I hope that you are all having a wonderful Christmastide!
In thinking about the blessings of 2013 for my year-end thanksgiving, it has been a truly amazing year for us here in the Diocese of Charlotte... it is truly a wonderful story. Let us recount briefly some of our blessings:
1. For the second year in a row, a newly ordained priest (Fr. Christian) of the Diocese offered his First Mass of Thanksgiving in the Extraordinary Form.
2. In the priest assignment rotations, last year's newly ordained (Fr. Barone) landed a bit closer to Charlotte allowing for better "coverage" and for more Solemn High Masses being offered.
3. One of our newly ordained Diocesan transitional Deacons (Rev. Mr. Noah Carter) served his first Mass as Deacon in the Extraordinary Form in Rome, as well as serving many other. We are hopeful that his priestly ordination here this summer will follow a First Mass of Thanksgiving in the Extraordinary Form
4. Several Class I Solemnities and Holy days of obligation offered at St. Ann's and many other local parishes, including the annual Feast of St. Anne with His Excellency, Bishop Jugis again in choir; as well as, the first Orchestra Missa Cantata offered at Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury with the newly formed Carolina Catholic Chorale!
5. And the "Big Story" of the Year... Charlotte gets a regular, weekly, Sunday Missa Cantata in the Extraordinary Form at St. Ann's at 12.30pm. Thank you Fr. Reid, St. Ann's Altarboys, and St. Ann's Schola cantorum!! This for me has been the biggest blessing and a font of graces that continually gives.
So what do we have to look forward in 2014?... I cannot wait! But even without any specific "grapevine" items coming out of the Park Road curia of St. Ann's... just already scheduled Missae cantatae Sunday's alone this year would provide us with:
Feb. 2 - Purification of Blessed Virgin Mary (Candlemas &; Procession)
Apr. 13- Palm Sunday (Blessing of the Palms &; Procession)
Apr. 20- Solemnity of the Resurrection (Easter)
June 8 - Solemnity of Pentecost
June 15- Solemnity of Most Holy Trinity
June 29- Solemnity of Sts. Peter & Paul, Apostles
Sept. 14- Exultation of the Most Holy Cross
Oct. 26- Solemnity of Christ the King
Nov. 2 - Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)
Nov. 9 - Dedication of Lateran Basilica
Those are just the Sunday Masses already scheduled!
If we anticipate other Missae cantatae based on history (nowhere published yet), we could likely expect to see offered:
Mar. 19 - Solemnity of St. Joseph (Wednesday)
Mar. 25 - Solemnity of the Annunciation (Tuesday)
May 29 - Solemnity of the Ascension (Thursday)
June 19 - Solemnity of Corpus Christi (Thursday).. opening of Forty Hours perhaps?
July 26 - Feast of St. Anne (Saturday)
Aug. 15- Feast of the Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary (Friday)
Dec. 8 - Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (Monday)
Dec. 20- Rorate Mass of Our Lady in Advent (Saturday)
Dec. 24- Vigil of the Nativity (Wednesday)
That's a total of 10 major Sunday feasts and 9 non-Sunday feasts, 19 in total!... who would have thought we would have come this far... I am so excited by all of this!
And that is just want is already know or likely based on history, if we think about what another priest in the Diocese of Charlotte later this year (soon-to-be Fr. Carter) available to also offer Masses, I have to believe that just about every Holyday of Obligation will be covered somewhere in the Diocese... and, I am wondering about a potential Confirmation in the Extraordinary Form!? Who knows what else this year may bring!
For those of you enjoying the fruits of this work, please get involved if you can to help this all continue to grow... how can you do that? Help is needed in many areas... time, talent, and treasure!
1. Attend the Masses and bring guests!
2. Join the Charlotte Latin Mass Community (CLMC) mailing list
3. Contribute financially ( if you are able) to support the music ministry, vestments, CLMC, etc.
4. Join the schola/choir... the more willing to sing, the more Missae cantatae that can be supported for non-Sunday Holydays
5. Offer the gift of your sons of service at the Altar... ages 11 and up
6. Most importantly, pray for the continued support of the Mass in the Extraordinary form both at the local level and in Rome.
