, but this Mass' selections were just so wonder... the beautiful harmonized Asperges Me and regal Christus Vincit were outstanding "bookends" to the Gregorian chant in the middle.

What is just so amazing to me is how nobody wants to leave at the end of these Masses! It is as if they do not want the moment/euphoria/feeling to end... compare that to the Masses were after communion the faithful are making a fast-track to parking lot.

In closing, dear Readers, I understand that there was a reporter there for the Charlotte Observer doing an article on St. Ann's in general... what more special moment for that reporter to experience.... I look forward to seeing that article. I am also interested in hearing your thoughts... if you attended, please let me know your impressions as well.

Let us continue to pray that Fr. Reid, the Altar servers , the Schola and Choir will continued to be blest and continue to bring these wonderful "fonts of divine grace" to us faithful. (in a special way that the rumor of another Missa Cantata for Immaculate Conception will be proven to be true)

Christus Vincit! Christus Regnat! Christus Imperat!

Reminder: Missa Cantata at St. Ann's on Sunday, Oct. 31

Just a reminder Gentle Readers that Father Reid of St. Ann's parish on Park Road in Charlotte will be offering a Missa Cantata in honor of Christ the King at the 12.30pm timeslot on this Sunday, Oct. 31.

It is expected to be a spectacular offering to Almighty God which will be assisted by the St. Ann's Latin Altar Servers and the combined St. Ann's Schola Cantorum & Choir.

Hope to see 'standing room only' assistance by the Faithful as well....

P.S. Looks like St. Ann's Schola Cantorum has a blog site as well... why not jump over there and tell them what you think of there efforts....

One last note... grapevine still points to another Missa Cantata for Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8th...

Fact: Missa Cantata for Christ the King at St. Ann's in Charlotte

Dear Readers, we have official confirmation that there will be a Missa Cantata held at St. Ann's in Charlotte on Sunday, Oct. 31st at 12.30pm.

Let us pray for Fr. Reid, the Servers, and the Schola as they prepare to for this Missa Cantata in D.N.I.C. Universorum Regis. Please make plans to attend this Mass, it should be a wonderful offering to Almighty God!

Sedebit Dominus Rex in aeternum (the Lord takes His Throne as King forever)

Grapevine: Missa Cantata for Immaculate Conception at St. Ann's

The good news keeps coming from St. Ann's. I reported a few weeks ago that it looked like a Missa Cantata would be offered in place of a regularly scheduled Novus Ordo Mass on Sunday, Oct. 31 and I now hearing that the wonderful St. Ann's schola is also preparing for a Missa Cantata to be held on Wednesday, Dec. 8th for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

What is so wonderful about this news is that while Wednesday's Mass at St. Ann's is usually offered in the Extraordinary form (Low Mass)... it was usually canceled to make way for a conflicting Holy Day of Obligation if it fell on a Wednesday in order to offer the Mass in the Ordinary form... but it is looking like that will not happen this time!

Please pray for Father Reid and St. Ann's servers and Schola that make all this possible.

Ave Maria, conceived without sin, pray for us.

Grapevine: Missa Cantata for Christ the King ON A SUNDAY

Gentle Readers,

I am hearing very exciting news from the wonderful parish of St. Ann's in Charlotte: there is expected to be a Missa Cantata for Christ the King offered on Sunday, Oct. 31 in the 12.30pm "time slot".

The reason I am so excited it that this would be the first Sunday instance where the Mass in the Extraordinary form "overlays" a normally scheduled Novos Ordo Mass.

It is important that we get the word out and make sure this is a standing-room only Mass in support of Fr. Reid and his efforts. I am hopeful that if we get a huge turn out that the Extraordinary form Mass could finally gain its foothold on a "normal Sunday" time slot.

Watch here for confirmation... but spread the word... we need a full church for this one!!

Missa Cantata
Christ the King
Sunday, Oct. 31 -- 12.30pm
St. Ann's Church
Park Road
Charlotte, NC

Fact: "What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too"

Those wonderful words we remember in the Holy Father's Explanatory letter to Summorum Pontificum as we celebrate the 3rd anniversary, the important "reporting year" on the status of the Summorum Pontificum.

How can it be seen as anything other than a complete success.... think of how many of the faithful have since assisted at a Mass in the Extraordinary form? Think the the explosion of the various schola cantorum that have been formed to support those Masses, and whose recovery and use of Gregorian chant has seeped into the Ordinary form of the Mass as well.

Let us pray for His Holiness (ad multos annos) and for all the wonderful priests, servers, and scholae that make it all possible.


Introibo ad altare Dei...

Fact: Missa Cantata at St. Ann's on August 7

As the blessings and graces of the Mass in the Extraordinary form continue to pour out from St. Ann's Parish in Charlotte lead by its wonder pastor, Father Reid and a dedicated group of servers and hard-working schola cantorum...

I remind my dear Readers that the regular, First Saturday Mass (Sunday anticipated) in the Extraordinary form that Fr. Reid offers every month as a Low Mass will be offered on August 7 as a Missa Cantata ... XI Sunday after Pentecost (anticipated).

Music will be provided by the participants of the "Sing Like a Catholic" chant workshop to be held in Charlotte, also at St. Ann'.s on August 6-7. This includes several members of St. Ann's Schola Cantorum as well as experts from the Church Music Association of America (CMAA).

Fact: Missa Cantata to be held in Salisbury - June 13th

Dear Readers... A Missa Cantata will be offered on Sunday, June 13 at 4.00pm at Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury. Father Ferguson FSSP will be offering the Mass with the assistance of the excellent altar boys of St. Ann's Church in Charlotte.

Nota bene: Not to be confused with the Friday, June 11th Mass, also at Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury at which the St. Ann's Schola Cantorum will sing, but which is a Mass in the Ordinary Form.

Please be sure to come out and assist at both Masses.

Fact: St. Ann's Schola to sing at Sacred Heart Parish in Salisbury

Gentle Readers...

I know that several of you have commented on how much you enjoy St. Ann's Schola Cantorum... so I thought that I would share with you all that the schola has been invited to sing and assist at the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart.
This will take place at 6:00pm on June 11 at:

Sacred Heart Parish
375 Lumen Christi Lane
Salisbury, NC 28147

Nota bene: this is a Mass in the Ordinary form, not in the Extraordinary form...

Fact: Feast of the Ascension Missa Cantata at St. Ann's in Charlotte

Dear Readers,

Everything is all set for the Missa Cantata to be offered at St. Ann's in Charlotte for the Feast of the Ascension on Ascension Thursday, May 13 at 7:00pm. Priest, servers, and schola have all completed their final preparations.
I hope that you can all make it... it should be a beautiful, grace-filled Mass.


Ascendit Deus in jubilatione,et Dominus in voce tubae. Alleluia

Oremus Pro Pontifice

Dear God in Heaven... I am just saddened by the evil that seems to be so prevalent in these days. Anyone who thinks that evil does not exist and that Satan is not working over-time in our modern world is living under a rock!

We have non-Christian extremists wantoning killing Christians across the globe with the "civilized, enlightened West" standing by idlely watching it all happen without the slighted outrage or even quiet recognition!

We have an evil cabal of possessed politicians whose level of deceit and dishonestly makes the Father of Lies very proud indeed as they continue to attack people of faith, chipping away at our religious rights and attempting to muzzle Holy Mother Church with threats or lawsuits and taxation! Meanwhile it is a divide and conquer strategy in evil league with the so-called "Catholic" dissidents who are more interested in their Beltway party invitations than protecting the most helpless of God's creatures both in the womb and on life support! Their thirst for political power and lack of concern for the innocents must be making their historical predecessors of Cardinal Woosley and King Herald very proud!

Lastly, the vicious, non-stop attacks on the Holy Father are just unbelievable. Satan is pulling out all the stops with his demon possessed minions in the media to pull down this Shepherd. Dear God, please protect and comfort our Holy Father during these dreadful times. I cannot imagine the weight of the cross that he is carrying. Please all you faithful Readers, pray for our Holy Father... and for Holy Mother Church! As a student of history, this much vitriol and danger for the Church as not been seen since the early Roman persecutions and the French revolution!

With all this evil, we need prayers and Masses... so pray for the Holy Father, and assist in person or via EWTN in the Pontifical Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine in Washington, DC. on Saturday, April 24th which is being offered for our Holy Father.

V. Let us pray for our Pontiff, Pope Benedict.

R. May the Lord preserve him, and give him life, and bless him upon earth, and deliver him not to the will of his enemies.

Our Father. Hail Mary.

Let us pray.

O God, Shepherd and Ruler of all Thy faithful people, look mercifully upon Thy servant Benedict, whom Thou hast chosen as shepherd to preside over Thy Church. Grant him, we beseech Thee, that by his word and example, he may edify those over whom he hath charge, so that together with the flock committed to him, may he attain everlasting life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Fact: Resurrexit sicut dixit!

A blessed Easter to all of you dear readers and your families!
Christos Anesti!! Alithos Anesti!! (Christ is Risen! Truely He is Risen!)

Fact: The Emotion of Calvary

Dear Readers,

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was blessed with the opportunity to achieve one of my life's goals to go on Pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The trip was more that I could ever have imagined. It has been, by the Grace of God, truly life changing for me.
As we commenorate on this Good Friday the Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ, I would like to briefly share how overwhelming the emotion of standing on summit of Calvary where God Omnipotent himself redeemed the world.

In the Church of the Holy Sepulcure, once must clime a number of steps (perhaps 15 or so) to get to the "summit" of Calvary. Once there, you are in queue, but standing in chapels for the final stations of the Via Curcis.
At top of the stairs, Jesus is Stripped of His Clothes... moving on, this haunting mosaic of Christ is Nailed to the Cross.
Staring at this mosaic, and imagining the pain as the nails were driven into Our Lord's wrists and feet... because of MY SINS... begin to have it impact as my tears began to well up in my eyes. (Even as I type this post, the emotion returns)

Moving on, one passes under an archway with a mosaic stating "Stabat Mater Dolorosa, juxta crucem" ( the Sorrowfully Mother stood next to the Cross) where the most moving statue of the Blessed Mother I have ever seen stood near the Cross of Calvary. As an Italian, I have seem many statues of the Madonna.. exquisitely and artfully done... but nothing prepared me for this:
I am sure the this photo does not convey to you dear readers the actual power of this statue, but I can tell you , it is the most "living" statue I had ever seen, and the quiet pain in the face of Our Blessed Mother finally drove me over the edge, and the my tears freely flowed.
By now my emotions were inflamed... the next few minutes were quite a blur... but it included kneeling under the altar set on Calvary, and placing my hand into the hole in which the Cross of Our Redeemer stood... knowing that His Most Precious Blood ran down this Cross to pool on the very ground I was touching... that Blood, shed for me and my sins!

The emotion of that moment, while trying with this words, is really indescribable... but it was so powerful a moment, that I immediately left Calvary and returned to the tomb, the empty tomb! to remind myself that Christ is now longer dead, he is alive and risen as he said!


Stabat Mater dolorosa, juxta crumen lacrimosa

Fact: Chant Workshop to be held at St. Ann's

Dear Readers,

Many have commented on the beauty of the recent missa cantata in honor of the Annunciation to Our Blessed Mother at St. Ann's and the beautiful accompaniment of St Ann's Schola Cantorum.

None of that comes about without the study and practice of the chant propers for each Mass by the schola, The schola has a dedicated group of men (and women) who are beginning to gain some beautiful sound, but they can use more members.

To help folks better understand their own potential, and to take the mystery out of what chant is and how to interruprat (musically) the ancient text and notes, a 2-day chant workshop is being held at St. Ann.

Details can be obtained here.... please consider becoming part of this ministry so that we can be better positioned for that day when a weekly, Sunday Mass in the Extraordinary form is offered, that it can be a regular sung Mass.

Fact: Two more Missae Cantatae to be held at St. Ann's!!

After just having a Missa Cantata for the Feast of the Annunciation on March 25, word from St. Ann's in Charlotte, lead by Fr. Reid, will be offering two more upcoming Missae Cantatae:

Thursday, May 13

Ascension Thursday

and

Saturday, August 7
XI Sunday after Pentecost (anticipated)

The Ascension Thursday Mass is a second consecutive year that Fr. Reid has offered a Missa Cantata for the Feast of Our Lord's Ascension on the actual feast day.

The August 7 Mass is the regular monthly "Sunday anticipated" Mass, but with chant from the participants of the "Sing Like a Catholic" chant workshop to be held in Charlotte, also at St. Ann's on August 6-7.

I encourage you to share this information with as many as possible. They should be wonderful liturgies. Feedback from those who attended the Annunciation Mass on March 25 has been quite extraordinary. The musical assistance of the schola and choir of St. Ann's at the Mass has been highly complimented as adding awesome beauty and reverence to the Mass.

Grapevine: Missa Cantata for Ascension at St. Ann's

Graces continue to flow out of St. Ann's parish in Charlotte. Recently a Missa Cantata for the Feast of the Annunciation of Our Lady was confirmed and now sources are indicating the high likelihood that another Missa Cantata will be held on Thursday, May 13, for the Feast of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ! Please pray for all of those involved that this wonderful Mass can be confirmed.

Fact: Missa Cantata at St. Ann's - March 25th

It has been confirmed from several sources that the Missa Cantata in honor of the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary on Thursday, March 25 at St. Ann's in Charlotte. Please make every effort to attend this solemn event in honor of Our Lady. Please pray for Fr. Reid, the altar servers, and members of St. Ann's Schola Cantorum and Choir as they prepare for this wonderful Mass. (Photo: Church of the Annuciation, Nazareth)

Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae... et concepit de Spiritu Sancto
Ecce ancillae Domini... fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum

Grapevine: March 25th Missa Cantata at St. Ann's

The next Missa Cantata looks to be planned on Thursday, March 25: Feast of the Annunciation at St. Ann's in Charlotte, NC.

Please continue to pray for Fr. Reid and the Altar servers as they prepare. Also as a reminder, Weekly Mass in the Extraordinary Form offered on Wednesdays at 6.00pm at St. Ann's on Park Road.

Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariæ ....